The sun had just barely gone down in the bleating meadow, and on a gentle hill half a mile from the city the mana lamprey painstakingly arranged the many carcasses it had gathered. Six mice, six rats, six quail, six rabbits, six lambs, six pigs, and six human commoners all killed within the last three nights. He arranged them in a spiral pattern with the smallest in the center and the largest on the outside. It didn’t use telekinesis as it typically would on such a menial task, for it needed all of its mana to complete the summoning itself.
With the corpses in place, it was time to begin the complex ritual. It would take a flawless layering of more than a score of high level spells culminating in the gate to the beast’s home plane.
Casting the spells was as simple as breathing to the ancient monster, and within a few minutes it could feel its mana rapidly siphon into the forty two corpses before him. Finally, as the last of its massive reserves of mana drained away, a tiny clawed hand no bigger than a human infant’s burst through the soil at the center of the spiral. An arm followed, sinewy and covered in rust colored skin. Then a tiny shoulder, and finally a large (relative to its body) head. It pulled its other arm out and crawled from the dirt making strange croaking and cooing sounds, the mana lamprey could finally view the infant monster fully.
It was the overall size of a human toddler. It had the head of a toad, dominated by a massive mouth and large wideset eyes. Its arms were long and ended in four fingers with hook shaped claws. It squatted on two muscular back legs as it cocked its head to the side, studying the mana infused mouse carcasses before it.
It wasted no time snapping them up one after the other, making happy noises that might be considered cute without the horrifying appearance of it. With each feeding it grew rapidly. The mana lamprey was satisfied, and retreated.
By the time the beast had finished its first meal it would be many times too powerful for the mana lamprey to control, which was fine. There was no need to control it, simply unleashing it would suffice to draw out the elf and separate her from the boy long enough to seize him. The ancient monster had devised a new plan. Rather than sneaking about, it could simply imprison the boy and siphon his mana for years to come. It would mean abandoning the sister, but that was an acceptable trade given the circumstances.
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Some time later, a giant barbed tongue pierced the body of the final human offering like a harpoon before snapping it back into the now gigantic dripping maw of the twenty five foot tall monstrosity. It was not satisfied, and never would be. The scent of prey was near, and it wasted no time. Its leap covered hundreds of feet at a time and in moments it was standing before a massive barn. A single swipe of its terrible claws blasted a hole large enough for it to squeeze inside with the more than five hundred terrified sheep.
It sent its two long tongues over and over, each one often skewering three sheep at a time, fueling its continued rapid growth.
Outside, a frightened farmhand and his two sons stood before the barn doors shaking at the horrible sounds.
“Ogres?” The older one whispered, clutching an antique polearm with white knuckles.
“Whatever they are, it’s more than we can handle.” The old farmer replied. “You boys take a horse and get to the city, tell the guard at the gate there’s at least a two ring monster here!”
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“What about you and Ma?” The younger boy asked.
“We’ll hide in the attic until it passes. Now go!” He finished in a harsh whisper as he backed toward the small farmhouse.
The boys wasted no more time and were soon galloping toward the city wall with wide eyes and racing hearts. Behind them the horrifying sounds of scores of sheep being devoured faded rapidly from their ears but continued to sound clearly in their minds.
It only took five minutes to reach the gate. The sleepy guardsman started when he saw the wild eyed boys enter the light of the torches.
“Monsters in our barn!” The younger one shouted urgently. “Da says two rings at least.” The older one added.
“Right.” The guard responded immediately, he raced up the steps of the guard tower to the massive bell. Taking the heavy leather wrapped hammer in both hands he hit the side of the bell hard two times in succession.
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Meanwhile at Kel’s Place Zell, Nin, Rin, and Kel were having a sparring party by magical candle light. Zell had shaken off his depression and was having a wonderful time even though he was being soundly beaten over and over. He had the most fun watching the others spar, especially when the twins teamed up against Kel.
Rin’s support magic and Nin’s high level swordplay complemented eachother incredibly well. The two of them seemed to be in constant communication though no words were spoken. One would attack high, while the other knifed in low from the opposite side.
Kel worked his massive cloth wrapped flamberge beatifully with his single remaining arm and took very few meaningful hits from the ferocious twins’ onslaught.
Even Birna had taken a break from taking inventory to enjoy the show. She sat on a log near Zell, and sipped a hot cider.
“Ohh you’re already sweating dear!” She chided Kel as he ducked a slash from Nin’s training sword at the same time he parried a blow from Rin’s blade that would have jabbed the back of his knee.
“It’s not my fault!” He retorted. “Someone made me taste like twenty cinnamon buns when she tweaked her recipe today.”
“I said taste, you didn’t have to eat the whole bun every time...” She rebutted grinning.
“Like I’m not gonna eat the whole cinnamon bun, woman!” He bantered back and finished with an “Oof!” as Nin’s free hand slugged him in the belly.
“That’s dirty! What part of ‘ate twenty cinnamon buns’ makes it ok to punch your poor old dad in the gut?” He whined.
“Everything a weapon, everything a target.” Nin quoted a saying of Kel’s in reply.
“Time.” Zell called a moment later, holding up the hourglass they had brought out to time the five minute rounds.
“Good job girls, that round was definitely yours.” Kel said, heading to the water pitcher for a drink. As he lifted the vessel, a distant bell rang twice.
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The tone could be heard across the entire city. Under a dock near The Fat Mermaid tavern, Agitha and Merissa took note.
“Two rings.” Merissa noted.
“Hill giant or weaker.” Agitha added. “I might go for the exercise if I weren’t busy.” She concluded with a slight shrug.
The two continued their stakeout, waiting for a member of The Little Hand to accept a job and exit the tavern.
A nagging sensation was eating at the back of Merissa’s mind. She had goosebumps and a steadily rising sense of dread. Agitha’s strong mana was masking it somewhat but there was clearly a malignant and powerful energy building nearby.
“No.” She suddenly whispered harshly as she attuned herself to the distant mana storm. “Not two rings. Something terrible has appeared. It’s distant but it dwarfs even your bared power.”
“Truly?” Agitha sounded skeptical. “What direction?”
“Beyond the north gate in the Bleating Meadow. Power like this could destroy the city!” She was now pale, sweat was beading on her brow.
“Well shit... suppose I have to go then. You’re not off the hook here by the way, this is just a raincheck.” Agitha stood up. “Coming?”
“R-right.” She fought down the urge to flee south as fast as her legs could carry her and fell into step next to the unshakeable Agitha. At that moment a roar split the night, a primal shriek that no creature of this plane could produce. A moment later the bell sounded again... four times.