Lanek activated [Splintering Dart] and was delighted to see that the javelin counted as a valid projectile. Not wanting to give the enemy a chance to dodge, he targeted the wight carrying the tower shield. As if detecting Lanek’s intent, the creature braced its shield and ducked behind it.
The shield would prove to be ineffective, however, as the javelin shot forward, its metal head splitting into five projectiles, each targeting a different wight. The metal pierced into the shields of the cleric and tank while the rogue wight dodged the projectile outright and the remaining tank and javelin-wielder attempted to deflect the slivers with their weapons. Simultaneously, all five metal slivers exploded, metal shrapnel flying in every direction.
The effects on the party varied wildly, with the javelin thrower holding a splintered piece of wood that was all that remained of its remaining javelin. The warrior with the greatsword appeared largely unharmed, its massive sword having deflected the dart and most of the shrapnel away. The rogue was limping where several pieces of shrapnel had pierced its legs. However, the most damage came from the shield wielders as both the tank and the cleric had dropped their ruined shields and weapons while they clawed at the slivers of shrapnel that had pierced their faces, shrieking in agony all the while.
While the wights struggled to recover their cohesion, Lanek charged the cleric, his arming sword severing the creature’s head and ending its screams. The rogue rushed after him, slowed a bit by the damage to its legs, but still moving faster than Lanek. Stooping down, Lanek lifted a fragment of the javelin’s wood haft and triggered his skill yet again, the range so short by the time he fired it off that the dart did not have time to split into five pieces and spread out across multiple targets. Instead, all five projectiles impacted within a small area on the rogue’s chest, staggering the creature.
It attempted to move forward, Lanek raising his sword into a defensive stance when he noticed that the rogue was not coming any closer. Looking more closely, Lanek saw multiple roots growing from the injuries inflicted by the dart and anchoring themselves into the ground. The rogue struggled to move, but was not strong enough to break the roots. Desperately, it attempted to cut the roots loose, but Lanek would not give it the time it needed as his sword pierced its chest and put the wight down.
Finally, he turned and watched as the shielded tank started to stand, foul liquid running down the ruins of its face. Not willing to let it back into the fight, Lanek summoned his spear and threw it at the creature, watching in satisfaction as the spear pierced its torso and dropped the monster to the ground where it twitched before falling still.
Spinning at a soft crunch behind him, Lanek barely had time to get his sword up in time to block the greatsword’s descent. Fucking hell, that was a mistake. He swore as his arms went numb from the impact. Not only was the sword heavy, but its wielder clearly had a very high strength attribute. He twisted away from the tank, lashing out with his elbow to catch its companion in the face before it could stab him in the back with the dagger it had claimed from the rogue’s corpse.
Knowing that he was both stronger and faster than the javelin thrower, he distanced himself from the tank and focused on the smaller wight. It attempted to retreat, but Lanek was unrelenting, unleashing a flurry of one- and two-handed blows with his arming sword. Eventually, the foul creature missed a parry and found the sword cleaving through its rotting armor and cutting it from collarbone to hip, instantly destroying the monster.
A roar sounded behind him, equal parts anger and frustration at having been unable to keep pace with Lanek. The final wight glared at him as it charged, but it had miscalculated as Lanek dismissed his sword and summoned his yari. He crouched low and put all of his strength into his legs to leap forward in a charge of his own, passing underneath the greatsword and skewering the wight, its own momentum adding to the carnage. Lanek released the spear and dove out of the way to avoid a potential counter, but the monster simply fell forward, the hateful glow of its eyes fading away.
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Breathing deeply, Lanek was grateful for his new skill. He didn’t think he would have made it through that fight without it. He turned toward the battle and discovered a concerning sight. Not only had the ghouls made contact with the front line of orcs, but the earth elementals were also embroiled in combat as another group of foes had struck from behind.
Dozens of Ash Goblins led by a core group of Ash Bugbears were attempting to overwhelm the elementals. Although they had not succeeded in pushing through the elementals, the spearmen and archers that had been supporting the shield had been forced to aid the elementals instead in order to keep the nimble Ash Goblins from slipping past and striking at the defenseless individuals.
Lanek prepared to rush back toward his allies when a thunderous boom echoed across the battlefield. A split second later, a large black projectile shattered the attacking goblins and bugbears, forcing the remnants to fall back and growl angrily to the east. The growls quickly became whines of terror as the monsters broke into a full rout back from whence they came. Similarly, the ghouls and ghasts broke contact and fled in a panic back to the north.
Stomach dropping, Lanek suspected he knew what was coming. In the distance, marching toward their position, was a double column of myrmidons. The figure was missing its spear, but was no less intimidating without it. The six meter tall figures slowed their march before the members of the Talon, and spread out to surround the formation.
From the looks on his people’s faces, Lanek could tell that they were preparing for death, despite the creature’s seemingly saving them. However, it was not an uncommon sight within Caelis to see the myrmidons slay other creatures of the dungeon without mercy.
The myrmidons abruptly parted formation and turned their backs to party, facing outward with spears at the ready. Through the gap in the formation, two unarmed myrmidons carrying large baskets knelt and set their cargo on the ground before retreating. Lanek approached the baskets and shook his head in bewilderment for they were full of cats, although he was saddened to see that these were clearly those that could no longer walk, due to infirmity, missing limbs, or age. Along the road extending to the east were yet more myrmidons lining each side of the road, keeping watch as a procession of cats walked forward with Pharaoh at their head.
“I don’t know why you are doing this, but thank you.” Lanek said, making eye contact with the myrmidon that had thrown its spear. The creature nodded almost imperceptibly and approached him, dropping a scroll on the ground at Lanek’s feet before returning to its vigil.
“It’s alright, let’s get these guys home.” Lanek called out to Talwarg and the rest. Still wary of the myrmidons, the Talon moved forward and began transferring the weakened cats to the cart, some refusing to put the cats down at all once they wrapped them in a blanket and felt them purring. In most cases, this was the first time that either cat or person had felt that kind of warmth and both were loathe to relinquish it.
In all, there were roughly forty cats once you counted the ones in Pharaoh’s procession. “How many more are left in the Depths?” Lanek asked.
“Another two hundred or so.”
“That’s all? I would imagine that there would be so many more by now.” Lanek said in confusion.
“Ah, no. When we entered the dungeon we were changed and could only have maybe one or two litters of kittens in our lifetime, although the size of the litters remained the same. Also, some of our kin were very comfortable in the Depths, their affinities suited to the shadows and caves. These have elected to stay in the dungeon and keep in touch should they ever change their minds or if their kits desire to return to the surface in the future. Those that will be joining you all have affinities for aspects of nature and the wilds. Well, and a few outliers like myself that have rarer affinities that have developed with our evolutions. You will meet the other elders soon, all of which are tressym like myself.”
“I look forward to it. So, what’s with the myrmidons?” Lanek asked looking at the giant figures. “It seems like you didn’t need an escort after all.”
“I wasn’t expecting it either. It seems that the Depths knew that your entire faction was on its way to aid us and chose to honor that commitment with a large showing of its own. I believe that we should get moving soon, the myrmidons are needed elsewhere.”
Lanek nodded, eyeing the scroll in his hands. It was clearly from the Depths, but he wasn’t entirely sure that he was ready to find out what it said quite yet. However, he was spared that decisions by a whispered command from Eldros.
Take them to the tree.