After ten minutes of calm, the yellow dome hovering over Kenan and his compatriots started to develop cracks at its base. Oz assured everyone it was merely signaling the time left, and that the beasts were not, in fact, inflicting so much pressure that It was breaking. Despite the Goliaths reassurances. Everyone gathered themselves, their energy and weapons.
The anticipation was palpable. Majority of the impromptu soldiers didn’t have the training to be proper fighting men. Out of the corner of his eye, Noctis saw the same young man who had killed the wolf for him. He was pacing, revolving around an invisible point. The man's shaking was furthered by his panic, and the increase in tremors only propelled his fear.
Kenan looked around, saw others in a similar state. Dion woofed. “But I’m not the…” The dirus barked. “What do I even say?”
“Say the same thing that’s getting you through this.” Oz said, still laying down.
Noctis sighed, stood, and strode over to the young man. Before he reached his target, Kenan grabbed the person's weapon. Then stood straight in the path of the madding pace. They collided into each other. Noctis unmoving as the young man bounced off of him. “Sorry I…”
Cocking back his arm, Kenan slapped the person in the face. Putting in enough power to make the resulting sound echo through the dome. “What's your name?” Noctis asked simply. The man made an expressed, surprised sound. “I said, what’s your name!”
“I-I. Umm. Burris.”
“Burris. You are fated to die today.” Kenan said. Then he gathered the force in his voice. “For whatever reason, The Fates decided, in their infinite web of intricate destinies. You, all of you, were predetermined to die today. Even I. Oz too. Somewhere along the way, my life is going to end today.”
Silence took over the surrounding. Dion cocked his head in confusion and Oz looked at Kenan like a madman.
“Yet. I will not. Why? Because I have the power to look at The Fates decision, and spit in their face. I am not to decipher their reason, I can’t, no one can. However, everyone, I mean everyone. To the fucking ant who was supposed to starve today, to the fish caught in a net, the wolf stuck in the tooth-trap, you, me, everyone. Has the power, the ability to change their own destiny. You need two things, the same two things that can face down every problem that will ever arise. Yourself.” Kenan then shoved the pike into the man's hand. “And your weapon.”
Burris took the weapon. Looked at it for a moment. A resolve hardened his face. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the long handle of it. “Thank you.”
Noctis said nothing as he turned and walked away. He saw others look at themselves, and their weapons. A subtle change of scent washed away fear, and was replaced by a smell of challenge. Kenan stopped at Dion, staring at his canine companion. An image of wolves lined on an edge around a pit. Another two, fighting, growling, grabbing for power. Noctis shook himself from the scene, he found himself snarling with the hair on the back of his neck raised. Dion twisted his head in confusion, looked at his master for a long second. Then gave his entire body a shake. As if throwing off an unknown feeling.
“That… well actually, worked a whole lot better than I thought it would.” Oz said.
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***
The sixteen stood in readied formation with their backs to the pair of duo’s. At this point, the cracks in the dome reached near the top. Kenan saw and heard the breaks forming in a rapid pace all over. His metaphysical perception told him that mana was rapidly being built and siphoned to a singular line, using left over from the previous spell.
“Right!” Oz said. “Ini utjorn restund fyr bloth, fjergt epft ag zana, och fyr gilded ver fer oll klarth.” He turned his head towards the group. “Let rage replace your blood, skin turn to stone, and your strength be that of steel!”
Suddenly the sound of drums filled Kenan’s senses. Hooves and screeches tore at everyone's eye drums. A line surrounding the dome, filled with the last whispers of previously used mana, exploded outward. Killing and crushing tens of animals while making a clear division.
“Right’o Ken! Whoever kills the least of them gets emm.. Oh shit!” Oz dropped his ax quickly to catch a large boar's tusks that were sharpened to a unnatural degree. His brother swiftly brought his weapon down and crushed its spine. Ozzy grunted. “Right, sorry.”
Like an arrow, the gray brothers dived into the mass of monsters. Spinning while back to back, they didn’t stop pressing their charge. It seemed as if they attacked recklessly, however, Kenan saw the clever method to the madness. As they continued the cyclone, one would attack an animal, inflicting just enough damage for it to be crippled, then the other would finish it off. All the while setting up other monstrosities to be executed.
Noctis and Dion looked at each other. Flame erupted from both of them, then they bounced from their position and joined the fray. This time, the duo could use their high mobility and speed to the utmost. Slicing at one animal, and before they had a chance to react, or even die, they would be onto the next. All the while leaving a blazing trail for others to burn in.
Something in the back of Noctis' mind fired, he twisted and turned. Bringing out his blade from the carcass of a mutated raccoon. He flicked his sword, cutting off a shooting vine heading straight for his skull. Giving a quick glance, he saw multiple animals with rising green limbs coming from their bodies.
“I think it’s time we turn it up!” Kenan yelled, sinking his sword deep into a mountain-lions heart.
“Agreed!” Oz said. He caused a large spray of blood as he nearly separated a bear's shoulder from the rest of its body.
The connected’s flame exploded from their bodies, causing a change in color. They both activated Soulfire simultaneously. Kenan pulsed some of the Qi in his body and bounced off animals, making a large circle around the Goliaths. Killing many while also causing shimmers in the air. Once he was back to his original position, he released Afterburn. 4 large explosions caused a chorus of screeches as the flame eroded at their bodies.
Dion howled. Bloodlust filled the edges of his vision. The dirus barked and fueled mana into the noise. Causing large phantom maws to bite into a tens of monsters. For a moment, the dirus looked confused, then he shrugged it off as he latched onto a neck.
Ozzy yelled. Bringing up his hammer, he smashed it on the ground. Causing a small crater. Yellow lines sparked from the impact and seeped into the earth. A large vibration threw multiple beings off balance. Suddenly six large spikes of stone erupted around the brothers, impaling multiple foes.
Oz laughed, and took to very brief respite to his advantage. He threw his ax spinning in the air. A large crack resounded as lighting from the Goliath reached his flying weapon. In the next moment, he was in the air alongside it. Oz continued to chuckle as he threw the now sparking weapon back on the ground. As the edge landed on the dirt, Oz suddenly was there holding it. In the impact, all the loose rock floated for a second. Then a large explosion of lighting traveled from the ax. Touching the large earth spikes, charging them, they exploded too. Causing hundreds of tiny, lightning empowered earth shards to embed themselves onto their foes.
Some time during the battle. An impossibly large screech echoed from the forest, but it was ignored by the sheer focus the warriors had.