Jazmel was caught up in worry. There were other factions and clans within the walls of this small city. But even with just one beast tide there would have been casualties. But three? Three was a decimation, now they were fighting a battle of extermination. Jazmel needed to consider how to survive.
“We will hold this gate.” Sadé said beside him, she was up on the wall, and she was looking at him. staring at him with that look she always had for him. adoration, she trusted him to get them through this day like she always did.
“We will.” He responded, confident again.
He hurdled the wall and leapt over it, landing a few feet in front of the main gate. Mary and Bannerman walked through the gate and stood beside him. the rumble of the stampede could be heard now. There was a good few hundred of them, he hadn't even seen the strongest amongst them. but he wasn’t worried. they would face it together.
“We knock them down here. no matter what happens, we stop them here.” he said over his shoulder. He drew Daishinkan and the weight of the sword gave him comfort. He banged his vambraces together and felt his body gain the armour he had been made.
“That looks cool!” he heard, turning to the voice he found Deva standing. The man was wearing the same things, but he was completely calm. Even as the beast tide neared.
“Oh right…” he turned to his retainers.
“Do what you do, remember we are here for the rewards. Don’t overextend yourself and get injured. We are delving even after this!” he called out and his people split up, going about to prepare for the battle.
Deva stayed near Jazmel, Bannerman and Mary. The small Japanese girl who carried one single katana stood with him and waited.
The beast tide was closer now, Jazmel could even smell them on the air. He imagined Bannerman could too. The beasts were so close now, he could make out the different faces.
DING!
PUBLIC SEEKER ANNOUNCEMENT!
WARNING!
THE BEAST TIDE HAS APPEARED!
HOLD THE MAIN GATE!
…
As the system sung that out for them all, Jazmel simply stood. His body a little turned to the side.
Wield!
Jazmel heard and turning to the side he watched. Out of interest as Deva pulled three cards from his deck and took on the characteristics. The first card must have been armour, because the card burned with Mana and then armour covered his body. Simple plate armour, but at a deeper look. He could see the sigaldry of Mana scried into all parts of the plates.
The second card was a sword, a longsword made of pure white Mana. it was beautifully made, and it made Jazmel think about Patton. He looked a good long sword. he shook the sadness from his bones, he needed to focus.
The final card was a bandoleer of fire grenades. Jazmel remembered them from his time with Frae when they had fought inside the lost gate.
“Here they come!” Deva yelled and true as he had said, the trolls and hobgoblins charged the gate.
Tusked turmoil!
Mary’s skilled from a blood red mammoth, made entirely out of Mana around her. She charged into the oncoming hobgoblins and trolls. Bowling them over and crushing those at the forefront of her charge. She ran over them, breaking their bodies as she burst through the wall of the first wave of the tide.
Wolf hunt!
He heard and Bannerman darted in after her. Slashing a flurry of strikes and carving up those that were caught shocked by the power of Mary.
Jazmel stayed where he was. The gate needed someone standing guard, and there were enough of the waves for beasts and monsters to make up the wave. They were rushing past Mary and Bannerman, hurrying to try and enter the gate. But Jazmel wouldn’t let them.
Swallow slash!
A soaring bird made up of mana burst past Jazmel. It soared across the air and smashed into a few of the first trolls. Cut open and wounded, they mewled in pain. Dragging themselves forward, trying to not be trampled beneath their stampeding peers.
Raven’s cleaving descent!
Jazmel swung and a spiralling crescent sliced the air as it carved through the trolls. Some even were cleaves clean through. Falling like debris upon the ground. Jazmel swung his blade about him, expertly and as they rushed him he fought like a maddened demon.
Eviscerate!
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Eviscerate!
Eviscerate
His skill danced around him, purging creatures that got close enough. He flared his Mana about him and shouted.
“Come then! Come and meet your end!!” his sword sung, swishing through the air like a wind chime. Cleaving bone and muscle easier than anything.
DING!
X4 TIER III HOBGOBLINS KILLED!
+3 DEX
+3 PER
+3 END
DING!
X7 TIER II HILL TROLLS KILLED!
+2 STR
+2 VIT
+2 INT
The system energy came flooding in. But he wasn’t even fatigued, these creatures were small food for him. He didn’t even gain any exp.
More rushed, his sword sang earnestly. Carving through the hobgoblins and trolls as they rushed him. he back pedalled, trying not to be surrounded. But he couldn’t back up all the way to the gate. Jazmel looked around and saw that they were swarming him. surrounding him and trying to pen him in.
Sunder!
He carved a perfect circle around himself and watched as the bodies fell in half.
DING!
X10 TIER II HILL TROLLS KILLED!
+3 STR
+3 END
…
But more rushed him.
“Hup.” He exhaled as he crouched down and then bounded into the air. Paldane had been there and caught him by the shoulder guards of his armour.
Fire grenades flashed about and burned and exploded. The screams of monsters were crazy sounds, but Jazmel felt nothing for these beasts. “Drop me here.” he said and Paldane let him go.
Great rumbling dragon
With the Mana formed around his dragon katana and the amplification boost from his armour. His entire body was enveloped in Mana. It almost looked like he was riding the dragon back towards the ground. He crashed, smashed into the ground. Forcing Mana into it and making the smooth path of packed mud erupt. The craggy pieces burst around him and broke. Crumbling onto hobgoblins and trolls alike. Many died, many fell wounded badly and were close to dying from his attack.
DING!
X34 TIER III HOB GOBLINS KILLED!
+10 STAT POINTS!
X25 TIER II HILL TROLLS KILLED!
+5 STR
+4 INT
YOU AND YOUR PEERS HAVE DEFEATED THE FIRST WAVE!
YOU ALONE DECIMATED MANY OF THE FIRST WAVE!!
…
YOUR REWARDS AT THE END WILL BE GREATLY ENHANCED!
…
Well that was good news! He thought to himself, he just needed to keep showing his skills within this beast tide.
DING!
WARNING!
THE SECOND WAVE IS COMING!
As the words flooded his system screen, he noticed the second wave lumbering forward. They were strong, easily all tier III and no longer trolls or hobgoblins. No these were the thick skinned and gigantic ogres.
Jazmel stood where he had landed, in between the rubble he had created.
Ogres were giant beasts, taller than any man. Ranging from eight to nine feet in height. They varied in shape though, somewhere thick, and burly in size. But others were potbellied and shorter, maybe only just seven feet. Their arms long and their legs short. They were disproportionate, but no less dangerous. No Jazmel had fought ogres before, he had been there when Frae had killed a troll ogre. It was the first of its kind that Jazmel had seen, and it was extraordinarily strong. Even having a name, he hoped there wasn’t one such as that in this wave.
The second wave rushed them, ogres in abundance trampling the bodies of trolls and hobgoblins. They died, crushed, and trodden on. Jazmel hissed at the sound of crunching bones and broken limbs. But the ogres didn’t stop.
RALLY OF THE GENERAL!
ALL ALLIES WILL HAVE THEIR STAMINA REPLENISHED!
…
Mary had acted, she swung her flag. The great one she always used and whirred it around. All of them were replenished, Jazmel felt his bones ease with the exertion of battle. He hadn't even drunk a potion yet, but he was already recovering a little.
“Ogres regenerate even quicker than trolls! Remove their heads if you want to kill them!” Mary shouted over the charge of the ogres.
Howl!
Wolf hunt!
Bannerman let his heart wrenching howl sound out. It provoked the ogres, some faltered in their charge while others hurried even further. It caused disarray and Bannerman simply rushed forward to meet them. Bounding forward and using his clawed hands, he stabbed into the throat of the first ogre. He wrenched his hand across; slashing its throat. Somersaulting over its head, he grabbed its lip and pulled its head backwards. Decapitating it with its own weight. It fell backwards, crashing into the ground.
Eviscerate!
Jazmel was behind him, swinging his blade about. Carving chunks of flesh from ogres as they rushed past him and then gouts of hot blood poured from open wounds.
Sunder!
He cut through the tendons of the last five ogres that rushed past him, he turned to face them and saw Deva acting.
Wield!
He had two cards in each hand. He flicked his wrist, and the first card sliced through the air. Spinning like a top as it sailed, aimed at the group of ogres. The card burst with Mana and a literal storm cloud of thunder and lightning appeared. Bursting and a single bolt hit the ogres. Turning them all to ash in one great strike.
The second card blazed with Mana again, the system energy made the card burst with light and before Jazmel and Deva appeared a Warwolf. A large grey furred wolf as big as Kazumi was. It had patch of white fur in the centre of his head and a scar over its right eye. It snarled but when it noticed Deva it lowered its head in a bow.
“Clear up the dead.” He called and the Warwolf growled before sprinting off and tearing out the throat of a crawling troll.
Heron’s haiku!
Sukina soared through the air and with a quick slash. She cut down four ogres, removing their heads and sheathing her blade. All in one fluid movement. She landed beside Jazmel and Deva and pointed at the wall. Jazmel looked over and watched as Sadé and Guile were preparing a big strike.
Thunderfire!
Thunderfire
Promethean prayer!
Thunderfire
Torrents of flame, wreathed in thunder smashed into the second wave of ogres. Taking to their skin like kindling. They howled in pain, broken from the thunder and burned from the flame. As her strikes struck each group of ogres that made up the second wave. Jazmel watched as Guile, the mage that was under Deva. Raised his staff and urged the flames that Sadé had cast, into one spiralling pillar of flame. He pulled all the sources of fire into one burning pillar and condensing it he washed the entire second wave in flame. The ogres didn’t even reach the wall. They burned like straw under the sun.
DING!
YOU AND YOUR PEERS STOPPED THE SECOND WAVE!
EXP ACCRUED!
…
BEWARE THE THIRD WAVE!