I swear they’re faster now. The husks are less robotic and are more elf-like in their movements.
Version 2.0 I guess.
I haven’t leveled yet since the quest isn’t complete and I’m scared we won’t be able to defeat them all.
I look with concern at Cyran. The cleric tosses me a flask. “Take it. Use it to cut yourself a path to the tree. We’ll keep them occupied.”
The elf gawks at him. “What?” “You're splitting us up?”
The cleric turns to him. “I’m giving Ethan the best chance he has.”
“The best chance we have is to stick together.”
Cyrus shakes his head. “Ethan is more likely to reach the tree if we draw their attention away from him.”
“He’ll never defeat her without us,” Myran insists.
The husks are almost upon us.
“There’s no time to argue,” says Cyrus. “Go now, Ethan.”
I hesitate for an instant, but then I charge forward, pressing toward the tree with all my might. I unsheathe my blade and douse it with the bottle’s liquid. The first husk closes in and my sword glows and then explodes in flame. I slice into the husk and the flames fly off my blade. Two more are closing in but never reach me as they get caught in the flames of the first.
The cleric is tossing bottles everywhere amongst the husk hordes. They go off like fireworks and draw the husks eire. I just keep pushing forward. I block a husk attack and slice him across the waist. My blade is so hot it’s like a butter knife now. I strike another husk’s shoulder and the thing catches fire and slowly crumbles into ash. Even these upgraded models are not a match for my flaming sword.
I have renewed hope as I cut through my foes and hollow out the innards of these poor devils. Then the husks break off, refocusing their efforts on my friends and I can’t believe my good fortune. Until I see why they left: reinforcements have arrived.
The wild boars are back and they are not alone.
The pigs are joined by some breed of hairless tigers, and a pack of rhinoceros things that look like their genes have been crossed with armadillos
“We serve the god,” they say in unison. “Bow before her. Worship her.”
Not a lot of encouragement here I see.
I swerve as the first cat arrives; it reminds me of some sort of mutant house cat grown too big for its britches. The damn thing jumps at me and I bash it’s head with my sword hilt.
“Hiss”
“You’ll do more than hiss if you try that again,” I say.
“I serve the god of the forest.”
“So I’ve heard.”
Another cat leaps and I slice the thing across the belly, the blood spraying onto my face.
At least it’s not green I guess.
I see the rhino thing too late. It doesn’t have a horn; instead the head itself serves as a battering ram, and it smashes into my side. The impact sends me sprawling and I land on my back with a thud. My back aches and my head throbs with fresh pain. I groan and struggle to stand as blood slides down my head and neck.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The smell of fresh blood enthralls the pigs and one comes at me open-mouth, its tusks sharp and its snouted face even more disgusting close-up. As it closes its mouth I thrust my sword into the back so it closes upon steel instead of flesh. The light goes out from its eyes and I roll away from its body, slashing at another as I do and decapitating a third as I struggle to my feet.
Panting in tiredness and conscious of both the blood and pain I crouch in a defensive stance as the wild animals encircle me. I spin around, waiting for one to charge, but they advance together slowly, tightening their circle and by extension the noose around my neck.
“Come with us,” says a pig.
“Join us,” says the rhino.
“I’ve heard this before,” I reply. “I would rather die than be a slave to your god.”
“Then die you shall.”
I look to my companions, hoping that one of them will save me from this gruesome fate. But Cyrus seems to have run out of bottles and can hardly beat back his own horde, the elf is bloodied himself, and even Dauntless looks overwhelmed with all the husks around him.
We are screwed.
Panic rises in my chest, and I struggle to steady my sword as my enemies approach. Then I hear a screech from up above and can’t help but look up.
The vultures!
I smile at the sight of my winged friends diving down upon my foes. And they are not alone. Hawks and eagles join them in the attack. Seems just about everything with wings is sick of the ‘forest god’. They claw at my foes and peck out their eyes. I seize my chance and slash at one cat after the next after the next, forcing myself to act through pain inside me.
Take that! And that! Where’s your god now?
I hear bellowing behind me and I see bears thundering into the melee. They toss the husks aside with giant paws and are followed by some kind of lizard thing that looks like a crocodile except it has spikes on its back like a porcupine.
Try eating those things, pigs.
In fact, the boars do attack the lizards, using their long tusks to flip the reptiles over and get at their soft underbellies. The reptiles snap back though and crunch the boar snouts in their powerful jaws. The whole battle is chaos now with my companions lost among a swarm of husks and animals.
I pause with uncertainty, wanting to stay and help my friends. Perhaps we can defeat the foes entirely, now and then confront the god together. Maybe my animal allies can turn the tide.
My vulture lands before me. “What are you doing?” she snaps angrily. “The elven defences have fallen. The husks have broken through to the town and are rampaging along elven roads. Every moment of delay costs elven lives.”
Shocked, my urgency returns and my purpose is clear once more. I rush toward the dryad, skirting every battle I can and deflecting any blade swung my way.
A final cat bars my way and I barrel into it. My shoulder screams in agony, but the cat is knocked over and I roll on top of it. It paws at my face and I scream as the claws rake my cheeks. Then I plunge my sword deep into its chest and slide away as the cat’s insides are incinerated in fire.
Staggering and stumbling I make my way to the dryad’s tree. Glancing back, I see nothing in pursuit. The battle is still a tumult of bodies with even more animals flooding into the field. Soon it’s going to be just all animals at this rate. It’s like the whole natural world is choosing sides in the battle.
The tree itself glistens before me. Its whole structure glows green and casts a wondrous glow about it. The branches sway even though there is no wind and the bark flutters on the trunk like the hairs do on my chest. The whole thing has an ‘alive’ feeling to it that I’ve never experienced in plant life before. Like it could just uproot itself and walk wherever it pleased.
“Greetings, Ethan. I’ve been waiting for you,” the voice says aloud, almost friendly in tone.
At least it’s not in my head anymore.
The tree bark ripples and cracks before me as the wooden trunk realigns itself into a female face. It’s a beautiful face in fact. She looks kind and welcoming, not evil and despotic like I assumed she’d be. Branches descend with leaves that provide a kind of natural halo about her head and make her look like the Earthen goddess Athena.
I know I should attack, that I should leap at this tree with all my might. Instead, I take a step back in awe of this creature. I feel like I’ve come to the top of mount Olympus and found that all the stories are true. I feel small and unworthy.
What was I thinking? What were we doing? Coming here to kill her?
“It’s ok, Etan,” the dryad says. “You don’t have to fear anymore. You’ve passed the test.”
“A test?” I ask perplexed.
“Yes, you proved me wrong, Ethan. I now believe you are the chosen one.”
“You mean the Hero of Astria?”
The bark twists again and I think the dryad is smiling. “No, I mean the hero for me. The partner who is worthy to share in my power.”
Another thought comes to me, a confusing idea. “Your power? You mean your army of husks?”
“No, Ethan. I mean your army of husks.”
And that’s when it happens…