After taking the time to recover his energy, Dharen stood, clapping Ekzel on the back as he did so. The Nulzan around them had already begun to gather the soulseeds and, knowing that he needed the Nulzan Hunters to be strong as well, he allowed them to take the obtained soulseeds for themselves. It would not be remiss to engender some goodwill by letting them have each of the soulseeds despite his own heavy contribution to the battle.
Though he would have liked to increase his power further, he recognized the importance of garnering their favor and establishing better relations with them. While he had bred respect through his displays of strength, loyalty was something that was far harder to earn. Hopefully, his actions today would go a ways towards cementing their allegiance.
He walked among them as they discussed who should receive the soulseeds, with Dharen abstaining from his share. They chattered excitedly, each eager despite the dangers that they had faced. Their strength had increased in leaps and bounds in a very short time, something that had hitherto seemed improbable.
Eventually, the soulseeds were distributed among themselves agreeably. Defying their status as monsters, the Nulzan were quite civilized in their decisions regarding soulseed acquisition. If the soulseed came from a fellow Nulzan, it would go to the individual closest to them within the group. If the soulseed came from an enemy, it was typically distributed based on merit and participation. Because of that, Ekzel received one of the soulseeds as well, pushing him even further from the weak individual that he had recently been.
With the matter decided, they continued to venture back down the tunnels. Despite their fatigue and losses, excitement and enthusiasm filled the air. In the most recent battle, they had managed to prevent any Nulzan deaths whatsoever, and gained five relatively advanced soulseeds. Dharen felt their gazes upon him as he tiredly led the way, boring into him from behind. He straightened his back, pushing vigor into his steps. As he walked, Dharen tapped the walls beside him with Restraint, ensuring that the enchantment was fully available should the need arise.
A flood of quiet footfalls filled the tunnel, accompanying the repeating chime of metal against stone. Every so often, a light crumbling resounded from underfoot, the worn-away stone beneath them protesting their passage. The withered bits of stone spilled down, softly pelting the ruined eggs nestled underneath. They bounced off, clattering against a different material that coated the bottom of the eggs’ resting place. Curious, Dharen kneeled down to take a closer look. The surface underneath the eggs resembled the chitinous exoskeleton that many of the Aarthriin were protected by, sturdy and black as night. Bemused, he reached a hand downwards, tapping a finger against the unyielding surface.
Dharen rose, shaking his head in confusion. They walked further along the tunnel, the sound of the roaring water from the cavern ahead growing louder in Dharen’s ears. As they stepped into the gargantuan cavern once more, Dharen’s attention was drawn back to the flowing water. Curious, he followed the streaming river to its end, peeking down to where the water continues further downward. Though the opening was mostly underwater, it was transparent enough that he could see. The water spilled downwards, flowing out into a secondary cave system on the other side of the wall.
His investigation complete, they crossed the river. With a running start, Dharen soared across the water. Lacking his Strength, the Nulzan swam behind him. Their many arms moved steadily, quickly bringing them across to the other side.
Cautiously, they approached the hole that laid behind the Aarthriin Defenders’ original resting place. Just as it had been in the tunnel behind them, the floor underneath them was riddled in holes pockmarked with Aarthriin eggs, as if their very creation melted away the environment around them. A rumbling began to resound, bringing to mind the deep rumbling that Dharen had heard behind him as he ran from the Aarthriin Defenders.
An odd feeling spread within him as he approached, nearly overwhelming in its intensity. Yet, it was difficult to place. An urge to create, perhaps? But at the same time, the need to destroy. His teeth ground against one another audibly. He could feel his heart begin to race, tension rising from within at the alien emotion.
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Quickly, he activated Miasmic Cloak. Yet, the strange effect persisted.
He forced himself to ignore it, pressing onwards. Stepping to the edge of the hole, he sent a surveying gaze into the depths below.
His gaze dropped, meeting the creature that lay below. It dwarfed the environment around, its long body twisting and coiling around pillars and rocks formations. Slowly, it began to uncoil, raising itself up. Four scythe-like arms spread outwards, twisting in multiple directions like some kind of macabre monstrosity. Tendrils of flesh squirmed and wriggled behind its head, forming a mane of living flesh. Thick and heavy plates of chitin covered the behemoth, strong enough to garner the jealousy of any blacksmith. The monster twisted its head upward, cocking it to the side as it looked towards Dharen. Disjointed mandibles opened up, splitting to the side and letting out a deafening shriek.
Without having to look, Dharen knew that fear had begun to leak out from the Nulzan Hunters who had stepped beside him. If he could see his own fear, it would be exuding from him as well. He sucked in a sharp breath, activating Feast of Terror.
Time began to slow, giving him greater opportunity to process what was occurring. The creature, whom he knew to be the Mother of the Aarthriin, continued to uncoil itself. It rose ever-higher as they retreated, eventually towering over Dharen and his allies.
Yet, they had not moved far enough. The strange scythe-like arms swept towards them. Between the effects of his high Agility and Spirit Overflow, Dharen was able to both detect and dodge the cutting blow. A few of the Nulzan beside him were not so lucky.
The bladed arms swept through them as if slicing through air, showing only the barest indications that there was any resistance at all. Blood filled the air, the familiar tang of metal assaulting his nostrils.
A wet, sickening plop resounded as two of the Nulzan beside him split into pieces. Their arms, raised belatedly to block the savage blow, lay twitching upon the cold and unfeeling stone. One, faster than the others, had attempted to drop to the floor. His efforts showed. Rather than being split at the midsection, his body remained far more intact. It was only his disfigured head, sheared across from ear to ear, that displayed his failure.
Dharen stifled the feeling of horror that climbed its way forth. The overwhelming aura had grown even stronger as the Aarthriin Mother approached, the alien sensation beginning to split his skull with its intensity. He knew now they had gone too far. Harvesting the Aarthriin had been a good plan. An effective one. But there were limits to their strength. And here, in front of the Mother of the Aarthriin, they had found theirs.
Grown overwhelmingly powerful through untold years of harvesting the soulseeds of her own children, she was a monster in every sense of the word. Impregnable. Unassailable.
He heard the Nulzan clicking behind him, the sounds somewhat distorted due to the ever-increasing speed of his mind. The blackened miasma of Fear flowed into him in a torrent, suffusing him with its power.
He activated War Cry, hoping to lower the gargantuan beast’s abilities and save a few more of his allies in turn. Power flowed through him, though he knew it was the reduction in the monster’s own abilities that was far more crucial.
The Aarthriin Mother sliced at them once more, this time somewhat slowed through his efforts. That, combined with their own boosted attributes, was enough to avoid any insurmountable casualties. A scream echoed as the closest Nulzan doubled over, clenching a mangled arm. The Hunter had managed to live, but not without a cost. A single hand was left behind, the cost of his retreat.
Knowing that a distraction was needed to avoid greater losses, Dharen darted in with his full strength. He appeared before the beast in an instant, Restraint raised in fury. Bringing the warhammer down, he activated Overcharge. It was unfortunate, he knew, that his Strength was not fully boosted. Still, if this monster was dangerous enough to cause such horrible difficulties so early on, he would need to come at it aggressively. He swung with everything that he had.
Restraint screamed through the air, moving so fast as to be nearly imperceptible. It was only through the effects of Spirit Overflow heightening his perception that he could detect its flight. Light flared upon its shaft, spilling out in intricate designs that brought to mind the Seed of Anticipation that it had been imbued with. His grip tightened as his hips twisted. His entire body went fully into the blow, his desire, his intense need for victory serving to deliver a devastating blow.
With a thunderous roar, Restraint crashed against the Aarthriin Mother’s scales - and merely shattered the surface of a single plate before it bounced away, forcing Dharen’s numbed hands to release their hold. The warhammer flew backwards, the force of blow sending it flying into the river behind them.