Gadriel and Tak faced off against the rushing pack, about ten meters apart from each other. Tak concentrated in a way similar to Lograve and then grew massive claws and odd fangs that sprouted from his beak. Daniel was reminded of the children's book's image of transforming Totem Warriors. He was impressed despite the rising fear he was doing his best to control. Werewolf powers, cool. Too bad I don’t have any.
In front of the two vanguard was a short distance of open ground. Daniel and Thomas stood next to each other behind the warriors at the front, and Lograve stood a distance behind that pair. Soon after they'd all gotten in position, the grass in front of them parted. The enemy pack attacked with its youngest member first, their only level 0 and an almost identical copy of Ringcat. Gadriel disemboweled it by ducking under its leap, gleaming sword held upwards to run along the monster’s length.
The exchange hadn’t even lasted a second as blood stained the field. This seemed to be what the rest had been waiting for. Six of them pounced on each of the front warriors. Daniel called out as both alphas and a detachment of level ones started edging around the side.
“I see them!” Lograve responded. Ice covered his torso now and he twirled the air around him to form darts. He had other powers, but the battle had called for heightening his Aquakinesis. With that in play, the Arcanist reserved his powers to preserve mana.
The two men in the front continued killing, heedless of the circling predators. It was breathtaking. Tak, for his part, fought like the animals around him. His actions were guided by nothing but brutal ferocity. Occasional roars, probably an ability that dramatically altered his voice, startled his attackers long enough for claws to slash arteries and fangs to tear off limbs.
The Hero was a cut above, despite being on Tak’s level. Gadriel made use of his sword-slinging to strike at distant targets, but that was only one of the many attacks he used. When the sword was flying, Gadriel boxed the monster cats with his free hand and shield. It looked like he was a character in a fighting game, maneuvers chaining into each other with machined tempo. When the sword returned Gadriel would quickly use it to make an opportune slash, only to send it flying again.
He’s juggling the sword! Daniel realized incredulously. He also noticed Thomas was firing shots at the ringcats peripheral to the two brawls and remembered he wasn’t just an observer. The two up front were doing fairly well keeping any from breaking through, so Daniel decided to maximize his chances of hitting something. Can I steady my aim on you? he mentally asked Ringcat.
What?
Just lay still and trust me. Ringcat complied with some growling, clearly not fond of being on the ground while aggressors were nearby. Daniel placed the crossbow on Ringcat like he was a sandbag and sighted down to Gadriel’s fight. He had promised to watch the Hero's back. Daniel put his finger on the trigger as the Hero was about to pull off a ridiculous wrestling-style move of picking up a ringcat and hitting another with it. Daniel sighted his crossbow and froze time.
Do. Not. Like! Ringcat was a roar in his mind, anxiety from how he was being used combining with a severe aversion to this power. The emotion carried clear through the words, though even after they faded from his mind Daniel still felt an echo of it from Ringcat.
Sorry, I just need a moment, Daniel soothed. He couldn’t move the point of the bolt while Moment of Clarity was active, but he could anticipate the small adjustments needed to hit the target and designate them to happen as soon as time started again. Daniel assumed hitting with the crossbow required good dexterity, which was currently his lowest attribute. He wanted the first shot he’d make with this fancy weapon to hit.
Time snapped back into place. The crossbow kicked, but his decent strength attribute and bracing position on Ringcat’s back kept it steady. The bolt hit the enemy ringcat slightly off center when it was above Gadriel’s head and punched through. He must of hit a lung because the struck monster made a gasping wheeze.
The Hero looked at the bolt, sword returning and cutting off the injured ringcat’s head on the way. “Were you aiming for me?”
“Combo move!” Daniel shouted back as he trembled. His fear was gone, replaced by excitement. The only thing that marred it was what it had cost Ringcat. Are you alright?
Good, was the short, terse reply. Ringcat didn’t like his role in this combat so far, but Daniel reasoned that he’d just stand back up if this was truly bothering him.
Daniel fired four more shots to join the first and only hit twice more. He made these unaided by his ability to spare both his mana and the long-suffering Ringcat. In the time it took him to pull the string back Thomas could fire three arrows. That being said, one of Daniel’s hits had shattered a leg to cripple his target while Thomas’ arrows could only hope to slay the enemy by wearing it down or getting lucky.
Lograve wasn't idle either. Some ice shards joined the volley, but most were directed into the brush. The alphas were the true threat. Still, the normal ringcats, all larger than Ringcat himself, were taking their toll on the frontline defenders. Tak was not as armored as Gadriel and did not carry a shield. Long slashes ringed his body, and a wound from a lucky bite drooled blood from his leg. The avianoid didn’t seem to care and just kept fighting.
Gadriel had been injured himself, but nothing so severe. The Hero wasn’t even panting from exertion and continued his efficient moveset of death. Daniel’s fire support had been focused on his fight and the two had developed a system. It was fairly simple. Daniel would yell when he was ready to fire and Gadriel would throw a target up.
The group of stalking ringcats chose to strike during his eighth shot. As the crossbow recoiled, Ringcat audibly growled. Daniel turned to find both alphas and two level one ringcats charging his position while two others went to harry Lograve. Perhaps a warning would have come sooner, but Ringcat had been very preoccupied with stopping himself from doing something that would upset Daniel.
Time froze again as a significant amount of Daniel's remaining mana was spent. Hate this!
Shut up we don’t have time. Fear was back in full force. These alphas didn’t want to fight Daniel, they wanted to grab him in their maws and carry him away to feast on. The alphas were at least twice as large as both he and Ringcat and could easily do it. Crossbow’s empty. Sword, no time. Stupid, stupid Bartering!
Daniel needed an attack or an escape. No, Thomas was with him. He couldn’t abandon him, but he couldn’t fight off four enemies. The only other thing I can do is play music on my phone! Damn it! He knew there were three others nearby, including the level three Lograve. It wasn’t exactly clear to Daniel just how far the power gap was between levels. If Gadriel was any sign then Lograve could easily take both alphas, there just wasn’t time.
I want you to run, Daniel told Ringcat as his mana continued to burn away. You’re probably faster than them and we’ll slow them down.
No.
They’ll kill you faster than me! I have armor, maybe that will buy enough time for the others to help.
No. Daniel friend. A tear would have formed in Daniel’s eye if he weren’t frozen. The murder cat had called him his friend. The bond they shared made it obvious, but this was the first time Ringcat had acknowledged it.
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Daniel still had a little mana left to prolong the freeze, but with death bounding towards him, what was the point? Time restarted, and there was an immediate noise behind Daniel. Thomas had dropped his bow in the grass and raised both hands at the coming predators. “Nova!” There was a resonance to the voice that belied a spell, similar to when Gadriel had tried to make Daniel confess. Force spilled from the Cleric as sunlight eclipsed his green aura, a wave of force following it. Daniel and his Ringcat were knocked down and the charging enemies were stunned.
The alphas recovered in seconds. Precious seconds. A flying sword came from the left and cut a gash in the side of one while from the right a spike of ice as long as Daniel’s arm pinned the other to the ground. The free alpha still charged, until another of its kind collided with it.
Gadriel had been strong enough to use ringcats as hammers. Tak was strong enough to use them as projectiles. The delay bought even more time as a red ring formed under the sprawled alpha and another normal ringcat. Runes of Greater Forlothan formed along the edges, then erupted in a bonfire that incinerated the level one foe in a way that would seem gruesome to Daniel if it also wasn’t saving his life.
Still, the alpha recovered. Half the fur was gone and its side bled into the charred grass, but no wound it had been dealt was immediately fatal. It moved towards the weakest mortals it could sense, maddened by an all consuming rage. Daniel’s mana was all but gone and Thomas looked like he was recovering from the spell he’d cast. Gadriel’s flying sword was in the return of its arc and Tak had both hands occupied by the three ringcats left around him. No further help would come before the wounded alpha reached him.
Daniel’s short sword was out of its sheath. He hadn’t even tried reloading the crossbow while his team bought him time. Holding the sword in front of the charging alpha murder cat, it numbly occurred to him that he could have also used the time to run. Too late now. Ringcat was behind him, prepared to pounce when Daniel struck. Maybe with both of them, it would be enough.
The alpha was taking leaping strides in its final approach. It managed to dodge a smaller ice spike Lograve sent as the Arcanist rallied more moisture to him, landing close to Daniel. It feinted one direction drawing the point of the sword there, and then reversed course to pounce from the other. Its claw raked into the leather armor and skin as it knocked him down, then bit into the muscle of his torso. Organs were spared by the armor and Ringcat leapt onto the back to tear into the alpha. Daniel dropped the sword in pain and panic.
Daniel had no weapon in his hand. He could punch the alpha if he felt like getting one last hit in before death. He tried to activate Moment of Clarity in desperation, but there wasn’t enough mana left for the initial cost. The alpha prepared a follow up with its jaws, intent on ripping out Daniel’s throat.
The moment before its head came down, something extremely odd happened. His hand shot up of its own volition and into the beast’s mouth. Daniel had neither willed it nor expected it. He certainly never would have thought of feeding his hand to the thing that was about to kill him. What the hell? Daniel thought, wondering if he truly had gone crazy right before the end. The alpha lurched and he felt something happen to his hand. Resistance, then breaking through. He could only see what was sticking out of the alpha’s head because he knew where to look. The very tips of talons where his fingers should be had penetrated all the way through the top of the skull. Ringcat, still on the monster’s back, also noticed and his internal shock was faintly mirrored in his friend’s bestial eyes.
Daniel would have gagged as he pulled his hand free if adrenaline hadn’t kept his stomach in check. Brains were clinging to his hand and his hand was a clawed thing with leathery scales. It looked like an avianoid’s, only more terribly feral, like the taloned foot of a giant eagle had been grafted onto his wrist. As soon as he fully pulled his hand out, the change melted away and he felt fully in control of his limb again.
Less than a second later, the gleaming star that was Gadriel fell on the dead beast. The Hero had covered the distance between them in a single bound. He knocked Ringcat away with a knee as he two-handedly swung his sword to behead the larger monster. The fatal wound had been internal and went unnoticed during the decapitation. Gadriel landed in a three point stance while holding the sword out behind him. His light hair appeared golden in the sunlight, and his torn cape flowed freely in the air. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
He has to have a quip power, Daniel thought in stunned appreciation, the sight momentarily taking his mind off of what had just happened. That magnificent bastard.
Tak and Gadriel had adjusted their formation quickly. The feral avianoid dragged his combatants over to Gadriel to ensnare both groups while Gadriel dropped his shield and leaped to the trainees’ defense. Now free of his other duty, Gadriel squared off against the alpha that had just freed itself from the ice spike. “I was wondering if I would find a challenge today. Lograve! This one is mine and mine alone.”
Thomas knelt by Daniel as the Hero made his declaration. “Oh thank the Hand the armor held.”
“Held?” Daniel asked in weak indignation as lines of fiery pain burned across his chest.
“Stop whining and watch that glorious gawper work.” Thomas put his hands on Daniel’s chest and concentrated, the skin tingling as it was healed. The Cleric’s power, in addition to Regeneration, was enough to make the cuts begin to close.
Meanwhile, Gadriel didn’t throw his sword at the alpha but held his position. The last alpha was alone and the rest of its pack was fleeing or dying. It didn’t give up. There wasn’t enough danger to counter that incessant impulse to kill, even though it was almost guaranteed death. As they squared off like the Hero had against Daniel a few days ago, Gadriel began to monologue. “I suppose it is fair to inform you, beast, that I will not use mana to destroy you. You are injured and I offer this to level our fight. Only the strength of my body and the cunning of my mind will be used to undo you. Come meet your death!”
To Daniel, Gadriel looked more injured. The alpha didn’t care, it just roared back at Gadriel’s challenge and charged. This alpha attempted a feint, similar to the one that had fooled Daniel, though Gadriel didn’t even answer with his sword. He stepped to the side as if he were dancing and punched the cat in the head. The strike was offhand and had to be angled up given the height of his foe. The alpha’s head still snapped away from the force and it emitted a yowl of pain.
“I can’t believe he’s still boxing,” Daniel wheezed weakly.
“Shut up! You’re still losing blood.” Thomas pressed harder on his chest for emphasis.
The alpha’s tail came around as it recoiled and bashed into Gadriel. That lithe limb of the ringcats hadn’t impressed Daniel until then, when it threw the hero off-balance. The blow didn’t create an opening for the alpha to attack but to escape. With Gadriel holding his sword juggling, both combatants needed to be close to harm the other. This brought a brief pause.
Another three exchanges occurred, twice on the alpha’s initiation and once on Gadriel’s. The Hero used a combination of pugilism and swordplay to draw surface wounds but failed to strike decisively. He acquired larger gashes and the winning smile turned into a flat look of determination. Gadriel prepared to charge again, and then?
Gadriel slipped, losing his grip on his sword in the process. Blood was everywhere and covered cut grass to create a slick surface. The alpha pounced with jaws extended for a bite, but the Hero planted two hands on the ground as he fell backward. Gadriel reversed course into a flying kick that cracked one of the alpha’s fangs with his heel. The massive weight of the alpha and the momentum of its leap were turned around as it was now Gadriel falling on the beast. Somehow, the sword he dropped was back in his hands as they flew together. Still falling, Gadriel pierced the alpha’s neck with his sword and buried the point into the ground.
The battle was over. Tak had finished with his part of the battle and watched the duel with the others. “No mana?” His words were the first that broke the silence.
“None.” Gadriel nodded in accomplishment and flicked the blood off his sword. “Are you alright, Daniel?”
Daniel didn’t know. His chest burned, but the wounds were slowly closing as Thomas concentrated. His hand. His hand was… his hand. This was the second time it had acted of its own accord and the first that it had changed into something else. He couldn't deny that it had been the heat of the moment anymore as he would have never thought to go for the kill like that.
“Guy’ll be fine,” Thomas answered when he didn’t. “He’s just stunned by the awesome.”
Daniel’s phone buzzed in the next moment and he removed it from the pouch on his waist. Thomas glanced at it and then away when the Cleric realized he couldn't read the words.
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You have accomplished Feat: Slay Monsters.
This has unlocked potential for growth. Two Advancement Potential have been awarded. You may assign them with Function: Settings in addition to expending potential through normal methods.
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