In the morning, just before dawn, we made our move against Beast Master’s encampment. We figured we’d use the cover of darkness to move into position and try to get an advantage, just in time for the sun to come up so that we could have sunlight for recharging the plasma rifles.
Our scouts reported that Beast Master’s main force numbered about three hundred. The numbers were in our favor, but the ratio of Black Knight to individual warrior of ours was steep considering that any one of them could handle two or three of us in most engagements. The difference maker was the Plasma Squad and strategy.
The plan was simple. We created a horseshoe front with the Plasma Squad at the center in order to draw the enemy out. The barbarians and mercs would be waiting in the wings for them to scatter. Meanwhile, my group would move in from the southeast during the confusion and hope Beast Master was vulnerable enough for us to take him out. Tolly went with us for this one, since the danger was at an all time high.
He, Wraith, Arduwan, and I sat up on a ridge just as daylight was breaking. Down below, I could see him. The General himself. He was well over six feet tall and wore a scant amount of similar armor that his knights did, only covering his vital areas. Everything about him seemed human, but he was incredibly buff. Not sure why they called him Beast Master though. I wasn’t seeing a lot of beast of burden around or anything. Though maybe there would be some war elephants or something.
I sent one of the dwarf messengers down below to Captain Christoph to commence the attack. From my range, I could almost hit Beast Master with an arrow. I really didn’t want to use the Divine Arrow if I didn’t need to since I was saving it for Shagrath. Even though I knew that if I could hit Beast Master, this battle would be over quickly and with minimal losses.
The four of us decided to start moving ahead of the attack so we could be as close to the camp as possible by the time the battle started. About halfway down into the valley, we heard the sound of plasma fire ripping through the trees to the west of us. Barbarian horns started sounding off, signaling to engage the stragglers.
At the edge of the camp, we spotted a single scout. Most of the army had moved out to confront us but a small detachment stayed behind to guard Beast Master. Wraith sprang forward and was able to get the jump on the guard. He used a dagger to slash behind the neck, just under the helmet. The rest of us swiftly moved in.
The battle was in full swing now. We could hear the barbarians and the mercenaries shouting their battle cries in the forest amongst the plasma fire. It was up to us to take out their leader!
“Confusion!” shouted Tolly. He had cast a spell on three black knights we encountered inside the camp who were walking towards us. This caused all three of them to start attacking one another. We simply continued forth as they destroyed themselves.
Finally, we reached the center of the camp. Beast Master was already aware of our presence and he simply stood there, staring at us. He was flanked by two of his knights. Arduwan raised her long bow and fired a shot at twenty yards directly into one of their faces. It didn’t penetrate the armor, but the force was so great it broke the knight's neck causing him to collapse.
Beast Master’s response to this was grabbing the other knight by the backplate of his armor and tossing him like a ragdoll in our direction about forty miles an hour. Tolly cast a levitation spell to slow his impact while I relieved him of his head with my blade.
“Who dares challenge the advance of his majesty’s conquest?” Beast Master snarled.
I stepped forward and pointed my sword in his direction. The sound of an ensuing battle was heard in the distance. I stated, “We are your majesty’s undoing!”
Beast Master looked surprised at first and then began laughing hardily before saying,
“You?! All I see are insects. You shall now know the wrath of the Beast Master’s fury!”
His eyes glossed over to a gray color as he began growling. Then he began a transformation right before our eyes. His muscles grew, along with his height. He began sprouting fur that protruded from between the pieces of his black armor. Sharp fangs, like that of a saber tooth tiger emerged from his newly formed catlike face. His hands became like bear claws and his bare feet were like that of a gorilla.
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“Ohhhh!!! So he’s an animal shapeshifter!” Wraith noted.
“Come on you cowards!” He roared.
Arduwan fired her bow at him. He slapped the arrow away like a toothpick. Wraith and I started sprinting towards him side by side with our swords drawn, but he smacked us to the wayside just as easily.
“Wind Blade!” Tolly shouted while swiping his ax in the air, casting the same spell I used against Apollo. This hit Beast Master directly and left a wound across his chest. He let out another deep roar.
Meanwhile, Wraith and I struggled to our feet as Arduwan came charging in with her greatsword drawn. The three of us slash and swiped but couldn’t land a hit due to Beast master’s superior agility. With a sweep of his backhand, I found myself knocked backwards once again. Tolly ran in wielding his ax with both hands and lodged it into the front of Beast Master’s left shoulder. With a stern uppercut, he sent Tolly flying. It knocked the wind out of the aging warrior as he hit the ground.
With the two of us down, Arduwan and Wraith were left alone struggling to flank him and land an attack. With his claws extended, Beast Master scraped a bloody trail across Arduwan’s exposed midsection.
“Arduwan, no!” Wraith screamied, as he leaped onto Beast Master’s back and tried to choke hold him.
This was bad. We were running out of options and this guy wasn’t going down easily. I reached into my quiver as I lay on my back and pulled out the Divine Arrow. Even with the sky darkening around us from the collective storm clouds, the golden light from it shined brightly. It sucked, but I was beginning to think I had to use it for us to survive this.
Suddenly, Tolly ran across the center of the camp towards Beast Master and yelled, “Don’t you dare fire that arrow, Eric! You’ll be needin it fer Shagrath!” He leaped up and bear hugged Beast Master from the front as Wraith held tight to his back.
“Shocking grasp!” Tolly said, send a jolt of electricity coursing through Beast Master’s armor.
Wraith said, “Ow! You got me too!” as he held steadfast.
Arduwan struggled to bring herself to her feet and used her sword as a crutch with one hand as she wiped her own blood off her stomach with the other. I just kept the Divine Arrow fixed on Beast Master.
“Don’t do it, Eric!” he warned again, “We can win this fight without it! And you lad, time to let go.” he signaled to Wraith.
Wraith held on for another moment before collapsing on the ground behind them.
“Shocking grasp!” Tolly cast again, this time sustaining it longer. The old man had decades of magic experience but even he wouldn’t be a bottomless pit of MP.
“Let go, you fool!!!” Beast Master scoffed.
Tolly’s arms wrapped around Beast Master’s neck from the front and with Wraith no longer on his back, he was free to dig his claws into Tolly’s.
Tolly let out a shriek before composing himself and saying, “I was afraid it would come to this but I guess it’s alright. Combust!”
There was a flash of light, followed by flames. Then Tolly’s entire body burst into an explosion of fire directly onto Beast Master’s chest, neck, and face. He had used a self destruction spell to try and take out Beast Master in one hit!
Wraith brought himself to his feet and made his way over to check on Arduwan. I lowered my bow and put the arrow back into my quiver. As I sat up, a teardrop came from my eye. This wasn’t even Tolly’s fight. He didn’t need to be here. Al I could see was a smoldering pile of ash where he was just a moment ago. On the ground before him was the charred body of Beast Master laying on his back.
I got to my feet and the others started making their way towards me, when all of a sudden, the unthinkable happened. We heard groaning and movement. The three of us looked towards Beast Master and saw him start to get up on one knee. His entire front half was burned and his mangled armor fell to pieces by his side. But before we could react…
*PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW*
A barrage of sustained plasma fire came in and obliterated what was left of the General. Looking behind us, we could see the members of the Plasma Squad being escorted into the center of the camp by the Vale Knights. They had punched through the main force of the Black Knights and the remaining that scattered were being cornered and defeated by the army in the woods.
* * *
By mid afternoon, the remainder of Beast Master’s army had been swept away and we had established a perimeter around the camp to make it our own. The wounded were being treated and all around was a sense of accomplishment.
When the tally came in for the losses, the command staff was shocked at how small the number was. Including the numbers from the night before, we had lost 79 barbarians, 12 mercenaries, 5 dwarves, and 4 of the Vale knights. Not one member of the Plasma Squad had fallen though. Our plan was working!
The loss of Tolly was of course beyond some statistic. Though I didn’t know him extremely well, he taught me everything I knew about magic. A special funeral was held for him inside the camp. King Ardu in particular got emotional. Without Tolly, we wouldn’t even be here let alone been this successful. He wasn’t the first mentor I had lost. But I did wonder how many others would fall on this quest?