Vahe

We duck in with billowing cloaks enchanted for speed and defence, weapons bared as we move as one in choreographed precision.

[Clank.]

[Cling.]

[Clank.]

Swords, axes, sickles, knives, kamas and the like collide against the creature’s overactive tails which easily stop the lot of our re-enforced attacks. The whistling tails sweep this way and that stretching in every direction to become an ultimate defence I find no place to penetrate.

[Clank.]

My honed one handed bastard sword is bashed aside again.

[Zweee.....!] A pressure defence of some sort pushes us all back a step as the Ancient gives us a look .

[Crack.]

Vehema’s signature ability break-defence visibly cracks a previously unseen layer of aura the beast wears on its skin on top of all its other defences it has already depicted. The ground rumbles like a volcano, it shakes as the majestic beast stomps its hoof. Piercing roots shoot out from the cracked ground missing me by inches as I swerve this way and that only to be smacked with a clap that has my ears ringing and orientation compromised.

Zzzzweeee..... is all I hear but I’m already activating complete-restore.

I didn’t see that hit coming at all, even now I’m not sure what hit me as I assess the situation. The signal comes and the light beams from the Seers are again shooting in between us with uncanny precision to bloom brightly distorting my still recovering vision.

The first sun-beam cackles as it hits the Ancient’s inner shield, it seems surprised but with Marina this close there is no way for its outer shielding to activate. A second sun-beam hit even as it bashes Hstane’s defence aside as though the demi-human were a paper tiger of no consequence. I attack with a Sweeping Willow that transitions into a Dancing With Knives, the strikes ineffective against the tails that are now thin threats that have spread to cover all around its body.

Vehema does a stalemate-break shattering the inner defence with a sun-bean already there to scotch it’s skin, followed by another and another. A green lightning bolt followed by a red one that screams as it finds a path through the air rips into the Ancient’s majestic dark fur with irreverent anger. It bunches to launch itself away again but Sawa is there with a gravity-well that pulls on the Ancient anchoring it down to take the punishment.

[Vhooo....], tail threads try to wrap around Emelie’s head as she uses air-hold , straining with bulging veins and plummeting mana reserves to open a path for our weapons to strike directly at the Ancient. We are there striking with our various weapons clad and reinforced with everything we have.

‘ ’Call of the Bold Grasp, ’’ Eaira casts as we feel Sawa’s well be ripped apart by the still dispassionate creature. Spectral hands appear at its ankles and latch on tight before pulling down.

We keep at it as fast and as hard as we can, bashing with razor edged reinforced spiritual weapons that rip across its fur coat which sizzles and sparks as mana abilities hit directly into the Ancient’s body.

A force field explosion repels all of us an instant later. My ribs are stretched to their max ability to endure before snapping like twigs as something flattens me against forces I can’t even fathom, then I’m thrown flying along with everyone in my ‘elite’ attack squid. Blood arches through the air from my nose but I spin mid air to land unsteadily on my feet,I feel like I was just stomped by the foot of a descending giant.

I take a knee coughing up blood as a complete-restore restores me but leaves exhausted, sword point first on the ground for balance. The War-chief was stupid to challenge an Ancient in its own territory but they had to see it for themselves for the difference in power to sink in. I think its the first time these hmans have seen the true power of an Ancient first hand and from eveything I've seen this one is still young.

The Elite Squid II is already rushing in but –Vhooo- with a gush of wind the Ancient is gone.

[Clakk!]

The branching antlers crash into the defensive perimeter of wards fuelled with mana stones set around the eastern most group of Seers occassionally shooting out sun-beams. Their defenders turn with admirable speed and attack without hesitation or flustering at finding their opponent amongst their mist.

The ground is ripped in large tuffs of stone, dirt and plants as the wards are pulled from where they are anchored. The six tails keep the stalwart defenders at bay as the Ancient rips into the Seers to a stray of blood and gore as one is ripped apart.

A sun-beam shoots through only to scatter around the domed defence of the creature that has now been restored.

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Shields are up and in the Ancient’s way as another squad of defenders rushes in with Barbarian enthusiasm, extremely fast the Ancient Beast is around them and crashing into another barrier of wards protecting a team of Seers, we scramble to defend. Individuals with more specialised skills slowly being added to the fight as it becomes apparent how difficult it is to pin the Beast down.

Why did I choose to take this assignment again? Daoine Sidhe Vevina only commanded that six fae be at hand to watch over the little human she’s birthed Hannah, me joining the Host volunteering myself as a 7 th makes absolutely no sense all things considered. Yet here I am part of their elite squads used when the Barbarians face threats they just aren’t yet ready for even with their astronomical growth. I take a breath and get up as some of mana reserves are restored.

The beast is rampaging through the ranks assembled against it while not taking any noticeable damage itself. Projectiles and magic don’t even penetrate it’s outer shielding, those that get close having to survive being slashed by those tails or raked by those horns whilst contending with spearing roots. I look around at the carnage already accomplished by this one creature against the Horde and special squads, I nod watching Barbarians ripped to tatters of hanging meat and exposed bone get up with weapons still in hand for those that still have hands. The Healing teams throwing pre-prepared healing balls that pop on contact surfusing the injured with stamina, preserving lives.

This is one of the reasons we have learnt to respect these mortals with the berseker curse upon them. Though they are severely overmatched and should rightly be retreating as quickly as humanly possible they not only fight like madmen against a superior being, but they relish the opportunity to face such an unreasonable challenge. I look up at the hills the tree branches and other vantage points at the eager faces of the other mad barbarians impatiently eager for their turn to test themselves against the Beast once it goes through us currently assembled against it.

I huff and move swiftly to reposition myself with my squid which so far has been the most successfully at holding it down for any duration of time.

‘’You good?’’ Vehema asks all of us through sending as we position ourselves and wait for the signal to move or an opening.

‘’Peachy,’’

‘’Never better,’’

‘’I could use a break,’’

‘’Shut it!’’ Eaira admonishes with a scouting look.

‘’Okay okay, I was just joking jeeze. Think the Barbarians can last against this thing?’’ Sawa asks, he being a demi-human fae igress that wasn’t present for the "Never Ending Battle’’ he doesn’t yet appreciate the barbarian stubbornness and unwilliness to die.

‘’Get your whiskers out of your ass and pay attention, how many have died so far?’’ Eaira asks, blood entrails skewed and scattered all around what is turning into an upheaved clearing even as we watch.

I also look closely and sure enough not a single death has of yet been tallied, people are ripped apart, flayed by those tails, pierced and crushed by grabbing roots, cut to piecies by those antlers and yet not a single death on our side has been tallied.

‘’Only the Awakened Barbarians are taking place in this fight, it will take a lot before any of these foolish humans die,’’ she says with a grin. ‘’Come on, I want another go at her.’’

*

Toura

‘’I don’t mean to sound like wind through a hollow creek but we’ve been walking for days now and I still can’t recognise any distinguishing landmarks. I mean I understand if you’re not as competent as the other guy, what’s his name, Western? But really, even with the wrenching discomfort his method seemed to involve he at least only took a few days as opposed to-‘’

I drown him out with a difficulty, gnashing my teeth silently at the arrogance of the barbarian warrior I’m escorting to his tiny insignificant corner of the world he calls Sandaria. I take a deep calming breath but maintain my stride manipulating the currents of our passage with minimal disturbances to the natural flow of the world, my control splendid. I see how the warrior looks at me, not appreciating my superior talents, unappreciative of the sacrifice I am making by being here, doing this, Travelling mundane paths not worthy of my talents and years of training while my less talented peers escort their charges to exotic places of power.

Destinations like the Dark Continent where no one has ever gone before and return sane, places like the Arid Salt where mortals die simply because they are mortal , the Hidden Lands, the Lands of Nature where creatures of power so old they’ve become part of the landscapes lie about turning on their sides maybe once every half century. Jay will never see me as much of anything now, everyone on the A team is probably long gone by now. The Primary Pathfinders and their Secondaries escorting their charges to their exalted destinations with paths open maybe once in a lifetime-

‘’You know, I could run ahead, see whats over that hill yonder. Maybe get a map from one of the locals or ask for directions. I’m sure it’s not your fault, I mean, getting lost is only natural.’’

‘’I am not lost you fool!’’ I nearly stumble, the ether fluctuating violently around us cutting scathingly into our meridians. I see the surprised discomfort on his face as he feels the pain and I relish it though already stabilizing the currents with Justus control.

‘’Well at least I finally got a reaction out of you,’’ the vexing man says almost sounding cheerful dispite his injuries. I ignore him, concentrating on manipulating the enegies around us, concentrating with every step.

We keep our stride.

‘’What’s been eating you anyways, you may as well tell me now cause I can only imagine how incompetent you have-‘’

‘’You are a burden, your presence has waylaid my career and future path for growth so much I may never amount to anything past being a Sencodary Pathfinder at best! I was to be a secondary to Erusmus to the Unnamed Lands, destinations so distant that I of course would have had to lead on occasion. Improving my skill and gaining experience in walking Paths travelled when the worlds were still open to each other.

‘’Yet here I am escorting a single warrior home to an insignificant corner of Gaia through quiet Paths that offer scant challenge and opportunity for growth. Worse yet I use my superior skill so well you aren’t smothered or ripped apart by ether currents but still you mock me in your ignorance!’’

I snap my finger, ‘’like that I could withdrew my protection from you and half of you could be left here while the rest if scattered to the Four Winds.’’ I steal a glance to see if he appreciates what I’m telling him and find nothing on his face besides curious attention, so I keep talking.

I starts to come out in a flood of information, my years of training at the Conclave from being an orphaned village boy with no name or prospects to finding out I am the great great great grand descendent of the Ancient of Days. Choosing a pursuit for myself, trying to win Jay’s favour, those gruiling years of Travelling under the direct supervision of the Ancient himself when not under Master Malachi, The Wander himself! I tell him so as he follows silently, givving him an inkling of how unworthy he is of my attention.

‘’So how did you end up so good at this Pathfinding business?’’

‘’Dedication of course, I am nothing if not a Pathfinder, you may not even realise it because of the Blessing of the Ancient but we’ve changed Paths over 80 times already as we move towards your homelands. Not a simple thing changing a Path but I’ve been doing it so flawlessly and learning from each turn that I hesitate to call this journey a complete waste. Already I feel my Control at the cusp of breaking into the Expert Level of skill, imagine it, Toura the Expert Pathfinder.’’

‘’Hold on, what Blessing are you referring to again?’’

I huff, having forgotten I was speaking to an uneducated martial warrior. ‘’Did you not hear the Ancient say ‘’Godspeed’’? we have been Travelling for days without tiring, hunger, discomfort with ease. Do you think the Ancient’s words simply meaningless blabbering?’’ I shake my head, my stride never having lessoned since that stumble. We cover kilometres every second, stepping on solid ground yet moving through the ether currents as those one of the creatures native to it.

Maybe being on this trip and improving at an almost visible pace could make up for missing the other Travelling. Maybe I could use this mission as a stepping platform to improve myself, Jay will have to notice me then.