"Just say it, Vic. What are these breeding pens." Cless impatiently tapped her foot. "We are kind of being hunted by the orcs here, we don't have much time. Use as few words as you can."
"It is a pen where the orcs hold their breeding stock," The lamiak explained. Cless glared and moved her hand in an upward manner to signal him to say more. "The orcs captured this village and killed all the males. I believe you saw the heads at the entrance... Well, they took the females to the largest building and they are there... breeding and mating with the orcs. Forced to, I must add. I guess I don't have to tell you that but no female would want to mate with an orc."
Cless sighed but nodded. "No. They are disgusting." She stole a glance at Silverfang and blushed slightly. "We got our next target. We are going to that breeding pen and release these females."
"Hold on for a second," Lyle raised a hand. "What race are these females? I don't believe they are human, all the furniture here is for small people."
"Gnomes, sir..." – "Lyle," he introduced himself. – "Sir Lyle. This is a gnome village. They mine ores from deep within the mountain. Related to dwarves. Do you know them... no?"
"I didn't have the pleasure," Lyle answered, obviously bothered by the proximity of the lamiak.
"We are wasting time. Let's move. What weapons do you use, Vic?"
Cless moved back to the entrance of the pantry. Most crates were open, they had ores. Iron, copper, tin. The boys had a sack full of clinking ores.
"Silver and gold," Shane answered before Cless could answer.
"Leave it here. We can come back and get it later. We have something else to do. Or just keep the gold ore. We need to hurry."
Cless at that moment cared little for the ores or wealth. The gnome women were being raped by the orcs as they spoke. They made it to the door and Collin was watching.
"Coast is clear. Where are we going?" He asked.
"I don't know. Vic, can you lead us to these breeding pens?" The lamiak nodded at Cless' question. "Good. Kurt, you should stay on the ground. It is too risky to fly right now. Everyone else, these are Vic and Kurt, they work for me now just like Silverfang. Silverfang, give them the other rules when you can. For now, I'll give you the most important: no hurting or eating humans."
The lamiak hit his chest. "I can show the way. Let's go."
"Stay safe in the middle of us. You don't have armor. Vic, I want you to watch out for the purple orcs..."
"Warlocks." He completed.
"Yes. Don't engage and keep your magic ready to strike the warlocks. Can you do that?"
"Surely."
They left the warehouse after some orc patrol passed by. They had one warrior with them so maybe some groups were recalled. The party went on with Vic's guidance. Cless, Lance, and Andre moved ahead with bows ready. Any orc that came into sight was immediately sniped by an arrow. A warlock came into sight while they were fighting a warrior patrol and Cless saw Vic's magic for the first time.
"Poison Mist!"
A sickly green haze enveloped the warlock and he started to choke and gasp for air. As he tried to breathe, he sucked in more of the mist and soon he was crumbling on the ground. They finished the warriors and Cless healed Lyle and Martin, the two always eager to sacrifice some defense for extra damage. Troublesome.
Cless earned 615 Exp from that skirmish and 600 exp for healing the boys. Still, some of them leveled up. One thing she noticed was that her contracted monsters didn't count for the Exp ratio as this fight gave around as many Exp points as others against a similar group. It meant all orc warriors were around the same range. She wondered what orc warriors became after they leveled up beyond that range. And she was not too eager to find out. Onward.
They turned a bend of the street and met orc berserkers. A dozen of them. Cless took a step back after letting her first arrow loose and as the Blind Eye rushed past her, she used Hallow. Hidden warlocks caught on fire as the holy energy of the consecrated ground rejected their mere presence. Vic tossed bolts of poison at the warlocks that showed up and they started taking twice the damage over time.
Back at the berserkers. All she could do was shoot. the composite longbow had a strong punch and it could pierce the hide armor of the berserkers. The rate of fire was bad but each arrow meant one less orc in the fray. Her Skill helped wonders with the sharpshooting. The boys kept clashing steel against the orcs, Silverfang pouncing around getting sneak attacks, and Vic was by her side watching out for ambushes.
Joe was bashed viciously and Cless had to fight to not rush to his aid. If she moved the Hallow would end. Her magic was what kept the combat balanced. She kept shooting and after only a few berserkers were left she ran to tend to Joe's wound. He was clutching his right arm and when Cless looked it was hung only by a sliver of flesh.
"Hold it in place! Stop thrashing around, I have to heal that! Somebody help!"
Vic was by her side. "I can hold him still, Cless."
"Do that!" She saw Vic wrap his tail around Joe and grasp his left arm. Cless grabbed the right arm and pressed a knee on the shoulder to stop it from moving. Joe was out of himself. She cursed internally for neglecting to practice the higher level healing spell but that was what could help with the severed bone.
"Heal!"
The bone mended but in a haphazard fashion. She couldn't fix that grievous wound so easily. She applied the spell a couple more times but it was an expensive one at eighteen power each casting. Cless noted that no spellcaster will ever have too much magic power at their beck and call. Drained, she ordered Vic to release the now unconscious boy so Alan and Jimmy could look after him.
"We need to move or more orcs will arrive."
Cless forced everyone to go. Some of them were injured but she spent too much magic on Joe. Would a commander let Joe become a cripple so the rest of the force remained in a good fighting order? Could she do such a callous choice? Damn.
> For defeating 17 orcs, you earned 2,775 Class Experience Points. For using your Class proficiencies, you earned 9,000 Class Experience Points. You reached level 29. +1 Stat point.
They met light opposition on their way to the breeding pens and quickly dispatched them. As they neared the big building, Cless got her answer regarding what orc warriors became. Two huge, over two meters tall orcs were at each side of the door guarding it. They had steel greatswords and also a huge tower shield as well as a full plate armor. They roared and charged. Cless shot an arrow but the orc knight just raised its shield and blocked it. The projectile broke and clattered on the dirt.
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Flustered, Cless dropped the longbow and ran to the side, "Get out of their way! Vic, help!"
Arnold was too slow to move and he clashed, shield against shield with the orc knight. The defender was tossed back and fell down. The boys attacked but they couldn't pierce the knights' sturdy defenses.
"Holy Bolt!" Cless shot at the orc knight's face but once again that pesky shield got in the way. She found its movements jerky and figured out it had to be some Skill against ranged attacks.
A swing of the orc knight's greatsword and Lawrence was sent sprawling even though he tried to parry. The other boys weren't faring very well. The second knight bashed Jimmy with his shield and the boy also flew away.
Cless shot another holy bolt and once again the shield came to meet the spell even without the orc knight glancing at her. She enchanted her sword with Flametongue and ran to clash with the knights.
The flaming blade drew the orc's attention. Cless dodged a swing of the greatsword, tumbled sideways to avoid a shield bash and stabbed it at the knee joint of the greaves. The orc knight roared and drew his leg back. He used the shield to avoid falling down. She didn't wait. Cless circled around to get the other leg from behind but the second orc knight was waiting. A greatsword came down at her and Lyle jumped in front of Cless.
She didn't even get to shout his name. The sword cleaved the boy from the hip to the shoulder, showering Cless with Lyle's blood. She gritted her teeth and finished her job. Cless severed the good leg of the first orc knight. It fell on all fours and the guild killed it.
With fury in her eyes, Cless readied her stance to attack the orc knight when it threw its sword away and shouted,
"Don't attack, Cless! It is me, Lyle!"
Silverfang was jumping to tear the throat of the orc knight when Cless noticed one thing. The orcs shouldn't know her name. Or Lyle's.
"Silverfang, stop. Back off! Lyle, is it you?"
The orc knight scratched its nape. "Yes, it is me, Cless. The guild master of the Blind Eye delver guild. Cleric of the One God. Want me to continue?" He spoke in a strange voice using the same cadence and intonation as Lyle but one octave lower.
"No. Is that your Skill? Is this why you said you can only use it once in your lifetime?"
"Yes," The orc knight said. "My Skill allows me to take over the body of whoever kills me." He explained. Cless felt he wasn't telling all the truth but she would let it slide.
Cless looked at the mangled body and she had to ask, "What about your body?"
There was sadness in his voice, "It is as dead as it gets, I guess. There is nothing I could do, Cless. I had to save you."
Cless checked one thing. Lyle was still contracted to her. It seemed that he didn't really die. She tried to cast revivify on the body but it didn't work. Usually, the magic would at least mend the body but it did nothing. It was as if the body didn't die or as if it was past the ten-minute mark, which it wasn't. She also tried mending but nothing happened. It was just an inert husk, abandoned by its former owner.
"Just for the record, if something kills you now..." She asked.
"I'll jump bodies again," Orc-Lyle answered.
"Shane, wrap up Lyle's body in a cloak or something," Cless commanded. "We need to take him to town or figure out something. Someone wounded?"
She used Heal on Arnold because he had broken bones and two Mending on Lawrence as he had no broken bones due to his Skill. The others had wounds but they would have to wait. Cless had no power left.
"Everyone inside."
> For defeating 2 orcs, you earned 1,362 Exp. Class Experience Points. For using your Class proficiencies, you earned 5,000 Class Experience Points.
She did some math while they filed into the breeding pens. These orc knights were level forty-something. Fearsome. If Lyle hadn't... and now Lyle had... It would be tough to explain. She didn't even notice that some orcs were slaughtered inside the breeding pens.
"Cless." Vic was shaking her shoulder.
"Oh. Vic. What is going on?" She asked.
"The breeding pens. We are here." The lamiak explained.
Cless slapped her cheeks hard. She took a deep breath and looked around. This place should be the town hall of the gnome city. Now the walls were torn and naked gnome women were strapped to pins stuck to the walls with crude chains. They were all crying, scared. Cless approached one of them and noticed some had big bulges in their bellies.
"Hello. Can you talk to me? I'm Cless and this is my delving guild. We are here to help."
The gnome woman looked at Cless and hugged the girl, bawling. Cless felt the tears welling up. She could smell sex and blood on the blankets they were over.
"Boys, this is not for your eyes. Silverfang, watch all these males, make sure none of them look at the women. Blind Eye guild, make yourselves useful. Watch out for orcs."
She hugged the woman until the bawling stopped. Cless couldn't sing to save her life but she held her and caressed her hair.
"Thank you." The gnome woman said.
"How can I help you? I'm setting you free. Do you have anywhere to go? Another gnome town?"
"No. Please kill us. We cannot keep on living."
That was a huge no for Cless. No way she would kill these women but as another rape victim, she could understand the feeling. The despair of having... She couldn't wallow in those dark memories. It was about them, not about Cless.
"I can help. Maybe take you with us."
"What is your name, girl?"
"I'm Cless. And yours?"
"We won't give you our names. It would burden you more than needed. Cless, let me tell you. It has been two months since our village was taken over. The orcs killed our fathers, our husbands, our sons. Before our very eyes. They chained us here and used us several times. All of us are pregnant with litters of orcs. We can't live. We don't want to live. You can see how our bellies bulge. We won't survive the delivery of these abominations. They will murder us to get their progeny and go on to rape others.
Cless, orcs are an existence that cannot breed on their own or even with other greenskins like goblins or hobs. They are parasites that destroy communities to procreate. We are already dead inside. Please put us out of our miseries."
She heard Shane's voice, "Cless, we should — "
She screamed. "SHUT YOUR TRAP ALL OF YOU. This is no place for men to give an opinion. In fact, go outside and make yourselves useful by killing as many orcs as you can. Silverfang, Vic and Kurt, make sure none of them die and kill the damn warlocks fast. Only Joe stays behind.
She kept silent while she heard them filing outside.
"Look. I understand. But I cannot kill you in cold blood. I... I cannot." Cless wept.
"Please. Set us free. We would offer you anything but we have nothing."
She looked up. All the gnome women had that resolute look. She met their gazes and understood. One of them screamed and held her huge belly, something visibly squirming inside it.
"I will set you free from your torment." Cless decided. "But you have something I can use. Would you grant me your strength so I can kill as many orcs as I can?"
"What do you mean, Cless?"
Cless caressed the gnome woman' hair. She looked behind her and Joe was unconscious. She sighed and spoke.
"Do you know about Skills?" The gnome woman nodded. "I can make a contract between us. Grant me your Skills and as much of your experience and stats as you can. Give me the right to view your happy memories of the gnome village so I keep you and your men forever alive in my memory. I will shoulder your burden. I will slaughter all the orcs I can in your stead."
"Kill the orc king and you can have our souls," The gnome woman whispered.
"I don't know if I can. But I'll try. I don't want your souls. May you pass in peace into the afterlife. Do you all agree?"
"Yes. Please make it painless for them. We all agree to your contract. We grant you our Skills, our Stats and as much of our Experience as we can. Be our sword, Cless the gentle human girl."
Cless stood up. She spoke between sobs. "May we thus be contracted."
> Contract created. Cless will receive the Skills, half of the remaining lifespan, Stats, and Experience of the gnome women in exchange for putting them to rest peacefully and killing as many orcs as she can including an attempt to kill the Orc King. 8.000 Class Experience points gained.
Cless could hear the sounds of combat outside but she could barely register it. She drew her blade and approached the first woman.
"Clara. My name is Clara, Cless. Live well in my stead."
"Nice to meet you, Clara. I'm sorry that is all I can do. Goodbye, Clara."
Cless swung her sword. Her world went red.
> Name: Cless (no surname)
>
> Race: Human.
>
> Level: 29 (+1) ( 420,400 / 435,000 Exp )
>
> Class: Cleric 25 (300,000 Exp / ** )
>
> Profession — Warmaster 12 (71,160 / 78,000 Exp) — Weaponmaster 12 (71,160 / 78,000 Exp)
>
> Base Stats — Strength: 17 — Agility: 17 [23] — Health: 27 — Intellect: 38 — Magic: 78
>
> Available Status Points: 4 (+1)
>
> Skills: [ Absolute Contract (S) ], [ Giant's Stamina (E) ], [ Trick Shot (D) ], [ Dangersense ⦅C⦆ ], [ Nimble Step (D) ], [ Eat Anything ⦅C⦆ ],
> [ Elven Longevity ⦅C⦆ ], [ Tinker (D) ]
>
> Proficiencies:
>
> Appraisal — Status: 22
>
> Crafting — Crude Weapons: 5 — Arrows: 1
>
> Magic, Cleric
> — Mending: 28 (+3) — Detoxify: 16 — Light: 24 — Turn Undead: 4 — Blessing: 16 — Holy Bolt: 24 — Purify: 10 — Protection: 21 (+2)
> — Hallow: 25 — Flametongue: 1 — Cure: 1 — Uncurse: 1 — Banish: 1 — Heal: 7 (+6) — Warding: 1 — Revivify: 10
>
> General — Prayer: 27 — Scribe: 2 — Houseworking: 6 — Math: 3 — Reading: 12 — Forestry: 9 — Skinning: 7 — Herbalism: 3 — Sabotage: 2 (+2)
>
> Social, general — Negotiation: 15 — Persuasion: 3 — Bluff: 6
>
> Social, martial — Leadership: 28 (+1) — Intimidation: 21 — Tactics: 26 (+3)
>
> Movement — Tumbling: 3 — Stealth: 3 — Sneak: 3
>
> Weapon — Long Blades: 27 (+4) — Short Blades: 2 — Unarmed: 11 — Archery: 28 — Spears: 3 — Maces: 22 — Staves: 4 — Axes: 9