I began to hum a little to myself as I tried to calm myself. I hadn’t had to do it for a while, mostly just through the first year while being a “Hero” for Aona. Now I was so constantly on edge about everything I had begun to enjoy it.
I didn’t sing out or anything it was just a short little tune I enjoyed to calm my racing nerves and heartbeat. I seriously thought someone had given it a jackhammer to play with. It actually hurt it was beating so darn fast.
I focused on the simplicity of the tune.
When I was finally ready the last guard flew right into my legs and flipped me into the air. Falling down on my face. Whelp this is what I get for trying to go all calm and collected. Panic attack it is.
I groaned as I got up. I looked up and saw that over me loomed one of the brute Lycans. Apparently the one that threw the guard. It snorted and then rammed it’s hands down in a sledgehammer blow. Just getting out of the way wasn’t enough as shards of the crushed cobblestones rushed out in every direction.
I grunted as one cut a furrow into my already injured back and I stumbled right as I was getting to my feet.
The thing didn’t even seem to notice the bleeding small scars along its arms after the attack. It snorted and then moved to come at me again.
I gulped as I saw just how it had shattered the cobblestone street. I made a mental note to avoid this thing's blows. “Okey… channel your inner dark souls.” I muttered as I rushed in and weaved under one of its hands swinging at me.
I felt elation as I stabbed my sword into its ribs and rammed my axe into its abdomen. Then I looked up at it and grew pale. It was smirking at me and as I glanced down at the wounds I noticed just how shallow those had been.
How muscled was it to be able to pull this off?! Then it swatted at me like I was some annoying gnat and into the nearby building’s wall, I went. And right as I was about to impact it I remembered something vital I hadn’t thought of. I suck at dark souls!!!
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Grandon roared as he swiped with his two-handed axe and lopped the Lycan’s head clean off. Bertie just hoped that the blow the Lycan had delivered hadn’t killed Vlad outright. The guard was getting up on shaky legs. “Get some potions or something!” Grandon ordered as he held off another Lycan charging him.
Twisting his body, Grandon managed to throw the beast to his side and delivered a swift hard kick into its abdomen. It managed to roll out of the way before he brought his axe down, however.
Bertie didn’t have time to stare as he felt the blow reverberate through not only his shield but through his arm and up to his shoulder. With a curse under his breath, he swiped his sword at the beast while taking a step back.
“These things hit hard.” He growled as he allowed the Lycan to advance at him and then cut upwards just before it hit his shield again.
He took the blow and staggered back a few steps and almost hurled from the blow to his stomach but he had to smirk as he had also taken the Lycan’s hand off at the wrist. It looked at its stump and then back at him.
It growled and then charged at him.
Bertie almost closed his eyes as he was about to be hit. To his surprise, a glaive came in and caused the Lycan to jump to the side. Nicholas let out a yell as he moved in and slashed with his glaive at the Lycan and managed to almost disembowel the creature.
Capitalizing on the opening, Bertie charged in and buried his sword to the hilt into the creature's chest. Nicholas stabbed in and into the creature's neck. Before the creature died it managed to run its claws down both Bertie's and Nicholas’s arms, leaving deep scars down their forearms.
Both let out grunts of pain and stumbled back from the dead creature. Oliva came flying into Nicholas and both fell over the creature. As the two groaned Bertie had to almost dance to the side as a creature came after the fallen woman.
Letting out exclamations, rather rude ones, Olivia threw a dagger into the Lycan’s knee. Bertie followed up with a swipe but was thrown up into the air when the Lycan slammed its backhand into his stomach.
Falling down onto the ground, face first, Bertie lay there with a groan. Looking up he saw the Lycan moving towards him, fangs bared.
Nicholas came charging into the Lycan’s back, pushing the glaive through the creatures left kidney area. The Lycan growled nastily as it turned quickly enough to break the shaft of the glaive on Nicholas’s body.
Bertie watched with mounting horror as he watched the Lycan grip Nicholas by his arms and leaned in. Then the creature’s jaws opened and Bertie watched it take a bite out of Nicholas’s face. The man screamed in horror and pain all the while.
Bertie took some time to get up to his feet and grab his shield and weapon. However, the creature had taken almost four other bites and Nicholas had long since stopped screaming.
Gritting his teeth he charged in and stabbed the creature through the chest. Olive came leaping over screaming her head off and tears in her eyes, ramming her blade into the Lycan’s head.
Both looked at one another and were about to embrace in their grief when they heard it. A loud bass-filled rumbling growl. Looking to the source they saw the ogre wolf staring at them and then to the side. Grandon standing there huffing and puffing over an almost mangled corpse of a Lycan.
The man, however, didn’t look so good either.
The three looked at one another and then at the Ogrewolf who seemed to only smirk at them. Flexing its pectorals the wolf moved in and brought one meaty palm down towards Olive and Bertie’s position.
The blow separating them. Olive was faster to react than Bertie and slashed out with her sword. The corded muscles seemed to almost grip the sword as it embedded into the wolf’s arm.
Bertie took a few steps back as he tried to get his balance back. Thankfully Grandon came charging in right before the wolf took the chance to swipe at him.
The three began to work together, slashing, chopping and stabbing at the creature. Trying to keep it off balance and on the defensive. They pressed the creature hard, almost to the point of exhaustion. The creatures thick hide stopping most blows from penetrating deep enough. It was hard to manage to get a deep enough blow to weaken the wolf at all.
As they continued to chip away at the beast it seemed to begin moving easier. Getting better and better at dodging them before it gripped the shaft of Grandon’s axe.
Bertie then watched as it reached forward and slashed in an uppercut at Grandon’s chest.
The big man flew back as blood spurted everywhere, staining the already stained ground. Olive roared and rammed her blade deep into the creature's stomach. Only then for it to grip her arms and rip them off her body, leaving her screaming and squirming on the ground.
Bertie felt liquid drip down his thighs as he saw the strongest man he’d ever known be beaten in front of him. Then what happened to Olive only filled him with terror as the creature looked towards him.
Tears streaming down his face he ran at the beast, bringing down his sword as hard as he could, using all skills he could at the same time. The beast took it on its shoulder and stared at him.
He just stared dumbfounded at it. Then he heard it. A broken growl that stopped and continued in a rhythm. Laughter? His eyes widened as he watched the wounds him and the other inflicted begin to visibly close.
“Oh n” Those were the words he managed to get out before he also suddenly saw his world turn upside down. His body still there but his head was gone. The last thought he had was a very simple one. ‘That isn’t supposed to be like that.’
Then his head bounced on the ground and continued rolling away.
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Slowly I came to. The scent of blood flooded my nose and I jerked wide awake. What greeted me made my breath catch. Grandon bleeding heavily as he leaned against the corpse of the ogrewolf. Everywhere around them were mutilated bodies.
Grandon’s axe was buried in the Ogrewolf’s neck. I watched it all with mounting dread as I saw a few of the wolfmen come over the walls. The Worg itself walked in through the gate and seemed to look over the town with contempt.
“Yeah… I’m boned.” I muttered with a light growl as I made it back to my feet. Wobbling on the unsteady things as I felt like just falling down to my knees and giving up.
The ogrewolf suddenly stirred and pushed Grandon’s corpse off it. Besides the gaping wound in its neck there wasn’t a scratch on it. I felt like running away but as I looked over my shoulder I saw I was surrounded by the wolfmen.
The creatures hanging off roofs or almost hunched as they paced around.
“I’m not getting to leave huh?” I asked out loud as I looked at the staggering and wheezing ogrewolf. The worg simply seemed to nod as it smirked at me with that eerie manner.
“Great.” I growled as I felt my legs shaking but I seemed to be at least in a little better state than the ogrewolf. Though the blood spewing growl it let out made me flinch back. This thing was a monster in every sense of the word.
The beast pulled at the axe in its neck. The fleshy sound that came as it was pulled out sickened me a little.
The Ogrewolf then moved its shoulders and I began to notice that the wound was starting to close. “You’ve got to be kidding me?” I muttered as I felt pain in my hands, I had been gripping my weapons that hard.
The worg growled a little and the Ogrewolf seemed cowed by that. It stopped healing when the wound wasn’t life-threatening any longer.
I looked from the ogrewolf and then to the Worg. I noticed that there was a ring around me and the ogrewolf, made up of wolfmen. “You want me to fight him?” I asked pointing at the ogrewolf.
The worg nodded at me. The glint in its eyes made me wary. “You understand me, don’t you?” I then asked, a shiver of unease running through me.
The worg nodded once more.
“So what? I fight him and if I win the rest of you kill me?” I asked as I looked at the wolfmen around me. The worg shook its head.
“So if I win I’ll get to survive?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. Nodding the worg approached into the ring and looked at me in the eyes.
‘You will survive if you win. So will the rest till the next moon.’ It projected into my mind and I fell to my knees. The sheer weight of the worg’s mind and the power of its mental voice driving me down. My body screaming for me to kneel before the true ruler of this land.
“T-then can I finish going through my notifications before?” I asked, having a hard time getting my voice out. “I’d like to be as s-strong as I can be...” I finished, stuttering in the middle as I felt the Worg’s eyes bury into me.
It nodded slowly then turned around, wiping its tail at me as it went back outside the ring. That simple brushing of its tail made me stagger back four steps. Like I’d been punched and punched hard. It just brushed me with its tail!!
With a calming exhale and inhale I tried to get my racing mind to focus. With a shaky mental command, I asked for my notifications.
Stolen novel; please report.
New skills gained! Levels increased! Statistic increased! Skill point gained! Skill levels increased!
PleasebegoodPleasebegoodPleasebegoodPleasebegoodPleasebegoodPleasebegoodPleasebegood
New skills gained! Skill points left unspent: 2
Basic One-handed axe lvl. 1 gained!
Basic Dual-wielding lvl. 1
Skill levels increased!
Basic Evasion lvl. 8 > 10!
Basic Sword mastery Lvl. 5 > 8
Basic Parrying lvl. 4 > 5
Basic Improved Reflexes Lvl. 3 > 5
Basic Improved Stamina lvl. 3 > 6
Basic Intimidating growl lvl. 1 > 3
Basic Power strike lvl. 1 > 4
Basic One-handed axe lvl. 1 > 3
Basic Dual-wielding lvl. 1 > 2
Basic Evasion lvl. 10 requires a skill point to advance over to Advanced Evasion lvl. 1!
YUSSS!
Strength increased 25 > 26! Endurance increased 20 > 22!
Death squire lvl. 1 > 5! Basic Death's tug lvl. 1 > 2, Basic Death's armour lvl. 1 > 3 (New ability to choose)
Necromancer lvl. 1 > 3! Basic Death sense lvl. 1 > 3, Basic Raise minor skeleton lvl. 1 > 5
Shadowmancer lvl. 1 > 3! Basic Shadow strike lvl. 1 > 3 Basic Shadow bolt lvl. 1 > 2
New skills please!!! I need all the help I can freaking get!
Skill point spent, Advanced Evasion lvl. 1 gained!
Death squire available skills!
Bone weapon (Create a weapon out of nearby bones. Currently as strong as bronze weaponry)
Death strike: (Infuse a portion of death mana into a strike to inflict more damage.)
Wraith step: (A short range teleportation skill. Range 4 steps.)
That’s a tough one. It’d be good to be able to make a weapon whenever I wished but right now I think I’ll need the wraith step skill. I don’t want that ogrewolf to hit me. But just in case I’ll spend that last skill point on toughened skin.
Basic Wraith step lvl. 1 gained!
Basic Toughened skin lvl. 1 (passive) Gained!
With that all set I let out an exhale to get rid of the tension that had built up between me and the Ogrewolf. It had just stood there and stared at me as I got ready.
“Uh… thanks for letting me get through all of that.” I said as I moved to take up a defensive stance, activating my defensive skills and abilities all at once while my brain filled with the knowledge on using Wraith step.
It didn’t even take the Ogrewolf a second to begin sprinting at me with a roar. It was like the creature almost blurred through speed as it appeared in front of me. I took a Wraith step to appear at its side as the claws impacted the ground I had been standing at.
Flashing out with my weapons, using shadow strike with the axe and power strike with the sword. Creating a cross of deep cuts at the creatures side.
Its elbow came shooting out and left a furrow in the green film around my neck. Bringing the axe down to hook into the wolf’s elbow and jammed the sword up into its armpit. The blade jammed in but only around the length of my thumb.
With a roar the creature gripped my leg and tossed me to the side. I was like a sweater thrown away at ones bed or something. Landing hard on my stomach and went face-first into the cracked cobblestone street.
Coughing I looked up and had to roll away right away as the wolf’s foot came stomping down. The sound of the cracking stones didn’t give me much in the way of hope.
Clambering to my feet I took a few steps and then used the wraith step to appear behind the wolf. Ramming my sword into the creature's hip, aiming for the spot where the leg connected to the hip. A roar of pain rumbled out of the wolf before it backhanded me hard in the chest.
The air rushed out of my lungs and I was tossed back, rolling on the ground as I struggled to get air back. Gasping and coughing as I looked up to see the creature try and pull the sword out of its hip. Only to manage to snap the thing off at the hilt.
I had to smirk at that. “We’re even now.” I coughed out as I stood up and gripped the axe with both hands. The creature just growled as it bared its rather impressive and sharp looking fangs at me as a response.
Charging at me faster than I could have reacted to, it reached me in an eye blink. I wraith stepped to the side but the creature was fast enough to grab my collar and then vaulted me up into the air. Only for me to come slamming down hard onto the cobblestones, cracking them lightly with the impact. I felt like I had spikes in my lungs and I had a hard time to even get breath back into my lungs.
I gasped feebly for breath as the creature loomed over me.
It leaned down, growling and opening its jaw as if to bite me. In a sheer moment of survival panic I channelled power strike and shadow strike into the axe and slammed it into the wound on the wolf’s neck.
It howled in pain and tossed it’s head to the side and up. Dragging me along and caused my gasping frame to roll along the floor. A small impact into my back finally opening up my lungs and I greedily drew in breath, before ending up in a coughing fit.
Another growl caused me to look up towards the Wolf, ripping the axe out of the wound and throwing it to the side. Its fangs bared and I knew I had just royally pissed it off.
“Come on.” I groaned as I stood up and let out my claws. “Fine you want savagery! I’ll fucking give it to you!” I growled and sprinted towards the wolf.
With contempt, it tried to backhand me once more but I moved under the hand and let out an intimidating growl almost point-blank. It only made the creature visibly stiffen which was what I hoped for.
Slashing out with the claws at its pectoral and thigh, I then wraith stepped just two steps to the left and sliced at the wolf’s Achilles tendon. Another step and I jumped up to slam my fingers into the things shoulder blades.
The wolf growled and then let itself fall backwards, its muscles holding onto my claws so I couldn’t get away. I felt its weight almost crush me, it even squirmed to try and crush me more. I snarled as I finally got my claws out and then just began to slash and rake my claws at the wolf's neck and face.
With another intimidating growl right into the wolf’s ear, I then slammed my fingers into its eyes and slashed down the sides of its face.
It let out such an ungodly howl of pain that I had to hold both hands against my ears.
Before I had got my brain working again from the howl I felt its claws around my throat. It was blind and blood streamed down its face and neck from all the shallow cuts I had given it. I flailed around and clawed at the hand crushing my throat.
I felt my neck close and my eyes begin to roll back in my head. Power strike and shadow strike infused claws slashed even more at its arm but it did nothing.
As a last-ditch effort, I aimed two fingers at one of the open eye sockets. I had a hard time aiming, let alone casting as I heard my own heart pounding in my brain. Then just as I was about to give up I let loose with the shadow bolt.
Then I passed out.
‘Wake up.’ The voice made me start awake and before my face were the fangs of the Worg. Just hovering above my face. I only groaned out as I began to cough as breath finally flowed fully through my windpipe.
I rolled onto my side and coughed a bit more before I raised my body up on my hands. “I’m alive?” I asked as I looked around, though my swimming vision made it hard to focus on any detail.
‘You are.’ The worg sent into my mind as it moved to my side and then looked at me with curiosity in its eyes. ‘you are strange. Bones obey you and you have the claws of a pup.’ It said and I could swear it had an almost amused smirk as it looked at me.
“So I get to live.” I muttered before falling down on my back and letting out an exhale of exaltation. I didn’t want to chance it by screaming in joy as the worg might change its mind.
‘You and those left will live.’ The worg said as it looked down at me. ‘But you must leave this land before the seventh moon rises.’ It said and looked up at the full moons. I figured it was giving us a week or so to get out.
I simply smiled up at it. “I’ll try to get them out of here.” I let out in my now raspy voice, but I stiffened as the Worg moved its eyes back on me.
‘I will come back after two nights. You will come out then and follow.’ It said with a very stern gaze. I could only swallow and nod at it.
Placated by that it simply snorted and smirked at me before it growled at the wolfmen around us. They growled back and then picked up the corpses of the bruiser Lycans and the ogrewolf.
I watched in silence, still laying on the ground, as they retreated through the gate and into the forest.
I lay there for I don’t know how long before I started laughing. It was a laugh made of my pure joy at actually being alive. I’d gotten by on the skin of my teeth.
I also knew that I had no chance in hell at beating that Worg. I was only alive due to some strange whim of its mind. I didn’t wish to delve much into it but then the sides of my vision began to darken and I let out an almost content sigh.
Before I could let myself fall unconscious I saw Campbell’s face fill my vision. He looked at me worried and then at the area around the gate. “We are alive?” He then asked almost chipper but I saw how hurt he was by all the death around him.
“Yeah for now.” I let out as I rose up, groaning with the effort. “We have a week.” I then said before spitting out a thick globule laced with blood.
“A week? To do what?” He asked as he looked from Bertie’s and Grandon’s corpses and then at me.
“To leave.” I replied as I stared at him. My exhaustion evident in my eyes by the look of Campbell’s own gaze at me.
“LEAVE!” A shrill voice cut into my mind and sent a pounding headache into motion. Dunleavy, of course. The pudgy little man came walking up to us. He wore an adorned metal breastplate and a sword more fit to looking pretty than to actually fight with on his hip.
“This is MY land. I will not leave it because some mutts aren’t happy with it.” He said letting out a snort of derision my way.
“This is all your fault any ways! You brought them upon our gates. All these deaths are on your head.” He said as he stomped his foot down and I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Excuse me?” I said, calmly though just in tone. Inside I was seething, this little man was blaming me for all of this?!
“Yes, I will leave for the capital and come back with an army. Campbell arrest him!” He then ordered as he pointed at me with an almost imperious air.
Campbell looked from Dunleavy and then to me, then back again. “Um… sir what are the charges?” He asked as he stood up slowly, letting out a groan from his tired old bones.
“The willful leading of monsters to a settlement.” Dunleavy said huffing at the delay.
Campbell’s eyes widened. “But sir that’s grounds for hanging!” He almost cried.
“Exactly! When I return in half a months time with the army I shall take great pleasure in seeing him hang for his crimes!” Dunleavy said looking proud of himself for his choice.
I slowly got up, my muscles wishing for me to just lay down and go to sleep already. “And what of the townsfolk while you go get your army?” I asked almost growling the words out.
Dunleavy scoffed at me. “They will simply stay here and tend the land as they should.” He said peering down his nose at me, he had to lean his head back to do it but he still did.
I noticed Campbell’s face grow red with anger. “You want us to stay here with almost no one left to defend us?!” He asked indignant at the prospect.
Dunleavy whirled at him. “I do! These beasts have lost all their forces and have retreated. They must think we have stronger defenders in the town and that’ll keep them back.” He said pointing a finger at him.
He then spread his arms and his lips turned to a kind magnanimous smile. “You are safe. There is nothing to worry about.”
Both Campbell and I just stared at the man, dumbfounded. Before our utter shock at such a man being in charge could wear off and our anger came boiling past it, we heard others. The townsfolk had heard him as they came out of their homes to see the damage to their town.
A large woman holding a frying pan just stared slack-jawed at Dunleavy.
“What about our children?” A woman asked I noted it was the one I had helped get to safety after the first Lycan.
“They will be fine.” Dunleavy said kindly to her as he gave her a placating gesture. “The wolves won’t return until the next full moon and by that time we will have an army to protect us.” He said with a smile.
That smile faded as the heavyset woman slammed her frying pan into his face.
“What are you doing?!” Dunleavy cried out, irate at the treatment and bleeding from his broken nose.
“WE followed you here!” The woman said as she slammed her frying pan into his face again. The townsfolk looked mad as all hell.
“Yeah! I’ve lost my husband and brother tonight because of your promises!” Another woman yelled and a chorus of others picked up the sentiment.
“STOP THIS! I command you as your liege lord!” Dunleavy cried out but they ignored him. They swarmed over him and before long he lay there tied up with a few rags stuffed in his mouth. Covered in bruises for his resisting.
I simply stared dumbfounded before I fell down onto my knees. Campbell hurried to help me keep my balance but I simply smiled a little at him. “You have to get the people to get ready to leave.” I said as I felt my mind beginning to fade. “The worg gave us a week to leave.” I managed to finish before darkness claimed me once more.