Miguel bent forward as Trevor raced across the landscape. The young stag never ran in a straight line. Instead, he leaped over obstacles, launching himself even higher on planes of moonlight before crashing to the ground with ever more speed. And rather than grow irritated with the deer’s antics, Miguel reveled in the thrill of speed and unpredictability that came with Trevor’s playful nature.

Besides, as time sensitive as their mission was, they were still ahead of schedule, having left the mountain pass behind hours before. The trip so far had only taken three days, which was barely a quarter of what the wagon train had taken to cover the same distance. Miguel’s gauge of Trevor’s speed wasn’t entirely accurate, but he estimated that the stag could reach speed exceeding a hundred miles an hour.

Of course, he rarely had an opportunity to move that quickly, but even over rough terrain that required him to go a little more slowly, he was incredibly fast. On top of that, his endurance seemed endless, only matched by the sheer exuberance making its way through the bond he shared with Miguel. It was a joy so pure that Miguel couldn’t help but be affected by it.

However, the trip hadn’t been all good. Only a few miles away from the island, he’d discovered that the buffs he had received from Pledge of the Green Warden had been significantly reduced. At present, he only received a five-point boost in his physical attributes and Ethera, while gaining ten points to Regeneration. By all accounts, the increase was still incredible, but it was nothing compared to the influx of power he’d gotten while within the bounds of the grove.

The vague knowledge of his environment had also been weakened, cementing in Miguel’s mind that his class, while powerful, would never be as strong as it was in the grove. Still, he had no regrets about his choice, and a large part of that came from his bond with Trevor. He’d always loved animals – even going back to his youngest years – and that had only grown stronger after Earth had been touched by the World Tree. And being able to make an emotional connection with the juvenile stag had firmly etched those feelings into Miguel’s spirit.

Especially because he knew that Trevor felt the same way. Miguel couldn’t quite explain it, but the deer felt like the little brother he’d never had and didn’t even know he needed.

Those thoughts flitted through Miguel’s mind as he continued on his way, racing across the rocky landscape and into the temperate forests abutting the mountain range. With the trees spaced further apart, Trevor could really let loose, and Miguel couldn’t help but let out a joyous laugh as they covered one mile after another at highway speeds.

Then, he caught a whiff of a sour odor just before something leaped from one of the trees, intent on tackling him from the deer’s back. But that warning – feeble though it was – proved to be just enough to allow Miguel to react. Still, even as he ducked beneath a blow that might have decapitated him, he realized that another monster was already coming at him from below.

Trevor leaped, bounding off another plane of moonlight.

Another monster hit Miguel in a tackle that tore him from Trevor’s back. He hit the ground hard, but he managed to turn the fall into an awkward tumble that absorbed most of the impact. Meanwhile, his attacker ripped into him with sharp claws, but the wooden armor gifted to him by his mother proved more than up to the task of protecting him. The creature’s claws skipped off the lacquered wood without even leaving a scratch.

Miguel kicked out, using his enhanced Strength to create a little separation between himself and the monster. Then, he yanked a wooden dagger from his belt and stabbed the thing in the eye. It hissed in pain as it recoiled from the blow, but Miguel knew when to press the advantage. His dagger found its way to the reptilian creature’s chest, digging deep as it sliced between its ribs and pierced its heart. It died a second later, choking on its own black blood.

It happened in the space of a couple of seconds, but even that was enough to give the other attackers – Miguel belatedly recognized them as Voxx, and ones with enough power to be a real threat – to recover from their failed ambush and close on him.

Fortunately, Miguel wasn’t alone.

Trevor barreled into one of the monsters, sending it flying through the air until it hit a pine tree with enough force to crack the trunk. It didn’t put the creature down, but it did give Miguel enough time to draw his sword from the scabbard at his waist. He recovered his feet just before the Voxx closed on him.

Preemptively, he used Impale, then Enrage. Outnumbered and against opponents that were probably more powerful than him, Miguel knew better than to hold back. He needed to hit hard and fast, and with everything he could muster. Otherwise, they’d have a chance to overwhelm him. Trevor had given him a chance, but for all his own power, he wasn’t yet a fighter. So, Miguel tried to convey that he wanted the juvenile stag to stay clear of the fray. Despite his frustration, Trevor agreed.

Once the two skills took hold, Miguel used Charge, launching himself forward twice as fast as his attributes would normally allow. Then, he buried his sword in the chest of an extremely surprised Voxx. However, unlike the surgical attack he’d inflicted upon the previous opponent, this blow slightly missed the mark. Instead of shredding the creature’s heart, it tore through its lung. Probably fatal, but not immediately.

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And with the attributes a creature like that possessed, anything but an immediate kill put Miguel at a distinct disadvantage – especially in such close proximity. Even as the monster’s jaws clamped down on his shoulder, Miguel used Champion’s Shout. Then, he added Shockwave.

Stamina flowed out of him like water as he used so many skills in such quick succession. But it was effective. With the clear level difference, Champion’s Shout was only mildly effective. But it did loosen the creature’s jaws just a little. So, when Shockwave landed, Miguel was able to rip himself free. Then, he whipped around with a backhanded blow that hit the still-stunned monster in the neck.

The wooden blade might not have been quite as durable as some of the more magical metals his mother normally worked with, but it was still stronger than steel and twice as sharp. It cut through the Voxx’s scales, slicing into the flesh beneath and only stopping when it hit bone. When Miguel ripped the weapon free, a fountain of black blood erupted from the resultant wound.

That was when the brief stun wore off, but by that point, the effects of its wounds – and the increased bleeding caused by Impale – had weakened it enough that it stumbled backward. Miguel didn’t let up, though. He leaped forward, ready to end the fight.

He never even saw the monster Trevor had sent flying into a tree. It was clearly injured, likely with multiple broken bones, but it wasn’t so wounded that it was out of the fight. It was a rookie mistake to lose track of the monster, and one Miguel hoped he would have an opportunity to regret later.

Because that would mean he’d managed to live through the encounter.

Despite looking like vicious beasts, Voxx weren’t stupid. Miguel knew that from the few times he’d fought against them. And they were more than capable of learning, which proved to be a problem when the creature attacked the gaps in Miguel’s armor. In this case, the inner part of his elbow and his right armpit, both of which were entirely unprotected.

Fortunately, under the enhancement of Pledge of the Green Warden and Woodsman’s Constitution, his durability was his highest attribute. So, even though he took a few deep gouges, none were immediately disabling.

Miguel grappled with the creature, and after only a few moments, they fell to the ground. He’d had some training in wrestling, but it wasn’t nearly as extensive as his weapon’s drills. Still, he held his own, matching the creature’s strength point for point. Then, he heard the uneven staccato of footsteps, and he looked up to see that the other monster still wasn’t dead.

It wasn’t long for the world, judging by the copious amount of blood pouring all over the forest floor. But it didn’t look like that was going to stop it from ripping Miguel to pieces. Given that it took all of his power to keep the other one at bay, he was almost entirely defenseless. As the creature drew closer, his mind whirled with possible tactics that might free him.

But the reality was that he was doing everything he could to keep from being torn to shreds, so if he tried to switch things up, it would provide an opportunity for his current opponent to do even more damage. Then, his fate would be sealed.

As if it wasn’t already.

He saw no way out, so he steeled himself to simply taking the pair with him. He was afraid. Certainly, he didn’t want to die. But he was his mothers’ son, and he knew that neither of them would ever surrender without fighting to their very last breath. Neither would Elijah. Or Colt. Or anyone else Miguel idolized.

Just as he was getting ready to switch to more aggressive – and ultimately doomed – tactics, he saw a snow white stag rushing toward the Voxx, and with enough speed that there was no way Trevor would survive the impact uninjured.

But he wasn’t alone. Miguel had the perfect skill to protect his bound companion.

He used Bulwark:

Bulwark

Summon a shield of Ethera to protect allies. Strength of shield based on caster’s Constitution.

It was one of the most basic Warrior abilities, but that didn’t mean it was weak. Indeed, it might not have been fancy, but in Miguel’s experience, it got the job done. A blue shield shimmered around Trevor, lasting just long enough for him to hit the staggering Voxx.

It was like watching an animal being hit by a car going sixty miles an hour, only the car in question – Trevor, in this case – was entirely protected from damage. The shield shattered upon impact, but by that point, the Voxx was already rocketing backward. Miguel couldn’t hear it, but judging by the way the thing flopped around, he expected that its bones were immediately broken.

And if that was the case, they shattered completely when it hit the trunk of a large pine tree. The sound drew the attention of the Voxx atop Miguel, which gave him an opening to slither from its grip and stab it with his dagger. He didn’t stop there, though. He tore into the monster with all the ferocity he could muster, but even then, it held onto life for far longer than he would have expected.

Eventually, though, it died.

And suddenly, the forest went silent, save for Miguel’s ragged breathing. After a second, Trevor’s wet nose found his neck, and he let himself relax.

Three Voxx.

That was more than he would have expected, especially so close to Norcastle. As far as he knew, they routinely engaged in patrols, which meant that any spontaneously manifesting Voxx should have been detected and dealt with.

Something was wrong.

So, it was with a rapidly beating heart that Miguel pushed himself to his feet, leaped upon Trevor’s back, and took off for the city in question. Less than an hour later, he saw his worst fears come to life.

Smoke curled up from the smoldering ruins of Norcastle. How long had it been since he’d been there? A few weeks? A month? Everything had been fine back then, but something had clearly changed. And even more disturbing than the state of the city was the realization that there would be no assistance forthcoming from Norcastle.

As urgent as his mission was – especially now that the only hope lay with Argos – he knew he owed it to the people of Norcastle to investigate what had happened. So, it was with a heavy heart – and an alert mind – that he descended the slope and entered the devastated city.