- 59 -

Drew woke up with the sun the next day.

He had helped the farmers repair the fence as best they could before the light Orb spells ran out. Drew carved a couple new medallions to close the gap in their protective enchantment around the North field.

Alder and Laurent had harvested the corpses of the Pixens, Hopper Grass, and the two Bust Cats. Isabella was able to butcher and store the beast meat in her freezer. The rest of the corpses were burnt.

Despite the late night, the family was up before the sun and in the middle of their morning routines.

Drew found Alder and Laurent in the grain fields spear fishing in the early dawn light. They walked on long stilts above the water of the paddies. With baskets on their backs and quivers of spears at their waists.

“Need a hand?” Drew called out.

Drew picked up one of the discarded spears. They were about 3 meters long, flexible, and were forked with two barbs at the tip.

“Sure thing! We are fishing for Luggs! They swim under the water and suck the life out of the Glimmergrain. You’ll see them, they glow blue. They can move quick and can jump out of the water sometimes.” Laurent said. “Don’t let them sting you.”

Drew helped them search the flooded fields for the eel like slugs most of the morning. According to Alder, their bite was electric and could deliver a shock strong enough to Paralyze a grown man. They were a real risk if you got shocked multiple times and it was not uncommon for farmers to drown in the water.

They were easy for Drew to spot as he flew above the flooded fields. Their neon blue phosphorescence stood out in stark contrast to the mud and plants around them. After 3 hours, the exercise was good enough to raise Drew’s stamina one point and and his strength up three points. He earned 450 exp after killing 13 Luggs.

After that, the day went quickly. They spent the hour before lunch helping Isabella brine the Bushcat meat. Laurent also grilled some and they ate sandwiches for lunch.

After lunch Laurent and Alder pulled some new posts and fence boards from their lumber stores behind the barn and repaired the east fence. While they worked, Drew repaired the three medallions, and carved ten spares. He also prepared a stack of blank talismans.

Skill Upgrade: [Carving] lvl 4

Skill Upgrade: [Enchanting] lvl 7

Drew followed Alder over to the fallow field and helped carry rocks and logs as the boy broke them down. He collected two stacks of fist sized stones and rounded them into rough spherical shapes.

Dropping these on my attackers was just too good of a tactic.

After two hours of that exercise, Drew gained a point in his Strength and another in his Constitution.

“Hey Alder, what’s your strength stat? Mine’s 10, and my Constitution is 13.” Drew said while they picked up the tools and headed back to the barn before dusk could settle in.

“Oh that’s not too bad. My strength is 55 and my constitution is 65. I wonder what’s for dinner…” Alder said.

Drew dropped the hoe he was carrying, and Alder picked it up without missing a step.

No way, how could I be less than half the strength of a random farmers kid?

“You serious? That’s insanely high right?” Drew asked.

“No, that’s normal I guess? My dad’s stats are five times mine. His Health Pool is over 500.” Alder said as he hung the tools up on their hooks in the barn.

I have so far to go. Imagine what level Sarah and the siblings are at by now after they have been doing their new training. I’m years behind, decades. Skurr are so weak. Is that why it was cheaper to reincarnate as one?

Area Quest: Raiding Party: All adult Skurr are required to respond. 1500 shared experience for each racial enemy defeated.

Area Quest: Perimeter Breach: Skurr have broken through the enchantments and are raiding the farm. 3500 shared experience for defending the farm. 250 additional exp for each Skurr defeated.

“Alder! To me! The flock is attacking again!” Laurent was shouting from the porch. He had his sword in his hand and Isabella was just exiting the door with her staff and heavy robes.

Alder ran past his parents and into the house to arm himself.

“Drew! What’s the meaning of this? Did you invite them here? Did you let them in?” Laurent demanded.

“No I would never.” Drew shouted. “They are bringing every Skurr they can. They are here to kill you.”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Or are they here to kill you? Have you left the flock?” Isabella asked.

Shit, they could be here for me. Or because of me. I cannot get this family killed. They are the nicest people I have ever met.

“It’s your move Drew.” Laurent said. “What can you do?”

The family held formation with their home at their backs.

The flock circled overhead ominously. There were easily more than 30 Skurr, their ebony wings slicing through the air in a seemingly random pattern, casting eerie shadows on the family of farmers below.

He’s got to be here, up there somewhere hidden in the flock. Do I challenge Skyclaw? Do I fight them all? Or do I turn on this family and fight with them?

Drew withdrew his Chain Lightning wand from his ring, uncertain who to point it at.

These Skurr are monsters, they aren’t people, but they could be. If everything I’m doing to gather experience and rank up this race into humanoid beastkin works out then these Skurr will be people too. What kind of a race would they be? Farmers? Merchants? Bandits attacking families and stealing crops?

He missed his chance to decide as the flock rippled and then dove towards the family below.

Drew reflexively fired the spell from his wand twice into the flock.

Area Quest: Raiding Party: Failed. Penalty: Social standing with Skurr of Rottervale decreased to Hostile (10%)

Isabella fired off her Lightning Bolt spell and Laurent shouted a Taunt to draw the flock’s charge towards him and his shield.

Alder stood behind his father protecting his back, ready to strike around his father's shield and finish off any wounded Skurr his father cast aside.

Drew was harried and jiving in a circuit around the farmhouse. In and out of the porch posts and around the side of the house. Ten Skurr had been hit by his two spells, the maximum possible for two uses of the Chain Lighting enchantment.

Just my luck! It spread out so far none were seriously hurt. And now they are pissed off!

Drew narrowly avoided a surprise attack and circled back around to where Isabella was sniping Skurr out of the sky.

“Isabella! A little help here?” Drew shouted.

She obliged, easily telling his lighter juvenile coloring apart from the midnight black of the other Skurr. Her Light Bolt spell scattered the Skurr behind Drew and he broke away to soar up over the scene of the battle.

Where is he? If I can find Skyclaw then I can end this. There are so many Skurr, how could he not be here?

Drew was hit from above by a Skurr as dark as night. He managed to turn his spent wand towards his attacker as they tumbled a couple times in the air then crashed into the roof.

HP: 35%

Bane: (0:30)

Drew broke free and screeched as he activated his healing spell. He had lost his wand in the crash. It was lodged in the shoulder of the Skurr that attacked him.

Skyclaw stood proud despite the wand sticking out of him.

Even with his wing hanging limp at his side he seems ready to break my neck.

HP: 42%

Bane: (0:28)

“Skyclaw! I challenge you to a duel. This is my test. To forfeit are my terms. If I win you leave this farm alone forever!” Drew shouted in common.

Duel Accepted: Skyclaw vs Drew. The terms of the duel are to forfeit or death.

Skyclaw rushed headlong towards Drew. Around them the battle raged on and Skurr died left and right.

HP: 65%

Bane: (0:15)

Drew summoned a Mage Hand and lobbed two stones towards his opponent throwing off the Skurr's charge.

Drew flapped his wings to vault over Skyclaw and narrowly avoided his snapping beak.

Drew spun about in a barrel roll and Slashed his opponents beak. His mana reinforced claws kicked off sparks against Skyclaw’s much stronger beak, his higher level constitution allowing him to shrug off Drew’s attacks.

Now farther up the roof and above Skyclaw, Drew swatted repeatedly at the larger Skurr’s eyes from the high ground with his wingtips. Distracting and blinding the larger bird from seeing the blank talisman in his spectral hand.

Skyclaw lashed out in a blur and clamped his beak down on Drew’s wing. He bit deep and his lunge was so forceful that he barreled over the juvenile Skurr.

HP: 25%

Debuff: Broken Bone - Wing

Bane: (0:30)

Got you now!

Drew pushed a little deeper with the blank talisman he had stabbed into the larger bird. He had used Mage Hand to spear it forwards under his wing as the larger bird snapped out with it's beak.

The Skyclaw shuddered and released Drew’s wing only to stagger and fall on its side. Drew dropped Mage Hand and focused on his healing spells.

Bane: (0:25)

HP: 30%

MP: 45%

“Do you forfeit?” Drew asked.

But Skyclaw glared at him unblinking as blood gurgled out of his beak.

Bane: (0:15)

HP: 38%

“You lost, you stubborn bastard! This is how you like to do things right? Picking on weaker guys to enforce your way. Might is right?" Drew shouted. "Forfeit or I’ll heal you and kick your ass again!”

Skyclaw took a swipe at the juvenile Skurr but Drew hopped back.

Maybe he’s not nearly as close to dead as I thought. He could still kill me if I get too close.

Bane: (0:05)

HP: 50%

MP: 28%

Debuff Removed: Broken Bone - Wing, exp 35

“Fine, have it your way.” Drew stepped around the side of the dying Skurr to Peck him.

Drew hit him with the ability three times before a Bane debuff stacked on again.

He’s got to have at least two or three Bleed debuffs by now. When is this asshole going to forfeit?

Drew stepped forwards to try to use his healing spell on the larger Skurr, but it tried to slash him once more.

Combat Results: Skyclaw level 35 named Skurr, exp 1550

Skill Upgrade: [Peck] lvl 3

Duel Results: Skyclaw loses, by Death. Reward: Social Standing with Skurr increased to Civil (30%)

Shit, the idiot was too proud to forfeit and now he and a ton of other Skurr are dead.

Area Quest Complete: Perimeter Breach: 950 exp.

The flock of Skurr swooped up and out of reach of the family of Farmers. They circled around and flew back to the city of Rottervale in the near darkness of the encroaching night.

So many Skurr died today because of Skyclaw's leadership. What a waste.

Isabella let her lightning spell she was channeling disperse as the last few stragglers left the area.

“They are just leaving! Drew what in the name of Ella’s holy light was that about?” Isabella asked.

“Drew dueled that huge Skurr and won.” Alder said. “He won and the rest of he Skurr left.”

“I defeated Skyclaw. I’ve had a run in with him before.” Drew said. “I gave him the option to surrender but he wouldn’t take it.”

“Well you have earned my respect Drew. That was a hard fought battle and you have honored the conditions of the duel.” Laurent said. “Our home is safe and more importantly my family is safe.”

The fields were mostly intact. A few Skurr had flown off with stalks of Hopper Grass but the field was no worse for wear, except for the arcs Laurent had made with his sword. Laurent himself was covered head to toe in blood and feathers and leaves from the Hopper Grass he’d sliced up while waving his sword around.

“Laurent, you are a mess, how do you always manage to get so filthy?” Isabella asked.