“Captain!?” Smith grabbed the prone Rex who was slightly frozen to the ground. “Are you alright sir?” He carried him behind Jo-Lene while the others held the sides, so far only two have perished.
“Status report Smith.” Rex closed his eyes while shivering, he was trying to get his blood circulating faster for more warmth. He felt some of his magic move with his focus, slowing warming up his cold frosted body. “Chilly.”
“The pathway is blocked by an ice wall now, the enemy raised a barrier in time, they came too prepared sir.” Smith frowned as he relayed his report. Rex looked around at the rag-tag group of struggling survivors, then towards the clear ice that was momentarily separating them.
“Let us take some steps back people! Rest and heal up while the wall holds, but be ready for the instant it's down!” Rex shouted out some instructions. The group all let out sighs and slumped down in exhaustion. “Is there really no fast way to return to the tower?” He turned to ask Smith who was sitting on the ground taking a drink from a water bottle.
“There are zip handles at the base of the tower, but that's all sir.” Smith pulled out a piece of meat from someplace as the bottle vanished. He started to chow down as others decided to copy him and bring out their own rations.
The group gathered their energy as they listened to cries and explosions from the other side, often lighting up the ice briefly. Jo-Lene shrunk back into her tall well built elven form, she was asleep the moment she managed to lay down on the ground by Rex. Greg was back to normal as he also sat down and closed his eyes.
“I respect them for being able to sleep anywhere like proper soldiers, but is this really the time?” Rex just looked to Smith for an explanation on why the strongest two beings decided to nap now.
“You haven’t had any magic training huh?” Tendo walked up while finishing off a potion to help him refill his quiver again. Turns out all his arrows are magically made so they vanish after a short time from use, so no reusing them. “You should get someone to help you out there. They are meditating to recharge their mana faster.”
“Looks like napping to me.” Rex was glancing at the two unmoving and still figures, they did not seem awake, but yet were not asleep. “What exactly happens when you ‘meditate’?” He was curious a bit about magic.
“Hmmm, that’s sort of hard for me to say. As far as I know, you go to some mental space. You work with magic there.” Tendo started to try and explain until he was looking confused while making weird hand movements. “Go find a teacher or something! My head hurts.” He walked away holding his head.
“Incoming from Castle!” A shout went up a someone launched from the tower to join the group. When they landed, a wave of icy blue calming light washed overall.
“Sorry, I’m late Captain.” Jo-Leanna started waving her hands around as people began to glow and heal up at a visible rate. “Betty had a numerous amount of drugs, parasites, and magical devices inserted into her. I had to remove them all before properly treating her.” She went around the area making sure everyone was back on their feet with new potions.
“How did she get so bad?” Rex could not believe her family would let all of this go untreated. “Wait, don’t tell me she was bait?” He could slowly see the twisted plans nobles might have played here.
“The Master said, as long as her life isn’t in danger, to continue on.” Jo-Leanna looked guilty as she had no power to go against such an order. “All I could do was ease her pain.” She was almost in tears it seemed.
“Well, that’s over for now.” Rex walked over and patted her head. “Do a good job here, we have one hell of a mess to deal with. Then we can deal with whoever started this fiasco.” He walked to stand watch closer to the ice wall, he noticed the cries changed.
Smaller flashes of light were casting eerie shapes through the wavy ice wall. An impact on the other side shook the whole ground with the wall. Rex dropped to a knee so he would not fall over. Another impact sent cracks through the whole thing.
“Arms up! Enemies!” Rex raised his rifle, aiming at the central point where the cracks began to form. “Brace!” He flattened himself on the ground when a bad feeling warned him of danger. The ice wall shattered into many small chucks that were sent out with a decent amount of force. Half the remaining group got caught up somehow and took damage.
Rex stood up with his rifle at the ready, aiming at the now open pathway. “Jo-Leanna! Get the wounded up and moving again! We need to get back to the tower!” She was thankfully shielded by a now healed-up vanguard member. Smith was organizing the rest to spread out to hold a line around the pathway. “Hold fire!” Rex held up a fist, as he heard a low growl from the dimmer side.
A large black and ash gray wolf with green glowing eyes slowly approached him with a limbless armor knight in its jaws. Once it was at the end of the pathway, it deposited its kill on the ground while slowly turning around to walk away. It paused briefly at the end of the other side of the pathway, it looked at Rex, almost waiting for him.
“I’ve done stupider things, so why not.” Rex slung his rifle over his shoulder and onto his back. He briskly walked to the edge of the land, he stopped where it became a pathway. “I hope I don’t regret this.” He took his first step onto the pathway, after looking around making sure nothing happened to himself, he continued onwards.
“Captain?! Wait! Where are you going!?” Smith turned around just as Rex made it to the other side of the pathway, no one was close enough to run to his aid if he needed help. “Why did he go alone?!” He grabbed his weapons as he ran after him. “Protect the Captain!” He cried out, getting a few others that were up to follow him.
“Now this is just creepy.” The moment Rex crossed the middle of the pathway, it felt like he had walked into a totally different world. The daylight he was previously in was washed away into a dimming eternal twilight. “Dark but not fully dark, the sunset-like light is going from the leaves?” When he made it to the other side, there were large dark trees with softly glowing leaves spread out before him in a vast forest of twilight.
“Captain! Wait!” Smith and his little group managed to catch him just before he stepped off the pathway.
“What’s the matter, Smith?” Rex halted his foot from crossing the pathway’s boundary, the wolf was sitting further in the forest with a waiting expression. “I don’t see any more enemies. So let's go.” Rex tried to venture forth only for Smith to yank him back by his shirt’s collar. “Smith!?” He was on the ground looking up at the man.
“Sorry Captain, first-timers always find the allure of higher tier mana hard to resist.” Smith raised his twin hatches that had small blood traces being absorbed by the light patterns while they pulsed in a rhythm. “Drag him back before his magic goes berserk!” Two of the followers grabbed Rex and started to drag him back across the pathway.
“Let me-” He tried to yell, but the moment he was dragged across the midsection and into his area, his mind cleared. “Why did I cross? Why did I leave my castle behind?” Rex just laid there getting dragged back to the waiting defenders.
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“I forgot you have no magic experience sir, I should have not let you come onto the field until it was safer.” Smith was back with the others, no enemies followed them. “When you encounter a higher tier magic source, it beckons to magic users to come to it and use it. If you don’t have the training, you could walk right into a monster’s nest without realizing it.”
"Here Captain, this should help." Jo-Leanna touched his forehead, emitting a chilling icy light. "Now look at the danger again." She helped him get back up to glance down the pathway.
"I knew there was something else out there, that thing is close to breaking into the 6th tier." Jo-Lene looked better thanks to her niece's help. "Higher beings take a penalty when coming over to a lower-tiered area." She pulled out two long wands with thin blades running down their sides.
"Did it need to try and bewitch me?" Rex was finding it hard to see the trees with glowing leaves again, thanks to all the wolves that just happened to be milling about. "Where did they all come from?" He was a bit spooked that it was so easy to summon a massive army.
"They were always here, just hidden, waiting to strike." Greg handed Jo-Leanna a few empty potion bottles with a quick nod of thanks. "The goblins were lead by a Tier 4 but were in the 2nd Tier themselves, the knights were all Tier 3s with the leader being a newly evolved Tier 4." His body was releasing steam as his wounds closed up and dried blood hissed off magically.
"So where did they go?" Rubee was cleaning her spear of goblin blood, while her armor glowed to get rid of the filth covering her.
"That Boss Monster most likely killed them before breaking the wall." Smith had come back after getting all the rest ready to head back. "We are ready to move back sir."
"Slow and steady now, let's not make any sudden movements that might upset the onlookers." Rex nodded towards the largest beast in the center. "Damn that wolf is majestic, is there a possibility we could communicate with it?" The large leader wolf stared directly at him while casually sitting on the ground.
(Leaving so soon? Aren't you willing to get revenge for your fellow Humans?) A deep rumbling voice flowed through Rex's thoughts. Rex just stared at the leader wolf while thinking for a moment.
"They were my enemies so I don't mind you killing them." Rex unequipped his weapon, if this so-called monster would rather speak civilly over killing him, so be it. "I'm still unsure if they were humans since they were covered in armor." He held up a hand silencing the group's questions.
(Interesting. Why are you here, when you are still so weak?) It growled with curiosity while grinning. (So different from the others of your kind.) It scanned the rest of the group. (Why do you travel with other races?) It tilted its large head in genuine confusion.
"I'm guessing the Humans you know are racist against all others but their own?" The group was slowly making its way back whole Rex brought up the rear, walking backward while keeping eye contact with the leader. "I'm older so I know better, they are but younglings that haven't learned anything yet." Rex just shrugged while smirking.
The wolf closed its eyes while sniffing for a moment. (Strange. Ancient one, why are you here?) The wolf stood up and was standing in the pathway before Rex could blink. A pulling force gripped him tightly as it dragged him to stand before the wolf. (Answer me.) It growled while showing a mouthful of sharp teeth and magical glowing light of destructive forces.
"To be honest, I thought I was on a ship. Then suddenly there's a crack in space, and now it's a castle. So I am not here by choice, that's my answer." Rex just stared down at the wolf while not backing down. Sure it was a frightening force, but it pales in comparison to other more terrifying moments he lived through. "What do you want?" Rex gave his own glare and growl.
(The girl with the feather is all we want.) The wolf sat down in the pathway. (Bring us the girl with the feather, and we will leave.) It glared deeply at Rex, it looked to be in a bit of pain.
"What do you get for this girl with a feather?" Rex had no idea who this person was until a hand gripped tightly on his shoulder. Jo-Leanna's face was calm, but her grip was shaking with worry. He knew at that moment what was going on.
(A Name and this Field.) The wolf leader looked up at the hovering celestial bodies that seemed to be watching from above. (My people will be freed from invaders and corruption.) He gave Rex a hard look, full of hope for a better life.
"Jo-Leanna, what happens to an Event Field once it's cleared?" Rex glanced to the brave girl standing behind him, only her aunt and Greg remained. The others made it back up the tower with Smith waiting at the base and Tendo aiming his bow on top.
"It will be devoured by the chaotic energies surrounding it with the Event's dimension. Nothing will remain." She lowered her head while answering him. "The wolves will vanish into the void." A heavy pressure emanated from the wolf as gravity felt like increased on those before it.
(Enough! Give us the girl with the feather!) The leader let out a roar that set its pack to howl out throughout the forest. Loud growls and glowing eyes of wolves huddled behind the angry-looking leader. (I won't ask again!) They bared their fangs while growling.
“I have a counteroffer, I’ll give you a name and a ride away from this Field to a new one that’s a bit more stable.” Rex put his hands on his hips while giving a half eyes closed stare to the ferocious beast. “You could probably fight your way through us all easily enough, yet your pack will be slimmer, and you will kill us all without finding your prey.” He just shrugged while looking uninterested. “Or you could take a leap of faith, and accomplish your goal while only reaping profits.” He turned back to the wolf with his own wolfish grin.
(You Humans really like to talk. Why should I take your deal over theirs?) The wolf retracted his fangs but still held a glare at Rex. (I doubt you have anyone capable of Naming myself.) Now the leader had its own wolfish grin, as it slowly made its way to the edge of the pathway onto Rex’s land.
“Join my crew and I’ll name you myself. Your pack is welcome to tagalong if they behave themselves.” Rex’s declaration stopped the wolf in its tracks, while Jo-Leanna grabbed his shirt and spun him around.
“Are you insane?!” She gripped the front of his collar with both hands. “Do you have an idea of-” Rex grabbed her hands while staring into her frightened eyes.
“Trust your Captain.” He gave her a small smile, while she let him go. He turned back around to a confused-looking wolf. “Now, before I give you one, do you prefer male or female? I honestly have no idea what you are even, so a little basic info on yourself would help me out.” Rex began to walk out towards the large wolf, who at this point sat down watching him.
(Answer me this Human, what do you get out of this deal?) The wolf watched with great interest as Rex closed his eyes briefly thinking it over.
“Honestly, it is the best way for both my group and your group to survive with no casualties, is what I came up with. If you had attacked us from the start, we would have died already.” Rex began to stretch out his arms under the watchful eye of a titanious magical monster wolf. “You get what you want and more, while I get what I want, and we both have a possibility for more after we get out of here.” He ended with his arms spread out wide, before falling to his side.
(It is weird, I sense no lies nor greed from you. Why?) The wolf leaned down to better look at the small Rex before it. Laying on the ground its head was just as tall as Rex.
“I just want to find a nice quiet place to rest, I’m old and tired.” Rex reached out his hand to hold it before the giant snout with a solemn smile on his face. “Good food, great drink, better company, and all with a view. That’s what I want.” His vision shifted through many colors while staring directly into its giant eyes. It closed its eye, making Rex shake his head to get his eyes back into focus.
(We will follow you, Human, until your death, after you Name me.) The wolf stood up slowly, while it smiled at something. (My ego is new, so please give me any Name.) It howled out a long note, all the wolves gathered behind it in unison they sat down. With closed eyes, it lowered its head once more before Rex.
“Well then, I hope you don’t regret this.” Rex stepped onto the pathway, he slowly put his hand against the fur of the wolf before him. “Your fur is so silky soft! So smooth and comfortable. The color and shine it has seems so unreal, is it magical? Such powerful limbs, those claws look like obsidian gems.” After walking around admiring such a powerful creature up close, Rex was shivering in excitement. “I only have one name that comes to mind after witnessing you,” Rex felt his body grow hotter for some reason. “Natasha.” The moment he spoke the name, he blacked out.