Elendria’s POV, 10 am, third day of the wave
“How much longer, do you think?” I asked Ashe as I walked up to him. He was busy staring off into the deep forest, watching as a wall of flame and smoke made its way towards us.
“Maybe an hour, possibly two.” He said. “I’m more worried what will be driven into us. We wouldn’t have survived those imps if it weren’t for your summons.”
That was true. Late yesterday afternoon, a swarm of imps had burst from the trees, launching flame attacks as soon as they got into range. Had my warriors and mages not been there with an icy counter, we would have lost the wall. As it was, the battle raged for nearly an hour. Two of my mages and half the warriors fell, but we did emerge victorious. A few of the defenders had to retire with burns, but most of them were back. You only needed one arm to cast most spells anyhow, and none of them had any fatal wounds.
“I think it’s time that we send them home.” I said.
“Up to you.” He said. “I’ll trust the guildmaster, and he has faith in you.”
“My friends.” I called out, sending a pulse along the mana that connected us. They all instantly swarmed back to my side. “I can’t thank you enough. You came to my world at my call, and fought with us for three days. Without you, all would have been lost. This next enemy is beyond you though. So I ask that you return to your families, and take a well-deserved break. And know you have my gratitude.” Each one came forward, and I hugged them all. They enjoyed the touch for a moment, before each reluctantly stepped back and as one returned to their world. “They are fine fighting most things, but for the next monster, we need something with power. Do you still have that mana potion? I’ll need it after summoning these two.”
“I do.” He said, pulling it out.
“Excellent." I said. “I’ll need it. For the rest of the battle though, I think I should stay at the base of the wall. These friends don’t play well with others.” I grabbed the potion, then walked to the edge of the wall. An icy slide formed gently turning around a central axis as it dropped to the ground. I slid down effortlessly, using a bit of mana at the bottom to destroy I when I was safely away.
“Hear my call and come to a new hunting ground! My mana becomes your trail to follow. I call to thee, Arctos. He who hunts the souls across the frozen hells. I call to thee, Frigara, mother of the ice wolves. Come, join me in the greatest of hunts!” Mana poured out of me in a river as I called to two legendary ice wolves. The original wolves had long since perished, but poured the majority of their powers into mantles that moved down the line of successors, each one adding a bit to the mantle as they grew. The temperature plummeted as two wolves that were as tall as I was at the shoulder appeared, their claws churning the freshly frozen ground.
“Thank you both for heeding my call.” I said, scratching Frigara’s neck. With my other hand, I downed the mana potion before it could freeze. Arctos simply stared at me, then looked off to the smoke in the distance.
“That’s our enemy, though he likely has unwilling allies he is driving before him. Our enemy is an obsidian titan newt.” Arctos gave a howl at that, which transitioned into a doggy grin, complete with his toung lagging out the side. Frigara nudged me with her head.
“Don’t worry, we will crush him in one blow. I just need you two to add to my ice attack. You can claim the body when done as compensation.” That seemed to placate the two of them, as they laid down to wait. Just about an hour later, we saw the first of the enemies come launching out of the forest. Hellwolves. Bigger than normal wolves, but still smaller than my summons, these wolves had absorbed enough flame essence to evolve twice. They crossed half the distance to us before Arctos and Frigara stood, the reaction almost comical. The wolves tumbled about themselves as they struggled to stop their charge, practically throwing themselves to the ground in a bid to bare their throats in submission.
I strode forward confidently, wolves a step behind me. I reached the first one, that was doing its best to suppress its own flames in its terror. “Fear not little one.” I said, gently rubbing its throat. “We recognize your submission. Take your lives, and the lives of your pack and go. The way to the south is clear, though watch the traps of man. Circle around and reclaim your home.” The wolves didn’t hesitate, squirming and gaining their feet but keeping their heads lowered. The one I had touched turned after a few steps, gave me a yip, then took off after his fellows.
“Awww, I was hoping to see you battle my minions. That’s what they are there for. Were there for.” I turned to see a figure in sleek black armor leading an absolutely massive lizard from the burning remains of the forest. A leash that seemed to drink in the light reached up to a collar of chains made of the same material, though it had several cruel barbs that dug into the skin of the beast. The lizard was at least fifteen feet tall at the neck, and had a deep black frill that was laced with veins of a glowing red. “Ah, but you don’t care about that. Where are my manners? I am King, the leader of the Vipers. And who might you be, that dares to meet me all alone?”
“I am Elendria, and I will be your death.” I promised, letting myself go. Go back to that day that Sean was almost lost to the swamp. I let an icy rage overtake me, feeling my mana respond in kind.
“Alright beastie, time to work. Activate your lava hell domain!” King shouted, tugging at the collar. The newt hissed and flared his frill at the viper, but a lance of black magic put his rebellion to an end. King was still arguing with his creature as I started my chant.
The killing cold pales in comparison to my icy wrath.
Unflinching, unfeeling,
No amount of begging will spare you.
With knowledge born from another world,
My power reaches unimaginable heights.
Within my domain, all obeys my will.
And my will demands you to stop.
All motion, down to the tiniest particles of matter.
Obey my command, and freeze.
Absolute Zero
Magic coursed through my veins and filled the air around me. Glitters of light shattered under the cold as the very water in the air froze and turned back to gas only to freeze yet again. The wolves were taken aback for a fraction of a second, then channeled their own powers into mine, boosting my spell. In my mind’s eye, I brought up the image Sean had shown me long ago, of the atoms shivering in a matrix. My will bore down on the particles, demanding they stop, if even for only a second. Eyes blazing with an icy fury, I unleashed the spell in a conical beam of blue mana. Despite my mastery of ice and my large pool of mana, I was only able to maintain the spell for a second and a half. It would have to be enough.
Frigara braced me with her body as I stumbled, and I missed the moment of impact. The result of my spell was a frozen arch of devastation. The enemy were immobile statues, and the majority of the flames behind them had been utterly quenched. “Go, my friends.” I said, exhaustion evident in my voice. “Claim their bodies. I’m just going to sit down here for a bit. After that, consider your summons fulfilled.” Frigara helped me slowly slide down, before they both took off to devour the enemy.
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* * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Sir, I think she’s coming around.” I heard a female voice nearby. I stirred a bit, finding myself in a cot.
“How you feeling Elendria?” I heard Ashe ask.
“Like I ran to Shineheart and back.” I grumbled. “What happened after I laid down?”
“Well, your wolves devoured both of the bodies, that took them about an hour. The south wall confirmed that these strangers in their odd black armor are the source of the monster wave. Since we seem to have overcome the biggest hurdle, I split our forces. A third to the south wall to reinforce them, they had a rough time of it. Another third to reinforce the north wall, they are seeing a lot more magical beasts than anticipated.”
“That’s good. Any word on my friends?”
“I’m not sure. All I know is by now the only wall that is still battling is the north wall. Even the central area managed to repel an attack. Go ahead and rest, we’ll be fine.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Heidi’s POV, 11 am, third day of the wave
“Hey Lawrence, how are things looking?” I asked as I walked up to the man I was replacing.
“Oh hey there Heidi. You’re looking a bit livelier today. Almost glowing.” He teased, getting a slight blush from me. “Battle is picking up, I’m kinda glad you are here. I was almost down to a third of my mana.”
“What types of enemies? Still beasts?” I asked.
“Mostly. Though there have been some water gremlins. I’m worried that means muck saguahins are on the horizon.”
“Shit. Go ahead and warn Lori of what you are expecting, I think she should know. It’s a few minutes early, but that’s fine.”
“Thanks Heidi, you’re the best.” He said before taking off.
“Damn right I am!” I chuckled, taking my position. If they did manage to convince the muck saguahins to battle, then I had best save what mana I could. I would have to stick to air attacks, they were more economical especially considering the distances they had to travel. Hell, I might even get to practice that turbulence sphere I had seen someone else using if there were any other swarms of flying insects.
Things were going fairly smoothly for the next hour and a half. The only issue I had was a backlash from a spell when a massive flare of mana to the south distracted me. I had no idea what happened, but from the lack of subsequent attacks it seemed to be the end of their fighting. Oddly enough, after that spike the attack seemed to lessen for a bit.
“Lori thinks the enemy is getting ready for a major push.” I heard Carrigan behind me, slipping his arm around my waist. “Why don’t you sit down and meditate for a bit to recover? I’ll take over.”
“Thanks hun.” I said, giving him a kiss on the jaw. “Your stubble is a little tickly.” I giggled before sitting down. “And your blush is cute.”
“Meditate.” He mock growled, and I had to stop teasing him. Dropping down, I let the outside world melt away for a bit as I focused on recharging my mana. I floated on a pond with no breeze for a while, feeling everything just melt away.
“Heidi. HEIDI!” I startled back to reality when Carrigan nudged me with his leg. “We have company.” Standing up, I turned to see a small army arranging itself on the edge of the treeline. Just like Lawrence had feared, it was the muck saguahins. Ugly creatures, they had bulbous heads like amphibians with oversized eyes. Webbed feet and gangly arms belied their strength, and I could sense a bit of mana coming from several of them. While the warriors likely only knew water and earth attacks, there were a few that had the tell-tale bone scepters of shamans. These bastards had a slew of summoning, poison and darkness attacks that could really make lives miserable.
“Carrigan, Lawrence, Heidi.” I turned to see Lori standing there, taking stock of the situation. “We are going to let them advance through three of the six layers of bulwarks. Your targets are columns four, five and six. Lawrence will take the inner row of bulwarks, detonating them once they start swarming on top. Carrigan will detonate the back row, and Heidi has the middle row. Detonate yours as soon as Lawrence blasts his.”
“Yes ma’am.” We chorused as she walked off to the next trio of mages. I felt a warm hand take my own.
“Easy there. All you need to do is launch three lightning bolts. You can do that, right?” Carrigan asked with a smile.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I can. Its just.”
“First time taking on a seemingly sapient monster?” Lawrence asked from the other side of Carrigan.
“Yeah.”
“It’s hard, and doesn’t really get any easier.” He said, staring off into space for a bit.
“I remember my first time.” Carrigan said. “I was barely an apprentice, making my way to the magic academy down in Shineheart. We were a half a day ride away from a dwarven checkpoint when the bog woke up. We spurred the horses on, but still had to defend against specters and muck golems. The worst part was that they reacted just like living creatures. Screaming when you only managed to damage a limb.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“I froze until one nearly got me. Specter slashed across my chest, and I was saved by a bump in the road knocking me down. Instead of getting my heart, it was just a flesh wound. I incinerated it with a flamethrower, then started picking targets for my fireball attacks. I probably only hit five or six before the reinforcements arrived, but it still felt like we battled for hours.” He explained. “I had nightmares for weeks. Still do, whenever I have to fight something humanoid.”
“How do you deal with it?” I asked, nervously.
“Everyone has their own way. Some embrace it, those people tend to lose a bit of their humanity in my opinion. Others find destructive ways like repressing their memories or drinking them away. I’ve found that it helps having someone to talk to if you need it. Bribis always managed to bring things into perspective for me, though sometimes it took a while. Make sure you know why you are doing it, whether it is to protect yourselves or others.”
“I cry at night.” Lawrence admitted. “Absolutely lose it for a few days. Mourn anyone I lost as friends, but also the lives I had to take. Sometimes I think about what they would be doing if I hadn’t been in the position I was in, and what I can do to make sure that I am doing the right thing.”
“I think you are doing fine.” I said after a moment of reflection. “Here you are, defending a city from invasion. You aren’t taking delight in killing, and you aren’t prolonging suffering needlessly.”
“Thanks.” He said with a smile.
“No, thank you.” I replied. “Both of you. I feel a lot better about this.”
“Good, because they are coming.” Carrigan said. Sure enough, they had whipped themselves into a frenzy and were surging forward. Most of them carried crude frog spears, but from what I had heard they could throw them with incredible accuracy. As the warriors led the fray, they expanded a bright red crest that ran the length of their back. My left hand was twitching as I waited. They weren’t fast, especially on land. Their bodies instead seemed to be taking higher steps than what a normal human would, probably from living in the bog with its thick mud. They were smarter than some, and flowed around the gaps in the staggered barricades.
“Alright, get ready. Three, two, one, Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt!” Lawrence counted down before unleashing his spells, while Carrigan and I swiftly followed. Cracks of thunder and the roars of explosions drowned out any speaking, as body parts and clods of dirt flew about gory explosions. As the dust cleared, we could see the results of our devastating attack.
“Oh, oh gods.” I managed to sputter, before I turned and started vomiting. It was. The bodies. There were some that were still twitching! Not just the bodies, but some that were simply parts! That clarification sent me on another round of vomiting, and I could feel a warm hand rubbing my back. Every time I thought I was done, my mind flashed to another body part twitching and I dry heaved some more, tears streaming down my face.
“It’s ok. It’s going to be ok Heidi. You’re alright.” I heard Carrigan muttering. “Here, use this to rinse your mouth a bit.” He said, handing me his water flask. I nodded, sniffling a bit as I made sure not to put my mouth on the rim of it as I took a sip. I took a few minutes, to collect myself, rinsing my mouth several times before taking a small drink to calm my clenching stomach.
“Did, did we get them all?” I asked.
“Yeah. We did.” Lawrence said, and I looked over my shoulder to see even he was looking a little pale. “I think, just for this time, I might need a few drinks to forget this one.”
“I second that.” I said, standing up.
“Did anyone see someone with black armor?” Lori asked, walking up to us.
“I thought I saw someone like that still at the treeline, but I don’t know for sure.” Carrigan said. “After we blew the barricades, they turned and went back into the forests with the remaining saguahins.”
“Alright.” Lori said with a sigh. “How are you three doing? Everyone ok?”
“Fine.” I said. “Got a little sick from the sight, but I’m ok now.”
“I’m good.” Carrigan said.
“I’m ok.” Lawrence agreed.
“Great. Well, the north side is getting hammered and needs some volunteers. Lawrence, you can’t since you are already on your second shift in a row.”
“I can go.” Carrigan and I both replied at once.
“Figured you would do it Carrigan, but are you sure Heidi?”
“I’ll be fine.” I said. “I still have most of my mana. If they are having issues I can help.”
“Alright. I’ll send you two with a few others. Go ahead. Lawrence, I’ll be taking over at this spot with you as my backup, ok?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Go, you two. They need help quickly.” Not wasting any more time, we headed over immediately.