Chapter 5
The boar meat sizzled on the fire as I took my rest for the night.
“I never understood why mother never hunts for herself. It’s not like she’s a vegetarian or anything.” I said so as I began to pass a portion toward my companion.
Currently, I am camping a good distance away from home. My self-imposed mission at the moment is to make a map of the Forest of Emesh, As well as tracking for monsters.
My first rune was many years ago. I guess by now I would be something like 16. And since I’ve grown up somewhat, mother has allowed me to explore by myself.
Not that I’ve been wholly stagnant all these years. I managed to complete multiple runes and find new ways to use the one’s I had. Mother’s cleaning spell for instance, was a particularly tricky use of water element.
My body, having grown to its mature state. Somehow still pales in comparison to mother. She still taller than me. And those boobs…
Catching myself feeling envious of her assets. It made me realize how much I truly adapted to this new life and body. It kind of scares me really. I know I intend to leave the forest someday, at least for a while. Would I really be able to fall in love to a man?
My companion and steed for these last few years has been Balto. The big dumb ball of fur is now completely entranced with his food. I switched from his mother as my partner since he wouldn’t let go of me every time I wanted to leave.
As I prepare myself to sleep. I feel a disturbance in the distance. My warning ward activates giving me a jolt. Probably another scout.
Moving slowly towards the source, I spot my prey.
What I see is a small band of hobgoblins. I’ve been tracking their horde for days now as I move through the forest. Me and lady Haltia were able to destroy the large confluence that spawned them. But not before most of the horde ran away from its spawn. Probably at the guidance of a more intelligent variant. The worst of it all, is that they seem to be moving towards outside the forest, and into human lands.
The group before me communicated in their characteristic grunts. And seemed to be scouting for the rest of their horde. They slowly moved through the night.
Their muscular and hideous visages, sported nothing more than loincloths and crude iron swords and wooden spears for weapons.
I silently approached them trying to get the direction they’ve been traveling from, and also trying to stay downwind. For all that they stink, their noses are kind of sensitive.
Stalking them through the forest with Balto behind me, and feeling like some cardboard box wearing hero. I materialize a water blade and throw it at the one furthest away behind the group.
As he wordlessly fell down as the blade cut his head off. I began picking the rest of them.
Two more and they realized what was happening. Only for two more immediately fall to my blades and one to Balto’s horns before the last one seemingly blocks the blade with his sword.
Two more blades and he still seemed to block them. Only to get impaled from an earth spike coming from behind him.
You see, the good thing about mana control, is that I can control the magic after it has been cast, and even leave it on standby for when needed. No need to be caught like a videogame mage chanting like an idiot in front of the enemy.
That would be a sure way to get killed very fast.
Finishing up the combat, I proceed to burn and bury them. Before returning to the camp I’ve made in a nearby rock outcropping. I also usually make some earth walls for obscuring the fire.
It’s not very luxurious, and it lacks a soft surface for sleeping. But I have Balto for that. That I bring him with me in large part for his futon function is not something I would readily admit.
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The following morning, I’m woken by a slimy sensation on my face.
“I told you to stop doing that! Argh!”
Immediately a light pulse cleaned me and the carnivorous beast wanting its food.
Finishing up our breakfast. We promptly depart for our hunt. Not before cleaning all traces of our camp. I’m an ecological minded girl, mind you.
Mounting Balto. We proceed to follow the trail of the horde.
Through the dense canopies of trees and irregular terrain. It is easy to see where the monsters have been. As they leave a mess of broken branches, toppled over bushes. Not to mention their general scent.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
By noon. I’ve began to see signs of their nearby presence. Following a nearby rocky ridge. I hid myself so I could observe them.
What I saw was a large clearing with hundreds of tree stumps. Goblins, hobgoblins and further variants worked to make some kind of crude village. Their numbers by the hundreds as they destroyed the forest and stank up their place with miasma.
At the center. Crude shacks seemed to sprout, made from logs and leaves. By the perimeter, you could see a small palisade fence beginning to be made.
“This will be a tough one.” I whispered to the dog silently hiding besides me.
They’re setting a village way too close to the border of the forest with the Azure plains. Supposedly the human kingdoms beyond our borders would suffer damages if they’re not contained. Not that I’ve ever seen a human though.
My first idea, was to wait for night so I could then methodically pick them up from the darkness. But then I saw something that made my blood freeze.
It was what it looked like a woman. I couldn’t tell perfectly from the distance, but she was probably beaten up and taken from a village somewhere.
She was being carried by a band of Hobgoblins into one of the shacks. I had no doubts to what would happen to her inside.
All thoughts I had on my mind about doing it carefully and stealthily went right out of the window as a cold rage settled upon me. I got to save that person and do it now.
As I immediately got onto Balto again. We set off running towards their camp. My only hope is that we can get to her before the horde is able to fully mobilize.
As we clear the distance, I begin to summon dozens of water blades and throw them towards every filthy monster in my way.
Crossing the large clearing filled with stumps. The finnicky palisade they’ve built is no match for Balto’s body reinforcement magic. As we crash through it, sending wood splinters everywhere.
Now inside the camp, I continue to pick off any creature in sight. Their poor attempts at resistance a no match for us. Especially with the element of surprise in our hands.
As we finally arrive at the shack they’ve taken the prisoner. I immediately set one of my barrier wards, taking it from my spacial storage. This is a special, one time use item I’ve taken many years to develop based on the wards around our glade. It creates a spherical protective barrier around a designated place, and should give us a minute or two before it takes too much damage to sustain itself.
As the blue translucent sheen enveloped the surroundings, I finish off the Hobgoblins setting guard outside.
Dismounting Balto and rushing inside, I catch My first glimpse at my target.
Tied to a wooden pillar with crude ropes. Was a pretty beaten-up and emaciated girl. She looked to be no older than twenty and had dark skin. Paired with her long white hair, would make for a striking look if it weren’t for the situation. Her clothes, now in tatters seemed to be some kind of short kimono. This certainly looked like no warrior.
Rushing towards her. Another thing I’ve noticed is her ears are also long like mother’s. Is she some kind of elf?
Reaching her, I set off on loosening the rope and checking her physical condition. Disregarding the number of bruises and lacerations, she didn’t seem to have anything critical.
“Are you alright? Can you walk?” I said as I tried lifting her up.
“Please help me.” Was the only thing she could say. Clearly too weak to get out by herself.
Taking her into a princess carry and exiting the shack, I immediately see that the creatures are beginning to fully mobilize, and are now banging with force towards the barrier.
Having only a few seconds of barrier left. I drop the girl into Balto’s back.
“Balto. Take her to where she came from while I distract them.” I spoke. To the clear disapproval of my companion.
“No time for discussion, now go!”
Immediately he sets on a run leaping outside the barrier and over his opponents. Clearly no match for his strength and speed. And quickly covering the distance.
Now alone, I begin to concentrate. And as soon as the barrier falls, A humongous whale made of water and covered in sharp fins, begins to float around me.
With only a thought. It sets off towards the enemies. Wreaking havoc in their midst. It quickly lunges towards them swallowing them whole, or slicing them apart with its fins. Its body made of water quickly begins to turn red with the blood of the monsters.
This is one of the of the magics I’ve learned over the years with the help of mother. One of its fatal flaws though, was the incredible amount of concentration required to operate it. Which proved to be my undoing.
Suddenly I hear a sound, and before I could react, a crudely made arrow pierced me through the right shoulder. Taking my mind off the magic and making it disappear into a splash of water.
Gritting through the pain. I take a look at my attacker.
It had to be taller than two and a half meters. A giant muscular form with the characteristically long nose and ugly face of goblins.
It used an imposing armor seemingly made of animal carapaces. And as it discarded its bow, it took on a huge bastard sword from its back.
“You should not have come here.” Said the creature with a snarl.
“My mission is to eradicate pests such as you.” I said as I stood up again to confront him.
“Do you think you will come out alive from this? After what you’ve done to my horde? Perhaps I’ll use you as a substitute for the breeder you’ve stolen!” Was all I could hear before he set off in a run towards me.
Only to be delayed by the multitude of water blades I’ve sent his way. All to be deflected or dodged by the smallest of margins.
As he came near, the very ground set off in spikes damaging him, but otherwise coming out unabated.
When he finally arrived. The only thing I could do was continuously dodge his sword while I tried to hit him back with my blades. The smallest mistake could be fatal.
Dodging each of his blows. The pressure gouged the earth around us.
As we settled into a sort of rhythm. I very quicky realize I wouldn’t be able to whittle down him enough before I’m too tired to defend. My magic is clearly being somewhat counteracted by the miasma surrounding him.
“I will make a plaything out of you!” He happily taunted in a flurry of blows. As more and more wounds piled upon me. And the excruciating pain coming from the arrow in my shoulder made it hard to properly move.
Seeing the situation turning for the worse. I began preparing my final, desperate measure.
Trying to make some distance from him, I gather most of my mana into a particularly dense water fog around us. It ended up covering the surroundings and hidding my silhouete.
“Do you think you can hide, you harlot!”
As he moved once again to intercept. I settled one last quick barrier item around myself to protect me. The barrier stone hit the ground, instantaneously covering me with a blue sheen. before immediately manipulating everything towards me and emptying my whole mana into fire.
The result was a huge steam and fire explosion. Gauging the whole clearing into a maelstrom of fire. The personal barrier held up just enough to not kill me before it shattered as the fire ended.
Burned and empty of mana. All I see is the charred remains of the surroundings and the crater I’m currently in.
“Gotcha!” Is the last thing I say before falling down unconscious and defeated.