While their allies in the mission to them given by the Ghosthound decided to ignore the issue and continue to the objective point, the Riders themselves, or the Lancers now, were also rather surprised by the abrupt changes. After the initial burst of heady chaos, everyone became aware that the current situation was untenable. They needed to control their new instincts.
But just as soon as they had managed to recover, another round of changes arrived.
After the third such moment of weakness, pain, transformation, and increased strength, the five most powerful Lancers who had accompanied Charlotte Wick gathered together to discuss the situation.
The leader of the Lancers who rode spiders, the Legion of Unavoidable Pivots, spoke first. She was the only leader of the three original factions to be present, so she had the most experience with these sort of changes in capability. Around her neck hung seventeen gleaming fangs. “We need to develop rules regarding the exchange of fangs. More chaos, especially while on a personal mission from the Ghosthound, will only bring us dishonor.”
The other four expressed their agreement with that sentiment; even though they were excited about the changes and their newfound power, all felt a bit of shame in their hearts that the mission had stalled out as they fought over the fangs. Establishing some rules would be a good thing. And of all of the different varieties, it couldn’t be denied that the strange and flexible Legion of Unavoidable Pivots were the best group to innovate.
The Ghosthound was not the sort to restrict the behavior of the Lancers, which they understood and appreciated. Yet at the moment, it made their job more difficult. If there were to be rules, they would need to make them themselves.
After some thought, the leader of the Spider Lancers spoke slowly. “First, we cannot continue to fight over the Fangs during a mission. Next… and perhaps this is the most difficult, I think there need to be two limitations put on the challenges. First that after winning a challenge against some other individual with Fangs, a victory will only earn you one of the loser’s Fangs. And to make sure someone simply does not repeatedly challenge the loser...a challenge can only seriously be issued by a Lancer to someone with the same number or more Fangs.”
The assembled five Lancers thought about this. It was a compromise between those who currently wanted more Fangs and those who wanted less. Those who wanted more wouldn’t have to fear losing all their fangs at once to another, more powerful entity, but they also couldn’t bully those with less. They would need to wait for the weaker party to challenge them to accumulate additional Fangs.
Very quickly, the attention of the leaders turned to another individual amongst the gathered five; this powerful Lancer rode an eagle and now possessed twenty-eight Fangs. Among the Lancers there was now an internal sense amongst them; they understood inherently that a powerful boundary called ‘Tiers’ now existed amongst them. Amongst this group, there were only two Tier III individuals: the leader of the Spider Lancers and the Eagle Lancer. The others were very powerful in the scale of Tier II, but the gap between the Tiers was significant.
There was a tense silence as the Eagle Lancer closed his eyes. The Eagle Lancer had not fought the leader of the Legion of Unavoidable Pivots, but its aura was even more domineering. If it opposed these rules...
It was only when he opened its eyes and slowly nodded that the others could breathe a sigh of relief. “Stability comes first. This is a gift from Lord Ghosthound. These rules… will promote the stability that we need to adapt.”
Very quickly, they were able to hash out the rules of engagement. Through their mental connection to their subordinates, the plan was spread to the Lancers on other missions. Due to the less time-sensitive nature of the patrols on which the other Lancers were riding, the situation there had been even more chaotic. Gradually, the Lancers collected themselves and focused on the task at hand.
However, just before the group of five was finishing up, one of the powerful Tier II Lancers spoke up, almost unwillingly. It was the leader of the Legion of Unavoidable Bounds that rode a toad, having been developed by the Ghosthound during his time in the Toad World.
“I believe… we should also acknowledge that possibility we now sense. It is possible for us Lancers of the Baleful Crusade… to break off from the Ghosthound and become independent existences.”
The other Lancers said nothing to this, but all of their faces contorted into unsightly scowls. This possibility was something that filled each of them with an instinctual fear. On the one hand, it represented their own increased capability, so a part of them were tempted by the opportunity. On the other hand, it represented a decisive view on the part of the Ghosthound: he would not force the Lancers to make their own decisions. Such faith made the Lancers realize they could disappoint their leader.
Sometimes, it was more emotionally tranquil to be controlled.
But even while the other four had anxious expressions on their faces, the Eagle Lancer spoke calmly. “This capability is simply part of our evolution. Do not many others follow the Lord Ghosthound willingly? Rather than being threatened by this option, we should take it for what it is: an acknowledgment of our growth. No longer are we simply minions; now we receive the same blessings that the other followers of the Ghosthound receive.”
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“Some will take this opportunity,” The Toad Lancer spoke again, feeling a sense of vague dissatisfaction in his heart. Upon the third upgrade, they all felt a change occur within them; suddenly they understood the concept and value of ‘freedom’. This was one of the core motivators of the Lord Ghosthound. As such, it had trickled down the Lancers.
Some Lancers would be tempted to taste such a thing, despite their fear of independence.
The Eagle Lancer just shrugged. “Those who do so will reveal themselves as fools. More than anyone else, we Lancers understand the frightening growth of Lord Ghosthound. We are just one aspect of him, yet these recent changes are already so significant. To abandon such growth mid-way through the journey...”
The Lancers all nodded subconsciously at that. Each possessed an individual connection with the Lord Ghosthound due to the fact that the Lancers were sustained by his Skill. And that connection had only grown more powerful and obvious as time had passed. Now, these powerful Lancers could vaguely intuit the Lord Ghosthound’s position and intentions by peering through that connection.
But most relevantly, they could feel his power. Freedom was all well and good, but they understood that there was an associated cost to breaking off. Without the power of the Ghosthound, the Lancers weren’t yet at the point where they could achieve freedom for themselves.
While originally fighting and then discussing, the speed of the Lancers had vastly slowed. The troops they accompanied had slowed down at first, but they soon left the Lancers behind. After forming themselves once more into tight columns, the Lancers accelerated after their allies, intent to complete the Lord Ghosthound’s mission.
Other concerns could wait until after.
They were still charging across the plains when a wave of Nether spread across the sky; the forces ahead of them had triggered the release of the Nether Gatekeeper defenders at the Nether Pinion. After exchanging glances with each other, the Lancers accelerated and began to build up momentum.
The Baleful Crusade would soon descend upon its first unsuspecting victim.
*****
ROAAAAAARRRRRRR!
The Nether Herald waiting at the core of this Nether Pinion was a five-meter tall stone gargoyle. When the efforts of Charlotte Wick, Vizzeret Clamman, Jieu Ronault, and Commander Shilling to destroy the Nether Gatekeepers reached a certain point, the grey-green gargoyle made an appearance.
Without the reassuring backing of Randidly Ghosthound behind them, that primal roar from the Nether Herald shook Charlotte Wick to her very bones. But after gritting her teeth, she forced herself to release a powerful pulse of energy. Her Primal Force image raised its antlered head and cried out a challenge in response.
The Nether Herald became the core of the entire, seething force of Nether bodies. The Nether in the surrounding air thickened and suppressed images. The gathered elites could shake it off due to the Ghosthound’s training, but the Commander’s forces weakened significantly. Unwilling to back down, Charlotte mobilized her image to release another pulse of life.
The Nether Herald’s eyes glowed red as they steadily pivoted to settle upon Charlotte. The gargoyle’s wings spread out and beat experimentally, throwing out dense blades of Nether that cut into the assembled Aether forces. Soldiers had their legs severed above their knees and fell to the ground screaming.
Yet even as the Nether Herald shook off the rust from its liberation from the Nether Pinion, the powerful Aether images in the area made their move. Vizzeret and Jieu spread out to surround the Nether herald, releasing their Obsidian Wolf and Azure-Black Starfire images, respectively. These images cut through the dense Nether and once more strengthened the soldiers' spirits.
But their images took a backseat to Commander Shilling and his aide, who stepped forward and released a strange and powerful electromagnetic field. To Charlotte’s surprise, the Commander seemed capable of even borrowing some of the discharge from the conflict happening above them. Soon, some strange, negative energy black lightning crackled around the slug.
It seems no matter who it is, Commanders who have fought on the frontlines shouldn’t be underestimated, Charlotte Wick reminded herself.
With all of that potent energy discharge, Commander Shilling wiggled its body and shot itself forward to strike the still motionless Nether Herald. Very quickly, the most powerful Nether foe turned its attention and roared again. Once more, its scream possessed enough force to rattle all of the surroundings.
Then, as one, all five of the powerful Aether fighters shot forward, converging on the gargoyle. The Nether Herald stood up on its hind legs and spread its arms wide, releasing a series of increasingly dense pulses of Nether. Without the Ghosthound at their back, they had no choice but to meet the superior foe and tear it down with the sheer weight of numbers.
The black lightning of Commander Shilling went first, smashing directly into the stone body of the Nether Herald. But the monstrous creature of Nether didn’t even seem to notice. It simply opened its mouth even wider and slashed out with its claws.
The attack tore harmlessly through the edges of Commander Shilling and flung it backward. Which opened up an opportunity for Vizzeret to howl and pounce toward the Nether Herald’s back with its Obsidian Wolf ascending to be the dominant image in the area. At the same time, Commander Shilling’s aide stepped forward and mumbled something.
Unfortunately for Vizzeret, the Nether Herald was too quick; it dodged his attack and smashed a claw toward Vizzeret’s waist. The enormous dog hurriedly twisted away and was only able to dodge because Jieu unleashed a blast of star fire positively humming with piercing emotions. Even the dense Nether around the Nether Herald was briefly suppressed by the force of that attack.
Just as Commander Shilling came crashing back toward right where the slug creature had started, its aide finished its preparations. It raised its insectoid arms and struck the Commander, sending it shooting back toward the Nether Herald with even more black static discharge coming off of its body.
Yet when the Nether Herald opened its mouth and unleashed a beam of Nether that smashed apart the Commander’s image and tore the slug in half, Charlotte could only grit her teeth and target the Commander with a concentrated blast of light energy. Very soon its body had knit back together, but they were definitely at a disadvantage.
It was just as Charlotte was wracking her brain for ideas that she heard the rumbling.