I gulped as my eyes wandered upwards. The boss’s self-made tower rose unbelievably high in the sky. Its interlaced silver threads climbed towards the heavens; I swore it was tall enough to touch Len's flames. I turned my attention to the flames dancing in the sky. I think Len’s strength was finally waning. The flames didn’t roil as wildly as they did at the start of the Final Wave. They grew dimmer, enough for those at the tower to see just fine, but the rest of the battlefield was growing dark. Though that was fine. Most of the fighting only took place at the tower now.
Hordes of legionnaires scurried around the bottom of the tower, fighting off the waves of silvered reptiles that spawned from the tower’s base. The metallic liquid that made up the tower dripped and the droplets that fell turned into the beast’s that the legions fought against. A sonorous refrain of steel and bone resounded in the air as the battle raged.
A huge green arc spiraled around the tower's peak, slicing off a huge chunk of the tower. The entire tower wavered for a moment, shifting like paper in the wind, almost looking as if it would fall over. But as the cut portion fell towards the ground, a side of the tower unraveled and extended underneath the falling wall. The broken portion fell on and then immediately reintegrated with the tower. The wavering stopped after it finished absorbing the part.
I should be happy. That was clearly a sign that Jaren and company were whittling down the beast, that victory was nearing. But the tense pit in my gut told me I was running out of time. That I couldn’t miss this chance.
Lisse coughed, bringing me back to reality. We knelt on a ridge away from the fighting. Far enough away to get a view of the battle and not be noticed. Easy enough with the meager size of our group.
On my left was the fox-tailed chieftain of the Ferals, Lisse. The wounds she received in her fight against Daila had mostly healed up after one of her subordinates—a Support by Laurelhaven standards—had her drink an odd colored tonic along with a quick use of Basic Healing. She stared at the battle unperturbed. If she was nervous about this ridiculous second condition of my surrender, she didn’t show it. I was still shocked at how quickly she accepted my request about getting to the boss. I thought I’d have had to fight a lot harder for it. But here we are.
On my right was her bodyguard and assistant, Glenna the barbarian, or at least that’s what I called her. She’d received some healing as well, but most of the damage I inflicted didn’t amount to much. But though her mistress already okayed the mission, Glenna was not happy about being here. A fact she didn’t attempt to hide for even a second.
“Close enough yet?” She asked, her deep voice only barely hiding her discomfort at our present situation.
“No, like I said earlier, I need to be within twenty five feet away to mimic it.”
She snarled. “What does that even mean? And how the hell are we going to get you there? You said you had a plan.”
I shook my head, backing up the blatant lie I’d said on our way over to the boss. “I know, I’m…just waiting for the opportune moment.”
Glenna grunted at my weak answer, something I have noticed is her primary form of communication, aside from when she speaks with Lisse that is.
Lisse shook her head. “No, we promised Liam. I’m sure he has a plan, I saw it in his eyes.” I looked over to the fox woman, giving her a thankful nod.
“But ma’am, we are too exposed out here.”
“Calm yourself Glenna. Do I need to cast Soothing Vapors on you?”
“No. I must remain vigilant. It's just… I don’t understand why you’re trusting this…buffoon.”
“The buffoon has a name, and is sitting right here.” I said, not that I really disagreed with her sentiment, I was pretty buffoonish.
“Quiet, buffoon. Do not interrupt my lady.” She bared her teeth at me, revealing the gnarly set of teeth in her mouth. They were her trope, one she tried to hide most of the time, from what I could tell. She didn’t show off those gorilla teeth even once during our bout. But she was clearly nervous now and wasn’t worried if a buffoon like me saw them.
Lisse gave me a rundown on her and Glenna while we trekked over to the boss. Glenna had the Gorillian gene, pretty on the nose with the name this time. It explained her immense strength and speed. And her…assertive personality.
Lisse herself had the Foxen gene, but that was apparent, though her powers were somewhat atypical. She had a suite of mists and vapors she could exude from her tail that did a number of things, though she was opaque in her explanation; by design I assume. I’d earned a level of trust with her for some reason I can’t explain, but not a complete one. Girls need their secrets, I guess.
I turned back to the battle at the tower. I was searching for something, anything to give me an idea of how I could get to the boss.
There was no chance at climbing from the bottom. The Legions themselves were fighting a full scale conflict down there. And while these two women are terrifyingly strong, no way we’re getting through all that unscathed. Plus if these two get captured the Ferals would launch an assault on the already battered Laurel forces.
I’d thought about going under the battlefield using one of the Feral digging crews, but Lisse told me she’d already sounded the retreat once she found me. And apparently her underground teams reported that the tower's base went far underground as well, nearly to the bedrock. So it wouldn’t have worked anyway.
That only left one solution, getting to it by the air. And as fate would have it, no one here had flying powers. Not a part of a gorilla or fox’s wheelhouse.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
But getting up the tower was only one half of the problem. I was missing an exit strategy as well. Something Gramps harped on anytime I tried to do something half-cocked on one of our expeditions. “Damn it boy. Don’t run into a burning building if you can’t get out without your ass catching fire. Prep first, then go.” And he would know, he ran into a few of them during his days in the military.
I remembered when he took me rock climbing in Arizona one summer when I was sixteen. I was so excited to get to the top of this huge red plateau, it was the tallest in the area and would let us see for miles.
I climbed up a quarter way up the two hundred foot rock wall until I realized I’d forgotten to bring some climbing spikes. Got berated for that one the whole rest of the trip, and the next three trips after.
I closed my eyes. What would you do in this spot, Gramps?
Just about every form was still on cooldown. Salamandras was up but…I looked at the two women next to me. Nope. Not that spitting acid would particularly be effective in the first place. Ranged battle wasn’t helping the Legions either.
I watched on as I saw archer after archer try to aim shots up at the top of the tower, none ever making it past the three quarters mark. Heck, one poor sap was trying to throw knives and hand axes up to it. He was matching the archers though, must be an ability.
There was a whole plethora of interesting tactics the Legions were using against the boss adds. From phalanx formations to pincers, they were trying it all. My favorite was the guy at the back line throwing what appeared to be barrels of oil or some other flammable liquid as mages in the backline ignited it, torching the chrome lizards.
As I watched the guy pick up another barrel, something clicked in my head. I looked over to Glenna, who responded to my sudden movement with a snort and glare, then over to the archers firing up the tower. And with that a plan formed in my head. Yet another stupid plan, but this one might just beat out the rest in its sheer insanity. A stupid plan to reign supreme over this entire day of stupid plans.
The tower wavered again, this time hit by a bright white explosion. Huge chunks of the silver substance dropped to the earth, splattering on both monster and soldier alike.
“Damn it.” I didn’t have time to question the plan any longer.
I turned over to Glenna. “Look down there,” I said, pointing down to the guy throwing barrels.
She followed my finger, scoffing once she looked upon the man. “Hmm, what a weakling. Look how hard it is for him to toss a simple barrel just a few dozen feet. You city folk are truly pathetic. I’d toss it three or four times the distance without breaking a sweat.”
Ignoring her jab, I asked the burning question. “Can you back that claim up?”
She flexed her arm, the veins on her bicep rippled. “Of course.”
I turned to Lisse. “Can she?”
Lisse head title to the side. “No doubt, but why?”
“Because I need her to fling a barrel as far up the side of the tower as she can.”
Glenna scrunched up her face. “What barrel?”
I smirked, “this one.”
I activated Object Mimicry, choosing my barrel form, the one I got back when I hid with Ingrid in the storage room in the Gloom. Faux-wood grew from under my skin, leaking around my clothes and then hardening around me. The planks came together as I contorted my limbs around, getting them as close to my chest as I could. And after a second, I finished. I was now a barrel in the middle of a battlefield.
I opened one of my eyes on the side of the barrel and looked up to the two feral women. Each having a vastly different expression. Lisse looked intrigued beyond belief, her face moving right up to my barrel body, then all around it. Her breath tickled when she moved near my backside. Glenna sat in utter disbelief and just a bit of disgust, her mouth wide open.
“It’s just like Griddy said. Just how does that work? Can you feel everything? Can you speak?”
“Yep, sure can.” I said, making the lid of the barrel move as I did. Which I’d never done before. I’m not actually sure I’ve ever spoken in an object form before. I just knew that I could. What do the other forms do when I talk? I wondered.
Glenna raised her fist in shock and nearly punched my lid before Lisse stopped her.
“It’s so unnatural. My lady. Is this truly who we were looking for?”
“Yes. I’ve never been more sure than right now.” Her eyes alight with curiosity.
I rolled along the edge of my bottom around, to face Glenna. She leaned back as my little eye stared at her.
“Okay, go ahead.”
She squinted her eyes at me, then looked over to Lisse. “Ma’am. I, um.”
“Do as he asks.”
“But ma’am. How are we going to retrieve him? Once he gets what he wants he could just slip back in with the soldiers. That is if he doesn’t break his neck on the way back down the tower.”
My lid clattered, Glenna had just pinpointed the major quandary with my plan. An exit plan. For a musclebound gorilla woman, she was sharp.
Lisse raised a hand to her chin. After a minute, she looked at me and nodded.
“Throw him.”
“But ma’am—”
“Enough. I have spoken. He gave us his word, and I believe him.”
Glenna opened her mouth, but closed it soon after. She took a deep breath, and grunted with all her might. Shifting red energy rose from her shoulders. She grabbed me off the ground, lugging me under her armpit.
“Buffoon. From this distance, I might get you about halfway up. Can you climb the rest?”
“Yep.”
“Hmph.” She lifted me in front of her. I closed my eye and lid, tightening every plank together as closely as they could.
“One moment.” Lisse said, stopping her subordinate. Anxiety hit me like a truck(something I know too well). Was she about to force a time limit on me or ask for some assurance that I would return. Something like we’ll hurt the twins if you don’t get back here in ten minutes.
“Liam.” Her voice was calm. “Be safe. Throw him.”
Without missing a beat, Glenna twisted her body and spun. She spun me around in circles, faster than any amusement park ride ever had. She was using her body like a sling, spinning to gain the correct force. Once we hit her max velocity, she let me go.
I flew through the air, fighting off the intense desire to scream my lungs out, but god only knows what would happen to my lid if I tried that. I settled for peeking open a single eye. I was spiraling through the air, flying above the intense battle below, yet still rising. Luckily, Glenna tossed me sideways, so I could see my distance every rotation.
Slight issue. I was moving fast. Way faster than I imagined in my head. My stomach shifted once I hit the peak of my flight. I was only a few feet away from it now.
Ah, this is going to hurt, isn’t it?