Takeo dropped another crate in the storage section of the emergency caves and went back outside. He was drenched, tired, and a bit afraid. He had been working for hours, and he had seen the weather deteriorate to a point where he wasn't quite feeling safe running at full speed anymore. He was also worried about the others. But fearful shouts coming from the valley below dragged him back to reality. He looked toward the disturbance and saw a group of villagers running toward him and the safety the caverns behind him represented. Three Guards were a bit behind, facing a dozen grown Frog Soldiers, led by a Captain. That's not going to be a fun fight, he mused and wondered if he should go assist them. But the Guards that were at the entrance of the cave were also keeping an eye on the situation. If they needed help, they would have asked for it.
He decided instead to help the Villagers climb up. With the rain, the slope was treacherous, and there were a few kids in the group. He Teleported down to them, took some of their load, and went back up. Thankfully most of the people in this group were Sealed and weren't anything to scoff at, despite not having truly fought for some time. He was glad to see that the Guards were holding their own, the Frog Captain was the only one still standing and seemed to be ready to meet its demise. Takeo wondered how his friends fared, and if they were safe. Such a big fight would have been beyond them, even if they had been included in a larger group. But there was no use to worrying.
A resounding explosion grabbed his attention again. The Guards around him shouted in dismay, "He has self-detonated!" Takeo looked back, of the three guards only one was still standing. The other two were on the ground, one was beyond saving, but for the last one... Takeo dashed and Teleported himself as far as he could and continued running. The slippery rocks made that a dangerous feat, and despite a few slip-ups, he managed to reach the fallen Guard in one piece.
He was still drawing fitful breaths. One arm and leg had been severed by the explosion and he was bleeding heavily. Nothing a common Potion could cure. His remaining companion was in shock, and the two other Guards from the Cavern couldn't assist either, as they were duty-bound to keep it safe. "Please, stay with me, and allow me to help you!" shouted Takeo through the clattering rain.
He put his hand on the man's shoulder and activated Stasis on him. It would keep him alive, at least until Elder Karima had time to see to him. Or maybe some Pather that had a better Healing Ability. The red hue promptly appeared the bleeding stopped along with everything else. Takeo nodded. He turned to the last Guard, "Help me take him back to the Cavern, we can't stay here!"
Of course, that wasn't his place to order the Guards around, but it seemed that he needed to be wakened up. Slapping him might have been a bit too much, though... he wondered, his hand hurting. But it got a result. Takeo purposefully didn't look toward the remains of the third one. There was nothing he could do about him or her. This would probably not be the last one to die that day. He sighed as he pushed himself up. Climbing up the rocky slope wasn't easy, especially with a frozen Guard in his arms. But they made it back to the Cavern. The surviving member simply thanked him, a bit hollowly, took his frozen friend, and went to find the hospital section of the cavern. Takeo took a minute to catch his breath and get his bearings. There were still a lot of supplies outside that needed to be brought in.
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Xander and Riley were holding a horde of Frogs from the lower reach of the Village. The escape route toward the caverns was not even a dozen meters behind them. These were the smaller of their kind and Xander could kill them with a single blow. But there were hundreds around. He had his Thorny Shield activated and was using it to push them back, ripping into their frail body with ease. Riley was holding another section of the defensive line. Hers was a nice and dandy crackling wall of energy that she could and did, punch through with her lightning-coated spear. He couldn't stand to her in terms of raw stopping power, of course, but he was still quick on his feet and had quite a bit of reach with his giant meat cleaver of a sword.
The rain thankfully washed away the gore and toned down the smell. But they had been at it for almost an hour already and he was getting tired of the incessant and deafening croaking. Behind him, two Guards along with half a dozen Pather were killing those that made it through and the few more powerful foes that sometimes appeared. It was a gruesome work and not very gratifying. But if they let them unopposed, they could quickly overwhelm the Village. Still, they wouldn't have to hold for much longer, there weren't that many people in the Valley.
"Another squad, to the left!" shouted someone Xander didn't recognize, but he didn't need to. He could see them coming. Another bunch of Soldiers... he observed. Hopefully they aren't Water attuned like the previous incursion. He dismissed the images of the previous fight, Senior Guardsman Jasper had been terrifying.
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With a flex of his Qi, he unleashed a larger crescent, cutting through rows of dog-sized foes. Soldiers weren't to be trifled with. They charged him, and he braced himself behind his shield. With a thought, he got it rooted in place, freeing his left hand. By the time they reached him, two fiery arrows were already on them, along with a few other projectiles. Most missed, but they had limited the Frogs' options. Drawing on his Qi, he twirled his sword and cut through the rain's curtain, stopping it for a second, and reached his first opponent. The Frog was just as tall as him, but it was lighter. It blocked his first strike with a raised armguard but got pushed back into its companions. Xander didn't let it recover and unleashed a flurry of slashes, attempting to cut through the Frog's defenses.
His broad sword had tremendous reach and momentum, and each blow would have been enough to turn it to past if not for the stone skin that appeared on the damnable batrachian. Just my luck... he grumbled. He had to step back a few times, as a heavy staff had been thrust in his direction by the third Soldier. That was one of the most problematic aspects of fighting them. Unlike most Monsters they'd met before reaching the Haven, these were intelligent and coordinated. But he wasn't alone in fighting them. His job was to keep them focused on him. He pulled on his Thorny Shield, unrooting it, and Stepped into their group. The explosive power of his Step had been enough to send two flying backward, the last one had his Stone Skin already up and almost shrugged off the blow if it weren't for the thorns. Xander smirked as he saw the Frog's eyes widen in surprise.
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Connor wasn't happy. As he ran through the streets of the Village, he was grumbling. Just beyond the wooden railing, floating in the air of the gorge that hosted the Village, he could see his doom slowly growing in complexity. Each golden word that slowly appeared on the ever-growing circle of summoning added another layer to his little personal hell. His Teacher had been drafted into the Village emergency defense. And so had him, by extension.
According to what he had overheard, this thing would spew out whatever it was loaded within half an hour. From the size of it, and the fact that there wasn't one, but six circles, he could only assume that it was going to be a big one. I'm going to die here, he lamented. He soon reached the next ornamentation that marked the feeding station to the Village-wide Shield. With a few quick swipes and a bit of Soul flexing, he opened a little trapdoor, and a small circle appeared. From his ring, he took out a satchel, opened it, and dropped its contents into the circle. A hundred Bright Orbs fell and disappeared into the ground. When he closed the trapdoor again, the circle was shining like a little sun.
"Ten done, five more to go," he muttered under the rain. He felt miserable. Of course, the last five weren't so easy to reach, he'd have to climb up the gorge. He sighed and started running again. He had to hurry, the Summoning was almost complete. Besides he didn't envy those who had to dive into the lake to reach theirs. He had already experimented himself its freezing cold waters. He shivered at the memory.
Reaching the cliff's wall, he looked up and had trouble locating the wooden protrusion he had been told about. It was dark, and the rain was making his life a pain. Then he noticed the little bush that had been growing up there. He flared his Soul sight and confirmed his suspicion, It's there, then. He sighed. He lifted his hand and summoned a spider-like construct made of wood with little claws of iron. He didn't have the time to marvel at his own creation, as he had to focus on the task at hand. With another flex of his Will, Soul Threads rushed out of him and clamped themselves on the construct. The little beast started climbing up the cliff on its unsteady legs. It was still a very basic construct, and he had a terrible time getting it to move properly. But it was enough to get him to the bush. The feedback was terrible, but he soon found the little trapdoor, and through the spider, he dropped the Bright Orbs. It clambered back down, as quickly as he could manage. He couldn't afford to lose it, and he felt a fatherly pride at the little thing, and very discreetly, he gave it a peck on the head before storing it.
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Elder Karima was standing proudly atop the cliff where her Village was built. At her side, Captain Dereck was busy spewing out orders to his subordinates. All around the gorge, tall fires had been erected and were burning brightly. She felt even older than usual today. Chaos had come knocking at her door, once again, and she didn't feel up to the task anymore. Oh, she would see it through, of course, but the cost would be felt for years to come. Maybe I'll finally retire after all this, she sighed. The thought was tempting, but she knew she wouldn't.
She looked downward, the circle was about to be completed. She peered past the light show and probed the Realm's secrets, but found herself thwarted. She wasn't as young as she used to be. "Send the first signal," she muttered. Her aide nodded and went to relay the order. She took out three little vials from her pouch and drank them. By the time their effect had kicked in, the circle was complete. She was wary as she watched the Summoning unfold. The last time this had happened, the previous Elder had died. A darker recess of her mind wondered if she had made the right decisions, but chased the thought away. Chaos would bring both havoc and opportunity. She had to be ready to seize it.