Keeper Selina noticed Sal’s group and excused herself from a discussion with several students Salarus didn’t know. They were very close to the front lines, and Sal found his eyes continually pulled to the fighting nearby. He kept having to stop himself from helping, aware that most of the monsters they were encountering this close to Karthas weren’t a genuine threat to any trained Awakened. Selina had likely positioned herself here specifically to keep an eye on those not yet raised to full Keeper, and she was far more capable than he was of keeping them safe.
She took a moment to look over the small group before speaking, “I’d always hoped you four would end up working together, at least for a time. In the long term I’d selfishly prefer my top students branch out and help the less gifted, but for now I think you’re exactly what we need.” She turned toward the hordes mindlessly charging toward them, easily thousands strong, and let out a sigh. The majority were wolfren, as they were most plentiful in this area, but the more exotic–and more dangerous–beasts were starting to appear as well.
“The Elder you can see is the only one remaining with this group–as far as we’re aware. It’s tier one according to our best scouts, but you’ll have considerable backup if it proves to be too much.” She looked back at the group with a stern expression, “And you will retreat if the Elder proves too powerful. We need every Keeper we have to push back the hordes, and I won’t allow any to sacrifice themselves for glory. Retreating will not guarantee your failure to join our ranks, but needlessly fighting a losing battle absolutely will.” She stared at the group until even Ryndal had nodded.
At last Selina looked somewhat satisfied, and continued, “We’ll be clearing a path for you, and the other students will hold back the hordes while you engage the Elder. So long as you don’t call for aid, or allow your target to get too close to the front lines, you’re free to battle how you see fit. You have a few minutes to discuss tactics while I gather Keepers for our push.” She turned away without waiting for a response, and Sal took note of how different she seemed out in the field compared to the supportive teacher persona she adopted in the Academy.
“So what’s the plan, then?” Gwen prompted. She’d been making a clear effort to defer to Sal whenever possible, likely as a reminder to the other two members of the group as to who was in charge. Jothus was already watching Sal, and Ryn turned as well at Gwen’s words. Salarus had initially been concerned about how Ryndal would react to his leadership, but the man’s otherwise lackadaisical attitude disappeared when actual combat was looming, and his pale eyes stared with an unusual intensity while he waited.
Sal considered that Ryndal likely wouldn’t have lasted long on Gwen’s team if he truly didn’t take anything seriously, and he found he was grateful that one of the three didn’t need his constant attention, suggestions, and corrections in battle. Not that Gwen and Joth weren’t perfectly capable, but they’d made it very clear that ‘capable’ was a far cry from the standard they set for themselves. Salarus took a calming breath, then proceeded to outline a plan.
“As you can see, we’re dealing with a recent generation Elder, and one that appears to fit the common mold in terms of appearance. We all know that no Elder would have survived long enough to be a threat without picking up some tricks, though, so be prepared for surprises.” Sal turned to look at the Elder, close enough now to make out more details. Its most notable feature was a long, barbed tail, and its hands were unusual in way Salarus couldn’t quite make out at this distance. Beyond those oddities it mostly looked like an enormous Child of Korthos, though with pale gray skin, and–Sal squinted–no visible eyes?
“We’ll keep our initial tactics simple, and flexible; everyone be prepared to pivot when necessary. Jothus, you’ll meet the Elder head-on. Gwendara and I will attack from either flank, keeping it off balance and specifically targeting anything that looks like a secondary weapon. Be warned though, this generation is very likely to be able to simply blast energy out of any body part, and no one will be entirely safe.” Sal paused, eyeing the spiked tail that cut through the air behind the Elder, occasionally striking one or more of the lesser monsters scrambling around the Elder’s massive feet.
“Ryndal, see if you can sever that tail, it’s too unusual a feature not to be related to some kind of irritating attack. Everyone try to remember to communicate when necessary, as coordination is a weapon in and of itself. As soon as we’ve gotten the Elder into a pattern we can control, we switch fully to the offensive.” Salarus paused, looking over the group. “Does anyone have any suggestions or concerns?”
Sal had gotten used to asking that question, and he suspected that by now the group was sick of hearing it. Whenever they were training, making plans, or just discussing creative applications of the team’s powers, he would ask. He would ask, and they would stare, glance at one another, or look downcast. Sal knew the question pained them, and more so now that they were actively fighting the Flaw, but he also knew that it was necessary. He knew he had to push them if he was truly going to help them, and for once, it seemed to work.
Ryndal looked uncomfortable as he spoke up, as if he was certain the question had been rhetorical, no matter that it was the hundredth time it had been asked. “I…I can’t reach that tail, not effectively. I’d just be…scrambling around for the whole battle trying.” Sal couldn’t help but smile, as most Awakened would have simply accepted that ‘scrambling around the whole battle’ was what they should do.
It hadn’t been until Salarus joined the massive group of Awakened on this mission that he realized that the Flaw manifested in this way. While some no doubt questioned their orders, what Sal had assumed was loyalty or dedication had turned out to be yet another symptom. Once someone with the Flaw was given an order, they tended to follow it blindly, as if they were naturally falling into a subservient relationship that would normally be reserved for a House Lord–or a King, Sal mused. The more he allowed himself to consider the Flaw, the more convinced he became that it was some kind of holdover from a time when the Elders ruled, and the only choice was to obey or prove yourself stronger.
Further consideration would have to wait, though, as he prompted Ryndal to continue. “Is there a way we could make better use of your abilities, Ryndal?” The man shuffled around, looking like nothing so much as an awkward child singled out in class. At last he managed to speak again.
“Legs. Tendons. I cut them. They regrow…but I make them regrow slower with my abilities. I should do that.” Gwen and Joth looked at him, but didn’t look impressed or shocked, they simply accepted it as readily as they had Sal’s commands. As Salarus let a small smile touch his lips, he wondered if any part of Ryn knew that he had just crowned himself King for a moment. As the silence stretched on, Ryn finally added: “When he goes down, I’ll cut the tail.” Then he nodded, and looked away, clearly taxed by the process.
“Excellent,” Sal said simply. “Jothus, we wait on Selina’s signal, then follow you.” Jothus nodded, concentrating on his task. Sal had originally been concerned that the enormous man’s quiet nature would make working with him more difficult, but he’d been surprised to find the man could even be loquacious when he was alone. He simply never saw the need to say something that another person could, preferring to save his words for when they were needed. Sal had also caught the occasional small smile on the man’s dark face, as if laughing at some private joke. Now though, he needed the other side of the man, the unmovable mountain.
The group didn’t need to wait long as the line of Keepers nearby was supplemented with a floating company, and finally pushed into a wedge formation pointing at the hulking Elder. Selina glanced at the group, and at Sal’s nod, she ushered them forward, an extraordinary blast of flames erupting from her palm and allowing the wedge to move steadily into the enraged horde. Rather than follow, Jothus went down to one knee, beginning one of the combo maneuvers he’d worked on, which required a sudden and coordinated burst of power.
Understanding his purpose, the rest of the group charged after the Keepers clearing the path. Unable to help himself, Salarus summoned the occasional Tornado to disrupt the nearby ranks of monsters. The improved mana regeneration of his Magus path had increased his ability to toss spells over time exponentially. However, when the Elder finally acknowledged their presence, Sal turned his considerable concentration entirely onto their opponent.
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The hulking Elder was nearly twenty meters tall, and moved slowly and purposefully forward, sharing the telltale arrogance of one that cannot conceive of defeat. Seen more closely, Sal could tell the creature had some runic language carved into its skin, which he hadn’t heard of before, and noted it curiously. When its face split horizontally into a challenging roar, Salarus was disturbed to discover that it certainly did have eyes, they were merely inside its mouth. Likely it depended on energy currents to ‘see’ most of the time, and the eyes were meant for some kind of attack.
He relayed this theory to his team, his voice coming through their bracers. He was pleasantly surprised when he received a rare response from Jothus. “I will be careful when the Elder opens its mouth, though perhaps it is also a weak spot we can exploit. Is it time, Salarus?” Sal watched as the wedge of Keepers spread out around the Elder and formed a wide perimeter, Selina herself distracting the monster while they did so. Finally she looked at Sal and nodded before throwing more fire in the Elder’s direction and moving to reinforce the line. “It’s time, Jothus,” Sal responded at last.
They didn’t hear a sound until the large man burst out of the earth in front of the towering Elder, his momentum carrying him up into the air until his fist crashed into the eyeless face with tremendous force. The massive form fell back a step with a roar, giving just enough time for the second phase of the plan, as Jothus activated his unusual Soul Core.
Sal had been surprised that he hadn’t seen the man’s Soul powers until Joth described his unusual situation. He had only a single power, which was not only extremely mana intensive, but also highly situational. Thankfully, this was exactly that situation, and Sal marveled as the man’s already large form began to grow. The whole world seemed to shake as he slammed back into the ground, now easily two thirds the Elder’s size.
It was an unusual power for numerous reasons, not the least of which was that massive size had a difficult reputation, as ‘smaller is better’ was such a prevailing maxim among Keepers. It also wasn’t unjustified, as energy density decreasing with size was a very real real concern. However, that was what made Jothus’ ability both special and costly: he could maintain his energy density despite his growth, though only for a time.
As the Elder recovered from the surprise attack, one of its own arms fired forward, its unusually-shaped fist cutting through the air with immense force, only to slam into Jothus’ enormous open palm. The concussive force sent shockwaves through the battlefield, and Sal felt the air currents blast over him as he watched Joth’s dozens of tight braids fly madly around his determined face. But the giant himself barely moved, and his return blow was equally powerful, taking the Elder by surprise and cracking into its sternum, forcing it back.
Sal smiled as he heard Gwen’s voice from his bracer, “Joth can’t hold out for long, so let’s make this count.” He hadn’t expected his new team’s single-mindedness in combat to extend so far as to make speaking difficult, but he was glad to see them slowly working through it. He didn’t let his satisfaction distract him however, and he burst into action at the same time as his two teammates. A gust of wind sent him flying to the Elder’s left side, and Gwen raced to do the same in the opposite direction. Ryndal was nowhere to be seen, but that was to be expected given his Soul powers.
As soon as Salarus was in position, his Anton-boots firmly planted on the ground and sending him a slow stream of mana, he began the attack. One hand sent blasts of lightning into any spot on the Elder that wouldn’t risk harming Jothus, while his other hand gathered energy for a thunderstorm above the battle. He wouldn’t unleash the storm’s devastating power until the right moment, but he wanted to be ready when it was time.
Moments after his own initial volley, Gwen’s ice made its appearance. They’d been working on using the element in creative ways, but for now that just meant focusing on the Elder’s lower legs. This not only slowed its movement as the cold seeped into its bones, but froze the area beneath its feet, distracting the massive being and making it harder to grapple with Jothus, as the smaller man unleashed an endless barrage of strikes on the furious Elder.
Sal had initially been concerned with this approach in a team battle, but as Ryn appeared with his two wicked daggers he demonstrated why the concern wasn’t needed. Ryndal had Awoken Wisp, something Salarus was unfamiliar with before meeting the man. It was one of the Awakenings that was partly conceptual, and combined air with the impression of something intangible and evasive. The result was that Ryn was nearly invisible, and seemed to glide across the battlefield, never truly touching the ground as he fought.
Like every awakened that fought Elders using hand weapons, the majority of his mana went into extending the range of his strikes to bite deeply into the enormous legs he slashed at. His Assassin Path not only caused the slashes to both corrode and poison his target, but also duplicated each strike a dozen times over. While still relatively small wounds to their titanic enemy, there were hundreds of them in minutes, and the Elder roared as it found itself doubly hobbled by the sliced tendons and slippery terrain.
It was far from idle, however, as its barbed tail alternately lashed out at the two ranged fighters, while occasionally snapping forward to pierce Jothus. Salarus could at last see what made the Elder’s arms unusual, as they split into two sets of hands at the wrist, which currently had Joth’s left arm completely trapped in dual vice-like grips. The giant of a man was now off-balance himself, as the taller opponent lifted him from the ground while struggling to strike him with its other arm.
Salarus did his best to slow the attacks, creating orbs of intense gravity in strategic locations, which pulled the enormous arms in different directions and gave his teammate a chance to dodge the endless blows. At last Jothus seemed to have had enough, and managed to launch himself high up into the air, he then brought both fists down onto the Elder’s shoulders with enough force to drop the larger creature to its knees. Ryndal saw his moment and didn’t hesitate, “Going for the tail,” he said while dodging away from the massive form falling toward him.
“Let’s buy him time,” Sal said as he targeted the shredded lower legs of the Elder. Gwen joined him as countless spikes of ice ripped into the kneeling monster. Joth simply continued to push downward, determined not to let his opponent rise. It was only a moment before Sal could see Ryn standing over the tail which emerged from a deformed vertebrae on the Elder’s back.
Sensing his time was limited, the pale Assassin went directly for his most powerful ability, creating a duplicate of himself out of air which followed his motions exactly as he unleashed a furious series of attacks in the tail, racing against the Elder’s incredible regeneration. Seeing Jothus being pulled back, Sal risked sending a few blades of wind into the tail as well, but he needn’t have bothered. With a sound somewhere between a massive tree snapping in half and a boulder crumbling, the still-quivering tail split from the Elder and crashed to the ground.
A scream split the air as the hulking monster thrashed in pain, but strangely didn’t try to stand back up. Sal could hear Ryndal cheering in elation at his small victory, but sensed there was something more going on, as the Elder’s legs had clearly healed without the continuous assault from the Assassin, but it still wouldn’t rise. Jothus didn’t hesitate though, and began pummeling the Elder in the face with both fists as he’d managed to disentangle himself from its grasp during the scream.
As his punches crashed into the Elder, the massive stone-touched seemed to be losing himself. “Be careful, Jothus, something isn’t right!” Salarus called out, but without being able to give voice to a specific danger, he had no way of reaching the enraged man. At last the Elder made its move, as four, black arachnoid limbs burst from its back. Each leg ended in a point, and faster than Sal could follow they speared into Jothus’ sides, causing the man to roar with pain and cease his assault.
The moment the legs carved into the man the Elder began to move, pushing his injured opponent backward and falling on top of him. Salarus instantly began casting a new spell, desperate to help his wounded teammate. Ryndal had fallen back in confusion, seeming unsure whether he should still be attacking the Elder’s legs now that it effectively had eight to choose from. Gwen never stopped her assault, but her ice was ill-suited to the massive direct damage it would take to make a difference in this moment.
Sal’s spell was nearly complete when he heard Joth’s deep voice from his bracer. “I can…feel it…” he said, clearly in enormous pain.
“We see it, Joth! We’ll help you, I promise!” came Gwen’s terror-laden reply.
“No, you don’t…”Jothus spoke again. “You don’t understand. I can feel it…in the stone. Something’s–” He didn’t get any further before the earth rumbled and Salarus almost lost control of his spell. Desperately trying to keep the volatile energies together, Sal looked to the source of the earthquake, and his heart fell as an enormous dark tentacle burst from the ground, followed quickly by a dozen more.
As a horrifically deformed face emerged from the crack in the earth, Sal felt true panic. A second Elder had arrived.