Chapter 43
Friendship
----------------------------------------
Attack Squad
----------------------------------------
As the night horror loomed over them, Hunter, and Bloodthrone with Nyx on his shoulder ran frantically, their hearts racing as they fled from pursuing the enemy. They could hear the pounding of heavy footsteps behind them and the clanking of armour.
Nyx, the lithe wolf, started to come as she hung over her lover's shoulder. She tried to reach for Bloodthrone’s bow that was strapped to his back. Hunter, the scout, lumbered close behind the pair, his longbow at the ready and he kept looking behind him into the darkness. Hunter could swear that he was something scuttling around them in a cone.
They saw the entrance to the hedge just ahead. The hedge, a tangled thicket of thorns and vines, was their only hope of escape.
But as they drew closer, they could barely see that their shadowed enemies were already closing in on them.
"Get ready," Nyx groggily hissed, knocking an arrow into her bow and weakly firing it into the night.
Hunter let out a battle cry, his bow held high. Bloodthrone bared his fangs, his claws extending.
With a final burst of speed, they reached the hedge. Hunter fired a volley of arrows, striking several of their pursuers. Bloodthrone put Nyx down on the ground and began to hack at the thorny vines with his axe, to create an opening. He ignored the thorns piercing his skin but his efforts were not in vain, he was able to make a small hole.
Bloodthrone picked up Nyx where he had placed her on the ground and pushed her through the gap, and he followed after her. As they tumbled into the hedge, they felt the prick of thorns tearing at their skin. But they pushed on, their hearts pounding with fear and adrenaline. They knew that the grassland was a dangerous place, full of dark magic and twisted creatures. Getting through the hedge was also their only hope of escape, escape and regrouping. Bloodthrone pushed Nyx on, deeper through the hedge wall, hoping to lose their pursuers on the other side.
A system notice popped up for Bloodthrone, he barely had time to look at it.
System notice: You have been poisoned with scorpion venom.
His last companion was close behind but Bloodthrone watched as Hunter turned his back to him. Hunter decided to hold it off and give Nyx and Bloodthrone a chance to escape. Nyx and Bloodthrone would always remember the sacrifice Hunter made to ensure their escape, and his memory would serve as a reminder of the dangers that lurked in the darkness.
Hunter drew his sword and shield, bracing himself for the oncoming attack.
The night horror which was an Iron Legion that adapted away from short swords to magically enhanced tendrils, was a towering mass of shadows and tendrils. The horror’s eyes glinted with malevolence as it bore down on Hunter. With a fierce battle cry, Hunter charged forward, his sword glinting in the dim light. The night horror let out a deafening roar as it lashed out with its tendrils, but Hunter was quick on his feet and dodged the attack, bringing his sword down in a powerful strike. The night horror reminds him of the mecha spider he fought before.
With a quick flick of his wrist, Hunter swung his sword at the writhing tendrils that were reaching for him. The sharp blade sliced through the air with a whoosh and collided with the tendrils, causing them to writhe and recoil in pain. The tendrils hissed and sizzled as they recoiled, and Hunter followed through with another swing, this time aimed at the core of the mecha shadow spider. The sword struck true, and with a sickening squelch, the tendrils fell away from the creature's body. Hunter grinned triumphantly, ready for whatever came next.
The night horror howled in pain as Hunter's blade sliced through its metal flesh, but it was far from defeated. It lashed out with renewed ferocity, sending Hunter tumbling to the ground. But he refused to give up, scrambling to his feet and launching himself back into the fray.
As Nyx and Bloodthrone made their escape, Hunter fought on, his sword and shield flashing in the darkness. Blow after blow rained down upon him, but he stood firm, determined to hold off the night horror for as long as he could.
The horror’s tendrils writhed and thrashed as they slammed into Hunter’s shield with a sickening thud, their tips flattening and squirming against the protective barrier. Sparks of energy crackled along the surface of the shield as it held strong, the tendrils' efforts to penetrate it proving fruitless. The horror’s tendrils recoiled for a moment, then lashed out again with renewed fury, but the shield held fast, unyielding against the assault.
Finally, after what felt like hours of intense combat, Hunter's strength began to wane. Through gritted teeth, he spoke, "You're just another version of the machine from before, but the other one was stronger."
Seizing its opportunity, the night horror landed a devastating blow, sending Hunter crashing to the ground. He struggled to rise, but his limbs refused to obey him. He did the only thing he could. Hunter planted his back firmly on the ground, bracing himself for impact as the horror dived at him from above. With a fierce cry, he launched a powerful kick at the creature's midsection. The impact sent the horror flying backward, tendrils flailing wildly as it crashed into a nearby hedge. Hunter felt a surge of satisfaction as the horror let out a pained screech, but he knew it wouldn't stay down for long. He readied himself and prepared for the next attack.
The spider horror launched itself out of the hedge at full speed. The horror rapidly pulled itself across the ground with its tendrils, closing in on what it thought was an easy target.
Hunter pulled himself up to his knees and braced his wrist with his other hand and bellowed with all his might, "By the freezing winds of the north, I call upon the power of ice and frost. Let my enemies feel the chill of my wrath! Icebolt!"
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
As Hunter's incantation echoed through the air, a fierce blast of cold energy coalesced into a sharp, jagged shard of ice. With a flick of his wrist, the ice bolt hurtled toward the rapidly approaching horror. The deadly projectile left behind a trail of frost in its wake. With a sickening crunch, the bolt struck the horror in the head, shattering on impact and unleashing a burst of frigid mana that froze everything in its vicinity. The horror let out a bloodcurdling scream as its body became encased in ice, its final expression a grimace of agony and terror.
Hunter turned around to see where the light monster was, and that was when he saw it. Violet’s champion and general of the Iron Legion stepped forward out of the darkness. Hunter is frozen for one moment taking in his appearance.
Goliath is a massive, intimidating, and incredibly intricate steampunk spider mecha. The elements of his creation and evolution from levelling are a combination of industrial steam-powered machinery with a twist of anti-establishment attitude supported with futuristic technology.
Hunter looks at him, up and down, bow still held at the ready. Goliath’s metallic body is made up of a complex system of gears, pistons, and steam vents, all covered in an array of tubes and wires. The mecha body was a mixture of brass and steel, with cogs and gears visible through the spider-like joints. His four legs and four arms are thick and sturdy, each one tipped with razor-sharp talons that can pierce through solid metal.
Goliath's large, multifaceted eyes glow with a dim sickly green light, giving him an ominous appearance. His mouth is a set of metallic pincers that can snap shut with incredible force. Despite his size and power, Goliath moves with surprising agility, each leg working independently to help him navigate the terrain. Despite his fearsome appearance, Goliath moved with surprising grace and agility, his legs adjusting to the uneven terrain and obstacles in his path. His movements were fluid and almost organic as if he were alive instead of a mere machine.
He emits a low hissing sound as steam escapes from his vents, adding to the overall menacing aura that surrounds him.
Goliath's four mechanical legs scurried across the dark grass as he prepared to cast a light spell. As he reached a distance of twenty meters away from Hunter, he stopped and raised his top two arms, which glowed with a soft, blue light.
Deep within Goliath’s voicebox, he summons forth the incantation, "From the Huntress, I call upon her power within me, illuminate the shadows, capture the night and bind it to my heart. With a crack of my wrist and a twist of my tongue, let the flames of the nine hells be unleashed, let the darkness be mastered. By the power of Violet, the champion of our goddess, and the wrath of the inferno, let this light spell burn all who oppose me."
With a sharp whistle and a flick of his abdomen, Goliath cast the spell, and the area was bathed in a bright, ethereal green glow.
The light revealed the future battlefield between Hunter and the mecha spider, covering a radius of eighteen meters. Just outside the radius of the light, Hunter could see dozens of smaller mecha spiders circling in the darkness. They could be clones of the spider he fought before. He prayed to the Blind One that they aren’t all at the same combat level as that first one. Goliath scanned the area with his multifaceted eyes, searching for any signs of the other wolves. As he moved forward, the light followed him, illuminating his path and casting eerie shadows that spanned the grasslands.
Goliath's voice echoed with an otherworldly quality as if it belonged to a being from beyond the void. The clank of his metal legs against the ground seemed to reverberate through the very fabric of reality. "We have to come to this, Hunter. More will be coming," he hissed.
Hunter stammered only for a second as he asked his question, “How do you know my name?”
A cold voice answered back simply, “My Legion is vast, they watched you battle with my captain, #49. You fought with zeal. 49 saw the merit in you.”
As Goliath advanced further toward Hunter, the grass crushed under the massive machine’s weight, and the light revealed a small, hunched figure lurking in the shadows. Goliath took a surprised step towards the human, his light casting a stark contrast on the figure's face. The spider scion couldn’t believe his eyes, it was a human. The man was haggard and unkempt, and they shied away from the sudden illumination.
Goliath paused, observing the figure with his many eyes as if weighing its intentions. After a few moments, the human turned and started to scurry off into the darkness. Goliath called out, his voice shifting tone to a compassionate one, “Wait, I am here to help.”
While Goliath was distracted, Hunter launched his attack, his spell will only last a few minutes and with it up he couldn’t use another incantation. He ran towards the metal general. He pulled back three arrows and then slid in the grass, launching the arrows upward at a 35-degree angle.
Crack. Hunter dropped the spell and the human disappeared.
“Yes!” Hunter yelled. His three arrows connected into the lower arm joint on Golaith’s right side. The arm fell limp at the general’s side. He dropped his bow and pulled out a pair of two devilish-looking knives with a glint of light blue that ran along the edge of the blade.
Hunter closed the distance as Goliath was still looking at where the human had disappeared.
“Got you now,” Hunter whispered. His heart was filled with the feeling that he might win this. “Nyx is going to love only me from now on.” That was when his foot froze in place with a sharp pain, a steel wire cutting into his flesh. A massive metal fist spun.
Hunter felt a sharp pain in his stomach and he tried to stumble backward but the wire held his foot in place. He looked down to see the blood pouring out of his mouth, staining his clothes. He tried to take a deep breath, but it only made things worse. His body convulsed as he felt a burning sensation in his chest. He fell to his knees, coughing and wheezing, struggling to catch his breath. His vision started to fade as he heard the sound of his companions shouting in the distance.
Spitting blood Hunter asked the gods, “Did I fail them? Was this all for nothing?”
He knew that he needed medical attention, but it was too late. Hunter's breathing was ragged, and he clutched his side where a deep gash oozed blood. He looked up at Goliath with terror in his eyes. The spider robot's glowing eyes shone like a beacon in the darkness, casting eerie shadows across the battlefield. Hunter’s will snapped and he fell to the ground.
“I did my best, my friends would be proud,” he sputtered.
"No, you're not done for," Goliath growled. "We have to go. Now."
Hunter hesitated for a moment, "we going?"
Goliath cast his beam of light around the field, revealing a hundred Iron Spiders of all shapes and configurations.
"The hedge," Goliath ordered the other, his voice full of urgency. "We can lose them there."
Hunter shook his head, more pain racked his body. "I can't keep up. Just go. Leave them."
Goliath's mandibles clacked together in frustration. "I'm not leaving you behind. If I leave your friends they might die!"
The sound of heavy footsteps grew louder, and Goliath's eyes glowed brighter. "Good, get Nightmare here now, or one of the smiths. We will need them."
The pain was too much to bear. Hunter closed his eyes, and with one final, defiant howl, he felt his failure. He roared his last prayer, "Someone, please save my friends."
Goliath's light spell flickered and wavered, casting strange shadows that danced and writhed like living things. A pair of spiders followed Goliath's orders. After that moment, he succumbed to the darkness that was closing in around him. Hunter drew his last breath.