"This feels like an incredibly uninspiring way to handle this." I bitterly exclaimed to the group standing around the battle plans Korbin and Cassi had drawn up last night in the Pylon building. Lonni, Korbin, Cassi, and Daryl all stood surrounding their oversized war table, now looking at me with concern. Well, except for Korbin, who was rolling his eyes as he answered.
"It's either we draw out their troops by the groups, dwindle their numbers, and siege when they're weaker, or we risk heavy losses, Tom." Korbin explained in a restrained voice.
"But do we really need to do that to take the Pylon? Why not just send our best after their leadership?" I asked, now more pleadingly than firmly against the plan.
"No, no we don't have to do it the smart way. But it's not about just winning a battle, Tom. We still have the rest of the tutorial to conquer, which we can't do without battle hardened troops, right? Not to mention the increased chance of losing one of our best warriors for absolutely no reason other than impatience." Korbin said, knowing damn well a part of me wanted to say otherwise.
Much of any success we'd enjoyed thus far had come off the backs of the few rather than the many thus far. But, in truth, a squad of 4-6 can't conquer the entire world. Not quicker than the many if they work together correctly anyway, especially with strong individuals at their side. It would just take time
Doesn't mean it wasn't boring as fuck.
"You're right. You're right, I apologize. So how are we gonna draw them out?" I asked, Cassi rubbing eyes at my question.
"We literally ju-…" Korbin had to take a l walk around the room for a second before explaining it to me. They were discussing it earlier but, the mention of 'cat and mouse game' pissed me off too much to listen.
"Okay, it's simple. You and Steve head out to their checkpoints leading to their settlement. Kill squads, burn structures, just fuck shit up. This will force King Nathaniel to send troops in retaliation, otherwise he'd appear weak to his own subjects. From what Daryl explained, and the bird dropping in with a message saying a squad of their soldiers will be heading here to check up on things, the King has a delicate reputation to uphold. We'll use it against him." Korbin explained through a toothy grin, looking thoroughly entertained at hearing his plan back over.
After wrapping up the meeting, I was just about to meet with Steve who was chilling under the shade of the perimeter wall near the entrance, when the sound of fighting at the front gate sent a rush of adrenaline through me. Having both sparred and fought my full the last few weeks, I could tell the difference. Sparring had far less battle cries and screaming citizens running for their lives after all.
Rushing past the final building down the main road leading to the settlement gate, a party of 5 tan armored battling it out with the recruits just inside of the settlement. Steve rounded the building across from us, quickly chomping down on the head of a shielded warrior bearing the same banner as yesterday's shoppers.
Me and Korbin didn't even have time to get there before Cassi flew in from out of a building window above the attackers, landing heel first into the neck of one and stomping hard. The soldier's head snapped back unnaturally far, the back of his head hitting his spine as he fell lifeless to the floor. The final three were simply overwhelmed by ur soldiers as the prior two were their only shielded warriors to mitigate the discrepancy in numbers.
Following the swift termination of two of our attackers and keeping one for interrogation, our soldiers cheered. Some of them had just had their first taste of battle, their shaky hands causing their blades to shiver as they hoisted them in the sky victoriously.
The citizens didn't look quite as pleased, clearly conflicted seeing their protectors of yesterday be their invaders of today. Of course, they all chose to stay here, and we promised to protect them. Not that their previous governing force wouldn't be upset. Cassi looked particularly pumped after the fight, clapping strong handshakes with all of the much shorter recruits.
"Dang Cass, looks like was just a scout group. You seem a little wired today?" I asked shuffling through the small group of utterly ecstatic recruits.
"Leveled up, baby! Level 4 down, one more before my class evolves." She proclaimed proudly. It was cool to see her power progressing alongside her form with every passing battle, especially considering how quickly she's picked up on her training.
"Fuck yeah, absolutely flying through to your first race evolution Cass?!" I said, high fiving her in support. The sooner she catches up, the sooner I have a new sparring buddy that can keep up with me. Other than the guy who taught me, who beats me every fucking time.
Steve needed a baby nap before heading out to pick on the King and his men. Daryl gave word the desert was peppered with ruins, what would've stood in their place was a mystery. Regardless, Nathaniel's men stationed at them periodically to scout their land and train recruits. Apparently, strong beasts resided around a few, which made the King assume there were items they protected as well. Not a bad assumption in truth, but reportedly it bore no fruit thus far.
The plan was to have Daryl lead us toward each nearest ruin he knew of, clearing out anything that resided. Cassi would have a squad of men trailing behind us, keeping out of view in case we needed to retreat with back up. The goal was to secure every single ruin until we reached the one nearest to Nathaniel's settlement about 5 miles east. Steve didn't hate the idea of enjoying little shade-breaks at the ruins. I neglected to tell him they hadn't found any tall enough for him to hide under, but I didn't have the heart to tell him.
Besides, we needed Steve, in case the full force of Nathaniel's army decides to full frontal charge. Sure we took 5 of their reported 60 soldiers, but these were not the words of their general, or even a soldier under Nathan. It was the merchant he employed to manage an entire settlement of merchants he didn't wanna spend resources funding.
In fact, from what Daryl shared as we left the first empty ruin site without any encounters, this Nathaniel guy sounded real greedy. He'd left the furthest Pylons from him essentially to fend for themselves, only assisting Darryl because his settlement was a collection of aspiring students pursuing a masters in business before the integration. They were ideal for crunching numbers, making their utility over multiple professions regarding sales invaluable.
You wouldn't think the pen pushers who'd never touched a weapon in their brief lives would thrive under such hostile and unforgiving circumstances the tournaments provided us all. Safe to say I was pleasantly surprised, and a glimpse of hope for a few family members shot through my chest at the revelation.
The first and second ruin sites were completely abandoned, bearing only the remains of whatever structures supposedly sat there. Reaching the second ruins site marked about a third the way to the Kings Pylon. The soldiers and Steve enjoyed a quick reprieve from the long uneventful hike at the ruins before we resumed marching on once more. However, not long after we set out did the familiar rumbles of the sand begin shaking under our feet.
Steve stuck his head fully into the sand in an attempt to chomp at the passing sand snake. If it's the exact same one as a few days ago, it must've held a grudge and followed us once it recovered. Before long the serpent emerged from under the sand, this time aiming its venom soaked needled tail toward Steve.
Steve dodged it without issue, continuing his wriggling evasion into a tail whip of his own into his fellow serpents jaw. The snakes head slammed into the sand, its body bouncing horizontally. Leaping into the air, blue and white energy flickered across my face blasting into its side with two Lightning Strike's. Its head frantically felt around reaching for the sand, however I refused to have a drawn out fight with this sand-rat.
My feet and knees had just landed on its body with both blades surging with lightning mana plunged deep into its body, when the snake began burrowing down into the sand. My muscles tightened hanging on for dear life as it tunneled through the dunes like a winding subway train. Its head was wide enough compared to its body for me not to get utterly pummeled by the endless sand around me, however my blades began cutting down the length of the snake's body.
Slowly I slid lower and lower, trying my hardest to keep my weapons embedded deep in its tissues hoping I could snag onto a muscle or an organ to wedge my blades on. After sliding 5 feet and creating two vertical gashes on its back, I decided the only way out of this situation was up.
Removing one blade, my arm slammed down hard stabbing my blade into the snake, creating a firmer hold. I repeated this process left to right up the length of the serpent as it twisted and winded beneath the sands. It took what felt like forever to finally reach the back of its neck.
Its digging patterns quickly progressed from winding and curving gently to utterly spiraling through the dunes depths throughout my desperate ascent up the length of its scaled skin. My blade was just about to pierce into its neck when a heavy vibration shook in the snakes neck, a terrible sensation accompanied. Without thinking, I lifted my knees to my chest and leapt from its body. My eyes locked onto the caverns of collapsing sand I was barreling into, regret engulfing my thoughts. Just as the walls of sand was about to collapse around me we emerged, the blinding sun rays hitting my face as I flew up from the desert depths.
Contorting my body back to brace for the fall, I spotted the needle tailed serpent ejecting from the sands. I noticed the snake's tail was embedded into its own neck, its face completely frozen as it crashed to the sands. Air escaped my chest with every bounce and roll across the desert landing 20 feet away. Luckily the 8 foot fall back to the earth wasn't nearly as bad as I'd imagined given the speed we were moving. Sprinting over to the sand snake, its tail was twitching in its neck, though its face was still stunned with its maw ajar and split tongue flopped out.
Not willing to risk seeing its ugly face again, I unleashed a flurry of stabs into its face until its features were little more than chunks and exposed bone before the ding finally sounded.
*Congratulations!* You have slain
->
(Desert Cobra [level 4])
Congratulations! You've leveled up your class.
(Storm Strider [Level 5])
->
(Storm Strider [Level 6])
+3 agility +3 endurance
+1 free point
*Congratulations!* You've leveled up your race.
(Human [H] level 5)
->
(Human [H] level 6)
+1 vitality +1 endurance
Fuck yeah.
Opening my stat sheet, I took a quick glance over my progress after dumping my free stat into willpower immediately. After all, having it lower than wisdom when my profession added to both equally just felt wrong. Especially if both stats would be key to my progress as a Beast-Tamer.
Reviewing my full stat list, I'd noticed how high my endurance and agility had gotten. Curious to check the repercussions from all the boosts to endurance, currently sitting at 42 after the class upgrade and armor boosts, I felt for my stamina resource pool and, well…it was no wonder I still felt ready to go after the fight with the snake.
Stamina: 313/432
Yeah, safe to say my stamina is insane. The armor and weapon I'd chose does wonders for boosting fit, as have my class upgrades. It just hadn't occurred to me to feel for it again in a while, yet this time it was like a clear image of the resource pool appeared when I closed behind my eyes. Whatever caused the improved ability to check my stamina, it felt earned. A sense of pride welled within me briefly.
The echoes of Lonni's deep voice shouting my name snapped me from my trance. I followed his calls until finally spotting our group, marching 60 yards away from me peaking over a dune hill.
"HEY!!" I yelled, waving my hands jogging over. They waved back finally spotting me, Steve absolutely bolting through the sand toward me, scooping me up onto his back with his tail.
"Next time you decide to follow a highly venomous snake underground, at least fucking tell me. We all started to think you were its lunch." He said, relief leaking through a forced angry tone and proving not even beasts could help being more honest through mentally communication.
"I'm sorry, I'll be sure to bring you with me next time buddy." I said, patting his scaly back as we quickly caught up with the our squad, Cassi shaking her head with a grin seeing my return.
"You're batshit crazy, you fuckin' know that?" Cassi said, though not sounding at all dissatisfied with my decision. The results spoke for itself.
"I take it we won't have to worry about that thing biting at our ankles anymore?" Korbin now asked.
"Nah, left him back there in a mangled mess. Took me for a fucking ride though, let me tell you." I said, the deafening crashing of sand and rock crashing all around me playing quietly in the back of my head still.
"It's just good to see you in one piece brotha'. You're most certainly fucking insane for doing that, though." Lonni added, laughing hardly as he finished. After a few more congratulatory slaps on the shoulder from the soldiers, we resumed our journey along the dry desert dunes. Walking ahead of the squad, Korbin couldn't help but be curious at how the fight went down.
"Well, after I clung on with my blades and it took off underground, I started sliding down it back cutting through its skin. I had to stab and climb my way up for what felt like forever. Then I got to its neck a-"
The memory of my stomach ache and involuntary leap played through my head.
How did I do that?
"…okay? Then what, you like Flow Strike it a bunch or something?" Korbin asked, eager for the next part of the story. However, his mention of the Flow Strike did help me remember a small window of second in which I felt it.
The sand snake's Flow was building up at its neck, sending an msssive vibration that flung down its body. Much like Steve's generous use of his tail in combat, the movement was familiar and easily recognizable. Still, it didn't really register with me until I was halfway through leaping off the snakes back, leaving its scorpion-like tail to stab into itself. It was just this damn gut, doing its random fucking aches again, with my bodies reflexes stepping in to save the day. At least I think it was, considering this stomach shit has been following me around since the tournament during my meetings with Gods. Except, there wasn't any apparent danger in their domains, at least not at the time.
"…I guess I read its Flow in its neck, and felt that its stinger was lunging at me from behind, so I jumped off. Thought I was gonna die being under the earth and all but, the snake was emerging just as I detached fortunately. The stinger ended up slamming into the back of its own neck, paralyzing itself." I said slowly, trying to understand it better myself talking it out.
"Fuck, Flow is such bullshit man. I suppose it always has been though. Is that how it died?" Korbin continued, not even blinking at the idea of Flow saving my ass. Maybe I shouldn't either.
"Nah, once it fell back to the sands, I diced it up until the death notification pinged. Even leveled up from fighting that damn thing." I said, now probably oversharing had it been someone less trustworthy. Then again, not many had the power to use the knowledge of my strengths and weaknesses against me.
"Oh shit! Perfect timing too, we're more than halfway there now." Korbin said, somehow having paid attention to the land markers he'd ordered to look for on the way. To me it was just a lot of the same tan sand and decrepit structures but, my mind was also elsewhere.
The last ruins site before the Pylon came into our view not long after resuming our trek. A patrol of 6 tan armored soldiers sat around the disheveled structure, apparently getting some rest on their watch. Korbin put his hand up, signaling for the squad to stop. We stood atop a dune, looking down onto the tired squad from roughly 80 feet away.
"Tom, you and Steve are the only ones who can get an angle fast enough to catch them off guard. Take a wide trip around them, where they're not looking." Korbin whispered, watching the lazy patrol chat it up casually.
"Steve, we're up buddy." I sent out, jogging back to meet Steve positioned at our flank. His snake body slithered up quickly, timing my jump with his approach sliding under my legs. We quickly departed north, hoping to get a wide bending angle behind the patrol. They were positioned all around the wall, however a few stood watch over a pair sleeping, apparently taking shifts.
After about a minute of speeding through the sands heading north, Steve angled back toward the ruins where the Kings patrol lay having their little break. Nearing close to patrol camp, Steve slowed his pace. Looking ahead, I noticed none of the guards were looking anywhere but west. They clutched their weapons peering frantically around the dunes with their hands above their eyes, as if they spotted something.
"Let me off, and go around the other side of the ruins. We'll pinch in on them." I messaged patting Steve's belly. Steve slithered away accordingly, allowing me to quietly dismount onto the sand and scamper around the remains of whatever these ruins were supposed to be. Turning the corner, the backs of two soldiers staring into the desert engulfed my vision.
Creeping low behind them against the ruins wall, feeling for the first time like a true rogue, my head popped around the corner to find the other four soldiers. Based on their uneasy discussions of a 'big dust cloud over there', and swearing that somethings out there, we may have slithered around them a little too fast and left a trail leading to our little army. Steve's Massive feathered head came poking around the other side of the ruins.
"Ready?" He asked. I nodded back.
"3, 2, 1" Steve's wings flapped hard propelling himself straight up into the air, lurching down onto the head of a patrolman as soon as I mentally said '1'. Steve whipped his thick skull across the crowd of soldiers, knocking over a few others with one still in his mouth. My blades crackled with energy as I sprinted toward the other soldiers, my twinblade separating at the hilts. One of them spotted my approach over their shoulder, swinging his sword wildly behind him. His steel slid along the length of my sheath, having not been able to discard them yet.
Angling my parry of his slash, my thumb smashed into the sheath release. His attack carried my sheath to the ground, leaving my blade fully brandished with his facing the sands. My freed blade slid smoothly into his throat. Spotting another soldiers pressing to engage over his shoulder, I smashed the second sheath release, flinging it into the soldiers face. His head recoiled causing him to puff out his stomach, leaving himself wide open for a Lightning Strike between his armors gaps. The energy dispersed sending a bright flash from within his armor.
Steve locked his jaws around another soldiers head, and was in the middle of slapping a third with his feathered tail across the desert when I'd engaged with the final patrolman remaining. His large great sword swung at an angled slash, headed for my collarbone. Water Stepping toward the his striking side, my wrist loosened making contact with the end of his steel blade. My arm jutted across my chest, like a hooking punch, sending the soldiers great sword away from my body.
The soldier stumbled forward head first having whiffed his attack. He finally tripped over his own feet with his back facing me, his head bent down. The killing blow was absolutely free for the taking. However, our last hostage didn't have a lick of useful information along trip here. Finding compromise, I wrapped my chains around his neck and boot pressed on his back. There wasn't enough pressure to choke, just enough for him to really feel it.
"Why are you guys out here?" I demanded.
"Waiting for you, fuckface." He sneered, struggling to breathe through the chains pressure. Lifting my foot from his back, my heel smashed into his nose from over his head, breaking it instantly with a loud crack. The idiot looked up, I was just trying to pop his forehead for being a smart-ass. Saving face feeling the crunch of his nose cartilage crushing under my heel, I pressed on.
"Let's try that again, why are you looking for us here? Shouldn't you be grouped together taking back your Pylons?" I asked him, hoping he holding out on me.
"Not my call. Boss just wanted to know when you're coming. Since none of our patrols have returned for the night, he's going to know." He said, sounding more defeated seeing the rest of my squad now caught up with us, walking toward him.
"Oh no, you're going back." Korbin said, squatting down in front of his beat-red face, his neck still locked within my chains under my boot.
"And you're gonna tell him we're coming. He better be ready. Oh and, Tom?" Korbin said, looking up at me.
"Yeah?"
"Have Steve give our buddy here a nibble, somewhere not important so he can get home to show it off." Korbin said, smiling as he looked deep into the soldiers eyes. While Korbin can't understand my serpent, Steve could hear, and slithered over to do just that, slowly sinking one fang into a Flow point on our captives shoulder.
The man screamed in pain as the fang pierced into his shoulder. His squirming wales were stunned when Steve's maw slapped shut rapidly on the same spot again. I looked at Steve, confused at the overkill.
"Didn't work when I did it slow. Just didn't feel right." Steve said nonchalantly. Fair enough in my opinion, though I'm not sure we needed to Flow Strike the poor guy. The soldiers arm hung completely limp, his eyes wide as he trembled staring up at Steve. Korbin nodded to me, and I released the man from my restraint on him.
He scrambled to his feet only to fall face first immediately after, crawling back on all fours before twisting around and beelining toward his settlement.
"Alright everyone, step one was a success. Time to double back toward the Pylon." Korbin said, calling out to his troops. His voice quieted pulling me to the side.
"You and Steve hangout over the dune we held up at, and keep an eye out for more soldiers. If Nathaniel sends a couple you can handle, by all means. If he goes all out and sends the house at you, hightail it back to the Pylon. Got it?" Korbin instructed in a serious tone.
I nodded in confirmation. Korbin jogged back to the front of our departing squad beside Cassi, leaving me and Steve to our devices. Steve and I set up shop just over the dune after retrieving my sheaths, where Steve took a play straight from the sand snakes playbook and dug a hole deep enough into the dune to make some shade.
"You know, it's dry as hell down here but, not that bad all things considered." Steve said, a pile of sand falling onto his snout causing him to sneeze.
"Fuck, I didn't know snakes could sneeze?" I said mentally while laughing aloud.
"That just has GOT be specist." Steve responded, shaking the remaining sand from his face. We spent the next hour in a half taking turns watching for patrols and hiding from the sun under the sand dune. The sun hung higher in the sky now, forcing Steve to clumsily burrow deeper into our little shade-cave, nearly collapsing it entirely in the process.
"Fuckin' careful Steve, you can't be wasting energy out here." I said, only realizing how nagging that sounded after the fact.
"Well I don't see you helpin' out. You got thumbs, asshole. I don't even have arms." Steve shot back.
"Switch me then, I'll dig our little tunnel for a while." I said, slowly sliding down into the 3 foot trench we'd gradually made during our short and sweaty tenure here. It was rapidly growing painfully boring, and the burning sun put an emphasis on 'painfully'.
After we switching stations and getting all settled into the trench, Steve peered over the dune and immediately messaged me mentally.
"Ugh, Tom? You might want to look at this." Steve said, tossing a clump of sand at the back of my head with his tail. Thoroughly pissedI had to shimmy up again, I quickly climbed up, thinking there better be a good reason he made me do this.
After peaking over the dunes spotting around 35 fully armored soldiers sprinting toward us, I figured he was probably a tiny bit justified.