by Aaron Oster
“What in the bloody hells is going on up here?” Aardvark’s voice rang out, sounding even above the alarms as panicked gnomes rushed about to gather their weapons.
“An attack, sir!” one of the other guards yelled. “An entire pack of Plague Wolves has breached the Dome!”
Pinto could see the commander now, striding across the walkway toward her position and staring out over the now well-lit space between the Dome and wall.
“Those aren’t just any old Plague Wolves!” Aardvark yelled, rounding on the hapless guard. “Those are Brutal-Plague Wolves.”
“Is there a difference, sir?” the gnome squeaked, the terror clear on his face.
“Yes, you idiot! This subspecies is ten times more dangerous than the regular Plague Wolves! Fifty lashes when this is all over, for poor intelligence and gross negligence!”
“But, sir,” the gnome continued.
“No but’s!” Aardvark roared in his face, all but showering him with spittle. “Get to your post and prepare to engage!”
The gnome disappeared so quickly that Pinto had to wonder if he had teleported, but when Aardvark turned and found her watching, she suddenly wished that she hadn’t waited around to do so.
“You!” the commander yelled, making Pinto’s heart drop to her stomach.
“Yes, sir?” she asked, standing stiff and saluting as he approached.
“Why the hell are you just standing around?” he roared.
Pinto desperately wracked her brain for a good enough excuse, but at that moment, she saw something else breach the barrier.
“I was…waiting, sir,” she said quickly, trying to stop her eyes from popping out of her skull.
“Waiting?!” Aardvark screamed. “What the hell for!?”
“That,” Pinto said, raising a trembling hand and pointing over the commander’s shoulder.
Aardvark whirled in place, and like her, froze at the sight of the monster breaking through the Dome.
It was massive. It was nearly twice as large as the rest of the wolves, and unlike their dark, black fur, its fur was a stark gray-white. Eyes the color of blood burned deep in its skull, and two sets of oversized fangs protruded from its upper and lower jaws. The scruff around its neck bristled outward, jagged obsidian shards interspersed with the fur.
They glowed with dark power and expelled a dark fog that would kill any who breathed it in for too long. This beast looked directly at the wall, then pointed its nose to the sky and unleashed a blood-curdling howl. It reverberated in Pinto’s chest and made her wish she were anywhere but here.
“An Alpha!” Aardvark whispered hoarsely before whirling on her. “How the hell did you know an Alpha would be coming?” he demanded.
“I couldn’t be sure, sir,” she said quickly. “But with a pack this large, one that would so brazenly ignore the Dome, the chances were high that one was leading them.”
Truthfully, it had been a stroke of luck on her part that an Alpha had even shown up. They were an exceedingly rare subspecies of Brutal-Plague Wolf that was only seen leading one in every hundred or so packs. She’d had no idea whether or not one was going to come, but making her commander think she’d been paranoid enough to see this coming could only be a good thing.
Of course, there was every chance that they would all be killed by the invading wolves, especially seeing as an Alpha was leading them. But, on the off chance they survived, she wanted to avoid a whipping.
Aardvark was nodding along with her explanation, looking – for once – pleased with one of his subordinates.
“That was some shrewd thinking on your part, um…?”
“Pinto,” she said quickly.
He grunted.
“You will be my second-in-command in this raid, seeing as you were able to correctly anticipate the appearance of such a dangerous beast. If we make it through this and you do well, we will have to see about a promotion.”
Pinto resisted the urge to grin, instead, saluting smartly then turning to run toward the nearest group, already imagining how much better life would be once she got her promotion. She was still imagining her promotion when the wolf leaped onto the wall and proceeded to rip her in half, leaving a single leg to fall to the ground below.
“Well, shit,” Aardvark muttered, right before a pair of massive jaws snapped down around his torso.
39
Morgan stuck low beneath the belly of one of the smaller wolves as it ran for the walls, glad that he’d run into this pack so quickly. He’d noticed these beasts wandering all over the Brutal Bayou during his flight. The packs seemed to be ranked between the high 30’s and low 40’s, with the occasional beast near 50.
He hadn’t been sure how difficult it would be to get them through the dome, as everything seemed to avoid the area, but he’d really lucked out with this pack. When he’d first come upon them, he’d thought he’d have to have them chase him until they reached the dome, then kill a few of them and send them toward the wall for an easier meal while using them as cover.
That was, until he’d found the Alpha. This was a beast he’d never seen before, and, unlike the Intermediate Brutal-Plague Wolves, this Advanced Beast seemed to have a good deal of intelligence.
It was just over rank 60, and when Morgan had approached, it hadn’t run nor acted aggressively. Shockingly enough, it had lowered its head, and when Morgan reached out to touch it, he was able to communicate with him, just as he had with Lumia. Although, this beast communicated more with sensations and scents than actual words.
The beast had been curious about what he was doing in their lands, and Morgan had simply told him the truth. He needed to get over a wall and wanted their help. The wolf had wanted to know how his pack could benefit from helping him, and when Morgan had shown him the wall full of defenseless creatures just waiting to be eaten, he’d agreed.
As he traveled along beneath the wolf, Morgan had to wonder at just how many of these more intelligent beasts there were — beasts who could communicate and wouldn’t attack on sight. He’d thought that Lumia was completely unique, a once in a lifetime fluke that he’d just happened to come across, but the Alpha wolf had shown him otherwise.
When this was all over, Morgan decided that he would start looking into this a bit more and try to discover more of the intelligent beasts who were willing to talk. He’d come across several intelligent beasts – the Pinnacle Kings, for example – but they had all been hostile. Perhaps there was a way to get some beasts on their side.
Just seeing what this pack was doing right now, leaping onto thirty-foot walls and tearing guards to pieces, was more than enough to show him what was possible. He could imagine what an army of creatures like this could do.
Or perhaps he could even create a place for beasts where they wouldn’t need to be hunted.
Morgan paused for a moment, realizing that that thought hadn’t been his own. It had come from the Beast King, of all people — a creature that lived on blood and destruction.
He shook himself, throwing off the influence of the monster that lived within, and focused on getting over the walls without being seen. He could think about the implications of raising an entire society of beasts later. For now, he had other things to worry about.
The wolf sped up, now breaking out into a full run as it made for the wall. He could hear it panting, saliva dripping from its open mouth as they neared the wall, and the air became thick with the smell of blood.
He gathered himself, then jumped, traveling along with the wolf as it mounted the wall. He landed lightly, remaining hidden as the wolf turned and began attacking the gnomes standing nearest him. This was his best chance to make it through, but he took a second to turn, looking back at the Alpha who was slowly approaching the wall.
Their eyes met, and the massive wolf inclined his massive head. His pack had been hungry, and Morgan had shown them that they didn’t have to be afraid of the magic barrier, and they could pass through without being hurt. Morgan nodded back, then sprang
from the wall. His knees flexed as he landed, absorbing the impact and leaving a slight imprint on the ground, before he used his Maximum Increase skill and took off at a sprint, leaving the dead and dying to be eaten by the wolves.
***
Stone collapsed before him, falling in sheets to the ground and turning to molten slag. The sheer heat radiating from the massive Elder Dragon’s scales turned all around him to a glowing cherry red. Breaker breathed out, unleashing a torrent of red-tinged black fire, burning away at the narrow tunnels which were slowing him to a crawl.
He growled in annoyance as he snapped his jaws shut, watching more of the stone melt away and leave just a little more space for him to squeeze through.
When he’d first awoken and begun his journey, he’d never imagined it would take this long. Although the initial tunnel he’d dug out was still there, a new series of tunnels had been formed, spanning miles upon miles beneath the mountain and preventing him from simply leaving.
The tunnels were barely large enough for him to squeeze through, and although he was powerful, even he didn’t want to risk bringing the mountain down on top of himself. Digging out of something like that would take years, so he was moving slowly and carefully, going one step at a time.
The massive dragon’s eyes swiveled to his left, where he saw a much smaller beast wandering one of the adjoining tunnels. It didn’t dare come near him, of course, and it would be too insignificant a meal for him to make any effort to go after it. Still, the sheer audacity of the beast made him bristle. There was a time when his mere name would send beasts running into the holes for miles around.
Clearly, he’d been asleep too long, and now, the beasts had forgotten the threat he’d once posed. But that would be swiftly rectified once he was back in the outside world. His nostrils flared as he inhaled, scenting both gods and something else.
He paused for a moment, noting the small increase in power coming from the direction of the gnomish homeland.
He’d noted that same scent before, as it had lingered in his cavern when he’d first arisen. A king of beasts, to be sure, but one who still posed little to no threat. Still, after the Convergence, he would make sure to eliminate him. A potential threat was best taken care of before it could become a problem. For now, though, his real enemies were his other rivals.
Strangler was already awake; that much was obvious. She had always been the devious one, sneaking around with her little Cult and trying to manipulate the weaker races into doing her bidding. Breaker, on the other hand, had a more pragmatic approach. People were food, nothing more.
Of course, it wasn’t just her he needed to worry about. He’d been hoping that the others would just remain as they were, but he could sense another of them stirring as well. Someone had been causing disturbances near the Well where Quaker was sleeping, and from the fluctuations he could feel through the earth, he could tell the massive badger was going to be awake soon.
The only one who was still dormant was Ripper, and if there was anyone Breaker hoped would remain asleep, it was her. Of all of them, she was definitely the most vicious. But worse than that, he could never figure out what her goals were. He didn’t know what she wanted, and when someone’s motivations were unknown, their actions could not be predicted.
Breaker opened his mouth again, unleashing a torrent of fire and melting more stone, expelling more heat from his body to keep it in liquid form as he waded forward through the river of magma he’d created in the process.
Thinking about Ripper was tensing him up, and a good, hot magma bath was just what his scales needed. Perhaps he would take a little break and just lay down for a bit.
Yes, he decided. Taking a day or two to clean the dust and dirt from between his scales was exactly what he needed. The Convergence wasn’t happening for a few weeks yet, so he still had plenty of time.
***
“Where are they? Why have they not answered my summons?”
Valia felt her entire body tremble as she stared into the massive slitted golden eye of the World Beast, Strangler.
They were deep underground in the underwater cave that the World Beast had occupied for quite some time. Traveling down here was difficult at the best of times, but coming down to deliver bad news had made the experience deeply unpleasant, especially since Valia now feared for her life.
“We d-don’t know,” she said, finding herself unable to tear her gaze from that of the World Beast’s.
Her eye was just so massive and beautiful. It was so large that it seemed to fill the entire room, towering well over ten feet and glowing so brightly that there was no need for a torch, even down here.
“So, you came all the way down here to tell me that you don’t know why my most loyal followers have yet to make their appearance?” Strangler hissed, her sibilant tones sending chills racing down Valia’s spine.
Valia knew why she was the one sent down here. The others didn’t get along with her, so she’d been sent down to deliver this message because they hoped that Strangler would kill her.
“Yes?” Valia squeaked.
A long hiss rattled the entire cavern as Strangler’s eye narrowed, the slitted pupil contracting to a near-straight line. Valia wanted to take a step back but found herself unable to so much as twitch beneath the serpent’s petrifying gaze. She’d heard of this, of course, though she’d never believed the rumors.
After all, how could someone be stopped from moving with just a simple glare?
She was quickly discovering that every horrible thing she’d been told about Strangler was true, and Valia suddenly wished that she’d made more of an effort to get along with the others in the Cult.
A burning pain began in her stomach then, and although she couldn’t look down, Valia could see the green smoke wafting up before her eyes. Then, she began to scream as her body burned away from the inside out. It was a slow and excruciating process, taking place over the course of a full five minutes.
When her skeleton eventually clattered to the ground, the bones had been dyed a deep acidic green, leaving nothing else behind.
Strangler let out another hiss of annoyance, then extended her mind upward to where she could sense a clutch of her followers waiting for her. Despite what those arrogant elves thought, she knew why this woman had been sent down here. They’d been hoping she would do exactly as she had, but their joy would be short-lived.
No one used her for their bidding. She was the master here, and they were the servants. Their skeletons would be a lesson to all who thought to try and pull something like this again.
When their pained screams began, Strangler just smiled, her massive tongue flicking out and tasting their terror. Even from down here, over a mile below the surface of the ocean, she could still taste it, and it was as sweet as ever.
40
Grace rubbed at her eyes as Lumia began their descent, gliding at a shallow angle toward the ground several hundred feet below.
City One loomed in the distance, its massive walls now crumbling and the streets overrun with powerful beasts. Even from up here, she could see them — the packs of roaming creatures, wandering through the remains of the destroyed city and looking for any bodies that might still be there, even after all this time.
Of course, according to Nathan, there were no bodies, as Octagon the Bitter had claimed them all, marching them into what was now the new capital, Pinnaclefall. Still, it seemed that no one had told the beasts, as they were wandering the streets and refused to leave, even after all this time.
Flying with Nathan over the past few days had hardly been pleasant, but now that they were here, their time together would hopefully soon be ending. After they got the scrolls, Nathan would use one to get them back to City Six. Then, he’d transport his forces to the South Kingdom, where the others were hopefully still alright.
They couldn’t exactly fly into the city, as the beasts would likely knock Lumia out of the sky and bring far too much attention down on them. So, they’d be enteri
ng through a wall and using Grace’s Echolocation to keep them away from the wandering packs of beasts that were looking for something to snack on.
There was a low bank of fog hanging over the early-morning sky and making it appear even more overcast as a result.
“It’s probably the best weather we could have hoped for,” Nathan said as he slid off Lumia’s back, landing lightly on the gravel and barely making a sound.
Grace was a lot less graceful – which was quite ironic, given her name. She more tumbled than slid, still managing to land on her feet but making quite a bit of noise as the gravel crunched beneath her boots.
If he was bothered by the noise, Nathan didn’t say anything. Not out of respect for her, but rather because Lumia had threatened to eat him if he didn’t leave Grace alone. Grace was perfectly fine with the drake sticking up for her and would gladly have welcomed Nathan’s demise. Sure, she would lose the commander of Garrison Blue, but she was sure someone else would take over for him.
Unfortunately, though, he’d been on his best behavior. He still shot dirty looks her way but never said anything out loud within earshot of the drake.
“Why exactly do you think this weather is best?” she asked as Lumia shrunk down to the size of a cat, and Grace bent down to lift the exhausted beast onto her shoulder.
“Because at night, the beasts would have the advantage,” Nathan said, stretching his arms high overhead. “A clear day would give them good visibility too. But in fog like this, we have the advantage.”
“If you say so,” Grace replied with a shrug.
