by TJ Reynolds
The other was tucked up into a narrow valley.
He expected the houses to look different, and though he only spotted them from two hundred strides away, Kai noted thatched roofs and squat, stone structures. If anything, the village seemed like a moderately improved version of Mindonne.
I think we should break for another meal, Ban, Kai said at last.
His stomach growled and his body ached from enduring the odd side-to-side trotting of Ban’s champion. The Earth Core, while normally not subjected to hunger, was forcing his minions on at a goodly pace.
Confirming his suspicions, Ban agreed with much enthusiasm. I could eat a half dozen swine. Think we can find any?
Normally, an Earth Core’s minions, even their champion, fed off of the ambient ether within its dungeon. After leaving, however, the creatures had to survive on more mundane methods.
Kai stood up in the saddle and peered around. Empty grasslands stretched out for endless miles to the east. The mountains stood to the west, their craggy outcroppings promising a dangerous hunt. But due north, Kai spotted a depression in the land, running between two large hills.
Keep going, my friend. I think there’s a valley ahead, or if we’re lucky, a river. Swine drink as much as any other beast. Might be our best shot.
The powerful legs of Ban’s champion exploded with renewed vigor.
Kai laughed, falling down into the saddle only just in time to avoid losing his seat.
Twenty minutes later, and he could see over the lip of the nearest hill. The pines grew densely, clustering around the center of the ravine. And sure enough, babbling down its middle, was a stream as lively and cheerful as any he’d seen before.
Let’s slow down a bit, Ban. We don’t know what beasts or people might be hidden by those trees.
Yet as they approached, no signs of civilization showed themselves, and only birds and squirrels could be readily seen.
Ban grumbled, his hunger ruining his normally amiable mood.
But Kai was still hopeful.
When he could hear the water rushing, Kai dismounted and removed his glaive. Then he strode closer to the stream.
What he found there made his heart soar.
“Fish, Ban! Big ones too!” he called aloud.
They found a gap in the wood line big enough to accommodate the houndzard, and then Ban too could witness the glory of the fish run. Trout or salmon of some kind, all longer than Kai’s forearm, stole up the twists and turns of the small river.
Having no bow, and suspecting that Ban would make for a terrible fisherman, Kai tramped out into the stream, glaive in hand.
It took him several tries, but he managed to catch a fat fish on the hook at the back of his glaive. The sharp metal carved easily through the creature’s flesh and held it there while it jittered.
Kai twisted the glaive and flicked it toward Ban.
The fish tumbled end over end and flopped on the bank.
Ban devoured it whole.
It wasn’t hard for Kai to imagine his friend’s discomfort. He’d gone hungry more than once in his life, and Ban was inexperienced with his body. The pangs the Earth Core felt might very well have seemed amplified.
So, with great patience, Kai fed his companion.
Still, an hour passed, and Kai had only retrieved ten fish.
I hate to be the one to complain, Kai, but at this rate my hunger grows faster than it’s fed. Get another for yourself and let’s be on our way. I’m sure I can find some game before the day is out.
Kai squinted, watching the progression of an especially large fish as it swam toward him. It paused a moment at the base of the tiny waterfall that had served Kai so faithfully. Then, like the others before it, the fish raced up, tossing its body out of the water and flapping up the stream.
His glaive darted out and he hooked the creature. Not a bad plan, he admitted after tossing his last catch to the shore. Let’s keep moving north in hopes we can spot some deer or a fat pig like you’ve been craving. I can smoke this fellow here tonight when we camp.
Kai dispatched the fish with a hard knock to the head before wrapping it in cedar fronds and storing it in his baggage.
Glancing up at the sky, Kai guessed they had five hours of daylight left. Probably less considering the mountains. They’ll cheat us of an hour of sunlight for certain.
There was little else to do other than carry on.
Ban took them across the river and over the adjoining hill. Little but a few crops of trees greeted them, but Kai was nonetheless optimistic.
They traveled at a moderate pace, both now conscious of Ban’s increasing hunger. His champion was twice the weight of a normal horse, and that kind of body required serious sustenance.
Too bad you can’t eat grass like Honor. We’ll need to get you to consume the body of a horse when your dungeon is rebuilt, Kai suggested in hopes of keeping the party’s spirits high. Then you can create a hybrid horse champion that can eat practically anything!
A splendid idea, Kai. While we’re on the topic, I do hope we can find somewhere more secure than my last dungeon. It was a convenient place for a diplomat, out of the way yet near the border. Yorick simply hadn’t considered security much of an issue.
Kai fell back into his own thoughts again, recalling how closely they’d all come to defeat before their adventure had properly begun.
He still felt guilty over not having been there to defend his Earth Core’s dungeon. Ban would always be there for him, but Kai had been deep in Imogen’s dungeon when the band of soldiers had pushed Ban’s limits.
A trumpet reverberated off the distant slopes of the mountains, interrupting Kai’s thoughts.
Ban halted, and the two held still. There it was again, a trumpeting noise that sounded more organic than an instrument.
What do you suppose that was? Kai asked.
No idea, but I am thrilled to find out. Shouldn’t be far out of our way.
Turning toward the mountains slightly, Ban raced off to find the source of the odd noise.
The further they got, the louder the calls became until Kai was quite certain some beast was making them. It reminded him of a male deer calling for mates. He’d heard them in rut near his uncle’s house often enough to associate the noise.
Yet this surpassed anything imaginable.
It was loud enough to travel miles!
Finally, they emerged from a thicket of trees and came upon a sprawling wetland. Some river, or perhaps a series of underground springs, had flooded the grass, making it soggy in places.
Large pools of tepid water dotted the horizon, and standing among them was a herd of remarkable creatures.
Kai clutched the pommel of his saddle as Ban came to a sudden halt. The muscles under his leathery hide rippled in anticipation. That is dinner, Kai. I promise you, I will eat one.
Are you sure you can finish it though? Kai asked, regarding the animals’ impressive size.
The group clustered together a half mile away, all surrounding an alpha. They looked like deer had they been paired with warhorses and doubled again in size.
The beasts were too far away to examine with his Etheric Interface, so Kai urged his excited friend to move in a little closer. See that cluster of trees along that ridge? Skirt around behind there. We might be able to get close enough for you to bring one down.
Ban promised Kai his champion stood more than a fair chance in combat, but nevertheless did as Kai had suggested.
It took another ten minutes until they were in position.
Kai dismounted and retrieved his glaive. Then the two observed the group of animals for a time.
They had barrel chests, and their forelegs were thicker and stronger than their hindquarters. Their hides were the color of tree sap illuminated by a mote of sunlight.
More impressive was the set of horns they wore. Three horns crowned their flat skulls. The smaller creatures had simple pronged horns that curved backward slightly.
The leader of th
e group, however, had horns that cork-screwed outwards. It would have been a silly sight had the monster not weighed more than a thousand pounds.
How do you want to do this, friend? We can head out together from separate points and try to pin in the group. Or I can attack from atop your back, though that makes me nervous. I’ve never fought mounted before.
Don’t worry about me, Ban assured him. I will have a polite conversation with that one over there.
The champion lifted one of his huge forepaws and pointed at the alpha with a claw.
Kai shook his head. I don’t know, Ban. That beast is huge. Are you sure you can best it?
Ban growled, giving ample warning that Kai let the issue drop. If his companion wished for a challenge, then he could have one.
Very well. No need to be cross. Here, Kai said placatingly, let me remove our baggage and saddle so you can fight unimpaired.
Ban stood silent as Kai unfastened the straps and made a neat pile with their gear. Then he smacked the big oaf on his flank and whispered a cheer of encouragement.
Have at it, my friend. And if that thing gives you a drubbing, just remember that I offered to help.
6
Wolves, Or Something Like Them
Kai
So it was that Ban’s stone houndzard champion slunk out of the tree line and into the nearest pool. It wasn’t deep but covered three quarters of Ban’s body. By the time he emerged from the water, Ban was less than a hundred feet from the herd.
The sheer power and magnitude of the beast his Earth Core had designed dawned on him. With the compact body and muscular frame of a hound, the creature’s claws, hide, and serrated mouth spoke only of its reptilian ancestry.
This champion was special for another reason as well. It had been the first to undergo Metamorphosis.
A little like ascending one’s core, Kai mused, recalling how the champion had almost doubled in size. Long, deadly horns had grown from its skull as well, and its claws and fangs had likewise benefitted from the transformation.
Despite Ban’s every advantage, Kai still worried for his safety.
The grassland beast they faced must have weighed more than a bull. An insect landed on its flank, sending a chain of rippling muscle into motion.
Kai inspected the alpha, hoping to get some idea as to what Ban was pitting himself up against.
Elekine Alpha
Mega Fauna
Golden 1
Kai nearly choked. Ban! It’s Golden ascended. Be careful!
No response came back, and Kai was forced to trust his friend more than ever. Thinking Ban might need a little support, though, Kai moved through the trees until he was fifty feet to one side of the impending battle. Then he emerged, finding a row of thin bushes to partially conceal himself.
The alpha spotted Ban shortly after.
It trumpeted again, using a different note than before.
The females and juveniles scattered.
Ban lifted up on his legs, his champion’s body puffing up to challenge the alpha. In response, the elekine lowered its head and trumpeted once more. Kai remained nervous for the well-being of his companion, but his reservations were drowned by a primal thrill.
How often does one get a chance to watch two behemoths like this battle it out? I fancy myself the luckiest man in Hintar at the moment.
Kai moved to the edge of a small, grassy bank that ringed the edge of the pool. He hunkered down there, head peeking above, and witnessed the merging of the two beasts. He fancied they were great warriors in an arena, set to fight in a death match.
Ban growled, striding closer, one splashing step at a time.
The distance separating the warriors shrank.
When Ban was only fifteen feet away, the elekine charged.
Kai chewed his lip, focusing on the chaotic tangle of horns the alpha aimed at Ban.
Rather than wait to be mauled, Ban thankfully acted to defend himself. A shimmer of white light danced over the houndzard’s torso, a sign Ban was using a skill. Then, in a move Kai couldn’t have imagined, and that made him thankful he’d removed their baggage, Ban rolled to the side.
That must be Reptilian Roll, Kai commented, riveted by the epic battle.
The houndzard’s bulky body splashed away just in time to let the elekine pass. Both spun about to attack the other, but Ban’s champion was made for such agile movements.
He turned faster than the alpha and lunged, sinking his teeth into its neck.
The elekine trumpeted in pain and rage, then thrashed its head side to side. Its horns scraped huge gashes down Ban’s shoulder, and hot blood poured into the pool.
Ban pushed with his powerful legs and unbalanced the alpha, securing his hold on the creature by sinking his claws about its chest and ribs.
Kai thought the fight might be over but the elekine’s body convulsed. Then, ignoring the tearing of its flesh, the Alpha twisted away from Ban.
Blood coated its amber fur, making the once-captivating beast more of a monster.
Ban pursued, but the elekine managed to turn round fast enough to bring its horns to bear. An aura of ether surrounded its twisting horns. Rather than charge, it held its position, waiting for Ban to attack.
In response, Ban lit up with the pure white of Lumen once more.
Then Beam Roar triggered, a ball of fiery light exploding from the stone houndzard’s mouth, blasting the elekine in its forehead.
Surprisingly, the creature didn’t explode, didn’t even fall dead. But it was dazed, and the skill it had activated faded.
Ban became a blur of limbs and scales.
In moments, he’d toppled the elekine into the water and was tearing out its throat with his hungry mouth.
The elekine was dead in moments, and Kai watched as his normally polite companion devoured his hard-earned meal.
Kai walked around the edge of the pool to get closer, then sat down and waited. Ban had been starving, so Kai was patient. He sat and rested, and then, when he got bored of hearing bone and flesh being torn with ease, he stood and practiced with his glaive.
He was halfway through the first set of motions when he heard the rattle of a growl.
It was far too close for comfort.
Kai’s glaive flashed as he reacted to the growl.
When he spun, he beheld a pack of beasts closing in around them. He couldn’t tell what they were, some terrible cross between a wolf and a puma perhaps, but their intentions were clear.
Ban pulled his head out from the inside of the elekine and hissed. Blood sprayed from his reptilian head, spattering the pool around him.
As Kai prepared a spell, he inspected the animals.
Lesser Fenrir Hunter
Pack Predator
Amber 3
At least they are a little less powerful than the elekine was, Kai considered, forcing his mind to consider the possibilities of the fight.
He could play it safe and work his glaive effectively, but he knew Ban would be in danger with so many blind spots along his long body. If he expended his spells too quickly, then they would be vulnerable to a counter attack.
Knowing he’d need to cast a couple healing spells as well, Kai decided to balance his ether usage.
He could always adapt and lay in if things got nasty.
The creatures attacked.
Kai reacted on instinct, holding his hand out to the nearest of the bunch, and he called upon his newest spell.
Flame Spear shuddered out from his core, rattling his ribs and rippling down his shoulder and arm with tremendous force. More than twice the power of Flame Dart, the spell erupted from Kai’s gauntlet.
The ether took on the shape of a spear, broad-headed and deadly. For the briefest instant, the beast recognized its danger, but then the bolt of power struck it square in the chest.
Rather than simply scorch the creature, the Flame Spear cleaved through its body, leaving a gaping hole where once a sternum had been.
Without even a whimper,
the first of their attackers fell dead.
The others were not so easily dispatched.
Kai backpedaled toward Ban, slashing out side to side with his glaive. He managed to buy them both a little space. Though none of the others were foolish enough to be caught by his attacks.
A snapping of fangs made Kai steal a glance over his shoulder. More of the creatures had flanked them.
At least a dozen attacked from behind, matching the number who’d first closed in on them.
This is not a time for hesitation, Kai chided himself. Knowing he didn’t have the luxury of a longer casting time, Kai relied on Flame Spear. He fired off five bolts of burning red energy, each cutting down a beast.
Several of the creatures swarmed Ban, sinking vile fangs into his thick hide. The champion activated his rolling technique again and crushed four more with his immense body.
Kai spun round, finishing two that hadn’t died in the rolling attack.
He contemplated using more ether with his Flame Spear, but it burned through his stores so rapidly it scared him. Already, he’d expended 60 AE.
So, he fought defensively, gaining a few grazing hits on the beasts aggressive enough to push him.
Perhaps sensing their advantage was dwindling, the beasts moved in for one more offensive.
Kai managed to keep the three that pestered him at bay, but he could hear Ban struggling with the others. Swinging his glaive wildly, Kai forced the three back a few paces before turning to buy Ban some breathing room with another round of spell craft.
But as he did so, Ban jumped back and held his tail aloft. The powerful appendage lit up with ether and Ban called upon Tail Whip.
The tail struck five of the beasts, splitting their hides apart with great force. It sounded like a leather whip cracking bones, and Kai supposed that was just what it was.
The pack wheeled away in defeat, two more of their kind writhing in death throes.
