Skree didn't waste any more time, the magical rage in his blood boiling over. He activated Cleave as he closed the distance, sweeping his blade in a wide arc, catching both soldiers completely unaware. His blade completely severed the first, the two halves of his body floating apart, his blade stopping halfway through the woman disciple. He wrenched his blade free with a sickening gurgle, both soldiers very dead.
A bolt of lightning arced through the air, hitting Skree with enough force to send him flying, the electricity causing his body to spasm uncontrollably. Kamilla whirled to face the mage standing a dozen paces away. She roared and let loose a ball of magma that streaked through the air, hitting the mage with a loud plop. The boiling stone clung to the lightly armored figure who began to flail wildly, trying to remove the hot liquid from his flesh with bare hands. The heat melted the skin from his bones, his hands bursting into flames as he struggled.
With a final gasp, the mage collapsed, smoking like her previous foes. She rushed over to Skree, who was picking himself up from the ground, shaking off the effects of the lightning spell. He checked his status bar, seeing that the attack had taken about 10% of his health, but thankfully, it only reduced his pool of temporary hit points, meaning he still had 130 percent of his normal hit points.
He scanned the room, spotting a small contingent of troops, four of the soldiers and one of the lightly armored Mages. One of the soldiers impaled a male Kobold who was making a desperate last stand to protect a clutch of younglings. The sight enraged him, refreshing the timer on his Rage of the Blue Stone Champion buff. He roared and ran forward, yelling for Zuka.
"Bring down the Mage, I will take the soldiers."
Zuka shot to the side and disappeared from sight. As Skree ran, he heard Kamilla chanting beside him, probably casting another devastating spell. He activated his Sunder ability, hoping he could destroy the armor of at least one of the soldiers. He raised his blade and just before he swung, flames enveloped his blade. Not even noticing in his rage, he let loose with the powerful attack, the blade severing the soldiers arm just below the shoulder.
The limb clattered to the floor and the battle was joined in earnest. The soldier with one arm fell away, holding his hideous stump and screaming in agony, the flames slowly taking hold of the man's flesh. Skree barely registered that his sword was ablaze then, but he did not slow. He attacked the nearest figure who avoided the blow by mere inches. The female soldier jabbed forward, her blade delivering a light slash to his upper arm. He saw that the glancing blow did not deal much damage, around 4% of his health vanishing. He hefted the blade with a savage strength born of his rage and delivered a strong upward slash, carving a ragged gash from her hip to her shoulder, cutting through her thick leather armor.
She wailed in agony as the blade cut tendons and muscle. Her sword clattered to the stone, her arm losing the ability to grasp it. Blood was pouring from her wound and Skree knew with certainty, she would not last much longer. He ducked under a swing that would have severed his head from his shoulders, the blade probably cutting several of the hairs on the back of his head. He rolled away just as Kamilla’s torrent of fire washed over his would-be executioner.
Kamilla channeled the flame from both hands, the heat washing over Skree, forcing him to shield his face. Her target cut and ran but the flames raced forward to reach him. He dropped to the floor, rolling around in the dirt to no avail. Skree saw it then, the mage with arms extended, about to cast a powerful spell, hands wreathed with radiant green energy.
"Look out Kamilla!" He screamed, watching as the mage moved his hands in her direction. The energy started to coalesce, becoming painfully bright. It was then that Zuka struck from the shadows, tackling the mage to the ground, the spell effect shattering into a shower of glittering lights as the spell was interrupted. Zuka viciously mauled the lightly armored figure, who struggled against the ferocious predator. Skree knew that Zuka was doing maximum damage, since he had recently purchased the piercing fangs talent. Light armor was ignored completely by Zuka's bite now.
The Mage continued to scream as Zuka tore into his arms and chest, blood coating the wolf’s fangs as he continued savaging the prone figure. He turned to see that the last soldier was running for his life, heading toward one of the many tunnels leading to the surface. Skree began casting Entangle, the spell was completed, and a tangle of vines erupted from the stone floor, enveloping the legs of his fleeing target. The soldier tumbled to the ground, the vines continuing to wrap around his arms and neck, pinning him in place.
Skree strode forward, deadly intent clear with every step. He drove the tip of his blade through the man's chest, killing him instantly. Kamilla appeared beside him, breathing heavily. She was drenched in sweat, the heat of her own flames apparently too much even for her. She spat at the dead soldier as the vines continued to writhe around the corpse.
"Too easy for him. His death was not painful enough." She said coldly, her words sending a chill down his spine. He had really misjudged Kamilla. He thought she was a simple priestess, someone who would spend her days praying and offering advice. It turned out she was one bad ass lizard wizard.
"Kamilla, have you seen Sawbones?" Skree asked worriedly.
Kamilla looked around and then pointed to a figure in the distance. "There, I can see his crown. Looks like Mother is with him."
Skree looked in the direction she was pointing and saw his friend, his best friend in the whole world letting loose with spell after spell into a formation of soldiers. Beside him was another familiar figure - Priestess, who was also firing bolts of flame into the crowd of soldiers.
"We have to protect the king!" He said, sprinting forward. He whistled and Zuka rushed to catch up. As they ran, Skree saw that the timer on his buff was about to expire, which was both good and bad. Good in the sense that he hadn’t witnessed any more Kobold deaths, bad because he was really going to need that extra strength to fight that many soldiers. He ran with all his might, his Great sword like a fiery beacon in the chaotic warren.
"For the Clan!" He yelled as he charged, hoping to rally as many Kobolds as he could. From one of the tunnels on the far side of the warren, a horde of warrior Kobolds charged into the area, spreading out and engaging pockets of enemy fighters. They were armed and armored, unlike most of the unfortunate Kobolds that had died so far.
"The Champion fights with us!" A Kobold at the front of the pack shouted and a cheer erupted. They whooped and hollered as they ran, looking to close the distance. It was then that the rage filled him again as a small group of mages let loose with a series of fireballs that landed amongst the warriors, detonating with devastating effect. Kobolds were blown to pieces, and others were flung across the room like rag dolls. His Rage buff had returned filling him with unbridled strength, but his heart shattered into a million pieces. Kamilla screamed in rage, quickly returning the favor with a volley of her own. The fireballs exploded but a shimmering blue dome flashed as the flames flowed around them, leaving them completely unharmed.
One of the three mages fell to his knees, drained by the power of Kamilla's attack.
"They have a freakin shield?" He asked confused.
"Some mages can manifest elemental shields to negate attacks of opposite elements. Protecting more than one person is extremely taxing though. Can I borrow Zuka?" She asked, patting the wolf on his shoulder, looking up at Skree.
Skree looked to Zuka, who barked excitedly. "Zuka, take care of Kamilla. I’m going to save the King."
He watched dumbstruck as Kamilla leapt onto Zuka's back, the small female fitting perfectly onto his shoulders. She entwined her fingers in his fur as Zuka shot forward toward the mages. Skree could only watch in amazement as she rode his companion like it was second nature, the two of them streaking across the warren. The mages fired bolts of ice in a steady stream but Zuka and Kamilla just weaved in and out of the barrage, leaping from stone to boulder to the raised area where the mages waited. They tried to scatter but Zuka pounced
on one from behind as Kamilla leapt from his back, her arms outstretched like a fiery angel.
She let loose a torrent of flame as she fell back to earth, the blue dome enveloped the dome in a brilliant column of flames. She marched steadily toward them, the flames never wavering. Skree just stood there like an idiot as she continued to unleash hellfire on the cowering mages. The shield began to dim, blinking a few times then with a silent pop, it disintegrated.
The flames rushed into the space where the dome had been, hungrily consuming the mages clothing, their screams easily heard from across the warren. Skree shook himself from his amazement and horror, rushing to help the king.
CHAPTER THIRTY
He pumped his legs, bounding across the distance like a gazelle thanks to his boosted strength. He dashed through the warren like a demon, his fiery sword trailing sparks through the air. He took in the chaos that was surrounding his dearest friend as the soldiers moved closer and closer, only Sawbones and Priestesses’ combined might were keeping them at bay. Occasional flashes of arcane energy arced over the attacking formation like artillery from a catapult, splashing against a barrier that Priestess would erect just before impact.
Despite their apparent power, the pair were being pushed back into a large opening where he suspected the less capable Kobolds were taking shelter. He could not think of another reason they would be defending that entrance, so he knew it must be important. As he closed the distance, he cast the spell bless, boosting all his stats by +3. It wasn't much but every little bit would help as this was going to be a very dangerous fight.
He tried to approximate the number of soldiers, counting roughly twenty men and women, plus a few mages further back from the formation. He reviewed his spell list, hoping for something he had could use, but it looked like his best bet was going to be his go-to crowd control spell. Once he had closed the distance, he unleashed Entangle centered on the large group. Vines broke through the stone, wrapping around arms and legs, sowing discord amongst the ranks as the soldiers struggled to break free.
He fired his new spell, Ice Dagger with his free hand, the projectile piercing the arm of one of the flailing men. He activated Cleve, feeling the power well within him. He swung with everything he had, the blade severing the arm of the first soldier in the destructive path, tearing a large gash across his chest as well. The massive flaming blade continued sailing through the air, the blade tearing a hot red streak through the off-balance soldiers.
The flames took hold, igniting bits of flesh and clothing under the armor as the soldiers wailed in pain. His Cleve ability continued, impacting a fourth soldier in the upper thigh, the flaming sword burying itself to the bone. He ripped it free with effort, not noticing the counter attack from a nearby soldier. A sword dug into his side, pain tearing through his entire body. He reflexively dove away, the blade tearing free from his side leaving a massive gash in his abdomen. He staggered back, thankful that his attacker was still firmly entangled in his spell giving him enough time to recover.
He cast Minor Restoration, smiling with vile intent as the bleeding stopped and the flesh began knitting back together. He checked his Health and saw that he was at 88%. The amount of damage shocked him. He had taken nearly 40% of his total health, the critical strike even consuming the rest of his temporary hit points. His health was regenerating now that he was under the effects of Minor Restoration.
A powerful bolt of lightning tore through several of the soldiers, many convulsing due to the paralytic effect of the electricity. Skree glanced over his should seeking the source. Sawbones was channeling the powerful magic, as Priestess held the protective shield in place. Several of the wounded soldiers had died from the attack, collapsing into the vines. He used the opportunity to cast another new spell, Minor Lizard Skin. A very intense itching sensation covered his entire body from head to toe. He watched as tiny scales grew from his flesh. He ran his hand through his hair, scratching at his scalp realizing that even his head was covered in scales.
No time to be amazed or find a mirror, he cast Ice Missile again, this time catching one of the soldiers in the stomach, the shiny blade nearly disappearing into the flesh. He glanced at the timer, seeing that entangle had just a few second remaining. He activated his ability Sunder, swinging his oversized blade in a downward arc. It crashed into a large man wearing thick plated armor, the force of striking heavy armor stinging his palms, the rebound nearly knocking the blade from his hands. Fortunately, sunder had done its work, shattering a huge section of the armor, leaving cracks spreading through what remained.
The armored soldier regained his balance as the entangle spell ended, the vines crumbling to dust. His foe lurched forward, bringing his massive axe up in a deadly swing. Skree jumped back barely avoiding the blow. He stumbled, falling onto his ass. He scooted backward trying to put what distance he could between them. The man raised his axe, swinging the savage weapon with all his might. Skree held his great sword up, blocking the attack but losing his grip on the great sword as it was knocked from his hands. He scrambled to regain his footing, but the man was faster, the axe sweeping his leg out from under him, carving a deep rent in his calf.
He landed with a thump, air rushing from his lungs. He gasped trying to catch his breath, weakly rolling away as the massive axe shattered the stone inches from his head. Skree scurried backward until he collided with a large boulder, trapping himself with little room to maneuver as the axe rose again. He closed his eyes, a deep regret filling him. He would die, unable to protect his adoptive clan. They would all die and it would be because he wasn’t strong enough. He opened his eyes, not willing to die a coward.
He would face his death with open eyes. The soldier smiled with pure malice as he raised the axe to deliver this finishing blow.
"SAMOLIN!" Came a cry from above Skree. He watched in fascination as Carver sailed through the air, twin daggers in hand. He landed on the large soldier, his daggers blurring as he stabbed the man in the neck repeatedly in a shower of blood. The savage Kobold rode the falling form to the ground clinging to the hilts of his weapons as the corpse hit the ground. Carver pulled his blades from the fleshy mess with a howl.
"You can’t die yet human, you still owe me a fight to the death!" Carver said, extending a hand toward the fallen lord. Skree took the offered hand and was hoisted to his feet. Skree looked at the Kobold who was now wearing a set of emerald green leather armor, adorned with several large fangs.
"Is that armor from the Mana-Warped leather?" He asked, admiring the fine craftsmanship.
Carver grinned, a look that suited him. "It is." The Kobold replied excitedly. "Wait till you see what I did with your share. We should probably take care of this first eh?" He turned back to the soldiers who had regrouped into formation, shields in front forming an imposing wall. Skree felt the familiar presence of his companion re-enter his awareness just before Zuka landed next to him. Attached to his back was Kamilla, who was looking a little too happy for the situation.
"Having fun?" He asked Kamilla.
She howled, and so did Zuka, the two of them striking quite the imposing figure. A new icon appeared in his status window.
Inspiring howl activated - 20 percent increased damage and attack speed for the next 30 seconds. He felt his muscles tense as the magic filled him. He had lost the rage effect, so he was thankful for the new buff. He cast Minor Restoration on himself, his health refilling rapidly.
Carver pulled a bottle of Samolin from his pants, drinking deeply of the rancid liquid. He bared his fangs, glancing to Kamilla. "Ready for some target practice?" He asked, then threw the bottle into the air above the soldiers. As it spun through the air, Kamilla flicked her wrist and a small flaming bolt shot from her fingertip. It blazed through the air, shattering the bottle of Samolin which exploded in brilliant blue flames.
The wave of force from the explosion rocked Skree as he held his hand in front of him, shielding his face.
"Holy shit!" He exclaimed, staring at the s
cattered soldiers who were blown in every direction. Some of them were on fire, others crawling around in a stupor. "You let me drink that stuff?" He yelled at Carver, who was laughing like a maniac.
Carver shrugged. "It's good for you. Put scales on your face, didn’t it?"
"What?" Skree replied confused. Then he remembered he was now covered in scales. He picked up his Great sword and rolled his shoulders. "Let finish this. Carver, take care of the few that are still attacking Sawbones and Priestess. Kamilla, Zuka and I will deal with this lot." He said, pointing to the quickly recovering soldiers.
"Sure, take the easy ones." Carver said mockingly.
Skree rolled his eyes as Carver sprinted away toward the last few soldiers who were trying to penetrate Priestesses shield. He turned to Kamilla who had dismounted. "Do you have enough Mana for a few more spells?"
She checked her status page and nodded. "Not much, but I should be able to help. It’s mostly up to you and Zuka from here."
He nodded to Kamilla then looked to Zuka. "Come on boy, let’s give them a real fight." Zuka turned and growled, dashing forward into the scattered forces of their enemies. His companion tackled one of the half standing figures back to the ground, mauling him aggressively. The soldier screamed in agony as the fangs tore into his arms and face, huge chunks of flesh being ripped away.
A nearby soldier rushed forward, trying to impale the wolf, but Skree moved startlingly fast, leaping over the prone forms to deflect the thrust. Skree spun as he dodged the next attack, swinging his mighty blade in a whirling arc. It cleanly severed the man’s head from his shoulders, detached head bouncing away. He ducked an incoming sword swing from another enemy who had closed the gap. They clashed blades a few times, neither finding an opening. A second soldier moved to flank him but Zuka was there, leaping through the air and colliding with the figure, knocking him back several paces.
Raiya: Starter Zone - A LitRPG Saga: Archon's Chosen - Book One Page 23
