by Han Yang
I shook my head, pointing to both bodies and the surface.
“We’ll do it as fast as we can,” Asha said, changing his tone to positivity.
Knowing he had the situation in order, I left the dwarf’s skeleton to return to my body.
The flight was the same as before, revealing nothing new or worrisome as I zoomed through the trees. Unfortunately, when I neared the portal, I saw our progress was tediously slow.
Four dwarves pushed a cart with all the extra gear and my body loaded on top of it. Extra armor, better weapons, and additional crossbows were still being thrown from Seqa to here.
Diving my aura into my body, I sat up with a gasp.
Catching the attention of the others, I said, “That’s enough. Leave the rest. We need to hurry.”
“How did it go?” Jark asked, the dwarves keenly listening.
“We were able to secure over forty Zorta, and I ordered the skeletons to drag the bodies to the surface,” I said.
“Not going to use the bernox as cover?” Tarla asked.
“I thought about it, but no. If we start to lose an ambush, we retreat to the surface, and they won’t follow. At least this way, we get the meat, scales, hide, and fur no matter what. The plan proceeds with my skeletons,” I said, picking up a slight jog.
The dwarves grumbled at the fact I wanted to push them, and this was also why I wanted to go ahead and salvage what we could. The plan wouldn’t work without the crossbows, which would take a half hour to arrive anyway.
During the jog, Tarla ran at my side, her shiny red hair glistening in the midday sun. I never grew old of seeing her blushing cheeks and happy smiles from my lingering gazes. Our rift seemed to recover, her tone missing her earlier hostility. I smacked her butt through her robes a few times, something she grumbled at because we weren’t in private.
I chuckled at her sudden modesty, knowing the woman better than most. I also deserved the hard pinch she applied to my right butt cheek when we arrived at the site where the raskers had been.
The dead female lidka rested off to the side. I could hear the shuffle of feet and the sound of dragging from within the cavern. I applied my face covering to avoid the toxins from the bernox and headed into the opening.
When I arrived, the body pushed a wave of loose dirt that the skeletons barely overpowered. Thankfully, they were almost done. They tugged tirelessly, dragging the corpse by rope that used to bind the bernox.
I joined a team dragging a rope, applying my strength to the progress.
Soon, the rest of the dwarves were helping us yank the corpse above ground.
The feat left those of us with lungs winded, and the stench of the animal battled the decent breeze.
“Grab gear, let’s go,” I ordered my minions. The dwarves from Seqa didn’t listen, instead going to work on the corpse to clean it. I walked over to Yohan, their leader, and asked, “How long?”
“A few hours if we want ta not piecemeal the hide,” he said in a stern tone. “The claws and teeth hold the most value. The lads are already removing those. If ya drag the fight up here, expect us not ta die for ya. At the same time, if ya buy us a half day, this is a mighty haul, and no kids will go hungry anytime soon.”
The area above ground buzzed with activity. The two of us were the only ones not working toward a goal. I gave him a manly nod, leaving to gear into heavy armor with shielding protections from magic.
That armor was the best we had, and while I normally hated being in layers of metal, I could make an exception for a tough fight that could happen in minutes.
After thoroughly being weighed down, I reattached my fancy sword from the cyclops’ loot. The blade weighed significantly less than my training weapons, a fact Asha encouraged now that we were beyond the basics.
I added a crossbow to my arsenal and then headed for the cavern entrance. Asha joined my side, geared in light chainmail and even a helm.
“We can take the win?” he asked with a sigh. “Before you judge me, realize that Lumpy and the others have been doing fantastic work without us. They are uncanny in their ability to kill wildlife that this forest is teeming with.”
“Right, and I get that. Trust me, after this opportunity passes, I’m fine with dialing back the aggression. For now, let’s stick to the plan,” I replied, waving my troops into the entrance. “Everything in our future hinges on having front line skeletons. We can’t bring cavalry, but we have dwarven crossbows, mages, and even troll archers. We need something that can take the brunt of a fight and come out alive.”
“I… We can buy that maybe, maybe, and for all we know, this could be a team of elite goblins,” Asha countered.
I shook my head, following behind the minions. One of the resurrected dwarves pulled out a small orb from his vest, a gentle shine illuminating the way.
We spent the twenty-minute journey in silence, the slightest clangs of armor echoing loudly. I sent a goblin skeleton forward and into the cavern the bernox resided in.
He returned with a shrug and a no head shake. I turned our group into the main tunnel toward where Lord Darta had appeared. Once we arrived at the useless cutouts, we began setting our trap.
I waited with the other living minions and Tarla at the end of the tunnel in an offshoot. My skeleton minions waited closer to the old mining cavern.
“I really don’t like how simple the plan is,” Jark mentioned.
He wasn’t whiney in his tone, but he was concerned. This went back to his boring, I’d rather not take risks strategies.
Honestly, since he was Tarla’s brother, and I could get Bell her divine magic, he was a priority for my first big purchase.
Jark continued, his tone low, “Our adventuring guild never did anything so haphazardly.”
I smirked, ready to reply, but Tarla beat me to it.
“Captain Hern, whom I remember clearly, always over complicated things. This is fine. We ambush the team that comes or let them pass. If we fight and lose, we sacrifice skeletons and carry Damien out since the route out will be clear,” Tarla said, having the foresight to know that if two minions died I would hit mana exhaustion.
“I also like the Boss’s plan and would tell him if it was shite, but it’s not,” Asha whispered. “Combat is -”
“Your Lord told me he had a prize here!” a booming voice said. “I didn’t believe him. Now, well, I smell it clearly. You fools spilt the ber-juice in my tunnels and dared to venture near the surface! And you’re my victim.”
A loud snap ended a horrified scream, telling me the guard was dead. We became statues. I never even felt the wurm’s movements. He just arrived suddenly and then silence.
Ten tense minutes passed, and I laid down. I chanted myself out of my body and into one of my goblins.
Leaving the side tunnel, I headed for the mining cavern.
When I arrived, I found two feet minus a body.
The rest of the space remained empty. I returned the goblin to his hiding spot and ejected myself.
When I was back in my body, I explained that no magus force had arrived. Feeling like we should give it some time, we hunkered down.
An hour became two. Two became ten, and next thing I knew, we slept in the cavern without even a slight disturbance. I had a runner check, and the dwarves had processed the bernox. The spot where it rested was a big, gorey mess that Lumpy and Foxy exploited to keep getting kills.
I sent minions back to get every other crossbow handed out. I even had rotations for stew during meal hours.
I became depressed. The time we wasted waiting for an ambush could have been used for felling trees or adding soil to our growing city. I wanted grass in my training yard. I wanted an actual dining table. The list went on and on.
Instead of giving up, I used the time to try something new.
On the second day, I closed my eyes, linking to my minions both alive and undead. I forced them all to sit and join me in meditation. At first, I fumbled with my attempts, unable to connect the dots.
T
he… the process definitely held steps, and I screwed them up over and over. I put a dwarf to sleep because I focused so hard on finding bliss and balance.
I adjusted, slowing the process trying to connect to them and have them reach into Nordan to extract Zorta. Each attempt resulted in a renewed concentration, and when I scrapped the group effort, I finally found success on the one on one level.
My favorite dwarven skeleton began to siphon Zorta out of the planet, and I smirked in joy.
“Simbo said it’s this way. I certainly smell bernox,” a gruff voice said, the sound just a faint whisper from my distance.
I ordered everyone to their feet, preparing for a moment that I was starting to think would never arrive.
Asha neared my ear and whispered, “Minotaur.”
I gulped.
Shit.
“Captain Estacron, I smell blood,” a voice with a hiss said.
That had to be a lidka.
“The Great Dragon Lord said there was a fight and the bernox are restrained. Yup, here’s the feet of the poor guard he ate,” Captain Estacron said. The sound of marching soldiers rang through the tunnel network. “Betri, Astrover, scout the cavern.”
“On the way, Captain,” two voices said.
Trolls, those were expendable trolls he sent.
Jark shook his head, and I slumped in disappointment. This was the one scenario that meant we -
“What are you all standing around for? I want to secure all these side tunnels,” Captain Estacron said. “I smell the blood of raskers. I could use some Zorta. If you little shits think about telling if we find some fresh prizes...”
“I smell that too, Captain, and… the dead. A lot of death,” the lidka further emphasized.
“Maybe Darta’s team killed the bernox and claimed the Zorta for themselves before we could get here. Would it surprise any of you?” the Captain asked, resulting in a dozen lidka exuding a soft chuckling.
“Captain, something feels off,” the lidka said, and I was about called a retreat.
“Pfft! It’s not okay to be scared in my unit. We’re the elite of the elite. Your concern will be punished with extra duty,” Captain Estracon said with a snicker.
He was clearly confident and likely a big minotaur. I glanced down at my crossbow, palms starting to slick with sweat.
The sound of a dozen enemies approaching grew louder. The scouts and their noises vanished in the background.
The Minotaur and his team neared our front lines. I forced my undead in the cavern to sit down, weapons in their laps, not directly aimed at the door.
A female lidka said, “There was a fighter in here, but oddly no one looted the weapons.”
“Huh,” Captain Estracon blurted. “Those are expensive dwarven crossbows. I’d know because in the -”
The second I figured he was within range, I whispered, “Fire.”
Snap! Snap! Snap!
“Argh!” the minotaur cried out. “Fall back. Heal me, Tarr.”
My troops stormed out, and I joined them. In the tunnel, eight lidka and a minotaur retreated for the mining cavern.
With a swift movement, I raised my weapon, sighting the minotaur.
I let time slow, calming my senses as I exhaled, slowly pulling the trigger.
Snap!
The bolt burst from the crossbow, soaring forward. Based on the flight, it was a sure hit.
My glee halted when searing heat from behind me singed my hair. I yanked my blade free, seeing a troll turning to cinders.
Tarla blocked a swing from the other scout, her staff breaking but saving her life.
I abandoned the main fight to help Tarla. Jark shouldered the troll, but it was as if he hit a brick wall. We were facing a high-level troll.
A kick to Jark’s midsection sent him into the tunnel's side wall.
“Stall him for a minute,” Tarla screamed, channeling a spell.
I darted in front of her, trying to be fluid in the heavy armor. A quick slash from the troll punched through my plate mail, diverting down to slice my left hip.
My foe didn’t hesitate, repeating the kick he had just done to Jark.
I braced my weapon, placing it in his leg’s path.
The kick stopped short, and the other leg swept my feet out. I crashed onto my back with a hard thump and loud clang. The yellow eyes of the troll shined with glee.
“I lied,” Tarla said with a sneer.
Flame burst forth, hitting a barrier and then blasting through it.
The troll reacted quickly, diving to the side. I thrust my blade, predicting his fall.
The troll screamed as he burned, not seeing that he was falling into my attack.
I grinned, driving the tip of the sword into his heart. Shocked eyes widened, and I yanked the blade free quickly.
“Retreat, Cap and Tarr are dead! Oh shit, an elva!” a lidka cried from behind us.
“No prisoners!” Asha bellowed with a grunt.
I heard the cry of a lidka while I scurried to my feet. I expected to find myself out of mana from dead minions, but the ambush seemed to have worked. I sprinted for the main mining tunnel.
“Turn and fight, take some of them with -” the lidka voice transitioned into an “Arggg…..”
A lightning bolt slammed down into my skeletons. The power was so immense, even my shield from the far edge flickered on.
I slammed face first into the gritty cavernous floor. Sharp rocks embedded in my face as I ate rocky terrain. A tooth popped free, and I groaned.
Your minions Goblin 1, Goblin 12, and Troll 3 have died beyond repair. Claim your Zorta from the dead. Penalty three hundred mana. You have hit 0 mana. Mana exhaustion initiated for two hours.
Taking a risk, I immediately applied .121 Zorta to my mana to bring myself back up to full.
When I surged to my feet, I healed myself on the go. A tooth popped into place mid-sprint, and my long strides sped me over the recovering skeletons that crackled with energy.
Asha moved with the grace of a battle master, clashing swords with two remaining lidka who towered over him.
Perqueta charged in, an enemy blade swept out. The centaur lost a leg, falling in a tumble. The crafty centaur swiped out, cutting through scales and hamstringing his opponent.
Asha used the injury to tuck and roll, achieving distance.
Snap!
Snap!
Crossbows fired from recovering dwarves. Their precise aim sent bolts tearing into the fixated lidka who chased Asha. The projectiles hit with enough force to pick up the lidka and send her flying back until she crashed down in death.
The final lidka hobbled with hands up before tossing his blade down and placing his hands up in surrender.
He eyed me with sadness, not disgust or hate. Just pure disappointment.
“I surrender,” he said.
I nodded, not saying anything else to him. “Bind him. If he tries anything, kill him.”
Asha came over panting. “The trolls?”
“Incinerated, and the best part is, Tarla not only survived, she kicked ass,” I said proudly. “Jark will need healing, probably has a broken back. Who killed the minotaur?”
“Uh… someone from behind me. Shot under the skull, and the bolt went into the brain. Either a great shooter or a lucky shot,” Asha said.
“Fight would have been much worse if he didn’t go down early,” I said, feeling better now that my skeletons had bound the immense lidka. I turned to my first prisoner of war. “I’m going to heal you. You’ll be marched to our camp for an interrogation. At best, you become a laborer and are given plenty of food. At worst, you become one of my minions. When I ask questions, realize that I value information.”
“I value life,” the lidka said.
I nodded, respecting his words.
My minions didn’t stand around and wait. They leaped into action as was the plan. Teams hoisted bodies, running them for the surface.
I pulled into my aura and shot out a powerful spell
of heal other. The green magic washed out in waves, healing those that were injured.
I then swapped to my necromancy healing, finding a list of injuries. The list went through almost all of my minions. Fractured or cracked bones were the most common ailment.
Expending 122 mana, I blanketed the area in black magic, restoring my minions to full. The last thing I did was retrieve the measly 3 Zorta from my dead minions.
Five minutes later, we ran for the surface. I teased Tarla about finally managing to avoid a death, and she reminded me she has survived a few engagements recently, but she admitted she should have died in this fight. Jark thanked me for the heals Tarla mentioned she was proud of me for saving her, and Asha told me we were lucky about four times.
I couldn’t argue. A big factor in warfare was surprise, and we caught an overconfident enemy unaware. Instead of feeling pride, I had to wonder when I would overextend and walk into an ambush myself.
Even at a fast pace, a full half hour passed before we arrived out of the tunnel network. After we reached the surface, we continued to run until we were a good distance from the cavern’s opening.
I ordered a halt, and the bodies were quickly ditched onto the leafy forest floor. The golden hue of a fading sunlight showcased our prize.
Eight dead lidka, three dead trolls, a dead minotaur, and a live lidka.
I turned to the prisoner and asked, “What are the chances the wurms come to the surface?”
“Use Dragon Lords or else they unleash a tirade of emotions. Super not worth it, even if you’re wanting to taunt them,” the lidka said. I rolled my hand, encouraging him to continue. “Zero. They fear the great human hordes with the high level magus. This group fought with humans and lost decades ago. Since then, their god, Parnicious, says they must amass an army of a million soldiers, all over level ten.”
I scoffed. “That’s silly.”
He shrugged. “I’m a level ten because of it, but yes, one step forward and two steps back.”
“Extrapolate,” Tarla said.
“In order to survive, we have to be schooled, then trained, and then leveled. Most of the strivians they govern can follow this path. And govern they must. This is no super-secret. Ruling a strivian nation requires a lot of work.
