Dinon, “That is quite understandable.”
Kersara, “Kelah how are your orcs doing? I heard that you lost a few in the recent battle.”
A low growl escaped Kelah as Kersara mentioned the fallen orcs and she brought herself to a standing position. “They did not have to die. Their deaths were the result of foolishness not a lack of ability or the enemies strength. They broke formation you see and pushed ahead of the others. When they no longer had anyone to guard their backs they were killed.”
As Kersara listened to Kelah she was surprised by the anger in the orcs voice. “Are the others still able to fight?”
Kelah, “Kersara if you knew more about us you'd know that question was very insulting.”
Kersara, “I didn't mean it to be I'm just concerned. I know how we get when we lose a sister.”
A smile formed on Kelah's face as she turned to face Kersara. “Your concern is appreciated even if it is insulting. My warriors are in great condition to fight. The warriors we lost were young and not truly disciplined. We lose a few hunters every year for similar reasons. It always serves as an important learning experience for the others. We've only lost a few due to other circumstances.”
Kersara, “I'm glad that you're doing alright then.”
Kelah, “I haven't heard word of any of your sisters falling. Does that still hold true?”
Kersara, “For the most part yes. These creatures aren't much of a threat to us if we stay away from the water they're simply too many for us to keep them away from the forest on our own though. It actually makes me feel guilty that we asked you to join us on the front line like this. We're asking you to face a far greater danger then we are.”
Kelah, “Don't feel guilty for such things. You needed help protecting your home and we answered after all it is our home as well. Don't mistake us for weaklings though. Sure our skin isn't as tough as dragon's hide but we're not weaklings. We survive in this forest as well as anything else.”
Kersara, “That you do. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you met orcs outside of the forest? I remember stories that such orcs are often not much larger then humans.”
For a moment Kelah just looked at Kersara then turned her gaze towards the ocean. “I don't know if I can believe that. I mean sure we're not as large or as strong as your kind but we're not nearly as small or as delicate as humans are. I mean Dinon here is actually a little on the short side for us and even he dwarfs your brothers.”
Dinon, “Hey! I am not short.”
Kelah, “Yeah you keep telling yourself that. He makes up for it by being feisty.”
Kersara couldn't help but giggle as she glanced back at Dinon who seemed to be glaring at both females now despite his smile. “I guess you've changed over time since you came to live hear. I've seen old records which talked about the first orcs who began to live in the forest and how close they came to being wiped out on several occasions. I suppose everything that calls this forest home has been strengthened by it.”
Kelah, “Even the kobolds?”
Kersara, “I sure hope not.”
Dinon, “I don't mean to interrupt but if you're done questioning me could you give me some space? I'm trying to keep track of events that are taking place several days away from here. That's hard enough without my mind wondering to your conversation.”
Kelah, “Sure Dinon. Just make sure you tell me if anything interesting happens.”
Once Kelah began to move Kersara chose to join her wanting to continue their conversation. “So Kelah do you really never wonder about orcs outside this forest? My sisters and I are the only ones of our kind so we have little reason to think about such things but you know they are orcs who live in other parts of the world.”
Kelah, “The graves tell us everything that we need to know.”
Kersara, “Graves?”
Kelah, “Yeah. The graves of our fallen. I've seen them and it is clear that something has changed. The death rate for our people was quite high in the beginning if one dates the current graves but went down sharply in the first fifty years or so. I assume that this is due to our people truly learning the rules of this forest. As time went on though that death rate has gone down further and further only to be marked by times of rapid population decreases I imagine you know what caused that decrease.”
Kersara, “My people.”
Kelah, “Well I was going to say us forgetting the rules of the forest but that is part of it.”
Kersara, “Kelah do you really feel that way?”
As she spoke Kelah gave a slight shrug. “Don't eat the mushrooms with the blue stems. If you do don't blame the mushroom for killing you. They're lots of rules in this forest that result in death if you don't obey them. It isn't just the death rates that tell us we've changed though. It's also the bones. Simply put the bones suggest that previous orcs were a good six centimers shorter then us on average and from what the spirits tell me far more delicate.”
Kersara, “Now is that far more delicate on average or far more delicate then you?”
Kelah, “I'll have to get back to you on that one. Honestly I think the only things who call this forest home and haven't been changed by it is your brothers. You wrap them in such a secure blanket of safety that they have no reason to adapt.”
Now Kersara was made to grin. “Tell that to Mirin after he's started throwing fireballs at you.”
Kelah, “Mm you have a point there. Magic does make quite a difference as being a shaman proves. I remember this one old shaman. He was probably the scrawniest orc you'd ever seen and rather on the short side as well. One of the younger orcs picked a fight with him and he accepted. I would normally have been very angry with an orc who screamed like he did but after seeing that shaman in battle well I can forgive him.”
Kersara, “What happened?”
Kelah, “The old stinker had a contract with the spirits of water and fire. He was actually able to make the orcs blood begin to boil.”
Kersara, “Ouch. Did he kill him?”
Kelah, “No. At first the old orc just avoided him jumping away from every attack. After letting the youngster get a few attempts he just looked at him said something I did't understand and then the warrior locked up. He began to shake and then he began to scream in pain. Before anyone could do anything he was laying on the ground and clearly out of the fight. We didn't realize what had happened until the healers began tending to him.”
Kersara, “What was this shamans name?”
Kelah, “Oh dang. Kersara this was when I was very young I was even younger then the other orc warrior at the time. Give me a moment and I'll see if I can recall but dang. Elder, elder, Elder Gridon! That was his name.”
Kersara, “I take it he's no longer with you.”
Kelah, “No. He died a few years back but his apprentices carry on his contracts.”
Kersara, “You can pass on a contract?”
Kelah, “Sure. If the spirit agrees to the passing or it was worked into the original contract. I'm not sure which case it was this time around but I know his apprentices carry on the same contract with the same spirit. It might surprise you but we don't exactly share our contract information with other shaman. The other orcs for example know I have a contract with Nightfang they don't know what I did to get that contract.”
Kersara, “Why don't you tell them?”
Kelah, “A spirit will only make so many contracts and earning the spirits attention and approval is a big part of the process. They can't just copy the work of another shaman. Besides if they tried what I did to get my contract with Nightfang they'd more then likely end up dead.”
Kersara, “You hunted him didn't you?”
Kelah, “Oh no. No. No. Nightfang did put some serious demands on me though to prove I was worth making a contract with me. I will tell you that he required me to kill something with my own hands and teeth. It was not a pleasant experience. Nightfang is also a very demanding spirit even putting restrictions on who you can make contracts with.”
Kersara, “Is that part of the wolf mentality?”
Kelah, “Yeah. To Nightfang I am now part of his pack. As an offshoot of that anyone I make a contract with is also part of his pack and he's very picky about who is part of his pack. Not every spirit has this mentality but he sure does and he enforces it with a tenacity that is just well quite noteworthy. Before I can make a lasting contract with any spirit I must consult him first or risk him cutting me off or perhaps even having to fight him.”
Kersara, “What would happen if you won?”
Kelah, “I'd be the new leader of the pack. I wouldn't get my hopes up on that though. I've felt that wolf's power and my body isn't quite ready to handle that battle.”
Kersara, “Then what if you found a stronger spirit to contract with?”
Kelah, “Well naturally I would contact Nightfang form a contract with him to combine our strength and the strength of my people then overwhelm that spirit. He would get to feed on said spirit increasing his own power and in return he would strengthen me and my people. Naturally there would be more to the contract then that. I would want some kind of long term agreement insuring that my people would benefit.”
At first Kersara said nothing but just looked at Kelah. A slight chuckle escaped her just before she was able to speak. “You're crazy.”
Kelah, “Nightfang is a very demanding and powerful spirit. That said he is also a very loyal one as well and that is hard to put a price tag on. It would be hard to find a spirit who would offer me as good of a deal as I have with Nightfang and my people.”
Kersara, “That is reasonable. Has the contract always been so good though?”
Kelah, “Heck no. As Nightfang and I have proven ourselves to one another the contract has become more generous both ways. Don't get me wrong whenever I say he strengthens me. He benefits from this contract just as much as I do if not more so. It is kind of hard to compete with the cunning of an ancient wolf spirit when you're not even fifty years old. I wish I could have had my father's help in forging the contract but well I couldn't risk showing such weakness during out first meeting.”
Kersara, “Do you ever wonder if you may have shown weakness by not insisting that your pack should be allowed to stand with you?”
Kelah came to an immediate stop and looked directly at Kersara. “That is one of the most frustrating things about such contracts. It isn't always possible to say what kind of strength the spirit is asking for though their nature might reveal something to you.”
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Mirin, “How are you doing?”
A smile formed on Zarena's face as she looked down at Mirin and Sora. “I'm doing alright. You're Mirin right?”
Mirin, “Yes. There wasn't much time to speak before you left with Nathan so I decided to come by and talk to you. From the way you were looking at the sky I believe you were thinking about something.”
Zarena, “The sky hasn't changed since I last looked up at it. If I don't think and just let my mind go blank I can forget how much time has passed for a few moments at least.” A slight chuckle escaped Zarena as she looked at Mirin. “Whoever had the idea that such things would bring someone comfort is full of crap.”
Mirin, “I take it you don't share their romantic views.”
Zarena, “Speaking as someone who has slept over fifty years I'm going to tell you that seeing the same stars you went to sleep seeing isn't comforting in the least. What is comforting though is seeing the bond of love between sisters and brothers still holding even after all this time. You two are quite close aren't you.”
Sora, “So you can see me.” As she spoke Sora allowed herself to return to the visible spectrum.
Zarena, “Yeah I noticed you there. You spend a lot of time watching over him don't you?”
Sora, “I pretty much have to with the trouble this guy gets himself into.”
Zarena, “I suppose that hasn't changed much either. Care to tell me some embarrassing stories about him?”
Sora, “That could be fun but I believe Mirin wanted to say something to you.”
Mirin gave a quick nod and spoke up. “Yes. Zarena I hope I didn't wrong you by waking you up before we were ready for you to move. I believed at the time that you would enjoy the extra waking hours and I needed your strength to encourage the other sisters. You see recently we performed an act that caused our sisters to lose some trust in us and could result in social upheaval.”
Zarena, “You didn't do anything wrong by waking me up early. Now you have me curious about what you did though. Would you mind telling me?”
Mirin, “We journeyed where our sisters couldn't go to protect us in order to gain knowledge of our mutual enemy and strike a blow against it. We did this even after agreeing not to take such a dangerous journey. My injuries didn't help matters upon our return as it revealed how dangerous the situation was.”
Zarena, “Then you should have brought more brothers. Whatever happened to the trappers?”
Mirin, “Trappers? Is that a special branch of sisters?”
For a moment Zarena said nothing but looked at Mirin and Sora. At last a long sigh escaped her and she placed a hand on her forehead. “No. Out of every time I woke it I never thought to ask about them. I can't believe they fell apart. There was a branch of brothers in my day known as the trappers they didn't hunt in the physical world. They were trained extensively in how to deal with spiritual beings even on those beings terms and it was their task to go into the shadow world and capture troublesome spirits.”
Mirin, “What? And the sisters allowed this?”
Zarena, “It wasn't every brother who became a trapper or could become one. Oh blast it. I believe I know what happened. At the time we were much smaller then we are now as we were still adjusting to the sudden change. One of the requirements for a trapper was that they could hold their own against or even beat a guardian in combat. As time went on and sisters grew that requirement would have become harder to meet as the test was changing.”
Mirin, “That does seem likely. One of the reasons our sisters are so protective of us or one of the reasons they give is because we're so fragile to them. I assume that this test was something the trappers agreed to in order to relax the sisters.”
Zarena, “It probably was. Yet they were so busy thinking of protecting you from threats they could reach they didn't think about only the threats you can tend to. You know if the trappers were still around you wouldn't have even gotten yourself in this condition.”
A slight sigh escaped Sora as she looked down at Mirin then Zarena. “I swear Mirin force fed many of us a bitter pill only a day ago and now you're bringing up this one? Are you trying to choke us?”
An amused giggle escaped Zarena as she leaned down closer to the group. “That is how life tends to go. You believe everything is fine until someone shows you something you hadn't seen before and everything comes crumbling down around you. We believed everything was fine in the days of the one leader but when he died we realized the danger of putting so much faith in one person. Our worlds came crumbling down around us and we couldn't do anything to stop it.”
Sora, “Yeah. I understand what you're saying but darn it this sucks.”
Zarena, “Hey at least your realization isn't coming with a collapsing society.”
Sora, “That is true ours will only be changing.”
Mirin, “Zarena these trappers why didn't they try to destroy the spirits?”
Zarena, “At times that's what they would do. At least they would do as much to destroy a spirit as one can. However, that wasn't their usual method. They preferred to capture them for later use either in mystic acts or as bargaining chips for other spirits. They even picked a few very powerful spirits to nurture in exchange for favors.”
Mirin, “What! Then why haven't these spirits been aiding us?”
Zarena, “That's probably because you forgot the ancient contracts and how to ask for their help. Only one in a thousand spirits if even that many will aid you if you don't remember the contract of old. At least that's what I was told whenever speaking to some of the mages we knew. Those stories in which some ancient spirit reaches out to benevolently help someone who's ancestor had a contract with them long ago are pretty much bull. When such things do happen it's because the spirit has something to gain as well and they're using the ancient contract as leverage and justification. You know something to make the human feel good about themselves and trust them.”
Mirin, “I imagine out of any of our sisters you would know more about this then any of them.”
Zarena, “My eyes don't just let me see things they've helped me understand a lot. Oh but you have forgotten so much it seems even while you learned. I bet you've even stopped using shavings from my nails for weapons against spirits.”
Mirin, “Um. Actually I never thought of that.”
A long sigh escaped Zarena as she shook her head. “Now you've got me scared that your current prosperity has cost you the hard earned lessons of the past. Well blast it all I might be a sleeper but I'm awake now and I do remember these old ways. Come tomorrow I'm going to have a word with everyone in this village.”
Mirin, “I believe that would be a good idea.”
Sora, “Oh I'm going to to be staying hidden for that one. After what you did Mirin getting a lecture from a sister as high ranking as a sleeper is going to really put some tails into twists.”
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Desmon, “I know where it is.” As he spoke Desmon set up in bed or attempted to. The arm wrapped across his chest kept him pinned. His gaze turned up towards Phinila's sleeping face and he gave a long sigh. He would have to wake her up. As this thought crossed his mind he began to shift his right arm about attempting to pull it free.
Phinila, “You know where what is?”
Desmon, “What? You're awake?”
Phinila, “I woke up whenever you began that unnatural struggling and was sort of awake when you spoke. Now what were you talking about?”
Desmon, “I just had a dream vision from one of my fellow druids. She has seen the domain of the amalgam and shown me where it is.”
Immediately Phinila released her hold on Desmon and set up. She then turned her head to look out the window while taking in a deep breath of air. It would be some time yet before the sun greeted them. Perhaps another hour. Yet this was important news. “We shall go to the keepers and rank eight brothers first before we decide to wake up everyone.”
Desmon, “Alright. Then will you go speak with your sisters while I go and speak with Mirin?”
Phinila, “No. You will come with me to speak with a few of the keepers who hold guard at this hour and they will awaken the others. You're the one that knows where the amalgam is at the moment not me.”
Desmon, “Alright.”
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Maria immediately set up in bed as she heard the call. She felt her body flood with energy despite her lack of sleep and her gaze shifted down to Joseph. Despite the warning she couldn't help but giggle as she saw that despite her change in position he was still asleep. That wouldn't do though as she carefully lifted him so that his face was closer to hers. Maria lips parted and she very lightly nipped his nose.
Joseph, “Ouch!” As the word escaped him Joseph was shocked awake and his hand immediately went to his nose. “What was that?”
Maria, “Just a quick wake up. Joseph get dressed we need to get moving now. I just heard my sisters calling for us. Apparently we're getting ready for combat.”
The pain from his nipped nose went from Joseph's mind as Maria set him down. He wasted no time dashing to his dresser and pulling out the most protective clothing he had available to him. As he began to dress though he couldn't help but wonder. “Do you know what is going on exactly?”
Maria, “No. We can only send so much information through simple calls. The one I just heard pretty much means get your tail over here the moment you're dressed and armed we've got something serious to take care of. Given what has been going on though I imagine you can guess what's happened.”
Joseph, “They found out where the amalgam is.”
Maria, “Let's hope so.”
As Maria spoke Joseph felt excitement and concern building within him. The excitement crumbled to dust moments later though. “I won't be able to help you out. I don't have any potions to augment myself that you would let me fight along side of you.”
Maria actually felt her heart sink a little as she heard Joseph. While she knew that she couldn't allow him to join her in the battle she didn't like to hear him sounding so defeated. “Joseph, I know that it's late and an alchemist takes time to do their work but please remember you helped bring Zarena to the battlefield. You did even more then that your life bloom added an extra thirty percent to all of us and that is significant. Sure you might not be standing on the battle field but the fruits of your labor are there.”
Joseph, “Thanks Maria. I've never had someone I cared for quite like you though and knowing that you're going to be out there while I'm protected it just doesn't set well with me. I know that is how things have been for quite some time but this is different. This is a planned attack on a dangerous enemy and that has me worried.”
Maria, “Hey now. I'm not just any regular sister. I'm the fastest thing in this forest. I'll be fine. Besides we'll have Zarena leading the charge. We're probably just going to be picking up the scraps once she is done with them. I am more worried about those brothers who are going to be entering the shadow realm to confront the spirit.”
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Nathan took in a deep breath as he looked at the crowd of brothers and sisters which had gathered. He couldn't think of a face which wasn't in the crowd at that moment except for those who were guarding the shore. He hoped they were doing alright. Now he needed to speak though. “Our enemy has been found and we must deal with them quickly before they can escape. The time has come to move but we must not move foolishly. I know many of you would like to join in on the main attack but we must avoid that mentality.”
As Nathan spoke Zarena listened quietly the entire time observing her smaller sisters. Despite the situation she couldn't help but grin as she noted a few younger sisters amongst the crowd. One of them was currently moving around her mothers right leg attempting to catch hold of her mother's tail. Whenever the mother would move it away from the child's grasp she'd return to the front of her leg to wait for the tail to relax then make another grab for it. It was almost enough to make her laugh despite the situation. As Nathan said her name though her eyes returned to him.
Nathan, “Zarena you're going to be taking three fourths of the keepers and a third of the guardians with you to begin the attack on the spirit's strong hold. Desmon and a few brothers will accompany you to lead the way there.”
Zarena, “Alright.”
Nathan, “Flora I want you to take a group of the swiftest guardians and keepers you know and make for the orc village. I've been told they already know of our movements and will have their shaman waiting for you. You're to transport them to the battle sight and offer them protection. Several brothers will also be accompanying you during this. This is the group that will be entering the spirit realm in order to confront the Amalgam there. I will be accompanying you and leading the attack.”
A low growl seemed to move throughout the entire audience though no sister spoke up. It was a reaction that was impossible to prevent though as they each found themselves hating the idea but unable to speak against it. Flora finally responded though. “Okay. Should I begin now?”
Nathan, “Please do.”
Nathan, “Once Flora had chosen her group Zarena you're to choose from the remainder. All sisters who have a child under the age of sixteen years or are currently carrying a child will not be attending this fight. You will be remaining here with the brothers who are to stay behind and protecting them.”
Mina, “What!” As the Mina called out her voice was more of a roar then anything else. A roar that seemed to shake the entire auditorium. “I am by far the most powerful keeper of this generation and have even been chosen to carry a special weapon and you're telling me to set this one out!”
Nathan, “Yes Mina I am and you will. We have learned much of this spirit and you most assuredly won't be attending this battle. Even if you believe yourself to be beyond the spirits ability to harm do you believe that extends to your child?”
As Mina listened to Nathan she was made to growl one far more menacing then she would have normally allowed herself. Several sisters actually found themselves tensing up in preparation to tackle Mina should she make any hostile actions. Instead she lowered herself back into her seat. “Alright then.”
Even with the fight upcoming the room seemed to relax as Mina settled back down. “The major issue we have with this new enemy is insuring that none of them escape. This is the first time the kobolds have been a serious threat to us and the first time they've left their nests. This is also the first time we've had a chance to destroy them completely. Keep that in mind while you're fighting that preventing any of them from escaping is just as important.”
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Dan didn't know how he felt as he looked at Mina. She was setting still but it was clear that she was still tense. The fact that she had been told to remain behind because she was pregnant had caught everyone off guard but it made sense. They didn't know what this enemy was capable of at least not completely. It's possible that even if it couldn't harm Mina there was a way for it to kill their unborn child. Considering everything that happened Dan was having to struggle to keep from showing how happy he was that Mina would be remaining with them. “Mina try not to feel bad about this. You may end up protecting all of us here.”
Mina, “I know Dan but to be told that I'm not going to be allowed to fight on the front lines. Well I never believed that day would come and if someone had told me it would I probably would have laughed.”
Dan, “I'm happy that you're staying here with me.”
Despite her frustration Mina gave a slight smile and placed her hand on Dan's shoulder. “You know if I believed you had even a finger in this decision I'd turn your bottom blood red.”
Dan, “Yeah I figured as much. I just thought of something Mina. Did you know that was the second time you brought your strength up in a public gathering?”
Mina, “Huh? I hadn't really thought of it. I remember though. Whenever they asked me to carry this ax I couldn't believe that they were requesting such a thing of me.” As she spoke Mina turned the weapon in her hands so that the flat of the ax faced towards the sky.
Dan, “You know I don't believe they're asking you to stay here for no reason. The enemy has to know we're coming considering what Mirin and the others did in the spirit realm. Can you imagine what they're going to do once we begin the actual attack on them?”
After a moment Mina gave a slight nod. “You have a good point Dan. I don't know. I never meant to let my strength or endurance be a factor when dealing with others. Somehow after all this time it just slipped to the front of my mind and suddenly I'm stronger then you became a suitable argument for why I should be the one to take certain risks and why they should be the ones who plays it safe.”
Dan, “Gee I wonder how a sister could get that mentality.”
Mina, “Well it's always worked when arguing with the brothers and you.” As she spoke Mina didn't realize she was raising her voice though only slightly. Her tone didn't change in anger though but rather in alarm as if she was a young girl again and suddenly been caught in her own words.
Now Dan was smiling as he looked at Mina and even found himself struggling to keep from laughing. As he looked around he realized that every sister in the area could hear them though none of the brothers could. None of them had said a word but he was well aware of how many of them were smiling. He was a bit surprised whenever a guardian chose to risk joining the conversation.
Teca, “Don't feel bad Mina. I kind of wish I was one of the ones that was staying behind. The idea of leaving our brothers behind with so few to keep them safe isn't exactly something I find comforting.”
***************************************************************************************************
Joseph, “So you're going to be running ahead and scouting the enemy area. You be careful Maria. I don't know what I would do if I were to lose you.”
Maria, “I'll take care and they've already told me that my job isn't to fight anything. I'm just to search around the enemies base so that I know what areas to block off.”
Joseph, “Do you really believe you can get there before Zarena? I know that you're fast but damn those are some extremely long strides she takes.”
Maria, “True but Zarena won't be able to truly run like I can. After all our goal is to deal with the enemy without doing too much damage to the forest and someone as big as her running at full speed would do some real damage. I'm quite sure that I'll be able to stay ahead of her and look around the area. The fact that the enemy is going to see her coming should make it even easier for me to scout the area.”
Joseph, “I can see that. It's surprising that your mother didn't want you to join her.”
Maria, “She needs fast sisters that can arrive at the same time not one extremely fast sister that would arrive long before the others. I'm better used as a scout. Joseph while I'm gone I want you to play it safe don't just set around. It wouldn't surprise anyone if the village was attacked while we were away. Try to think of what you can do to help protect yourself and the others and start doing it.”
Joseph, “I will Maria. I just wish I could send you off with something to protect you as well.”
Maria, “Oh come now Joseph you're sending me off with an additional meter of height I wouldn't have otherwise and even more mass then that. Like I said before you've done plenty. I”ll see you soon.”
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Mirin, “This is an outrage! How dare they forbid me from coming! I'm the one that led the.”
Zora, “That's enough Mirin!”
Mirin was actually made to recoil slightly as he looked up at Zora who was now looking down at him quite sternly. It was rare she adopted that tone with him to the point that he wasn't entirely sure how to handle it. “They need me Zora.”
Zora, “Mirin you're injured and don't give me any of that crap about you being a mage and not needing to worry about your hands. You channel your energy through your hands and as they are now they would not be a good focus for you. Your spells power would be greatly reduced as would your ability to control your energies. I'm not going to let you just burn off your hands either.”
Nothing came from Mirin as he looked up at Zora. He had risked much in traveling to the shadow realm to confront the Amalgam and find its location. To suddenly be told he couldn't go was exceptionally upsetting. The fact that it was due to actual injuries made the situation less bitter though. “I want to help you all.”
Zora, “You have and now its our turn to finish things up. I swear I'm surprised you didn't respond like Mina whenever you realized you weren't going to be coming.”
Mirin, “It doesn't help that it's my own brothers telling me that I can't go with them. After all this time hearing it from my sisters the fact that it's now my brothers is well just a little upsetting.”
Zora, “Hey now. Don't be all fussy on me.” As she spoke Zora reached down and placed a hand underneath Mirin so that she could pick him up. She had to be careful to avoid putting any force on his hands as she lifted him from the ground and held him in front of her face. “No one is going to think any less of you after this. Besides you can take this time to work on other things.”
Mirin, “Such as?”
Zora, “Such as what Zarena told us about last night. She said that the trappers kept records. I believe you should spend some time in the lower reaches of the library and see what you can dig up. Perhaps some of those ancient contracts were recorded and could still be of use.”
Mirin, “Mm such records wouldn't be in the citadel as they were formed after the fall of the true Luvarians. They might be within the library still though I'm not sure where they would be locked away. If I think about it they were probably kept where sisters weren't likely to find them. I don't know how sisters would treat such documents after all.”
Zora, “Mirin, that's going a little far. We wouldn't destroy knowledge that might be useful to our brothers.”
Mirin, “Even if you believed the risk out weighed the benefit?”
Zora, “Um well we can talk about that later. We don't have time for a political debate.” As she finished speaking Zora brought Mirin closer to her face and gave him a kiss that covered the majority of his.
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Phinila, “No Pera you can't come with us you have to remain here.”
Pera, “But mom I'm just as large as the old guardians use to be and they would have been allowed to go into battle back then!”
Phinila, “Yes and things have changed since then. You might be the same size that I was but you're not the same size that I am. I've also had a lot more combat experience then you and that will help keep me safe.”
Stella, “Besides she has an important job to do back here.”
While she had been speaking with her mother Pera hadn't noticed Stella so near by. When she joined the conversation though she looked up towards the massive keeper. “What is that?”
Stella, “Pera I need you and the other young sisters to remain here and keep the brothers that won't be joining us safe. I want to ask you to do more then that though. Pera would you keep an eye on Allen for me? I don't know how I could go on if I were to return and find out my baby had been harmed.”
For a moment Pera was silent but looked to her mother and then to Stella. Her mind wondered back to her time on the beach and how she had fought with her older sisters to defend her home. She had thought she may be able to continue doing that whenever she returned from the beach but had been proven wrong. Now she found herself being told that she was too young to join in on the main attack despite her strengthened body. Yet the thought that she would be protecting Allen brought her comfort. “Well staying behind and protecting Allen doesn't sound that bad.”
Stella, “So you will do it?”
For a moment Pera said nothing but she was made to smile and nod at last. “Yeah. He means a lot to me as well.”
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As Zarena walked through the forest her eyes kept moving to her shoulder. Several brothers and sisters currently set upon her shoulder each one looking out over the forest. At times their eyes would travel to her but only rarely. They were focused on the enemy to come it seemed. Yet she couldn't help but be worried about the brothers. They were going to be entering the shadow realm to confront the amalgam yet they had so little combat training. If there had been trappers amongst them she wouldn't have been the least bit worried but this was hard to take. “Desmon will your druid friends be joining us?”
Desmon, “Yes Zarena. They're currently waiting to strike against the amalgam as well. They'll be joining us in the shadow realm for the actual battle. You smell concerned though.”
Zarena, “I am. I hope that I can lend you aid though. These claws of mine can harm more then what exist in this world of ours and I intend to use them to do so once the creature has revealed itself.”
Desmon, “Can you see the amalgam yet?”
Zarena, “ I see something strange ahead of us now. I couldn't say what it was if I didn't know what we're moving towards but I don't believe it is the amalgam. There is an intense fire in our path though it won't reach into this realm. I guess you all really did set the place aflame in a spectacular way.”
Nathan grinned as he looked up at Zarena. “Once we're done here you'll have to let Mirin know you believe he did a good job. He won't be himself for some time after everything that has happened.”
Zarena, “Indeed. Okay wait here.” As she spoke Zarena crouched down so that she was on one knee and began to lift her various brothers and sisters from her shoulders. As she did so they looked at her with more then a little bit of curiosity. “I'm going ahead of everyone just in case there is a trap waiting for me. It's unlikely that they have something that could harm me but I won't risk any of you being harmed whenever I can take the first wave of attacks.”
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As the Amalgam watched Zarena through Alex's eyes the creature was truly astounded. It knew that the forest had some powerful guardians but this was not what it had been prepared for. It didn't intend on retreating though especially with all true paths it could used closed off. It would make a stand and fortunately Alex would be helping with that. While Zarena set her brothers and sisters on the ground the Amalgam had Alex begin to chant combining its power with his. As Alex chanted though the creature didn't stop there but begin to draw in strength from the weaker kobolds in the nesting area. The ones who had been gathered into the lower chambers.
Diton didn't know why he had been brought down to the lower chambers. He didn't know why they were so many of his kind there either. He knew that every so often the roof above them would tremble as if the entire mountain was being shaken and any kobolds who tried to leave would be killed by the master's children. They guarded all the exits even the ones that had been meant to be secret. What was going on? An answer of sort struck the kobolds moments later and sent Diton to the ground. A great pain hit him in the chest and apparently several others as they began to topple over. A few managed to remain standing or went to their knees but not Diton. “What happen!”
The room was soon filled with low growls and similar cries as well as cries of pain. As Diton looked on at the children though he realized that none of them had fallen over. They all seemed to be fine. Where they that much stronger then them or was the pain only targeting them? Before Diton could think too much on that subject he gave a sudden violent cough. A cough that brought several droplets of blood up with it and only served to make the kobold all the more worried.
Alex could feel the power building within him. It was far more power then he had ever felt before and far more then he would have been able to handle only a few weeks before. His constant interaction with the Amalgam had conditioned his body so it did not fail him now. It was a stunning realization but not one he cared for even as he could continue to feel the power building. He knew that this much magic had to come from somewhere.
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Zarena was made to grin as she looked out towards the mountain. “It seems my concerns were correct. Now take cover.”
The brothers had noticed the magic as well and would have moved to do so if it hadn't been for the sisters. Before they could move the sisters began gathering them up and moving them back. As the sisters moved several stood before those who held the brothers putting essentially three layers of protection between them and whatever was to come. It was actually moderately annoying to many of them as even Nathan found himself considering what spells they might use to counteract whatever was happening in the kobolds nesting area.
What type of attack was she about to encounter? Zarena didn't know as she began to walk towards the source. It was already massive and building rapidly though she had no intention of dodging. If she were to move away from the attack she felt certain it would be aimed at her brothers and sisters. Did the caster or casters who were preparing the spell know this? She wasn't sure but the moment she was a safe distance away from her brothers and sisters she went from a slow walk to a run. Her right foot sunk heavily into the earth sending up massive chunks of stone and dirt as she rushed forward intending to shut the spell down before it could be completed. She was fairly certain she failed on that attempt as she felt a sudden rush of energy.
A sharp gasp escaped Nathan as he grabbed his throat his skin suddenly growing red. He didn't have time to panic though as the sister who was carrying him had already began to move. The sudden pop they had heard in their ears told them what had happened and they had no intention of remaining. Whatever spell had just been cast had actually stripped the oxygen from the area.
Despite having the enemy in front of her Zarena risked a look back. She was relieved to see that her sisters had already noticed the threat and were moving the brothers to a safer location. The best thing she could think of though was to stop the spell and restore oxygen to the area. Before she could do so a sharp pain struck as her ears began to positively scream. Zarena's hands covered her ears nearly the second the sound began to assault them yet nothing happened even as she found the pain causing her to lose her balance. With no air in the vicinity she knew this wasn't a natural attack but rather some magic influence upon hear hearing.
It was clear to Nathan Zarena was being attacked as she went to one knee. He felt his heart skip a beat though when she extended her claws and plunged them into her ears. He didn't need to see the blood to know what had happened as she positively glared at the mountain now. She had destroyed her own ear drums in order to stop the pain. The entire world seemed to tremble as she surged forward once again. There was no way for Nathan to see her face but as he looked upon her tensed back and the position of her arms it was clear she was quite upset.
There was no sound as Zarena's massive claws slammed into the mountain due to the still air. The sight was spectacular though. While her arm sunk into one location massive eruptions of earth shot out from numerous portions of the mountain. Massive stones were flying through the air and violently slamming into the ground some of them even landing in front of where they were being carried. With this display of power Nathan was truly horrified as something surged forth from the mountain and struck Zarena in the stomach. He could feel the shock wave that ran throughout the ground as the massive sleeper was sent flying through the air.
There wasn't time for Zarena to recover from the attack. The moment she had regained her footing the ground surged upwards from beneath her. A slight pain could be felt coming from her feet and as she moved away from the ground Zarena wasn't too surprised to see that the ground beneath her had been formed into jagged rock spikes and forced up into her feet. Her eyes revealed to her what was happening almost immediately.
The spirit had truly claimed this region for itself. Its power had reached through from the shadow realm to infect the very earth of the region. How long this infection had been spreading or taken Zarena didn't know but it was clear this creature could use the very ground she stood on as a weapon. For now though she had other concerns as she turned her gaze so she looked off in the distance Zarena quickly rushed forward aiming for the border between the dead air created by the spell and the fresh air.
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Alex could hardly believe how well that spell had worked. Between the three attacks they had actually managed to turn such a massive creature. He had been quite concerned whenever she had struck the mountain but fortunately the force had been diverted into weaker regions. Their collapse had soaked most of the energy from Zarena's attack. As she began to know though he had no intention of letting her escape and once again reached out with the ground. This time he weakened the bonds of the earth beneath her feet shifting it to mud while causing yet another javelin of stone to be driven forward. The sight and feeling of the earth trembling seconds later chilled his bones.
Nearly the instant the ground had began to shift beneath her Zarena's claws had extended and dug deeply into the earth. The mystic nature of her claws disrupted the spirits hold and allowed her to gain her footing even as the javelin was driven towards her stomach. She made no move to dodge but continued to push forward the wall of muscle that comprised her abdomen met with the stone and the stone yielded in an instant.
How strong was this creature? The question flashed into Alex's mind as he could feel a slight glimpse of Zarena's strength as she pushed through the stone. A sharp pain in his head reclaimed his focus.
Amalgam, “Focus human! She is still a creature of flesh stop her from gaining breath.”
There was no hesitation on Alex's part as he gave a quick nod and thrust his hands forward. He could feel himself grasping the barrier between the two regions and quickly forced it to shift even as Zarena neared it. Relief flooded into him as the wall shifted in order to hold Zarena captive but avoid her claws. This feeling of triumph was greatly reduced when Zarena began to move about making small grabs for the boundary while constantly shifting her location.
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At first Nathan hadn't been certain what Zarena was doing. When the air was made to bristle with energy though he knew what was happening. She was trying to attack the barrier itself using her claws. The fact that the barrier was finite was made very clear though when Nathan suddenly found himself able to breath again. Before he could take in a breath though he felt the sister who held him press her lips against his and force air into his lunges. He couldn't see it but this was being performed all around him while several other sisters began to sniff the air quite actively.
“I don't smell any poison.” Shot throughout the area before the brothers were released from their lip locks and settled down. The sisters then began to gather up for an attack. The keepers were already moving to the front while three guardians moved to stand to the sides and right behind each keeper. Those who remained began to gather to protect their brother.
Nathan, “Hold give us a moment with this barrier!” As he spoke Nathan moved to stand with several of the brothers who quickly joined him. While the brothers took up positions several began to draw glyphs in the soft ground to help them focus there energies. They didn't have time to make sure the layout was perfect but years of practice insured that even a hurried glyph would be fairly close to a carefully laid out one so long as it was simple. The soft earth was a pore material to carve it into as well but for this purpose it would work.
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Fera, “How are you holding up Mina?”
At first Mina said nothing but glanced up towards the massive matron. She smiled then their eyes met. “I'm not doing too well. I can't get myself to relax and I keep feeling like I should rush off to help our sisters but here I sit. It must be even worse for you considering your eyes.”
Fera, “The battle has started and already some very serious magic is being used. I'm not sure if lives are being lost just yet but it's clear Zarena's still active. She stands out a great deal even from this distance.”
Mina, “Does she make it hard to see our other sisters?”
Fera, “OH yes she does. She makes it beyond hard to be honest but there is little that can be done about that. I'm actually glad knowing that she's there.”
Mina, “I never really thought much about it but you matrons really aren't allowed to patrol the forest a great deal. It's always been said that your power needs to be kept close to the fortress to insure we don't lose it. Yet as some of the most powerful fighters we have wouldn't it be best for you to be out there? Besides the citadel has the protectors.”
Fera, “The library doesn't.”
Mina, “True but our past sisters built it to last. The stones high grade stone, enhanced with alchemy, extremely thick and even includes glyphs to add to their strength. Even we have trouble damaging them.”
Fera, “That is true but well I know it seems strange to bench your strongest warriors but think of it like this. If they send in all their strongest at once that is one battle won yes. However, what happens if that battle was only a decoy and the enemies true strength was going to strike at our home or elsewhere. With all the main fighters there then we wouldn't have what's needed to protect our home or perhaps the next region. So some of us have to remain behind so that we can adapt as long as the situation isn't desperate for those fighting.”
Mina, “That makes sense. So do you believe that we're going to end up fighting the bulk of the enemy here?”
Fera, “There is a noteworthy force moving towards us right now. I can see them.”
Despite her words Mina couldn't help the wave of alarm and disbelief that struck her. “What!” As the words escaped her Mina leaped to her feet grasping her ax as she did so.
Fera, “I already told our other sisters and brothers they're preparing for what is to come. What I would like to know is if these enemies have come to capture some of us to use against our sisters attacking their home or just to kill us. In either case you might want to know that they're flying.”
At first Mina didn't say anything. A toothy grin formed on her face moments later just after she let lose a long sigh. “Part of me believes I brought this upon us with my complaining.”
Fera, “Don't be silly Mina. If you were that powerful I'd smack the day lights out of you if I heard so much as half of a negative statement.”
Mina, “Do you think you could?”
Fera, “Well not while you're expecting.”
A slight chuckle escaped Mina as she looked towards the sky. “Let's go speak with the others and see what they believe we should do. I imagine Mirin is already working with the alchemists on something.” As she was speaking Mina couldn't help but notice a sister running towards her packing several containers. “Dezta?”
Dezta didn't bother stopping until she came within arms reach of Mina. The young sister held several bottles in her arms and looked to both Mina and then Fera, “Dan says break the very top of these off and throw them before five seconds have past. He said you probably shouldn't have a broken bottle near anyone once the bottle has been broken so only break when you're ready to throw.”
Mina, “What are they?”
Dezta, “They're some of the excess potions the brothers made for defending the village. Apparently they cause some really noteworthy damage.”
Mina, “What about the shapers all that silver was used to make?”
Dezta, “OH we get those.” As she spoke Dezta held up one of the shapers. “Mirin said that the stronger sisters could throw the bottles while the weaker ones to get to use the shapers.”
Fera, “Hey. Why did you give them all to Mina? I can throw to.”
Dezta, “Can you break the top off without shattering the entire bottle.”
Fera, “Probably not.” A slight chuckle escaped Fera as she straitened up. “Okay I'm going to go take a look at the enemy but I won't be going too far. I'll soften them up as much as I can.”
Mina, “Fera how are you going to do that?”
Fera, “I'm going to throw very large rocks at them naturally.”
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Kersara had grown use to the kobolds attack patterns over the last few days. The little bastards would rush onto the beach in huge numbers and swarm everything they could. Once a target was truly swarmed the others would move onto something else. Considering their numbers it was a tactic they could get away with. This wasn't something she was ready for as she looked out over the water. The creatures had rigged up some kind of weapons platforms with what looked to be ballistas. Where they had gotten such weapons or figured out how to use them was beyond her but they were proving a problem.
The water kobolds didn't risk rushing onto the shore this time but remained in the ocean. A vast number of them occupied the majority of the water between the beach and their weapons but none moved onto the actual land or even the shallow water. Rather they held their ground and waited. Every once in a while a sharp piercing whistle could be heard over the chatter of the creatures and even the weapons fire but none were truly certain what it meant if it meant anything. All the orcs knew that they were constantly having to move to avoid the attacks.
While Kersara considered her options she was rather surprised when she heard Kelah's voice though very grateful. “How are those javelins coming?”
Lanod, “They're coming but if you want them done properly we can't rush this.”
Kersara, “What's going on over there Kelah?”
Kelah, “Just something to take out those weapons. Now would a few of you come over here to provide some cover while these are finished? Imbuing weapons with the power of an element on short notice isn't easy work from what I hear.” After the words had left her mouth Kelah was welcomed by the site of Kersara and two other sisters who had moved to provide them with cover.
Kersara, “Okay but you know we tend to disrupt magic right?”
Kelah, “Don't worry about this. The spells they're working on don't need to last very long. So Kersara how is your aim as far as long distances go and your sisters?”
Kersara, “My sisters' are typically terrible mine is better due to working on the water front for so long. I've actually had to make use of some projectile weapons.”
Kelah, “Then I'm glad we only have.” A sudden rush of sand and other debris silenced Kelah as one of the projectiles was fired towards them only to be knocked from the air by Kersara, The resulting blast was still enough to kick up a good bit of sand. “Yuck I believe I got some sand in my mouth.”
Kersara, “Sorry about that. You were saying?”
Kelah, “I'm glad that we only have a few targets to hit.”
Kersara, “Ah. So Kelah other then this do you have any idea on how we might get those freaks onto land so we can rip them apart.”
Kelah, “Short of retreating further into the forest so they have to chase us? No. Which really sucks to be honest. If this was some other enemy I would say that we can wait until the tides are in our favor and use the water to sink them but that only works on enemies who don't breath underwater. If it was a smaller body of water or if they were closer I would see if we could force the waves back so that we have more dry land to fight on but that's just too much water to move.”
Kersra, “Damn. I could go into the water after then but I could only risk going to far as well.”
Kelah, “Don't do that. They wouldn't have to touch you to kill you all they would have to do is influence the currents so that you couldn't return to the surface to take air.”
Lanod, “I wouldn't say that is entirely true. Once we finish with these weapons I have something that I believe will be able to help you. I realize that we can't use magic on you but what is to stop us from using magic on something else so that it constantly grants fresh air?”
Kersara, “You can do that?”
Lanod, “No. I do have something that can grant you quite a lot of air. I actually have some of them right now but we need them in making these javelins. So please try to hit your target as the fewer we have to use the more we can let your sisters have for in the water.”
Kersara, “Gee great. So could I have a javelin that hasn't been imbued to practice with?”
Kelah, “You can have one natural one to attempt with once we're ready for you to start throwing. Sorry Kersara but we don't want them figuring out what's going on until it's too late. I'll be throwing with you.”
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Pain shot throughout Alex's arm as he tried to move the barrier which he had been using to protect their base. This wasn't due to Zarena hitting the barrier though but rather several mystic anchors which had taken hold of it. There was no time to think about where they had come from though as he struggled to move the barrier. As intense as the pain was it wouldn't begin to compare to what would come if he couldn't move it.
He was greeted by the feared pain moments later and wasn't able to keep his screams inside. He felt his legs going weak and his vision began to blur as his arms seemed to burst into flames. The barrier had been struck and by something that has the ability to disrupt magic. As an opening in the barrier was created the mystic backlash practically made the skin on Alex's arms boil. So great was the pain that he didn't even consider that if it wasn't for the Amalgam protecting him he would have lost his arms entirely.
As Alex began to fall the Amalgam wasn't happy with the situation. The oxygen barrier had been what was keeping the creature away from them as well as the earth itself. The barrier hadn't been destroyed entirely though. “Weaken the barrier and permit some oxygen into here. Do not let it collapse though human.”
There was no protest from Alex as he stood up and began to shift the magic about. Even if they didn't have the barrier at full strength the degraded oxygen wouldn't be suitable to sustaining life. As he worked the barrier though he could feel the Amalgam working through him at the same moment. He only needed a moment to realize the spirit was causing the ground around the mountain to shift both in consistency and in nature.
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Zarena took in a deep breath as she opened up the barrier and found herself able to speak again. “Sisters focus on the edge of the barrier but don't push forward yet. Try to drain as much energy as you can so that it collapses.”
Immediately several sisters began to charge forward sniffing the air looking for the location where the barrier transitioned from the pure air of the forest to the tainted air. That would be where the barrier stood and where their bodies would have the greatest influence on the barrier. Several of them wanted to push forward into the Amalgam's domain but none were ready to argue the point with Zarena. As they moved forward though only a few stopped to realize that the brothers had began to make their preparations to enter into the shadow realm and confront the Amalgam. Flora did though and it slowed her movements.
Sora “Nathan be careful.”
Nathan, “We will be as careful as we can be Sora. Just keep doing what you are. This thing is trying to protect its physical home and that's going to be draining its energy. The more energy you force it to devote to fighting you here the weaker it will become. But Sora I wouldn't let any of the sisters fight alone on this battlefield. The earth itself is against you and you still need to breath from time to time.”
Sora, “So it seems to have realized. Fortunately we don't need to breath all that often.”
Nathan, “Yes otherwise Zarena would have been in serious trouble. Still, she has slowed if you watch her movements. She's trying to catch her breath.” As he spoke Nathan turned his gaze towards Zarena. It was true a sister could go a long time without taking in any fresh air but afterwords it could take them a long time to regain their stamina. Sora don't forget Zarena is powerful but you're just as intelligent as she is. If you believe she's behaving foolishly call her down.”
Sora, “Thanks. Now I'll move away so I don't disrupt your spell and force you to use more energy then you need to.”
Nathan, “We won't enter into the spirit's domain until the orc shamans and the druids have joined us. Until then we will attack from a distance. Remember Sora this creature is tied to living creatures in this world if you kill them you will weaken it overall.”
Sora, “What do you mean overall?”
Nathan, “It is possible that this creature will grow stronger initially as the kobolds die if it consumes their life energy as they fall. Maiming them would serve us in this battle more then actual killing blows.”
Sora, “Nathan, I don't believe we can do that with the land itself against us.”
Nathan, “I know that's why I didn't mention it to the others. If you see the mage though don't kill him if you can avoid it. Instead try to only remove his arms, legs and tongues.”
Sora, “Okay but Nathan don't you believe you should tell Zarena that?”
Nathan, “I would but she popped her ear drums a short while ago. She won't be able to hear anything for a while.”
Despite the entire situation Sora suddenly felt very silly. So much so that for a moment she had to cover her face. “Okay I'm going to get to the battle now. Have fun in the shadow realm and remember to come back alive. It's bad enough when one of my sisters die but honestly we out number you quite badly.”
Nathan, “We shall do our best.”
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Kersara couldn't help the look of surprise as a fearsome roar shook the area. She had just thrown the first of the javelines the orcs had prepared and it had found its mark. The moment it had struck the creature the day had grown all the brighter as a viscous torrent of lightning had struck where the javelin had struck. Then the creature had rose up. The platform that the kobolds was using for their weapons was actually a massive turtle like creature the likes of which Kersara hadn't ever seen this close to land. As she watched the creature thrashing about her thoughts were interrupted by yet another bright flash and roar.
Kelah, “Don't stop throwing!”
Immediately Kersara realized the truth in Kelah's words and grabbed another javelin. There would be time to think about what they'd just seen soon enough. As she sent her second javelin through the air she wasn't too surprised when her target seemed to shift as if trying to move away. It didn't move fast enough though as the javelin found its mark. Much like the other two the creature responded with a roar of pain what she didn't grasp though is that none of them had tried to submerge themselves. Were they just well enough trained that they wouldn't back down without orders, perhaps the lightning wasn't powerful enough to force a retreat or perhaps something else was there. “Do any of you know what they are?”
Lanod, “Big and dieing more will have to be revealed later.” As Lanod spoke he more forced one of the javelin's into Kersara's hands then handed it to her. “Now don't give the others time to submerge!”
As she took the javelin Kersara gave a quick nod but as she turned to see what was happening she couldn't help herself. “Shit!”
A sigh escaped Kelah as she watched the remaining creature submerge. She had managed to release another javelin for a grand total of four that they had managed to strike but they had been others. Others which would be waiting in the water and could pose a serious threat. “Lanod are the ones we hit dead?”
Lanod, “I can't say for sure Kelah. If I had to risk a guess I would say yes they're quite dead.”
Kelah, “Good but now what? They're not shooting at us anymore but they're still there.”
Kersara, “How about giving me something so I can go into the water now Lanod?”
At first Lanod said nothing but looked out over the water. “You know those things will be waiting for you and one of you must remain. Kelah you're the only one I would risk giving one of these javelins to amongst our brethren and I don't believe any of that matters.” As Lanod spoke he quickly gathered up the remaining javelins and began to back away as he noted a massive swell of water moving towards them. He didn't get too far.
Kersara, “Fall back!” As she spoke Kersara took hold of Lanod and Kelah without truly thinking about what she was doing. Her feet dug into the ground and she began to sprint away. Similar situations were happening throughout the beach as every sister grabbed up whatever orc or tusker happened to be within arms reach and began to sprint deeper into the forest. The orcs shock at the situation only being surpassed by the tuskers who while intelligent enough to realize they were going in the right direction were far from used to being carried and quite so quickly.
The only person who's shock surpassed that of the tuskers would be Kelah's who couldn't even remember the last time she had been carried away from danger. As she watched the massive wave of water roaring towards them though she resolved that she wouldn't complain.
Kersara, “Kelah any idea what's going on?”
Kelah, “I have no idea! I mean to generate a wave like that it's just insane!”
Even as Kelah was speaking Kersara began to slow to a stop and set her as well as Lanod down. She then turned her ears back towards the ocean trying to listen for the sounds of either combat or screams for help. “Kelah would your orcs call for aid if they were pulled in?”
Kelah, “Kersara if one of us without the blessing of a mighty spirit or at the very least the protection a water spirit was hit by that wave they're already dead.” As she spoke Kelah brought herself to a standing position. “Listen for the sound of your sisters and see if any of them were taken into the ocean.”
Kerara, “I didn't hear anything.”
For a moment Kelah gave a nod and took in a deep breath. “Could you tell your sisters to regroup and bring the orcs with them? I need to know how many brothers and sisters I lost just now. I'd also appreciate it if they could bring any tuskers with them. Blast it!” As she spoke Kelah gripped her axes and looked past the trees where the wave hadn't reached.
While Kelah's words had helped put a fine point on it Kersara knew what was coming. The water kobolds had no intentions of allowing them to regroup after forcing them to scatter they were rushing onto the beach once again. “Kelah which way do we go I'll help you gather up your orcs!”
Kelah, “What about your sisters?”
Kersara, “ Where we find your orcs we'll find my sisters. I wasn't the only one packing a few of you. I could have sworn I saw one of them with four and what looked to be a tusker.”
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Carter couldn't help but grimace in pain as he struggled to resist the mystic backlash of his own barrier. Fortunately his shield was quickly reinforced by Landon's and Cullen’s barrier as they rushed to protect him. It was actually a rather unusual situation. A brother rushing to protect a brother in a combative situation but none of them were ready to watch another brother fall just yet.
Cullen, “Well this is frustrating. I thought we were far enough away from that damn things territory.”
Carter, “I guess it expected this and waited until we were far enough in.” As he spoke Carter looked around at the various spirits which stood before them as well as the kobolds. Unfortunately these weren't the normal kobolds. If the kobolds have gotten there by their own power or with aid from the Amalgam wasn't known but one thing was clear they were shaman.
Xizon found himself looking at the humans who had entered the shadow realm. A grin was worn on his face. “The master told us that you would be coming! Now you will die without the furred ones to protected you.”
Carter didn't answer with words but began to gather magic for a spell. He wasn't prepared for what happened next as a massive explosion seemed to strike where the kobolds and some of their spirit allies stood. Horrific screams filled the air and a bright light appeared above them. Carter dared to risk a look towards the heavens and for a moment he could have sworn he saw a set of teeth as well as massive claws. Several of the spirits and kobolds vanished seconds later while others were sent falling towards the ground.
The attack had truly been unexpected. As Xizon looked towards the sky he didn't know if he should be more worried about what came from the heavens or what stood before him. What struck him as extremely strange wasn't the attack itself though that was an object of great concern. Rather it was the fact that while several of the weaker spirits had vanished and others had been torn from the ground as well as some kobolds he was intact. Not only was he intact but he hadn't felt the claw's touch whenever they had appeared though he'd clearly seen them pass through him. There was little time to think about that though as his entire field of vision was filled with a brilliant light while his skin felt like it would be burned from his flesh due to the heat that came with the light. This heat wasn't due to a fire spell but due to the massive wave of lightning that engulfed him and the one thing that saved his life a very note worthy mystic barrier.
While Nathan had expected some form of retaliation from the spirit once they entered the shadow realm this was a bit more then he had been prepared for. It made him far more certain that the decision to remain outside of the spirit's true domain had been a good decision. If they had stood in the heart of its realm they probably would have been dead by now. As he looked at the flickering remains of the shield and the kobold shaman who stood behind it he felt more certain of that. He could see the kobold's energies and was far from impressed. The shield and its ability to endure one of his lightning attacks was clearly a result of them being close to its master.
Xizon didn't have time to recover from his injuries. Once the lightning had cleared and his vision had just began to return he heard the roar of flames as Carter, Landon and Cullen all three blasted his barrier with flame bursts. The barrier had stood up to one of Nathan's attacks but in its weakened state it wasn't able to hold for more then a moment. The barrier collapsed and the flames engulfed the kobold the resulting pressure wave actually lifting him up and carrying him through the air.
Nathan, “Are you three alright?”
Cullen, “We're fine. What was that just a second ago?”
Nathan, “Zarena. She's keeping an eye on us it seems.”
Cullen, “Good to know. So what should we do now? I doubt that was the only wave that it's going to be sending against us.”
Nathan, “I believe it's time for us to fall back to a safer location. The further back...” Nathan's words were interrupted by a viscous roar as a torrent of wind and broken earth slammed into him.
The brother's hearts skipped a beat as Nathan was made to vanish within the storm of swirling stone. Carter's response was immediate as he began to gather energy to disrupt the magic. He didn't have time to gather his magic as a massive pressure wave shook the area powdering the stone and disrupting the wind. The fact that the sound was immediately followed by the sight of Nathan standing in its middle was wonderful indeed. His robes had been torn by the attack in some locations revealing a suit of chain armor beneath it and the slight glow the armor was giving off told them all it was enchanted.
Nathan, “Damn it that hurt!” Even as he spoke Nathan had turned to face the direction of the attack and ready a spell. Instead of remaining still he had began backing up towards the other brothers who were also working to put some distance between themselves and the Amalgam's land.
Carter, “Nathan what was that?”
Nathan, “Pressure barrier. It's a wind barrier that responds to attacks by slowing the projectile and compressing at the same time until it hits a critical point. It then explodes outward.”
Carter, “So those shards aren't what tore your robes?”
Nathan, “No but damn it. Being in the middle of the barrier during its expansion stage is a heck of a lot better then being on its sides but it still hurts.”
For a moment Carter gave a nod and began to look around. “Is that something we should be worried about?”
Nathan, “Well not now but five seconds ago yes.” As he spoke Nathan grinned. The brothers had by now grouped up and he had extended the barrier to encompass them all.
Carter, “Gee thanks for telling us that. Okay what now?”
Nathan, “I want the three of you to begin working on a proper barrier to give us some protection. Make sure it is a complete sphere we don't know if we can trust the ground beneath our feet at this point.”
Cullen, “You don't believe we should make our way to the others? What if they're under attack as well?”
Nathan, “Cullen we're the spear head. The best thing we can do to insure the safety of our brothers is keep pointed in the right direction.”
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Fera hated the limitations of unformed projectiles. The rocks she picked up and send flying towards the swarm of kobolds tended to go off their intended path and only a few found their marks. The more spread out the creatures became the less she hit and even aiming individual stones was often fruitless. It was the best she could do in the current situation as she waited for the kobolds to begin their attack. A low growl escaped her whenever the first kobold then the second and a third flew over her head without slowing down in the least. They apparently had a very clear idea of where they were suppose to be going. Instead of giving pursuit Fera picked up another mass of stones and sent them flying. As long as they were more kobolds heading towards her then behind her she needed to hold her ground and try to take them down.
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Lanora, “You look ready to fight.”
As the words reached her ears Mina looked back at the matron who now stood a short distance where Fera had been earlier. “Well, I sort of have to be don't I?”
Lanora, “Yeah but it goes beyond that. Do you intend on showing them the same level of aggression you showed me?”
Now Mina was made to give Lanora a very toothy grin. “I plan on doing worse. After all we were just sparring with one another. These bastards intend to harm my mate.”
A slight giggle escaped Lanora as she squatted down slightly so she was closer to eye level with Mina. “That's good to know. I'm not really sure how we're going to handle this though. Flying enemies have always been something of a pain.”
Mina, “True but shouldn't Rora be able to help with that one?”
Lanora, “Indeed she should but she's helping guard the northern section of the library. Any ideas on what we should do?”
Mina, “I wish. Next time they stick me with some mystic weapon I'm going to demand they let me use something other then a melee weapon. I'm sure this ax would be wonderful against anything I could get close enough to reach but flying kobolds?”
Lanora, “Do you hear those impacts? It sounds like Fera is doing her best.”
Mina, “Yeah but I think she has the same problem we do. We need something to force them down.”
Dan, “I believe I can help with that.”
Mina was actually made to jump when she heard Dan's voice and quickly spun around. She was even more surprised to see him holding a glowing tome which had been opened wide. She didn't recognize any of the letters on the pages but from their energy she assumed they were magic. “Dan what are you doing here and what are you holding?”
Dan, “I came out to help you of course. As for what I'm holding. It's a mystic word. Mirin lent one to me and one to Joseph and a few other of the alchemist.”
For a moment Mina said nothing but glanced down at the book. When it came to magic items there were many that would let you cast different spells even if you didn't happen to know the true spell. It was the item that shaped the magic you just provided the energy and at times you didn't even do that. Of these items though mystic words were in a league of their own. While some items would let you cast a few spells the upper limit tended to be a dozen. A mystic word allowed for hundreds of spells if not more to the point that the better made mystic words made it possible for someone to pass for a true mage. “I really don't know what to say to that except perhaps I can hardly believe they're ready to use them.”
Dan, “Well Mirin said that these are the easy to replace ones. You know the ones that would only require a few months of twelve hour days to replace if it was to be destroyed or lost. He also suggested that I should stick to spells that are strongly related to the alchemy I know.”
A slight chuckle escaped Mina as she turned her gaze towards the sky. “Dan I don't like you being here but blast it all I don't have any means of knocking them out of the sky. If you do then stay but if you don't I want you back inside.”
Dan, “Then it's fortunate that I have something.”
Mina, “Alright then, so where is Joseph at the moment?”
Dan, “The last I checked he was going to be helping protect the western side of the library.”
Mina, “Maria is going to flip out whenever she learns that he joined the battle but she wasn't here to protect him. I know that I would upon my return. Does he have a matron over there helping to keep watch over him?”
Dan, “He's working with Nadia the last I checked. Wherever there are brothers helping to defend there is a matron helping to insure they don't get killed.”
For a moment Mina went silent and took in a deep breath. “Well alright then. I believe you should get that word warmed up. I can hear their wings very clearly now and the rate of impacts have increased so I'm guessing Fera is running back as fast as her legs can carry her.” As she spoke something strange hit Mina's nose. It wasn't an actual impact but it may as well have been. She smelt smoke.
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Even as Fera moved ahead of the kobolds she was seeing red. While the kobolds had been flying over the village a few of them had let lose with their fire breath and set a few of the buildings on fire. The structures were strongly built, meant to last and quite empty at this point but even with no one in danger and it unlikely all the buildings would catch fire the fact that they had done it was more then enough to anger Fera. She was able to remember her job though and as soon as it seemed best to she began to run back to the library. As she passed the swarm and neared the library she wasn't surprised when questions hit her.
Lanora, “Fera what is that smell?”
Fera, “The little bastards set the town on fire!” As Fera spoke her anger came out in her voice and her voice carried over the entire library. Her anger was soon joined by several roars as the sisters frustration was voiced. The fact that they couldn't move to defend the town only made them angrier. A fact that the brothers were quite aware of.
The news was angering to all but with Dan so close to her Mina didn't show it. Instead she took in a deep breath and looked down at her mate. She then lowered herself to one knee and leaned forward placing a kiss on top of his head. “I don't suppose you're any good with fire are you?”
Dan, “Would you believe my training in alchemy has better conditioned me to freeze things?”
Mina, “Really?”
Dan, “Yes really.” As he spoke Dan felt certain that he could see the kobolds now and they seemed to fill the sky. The chunks in their formation Fera had managed to knock out had been filled in by the others and now they looked down upon the library. “Do you believe that they'll land to fight you?”
Mina, “I don't know. I don't even know how they plan to harm us.”
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Nadia, “Joseph you can settle down. I didn't get to be a matron by being incompetent you know.” As she spoke Nadia watched Joseph fidgeting about. Several times he seemed like he was going to close the word he held in his hands but he would open it back up again and look around.
Joseph, “I've never actually killed a sentient being directly.”
For a moment Nadia said nothing but looked at Joseph. “Well if you don't feel bad about killing a tree then you shouldn't feel bad about killing these things. They may have roughly the same intelligence but at least a tree is more noble then these kobolds.”
A slight chuckle escaped Joseph after a moment of looking at Nadia. “That sounds about right. Don't you ever wonder if kobolds behavior might be more due to their environment and nurturing then their actual nature.”
Nadia, “No. So what kind of book do you have there?”
Joseph, “It mostly focuses on life magic but I've already located a few spells that I should be able to use against our enemy especially those who like to fly. Nadia if you don't mind me asking though. All matrons have a mutation what is yours?”
A wide toothy grin formed across Nadia's face. A grin that actually made the matron look more then a little imposing. As far as sisters went Nadia was abnormally muscular though she was no match for Kersara and was far from Mina. Her fur was a medium gray with jet black streaks that ran throughout her fur. The resulting contrast between her dark fur and gleaming quite teeth would have been comforting to few if any. “My mutation is in my brain.”
Despite all the time he'd spent with the sisters Joseph couldn't help but feel a little nervous. The idea of a sister having an altered mentality wasn't comforting to him. The moment was actually enough to make Joseph forget how carefully selected matron's were.
Nadia, “Ha! I knew that I would work. Come on Joseph I'm your sister I'm not going to hurt you.”
Joseph gave a slight jerk as he looked at Nadia. “How did you do that?”
Nadia, “I swear did you even realize how closely you were looking at my claws and teeth?” As she spoke Nadia relaxed her fingers and withdrew her claws. She had been careful to move then into Joseph's line of sight whenever he'd looked away from her teeth to remind him of other dangers. “Don't worry Joseph whenever I said my mutation was in my brain I meant how I process information. I combine information from my vision, ears, smell, feeling and even memory more effectively then my sisters.”
Joseph, “So your senses are sharper then the other sisters?”
Nadia, “I wouldn't say that. It's just that the information is more closely related to produce a far clearer image of the rest of the world. It allows me to make more accurate predictions about what's going to happen and how I might influence it. Oh and before you ask me how effectively I combine this information I'll go ahead and tell you. I was able to frighten you despite everything you know about matrons and our society.”
Now Joseph was silent again and turned his attention towards the sky. “So what can you tell me about those kobolds?”
Nadia, “They're beginning to spread out around us and have no intention of landing at this point. They're settling in to where the wind currents are fairly steady and the updrafts will help keep them aloft. More then likely they plan on a long drawn out battle or they're going to prepare something. We need to what we can to force them down.”
Joseph, “You don't believe that it would be best to go inside and trust to the walls of the library.”
Nadia, “Not at this moment. If we do that they can prepare whatever magic they want for however long it takes. We need them to believe that we're going to stand and fight them first.”
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Dinon, “Kersara you're alright!” As Dinon spoke he didn't even think of the blood that had just been spilled all over him by Kersara cutting through a wave of the kobolds.
Kersara, “Of course I am I'm not the one who was about to be swarmed.” Even as she was speaking Kersara continued to lash out at the kobolds cutting those unlucky enough to be within five stride distance of her down around both her and Dinon. “Now tell me if you're able to fight or not.”
Dinon, “That is true. I'm still fine to fight. What is the plan?”
Kersara, “Good. We need to get through these kobolds and make our way to those who are trapped on the beach. Together we'll try to fight our way out or at least make a stand.”
There was temptation in Dinon to remind Kersara that they might end up trapped on the beach and overwhelmed if they followed her plan. He didn't make any mention of it though knowing full well that if she had followed such logic he would have been in serious trouble. “Do you have any ideas as to how we can escape from there?”
Kersara, “I wish that I did. Now get over here and start killing things.”
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Phanil, “Let go of him.” As she spoke Phanil lashed out at the kobolds who had taken hold of Grawn. The orc was covered in blood seconds later though fortunately it wasn't his own as the sister shredded several kobolds. She couldn't give him time to recover though as she lifted him from the ground and placed him over her shoulder. Three other orcs currently stood with her but this was proving to be a problem. If she stood still she risked being overwhelmed but if she moved the orcs would be crushed. Relief came seconds later accompanied with the a howling wind.
Haxlon took in a deep breath as he saw his fellow orcs and the beast woman unharmed. He had hated to use such a violent spell near them but had felt it necessary to push back the kobolds. “Get him over here and I'll heal his wounds!”
The orcs responded almost as quickly as Phanil despite her superior speed. They began to push their way towards the orcish shaman. As they moved though Phanil couldn't quiet her concern. “How are you keeping them from swarming you?” There was no need for Haxlon to answer. With the orc shaman having made his presence felt even more strongly the kobolds regrouped their attack upon him. The moment one of them came near though a shard shot up from the earth and impaled the creature before retreating back into the ground.
Haxlon, “A gift granted to me via an old contract.”
Phanil, “That had better not happen to us!” Even as she was speaking Phanil began to step into the protected area around the shaman.
Haxlon, “I wouldn't have called you over if it would.”
As Phanil stepped into the area she placed Grawn upon the ground before Haxlon. “I'm going to step back out and try to thin their numbers.”
Kersara, “Oh no you won't!” As she spoke Kersara had already made her way towards the group the water kobolds more vaporizing at her approach then being reduced to bits. The incredible power within each one of Kersara's strikes didn't truly give their kobolds body time to properly deform to the force.
Phanil, “Kersara you made it!”
Kersara, “Of course. Listen I can't stay here for long. They're a group of orcs and some sisters only three hundred meters to the north of us. I want you six to make your way there and group up with them. I need to keep moving.”
Phanil, “Okay I'll help these people get there and then come and help you.”
Kersara, “No! You stay put with them and help protect them with the others.”
Phanil, “Kersara I can help you!”
Kersara, “Don't argue with me and get your buts moving!” As she spoke Kersara was already pushing her way through the kobolds. She could already tell where another group of resistance was by the flow of the kobolds. Wherever they surged most violently there was something to kill.
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Kelah didn't know what to think of the sight before her. It was a sight of utter horror and carnage. Limbs lay about the beach with the sand having already been bleached red. Horrific screams could be heard resounding throughout the area as the water kobolds fail and the stench of death filled the air even more so then normal. She was only snapped back to her regular mind set whenever a hand came to rest upon her shoulder.
Dinon, “Kelah we really need to get somewhere were we won't be seen and then move away from here. There is nothing that we can do to help in this situation and honestly I wouldn't want to try.”
To this Kelah gave a nod and began to move back though she didn't risk turning her gaze from the sight before her. A creature that was more then a little strange even to Kelah currently stood on the beach hissing and lashing out at the kobolds. A description of the creature might have been a two headed dragon if it wasn't for the rather unique state of its tail. The tail was apparently tipped with a very nasty claw and a spine that could be seen from time to time. When a kobold would draw close enough the creature would either impale the kobold or grasp it with the claw and then impale it before tossing it aside. Kelah assumed there was some type of injection involved but she had no idea what type.
The sun glistened off the creature's scales which apparently had no trouble deflecting the attacks of the water kobolds be they magic or physical. What truly made the creature deadly though was its two heads. While Kelah couldn't be certain it appeared that whatever one head saw so did the other and this was used to give it a superb view of the battlefield. “Dinon what is that thing?”
Dinon, “Apparently angry at the kobolds for some reason. Do you need to know more?”
For a moment Kelah was silent but continued on as she continued to listen to the creature unleashing its rage on the kobolds. “For now that's enough. I swear this forest is full of unique creatures isn't it?”
Dinon, “Yes and that one is very angry with the kobolds for some reason. I wonder if that title wave brought on similar responses from other creatures.”
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While Kelah had been admiring the wyvern creature Kersara found herself in a unique situation as well. Wolves had actually made their way onto the beach and proceeded to join the battle. What surprised her though was the size and speed of the wolves that had began fighting. They were of no real concern to a sister but the way they torn into the kobolds was horrific. Whenever one of the kobolds was caught within the jaws of one of the massive wolves a horrific cracking could be heard followed by a torrent of blood. Compounding her astonishment was the way the wolves moved about. At no point did Kersara see one of the wolves open to attack. Rather while any one wolf was vulnerable they always seem to be guarded by the others of their pack.
“Could we get some help please?”
As the unfamiliar voice reached her ears Kersara shifted her gaze from the wolves to find two orcs hunkered down behind a mound of earth. It was another strange moment. The works were so close to the wolves that there was no way that they couldn't have noticed them. As Kersara began to make her way over to them she felt her heart speed up as a scent hit her nose and she recognized the sent of a sisters blood.
Kersara, “Jiana! What happened here?”
No answer came from the sister except a low groan. One of the orcs did answer though.
Xania, “She shielded us from the wave whenever she saw it coming we were too close to the water to run. She took the worst of it and even had the strength to keep us from being pulled out to the sea whenever the water retreated. We were trying to get her further inland when we were swarmed.”
No immediate response came from Kersara as she looked her sister over. She could hear her sister's heart beat and even smell the chemical changes going on inside of her body as she responded to the damage. “She'll live but we need to get her to a safer location. How did you keep the kobolds back?”
Xania, “We didn't the wolves did. We were surrounded I honestly thought we'd all be killed but then the wolves showed up and well this began.”
Kersara didn't say nothing at first but lifted her sister up. “Great. I already lost my ability to eat tuskers and now I'm going to lose my ability to eat wolves to. Let's get my sister and you two to safety then we'll decide on our next move.”
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Both orcs and sisters had come to the beach acting under the assumption that they alone would be defending their forest. As Kersara listened to the forest around them though she had began to question that belief. It had taken a while to respond but slowly a roar had began to grow within the forest and move through it. While the beach had only been kobold, sister and orc before hand they were now being joined by other creatures. Creatures she recognized though rarely seen. Creatures who normally avoided the sisters and some who didn't do so quite so often. What truly surprised Kersara though was how coordinated the creatures were being in their attacks particularly the wolves.
Kersara, “Kelah are these wolves your doing?”
Kelah, “No, Nightfang never gave me permission to command the wolves of the forest and I didn't even know ones like this existed! What are some of these things?”
Kersara, “They're creatures who have eaten, responded to and survived some of the more powerful alchemical plants of this forest or those that descend from them. I mean this place is loaded with powerful plants they're going to cause some interesting results from time to time. What I want to know is if after they're done with the kobolds they're going to start attacking us.”
Lanod, “The spirits of the wind tell me that they're not our enemies. Look at this though. These strange alien creatures have arrived upon the beaches and suddenly destruction struck the forest. Numerous nests and young have been lost in that title wave and not just our own. Is it any wonder that the more powerful of the forest denizens have become angry?”
Kersara, “I understand that but how do you know they won't move against us?”
Lanod, “These are those creatures smart enough and powerful enough to avoid your claws and our hunting parties. I would not underestimate their intelligence. That said I'm also not going within striking distance of any of them except for perhaps the wolves and that will only be with lady Kelah.”
Nothing came from Kersara for a moment as she looked around. “I want every sister who's still strong enough to fight to come with me we're going to return to the beach. Kelah could I please have three of your shamans to join us as well? We'll do everything within our power to insure you don't lose anymore orcs.”
Kelah, “Sure, Dinon, Lanod you're both coming with me.”
Kersara, “What? I only need three shaman's Kelah I don't want to take you away from your people.”
Kelah, “I heard you the first time and I am a shaman. Besides I want to observe these wolves you and Xania mentioned. It's funny though isn't it? The kobolds hurt the forest so badly that it's risen up in defense of itself.”
Kersara, “I know! I can't wait to tell my sisters about this when I return home. Would you believe I've thinking of swearing off eating wolves?”
Kelah, “Um why?”
Kersara, “Huh? What do you mean why? They're helping us!”
Kelah, “Kersara you've got a lot to learn about wolves and survival of the fittest. Tell you what avoid eating the powerful intelligent wolves and don't think too much about the weaklings. That should make Nightfang happy.”
Kersara, “Does that mean he gets upset whenever you spare the scrawny weakling out of pity?”
Kelah, “If that means you kill a stronger wolf instead then yes. Please do not weaken the wolves heritage with your miss guided pity.”
Kersara, “We'll, I'll try to keep that in mind while out hunting.”
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Flora, “Greetings chief Linod I am Flora a keeper of the Luvarian's and we're here to help transport you and your shaman.”
Linod, “It's good to see you. Me and my shaman are already prepared though might I inquire as how you intend to transport us?”
Flora, “Well I imagine you know we already intend to carry you but hopefully you can endure a cradle hold. This makes it easier for us to shield you while moving and given our relative scale it only requires one arm.”
A slight chuckle escaped Linod as he gave a nod. “How strange that will be. Please let us be quick about this though. I can sense that the battle has already began both in the physical world and the spiritual. Your fellows have already began a rather difficult battle.”
Flora “Well I can't say that I expected them to wait for us. Let's get moving.”
As Flora picked him up Linod couldn't remember the last time someone had carried him. He had ridden a few times in the past though the forest didn't lend itself well to such travel but that wasn't being carried at least not like this. He was nearly engulfed completely by Flora's presence and he wondered if she even realized what she had done when hew as tucked against her massive form. Her breasts actually created a slight but very pleasant pressure on his body and the old orc felt rather out of place.
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Cullen, “Well it seems to have slowed down at least.”
No one commented as they looked at the landscape before them. The ground shifted and moved as a fluid except in certain locations where shards of earth would suddenly raise up as if attempting to strike at them. The brothers had repositioned themselves falling back from their original lines but this posed a problem. Ones location in the physical world influences where you arrived or departed in the shadow. As their position had changed there allies might have trouble finding them.
Nathan, “We have a situation here. It's possible that Zarena has seen our location and will account for that when our allies arrive. It is also possible that our allies upon their arrival will first locate us and then move to join us. However, it is also possible that they will assume that our area of entry has been secured and seek to enter there as well. The amalgam will be waiting for them there and they won't survive the entry.”
Cater, “I don't believe we have the power to take back that spot though. At least not just yet. Perhaps our sisters will succeed in weakening the enemy enough that we can?”
Nathan, “Perhaps they will. How much longer until the orcs arrive though as well as our other sisters?”
Cullen, “I don't know. I'm not even sure how long we've been here.”
Nathan, “Neither am I. So what should we do? Hope that they will notice our departure or seek to secure our entry point?”
Carter, “How about instead of securing the entry point or hoping that they notice our departure we make it extremely obvious? Surely they'll notice the turmoil the spirit realm is in. If we can draw enough attention to one location they should have no trouble realizing what happened.”
Nathan, “Now that is a plan Carter. So how would you say we should go about drawing that attention?”
Carter, “I suggest we attempt to break the hold the Amgalm has on the spirit realm. At least as much of its hold as we can.”
Nathan, “That would probably draw extra attention to us. Then do you have a plan of attack that you would suggest?”
Carter, “Given what we know about this Amalgam I believe that we should focus on cleansing the land with fire. We could try breaking up the enchantment that it placed on the region but I don't believe that would be the most effective means. From what I can tell this spirit is actually opposed to the influence of fire. Especially after what happened whenever Mirin burned all those trees.”
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Nadia, “Okay Joseph are you ready with that relaxation spell?”
Joseph, “Yeah though it feels a little strange to be using a spell like this. It's normally used to return muscle use to those who've been influenced by magic or been exposed to certain poisons.”
Nadia, “Well it'll work just fine for our purposes. Now why don't you bring some of those kobolds down.”
Another nod came from Joseph as he opened up the mystic word and immediately felt the book take hold of him. He could feel the drain the book put on his spirit but also the power flowing from the book. He knew what spells the book had to offer as he interacted with it and extended his free hand towards the mass of kobolds that flew above them. The hand that held the word was made to warm up and then that warmth rushed down his arm, through his chest and into his free arm finally building up within his finger tips and radiating outward. The feeling was actually quite pleasant as he watched what appeared to be a blue aura rush towards the kobolds in the sky. Immediately he noticed them creating a defense.
While none of the kobolds knew exactly what attack had been used they responded. Nadia wasn't surprised to notice the winds around the kobolds becoming violent almost instantly as if to repel an attack. She was certain that wind had been charged with magic to protect them from hostile magic yet as Joseph's spell met the barrier she turned her attention towards Joseph. “Cast it again quickly before they realize what's going on.”
It had been Joseph's intention to wait and see how the kobolds would respond if they would realize what was going on and adjust. Nadia didn't give him time to do that so that he found himself building up energy once again. The air was filled with violent screams though which turned his attention towards the sky. Fortunately the word did the majority of the casting for him so that the magic wasn't disrupted even as he looked to see the kobolds falling from the sky. He could tell Nadia was pleased with the results as she looked towards them and he released another wave of magic.
The kobolds had anticipated hostile magic and Nadia had anticipated that however healing magic could be dangerous in the right situation. Nadia had Joseph cast a spell meant to remove paralyzing affects on people in order to relax the muscles of the kobolds. Relaxed muscles didn't work as well as tensed muscles for flying though and the kobolds couldn't beat their wings hard enough to sustain their lift. The end result was that while the magic wasn't hostile in nature they were sent falling towards the ground. A few kobolds were strong enough to resist the influence of the spell and retain their altitude though and Nadia knew they would inform the others as to what was going on.
Joseph didn't need prompting from Nadia to cast the third spell. As he was beginning to build the energy though there was a sudden rush of movement and he found his view of the enemy blocked. A bright flash of light could be seen just beyond the massive figure before him and he found himself looking up into Nadia's smiling face.
Nadia, “They're trying to hit you with lightning.”
Joseph, “I. I um see.”
Nadia, “Now it's time to cast that defensive spell I mentioned to you and remember. You want something that has substance even without magic so I recommend an earth barrier. Make sure that the barrier can move with you however at least for the time being.” There was no move on Nadia's part to move away from Joseph. As she shielded him though she eyes shifted a bit. “Cast your spell to your right and then begin casting a barrier spell.”
Having spoken to Nadia about her mutation and seen the results Joseph did as he was told. Upon releasing the magic he wasn't surprised to see that there were several kobolds already moving towards Nadia's side apparently in an attempt to get around her. The display only hurried him to create the barrier that Nadia had told him to forge. There was a problem however.
Joseph, “Nadia this word doesn't have any protective spells that fit what you asked for. All the physical ones that offer protection from things such are lightning are stationary or very slow moving.”
Nadia, “I see then we will have to make some adjustments.” Joseph had a little trouble retaining his focus whenever Nadia picked him up and he found himself pressed against her just underneath her breasts. The fact that she was using her chest to provide him with extra shelter while keeping an arm free wasn't lost on Joseph and he felt somewhat awkward. As he was pressed to Nadia though he was surprised by how little difference it made in his ability to use the word to control magic. His experiments with Maria came to mind and he wondered if the size of the sister influenced how much they altered the flow of magic.
Nadia, “ Okay Joseph listen. They will first assume you're using some high level form of necromancy to reach beyond the barrier and deal damage that goes beyond physical bounds. They'll strengthen the barrier they're using to protect themselves so that it will stop necromancy and you'll continue casting and it'll continue working for the time being. Soon they as realize that you're not using necromancy but life magic itself and they'll respond to that by adjusting the barrier so that it halts life magic as well making it impossible for them to use life magic to renew their strength in flight. Ready yourself.”
Once again Joseph gave a nod and took a moment to adjust himself so that he could still hold the word comfortably and work his free arm. “Okay Nadia I'm ready.”
Nadia, “Follow the line my finger makes and cast the spell whenever I say now.” As she spoke Nadia was busy gathering information about the kobolds. From the front it seemed like the center held the majority of the kobolds but that wasn't true. Her ears told her that the group of kobolds to the right was the most densely packed as did her nose. “Now.”
There was no hesitation on Joseph's part. Once Nadia pointed her finger he released the energy in the direction her finger indicated and then felt her fingers close in around him once again. Nadia's ring finger and pinky were currently just underneath Joseph's bottom while her middle finger was used to steady his position. The way her index finger wrapped around him his entire stomach and most of his chest was covered. The fact that she could adjust her fingers with such precision was actually rather impressive was far as Joseph was concerned as was the rate at which her thumb and index finger wrapped around him to provide extra cover as Nadia pulled him back towards her body before he could see what was happening.
With Joseph once again pressed against her body Nadia quickly shifted her position to avoid a storm of fire the kobolds sent towards her. She had made a mistake whenever planning their battle and assumed the word allowed Joseph to be more of a mage then it truly permitted. The fact that it lacked a strong high mobility physical barrier was something of a complication. The kobolds had by now recognized that she was shielding Joseph and would soon realize whenever she was going to allow them to cast a spell. Fortunately she knew that she wasn't alone on the battle field as she listened to her sister's moving about. She would have to wait until they were ready though. The feeling of some wind moving across her nose brought Nadia's mind in another direction though as she wondered what her brothers were up to.
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A few minutes earlier.
Those brothers who had joined in on the assault against the amalgam were amongst the most battle capable of the brothers. That didn't mean they were the only ones who could handle powerful spells however and indeed they were plenty of brothers who were perhaps lacking in their combative ability but could handle casting extremely powerful spells that required time to channel. Mirin had realized this nearly the moment he'd seen which brothers had remained behind though he hadn't been the one to come up with their current battle plan. That credit belong to Reynold.
Reynold, “Mirin are you sure you're going to be able to handle this. Burned hands make for poor focuses.”
Mirin, “Fortunately I don't have to channel through my hands for this to work. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find many ziron crystals that are of much use to us. The majority I've found here are of the slow release nature or don't have that much energy. I suppose that shouldn't be surprising considering how quickly we've been using up other types.”
Reynold, “That should still be fine. We're done with the inscriptions already.” As he spoke Reynold and several other brothers gathered up some rather thick parchments and moved to the a clearing they'd made in the room. They then began to lay them out revealing a mystic glyph that grew all the more complex as the parchments were combined.
For a moment Mirin was silent as he tried to listen for the battle going on outside. Nothing reached his years threw the heavy stone roof or walls though. He wondered if the kobolds even stood a chance of breaking into the structure. He had studied the corpse of the new kobold type that had shown up but he hadn't seen their abilities with his own eyes. “I wonder if we're going to have to deal with the kobolds after this war is over. I don't mean the old ones I mean this new type that has arisen. It is possible that our enemy has left us with a curse that we will not be able to remove.”
Reynold, “Now you're just being depressing.”
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It was clear why she had been given the ax now that Mina was fighting the kobolds. As she spun the massive weapon building up energy within the blade she could hear the wind beginning to sing. Once the singing had grown strong enough Mina quickly slashed the weapon towards the enemy sending a wind blade rushing through the air towards the kobolds. There was some variability to it though. At times the blade moved more quickly while at other times the blade was larger. It was a feature of the weapon that Mina wished that she had practiced with more. She was also grateful for the fact that it made protecting Dan far simpler then it would have been otherwise as the weapon extended her reach and thus the area she could comfortably cover.
Dan for his part had adopted a strategy similar to Joseph's but it had been disrupted sooner. He had been causing slight shifts in the air stream just below the kobolds so that it no longer provided enough lift and threw them into chaos. The creatures had realized that he was manipulating the heat of the air to do this though and quickly adapted so that it no longer had any affect. He had attempted to send some of them falling from the air by sending shards of ice or stone at them but the creatures were too fast and adaptive for such a simple attack pattern which had left him pondering what he should do in order to remove them.
Dan, “Mina any ideas?”
Mina, “Why don't you see if there is a way for that book to enhance my attacks?”
Instead of commenting Dan looked too the book which began to rapidly flip through its own pages. As he was watching the book though he felt a rush of heat and looked up to find Mina blocking what he assumed to be a fire attack. She showed absolutely no indication of binding or pain. “You know eventually they're going to get the idea that no one of their attacks can hurt you and try for something really big.”
Mina, “Dan have you even been watching the battle? That was three shaman working together.”
A slight chuckle escaped Dan as he heard the confidence in Mina's voice. “That's my big strong nearly invulnerable girl. Okay the book has something for me. Are you ready?”
Mina, “Yeah.” As she spoke Mina looked towards the blade of the weapon and noticed it begin to glow slightly soon after she noticed some slight vibrations in the weapon.” “Dan what is that spell doing?”
Dan, “It's a spell that alters the influence of mechanical forces on a weapon like the wind and enhances them in order to grant the weapon additional speed and power.”
As Dan was speaking Mina reached out and took hold of his waste the sturdiest part of his body she could get a good grip on before ripping him from the ground. As she moved Dan from the ground she could feel gravel and stone smacking her ankles as several jagged bits of earth shot forth from the ground. At the same time she pressed Dan against herself while she felt yet another attack against her back. She was made to regret her actions for a moment as she immediately realized how much she has compressed Dan's waste before he could even cry out in pain.
This was one of the few times Mina had hurt him quite so badly but it wasn't the first. Dan knew that his abdomen had been bruised terribly by her powerful grip but he reasonably certain nothing vital had been crushed. Binding certain ways was going to hurt like hell for a while unless he received some healing. He knew what he had to do before anything else though. “It's just bruises Mina you didn't break anything.”
Even in this situation Dan knew what to say to keep her thinking strait this was apparent to Mina. However, there was still a situation to handle as she began to run. The kobolds had realized that Dan was the only one how was able to attack them properly and now they were focusing their attacks on him. Mina could block in coming attacks from the sky. “Dan can you do anything to keep them from using the ground against you?”
Dan, “This word has a spell in it for ground anchor it will prevent them from using the ground I stand on against me or at least make it a lot tougher. It is stationary though.”
Mina, “At least I could put you down and rejoin the fight then. Okay Dan what do you need me to do?” As she was speaking Mina used her free arm and body to insure that none of the incoming attacks hurt Dan. If she could get to the kobolds she would do far worse then that. Her mind was distracted from these thoughts though as she felt a sudden temperature change had heard a strange whistling.
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Linod took in a deep breath as he looked upon the battle field and watched the beasts making their way towards the mountain. The land itself rebelled against them and pushed them back. They seemed slowed by other factors as well as he noted how strange the battle sounded. “It seems that your companions couldn't wait to join the battle.”
Flora, “They have been known to do that. Do you know how things are going in the shadow realm?”
Linod, “The spirits here are quite upset and so is the energies of the shadow realm. I can see an eye in the storm though and I believe that is where your friends are to be found. Me and my orcs will be joining them.” As he had been speaking the orcs had been placed upon the ground and began to sprint towards the area of calm. The unbalance in the energies of the shadow realm told them that a battle had already began and given the power of their enemies there was no doubt in anyone's mind they needed to be there.
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Entering into the shadow realm was a disruptive process to the point that those within the area and especially those attuned to the magics could feel the disruption. Nathan and the other brothers were thus quite aware that something was coming through as they felt the space near them begin to shift and quickly moved to make way. Despite having expected their allies arrival though there was a great sigh of relief whenever Linod and several other orc shamans appeared and began to look around. What they weren't prepared for was the suddenness of Linod actions.
The second Linod shifted into the shadow realm he knew what he needed to do. The old orcs right hand quickly thrust forward towards a near by ground of kobolds, his fist was made to fly open and with them so was the earth as several jagged rocks shot free from the ground and met with the kobold's chest. Harsh screams filled the air as the entire group was impaled and Linod looked at the brothers.
Nathan, “Linod I presume?”
Linod, “Indeed. I take it you are the leaders of the mages here.”
Nathan, “Yes and how did you do that?”
Linod, “The spirit of the earth wishes for the amalgam to be removed and was willing to offer us aid with but a request. She does not approve of the infection that had entered into her body. Let's not speak of such things now what is the plan?”
Nathan, “For the moment it was to hold our ground until you all arrived. We can't enter into the spirits domain with the way it's turning the earth against us.”
For a moment Linod said nothing but looked towards the tainted earth. He then removed his staff and began to walk towards the ground. “Please do not speak of the land as if she was your enemy. The spirit of the forest wishes this infection removed from her body as well. What you battle against is the infection.” As he spoke Linod slammed his staff into the boundary between the healthy forest and the tainted. Immediately he felt a massive drain on his energy as he channeled power into the forest itself so that the ground was made to hiss and bubble violently.
For a moment Nathan didn't know what to think. He had believed that they were doing a good job of breaking the Amalgam's hold on the land but despite all their efforts in but a moment Linod seemed to be rivaling their progress. Soon Linod was joined by other shaman who added their power to his and the ground began to churn even more violently admits the violence though Nathan could see grass and vines beginning to reach up through the soil some of the grass blackened the second it broke free while other patches of grass grew brown yet a few lived and no matter what where the grass broke free the ground calmed considerably. The sight was enough that Nathan had to ask. “What are you doing?”
Linod, “We are helping the forest to heal itself. This is however taxing.” Even as he was speaking Linod could feel the influence of the amalgam pushing back. He wasn't so much adding his power to that of the forest but rather directing the forest's natural healing energies to mend the damage done to it and remove the taint. The taint was powerful though and was already trying to resist the influence of the forest to purge it. This would only go so far and Linod knew it. In the end the original cause of that taint had to be removed.
Giantess World
