The Gann crashed through the forest"s green and yellow-leaf trees, peppering the landscape with sword-sized splinters, wooden shrapnel, and indignant tree-dwelling animals. The Gann raised one one of its three-fingered hands above its head, charging mana into a swirling sphere of roiling flames. The perpetually falling golden leaves incinerated instantly from its oppressive heat.Dragan and Tycon watched from above, as Bucket hurled rocks, Barza hurled insults, and the giant boar creature hurled man-sized fireb.a.l.l.s.
"Y"know, Boss. Those two don"t really look like they"re having that much fun."
Dragan was lying back on the tree branch, crus.h.i.+ng single walnuts in one hand. Tycon stood up lightly, not wanting to add undue stress to the branch supporting both of their weights.
"I"ll move if it becomes an issue."
"It"s probably fi--"
Tycon moved out of instinct, immediately grabbing Wroe"s neck and pinning him against the tree trunk. Before Tycon could draw his sword and end him rightly, he ascertained that he had, in fact, oppressively grabbed and was choking an ally. Tycon rolled his eyes and released Tarquin Wroe, allowing him to stand.
"--it"s probably fine," Wroe managed to cough out.
"Seven h.e.l.ls, Mister Wroe. Must you appear from the shadows like that?"
Tycon was not amused, but he did not deem an ally materializing out of darkness as an extraordinary event. The tall blue-haired Tarquin Wroe grinned, his eyes aglow-- mysterious and imposing, as if he wasn"t being strangled only seconds prior.
"Allow me, Boss. I"ll make certain that--"
"Not necessary, Mister Wroe."
Tycon firmly and abruptly rejected Wroe"s offer, stunning him into silence for a brief moment.
"Oh, come on. I just mastered a new spell!" As if to accentuate his point, he drew his sword and rendered a clean military salute.
"A Karrnathi salute. How interesting," Tycon thought as he grabbed the man"s sword and threw it off the tree. It landed unceremoniously, dozens of yalms away in a dense growth of bushes.
"M..my sword."
"Why are you even still using that? You"re a spellcaster now."
"It was a gift…"
Tycon rolled his eyes once more at Wroe"s piteous voice and expression, "I"ll help you find it later. But no, don"t step in right now. My abilities are far less eye-catching than yours. And Dragan… Dragan"s busy playing with his nuts."
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Dragan looked up, "Hey Boss, don"t knock it. This is kinda hard."
"Phrasing, Mister Dragan."
"I think he did it on purpose," Wroe remarked.
"For now, you two stay out of sight."
Tycon gave them a last reminder as he began to descend the tree, branch by branch.
…
Sweat poured down Bucket"s face, matting his sandy brown hair to his forehead. Flames raged from behind the boulder he and Barza hid behind. Barza was hyperventilating, his eyes full of panic. Bucket had to yell in order to be heard over the magical flames bursting violently against the opposite side of their boulder.
"Mister Barza!! I think I"ve got a plan!!"
Barza knelt down, facing the boy, his eyes full of hope. The boy was a genius and Barza wanted to hold onto every word he said.
"I"ll be the decoy! Then when I have its attention, you cut its head off!"
Barza couldn"t believe his ears.
"That"s a stupid plan!!"
Bucket pointed at one of Barza"s weapons.
"Give me a sword!!"
Barza responded by gripping his swords tighter, half-turning his body cutely.
"No!! You"ll get killed, Bucket!!"
"Give me a sword! I"ll protect you, Mister Barza!!"
Barza grit his teeth, shutting his eyes. He tried to think, but with the explosions and the Gann"s roars, fear dictated his every thought.
"No, I"ll be the decoy! Let me."
Barza peeked beyond the boulder"s side. The Gann was growing more and more fatigued. They"d have to act, soon. And he wasn"t about to let a 9 year old boy become the monster"s only target.
"Listen up, Bucket!"
It was Barza"s chance to be a hero and to firmly root the boy"s respect in him as the elder brother. Bucket sat himself patiently, listening to Barza"s every word.
"You may be smaller and faster than me, but-- but I"m definitely stronger! That--"
Barza opened his mouth, thinking carefully. Bucket"s speed and size made him the superior decoy. He realized it might be better to entrust the boy with decoy work. Why did he have to open his dumb mouth?
"Why do you want a sword??"
"The Gann"s armor is too thick for my spear! I can cut it if you let me borrow a sword!"
Barza pa.s.sed him a sword as he finished a plan in his head.
"I"ll go out to distract it, Bucket. You rush out, see if you can cut below its ankles to make it fall."
"Y-yes, Mister Barza!"
Barza tried to smile, his knees shook with fear from what he was about to do, but he had to show the boy his confidence.
"Just call me Lone. Lone Shadowdark."
Bucket smiled innocuously, "Got it, Lone!"
…
A 6-yalm long whitescaled snake hid in the bushes, watching the beardless young man and the 9-year-old child bicker. The two were very much focused on the Gann, which Tycon decided was fine.
Barza ran out from behind their boulder like a fool, attracting the Gann"s attention. Bucket waited a few moments, before rus.h.i.+ng in the opposite direction, sword in one hand and spear in the other. Tycon slithered forward to get a better view. Within moments, the Gann roared in pain and crashed down onto both of its knees. Whatever Bucket did worked well.
Barza hesitated, staring at the ugly, tusked greenskined 3-yalm tall bipedal boar on its knees. He brandished his swords and started declaring something. Tycon mentally deducted a point from Barza"s score.
"I AM THE LONE SHADOWDARK!! THOU HAST SLAUGHTERED THE INNOCENTS AND BY MINE BLADES I SHALL SMITE--"
Whatever drivel he was spouting, Tycon was not interested. The Gann wasn"t just kneeling, waiting for death. It was desperately charging a Flame Sphere within its maw. He considered allowing the two to fail.
Tycon relaxed in a shrub behind Barza with a good view of the field and the cunning Gann. He spotted a flash of movement in the trees above. It was Bucket.
"What is that boy doing…?"
With a suicidal drop, the boy plunged downward, stabbing the Gann deep in its right eye. The boy hung on desperately in front of the boar"s face-- but if it were release the fireball in its mouth, the boy would be obliterated into ash.
Brave. The boy put on an excellent performance. They"d done well for most of the hunt. And Barza could use some more self-confidence, so Tycon decided to help out, focusing his gaze at the Gann"s remaining eye.
[Vexing Gaze conditions met. Activate? Y/N?]
"Activate. Death to the enemies of Invictus."
[Activating. Death to the enemies of Invictus.]
Blood spilled from the Gann"s mouth as flames wisped from its nostrils. The pain that gripped its insides was superior to the sharp metal rod in its eye. The attack had been interrupted.
"Loooonnnne!!" Bucket yelled something Tycon didn"t understand. Drawing the bloodied sword from the Gann"s eye, he threw it hard to Barza.
Snake-Tycon nodded in understanding. "A team play? That rates a better score."
Barza caught the sword in mid-air.
"DEVOURING BLAAAAAAAAADE!! EXECUTIONNNNNN!!!!!"
Barza slashed his swords in an X, severing the Gann"s head cleanly.
Bucket"s eyes sparkled at what he thought was a marvelous display of skill and power.
Tycon plunged his snakey head in the dirt.
Barza"s attacked had no mana fluctuations whatsoever. Barza didn"t use a skill. He was just yelling whatever he felt like.
Tycon unburied his head, fully intent to grab Barza and resubmit him to training. But he stopped and hid again in the shrubbery. A young female about Bucket"s height had appeared in front of Barza. Her shoulder-length hair was silver and she wore an orange-dyed robe-- an archaic form of dress, especially in this country, where even the most modest citizens valued style and fas.h.i.+on.
Taree"s jaw had dropped,"Felling a Gann with one hit… Are you… the Chosen One…?"
Tycon had a bad feeling about this.