Overwhelming Firepower

The battle priests of Varkun started to pray to the God of War Varkun for the blessing of unbending courage.

This was one of the support spells they could use on others. It guards the heart from fear, the mind from outside manipulation, and the eye to see through illusions. Since they were still beginner battle priests, they didn’t have much more capability than this.

The Mystic Clerics of Naerith prayed their hardest for the blessing of the forest. It allows those under the blessing to gain a slight increase in their overall abilities while in a forest.

The mages also did their best and used whatever support spells they knew of and poured them onto the four.

Once he felt the power of the support spells and blessings, Thrall dropped low, palms pressing into the snow.

The ink burned hot across his skin, every tattoo a scarred conduit to the dead. His muscles swelled, bones groaning against their sockets, teeth lengthening with a faint crack of enamel. His fingernails were growing, becoming sharper like claws. His breath came out in ragged steam as ancestral power howled through his veins.

This was because of the spirit tattoos his tribe was good at making. Asking for the ancestral spirits of the tribe to grant incredible power. Only a chosen few in the tribe would be able to handle the spirit tattoos, and Thrall was one of them.

Thrall then dashed forward. His speed was unlike before, and in a blink, he appeared in front of the monster. He started attacking the monster with his claws and even tried to bite it.

The monster started counterattacking as it tried to smash Thrall to the ground. The two attacked each other like wild animals.

Bram, on the side, circled around the monster and, using his unnatural strength, attacked the monster in the rear.

Veronica once again picked up her large shield and, with her spear at hand, tried to catch the monster’s attention

The monster’s claw met Thrall’s swipe, the impact cracking like bone on stone. Snow exploded around them, a white haze stained by black ichor and crimson spray.

Thrall snarled, fangs tearing into the beast’s shoulder, but the creature barely flinched, smashing its antlered skull into his jaw and hurling him aside like a broken toy.

Bram’s blade came down in a brutal arc, cleaving deep into the monster’s flank, or it should have. Instead, the flesh split, hissed, and closed like tar around steel, trapping the sword before Bram wrenched it free with a curse.

A blur cut through the mist, Daniel, eyes cold, sword angled low. He slid beneath the monster’s lashing limbs, carving across a tendon with surgical precision. The beast staggered for half a heartbeat, just long enough for Veronica to slam her shield into its chest like a battering ram, forcing it back a single step.

Yet no matter how hard they hit, all their attacks were only skin deep. Thrall, who had been attacking nonstop since the beginning, was now sweating profusely.

He was slowing down, his body was aching all over, the many wounds he received felt incredibly painful, but he continued moving, he continued fighting with a smile on his face.

Bram noticed that Thrall was slowing down and knew that the second Thrall disappeared from the battle, the chances of surviving would instantly drop.

”Those that can move gather the spears and hand them to me!”

Several recruits scrambled through the snow, snatching broken shafts and discarded weapons. Spears clattered in Bram’s outstretched hand. He then placed them on the ground surrounding him.

He spat blood, adjusted his grip, then planted his feet wide. ”Lazy Ass! Shield Girl! Barbarian boy!” he barked, eyes never leaving the monster. ”Stop his movements for a second!”

The very second they heard Bram’s command, they did not question it and simply moved. Veronica pounded her spear onto her shield, making a loud noise, attracting the monster.

”Come at me, you monster!”

The beast’s head snapped toward the sound, its pupils like thin cracks of hate. A blur of pale sinew and black ichor streaked across the snow straight toward Veronica.

Daniel cut in low, blade flashing just enough to nick the creature’s leg, slowing it by a heartbeat, just enough.

Thrall, who had jumped up high, came smashing down like a meteor. His fist hit the monster’s body right in the middle, slamming it into the ground.

Using this chance, Bram, who had a few spears in one hand, gritted his teeth, blood boiling hot as he tensed every muscle. He then used his incredible strength and threw the spears towards the monster.

The strength of his throw created a sonic boom, the spears spreading out, hitting different parts of the monster, pinning it to the ground.

Bram, who had used so much strength beyond what his body could handle, started coughing up blood; his right hand twisted in a weird way. He was not going to be able to use that hand for now.

The monster that was pinned to the ground started howling in a weird way. It was making some sounds that echoed throughout the forest. Daniel, who was the nearest, cut the monster’s head, making it stop howling.

The scent of the monster’s blood was so strong it clung to the air like smoke. It was at that moment that Daniel, whose senses were heightened due to the adrenaline, heard the sound of something snapping.

When the recruits saw the head of the monster rolling on the ground, they felt relief wash over them. They thought that was the end of it, and they had won, but before they could cheer in celebration, Daniel spoke.

”We need to get out of here fast!”

The recruits froze, their half-formed smiles dying on pale faces. They knew that Daniel wouldn’t say something like that without reason.

But they could not move at the moment. The tension of their bodies was released, and it was hard to move, especially since they needed to carry the wounded.

”Damn it, no more time!” Daniel cursed as his lazy demeanor was now gone.

A heavy crack split the air, the sound of wood breaking under something massive. Snow fell in thick sheets from the canopy as shapes moved in the white.

Antlers, not one, but two sets, black and jagged, slid into view like a nightmare forcing its way into daylight.

Thrall spat blood and grinned, though his arms trembled from exhaustion. ”So this is the final hunt. Time to greet my ancestors with pride.”

Bram swore under his breath, his broken arm dangling at his side. ”We’re not walking out of this forest.”

Veronica, who was already panting heavily, closed her eyes. She then opened them and once again got into a fighting stance.

The two sets of eyes gleamed in the snow, hollow, hungry, wrong. Their breath steamed black in the cold.

The battle priests of Varkun did not falter despite the situation. ”Time to show our Valor, pride, and honor in this final battle. We all shall meet again in the halls of Varkun’s army!”

The young men and the old who came here for their dreams also stood bravely in front of despair. ”It might have been a short time, but this was a grand adventure.” One of them spoke, holding onto his weapon tightly.

Seeing everyone about ready to die, Daniel sighed. The time that had passed since they crushed the rune-engraved stone was not even an hour.

Based on the distance from Ironhold and how fast Lucen came with a few men when he called for them during the night. It would at least take more than an hour to get here. That was assuming they were moving as fast as they could.

’That would mean a miracle of reinforcements coming at this time would not happen.’

Daniel scratched the back of his head and sighed again. He then took a step forward, and the two monsters looked at him, the blood of their companion still on Daniel’s blade.

”You guys run away in different directions. I’ll hold them down here.”

Daniel did not understand why he was doing this. Standing up for people he barely even knows. He did not know that their words and actions had somehow moved him.

”I won’t go. This is my hunt as well.” The young barbarian Thrall stood at Daniel’s side. Daniel knew that he wouldn’t be able to convince Thrall to leave. Based on what he had observed, this boy was obsessed with the hunt in battle.

”I shall stay as well,” Veronica spoke with shield and spear at hand.

”Sorry, but I need you to help the others escape,” Daniel said, still eyeing the monsters. Veronica was about to respond when the monsters suddenly moved.

They didn’t attack them but instead headed to their dead companion, and they did something no one expected. The monsters started eating the corpse of the monster they had just killed.

”Now’s your chance! Everyone, leave now!” Daniel shouted at those present.

The sound of teeth grinding through bone echoed through the clearing like branches snapping in a storm. Wet, sucking gulps mixed with the brittle crack of ribs as the two creatures fed on their fallen kin.

Despite Daniel’s shout, no one moved, no one breathed. Daniel’s knuckles whitened around the hilt of his sword. He didn’t look away from the feast, not even for a heartbeat. ”Move!” He hissed. ”While they’re distracted.”

The recruits hesitated for a while, but in the end, they finally stirred. They understood that they would only be getting in Daniel’s way if they stayed. Some dragged the wounded by their cloaks, others clutched broken weapons like lifelines.

Veronica gnashed her teeth as she fell into a rear guard position, her shield raised, eyes looking at the monsters as she backed away with the others. She didn’t want to leave Daneil and Thrall, but she understood that if one of those monsters got past them, then the others would die.

”You bloody fools...” Bram spoke to Daniel and Thrall. ”Tell me your names.”

Daniel did not understand why Bram suddenly asked, but he answered anyway. ”I’m Daniel Kross.”

”I’m Thrall of the Ashfang Tribe,” Thrall answered without hesitation.

Bram chuckled, though blood streaked the corner of his mouth. ”I’ll remember the names. If we survive this, I’ll curse you by name for this madness. If not... I’ll meet you fools either in Velmira’s embrace or Varkun’s hall of valor.”

Despite his one hand being unable to move, Bram gave a knight’s salute to the two.

Daniel gave a faint smirk, eyes still locked on the feeding beasts. ”Heh. I’d rather rot in the ground and sleep than sing war songs in Varkun’s hall.”

Thrall only laughed, a raw, broken thing that steamed in the cold. ”To a worthy death then!”

Bram stepped past them, boots crunching in the snow, then stopped just long enough to slap Daniel’s shoulder with his good hand.

Thrall met his gaze and grinned through the blood in his teeth. ”Don’t make this sacrifice for nothing,” Bram muttered, then turned and barked, ”Move! Now!”

Bram took one more look at the two, ”... May Varkun bless you two bloody fools.” After saying that, Bram retreated with the other recruits, taking up the rear spot alongside Veronica.

The feeding stopped as suddenly as it began. Both creatures froze mid-gnash, black ichor dripping in thick ropes from their jagged teeth. Their heads turned in perfect unison toward Daniel and Thrall, hollow eyes burning like cold embers through the falling snow.

Steam hissed from the monsters’ maws, thicker now, fouler. Their bodies twitched, not like muscles flexing, but like something inside them was forcing its way out.

Bones cracked like splitting logs. The sound crawled through the clearing, every pop a reminder of what they were facing.

Daniel tightened his grip on his sword and sighed. ”Truly a tiring day.”

Thrall spat red into the snow and grinned wide enough to bare bloody teeth. ”Good. I was getting bored with waiting.”

The monsters moved, not in a lunge but in a slow, jerking crawl at first, their spines arching, antlers scraping the branches above.

Thrall’s body screamed with every step; his healed flesh was still burning with pain, but his grin didn’t falter.

He understood that there was no surviving this battle, but even then, he smiled. He wanted this final hunt to be the greatest by giving his all and returning to the side of his ancestors with a smile on his face.

Daniel, who had been barely hit since the beginning, was also a bit tired. This was the first time he had ever moved so much. He also understood that there was no escaping this, but for some reason, he felt that it was fine.

The two monsters then dashed at them. As Daniel and Thrall were about to have their final clash with the monsters, they heard the sound of thunder.

The crack of thunder wasn’t from the sky. A flash split the treeline, steel, smoke, and fire, and both monsters’ heads snapped back, ichor spraying the snow.

”Sorry for being late, leave this to me now.”

A boy appeared before the two, and it was someone they both knew. Daniel blinked at the boy in the snow, the calm in his eyes colder than the monsters’ breath, and for the first time that night, allowed himself a thin, crooked smile.

Lucen Thornehart had arrived.