Chapter 13: Chapter 12
(I speed wrote it so the grammar might not be on par)
"Whew, didn't know Piltover was so massive till I could see it from here." Jinx awes. The group had already left Piltover an hour ago and were on the move. While I rode a Dorghar that slowly walked along side everyone as Jinx sat on top of a caravan.
I look back at Piltover that still seemed massive in size despite the distance we were from the city. The tower where the Hexgates were was even taller than the Immortal Bastion but not as wide. Still, from a distance you can truly see the beauty of Topside. A shining city of gold, blue and white. From here it almost looked like a paradise of innovation and progress but if you looked close enough you could see the light green glow of the Undercity.
"It is impressive." Was all I could comment on it.
"So where are we heading again? Some place called Nashamei right?" She grins at me, leaning over the top of carriage she sat on.
"It's Nashramae. It's one of the largest cities in all of the Shuriman desert."
"Why the heck are people living in a desert of all places anyway?" She questions laying on her back enjoying the nice sun.
"People have the tendency to make anywhere home. And besides, the place is covered in ancient treasures. The entire continent used to ruled by the most powerful empire in history."
"What happened to them?"
"According to legends an incident lead to the entire destruction of the Empire's capital city along with the entire population of it, including it's emperor. After that the Empire slowly but surely fell to ruin."
"You know some deal about the Great Sai, Dire." Haiker says joining our conversation.
"I read as much as I could after Councilor Kiramman told me about this job. I think it's best to know about where you're going and I just found the place interesting." Then after noting his physical features from his foreign accent to his dark skinned I then said "You're from Shurima aren't you?"
He nodded "I was raised in the deserts. It's why I'm commonly used to lead caravan parties from Piltover to Shuriman towns and villages."
"It's hard to believe such a massive Empire ruled this continent long ago." I comment.
"My mother used to tell me stories about the old Empire. Using warriors blessed by the sun itself they conquered unopposed as they ruled for millennia."
"Do you have an idea what so called 'incident' could've lead to such an Empire's fall?" I ask him curious to know.
"It wasn't a single event that lead to it's fall, that was just it's catalyst. Tell me, have you ever heard of the ascended?"
I thought for a bit before shaking my head "I read that the ancient empire had god-like warriors which lead to their massive prosperity and growth. But I thought they were just legends?"
"That's what many believe. But once we get to Nashramae you'll get a better understanding."
It then clicked in my head "Oh, I nearly forgot. The town of Nashramae tries to respect the apparent old ways. Do you believe in the legends?"
"I do. And I look to the horizon hoping that one day the sun rises in the desert again."
"What?" Jinx perked up "Is there a second sun or what?"
I look up to her "It's figurative Jinx. The ancient Shurimans used a massive disk called the Sun Disk to create the ascended." I then turned back to Haiker "Or, that's what I read."
"It was buried along with the rest of the capital."
We heard some nearby bushes rustle making us all look over. Haiker was alerted but I knew what it was. A Shadow wolf walked out of the bushes and came to me. It couldn't talk to me but I could feel it relay information back to me. I nod at it after it was done before it ran back into the nearby forests. "We're being followed." I quietly say to Haiker. "A small sized group a little behind us in the trees."
He nodded at me "They could be waiting to initiate a pincer attack. Can you try use your Shadows to scout forward?"
I had already shown Haiker and the rest of the caravan my Shadows that I can bring forth. But the only ones they've seen were the numerous wolves I sent out to sniff out potential nearby attackers. "I already have."
Communicating with my Shadows is like a telepathic feeling. I can give orders with a thought and they would follow it. In fact the only reason I verbally give orders is because in Jinx's words 'it looks sick as hell'. In both our eyes there's nothing cooler than me calling an order and a bunch of living Shadows emerge to fulfil it. There are limits of course. My Shadows can't give information to me unless they are close. But I can still tell if they are in a fight and I can tell if they had been destroyed.
He chuckled "Now I realize why Councilor Medarda was so confident in your abilities."
"Are raids prominent near here?"
He shook his head "Not till we enter the jungles. But there is only one large group of bandits which is you you'll be hunting. But after we pass Kalduga we'll be entering Noxian territory. Raids are far less there due to the Noxian presence. As long as we stick to the coast we won't have to worry about raids."
"It seems you've planned this route well out."
He shrugged "It's the first time I've lead such a large party, so I prepared it heavily."
I do a final nod as he goes to tell everyone to get ready for a fight. The guards were on alert but Jinx and I weren't that bothered. I'd doubt these bandits could defeat me and my Shadows anyway.
Suddenly however, a roar went off. It was peculiar but dangerous all the same. "Haiker! Any idea what that might've been?" I call out to the front.
"It's the first I've ever heard of a beast capable of making that roar." I hear him call back.
Suddenly I feel it. One wolf, then another. I ordered them to remain unseen and to never fight but they were still being picked off one by one. What alerted me was the fact all of them were caught off by surprise. None of them fought even when allowed to fight if they had no choice so they were being killed stealthily.
"Keep an eye out Jinx." I say to my companion before having Dorghar trot up to Haiker. "My wolves are being picked off by an unseen force. It's likely we'll be attacked soon."
Haiker gritted his teeth "And of course it was now..."
Looking forward I got what he meant. The path was completely surrounded by massively lush jungles to the point the sun's light couldn't pierce through. A perfect spot for an ambush if you knew what you were doing.
"Everyone! We're about to head into the jungles of Kumungu! It's likely we'll get attacked there so prepare yourselves." Haiker calls out as all the non-combatants climb inside carriages for safety.
Suddenly I saw a glint of metal, zooming straight for Haiker's face. Quickly acting I catch whatever it was revealing it to be an arrow. Poisoned no doubt judging by the green liquid dripping from it's tip.
Haiker stared at me in surprise before clicking into action "Attacker's! Everyone prepare for arrows!" Guards sprung into action upon his orders as the party stopped moving in anticipation for a fight.
In a quick flurry arrows started flying out of the jungle. Many of the guards protected themselves with shields and dodging to cover but some were caught by surprise. Yells of pain went off as some people were killed by the attack. Whoever was attacking us were clearly very skilled at killing, working together in the darkness to shoot in multiple parts. Even if one was blocked by a shield the other would pierce them.
"Jinx!" I called out.
"Already on top of it!" I hear as Jinx drops to the ground next to me. "Let's go Pow-Pow!" She squeals pulling out her new weapon as it revs up. She starts to blast dozens amounts of rounds into the darkness with a laugh. Even if she couldn't see the targets trees aren't the best protection against dozens of magically enhanced bullets. I was satisfied when I heard shouts of shock and pain in the forest but to my interest they weren't shouts of humans.
Arrows fly at Jinx as I jump in front of her. I spin my blade around cutting the arrows into pieces. Almost instantly after Jinx jumps around me as she starts to fire more bullets into the general directions the arrows came from.
After a bit she stopped firing as all went quiet besides from some groans of pain. I stared into the darkness and focused my senses. Making direct sight with our enemy. "What have been the nature of the raids here?" I say quietly with out looking away.
Haiker, who was helping a guard by wrapping bandages around a wound looked at me and replied "Ambushes like this. I suppose we're dealing with extremely well trained bandits, possibly old soldiers."
"We're not." I say to him grimly. And in the darkness they knew I could see them. But instead of running away they smirked before dragging their thumb across their neck in a painful promise.
"Hyakki..."
.....
"Did you have any idea it could've been Hyakki?" I ask Haiker helping him assist his men. We haven't been attacked since then but I can see them watching us like predators. I've had Jinx keep close because I know they'll take on the chance to kill her or Haiker.
He sighed "To be honest I don't really have any idea what they are. Hyakki usually don't raid like this."
"What are these Haki dudes anyway?" Jinx asked me.
"Sadistic creatures. With the intelligence of humans but with a pleasure for killing and causing pain. Though they are supposedly native to the lower areas of the continent. Them being here is dangerous indeed."
A roar goes off again causing a little bit of panic. It wasn't Hyakki but it's still something dangerous. Since the Hyakki have been clearly moving up north it might be their common rival for food Vinebeasts. Giant bears that are not only stronger than other bear species but also work in very large packs of between ten to thirty. The fact that both very dangerous species have been moved is threatening as it only means two things: They are expanding their hunting range, or something is forcing them northwards.
"We need to keep moving. A common tactic of Hyakki is to keep it's prey from getting any sleep. Not only do they enjoy watching them suffer from lack of sleep it makes targets easy prey." I advise Haiker who nods at me.
I couldn't send any Shadows out since the Hyakki would just kill them. So instead I allowed Haiker and his men to rest inside the protection of the carriages while my Shadows take watch around the place. And some of them needed to rest. The Hyakki used poisoned arrows to shoot them, targeting some in places that wouldn't kill them. The poison wasn't lethal as it seemed but it was clearly painful by the groans and cries each of them made.
"Thank you." I hear Haiker say to me. "You saved my life."
I nod at him "I couldn't just let you die in front of me right?"
"What are you two gonna do?" He says to both me and Jinx, who had sat behind me on Dorghar so she could stick close.
"We can't leave you while they are hunting you and even then we don't know where there nest is. We'll stick with you till we leave the jungles and then go back to finish them."
"Thank you, both of you. I'd doubt we'd last the night without you." He then left us as he went to go help out his men again.
"That felt nice." Jinx mumbles behind me. When I look at her she continues "Being thanked. Who knew two words could make you feel so much." She says looking away with a happy look in her eye.
I smile, knowing how much it means to her. "Yeah, it is."
Not much had happened as we continued moving through the heavy jungles of Shurima. The Hyakki seemed to know they wouldn't win a direct conflict and they can't pick us off all due to me. So they tried other things. They would cut down trees to block the path forward but me and my Shadows cleared them out. Other tactics involved bait, scare tactics and still trying to kill Jinx. Of course none of them worked but their dedication was admirable.
But then we stumbled on a problem. "Haiker!" I called out to him. He popped his head out to see why we stopped. The path that was nicely singular had split itself into two paths.
"Go left! They both lead out of the jungle but look at those marks on the trees on the right path!" He says to me.
Looking at the nearby trees had multiple scratches clearly put there by beasts to mark their territory. "Vinebeasts."
"Shouldn't something big enough to make those claw marks have a tough time living in a jungle?" Jinx observed.
"Usually. But Vinebeasts are able to thrive in them. They blend perfectly into the long vines that cover the place and use that to surround their prey."
I stare at the paths before making a decision of my own. Haiker fully hopped out when he noticed what I did. "Why are you going right? Don't you see the claw marks?"
"If the Vinebeasts are this way. Then we're going this way." I tell him.
"Did you not hear me? Are you planning to kill us?" He says walking up to me.
"Look behind us." I simply say. He was confused but he still did it anyway. His look of surprise meant he could see it. "The Hyakki and Vinebeasts tend to avoid each other's territory. Since their area is this marked other things like bandits or other beasts would avoid it."
Jinx hopped off Dorghar to look behind us. "Oh! So that's what they look like!" She laughed.
Her and Haiker would've seen the Hyakki reveal themselves and watch us leave their area and into the Vinebeast's. Clearly disappointed they stared at us leave. "Vinebeasts are easier to handle anyways when compared to Hyakki."
"I can't believe I forgot to notice that." Haiker breathed out.
I chuckle "Do not think yourself stupid. It's part of the Hyakki's cunning ways."
Haiker looked at me confused but Jinx clapped her hands together realizing what I meant "It's their plan! To make people take the other path since this one looked so threatening."
I smile at her "Correct. No doubt a much larger force of Hyakki would have been waiting on the other path if we went that way."
"At least this way we can actually help out instead of relying fully on you." Haiker said as guards that were now okay hopped out and started taking posts around the party like before.
"You know you don't have to. I'm more than fine letting you all stay safe."
Haiker looked at some of his men, who shook their heads at him. "We appreciate the care. But I wouldn't be able to call myself a man relying on a young man and his little sister."
Jinx and I look at each other before quickly looking away nervous. Haiker chuckled and walked off leaving us two. I couldn't help think that he didn't that on purpose. Jinx wouldn't look at me as I groaned as we kept moving forward.
Well, if anyone could describe Jinx and I it would be sibling-like. And I'm fine admitting that I love her like a sister, which is hard to picture since I've never known what it's like to have siblings. But no doubt she's conflicted. Maybe she thinks loving me like a brother is betraying her past family.
"I won't pressure you admit anything Jinx." I say to her in a voice just above a whisper after some silent tension. "Even if you don't say it I can feel it."
She doesn't say anything till I feel her lean her head into my back as she whispered "Thank you."
I smile "You're right. Two words can make yourself feel so much."
She chuckles as the two of us remain in a comfortable silence.
.....
Due to Vinebeasts being ruthless unthinking beasts, I was able to send out my wolves again knowing they won't be picked off as quietly as with the Hyakki. But as soon as I did they could smell that Vinebeasts were gathering their numbers together to attack us. I mean, we must look like a feast compared to their usual prey.
I now had no doubt something was driving the Hyakki and Vinebeasts north. Vinebeasts like to prey on massive herds of Eka'Sul and Mwatis's. But neither species live here. They are either preying on packs of Basilisks or maybe even on beasts of the desert. There's nothing of size or quantity that can justify the Vinebeasts living here, as well as the Hyakki for that matter.
Especially a pack this size. My wolves gave me an estimate of their numbers in which I called Haiker over. "It's a pack unlike their usual size. Over fifty."
His eyes widen. "fifty?! What are we going to do?!"
"We fight." I respond. "My Shadows will take on the front. You and your men can fight any that tries to go after the carriages themselves."
He nods as we start to prepare. I gave them tips from the books I've read that will hopefully save their life. Swords are pointless against them, they are too massive and thick for swords to do actual damage. Like against a mounted enemy, a spear is your best friend. Not even a Vinebeast can handle a spear in their eye. In fact the eyes were their only hope. One swipe form their massive paws and they are done for. That means shields are a no-go too. Mobility is what will save your life as a regular human.
We kept preparing for a fight till my Shadows told me the bears were moving. Their numbers at max as they moved through the forest. Even from here we could all hear the bristling and snapping of trees as they rushed through the jungles. "Here they come! Get ready men!" Haiker called out before he looked to me as we nodded at each other.
The path was very wide as which was good as the more area we had the better. I stood a bit apart from the caravan with Jinx by my side as Pow-Pow revved up ready for a fight. "Come forth, all of you." I say as my shadow extends across.
I hear gasps behind me as dozens of warriors rose from the floor. They stood in a formation like a true army. With Igris at my other side from Jinx behind me were the five mages who raised their hands as they each started to cast a massive fireball in their hands.
Blasts of fire were sent forward like they were launched by catapults into then jungle. Aimed for the area the bears had gathered they landed right on top of them as roars of rage and anger went off.
"Looks like you just pissed them off." Jinx chuckled.
"There's no way that couldn't have killed some of them. And there rage makes them easier to predict so it all works in our favor."
As rumbles and thumps got more and more intense, with a roar the first wave of them appeared. Far more massive than a human, nearly the size of two storied buildings each. They charged towards us as I ordered "Fire."
The raised Sharpshooters who were in the front of the army fired their rifles. Their bullets blasted the bear's flesh as the ones in front were torn apart by the volley. Jinx also joined on the fun, her laughter and the constant firing of Pow-Pow blasting into my ears. They had to reload as arrows and fireballs launched towards the line of bears. The alternation between rifles and fireballs broke the bear's charge. It caused the bears behind to crash into their dying packmates in front.
I then pulled out my blade and pointed it at them "Kill them all." The lines of Archers and Sharpshooters split as Shadows armed with weapons from swords and shields to large battleaxes ran forward. Since a Shadow besides from Igris couldn't match a single Vinebeast by themselves, they grouped up on one. Five Shadows would pierce a bear in any vital they could reach from their heart or neck. If not then they would slash at other parts like the back of the knee, the wrists of their paws and of course their eyes. I couldn't help but pity the beast when it's heels were cut before a Shadow crushed it's head with a warhammer.
Of course the bears weren't defenseless. They fought back against the Shadows. But whenever there was an opening they would be hit with gunfire, arrows, bolts of fire or dozens of bullets courtesy of one blue-haired girl. Every now and then one would rush past the fighting Shadows but I had Igris slice them apart in seconds.
Everything seemed to be almost too easy, till we heard a massive roar. Far more powerful and vicious compared to all other ones. I could hear past the fighting another wave of bears, this one larger than the first. But among them was clearly the alpha of the pack. When it bursted through the trees it was clear why it was able to control a pack this large. It's size made all other Vinebeasts appear like small children compared to it. It's dark green and brown hide was covered in scars and there was even one over it's left eye.
It's presence rallied the others of the pack, their fighting became more ruthless than the Shadows could handle. Still, I was confident in my top Shadow's abilities. "Igris, kill the big one." I ordered him.
He nodded as he dashed at incredible speeds towards the alpha. The alpha roared at him recognizing a challenger. But when it tried to swipe it's massive paws at Igris, he jumped to dodge it will slashing at the bear's left shoulder. From the power of his jump he flipped himself to land on a tree before pushing himself off it back towards the bear. He stabbed into the bear's right arm and pushed his blade down it's entire arm.
The bear roared in anger and pain as it tried to kill Igris. Igris then jumped back to the ground and before the bear even knew it, cut into it's knees. Igris stood in front of the bleeding bear as it lifted both it's arms and tried to slam them into the Shadow that had caused this much damage to it. Igris, as if it was too easy simply used the force of the bear to cut it's head clean off.
it's head flew into the air as Igris caught it before it hit the floor before walking over to me. He placed the head in front of me as he kneeled. I placed a hand on his shoulder "Very good. You're a fine prize Shadow Commander Igris."
Now that their alpha was gone, the rest of the pack were easy pickings. Their moral was destroyed and they fell apart. The ground was littered with corpses of massive beasts as the Shadows stood, reveling in their victory. "Fine work my soldiers." I say to them.
"I-- I don't even know what to say about that." I hear Haiker say behind me.
I smirk "You haven't even seen the best part." I walk forward till I stood in front of the alpha bear's headless body. I place a hand on it and say "Arise."
A paw of black and red reached out from the lifeless body as a Shadow pulled itself out. The now Shadow Beast stood tall on it's back legs as it roared into the sky. It's roar was followed by other Shadow Beasts, who were all risen from the dead too.1
I grinned "You'll be called Tank from now on. And you'll lead all the Shadow Beasts." Shadow wolves appeared alongside the bears as they all roared and howled again. The numbers of beasts I now had rivaled the number of regular soldiers. This meant I would have to find another source of infantry and well as more packs of wolves to balance out the number of massive bears I now controlled. But these bears would provide my army with the lack of frontline tanks to cause utter mayhem.
Tank was like Igris, powerful enough to still contain parts of his living personality. This meant it was only fair to give him a name. He didn't tolerate any of his beasts misbehave as he nipped at overly excited Shadows. An alpha of beasts through and through.
"You really are in a different league of your own Dire." Haiker awed.
"No..." I comment. "I can tell I'm not the strongest in this world. I'm far from it." My entire legion of Shadows kneeled as I turned to Haiker "But I will be."
/Give me your boots, you stones, and your reviews/
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