บท 35: The Girl In The Grey Hood
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POV: Astaros
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I, Dryis and Katia began our journey towards Mount Rakui which should take half the day. The other half will be searching the mountain for Krakoth's and then eradicating any we find without clearing the entire mountain top.
The mountain itself is a dormant volcano with an extremely wide crater, being almost twenty kilometers across. The mountain is known to receive loads of snow and because of this it's one of the few places merchants can get ice without going all the way up north. It also produces a number of ores and gemstones, which the many adventurers and border towns take advantage of. This however is not without its risks. There are several creatures that live both within the mountain and in the craters that would and do predate on humans.
This is why towns like Elden exist.
Not just as outposts for informants to watch Thacionian movements but also to offer adventurer services to companies and other mining and merchant towns.
Adventurers exist to both support these towns by buying weaponry and tools to then protect the people who made them. Without these manufacturing villages and towns both the adventurers guild and the Alvarian Border Guard would no longer be able to function.
We were currently coming up to the base of Rakui, while Dryis and Katia discussed the actual mission that we had
"So exactly what are Krakoths?" {Dryis}
I began to listen in as we walked under the grey sky, a symptom of the mountain, which blocked cloud formations from passing over into the forest and flooding the plains. The base of the mountain was shrouded in fog, undergrowth and underwood which consisted mainly of thorny brambles and smaller trees. I had lived on Telos for a while now and generally understood the geography and Magics of the world quite well.
But my knowledge of its races, their subspecies, fauna and flora was something I was severely lacking. This was something I planned to rectify with the list of things I told Christine to buy.
"They are massive creatures covered in fur with squid heads. They have eighteen or so furry tentacles that are tipped with ivory tusks that they use to stab and immobilize their prey. They have a specific breeding season and they grow extremely quickly. This means that they are only really vulnerable for three months of their lives. This makes them the apex predator of Rakui." {Katia}
So from the name and the description it sounds like a mammoth with the head of a squid. It also sounds like they have tentacles with tusk for tips as well. I wonder what that actually looks like. Actually, wait. Do they still have the trunk? or is it a beak now? What about the mouth?
Alright now I got to see this thing.
Pushing some brush out of the way I stepped up and gravel crunched beneath my metallic soles. We had reached the mountain. As we began our ascent the temperature quickly dipped below zero while Katia began to use frost element to keep the area clear of ice. We pushed through the snowy plains with no foliage in sight. Dark obsidian outcropping stabbed into the frozen grey heavens. The swirling snow shifted beneath our feet, granting us no footholds in the slippery empty waste.
No.
Not empty.
Several fox-like creatures with spiky, ice-like fur trotted near us as though waiting for something.
"They're like vultures." {Dryis}
I nodded as we crunched forward through the snowy plateau
"Indeed, they are eagerly awaiting our deaths." {Astaros}
Katia then pointed at several dots off in the distance.
"They appear to feed off of Krakoth left-overs" {Katia}
Dryis seemed to get fired up at this, speeding up and preparing to go run down the beasts herself.
"Well then sadly they will have to miss out on tonight's dinner." {Dryis}
I stopped and put out my arm, halting her hurried advance before she did something foolish.
"Sometimes I forget how new you are to all this, but rushing in is counter intuitive. Conserve your energy. Especially in a hostile environment like this. We will engage once they begin to charge us, understood?" {Astaros}
She turned towards me and nodded, taking my advice and sincerely considering it.
"I apologize for my rashness, I've just never really been on a quest like this before." {Dryis}
I started walking again with her following as we caught up to Katia, who had continued while I lectured her.
"No need to apologize. Just think things through a little more." {Astaros}
"Got it." {Dryis}
We then continued in silence coming up on the herd of monsters. The silence of the frozen waste now grew tense as our battle approached.
…
Then it shattered.
We had made it about a hundred meters out from the herd of ten Krakoths when they turned to face us.
*AAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEE*
A deafening screech filled the air as ten sets of squid like eyes locked onto us.
They were massive mammoths with the head of a squid, each covered in a dirty brown mat of fur.
Out from their faces came a cluster of furry tentacles which were tipped with a spearlike, serrated ivory tusks, made to gouge and stab through flesh. They had been feeding upon something when we arrived and thus hadn't noticed our approach.
The largest of the beasts screeched again its voice echoing off the monolithic obsidian crags as the swirling snow whipped across the icy sleet.
It charged towards us with frightening speed, its tentacles pulling back towards its body as it raced forwards to confront us.
Katia confidently stepped forward, twirling her silver and black hammer out from behind her back as she prepared to clash with the monstrous beast.
She then dashed forward, the slick snow and sleet almost meaning nothing to her as she pounded across it.
Then the coiled tentacles struck out from their positions like lunging vipers, the darkened matted fur near their mouth showing the successes against many a foe.
However Katia was no simple warrior or weak merchant to be preyed upon and consumed.
She swung her hammer up in an arc, the swirling snow trailing the swing as it came up while her disguise charm shut down, revealing her white and black tail and ears.
The creature's tentacles stabbed forwards as they prepared to clash with the swing. It was obvious Katia's swing wouldn't hit anything but the creature was too animalistic to ever consider that perhaps the movement meant something.
*KRAKOOOOM*
A massive glacier-like ice formation blasted out from beneath the sleet and snow, crashing into the thrusting tentacles as they closed in and freezing them solid as it followed the arc of Katia's hammer, Frostbite.
My turn.
I came exploding forwards, the ground cracking as I leapt into the air and crashed into the icy formation Katia had made, sliding over it and coming down in a flash of scarlet light as I drew the Shattered Star and cleaved the tentacles while they struggled to break free from their frosty prison.
*AIIIIIIIIEEEEE*
The Krakoth screamed in pain as I crashed into the ground, spinning down to my knees as I slid under its neck and filleted it from below.
As I came out the other side the creature fell over, deader than the wasteland that surrounded it. The rest of the monsters now charged us, screeching and gnashing their beaks. Dryis dashed past me as she drew her sabre and began to show the results of her training.
Her disguise charm came off as well as the blade began to glow a bright yellow, slashing through tough skin and matted fur, leaving behind charred glowing wounds.
*VWWOOOOOMM*
She spliced a tentacle in half as it tried to hit her head on, red blood splattering her gilded iron grey armor. The green rhinestone in her chest shone as she charged up a wind blast and scattered the attacking tentacles in an explosion of wind pressure.
I then appeared beside her as we fought back to back, slashing and cleaving numerous spear like tentacles thrusting at us.
The ivory tip of a tentacle shattered against my armored palm as I raised it defend the Dryis from the oncoming onslaught. I now understood why these were the apex predators of Rakui Mountain.
One of the monsters charged us, it's tentacles now all severed or severely reduced in length. Its beak opened and emitted a piercing scream, showing us row after row of backwards facing teeth that whirled down it's throat. We looked at each other and nodded as Dryis lunged out of the way and I leaped over the charging beast, flipping and landing upon the Krakoth's back.
"Lengthen" {Astaros}
The lettering on my blade burned a ruby red as the edges turned a glowing scarlet and thrust downwards, stabbing into the thick hide of the beast, scorching through its spine and out it's belly.
It keeled over as it slid through the soft slippery snow and I leaped off. Katia flashed past me at full speed, her hammer slamming into various tentacles and freezing them, before shattering them like glass. The creature tried to back away from the oncoming freight train of a beastman but it was impossible.
Piercing azure eyes were the last thing it saw as she swung her hammer into it's thick skull and shattered it, blood, brain matter and bone all frozen chunks now flying through the air.
Now that me and Dryis had cut down most of their tentacles they were easy pickings.
I ran up to one, facing it head on as a tsunami of thick muscular appendages tried to come crashing down on me.
I put out my hand and a swirling whirlwind of fire blew the tentacles out of the way, charred and useless.
And from this whirling inferno I came lunging forward, my fist crashing into the beast's skull as the sound of the blow reverberated through the frozen obsidian waste.
As me and Katia finished cleaning up the few beast that were left we came together to watch Dryis's duel with a particularly tough Krakoth.
She slashed and pushed forward, only making shallow cuts into the flesh of the tentacles as this Krakoth was older and far more wary of it's opponent and her weapon.
This would be a good test for her. She then copied my technique, whirling a blast of wind element and clearing a path towards the beast. Suddenly the air felt dense with light mana as her sabre flashed a brilliant yellow and she thrust it forward, a beam of light burning a hole into the creatures skull.
It's eyes dulled as it died and fell over.
Extermination complete.
I walked over to Dryis who dropped into the snow panting heavily. The tips of her elven ears turned bright red from the cold as her breath came out in gusts of condensation.
"Good job Dryis." {Astaros}
I put out my hand and she grabbed it, dragging herself to her feet. She dusted snow off her armor as she shook herself clean.
"Thanks Astaros. If this had been me from before your training I wouldn't have lasted five seconds. Is this how it always feels when you and the others fight?" {Dryis}
I chuckled at her comments and considered them for a moment.
"To be honest things were pretty easy with the three of us so this was a far more relaxed situation for me. We were pretty much in sync for most of the fight anyways." {Astaros}
She smiled at me and shook her head.
"I could barely keep up with you and without having lived with you for three months straight I wouldn't have been able to fight besides you. It was all anticipation from knowing your movements." {Dryis}
I placed a firm hand on her shoulder to reassure her.
"Don't think like that. Experience is a part of skill and that's what allowed you to fight so well." {Astaros}
She steeled her face and shook away her doubts before looking up to face me.
"Next time I'll try to be able to fight based on reaction time alone." {Dryis}
I patted her shoulder and pulled away.
"Good that, now lets get to harvesting this slaughter." {Astaros}
She and turned to get started but Katia stayed put, her azure eyes peering into the horizon of the swirling waste as her irises slitted into tiny lines.
"Whats wrong?" {Dryis}
I spread out my mana sense and turned to face an incomprehensible signature.
A short person in a tattered grey cloak stood not too far off, their hand hovering above one of the more intact creatures as a ball of black and white energy seeped into it from it's orifices.
They looked up and instantly everything went black.
It was dark mana swirling around our eyes to blind us.
I could feel everyone tensing up through mana sense and spoke to calm them.
"Do not move. Your eyes are being deceived, so sharpen your other senses." {Astaros}
Suddenly there was a burst of mana from where the girl had tampered with our kill. I needed to act now.
I concentrated several balls of light mana and they gathered around my wrist in a floating ring as I stretched my hand towards the sky. The moment she blinded us was the moment we passed the point of warnings.
Seven beams of light blasted from my wrist and rained down upon the energy signature, the sounds of bombardment echoing through the empty wastes.
"AAAAAAHHH" {???}
I heard a scream from our assailant as our vision was restored. My eyes widened in suprise as I saw the towering frame of a Krakoth standing over the person, spears of light piercing it's back.
I dashed forward and the person stopped cowering beneath the beast to point out at me.
"STOP HIM!!" {???}
So it's a girl.
Flayed and burnt tentacles came racing towards me as I batted them away and lengthened the Shattered Star, bringing the red energy blade down on the revived beast, cutting it in half.
She jumped out of the way as the beast came crashing down while I slowed and began walking towards her. Her hood blew back from the impact, revealing a set of blue-grey eyes and raven black hair. Her face was small and her cheeks were littered with small freckles.
"A child? Or a Dwarf? I know not what you are but I can guess what you can do. Dark element and on top of that necromancy. I may not have seen it in the tomes of magic but such an ability is not lost on me." {Astaros}
I came in close as she crawled away backwards. I then caught up to her, either my monolithic figure or the steadily dropping temperature causing her to shiver.
"So exactly who are you and why are you here?" {Astaros}
She stayed silent for a moment before I stomped my foot into the ground, cracking the ice and sleet beneath us and scattering the snow in a display of power.
"SPEAK. Or the next stomp hits your head." {Astaros}
She then began to cry as she tried to talk, her eyes watering and small bits of frost gathering on her cheeks as they dribbled down.
I didn't like intimidating children but I wanted answers and quickly.
"My n-name is K-k-katherin I-I w-w-was s-s-sent b-" {Katherin}
I suddenly felt a wave of cold mana pressure come crashing down onto me as I blasted her out of the way and blocked a killing blow from Katia as she swung down her hammer to crush the girl's skull.
"STAND DOWN YOU FOOL!!" {Astaros}
Her azure eyes were as cold as ice and they locked squarely onto Katherin, her hammer struggling against my forearm.
"Kill the desecrator or I'll do it for you." {Katia}
"KATIA STOP!!" {Dryis}
Dryis ran up from behind and grabbed her trying to drag the massive warrior back.
I felt Katherin begin to run but it didn't matter to me. I knew what her mana felt like so recognizing her would be easy.
Right now we have a bigger problem.
I took two steps forward and struck Katia in the face, a simple yet devastating punch that broke her nose as she fell back onto her bottom.
"Calm the hell down or I'll calm you down. Choose now." {Astaros}
She seemed to snap out of whatever murderous trance had taken over and reached up to feel her nose as blood stained the snow red.
I pulled out a healing potion from my core and handed it to her and she took it with trembling hands. That was not only abrupt but extremely surprising. The fact that this aloof woman had any form of grudge seriously surprised me. She drank the bottle and when she looked back at me her face had returned to the calm and collected one I knew so well.
"Good you look a little better. Now what was that?" {Astaros}
She swiped some hair from her face and stood up.
"I don't get along with those scum called necromancers." {Katia}
So that was necromancy she performed. I looked over at the corpse of the Krakoth which had died for the second time. At least it seemed to have limits.
"Should we pursue her?" {Dryis}
I stopped and thought before shaking my head.
"I don't want to deal with that right now to be honest, let's just harvest this stuff and get this mission over with. Besides-" {Astaros}
I looked over at Katia.
"I don't want to deal with any more outbursts." {Astaros}
Katia simply answered with a blank stare.
"If you're looking for an apology you're not getting one. I hate necromancers and if I see one I'll split their head open." {Katia}
I sighed. Great, she's stubborn.
"If you ever want to talk about it I'll listen but lets just finish this mission." {Astaros}
She nodded and walked off to the nearest Krakoth and began skinning it with a knife manifested from frost element.
I turned to Dryis who gave me a supportive smile before running off to preform her dissection. I then spoke to Dryis through the soul link, hoping to get some discrete answers.
'Are you gonna tell why she's like this or do you just not know?' {Astaros}
'I don't know you'll have to ask Fillia. She's the one who's known Katia the longest.' {Dryis}
I sighed as the sky began to darken considerably, the howling wind announcing the coming of night. The ice foxes from before now stalked the battlefields perimeter, eyeing the dead Krakoths with greedy glints in their eyes.
I guess I need to work fast.
…
After we finished all matters concerning the harvest Katia finished sorting the spoils into three piles, before looking to me.
"I realize this is kind of late but exactly what are the logistics for getting all this down the mountain?" {Katia}
Though my faceplate covered it, my smug grin was easily able to heard in the tone of my words.
"AH, you are mistaken my dear Katia for I am the Logistics." {Astaros}
The damage core began to spin and glow as tendrils of red light reach out from my chest plate and began touching the materials, which then glowed red and began to flash into the damage core. In a matter of minutes I had collected the corpses of ten Krakoths within the core, with no warnings of any kind of limit being reached.
"Sometimes I have to wonder where your limits are?" {Dryis}
I simply turned and started towards the crater rim waving them to follow as I left.
"Who says I have limits?" {Astaros}
And neither Katia nor Dryis could refute the terrifying idea I had put forward.
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Blue_Robin
Blue_Robin Alright then now that I've got some violence out of my system lets move onto the Aurora arc.
Also, still hoping for more reviews especially since volume one is finished. I would really like he feedback from you guys, with even a confirmation I'm doing good helping me out.
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