Hunter's Bond, page 26
The message was repeated, and Arheis knew if he called up the log he’d see it two more times from earlier. But right now, the experience points didn’t even matter so much as the feeling that coursed through him. It was more than adrenaline, and he knew his companions felt it, too. Elation hummed through the air, bright and vibrant—something Arheis could definitely get used to feeling.
They talked as they carved, Arheis coming up with [2x Sharp Beak], [4x Burnt Feathers], [2x Hollow Bone] in addition to the [1x Ignicris Firestarter] he needed. Spirits were high, and for the first time in his life he was finally beginning to understand why people did this. There was something so satisfying about working with people you trusted. That magical moment when things “clicked” was second to none. His companions might be NPCs inside the construct of Apex, but to Arheis they were his friends, and he was already looking forward to the next hunt with them.
Spirits soared even higher when they made it back to Lacerda. After completing the guild bounty and dropping off the firestarters and their weapons with Brahm, the three of them headed to the nearest tavern, determined to spend what few credits they had left on ale. Mugs were poured and clinked over and over again, only beginning to slow after the third as Arheis and his companions felt the effects.
Or at least Arheis did. He’d apparently gained a slightly higher tolerance for alcohol in Apex, but it was nothing compared to Mira. She was barely fazed by the three ales, aside from being a little quicker to laugh and smile, which he was completely okay with. So okay with it—and so tipsy—that he thought about telling her so, right there in front of Zindar.
> You are intoxicated. Your Intelligence and Agility have dropped 5 points.
Yeah, no kidding.
Fortunately the system message kept him from doing anything too stupid, and Mira started telling a story before he could manage it anyway.
“So Zindar, Eva, and I were hunting a Magnalis,” she began, gesturing with every word, “and she’d never seen one before, she just knew she needed materials from it to augment her blades the way she wanted. So we get there—”
“Ancestors, the look on her face,” Zindar could barely contain his laughter, a hand already braced over his stomach.
“—We get there and she sees the thing, and it’s bigger than this tavern. Bigger than the gates outside, by far. And she’s staring up at it, and then she looks down… and down… and down,” Mira’s voice lowered an octave each time she said it. “She sees his…”
She made a gesture as though she were cupping something in her hand. With the lowered Intelligence score it took Arheis a moment to realize what she meant, but when he did, he blushed a bright and sudden crimson. Zindar just howled with raucous laughter, tears trailing down his fur.
“She says ‘fucking hell, those things are going to hit me in the face every time I try to damage him!’ And Zindar and I are already losing it because we’ve seen a Magnalis bull before, but we’re trying to keep it together—”
“Tell him what happened,” Zindar said, barely able to speak through his laughter. “Tell him what happened next.”
“She was sticking to the outside of the Magnalis’ legs, fine for a while, and then it turned around to try and ram Zindar. Suddenly she’s right under the beast and she just gets smacked right in the side of the head—”
“Thwack!” Zindar added, clapping his hands together for emphasis.
“It knocked her to the ground, where she’s just staring up at it as it goes for Zindar,” Mira laughed now, unable to control herself, “oh, Gods, I’d never heard her swear so much.”
It was impossible not to get swept up in their story, to laugh at the absurdity of it despite the fact that he knew Eva was gone. The fondness in Mira’s voice even as she made fun helped paint a picture of the woman she’d lost, and Arheis found himself wishing he could actually meet her.
That need for joy and laughter was something he’d had to learn the hard way, too. Now he was incredibly thankful he’d been able to remember his mother’s life, not just her death. It was what started the recovery process for him, and he hoped the same would hold true for Mira.
He was about to say something sentimental, but out of the corner of his eye he caught something strange. A bright, blue light lit up the entirety of the outside world, shining through the tavern window. It was blinding in its intensity, and Mira and Zindar noticed it only moments after he had.
“What the hell is that?” he asked, though the question was very much unneeded.
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it…” Mira scooted her chair back and stood, starting toward the door without stumbling once.
The same couldn’t be said for Zindar or Arheis, who both shuffled toward the entryway, very much still drunk. It was hard not to sober a bit at what Arheis saw once he reached the entrance, though.
Galen stood in the middle of the street, the crystal in his hands casting light in all directions. It bathed all of Lacerda in bright blue, and the look on the elf’s face made it clear whatever had happened wasn’t intentional. A look that turned to horror as a familiar roar rattled its way through the village, much too close for comfort.
Seconds later, Arheis heard a loud crash and the sound of wood splintering into hundreds of tiny pieces. The thunderous roar that accompanied the sound made it clear: the Nepondus Queen was in Lacerda, and she was already enraged.
Chapter 23
Arheis had never been much of a kaiju fan. The idea of a giant monster stomping through a city didn’t inspire much fear in him, probably because they always looked so cheesy and fake.
But seeing the Nepondus Queen ram her way through the gate like it was made of toothpicks put everything into harsh perspective. She might not have been as tall as a skyscraper, but she was big enough to cause damage and very, very angry.
Paralyzed by the overwhelming need to do something, Arheis was finally snapped out of his stasis when he saw Mira march up to Galen and snatch the crystal from his hands.
“Is this what you wanted all along?” she yelled. “Is this what the crystal is supposed to do?!”
Galen’s mouth worked, but he couldn’t manage to form words. His eyes were wide and focused on the distant wreckage. Mira just shoved the crystal back at him, shaking her head.
“I can’t deal with you right now. People are going to die if we don’t stop this thing.”
The screams coming from the direction of the gate made that painfully clear. Even if they weren’t attacked directly, the destruction caused by the Nepondus thrashing about could trap people within their homes.
Arheis reached for his weapon, prepared to take point, but it wasn’t there.
Fuck. We dropped them off at the smith…
“I can keep her busy if you two can get our weapons back from Brahm,” he said, his words far less slurred now.
Zindar seemed to be in shock and he just nodded, but Mira was quick to protest.
“Absolutely not,” she said, “I’m not letting you face the Queen alone. Zindar, can you run to the smith and meet us at the gate?”
The Pruvari finally snapped out of it, his wide-eyed gaze turning to Mira. “I can. Let me summon my spirit to help you, though.”
His transmitter glowed, and soon the spirit form of a Fulcorn stood beside them, its head lowered, eyes intent on the distant threat. Arheis looked to Mira, the two of them sharing a nod before they broke into a full sprint to reach the Nepondus Queen.
As it turned out, the beast really only needed a few minutes to cause significant problems. The gate and surrounding wall were completely decimated, and one of the archers who’d been posted atop it seemed to have his leg trapped under a log.
The Queen had slammed into a nearby home, crumbling it like a house of cards. The roof was completely collapsed and the beams supporting the structure were snapped like twigs. If anyone was inside that house when it happened, Arheis was fairly sure they’d be dead.
His conscience was tugged in every direction, but rationally he knew if they couldn’t drive the Nepondus Queen off, many more people would die.
He made a split decision then, pulling his shield from his back and rapping his knuckles against it. “Hey! Remember me? The one who killed your babies?”
Arheis had no idea if he could use his Provoke ability without a weapon, and at first it seemed like it didn’t do anything at all. But then the Queen swung her massive head toward him, momentarily distracted from the villager she’d been about to run down.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the man scramble away and climb to a watchtower that was still standing. The Queen, meanwhile, barreled toward him at full tilt. He held fast, shield out before him as he braced behind it, but he knew it wasn’t going to be enough.
She barreled into him, the full force of her weight and power striking against his shield.
> Nepondus Queen slams you for 40 points of damage.
> Your stamina has reached 0.
> Your guard has been broken!
Arheis was thrown backwards, unable to hold his ground. His shield stayed in place only because it was strapped to his arm. It was utterly useless outside of that, and the weight of it helped to throw him off balance even more.
Before he had a chance to recover, he felt vines wrap around his ankles, holding tight. The Queen pulled hard and Arheis was yanked off his feet. His back hit the ground, forcing the breath from his lungs and making him see stars as he was dragged through the dirt.
> You are incapacitated!
Yeah, no shit.
He struggled, trying to reach for his hunting knife even as he was being pulled closer and closer to the Queen. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Zindar’s spirit charge the beast, its antlers goring her with a surprising amount of force. She roared and staggered, but still didn’t let go.
Light and fire made their way into his vision, and he heard the sound of a flame whooshing through the air. Suddenly Mira was standing over him, swiping a torch down at the vines. The Queen let go instantly, recoiling as flames licked up the green tendrils.
Mira offered him a hand up and he took it, pulling himself to his feet.
“She’s stronger than before,” he said, though he knew it was obvious.
“It has to be that crystal.”
Before she finished the thought, the Nepondus Queen was rearing up, gaining even more height on them. When she started to slam down, Arheis and Mira had seconds to leap out of the way. The ground trembled as the Queen’s feet struck it, and Arheis very nearly lost his footing before managing to catch himself.
The Queen went in for another attack, but a horn sounded above them that drew her attention. Arheis looked over and saw the man from earlier blowing an alarm in the watchtower, and he knew exactly what was going to happen before the beast even set herself in motion.
“Get down from there!” he yelled to the man, but the bugle-like sound was so piercing he knew he hadn’t been heard.
The Queen swiped at the structure with one paw, breaking one of the supports in two. The tower itself began to topple, and she waited just below it, her chest cavity pulling apart to reveal that plant-like organ.
“No!” Mira cried, but it was too late.
Like a spider waiting on its prey, the Queen stood patiently until the man couldn’t hold on any longer. He dropped from the tower and she caught him in the pitcher. Immediate sounds of agony filled Arheis’ ears—the sounds of someone being digested while they were still alive. His stomach lurched, but he didn’t turn away.
We need those weapons!
No sooner had he thought it than he heard Zindar calling to them from afar. “Arheis! Mira!”
The Pruvari ran with an unmatched speed, and when the spirit met him halfway, it seemed like the Fulcorn was aiding him; acting through him. He reached the two of them in moments, handing over Arheis’ spear and Mira’s crossbow.
“The spear is the only weapon that has the augment,” he said, breathless, “so make it count.”
No pressure or anything. Arheis took his spear while the Queen was still distracted, noticing the attachment of the firestarter just below the head. He had no idea how the augment worked, but now wasn’t the time to call up a tutorial.
Readying himself—and checking with his companions—Arheis charged the Nepondus Queen once more, using the opportunity to Shield Bash her right in the chest.
> You Shield Bash Nepondus Queen for 24 points of damage.
The upgrade was definitely paying dividends. She let out a pained roar, her focus immediately shifting to Arheis. Not wanting to waste the edge he’d secured, he thrust his spear upward before she could close her chest cavity, catching the curve of the pitcher plant.
> You critically pierce Nepondus Queen for 117 points of raw damage and 17 points of fire damage.
> You have inflicted burn blight!
As soon as the tip of the spear connected, he heard that clicking sound like a lighter throwing a spark. It caught easily and the spear head was bathed in flame that erupted once he drove it into the beast.
The wail of pain that came from the creature was unlike anything he’d ever heard from her before, and he knew they were on the right track.
“That’s right! You come here and throw your weight around, you’re going to meet resistance!” he taunted.
She came for him in a rush of speed and bulk, even as Zindar and Mira began to attack in earnest. Enraged, the Queen used every possible tool in her arsenal to rip him apart. Large tusks caught under his arm, piercing beneath the armor. Fangs crunched down on his shoulder. Vines whipped at his legs and claws slashed at his stomach.
There was so much pain so quickly that one sensation bled into the next. Adrenaline kept him fighting, doing his best to counter her attacks, not worrying as much about his own damage output.
Especially when he heard the sound of something heavy being wheeled nearby.
“Load the cannon!” a gruff voice yelled from that same direction.
Arheis spared a glance behind him and saw Higrem with his sword pulled from his back. He stood near a cannon that was being loaded on his order by another Guild hunter.
Higrem gave them no warning. Arheis barely had time to grab Zindar and pull him away from the Nepondus Queen as the cannon fired, a booming explosion forcing the hunk of metal out of the barrel. It hurtled toward the beast, hitting her in the neck with a visceral impact. Bones cracked, fronds fell away, and her head was snapped to the side by the force of it.
“Ready your weapons!” the mayor barked, holding his sword aloft.
As the Queen reeled, five other hunters assembled beside Higrem. Arheis couldn’t see all of their weapons, but it didn’t look like any of them were augmented by a firestarter.
“Fire’s the only thing that seems to faze her,” he called back, thrusting his spear into the creature’s leg to demonstrate.
The impact wasn’t as profound this time, and she nearly knocked the weapon out of his hand when she went to slam down on him again. Arheis moved out of the way—aided by a well-timed bolt from Mira that hit the Queen right in the snout.
“Don’t need it,” Higrem said with a grunt of effort as he raised his sword and leapt toward the beast.
Maybe he was right. Maybe their weapons were much better than the ones Arheis and his party had access to. Higrem’s sword certainly sunk deeper into the beast’s flesh as he cleaved into her shoulder.
But even with that obvious chunk of damage—along with the smaller attacks from the other hunters, who mostly got in Arheis’ way—she didn’t seem even remotely weakened. In fact, her absolute rage seemed to give her even more power, and as she thrashed to shake a pair of hunters off, her tail lashed against a weakened building, sending it crumbling in a cloud of dust.
She rose up again and before Arheis could warn the hunter who was in front of her, the Queen slammed down hard enough to crush him. The sound of bone being shattered was devastating, the wheezing breath the downed hunter took even more so. Mira went to him, trying to stop the inevitable, but one thing was made very clear to Arheis: They needed to force the Queen to retreat. If they couldn’t do that, Lacerda would fall.
Glancing to his side, Arheis saw a small, stone half-wall that hadn’t been obliterated yet. A plan formed in his mind, and he moved to execute it without hesitation. Standing atop the wall, he raised his shield and struck it with his spear, using Provoke to draw the Queen’s attention.
She turned to him almost instantly, ignoring the other hunters who were laying into her from all sides to no avail. Her chest cavity gaped open, the pitcher plant tilting toward him, vines coming out from either side to draw him in. She moved so close that he could feel her putrid breath on his face, and still Arheis waited.
Just as she was about to strike, he tossed down his shield, gripped his spear with two hands, and lunged for the beast’s chest. His augment sparked as soon as he pierced the thick flesh of the pitcher plant, and fire spread outward in a burst, making the Queen reel.
> You critically Strike Nepondus Queen for 146 points of raw damage and 22 points of fire damage.
But as he hung on to the spear with all his might, his feet a good distance away from the ground still, Arheis realized he didn’t have an exit strategy. The Queen realized that, too, and fought through the pain, wrapping his lower body in inescapable binds.
> You have been incapacitated!
The unhelpful message played again, followed quickly by one Arheis hadn’t expected to see.
> You have reached 0 stamina. You can no longer struggle.
The system was right. His limbs felt like they were weighed down by cement blocks, and he couldn’t seem to get them to move no matter how hard he tried. The Queen was drawing him in legs first, and he was powerless to stop her.
