Assault, page 61
“Why me, damnit!” I exclaim. Pressing my mana into the stone again, another lance shoots towards the troll with a crack, but this time it burns when it makes contact with the flame. The stone passes through but turns to ash just after and is unable to make contact with the body.
This is not working. I need to try something else.
I engage [Mana Sight], and at the same time place a darkness field around the troll. In my [Mana Sight], I see the flames like blazing green pools that swallow the black particles of the darkness. I crouch and leap straight up. When my hands make contact with the ceiling, they stick, and I swing my legs to do the same. The troll's head lifts to follow me with its creepy green flame eyes. I crawl on the ceiling and move towards the door. The troll's body turns, and it begins that slow walk again towards me.
Its flame circle continues to devour the darkness particles. I am obviously just wasting mana with that, so I release the darkness field and [Mana Sight] and turn around to flee. I don’t know how to beat this thing; it is certainly no troll. I leave the room and run to the front door, open it ready to leap out, and flee in the shadows, when I jerk to a stop, just barely avoiding running straight into a wall of green flame.
Shit! I am so screwed.
The reverberating voices come once again as the troll steps into the entranceway. “We will not allow you to live. Your kind will not stop us again.”
He takes another slow step and conclude with, “You will die now, and we will continue.”
“That’s like the third time you’ve said that. Got any new material? Like what matters so much about me?”
I take Dreamweaver from [Inventory] and take one of the standard neutral stances that Takahashi taught me. Dreamweaver must sense my despair and frustration, because she hums gently to me and sends me feelings of comfort and confidence. Her body glows the pure azure blue of mana and croons of the joy of fulfillment of purpose. This is what she was meant to do.
The reverberating voice is only four meters away now when it says, “Nothing on this world can hurt us. You will die and we will continue.”
Getting the hint from Dreamweaver, I also flood myself with affinityless mana and glow azure. My hair floats behind me, and my eyes flicker with their own azure fire. I concentrate and think about what I want from my mana. The vaporous cloud of mana surrounding me begins to compress and form into a thin film of transparent azure covering my skin.
It’s two meters away now, and I ready myself as the mana construct solidifies into a solid layer with plates at the shins, thighs, arms, and chest. What’s most odd is my hair slowly wraps around my face and forms a hood and mask where only a thin line for my glowing eyes show.
One meter. A solid but completely flexible layer of azure armor now surrounds me as Dreamweaver sings in my hands.
Chapter 143
Gripping tightly to my allstaff, the green circle makes contact with me but I feel nothing. As the flame flickers around us, the troll slowly lunges as if to jam his hands into me and rip me apart from the inside.
Using what I learned from the many hours in the Hyoto training facility, I shift my left foot and pivot on my right as I spin by the slow strike. As I complete the circle and face the side of the troll, I swing Dreamweaver down and strike the back of its knee. I hear a crack and sizzle, then his knee buckles, and the troll drops to kneeling to the ground. Pulling back, I swap my pivot foot and move the right forward as my hands slide along the staff, granting me the leverage to swing it up, around, and then down again. As soon as the troll turns his head towards me and begins lifting his body, the end of Dreamweaver strikes his temple, and he is thrust forward and down. His flaming hands reach down and press against the floor holding his body up.
I speak to Dreamweaver, and she molds her tip as I once again switch the pivot, and I quickly spin her, this time from the front, aiming for his left arm. When Dreamweaver strikes it, she is no longer a solid staff but a long handle with a half-meter-long flat spear blade. The sharp, mana-infused blade edge makes contact with the top of the troll's elbow, which suddenly is ablaze with a green flaming barrier and stops. Then Dreamweaver and I both explode with azure light, and we push. The bladed spearhead slowly slides through the troll’s arm, and its forearm falls over with a light thump and bursts into green flame then turns to ash in a flash.
The troll wobbles but doesn’t fall. Pushing through that strike forced me off balance, and I am leaning forward too far to immediately strike again. The head once again turns towards me, and the multiple voices speak. For the first time, I hear some emotion from the voices although it is jumbled between all the different tones of voice. “There can be no soul’s blood on this world.”
Then its eyes flare brightly, and two streams of green flame shoot from his eye sockets and strike me in the chest before I can move. I fly backward with green flames dancing across my torso. When I collide with the wall of the room, I am at least two meters from the floor. I hear the wood crack behind me, and I fall forward and strike the ground with my limbs out. Dreamweaver is still humming in my left hand, which stayed closed around her the entire time—probably in part thanks to her.
I am surprised to find I do not feel any burn or pain from either the flame or wall strike. I do feel drained, though. As I climb to my feet I glance at my mana and see it at eighteen percent.
[Mana lifeline, from health to mana now. Give me seventy-five percent transfer and keep it up at regen rate for as long as it can.]
That is very risky, Vic . . .
The troll reaches his feet just as I do.
[Do it now!]
I have the advantage of speed, and the only way I can get out of this in one piece is if I use it. Dreamweaver is in my left hand held straight out and against my arm. The troll has turned to me with his remaining arm out and ablaze with green fire. Moving lightly as I was taught, I sweep around to his armless side and slice Dreamweaver’s blade down and across his ankle followed by another spin and stab forward, higher than the last strike. The spear tip punctures the troll’s left knee and continues all the way through. Before the head and body can finish their spin to me, I yank Dreamweaver forward, and with a crunch and pop, the troll's knee is sliced halfway through, and the kneecap is completely bisected. I continue the motion, and Dreamweaver’s blunt back smacks into the creature’s spine just below its head.
Once again the troll is thrust on his knees with his only remaining arm forward holding his torso up. I straighten up and take one of the aggressive stances I learned from Takahashi. “If by ‘soul’s blood,’ you mean quicksilver, I found it and made her myself.” As I am speaking, I swirl the staff to build up momentum while her song fills the room. She talks to me, and I repeat what I feel from her. “She and I are one. And we exist to end you.”
The troll’s green flames rise and flare in response. The creature’s body pushes off with its remaining arm, and its torso raises. I complete Dreamweaver’s spin and, blazing with azure, bring the blade across the back of its neck. The brightness of my mana presses against the green blaze of this creature’s masters and pushes through to cut into and through the troll's skin, spine, and neck. I continue the momentum of the strike, and Dreamweaver flows around me as the previously flat butt end of the spear turns into a matching blade and jams six inches into the troll's head. Both Dreamweaver and the head continue the forward movement, and I slam both into the floor. The now spitted head’s eyes continue to blaze but the body flashes in a bright green flame and then turns to ash which floats to the windless room’s floor.
Panting, I pull Dreamweaver from the floor and head. It rolls to its side; its mouth opens with a silent scream. Then smoke of that same green explodes from it in a circle, and an inferno of flame erupts, blazing through the ceiling of the room and all the way through the roof of the building into the sky. A vaguely humanoid face appears in the column conflagration made of black flames inside of the greater green. I can tell it is looking at me, and I feel a pressure in my mind. The black flames dance higher, and the pressure increases until it becomes painful. I grit my teeth, but it continues to feel like my mind will be crushed like an egg, and I press my hands to my head unconsciously. I fall to my knees, screaming out with the pain until it suddenly vanishes, and I fall forward panting. A drop of my red blood filled with blue crystals falls from my nose onto the floor. It glitters in the flame’s light.
Then the multi-voice sounds from the column of fire, and the black flames flicker with each word. “You are a plague and will die alone, causing the demise of all those around you. Your failure will lose you the one love for which you are destined and never know such again. And you will be betrayed by those you trust the most. Only power can save you from this fate. When we meet again, this power can be yours, and you can protect that which you cherish.”
The blaze flashes bright enough to cause me to cover my eyes with my arm and vanishes.
Target terminated . . .
Chapter 144
The sudden lack of noise from the flames allows me to hear the calling of many orcs coming closer. I release all mana, including the construct armor, slip into the shadows, and work my way back to the infusion pad. I appear in front of the remains of the cabin and call out angrily.
“War chief. Let’s wrap this up. I want your people gone from my city’s land. I have had enough with your kind and your masters.”
The red and black orc walks up to me fully armored and looks me up and down. “You appear uninjured. What happened that has you so agitated?”
I jab my finger in his direction. “Your fucking masters took over the body of the troll king and nearly killed me. If I was anyone else, they would have succeeded.”
The orc’s eyes are wide and his mouth is open. “The masters combined their power with the troll king? How did you escape?”
I huff at him. “By killing him, of course. Them. Whatever. How the fuck else would I have gotten away?” I look at him and point again. “Even if we didn’t make our little bargain, I might have done it just to spite those fuckers. Trying to burn me alive and then fucking poking around in my head when I kill them.”
I see the war hhief take a step back and take a breath. The azure glow around me has brightened until I get a grip and it dims again.
“Apologies, war chief.” I clear my throat, a little embarrassed at having lost control that way. “What do we do now? The camp is going to be pretty riled up with that little show of power. Likely everyone who can use mana could feel it. Hell, I’m surprised you couldn’t.”
He seems to look at me with an expression I can’t quite identify on his orcish face and says, “That could help our cause. We walk back through the dungeon and walk out together from my house. Then I . . .”
***
Two days later, the orcs are gone, and Jo tells me I am in comms range of the fort. Finally. I have been running for an entire day without resting.
[First, send a note for an emergency meeting with Honor only. Second, send a note to Steed asking for a pickup. Send him our coords. Third, send a note to Aria saying I am safe, well, and on my way home, although it could be a few hours. Fourth, send all the other messages you have backed up from our comms blackout. Is there anything else absolutely critical before I go home to my likely distressed spouse?]
All messages sent. Nothing else is critical enough that cannot wait until tomorrow . . .
***
Less than two hours later, the sun is setting as I sit in the passenger section of a flyer sent by Steed. When I am in sight of the brightly lit fort wall, I see in the huge mess that is the large cleared area being cleaned up by fort personnel or contractors. Orc kin blood, bodies, and flesh are all over the ground in front of the massive wall.
[I hope my risks don’t come back to hurt us. Mercy isn’t my style, but I have hope it will pay off in the long run.]
It is not my place to judge such a thing. You did what you always do, what you believe is best for humanity. Nobody can ask anything more of you . . .
As I fly over the fort and see a mix of celebration and chaos including a few dead bodies, I reflect on my parting with the war chief. This had better work out, or I will have more human blood on my hands than can be believed. I sigh and look forward to getting home.
***
One day after my “defeat of him in honorable combat,” we grasped forearms in front of numerous orcs who looked at me with envy, greed, fear, shame, anger, and any number of other emotions. The war chief told me he would contact me close to the end of summer with the promised information. I left him with a final message before he led his people away. “War chief, you and your people may have to give something up to be free. Something precious that will challenge who you are or wish to be. You should prepare yourselves.” He looked thoughtful and nodded.
As transport pads cannot be moved once set up, you will have to decide if you wish to keep or destroy the one on the surface . . .
The war band was very efficient at taking down their massive encampment. That done, what remained of their assault force left the area through a dimensional tear twenty kilometers northwest of the encampment nearly at the tip of the peninsula, and it closed behind them with a small explosion of mana. He told me their masters have limited ability to open these temporary tears but can only do so through the curse of the war chiefs.
[I guess that explains quite a bit about how war chiefs seem able to do as much as they do.]
It would appear so . . .
As I watched him go I found I didn’t hate him as much I thought I would. Could it be because I empathize with his desire to serve his people first and his masters after? Would I have the strength to do the same?
***
When the doors to my home in the hotel slide aside, I am immediately leaped on by my elf. She hugs me tightly, and I reciprocate. I carry us both to the couch and sit on it while she squeezes me tightly and cries into my neck. I’ll admit, my eyes are wet too. I cannot believe how much I missed and worried for her.
Not really knowing what to say, I just speak the truth. “I missed you. I’m sorry I had to be gone for so long. I’m so sorry.” The last words come out with difficulty as I choke up, tears falling.
She doesn’t say anything, just squeezes and cries harder.
“I thought of you all the time. I tried to send you messages, and I think I maybe heard something back. Did you send me a message through the ring?”
She nods lightly into my neck and I squeeze just a little harder.
I whisper, “I’m so glad that worked.”
She lightens up the squeezing and backs away so I can see her face. Her eyes are puffy, and her nose is red. She obviously hasn’t been sleeping well; she looks absolutely exhausted with bloodshot eyes barely staying open and her head lulling to the side and forward slightly.
“Have you slept any?” I ask.
She mumbles, “A little here and there. I couldn’t stay asleep. I had nightmares.”
I sigh and reach forward to pull her towards me in another hug. I turn my head and whisper into her ear. “I’m here now. I’m fine, and we’ll be fine. I’m sorry I left you for so long.”
Her only response is to squeeze me tighter.
“How about we take a quick shower and go to bed? You need sleep. Badly. It’s not healthy to stay awake for so long.”
She says only, “Bath.”
I offer a wet chuckle. “Okay,” Is my response. I lift her and walk into the bathroom, carrying her. I fill the water, help her strip, strip myself, and carry her down into the water. We both just sit in our normal spots.
[Wake me in thirty, please. Then I’ll move us to the bed.]
Affirmative . . .
Chapter 145
Waking in a soft bed with my love draped on me floods me with a mix of relief and pleasure I cannot describe. I’m actually a little overwhelmed with emotions and need to take a few deep breaths to get a hold of myself. I give Aria a gentle hug, but she doesn’t stir at all. Poor thing.
[Hey, Jo.]
Good afternoon, Vic . . .
Afternoon? I look at my HUD and am surprised to see I didn’t just sleep the rest of the day yesterday but also into today to 13:35. I suppose I really did need it. Aria obviously did.
Now that I am not overwhelmed, as I hug Aria I can tell she feels too thin. She hasn’t been eating enough either. Damnit. I know it isn’t my fault, but I feel guilty anyway. And angry too. She needs to care for herself, even when I am not around.
I was going to wake you up in twenty-five minutes. You have been ordered to attend a meeting at 15:00 with Honor . . .
[Jo, we need to make sure Aria eats today. If I am in meetings or whatever when she wakes up, please tell her I am asking her to eat well. Keep it a lighter meal so her body doesn’t reject it, but she absolutely must eat.]
Confirmed . . .
[If she wakes up to use the bathroom and then goes back to sleep, that’s fine. Leave her be. But if she wakes up and starts her day, please tell her I am asking her to eat well before anything else. And, of course, I will be back the moment my meeting is over.]
I understand, Vic . . .
[Oh. And order two tons of various meats for Peggie as soon as I get up.]
Affirmative . . .
[Okay. This next request is going to be a bit of a weird one. Ask Honor to have two SF Military Police with clearance waiting outside the door of our meeting room if at all possible. Tell him I will explain during our discussion.]
Are you concerned for security? . . .
[Not in the way you are thinking. All right. I need one other thing from you before the KH debrief. I need you to create an edited version of the battle with the war chief and its aftermath that removes any references to mana-born or true son. Try to keep it as subtle as possible. Oh, and add some effects to the darkness recording so they can see what is going on if you have time.]
Affirmative. May I ask why you haven’t shared your species with KH yet? Or Aria? . . .
