by SlyOkami
He took a step back, almost dropping his pike as he shook in his boots.
“Footsoldiers retreat!” Commands bellowed out, snapping him out of his terrified daze, Dastan glanced back just in time to catch a glimpse of them.
As the armoured beasts rushed by, twice his own size and ridden by a Bestia warrior each, the cavalry unit charged. Growls and roars filling his ears, as it was joined by the accursed creaking of wood, sounding like a wicked laughter.
The beast-riders separated into four squads of ten, leaping into the common trees, they surrounded the rampaging Treants.
As roots tore men apart.
As branches swiped down, sending entire companies flying into the jungle nearby.
“Those…they’re not normal!” Teni mused outloud from Dastan’s right, “They’re not from Zidao!” He urged on as their entire company fell back, speaking with their squad leader who stood watching the clash. A bear-men of great size, Jian pushed Teni aside.
“Retreat, leave it to the beast company, this isn’t our specialty!” Jian bellowed, glaring then at Dastan who also stood by.
Feeling a chill crawl up his spine then, Dastan turned and ran back with the rest, forming a good distance between the deadly Treants and them while still retaining a formation around their beasts of burden.
Dastan, having been the last to join the formation, begrudgingly ended up joining the outer wall of bodies.
Gaining himself a clear view of the battle, as armoured packs of direwolves pounced from branch to branch, tearing at the Treant’s fleshy bark. Whilst their riders stuck hooks wherever they could, throwing then the other spear-end of the rope into a nearby tree where their companions stuck it steadily into bark or ground.
Slowly they bound the Treants, a tiresome process of affixing bindings and recuperating those that failed, all the while evading massive branches riddled with spike-like bark and long agile roots searching to strangle and squash.
The process then quickening as a new unit of mages made it to the front, rushing past Dastan’s merging of companies and given a ride by a different company of beast-riders. The Treants now stood no chance, as even more beasts rode their swiping branches, all the while expert mages cast earthen spells to bind their roots in place.
Dastan watched, his previous sensation of horror replaced with resolve, as the seemingly unstoppable monstrosities where held down through the joined co-operation of Keye’s riders and Dabangui’s scholars.
Nothing like how his squadmate, Teni, was feeling at the time. As the serpent glanced all around them, frantically searching the trees and bushes for…something.
Dastan was about to reproach the man for his anxiety…
* * *
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09LTT0xwdfw
* * *
But as the last movements of the Treants came to a stop, Dastan realised just how foolish he was in feeling relieved.
As a dozen a second, small explosions echoed out from the surrounding jungle.
Puffs of smoke rose up into the air, following glistening objects being shot up into the sky by what Dastan could only guess were small-fire cannons.
Dastan knew, that the next few moments were ones he’d never forget.
As the spheres of what seemed like half glass and half metal, rained down all around them.
Shattering on contact with anything but the mammoth’s fur, chaos filled Dastan’s surroundings then.
As the liquid within splattered all over his company, Dastan and a few others managing to evade being splashed as they rushed away.
Turning around, Dastan felt cold at the sight, as the unmistakable scent filled his and each of his comrade’s nostrils.
Before him stood over four hundred men and women of Zrosa, drenched in a dwarven concoction only known as…
Liquid Dragon Fire.
The panic and horror he saw within their eyes, etched itself into his memory.
As the first flaming arrow shot out of the jungle far to his right, right from where the flasks had come from.
Dastan wishfully believed that it would never hit its mark.
Not at that range…
Not from that far…
His hopes, died there and then.
As the chaos around him fell silent.
And the world before him, was lit up aflame.
A blaze of bright green filled his purview, as shrieks of agony filled his ears.
Bodies, melting within the flames, trudges through others.
Dastan watched frozen in absolute terror, as men and woman he knew burned alive.
He watched, as their hair dissipated into nothingness within the first few moments.
Their skin, melting away like cheese over a campfire. Falling off and charring away, revealing the crisping flesh beneath. Their eyes, previously filled with pain, either melted along the skin or burst like bubbles of red and white liquid.
As they clawed at themselves, and each other.
Trying helplessly to snuff out the flames.
Dastan could only watch.
As Teni crawled towards him, half aflame, it slowly spread along his body.
Unable to speak as it had charred out his throat, still the man somehow managed to reach out to Dastan’s standing form.
Falling limp briefly after, dead and burning away.
Dastan felt his gut wrench, as everything he had eaten that day rose out all at once, splattering forward into a shower of brown and yellow. He fell back, stumbling onto his ass Dastan emptied his stomach onto what remained of Teni.
It only urged the flames further, as they rose and burst out at the new surface.
Scaring the living shit out of Dastan as he quickly crawled back and away, sniffling and panicking, the prideful warrior was left as nothing more than a wrecked mess of a boy.
Stumbling up, he turned about, ready to run.
Only to find himself faced with what the horrific scene had made him forget.
The two Treants stood tall over a splattering of corpses, both beast and Bestia.
The mages and beast-riders had been wiped out, as all too quickly the goliaths of wood and leaf charged right into his direction.
Stomping down, root after root as legs, the Treants barrelled down the path.
Sending a shiver visibly flow through Dastan’s body, he was snapped out of his daze only as the massive mammoth behind him stomped down mere feet from where he stood.
Falling back once more, Dastan watched as the mountain of ablaze fur charged, moaning in agony with each step…still it met the two Treants with the full might of its gigantic body. Pushing one aside with its humongous tusks, it then grabbed the second with its just as large trunk, as either’s roots and branches coiled around its legs and face.
Ballistae and bowmen fired from the tower that was built upon its back, barraging the two Treants as their branches reached out to grasp the construction.
It was a clash of three titans Dastan had no purpose joining, feeling insignificant and utterly terrified, he instead rose up, turned about…and ran.
Ditching his pike and rucksack, Dastan ran as quickly as his bestial strength allowed him. Faster than any common human, he ran away from both them and the flames, rushing into the jungle.
Dastan trudged through the intertwining roots and branches, pushed through the bushes and other foliage, as everything around him seemed to be clinging, grabbing and holding him back.
Tearing at his clothing.
Pulling at his armour.
It only added to the panic within Dastan…
As suddenly, he pushed through and into a small clearing.
A thin river flowed beneath his feet, briefly pausing the jungle’s extreme thickness and giving Dastan respite from the feeling of claustrophobia…
But not everything else that he felt, as finding that brief moment to pause, once more Dastan found himself keeling over and further clearing up his belly.
The sound of his vomiting covering for the rustli
ng of leaves that came from behind him, as the dark figure which now loomed over him went unnoticed by the young soldier.
“It seems as,” Kailu mused, as his massive black scythe snuck into view, resting at the man’s throat.
“This isn’t your lucky day.”
“W-Wai-” Briefly Dastan managed to speak out, cut off as the blade tore through his entire neck.
Cleaving his head cleanly off his shoulders.
Kailu stood over the fallen corpse, laying within its own muck, he glanced away from it in disgust as he fully expected the sounds which followed.
As dark tendrils grew out of his weapon, engulfing the body and head whole before absorbing both.
“That man shit, pissed and puked all over himself, yet you still devour them?” Kailu mused with a disturbed tone.
(“Demons stuck for eons within a weapon, with their power of self sealed away, cannot complain about what meal scurries into their maw.”) The Scythe mused within his mind.
Rolling his eyes then at the sound of shattering bone and tearing flesh, as the body was sucked into the thin tendrils of flowing darkness. “Just…hurry up.” Kailu could only restrain himself from gagging and adding to the river.
B2; Chaos - Ch 59; Collapse - Part 2; Ascal
Jian Dabangui, captain to the 11th infantry company, stepped through the large tent’s curtain. One of the many being haphazardly set up as the jungle around them was slowly and carefully being pushed back by their remaining mages.
Jian felt more so than heard, the growl, as he entered. Sending a shiver down his spine as he came face to face with two massive Bestia warriors twice his own great size. Fully armoured with no fur to be seen, only their vicious eyes glaring down at him, the Zrosian Mountain Guards stepped aside to let their higher officer in rank through…
Although, Jian was only higher in name, he knew well not to fuck with their kind.
Stepping by the two goliaths, he kneeled by the other gathered officers within the tent and before the magically grown wooden table.
Behind which another Bestia stood, a warrior lord Jian had heard many tales about, but only ever came before him this once…His commander usually did but, this man had specifically asked for Jian and his companion officers this time.
As such they all came, proud and powerful knights of the military, adorned nobles of the core families…They each kneeled before this legend.
Before Damaxius Keye, Lord General of the joint Zrosian army, student and son to the mighty chief Garn Keye who single handedly slew each of the Xilfir Dark lords in the name of Dabangui a century ago.
Barely raising his head, Jian caught a peak of the Keye descendant.
Wolvine ears and tail, albino white fur, pale skin and blood-shot eyes with dark violet irises within.
Eyes which, rose from the map lain over the table, scanning then the warriors who kneeled before him.
“So, who wishes to explain, why and how we lost five fucking full infantry companies within the god damn hour.” Damaxius growled, caressing his long white Fu Manchu.
As suddenly the table cracked, shattering into two as Damaxius’s figure blurred forwards, appearing mere feet before the middle officer.
Sword drawn, gleaming as it lay a hair away from the Zidao’s throat.
“Well!?” He exclaimed, “Maybe a fresh splattering of blood will wake you!” No rage, no anger filled the man’s tone.
Only a demanding aura of superiority.
Which was enough, to make each and all before him tremble and crumble.
“We didn’t expect what they had in store…”
But not Jian, too proud, too resolved to rise in rank to cower before this massive step before him.
Yet still Jian froze, as Damaxius’s gaze settled on him.
Watching,
Analysing,
Waiting.
Waiting for Jian to continue speaking and continue Jian did. “The Treants and mortars were just the beginning of the enemy’s trickery and creativity…The pitfalls, the tripwires, the summoned quick sands and wildfires…They will continue as we move and get worse as the enemy grows more used to how we move. The mind behind this all has us caught, we’re trapped in our own jungle-”
Cut off then as Damaxius’s blade slashed through Jian’s hair, cleaving his forehead hair shorter.
“I know.” Damaxius growled, “I know we’re trapped, but I also know the enemy’s numbers are limited. You say they made use of summonings and makeshift trapping, I say we’re facing a small squadron of Xilfir. Amongst them, to summon two Treants…is a great mage. As such, we cannot move carelessly from here on. We’re no longer marching men,” Damaxius took in a long breath as he turned away from his officers. “This war has already begun.”
“The Shinobi unit has been unresponsive, sir that means we’re blind.” Another officer added with a hiss.
But Damaxius grinned, widely he grinned. “Serpents and rodents, poison and shadows can only hide you. It is us beasts who rule these lands, so let us show em, who’s at the top of the fucking food chain.” Turning about once more, “We need a blunt, brute tactic to flush them out of their hiding. We have the numbers, we have the resources, we’re Zrosian.” Damaxius said with a quick laugh.
A tentative chuckle went through the officers, unsure of what their General was on about but not ones to say such out loud, rather wishing to keep their heads where they lay.
Damaxius rolled his eyes as he noticed their incomprehension, “We hunt.” He said, before suddenly gesturing them off. “Arm the infantry with close range weaponry, set loose the beast riders and aviators, nothing like some good sport before a battle. The enemy won’t expect us to divide and conquer, they’re ready for either a whole army marching or small scout units. Not large hunting parties. Go…Go!” He bellowed, his rumbling voice ushering them out.
An ushering Jian was not proudful enough to disobey, as he too along the rest rushed out.
Yet stopping before the tent, he glanced off at the jungle ahead.
A wicked smile growing over his own face, expectation filled Jian at the orders he was given.
“I will regain my honour, just you wait, Drow.” Never would Jian turn down a good hunt.
Raising his right arm up then as the other officers began gathering Bestia, “It’s Xilfir hunting season boys!” Jian exclaimed.
And the soldiers gathered, bellowing, shouting and roaring in excitement with him.
Unknowing, of the horrors awaiting them within the jungle.
-
* * *
-
Two Hours Later
Branches and vines creaked as the hunting party prowled through, gone unseen, yet the jungle betrayed them.
As they moved as one, one unit, one company.
One body, following the legend at their lead.
As Damaxius himself took to the field, bow over his back and hunting knife clenched within his dominant hand, the General was flanked by four massive warriors.
Four Zrosian Mountain Guards, wielding weapons just as huge, still they moved unseen along the fauna, maybe even quieter than the common foot soldier behind them.
Having taken with them simple weaponry, light armour and alongside several different species of hound-like beasts. Three hundred Zrosians gathered behind Damaxius in total, and just as large groups spread out into every direction from the campsite.
Searching.
Tracking…
Hunting down the Xilfir menace which bothered them.
And barely an hour from camp, already Damaxius and his dogs had come upon some tracks.
As the chained beasts paused to sniff, gathering about several different spots amongst the tangled roots, Damaxius pulled at the chains to urge them to hurry. “Looks like we’ve got a scent.” He mused as the hounds barked and growled, each pulling into a singular direction.
Glancing back at his men, Damaxius grinned widely, “Ready boys?” he asked, to which a couple hundred smirks formed.
Leaping from root to ground, bark to branch, their long and lean bodies perfectly suited for the chaotic jungle. As every scent they picked up, they were able to track it for weeks, and track it they did. Following their instincts to the death.
These were Zrosian Fox Hounds.
As dozens of them spread through the jungle, yet following a singular hunt.
The hunting party followed closely behind, Damaxius at the lead, they did their best to keep up with the fast beasts. And well trained as they were, a couple of the hounds held back, trailing behind the rest of the pack they lay like bread crumbs for their masters to follow.
But as thick as the jungle was, Damaxius had sight on only two of them.
Coming to a stop then, as the both of them suddenly did, with the entire hunting party crawling to a pause with him.
Damaxius watched in confusion as the two hounds stood their ground, growling yet slowly stepping away from the small opening the rest had rushed into. Still hearing the barking and growling of the others, Damaxius took a single step forward whilst gesturing for the rest to hold their ground.
He stopped.
As ear-piercing squeels of pain filled the jungle around them, the sound of dying hounds surrounded them.
Even the two who held back stopped frozen at the sound, and whatever they could see which the Zrosians still couldn’t. Thick as the jungle was before them, three overlapping branches held up a small entrance into the opening.
Showing only some flat ground from where Damaxius stood, he pushed forth, walking past the now trembling hounds and through the hole.
He rose to find himself standing in the jungle opening, obviously magically cleared, it now lay filled with scattered and shredded corpses of his fox hounds. Hearing the two which survived, turn tail right then.
His gaze scanned the opening, seeing a cave barely hidden under an old Elder Oak tree, and a figure standing before it’s entrance.
Pulling up his pants as his arms trembled, Ascal turned around to meet Damaxius’s confusion with a wide grin. “Ah…the relief of a good leak.” He mused, smiling as understanding filled Damaxius’s expression then.