War God for Hire- Adventurer: A Reincarnation, Cultivation Adventure

by David Burke

  “Nothing worth obtaining is ever free of risk,” Saber replied and then hurried off with his men to get the rest of their gear.

  “Are you sure that this is a good idea? They are weak,” Gilthan said. Kierra nodded in agreement and Skrug stood there digging in his nose for gold.

  Hilde said, “No this is perfect. Shoulders can be trained. Gear can be made. But faithfulness is what any god seeks most in servants.”

  “Yes, the celestial is right. A war god needs an army,” Lash added.

  Both women seemed to be surprised to be agreeing at first but then they nodded as an understanding settled between them.

  The rest of the morning was spent with Kyle reshaping the gear belonging to the five humans who would be the seed of his army. He now realized that given time he could do so much more, probably even creating actual magical items. As it was, he didn’t want to overstrain his creative powers and he still had only a tiny portion of his divine power. It was enough though to use the alloy recovered from the Mor’dverg to craft weapons and armor for them.

  Once they were ready, they mounted up and headed out for the last location the trolls had been sighted. It turned out to be a farm that was completely flattened. The muddy ground told the story of numerous huge feet. Judging from them the creatures probably ranged in height from a little taller than Skrug to fifteen feet.

  Thinking of Skrug and what he had learned today about troll pro-creation a question dawned on him. “Hilde, if trolls only pro-create by being cut up then how could Skrug have been born?

  Hilde stared at him and then began to giggle. “Oh, you are priceless. Were you trying to imagine his momma getting it on with some twelve-foot troll.”

  Kyle bore the laughter at his expense. There was still that part of him that said he should strike her down for laughing at him. That she was just his servant. But he didn’t let that control him. Being laughed at by a girlfriend was actually useful. She found his lack of knowledge amusing and it served as a reminder of how much he had to learn still. More than that it was good to be humbled. They fed into his ego too much so moments like this helped keep him balanced.

  Then she got serious. “It is actually incredibly sad. The most common way that it happens is if a troll attack is stopped but then someone eats the troll flesh. This only happens in the direst of circumstances though. Skrug’s mother was probably a survivor of such an attack but her husband likely died, and she was left pregnant and starving. The troll meat is so strong that when a pregnant woman eats it, it can cause the baby to be mutated like this.”

  “That is gruesome, but I’m almost surprised that no one has tried to breed an army of half trolls like that. Seeing what Skrug can do, I can imagine a warlord trying just that sort of thing.”

  Hilde smiled now. “About eighty years ago on the southern continent, there was a would-be warlord who had that very same idea. Krig liked strength but didn’t appreciate those who tried to take short cuts. Let’s just say that the fool died screaming in flames by my former lord’s orders.”

  “Okay, I get that. Proud of you. Just for the record, I would have ordered the same. Krig may have done it to maintain purity, but I would have done it because strength without mercy means nothing. Just as mercy without power is also nothing.”

  The conversation was cut short though as Kyle sensed a number of creatures about a mile away. They were clearly not human. He called everyone to rally around and sent Hilde to investigate. While she was gone, he called out to Skrug, “I should have asked sooner. You don’t have any problem fighting trolls, do you?”

  Skrug looked confused. “Skrug fight whoever boss man say.”

  “Yes, but you know that they are related to you at least in part?” Kyle asked.

  “Skrug no have family. Skrug’s mother killed cause Skrug is ugly. Skrug never accepted till boss man. Skrug serve boss man whole life.”

  Kyle nodded at the pledge and said, “Skrug has a family now with us.”

  The big grin full of yellow stained misshapen teeth and a couple of tusks that were too long was all the confirmation that Kyle needed.

  Then Hilde landed. “It's a small group nowhere near as big as this so-called troll army but there is an elder troll. He is probably twenty-feet tall and must have lived over a hundred years to get to be that size. Along with him there are two dozen smaller trolls like the size of the ones who must have attacked the farm.”

  Lash whistled in awe at the mention of an elder troll. So, Kyle had to ask, “Is there something different about an elder troll beyond just their size?”

  The blonde replied, “After they live long enough trolls start to form a connection with Earth Essence. So it isn’t that he will be able to do any spells, but he will be more resistant to fire, his skin will likely be as hard as stone, and his strength will be greater even than his normal size. If an elder troll grows big enough, they can even reach the Spirit Tier of power.”

  Kyle grinned, sounded like just the type of challenge he needed.

  “Okay, the elder troll is mine. Hilde you will be responsible for Saber and his men. Provide support for them. Your group's task is to kill any of the smaller trolls that try to escape and ensure that their bodies are cut up. Lash due to your knowledge you will lead Skrug, Gilthan, Kierra. Take out the smaller ones and channel any of them that you can to Hilde’s flames.”

  Everyone nodded at the plan. Then they went to work.

  They closed the distance with their enemy. The horses carried them over the distance other than poor Skrug who needed the wagon to get him to the battle. They split into their teams with Lash’s team rushing right in and Hilde’s staying back. Kyle waited. He could see the monstrous elder troll in the middle of the pack. He was busy stuffing his mouth with the remains of a horse that had been pulling the cart of an unfortunate merchant.

  His sense told him that there were no surviving humans in the midst of the carnage. Kyle was strangely not all that upset about it. Sure, it was a shame but from what Meeka had told them the entire city knew about the risks. The merchant had been a fool to make such a trip when he lacked the power to protect what was his.

  Still the trolls weren’t reacting to them despite throwing furtive glances at them. They were clearly too occupied with eating whatever had been inside the wagon. Kyle shouted out using Sky Essence to carry his voice and War Essence to enhance its effectiveness. “Lash, hold a minute. Let’s try to scatter them some. Hilde, it’s so crude of them to eat their meal uncooked. Light it up for them please.”

  “Gladly,” she said with a laugh as she took off into the air. Once overhead she spun around. Her wings ignited into flame as she became a tornado of flame. Kyle knew full well that she could have just blasted the remains with a fireball and accomplished the same thing so she must be doing this for another reason. Probably to show off for him, but he realized it might be fun for her to cut loose a bit.

  The spinning funnel of flame drove down from her body like a power drill into butter. The wood and remnants of the wagon were thrown everywhere in a fifty-foot radius, but so too were the smaller trolls. They all shrieked in agony as their bodies began to burn.

  He had been told that trolls were vulnerable to fire and that definitely proved to be the case. They scattered, running in every direction. Their hair on fire making them look like massive green torches. Kyle couldn’t’ help but laugh as he saw even the hair under their arms was ignited.

  The only one that was unfazed was the elder troll. Flame danced along his skin but found no purchase. That suited Kyle just fine. He realized that Hilde could probably have taken care of all the trolls but the elder if she had confined them in fire rather than separating them. Now though his fighters would get some experience as they hunted down the monster.

  But the boss, the biggest of them all, was there on his own, waiting for Kyle. So, he dismounted and ran forward. Kyle determined that this would be a melee match. He was going to take this biggen down with just he might. As he ran, he abs
orbed strength and durability from the earth. War Essence surged within his limbs giving precision and control to his strikes. His hammer appeared in his hand and as a last step, Death Essence surged in him. Each of his strikes would carry with it the kiss of death.

  He sprung from the ground and hurled himself at the elder troll. It was more than twice his height, but he was much faster than it. His blow slammed into the center of its chest and sent it sprawling. Where the hammer had hit, spidery cracks had appeared in the troll’s hide. His stone hard skin was breaking after just one blow.

  Yet as he watched, Kyle saw the wounds start to seal up, until they got within a few inches of his hammer’s impact. A deep pulsing black wound lit up that spot and the healing stopped. Unable to overcome the touch of death.

  Kyle roared his challenge, and it was echoed by the troll. This was the type of foe that he wanted. One who understood the meaning of battle. There was nothing purer than to test oneself against you enemy in melee combat.

  The troll had reach on him and nine-inch claws raked against him. Kyle threw up his arm to knock the blow away but felt multiple pinches as the tips broke his skin. Rather than angering him it made him feel alive. He slammed his hammer into the troll’s left knee in response. The spike end of it was driven the full foot into the creature’s knee and then they were grappling.

  Kyle let go of the hammer as he locked hands with the creature. Their strength was evenly matched, and Kyle pushed as well as he got pushed. Finally, the knee gave out and Kyle found himself atop the troll’s chest with it pinned on its back.

  It tried to snap at his with its mouth full of fugly teeth, but Kyle slammed an elbow into its mouth shattering teeth. He pulled his hand back and summoned his soul bound hammer. It poofed from where it was buried in the troll’s knee and appeared in his hand as he brought it down upon the beast’s face. Blow after blow he rained down. It bucked and struck at him with its claws trying to dislodge him, but he was willing to take minor cuts to finish this foe.

  This fight was making him feel alive. He had needed this since the battle with Barak. There the fight had taken place on so many different levels and while Kyle knew he needed to be ready for that again he was still more enthralled with the raw physicality of this battle.

  Kyle turned the enemy’s head into pulp and while it continued to twitch even its healing couldn’t keep up. Veins of black Death Essence ran through its body and no amount of healing could ever restore it. Still, he didn’t want to take any chances.

  Fire was not his element, but Kyle had watched Hilde enough times. He was connected to her by more than affection. So, he summoned a great swarm of raw essence and forced it into flame. A pillar of white fire fell from the sky and ignited the corpse burning it down to bone and then to ashes. The ground around was turned into magma and still Kyle vented his lust for battle. It was good to be the War God.

  By the time he finished he looked up and realized that all the others were staring at him. A part of him screamed out for them to fall and kneel before him but another part was simply happy to see that all his team had survived. Many of them had cuts and a couple of the humans were having to be held up by their companions but they were all alive and none of their foes were.

  Some felt that the greatest thing in life was to drive your enemies before you, but Kyle knew the best was to know that none could stand against you.

  Chapter 29- Awakening Nyda

  It had been a satisfying day. The team learned to work together. There were still a few shortfalls, but fortunately everyone carried their own weight. What was really needed was more healing, but Selma had been clear that she wasn’t willing to go out into the field with them. Since most of them had increased healing, he just needed to protect the human team members.

  Now though it was the end of a long day and it was good to be the king. The former slave girls were already proving to have been a great addition to the team as they cooked far better food than he could have made. The guild hall had a run-down kitchen, but he had given them some money before going out to do the troll hunt and it had resulted in a good food. While he didn’t have to eat that was one mortal habit, he wasn’t sure he would ever give up.

  Hilde had said that she needed to talk to Lash for a while and rather than intrude, Kyle went back to the bedroom he shared with the celestial. He was going to have to think about finding a larger room though, because Kierra had already expressed that it was unfair, she didn’t get to sleep in this room too. The bed was only so big though and he already took up a lot of space.

  When the door opened, he sat up and was surprised to see Nyda come in. She looked nervous but Kyle had a good idea what this was about. He moved so he was sitting on the side of the bed. “What’s up?” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I knew how awkward it sounded.

  It showed on her face too but then she got a determined expression. “I want you to do to me what you did to Kierra.”

  Kyle frowned. There was something delicate and innocent about Nyda. He didn’t want to take advantage of her even if he knew that it was probably headed that way. “I told you before. You don’t have to feel an obligation to me.”

  She looked confused before finally saying, “No, I’m not talking about that. I mean, I still owe you a life debt. I’m not going to forget that. By the customs of my people, I’m already your wife. All you have to do is claim me. But that isn’t what I’m here about.”

  “Oh.”

  “No, I am tired of being weak. I have the same potential for power in me that Gilthan has. I have the blood of dragons coursing in my veins too. I know you made Gilthan and Kierra stronger. I may not be that strong, but I am going to stop running from my destiny. If I had embraced my power before I might have been able to save my village,” Nyda said. Her fists were clenched at her side and she trembled as she spoke.

  Understanding dawned on Kyle. He had been relaxing and fallen back into human habits. He wasn’t maintaining his expanded awareness. Sometimes all the sensory input was a bit overwhelming. Gilthan told him that he had to train as a boy to learn to master it and only take in what he needed to know. And his power was only a fraction of Kyle’s.

  As he opened himself up to the world around him, he instantly knew where every team member was and what they were doing. Lash, Hilde, and Kierra were all downstairs sitting at a table and chatting. Nothing good could come of that he thought with a smile. Saber and the other humans were over at the tavern celebrating having survived a battle with trolls. Gilthan, well best to just let the amorous elf have some privacy.

  In Nyda, if he pushed, he could sense her determination. There was a low level of attraction to him but beyond that there was a focus. He could feel how she was fumbling to try and access her essence. Elves may have understood it differently than an essence wheel but because that was how he had first learned it, that was the construct that he used even when looking inside someone else.

  Kyle saw the splinter of his divine power in her. He saw how it had been embedded in her, but he had never activated it. “Are you sure about this? I am not certain I could undo it once I trigger this. And we will be bound together forever. I will try to never abuse it, but once I activate this, you couldn’t disobey me if you wanted to.”

  Nyda nodded, and he felt the assurance that she was serious. Having done this twice already and more than that having expanded the amount of essence could handle, Kyle reached out to her. It was simple enough to feed War Essence into her. Her body underwent changes immediately just as the others had.

  She didn’t grow like Kierra, but she instantly became more durable. Her muscles were made thicker and more elastic at the same time. Her bones became stronger and denser. Her body’s natural healing powers went into overdrive. She should have at a minimum a normal lycan level of regeneration, if Gilthan was any indication.

  As his power surged through her he watched as she grew a spoke on her essence wheel to accommodate War Essence. He could see that she already had a sp
oke for Sea Essence, but she hadn’t yet collected any of that power. She only had the potential. Which he assumed must be her bloodline.

  Kyle wanted her to have more. Her pleas that she was tired of being weak moved him. He knew from their long discussion how she blamed herself for the loss of her village and yet was afraid to embrace her bloodline. She was a gentle soul and violence did not match her. Even as he saw that he could tell that she was making the War Essence her own. He had formed his own connection with Earth Essence and so she was forming a connection with his essence that became a part of her. She would not be a weapon but a shield to defend the weak. That was the role she saw for war within her.

  To make her stronger, Kyle poured in Earth Essence and forged a new spoke within her. Her body trembled as she accepted his power but perhaps because she had opened herself up to receive from him, she took it far better than when he had awoken the power in Gilthan.

  Kyle thought of her brilliant eyes and wanted her to know the freedom of the air, so he also channeled Sky Essence into her and created a fourth spoke. Her power grew again and her potential to hold raw essence rocked up beyond normal mortal levels. Kyle pushed more though. She was strong in a non-violent way. She wouldn’t break but would bend and overcome by enduring. The connection she formed with Earth though was not that of durability but of nurturing and healing.