Four of the Demons were teleported away, one uninjured but a look of fear and realization in their eyes. The others were on the ground, crying about their wounds. Another two joined them a moment later.
A shield was opened up; the Demon who had been going for the finishing blow coughed blood as a blade pierced their side.
Bob teleported them before the blade could reach their heart.
Healing magic filled a plot of land, healing all the Demons that Bob was teleporting.
The shield that had been pulled open snapped shut to its fellows. Another Demon slammed into it.
Four Demons darted in from above, slamming into the shields. The shields dropped a bit until swords reached up, cutting at the Demons.
The Demons tried to close, now moving in quickly to attack but pulled back, half their number recovering in the healing area.
Bob cast a glance at the three Demon Princes who watched the battle, using his enhanced hearing to hear what they were saying.
“Imagine what would happen if we had the entire Horde behind them,” Malkur said.
“The Horde would be severely damaged. We would overcome them with numbers, but the toll would be high,” Efri said. He had accepted a position as a Demon General. He was a fighter and his forces were the best trained and armed other than the Black Hand under Alkao.
A smile spread across Bob’s face. Efri might be the second youngest, but he was an aged soul in a young Demon’s body.
Lezar slammed into the shields, making them buckle as the shield wall partly collapsed. In a moment, three Demi-Humans were recovering from their wounds in a healing patch. Lezar let out a roar of triumph, before he was greeted by a second wall.
“Switch!” Kala called out. Shields turned; the front rank marched back, covering the heads of the second rank as they became the first, fresh and ready for battle with Kala fighting Lezar back.
“Ah, to feel young again!” Kala’s blade whistled in the wind. Lezar pressed his attack forward, finding himself back in the healing area as Bob erected a Mana barrier around the battlefield. It shook with the power of Kala’s blow.
“Scythe!” Kala moved back into her position as a Demon slammed against them.
Blades whistled as the Demon Prince’s eyes went wide. Invisible blades of cutting power ripped through the air.
It was all Bob could do to keep transporting the Demons out of the path of the wind blades.
After two minutes, there was nothing left but the impacting wind blades against Bob’s Mana barrier.
“Return!” Kala called out. Shields snapped down sharply, revealing the sixteen Demi-Humans who looked out over the silent Demons.
They didn’t roar their victory, or celebrate it out loud. They just stood there, as if ready to take on the rest of the horde.
Bob looked over the hordes assembled; a Demon Prince and forty of their best warriors had gone up against twenty Demi-Humans and failed spectacularly.
“A scythe through the fields of men.” Efri looked to Kala.
“Someone knows their history.” Kala smiled approvingly.
Bob was impressed. It looked as if Malkur was not the only one who had been reading the information he’d given the Demons.
“The Hordes are strong, made up of the strongest warriors that Emerilia has ever seen, but you are divided. You fight one another for position, killing your brothers and sisters for higher rank. I have banned this from you for months. I have watched you become close. The Demi-Humans you see before you could match any of you in a battle. Their tribe left the other continents behind and found their own. A land filled with terrible beasts. Like you, they came in great numbers, sure that they would rule the lands. They were proved wrong; they learned to work together, to become brother and sister in not just name and appearance. They fought for a home, and founded a nation—you might know it. For it was called Ashal, after the warrior tribes that tamed the wild before the prejudices of the Affinity Pantheon and their greed forced the great wars of Ashal, dividing the continent, which still rage to this day.” Bob turned from the hordes that were now talking among themselves to look to Malkur and the other Demon Princes.
Lezar looked angry but humbled by the fight.
“I offer you an opportunity to turn your Hordes into an army that will shake mountains and make its enemies flee from their path. Are you ready to learn?” Bob asked.
Efri took a knee before Bob and the Demi-Humans, the ultimate sign of respect for one equal to them. “I wish to learn,” Efri declared.
The other brothers took a knee beside him. The Demon Horde of thousands dropped to their knees, holding their heads proud.
“Then, we’ve got a lot of work to do and not much time to do it in.” Kala looked to Bob.
“Message me when you need me. Here, I can do much to assist you. Once back on Emerilia, I will not be allowed to,” Bob said.
“We’re going to need weapons and armor,” Kala said.
“Well, I hope you’re good at making friends. It seems Anna might know a few who could make arms for a few hundred thousand bloodthirsty Demons.” Bob smiled, eliciting grins from the surrounding Demons.
“Make friends and allies, not enemies. Those who dare to betray you, make sure that they never cross you again. Make your word your oath. You will need one another and many others to regain your home and defend it. Make sure the losses of those who have come before you were not in vain.” Bob looked once again out over the Demons and Demi-Humans before he disappeared from view.
The Demon Princes stood from their kneeling as did their Hordes as they moved to talk with the Demi-Humans. A few Demi-Humans broke off as war lords talked to them animatedly.
Others got the Horde back to work. The Demon army was not one to sit around for long.
It seems that the parts are coming together nicely.
Bob smiled before actually teleporting to the portal and then walking through it. He kept tabs on the different groups and people, making sure that nothing bad would happen.
He still had a lot more to do.
***
Kala looked over the reports that were coming from her fellow beast kin.
She sighed, scratching her head.
Three things stuck out.
There was no real command structure, the weakest ruled and the weaker followed or were left behind.
The Demons had no formal training, with how to fight, how to move or operate as a unit.
They were confrontational because of the first tow reasons. If they were able to show their strength then they could push other 'leaders' out of the way and take their position.
"They're closer to a group of wolves than they are warriors," Kala muttered under her breath.
She had trained thousands of people in her time, and had led great armies.
She didn't need to just train these Demons up, she needed to break them down and wipe out their previous habits.
"It's going to be tough," Kala said, the essence of training a soldier was to break them down, show them their weaknesses, show them how far they could be pushed, break them down in spirit and body while switching out their their previous thoughts and actions to those of a soldier. A person that would charge forward, knowing that they might die but being more scared to let down their leaders and fellow soldiers.
Breaking the Demons was going to take a lot of work. If Kala was able to do it and build them up into a true army they would be a force to reckon with.
***
Anna and Dave looked up from their work. Dave had been working on a drop pad while Anna agonized over the design of her sword. Parts lay on a workstation nearby, different woods and bindings that would make the hilt and handle.
“Heya, guys!” Bob stood on top of one of the nearby workbenches.
“Hey, Bob.” Dave moved back to his work, carving out the runes on the pad. It was a five-foot diameter circular platform that was broken into four parts that could click together into a single drop pad.
Rune
s carried from one part of the pad to the other. It was shaped into a magical circle, something that Dave had been complaining about. It seemed that he had wanted to use his runing on it but found it was too complicated and he needed time to work on his runing technique before he could.
Right now, he was just copying over the runes that he had a stored picture of.
“What are you doing here, Dad?” Anna asked as her dad glided between workbenches until he stood on the table the diagrams were on, looking at the blade.
“Looking to replace your old sword?” Bob studied the designs.
“Yes. Think you can help?” Anna asked, looking at it all. Since she had returned, she had been disconnected from her AI servers. There was coding in them that would have shut her down if she had tried to connect. She could still think faster than most and had a high Intelligence and Wisdom, though people saw her as a simple Demi-Human warrior.
“One or two things.” Bob sounded preoccupied as the diagram changed beneath his feet. “That looks a bit better—fits your fighting style more.” Bob gave her a proud smile.
“Thanks, Dad.” She smiled. “You never said what it was that brought you here though.”
“Fine! Okay, so I might have been messing with a few things behind the scenes, though I need your help. As captain of the Ashkal’s forces, I need you to make a place available for your people to return. One such location might be Devil’s Crater,” Bob said.
“Talk to me—none of this hinting stuff,” Anna said.
“I want you to broker an alliance with Alkao, who is the ruling Demon Prince. I want you to see if you can work together. I might have Kala and her officers training the Demons how to not only fight like a Horde but like trained warriors. I don’t think that they will make soldiers, but teaching them how to live off the land and different tricks of the forests would be worthwhile. I’ve got to find some Wood Elves who might be willing to help as well. You think Deia’s dad would help out?” Bob asked.
“You want us to train the Demons?” Anna asked.
“Yes. You’re going to need one another. You don’t have a home and they need training. Your people’s values and ways, added to the Demon’s natural ways, the fact that they have massive numbers and a place to call home, could be pretty beneficial to both sides.” Bob opened his hands.
Anna tapped her lip in thought.
“I only ask that you go and meet with Alkao when Malsour goes. Talk to him, see what his people are capable of. They might be an old race, but they’re still foolish, keeping to the tactics that the Dark Lord gave them. They had not fought anyone other than the Angels, who were comparable in their power.”
“Fine. I will speak to him and see what comes of it.” Anna knew that her father was trying to look out for her and her people’s best interests. What would come of it and her decisions, he wouldn’t try to influence.
A ringing went off.
“Excuse me, I’ll see you later! Oh, and Dave…”
“I won’t forget the whiskey soul gems,” Dave said, not looking up from his work.
Bob grinned at Anna and gave her a quick hug.
“I’m proud of you. Best thing I ever did make,” Bob whispered.
Anna blushed and held him tighter. Her arms went slack as Bob disappeared.
“Well, how long is that drop pad going to take?” Anna asked.
“Like a few hours. How long is that plan going to take?” Dave hadn’t taken the Mithril out of the forge as she hadn’t been able to nail down what she exactly wanted for her blade.
“I think it’s almost there.” Anna looked at the image that was shown in three views, the one that her dad had altered to its current form.
This could work.
A pop-up covered her vision.
Quest: Tribe’s Return
The Gray God has tasked you with finding a place for your Tribe to return to. They have amassed enough supplies that you do not need to worry about food and shelter.
“Well, we’ve got some work ahead of us.” Anna sighed.
***
“I think this is it.” Anna showed Dave the plans.
He looked over it, rubbing his stubble in thought. He made minor alterations and looked at it from different angles.
He conjured a blade of steel based off the plans, destroying it before it was fully formed. He did it again and again before he finally held a completed blade in his hand. Then, he destroyed it again and recreated it a dozen times.
Anna watched, amazed, as he continued to create and destroy the blade that had just been a plan moments earlier. Dave walked, making and destroying the weapon, from the blade to the hilt. He stopped at the furnace. Opening it with his left hand, he destroyed the sword once again.
“You sure?” Dave asked. A blade formed on top of the plans.
Anna looked it over. It was razor-sharp, thin at the edges. It was wide at the base, holding the Air channels Anna desired. Anna touched the blade with her hand. It felt right.
“Yes.” Anna looked to Dave.
The blade disappeared from the table as Dave rubbed his hands together.
Anna recoiled as he opened the furnace. Heat rolled off from the furnace and around Dave. He didn’t seem affected by it in the slightest. Mithril and ebony appeared on his fingers as his hands touched the Mithril and ebony ingots in the furnace.
The two metals swirled together before extending outward. Anna watched as the metals grew into a blade. There was no hammering and beating into submission. Dave was like an artist, his creation reacting and growing in front of him.
Dave’s tattoos glowed as his Abscondita armor appeared.
A soul gem rose from beside the furnace; Dave created and destroyed different manipulators to place it within the great sword.
Runes and any final flourishes formed. A silver nugget in the furnace flowed like a snake into the rune engravings. Mithril overlapped it and hid them from view. Dave was shaking as the glowing stopped. He grabbed a pair of tongs and pulled the blade from the furnace.
Anna looked at the blade as Dave put it down on a workbench. The Mithril already started to form its reinforcing pattern. Dave once again put his fingers on the metal, cooling and heating it to make sure that the blade remained as strong as possible.
He slumped down into a chair, looking pale and tired as he took shallow and shaky breaths.
“It’s done. I’m going to take a nap.” Dave sighed and leaned into the chair fully.
“Dave, you okay?” Anna tore her eyes from the blade and moved to Dave.
“Just a bit tired.” Dave looked like hell.
Anna used her healing spell on him.
His forehead relaxed and within minutes, he was asleep. Only the pain of his mind from using so much Willpower had been able to keep him awake.
Anna looked back to the blade he had soul smithed for her. It surpassed all of her possible dreams and plans.
To a smith, it would have been seen as a masterpiece. To Anna, it looked like a holy relic: the blade forged and created with her in mind, the soul gem hidden in the cross guard, ebony threaded inside the Mithril exterior. The blade was meant to grow with its user.
Anna had seen many weapons in her time. But this… It looked to be of the same power as some of the Weapons of Power she had seen.
She touched it, a pop-up showing.
Unnamed
Forged by a Master Smith, this blade will cleave those who oppose it and the very wind.
Quality: S
Attack: 1,200
Abilities: +5% of hit damage returned as Stamina
+10% increased Agility
+5% Willpower when wielding
Ability to create Air blades requires: Air Blade Dancer
Grows in power with use.
She looked at Dave with a new reverence and thanks. His first-generation Abscondita armor he had given to her had been incredible, but her new blade—it drove home how strong and powerful he had become with his smithing and crafting abilities. It
took a hell out of him and he had to use his stored Willpower to do it. Yet, it was clear his engineering background, his ideas from Earth, and his knowledge from Emerilia had made him one of the scariest weapon creators on Emerilia.
He gives these gifts so easily, even when knowing the truth. When this gets out, there will be many clamoring for his support and allegiance. Anna looked at her friend, who snored lightly.
I’m lucky to have a friend like him. She silently promised to help him as he had helped her.
Chapter 34: Rise and Fall of Guilds
Florence’s eyes widened at the sight of the nine rings hanging off the Dwarf’s necklace, from stone to Mithril. “Thanks, Dunex. I’ll take this from here.”
“You owe me a beer!” the other Dwarf said as he closed the door behind him.
“I did not know that I would be dealing with someone such as you.” Florence tilted her head.
Few Players really met Master Smiths. None met Dwarven Master Smiths, who were supposed reclusive ornery buggers who hid in their mountains, crafting their brains out.
“Bah. The name’s Quino. I’m not one for all the flowery talk. You like beer, wine? Even got some Elven stuff here. Dunex knows the good stuff.” Quino winked mischievously as he fingered the different decanters in an ornate liquor cabinet.
“Some wine would be nice.” Sweat ran down Florence’s spine.
“More of a beer man, me personally—though this Benvari stuff is pretty nice.” He poured a glass and grabbed a bottle from the lower part of the cabinet. He gave the glass to her and sat in one of the two luxurious couches to the side of the office.
Florence took the other seat and took a sip of the wine. Sweet fruits seemed to dance on her tongue—refreshing more than overwhelming, just barely hinting at the alcohol contained within. She swallowed, closing her eyes to make it last longer, feeling as if her worries of the guild and different ongoing stresses eased ever so slightly.
For The Guild (Emerilia Book 2) Page 41