"Die, you filth!" Kain roared, jumping atop of the monstrosity and ripping off chunks from the creature’s body. Within mere moments, the second spider knight lay dead. As if on cue, both knights exploded into a blaze of glory, knocking Kain into the ceiling and hurting him badly.
"Need me to pee on you?" Kaden quipped. The Wolfman laughed in pain as he lay there with an open chest. Most of his insides were laid out on display, his double sized heart beating quickly.
"Shut it. As if I would need any help from a whelp. See, I can even rhyme like the best!" Kain replied. Kaden chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. He took the liberty to walk over towards the corpses, or what remained of them anyway. The first corpse held something truly astonishing: a Black Widow Cluster Soul.
"Now this is an interesting find, don’t you think?" he murmured to himself as he pocketed the thing. He then walked over towards the second corpse’s remains.
Black Widow Handguards. Maximum health + 325. Attack: 107
Greedily, Kaden put them on without even thinking about what might happen. His power grew exponentially, as well as his outer appearance unfortunately. The handguards fitted themselves perfectly to his hands and burned themselves into place. He cried out in pain, trying to pry them loose, but nothing helped.
"Help me get them off!" he yelled. Kain however, just lay there as he was far too wounded to do anything about them.
"Is it worth it, my friend? Power over your humanity? With each item your soul takes, you become less of what you once were," Kain murmured, walking over to Kaden as he managed to get up. His large left paw was still draped over the wound, but it had mostly closed up.
Not really caring about what he had to say, Kaden opened the status window and observed what had changed. With another item in the same set, another passive skill had been unlocked, drawing a smile on his face.
The skill window gave him a change in the skill point department. He had gained nine skill points in the fire tree, but he would leave them for later.
"Greedy little piglet," a familiar voice rang out, startling both of them.
Kaden closed his eyes and prayed it wasn’t him, but when they opened again, Bardos was standing in front of him. "What? You aren’t happy to see me? Who would grant you a boon if not for me?" the god laughed sadistically.
"Why am I a greedy little piglet?" Kaden asked, not bothered by his insults. Bardos shrugged.
"The items you have on are basically bound to your body. They can only be upgraded, not taken off. Once you have the proper ingredients, they can go up a tier. It's a credit to your luck that all of the items you currently possess are of the same quality and origin. But then again, luck has nothing to do with it. In exchange for your success in this dungeon, I have rolled the dice in your favour, so to speak."
"So what you are saying is that it's you who gave me the good drops, and that I'm stuck with them forever unless I manage to get my hands on the items needed to upgrade them? Are the handguards burned into my skin?"
"Why yes, that’s why I said you are a greedy little piglet! Now, be quiet if you want to leave here. There are many things we need to talk about. Are you ready?" Bardos asked angrily, obviously not in the mood. "You’ve received some help from me, but you have failed to deliver on your promise to build me a statue." Kaden’s eyes went wide, his mouth opened as if he wanted to protest.
"Wait, what did you just say? I had ninety days!" Bardos grinned, showing off his perfect teeth.
"I will not kill you as clearing this dungeon has been impossible until today, but you better not ask for something big in return, or I might get mad. Oh, and you have been here for far longer than just three months, my dearest."
Kaden’s eyes met Kain’s, a tear rolling down his cheek. The Wolfman smiled sympathetically. Kaden breathed in deep, twice, and turned towards Bardos.
"Very well, my god. I want you to release me and my friend together. I have grown to like and depend-" Bardos laughed at his request, cutting it off. After some time, he shook his head as if saddened by something.
"You do know what he tried to do, right?" Kaden frowned.
"He didn’t try to do anything. You made him do it. It's not as if he acted out of his own free will," Kaden spat.
"Hmm, that is so very true. Alright, I'll grant you this wish, but to punish you for asking something that hurts my pride so deeply, I'll give you something out of my own ‘free will’ as you call it."
Without the chance to react, massive pain shot through Kaden’s body. He cried and screamed while rolling over the floor. Kain was about to interfere, but he got bound by invisible chains and was held in place. Kain growled and tugged at them, but there was nothing he could do to help his friend. Helpless, he slumped to the floor and looked on as Kaden’s transformation began.
His skin turned a darker shade of grey, and his hands partially changed into claws. Muscles bulged on his arms, legs and chest, stretching him in height. The whole process hadn’t even lasted for half a minute, but to both Kaden and Kain, it felt like an eternity had passed.
Everything ended abruptly as Bardos snapped his fingers. As if by an invisible force, Kaden got pushed up and he lunged at the god, claws extended. Slapping him away, Bardos turned towards the Wolfman and winked at him.
"What… have you done to me!"
"What? You aren’t going to thank me for injecting you with another soul? The soul of a Blood Warlock? Mind you, he was one of the strongest this world had ever seen. Now that's unexpected, to say the least," Bardos mocked, turning away from the two.
A small box appeared in the air, glimmering brightly. "Ahh, the box of elements, the first of two parts that complete the helmet. Alright then, I'll be taking my leave, dear servant. If you keep serving me, I'll make sure you become powerful enough to rule these planes. Now, in twenty seconds you will be transported outside of this dungeon." Kaden started laughing as if he had lost it himself.
"Now you really did it, Bardos. You took the one thing from me that mattered. Fuck my previous life, fuck everything I lost before this moment. But you made a huge mistake here-" He stopped for a moment, extending the dramatic reveal a bit longer. By Bardos’ expression, he was dead on target.
"And that is?" he spat.
"You separated me and Laney. Just who would want to be close to me after… becoming like this? After becoming this creature, I’m neither man nor monster. Just look at this rough, stony skin and the long claw-like nails. Look at these teeth and this face."
"You don’t even look half bad, considering the other half that inhabits your body. Besides, you will only look like that when you are outside of safe zones, no matter which one. Things like villages, camping spots, towns, cities bla bla. I'm not THAT cruel, you know."
"Be that as it may. I'll return you the favour, here and now, your lordship."
"And just how-"
"Banished at dusk, returned at dawn!" Bardos frowned and scowled at him, having no understanding what the words meant.
"What is that supposed to mean, you insolent worm?" Bardos asked angrily. Kaden just laughed at him as he walked over to his new companion.
"You will see soon enough, Bardos. See you on the other side."
Chapter 24
"Push them back!" Graldin yelled, cleaving his enemy in two with a slash across his chest. Blood sprayed his armour and halberd, but he didn’t seem to care or notice. "Frelbore pass must be held, no matter what!" Graldin screamed.
"Graldin, the left flank needs reinforcement. I'm going to help them. Selene is coming with me!" Feris yelled, making his way towards the river’s left bank. Graldin nodded, and cut two more Orcs in half with a fluid motion.
The Frelbore pass was a natural choke point between two mountain ranges, being about four hundred metres wide. It was the only entrance into the valley that led to the allied lands. A river passed straight through its middle, separating it into two larger banks, with a smaller third in between them.
Each flank was given to a grou
p of allies, whilst the Humans held the middle ground against the brunt of the attack. Graldin himself, together with the generals, stood in a spearhead formation, killing fast as they could. There had been some talks about treason, though they knew of their biggest champions. Graldin would make them pay later on, so it was better to stay and fight until the death.
The leaders of each race, and the group that had been fighting their last battle, stood atop of the hill overlooking the valley. Some wanted to retreat towards the castle, whilst others would only fight right then and there. King Raikou had calmed them down with his appearance. There wasn’t much he could do, but he was capable of inspiring much fear.
Many brave and exceptional warriors had been present amongst both sides, but sadly a great number of them had fallen during the first days. Now, whatever was left of those heroes were barely holding their own lines together.
One of the enemy leaders gambled everything in order to penetrate the left wing of the opponent. He had managed to beat the Elven warrior, Linnar down and deal him a mortal wound, but in the end it was all he could possibly do.
Feris and Selene made it just in time to save the situation. Feris stepped in to save the Elf from a final death and repel the onslaught, whilst Selene healed him just enough so he could get carried out of battle.
The gigantic Orc wielded two wicked looking swords, cutting through anyone who dared to approach. The best testament to his power was the mass of bodies that lay beneath his feet, dead or begging to die. The soldiers had tried to save their Elven hero, but they paid the price with their lives.
The Orc roared in defiance and took a step forward, and forced the allied line to step back out of sheer fear. Their morale was still high, but such a strong opponent was too much for them to handle.
"Do not lose faith, my brothers and sisters!" Feris yelled, staring up at the Orc. Selene cast a couple of buffs on Feris, who didn’t know what it meant to give up, or what the word ‘lose’ meant. The buffs he received had given him a blue hue, which radiated from his whole body. His swiftness, accuracy and agility had skyrocketed.
Feris was a short, thin fellow, more akin to an Elf than a Human. His short stature often gave him an edge as his opponents misjudged him and the speed at which he fought. His dual blades were unrivaled, and the speed at which he used them was only short of Graldin’s level.
Short, black hair and a thin scar across his cheek were his trademarks. Selene, his wife, was totally the opposite. Long, black hair flowed down her back, and a purple tiara stood high upon her head. The ceremonial staff she held in her hands was as strong as it was pretty, always by her side as she chanted her songs. The thin, white dress hugged her body as if it was made for her. Her long eyelashes blinked playfully, hiding the blue eyes behind them. That was exactly how she had stolen Feris’ heart.
The soldiers were bolstered by the arrival of the duo. With a renewed will to fight they charged the enemy line, knowing Feris would keep that monstrosity off of them.
"Beast, what is your name?" Feris asked the Orcs as he approached. The Orc grinned, finding a small man approaching him rather amusing. He snorted and spit towards the small creature.
"My name, Human, is none of your concern, as you will be departing this world momentarily," the Orc replied.
Feris’ eyebrow rose, quite amused by the Orc’s insult. His smile disappeared as he ran towards the Orc with inhuman speed, slashing both of his blades across the Orc’s head. That beast of an Orc deflected the two swords at the last moment, pushing Feris back through sheer force. The dual wielding general might not have been strongest amongst the heroes, but he was nothing to snort at.
Just as he landed, the monster brought down his swords for a second time, which Feris deflected using both of his weapons. One of them god stuck into the ground, but he used the moment to his advantage, coming in close and slicing at his opponent’s open side. A deep gash was the result of that quick exchange.
Feris backed up as the Orc went wild with fury, bellowing in rage as blood gashed down his side.
Again, he dashed in while slashing his right sword, stabbing into the Orc’s leg. Both Orc swords had met his attack, but none were there to deflect his left stab. His blade found the Orc’s knee and pierced cleanly through. The enemy howled in pain, trying to pull his leg free from the blade, but at that moment Feris turned his blade sideways.
The Orc cursed in anger as he was no longer able to stand on his wounded leg, instead he tried to jump on his right foot. Feris pulled with all his might and cut the leg off at his opponent’s knee. Losing his balance, the green-skinned monster fell to the ground with a loud thud. Both of his hands grabbed at the stump as he tried to stop the bleeding, but he failed badly. Within mere moments, it was over as the Orc’s head flew from his shoulders.
"Press on!" Feris yelled in victory. "Push the enemy back towards the river! Let them drown under their own weight!"
The legion’s battle line crumbled on the left flank within mere minutes as Feris joined in on the butchery. All that was left were pockets of warriors and support troops that hadn’t managed to retreat, or groups that decided to fight until the end. With some luck and a lot of skill, the left flank had been saved just in time. The troops folded in on the middle and pressed on the enemy harder now that they didn’t have to worry about the left flank.
"My generals. It's time!" spoke Raikou through a mental link into the minds of his generals and their spouses. "The words have been spoken, so mop it up and teleport to the throne room immediately!"
"Serdin, mop up the right flank immediately! I will finish things off here so we can end this!" Raikou added.
Serdin was gone before Raikou could even finish his sentence, followed by Helena. The two were like spitting images of each other: tall and muscular, graceful in appearance. Both often argued who had the better-looking hair. Both were blonde, with Helena’s hair being only slightly longer. Serdin was a sword and shield user, while Helena was a healer adept with a bow. More often than not, she had gotten him in trouble due to neglecting his health.
Without any discussion or mockery, Serdin plummeted into the enemy line, knowing his wife would have his back. Slashing his sword from side to side, blocking blows and incoming magic upon his shield, Serdin made short work of anything he approached.
Feeling healing magic rain down on him from above, the only fear he ever had was that Helena would sacrifice herself to heal him instead, so they had gone into a contract formed with blood. She was never to put his life over her own. If she died, he would die, but if he died, there would be a way for her to bring him back through complicated rituals and sacrifices.
Two Ogres stepped forward towards Serdin, one wielding a monstrous club, the other a hammer. The two didn’t speak a word, instead they started hammering down on him. Serdin deflected the hammer blow with his shield and ran up under the other one’s belly, stabbing it as he passed through his legs. The Ogre tried to block with his club, but was too slow for Serdin, who plummeted his sword into the Ogre’s guts three times before he withdrew.
As he turned towards the other Ogre, his shield made it in the nick of time to deflect the blow. His arm shattered under the weight and power of the Ogre’s blow. It was too much for a human to absorb such a blow with his own body, even when buffed. He cursed and let out a short brief scream, turning to see what Helena was doing, only to see her fight off a Harpy.
She couldn’t heal him and take care of the thing at the same time, so he would need to stall. Taking pot shots at the flying monstrosity was all she could do as the damned Harpy kept flying around and attacking her.
"Helena!" he screamed with all he had. No healing magic came, again. Just as he turned his head to see how she was doing for the second time, the club caught him in the shield again, breaking multiple ribs and mangling his arm. As he flew through the air, the shield fell beside her feet while he hit the Harpy head-on bringing it down with him.
The soldiers were on top of the cr
eature within moments, stabbing it until there was nothing to stab anymore. Helena dropped her bow and ran over to where Serdin landed, laying her hands on his chest and casting healing spells. Serdin, who was barely alive, winced in pain. It was all he could do to stay awake as the magic coursed through his body.
"I'm sorry, my love. That she-demon was going at me, there was no chance to heal you," she whispered into his ear. Serdin shook his head and stood up with her help. The bones in his arm and ribs were resetting themselves and causing him a world of pain, but he found it more bearable while standing.
"Try and keep me in better shape this time, will you?" he said, walking over towards his shield. The troops around him looked on in awe as their general stood up from a mortal wound, and proceeded towards the enemy for a second time.
"Go kill those things! I want to get home and make love!" Helena teased. The troops broke out in laughter as they trailed off after their general. Serdin laughed heartily as well, loving his wife's direct approach.
Bolstered by a new wave of courage, and seeing the Ogre’s pattern of attack, he ran towards them. Serdin deflected the blow of the club-wielding Ogre, then ran around him and cut open the back of his legs, making the giant stagger into the other Ogre.
Both went down in a stumble as he jumped on the clubber’s back and stabbed his neck multiple times. He climbed up a bit further and stabbed at the second Ogre’s face and then slashed his neck wide open in a split second. Both died almost instantly.
Bolstered by the death of the two Ogres, the army pushed forwards and clashed even fiercer with the enemy, who was already retreating. A small group of enemy soldiers stayed to fight until death, taking out multiple soldiers with each explosion. They were Gremlin sappers. More than anything else, they loved to blow things up, even themselves. Their last mission was to take many as soldiers with them as possible, blowing everything sky-high.
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