They had curved swords on the top two arms while half arms jutted from the torso with clawed hands. The legs were two chitin covered powerful limbs that looked ready to pounce in long leaps. Their heads were chalky grey with beady eyes and rows of sharp teeth that appeared eager to tear flesh.
Behind them stood the enemy ranged acid spitters. They had four legs instead of two and only the short arms for grasping items. On the back of their heads rested a massive sack of what I assumed was acid for them to project. They were taller at seven feet in height and looked just as menacing.
The big issue was not the insectoid aliens neatly dressed in formation. In the center of the enemy ranks there were a dozen guards around a harpy male that was no older than fifteen. Someone had stuck their son on a battlefield expecting an easy win. The old boy or young man was eagerly shooting a bow without arrows in it. I ground my teeth in frustration because I knew what was probably going to happen. I was going to kill a young teenager and piss someone off to no end.
His guards would try to prevent that of course. They were a group of healers and mages with two tanks. Both the tanks were a new species I had not seen. They were elephant humanoid creatures that I termed ogrephants. They had a trunk for noses but no massive tusks and stood at fifteen feet tall while at least six feet shoulder to shoulder. They stood on two thick legs and carried wide metal rectangular shields. All the enemy guards were not playfully joking about the impending battle like the youngster was. They were grim and determined, especially when they laid eyes on me and the three ladies I had with me. Their shock at my appearance was evident even from the thousand feet that separated us.
I had wanted to discuss a battle plan with Groz but he had warned me there would be little chance to talk once we entered the arena. The crowd refused to shut up even for the announcers or trumpets. A triple trumpet burst meant the fight was considered active and I was told that we would have to wait for the signal.
A wave was being performed by the attendees as they proceeded to blare loud tubes into the air. The noise was mostly annoying and certainly a deterrent to planning. I watched the arena and found where the official booth was. There looked like some angry people debating up there. The crowd was growing restless at seeing two armies aligned against each other with both not moving. Whatever the beings in the booth were fighting over ended when a harpy fled the official’s box in a hurry to land by the guards and what I assumed was a son. A massive red flag waved and three trumpets blared barely audible over the sound of the arena.
I broke formation and jogged forward of our army as I reached the middle of the battlefield. I held my spear in my right hand and bellowed a challenge to the opposing army in hopes the kid would accept. He did not. Instead, an ogrephant charged to meet me in single combat. Of all the opponents I was somewhat surprised he chose to engage me.
When he was a dozen feet away I checked his speed by jabbing my spear at his face. The tip clanged off the shield he easily got up in time. He shouted out to me but the crowd was still too loud to hear him clearly.
My opponent pressured me with a mace while trying a surprisingly fast shield slam. I was pushed back closer and closer to our battle lines. I was letting him think he was wearing me down. A mace swipe that had extra speed to it forced me to use some mana to do a tuck and roll. I erred in guessing his orbs would be healing and physical based. My body froze at the end of my tumble as my legs were encrusted in ice. I saw him thinking he had me dead to rights as he flashed his molars with an evil grin of triumph.
I broke the ice but was too slow to dodge the mace coming for my head. I held my spear up with both hands and my body shook as I absorbed the blow. There was a severe size disadvantage on my side and the ogrephant was shocked to see my ability to hold his power in check. He pumped his mace back for a second blow giving me a chance at an exposed neck point. I avoided trying the rapid jab and the second swing never came as he instinctively went to block the blow he expected.
A rapid empowered thrust under his shield landed into his thigh. The jab was neatly executed as the spear went in and out in a flash. Blood projected from the wound in thick jets that splattered against the red ground. The timing was perfect with a heartbeat and I knew I hit an artery. My foe was dead unless he was healed. I ran away to give us space and see if he had a self-heal slotted. When the wound did not close and the blood continued to spurt I knew he was doomed.
With nothing better to do besides let him weaken as his blood soaked the red dirt, I ran back to the middle and blared another challenge. My foe trumpeted at my assumption he was out of the fight. He hobbled my direction with one leg ejecting blood and his trunk flapping up and down angrily.
I told him to fuck off but he never heard me. He charged ineffectively and again I ran from him. On the third charge, he faltered, teetered, wobbling on his feet, and then fell with a ground-shaking thud. I bunched my muscles and leaped onto his back as he tried to recover. His arms gave out and as he went flat I sunk my spear deep into his chest. A few repeat stabs ensure that I had demolished his heart. The body of my foe convulsed under my feet and then stilled. My wrist flared one thousand and seventy. Damn this tank was someone powerful. I was officially ascended and felt like I barely had more mana than before.
I saw orbs spill out of his chest when I yanked my weapon free for the last time. The crowd was on their feet ecstatically roaring at my opponent’s death. I, on the other hand, had to immediately flee. Whatever control the enemy commanders had of their infantry was lost the second I murdered their champion. Those five foot tall insects sped to close the gap between us. I turned tail and fled back to our lines. A lightning bolt struck where I had been standing in a sizzling crack.
When I reached our lines I spun to stand shoulder to shoulder with stalwart dwarves. The enemy infantry skidded to a halt when they reached the ogre’s body. Groz snatched a flag from the dwarf beside him and waved it quickly. The twang of crossbows briefly overpowered the noise of the crowd as thousands of bolts rapidly sailed for the enemy infantry. When none of the infantry keeled over in death I was flummoxed.
Suddenly the backline ranged insectoids started to fall over in the hundreds. The cause and effect of the situation dawned on me as I realized what that signal flag represented. Groz ordered deep bolts and not ones for the front line troops.
The infantry dragged the dead ogrephant body back towards the enemy army. The process was slow and tedious. A second volley of deadly bolts crested over the enemy shock troops trying to sink into the ranged giants. The enemy casters were ready for this volley as bolts slammed into shields. The dumb infantry ran heedlessly into the shield until an enemy caster fainted from the mana drain the frontline troops consumed.
I watched the older harpy become irate at his own team of mages. A sword arched down and decapitated the mage who had fallen. The brutality of the action was not lost on the other mages as they backed up ready to fight to survive.
Off to the sides, the dead spitting insectoids spilled acid that cratered the ground around them. As the ground was eaten by the chemicals other troops started to fall into potholes. This resulted in the back lines losing cohesion and fresh anger erupted from the lead harpy. As these events unfolded the infantry slowly returned back to their lines. Our troops were readying another volley for each of their two crossbows. A process we were happy to let time pass by while it was completed.
When the enemy became one again we patiently waited. The cacophony of noises that were mostly cheers turned into jeers as five minutes went by in a stalemate of inactivity.
The enemy adult harpy strode out of the formation with a single mage at his side. I went to meet them in the middle with Nicole joining my side. We walked casually forward and there were no signs of aggression as we arrived at the meeting point. A shield enveloped the four of us and suddenly there was peaceful quiet.
“Thank James that finally dulled the incessant roar of the crowd. Thank you,” Nicole said and the ha
rpy raised a curious brow. “I am Nicole from Prox and this is my husband Gryff demigod of Lily the goddess of magic.”
“Fuck me,” the harpy said and the troll mage with him widened her eyes.
“As in the harbinger from Prox?” She asked to confirm.
“May I have your names?” I asked politely.
“I will fucking gut the TruthSayers after this fiasco. Excuse my manners. I am a lower council member of the Inquisitor’s Rapid Strike Division. Ortix is my name and this my air mage Osevia. Welcome to the master verse. His eminence Machew will be fairly concerned to hear you are alive,” Ortix said and I chuckled.
“I am certainly happy to be alive. Look you seem nice and I am only here to get home. That happens in a few ways. Mainly by elevating others and reducing the big twos power.”
“Never going to happen…” Ortix said and Osevia pointed to the crowds who were throwing things. “Fuck them, let them sit there and stew. I am withdrawing myself from the field of battle. Hopefully, my son will see reason and surrender. Spare him if he is foolish, please. Else those you call family become fair game.”
“As if you would be able to guarantee my family’s safety. Why not fight me and die with honor?”
“You are a full demigod. I have lived for eons by avoiding even potential losing fights. If my son cannot see the validity in my decision then he is doomed. I merely ask that you spare him if you can, as a father. I will even pay.”
“I am not a mindless brute, but be honest. If I spare him will he abandon hate and treat me as anything other than a disgusting human in need of eradication.”
Ortix sadly shook his head no. I watched him clasp Osevia, ready to fly away.
“Why not surrender now?” I asked confused.
“I did not foresee this turn of events. My son is the ranking commander and he is refusing to regroup. I am fleeing the field of battle and declaring such openly to avoid shame,” Ortix said and then held up a hand. “The Inquisitors run when they cannot win, it is a standard operating procedure so trying to goad me into my death is futile.”
“Live to fight another day. I can see the validity of such a motto. I will see you on the next battlefield Ortix,” I said to him sternly.
“No. No you will not. Goodbye Gryff. May we never see each other again,” Ortix said trying to leave.
“Wait, you know I will have to kill him. Why not knock him out and then take command?”
“I lose him that way too,” the father said ashamed to meet my eyes.
“Then I get to be the bad guy. As a father I understand. Sorry,” I said and he flew off for the referee box with Osevia in his arms.
The jeering of the crowd returned and I did not miss their intolerable roaring clamor. Nicole jogged with me back to our lines. Zoey and Harmony tried to ask what was discussed and the conversation was a bunch of screaming into ears from close distances. The echoing noise of the arena was super frustrating and I told myself I was getting an air mage first chance I could.
Groz was content to stay in solid lines with having both ranged distance and now probably ranged superiority. The enemy insectoid commander was not moving his troops forward no matter how much Ortix’s son screamed in defiance. Then it happened. The son was smacked for his insolence by a minotaur guard. Instead of cowering and calming down the fairy broke free of what I assumed was a personal guard. The charge was sounded and I realized now was my time to dispose of my greatest threat.
I summoned a spear and ran to build up momentum. At ten paces I hurled the weapon with as much force as I could. The air ripped in anger as the spear broke the speed of sound and a crashing boom washed over everything in a tidal wave of sheer power. The dwarves stumbled from the wake of the air tearing. The crowd went silent from the shock of them being assaulted by the intense whoosh. The kid shrieked and checked his body for wounds. Four of the enemy summoners were face down in the dirt as my weapon obliterated the enemies’ shield. I lost track of the spear because it moved so fast.
The minotaur guard was laying down for a nap. The gaping chest wound had nothing to do with his tiredness or the fact that the air shields protecting him had been drained and defeated. Groz waved a pink flag instantly as the battlefield lulled trying to react to what happened. The crowd was still silently stunned as the twang of new bolts soared across the distance. This time not for the ranged troops the infantry jumped in front of to protect.
The bolts tinged loudly off the shield of the remaining tank at first. The rest of the volley riddled into the enemy casters. The air shield they relied on to protect them from ranged attacks was gone. They had sacrificed their other tank to me in single combat and now only three still lived as they fled. The remaining ogrephant staggered under the bolts that passed under his shield.
I spawned another spear in my hand and blasted it forward. The air was rent as the projectile sped across the distance. In less than a second, there was a three foot hole in the shield that the remaining tank held. The ogrephant teetered and then collapsed in death. The three remaining enemy casters stopped running and knelt in surrender but the damn kid charged forward. I saw Groz going to lift a new flag knowing the kid was doomed. When I stayed his hand he frowned but accepted they were not going to bolt the kid to death. I needed to do this myself or else the dwarves would be the primary target.
I summoned a new spear and as the kid flew straight at us. I ground my teeth in anger as I sent a spear to greet him as he flew horizontally. The weapon inched by the harpy’s head and ripped the left set of wings off his body. The loss of his wings forced him to crash in a resounding thud as he rolled forward. Zoey did not hesitate. She spawned her skeleton rhinorc and her constrictor. The young lad was resourceful and determined. As he bled freely from his back he arced a powerful bolt of lightning into the summoned rhinorc. The skeleton shattered in an explosion and bone shards dug into my exposed flesh. Harmony blasted a torrent of fire that consumed him. His screams of agony managed to reach our ears. The crowd was silent at the revelation of his tortured demise. A healing wave shot fragments of Zoey’s summon out of my body.
“Hurry Zoey bind him. Nicole don't let him die,” I commanded as loudly as I could.
The constrictor wrapped him up and ceased his tormented rolling. Nicole washed healing over him and the enemy commander was captured. The zombie constrictor dragged the unconscious young harpy our way. The stunned silence of the crowd allowed me to give some orders.
“Bind him quickly and put that rotting snake away. Brace for a charge, they have no other option left,” I bellowed the last line.
A black flag went up on our side and a white undershirt was waived by an enemy mage. Three trumpet toot sounds and the crowd lost their minds. They stomped their feet and screamed for all they were worth. The enemy left the field of battle when the large portcullis behind them raised. They left in a humiliating defeat. I could only imagine being the three survivors having to explain what happened. I glanced down at my wrist knowing the surrender would count and the mages were worth a lot. I was two thousand three hundred and sixty-three.
Zoey jumped in my arms and screamed into my ear. “What happened?”
I shrugged as I held her and she kissed me deeply. I kissed her back and things got a tad heated. There was a part of me that was tempted to just bend her over right there but a side gate opened and an official team walked to the middle of the arena. As the last of the enemy forces left the arena our army spilled out of formations to rapidly loot the field. I was still in shock the enemy had surrendered. Why had they not brought better air shields? Was my spear really that powerful? Why was there no organized plan or formation? Hell, what was their plan? They had to have figured no one would show besides low-level dwarfs. That was the only rationale I could attribute to their resounding defeat.
I was expecting the clamor for the crowd to die off as time went by but the cheering only grew louder. I was figuring if they knew who I was, the spectators may not be so j
ubilant about the underdogs winning. I knew somewhere Ortix was distraught but there was little I could have done besides capturing his son. A part of me had wanted to kill the lad. I really wanted to give him a clean death. Leverage was not the worst idea and I could always kill him later. Based on the fielding of the enemy I was guessing the Justicars would be my biggest worry. The Inquisitors probably would just refill their ranks. There was truth to the saying getting people to die for your cause was half the battle.
A procession of what I could only assume was officials neared my location in the middle of the arena. Our troops reassembled into neat lines as they approached. I waited patiently with Groz, Harmony, Zoey, and Nicole. I saw that Ovaria was in the procession heading our way. When they reached us there was a new air shield put in place.
“Thank the fucking creator,” Zoey said while popping her ears by rotating her jaws.
“Harmony you doing okay?” Nicole asked as I saw Harmony visibly shaking.
Nicole went and comforted her while I got to see my first demon. The creature had horns and blazing orange eyes. Their skin was black and taunt over a slender figure that I could easily break. He wore no shirt but was wearing a pair of skin tight black pants. Yup, certainly a male as you could see the outline of a small penis. None of those approaching came with weapons but this demon looked deadly unarmed. I saw Ortix in the background patiently waiting.
A mouse-humanoid presented paperwork on a clipboard to me.
“Are you the owner of these slaves?”
“I am,” I said and the throaty grumble from behind the mousy humanoid demanded our attention.
“You will die for your transgression of allowing these Prox filth to survive. We should have never seceded the field to the lessor Inquisitors. The Justicars officially deem you worthy of a bounty,” the orange eyes locked to mine.
“Who do I have the pleasure of penning a sincere note to?” I asked the demon.
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