The camp exploded into chaos. The two remaining soldiers, the battle-scarred Bear-Kin and the single-eared Wolf-Kin began pulling weapons from their inventories, arming themselves. Serena, frozen in shock, was dragged to the closed in carriage by Felicia, and violently thrown inside. Mizutsune, glowing like a white star, began to growl threateningly into the darkness, waves of frost flowing from his body, flash-freezing the ground around him.

Scrambling to his feet, Jake ran quickly back to the fire, weaving back and forth to make it harder for any more assailants to target him with arrows. Reaching the fire, he turned back around, one hand applying pressure to the bleeding wound and the other encased in roiling purple and black flames. “Does anyone see any of these fuckers?” Jake asked the guards as they shuffled towards him, eyes scanning the darkness.

The Bear growled in the negative, while the Wolf was slightly shaking. “These roads are patrolled constantly. How in the Hells could there be bandits around?!” His voice was high pitched, his eyes darting back and forth with fear.

“Pull your shit together.” Jake growled at the Wolf, watching the darkness. All that he could see were the grasses of the plains waving from the night breeze, the light of the moon and campfire causing the fronds to light up. The whistling of an arrow was their only warning, and a second later an arrow whizzed past the four men, burying itself into the frame of the wagon.

Jake responded almost immediately, firing a stream of flames from his hands in the general direction of where the arrow had come from. The purple flames shot through the long grass, instantly burning them to a crisp. A shrill scream followed the roar of flames, and a shadow darted through the brush, being burned alive from the hungering flames.

Mizutsune shot a spear of ice at the figure, impaling it as it ran through the grass and ending its suffering. A second arrow flew through the air and buried itself into the Wolf-Kin’s leg, sending him screaming to the ground. Fucking hell.

“Mizu, wall us off!” Jake ordered his fox, closing his eyes and focusing, feeling for the small pressure from the [Scent of Death] spell that he had so far neglected to use. Shadows bloomed in his mind, giving him a general sense of his attackers. Death rolled off of them in waves, overlapping each other. Jake could not get an accurate count of his enemies, but he knew that they were strong and that they had killed a lot, and killed very recently. God, I’m a fucking idiot. I need to remember to use this thing. This shit could have been avoided.

Opening his eyes, a wall of ice separated the four defenders and the wagon from the outside, the circle of ice sending white mist rolling onto the ground. Directly in front of Jake’s face, an arrow was quivering in the ice, the vibration from striking the wall still making it wobble. Jesus fucking Christ Mizu, I almost got my head taken off. Thanks.

Mizutsune’s calm and cold voice soothed some of Jake’s worries. “It was close, Master. I shall keep an eye on the walls. Take care of your wound and that blubbering excuse of a Wolf. I will make sure that these fools know who the true predator is.” Saying this, Mizutsune howled into the sky, his high pitched voice sounding like a woman screaming. Around the outside of the wall, a flurry of ice began to form, spinning slowly around the entrenched party. As the fox’s song continued, the flurry began to pick up speed, and soon a blizzard roared on the outside of the wall, ripping dirt and grass from the ground, and pushing the attackers back. His voice came through, sounding strained. “I can keep this going for a few minutes, Master. Afterwards, I will not be able to do much. Use the time wisely.”

Jake grimaced, and turned to the Wolf-Kin that was wailing on the ground, his cries of pain sounding almost the same as Mizutsune’s howling. “Get your ass into the carriage and have Serena get you back on your feet.” The Wolf looked at him, tears straining his face. Jake growled, and reaching down, forcefully pulled him to his feet and shoved him bodily towards the , ignoring the pain and blood coming from his wound.

Out of the corner of Jake’s eye, he saw the Bear-Kin twirling two dual bladed axes in his hands. “We’ve got a few minutes. If you have any, get any armor on that would work for you.” Jake told the Bear-Kin, who growled and began to quickly equip a set of mixed leather and chain-mail armor from his Inventory.

Concentrating, Jake began to do the same. A pillar of flame erupted from his feet, completely encompassing the figure in violet flames. The pillar expanded to twice the height of the caster, and then began to spin rapidly, folding back into itself until a raging tornado of flame was spinning in the center of the camp, absorbing the light shining down upon them from the stars and the moon.

New Spell Created Armament of Fire From the burning Core to the five Hells, Fire has shaped this world into what it must be. And, in return, you have shaped Fire to your will. By binding the Flames to an idea, you have formed protection that will defend you from any attack made against you. Mana Use: 200 Sacrificed Mana until canceled (Sacrificed Mana will not be Regenerated)

The tornado collapsed into itself again with the crash of roaring flames, and in its place stood a being that would send shivers down even the most hardened murderer’s spine. Black plated armor glowed with an inner light were layered over the figure, giving an image of hardened scales. Tongues of purple flame sporadically burst forth from the armor, traveling up and down the figure, creating rivers of flame over the plate. Where the head would be, a fully closed helmet with an elongated mouth appeared, framing the head in liquid flames. Purple embers appeared in the black eye sockets, and hardened flame stood at the top of the helmet, creating a crown of glowing obsidian. Long flames erupted from the plated gauntlets, forming claws at the ends of each finger. The figure raised his hands, and clenched his fists, testing the armor.

Jake grunted to himself, and then looked at the notification. Raising an eyebrow, he read through the description. Alright, seriously, what is going on with Lilith? It’s almost as if it’s a different person. Shaking his head, he began to move forward, ignoring the burning pain in his shoulder. I should have really healed first… Ah, fuck it.

“Mizu, I’m going out. Keep them back.” Jake’s voice cut through the wails of the fox and the snapping of his armor. He began running towards the wall and, lowering his shoulder, crashed through. His armor melted through a portion of the wall, and the force of his running tackle broke through the rest.

“Master.” Mizutsune’s cold voice broke through his mind, the anger rolling off of the fox in waves. “Please, tell me… Why are you making it easier for the attackers to get to us? Are you naturally stupid, or do you have to work for it?”

I’m not going to sit around and let them pick us off one by one. Jake shot back at the fox, his blood pounding through his ears, and began to run towards the closest mass of death he could sense. Arrows began to fly at him from the darkness, but the heat from his armor instantly melted the arrowheads and ignited the shafts. All that reached him were small amounts of molten metal, and those did not hurt him through his armor. A figure stood up from the grass, and roared a challenge at Jake, raising a massive battle axe. It was a massive figure looming out of the darkness, and talismans glinted in the light of the moon from its bulging neck. It was an Orc.

Jake responded with a roar of his own, and his armor exploded into stronger flames, adding the roar of Fire to his voice. The Orc twisted his body, and taking a sidelong stance, swung the axe as hard as he could towards the approaching figure. Crouching down, Jake went under the swing and sprung upwards, dragging his flame-enhanced claws through the Orc as he went.

The Orc crumbled without a sound, the wounds cauterizing as soon as they appeared. The scent of scorched hair and roasting meat began to permeate the air. Jake rolled onto the ground, dodging another arrow that was sent his way. Finding the attacker, he sprung towards the figure.

“Master, I have taken care of three more attackers that have attempted to make it through the breach that you created in our defenses. Thank you for allowing me this chance, Master.” Sarcasm dripped from Mizutsune’s voice, causing Jake to cringe a little on the inside as he sent roaring flames towards one of the Orcs shooting arrows at him, burning it to ash.

Alright, you’re right. I’m sorry. That was stupid. Can we continue this after I kill all of these fuckers?

“That we will Master.” Mizutsune stopped his howl, and the wind began to die down with only slight slivers of ice moving within the winds. Jake spared a glance back at the group, and saw two Orcs charging at him from the corners of his eyes. Shit.

Launching a fireball at one of the Orcs, Jake spun around to fight the second. Meeting axe with claws, Jake slapped the axe head away from his body, leaving glowing trails in the metal from his touch. Quickly flashing his other hand at the Orc’s face, he bisected the Orc’s skull into four slices of roasting bone and brain matter.

A searing pain erupted from his back, and Jake crashed into the ground screaming. Rolling to his side, he saw the Orc that he had launched a fireball at raising his axe to split his body like a log. The axe head was molten metal at the edge from coming into contact with his armor, but the pain that was screaming from his back was testament to the fact that his armor was not impenetrable.

Jake quickly thrust his hands forward, and an explosion of flame engulfed the pair. The Orc screamed as it was launched into the air from the explosion, arcing through the night sky to come crashing down in the distance, smoking heavily.

Coughing heavily, Jake slowly rolled over to his knees, and hauled himself to his feet. Stumbling, he tried to reorient himself from the crushing blow, his head spinning madly. Shaking his head to get rid of the fog, Jake scanned the area for any more Orcs to come and attack him or the group. Again looking back at the group, Jake saw at least four bodies piled up outside the wall of ice, the Bear-Kin standing proudly in the breach, dyed red with blood. Mizutsune stood at his side, glowing slightly with not a single spec of blood on his silver fur.

Jake calmed his racing heart, and concentrated on the telling pressure of Death surrounding the area. All of the dead blocked his vision, and he began cursing internally. Fuck, I completely forgot this skill is fucking useless when there’s dead around. NOW I remember why I don’t use this shit.

Jake turned around as quickly as his injured body would allow, wincing at the pain in his shoulder and back. I REALLY don’t want to use that Phoenix Fire spell again. I’m still getting phantom pains from that thing. Jake looked around the plains, looking for any more attackers. He stood there in silence for minutes, watching the waving grasses and the wisps of smoke rising from the bodies of the Orcs.

Mizu, you notice any more? Your nose is better than mine. Jake asked his fox, never moving from his spot, his armor sending lazy flames into the air.

“All I can smell is burning flesh and feces, Master. And burning feces. Thank you, Master, for this wonderful experience. I am truly enjoying myself.” Mizutsune said, scorn still dripping from his voice.

Got it, you’re still pissed. Well, at least it’s over.

Jake took a moment to get his pain-addled brain to think over what he just said, and he began to change his mind. Wait, shit, I just jinxed myse-

A burst of light and an explosion of sound broke through Jake’s thoughts, and the next thing he knew he was on the ground, body spasms sending his limbs shaking like branches in a storm, ears ringing and he was unable to see. He tried to scream in pain, but his body would not follow his commands, his muscles locked up and refusing to move.

As the ringing faded, Jake could almost make out a voice speaking to him. “… surprised you survived that, Agent of Change.” The voice was aged and ragged, as if the person had been gargling stones. “You have made the fatal mistake of attacking my Band, and ruining our chance of freedom from the vile Beast-Kin.” Jake gained enough control over his muscles to turn his head, looking at the figure while the rest of his body shook. The figure was an old Orc woman, leaning against a gnarled wooden staff. Sparks of electricity played across her body, arcing from her arms into her raised palm, condensing into a brilliant ball of crackling lightning.

Jake tried to stand, but the Orc blasted another bolt into his body. The blindness and deafness returned quickly, and Jake screamed in silence.

“Master! Stay alive! We are on our way!” Jake could hear the worry in his fox’s voice, and he made a monumental effort to fight through the pain to respond.

NO! Jake screamed at his fox, and he could sense the distress and confusion coming from his pet. GET EVERYONE INTO THE CARRIAGE AND GO!

“Master, I will not leave you! I will-“

I SAID NO! GET THEM GONE! I’ll come back, but if we fuck this up, then they will die! Get them to the fucking Elves! NOW! Jake could hear the old hag monologue to herself, but he ignored her. He began to search his mind furiously, trying to think of a way to make this work for him. But, he could not think of anything.

“… Very well, Master. I will make sure that these Beast-Kin make it to the Long-Ears. I will also prepare our attempt at creating war between the races. Until we meet again, Master.” Jake could feel sadness coming from the fox, and then determination to do what must be done. He felt Mizutsune’s mind recede from his, the comforting presence leaving him alone to the pain. Good. He doesn’t need to feel this shit.

“… of the Eit’Sharush. Know who brought the mighty Agent of Change to his knees, begging for…”

Jesus, she’s still fucking going? Jake thought through what he needed to do, and he could only come up with one idea. It was stupid, but it could work. God fucking damn it, I hate myself right now. Gritting his teeth, he concentrated.

The Orc woman stopped talking, and stared down at the being at her feet. His molten armor appeared to be absorbed into his skin. Grunting, she charged another bolt of lightning and slammed it into the figure, causing his body to spasm. “Rude, do not interrupt your elders. As I was saying, pray to your Goddess…” The old woman continued to prattle on, and began to gesture wildly as she began to get really into her story.

“… And you shall burn in the Third Hell for all eternity for your… What?” The hag looked down, and saw the human shaking violently. She hadn’t hit him with a lightning bolt in a while, so she did not know what caused his tremors. Leaning down, she noticed something. His skin was glowing, purple flames dancing below the skin. Glancing at his eyes, she saw them filled with pain and a burning hatred.

She straightened, and began to charge another bolt. “No! You will die!”

“OH SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Jake roared at her, and his body burst into a massive explosion of black flame. The Orc-Hags screams were cut off abruptly as her body crumbled into ash, and the roaring flames consumed everything.

__________________________________________________________

Serena was panicking. When she saw the arrows burrow into her protector’s neck, she froze. When Mageous Jake was shot, she could not move. When Felicia shoved her into the carriage and hovered over her, her twin daggers gripped in her hands, she could do nothing but whimper. When the arrow buried itself into the carriage, the metal point pocking through the wood, she couldn’t even scream.

“Lady Serena.”

The pain. She could feel the pain that the Orcs were feeling. She could feel her insides being burnt to a crisp from the Mageous’ fury.

“Lady Serena!”

She could feel it, and she could do nothing. She was weak, she was worthless. She could do nothing to he-

“LADY SERENA!”

A slap brought her back to the present, and she stared at Felicia with tear filled eyes.

Felicia sighed, and sat back down in the padded chair. The carriage hit a rock, and caused Serena to fall out of the bench she was sitting on.

“W-w-what’s happening?” She stuttered, unable to think through the imagined pains.

“We are escaping.” Felicia said, staring out the window, a small golden flame in her hands. Mizutsune was leaning outside the other window, staring with unblinking eyes into the darkness.

“Wha-why?” She looked around, and noticed the injured Wolf-Kin lying on one of the seats. He was panting and whimpering. Serena quickly moved over to him, and with shaking hands, began to heal. The white light quickly enveloped the injured leg, the bloody arrow lying on the bottom of the carriage. The Wolf’s whimpers slowly quieted, and soon he was fast asleep, put there by the soothing warmth of Light.

The carriage hit another rock, and Serena was thrown back into her seat. Rubbing the back of her head, she looked to Felicia. “How is Mageous Jake staying on the roof? Shouldn’t he be in here?” She could imagine the Mageous throwing molten balls of fire from the top of a speeding carriage, so it would not surprise her that he was up there. It would make her feel better to be able to see him, though.

“He’s not.” Felicia’s short response broke Serena from her thoughts, and she stared at the Fox-Maid.

“So he’s… he’s in front, driving? We lost Ursal?” She shivered, thinking about the quiet but friendly Bear-Kin. He was always kind to her, even if he did not speak much. Her thoughts were disturbed by a presence entering her mind. She panicked for a moment, before recognizing the cold aura as Mizutsune.

“No. Master has offered his life so that we might escape.”

Serena froze, the blood draining from her face. “No. No. No no no NO! Why would he do that?!”

“It was his decision.” Mizutsune’s voice was cold. Colder than the ice that had seemed to wrap around her heart.

“We need to go back!” She shouted, and reached for the door to the carriage. Mizutsune turned and snarled at Serena, baring his teeth in a threatening manner. Serena yelped and cowered into the corner.

“WORTHLESS KIT! If there was even a chance of escaping with my Master alive, do you not think that we would take it?! Do not speak of this again!”

Serena’s eyes began to water, emotions warring with each other inside of her. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, a catastrophic explosion came from behind them. Everyone turned back to the windows, and they saw a massive ball of roaring black and purple flame explode into the night, reaching into the stars. Everyone sat stunned, and then Serena began to scream.