The BattleSmiths wagon journey lasted for several hours. Halfway through their journey a great shadow was cast over the wagon, spooking the horses. “Be on your guard, we have a Roc overhead!” Archival muttered a few words under his breath and suddenly his hands and feet emitted a golden light.

Archival turned to Jacob, “It’s a spell called holy weapon, makes my weapons in this case my hands and feet, deal additional holy damage to the damage they would already do.” Archival looked at Jacob with an expectant grin, Jacob was none too happy. “Roc, a big ass bird. They used to be ridden by giants for war, and they were as large as small towns or large villages.

A new thought crossed Jacobs mind, an insane thought, but he loved it smiling like a madman. “Do you guys level up?” Once more the rest of the party looked at Jacob with shocked expressions. Surprisingly, Hellen was the one to break the silence.

“We level up thanks to the blessings of the gods!” That was not the exact answer he was looking for, “Do you level for killing things like monsters?” “Of course!” She took a breath to continue but Jacob had already tossed himself out the back of the wagon.

As he leapt from the back of the cart, he invoked the spirit of the great mother bear. Jacob did not hit the ground, instead he began rolling as the Astral form of the great mother bear poured forth from him. He felt the flame dim within him, but not so much as last time.

His body had grown far stronger since he had arrived. He suspected this was due to him becoming a totem master. Taking in the great mother bear had granted his body great strength. Some sort of permanent buff. ‘So, if I kill that bird and take its spirit?’ Jacob stood in his great bear form and looked up at the bird that blotted out the sun. ‘Can I fly with your wings?’

Jacob was no longer standing upon the ground. He was suspended within the form of the great bear, some twenty feet in the air. He looked back to his new friends who had stopped and were in the process of turning around. Jacob once more turned his attention to the Roc.

He knew the words to speak without thought, they were simply there for him had he need of them. “By right of Land, I challenge you Roc of the Sky!” He felt the flame within him grow ever dimmer.

The Roc had been flying away at this point, there were miles between them. It should not have been able to hear him, or even able to understand, but before his eyes the Roc changed course. It turned right in a long gliding motion; its new course was straight towards him.

It took his friends 3 minutes to get to him. Hellen was the first to shout at him, “Your best thankful to Hethara, we debated whether or not to leave your ass. She told me we had to help you. They nearly left ME!” Jacob could not help but smile.

Jacob took a knee and felt as his real body descended to touch the packed dirt road. He walked to the edge of the great bear form and said, “Give me a mana potion or we don’t stand a chance!” Hellen’s left eye twitched as she reached into a bag on her side and pulled out a small vial.

She was weary when she stepped up to the edge of the great bears astral form. She mustered her courage and stepped inside. She swiftly handed him the vial before attempting retreat, only to find her motion suddenly halted. She turned her head back to Jacob, who was taking sips of the potion and had one hand outstretched to her.

“Take my hand, all of you if you want to live.” Was all he said through the sips. All heard him and fearing the coming Roc, they complied. Hellen grabbed Jacob’s hand and the others grabbed hers forming a chain. “By the power vested in me by the great mother bear, I grant you my strength that we may win this fight. Tread forth children of the Great Mother Bear!”

Hellen and the others let go as they all began to glow. From each of them came forth their own bear, each smaller than his own but formidable in their own rights. Hellen’s bear form was dyed all the colors of a forge, her bear form covered in plate mail. With a great sword at its side.

Archival’s bear was very similar to his own save that life itself seemed to spring up by its feet. His bear was dyed in all the colors of spring.

Thomas’ bear nearly stood as tall as Jacob’s own, he suspected this was because of the man’s own considerable height. From his brownish emerald bear form horns protruded from its temples, just like his own. In its hands it too held a great axe. This one dyed in shades of crimson, as too seemed the paws that wielded it.

Last but not least Calisa’s bear form. Her form was that of a small hooded bear. In its cloak Jacob could see many throwing knives and other such blades. Its color, well rather a lack of one, was very hard to see, but nevertheless it was there. To an untrained eye, she would appear to be a flying mage.

The Roc was upon them, and it gave a great cry as it landed. Jacob felt blood trickle down the sides of his face out of his ears. The cry was such that it shook the earth and sky. This would be a hard battle.

If the horses had not been let, go earlier they surely would have been spooked. The wagon had been parked off to the roadside under some trees. They would try to keep the fight away from it.

All that was left was this, “TOO BATTLE!” Jacob let forth his voice of authority and he heard a great cheer from his new friends. “WE SHALL NOT FALL!” Another great cheer went up. Jacob so willed it, he stretched out his right and suddenly his staff appeared in it. Followed by the same staff appearing in the hands of his great bear form. “CHARGE!”