“We can’t lead these Ferthur into that battle,” I said to Sania. “We’re gonna have to try and take as many out as we can.”

“We already agreed thirty was too much. Do you have a plan?”

“Get them to line up and Kill them all with Energy blasts?”

She laughed through the bond. “You know they’re too quick. We could slow, let them catch up to a range where they’re less likely to avoid our attacks and whittle them down in that way?”

“Sounds good to me, and I haven’t got anything better,” I said as we both reduced our speed. “Sania. Try and build a powerful Hunter's Flame and hide it with your body. When they get really close, let em have it. We do it at the same time, so there’s less chance of them dodging.” I said through the bond.

“I like it,” She said and within a few moments I saw a golden ball form in her hands. I did the same.

The pursuing Ferthur closed on us gradually, pushing themselves to the limit. Confident because we’d ran and desperate not to lose us. Their eagerness to catch us fed by the fact that we appeared to be tiring.

Once they were about twenty feet behind us, Screeching madly, I yelled in Sania’s head. “Now!” and we both turned to face them, unleashing both of our projectiles simultaneously.

The Ferthur didn’t have the time or gumption to get out of the way this time as our combined powers smashed into them. I expected the first few to die or be injured at the very least. But the effect of our perfectly timed ruse, the range we’d let them come to and their blind desperation, caused almost twenty of them to get caught up in the blast and fall to the ground far below.

Those who avoided the blast veered wildly away looking uncertain as to whether they wanted to continue their assault.

Sania turned to me with a slight grin. “Why didn’t we lead with that?”

“It wouldn’t have worked from the start, I don’t think. Shall we clean up the rest of these fuckers? Don’t need them killing any more Dokalfar or our Wultr today.”

“I think we should,” she replied, grin widening further as we charged the disoriented Ferthur.

They would evade the blasts now as they fled from us, so I attempted something a little different. Focusing on the golden meridian in my right arm, I wanted to push energy into the cleaver, but I found that the meridian now actually extended into the weapon itself.

I pushed Neuma into it as I flew, forcing the power to condense within the Cleaver like I had with my Spicy Balls, rather than how I coated my hand. There was a minor pang that I could ruin the weapon, but I instinctively knew that wouldn’t happen.

As predicted, the whole blade glowed a bright golden color and when I stopped pumping Neuma in to concentrate on flying, it remained aglow. I smiled to myself and dove in to hit my first target.

He knew I was coming and deflected the blow from my blade in order to land a strike of his own. And he would have, if even the flat of the blade wasn’t deadly.

It screeched as its arm touched, then screeched some more as I adjusted the angle and sliced cleanly through his arm and then body using hardly any pressure.

He fell to the ground in two halves, and I was torn between being horrified and elated at the power I wielded. kept up my work rate, zipping from one demon to the next focusing on using only the cleaver as I was dispatching them with ease. They had no resistance at all to my blade.

The moment we finished up against the Ferthur, Sania and headed straight towards Grigor once more. It only took a couple of minutes before we saw the raging battle. As soon as we were within range, we opened fire on the back of the Hycantha line. It was like shooting fish in a barrel for a little while at least until Sania got Neuma Fatigue.

“I’ll have to fly down and join Grigor. Continue the old fashioned way.”

“Shit. Okay, let’s do that, then,” I said and took her hand.

She looked down at it like I’d lost my mind. “What are you doing?”

“Just in case you run out of power while we fly over. Don’t want you suddenly dropping out of the air like a dead duck into the middle of two hundred pissed off Hycantha.”

She shook her head with a slight upturn of her lips and accepted the gesture until we touched down behind the battling Grigor. A moment later, he fell back from the front line to greet us. His place was taken by another Wultr. “I’m glad you managed to kill the Ferthur. They would have made things difficult here.”

“Undoubtedly,” I agreed. “You look like you're doing well here. How’s it going?”

“AS well as can be expected. Hycantha are rarely a problem. They are little more than throwaway troops to Destruction.”

“That’s good to hear. Let’s get these ugly fuckers finished off then while there’s still some Dokalfar left to save.

Grigor thumped his fist to his chest in a salute and started barking out orders to our people. I didn’t think it was possible, but their ferocity intensified.

As I watched the onslaught, I realized that if Grastad was here, he’d be kicking my arse for being lazy, so I charged up the Cleaver again and would have to make sure I didn’t touch any Wultr with it.

I noticed Grigor eyeing the weapon with a gleam and a question in his eyes.

“No, it’s not an ascension weapon and yes, it’s basically, exactly like an ascension except it doesn’t disappear after a few seconds unless I want it too.”

“Impressive,” he said, before returning to his place in the front line. Sania and I followed him, finding a place either side, I had to hold the damn weapon up like a fire torch as I passed friendly forces, but once I was at the front, I used my high constitution to push forward a little then started hacking into the insectoid forces of Destruction.

It didn’t take long for me to stretch out a lead into the Hycantha ranks, and it ended up becoming Sania and Grigor’s job to clear the sides of the wedge I was opening up.

The three hundred Wultr, cleared the remaining Hycantha from the four hundred that attacked in about five more minutes. More impressively, apart from twenty mildly injured, we had not one death among us.

It seemed like the Wultr were well equipped to deal with Hycantha and though they were around ten levels higher than the opposing force on average, it was still an impressive achievement. That would not be the case in our next battle where I knew there were a number of Pit Demons to face.

Grigor started barking orders again. “Everyone! We need to go now. Morph and move,” he booted out, then dropped into his massive grey-brown wolf form. Sania turned quickly to me.

“You need to fly, Clive,” then transformed herself without waiting for an answer.

Fair, I thought, and launched myself up to the sky. From high above, it was exhilarating to watch the powerful forms of the Wultr flowing over the land like a grey tide. As we approached the amassed forces, the demons didn’t even notice our arrival until that tide smashed into their rear ranks in a maelstrom of claws and snapping jaws.

I flew further on, staying high to avoid any projectiles from the demon forces. I wanted to check on the situation with the Dokalfar. If they were all dead or close to it, there wasn’t much we could do and I didn’t want to risk lives.

They were still fighting, though their numbers had been reduced to around one hundred and fifty. While that was impressive considering what they faced, the sight of them still fighting so desperately against impossible odds broke my heart.

I swore to myself they wouldn’t lose another person if I could help it and began raining down Spicy balls on the Demons front rank. I soon had to start making evasive maneuvers as a number of Red fire balls were launched back up at me in answer.

There was an obvious shift in the battle now, as the rear ranks of demons turned to face the new threat. The Dokalfar had also sensed the shift, and they had obviously seen me attacking the demons, and it gave them a new lease of life.

“We’re here to help. We can do this!” I screamed down at them. “Fight!” Then I had to dodge half a dozen blazing balls of certain death.

When I had the opportunity to look at the battle lines again, the Dokalfar were fighting with far greater fervor.

The Demon army's number began to reduce quickly, though the eight larger figures of level fifty and above Pit Demons seemed indomitable. I saw one of our Wultr go down to a Pit Demons, blade and another about to fall. I fired off a Spicy ball in its face, then hurtled toward it, charging my cleaver.

It saw me coming and swung its huge black sword at me. I couldn’t dodge with the speed I was going, so I coated my demon arm with Neuma to deflect the incoming blow. It glanced away harmlessly, and I took most of his head in the exchange. I hit the ground with my terrible angle of flight, skidded across the floor and pushed myself up from the ground and back into the air again, killing a lesser demon as I shot back upward.

My flying still needed work, but it felt amazing to finally be strong in this world. To be able to stand up to a pit demon and win, when not so long ago I had absolutely no chance. Better still to be surrounded by strong friends who I trusted completely.

I had to go and assist with another Pit Demon, level 62, but once he went down, the remaining demon army fell into total bedlam as they tried to escape the carnage that their certain victory had become. With Wultr, escape was not an option.

Once the fighting was over, there was a slight standoff with the Dokalfar and the nearest Wultr until I made my way through to the front. I didn’t have Charisma, but I by fuck did I have some confidence after that display.

Even so, the initial meeting was tense. “Hey guys! That was tight, wasn’t it?” I said, dripping with demon blood and exhaustion.

A tall, cloaked Dokalfar stepped forward, swords held low, a long slender blade with a slight curve to it. And a shorter, still slender sword, that looked more like a sewing needle from hell. I checked out his identifier.

Hek: Level 67. First Warrior of Helvien: Dokalfera (Dokalfar II)

“My name is Hek. We are grateful for your assistance, but these are unusual circumstances. Why did you help us? What exactly are you?”

“What am I? I’m Clive of Far Reach and we’re in the business of helping the Neutrals of Kalabri.”

I waited for a response, but when one didn’t come, I continued. “We have a town just south of the Forsaken Lands and we are mostly made up of people like yourself.

“Dokalfar?” he asked curiously. I could see the hope in his eyes, despite his otherwise stern features.

“You’re welcome to come and join us there. Though I won’t lie, we’re currently under siege from Malatia in the south. I’ll leave it to you to choose, but I promise you’ll get a bit of a breather there at least, and we have a house of healing for your people who need it.”

I saw a flicker of interest flash in his eyes at the mention of a healing house, but he suppressed it.

“Which of the Gods do you follow? Your alignment is confusing.”

“None. Though we’re kinda friendly with Darkness.”

“We are desperate for a reprieve, but I smell a trap here and we are no friends of darkness.”

“There is no trap,” Grigor said. Even offering the Dokalfar a bow.

“I have worked with Clive from the beginning of this venture when we first arrived from the north ourselves. My name is Grigor, and my pack once roamed the central Crasters. You are the first warrior of Helvien if I am not mistaken and your name is well known along my people, Hek. I promise you this is not a trap, but as Lord Clive said, we are currently under siege. And because of what and who we are, that is unlikely to change any time soon. Be it Malatia, Delosha, Akomoka or Knuntang, someone will want to destroy what we are building.”

Hek nodded, his expression grim as removed his hood and looked at me. The stare seemed to last an eternity and I was beginning to feel creeped out by his bright purple eyes that seemed to pierce my soul.

“You are intriguing, and I sense no deception. The last of the city of Helvien were finished here, today if not for your help. I will bring what remains of my people to this last bastion of yours, and we will help to defend your home.”

“Yours too if you want it,” I replied.

“The decision to remain will not be mine. Our Queen is currently injured, but if we can heal her, she will have the final say. Is this acceptable?”

“Of course, Hek. We’ll get her healed up and I’ll be sure to smash ten points into Charisma before she comes around. For now, I hate to be a prick, but we should probably get moving. As I said, there’s an army camped a few mile away from our walls, I don’t want them getting any ideas while we’re up here.”

Hek actually laughed. “Save your points for war, Lord Clive. No amount of Charisma or sweet words would sway our Queen. She is wise beyond measure in this plane at least.”

A few of those nearest me who heard, had knowing smiles as Hek spoke. They all knew I could piss off a rock if I was having a bad day.

Heading back was far slower as we had wounded to carry. The Dokalfar had a couple of healers with them, who moved around those they could help them on the journey.

The Wultr were happy to carry those among the injured who could ride, but there were a few who were unconscious, and had to be carried in litters including the one that held the queen.

There was only one band of roaming Hycantha who were foolish enough to get in our way as we entered the Forsaken Lands.

As we attacked, the one thing I hadn’t had the opportunity to notice in the crush of the earlier battle was how well the Dokalfar used their swords and daggers.

Exquisite was an understatement as they fought beautifully with them. No movement wasted as they flowed perfectly from one position to the next, attacking and defending. I found myself desperately wanting to learn from them, and I hoped one day I could.

Once those few Hycantha were dispatched, it was clear sailing all the way to our palisade wall. As always, it was Sania who noticed first that the palisade was empty of guards and that could only mean bad things.

We increased our speed, and as the Wultr and Dokalfar bypassed the palisade, I rose up into the air to check on the town.

To my horror, the gap into Far Reach was swarming with armored soldiers.

“The fucking Malatians have attacked!” I shouted down.

How the hell they knew we’d left I didn’t know, but it was very convenient. I flew as fast as I could down to our little town, throwing out a Spicy Ball at the lead paladin and scoring a direct hit.

A number of Flames of Devotion came flying at me as more of the Paladins lifted into the air to greet me. I felt sick at the sight of them as I was the only one who could currently fly among the people.

I shouldn’t have. I should have trusted the people around me. As I lifted higher into the air to avoid the incoming attacks, I watched awestruck as a hail of glowing green arrows were shot from the ground beneath me. If that wasn’t enough, I also saw a number of Orbs of Darkness being hammered into the side of the Malatian forces, both air borne and those on the ground as Fakasta and Stilbraker came down from the side of the hill.

It appeared the battle really hadn’t been going on very long and if the Malatians made this attack because we were weakened, they were in for a very big surprise as Grigor and Sania came streaming into the town to bolster our ranks and balls of purple energy flew up at the Paladins from the Dokalfar.

They only managed a few before they seemed to run out, but their swords were quickly back out, and despite their exhaustion they glided across the ground like wraiths and hit the Malatians' left flank with a flurry of flashing steel. Or whatever the Dokalfar made their swords from.

It quickly became obvious that the combination of Far Reach and the Dwarven army were comfortably stronger and more capable than Devotion’s.

With their armor and their ordered lines, they looked both impressive, and threatening, so I couldn’t help but feel surprised at how soon they began to buckle from our onslaught. I think it came as much a surprise to themselves, too.

As I avoided the far less frequent attacks of power and sent Spicy Ball after Spicy ball down into the enemy ranks, marveling at the work of those from Far Reach, from the ferocity, strength, and brutality of the Wultr and Nystiobek. The cunning and impressive movement of the Krysan to exploit weakness, the insanely accurate and powerful arrows of the Fensalfar and the sublime and deadly skill of the Dokalfar. I realized that if we continued to bring people in from Kalabri, we were actually getting highly skilled, hardened veterans that had excelled in surviving. The Malatian soldiers we faced now, irrespective of their levels were soft.

A long single not from a horn played out and the Malatians suddenly began to retreat. It was a messy affair, and until I called for our armies to let them go, it was very nearly a slaughter.

Once they disengaged, a stream of notifications crossed my vision. I was almost certain I’d leveled up again, though I hadn’t seen the notification for it. But if I had, that was something I’d need to spend time on.

“We worried so much about their attack and it was pitiful,” Grigor said, distracting me from my thoughts. “I’m grateful to the dwarves for still assisting, and for the lives of our people their presence would have saved, but I believe we could have defeated that force ourselves. Easily if we had all been rested.”

“I agree, Grigor,” Sania added. “I wonder how they’ll proceed even when their reinforcements arrive.”

“Me too. Because that was just a total, embarrassing, fuck up from them. They massively underestimated us.”

As I talked, I noticed people pulling away our injured people and yet others finishing off the injured of Devotion. This was my first real battle of this scale against people. Not Demons and Hycantha.

“No killing of their injured. That’s not how I want this to be.” I shouted above the heads of everyone. “Just remove our own people and I’ll go and let the Malatian forces know that they can collect their injured.”

“Forgive me for saying, but that isn’t one of your better ideas Clive. They’ll just kill you and you must be very close to Neuma Fatigue.”

“I’ll be careful, don’t worry.” I said with a smile and took off toward the still retreating Malatian. Once I was close enough for the stragglers at the back to hear me, I shouted down. “If you wish to retrieve your wounded, we will not attack.”

I was met with curses and grumbles. A few of them even looked like they wanted to fire at me. Thankfully, one of them showed some sense a level 60 Paladin.

“You promise no subterfuge?”

“None at all. I don’t want your people bleeding out on my doorstep. I’ve made the offer. The rest is up to you. Whoever dies up there is on your conscience now, not mine.”

And with that, I flew back up to my home.