Chapter 19

Air War

It has long been said that the Kingdom that owns the skies will win the wars. To that end, many nations have come up with multiple ways of gaining air superiority, from the Azani, who first learned to fly and cast their devastating spells from overhead. To Kingdoms like Sidhertha, who developed airships that float in the air and can be linked together to perform devastating attacks. Still, others are foolish enough to try to tame dragons. For the last group, their reign is often short but violent, known more as tyrants and conquerors who inevitably employ a scorched earth policy wherever they go. Still, regardless of the method, the end result is almost always the same, those who control the air control the flow of battle. Once one controls enough battles, they will inevitably win the war.

One should point out that if a Kingdom wanted to have any form of stability, they would need air superiority if for nothing else than to keep the roving dragons from unleashing havoc. The Kingdom of Sidhertha was famous for its airships, but rather than a militaristic purpose, most were deployed for economic means. Given the vast fertile fields surrounding Sidhertha and the fact that many rivers and lakes all fed into the lands were a huge selling point for why people would wish to settle here. Added to the nearly constant string of bountiful harvests was the fact that nearly every major road for the Continent of Ithos led to Sidhertha in some way, shape, or form. These alone would be enough for most people to want to have a strong, readily available, and easy-to-deploy military that could be deployed within moments. But the real reason for air superiority was simple, given the large swath of land held by Sidhertha, it was inevitable that their lands and fertile fields would eventually run parallel to and into the nesting grounds of many different species of dragons.

One such show of defense is exactly what Lykan and the people he was leading came out of the woods to see. Off in the distance, a fleet of four Sidhertha war-blimps was maneuvering around and trying to intercept a group of Psychic Dragons who were clearly trying to fly South through the open Sidhertha fields.

Even now, the fields looked to be made of gold and stretched for as far as the eyes could see. High overhead, four war-blimps moved in intercepting patterns to try and take out one of the smaller dragons present. For the people of Sidhertha, it was a battle of attrition.

Zap!

Then just as they moved into position, a strong electrical current was released, creating a vortex of power that destroyed everything in its wake.

One of the smaller dragons began to fall to the ground below, its wings and most of its body burning from the deep electrical burns it suffered.

GORAHHH!

The mother, a Psychic Dragon, let loose a scream after seeing one of her young get taken out.

Even from this distance, the power that was in the psychic scream was intense. A wave or blue-purple energy flew toward Lykan, who but held out a hand. As the wave of energy struck the ground and began moving toward Lykan, it was stopped by a large bubble of force that appeared to be formed out of the very air itself. With Lykan in the way, the wave of energy rolled off and around the shield he created and diverted harmlessly to the ground around them.

Still, despite the successful negation of the spell, the horses were spooked. They knew the sounds and could feel their animal instincts taking over.

Whinny!

The horses quickly started to jump and panic as their natural instincts for survival took over. They wanted to run, to be free of their restraints, and head off into the woods they had just come from.

Hearing this, Lykan turned to see the four horses bucking wildly while Javison tried desperately to calm them down.

Realizing he had to do something, Lykan moved forward and invoked the will of the world.

“Stop!” he said in a calm, commanding voice, with his right hand held up high.

While the horses didn’t exactly stop, they did calm down long enough to focus on Lykan and his hand.

Realizing he had but seconds before the horses would lose focus, he moved forward, invoking the old laws of the world. The laws pre-dated even the will of the Great Forest Spirit.

These were laws of balance that the Great Forest Spirit sought to enhance. The Great Forest Spirit came much later when it was clear that sometimes more violent means were needed to reach a peaceful resolution. The laws of the world were older and unmutable. By invoking the laws of the world, you invoked the very concept of balance. No subtlety, no trickery, just clearly defined roles and responsibilities assigned to each. These were the laws that allowed the first kings to rule the lands justly and with peace and prosperity. These were the rules that allowed farmers to own and tend for not only their land but the animals who came upon their land. There was another more basic function that these laws also allowed for, those of the shepherd and his momentary flock. It was this last law of the world that Lykan wished to invoke now.

“I am the shepherd, and you are my flock. So long as you follow my lead, I will guide you to safety. I will tend to your wounds, and I will see you arrive at your destination safely. Be not afraid of the path. The path is my burden. Your burden is to follow through your fear, to trust in me as your shepherd. I make this pact with you here and now. Do you accept?” Lykan said, with each word, more and more pressure began to build up in the area. While Lykan was only talking to the horses, everyone watched. Even Davison, who had come around the side to help his son, looked on in amazement as the old laws of the world were being invoked.

Then to make what they saw even stranger, the horses all seemed to not only understand the importance of what was being said but accepted the pact. Within seconds the horses who had until moments ago been ready to buck and break their way free suddenly calmed down and bobbed their heads up and down. With that act of the horses bobbing their heads, the pact was forged. The horses would trust in Lykan, and Lykan would risk his life as the shepherd. Such was the pact of a shepherd and his flock.

Everyone watched in awe and amazement as golden energy enveloped and surrounded the horses and Lykan both. There was a clear bond that linked them together in bonds of fate that were so dense that everyone could see. These horses, at least for the time being, were bound to Lykan, just as Lykan was bound to them.

Seeing the magic take hold, Lykan let out a breath he had been holding. He had only read about invoking the old laws. He almost expected the bindings not to work through so many years and centuries of disuse. Yet not only did it work, but it was a bond that Lykan could feel holding onto his very soul. This was a deep bond, one far deeper than he imagined. He realized the gravity of the situation, the horses under his care would listen to him and follow him until the ends of the earth regardless of the threats they faced. It was clear that any damage the horses took would be redirected back to Lykan, who, as the shepherd, would be responsible for such wounds.

This was an odd magic and one that Lykan wished he had more time to delve into. The only reason Lykan knew that such a bond would work was that it was the same magical properties that gave everyone a Class to wield and power to help manipulate the world around them. To invoke the laws of the world required a lot of Power, Power beyond the human maximum. Fortunately for Lykan, he was one such person who had been granted boons from his past deeds that helped him reach such heights. Yet his boons would be broken if he neglected his duties as a shepherd or worse if he let his flock suffer unnecessarily.

With those thoughts flowing quickly through his mind, Lykan turned and began leading the wagon of horses once more. This time he stayed only a few feet in front, leading the horses right through the fields in a direction that seemed to pass directly under the fighting dragons and airships.

Whenever a blast of psychic energy would come at them, Lykan would easily absorb the energy which he used to fuel his body so he could continue marching on. Part of the bond not only let damage flow from the horses to Lykan. There was a second part where energy could be sent from Lykan to the horses if he so chose. With that, he began channeling everything he could to the horses, especially before a blast of energy came near.

The blast of a Psychic Dragon was often considered the most dangerous, as the Psychic Dragon had little in the way of natural defenses. They were often smaller and more agile than their brethren, lacking both the fearsome size and fire breath that most others were noted for. Instead, rather than flames, the Psychic Dragons would often disable their would-be prey. With a sharp scream, waves of energy would pour from their mouths and flow through solid walls to disable all sentient creatures within range.

Due to their unique way of attack, Psychic Dragons were even feared amongst other dragon species. For not only were they the most magically talented, but it was clearly detailed that the psychic scream was infused with vast swaths of power. They were considered to be one of the smartest dragons being able to adapt to threats far faster than most others would. This was why despite being surprised by the initial onslaught of the Sidhertha airships, the remaining Psychic Dragons quickly recovered and were now making short work of the disabled ships.

The crew, who had been momentarily rendered unconscious from the multiple psychic blasts, began to list and fall slowly from the skies. Seeing the momentary weakness, the younger dragons all went to the different ships trying to get the crew.

BOOM!

One Dragon tried to get to the crew through the giant squishy balloon apparatus at the top. The one who had popped the balloon was impaled by shrapnel and debris as it began plummeting with the rest of the ship. The other three young all saw and learned from their fallen brethren and began attacking the ships in different ways. Seeing that her young were soon to eat, the mother dragon turned her attention to the countryside, looking for a meal. She turned and spotted what had to be a feast to her eyes. Four horses and twelve humans, all in one tight little grouping. Better still, they were traveling straight toward her. Seeing this, the dragon let out a mighty roar directly at them. She watched as the ball of energy landed, hit the ground, and traveled forward in the way only sound waves could skip along the ground until it reached its intended target.

During this time, the mother dragon already began diving closer to the ground suspecting an easy meal. Yet, as she got closer, she saw that her attack had missed? No, not just missed. The attack was now missing. She looked on in shock, having been too busy in her descent to realize what had happened. The attack hadn’t missed. It hit dead on. It was just that Lykan was able to absorb it all into himself and then redistribute the energy to his flock. Lykan didn’t realize this, but part of the benefits of forming a bond like this also helped the shepherd. If the shepherd was directly defending their flock, then their Attributes would be raised by fifty percent. Lykan, of course, was not aware of this advantage. All he knew for certain was that the Psychic Dragon’s attacks were much easier to block than he had originally expected.

Seeing the still moving Lykan and his flock, the mother Psychic Dragon grew enraged. It shouted as it let loose a mighty scream of force and power that had everything it could muster. Right now, it was at point-blank range, at least as far as the dragon herself was concerned. She was only a few hundred meters away at most from her prey. This was far closer than she normally would get, but she had already committed her body toward a feast.

The Dragon Matriarch watched as her burst of energy flew forward. This time her attack would land for certain. She was too close, the attack itself was too wide, there was nothing that the attacker could do that would be able to stop this attack from landing.

“NO!” Lykan shouted, and it was like the Gods themselves echoed his demand. While Lykan wasn’t aware of how much of an impact his being a shepherd for the time had on his Attributes, he could feel their effects even now. His normal Power Attribute of 16 had risen to the unfathomable heights of 24, if only for this short period of time. Such levels of Power were enough to make people think they were Gods of the battlefield. This was part of Lykan’s case, though, in his particular set of circumstances, he felt he had no other option than to stand his ground. He had offered his life in exchange for his flock to trust him, and that was just what he would do. Standing here and now in front of his flock, he would do everything he could to ensure their safety, even if it cost him his own life. Such was the value of his word, if to no one else, then to himself.

He had been given a chance to change his fate. He had been given a Class that allowed him to be an instrument of good upon the world, and he chose to do just that. Starting here and now, he would defend his flock from this would-be attacker.

He swung his sword forward. At the exact second, the mass of energy would barrel forward and disable his whole group. The sword tip touched the energy. There was a contest of wills as an unstoppable force of energy met an immovable object that was Lykan’s will. Then the unthinkable happened.

The ball of energy that had disabled so many monsters and no less than four airships earlier was sent back. Not just sent back, but on a direct collision course with the Psychic Dragon who created the attack, to begin with.

Psychic Dragons might have been magically strong. Most could defend themselves against other Psychic Dragon attacks relatively easily. Yet there was one catch, they had to know they were going to be attacked by another Psychic Dragon to put up their defenses. No dragon ever had been attacked by its own powers before, thus no dragon had ever developed the reflexes or instincts necessary to defend against their own attack being redirected at them.

This was why when the enhanced strike of the Psychic Dragon rebounded and struck her squarely, she didn’t dodge, duck, or even offer a notion of resistance. Instead, she took it, full-on. There was no deafening explosion of force. Such was not the way of the Psychic Dragons. There was an initial burst of sound caused by the dragon generating the attack, then silence.

The next sound the dragon made was a heavy thud as its lifeless body crashed into the ground.

Boom!

The nearby ground shook as the giant beast crashed to the ground head first, the rest of its long and limber body collapsing in wild whipping slashes. Dazed as it was, the monster was still alive. This much was apparent to Lykan as he had not yet gained the blessing of the Gods.

The monster was down, but not dead, at least not yet. But the monster was clearly not going to move for some time. It had its own mental defenses eviscerated by its devastating attack.

“What should we do?” Javison asked.

Lykan turned to the boy, and a thought came to him. Lykan, for his part, did not wish to leave the flock. He knew very well the dangers of leaving his flock, even for a moment, could cause. Realizing the sanctity of his bond was more important than the reward for providing the death blow to a dragon, Lykan responded. “Nothing. I have a flock to maintain. If you,” he paused as he saw many of the girls he had been with moments ago, even Telka staring at him. Seeing this, he got an idea. “If you want to change your fates, then grab a spear and strike down the disabled monster. As for me, I have a promise to keep,” Lykan said as he continued to walk forward.

At first, everyone looked around questioningly at each other. There was a dragon right there. They had the weapons ready, but the one who took it down and nearly killed it seemed to not care in the slightest.

Before Javison could think about what to do, his father took the reigns and spoke to him. “Go, son, grab a spear and drive it deep into that beast as many times as you can.”

Davison wanted the best life possible for his son. Seeing this golden opportunity, he couldn’t help but act on it.

Javison was confused for a second before finally going and grabbing a spear. To his surprise, many of the women were grabbing weapons. Jema gave him a spear, as she had been handing out weapons to everyone. Weapons in hand, all the former slaves went out to strike at the monster. Telka looked conflicted for a second, looking first from Lykan then to the monster. Seeing her apprehension, Lykan held out his sword to her.

“Go kill it. Sheath my blade in its blood and partake in the spoils of slaying such a beast.”

With that, Telka felt a heat of embarrassment cross her face as she realized how special this was. He trusted her with his legendary sword. A sword whose legend still is sung of in the stories of her ancestors. To hold such a blade was unimaginable. The power wielded within it was substantial. It felt like she wielded the power of the heavens within the blade.

Seeing the precious treasure, Telka too charged off from the slow-moving wagon toward the downed monster that would be set upon by close to a dozen former slaves, all wishing to change their futures. Even Dathney was charging forward, her sacred dagger in hand as she too wished to partake in the spoils of this one-sided slaughter.

It took close to an hour for the group to kill the disabled monster and return to the cart that had made its slow and steady trek through the Sidhertha fields of golden wheat. In the sky, the remaining three ships had eventually been saved as more airships came.

Telka had just returned the bloody sword back to Lykan when a group of airships came to investigate and circle around the fallen matriarch. From there, a few more bombs were dropped to ensure the monster’s defeat, but it was already dead. The members of Lykan’s crew all got the message, especially Lykan, who had delivered the most debilitating of blows to the monster.

Blessing Bestowed: Matriarch Slayer

Matriarch Slayer (Heroic): You were part of a legendary party that was able to take down and kill a psychic matriarch dragon. As a reward, the Gods have granted you +1 to all Attributes.

Seeing the bonus, Lykan was impressed, though he figured he likely got less of a reward due to his being one of many to take part in the slaying of the beast. This was only a Heroic level versus his last slaying that had been an Epic grade event.

“I got a title, Matriarch Slayer,” Javison excitedly explained to his father as he got closer.

“Very good. Did it give you anything? Like a bonus?” Davison, his father, asked, a beaming smile of joy covering his face at his son’s exhilaration.

“Sure did. I got plus one to BOTH Power and Intelligence,” Javison exclaimed excitedly.

“Oh, that is very good. Very good indeed, son,” Davison exclaimed.

Lykan, for his part, thought about that and wondered why he was much better than Javison. From the looks of it, Javison was one of the ones who dealt a death blow to the creature.

“That’s not all!” Javison exclaimed excitedly.

“Oh?”

“My Skills, I am now a Sage level scanner. And my second Skill harvesting has evolved to reaping and is at the Sage level as well.”

“Very good, son. Very good indeed,” Davison exclaimed excitedly.

Lykan thought about that and wondered if his Skills had improved as well. Shaking his head, he realized he had more important things to focus on right now than his own personal improvements. He had a flock to lead and people to protect. At this moment, he could see the outline of a silver house appearing in the distance.

“There it is, Dad. Our home!” Javison shouted out.

With that, the others who had come back to the cart shouted out with cheers.

Lykan, for his part, kept moving, especially with the two airships traveling overhead, constantly following their progress through the fields.

Get the flock to safety, then my pact will be over as I will have delivered them to the promised land, Lykan thought as he continued to push the group forward to the large farmhouse that sat on a vacant field of gold and ash. The closer they got to the house, the easier it was to see the signs that there had been a fire that had fortunately not spread too quickly due to how lush the ground was.

Still, the land looked like it would need a lot of work if it was to recover in time for the fall harvest season.