Chapter 20

The Attack on Haven PART 4

(that time I killed a Demon Boar...)

My body felt wrecked. The farther I ran, the longer we took, the more I worried my moms were already dead back in Haven. When I left Sudra, Cass, Kalla were all leading an attack against the Bukavac but I worried with the appearance of so many other lower demons they would be overwhelmed. Moma-Mia was with Zola, the two probably screaming at one another as Mori and I slipped away, having an Psoglav chase us into the ruins under the city. We barely managed to defeat it.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Mori asked. I couldn't answer because I was a deer but I stopped and made some 'deer sounds' to let her know we were heading in the right direction. She was getting tired, not to mention I could feel her grip on my fur loosen as we continued. At times I had to stop to slow down in fear that she would fall off but she kept holding on knowing that it was up to us to save Haven.

"I really hope the Spider-Queen helps us," Mori sighed. Not only was the darkness starting to get to her but she was beginning to worry that this might not have been the best plan. "Even if we get the Spider-Queens help how do we know that it won't be too late, how long can your mothers hold of a monster like Bukavac?"

If I could have answered I would have told her that my mothers could hold off Bukavac indefinitely. I had no doubt that they probably could defeat the demon on their own, especially if my father rejoined the fight.

I let it go though, nothing I said would matter, we had our mission, as harrowing as it seemed.

The ruins turned to caves and I with every step I felt the cold damp mud between my hooves. The air was slightly less stale, coming in from small openings that led to the forests outside.

As we approached what was the Queen's lair I could smell wild flowers in the air. A reminder of the seasons changing. No matter how much the world changed that was one thing that stayed mostly the same.

I stopped in the room my father and I had fought the Arachnid Swarm. It was empty, void of any remnants of the spider queens army. The room was lit by blue moss glowing and growing up the walls. It was nice not having to use Dark Vision to see, and knowing Mori could see as well was a relief.

Mori jumped down and turned around. Laying my leather trousers and linen shirt on the ground. I began my transformation back into a young boy, quickly grabbing my clothes and putting them on alongside my bracers. I felt a little embarrassed that Mori had seen me undress under duress before so this time I tried to remain a little bit of modesty.

"Great, you can talk now right?" she said slightly annoyed that when I transformed I couldn't speak. She took off my jacket and handed it over to me. "Thanks, your pet is really cute," she said. I'd realized now that Gob had climbed out and into Mori's lap. He was standing on her shoulder now just like he would mine.

"Guess he likes you," I smiled. I held my hand out so that Gob could leap forward and climb back onto my shoulder but the little guy refused.

"Go on, its ok," Mori said.

"Maybe he thinks he's safer with you," I laughed.

"Maybe its that five seconds ago you looked like you were an abstract piece of art come alive," Mori told me.

"I guess I didn't think about that, sorry Gob," I apologized and the little Tenrec moved slightly closer towards me, sniffing my hand as I continue to hold it out. I never thought about what others might see or think when they saw me transform, I only remembered how horrified I was when I first watched my mother do the same. Experiencing something and seeing it without notice were two very different things.

Gob understood quickly and came over, walking up the side of my arm and sitting at last on my right shoulder.

I was happy to have my little friend back, life wasn't the same when he wasn't around. Gob was in many ways a constant reminder that life found a way, that no matter what happened I wasn't alone. From one life to the next. Gob was more of a familiar to me than a pet.

"The Queen should be in the one of the tunnels ahead, I can hear Arachnids moving in the dark," I told Mori. Again, my ears were still silver and wolf-like, the only part of me that never changed back to normal. By now Mori and everyone in the village were use to it.

"Are you sure? I don't… wait.." Mori said, she began to look up towards one of the air tunnels. There was something faint, a singing coming out of it. Something that wasn't Arachnid or Alantris.

Mori, enchanted by the sounds began to run, taking off after the simple melody. I could barely hear it, more of a sense, a knowing that it was there.

I turned to stop her but she ran faster.

"Mori, stop, that isn't the way," I said. Wondering if I should go on without her as we began to ascend the ruins up a small tunnel that would lead to the forest outside.

"Don't leave her," I told myself. I knew it wouldn't be right, that whatever she was following was not Alantris but something else and I couldn't abandon her. Running behind her I felt the hair on my arm rise. There was an intense pressure building as I saw the light of the outside world. It was still daylight, we had been making better time than I thought. We emerged into a field of colorful flowers. The smell of flowers, the heat of the sun's rays, it was calming. The field, covered in poppies. Calming, the pollen was moving through the air, circling around us as if someone or something was in direct control of it. I knew we had emerged from the caves into some kind of trouble I just wasn't sure what.

"Kai, it’s so beautiful," Mori cried. She had tears running down her eyes.

"Mori, we have to go back. We have to find Alantris," I told her.

"Kai, we can just stay here. We don't have to…" before she could finish her sentence she fell asleep unconscious on the ground. I ran over to her side and noticed Gob was starting to fall off my shoulder.

"Not you too," I groaned. I grabbed the Tenrec mid-air as he fell and gently placed him back into my pocket. Whatever magic was surrounding us had no effect on me.

A wild boar emerged from the woods. Ten times larger than any I'd ever seen in my life. I unsheathed my sword. I wasn't going to risk starting a fire in the field so I knew I needed to rely on my melee skills.

The boar was running towards Mori in a frenzy. Pretty obvious now that this was some kind of trap.

-Bestiary-

Wild Boar

Description: With tusks and might wild boars are feared throughout the wilds. Unstoppable when they charge forward their tusks can push back even the mightiest adventurers. Hunted for their tusks and meat.

HP: 40 / 80

Weaknesses: All forms of Magic, Poison

Immunities: None

I ran forward, holding my sword outwards with both hands. The boar had tunnel vision and Mori was its target. It barely noticed me as my sword sliced it through from one side to the other.

Critical Strike + Stealth Bonus

Damage Dealt x40

The boar was already injured. My attack did it in It fell just several yards away from Mori's sleeping body.

I took a deep breath in a sigh of relief but the danger was far from over as another wild boar emerged from the woods surrounding the field.

I ran forward and attacked it the same way. Just as my father taught me.

Critical Strike + Stealth Bonus

Damage Dealt x40

It didn't go down. It wasn't injured like the last one. I nearly tripped turning around and swinging my sword across its back end twice, taking it down as it passed me.

Critical Strike + Stealth Bonus

Damage Dealt x40

I was lucky it had tunnel vision and everyone of my strikes were Critical. Before I could catch my breath more and more emerged from the woods.

Critical Strike + Stealth Bonus

Damage Dealthx40

Critical Strike + Stealth Bonus

Damage Dealt x40

Critical Strike + Stealth Bonus

Damage Dealt x40

Before I knew it I was standing on above the bodies of five dead wild boars. Enough meat to feed the Haven for a week. If there was a Haven to go back to I'd have to make sure we sent a scouting party back here. Everyone could feast after our battle.

Mori still lay unconscious on the ground. I wasn't sure why or what I needed to do. The thought cross my mind, maybe burning down the field was the only way. That was until I heard her voice…

-Bestiary-

Błędnica

Description: A demoness. Known to lead people astray into the woods so that she and her animal thralls can feed. The Błędnica lures away people with its song that makes them fall asleep. The Błędnica looks like a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair, tall and slender with vibrant red eyes.

HP: 100 / 100

Weaknesses: Fire, Lightning, Ice, Poison

Immunities: Water

I'd heard stories of her. My mothers told me that when Haven was first settled she would appear and lure away workers before there were walls. She wasn't strong by any means, but she always had a pack of animals by her side, and her magic was highly effective against humans. Only demi-humans could resist her song. After the wall was finished she seemed to disappear, especially as warriors began hunting just outside our walls. She hated people. My father, my mothers, and others hunted her to no avail. Every time they thought they had found one of her dens she had already moved on. They knew for sure that she continued to feed on the lost and alone. Survivors that had fled to Haven from the mainland, couriers, all disappeared without a trace. Inside her abandoned dens my people found nothing but the decayed and rotting remains of the dead.

Naked in front of me she stood.

"Such a sweet looking pup," her voice, soft, sweet, spoke out. "Such a temper, it seems that you lack training."

"I've plenty of training thank you," I grinned, readying my sword with both hands. Feet spaced evenly apart. I knew I shouldn't attack her head on like I did the boar. She looked harmless but that was part of her strategy. She was smart, unlike other demons that roamed mindlessly, driven only by their gluttonies she could think as freely as a human.

"Pity you had to kill so many of my pets but on the other hand, a Krsnik would be a mighty replacement," she licked her lips.

She knew what I was. I frowned my face at her. I was all that stood between Mori and her. Though she seemed more interested in me than a meal I had no doubt she would kill her first chance she had.

"I'm no pet," I growled.

"Such a temper. I see I need to teach you some manners," she hissed. Her jaw widened and her teeth elongated into large iron fangs. Not unlike the Psolglav. Her fingers and nails turned into long pointy claws and she looked more like a witch of the woods than a human.

She leapt forward. She was fast. Even with the power up her HP didn't increase so I knew I could still kill her with a handful of Critical Strikes.

I focused my mana into my sword. Fuck burning down the field. I leapt forward to meet her in the middle of her attack. Thinking to myself that the best defense was a successful offense. I was wrong. She saw me coming and smiled. Her mouth widened from one side of her face to the other. A second later she moved so fast I couldn't see her. She was behind me, going after Mori just like I thought.

My father told me once that when fighting demons the smarter ones always eliminated the weaker opponents first. It wasn't at all uncommon and I knew that from experiences I had in my past life.

This body of mine is light but still slow. Fragile compared to the body I had in m past life. Less worn down, less callous. I wasn't fast enough with a sword and I knew it. Slamming my blade into the ground I summoned a ball of fire in my palm and held it outward. Flinging fire across the field.

Damage Dealt x 30

I hit the Błędnica in the back. She turned towards me growling just in time for me to run forward and swing my sword into her shoulder.

Critical Strike

Damage Dealt x 20

Bleeding x10 / Ten Seconds

My blade was stuck between her bone as she reached up and grabbed my sword with her hands. Pulling it forward through her in an attempt to bring me closer. I let it go. She was already bleeding out but I didn't have time to wait for her to die. She was still fast, relentless, and now frenzied. I summoned another ball of fire and when I felt her nails dig into my chest I threw my palm atop her forehead. It took less than a second to turn her entire skull to ash. Her arms fell, lifeless down to her side as the rest of her body buckled and fell backwards over her knees.

Laying on the ground where her head would have been was a glowing red demon core. I must have knocked it out when I fired my attack.

"Nobody calls me pet," I grinned, falling down against my sword in the field of flowers.

"Kai?" I heard Mori whisper, she was finally awake.