《Tuatha de Danann》Tuatha Book 2 Chapter 29
Advertisement
"Lord Teigh?" Findabair addressed me hesitantly. We had never met. The Twelve decided the allocation of where each Sidhe would live and those that would lead each Underhill. Once I had taught them the secret to opening the mystical highway that connected all [Fairy Rings], they used that knowledge to create an Underhill network that canvased Europe, Africa, and Asia.
"Yes," I answered, not taking my eyes off Beowulf.
"You wanted to meet," I said, directly addressing my comments to Beowulf. This wasn't an attempt at diplomacy; as such, there was no reason to worry about protocols. As I began our conversation without waiting for an introduction, I decided that I would ignore politics for expediency. I wasn't sure the Beastkin practiced politics in the first place.
"Findabair says Mongols come," Beowulf said, his voice broken, almost as if he hadn't spoken in months or years. As a Beastkin, it was possible he hadn't. I wasn't sure how their society worked, even if they had something I would understand as civilization.
For all I knew, Beowulf and the rest of the Beastkin lived their lives like the animals their warped forms were derived from. It was just as likely that they roamed in small packs, hunting or grazing whatever they came across as they wandered.
I'd not heard of any cities or towns for his people. It did make me wonder how Ogedei thought he could conquer a land and people when those people were always moving. It would make war hard without a target to concentrate an attack on.
"They are making preparations now. I believe Ogedei, son of the Great Khan, will finish his preparations and move to annex Kievan Rus in the next day or two."
And that may be the solution to the Beastkin problem. If Ogedei simply claimed Kievan Rus and began building and fortifying one of their tent cities. The people were adept at creating temporary towns and villages. The yurts were constructed to allow nomadic people to move as needed.
"Why you tell?" He growled.
"The armies of Man have been attacking and killing the Sidhe for decades. We have decided to form alliances with the Beastkin, Elves, Dwarves, Vampires, and other magical races," I replied. "If Man is willing to destroy our people, kill until no Sidhe remain, do you honestly believe they won't turn their attention to the other races they consider different once they have succeeded?
Advertisement
"The Mongols deciding to annex Kievan Rus only proves their intentions. Man believes they are the superior race and that there is no room in this world for any not of their people. They will whittle us down, one by one, unless we join together and beat back their armies."
"What you want Beowulf do?" He barked.
"For now, guard your land and people. We will attack the Mongols after they move toward you. Make them think the Vikings are the people attacking them. It should get them to retreat, to focus on the Vikings instead. But it would help if you were ready," I warned.
"If it doesn't work, or if Ogedei decides to split his forces, you should have your people ready to bleed his army dry using guerrilla tactics."
"What guerrilla tactics?" He asked.
"A new way of fighting. Kill and run. Hide and kill when they aren't watching. Wait until they sleep and enter their camp to kill them," I explained.
"Use stealth and your knowledge of your land to find places to attack where you can kill them, steal their supplies and equipment, and demoralize them.
"Never engage in a battle where they can marshal their forces and use their weapons and horses to their advantage. Bleed them dry slowly, weakening them as they advance until they have no choice but to retreat or face annihilation from your hidden forces."
I knew the use of guerrilla tactics would change the way war was waged. Armies standing across fields waiting to clash was a construct that was only effective when the opposing army was there for you to fight with.
Caesar's legions were so effective because of their shields and lances, but their battle formations were only effective if you chose to clash. If you raided them while moving, left traps, poisoned their food supplies, and killed their commanders in the dead of night, they would become demoralized.
The wages of war would remain the same. Death would come for all at some point. But small bands of dedicated people using guerilla tactics could have a real impact in determining who death harvested.
"You want Beowulf just kill? What difference? Beowulf already kill," he asked in confusion.
"The difference is that you tell us if you need help, and the Sidhe will come and fight with you. If Sidhe needs help, we ask, and Beastkin will come to fight with us.
Advertisement
"The more of us that work together, the harder it will be for the armies of Man to kill us all. They are like locusts, swarming and destroying everything in their path. Only Man will survive if we don't stop them," I advised him.
"There will be no Sidhe left. No Beastkin. No Elves. No Dwarves. No Vampires.
"They will kill and kill and kill until they have no one left to kill but each other.
"If we let them kill us one at a time, they will win, but if we fight together or get them to turn on each other, we will survive. We will hold what is ours. And we can protect our people and each other.
"I hope we can become an alliance of friends. The magical races need to begin working together to withstand the relentless encroachments of Man and his iron."
"How Man different from Sidhe?" Beowulf asked. "Both kill Beastkin."
"The Sidhe do not hunt and will not skin Beastkin to use the hides as clothing. We do not pursue you for your horns, teeth, or claws. We do not mount your heads on our walls to show others what mighty hunters we are.
"The Sidhe respect nature. All nature, in all its forms. We might kill Beastkin. Beastkin might kill Sidhe. But we do not kill for joy.
"Man will remake the world. They kill for pleasure, not to hunt, not to protect. They do not respect the planet or the diverse animals and people that live on it."
Beowulf replied with a few snarls, grunts, and howls. There were even a few whistles and tweets tossed in the mix. I had already noticed the forest surrounding us was teaming with Beastkin but hadn't mentioned it or reacted to it.
The reason for Beowulf's more beastly vocalization became apparent when four individuals stepped forward. A Beastkin with feline attributes, one of the Draken, the descendants of Dragons, a Spider-type Beastkin, and a Beastkin that had evolved using the Condor as a model.
Their attack was not without some warning. I had felt the killing intent as soon as the four Beastkin began to move. I wasn't sure exactly why Beowulf had commanded these four to attack, and I didn't want to exacerbate the situation by killing them for no reason, so I would act with restraint.
Still, I couldn't ignore their actions, but I could respond without really harming them. Ice began to spread out from where I stood, a sheet of ice that blanketed the ground and expanded outward.
Beowulf and Findabair were the first to encounter the ice flow; each was ignored as I directed the ice to pass by them. Once it reached three of the attackers, it thickened and flowed up their legs, encasing them as the ice held them firmly in place.
The last attacker could fly, but a blast of wind was enough to ground the Beastkin and allow me to bury it in the same spreading ice flow as the others.
"Good," Beowulf laughed loudly. "You strong. They come with you. Will help. Will watch. They say to me if your words true."
The attack had been a ruse, a method to determine how I would react and if I was powerful enough to protect myself. I didn't think much about the strategy's effectiveness, but at least it demonstrated that they had trained and developed tactics that relied on animal chatter.
"Are they coming only as observers?" I asked. "I need to know if I should assign Sidhe to protect them or if they will fight to protect themselves or run from danger."
Beowulf could have taken my words as an insult, but he didn't. The four Beastkin, on the other hand, bristled angrily. They reacted to my words as a challenge, my questioning whether they would fight a slight on their abilities.
I didn't intend my words to be interpreted like that. But I was pleased that they had misunderstood. It gave me insight into who and what I would be dealing with. They would act as Beowulf's eyes and ears, but that did not mean they weren't independent thinking people.
They would fight and protect themselves, and to think they needed protection was an insult to them and their kind.
I would allow them to observe. The four Beastkin could watch as I destroyed the Mongol's encampment. Let them stand witness to Sidhe's tactics and determination. I would return them to report to Beowulf what they had witnessed.
Advertisement
Dimensional Mage(?)
Jonah is your usual 19 year old, besides the fact that, to help his widowed Mother, he chooses to quit school and does many different part time jobs for money. He does that, so his little Sister can go to college and have a good education. But a month after his 18th Birthday everything changed. Underground stations and different monuments or big buildings changed to dungeons and everyone inside died. A new "System", together with blue boxes, got introduced and changed law and order completely. Now humans can level up and be as strong as Superman or be as fast as Flash. But to be like that, you have to risk your life in dungeons and kill monsters. Right after the system appeared on earth, an alien guild named Frontline-Guild, appeared and they chose to make different cities their base and keep the nearby dungeons safe, so that Humanity can survive. This is a story about Jonah Bellwood and how he rises to be the strongest mage(?) on earth. *This is my very first try at writing a novel and I'm not a native in English, so pls tell me mistakes and I will fix them ^^ *There won't be harem, but I will try myself on some romance. I always liked romance in LitRPG, so I will try my best do an acceptable romance that works together with the story. *Later I will also add some POV's for some important chars, but not for many, cuz thats too much for me at the moment.
8 101No Moon
Vree liked his humans. They were kind, clever, and tended to be adorable, in the way that a small, particularly spiny cub was adorable right before it bit you. Of course, small adorable cubs usually couldn’t shapeshift or burst into flame whenever it suited them. Tusca hired a teenager on a whim, and a doctor because they were old friends. Unfortunately, nothing is ever simple when a Red Baron is at the helm.
8 59Undetermined
Death and Taxes. The two insurpassable laws of the universe. So long as humans exist in this world, these things will remain. However, there is a 3rd law which has always, and will always implement itself on people. Suffering. Reincarnated in a new world, five people are forced to learn this the hard way. Placed on 'Nightmare mode' and being reincarnated as monsters, they are forced to survive under incomprehensible conditions. However it is only through suffering, that we grow as people. And it is only through suffering, that we truly become monsters. "Nightmare mode.... eh? Tell me, what exactly was this mode supposed to mean again? Were our lives supposed to become nightmares?" Without suffering, there is no change in anything. "Or were we supposed to become the nightmares?" This is the story of the antiheroes. [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]
8 334CodeName: Impact
The Western Roman Empire, has against all odds, survived until the year 1504. The effects on the world are widespread till even this day. Europe is forever changed, the rising nations from the ashes of the western empire hold true to Roman ideals. Latin remains the shared language across western Europe and the notion of nation-building maintains firm till after the Era of colonialism. Fast forward to the year 2048 and our world has changed beyond recognition. Once under the control of the Imperial Federation, a grand super-state of a size never seen before, the British Isles were ripped from their grasp in the year 2025 to an unknown invader calling themself the First Knight and the future conqueror of Earth. Yet, the so-called "future conqueror of Earth" made no moves of aggression towards the outside world. But instead closed its borders and entered into an era of seclusion. 23 years later and the Authority has begun to stir, the generation of Roman-Britons once loyal to the Federation are slowly matching to their graves. And as rebellion dwindles, the war machine arises in its place as millions of soldiers roar our maxim. "All is Beneath the Authority! And All shall stay Beneath!" The world may not fear our future conqueror of Earth, but they shall soon. For it is fear and fear alone that enables our rule. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Currently under rewrite/rework. Please hold
8 148Mythron Chronicles
Savo is an accomplished man in the business world and seeks to build his urban empire. At age twenty-four, he has succeeded in creating one of the most prominent brands in the country. Wearied by his daily work and responsibilities, Savo finds asylum in tinkering. His leisure trips and vacations had led him to discover an object which would proceed to redirect his life plans. Transported to another world, left to witness its wonders and horrors, and staying true to his ambition of returning home, Savo traverses the world of Mythron in hopes of returning home. Yet, how is he to do this? It seems that the world is somewhat set on sabotaging his plans yet again.
8 196Rogue (Rogue #1)
In 2056, SCOPE is a legendary VRMMPORG game played all over the world in underground arenas. And one of these devoted gamers is Eniola Adeyemi, a clever San Francisco teen keeping her gaming career with her SCOPE team Rogue an enormous secret. When the chance comes to prove herself and her gaming career to her Nigerian parents and the gaming world, she leaps at the chance to go to Los Angeles to compete with her friends in the SCOPE Championships, a 10-day competition inside the massive and immersive VR universe. However, something deep lurks inside the SCOPE and the mysterious hacker and vigilant Paradox might be behind it. When they further investigate and get pulled deeper by new daunting discoveries, Eniola and her teammates are now reluctantly held down with a new challenge to fight and take them down.
8 175