Name: Erebrom Golliher

Race: Human

Classes: Skirmisher lvl 10, Marksman lvl 2

XP: 464

Size: 179

Faction: Donegal, Tritannia

Armor: 12

HP: 144/144

Strength: 12/Speed: 16/Endurance: 12/Magic: 6/Plasticity: 10/Luck 14

Senses: Vision 5, hearing 3, smell 3, taste 2, touch 2

Skills: Powerful archery 6, leadership 1, strike 1, grapple1, throw 1, block 1, dodge 2, deflection 2, focus 1, graceful blades 6, tracking 2, identify beast 4

Class abilities: Phalanx, volley, steady aim

“I’m still not okay with this.” I said with a huff, bow at the ready and aimed towards the ground as we trudged forwards. The rest of the group let out a collective sigh and I could feel Aislee’s eyes boring holes into the back of my head.

“We know. You’ve made yourself quite clear the last dozen times.” She said pointedly, which made me feel a bit bad about harping on the point so much. I could hear the way her staff impacted the grass just that little bit harder to punctuate her annoyance.

“Look, if you don’t want to use magic, then fine, don’t use the sword. No one else is forcing you. Just stand back and let us do all the fighting.” Fearghas said, raising his own bow beside me. I could tell the big lug was trying to comfort me, but it just came off as condescending.

“We’ve had this exact argument, every day for the past week.” Cicero said flatly. “What’s the point of even bringing it back up?” He asked, shield raised to push the brush aside.

“Because before I was arguing about you using magic, this time they’re asking me to use magic.” I said, grumbling slightly. They handed us these wooden swords, enchanted specifically to deal non-lethal damage to the enemy. Normally these are used for training soldiers, but they gave them to us for this mission.

“Again, you don’t have to use it. We’re just hunting down a mandrill, I doubt it’s even going to take more than one of us to catch it.” Fearghas said, which only brought back the memory of me getting stabbed in the leg repeatedly with my own knife. It still aches when I stretch. No, this isn’t just some random mandrill. It’s a boss monster, and a smart one. There’s a saving grace in the fact that it’s only level five at least.

“Why do they even want us to take it in alive anyways? Wouldn’t it be better just to kill it and be done with it?” I asked, but it was less of a question and more a statement of my exhaustion. I will admit the last time I fought the thing it wounded both my leg and my pride, but even acknowledging that, it’s a stupid risk to let a boss live, much less a proto-boss.

“When will humanity ever get this kind of chance again? Every other proto-boss that has been discovered in all of known history has been found above level thirty. We have an opportunity to capture one at level five, and study it!” Aislee said, and even through her scarf I could hear her practically salivating at the thought.

“Do mages ever think about anything other than study and research?” Fearghas teased, breaking her out of her bubble of imagination, eliciting a huff of displeasure from the woman.

“Of course, we also think about how to keep you morons alive.” She said, though the way she held her staff out like a cudgel begged to differ.

“Can you please focus on the task at hand? There are other monsters in these woods, and this is the highest level quest we’ve ever received. Bickering isn’t exactly going to keep us alive.” Cicero said bluntly, his glare only accentuated by his helmet’s brow. It even made Fearghas shrink a little.

I kept my bow up, ready to attack any of the more aggressive beasts of the jungle. We were lucky that the vale primarily spawns beasts, and mostly insects. While they can be tough, at this low of a level they don’t have any of the nasty tricks you get deeper into the vale. The only ones you really need to look out for are either the minibosses like the lesser centipedes, and the ripper boar, or the area boss which is in the south side of the jungle.

I still couldn’t keep my attention off the sword on my back. Even when scanning for anything dangerous, I could feel it on my back and I was reminded it was there. Before we had left the city, I had given my objections but they were ignored, outfitting every search party with them. Even still, it didn’t sit right with me. The monastery forbids the use of magic. The other three aren’t bound by that rule, but I take it seriously.

Aislee objects for obvious reasons, she’s a white mage. The academy and monastery fight each other more than they do demons. Cicero Is already working on becoming a whitehawk once he goes back to the capital so giving up magic isn’t an option in his mind. Fearghas was more sensible at least. He’s not against magic like I am, but he doesn’t use it either. Though I have a feeling that it’s mostly due to the fact that none of the classes he has planned to take even use magic.

And of course even now in my own head I’m already repeating the same argument that we’ve all shouted at each other over and over, but this time I have a magic weapon strapped to my back. One I can’t use. How am I supposed to fight the monkey and not kill it? The sword isn’t an option, and the bow is definitely going to kill it if I get a hit. So what am I supposed to do? Punch it?

We heard the commotion in the distance, and all at once we crouched. The other search parties had spread out in other directions, so it couldn’t be them. We heard the yowling and scraping, so there were a pair of jungle cats fighting something. The sounds of branches snapping and rushing wind covered the hooting of the mandrills but I could recognize it easily. So I motioned to Cicero, giving him a nod to let him know that this is what we were looking for.

Fearghas and I both hunkered down behind a pair of trees, bows drawn and ready to shoot. There were three mandrills in the tree and two jungle cats were fighting against three mandrills. Well I say three, but one is doing all the fighting while the other two were standing back and throwing things at the cats. Not wanting to give away the element of surprise, I slipped back to where Cicero and Aislee were waiting and lowered my voice.

“We found it. Just sit back and wait until it’s finished with the fight, and we can swoop in to beat it while it’s weak.” I said, keeping my voice low, but Aislee shook her head.

“We can’t! What if the cats kill it? We need to go in right now.” She said, but I just rolled my eyes. “Cats aren’t going to kill a boss monster. Trust me. Once the fight is over, we can step in. We’ll shoot the other two monkeys down, and you can step in to finish it off.” I gestured to Cicero who let out a sigh.

“Fine, but if it dies I’m holding you accountable.” He said, kneeling down in wait for my signal. Just as I got back behind the tree again, I watched the monkey plummet off the tree and the cats surrounding it. I could also see that it was still holding my knife. The thieving little… No time for that now. Focus on the fight. The fist cat was killed by what looked like a thrown stone, but the way it cracked open on impact said otherwise. The second cat pounced and viciously mauled the monkey, but the knife came up into the cat’s belly, finishing it off.

I knew the monkey would win, but the fact that it was willing to go to the lengths it was still surprised me. They huddled together again before climbing back up the tree, headed west. Right past us. Fearghas and I both pulled out bows back as they passed overhead. Luckily it looks like it was looking up for more cats above it. Fearghas was the first to fire, hitting one of the monkeys mid-jump, sending it plummeting to the ground. So I shot the remaining one from the branch and it fell right after.

Creature level is too low. 0 XP

Creature level is too low. 0 XP

Cicero moved to intercept where it might run to, but to my surprise it didn’t run away. It jumped down to climb down the tree and landed beside the two dead monkeys. I had my bow ready, and I could shoot it here, but they still wanted it alive. So I watched as it grabbed the limp arm of one of the monkeys and lifted it slightly as Fearghas rushed in. The change in its eyes was instant. As soon as it saw a human, it went from just an animal to a monster. There was no doubt that it was a proto-boss.

Fearghas was rushing in from behind, while Cicero was coming in from the front, shield raised in front of him. I watched as the mandrill took in a deep breath and opened its mouth in a blood curdling shriek. I watched the air in front of it rippling away as Cicero was thrown off of his feet and through the air several feet. Though it didn’t end there, she whipped around and what I thought was just a simple wind spell turned into a continuous gale throwing away everything. She even managed to hit Fearghas with it as well, making him roll backwards over his shoulder.

Aislee was watching from a distance as well, and seeing the monkey cast magic, she started taking the fight more seriously. She raised her staff, starting the incantation for one of her spells. Cicero’s legs started to glow white and his speed increased, launching him forward as he raised the wooden sword. He brought it down in a powerful slash, but the monkey hopped to the side, just out of the way of the blade and started to run, bolting for a tree. Luckily Cicero was much faster, and simply interposed himself between them.

I stood silently wondering how a level five mandrill was able to do something like that, and quickly used identify beast, the glassy window opening up in front of me. I read it, and nearly coughed. Surely this must be a mistake, I was certain just yesterday it was level five. I opened my mouth, trying to voice a warning to the group but I couldn’t find the words. What was I supposed to say?

Name: Natasha

Race: Mandrill matriarch lvl 10

Size: 75

Type: Beast

Faction: Unaligned

Fearghas got back to his feet quickly, drawing both his swords and rushing in for a few loose chops, the first came down and she ducked under it, the second she jumped backwards in time to avoid but the third came as an upward cut with his forward blade. The wooden tip smacked at its jaw, throwing its head back, and I could tell Fearghas thought that was the end of it, but as he went in to finish things with a powerful overhand, the mandrill threw itself forward, jaws opening and its teeth sunk into the gambeson covering his thigh. I was shocked to hear him shout, its teeth surely can’t puncture his thick padding, but as it pulled back, his white jacket was quickly stained red. It was only after that, my mind was forced back to reality, reminded that I’m not just an observer here.

“Everyone! I just identified it! It’s a level ten mandrill matriarch!” I shouted out, and they all were as stunned as I was. They all threw away their misconceptions that this would be easy at that moment.

“You mean a patriarch?” Aislee interjected, but as she did Cicero was slashing at the mandrill, hitting it hard in the ribs and lifting it up into the air slightly.

“No, it says matriarch. I’ve never heard of it before. I don’t know its ability.” I answered, just as it grabbed onto Fearghas and started climbing up his chest. He quickly raised his blades, crossing them in front of his face and using them to push it away from his head.

“If it never gets to use it, it doesn’t matter.” Cicero said, though he hesitated, holding his sword up but he didn’t want to risk hitting Fearghas. Aislee however was quick to cast rejuvenation on Fearghas to start healing his leg. The Mandrill let out another shriek as Fearghas pushed it back down his body, but it clung to his arm and swung down to the back of his leg, jamming its foot right into the bite wound as it scampered up his back

“Cover your head!” Cicero shouted, as he circled around with inhuman speed. Fearghas quickly brought his head down and covered it with both hands. As soon as he had, Cicero gave one slash straight downward, risking hitting his back. The mandrill however wasn’t going to simply stand still and leapt forward onto the sword arm. Just as suddenly as she had moved, Cicero jumped back, bringing his shield between them and shoving it off.

Never before had I seen a full team in a standoff against a single monkey, but I could see, even in that profoundly inhuman face, the rage in its eyes. It gave off a sharp exhale and suddenly the wind picked up around it. I don’t know anything about elementalism, so the magic was foreign to me. I didn’t expect the already surprisingly fast monkey to suddenly not only match Cicero’s speed, but even his enhanced speed. He tried to keep the shield between them but it used it like a blind spot. As soon as he raised it, the mandrill zipped past him and darted right for Aislee.

In just two bounds it jumped from the ground to a tree and from the tree towards her. Aislee tried to chant quickly but the monkey was right on her lunging with knife in hand. Fearghas and Cicero both chased after but the monkey had latched on, wrapping an arm around her neck and bringing the knife up to her cheek and stopping. We all froze in place. The mandrill was holding her hostage. I knew it was clever, but this is more than even I expected. We stood in silence for a moment, no one wanting to make a move, but we couldn’t exactly negotiate with it either.

“What do we do?” Fearghas asked in a sort of stage whisper, as not to startle the mandrill. I looked down at my bow, thinking about how good of a shot I am. I could just kill it, but I would be risking hitting Aislee. In my mind, this was proof enough that trying to take it in alive was a mistake, and they should have let me bring my sword. The wind died down around the mandrill but with it still holding that blade we couldn’t step in.

“Aislee, you’re going to have to use your staff.” Cicero said calmly. “Move slowly, and lower it down beside you. You swing back as fast as you can and you’ll either surprise it or trade blows.” Cicero said, and Aislee’s eyes objected, seeing how close the blade was to said eye, but she still did as she was told, lowering down the staff beside her. I could see her breathing quicken in her chest and the hesitation in her hands. Though in the meantime the mandrill just stood there quietly, watching everything. You could see it thinking, planning.

Just then, the monkey seemed to grin at me maliciously before Aislee went for the swing. The mandrill thrust the knife into her face, slicing open her cheek, but also took a blow to the chest from the staff. The monkey fell backwards and rolled over its shoulder, somersaulting into a dash as it tried to run. Fearghas hesitated, wanting to check on Aislee, but Cicero was in a dead sprint to follow the monkey. I motioned for Fearghas to go as I ran for Aislee, and he nodded, following Cicero.

“Are you alright?” I asked as I ran up to her. She quickly pulled off the hat and tugged the scarf away from her face, and I got a look at the damage. The knife didn’t just hit the cheek, but started at the cheek and sliced backwards, making the right side of her jaw hang loose. There was no way she was casting spells like this, and blood was pouring from her cheek. I cursed silently but quickly reached into her bag to grab her bandages.

I could hear the fighting going on in the woods, but couldn’t pay attention to it. Scrambling to make a compact for the wound and sealing it in place. Once we get her back to town we can get someone to cast rejuvenate on her, but this will keep her alive for now. I let out a sigh once I had finished, but quickly turned my attention back to the fight.

I saw the mandrill bouncing off a tree trunk and jumping off of it to leap over Fearghas’ head. He slashed up and missed, whirling around in a spinning backhand to try to catch it mid-fall. Both attacks missed, and the mandrill tumbled over its shoulder again before making another rapid change of direction, hopping back in a dash to avoid Cicero’s blade, but only then did I notice that it was dodging, but not running away. In the time it took me to bandage Aislee, it could have gotten much further away.

Both of the men were being practically taunted with how close they were, but the mandrill stayed just out of reach, a second and third dash used to quickly change directions before the blade came down again, each time avoiding being surrounded. Aislee grunted and coughed, opening her mouth just enough so she could spit out a mouthful of blood. Knowing her she had some harsh words to spread about the monkey but her venom would have to wait until after we returned to town.

My thought was then interrupted by a thunderous CRACK, wind ripping through the air and the knife I’d once thrown at the monkey was then piercing into and then through Fearghas’ right bicep. The right arm immediately went limp, the wooden sword falling uselessly to the dirt. The free hand tried again to slice but the monkey grabbed his short sword, instead wielding it in both hands. What kind of spell was that?

Now obviously the monkey was in no way trained to wield the blade and it showed, it was less than a novice, and it showed. It could barely even align its edge as it chopped at Fearghas’ remaining blade. He was able to block it and deflect away, as Cicero came up to relieve him. Fearghas was a hefty guy, but these injured limbs seem to be taking their toll on him. Down one arm and one leg sluggish.

Cicero on the contrary was unscathed, slipping his shield in and stopping the worst of what the monkey was aiming for. I couldn’t help but feel guilty, both for the knife that had just crippled Fearghas’ arm being one of my own, and also for the fact that I couldn’t help in the slightest because of this magic sword. Reduced to sitting back and watching the fight unfold without me.

The monkey did manage to block using the blade decently well for someone who’d never used a sword before, but Cicero was able to wind and bind the blade out of the way to go for a swing which resounded in a loud THWACK throwing its head back sharply. It was stunned, and now was the time for a strike, with Fearghas closing in to take the opportunity. I thought the fight was over then, but the sword met wood, clattering against the tree beside it.

The monkey wasted not one moment as it abused the opportunity, slicing up to return the favor, clattering against Fearghas’ chin, throwing his head back and stumbling backwards a few feet before falling. He wasn’t out cold but he was stunned. Again Cicero interposed himself between them, raising his blade for a thrust which was ducked again. I wanted badly to just raise my bow and sink an arrow between the shoulder blades but they had gone this far, surely they could handle it right?

The Monkey gave a few excited hoots before the wind started rushing again, but this time entirely around the blade. How many spells does this one monkey have? I watched as those clumsy swings suddenly became a wild flurry. Not one strike was skilled, but the sheer number of them was pushing Cicero onto his back foot, actually forcing him back. The view made me nervous that he would lose, but my suspicions were dashed as the monkey once again ducked behind his shield, using the blind spot to dash with surprising speed, and bring the sword down on Fearghas’s head. The man fell unconscious on the ground.

Suddenly I realized what was being done. We weren’t being fought to the death, like any monster would, we are being disabled. It knew it couldn’t fight all of us, so it silenced our mage first. Then it crippled Fearghas so it could steal his weapon. Now it was fighting Cicero alone. I grit my teeth at the thought that we had underestimated this mandrill, but Cicero was still up and uninjured. There was nothing it could do to really hurt him in his armor or his shield at that.

The monkey gave another shriek as the wind faded from its sword going on the offensive but against Cicero it may as well have been a child with the ease in which he parried. The shield then came up for a swift punch, the armored rim impacting the monkey’s face and throwing it back and rolling over again. I gave a sigh as it looked like it was over, but the monkey was barely holding on.

Cicero tried to end it quickly, giving one solid strike down, but the mandrill still crawled backwards, dragging itself out of the way before backing into a tree, giving out a sharp huff of breath. He paused just a moment to catch his breath before advancing, intent to finish this, but instead his shin suddenly impacted something.

All of a sudden wind erupted from nowhere, throwing his leg back and knocking him off balance. The mandril then rocketed forward in another sudden burst of wind, the sword arching through the air and dashing him across the nose. He started to fall back, when a third burst happened beside the monkey, launching it again for a second hit, but he raised his shield up to block her, only for her to jump off the shield and a final burst of wind sent her hurtling straight towards him and slamming the wood into his helmet dropping him unconscious as well.

It had happened so suddenly that I couldn’t even react, but now two of my friends were down and one was injured. I watched the monkey, labored breathing, raising the sword again, to turn and face me. I instinctively reached up, grabbing the handle of my sword but then remembering I can’t use it, but can I? Surely if given the choice between saving the lives of my friends and refusing magic, I could be forgiven for using the sword once. I grit my teeth, growling under my breath as I drew the sword to face the mandrill again.

The only reason we were backed so far into this corner was because we underestimated a boss, thinking just because we were a higher level that we could handle this, and maybe if I’d helped from the start we wouldn’t be in this mess. Guilt washed over me as I gripped the sword, drawing it out in front of me, and readying a stance to fight. We both stared each other down, and I could see the anger in its eyes.

It was a long ten second before wind suddenly picked up around it again, leaping forward with astonishing speed as I took a step back, but as the mandril leapt forward, Aislee’s staff swung out, scoring a direct hit on the head, and sending the monkey tumbling end over end and bouncing off the ground in front of me, finally unconscious. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and fell to my knees panting loudly. I looked up at Aislee, and she was as shocked about it as I was. We both sat there, dumbfounded for a whole minute in silence before I started laughing.

“Well, we caught it alive.”