Bonded Summoner

Book 4. Chapter 21: Longwei and Fhesiah - Undead Punishment

Longwei laughed as he swung his glaive through the skeletal knight, a thin layer of valor coating his blade. The enemy’s armor was no match for his blade, shredding through and slicing through the monster’s core.

“Once again, these enemies have only numbers! There is no skill, no courage.”

Yiming pierced several ghouls near him, his stabs and slashes with both precision and speed.

“When they are both unliving and unthinking, they have no need for courage, I’m afraid. Numbers and resilience are powerful on their own.”

Bedwyr road on his spectral horse, leaping through the ranks as he swung his war scythe. The man had unending endurance, swinging his weapon with mechanical precision. His paladin aura covered the [Warrior Brotherhood], protecting them from the deathly energies with his faith.

A wave of noxious gas approached their army, only for the many Emberborn to suck the energy toward them. Their odd flames of the unliving brightened, many of them releasing enhanced attacks or spells. A few Emberborn used non-death based attacks or magic spells, or simply used empowered melee strikes against the enemy undead.

Some skeletal warriors now fought for the Alliance, Morwen having taken control of them. Her undead priestesses released their own haze, turning the undead that fell near and converting the disgusting creep beneath their feet into their own domain.

Hundreds of javelins and arrows rained down on the enemy, many of the undead falling prey to the venomous auril of the reptile beastkin. Most of the undead Longwei faced were already weakened, either from venom or from the many magical attacks the emberborn rained down on the enemies.

Longwei continued fighting through undead with his sworn brother, the two friends having sworn an oath to fight at the other’s side. Like the peach tree oath of their great leader Guan Yu, his Guild was encouraged to become like brothers and fight together to accomplish their goals.

Yiming was good at the things Longwei wasn’t. For everything else, their wives handled the rest.

His glaive cleaved through enemies with ease, his valorous blade sharp. The large lizard man, Vesuvius, fought on the other side of the battlefield with his brethren, swinging an even larger glaive. Longwei was envious.

“Brother, how can I get bigger? That lizard man is outdoing me!”

Yiming laughed, as he cut down another ghoul. “When we reach Tier 2, many valor users get bigger when cladding themselves. Some of us go for a more condensed and speedy option, however.”

Longwei knew his brother in arms would go for the speedy option. But he knew that bigger was better. Everyone knew that!

Bedwyr sliced through a large skeletal knight with his scythe. “It looks like a large enemy approaches. Because it cannot call the bones of the fallen thanks to my wife, it is pushing here on its own to absorb the bones. We must destroy it.”

Longwei was ready. “I’m just getting warmed up! Let’s do it!”

Yiming sighed. “There are plenty of enemies coming to us, why must you look for more? Still, a little foresightfulness today can prevent struggles tomorrow. Let us push through and deal a decisive blow.”

Longwei’s class was [Red Tiger]. An evolution of the Warrior class, Longwei believed he received the rare class due to his unyielding determination and martial prowess. Cladding himself in his valor, he traded blows with his enemies, getting stronger as the fight continued.

Yiming’s class was the [White Horse], which symbolized his speed and agility, as well as his wisdom. His feet glided over the ground as if riding to battle, his glaive moving with both precision and speed. He would build up his valor over time, able to release much of it in bursts of speed and powerful attacks.

The three of them charged the monstrosity, finding Vesuvius, Jarrix, Roxo and Darris joining them. Their entourage cut through the undead, Bedwyr keeping them protected from the deathly energy and gases.

Longwei’s valor cladding could protect himself, but if he expended it just for protecting against the fumes, he may not have anything left for the enemy.

A large wave of undead had moved to flank them and cut them off, but Morwen’s undead met them, preventing them from barring their path. Ghouls and skeletal knights clashed with one another, Longwei not wanting to figure out friend or foe.

Seven bone golems were gathered around the bone monstrosity, and they were bigger than the usual. The bone and flesh construction was disgusting, but the bone golems were nothing more than a large skeleton with thicker bones and no spaces between them.

He laughed. “Perfect! One for each of us!”

Yiming groaned. “Make sure you target their core, Longwei. This is not a duel.”

Bedwyr’s deep, cold, scratchy voice was quiet, but could easily be heard over the din of battle. “Amarr, bless our weapons so that we may bring judgement to the wicked.”

A cold flame flickered around the seven warrior’s weapons.

Vesuvius frowned. “Hey, what gives. I shoot hot fire out of this.”

Bedwyr shrugged. “Should still work. It’s magic powered by the gods.”

The seven charged their opponents, the large creatures ponderous. Longwei gathered his mana and used his skill, [Tiger’s Roar], followed by [Tiger’s Fury].

A wave of magic echoed out from his roar, increasing the strength of his allies temporarily. His skin became red, beginning to build up his strength based on how long he had been fighting.

Longwei talked a big talk, but he knew the enemy in front of them was a big challenge. Then, they must face the bone monstrosity: an even bigger one. The possibility of death was high.

He summoned his inner strength. He drew his courage and bravery from within, thinking of how he must be strong to protect his brother and their wives. How this glorious battle would bring them to greater heights, he just had to meet this battle with iron-clad determination.

From deep within his soul, his inner strength answered his call. An aura borne from his courage, bravery, and strength of will was released. All doubt was removed, the fear of loss gone. It covered his body, enhancing it.

He pushed some of it into his glaive creating a large and sharp edge over it, and charged the bone golem closest to him.

He was light on his feet, his muscles filled with power. The golem swung a fast hook at him, Longwei sidestepping and slamming his glaive into the arm near the wrist.

The ice-flame coated blade left a small application of frost in its wake. The golem was put slightly off balance stumbling forward, as Longwei spun his body with the momentum of the swing, leaping when he was straight once more.

Longwei leaped with a thrust of his glaive, going for the opening his brother suggested: its core.

The golem righted itself quickly, and met his glaive with an uppercut of its other fist. This stalled Longwei in the air for a moment, the golem kicking out with its large foot before he could even hit the ground.

He pushed his valor into his glaive’s shaft as he met it with a horizontal guard, but the large golem’s foot was not easily stopped. He was sent tumbling through the air once more, the glaive being pushed into his chest and fracturing his bones as he was sent flying and rolling on the ground.

Longwei moved to get up, the large golem rushed once more at him. He wasn’t ready still when the straight punch was coming for his body.

But a near-streak of red light cut into the creature’s knee, causing it to stumble. A floating talisman neared him, the efforts of his wives. It released a small healing effect into the talismans on his body, restoring his bones.

His wives were both sort-of magical archers. One was a Talismancer, that used arrows to both attack and defend using magical talismans and scrolls attached to them. These could have countless effects, but many were quite mild, unless many were used or special formations were created using them.

The other, was a Battle Maiden. She could imbue her arrows with elements or pure magical energy, and she was no slouch with a sword or spear, either. Longwei was proud of his wives, but Yiming’s wife, a Holy Maiden, had saved him more times than he could count.

Thanks to the undead stumbling, he dodged the fist and cut into the other knee as he passed, pushing his valor into his blade and lengthening it. The knee joint was completely cut through, the creature stumbling into a kneeling position as ice spread from the wound.

Bones began floating from nearby to restore the knee, but the frost appeared to help prevent the bone from congealing, as Longwei cut into the creature’s back with vicious slices. The frost spread further with each attack, the golem swinging and trying to twist its body at him to land a blow.

Longwei was about to go for the killing blow, when a group of ghouls arrived. He clad himself further in valor as he roared, his tiger’s strength filling him. He swung his enlarged glaive in a wide arc, once more. Longwei cut through two ghouls like they were nothing, and spun with his momentum to turn his slash into an overhead cut over the golem.

The remaining creatures tried to cut into his body, but they skid off his valor cladding as he cut into the golem’s shoulder, nearly removing one of its arms entirely. Longwei kicked another ghoul and slammed the butt of his glaive into the other, before stabbing into the golem’s core in its chest.

The bones lost cohesion and fell to the ground, as he cut into the other ghouls. An arrow pierced another, and he cut down a skeletal warrior armed with a sword.

The large lizard men were already cutting into the bone monstrosity, along with his brother. Despite Longwei’s strength, his allies appeared to be above him, as he was still heating up.

Yiming danced around bone spikes, moving away from the large arm before it could even swing at him. His blade did not reach deep, but frost spread from each cut, sections of bone breaking away from the larger mass.

Bedwyr cut into the side of the large creature, pushing a cold blue flame up the creature, as his mount evaded the bone creature’s attacks.

The spectral horse ran on the air as if the ground was beneath its feet. The undead man with flaming skull sending waves of blue flames with each swing of his war scythe.

Longwei rushed to join the combat, his red energy from [Tiger’s Fury] having built from the attacks both inflicted on him and his own attacks against the enemy. A talisman landed on his back, imbuing him with more strength.

He took thundering steps at the enemy, and leaped as he pushed his valor to the maximum into his blade. It grew, becoming three meters long on its own. He was at the apex of his leap, when a bone spike erupted and raced toward his chest.

He was going to abandon his swing for blocking the spike, when a streak of white light raced through. It was his brother Yiming, and he cut the bone spike off. This allowed Longwei to sail to his target, swinging the large blade and cutting into it.

His cut reached deep, and ice carried further into the creature. Landing on the ground, he sliced and hacked into it more. He knew the Lizard man was on the other side of it, hacking into it as well. Red-hot flames were blasted through in an explosion, and Longwei was surprised to see the creature’s bones melting from within.

The four kept attacking the creature, the frost spreading. Longwei had hoped to land the finishing blow, but the large lizard man released a devastating blast into the creature’s center. The creature stopped moving, and the necromancer priestess took over the bone golems.

That was just fine. There were plenty of enemies for Longwei’s blade ahead.

Fhesiah spun the flames of her hearth, mixed in with her heavenly energy. She fanned the flames into the air, bathing a dozen ghouls in fire. She captured the flames that consumed the creatures as if they were merely fuel, and brought them back to her torch.

Rookard’s wolves and Tanda’s flock were becoming a well-oiled fighting machine, their use of auril-enhanced equipment and soldier’s tactics bringing them to a higher level.

Using their flight, the flock could easily strafe, flank, and charge the enemy’s softer targets. Meanwhile, Rookard’s wolves would form a solid barrier with their shields, their many fast wolves able to flank and be the hammer that meets the anvil.

Even larger undead weren’t impossible to defeat, Rookard able to pierce through with his blue auril. Auril-enhanced arrows and javelins fell onto the enemy like rain, taking apart the many skeletons and ghouls.

For the largest targets, Fhesiah and Ophelia were more than enough. These creatures were weak to their heavenly flames, whether powered by the goddess or heavenly energy.

They had now arrived at the trees, having destroyed two bone monstrosities. She and Ophelia had fought at the front of the formation, the two supporting the higher-leveled beastkin as they fought.

Their Highlands army was now standing under the trees, the army targeting the blighters where they were within range. The tree people were not overly powerful targets, casting strange curses and being the main producer of the poisonous gas.

The massive tree which was their target was close to within range. It was absolutely massive, like a ten-story building of twisted trees and knotted branches. It had what appeared to be arms, with tangling vines wrapped around it, danging from it.

There were many other branches beside the large arms, and scanning it with her divine sense, she almost thought it might be able to stand up or at the very least lean in a direction, reaching quite the large distance.

Many of the blighters were hanging off the tree, hundreds of them.

The massive number of blighters released another wave of noxious gas, and Ophelia moved to intercept, to release another [Consecration] to burn away the poisons, protecting the large army.

“I got it this time, sister. The lions are taking care of it this time for Jake, aren’t they?”

She received a mental nod from Ophelia, and the flame blazed on her [Torch of Hestia]. She fanned the flame once more before separating it, and infusing it with her Dao.

Her spirit’s will was made manifest, her path a part of her very being. She compressed it down to a tiny flame, and it took on a golden hue, reflecting the inviolability of life. She sent the small flame at the incoming gas.

Like a candle banishing the darkness, it pushed the gas away, causing it to split down the sides of the armies. The gas now dissipated ineffectually, rather than weakening and poisoning their allies.

She had finally fully integrated what she learned from Hestia about the flame of life that first day they met. Fhesiah had only unlocked a fraction of the power of the Goddess, until she witnessed Jake summoning Hestia on Highlands.

The second flame of hers that pushed away the dragon’s breath, Fhesiah had pushed forward her understanding, becoming more able to recreate it. Previously, she had only been able to add properties of the flame to her fires of creation. Now, she could use her flame to protect and exhibit the sanctity of life.

She pulled the flickering flame back to her, and pushed her Qi through the demonic runes on her fan. Unlike the magical focus Jake and Ophelia used for creating runes, or Jake’s functions, each rune behaved like a heavenly energy stencil and only made them more powerful and efficient. As a tradeoff, it seemed she was unable to combine them into a larger spell of her own.

The runes floated above the fan as they completed, and she quickly ordered them into the proper formation as they began echoing the truths of the dao, infusing her spirit and manifesting her will.

Ophelia added some of her Nordic runes into the formation. The meanings, or results of the runic phrases meant to enhance the flames and increase the amount of energy. It was fuel for the flames to consume, an accelerant.

A golden sun formed as she raised it above her head, the flickering flame joining it. She put a lot into this flame, knowing the importance of dealing a significant blow. She knew another wave of undead was about to roll in, protected by the trees themselves.

The heat from her miniature star was significant, enough that the creep beneath her floating feet was lit aflame, burning back several meters. She knew if the reptile beastkin were here, they would be shouting exclamations of awe and glory. A shame they were missing it, but they will hopefully see it again later.

She launched the orb at her target, the large tree nearly three hundred meters away. The sphere followed the ground at a rapid pace, crossing nearly sixty meters per second; well over a hundred miles per hour.

It followed the curvature of the world, staying about 2 meters off the ground. The creep was burned away in a large radius, creating a clear path a dozen meters wide as the flame went, and the flame continuing to spread and consume it.

The blighters in the trees all turned to it, casting their spells. Black bands of hexes and curses floated toward it, only for them to be consumed as fuel. Her spirit wavered as dozens of them collided with her flame, but she held onto her conviction with fierce determination, infusing it with even more of her will.

Some blighters even leaped into the way of the sphere from up in the trees, only to be consumed as well. The orb was both brighter and larger now as it neared the tree.

The large tree seemed to try to move its large arms to attack or block its assailant, but it was far too slow to do anything meaningful. It struck the base of the tree, exploding in a nova of flame that stuck to the undead tree like glue.

It wrapped around the massive tree in a blissful embrace, the unliving entity moaning in pain. The heavenly flames went up and around the tree, the fire brightening as it consumed the undead filth. It spread to the branches where many blighters were standing, eradicating dozens of blighters in mere seconds.

Of the over ten-story tree, nearly a third of it was engulfed in her bright flames. It spread upwards with every passing moment.

Ophelia used her runes to enhance her voice, “Double-time, people. The path has been cleared. Let us assault our target!”

The march of their army’s speed increased with a rapid beat of the war drums, rushing to add attacks against the tree. She watched both the tree itself and deep into the forest with her divine sense, as she began spinning a new flame with her torch and fan once more.

Her heavenly fire was now burning deep into the tree, and it was looking like her flame would be fueled forever by the tree’s undead taint. Suddenly, she felt a powerful malevolence coming from deep in the jungle.

A black energy surged through the forest through the ground, and grew up and around the tree, coming from the roots. Her flames were smothered where it touched, the undead flesh and bark being replenished.

She sent what she had of her current flame, infusing more fire. Ophelia activated her [Hearth of Hestia], adding the goddess’ divine flames to her own, before sending it at the tree to fight the evil energies.

Her new sphere of flame was different, but it slammed into the blackish energy that had reached nearly two stories up. The explosion ripped a large chunk of the tree out, the flames merging with the powerful flames above.

The malevolence pushed against the flames, but they held. Heat rose, and the flames continued climbing up the tree, as well as pushing down against the malevolence. After a time, the black energy receded, the flames winning.

Fhesiah did her best to scan the tree in the center of the jungle, it just barely being within her range. This defense had a cost, and it would not be able to do it again for a time. She could tell that the tree in front of them had grown slightly to replenish what the tree had lost somewhat as a result, but it was burning just the same.

A wave of undead, complete with dinosaurs, came from both sides of them to prevent their armies from attacking the tree further. This target was as good as won for now, but she knew the others would have a little more trouble overcoming the creep and the tree’s ability to self-heal.

Thankfully, since their tree absorbed the malevolence from the center of the jungle, they would not have to power through this for a time. They would not have to fight through the tree being healed by an external source.

She and Ophelia were simply uniquely suited to destroying an undead tree. Their flames purged the undead filth, the fumes unable to stand a chance against them.josei

Ophelia’s runes then changed to red, slowly. It looked like Jake was beginning his own assault.