Bonded Summoner

Book 4. Chapter 25: Beastkin Vengeance

The Briarwood Warriors charged at their opponents, Jake watching as Ophelia met the large creature with her shield. She had already placed her [Hearth of Hestia] inside, and the inertia-dampening runes lit up as it slammed into the large Centaur-like warrior.

The shield slowed but did not stop the creature, but Ophelia rocketed into it with her powerful lance, taking it in the side. The boss-level monster countered with its glaive, but the shield blocked it as she moved out of the way and sliced into one of its legs.

A dozen arrows and javelins slammed into the creature, miniature explosions being triggered. While Ophelia’s attack hadn’t moved its health bar much at all, its wounds healing instantly like the Death Knight encounter, the many ranged attacks combined did.

Jake was now standing as best he could between the two bosses, leaving Morwen’s Battlegroup somewhat on their own. His Aura would work on their people fine, but it would be too expensive to cover all three groups with how far apart her Battlegroup was.

Fhesiah slammed into the Briarwood Warrior with her draconic flames blazing through her body. The powerful punch slammed into the creature, blasting flames deep into it. Once again, the dark energies mostly snuffed out her flames.

Meanwhile, Bloodberri smashed her massive maul into the undead Briarwood Warrior. Her strength and momentum really knocked the creature back, as it was trying to give damage in trade. But its swing of its large glaive was met with Bloodberri’s armored tail, a formidable weapon of its own.

Berri danced left and right, as Blood cast her [Weakness] and [Absorb Strength] on the warrior. The creature noticeably slowed, making Bloodberri easily able to counter the weapon. Seamus and Ainora both cut into the large monster’s hind quarters, releasing blazing light into it.

Many beastkin added their ranged attacks to it, only the strongest warriors charging in to land attacks with their polearm weapons. They formed a phalanx formation, where several shields and spears were in the front, and longer spears or glaives were in the back. Ten such beastkin moved together against the Briarwood Warriors, stabbing into the creature’s flank.

Jake saw in the distance a Briarwood Warrior facing against the reptile beastkin, Morwen’s people, and Warrior Brotherhood was quite crowded. It took a different approach in its attack, many vines growing out of it and attacking them with the spear-like vines. Frost was spreading into the creature from Bedwyr’s enchantment, and the Bone King doing some serious work with large cuts of its axe.

Jake was quickly noticing the difference in level. While his girls were a cut above the rest, his forces were all under level ten, with the exception of Seamus and Rookard. Even with his Aura, they barely moved the health of it with every attack. In contrast, a majority of Morwen’s undead and Warrior Brotherhood were well over level 20.

A hoof bowled into the shield and spear phalanx, Jake noticing the auril of all the warriors spiking. They still got knocked back and away, but he was surprised that they only received minor injuries. Bloodberri then used her [Dark Siphon], a haze drifting over them, to heal them slightly while they recovered themselves with their auril.

Ophelia and Fhesiah had no problems managing their Briarwood Warrior, Fhesiah building up flames and Ophelia keeping the creature busy. She used [Intervene] on a warrior on the other side of the creature, and blitzed into it with her powerful lance filled with the flames of Hestia. It pierced deeply with flames being released, the creature losing several percents of its health in one go.

When the health bar for the Briarwood Warriors reached below 80%, a wave of fear was released. Those all over the battlefield were compelled to flee, and many of the lower levels did. But Tanda gave a piercing cry, and the auril heroes and Ainora gave roars of their own, which steadied their hearts. Jake saw the Knight empowered and take a stance like he was going to throw his spear at one of those that were fleeing, but it froze when the effect was overcome.

Ghouls and blighters then spawned around the battlefield, the beastkin spreading out from the boss to take them out. Tanda fired her bow, each shot taking down one of the undead creatures. Jake cut a few down around him with his spear, but otherwise stood positioned between the two armies.

The three Briarwood Warriors offered little more surprises as they continued to work them down. Every ten percent health, they released more ghouls and blighters, with a handful of bone golems the next times. Jake and Tanda, Seamus and Ainora, the reptile Auril Heroes and Warrior Brotherhod, all focused these creatures down before returning their focus to the boss.

Jake knew from Morwen that this fight would become a damage race. The spawns would be significant, and in three groups, it would be hard to overcome them. When the bosses health’s reached 60%, and they cleaned up the additional enemies, Jake started his plan. Tanda activated [Cyclic Resonance], and Jake joined her in matching his breaths.

He connected to the world, and he felt the songs of the beastkin. They currently sang a song of retribution and vengeance, but Jake and Tanda pushed them to that of a monarch and chieftain.

Their emotions of reverence and gratitude they held for Jake were added to his song of inspiration and command. His flaming veil that was his aura flickered brightly in a ring around him, covering and encouraging beastkin within range with a dark-golden sheen.

The runes on Jake and Ophelia’s armor lit up, switching to the [Monarch] state. Ophelia’s courage and loyalty shone through their bond, as her halberd formed a large flaming axe blade, and she shoved into the creature while lancing into it. She knocked the creature back and toward the center tree as she pierced deep into it. Her flames shot through the creature, and it was shoved with her shield and her technique pushing hard into it.

Morwen’s army began pushing their Briarwood Warrior toward what was essentially the center point between their three armies. The Bone King slammed into the creature, lifting it off the ground and hurdling it through the air dozens of meters.

Vines grew from the ground to try to lock it into place, but the reptile auril heroes and warrior brotherhood cut into the vines as the Bone King repeated the process.

Almost sensing what was happening, the Briarwood Warrior in front of Bloodberri and Ophelia tried rooting themselves in place. The massive tree’s roots even appeared to be in motion to stop or slow their efforts.

Jake had to move. He formed the runes in his Hearth, focusing them into his staff, which changed configuration for his function. Ira took hold of him, and passed him through the void to land next to Bloodberri, just as she knocked it into the air with her [Maul of Hestia-Echidna] attack.

Fhesiah used her [Draconic Empowerment] to punch into her creature, as Ophelia used her [Intervene] and pushed it with her floating shield.

Jake’s runes completed, the runes forming his spell: [Runic Magic: Fist of Force]. Like the fist of an angry god, his immense amount of magic crashed into the creature, the empowered Tier 1 spell sending it flying.

It tumbled end over end and came to a stop nearly half the distance to Morwen’s army, sending it nearly an entire football field of distance away. He leaped on Bloodberri’s carriage, her surging toward Ophelia and Fhesiah’s Briarwood Warrior that they were shoving, as he prepared his spell once more.

Once again, he sent the creature flying with the [Fist of Force]. It crashed into the other Briarwood Warrior, as it just barely finished righting itself. The Bone King and reptile beastkin heroes finished shoving their own warrior over toward the center, the three Briarwood Warriors now within a dozen meters of one another.

Morwen hadn’t liked this strategy, as she didn’t know what might happen if they carried it out. But Jake thought it had the potential to remove a lot of headache. Jake had confidence in this being worth the effort, as he pushed through the runes for his next spell.

Ophelia added her own to his, and Fhesiah’s demonic runes drifted over. The three sets of runes added together, forming [Group Runic Magic: Hearthtree Vine Field]

An explosion of fire and vines originated from the center of the three Briarwood Warriors, the strange plant growing and rooting into the ground. Tanda added her [Rampant Growth], surprising Jake with her ability to target his magical plant.

The vines spread and wrapped around all three Briarwood Warriors. They tried to cut at the vines with their glaives and push against their bindings, but where a vine was cut, four or five vines grew and replaced them.

The warriors roared against their bindings, as the strange tree dragged them toward it. The vines were lit aflame, and Jake pushed more of his hearth flames into the strange construct. Ophelia flew to the center, releasing her [Consecration] enhanced by the [Monarch] state.

The tree’s vines sent through black energies to heal them and snuff out the flames, but the divine flames and hearthtree flames burned strongly against the efforts.

Fhesiah crashed her large orb of flames into one of the creatures, spreading her inviolable flames into them. It devoured their undead flesh and pushed away the black energy further. The health bar rapidly decreased, and undead enemies quickly spawned as the health decreased below 50%.

Only to be covered in angry vines and flames. Many spawned outside the Clan Hart circle of fiery death, and the elites of each army quickly converged on their new targets. Bloodberri, Ainora and Seamus blazed through those in their section.

Tanda, Rookard, and Fhesiah cut through the second section, and the reptile auril heroes and [Warrior Brotherhood] cut through the spawns in the final area. Morwen and her priestesses were preparing a powerful group spell-cast once more.

The spawning occurred again at 40%, the bosses’ health rapidly declining. Once again, the additional enemies spawning were quickly taken out, Ophelia sending out waves of [Consecration] once more. Berri sent over a wave of [Runic Magic: Healing], to keep her healthy despite the sacrificial spell’s usage, as the elites from each force cut down those that spawned outside the circle.

Jake worked with Tanda once more, to push the beastkin’s song over to one of vigilance and safety. The song of the [Guardian] was that of a protector, one with compassion for his allies. Jake’s runes shifted over to the blue-green color, his covenant taking over just as the boss reached 30%.

The large tree was filled with malevolent energy, and large piercing vines attacked from the sky above them. Jake cast a large [Sacrificial Barrier] enhanced by [Guardian] above Morwen’s group, and Ophelia cast one above her own. An echo mirrored out of Jake, Fhesiah repurposing those flames into a large flaming shield above the final force.

There were too many vines for the three barriers to cover, but nearly 70% of the spread vines were stopped in their tracks. The remaining vines proceeded to attack the beastkin unfettered, the many beastkin defending against them. A few beastkin were pierced by the malevolent vines, three even pierced in their vitals and causing them to die.

The remainder of the wounded were healed rapidly, the paladins and priestesses within the Battlegroups pushing their restorative effects. This was just the first attack of many, the new attacks to occur every minute. They would continue with the spawns, so it was imperative that they push the bosses down and into the next phase to limit the amount of death.

But Jake’s plan wouldn’t need a minute. Tanda once again pushed the song of the beastkin to return to the song of retribution and vengeance, their brethren once again slayed by Tartarus. Each beat of their hearts was treasured, every song adding to their choir.

Jake took on the covenant of [Avenger], his runes once again becoming red. His power was enhanced by Tartarus’ aggression, his magic enhanced by righteous fury. Fhesiah used the last of her enhanced Draconic flames to form her runes as Ophelia, Blood, and Jake added their own into their most powerful spell, [Group Runic Magic: Dragon’s Breath].

An apparition of a dragon’s face appeared above, drawing in the energy of the surrounding area as it breathed in. It then released a powerful cone of flame as it exhaled, the destructive flames crashing into the three bosses. Even the Hearthtree vines ignited, losing their own integrity as the power of dragons consumed everything.

The cone breath brought the creatures down below 20% quickly, and undead enemies spawning were quickly enveloped in the deadly flames of creation. The black energies healing the large creatures couldn’t keep up, and were even being consumed as the health dropped even below 10%.

Fhesiah shifted to her kitsune form, her [Bloodline Transformation] changing her rapidly as she hid behind her fan. Bloodberri surged at the two nearest bosses, using her [Maul of Hestia-Echidna], the black and white explosion as she struck enveloped both enemies, taking their health down even further.

Ophelia prepared herself for the next phase of the battle, drinking a potent mana potion as Jake did the same. They had dumped a large percentage of their mana already casting those Tier 2 spells, but Jake was more than satisfied with the result. The last few percent of health ticked down as the many ranged beastkin and [Warrior Brotherhood] attacked the bosses, the black energy unable to keep up with healing or pushing away the flames.

Once the black energy stopped filling the Briarwood Warriors, they quickly melted to the flames covering the center. But then a black energy erupted, the vines pulling the remains of them into a single structure. The massive tree shrunk drastically until it was nothing more than the size of a two-story building, as a large warrior covered in black appeared.

The enemy did not seem very different from the warrior they faced before in Life’s Haven, but it definitely had some tree-like flesh and bark-like armor instead of the plate armor the death knight wore.

Morwen had said it was called a Dread Knight, and it held a large glaive, so big that it could cleave a dozen people in two with a single swing.

Tanda’s song continued, the hopes and dreams of the beastkin empowering their song of courage and glory. Her cyclic resonance increased, as the cycle was completed.

Ophelia channeled her [Valkyrie Champion] ability, as she grew into a massive, powerful angel.

The Bone King prepared to take on the boss’s first assault, as it awoke and began to move. The Bone King was smaller, but not by overly much. Its axe swung at the enemy, and it was met with a powerful swing of the Dread Knight’s glaive.

Vines poured out of the creature, forming into dozens of smaller versions that attacked the many members of the Battlegroup. Once again, Ophelia blazed into the creature with her lance, and released her empowered [Consecration]. Flames covered the enemy and vines, her polearm piercing deep into the creature.

A terrible aura came out of the Dread Knight, but Bedwyr’s prayers reached Jake’s ears, his protection against evil protecting his allies.

Fhesiah’s Dark Kitsune flames slammed into the creature repeatedly, her illusionary dance of the moon spawning cursed flames and striking the boss. The bark protecting the undead body deteriorated, providing less protection as Ophelia and the Bone King attacked.

Its counter was blocked with Ophelia’s massive shield, her piercing into the creature with flaming lance and swings of her bladed implement rapidly. She moved faster than the large enemy could hope to, and her attacks were devastating. Swathes of the creature’s health bar decreased with each blow, and its undead flesh could hardly keep up with its attack.

Morwen and their group finished their casting, a massive icicle the size of an eighteen wheeler created. It floated above their priestesses for a brief moment, before rocketing into the enemy. As the ice pierced into it, the holy energy burned into the undead significantly, their patron god of Arawn empowering their attack with righteous punishment.

Frost slowed the creature down, and its mana or black energy tried removing the effect of it. Jake could see the creature’s mana decreasing as its health bar did, the massive regeneration having to come from somewhere. Ophelia and the Bone King continued cutting into it further.

Tanda’s [Cyclic Resonance] reached its peak, and her wings spread with glimmering gold, as she landed with a proper attack angle. The seed next to her heart stirred, and began to bloom. A vine unfurled from the seed, growing and wrapping around her heart gently as the waves of golden energy were sent through her body.

Ophelia and the Bone King were across from each other with the boss between them, so Tanda landed off to flank it from the side. Her Crescent Moon Spear became like that of a scything axe, as a massive golden version extended.

Tanda swung it downward, intending to cleave the large creature in two. A punishing energy containing the power of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth was sent out in a cutting wave. The enemy had sensed this coming and expended a massive amount of mana to fill itself with malevolent energy, and Jake thought he felt something like what the final attack of the Death Knight in Life’s Haven had used.

Even as the dread met the golden wave with its glaive, Ophelia pierced with several thrusts as the Bone King hacked into the Dread Knight. Its health decreased, but the vines coming out of the back of the undead tree warrior increased further, the many miniature warriors cutting at those in the Battlegroup. Some creeped toward Jake where he was huddled with his shield, and a powerful black vine pierced toward Tanda.

Only to be met by Bloodberri’s maul, as she released [Between Heaven and Hell] against the boss. Seamus and Ainora both cut into the many miniature knights, along with all the elites of Hearthtribe.

Four malicious vines headed for Jake, and Ophelia flew her shield to intercept. She managed to block one, but three more continued. She counted on their allies to protect Jake, as she gave a shout and pushed her holy mana into her halberd, pushing her runes to the maximum.

Longwei was filled with what appeared to be flames, and his valor covered his body. Jake saw what looked like an apparition of a tiger, as he sliced through another with his glaive. Yiming was covered with an apparition of a valiant white horse, as he blitzed in a near streak of light to cut into another.josei

But the last vine persisted, heading toward a weakened Jake. That was okay though, because Jake had another protector. Ira shifted Jake a decent distance away, near Bloodberri. The vine changed course, but Bloodberri met it with a powerful swing of her maul once more.

Ophelia then gave a powerful swing down of her axe head, cutting through the Dread Knight. She sliced right through its core, the creature now burning up and consumed by the many flames it was being struck by.

A wave of light went out, signaling the conquest was successful, the last of the evil tree shrinking down into a small building.

Jake removed his covenant, and immediately declared their victory. “We did it, everyone! We won!”

The beastkin roared, and Hearthtribe and its allies all cheered.