Bonded Summoner

Book 5. Chapter 20: Timone and Brock - Beastkin and Elysian Vengeance

Timone’s anti-magic zone shielded his allies from the rain of frost shards, as they dived with their spears in a charge. The necromancers and skeletal mages shielded themselves, but their auril-filled attacks pierced and cut through them.

Dahlia was blazing with light as she cut through a bone golem, her attacks filled with ferocity and skill. Arrows struck the enemies at her flanks, her clan-sisters aiding her assault.

Timone’s Ravenwolf Tribe howled or screeched their battle cries, as they cut through the undead. The Warrior Brotherhood fought alongside them, cutting through the undead with their own abilities and skills.

Their people were different, but they were true warriors fighting for the forces of good. Timone especially liked that Yiming, his strength and talent with his glaive was tempered by his patience and wisdom.

A boisterous laugh echoed across the battlefield. Longwei sliced yet another skeletal golem in two, his valorous edge formed along his glaive’s blade.

“Brother! This blade is so sharp! To think that Ophelia was such a great smith as well as a warrior, can you believe it so?”

Yiming groaned, as he protected his brother’s flanks with precise swings of his glaive. “Yes, I can now. It’s the fifth time you’ve mentioned it, Brother Longwei.”

“Do you think I should take up smithing? Does it help make her more of a warrior?”

“Hearthtribe believes it so. If you can find passion in something beyond fighting and women, I too think it’s a valuable endeavor–I did tell you I took up enchanting and it helped with my mana control, did I not? Now, focus. The betrayers come from the west.”

Timone continued leading his Ravenwolves through the enemy ranks, cutting and slicing as his heart sung the song of battle. Yiming’s patience shone brightly in his interactions, no anger seeping into his voice and his song despite his frustration with his brother.

Perhaps he could handle Aisling’s daughter? Timone wondered if the man would be interested. He knew Jake probably could, but he couldn’t do that to him. His nest was already becoming a little too noisy.

A herd of dinosaurs ridden by betrayers hit the west side of their armies, but Morwen and Bedwyr were ready. Skeletons from the Alliance met their assault, the women of the Warrior Brotherhood supporting them at range with their bows and spells.

Morwen released her Group Casting once more, a wave of frost echoing out from the center of the enemy formation. However, the enemy appeared prepared for this. A strange creature appeared in the center as a droning buzz reached Timone’s ears.

Several grasshopper people appeared to be guiding a nethril warrior in the center, an elephant, or perhaps a mammoth beastkin man. A leader betrayer was near, a giant toad beastkin. As the frost was released in a wave, a deathly apparition of a giant elephant’s tusks crashed into it.

This appeared to reduce or contain the effect somewhat.

Timone shouted as he stirred his auril, guiding his brethren, his words more for his non-beastkin allies, “Kill the grasshoppers! They control the nethril warriors.”

Howls from Rookard’s wolves sounded as they went on the hunt for the grasshopper people. The Brotherhood fired their bows into the enemies, but the droning sound increased. Arrows were deflected as if by an invisible barrier.

Longwei laughed. “I will crush these bugs!” Cladding himself in valor, he charged off, with Yiming keeping pace with him to watch his brother’s back.

The nethril warrior roared as he charged, the toad betrayer near him. It appeared Timone and Dahlia had their work cut out for them, facing these powerful foes.

Timone said a small prayer, imbuing his weapon with life. His leather flaps came to life, his armor crafted by Tanda and Bloodberri showing its power. Dahlia’s did the same, and the two of them were filled with pride at what their daughter had crafted.

The toad beastkin laughed. “You have given me a hard time for far too long. This ends today.”

Timone chuckled. “Your betrayal of your world and your people is what ends. You will be punished, and balance will be restored.”

He flapped his wings, drawing up auril from the area. His heart took on a new beat, singing the song of battle. Activating [Cyclic Resonance], he manifested his will into ravens, and sent them at both the betrayer and the nethril warrior.

His manifestation usually slowly brought death, but his prayer to Cernunnos changed his attack to burn into them with the power of life and purity instead. The ravens now burned into the nethril warrior and the betrayer’s taint, as his wife fought against the toad valiantly.

She howled as she hunted her prey, her spear seeking the betrayer’s throat. Each stab and thrust of her spear showed her superior skill, the toad beastkin having difficulty meeting her blows. He appeared to be stronger, but she met him with tactics and speed.

Timone’s opponent was strong, the mammoth man wafting off death and decay. The anti-magic zone had little influence on his attacks, nethril and auril able to force their way through with force of will.

With a swing of the mammoth man’s glaive, a giant mammoth head with tusks lashed out at Timone.

He blocked with his [Shield of Will], the Templar’s spell taking the hit, while Timone countered with a powerful swing of his spear. Cutting into the creature’s shoulder, Timone did his best to also slam several more ravens into the man like arrows.

Timone’s resonance built, with every swing of his spear and every ally’s heart beat. Dozens of auril heroes fought on the battlefield, their own songs joining his choir, completing the song of life, death, and rebirth.

Auril moved in response to his pleas, the will of the world answering his call to punish the wicked.

Auril surged into Timone and Dahlia, as the two fought for the balance. Dahlia’s golden wolf bit into the betrayer’s shoulder, nearly removing his arm. The tainted auril replaced his lost chunk of flesh, the toad beastkin roaring in anger.

The tainted auril wove into tendrils of hate, becoming spikes as they surged for Dahlia. But her streamers formed into wolves once more, biting into the oncoming attacks as more golden ravens dove and crashed into the enemy, burning their taint and flesh away.

An undead land dragon broke away from its quarrel, charging for Timone and Dahlia. Ready to breathe a terrible attack, Bedwyr arrived on his horse and swung a scythe of frost into its muzzle to stop it.

Howls from Rookard’s wolves sounded, as his warriors crashed into the back lines of the enemy. Dozens of arrows flew, and Rookard himself took on another undead land dragon, preventing it from joining Timone’s quarrel.

Timone’s resonance built, to where his strength was now a match for the nethril warrior. It swung its large glaive down at him and lashed out with its tentacled spikes of nethril, but Timone met the creature with his cape streamers and powerful cuts of his spear.

His spear moved in a blur of ferocity, cutting into the nethril beastkin. The buzzing had slowed down from many of the grasshoppers being killed, their allies accomplishing their task.

Already, Timone could tell the nethril warrior wasn’t as interested in fighting. The auril in the area was surging against him, making him feel unwelcome with his unliving nethril energy.

Dahlia too was pushing back the toad beastkin, him no longer able to keep up with her strength and speed. The toad took several wounds from her furious assault, his expression quickly becoming a mask of desperation.

Timone’s ravens continued to burn into his flesh, and he was unable to counteract his infecting attack. Death was coming for the toad, and he seemed to know it.

Recalling a premonition Aisling had, and a word of warning from Jake and his daughter, Timone acted. He signalled his hawk and owl beastkin mates, to prepare their attacks, and was on guard too.

As Timone and Dahlia cornered these two enemies, Morwen and her priestesses continued preparing their spells. The Warrior Brotherhood finished slaying the locust people, and the buzzing ceased.

The betrayer roared out, a giant croaking sound echoing out in a huge wave. Vibrations rocked Hearthtribe and its allies back, their ears bleeding and filled with pain. Dahlia countered with a powerful golden wolf attack, but was still sent tumbling back.

He withdrew a terrible looking effigy, a statue that looked like the Death God from their play. Just as he was about to smash it, his mate’s arrows slammed into his shoulder. A golden hawk and white owl manifested, their talons tearing through the effigy and his arm.

The toad’s face took on a mask of horror. “No! Impossible…”

An explosion of malevolent energy occurred, a wave of dark evil blanketing the area. But instead of feeding into the betrayer, chunks of himself were ripped away. The betrayers were drained, into an apparition of the Death God–or rather, an evil god named Greed.

Originally, the dragon in their history was sent by Balor, but it appeared the evil gods had no qualms with usurping one another.

Timone and Dahlia’s resonance reached their peaks, or at least high enough that they could release their attacks. As they became more proficient in the ability, they were able to have more leeway with its release.

The two sent their spears of golden light into the horrible apparition, it being blasted apart as quickly as it formed. The spear from Timone continued until it pierced an undead land dragon, destroying it, while Dahlia’s struck a necromancer in the rear.

The toad beastkin and the various others lay battered and broken on the ground, the draining of the effigy taken its terrible toll on them.

Timone sighed. “Your people betrayed this world. You mostly followed your hearts, just like us. But we found harmony, where your people harmed others with your desire and greed. But there is good news for you.”

Bedwyr’s scratchy voice echoed in the field. “You can find absolution. You served the enemy in life, so you can find penitence in undeath.”

Morwen’s priestesses were joined by many beastkin priestesses in their group casting, their auril and faith joining the various scripts within the magic circle.

The apparition of Annwn and Arawn appeared, and he was joined by Brigid, Cernunnos, and Lugh. Golden chains spread out among the betrayers, and a holy aura was released in a wave.

Hundreds of betrayers were judged at once, the golden lights of the Framework layering themselves over them.

The remaining undead were pushed back with relative ease, the spirits of those captured by Tartarus were released. The beastkin howled in victory, as bones crumbled across the battlefield.

Timone slammed his spear to the ground. “We have won! But there is much work to be done. There are many Rifts we must clear, to get to the Greater Rift.”

Rookard marched to his side. “We may have won the major battle, but it appears there is still trouble. It appeared they had to rush their attack, or there would have been naga here as well. There is news of naga attacking. Combined with the undead holing up in the nethril areas, we still have our work cut out for us.”

Morwen approached, her smile wide. “My people shall take care of this battlefield. After you recover, you can go on ahead.”

Dahlia smiled at Morwen. “Many thanks, Priestess of Arawn. What of this nethril warrior here?”

The mammoth man began marching off into the distance, still wafting off disease and decay.

Morwen replied, “There is a profound stillness in their bodies and minds. They are the embodiment of death itself, and do not appear to be capable of rational thought. We may be able to control them, but I would only do it if necessary. Perhaps as they grow older or more powerful, they may awaken.”

The major conflict in the west was won, they would now be able to reclaim the lost cities and villages. Timone’s forces would work towards the Greater Rift, fighting the undead and the naga.

***

Brock leaped through the air, his auril stirring around his glaive before forming a barrier near Bria. His aura shielded her as she spun with her poleaxe, each spin sending waves of sharp red auril slicing through the Naga.

Mindy swung her cudgel, smashing into the Naga’s skull and releasing a healing light on Brock and the nearby allies. She shouldered the stunned Naga with a furious push, shoving the larger creature into Bria’s path with her buckler.

With a vicious smirk, Bria brought down her axe powerfully. A blast of elemental lightning and an arrow buzzed past her, smacking into an undead knight coming from her flank. josei

Serena and Brock’s new dryad mate, Vanessa, protected the three warrior’s flanks as they fought through the melee. The battle was chaotic, but Brock’s Clan and Hearthtribe fought fiercely, protecting their mates and allies alike.

An elemental druid, Vanessa was the offensive mage their party needed. Serena had become a priestess of Bastet, which gave her an odd enhancement to her attacks that allowed her to strike true more frequently.

The massive tree above them creaked, the many druids and treants controlling it. It now had two branches for arms, and it fought against the giant Naga. It was tied down with regrowing vines, but the massive, powerful creature could not be stopped.

The many tamers, adventurers, and spriggons fought below, facing off against the giant undead ship. This battle was one for the ages, the thousands of Hearthtribe, tens of thousands of Cascadian residents, and thousands of Adventurers fighting against this massive army.

Brock’s party wasn’t the only party of Auril Heroes now, or their equivalents. Warriors of all kinds gathered, and while the Naga were stronger individually, the beastkin fought with powerful coordination.

There were hundreds of them in their river, and it was all they could do to hold them off. The many naiads were the only reason why the river didn’t overflow and overwhelm them all at once.

Brock and his mates continued fighting through the many naga and skeletons arriving on the ramparts. He swung his glaive with fervor, his heart singing the song of battle. Bria had taken many blows, but she just kept fighting.

She built up more auril the more she was wounded, her attacks becoming more furious. Each swing of her axe chopped deep into a Naga, or crushed a skeleton.

Brock did his best to cover her, creating a barrier with his auril. As he manifested his will, floating scales that looked like his own protected her from the Naga’s fierce attacks.

Their tridents filled with auril were deadly, but his shields either blocked the blow or reduced it enough that it hardly bothered his mate.

The battle seemed like one they were winning. The mass of the undead ship had reduced nearly by half, and while many beastkin and Elysians had fallen, they had much more than half of their forces remaining.

As he thought this, an army of undead dinosaurs was released from deep within the ship. The massive naga the Battlegroup was calling the Naga King roared, and was covered with a ferocious black auril.

Its large tridents then stabbed out in rapid succession, piercing into the giant treant. Black energy spread deeply into its branches, a decay rapidly causing them to crumble.

While many attempted to heal the damage, the black energy spread too quickly. Nadessa and Valtor both released massive group spells to attack and restrict the Naga King once more.

But the river was drawn above and around the King Naga, the siren’s song calling it to protect the giant sovereign. Lightning struck the barrier of water, along with a giant barrage of arcane missiles from the various Eternum.

The Naga King then stabbed out with its trident, targeting an area along the wall. Like a beam of light, water and auril were released, piercing through the wall and shattering it.

The remaining water surged toward the hole, even as the Cascadians lined up to fight against the tide of enemies. Vines and roots began regrowing to fill the hole, but the oncoming enemies quickly shredded through these efforts even as they rushed through on the attack.

The skeletal ship and dinosaurs broke off in that direction, searching to enter the breach. Brock knew that area could use some help.

“Let’s go to the breach! We must hold them back while they seal it!”

Bria ran right alongside Brock, eager to fight the tide of enemies. Leaping down the battlements, many vines from the trees along the wall took them easily down. Serena and Vanessa took up the rear, watching their flanks as they followed.

Reaching the bottom, many beastkin, treants and satyrs all fought valiantly against the undead and Naga. Attacks rained down from above, the many fauns and dryads aiding them from there.

As Brock charged and swung his glaive, the auril in the area stirred at his call. Each enemy Brock and Bria slayed, two more quickly replaced them, and they were getting pushed back.

Brock spotted some Eternum, Rhia and Falcor fighting near each other. Seamus also defended the area, swinging his large poleaxe.

Falcor said, “I’m so tired. I love to fight, but I am now low on mana. Fighting the living helps, but many of these naga and enemies are undead.”

Bria fought over to him, and reached out and grabbed him. Cycling her auril, she filled him with her red energy.

“H-Hey! No one wields–” He froze, as the energy suffused his body. “W-Wow. That’s not bad?”

Bria stored her poleaxe, but happily took her new weapon without a word. As she swung Falcor and cleaved a naga in two, he gave an excited shout. “Ooohhh!”

The life energy filling him seemed to embolden his unliving flame. The arcane energies filled his body, and even enhanced Bria’s powerful cleaving energy.

Bria became like a storm, slicing through waves of enemies with her large axe, its sharpness amazing. Brock did his best to protect her flank, as many enemies came after her now.

Rhia looked on in interest. “That looks fun! Mindy, come here!”

“H-Huh?”

“Wear me! C’mon, it’ll be fun! Brock is too big.”

Brock was shocked when Rhia split open, and sort of wrapped around Mindy’s body. The cudgel and buckler clattered onto the ground, and the odd helmet remained open, held open by her horns.

The healing auril filled the armor, and empowered the flame similarly.

“Wow! You’re really yummy!”

“Er…”

“Let’s go! This will be easy now!”

“Woah! Hang on–”

What Mindy said was lost to the din of battle, as she dashed and flipped through the Naga, her swords flashing. Brock doubted those movements were Mindy’s. Just who was wearing who, there?

A powerful attack from a Naga slammed into Brock’s shield, and he countered with his blade extended by his will.

Still, a flash of healing arrived from Mindy despite her odd weaponry, as Brock did his best to fight through the enemies with his glaive, and support his mates and their new…equipment.

Seamus, Sunmane, and Dhruva roared as they gathered their sunlight and paladin auras, pushing back against the many undead.

The numerous nature-focused casters summoned vines and plants to grow, the roots and thorn-filled vines trying to plug the hole created by the King Naga.

Just as things were beginning to look good, the King Naga roared again, and a blade of water cut through another section of the wall. The water surrounding the giant Naga had decreased, but now they would truly be unable to stem the tide.

Brock’s heart lurched in worry, as dozens of dinosaurs and skeletal creatures breached the wall. With them getting inside the city, the weaker and more low-leveled allies will easily succumb to the enemy’s assault.

Valtor’s laughter was then heard over the sound of combat.

“Worry not, my friends. For you see, Clan Hart was victorious as promised. The Greater Rift was closed, and Valkyrie Ophelia approaches on the horizon. Hold fast, for victory is upon us.”

Roars and cheers shook the battlements, Brock’s heart thundering in his chest. The beastkin’s hearts took on a new song of salvation and glory, the auril stirring in the air like lightning.

Volleys of arrows and javelins flew filled with various colors, the auril manifestations taking on an empowered state.

Just one final push, and they would win this battle.