NOVEL WEB Ch. 32 – Giant Eagles
Giant Eagles
In the morning, they set out from the inn towards the Giant Eagle territory. It was fairly slow going, as they were traveling up mountain roads towards the peaks.
While Damien and Betty were struggling, Aurora seemed fine, and Bluey was even leaping up a road at a time, constantly scouting ahead.
“Master, hurry up!” Bluey said after jumping down again.
Damien shook his head. “If I go faster, I won't have any energy to fight.”
Suddenly, Aurora looked up to the sky, her ears twitching. “Master...”
Damien tried to look where she was, and saw them. Two birds flying in the sky. It was hard to gauge exactly how large they were due to how the height at which they were flying.
“That has to be them,” Betty said.
Bluey activated Lightning Enhancement. “Let's get them!”
“You can't jump that high...can you?” Damien asked.
Bluey seemed like she was sizing up the jump. “Probably not.”
“Let's keep going,” Betty suggested. “If we keep going up and watch where they land, we can try and ambush them.”
The others nodded, and they continued making their way up.
Over the course of the next hour, they watched as the eagles dived down and, presumably, found some food that they then brought back up. They tracked where they had seemed to land, and attempted to climb up towards it.
Eventually, they clambered over some rocks (Bluey helping pull people up on some sections) until they got near the area they thought they were. As they got close, they could hear the occasional wing flap, along with some tearing as they presumably ate their food.
After some more climbing they reached a flat area, and farther along they could see the Giant Eagles, in their nest and chomping on what looked like a couple of deer.
They hid behind a rock, while Damien came up with a plan. “Okay, Betty will Bind them so they don't fly away, and then Aurora will set fire to their nest to burn them up. Assuming they won't go down that easy, Bluey will use Lightning Bolt if they try to fly away, until Betty can Bind them again. I'll also use Lightning Bolt as well. I don't really want to fight them in close combat.”
The other three nodded, and then they walked around the rock to enact the plan.
“Oh Goddess, Bind my enemies!” Betty shouted.
The two eagles squawked before falling into their nest.
Aurora cast Flame Wall and set their nest on fire. After a moment they could smell the cooking of the eagles' prey, as well as the burning of the eagles' feathers.
After a few moments, the eagles started to get up, flapping their wings, causing the nest to start to fall apart. Damien and Bluey cast Lightning Bolt, while Aurora cast Flame Wall again underneath them.
They continued cycling their spells as their MP allowed, while Betty used Bind on them again. After a couple minutes, the birds were burnt to a crisp, and fell into their nest.
Damien blinked a couple times, then looked at the others, who all rushed him for hugs.
“Great plan Master!” Aurora said.
“Um...I guess so. I thought it might be more of a fight...”
Bluey gave a fist pump. “We were too strong for them!”
Betty nodded. “We're probably a bit too powerful of a party for most Bronze-Rank requests.”
They walked a bit away from the burning nest, and sat down to eat some lunch.
Betty looked at Damien. “I think we should defeat more than just four Giant Eagles while we're here.”
Damien, who had been considering that possibility as well, nodded. “We may as well while we're here. It might take an extra day, but if there is another one we can grab for the money, it'd be worth it.”
Betty nodded. “Hopefully, but even if not, it's decent experience.”
After finishing eating, they started walking along the mountain ridge. Now that Aurora knew their scent, she was able to lead them towards the next nest. After an hour of careful plodding, they saw a nest in the distance. However, there was only one currently in the nest, seeming to be already eating.
“Where is it's mate?” Bluey asked, looking around the sky.
Betty shook her heard. “It might be out hunting, or maybe it doesn't have one.”
Aurora pointed at it, “Master...”
The Giant Eagle's eye seemed to be trained on them. They were still a few hundred meters away, but not obscured by anything.
“You think it sees us?” Damien asked.
No one had to answer, as the Eagle started flapping out it's wings, before making a loud call.
Before Damien could say anything, Aurora and Bluey rushed towards its, casting magic as it started to fly up.
Damien was about to follow after, but Betty grabbed her shoulder. “They can take care of it, let's watch for it's partner.”
Damien nodded, and both of them started looking around. After a few moments, while hearing the fighting in the distance, there was a loud 'whoosh' of air and a shadow briefly crossed over them. He instinctively grabbed Betty, while she started chanting.
“Oh Goddess, protect us from harm!” she shouted, causing a barrier to form around them. The Eagle tried to dive onto them, and recoiled as it hit the barrier.
“Release it and bind it,” Damien said, readying himself.
Betty nodded, before doing so, “Oh Goddess, Bind my enemy!”
The Eagle locked up, falling to the ground with a thud.
Damien cast Flame wall underneath it, before shocking it with Lightning Bolt until his MP was low.
As he backed up next to Betty as the Eagle started to move again, Bluey bounded into view, dropkicking the Eagle as it started to fly away. The Eagle seemed to die instantly.
Bluey gave him a thumps up. “Nice job, Master.”
Damien wiped the sweat off his forehead, smiling, “Glad I could distract it, at least.”
Aurora came back as well. “We're taking these fairly easily.”
Betty nodded. “I don't want to take it lightly, but we are doing good. I still think we should keep going.” She pulled up the Map, and pointed to show everyone, “This ridge goes all the way along here,” she traced, going further east. “There's another pass here we can take back to Ancona. I say we just walk all the way here, then go back once we reach it, and just take out any Eagles we see along the way.”
They all nodded in agreement.
Before they could start walking, Bluey grabbed Damien. “Master, check my status!”
Damien nodded, assuming he knew what it was. Sure enough, she had leveled up.
Bluey leveled up
Slime – Level 14
STR – 188
VIT – 143
MAG – 53
DEX – 137
STR +52
VIT +8
Lightning Attunement
Lightning Bolt
Squishy Membrane
Bouncy
New Ability Available
All Abilities +6
STR +12
Damien assumed Bluey would just take the +12 STR, but she seemed to be hesitating. “What's wrong?”
“Well, I was going to just take the strength bonus, but I realized if I take the plus six for all, doesn't that give me twenty-four total stats?”
Damien blinked a couple times. “Yes, that's correct. You never thought about that before, though.”
Bluey gave him soft punch. “I'm trying to think about it now! This is probably better, right?”
Damien nodded. “Probably, you're already plenty strong, and I think the overall buff would be more beneficial.”
Bluey smiled and nodded, before taking the 'All Abilities +6' option.
After that they continued walking east as planned. They ran into one more pair of Giant Eagles, which they were able to use cover to quickly dispatch similar to the first group.
They walked a bit farther, but eventually the temperature started dropping as dusk approached.
Damien noticed Betty was shivering slightly, so wrapped an arm around her.
Aurora, seeing this, started shivering as well, causing Damien to chuckle.
“I'll hug you too,” he said, wrapping one around her as well.
Aurora blushed, but Bluey wasn't happy, wrapping her arms around Damien.
Betty giggled, “Maybe we should set up camp.”
Damien and Betty set up a fire and started cooking while Bluey and Aurora started setting up their tent. After a few minutes, their rabbit meat they had brought was grilling and they were taking bites of dried bread.
Bluey laid back on the ground. “It's really pretty up here. I'm glad I got to see this!”
Damien raised an eyebrow. “Why are you acting all pensive? It's a bit of a walk but we can come here again.”
Bluey shrugged, “Well, I might die sometime.”
Damien sighed. “Bluey...you're not gonna die that easily.”
Aurora nodded, “Master is right Bluey, he wouldn't let us die like...like that other guy.”
Bluey smiled and blushed, slightly embarrassed. “Sorry, you're right...”
Damien walked over and hugged her from behind. “I'm not letting you go that easily.”
Bluey giggled, “Master, it's Betty's turn tonight.”
Betty blushed, “It's okay, we haven't even eaten yet.”
After the food was done, they quickly ate and, as it was getting colder, they huddled inside the tent.
Umm... Damien looked as Betty got into his sack with him, while the other two had sacks to themselves. Damien whispered, “We're gonna have sex like this?”
Betty blushed, “I figured it wouldn't work. I'm fine just cuddling together like this.”
Damien blushed, giving her a kiss and holding her tightly, while Betty snuggled into him. They cuddled together until they both fell asleep.
In the morning, they quickly packed up and kept walking along the Mountain Ridge.
Over the course of the day, they took out two more groups of Eagle nests, as well as one that just attacked them out of nowhere while they were walking, but never ran into a nest for.
As the map showed, they ran into the mountain pass road a bit before dusk.
Betty, shivering slightly, suggested, “Let's walk a bit down the mountain before it's dark, so it's not as cold.”
The others agreed, and so they walked a bit down the mountain, until it was dark enough they decided to set up camp.
While they were eating, Damien opened up his status screen, and noticed he had leveled up.
Damien leveled up
Summoner – Level 9
STR – 49
VIT – 53
MAG – 111
DEX – 52
Stat Share
Heal (summon)
Summon Boost
Summon XP Trade Boost
Message
Summon Start-Up Boost
Copy Ability
New Ability Available
Summon Tether – Your summons can no longer be banished by summoner, but in exchange gain +20 VIT for being more securely attached to Summoner.
Wait...so I just give them an extra +20 VIT for free? That's really good! And I think the other part is supposed to be a downside, but I wouldn't banish them anyway...
The others were watching him level up, so he explained, “I got an ability to give my summons extra vitality.”
Aurora smiled and nodded while Bluey gave a fist pump.
Damien stood up and walked over to Bluey. “I have to actually cast it on you, I think,” he said, seeing their VIT hadn't actually gone up yet.
Bluey seemed slightly confused, but closed her eyes and smiled as Damien put a hand on her head. “Tether.”
Bluey glowed red for a moment, before it faded. She looked at her arms, as if confused.
Damien asked, “What's wrong? Do you feel weird?”
Bluey shook her head, and blushed, “No, it felt like when Master holds me.”
Damien blushed slightly, then walked over to Aurora. “Tether.”
Aurora had the same reaction, her face blushing and her tail going into overdrive.
Damien sat down again and continued eating.
Betty asked, “That was odd you had to cast it. What does Tether all do?”
“It gives them plus twenty vitality, but in exchange I can't dismiss a summon after I Tether them. Obviously I wasn't going to do that anyway, so it's basically just a free stat buff.”
Bluey started shaking slightly, before jumping over the fire and tackling Damien. “Master!” she said, crying and digging her face into his chest.
“Bluey, what's wrong?”
“I'm sorry Master. I wanted to believe, but...”
Damien realized. Bluey still must have had doubts in the back of her head. Of course, he understood, it could be hard to completely trust someone, even if you wanted too... “I'm not upset,” he replied petting her head.
“Master...” she said, giving him a wet kiss.
As he sat her up and Bluey got off him, Aurora walked over.
“Um, Master, I'm really happy too,” Aurora said, giving him a tight hug.
Betty giggled.
Damien suddenly felt a presence in his head, followed by a party popper going off.
Goddess?
'It's me! You maxed out your Connection with Bluey, so I'm here to congratulate you,' the Goddess replied, followed by some clapping.
Wait, my summons count too!?
'Of course! What kind of summoner let's there summons get lonely!?'
I guess that's true...
'Well, Bluey wasn't necessarily lonely, but still, she's as happy as can be now.'
That's good, at least. Wait, not Aurora though?
'Nope! Aurora loves you, but...well, I shouldn't speak for her. I need to go...'
Wait, Goddess, I wanted to ask you-
'Sorry, I'm really busy working on that thing I mentioned! I promise you'll like it!'
That's great, but I wanted- he stopped as he felt the presence fade. Ergh, I'd really like some answers...
After they finished eating, it was getting cold so they decided to go into the tent right away. Betty cuddled up with Damien inside one of their sleeping bags again.
“Master, I want to hug too,” Bluey pleaded, hugging him and Betty in their sack.
Betty giggled, “You did earlier! Here, I have an idea though.”
They got out of the sleeping bag, and she rearranged them so they were on one, and all four of them could huddle under the others like a blanket. This way, everyone was able to cuddle together.
Aurora laid her tail over them. “This is nice.”
Damien nodded. In fact, he was starting to feel a bit hot with everyone pressed against him.
The next day, they woke up early, a bit before dawn, and continued the walk back towards Ancona. It was a bit warmer now that they were lower down in elevation, and everyone seemed in good spirits.
The day passed fairly uneventfully, though everyone was in good spirits, until they stopped at an inn.
Bluey wanted to drag Damien straight to the room, but he convinced her they needed to eat dinner first.
After a meal of bear stew and a couple ales, they split into two rooms, with Bluey excitedly pushing Damien in.
“Bluey, you don't need to be so anxious.”
Bluey giggled, “I'm not anxious, I've just wanted to mate with you since last night.”
Damien blushed slightly and smiled, giving her a tight hug.
“Master...” she said, leaning up for a kiss.
They quickly undressed each other, before Bluey pushed him onto the bed, straddling on top. She stuck his member into her, then started bouncing up and down.
Damien grabbed her breasts as they bounced in front of him, squishing them in his hands, causing a moan of pleasure to come from Bluey.
After a few minutes, he felt himself coming, and pulled down on Bluey so they were squashed together. As he emptied insider her, Bluey let out a satisfied 'huwwwwah' and nuzzled into his neck.
“I love you Master...” she said, holding him tightly.
Damien kissed her cheek, and they both lay there holding each other in comfortable silence. He gently stroked her back, until Bluey started breathing softly, falling asleep.