The Andurin

Tosen P.O.V.

“Keep close to me and your wits about you.” Bolger told me.

He was dashing behind me, occasionally looking around the number of fearbeasts we had set up for the next attack. After three days of search we had our targets within reach.

I was preoccupied on the probability of failure, we had never worked before as a unit, this type of arrangement would have never happened if it weren’t for the current state of affairs in the Kolga and the Grand Chamber. Something big was happening and the gears were moving.

Snapping out of my thoughts I said, “Watch out for this Claimere. This is their Deathbringer according to the report.”

I felt a sudden chill remembering how the Zurian elite had defeated me so easily with a holy artifact assault. This was another elite we were chasing.

“The battle will be arduous. We just need to delay them long enough for reinforcements to arrive. They want them alive.” My leader Bolger reminded me.

“They are changing course continuously; we need to funnel them into the formation. Send the beasts boss.” My new squad partner agreed, Bolger gave the nod.

The beasts went forward in full force, hollering, drooling and growling with menace. We sent the crows and eagles to scout and work like a beacon. We sent hundreds of them. We knew if we sent just a few, they would kill them to avoid detection.

“They’ll either speed up to the east or face us directly. Their numbers are too small for other feasible options. Everyone get ready.” Bolger said signaling where the Claimere was dashing.

The five of us prepared our artifacts, charging them up with our kinetic energy. I was eager, I was tense.

“It’ll be different this time.” I repeated to myself, reassuringly.

The companion behind me fired a red bolt of energy from his crossbow, twenty to thirty steps in front of the Claimere. It was a fully charged shot. We didn’t expect her to block it. According to plan, she dodged it and let it explode in front of her.

“They are still running, just as you said Bolger.” Another companion spoke in approval.

“Continue with the plan, order the beast into columns around them. Everybody fire!” Bolger said sternly.

We all fired purely charged kinetic red bolts into specific points hundreds of steps in front of them.

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

The triggers of the hidden formation were activated. The forest lit up with red tinge lines surrounding all of us.

“This is our forest; you think we would let you leave easily?” Bolger asked in a whisper.

We were wearing proper armor this time around. Even if our coordination was considerably lacking, we can still hold them off.

“The formation will prevent them from escaping. The beasts are close, everyone get into place and don’t stop firing when the chance opens. Don’t try to gain merits here, stick to the plan.” Bolger said as he moved ahead into an optimal snipping position.

I had enough orgon crystals on me to cause a small bombardment and also several orgonid charges for good measure. We had borrowed temporal space rings for this task, they are quite convenient. We were prepared, we were cautious and we were on our home soil.

“Let’s see what you can do vaunted elite of those dammed sages!?” A companion said while setting up.

Perhaps the Claimere was powerful enough to escape us, even fight us on equal footing, but her companions? They were just trying to escape.

“Why are you here, Deathbringer?” A question only the higher ups would have the answer for.

As high as a Zigur is, with all my years in the enclave I can safely say we qualify as elite minions for the most part, that is extremely valuable disposable assets. This was an uncomfortable thought.

The beasts roared and attacked the Claimere from all sides, panthers, bears, wolves, monkeys and a few ragnars. We gave her everything she could handle. We wanted to test her limits. I fired my bolts whenever a gap in her defenses appeared.

There are far bigger beasts in the depths of the forest but they are too much to handle for a squad like ours, we had to make do with numbers. My companions fired upon her followers.

ZIIING! BOOOM! ZIIING! BOOOM!

The Claimere sliced and diced through the beasts. Screams, howls, echoed through the night. My constant snipping forced her into a physical confrontation with the feral beings while blocking or deflecting my attacks with some kind of arcane shield.

“As expected from a true expert. She’s holding out well. Her group not so much.” One of the Zigurs relayed to me while shifting positions.

We kept the pressure changing our snipping placements constantly. The Claimere couldn’t target us directly, she could only launch an attack on an impromptu estimate of our locations.

Bolger’s plan was working perfectly.

The constant barrage on her followers bore fruit, the cloaks they wore were ragged and bloodied. The hoods on their cloaks were either down or torn off.

“Shit!”

“AAARGHHH!”

Curses and boyish screams rang out. We were firing too many bolts and too many charges for them to handle. They were holding quite well for a bunch of scrubs.

“Maybe this is what the Claimere is here for?” I wondered.

ZIIING! ZIIING! BOOOM! BOOOM!

The crossbows kept firing and we kept reloading and firing without pause. The situation forced the Claimere to charge at a position near me.

“Now!” Yelled Bolger from a faraway position.

I went into the second phase of our plan. Dozens upon dozens of preset charges exploded as the Deathbringer was charging trying to locate me.

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

Beasts were being split in two, others blown away, she was bathed in blood and her blades dripping. She was getting close.

“There’s a reason I’m the one targeting you.” I whispered.

Malgrunians are adept at using negative energies but I am especially sensitive to it. The drawback is that my kinetic ability requires time. Time that we had in spades to prepare for this undertaking.

“Got you!” I heard a voice from my left about seven steps away.

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

The charges setup around me exploded as she charged in. Her blue eyes leaked death.

She hasn't properly estimated my abilities, she's at a disadvantage. I can absorb the negative energy of all surrounding beings and similarly charged objects.

"How many beasts do you think we brought with us? I cannot control them but that doesn’t mean I cannot use them."

The kinetic energy around me worked like a shield and gave me the distinct advantage when up close. She had come by herself straight into the trap.

“Prideful woman.” I said as I went in for a direct confrontation.

ZIIING! ZIIING! ZIIING!

Red energy bolts hit the Claimere on her back. She blocked them with her mysterious shield. My artifact covered hand clashed with whatever the shield was from the front. It felt like a clash between artifacts. I couldn’t be certain.

ZIIING! ZIIING! ZIIING! ZIIING! ZIIING! ZIIING!

Raining red energy bolts forced her into an extreme situation. If those bolts hit me, I am gorgon paste.

"At this point in the fight, who gives a shit!"

The massive amount of energy I was syphoning transferred through her shield. Up close, it was a direct hit. She was blown back about ten steps. She had a look of surprise in her eyes. The Claimere bled a few drops of blood from her mouth, all that from a punch from an unknown Zigur.

The plan was working.

The entirety of the remaining beasts charged towards the four younglings while my teammates and myself tag teamed the Claimere. Absorbing insane amounts of energy, I channeled it into my body and pushed for a flurry.

ZIIING! ZIIING! CRACK! ZIIING! ZIIING! CRACK!

My speed and reflexes were galvanized. I hit the intended targets a couple of more times. She couldn’t block that close to me.

“This is the feeling of the truly powerful! Exhilarating!” The line of thought was halted by a shout.

“Enough!” The Claimere turned serious and kinetic energy poured out of her in all directions. I instinctively felt the fluctuations.

SWISH!

Her blade managed to cut through my kinetic barrier.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

The blade strikes were fast, almost unblockable. The pressure mounted.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

I used all of my remaining energy to strengthen the shield around my body. My main core was pulsating fiercely. I threw a punch to counter a blade strike.

DOOONG!

A resonance effect between artifacts and kinetic energy occurred. We were both pushed back in opposite directions.

I knew after the tussle that my energy reserves where running low.

“Move back!” Bolger shouted.

In the space of two breaths I dashed and sprinted through the trees towards the pack of beasts attacking the four younglings. They were fighting for their lives, barely holding on.

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

My squad bombarded the pursing Claimere behind me. Each one of her slashes deflecting the charges or ripping the trees to shreds. Her speed increased even further.

“Fearsome.”

She was terrifying.

I barely dodged an incoming energy slash, the tree behind me burst into pieces. The bombs and bolts took a slight effect; she was slowing down.

“ARLUN!” Bolger and my squad called out together at once.

The red line formation that surrounded the battlefield compressed within a couple of breaths into a single point. The Malgrunian chant sounded through the forest.

"ARLUN! ARLUN! ARLUN! ARLUN!"

The Claimere was suppressed, she couldn’t move but neither could my Malgrunian squad.

“This was the chance!”

I darted where the beasts and the four young ones where in the space of four breaths. I stood behind the forty or so fearbeasts that remained. I decided to absorb only enough energy that just a few of them would die, in the process of doing so I sensed an abnormal amount of negative energy coming out from one of the boys that were fighting.

"ARLUN! ARLUN! ARLUN! ARLUN!"

In the same vein, there was another boy with also an abnormal amount of negative energy that was fighting in front of their group.

“Die!” The long haired boy cried out. He was cutting, stabbing, piercing a couple of shadow wolves and a trifecta of monkeys with a continuous flowing slash motion.

"ARLUN! ARLUN! ARLUN! ARLUN!"

These pubs were impressive, we need to deal with them now, I made a switch in my plan.

“Get ready you pubs.”

I began syphoning the negative energy from these two boys. In an unexpected turn of events, the energy from the boy in the middle of their small defensive arrangement was massive.

Ten breaths and the teenage boy in the center fainted incapable of fighting anymore. The long haired one was still fighting just fatigued from the ordeal.

"ARLUN! ARLUN! ARLUN! ARLUN!"

“The beasts will deal with them now, it is irreversible.”

My reserves were bursting once more. I smiled and looked upon the Claimere bathed in blood.

She was enraged. Her eyes looked bestial, they were shining.

"ARLUN! ARLUN! ARLUN! ARLUN!"

I charged with my most powerful attack focusing all my energy, strength and concentration into my fist. This is my personal technique; I call it absolute zero core burst.

“Let’s see how you handle this.”

Full speed, fully charged frontal assault. One blow straight to the heart. I decided to preserve her looks, the chamber members might have some use for her after this.

WOOONG! WOOONG! WOOONG!

The resonating energies pulsating within me and around me expanded, my fist held true.

CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!

Her shield couldn’t take the hit. My win.

A wild bust of energy came forth. At the last moment, she had wrestle off the restraining control and offered a counter punch.

CRACKLE! DOOONG!

We were blasted in opposite directions again.

“I think my ribs are fractured.”

I spit blood.

I looked over and she was kneeling, hair disheveled and bleeding using one her blades as support.

My squad were preparing their most powerful techniques to rain down upon her since they were also free from the constraints.

Unwilling to risk it, I followed our emergency procedure. I took out my crossbow from my temporal ring and fired a red bolt into the sky signaling for reinforcements. I was drained, severely injured but also very happy.

We had beaten a Claimere, a newly formed group of five had placed the dammed pride of the sages, Deathbringer Freslia, in dire straits.

I concentrated my utterly weary eyes upon the Claimere.