Y03 – 729. Outbreak IV

Y03 – 729. Outbreak IV

Shriek whistling filled the air and the entire outpost scurried into action. Adam and the older Iyrmen taking to the walls, their eyes taking in the sight before them. A gentle rolling dust approached from the horizon.

“What do you think?” Adam asked.

“It will be a good fight,” Jurot replied.

“Tell me, Jurot, what do your Iyrman eyes see.”

Jurot narrowed his eyes. For a moment, he thought of the statement his brother had just made. Adam had said that specific phrase multiple times. ‘...’ “Birdcats.”

Adam slowly nodded his head, before turning back. “Birdcats! Get your prayers in now while you can, and then let’s...” Adam spotted Vonda nearby. “Politely deal with their lives and take little to no pleasure with it.”

Vonda’s helmet hid her playful smile, before the young woman raised her shield, Dunes doing the same as the pair began to chant a prayer to fill their companions with vitality.

“You know...” Adam began, glancing around the outpost. “Wasn’t there the other outpost here?”

“Yes,” Jurot replied.

“What happened to it? I didn’t really see much evidence of it.”

“The land may have reclaimed it,” Jurot replied, avoiding even thinking about the other outpost, which they had created a few years ago, and which had been taken over by the tribesfolk.

“Yeah, fair,” Adam replied, slowly nodding his head. “Do you want me to spell you up?”

“Which spells do you have prepared?”

Adam checked his spells. “You know what, not many I can cast on you. I forgot to swap out my spells, and I swore I had certain spells that I don’t...”

“It is fine.”

“How did I not even take Mirror Image?” Adam asked, shaking his head. “And Blur? Seriously, it’s like I’m asking to die.”

“It is more fun when it is difficult.”

Adam let out a sigh, shaking his head lightly, though his lips formed a smile. “Iyrmen...”

The archers stepped onto the walls, preparing themselves. Lady Sara stepped onto the walls too, Korin standing nearby, ready to take her place once the creature’s were closer.

‘I shouldn’t use any fourth gate spells, they’ll probably have a heart attack if they know I can cast them...’ Adam checked his spells once more. ‘Why do I have Counterspell? Are birdcats going to start slinging out spells?’

“Everyone is too relaxed,” Amira said, glancing between the group. The farmers seemed slightly anxious, though the porters didn’t seem bothered one bit, quietly making jokes between one another. Only a handful of them were under the effects of priestly magic, but everyone else was too relaxed.

“We have faced such creatures previously,” Dunes replied, thinking back to a couple of years ago, when he got to reveal his abilities as an Expert.

“It’s still dangerous.”

Dunes smiled, readjusting his shield, before brushing along its face. He glanced over towards Vonda and Jonn. The half elf was assigned to protecting the priest, in the same way Amira was tasked with protecting him. “You haven’t seen it yet.”

“Seen what?”

Dunes pulled up his visor, revealing the smirk across his face, before he dropped it once more. He heard Amira huff quietly, the young woman glancing around again.

“What do you mean I forgot Bavin?” Adam asked, glancing back towards the mass of muscle. ‘He’s so quiet, how am I meant to remember him?’ “Everyone knows how strong Bavin is. Do I need to state that the grandson of the previous Elder Wrath is strong? Last I checked, the only one who could beat Elder Wrath was Lion King Ashmir, and it’s not like we don’t have his son here, either. I just didn’t want Nirot to feel inadequate, that’s all.”

“I would not feel inadequate,” the young Iyrman replied. “My grandfather can only be defeated by the likes of Bovin, who is considered one of the greatest in several generations. It is our honour.”

“Did you hear that? Greatest in several generations. Then we have Bavin, who became an Expert before his grandfather, who was considered the greatest in several generations!” Adam’s laugh filled the air. “Then, when you consider the fact that these amazing warriors of the Iyr came second to the one assigned to protect you, the same young man Jurot and I taught? Doesn’t it mean you’re the one whose the most well defended from any of us?”

“...” Brittany turned her head to look at Nobby, who wielded his axe and his shield, a shield which had been traded to Adam from Vasera, the Golden Savage, and was magical. It was one thing to have a magical weapon, but a magical shield? She gripped her bow, made of the famous deadwood.

“The birdcats will be upon us soon,” Jurot said, before squinting his eyes once more.

“There are duabears behind,” Kitool added.

“You hear that everyone?” Adam asked. “We’re eating good tonight!”

“Dunes,” Amira whispered, leaning in the young priest. “Did he say Lion King Ashmir’s son is among us?”

Dunes remained silent for a long moment. ‘Did I not tell her?’ “Once we have slain the creatures, we can speak of the story.” Dunes wondered how, in all the times Jurot, Jaygak, Kitool, and Adam had spoken of the tale to her, they hadn’t heard how Lion King Ashmir was his father.

Adam gripped Strong Shield tight, holding Wraith loosely in his free hand. “Jurot, Kitool, you two will set the pace of whether you’ll be leaving the walls to hunt them down. Jaygak, Laygak, we’ll be too slow to keep up with them, so we’ll stay.”

Jaygak nodded, having made no plans to leave the safety of the outpost.

“Lucy, Mara, you can follow Jurot and Kitool out if you want.”

“I don’t need your permission to fight,” Lucy said, holding her Great Destroyer in hand.

“Jurot,” Adam said, motioning with his head.

“Lucy,” the Iyrman said.

“Fine...”

Mara stood up taller, crossing her arms in front of her navel. Jurot noted the demon shifting from his peripheral, slowly turning his head to meet her gaze. The pair glared between one another, one the right hand woman of the Demon Lord, the other the right hand man of the crazy fool.

Adam’s heart began to pound in his chest. As the seconds passed, he could feel how cold he was becoming, the sweat on the back of his neck beginning to slip down his back. As a half fae, Adam rarely sweat, but even he couldn’t help but sweat when the darkness invaded his heart.

“If we want to preserve their fur and all that, I probably shouldn’t Fireball,” Adam joked, clearing his throat.

“If you don’t Fireball, I won’t be able to use my magic,” Jaygak complained, waving her javelin at him threateningly. “Laygak will feel awkward too.”

The porters exchanged a look between one another, while Rick gripped his pike tighter in hand, their eyes trailing up towards the half elf who stood atop the wall.

Adam inhaled deeply. The distant sounds of the creatures began to fill the air, while the wolves behind started to howl with excitement, drowning out the sounds. Adam’s heart continued to pound harshly within his chest.

Though his head hung loosely, Jurot stood tall, holding his javelin in hand, ready to toss it from one side. Lucy and Mara waited to assist with their axes in hand, just in case. No one spoke as the rumbling ground and the howling filled the air.

Then, a voice cut through the air.

“Nock!” John shouted.

So it begins.