Chapter One Hundred and Ninety Six - 196

Chapter One Hundred and Ninety Six - 196

The club came whipping upward, hissing with thick purple-white steam. It hit the Ghoul straight in the chest, cutting off it's honking screech mid-syllable. Ice spread across it's scaled underbelly, and frozen chunks of its scales cracked. The thing was almost lifted off its feet, and the force of the blow sent Felix knee deep into the rubble beneath him.

"GRAAAUHHK!"

Wild Threnody is level 46!

Ack!

The Ghoul's retaliating blow came only seconds behind Felix's desperate dodge. A fist the size of a manhole cover smashed into and through the ground floor, taking his already compromised footing with it. His boots were enchanted to help with slick and rough terrain, but even they weren't quite a match for sinking into shifting debris.

Shadow Whip!

A thick tendril of blackened Mana shot outward from Felix's palm. It wrapped around the screeching head of the Ghoul. He yanked, hard, reversing his fall and sending him rocketing upward. The Femur of the Envoy had shrunk down as he slackened the Essence stream. He pushed more out of his channels, tearing at them. Lightning surged along its expanding length.

"HUAH!" The six-foot long club took the Ghoul in the chin, snapping its head up and driving it backward. Felix fell with it, riding its body down onto the rubble strewn floor. Quickly, he tried to twist the club for a second strike, but the putrid mouth breather got an arm up slammed Felix, center mass.

"GRAAAAEEEEEE!" Its lipless maw screeched in warning and challenge. Felix stood up nearly thirty feet away and dusted off his body. Instinctively his flesh had morphed into scales along his shoulders and spine, muting the impact. He could feel the Skill was so close to Tiering up, he was almost tempted to take a few more hits. But Felix had seen the people in the overturned wagon and heard the approach of more. He didn't have time to play around, and this Ghoul was more dangerous than he had expected. As he watched, the evolved Revenant sucked in great mouthfuls of breath that denuded the air of ambient Mana and that almost effervescent Primordial energy. It's wounds healed rapidly.

It's using the same technique as the Ravagers.

The same as him.

Shit.

Purple-white Mana vapor suddenly coalesced around the Ghoul's lower half, resolving into four ice-wrought chains that snaked from the ground. The Ghoul shattered them with a wild swing of its meaty, ape-like arm, but couldn't avoid the three silver spears that slammed into its shoulder and back. The Ghoul screamed in pain and rage, so loud that Felix felt a part of him echo with its fury, but it's cries turned to whimpering exclamation as the spears exploded. Wild whirlwinds of compressed air Mana blew chunks out of the Ghoul's flesh, enough to sever its arm entirely. The limb fell to the ground with a resounding crash.

Don't mess with Vess. Felix smiled, before he narrowed his eyes. The Ghoul was taking quick, panicked breaths, stripping the air once more. The arm didn't regrow, but the wound healed over. A second round of spears came at the abomination, but the big thing was smart. It was expecting the attack, and when they came close it bashed them out of the way. The beast's Strength was so high it drove them deep into a nearby building, where they exploded in a shower of debris and dust.

"Blood and ashes!" Vess' curse rang through the streets. A swirl of purple Mana vapor manifested around the Ghoul's face, but it merely breathed it in. Devouring the magic.

"That's not fair!" Thangle's voice was perhaps higher and more affronted than Vess'.

Then the fireballs arrived.

Technically they were Sparkbolts, a low level Mana Skill most fire mages were taught, but Atar had grown. Six of them impact the Ghoul's side nearly at the same time, and they burst into five-foot diameter explosions. Felix could see the man rushing forward with an enraged gleam in his eye, hand outstretched as more Sparkbolts formed. Atop his head his Crown of Ignis had flared brighter than ever, it's three prongs blazing as it floated there.

Yeah, those're definitely more red. That was concerning. Yet Felix's attention was drawn to the beast, who stumbled away from the fiery blasts. The burnt and cracked scales on its side did not heal nearly as fast, despite its frantic panting.

Reign of Vellus!

Unfettered Volition!

"Atar! Keep it up!" Felix shouted as he raced up the side of a nearby building. The two Skills, linked closer than ever before in his Bastion, seemed to thrum in concert. The blast of blue force sent him just high enough to land gently atop the ledge. Huh. He took off down the roof, getting back into melee. "Pit! The wagon, if you please!"

A piercing screech came from the cloud sky above. Warm confirmation washed across their bond. Felix re-sheathed the shrunken club at his waist and considered his options. The Ghoul was strong, but it was hurt. He'd been avoiding Zara's Chanter method of Skill activation, especially in the heat of combat, but as the Sparkbolts flew he had a moment. Alright Zara. Let's do it your way.

Intent. Affinity. Guide and Listen. Felix let his senses delved into his core without actualizing himself there, instead grabbing hold of his Mana with his Intent and sending it spiralling along his channels. At the same time, Felix felt for the Skill's pattern, the unique vibrations that had been imprinted on his Spirit. Tediously, laboriously, he traced it out. Still running along the ledge, Felix strained and lifted his right arm.

"Reign of Vellus!"

A weak puff of blue light emitted from his hand, followed by a weak stutter of static electricity. Felix's breath wooshed out of him all at once. "Well, that's embarrassing."

The Ghoul, meanwhile, had climbed the building and was headed right for him. Just like all the other Revenants. He shouted out again. "Vess! If you please!"

From a street over, another spear hurtled at him, this one made of yellowed bone. Felix caught it out of the air, skipping slightly so it didn't slip from his grip. It was a tooth, nearly eight feet long, fashioned somehow into an ungainly and huge blade.The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.

Name: Blade of the Fang

Type: Weapon (Enchanted)

Lore: Taken from the consumed flesh of the Ravager King, this is a trophy and weapon all in one. Profane Sigaldry has left its mark, but far deeper are the ties to the Primordials. It requires Essence to function.

Durable VII - Profane Sigaldry has engendered an etheric durability in the fang.

Self-Repair X - Profane Sigaldry heals the bone like flesh, over time.

Hungry Edge - Fueled by Essence, the edge is preternaturally sharp.

Felix spun the lance-like blade and grasped the four foot long handle.

"Round three."

You Have Gained Extra Contribution!

Excellent. Felix put a hand out toward the Ghoul's corpse and breathed it in.

Ravenous Tithe is level 56!

"Whoa," Felix reeled as a truckload of Essence poured into him, along with the usual Mana and a bit of the Ghoul's blood and flesh. He felt heavy, like he'd just eaten a huge meal. It wasn't uncomfortable per se, but it was weird. A large ruby drop formed above his ring core, larger than the rest by half. "How much Primordial Essence did that thing eat to become a Ghoul?"

More importantly, how many more were there?

The others arrived soon after, Evie and Atar leading the way while Vess and Thangle brought up the rear. The Tin Ranks' faces were pretty entertaining when they beheld the demolition of two and a half buildings, but Felix couldn't really enjoy it; he was lucky no one had been in the structures. This could have cost a lot of lives had they fought somewhere populated. He needed to be better.

"Thangle, Evie, Vess, can you three please help whoever survived over here?" Felix pointed to the wagon Pit was still guarding. "I saw at least one living Goblin, but there are--" sense memories flickered from Pit. "--Three Goblins, four Hobgoblins, two Dwarves, a Gnome, and a single Human survivor. Huh. Thanks, Pit."

His Companion cooed in pleasure.

"Freaky beast magic," Evie said, just loud enough for Felix to hear it. He curled his lip and she grinned, cheekily. Vess and Thangle, however, simply rushed to their side. Concern was clear on their faces, and in rapid order they had extracted everyone from the wreckage, even the poor dead avum, and turned the wagon back onto its wheels. Most of them were injured badly, though a few were just unconscious.

"Mana starved," Thangle explained. He opened another Gnome's eye and stared at her pupils. "Used too much Mana, stores dropped too low."

Felix nodded in understanding. He'd encountered it a couple times. More interesting was that he recognized the Gnome, and a few of the others, all from the Drum Tank Inn where he'd spent most of his time in the city.

"Don't touch me or mine, Human!"

Felix looked over at one of the only conscious members, a Goblin named Gnokl. He'd once tried to do business with the man, back when Felix had thought the Domain was just some sort of dungeon. Things had gone south since then. The little green fellow was clutching another Goblin to his chest and refusing to move or to have his injuries checked.

"Vess!" Felix shouted by way of interruption. Both the woman and the enraged Goblin looked up. Felix pulled a hardened case from his satchel. "Here, give them my tonics. It should help take the edge off most of their injuries. Hey Gnokl, do you remember me?"

"Remember you? All you tall things look the same, but I'd remember a monster if I met it before," Gnokl almost growled.

"We made a deal once, for monster meat from the Domain," Felix explained, ignoring the monster comment.

"Wanderer," realization dawned on the Goblin's sharp angled face. "You never came through on your end of the deal."

"Sorry to say, the monsters there weren't fit to eat, and the Domain's gone now," Felix gestured broadly to the city. "Most of em are in the city now. The Revenants."

Gnokl blanched. "That's about my luck, summed up."

"Gnokl."

The Goblin looked back up at him, caution in his gaze.

"Can we see your friend?" Felix asked. "I promise we won't hurt her."

Gnokl gritted his teeth, but nodded, and let Vess pull the other Goblin free. "Can't do much more to her, anyways."

Felix lifted an eyebrow. But she's not--

A shuddering gasp tore through the limp Goblin's frame, and Gnokl turned toward her in surprise. Vess pulled the tonic away from Hartl's lips and let her rest. "She's still hurt badly, we need to get back to camp," Vess said.

Felix nodded at her, before turning back to the Goblin. "Gnokl, why where the redcloaks chasing you?"

Still gaping at his breathing friend, Gnokl took a moment before he answered. "Redcloaks caught us all at the Drum Tank. Said they had come to save us." Gnokl spat. "We were safe in the tavern. We had Jacinda and Ignatius, no mouthy monster was gonna breach those walls."

"They took people? Why?" Vess asked, apalled.

"Night if I know! They wanted folk, and they weren't particularly keen on discussing the particulars. We barely escaped, stole a wagon. Redcloak bastards caught us quick, though." Gnokl rubbed at his arm, and cautiously accepted Felix's last healing tonic. The little things healed only fifty or so Health a pop, but they were useful and cheap to make according to Aenea. "Thanks."

"Don't worry about it. We'll have more questions, but let's get somewhere safe first." With a nod, Felix stood and walked toward Atar, who had been inspecting the wagon, but was now pushing at his Fang.

"Gonna have to do more push-ups before you can pull that thing out," Felix grinned. Atar gave him a flat look and tried, unsuccessfully, to yank it from the stone street. "You're not worthy."

"You're referencing something dumb again, aren't you," Atar deadpanned. Felix used all his Deception Skill to feign shock. It clearly wasn't enough and Atar rolled his eyes.

"I'll let you look at the sword back at camp. I would have already but you've been...preoccupied."

Atar rubbed at his neck, where red scales had once sprouted. "Hm."

"Is the wagon usable?" Felix asked, changing the subject.

"Wheel's bout to fall off, and the team's dead," Atar gestured at the mangled bird corpses. "But the tack is more or less intact. Maybe Pit can pull it?"

"I'll see what I can do. Let's get these people moving."