NOVEL NEXT 99 - Fighting the Mountaineers
Lug's arrow lodged itself in the last Basic Rank's neck as the two others were rolling on the ground, trying to make sense of the unease and pain spreading through their bodies.
To the two Evolved Ranks' credit, they immediately took cover behind the trees. The warrior and leader of the mountaineers never stopped yelling expletives at the group from Camboaci.
Lug nocked a second arrow, ready to fire at the disabled Basic Ranks when Div stopped him.
"Wait. We need one of them alive."
Lug nodded and aimed toward the Evolved Ranks' hiding spot. They were here to scout, and a prisoner could provide valuable information.
Seg, Ambi, and Div took action. As discreetly as possible, they moved out from behind the rock and made their way toward the enemy camp. The mage not casting any spell was suspicious. They didn't want to lose their momentum and give them a chance to turn the situation around.
"I can't sense him moving any mana," Div said. "If he didn't stop me from hitting his comrades, I doubt he's good enough to hide from me."
"Then what is he doing?" Ambi asked.
Div didn't have an answer. In the mage's shoes, he would definitely be preparing a spell.
"Let's be careful," he said. "We should assume he is doing something to counter us. Even if we can't figure out what."
Expecting the worst, they didn't stop their approach. They couldn't afford to hesitate.
At least, the warrior was straightforward. Yelling what Div translated as profanities, the leader of the mountaineers was barely containing himself. It was obvious he wanted to charge out of cover and fight them.
If not for Lugsellos keeping his bow and arrow aimed in his direction, they would surely already be fighting.
"Come out!" Div shouted back, hoping the man would understand. "You're outnumbered, surrender immediately!"
Apparently, neither the warrior nor the mage spoke Lienien. They didn't answer.
Instead, the warrior came out from behind his tree and charged at them. Lugsellos instantly started firing arrows at him. But the man wasn't Evolved Rank for nothing. With a flick of his sword, he deflected the first arrow. Then, he dodged the second with quick footwork.
Before Lug could fire a third arrow, the swordsman was in melee range of Div, Seg, and Ambi.
As usual, Div took the lead and locked his spear against the man's sword. His inspections weren't going through, blocked by the man's Conceal.
Conversely, he felt the enemy's Inspect skill crash onto his own defenses, but he held on.
While Div didn't know if the man had more tricks up his sleeves, it was evident that his opponent had evolved his Sword skill. His movements were so fluid that Div had trouble following him. His spear and shield were straining under the pressure exerted by the man's blade.
Div didn't dare to use the shaft of his spear to block. It felt like the mountaineers' sharp sword would cut right through it.
His shield was holding on... For now.
He had to see the truth: his opponent was a better fighter.
It wasn't to the level of Vercinetos or Brimeta. He never felt like he had a chance when he sparred with Gennorina's parents. But being outmatched never felt good.
Yet, it was four against two, and the mage hadn't taken action yet.
With Div taking the brunt of the assault, Seg and Ambi were free to harass the man with their own weapons. As good as was with his sword, the mountaineer leader was stuck in a bad position, unable to fight back efficiently.
"He knows he shouldn't let my spear hit him," Div said. After a few exchanges, it became clear that his opponent would always trade a cut from the others to avoid Div's spear.
Div smiled; he had seen through Rotten Spear, but it seemed like he didn't understand Rotten Shield.
Slowly but surely, rot-attuned mana was building up. Hit after hit, Div's mana was seeping inside the mountaineer.
With the mage lying in ambush, Div didn't dare to show all his cards yet. He let go of a few opportunities to strike or dodge through Blighted Passage.
Scornforged was filling him with vigor, some coming from the two people he had taken down with his spell, the rest from the swordsman. Somehow, the mage was excluded from the Skill.
It couldn't be good. That mage was more competent than Lugsellos' read over his emotions let on. Maybe he was a coward, but he had to be powerful.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Wary of the unknown threat the mage posed, Div stalled. With each blow he blocked with his shield, the swordsman was weakening. It wasn't sophisticated enough to count as a spell, but the overabundance of rot-attuned mana wasn't good for humans. Just making the internal rotlife more active was a drain on the host's energy.
But more importantly, it increased Div's chances to take control of the man's internal mana.
A newly acquired magic skill wasn't enough to act on an Evolved Rank powerhouse. Even if his target wasn't a mage and had little control over his mana. But if said mana was all attuned to Div's preferred type, things changed.
After a long back and forth, Div raised his shield to block another sword strike. But, unlike the previous times, the sword split the wood of the shield apart. When the warrior tried to pull back his sword, it was stuck.
Seeing his chance, Div took over the rot-attuned mana in the mountaineer's body and quickly shaped his spell. It was rough, far from the perfect form he envisioned. The Evolved Rank was fighting back, the mana was sluggish, close to what honey was to liquids.
But the damage was done. As incomplete as the spell was, it weakened Div's target ever so slightly. It was the moment Lugsellos chose to fire another arrow.
The archer had held off for the entire fight. Shooting at the man while his three friends were locked in melee was needlessly dangerous. But with the sword stuck, the fight was frozen.
Yet, the mountaineer wasn't out of tricks. He had to have a danger-sensing skill because he let go of his sword and rolled to the ground, putting distance between himself and the Camboacians.
Weaponless, he fled through the dying forest.
"Don't give chase," Div warned. "The mage's still here."
As if summoned by Div's call, the last member of the party of mountaineers came out from behind the tree that was hiding him. His hands were raised in the air.
He said something in his language. Unintelligible. Seeing that they didn't understand, he spoke up again.
"I surrender," the mage said, in Ameian. It was choppy, with a strong accent but it was still Div's native language.
"Don't move!" Div answered, in the same language. Then, he turned to his friends, including Lug who was walking closer, still aiming his bow toward the mage. "He's surrendering. Lug, what do you say?"
"I sense sincerity," Lug said. "But let's be careful. Ask him why."
Div nodded and asked the mage.
"I don't want to go back. Take me away from them."
"What's happening in the mountains?" Div asked.
The mage hesitated.
"If you don't speak, we will not take you with us," Div warned. He was holding his weapons, ready to continue the fight.
"I will speak," the mage said, almost panicking. "I will speak. Please don't leave me out there. I don't know for sure what started it, but the clans from the deepest valleys have formed an alliance and expanded outward. My clan was taken over. Many people were killed or enslaved."
"What does this have to do with the state of the forest?" Div asked.
"I'm not sure," the mage said. "Magic is involved. Rituals, and blood magic, but those are not the schools I studied. I'm sorry, I don't fully understand what's going on."
"Why is he working for them?" Lugsellos asked. "I can sense he doesn't want to."
Hearing the question translated, the mage sighed.
"I didn't have a choice. The others in my party were all from the leading clans. Either I followed orders or… Maybe they'd know more."
He pointed at the man and woman Div had hit with his spell. They were not in good shape, but it would take more than a single spell to kill them.
Regardless, they were in no condition to be interrogated. At that point, they were barely conscious.
"What should we do?" Div asked the others in Lienien.
"He's being honest," Lug said. "But… I can't inspect him, and he's Evolved Rank. I can't be certain that my skill isn't being duped."
"We should ask him to drop his Conceal," Seg offered. "As a sign of goodwill."
"What about the other two?" Ambi asked. "We're not going to carry them home. Right?"
"We can't let them go," Lugsellos said. "They harbor deep resentment toward us."
Div looked at his two victims lying sick on the ground. Letting them go was out of the realm of possibility. But taking them as prisoners to Camboaci would be difficult. They already were low on food. Furthermore, having three prisoners would be a huge security risk for their party.
Yet, killing them in cold blood…
Div looked at his friends. A glance was enough to understand they were all going through the same thought process.
"First, let's figure out what to do about the mage," Lugsellos said. "Does he have a name?"
Div translated Lug's question.
"Apologies," the mage said. "I should have introduced myself earlier. I'm Tougen, stone mage of the Orget clan. Or, what's left of it."
"Would you show us your status?" Div asked.
"I understand your doubts," Tougen nodded. "I dropped my Conceal."
Div and the others inspected him and found nothing out of place. No sign that he was hiding something. Tougen was a regular, if talented, Evolved Rank stone mage. He had a few miscellaneous skills from his education and his life in the eastern range. Nothing the average person from Camboaci wouldn't have.
"I say we trust him," Lugsellos said. "If anything, his knowledge of the mountains is valuable."
"I won't let you down," Tougen said, gravely. "I noticed you were hesitant over what to do with my ex-comrades. I'll offer to kill them for you if that's what you want. After you interrogate them, of course."
Div gave a look at Tougen. That was a cold thing to do.
"Don't be mistaken," Tougen waved his hands. "Those people destroyed my clan, the mountains and now they extend their greed toward you. They are not my friends."
Their decision made, the party looted the mountaineers' camp while they waited for the two incapacitated Basic Ranks to wake up.
Skill leveled up: Rot Magic Lv1 -> Lv2
Skill leveled up: Mana Manipulation Lv2 -> Lv3
Skill leveled up: Rotten Shield Lv6 -> Lv7
Div was proud of himself. For the first time, he had used real rot magic in a fight and it had been key in their victory.
He needed a name for the spell he had created.
Naming spells wasn't something novice mages did often. Even experienced ones rarely got the chance. The most common forms of magic were well-studied. At most, someone would find a novel way to apply an existing spell.
"Naming things isn't simple," Div whispered as he rummaged through the camp. "Coiling Rot? No…"
The words for the spell wouldn't come easily. Not with the weight pressing on his mind. But thinking about names was easier than thinking about mercy… or murder.