novelraw Chapter 7-5
Chapter 7-5
There are hundreds of known species of flying monsters. With their ability to cover distances quickly, flyers pose a significant threat to outlying towns lacking the robust air defenses of Lost Angels.
Tactics for engaging airborne threats are highly dependent on the specific species and number of examples encountered, so study these sections carefully. The three most important considerations are threat density, attack mechanisms, and preferred attack vectors.
- Bonnie, Level 41 Beastmaster, Bonnie’s Bestiary
My window faced north, looking up the valley towards the peaks of the Eastern Range behind the school. I could see the other two dorms, the trainees’ to my right and the veterans’ across the small square. Everywhere I looked I saw more terrordactyls soaring through the sky, swooping down and crashing into the ground and the buildings.
I watched in shock as a much larger monster, this one with four legs, hurtled towards me. It was just a couple hundred yards away, streaking through the air, when a massive lightning bolt slammed down into it from the sky above and it smashed into the ground with a thunderous BOOM!
I swallowed and quickly re-assessed the hasty plan I’d come up with. I’d thought we could each defend our rooms and keep the monsters out of our building, but seeing the size and power of the larger monsters I realized that was a bad idea. If we were scattered a single Tier 1 creature could slaughter any of us before the others could help.
I darted away from my window, my combat boots crunching on the shards of glass and splintered remains of the wooden shutters as I slipped through the door and closed it behind me. The hall was nearly as chaotic as the attack outside. G’hala and H’ruk were already waiting for me, practically filling the narrow hallway by themselves. Down the row of doors I saw other students stumbling out of their own rooms, many pale-faced and clearly in shock.
There was a shriek from Alyssa’s room – not a human one – and my heart pounded. NO! Not her too!
H’ruk was already moving as I shouted at him. He raised a massive leg and kicked out, smashing her door off its hinges. I barreled through the shattered doorframe after him, but there was nothing for me to do. I’d feared we’d find a terrordactyl roaring in triumph over Alyssa’s body, but instead it had been shrieking in pain, badly burned from the Fire Mage’s Spells. H’ruk shoulder charged it, the room too small for him to swing his massive staff around.
The injured, lightweight monster was no match for the power and momentum of a 350-pound orc. He drove right through it, hurling it back against the wall next to the window, and I heard a sickening crunch as the monster’s bones snapped. I was already turning to check on Alyssa, who was bloodied but seemed to have avoided serious injury. The expression on her face was one of rage without a trace of fear, and for an instant I marvelled at how much she’d changed. Together the three of us hustled back out of her room into the rapidly-filling hallway.
Raylan and Jayce stumbled into view down the corridor, the Knife Fighter covered in blood. My eyes widened, realizing that Zaire had been alone during the attack, but before I could step to his door it opened. The Earth Mage stepped cooly into the corridor and nodded at me as I felt a wash of relief. We quickly moved along the hallway, gathering up more and more people as we did.
A few people had serious injuries, but no one seemed to be in danger of dying. Ahead I spotted Zheng, the Deathdealer’s Arbalist and their current team leader. She shoved her way past the students between us and came to a stop in front of me with a nod.
“We’ve got to get everyone into the common room and fort up there,” I said quickly, and she nodded.
“Half of my team is already downstairs. I’ll have them push everyone into the common room,” she replied.
“Get Eric to wall up the windows,” I instructed. “Then we just need to worry about the door and hold the hallway. Put the wounded in the shower room with the Healers.”
I heard another terrordactyl shriek behind me and started to turn. “GO!” I shouted to Zheng as I moved, slipping past Zaire, who grabbed my arm, stopping me.
“Should I put up walls?” he asked.
“No, there’s too many windows. Just get everyone downstairs!”
A monster shoved its way through my open door, wings pulled in tight as it forced its way through the opening. It didn’t live long enough to regret its decision as the two orcs hammered it with staff and spear. H’ruk’s strike smashed down on the top of its head hard enough to stun it briefly, then his sister drove the long blade of her totem through its eye.
We fought our way back through the hallway, holding the rear against the few monsters that forced their way through the bedrooms. Before long we were downstairs, the common room now packed with students. The warm glow of the mana laps seemed surreal contrasted with the sounds of battle outside. With the Deathdealers holding the corridor near the bathrooms, I moved my team down towards the overflowing common room.
I heard voices shouting and pushed my way between the orcs and through the crowd to find out what was going on. It was two of the team leaders arguing – Stevan from Alyssa’s Squad, and a big burly Fighter named Thiago.
“We should be out there fighting!” Thiago yelled. “Not hiding in here like cowards! We already killed three of those things easily!”
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A monstrous shriek tore through the air, overpowering the conversation and leaving my ears ringing. I shoved past a couple of students and reached Stevan’s side.
“Are you a fucking idiot?!” I snarled at Thiago. “Did you even look outside? There are some huge fuckers out there! At least Tier 2, or did you not hear the Wasted alarm!?”
“We can fight from the windows, take out the smaller ones,” he argued.
Rage flooded through me. “This isn’t a fucking training fight, you moron! There are monsters out there WAY stronger than what attacked the school last time! Let the instructors handle it! If you start shooting out the windows you’ll just draw more of them to us!”
I felt Intimidation trigger as a few points of stamina flowed into the Skill and my eyes flashed. I was ready to deck the taller student right then and there, and from the look on his face he realized it. He backed down, sputtering, and I turned away from him contemptuously, snapping out orders to my team over the Comms as I did.
Two terrordactyls came down the corridor from the stairs only to run into a hail of fire from Zheng and Shazhad, the Deathdealers’ Fire Mage. The salvo was followed by Owen’s shadows – he could summon two of the blasted things now – and I saw that the other advanced track students had it under control. In the shower room, we had a half-dozen seriously injured being tended to by Siare and the few other Healers among the rookies.
“How are they?” I asked Siare, and the pale-haired girl looked up at me. Her hands were covered in blood and she looked exhausted already.
“We may lose a couple of them if we can’t get the senior Healers in here soon,” she told me helplessly. “We don’t have enough supplies for this and we’re just not strong enough to treat severe wounds yet.”
I immediately ripped my medkit off my belt and handed it to her, and she took it with a trembling, forced smile. I forced myself to look down at the ragged row of recruits whimpering in pain on the ground. Blood seeped from bandages – several on the arms, one on a thigh, another around the collarbone area, and one student was cradling a bloody hand to their chest.
If only we had Lydia or Elaine here, I’m sure they could fix them all up in minutes… But all we have is a few low-Level Healers. And a Shaman who can only heal her team… Shit!
“G’hala, we’re going to lose people unless the instructors can get to us soon. We already know they can’t bring more than a few back later, and I’m sure there are others dead out there already. I need to ask you if you’re willing to risk yourself to help them,” I said, gesturing at the group of wounded students.
G’hala’s eyes widened as she understood my meaning.
Squad Update: G’hala has left the Squad
That was all the answer I needed, as she immediately went down the row of students, getting them each to join her team. Siare’s eyes lit up with hope as she realized what was happening.
“Wait,” I called to G’hala, who’d reached the last student, the one with the bloody – perhaps crushed – collarbone. “You should have another healthy person to help take the wounds, let me – “
“I’ll do it!” Siare cut me off with determination in her voice. “I can’t do much more here, and we might need every fighter before this is over!”
I opened my mouth to protest, then closed it. She was right. H’ruk came through the door, obviously wanting to know why his sister had left the Squad, and I quickly explained the situation to him.
“H’ruk, I need you to stay here and protect your sister and the others,” I said softly, and he nodded immediately.
“Balance,” G’hala rumbled softly behind me, and I heard Siare cry out in pain as part of the injuries were transferred to her. I hoped this would work. Balance, despite the name, didn’t merely divide up the damage equally between each person. There was an overall healing effect as well. On top of that, a person could much more easily survive numerous shallow wounds than a single one that reached vital areas.
The other Healers quickly tended to G’hala and Siare’s new wounds, bandaging them up and giving each of them a healing potion. The other benefit of spreading out the injuries was that each person could take potions separately, while a single individual could only consume one at a time without risking potion toxicity.
I gave G’hala a fierce grin. The Shaman hadn’t made a sound of discomfort, despite the blood that flowed from the injuries opening up across her body. She stoically accepted the help of the Healers in bandaging her wounds. I knew that the injured would have two protectors with her here, for the mostly shallow wounds she bore would not prevent her from fighting.
I left the room just in time to see Thiago and his Squad stalking down the corridor, past the Deathdealers who glared at them angrily but didn’t interfere.
“WHAT THE FUCK!?” I shouted, only for Thiago to flip me off.
“No one put you in charge here, bitch!” he shouted back at me as his team slipped into one of the bedrooms near the stairs.
Zheng turned, a look of helpless frustration on her face. “They refused to back down, Az. He swore they would fight us if we didn’t let them through!”
“Assuming we survive this, I’m going to make that fucker regret this!” I swore, and she nodded.
Another thunderous shriek howled outside, the sound easily penetrating the thick stone of the building and making everyone stagger. I found Zaire, Raylan, and Jayce gathered together among the crowd and moved to join them.
There was concern in the Pistoleer’s voice, and I quickly reassured him. I wanted to ask about Tara, but bit my lip instead. She hadn’t rejoined the Squad, after all. Before I could make up my mind, I stumbled as the entire building shook with a titanic impact.
Recruits screamed, and my eyes widened in surprise as light erupted around us. Glowing runes I’d never seen before suddenly flared out along the walls, and the light flashed even brighter as the building shook again. The screech that followed was muted at first, then rose even as a third impact rocked the building. The enchantments stopped that blow as well.
There was a momentary pause, and just when we had started to exhale, the runes flashed once more and went dark. The impact that followed ripped off part of the second story right above us with a CRASH! Screams echoed among the recruits as chunks of stone fell from what had been the ceiling. I could clearly see moonlight pouring through the opening, silhouetting the head of a monster that had to be fifty feet tall.