FORTY: THE HUNTERS

  A bolt flashed across the hilltop and impacted the top of the staff. Shards of wood exploded across the clearing as Cassius charged forth, not needing a second invitation as he closed the distance in a few long strides. The creature tore its gaze from Cassius, dismissing him in a single motion, and looked toward the edge of the hill of where the interlopers had come from.

  That they were the same creatures that had herded them here was without a doubt, but the trio of hooded figures weren’t using their strange crossbows on him. They focused on the other creature, two more bolts firing at it.

  Glass staff whirled and bits of wood showered the area, pricks of pain sharp on Cassius’ legs as splinters bit the bare flesh. He ignored the pain as he attacked the creature, assaulting it as its staff was out of position.

  Amber energy materialized in front of the blade, stopping it cold. Electricity shot through the handle and burned Cassius’ hands until he spun the blade away from the square of energy. He ducked as the staff slashed across where his head had been, the black stone looking sturdy enough to brain him even through his helmet.

  “Over a century of work undone by a petulant child,” the creature rasped, raising the staff over its head and brought it down in a thunderous overhead blow. Cassius rolled to the side just as the tip of the staff hit, blowing apart a crater the size of his head in the still partially frozen dirt.

  Cassius didn’t give a response, just came to his feet and attacked again. His mana was recovering faster than before, but it still felt sluggish after breaking the creature’s pot. The dungeon blade sung across the air as the creature created another amber shield, blocking the decapitating strike. More fire filled his palms as he backed away, but the distraction paid dividends.

  Bolts struck the creature’s thin features, sinking deep into its side as it hissed in anger and spun toward the trio of figures. They’d spread out as they advanced slowly, the dark woven cloaks moved to reveal silver handled short swords on their hips. Two fired in staggered order as the third ran forward, sliding to a halt to fire their own crossbow to allow the back two to come forward.

  Cassius groaned as he shook one hand, trying to shake loose the numbness in it as he circled the creature. It growled and gnashed its teeth in anger and pain while sap like blood slowly trickled from its wounds. Beads of dark light flowed like water up its staff and bubbled around the head, when the creature slashed the staff the beads leapt free and shot out in lances toward the three crossbow wielding hunters.

  Onyx mana materialized in front of them, just as dark as the creature’s attack. The beads of light slid into the shields with a gentle ripple. The mana shields dropped and three more bolts flew out, striking the witch in the chest and driving it back a step.

  Cassius swung at its hamstring as its attention was focused on the hunters. Dungeon forged steel hit the stringy leg and horror filled Cassius as the blade drew the thinnest trickle of blood, hardly piercing the skin of the creature. It still growled and spun, faster than Cassius could react. A bare foot connected with his ribs and air exploded out of his lungs as his own armor pierced his body as he was tossed across the hilltop.

  He bounced as he lost hold of the bastard blade, rolling to a slow stop as he desperately tried to get to his knees. Bones grated as his lungs refused to move, frothy pink blood dribbled from his lips and ran over his hands as he tried to push himself up.

  [Regenerate] began its tedious work, rapidly draining his thin mana reserves. He looked up as he felt bones snap back into place. His mana drained out then just as he could breathe again. Bent metal plates were still wedged into his skin, but no longer his innards.

  Cassius kept one eye on the fight while he slowly pulled pieces of steel out of his ribs, fingers digging into his body and coming free bloody. His sword wasn’t far from him, but for the moment he allowed himself to gather himself, without his skills he was a detriment to the fight.

  The witch continued to fight with elegant dexterity, its staff moving in front of the bolts while casting dark lances of magic at the three attackers who weathered the assaults with ease. It looked as if they were reaching a stalemate, neither side able to advance as the witch’s casting continually pushed the trio back while their continued firing kept the witch from escaping.

  Vira and Valeria were slowly shaking themselves free of the torpor that had claimed them, shaking their heads as they rose to their hands and knees. Both of them would be fresh, filled with mana and possibly able to launch successful assaults on the creature.

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  If they could land them. Cassius smiled bloodily as he rose to his feet, grabbing his sword. They needed a distraction, something that would keep the witch occupied as they gathered themselves. He took a limping step forward, then another, gathering speed as he ran toward the witch with fury in his heart.

  “A sturdy bug you are,” the witch said, staff spinning as it whirled toward him. The black head glowed with ultraviolet light. Cassius smiled wider as he sped up, lifting his sword over his shoulder as if to sweep away the blast that would be coming.

  The hunters aided him as three bolts landed in quick succession, one of them striking the onyx tipped staff again just as an arm sized mana beam launched from it. Rock turned to dust, ancient wooden stakes dissolved into sawdust as the lance reached out further and hit the nearby hill with a muted explosion.

  “Cursed wretches. You would have been better off spilled across your ancestors chest’s!” the witch screamed in anger as its free hand plucked free the bolts that had buried themselves into its thin body. Each bloody bolt hit the ground with a clatter as Cassius entered the staff range of the witch.

  In its fury and arrogance it ignored him, focused on the three hunters as a new malevolent energy gathered in its free hand. Black and red light mingled together in twisted shapes as it the witch snarled in rage, thrusting its hand forward in a blur.

  Fire raged free of its hand, blistering hot as Cassius desperately activated [Reinforce] over himself as he slammed into the smaller witch. It may have been stronger, but it was much lighter. Cassius drove himself, legs churning as he dropped his sword and threw the witch to the ground, driving with his shoulder directly into its ribs.

  Bones crunched, Cassius’ or the witch’s he couldn’t tell, and then they were rolling. It was unbelievably strong, bending his limbs back and away from the chokehold Cassius tried to place it in. Stained teeth snarled at Cassius as its breath wafted over his face, the stench of decay and sickness rife in the hot fog of its breath.

  “The nexus point is ours to hold you pathetic dog. Leeches sucking at the blood of our great people, I shall forever hold your soul in my embrace,” the witch growled in a low rumble as it shoved Cassius with both hands, throwing him to the side.

  Cassius didn’t understand the words it spoke, but he still knew how to take something from an unsuspecting mark. Years on the streets of Aurum had taught him that fast hands mattered more than most thought, and as he rolled away with the witch’s staff in his hands, he was rewarded with a howl of indignity as the witch came to its feet.

  “How dare you! How dare…” it’s voice cut off as bolts struck it, driving it back as Cassius threw the staff as far as he could. It was light aside from the end and it whirled awkwardly over the side of the hilltop to slide on the grass toward the dungeon.

  The witch turned to the three hunters who were closing in like a pack of hunting cats, each of them lithe and ready as bolts peppered the witch. Behind him Vira and Valeria had risen up, both of them attacking from the back as the witch screamed in impotent rage.

  “DIE!” It screamed, lifting its hands to the air as power whirled between them. The dawn sky began to cloud as something stirred a creeping cold washing over the ground as the hunters accelerated, dropping their crossbows and pulling curved swords from their hips.

  Cassius was too far away to help as the three hunters, Valeria, and Vira fell upon the witch. Skill empowered weapons as they hacked apart the creature, chunks of skin and bone falling away as its burning star eyes were locked into the heavens. Its thin lips peeled back into a snarl as Vira buried her sword through its chest in a burst of mana.

  Still the witch stayed on its feet as power darkened the world. A sinister laugh started in the creature’s chest as it looked down upon them with viscous hatred. Back and forth its eyes swept, absorbing each of their faces as it shook its head in disgust.

  “Decades of plots laid to waste by children. I will be mocked at the court for centuries,” it said, not bothered at all by the blades that crisscrossed through its body. It looked back up and sighed, slowly deflating as a spectral form started to rise from its physical body.

  Similar to the glamour it had worn in appearance, the spirit looked nearly life-like and radiated power like a wildfire. It looked at them with gleeful eyes as it slowly started to pull away from its flesh. Cassius knew that if it broke free they’d have no chance of destroying the anima, not now.

  “How do you kill it?” Cassius asked the trio of hunters who had backed up, hood still drawn over their heads. They shook their heads, not bothering to pull back the hoods as the anima laughed at them. Its voice was similar to how it first spoke, full of majestic power as it slowly pulled itself free.

  “I see through the flesh that coats your being. There will be no escape from me, I shall hunt you and peel apart the flesh that cloaks you. Enjoy your last few breaths mortals, for when we meet again I shall not be some shrunken thing, but…no…no….NOOO!” the anima stopped in midsentence, looking up toward the black sky.

  Cassius turned his head and felt his guts to icy as familiar red runes began to cross the sky. Dozens of them had been hidden behind the clouds that slowly broke apart beneath the radiating power of the red runes. The witch’s body cracked and began to fold upon itself as the translucent anima was plucked like a disobedient child, whisked away toward the burning red runes.

  The transformation ended as fast as it had begun. Clouds cleared and the runes faded away from the sky, giving forth to a warm morning across the hilltop. Slowly all six combatants slowly turned their gaze away from the sky and toward each other.

  Bloody blades were clenched tightly as Cassius and his companions remembered their wild flight through the woods to this very hill. Tension became razor sharp as glares were given. The central of the three figures slowly lowered their sword tip to the ground, grabbing at their hood with their free hand and threw it back to reveal themselves.