10 Chapter 10, Escape
I fell into Bullet Time.
I saw the arrow approach Robin's heart with crystal clear clarity.
I equipped a steel sword from my Inventory, and knocked it out of the air.
Doing so saved Robin's life, but also shattered the perception filter of our Stone Masks, exposing us to all. Namar shrieked like a startled schoolgirl at our sudden appearance, while the Plegian audience exploded into an uproar.
Yet Aversa's astonishment was locked solely upon Robin; on the Heart of Grima promptly displayed on the back of her right hand.
Fuck!
In a single instant, our assassination plans for Validar were torn to shreds, wad into a spitball, and shot into the Outrealms. We needed to haul ass!
"Projection, start!" I roared, Tracing as many silver swords as I could with my remaining magic. "Full barrage, consecutive fire!"
My Projections launched like bullets from a chamber, spaced out to stall our enemies and buy us time.
The other Risen, massive in stature and rippling with muscle, positioned himself between Aversa and my incoming silver swords, and drew his giant two-handed axe. He began swatting my projectiles out of the air, intercepting them to protect his master. The archer Risen, Draco, took cover behind his fellow undead to wait out the storm.
I moved; not towards Robin, but Nowi. Since our plans took an impromptu vacation to Hell, subtlety took a hike as well. I used [Alteration] to render her shackles and muzzle [Brittle], making them crumble like dry clay. Realizing she was being rescued, Nowi beamed as I slung her over my shoulder, grabbed her Dragonstone and stashed it in my Inventory, then raced back to Robin. I didn't slow down, throwing my friend over my other shoulder before boosting myself with [Reinforcement] and sprinting out of the auction house in a burst of desperate speed.
Screw me sideways, the hell did we do now? Hide until the magic of our masks kicked back in to conceal us? No point! Not when those super-Risen could see right through them! We needed to escape! Run down to the slums and then hightail it out of the capital? That still left the walls surrounding the damn place! They'd slam the gates shut the instant they saw us coming, exponentially increasing the sheer difficulty of getting out of here alive! What if we—?
"Up!" Robin shouted at me. "Head up, to the castle!"
I stared at her as if she'd lost her damn mind. "Are you kidding me?! You still want to kill—?"
"No! That plan's shot! We're going there to escape!"
I'd no idea how heading up to castle Plegia was supposed to get us to safety … but I trusted Robin. So I spun on my heel, changed directions, and shot off. I knew what route to take, as we'd previously spent hours committing the upper tier's layout to memory. The Plegians had built a gigantic onyx staircase that rose up through the Fell Dragon's skull and to the top of its crown, where castle Plegia stood.
Alarms were blaring now; a thunderous bell toll originating from high above and nearly quaking the entire city. The high nobles' private armies were flooding the streets, each bearing the insignia of their houses' crest on their armor. I evaded them as best I could, my speed making it simple to run circles around them.
Things got tense when we ran into a blockade of soldiers, their shields raised and lances aimed forward. The stairway to castle Plegia was directly behind them, sunlight flooding down the grand obsidian staircase.
I'd no magic available to create a Projection; all of it was fueling my [Reinforcement]. But I didn't stop. Instead, I forced myself to speed up, feeling Robin and Nowi grip me tightly. Once I was a yard away from getting skewered, I focused all my energy into my legs and leapt, soaring in a high arch above the Plegian soldiers' heads and clearing their blockage with room to spare.
Upon landing, I hit the ground running. I couldn't stop for anything; we were screwed if I did. So when we reached the base of the giant stairway, I shot up it at the same breakneck pace I maintained while running on flat ground. It almost felt like we were flying at the rate we were ascending.
Meanwhile, soldiers were descending down the top of the black stairs like a tide, pouring towards us. They must've been stationed at castle Plegia. Their armored bodies filled the entire width of the stairway as they marched downward in perfect synchronicity, leaving no room to sprint around them.
The direct approach it was.
Robin hit the front row of Plegians with an Elfire, weakening their lines before I plowed into them. My Reinforced body struck like a battering ram, sending clumps of the soldiers flying while others were trampled. Robin continued hurling spells, setting groups ablaze while frantically keeping them away from our rear and flank. As for me, I kicked and headbutted my way through dozens upon dozens of these annoying obstacles.
But my reckless charge came at a price, as many managed to score a clean hit on me; easy to accomplish as my arms were occupied carrying Robin and Nowi.
[HIT POINTS: 40 / 43]
[HIT POINTS: 36 / 43]
[HIT POINTS: 31 / 43]
[HIT POINTS: 27 / 43]
[HIT POINTS: 24 / 43]
It was only due to my [Reinforcement] kicking my defense up to 25 that hits which would've caused deep lacerations were otherwise reduced to much swallower cuts. However, each one still bleed freely, rapidly soaking my clothes in blood.
Yet the end was in sight. I could see the stairway end in a dozen more steps. So with a howl of determination I smashed through the last Plegian line before leaving those damn steps entirely, arriving at the top of Grima's skull where the harsh desert sunlight beat down on us unabashed.
I nearly dropped to a trembling knee.
I was winded. My breaths came out in deep, billowing gaps as my lungs felt like they were wrapped in barbed wire. My arms were growing leading from carrying Robin and Nowi, and the muscles in my legs were shrieking in protest from recent abuse. [Reinforcement] might make me faster, stronger, and more durable, but it wasn't a source of endless stamina.
But I didn't fall; couldn't.
Because we were standing right in front of castle Plegia, the towering acropolis resembling a massive ebony horn atop of the Fell Dragon's skull, and its front portcullis was wide open. An army of thousands had assembled before its black gates, ready to march at a moment's command.
And leading it were two very familiar individuals: a man dressed in regal garments that clashed with his smoky pallor, wearing a gilded crown that held back his carmine hair so it didn't fall across his psychotic smile; the other was tall and sinewy while wearing the robes of a Grimleal, and his unnervingly narrow face split into a toothy smile that deepened his dark ashen complexion
Gangrel, the King of Plegia.
Validar, Hierophant of the Grimleal.
Two of Awakening's main antagonists were a dozen yards in front of me.
Gangrel studied me with a maniacal grin, as if he were experiencing an early Christmas.
Validar's crimson slit eyes never left Robin, focusing on the Heart of Grima marking her right hand.
I didn't even bother using [Structural Analysis]; I just ran. My wounds hurt, but I ignored them. My breathing labored, but I muscled through it. My legs burned, but I told them to shut the hell up and keep moving.
"What next?!" I shouted, hearing the Plegian army led by Gangrel and Validar pursue us with a stampede's ferocity.
"The snout!" Robin cried. "Run for the tip of Grima's snout!"
I complied, changing directions and dashing across the top length of the Fell Dragon's skull and towards the end of its nose. I caught a brief glance behind me, and saw the Plegian forces were struggling to keep up.
That was all well and good, but it was ultimately pointless if they cornered us at Grima's elevated nose, which we were fast approaching.
"What now?"
"Jump!"
I damn near tripped. "What?!"
"JUMP OFF!"
I really, really hope you know what you're doing, Robin!
"Nowi! Get ready to transform!" Robin ordered.
"B-But I need my Dragonstone to do that!" the Manakete protested.
I took her Dragonstone out of my Inventory and shoved it into her tiny hands. Nowi lit up seeing her most prized possession, but her youthful appearance quickly hardened in determination.
Just in time, because I reached the end of Grima's snout … and leapt.
For an instant, the three of us were soaring through the air. I could almost see all of Plegia from way up here: the cloudless expanse of blue sky, and the endless stretch of desert laid out beneath us. Behind us, I thought I heard Validar's howl of frustration.
Then Nowi's Dragonstone flashed, ribbons of lavender magic poured from the fist-sized gem and engulfing the Manakete until she was fully cocooned. A long second later and the layers peeled away like a blooming flower, and from it emerged a dragon with dazzling emerald scales. She was smaller than I expected, maybe half-a-size larger than an adult wyvern.
NAME: Nowi, the Lost Dragon
AGE: 1,000+
CLASS: Manakete
LEVEL: 3
EXP: 1 / 100
HIT POINTS: 10 / 18
STRENGTH: 12 (+8)
MAGIC: 5 (+5)
SKILL: 5 (+3)
SPEED: 5 (+2)
LUCK: 8
DEFENSE: 12 (+10)
RESISTANCE: 9 (+7)
STATUS: Hopeful, Stressed, Worried
I was no longer carrying Nowi; she was carrying me, clutching the back of my bloody clothes with her forearm while a gawking Robin dangled from the other.
"You're incredible!" Robin praised, studying every inch of the transformed Manakete as we cut through the sky.
"T-Thank you, nice lady," Nowi grunted, wings straining. I noticed her voice had an odd timbre, as if her dragon and human self were speaking at the same time.
"Call me Robin. Can you fly us out of here?"
Nowi shook her serpentine neck. "I-I'll try! But you're both so heavy! D-Don't think I can go far!"
I checked the Manakete's wings, and saw they weren't leathery membranes like in most fiction. Instead they were large overlapping jade feathers, and were fighting with every flap to keep us airborne. Even her hind legs were kicking the empty air, as if that would somehow keep us afloat longer.
The skin around Robin's neck paled. Apparently she hadn't considered that.
"T-That's fine! Just do your best to get us as far away from here as you can!" she encouraged.
"O-Okay!"
"We've got other problems," I said, glancing back at the shrinking castle Plegia. Numerous dots were swarming from its many towers, like bees emerging from their beehive. Reinforcing my eyesight, my vision zoomed in like a telescope's.
Those were Plegian wyvern riders, and they were flying towards us and gaining fast.
Robin twisted in Nowi's claw so she could see what I saw, and it made her curse.
"Can you go faster?" she asked the Manakete.
"C-Can't!" Nowi panted. We'd just flown over the defensive wall encircling the Plegian capital, its defenders pointing up at us as we passed, but we were losing altitude fast.
How far behind were the wyvern riders? 1,000 yards? Less? Too far for me to fend off with archery, yet the moment they were in range we'd be swarmed from all sides.
If we wanted to get away, I needed to pull something crazy out of my ass.
"Robin! Can you use wind magic to keep us in the air?" I asked.
Robin reached for one of the two tomes dangling from the back of her belt. "I can try!" She channeled the spell, pushing up against Nowi's wings with an magical updraft and halting our descent. In fact, we rose a few yards. "Are you still okay?"
"T-That helps!" Nowi said happily.
Good. Nowi flew much faster than I could run, even with [Reinforcement]. The longer we were in the air, the more distance we put between ourselves and castle Plegia.
But the Plegian wyvern riders were still gaining, and there was a distressing number of them. They resembled a small cloud of locust hounding our heels; 800 yards and closing.
I dropped my [Reinforcement] and Traced a silver bow, notching it with an arrow from my Inventory. I took aim at the large clutch of wyverns, aiming in their general direction, and fired.
My arrow petered off after 200 yards, barely crossing a quarter of the necessary distance.
Robin looked like she wanted to say something, but held it in. She focused on maintaining the updraft, beads of sweat trickling down her cheeks underneath her Stone Mask.
I fortified my bow with [Reinforcement], lines of magic running up and down the weapon. I took another shot, and this time my arrow flew almost 400 yards, but still not nearly enough. I pumped more magic into my Projection, only for it to shatter under the arcane stress. While I could Reinforce myself as much as I wanted so long as I had the magic to spare, the same didn't apply to everything else.
It wasn't enough! The bows I had weren't nearly good enough! Yet what else could I do? The silver bow was the best ranged weapon I had in my arsenal.
Then I had an idea. Would it work? I'd know once I tried, but if it did I'd become an even bigger EMIYA knock-off.
Shit, I wasn't in a position to be picky. If it worked, it worked.
I opened my [Inventory of the Wild Hero] and swiped to my bow tab. I'd filled it with three iron bows, five steel bows, and five silver bows. I took out two of the silver bows, holding one in each hand.
Then, [Alteration].
The glow of my magic circuits extended to the bows, encompassing them in their entirety. This time I wasn't adding a trait, but manipulating their shape. Both weapons fell apart into pools of liquid silver before I mashed them together into a single formless blob.
Not enough, I needed more.
I added a third silver bow, followed by a fourth, and finally my fifth.
Then, under my guidance, I reshaped the amorphous metal. The limbs formed first, solidifying until they were as thick as Robin's arms. Next was the grip, customized to fit perfectly in my hand. Finally, the string of interwoven metal strands, wide as my thumb and connecting to the bow's tips. When I was done I held a giant bow nearly as tall as myself. It had some serious heft to it, and there was no doubting its draw weight was utterly monstrous.
As a finishing touch, I used [Alteration] to add an enhancement. I didn't know what the limits of the skill were, resolving to test it later, but for now I granted my greatbow a trait I called [True Shot]: it let my arrows fly as true as possible, countering winds and other obstructive variables.
I used [Structural Analysis] to see what sort of monster I'd created.
[Guardian's Silver Greatbow (Altered), Rank: A+]
An outrageous bow crafted by the Guardian of the Halidom using five ordinary silver bows as base materials. Although boasting extreme power and range, its might is curtailed by a STRENGTH requirement, as this greatbow cannot be wielded by the ordinary. It's trait of [True Shot] lets arrows fired from this handheld ballista pierce through winds and storms to hit their mark. Woe to any and all who find themselves a target of this merciless weapon's sights.
Might: 29
Hit Rate: 15%
Critical: 50%
Durability: 50/50
Magic Cost: 2
STRENGTH Requirement: 30
[<Guardian's Silver Greatbow (Altered), Rank: A+> has been added to the SYSTEM's Catalogue!]
If anyone saw my face, they would've run at my downright feral grin.
Time to take this baby for a test drive.
Grasping the grip of the Silver Greatbow in one hand, I notched its string with an ordinary arrow and pulled with my base strength.
It barely budged an inch.
As expected. This time, my magic circuits lit up as I Reinforced myself until my strength reached 30. Then, slowly but surely, I drew the bowstring taut, my back and shoulder muscles nearly bursting from the confines of my clothes at the sheer exertion.
I released.
THWOOM!
The greatbow produced a crack of noise so intense I felt the reverberations run up my arm, throughout my body, and ring my head like a bell. Beside me, Robin almost dropped her tome as she reflexively clutched her ears in pain.
Meanwhile, my arrow rocket across the 600 yards of distance between us and the Plegian wyvern riders. I hadn't been aiming at anyone in particular, but our enemies were so numerous I wound up hitting someone anyways. A regular wyvern rider, whose chest plate caved in when my arrow obliterated itself against the center of his armor and sent him flying off his saddle. His sternum and ribs were thoroughly pulverized, and he was dead long before he hit the sand below.
[+1 EXP!]
I saw the hesitation ripple throughout the wyvern riders' ranks, awed and terrified by the impossible display of archery, but only for a moment before they continued their pursuit.
I discovered a drawback: regular arrows were too weak to fully unleash the Silver Greatbow's potential. Not a problem, I had a fix for that too.
"Trace, on!" I Projected a silver sword, then manipulated its shape with [Alteration]. Magic sparked up and down the weapon as its blade twisted and extended into a narrow spiral, its cross-guard sunk into the hilt, and the pommel grew a divot resembling the notch of an arrow.
[Silver Sword-Arrow, Rank: B]
An "arrow" Altered from a silver sword. Its durability has been sacrificed to increase penetrating power.
Might: 17
Durability: 5/5
Magic Cost: 1
[<Silver Sword-Arrow, Rank: B> has been added to the SYSTEM's Catalogue!]
This'll do nicely.
I notched the "arrow," and pulled the greatbow's string as far as it would go. My aim was the commanding officer, a wyvern lord—basically an advanced wyvern rider— leading his flying army from the head of the swarm.
I fired.
My sword-arrow punched through the air as a spiral barb of death, ripping across the sky nearly as fast as a high-caliber bullet. I missed my intended target by several yards, but still hit an ordinary wyvern rider. To the horror of those witnessing, my projectile drilled through the rider like he was made of wet tissue paper, pierced through the unlucky sod flying behind him, as well as the poor bastard behind him, before finally stopping in the neck of the wyvern behind them.
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
Not bad, but I could do better.
This time, I used my last bits of magic to cast [Reinforcement] on my Silver Greatbow, increasing its range and destructive capability to an alarming degree. I could feel the metal protest from the strain, knocking off a few points of durability, but still held together. I armed it with another Traced sword-arrow, and took aim.
I inhaled.
Exhaled.
Then took the shot.
My sword-arrow flew true, hitting the commander of the wyvern battalion right in the head, exploding it like the world's messiest melon, before continuing onward to claim several more victims.
[+10 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
Now the pack of wyverns came to an abrupt halt, their commanding officer decimated by a strike none of them could've ever anticipated.
How could I not take advantage of so many stationary targets?
My Reinforced vision searched for more officers, who stood out from the rest thanks to their heavier armor and banners signifying their rank.
I unleashed death.
[+5 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
Several other wyvern lords tried to reestablish order, reform the ranks, and quell the fear crippling their army. It made them stand out like candles in the darkness.
[+5 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[Ding!]
[You've Leveled up!]
I didn't care. All my concentration was focused on my prey. Nowi continued to fly us farther away, increasing the distance between us and them. Best guess, the wyvern swarm was over 1,000 yards away now.
So what? I fully submerged myself into the task at hand.
[+2 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
1,200 yards away.
[+2 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
1,500 yards away.
[+2 EXP!]
[+1 EXP!]
A mile.
[+1 EXP!]
[Ding!]
[Sharpening your proficiency past the conventional has granted you a boon! +1 to SKILL!]
The Plegian wyvern army went into full retreat. Mass panic tore apart military discipline, and with the deputy officers dropping like flies none were willing to step up and fill the void in leadership.
We'd cleared the first hurdle.
"G-Guardian," Robin gasped. "That … that was … I've no words."
"That was awesome!" Nowi cheered, her exhaustion briefly forgotten. "You were like, wham! Bam! Kabam! And they were like … blarg! Eeek! Ooh, my kidneys!"
"I'm glad it worked," I sighed, my adrenaline tapering off.
"Y-Your hand …"
Puzzled, I glanced down at my left hand. The fingernails of my left and middle fingers were cracked and bent backwards, hanging solely through strands of flesh. I'd been so absorbed in my shooting I never noticed the pain.
I threw my greatbow into the Inventory and quickly ripped the broken nails off (Robin shuddered at the squelch sound they made). After that, I Traced a Heal stave to patch myself up. Sweet relief coursed through my flagging veins.
[HIT POINTS: 34 / 45]
Good enough for now. I also healed Nowi while I was at it.
"Thanks mister!"
"No problem. How much farther can you take us?" I asked.
"I'm … actually really tired. Don't know … if I can …" Nowi wasn't flapping her wings anymore, and was straining herself just to keep them open.
Noticing this, Robin ceased her spell.
"Land quickly," she said, wrapping her arms around the dragonic forearm so she'd dangle less. I did the same, and my stomach lurched as Nowi swiftly approached the faraway ground.
We were falling fast, a bit too fast. However, we leveled out during the final few yards before Nowi gave her wings one last flap to slow us as much as possible. Sand was blown everywhere from the winds she stirred up, and we hit the dunes a bit harder than expected. Nothing dangerous, thankfully.
I landed on my feet, and Robin on her face. Nowi outright collapsed, heaving heavily as she slowly reverted to her humanoid form. Pieces of her peeled off like magic, resembling falling cherry blossoms as she shrunk. By the end, we were left with the Nowi who resembled a 10 year old child.
"We ... sputter—!" Robin coughed out the sand that got underneath her Stone Mask. "—cough, cough … can't stay here. We need to leave Plegia as fast as possible."
"No complaints here," I groaned, feeling the ache in my joints. Healing magic wasn't a substitute for a good night's rest.
"D-Ditto," Nowi whimpered as she struggled to her hands and knees. "Ow, ow, ow, I think I pulled every muscle I have, and when I'm a dragon I have a lot."
"Ylisse? The Border Pass?" I asked Robin.
She shook her head, shaking more sand from her hair. "They'll be expecting that. If they send a flyer to the border, they can lock it down so tight we'll never get through. You can bet they'll also post soldiers strong enough to see past our Stone Masks."
"Then what's the plan?"
"You said you're good friends with the Khans of Regna Ferox?" Robin asked, and I nodded. "Then we go north. With any luck, the Mad King has no idea you've a good relation with northern kingdom. Map?"
I Projected the Plegian map I copied at Gythida and handed it to her. She looked over it studiously, memorizing the cities and outpost locations to the last detail.
"Which direction did Nowi fly us?"
"East-southeast," I immediately replied. Thank you, internal compass.
"And judging from how far we flew … we're here," Robin pointed to a spot on the map, still too close to the Plegian capital for my liking. "I know our route. Leave the navigation to me."
"Then I'll carry us."
"Are you sure?" Robin asked, worried. "After everything you've done, you must be exhausted."
"I'll rest in Ferox. The sooner we're out of Plegia, the better."
"… if you're sure."
"You won't be able to change my mind."
Robin ceded to that.
I dismissed my Projected Stone Mask to negate its magic cost and replaced it with my Keaton Mask. To Robin and Nowi, it looked as though I waved my hand over my face and magically changed masks like a stage performer.
"Whoa! That's so cool!" Nowi clapped.
"… still didn't see anything," Robin grumbled.
I chuckled at her annoyance before using [Reinforcement] to its limit. Nowi scrambled up my back and sat herself on my shoulders, grabbing the ears of my Keaton Mask like they were handlebars. That left my arms free to carry Robin, who pressed herself tightly against my bloodstained chest.
Taking in a fortifying breath, I followed Robin's directions and ran.
~
I didn't stop; refused to. We were in enemy territory, and now the Mad King and Grimleal Hierophant knew we were in the palm of their hands. Escape was our utmost priority. I kept going well after the sun went down, ignoring Robin's pleas for me to rest. Even Nowi was growing worried for me.
Around midnight my legs locked up, pushed beyond their normal limits. I stumbled and nearly collapsed. Robin wriggled her way out of my arms and forced me to rest, saying she'd knock me out if it came to it.
I was in no position to argue. My head pounded with an ache that squeezed the back of my eyes, my throat was drier than the desert I was running through, and I couldn't feel my legs.
I knew I was being unreasonable, that I'd accomplish nothing if I pushed myself to the breaking point. But an old fear was clawing its way out of my chest, strangling the life out of rational thought.
I was afraid my weakness was going to get another friend killed. Coming to Plegia had been the height of stupidity, yet I did so anyways. Now I was terrified of the worst possible outcome: Robin's death. Validar wanted Robin so he could awakening Grima, and once the Fell Dragon took over my friend would die … no, she'd be worse than dead.
That couldn't happen.
I refused to let it!
I brought out food and water for everyone from my Inventory, then healed my aches and blisters with a stave. It did nothing for my headache; if anything, it became even worse. We didn't dare set up a campfire for warmth, as it'd be a beacon for trouble now that the entire kingdom was searching for us.
Nowi came up with a tenable solution. She transformed, and let Robin and me huddle up against her side, which was as warm as a freshly used furnace. She also covered us with one wing, providing a makeshift shelter, and promised to keep watch for the night.
It was the best we could do in a bad situation.
Before I forced myself to sleep, I gave my status screen a brief glance to see what I'd gained from leveling up.
NAME: ???
AGE: 21
CLASS: ???
LEVEL: 14 (+1)
EXP: 15 / 100
HIT POINTS: 44 / 45 (+2)
STRENGTH: 23 (+1)
MAGIC: 15 (-1, Projection) (+1)
SKILL: 21
SPEED: 18 (+1)
LUCK: 0
DEFENSE: 16 (+1)
RESISTANCE: 20
I wondered if I'd get a [Third Milestone] upon reaching Level 15 before drifting off to an uneasy sleep.
~
We woke when dawn broke, and ate a plain breakfast of fruits and raw vegetables as we didn't have the time or luxury for me to cook anything. I'd have to store premade meals in the Inventory in the future, in case a situation like this happened again.
Exhausted from keeping watch all night, Nowi slept in my arms while Robin hung off my back. I tried not to jostle the Manakete too much so she could rest, but didn't place her comfort as a high priority. While I ran, Robin used a light application of wind magic to erase my tracks from the desert sand; not a bad precaution.
I had Robin eat while I ran, only taking a few mouthfuls of water myself, turning a deaf ear to her protests.
That night we saw patrols of wyvern riders flying above us, their silhouettes dimming the stars. I Traced a Stone Mask for myself and Nowi while we all hid ourselves at the base of a dune, making no noise or movement to avoid alerting the constant overhead patrols.
With so many eyes in the sky, Nowi couldn't transform to give us shelter. All we could do was put on several more layers of clothes while huddling up with one another for warmth. Nowi was sandwiched between myself and Robin.
All the while, my headache raged, a jagged spike of pain lodged between my eyes. I tried to ignore it, tried to will the pain away.
It didn't go anywhere.
~
Our progress was slowed by the constant wyvern patrols, although their numbers lessened the farther north we went. As Robin expected, the bulk of Plegia's forces headed eastward, towards the Plegia-Ylisse border. We still ran across a few patrols on the ground, though these were mostly military men and women heading east. After sneaking around a few manned outposts and several Plegian cities, I picked everyone up despite Robin's protests and resumed my Reinforced run.
We were getting close, so close. I could almost feel the bite of Feroxi cold in the air. A few more days; just a few more days, and we'd be safe.
~
[You've pushed yourself past your mortal limits! +1 to HIT POINTS, +1 to STRENGTH, and +1 to SPEED!]
That was the message I read before everything went numb, as if someone had cut my strings, sending all three of us sprawling across the sand. I couldn't move my legs; barely twitch a finger. The fire in my head had spread to the point where merely thinking caused spikes of agony to shoot down my spine.
Robin was by my side in an instant, flipping me on my back and worriedly checking my condition. Despite all the water I carried in my Inventory, I was dehydrated, and even stopped sweating hours ago. I barely heard Robin's concerned pleading over the thundering in my ears.
What was she saying? She'd taken off her Stone Mask and was repeating the same word over and over again. What was it? I think she was saying … "wah" … "ter"?
Water?
My head felt like it was splitting in two, but I managed to open my Inventory and summon a barrel of water. Robin immediately cracked it open and tried to feed me a handful, but couldn't because of my Keaton Mask. Nowi tried to pry it off, but would've had better luck ripping off the front half of my face.
Ultimately, Robin propped me up so that I was sitting while Nowi transformed to pick up the water barrel in her clawed talon so she could slowly pour its contents over my head. The sensation was heaven on my overheated skin, and the few trickles that slipped underneath my mask and wetted my lips tasted like ambrosia.
I … it was a fight to stay conscious. My eyelids were growing heavier by the second, until resistance became futile.
I passed out soon afterwards.
~
I blinked awake. The fire razing my mind died down to flickering embers, while my whole body felt like it'd been run over by a road roller before being inflated by Bugs Bunny. Looking about, I noticed I was resting underneath one of Nowi's dragon wings, while my head was propped up on Robin's lap. Robin herself was sleeping against the Manakete's side, drooling slightly on the emerald scales.
I tried to sit up, only to spasm as pins and needles assaulted my nerves. My twitching awoke Robin, who groaned in discomfort before noticing I was conscious.
"Are you alright?!" was the first thing she asked, touching my neck to check my temperature. I hoped it was within normal range.
"Alive," I rasped. It was downright painful how parched my throat was, but I pushed past it. "We need to—"
"—we're not going anywhere," Robin stressed. "You collapsed! I thought you'd died! If you work yourself any harder, you'll … you'll …"
"… how far are we from Longfort?" The gargantuan wall/fortress also separated Plegia and Regna Ferox.
"By my estimates, two days out."
"Then we—"
"—are going to rest! Recover!" Robin shouted, pressing her hands down on my shoulders so I couldn't get up with my feeble strength. "You were unconscious for over 20 hours! For you and your absurd recovery rate, that's a normal human's equivalent to a whole week!"
"Robin, we're so close! Just a little more and we'll be in Ferox. I can rest then!" I protested.
"No. I've made my decision," Robin stated, refusing to budge. "We're resting here and now for the sake of your health. So bring out some food and eat. That's an order."
I huffed. "Shall I salute you too?"
Robin would've smacked me if I was any healthier.
Nonetheless, I took a banana out of the Inventory, pushed up my Keaton Mask to expose my chapped lips, and ate slowly, savoring the fruit's moisture. I gave Robin one as well, which she devoured hungrily. Ah crap, that's right: all our food was in my [Inventory of the Wild Hero], so with me unconscious Robin and Nowi didn't have anything to eat or drink for nearly 20 hours. In a desert as harsh a Plegia's, that was very bad.
I was a total ass. I knew I became a bit stupid when I worried for my friends, but this was unacceptable.
I summoned a barrel of water, but was puzzled when Robin made no move to slake her thirst.
"Robin?" I asked.
"I learned something new yesterday."
"Yeah?"
"I put your head on my lap because I wanted to give you a bit of comfort, and it was fine for a while. Then the hours passed, and my legs started going numb. Your head is really heavy."
I chortled. "Are you saying you can't move your legs?"
"Can't even feel them."
"Think a Heal stave will fix them up?"
"I very much hope so."
~
When Nowi awoke, she shifted to her humanoid form and dunked her head into the barrel to drink thrice her weight in water. Where it all went, I hadn't the faintest clue, and blamed that on wonky Manakete biology. I brought out a second barrel of water for myself and Robin before bringing out plenty of apples, bananas, berries, carrots, and the like. Nowi grumbled over the lack of meat, so I gave her a raw slab of deer meat. Watching someone who looked like a 10 year old girl happily dig her teeth into a piece of bloody steak was an experience.
We then resumed our trek north at a sedated pace. Robin said I crossed a tremendous amount of distance in very little time, and chances were strong Plegia lost us entirely. So long as we avoided the occasional patrol, we'd be fine.
Those were words I desperately needed to hear.
Since I was no longer killing myself trying to get us all to Regna Ferox, we finally got some introductions out of the way.
"I'm Nowi, and I wanted to say"—she tackled me with a hug—"thank you, thank you, thank you for saving me from those horrible, horrible humans!"
I patted her head; her hair was surprisingly fluffy. "You're welcome. Glad you're okay now."
Nowi stared up at me with her wide child-like eyes. "Aren't you going to tell me your name?"
"Good luck," Robin grumbled.
"You can call me whatever you want," I said.
"Really? Then you can be Sparky!" Nowi cheered.
"Sparky?"
"Yeah! Because when you're going super-duper fast all these bright lights are coming off you like spark, spark, spark!"
I snickered. "Well then, the name's Sparky. Pleased to meet you. I take it you're already acquainted with my friend, Robin?"
Nowi nodded energetically, making her long hair fly everywhere. "Yeah! She's really good at hide-and-seek! If I'm not careful, she totally disappears! She must be a world champ!"
"Nowi," Robin spoke. "Can I ask how you were captured? I would've thought it'd be next to impossible to imprison a dragon."
Nowi let me go as she pouted, kicking up sand in frustration. "Those mean humans lied to me! The said they wanted to be friends, but stole my Dragonstone and put those metal things on me! Hurt me, too! They weren't friends, they were meanies! Bullies! If I had my Dragonstone, I would've set them all on fire!"
"I'm sorry something so horrible happened to you."
Nowi beamed. "It's okay! I'm a big girl! Over a 1,000 years old and counting!"
Robin blanched. "A th-thousand? Really?"
"Manakete are long lived," I said. "I reckon Nowi will be around and kicking even after 10,000 years."
"Yeah, probably," Nowi shrugged as she skipped along. "Gosh, I really hope we leave all this desert behind soon. My throat's always dry, and I keep getting sand in my hair. I hate it!"
"You don't have to worry about that in Regna Ferox. All they've got is snow."
Nowi's eyes shone. "Oh, oh! You mean that soft stuff that falls from the sky and makes everything white! I love those! Hey, we can have snowball fights when we get there!"
I smiled underneath my mask. "Sure, sounds fun."
"Yay!" the Manakete cheered. "Snowball fight, snowball fight! We're going to have a snowball fight!"
As Nowi danced ahead of us, Robin leaned over and whispered, "For a 1,000 year old dragon, she's very …"
"… childish?"
"I was going to say 'honest'."
"Sure you were."
Robin poked me in the side, but contentedly added, "I'm glad you rescued her. She didn't deserve what the Grimleal were planning for her. No one does."
I nodded, and we walked quietly while listening to Nowi sing a song about snowballs, snakes, and toenails.
"I'm sorry," I said.
Robin turned to me. "For what?"
"For failing to kill Validar." Robin tensed at the name. "It's the entire reason we're here, and now we're running without having taken a single shot at the bastard. I failed you."
"No! No, you didn't," Robin strongly denied, holding my arm. "This … all of this … was my stupid idea. I … I wanted to be free of the man so badly I guilted you into this suicidal task. If anything had happened to you …" her grip intensified, "… I don't think I would ever be able to forgive myself."
"… do you still want him dead?"
Robin laughed hollowly. "I strongly doubt that'll ever change, but right now I just want all of us safe."
~
Three days later (we took our time) our spirits were buoyed when the sand beneath our feet gave way to solid soil. Nowi cheered as she relished the feeling of grass beneath her feet, while I Reinforced my vision and stared into the distance.
I recognized that familiar quarried wall on the horizon: Longfort.
We were almost there, at Regna Ferox!
Then Robin patted my shoulder and pointed at something much closer. "Look."
It was a small campsite, with seven tents for seven people, and one large pavilion assembled away from the rest. None of them wore any Plegian or Grimleal regalia. If anything, they were a mismatched group. There was a robe-wearing mage, a pair of bare-chested fighters, a heavily armored knight, a cleric in leather armor, and a male and female wearing thick jerkins and pants.
"Let's avoid them," I murmured. We were still far enough away for me to safely Trace a pair of Stone Masks for myself and Nowi. While they didn't look like the Mad King's men, I wasn't taking any chances on Plegian land.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get the memo to Nowi in time, who ran right up to the group shouting, "Hey everyone! Are you having a party? Oh, oh, can I join?"
One of the men, a bulky fellow about as tall as Basilio, saw her happily approach. His features were strong, aided by his wide jawline and shortly cropped burgundy hair.
"Hello, little one! What be you doing in land of nowhere? Come, come, warm cold bones at Gregor's fire!"
… oh god, that ridiculous speech pattern; the horrible accent; his way of referring to himself in third-person … was I going to bump into every future Shepard?!
NAME: "Gregor", the Wandering Mercenary
AGE: 35
CLASS: Mercenary
LEVEL: 10
EXP: 51 / 100
HIT POINTS: 31 / 31
STRENGTH: 13
MAGIC: 0
SKILL: 14
SPEED: 12
LUCK: 8
DEFENSE: 11
RESISTANCE: 2
STATUS: Hearty, Cautious, Bored
"Thanks! You're nice! I like you!" Nowi cheered, jumping into the small group.
"Gregor," the female mercenary said, "who's this?"
"Gregor not know," Gregor shrugged. "Sees child with little clothes, and offers warmth at fire."
"Guys," the armored knight said, glaring our way; shit. "Look alive. It's time to earn our pay."
They were all mercenaries, likely hired by Plegia to stand guard at the kingdom's northern border just in case. They were our final obstacle.
"Nowi," I called out, readying myself for combat. Beside me, an invisible Robin readied her tomes. "Get away from them, they're enemies."
Nowi, hearing my urgency, hurriedly got her game face on as she tried to back away from the seven mercenaries, until one of the fighters grabbed her by the arm and held his axe to her throat.
I hoped the asshole could feel my glare through my Keaton Mask. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Fulfilling a contract," the bare-chested fighter said, pressing his axe a bit harder against the Manakete's neck. "None of us are stupid enough to try and fight fair against the Silent Fiend."
"If you know that name, you should be aware of what I do to my enemies."
"Oy, friend. Let wee lass go," Gregor argued, though he made sure to never turn his back to me. "We be sellswords, not bandits. This be beneath us."
"You should listen," I said, keeping my arms at my side. "He sounds like the smart one amongst you."
Gregor smiled widely. "Comrades hear, yes? Huntsman of Ferox knowing Gregor be the smart one!"
"Shut up, Gregor!" the fighter snapped. "And you!" He leered at me. "Drop all your weapons and kick them over to us!"
"Uh, Noran? I don't think he has any weapons," the cleric pointed out.
"No tomes, either," the mage added.
"What?!" the female merc cried in disappointment. "The only reason I took this damn job was because I heard the Huntsman lugged around a Naga-blessed blade!"
"We'll still get paid handsomely when we turn his head over to the Mad King!" the fighter retorted. "Now don't move, or—!"
Projection, start. First barrel, marking target. Fire.
A Traced silver sword appeared above me and shot forward in the same instant, burying itself hilt-deep in the fighter's face.
[+1 EXP!]
While the remaining six mercs were stunned, Nowi transformed into her dragon self and roared, whipping her tail at the mage and nearly folding him in half. She then glared down at the panicked armored knight before unleashing a torrent of dragon fire from her maw, engulfing the screaming lout entirely and roasting him within his steel shell.
Robin had crept behind the cleric and blasted them across their campfire with a powerful wind spell, knocking them out cold.
The only ones left were Gregor, the female mercenary, and the other fighter.
Dismissing my silver sword Projection, I Traced Ragnell and crossed the distance between myself and the female sellsword in the blink of an eye. Before she could even draw her blade, I lopped off her head with one smooth swing.
[+1 EXP!]
Robin knocked the other axe-wielding fighter into the air with wind magic, where Nowi caught the screaming merc in a talon before slamming him against the ground; hard. He wasn't getting up after that.
All that was left was Gregor, who'd already raised his hands in surrender the instant I felled the first mercenary.
"Gregor be surrendering," he said simply, not at all fazed by the dragon growling down at him.
"Should we let Nowi eat him?" Robin asked, directly behind Gregor and ready to cast at a moment's notice.
"No! Why you be eating Gregor? Can you not see innocence in his baby eyes?"
"Yeah, that's just gross, Robin!" Nowi agreed.
"Ah, sorry."
I walked up to Gregor and placed Ragnell's edge at his neck; he never flinched. "Will you try and follow us if we leave you be?" I didn't want to kill him, but I wasn't taking any chances today.
"Gregor not be eating silly mushroom for breakfast. He will leaves Huntsman and friend be," Gregor promised.
Robin wasn't convinced. "You're a mercenary. Aren't you supposed to complete your employer's contract to the best of your abilities?"
"Even mountain of shiny gold not worth life. Reputation will take hit, but better than being dead, yes?"
"How much are they paying you?" I asked.
"For keeping watch for Huntsman? 5,000 gold."
"Huh, I expected more."
"Huntsman head worth half-a-million gold, but Gregor not bring pretty shoes for merry dance. Knows limits, Gregor does."
I lowered Ragnell, then tossed Gregor a blue rupee from my Inventory. "That's worth at least 12,000 gold. You look the other way, and its yours."
The mercenary beamed, flashing his pearly whites. "Gregor is happy to do so! He also be warning you of old employer!"
"Why? You were hired by Plegia, right?"
"By me exactly, my charming little rat."
It felt like ice was dumped down my back as Aversa sauntered out of the pavilion, obediently trailed by four Deadlords.
~Current Stats~
NAME: ???
AGE: 21
CLASS: ???
LEVEL: 14 (+1)
EXP: 16 / 100
HIT POINTS: 45 / 46 (+3)
STRENGTH:24 (+2)
MAGIC: 15 (-1, Projection) (+1)
SKILL: 21 (+1)
SPEED: 19 (+2)
LUCK: 0
DEFENSE: 16 (+1)
RESISTANCE: 20
~Current Skills~
PERSONAL SKILL 1: Projection, Trace Version
PERSONAL SKILL 2: Inventory of the Wild Hero
PERSONAL SKILL 3: N/A
SKILL 1: Too Angry To Die!
SKILL 2: Reinforcement
SKILL 3: Poison Immunity
SKILL 4: N/A
SKILL 5: N/A
