7 Riders
Their calm and relaxed attitude turned a full 180, the hand I was still sitting on was now rigid and hotter as if he couldn´t control himself.
Seeing the creatures that surrounded me getting tens is not a good sign, I dare to say. The symmetric shapes on their faces instantly changed to pitch black downwards triangles.
Not knowing what to do I just stayed on his palm as I can´t move around due to the cold. Continue to look at the incoming I don´t know what, I didn't realize that the female creature picked me up and set me on her shoulder. I realized that I am being moved when I felt her sandy shoulder brush against me. I looked at her face from the side, she just patted my tiny head with one finger without looking at me.
I have a bad feeling about that, I tell you.
They all just stood there emotionlessly.
No, there was a single emotion in their eyes.
It was hate.
Pure hatred shined from their featureless faces. Power radiated from them. So strong that I could almost taste it.
Seconds pass and I can now finally see the approach. What wondered me was that they looked clear as day, as if a camera focused on them. There were 9 giant lizards running at us. But there was something on their backs. Something familiar.
Hmm, I can´t really see them clearly with my movement-sensing eyes. Trying to squint my eyes, I could finally see the riders after a few seconds.
Wait a minute, those shapes look like...
No, it can´t be!
Why are humans here!!!
Immediately a thousand thoughts rush through my head. All of them are pessimistic and ending in a tragedy for us.
As a former human, I can say, humans, are trash beings. With exceptions, of course.
Suddenly the salty bolder lowered his head while stretching out his legs and leaning on his elbow. His back pointed at the incoming enemies.
A moment later, a great number of spikes protruded out of his back and shoot into the air in rapid succession. Large, small, thick, and thin spikes of all different sizes shoot out, coloring the sky in white. The barrage took 5 whole seconds before he stood up again.
I was in awe. Was that magic or just his ability? This is so going to decimate them.
Gaining newfound hope, my motivation rose and my will hardened.
He then stood up and continued to glare at them.
They were unmoving, unafraid, just like real boulders.
---
(Normal Perspective)
"Boss spotted a group of monsters. From the look of it, there are 4 Cantus Lapides, also known as singing stones, of the type sand, earth, metal, and salt." said a man who was clothed like a scout.
Hearing those words the boss of the group had a mad grin on his face.
"It´s finally time boys. We are going to make big money today! Let´s make this our last hunt for this season. Afterward, we can finally go out of this shit hole of a dungeon!" roared the man while kicking the mount with his heel to be faster. He was at the front leading the group of 9.
"YAHHHH!!" roared the rest, holding their weapons into the sky. They got excited about all the money they could earn butchering the monsters into pieces and selling them to spend it at the next best brothel.
They were riding in a triangle formation fearlessly on their mounts who were puffing from tiredness. They had lifeless eyes with many bruises on their bodies. Clearly, the poachers weren't caring toward their mounts.
A man in his late 30s looked at the sky, squinting his eyes and then back to the leader informing, "Boss, incoming projectiles!"
He looked up and saw so many falling spikes that it looked like a white carped was descending from the skies. "Hmm, a tier 2 monster at this floor? Is that why they closed all the dungeons around the continent? Pah, what a bunch of pussies. Less competition and more loot for us." mumbled the man with a crazy grin.
"Mages, intercept!" commanded him in a loud husky voice.
Hearing the command two robbed men lifted their wooden staffs, pointed them diagonally towards the falling projectiles. They closed their eyes, chanted something, and in just a few seconds two large blue magic circles appeared. Each shot out a single blue orb, flying towards the sky without a sign of stopping.
The blue orbs clashed with the dozens of spikes. On contact, a dome of ice is formed. The spikes collided with the shield making loud clank noises as if a loud downpour hit an umbrella.
"This is so going to be fun butchering those monsters!" said the leader with a mad laugh. He then reached towards his hip and pulled out a long sword pointing at the monsters yelling, "Charge!"
Another cry sounded out.
---
Meanwhile, the snake's jaw dropped at how easily the humans stopped the attack with only two spells. He wondered if they could win this fight or not. Scratch that, he didn´t even know if he could survive another day.
Even the boulders flinched at the grand spells of the mages. How couldn´t they be after seeing the spell literally freeze the sky? But even that isn´t going to discourage them to run away.
The salty boulder then prepared another barrage, that was shortly countered again. Despite getting countered every single time by the same spell he didn´t give up. He even increased the spike output. Shooting out double the amount in half the time.
---
The ridders got ever so closer, but due to the constant spike rain, the mage's mana depleted at a rapid pace as the spell they were using isn´t a low one. Now only a few meters apart, two of the ridders took out short bows and started shooting yellow glowing arrows.
The monsters not letting them just kill them without resisting got into a battle-ready stance. It´s going to be a fight to the death from here on out.
Seeing the fight begin the two-eyed female boulder quickly covered the little snake's body with a layer of warm sand, giving him extra protection and making him blend in with her skin.
The first few arrows were aimed at the metal boulder who didn´t even try to dodge them. He just put his long-hanging arms in front of him and turned them into shields, blocking the incoming arrows. The collision created a large booming sound as the tip of the arrows embedded into the metal arms. The boulder didn´t even flinch.
"Kii kiii kiii kiii~"
He then let out a shrill sound that was similar to metal scraping each other. It oddly sounded like laughter, as if he were mocking the archers. While laughing the metal tips began to morph with the monster, restoring the shields as the rest of the arrow fall to the ground.
Not wanting to only defend he turned his other 2 hands into long rigid swords, while also making his skin spikier, looking like a pincushion, and rushed them without looking back.
Seeing the metal guy running at the humans the others quickly followed suit. Only the dirt boulder stayed behind while throwing small dirt balls at them. Yup, just 'normal' brown lumps of dirt.
And so the fight begins...
