The Demon's Princess: Splinters and a VERY angry tree.

THE BERSERKER AND THE GIANT TREE.

DAY 16.

MONDAY.

GOLD: 10,193.

Tyler woke the next morning alone in his tent and chuckled at the feeling.

"That's a queer feeling. Once upon a time I slept along 100% a the time. The ONE TIME in nearly three weeks I do, it feels freakin weird. Eh."

He got up and checked his Status Plate and sighed as he saw he was still just over halfway to 5. Then he walked out to find the thunderstorm still raging overhead. Raindrops the size of freakin coins were BOUNCING off the dirt as he walked into the longhall. Asuna smiled without hunor as he walked over.

"Are you as surprised as I am?"

"Nope."

"Good. So we're on the same page."

He got his mug of coffee as he sat beside her at the Table.

"Any sign it'll pass soon?"

Bjorn shook his massive head.

"None. Storms up here last for WEEKS."

"Yeah we don't have that kinda time. The longer we wait, the longer it has to replenish it's forces or something ELSE to go wrong. Okay. We're switiching elements. we'll try the forest to go with fire, and use the thunder mages to electricute that thing."

Ingot smirked.

"It'll be next to helpless for the time being as Fores Giants LOVE rhunderstorms. it's their version of a shower. And since the sun they depend on isn't touching em, it'll be VERY slow."

"Alright let's get this done."

The Heroes geared up for a hard fight with Tyler using an ice spell to sharpen his ice enchanted sword. Then they were moving through the tripping forest as thunder bellowed overhead. Ingot was beside the warrior as they moved through the trees as silently as the still novices-they-were Heroes could. Tyler noted the forest floor wasn't as soaked as he thought it would be as they went and chuckled.

"I forgot how much of a rainshield the canopy can be."

Ingot chuckled as well as tey moved.

"Ya be a rookie yet LAddee."

Asuna came up beside them then.

"We're nearly there. Thunder mages in position, and pyromancers ready."

"Alright. wait for the scream and go from there."

"Right. You be careful."

"Ha. YOU watch THEIR ass."

She smirked at that one as the group split. Tyler took the 25 or so fire mages with him as Asuna brought the 30 thunder mages. The rest would use an enchanted flame to fire arrows into the giant from a distance in a three pronged assault. Tylr noted Rias was with them but the redhead didn't say a thing to him and instead merely moved further away. He shrugged internally as he focused ont he task at hand. The fire brigade reached the outskirts of a massive grove of oak trees laid out in clear rows with dozens of dents from trees being torn up and the giant walking around between them. Tyler walked over to the burn pile that stretched into the distance.

"Alright. If it's NOT in the grove it'll come RUNNING to save it. watch your asses, and we'll be fine."

"We know, can we just get this going?"

He rounded on Rias, the one that had spoken with a FURY.

"NOT. NOW. Focus. Or get knocked the fuck out. Are we clear?"

She glared at him and looked away without replying...and the greatsword appeared before her eyes.

"ARE. WE. CLEAR?"

"YES SIR."

"Good."

He turned from the hatefully glaring at him redhead to the pile. He let out a deep breath as he banished all other thoughts from his mind to concentrate on the task at hand.

"All of you spread out along the line ten feet apart. I'll set it off, and keep up the chain reaction. Once the flames are good, head to the second burn line and set that off too."

They nodded and moved along the line.

"I thought we were friends."

"NOT. NOW. Argue later."

Rias' beneath the breath condemnation was met by his ice cold shutdown as she passed and the redhead shivered a little as he didn't even GLANCE in her direction. Tyler looked at the groove and smiled as he thought of Seria.

"I'll see you soon, Seria."

His heart aflame with the thought of his beloved princess, Tyler lifted his sword.

"FIRESTORM!"

His flame tornade exploded into being along the pile of pinecones, branches, leaves, dead bark and twigs. INSTANTLY an elk's bellow of panic was heard from BEHIND him and the ground started shaking rather VIOLENTLY as the Forest Giant raced to protect it's cherished oaks. Along the line more and more such fire spells broke out as the 45 foot tall tree monster came hurtling from the trees like a cannonball of destruction. it saw the flames now fighting to catch with a dripping frame and screamed as it grabbed a willow tree by the trunk with the intent to use it as a makeshift fan...

"NOW! THUNDERFIELD!"

Only for a mass of lightning bolts cast by the army to slam into it's soaking body. It screamed as it's entire frame was encased in eletricity and arcs of lightning enhanced by the storm it stood in. Tyler smirked as the thing's face, which was more like a mass of gouges in the trunk, landed above him as it dropped to a knee under the weight of the barrage.

"Hiya! remember me? FIRESTORM."

The spell was cast in the middle of it's beloved oak groove as the second burn line went up and the Forest Giant had anger driving it's weakened limbs now. Tyler was moving into the oak grove and the Giant forced it's body to give chase. The wily warrior hid behind a large oak trunk as the nearly 10 foot wide mound of roots that served as the giant's foot slammed beside him and nearly made him drop from the shaking ground on impact. The giant swung it's other leg to take the next step as it sought to find the insolent little maggot that had dared harm it's oaks.

"FIRESTORM!"

The spell targeted it's foot and the giant recoiled in pain, tripped on an oak in the tight confines of the grove and fell with an earthshaking slam into the burning pile of kindling. There was a massive woosh from the flames as the sap rich Forest Giant impacted and the sparks from the flames started landing on it's body. There was a mass of steam clouds rising into the sky alomng with oily smoke from the fires and Tyler smiled as the giant started thrashing while screaming.

"FLAMES NOW! FIRESTORM!"

He wobbled a little as he cast the latest firestorm and found his mana had been depleted for this fight. Tyler nodded as he found this out while the giant was encased in small gouts of flames trying to get a proper hold. The thing was thrashing like a toddler having a fit on the ground and the sounds of snapping trees and it's screams echoed off the mountain peaks surrounding them like spectators to this life or death struggle and Tyler had his greatsword out as he rushed the nearest limb of the thrashing beast.

"DARK SACRALANT!"

he hit the giant with his Soulkiller ability and the giant screamed as it sliced a hefty portion of it's lifeforce away....but DIDN'T kill it outright. The thing shuddered as it's right arm was severed entirely instead and Tyler frowned at this proof before a branch caught him in the chest and he was flung through the air a good hundred feet high. He hit the ground with a slam and grunted as something snapped inside his body. The wounded warrior bounced but was on his feet the next instant ready to continue battle...only to find his leg had snapped on impact and he couldn't move it. He sighed and used the grapples to swing through the air to reach the giant as it forced itself off the dirt. The rest of the heroes had run out of mana from the repeated high level casting and had to recover. Tyler had a grapple in the wooden frame of the now off balance giant and was swinging to get onto the back of it's neck section as it flailed it's remaining limb. On the ground the flames were out and there was a long scar in the woodland from the attempted burn but no flame. Tyler had a look of determined anger on his face as he avoided the swinging limb to land on it's neck and he used another ability.

"MIGHTY BLOW!"

This enhanced the cutting and force of a two handed weapon and Tyler slammed the weapon into the wooden timbers of the flipping out giant. The sword cut deeply into the wood, and the giant screamed at the feeling before it threw him off before he could attack it again and Tyler had to swng away.

"This isn't GOING ANYWHERE!"

He growled in frustration as he landed on another tree and felt a bolt of pain from his broken leg but ignored it to swing at the one armed giant as it hefted a length of rowan as a club and swung at the hero as a cloud of ability enchanced arrows from the heroes slammed into the thing's trunk. The shafts embedded in the wood and Tyler threw himself into a slash.

"TEMPEST!"

The slash hit the limb of the giant and bit into the wood but did nothing else of note before the giant gave a lunge and flicked Tyler across the chest with a sharper branch that served as a finger and it tore RIGHT through both sets of mail. His blood flowed and he impacted on the dirt 45 feet down with enough force he felt several ribs turn to powder inside his body along with a vertebrae or two. Tyler nearly blacked out from the intense pain but for an image of Seria weeping over a coffin with his sword on it to surge through his mind and he rose to his feet with a reddening gaze and he bellowed at the giant as it slammed a tree into the mass of other heroes and the wounding was great.

"'GET OVER HERE!"

The grapple was fired into the tree's foot and Tyler wrapped it around an oak in the grove and whent eh giant went to move, the steel cable sliced the trunk of the oak clean in half. This new horror inspired the Giant to rush to the fallen tree and drop to a knee as it craddled the dying tree to it's chest. Tyler leapt up the back of it's spine out of his mind with rage at the image he'd seen and bellowed as he swung the sword into the damaged wood of the giant's neck. Mighty Blow's cooldown ended, and he stacked a few abilities now.

"TEMPEST, MIGHTY BLOW, GHOST CUT!"

the sword sliced clean through half the giant's neck this time and the berserker roared as he tore the sword free from the recoiling monster as it slapped at the back of it's neck and Tyler placed the tip of the sword on the remaining section of solid wood where a spinal cord would be.

"ADAMANTIUM SKIN!"

The hand impacted on his back and the force sent the sword piercing through it's neck....and the tube of wood that DID serve as a spinal cord. The giant went limp and the hand fell away from it's neck. The thing fell to the ground with a slam and the battered heroes rushed to the spot it had slapped....only to gasp in horror at the sight that beheld them.

Tyler had been impaled by the hilt of his own sword through the middle and the thing had been shoved clean into the giant's neck like a nail. The warrior was unmoving as he hung there pinned to the giant's neck like a certain religious figure on a bit of wood. Rias gasped at this and started tearing up as Asuna dropped to her knees.

"No. NOt like that."

Kirito had a new look of helpless rage as he saw the dead berserker nailed to a giant.

"HE had to CARRY that fight. we had TWO WEEKS grind and we couldn't even HELP him. Not again."

"Ummm, sorry to interrupt your pity party, BUUUUT my skill is about to run out annnnd I don't wanna die like this."

They looked up at he exasperated voice to see a VERY weak and exhausted Tyler smirking tiredly at them.

"Hiya. Can someone unnail me please?"

Rias pounced on the badly hurt warrior for a hug as Asuna ROARED at the heroes to get the man unstuck. Tyler smiled as Rias nearly STRANGLED him with her hug.

"Rias? I appreciate it, I REALLY do, but can you wait on the warm and fuzzies until AFTER I'm not nearly dying from my own sword?"

She smiled with tears in her eyes.

"I think I can. So long as YOU don't die up here."

"Well hurry up if ya dare!"

She laughed as the heroes broke out axes and Asia and Yoshkia cast their most powerful healing spells to keep him conscious while they extracted him from the giant's neck. A grueling task that took fifteen long minutes and when he could move his arms he tore the hilt from his body and the healers poured healing potions onto his horrific wounds until they closed and his hurts stopped hurting and were merely sore. Tyler smiled tiredly as he retrieved his sword and found the thing bent nearly in half.

"Well that sucks. Okay, who else is hurt?"

Asuna reported with a tiredness.

"Most of us were. A few life threatening injuries were healed and we lost 15 of the knights brought with us in this fight."

"Shit. The giant's dead. That's a victory and the village is safe-"

"Well, YOU'RE a sorry bunch."

A man with darker skin appeared from behind the giant's foot and Tyler smirked as he pulled his lance to face this new visitor.

"Well we just killed a giant. Kinda had it rough."

The man chuckled as the group tensed for another fight. This newcomer was the same height as Tyler with darker skin and a very slender frame that almost seemed delicate. He had dark marroon hair and bright red eyes. THe man's attire was a black and red tunic and pants while his boots were clean. when he spoke, his teeth were clean and he had an oily tenor. Then Tyler noted the tips of his ears were tipped like spears and he smirked.

"So YOU'RE a Draken? Huh."

The Dark elf smirked at this recognition.

"So YOU'RE Lord Berserker? A mere BOY with a sword FAR too big for him and an ego to match. Such a shame."

"Is THAT what she said to you? Ouch. Explains the Stallion's Boost."

The man had a vein bulge at this sweetly voiced taunt.

"So you're a master taunter too. How droll."

"Least I don't look like THAT."

Tyler made a gesture with a hand to the Dark Elf's attire and he smirked.

"Insults will get you nowhere. Now then. Surrender. You are in NO fit shape to fight."

"Ha. Idiot. You REALLLY think I didn't anticipate this?"

The Dark Elf smirked at this CLEAR bluff.

"Oh I am so sorry. Go on. Spring your trap."

"Okay."

Tyler retracted his grapple cable he'd used to tie the giant's leg to the oak and it came FLYING out of the woods to trip the Dark elf as he was caught COMPLETELY by surprise by there ACTUALLY being a trap. Tyler pinned him to the dirt with a chuckle.

"Ya see, in a game of chess the goal is NOT to capture the enemy king, but to make the king you're own. And that can in a number of manners."

The elf had a look of fury as he laid there pinned with the lance tip on his chet.

"HOW did you think that far out? and more importantly, WHEN? it's like-"

"Prediciting the future right? To quote a friend a mine, one of Humanity;s greatest strengths is they are weak. we're born into this world with nothing. And so, we have the power to do ANYTHING. Since we ARE weak, we need to make our tools to win our wars. We CAN predict the future. we CAN win this war."

Tyler stabbed the elf in the chest.

"Because we predict the future just to survive. And now I make my prediciton: YOU will BURN in hell ALONG with every other fuck that dares to stand between me and my wife."

The elf died with a gurgle and Tyler made sure to sever the head with the edge of his shield JUST to be sure. Sora smiled from his spot by Shiro.

"He paraphased the hell outta that, but DAMN DUDE."

"I can't tell you how long I've wanted to pull that on somebody."

"HA."

Asuna came up now to inspect the corpse.

"So THAT'S a Dark Elf. His demeanor fills in a lot of blanks."

Tyler nodded as he leaned on his lance.

"it does. And he had a sight sharing spell."

"Of course he did."

"Yup. For now there's nothing we can do about it. Let's clear the fire line and sure there's no flareups. The we report to the Queen. THIS was FAR bigger then we know."

The heads nodded and the tired heroes and their ranger friends made the far more ardorous trip to the village. Tyler having to limp on his lance, as even though the best healers in the Company had healed him, he was still bone tired from the extremely grueling battle. Bjorn was waiting with the rest of the villagers for their return and they sighed with relief as they returned alive. Tyler smiled tiredly as the bigger man lent a shoulder.

"Thanks Bjorn."

"LAd you have saved my village. This is nothing but a courtesy for a returning warrior."

"Ha. Appreciated."

They returned to the longhall where the orb was placed on the Table and the queen summoned. She appeared with a smirk that instantly died as she saw the battered states of the heroes and the rents in Tyler's armor and jacket.

"I will seal my chamber."

They waited patiently for the Queen to secure the room and Seria appeared int eh ball all worry and Tyler smiled wryly.

"I got my ass handed to me by a giant tree. it's okay. I still won."

She smiled with relief at this.

"Of course you did. Are you okay?"

"Tired and SORE, but yeah. You okay?"

"I am now."

He smiled.

"I'll summon you later."

"Better!"

"My gods are you too cute sometimes."

Asuna sighed with a smile.

"FLIRT LATER. we have a REPORT to make."

The pair chuckled and Tyler refocused.

"Okay. This is gonna take a bit."

He explained the entire plan and interactions with the monsters from the day prior. Seria listening with rapt attention when he told of how he led the fight on every occasion and the she had a look of horror as she heard of his final plan to bring the Forest Giant down.

"Since I found a tube in it's neck like a spinal cord, all I had to do was BAIT the idiot into SLAPPPING it. Well, it worked. And my Admantium Skin ability prevented me from getting sawn in half, but it DID ruin my sword."

Ingot chuckled from his spot at the Table.

"I can fix it in fifteen minutes, laddee."

"A dwarf at a forge."

"Ain't none better for it!"

Tyler chuckled at that one before he regained his train of thought.

"The3 giant fell, everyone flipped out and a few made a couple speeches. I'm not dead yet you idiots. So, we were wrapping up...when the mastermind shows up."

He retold the tale of the Draken.

"I FIGURED there was a puppet out there somewhere so I left the cable for my gauntlet in the tree. was why I got impaled i the first place as i had to make sure it was in the proper position. It worked and the idiot never saw it coming. So yeah. We have encountered a Draken."

Mylissia let out a long, slow breath as she digested the wealth of information.

"The coal mines, the village, the FOREST GIANT. A classic ploy to disrupt supplylines and cut off the sides of the Black Mountains from each other. This one was their closest yet."

Tyler nodded as he took a drink from a mug of ale.

"You HAVE to better the trade route villages Mylissia. They got close this time."

She nodded gravely.

"I'll dispatch more troops to these outpots at once. The Draken's corpse, was it searched?"

Asuna nodded.

"It was. All we foudn was this."

She slid a broach into view with a symbol on it's face; a pair of snakes intertwining while climbing a pole. Mylissia sighed as she saw it.

"The broach of the Draken Sapper divison. The Asps. They're the very best at disrupting trade routes and sabotaging secluded areas. They work in singles however so their losses do not effect their homeland. they go in EXPECTING to fail."

Tyler looked at her.

"We'll continue with our planned trip to Dunkrick and that dungeon. Then go from there."

Victoria nodded.

"I agree with this plan, Sire. Did you level up in that fight?"

"I did. I'm level 6 now. Just BARELY pased level 6. Anyone else?"

Asuna nodded.

"ALL of us have reached level 2. Sanya hit 3, Kirito 4. Belfast is in the cusp of three."

"Alright. I'll do my numbers with Seria."

The princess beamed at that shoutout and Tyler looked at his redheaded second.

"Today and tomorrow are recover days. that giant has material we can use for the comapny and same with the dead Old man."

Bjorn smiled.

"Our village is open to you, Lord Berserker. we owe you everything."

"We'll claim the giant, a few dozen raptors, the bear pelt, the old man, and we'll call it square."

"Aye. We will discuss the material with your second and Quartermaster."

"Alright. Everyone get fed and pass the fuck out. We gotta lot a work ahead a us. Seria, I'll see you in 15 minutes."

"i'm counting."

He smiled and went to take a VERY deep bath. he groaned at the feeling of the relaxing water running over his body and the myriad of new scars the fight had given him. Across his chest were long lines from whre the claws of the raptors had torn into him, on his side was a nearly three inch waide scar from the sword impaling him, on his back were dozens of lines from the giant and on his chest were dozens more besides. He felt weak and utterly devoid of his strength as he cleaned up and went to his tent.

"Night's Longing."

Seria arose from the ground and pounced on her tired fiance with a tight hug.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. EXHAUSTED, but fine."

She smiled with relief and he held her tightly.

"I'm not going down that easily."

"I know. I have faith in you, my Husband."

He shivered with joy at that and she smiled happily at him as he got comfy beside her.

"And I'll make a recording of that battle for us in later years."

"Ha. I'll be sure to get you some good ones then."

She beamed and he produced his Status Plate

"Level 6. And I have 100 points even to place. I had 70 Strength, 200 Defense, 250 Stamina, 300 Vitality, 25 Dexterity, 25 Agility, 500 Intelligence, 25 Mana, 25 Magic, 25 Magic defense. Hmm. My defense is still solid. I'll put 25 into strength. 95 Strength now. I'll then put ten into Agility, Dexterity, Mana, Magic, Magic defense. That gives me 35 Agility, 35 Dexterity, 35 Magic defense, 35 Mana. I have 45 points left. I'll put 5 more into strength for 100 even. So 40. Another 10 into the bunch. So 45 Agility, 45 Magic, 45 Mana, 45 Magical defense. Alright. I have 100 Strength, 200 defense, 250 Stamina, 300 Vitality, 45 Agility, 45 Mana, 45 Dexterity, 45 Magical Defense, 500 Intelligence and 45 Magic. Not bad for a deathmatch."

He closed his plate and Seria smiled expectantly at him. He smiled and laid beside her and the princess rested her head on his chest as he relaxed.

"Good night, Tyler. I love you."

"Good night, Seria. i love you too. Sorry for scaring you."

"I wasn't scared. You're my hero!"