Chapter 14 - When the young gets beaten, the old comes knoking

Chapter 14 - When the young gets beaten, the old comes knoking.

On the wall, Gih and Luh resumed to battle with all their energies. Althoug they didn't stay until the end of the conversation, they knew that Ed was right, and that the elder would agree to his idea.

The situation was convoluted, the options were few and dangerous; thus, the elves felt conflicted. They weren't selfish, and didn't want to sacrifice the human for a chance to save the elves; but if they didn't defeat the arachnos soon, everyone in the village would die - including Ed.

The village didn't have someone strong enough to make a successful sneak attack on the general. The elder was the best option with her knowledge of magic and battle experience, but she was old and physically unfit to such a feat; the others elfs fit for it were engaged in the battle, and couldn't be possessed by the elder without weaking the wall defense.

So, rationally, the decision to use Ed as a medium and do a sneak on the general was reasonable; but at the same time, putting him in mortal danger, with zero training and only the elder's possession (a flimsy one, since they would use advanced telepath instead of true posssession spell), especially when village already owed him so much, left a bitter taste in their mouths.

Outside the wall, the number of spiders-type creatures increased more and more. From the forest border's, the spiders came out towards the village wall by the dozen. The thorny vines created by Luh and the other mages was no longer visible, only a sea of dead bodies could be seen from above the wooden wall.

The moat that had just been on fire a while ago was no longer burning, and only smoke and ashes came out of it. Inside, bodies of spiders piled up, causing the fire to extinguish from lack of oxygen.

- Attack, don't give up. Lancers, to the wall. I want two groups, one at the top to keep the spiders from climbing up to us, the other at the bottom, kill any insect that try to invade by any other way; be it a hole, a breach, any way they find you strike. Archers, keep shooting, aim for the heads; one arrow, one kill. Mages, use wind magic, try to hinder their progress as much as possible, and especially stop them from launching webs or venom at the wall or the elves. We can't give them chances to weaken us nor to invade.- Shouted Gih, directing the elves that were doing their best while they fought.

On the other side, Luh just shot her arrows crazly fast, killing spiders effectively and quickly. But every now and then her gaze drifted into the village, wondering when Ed and the old woman would show up.

...

Inside the village, Ed possessed by the old elf, headed for the village warehouse.

- If we are going to enter the battle, we have to be prepared. - the elder's thought rang in Ed's head. - I taught Luh everything I know, my specialty is the bow just like hers. In fact, if it depended on me, Gih would be the same; I don't know where Gih got her taste for the sword and close range combat, as very few elves use this fighting stile. But long ago a forest elf passed by here while hunting a monster, he spent months in the village recuperating and Gih wouldn't let him alone. He would teach her the way of the sword and the lance. When he left, he gave her his sword; she never let go of it; after that other elves started imitating her. Luckly Luh still took after me; and both of them still keep learning magic, and integrating it in their respect fighting styles

In the warehouse the elder was telling stories while she got looked for supplies. Among them she got an apothecary's belt with several pockets; a long bow (which she tested and adjusted a few times until she was satisfied); a quiver filled with arrows, from which she removed the arrowheads, and placed seeds that Ed could not recognize in the tip of each arrow shaft. For protection, she chose a specially treated hide armor, which could repel projectiles and other weapons, claws and teeth.- This will help us at least against the weakest spiders; but against the arachno general, probably only magic armor could defend against those natural weapons.- Ed thought, as the elder was still picking up items and putting them in several pockets.

After she finished in the warehouse, the elder went to a plantation in the village, where she cut some long bamboos fromthe garden; although he didn't recognize the species, Ed knew that those were the same bamboo used to make the shafts of the elves' spears, it was strong and flexible.

After cut them down, she placed them on the ground and recited words that Ed couldn't understand; but as the elder used his body recite the incantation, he could feel something different passing through her body. A warm sensation coursed through his body, as if someone were stroking inside him with a brush dipped in warm water. At the same time that sensation appeared, Ed noticed that his breathing followed a similar rhythm, as did the words he was reciting, like a mantra. With each repetition, the sensation grew stronger, the amount of energy became denser; it seemed that with each repetition the brush used got thicker and thicker. Soon, Ed's heartbeat was in sync with his other sensations. When the sensation reached the point where his entire body was working in the same rhythm and overflowing with that warm sensation, the elder's hands shone and a greenish aura enveloped the bamboos lined up on the floor; in a few moments they began to shrink, as veins appeared on the surface of each one, as if someone had decorated them with a fluorescent emerald paint. Only when each of the bamboos reached a length of 40 centimeters each, and a thickness his little finger, did the aura recede until it disappeared, and the elder released his breath slowly, takin his body out of that focused state.

- I don't think I've ever heard of this magic before.- Ed commented in thought to the elder.- Or at least I don't recognize it. What exactly are we doing?

- I used life force concentration magic. Usually we do not use this magic on bamboo poles, but we don't have time to prepare something better. Bamboos are simple, the life force is strong, this magic act faster in it, but is not that strong. These bamboos are arrow-length, a little thicker, but nothing that will affect shooting accuracy. In the case of our enemy, these will make powerful arrows. Unless his skin is as tough as a dragon, these bamboos will be able to injure him. After piercing his skin, the vital energy will explode. Every creature's body exists in a balane, and if it is broken the creature suffers; for example, we need to eat, if we eat too much we may have stomach problems and if we eat too little we won't have strength to do anything; we also need water, if we drink too much water, our bodies will not be able to absorb nutrients and we will get sick if we drink too little we'll get dehydrated, and so on. When the arrow's vital energy explodes and invades his body in a single wave, he won't be able to absorb it all at once; at worst he will be paralyzed, at best the tissue will directly explode from overgrowth. - explained the elf.

- Oh, yeah. I remember a card like that. But it wasn't used in bamboo poles.- said Ed.

- And there's also a second reason to do this magic.- said the elder, while using some feathers that she took from the warehouse to craft the bamboos into arrows. - Using a foreign body as a medium to cast spells is complicated, using a spell is not just saying magic words and boom; it's about creating a harmony between the body, the mind and the energies around us to create a desired effect. Using this magic right now is like stretching, adaptating this body to cast spells so we won't fail while in combat.

- So the energy I felt was magic? And the path it took, the rhythm, the invocation, etc., if I copy it can I also cast magic?- Ed asked excitedly.

- If you could feel the process, it means you have talent, which is amazing considering that in your world there is no magic. But just this is not enough. My consciousness is attracting the energy, you just felt it after it was in your body. Being able to feel the energy in the environment, absorb it and still maintain the sync and rhythm of release ans casting is realy difficult; casting spells doesn't just depend on talent, it needs training and perseverance. - the elder explained, throwing a bucket of cold water in Ed's expectations.

- If we get out of this, or rather, when we get out of this, I would like to learn, if you can teach me. If I'm going to live in this world, I need more than theoretical knowledge to protect myself.- Ed asked, persistently. After knowing the was a chance, how could he let it go easily?

- When we get out of this, I'll make sure to train you personally Ed Terra.- replied the old elf, as she walked towards the wall.

...

On the wooden wall, the battle grew more intense. The spiders' bodies were already forming small mounds on the ground, especially near the wall. They were getting closer and closer.

In the forest, the arachnos soldiers and commanders were already excited, provoking the elves on the defenses, and ready to spring into action as soon as the first spiders invaded the wall and began to take down defenders.

Gih was already hoarse from giving orders and trying to keep the elves' morale high. Several times she almost jumped the wall to exterminate the spiders on the battlefield. But the image that Ed and the old woman, who would soon enter the forest, putting themselves in danger to keep the village safe, soon cooled their spirits.- Ed will put himself in danger to defeat the general, if he can get into the forest, without training, just counting on the elder's possession, I can't lower myself nor allow myself to be angered by the enemy's provocations.- She convinced herself.

Luh was equally nervous. The pace at which she used her arrows increased, and the tips of her fingers were already cut and bleeding from the bowstring. The only rest she had was when the arrows ran out, and she had to wait for a new quiver to be delivered. At each stop, her eyes darted anxiously to the interior of the village.

The battle was tense as GIh's and Luh's wait was finally over. From behind the village's inner palisade, the image of a man armed with a bow and a quiver, and an apothecary's belt appered. Years ago, everytime the elder took her hunting and taught her about battle, magic, and the forest, this was the image she saw; however seeing Ed instead of the elder certainly caused a slight spasm in Luh's face. - The scene is almost the same, but the feeling is not right.- Luh thought.

Still, Ed's arrival at the wall brought relief to the elves. Hope gleamed in their eyes again. Although they didn't know about the exact plan, Ed had the elder's trust, and his ideas did help them till now. Maybe he had another idea that would help them now.

After Ed climbed the wall, he surveyed the battlefield with frowning brows.

- Luh, warn the elves who know how to use magic of accelerated growth; everyone must be on the wall, as soon as I give the signal, use magic on the whole field.- Ed instructed, with the elder's speech pattern. Despite knowing about the plan and possession, Luh still couldn't get used to the image in front of her.

- Yes... Ed. - replied the elf, with some difficulty.

- Great, now it's time to see if I still have the knack for it. Staying at home and in the village for so long has left me rusty.- The elder murmured, with a slight smile on Ed's face, as she cracked and stretched his body.- Now Ed, let's see how good this earthling body really is.- She thought as while jumping over the wall.