Chapter 20:A Mercs Mission
Chapter 20:
Monkey and the Black guard have been traveling down the road for a week now. After fighting with them Monkey noticed that they have amazing coordination. When attacked Volt and Artirios held the front lines, Vayu stayed at a distance taking out enemies with her bow.
Not wanting to be outdone Monkey dealt with the faster moving creatures, the ones that got pass Volt and Artirios, he made sure they didn’t reach Vayu. Though, he was sure with her skills they wouldn’t reach her anyway, her precision was amazing, not just that her speed was insane. An arrow flew past him piercing three boars like creatures killing them instantly.
“these creatures are endless” Vayu didn’t try to hide the annoyance in her voice
her arrow pierce through two more creatures charging at Volt.
Artirios cleave one of them in half.
“wouldn't be fun if it was too easy”
He hooked one of the boars, Volt leapt over as Artirios spun around, gaining more momentum forming a small vortex around him gathering a small mob, in one motion he slice through them all with tremendous strength
Vayu clicked her tongue.
“now you’re just showing off Alpha”
The side of her mouth curved up in a smile.
“nothing wrong adding a little style to the massacre”
Volt said as he slid across the ground, he moved his spear fluidly striking down each creature he. He moved farther out and gotten himself surrounded by he didn’t seem concerned.
It was as if time flowed differently for him as he stuck down each creature, none could get near him. It didn’t take long before he was surrounded by piles of dead bodies.
By the end of it the sun had fallen, Monkey was breathing heavily.
“I... thought that...was never gonna end”
Vayu patted him on the back.
“it's not over yet kid, we still got a way to go”
Volt came up to them.
“we can rest for a while though before moving on.” he held up one of the boars on his spear.
“and we got plenty of food”
~
Monkey mouth watered as the meat cooked in front of him. Artirios held the meat over the fire, slowly rotating.
“so, Artirios. There something I’ve been meaning to ask you”
“oh, what is it?”
He kept his eyes on the food, continuing rotating it.
“well, your name...its Artirios right?”
He nodded.
“so, why does Volt and Vayu-”
“want to know why they call me Alpha?”
Monkey nodded
“well, you see-”
“oh my god that smells delicious.”
Vayu and Volt returned covered in blood, it seemed they ran into a few more beast.
“found anything?”
They sat down around the fire as Volt explained.
“there a few nests up ahead just east of here. Since the sun dropped all the nocturnal beasts are coming out to play, nothing we can't handle. But once we hit that nest”
Once the food finished, they each took a slice.
“here’s the plan. Alpha, Monkey you two will take out the nests after me and Vayu handle those in the surrounding areas. We need to kill as many as possible with few escaping.”
“wouldn't it be better for me and Artirios to help out then instead of waiting by the nests?”
Monkey asked but Volt shook his head.
“Our mission is to clear the roads and make them safe for travel. To do that, we need to take out as many as we can the ones that come out at night are different these ones will run at the first sign of danger. We cannot allow that to happen. Me and Vayu will be able to move around faster and quieter.”
“like one of the laughing ninjas, minus the laughing” Vayu took a big bite out of her meat.
“laughing ninjas?” Monkey had never heard of them.
“pray you never meet them, silently killers, they say the last thing you hear is their laughter before you’re killed.” Vayu explained.
“oh yeah...there may or may not be a spinotaur in the nest sleeping....” Volt finished eating. “let's go”
“wait what?”
“like a ninja” Vayu said in a low voice as her and Volt disappeared into darkness.
~
Monkey let out a long yawn, after a meal he would be asleep right now instead he was hiding in a tree near the nest Volt had mentioned. He doesn’t know how the rest of them were fully awake.
Artirios smiled as Monkey let out another yawn.
“I know you haven’t been a merc long. Must be hard to go two days straight without sleep”
‘I honestly don’t know how you guys do it” Monkey let out another yawn.
“we’ve been at this longer, don’t worry, once we finish up here, we’ll rest up before we move forward.” Artirios reassured him.
“shouldn't have pushed you so hard from the beginning, I must apologize for that. Volt and Vayu can sometime get carried away while on a mission.”
Some sleep would be more than welcome. He was getting exhausted, but he didn’t want to mention it for fear of slowing them down.
“This nest, Volt mentioned a spinotaur. What is it?”
Best to be ready for whatever, who knows what trick this creature had up its sleeve.
“ugly beasts, the young ones aren't a problem it’s the adults you really need to worry about. Skin is tough to cut, body long as a centipede with the legs of a spider and the head of a bull.”
Monkey skin started to crawl, he was wide awake now and alert. This was what they were about to face?
“it can release it web not just from its rear but out of its mouth as well.”
Theres an image he didn’t need in his head.
“watch out for it horns, when angry it will charge at you and it is extremely fast.”
Monkey nodded committing it all to memory.
Artirios thought about it but apparently nothing else came to mind about the creature.
“well, we have the element of surprise on our side and as long as there no full grown spinotaurs down there we’ll be alright.”
“and what if there is a fully grown spinotaur?” Monkey asked.
“well, just be ready for a long fight.”
They waited in silence for a while, Monkey saw some of the mini-spinotaurs crawl out of the nest and back into its hole. again, it made his skin crawl. The sooner they finish this the better.
“oh yeah, Artirios. Back to our conversation earlier. How did you get the name Alpha?”
He was about to answer Monkey question when a small breeze blew through, they notice single leaf spin repeatedly in the air in front of Artirios a few secs before falling to the ground.
“right. Time to move. Vayu and Volt will be here shortly”
Monkey was getting the feeling he was never going to get his answer.
They rushed the nests.
“no need to hold, unleash as much magic as you can. We burn them all”
Monkey and Artirios combined their magic unleashing a constant stream of flames into the nest. Fires erupted out of the ground around them as the spinotaurs lets out an eerie shriek as they were being burn alive. They kept it up for a few minutes longer before finally stopping.
“see, and you were worried-”
A giant arm broke free from the ground grabbing Artirios by the leg. Soon after the whole ground started to shake as a giant Spinotaur rose out.
“sooo, uh, Artirios..is that?”
Artirios hung upside still in the spinotaur grip.
“yeah, yup...this is an adult spinotaur”
Small spinotaur freed themselves from its parent stomach falling to the ground
“oh... now that just wrong” Monkey felt as if he was going to throw up
“hey, when you’re not busy puking up your guts. Mind helping me get down?”
The adult let out a roar causing the smaller ones into action as they lunge themselves at Monkey who struck back. With each movement he avoided them using his magic to set them ablaze. Fighting his way through he saw Artirios weapon, using the momentum he built up he grabbed and threw it towards him.
Artirios caught it and as the weapon burst into flames, he attempted to slice through the creature arm but to no avail, however it still must’ve dealt some damage because the Spinotaur let out a scream as it releases him.
Monkey killed off the last of the smaller creatures that was attach to the adult stomach.
“guess I’m not going to get any sleep any time soon.”
He said a bit dishearten. He was really looking forward to getting some sleep.
They both moved out the way as the creature spew out its webbing at them.
Artirios came to one of its legs, putting more force behind his swing he was able to cut through it. The creature howled in pain as it brough it hand down, smacking Artirios into a tree. While the beast was distracted with him, Monkey leapt into the air, leg outstretch as he aimed to kick the back of the Spinotaur neck.
However, the creature skin was thicker as an adult compared to the younger ones, it explained how it was able to resist it flames
Just how much strength did Artirios have to slice through one leg?
He moved out the way as it tried to grab him, Artirios came back into the fight aiming for another one of the Spinotuar’s leg but it lifted it lower half body avoiding the blow.
As soon as the creature lunge itself at them again three arrows struck the creature’s left eye, blinding it.
“hey Vayu... took your time”
Volt rushed towards them. His body coated in lightning as he took the opportunity to slice through another of the creature leg.
“hey, you know how it works the heroes come just in the nick of time” Volt said jokingly.
The Spinotuar lifted its lower body and slammed it into the ground shaking up the entire area.
Volt and Artirios stumbled unable to keep their footing, the creature took this chance to try and run away but Monkey appeared giving it a hard right uppercut.
“nice one!!”
Monkey heard Vayu say as she moved to a different position raining down more hails of arrows at it.
“it’s upper body hard to penetrate, but its lower half not as tough” Monkey told her.
“a game of keep away then while we slowly chop off it legs”
Vayu fired more arrows, this time however the wind seemed move, guiding the arrows into another of the beast’s legs, cracking it.
As it tried to attack Vayu. Monkey came putting more force behind his next punch shattering the leg.
It howled again in pain as it turned around to run away only to run into Volt and Artirios who recovered and rejoined the fight.
The four of them continued this same pattern of keeping out of it range when it attacked while one of them went in destroying it legs. The beast getting more desperate release its webbings from both ends trapping Artirios, but the other three were able to dodge. It wasn’t done yet.
The beast used its forearm to launch itself at tremendous speed at Vayu, it tried to impale her with it horns but using her magic Vayu was able to avoid it. It was relentless thought as it redirected it charge at her again.
“a little help here!?”
“Vayu!! Lead him over here, Volt, launch me up”
Volt did as Monkey requested using his spear the launch Monkey into the sky.
Vayu led the Spinotaur over to the spot him and Volt was just at. Just as the creature was rushing at her once again Monkey fell down from the sky on top of the creature head.
Volt didn’t miss this opportunity hopping on the beast back and impaling his lower body and slicing down towards it end.
However, the spinotaur still didn’t it die as it thrash about knocking Monkey off its head. It tried to use its forearms to launch itself again.
“I don’t think so”
Artirios rejoined the fight, he was able to free himself from the webs.
“let's try this again!!!”
He propelled himself forward using all his might he slice through the beast hand cutting down to its elbow before his weapon got stuck, stopping halfway.
Unable to escape the Spinotaur seemed to finally give up. As it fell to the ground finally dying.
“well, that was fun” Volt said as he ripped out one of Vayu arrows from its eye making sure the creature was truly dead.
“how much you think we could sell the skin for? It was extremely tough to cut through” Vayu said as she poked at its body.
“five? No, ten gold.” Volt said to her.
“hey, where Alpha and Monkey?”
At the sound of their names being called Artirios emerged with a sleeping Monkey on his back
“guy worn out. Think we could make a camp here?”
“a camp in the same area as these bugs? No thanks.” Vayu moved her arms around herself.
“if we move somewhere else odds are we’ll be attacked again and who knows how many more creatures will be there this time.” Artirios refuted.
Volt shrugged.
“at least we know this area is safe...for now and the kid earn a break. Hell, we all did”
Seeing she was out voted Vayu gave up.
“fine, but I’m not sleeping on the ground”
“you know they’re bugs in trees as well, don’t you?” Artirios teased her
Vayu flipped him off.