Chapter 46 (2/2)

“No, but there’s something else. The enemy is bringing air support… I suspect we won’t be able to keep them outside the wall as much as we have previously. Handle it.”

Daniel’s eyes went wide, his panic clear, but the Ghosthound had already turned away, and Donny and Dozer were both nodding, their eyes firm.

What Annie didn’t expect was that Randidly would immediately turn and look her straight in the eyes. “You are an archer?”

A little nervous, Annie nodded. “I… don’t have a class, but…”

He just shrugged, his emerald gaze turning back towards the darkness. “That’s fine. But when I point it out, I’d like you to make the shots. Prepare your bow.”

He glanced at her, and then added. “They are coming.”

Sure enough, when Annie looked out, a veritable sea of monsters were rushing forward. And above them, smaller, swooping forms could be seen, and larger, colossal shadows.

“Those…” Annie muttered.

“Looks like giant condors, right? They are pretty tough too. Doggy’s Mana Bolts don’t take them down in one shot, and those things have some juice.” The blonde girl said enthusiastically.

The Ghosthound was already looking at Clarissa. “Use your mana sparingly on the ground, the warriors below can handle it. Take out the air support. If you need more mana, let me know.”

And then the Ghosthound pointed, a bright flash of fire shooting forward to the approaching mob. When it hit the monster’s line, it exploded outwards in a blast of flame, knocking everything in a 3 meter area, the monsters in the epicenter burnt to a crisp.

It really looked like artillery had struck.

Then he pointed again, and again, and again, and the front line charging towards them was ragged and scattered. Donny sighed theatrically. “Welp, let’s pack up boys, looks like this is going to be an easy one.”

There were a few chuckles, and the tension was largely out of the first few squads, but they weren’t relaxed. They were stretching muscles and tightening shield straps, squeezing the shafts of their axes and adjusting their fur and snakeskin armor. These were the men that had survived at least two nights.

Although they hadn’t been at this for long, they knew their business. If they didn’t, they would be dead already.

The front runners of the monsters had slowed, scared, but the second wave surged forward, running past, screaming their fury. Again and again the Ghosthound pointed, his finger the harbinger of death.

But there was a 3rd wave of monsters, and a 4th, and 5th, and the Ghosthound drank a mana potion and broke them all.

10 more surged forward. Grim eyed, he reached up and cracked his neck. Above, a bird screeched, and a strange winged creature with a woman’s head and torso dove towards them, talons flashing.

“Clarissa-”

“Oh doggy,” The blonde girl interrupted, batting her eyelashes. “How about you let me go first?”

A strange, glowing hawk condensed on the girl’s outstretched arm, and threw itself up, wings beating. Then it streaked upwards, meeting the harpy creature midair. The screeching was abruptly cut off, and the harpy fell down in two pieces. The hawk swooped around, ripping through some of the approaching harpies, but there were dozens.

The Ghosthound rolled his eyes, looking surprisingly human as he grinned at the blonde girl. “If that’s all, Clarissa-”

“Would it be that uncomfortable to give a compliment every once and awhile? The stoic type is cool and attractive, but a lot of people are drawn to the gap, too.” The blonde girl muttered. But then she stamped her foot and waved her arms, and suddenly a crow, a hummingbird, a goldfinch, and an eagle sprung into existence, all made of that strange glowing energy, and flew up, joining the hawk.

Each of them seemed to be more weapon than natural creature, ripping holes through the harpies just by flying into them. Harpy bodies fell like rain. The bird bodies sizzled and flickered, but they silently screamed their fury and slaughtered their way through the harpies.

But as soon as they appeared, they faded, the blonde girl collapsing in a sweating heap.

“I suppose that’s my cue,” Clarissa said, stepping forward and summoning icicles, which she began to throw, expertly spearing a flying harpy.

“You too,” The Ghosthound rumbled, and Annie started. Her…?

He wanted her to hit wildly flying birds….?

At night…? While they swooped down and tried to kill her?!?

Admittedly, the Ghosthound shot any down that came too near, all the while throwing fireballs at the ground army, leaving wide gaps in the flood of monsters.

Gritting her teeth, Annie knocked an arrow and raised her bow, taking aim. But as she tried to track the Harpies, her vision just blurred, their movements too confusing.

So she just closed her eyes and loosed, hoping for the best.

She was rewarded with a screech. She opened her eyes, shocked to find an arrow through the eye of a harpy, the body crumpling and falling to the ground. She gained a level in Archery Mastery.

Feeling giddy, she quickly knocked another arrow and shot it. That one ripped the throat out of one harpy and ricocheted away, taking another in the chest.

She gained another level in Archery Mastery.

The Ghosthound gave her a long look.

“...Nice shots.”

But then he was turning away, glaring towards the sky. “Still too far away…” He muttered.

“Aegis!” The call came, a golden light suffusing the first squad as they ripped easily through the first wave of enemies, and then the second. But as more came, they came more thickly, Wolverines and Lizards and Imps.

At this point, the people in the first squad were all above level 10, and could take several of each enemy on at once. But if there were 100?

They weapons slashed forward in short, brutal strikes. Admittedly they were still pretty clumsy, but they were getting the hang of roman legion style fighting.

Annie killed another harpy and shook her head sadly. That was another reason why her Dozer wasn’t in charge; his fighting style didn’t match the strategy.

“Finally,” the Ghosthound said, looking up towards the sky. “ Here they come.”