Chapter 249 - Charge (2/2)
”Are you two holding up fine?” said Li from his root platform, his hands behind his back. Every so often, a skeletal bird or zombie bat or some pesky flying creature would try to flutter up to him, completely devoid of any rational thought capable of recognizing his threat level. He would simply will his bed of roots to lash forward individual tendrils to swat down the flies.
”Of course, good seer!” said Mason as he used his longsword like a battering ram to push back a particularly big zombie brute. The hulking corpse stumbled backwards, and Mercer appeared above it, twirling with twin daggers mid-air as he sliced apart the hulk's neck, decapitating it.
As his brother landed, Mason provided cover, using a heavy two-handed thrust over Mercer's shoulder to skewer an approaching skeletal hound's head.
”Never better!” said Mercer between controlled breaths.
”Hm. Do let me know when you need to come up here. When the haze gets thicker, I should assume stronger creatures like Abominations, Geists, Wraiths, and Shades will make their appearance. When that happens, recognize your limits and take shelter here.”
”We fight til' we can no more!” said Mason as he used [Whirl], spinning once with his longsword while charging forwards to cleave apart a small crowd of skeletons.
”And with the lady aiding us, it is unlikely we shall ever face defeat,” said Mercer as he followed close behind his brother, though the two of them could not muster up enough power to step more than a few meters past Li.
They were left struggling to try and catch up to the backs of Old Thane, Zagan, and ahead of them, Tia and the beastwomen. Behind Li, the Vukanovi was essentially like a rear vanguard, the roots at its stem acting like impaling stakes that picked off any undead that the charging group ahead left behind.
”When I can, I shalt use mine magics to aid thee,” said Asala from the root platform, for her priority was in recording. But every so often, she would flit a gaze to the two humans and grant them some minor assistance, casting a sand barrier or using a spell like [stone shard shot] to weaken cl.u.s.ters of skeletal enemies for the brothers did not have bludgeoning weapons suited for breaking them down.
”Ah,” said Mercer as he witnessed Asala use another stone shard shot to shatter off a zombie knight's legs. ”I will be certain to treat you to a fine dinner after this ordeal.”
Asala did not look up from her tablet but did respond. ”If thou art able to survive, then certainly, I will not deny myself a free meal.”
”See that, brother!” said Mercer as he looked up to Asala. ”My charm never fails me.”
Mason turned around and roughly shoved his brother to the side, preventing a rotten arrow from landing. Mason turned his shoulder forwards, letting the arrow instead bounce off a shoulder plate. ”And you, little brother, must learn to think with the smarter of your two heads.”
The brothers quickly regained their stride, looking after each other's backs with a particularly close unity that even Li could appreciate.
Li spoke to Asala. ”Why is it that you spend your time to aid them?”
”When I was yet a hatchling, tales of heroes have always grasped mine interest. Heroes forged unto gold from nothing. I amuse myself seeing some potential of such story with those two,” said Asala.
”Well, I do not know about that,” said Li as he watched the brothers press forward. In their perspective, even if they knew that they had strong allies ahead and a divine messenger behind them, they were still walking into a storm of undeath that would have frozen most of their peers in fear.
That was commendable, but in the end, bravery alone was not enough. But it was a start. ”Yet, I can see some potential. In any case, will it be fine for me to leave you two with you for now? I will begin moving ahead.”
”That is agreeable to me,” said Asala as she put down her tablet, putting it into a pouch slung by her waist. She prepared more actively to defend and use her magic, and Li could trust her, for in actuality, she was the strongest one here aside from Zagan and Li.
She was near level 50, and it was evident that she was no empty minded scholar either, for though one of her subclasses as clairvoyant was not too combat oriented, her other subclass as geomancer gave her more than enough combat ability to hold her own.
Li took a step forwards, and another root platform rose up from the ground, hovering him forwards.