Wild Wastes 5 -ch13- (Patreon)

Vince brought his sword around in a low slash from the right that rose up on a diagonal angle that’d end to the left. Using his right foot to push forward he drove the attack with strength and speed.

Not bothering to defend themselves to begin with, the Nullifier had no opportunity to move away, change his angle, or move away from the attack. He had no alternative other than to take the blow dead on.

There was a high pitched whine as the sword struck a shield. One that looked a lot like what’d stopped the rounds he’d fired on them earlier.

This time the shield collapsed under the weight of the blow. That and more than likely that Vince still held the weapon. He was able to channel his desire, need, and magical force into the strike, unlike the bullets which once fired were on their own.

The blade tip cut through the shield, plunged into the man’s hip, and exited out near his shoulder. A spray of blood came out of the man along with the weapon. Turning the air around him in Vince into a speckled red mist for a moment from the force of the attack.

There was an odd moment where the upper part of the man started to swing away as the lower part moved forward. After a second the Nullifier collapsed backward and lay on the ground in a twitching, groaning, and very clearly dying mess.

“One down,” Vince said and turned to the next closest Nullifier. They had a look of horror on their face and had unsheathed a sword as well a pistol had sprung into their left hand.

Vince found it curious to be fighting someone who used weaponry that was so similar to how he himself preferred to fight. To be fair, he’d already learned a few things in this mirror match.

The first thing was that a shield of faith and magic was a great way to negate the worry for small-arms fire completely. He was terrible with such things when it came to magic, but he’d have to get better at it considering how easy the Nullifier’s had done it.

Snapping his thoughts into action, Vince pushed out the magical requirement for a shield. Just as Leila had taught him a long time ago, but he’d never really gotten the hang of.

It didn’t help that he’d never practiced it and never put my credence in any of it. That lack of effort on his part was more than likely going to bite him in the ass now.

When the Nullifier’s pistol was leveled at Vince he had a moment of panic as several rounds were fired. Only for his fears to melt away.

All three rounds had struck the shield he’d put into existence. The shimmering reflective green, blue, and red shield of shifting hexagons materializing around him. Only to fade away after stopping the attack cold.

Learning indeed.

Grinning, Vince lifted his own pistol and fired twice at the man while moving forward in a fast trot with his sword held up and ready. The two bullets cracked into the Nullifier’s shield and fell to the ground, only for his shield to splinter apart as the tip of Vince’s sword carved through it.

The lunge he’d stretched out with had landed only a second behind the rounds and had penetrated much easier. While the bullets couldn’t find their target, they did a wonderful job of sapping strength from the shield.

With a flash of movement backward the Nullifier barely got away from Vince’s thrust. Their cloaked and cowled personage had already started moving even before he’d begun extending his sword. They weren’t going to under-estimate Vince it seemed.

Stepping forward with his left foot Vince raised up his pistol and unloaded everything from the magazine into the Nullifier. The first several rounds impacted on the shield before it crumpled under the onslaught.

He’d figured it wouldn’t have had enough time to build up any power after his sword had punctured it.

Seven or eight rounds pierced through the Nullifier and sent them to the ground, taking them out of the fight. That would leave Vince with only three to deal with.

Spinning on his heel Vince took two steps backward out of caution at the same time. He’d put his his back to his foes when dealing with the two who had focused on him. Bringing his sword around and up to defend himself with it.

One of the three Nullifiers had been moving toward him but wasn’t close enough yet. The other two were focusing on Zathira and quite literally washing her shield in Nullifier blasts. As if she were a dish that needed to be washed and scrubbed.

“By the Null, who are you?” demanded the Nullifier who was walking toward Vince. The voice was partly muffled but the lower register of it made it sound like an older male.

“Pest-control. Coming here to get rid of a bunch of parasites,” Vince answered and tapped the release on the magazine for his pistol. Unfortunately Vince had lost count of how many rounds he’d fired and he wasn’t going to risk it. He knew he was nearing the end of the magazine but he didn’t want to really find out how close.

He reached up and grabbed it with the hand that still held the hilt. Pushing it into the slot in his armor specfically for it Vince then pulled a different one free. Pushing it into the weapon he then stood ready.

“Cute,” replied the Nullifier, who had drawn his own pistol and was now standing five feet away from Vince.

“I’m pleased you think so. I’m afraid I’m only really interested in the female variety. Not really race specific, but female,” admitted Vince with a nod of his head. “Sorry. Nothing against those who can swing it either-way, or those who bat for the home team, but it’s just not me.

“I’m sure you understand. Thanks for the interest though. Got any sisters, daughters, cousins, or nieces you could reccomend though? I’m always looking for unique, interesting, and intelligent women.”

The Nullifier didn’t move. It just stared at him without saying anything either.

“What, you’re not that depressed at getting rejected are you? I really am sorry. Just not interested,” Vince offerd, then lifted his pistol a bit to the left and fired several shots at one of the Nullifier’s that was attacking Zathira.

All of them smashed into a shield that appeared, though it caused the attacker to stumble to one side and look toward Vince. The other Nullifier was also now looking at Vince, the three of them ignoring Zathira finally.

“Well? Anything? Nothing? Family members who’re looking for a man in their life?” asked Vince, moving the pistol to the right and then putting two rounds at the other Nullifier. He didn’t want any of them bothering with Zathira.

He wasn’t quite confident in his ability to handle all three Nullifiers, but he was less confident that his goddesses could hold out against their attacks indefinitely.

Vince could regenerate from most any attack that didn’t take his life outright. As long as he used his power correctly, let his body carry the victory, and work with his goals, this was a fight he could make it work.

As long as he played to his strengths.

“Lord of the Dragons, Dryads, and Elves,” the Nullifer who’d stepped out in front said and lifted his blade up in front of himself. “The Null one has deemed you a danger to the continent. You might not be in league with the Hungry Scourge, but you’re not an ally.”

Standing there, Vince felt a strange tingling over him. Almost as if he suddenly had a million voices all shouting his name out at the same time. All screaming at him that he was the villain and needed to be exterminated outright.

What?

Thinking on that feeling Vince stood there. Processing it and how it quite literally made him feel.

It didn’t make any sense to him but he knew there was something significant in it. Something more than he was able to understand at this moment.

“I’m indeed the Lord of Dragons, Dryads, and Elves. The king of Yosemite and brother to the Emperor of Legion. I’ve taken Spain for my own and am moving south to return to my lands,” murmured Vince. “You’ll forgive me if I didn’t bother to speak or try to negotiate, but your people tend to attack me on sight. You’re the first to actually say something.”

“Given that you are That Which Feeds, it should be an expectation,” said the Nullifier, who then pointed his pistol at Vince and emptied his magazine as quickly as he could.

The two Nullifier’s on either side of him did the same, the three of them firing unendingly at Vince.

Or more accurately, Vince’s shield.

It simply ate up all the rounds and remained in place. Taking their momentum and spitting them out to the ground as if they weren’t much more tahn an annoyance.

If it weren’t for the simple fact that Vince would prefer their pistols to be empty, he’d have gone to interrupt them. To stop them from draining power from his shields.

He was willing to sacrifice shield power for taking resources from them. In a war of attrition he felt like he’d be the winner if he relied on his magic.

That was a refillable resources that was entirely dependent on him drawing away power from his Dryads and Dragons. They were almost always full of power for him to receive now.

Right now, all of his Dryads and Dragons were awake. All he’d have to do was draw on the power they held.

Waiting for the moment that their guns ran dry, Vince rushed ahead. His blade coming out in a hard slash across the top. It was high enough to catch the neck of the Nullifier who’d spoken.

The whining sword slammed into the shield around the Nullifier. It took up the brunt of the strike. The force of the hit had been transferred into the Nullifier somehow. Causing the man to take two steps to his right and into the side of the other Nullifier.

Stepping to the one on the far right Vince pulled his arm back as he stepped, then stabbed froward. The strike was shot low toward the enemy’s knee which was further forward. They’d taken an odd stance to shoot their pistol which’d put their front leg out.

A bang sounded as the sword tip smacked into the shield, then broke it. Much of the force had been peeled off of the attack and only resulted in the tip poking the Nullifier’s thigh. Vince had done worse to himself on accident than what he’d managed to do here.

Pulling his sword back up Vince retreated several steps. The Nullifier who’d spoken was going to be his biggest issue. Their shield had withstood much more and he seemed more experienced.

High-Priest then? Something like that? We’ll label the others as Low-Priest One and Low-Priest Two. This’ll be more complicated than I thought.

I need more. Something to offset this.

It felt like I grew in power as they recognized me as their foe. Is it because in doing so, I’ve become part of their religion? In worshiping their god, putting me in the opposite camp of theirs, did that give me power indirectly?

To worship me without worship me?

Is not cursing the foe of your own deity, worshiping your enemy in a way?

Where all ritualized beliefs can bring about a new god… did they create their own issue?

Do their beliefs state that the Null fights his enemy to a stand-still?

Something… to consider. Deeply consider.

I’ll have to get them to codify me in their religion in a way I want, while never, ever, addressing them at all. To recognize them in any way gives them power through it.

The three Nullifiers were looking to Vince with what he felt could only be aprehension. They all put their pistols away rather than trying to reload them. Each taking up a two-handred grip on their sword instead.

Vince knew what was going to come next. They’d spread out into a triangle and take up positions around him.

“Atis, watch my rear,” Vince said as quietly as he could. He knew for a fact that Atis had never left him.

The spunky Ratkin was strapped into her seat and hanging on even as he fought.

“Yes, I will be your eyes to the rear,” agreed the Ratkin. “I would like weapons. Armor. If I’m going to fight, I need to be able to do so.”

“S’fine. We’ll talk to White,” Vince murmured, backing up a bit more. His heel hit something and caused Vince to look down at what he’d bumped into.

He found the Nullifier he’d cut from hip to shoulder there.

Oh.

There’s something to offset them.

I can set that religious belief, too.

“Anyone ever tell you how I became the Lord of Dragons?” Vince asked, then slashed out with his weapon at the dead Nullifier’s chest. It blasted open the ribcage in a way that splayed him open. “I feast on my enemies and gain their strength. Their power.

“The more I eat, the stronger I get. Let’s see what you Nullifier’s taste like. Then I’ll have power over your own abilities.”

Dropping his pistol to the ground Vince smashed a hand into the Nullifier’s organs. Grasping the weakly trembling heart he tore it free of the dead man. Holding it up to his face Vince took a massive bite out of it and began chewing. Looking to the Nullifier’s and staring at them as he ate.

All three of them froze up, watching him as he chewed visibly.

Not wanting to waste the time he was stealing, Vince put the heart up to his mouth and took another bite. Then another. Trying to fill his mouth with the heart as quickly as he could.

He had no idea how long they’d give him to make this happen.

“Disgusting,” hissed one of the lesser priests. Her voice sounding filled with abhorrence to what she saw.

“S’no-so-ba,” said Vince as he chewed. Nodding his head and taking another big bite. He’d rapidly wolfed down half of the heart without even chewing much. Most of it was going to hit his stomach mostly intact. “’A’er-‘ender.”

With the heart in his hand, Vince gestured at the other dead Nullifier.

“’Onna ea’ ‘im ‘oo,” mumbled Vince, having way too much heart in his mouth now.

Wincing, and feeling his eyes water as he tried, Vince swallow a hunk of heart. Feeling it slid down his throat and almost getting stuck, but then dropping down.

Stuffing the rest of the heart into his mouth Vince started to walk over toward the other Nullifier that’d been dropped. If they really were going to let him eat another, he had no reason to not at least try.

The High-Priest yelled something intelligable and then threw an arm at Vince. A blast that was massive in comparison to what he’d seen before slashed through the air and whipped through Vince.

It left him feeling a bit dizzy, but not much more than that.

Previously he’d felt a great deal more when they’d attacked him like that.

Almost as if the attack really did less now that he’d eaten the heart of a Nullifier.

That or these Nullifier’s believed what he’d said. That they had faith in his words and that’d granted him power in that simple belief.

Never acknowledge them.

Ever.

The rules we learned about deities hold true. Absolutely hold true. We’ll have to have someone put together a book of my achievements and push it out there. So that everyone can read it and know of my deeds.

Even thinking of it as a story, a simple book, would grant me more power.

Bind it up in a trilogy or something and ship it out.

“That it?” Vince asked, still moving to the fallen Nullifier. Using his sword he whipped it across the dead man, their chest tearing open just as the first had.

The two low priests rushed him now. Their swords flashing out as they separated apart. Forcing Vince to try and be in two places at the same time.

Flicking his sword to the side he parried off one attack and pulled his shoulder in to dodge the other. Letting it skitter off his shoulder armor past him.

It’d gone right through his shield since it’d be removed by the Nullifier attack from the High-Priest. They were now working in a sort of tandem that’d keep Vince on his toes.

Shuffling to one side with a step Vince brought his left shoulder backward and put his sword out in front of himself. Then he started to backup, sliding his feet across the ground and doing what he could to keep both of them in front of himself.

“Surround him, one of you get behind him,” ordered the High-Priest, moving toward Vince again. His left hand came up and he launched another Nullifier blast at Vince just as his shield came back into being. Solidifying around him only to be blasted apart.

Vince watched as the two lower priests worked to separate and move away from one another. Doing as they were ordered.

Rather than let that happen, Vince rushed toward the Nullifier he’d nicked earlier. His sword coming out in a slash that smacked into the other man’s weapon. Drawing his sword back, Vince threw out a lunge that started angled low, then went up, toward the Nullifier’s chest.

“Rear,” Atis warned quickly.

Unable to complete his attack without taking a strike to the back, Vince stumbled to one side and ducked down low. His lunge that was on the way to skewering the man left hanging and coming up short.

The Nullifier before him stutter stepped back and had ended up way outside of Vince’s range.

Turning his head, Vince saw the woman had indeed gotten in close to him. She was only a few feet away with her sword passing through the spot Vince had just been at. Or his head, at least.

His weapon was on the wrong side of where the woman was to actually get anything done of use. Shifting his weight to his right foot Vince threw a kick out at the back of the woman’s thigh. Even if all he did was manage to land a punshing blow to her muscle, that’d be worth it.

If it was a strong hit she’d hopefully end up with some issues moving smoothly.

Vince’s booted foot and shin crashed into her leg. There was a flicker of a shield that’d took some of the force out of the kick, but it didn’t do much.

There was a fwap noise that reminded him of flesh being slapped, followed by the woman lurching ahead. Trying to get her balance quickly and limping off on one leg.

Looking to the area around himself, Vince found the High-Priest was standing next to Zathira.

The shield was gone, the man’s sword was through Zathira’s stomach, and he was currently trying to run a dagger through her chest that Zathira was fighting off with both hands. Her head was down low and latched to the man’s shoulder.

It looked like they’d join each other in death.

Which Vince wasn’t willing to accept as an answer.