Dragon Sorcerer 2- Chapter 78 (Patreon)

Chapter 78- Clearing the Woods

When we left the woods, it was with a different attitude. At the time we left the university, it had been because there might be monsters. I had wanted to stretch my legs. The idea of getting to vent some of my frustration was exciting.

Now we knew there were monsters here. That alone put a different feel to it. Yet, I also knew that the gnolls were not a serious threat. Sure, an axe could still chop off my head in this human form, although I felt better with the bracers. It just wasn’t very likely.

Liam was moving out ahead of us to flush out any groups of gnolls he could find. Modessa was trailing behind us to make sure we weren’t attacked. Lisella was walking beside us. She was to heal and protect us if things got too bad, but they’d made it clear that it would be up to Cami and me to do most of the fighting and my extension killing.

Of course, that didn’t bother me, but I could feel some trepidation in Cami. It was odd, but I felt the desire to reassure her. “You’ve got this. The gnolls will be no match for you. And don’t worry I’ll be fighting right next to you.”

“It isn’t so much that I’m worried about being hurt. I know you’re here and Lisella is able to heal almost any wound.” As she spoke, I could feel her hesitation.

“What then? All hatchlings have to experience this.”

“That’s just it. This comes so naturally for you. It is part of being a dragon. You kill and never look back. In fact, I think a part of you lives for the rush of battle. I’m not like that… or… at least, I didn’t used to be like that. When I was fighting those gnolls, I felt myself caught up in the moment. It felt almost joyful.”

I smiled. “You are bonded to a dragon. I worry about how much the bond affects you. It’s only natural that if it makes me see the world in a bit more of a human way, that you would learn to see the world more like a dragon does.”

Lisella snorted. “Wait, you think the bond is making you see the world more like a human?”

I shrugged.

She shook her head. “If that’s true, then just how would this have gone without you being influenced by the bond, cause as far as I can tell you are still one hundred percent dragon?”

A part of me wondered if she was upset that I’d rebuffed her attempts to feel out my interest in mating with her, but then I shook my head. No, even human females couldn’t be so fixated on such things. So I just spoke bluntly to her. “If I were acting like most dragons, then one of three things would have happened by now.”

She was clearly curious now, but Cami grabbed her arm. “Maybe you should just let it drop, Grand Priestess.”

Lisella patted Cami’s hand. “No, I’m a big girl. I can hear what he has to say. In fact, I appreciate that I’m getting some actual candor from him now. He makes it almost impossible for me to help guide his training because he doesn’t trust me.” Then she quickly added, “Not that I don’t get why that is. Yet, if we’re going to move forward eventually, he’ll need to trust me.”

Then they were both looking at me, so I figured it was time for me to give her a dose of reality. “As I see, if it I was acting like most dragons one of three things would have happened by now. First, I might have killed all of you for attacking my nest and driving me from my home as well as capturing another dragon. Such an affront on the honor of dragons can’t be allowed to stand.”

She looked at me, waiting for me to continue. “Being fair the second possible outcome was that I had attacked you and your group killed me. I might have gotten one or two of you, but I can admit that together you’re stronger than me.”

When I didn’t say anything further, she prompted me, “And the third option?”

“Oh, I would have bided my time, till I could fly off safely. You weren’t keeping such a close eye on me back in the beginning, well except for Modessa. I would have taken Cami if she wanted to come but it would have been up to her.”

“And that would have been the end of it? We just wouldn’t have seen you again?”

I gave her a big, toothy grin.

She seemed to get nervous. “Well, Nico?”

“Of course not. Dragons have long memories. Eventually, I would have become strong enough or I would have found you one at a time until I was able to hunt you down. Or perhaps I would have simply destroyed a few human towns in recompense.”

We rode on in silence for a good five minutes before Lisella finally asked, “Nico, are you still planning on killing all of us?”

I didn’t answer for a full minute. “Dragons always remember those who wrong them, but they also remember those who aid them. So, that particular egg hasn’t hatched yet.”

She shuddered and clasped the reins of her horse a bit tighter. I expected she was going to ask me something more. Humans never could leave well enough alone, but then Liam let out a whistle.

Lisella’s demeanor suddenly changed till she was all business. “Liam found some gnolls. Dismount, we’ll go on foot from here.”

We advanced cautiously, Cami's Shadow Cloak enveloping us in a veil of near-invisibility. Liam, pressed against a tree, was almost indistinguishable from the bark, his scent my only clue to his presence. My senses, sharpened by my true nature as shared through the magic of my bracers, were on high alert, attuned to the sounds and smells of the impending battle.

Liam made a simple gesture. It was clear what he was telling us. This was our fight. He might step in if it looked like we were going to be overwhelmed, but otherwise this was our fight and he wouldn’t be helping.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. I was curious to see how much XP I could gain from fighting a number of gnolls. They were all a bit weaker than us, except for perhaps their shaman. So, I hoped the gains would be significant.

I put my hand on Cami’s arm. Then communicated telepathically with her as we counted out the enemy.

There were eight gnolls, including a shaman among them. They were all oblivious to our approach. Three of them were laying on the ground as though still asleep. The smoldering remains of a campfire were in the center of the gnolls and most of them were gathered around it.

As we neared, the stench of their sweat and filth grew stronger, a pungent reminder of their bestial origins. Their snarls and guttural growls filled the air, a soundtrack to the violence that was about to unfold.

I flexed my fingers, the magical brass knuckles on my hands glinting in the twilight. Glancing at Cami, I nodded, signaling the beginning of our assault. With a softly whispered incantation, I cast Tripping Roots. Thick roots erupted from the ground, ensnaring the feet of the seven gnoll warriors. The spell wasn’t powerful enough to completely immobilize them, but they would have trouble moving. That would make them easy picking for me as I leapt into their midst. Their surprised yelps were quickly replaced by snarls of frustration as they struggled against their restraints.

I went big and roared a battle cry as I charged in. I wanted all their eyes on me, especially their shaman. He was at the back of their camp, but he was quickly overcoming his surprise and prepared a spell of some sort. I wasn’t sure what he had in mind but heard his guttural voice speaking words of magic and began to feel the magic gather around him.

It was hard for me not to charge directly at him, but I needed to trust Cami. That didn’t mean I couldn’t unleash a wave of dragon fear. I let it roll off of me and over my foes. The warriors were hit harder but even the gnoll trembled enough that the words of his spell were messed up, causing a misfire, which resulted in him screaming as a green acid materialized on his hands. Better him than me, I thought.

Cami, still under the protection of Shadow Cloak, deftly maneuvered herself around the gnolls, focusing her attention on the shaman. She readied her spear, its tip coated in the potent Venom of Silence. With a swift and precise strike, she plunged the weapon into the shaman’s unprotected back. I didn’t know anything about gnoll anatomy, but given their humanoid form; I assumed it was at least similar to humans. If that was true, then he was going to need a new kidney. The venom spread into his bloodstream and swiftly rendering him incapable of speech, effectively disrupting his spell-casting abilities. That was as long as I could watch Cami’s battle. She would have to win on her own. My bonded rider couldn’t be weak, and now my focus was needed for dealing with the warriors.

With the gnolls temporarily immobilized, I sprang into action. My movements were fluid and deliberate, each strike of my brass-knuckled fists landing with devastating force. I weaved between the gnolls, dodging their clumsy attempts to retaliate. Bones cracked and shattered under the impact of my blows, a symphony of destruction that seemed to resonate with the very essence of my draconic heritage.

By the time I had felled two of the gnolls, Cami must have finished off the shaman. I saw blue darts of force streak from the far side of the camp and blast into one of the gnolls who had just freed himself from the roots. Cami quickly followed her spell as she leapt into the fray with me.

Her mastery of the spear was impressive, each thrust and swipe expertly aimed and executed. The bond between us imbued her with some of my own ferocity, which she channeled into her strikes. Every few seconds she would cast Force Darts again, sending a trio of magical projectiles into which ever gnoll was unfortunate enough to be fighting her.

Despite their overwhelming disadvantage, the gnolls fought with a stubborn tenacity that only served to prolong their suffering. They had just enough durability that no single blow was enough to fell them. I certainly wasn’t going to use one of the attacks stored in my bracer. Those were intended for bigger game.

The air was thick with the sounds of snarls, growls, and the clash of metal against metal, as well as the pungent smells of sweat, blood, and the earthy scent of the Tripping Roots.

As the battle raged on, the gnolls began to break free from the roots' grasp. Though the gnolls were powerful in their own right, they were no match for my draconic strength and agility. They lunged at me with their crude weapons, but I danced around them, effortlessly evading their attacks while landing powerful kicks and punches.

Each impact sent tremors through their bodies, their bones snapping like twigs under the unrelenting force. I couldn’t help but grin with satisfaction each time I felt one of them crumple under my blows. Sadly, their companions would push forward and it became almost impossible to land a killing blow.

Cami and I fell into a rhythm, fighting back to back against the gnolls. Our movements were synchronized, our strikes powerful and precise. The bond between us allowed us to anticipate each other's actions, giving us a seamless coordination that left the gnolls struggling to keep up. A notification popped up, but I ignored it.

The air around us grew thick with the metallic scent of blood and the stench of fear as the gnolls realized the true extent of our power. The sounds of battle—the clash of weapons, the sickening crunch of shattered bone, and the guttural cries of our enemies—filled our ears, a cacophony of violence that seemed to only spur us on.

With every strike, I could feel the satisfaction of knowing that we were not only gaining valuable experience, but learning to work together. I couldn’t say that I was motivated to protect the villagers, as I knew Cami was, but I could still take joy in the fact that their weakness gave me this opportunity. I took a certain primal joy in the ferocity of the battle.

Cami, despite her young age and inexperience, held her own against the gnolls. I could feel her determination through the bond, and my impression of her only continued to rise. Perhaps after she stood atop a mountain of corpses, she would have won my admiration. She fought fiercely; her spear cutting through the air with a deadly grace. Venom of Silence  might not be necessary to stop their spell casting since the ravagers couldn’t use magic, but it still weakened them. Over time, it became apparent how they were slowing down. The pain caused by the venom was written across their faces.

The gnolls grew increasingly desperate. Their snarls and growls grew more guttural, their attacks more frenzied as they attempted to break through our defenses. But our combined might was too much for them, and they found themselves unable to land a significant blow.

As the last few gnolls faced us, their desperation turned to fear, the realization that their defeat was inevitably dawning on them. Their eyes darted between us, searching for any hint of weakness, any opportunity to escape. But we offered them none, our relentless onslaught leaving them with no choice but to face their impending doom. When I glanced at Cami, I was delighted to see that her face had a grin which mirrored my own enjoyment.

Their attacks grew sloppy, their movements sluggish as their injuries took their toll. We capitalized on their weakness, our strikes landing with even greater force as we battered them into submission. Then it happened. Another of the gnolls fell. It was like mountain of sand after that. As soon as a slide started, the entire thing came apart.

Finally, the last gnoll warrior fell, his battered body crumpling to the ground as I delivered a crushing blow to his skull. The sound of his defeat echoed through the clearing, signaling the end of the battle. Notifications about DKP and XP popped up. This was perfect. It was everything I could have asked for.

We had won. The gnolls, though fierce and savage, had been no match for our combined might. They were not real threats. I thirsted for more. The small wounds we had suffered were quickly healed as I cast Lesser Regeneration on each of us in turn. Cami grinned at me. “Ready for more?”

I nodded. “But first we need to loot them.”