Chapter 162 - Pride (Patreon)

Mayalyn Aloyhee

Mayalyn caressed the incredibly smooth metallic cloth of her armor, once more marveling at its flexibility and strength. She especially loved the bright blue and gold colors, knowing how well they matched her hair and eyes. She pushed her feet through the suit first, wiggling her toes as they popped out of the bottom of each leg. The material glided across her skin and she smiled, unable to help herself from imagining Jiran’s fingers doing the same. Which of course also reminded her of the sight of blood dripping down his chin while he tore into fresh, uncooked meat. The sight had been so primal it immediately awoke her body's persistent need. She shuddered and then huffed in annoyance, pulling her thoughts back to what she was doing.

The rest of the suit slid on quickly and she secured it with the strange ‘Zhippher,’ that Jiran had been so proud of. Mayalyn clenched her fists several times, hopping in place to get her blood flowing again. Her core thrummed, ready to boost her circulation further if she chose to call on her mana.

“Stay safe, Mayalyn,” Niya called and Mayalyn looked over her shoulder at the striking woman who had gathered the corpses of their recent hunt together with her aura. Niya had also donned the armor Jiran made her, a matching set to Mayalyn’s except green and gold. For the life of her, she couldn’t understand why Jiran became so embarrassed whenever he saw their suits. They were perfect.

She shrugged off the thought, returning Niya’s farewell with a cheerful smile, “Thank you, Niya. You as well. I am off.”

Mayalyn jogged out of the forest at a speed that would have made her old, helpless self cry with envy. She scanned the sky and the distant, curving cliff wall, searching for her next prey. Upon seeing nothing, she pushed on, grinning as her tier four muscles finally felt warm enough to let loose. Her torso angled down until it was parallel with the ground and her legs burned as she pushed herself to her natural limit. The wind crashed against her armor and she luxuriated in the feeling of it pulling her hair back. She tucked her ears against her scalp and pulled on her mana.

Her speed doubled, then doubled again as Jiran’s lightning coursed through her, completely under her command. She rapidly approached the edge of the crater-shaped valley, controlling the energy within her in lightspeed bursts, forcing it through her muscles to make them move far beyond their limits. Joyous laughter bubbled up within her as the world turned into blurred pastels. She leaped, turning sideways in the air to land feet-first on the sheer cliff face.

Mayalyn didn’t stop running. She would never stop running. She was speed-incarnate, and when she found her next prey, they wouldn’t know what hit them.

Knife of Melodies

“Retreat! Pick up your feet!” Knife’s voice cracked with command as she dashed between the two closest beasts. They angled to face her, long limbs tipped with deadly claws swiping at her small frame, “Falter!” She pulled on the song, unleashing it in their direction as she dove headfirst.

Both beasts lost focus for a fraction of a second, their movements stuttering just enough that she narrowly passed below one claw and above the other. Her knife flashed as she whistled through the air, nicking an arm but doing no real damage. The monster roared anyway, furious that its prey had managed to bring it even the slightest bit of pain. Knife landed on her outstretched hand, rolling forward and coming to her feet. She spun, putting her back to the beast she had not hit.

She could feel it behind her, its breath tickling the leaves on her neck. The roaring one charged, eager to tear her limb from limb for the offense she had given it. Her teeth flashed in a wild grin, the frantic chaos of battle bringing every layer of her body to life. Her instincts screamed and she ducked. A claw sailed over her head and smashed into the charging beast which was launched to the side. A thunderous crash resounded beside her as it slid along the ground and smashed into a tree.

“The way is open, let your spirits be not broken!” Her sisters hummed a cheer, charging into the hole she had created in their encirclement. Knife stood tall as the women and buds raced by, dashing deeper into the woods. “Do not stop, or your bark I will chop!” They listened, not turning back to see her standing alone before two dozen beasts.

They are faster than us even with our melody. So be it, let this be my repentance. I pray the next knife he finds is a better listener.

Knife charged, opening herself fully to the song, “Falter!” She screamed as she jumped onto one of the beasts, her knife plunging into its shining eye. “Jump!” The life-energy within her answered her call, enhancing her muscles as her legs extended. She was gone just before the beast's massive paw smashed into its own face. She crashed into the back leg of another, her blade flashing twice in quick succession, releasing two sprays of blood that left moist warmth on her bark.

Suddenly, her movements slowed as her sisters’ humming could no longer be heard. The leg she had been mutilating kicked her so quickly she couldn’t even perceive it moving. She flew through the air, her body refusing to draw breath, tearing the song’s connection from her grasp. Something hard smashed into her back, cracking her bark. She spun wildly before landing on soft, mossy ground.

Not yet, they aren’t far enough!

She sprang to her feet, ignoring the strange tearing sensation in her back. Her free hand thudded against her chest as she commanded air to flow. The deep breath that followed burned like her heartwood was on fire. The pain was nothing compared to her desire to see her sisters live after her foolish mistake. Six of the beasts stood before her, the rest separated from the group, their destination obvious. Unless she did something insane, they would pull away before she could stop them from murdering her sisters. She charged, her voice cracking but strong enough to access the song once more.

“Dash!” She sang, her legs blurring as she ran directly between the four in her way. “Evade!” Knife’s focus reached heights she didn’t know she was capable of as she pushed forward through grasping claws and snapping fangs. She felt like she was seeing, hearing, and feeling for the time as the world snapped into crystalline focus. Attacks came from every direction and she bent and twisted, dodging them all. only a single swipe managing to graze her shoulder. The thrill of life and death combat filled her as she stepped between their legs. She felt light, fast beyond reason.

Against all odds, she came out the other side and hurtled through the air with a shrill warcry. “Die!” The backs of her targets grew fuzzy and blurred before she slammed into one of them.

Her knife went to work, tearing fake bark to reach the delicate flesh beneath. Her other hand grasped at the creature's back so she wouldn’t fall off, but for some reason, she fell anyway. Undeterred, Knife kicked off the beast, flipped in the air, and landed in a crouch. “Jump!” She flew, blasting into the next retreating beast, her weapon biting deep. Again, her other hand failed to find purchase and she fell. The world spun and suddenly, her body felt heavy and sluggish.

So this is all I’m capable of, my true limit?

A roar and a crash behind her caused her to turn in a daze. Her vision wavered between blurry and clear as she watched the four beasts struggling behind her. They struck one another, claws flashing and jaws tearing as they fought over something on the ground between them. One of the beasts managed to grab it and tear its way free of the melee. Knife’s vision cleared for a second, more than long enough for her to see that the beast’s prize was a skinny arm, covered in bark and wet, red sap. She raised her hands and looked down at her arms, or what should have been her arms, finding only one that clutched her knife in a trembling, death grip.

“Oh, that’s why I fell,” Even as her vision returned to a blurry mess, a soft smile pulled at her sap-stained lips.

I did it, I said something without rhyming. Are you proud of me, Great Spirit?

Pain, unlike anything she had felt before, crashed into Knife’s back and darkness consumed her.

Mayalyn Aloyhee

Mayalyn ran sideways across the curvature of the valley wall. Unfortunately, the cliff wasn’t perfectly smooth so she had to leap down a moment later. The momentary feeling of defying gravity had been too fun not to repeat, so when she found another section of the wall with the right curve, she jumped and ran along it, too.

Maybe Jiran would smooth out the whole valley for me so I can try to run around the entire thing. He does owe me a favor.

The thought of his ridiculous expression,when she made her request caused her to giggle. The sound was instantly cut off when she saw a set of strange markings on the wall ahead of her. She jumped and landed at the base of the cliff, sniffing the air around the impact site of the beast that had made the marks.

Thick aura remnants, tier five. And there are Timberling tracks. Cursed fur-chits, those fools went after a tier five!

Lightning coursed through her body as she dashed toward the woods to the north, easily following the tracks of the heavy beast. Her ears pricked at the sound of singing and she put on speed, feeling Jiran’s energy trying to pull her muscles apart even as she demanded more. She slowed to dash through the trees, roaring and crashing ahead causing her to curse her slowness.

Mayalyn recognized the small Timberling Jiran had become friends with. She was standing fully upright between six beasts. Four of them fought over the girl's arm while she watched them in a daze. Two others loomed at her back, to either side. Their claws were already halfway to her and there was no way Mayalyn would be able to stop them in time.

“Duck!” Mayalyn screamed but the half-dead girl was either in shock and couldn’t hear her, or simply didn’t understand her words.

Mayalyn crouched and released a roar that shook the trees around her. The beasts were undeterred by her threat, their claws only centimeters away from tasting the sweet flesh of their next meal. Mayalyn fell into the lightning within her as her core churned with every ounce of power she could cycle through it. Blood and mana combined, racing through her body and mingling with lightning. She exploded forward, her arms raised before her as she barreled straight through the two trees still in her way. Tough bark shattered against her armored arms before she smashed into the Timberling, sending the girl hurtling forward just as two massive claws pinged off Mayalyn’s shoulderplates.

Mayalyn spun around, gripping both offending paws so tightly that skin and bone shattered within her hands. She looked up at the prey before her and instincts passed down from mother to daughter ignited in her chest. She roared again, and this time, the beasts listened, freezing in fear from the predator within their midsts.

Her claws flashed. Enhanced by Jiran’s metal, they instantly sheared through tough skin and bone. Lightning cooked their organs, exploding limbs that failed to hold the massive charge she unleashed within each one. The pitiful beasts stood no chance, within moments, they were all reduced to smoking corpses. Mayalyn sniffed the air, quickly finding the tier five hidden in the boughs. It was a gelatinous blob with dozens of whip-like tentacles. Every part of its body perfectly melded with its environment, but it could never hide from her nose. The moment she spotted it, the beast tried to flee.

It swung through the branches and its tentacles smacked into the ground, speeding it further. Each time one of its limbs touched a tree, that spot swelled as if the bark had been infected with poison. Mayalyn reached it within moments, her enhanced speed more than enough to keep up with a beast a single tier above her.

The longer I chase it, the more enhancing I will drain. I need to finish this quickly. My control and power with charging is insufficient to kill it at a distance without draining Jiran’s cube but I should really save that for an emergency.

The moment it landed after swinging off a limb, she struck. With a movement far faster than its retreat, the beast turned its bottom to face her and its many tentacles thrashed in her face. She weaved between its desperate defense. After seeing what it did to the trees, she made sure not to let it touch her even once. As if waiting for her momentum to falter, its aura thickened and pressed down, slamming her down so hard that her feet sank several centimeters into the tough soil. Her organs stiffened, resisting the powerful force of pressure as she pulled on the metal element infusing her.

It appears I do not have any other choice, if I can not finish it in one strong blow, I will use the cube.

Mayalyn’s core roared as she burned through her remaining mana. She bent her knees and exploded upward with a fully empowered jump. Flipping midair, she landed feet first on the trunk of a tree. Before her weight settled, she was already jumping again, this time landing on the underside of a long, thick limb. A final jump brought her directly down onto the beast’s unprotected head.

She didn’t hold back, plunging both her gauntleted hands into the creature's viscous membrane and unleashing fifty percent of her stored lightning. The beast exploded, showering both her and the forest with smoking filth. Without missing a beat, Mayalyn spun around and raced back to the wounded Timberling.

On her way, she noticed the poisoned areas the beast touched were still swelling in size and she could smell more of the lower-tier monsters growing inside. She clicked her tongue, knowing she didn’t have time to save the girl if she dealt with all the beasts that were about to spawn.

What would Jiran do? Save her, or fight? Who am I kidding, he would definitely do both.

Mayalyn huffed and dashed toward the broken Timberling.

Jiran of Madra

Jiran blasted through the air, staying low to the ground. His aura snatched up another tier three beast. Enthralling Touch dominated and pulled its mana into the air. The beast thrashed, completely helpless as its energy was pilfered. The mana which used to belong to it, hardened into a spike that slid through its skull to pierce its brain. The beast stilled and was tucked into the growing pile of corpses being dragged behind Jiran. He never slowed, steadily moving toward the Land of the Lost at what he could only consider an abysmal speed.

With the stolen mana pooled outside his body, he squeezed and pushed at it, his intent to purify the beastly corruption from it. A stream of black liquid rained down to the ground. He then absorbed the tiny amount of mana that was left.

I’ve been at this for an hour and I’ve barely made a dent in my mana. At least I’ve confirmed this place is similar to the empire where the average beasts are tier three. It’s going to take hours to find and eat enough to fully refill though.

Unacceptable. So be it, I'll make sure to pay them back later if they aren’t satisfied with these.

After ten minutes of flying at top speed, Jiran spotted his target on the horizon. It was not the Land of the Lost, but a small town of Forkara he had seen on his way back to the valley earlier that morning. The settlement was tucked against the side of a massive, sheer cliff face. A dozen building-sized spikes of stone had been jammed into the cliff and were used as braces for the dozens of attached buildings that hung between them. As he approached, he couldn’t help but appreciate the unusual sideways architecture of the town which was so different to anything he had ever seen.

Jiran’s rocketing approach was far too quick for the entire town to flee. He slowed himself with his aura, arriving just as fifty armed and armored warriors flew out to meet him. His emerald gaze swept across them, noting their tiers and greedily examining the mana churning through their bodies.

He infused his words with mana and formed his aura into a cone to further enhance his voice, “My name is Jiran, Guardian of the Timberlings!” A thousand pairs of eyes locked onto him as men, women, and children joined the soldiers in examining the strange man floating beside their town. “I am short on time and my need is great. If this meat does not suffice as a worthy trade, I can be found in the Valley of the Timberlings. If you come in peace, you will not be harmed and you will be repaid.” Faces once looking at him in fear and concern morphed to complete confusion.

A bulky male Forkara in thick armor with a long spear pointed his weapon at Jiran, his mouth opening to no doubt demand answers. Before he could, Enthralling Touch connected with, dominated, and then drained half of the mana from each and every person in the town.