CHAPTER NINETEEN: SKILL

  The wounded imp close to him turned, its weakened side closer to him, as it looked to face the marching century. There was a long moment where flight of fight warred inside of the imp and summoner’s mind. Cassius could see the hesitation as the summoner’s few monsters were now pinned in on both sides.

  In that moment of hesitation Cassius struck. He burst forth from his hiding spot and charged the imp before it realized he was near it. The large monster’s head had just begun to turn toward him as Cassius used [Thrust] to empower his blow, mana and muscle worked together as the speartip bit through the flesh under the creature’s jaw. With its crippled arm, the imp couldn’t defend itself as Cassius ripped the spear blade along under its jawline.

  Caustic blood flowed in a river as Cassius leapt back. He raised his spear and waved forward as if summoning more soldiers. He projected his voice as loud as he could, not looking up toward the summoner or assassin as he roared.

  “FORWARD! FORWARD! KILL THE ABOMINATIONS!” His voice cracked on the last word, throat raw from the strength of his cries. With how thick the shadows were and how the half-century had managed to sneak up on them, Cassius hoped it was enough to cause them to run.

  He was rewarded a moment later when the two furthest imps, both relatively healthy, turned and ran into the forest. A few leaves floated down on Cassius' head, the only indication that the assassin and summoner had run. A wave of relief washed through him as he realized his plot had worked.

  Then he saw that the wounded griffon and two remaining injured imps were all rushing toward the century. His throat became dry as he saw mana run along shields, but there was no [Meld] or [Cohesion] to gather their strength into a single unit. The first imp crashed into the line and it buckled, men screaming as the imp ravaged them.

  The griffon shrieked in rage as it leapt on the second charging imp, the two great monsters rolling around in a flurry of snapping jaws and slashing talons as they locked themselves into a fight to the death. Cassius looked away from the two monsters and back toward the century, running toward them as fast as he could, spear held in front of him as he charged the imp.

  It was injured like the one he’d managed to kill, but it was a shredded leg that hindered its speed. Its two arms were scythes as it ripped apart shields and men before the line of armored nobles surged into it, swords wreathed in violent mana impacting against its infernal claws.

  Blood flowed from the imp, but it didn’t yield even as its body was riddled with wounds. The century backed up, reformed, and surrounded the creature on three sides under Marcus’ screaming orders. Cassius was there a moment later, arriving next to the centurion.

  “Where is the summoner?” Marcus hissed as the imp lashed out a shield, sparks flying as the woman’s mana failed in a burst of light. Wood and steel tore as she was tossed to the ground, only for another legionnaire to step over her and place their shield in line.

  “Fled with another of the assassins.”

  “Cursed gates. We need to kill this beast!” Marcus ended his sentence with a loud shout and the legionnaires roared wordlessly back, constricting as spears buried themselves into flesh. Several cracked and split, breaking off the eighteen inch steel blades in the creature’s body as it wailed and slashed about itself.

  Vira rolled forward like a rushing wave, slipping under a wide blow, her blade filled with energy as she cut upward. The edge of the blade entered near the creature’s bowels, low on the stomach, and she ripped up. Mana flared brighter as bone and skin parted with ease, innards falling free as she stepped back.

  Still the imp didn’t die, slowed and wounded, spears continued to lash and stab out at it as it cried and shrieked until it slowly sank to its knees. One of the nobles stepped forward and cleaved its bowed head free of its torso, ending the fight. Everyone stepped back, line rolling to form into a single cohesive group as Marcus barked his orders.

  Cassius stayed next to the centurion’s side, eyes already locked on the two locked forms. They were both silent, the griffon’s beak buried into the imp’s throat while the imp’s claws were wedged into the griffon’s chest. Blood mingled as the two forms slowly started to disentangle, the caustic nature of the imp’s blood breaking the grip the griffon had used.

  “Secure the wounded. I need sentinels around the clearing. Vira, Cassius, to me!” Marcus barked as they all realized the fight was over. The centurion walked away from the fight, pulling his helmet off as he ran a hand across his shorn hair as the duo followed after him.

  Marcus pushed past the fight toward the second griffon’s corpse, surrounded by dead imps. Marcus was careful to walk around the pools of steaming imp blood, grabbing at the griffon’s body and shoving it around until he could walk past it. Cassius and Vira followed, using the griffon as a shield from the rest of the legion.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “What in every lost god’s name was that?” Marcus hissed, eyes filled with fire as he looked between the two of them. Cassius looked at Vira, wondering what it was that she had told Marcus to get them to march.

  “We found the site of the battle, sir. The imps had killed this one already,” Cassius emphasized his point by kicking the dead griffon before continuing.

  “We realized that none of the imps had consumed each other or the griffons. That if they did, then they would continue to grow and would become too much for us to face,” Cassius said.

  “Why did you stay instead of coming back?” Marcus asked, looking calmer as the minutes wore on, the battlehigh slowly leaving him.

  “To find the summoner, sir. He was above where I came out of the brush with another of the assassins. If centurion Durum and Vira couldn’t have killed them with the weight of all our forces behind them, I doubted we could have slain them with their imps as empowered as they are. I faked a second force when I attacked the imp and hoped that they would run rather than fight,” Cassius finished. Marcus wiped at his face as he laughed, a hysterical sound that sent a ripple of unease down Cassius’ spine.

  “And you? He’s young and an idiot. What was your reason for this foolish plan?” Marcus asked Vira.

  “We came here to hunt and kill the summoner. I agree with the legionnaire’s thoughts. If these imps had grown any stronger we wouldn’t have been able to best them. We’d just turn around and return empty-handed which is not something that I can allow,” Vira said.

  “When we go back out there, the official story is that I knew what this plan was. That you told me that there were five of these giant imps and that I decided we would offer battle,” Marcus hissed at Vira and Cassius realized the noblewoman hadn’t informed Marcus of the forces arranged against him.

  “Now, I must go offer last rites to those who died. Recover yourself and then return back to me and we shall plan our next move,” Marcus said, shaking his head as he walked around the side of the dead griffon and disappeared.

  “What did you tell him?” Cassius asked, feeling drained as he leaned against the dead monster. Its body was still hot, the feathers soft if sodden.

  “That we had found the summoner in a vulnerable position and that we needed to act now,” Vira said.

  “The truth without the facts,” Cassius said with a humorless laugh as he looked at the dead griffon. Its face was only inches from his hand, large orb like eye open and glittering. Cassius looked away from the eye for a moment before he felt drawn to it, turning to look back at it as his breath hitched in his chest.

  “Vira. What is in this beast’s eye?” The question hung aloud for a moment as Vira walked up and stared at the fist sized orb before gasping as her hand rose part way to her mouth before she stopped herself.

  “Dig it out, quietly,” Vira said, looking around the griffon’s head and toward the surviving members of the century.

  “What?” Cassius asked, but he was already pulling his gladius free of its sheath and angling it toward the large, glittering, black orb.

  “It’s a skill. Quickly before someone sees. Cut the eye open and pull the skill out,” Vira ordered. A hint of excitement wormed its way through his exhausted body at her words, a tremble to his hand as he sliced apart the eye, rammed his fist into the orb and grabbed at something sharp.

  SKILL CRYSTAL

  HUNTER’S SIGHT

  ACQUIRE SKILL Y/N?

  TWO SKILL SLOTS AVAILABLE

  There was a long moment as Vira stared at the glittering shard in his hand, naked hunger on her face as she leaned in to look at it.

  “What is it?” She finally asked. Cassius swallowed hard as he realized he was holding enough wealth in his hand to make a noblewoman of the first strata jealous. It was sobering, stripping him of the euphoria that had only just started to flutter through his body.

  There was a part of him that told him to downplay it. Call it something simpler, but Cassius' knowledge and understanding of skills was a shallow pool compared to the knowledge that the stratas hoarded. His efforts to downplay the skill could be seen through with each if he said the wrong thing, ruining his already tenuous relationship with Vira.

  “It’s called [Hunter’s Sight].” Vira’s tongue whetted her lips as she forced her emerald eyes away from the skill. A sigh rushed out of her as she deflated partially, leaning against the body, not meeting his eyes.

  “I have not heard of that particular skill, but any sight or analysis skill is powerful and well rewarded if turned into a house or to the republic itself. I suggest that you consume it,” Vira said. She sounded pained, but Cassius was already accepting the prompt, the crystal shard in his hand dissolving instantly.

  “How long does it take?” Cassius asked, Vira sighed again, still not turning around to look at him.

  “Moments. It can be painful,” Vira said, her warning coming a second before the world went black as pain racketed his mind. Hot pokers had been wedged through his eyelids, white-fire burning away his mind as he distantly felt himself fold to the ground. A hand was placed over his mouth, firm and strong, screams muffled around the flesh.

  Cassius thrashed as his body adjusted to the new power placed into it, each second stretched out longer and longer until it felt like his mind was on the brink of collapse. As the pain peaked, stripping him of thought, it disappeared. There was a slight pressure in his eyes, as if his sinuses were filled, but other than that it was nothing.

  Cassius patted at the hand covering his mouth, Vira moving it away just to wipe it on his cloak. She was gentle as she pulled Cassius to his feet, which he was grateful for. Even with the pain having receded he felt fragile, as if a strong breeze would scatter him to pieces.

  “Come on. You’ll recover soon enough. We are growing suspicious, being back here for so long,” Vira said as she pushed her way around the corpse and started back toward the small camp that had been set up. Cassius followed after her, rubbing at his eyes as they took up their responsibilities again.