“Thanks. Use these instead,” the mejai said with an embarrassed look, handing him a fresh pair. “Sorry for the inconvenience.”
“Not at all.”
Vir still hadn’t gotten used to the idea of carrying around vials full of Haymi’s blood. But the results were irrefutable, so he ignored it.
“Since we’re up against an unknown, I want us prioritizing healing over a specific defense,” said Tia. “We can only protect against one type of damage—piercing, slashing, or blunt force—but a Life orb will heal any wound within its capacity.”
Vir slotted a Grade C Heal Skin orb into his armor, and a Grade C Enhance Speed orb into his katar. All members of Spear’s Edge could use the party’s orbs whenever they wanted, so long as another member didn’t also need that same orb. Luckily, they had multiple copies of most C Grade spells, so that was rarely an issue.
“Just remember that Heal Skin can repair cuts, but it won’t mend bones or heal deeper injuries. So please do your best to remain uninjured,” Haymi said.
Even with those restrictions, the power was incredibly useful. Wounds that would’ve forced him to retreat before would only be a small distraction now.
“I want everyone on their guard. Today’s goal is reconnaissance. We’re not trying to attack the enemy, we only want to find out more about it. How does it attack? What are its capabilities? Where are its weaknesses? Apramor, we’ll be relying on you here. With your scouting skills, I’m hoping we can find this monster by the end of the day.”
Easier said than done, Vir thought. The Aranya Forest was massive—easily as vast as the Godshollow. The beast in question was said to make its lair deep within the forest, so they’d need to travel a good distance before encountering it. And the forest was simply too unwieldy to bring their Ash’va, which meant walking.
Even worse, unlike the Godshollow, Aranya was packed full of trees of all sizes competing for dominance. Critters, moss, and vines covered the ground, while the trees themselves were packed densely. Strange animals made constant sounds, and Prana Vision blazed with a myriad of different affinities. The colors nearly overwhelmed Vir until he learned to tune them out.
The minutes turned into hours as they penetrated through the brush. Vason, Vir, and Tia took turns clearing out the foliage, making for slow progress while Neel followed behind with Haymi. Just a year ago, he’d have fainted from exertion.
As it was, the task was more of an annoyance than anything. With Dance of the Shadow Demon, he could’ve raced ahead, but the others didn’t have that option, and bringing them would be difficult. The shadows weren’t dark enough nor large enough during the day to pull others along with him.
“It’s odd,” Vason said upon arriving at a small brook. They’d passed several similar features on their way in—rivulets and sometimes even streams that flowed from the great Legion Mountains into Daiya Lake near Avi. “We’ve seen so much water, and so little in the way of animals. Beasts always hang out around watering holes.”
“I noticed that too,” Tia replied, frowning.
“You think…”
Tia nodded. “It’s likely the Lord of the Forest is thinning out the local fauna.”
“I thought it had made its residence deeper into the forest, though?” Haymi asked. “Has it been moving?”
“I don’t know,” Vir replied, just as Neel started barking. “But I expect we’re about to find out. Look sharp! We’ve got incoming!”
Prana Vision had picked up a group of somethings headed their way. They were heavily laden with Life and Water affinities. Whether the beasts could use powers from those affinities or not, Vir didn’t know.
“What is it? Can you tell?” Tia shouted.
“One moment.” Vir sank into the shadows. From within the shadow realm, he gazed at the beasts who rapidly closed in on the party’s position.Vir wasn’t quite sure what he was looking at. The only feature he immediately identified was the sharp pincer claw that protruded from the front of their bodies. But everything else was… it was almost like a Prana Swarm. Indistinct and amorphous. But unlike the Swarm, these beings absolutely had a physical form.
Vir exited the shadow realm.
“They’re… blobs? With claws.”
“What color were they?” Tia asked.
“Crimson. A deep red.”
Tia paled. “No. How is that possible?”
“You know what they are?”
“Haymi! Lightning orbs. Now!”
“I only have two Arc spells. Where should I deploy them?” asked Haymi. Vir barely followed the conversation.
“Apramor. Slot his katar with Arc! You wield the other.”
Before Vir could ask Tia to clarify, the first of their enemies burst forth out of the foliage.
“Broodling scouts!” Tia shouted as the rest of its friends emerged. “They’re impervious to most physical damage. Only blunt force and magic works. Vason!”
“On it!” the warrior said, charging the enemy with his tower shield while Haymi tossed Vir a C Grade Arc orb.
Neel was right beside her, sinking his teeth into the nearest Broodling. But while his fangs easily sank into the liquidy hide, it seemed to do no damage. The same was true for his claw swipes.
Vir squelched his desire to ask Tia for more details about their enemy. She knew what needed to be said and when—if the information was relevant, she’d say something. His curiosity would have to wait.
Leaping into the fray, Vir joined Tia battling against them. Like Neel’s attack, her spear penetrated their soft bodies easily enough, but left no lasting damage. Vason’s talwar fared no better, but then Haymi fired an Arc spell, lancing straight through one.
The beast spasmed the moment it was hit, flipping upside down, snapping its pincers futilely.
But it wasn’t dead.
“Apramor!”
Vir slashed through the spasming beast with his katar. The instant before he did, the blade became wreathed with Lightning prana.
It’s like Prana Blade… but made of Lightning Affinity.
Vir’s blade bisected the beast. Then, instead of dying, each half began moving independently, occasionally spasming from Haymi’s attack.
“Don’t cut them!” Tia yelled. “They can divide and multiply. And stick together! Don’t let them split us up!”
“That doesn’t leave me many options,” Vir said. His chakrams were useless, as was his katar, which could only pierce. Prana Blade only augmented his katars’ sharpness, and while Haymi’s Arc orb allowed his blade to do some damage, he had to do it without cutting them apart.
Vir thrust directly into a Broodling, careful not to bisect it in half.
Initially, nothing different happened. The Broodling seized up from Haymi’s Lightning magic, spasming uncontrollably. If left untouched, it would eventually recover like its brother had.
Then he activated Prana Blade, surging Ash prana out of his hand, coating his katar. It weaved with the Lightning Affinity prana from Haymi’s spell, augmenting it.
The Broodling exploded in a shower of goo.
Vir’s face went white. Did I just make a bunch more enemies?
But no such thing happened. The pieces stuck to trees, bushes, and dirt, but they no longer reconstituted.
Vir moved like a ghost, blurring between enemies, exploding them one by one.
But when he arrived at the fifth enemy, Haymi shouted an order.
“Everyone back! Now!”