<~> Chapter 90Our journey ti a steady pace but the longer we traveled the more it seemed likely it was going to rain today. Dark clouds were c the sky and it seemed gloomy and grey out. I didn't feel disturbed by it though, something about the smell of rain a grass felt nostalgie. It retty obvious the en and adventurers were being increasingly ed though.

  Our lunch was a bit early and quite a bit rushed. The cook once again made sads for lunch but it was noticeable that the ingredients were haphazardly sliced and prepared as quid possible. All being said we were stopped, fed and ba the road ihan 30 mihis evening I was on uuna duty again. Man made a point to sit with Bel this time. She said it would be safer for Torien to be alohan it would be for Bel. I wasn't sure if it was because we were in a rush or the guy really didn't care, he switched with her without a word.

  The thunder in the distance made the uuna uneasy. She was the same one I rode yesterday but she was much more jumpy and less respoo signals than the day before. I was being more and more ed that I was missing something about the situation but by the time I came to this clusion it was too te to ask ahe only one near enough to me or in range of [Soultouched e] was Mimi.

  I focused again on the road and my surroundings. It was nearly pitch bck out despite being the early afternoon. Most of the people in the group were humans and Demi-beastkin but it suddenly became quite obvious that I might have the best eyesight in the group.

  "PORT SIDE!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. There was something heading our way and it was huge.

  There was ation, it was as if a rope snapped. Nearly everyone jumped into a simultaneously like they had all been waiting for this moment. Swords were drawn, the uuna riders fanned out, and dozens of icicles appeared in the air that hung above our moving wagons like glowing daggers.

  I quickly cast [Light Beam] as wide and as bright as I could make it with my 120 effective Magic Forbsp;and 80 Magitrol. Whatever I was expeg it wasn't whatever the fuck that is.

  A giant fged beast the size of a two story house was running at us. It looked like some kind of slimy amphibian with rge spikes ing out of its back. The sed it roperly lit up arrows and magic began flying at it. To me the monster looked like a natural disaster but I noticed that the adventurers weren't panig. They had been ready for this.

  The caravan sped up and the monster was following us down the road now. The other uuna riders were attempting to circle it ahrowing spears ected to long s attached to the back of their saddles. I quickly looked to my left to see one of the spears secured to my own saddle, it had blended in with everything else and I hadn't even noticed it there. I reached to the side and u from the saddle and had Nikka start fanning out with the rest of the group. I anchored the giant spotlight my light skill had bee onto the wagon in the back of the caravan. This way it would stay as fixed on the monster as I could make it without trolling the magic directly.

  Before I itted to throwing the spear I watched closely what the other riders did. The person directly in front of me just hurled the spear like a javelin at the rear legs of the monster. When it failed to ect he yanked ba the befracefully catg the shaft in his hand and making atempt. I was in awe of the insane physical feat performed right in front of me. And they all were doing it.

  One of the spears finally ected with the monster's back. It had gone a little higher than most of them were aiming but it had a solid enough tether that the uuna it was ected to could start pulling it back. The monster shuddered and noticeably slowed allowing two more spears to embed themselves into its body. A particurly good shot speared into the back of the monster's knee causing it to hobble and slow even further. The monster lurched and stopped running all of a sudden. It spun its giant body around trying to fil at the uuna riders with its tail, unknowingly tangling itself up in the s.

  The monster was now much more vulnerable and started filing only for the st of the uuna riders to fling their spears at the beast. I took the opportunity to help here, much more fident in my aim now that I had a stationary target. My spear ected and without ao give a and Nikka turned around and started pulling its body weight against the , helping to tie the monster down like Gulliver in Gulliver's travels.

  Ohe monster was suffitly tied and tangled, several adventurers wielding gives the length of pikes rushed over from the caravan and begun stabbing the monster with them us until they carved a big enough hole to sever its throat. The monster finally stopped thrashing and y dead uhe s.

  [Yroup has defeated a Stream Stalker]

  [Light Manipution has increased from level 8 to level 9]

  I saw the other uuna riders releasing a cat the back of their saddles letting the fall into the mud so I followed suit and untched my own . The advehat weren't on uuna-back quickly got to work detangling the monster and dismembering it on the spot. The other uuna riders fanned out again a watch around our now stationary caravan. I followed suit and dropped the light spell si was messing with my night vision and was much less helpful now.

  Ohe monster was pletely disassembled the pieces were ed up and thrown on top of one of the carts filled with stone before the entire caravan began moving again, ba formation like nothing had happehere were no gratutions, no cheering, ement. We weren't out of the woods yet so to speak and it was still raining.

  I had been even more focused on my surroundings after that, keeping a for any more of the giant kaiju lizards. After several more bells we finally got to the outpost. We stopped our caravao the gate only for two dozen men dressed in bck brigandine armor to step out of the outpost. I was still in the back right er so I could barely see what was going on but after half a bell or so Tarklin began leading two of the men into each of the carriages. There seemed to be a bit of a dispute but when nothing came of it, the two men just rejoihe other people in bck.

  I had been quite worried when the men had ehe carriage Fae and Silva had been hiding in but apparently they were either well hidden enough or this was some different issue. I'd put money on the former of course. Eventually the men were satisfied with whatever clusion they came to and they all climbed on their own uunas and took off down the road the way we had just e. Tarklin made a few rounds talking to some of the people in the front before the carriages were led ihe outpost.

  Right after dismounting Nikka I ulled aside by Tarklin. He pulled me into a room alone before quickly casting [Zone of Silence]. "Those thugs were looking for the Morrister girl. I thought something like this might happen so I instructed them to hide in the smuggler's wall if someoarted ing in without knog first."

  I nodded, reassured by his words. "Did you learn anything about the people looking for them?"

  "No, they said they were looking for dangerous escaped prisoners and wouldn't give me anything more. It was obvious they were lying and they didn't eveend like it was anything else."

  "What was the disagreement about at the end?" I asked.

  "I tried to press for more information about who they were looking for and they took it as a personal insult. I was only barely able to de-escate the situation. The whole group looked exhausted, like they had been riding for several days with minimal breaks, even through the rain. Their uuna weren't in much better shape."

  "Did you ask them to leave at the end?"

  He shook his head, "I wouldn't have been able to vihem if I tried. No, they left because they are still looking for uests. If we were a single day ter they would have caught up to them."

  "Assuming Fae hadn't just bled to death by then. I doubt they would have made it to Traehall, especially on foot."

  Tarkli out a grunt of agreement. "Either way yoing to have to make sure Fae is calm. She seems pretty tough for a child but I am unsure if this situation would rattle her or not. I want your servants and her bodyguard to share a room with you tonight, she he extra prote."

  I hesitated since she had an issue being near Silva but I figured it would be for the best tonight. Things were still too dangerous. "Okay. I'll go get her then."

  I was about to get moving before he stopped me. "Oh was that yic by the way? You were the first to see it but that magic retty helpful, what was it?"

  "It was just [Light Beam], a pretty basic light magic spell ked up with Magic Force."

  "[Light Beam]? Strange, I've never seen anyone use it like that."

  "I have the [Light Manipution] skill, it's rare apparently."

  "Ah, I see. I haven't ever known ao use enough light magic to learn the associated manipution skill. After seeing that I might push a few people into it. That helped more than you know. You did well in the fight too, even if you were a bit slow to throw your spear."

  I shrugged. "Like I said, it's been a while."

  "See you ter. Keep the girl as hidden as best you . I'll make sure you aren't on watch tonight."

  I watched him slip bato the crowd of adventurers and start anizing his team. I felt a little bad lying to him, even if it was a bit of a white lie. I wasn't sure how else to expin my uuna riding to him. I should probably get used to it. He wouldn't be the st person I lie to about my past.

  I fouorien, and Man waitihe door when I came out. Torien came close and spoke quietly. "Anything we should worry about?"

  "All of us will be rooming together tonight, that includes Silva and Fae."

  Torien nodded. "I would prefer that anyway."

  I looked betweewo sisters. "Did you get a ce to talk about the thing I proposed?"

  Torien nodded. "I'm all for it. I've thought from the beginning our party needed anhter or a ...tank you said? She also seems like the type who could keep you out of harms way. It's weird enough that our mistress is standing in front of us in a fight."

  As much as I didn't like her reminding me of our standing, it's not like she was wrong about it either.

  I scratched the base of my horn. "How do you feel about her personality?"

  Torien smiled, "I like her. She seems fun."

  Man gasped and elbowed her in the side. "No way! You actually like someone? No 'she's okay' or 'she's annoying' from you?"

  With a ugh she pushed Man off. "Hey I'm not that bad."

  "I remember on the first night I asked you about Lilith and you said 'she's tolerable' by parison 'I like her' is like you shouting how great she is!"

  "Hey! I told you not to tell people about stuff like that." Torien's ears drooped as she g me.

  Luckily I found the situation far too amusing to be offended by it. Instead I just patted her on the head. "Don't worry, you're tolerable too."

  Torien grinned. "e on, not you too."

  Saine

  Hello! This is one of my favorite chapters, writing this kind of fight was a fun ge. Sometimes I feel as though there isn't as mubat in my story as I'd like but I think the fights feel a bit more meaningful when you care more about the characters. Anyway, I hope you ehis chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thanks for reading and see you ime!

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