I could say many things about what I thought of the first legion and its damned trials. The words would be more colorful than even a dockside whore had ever heard. But no, that would have been unbecoming of a prince. The song of blood sang in my ears as my red thirst demanded to be satiated. Rolling to the left, I avoided the massive hand of the hundiyager. A massive beast that looked like a cross between a gorilla and a great dane. Standing at over nine feet tall, this creature even towered over our humble giant Jurgen. Someone clearly did not want me and my team to succeed. We were one of the last squads to be presented their challenge, giving us ample time to observe their standard of evaluation.
The average of the trial seemed to be how well a squad could face a stage 2 beast. Seeing all of this, I had been extremely confident that we would breeze through it. Yet, when we walked into the central arena, we stood in a wedge formation. We saw how fucked we really were. In front of us stood not a stage 2 beast but a stage 3 alpha.
[Hundiyager - Stage 3 beast]
My anger was like a blazing inferno at the obvious attempt to sabotage us. A single deep breath allowed my experience to take control and let me clear my mind of unnecessary thoughts. Motions trained through constant repetition, ingrained in my mind and body, came to the forefront. Without even waiting for a signal, I blinked forward the power of lightning on my fingertips. A horizontal slash empowered by aura struck its muscular leg, intercepting the blow meant for my head. This was the first time anything had ever reacted to my blink skill, putting me on edge. While lightning struck right next to its eyes, aimed at blinding it. The beast stumbled backwards after being blinded.
A blade made of wind severed the top half of its easr eliciting an enraged roar to release from its throat. When sight returned to the beast, it turned towards Magnus planing to maim him for harming it. The beast charged was met with a heavy hammer, knocking its blow to the side. As always, Bjorn's timing was impeccable. I could hear my heart start beating like the beat of a war drum. The song of blood grew in intensity as time seemed to slow. Even though we were fighting at full power, our attacks barely did any damage greater than a few scratches.
Even those shallow wounds only seemed to enrage the creature further. Thick cords of muscle rippled beneath its matted fur as it planted its feet against the stone. The hundiyager's chest expanded as it inhaled deeply, its massive jaws opening wide to reveal rows of yellowed fangs.
A thunderous roar exploded from its throat.
The sound reverberated across the arena like a war horn. Several squads watching from the outer ring instinctively stepped back at the sheer force behind it. For a moment, the beast simply stood there, its bloodshot eyes moving from one of us to the next. The intelligence in its eyes sent a chill crawling down my spine.
"Careful!" Magnus shouted from the side as he prepared for another wind blade. "The beast's hide is too thick to pierce. We can't afford to make a mistake!"
As if to prove his point, the beast suddenly dropped onto all fours and lunged forward with terrifying speed. The ground cracked beneath its weight as it barreled directly toward Jurgen. Our giant barely managed to raise his shield before the impact came. The collision sounded like two siege engines smashing together. Jurgen's boots dug deep grooves into the stone floor as he was forced back several paces, his teeth clenched in a grimace.
"Ugly bastard hits hard!" he growled.
The hundiyager followed up immediately, its massive claws raking downward in a savage arc. Sparks flew as Jurgen angled his shield to deflect the blow, but even then, the force behind it nearly buckled his stance.
This creature was far stronger than any stage two beast had the right to be. Which meant we needed to stop fighting it like one. My mind raced as I studied its movements. Every strike carried immense power, but its balance shifted slightly each time it committed to an attack. That level of aggression came at a cost. And I intended to reap any advantage.
"Bjorn!" I barked.
He did not hesitate. Months of fighting together had honed our coordination to a near instinctual level. With a feral grin, he charged the beast head-on, hammer raised high above his head.
"Over here, you oversized mutt!"
The hundiyager responded exactly as expected. Its attention snapped toward the loudest threat in the arena as it swung a massive arm toward Bjorn. That was the opening I needed. Lightning surged through my body as I blinked again. Once again, the beast reacted to my skill. Its head snapped toward the distortion of space just as I reappeared at its flank. A claw whipped toward me in a desperate attempt to intercept. A feral growl escaped my lips as I pushed my body beyond its limits. My nodachi flashed through the air in a brutal downward arc, aura flaring along the blade's edge as it carved deep into the beast's exposed shoulder.
Hot blood sprayed across the arena floor. And drenching me in the hot liquid made my blood drinker skill activate. The hunger roared in my mind, demanding tribute as it gave me strength. For the first time since the fight began, the hundiyager howled in genuine pain. My breath turned to a cold fog as the temperature dropped rapidly. The ground frosted over as Jurgen unleashed his skill. The ice was far too fragile to hold for more than a moment. But it was flashy enough to distract the onlookers and take their attention away from me. Allowing me to try something risky. Reaching out to my mana, I kindled it like a flame. Reaching into the leaking blood, I seized control of it through sheer force of will. The crimson liquid twisted and hardened, forming dozens of razor-sharp needles before driving themselves back into the wound.
Realizing that no one had noticed, I breathed a sigh of relief. But this was far from enough to satiate the hunger of my skill, let alone my own bloodlust. Once again, I dialed my power to the max for one final blow. My leg muscles tightened right before I dashed forward. The beast noticed my approached preparing to defend itself. But right as my blade was a few inches from its face, I blinked behind it. My nodachi bit into the wounded shoulder, splitting the beast in half. The lightning that coursed through my blade spread upon impact, burning fur and charing flesh. Completely covered in the blood of the beast, I just stood there. The anger refusing to fade. Jurgen placed his large hand on my shoulder, snapping me out of my reverie.
The realization that we had done it warmed my heart. But the all-familiar pain washed over my body as my sickness reared its ugly head. However, this time, instead of the weakness and the urge to cough, I was met with a pain like needles being stabbed through my skin, piercing my soul. An inhuman howl of pain resounded in my head as the lich shared my pain. The pain was more than I could handle, so without realizing it, I lost consciousness, but even the realm of sleep and dreams could not stop the pain
—
The king sat on his golden throne, looking at his advisor with disdain. The Bishop had forgotten his place recently, but he chose to ignore this as he was far too useful to dispose of.
"Your majesty." He bowed low enough to show respect but high enough to avoid it seeming like reverence. "The Yemen dogs have been challenging the defenses of our border for weeks now. Bringing the prayers to Drongesh with them." There was venom in his voice as he spoke of one of his god's rivals. But the king could hardly care for the bishop's hatred. His concern was about the fact that the kingdom of Yemen had forgotten the old accords. For generations, wherever his family pointed, the faithful dogs followed.
"Send the first legion to deal with it. But I want Drakkus to be appointed a captain. I want to see if the boy will sink… or swim." With a wave of his hand, the bishop bowed before leaving to follow his command. Rays of light hid his face as magic coursed through his veins. But anyone who would have seen his face would have shivered in fear at the deranged smile on his face. For this was the man known as the golden king, or to those who remembered the twisted sun.