Banda raced through the Misty Forest with the others in tow. He carried Eres in his arms as usual, while Takar rode atop the Guardian Shield Arm that floated at her side in perfect proximity.
“It’s been near a day. Does he not need rest?” Takar asked.
“There’s no issue.” Eres answered bluntly. “Tell me about the shamaness.”
“Sigsa is a old woman. Not sure how old, but she was old when I was young. A Peak Rank 2 Shaman. Summons elementals to fight.” Takar complied.
“And her disposition?”
He paused half a moment. “...the straightforward no nonsense type.”
“So she’s fair?” Eres pressed.
“Fair as one can expect in a place like this.” Takar found tactful words for his answer.
“A bit left.” Banda adjusted his path at the man’s directions without breaking his rapid stride. “It’s not much further now-”
Banda screeched to a halt, for the land before him had changed. A massive trail of dull gray mud carved through the misty forest as though something as burrowed through leaving naught but waste behind.
The trees and plants at the edges of the trail were half eroded and slowly spoiling away further into the same worthless silt that the ground had become.
Banda got a bad feeling from the mud. It was different from the other environment hazards he knew. A far more fundamental danger resided within it.
“Dabru is near.” Takar murmured, his bearded face paled in terror. “We must leave, now! Get to the sanctuary!”
Tendrils of mud shot out from the trail straight towards them. Banda blitzed away in monstrous form, but the tendrils only moved faster to wrap around his limbs.
Banda threw Eres off before the mud could touch her too, and thrashed with all his might, but the soft mud would not break. His strength was useless against it, and he could feel himself weaken. Lessen.
Eres conjured her Guardian Spear Arm at once. Its golden blade cut through the tendrils with ease, but more took their place and some aimed for her. Soon she was bound by the mud as well.
Mud tendrils bloomed towards them as Eres commanded her spear cloth wrapped in golden flame to writhe against them. But she could do little else than reach a stalemate, and new tendrils were forming.
“Bring me trees! Quickly!” Eres shouted at Takar. With enough firewood, she could break out of this predicament.
“I…” Takar took a step back, his eyes drawn to the ruinous mud. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to die.”
He turned and fled towards the town, abandoning the duo to their fate without looking back
“Get back here!” Eres shouted.
But the man did not turn back. He ran as fast as he could, and a minotaur as tall as the trees emerged through the fog. It swung down the dull gray axe raised above its head and destroyed the man before he even realized what had happened.
The giant axe of grainy stone struck through to the ground with such force it shook apart the tendrils of mud that bound the duo. But as Banda landed, his focus was already on the minotaur before him, who had them in its sights.
The earth-trembling roar of a bull blasted over them like a gale, and Banda had no time to react to the attack that followed.
A giant blur rammed through. Banda held the minotaur’s lowered head by the horns with all his strength as his feet ploughed through the soil, but it did nothing to slow its charge.
With a roar, Dabru bucked its head and flung Banda up into the air using the leverage of its height. Banda whirled through the air, helpless without a solid platform.
And Dabru appeared beside him. The minotaur’s giant body twisted in strained muscles as it held its stone axe high.
Banda’s eyes widened with feral panic, but only for a moment. Something caught his senses, and he let a Flying Palm of mana hit him just off course of Dabru’s blow. He kicked off the minotaur’s arm, just barely avoiding another cleave, and landed back down to the solid ground.
Dabru landed right after, the weight of its fall sent shockwaves through the Misty Forest. Beneath its feet, the ground started to deteriorate into worthless mud.
It was too strong. Far too strong for them as they were now, Banda knew. Though the mana emanations of the creature was clearly that of a peak Rank 2, it was stronger than the ogre.
Seven times stronger than himself, even with Harness and Monstrous Feral Form. And unlike the ogre, it was faster.
Dabru charged again, this time at Eres. Her Avatar’s shield held in place against the strike of its axe, but the had nearly cleaved through. Her spear struck out and pierced deep into its chest, but not deep enough.
The minotaur wrenched its axe out and knocked them away in a mindless fury. The wound had only made it angrier. It thrust its free hand into the worthless mud and pulled out another axe.
Banda threw a runestone a split second before it moved. Dabru was upon Eres in the blink of an eye, cleaving down its two axes at once.
The runestone hit the nearest, just enough at just the right angle to knock it into the second axe. He blurred by Eres’ side and grabbed her by the waist with one arm as he threw another runestone into the ground.
An explosion of soil and debris created a smokescreen around them. A pale imitation of Otto’s smokebomb, but it worked well enough. Eres saw her role in an instant.
She wielded her spear cloth to burn the trees around them. The thick black smoke and dancing flames served as far better cover than the soil that rained back down.
Dabru cleaved its axe but struck only empty ground. He thrashed around blindly at the smoke and flames, until a crash in the distance lured his charge.
As the giant minotaur raged out of sight, Banda sped towards the town with Eres in tow, both of them suppressing their aura.
“We’ll need to kill ten just like that eventually…” Eres commented. “It does live up to the reputation of an Adversary.”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Monga is far stronger.” Banda replied. The minotaur was a threat, but only to them as they were now.
“The Tower restricts the power of the Guardians more harshly the lower the floor they’re on.” Eres explained. “Most of them stay on the third floor for that reason, but well, as you saw, Dabru doesn’t think much.”
Banda considered that unwelcome news. Based on Humbaba’s strength, he felt he should assume on the third floor they would be at the peak of mortal power. And in that case, they were threats even once he regained his own former might.
Banda moved fast, and reached the town in no time at all, though he was forced to stop at the gate. The town itself was similar to the one they resided in, artificially so. But the humans seemed different.
The gate and the walls above were manned by armed guards who stood tense and vigilant. But they were still only humans, unworthy to be called his equal. Banda set Eres down. He would claw through these humans if he needed to.
“Halt.” One of the humans on the wall ordered loudly as he displayed the aura of a first stage Rank 2. “I don’t recognize you.”
“Probably because we’re new.” Eres chided back. “Where can we find Sigsa?”
The guard’s eyes narrowed. “What business do you have with her?”
“None that concerns you.” Eres spoke coldly. “Now open this gate.”
The helmed guard grit his teeth at the slight. “Arrogant-”
A stone destroyed the wooden pillar at the man’s side before he could react. His eyes drifted left to damage and then back ahead to the savage who threw it.
He could not find the breath to finish his words, but Eres spoke before he had to. “It is in your best interest to escort us to the shamaness at once.”
---
Banda and Eres stood within the hall of her manor, surrounding by underlings with vaguely hostile faces.
Unlike the north manor Otto resided in, this one was well maintained. The stone was carved more intricately than the squalor buildings of the rest of the town, and kept a strange sheen he thought was impossible for mere stone.
Furniture and cloth of different kinds decorated the hall of a higher quality that Ubin’s brothel, though it still held the stench of herbs and flowers.
An old woman soon entered. A pudgy woman with wrinkled skin and gray hair. She walked with a hunch, aided by a wooden staff. Her expression one of ill humor.
“Who are you? What do you want?” Sigsa asked them bluntly, as if in a hurry to get the ordeal over with.
“We heard you have the ability to remove soul afflictions. We’d like to trade for that service.” Eres said.
Sigsa scoffed. “And who did you hear that from, since this is your first time here.”
“A man named Takar.” Eres answered honestly.
“Oh?” Sigsa mused. “So that boy is still alive.”
“He was.” Eres stated bluntly. “We just had an encounter with Dabru. He didn’t make it.”
The shamaness’ eyes widened, as did her underlings’. “...you expect me to believe you survived a Guardian?”
“The aftermath of the battle is about a quarter of an hour west. We’ll wait so you can confirm it.” Eres spoke calmly, with confidence enough to give Sigsa reason to believe her words.
“Go take a look.” The old woman motioned to a few underlings, then waited in silence and the duo waited with her.
The people she sent returned in little more of half an hour and whispered into her ear. She turned to them with a subtle glint in her eye that hadn’t been there before.
“You’re more capable than you look.” Sigsa paused for a moment. “I do have a deal for you. I will remove your affliction. In return, you will assist me in removing a thorn in my side.”
“What kind of thorn?” Eres asked.
“An upstart brat who claims half the town. Peak Rank 2 Warrior. An Archer, the troublesome sort. Our forces are roughly equal in strength.” Sigsa rattled out plainly. “Nothing much to it. Help me kill him, and there’ll be no charge for my ‘services’. The ones who follow him don’t matter. Your answer?”
“We accept.” Eres said without hesitation. “But we do need you to show you can actually help us.”
Banda took a step forward, which set most of the underlings on edge and ready for a fight. Sigsa motioned them down, and walked towards him to place a hand on his shoulder.
She concentrated deep, then opened her eyes in half restrained shock, which Eres took note of. “...who gave you this affliction?”
“The lord of our town.”
“You should have left sooner.” Sigsa spoke. “Only someone with a sacred grade art can remove this. It’s beyond my abilities. I can seal it, but only temporarily. The affliction itself will eat through the seal in time.”
“How long?” Eres asked.
“Half a month.” The shamaness replied.
“That’s good enough.” Eres gave her approval, and the shaman focused again.
Aura rose around her with the distinct feeling of the soul, as Banda made use of his instincts to be alert for any ill intent.
He used his own awareness of the soul to sense within himself as well. It was hazy, but he found the Soul Seed, and felt a small barrier take form around it. The moment it built whole, he felt the seed’s connection to his soul weaken to a trace.
He gave Eres a look of expressionless approval, and she allowed the shamaness to do the same for her. The old woman stepped back once she was done, the strain of the endeavour subtly evident in her complexion.
“Zubal is a hapless carouser.” Sigsa spoke up. “We will wait until dawn, so night of drinking and feasting dulls their abilities. You are welcome to stay in one of the unoccupied houses in my territory.”
“Then, we’ll meet back before dawn.” Eres answered, and led them out of the manor without lingering any longer.
“How sure are you that the seals work?” She asked Banda bluntly once they were out of earshot.
“Likely.” Banda judged. He would not put full faith in the work of another, but everything he felt and knew about souls suggested it would.
“That’s good enough.” Eres seemed satisfied with that much confidence. “For now, we should train. We might still have enough time to reach Rank 2 before we fight Otto again.”
Banda took a step in front of Eres and stopped, his attention focused on the alley ahead.
“Excellent senses.” A thin man in leather clothes and a feathered cap walked out from the corner. “I am Zubal, rightful lord of this town. And I was wondering if the shamaness has recruited you.”
“Word travels fast here.” Eres replied in an unconcerned tone.
“People like to tell me things.” Zubal smiled. “Ah, but I bet that old woman hasn’t told you why we are fighting.”
“It’s not our concern.”
“We found a sacred grade Training Shrine.” Zubal declared with some grandeur, and took note of Eres’ heightened interest. “Takes a lot to open it. Not something either of us can do with the other aiming at our back.”
“Why are you revealing this to us?” Eres asked, with narrowed eyes.
“Stab Sigsa in the back.” Zubal proposed shamelessly. “You have no loyalty to her, you have no reason to be loyal. But I have something to offer. I know of another shrine. A high-grade one. It is of ill fit for me, but I will give you that one in exchange for helping me to claim the other.”
Eres paused. “You expect us to trust you?”
“You have more reason to trust me than her. Why get involved in this dangerous business if you’re not going to get something out of it.” Zubal chuckled as he slipped away. “I’ll leave it up to your good judgement.”
Banda and Eres waited a moment, then quietly headed off to find an empty house. Once inside, Eres used her bell to veil them in silence.
“What is a Training Shrine?” Banda asked the moment their secrets were guarded.
“An inheritance tomb created by the Tower itself, essentially.” Eres answered casually. “They are one of the best opportunities it provides, and this one is of the highest grade ti can give.”
“Why did that human tell us this? Now we have reason to kill him.” Banda questioned.
“It’s a petty trick.” Eres smiled. “There’s no high-grade shrine. That’s just an excuse he handed us. If we pretend to want the high-grade shrine on the surface, while secretly aiming for the sacred grade, that allows us to work with him for a time.”
“He only wants us to help him kill Sigsa, or at least weaken her. Then he plans to kill us. It’s only natural he considers Sigsa the bigger threat.”
“I see.” Banda understood the logic behind the human cunning, even if he felt it beneath him. “Then we kill both of them.”
“Yes.” Eres’ eyes sharpened along with his. “Strength and cunning. Together they can overcome any obstacle. Together they can rise to the peak again. No matter who stands in our way.”
