378 days until the Arkon Shield falls

As I hurried closer, the lead boar lowered his head then tossed it upwards, skewering a pair of hapless spearmen on his vicious tusks. The two screamed in agony as they were thrown into the air.

The boar grunted in satisfaction and searched the glade for more victims. Before he could find one, I lowered my staff, pointing its tip directly at the beast. Channeling dragonfire, I sent a fire ray scorching through the air and struck the creature on the end of his flattened snout. The boar’s skin blackened at the point of impact, but my attack seemed to have no other detrimental effect.

It did attract the beast’s attention, though.

Jerking his head upwards, the boar pinned me with his gaze. He’s going to charge, I thought. Sure enough, ignoring the soldiers still prodding at his flanks, the beast shot forward on a direct course towards me, trampling those unlucky to be in his way.

Seeing a few tons of angry monster hurtling towards me, my first instinct was to run, but I squelched down that urge. Fleeing would do no good. Touching my staff to the ground, I cast sinking mud and transformed the forest floor between me and my foe into churning muck.

Unfortunately, this didn’t slow the beast as much as I hoped. He kept coming, his pace perhaps halved but still making good headway as his stout legs churned through the soft mud. Goddamn it!

I took a step back and flung another fire ray at the beast. The dragonfire struck the creature’s flank causing his hide to smolder, but the projectile did little else. I growled in frustration and hit the boar once more, this time on one of his hind legs.

There was no discernable reaction.

I attacked again, striking him in his hanging open mouth. The creature’s tongue charred instantly, and the smell of burnt meat wafted through the air. But the attack caused barely a hitch in my foe’s step. Snorting in disdain, the boar closed his jaws with a snap and kept coming.

Just what does it take to stop this bloody thing!

I had no idea how the boar was ignoring all the damage I was throwing his way, but there was no time to pursue the mystery further. The creature was less than fifty yards away now.

Dragonfire was having disturbingly little effect on the creature. Still, it was my strongest—well, only—ranged attack, and I couldn’t see any of my other magics faring any better. Retreat? I wondered. No, I refuted firmly, thinking of the defenseless crafters at my rear.

Seeing no other choices before me, I hurled more dragonfire, hitting the beast once, twice, thrice—all to no avail.

Then a Trials message dropped into my mind.

Spontaneous analyze triggered by your attack. You have uncovered a feral boar’s Trait: impervious to pain. In the midst of a battle frenzy, feral boars can ignore nearly all damage and continue attacking as if unharmed, even when on the very doorstep of death.

“Just great,” I muttered sourly, dismissing the alert. There was going to be no slowing the beast down, not until it was dead.

I flung my staff aside. I knew now that even though the creature appeared to be shrugging off my attacks, I was hurting him. Still, fire ray was not doing the job fast enough. I would have to do this another way.

From twenty yards away, the boar glowered at me, the glint in his tiny red eyes seeming to carry the promise of pain to come. I glared back, not backing down. Spreading my feet, I set my stance.

Only ten yards separated us now.

I cast flare. Dragonfire leaped to my call, eager to do battle once more. With both my hands wrapped in flames, I waited. The boar closed to within six yards.

Then he leaped.

My mouth dropped open.

For one drawn-out moment, I could only stare in astonishment as I beheld the boar sail towards me. How does a creature that large, and that heavy, jump like that? I wondered inanely.

It was no ordinary leap, though. The beast did not push straight through the air towards me. Instead, his body arced upwards in defiance of all physics. It was a magical ability.

Instinctively, I cast invincible.

The boar reached the apex of his flight directly above me and hung there for a heartbeat before plummeting down. Raising my hands, I flared.

The boar fell like a stone, angry hooves aimed at my body. Ignoring the threat—invincible would shield me—I spread my arms as if to catch the beast.

A split second later, my world went black as the beast landed, burying me underfoot. The ground shook, sending rippling tremors outwards. I’d expected as much, though, and was unfazed.

Bringing together the hands that I’d carefully kept free, I wrapped them around the boar’s torso and dug my fingers into his fur. It was a tried and trusted tactic, one that had worked well against the spider queen, and I expected it would fare just as well against the boar. With my purchase secure, I focused on one thing only—flaring.

Flames roared out of my hands and into the boar. The dragonfire spread fast, quickly engulfing the giant creature from snout to tail.

The boar scrambled to his feet. I grinned. Even though he could ignore the pain, the flames wreathing the beast’s frame clearly troubled him.

I flared harder, sending more fire pouring into the creature. The boar’s skin began to slough off as the dragonfire ate through fur and toughened hide.

Above me, the boar squealed, his first display of real distress. Feel that, don’t you? I thought grimly and plunged my hands into the beast, resecuring my hold.

The boar trembled as the fire ate at his insides. He still wasn’t incapacitated by the damage I inflicted, but the beast was smart enough to realize he was in dire straits. He threw himself upwards, leaping straight up into the air.

Large as he was, the beast had nothing against the spider queen, though, and I held on easily enough. The ground bucked and heaved as the boar squashed me flat again. I clung on and kept burning him from inside out.

The boar clambered to his feet once more. He was much slower about it this time. Only a little longer now.

“Stay back!” I heard Marcus yell from my left. “Jamie has his hooks into the beast.”

My gaze darted in the blonde captain’s direction. He was speaking to the circle of spearmen that had closed around the boar and me. Engrossed in my tussle with the beast, I hadn’t noticed their approach.

“Go help take down the other creature,” Marcus told the soldiers.

Behind the scout captain, I spied Petrov, and one of the fighters with the ice-covered battleaxes lay into the second smaller boar—a female I guessed from her size. Flanking the beast, the pair nipped in to cut at the creature while the spearmen kept her at bay. They were… mostly effective.

I was glad the enchanted weapons had joined the fray—I could only imagine the damage the second boar had wreaked in their absence. Marcus isn’t needed here either, I thought. I was managing just fine with my own opponent. Before I could call out to say just that though, my foe began moving again.

Pointing himself at a nearby tree, the boar charged at it, but he was shaking badly and every so often, he missed a step and stumbled.

The end is near for him, I thought. Time to go.

Hanging below the beast’s broad underbelly, I watched the tree rush closer. A moment before the boar could plow into it, I unhooked my arms and rolled free.

The beast struck his target dead center, hurtling into the trunk at full speed and burying his ivory tusks deep into the wood. A second later, the boar seemed to realize his mistake. Squealing in frustration, he flung his head from side to side, trying to free himself, but his tusks were wedged fast.

He was stuck.

Letting the flames covering my hands die down, I struggled to my feet. A spearman hurried closer and heaved me up. “Thanks,” I mumbled and turned to survey the other skirmish still raging in the glade.

The female boar bled profusely. Her sides were torn open, ice caked her rear, and burn marks covered her face. Where the spearmen’s weapons had failed to penetrate the boar’s hide, the enchanted weapons were faring better. Petrov and the ice-battleaxe bearer were slowly bleeding the beast dry.

But, their success was not without cost. The boar was inflicting her own measure of damage—the brunt borne by the spearmen—and the bodies around her were piling up. I took a step forward, intent on joining them.

Marcus rushed to my side. “Jamie, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I assured him, not stopping my advance. “Where’s the soldier carrying the other ice axe?”

Marcus’s face turned grim as he kept pace beside me. “Dead. The boar got him. She’s guarding her kill, too, not letting anyone retrieve the weapon.”

My jaw tightened. We could do without the beast’s cunning. “I better go help them then. Before the same happens to Petrov and the other fellow.”

Marcus shook his head, his gaze darting from me to the boar stuck in the tree. “You can’t do that.”

I stared at him uncomprehendingly.

“You’ve used invincible already, haven’t you?” Marcus asked.

I nodded.

The scout captain clamped a hand down onto my shoulder, drawing me to a halt. “Then I can’t let you get close to that creature.” I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off, his face hardening. “You are too valuable, Jamie. We can’t risk losing you. You will not engage the beast, clear?”

The note of command in Marcus’ voice was undisguised, and as much as I wished to protest the order, I closed my mouth with a snap. He was in charge, and a battlefield was no place to start an argument. Besides, as much as it galled me, I knew Marcus was right. Without invincible’s protection, I would die too quickly on the frontlines to do the soldiers any good.

“All right then,” I grumbled. Limping towards my dropped staff, I picked it up. “Then it’s up to you to help them. The boar won’t stop attacking, not until she’s dead, no matter how much we hurt her.” I glanced meaningfully at the enchanted weapon in his hand. “Your blade will cut through her hide where mundane weapons can’t.”

Marcus nodded, grim-faced. Turning to the spearman next to me, he said, “Tell Petrov and Royce, Jamie and I are on our way to join them.”

The spearman bobbed his head and hurried off.

Marcus pulled another messenger close. “You, order the sergeants to dress those lines. They’re looking shabby, and it’s costing us lives.”

“Yessir,” the messenger replied, throwing a salute before he darted away.

Marcus hurried forward again but stopped to throw me a last backward glance. “Make sure you stay behind the spear wall, Jamie, no matter what happens. Got it?”

I nodded agreeably. The three enchanted blades working together could do more damage than I could from range. All I need to do is keep them alive long enough. “I will do my best to heal you and the others.” I placed a hand on his arm. “Hold up a sec.”

Turning my attention inwards, I drew on my mana and cast flared conduit. Before an impatient Marcus could step away, I touched his arm and activated the spell.

You have forged a life magic conduit between yourself and the player Marcus. You may now cast touch-based life spells through it.

Marcus’ eyes widened. “What was that,” he asked, sensing the magic.

“A conduit spell,” I replied. “It will allow me to heal you from afar. Tell Petrov and the other fellow—Royce, wasn’t it?—to come to me. I need to cast the spell on them as well.”

Marcus jerked his head in agreement, then dashed away to join the melee.

I spared a moment to check on the male boar behind me. His struggles were lessening, I saw. No longer able to bear his own weight, he sagged listlessly against the tree. He is no longer a threat, I thought and turned back to the battle in front of me.

Dead and dying spearmen littered the field in a close circle around the female boar. I wanted to go to their aid, but at the forefront, I would only hinder the spearmen.

Limping forward, I took my place at the back of the reformed spear wall. The boar continued to wreak havoc amongst those in the fore. A stranger bearing an axe glittering with magical frost pushed through the ranks of soldiers and hurried to my side.

“Royce?” I asked, turning towards him.

He nodded.

I clamped down a hand on him and activated flared conduit. “Remember,” I warned him, “I can heal you from range, but that doesn’t make you invincible. Stay away from its tusks and hooves.”

He jerked his head in acknowledgment.

I waved him forward. “Good, now go kill that monster.”

Royce hurried away and was replaced a moment later by Petrov. I repeated the spell on him too.

“Thanks,” the big warrior grunted.

I nodded absently while I took in his appearance.

Petrov’s face was splattered with gore, and his armor on the left side of his torso was soaked through. He’s felt the bite of the boar’s tusks already, I realized. Taking my response as an indication that I was done, Petrov headed back to the fray.

This is as good a time as any to see how this works, I thought. Reaching through our newly-forged conduit, I inspected the damage and cast lay hands. Soothing trails of mana flowed from me and into the big fighter.

Five steps away, Petrov jerked as he felt the trails of healing energy flow down his sides. He bobbed his head in acknowledgment but didn’t turn around as he continued on his way.

✽✽✽

From afar, I watched the battle play out.

Marcus, Petrov, and Royce approached the boar from three different directions. As they neared the beast, the three waved away the spearmen holding the creature at bay. Judging by the cuts lining the beast, it was already gravely injured.

Petrov placed himself directly in front of the boar and mumbled something to Marcus and Royce, causing them to halt their own approach.

The feral boar watched them with an angry glint in her eyes. Tossing her head left and right, she eyed Marcus and Royce. It may have been my imagination, but the beast seemed wary, not so much of the soldiers themselves but the magically charged weapons in their hands.

Petrov advanced two steps closer. The beast stilled, and her head whipped back towards him. He advanced again. Strangely enough, the boar did not charge him then, despite Petrov being an obvious threat. Her eyes rolled back, and her head drifted left.

She’s going to charge Marcus, I thought. I opened my mouth to shout out a warning, but Petrov threw himself forward before I could do so. The big fighter had sensed the boar’s intent too and had moved to distract her.

An instant before Petrov’s hammer could crash into the beast, she turned back and flung up her head to ward off the blow with her ivory tusks.

“Now,” Petrov shouted.

Marcus and Royce dashed forward. The scout captain plunged his sword, dancing with lightning, through the beast’s hindquarter while Royce slashed downwards with his frost axe.

The beast squealed as the pair’s weapons cut into her. She made no attempt to engage either, though. Ignoring the frost and lightning biting in her flanks, she charged forward. Ramming into Petrov, she gouged him with her tusks. Through the conduit, I felt bone and muscle rip asunder.

Reacting instantly, I sent life-giving weaves rippling down my link to Petrov, healing the damage nearly as quickly as the boar inflicted it.

But the beast was not yet done. Snorting in anger, she rammed into the bearded fighter again.

Staggered and pushed off-balance by the boar’s opening attack, Petrov was helpless to fend her away as she bowled into him again. He went down hard. The beast raced forward, hooves trampling him underfoot.

Marcus and Royce rushed to Petrov’s aid, hacking furiously at the boar’s side, but I soon lost track of them as healing the downed fighter claimed more of my attention. Narrowing my focus to the conduit between Petrov and me, I sent waves of healing energy coursing into him in an effort to mend bone and organs of the huge swaths of damage the boar was inflicting.

Despite my best efforts, I struggled to keep up with the boar. She was dealing damage faster than I could heal. More of Petrov’s body failed, bones fracturing, skin tearing, and organs collapsing.

He was dying.

Desperate to keep him alive, I poured more and more of my mana into the fighter, but in my heart, I knew it was hopeless. Petrov was doomed.

Then abruptly, the creature’s attacks slackened.

Whatever Marcus and Royce were doing on the beast’s flanks, it was enough to slow down the beast’s frenzied assault on Petrov.

Not knowing if the respite was temporary or not, I didn’t let up my efforts at healing the warrior. On the periphery of my awareness, I sensed two spearmen, brave—or perhaps simply foolhardy—dart forward and drag the nearly comatose Petrov to safety.

My gaze flew to the boar. Her eyes were gone, and in their place only frozen sockets remained. Good man. Somehow or the other, Royce had managed to blind the beast. Stumbling uncertainly, the boar snapped at Marcus—tracking him by her hearing, I thought.

I swung to one of the sergeants standing nearby. “Send all the spearmen in,” I ordered.

“But,” he protested, “Marcus said—”

I cut him off. “It doesn’t matter. The beast is vulnerable now, but without Petrov to hold her attention anymore, she may still get a lucky strike in and maul Royce or Marcus.” My eyes hardened. “Kill her before that happens.”

The sergeant didn’t object further. Stomping forward, he barked orders to his men.

Closing my eyes, I sent more waves of healing through Petrov but through my magesight, I kept a keen watch on the conduits between myself, Marcus, and Royce.

The battle would be over soon, and if I could help it, no one else would die.