A Perilous Walk

FRANCO'S POV

The journey was honestly getting more boring and less eventful. The star seemed unreachable and the fields unending. The more we moved the taller they became like a field of wheat. Some parts grew up to our chests and others parts were low enough to reach our waists.

Keeping a tight-knit formation with the absent-minded NPC gods was very annoying. If it had been a quest of some kind then it would have felt more understandable. It grated at me as I followed from behind.

From time to time I would take flight and head off for quite the distance to make sure there were no creatures upfront. I learned a lot of things about my body with this. One was I couldn't get tired. My stamina was endless. Two was that my passive wind flight helped to keep me buoyant only when stationary. Three was that I had a good sight. A fact that was obviously due to my racial selection.

Even with my endless stamina, I could still feel my wing muscles burn from the endeavor of flapping them. I wonder if there was any benefit to it.

At this point, we had already crossed most of the chest-high and waist-reaching golden grasses. The field here was just a flat plain that extended far out. Fortunately, though I could see the end in sight connecting with a forest.

Signing in relief I turned back to return and inform the group when something caught my eye. A huge pack of creatures. Headed straight in our direction. My eyesight wasn't good enough to see that far off but I'm certain I saw a small creature riding the creature I had fought within the golden forest. Making a head count I frowned.

"Not good."

My speed incoming must have warned the others since they all had frowns once I landed.

"Bad news or good?" Porteis asked with a raised eyed his ears pointing to the left and right twitching. The dim yellow of his eyes looked to me with the urge to both say yes and no.

"Both" I rasped.

A collective groan escaped the group, one I could understand. With the NPCs bogging us down the idea of successfully fighting offensively to gain levels was a bad idea.

While we could always decide to leave them it was clear to us all for some reason that abandoning them was a bad idea.

"Hit us with the good first" Jean spoke her three sets of eyes confusing me as I pondered which to look at.

"We're leaving Plains and entering the forest " Everyone groaned. Yarrow shook his head as he chuckled.

"That's two bad news then" he sighed.

"And the actual bad news" Porteis urged. " How many?"

"Well, I'd call it a pack or group of at least a dozen. With little things like goblins I think riding on them"I alerted.

" We can take them right". Realer asked hopefully.

"If we have long-range capabilities we can try thinning their numbers before we clash" Porteis suggested. I nodded.

"This isn't a city siege. If they're as smart as whatever we all faced in the woods then I doubt they'll just run barrelling into our attacks." Jean argued.

"That's a point" I agreed.

"It's also an idea," Gertrude spoke. All eyes went to her.

"As an Everahu I have a good pool of Intent but surprisingly less affinity to any element. But my godhood gives me a boost with tech. I can figure something out before the creatures get here".

" What exactly do you have in mind?". I asked while mentally disagreeing with the fact that she had more intent than me.

"I think maybe a wall will be good enough. They'll most likely attempt to surround us stretching out our focus. With a wall we can guard our backs and keep them to our front".

" The wall won't destabilize?" Porteis asked. She shook her head. As long as it's made completely it can last up till it's destroyed.

"You've tested this?" Jean raised an eyebrow which was weird to look at. The Evershu nodded then lifted the little pairs of daggers in her hands.

Everyone congregated inspecting them. They seemed made of some sort of energy and both flushed with a buzz of energy. They were hard and sharp along their edge.

"You made this?" Kondark asked whistling. "Nice".

" Alright. Get to it then" I nodded before looking to Porteis. "We'll try to delay their advance for a bit or at least make them stall" Porteis nodded. As the only long-range here we both knew it was on both of us.

Yarrow had the scythe, Kondark an axe, Realer used a wooden spear with a copper spearhead, and Jean had a long sword like me though somehow it suited her more than it did me like the girl was made to use one. Hardima's hammer rested on his stout shoulders while finally was me with my copper long sword.

'With my wind distracting them and Porteis taking the shot we hopefully can thin them out.' Making a side glance at the focused Evershu goddess I turned back to the distance my eye going far. A sigh escaped me as I spotted the encroaching creatures.

'Hopefully, they're all at reasonable levels'.

*****

They were not at reasonable levels at all. The beasts came in hot. Very savage creatures out for blood for some unknown reason. As much as I remained eager to level up my inspect skill I had to save up on intent to battle these creatures which meant I couldn't exactly use it.

There were about a dozen of the beasts just like the one I fought within the forest but with a slight difference. Unlike the Dare Molv, these had furs of various colors. From black to brown and silver. Their eyes remained though they had a silver glow.

Riding on the beasts while chittering loudly like mad children were the little things wielding crude-looking weapons. From spears to short swords and daggers. Even bows with quivers of arrows slung on their back.

The pack was quick to spread out already moving to encircle us.

"I'm ready. " Gertrude called. Her voice was strained. Taking a glance back I noted a shimmering ball of light in her palms. It looked like various colored crystals slowly rotating with and around the ball of gold light.

"Wait for it. Everyone get ready to move in the agreed positions on my signal." I kept my eyes on the mob.

"Any idea what they are?" Jean asked her sword held up by both hands eyes moving from one to the other.

"Can't use inspect now. Need intent for this fight". I answered. Everyone chimed in agreement.

" I'll do it" Porteis spoke up before sheepishly asking how it was done. I explained it as best as I could and fortunately he understood because he quickly frowned.

"Bad news. One is level two. Both from the Holy Ember Molvs and the Mad Spark Imps. Imps have foot speed and molvs have regen".

"Yup, we're screwed" Jean frowned. Almost in agreement with her statement the imps shrieked and the beasts pounced.

I almost skipped giving the order from my moment of fright. But once I did everyone who had to move did so.

Porteis rolled back from the right while Jean leaped over his position. Hargima remained in his spot while Yarrow and Kondak pushed forward. Realer stuck to the NPC gods as Gertrude slammed the ball she held into the ground.

The floor quaked. Gold lines flowed like a thin stream of color to our rear in a semicircle. It rolled just right behind her and from the ground rose a thick wall the width of an elder tree standing at double our height. It was a dark metal with the same glowing strings on it and several markings. Its length curved to our right and left where it stopped just right to where Hargima and Jean could cover.

"It's up to you guys I'm out of intent." Gertrude rolled forward as she informed us while Realer urged the NPC God's back to the wall.

"It's a temporal wall. Took all my intent but enough to last for thirty minutes." She alerted us.

"Hell yeah. " Dealer smirked approvingly. "Heads up " Porteis warned as he let loose an arrow. The mob was on us. My wings spread out from where I stood outside the circle and with a flap I took to the sky. Everyone steeled themselves as I flapped my wings powerfully.

[Skill modified - Wing Force II]

[Wing Force II - You have subconsciously used your wings to create the gust of wind without the use of intent needed for the original skill Wing force]

[+5 exp to Wing Force]

The wind struck the ground spreading out in a little wave that stumbled the charging mob. There was no damage just the disorienting effect.

"Now!"

The gods attacked. Yarrow and Kondark taking lead with Jean and Hargima taking a stance to cut off any interloper. Up in the air I watched as they two sides clashed.

Only one thing going through my mind. 'This game was f*cking awesome'.