The Firstlings

Aaron could hear the thunderous roar in the distance.

Whatever it was, it was drawing closer, war drums accompanying its march. Hissing in pain as a spear pierced his side, he kicked out, launching his attacker back as he continued forward, plowing through the horde of goblins. His hands were full, leaving his feet as his only weapon, so he activated [Dance of Death]. Weaving through their ranks, he relied solely on his enhanced footwork to move deftly between attacks.

But the bastards were fierce.

They tore, bit, and stabbed at him, leaving behind wounds that burned and festered. He circulated his essence, pushing his vital energies into the wound, if not to heal, then at least to purge whatever toxins were seeping into his body. Every spear they carried dripped with black sludge, making them even deadlier than their crude appearance would imply.

No matter how much he stomped and kicked, weaving through their attacks, wounds continued to pile up. His soul's essence was getting dangerously low which would leave only his core to draw power from. Although its reserves were over half full, he didn’t have skills that suited a proper retreat, especially with his hands full.

The goblins began to grow more cunning as he plowed through their ranks. Aaron noticed they used their weapons less, resorting to grabbing him instead. He knew they were trying to stop his momentum, and if they gained purchase, it would put him in an even worse position than he was already in.

‘Ugly bastards’ Aaron cursed, kicking to the side, feeling a goblin’s jaw crush under his heel. Barging forward, he knocked another one to the ground, stomping on its face as he passed. Preparing to drop the two men to pull his blade, he perked up as shouts and battle cries filled the air.

'The humans have come,' Aaron chuckled as he kept moving, glowing arrows and azure bolts of magic falling around him, helping to break up the horde. He saw Kaznor standing at the head of the human lines, holding his hands high as azure bolts fired from his fingertips. He knew the man wasn’t the head of the academy for nothing and was grateful for the reinforcements.

Sending a call through the bond, silver bolts of mana fell from the sky, helping to clear his surroundings even more. He didn’t want to call for Cornelius’s aid, as his brother had already helped tremendously, but the backup was sorely needed. Aaron finally broke through the horde into the open field to cheers from the human soldiers, grateful for the rescue of their captain.

He called for all his siblings to fall back and join ranks with the humans as he hobbled the last distance, falling to the ground in a heap. Kaznor and the others ran forward to help, carrying Bently and Deagon to the back of the lines. The humans continued firing a barrage into the horde as they slowly began to fall back.

“Get up and fall back!” Kaznor shouted at Aaron as he continued firing azure bolts.

‘Why didn’t I get carried away!’ Aaron grumbled, lying on the ground, too exhausted to move. He could still fight, but his body was wrecked and the wound on his side throbbed. To Aaron’s shock, two humans beside Kaznor ran forward, grabbing his arm and dragging him toward the back of the lines.

Even though he could walk, he let the men drag him while smiling from ear to ear. ‘Feels nice to be taken care of,’ Aaron mused as he was awkwardly dragged to safety. The humans let him go, running back to the front lines before Aaron could say anything. Shrugging, he sat up, groaning from the pain coursing through his body.

Looking himself over, he was eternally grateful, now more than ever, for the armor his brother Mordan had crafted. Although marred in scratches and nicks, the armor held strong, preventing any fatal wounds from reaching him. Aaron touched his chest, feeling the crystal set in its center and activated [Mother’s Embrace].

He breathed steadily, feeling a rush of nurturing energies flood through every cell in his body. His wounds began tingling as the Mother Tree’s essence purified, invigorated, and ultimately healed him, soothing his aches and pains. With a fierce grin, he rose, impressed at his brother’s cleverness.

The armor was crafted from the Mother Tree, making it a perfect conduit for storing Mother’s nurturing aura. Even the crystal had been quarried from the cavern that housed the heart of the great tree. Runes bound the essence, allowing it to be stored and released when needed, but it could only be used once.

Standing tall, Aaron closed his eyes, reaching out through the bond feeling for each of his siblings. A frown crossed his face, realizing several of his siblings had been injured in the heated exchange. He used his soul essence during the battle, causing painful backlashes that masked the signals coming through the bond.

Aaron cursed himself, as they weren’t here to die for the humans. He had lost himself in his desire to free Bently as the man owed them, endangering his siblings unnecessarily. They were too few as it was, and every one of them was sorely needed.

Dismissing his frustration, he pulled his blade and ran into battle, helping the humans and his siblings fall back. The wretched goblins continued to throw themselves at their front lines with abandon, madness gleaming in their eyes. The war drums in the distance drew closer as continuous bestial roars rolled across the battlefield.

“What in the hell is coming?” Aaron roared at Kaznor, taking the head off a goblin that leaped at the man.

“We have to get back!” Kaznor shrieked. “We’ve been fighting for days. The men aren’t prepared for this!”

Aaron was reminded of what he noticed when initially arriving at the camp. Their weakened state wasn’t only due to their cores but also because they were physically drained. The hard looks in their eyes weren’t just because of Aaron and his siblings but also due to the horrors they had already witnessed.

He continued dancing through the front lines, limbs, torsos, and heads flying as his blade struck with deadly accuracy. No longer impeded, he wreaked havoc, spreading devastation wherever he passed. Falling back the last distance to the camp, Aaron almost tripped when the earth shook violently.

Startled, he watched as several meteors fell to the earth, bouncing through the horde, leaving craters as they skipped across the ground. The humans began retreating through the open gates as the meteors spread chaos, disrupting the goblin's advance. Aaron stayed back, defending the others as they retreated, before slipping into the camp right as the soldiers slammed the gates closed, securing them with massive drawbars.

Cornelius fell from the sky landing light as a feather before falling to his knees, breathing heavily. Aaron sent power through the bond, trying whatever he could to help relieve his brother's fatigue. Ciel ran to their brother’s side, but Cornelius waved her away, using his staff to help support himself as he rose on shaky legs.

Aaron searched through the bond, feeling they were all present, even sensing the connection to Bently, glowing strong. The man’s soul shined fiercely through the bond, and he was pleasantly surprised to see that his core was almost full. The insidious collar had only sealed his power, making it possible for them to restrain him.

He was recovering quickly, so Aaron dismissed him as he turned to the walls where the humans and several of his siblings had taken to firing at the horde. He noticed Kaznor arguing with the captain again and sighed, as the man was a pain to deal with. Aaron knew that Kaznor was the one who had convinced the humans to leave the walls to aid them.

Aaron came beside the two men as another roar tore through the air, causing them to look over the battlefield with horror. The goblins had backed up, forming a line around their encampment. The swarm parted, fear breaking through the madness in their eyes, as a large grotesque form was hauled forward.

Aaron clenched his chest, a lump forming in his throat.

The beast had dark fur covered in sludge that seemed to writhe across its body as if alive. Black foam circled its open maw as it roared to the world, its killing intent spreading through the camp. Only the whites of its eyes were visible, proof of the madness within, as it bit and swiped at anything within range.

Aaron could see with his sight that the beast's soul was as hideous as its outward appearance. It was a chaotic mass of dark miasma, causing him to feel noxious just looking at it. But what truly gave him pause was the tiny speck of brilliance nestled within its center.

It was the last remnants of a soul...

Of Foster’s soul.

Aaron could feel it, clear as day. He had trained with Foster for months and had been rather close to the big guy. His heart was heavy as he came to terms with the fact that his friend and mentor had been replaced with a hulking mass of corruption and chaos. Looking to the side, he saw Kaznor pale and trembling, clearly troubled.

“Damn them!” Kaznor growled, wringing his fist in agitation.

“There is no way we can deal with that,” Sergeant Roland whispered, reeling at the horrible sight.

Cornelius and Ciel came beside Aaron, gasping at the sight of Foster’s hulking form tearing apart goblins that had come too close, continuously dripping sludge as he paced the battlefield. Foster roared with murderous rage, black spittle flying from his lips. Each roar carried his killing intent further, causing shivers to prickle their spines as the goblins backed away in terror.

Aaron sent a silent plea through the bond as Ciel turned and nodded, heading to check on the others. Cornelius grunted, walking away, knowing what would come without even being told. Turning to the two men, Aaron found them looking at him questioningly.

“We can’t let this continue,” Aaron assured them.

“What can we do?” Kasznor asked, dejectedly. “With the condition of the soldiers, we can't expect our forces to fight such a battle.”

“We will not risk our soldiers for you!” Sergeant Roland barked gruffly. “Count yourself—”

“We risked our lives,” Aaron interrupted, stepping closer and baring down on the man. He leaned in, speaking low as golden arcs danced in his eyes, “I expect the same in return.”

Roland backed up, visibly paling, sputtering a reply, “Y… your efforts are appreciated, but we cannot take any unnecessary risks.” He seemed to collect himself, finding what little backbone he had as he continued, “If we fall, they will have won. And that cannot happen!”

“He’s right, Aaron,” Kaznor agreed. “We cannot leave the walls again, or all our efforts will go to waste.”

“Then don’t,” Aaron replied, shrugging, as he sat cross-legged between the two men.

They looked at him like he was insane, but Aaron just gave them his most fiendish smile as he closed his eyes in meditation. He entered his space within and began to soothe his soul, nurturing his flame the best he could, preparing for what needed to be done. Foster had been a good friend and had helped him and his siblings tremendously.

He wouldn’t turn his back on him.