Chapter 875: The enemy is just getting a little impatient
Three days later, Starwind Canyon.
Before the wagon even reached the canyon entrance, Yala and Alilien, who had been scouting ahead, reappeared on the carriage.
"The commander sent us to provide support," Yala announced. "I’m an assassin, and Alilien is a dual-wielding swordswoman. We can take care of any enemies trying to flank you while you’re engaged."
Orion and Leonidas exchanged a smiling glance and nodded. They weren’t about to refuse the offer. Truthfully, if things went sideways, having Yala and Alilien close by ant they could intervene in a heartbeat.
"Looks like we’re fighting side-by-side, baby!" Leonidas said, throwing an arm around Alilien. The two had been inseparable for the past few nights, and their relationship had accelerated at warp speed.
The open display made a blush creep up Yala’s cheeks. Just as she was thinking about giving them so space, Orion reached out and pulled her into his arms. With Leonidas and Alilien right there, Yala felt a wave of shyness wash over her. She buried her face in the fabric of Orion’s jacket, avoiding everyone’s gaze.
From the distant shadows, a pair of eyes filled with resentnt watched Orion for a few monts too long.
But that was all it took. Orion’s senses, sharp as ever, caught it instantly.
It’s him.
Alexander’s spirit sword avatar, ever vigilant, had also picked up on the hostile gaze and the killing intent behind it. He sent a ntal ping to Orion and Leonidas.
Boring, Leonidas thought, a wave of disappointnt washing over him. It was like finally getting a legendary-tier survivor chest only to have it drop a single, useless piece of heroic gear. A total letdown.
He’s only human, after all, Alexander added with a sigh, his own interest in the crawler hiding in the dark already fading. Driven by petty grudges and desires. He can’t help but show his hand, and he doesn’t even know he’s done it.
"Bro, that little rat is gunning for you," Leonidas’s voice echoed in Orion’s mind. "He’s your problem when the ti cos. The dragon is mine. Don’t you dare try to steal my thunder—I already promised Alilien I’d kill a dragon for her. Gotta put on a show."
Orion just nodded, perfectly fine with the arrangent.
"Are you two plotting sothing again?" Alilien’s sharp eyes had caught the look that passed between Leonidas and Orion. She snuggled against Leonidas’s chest and murmured the question.
"Just thinking, babe," Leonidas replied without missing a beat, his voice smooth as silk. "Once we get into the canyon, I’m gonna use so dragon hide to make you a little skirt. I bet you’d look even hotter in it." Sweet-talking her was second nature to him, as easy as breathing.
...
Half a day later, the Dragonslayer’s Lance rcenary Corps arrived at the mouth of the valley. After a final al, Commander Borg gave the order. "Line up! Battle formation!"
The entire company ford up and began a slow, deliberate march into Starwind Canyon.
It was an odd sight. Orion and Leonidas, easily the two most powerful fighters in the entire force, weren’t at the vanguard. Instead, they walked calmly in the dead center of the formation, flanked by Yala and Alilien, who had their weapons drawn and were ready for a fight.
It wasn’t that Borg didn’t want to order the two demigods around. But every ti the commander even considered it, the mory of that impossibly wide slash of sword light and the bolt of lightning that had pierced the sky a few days ago imdiately extinguished the thought. Besides, this was just a bunch of dragonkin. The Dragonslayer’s Lance rcenary Corps could handle them on their own.
They hadn’t gone far into the canyon when a rustling sound began to emanate from the trees around them.
One by one, over a thousand dragonkin erged from the woods. They had horned heads, scale-covered bodies, and hands that ended in draconic claws. Their fangs jutted out from their maws, and their eyes burned with feral hatred.
ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!
The guttural roars echoed through the canyon, cranking the tension to a breaking point.
"Hold the line! No fear!" Commander Borg’s voice bood, thick with a confidence that steadied the nerves of his troops. "You have your weapons coated in Dragon Crystal Powder! They’re weak to it!"
At his command, lances, bows, crossbows, and tridents—all coated with the shimring powder—were brought to bear.
"What’s Dragon Crystal Powder?"
Even in the middle of the tense standoff, Orion found a mont to ask Yala the question. She shot him a surprised look. In the rcenary world, the stuff was common knowledge. But this wasn’t the ti to dwell on it. Keeping her eyes scanning the periter, she gave him a quick explanation.
"When you kill a dragon, you find these crystal cores inside them. Grind the cores into a powder and coat your weapon with it. It’s effective against pretty much any draconic creature."
Orion nodded, filing the information away. It might be useful for the Stoneheart Horde in the future. Even if it wasn’t, logging it for the Tribe’s alchemists and apothecaries was building their collective knowledge base.
At the periter, the rcenaries gripped their weapons, their faces tight with tension. But this was what they lived for. As the mont of truth arrived, the tension in their eyes hardened into resolve. These guys were clearly veterans.
"Maintain formation! Shield Warriors, front and center! Lancers, prepare to engage!" Commander Borg roared, raising his greatsword high.
The shouts seed to finally trigger the dragonkin. With a collective, deafening howl, they charged. The ground trembled as over a thousand of them stampeded forward like a small flood, a wave of claws and scales.
"Crossbows and javelins, fire!" Borg’s sword chopped down.
A volley of bolts and javelins flew into the charging horde. But the dragonkin were brutally tough. Most of them simply shrugged off the projectiles and kept coming, wounds be damned. Their claws sliced through the air, and their gaping mouths let loose a foul, stinking breath as they closed the distance.
The Shield Warriors in the front rank roared, planting their feet and raising their massive shields in unison, absorbing the first wave of the impact. The lancers behind them imdiately surged forward, stabbing and thrusting into the chaotic lee.
The battle was ferocious. The rcenaries fought desperately, but a section of their formation was quickly overrun. They were losing ground. The dragonkin had them outnumbered, and their natural armor gave them a huge advantage in close-quarters combat.
"Interesting," Orion muttered under his breath.
Yala and Alilien both heard him and turned, their expressions curious.
"It’s nothing," Orion said calmly. "The enemy is just getting impatient."
Hearing it was just the enemy, the two won relaxed and returned their focus to guarding their surroundings.
Only Leonidas and Alexander understood. Orion wasn’t talking about the dragonkin.
He was talking about the little rat hiding in the shadows.
That breach in the formation hadn’t been random. It had been the work of their other unseen opponent.
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