NOVEL NEXT 61
Eventually a decision is reached. The Bretonnian Knights and Bertrand will leave the Eonir’s to their fate. The former cannot spare any more manpower as they have their own oaths to fulfill while the latter is just one man. None are equipped to take care of a group of refugees, especially plagued ones. The human cities will also not take them. They wouldn’t risk the plague spreading to them. In fact, it is almost certain that the humans will just outright kill them.
The Bretonnian Knights will go to Marienburg to resupply one last time for their quest and also warn the city for the possibility of the plague. Same with Bertrand who left for Middenheim. Time passed and night came. Snow starts falling from the sky. Winter always comes early for Nordland and Laurelorn. The Eonir stays still. Mothers hugging their children as they lie dying on the ground. Weak coughs sound here and there. Growing fainter and scarcer with each passing seconds.
Shambling sounds came from the north. Corrupted and rotting dryads and ents start appearing from the deep forest. The Eonir live to protect the Laurelorn from all corruption and destruction be it from the hands of chaos or humans. But now the forest comes to kill them in return. The earth shook as the dryads surrounded the Eonirs. There are no fathers left. All died to buy them time. Now wasted. Cracks sound as the ents clench their rotting lumber fists. They brought down their fists. The ground shook from the impact and wood splinters strewn out everywhere.
A corrupted ent, pulverized by a huge stone hammer. The dryad shrieks and runs to attack the interloper. Bright golden light shines at night and banishes the dark. Then a gigantic flaming greatsword cleaved all the dryads in one swing. The remains of the dryads shrieking as it burns. The ents roar as it finally near the other giant. The stone hammer that was thrown, levitates and swiftly flies back to the owner. Knocking down an ent as it is struck from behind. The hammer returns to the Cygor’s hand and swings it down, destroying the second ent. The last corrupted ent tries to strike the golden Cygor before a bigger hand lifts it up. Dorn looks down at the treant in his hand, pathetically tries to claw his arm. He roars and a fiery flame erupts from his mouth burning the ent to cinders.
The Eonir only saw the spectacle in surprise and fear. A golden Cygor with an enchanted stone hammer then another Cygor, twice large. The flame on its gigantic stone greatsword died out. But the golden sun between his horns above his only eye did not. Both ignore the elves and enter the Laurelorn. Snow melts as they pass and the warmth linger on the elves. Unsure on what to think on what they just see.
—
Damn. I already had quite high expectations and both of them dashed it. After only one werewolf returns alive and tells me what she knows, I felt a very real anger. Not only did the werewolf chieftess not immediately return, all the werewolf scouts died except one. The group of Bretonnian Knights that defeated me are still around. Though from what she said, their numbers have dwindled. Do they still look to kill my herd? As I think about it, there is only one legendary beastmen left in the empire that can give them trouble. Khazrak One-Eye. This would explain why I don’t see him yet as I make my base in Drakwald. Turns out he has been quite busy too.
“What about the elves, mother?” Lak asks as she flies beside me. A new magic staff made of stone in her hands.
“What do you want to do with them?”
“The usual.” I ponder as she answers. We don’t really need more breeding stocks. Doubt they will have much use in my new herd too.
“Try to learn something from them. If nothing then just treat them as usual.” I tell Lak as there is nothing else we could gain other than that. She immediately flies down and tells the Eonir my terms.
I return my attention back to Laurelorn. Already I could feel the sickening presence of Nurgle. Even with my new power and divinity, I still shiver if I focus on locating the source of the corruption. Instead I look at Dorn's progress. Just he and one Cygor could clear so much ground and space already. I tell them with my divinity that they have progressed deep enough. Both stopped and now it's my turn.
There are two objectives Dorn and the Cygor do. One is to test their power now with the mutations that I give and when they can see. Another is to test the new weapons I gave them. The two Cygor that left to find more pieces of waystones already bring me enough material to make plenty of Soulbound Artifacts. After making the magic staff for Lak, I made a few more artifacts. The hammer on the Cygor is basically a replica of upscaled Thor’s hammer. Though as of now it only has fly back to owner feature and being extra heavy. Then two to Dorn. One is the stone greatsword which is basically just Druig’s greataxe but can only channer the Fiery Wrath mutation from the corrupted power of Sigmar. Another is an accessory chained on Dorn’s horns. Which is basically just a stone carved symbol of my divinity and I made it as a mobile dominion generator. This allows Cygor to see within a few hundred meters or so while also carrying my divinity, allowing me to do plenty of things. Including allowing me to enforce my divine domain wherever Dorn goes. Slowly the putrid divinity pushed back and the grass below Dorn’s hooves turn gold. This will be my primary staging ground on the assault to Laurelorn. I put Dorn and a Cygor here and the two other Cygor guard my herdstone. As for the battle preparation and the division, Kal and Druig is preparing for it and Lak is quite excited in leading her own beast-shaman squads.
This will be my first battle fighting against one of the Chaos Gods. I will reclaim Wolfe and if I cannot, I will not let Nurgle have its way with the remains of my son.
