Chapter 224: Ather’s Perspective

“Ather, it’s begun, we need to start making our way to the beach,” Felth said as he rushed to where the demigod was laying, Dres in tow behind them.Even if it was early, with just how many adventurers were there he couldn’t feel a sense of urgency, especially when his role wasn’t to fight head-on the way a man should, but instead being stuck at the edge of town in case any of them made their way back from where they’d been lured.

It was with that attitude that he leisurely walked the streets as the townsfolk rushed to evacuate, able to see some of the leviathans off in the distance as he went. He couldn’t help but find his role to be a humiliation, but he knew it reassured the townsfolk which was why he was forced into it. As worshipers of a god of earth and the spear the entire priesthood available would be with him, but counting the monster heads in the distance he doubted they’d need it, it looked like all that had been prophesied were occupied, a fact that led to the argument he got to walk into as he arrived.

“What do you mean stay here?” A large man covered in thick white fur yelled out. “Look what they’re up against. Some of those things aren’t juveniles any way you look at it, we need to be fighting with them while we can, not stuck here waiting for them to get wiped out!”

He seemed to speak for all of the adventurers who’d been told to stay behind, but the head priest he was yelling at wouldn’t back down. “They have their job and you all have yours. We need to look out for the town, you all won’t be able to make a difference out there anyway so trust in your companions and we can all go home happy after.”

What he didn’t say, what Ather himself was unaware of, was that they were there for one very specific goal, protecting him. As strong as he was, he was prone to overestimating himself and nobody, neither the priests nor the higher-ups at the adventurers guild, wanted to see such a precious resource killed when the war could be so close. The problem was that it was the strongest of each guild who’d been left behind, and given that things were clearly worse than any had foreseen when accepting the order from their guild masters, none wanted to stay back and watch those they knew die.

Ather himself was fully prepared to start arguing on the man's behalf as well, not out of the same concern he felt, but seeing it as an excuse to get exactly what he wanted, the thrill of real battle, not to be stuck on the sidelines to act as reassurance for any from his town without the sense to leave when they should have. The only thing that stopped him from that act was a powerful roar, shaking the ground beneath him and pulling everyone's eyes from the distant battle back to the ocean, seeing ten shapes begin to rise from their depths. He didn’t know why they were so battered and bruised, with scales and flesh missing while blood poured down their face. He didn't care. All that mattered was that ten leviathans were coming, and they seemed to be going to them instead of joining the rest of their kind.

He couldn’t stop the smile from stretching across his face as he felt the panic in those around him. They had never expected to come up against almost as many as had been prophesied, and were likely feeling the same way the adventurers in the middle of battle felt; afraid. He though, was different, he was better. As far as he was concerned this was a gift to show his strength and power, to present what it meant to be the son of Eneth, and as the priests tried to figure out how to handle the unforeseen event as the adventurers got themselves ready for battle he ignored them all and charged forward, spear in hand.

Ignorant of any swearing in the background he rushed towards his foes, the only thing overtaking him being the spells of the mages, fire flying to sear exposed flesh, water freezing at their feet as they went, and the first target of his attack being engulfed in a dark haze.

Ignoring it, he threw himself at the beast, using all of the power that came with his high strength and agility to run up its back as it weakly tried to throw him off. Its slick scales gave him trouble as he ran, but he did his best to stay on until he made it to the beast’s neck, climbing up it while coating himself and his weapon in his awakened earth augmentation as he got to its face, plunged the spear into its eye until his arm entered its depths as well.

With an ear-shattering scream and a burst of flame the monster cried out, shaking him off in its death throws and leaving him to focus as much mana into his augmentation as he could to protect his body from the fall.

He rushed back to his feet the moment he could, aching to get back to the fight, but one of the other monsters was faster than him. He had landed too close to its feet, and the moment he picked himself back up it delivered a powerful swipe, throwing him through the air and into a group of mages firing their attacks at it, knocking them to the ground with him.

“Fucking beasts,” He spat, feeling his bones break, the only thing that left him even that well off being the fact that he hadn’t released his augmentation. He brought himself to his feet, eager to get back into it and shouted an order at those he’d been thrown into. “One of you heal me already and somebody grab me a new spear!” He had no intention of leaving any of the glory for the others when they were all fighting from a distance or too weak to get their kills alone.

It was as they were doing what they were told that a scream came up, not from a dying leviathan, but instead some of the priests from his side, and he turned his head to see the commotion as he was being healed, letting others handle the fight for the time. He didn’t know what had been happening with the distant adventurers, but it seemed safe to say they’d failed. Admittedly, they’d done admirably enough, but there was a single leviathan off in the distance beginning to make its way back.

A part of him was surprised it was still standing. Its body was covered in wounds and blood poured out, flooding the ground as it went. It was only as it got closer that he was able to truly grasp the scale of the beast. Towering above the ones he currently fought, even he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of fear as it came closer despite its wounds.

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, it looked like they were in trouble. They’d taken down one and it seemed like it was immediately being replaced by something far worse. It was only as it lunged to one of the smaller leviathans that his fear turned to confusion as he saw that not only had many of the adventurers charged with suppressing it survived, but were running after it, yelling for them not to attack it until it was the last and to focus on the other. By the time his bones had completely healed he decided not to question it, simply accepting it as their good luck.

Only a couple of hours later and a victory celebration had exploded around them. While the townsfolk hadn’t been brought back yet out of fear that there might be more given the low accuracy of the first estimate, that didn’t stop them from breaking out food and drink. Not only had they won, but they’d managed without any deaths. An intense level of injuries yes, but he’d been told of the mage who’d helped ensure that. Not just a powerful life mage, but an earth mage as well who’d managed to inflict intense damage to some of the leviathans while helping to heal the injured after. Someone he’d only grown to want more and more as he was told about just what they’d done with the adventurers, but also one of the few who hadn’t joined in on the festivities.

He couldn’t shake the thought from his head. It offended him on a deep level for someone with such strength to not be using it to fight for him, instead rotting off in some no-name town, and he decided to do something about it. With drink in his stomach and Felth too busy with the priests to keep an eye on him, he left to get what he wanted.