{"sf1_id":1652893,"sf2_id":"rnaN4jJ1","title":"Age of Cataclysm: Book 1-Chapter 22","author":"Sephiroth05","words":3261,"posted_at":"2020-11-22T10:40:41.000Z","tags":["Action","Anthro","Blood","Certh","Death","Epic","Fantasy","Fenri","Half-Elf","High-Fantasy","Human","Magic","Naked","No-Yiff","Nude","Nudity","Story Series","Violence","Weapon","Wolf","Wolfess","spirit"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1652893-age-of-cataclysm-book-1-chapter-22","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/rnaN4jJ1","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=1652893\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"Imported from SF2 with no description.","content":"Chapter length: 3,203 words\n\nCurrent novel length: 61,882 words\n\n**Chapter 22**\n\n \n\n(Argthanaw 26th Year 672 of the 4th Age)\n\n \n\n \n\nMerrick and Jemeir's shift goes off without any complications. They wake up Kaera and Arven for their shift and go to sleep. Few clouds are in the sky, and the full moon shines its light on the ground below. Various sorts of insects and animals that are active at night are out, and noises like crickets chirping can be heard. Arven is inspecting his military sword.\n\n \n\nKaera gets Arven's attention. \"Now that we're alone, I have a question I've meant to ask you.\"\n\n \n\n\"Shoot.\"\n\n \n\n\"What's the reason why you aren't getting along with Sylfinas?\"\n\n \n\n\"I guess you still don't know. I'll give you a brief summary. My older brother died while serving Adoran on a secret mission. Sylfinas came along not soon after, and I view him as a complete opposite of the person I admired so much. All items that have associated memories to my brother are gone except for this picture. I intend to carry on his legacy, and Sylfinas is a threat.\"\n\n \n\n\"A threat?\"\n\n \n\n\"He's one of the examples of my parents getting rid of any traces of him in the house before the mob burnt it down.\"\n\n \n\n\"Just so you are aware, he's trying to get you to accept him.\"\n\n \n\n\"I'm aware, and he's going to have a difficult time unless he breaks his code of pacifism. That talk he had with Sariel got him to budge somewhat, but he's not fully committed. He needs to go farther.\"\n\n \n\n\"He'll find a way somehow.\"\n\n \n\n\"I've meant to ask you something as well. Where did you learn how to fight?\"\n\n \n\n\"It is expected of the citizens of Canir to take up some form of combat, either melee or ranged, since the surrounding nations, besides Aeyis, view us with hostility. Some soldiers taught me, my twin brother, and a few other people in the village I lived in.\"\n\n \n\n\"You never wear any armor, but all the hits don't affect you much. How do you do it?\"\n\n \n\n\"Anger, when done correctly, can be a powerful tool. You go into a rage, and the vast majority of hits you never notice. The soldiers taught me to control my anger to allow me to do just that.\"\n\n \n\n\"You must've been prone to violent outbursts.\"\n\n \n\n\"Oh yeah. Direfenri are more aggressive compared to other Fenri, and I'm a pureblood. My brother and I would get into fights all the time either against each other when we were younger, but it evolved to other people when they attacked us. Our father decided to train us personally and selected which boot camp we train in after we were old enough.\"\n\n \n\nShe hears something call her name. \"You hear that?\"\n\n \n\n\"Hear what?\"\n\n \n\n\"Never mind. Must be my imagination.\"\u0026nbsp;_That voice is familiar, though. Can it be? Nah. That's impossible._\n\n \n\nArven listens very intently to the noise of the forest. \"I do not hear anything dangerous. Must've decided we weren't worth it.\"\n\n \n\nWhen their shift is over, they wake up Radclyff and Sylfinas and sleep. During their transition, Radclyff is inspecting Blazefury before getting up to relieve himself, and Sylfinas is looking up at the sky, mainly to avoid beholding his sheath and balls. When he returns, Sylfinas asks him a question.\n\n \n\n\"So Radclyff, how did you and dad meet?\"\n\n \n\nHe rubs his chin and thinks for a moment. \"We met for the first time back in Canir. How it happened was he was found washed up on the northern coastline close to the village I lived in. He sustained injuries, but it was the bitterly cold water that was killing him. Miraculously the shaman in the village was able to bring him back to life. One day, a group of frost giants from the mountains raided the village and took several people. The remaining people who can fight and I were forming a party with other nearby settlements to get the rest of the villagers back. Your dad insisted on going along as well, but he wasn't fully recovered. He still went as a way of saying thanks to the village, and he refused any weapons we offered to him. 'My staff and fists are the only things I need,' he said, a bizarre thing anyone in Canir to have heard.\n\n \n\n\"We set out and found where the giants were staying at and came up with a plan. We executed the plan. Your dad amazed us with his combat skills. I and another Fenri from a different village, Kellam, found where the captives were and attempted to break them out. The leader of the giants, Nezsag the Bonechiller, caught us and began to fight. He was about to finish us off, but Jemeir intervened. The three of us, mainly Jemeir, continued to fight, and we won. Jemeir finished Nezsag and beheaded him. He threw his head at the other frost giants, and they fled. A celebration was held in Jemeir's honor, and he was given the title of Beta, one of few outsiders and the only weaponless person to receive it in Canir's history. During the ceremony, Kellam and I pledged our lives to him- much like you and the others with Kaera- and agreed to go off adventuring together. He, too, was hesitant about the contract at first.\"\n\n \n\n\"Why did you decide to live in Adoran, and the other Fenri decided to be back in Canir?\"\n\n \n\n\"Personal preferences and I lost everything in my old home. Eventually, our promises were fulfilled, and we were able to do whatever we want. Kellam went back. I liked Adoran better, and so did my wife, so we decided to build our family here. Jemeir and I have been in touch with Kellam, so it's not like we stopped seeing him after we separated.\"\n\n \n\n\"When did you and dad become the Gatekeepers, and how?\"\n\n \n\n\"It started…\" Radclyff's ears twitch. He sniffs the air and growls. \"Wake up the others.\"\n\n \n\n\"What is it?\"\n\n \n\n\"We got company.\"\n\n \n\nSylfinas goes over to Kaera's tent and sees she's already up and cognizant. He goes to the other tent and wakes up Arven, Jemeir, and Merrick.\n\n \n\n\"Wake up.\"\n\n \n\n\"Huh? Why the urgency?\"\n\n \n\n\"We have company, Arven. Radclyff told me to get everyone up.\"\n\n \n\n\"Are they friends or foes?\"\n\n \n\n\"Don't know for sure but probably foe since Radclyff growled.\"\n\n \n\nEveryone gets out with their weapon in hand. \"What do you sense, Radclyff?\"\n\n \n\n\"We're surrounded, Jemeir. Don't know what, but they're in the brush just outside our camp. They haven't made a move yet.\"\n\n \n\n\"Ok, you four, remember what Radclyff and I said earlier? You'll be dealing with this to gain experience. We'll intervene if any of them attack him and me directly, or they are too strong for you to take on.\"\n\n \n\n\"Ok, Sariel, I need you to come out now,\" Sylfinas suggested.\n\n \n\n\"I'll stay inside. I need to recharge.\"\n\n \n\n\"What? You haven't done anything. Why do you need to recharge?\"\n\n \n\n\"I blasted Usse and Firmis a little bit ago. Going to be tomorrow when I can come out.\"\n\n \n\n\"So much for help then.\"\n\n \n\n\"Grr. I can at least give you a bit of a barrier to boost your defense without issue, but clearly, you look like you can handle this, so I'll hold off.\"\n\n \n\n\"Wait. I'm sorry. You're helpful.\"\n\n \n\n\"That's better.\" Sariel gives Sylfinas a minor boost in defense. \"By the way, you have my approval to attack.\"\n\n \n\n\"They haven't done anything.\"\n\n \n\n\"Oh, really? I suggest you move a couple steps back from where you're standing right now.\"\n\n \n\n\"What?\"\n\n \n\nAn arrow flies from the brush and barely misses him. Sariel speaks, \"Told you.\"\n\n \n\n\"You ok, Sylfinas?\"\n\n \n\n\"I'm fine, Kaera.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nAn order shouts from the woods, \"Attack!\"\n\n \n\nBandits come charging out. Arven and Kaera are in the front with Sylfinas, then Merrick, in the back. Arven and Kaera quickly dispose of a few bandits. Sylfinas injures a couple before they die by Arven. He notices one of the bandits is not fully committed to the fight. Merrick successfully lands a solid hit on one of the ranged bandits with Witch Bolts and kills him. The remaining bandits launch their attacks, and Kaera and Sylfinas suffer a minor cut. Some bandits that didn't decide to attack Jemeir and Radclyff instead, believing they're easier prey.\n\n \n\n\"Wrong move,\" said Jemeir.\n\n \n\nThe bandits were either cleaved in half by Radclyff or savagely beaten to death by Jemeir. The bandit leader is not happy that the group of travelers are not pushovers. He sees one of his men isn't doing any fighting.\n\n \n\n\"What the hell you're doing?! Go out there and fight!\"\n\n \n\n\"I don't want to.\"\n\n \n\n\"Listen here. You go out there and fight, or I'll rip your head off right now.\" The leader shoves him towards Sylfinas. \"Kill him.\"\n\n \n\nSylfinas sees the hesitation in the bandit's visage. Despite him having a tan complexion, he can behold features that aren't Human.\u0026nbsp;_What's a Certh doing here?_\u0026nbsp;\"You obviously don't want to do this. Surrender, and you will be spared.\"\n\n \n\nHe looks at Sylfinas and mouths, 'Help me.' He turns towards the leader. \"I refuse.\"\n\n \n\n\"Why you little.\" The leader gets closer and is about to strike the man. Sylfinas intervenes and blocks it.\n\n \n\n\"You are outmatched. Stop this, so no more of you men die. This is your last warning.\"\n\n \n\n\"You obviously don't know who you're dealing with. It is you and your group that are outmatched. Didn't want to waste one of these, but I have no choice.\" The leader takes out a potion, opens it, and proceeds to down the entire liquid. His body grows huge and more muscular. He takes out a greatsword that would've been too big for him to handle if he was at his standard size. Sylfinas hits him with Hell's Bane.\n\n \n\nThe leader speaks with a more resonant sounding voice, \"That tickles.\" He hits Sylfinas and the other bandit with one swing and sends them flying back a few feet. He goes in for the kill and receives a surge of lightning as Merrick hits him with a Witch Bolt, glancing over at him enraged and observes him jumping for joy. Arven and Kaera stand between him and Sylfinas and the bandit with Merrick at the back.\n\n \n\n\"Did that tickle you?\" Merrick asked.\n\n \n\n\"You'll pay for that.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nThe leader makes four swings. Arven blocks one but suffers a bruised rib on the second hit. The other two attacks land a hit on Kaera. She barely feels them in her rage, quickly recovering from the stagger. She and Arven charge and hit him three times combined. Merrick lands another Witch Bolt on him.\n\n \n\n\"You're getting better with that spell.\"\n\n \n\n\"Kind of hard to miss when a target's that big, Arven. I may be able to do it one more time, though.\"\n\n \n\nSylfinas gets up and sees the other bandit bleeding out beside him, whipping out a healing potion and pours the liquid down his mouth. The bandit wakes up and gags. \"Gah! What just entered my mouth? The worst flavor I ever tasted.\"\n\n \n\n\"That was a healing potion, and you're welcome. Play dead.\"\n\n \n\n\"Why?\"\n\n \n\nHe points over to the leader. \"That's why. If he thinks you're dead, he'll leave you alone, and you can survive. Your right leg is broken, so you're a sitting duck.\"\n\n \n\n\"Why bring me back?\"\n\n \n\n\"Because you're not one of them. I believe that you can be brought back on the path of righteousness. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try to convince your leader.\"\n\n \n\n\"That won't work. Once he drinks that special potion, he gets every shipment; he's not playing around.\"\n\n \n\n\"You're most likely right, but I still gotta make an honest effort.\"\n\n \n\n\"If you somehow make it beyond one minute, he has to drink another potion. Destroy the satchel on his left side. That's where he keeps them.\"\n\n \n\n\"I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for the advice.\"\n\n \n\n\"Better do it fast. Your two friends look like they've taken quite the beating.\" In the midst of them talking, the bandit leader lands another major hit on Arven and two more on Kaera, and they are just as serious as Arven's. They make contact several times combined, but the leader looks hardly fazed by them. Merrick exerts all the mana he could muster in his last attack, cursing as the Witch Bolt diverts from nowhere and obliterates a tree.\n\n \n\n\"Gods be damned.\"\n\n \n\nJemeir and Radclyff look on while keeping the other bandits from ganging up on the group.\n\n \n\n\"Should we help them?\" Radclyff asked.\n\n \n\n\"Wait a little bit longer. If things don't improve for them, then we will. Right now, focus on making sure these bastards don't help their commander.\"\n\n \n\n\"Ok.\"\n\n \n\nSylfinas reaches Arven and Kaera. \"How you're holding up?\"\n\n \n\n\"Fine. If this keeps up, though, we won't be for long.\" Arven replied.\n\n \n\n\"Well, well, I have some…\" he pauses as he sees the leader downing another potion, \"good news.\"\n\n \n\n\"What is it?\"\n\n \n\n\"Well, the bandit I saved told me that the potions last a minute, and they're in that satchel right there.\" He points at it. \"If we destroy that, then we just got to survive for one more minute. Then we'll have a much easier time.\"\n\n \n\n\"Watch out!\" Kaera warns. All three barely dodge the downward motion of the greatsword as it smashes the ground and causes several cracks to form.\n\n \n\nMerrick rushes towards them. \"What's the plan?\"\n\n \n\n\"Destroy the satchel on his left and survive for around one more minute,\" Sylfinas replied.\n\n \n\n\"Well, I can't do much with getting up close and personal. You two look like you've been through hell. Sylfinas has some damage but doesn't have combat experience. I do not like our odds so far.\"\n\n \n\n\"I do have one healing potion left. Who wants it?\"\n\n \n\nAll three refuse. Arven responds, \"Save it in case if one of us goes down. Now let's get some free hits in while he's struggling to get his sword free.\"\n\n \n\nAll but Merrick rush forward, and each land one hit. Kaera's is a critical hit, and so is Arven's. The bandit leader is not happy. \"You're starting to piss me off. I'll make sure your deaths are long and painful instead!\" He gets his greatsword back, swinging it and sending Arven flying. His other attack kicks up dirt as he misses Sylfinas.\n\n \n\n\"How are we going to get close to the satchel so we can destroy it?\"\n\n \n\n\"Distraction, Merrick,\" Sylfinas answered. \"Kaera, Arven, and I will be bait, and you'll sneak up and destroy it.\"\n\n \n\n\"You're crazy, Sylfinas!\"\n\n \n\n\"Well, do we want to face additional minutes against him looking like that?\" A crossbow whizzes by and embeds itself in the satchel, darkening the material's color as the liquid within leaks out and drips to the ground. Arven, Kaera, Merrick, and Sylfinas turn around and behold the other bandit wielding a crossbow. \"You were supposed to play dead!\"\n\n \n\n\"And miss my chance to repay the favor. No way.\"\n\n \n\nThe leader looks at him with a furious look on his face. \"You traitor! I'll have your head mounted on a spike as decoration.\"\n\n \n\n\"I actually intended to capture you from the beginning, so I'm betraying you. Be glad that I wasn't in the mood for my other options.\" The bandit leader throws a massive spear at the traitor. Sylfinas runs to push him out of the way. Kaera positions herself, so she's the first in line to get hit. She catches it.\n\n \n\n\"I believe this is yours.\" She throws it back. The leader reverts back to his actual size, and the spear impacts against his head, beheading him, and continues on its trajectory until everyone hears the sound of impact on a tree. Arven gets up from the ground and regroups with the others around the other bandit. Sylfinas offers the last remaining health potion to anyone, but they refuse.\n\n \n\n\"So, what should we do with him?\" Merrick inquired.\n\n \n\n\"Kill him.\"\n\n \n\n\"What? Why Arven?\" questioned Sylfinas.\n\n \n\n\"Because, Sylfinas, he's part of the group.\"\n\n \n\n\"He saved us. He got rid of the potions, and he said he wasn't with them from the beginning.\" Kaera and Merrick back up Sylfinas's claim.\n\n \n\n\"Very well. He may have useful information. Who are you?\"\n\n \n\n\"My name's Heilim.\"\n\n \n\n\"Why are you a bandit?\"\n\n \n\n\"I'm not. I was hunting Thalzur, the leader because I'm a bounty hunter. I infiltrated their base and was caught. After much bullshitting, I convinced them that I wanted to join. I've done a couple of things I'm not proud of to maintain cover, waiting for my chance to strike but couldn't. You were the first group that I was supposed to raid, steal, and kill, and it was just my luck that you weren't just an average traveler.\"\n\n \n\n\"What makes us believe that you aren't bullshitting right now?\"\n\n \n\n\"Because I've kept this wanted poster very well hidden. Thalzur actually caught the attention of the king.\" He pulls out, and they look at it.\n\n \n\nMerrick whistles. \"3,000 gold? That's a lot.\"\n\n \n\n\"Ok, so he has a bounty on him with the royal seal on it,\" Arven spoke. \"Where's your stuff that bounty hunters are supposed to carry?\"\n\n \n\n\"Back at their base. I had to ditch them to convince him.\"\n\n \n\n\"Where is their base?\"\n\n \n\n\"At the Carlelin Range, there's a cave. That's where the base is.\"\n\n \n\n\"Any future plans?\"\n\n \n\n\"Just the usual stuff bandits do. No complicated heists, attacks, or anything else like that.\"\n\n \n\n\"How many members?\"\n\n \n\n\"Before tonight, fifty. Now, I say around thirty-three.\"\n\n \n\nJemeir and Radclyff show up. \"You did well just now.\" Jemeir comments.\n\n \n\n\"Who's he?\" Radclyff points at Heilim.\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nSylfinas responds, \"He's Heilim, and he's a bounty hunter. Arven just finished interrogating him. Thalzur, the leader, was his target. He became one of them to get close enough for the kill. What were you two doing, by the way?\"\n\n \n\n\"Not interfering like we said we would,\" Radclyff answered. \"Jemeir and I were making sure the other bandits didn't join in. They left as soon as their leader lost his head from the giant spear.\"\n\n \n\n\"So I was wrong on my guess,\" Heilim uttered. \"It's actually higher.\"\n\n \n\n\"What will you do once you're back up to full health, and we leave you by yourself?\" asked Arven.\n\n \n\n\"Collect that massive greatsword of his and collect the reward. Then get another bounty and repeat once I fully recover. If you can take me to Acrine Village, I'll be fine there.\"\n\n \n\n\"Anyone here thinks he's good?\"\n\n \n\nJemeir, Kaera, Merrick, Radclyff, and Sylfinas nod their head, 'yes.'\n\n \n\n\"Well, you're in luck. We are heading to Acrine Village. Get some rest, and we'll take you there. If you backstab us, I'll rip your balls off and replace your eyes with them.\"\n\n \n\n\"I promise you that it will not come to that.\"\n\n \n\nEveryone cleans up the campsite and loot the bandits. They choose to keep the massive greatsword and divide the coin. Everyone got fifty-four copper, ten silver, and four gold. Then they go back to sleep. Before they do, Heilim asks a question. \"Why are the wolf people naked?\"\n\n \n\n\"You'll get used to it,\" Arven, Jemeir, Merrick, and Sylfinas responded at once.\n\n \n\n\"And we're not wolves!\" Kaera and Radclyff replied at the same time right after.\n\nFeel free to vote, favorite, comment, and spread the word. I am now caught up to where I am currently on Wattpad, so the upload will now be every Sunday. I'll do my best to warn you if there are changes to the schedule in the future. I'll see you all in a week.","series":{"name":"Age of Cataclysm Series","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1652628-age-of-cataclysm-book-1-chapter-21.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1655397-age-of-cataclysm-book-1-chapter-23.json"}}