Chapter 9: Fervour & Fury

Kaius stood on the wide trail beaten through the undergrowth of the subterranean glade, watching the two undead that slowly approached with spears levelled at his chest.

Their weapons had the stout look of boar spears. Leaf shaped blades capped by lugs on a stout haft six strides in length. They were weighty, unwieldy things. More meant for planting firmly in the ground to arrest a boar’s charge than true weapons of war.

They still held the reach advantage. If only barely

Kaius grinned, the Bloodsong still running hot in his veins. Mere seconds previously he had slain their allies. They would be joining them soon.

Feinting a step forward, Kaius watched the undead thrust toward him, warding off an assumed advance. Like the others they were strong and fast, but ungainly. Their bodies lacked the smooth flowing balance of a trained fighter, wooden fingers struggling to rearrange themselves as they adjusted their grip.

Even the points of their spears wavered through the air, as if uncertain of where to strike.

With each step they took forwards, Kaius took a calm one backwards, holding his sword at the ready.

The left one cracked first. Suddenly lunging, it drove its spear towards him with its rear hand, thrusting towards him in a great extended stab. A snarl left his lips as he flicked his sword, pushing the spear away from him.

He stutter-stepped forward, bringing himself inside the first spearman’s guard. He grabbed the spear haft, capitalising on the undead’s sluggish reactions to shove it upwards and knock away the second spear thrust that had been poised to take him in the chest.

Yanking hard on the haft he held, he pulled its stumbling owner towards him. Kaius pivoted on his leading foot, scything his rear leg outwards.

His shin met the side of the undead’s knee with a gruesome crack.

Its leg gave out and its grip slipped from the spear as it tried to arrest its fall.

Its companion was not idle, their own spear already descending in a sharp cut towards Kaius.

His eyes widened. His kick had put him out of position, and with a sword in one hand and a spear held mid haft in the other, he had no way to block or parry.

Instead he chose to give flesh to take bone.

Twisting, Kaius felt the half blunted edge of the boar-spear cut a line of fire from nipple to hip, a wet stream soaking his tunic in moments, quickly followed by the rapid itch of his Health draining to heal the wound. It enraged him. He’d been overconfident again.

A quick step took him out of reach of the downed undead that was even now grasping towards him, taking its spear with him. A few more took him out of the range of the still standing one.

He took a moment to look down. His front was soaked, a deep red spilling across the dyed green fabrics and staining the hardened chestnut brown leather reinforcement of his hunting clothes. It would take hours for them to repair themselves.

They had been a gift.

Kaius narrowed his eyes at the standing undead, a vein on his neck bulging as he saw his blood drip off its spear point.

Creating some more distance, he tossed his stolen boar-spear up in the air slightly and reversed his grip.

He hauled the heavy spear over his shoulder, raising his sword with his other arm to aim at the undead that continued to stumble towards him.

Twisting and engaging the muscles in his back, he heaved.

The spear flew.

The undead attempted to bat the projectile out of flight.

It missed.

The spear smashed through the undead’s chest, lugs ensuring its momentum was fully transferred. It fell.

Kaius let out a dark laugh. Running towards his downed opponent, he ignored how each step sent another lash of pain through his chest.

By the time he arrived the undead was already scrambling at the ground, hurrying to right itself. His downwards chop ended that.

**Ding! level 13 Undead Huntsman slain**

He turned to the remaining undead, advancing towards it. It was actively clawing at the ground, dragging its way towards him. Its empty expression infuriated him. The way its slack mouth revealed rotten nubs of teeth and a shrivelled tongue. Its empty eyes betraying a total lack of thought, even of those primal functions such as hunger or rage.

He spat on its face, then shattered its skull with a stomp.

**Ding! level 14 Undead Huntsman slain**

Kaius let the moment wash over him, his thumping heart and screaming chest doing little to dampen his jubilation at his victory. He was starting to feel like it was actually possible. Surviving the Depths as an unclassed.

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Five undead, and little more than a scratch to pay for it. Sure, it was a small raiding party. He knew that as far as things had gone so far, he had played it incredibly safe. Greater threats there might be, but he had a lot of room to grow. Seven more merged skills, one within hands reach. He could do it.

He could get out and find Father

The blood leaking from his chest started to soak into his pants, he grimaced at the cool stickiness on his skin.

‘But first, I should probably clean myself up,’ he thought.

After cleaning his sword on some loose leaf litter, Kaius sheathed it and jogged back to his pack. A clean cloth from his first aid kit and some water was enough for him to start mopping up the blood that coated his chest, the tear in his tunic giving him convenient access.

It didn’t do much for the rapidly drying blood that had soaked into the cloth and leather, but the cleaning enchantments would take care of that. The rip still annoyed him though. He hadn’t lied when he said they had been a gift.