Book 3 - Interlude 3 - Vesuvius - The Tribe of Roxo

Book 3 - Interlude 3 - Vesuvius - The Tribe of Roxo

Vesuvius and his people marched through the winding caverns under the mountains. His scouts blazed ahead, making sure the path remained safe. They had already cleared two smaller rifts on the way, ones that just spew out monsters at set intervals.

One of them he wished he could keep around, as it had a sort of giant beetles that dug and burrowed into the ground, spawning out of it. Delicious.

The world itself was connected to his heart, allowing him to feel the pulse of the world. He felt urgency. That it was important for his people to meet up with another underground tribe. His peoples hearts matched his: their songs expectant, but wary.

They had already met up with a few smaller clans, adding to his people. The underground did not have excessive resources to sustain people, but there were some pockets of areas where creatures lived, and plants grew. The life energy of their world was abundant, allowing for things to live well without sunlight, and many of the caverns they traveled through were teeming with plants, even fruits and vegetables.

There were plenty of insects to consume, underground rivers for fish, and more. His people spread across the underground from generation to generation, continuing the tradition of hiding themselves from those above.

Only the larger tribes would go above ground, choosing their locations far enough away from where the above-ground beastkin dwelled.

They had been traveling toward a known tribe filled with lizard parentage beastkin. He knew their Chief, Roxo. It had been nearly a decade since they last met in person, but they often sent scouts with messages and requests for aid.

They had been traveling for a few days, and they were nearly there. This place was not overly far from Lifes Haven, all things considered. Chief Jake had already laid out a path or course for them, once they met with Roxos tribe. A man named Rookard was scheduled to meet him soon, to aid his people in arriving to the assault. His people would be on time for the assault, or Jake would wait for them.

A few of his people had already gone to Kenwodi, to rejoin their beastkin brethren. A small percentage, including Davonius. He was always an inquisitive one, wanting to learn more about the world. Vesuvius was happy for him, able to serve his goddess in a more direct capacity. Experimenting with auril supplements and serums, and doing her busywork.

Vesuvius knew that Davonius had little time for anything else. He was working day and night, creating pills and other concoctions. He earned some credits on the side as he improved his skills, the Framework providing him with skills to excel at his craft.

Vesuvius was envious, because he couldnt think of what he would do for his trade, Hearthtribe requiring it. He could become large using Auril, so perhaps hed be good at building? He always had to breathe out excess heat as flames, so maybe he could become a blacksmith? Thoughts for later.

He heard the telltale clicking of tongues and thumping of tails, and he froze in step, listening. It appeared that the scouts had reached the other tribes own.

Some clicking and thumping back and forth, and Vesuvius could feel in his heart that they needed to hurry. It appeared there was trouble.

His voice rumbled out in a shout, Let us hurry. Awakened warriors, lets rush ahead.

He turned to his daughter. Vexana, you and your mate Jarrix come with me. Bring the node.

He nodded at Darris, his turtle parentage auril hero. A good friend, he could expect him to bring up the rear, and keep his weaker people safe if necessary.

His people filled themselves with auril, and rushed ahead. A good percentage of his people were awakened, but there were many warriors that were still working on it. These people were taking their goddess supplements, but they really needed to close rifts to gain what the Framework granted.

Vesuvius himself was taking the supplements, but he wasnt sure about their efficacy. It definitely felt close to a meal of auril beast meat, but it was not enough to push him forward overly much.

The goddess assured him that she would make something eventually, but for now, everything was geared toward awakening his brethren and bringing them to the auril hero level. Once enough had reached this stage, they could then focus on the next step. They would need materials from their deepest, oldest jungles to achieve this.

When Vesuvius arrived at the tribes main cavern, he was surprised. Roxos people were mostly waiting, ready for battle. He could feel their songs, it appeared there was a threat.

He walked past his people, finding Roxo near the front of a crowd. Roxo was of raptor parentage, holding two bone swords. His scales were red, and he had the muzzle of a raptor or lizard, like himself. Vesuvius could see he had a smile on his reptilian face, filled with relief that the Tribe of the Sleeping God was here.

Roxo! Greetings. I have come with important news.

Roxos red eyes met his. I am so glad to see you and your tribe, Vesuvius! Weve been having trouble, dealing with a small rift had opened underground. Then, another rift had opened above ground a few days ago, and our people have been having trouble dealing with the spawns of both.

His voice was somewhat jovial, but still worried, Vesuvius could tell.

What is it? What emerged from the portal?

Lava Ants are giving us trouble underground, the creatures making it a challenge to even assault them. Above, some creatures of the unliving.

Vesuvius was surprised. His people had witnessed a rift spawn below, but had dealt with it easily. The ones that spawned above were much larger and more challenging they noticed.

What makes the ants a challenge?

Roxo sighed. They are using the lava nearby to flood caverns when we try to assault them. There are not many, so they are hardly much of a problem on their own to keep at bay. We have backed off and are working on digging alternate routes to ensure our assault goes favorably without deaths. But we appear to be running out of time. It seems they are digging up, to meet with the undead above ground.

Vesuvius smiled. Well, fear no more, my friend. For we have met with a goddess! That is why we are here.

It feels amazing to be above ground, during the day, my friend. This blight the portal is spewing is not enough to get me down. I cant wait to meet this goddess, and sink my teeth into our enemies.

Vesuvius laughed. You may not want to sink your teeth into these, my friend. But that your bone swords will sever theirs, is justice. Let us fight together against the unliving.

He gave his orders, his hundreds of awakened warriors ready for battle. He focused on the rift ahead of him.

[Ghouls Rift - Goal: Defeat all enemies that spawn]

So, it looked like the enemies they were facing were called ghouls. Nasty creatures, capable of climbing their mountains with ease, and spreading their blight.

He stoked the flames in his chest further, drawing auril in from the area. His heart sung the song of battle, as he grew to his full size, along with his ancestors glaive. Now over four meters tall, he was a force to be reckoned with.

Darris and Jarrix stood next to him, the turtle and lizard parentage auril heroes. Their hearts joined him in his song, their auril building as well. Darris would not grow much, but Jarrix was not dissimilar from himself, and was now over three meters tall as well.

Roxos heart built with fervor as his heart joined their song. Now that all his allies grew, he looked like a waif in comparison. But in his streamlined body was built for agility and power, his talons the sharpest and fastest among them.

As four auril heros songs built, his hundreds of warriors joined the chorus.

Vesuvius shouted as he raised his glaive, For the goddess! For taking back our home!

His people roared with fervor as they all charged into the dome for the rift. Hundreds of the ghouls spawned, to match his large number of allies. Many of them were the size of the average beastkin, or perhaps Jake, the human. There were some that were larger, about the size of a horse. Still, much smaller than him.

Bone javelins rained down on the enemy, his hundreds of snake, and lizard beastkin people favoring the weapons. Where the creatures were struck, an auril powered poison was transferred, breaking the creature down with a manifestation of his peoples will. Vesuvius doubted poison would normally work on such creatures, but his peoples attacks were different.

He swiped left and right with his glaive cleaving the creatures nearly the size of a deer, and a particularly large ghoul nearly crashed into him, but Darris blasted it with a ball of water, knocking it away.

Jarrix was on the other side of him, also taking wide swings with his polearm, cleaving ghouls left and right. Vesuvius noticed that many of the creatures struck with javelins were not being taken down, but they were moving slower.

Roxo swung and spun with his blades with fervor, sending red waves of auril out. The spiritual blades cut into the creatures, detaching limbs and cutting them down, several with every swing and every spin. He dashed around the battlefield, cutting creatures down, and protecting Jarrix and Vesuvius flanks.

His people fought with their glaives and spears, working together to cut down the strange creatures. Their hearts beat the song of the auril heroes, their cooperation exceptional as they worked alongside their brethren. Where a ghoul thought an unprotected back was available, they were met with a spear from a nearby ally.

The four auril heroes together drew auril in from the area, empowering the awakened warriors together and making them stronger. The effect was small, but across hundreds of allies, it made his people powerful.

Darris cut through enemies with his axe, and blocked the creatures with both his shield and his spiritual shield made of water. No matter where enemies attacked him, Darris was a fortress unto himself. His shell on his back was nigh impervious, and his axe blurred as it was propelled by jets of water. His body was ponderous, but he could attack unexpectedly fast.

Vesuvius breathed a large gout of flame covering five meters in a cone in front of him, burning a dozen ghouls as they screamed in agony. His allies worked to clear through them, his warriors pushing forward as they hacked through the enemy.

Before he knew it, their enemies were all slain, and the rift closed.

[Rift Closed. CP Reduced due to large numbers of the Alliance. Solo Contributor - 125 CP Earned]

That rift earned him over double what he had earned previously, the other rifts smaller, the enemies weaker. His people cheered, excited for what the future might bring. His people were excited, as only a few people had died, only the weakest among them.

Knowing that their brethren would be raised to live and fight once more in the name of their goddess and for a new home, filled them with righteous vindication.

Vesuvius knew he should be sharing in their glory. But he was not happy. The feeling of urgency only increased, once the rift had closed. What was happening? Roxo, Jarrix, and Darris could all feel this as well, and his people stopped cheering, also feeling in their hearts that their auril heroes were not celebrating.

It was because of this, they heard a rumbling, like that of a stampede. Dozens of auril beasts moving through the valley, with reptile beastkin riding them. That in itself was a cause for concern, but the real problem

Roxo said, Theyre tainted.

Vesuvius frowned, as he looked over to his daughter, Vexana. As her anger, the curse, was removed, her taint decreased over time. She was now seeing how happy the tribe was, and her happiness was starting to match, becoming content with what she had. There was still some taint left, but even that small amount felt different, somehow.

These beastkin riding their auril beasts felt more than just tainted. The world was recoiling at their very presence, and he knew in his heart that this was why the world felt urgency. That the world needed his peoples help.

His people had previously ignored the call of the world, in favor of their gods, before.

This time, the world was in tune with their new goddess. They would face this challenge.