144/59 - The Tempest Rages

As Cauldrakon dropped lower, it pointed a tentacle at the city. Joe was expecting it to release some form of energy attack, but instead, the fleshy coil snapped out like a striking snake, elongating and forming plates of chitin around it as it shot downward. The lance of black skin and blue-tinted shell tore through one of the warehouse houses near the shore. Stone and timbers exploded outward as the structure practically disintegrated. Looking upward, Joe watched as it aimed more limbs at other buildings. It also targeted a few of those writhing coils at the units on the shore as well.

One was aimed at the main body of Rattler Squad. Joe's heart sank as he realized there was nothing he could do to help them. The force of the blow would surely overpower their damage distribution ability. What Joe didn't know was that the troop had several other formation magics at its disposal. As the limb's aim centered on the unit, Rattler Squad moved. In a uniform, sliding motion, the whole battalion shot sideways out from under the devastating spearing strike. The soldiers were hammered with shattered cobblestones, but the carapaced tentacle missed the team entirely.

A thunderous boom sounded from further into the city, and half a second later, fire exploded against the colossal creature's face. The shot came from the direction of the Adventurer's Guild. To Joe, it practically shouted Myllo as its author, though the sheer devastation packed into that fiery explosion was hard to fathom.

A second earsplitting mortar followed immediately after the first. Thankfully, Joe still had his hands over the sides of his head. Cauldrakon bellowed again, and windows shattered in the buildings all around him. Joe felt terrible for Kendra and her family. That was going to be a lot of glass to replace.

If the town survived.

Joe healed his sonic damage while using his [Wellspring] trait to splash healing onto the akhlut beside him. It was then noted that the big brute was on its side, grinding its head against the ground as if trying to drive out the icepick-like ringing from its decimated eardrums.

[Wellspring] When you use a healing skill, a number of allies up to your Spirit in medium range other than the target receive 5% of the skill's heal. Closest allies are prioritized.

Surprisingly, the big beast healed more than five percent. A lot more. Instead of just the five percent, the prime healed one hundred and five percent. He got his share of wellspring and a heal equal to Joe's.

There could be only one explanation. The akhlut prime had fully bonded to Joe, and Cavalier's Seal had kicked in.

[Cavalier's Seal] (Finger - Uncommon - Set: Grimwald's Legacy) Your ability to resist {Knockdown} effects applies when mounted, and if you are in Immediate range of your animal companion, they receive the benefit of any helpful buff you apply to yourself. {Leadership / Pact}

Healing was a buff, so when Joe healed himself, he healed the chimera as well. He could make that connection permanent, gaining a second companion, if he accepted the bond. With the prime truly wedded to his spirit, Joe wouldn't have to worry so much about the constantly ravenous beast losing control and getting people or itself killed if it went on a rampage. It would also reinforce his control over the rest of the pod. Joe could feel them through [Pack Master], but if the prime, the one they all looked up to, was a true companion of Joe's, he was pretty sure that they, too, would be easier to keep chasing after the fleeing shellycoats and not returning to feast on the shore.

'Let's do it.'

You have bonded with your second companion. You have no more available bond slots.

Name: Fffinnurloogukkk Race: Chimera Breed: Akhlut Level: 16 Evolution: 78% Role: Brute

ATTRIBUTES · Strength: 14 · Vigor: 12 · Dexterity: 6 · Perception: 7 · Spirit: 2

RESOURCES · Health: 1772 / 2363 · Stamina: 1905 / 3809 · Mana: 4 / 21

SKILLS · [Body Throw] (C) 14 · [Echolocation] (U) 24 · [Powerful Swimmer] (R) 47 · [Pod Tactics] (U) 28 · [Prey Play] (C) 13 · [Rippercry] (C) 11 · [Shearing Bite] (U) 31 · [Sparksurge] (C) 6 · [Tail Slap] (C) 18 · [Tracker] (C) 19

Unspent Talent Points: 0

TRAITS · [Fearless Heart] (Breed) · [Hammerheaded] (Breed) · [Biggest Brother] (Achievement) · [Deep Diver] (Achievement) · [Eelproof] (Achievement) · [Murk Lurker] (Achievement) · [Ravenous Torment] (Bane)

'Have to ask Hawking about bond slots later,' Joe thought. This was not the time for it.

I will remind you of that discussion later. Note that you have an applicable achievement currently awaiting your decision.

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'Oh yeah,' he responded to the enigmatic entity while getting back up on his feet. He was still being buffeted by the gale, but it seemed as though, by forming into the Thunder Ravager, the monstrosity above had robbed the hurricane of a significant portion of its strength. The winds were still strong, but Joe only needed a hand on the akhlut and [Steadfast] to feel like he had a solid footing.

The storm beast was still reeling from the massive explosions. Its heavily blistered face turned towards the source of the attacks, the Adventurer's Guild. Joe had read on one of the plaques in the lobby that the guildhouse had heavy magical fortifications. Still, considering the beast had obliterated a whole warehouse with one blow, he was unsure how well the building would withstand one or more of those strikes.

Taking advantage of that moment before the battle resumed, Joe brought up the achievement he had gotten for bonding with Mojo again.

Achievement: You have bonded with your first companion. This action has awarded you the following choice of Traits:

[Dogs of War] Cry Havok. +10% to your companions' resource pools

[Skill Monkeys] Teaching new tricks. Your companions gain 2 common abilities

Joe was about to go with his gut and take [Dogs of War], which would boost Fffinnurl… Finn's health, mana, and stamina, but a surge of emotions stopped him. It felt mostly like the wildness, trying to get his attention, yet there was something else there too, something hungry and angry. It wanted [Skill Monkeys].

Overhead, Cauldrakon began to solidify its limbs again, leaving Joe no time to debate the options. They both seemed good enough options that he was happy to pick the extra skills.

You have selected [Skill Monkeys]. Your companions gain 2 common abilities.

Fffinnurloogukkk has selected the trait [Shrill Shunt] and the skill [Podmates].

Fffinnurloogukkk is using [Podmates] to share [Shrill Shunt] with you. You have moderate {Sound} resistance as long as you are within Short range of Fffinnurloogukkk.

These instantaneously-digested notifications flashed by just as the need for them hammered through the sky. The storm beast bellowed again, breaking any glass in the area that had managed to survive its first roar. Joe swung his hands to his ears, only to realize that Finn's shared resistance had taken the worst of the edge off the ear-shattering scream. It still hurt like a mother, but it didn't burst his eardrums this time.

"Thanks," Joe shouted, thumping the muscular leg he was bracing himself against. Finn snorted and shook his head, then growled up at the sky with his weird two-toned voice. The deep reverberating rumble underlying the high-pitched trill was such an alien-sounding undulation that the hairs all across Joe's body stood on end. Joe felt a deep anger behind that snarl. The akhlut must have really hated that sonic attack.

Joe healed the sound damage on them both anyway, and since his hearing had not been obliterated this time, he was able to catch the heavy tramp of boots heading their way. Looking, he spotted the arrival of not one but two more units of city guardians. Joe had time for a quick identification and noted these were the Blessed Battalion from the Godsrow district and Council-Guard.

Amongst the second unit, Joe recognized the tall silver-haired Guild-leader, Master Septimus. Beside him was an aqua-robed figure bearing an ornate staff. A full cowl obscured the person's head, so Joe could not tell much about the individual. Glancing between matching soldiers, Joe caught a glimpse of a dwarf in a flowing gray cloak. Dozens of visible spirit entities flitted around the stout, cowled figure. The fourth counselor was a woman in near-black plate mail armor, floating amidst the troops, a few feet off the ground. She wore a crown instead of a helmet, allowing her long black hair to snap in the heavy gusts.

Stepimus Silver: Nephilim: Runesmith / Ferromancer / Arcanist 56

Awan Dawnsong: Selkie: Arch Druid / Storm Warden / Deep Diviner 49

Hogam Goldboar: Dwarf (Coastal): Manitou / Spirit Shaper / Chosen of Goest 48

Yalaeth Blackgrove: Nephilim: Paladin / Sky Knight / Champion of Blu 62

Both squads were headed right toward where Joe and the akhlut were standing. Whatever was about to happen, he knew he and the chimera would only be in the way. They quickly turned and ran for Vexor's small fortress. Joe dove through the door, only to be greeted with several surprised expressions.

"Where were …," Wen began before being cut off as Kendell's arms enveloped Joe.

As Joe hugged her back, he felt his whole body start trembling. He had been unconsciously burying a massive weight of tension and terror. The sudden safety and contact threatened to set it all free. Joe really did not want to fall apart in front of everyone, especially Kenda, so he squeezed her once more before breaking free and addressing the sorcerer.

"Vex, can you please open the wall for my friend?" The bunker had enough room for the akhlut if it crouched, but the doorway was far too narrow. Joe sensed that Finn had no intention of leaving him while the battle still raged. He was confident he could force the creature away, but he was almost certain that would damage their newly formed bond.

"Sure," the cambion replied, quickly scribing new symbols with his stylus into the wall. "Ker, I'll hinge the panel next to the door in a second. Push it open to let Joe's monster in."

"Is it house-trained?" asked the knight, a bit primly.

Joe heard Wen chuckle as he answered with a shrug. "He won't bite, but I can't guarantee much more than that. Sorry."

Outside, Cauldrakon's deafening howls rang out as more and more detonations sounded in the sky. Some were Myllo's cannons, but others were clearly skills thrown by the high-level counselors. They also heard the shattering of more buildings as the tempest-fiend fought back.

The chimera slid inside, and Joe observed the various reactions of his bunker-mates. The pink-haired knight scrunched up his face and wrinkled his nose, quickly stepping away. The small squad of city guards with Kerrig followed his lead and formed into a tight line, moving as far from the orca-ish brute as possible in the now cramped space.

Kendell looked curious while Earcellwen donned a bright smile and lifted her hand as if she was considering stroking it down the akhlut's pitch-black hide. Vexor glanced over and then rubbed at his nose as if the briny scent of the sea-beast bothered him. The irony of Vex being discomfited by a scent made Joe smirk.

"Hey Joe," Vexor stated, snuffling. "The others know this, but I wanted to make you aware as well. If that thing points one of those tentacles at us, run for it. This construct was fine against shellycoats and lightning strikes, but there is no way I could make it strong enough to withstand a physical attack from that thing up there."

Joe nodded back. He glanced around. Everyone looked half-frozen, and quite a few were wounded to one degree or another. Since he didn't have to worry about burning anyone, he placed a [Halefire] in the middle of the crowded bunker. While the interior warmed, and the group began to relax a bit more around the akhlut, everyone moved to the window slots and looked out at the confrontation taking place outside.

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