Technomancer: Genesis Chapter 53: Toddler and Commander

"You know the drill, let's go inside their defensive perimeter " Ezra told Evan as he was grabbed to sit in front of him. The animal surrounding Ezra backed away as they sensed danger.

"Back to the defensive positions, Oswyn, Dynham," commanded Evan.

Oswyn and Dynham complied as they broke away from the beasts they were engaging. Evan charged through with the help of his horse and landed inside the radius of the pillar.

"Evan, don't enter the fray yet," insisted a relieved Ezra, he wasn't consuming frightening amounts of magic right now.

The six knights engaged the beasts and did not let anyone inside the defensive perimeter, they were holding up well for now, although Dynham was pushed back a little because he used a cross guard sword and not a lengthy weapon like the others.

"Why is a kid here? We have no resources to push through and care for the kid," Phobos yelled.

"Easy, if you don't want to be hacked by those knights then watch your mouth, that is Lord Ezra of Bren," snapped a worried Deimos as he dodged an attack from a wolf.

"What?! Hey, knight, we appreciate if you could help us here," Phobos directed his fury to Evan instead.

"Wait," Evan answered Phobos, "Lord Ezra has a plan."

"You are crazy if you think I'm going to follow a kid who isn't even five yet," shouted Phobos. He thought Evan a fool for even suggesting such nonsense.

"Aye, what's the plan Lord Ezra," Rycharde acceded. He was one of the knights who survived the clash with Catalyna after two years of training he was now promoted.

"Don't underestimate Lord Ezra under his command Sir Evan defeated an earl ranked mage and that was when he wasn't even a year old, I was there when it happened," revealed Rycharde, he needed to convince the knights to follow Ezra.

"You knights of Bren are lunatics," Phobos shouted as he dodged an oncoming attack from a felhawk.

"No matter, Evan we don't need the Demon Hunters," Ezra sneered," You people don't even have a plan to get out, are you waiting till you run out of stamina? How do you think we will break out of this encirclement? The animals move like an army."

Phobos' face flushed red, in truth he was just waiting for sunrise because he predicted these creatures would scatter after the sun rose so he advocated to slug it out. After the battle, he would suggest they go the longer and safer route to Anticourt.

"These animals seem to be too coordinated, also I saw a human silhouette when I was running here, are there any known Arcanists that can control beasts?" asked Ezra.

No one thought of this, they never thought that Arcanists would venture this far into the empire's territory.

Deimos slit the throat of a wolf. "Yes, we have handled them before, we call them Whisperers, near the borders of the empire, we escorted a merchant caravan and we kept on getting attacked by beasts, my men killed the brute responsible and the beast raids stopped."

Deimos dodged another assault from a boar, he used a whip to flog the beast's foot and made it stumble." But those attacks were not in a scale as large or as coordinated as this. They also used regular animals, these are felbeasts so finding the Arcanist here will be difficult,"

"Felbeasts?" Ezra asked.

"Milord, felbeasts are animals that are stronger than the normal variant, they may be bigger, stronger or faster, some scholars believe that these beasts can use magic but cannot cast spells."

"I see. Okay, I need to know what magic you can do each one of you,"

"Milord, I can cast, [Fire ball],[Flame Blaze] and [Stone Bullet], all of us knights can cast [Stone Bullet]," answered Rycharde.

"Lord Ezra, I know [Earth Wall] but it can only make it rise up to 3 yards and it is only as thick as 3 inches, I can do [Rock Gauntlet] too," Evered answered.

Galwell thrust his lance at a pouncing wolf aiming at his throat. "Sire, I know [Water Ball] and [Freeze], and [Ice Cannon] but my [Ice Cannon] takes forty seconds to cast."

"Lord Ezra, I can do the same as Sir Evered but my [Earth Wall] is not as sturdy as his," Oswyn explained as he faced three boars preparing to charge.

"I can use [Fire Ball] aside from [Rock Bullet] that is all I can do Lord Ezra," answered Dynham.

The two demon hunters did not respond.

"Thank you, everyone. Right now our priority is to find and stop the Arcanist, but give me a moment to think first,"

"As you command Lord Ezra," the knights of Bren said in unison.

Ezra closed his eyes and thought. He probed each knight with his aura to measure their magic capacity. He also tried to scan the forest but to his dismay, the felbeasts seem to have the same magic signature as a mage.

He tried to analyze the patterns of attack of the creatures as well as the strength of the knights while swinging their weapons and gauged their dexterity at the same time.

"Did anyone of you bring oil or fat? Did you get the fat from the bear?"

"Yes Lord Ezra, there is plenty," Rycharde said as he brushed the attack of a lynx.

"Good, Oswyn can you use a lance? Evan needs to borrow your halberd,"

"Yes, Milord,"

Evan and Oswyn switched weapons. Ezra then instructed the things Evan had to do next.

"Evan chop that, that and that, tree like this and smear some fat on them," Ezra gestured." It must be in this angle okay?"

"Yes Lord,"

"Give them some fat too," Ezra pointed at the knights who wore maintaining the defensive perimeter.

"Try not to kill, the beasts as much as possible smear the fat all over their bodies. After a suitable number of animals has been covered in fat I will tell you what to do next," continued Ezra.

"Yes Lord Ezra," the Knights responded.

Evan rushed out of the defensive line, not many felbeast tailed him and Evan outran most of them as he accomplished Ezra's commission.

The other knights did as they were told and smeared as much bear fat on the felbeasts.

As soon as Evan returned from the task Ezra again commanded them."NOW! [Fire ball] on the trees Rycharde, Dynham, [Fire ball] on the beasts. Evered and Oswyn Set up your [Earth Wall] there and there. Demon hunters please cover them while they chant,"

Rycharde dodged and cast [Fire Ball] on the trees, due to the wedge on the trees they fell in a 'v' shape giving them cover on the north exit which they came from. The fat became fuel and kept burning the tree and the dried foliage easily burned and gave out a more blazing flame. The felbeasts were also on fire and those who were in front tried to go everywhere the resulting encirclement was then broken.

"Throw me up Evan," commanded Ezra,

Once the hawks saw the burning falling trees they flew higher.

Ezra was thrown vertically from the ground. "I see the Arcanist he's over there. Hurry Evan."

The two demon hunters were dumbfounded, Ezra's plan work so well. The beasts were in chaos right now as the burning animals fled, they were safely protected by the [Earth Wall].

Evan caught Ezra.

"Evan, aim 60 degrees North East," Ezra and Evan practised this manoeuvre many times as Evan tried to entertain Ezra in his room before, Evan did as best as he could as he was impressed when Catalyna backed away because he followed Ezra's instructions.

Evan shot the arrow and hit the Arcanist in the chest, as his body dropped on the ground, trapped in the burning forest fire.

Chapter end