Chapter 72: Chapter 69
He was about to make a retort when the ground suddenly began to shake. The vast fields of grass trembled as plumes of smoke began to drift towards them.
"What the hell?" Toyo drew his sword.
Naomi pointed out into the fields. Following her hand, Toyo could see a pack of animals about fifty yards away, rushing towards them at a breakneck pace.
"What are those?" He asked above the tumult.
"It's a mob called Trembling Ox," she replied. "They can travel in packs from anywhere between a mere four to several hundred."
As the beasts drew closer, Toyo hesitated. "Should we be concerned?"
Naomi shook her head. "Against five? No. They're pretty weak, just don't let them surround you and avoid their charge ability. It's got a powerful knockback effect."
Taking out her axe, Shieldbreaker, Naomi quickly grabbed her buckler with her offhand as she got into a fighting stance.
"Ready?" he asked.
Naomi banged the point of her axe against her shield in answer. Charging forward, the two of them lifted their weapons as the pack of five Trembling Oxen reached them.
Swinging Silverthorne out around him as he ran, Toyo cut the lead animal down before it could get past his sword. As the beast collapsed, two more jumped over it to get at him, their horns lowered aggressively.
Jumping gracefully to the side, Toyo sliced the one nearest him clean in half as its momentum carried it past. Pivoting on her foot, Naomi spun away from the two she was facing, her axe crashing into the remaining Ox on Toyo's side as she completed the turn. Before Toyo could carry the attack to the final two animals, they swept forward past the tip of his sword, forcing him to jump back several feet.
Not slowing down, the beasts raced towards him. Unable to create enough distance between them, Toyo raised his sword to block when Naomi leaped in front of him, holding her shield out before her as she dropped to one knee, bracing for the charge ability.
With a booming thud, the two beasts crashed into her defence with all their weight. A small shockwave exploded outward on all sides, sending dust and rocks flying.
Her body shuddering from the impact, Naomi teetered backwards even as the two animals continued to push against her shield. Pressing his right arm against Naomi's back to keep her from falling, Toyo spun Silverthorne through the air in front of them, completely beheading the one on her left before the on death explosion could take effect. Freed from half of the weight constraining her, Naomi hacked viciously at the final Ox until it too burst apart in a shower of fragments.
Standing slowly, Naomi put her axe back into its sheath and began rubbing her bruised shield arm.
"That's my fault," Toyo said apologetically. "I moved too slowly and didn't cover-"
"Shh." Naomi whispered at him. She gazed out at where the mobs had come from. It was then that Toyo realized the ground was still trembling.
Keeping Silverthorne at the ready, Toyo turned to the left side of the mountain. There was nothing. Switching his gaze to the right side, he stumbled back a step as he saw them.
A vast herd of at least hundred of the Trembling Oxen were bearing down on them relentlessly, their hoofs kicking rocks ten feet high onto the steep slope of the mountain. Already they were within twenty feet of the two of them. It was clear now that they had been closing in even as Toyo and Naomi had battled the others.
Grabbing Naomi's arm, Toyo tore into a sprint back along the left side of the mountain. Though she resisted for a fraction of a second, Naomi quickly began running alongside him as she caught sight of the herd behind them.
Grabbing Naomi's arm, Toyo tore into a sprint back along the left side of the mountain. Though she resisted for a fraction of a second, Naomi quickly began running alongside him as she caught sight of the herd behind them.
Desperately trying to think up a plan of escape, Toyo glanced to the fields back the way they had come. Naomi shook her head as she met his gaze.
"No good!" She shouted in between gasps. "They'll overtake us out in the open!"
"They're overtaking us now!" He screamed at her. Already the herd had halved the distance between them, and with each passing second it seemed as though they were growing faster.
We're going to die unless we find a way up. Toyo's eyes darted along every crevice along the mountainside, silently begging for a way up to suddenly reveal itself. There had to be a way.
"Fuck this!" Naomi shouted angrily.
Grinding to a halt, her long brown hair came tumbling out around her as she spun around fiercely. Her eyes were fixed with rigid determination as her axe came out. Toyo grabbed hold of her.
"What are you doing!" He roared. The horde of beasts were nearly upon them.
"There's no way out!" Naomi screamed at him, though her eyes never left the beasts crashing towards them. "We have to make our own!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone