Loch jumped off the Berserker, watching the large cloud of multi-colored sparks drift up from the body. They surged into his body, the mental experience bar growing and pushing past the end. After not getting any Spirit Experience from the Si-Te-Cah, it felt good getting it from the giant. Getting his next Level was a bonus.

  YOU HAVE GAINED ENOUGH SPIRIT TO LEVEL YOUR CLASS. WARBREAKER IS NOW LEVEL TWENTY-EIGHT. YOU HAVE GAINED +1 STRENGTH AND +1 ENDURANCE AND HAVE 6 FREE POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE.

  He dismissed the Notification, knowing he should distribute his points now but there was a battle still going on. He’d deal with it when they got back to the Clanhold.

  YOU HAVE SLAIN HILLGROWL ELDER BERSERKER

  Changing Onyx back to its halberd form, he used it as a cane. His body still hurt. It had recovered some from the fight with the Si-Te-Cah, but the fight with the Berserker had just caused more wounds. He hadn’t been hit, but the strain on his muscles had been immense. Even gaining the Level hadn’t fully healed him.

  He started running toward the fighting, not seeing Piper or Harper anymore. He desperately wanted to know where his daughters were, but there were still giants that needed to be fought.

  ***

  GIANTS BANE RANK 2.

  YOU HAVE KILLED MULTIPLE GIANTS. CONTINUE KILLING CREATURES OF THE SAME RACE TO INCREASE YOUR BANE RANK FOR ADDITIONAL BENEFITS AND REWARDS.

  RANK 2 REWARD: +2 TO STRENGTH, +3% DAMAGE INCREASE TO GIANTS

  Loch dismissed the Notification. It’d only taken another five giants to get it. He wondered how many in the Clan had gotten GIANTS BANE RANK 1. Probably not many. There had been a lot of giants, but the kills had been spread out among the Clan. The higher Leveled like Drew and Brian had probably gotten it. Harper had probably gotten Rank 2.

  He walked past the body’s of the giant’s nodding to the Clanmembers, bumping a couple of fists and giving high fives. He congratulated them, asked if they had Leveled. Moving through the Clan, working his way up the rocky hill, was taken longer than he wanted.

  Harper and Piper were up there and he needed to find them. A lot of the Clanmembers asked about his new axe, wondering how it had changed. He still used the halberd as a cane, his weary body craving Healing. But he’d hold off, the Clan was still low on Healers and there were people that needed it more than he did.

  Most of the Clan sat on the rocky slope. They were eating and drinking, a couple just laying down and resting. They were all tired. Some were patrolling the edges of the woods, keeping an eye out for monsters. The plan was to spend the night on Blue Job back at the fire tower, there would need to be guards to keep out the scavengers that would come to feast on the giants. Brian and Drew were directing the looters, going through the bodies and grabbing what they could. They’d go through the tents, hoping to find food or anything left over. The giant’s weapons were too big for any of Clan Brady, except for maybe Brian, to use. But the metal weapons could still be smelted for the materials. The same with any of the leather armor, cloaks and hides that the giant’s wore. A big pile had already been started.

  Little River Stone was still in the hill, examining the strange stone. Loch hoped it would do what they wanted it to do. The Sasquatch was sure it would, but Loch was trying his best to not get his hopes up. He had big plans for that energy source. A lot was riding on it.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Cresting the hill, Loch saw the makeshift triage area. The healers were moving around, going from person to person. The glow of their Abilities brightened up the night, clashing with the light of the setting sun. There were a lot of wounded. He’d been told that most had been impact wounds. Either from being hit by the giants or being thrown away and landing hard on the ground. Lots of broken bones.

  He avoided looking at the bodies off to the side, laid out side by side and covered by blankets. The dead. There weren’t as many as he’d feared, but one death was still one too many. Loch knew he’d have to go over and see who had died, soon before they moved to the fire tower, but first he had to check on his daughters.

  Loch found them going down the other side of Blue Job. They sat together, facing the woods and the trail back to the fire tower. Close together, they were talking quietly. Neither looked hurt but Piper looked tired. Hearing him coming, both looked over their shoulders. Harper smiled. Piper looked guilty. Loch wondered how to approach the issue. He wanted to yell at her, ask what she was thinking.

  But he knew what she was thinking. Piper had wanted to help. She felt like she hadn’t been doing enough, not using her Class and Abilities to the fullest. Loch could admire that. But she’d put herself in immense danger. She’d taken a huge risk.

  Harper slid over, making room for him to sit between them. He sat down, shifting to get more comfortable on the rocky ground.

  “Are either of you hurt?” he asked.

  “No,” Harper answered.

  “No, but you look like you are,” Piper said, reaching up and touching a bruised spot on Loch’s face.

  He smiled, stretching his legs out in front of him.

  “Yeah, got beat up a little bit.”

  “A bit,” Harper asked, looking him over. “You need to see a healer.”

  “They’re busy,” he said, pointing behind him and up the hill. “I can wait.”

  “Dad,” Piper started but he held up his hand.

  “I’m fine Pipes, really.”

  Both girls leaned forward, looking at each other. They communicated silently. Harper rolled her eyes and Piper nodded. Loch chuckled and then sighed, shifting so he could focus on Piper.

  “So, are you going to tell me what that was?”

  “You saw?”

  “Yeah.”

  Piper looked down at her feet, clutching her hands together. She wrung them together, a sign that she was nervous.

  “I just wanted to help more,” she said, speaking fast. “I know my Inksummons are useful but I wasn’t doing anything to help.” She held up her wand. “This doesn’t do much.”

  “How did you make it,” Loch asked her.

  “I got some help from Mr. Verner. He helped with the blueprint and figuring out how the different pieces needed to come together to form the whole. I haven’t seen him yet to tell him how good it worked out.”

  “I might need to have a talk with him,” Loch said.

  “No, please don’t. He didn’t know what I was asking for or that I would use it,” Piper said, pleading with her eyes.

  Loch laughed.

  “I’m not going to. It was very impressive but also dangerous,” He said, giving Piper a stern look.

  “I know but I wanted to help and this was a way to help.”

  Loch wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in tight for a hug.

  “I know sweetheart. But there has to be a better way. Now that we know what else your Class can do, it opens up a lot of possibilities.”

  “Okay,” she said quietly, then pulled back, smiling as she looked up at him. “But it was cool right?”

  “Very. Just don’t let your mother know.”

  Harper laughed.

  “Mom would kill both of you,” she said.

  “Which is why we won’t tell her,” Loch said, smiling and hugging both girls.