Zaebos giggled loudly as it charged Kenda. The beast cleverly arced its dash to come up behind the obsessed axewoman. She would not see the doom bearing down on her until the monster had her in its jaws.

"NO!" Joe bellowed. He spun the [Casting Claw] around and used it to hurl a spell at the massive hyena. As soon as the spell was away, he activated [Grimoiriguard] and enveloped it in werewolf hide, still leaving plenty of the pelt to cover his head and upper body.

Your [Deaden Flesh] skill has afflicted Zaebos with the {Numb} condition

Your skill [Deaden Flesh] has increased to rank 15

The hyena's front leg folded as Joe nailed the beast in the left shoulder with his spell. Kendell managed to sidestep the tumbling mass of legs and fur. Lex was not so lucky. The two went down in a heap.

Even though Kenda wasted almost no time in jumping over the downed brute to continue her hunt for the warlock, the collision halted her just long enough for Joe to get his claw into Close range. Yet for the second time, before he could [Purge] the [Burning Fury] from someone, Graymuck hammered him with an arrow. Joe had his shield up, which blocked the damage and afflictions, but the force still knocked him off his feet, overpowering his [Steadfast] skill.

Joe peeked around his furry shield and saw the banderling drawing another arrow. Before the archer could nock it and fire, Joe hit him with a hex.

Your [Rattlebones] skill has afflicted Graymuck with a {Convulsing} condition

The hunter dropped his bow in the dirt with a confused expression as his body began to spasm. In Joe's [Witch Sight], the curse suffused Graymuck's body with a purply-gray aura, almost the same as how [Deaden Flesh] looked inside Zaebos.

"Ya sneaky git," the gangly archer growled through grinding teeth. "Too bad fer you. That gives me two fer one."

The banderling barked a spellword, causing a forest-green glow to wash through his twitching body, pushing away the plum-grayness. At the same time, an identical emerald bloom scrubbed the numbness from Zaebos. The duo must have a shared spell ability, similar to what Joe's [Cavalier's Seal] imparted.

"Lexy boy. Don't die," the hunter shouted to the warlock. Graymuck pointed at Joe this time, before barking, "Z! Mutilate!"

The beast locked its eyes on Joe, growling fiercely.

"Aw, crap," Joe moaned. He flared [Steadfast], guessing the hunter would try to knock him down again, leaving him vulnerable to the hyena's mauling. He guessed right. The arrow smashed into the hide-covered spell, but for once, Joe stayed on his feet.

Your skill [Steadfast] has increased to rank 22

A second later, the brutal jaws of the beast closed over Joe's right forearm. He could feel his bones creaking even through his layered armor and the major physical resistance he had from his hands to his elbows. All together, they prevented his arm from shattering outright, but it still hurt like hell. He doubted his defenses would hold those powerful jaws open indefinitely.

Instinct took over for Joe.

"BAD DOG! LET GO!" he shouted, with [Pack Master] raging behind his words.

Your skill [Pack Master] has increased to rank 14

The hyena recoiled as if it had been slapped. Its eyes opened wide enough to almost appear cartoonish.

"Wha?!" growled the hunter's voice from across the field. "How? ..."

Joe decided to double down while he had a brief respite. Activating [Mesmeric Command], he added another layer of domination to the brute.

"Hey, Zaebos. Your master wants to rough-house. Go get him!"

Joe, having two companions of his own, understood how hard it would be to overcome the bond between Graymuck and the beast, so he purposely suggested an action the hyena wouldn't oppose. The creature's attitude flipped immediately from animosity to excitement. Yipping and wiggling, the big brute oriented on Graymuck before romping off after its master at full speed.

The banderling eyed the freight train of furry exuberance and groaned, "Aw crap. You asshole."

The hunter nimbly tumbled away from the charging behemoth. Unfortunately for him, Zaebos was well acquainted with his master's maneuvers. The mighty jaws clamped down on the gangly archer's quiver, lifting the banderling high off the ground. As the beast shook the hunter like a ragdoll, all Joe could hear was a cacophony of threats and swears.

"... deadman, Joe … oh, so … dead … assssssshoooole … when I get … I'm gonna … "

The mesmeric enchantment had landed solidly, but Joe guessed Graymuck would likely be able to clear it in a minute. He had to act fast.

He watched the warlock lock his eyes onto a destination, and so Joe did the exact same thing. He teleported, appearing a second after Lexroth. Before the startled young man could react, Joe threw an elbow straight into Lex's nose.

"PHUK!," the surly youth bellowed, clutching his goateed face. Joe ignored him and intercepted the charging hatchet woman with [Purge], finally freeing her from Reven's enchantment.

You have removed the {Fixated} affliction from Kendell Bracey.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

He spun and then poured healing and stamina into Yuk. The bug boy was not doing well against the fire-wreathed warrior.

"Switch to better targets," the refocused lieutenant shouted. She flashed a hand sign to Wen, who, in one smooth motion, retargeted her shot from the bone-shielded necromancer to punch a hole in the warlock. The skill-trainer charged Reven while Yuck swarmed to join Tezeno on the hulking cleric.

"Guess that leaves us," Joe announced to Broon. He bound toward the revenant, pushing [Hunter's Pursuit] and [Morphic Form]. As he got close, he dual cast a [Halefire] on either side of the gravewalker. Joe was not sure if Broon was truly undead, but from the way his aura looked, it was a pretty damn good hypothesis.

"Ghack! Oh, those are dreadful," the gray man hissed as black energy began to wreath his hand. "You really don't think I plan to fight you amidst them, do you?" The man's shadow slid across the ground, extending far beyond the range of the [Halefires].

Joe guessed that Broon intended to swipe that horrid-looking touch spell onto him and then ride his shadow out of the light. Joe skidded to a halt but let one of his amber paws swoop right up to the necrotic mage. Joe focused on the ebon-shrouded digit and fired off [Dispel Noxa] through the [Casting Claw].

[Dispel Noxa] - Common - Spirit: This spell breaks down harmful influences in a body in immediate range, such as necrotic tissue, poisons, and corrosives. If the substance is too severe to be destroyed, the harmful substance is expelled from the immediate area. Cost: Medial Mana | Range: Immediate. {Blood}

Joe guessed that the cadaverous-looking man had a significant amount of necrotic tissue. Broon's skin cracked and fizzled, causing the necromancer to screech. The death mage recoiled, keening loudly, as he cradled his sizzling hand.

"Oh no!" Joe gasped, horrified. He had thought the attack would sting, not tear apart his training partner's hand. Joe realized he had just done the dead man grievous harm, far beyond what was allowed in a sparring session.

A furious roar blasted across the battlefield, bearing an overwhelming aura of intimidation. Joe turned to see a furious Naragash leaving Hah'roo, who was encased in a jagged prison of ice. The cambion was bearing down on Joe at a terrifying pace. She cold-cocked Tezeno as she passed him, stunning the sentinel. Her halo of arctic cold forced Yuk to withdraw as well.

Joe threw up his hands in the face of his oncoming doom. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'll fix it. I'll fix it," he yammered.

If the demonic warrior heard him, she gave no sign. Her axe rose into the air.

Before it descended, a thin form stepped between them.

"Now, now, Nara. No butchering the novices. Everyone makes a gaffe now and then," Broon purred in a still-strained voice. "I'm sure this young restorer has a trick that will fix this right up. Why don't we leave him in one piece, so he can make amends? Alright?"

The enraged woman, towering over the pair, halted her murderous advance. Literally growling, the half-fiend turned away and marched back to Myllo.

"Oh my god. You just saved my life," Joe uttered.

"Likely just a bit of dismemberment, but essentially, yes; yes, I did. So what can you do to fix this?" the man stated, through clenched, rotting teeth. He rotated just in front of Joe, ending virtually nose-to-nose with him.

The nearly colorless, dull eyes gave Joe the creeps. "Um. Want to try my healing?"

"We could, but I have a better idea." Broon leaned his head, bringing it to an inch from Joe's neck. The undead inhaled deeply. "Would you mind if I take a sip?"

"Are you going to bite me?" Joe bleated, leaning away.

"Don't be gauche," the sinister man teased. "Just a touch will do."

Another dark aura radiated from the maimed hand. Broon held it, hovering over Joe's shoulder, waiting for consent, which he received with a somewhat reluctant nod.

You have permitted Broon's [Vampiric Siphon]. The spell is not resisted. You have been drained of 536 points of health.

The chalky flesh reformed across the withered digit. Looking with his [Witch Sight], Joe couldn't see much difference in the murky aura, but at least the necromancer's pained expression fell away.

"Oh my. You are just brimming with vitality. Much more satisfying than our taciturn cleric."

Broon settled the hand entirely on Joe's shoulder, gently steering him toward where the teams were gathering around Myllo.

"Now we get to hear how badly we cocked up. I will say your handling of Muck was brilliant. Replaying the banderling's dismay in my head will warm my cold heart for weeks to come."

Broon's laugh sent chills down Joe's spine. It was so ominous-sounding that even Vincent Price could have taken notes from it. Trying not to obviously shy away from the man, Joe let the chortling corpse guide him to where the rest of the guilders were gathering.

Three hours and dozens of skirmishes later, Myllo finally set them free. The Hellions still outclassed the new squad in almost every encounter, but bit by bit, the novices were learning how to coordinate their specific skills. The group's linchpin was Tezeno. If he and Joe stuck together, the team could withstand just about everything except Naragash. Protected by the sentinel, Joe could keep the others healthy and condition-free, while also making sure Tez never ran dry of stamina. This tactic proved to be a tough nut for the Hellions to crack.

There was one skirmish that the underdogs won. It was the one where Joe invoked the trait given to him by Corran Loigen, [Baying Banneret]. A spectral war standard appeared over Joe's head. The fluttering pennant bore the image of a wolf-like fey hound on a ghostly, autumn-hued banner.

When activated, the blast of Spirit hit his team, causing them all to howl out a ferocious, roaring shout. The effect ripped apart the control spells coming from both Broon and Mortalius and surprised the Hellions. Joe flipped Reven to their side of the battle with [Mesmeric Command], and the fiery axeman knew exactly how to disable those two casters. When the others were incapacitated, including Reven, the six of them battled the powerful Naragash to a standstill. Looking very pleased with the younger team, she surrendered, even though everyone knew the icy cambion was still holding back.

When Myllo finally called the training to a halt, everyone on both teams was tired and thirsty. The six of them made their way to a tavern, surprisingly suggested by Yuk. It was a pleasant little basement saloon. The barkeep greeted the ragamuffin by name and supplied the weary group with an excellent variety of well-chilled beers, along with a decent wine for Earcellwen.

They talked, planned, though it was mostly Kendell planning. Knowing they were going to Glen Cumha tomorrow, they drank sparingly. Joe was surprised that Yuk drank at all, and it became clear they were not used to pacing themself with others. Joe surreptitiously kept purging the intoxication away from the clustered young man.

It was a comfortable group. Even the terminally shy Yuk opened up and shared a few more details about themselves. The only thing the gathering did not agree on at all was a name for their new team.

Kendall and Tezeno kept suggesting hardcore names like the 'Unbreakable' or 'Uncommon Valor,' but the others were not vibing with those aggressive designations. Hah'roo and Wen liked names that were clever turns of phrases, instead of the boastful ones.

Yuk, unsurprisingly, knew dozens of words that meant a collective. While fitting, since the team was a mishmash of individuals, none of the words resonated with anyone else.

Joe felt like they were rushing the process. They barely knew who they were as a group after just one day; it seemed awfully early to be picking a squad moniker. The only idea he had so far was a feeling and a memory from the training session. As the others bantered around names, Joe kept picturing that one moment when the junior team had grabbed the upper hand in the fights, when the banner appeared, and they shouted together with one fierce howling voice.

He tried to explain his thoughts to the group, and even though he fumbled through them, it was clear they also felt that moment was their most prominent memory of the day. It was Wen who plucked the words from Joe's rambling concept and gave the team its name.

Tomorrow, they wouldn't tackle the Vale of Lament as the unnamed novice squad. They'd do so as the Howling Voice.

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