Jasper ran through the wolves like a force of nature, their flesh rending against his wreath of lightning sizzling as the force tore them apart and boiled them from within, feeling the rush of energy flow into him as the shards shattered against him as he passed through. As he ran he spread his arms out wide in an attempt to deal as much damage as possible to these creatures, with one hand free whilst the other is wielding the [Devourer's Sight].
As the first wolf sizzled against his flesh as the sounds of shattering bone echoed around him the voice of the spell spoke out to him with each passing second the voice spoke again and again announcing his victory,
[You have slain an Awakened Monster, Mirror Hound.]
[You have slain…]
[You have slain…]
[You have slain…]
The last one had died differently to the rest, while the others simply broke apart upon contact with the living storm this one suffered a much different fate, instead Jasper tore through its fur and flesh with his hand before firmly grasping the creature's neck in his palm as he viciously ripped the head from its shoulders. At the same time he noticed that the undead closest to him was preparing to attack, its glave had already started its motion to intercept him in the hopes of slicing him in half.
Spinning in the mud to begin to slow himself down Jasper quickly tossed his dagger at the undead fiend, having already cut across the abdomen of one of the still living wolves as he passed, the dagger flew true and struck the creature dead in the eye sending it staggering back as if threw its aim of just enough fur Jasper to duck under the blade.
Pushing his feet into the mud to slow his movement he watched over the battlefield with a strange smile and full of glee, something about the smell of battle really made his heart pump these days, as if it was calling to him, he looked over the severed head in his hands as he gripped the bones tightly with one hand as the weight of the head started to feel too much for his miniscule strength, but by using all the power he had remaining he lifted the severed head high letting the blood rain down on him like a shower from hell.
///
Warden had watched the man charge into battle like a force of nature, with the raw power emanating off his body sending shivers down his spine as it took everything to remain calm for those who followed him, what would they think if their fearless leader showed any sign of weakness.
He had already talked to Jest about his thoughts on the castle, how no matter what happened they had to conquer it, for it was the only chance he saw of getting home to his wife and their unborn child even if it meant they would have to slay a dragon to reach their goal.
Before he thought it to be a fool's errand, a wishful fantasy which they would never hope to truly achieve even if its the only thing they desired in life yet now his heart was filled with a sliver of hope, from the time Jasper had appeared in camp Warden had kept his eye on him, seeing his as a herald of destruction wherever he went.
He was not fooled by the innocent persona the man presented even if the man himself was tricked by his own, he saw what laid underneath the jokes and strange cowardice which all but vanished every time he was needed, his whole life was a farce, to the point where he doubted Jasper even remembered who he truly was anymore, an echo of the man he once was or could very well become.
When Warden first conquered his nightmare he soon found other sleepers like him in the depths of a conflict between themselves, he had seen the hardships this period was creating and it was at this moment he decided to be the man they saw today, he had always held the values that a persons strength and value lied in their valor, how a person used their value was also important.
Take himself for instance, he was not gifted a powerful martial combat aspect nor one suited for long range fighting yet he had managed to earn the respect and admiration of others by use of his power to craft anything he could imagine, in truth his aspect ability wasn't really all that impressive despite its transcendent rank, his ability allowed him to both craft and improve any material he came across into anything he could think of.
Of course there were harsh limits to this power, it did not allow him to change one material to another nor did it allow for him to add or remove the materials base properties but it did allow him to improve upon them, if he were to guess his creations were equivalent to weak dormant memories in terms of power yet without any of the strange magical benefits they provided to sleepers.
For most people this power would never reach its full potential, most people had never learnt the intricacies of crafting in an age governed by automation of intricate machines, yet in the hands of someone like him, who had spent most of his formative years in a workshop helping his parents as they worked on war machines for the regime, it was nothing short of inspiring to have a power that would allow for him to continue on his family's legacy in a way no one else could.
Looking over the sleepers he was leading to certain doom he felt a strange mix of both pride and guilt, guilt for what he knew was going to be a rough journey where many of these valorant souls would not come out from alive, and pride at how far he had come , at how he had earned the respect of his peers to the point they were willing to die under his banner, feeling his pride swell inside him he couldn't help but look at Jest who seemed to be deep in thought from the outside but Warden knew better, Jest had told him about his useless aspect yet Warden didn't see it that way, the power to inspire others by invoking their innermost emotions was a beautiful power, one he knew would serve him well into the future, and this was the first step on that path as the emotions of the people swelled one by one Warden raised his wooden blade high and shouted to his followers,
"Attack!, Let's show these creatures the strength of our valor!"
Charging forward he readied himself to engage the undead swordsmen, who looked down on his army with a twisted grim painting its ugly face, ready to destroy all intruders who dared invade its territory, planting its feet it lowered it blade as it approached the oncoming swarm of sleepers with hunger burning in its eyes.
As the sleepers approached they suddenly split in two, one group rushed past the undead horror in the hopes of attacking the wolves and the other loathsome guard in order to prevent them from regrouping and becoming a coherent fighting force, but as they passed a lightning fast blade swiped down at them threatening to cleave them in two.
As they were about to meet their end one of the sleepers rushed forward wielding a tower shield, composed of stripped oak and bands of silvery metal which sparkled in the light, meeting the force of the strike head on, the shield splintered yet the blade failed to break through the defensive wall, instead the floor beneath the sleeper cracked and splintered instead as she remained firmly planted on the ground, her long blonde hair blowing in the gentle breeze seemingly unaffected by the sudden force of the blow allowing for the rest of the sleepers to get by as they rushed towards their marks.
Leaving Warden and a handful of other sleepers to deal with the sword wielding knight.