Van vs. Kovoidians, day two

     Van was up before dawn, watching the mass of enemies. Their ranks had advanced to catch up to the groups that had been trying to catch Oolah the day previous. Even then they didn't attack. Perhaps they knew the early attackers were just food for the rest. Around noon hordes of the plains massive animals progressed through the two monster battlegrounds on his right and left. Van understood, they had sent some of their number to set this up the night previous, taking advantage of the situation around them. Just as they were almost upon him, the kovoidian footmen also charged, intending to try and use the monsters as distraction and shield. I half worked, as some of the charging animals turned on them. But Van had changed his strategy, too. He created for himself a bubble shield, and concentrating, could see through it in the same way he could speak through it. The Black material was still solid, but he was using it's perspective rather then his own. This worked splendidly on the monsters whose primitive reasoning saw no advantage to attacking non living black bubble. They attacked each other, the two stampedes clashing against one another as well as even more turning on the charging Koboidians. This was nice, but in no way making up for the energy expenditure. Van extended liquid tendrils along the ground. Negative energy poison began slowly draining the enemies in battle. When attacked it's liquid nature made it easy to reattach itself. This however took energy, too. Soon some footmen had made their way too him and was attacking his bubble earnestly, but Van could already see black veins spreading across their limbs and faces. Still, not enough energy coming in to sustain his defenses indefinitely as it was still draining slowly. Stretching out his arms, he touched both sides of his bubble, and, concentrating, set the sides on 'fire' with the liquid black energy. Then he flared it out, only for a second, and let the fire die on the surface of the bubble. He sat down and tried not to vomit as the fire continued on as though it had a life of its own, feeding dark energy into him. As it raged across the battlefield he began coming to a sickening revelation. He was not going to be able to tolerate such an abundance of dark energy, and it was quickly overwhelming him. Indeed, if he could see himself, he'd see the black veins spread across him, thickening, threating to meet and turn his skin entirely black. Reflexively he released a fan shaped wave of liquid destruction. On reflex he didn't extend it behind him. He wanted to create a habit of keeping a 'safe' zone on one side of him, even if nobody was currently fighting alongside him. It was like using your turn signals even when nobody was around, he reasoned. 

     This last blast finished off any who were on fire, keeping it from spreading further. His skin still tingled, and he knew he was still containing too much energy. He waited a bit for the assault to resume, and wasn't disappointed. There was something he wanted to try. As the Koboidians drew close black lightening shot out from the bubble. He smiled. "It's not as cool as a glowing black sword," he thought, "But it's pretty darn close!" There was, however, a side effect he should have predicted. Many of the Koboidians had caught fire, and soon it was once more raging throughout the enemy ranks, devastating them, and delivering their lives into him. He repeated his earlier attack, one that expended vast amounts of the black energy he wielded. Once more, after a brief respite, they resumed their relentless assault. He wouldn't use the lightning again.

     It was growing late, and his reluctance to refuel himself using the fire was slowly depleting his energy once more. Then, like the day previous, the physical assault turned into a ranged one, and he thankfully withdrew before it escalated.

     He would have to pay closer attention to the time, the next day. He didn't have as much an energy reserve as usual, and was actually feeling a bit tired. Placing his hands on his thighs and pushing against them, he arched his back, stretching. Then he did the reverse, pushing against his lower back and stretching in the opposite direction. It was an old mans habit he repeated often, especially when tired. Sitting on a negative energy stool, he sat and considered the events of the day. He tried considering strategy and tactics, but a life of mostly building houses didn't prepare him for it. He had noted how they 'taur calvary had held back, but thought it was just a matter of elitism.

     This time the attack came with dawn. He could see the 'taurs this time, holding back, but there. He was tired, and as much as the feeling of it disturbed him, went big almost immediately. Forming an energy saving front facing shield, Lightning exploded from him in a fanlike web. Almost immediately he began waking up. He formed the force bubble, and as the fire began spreading, performed some precision attacks to actually curtail it. dispelling the back of the bubble, Van once more turned to the sword. Between it and the tendrils, he managed to slow the use of energy loss. He could still see the 'taurs holding back, curiously. He would soon understand. As evening drew close, he tried to predict the time of withdrawal of the enemy, and with a safe margin of error, he released the fire. Predictably his foes quickly fell back, flames clinging to their backs. Soon the black flames were reeking chaos among the enemy and empowering Van. Trying to leave himself with enough power to weather the night more efficiently, he released the wave that would kill the fire's spread, as well as those who were spreading it. He's half expected them to stop the days attack right there, but before he knew it the 'taurs were upon him. He raised his bubble just in time to save himself, yet countless flint axe sized wedges crashed into it, followed an instant later by strikes from the 'taurs streaming past him. The attack was well planned and relentless, as the front was constantly bombarded by an aerial assault on the front while balanced by a sustained ground attack on the sides.

      As the bubble shattered, he was momentarily blinded, saved only by his reflexes as the great black sword swept aside the attacks already in motion. As he stepped backwards he tried creating his back-wall and bumped into it. He barely managed to duck an attack he'd intended to dodge. dismissing the backwall while knowing there were more of the enemy behind him, back pedaled, trying to regain some kind of control. He summoned the black liquid fireballs and began rotating them around him, barely saving himself from the incoming attacks from his back. The attacks from the front were so constant, he was restrained from spinning around to see and defend behind him. He tried holding both the energy balls behind him and changed the rotation to form a shield, however some attacks were managing to get through. He was healing almost instantly, but they still hurt, and could still unbalance him. From his peripheral he could see dual attacks building on either side, almost as if time slowed. The 'taurs were using others of their kinds as spring boards, and created a vertical wall of attackers, two... no... three high. It was happening too fast. He released a vertical cutting wave as he summoned the black bubble, but it left the two remaining levels of attack. Confident the bubble was not indestructible now, they crashed against it, breaking it once more. 

     "At least Oolah is safe." thought Van, as he tried to releasing a complete circle of negative energy. It only tore through those closest to him as too many attacks had found their mark, cutting is short. "This is just embarrassing." he thought, as more attacks were imminent.