A/N- Thank you Astral_Silver for the power stone, this chapter is for you!
It was not easy living with the bone cousins. Fone Bone tried his best but couldn't help much due to his weakness so I put him on a training regime that seemed to help a little though only time will tell. Plus he's constantly making faces whenever he thinks Thorn isn't looking, though me and Rose have noticed. Phoney on the other hand is just a mess. He constantly complains about working outside, and how 'he's the richest bone in boneville' . I didn't like him very much and the animals didn't like him much either but he and Fone bone still pulled their weight around the farm.
The past month had been a mess of figuring out what they could and couldn't do. With plenty of banter between Rose and Phoney, though Rose and I have more or less gotten used to one another. Things came to a head though one day when Rose stumbled over to me. "C-carter, I got th' feelin again." she said weakly and I ran over, she almost never got this way but when she did it was never good. "The glitchy feeling?" I asked and she nodded. Thorn and Fone where away right now with Phoney having gone god knows where.
I helped Rose sit down on the porch before I patrolled around the farm, I checked every fence looking for signs that they had been tampered with, I got on top of the barn and the house and just sat listening. "The forest is quiet." I told Rose as I came down, "No birds, no insects, not even the cows and chickens are stirring, somethings out there." I said as she nodded looking a little better, "Go get Thorn and Fone Bone, and move his things into the house, he's not sleeping out in that barn tonight." she said and I nodded.
After I got the bone cousins belonging I raced towards the hot springs. Thorn and Fone Bone had gone there to bathe earlier and now it was time for them to come back, as I made my way there I kept an eye out for what might have spooked the forest. I kept my eyes and ears open for any predators that might have left marks around but found nothing by the time I reached the hot springs.
Bursting out of the forest I came across Thorn and Fone in the middle of a bath, "AHH Carter turn around!" Thorn shrieked but I didn't care, "I was there when you could barely walk, I don't care. Get out NOW we have to get back." My face must have given away my urgency as they quickly got their things together without much of a fuss, though I did have to rush them through the forest rather than take a path.
By the time we got back the sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, "Grandma what's wrong?1 Carter wont tell us." Rose just shoved them inside as I did another lap around the farm. When I finished and got back inside Thorn had calmed down but now Fone Bone was all hyper "What?" I asked, seeing him practically vibrating from nervousness "Phoney hasn't come back yet!! He might still be out there!" He said and I looked out a window to see how much sunlight was left, not much.
"I'll go look for him, STAY HERE." I told them and I raced outside with a hand on my sword, the stillness of the forest unsettled me. It wasn't natural at all, even when the dragon showed its red face the forest still had a sense of life to it, but this was a near absence of it. I did several increasingly larger laps around the farm with the little daylight I had left, but I had somehow misjudged the time because it was already night by the time I got back to the farm.
Shutting the door I went and checked the windows and back door making sure everything was shut tight. "Did you find him?" Fone bone asked and I shook my head "No, he isn't out there, he might have wandered over to the Barrel Haven but that's a long shot, we can't go check right now though." I said as Thorn walked over "Why not?" she asked and Rose snorted from where she was sitting "Did you not listen to anything that Carter has taught you, even I have warned you about the signs." she said and I nodded, I may not be the best teacher but I had warned Thorn several times of the many signs to look out for to know she was in danger.
Thorn wracked her mind for several minutes and I went around double checking everything and making sure we had enough food and water for the night. "I still don't get it?" she said puzzled and I paused and turned to her, "The calm before the storm." I said and her eyes went wide and Fone bone asked "What's that mean?" he asked and Thorn whispered "We're under attack."
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Later that night after Rose and I had sent Thorn and Fone bone to bed, Rose and I sat near the fireplace stoking the flames as we kept silent, listening for anything moving outside. "You keep that sword sharp?" she asked and I nodded "That and a few other tricks." I said as I went over the few enchantments I had placed on the sword, Sharpness and Unbreaking were the first, with auto-repair thrown in last since I didn't know how many spells the sword could handle before breaking, and I didn't want to lose my 'weapon'
As the night wore on we started to hear things moving outside, "They're here." she said and I nodded "What's the plan?" I asked and for the first time, Rose smiled at me "Simple, kill them all." I almost laughed at the simplicity of the plan and the fact that it was what I had come up with while Rose shook Fone Bone awake from where he was laying by the fire. As he scurried off to wake Thorn I listened to the sounds outside, " Rose." I said wanting to tell her something before Thorn and Fone came back down, "Should you ever need them, I can call forth flames and frost." I said as I showed a bit of my quirk, making the fire in the fireplace expand while coating the table in a thin layer of frost. Rose just nodded, as if this was something she already knew, "I've seen the results of your training Carter, the first remembers as well." she said and I snorted, crazy old hag.
As Thorn and Fone bone got down I could tell Thorn was shaken by something, but I pushed that aside as Rose explained our predicament to them. "So here's the plan, children. When I say run, you run after Carter as fast as you can and don't stop, no matter what. Got it!" She said with a sweet little smile as Thorn and Fone gaped "That's your plan?!" They asked and she nodded while going over to a wall. "Get closer to me." I said as I already knew what this crazy woman was about to- CRASSH "OK KIDS, RUN!!" she yelled as she smashed a hole in the way and dragged two rat creatures into the house.
Fone Bone gaped seeing the 'nice old lady' pummel the rats but I didn't care, I yanked him off his feet as I shoved him into Thorns arms as I slashed through the rats waiting outside that were caught off guard. Several scrambled back in surprise though one lost its head as I roared a battle cry, "BRING IT ON RATS!" As they charged us I shoulder checked on before turning and slashing on that was trying to flank Thorn, "To the trees, stay right behind me!" I carved through another pair of rats as blood went all over the place. I didn't get off scot free though as a lucky rat managed to slash my back before I stabbed it in the heart.
As we took off into the forest, I took several paths and doubled back several times, always making sure Thorn was behind me. We ran into dozens of patrols and had to run even more, though if I caught a small patrol of three or four I would swiftly kill them before moving on. "oh my gosh he's just mowing them down." Fone Bone said astonished as I snorted, if he thought this was bad, he should've seen what happened when Theron sent his lackeys to try and collect me for experiments, now THAT was bloody.
Seeing Thorn trip I doubled back just as a rat sprang from the bushes but I killed if swiftly as Thorn fought to regain her breath. I took a second to breath as well but that was almost fatal as another rat burst from behind a tree right next to Thorn! Before I could lunge at it Thorn screamed and smashed the rat over the head with the closest things she could grab . . . that happened to be Fone Bone. "Not bad Bone, it's out cold." I said as I went over and killed the rat as Fone rubbed his head "Did you have to use me?" he whined but Thorn laughed "Sorry it was refle-" AHHH- "Run, more are coming." I said as I silenced the rat that was clutching its severed limb.
We ran but I got a bad feeling as we started to run into more and more patrols, 'Shit it's a trap.' I thought as we burst into a clearing, and right on cue several dozen rats surrounded us, hissing and drooling. "They're circling us!" Fone panicked as I felt like smacking him 'no shit idiot!' "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Thorn yelled at them. They paused, probably not expecting her to ask them what they wanted.
"We want the small creature . . ." One hissed and I faced it, "Not happening." I said as they slowly got closer. "Give it to us . . ." It said again as I readied my flames "Defiance will not be tolerated, when we restore ORDER to the valley. . . . " It hissed as I wondered what they were talking about. I saw a few ready to pounce on us but Fone Bone suddenly cried out "HEY SMELL THAT?!" he asked as everything paused, the damn bone lost his mind!
I watched in utter disbelief as Fone Bone marched up to the lead rat while boldly proclaiming that that damn red dragon was here, I watched as he walked right up to the rat and taunted it to its face. Right as it was about to pounce I was going to blast it before something shot out of a bush and grabbed the airborne rat, it was a large red hand. "Why look Ted. Its a meeting of the new community leaders." The dragon snorted as Ted bounced around "Oh boy! Ya think they'll let us vote?"
As the rats backed up and hissed threats to the dragon, I shoved Thorn and Fone Bone over to him as the dragon made threats right back. I noticed that a few rats were about to run for it, it seems they knew they couldn't beat the dragon, but i wasn't about to let these system points get away. FWOOM!! I let forth a jet of flames that burnt the closest rats to ash as they ran screaming, I chased still spewing flames and throwing ice spears the best I could as the dragon covered Thorn and the others from the flames. "Since when could he do THAT?!?!" Fone Bone shouted in surprise and Thorn just shook her head "I didn't know he could do that either." she said as they watched him walk back over, having killed all the rat creatures.
"Took you long enough." I said to the dragon as I sat down close by but not close to Thorn and Fone Bone. "Could say the same to you." It shot back but I just grunted as I meditated, for some reason. I could still hear the screams of the rats as they died. 'Any ideas?' I asked the system [Yes, since you received a blessing from the King, you have touched upon the basics of necromancy, all those who receive the blessings get different boons, this was yours. Once you unlock a high enough blessing, you will be able to summon any creature you kill to fight for you, these rat creatures are the first. This also comes with being able to hear the cries of the damned, so be wary.]
Great, first a voice in my head that hates me, now I get to hear the death cries of my victims as well, just great. 'Music to my ears.' the voice cackled as I shoved it away and waited for daylight.
In the morning I got up and stretched, I didn't sleep at all, but it seems that Fone Bone and Thorn had a little. They talked with the dragon for a little before they suddenly jumped on its back, "We're going back to the farm, hop on!" Thorn said but I shook my head, "I'll keep up." I said as the dragon shrugged and took off.
It seems that Thorn and Fone Bone didn't believe me as they looked shocked to see me keep pace with the red dragon as we reached the farm. Thorn wanted to jump out seeing the devastation but the dragon wisely stopped her, we didn't know if any more rats were still in the area. It didn't work for long though as Thorn raced across the open ground and I chased after her while cursing internally. Seems that Rose survived though if the copious amounts of blood was anything to go off of, and the fact she was hugging Thorn while glaring at the dragon.
The dragon and Rose stared at each other for a bit before he said goodbye and left with Ted. Thorn and Fone Bone kept trying to talk to Rose but she sent them off to put out the small fire on the roof, "Help me get the cart." she said and I nodded, finishing wiping my blade as I put it away.
As we got the cart ready Rose asked about what the rats wanted, "They wanted Fone Bone, but it seems they're looking for the others as they said 'small creatures' plural." I told her as we rolled the cart out of the barn, "They didn't just attack here either, the dragon said they had about 2,000 warriors out and about. Plus the ones that cornered us spoke of bringing 'order' to the valley." Rose just nodded "Peace was never their way, war was bound to return eventually. I just thought Thorn would be on the throne by now." she said and I nodded my head, of all the times for war to break out, now was not the best time.
Eventually we got the cow hooked up to the cart and we were on our way to the Barrel Haven. With the success I had given it now there was a village around it so there would be plenty of space for us. Along the way Thorn and Fone Bone kept pestering me about my quirk but I said nothing as I mended where my clothes had torn from the few attacks that had hit me ' 'You should buy armor' 'yeah, but the blacksmiths here only make horse shoes.' ' then make your own!' it yelled but I just kept sewing.
After a few hours we finally reached the Haven and Lucius was there to meet us, with Smiley and Phoney there with him. "Hello Rosie, mind if I help you down?" Lucius said and Rose gladly let him as I rolled my eyes. Fone Bone ran over to his cousins as they celebrated being back together, though Lucius told me that Phoney already had a debt that he owed him.
As everyone went into the Barrel Haven Carter felt his skin prickle and snapped his head to the trees up above. Just for the briefest moment, he saw a hooded figure sitting in the tree watching the Bone cousins, but whatever it was seems to have moved on though, he kept note of this though. Something about this valley was very very wrong.
And up in the trees, the hooded one watched. First there were the strange 'bone' creatures, and now there was a man who could see through the veil of the dreaming, not even the locust had been able to shield them from his gaze. The rat creatures had also spoken of a 'demon' wielding flames and frost, killing almost a hundred warriors. This would be troublesome. . .