My Servant System

Jackals... were interesting creatures, and as we rode over the dunes and throughout the vast golden desert, we had all the time in the world to think about things as we pleased, and considering the current conversation that was going on between Jahi and the Sultana - discussing the best way to lift someone so as to slam them down straight onto their neck to kill them - I was enjoying my thoughts for the time being, since they were calming and helped me ignore the damnable heat.

Jackals looked almost damn near identical to wolves, just with a few slight differences that you could easily point out... if you knew about them, and if you were someone who actually needed to point that difference out just to know what was coming to bite you.

In all, they had longer torsos that were perfect for carrying people, a lithe frame that was more compact with the muscle than a normal wolf - making them lighter and thinner, but no less powerful - a shorter, yet still fluffy tail and a snout that was really narrow and laden with sharp, needle like fangs.

Their fur was shorter but thicker, and they were rather soft despite that; coloration wise, they ranged from gold to black, but nothing else, and currently my Jackal mount was a beautiful golden color that almost blended in with the sand.

Meanwhile, the Sultana's was a pitch black Jackal that was far larger than the others, and its fur was a bit closer cut to show off its more defined musculature, which only made the Jackal all the more imposing as it bounded over the sands in long controlled strides.

Additionally, they were rather quiet over all, their smaller paws making them really hard to hear even as they rushed over the unsteady ground, and I couldn't help but notice that their claws were very long and gleaming sharp.

They were beautiful creatures and deadly creatures in equal measures, which only made them all the more appealing as I leaned down across the Jackal's back, resting my head on its neck and watching as the sands passed us by.

Soft and warm, my Jackal was quite adept at maintaining a stable back, and it made the ride all the more pleasant as the wind brushed against my skin, cooling us both down slightly even as the rays from the sun baked the entire desert; perhaps the reason my Jackal was so pleasant was because I was keeping us both cool with my magic, shrouding us in a thin layer of water that worked against the desert heat while a layer of air above that did its best to redirect said heat.

That might just be it, and I found this to be a much more pleasant experience in the desert compared to my first time in a desert, which had been... hellish and insufferably annoying, what with the constant attacks, impossible heat and stress of being away from everyone.

This was much better, even if I had to know that a Fiend was laying waste to an Oasis in hopes of converting this country into a wellspring of Fire Mana so that it could bake the rest of the world, which simply wouldn't do.

"Kat!"

Turning my head, I remained draped across my Jackal's back even as Jahi called out to me, but when I saw that she was pointing forwards towards something, I reluctantly sat up and followed her finger, blinking as I my eyes landed upon something that usually would not be real in a place like this.

Lush greenery surrounding a beautiful crystalline blue lake of water rested in a deep basin of sandstone, and we were looking down upon it from a dune high above its tallest trees and even the tallest buildings, which were constructed around the greenery.

Normally it would be a beautiful and surreal sight to lay eyes upon, one that made you question if the heat was playing tricks on your mind or if there really was a slice of verdant green situated within this horrendous expanse of sand, and with the simple sandstone city constructed around its edges, you would normally think 'wow, this is quite the city we stumbled upon~!'

And yet, currently, it was anything but traditionally scenic; there were fires blazing around the city, large pillars of stone that had chunks missing, patches of sand that were more crystal than grain, and around the entire city a giant sphere of mana held strong against the fury of the towering, red skinned Fiend just outside their walls.

"Oh... we're here already? Aren't you just a fast thing..."

Patting the Jackal's neck, I traced out a few runes and created a small telescope for myself, using it to get a closer look at the Fiend we would be fighting soon and trying to see if there was anything noticeable about it that we weren't told about.

Tall and red skinned, the Fiend was very humanoid with a strong, chiseled physique and square chin, all of its body seemingly cut from stone and shaped roughly into a giant mound of muscle and power.

Each of its four arms was bulging with power, and the balled fists were about as large as the Fiend's head, giving it even more force as it shrouded them in flames and punched at the barrier relentlessly, trying to crack it open so that it could enter and sunder the Oasis.

Giant leathery wings flared out behind its back as it stepped into its punches, and I could see that the wings themselves were covered in dark crimson ink, likely some buffing spells tattooed into a part of its body that would be hard to notice them on, while it's skin was rather unblemished.

Save for its arms, which had scales and small bony protrusions piercing its flesh, but otherwise Ka'Volan was a 'normal' human, just with four arms, wings, and about twelve or so feet tall; nothing really noticeable about this Fiend besides that, and that only made me more curious about its strength.

"So do we want to head into the city, rally the people and lead a counterattack with precision and coordination, or do we want to handle this ourselves? Khisba is currently between us and Ka'Volan, so if we are quick we can slip into the city without much risk. Or we can circle around, take an advantageous position and bombard the Fiend from afar?"

Handing the telescope to Jahi, I resumed stroking the Jackal's soft fur even though I was still staring at the blazing fists of the Fiend, trying to gauge their power from quite a ways away.

"We could... and that would be the smart thing to do. It might wield flames, but I doubt it could survive Leone's, especially if she switches into her True Vampire Form. Then with Anput's Metal and my Light... but that would be boring."

"Jahi..."

I let out a sigh and shook my head, but I didn't bring up how there were currently men, women and children fearing for their lives within the city, who would appreciate a timely saving of their hides right about now...

"It would be boring, but Ka'Volan is currently trying its damndest to break into the city, and the barrier is... well, looks like it's beginning to crack. Are there warriors and mages in Khisba?"

"Some. Not well trained, not the brightest, but some. The mana array is doing its job though. It's been like this for around a day most likely. Impressive..."

Crossing her arms, the Sultana stared out over the city and fell silent, leaving everything to us even as the Fiend seemed to be widening the cracks it had made, and that made me purse my lips as I turned back to the city.

"Saving the people should be the priority. If you want a fight, I suggest we get Ka'Volan's attention with a strong attack and lead it away. Give the array some time to recuperate just in case. Want to give Ka'Volan a deep scare or just piss them off?"

Jahi handed me the telescope back and glanced at Leone, who was tapping her leg and waiting impatiently for a decision, the Vampire Princess not appreciating how we were taking our time deciding what to do.

"Scare. Your Ice, my Light right? How close do we have to be?"

Hearing her answer, I grinned and shook my head, nudging my Jackal and making my way around the lip of the basin, towards the Fiend that was likely beginning to become aware of our presence.

"The question is how well I can aim, and the answer to that is quite well. I have to admit, this might just kill them if they aren't that strong~! I wouldn't be angry about that though... this would be some good practice~!"

Jahi set off after me, while Anput, Leone and the Sultana followed behind her, the five of us rushing towards the spot I had picked out to potentially kill this four armed Fiend in a single attack.

After all, Light Mana is their weakness, and when it's amplified by my Ice and by my Lust, it will only be stronger~!