Drive Them Off

Screw it. As much as I may have a new body and new instincts, I'm still the same person deep down. And I was always a guy willing to go out of my way to pull minor favors. Even for strangers. The sheer feeling of having helped someone else was reason enough. And these people clearly needed a hand. A few dirt farmers probably didn't have a whole of options even for this fairly modest band of marauders. With a wholly unique, massive monster with the benefits of surprise, on the other hand...this could easily be a route.

And so, I get to pulling up my roots again, activating my Rootborn Defenses as I did so, feeling the energy flow through my body as my mana fortifies it. Given the sheer amount they have to cut through to get to anything important as I take my worm-like shape, it might be overkill-but frankly, I doesn't cost me too much, and mere curiosity cause me to want to level everything I can. Heck, still kicking myself over not getting easy Throbbing Spell levels earlier when I was screwing with the zealot.

They went for show off-sensibly enough. They want loot, not blood. Similarly, I announce my presence with a massive thrumming of my wooden layer by rubbing my plates against each other, producing a piercing grumbling that catches their attention as I inched towards them with all the speed I could muster. Which, honestly, was rather disappointing. An upgrade from immobility, but I wasn't going to be giving much chase. I similarly wanted them to flee, not fall before me.

Success on that was a mixed bag. Some bandits instantly ran once they weren't the most dangerous things around. A few broke ranks to try and engage in melee. A greatest part seemed uncertain-holding their ground while their glances darted between their leader and I. For my part, my fighting was crude, but sufficient. Turning my 'maw' to face them, I got what tentacles could reach (annoying few-most were stuck deep in my body in this form), to grab them and their horse. Then, each was flung in different directions, before I moved to the next. Those who came back after this tended to have the process repeat for their weapon and them, at which point, they wised up and beat feet while they still had their lives.

Their leader, unsurprisingly a couple levels higher than the rest, put up more of a fight-managing to land dig a few blows with their hefty axe that managed to smash through my wooden plates to hit the vines beneath. I assume the tingling as I tangled with them was some indication that it was strong enough to level up my defensive ability. Even dismounted, they manage to land on their feat, and come charging back-and seem to have an iron grip on their weapon. It felt like they would sooner lose an arm than their grip. So, I gave them exactly that. Trying something similar to what I had been practicing, there was a thrumming along a tentacle wrapped around her bicep-before a small burst of dark energy is released, burning through their armor and arm, until the latter fell to the ground. Those who had apparently been on the fence about engaging me definitely made up there mind after that, only slowing down to pick up the some of those I had thrown off to share a mount. Horses didn't appear to handle being thrown around as well as their riders did. Whoops.

However, as triumphant as I felt, and as much as I wanted to check to see what I had this had given me, there was something that soon caught my attention: Screaming.