CHAPTER 20
Caleb waited for Hestor to return with information about the enemy while the team set up their fallback position at the bottom of the hill. Neb was ordering everyone about as usual, getting the discharge mines set up as a defensive contingency. He wasn’t a natural leader but had earned the respect of the other mercs, mostly through personal valour. Unfailingly he would volunteer for whatever task was the most dangerous, and had saved several of them at great personal risk. Somehow he always made it out alive, but the criss-crossing scars showing on his bald head were not the only token of the many times he had faced death. The internal scarring from magically healed wounds was starting to slow him down.
They had tracked Lucas’s Steel Seed to a plateau that opened at the top of the rise, only about a dozen yards ahead. They had already confirmed with the Aura Sensor that a cluster of enemies waited for them at the top. Knowing it for an ambush, Caleb had sent Hestor to scout. Hestor had well developed stealth capabilities, in addition to powerful sensory skills. The success rate of their raids had increased dramatically with the addition of Hestor’s intel and reconnaissance. He should be back any moment.
Koro was mumbling so quickly that it sounded like gibberish, reciting off a check list of his equipment that he had strapped to himself. As he did this, he touched each object one by one with two fingers, giving the strange behaviour a ritual air. He had been doing that non-stop since they neared the site. It was a neurotic habit of his, constantly checking his equipment that way. All warriors had to deal with the nervous energy that built up before a battle in one way or another, so nobody judged him. There was a lot of equipment to check; He had several belts criss-crossing his chest with little alchemical bombs that produced a variety of effects, poisoned long knives, and a couple of handheld crossbows. Caleb didn't doubt there were more surprises hidden, things that he kept secret in case his allies became enemies.
“Arachs, several of them.” Came a whisper from behind Caleb’s ear.
Caleb flinched and tensed, but did not yell out. He was gradually getting used to Hestor sneaking up on him. He wasn’t doing it on purpose, Hestor just skulked by default. His Aura was permanently withdrawn, so he was hard to notice, even when looking directly at him. The effect was similar to how someone might lose something in front of their face, simply because they don't expect it to be there.
“One of them is massive, like the size of a wagon. Also, that Nyx woman is there. I can't find the target, my guess is the woman killed him and used his seed to lure us into a trap. I can’t explain the Arachs…” Hestor continued.
“He’s here. The Arach’s are working for him, somehow. It can't be a coincidence that he survived in that Arach invested cave for so long. The Nyx being here is bad news, but we came prepared this time. When the fighting starts, keep hidden, and wait for her to engage. She will go straight for me. We’ll nail the bitch this time.”
“What about Koro?” Hestor asked.
“Koro will be with the rest of the team, they will keep him safe.”
Hestor looked doubtful. He and Koro were bound to each other by a warrior’s oath, though Caleb didn't know the details. Hestor didn't like Koro going into battle without being nearby to support him. Caleb didn't usually send Koro into battle at all, his healing ability was too valuable to risk.
He called to Neb; “Neb, Hestor wants to know that Koro will be protected.”
Neb saluted and yelled with perfect earnestness; “I vow it, on my honour.”
Nobody doubted Neb’s honour, or that he would give his life to keep it. Even so, Hestor’s Aura took on a serious quality when he replied;
“I will hold you to that Neb.”
Addressing everyone else, Caleb said; “We are going to be fighting Arachs, support each other and don't get separated or you will get diced up. If an Arach comes for you head on, just focus on staying alive and trust in your team to do the damage. If things get messy, fall back and form a shield wall. Keep the grappling net ready at all times, one of the Arachs is massive. The Nyx is here, but leave her to me and Hestor, if she gets near you run to me as fast as you can. Neb will trigger the enemy ambush while the rest of you take up positions to cover each other.”
Once the last of the discharge mines were prepared, they began ascending the incline in formation. Once they reached the top, they paused to take in the scene. The tree line ended as the ground levelled out, opening up to a wide area cluttered with stone. Caleb knew it was the site of a Ruin. The stone rubble was the remnants of the structures above ground, but the majority of it would be buried beneath their feet.
Neb stepped up, turned to salute the rest with a mad grin and walked out to spring the trap. According to Caleb’s senses, the Steel Seed was in the middle of the plateau, amongst the Ruins. As Neb walked casually forwards, whistling an absurd tune, the others spread into the Ruins, staying low and out of sight until they reached points of cover just close enough to flank whatever came for Neb when the fighting started
Lucas watched from Stealth as the bald one stepped into the clearing, moving into the Ruins with an exaggerated carefree swagger. Lucas decided his name was Baldy McSwagger-Pants. He was quickly approaching the eight Combat Spiders that were lurking near the Steel Seed. Brawler was stationed behind them, obscured by the opposite tree line. One Scout was following Korah, so he could keep track of her, and one followed himself in case he needed another set of eyes. The other two Scouts tailed Caleb’s party as they spread out to cover Baldy’s advance, allowing Lucas to track them on his Map. The Digger had buried itself near Lucas in a narrow hole, which he could use as a trap if needed.
The Infiltrators had successfully attached themselves to Caleb’s party only a few moments ago. He had Scryed through their Map skill to watch as they crept in Stealth to bury themselves into the Slaver’s bags and clothes as they stopped to talk. He could hear them. Since hitting 7 Spirit his Scry ability had unlocked sound. Unfortunately he couldn't understand their pseudo-European babble without personally seeing their Auras to activate his Natural Language skill. The ambush had obviously been spotted, but they would need to stick to the plan anyway. Lucas had no way to issue new orders from his position. If the slavers turned around now, at least the Infiltrator part of the plan was already a success.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
As soon Baldy McSwagger-Pants reached the centre of the Ruins, where Lucas had hidden the Steel Seed, the Combat Spiders sprung into action. The two Combat Spiders (the first he had ever made that had no Map) stepped out of cover and presented their combat stance, four Scythes in the air, as challenge to Baldy.
The other six Combat Spiders were hatched from a new design that included the Map. They were being fed intel from the Scouts and so were aware of the other enemies fanning out around them. They immediately set out into the Ruins to try and catch isolated targets from Caleb’s flanking force.
Having seen the spiders, Baldy casually put on a leather glove as continued to close the distance. A small shield with a spike in the centre was grafted to the knuckles. He made a couple of flashy manoeuvres with it, grinning to himself, then drew a short and thick sword from a scabbard on his belt.
When he had closed half the distance he shouted a battle cry and charged the two Combat Spiders. They spread out in response, positioning themselves so that regardless which one he attacked the other would be able to strike his flank. A few metres before impact, a flash of energy shot out of Baldy’s back and he suddenly launched forwards like a giant had slapped him from behind. A split second later one of the Combat spiders was struck full in the face by the man-projectile. They both went tumbling over the crumbled stone before the other Combat Spider could react.
Meanwhile, cries of alarm were sounding from several positions simultaneously as the flanking forces for both sides made contact with each other. From Lucas’s vantage near the tree line, he could see a warrior with a spear and leather armour attempting to fend off one of the Combat Spiders. His spear got chopped up like a piece of spaghetti in a blender, which prompted him to scream;
“Fall back! Shield wall!”
He never made it to the others.
The moment he turned to run, the Combat Spider leaped at him. Four scythes moved in a blur and opened half a dozen puncture wounds in his back before he hit the ground. The others seemed to have covered each other's retreat better, and soon a cluster of men were gathering behind a wall of shields. Various weapons pointed out of the shield wall to present a crescent of blades and pikes to the Combat Spiders as they closed in. His Combat Spiders excelled at one-on-one combat but, now presented with a unified defence, they seemed at a loss on how to approach without getting attacked from multiple angles.
“Now!” Lucas cried out.
An eight beat rhythm of heavy thuds started echoing through the Ruins, causing the Combat Spiders to back off and the Slavers to look around wildly. The thudding picked up tempo as it got louder, soon resounding into rolling thunder. Caleb’s voice bellowed out from the opposite tree line “Grappling net! Now!”
Two more Slavers emerged from the trees with a long metal tube just as Brawler crested a cluster of rocks in a headlong charge. The men with the grappling net set up and fired in quick succession, just as Brawler was about to make impact. A net of thick steel cord spread over Brawler’s face and Scythes, steel hooks snaring on the nearby stone. Brawler’s multi-ton momentum was far too great at this point, and the hooks only sent rubble flying as the men realised it was too late. Brawler smashed into the formation as they tried desperately to dive out of the way. Only the fact that Brawler’s Scythes were tied up in the net saved them from obliteration.
Men went flying into the rubble. Their bodies crunched and contorted, rag dolling helplessly amongst the rocks. Many of them managed to avoid a direct hit, but none of them seemed to have gotten out unscathed. They lay strewn about the area, getting slowly back to their feet or rolling around groaning in pain. One of the men ended up splayed out on the ground near Lucas.
“Stun Harpoon!” Caleb called out, tossing the men what looked like a spear gun with a long cord attached to a box on the ground. As Brawler was attempting to arrest its own momentum, a huge harpoon struck it in the side. Crackling energy ran down the cord and Brawler seized up. The damage to their defensive formation was already done, and the Combat Spiders launched a renewed assault on the scattered targets.
Caleb entered the battlefield himself, stepping out of cover to prevent a setback turning into a disaster. He dropped a crate at his feet. The front of it popped open when it hit the ground, displaying rows upon rows of foot long metal needles. His Aura took on the character of a field of static and needles started darting around the battlefield.
First he turned to the Combat Spiders descending on his men, sending out needles one by one with pinpoint accuracy. He punctured three of them in quick succession before they could deal lethal damage to the exposed fighters. The struck Combat Spiders immediately start convulsing, causing them to bounce and spin as all their appendages jerked uncontrollably against the rubble. Before he could get a clean shot at the remaining four Combat Spiders his attention was drawn back to Brawler. It had wrapped the cord of the stun harpoon around a massive Scythe and was fighting through the stun effect to slowly dislodge the harpoon from its carapace.
“Fuck!,” Caleb exclaimed and launched a barrage of needles into Brawler’s flank, he didn't stop until the behemoth collapsed into a spasming fit, its side bristling full of needles. He had turned back to scan for the Combat Spiders when Korah appeared from his side, having snuck her way between the rocks to get close.
Before Caleb could launch any needles her Aura washed over the area. It carried with it a wave of domineering energy so oppressive that Caleb froze, causing the hovering needles to clatter to his feet. He recovered almost immediately, spinning to face Korah as she closed the distance. Just as Caleb got hold of a cluster of needles, she flung her axe at him with both hands. Caleb reached out and froze the axe in mid air, but didn't get time to do anything else before she barrelled into him and they disappeared together behind some rubble.
The man who had landed near Lucas had got back to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood and a couple of teeth. Lucas let himself be seen. The man smiled, recognising Lucas immediately. Greed flashed in his Aura as he charged to catch up, obviously expecting to get a reward for bringing back the main prize. Lucas turned to run.
He already had his Brood Nexus out and a Fractal Mind summoned when the Slaver stepped over Digger’s pit trap. Digger erupted from the ground and clamped its thick, 5 Strength forelegs over the Slaver’s torso. The Slaver screamed, almost loud enough to mask the sound of his rib cage collapsing under the vice-like pressure. He passed the Brood Nexus to the Fractal, not willing to risk entering the Nexus trance himself. It used the Brood Nexus to hatch a new Combat Spider with the man’s life force while Lucas continued to scan the battlefield.
Brawler and the three Combat Spiders that got hit with the needles were still convulsing from whatever they had been injected with. That left four Combat Spiders in fighting shape. Six of Caleb’s warriors were up, having suffered minimal damage from Brawler’s charge. They were attempting to fend off the Combat Spiders to give the others a chance to recover. One of the men was apparently healing the others, golden green energy pouring out of his Aura to wash over the wounded. The healer was outfitted differently to the other warriors. He was covered in strange looking equipment that dangled off him from all angles, as if someone had decorated him like a Christmas tree using a cabinet full of military gear.
“Oh no you don’t,” Lucas said to himself, equipping his Regeneration Bracer.