Chapter 057:
Anton had no idea what happened but whatever it was it brought the cornered Orcs and Clansmen from their defeated resignation to a fiery defiance. It had taken a few moments after the Clansmen had been blasted from the top levels of the Governors Mansion, with the same white magic the Yellow Goblin Commander used. Seeing that white light again explained a lot, especially how they had managed to get through Nonbu'rn's walls. Was there a mage there with a glyph, like himself and Verona? Or did they have some sort of charm, like Duchess Belinda supposedly had?
Alfred had quickly retreated up the wall and next to Anton. He seemed quite distraught that he had failed to get their surrender.
“That's a shame.” Alfred said, shaking his head. “I thought they might have actually decided to surrender this time.”
“Seems like it would have added quite a bit of weight to Duchess Belinda's name too.” Anton replied.
A twinge of anger flashed over Alfred’s face, but he fought it down.
Perhaps it was both, he wants to improve Duchess Belinda's prestige and save lives when he can. It's not impossible to do both.
Anton softened his own face, to which Alfred relaxed as well. He realised he may gave spoken a bit more rudely than he had expected.
“It would have. But...At least we can deal with the threat in one go. Even if it involves the destruction of the mansion. Keeping it intact would be better though...that would have-”
“They're moving.” Kal said, pointing to the guards visible at the far side of the mansion. Shields were being raised and the few archers that they had readied their bows. A few shouted and waved for anyone to respond.
“Of course they're not going to come to us.” Verona said. She turned on her power and drew up the blood she had stored.
“We'll hold anyone that tries to come through here.” Alfred said. “We need you to take care of the breach. Hemiskr, Conrad. Take as many soldiers as you need and pursue them. I'll send someone to look for that one that fell from the top.”
Anton nodded and looked along the wall. Hemiskr and Conrad ran either side and rallied the soldiers, Hemiskr followed behind Anton.
As they could not bring their horses up here there was little choice for them but to run along the wall. With the smoky air choking their lungs they ran as quickly as they could, the soldiers glancing towards them as they passed. He heard Verona and Kal behind him, though now he was regretting not having trained his body, even if it was only for a short time every day. While he could use his prayer power to compensate he did not want to use up such a valuable commodity. The bag of Karak fruit bounced on his backside with every step. At least he knew where his reserve was.
A thought was continuing to bother him.
Are they just going to use that white magic to blast a hole through the wall? And what are they going to do next? They can't complete their mission. And the worst they can do is burn this city down...So it just seems like they're going to kill themselves and bring down as many as they can with them. Sad.
His question was soon answered. Once they passed halfway around the mansion he could see the mass of Orcs and Clansmen spilling out and towards a thick iron barred gate. There was a surprising number of them. It also seemed as if they had not lost anyone, the ground was so thick with movement.
He ran a bit further and stopped, forming three non tethered lightning rings and sending them over the enemy. As the lightning began to crackle and roar into life something glowed white at the front of the mass of soldiers. It grew brighter and brighter before collapsing into nothing. A large white sphere flew froward and smashed into the wall. The stone wall smashed and exploded into thousands of pieces, the soldiers on top thrown high into the air. A cry rang out and the enemy charged.
Anton stopped dead. He watched those thrown into the air, tumble and scream, as gravity took hold once again and threw them to the ground below. As their bodies crashed into the ground the lightning rings burst into life and threw their bolts down at the enemy. Many burst as the bolts struck, but the charge kept on moving. The archers tried their best but could not stop the flow.
“I think we should keep moving.” Verona said, rushing forward and grabbing his hand.
“Right.”
Anton let loose a few more lightning bolts after the enemy. Despite their losses the Orcs and Clansmen continued their frenzied charge into the smouldering city and into the streets. They seemed to be heading north. He glanced behind and saw nearly all the Qaiviel soldiers hot on his heels, Hemiskr leading from the front.
“Anton!” he said through breaths, waving for them to continue. Anton doubted that he could stop without being crushed by those behind. “We'll take the brunt of their attack while you support us. Don't want you killed by them right at the end of this thing.”
The soldiers at the front cheered and raised their shields. They continued down the closest ramp to the ground and followed the enemy horde through the rubble of the wall. Conrad and more soldiers joined them from the other side. Shields locked together while spearmen and archers moved forward to attack through the gaps. The Orcs and Clansmen were very far ahead and moved far more quickly than they could.
In order to catch up they had to break formation and run. Anton, Verona and Kal moved to the front so they could keep fighting. Anton threw lightning bolts over the soldiers and into the rear of the enemy force. It was enough to panic the enemy into attacking them. A screaming force smashed into the shields.
Verona summoned her blood shards and threw it into the horde, keeping herself behind the safety of the shields. Their screams filled the air and they began to run away again.
“They know they can't win.” Verona said, continuing to attack. “Why don't they just give up?”
“No idea.” Anton replied. “Though it doesn't matter much now.”
Another Orc and Clansmen group charged at them. He dispatched them with two small lightning bombs, much to the relief of the tired shield bearers. The mob continued to spread out amongst the city streets. Every branch they passed had some enemies running away. It seemed that their leadership had completely shattered. The smaller groups had stopped running and began to smash down the doors of houses. Screams quickly rang out as they killed the cowering occupants. He did not know if this was an order or if they were just trying to go out with a bang. It was terrible.
“They're just killing everyone!” Verona exclaimed. It was bringing back memories of the Yellow Goblins.
“We need to take out that lead Orc.” he said, trying his best to move forward. “That's the one that can use that white magic. If we can get him we can break them completely. He's probably the last leader they've got. They'll be stuck in here and then they'll be easy prey for us. It won't save everyone but they won't be able to blow up any more walls.”
He stopped and flung a lightning bolt at a group attacking a home. They were dragging out a family before their attacker's chest exploded. Some still survived.
“Someone, take care of them.” Anton yelled.
A dozen soldiers, and a few archers, peeled off. The Orcs ran away while the Clansmen stood and fought. Outnumbered they were quickly cut down. Anton sighed as the Qaiviel soldiers moved forward again, revealing more splintering groups either side.
“I can't see the leader, the one with the white magic.” Verona bobbed her head as high as she could. She could not see over the mass of Qaiviel soldiers and the enemy. Neither could Anton as he threw another lighting bomb over them.
“I can find him.” Kal said. She had been very quiet during everything so far. He could feel the determination radiating from her. For what reason he was not sure.
“Can you?”
Kal furiously nodded. She pointed upwards, to the tops of the buildings.
“I can climb the buildings and run along the top. I can move faster up there than I can down here.”
Another surge of Clansmen pushed hard against the Qaiviel soldiers. The Orcs seemed more content with running away and letting the Clansmen die in their place. Verona raised her blood shards above her, and slammed them into the enemy. They screamed in pain before they backed off and the Qaiviel soldiers pressed their attack.
Their advance was slowing down as the enemy began to form improvised defences. Some from destroyed buildings and even from their dead comrades. It was horrible, but it was working. Anton could see the rest of the enemy force disappearing through the gaps. If they took much longer the enemy force could escape. Then it could take days or even weeks to hunt them all down, especially if the Border Forts were besieged by the annual invasion. Time for them to cause untold damage.
“Okay Kal.”
She started to bounce slightly in joy, eliciting a chuckle from both of them. He liked seeing her acting so happy. Though coming from a battle where people were dying all around them was a little disturbing. Still, he felt that he had little choice if they were going to have a decent chance to catch the leader Orc before he escaped. But sending her up against magic like that made him feel ill. He did not want to find her dead.
“But.” he raised his hand to stop her, Kal cocking her head in question. “You are to just follow and try and stop them from leaving the city. If you can't, don't worry. And don't fight that magic user directly. I don't want to find you dead. Understood?”
Kal took a deep breath, slowly nodding.
“Okay.” she said resolutely. “I will follow your orders.”
I don't think they're really orders, but....
“Good luck.” Verona said, turning to the front lines. She pushed through the soldiers, keeping the crystal shards above her, and dove into the enemy. More screams and shouts of pain erupted into the air.
“We'll push forward as fast as we can. Please, don't do something stupid.” he almost pleaded with his voice at the end. He did not want to find her body after the battle.
“Okay.” Kal said.
She moved close and lowered her head, refusing to raise it as the seconds passed. Confusion filled his mind for a brief moment before he guessed what she might want. Tentatively he reached out and patted her head. She did not protest, in any way, until he stopped. Saying nothing she took a step back and bowed again.
“Thanks.” her voice was far more light and fluttery than usual. Even the way she said thanks seemed to be out of character for her. “I will complete your order. And return."
She took a final glance at him. “To you.”
It was so quick and quiet that he was not sure what he heard. Kal turned to the nearest building, rolled back the cloth on her hands to reveal the tips of her claws, and lept onto the wood. With her hands and feet she scratched and clawed at the wood, slowly ascending the building. It was clear that she had done this before and was quite skilled. She turned and gave a final nod to Anton, continuing to climb the building.
“Good luck!” Anton shouted after her. He had no idea if she heard as she continued to climb.
---[]---
Kal ran over the top of the homes like she was wind. Every step barely clinked on the baked clay tiles of the roves. They were not laid at a harsh angle, so she did not have to worry about sliding down. Her feet, with her claws exposed, moved so much more quickly than before. Part of her had forgotten how fast she could actually move. Far more quickly than any human could.
Below her, through the small gaps between the buildings, she could see the Orcs and Clansmen running through the city streets. There was no order or reason to their actions anymore. They were just going to have some fun before they died or were captured.
Where is that magic user? Anton said....I need to find him. I can do this!
She looked down but could not see anything different amongst the Orcs and Clansmen.
He'll probably be heading to the wall to escape. That strange white magic...Something about a Yellow Goblin?...
She followed the direction of the enemy heading towards the wall. However the city street turned into a cross roads. There was a considerable gap between the roves, more than she could just walk across.
“Okay. It's just a running jump. I've jumped bigger ravines before.”
Kal glanced down at the running mass of Orcs and Clansmen, hearing the tell tale cracks of Anton's lightning coming from behind. Hearing that made her feel strangely warm inside. Not as warm as just before. She had remained still so Anton could pat her. For once she was glad for the cloth covering her face. He would have laughed if he saw how red her face was and how her mouth and ears twitched in nervousness. She did not understand exactly why she did it, but she did. A pleasant warmth trickled throughout her body as he touched her head.
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A shout from below snapped her back to reality. The enemy was being bushed back. Verona at the front, the red crystals shimmering against the light. Her daydreaming and reminiscing had taken too long and they had gotten away.
Focus on the order you were given. Don't mess up the first thing you've been entrusted with!
She took a deep breath, flexed out her toes and hands, and ran at the the gap. At the last moment she lept with all her might, flying through the air before landing on the other side. A few clay tiles broke and slid out from underneath her but otherwise she landed fine.
There were five more large gaps, and numerous smaller ones, until she caught up with the front of the mass. The building that she stopped at was still on fire. Smoke bellowed out of the gaps between the clay tiles. Several giant sagging holes had opened in the roof and bellowed out even more smoke like a chimney. Warmth came through the tiles, a fire still raging beneath in the building below. A tile dislodged with the tiniest push of her foot. It tumbled down into the building, letting out a new chimney's worth of smoke. Amongst the smoke she could smell burnt flesh. She shuddered at the though of being burnt alive.
I've seen worse ways to go...Or not to go. Poor Lucia....
Focusing herself back on the present she moved low and looked out from the edge of the building. Towards the street below. Amongst the front of the mass there were far more Orcs than Clansmen, so many that she had to search for one. In the center of the front she could see an Orc that seemed very different to the rest. He was slightly smaller and not dressed in their armour. Compared to the back of the Orc soldiers he looked more like a noble than a warrior. Yellow, orange and blue bright clothes. The way that they took orders from him she guessed that he was a leader, though it was not clear if he was the magic wielder. It was a good place to start.
None on the ground seemed to know that she was there. For all her worrying about ambushes from above, it seemed that it was all for naught. That was a little annoying. Now she was the one that was about to start hunting them.
She crouched down, to steady herself, and checked the arrows in her quiver. There were not that many, about thirty left. And she only had five left with the Kobold poison coating. She still had the clay bottle with her, just in case, but that did not help the limited number of arrows.
Magic, like Anton's or Verona's, would be really handy now.
The Orcs yelled and jeered, pushing harder towards the wall. Right now they were halfway to the wall. And there was nobody in the way to stop them.
My orders were to follow and try and stop him if I can...I've got some arrows...So...
She nocked and loosed an arrow into the horde. It struck an armoured Orc in the head, next to the suspected leader. He fell over onto the leader, who shouted in surprise and pushed him away. His green face drew down in anger as he saw the arrow sticking out from his head.
The Orc glanced up and his eyes connected with hers. A strange feeling of revulsion filled as she looked into the Orc's face. He turned and started to push the Orcs forward even faster.
She loosed several more arrows at him, but they seemed to miss him and strike the Orcs nearby. She knew that she was a decent shot at this range but it did not seem to matter. It was frustrating. Very frustrating.
How am I missing him? It must be magic. At least I'm taking down your friends.
Reaching back, she pulled out one of the poison coated arrows.
Wonder if this one will work? I'm not going to fail my first mission!
As she drew hard on her bow the lead Orc turned towards her, something silver in his hand. A moment of dread flickered over her as she thought that he had, somehow, managed to take her precious medallion.
No, it's not that.
The silver object began to glow very bright.
Run or Fight?
She already had the bow drawn.
Fight!
She aimed, not at the lead Orc, but one next to him. The arrow struck him in the arm. A heartbeat later the Orc's face contorted in pain. His body buckled and thrashed about, hitting the lead Orc in the head. His body recoiled from the strike but the magic did not stop. As the glowing white light condensed to a point, Kal ran away with all the strength she could muster. Infront of her was the section with a partially collapsed roof, smoke still bellowing out. She jumped over the hole with ease and kept on running.
A blast of white came from behind. She winced as the magic exploded behind her, almost as loud as Anton's lightning magic. A quick glance back and nothing had happened to the roof.
Shouting came from below. She was too far away to hear the words but it sounded angry. A death cry, from an Orc, rang out before being silenced.
Kal slinked towards the edge to see what was happening. The building groaned and started to rock back and forth. Kal outstretched both her arms in an attempt to steady herself but it was of little use. Another terrifically loud groan, as loud as the white magic, came from below. At the ground level.
The building began to buckle and groan, fire damaged wooden beams tearing themselves loose from the adjacent buildings. Clay tiles smashed and slid into the fires below, letting out even more smoke and heat. Groans of wood grew as the building began to fall apart. There was no time to think.
She had to run.
With every morsel of strength she could muster she ran towards the adjacent building, away from the street, still standing strong. The roof slipped away from underneath her feet as the building crumbled into nothing. Red fire and smoke poured out of the collapsing building. She leapt as far as she could but it was not enough. Smoke and dust plumed up from the crashing building, obscuring her vision. Her fingers scraped on the exposed beams, her grip to weak, before she fell down into the dust below. Something smacked into her face and flung her backwards into the tumbling smoke.
---[]---
Kal's head throbbed, like someone was trying to beat her brain. She knew this sensation. She had just been knocked unconscious. Though, judging by the rapidly dissipating headache, she had only been unconscious for a few moments. The rest of her body throbbed and stung with every movement.
Where...Where am I?
A few clays tiles slid off her as she rose. Splintered and charred wood was underneath her hands as she steadied herself. Somehow she had survived. While she had not ridden the collapsing building down she was now on the street level. A fall like that would have broken every bone in her body, and yet she was barely injured.
Smoke and dust filled the air. Every breath was laboured, the cloth blocking the worst out. She could see nothing beyond her own outstretched arms.
Focus! The Orcs! They're still here!
Kal slapped her clothed face, the sting forcing herself to focus and alert. She lay to the side of the rubble of the collapsed building, forming a large barricade. Sounds of fighting, and the occasional rumble of lightning, came from behind. She had fallen to the other side, near the head of the mass of Orcs.
Through the rubble of the building many hands of Orcs and Clansmen stuck out.
How many were buried alive?
The main street had been blocked but there were many other ways around. Small passageways that covered the city. Soon the Orcs and Clansmen would be there from both sides, followed by the Qaiviel soldiers. She did not want to be caught in the middle of that.
In front of her, through the clearing smoke, several figures started to move closer. They were too large to be humans. Dread creeped over her.
Kal reached for her quiver but found her back empty. It had been thrown loose in the fall. It was only an arms length away and still filled with arrows, somehow, with her bow next to it. Thanking a strange streak of luck she recovered her weapons, a quick check telling that both her daggers remained on her hips. If if was Tethra, that kept her alive and near her weapons, she would build the largest temple the world had ever seen.
“You still alive, you little runt?” A voice yelled out.
It came from her side of the collapsed building, through the smoke. More figures started to emerge. They were Orcs, covered in soot and dust, and ready to fight.
With the air almost cleared Kal counted eight Orcs. Normally she would have been utterly petrified by seeing just one Orc. Now she felt eerily calm, like she had ever since coming on this journey to Qaiviel. All she was thinking of was how to kill these Orcs and get away. She glanced at where the building had collapsed, the fires still flickered within. Wooden beams could act like a ladder, they could easily let her escape and she was much faster than an Orc. If it came to that.
I can't take down eight by myself, not without making some distance....I'll need to get creative.
Taking a few valuable moments Kal backed up the ruined building as far as she could, nocked and drew back her bow.
I might be able to get one or two by talking to them....maybe.
Seeing their large, square, green faces gave her pause.
They look so similar to the nice ones we met at the lake. They were the first people to call me...cute. Nice people. I can't believe that they are from the same clan.
She loosed an arrow into the Orc at the back of the group, striking him between the eyes. The Orc slumped to the side, dead. When she aimed at someone, other than the leader Orc, she found her mark easily. Whatever that Orc had it would be difficult to deal with. The others glanced back giving Kal time to ready another arrow.
“Are you the leader?” Kal asked, hoping to catch the Orcs off guard and perhaps get another arrow in before she had to panic.
The slightly smaller Orc, the one looking more like a noble than a warrior, scoffed. He kept the other Orcs in between him and Kal, even though she was sure that he had some sort of way of deflecting her arrows. Something at his feet caught her eye. It glistened in the light, a small round silver disk, nearly broken in two. A terrifying instant flickered past, a thought that it was her medallion again.
That's...That's the glowing amulet that made the white magic. That's good. He won't be able to use magic to get out of this. Maybe he'll surrender and this whole thing will be done. And I'll be able to go home...
“I am.”
“Then you should surrender. You've been given a chance, you won't get another. Better that you get to live another day and return to the mountains. To your family. To have the sun on your face for another day.”
The leader cocked his head and frowned.
“Sounds like a slave.” The lead Orc smirked. “That's what a slave from Seocuria would say.”
Kal clicked her tongue. She had hearkened back to what she had heard, day after day, in Seocuria when a slave tried to calm down a fellow slave from doing something stupid.
Damn it. I hate it when things like that happen. It’s been too long since I've been able to talk to someone properly. Like when someone calls me a Feline...
That though made a little flutter cross her heart. Her body twitched to say the numbers, something beaten into her from as early as she could remember. She focused on the Orcs.
“You should give up before the army gets here.” Kal said.
The leader looked behind her.
“It seems that they've got a bit to go through first.”
The debris of the building was quite large and looked difficult to move over. The armoured soldiers would take some time to clamber down, and the Orcs could easily flee before that.
A rumble of lightning came from behind again. It was far closer than before the building collapsed. Their army was still advancing. She needed to buy more time.
“What's your name?” Kal asked the leader Orc. “I think that you're in charge of this army.”
It was a blatant attempt at flattery. So long as it bought her time she would say whatever she needed to.
“My name is Zig. First born son of Xugug, Warlord of the Wrath of Doom.” A demented smile formed on his face. “Not that it's going to matter to you for long.”
First son?...
“It's not just me that's attacking. You should surrender if you want to live. When Anton gets here-”
“That's the Grand Mage?” the leader asked.
Kal nodded. “And he'll only ask once. And if you don't...he'll kill you.”
“Then we'd be better be gone before then.”
He nodded to the other Orcs. They raised their axes.
Guess they're not going to listen anymore. I bought a few moments though.
Kal loosed her arrow at the closest Orc, it stammered out a squeak before collapsing. Six remained. They glanced at each other as Kal readied another arrow and fired. The Orc took one step before falling down dead. She almost smiled at how easy it was to take down them down; their weapons may have been terrifying, but their armour left many vulnerable parts exposed. Especially their faces.
The Orcs charged, another two falling before they even got closer to her. They were so much larger and terrifying up close.
She dropped her bow to the side and brought out both her blades.
They may be big, but that doesn't meant they're quick. I just need to use that.
She ran at the closest Orc, his face stunned by the speed at which she crossed the distance. He desperately brought down his axe but Kal was already too close, within his arms and able to press against his body. The axe missed her back while she replied with a quick thrust into his throat and gut. Blood spurted out as the other Orc slammed into them both from behind, sending them falling over and onto Kal.
The Orc's body was far too heavy to push away. Kal slinked underneath the falling body, retrieving her blade and cut out sideways, ensuring his death.
She bounced and lunged at the other Orc, using the dead Orc to launch herself further. He was stunned that someone could recover that quickly and barely readied his axe before Kal slashed his throat. With the last attacking Orc fall to her blade, a spurt of blood coming from its slashed neck, a glint of light came from her right.
The gleam of an axe head came into her periphery, followed by a flash of yellow and orange. She jumped back and raised both her daggers to block it, but her strength was weaker than the Zig's. She managed to stop the axe but it quickly bored down on her face.
She removed her right blade, running it along the handle and slashed at his hand and quickly darting to the left so the axe would continue to the ground. She pushed with her left hand on his axe to make sure it missed, getting another cut in. Zig yelped in pain, dropping the axe and kicking her in the gut. The very breath was knocked out of her as she tumbled backwards. She threw herself into the movement to create as much distance as possible. Something wooden broke beneath her. A quick, and forced breath, and she was back to life.
Her chest was sore from the kick but the pain only made her even more angry.
I've had it worse. Far worse. And this isn't going to stop me from getting back to my new home and friends!
The quiver now lay at her feet, but her bow was broken in two. But, the clay pot of Kobold poison was at the bottom. If she could just get to that...
“This is actually a bit of fun.” Zig laughed as he wrapped a piece of cloth around his hand. The dagger had cut deep into his green hand and blood poured out. He did not seem that interested in Kal, he knew that she did not have a bow.
Does he not care? No matter...
She forced her hand into the quiver and brought out the bound clay pot of poison. Zig finished and looked up at her, she had to hide the pot behind her feet.
“Aren't you worried?” Kal asked, another echo of a lightning blast resounding through the streets. “You can't get away anymore. You've lost your little silver disk.”
“That's what you think....” A slight scowl overcame his face. “Ivano...Oh well.”
He brought out another small axe, wielding both of them.
“I've already told them to get out of the city, however they can, and cause as much destruction as possible. Do you think a wooden gate, attacked from the inside, will stop them for long.”
“I think that you're going to be abandoned by your own people.” Kal fingered back for the pot and started to unbind the lid. It was difficult to use the blade, keep the pot upright, to stay steady and not reveal what she was doing. “They could have climbed over that building by now.”
A scowl formed on his face.
Something about that his face just feels...wrong.
“I'm going to enjoy breaking your body.”
Kal shrugged, finally freeing the lid off the pot and dipping the edge of her dagger into the viscous green liquid.
“I've had it far worse.”
Zig chuckled.
“Not today you haven't. Slave.”
Kal growled. She hated that word. She slowly stood up and held her daggers in a reverse grip, keeping her legs bent.
Zig cheered, raised both his weapons, and charged like a raging beast.
I will not fall here! I have a home and people that care about me, and I will get back to them no matter what!
---------------
Hello!
The enemy has charged out and they're giving chase.
The next chap will be from Kal's perspective as she deals with the Orc commander. He's got a Charm, basically the way for people that don't have a glyph to use magic. Duchess Belinda has one, we'll see that a bit later.
Kal's got a big fight on her hands, using everything she's learned to survive the fight. Let's see how she does...
So, thanks for reading. And for any and all Donations!