The gaunts snarled and shrieked at Lanek, angered by his explosive volley. However, they were learning at the same time, spreading out and using the trees for cover. Lanek turned back to his companions and shook his head.
“I don’t think that is going to be all that useful moving forward. So, let’s draw the bastards to us, straight to the gate. We could run through the woods, but I don’t want to risk some of them getting distracted and deciding to follow Talwarg and the others. Ograch, how are you on arrows?”
“I’m out, I’m going to have to fight up close now.” Ograch hefted his axe. Lanek considered him for a moment and found himself wishing that he had given him those hand axes he had found to Ograch.
“What about you, Ivan? Any tricks up your sleeve?”
“Many, but nothing that will come in useful for this fight aside from my fists. My class is strong, but it needs prep time to be really useful.” Ivan said apologetically.
When Lanek turned to Liv, she spoke up first. “I’ve got everything I need, you already know how I fight. Although, I wouldn’t say no if you had a bear I could use.”
“Nope, sorry. All out of bears.” At Lanek’s words, Liv sighed theatrically.
“Okay, here’s what I’m thinking. I want Liv on the left side of the gate stabbing anything that comes through. Ograch and Ivan, I want you supporting each other on the right side. I know you guys can take care of yourselves, but neither of you have a shield or the range that Liv’s spear gives her. Now, I don’t want them to know you are here, stay out of sight to either side of the gate. I’m going to go out there and get them worked into a frenzy, make them chase me right back through the gate. Once I get back, I’ll take my spot where Talwarg was standing behind the barricade and we’ll keep them busy. Any questions or suggestions? I’m no expert tactician or strategist, so please share any ideas that come to mind.”
When everyone indicated that they had no other ideas, Lanek drew his sabre and readied his chain whip. Within seconds, Kazuma and Sanguineus had returned to their vessels and Lanek’s form began to be obscured by mist. Meanwhile, Ivan started rummaging around the area, being careful to stay out of sight. Ograch glanced at him curiously, but said nothing.
With a shouted challenge, Lanek burst through the ruined gates and rushed straight to the towered bulwark, marveling at his newfound speed. As he neared his target, Lanek’s weapons went to work, slashing and stabbing through the lesser gaunts that tried to intercept him. With every kill, he could feel Sanguineus howling in glee and Kazuma’s quiet satisfaction.
His reflexes pushed him to his limits, the shade from the mist and the trees activating the powers of Sanguineus’ Vessel. He easily slipped to the side as the bulwark’s massive club-like arm came swinging down toward his head. Slipping past the bulwark, he smoothly pivoted to thrust his sabre into the hollow behind the bulwark’s knee, the blade slipping in up to the hilt before being pulled free. The bulwark screeched in agony, a far more high-pitched sound than something that size should have been able to produce.
However, this was not enough to bring the creature down. It turned slowly, attempting to bash Lanek once more, but the creature was obviously meant to be a living siege engine and not a fighter as it was ill-equipped to deal with speed. By the time the creature’s hand slammed into the ground, Lanek was already in position to thrust the sabre through the back of the creature’s other knee. This time, the bulwark crashed to the ground, screaming piteously. Lanek allowed the mist to fade as he stood atop the bulwark’s back, easily visible to its companions before slamming his blade through the base of its skull, ending its life instantly.
Shrieks of rage erupted as the gaunts charged at the newly visible threat, desperate to eliminate the man who had slaughtered the bulwark. Using his whip to keep the raging gaunts at bay, Lanek sprinted back toward the village gate, not bothering to bring the mist back. In fact, he couldn’t bring the mist back as he had released both Sanguineus and Kazuma into the forest before running back. Even now, gaunt stragglers were being isolated and slaughtered by the two magical beasts.
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Lanek reached his position behind the main barricade and turned to face the oncoming threat. Suddenly, he watched as fire blossomed within the gaunt ranks. It wasn’t a massive explosion, but a rapid series of small explosions that were disorienting the enemies and killing any gaunt unlucky enough to be struck directly. Looking around for the source of the explosions, he discovered Ivan hard at work using a small chisel to carve glyphs into small rocks, turning them into makeshift grenades that he then lobbed over the wall.
As the first gaunt burst through the gate, Lanek didn’t even have time to strike before Liv’s spear thrust into its side, giving off a deathly chill as it penetrated the gaunt’s flesh. When she withdrew the spear, the gaunt did not fall, but stood there, seemingly frozen in place and obstructing the charge of its fellows.
Ograch attacked rapidly, his axe deliberately aimed for limbs. He wasn’t trying to kill the gaunts, just cripple them so that they got in the way of the rest of the gaunts. In short order, he had created a pile of gaunts that were missing legs and making it difficult for the remaining gaunts to reach the group.
His friends were so effective and brutal in their tactics that Lanek was a bit taken aback for a moment. However, he was thankful that he wasn’t the only one that had grown stronger recently. His companions had clearly gotten stronger, although he wasn’t sure if it was a class evolution or if they had simply leveled up. It didn’t really matter, he was just happy that he could rely on their strength.
While his companions kept jamming up the entrance with their tactics and Ivan kept those outside of the walls confused, Lanek used his whip to pierce the throats and eyes of those at the extreme edge of his range. With the gaunts fully engaged in the battle, Lanek gave the order to begin falling back. The villagers had left not too long ago and he would have loved to give them more time, but he could see more gaunts joining the fray. It would seem that the creatures had received reinforcements, including chargers.
The chargers worried him, if they managed to break through their defenses, the chargers would have no problem catching up to and decimating the Night Arrows. He had to act now. When his companions pulled back past him, he sent a salvo directly into the gateway, blasting dozens of gaunts back. He walked backward slowly, unleashing salvo after salvo, pausing only to consume another core. Between his strikes, Ivan, Liv, and Ograch would throw Ivan’s rock grenades into the gaunts.
Finally, they had enough distance between themselves and the gaunts that Lanek gave the order to flee up the hill at Ivan’s request. As they retreated, Kazuma and Sanguineus joined them, having recalled themselves as it was now too dangerous to prowl the woods and hunt. Kazuma started to push out massive amounts of mist, covering the entire hill as Ivan started scattering his rocks in a fan-like pattern behind them.
At the top of the hill, Ivan dumped the last of his rocks into a pile near Talwarg’s home before turning to Lanek. “One more volley into the gaunts, if you please. Aim for the base of the hill. Once you send that volley at them, we need to run like hell.”
Lanek didn’t respond, he simply complied and let off what would need to be his final salvo as exhaustion was threatening to bring him down. The gaunts, having been disoriented and blinded by the mist, screeched and charged up the hill now that their hated foe had revealed himself. The companions turned and ran down the hill as quickly as they could, Kazuma keeping up the mist cover as best he could.
Meanwhile, the gaunts discovered that Ivan had carved more than grenades. As they rushed up the hill, the rocks detonated when any creature came within a meter of them. The Lothenae had created a minefield and it was taking a terrible toll on the monsters. However, whether it was from stupidity or rage, the creatures continued to charge up the hill.
When the creatures reached the top of the hill, Ivan came to a stop as if sensing their position somehow. The rest of the party turned back and looked at Ivan questioningly. The Lothenae gave them a toothy grin before snapping his fingers with a flourish. The hilltop behind them erupted into a massive fireball, consuming everything on the crest of the hill and sending a shock wave into the surrounding forest and startling hundreds of birds into flight.
“Fucking hell!” Lanek yelled. “I thought you said that you needed prep time?”
Ivan looked Lanek dead in his eyes before responding. “The hill is still there, isn’t it?”