Lanek pushed [Nature’s Rampart] further, calling his companions back silently in order to collect their seeds. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to make a large bastion, so once he completed the small enclosure surrounding the shrine he started on a second project. This time, he focused on a low wall around the perimeter of the group, roughly 10 meters out from the walls of the shrine’s enclosure, dropping seeds as he went. While we waited for more materials, Lanek urged the wall to take shape, concentrating on making it as bushy as possible.
The typical gaunt was not a very intelligent beast, throwing caution to the wind for savage, swift attacks that worked very well for overwhelming their enemies or taking advantage of a breach in their foe’s formations or fortifications. However, Lanek meant to take advantage of that tactic, envisioning long thorns nestled and hidden inside those bushes. As Pharaoh and the rest returned to drop off their haul, Lanek took the additional seeds and completed the circular wall, using the extra materials to make the thorns even longer and stronger.
Finally, Lanek dropped a few seeds near his feet, causing his companions to look on in confusion as another thorny bush grew before him. This time the thorns were not as hidden and Lanek proceeded to cut the forearm-length thorns. Once he had trimmed all of the thorns and was satisfied with the stack of arrow-like thorns, Lanek ordered his skill to remove the bush, causing it to shrivel away. Normally, he wouldn’t mind leaving it in place, but he didn’t want any signs to give away his plan.
“What’s with the bits of wood?” Liv asked, eyeing the nasty looking thorns.
“Projectiles. I have a skill that lets me fire them at the enemy. Let’s hope it works, I’ve not had the chance to test it out yet.” Lanek responded while stabbing the thorns into the ground for easy retrieval as he took up position at the hedge wall. “I don’t know when these things are going to get here, but I want Ograch on top of the enclosure. I left a platform up there for you to stand on and pick the enemy off. I want you to focus on any advanced forms if you can. Sound good?” Lanek said, turning to his companions.
“Aye. Can I get an extra set of eyes up there?” Ograch asked, dismounting from Reaver.
“Yes. Kazuma, go with Ograch and watch his back. Also, keep an eye out for anything that gets through the wall and let us know. If none of us look like we can get to it, feel free to kill it yourself.” The big cat chuffed in response and leapt to the roof of the enclosure and lying down to wait for the enemy to arrive. “Alright, could you guys ask Reaver and Yuri to steer clear of the wall and only respond to call outs from Kazuma or Ograch? I’ve already asked Sanguineus and Maximilian to do it and only step in if the front line gets overwhelmed. Liv and I will be the first line of defense with the range that our spears can give us.”
The group agreed and took up positions with only Ivan not budging. “Will the roof hold another person? That elevated position will be perfect for determining when to best detonate my mines.”
“Is that what you were doing? Sure, it’ll hold. Set them off whenever you deem fit.”
“Got it.” Ivan said, patting Yuri and pointing at the structure. With a snort, the bear settled down next to the building and waited for the lothenae to climb onto his back before standing again, his height allowing Ivan to skip most of the climbing. Ograch, who had been in the process of scrambling up the side of the enclosure, gave both of them a baleful look.
“Those two get along.” Lanek said, smiling at the antics of his companions.
“I’m not surprised, Ivan has been sneaking treats to both Yuri and Reaver the whole time you were gone. Honestly, I think he was trying to get more comfortable around them.” Liv responded, eyes never leaving the horizon as she kept watch.
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“I’ll get started, then.” Pharaoh said, flying toward the shrine. “Once I have deposited her soul, I will stay at the doorway to keep her safe. I’ll call out if I feel the gaunts approaching.”
They stood watch for several hours before Pharaoh called out to them. “They’re coming. It feels like they are all around us.” The cat sounded quite calm for a creature that had just announced that they were surrounded.
“Confirmed!” Ograch yelled from the rooftop a few minutes later, the cat having detected the gaunts long before they had entered visual range.
Not bothering to give any more orders, Lanek picked one of the thorns from his bag. They know what to do, no sense repeating myself or nagging them.
Arrows began flying overhead, Ograch letting loose as the gaunts silently closed in. However, once the first arrows landed in their midst, the gaunts discipline broke and they filled the air with their familiar, hateful shrieks. They burst into a charge, Ograch sniping the impales and chargers from afar, but avoiding the larger bulwarks. Makes sense, his arrows probably wouldn’t pierce their hides, but maybe my thorns can.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t target the bulwarks yet, his [Splintering Dart] skill informing him that they were out of range. Lanek began to grow concerned as the barricade would do nothing to slow those behemoths down, regardless of the dangers hidden inside. Suddenly, an explosion thundered across the battlefield as Ivan triggered one of his mines just as a bulwark passed. The gaunts near the detonation were thrown into disarray, the explosion having turned the bulwark into a mass of mangled flesh while the debris pile had launched a hail of deadly shrapnel into the nearby force. Sadly, much of the shrapnel had been absorbed by the bulky gaunt, but enough got through to maim and kill half a dozen lesser gaunts.
Knowing that the gaunts would likely avoid the debris piles or spread out more, Ivan triggered the rest of his mines in quick succession, blasting apart as many groups as he could before the mines lost their effectiveness. Meanwhile, those beasts that were not in range of one of the mines continued to charge onward, heedless of Ograch’s arrows and the explosions. As they came within range, Lanek fired off his dart for the first time, his thorn speeding toward a bulwark before splitting into five smaller projectiles, four of which Lanek directed at several chargers that were building up speed. Whatever ability these have, I really hope they are effective against this big bastard.
Lanek need not have worried as the projectile easily pierced the bulwark, seemingly doing nothing at first. A second later the gaunt’s skin seemed to ripple before thorns burst from its flesh. Even from this distance, Lanek could see larger thorns tearing the gaunt apart from the inside before it collapsed. Elated at the effects, Lanek began launching a tide of projectiles, thinning the crowd before they crashed into his and Liv’s portion of the barricade.
All around the companions echoed the screams of agony from the gaunts as they attempted to crash through the hedges only to be impaled by the hidden thorns. Lanek and Liv set to work finishing off those stuck in or slowed by the hedge with their spears. Their animal companions set to work frantically putting down those gaunts that had made it through.
Lanek swore when he saw the enemy getting through, not having anticipated that the gaunts would simply force their way through by using their already impaled comrades as shields. He wanted to rush over to help, but he was busy with his own front. Thankfully, Ivan hopped down from the roof and began lashing out at the gaunts with his fists, working his way toward one of the breaches.
Moments after the lothenae reached his target the area was rocked with another explosion. Sparing a quick glance, Lanek only saw scattered pieces of gaunts where the breach had occurred and smoke rising from Ivan’s gauntlet. Well, that and the disturbing grin on his face.
Ivan planted himself in front of the breach, body smoothly dodging the incoming gaunt strikes before dispatching them with a flurry of punches and kicks. Occasionally, the lothenae’s target would explode and take out several more gaunts behind it in a cone-shaped pattern. Ivan seemed perfectly safe and capable of holding the line while waiting for the runes on his gauntlets to recharge. His companions shuddered when they caught faint sounds of chuckling coming from their friend, typically after his explosive strikes were triggered.
However, none of the party’s attacks were quite as effective as the savagery exhibited by Yuri, Reaver, and Maximilian. The three had clearly come to some kind of agreement as they had left the barricade behind, sallying forth to intercept the bulwarks while they left the interior of the fortification to Kazuma, Sanguineus, Ivan, and now Ograch as he had run out of arrows.
Lanek watched during a lull on his front as Yuri clashed with a bulwark in a contest of strength, which the bear appeared to be winning. As Yuri focused on his opponent, Reaver and Maximilian would savage the enemies closing in on the bear’s flanks, their talons proving to be very effective at slicing through gaunt-flesh.
Lanek surveyed the battlefield, wondering just how long this battle would go on. The gaunts seemed to have no limit to their numbers and he could see no end to their reinforcements. Is this what it’s like when there isn’t anything to thin their numbers, like the Depths or the shifter nest? I hope Lira and Invidros finish soon...