The very first line was made mostly of heavy armored footmen carrying reinforced iron tower shields. Their weapons were mostly short spears and halberds. It was more than obvious that their were made to close the distance between the armies. The only word that appeared in my mind as their description was “scapegoat”.
Yet I underestimated them. Indeed, they did draw attention of enemy forces – rain of arrows quickly fell from the sky, yet casualties were far lesser than I imagined. Equipment of greenskins was truly… trash. Arrows of different lengths flew everywhere. Maybe half of them dropped over shields raised above dwarfs head. And maybe one per ten managed to find a gap to slip in, just to bounce off their helmets and armors. Only few got wounded, and even these weren’t fatal damage. Bah! None even stopped moving despite arrow sprouting from their shoulder. Goblins readied another salve.
Yet something was still bothering me. Greenskins aren’t very smart. Yes, I can admit that their king could create some good strategy, yet then again – making it is one thing, and following orders is completely different case. I could see ogres in front of the gates kicking ground in anger and impatience, yet none of them charged.
Why? They are on the battleground, all they have to do is to charge at us and overwhelm with numbers. Indeed, on the open field where dwarfs can use their formations we would bleed them dearly, probably even win….
… but giving away the initiative… being passive… it’s not very goblin-like.
Behind the wall, bit deeper to the west
A small tent was raised on the hill so commanders of the greenskins could watch the battlefield from afar. It was made of grey leather so it blend with the rocks around it. If you didn’t know what you are looking for and wouldn’t come close enough it was impossible for you to notice it.
- “Why are we waiting here?” Ogre half-meter taller than his king growled “Our brothers are fighting, dying for us, and all we do is sitting and watching! Don’t you want to…”
- “What I want to achieve is only my concern, Grawhio, my and those who actually can think.”
- “You will achieve nothing as you are doing nothing!”
King raised from his bone-throne making the ogre to take a steep back in fear
- “Fine enough. I will tell you. Yes, our forces would most likely lose, no, I will not aid them to win, only to keep dwarf busy. Do you know why? Because I don’t know how they fight, because I don’t know what they have up their sleeves. I am willing to sacrifice them for the good of the horde.”
- “WE OUTNUMBER THEM 30 TO 1! We can squash them like bugs and…”
- “With what price? Our enemies fight with both valor and brain. On the open field I am more than sure that each of them can kill 10 if not 20 of us. We could break their forces, but there are always these that are protecting cities. We would be pushed back to the mountains, dwarfs would regroup, call for aid from different kingdoms and we would be slaughtered. Instead of this we should keep buying time. I am willing to lose a battle to win a war….”
- “BULLSHIT! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A COWA….”
Ogre was lifted by his throat in the air by king’s hand. He kept choking in pain as air was escaping his lungs.
- “Coward? How many of challengers did I defeat, including you? On that wall I send weakest, slowest and un-loyal to me. You may feel honored that you are sharing a place in this tent. Do you remember what I promised you? Our own place on this world. Place where we won’t be butchered, slain and hunted. Do you really think that it can be obtained without blood and sacrifice? You are going to disobey me because of your PRIDE?”
He released Grawhio from his grip, the huge creature hit the ground gasping for air.
- “I am willing to sacrifice 10th part of our army. Especially because we are lacking food… But, if you want to… feel free to gather your tribe and help them. If you want to die in vain, I won’t stop you. I have no need for fools.”
Ogre only threw angry gaze at the Oni before leaving.
- “Was it wise, my king?” Gobraw – king’s shaman asked “Many are dissatisfied with your action, my king. They may join him and charge at the wall…”
- “I would allow that - they would only buy us more time. We would gain more mobility and food.
- “…If they would win they would they would once again challenge you, these time as a whole tribe, not just a leaders…”
- “They won’t.”
- “But…”
- “They won’t.”
There was no point arguing with him. Sometimes he just kept repeating that something would or would not happen. And he was always right.
Battlefield.
Squads of 2nd and 3rd lines marched out soon after 1st. My heart jumped to my throat, in the end Gisele was marching with bulldozers in the 1st line of 3rd squad. Yes, 150 dwarfs were between her and enemies, but then again – knowing what she is like I was almost sure that she may just leave formation and jump in the heart of battle.
Ballista on the wall turned, aiming in the middle of the marching army, few goblins clumsily tried setting it in right way, before firing it. It both missed and landed in the same time – killing three dwarfs on the verge of formation. This war machine in better hands could cause much more damage.
Few sparkles appeared on the walls. Shamans started casting some lesser fire spells. It was an affront for every serious magic user. Still, these spells combined could be quite effective against dwarfs.
- “These many shamans? Fuck…”
I heard one of advisors behind me swear.
- “Don’t even bother with them. They are in my area of effect…”
- “But!...”
- “Just shut up and let me focus.”
I closed my eyes and found a spell on the battlefield with my mind. It wasn’t particularly hard task – dwarfs were dead-grey to me as the only source of magic shown from them were few dozen sets of runic magic. Few of the greenskins had some hidden magical potential and a sparkle of two escaped their aura.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
But raging spell that was gathering power in the middle of group of lesser mages? It was like spotting fireplace in the dark night.
Tsh. They call THIS fire? Such a clumsy spell-structure! Total lack of coordination! They didn’t have specified roles either! When group of mages cast a spell, one is responsible for keeping a spell structure from collapsing, another one was overwriting it with new elements, one would be regaling the amount and tempo of transferring mana so it wouldn’t blow right in their faces, and one should keep the spell safe from 3rd parties interference… all of that while chanting.
And they? Here everyone did everything. Spell was pulsating like a beating heart of men with arrhythmia, after dancing session on three-legged table as his pants was on fire during chainsaws juggling.
Kids, if you would ever want to cast a damaging spell with your friends, don’t do it like them. I will explain why using them as example. First – no one protects the spell from other magicians (Ok, level of influence that one can have on spell is greater when you are closer to it, still, as these fuckers barely know how to lit a candle, I can do something like that!).
Shamans faces got twisted in fear as their spell started changing structure and power consumption “on its own”. First it was meant to be a bubble that would flew a certain distance and “break” above dwarfs head coating them in homemade napalm. This is why flame inside was bit “liquefied” and calm inside as it had a sturdy layer all over it.
Guess what would happen if someone would turn peaceful insides into heat-sucking vacuum? Implosion was feasting on heat, flame and mana. As long as it was feasting as long the spell was working, this is why shamans did all they could to prevent spell from collapsing – sending more and more mana. But! The more mana, the more powerful was the spell and… less balanced was the structure. First, one of them should stop mana consumption, then reverse the power level slowly draining the core and empowering the barrier around them. Then, at the end I would…
Heavy explosion on the wall let me know that they would never reach the last phase of calming spell down.
- “Fucking pathetic.” I just rolled my eyes “When I saw mages I thought that they could keep me entertained… actually, I expected nothing, yet I am still disappointed.”
- “Y..You did that?” Queen asked
- “Yes and no, I just accelerated mana consumption and…” she had no clue about magic. None of them did. “Yes. I think that you can say it was me.”
DAMN IT! I feel so lonely! At first there was none I could share my puns! Then all alchemists I found were brainwashed corpo-slaves and finally no bloody magic user with decent humor around… DARALON! I MISS YOOOU!
Squads of the first line finally clashed with the enemies. As they were twenty or so meters away sergeant in first line let out a command in dwarfish after which his men hidden completely behind their shields charged onward.
Squads marching behind the heavy armored group carried small, light crossbow – easy to reload and carry, yet much more accurate and deadly than simple bows. They quickly kneeled, pulled the string with their hands (either because these crossbow didn’t require much strength or because they were ridiculously strong) put the bolt in it, aimed and awaited for command. Commander yelled loudly a single word after which 25 arrows left each squad.
Unlike goblins, almost every bolt hit its target. The chaos below distracted the forces just enough to let my little friends flew past the fortification undetected. They circled a few times. One turned around to report about what he saw right past the wall while his two brothers in arm flew deeper in.
Why only three of them? Because I left Sebastian on my arm. Just in case. I would prefer have him on the battlefield than die because of some lucky arrow.
After two salves, second squad’s line put their crossbows back on their backs and charged in to aid their friends. Friends that already suffered some losses. Ogres, easily three-four times bigger than dwarf sweeping left and right with their hammers kept pushing the heavily armored soldiers back. I was still more than impressed that they managed to hold their ground instead of being send in the sky.
Greenskins were a frightening foe. Their diversity of sizes and complete lack of respect for their smallest companion gave them un-expectable advantage – as ogres and bigger hobgoblins were smashing from above goblins would try to crawl through the gap between raised in the air shields and ground. If dwarf would notice a little greenskin on the ground below him, he would quickly smashed it with his shield breaking his spine, or even cutting it in two – as I was told later the bottom part of tower shield was as sharp as a blade – apparently it wasn’t the first time that the goblins tried this trick.
Few ogres would even grab goblin and throw it between enemies line – if it wouldn’t end impaled on one of the spears it could actually cause a small havoc, shattering formation for a moment or two. That moment or two was more than enough for the ogres.
Still, dwarfs didn’t sell their lives cheaply. Each of them managed taking at least a few greenskins with them before they fell down to the ground, never to see the light of dawn again. I saw as one of the squads shattered their formation on its own, first line of five dwarfs surrounded an ogre that was causing lots of troubles. Rest of the squad moved past them forming their formation one again behind ogres back cutting it away from his comrades. A monster was now facing five dwarfs – four foot men and one sergeant. Hey, aren’t these… the one that trained with Gisele the other day? I can’t tell for sure, they were too far away...
Line of 2nd squads finally reached frontliners. Shields moved to the side letting much more mobile forces flooded the battlefield in the blink of an eye, one handed axes and hammers did its job decimating enemy forces. Goblins and hobgoblins fell like trees hit by lightening, ogres were putting more of the fight, killing not-fast-enough dwarf in leathered armors with a single strike.
When greenskin somewhat got used to the new tactic, agile forces retreated behind their allies as quickly as they came in. Tower shields once again cover the vision of goblin-kin before their spears and halberds appeared in small gaps between them as they charged in, trampling dozen of little creatures and pushing bigger one away.
Then a horn blow.
- “Sighr awar da Gwardaro!” the yell shook the ground
- “Someone mind translating?” I politely asked
- “This is where the battle is over, kid.” Ironblood said proudly “It means [make way for the Bulldozers].
[In]famous squads in meteoric armors rushed at the battlefields. 2nd and 1st line was quickly moving aside making a way for the already charging forces. As soon as they moved past them wall of shields was shutting behind them. Army was moving like a living being.
The charge was lead by Ironblood son, of cou… wait…
- “THE FUCK IS THIS DRAGON DOING AT THE FRONT!?” Old Ironblood grabbed his head “SHE ISN’T EVEN WEARING A DECENT ARMOR!”
Indeed. Prince must have changed his spot in the heart of 1st line with Gisele, right now she was charging with her twin axes in hands. When the last line of front liners spread letting her pass through and see her enemies. She grinned widely as she jump in the air landing between two hobgoblins… which she already managed to deprive their heads. Her axes were dancing, splashing blood in all directions.
Her tempest of blow caused havoc, chaos and terror in the enemy lines. Dragoness was pushing forward, killing, crippling and damaging enemies as if they were nothing but bugs on the path of a raging storm. One strike for one creature. No more was necessary. Even if it wouldn’t kill him, the army clothed in meteoric-red armor would. Ogres first regained their composure charging right at her.
She ducked under the first blow then burrowing one of her axe in his calf forcing him to kneel, then she would quickly trade few blows with the second one, wait for an opening to smash it’s ribcage revealing his bleeding heart and lungs, just to turn around to the kneeling-crippled individual, and decapitate him cutting with her twin axes from the sides.
Red-squads following the prince quickly joined Gisele protecting her sides. She was the main actor of this bloody act, still, you can’t dance waltz alone. Body parts were flying in all direction when berserkers did their jobs. Greenskin were fighting back, simply their efforts didn’t bring any results. They barely slowed their charge.
Then, Gilbert landed on my shoulder after Sebastian gave him acknowledging nod. Little birdie quickly linked with my mind sharing his memory. I saw what was directly after the wall and that made my insides twist and turn. I could see how dangerous ogres were, all alone they could stop the charge and bring severe casualties upon the squad. In front of the wall, together with whole horde of lesser greenskin around fifty ogres stood their lines, half of them were already dead. Yet, just behind it over two hundred huge, strong, tall monster were waiting patiently for their turn. They could jump over the wall surprising dwarfish forces if they would approach the wall too close.
- “Good. Everything is going smoothly. Prepare riders. We are taking the wall…” I heard advisors talking behind my back.
- “Don’t!” I yelled “It’s an ambush! Call for them to hold their ground! Send another lines in, frontliners to aid them and set rangers to the side – tell them to shut over the wall!’
I kept shouting as I started taking the top part of mine clothing down.
- “Listen, brat, if you think that I will listen to…”
I couldn’t waste time on arguing. I got closer to him, grabbed him by his beard as I pulled him closer
- “I wouldn’t give a fuck if that would be only your nation on the line, but unfortunately for you there is my woman there. And if because of your foolishness she would lose but a one hair, you would get yourself calamity far greater than greenskin invasion – me. Capisci?! Great. Anyway I am out. There are few hundred more ogres behind the wall.”
- “W…where do you think you are going?!”
- “To save the day! Sing [I want a hero] for me!”
I said growing pair of insectoid wings on my backs preparing for a flight.