Pulling the Humvee away from the portal, Alvin scanned for threats. The town in the distance was still burning, but the massive undead army was nowhere to be seen. “Where did they go? It’s only been an hour. They couldn’t have gotten far.”
“If they ran with that buff, they could be miles away,” Becky reminded him. “Being undead, they might not get tired, either.”
“Fair enough,” Alvin admitted. “Do we check the town first?”
“They’ll have animated any dead that remained and taken those,” Wintersbreath said. “It’s more important to find and stop the necromancers.”
“Okay. We’ll circle out until we find the way they went,” Alvin nodded. “Mousie, your eyes are sharper than mine, I’m betting.”
“At night, I’m sure they are,” Kuro replied. “I’ll let you know as soon as I see a path.”
They drove completely around the town without finding anything that would indicate where the mass of undead had gone. “What the fuck? They surely didn’t vanish or fly,” Alvin complained as he glared at the darkness.
“There are three roads... they could have taken any one of them,” Wintersbreath said. “The question is which road? How long could they run faster than this vehicle?”
“The King’s lands are closest to the north,” Kuro suggested. “Maybe they’re headed there.”
“That would be the most logical choice,” Alvin agreed. “Get to where they have an ally to help them.”
“Whoever’s in charge of these fuckers has been cagey,” Becky said. “He might be headed in a different direction just to cause more carnage and replenish the losses we just inflicted.”
“Also a valid point,” Alvin sighed.
“Go north,” Wintersbreath said. “If we’re wrong, it will be on my head.”
“North it is,” Alvin agreed, maneuvering the Humvee to the north road and accelerating. “How far is it to the next town?”
“Sixty miles,” Wintersbreath said.
“About an hour,” Alvin sighed, “unless we switch cars again.”
“Just drive the Humvee,” Becky said. “It’ll be better for us than sitting in the base,” she finished, stifling a yawn.
“Got it,” Alvin said. “Turtle, music. Up tempo and energetic.”
The cabin of the Humvee was filled with music, but almost no conversation most of the way to the next town. As they got closer, Alvin’s lips twisted into an ugly smile. “Hello, assholes,” Alvin muttered to the outlines of figures that he could just make out moving in the darkness ahead of them.
“Going up,” Becky said, opening the roof hatch and standing up to grab the M240B.
“Wait until they see us or we get closer,” Alvin said, killing the lights.
“You got it,” Becky said, “but that’s going to make it hard to hit them.” She took aim as best she could at one of the four riders.
“I’ll turn them back on when they react to us,” Alvin said. “I want get as close as we can. We need to kill these four assholes.”
“If only the store had rockets,” Becky sighed. “Think of what even a simple RPO-A Shmel would do for us right now.”
“I’m surprised they had C-4, even as expensive as it was,” Alvin added. “Get ready,” he said, trying to get her focused again.
“I’ve been ready,” Becky said. Half a mile away, the riders could be seen to straighten up on their mounts and look back. “Lights!”
Alvin switched the lights on high. The riders winced at the sudden bright light just as the machine gun began to fire. Becky was able to knock two of the riders off their mounts before their shields flared to life. The remaining riders took off in different directions.
“Come back, you fucking cowards!” Becky yelled as she fired at the legs of one of the retreating sevras.
The army, which had been marching on the unsuspecting town, came to a halt and turned back toward them. The entire army swelled with power as they had before, but Alvin wasn’t about to let the two downed necromancers be saved.
“Mousie, remember how to arm the explosives?”
“Yes. I’m ready, Hero.”
“Going in. Just shove them out the window.”
“I knocked another one down,” Becky cheered. “Turn east after we kill the first two.”
“Got it.”
“I’ll try to buy us time,” Wintersbreath said, getting ready on her side.
“I’ll go between them. Get your satchel ready,” Alvin said.
“Understood.”
The two necromancers on the ground had just gotten to their feet when the Humvee went right by them. The two Elves turned in shock, and hadn’t seen the bundles that were dropped out of the Humvee behind them.
Alvin cut hard to the east once he was past them, with the oncoming army running in unison to cut them off. Twin explosions behind them dragged his gaze to the mirror. Two burning shapes were flailing around, napalm clinging to them to finish the job the ball bearings had started.
“Those shields are directional. It’s their weakness,” Alvin chuckled. “Mousie, hand the last two charges up to Gothy.”
“Yes, Hero.”
“Drop them on the fucker as we go by?” Becky asked as she took them from Kuro.
“Yes. We’ll play with the undead some, then retreat to the base again.”
“Again we run?” Wintersbreath asked tightly.
“They still have a leader, unless killing this one breaks them.”
Gritting her teeth, Wintersbreath held back her comments. She couldn’t argue with his plan when he was doing what none of the Champions had ever managed before.
“Bombs away,” Becky snickered, as they ran over the other necromancer getting back to his feet.
The dull thud of impact was followed by the sound of the Elf rebounding off the underside of the Humvee. As the vehicle sped off, the wounded necromancer began struggling to his feet once more just as the army caught up to him. The explosions from the two improvised satchel charges that Becky had dropped near him killed a score or more of the undead and coated the area in napalm.
“Three of four,” Alvin said, seeing that the army continued chasing them. “Damn, these guys are persistent. Let’s get some of them burning, then we’ll retreat. I have a new plan.”
“Got it,” Becky said, dropping into the back seat and closing the hatch.
Alvin slowed and waited for the army to catch them before he slewed the vehicle hard one direction, letting Kuro and Becky spray off their napalm, then cut back the other way for Wintersbreath to do the same. By that point, they had burning undead starting to climb the Humvee.
Summoning the portal, Alvin drove straight through it. The Humvee came to a soft stop just inside the garage, though it had been doing nearly fifty mph. He set the brake and jumped out, running for the kiosk room.
“Hero, what the hell?” Becky called after him.
“Stay there! We won’t be staying long. Besides, the Humvee has burning napalm on it, and if you open your doors, you might get splashed.”
The three women waited until Alvin came rushing back, pushing a cart ahead of him. He assembled the improvised mines and threw two through the portal, then stuffed some into his bag and handed the rest to Kuro as he got back in the driver’s seat.
“I want them to think we’re doing the same trick. We’re going right back out there, but the army won’t have dispersed much yet. Be ready to push those out your windows.”
“We’re going to detonate these next to the Humvee?” Becky asked.
“I hope to get us away from them, but if need be, yes. As soon as those go off, we’ll be laying into them with the flamers.”
“This is crazy,” Becky laughed. “I love it.”
“Let us wipe them from the planet,” Kuro added.
“For the Queen,” Wintersbreath nodded.
“Here we go,” Alvin said, backing the Humvee through the portal as fast as he could.
The army had already turned back toward the
town. Figures could be seen on the walls as the defenders got ready for the attack. A couple of the undead were busy looting what they could among those that had been killed by the explosions and fire, while a figure on sevra-back was supervising from a quarter mile away, a blue barrier still before him.
“There he is,” Alvin said, turning the Humvee around with a hard jerk and shifting to drive as he floored the gas.
When he spotted the Humvee again, the rider hunkered over his sevra and bolted. Becky wasn’t about to let that happen. She unlatched the gunner’s hatch and stood up, tossing an explosive into the crowd away from the direction Alvin was going, then grabbed the M240B.
“Oh, no you don’t, asshole,” Becky said as she began to fire after the fleeing figure.
“Wait for the others,” Alvin told Kuro and Wintersbreath. “If we get surrounded, drop bombs on them, then close the windows fast.”
The first explosive going off caught a crowd of undead, which had turned back for the Humvee when the necromancer bolted. Alvin chased the fleeing figure, taking them directly into the way of the undead army. Bodies bounced off the armored vehicle as Becky continued to fire after the Elf.
The rider twisted in his saddle, turning his barrier around to negate the rounds hitting him. Focused on the Humvee, he left himself open to the people on the walls and a number of arrows hit him and forced him to bring his shield around to cut off damage from that direction. Becky was able to hit him with the last few rounds in the M240B.
As the rider fell off his mount, Alvin chuckled, “Got him. Drop the charges, I’ll be summoning the portal in a moment.”
Becky ducked inside, locking up the hatch. “That should have gotten him.”
“Toss them,” Alvin said as the press of bodies began to stop the forward momentum from the vehicle.
Both packages went out the windows, which slammed shut behind them. Alvin called for the portal, and the Humvee was just able to crawl into it. Breathing out a sigh— the Humvee hadn’t taken the blast— Alvin began to laugh.
“That’s what I call a going away surprise,” Becky snickered.
“That took care of the riders,” Alvin said, turning off the Humvee and getting out. “Hopefully, that was all of the necromancers, which should turn that army into a mob.”
“Are we not going back out?” Wintersbreath asked.
“In a bit,” Alvin said. “I want to use the bathroom and grab a cup of coffee. Besides, the napalm needs to burn down a bit first.”
“We’ll be back out there in under an hour,” Becky said, gently touching Wintersbreath’s shoulder. “Your people just need to hold out for a bit on their own first.”
Nodding her head, Wintersbreath’s smile was grim. “Fine. You’ve proven time and again that I should listen to you.”
~*~*~
Rubbing the grit from his eyes, Alvin cracked his neck as the Humvee started. “Okay, last go around before we have to call it for the night. We’ll stay as long as we can, but we’re running on fumes as it is.”
“If I asked to stay behind—”
“As long as we’re not surrounded,” Alvin interrupted Winterbreath’s request.
Nodding, Wintersbreath touched the makeshift explosive next to her. “I’m ready.”
“Let’s do this,” Becky said as she got into the gunner’s position.
“I’m ready as well, Hero,” Kuro added.
Backing out of the garage, Alvin looked around for threats. The eastern sky glowed with pre-dawn light as Alvin spun the Humvee around to face the town. The town was being attacked by the undead, but the defenders seemed to be holding their own.
“Looks like we’ve done the job,” Alvin said. “Now let’s finish it.”
“Hell yeah,” Becky said as she got the M240B ready. “I see three large pockets on the wall facing us, Hero.”
“We’ll bomb them, then we’ll start the drive-by with the flamethrowers,” Alvin replied. “Amara, shift to the passenger side. Gothy, Mousie, then you for order of explosives. For the flamers Amara, Gothy, then Mousie. Everyone got it?”
“Yes,” Wintersbreath said.
“Understood,” Kuro nodded.
“As you wish, Hero.”
As the Humvee raced toward the wall, the defenders on top began pointing in their direction. A handful of arrows arched toward them, failing to account for the speed of the Humvee.
“Idiots, we’re on your side!” Becky hissed.
“Light up the dead, Gothy. That should show ‘em whose side we’re on.”
“Got it, Hero.”
The sound of the M240B opening up echoed against the wall. The defenders flinched from the sound, then began cheering as they watched undead start to fall.
“Thank you,” Wintersbreath murmured as she got ready with her flamethrower.
“You’re welcome, Amara. Now light them up,” Alvin said, the Humvee closing to within a dozen yards of the undead.
Three massive explosions and napalm made quick work of the undead attacking the town. Driving around the walls, they cut down even more undead, but not nearly enough to account for the entire army.
“Okay... where did the rest of them go?” Alvin muttered, blinking slowly as the sun started to color the horizon.
“We can figure it out after sleep,” Becky said as she closed up the gunner’s hatch.
“I’ll go speak with the Matriarch,” Wintersbreath said, unstrapping the flamethrower. “If you’ll pick me up after you sleep, please?”
“We can do that,” Alvin yawned. “Get some sleep yourself.”
“I’ll do what I can,” Wintersbreath replied, stifling her own yawn.
“Night, Amara,” Becky smiled at the Champion.
“Goodnight to you all, and... thank you again,” Wintersbreath said with a smile as she exited the Humvee. “I’ll make sure there is loot set aside for you.”
Once she was inside the gates, Alvin summoned the portal and backed the Humvee into it. “Sleep first,” he yawned again.
“Agreed,” Becky said.
Chapter Forty-nine
Waking alone, Alvin looked around, trying to figure out where Becky and Kuro had wandered off to. We came home and collapsed into bed together. Maybe they’re in the shower or dungeon?
Prying himself out of bed, Alvin went to the bathroom and heard the shower running when he got to the doorway. Chuckling softly, he went past the shower for the toilet, as pressing needs demanded attention first.
Becky and Kuro stepped out just as he flushed. “Damn, looks like I took too long,” Alvin said.
“I wouldn’t say that, Hero,” Becky smirked. “After you clean up, you can come join us in bed.”
“I’ll be along shortly,” Alvin said, kissing her and Kuro when he went past them.
Water poured over him while he washed up and Alvin considered the last few days. Mousie has been good with me. She hasn’t shied away at all. If anything, having Amara with us really helped her see the difference between them. We used Amara, but we pamper and care for Mousie. I wonder how she sees it?
Drying off quickly, Alvin went back into the bedroom to find the pair in bed. Becky had Kuro pinned to the bed and her head buried between the Elf’s thighs. His cock stirring, Alvin approached and met Kuro’s gaze.
“Hero... use us, please,” Kuro whimpered, her eyes fluttering as Becky drove her closer to orgasm.
Alvin climbed into bed behind Becky. “I think I will, Mousie. I’ll get to you in a bit. First though, I need to show a certain gothic temptress that she was right: sharing is caring.”
~*~*~
When the three of them finally left the bedroom, they were wearing the pleased expressions of the sexually satisfied. Jarvis was in the kitchen, cooking, and had a pot of coffee ready on the table.
“Good evening. I’m cooking dinner. I hope that is alright with you?” Jarvis said as he glanced over his shoulder at them.
“Sounds fine,” Alvin said as he took his seat and poured coffee. “How
long were we asleep?”
“It is eight at night, sir.”
“Fuck, we were out,” Becky said.
“We spent a couple of hours not sleeping,” Kuro murmured.
“Fair enough,” Becky snickered.
“If I might intrude for a few minutes,” a voice said from an empty spot at the table.
Elven Accord Page 36