The True Enemy Revealed

by Jason Cheek

  Unfortunately, Sarka knew that wasn’t going to be even close to being enough fire power to take down these assholes. From all her time spent teaming with Star, she, probably more than anyone else, understood the level of punishment a Nightmare player could take, let alone the amount of damage they could push out. Thankfully, she’d been teamed up with her sneaky teacher long enough for him to rub off on her as she got a confirmation from Lyle that the barrels were in place.

  A wicked smile came to her lips as she gave the large man a thumbs up. As Star would say, “If you aren’t cheating than you aren’t trying hard enough.” Not that Star actually cheated, but he was always trying to come up with ways to think outside of the box to push the odds in his favor. A frown came to her lips as she studied the approaching players.

  Most of the players seemed to be wearing nothing but social clothing, except for the collection groups that actually wore what looked to be quality leather armor. Almost everyone had a sword or dagger strapped to their belt, while those that didn’t carried ornate staves that proclaimed them to be mages. Honestly, that was the stupidest thing she’d ever seen. You could get more defense and bonuses from a sword and shield then you could a staff. The overconfident assholes striding down the center of the avenue weren’t even concerned in the least about what they might be facing and had even brought along the townsfolk they’d captured in their three chattel slaves lines.

  Luckily, the groups of two hundred and sixty slaves were in the far rear of the formation headed down the hill and wouldn’t be in danger when the trap was sprung. Still, she’d have to make sure she had a few troopers or, even better yet, zombies stationed in-between them and the battle to keep them safe. Studying the dirty women and children chained up like animals, Sarka’s face turned grim as she promised herself that she’d end these assholes lives whatever it took.

  She’d learned from Lyle that most of the Royal Army troopers had left their families in Darom when they’d loaded up on the ships. The plan was to have them semi-permanently stationed out of the city to be deployed as needed to protect the local shipping. Even the younger men who didn’t have any family along with them had nearly two months to find a special girl or two to call their own. Meaning, almost all of them had someone special waiting for them in the city.

  Seeing how most of the townsfolk had been either slaughtered or enslaved, the majority of the troopers under her command were nearly frantic to end these newfar and find out what had happened to their loved ones. If not for Star’s ability to Resurrect, many of these men would have deserted to find their loved ones. Seeing that the front line of the Dread Pack members was nearing the trap, Sarka called out in local raid chat.

  “Okay Sarka’s Avengers, begin casting!” As her words rang out, the entire raid began casting their raise zombie spell as the Dread Pack members neared the center of the trap. The timing was closer for her than it had been for Thomas, since she was trying to get her target into a tighter grouping of zombies. Too far spread out and her zombies wouldn’t be able to spring the ambush in time before the enemy had a chance to ‘Flame On,’ while too tight of a grouping could mean missing their target altogether.

  Silently, she counted down the seconds of the long-ass spell as she kept watch over their prey. A savage grin slowly grew on her lips as she mentally hit the count of five with the PKers centered perfectly in the trap … four … three … some asshat was stopping to comment about the Goblin and Orc bodies … two … one. As soon as her count hit zero, the entire horde of Elite Goblin Warriors of the first wave suddenly turned feral.

  The change that came over the street below was extreme. One second the undead were strewn out across the avenue dead as a doornail, and the next their eyes popped open and faces screwed up in feral rage as they began to hungrily spring onto the players and tackle them to the cobblestones. Agonized screams of terror rang out up and down the street as the Dread Pack members had their bodies torn open and the faces ripped off.

  Some players even had the misfortune of getting two or even three ferals on top of them as they screamed bloody murder trying to get away from the horrible agony of being eaten alive. A handful of the Dread Pack raid members had the fortune of being unscathed in the middle of the living nightmare that the street had turned into. A few had even had enough of their wits about them to ‘Flame On.’

  Not that it helped much, as the next group of high-level Orc zombies ripped into them like a pack of rabid wolves. The players still standing on their feet were immediately tackled to the ground by as many as three zombies, while the handful of players that had managed to get their Flame Shields up were assaulted by up to five zombies. The remainder of the undead horde was sent to harass the players that were successfully fighting back. But, before any of them had a chance to reach their targets, Sarka’s people were already tossing the heavy barrels of water off the rooftops and into the center of the melee, while the rest of her troopers opened fire with their bows.

  They’d managed to round up twenty barrels of water and had gotten them into position before the Dread Pack’s raid had gotten close enough to see their ambushers. While several of the barrels did actually hit a handful of players on the way down and knock several others over, that wasn’t the reason for their deployment. As the water momentarily flowed around the chaotic melee, but before the water could drain away down the hill, Yun’s Ice Barrage spell hit with spectacular results turning the entire battlefield into a mini winter wonder land.

  Without waiting for orders, the remainder of Sarka’s troopers picked up their bows and began firing into the mass of newfar as quickly as possible. The whole time, Lyle and Sarka’s voices could be heard booming out in local raid chat calling out targets as a few of the Dread Pack players managed to rip apart the zombies tearing at their flesh, only to find themselves turned into pincushions within moments of fighting back to their feet. Not an easy feat when standing on a sheet of ice, especially when arrows are slamming into your body. Surprisingly enough, the undead didn’t seem to be having any problems getting purchase on the slippery cobblestones.

  Nearly a minute had gone by when Sarka started to see groups of players climbing to their feet on the outer edge of the sheet of ice. Still moving zombie parts quivering and crawling on the ground from where the zombies had been ripped apart by the Dread Pack members’ unnatural strength. Within moments, Flame Shields began popping into place around the enemy as the entire battlefield became wreathed in flames. Screams of agony could be heard ringing out up and down the street as the Dread Pack members who didn’t get their Flame Shields up in time began to be cooked alive.

  “Everyone, new targets! Shoot the Dread Pack member on the far left side of the grouping.” Getting affirmatives from the various troopers in raid chat, Sarka’s voice screamed out. “Fire!” Instantly, forty-one shafts struck the player on the left.

  The effect was immediate as the man’s Flame Shield sputtered out as thirty-four arrows hammered into his chest. The look of utter disbelief on his face as he suddenly keeled over graveyard dead gave Sarka a feeling of satisfaction. The remaining four players were shouting excitedly as they swiped their flames across the buildings nearest to them looking for their attackers. Unperturbed, Sarka called out their new target as another flight of arrows took the next man in line out in the blink of an eye.

  “Lady Dazd, many of our troopers are reporting that they’re out of arrows!” Team Leader Runeschoff reported smartly. Looking down at the quiver strapped to her waist, she silently swore seeing that she only had two arrows left. Raising her voice, she called out in local raid chat.

  “Okay everyone. For those of you without arrows begin forming up at ground level to advance. Everyone else, we’ll take another shot and then join the charge.” Getting an affirmative back from her forty troopers, she called out their last target and fired. This time, the Dread Pack player’s shield dropped, but he only lost half health as sixteen arrows hit their mark. As the man staggered back screaming, she
gave Yun a hurried kiss on his cheek and nodded to Trent before taking off down the steps while she hurriedly packed her bow and quiver back into inventory. Slipping her shield off her back and drawing her sword, she hurriedly messaged Darkhorse.

  “Not sure where you and Ulia are at, but we could sure use a hand with three Flame Shielded newfar?”

  “Those two surviving players?”

  “Two?” Sarka asked in surprise. “There should have been three.”

  “Naw, we already handled that asshole.” Darkhorse said with a bark of laughter, before turning suddenly serious. “We’ve got more getting back to their feet.”

  “I’m getting ready to lead a charge down their throats,” Sarka replied grimly.

  “We’ve got your back,” the rogue said confidently. “Just hold their attention and we’ll do the rest.”

  “I just love the smell of BBQ in the morning,” she murmured back as she stepped out of the doorway to join the rest of her swordsmen. As Lyle silently gave her a salute and took up a position beside her, she gave him a confident grin and called out in local raid chat.

  “We’ve hurt these assholes bad. Now let’s shove our boots down their throats!” She heard a wordless roar from her soldiers as she raised her sword and yelled. “Sarka’s Avengers, advance!”

  ***

  A grin split Phoenix’s ruby-red lips as the Dread Pack raid came to a stop not ten yards away from her. Not a one of them took note of the Orc corpses strewn around on the ground at their feet as they lavishly leered at her statuesque physique, while Phoenix held a pose milking it for all it was worth. Men were so predictable, she thought with a laugh as she widened her thighs just a little bit more while arching her back and thrusting out her chest. She could almost see the men gulp as she balanced the double-headed battle axe off of one milky thigh.

  Not that she could blame them. Her long legs were a sight to behold, especially with the black knee-high boots and the silky smooth upper-thighs that were just visible. Honestly, the leather-skirt loincloth was a perfect touch and gave her the mobility she needed to fight. While the Red Coral Chest Piece protected most of her chest, Princess Enania had made sure that the crafters had left enough of a window to show off her abundant cleavage, especially when posed as she was. While it did make the armor somewhat less effective, it still allowed her to use her most effective weapon against the men.

  There was a slight shuffling in the mass of players that crowded around her in a half circle as a Level 34 Warrior named Rasmussen Jestes stepped forward with a wide grin. Adjusting his pants, he gave Phoenix an obvious once over as he sneered at her in a condescending voice. “Looks like we have a Red Sonja wannabe here, boys.”

  “Red Sonja?” Phoenix snorted in derision at the dark-haired creep ogling her body. “What, did you never learn how to read or did you not level up your Identify?” He continued, not giving the man a chance to speak. “The name’s Phoenix Sonata. Make sure you remember it.”

  “You’re name’s going to be cum dumpster when we’re through with you, sweet cheeks.” A level 32 rogue named Tigner BaneForU said with a snort as the rest of the raid chucked behind him.

  “Now … now, Tigner,” Rasmussen said with a grin. “I’m sure she’ll be more than willing to party with us after we heat her up just a bit.”

  “You’re right about one thing, Ramen” Phoenix said as she struggled to keep her temper in check. Breaking her pose, Phoenix sat forward as she placed her foot on a large stone while propping up her chin with an elbow on her knee. “I did come to party.” She said giving the Dread Pack members a savage grin.

  “My name’s Rasmussen, not Ramen,” he said, stepping forward threateningly.

  “Whatever you say, Ramen Noodles,” Phoenix said, laughing at him mockingly. For a split second, she thought the skeevy boy was going to have an apoplectic fit as his face turned red.

  “Do you have any idea who I am?” Rasmussen bellowed as he closed the gap between them to tower above her angrily. Before she could answer the man, Phoenix’s local raid chat came through with the message she’d been waiting for.

  “We got them,” Chris Fowle’s, her swordsman Team Leader, voice urgently said in her ears. “We’re casting now.”

  “Affirmative,” Phoenix replied in a whisper as she covered her mouth with the back of her hand and laughed while mentally sighing in relief. Finally her people were able to rescue the chattel line of townsfolk that the Dread Pack players had unknowingly brought into the middle of her trap. There had been two guards keeping watch over the prisoners that had to be taken out first. She wasn’t about to risk having them eaten by zombies when the trap was sprung. Now though, they were good to go, which meant Zhou and Ryane had carried the operation off without a hitch.

  “Oh my,” Phoenix said, dragging out the words as she languidly stretched out her body for all the players to stare out. Standing up in one smooth motion like a panther, she swung her battle axe to her shoulder as she stalked around the Dread Pack raid leader. Running a finger across his overtly broad chest suggestively, she kept an eye on the seconds ticking by as a giggle escaped his lips. Sometimes it was so much fun playing as a woman.

  “What is a girl to do when faced with such a skeevy looking guy such as you?” She asked in an overtly sexy voice as she came to a stop in front of him once again. Shaking her fiery red hair out, her voice took on a sickly sweet tone as she poked the raid leader in the chest.

  “You really need to either shave that scruff from your chin since you can’t seem to grow a real man’s beard.” Placing a finger on the angry man’s lips, she stopped whatever he was going to say as she leaned forward to give him a good look at her cleavage. “Star was one hundred percent right about you duds going to the same school of lame comebacks.”

  “You know Startum Ironwolf?” Rasmussen stuttered as his mind tried to switch gears after staring at her tits. Leaning forward, she whispered into his ear as her timer hit five seconds.

  “Who do you think sent me?” she innocently asked a second before her knee smashed into the man’s pubic bone with an audible crunch. Doubling over in agony, Rasmussen gasped in pain as the rest of the raid looked on in shock. ‘What a freaking moron,’ she thought. Before anyone could say anything, her iron-reinforced boot snapped forward to shatter the man’s jaw and send him sprawling atop an Orc’s corpse while she mentally counted down to zero.

  Within the blink of an eye, the Orc zombies strewn throughout the Dread Pack raid went from unmoving corpses to feral undead as they tackled the players to the ground before anyone knew what was going on. Phoenix was just out of reach of the pack of feral undead as Rasmussen screamed like a little girl, while the zombie holding him down tore off a long chunk of his face with a savage jerk of its jaws. That didn’t even take into consideration the long claws digging into his guts. As the second wave of zombies came rushing out of the shops and apartment buildings to either side of the street, she sent her own pet after the raid leader as she roared out in local raid chat.

  “Phoenix’s Reapers, attack!” she howled at the top of her lungs as she brought her two-handed battle axe down on the raid leader’s vulnerable neck. The PKer futilely tried to block the strike with his forearms as the massive blade cleanly sliced through the bones and flesh alike in the blink of an eye. Blood spurted into the air from the man’s amputated limps as she hiked up the massive blade to her shoulder and struck again with all of her might. This time the Execute took as the iron blade cleanly struck through the player’s throat killing him instantly.

  Doing a balletesque pirouette, Phoenix swung the oversized battle axe around in a circle to slam it into her next victim’s chest with a wordless shout as blood sprayed across her face from the meaty impact. Relishing in the screams of these scumbag bastards dying, she ignored the blood and gore dripping down her face as she drove into the attack with everything she had, while the rest of her troopers waded into the downed newfar alongside her with their blades flashing.

 
At first, they seemed to be cleaning house. Five swordsman per player with the zombies’ keeping the newfar distracted allowed them to wipe out over half of the raid in minutes. It was shortly thereafter that the players were able to fight their way back to their feet. Up and down the line, the Dread Pack began to get their Flame Shields up as they did their best to burn the zombie Orcs down. With a growing horror they began to realize that their Flame Strikes were barely doing any damage to the undead creatures as their shields began to fail. They were quickly reduced to fighting for their lives with their nearly nonexistent melee skills alone.

  Phoenix did her best to keep the enemy off their game as she flittered between their lines knocking their Flame Shields down with a few hits of her massive battle axe. Sometimes, she’d get a lucky Execute in while they were being dragged off their feet. Zhou and Ryane worked together with Brenna and Keela to take down any group of PKers that seemed to be getting their act together.

  The sounds of blades sinking into flesh and the clank of swords filled the air as Phoenix came to a stop. Her emerald green eyes studied the battlefield with the gaze of a veteran player. They were down to the last fifteen players, but these guys were fighting them tooth and nail. Catching Team Leader Fowle’s attention, she pointed to a group of swordsmen whose Hit Points were nearly in the red.

  “Chris, get those troopers back or Star’s going to have to waste time on Resurrecting their dumb asses.” She groused in annoyance as the swordsman gave her a fist salute and moved out. “Have them use some of that Combat First-Aid training they got from the Devil Dogs!” she called after the Team Leader’s retreating back as he gave her an exhausted grunt in agreement.

  “By the dark girl, did you bathe in their blood?” Zhou asked, coming to a stop next to her with Ryane at her back. Both women were breathing heavy as Phoenix gave them a grim smile back.