Homesteading on Jord

by Allan Joyal

  The club was headed right at Ximenia. A cry of warning died in my throat as Borlan grabbed his wife and pushed her out of the way. He took the blow on his right shoulder and tumbled from the platform. We could all hear the grunt of pain when he hit the ground.

  "Borlan!" Ximenia shouted as she knelt down to look at her fallen husband. Verval turned and thrust a spear into the face of the orc who had made the attack. The monster released the wall and fell to the ground on the outside of the wall. Inside I could see Esme running to check on our fallen friend.

  "How is he?" Ximenia asked worriedly.

  Esme pulled the spear out from under Borlan's body and carefully rolled him onto his left side. Ximenia cried out in anguish as Borlan's right arm became visible. His shoulder was clearly dislocated.

  "He's dead!" Ximenia wailed.

  "No," Esme said. "He's breathing fine."

  "How is he?" I asked as I watched the orcs. An argument appeared to be going on between one wearing an elaborate headdress and his two lieutenants. The chief appeared to want to do something involving a bejeweled staff, and the lieutenants were trying to stop him.

  "Dislocated right shoulder. His left arm has a deep gash just above his elbow; it looks like he landed on his spear. I can bandage the arm, but I'll need help to repair his shoulder. This is a severe dislocation. He won't be using his right arm for a few weeks," Esme said clinically.

  "But he isn't saying anything," Ximenia moaned.

  "He's out. I think his brain understood just how much pain he was in and shut down. He's better off, but I need help to move him. Right now only Mary, Gertrilla, and I are down here," Esme said.

  I was about to say I had no one to spare when Soldrin called out. "I'll help. I don't have a sling."

  "Corwar, why doesn't Soldrin have a sling?" I asked.

  "We ran out, and he never was herding, so when we made one he never got practice. What can we do?" Corwar asked.

  "Krysbain? Is your bow around here, and can Soldrin try it?" I asked.

  "Lenoir has it," Krysbain said. "She's set up just north of me. She's been practicing with it since I got hurt."

  "Soldrin, help Esme get Borlan moved to someplace where he can rest. Then you can take the spear, but be careful on the wall," I said.

  "Hey!" Corwar shouted. "I'm the oldest boy I should have the spear."

  "You're already fighting and you have a sling. We need the slings more than we need another spear. You can help keep the orcs from reaching the wall," I said.

  "Ron, the leader is doing something," Heather said using the shaft of her spear to get my attention.

  I turned to look out across the battlefield. The leader was carrying the staff as he walked through the still standing orcs. A path opened up allowing him to walk in front of his tribe. Once there he held the staff over his head and shouted something.

  The orc threw the staff down. It glowed for a moment and then transformed into a cobra larger than any snake I had seen before. The orcs backed away as the leader pointed towards us.

  "Fuck me!" Al murmured. "How do we fight that thing? It looks big enough to eat a man."

  "How did he get it to appear?" I asked quietly as I gripped my spear tightly.

  Piemal and Corwar both launched stones from their slings. Their attacks proved useless as the stones bounced off the scales of the monstrous serpent. It was looking down at the lead orc and ignored their attempt to hurt it.

  "Reminds me of that gator thing that attacked Eddie," Lydia said quietly. "Ron how did you hurt that thing?"

  "Stuck my spear into its open mouth. I'm not sure that's a good idea right now. I see something green dripping from that thing's fangs," I said.

  "If we don't kill it before it gets to the wall, we could be wiped out," Lydia pointed out.

  "I'm thinking, I'm thinking," I replied. The serpent had turned to look at the wall. It had raised its head well above the ground and was swaying back and forth in a hypnotic pattern.

  "It's a magical construct," Cimbra said with a gasp.

  "What?" Heather asked as she moved to stand next to me. I could feel her tremble as she tried to keep her spear pointed at the massive monster.

  "Some wizard must have trapped a demon in the staff. The demon uses its magic to form the serpent when a command word is spoken," Cimbra said. "My people use something similar, but prefer that their summons look different."

  "And it still works?" I asked. "Also how did the orc know the words?"

  "Who knows, perhaps it got passed down from leader to leader," Cimbra said.

  "More likely they found it recently and it was a simple command word, or they got it off some ancient spirit. I've heard tales of a ruin north of Saraloncto. Supposedly the spirits of at least two of the wizards who fought during the fall of the empire still dwell there. They are infamous for making offers that are difficult to refuse," Krysbain said.

  "Why would they do that?" Al asked as the serpent turned back to look at the lead orc.

  "Never mind that, how do we get rid of the thing?" I asked. "Aine, Lenoir, Lydia can any of you hit it in the eye?"

  There was a twang from my left as a crossbow fired. The bolt bounced off a ridge of scales that protected its eye. In response, the monster's tale whipped out, flashing over the wall and slamming into Aine.

  The poor girl was thrown from the platform and fell to the ground with a scream. "Aine!" Al shouted.

  "Don't look away from the serpent!" I warned. The serpent was turning its head to look at the wall again.

  "I can feel the magic," Shaylin said tiredly. "So much, but it's centered around a single point."

  "What does that mean?" I asked as the serpent began to move toward the wall. The head was still thirty feet away, but the dead eyes of the creature looked through me as it advanced.

  "Can you dispel that point?" Cimbra asked. "Do you know that magic?"

  "I know a trick that would try to draw the magic from the point," Shaylin said. "But I've never tried it against that much magic. I might not be able to contain it."

  "Start using it," Cimbra said as the serpent started to slither towards the wall. "If the magic is too much tell me, and I'll try to use it in a spell."

  "Working on it," Shaylin said. The young woman raised her hands and held them in front of her like she was holding a basketball. At first nothing happened and the giant serpent continued to approach slowly, pausing when a stone ricocheted off its scales. It appeared to be most interested in Corwar as it made its way across the battlefield.

  It was almost close enough to strike when the form of the snake flickered. A bright ball of light spawned between Shaylin's hands. The serpent reared back and opened its mouth. The monster turned left and right fighting against some invisible bonds.

  The ball of light kept slowly increasing in size. At the same time the serpent reared back as if it was screaming in pain. A stone launched from the south struck the right fang on the monster and snapped it off. Vast amounts of sickly green liquid poured from the wound as the serpent turned and struck at the wall. Piemal had to dance out of the way and fell from the tower he was standing on.

  I heard a loud snap from the ground. Piemal screamed in pain. No one on the wall turned to look as the serpent began moving southward.

  Shaylin grunted, and I glanced over at her hands. The ball of light had grown to the point where it was maybe a centimeter away from her hands. "Cimbra?" I asked.

  "I'm going to channel it away. Shaylin can you keep it up," Cimbra asked.

  Shaylin's response was filled with pain and fatigue. "I can, but barely. The magic isn't in the serpent, but where the staff was dropped."

  "Can anyone see the staff?" I called out.

  "It's not there," Heather said.

  "Slingers, aim where the staff was dropped," I shouted.

  A scream of pain and rage rang out next to me. I looked over to see that Cimbra had her right hand on the ball of light Shaylin had spawned. Her left was pointing at one of the two lieuten
ants for the orc chieftain. A bolt of what looked like red lightning shot from her hands.

  The light struck the orc. He was flung from the clearing and back into the trees. We could hear a crash as the orc's body struck something. A moment later we could see that a tree had fallen in the grove.

  Cimbra collapsed against the top of the wall. I looked over, and the ball of light had shrunk, but was continuing to grow. "I can't hold it much longer," Shaylin said.

  "I see something!" Dafalia shouted. "Corwar, Yveney there is a pale blue glow!"

  I could hear the snap of slings being used. A couple of puffs of dust appeared on the ground near where the orc chief stood. The third struck something. There was a brilliant flash of light. The ball of light in Shaylin's hands flashed.

  Our young mistress of magic gave a cry of surprise and fell back. She stayed on the platform, but was sitting down on the wood with her hands at her sides. I knelt down to check on her.

  "No more magic for today," she said tiredly. "I've done all I can."

  "Ron!" I heard Esme shout. "I can't move Aine."

  "What?" I asked as I looked over the wall. The chief and his remaining lieutenant appeared to be arguing. I could see a large number of orcs streaming off to the north, but enough remained to worry me.

  "She can move her arms and legs, but she's complaining about pain in her upper back. I'm not sure if anything is broken, but if it is, moving her could leave her paralyzed," Aine said.

  "What do you need?" I asked.

  "A back board and pads I can use to immobilize her neck while we move her someplace more comfortable would be nice," Esme said. "One of those healing potions would be perfect."

  "Natalie, is there anything you can do to help?" I asked.

  "I have found a potion that will heal bones," she replied. "And I can brew it, but it takes three hours."

  "Do it. Esme make her comfortable and make sure she doesn't go into shock. We'll hold," I said.

  "Can we?" Al asked. "Ron I just have me and Ximenia on this part of the wall. Everyone else is hurt."

  "Just Henck, me, and Gerit left on our platform," Lydia said. "We can hold maybe one more charge."

  I looked over at Heather. She smiled sadly. "I'll stand with you Ron, you know that."

  "Me too," Cimbra said. "We have to stop them one more time I think.

  Chapter 36: Hold the Wall

  Everyone looked out at the orcs. The chief appeared uncertain as his final lieutenant tried to organize a band to charge the walls. It was clear that the majority of the orcs had no real interest in attacking our walls. Many stared at the pile of bodies that lay at the base. I could not be sure, but it appeared that more than twenty orcs had already died in the small area in front of my wall. I could see more bodied scattered over the field, felled by sling stones or crossbow bolts.

  The lieutenant slowly began to accumulate a small platoon. They had a hungry look as they stared at the wall. It was a band of only fifteen or so. I stepped up to the wall and took a tighter grip on my spear.

  The lieutenant orc appeared to give up on convincing more members to join in. He raised the rusty sword he was carrying and pointed it at us.

  "Here they come!" I shouted. I could hear the whirr of slings being raised up and spun as the orcs started forward at a slow trot.

  Unlike the earlier breakneck charge the orcs had performed, this time they moved at a deliberate pace. One took a crossbow bolt to the shoulder, but he kept moving forward, ignoring the wound.

  "Damn!" Lydia shouted. "These guys are serious."

  Corwar released the stone from his sling. It knocked a club out of the hands of one of the advancing orcs. The monster reached down and picked up something from one of the many bodies that littered the battlefield. The creature reared back and threw something at Cimbra just before another sling stone caught him in the head.

  Cimbra yelped. I turned to look and found that some kind of short spear had caught her in the right shoulder. The stone tip had penetrated her blouse and blood was seeping down.

  "Off the wall and have Esme or Natalie check that," I said as the orcs came closer

  "But," Cimbra said as she moved her dagger to her left hand. "I can just remove this and keep fighting."

  "Don't think that," I snarled. "Right now the wound isn't bleeding as much as it could, but you'd need to remove the spear, and then it will. Get it bandaged first."

  Cimbra set the knife on the platform. She used her left hand to steady the spear as she turned and jumped down off the platform. I could hear her call for Esme.

  The orcs were now almost at the wall. Several threw hooks over the wall. Heather and I dodged the ones aimed at our section of the wall. I used my spear to knock a couple back from the wall, preventing them from latching onto the top of the wall.

  One hook caught the top of the tower where Piemal had been. The orc that threw it had advanced close to the wall. I leaned out and thrust the spear. I had thought to aim for the orc's head, but the monster jumped up, and my spear caught him in the armpit. The monster roared in pain as I pulled the spear back. He released the rope he was holding and collapsed to the ground.

  I was continuing to withdraw the spear when two clubs struck the top of the wall next to me. I tried to swipe at the arm holding one of these clubs as I moved back from the wall. I could feel the edge of the platform with my right foot as more clubs struck the wall.

  One orc got an arm on the top of the wall. He pulled his body up, but instead of swinging his club he dropped it on the platform and put both hands on the top of the wall. He started to pull himself up as the fight continued.

  I thrust the spear into his face. The orc tried to duck his head to the side, but I opened a gash on his right cheek. Heather finished off the distracted orc by driving her spear into the creature's ear. It fell from the wall.

  The pressure did not diminish. Most of the orcs were either trying to climb the wall, or jumping up and swinging their clubs blindly. It was not too hard to dodge, but the impacts they made on the top of the wall made it clear they were very dangerous.

  Heather and I were the only ones left on the middle platform. We dodged the clubs as we continued to try to slash the arms that held them. For the most part we were successful, but it seemed like the number of clubs striving to end our desperate defense never ended.

  "Corwar? Where is the lieutenant?" I asked.

  "He's just a few steps back," the young man called back. "But I'm out of stones."

  "How many did you have?" Heather asked as she ducked under a wild swing.

  "Yveney suggested we each have fifty," Corwar said. "I've already asked if Thom or Haydee can get more from the river, but they haven't returned."

  "Did Piemal have any left?" I gasped out. The constant defense was tiring me.

  "Yveney got those, she's the best shot we have on the wall right now," Corwar said. "But I don't think she can see that lead orc. The tower would shield him."

  I could see that Heather was tiring. The sounds of combat from the rest of the wall suggested that our remaining defenders were exhausted. When the next attack came I waited until the club had passed and then grabbed it with my right hand. I used the momentum of the club to pull me to the wall and then wildly thrust the spear out, trying to snap it at the lead orc once I could see him.

  The lead orc happened to be stepping forward as my attack began. I caught him in the eye. The monster dropped immediately as my body rammed into the wall.

  Heather gave a squawk of fear as three clubs descended at me. I deliberately dropped to lie flat on the platform. The clubs missed me, although shards of stone from one club showered me. I suffered several cuts to my arms from the flying stone before I could roll away from the wall and struggle back to my feet.

  "They are falling back," Corwar called out.

  I had managed to rise to one knee when the entire platform shook. I had to put a hand on the ground. Heather fell down. Her head was close to the wall. Before she could stand
up a hook sailed over the wall and landed directly on her back. She screamed as it ripped into her skin.

  I lunged for the rope. I grabbed it with my right hand and yanked. The hook slid free as blood welled up across the back of Heather's dress.

  The rope in my hand jumped as the orcs pulled on it. I used the spear to fling the hook back over the wall and then released the rope. Then I moved over to check on Heather.

  "They are retreating," Corwar said.

  "Heather," I asked as I put my right hand on her shoulder. "Please, I know it hurts. How bad is it?"

  "My back has been ripped off," Heather said with a sob.

  "Not ripped off, but it's ripped up. I don't think it broke any ribs, but you have a wide gash up the left side of your back," I said as I looked at the wound. "Esme needs to see it.

  "But the fight," Heather protested.

  "It's time to end it," I said firmly as I stood up and put both hands on my spear.

  I looked over the wall. The pile of dead orcs near the wall had increased considerably. I could also see that the orc chief only had a small band still around him. There might be a few orcs hiding in the trees, but it appeared that the rest had left.

  I took a deep breath and then jumped over the wall and dropped down to the ground. My feet slipped a little on the blood that coated the area, but I managed to steady my stance.

  "Ron!" Lydia cried in alarm.

  "I never asked to be brought to this world," I shouted. "But some wizard with more ego than sense dragged me from my comfortable life. And it wasn't just me. More than seventy others were dragged her. Most are dead."

  I noticed that the orcs were staring at me. Three pushed the chief to the front as I continued to rant. "I accepted responsibility for some of the people dragged here. But I couldn't save them all. Elizabeth died when she couldn't accept that this world was different. Martha died because some archers shot at us without even verifying we were enemies."