Conquest

by Dean Henegar

  An alert Trey had set on his dataslate notified him that it was time to leave for his meeting with the chairman. With the medpod project expanding, Trey was going to try and get his mom added as a participant in the medical trials. Gathering his dataslate, Trey felt dread as he made his way to chairman Rains’ office.

  The administrative assistant announced him and Trey walked into the office he had visited many times before. This was the first time that being in his boss’ office had caused him anxiety. The next sentences from his boss’ mouth would determine if his mother had an opportunity for more time in this life. Mr. Raines greeted Trey at the door and led him over to a small meeting table. Raines didn’t like to make power plays and usually just had the people meeting with him sit at the small table, instead of positioning himself behind an imposing desk.

  “Come in, Trey. I know you’re probably driving yourself crazy, so I’ll get right to the point. Your mother has been approved as a patient in the medpod project. She will be one of the first twenty, non-military patients admitted into the program. Before you get too excited, there is a downside. I know your mother is in critical condition in the hospital right now and the trial does not start until the beginning of next month. She’ll have to wait 14 more days before we can connect her to the medpod. I know that, once inside, the AI should be able to treat her condition quickly. Knowing the delay, do you still wish to proceed, Trey?” Raines asked Trey. There was genuine concern on his face, as Raines considered Trey a friend as well as an employee. Trey considered for only a second. His mom may not survive the next fourteen days, but he had to give her a chance.

  “Yes, sir. I think she deserves any chance we can give her. The doctors say she’s in critical condition and could pass on without warning, due to the damage from the stroke, but I think she is exactly the kind of patient we are trying to help with the medpod. Thank you for helping get her into the program, Mr. Raines,” Trey replied, relieved his mother had a chance.

  “Don’t mention it, Trey. I’ll see if we can get the folks at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to move a bit faster and get the patients into the medpods early. I don’t think that bureaucrats can be moved faster, but if it’s possible, we’ll get it done. Thank you for all your hard work, Trey. I’ll let you get back to it,” Rains stated as he ended the meeting. Trey left the meeting encouraged at the chance to save his mother, but stressed out over the possibility that she could pass away before she was in a medpod. He made his way back to his office and the mountain of work that awaited him, trying to plan time to visit his mother at the hospital before heading home to his family. Having to juggle being with his sick parents, work, and the responsibility he had to his own family had been a source of constant tension in his home. His office door opening shook him from his thoughts as his friend Lou barged in without knocking, as always.

  “Hey, Raytak, you got a minute? There’s something about your dad that we need to discuss,” Lou said with a guilty look on his face.

  “Sure, Lou. I’m not going to like this, am I?” Trey replied. He was really not looking forward to any more trauma today.

  “It’s nothing bad, ok. Don’t worry. I know you have a lot on your plate. It’s just that it seems your dad has built up a bit of a following online. I just might have, accidentally mind you, signed him up for a WeView account to stream his game play. It turns out that there is a large group of folks that enjoy watching the game play from the unique classes. Your father now has over 100,000 followers and is adding hundreds more each day. The message board is buzzing with folks trying to find out who he really is. They know that most unique classes are based on real-world skills and well…your dad is kind of a unique guy with this real-world background. Having a lot of followers is no problem, as I’m sure we’ll be publicly releasing information on the medpod project well before his viewers figure out what’s going on. The problem is that your pop’s streams turned out to be eligible for monetization and your dad is starting to rack up the dough. The amount is not that much yet, but it will get better as his number of followers increase. I wasn’t planning on making money off your dad, of course, so I wanted to pass on his account info to you so that your family can figure out what you want to do with the money.” With that, Lou flicked the account data over to Trey’s dataslate giving him control of his father’s WeView account. WeView was the largest gaming and VR stream service. Many people tried to make a living off of their streams.

  “Thanks? I think? I really didn’t need any other surprises today, but I can tell you that any extra funds will be welcome with mom in the hospital now. Would you mind still administrating the account? You have a better idea than me about what to stream from dad’s play. Try not to put anything out there that would give any indication about the project until Qualitranos makes the medpod announcement. I have no problem splitting the money with you since you’re doing all the work,” Trey replied

  “No problem, Trey! I’m having a ball streaming your dad’s gameplay and watching the viewers try to figure out what he’ll do next. I’ll let you get back to your mountain of work, Trey. I have my own pile to get started on, too,” Lou said as he rushed from Trey’s office, glad that his friend wasn’t too upset over his actions. Lou was really beginning to like Trey’s father, even with only getting to know him in-game.

  Chapter 21

  Taranok peered through the firing slit that was notched into the rough log wall of the longhouse. The barn across the square was engulfed in flames, but it was looking like the winds would blow the flames away from the longhouse. A light drizzle of rain had been falling for most of the day, just letting up right before nightfall. The rain had soaked the logs of the longhouse enough that the embers from the burning barn shouldn’t be a threat. The blazing barn lit up the area around the longhouse, but didn’t reveal any targets. Not that they had many arrows left to shoot, even if there were targets visible. Looking about the building, Taranok could see the seven others that were huddled with him in the sturdy structure. The Drebix built their frontier homes strong, prepared specifically to use as strong points to defend their lands. Drebix preferred to fight out in the open, using defenses only if facing an overwhelming force. An overwhelming force had shown itself early that morning in the form of dozens of gnolls. The initial attack had killed several of the farmers in their fields before these last few had made it to the dubious protection of the longhouse. Two of the Drebix farmers inside were skilled hunters, their bows bringing down a half dozen gnolls before the hyena-like creatures had pulled back out of range. Once night fell, the gnolls began their cackling laugh, distracting the defenders as several charged the barn. The barn had held only a few chickens and next year’s seed supply. After slaughtering the few animals left inside for their evening meal, the gnolls had burned down the building.

  “Taranok, any movement out there?” one of the other farmers asked. The others inside were a mix of distant relatives and hired men that were paid to help bring in the now ripe harvest of cabbage and beans. There were many farms like this one on the outskirts of the Forerunner clan lands. Taranok was warned to abandon his farm and leave for the more defensible areas near town once the gnoll raids had started, but he refused to let these creatures have the crops his family had worked so hard to grow. The farmers did see fit to send the children, the old, and other non-combatants back to town a few days earlier, thank the gods. After sending back a half dozen of the fighting age men and women to care the for the defenseless on their way to town, Taranok was left with twenty workers. More than enough, he had thought, to dissuade the small gnoll raiding groups from hitting his land. Unfortunately, it looked like the gnoll raiders were joining their groups together into larger forces. All the farmers could do now was wait for either help to come from town, or for the gnolls to finally screw up enough courage to chop down the reinforced door and finish them.

  “No movement out there worth wasting our last six arrows on. Let the gnolls waste their time burning barns that can be r
ebuilt. The warbands from town will be here sooner or later to hack them down. I think the cowards are too afraid to rush us. None of them want to be first through that door.” Taranok indicated the longhouse’s sturdy door, which had a large wooden bar set into iron brackets holding the door closed against intruders. “Try and get some rest. I’ll take the first watch. The gnolls are beasts, but their eyes are not much better than ours in the dark. If they work up the courage to attack, I don’t think it will be before the morn,” Taranok stated with confidence in his voice; confidence he didn’t feel.

  The farmers were well armed with either axes, swords, or spears. They were farmers, but every adult Drebix is also a warrior, trained from youth to defend the clan. Two of the farmers had sprinted away from the fields at the first sign of attack. Their job was to escape and bring word of the attack to the main warband in town. They had no idea if the runners had made it or not. Still, they had no choice but to wait and hope that help would come. They were in a strong structure, had plenty of food and water, and were prepared to hold out as long as possible. The rest of the farmers tried to sleep while Taranok stood watch, many of the farmers only finding sleep due to the exhaustion of the day’s trials. Just as many of the farmers found sleep elusive, twisting and turning in their blankets as their fears multiplied in the dark.

  The first couple of hours passed without incident. The gnolls outside were quiet and Taranok could see no movement as he made his way randomly between the narrow viewing ports carved into the wall. Taranok was just about to wake someone to relieve his watch when the gnolls began to howl and yip in the distance. The clamor of the gnolls woke the other farmers who stumbled to the view ports to watch for an attack. The clash of arms was heard and, from the sound, it appeared the gnolls were being pushed back by their foes; back toward the longhouse.

  “You hear that, Taranok? Sounds like the warband has arrived to teach these gnolls a lesson,” one of the farmers said with a dopey grin plastered on his face. You could feel the relief in the room as everyone waited for their rescuers to finish off the gnolls.

  “There go the gnolls!” one of the farmers shouted and Taranok ran to the viewing port the other farmer had indicated. Taranok stared through the opening, soon seeing a small group of seven gnolls moving past the longhouse, their forms dimly lit by the glowing remains of the still smoldering barn. The angle was wrong to get off any arrow shots, so all the farmers could do was watch as they crowded around the two openings that afforded a view of the frantic gnolls.

  The gnolls stopped in front of the barn, sniffing the air in fear. They chattered among themselves, their sense of smell telling them they were surrounded. Hunched figures began to appear from the gloom. The shapes of several gnolls were seen approaching the seven terrified creatures near the barn.

  “What’s going on? Where is the warband? Are the other gnolls fighting with themselves now?” several farmers chattered, trying to make sense of the dimly lit figures outside. Soon the new group of fifteen gnolls had their frightened kin surrounded. The new group of gnolls held no weapons and portions of their armored harnesses were slashed and ruined. The new group of gnolls suddenly sprinted forward, leaping in the air toward the terrified group in front of them. Taranok couldn’t believe his eyes as the new group began to tear and bite at what appeared to be their kin. Soon several humans also joined in the attack. The first group of gnolls were soon all dead, torn apart by the horde that had descended upon them. The new arrivals gathered around and began to feed, hissing at each other and stuffing gobbets of flesh into fang-filled maws.

  Taranok and the others stood in shock at the gruesome feast taking place in front of them. These new creatures were not gnolls and humans, but something else, something evil and hungry. One human separated himself from the rest, approaching to within a few yards of the longhouse. The creature spoke, its dry and crackling voice unnatural. Like it came from a throat that should have lost the ability to speak long ago. Malevolence moved off the creature in a palpable wave. Fear and terror gnawed at their minds, holding them in place as the thing spoke.

  “Ah my friends, did you enjoy the rescue? I could see these naughty gnolls were being quite bothersome. Don’t worry, though. Lord Dunderman has come to rescue you this night. You are now my subjects and, as my new subjects, I’ll give you a choice I didn’t give these last few gnolls.” The ghoul lord gestured toward the gnoll bodies that were quickly disappearing into the mouths of the ghouls. “You can choose to join my army as members, or to join as rations. Which will you choose, I wonder,” the ghoul lord taunted the farmers. Dunderman had become more powerful as his level increased and his forces grew. Slowly, the once-faded intellect of the ghoul lord had returned, this time in a form more cunning and cruel than the creature had known during its living years. The foul thing that could barely scratch nearly forgotten words into an old journal, now had plans for greater things. It would seek to rule these lands; all the creatures in it but food for its insatiable hunger. The ghoul lord had also unlocked hideous powers. It was using one now to keep the farmers fascinated in terror.

  The farmers stood enthralled by the ghoul lord, completely oblivious to the ghouls tearing down the door, unable to take their eyes off the horrifying visage of lord Dunderman, even as the ghoul pack broke into the room. The farmers recovered their wits only as the claws and teeth of the ghouls began to hit them. Taranok and three others fell to the floor, paralyzed as they succumbed to the paralytic claws of the ghouls. The other four farmers tried to defend themselves, chopping with axes and slashing wildly with their swords. They were quickly overcome. The ghoul pack consumed four of the farmers completely before Dunderman could exert his control over them to stop their feeding. His army was hard to control when there was food around, though the ghoul lord had found it was becoming easier to exert his will over their rapidly increasing numbers.

  Picking some tasty morsels for himself, the ghoul lord set aside four of the paralyzed farmers. Several ghouls were sent to stand watch as they waited for their new comrades to turn. The ghoul lord closed his eyes, feeling his ability to control the new recruits increase in pace with the disease that was slowly turning them. The gnolls and farmers had fed the pack well. Their numbers now increased to forty-two ghouls. As soon as these latest ones turned, it was time to move on; more feeding to do, more new ghouls to be added to their ranks. Lord Dunderman plotted while he waited, deciding to first focus on the surrounding farms and the gnolls that were attacking them before moving to the main town. He was still too weak to face the full might of the Forerunner clan, but soon his numbers would swell with gnolls and the occasional farmer. Soon the pack would charge down the streets of the Drebix main village, picking who to eat and who to turn. It will be a glorious gorge for the pack…soon.

  Across the clearing, Beremund and his small scouting party stood in stunned silence. They had arrived just as the ghouls finished the gnolls and began to break into the longhouse. There were far too many foes for his six warriors to fight. This was the new threat the clan skalds were speaking of. The skalds were rarely wrong. Their visions told the clan that there was a new foe with the potential to be more dangerous to the clan than even the incessant attacks by the gnolls. Beremund contemplated what to do. Should the tribe mass the forces necessary to handle these creatures, they would leave themselves open to the gnolls. To wait to respond would allow these creatures to grow into numbers that would overwhelm the clan. Perhaps the gnolls and ghouls would fight each other and weaken the survivor of the battle to the point where they were easy foes to face. Another idea formed and Beremund whispered his plan to the scouts.

  “I know you all want vengeance for what we just witnessed. To rush into battle with those things right now would only succeed in us killing ourselves and leaving the clan ignorant of this new threat. We will do two things to fight this foe. Two of you will head back to the village and let the elders know of this threat. Three of you will keep an eye on these creatures, goading them and try
ing to lead them to where we know the gnolls are gathering. Bring our foes together and allow them to spend their strength fighting each other. We have to buy time. While you are doing that, I will test a certain man’s worth. I will see if the Imperium Commander Raytak keeps his word and comes to our clan’s aid. We will see if the Imperium will march to save former enemies, as they have promised to do. It will take me one or two days, at the least, to make it to their town. If the Imperium keeps its word, I will return as quickly as I can with reinforcements to help save our people. Fight smart my warriors, fight cunning, do not give in to berserker rage until the time is right. When our foes are weakened, and our strength is greater, we will wipe these lands of the gnolls, the undead, and even the Imperium, if they try to take our lands,” Beremund told his scouts. The party broke up and headed about their business. Beremund moved as quickly as he could toward the town of Hayden’s Knoll, knowing that his people’s very survival may depend on the true character of a single commander of the Imperium.

  Hayden’s Knoll Map 3

  Chapter 22

  It was two days before the defensive garrison forces arrived. At first I wasn’t sure if they would arrive, but it seemed logical that places with resources like the mine and the respawn point would be designated by the AI as critical and warranting a defensive force. A decently-sized force, consisting of two squads of soldiers and four scouts, had reported to defend the mine. They immediately joined with the dwarves to help build defenses around the mine. Two watchtowers were raised and a simple palisade was constructed at the top of the rise, creating protection from missiles. The brush that we had used to hide in was cut back, creating a clear killing field around the mine.