Conquest

by Dean Henegar

  “Legion! Attention!” Sergeant Brooks called as I approached, the entire garrison snapping to attention.

  “At ease, soldiers. As you know, we’re heading out to face the only foe that has ever defeated our forces in combat. The ghoul lord awaits and I intend to see him put into the ground for the final time. The last time we met, our enemy had the element of surprise, attacking us while our forces were depleted and weak from prior battles. Now we stand with the full might of the 1st Legion and will crush any who oppose us. I have gathered together friends and allies to our cause who will join us in this campaign. Post the colors!” I ordered, and the standard bearer moved to the front of the column, carrying the standard of the 1st Legion of Hayden’s Knoll. The standard bearer took the newest banner we had acquired for defeating the slavers and attached it to the standard. “Forward, march!” I ordered, and the entire formation began to march out of the gates of the garrison. Ty slapped me on the shoulder as he fell in next to me.

  “Good to be in the fight again together, my friend. With the marine corps here to keep you from dying again, we’ll win for sure,” Ty joked while looking back at the formation shaking out into a column of four behind us. The order of march had Ty and me, along with the standard bearer, in front. Immediately behind us were the seven remaining scouts, followed closely by 1st platoon. Between 1st and 2nd platoon, the extra two squads were joined by the new engineer team. The five engineers lugged the pieces of their siege engines along, thankful to not also have shields and swords to drag around as well. From what I could gather, they were able to assemble the pair of scorpions quickly if needed. One man of each squad in the legion carried two of the special bolts that the scorpions fired, instead of their usual loadout of three javelins. Every man had a full pack with rations and gear; a heavy load, but one which every soldier was familiar with carrying.

  Ty began a cadence as we moved through town toward the main gate, the soldiers picking it up as Ty modified it for our current situation.

  “Someday you’ll be alone,

  Someday you’ll be alone,

  Way down in a combat zone.

  Way down in a combat zone.

  Don’t you worry, now don’t be blue,

  Don’t you worry, now don’t be blue,

  The mighty first Legion will save you!

  The mighty first Legion will save you!

  Someday, you’ll be alone,

  Someday, you’ll be alone,

  all alone in a combat zone.

  All alone in a combat zone.

  Don’t you worry, now don’t you cry,

  Don’t you worry, now don’t you cry,

  Lieutenant Raytak will keep you alive!

  Lieutenant Raytak will keep you alive!

  Someday, you’ll come back home,

  Someday, you’ll come back home,

  Come back home from that combat zone.

  Come back home from that combat zone.

  God and country will love you,

  God and country will love you,

  You’ll be a hero, tried and true!

  You’ll be a hero, tried and true!”

  Once again, players and npc’s emptied from the buildings, gawking at the sight of so many troops marching and calling cadence with pride. A system prompt appeared as we made it to the front gate and spotted the rest of our raid.

  Seeing their brave soldiers march to battle to defend them has inspired the town. The town of Hayden’s Knoll will have a morale buff to all productive activities for the next twenty-four hours.

  “Woah, cool! Old man Raytak, is that how you marched when you were in the real army?” Yendy’s asked as we approached.

  “Something like that kid, only with fewer swords and more guns. Wish I had my m4 right now instead of a sword. But, knowing my bad luck at ranged weapons in-game, I’d probably blue on blue and take out a squad of my own soldiers accidently,” I answered, and Yendys looked confused from my military references before introducing me to the newest member of the raid.

  This is Nitor. He’s not one of those annoying bards. He’s was burnt or something and chants instead of playing stupid little guitars and stuff,” Yendys said, confused. Nitor shook my hand and introduced himself.

  “I’m a skald, Raytak. It’s a variation of the ancient Norse poets. I have different chants that can inspire the group and give buffs, though it seems your forces will give me a run for my money with that cadence you just finished. Nice work, sir,” Nitor added. He seemed like he would fit in just fine, despite Yendys confusing skald for scald.

  “Everyone ready to roll? If so, let’s get moving and kill us some ghouls!” Ty shouted, the soldiers cheering in response.

  “We’re all set. Just tell us where you want us, Raytak,” Jacoby added.

  “Everyone can march where they like. Maybe Quimby can help Ty and the scouts keep an advance guard. Other than that, let’s push on toward the Drebix lands. I have a bad feeling they’re going to get the brunt of the ghoul attacks,” The column then moved out. The other players, except for Quimby and Ty, joining the front of the column as we made our way down the plateau and then marched toward the Drebix lands. Between the seven scouts, the level 5 ranger, and Ty being a level 6 Imperial scout, we were well protected from any surprises. I didn’t survive to such an old age by being complacent. I further aided our defense against a surprise attack by placing a section at the front, rear, and sides of the column as advance guards, flankers, and rear guards. Adding a layer of warning to the main column.

  A few hours into our march, one of scouts came running back to the column. I ordered a halt and we assumed a defensive formation. The scout made a beeline toward me to deliver his message.

  “Sir, we have encountered a Drebix. The man says he knows you. Ty wanted me to speak with you before we allowed him close enough to get eyeballs on the column. The Drebix says his name is Beremund. What are your orders, sir?” the scout reported. Ty was right. Normally I wouldn’t let anyone get a look at our order of battle, if I could prevent it. If Beremund was here, things must be bad with the Forerunner clan.

  “Send him through, Scout. I believe this one’s a friend and will have information we might need on the ghoul lord,” I ordered, and the scout returned to report. Ty appeared shortly thereafter, leading Beremund. Beremund looked all used up, like he had been traveling too long with too little food or sleep for the last few days. Beremund’s eyes widened as he saw the extent of our force.

  “Raytak, I have come to see if you were truly a man of your word. A great evil has been unleashed on my people and it will surely consume yours as well, if they are not stopped. The dead have come back to feast on and torment the living. Is that why your army is here? Have you somehow known of this, or were you merely seeking to invade and conquer us while we are weak?” Beremund asked, still leery of anything coming from the Imperium. I signaled for him to sit and had food and water brought up.

  “Eat, drink, and take a minute before you continue,” I offered, allowing the Drebix to catch his breath. He attacked the strips of dried meat we offered and quickly drained a skin of water. “I know of this threat and was there when it began,” I said before recounting for everyone what had happened when we first discovered the Dunderman farm.

  “Woah, totally creepy, old man Raytak. Thanks a lot! That story is sooo going to give Crunchy nightmares tonight,” Yendys squeaked from behind me. The crazy druid and the rest of the players had gathered around while I had been telling the tale of what had happened at the Dunderman farm. Beremund looked startled as Crunchy pushed his way through the crowd to get a look at what was going on, or more likely, to try and snag a piece of meat if anyone offered him one.

  “You keep interesting company, Raytak,” Beremund said as he tossed a bit of dried meat to the giant beetle, now confident that it was a companion and not a threat. “It started several days ago. The attacks on my people from the gnolls had been increasing. The outlying farms were hit, and we pulled most of the famili
es back to the main village while we prepared to take the fight to the gnolls. Slowly the attacks diminished and I took a band of warriors out to find out what was happening. I observed a band of gnolls attack a farmer and his people. The fools had been too stubborn to come back to the main village. During the attack, these ghouls arrived, killing not only the gnolls, but also the farmers. Some of those killed were eaten, but many were turned into more of those abominations. I sent word to the village and then set out to find you. There is little time to waste. These creatures increase in number each day we delay. My people are brave, but the number of those who can fight has been diminished by the gnoll raids,” Beremund finished with tears beginning to stream down his eyes at the thought of the fate that awaited his people.

  “Don’t worry, Beremund. We’ll tackle these ghouls together. We’ll drive them from the zone and make this a place that both our peoples can enjoy in peace. Can you lead us toward your main village? I know you don’t entirely trust us, but something tells me that’s where this ghoul lord will end up.” I was asking a lot of the distrustful Drebix. To give up the location of his main village was to give us the information we would need to crush his tribe in the future. Beremund looked lost in thought for a moment before nodding.

  “I’ll lead you there myself. It’s a little more than a day’s travel from here,” Beremund told me. We quickly reformed the column and kept a brisk pace until late in the afternoon, when I called a halt. Beremund came up to me nearly frantic.

  “Raytak, there is much daylight left! We can make several more miles before we stop!” Beremund exhorted. I could understand his frustration, but there were good reasons for what I did.

  “We need time to build a fortified camp, Beremund. If we had just a small party I would press on, but we’re too big a group and need to make defenses if we want to prevent an ambush tonight. I don’t want to blunder into the ghoul lord on the cusp of nightfall, or have all his creatures charge into an open camp late in the night either. Watch, Beremund, and learn one reason the Imperium is feared by our foes.” With that, we went about creating a standard fortified camp. I had selected a spot on the open plain where there was gentle upward slope, creating a small area of high ground. The defenses quickly took shape, an impressive feat since we were only using some hand tools and lumber. Any attacker would have a bad night if they tried to overcome the defenses. The engineers assembled their scorpions and placed them where they could get the best fields of fire. With all the soldiers I commanded, the work went quickly. Beremund and the other players sat in stunned silence at the industrious soldiers that quickly turned a low hillock into a formidable defensive work. Guards were set and watchfires burned as we settled in for the evening, preparing the traditional “back and beans” for everyone. I found myself gathered with the rest of the players while Beremund walked the camp, asking questions about how they created the camp.

  “Raytak, Yendys tells us you and Ty were soldiers in real life. I have a cousin in the army, he’s a drone pilot. Did you guys do something like that?” Nitor asked. Ty chuckled before responding.

  “Raytak was a filthy army infantryman, but I was something greater! I’m a marine. I hate to admit it, but Raytak knows his way around a battlefield despite only being in the army,” Ty stated.

  “That’s right, Nitor. I was in the army. Not the drones and support stuff that exists now. We were both in the service during wartime. I also do admit that I couldn’t get into the marine corps…they wouldn’t allow me in because I was able to read,” I joked, as Ty hit me in the arm for the comment. His huge fist hurt.

  You have been hit by an unarmed strike from Ty. You have lost 12 health.

  “Really? There’s no way! There haven’t been soldiers in combat for decades. You guys are just messing with us, right?” Nitor asked. I decided that the AI hadn’t stopped me, so it must be ok with us giving a bit more information about our past.

  I was born in 1992, joined the army while I was in college. Graduated at 22 with a degree in history and a commission as a Lieutenant in the United States Army. Served for 25 years in the infantry and led soldiers all around the world. I caught the tail end of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, then fought in the Saudi revolutionary wars of 2022, the Iranian war in 2030, against African warlords in 2033, and against the Iranians again for the second Iranian conflict in 2035 before I retired. The army was converting to drones about the time I chose to retire. I could see the time for combat soldiers in the service was just about done. Thankfully, it looks like we’re the last of a dying breed, men who have fought other men in armed conflict; something I hope none of you ever have to face. After the military, I ran a company for a few years as a military contractor before the military contracting business disappeared as well. I finished my PHD and taught military history until I finally retired for good,” I said as I tried to parse my next words carefully. “We might be old, but old bodies don’t mean anything in a VR game, does it,” I smiled as I scooted around the issue of the medpod.

  “I’m a bit younger than Raytak, so I missed the Afghan/Iraq stuff, but fought everywhere else he mentioned. Lost this in real life during the second Iranian conflict and was forced to retire,” Ty gestured toward his arm and the assembled players sat there with their mouths open in shock. “I was told I was disabled and forced to discharge from the Corps, but what the hell do civilians know. I kept working despite my disability rating and bought a small café serving old fashioned diner food in South Carolina. One of my grandkids now runs the joint, if I remember correctly. I met this lug, Raytak, at the VA hospital once and let him drag me into playing video games,” Ty said finishing his own story, while also finding a way to skirt the medpod issue.

  “Dang! Makes my story about being a network administrator seem kind of dull now, doesn’t it,” Nitor said and we all had a good laugh. “Can I ask how you lost your arm, Mr. Ty?” Nitor asked. Ty glared at him for a moment before nodding. Usually, most veterans didn’t like to tell the stories of their injuries, but these other players all seemed like good and respectful kids, so Ty didn’t mind dredging up bad memories for a bit.

  “I was leading a patrol through the town of Khoy in northern Iran during the second war there when it happened. We were clearing buildings, looking for weapons and insurgents, when we tripped an ambush. We had just breached the door to a suspected arms stash, when several insurgents attacked. They had gotten ahold of some old RPG 30’s and decided my squad of marines were as good a target as they were going to get. Several insurgents popped up on the roof of the building next to us. The shooters I had positioned on overwatch got most of them, but two were able to get rockets fired off before they were killed. One of the rockets killed three of my squad that had just entered the building and the second rocket left me with this,” Ty said, touching his empty sleeve. “I could care less about the loss of an arm. The loss of three of the best men I ever had the honor of leading hurts more than the arm ever did. Fortunately, the corpsman with us was good and he kept me alive until evac arrived. I suppose that’s why I’m enjoying the game so much. When the fights over, win or lose, all the players respawn and the fun starts all over again. There’s no respawn in the conflicts Raytak and I participated in,” Ty finished while looking down at the fire, lost in the past.

  The group was silent for a while, processing what we had told them.

  “Well, I’m sure glad you guys are on our side. I definitely wouldn’t want to be a ghoul tomorrow, trying to fight against real soldiers. But on to important things…did anyone bring dessert?” Quimby added, his comment breaking the awkward silence as we all groaned.

  Chapter 28

  Despite the lack of dessert, everyone had a good evening. The group of people we had gathered together for the raid got along well, all of us enjoying each other’s company and the adventure of the moment. When morning came we all ate a quick breakfast of oatcakes and dried fruit before striking camp. I ordered the column to fall into the same formation we had used the
previous day and we moved quickly toward the Drebix lands. Beremund went with the scouts to direct them toward the Drebix village, which I found out was named Lorkrim. The morning passed quickly, the terrain became the familiar rolling hills and stands of trees that were common in this area of the zone. Near midday we stopped at a stream for a short break, eating dried meat and filling water skins with the cool, clear water of the stream.

  Shortly after our midmorning break we began to see smoke on the horizon and the column picked up the pace. Smoke was never a good sign. We passed several abandoned farms, a few had the doors ominously smashed in with bloodstains visible on the outer walls. We neared the village of Lorkrim, which turned out to be the source of the flames, a large, tree lined hill blocking our view of what was going on. Ty and Beremund emerged from the trees, moving fast toward the column. I called a halt and waited for the scouts to arrive.

  “We found it, Raytak. It looks like the villagers piled brush and logs around the center of the town and lit it off to keep the ghouls at bay. The ghouls are there. I estimate nearly 200 of them. There’s an equal number of gnolls and humans in the ghoul packs. I didn’t spot anything that looked like a ghoul lord, but I’m sure it’ll show itself once we begin the attack. As far as terrain, the village sits in a valley and the ghouls are all close in, trying to find a way through the flames. The hill directly in front of us may be our best bet for a fight. The forest ends on the other side. The Drebix must have cleared most of the trees to help build the village. That gives us the high ground as I can only think the ghouls will come pouring toward us once we’re spotted. From up there we’ll be able to thin their number with ranged weapons before they reach us. From what we’ve seen, the ghouls have no ranged attacks,” Ty reported.