World of Darkness - [Time of Judgment 02] - The Last Battle

by Bill Bridges (epub)

  “It is good to finally meet friends again, ” Abbot said. “I’m not used to such a barren trek. ”

  “It’s damn good to see you, ” Mari said, looking out over the army. “Looks like you’ve been playing Noah. ” Abbot smiled, but it was obviously forced. “We do have representatives from all the tribes. Many of them... had no choice. We’ve lost a lot of caerns, Mari. The northeast is a wasteland. Many of the survivors joined us because they have nowhere else to go. ”

  Mari gestured towards the forest. “I suspected something bad was up. It’s been no walk in the park here, either. Come on, let’s get them into the valley. ”

  “Valley? ” Abbot said. He looked out over the woods. “I can’t see it from here. ”

  “It’s well hidden, " Mari said, leading him toward the trees. “These pines are larger than they appear from a distance. They hide the canyon. It’s an ancient Gurahl caern. "

  Abbot raised his eyebrows. “Fascinating. And the king? How is he? ”

  “Albrecht’s doing just fine, ” Mari said. “He arrived just in time to help us out of a jam. Even the Wendigo are relieved to have him in command. That’s saying something. ”

  Abbot nodded and gestured to the army. They followed behind him, looking eagerly at the trees like desert wanderers at an oasis.

  • • •

  As the sun set over the lip of the valley walls, the Garou elders gathered at the central command arena and sat in a circle around the dirt-drawn map.

  Albrecht sat on the nearby rock, a long stick in his hand. He pointed it at the drawing of the valley passageway. “This is the only real way into the valley. Some creatures might be able to scale the walls, but they’re steep and don’t have many handholds. Just in case, we’re positioning new moons and cubs along the clifftop perimeter with a stack of rocks to throw down at anything coming up.

  “Flying creatures, of course, can just come straight in. That’s why we’ve got archers here, here and here. ” Albrecht pointed to three spots in the valley, one to the rear, one in the middle and one along the clifftop lip of the passageway. “They’ll have as many bane arrows and other talens as we can make between now and then. ”

  Albrecht indicated Aurak, who sat nearby. “Aurak tells me that many spirits are fleeing the south, their homes destroyed. They’re eager to help get revenge; it’s proving no problem to pact them into service. Starting tonight, I need all the Theurges from the new army to get with Aurak on that. Also, anybody else who can handle fetish crafting, tell them to see Aurak. They’ve got to leave the valley to do it, so we’ve got a regimen of guards ready to escort them in and out. "

  Albrecht leaned forward and drew three lines blocking the place where the passage entered the valley. “As for our core defense—our muscle—there’s five lines of our best right here, where the enemy has to go to get into the valley. ”

  A Get of Fenris warrior stepped forward. Albrecht nodded at him, signaling that he could speak. “Shouldn’t we try to stop them before they enter the passage? ”

  “Yes, ” Albrecht said. “We’ve got plans there, too. I'll get to those in a minute. " He drew more lines at various places near the mouth of the valley. “The rest of our warriors—the backup—will be positioned here and here, ready to step in and fill the ranks for the wounded and fallen.

  “Outside the valley, hidden throughout the woods, are a host of traps—mostly fetishes, hut some clever trickster traps with trip wires and falling trees. They might take out a few of the enemy, but it’s a delaying tactic at best. What it will do is slow them down while we drop some volleys of arrows into them. Once they’re through, though, they’ll hit the front lines I already described.

  “Back here is the O/R. Packs of Garou runners will ferry the wounded here for healing. Once they’re whole, they’ll get in line with the backup, waiting their chance to rejoin the defense.

  “The second line of backup is here to guard the shamans and half-moons who will be coordinating our spiritual defenses. We’re lucky. There’s no Umbral front to guard, thanks to the nature of the valley. But that also means we can’t send out Umbral forces for hit-and-run; they wouldn’t be able to get back in.

  “The secondary backup is also ready in case the enemy does find a way to bypass the passage. They’ll need to hold it off while the main defense falls back into our alternate plans. I’ll discuss those later with the generals, who will explain them to their packs. Basically, there are a number of different formations to fall into in response to attacks from anywhere in the valley. For instance, if they break through the canyon wall here, we go to formation number five. ”

  A Shadow Lord shaman stepped forward, waiting for Albrecht to acknowledge him. The king nodded at him. He pointed at the valley floor. “What if they have a thunderwyrm? It can come from anywhere below. ”

  Albrecht looked at Painted Claw, who stood up to address the group. “My pack has experience against thunderwyrms. Pentex tried to hatch a brood near our forests a few years ago. The foundation under this valley is very strong, more so than most places. The thunderwyrms can break through it, but it will take them time. We will hear them and feel their vibrations long before they arrive. If so, Albrecht will call for formation number ten, where the secondary backup prepares to rush to the incursion point. All half-moon elders will join them and summon earth spirits to aid our defense. ” Painted Claw sat down again.

  Albrecht put down his stick and stood up. “That’s the basic overview. The details will be worked out with each pack, so they’ll know their role and their alternate actions. Any questions? "

  Nobody said anything. They all looked at the map, familiarizing themselves with it. Finally, True Silverheels, the elder of the Children of Gaia from the Finger Lakes Caern, stood up. Albrecht nodded at him.

  “What sort of enemies are we expecting? New York was attacked by Black Spiral Dancers, banes and fomori. I have heard disturbing stories about the battle on the Plain of the Apocalypse, where it is said that the Margrave Konietzko and Queen Tvarivich fell. The sheer variety of foes there... if we are confronted with the same composition, we will be sorely tested. ”

  Albrecht looked out at the faces watching him. “There’s no reason to candy coat this. The battle on the plain was bad. But it was decisive, in our favor. A lot of creatures died there, thanks to the Margrave and Tvarivich’s leadership. These things never made it to the material world.

  What we’ve been fighting at our caerns up till now are the homegrown nasties. They’ve proved bad enough. Now, however, they’re throwing everything they’ve got at us. This army’s coming from Malfeas, which means it’s full of the worst things imaginable. Things that can’t even exist normally in the material world. I suspect they’ve found some power to get over that limitation.

  "I don’t know if we’re the only ones targeted. There are surely other pockets of Garou resistance left around the world. The Wyrm forces will have to deal with them, too. If they split their forces, our chances improve. However... I think that Zhyzhak, the leader of a Black Spiral Dancer caern in New Mexico, did something unprecedented. She somehow unlocked the power of the Black Spiral Labyrinth and used it to lead the armies out of Malfeas. She swore she’d come kick my ass. I think this is her move. "

  The Get of Fenris snarled and spoke without waiting for permission. “Then we will gut her and choke the Wyrm with her intestines! Let her come! Hail Albrecht, true foe of the Wyrm! ”

  Others yelled out cries of affirmation and howls of glory. Albrecht didn’t respond. He watched the faces of the elders, most of whom did not cheer, but they did nod sagely. None of them complained or seemed to disagree with what was said. That was a minor victory in itself, unprecedented in his previous history with them.

  “Okay, ” Albrecht said, raising his hands for them to be silent. The cheering died down. “Like I said, that’s the end of the briefing. Details to follow. Abbot here, ” he indicated Thomas Abbot, his steward who had led the reinforcements, “has been ful
ly briefed. He’ll help spread the information to the generals, who will in turn brief their packs. I want everybody fully prepared by dawn. All estimates from the spirits coming in seem to point to an attack sometime tomorrow night. We’re done here. Now spread the word. "

  Albrecht walked away, joined by Evan and Mari. The gathered Garou rose and shuffled away, each heading for his assigned camp. The warriors stayed behind to get detailed orders from Thomas Abbot and Eric Honnunger.

  Albrecht leaned against the cliff wall, beneath the overhang at his camp. He rubbed his forehead and slumped his shoulders.

  “Something’s bugging you, ” Evan said. “Spill it. You can hide it from the others, but not us. ”

  Albrecht looked wearily at Evan and Mari. “I failed big time. It’s all my fault we’re in this mess. ”

  Mari frowned. “What the hell are you talking about? ” Albrecht crossed his arms, still leaning against the cliff. “Tvarivich asked me to join her and the Margrave. He was gathering an army. She wanted me to lead it with them. I refused, too damn concerned about getting home. ”

  “That doesn’t sound selfish to me, " Evan said. “You had no idea what was going on back here. Nobody could have predicted things would ger this bad. ”

  “The Plain of the Apocalypse, ” Albrecht said, staring out across the valley. “For Gaia’s sake, if I only knew it would come to that... If I’d been there, maybe I could’ve turned the tide. You heard Mephi’s report. If Tvarivich killed the Black Spiral Dancer general, the army would have been in disarray. I could have pressed that advantage. If we’d won there, this thing would be over. ”

  “What makes you think that? ” Mari said, incredulous. “You’ve heard the legends about that place. The final battle was supposed to be fought there. What if that was the final battle? We lost. That means we’re just part of the Wyrm's clean-up operation. If we’d won there, maybe Zhyzhak wouldn’t have succeeded, or wouldn’t be as powerful. ”

  “You’re wrong, ” Mari said with a growl. “This is the most egotistical bullshit I’ve ever heard. You would have died there with the rest of them. Your duty led you here, Albrecht. There’s a reason for it. The Heartsplinter, the Ancient Bear, this valley—it’s not coincidence. The last battle is meant to be here. It always has been—here on earth, not in some distant Umbral realm where no sane spirit actually lives. ”

  Albrecht looked at her. "I don’t deny there’s some sort of providence in this place, Mari. But it feels a lot more like a final refuge than a battlefield. ”

  “Quit this sulking, ” Mari said, pacing. “You’ve got a whole army of Garou who have fled their caerns to fight here with you. Get out there and show your face again. ” “She’s right, ” Evan said. “We’re all feeling the weight of this, you most of all. But it’s what you’ve been working toward since you were bom. You’re the king. You wear the Silver Crown. When they see that band on your head, they know they belong here, fighting for something greater than their own territory. ”

  Albrecht stepped forward and smiled. “The tough love committee. Thanks. ” He stretched, standing at his full height. “You’re right. No use living in the past, reliving bad decisions. I’ve got to get out there and review the troops. ”

  “I’ll come with you, ” Mari said. "I want to get sense of who we’ve got with us. ”

  Evan yawned. “I’m going to bed. ”

  They both looked at him, shaking their heads.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “What? You said yourself that I’m still recovering. Come dawn, I need to help make fetishes. I don’t have an endless supply of energy. ”

  Albrecht nodded. “Okay, you’re excused. See you in the morning. ” He turned and walked over to the nearest campfire, followed by Mari.

  The Garou gathered there rose when they saw the king coming.

  By the middle of die night, Albrecht and Mari had reached the mouth of the valley, where the hardiest of troops gathered.

  “It’s weird, ” Albrecht said. “I expected they’d be somber and grim. But most of them are excited. "

  “The moment long awaited has finally come, ” Mari said. “They’ve been told all their lives to prepare for the Apocalypse. Now that it’s here, their waiting is finally over. It’s time for action. Regardless of victory or defeat, they will die as Garou, howling as one to Gaia and the Moon. ” Albrecht nodded. "I feel a bit of that myself. No matter what happens, we’re at ground zero. The moment of truth. No more false victories and slow defeats. This will decide things. ”

  “Even if we die, our lives will not have been wasted. ” “No. We fought the good fight. ” Albrecht looked around, making sure no one else was in earshot. "I don’t like the whispering I keep hearing, though. That ‘last Gaian king’ prophecy crap. Some of these guys are convinced my number’s up. ”

  “Who can blame them? ” Mari shrugged. “Our lives are riddled with omens. So many of them are wrong, but enough of them are right. ”

  “You don’t believe this one, do you? I mean, it came from the mouth of an insane Garou. Not exactly the most reliable of oracles. ”

  “Does it matter. 7” Mari met Albrecht’s eyes. “If we die fighting, we will still have won. ”

  “Yeah, but I refuse to buy into the idea that Zhyzhak— Zhyzhak of all creatures—can best me! It’s just... demeaning. I mean, why can’t I fight a nexus crawler like the Margrave? That’s the way to go! ”

  Mari stared at him, exasperated. “You never fail to astonish me, Albrecht. You can turn a solemn discussion about our fate into a pissing contest with a Black Spiral Dancer. ”

  “Hey, ” Albrecht said, frowning, “if it was you they were talking about, would you put up with it? Are you going to let Zhyzhak’s legend beat you? ”

  Mari snorted, walking away. “Ha! That’ll be the day. I could kick that bitch from here to Russia. ”

  Albrecht growled in frustration. “Oh, I get it. My whining is only an issue because you think she can actually beat me! Think again, Cabrah. I nearly had her... ”

  Mari turned and gave him a smoldering glare. “Albrecht. Enough. ”

  Albrecht grumbled under his breath, eyes rolling. He and Mari had arrived at the farthest campfire, the one that guarded the passage. It was manned mainly by Silver Fangs, but there were also Fenrir and Red Talons among them, those itching the most for a fight.

  A Silver Fang warrior had just shifted to battle form, barking at another Garou, a young cub from the looks of it. The cub refused to back down.

  “What’s going on here? ” Albrecht said. “I don’t want any challenges going down. Do you hear me? ”

  The Silver Fang backed down, deferring to Albrecht. The cub stared at Albrecht in awe. He cautiously approached the king.

  “King Albrecht? ” he said, his voice low and nervous. "Who are you? ” Albrecht said, looking him over skeptically. The cub had no battle scars. “And what are you doing here on the front lines? ”

  The cub swallowed and looked away, too nervous to meet Albrecht’s eyes. “My name is Martin, sir. I... I was raised by Aunt Loba. ”

  Albrecht cocked an eyebrow. “Loba? Loba Carcassone? ”

  “Yeah, ” Martin said, frowning. “She... was killed. I came here. I want to fight with you! ” He looked back at Albrecht, meeting his eyes.

  “So you’re the cub Abbot told me about, ” Albrecht said. “I’m sorry to hear about Loba. She was one of our best. I don’t understand, though, why she didn’t officially induct you into the tribe. You told Abbot she adopted you, saved you from the Seventh Generation. What was your parents’ tribe? "

  Martin looked down again, shuffling his feet. "I don't know. She wouldn’t tell me. She said when I was old enough, after my Rite of Passage, she’d bring me to you. ”

  Albrecht nodded. “She sure kept her secrets, a habit she developed under Morningkill's rule. I don’t think anybody, even me, could win enough of her trust to learn them all. ” “She had good reason, " Mari said, watching the boy with a look of concern.
“Everybody shunned her for years, refusing to believe what she knew about the Defiler Wyrm and its plots. She saved many children, although most of those she gave to the other tribes to raise. Martin, did she raise any other cubs besides you? ”

  Martin shook his head. He wouldn’t meet Mari’s ga2e. “You’re welcome to join the army, Martin, ” Albrecht said. Martin smiled. “But you need to get your butt back where Abbot put you, with the shamans. ”

  Martin’s smile faded. He hung his head. “But I’m an Ahroun, bom under the full moon. I can fight! ”

  “And you will. Believe me. Every damn one of us will get his claws bloody. But only the best, the most experienced belong here. Look at these guys, ” Albrecht said, pointing to various warriors. “You see those scars? You don’t get those from shaving. Every one of these guys has been through hell and back and has the notches on his klaive to prove it. You’ll get your chance, but these guys have earned the right to stand here. You haven’t. ”

  Martin nodded, his head hanging down. “Yes, sir. ” He shuffled away sulking, not looking back, heading for the megalithic rocks where the Theurges gathered.

  Later that night, as the very first hints of dawn rose on the horizon, the howls of the sentries echoed through the valley. Eric Honnunger woke Albrecht.

  “Our Umbral scouts are reporting something, " he said. “They say it’s important. ”

  Albrecht nodded and stood. “Okay, take me to them. ” He looked down at Evan and Mari, sleeping soundly. He quietly picked up his klaive and followed Eric out of the passageway.

  The scouts gathered just inside the main entrance. John North Wind’s Son was with them.

  “So what’s up? ” Albrecht said. “Good news or bad? ” John North Wind's Son looked sour. “My father came to me. I walked the perimeter in the Umbra, watching for signs of our enemy approaching. The sky was dark. The moon had not been seen all night, even though it should have been full. A great wind rushed through me and a voice spoke—the voice of my father, the wind spirit. He says that the stars have died. ”