Looking down to view the routing enemy forces, she found they hadn’t been routed; they had simply regrouped. Down below, in front of the Imperium barracks building, the soldiers had created a barricade. A group of legionnaires stood behind the barrier, trying to cover the retreat of the rest of their soldiers from the wall. Two dozen soldiers were already inside the barricade and more were climbing over every second.
“Ready your bows. Shoot them down before they get behind their defenses,” she shouted. The warriors sheathed their swords and daggers, readying their bows for action. Well-placed shots began picking off Imperium soldiers one after another as the last few scrambled behind the dubious protection of the barricade. Once inside, the soldiers raised their thrice-cursed shields, negating most of her force’s archery advantage.
The mountain of bodies blocking the gate finally collapsed as the reavers forced their way through. The reavers were in a frenzy, angry at their losses the day before and looking for vengeance on their enemies. With a howl, they charged the barricade.
A glowing stone was flung over the barricade. Laele caught just a glimpse of the filthy dwarf that threw it. The stone landed in front of the charging reavers. Sharp stone spikes erupted from the earth, skewering a half dozen attackers and forcing the others to swerve to avoid the obstacle.
“Spread out along the battlements. Take shots anytime you see an opening. Keep a sharp eye for the dwarf. He must die,” Laele ordered to the remaining reserve members. She grabbed five of the warriors to join her and left the remaining twenty to spread around, providing some cover fire for their assault on the barricade.
The main group of warriors had made it down from the wall and began its attack on the barricade, supporting the remaining reavers. The attack there at the barricade had faltered and needed the support of her warriors if it was to succeed. A hail of stones pelted the remaining reavers as an earth elemental appeared in their midst, its rocky fists pummeling any foe within reach.
Another round of spikes erupted from the ground and thrust into the attacking warriors, killing several of the Ikbose and slowing the advance just as another volley of javelins flew into them. A dozen elves were brought down, but they didn’t stop. Reaching the barricade, they started to climb over.
The Imperium soldier in charge bellowed orders as her Ikbose swarmed over the barricade. A squad of soldiers broke off and formed in front of the barracks door. Once in place, the other soldiers fled into the barracks. An arrow glanced off the armor of the Imperium leader as he made his way into the barracks. A better-aimed shot finally took down the dwarven runesmith even as he cast the rune in his hand on the ground next to him. She marked the warrior that made the shot, intending to reward him later.
Another earth elemental rose up and kept the attackers at bay long enough for the squad covering the retreat to make it inside. Heavy wooden shutters closed over the two windows placed on either side of the now-barred door. Laele made her way over the barricade, ordering troops to take out the elemental so they could assault the barracks and take back the transition point. Her human forces were depleted, with only a pair of reavers remaining. The price for clearing out the last few defenders would have to be paid in Ikbose blood.
The single elemental quickly fell under the axes and blades of her forces. They had taken more losses, but the Imperium was boxed up inside its barracks and couldn’t have more than twenty soldiers remaining. The remaining pair of human reavers began to use their axes on the doors to the barracks as Laele ordered her Ikbose warriors into groups of twenty to enter the barracks once the doors were breached. Attacking through a single entry point as a mob would just result in her soldiers getting in each other’s way.
The door collapsed with a sudden crack, the final pair of reavers charging into the darkened room. A flurry of javelins and crossbow bolts flew out of the room, bringing down several of the first group of warriors charging inside. Laele was about to order the second group in just as the first pushed its way deeper into the room. Laele smiled; shouts and yells of despair filled the barracks doorway, all of them filled with pain . . . so much glorious pain.
She was snapped out of her reverie by shouting from the few archers she had placed around the walls. She turned, confused; the archers were pointing toward the transition point and firing their bows. Laele’s heart sank as Imperium soldiers emerged. One platoon after another marched quickly from the glowing portal before snapping into a battle line to assault her disorganized forces.
There was no hope left now, only the final pain of death. May it be most exquisite . She ordered the remaining forces to follow her as she charged the lines of soldiers, happy to die by Imperium steel rather than face the attentions of a master painweaver for failing in her task.
Chapter 25
I watched as the last of the Ikbose on the battlements were hunted down and killed. We had arrived just in time, fending off the assault on the barracks before the last few defenders were slain. Another few minutes and we would have lost the transition point.
The fight must have been a horrific one; the space inside the walls was an abattoir. Bodies of friend and foe were scattered everywhere, and a huge pile clogged the gateway. I spotted one of the garrison soldiers peeking out from the barracks, shock in his eyes at our sudden arrival.
“Soldier, report,” I ordered, climbing over the barricade outside the barracks to get to him. The soldier blinked at me, stumbling about a bit before regaining some of his composure.
“Sir, the enemy . . . well . . . I guess we held them long enough,” the soldier muttered.
“You certainly did, soldier. You certainly did. Where is Sergeant Wrend?” I asked.
“He’s in there. Fell holding off the last rush of elves, sir. Stood in the doorway and held them, cursing up a blue streak,” the soldier advised.
“How many of you are left?” I asked. In response, the remaining garrison filtered out. There were fourteen left alive: seven of the catapult crew, six soldiers, and one scout from Ignominia out of the over 150 that had started the fight.
Quest Update: Unite the Zone. Your forces have held off a counterattack against the eastern transition point. Despite heavy losses, the Imperium retains this valuable location. Continue to unite the remaining areas and defeat your foes for greater rewards.
Reward: 1500 experience, 100 gold, 250 resources.
The reward was welcome even if I felt like I hadn’t earned it. I shouldn’t feel that way—my plans and troops had fought the battle, after all—but not being present for all but the end was disappointing.
“Charlie company, sweep the enemy encampment. Finish off any Ikbose left behind. Bravo and alpha are on cleanup duty. Medics, see to our wounded,” I ordered, trying to get the transition point sorted out.
“Sir, over here. You need to look at this,” a soldier near the side of the barracks said, waving me over. I jogged through the gap in the barricade that the men were starting to dismantle. Laid out in a row were six graves, huge graves with giant swords stuck in the ground at the head of each. Imperium helmets the size of breastplates sat atop the sword hilts.
“What happened here?” I asked no one in particular.
“They were ogres that joined us, sir, a day or so after we got here. The six of them were looking to fight the Ikbose, something or other about losing their honor. Wrend walked up to them and flat-out asked them to join up, sir . . . and they did. They were part of Ignominia. They fought like demons, sir. The six of them held the gate against a hundred enemies. Wrend had them buried here after they fell.”
“Well done, soldiers. Thank you to your service to the legion and the Imperium,” I said, snapping off a crisp salute toward my fallen legionnaires. I breathed a sigh of relief as I realized the respawn protection for Wrend would now kick in.
“By the gods, look at the size of those helms,” Tavers said as he approached. “Sir, I wanted to let you know both catapults are in good shape; the enemy didn’t have time to do any damage to th
em before we arrived. I’ll have them packed up if we’re planning to leave anytime soon,” Tavers added.
I thought for a moment. I needed to press the attack on the Ikbose as soon as possible but didn’t want to leave the transition point undefended.
“Call together the command staff. We need to discuss our options,” I said, moving out of the way of my soldiers as they got about the business of putting the transition point back in order. After using the Scroll of Hasty Reinforcement to respawn most of Wrend’s forces, I pulled out my campaign map. I worked on a strategy for the assault on the Ikbose lands while I waited for the others; soon, Brooks, Tavers, and the other three sergeants arrived.
“Sergeant Wrend and the bulk of his men should be rejoining us within a day,” I said, calculating how long the walk from Hayden’s Knoll to the southern transition point would take.
“Do we have any new recon reports?” I asked.
“Yes, sir. The remaining Ignominia troops advised that the Ikbose have enveloped the ogre lands, cutting them off from their hunting grounds. They’re tightening the noose and it is only a matter of time before they’re starved out,” Brooks advised. The always-competent sergeant had already gathered whatever information he could.
“We have two choices. Either we drive on the Ikbose city of Stonetree or we move to break the siege of the Goreaxe. If we move to Stonetree, we might be able to capture it and end the threat of the Ikbose in one swoop. However, if we attack the city first, we run the risk of being trapped between the forces remaining in the city and the Ikbose surrounding the Goreaxe.
“If we move to break the siege of the Goreaxe, we run the risk of the entire Ikbose army and their allies turtling inside the city, making for a protracted siege. I don’t need to remind anyone that there is an imminent invasion coming from the zone of Bharga at any time. I doubt they will invade with so many of their forces tied up here in the expeditionary force, but we really have no idea how many they are. They could have a second large army ready to pin us up against the Ikbose city. Your thoughts, gentlemen?” I asked, laying out the two best options as I saw them.
“Sir, I think we should move to relieve the ogres. I don’t see them as an ally at this point, but at least they are not an enemy. Rescuing their people may sway them to our side,” Brooks said.
“I think we drive on, allow my engines to tear down the walls of Stonetree. I can deal with them before their army has a chance to turn around and march to their rescue,” Tavers said. The other npc sergeants were silent, their capabilities and contribution limited unless they became named by the AI. I stood looking at the campaign map, coming to a decision.
“This is what we’ll do. We march to the Goreaxe peak to relive the ogres. They may not be allies, but I’ll not let them be slaughtered. Look at the six graves outside; I think at some point they may also join us. Until then, even as neutrals, they are citizens of the zone and under our protection . . . until such a time as they prove themselves an enemy,” I said, pausing to see their reaction before continuing. All nodded in agreement. Tavers hesitated but then joined with the others.
“We’ll stay here for a day until the first of the transition point reinforcements arrive. Ignominia will also remain here until they are back to full strength. Then they will march to join the rest of the legion. We’ll march from here along the road before cutting south and heading directly toward Goreaxe Peak. If the enemy is smart, they’ll break their siege to gather forces to face us. That’s what we want: to catch their entire besieging force and destroy them.
“Once that’s done, we’ll march on Stonetree immediately unless we need to wait for replacements. Despite our recent victories, we’re still outnumbered by our foes, but I know we have the skill to prevail. Everyone see to your men and let’s get the transition point back in business,” I ordered.
By nightfall, the dead had been buried and the enemy camp wiped away. I was able to net another one hundred resources from the remaining supplies the enemy had in camp as well as twenty-two gold. Not a bad haul for just cleaning up. Everyone had a good meal and the legion camped outside the transition point. Tavers began repairs on the gates, saying they should be as good as new by tomorrow afternoon.
As darkness descended, the men ate a hearty meal of back and beans. There was an energy in the camp, the men chomping at the bit to get stuck in with the enemy. The foes our army had faced so far had been monstrous ones for the most part. The ghouls and Gul Dorg were horrifying foes and did terrifying things to their victims. There was something different about fighting another real army. The men had more anger toward the Ikbose for the torture of a few of our own than all the slaughter the monsters had done. Why?
The ghoul lord had been a sad and pathetic creature that I pitied in some way once I learned its story, and the Gul Dorg were like parasitic insects, driven by instinct. Perhaps there was a devious intelligence guiding them, but the monstrous foes were forced into the role they played.
These humanoids—the Ikbose—had a choice. They didn’t have to torture, kill, and oppress their neighbors. They chose to do these things and took delight in their evil. It was an evil I knew all too well from my time in combat. It was the type of evil I had spent my life fighting against.
A type of evil I would not allow to take root in my zone.
Tomorrow, after the replacements arrived, we would march. I vowed not to stop until Stonetree had been razed to the ground.
***
“That’s what you’ll pay if you want our services and not a copper less!” the mercenary shouted in Darkfallow’s face.
Darkfallow was a bit out of his element negotiating with mercenaries, but that was what Nharia had ordered. The leader of the military forces of the Ikbose, Nharia served as the face of their leader . . . the Grand Painmaster as he was called. Darkfallow had never seen the Grand Painmaster; his only contact, from the very first meeting at the transition point in Bharga, had been with Nharia.
“Very well. You better deliver on what you promised. If you cheat us or your troops turn out to be garbage, I’ll feed you to my newest creations,” Darkfallow said, gesturing to the new pair of ghouls he had crafted as his bodyguards. The pair were a head taller than other ghouls—and much more powerful.
The duo snapped their jaws at the mercenary leader, clacking their claws together in a threatening manner. It was the claws that finally cowed the mercenary leader. The claws themselves were typical ghoul claws—deadly—but it was what resided in the palms of the ghouls that terrified most who met them. Darkfallow had grafted the mouth and snapping teeth of a smaller ghoul into the mouths of these creations. He had seen the ghouls tear into their victims. Clawed hands would grasp an opponent while the jaws within tore into and feasted on the victim in their grasp.
“Your creepy little pets will not get you a discount. I know you won’t sick them on me . . . unless you never want to hire another band of mercenaries again. Word gets around, Darkfallow, and mine is respected among the different bands. My Shield Brothers have always held the line against any foe. These Imperium dogs will be no different,” the leader of the Shield Brothers mercenary band replied.
“The Gate Crashers are not going to be cheated on our price, either. Pay what we ask or we’re out of here,” the leader of the other band in the tent demanded.
He had made a huge mistake in having both leaders in to negotiate at the same time. Darkfallow had been sure he could negotiate the price down if he had brought them in together, but instead, neither would budge on their price in front of their competitor.
“Very well. The agreed amount upfront. I’ll sign for the rest once you have completed your contract,” Darkfallow said with a sigh, handing over the fat bag of gems to each mercenary leader. He had hoped to talk them down, intending to keep whatever he saved for himself. At least the funds had come from the Ikbose and weren’t taken from Narbos’s coffers.
“You’re not a very skilled negotiator, dear ally. I take it from the fat purses bo
th our new employees were stuffing into their inventory that you had to pay full price. So what did the treasure of the Ikbose buy for us this day?” Nharia taunted, entering the tent as the mercenaries left. Darkfallow knew she was likely listening in the whole time.
“The Shield Brothers are a specialized defensive unit I found on the mercenary boards. They have heavy armor, large shields, and long spears. Just what we need to counter the Imperium style of battle. There’s just over two hundred of them, all level 15 and well-geared. The Gate Crashers are engineers. They bring a half dozen catapults to the party, more than double what that Raytak clown can field. They’re supposed to have a longer range than the ones he used against us at the roadblock. There is a force of fifty swordsmen with shields along with the Gate Crashers, but they’re just there to protect the siege engines,” Darkfallow advised.
“You may not know how to negotiate, but I have to admit you found some mercenaries that should do what we need them to do. When will the mercenary forces arrive?” Nharia asked.
“In the morning. They were camped nearby,” Darkfallow told her.
“Good, we’ll need them immediately. I just received a messenger from Stonetree advising me the assault on the transition point has failed. Raytak and his army will be marching soon, and we’ll need to meet them wherever they decide to advance to. I’ve sent orders to gather our forces. We’ll leave a token force covering the ogres, just enough to observe. The bulk of our army and our new friends will join us to face this Imperium once more. They will finally face our full army, not a tiny piece they happen to get lucky and surprise at a roadblock,” Nharia smugly replied.
Darkfallow nodded in agreement he didn’t feel as the Ikbose leader left the tent. The mercenaries he had just overpaid to hire would help, but would it be enough to tip the balance? Time would tell, and he was already getting concerned that Narbos would return and be furious he was here tied up with the Ikbose instead of managing the zone in Bharga.
Limitless Lands Book 4: Opposition (A LitRPG Adventure) Page 27