by Pwyll Duggan
"Oh, he shook it off. Finish the Bihorn bitch and grab the old man." I stagger around like a mad drunk, unable to go where I want. Anger boils away the miasma going thru my body.
"Careful Bitch! I'm OLD for a reason." She laughs.
"Your weapon is here old man, your bihorn is cornered and you can barely stand. Yield!"
Mary is keeping four ogres at bay, dents marking her near misses upon their armor. One lies sundered on the landing, blood seeping from the joints in his armor. She's holding her ground, but not for long. Niall and Reiji are near the landing, rocks in hand, just like the ones now at my feet. Anger and rage roll in my chest. I push it down, making it small, making it boil. I arch back and roar, letting it all out, flowing through my body. Fuck it - Time to let the demons out.
I leap from my right leg, careening into an ogre attacking Mary, my shoulder down and knocking him into the next. A poleaxe slams down on my shoulder from behind. Left arm swings as I twist towards it, grabbing the shaft and slamming it back at the ogre. Rapid hits of the haft into its chest makes it lose its grip. Overhead strike slams down on its helmet, braking the axehead and shaft as it imbeds in the skull.
I call my improvised Katars, facing the two on Mary as the third struggles to get up. Running under a swing, I slice up across the elbows then drive the broken hafts of my weapons into the shoulder joints, wood splintering off them as they dent the armor. Right leg kicks out, taking a knee as the right arm slices across an exposed neck. Metal dents metal as Mary swings wide, crunching a breastplate and dropping another.
Flash of white and I know the samurai is closing on me. Leaving Mary with her lone attacker, I throw both my axe heads at the samurai, watching her bat one aside and duck the other. It gives my time to grab the ankle of the nearest downed ogre and swing. Four hundred pounds of mass takes time to speed up, but she sees what I am doing and dives to her right, down the slope. The body is not for her and it sails out, with a grunt of effort, at her remaining ogres, knocking them down in the confusion.
I run at her, turning it to a slide. She grins and leaps above my slide. She's committed and, in the air, as I plant my feet, spring up and strike upwards with dual punches. As she twists to dodge, the punches land on thigh and shoulder, pushing her higher and out of control. Crunches behind me match the staggering of ogres and the shouts of gobbers.
White is sailing over to a blocked tunnel giving me time to turn and run for my staff. A firebolt sails past my shoulder, claiming a gobber, followed by a curse. I begin swinging and sliding among the gobbers, using them as cover as White gets up, firebolting as she goes. Most miss me, claiming others, thinning the enemies. Some slam against my armor, barely hurting me at all.
Using fast short strikes with the staff, I clear the gobbers and make room to fight the ogres. Mary has kept them busy, only leaving three. Changing grip from the center to the end of the staff, I face White as she throws one more dark bolt at me, burning my chest as I dodge badly. I shake the pain away, White's grin goes wider and brighter. She has her broadsword in both hands, held up in front of her. I have the reach advantage over her, yet she either doesn't care or thinks nothing of the staff.
She goes for a quick overhand strike, going for my weapon, testing me. The clang echoes in the small tunnel, counterpointing the dull thud of another ogre. Her blade scratches the metal staff, being dented in return. She didn't get a flutter from my staff's block. My strength is much greater than hers. I squint and draw the Spirita Aqua into me, still facing White. Her grin drops, eyes following the flow of souls from the dead on the landing into my body. She mutters "shit" and starts a chain of strikes. I block and parry, sparks lighting the tunnel from her furious strikes.
I back off as she advances, blocking as I go. I move my left hand slightly up the shaft, tightening my right grip. As she swings and I thrust. Rapid fire thrusts, right hand pushing forward, left guiding. Up, down, shoulders, left, legs. She's trying to parry or block, losing ground as she does so. Upper half of her body rocks left and right, now dodging herself, sword flailing back and forth in front of her. She ducks right, back hitting the tunnel wall as I thrust forward hard, clipping her helm. Stone indents from the strike. She reels further to the right, stone chips blooding her cheek as they fly by.
She regains her footing, watching me pull a chunk of stone from the wall as I yank the staff free. No grin now, uncertainty in her eyes, bordering on fear. She quickly flashes her head around. She steps back again as Mary drives her sledge down, Ogre helm emptying its contents over a large area. Nothing else is standing but her enemies. Mary slams the butt of her sledge down, making White jump a little.
"No need for you to die here. Surrender." I offer her. She sneers at me, blonde locks covering part of her vision, caked in sweat. She raises her sword over her head, her feet twisting a little, getting ready to charge. I won't give her the chance. I charge left, three or four feet wide of her, swinging hard horizontally. The staff whistles as it arcs, slamming into her breasts before her arms lower. The staff impacts deep, her breath exploding out as her bones do the same inwards. Her chest caves inwards, nothing natural about her new shape.
Her body skates along the ground and head first impacts the far wall. I throw my hand out, pulling her spirita to me as she crumples on the wall. "Niall, get that armor on Mary." I go to turn to face up the tunnel as a dark shape jumps up to White's corpse, going for the broadsword. It's the lizardman. "Don't Sylar. You really don't want to do that."
His stops mid-action, grey-green scales glistening in the torch lights from the walls.
"Magicks iss mine." Comes hissing from his gash of a mouth.
"No, that's Reiji's - because he is actually helping. You touch that sword, it better be to lead the way up the tunnel. Grab it, you go up first. Lead the way, Sylar, show us how it's done."
Silence descends from the watching ex-slaves. Sylar stands upright, stepping back as he does.
"Go guard the rear." I dismiss him, going over to White's body, grabbing sword and belt. I pass it to Reiji, getting a nod as he belts it to his side. Niall's strapping pauldrons to Mary's shoulders over the breast scale she just got. White's body is just crumpled there, robe holding in parts of her body, staining slowly red.
Tapping Mary on the flank, I cast Stone Blessing on her and then myself. Addressing her as I glance around the crowd below us.
"Get them out. I'll try and kite the enemy - get their attention and keep it while running." No turning back now as I stride faster and faster up the tunnel to my fate, letting the anger boil.
Chapter Thirty-Six
The clash of steel on steel bounces down the tunnel as I near the forge caverns. It's slightly brighter. Dawn here? How long have I been up and active? Doesn't matter, let's start the run. I power up and over the tunnel into the cavern. There's two lines of troops set up in the cavern. One group far to the left, mopping up the Dead, using a shield wall and spears. The other is in a loose line covering the width of the cavern, a few soldiers deep. Ogres at the front, what few orcs that are left and masses of snotlings interspaced with gobbers. Mother Harpy I can't see. Clear the path first.
Spears, javelins and rocks are launched at me as I sprint right, heading to the rock wall of the cavern. I jump, plant the feet and push against the wall, rocketing back, heading to the line of troops. Missed missile weapons clanging around me. Can't believe that Harpy is letting me get this close as I switch the staff to the left hand, right throw out, casting. I strafe Fireballs along the line. Bodies fly, and the screaming starts. I slide to a stop and head for the 160-foot flaming gap I just created.
A screech from on high announces the harpy is above the barracks. Quick glance has her on her litter, giving orders. At the screech the shield wall moves, sliding back, giving the dead a way out. Into the path of my rescued slaves. Sprinting thru the gap, ignoring the clangs on my armor, I turn to the shield wall. Staff out as a battering ram I run at the wall after I go around the remains of the loose line of tr
oops. I don't make it as my vision fills with flames.
My body bounces off scaffolding and rubble, twisting and crashing into the worked wall face, near the barracks. Burning hair sears my nose and my flesh is red and blackened. Blinking to clear my eyes, the rays of dawn highlight the remains of Cratertown out the exit. Flapping of wings and that hideous cackle means I have a visitor descending, just as the sun rises. Sun...
I trigger heal twice, skin turning to a huge swath of red itching skin. Smoking I roll forward as the Harpy crashes into the ground where I just was. Wings flapping, dust swirling and the moaning of the dead are all I can hear. Feathers fill my sight as I get backhanded by the harpy, rolling away in a heap. Thank the gods for armor. No idea where my staff is, so I turn and run at the shield wall.
I slide into the wall instead of jumping, firebolts shooting over my head. Legs out, two spears glance along them, sparking until they bite at the waist, spinning me to side. I roll to the base of the shields, blood trail following, as I hammer the first shield with my fists, denting it and sending the wielder back into the troops. I keep rolling into the legs and shields around me, spears trying to pin me down. I latch on to a pair of legs and pull, using them to circle around me, careening them off the massed troops. The body bounces of the others, giving me time to stand, whipping the body even harder now, red spray covering the troops.
Howling winds from the flapping harpy are interrupted as I throw the pulped body at her, catching her by surprise, close to me. Smashing into her wing, it folds around it, crashing her into the heads of her troops. She screams her hideous scream, dropping troops and dead alike. Her action shatters her ranks, letting the dead through the shield wall and away from my rescues. Wrenching a spear from my armor, I start running with the panicked troops, away from the frenzied Harpy.
Trading punches with the gobbers and orcs around me, clearing a small path as I do so. Their hits bounce of the armor. I strike away knives and daggers as I see them, another healing only stops more blood from dripping down. I stumble a little then leap, uncontrolled from the mass, hoping for somewhere nearer the forge and my friends.
Cushioning the fall with a leg, I skid to a stop on my back, head bouncing along the ground the whole way. The Harpy's airborne again, her single talon dripping gore. Her maze of fangs in her too large mouth, sloshing blood and viscera each way as she munches one on what was someone. Eyes head rocking back and forth, searching for someone - me.
Getting to my feet I run again, heading to the daylight, hoping to get her to screech again. Ex-slaves are running, stumbling, somehow making their way past the forges. A few brave and armed souls holding back the few gobbers attacking. Mary is charging back and forth along the line, scattering and trampling any snotling or gobber that gets too close. Her sledge pounds anything large into giblets.
I collar an armored goblin by the back of his neck, using him as a shield, then a javelin. He gets tossed behind me as I grab another and spin, facing the Harpy. Blood covers her body and feathers now, gold still flickering from her hair. The first goblin arcs by her, falling ungraciously into a small grouping of Dead.
Left Hand slides behind the axehead of one of my katars, ripping the leather loop from my shoulders. The gobbers are in a rout, snotlings are a horde of blood fueled crazy from the screeching and anything else has fled already. I heft the gobber back and toss him in a flat spin at the Harpy. She spins in the air, wings folding in to her body as the gobber flies by. I burst out into the morning sun, ex-slaves to my right, greenskin horde to the left.
I dive as the flapping wings get near, her sole talon ripping free armor from a shoulder. She’s out in the crater, sun having no effect on her. She wheels back around, going higher. I punch my way through a couple of gobbers, retrieving their spears, slamming them point first into the ground. Another screech and she's diving my way again. Half the way to me a fireball streaks out from her. A spear goes rocketing from my arm outwards. They meet in the middle, firestorm covering the area.
She bursts out, singed and angry, mouth open screaming. The impact slices her mouth wider, snapping my left arm in the processes. I'm rolling on the ground, hobbled Harpy swiping claws at me, tearing the ground up all around me while I scream. Healing kicks in as I keep the arm to my chest, desperately keeping out of her reach.
She launches herself at me, mouth wide enough to swallow my head whole. Blocking with my left forearm, bracer taking fangs, scraping and ripping at the metal. I push back, forcing the bracer back into her mouth, right hand on my wrist. I force her back, gagging on my bracer. Claws and talons raking me up and down, metal tearing. We're stumbling forward for me, backwards for her until she crashes into something, falling down on top of it.
Blood drips from both of us onto The Stone, sticking up out of the dirt. My left arm bleeds into her mouth, fangs tearing the bracer apart. I punch with my right. Hitting her face, fangs, screaming as claws buffet me, slicing my side. Her legs are under me, trying to push me off. Talon closes down on my side and crushes the armor. I feel it penetrate my side, hot pain flaring.
Screaming I keep hitting her, then pull back, wrenching my left arm from her mouth, fangs dripping her gore as they come out, stuck in the bracer. I grab her jaws, straining to keep them open, inching them open, wider then they can take. I'm bashing her head back on the Stone, while prying open her jaws. Bash, pull. Ichor drips on The Stone. She twists, my guts going with her as I crash back.
Collapsing on the ground I'm thinking heal, heal, heal. Non-stop, using it all up. She stands screaming, blood matting her feathers, ichor dripping from her fangs. The back of her head is a mess, gore messing her feathers. The gold band on her head is clear to see now, some sort of crown. I skitter backwards, pulling out the last potion, downing it and tossing the bottle at her head. It bounces of her forehead.
She screeches. Ears give up and burst, pain stabbing from them into what's left of my functioning brain. Hands over bleeding ears I stagger up and charge, head butting her stomach, driving the air out from her. I snap my head up, helmet smashing her jaw. Left crumpled hand grabs her throat, right grasps the last katar and I go berserk, striking up non-stop at her wings and chest. Struggling she knocks my hand off her throat and grabs mine. Wing slams down on my arm as it hits her, trapping the katar and raking my face.
She’s got me tight, breath leaving me from a knee to the chest. Her left wing goes back, claws together to stab me in the face, her right claw crushing my windpipe. A sledgehammer drives down on her claw, flattening it on The Stone, claws broken. Mary rears up, flashes her head down and twin horns rend the Harpy's face, poking through her mouth. She yanks herself off the horns, dropping me. Her leg whips out, white armor crunching, Mary bouncing of The Stone awkwardly, falling from sight.
I pull what's left of me up and jump, landing on her again, back bent down to The Stone. Two working fingers on my left hand reach out on touch the gold under her matted feathers for hair.
“Shatter.”
Golden shrapnel explodes, Harpy's scream mirrored by my own. My face is burning as I smell smoke. The Harpy's smoking in the sunlight. We're struggling. She's desperate to get away, as Mary's bloody form rises from the back of the Stone, grabbing the remains of her feather hair.
I can't hear her screech, but Mary's response and pain is evident. She's grasping her ears, tottering on her hooves. My dripping blood sears the Mother Harpy as I lean over, right hand back in a fist. The Punch knocks fangs into her mouth as I drive it deep into her mouth. I smile with my gashed face.
"Bright Bolt."
The Harpy's head explodes, gore flaming in all directions, her blood boiling in the flames and the sunlight. Steaming piles of gore splattered on the Stone start burning. I can't feel my arms. There's only ringing in my ears. The dawning light makes the sky look peaceful. How did I get on my back? Can't feel anything.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
"Rip off the armor."
"It's dug into him."
"Does
n't matter, rip it out. Otherwise the skin will heal over it."
"How does he have so much blood left?"
"Not helping Lilly. Nyssa get those bandages ready."
"She out of it - mumbling dimensions and absorption factors."
"Nyssa -Time left?"
"17 seconds until full potion cool down expires. Bandage needs to be 120 cm to wrap around the wound."
"Nyssa!" Crying now. Ears must be working. Black out? Might be night. Wasn't it just day?
"Lilly, hold him down, he's stirring."
"Dad, what are you doing?" Pain shoots up from my chest, ripping down through my stomach.
"Niall, anymore?"
"Bracers are cut off and straightened what's left of the arms. Bones are fuckin hard as."
"Okay then." A wet and cool liquid splashes on my chest. That's not right. It's splashing in my chest too. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
"Lilly! Hold him down. Aron help her!" Itching and burning runs along my whole body.
"That's it. No more left. Bandage him up Nyssa. Mary's got a spot in the carts for him." Carts?
Gentle rocking matches the slow pace of the hooves. Really close hooves, must be on a cart. Wasn't I just on the ground? Jingling of metal and glass around me also. Soft sounds of talking, whispering? Not whispering, just a little away. Sounds all muted from what's wrapped around my head. Eyes wrapped shut also. Jaw mostly works. That's sets off small shooting pains around my head and neck. Fingers wrapped too, barely move. Think my legs are there.
The familiar feel of Nyssa's silk on my chest, tightly wrapped. Garrot's voice rings out.
"Camp here for a few hours. Those coming to The Grove, with me. We'll continue to the Wall once I get back. No fires. Mary and Nyssa have you covered." The cart rolls slowly to a stop. Shuffling of feet, sounds of goodbyes and the odd crying. It fades.
I moan a little, pain slowly fading if I don't move. Something cool is pressed to my lips. Mary's deep voice whispers to me.