Bjurstrom and the other raiders recognized the spell, and began to retreat. As did Harmon’s troops. The only ones who didn’t move away were Allistor’s people that were trapped in the overturned Juggernaut. Which was still encircled by enlarged and enraged goblins. And even as the orcanin stepped back in a rapid and orderly fashion, the goblins charged forward, diving into the line, sacrificing their bodies without care, wrapping themselves around their foes’ arms and legs.
Allistor managed to put a round into another of the two remaining shamans, but the third caster finished his chant at nearly the same time.
The entire area in front of the gates erupted as if Allistor had dropped one of his bombs. Hundreds of tightly crowded goblin bodies exploded, showering the orcanin, raiders, and defenders in bits of flesh, organs, and bone. The orcanin line was blasted apart, several of the warriors torn to shreds by the berserker goblins who’d latched onto them. Others were sprayed with shrapnel, the force of the explosions knocking them down. When Allistor’s ears stopped ringing from the blast, he could hear roars of pain and anger from the orcanin, nearly drowning out the screams and sobs of humans who hadn’t gotten word quickly enough, and had still been looking down from the wall at the battle.
The gates themselves, now peppered with bone fragments and flesh, had buckled inward when the burning truck the goblins had tried to use as a ram was lifted by the force of the explosion and slammed into them.
Allistor saw two of his raiders’ icons go grey. His gaze immediately went to the line of raiders that had formed behind the orcanin, looking for bodies. It took him several seconds, as he watched all his people get to their feet, to realize what had happened.
There had been two people trapped in the overturned Juggernaut. Chuck, the new recruit who’d volunteered to lead them to the other Stronghold, and one of Bjurstrom’s regular raid team, a man named Frank that Allistor had met once or twice.
Shifting his gaze to its location, he saw the sturdy vehicle now sat on its side, the windows all shattered and the body of the vehicle badly dented, with several areas showing multiple holes grouped as if they’d suffered shotgun blasts. Red human blood mixed with the goblin blood splattered everywhere.
Not a single living goblin remained, including the final shaman that had completed the suicidal casting. The human defenders realized this at roughly the same time as Allistor. A ragged cheer went up from the people atop the wall, even as most of them immediately turned to rush toward the burning building. Others crouched down over wounded comrades to try and help. Allistor saw more than a few of those shake their heads in resignation, finding their friends had died, then move on with faces grim.
Without thinking, Allistor cast Restore on the nearest wounded defender, a woman who’d fought the climbing goblins and taken a nasty stab wound just below her collarbone. The spell worked, but the pain within him dissuaded Allistor from casting more. He needed to find out how badly he’d damaged himself, and whether there was a remedy.
Grabbing the nearest of the able-bodied defenders, he handed them a bag he pulled from his ring, followed by a score of health potions. “Use these on the worst cases. Keep them alive long enough to receive full healing. I have healers outside, if you’ll open the gates and let them in?”
“Who are you?” the woman asked. “I saw what you did for us. The magic, and the weapons. But you’re not one of us.” She looked up at him, her five-foot-nothing frame shaking from the adrenaline of the battle.
“My name’s Allistor. This is my city, now. You might have seen some system messages…” He stopped when she nodded her head.
“We were wondering when you’d come to kick us out. Figures it would be now. We’ve fought the goblins for months to keep this place, and we’ll sure as hell fight you, too. Even if you wipe us out with your ships and your magic!” she growled at him, setting the bag of potions down and balling her fists, looking as if she were about to swing at him.
Allistor raised both hands in surrender, taking a step back. “Easy, there. I’m not here to kick anybody out. You’re welcome to stay here if you like. Or join me, and live at any one of my properties. All of you. But we can discuss that later. Right now, my people and I are just here to help. Including the orcanin. The big guys. They’re friendly.” He motioned toward the bag of potions. “Might want to hurry.”
The woman looked down, her fists unclenching as she bent to retrieve the potions. She had the grace to look slightly embarrassed when she met his eyes again. “In that case, thank you for your assistance. I’ve got to get these to the folks who need them. Someone will come find you to talk. When they can.” She looked toward the smoking high rise briefly before she stepped past him, shouting down to the gate. “Open up! Got healers outside that can help!”
A man’s voice echoed up from below. “No can do, Maria! The doors are all bent and busted! They won’t budge.”
“Shit.” The woman, whose name Allistor now knew was Maria, turned back to him. “Any way you can help with that?”
Allistor turned to lean over the front of the wall, shouting, “Harmon! Need to open the gates! They’re jammed. Got any ideas?”
Harmon, who had been supervising the orcanin tending to their wounded, simply nodded his head. He barked a few quick orders in his own language, words that almost made sense to Allistor. A dozen of his troops trotted over to the gates, first lifting and tossing aside the mangled truck that was partially embedded in the doors. Next they produced massive prybars, each at least six feet of thick metal, and jammed them into gaps along the seam between the warped and dented doors. With a low chant, they levered the bars in unison, the screech of straining metal drowning out their guttural voices.
When there was sufficient space, half of them dropped their bars and inserted tri-pointed grappling hooks attached to cables. The others then let go of their prybars and took hold of the cables, two orcanin for each. Now able to use the strength of their legs and backs, instead of just their arms, they resumed their chant, leaning back and hauling the cables in bursts every fourth beat. More sounds of straining metal echoed across the courtyard as one of the doors finally gave way, moving outward far enough for even a wide-shouldered orcanin to pass through.
“Thanks, guys!” Allistor shouted down from the wall as the warriors removed the hooks and gathered up the cable and prybars. “Bon appetite!” he added, waving to the small sea of goblin parts at their feet. He heard a few deep-throated chuckles as the orcanin waved their acknowledgement, moving off to loot and butcher the few intact goblin corpses.
Allistor spotted Bjurstrom and the rest of his people moving toward the blood-splattered Juggernaut. He called out, “They’re gone. Healers, come inside and help whomever you can! We’ll deal with the bodies later.”
Bjurstrom shook his head. “I’m sorry, boss. There isn’t enough left of them to bury.” He hung his head, wiping his eyes with the back of one hand. A few of the nearby raiders stepped aside and vomited at the sight.
“Alright, I need ten of you guarding the Phoenix, in case more goblins show up. The rest of you, get in here and see what you can do to help. There’s still a fire burning in the high rise, and dozens of wounded that I can see.”
Allistor stood where he was, as Maria had instructed, watching his people move through the gate and spread out. He noticed the sisters singing a light, upbeat tune that sounded vaguely Celtic, and felt his pain ease a bit. Checking his UI, he confirmed that his health, stamina, and mana regeneration rates had each increased. Smiling down at the teenagers, he gave them a double thumbs-up, which they returned without pausing their song.
More and more of the defenders were getting to their feet after Allistor’s people cast heals and applied potions as quickly as possible. There were many handshakes and pats on the back as introductions were made, and thanks offered. In less than five minutes, the only humans still laying on the ground or atop the walls were the dead. Allistor estimated there were about fifty bodies. “If we’d gotten her
e just an hour earlier, most of them might be alive.” He mumbled to himself, shaking his head.
“And if you’d arrived even ten minutes later, we might all be dead.” A man’s voice answered from behind him. Allistor turned to find an elderly black man with snow white hair and beard, and a friendly smile that created deep wrinkles along his jaw and next to his eyes. He held out a hand. “I’m told you’re Prince Allistor. I’m Remington, but most folks just call me Remy.” The man’s voice was deep, with a cultured accent that reminded Allistor of one of his college history professors.
Allistor took the offered hand. “Good to meet you, Remy. What can we do to help? Have you got more folks inside that need heals?”
The man shook his head, his smile fading quickly. “We have our own healers inside, helping those we still can. We had some folks trapped in the fire, lost at least a dozen.”
“I’m sorry for your losses, Remy. Truly. Every human life is precious these days.” Allistor spoke softly.
Remy’s head jerked upward, and he looked directly into Allistor’s eyes. “Each human life has always been precious, Allistor.” His eyes blazed with challenge.
Allistor’s eyes widened at the seeming hostility the man suddenly displayed. “Of… of course, Remy. I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise. It’s just that there are so few of us left, now. I’ve been doing my best to protect as many as I can, but still it seems we lose too many, too often.”
Remy’s gaze softened, and he nodded slightly. “I’m sorry. I know you didn’t mean anything by that. It has been a rough day, and I’m afraid emotions are a little raw just now.” His gaze moved along the wall and across the courtyard, taking in the bodies that would never rise. “We lost a lot of good people to those little bastards. Too many, I’m afraid. My… youngest son was among the first to fall.” His voice faded to a whisper, and he looked down toward the gate. “He was outside when they attacked, escorting a foraging party that was gathering fruit in the orchard across the road. He made sure everyone else got through the gate first, took a spear in the back just as the gates closed behind him.”
Allistor placed a hand on the old man’s shoulder. “It sounds like he was a true hero. A son to be proud of.”
Remy wiped a tear from his cheek. “I’d rather have a live coward than a dead hero.” He kicked at the wall half-heartedly. “So would his wife and kids.”
“I know what you mean.” Allistor commiserated. “I’d give almost anything to get back the family I lost right after the world ended. Or any of the adopted family I’ve lost in the last year.” He paused until Remy eventually met his gaze. Pointing over the wall at the blood-spattered Juggernaut, he added, “I lost two of them just now. Maybe we can work together to make it so that neither of us lose any more?”
Remy shook his head, stepping back out of Allistor’s reach. “You can’t promise that. Being a prince doesn’t make you god.”
“No, it doesn’t. And you’re right, I can’t promise nobody else will die. But I can greatly increase our people’s chances of survival. Help them get stronger, more prepared for what comes. Provide safe places to sleep, food, training, and weapons. That’s why I came here, in fact. To introduce myself, and ask all of you to join me as citizens of Invictus.”
Remy stared into his eyes for a long moment before speaking. “Angel told me how you helped in the fight out here. And Maria said you weren’t here to evict us like we’ve been expecting.” He waved a hand to encompass the area inside the walls. “And your people saved a lot of mine here today.”
“It was the least we could do. I’m sorry I didn’t stop by sooner to speak with you. It was a gross oversight on my part. I hope that once we’ve gotten you back on your feet here today, we can talk?”
Remy nodded his head. “The fire’s out, and cleanup has already started. We’ve had lots of practice since that horde showed up a few months back.” He spat as if to rid himself of a bad taste. “We need to bury our dead. Outside the walls. Think you and your people could watch our backs while we say goodbye?”
“Absolutely. It would be an honor. There’s another ship arriving soon with a hundred or so more of my people. We’ll make sure you aren’t disturbed.”
“Thank you, Allistor. We’ll hold the burial in the park, just across the road.” Remy shook his hand again before taking his leave to go organize his people.
Allistor likewise joined his own people, thanking them for their help, and listening to their reports of leveling up from killing nearly a thousand goblins, all above level thirty. Even sharing the experience with all of the humans inside the walls, there was plenty to go around. All but the most experience Invictus raiders leveled up more than once. Allistor himself reached just past the halfway mark toward level fifty. As soon as he could, he pulled Amanda aside and told her about how he’d strained his magic somehow.
Chapter 5
Allistor and the raiders, including those from the Opportunity that Gralen had brought, along with the remaining orcanin, formed a perimeter a respectful distance from the funeral service in the park. After some discussion, Remy had elected to burn the bodies, as digging so many graves would have taken a great deal of time, and space. Between the casualties along the wall, and those from the fire, the settlement had lost sixty four people, including seven children.
Remy spoke first during the service, naming each of the dead and sharing some small fact or short anecdote about each of them. Allistor felt slightly ashamed, listening to this man who knew each of his people so well, when he himself barely knew the two men he’d lost in the battle. A few of the settlement’s citizens took the podium to speak about lost family or friends, but the entire funeral service was completed in less than two hours. One of their casters cast flames upon the covered bodies, and a short time later everyone began to file back into the Stronghold.
Remy had used his Stronghold’s interface to begin repairs on the gates and the fire-damaged building immediately after the battle, so by the time the service was over, the gates were back in serviceable condition. Once everyone, including Allistor and Harmon’s people, were inside and the gates secured, Remy called them together on the grassy area between the two buildings. There were nearly one thousand of Remy’s people there, with another hundred or so still keeping watch on the walls.
“It has been a rough day for us.” Remy called out, the crowd instantly going silent. “Roughest we’ve had maybe, since those first days.” There were murmurs of agreement, along with sobs and ragged tears from a few. A mother who’d lost two children in the fire had to be supported when she nearly collapsed from grief.
“I want to thank Prince Allistor, and all of his people, for coming to our aid, fighting alongside us when we were very nearly beaten. And for their generous aid in healing our wounded. Without them, we’d have lost many who are standing here with us now.” He paused for some applause and quiet cheering from the crowd.
“Allistor came here today to speak with us about joining him and his people. You all saw the messages when he claimed this part of the city. And the ones that came before. It’s clear from the ships he brought, the high-level fighters who fought alongside us, and the… orcanin allies that terrified the goblins, that Allistor has accomplished much in the last year. But before I give him the chance to speak here today, I ask all of you whether you even want to hear what he has to say. If you’re willing to listen, raise your hand.”
Remy raised his own hand as he finished speaking, then waited patiently for about fifteen seconds as people talked amongst themselves, hands going up, then back down again. Allistor tried his best to keep his face neutral but friendly as he observed. Finally, Remy nodded his head. “It’s not a big majority, but it looks like more than half of you want to hear what the man has to say. Allistor, if you would?”
Allistor nodded and smiled at Remy, stepping closer and shaking the man’s hand before turning toward the crowd.
“Thank you, for your willingness to hear me out. And my sincere sympat
hies for your losses today. We’ve all felt that ache in our hearts since the apocalypse. More than any of us should have to. Our world of relative safety became a hostile environment created by aliens who decided from day one to try and kill us all. Or so many of us that it makes no difference.” He paused to take a calming breath, as his own anger was turning his voice into more of a growl.
“I’m here to make you all an offer. To help make you stronger, better equipped, better trained, and above all, safer. I’m not saying I can keep you one hundred percent safe. That I can not promise, and I won’t lie to you about it. But I will promise to do all that I can to make you better prepared to live in this new world. We have more secure Strongholds here in the city, and other properties across this continent…” He spent the next five minutes giving what was becoming his standard recruitment speech. He watched as some heads nodded, others shook in denial. He saw hopeful looks, and angry faces, some of which even turned from him and walked away.
In hopes of catching those people before they were too far gone, he quickly finished up.
“I’m not asking you to decide here and now. Instead, I extend to all of you an invitation to join us for dinner at Invictus headquarters tonight. You can enjoy a good meal and a safe place to sleep for the night. Explore the property, use the teleports to check out other Strongholds. Talk to my people, and the people from other Strongholds we recently adopted, ask them whatever questions you like. Then tomorrow, you can decide what you’d like to do.”
More heads were nodding now, and Allistor decided to quit while he was ahead. “Any of you who’d like to join us for the evening, there is room on the three ships to transport all of us. Don’t worry about your property here. I’ll assign some battle droids to guard the place. They can alert us of any trouble, and we can have a whole army here in minutes. Your homes will be safe for the night.”
Shadow Sun Progression: Shadow Sun Book Four Page 7