Leopold slammed the face of his hammer into the Orc climbing the temple steps. The blow smashed home and broke the barbarian things face, blood and shards of bone gushing forth. He growled and kicked the Orc from him, the lifeless body rolling down the steps and crashing into more of its kin, knocking them over and scattering a few. A minute's reprieve he thought, not long enough. The Orcs were pressing too fast, too strong.
"Back inside!" Leopold roared, yelling at the top of his voice, coarse with rage. "Sigmar protect you brothers! Inside the walls of the Temple!" He looked around, the others fighting with him disengaged from their fights and raced back up the steep steps to the large wooden door which even now was slowly closing.
A crazed, one eyed dwarf raced past Leopold and shouted with anger at him. "We're going the wrong bloody way human!" but ran up the steps none the less, taking them two at a time.
Leopold laughed, maybe the only time he had today. Storri always knew how to make him feel better even in the worst of situations. They had travelled the length and breadth of the Old World together, along with the other two of their company and had ended up in this Sigmar Forsaken place. He was glad of their company, but now he had more pressing matters. He blocked as a huge Orc swung its mighty choppa towards his face, the blow jarred him back and he tripped, landing hard on the steps. The edge of one jabbed into his side and he grimaced in pain. The Orc above him roared in triumph and raised the huge blade above its head for a killing blow.
Suddenly from no-where a flash of flame and a stink of sulphur filled the air. The Orc above Leopold looked down at its chest, now a bloody and burnt heap, a hole as big as a cannon shot right in the centre. It gurgled and collapsed backwards giving Leopold time to stand and run. He stooped and picked up the hammer and without another look sprinted up the steps. As he ran he risked a glance, ahead a tall, thin man cloaked all in reds and gold's sent jets of fire from his palms, creating a wall of panic for the defenders to escape quickly. As he passed he nodded to the wizard and dived through the near closed door with a clatter of his plate mail on the flagstone floor. The door closed with a slam.
"About time!" Storri said, scooping Leopold from the floor and banging his back, sending a cloud of dust rising into the air. "Thought we would have to send out a rescue party!" he laughed, showing broken and bloody teeth, the patch over his missing eye was loose too and looked disgusting in the dimmed light.
A second dwarf, who despite Storri's large orange spiked hair, looked strangely similar jogged over with a pair of rifles slung over his back.
"They have started to surround the back of the Temple as well Leopold" he said, ignoring the blood covered Storri and looking only at Leopold.
Storri turned and frowned "Come now cousin Urgrim, don't be grumpy with me." The crimson slayer growled.
Urgrim turned and was about to start but caught himself. "Bah, I wanted to be out on the front lines and you know it" he said somewhat deflated.
Storri banged a hand on Urgrim's hard and laughed. "That is a place for slayers my cousin, you should be atop with your guns and your powder, you will steal more kills than I this day"
The prospect of beating his cousin in combat seemed to cheer Urgrim somewhat and he returned to his conversation with Leopold quickly.
"Where is Urdafine?" Leopold said, looking at the closed temple doors.
With a flash and a smell which burnt the nostrils the wizard from the steps flashed into existence and stumbled forwards, panting.
"There we go" Leopold said, starting forwards and taking hold of the wizard shoulders. "Calm yourself Urdafine."
The thin man stood and took of his cloak revealing a thin, lithe frame, pointed elven ears and dressed in a rich crimson and gold robe.
"Thank you Leopold, the Orcs, they are pressing the attack. They have bought a shaman with them, one of their crazed spellcasters, the doors will not hold." He sat on the floor cross-legged and closed his eyes. "Please, a moment to concentrate while I recover, I spent all of my energy."
Urgrim sneered and rolled his eyes. "Bloody spell makers. Leopold, we have to find a way out of this place. Your God Sigmar might hold the doors for now but that shaman will surely bring this place down around our ears." He looked to his cousin who was standing by the nearest window looking out at the horde of Orcs surrounding the Temple. "And if we don't hurry up we're going to be trying to pull that idiot back from the brink again!"
Storri waved a hand behind him "Bah, I've fought more than this in my time".
Leopold looked around him, he would have to do something quickly. There were his three companions and him, and a rag tag group of soldiers he had manage to find wandering the burning streets. They were worse for ware, huddled in the corner and clutching their swords and shields so tight the white of their knuckles showed. He couldn't not rely on them to stand and fight if the door collapsed, he must find another way to get free from this place.
"What was the word from the others in the city?" Leopold said as dust began to fall from the ceiling, the thud of a battering ram on the door behind him. Storri held his axes in his hands and licked his lips.
Urgrim frowned and talked while loading rounds into his two large rifles. "They say Captain Oswald has lost the barracks and fallen back to the tavern district on the other side of town. He brings with him all the militia he can find and they say a regiment of the Knights of the White Wolf are with him." Urgrim grimaced a this "pity they are just as inclined to kill their own as they are the enemy"
"No time for bitterness now Urgrim" Leopold said, turning to the men sitting in the corner. "You, you three there, come here". The soldiers stood weakly and walked quickly to him. "I am Leopold Sturnhammer, you know me as your priest, the Warrior Priest of Sigmar and the Empire, and I would charge you with only tasks that are in the Emperors name" The three men shuffled uncomfortably "You must hold this door" his tone become sombre and dry.
Urgrim looked away and walked over to his brother. Urdafine opened one eye from his seat on the floor and stared at Leopold. The soldiers looked at each other.
"Bu, but we will surely die" one of the men said, terror in his eyes.
"Yes, you will" Leopold said, holding his shoulder. "But even the great people as Valten fall to become more than they are. Sigmar will give you a place higher than many others for your bravery." Leopold kept a straight face, but inside it tore him to make them do this.
The three soldiers nodded. Leopold slapped them on the shoulder and smiled grimly. "Sigmar will remember you this day"
He ushered them over to the door and nodded to Storri, Urgrim and Urdafine who walked towards him.
"They won't last a minute" Storri said, staring at the backs of the three men as they stood, shields towards the creaking wood.
"It's a minute we need" Leopold said flatly.
"I will stay and help" Urdafine said, pulling a thin book from his robes and flicking through.
"No" Leopold replied, "We will need you as we try and cross the city. They must stay, we, must go".
Urdafine started to protest but knew his friends mind was made up. He cast a gaze back to the men at the door, and sighed.
"Come, up the steps" Urgrim said, pushing them towards the rough cut stone stairs that led to the roof of the Temple.
They all took a look back towards the three soldiers, before climbing the stairs and emerging on the roof of the battered Sigmarite Temple. As they pushed through the wooden trap door and into the heat of the burning city they realised just how hard their task was going to be. The city was burning; whole districts alight with the enemies brand. Pockets of explosions and gunfire sounded in the streets around them, the remnants of the army trying desperately to make a last stand. Urgrim pointed to the south.
"There, beyond the graveyard and a stones throw from there is the tavern district, Captain Oswald could be there." He looked down off the roof to the street, Orcs clambering over each other to get at the door below.
Storri itched and twitched. "Come on, what are we doing, I need to get to the fighting before those White Wolf bastards take them all" he flexed his muscles.
Below a bang sounded and a roar of triumph from the Orcs sounded. The clash of swords and shields sounded and continued, the three men fought for their lives.
"They have given us time. Come now; let it not be in vain." Leopold jogged to the rear of the Temple and looked down, all the Orcs had run around the front now and it was clear below. "Urdafine, a spell if you will?"
The wizard nodded and started to chant. "Leap, now"
The three companions trusted their elven companion to the letter and did as they were told, jumping from the ramparts and hurtling towards the ground. As they neared it, a close four feet between them and crunched bones they stopped suddenly, hovering for a moment before landing on their feet gently. Urdafine followed, landing softly beside them.
The companions nodded and stared out to the stone roads before them.
"Which way?" Leopold said, looking for a clue.
"Just follow the fighting" Storri said, grinning.
