Fall of Leader
Kateff wiped at his brow during the reprieve of battle. How he'd survived this long even he couldn't begin to understand. Even having wiped his brow, the taste of salt slid between his lips. The break in battle was quite possibly the worst thing that could have happened up until this point. The ache that had been kept at bay by his body's own production of chemicals was starting to overwhelm the sudden drop in adrenaline and seep into his muscles.
Kateff dared not look away from his attackers as they looked him over, examining him for the type of weakness that only battle exhaustion could bring about. Not looking away, though, did not thwart his concern. One of the children he was protecting had taken a hit to the her leg by a stray arrow. Amazingly, Kateff had managed to protect them from swarms of arrows, but that fact failed to lighten his concern for his charges.
"Throw down, you infectious rots!" He shouted at his approaching enemy. "You've never come against a dwarf like me." He thumped his broad dwarven chest with the blunt end of his axe. "Stubborn as Granite, Bright as Clay, and Strong as Iron!"
His antagonizing brought forth no movements. He was greatly outnumbered. Kateff had lost count at about 35 or 40, and new that he'd already killed at least 20 of that. Impressive as his skill was though, he couldn't say that they had attacked him en masse. Such a move would have easily overwhelmed him. No, Kateff had thought through his rescue of the children. He had fought with the speed of a cheetah and led the Horde army, which consisted of mostly the undead, into Ambush Canyon. The canyon comes to a dead end, bottle necking first though. At the worst moments, Kateff was only taking on 5 or 6 zombies at a time. Still, after about several rounds of this, the ache of battle was still evident.
The leading of the Horde into the canyon also led them into a state of cockiness that also aided Kateff. Having figured that they had trapped their prey, they rushed in without caution. They were quickly learning how the dead could die.
Under other circumstances, Kateff was prepared to die. Having lived a full life of friends and love, he had nothing to be ashamed of. He had created a guild of strong warriors and magicians. Most of all though, this guild was one of friends. He had created a community in which no force could defeat it, for they all fought ever battle as Kateff fought this one: with their hearts. Under other circumstances, Kateff might be even having fun with this new sacrificial battle.
Those are other circumstances though. This circumstance included the lives of 10 children. 10 children, who's parents were members of his guild, and allies of the guild. 10 children who had traveled too far away during a field trip into Horde territory. 10 children, dwarves, elves, and humans, who would most likely die today.
Having dedicated his life to hunting, he had carried with him an entire entourage of traps as well as had brought Kong, his pet gorilla with him. Kong had been decimated during the retreat into the canyon. Though revivable, the thought that his friend might stay dead brought emotions to Kateff's heart that he had to force down to continue the battle.
Having had exhausted all of his traps, the only thing he had left was Cholgar, his axe, enchanted to crave the taste of the undead. As he swung his mighty axe he could feel its hunger go ravenous while slicing through the beasts. Even if he wanted to stop swinging, he would find it very difficult to convince the weapon.
Each mighty blow of Cholgar had originally taken 3 to 4 of the undead monsters with it. As the cocky enemies started to see that this little dwarf might actually be a hazard, Cholgar started tasting less and less of them with each swing. In his hunger, he fed his master a little more energy in hopes of tasting more flesh.
Silently, and almost imperceptibly, Kateff started chanting. As he started to glow, a bright, natural green, he managed to pull a hand away from the battle and into a pouch. Removing his hand quickly, he tossed a small stone with a blue rune on it into the crowd of huddled children. With a snap of energy 4 of the children nearest the stone disappeared. The hearthstone had at least managed to save some of the children. Sadly, Kateff was growing more and more concerned for the children who still remained.
Suddenly, and unexpectedly, an arrow passed through the torso of the nearest zombie and sliced deep into the side of a surprised Kateff. The fact that his enemy was animated caused him to forget that they were also dead, and therefore mostly immune to such damages. The arrow was not the only attack that he had just received. His blood now boiled with the poison carried on the arrow tip. His dwarven resistance was fighting it off more than if he'd been human, but he would soon be under.
Arrow lodged in his side, he parried three attacks at his left side before taking the head off of two zombies on his right. The poison would kill him, but certain death had steeled his resolve. As his nearest enemies prepared for an attack, he dropped his blade, tightening all of his muscles. Cholgar's blade was now at his right ankle. He raised his left arm, free of the weapon. When his opponents leapt, Kateff swung up, and over with all of his strength. The blade crossed diagonally over his chest to his left shoulder taking each of his opponents by surprise by busting their attacks, weapons, and skulls. As his right arm carried the blade, he spun, using his left arm to grab the nearest child, who luckily happened to be the child with the arrow in her leg. Continuing the arc of his blade, and pumping his stubby legs, he launched himself into the air and locked the blade of Cholgar half way up the canyon wall. His momentum continuing, he threw the little girl up, and over the wall before Cholgar let go of the wall, hungry again for zombie flesh.
As he dropped back down he was quickly overwhelmed by the influx of attackers, taking advantage of the time he took to save the girl. Behind him he could hear the whimpering of the 5 remaining children and almost joined them in defeat when he failed to think of any means to save them.
His muscles in full ache, he swings sluggish, Kateff prepared his mind for death. Giving up was something he would never had thought himself capable of. Yet, the oncoming Horde were never ending, his quest was coming to a promised end.
A large thud from behind Kateff caught the attention of his attackers. Ever the strategist, Kateff used this moment to kill 6 more of the slimy dead bastards. As he killed the sixth a trap of immolation flew over his head, marked with the sign of his guild, the Heroes of the Alliance, as well as that of his friend, Davlin.
He glanced over his shoulder and saw that instead of the expected Davlin, he saw Wintone, his second in command, as well as a rope ladder helping the children up the canyon wall. Visible at the top of the ladder were Davlin and Kameline. Davlin was making another trap for Kam to throw down to Wintone. When Wintone received it, he hurled it over Kateff and it immediately froze a several zombies into a wall, buying the defenders time.
Davlin and Kameline came down the ladder and started hurtling children up the rope. They were replaced at the top of the ladder by Amalinda, Minhuria and Aethyn. Together they started shooting over the iced wall with explosive arrows and magic balls of flame, culling out the Horde attackers. Davlin, also a hunter, let out a loud, earsplitting whistle. The responding Jaffa, a human sized wind serpent, appeared at the canyon ledge and flew over the ice wall, which was starting to break apart.
Kam and Davlin started hurrying the children up the rope ladder, the last two of the five starting as Wintone, a mighty gnome, joined Kateff at the front lines.
"Kam!" Wintone bellowed. "Kateff needs aid."
Kam broke from helping Davlin and, while mouthing a chant, threw dust at Kateff. Kateff immediately felt the poison fade, almost completely, and could feel his skin around the arrow begin to heal.
"How did you find me?" Kateff queried as the wall melted and the fight resumed.
"Davlin's crazy as you are, and a hunter." Wintone said between attacks. "We just had to tell him you were missing, then we just followed him." Kateff joined Wintone in a laugh that caused him to hurt again. The poison's strength was returning in full force.
The Horde had started to back off, but they still fought on. The last child having gone up the ladder, Davlin allowed a moment of emotion, kissed Kam, and sent her up the rope ladder. When she reached the top a spinning blade hit right below her foot, cutting down the ladder. As cover, Davlin tossed her his gun and turned to his canyon stuck friends.
"You're turn gnome." Davlin said towards Wintone.
Not looking back, Wintone responded with the humorous harshness the two shared. "I don't think so dwarf. Get your ass up the wall."
Davlin let out another ear splitting whistle. "Sorry, Win buddy. Rope's gone, and you're lighter then me."
Before Wintone could turn and completely voice his curiosity, Jaffa returned from amidst the Horde attackers and wrapped his tail around Wintone. No matter how the gnome struggled, he couldn't stop the winged snake from taking him up the wall.
Seeing Kateff nearly unconscious, Davlin tried his last trick, and as he chanted, threw one more flame trap over his head and into the crowd. The explosion bought him enough time to slam his now activated hearthstone into the chest of his comrade.