A/N: Second chapter hooray. Should mention this story is AU from the current Warhammer Fantasy universe, taking place sometime before End of Times.
Just ignore it, just ignore it, just ignore it thought Jared as he caught his breath after his fight with the ungors. I almost died just against a single beastman, there's no way I could help anyone else against anymo-.
Another scream rang out. The sound bringing with it images of a person, just as helpless as he had been. Hell maybe even more so being viciously slaughtered by beastmen. Groaning in frustration shame washed over him at the idea that he would even consider leaving someone to such a fate.
"Dammit, fucking dammit all." He growled through clenched teeth as he hefted the axe and headed towards the voice. He continued cursing under his breath, finding that it and the anger at the beastmen for attacking the village building in his chest, helped distract him from his aching feet and sore arms.
Managing to jog Jared quickly found the source of the screams as he passed through a row of houses. A woman, her face pale with fright, had been trapped by three ungors with spears against the front of a house. She was breathing hard as she wildly swung a thick piece of wood about, trying to keep the ungors at bay. The things of Chaos however, were anything but threatened. Whooping and cackling with horrid glee they jabbed at her. Relishing the chance to torment another living thing, they slowly covered the front of her body with small bloody wounds.
Luck seemed to be on his side though as none of the beastmen noticed his arrival. Forcing himself into a run he readied the axe. Swinging at the closest one Jared focused his anger into the blow.
The blade bit deep between the thing's shoulders with a meaty thump. The mutant's body went limp before collapsing as bloody froth appeared at the corners of it's mouth. Then hoping to keep the element of surprise, he bellowed a battle cry as loud as he could while pulling the axe free.
"WAAAAAAAGH!"
Even given his situation Jared would fully admit the Orc battle cry was an odd choice. But it had been the first battle cry he had learned. The employees at his mall's Games-Workshop had liked to use it to determine who got first turn in event games by who could do it the loudest and longest. So in the heat of the moment it was the one he went with off the top of his head. And truth be told, it surprised not only the ungors but the woman as well if he went by her expression.
The closest ungor even jumped back as it turned to face him. It's dark bestial eyes wide with shock. Which then got even bigger as he drove the axe into it's stomach. A wet tearing sound followed as he drew the axe back. The ungor lurched backwards into the remaining one. It's spear forgotten as it tried to keep it's intestines from spilling out. Jared gagged at the sight as coils of pink ropey organs slopped out from the hole he had made.
The last one brayed in rage and shoved it's dying fellow aside. He raised his weapon, hoping a spear was easier to block than axe. The expected stab never came though as he watched the ungor reel back as the woman hammered her hunk of wood right into it's the face. Seizing the opportunity he wasted little time hacking into the creature's gut and suppressing the urge to throw up again at the result.
"Thank you! Sigmar bless you!" cried the woman, her accent strange as the ungor fell to the ground.
"No, problem." nodded Jared as he caught his breath. Man killing monsters is hard work he thought as he leaned on the axe for support.
He blinked as the baffled stare she gave before another human scream from somewhere nearby sounded. Ah fuck it, save one person, might as well try to save'em all he thought after a moment and brief surge of shame and anger. Hefting the axe he started off towards the scream.
"FOR SIGMAR!" he yelled, putting a bit more thought into his choice of battle cry, as he chopped into the back of the ungor he had found wrestling with man between two houses. He had to hit it a second time before it stopped moving then helped the man push the body off him and to his feet. Jared winced at the claws marks on the man's chest and sleeves, and the chunk chin and greying beard missing from his face.
He regretted yelling so loudly a moment later as a hideous rabbit faced ungor with bow stepped into view. It's eyes narrowed as it drew back an arrow. Dammit was all he could think of as the ugly thing croaked with delight as it shifted it's aim back and forth between the man and himself.
"SIGMAR GUIDE ME!" shouted a voice behind him as he felt something hurtle past him. The 'something' turned out to be a hunk of wood spinning through the air. The wood smacked the bow beast on it's clawed hand, forcing it to release the arrow into the side of the house on it's left.
"For Sigmar!" he called out as he charged and slashed the mutant's left leg. It fell with an anguished yip and as he raised the axe to finish it off a spear stabbed down into it's neck. Startled, Jared looked to his right and found the weapon's owner to be woman he had rescued, a look of vengeance and satisfaction on her face.
"Thank you." He said as dots connected in his mind about who threw the wood. A shiver running through him soured the sense of victory over another beastman as he realised that if the woman had not stopped to grab one of the spears he might have been killed. Looking back he saw the man had done the same with a dropped bone-studded club and was now standing next to him. Then he found himself feeling rather uncomfortable as both simply stared at him. Confused for a second, he realized from their faces they expected him to lead them to more beastmen to kill.
"For Sigmar!" he yelled deciding to just roll with it. They joined him, raising their weapons and followed him from out from between the houses. Thankfully, they didn't have to go far to find more beastmen. As just down the row of houses a trio of ungors had encircled family. The creatures were toying with the mother and father. Who were doing their best to protect their children from the warped creatures with kitchen knives.
"FOR SIGMAR!" they roared together as they rushed the cruel twisted beings. It took only a second or two as the beastmen apparently hadn't realized how close their yells were. The nearest two went down instantly to axe and club blows while the third stood dumbfounded at them until the woman stuck her spear into it's thigh and then it's back as it tried to limp away.
And from there everything blurred together into a mix of gore, barely maintained breath, well for Jared anyway, and dying shrieks as they raced about the houses. Ungors died in flurries of blows as the people they saved joined them. A pair of knobby horned freaks were cut down as they attacked a balding man with a rusty sword. A ruddy faced man with a beer gut flailed with a fire poker until they struck down his rotten toothed attackers. While a mother and her daughters wielding rakes joined the group after they overwhelmed the five fighting with them.
Until eventually no more could be found. The group, now numbering somewhere over twenty he estimated from a quick head count, was apparently still out for blood as they headed towards the sounds of the still raging battle.
Weary, Jared sighed and sped up to match the crowd's speed. Not wanting to get knocked over and trampled as he was pretty sure they would given their haste to kill more beastmen. Coming around a row of houses he spotted the battle up ahead. Tall cloven hoofed goat and bull faced beastmen, likely gors, traded blows with men in purple and white uniforms with metal chest plates alongside men in leather coats and plain clothing. The result looked like two rival tides swirling and pushing against one another, separated only by a layer of glinting crimson as their blades rose and fell in the late afternoon sun.
Jared frowned as an oddly dispassionate feeling fell over him. Increasing his pace to run as the mob, it seemed more appropriate then crowd now, charged forward. He felt scared too, hell terrified to be honest, of the large brawny gors with their brutal-looking weapons. More tired and sore than he had been before. And the racket from being so close to the battle hurt his ears. But since waking up at that crossroads he had done a lot.
He had: walked further than he ever had in his life. Spent, upon reflection given what he knew about the Warhammer world, a chilling night in the country. Managed to kill real beastmen, both by himself and with others, and saved people by doing so. So assuming, of course, he wasn't hallucinating or dreaming, since he wasn't giving up on that possibility just yet. He wasn't about stop or give up when there were still creatures alive and nearby that wanted to make everything he had done so far pointless.
So maybe doing all that had hardened him to death. Maybe it was just the knowledge he was in a fantasy world where death was extremely common. Or maybe it was just shock. Either way he felt surprisingly calm about the whole thing, though the thick smell of blood, bile and sweat did make him wince.
"FOR SIGMAR!" leaving his thoughts, he joined the war cry and hefted the axe. Then he and the mob slammed into the beastman side of the battle. Chaotic violence was all around him as villagers struck with astounding speed and strength as they vented their fury on warped ones before the gors struck back after realizing there were enemies around they could reach.
To his left the grey bearded man and two others smashed a stunned bull faced beastman to the ground with a flurry of strikes. A bald wrinkled man died with scowl on his face as gor chopped his leg out beneath him and broke his neck with a stomp it's cloven hooves. The woman he had first saved angled a spear under a four horned brute's ribs as pitchfork stabbed past her into it's sword arm. Pain from something hitting his left thigh made him cry out, but also gave him a burst of energy to keep going. He drove the axe into a goat-headed beastman's gut causing it to falter as it prepared to bring basketball-sized mace down on a white haired woman with a pitchfork.
Then he was pushed forward as the people at the back of the mob tried to get into weapon range of the gors.
"Aw hell," he muttered under his breath as he and the people at the front of the mob were shoved forced against their corrupted foes.
Penned in on all sides by the crush of bodies he, the villagers and the beastman, as their fellows behind them pushed towards the villagers, could barely move let alone swing their weapons. And unfortunately, the gors were still able to fight.
One with symbols painted across it's chest tore out a young man's throat with discolored fangs. Another raked clawed hands across faces and chests, bloodlust gleaming in it's eyes. A ram-faced one closest to him roared and drove it's curved horns into his right shoulder.
Jared cried out. The wound felt like it was burning as blood dribbled from it. Feeling the pain seemed to be all that he could do. He cried out again as the gor twisted it's head, driving the horn further in.
Think, gotta think as he looked desperately around for something that could help him. Craning his neck he could see the people directly behind him and the others at the front of mob were finally starting to attack. But even as the people behind them backed up and give them ome room they were still having a hard time due to how close person and gor were. Looking to his left he saw a man with a knife stabbing away with a free arm at the beastmen around him.
That! I need to- "AH!" he screamed as ram-faced gor drew it's horn back before striking with it again to carve a line across his cheek. Still he had now he could instead of being helpless as the gor killed him. Grabbing the axe just below the head with both hands he ignored how the movement brought agony to his shoulder. Clenching his teeth as the pain continued he brought the axe blade up and into the gor's throat.
It wasn't a very good cut, neither deep or long, but it had the desired effect as the mutant bleated in surprise and pain. Bleating frantically it tried to get away from him only to encounter the same problem he and the villagers had. So panicking it thrashed about hitting everything around it with it's horns as Jared pushed the axe blade into it's neck again and it sank to the ground with a gurgle.
"AND LO! SIGMAR SPOKE AS THE WARBANDS OF UNTKRO SIX HORN FLOODED THE PLAIN BEFORE THEM!" rumbled a voice above the clamour of the battle. Jared was shocked that anything could. Still like thunder it boomed out from somewhere to his left. Deep, confident and yet somehow reassuring, it continued, like a coach on the sidelines yelling out instructions and tips to his team. "FEAR NOT THE TAINTED FILTH OF THE FOREST! SUCH MOCKERIES OF MAN AND BEAST DESERVE ONLY YOUR HATE AND SCORN!"
"YAAAAAAAAA!" A human roar of agreement followed, coming from even the people around him, as the voice paused for a moment. And thankfully the crush of bodies lessened, though not from people behind him continuing to back up off. Instead from the gors falling as frenzied rakes, pitchforks and other makeshift weapons struck over his head and the others in the front row. "THEY ARE A SCOURGE TO BE WIPED OUT!"
Each time the voice spoke another roar followed, and Jared noticed the gors wavered. "BURN THEM! FOR THEY WOULD BURN YOUR HOMES!"
"SMASH THEM! FOR THEY WOULD BLIGHT YOUR FIELDS!" The gors continued to drop Jared even managed to see the owner of the voice. Leading a line of the purple and white uniformed men armed with spears and shields, state soldiers, was a balding wide-framed man. Dressed in blood covered plate armor over red and white robes the man wielded a large bronze colored warhammer. A priest of Sigmar of course thought Jared as he added the axe to the assault on a crooked horned gor before his gaze went back the priest. "AND SLAUGHTER THEM FOR THE INNOCENTS THEY WISH TO KILL!"
The priest was like a force of nature. The head of the hammer was blur as the priest lashed out with it in a figure eight pattern. Any gor that came into range was reduced to a broken bloody wreck beneath the whirlwind of blows. Jared swung at another gor and realized just how scattered the beastmen were that he could watch the priest do that.
Indeed looking around he could see some dropping their weapons and running as the line of state troops joined with the mob and swept forward. Those that tried to fight fell before they could swing their weapons. Which left Jared feeling quite good, despite the pain of his injuries, after all they were going to win the battle. Drive the beastmen off, save the village, and then… Well he didn't kno-
"BUUUUUURM" the sound of a hunting horn brought him back to reality. The line had stopped and he saw confusion on the faces around him. The remaining gors were gathering together several yards away uncertainty evident on their twisted bestial faces. A ragged yellow banner displaying a bleeding tree topped with human skulls slowly moved forward through the group.
The horn sounded again as huge gor, almost head and shoulders above the others, shoved it's way clear. Oh shit a wargor. Metal covered the tips of it's long curved horns. It carried a pair of large axes in it's gnarled clawed hands. A chest plate had been beaten to fit across it's broad chest with rusted chainmail bound around it's arms and legs. A gor bearing a large hollow horn followed on it's left while one carrying the banner was on it's right.
Raising an axe to the sky it let out a snarl that quickly developed into a roar and charged forward. A second later the gors followed as uncertainty vanished as the wargor's call reignited the feral rage and bloodlust inherent in all beastmen. Or at least Jared thought those traits were from that Primal Rage rule.
"FOR SIGMAR!" joining in the war cry the priest started as he hefted the axe. The sense of dispassion was back as he watched the spearmen lock shields and thrust out to skewer frothing mutants. This time though instead of the fear that had remained at the back of his mind during the mob's charge he just felt tired. Well there would be time to rest soon, as he'd either be able to sleep in the village or dead.
He swung, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, hit one with three horns in the hip. It howled but remained upright for a moment as it began to slash down with a crude stone sword. Then it was knocked forward onto a pitchfork and bleated out it's last breath.
Not wanting to be stuck against bodies again he kicked at the gor's legs sending it toppling. He pulled the axe away and up to block a mace sending a flare of pain down his arms. A rake, bloody and twisted by the improper use, struck the wielder's face, holding it back long enough for him to open it's gut. He kicked it's legs and stomped, feeling a brief pang as he remembered a gor that had done something similar to an old man.
A gor armed with a branch with foot long spikes driven through it came at him. He chopped at it's wrist leaving it reeling with a blood spurting stump. The foam at the corners of it's mouth turned crimson as it bellowed and swung the branch single handed. Jared grimaced in pain as he blocked it. Then slashed across it's chest as a pitchfork jabbed into it's side.
As the beastman collapsed he found himself with nothing else to fight. Huh, so there really weren't that many of them left he thought as he hacked at a long snouted gor's shoulder on his left. His attack stopped it from using an axe on a bearded man making before a fire poker caved it's horned skull in.
Turning to help the person on his right he was surprised to find the gor running away. And craning his neck, the remaining mutants on his right being cut down or running as well. Looking to his left the fighting was still as thick as ever.
"The wargor. Stupid thing must be lucky with break tests." he muttered under his breath. Well, it was only a matter of time. Sooner or later the remaining gors would run or be wiped out. All he had to do was wait with the mob, who were also looking rather worn out.
"Aw hell." he cursed as the realization struck him that he couldn't just wait. Not when he could save lives. Damn it all, he was a garbage man back home living an ordinary life. Where the hell had this heroic streak been hiding?
"For Sigmar!" he bellowed and charged the flank of the shrinking group of gors. For a second he was alone in his attack as he drove the axe head into the back of bull faced freak's neck. Then a shovel hit the thing's back as his cry was repeated behind him.
From there they smashed through the beastmen in flurry of slower but still steady blows. It seemed painstakingly long process compared to the earlier fighting. And it took even longer the closer they got to the wargor, as only the most grievous wounds would bring the enraged mutants down. Still Jared led the mob forward and eventually they got there.
There end up being the duel between the priest and wargor. Because of course those two would end up fighting one another he thought as he watched the two exchange strikes in flashes of bloody metal. Seemingly even matched both deflected, sidestepped and blocked every hit they directed at the other. With the few times one actually managed a hit the heavy armor both were wearing let them shrug it off.
To Jared it was like watching an action movie's climax. The hero and villain finally met in a fight to the death that would decide the battle. Back home he would have made popcorn and tea before sitting back to enjoy the show. But, of course, he wasn't and the longer the fight went the more people would die in the surrounding melee. He knew all he had to do was put the wargor off balance, in a duel like this that was all it would take.
So while the people and gors gawked at the duel Jared stepped forward. Taking a deep breath he took aim at his target, the spot on the back of the wargor's left arm near the shoulder. The spot was uncovered by chainmail or plate. Then he swung as hard and fast as he could at it.
He hit and carved a decent gash. The wargor, snarling in rage and pain, whirled to face him. In an instant it knocked the axe right out his tired hands with it's left axe. Then slashed it's right across his chest. And holy shit did that hurt. Pain exploded though him. The shoulder wounds from the gor's horns and the tired ache in his limbs had nothing on this. It was also pretty much the result he expected. He had seen the same happen in video games and movies. Whenever an ally, good or evil, tried to help in duel they were killed almost immediately.
Gasping he staggered back as darkness swirled around the edges of his vision. Still it had worked, as even as Jared fought to keep his balance he got to watch the beastman get battered to the ground. The priest's first strike impacted the wargor's left shoulder. A crack like a branch snapping could be heard as it's arm went limp and it bellowed in anguish. The second smashed into it's chest, caving the plate, and knocking it on it's back. And the third crushed it's head with the wet splatter of an egg breaking.
A disheartened moan sounded amongst the gors before they turned and ran while the villagers and soldiers cheered. Not that Jared cared, he was more worried about why there were suddenly two priests, why the soldiers, villagers and houses were spinning around him or how numb his chest felt and cold his limbs were.
A/N: This chapter fit with the first? Was there too much action?
