Chapter 7: The Outlying Struggle
The ride back to the temporary outpost was not pleasant. How could they not come for us? Are we not their people? How could they choose to abandon us like this? These thoughts plagued me with each gallop toward the outpost. I could not believe the words that he had said. I chose not to believe in such contempt that our own people exhibited toward us. The pass was already littered with our soldiers, when I had made my arrival. The Dwarves were setting the charges as the rest had given prominent watch over the pass.
I left my steed to lumber around the surroundings as I made my way to meet Menteith who was busily hammering away with his fist at some strange box-like contraption. The contraption uttered strange sounds that seemed to be unintelligible speech.
"Agh! Ya, damn piece of crap! What's it gonna take to get you to work!" Menteith cursed and continued to hammer the contraption with his fist.
"Menteith, what is it that you have with you?"
"Aye! Orias, you're back already? Agh…this lousy thing I got from Agnar, the boy know his metals but I can't say so much for his inventions. He should have just stuck to melting metals but he hung around Gnomes too much back in Khaz Modan. Got him to take up inventing. The bastard has yet made anything that worked! Hah!"
I put on an amused expression and restrained any sign of broodings that I might have had. Salvation…it would have to wait. For now we must manage to survive.
"How does this invention function? Does it use magics or--"
"Ack! Like I could ever understand Agnar's babbling. This thing is suppose to keep us in tabs with the other points that we have set up. Our teams got charges set up and all I need to do is give the word through this thing to get the message across. Agnar's been thinking of calling it a radio. A stupid thing to call it if you ask me."
"Orias!" A voice came from behind me. It was Danaris trying to awkwardly make his way up in his heavy armor.
"You're back! I heard you went to fetch Sara. Where is she?"
"She went down the mountain to bring up the survivors."
"Survivors!" Menteith shouted as he finally gave up on the temperamental mechanical device. Danaris also gave me a look of wonder and confusion.
"Could they be…from the other caravans that left the Capital City? I mean…is it really them, Orias?" Danaris asked intently.
"I can't say that they are Danaris but they are marching to the pass and we have to hold off on our plan to seal the pass until they reach here."
"Ack! You asking me to wait after my boys set up all that blasted gunpowder? Well they better get here quick. I'm in the mood for some fireworks! HA! HA!"
Menteith took his leave to inform the other dwarves. Danaris let out a deep sigh and faced toward me again.
"You can't say that they're from the other caravans?"
"No, because they are not made up of refugees from the Capital City, Danaris. They're troops from Lord Garithos' army or rather what remain of the former standing forces."
"Beaten down troops from--are you saying that what's left of the Lordaeron army is marching here?"
"Yes, I need the other posts informed of their coming arrival but refrain from telling them that they are from the Lordaeron army, Danaris. I will have to take this issue up with the town elders."
"I'll…do what you ask." Danaris left to perform his task.
I watched Danaris leave with an air of confusion around him. He must now feel the same uncertainty of our future as I am. With only beaten remnants of a defeated army and town of refugees it will be harder to hold out against the Undead.
The sun moved slowly but intently toward the west and the outpost guards waited attentively. Their sights and mine on the path that leads out of the mountain. There was still no sign of them yet. Menteith took a few seconds away from the now beaten mechanical device to pace impatiently.
"They takin' their sweet damn time aren't they! You said before the sunset, Orias? I'm already bored out of my ass! If you can just--huh?"
A rumbling came from the other end of the path. A small cloud of dust quickly became bigger as bands of horsemen and foot soldiers marched quickly up to the outpost. I could see Anteus break away from the pack and rode with fury toward us. He reached the outpost's gate as it was opened to him and rushed passed.
"We are under attack!" Anteus yelled.
A rush of fear ran down the whole outpost. The guards have already started to show anxiety at the ominous news.
"What happened?" I asked Anteus as he was drawing his bow that was attached to the pack of his horse.
"Undead! They came practically out of nowhere when we started for the mountain! We had to flee before we attempted an all out battle."
"Ugh! So you lead the rotting bastards right to our doorstep didya'!" Menteith shouted.
"I am sorry…"
"Agh! Never mind that now, laddie! Okay boys, fun time just got started! Load'em up and let loose hell for the decayed and wretched!"
Menteith gathered a band of dwarves rifleman and set them at the top of the outpost walls. Our archers did the same to make preparations for those who chose to tag along with the Lordaeron army.
"Anteus, what about Sara? Has she--"
"I tried to reason with her, Orias. We divided our forces in two groups. The first that is coming up now is the one I rode with but Sara chose to lead the second which is being followed by the Undead. They were already starting to pick off our soldiers on foot before I left."
"Damn it…"
Stubborn! If only she would listen for once! She chooses to ride out to meet with death and never seems to think of the repercussions her actions may cause.
"We will need to wait for the second group to pass through. What defenses can you provide until their arrival?"
"We have our dwarves rifleman but they are few in number. Some skilled archers and the wooden walls that you see before you. This is only an outpost, Anteus. The gates to the Central Town are still far from here. So we will need to keep the Undead here when we close the pass. We will abandon this outpost once the second group passes."
"Can you ensure that your Central Town will be safe even after the pass has been sealed?"
"We have already made plans to blow other passes entering here but nothing can guarantee our safety. Not since all of this started."
The first group passed and continued their way up to the Central Town. They looked tired and worn from what seems like miles of travel and hardship. The stomping of hooves and clanking of armor slowly faded as they left. The guards resumed their watch. A second after another passed and anxiety grew with each moments passing. The dwarves had their fingers on the trigger of their rifles and the archers to their arrows and bows.
A cry echoed the canyon and soon another cloud of dust formed at the end of the path. The cloud soon gave way to figures that appeared in the distance. The riders desperately making their way to the outpost and the foot soldiers tiredly trying to keep up. Then sounds of battle rose.
The Undead…they finally show themselves and leading them a massive beast pieced together from rotting flesh. An abomination and droves of ghouls were attacking those who chose to belay them. The first troupe of riders had reached the gate.
"Well what are you waiting for! Pick your targets boys! Take out every ghastly beast you see! Cover them! Cover them!" Menteith yelled.
Sounds of crackling rifle blasts and arrows cutting through the air soon echoed the canyon. Horsemen, footmen, and pack horses raced pass the gates as they continued up the path.
The welded carcass abomination had started to thrash around at the footman that stood to fight. Bloodied hooks sprayed the walls of canyon and mutilated footman being left to the ravenous ghouls feeding and slaughtering the weakened rear guard.
The abomination roared a guttural growl. Arrow after arrow, gunshot after gunshot, could not take the beast down.
"We need more time! That abomination will consume the rest of them if we do not intercede!" Anteus cried as he let loose another arrow that quickly lodged into the eye socket of a ghoul.
"Way ahead of you, laddie! Been savin' these for special occasions!" Menteith scrambled through his pouch and took out an odd looking bullet.
He loaded it into his gun and took aim at the beast. The abomination continued to thrash about as it continued its onslaught. Menteith kept his focus and kept his finger on the trigger of his rifle.
"What does he hope to achieve with that bull--"
"From Khaz Modan with love, you ugly son of a bitch!" Menteith yelled and pulled the trigger.
A split second was all it took for the bullet to travel into the beast's skull. The abomination remained still for a moment as if it were stunned. It let out a slow lowing sound in midst of battle.
Its skull quickly blew open and the abomination soon started to topple. The small explosion that erupted from its skull blew tiny entrails to the ground and soon the whole of the monstrosity came down as well.
"HA! Dead center! I dare you to come at me again! Decaying crap like that can't measure up! HA HA HA!" Menteith gloated in glory.
"I think you should take another look at the battlefield, Dwarf." Anteus cautioned.
Menteith turned back to the battlefield. I saw his expression of glory quickly fade. As the abomination had been killed, two more had come to take its place. Menteith quickly grabbed his rifle again and started to dump out his pouch.
"The bastards! I only had one! Ugh! Orias, I don't know how long we can hold them back. We have to blow the pass soon or…Orias?"
My attention had already wandered away from my bow and arrow to one point of the battlefield. Sara…she was holding the rearguard on horseback with what remaining warriors that stood their ground. While she struck down one after the other, a pack of ghouls jumped her horse. One had managed to dig its monstrous mouth into the jugular of the horse's neck and it quickly fell along with its rider.
I could not stand to watch this anymore…
"Orias! Where are you going, lad!" Menteith yelled after me as I was making my way to my horse.
Dust and a mass of chaos befell the lower grounds of the outpost. A few of the guards held back the ghouls trying to enter the outpost along with the fleeing soldiers. Swords, arrows, and guns…nothing could stop the wave of Undead crashing against the walls of the outpost. But I will not allow them to take her.
My horse was already startled at the sight of Undead ghouls and had already trampled one under its hooves. It seems that he shared my distaste of the Undead as well. I took its reigns and kept it calm until I managed to mount it. I had to hurry, if I wanted to make it in time.
The horse galloped quickly despite going against the flow of oncoming horsemen. Outside the walls of the outpost was a nightmare incarnate. Masses of the Undead army making their way up the path but with only the walls of the outpost to stop them.
I ignored their horrific appearance. My only resolve is to reach her in time. The sounds of battle was deafening as I continued to approach the rear guard. Footman clashing with skeletal warriors and ghouls with elongated claws. It did not take me long to spot her from the group. She was headfirst going against the masses of the Undead.
Her spear quickly met with the rotting flesh of ghouls that tried to surround her. Taking out five, then ten, and then fifteen more. The mithril spear did not discriminate in its targets. It merely cut through or gutted each one.
"Sara! Take my hand!" I yelled through the deafening noise.
It seemed that she did not hear me or refused to. Her bloodlust fueled her ongoing fervor for battle. It seemed that I had no other choice. I had spurred on my horse to get up right next to her. As quickly and as soon as I was in distance, I grabbed her waist and lifted her away from the Undead masses.
"Let me go!" Sara protested.
I placed her in front of me and spurred my horse to quickly retreat with the last of the fleeing group of warriors. The rearguard did the same as the line quickly crumbled.
The rumble of hooves and footsteps quickly marched through the closing gates of the outpost. We cut through before the gates were forced shut and the troops have all made it through. The gate was soon breaking; the Undead could not be contained much longer.
"Alright! Get your asses clear away from here! Blow the damn pass! Blow the damn pass!" Menteith yelled.
It was not long after his command that a deafening explosion echoed the canyon and the rumble of falling rocks and debris came crashing down behind us. I looked back at the fallen outpost. The rocks had caved in the entire pass. A mound of rubble had created a massive wall. None of the Undead had managed to pass through in one piece.
We have succeeded…but now…they know we are here. They know that we are breathing. They know that as long as we breathe, they must continue to hunt…
