Chapter Twenty

The morning was trickling in over the eastern horizon as the strike force took position to analyze their enemy and prepare for their strike. Coran had beaten Devona to the order to move around the perimeter of the work site to the eastern side, where the rising sun would help shroud them from prying eyes and give them an even greater element of surprise as they attacked.

From the higher ground afforded to the east, the group was able to get a good view of the activity, as well as the mysterious being that was leading the efforts of the Shamans… a being that a surprising number of people were able to quickly identify.

"That's a Seer…" Devona whispered.

"That's a Bookah…" Vekk mumbled in astonishment, his eyelids bulged wide.

Instantly, the human contingent's attention turned towards the Asuran. "That's… what you call a Bookah? For real?" Devona asked.

Vekk nodded distractedly, like he was still trying to wrap his mind around what he was seeing. "Yes… yes… that's the image in all the children's stories… that large, hideous, frightening thing… it's… it's like somewhat drew that monster down there right out of our stories…"

"You've encountered this being before?" Coran asked Devona.

Devona shrugged. "Maybe not that one specifically. All the Seers look the same to me. They helped us fight the Mursaat… but that wasn't entirely a good thing. They in essence tricked us into releasing the Titans."

Pyre growled at the mention of the last word. "Remind me to skewer you when this is over."

"The only living things that are going to get skewered this day are the Shamans and the Bookah that is leading them." Coran interjected crossly. "Do you have any idea what these 'Seers' are capable of, Devona?"

"They were much more content to let us do the fighting." The warrior answered. "I'm not sure what they can do."

"I can't say I paid much attention to the tales of fright for young Asura, Vekk. Do you remember what the storytellers said these things did?"

"Nothing I'd want to consider even remotely reliable." Vekk replied.

While it was the answer Coran was expecting, it was not the one he liked. "The idea of charging in on an enemy of unknown power and skill does not sit well with me… but if we want to take advantage of the sun, we don't have much more time to waste."

"I say we move, and let whatever that beast can throw at us come." Pyre growled.

"Agreed." Devona declared. "Pyre, gather up the rest of the ranged units. You should be in range at the end of the highlands right there." She pointed off slightly to her right. "Lay down suppressive fire as the melee units make our charge. Hopefully, the barrage will keep them disoriented for us to engage without much trouble."

"The Asuran combat guard will form a secondary assault from just south of our position." Coran added. "Their smaller stature could allow them to be overlooked while us non-bookahs make our charge."

Devona was taken aback slightly, "I figured you'd be grouped with Pyre and the other ranged units."

"Dear, while I'm flattered you think I can throw a spear as far as a bowman can shoot, I fear you'd be tragically disappointed by those results. My best position will be just behind the melee charge." Coran said with a lopsided smile.

"Right. Of course." She replied. It had been a rather illogical assumption to make, and she even knew why she made it. She'd rather have Coran as far away from the melee as possible, to the point that subconsciously she was willing to render him near useless.

"No more chit chat." Pyre insisted. "If we're going attack, let's do it."

"For once, I agree with the Charr." Gwen added. "Let's move while we still have the sun at our backs."

"Right then. Kreweman Norrit, take your squad down the descent right there." Coran ordered, pointing back towards the direction the entire unit had made their climb from. "Keep low, and signal me when you're all situated just before the flatland. Wait until we make our charge from this position, then move in quickly."

Pyre then gestured to the bowmen and the Asuran "gunners" as they called themselves. "Alright, ya sad lot, you're all with me. Keep your head down and your eyes ahead and stay tight behind me. Anybody lagging isn't going to have to worry about the Shamans or that Seer."

Devona gave Aiden a passive salute in parting as he took ranks with the rest of the ranged team, then turned her eyes back towards the Shaman camp, which was already hard at work despite the early hour. Whatever they were doing, the Seer must have deemed it of the utmost importance to be completed as quickly as possible.

"Headmaster, we are in position." Norrit's voice whispered. Astonished that he must be nearby, Devona whirled about to demand what he was still doing there when she saw Coran bring an odd device with some long, thin black straw-like object on the end to his lips.

"Affirmative, Kreweman. Stand by." He whispered back into what Devona now identified as some form of communication machine. She wished she had possessed something like that during her earlier adventures; would have made goings much simpler.

"We are in position and ready to begin the barrage." Another Asuran piped in through the object.

"Very good, Kreweman. Inform Chief Fierceshot he can commence the attack at his leisure."

Apparently, his leisure had been about three seconds before the word had gotten through, because no sooner had Coran given his reply that a flock of arrows whistled in flight through the morning air, soon joined by a series of small explosive bursts that Devona assumed was the odd weapons the Asuran gunners were using.

But she quickly recovered, shouting "Alright, move! Now!" as she jumped over the outcropping and down the handful of feet to the flatland, knowing without looking back that the rest had taken her cue. She tightened her grip on her hammer, her eyes picking out her first target… a Charr who was slightly slower to react to the surprise attack than his kin, just turning about to assess the charging force as she rapidly closed the distance to within feet.

By the time the shaman had fully processed what was happening, it was too late. Devona's hammer met the left side of its head with a satisfying thud then crunch as its cheekbone shattered, sending bone fragments into its brain a mere blink before the heavy metal hammerhead followed and finished the job.

"Oh yes, what a wonderful mess indeed…"