The Vrocks shrieked as they circled the skeleton of the War Raven camp. The great vulture demon warriors swooped past the multiple ditches, baileys, and walls of the empty tundra fortress and scanned for remnants of the mercenaries. A shadow watched the scouts but disappeared quickly when their attention was turned on it.
"They probably could do a better job of scouting if they didn't make such a racket," commented Martinez as he ducked into an unassuming ditch.
"They're more skirmishers or shock troopers than scouts," corrected the large Raoul on his right. The Half giant waved to a rope ring of small wings, "We already popped the scouts , remember?"
Martinez grimaced, he hated being corrected. "Well don't lose those wings, we get paid a bonus for bad guys we bag."
"Always thinking about the money," grumbled a young girl huddled next to his left.
Martinez waved for his minions to quiet down. "Ok, listen. With Rollo screwing around, and Hush running off with that big doofus, that makes only four of us."
"I only count three," sniped the young girl.
"I'm here Sammy," corrected Tyris as she appeared from thin air and kissed the girl on the forehead.
Martinez grinned smugly. "As I was saying, that's five of them and four of us. That's at least one a piece. Who wants to pull extra demon killin duty?"
Raoul ignored the flippant question. They fought best as a team, even with Rollo missing, they would kill them together. "The horde is coming pretty fast. We weren't expecting these guys till tomorrow. We should dispatch these fellows right away and warn the War Ravens. "
Martinez shrugged."Mebbe. We can't really tell since we're just dealing with their scouts and skirmishers. We have no idea where the main army is."
"I'll check," stated Tyris. The three demon hunters weren't sure what she was talking about . They looked towards her and to their surprise she was gone.
Tyris hopped on the highest wall and peered towards the hills of Khazag Narg. Her eyes were sharp, but she couldn't see the enemy army from her vantage point. She looked around and spotted one of the taller ditch spikes that were abandoned during the mercenaries quick retreat.
She threw a dagger at the base of the spike and severed it with an impossible throw. As the spike fell she skipped a pebble towards the base of it, hitting it directly and shifting its momentum, causing it to fall backwards instead of forwards into the ditch. Another impossible pebble throw caused it to flip upwards once again and onto the base of the wall where she stood. She quickly caught the stake and planted it on the ground.
The Vrocks spotted her and dived to her position, but before they could strike she quickly vaulted on top of the precariously balanced stake and landed lightly on the tip. She once again scanned the position of the enemy horde and nodded to confirm their position.
"Wow, sounds like those vulture demons are close," noted Martinez. "First one to find us, we'll thrash it without mercy. Knowing they are demons, they'll probably split up in their search. "
Raoul nodded and formed a staff of force from his hands. The snap of one of their traps being released brought a smile to Martinez's face, but that just meant they were close. Sammy readied her spear and nervously waited for the signal.
"Martinez…can I have a potion," asked Tyris from the shadows. The three demon hunters almost jumped at her question.
"Sheesh, it's bad enough when you do that normally," panted Martinez as he recovered from the shock of her sudden return. "But try not to do that when there's a pack of warrior caste demons in the area."
"I need an eagle splendour potion," she asked again.
Martinez raised an eyebrow at her request. The potion increased one's sense of will or appearance , but had little combat use save for sorcerers and some spell casters. Martinez did keep a few though, to give him a confidence boost when dealing with women, but he didn't think Tyris knew about it.
"I need the potion right away," she insisted as she pleaded with him with her narrow amber eyes.
The duelist sighed and tossed her one from his pack. He was about to comment that she owed him a favor, when suddenly she unstoppered the flask, drank it, and disappeared once again. He caught a glimpse of her hard features softening, and her skin clearing, and was disappointed when she vanished from view. The duelist grumbled when suddenly a monstrous vulture head poked over their ditch. A staff made of pure force slammed upwards into its beak, as a spear grazed its neck. The battle was on.
Tyris sprinted through the shadows. Every step traversed miles, every jump cleared hills as she shifted from the abandoned fort to the main War Ravens' camp. While straight teleportation magic was impossible given their proximity to the great mists, there were other forms of viable magical travel that could still cross great distances. Access to the shadow realm was one such spell, and this was her domain though she seldom accessed it without aid.
While the red headed swords woman was deadly with her blade and dagger, few knew she had a great mastery of magic as well. Her magic was based on charisma, a strong sense of self and will power, but she had little of it. She needed magic to boost it to such a point she could access her magic, but even a trivial item like Martinez's potion could grant her access for roughly half an hour.
The dwarven armies were tossed into the ocean, while the gnolls tumbled into the ruins of McDunnalds. Warlord Reaver's cart struck a bump in the tundra and sent the pieces on his map sprawling. Not that he needed them since he memorized where every piece went, but it did help his sub commanders understand his orders.
The old warlord felt his bones creak as he attempted to retrieve them, but the young Captain Calla scrambled for the pieces instead. The well-endowed magenta haired elf, stooped down as she grabbed the pieces, giving Reaver a good view of her rear and briefly a view of her very tight chain shirt. Reaver wasn't sure if he should be happy he was treated to such a sight, or disappointed because it didn't stir him at all. He guessed she viewed him as a harmless old man and sexual tension was the last thing on her mind when she attended him. Though she was competent enough as a substitute, Reaver missed Captain Darwen. Not least of which was the fact Darwen's toned body didn't make him feel impotent like he felt when he was around the voluptuous Calla.
After retrieving the pieces ,Calla handed them to Reaver who placed them back on his map. "We'll get to Nazag Narg and rendezvous with Ymir's Thaig very soon. Besides the main gnoll from Khazag Narg, our scouts from the north west and east report gnoll elements approaching. They shouldn't be a problem though. The western ones we can out run, and I'm sure we can route any force from that north west that gets in our way. " With her long delicate fingers she traced the route of their approach to the besieged Halfling holds of Leeha. "Unlike Khazag Narg, the gnolls couldn't possibly pull a sizable force away from the front. The Halflings are masters of war, they won't lose the opportunity to break the enemies lines if they sense a weakness in them."
While Calla seemed confident with their position, Reaver wasn't convinced. He hadn't survived one hundred years as a mercenary general without some degree of caution. Why would the gnolls send smaller elements in front of him when they knew the War Ravens would just run them over. They were almost at the foot hills of Nazag Narg, and the gnolls would be attacked by both the mountain dwarves and his mercenaries if they attempted to engage him from the direction. Unless of course they sent a sizeable army, but that would mean abandoning the Halfling holds. If Reaver was in similar position he would definitely abandon his gains in the north west to stamp out an enemy but would the gnolls react the same way? Also the force from the east was most likely from Mammoth Keep. An area Reaver was very familiar with. He had cut his teeth and earned a name for himself as an adventurer there. Along with the artificer Clovis, the dwarven maid Ymir, and of course….Frank and Tyris. Reaver could see no tactical advantage for the gnolls from the force approaching from the east unless of course it was to cut off his retreat if he headed that direction. Something he wouldn't do, because he was currently marching west.
Reaver paused as his mind stared at the pieces laid out by Calla. The elf spotted his cold gaze and blushed when she thought he was staring at her, but Reaver simply brushed her to the side. Supposing there was the force from the Halfling holds that was significant enough to stop him. That meant Reaver must face the main army from Khazag Narg since his original route was cut off from the West. Marching to the south was futile since it was bordered by the Ironwolf Glacier, the harsh waste lands of the Order of the Squirrel. The gnolls would eventually overtake him if he took that path.
This of course was purely conjecture, since for all he knew the force before him was just a token force from some scared gnoll commander or minor demon that wanted to prove himself to Yeenoghu. He wouldn't change his course unless he had more information.
"Fetch, we need to talk," said a soft voice from the darkness.
Calla jumped back and drew her blade, but Reaver waved her to stand down. He still couldn't spot her but he knew who it was. "I thought you were out with your new and younger lover, I didn't think you had time for an old geezer like myself."
Tyris stepped out of the shadows, with her amber eyes smouldering. He always thought she was attractive, but seldom did she look as breath taking as she did now. He hardened features looked softened, and she almost looked friendly and approachable. "I like Frank and your old assistant better," she commented before studying his map. She moved the main enemy position a day closer from Khazag Narg. "They're aren't fooled by your abandoned fortifications. They aren't just sending scouts, but ranked demonic skirmishers to your former positions. There were five Vrocks and probably more on the way when I left. They know it's all been a ruse and they mean to ride you down. "
Reaver moved the enemy back to its original position and placed a knight piece adjacent to it from the north. "I have confidence my new allies will gain me back that day, but this news is troubling."
Reaver furrowed his already weathered face as he nodded at her assessment. Despite their last meeting it was strangely like old times. "Yes, I have my suspicions. But I can do nothing but march west until I know the approximate numbers of the enemy from the North West," he commented. He awaited Tyris's reaction but once again she was gone.
"Who ..who was that? One of your spies?" asked Calla nervously.
Reaver shook his head. "Not quite."
Tyris strode through the shadow realm once again. She arrived at the war torn border of Pieland and saw a great battle taking place. The Halflings had launched a great counter offensive against the remaining gnolls there and were attempting to break the lines. Ranks of mechanized tiny men marched against the center gnoll lines, while swift Halfling dog riders attempted a daring outflank maneuver to break their north wing.
The gnoll and demons that manned the fortification seemed greatly depleted, but were well dug in and expecting such an attack. Several companies of gnolls met the brave dog riders, led by a great four armed dog demon with both pincher and human arms. Tyris wasn't sure if the Halfling dog riders were called outriders or dogoons, but noted that they were suffering horrible casualties.
The swordswoman simply slipped out of the shadows behind the demon commander and stabbed it cleanly in the back. The demon roared, and twisted to face his foe, but Tyris had already moved and dispatched one of its skeletal hook headed body guards instead. She jumped and twisted from one demon to another, slashing and nicking them, carefully evading their attacks as they pressed in to corner her. While she was deadly with her blade, she wasn't foolish enough to think she could take on the command group by herself. She did prove a good enough distraction though, as the Dogoons or Outriders rallied from their initial losses and broke the enemy ranks.
Hook headed skeletal demons fled as vicious dogs knocked them to the ground and began tearing at them viciously. While the creatures were coated with acid, the halflings were well prepared with resistance spells and their dogs suffered no harm as they ripped into them. The great four armed demon however was afforded more respect as the Halfings engaged it from a distance and fired volleys upon volleys of crossbow bolts and dragon golems towards it. The demon lunged at a few of his attackers, but his mounted tormentors easily stayed out of his reach with their dogs. Tyris watched them for a bit, but grew impatient because her time was short. She braved the demonic claws, and volleys of missile fire and slipped behind and above the great demon. She tapped it on the top of the skull once to get its attention before sliding her blade cleanly through its lower neck.
The Halflings watched in awe as she jumped off her falling opponent, unsure of what they were dealing with, but their leader confidently rode forward atop his white furry dog. "Excellent show! Bravo! " he cheered as his dog sniffed the demonic corpse "Colonel Trent at your service, " bowed the distinguished looking older Halfling.
Tyris nodded curtly. "How many gnolls left the siege? "she asked bluntly.
The Halfling was taken back by her blunt question, and hesitated.
"How many gnolls left the siege? Please,"she asked again , forcing herself to smile.
Trent sighed,"Well I guess I can't deny a woman that killed a Glabrezu can I? We aren't sure about their numbers, but we guessed a hundred thousand. We heard reports that the War Ravens, those scoundrel mercenaries of all people, had gained the Grand Gnoll's attention, and they're moving to engage him. Good for us, but a pity for them," he explained. The Trent stopped and saw he was talking to no one.
"One hundred thousand," stated Tyris as she reappeared back into Reaver's cart. Calla was once again taken by surprise and drew her weapon but Reaver waved her down. "One hundred thousand are waiting for you ahead. The gnolls have pulled the bulk of their forces from Leeha."
"You can't just take her word like that. Besides the mists that foil most spells, the north is specifically known for the inaccuracies of travel magic, and the randomness of divinations," protested Calla.
Reaver ignored the pouting magenta haired elf, and stared hard at the map. Not even the gentle swaying of her breasts could gain his attention.
"I've been greedy , and we've been caught," sighed the Warlord. "I didn't think Yeenoghu would motivate so many forces against me. Even my new knight allies won't make much of a difference if the horde closes in on me like they're planning. They're acting different than gnolls or demons, like someone else is guiding their actions."
" We've heard of no coup in the enemy camp," reported Calla as she watched Tyris suspiciously.
Reaver laughed. "It doesn't take a leadership change to manipulate their strategy. A rise of an adviser, or the death of an incompetent commander can easily disrupt things. Calla, I heard that Jose has one of their assassins he captured under his 'protection'. I want you to find out all she knows about their power structure."
"Let me call a guard first, " she said as she regarded Tyris cautiously.
Reaver shook his head, "Don't worry about Tyris. If she wants the pair of us dead, we wouldn't even see the blade. Besides, the whole point of having Rollo act as my double was to detract attention from myself. I'm sure an armed guard posted outside a supply wagon will raise suspicions of my temporary command tent."
Calla relented to his order. She saluted before she slipped out of the moving cart.
Reaver turned once again to Tyris hoping she won't vanish. "I'm …I'm sorry for the way I talked to you last time. That was rude, and it wasn't right. You deserve much better knowing the history we shared. Actually I'm sorry for a lot of things. I know merely apologizing won't make things square, but it's a start I guess."
Tyris nodded and pointed to the map once again. "I've learned a few things about myself since last we met. Don't ask me to explain, but you need to trust me on this. You have to march south, to the Ironwolf glacier. "
Reaver considered her words. He trusted her intel completely, but marching south would not be tactically sound. Fighting on tundra was one thing, but fighting on a glacier was quite another. His troops weren't trained for such ice battles like the knights of the Order of the Squirrel were, and would lose much of their mobility. Still, heading west was suicide considering the gnolls ahead, and he didn't even want to fathom how much were approaching from the main horde to the north. Retreating East was just inviting all three groups to gather and strike him down, and was definitely out of the question.
There was another way though as he stared at the map. He could leave his War Ravens to their own fates. He had built them up for a greater part of a century, but he could abandon them if he was so forced. Take his trusted officers and fastest units and flee to the mountains of Nazag Narg like a thief in the night. His infantry and the camp followers would all be crushed though, but it wasn't like he hadn't experienced it before. Almost one hundred years ago at the destruction of the Great Host he faced a similar situation. Fight and lose all his men, or retreat and save as much as he could. They branded him a coward for that of course, but he survived while countless others died. It was the turning point of his life, the battle that made him the way he was now, but could he make the same decision again?
"What awaits me at the Ironwolf Glacier? " asked Reaver as he stared into the cold amber eyes of Tyris. He heard the legends of course. When he was an adventurer at Mammoth Keep , he heard that even the Knights of the North feared to tread there. Besides being treacherous terrain, and a practical wasteland, the area was associated with rumors of dark terrors and terrible myths. Where gods themselves feared to tread.
"Death, destruction, entropy " she replied.
Raoul grunted as a vulture demon raked his back with its razor sharp claws. He already had his foot pinning one demon on the ground while parrying off another with his staff. Young Sammy was stabbing the pinned one with her spear, while Martinez was engaged in a deadly dance of blade versus talon.
The battle started off as planned, with the trio of demon hunters dispatching the first Vrock quickly while the others were busy with their traps. Their fortunes turned sour though, when the demons split off Martinez from Raoul and Sammy. As a unit, they were unbeatable but separated they lacked most of their offence. Raoul wasn't allowed to concentrate on his defenses, and Martinez not allowed to unleash his deadly accurate blows.
"Get out of here, " grunted the half giant to the young girl, but she shook her head as she continued to stab the trapped demon with her spear. The pinned monster unleashed a cloud of spores, which grew vines that tore through the flesh of the half giant. Sammy was curiously immune to the cloud , and Raoul thought he saw some sigils glow lightly on her skin.
Sensing the battle was lost, the half giant channeled his last remaining psychic energy through his foot and drove his captive a half feet into the tundra with a small sonic boom. The vulture was stunned, as Sammy took the opportunity to wedge her spear into its throat, thus slaying it.
The half giant didn't have enough energy to maintain his staff, so drew his great cold iron broad sword instead. He brandished it menacingly at his two opponents even as Martinez and his own foe disappeared behind some fortification, still locked in battle.
"Run," he repeated, panting and short on breath as the spores continued to dig into his skin.
Sammy shook her head again. "Where? We're days away from the War Ravens and these guys can fly."
One of the Vrocks lunged at the pair of them, as another circled to their side. Raoul faked an overhead swing, but faked it into a pommel strike that drove the creature into the ground. It was only stunned, but he then wheeled to face the one to the side. To his surprise, he found Martinez standing above it, with two of his daggers lodged neatly into its shoulders blades. Raoul turned again to the one before him, and caught a glimpse of Tyris retreating into the shadows, black blood staining her rapier.
"That was close, " huffed Raoul as Martinez tossed him some ointment to deal with the spores.
"I want some more traps set on the perimeter, and then get ready to move, more demons will be on their way," ordered the duelist, who then turned to the shadows. "Oh….and let's put that eagle splendor to good use before it fades away," he smiled.