IMPORTANT!
Author's note: Okay, 2 hours are a trade secret known only by adventurers okay? It's extremely rare for someone to know how to use it got it? Thus, stuff like Chainspell(rdm), Mighty Strikes(war), Benediction(whm), are very rare and is very hard to do okay? Okay. :)
Chapter 3
The attack came swiftly, and deadly. Lillianna and Opeth had already gone to join the ranks of the mages, Lazarus and Mabs were put on the front lines with the rest of the warriors.
"Be careful you two." Ginryu called after them. Mabs looked back and waved.
"Don't worry about it! We're bring you back some Orc liver!" Laz teased.
"Augh! Laz!"
"Hey! It's actually a delicacy in some places!"
"Not for this elvaan thank you!" The three laughed and parted. Gin trotted over next to Hal and Bagel, she waved.
"All set guys?" She asked laughing. Bagel looked at her incredulously.
"How can you be so cheerful!" He squeaked. Gin looked at him, then smiled sadly.
"I guess because I already know how horrible war can be." She said quietly. Bagel and Hal traded glances, again she was referring to the hidden past of how she came to Sandoria. They sighed in unison.
"So, how are the ranks working here?" Gin asked cheerfully. Hal shrugged.
"The front lines are the warriors, paladins, and darknights, people meant to take a beating. The second lines are the less powerful people, the thieves such as Bagel, monks like myself, some red mages who like to melee like you, samurai, ninjas, dragoons, so on so forth." He said attempting a smile. "Third lines are the rangers, they'll be on the higher levels out of reach, and on the top levels are the mages, where Lilli and Opeth will be. Along with any summoners and such." He said pointing to a high rise above them on the castle wall. Ginryu smiled.
"Alright. You guys got your arrows?" She asked grinning as she shifted her quiver of arrows that hung on her back. Her bow was around her chest held by the cord. Hal grinned a opened a pouch on the side of his belt revealing some lethal looking darts.
"Tipped with a brew made by Regine. They'll put anyone to sleep." He said grinning.
"Neat!" Bagel exclaimed. "Just make sure you don't hit Mabs with one." He laughed. "He'll be sleeping for days." He said cheerfully checking his crossbow and bolts. Ginryu smiled, when a sudden horn blew. No doubt a bard was making use of his lungs. It was the signal, the enemy had been spotted over the rise, the battle was about to begin. Rechecking to make sure the shield Scwol had given her was in place, she bent her knees and as adrenaline rushed through her veins, set herself for a bloody battle.
"BURN IT DOWN!" An Orcish Sergeant roared waving his spear at the castle.
"Not if we have anything to say!" A voice suddenly broke in. The Sergeant looked down only to realize that two small Elvaans, too short to be seen by normal height had broken through the front-line.
"Take down the commander-!" Laz stated as they ran at him from both sides.
"And the rest scatter!" Mabs finished. The Sergeant had no time to even blink before a sword slashed his throat, the other his belly. Two fatal wounds. They jumped away and began to decimate the Orcs surrounding them.
"Attack pattern X!" Laz yelled pivoting a strike from a stonechucker before slashing down with his sword.
"You got it!" Mabs yelled back grinning wildly as his sword met with the axe of a fodder, before Mabs kicked the Orc in the shin and brought the sword down.
"Commence!" Laz yelled, instantly they started forward, both off their left foot. Weaving in and out of the Orcish crowd, they were headed for a Sergeant poised on a rock.
"Kill the filthy Elvaan!" He cried.
"You first!"
"Huh-? WHAT THE-!" He yelped as two elvaan shared a glance as they ran then turned their focus back onto their prey. Mabs suddenly leapt into the air his sword pointed forward, ready to spear the Orc. The Orc unfortunately was smart. (AN: A smart Orc . . . god forbid O.O) He sidestepped the attack . . . only to spear himself on Lazarus's sword. Maybe not so smart after all.
"Never take your eyes off either of us. Your last lesson." He whispered into the Orc's ear before jerking his sword out and swinging it before bringing it down on his throat. Mabs stuck a tongue out.
"Ick." He then laughed, suddenly his eyes widened. "Laz-! BEHIND!" He yelled, Lazarus's eyes widened and it seemed as if he was suddenly moving through water, his body swung around to face a form that seemed to pop from nowhere, it towered over him, spear raised, his grin revealing pointed teeth.
"Stupid Elvaan." He hissed and brought his spear down.
The commander easily fended off two Orcs and slew them with a cut to the throat. He then bore down on two Orcs that had decided to gang up on one of his soldiers. He was mad. No. He was bloody freaken furious! Those two hellbrats/idiots/morons/rash kids had ran off into a horde of Orcish forces! God knows what had happened to them!
"Never should have trusted that damn paladin!" The commander, whose name we now know as Jidai snarled in fury as he slew down those Orcs and continued for a couple more. His blade was already beginning to dull with the constant blood that coated it, but not matter, when that time came he would revert to knives until he could reach the wall and would long range it from there until the smiths had re-sharpened his sword. His attention was focused on a particularly damned hard to kill Orcish Cursemaker, when something sounded behind him. He glanced over his shoulder as his blade slammed itself into the Orc's shoulder. He paled, an Orcish Fighter. One hit and he would go down at the current state he was in. He turned back to the Cursemaker and attempted to yank his sword free, no good, the Orc was holding the blade in place, making a sacrifice of some sorts so that the Fighter would kill him. Jidai paled.
'Goddess Altana . . .' He thought in prayer. Suddenly whistling and a sudden sting to his cheek was imminent. The tips on a few of his hairs fluttered away in the wind as a bolt zipped past, and found its mark in the Fighter's eye. Death was immediate. Drawing his sword from the Cursemaker's shoulder he slashed down on the throat and then turned to where the arrow had come from.
"HIIII!" Bagel waved enthusiastically, crossbow clenched in his hands. Jidai sweatdropped.
Hal was having a few difficulties, and by that I mean the slowness of his progress. He was killing Orcs fine, being he was almost as tall as a few of them, bashing their skulls in with his Cesti was amusing.
"AUGH!" A cry sounded and he turned, two Orcs had ganged up on a squire and were forcing him back. Hal ran up behind the two Orcs without making a sound. The squire looked at him, blood splattered over his left cheek and the hand holding his sword was trembling. Hal grinned, grabbed the two Orcs by their heads and smashed their skulls together, there was a sickening 'pop' and 'crunch' as the two fell dead. He smirked.
"Better be careful friend." He said calmly and turned to skull bash two more Orcs. The squire blinked, he had been rescued, him, the nephew of King Destin, monarch of Sandoria. And as his honor decreed, he would have to remember that face, he owed that Galka a rather large favor.
Gin was busy fending off Orcs, healing nearby comrades when they got too weak, and casting Stone on Orcs when they were getting a little too hard to kill. Things were going decently. A sudden scream to her left drew her attention, and against her better judgment, she looked. A soldier was pinned to the ground by an arrow, and Cahaurme, her father, was standing over him forcing away an Orc. Her legs had already started moving before her mind processed the information it was given, because there were two more Orcs behind, and they were ready to gang up on him. Not bloody likely with her around.
"Dammit . . ." Cahaurme grunted as he swung, he was tired, he needed a Cure, but most of all, the man behind him couldn't walk. This was bad, very bad. And with two more Orcs behind him . . . life was not going so well. He growled and suddenly was about to lunge forward with his sword when a yell came from behind him.
"Stone!" A feminine voice yelled. The Earth moved around them, lifting themselves in heavy blocks and colliding with the Orcs, dropping them to the ground. Cahaurme wiped sweat off his brow.
"Thank you mage. But why are you on the field and not on the . . . wall . . . ?" He suddenly trailed off in shock when he saw who was behind the visor. "GINRYU?" He squeaked. She ignored him. Kneeling down next to the soldier she looked him over.
"This is going to hurt." She warned, and before she could give him time to think about it, she yanked the arrow out, he bit down on a howl of pain. Dropping the arrow to the side, she pressed her hands onto the bloody wound and whispered;
"Cure." White magic flowed around the both of them, and the bleeding slowly came to a halt. The soldier blinked, then gingerly pressed a finger against the wound, he slowly stood up and tested it. He nodded.
"It is not great, but it will do. Thank you." He said with a bow.
"Formalities for after the battle." She scolded grinning. He laughed, grabbed his spear and ran off.
"Ginryu . . . you have 1.3 seconds to explain why you're not at home sleeping on your pallet with your mother beside you." Cahaurme demanded in an eerily cold voice. Ginryu blinked, then yelped.
"Save now, talk later!" She squeaked and tackled him as an arrow whizzed overhead.
"Blizzaga!" A voice yelled. Instantly the Orc froze over, leaving nothing but an ugly statue. Lazarus stumbled back and was saved from falling by an equally shocked Mabs.
"What the heck are you doing in the middle of the enemy lines?" A voice asked dully. Then it yelled; "FIRE!" Instantly an Orc burst into flames, Draish grinned.
"Honestly, kids these days." Scwol said dimly as he calmly swung his sword, slicing it across the throat of an Orc, before swinging it in an arc killing two more Orcs, before slamming it into the stomach of another.
"Yes, so reckless aren't they?" Miaah asked as she and her avatar Shiva took out an Orc. Mabs and Laz sweatdropped.
"Well if it's so reckless . . . how come you're doing it?" Mabs asked dully.
"Simple. Because we're a high enough level, you on the other hand aren't." Draish commented taking yet another one out with his sword.
"Great logic there. Really." Lazarus said shaking his head. All of a sudden he drew his sword and swung to his left, relieving an Orc of it's axe hand. Mabs was suddenly at its side, and he impaled the beastmen on his sword.
"This could be very bad." Lazarus whispered as he looked around from atop the rock, for as far as the eye could see, Orcs surrounded them with no end in sight.
"This is very bad." Mabs corrected.
Lilli and Opeth were not having an easier job, after all, a whitemage is what keeps people alive, and a blackmage is what keeps the Orcs from getting out of control. For the third time now both of them had been forced to back off from the wall and let another take their place so that they could meditate and regain their magic. (AN: Think the /heal command, although meditate sounds so much better for the story. XD) Finally they got back up, fully rested and ready to try again.
"Cure!" Opeth yelled as soon as he reached the wall, a warrior found himself refreshed and ready to go on.
"Stone!" Lilli yelled and an Orc went down, it kept going on, but the mages were tiring quickly, many barely had any strength, or magic left to keep going. Opeth caught Lilli's glance as he cured another wounded and they both shared a meaningful look. They both understood, at this rate, they would never win.
'Curse it . . .' Opeth thought remorsefully. For another 5 minutes, they both stood there, curing, or casting, either way. Then came the deadliest moment ever. The whitemages found themselves with very little next to no magic. The blackmages had nothing left to give. It was in that moment that the Orcs, seized their chance and began to force the fighters on the field back, ruthlessly they swarmed towards the castle. Opeth trembled, he, and everyone on the wall began to pray to Altana.
'Goddess . . . I don't care what you do to me . . . I'll sacrifice myself if I have to but please! Let me save my home! Let me save my friends that I love more then brothers or sisters! Please goddess, let me save them for their sake if not mine!'
. . . You have a sound heart. However, the help is already with you, you needn't call on me.
Opeth's eyes shot open.
"What?" He asked shocked. The people around him looked at him wearily. He was talking to thin air, great. A whitemage shook her head.
'Poor guy must have cracked under the pressure and trauma.'
However, since you have asked me with such noble spirit, I shall help you. See yonder that tree?
Opeth looked and indeed he did see a large tree that grew in almost the same height as the castle wall.
"Yes." He whispered. Lilli blinked at him.
"Opeth?"
Do as I say, and be not afraid. Leap onto the branch closest to you.
Opeth's eyes widened in shock. That tree had to be over 500 years old! If his hands missed their grip and he fell . . . death would me inevitable. He bit his lip, then, shakily, he took a step forward towards the wall.
One step.
Another.
And another. Finally he reached the wall and before he could hesitate, he took a deep breath, then clambered onto the top of the wall.
"Hey!"
"What's he doing!"
"Somebody stop that kid!" Voices yelled.
Leap! I will not let you fall!
The voice coaxed. Opeth took one step back then ran off the edge of the wall and leaped into the tree.
"OPETH!" Lilli screamed. Opeth's hands reached forward as he neared the branch, his fingers slipped for a moment, and his heart froze in fear, suddenly something made his other hand swing up again and it latched firmly onto the branch. Opeth blinked, sweat falling into his eyes. Slowly, and cautiously he reached with his other hand and began to pull himself up. Once he was safely on the tree, he carefully placed his feet on the branch and stood.
"Crazy idiot! Get back over here!" A woman yelled.
"Opeth come back!" Lilli shrieked, worry etched into every crease of her face. Opeth looked at her, he smiled gently. It was a smile of one who knew he was doomed. Lilli was taken aback.
"Opeth . . ." The hume waved slightly then turned back towards the battlefield.
"Now what?" He whispered.
There is another tree, leap to that one as well. Keep leaping through the trees, go where I tell you.
Opeth obeyed, he leapt off that branch and swung onto another, he trusted the voice now, it hadn't let him fall on the first jump, he was sure it wouldn't let him on any other as well.
Left. Now right. Straight. To your left. Now head straight.
Slowly the voice guided him through the forest, and suddenly, it stopped giving him commands, and he realized why. He was right in the middle of the battlefield, from here he could spot all his friends, Lilli on the wall looking at him feverishly and yelling, Gin and her father fending off Orcs with the aid of Lazarus and Mabs. Hal was being forced back by the onslaught, and Bagel had been pinned against the wall. In short, they were losing. Opeth looked around worriedly, balanced on the branch, his arm twined about the trunk.
"Now what?" He asked.
Close your eyes.
Opeth blinked, took a deep breath, then obeyed.
Now, search, feel the life of your soul within you. Awaken that force.
Opeth frowned a bit, he suddenly felt slightly dizzy as he traced the energy back to where it felt the strongest, a warmth pulsed on his chest.
Good . . . now, do as I say. Push that power to the tips of your fingers, as much as you possibly can!
Opeth once again complied to the orders. Mentally nudging that power, it stirred, like a sleepy kitten, before unwinding itself like a snake, then it began to flow, into his arms, past his elbows, into the very tips of his fingers.
Very good. Now, this will be hard to do, you must concentrate. You are going to cast a spell.
". . . cure. . .?"
No. This is a much greater spell. One that will make the shadows despise you, and will rejuvenate your friends.
". . . how?"
Concentrate, act as if you WERE casting a cure spell.
Opeth raised his hands to chest level and began to whisper the chant.
Very good, now, when you feel the time is right, cast!
Gin, Cahaurme, Mabs and Lazarus were now against the entrance to the city. This was bad, very bad. The rangers were out of action, the Orcs were too close that the archers had lost sight of them, the mages too had started losing sight, without it, they might as well give up for fear that they might heal an Orc instead of their allies. Bagel and Hal were nowhere to be seen, Gin could only pray that they were safe.
Sudden sparking in the corner of her eye however drew her attention, looking up, she paled. Opeth, what the hell was he doing in that tree! Opeth still continued to concentrate, the words flowing from his lips in a whisper.
When you feel the time is right, you MUST cast.
'When . . . the time is . . . .' Opeth thought, then his eyes snapped open. "-right." Suddenly he threw his arms up.
"BENEDICTION!" He yelled. Instantly light flared around him in an array of colors, a sudden silver orb flared above his head, then exploded into white light and raced down the tree trunk into the ground like lightening, then, as fast as the wind, the light trails, shaped almost like dragons raced across the field, in their wake exploded a white circle, and everyone it touched, which was everyone, they were healed instantly, all health restored, all the mages were full of magic, and ready to fight. Orcs immediately turned to him, their roars unanimous as their anger focused on the one hume. As the light vanished into the night sky, Opeth found his arms falling to his sides, his vision swaying. He became unsteady on his feet, and taking a step back, he suddenly found himself in open air and plunging forward into the horde.
"OPETH!" Lilli from the wall shrieked, it cut through his haze like a sword and he swung his hands up and then grasped the limb, inches above the Orcs' heads. Immediately he tried to pull himself up as Orcs waved swords, swung lances, and fired stones and arrows at him. Pulling himself to the safety of the branch, he was forced to huddle close to the trunk as arrows and stones whizzed past him. Orcish mages attempted to cast spells, only to be interrupted by their far too rowdy companions, or they were not close enough to cast. He hugged the tree trunk breathing harshly.
'This is it.' He thought tiredly. 'But I did it. . . I bought them some time. . . goddess willing, they still have a chance to win this war.' He thought closing his eyes.
Do not worry child, the goddess you speak of is here, watching over you.
Opeth's heart froze with that realization.
"Goddess Al-!"
Do not speak my name, for I am already here. Do not worry, help has been summoned.
Gin and her friends forced the Orcs back, whatever Opeth had done, it had worked, the Orcs were falling back, retreating, but regrouping, it wouldn't be long before they started to even the odds again.
Left.
Gin blinked. Left? What the heck?
Look left.
Gin blinked again. Okay, anonymous floating voices . . . ?
'I've lost my freaking mind.' Gin thought moodily as she chopped another Orc down.
I order you to look left Princess!
Gin froze.
'…princess…?'
"Princess! Get down from the tree! That isn't safe!"
"Awwwww! C'mon Faros! You like climbing trees too!"
"Well . . . yes, I do. But now isn't the time for that! Come, I will catch you!"
"Awwww, okay, but if I come down you'll climb trees with me after the party right?"
"Yes sister. I promise I will."
"Yay!"
"Prin-?" She whispered.
I implore you to look left!
Gin obeyed finally, then paled. Opeth was there, being reigned down upon by arrows, stones and the like. Instantly her feet began moving forward.
"Gin?" Mabs asked grunting as he forced an Orc off of him. Gin ignored him and suddenly ran through the Orc lines, not even caring that they were all around her, oddly enough, they didn't seem to notice her at all. She made it to the tree without mishap and began climbing the branches, her hands scrabbled over the trunk trying to find a place to get a proper hold when an axe lodged itself into the wood next to her face, she scowled, yanked it out and instead began using it to climb, apologizing mentally to the tree profusely.
'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm very sorry.' She kept repeating in her had. Finally making it to the branch Opeth was on, she sat on the one close to it, not wanting to risk their combined wait on the same branch. Then she took the axe and threw it into the surrounding crowd of Orcs. Hard. It lodged itself into the head of an Orc and with a dying yell he dropped to the ground. Gin gently shook Opeth.
"Opeth? Opeth? C'mon man . . .wake up!" She whispered slapping his cheeks gently. He slowly opened his eyes.
"Gin?"
"Yeah it's me you goofball. Keep awake, I'm gonna get us out of here."
". . . it hurts." He whispered. Gin blinked.
"Where? You injured or something?" Then she noticed where his hand was, it was on his chest, over his heart, a tiny red stain spreading from underneath.
"Oh goddess no . . ." Gin whispered and quickly undid his shirt. Beneath there was blood seeping from the skin above his heart. "Oh goddess . . ." She breathed. "Cure!" She cried hands over the wound, white magic flowed from her hands, but did not deter the bleeding. Her eyes widened in surprised, then her face frowned with determination and panic. "Cure!" She yelled again. Again white magic flowed, and again it did not stop the bleeding. "CURE!" She screamed, but in vain with the same results.
"No . . . no . . ." Gin panicked. Grabbing the edge of an undershirt, she ripped that ruthlessly and wrapped it around his chest. "Hang on Opeth! We'll fix you up, you'll be okay!" She said, a frail smile on her lips as she looked at him. His eyes were closed, and his skin was so pale she would have thought he had died, but his breath was shallow, and his chest moved up and down, enough for her to know he was still alive. Looking around she paled to realize, there was no way either one of them was escaping. The wall was far away, and they were surrounded by Orcs. It was a given. They were trapped, and if she didn't get Opeth to the castle soon, he was going to die. Followed closely by Gin herself.
Disclaimer: I do not own Mabs, Lillianna, Opeth, Bagel, The Orcs, Draish, Miaah, Scwol is iffy, I changed the name but the character is based on my brother's. Sandoria, Thadiene, Helbort, Adaunel, and Cahaurme.
I DO own Ginryu, Lillith, Halloween, Lazarus, Jidai, and the plot.
