The northern fields of Tranquillien, with its tall trees with red, brown leafs in an eternal state of autumn, the bright green and vast fields of grass that expanded all around them and the medium size lake by a small stone bridge had always been a sight for all that had ever walked through it on their way to the small town located a few miles from there.
Once a place for rangers to train and patrol thanks to its close location to the wilderness, sometimes it had even been a place for the realization of some spectacles that had managed to bring the outskirt villages together since not everyone could afford to go to Silvermoon to celebrate the "Day of the Foundation".
Sadly, today a different kind of spectacle was going to take place as thousands upon thousands of soldiers of the Alliance of Lordaeron were about to fight the Troll forces of the Amani Empire.
Their armored plated forms and raised flags covered most of the northern plateau of the field with blue and gold like patterns, while their foes in the opposite side were letting only a seemingly small gap of terrain between each army.
Some people could think that such amount of show of force was a bit excessive if not overkill, but when news came to the Alliance high command that Suljin himself would lead the attack prove to be a prize too sweet for the High elves high command. It wasn't that strange either. They had suffered for far too long the ever increasing aggression of their mortal enemies, putting Suljins head on a spike would surely appease the masses.
A few preparations had been made in the past with the same objective, all of them had been failed attempts one way or another and with the Hordes intervention the Amani had become even more daring and aggressive had all but made such attempts an unnecessary waste of men and resources, so conventional war was chosen.
But now that those foul green skins were nowhere to be found they had pressed King Terenass to agree eliminating the Trolls. If they used this window of opportunity that had been presented to them it would give them the opportunity to join their efforts in dealing with the orcs, to finally defeat the Horde and put an end to this senseless war for once and for all.
After weeks and weeks of useless platitude and arguments that led to nowhere King Terenas had begrudgingly agreed, the old man had given them six of the fourteen regiments that were still alive and in combat capability, a clear show of force from the humans towards the elven nobility.
"We are not yet defeated"
It would restore some of the morale though it´s probable that he knew that any less would be considered as nothing but a token force by their king and his flamboyant friends, with the possibility of souring their relations in the future.
To accomplish this feat the army was divided in three battle groups, Ranger General Sylvanas Windrunner was leading the elven forces while Lord Lothar led the combined human forces of Lordaeron and Storwind. From what she had managed to hear, Admiral Daelin Proudmoore had won an important naval battle at the sea and had re-route his ships to the coast in an attempt to finally eliminate the remaining Horde ships over the region in an effort to cut any sort of escape or support.
And in the middle of such display of forces, there she was, Vereesa Windrunner just about to get herself into the first battle of such magnitude of her live. Very different from the usual skirmishes and fights she had ever had with bandits and small Troll forces over her long life. Not even the first failed assault at the external Blood-gate had needed such numbers.
Most of the enemy army was in front of them, slowly advancing towards them from their original battle positions. It was possible that they had realized that if they proceeded to the coast they would find themselves cut out of support and trapped between their foes and the sea. As such their solution was to try to open their way through them or take as many as they could before they were slain.
A simple reasoning, but correct. Either way blood would be spilled.
From the distance she heard the sound of wood creak. Some catapults and trebuchets were already throwing rocks here and there, taking pot shots at the enemy concentrated forces, most of them missing, but from time to time a few rocks managed to hit, tearing apart flesh and bone alike, painting the grass soil in crimson red as the Trolls were moving in a tight formation.
As these things came into view she could not avoid to feel an increasing nervousness creep through her body, she felt her mouth ran dry while she chewed her lips with one of her fangs. This wasn't the first time she had felt this, but like many other times she could do nothing but let it go through.
Is this how you felt Alleria? In the Troll wars where you lead our people against this menace? I cant say that I envy you... She thought with a strange mix of bitterness and anxiety as her eyes roamed the field. It didn't matter where she looks at, there would be Amani. She had never seen such concentration of them ever before.
``It seems that they are going to send us a welcoming party´´ Said a nervous high pitched voice behind her, rough around the edges and short, unlike the melodic voice of the elves. She had heard it enough times that she did not need to turn around to know who it was though she would admit that she had not heard him coming.
``It seems like that, though I would have preferred something else than a horde of savages….I guess beggars cant be choosers...´´ She muttered in agreement.
As she turned around, she was met with the figure of Stephon Marris, Nathanos younger brother. The human paladin was young, one could say that he was perhaps too young to be in a battlefield. His eyes had possessed a light shade of brown that shined with a curious sense of trepidation and curiosity. Similar to the ones from children when they receive for the first time in Winters veil a wooden sword or bow. He could have been the poster child of the vivid image of a rookie in an alliance recruitment camp. A young and determined individual searching to do good yet green as the grass of the field they were standing on.
Though she would give him a few props for not running away on this scenario, she knew very well how sometimes fear could even make the best act foolish.
Perhaps it was for that reason that she allowed herself to indulge in her curiosity.
``Stephon... its this your first battle?´´
``Eh..yes my lady, I mean No!He said with haste, a deep shade of red taking form around his face.
She cocked her head in amusement ``No...?´´ That seemed to only increase the embarrassment on the young boy as his face slowly started to take a fresh blood like shade.
`No, I have trained with my fellow men and participated in...one..perhaps two ambushes in Lordaeron over the war, though they were green skins. I think-´´ He continued to ramble on his own, not noticing that she put a hand over her forehead.
She really didn't like the fact she had been left to babysit him. Not that she disliked the Ranger Lords brother or humans in general, but she really didn't need a distraction in the form of a talkative man when she had to direct hundreds if not thousands of people under her command.
``Just do what you have done until today and you will be fine…..lift your shield and your sword and keep them away from you with the pointy end, I know you can do that´´
Stephon chuckled ``Of course, my lady, I wouldn't have said it better my Lady, but it doesn't matter if they are a hundred or a million Captain Windrunner, the light is with us and we will prevail this day! He said hitting his chest with pride.
Ah...there it was again, another crude yet cute line of thought of how fate worked, at least he told them with enough confidence to back them up. She was sure that Liadrin would find the humans attitude amusing.
``The light may be with us, but I would prefer to have a few thousand more warriors before us and the enemy, Stephon, I am sure you would understand´´
`` With me here nothing will happen to you, my fair lady´´ He boasted, his arms crossed around his armored chest as he tried to make himself taller while leaning a bit more closer.
She sighed at the boys attempt, a battlefield was not the best place to try such things. Youngsters this days... ``We shall see, we shall see´´ Her attention was switched from the human before to a known figure on her left. Blond curly hair fell softly over her shoulder plates between the blue golden cauldrons. Her face set in a stoic cold expression, yet she could notice that playful glint in her eyes that spoke of mischief.
`` Kalira, is everyone ready? ´´
``Yes, from what I see the Ranger General is also advancing, if she will be able to surround them, leaving those tusk fuckers no room for escape and finish this once and for all. Quick, simple, effective...´´
``So we and Turallyons army are gonna receive the brunt of their attack….´´ It wasn't a question, but rather a statement, the enemy was turning their positions in a spearhead, one side covering their right flank while the other their left yet this did not fouled her . Possibly they did not want to face her sister directly in battle, and wanted to reach a battlefield of their own choosing. She and her forces were the only road to the south that would let to their territory so it was logical they would engage them to get to the other side or die trying.
The sudden sound of mortars and cannons started filling the air with their thunderous noises, bringing an incessant buzz on her delicate ears, producing a scowl in the process. Their projectiles roaming the air until they impacted in the ground, some missed their targets, chunks of grass and well soiled ground went to the air in clouds of dirt. Others did not, as flesh and blood was spilled by the of those unlucky enough to be caught by the explosives.
Still the trolls continue their advance, in fact they were doing it in a haste in an effort to get out of their artillery range. The Alliance could not use their heavy weapons if their enemies were too close to their own forces, something that Suljin knew and would try to use to their advantage, especially when his own people did not posse the same capacities to fight in equal gun point.
``It seems that way…., do you think that he is truly there?´´
Vereesa didn't need her to specify about who she was talking about to know, there was only one troll that her people cared to check was truly dead.
``Only one way to find out my friend ´´ Turning around towards her fellow Fastriders she raised her arm. Rangers! Take aim!
At her command hundreds of Rangers and human archers lifted their bows up in the air, their fingers quickly took a shaft from their quivers and set an arrow in their bowstrings, tensing it as their arms retracted holding the feathery backside of the arrows with great care.
They waited.
For a human archer the maximum distance that their best shooters could cover would be three hundred paces while the Dwarfs carabines could reach four hundred paces, but their accuracy was debatable as most of their bullets would just miss after the two hundred paces.
A smile started to warp around her lips. Such problems were not part of her kind, she knew that any ranger worth their salt could hit a target at six hundred paces and their best at least eight hundred paces.
``Wait...wait…..´´ She wanted the enemy to get much closer. To get as many Trolls within the fire range of their bows to assure as many casualties as possible. She could feel the tension building ever stronger over her arms as she stubbornly held the bow, how the string dug itself further through her naked finger, not drawing blood but growing more uncomfortable by the moment. Mere seconds had passed from her order, yet for her it could have been minutes.
``Loose!
Without looking back, she heard the sound of hundreds of bowstrings shake, releasing their lethal cargo on the approaching force. The wooden missiles were sent flying in a blur, but their numbers helped her to follow their trajectory as the bright blue sky became filled with slick brown lines, in a few seconds. Most if not all the projectiles found their targets and hit both rudimentary crafted armor and flesh alike as the wooden bolts penetrated their bodies with ease. Some of them dropped to the ground as they left a final groan of pain before their live left their eyes though many others had been merely injured. Those who had the misfortune to be wounded fell to the ground as they grasped their wounds in pain did not fare any better, their suffering quickly snuffed away as their brethren walked on them, crushing their bodies to death in their stampede smearing their blood on the green soil.
How many died on that salvo? Six hundred? More? It was hard to tell with how compacted the enemy lines were as they approached them, in fact, they looked more like a living green tide than a group of individuals. She noted that they did not relent, in fact, they had pick up the pace.
``Loose!
Once again her order was carried to the letter, blackening the blue sky with a mass of feathered missiles. Each one striking a target in a spurt of fresh blood over the green horde that advanced way to cluttered to one another.
``Fire at will!
Her orders carried to their ears, the successive volleys halted entirely, replaced by the constant strumming of bowstrings as her fellow fast-riders began loosing shafts at their own pace. The rate of kills improved substantially for the accuracy had improved with the decrease of distance between each side.
Getting clean shots at their unarmored bodies with the swiftness and elegance that their training had granted them. Sadly there were too many of them and advancing at a high speed, their longer legs allowing them to close the distance between them much sooner. As they approached a few javelins came flying their way, having the misfortune to witness some of her fellow rangers being pinned down to the ground as the wooden missiles penetrated their bodies the same way they would skewer a mere hog.
Take the injured back!´´ The rest continue to press down! She ordered as she locked another arrow in her quiver before letting it go, lodging it on the skull of what she had assumed was one of the trolls responsible for the javelin thrown.
Her action was quickly mirrored by the rest.
Before she could reach another shaft the shrieking detonations of a wall of guns reached her ears, forcing her to lift one of her hands toward her ears, in a failed attempt to block the noise that was drilling inside her skull thanks to her extremely sensitive ears.
The creaking sound of gunpowder igniting inside slick metal tubes as they propelled forward their bullets was soon accompanied by the disturbing smell of sulfur. It startled her momentarily, too focused on the matter at hand that she had forgotten about the non elven allies on her ranks. Supporting her with their combined fire. Long rifles unleashed their metal load, creating small yet profound holes in the trolls bodies, some of them hit dead center on their elongated heads, shattering their skulls and drilling themselves in their brains, producing a splatter of blood and brain matter while these ones shrugged the damage with clenched teeth.
Sadly, as she had expected, the barrage of fire did not managed to strike as one as she could hear over the distance the distant sound of gunfire, meaning that the order of their human and dwarf allies to fire over their foes had not been unanimous, deciding to fire at the order of different captains with different ideas. This disparity of ideas meant that their effect on the field was greatly diminished, with even some of the bullets had hit the ground or just down right flew over the trolls heads, missing entirely.
In response to their efforts were answered with the flying forms of one handed axes and small rocks, the firsts hit without remorse anyone unlucky enough to be on their intended course. Some even getting stuck to the handle in the flesh of their victims while the seconds broke on contact, dust and broken splinters falling around them but leaving them mostly unharmed.
She could not avoid to feel the beating of her heart quicken slightly as their brutish forms came ever closer, bringing alongside them both their roars and stink. In fact, she could even feel the tremor produced by their steps on the ground.
The play is in full swing and there is nothing I can do... Her thoughts were interrupted by the distressed sound of Stephons voice.
Here they come! His voice was shaken with trepidation, his hands grasped his shield far more tightly. His brown eyes switching between her and the incoming horde.
She left out a curse under her breath, there was no need to feel despaired when the battle was yet to truly begin. Switch! She shouted, at the sound of her words the rangers that were firing quickly retreated back, their position now being occupied by a contingent of paladins and knights of Lordaeron while also followed by Quelldorei warriors, their elven blades shining maliciously with the glimmers of the sun. Their shields were set all next to one another in a kind of barrier between them and the incoming enemy, creating a wall of mail and steel painted in different shades of blue and gold.
``Hold this ground at any cost! We cant let them pass!´´
Yes mam! Responded a chorus of voices around her to a deafening volume or at least she thought as much before once again the constant noise of the battle took its place. Warriors of all kinds and types held their weapons tight in anticipation of the incoming threat.
For better or worse, it was now when things were gonna get heated. And heated they did.
Then the clash between the two groups started, one clad in the blue and golden colors of the Alliance of Lordaeron, the other clad in rustic wooden armor and barbaric symbols embedded in their blue skin. Men and women, their snarling visages hidden from view by their helms or hoods hacked and hewed with adrenaline powered arms into the first walling of the troll tide.
Swords and hammers flashed in blurry arcs as they descended down on the monstrous arms, chests and heads of the trolls, sending specs of blood and flesh in every direction with each strike. The Amani response did not made itself wait as long daggers and primitive spears stroked back.
Yet the struggle would not last for long. The first group of trolls had no order nor any semblance of formation, merely a bunch of savages with little to no knowledge of advanced tactics and as such they were met with a sturdy defense and swiftly fell.
But the new wave of trolls rushing down on their line at full force would dissipate such thoughts with ridiculous ease. Their muscular forms barged on the defensive position with all the kinetic power of their motion, making some of the defenders stumble backwards or just fall on their asses when their legs could not resist the crash.
Now with holes in their positions the trolls finally found a way to make better use of their weapons, than their prior brethren. Spears and axes were swung wildly at anyone under their arms reach as they pushed even further in an effort to thin the line before they could regroup. Cries, yells in anger or jubilation or merely the sound of metal and flesh being torn up were the only things that could be heard in the first line as the battle ensue in a blur of senseless violence where not even her could managed to guess whether they were wining or not.
The melee continued to ensue for a while longer, with neither side giving out terrain to the other. For an untrained eye it would seem that the odds were balanced for each side, yet if one took a more inquisitive sight they would had notice that at a slow yet steady pace the alliance were swarming the compromised positions with more men, acting as living bandages over their line while the new incoming trolls found themselves stopped as they could not reach the front line with so many of their brethren on the way.
``They don't seem to take a break, do they?´´ Commented Kalira to her side, the cloth and armor around her body not being able to hide the tension of those muscles as she lined up her bow, releasing moments later another bolt that flew through the air swiftly moments before it was lost in the mass of green bodies approaching.
She gave a weak nod though not taking away her eyes from the field. ``No, they don't seem to take a damn clue. Still I think that as civilize beings we should lend a hand and help them on thinning their ranks, wouldn't you agree?´´
``On it captain, the only good Amani is the dead one after all´´ She replied with a grin before another arrow slipped through her fingers.
She snorted at the crude joke with a small hint of annoyance. How many times had she heard that? A hundred times? Five hundred?
She could heard a gasp coming from the human, and she doubted that it had anything to do with the struggle in battle. She could imagine why, for a paladin it would had sound callous what the lieutenant had said yet for a ranger it made a lot of sense. It wasn't really that surprising, the hatred between both races was strong and she doubted that it would end any time soon. Not by the looks of that.
``They are living beings Miss! I know that they are your enemy, but they are not animals!´´
``Our enemy human, do not forget that they have allied themselves with the same creatures that burned Storwind and laid siege to your own kingdom, and don't patronize me with your righteous self esteem. Last I recall you humans treated them as pests´´ Barked Kalira with annoyance, making the young human flinch.
``That's just elven propaganda and you know it, miss!´´ He tried to counter.
She sighed in resignation, not even a full bloody battlefield would deter people from arguing with one another. At any other date she would had let it go but right now it was just down right detrimental.
``Leave the boy alone Kali, I think he got it´´
``Of course captain´´ Replied sheepishly the blond ranger, her ears now pressed over the blue of her hood as she looked away. ``So how many?´´ She asked, her voice barely perceptible within the commotion.
``How many what?´´ She asked, puzzled by Kaliras question as she continued to shoot another arrow, this one getting embedded in the upper chest of what seemed to be a troll grunt before her fingers automatically went to retrieve another.
``How many you got this time? I am going by twenty six! I bet that by the time we are finish I have more kills than you! She responded cheerfully, a devious smile forming on her lips.
``You are on! I am not gonna leave my second in command to outmatch me!´´
``As happy as I am...to hear you…..could you at least show…..some concern ught...for your fellow men!?´´ Grunted Stephon as his sword descended on a trolls wooden shield, cracking its surface but not breaking it completely as he had hoped before he yanked his sword back, parring another blow in the process.
``Sorry little boy, but a rangers body count competition is sacred´´ Said Kalira with the same tone one would use to explain things to an ignorant child before another arrow left her bow string. Immediately striking the naked flesh of a troll´s neck.
``You elves….and your…..weird customs….´´ He groaned as he tried to push back with his shield a Troll that was trying to pry the tool from his hands.
She paid him no heed, her senses focused on the task at hand, yet before she could release the next arrow, dozen of crimson lights started to fall down on the middle of the Troll conglomerate, for a few seconds it seemed as if someone had casted a few bright lights in the middle of the field.
The crimson spectacle confused those around them, not understanding what were those things meant to be before the spells imploded violently and a massive torrent of flames was released. The flames did not make any distinction as they engulfed anyone near the explosion, creating a small burning field of bodies.
When the sensation of flesh being overcooked reached her nostrils she had to fight down the natural urges to throw up the contain of her lunch. It did not help the sudden heat that was now assaulting her senses mercilessly as sweat started to pour down her forehead and her skin felt as if someone was needles from withing. She gave a glance towards the place where hundreds of troll warriors had been standing proud, their bodies now being churned into or ashes.
``W-what the hell was that! Exclaimed Stephon, his face dirtied with the ashes of beings that had been alive a few seconds ago, his shield no where to be found. She assumed that it had been left almost useless by the explosion or the heat had forced him to discard the object.
She was about to answer the boy, but it was Kalira who bested her to it Copious amounts of sweat falling down her blond curls now stained with the grey ashes leaving the lieutenant with the same look someone would have after throwing at themselves copious amount of flour, if it was made of dirt.
``Mages….this has the name of their mess written all over the place´´
``Mages? You mean the Kirin Toor?´´
``No! From where do you got that idea!? ´´ Asked Kalira exasperated, brushing some sweat from her forehead in the process though she only accomplished to smear off even further the dust in her face. Her friends abrasive reaction seemed not enough to deter the boy from leaving the matter die out, yet as he was about to respond Kalira once again bested him.
``You know what? Don't say it, I mean the magistrates, those flamboyant idiots who walk so straight that one could think they have a stick shove up their a-´´
``Kal´´ She admonished her.
Her friend rolled her eyes, not clearly content with her being the one to be interrupted. ``Well, but you know its true´´ She stated annoyed, chewing her lips. ``I knew that they could use their magic to aid us in the battle…... what I did not thought is that they would not care for fucking friendly fire!Sheraged, grinning her teeth to the point that she thought that they would shatter.
Well, that was a way to say out loud what everyone was thinking.
``Nor I though they would do so without me giving them the order…..´´ Though she should seem it coming miles away, especially when she knew that they would not listen to a mere captain. It took a lot to coerce them to place them on the field next to their more humble brethren and away from civilization, yet it seem it will took a lot more to make them fight along side them…
What a bunch of cunts… She thought with distaste before she turned back to meet the angry yet expectant stare of her friend.
`` I have a strong dislike about the matter that we can not have direct control over them and have to rely on the king for their efforts´´ She scoffed with barely controlled fury, her hand closing into a tight fist, the knuckles of her fist slowly turning a deadly white. before a cold washed over her. There was no use to get riled up over something that she had no control of, still she would need to give Lord Romath and his magistrate friends a few words about their "bright results" and what danger close really means!
`And though I have no love for them we still need them, sometimes you have to side with the lesser evil Kali…..´´
Kalira rolled her eyes, clearly not convinced, though who will? ``Sometimes? You already know how they are and the way the operate, besides why would they care about us ? You know damn well that they are a bunch of arrogant ass hats whose only worry is to whore themselves to the king! I don't know how you can keep up with them!´´
``You forget your place, lieutenant. Control that anger before I am forced to do it for you´´ She stated coldly. Even though she knew her friends anger was well deserved she could not allow herself to become its target.
Not when they were in the middle of a live death situation.
Kaliras form stiffened, her mouth closing up tightly in a ghastly thin line that for a few seconds she thought it would disappear. Kalira took a deep breath before she answered back, eyes still burning with anger and her face warped into a scowl. ``My apologies Captain Windrunner, I should have known better and I let the of the situation overcome my senses, but I promise you that once this is all over I will find one of those idiots I will strangle them, even if that is the last thing I do´´
She frowned at her friends choice of words. It wasn't much of a change but it will do ``I believe you, now lets use that pent up anger against the Amani...´´ She said without looking at her, her eyes set at the front from where she observe the other Trolls who had not been caught in the blast, her left hand retrieving another shaft from her quiver and placing it on the string.
Kalira said something, yet it was lost to her, her out most attention centered on the task at hand. Her eyes set in what appeared to be a shaman. The tension building on her arm increased as she pulled her back even further. A few seconds later and she let loose the wooden missile from her grasp. A feeling of satisfaction grew as she saw the creature fell on his back.
``Hey! Hey! There surely must be a reason for why they attempted such a risky strategy my ladies, I am sure that there would be no elf willing to put their fellow brethren in harms way for such selfish reasons. wouldn't you agree?´´ Came Stephon from behind, finally joining the conversation.
She could not avoid to blink a few times . Of course the paladin would try to emphasize the aid of the mages, especially when he knew nothing of the legendary animosity between the Fastrider corp and the Magisters.
``Then be my guest human and ask them and now that you are up for a stroll why don't you go to fetch me a well made steak? I know that there has to be some in the camp from last night and I will be dammed if I let those rich pompous buffoons get all of them while we are knee deep in bodies, I am sure a good boy like you would not mind right? she
``We are in the middle of a battlefield my lady! We have no time for such nonsense!´´ He muttered with surprise, perhaps baffled at the petition.
``Then there you have it, now if you are done being a self righteous idiot move that sword a bit more, those trolls are not gonna get themselves killed any faster´´ Kalira growled without care, knocking another arrow in her bow.
Ignoring the banter between the two she focused her attention towards the front line again….. or where it once was she supposed. There, in an ample amount of space and with a sudden wind coming from the north the smoke that reigned supreme on the film finally started to dissipate.
What a horrendous shocking scene awaited them.
There before them, on the ground, laid the burned forms of dozens if not hundreds of trolls. The ground that had been affected by the range of the spell had turned dark and lifeless, dust and ashes now filling the spot.
She could not help to chew her lips in discomfort, being burned alive be it by magical or common means was a horrible way to go. Especially when the initial blast was not enough to put you down and you had to languish the brutal effects of the fire until your nerves could not keep up and you passed out or died by the sheer pain.
She liked the Amani trolls as much as the next Queldorei, but there was a threshold she would not cross if she could. Especially if that meant cooking them. Beloree knew the cannibalistic tendencies of those creatures and the stories that circulated around about what they did towards those unlucky enough to be kept alive under their care.
She fought down the urge to throw up at the ground once she took an intake of air. Her hands closing her mouth tightly as she slowly felt the bile climb up through her throat..
Why those bastards had to smell so well even after being burnt to a crisp? Why couldn't they smell like shit?
Looking around she noticed the same faces of the men under her command, their eyes gazing on the burning remains of their foes with disgust, their noses wriggling in disgust while their eyes cried as the smoke hurt them. Most tried to remained composed. Others directly threw down the contents of their previous meal on the ground, coughing repeatedly, possibly as a result of the brief fire storm.
It wasn't a nice sight, not by a long shot yet she knew that it was now or never to use the opportunity to their advantage before the men around her allowed the gruesome sight to plummet their morale even further.
``Their lines are broken! Charge! Do not let them time to regroup! Archers, give cover fire!
She yelled at the top of her lungs before she shoot down another target with her bow. All across the Alliance line, the men and women that manage to hear her broke out their defensive formation and speared their way through the Troll ranks. Advancing head on against the now stunned Trolls who now became easy prey for her and her fellow rangers.
A new wave of arrows flew from their bows, the strident sound of the strings as more wooden missiles flew right through the field into their unexpected victims. Death took them instantly as vital organs were punctured.
Another arrow trailed her fingers but just as she was about to let it go she second guessed. The metal plated forms of the alliance soldiers were now getting inside their kill zone. A scoff escaped her lips as she brought her bow behind her back, her allies now prevented her from firing as the danger of striking an ally was way to high in the ruckus of the battle .
The line quickly smashed with the those trolls who had not been caught by the blast or had been locked in battle with them. Those who had tried to flee were pushed back by their brethren back to the fight, their bodies getting crushed under their weight.
Primitive war cries and canticles for the light and kingdom were heard from each side, flashes of light and the briefly sound of magic cracking through the air filled the field on its entirety. The ferocity of the battle did not lessen in the slightest, not even by the prior slaughter. She even saw a footman being sent flying like some kind of pebble through the air, a massive dent showing on his chest plate probably a result of a stone war hammer.
Casualties started to rise, the body's of the fallen slowly stacking up, their blood staining the green fields in crimson from the wounds that had give them death. Still that did not deter them on the slightest, they pressed on. They had to.
And so did their foes.
Like lightening she ran through their lines, her body slipping through the gaps of the monstrous creatures with ease, her blades slashing through flesh and bone alike, aiming to wound, cripple, kill. Not wasting more than a few seconds with each target, not waiting for one to fall to the ground before she switched target.
Allowing for these weakened creatures to be eliminated by the tide coming right behind her. A task that they were not failing at even with the Trolls stubbornness to die quietly.
Things were going good...until she was stopped by a peculiar obstacle.
Such an obstacle was a pair of trolls coming her way with a really bad mood. One looked like a common grunt while the other had its face hidden by the skull of a deceased raptor, a massive bone cleaver on one arm.
In the blink of an eye she brought forth her bow, a shaft at the ready between the thin now tense cord that her fingers held tightly. Before it was no more.
Flying through the air like a red blur only to be halted a mere second later with the prominent green lime head of the grunt.
That left her to deal with the veteran. Yet as she was about to deal with him as the former the Troll grasped the fallen shield of his battle brother, blocking just at the right time an arrow that would had been lodged between his eyes.
`Shit!´´ Noticing that he was now too close to continue shooting at him she withdrew her bow on her back and unsheathed her blades. The troll now started to grin under the skull, its yellow eyes shining brightly with malicious intent as it throw at her its shield.
Her eyes widened in surprise, not expecting it to give away the defensive gear to use it as a javelin. Luckily for her she regained control over her senses and ducked to the left, the shield merely graced the skin of her face as it flew wildly to the ground, creating a thin but superficial cut on her left cheek. A thin layer of blood started to fall down from it.
``Stupid elf bitch! Die like da rest of your kind! It snarled before in an impressive show of force he grasped his ax with both of his hands before leaping up in the air, quickly followed by a brutal vertical strike at her still in mid air. A strike which she barely managed to hold off with her dual sabers, which got lightly dented by the strike. A testament of the absurd amount of force behind the blow.
She was pushed back by the motion of the strike yet she hold fast, her feet digging on the ground, creating a small yet perceptible trail of dirt before both she and her assault stopped moving after a few seconds. The motion of the attack now spent.
``Umf…...not...really interested, savage bastard!´´ She responded with a biting remark as she kicked hard his left leg. The following grunt of pain from the Troll and the steps it took back allowed her to break free from the block. Yet this would not last long, with a minimum of distance between the two she knew that the Troll still had the advantage of range thanks to his larger arms.
She sprinted at him, docking her head down when the ax almost took her head before, the cold sensation of air brushing her ears send a shiver through her spine before she rammed both of her swords right on the Trolls chest, just right into the lower ribs.
``I would prefer if you were to die instead!´´ She exclaimed as she twisted her blades inside his body, his muscles growing tenser as the cold metal kissed the trolls flesh with sadistic desire, Vereesa relishing every second of agony of the creature before she brought it down all the way to his waist line, creating a large bloody opening that connected both his rib cage and guts to the outside world. staining her clothes in crimson by the blood and guts coming from his wound. She could swore that she saw the other end of the wound, meaning that her blades had come through his back.
It was a gruesome wound, one that would prove to be fatal in the following minutes. Perhaps it was her certainty that the creature was a goner that she did not see coming what the troll did next.
``For da Loa….and chief Suljin…..we will not Loose!In a show of pure determination or sheer madness the Troll pressed itself even further into the blades that were tearing his flesh, but that was not all, one of his three digit hands grabbed her by the neck with great force.
She might had left her surprise shown on her face as she noticed a diabolical grin form under the grisly bone mask. Quickly reinforcing with his other hand he started to lift her from the ground with same trouble before starting to put as much pressure as he could over her neck.
It was a terrible experience as she tried to breath with great struggle, feeling how her wind pipes were slowly being crushed under the trolls grip. In her surprise she had risen her arms in an attempt to pry them open. Bad move on her part, since now that she lost the grip of her own blades it only took the creature to rise to its full height to stop her from reaching them again. Even though the Troll would die of blood lost in a matter of seconds or minutes at worst she knew that she did not have such luxury.
Her hands scratched the green flesh while her feet without control, sometimes managing to hit the uncovered chest. But he would not bulge an inch. Slowly dark spots started to appear on her vision, the first signs that the lost of air were starting to take its ill effects. A thought dawned her mind.
Quickly her hand crawled down, searching blindly her body for what she despairingly wanted, wishing for it to not been lost during the battle. To her relief it took not long before her fingers brushed the cold yet slender hilt of one of her combat knives. Not wasting a single more second she grasped it tightly and brought it up. Her vision had already worsened considerably, her skin taking a deadly shade of white.
With a simple downwards arc the blade sunk over the lime green unprotected flesh of the Trolls arm, the steel digging its teeth in a ravenous way as she tried to push it further, slowly yet steadily, as her strength had been weaken by the lack of oxygen.
To her relief she felt how his grasp lessen considerably, allowing her to take a much needed breath, much desired air reaching her starved lungs, her eyes opening wide. She would had smiled by her small victory but she fought against the thought. It was a start yet it would not enough, as he was still holding her.
Decided to fix that matter she aimed this time a bit further from the arm, her eyes gazing at what she considered a valuable target. Its exposed neck. Yet before she could do it the troll switched one of his arms and grabbed her wrist, stopping her mid track to her dismay before she yelped in pain, the Troll now starting to crush her wrist with mere raw strength.
``Y-ou….are not gonna get of...da easily bitch!´´ He spatted venomously at her, his eyes glowing with hatred ``You and I….are going down´´ As if to make the weight of his words and the lack of one arm settle in her mind he started to put as much pressure around her neck as he could to make up for it.
You have to be kidding me…
By now the black spots had taken over most of her vision, leaving her with a narrow sight of her foe. She realized that her time was about to be finished.
``Fu-ck off!´´ She gurgled more than spited at him. Though she knew that she under her situation she could do little, that did not mean that she couldn't do anything. Immediately she started waving her legs as much as she could, hitting his chest repeatedly, it was only when her feet managed to hit one of the wounds she had previously inflicted that her goal worked. She did not hear his groan nor the curses that he was spatting at her, her out most attention directed at her now freed hand.
It was now or never. In the blink of an eye she lodged the blade down its head. The bone like mask cracked under the pressure of the elven blade, allowing it to plunged without restrictions on the soft flesh beneath seconds later.
His body went rigid immediately, like a statue. The light behind those yellow primitive eyes vanishing slowly. She saw fear in those eyes, the thing did not understand what was happening. Not it would have much time to ponder about it. As when she twisted the blade the light was cut short from his eyes, leaving nothing but a dull lifeless husk.
She did not even felt the pain from hitting the ground, to dazzle by her live death situation to even notice that she lay flat on the ground in a rather unladylike manner, her eyes had taken a blood as she coughed repeatedly.
Her breathing was quick and ragged, with her heart pulsating painfully under her chest, each beat bringing both relief and numbness to her already tired mind. This had been a bit closer to what she liked. Slowly she started to stand up,
``Well...at least.. it could have gone w-´´ Before she could even finish that sentence she spotted the form of at least a dozen more trolls a few dozen meters away from her, bows in their arms. More of their brethren appeared around them, these ones not stopping for their archers as they ran forward until they clashed with some footmen in melee combat.
The twelve stood still until they spotted her.
Shit! She cursed internally, she dropped the knife as she ducked towards the slayed troll. She managed to lift his body and place it before her just in time when arrows started to rain down around her. The sound of the flesh of her improvise meat shield being riddled with arrows wasn't exactly comforting…. but if she were to choose between being out in the open or below a bleeding corpse she she knew without a doubt what she would choose.
Sadly, not everyone was as lucky as her. Yelps and cries of pain, quickly followed by violent coughing and gurgle left little space for imagination.
The buzz of the arrows remained around her. Some she could merely manage to get the color of their feathery ends before disappearing from her view, others got lodged on the ground dangerously close to her. Her free hand started to trail back, her fingers slowly grasping the sleek wooden frame of her bow. She would need it.
``Alright fuckers...I am ready when you are´´ She muttered through clenched teeth. As if fate itself had heard her prayers the Amani stopped firing.
Leaving the scarce safety of her meat shield she ran towards the closest, hoping to catch them by surprise before they could load another barrage.
Running and aiming at the same time wasn't exactly an easy feat, luckily they were not that far. Before any of them could access the situation she had already fired her first bolt, getting lodged on its bare chest, the steel piercing through its heart.
``One...´´
It appeared that seem their fellow friend had made something tick in their heads as they all started running at her. She cursed, they could not keep making a fun of themselves a little Longer? Whatever, at least those that did approach were not thinking on using their bows.
Automatically, she pulled two more arrows from her quiver, knocked them and loose them in a swift motion at the trolls before her. Short grunts of pain leaving their tusked mouths as their bodies crumble to the floor like puppets which strings had been cut.
``Three…..´´ She muttered softly to herself, her hand once again reaching for her quiver, her fingers brushing the feathered shafts.
Her face frowned. She had only felt nothing more than half a dozen arrows remaining in her quiver. She must have lost some during her prior scuffle. She would need to be extra careful with her shots. She took two, leaving her with only three arrows remaining.
By the time the distance between the two groups was all but spent she had downed another one. Eight remained.
Ax in hand and high, ready to strike and its upper body covered with bones and leather reached her the first barbarian. The others were not far behind. Her body tensed in preparation as the trolls frame came ever closer, that dangerous glint from their yellowy eyes never wavering their gaze from her. It was fast, faster than normal she realized.
``Die filth! It roared, its booming voice making her ears ache with displeasure.
She side stepped to the left, allowing it to pass her, both his speed and the motion of his attack making him stumble a lot more forward than he intended when his ax failed to meet her soft flesh, hitting the ground instead.
He was open, and she wasn't gonna let such opportunity pass.
Just as he pulled back his weapon from the ground, throwing away specks of soil and leafs she kicked its exposed knee as hardly as she could. Her boot hitting the exposed limb just at the right angle, cracking the bone under it by the sounds of it. Its cries of agony alongside the way it dropped his weapons to hold his broken leg shattered his warrior like appearance.
She would have wanted to shoot the damn creature and silence its cries, but to her dismay, before she could capitalize it she caught the glimpse of a crude sword falling down in up-downwards arc from her right.
It would had reached her had she not placed her bow between herself and the crude blade. Yet even that would prove barely enough. It felt like an eternity, but it must have been mere seconds. She felt the muscles of her left arm cried out in pain by the sudden punishment they were being subjected, her heart beating faster, pumping more blood at her limb in an effort to reinforce her already tired muscles.
The blade sank itself deeper on the masterfully wooden crafted bow as the troll placed more pressure on her. She did not need to hear the creaks to know that it would not be long before it gave out under the pressure.
Her mind started going overdrive, trying to find a way to get out from this, her eyes switching repeatedly in an attempt to found something, anything…. She chew her lips in frustration when, her right leg started giving out under the pressure, soon she found herself half crouched on the field.
If only I could grasp those short knives hanging from the hilt…..
Her eye trailed down towards her other arm, wondering what was there that keeping it full, only to find out that she was grasping tightly the slender form of an arrow. The realization hit her more stronger than a loud detonation from a group of dwarven mortars firing recklessly around her.
She wanted to smack herself. Of course her other hand was busy, it had been holding that bloody arrow all that time. How could she find out now? Her sisters were surely gonna kill her for such blunder.
Her musings were put to a short end when the Troll took a step forward.
``Not so tough without your bow, are you elf!? It cackled humorously, mistaking her surprise of the discovery by shock or fear.
``I don't need a bow to kill trash like you….´´ She spatted at him and right away plunged the arrow into his side, right between his lower ribs. She did it with so much force that it basically disappeared from her hand. The creature lost its hold of its weapon, its face struck by shock more than pain as his three digit hands try to pull out the stubbornly embedded arrow from his side.
It was almost painful to watch.
She put an end to it. With nothing but gruff she grabbed her bow with both her arms and smashed it with all her strength into its head. The wooden craft already weakened by the Trolls blade shattered instantly. With splinters still flying away at every direction, she rammed the now improvised stake through the throat of the Amani she had wounded previously.
Its agonizing bloody gurgles been the last thing she heard as she witnessed how it desperately tried to block the blood from oozing out from his ravaged throat before it fell limp on the field.
She took a look at what remained of her bow, a shadow of sorrow appearing on her eyes at the loss of such a useful tool. It had been with her since her formative years at the training camp.
At least, as a consolation, it wasn't the only thing that was broken. There, the Troll laid still on the ground, a rather perceptible dent on his skull alongside a small river of blood coming out from the hole giving a clear indication of its demise. Though with her bow now broken she would had to rely on the auxiliary blades on her hilt,
``Six….´´ Her chest swelled up and down with each intake of air, her ribs clashing with her mail and chest plate as a result. She brought her arm up to try to wipe away the sweat from her eyes. Thank Beloree that the other four had stopped in their tracks for whatever reason or she would not had been able to take these brief moments of respite. Speaking of which….they were gawking at her, well, it would be far more correct to say that they were distracted hearing the gurgling noises of their fellow comrade who was drowning in his own blood.
She tapped the metal hilts of her last blades, they were a lot more shorter than the rest, used mostly to carve wood or peel skin rather than combat, but it was the last thing she had on her so it would have to do. She had lost track of her swords, probably still stuck in whichever body she left them.
``What are you waiting for…..invitation? She barked at them, she would had chuckled at their indecision had she not felt that tired.
This seemed to free them from their stupor, their legs carrying their bodies forward, a difference of nine steps from one another.
The first one did not made itself wait. She ducked her head to the right as the ax came down at her from the left before she stabbed it right through the lower abdomen before hitting him with her shoulder, a few seconds later she blocked a parried a swing at her back, then sliced off the offenders arm, its blood splattering on her face. It felt like hot water.
She fought back a hiss when a spear grazed her arm, leaving a cut the size of a nut. She grasped the stick when the Troll tried to thrust again at her, this time aiming at her chest, breaking it and stabbing it by the eye with it before she kicked its lifeless body at the last one, stopping him from advancing any further for a few seconds. Enough for her to ready herself.
The creature swung its busted cleaver with such ferocity that it nullified its lack of finesse, the blade whistling painfully as it cut through the air in such open arcs that had she not been tired she may have already finish him already. She would need to create an opening.
As she took a few steps back she stumble with the corpse of one of her assailants, making her fall on her back.
``You are mine!´´ It cried out triumphantly, his eyes shining viciously as it rose its weapon over its head, prepared to end it all with one swing with both hands. That was the moment she was waiting for. Her fingers that had been digging in the ground grasping tightly the soil before she yanked away a handful of it and throw it at its unprotected eyes. It howled in pain when the dust collided with its primitive eyes, blindly swinging at every direction in an effort to hit her.
By the time it regained its sight it was to late. With a slash to its right leg tendons she brought him to his knees, then got a firm hold over his wielding hand before she brought her elbow down baring down on it. Shattering it.
The sound of broken bones and the startled cry was short lived when her blade connected with its neck, slicing its throat in a clean cut. She held him firmly as it fought to breath before she left its body hit the ground.
``Ten...´´
Her satisfaction was briefly when she heard the sound of bowstrings tensing. There at a few paces away from her stood the last two. Finally done with her killing they were done reloading.
She barely gave a thought and before she could realized it she found herself throwing herself forward.
The first two came flying just a few centimeters above her head. Brushing off her hair before they got stuck on the ground.
The next barrage she wasn't that lucky. Their projectiles hit her directly in her right shoulder with force. Making her gasp for breath.
Though to her luck they did not penetrate fully the metal plating of her pauldron, instead getting lodged in it as a crude ornament. These did not meant that she came out unscathed, the impact alone managed to make her stumble during her approach, not saying that it had hurt either.
But that would not stop her. Each step bringing her closer at those wretched bastards who by now were starting to shiver with unease at her unrelenting charge, their long arms finding trouble now to re-load their bows. Yet even with that, she knew she would not reach them in time.
But perhaps she did not need to….
It would take her ten more seconds to reach them, they would fire in half the time. It was clear that at these distance they would not miss. She took a deep breath.
She made her decision.
She changed her grasp over the blades, holding them by the cold, sharp ends, and then threw them.
For a few seconds they flew through the air, rotating unopposed on their own axes. Then they reached their targets.
The first one caught blade stroke its target dead on its skull, its head spinning to the left thanks to the now half embedded knife coming out of his forehead, its body falling down with a loud thud. The other one however, did not meet the same fate, her throw missing its target for a few centimeters.
It was only for a second, but Vereesa felt fear grip her heart. Everything around her started moving at a slow pace. She could see its fingers slip from the bowstring. Her arms rising before her very eyes more by instinct rather than by direct thought, her eyes shut on their own, not wishing to witness what was about to come.
Then the pain came.
A violent stung ran through her left arm that made her grin her teeth with one another, small tears threatening to fall down the edges of her eyes.
The troll had hit her, her grievous previous thoughts proven correct as the distance between the two had been too insufficient for it to miss fire again. The arrow, had penetrated her right arms protections bracelet, its serrated head coming out from the underside of her arm, stained with fresh bright blood.
``Impossible! D-da cannot be possible! How did You block it!?´´ It whined in bewilderment or shock, not believing his eyes of what had occurred. She may as well had done the same had she not been far more focused on holding her now useless arm.
The flesh around the hole ached in crippling agony, as if termites were chewing her flesh... no, burning would have been a rather more accurate description of what she was feeling, a thin line of blood was pouring down around the wooden edges of the arrow, staining her now pale arm with a tide of crimson.
She went to move her hand, to try flex her fingers. The initial result was to be expected, she flinched in pain as muscles across her arm tensed…..especially those around the wooden cylinder stuck between bone and flesh. Yet, to her surprise, her fingers did move.
Good... it still works…. It wasn't much, but at least it left her a small sense of relief.
She did not need to take a look at the Troll to realize that he was preparing to shoot again, gone his shock if not partially. To her relief it would find some trouble in doing so now that she saw that his quiver was empty. Its attention placed solely on her, not allowing it to realize it, yet. She however, could not wait that long.
She took two deep breaths before her remaining hand neared the arrows shaft, her fingers, now sticky with blood grasped its thin surface tightly.
It was gonna hurt.
She took a final breath….then pull out.
She felt her teeth grin with one another to the point to draw blood as she brought half of it out with one pull, the flesh around the shaft burning now more than ever, tears falling down her eyes freely as she tried to breath. By the second it was already out, without any broken splinters remaining inside her flesh.
The arrow still remained in her left hand, as some kind of bloody memento. Blood still dripping from it to the ground like soft pour of water.
She glanced back at the Troll, it had dropped its bow and drawn out his own blade, but by the way it held the handle it told her that it wasn't very comfortable even with it. Then she glanced back at her bloodied hand.
A twisted smile warping around the edges. She just knew where to put it.
Another explosion took place a few meters away from her, the shock wave shook her, limbs and dirt started falling around like rain as she took another step. Some of those "parts" reached her, falling down her shoulders smearing them even further.
She did not care, her path was set.
Grasping the hilt with his two hands, it swung the blade his at her. He was too rigid, too distressed to aim correctly. The blade fell down on her right shoulder, leaving not a small dent on its surface, but only leaving lacerations on the skin below. She tackled him, using her own weight to destabilize his balance. Immediately the two fell to the ground.
She grunts in pain when she falls on her bad arm.
``You will not d-urght! His words are cut short as she crushes its nose with a head butt.
``Just...shut up! She snarls at him.
She then descends upon him like a hungry hawk, her left arm high in the air grasping tightly the arrow before she brought it down on his chest, before twisting the metal head within before she ripped it off and did the deed again, this time on his lower abdomen.
It kicked her in the chest, his sword forgotten his hands surrounded her neck and tried to strangle her, but she did not relent, she did not even slow down. She stabbed the bastard over and over, the sound of flesh being teared up slowly become mixed with his cries of agony.
She did not know the Troll died, nor when he had lost consciousness, the only thing she knew was that she had continued to stab the glorified bastard until he became nothing but a bloody sponge.
``Beloree fucking….twelve! She spatted, breathless and tired by the whole ordeal as she left the now broken arrow stuck in his ribs. Wiping away the sweat from her forehead with her remaining arm before she took a glance at what was going around her.
Carnage. That was the only way to describe the scenery before her. Men or elfs fighting all over the damn field in packs, groups or just plainly alone, the constant clattering of metal deafened her ears to the point that she had trouble formulating her thoughts. Fires of different magnitudes had erupted all across the field like a wild tide of mushrooms during the cold season.
Slowly she lost interest in the battle, her eyes now resting on her arm. As far as she could see there had been no change apart for the greater flow of blood coming out of the wound. Nothing too serious, yet.
A priest should fix the wound in no time.
``Vere, watch out! Came a warning cry from afar, though thanks to the constant fighting she barely managed to hear it.
Too late to do anything she could only see from the edges of her eyes the lumbering shadow that settled upon her.
``Shi-!´´ Her curse was cut short when a sudden pang of pain erupted from the side of her head. She tried to turn around, yet to her surprise she fell down to the floor. Numbness started taking over her body at an incredible rapid speed. Her legs, now turned like jelly gave out, incapable to hold her weight with her sudden lost of stability.
She tried to stir back up, yet her brains orders were ignored by her body, only being capable to move around her eyes. The world had become nothing but a blurry storm of pain and confusion, the skies circling around her without control. Shadows moved back and forward around her, too fast for her to view them correctly, all of it mixed with the acrid smell of blood and sweat as well with her body cooling down to the point that she started to shiver with cold.
Dark spots slowly crawling their way over her vision, obscuring the world around her like droplets of ink on a blank paper while she tried vainly to ease the agony from her fractured skull with her finally managing to stir up her arms to caress her head. The struggle alone left her breathless. When she retracted them she was left speechless.
Red thick liquid stained her hands. It was incredibly sticky.
Slowly her eyes widened slightly, recognizing what it was.
Blood. It was blood, lots of blood.
Her blood.
She barely could, its body now mostly covered in darkness. There, towards its left she caught the faint scarlet glint of metal of a hammer drenched in blood.
``N-no….not this way….´´
She wanted to move away, to reach out for her weapons and struck down the hated creature before it could do any more harm…. but she could not. Her body now refusing to comply even if it was for its own survival. The only thing she could do was watch, observe how the creature started raising his weapon again, those malicious glowing eyes glaring at her with nothing but contempt and loathing.
``It...wasn't suppose to go….this way...´´ She gasped one final time before the creature swung down its hammer, sending her right towards the darkness.