WAO: The Imperial Civil War

by Commissar Brackett

After nearly a year of tension in the Empire the nation is on the brink of an all out civil war. Battle lines have been drawn, old friends and new will declare their allegiances and the heirs of Sigmar will fight for freedom from the death game and the throne of the Empire. Find out who will stand at the end of this war! Discontinued, life has gotten in the way.

8. Battle of the Watchtower

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

I want to say thank you all for following this story. I'm still continuing it and feeding off your reviews. So… Feed Me!

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Guest: Thank you for your review I have Imagined the Helicarriers included from the very start of the fic. It was fun to finally get them into the fic proper. As for Klein well… keep on reading. Also we finally got proper airships for Warhammer… to bad its for age of shitmar.

Belo- Thank you for your kind words. This should have been up months ago and if you had logged in I would of told you that I was continuing it.

/

Sylvania, 4:30 PM 11th of September

It was simply called The Watchtower. It stood on the southern end of the Fae Marsh's and was the tallest of structures for miles around. At over 100 feet tall, a person who stood on the towers battlements could see for leagues in all directions in a clear day. To the mixed army of Imperial's, Dwarfs, Skaven, Elves and Beastmen it was a rallying point for their army. Numbering Just over 6,000 bot's and under 70 players, this mixed force had spent the day marching to and preparing to defend the watch tower.

At the base of the watch tower was the battery of dwarf cannons, with a sprinkling of organ guns throughout the gaps between units, including a helblaster which was set up on the far left flank. While 20 yards behind the main battle line was a mortar, that would lob explosive shot into the oncoming horde. Making up the front rank soldiers were dwarven and human musketeers and thunderers, who with their powerful muskets could pierce the armor any chainmail wearing orc. Then behind them were the ranks upon ranks of human and dwarf soldiers who made up the majority of melee based ranks of the army. Then making up the ranks after the main melee troops were the dwarf crossbows and elven archers, who could shoot over the heads of the ranks of melee troops. The final rank's were of the auxiliary soldiers, the beastmen, skaven and elven foot. There were also the reserves of cavalry, including the recently arrived light cavalry, fresh from their raid on the PLA forces to the north. These cavalry forces were put on the flanks of the mixed army.

The assumed battlefield had also been prepared by the defenders of the tower. There were small stone piles, about a hundred yards between each one, leading from the tower onto the battlefield. There were 15 increments made up of 5 piles of stones each. Though these stones were partially buried on the north side, they were exposed on the south, with a single green stone shown from them. This was warp stone and through specialized telescopes, such as those on skaven jezzails and also used by engineers, these stones glowed. Thus a sniper, or for that matter anyone with such a scope, could judge the distance for shooting. These stones were also visible in darkness, so night time snap shots were a little more accurate.

But of the commanders, the leaders of this small army, mingled on the third floor of the tower. They were waiting and talking with one another as the day wore on in lighter clothes since there was little for them to do except direct their subordinates. The preparations were complete for the upcoming battle and there was no need to pace the lines, unlike the NCO"s and lower officers. In fact a bottle of Estalian wine was opened so the commanders could share a small drink before the oncoming fight.

Roshi sat on a plush upholstered chair next to her new ally Rufus Adler, the famed Golden Wolf of Middenheim. Adler for his part was sitting in a chair like that of Roshi, though with the companion of Tatiana leaning over the top. The trio were looking out of the north facing window. Behind them Desiree stood in new armor she had been forging, black armor with red leather trim and fittings alongside her husband Kurt, the spymaster Argo, the human commander Weiss and also the dark elf Kirito who were talking to one another in their own group. Above them the group could hear skittering and scratching as the skaven Jezzail sharp shooters moved around, not yet put into guard.

Roshi ticked her glass and asked Rufus." It sounds like I'm back in the tunnels of Zhufbar hunting rouge skaven. It's a bit disturbing."

Rufus murred." Hmm, I don't mind it. It reminds me a little bit of home actually."

Tatianna looked down." How's the scratching of rat claws like home?" The minotaur woman asked of her lover.

Rufus stretched out a bit, crossing his ankles." Back in my old family house, our home was over 150 years old. We didn't have insulation so it got cold in the winter time, never to the degree of it being the same temp outside mind you, but plenty cold enough. It was warm enough for the squirrels, chipmunks and rats who inhabited the walls. So I would hear them scurry around me in the middle of night in the dead of winter." Rufus told the pair.

Tatianna added." You said you were a rustic. Glad I never had to deal with that at my papa's dacha.

Roshi and Tatiana looked at him with light shock." And how was that reassuring? It sounds more like a Lovecraft story." Roshi stated with Tatiana nodding her head.

Rufus gave a snort." Actually, it didn't. I only said it reminded me of home. But I got used to it back home so I have no problem with rodents, even large ones."

Then from the larger group the trio could hear Argo speak." No he certainly doesn't!" She gave a laugh and then went back to conversing with her group. The witch hunter giving a slight smile.

Tatianna sighed and Roshi looked at Argo and then Rufus. Understanding crawling over her expression." So… isn't it illegal in your country to go after a girl that young?"

Rufus coughed and shifted." Video game darling, she was at least 16 when we had our tryst and she is probably at least 17 by now and plus the laws governing virtual sex is still on the drawing board I think… and I hope…. But it was only for a night and a day, I prefer older and more mature women instead of girls under the legal age. Like my darling Tatiana." He looked up at the minotaur woman's face, though her boobs loomed over him." Isn't that right honey?" Rufus gave a smirk.

Tatianna punched his arm." And I am very mature. Especially mature on how we like to roleplay with you being the teacher and me the 'young, nubile, student'." She gave a laugh with her fiancée giving a short nervous chuckle.

The English dwarf woman raised an eyebrow and tilted her head as she heard the exchange. She thought.' Strange people… very strange people these two… but at least Rufus seems to have some caveats about younger women and oldermen… unlike da.' She then looked back at the window and saw the dust cloud from the north getting closer. She decided to change the subject." So, I would say another 20 minutes and our mutual friends should be visible. Wouldn't you say?"

Tatianna and Rufus looked up at the approaching dust cloud. Tatiana 'hmmed' and spoke." Looks like she's right. At about five they should be here."

Rufus picked up his wide brimmed witch hunter cap from the floor." Sounds about right. Not long till our little shindig starts. Shame we can't have the A2-C2 around to help." The Grimnir's Fire had to retreat back to another base after delivering it's pay loads. It needed to refuel, re-arm and obtain some reinforcements for the lost gyrocopter and that would take a day at least to preform those tasks." So when do you want us to head down to our regiments?" Rufus looked to Roshi.

Roshi told her fellow commander." I should say when the PLA are about 2 miles out. Then we can get a good look at what we're facing. Especially in regards to their wonder weapon." Part of the reason the easterners expected that PLA to force a battle this night was that they wanted to use the war rig as a moral boosting tool and to use said tool on the riders who attacked their camp. Though the main reason was that the easterners had soundly routed the PLA light cavalry so if they stopped there was sure to be a repeat of this morning's antics with little in the way to stop them. There also was the reason that if the dwarfs wanted to they could bomb the camp with their air superiority. There was to be a battle tonight for certain.

Tatianna downed the rest of her wine, then started to get on her heavy armor, equipping it from her menu." Good. I can't wait to kill a more PLA, even with their wonder weapon I'm going to rip those bastards to shreds."

/

The PLA were in rough shape. It was a full day of hard marching to the south. They had to recover as best they could after that raid, then set off as fast as they could. The players saw the destruction of Grimnir's Fire had wrought upon the orcs and the Pistoliers. The sight was despairing after the rude awakening they had. But they were motivated to keep moving, their colonel and orc commander had been promising them vengeance and plenty of loot. These were not bots and NPCs, but player characters they were facing who had gold and magic items on them. Their bosses promised each soldier could keep any gear they found off the bodies of the fallen enemy. That had help cause a spring in the step of the players who ordered their regiments onward.

Then there was the War Rig, called the Boars Roar. The Boars Roar had a shell like a freight truck, it's front cab, and large boxy trailer somewhat similar to the cross country truck and transporter. That is where the similarities ended though. The cab was made out of iron and had iron sheets for windows with small slits for the orc driver to look through, these sheets could be pushed up to allow greater vision for the driver, but were otherwise left down. The cab had a bulldozer blade down at the fender.

Behind the cab was a large rectangular wooden box. It came in three different levels. The lowest level was just high enough to allow the 25 boars that powered the War Rig to stand upright. The second level was where the goblins resided who would poke the boars below with sharp sticks to force them to move. Their orders taken from a speaking tube connected to the driver's wheel. They also fed the beasts and there were also arrow slits that allowed the goblins to shoot out of the war rig. The third level was a platform on top of the box. With the wooden sides it protected the humans who manned the swivel guns. Then there were the two turrets.

These turrets were inspired by the old tank destroyers of world war 2, specifically the maurder. Where the weapons could swivel up to about 45% and be protected by an iron plate. The rear turret was a ballista, which had black powder grenades as ammunition. Then at the front was a weapon from another era. It was a large steel instrument of death, with a long air cooled barrel and was fed by a belt of .50 caliber ammunition. It was a heavy stubber, a weapon of the 41st millennium which was based on the Browning .50 caliber machine gun. A type of weapon that could tear through almost any kind of non-magical armor, and it could fire far faster than any repeater rifle or helblaster that the Imperials or dwarfs could produce. How the orcs found this weapon and were able to equip an entire fleet of war rigs with such weaponry though is a story of another day.

It was a story that the men of the PLA didn't care about. What they cared about was that they had a fucking machine gun! A machine gun was something they had all played with in their FPS games in real life, or had seen such weapons in internet video's or demonstrations of which they saw firsthand the power of the machine gun. They had something that was real, something that they knew had destroyed entire armies before. It was something that the players knew they would win with.

Soon they began to see their enemy, as they crossed the foot hills they could see an army of the eastern rebels. To the men on the ground it looked like they were equally matched, about 6,000 bots on each side. The easterners has their forces arrayed before a tower, set in defensive positions with plenty of guns. But really, what were they going to be in just a few minutes? Once the orcs got into close combat it would be only a matter of the colonel declaring the place where the war rig would put its firepower.

The PLA were not harassed or harried as they formed their battle lines. With Instant communication and control of the bots it was done in only a few moments. The remaining orc heavy cavalry along with the knights formed opposite of the easterners own cavalry, the knights to their left and the orcs to the right. With the guns set in the middle to concentrate fire against the dwarf cannons.

Giving the men a bit of time to rest David talked to his commanders, giving them verbal orders that would be unable to issue once battle was joined. The orcs and skaven would act as the anvil of the PLA army, they would be the ones first into the melee as the cavalry countered the easterners own. The artillery meanwhile would be targeting those dwarfen cannons and that tower. Meanwhile the skaven armed with jezzails and the war rig would target the enemy organ guns and their own jezzails. The plan didn't have much in the way of flare, but it was simple and with the piece of modern weaponry they were sure to have the advantage.

So it was that finally at 5 PM the battle began.

The PLA marched forward and their guns opened fire. The sakers ball's lanced out and bounced on the dirt before the battlelines, from the first volley only one cannon ball stopped 5 yards short of the eastern lines. But it gave the artillery crews a chance to adjust the aim of their guns. From the dwarf batteries there wasn't a counter to the PLA, instead there was adjustments made on their own accords for their own targets. Again the sakers opened fire and this time they managed to carve into a line of thunderers and partly into a unit of swordsmen behind. Still the battery held fire as the cannon balls were getting closer, bouncing ever closer to them and the watch tower.

At 500 yards the organ guns and hell blasters opened fire with their heavy weaponry at maximum elevation. Of course, a good portion missed, but the volume of fire was enough to fell a few ranks of orcs and cause a few score deaths to the bots. At receiving the fire from the war machines the PLA march became a surge, its cavalry went from a trot to a gallop and the War Rig bounded forward.

There was movement as well from the Easterner lines. On their right flank their knights prepared to make the charge against the smaller force of PLA knights. The two forces neared each other, moving at the same galloping speed, their lances lowered… and then from beneath the PLA's feet emerged vines and brambles ,wrapping around the hooves and legs of their horses, binding them to the ground. From the Eastern knights was a green light as Bertha used her magic to slow and bind the enemy cavalry, making them into solitary standing targets instead of a charging force. The easterners let loose a battle cry as they took aim with their lanced and carved into the enemy knights with a thunderous crash of steel on steel.

Around the battlefield there was the sound of more gunpowder and arcane weaponry being used. Jezzails and long rifles were the fire small arms to lance out and shoot into the PLA forces, then a few moments later they were followed by the mass volleys of the muskets. Colonel David was unlucky enough to be caught in the mass volley, three thunderers shot and one musket ball pierced through his armor and into his chest and head. He wasn't even leading from the front and had dodged those bullets from the snipers meant for him, but so it was that when it came to volley fire men could be missed or hit with the most unlucky of blows. The numbers of those lost from the ranged fire, now that they were so closed suddenly became hundreds of bots. But it wasn't enough to slow them down. Even the lightly armored skirmishers on the left flank of the easterners army barely did any damage to the on coming orcs, with their bows and pistols.

After their second volley the ranged troops of the easterners retreated back to the base of the tower as the melee troops surged to counter charge the oncoming PLA. Shields were raised, heavier weapons raised, the easterners met the PLA with blood and fury as they met a little ahead of the front line war machines. The War Rig opening fire at last, now that the melee soldiers were committed. The heavy stubber lancing out and raking the tower with it's .50 caliber rounds, chunks of masonry being blaseted off the building. The PLA's small arm troops also fired their own weapons at the auxiliaries and missile troops of the easterners at the base of the tower. There was a swelling of moral, yes there were losses but the PLA were in close combat, they would win this they could finally defeat the easterners! They would defeat the rebels, the dwarfs and have the east secured!

Finally the dwarf battery opened up with their cannons. At only 200 yards their siege shot blasted from the muzzles of their guns, the conical shaped shot, designed to destroy castle walls, were apt enough to pierce through the War Rigs front armor. Every shot was able to piece through and explode with their small charges. The war rig was destroyed in one volley and where there was once a hope, now there was dread.

It took a few moments more, but the volley from the reloaded frontline warmachines tore into and through tightly packed PLA troopers. It was to much for the bots who started to break. The skaven were the ones who made it out first, followed by the humans, the orcs though stayed behind. They had a bone to pick with the dwarfs and so fought on as their allies pulled back and regrouped.

The musketeers of the PLA were over ridden as the easterner knights finished off the PLA's own order. They really didn't stop to handle the other members the PLA though, continuing through the routing state troops as they charged into the rear of the orc cavalry and pistoliers. The skaven and remaining state troops retreated to their artillery and gathered around it. Setting their defenses to hold off the coming attack from their front after the orcs were dealt with, the few remaining players decided that they would slip out under the cover of the approaching darkness.

Even as they regained their lost breath and moral of their bots, the PLA heard something from behind them. It was the sound of kettle drums being beaten. The remaining human players turned their heads and saw coming down the trail an army of Halflings.

At the head of the army was a force of 30 or so Man Eaters, with one of them banging a pair of cauldrons strapped to his body like a pair of drums. Behind them were thousands of halflings marching with spears at the shoulder, bows strung and of course their 'Half Tank' rumbling ever forwards.

Even though this army was shorter than the PLA's own, it was enough to cause the remaining players to break. They could not hold back two armies, they could not preform a fighting retreat or stay organized. They were routed completely and started to run on their own accord in what ever direction they thought was safest.

They had pursuers, not just from the Ram cavalry of the Halflings, or the many horsemen of the Easterners. But they were perused by other's.

/

One of the pursuers of the PLA was none other than Rufus and his pistoliers. He was riding at the head of his bot by about a hundred yards in the darken forest path. He was chasing after the remaining PLA pistoliers and were close to them. But because he was close to them, he was also subject to their fire first. Given that he was fighting players their accuracy was so much greater than the computer control aiming of the bots. One of them turned to him and shot at Rufus with a brace of wheel locks. "Whizz Fluff!" The guns barked out and the bullets whizzed by Rufus's head before the rider turned back to load.

The Witch Hunter though was not one to take that kindly. He drew his flint lock revolver, with his other regular flintlock in his left hand, and then took aim at the pair of riders before him. They were both galloping down the darken path, their horses were causing the shots to be bouncing and their shots would be inaccurate. That would be if Rufus didn't speak." Accusation!" He targeted both of the pistolier's horses, not the pistoliers themselves. It allowed his aim to become level and given the flank of the horses were a larger target than the armored backs of the men it was sure to hit. He fired twice at them in rapid succession and both horses stumbled and slowed. They didn't stop though, but it gave the Rufus an opening to finish them of.

Boosting the Accusation had taken a quarter of his MP bar off but he still had 60% percent of a bar left and he used it on his war horse. He used the Animal Handling skill, one that he didn't have as near as many points like his Scholar skill, but one that he could use in times of emergency. This was once such time. He used his MP and had it restore stanmina of his horse, which drained the bar even faster, 2% percent each second. He needed only 10 seconds though.

Rufus's horse galloped onwards and he raised up his pistols to his sides. There was a tiny spark at the back of his head, knowing he was about to take a pair of human lives. It was a spark though, he had taken so many lives already, he let them haunt them from time to time, yet the PLA were always the easiest to kill. As he passed the Pistoliers he fired his flintlocks at their heads. In an explosion of gun powder and flame the two pistoliers fell off their horses as the bullets ripped into their brain pans and out the other side of their helmets.

Even as he rode past the rider less horses he was caught in a hail of lead. There were still 5 more riders ahead of him and they opened with a fusillade of fire with their guns. Two of the bullets hit home, one striking Rufus in the left shoulder and another the chest of his horse. He cursed as he was forced to slow down from the bullet hits. His also cursed as his life bar drained from the shot, that was a fifth of his bar. If it had been his chest that would have been half and his head, well that would of caused him to stop the pursuit all together, either from him being dead or from the fact he needed to heal.

Rufus was slowed and he took time to reload, letting loose of the animal handling skill and his horse slowed even more. He was down to only 30% percent of his MP bar by then. He started to reload his pistols as his enemies did so. He started with the revolver, holstering the single barreled pistol for now. It took longer, about two and a half times longer than a single barrel pistol, even with the skills with fire arms he had it still took a long time. For the pistoliers he was chasing however they could reload faster as they were made for this sort of combat. Even as he was half way through reloading the revolver there were more shots coming his way. Another bullet clipped his right leg and 10% percent of his health went down as flesh was blasted out of his leg.

He looked down to his leg and caught sight of creatures moving in the darkness. They were almost as big as Ogres but so much faster, so much slimmer and were running past him and at the PLA Pistoliers. They were not beastmen, though they had…. "Oh Shit." Rufus realized what they were when they pounced.

Gigantic half men, half wolves leaped from the forests and ripped into the pistoliers. One by one they were taken down along with their horses, till there was their leader remaining and a single pistolier. The latter dodged the wolves and managed to shoot one with bot of his pistols. He looked to be free of the dogs when some thing came at him from the front. It wasn't a wolf, but rather a man in full plate who leaped over the horse's head and gripped the pistoliers shoulders, pushing him and knocking Jeremy off of his horse.

The man wasn't wearing a helmet and his red hair was the color of blood. What the pistolier saw last was his attackers eyes as he descended upon his throat. The pistoliers throat was ripped open from the fangs of the man. No Vampire! The pistoliers health bar fell fast as his life blood was sucked out and he tried to push his attackers off, yet felt weaker with every pulse. He twitched as he died under the fangs of the vampire.

Rufus rode up to the scene, the wolves having more care about the PLA than him it seemed. He looked down to the bloody scene before him and finished reloading. As he watched the scene before him, a sigh of relief passed his lips. Rufus spoke to the Vampire as he fed upon his prey." Hello Klein."

/

Averland, 35 miles East of the Nuln border, 7:40 PM

It has been a running battle all day long, but at last it had come to a stop. The Brunswick Corps had delayed the PLA, smashing their vanguard as they moved from position to position, their guns moving with the flying artillery carriages to prepared positions and their musketeers unleashing a volley or two before falling back. They kept the PLA running and when they countered with their fresh melee troops, they broke the exhausted vanguard upon their blades.

Tonight the gunners were resting now that it had turned dark. Their cannons having cooled in the autumn night. After so many miles and so many deaths they needed it.

That being said, there wasn't much in the ways of celebration at the various fire pits. Drinking yes, but for songs, dancing or jokes, there wasn't time for that and not much meaning when they would repeat this again the next day. So those who were lucky not to have work details in creating new emplacements, ate, drank and slept around fires and in tents.

Sergeant Oak and Delia meanwhile cuddled next to a fire. The rest of their section was sleeping and the pair hugged themselves under a blanket. Both were too tired for sex, not to mention most of their friends were sleeping around them on the floor of the forest.

As they looked into the fire Oak spoke first." I will admit, today wasn't as fun as the day I met you." Delia looked up and then nuzzled into his neck, her soft fur pressed to him.

"That day was terrifying for me and the kids I had to look after." She replied after a moment, not sounding pleased.

"To you it was, to me it was one day that I will always remember. How I hunted down and nearly killed every single one of those PLA troopers, running from tree to tree, shooting with my muskets, downing them with each blow. Then finding out it was to save you, a beastwoman surrounded by a herd of innocent kids. The day I killed so many, the day I save so many and the day I met a woman who was my match." He smiled to her sweetly." It's a story I want to tell our kids and grandkids."

Delia rested a hand on his leg, patting it for a long minute. She spoke softly." Can we make it out of here, let alone make it work on the outside?"

Oak spoke without any hesitation." Yeah, yeah we can. I don't have much in my bank, but I got enough to get me over to Scotland to meet you at least. I am a bit of bumpkin so don't expect much in the way of manners, less you train me up in here so I don't know how well them meeting with your folks will go."

Delia closed her eyes." There will be problems with them. They are old money, maybe not gentry but still richer than a few lords and just as posh." She walked her claws up his leg, finger by finger." They never had to kill a person with their bare hands, never had a bullet wiz over their heads, get slashed by a blade or fight in a battle line with no one caring about who you are… well maybe my dad when he was college hooligan. Even then it was for only a few games. He's tempered out with age though. Both my parents will also be hoovering over me when if I get out of here. I maybe in my twenties, but I will be fresh from coma or close enough to it and they'll not let me out of their sight." She closed her hand on Oaks knee." Especially if I'm able to tell them what happened in here."

Oak listen to his love and then ran a hand down her arm, trying to sooth her." Yeah, my family is going to be just as bad when I get out… hey whats all this about 'if' you know we are going to get out."

Delia turned her head about to say something when Oak continued." Now don't you say that 'because were in a death game, on a battlefield and in a war'. Lots of men and women also go through the same thing as us, like in the real world. They want to make it out and for the most part they have a good chance of doing so. War is dangerous, war is deadly and this game world makes it so much more than just humans shooting at each other with rifles. But guess what, tens of thousands of people are going to escape this world in the end." His smile became wider.

"I am going to make damn well sure that we are going to be one of them. We are going to meet, we are going to talk, we are going to kiss, make love and be a family. When we pass it will not be on some muddy battlefield, its going to be surrounded by our family, by the people we love and who return it back. Even if I'm just going to go out like an old coot rambling about I was in the flying artillery." He sounded optimistic, but what convinced Delia was seeing his eyes light up with hope. Those were not the eyes of someone trying to comfort her, those were the eyes of a man who believed in their destiny and embraced it. She felt those words, saw his eyes and embraced it.

She wrapped her arms around him and spoke." Thank you Oak. I love you."

Oak kissed her head and hugged back." I love you to." For the night, at least until the rumble of guns started again, they were happy.

/

Sylvania, 9:00 PM

Rufus hummed to himself the 'Rains of Castamere' as he lead the werewolves, the captured PLA player on a horse and the single vampire back into the camp. Thankfully he and his men were leading the column, so while there were a few stares of the players, there wasn't any hostile intent behind them. He had also sent a message ahead explaining that he was bringing along some newly found bestial allies, but spared the details.

The path to the base of the tower took them directly before the commanders of the army and their hanger on, illuminated by braziers brought out for night lighting. The group also included his friends and soon to be family. There were the knights as well and a few of them had happy grins, smirks and general good demeanor at seeing Klein, while others were not very pleased looking.' Can't blame them.' Thought Rufus.' After all he's a race none of them knew existed for players. A race that had been an NPC only thing at that.'

He had been the one to create Klein, using the dying body of the other vampire to grant Klein the Blood Kiss. As it turned out his scholar skill and his own knowledge of how the warhammer world of Maleus worked had saved at least one life… once.' I am going to make damn sure not to reveal that trick to many other people. Klein's a decent guy but is the PLA got their hands on that trick then goddamn, nothing to stop them from sacrificing their own to make an army of vampires. Along with that army of vampires also comes with certain other powers.' He reflected.

He had a very short and very tense conversation with Klein back in the woods about how he was now experiencing blood lust and how he had the power of magic, something he had no idea how to use, flowing through his veins. Though that made between bites on the dead and semi-angry glares. There was also the matter of the werewolves and their leaders who were a more pressing concern.

They were for the most part NPCs, in particular NPC's belonging to the beastman faction. They could speak and in fact he met with one very talkative and very Imperial looking werewolf by the name of Hans Minna. He was dressed similarly to that of a witch hunter in his wolf form, with a great leather coat and a broad brimmed hat similar to Rufus's own. The werewolf had introduced himself after the pistoleirs had been massacred.

After a few moments of spirited conversation with the confused human player, Hans then allowed Rufus to meet his mistress, a child beastwoman by the name of Silica. Thankfully for Rufus she was a player and so the mood had lighten when he met the serious girl, because she wasn't an AI rambling on like a normal human. She said that wanted to speak with the commander of the previous battle, the one who had control of the dwarfs and the Imperials, to work out a deal for her army of wolves to join them and take on the PLA.

She marched directly behind Rufus, standing next to Klein with her werewolves following them. Making for an interesting column, almost as interesting as the group he was riding towards. There was Roshi, Argo, Weiss, Tatianna, Rusty, Kirito, Cooper and the what Rufus could assume were the halfling commanders. There were a trio of halflings and an ogre maneater towering over them all, his clothes included a weathered feather headdress and a pair of swivel guns that he acted like were pistols. There were more players, including the knights, but those were the people that Rufus could pick out from a glance.

He waved at the group and rode up, hopping off his horse." Hey folks. I brought a few presents." He pulled the horse the carried Jeremy on its back, by its bridal to the crowd as Klein walked up.

The newly minted Vampire walked up to his fellow knights and greeted those who wanted to talk to him, telling them what had happen to him in the past two days. Behind him came Silica and her crew of werewolves. Many of them transforming out of their bestial forms into something more human, including Hans. He became a fairly lanky gentleman with piercing blue eyes and a thin face, somewhere in his late 20's or mid 30's.

Rufus pulled the PLA trooper off of the horse and forced him to his knees. He proceeded to pull off the gag covering Jeremy's face who extoled." Goddamn… alright what do I need to say or do to keep alive?" He looked at the group before him, the commanders of the army that had soundly defeated him and wrecked the War Rig. He was their prisoner now, a prisoner of an army that had been opposed to the PLA, who were ruled by some of the worse players in the game, second only to the Brets and possibly the Chaos Warriors of the Wastes. Of course he wanted to make it out of the game, not caring to much about loyalty, so he needed these people to want to keep him alive.

Roshi stepped forward." Tell us what the strengths are of the PLA in eastern Averland." She asked.

Jeremy nodded without hesitation, he spoke only a moment later." We were it. We had an assignment to raid the mootland from our bosses. I didn't want to go there, the bosses ordered us to" He then gave the halflings the most sincere look of pity he could muster, though he was trying, but didn't really feel it in his heart. The halflings looked unimpressed and the maneater drew a butcher knife that may of well been a sword at one point, sharpening it" After that I heard from a few of my buddies that the entire army is moving out to the west. That includes most of the green skins. The ones we got were just gung ho to take on you dwarfs. Even since what happened out east they've been crappin on about how they were going to take back their lands in the mountains."

Roshi understood that, she had fought in those battles that saw the orcs evicted from the east. It was a bloody affair, one that could have been avoided but it was done all the same. Vengeance was on the greenskin's mind for a while now it appeared, especially with how insulting those orc players they captured were.

While Jeremy was talking Klein had walked over to the group and was making a B-line for Rufus." Hey Rufus I got a question and I want to look you in the eye when I ask it."

Rufus turned and looked at Klein." Yeah wha-"

Roshi continued to question the PLA pistolier. "What else can you tell me, do they hav-" She and Rufus were both interrupted by a meaty punch from Klein's fist hitting Rufus's face.

Roshi and a few others jumped at the sudden scene and Rufus tumbled down to the ground. A bit of his health bar being knocked down from the sucker punch. Before Rufus could recover Klein bent down and gripped his collar." Did you know that what you did would work!?" He yelled at Rufus.

Rufus, at first shaking off the punch, suddenly found himself shaking at a vampire yelling into his face. His eyes looking at the fangs of the beastly former knight. He spoke as quickly as he could." Yes… yes!" His voice cracked from the sudden strain and the half truth. Yes he knew the lore behind the blood kiss, if it worked in the game otherwise… the scholar skill did say it may as well work but he wasn't a hundred percent on that." I was sure about how the process worked, I just worked around a few rituals!" He had reduced it to the most basic form in effect where oaths, curses and otherwise would not be used to bind both Klein and his sire togeather. That said, there was more than enough blood to make it disgusting.

Klein held a gaze with Rufus, blood red eyes starting down at him." I hope you know that I thought I was dead until I saw that note you put into my coffin. I don't care if you apologized for what happened, you killed me!" He then stood upright and looked down at Rufus." But you also saved my life. If you going to pull that shit again with anyone else, I want you to remember how even tempered I am." He looked at the stun faces and then slicked his long red hair back." Excuse me, I need to talk to my knights."

Klein then spinned around on his heels, then walked to the armored warriors, Weiss following him and the rest of the human knights afterwards. Walking forward on her cat like legs was Silica, she stepped in as soon as Klein stepped away and began to speak." If it wasn't for me spending a month as Kiabou's slave I would say put a collar on that person. But since I was I have something else to say." She pressed her right hand over her heart." If you go west I want to join you. My werewolves are my kin, they have fought for me and I for them since I unlocked their power. They have saved dozens of Imperial players, some of them here already with us tonight. They as am I are guided by the gods to grant you their strength against the PLA and the heretics therein. Should you accept this then we will make the PLA blood run on the battlefields and water every tree between here and Marianburg with their blood." More than a few faces were filled with shock at the pre-teens words, Roshi, Tatianna and Kirito were wide eye at the sudden declaration, the latter even dropping his jaw. Those were words of a person set on a vendetta, with the tone of a fanatic. Rufus had even heard a tone with that of bot warrior priests.

Cooper scratched under his eye and spoke." If we're heading west there is no reason not to take her."

Argo was making some hand gestures, checking her menu before adding." Those werewolves are nearly as strong as ogres and faster still."

"And if you are going west then count me in as well." Spoke a halfling commander." The Averlanders have despoiled out land for the last time and if they win to the west then they'll be back again. We'll march to the west." The other two halflings agreed, each drawing a short sword and shouting." To Averland, to Averland!" The ogre grunted positively as well, not saying much.

Roshi seemed to of been out of her doldrum and looked at the wrecked War Rig. Her dwarves had salvaged it, along with some other weapons on the battlefield. The heavy stubber would prove useful in the battles to come. With the combined army as well she would be able to outflank the greatest current threat to her people… peoples. Maybe she wouldn't be able to break them but at least make the PLA hold back a portion of their force. She spoke after considering her options." Very well, we'll march west. But first." She turned back to Jeremy." Tell me what else is there. You said the entire PLA army is moving to the west. What else do they have, more of those War Rigs?"

Jeremy nodded." Yeah, at least half a dozen of them. Not all of them armed with Heavy Stubbers either. There is also something else, a few of my mates went down to Telia few weeks ago. They were going to raise an army of pikemen with as much gold as they could get their hands on. My friends said that he was going to get a 100,000 bots marching and crawling over the walls of Nuln when the war started."

The cheering Halflings stopped and any who could hear the Pistolier fell silent. That would double the threat that Averland poised. Yes they were mercenaries and they were pikemen, but still they were bots and they were cannon fodder without much use in the long run anyway. 100,000 bodies absorbing the grape shot, blades and overrunning the walls would allow the PLA to use their actual trained troops to take those positions. Even without the tactical or strategic mind, the inclusion of a new force of 100,000 soldiers was enough to make one pause for thought.

Rufus, sitting and rubbing his chin after that punch, feeling the swelling yet not so much the pain, was not pausing. He looked at Jeremy and then around him at the army surrounding them. He started to stand and spoke at the same time." Alright. That sucks, but eh things could be worse."

Eyes shifted towards the witch hunter, some asking with their looks.' How much worse can it get?'. Rufus, a man who less than a year had trouble looking people in the eyes, who could not hold much of a visual conversation caught their words with their looks, or at least was counting on them." Well you see it can always be worse for you folks because at least I'm on your side." He opened his menu and then offered up command of his soldiers to Tatianna." Having a wolf at your side is so much better than having him at your back." He then smirked to no one in particular, but rather looked around at every one and then reached for his horses bridal." I'm off to Telia ladies and gents. See you in Nuln."