Chapter 6–Running

Gondar, Lyralei and Yumero had moved hardly ten metres before they heard it: the sound of death approaching. Turning around, Gondar realized that Lion, Broodmother and Lifestealer were just the vanguard.

Lucifer the doombringer led the charge. With the fundamentals constantly doing little grudge matches and seemingly hardly caring about the war, Lucifer was the closest anyone could find to the leader of the Dire army. Behind him were Tidehunter, Slardar, Sand King and Dirge, and formed up in a hoard behind them stood Medusa, Pudge, Dazzle, Clinkz, Venomancer, Phantom assassin, Shadow demon and Invoker. Underfoot were legions of creeps and what seemed like an endless tide of Dirge's undead minions.

"Run!" shouted Gondar, and the others took heed. Yumero activated the strange boots he'd apparently found in the wilderness and took off lightning fast, but was soon outpaced by Lyralei who had the winds themselves at her heels. For Gondar's part, he threw down a smoke bomb and dashed off into the jungle, hoping his skill at stealth would not fail him now.

Come on Lyralei, Yumero. You just need make it to the bridge.

He lay there as they looked around for him, but it was clear that the Dire army wasn't going to slow down to look for one bounty hunter. A few goblins who Gondar hadn't noticed before started rushing around, planting metal canisters a couple feet beneath the earth. These goblin techies were quite odd, and Gondar was sure he'd seen them on the Radiant side before, but Gondar wasn't about to underestimate them. He kept his distance and began making his way back to his side.

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The Dire army smashed into their outpost, toppling it in a matter of seconds with their great might, then continued down the lane. They crushed a wave of creeps underfoot while Gondar watched, keeping his distance should anyone spot him. By now Lion had rejoined them, though the broodmother hadn't, perhaps because she was more injured, or perhaps just less crazy than Lion.

Come on, Radiants. We can't just let them do this.

When they reached the second outpost, they found the Radiant army waiting for them.

At the forefront were Ursa and Tiny, the two hardest hitting people in the war. Behind them stood Kunkka, Jakiro, Tusk and Bristleback (How are they still alive?), Huskar, and Clockwerk. Behind them stood, in a slightly more orderly fashion, stood Rubick, shadow shaman, silencer, enchantress, Luna, Nature's prophet, Yumero and Lyralei.

Doombringer roared "Now, like we planned!" and the Dire army retreated, the goblins taking up the rear.

The Radiant army shuffled for a moment, not quite knowing what to do, as the Dire army ran as fast as the individual members could. All but the goblins. As they ran they were bending over where they had placed each canister and tweaking something.

As the Radiant army lurched forward, something clicked in Gondar. He ran forward, between the armies, as fast as his legs could carry him, and shouted "STOP!" as Ursa neared him, "IT'S A BOMB! THEY PLANTED BOMBS!". Ursa, ever the trusting ally, believed Gondar immediately and roared in a voice which shook the earth, "HALT! DO NOT ADVANCE!" and the Radiant army stopped in it's tracks. Ursa leaned in and growled "If you've robbed me of victory I swear, I'll devour your entrails."

The seconds ticked by agonizingly, as Gondar sweated and prayed he'd been right. He got himself as far from both the canisters and Ursa as possible, but he knew no amount of distance would save him from Ursa's wrath. The Dire army had regrouped, and Ursa let out a blood-curdling roar as a creep wave entered the kill-zone. He ran to Gondar, but found his path blocked by Lyralei and Yumero, who said "If you want to kill Gondar, you must kill me," to which Lyralei added "And me too!" Ursa growled turned around, and said "So be it!"

Ursa began stomping away, grumbling about traitors, when his words were drowned out by the explosion of a great field of bombs set by the goblins. Explosions rocked the earth and continued for some time.

Ursa was silent for a moment, then said so everyone could hear him "I'm sorry Gondar."

That was close. For a moment, I thought I was wrong there. Now they're going to praise me as a hero, but really I was just in the right place at the right time with the right eyes. Nothing heroic about that.
Why did those goblins turn on us though? Something is afoot, and I don't think I like it.

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Chief technician Freebo stood before Lucifer the Doombringer and tried to explain himself. "I don't–" But doom cut him off "And I don't want excuses! I should send you back to Nevermore's gullet! An eternity in there would teach you to make excuses…"

Freebo pleaded "Please, no! I'll do anything! I'll suicide bomb them, I'll do anything, just not the gullet!" he fell on his knees and began sobbing. Once, he had been the bravest goblin in the world, he dimly recalled. But he'd been held by Nevermore, still partially alive, in his gullet, and the prospect of an eternity of that was more than he could endure.

Lucifer growled. He knew that soon these techies would learn of Zeus' killing of Nevermore, hell he was lucky they'd been too blind to see it before. They'd outlived their usefulness anyways. Plus he was angry.

He swung his flaming sword, decapitating or bifurcating the entire tech crew in one swing. He then turned around and followed his army as they retreated, some down the lane, some in every direction into the jungle.

It only occurred to him later that that was the second time he'd been caught running. He decided it would be the last.