Chapter 4 A Fort in the Lands
Raynor and Ava shared looks at the unassuming woman in front of them. She had claimed to be the Elden Lord and while she did match the description it was weird seeing her in person and not seeing a large, god-like being."Ugh so ugh…. Ok why are you here then?" Ava says not convinced. "Why would the Elden Lord travel alone?"
"Well I wanted to help." Sophie says not expecting that she would get the cold shoulder upon arriving anywhere let alone to assist allies.
Ava steps forward. "Ok, where is your army then?" She says incredulously. She wanted an army. More then just one person no matter how strong.
"Oh ugh they are dealing with other things." Sophie says starting to feel a little under prepared for all of this.
"dealing with other things?" Ava says, sounding very put off by the casual way Sophie was treating the situation.
Sophie blinks then says "Yeah I ugh.. I wanted to help but my forces are planning to deal with the Cuckoo so I decided to come and take care of this problem myself."
Raynor and Ava looked confused and particularly Ava looked annoyed. "So. What now, we just go back and you slash your way through a horde of knights?"
Sophie nods. "I'll try at least."
"Ok fuck this shit." Ava says getting mad now. "What are you just going to show up and fix everything?"
Sophie sighs she hadn't expected this sort of reaction from them. "I'm sorry but, I couldn't spare the troops but, I have killed demigods. I think I can handle a few soldiers."
"These aren't just soldiers. They are insane. Empowered by some strange magic. We need an army to fight them."
Sophie looks at Raynor. "Please let me help."
Raynor sighs. "Some help is better than none and she is right. She has killed demigods. Besides, if she fights for us, think of what it would do morally. The Elden Lord fighting side by side with her knights."
Ava sighs. "Whatever we are wasting time anyway we need to head back and if this is all you can do then fine." She is still very annoyed by this turn of events. "We will take what we can get."
"I'm sorry for the less kind welcome from Ava." Raynor says being more formal around the Elden Lord. Ava just starts packing her things.
"Do you have horses?" Sophie asks.
"No, they would have had too much trouble climbing the mountain so we took none." He says
Sophie nods. "I have a mount and I think he can take us all if we are careful. We can take the elevator up."
"Go ahead." Ava says, folding her arms. "Let's see it."
Sophie chuckles and steps just outside of the tower and whistles. Tempest appeared through blue flame to stand next to her; the tall horse-like creature had sharp horns and long hairs. "It will be a tight squeeze but he can do it." Sophie says petting the horse. The other two look a bit confused.
"That was unexpected." Raynor says matter of factly. Seeing the horse suddenly appear.
"Not the weirdest shit in the Lands Between." Ava says walking towards the horse. She was looking at it over seeing just how strong it was. The creature seemed powerful enough.
Sophie pets it. "Tempest is the best Steed in the Lands." She says getting on the horse. She motions for the others to jump on behind her. Ava jumps on quickly and Raynor follows suit. As promised the set up was uncomfortable though they could all ride and despite the weight Tempest seemed to carry it well. "Altus here we go." Sophie says and suddenly they were off.
It took them a while on the horse but, eventually they came to the woods just below the lift. The powerful Atlus Plateau stood high above them. A structure carved into the side of the huge mountain held the large lift that would allow them to the top of the plateau if someone had the proper medallion. In front of the structure built across the grand staircase up to the lift were fortifications. Mostly abandoned with signs of fighting all the way up and down it. Catapults broken, soldiers dead. Sophie rides along calmly on the back of the tempest while the others stare at the fort.
"Careful this was where the Cuckoo first came to stop us." Ava says.
Sophie nods. "I've been here before. Was pretty fun the last time." She says simply underplaying exactly what happened the last time she was here a bit. Having done a lot of the destruction herself.
"I don't think we have to worry too much." Raynor says. He looks about doing his best to stay on the horse despite being in the back. As the horse trotted along he saw something in the trees. "Ride!"
"What?" Sophie says looking back at him suddenly a massive blast of blue energy hits the ground near them. Tempest rears knocking all three off of them and disappears. Spooked by the sudden explosion. Sophie falls on top of Ava and Ava on top of Raynor. Even in armor the pile up took his breath away. Though before long Sophie and Ava get up and then help Raynor stand and catch his breath. "Move!" Sophie tells the others. They start to run. Raynor limped a bit at first but moved with them. As they run another blue light hits the ground near them again.
"Damn these spells!" Ava says turning, loading her bow. Behind them in the woods was a group of mages teamed with a dozen or so knights. It had been an ambush. She fires her bow and hits one of the mages right in the neck below his stone mask. "What kind of spell is it?" She shouts. Sophie sighs.
"Haima's… something! It's powerful, I know that. We need to get to the lift!" She says as more bolts rain from the sky they could feel burning shrapnel hit their armor. Ava gasping as her arm is cut and Sophie getting hit in the leg "Marika Damnit!" She swears starting to limp. Though before long they entered the lift fort and hid behind the massive doors. Several blasts of blue light hitting the metal but not getting through.
Sophie gets out her staff and her katana. The katana sparks with electricity as her staff begins to glow with blue energy. "Ok I've had enough." She steps out and holds out her staff. Suddenly a bow appears in her hands and she launches multiple powerful blue arrows into the crowd marching on their guarded position breaking up their formation, killing multiple of the knights and one mage. Ava as well fires into the crowd from cover while Raynor digs through his bag for his medallion.
"We need to go." He says as Sophie goes back into cover.
Ava looks at Sophie. "Depends how many of those you have left?" She asks, hoping they could fend off the Cuckoo army as more soldiers emerge from the woods beyond the road.
"How many arrows do you have?" Sophie says back knowing she couldn't cast lorretta's bow at full power like that too often.
"Not enough." Ava says.
Sophie nods. "Same." The two quickly begin to pack up and run towards the lift but not before getting a few shots in. Raynor was the first to the lift. He uses the medallion to start the motion. A pair of large statues turn as the lift slowly gets going.
Sophie and Ava follow behind. Sophie firing arrows of blue light into the open doors and Ava firing her own bow. The pair kept the soldiers on the other side at bay as the lift began to move. Raynor simply just gets to cover. He didn't have any long range spells or weapons himself. As the lift slowly moves upwards the massive stone structure moves with it towards the ceiling far above their heads. The knights below firing spells and arrows up at the three. Once out of range Ava flips them off as the lift keeps moving.
Raynor gets out of hiding and sighs. "We were lucky." He says watching the soldiers below do their best to hit the lift which was now far out of range.
Sophie nods. "Always feels that way." She notes having adventures enough to know you always felt lucky when everything was on the line even if victory was assured.
"I don't understand what they wanted. We had the perfect way out." Ava says annoyed. "We were going for the lift. Why didn't they just wait in the lift?"
Raynor stops realizing something. "Unless they wanted us to go up the lift." Sophie looks at him. As the lift hits the top of the elevator shaft and stops. She looks ahead and sees the two golem knights who protected the elevator holding up their weapons. The massive stone knights seemed much more aggressive than usual. Between them was a group of Lyndell armor shining in the sunlight.
Sophie sighs. "So ugh I'm guessing this has something to do with me?" She says coolly. The knight in the center takes off her helmet. The woman looks up at Sophie, narrowing her eyes.
"Not exactly. Though I'm happy it turned out this way. Made things easier."
"General Anora." One of the soldiers says. "What are your orders?"
"Kill the Elden lord." She says putting her helmet back on. One of the statues lurches forward slicing with his halberd. Sophie dodges out of the way. Ava and Raynor hitting the ground as well. The three then scramble back up.
"It isn't over yet!" Sophie shouts she charges towards the knights. Keeping as close to them as she could so the statues couldn't attack without collateral damage but, she was now in the midst of the knights. Her electric katana flashing with electricity as she strikes at them. Raynor sighs and follows suit following the Elden Lord while Ava hides in the lift firing arrows at the golems getting their fiery hearts trying to bring them down. As Sophie fights she clashes with the leading knight pushing her back.
"I'm sick of fighting you guys!" She says, quite annoyed. She had fought with Lyndell knights the most after killing Morgott, fighting up mount Gelmir and even heading into the consecrated snow fields she had fought them time and time again.
"Heretic!" The woman shouts back. A deep and vicious hatred in her voice. More than just vengeful she hated everything Sophie was and more.
"HerETic." Sophie says, mocking her before slicing her katana across the enemy's shield dodging away as the knight retaliates.
Raynor on the other hand was having trouble with a group of soldiers trying to keep them off the lift and from attacking Ava. "We need a way out!" He says to Ava.
She nods. "Yeah but, what about the Elden Lord?"
He turns. "She seems fine." He says as Sophie uses her katana to shock a soldier to death before dodging from the knight's attack.
Ava sighs. "I guess." She runs off vaulting off of the side of the lift and running. Firing arrows at the soldiers. Raynor followed closely behind her. Sophie seemed to be having the time of her life but several soldiers and one of the golems broke from the main group to chase the pair on the run. Seeing this Sophie kills another soldier then gets back onto tempest doing her best to ride between the group avoiding both golem attacks and sword swipes. She rides to the two others getting past the knights chasing them and they do their best to hop on Raynor, almost slipping up as he gets onto the very back once more.
"RIDE!" Ava shouts. The trio hold tightly as Sophie speeds up. Arrows flying past them.
"It's official, everyone is trying to kill us!" Raynor complains.
"Welcome to the adventure!" Sophie says as they galop down the road back towards Mount Glenir.
The trio would then arrive at the mountain before long. "So where are we supposed to go?" Sophie says as the torrent slowly moves along. Raynor, tired of riding in the back, finally gets off as the horse stops.
"Up more." He says stretching. Ava gets off as well as Sophie then dismisses Torrent.
"It's close though if they haven't moved." She nods making her way up the path.
"So. Your Majesty." Raynor says awkwardly "You mentioned you fought with these soldiers before."
She nods "when I killed Rykard yes. I mostly just snuck past them but I fought quite a few of them." Raynor nods, thinking things over.
As they arrived at the camp the group saw that the camp of knights was mostly repaired. The dead had been taken care of, enemies strung up and allies buried and the army seemed relatively ok though they could tell there had been more attacks with several soldiers wounded amidst the group. Ava leads Sophie straight to Generals Hadvaar.
Upon seeing the three he comes out of his tent to meet them. "You're alive, excellent."
Ava sighs "except we have a lot of bad news." She says, pessimistic as always.
"What bad news?" Hadvaar asks
"Both Lyndell and the Cuckoo want us dead." Ava says abruptly immediately summarizing what had happened to them.
Hadvaar sighs "Can't say I didn't expect it. Though I would have liked to believe they would be on our side."
"What now then?" Ava asks.
The gruff man looks at Sophie "Depends, are you a messenger from the new Elden Lord?"
Sophie smiles "well you could say that." She says smiling, acting rather coy about it.
Raynor rolls his eyes. "She is the Elden Lord and she has quite a big head about it."
"Hey!" Sophie says, whining a bit.
Hadvaar blinks "really?" Sophie nods. "Where are your forces then!" Hadvaar asks, a bit exasperated and confused.
Sophie sighs "Fighting the Cuckoo soldiers. They are in open rebellion and we needed to take them out but, I was… chosen to come here and help you out."
Hadvaar nods "strange sending the Elden Lord to do this but, I suppose so." He says unsure.
"I can do it, trust me." Sophie says "I can fight them off. I've done it before."
Hadvaar nods. "I guess I can't argue with the Elden Lord." He says, folding his arms. "Though my strategies might have to change. I was planning on overwhelming them but now we might have to take a more subtle approach."
He turns to Ava "Captain I need you to round up the scouts, learn what they know about enemy locations and we will head straight there." Ava nods leaving to do so immediately.
Sophie thinks "I have a few ideas." She says starting to cook up a strange but rather fun sounding idea.
Blaidd sighs beside him was Nephelie, The proud warrior woman astride a horse trotting slowly. They were leading the Lord's army into Liurnia and had yet to meet resistance from the Cuckoo knights. "When does Sophie plan to be back from her vacation?" Nephelie asks, sounding annoyed.
"No idea." Blaidd admits "She's always been headstrong and reckless but not like this. She also hasn't mentioned Ranni much at all ever since she came back."
Nephelie sighs "A bad omen indeed."
"Do you think something is wrong?" Blaidd asks hoping there wasn't but, knowing fulll well there was something off about all this.
Nephelie sighs "Maybe. We should keep an eye out though." Blaidd nods.
After walking down the path for a bit longer they come to a group of jagged rock formations which were on either side of the road, old remnants of buildings mixed in to make a very narrow pass with cliffs on the other side of the road. It was in this pass that the group sees a group of Cuckoo on the road. A makeshift fortification of timbers tied together blocked the army's path. Blaidd pulls out his sword and Nephelie gets off their horse. Both sides freezing up, becoming tense.
"Stand aside." Nephelie shouts. The Cuckoo makes no move. Their plan had been to take a fort at the edge of the lake further down the path to gain a foothold in rebel lands but this blockade was directly in the way. The opposing soldiers were outnumbered but, Blaidd highly doubted this wasn't some sort of surprise attack. A couple of blokes behind a roadblock were hardly a match for an entire army.
Nephelie looks at Blaidd then at the unresponsive Cuckoo knights. ""Move or you will be moved." She says in an authoritative voice repeating her appeal for them to move adding in the very obvious threat. She wanted to let them make the first move but was afraid it would be a trap to continue rolling forward. The knights stay still ready in their positions across the roadblock when suddenly puppet parts crash from above. The automatons had been set in the cliff tops above them as an ambush. What the Cuckoo didn't count on was Nephilie had sent Banished knights ahead. The powerful soldiers made quick work of the ambushers.
As soon as the first shattered puppet remains fell the rest began to retreat jumping down the hill in front of the caravan, the fighting above becoming fighting below as several crossbow puppets fired shots at the soldiers. Blaidd blocked bolts with his sword as the barrage of crossbow bolts were rapidly fired into the front line of the caravan hitting Nephilie's horse and sending it rearing just as the warrior had scrambled off.
With the jig up the actual soldiers quickly turned tail and ran most likely having planned on relying on the casualties caused by the surprise attack to try and delay or route the approaching army. The pitiful plan was foiled by the sudden appearance of Nephelie's new favorite soldiers. "Return Fire!" She shouts as soldiers behind her hold their shields up in the front mostly defending themselves from the barrage.
A group of archers near the front of the convoy begin to get into place behind the shield wall and fire into the thinner crowd of puppets taking them out one by one. Before long the last of the remaining puppets were taken out. Nephilie then points one of her electrified axes forward. "Charge!" She says hoping they could catch up to the cowardly soldiers. The barrage had wounded some of her soldiers and a couple of her riders and their mounts but they were luckily mostly unaffected. Had the puppets dropped down in the middle of the line though things might be a bit worse but, her plan so far was going well as she charged ahead. Blaidd following behind. "Guess the fight is on." The half wolf says.
Nephelie nods. "If these cowards are resorting to such tactics we already have won." It didn't take long at all for the army to break down the feeble barricade and push forward. The front line moved forward leaving soldiers to clear the path for the supply carts and some of the siege weapons to pass as well as the rear guard who were on high alert. As the terrain thinned a bit the banished knights who had destroyed the puppets regroup with Nephlie.
"General halt." One says walking up to her.
She stops. "What is it?"
"The enemy is regrouping. They are gathered back into the fort." Nephilie holds up her fist.
"HALT!" She shouts. The command instantly stopped her advancing forces. Riders turning to join the rest of the group. Outside of the ravine they had a clear view of a crumbling fort just above the waters of the central lake ao liurnia. The swampy terrain was a backdrop to the raised dirt and large stones of the structure. Nephilie looks at it and indeed the last of the soldiers they had been chasing as they exited the ravine were entering the walls of the fort. The fort was not too large and the walls were mostly rubble.
Blaidd once again joins Nephlie's side. "We can take them." He says getting excited is his wolf-like instincts triggered by all the excitement. Nephilie nods.
"It would be all too easy. As long as there are no surprises." She turns. The carts were slowly moving down the tight road having a bit of trouble. Luckily the siege weapons at the front were having less trouble but it would be a bit before they could get into place and begin to fire siege bolts onto the building. "Gather up the troops, we will surround the fort and when the siege bolts are in place fire a few rounds before heading in." She says. "With any luck we should breach soon, unless they surrender of course." Nephlie says walking down the path, making sure there were no reinforcements or soldiers down the road. Satisfied, her troops began to take up key positions around the fort, leaving them only the swamp and greater lake as a possible escape route. Nephilie moving to the foremost group. All seemed to be going well.
Once the ballistas were in place she held up her ax. "Fire!" She shouts. All at once a dozen ballistas loaded with explosive bolts and fired onto the fort. Soon after explosions rocked through the crumbling stone. Another launch, they could see parts of the fort fall apart, another launch and a portion of the wall fell then Nephlie began to charge. "Charge!" She shouts and all her knights follow. Banished knights and knights of Goddrick working together. Coming down on the fort. As Nephelie neared the walls Cuckoo began to throw glintstone over the side.
The small crystals would hit the ground and explode in a blue light. Nephlie having seen this trickery before dodges out of the way of one. Blaidd was doing the same slowly catching up with her. It wasn't very long until they reached the fort. Blaidd getting there first. The large wolf-man bursting through a door into the fort. Scattering soldiers who were stationed to try to block the door. Nephelie quickly followed up with her electric axes.
"Nephelie!" Blaidd shouts. Using his massive sword to nimbly cut through a pair of soldiers. "Let's see who can kill more of these bastards Winner buys the loser a pint."
Nephelie rolls her eyes. This was hardly the time but, "I never turn down a free pint." She shouts over the fighting more of their own knights pouring in from behind and from the sounds of fighting further in she could tell they were pushing in from other sides as well.
The interior of the fort was rather open. The court split into 2 courtyards with a central tower which acted as the barracks and as a place of security during a siege. Nephelie was entering between the 2 major courtyards straight towards the central tower. Blaidd close on her heels cutting through a knight who tried to stop their advance.
They come to a heavy iron door and she quickly tries to get it open but it wouldn't budge. "The door is locked and I don't think we can break it down!" Nephlie says, shouting once more.
"WE need to find another way in then." Blaidd says, stepping back. "There is a window just above us. I see a sniper in it but he can't shoot us from here. I could climb up and into the tower and unlock it from the other side."
"You'll be exposed for far too long." Nephelie says. Worried for her friend's safety and the success of this mission.
"Watch me." Blaidd puts his ax away and digs his claws into the stone tower and begins to quickly climb up.
"Draw their fire!" Nephelie shouts at the soldiers near her pointing towards archers on the walls of the fort who were firing upon the attackers. Her own soldiers fired on them trying to keep their attention away from Blaidd. Nephelie herself watched Blaidd as he made his ascent with little issue, his claws allowing him to move quickly. He then dives through the window with his sword ready.
She turns. Her ax ready. Cuckoo knights had noticed them congregating along the central tower and were now charging towards the attackers to try to push them back. "Keep them back!" Nephelie shouts, motioning for her forces to meet them. "We need to keep the path to the central tower clear!" With allies flooding in the fort they needed to keep the momentum. The less casualties there were here the stronger they would be in the future. Nephelie knew this and so did her troops who quickly came to her aid. She found herself face to face with more knights doing her best to slice through their ranks, bolts of electricity and flashes of steel erupting from her as she fought with all the ferocity she had.
It would be enough and soon the enemy began to retreat but not before Blaidd opened the locked door into the central tower. "Let's get moving on!" He shouts.
Nephelie nods. "You go ahead. I will hold the line." She says. Blaidd nods. Now it was his turn to fight.
He motions for soldiers to follow him. "Let's finish them, take out the leader and the fort is ours." Knights rally to him. Mostly banished knights ready to prove themselves once more follow Blaidd. The small crew of 12 soldiers moved quickly into the tower. This would require speed. They had to get in. Kill the leader and get out, without central leadership the last bits of resistance in the fort would fall apart. Blaidd leaned forward a bit as he ran trying to move as quickly as possible. His sword in his hands and ahead of him ready to strike.
The group of knights marched quickly towards their target. As they neared the top they saw Cuckoo knights. Elites with a feathered helm and heavy spears and an equally heavy shield, As they see the group coming up the stairs they raise their shields, blue spell blades appearing around their heads but, before they could attack, Blaidd launches himself into one. Leading with his massive blade. The knight blocks but is knocked over. A banished knight does something similar using her magic to create a gust of wind as she also launches at the other knight knocking this other guard to the ground. Blaidd quickly smashes his sword through the downed knight's skull with his ally doing the same with her own spear.
With the guards gone Blaidd quickly breaks down the wooden door at the top and inside sees a group of elite knights at the ready. 6 of them. In the center looking over the fighting was a man in similar armor but the steel was black rather than the bright silver, a symbol that he was the commanding officer of this fort. He turns. The 7 knights now staring down the 12 intruders. Outnumbered and cornered. "You're fighting for the wrong side dog." The man spits looking Blaidd in the eyes. "You and your false god will never rule the lands between."
"Big talk for a dead man." Blaidd says not wanting to talk too much to this man."
"Talk from a man with allies. Allies in high places."
Blaidd stops. "You mean Lyndell." He says, the phrasing tipping him off.
The knight simply nods. "And they have their own Elden Lord who will hang that blue puppet of an empyrean's head from the walls of the capitol."
Blaidd growls. He had heard enough. He charges the knight swinging with his sword. The man swiftly dodges and creates an entire carian phalanx, the blue spell swords aimed at Blaidd as he prepares to fight. The other knights erupt into fighting as well. Banished knights moving quickly and nimbly despite their armor and the Cuckoo knights doing their best to evade and attack with spells and steel. The two sides evenly matched.
Meanwhile down below Nephelie continued to push back the defenders of the fort. As she finishes clearing one of the courtyards she looks about then back up at the tower. "Come on Blaidd." She says to herself. The mission relied on his success and she had seen no signs of him since he entered the tower even as it erupted with blue light. Though soon after this a body drops from the tower. Hitting the ground hard. Nephlie rushes to it looking at who or what it was. Afraid of what it could be. Though as she nears it she sees it was the commander, dead. Cut neatly in half.
Before long Blaidd exits the tower with a few less men and some of the knights wounded but Victorious. "We've got them where we want them." He says with a smile. Nephelie nods. "Hopefully Sophie and Iji are doing just as good."