Part 193: Orangesoda: Update 8
I was at a loss for words. The spawn had just walked up and OPENED the damn door! I ordered it locked and sealed, yet they still somehow opened it up! They were pouring into the golden hallway and once again, the fort was in a panic. Shoving, looting, stealing, all as people ran for shelter deeper into the fortress, possibly hoping to seal themselves off from the outside world with their supplies.
Munin will be known as the first to die. He was unable to retreat in time as the spawn ran down the hallway. Four of them set upon him at once and he died near instantly. For some reason, the spawn were merciful for him.
I'm sure the rest of us won't be as lucky.
Especially if what they did to that "lucky" merchant from before was any indication, breaking his leg so he couldn't get away then wrenching his arm from the socket with their powerful grip. The noises will haunt me forever.
The spawn were approaching the surviving rookie soldiers in the main hall, the held their ground despite the forces approaching, they had little chance of defeating them...
I knew what had to be done.
I gave Manuel the order to disband and retreat, this was a suicide mission, they had no chance to defeat the spawn currently.
A124!, the fortress guard who "helped" with defeating Wopoo, charged out to cover their escape, smashing spawn left and right, slamming them so hard into the walls that a few got stuck to the stone like macabre decorations. One of Eiba's moles was also killed, but not before eating a spawn's leg whole.
But once again, they entered a their trances. Two of them at once now, fighting with amazing style and coordination. They truly were learning with each visit, perhaps that's how they opened the door. I'm beginning to wonder that, perhaps with each dwarf they kill, they're absorbing knowledge. The spawn often devour victims, so they say.
A124! was in danger now. Shadow Gamer was running to his rescue, trying to free him from the sea of hellish spawn trying to tear at his flesh as he continued to fight them off.
But as for anyone who fights the spawn, it was already too late. His death was indescribably gruesome.
Chance II arrived to assist Shadow Gamer after A124! fell, a ranger called Roshin was caught by the spawn and was torn asunder like paper before either could save him.
Before we could stop her, Tremendous majestic ran towards the remaining spawn, screaming about revenge and knockknees' death, striking them furiously.
She will be missed.
Chance II stormed into the hallway soon after to mop up the remaining forces with his hammer, breaking the siege at last. We'd survived the impossible yet again, thanks to the fortress guard. It was not without heavy losses, however.
The entire fortress, inside and out, was a horrible bloodbath. Organs, bones and limbs strewn about in seas of blood, resting in massive piles all over the depot and main hall...
Amazingly enough, a merchant climbed from a pile of corpses, musk ox in tow "..are they gone?" he asked, looking around nervously. "..oh god, am I the only one left?"
I'm amazed any of them survived, really. Chance II helepd the man up and asked his name, only to hear that it was Lesno. He really could survive just about anything!
"No! no!" he suddenly corrected us "I'm Lesno, just not THE Lesno. I'm Lesno Berryclobbers. My family was winemakers you see.."
Well, that cleared things up. Despite what had happened he was still willing to trade, so when Bobthethurd wakes up (He slept through the entire slaughter.) we should still be able to get some fresh supplies.
And perhaps next time we could go for a change of tactics.
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That went better than I thought, somehow. Sorry it took so long! Also i'm not sure where that human merchant came from or how he survived, but he just sort of walked up to the trade depot unharmed.
Also I imagine A124!'s last stand looked something like this for some reason, complete with Shadow Gamer in the background.
Daeren wrote :-
TremendousMajestic was lifted off the ground, his throat in the clutches of one of the Spawn. They were on the Golden Road, they'd gotten past the gatehouse. This was the deepest any enemy of Syrupleaf had been. They'd killed Knockknees. TremendousMajestic knew he had to draw the line. To buy time.
Coughing blood into his beard, he spat in the blazing eyes of the Spawn holding him. As long as it was distracted, there'd be more time for the Guard to arrive.
"Fuck you, you ugly sons of bitches," TremendousMajestic growled, flipping the cave swallow to them. "I hope I give you the worst case of the shits in history."
The Spawn howled in its profane tongue, but suddenly seemed distracted - afraid. TremendousMajestic turned slightly in its grip, and saw a blazing light behind him. Chance II was there, hammer in hand. Behind him was a blazing phantom of light: tehsid, his own hammer in hand.. The Spawn shrieked and quickly disemboweled TremendousMajestic, hurling him to the side. Chance II crashed into the spawn, smashing them to pieces with the divine guidance of tehsid. TremendousMajestic coughed up bits of his own organs, and looked up. Daeren stood there before him, a gentle smile on his face as he glowed with the light of Litast.
"It's time to go home, Tremendous," he said quietly. He held out a hand, and TremendousMajestic took it. His soul stood, leaving its body. It began to float into the sky, and Daeren watched it go.
"Hey!" Daeren called up one last time. "You did me proud. Say hi to the rest of the gang up there!"
TremendousMajestic ascended to the sky as Daeren winked out of sight, the scarred, icy landscape of Syrupleaf fading away as a warm light enveloped him. He heard the sounds of distant celebration slowly coming closer.
"...Momma?"