Part 192: Orangesoda: Update 7
I was feeling a bit feverish, perhaps it was the stress. For a moment I was running a incredibly high temperature, then it passed. I believe it was a warning from hollistic once again, perhaps my blood nearly turned to magma like those horrible things outside. The scar around my neck..it burned. It burned horrifically, I nearly collapsed in pain, yet I had to be ready and able to give orders!
Lesno was the first up the bridge. "They're too damn slow!" He shouts "Lousy buncha mercenaries, they should at least know to hurry to the high ground!" he grumbled, presumably talking about the caravan guards. "You alright boy?" he asked, waving in my direction "You look ill, too much sun out here for ya?" he asks, laughing. Even in a situation like this, the old man is still joking.
"You need to hurry it up down there!" I shouted "The spawn will be here any minute! Your men are in danger!"
"We'll be fine." he says, smirking "Though I wonder if your soldiers can handle this."
I really don't see why the others like this guy. He's a smug fuck of a human, but I guess he's got something to back it up if Syrupleaf likes him so much,
Though, when he realized his friends weren't hurrying up, he dashed for the depot and gatehouse, grumbling to himself again.
Bob was re-elected again on the "Vote for me so we don't die horribly to the spawn" platform. It was, unsurprisingly, a unanimous vote. Maybe I should take a hint from this guy's view of politics.
For now though, there was only one this we could do. "Raise the trade depot bridge! Release the moles!" I shouted, hoping the dwarves would hurry to it..
"It's not good lad!" a passing dwarf screamed "They're at the depot already!"
Oh shit. I hoped the lever would at least be pulled before the main force would arrive, but nobody would pull either lever! Neither the mole level or the bridge lever were pulled as the spawn battled the guards. Their spears and arrows seemed to work best, it seemed. If we somehow survived, i'd have to make note to train the military in spears rather than hammers.
"It gets worse!" The dwarf said "They're fightin' like tehsid."
...Oh armok no. They were. These spawn had mimicked the champion's styles, it seems. Their constant fighting with them had paid off, they were able to go into martial trances in which, briefly, they could perfectly copy the fighting styles of Tehsid, Sirocco, Alius, any of them!
Lesno ran into the fortress, abandoning the others. "You know how I survived all these trade runs, boy?" he asked me. I shook my head, getting a reply of "I'm smart enough to know when to run, damnit. I'm going to try to sneak out and back home in a bit."
He only got as far as the last bridge before they tore him to ribbons. He took two down with him using his bare hands.
Suddenly, Manny hurried up to me "Orange! The others..the others ran out!"
What the hell?! I had ordered them to hold the golden hallway, not charge outside! I ordered a retreat further into the fortress for all soldiers, yet many did not listen.
Knockknees died first, though only after punching one of the spawn so hard that he hit the wall and exploded.
Four total, including the squad leader, died before they could retreat. They put a dent in the Spawn's forces, but not enough of one.
I ordered the onyx door sealed. The fortress was to be sealed and the remaining troops trained further in wrestling and spear usage. We could survived down here, we were self sufficient. One of the merchants and four of his pack animals even made it in, though none of his goods did.
Outside, the spawn stared at the door. They kept a distance, as if the legendary onyx door had repelled them.. one crept up, scratching it lightly with a claw, poking at it, testing it... it then struck the door to no effect. Then again, no effect. As it slammed it's claws against the door to no avail, I could safely say the fortress was-
Oh fuck.
Chance II wrote :-
