Wasteland Survivor – War - ch33
#34 of Wasteland Survivor
A sudden commotion broke out behind us, I turned my head and saw a huge purple floating disk about three meters high, hovering barely off the ground.
I tensed every muscle I had, felt my power ease into me, warm but ready to burn hot in an instant.
A figure stepped out of the disk, it was one of the Wolven, more followed him, and soon a great precession of them had exited, along with a few Elves, some I recognised from their city when I had visited them.
"Greetings!" The initial male called, "We thought you could use some help and were in the area..."
This got laughs from all the troops as well as Jennings who had just reached them. After a moment spent in talk the Wolven fanned out among our line. The Elf I had met previously wandered our way.
"Your warrior, in her short time spent among us, garnered you many supporters. When we heard of the army at your door it was decided we could spare some mages to come help." She said warmly.
"All help is appreciated in this but you do know ma'am, that you may be fighting your own kind by the end of this day?" Crystal asked her.
She sighed wearily, "I have spent many years debating what I would do were that moment to come, and truly until it does I have no idea the outcome, but know that against these beasts I will stand beside you."
I reached out with my free hand and gripped her shoulder, "Just do what you can, and you have our thanks." I said.
She nodded and turned toward the front line.
"Ahem" a familiar voice said behind me, just as I caught the smell of ozone.
I began turning toward the God with a smile, "Don't tell me they are interfering already?" I asked him.
"No girl, no. I have for you something special though, and although it comes close to being a direct involvement, it is no more than the Elves will have from their own Goddess." He lifted up a carved wooden box about three feet long and a foot wide.
Opening the box he revealed a pair of long knives each a good foot long in the blade, white-blue runes etched and glowing down their sharp length. "These have been used in the past by my hero's, they are nothing special, but you can rest assured that any enemy you strike with these will have seen its last day. In short it makes those you wound a lightning rod and" He looked up at the crackling thunderheads above, "it looks like it might be bad day indeed to be a living lightning rod. Additionally it will make you immune to any and all electrical energy and you will be highly resistant to hostile magic in general. Take them little battle rager, take them and use them to protect our people."
I looked at the old man in mild shock at first, hearing the abilities of these blades, but by the end I smiled up at him and reached into the case for the hafts.
The feeling I got as I first touched them was that every part of me was suddenly hot with electricity, the world around me buzzed for a few seconds then a small 'pop' sounded and it all returned to normal.
"They have accepted you, know that none else save me or the thane can handle them until you are dead, or they will be in for a shock." He pronounced gravely.
I giggled at his pun and sheathed the daggers in my belt. "Thanks old man." I said, "I don't suppose its too much to ask, but could you keep an eye on Lylianna, her cubs, and mine?" I asked him.
"Girl, I would do so but another has claimed their lives as her own mission, look." He said and pointed back at the buildings behind us.
Swirling white and green light surrounded the camp in a pillar, "Nothing will be able to harm them until this fight is over. Even I would be sorely tested to encroach on Her ground uninvited." he added.
I smiled happily and leaned forward to give the old man a warm kiss on the lips, power and the cold energy of a storm coursed through me as our lips touched. I drew back still feeling energy play over my fur, "Thanks old man, I needed that."
I drew away from the god and turned back to a giggling Crystal, "Oh settle down love." I said, but made the mistake of glancing back to the target of her mirth and got the giggles myself, the God was still left standing there as though... struck by lightning.
All of a sudden he laughed out loud and I felt more pressure building on the air before a loud ZAP heralded his departure.
"I think you broke him Fox." Crystal told me, taking my hand once more.
-
My armies were all spread on the right flank of this horde of vermin the Elves had rounded up, all told there was nearly a thousand Orcs here ready to put their lives on the line for... well to be honest they mostly just wanted a good fight, and I had promised them a fight they would be telling their children children.
An Elf horn sounded, signalling the order to charge in, all the Orcs banged their weapons and started to trot forward.
Ever faster we ran, until we were screaming our war cries at the top of our lungs.
The camp ahead, were few, but I knew for a fact they counted their lives dearly. I noticed a face on the front line, one I couldn't forget, Fox.
~"My mate wants me to tell you, the soldiers on your side have been told not to shoot unless you get within two dragon lengths of them, keep your men from charging too close then round into the flank of the beasts, when you do, my mates and I will join you."~ The mental voice of the great beast drove into my mind and, as suddenly, was gone.
Eight lengths, six lengths, four lengths.
Three.
I shouted the order to turn as loud as I could, and the mob of Orcs turned as one to bash into the beasts flank, who, for their part, had no idea we would do this and gave ground and lives quickly to our axes and short spears.
I charged forward, ripping and tearing, my axe leaving great gapeing wounds in any who would dare to stand in front of me and my left arm constantly drew more of the thin throwing spears from my back, hurling them forward into unseen prey.
Suddenly there was a huge beast in front, it was twice my size at its shoulders and its jaw held more teeth than I could count. It turned on me and began to reach forward when all of a sudden a red streak danced through the fight, dipping its weapons into the beasts flank and then disapeard.
I was ready to strike it myself when my vision turned white, the thing in front of me was nothing more than charred burning carrion.
I knew only one thing that was that fast and anywhere near that deadly.
"FOX!" I yelled, wading in after the amazingly fast berserker, all at once though, we met, side by side striking out at a beast at the same time. Her song tore into me.
Red descended into my vision and there was little left in me but cut and kill and chop.
-
I saw Fox and Crystal dash off to assist the Orcs and made my move to the other flank, where the Dwarves should be pulling a similar move.
They had but charging in madly was not their way. They were slowly, but very methodically swinging their huge axes and hammers back and fourth, removing targets in long swathes, but on the whole moving slowly doing it.
The one great thing about their formation was that it afforded a spell-caster the opportunity to work without impedance.
I approached them and at first they thought me a beast.
I backed off a little and eventually managed to get them to see reason. At least they were not the 'kill everything first and ask questions later' type of fighters like the Orcs were known to be.
"I came to give you some support, but it seems you are doing quite well here on your own." I shouted to them.
They just laughed and kept about their task. Through some negotiation I managed to insinuate myself into their 'squares', standing tall and bringing down arcs of lighting onto anything that might threaten them.
With the support my square moved faster, becoming the tip of a spear eating into the feral swarm of monsters.
-
The guns were holding up well, the Kitsune had been working tirelessly to enchant as much ammunition as they could, following Ryst's plan.
I turned to the gunner in the truck beside me, shouting to be heard over the guns, "Greves, Sir! How you doing on ammo?"
He grinned back, "Good Private, and you?" He was just understandable over the guns roar.
I just gave him the thumbs up. Things were holding at the Front.
-
"They are planning something, I can see them channelling spells." Ryst said very quietly beside me, eyes glued to his binoculars.
We were under the cover of more 'you can't see me' spells, and spells from both Elf and Kitsune magic. Nothing would be able to see us unless we stood up and started yelling. I didn't plan to stand, but my rifle was sure about to do some yelling.
"Count?" I asked.
"Nine, four priestesses, two male soldiers and a few I can't account for." He replied again.
We were almost a full kilometre away, I rested the smaller rifle to the side and drew up the big fifty calibre.
Quickly running the calculations, I adjusted for everything possible, loaded a clip, check two more beside me and brought the gun to my shoulder.
I could see the high priestess, the one that had summoned the goddess last time we met, she would be the one in control.
I murmured to Ryst, "When she drops, who is next?".
"Male at her feet, he is the brains within what little military they have." He said, referring to all the orders we had found and gotten from various Elves in the past month, all strait from that guy.
"Tell me when you have eyes on her." I said, steadying myself, bringing her torso under my cross-hair.
"I got it." He said back. That was my queue.
A roar sounded from the muzzle brake on my rifle and the priestess spun and lay on the ground, a second passed as the Elves wondered what had happened, then the male who had tentatively looked up at what his mistress was doing joined her in whatever afterlife they cared for.
"Confirmed." Ryst said beside me, "Going weapons hot too, you take left, I got right." He would be bringing his own rifle up now.
My confirmation of him was another recoil and roar from my gun.
The other six were still milling around as we killed them, they didn't even have the sense to find cover.
I clicked the next clip into my rifle, "Ryst, what's the status? I have nine down."
"Confirmed." He said, back to his binoculars, "Three more targets approaching, priestesses by their gear, you are weapons free."
I looked into their eyes, I saw the horror and fear they had in them as they saw their people dead and worse on the ground. And I made them the same way.
Now this was fun to write, this wasn't a war fought on the battlefield, this was a war fought in planning and set-up. If it wasn't for the Orcs and Dwarves being with them, it would have been a different matter indeed.
As for Bri and Ryst, well I think they demonstrate just what use a sniper team is. By the way, if you want a good read about snipers and sniper training that includes first hand accounts, check out a book 'Trigger men'. If it wasn't for that this pair would have lived a very different life ;)