Episode 10.1 - Mixed Lines

"I gott'a step out now, Eshu," I speak softly, letting go of her hand.
     The last couple of days, all Eshu does is sleep. It's a saving grace of sorts; she never has nightmares, she just lies still in her bed, a perfectly neutral poker face. When she is awake...

I want to stay with her, if only to hold her hand and be there, but we can't ignore the army of Killer-Drones on its way here. I don't know what's gone wrong with her; no one does. Everything seemed to be going ok, I felt like my connection with Mistress Lila was growing by the day and Sek! I was so worried about Sek ever since I accidentally let slip about my past. I mean, he has his moments; who knew what he might think of my history? Or heck, perhaps he'd simply be mad that I hadn't told him - but instead, he wanted to call me amazing?

 He didn't seem to have any sort of problem with it at all. We haven’t had the time to discuss it properly, and we definitely need to do so, but it was as if all my worries might be over nothing. But Eshu, I can't even get her to explain what's going on. I feel powerless to help her. I also feel selfish; all that fretting about what Sek would think, when I knew Eshu was in a strange place, I should have been entirely focused on her health. Worse yet, we were interupted, so try as I might, I can't truly say I'm not still a little worried about Sek too - so much anxiety, ughhhh!

I make my way upstairs to the old training room, trying not to ruminate too much. Today, it's set up for briefing again, Lila's blackboard centre stage. Major Tom, Sek and the blacksmith, Flint, are all present.
     "Yo," Lila nods as I take a seat.

"How is the young miss?" Flint rumbles in a rather mellow tone for the giant.

"Still sleeping."
      Everyone frowns, but there’s nothing much to be said, we just don't have any solutions. I also think I catch someone glance at my legs, but it could just be my eyes playing tricks on me; sheesh, am I paranoid now?

We were so close to talking that through when Eshu stopped us, and I still wonder why - was it that she felt whatever was wrong with her coming on, like nausea before a dizzy spell or was our about to talk things over what actually caused her to faint? But I mean, I don't think talking could cause something like that, right? All the same, I want us together to really talk everything over - I don't like the three of us feeling so distant with all that's happening - and yet it's because everything is so busy that there's just never enough time.

"Let's get this done for now," Lila adds, turning to the blackboard. She has drawn a square, then a larger square around the first - in between a series of equidistant X's representing the turret emplacements around the base, "Thanks to our smith and his helpers, we have completed a full encirclement of the fortress. As we speak, the Estolpfo are practising constantly. Mr Flint?"

"Yes, milady," Flint says politely, stepping over to the blackboard. Sek always cringes at Flint's approach to Lady Lila, and it makes me smile.
      I think Sek needed someone like Flint around. It hasn't been for very long, but then again, none of us have known one another that long - it's still less than a year since we were isekaied here, sometimes that's hard to process - for Sek, a couple weeks around the towering old man have been most welcome I believe.

 Flint is all those things Sek has convinced himself a man 'should be'; crazy tall and rippling with muscle, stoic and capable, reliable to the max - but Flint is also a griefing dad, a guy that dotes on his niece and grandkids, and is embarrassingly polite to a female authority. He may be a mountain of strength and skills, but he gained those through decades of hard work. I think that's about the best role model Sek could have asked for, and I'm grateful on his behalf.

The old smith picks up a piece of blue chalk and neatly draws lines from each X, into the square representing the fort and a large circle therein.
       "I can't claim to understand this electricity business, but you tell me one end of the 'wire' goes here and t'other there, then I sure as hell can work with that. Me and some lads finished this morning; each cable goes from its emplacement to the 'battery' inside. We've then buried the cables and tested. All machines are functional."

The battery he mentions was a hurdle for us. We simply don't have the time or resources to set up power generation. We have the menu, and we've scavenged parts from the scouts we slew, but some things are still very out of reach. Ultimately, Lila outright bought the highest grade of filled battery available, two to be safe. According to her, it was more expensive than the massive towering fortress of old stone that we live in.

"We reck'n the power will keep those turrets running for three hours or so. If the battle lasts that long, we’ll swap the first battery with the second, quick as we can. Should an enemy break inside, we will do what we can to defend it." Flint adds solemnly.

We're hoping the battle won't last too long at all, but we have to be prepared regardless. There's another reason for having Flint and, in actuality, a couple of hundred villagers inside the fort for what's to come: Bait. Put simply, the drones seem to target the largest populations they can. If we evacuated all the villagers south back in the direction of their old town, it's highly likely the drones would stop heading for us and change their target to them. Thus, we've split them in half, Sek and Estolpfo squads spending the last couple of days escorting and establishing a field of tents south of the mountains where half the villagers now are. The other half will shelter inside the fortress. The actual town we've built is being abandoned in hopes that if it's deserted, the drones will simply ignore it. It'd be seriously depressing if all the work they've done establishing new homes were burned down so soon.

Lila nods to Flint, "Thank you, master-smith, your work is exemplary as always."

Flint blushes at that.

 "Grae, ger, rak?" the clicky tones of Tom's voice pipes up. It takes me somewhat by surprise; Tom very rarely talks unprompted. I always presume it’s out of politeness, given that we humans can't understand him. Or well, Eshu could, but she isn't here right now.

Lila winces, "There's no way we can afford to make more turrets for the roof and power them. I have a plan for flying enemies."

"Oh right, those drones can briefly levitate," Sek muses.
    Lila raises one finger like a teacher trying to make an inspired point, "I'll be on the roof so I can keep an eye on and adjust my spells as needed. When drones fly in high, I'll personally knock 'em down. If they get the impression that our air defences are even tougher than our ground ones, they should stick to a terrestrial assault."

Sek looks intrigued by this, "If you can knock them down easily, why not go out and kill the whole army?"

"Boy!" Flint bellows, forehead throbbing, "You can't say such a thing to her ladyship!"

 Before Flint can literally smack Sek, Lila interupts, "It's not an unfair question, in fact, even now it is a backup plan; however, it would be a serious gamble," she shakes her head, probably disappointed that she can't just go and do as Sek suggests, "I'm certainly more powerful than these Killer-Drones. I did some tests with our turrets, and they don't one-shot me or anything."

"You tested on yourself?" I ask, appalled.

"Ah, look, I was careful, K’?"

I find myself pouting at that, but let her get on with the explanation; I can lecture her later. "Point is, I could take quite a few hits safely. I have no doubt I could handle a couple dozen of them alone. However, hundreds? And well, testing in peace is one thing, but who knows on the battlefield, and likewise, who can say how effective my attacks will be against them in turn. There are just too many variables."

"Oh," Sek nods, "I mean, that makes sense. You're like a hero unit, but even those can be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. I getcha' ya."
     Lila blinks, "What, you do? No snarky comments?"

Sek frowns, "Come on, I'm not that unreasonable, am I?"
     Three pairs of eyes and Tom's hollow eye-sockets fall upon Sek. Our little Tsundere blushes profusely, "Alright, alright! Shessh."

That gets a bit of a laugh from us all - except the usually fairly jovial Tom; "Rake, Rak?"

"Look, I get your concern," Lila replies with a sigh, "but we just don't have enough resources for bodyguarding me."

I realise what must have been Tom's complaint, "You mean you'll be alone on the roof?" I ask.

"Ahhh, not you as well! Look, we're short-handed as heck, we can't afford to guard the most powerful person here. A guard would either need to be one of you, or at least Estolpfo, with adequate equipment to face a Killer-Drone, and we have none of that to spare."
She turns to her blackboard and draws an arrow pointing at the square from all sides.

"I'm going to be changing the barrier’s properties. If it stays as is, the laser fire those guys have will drain even my mana pool way too fast. However, if I change the barrier to only block 'magic', that is, lasers of their exact frequency, while allowing anything else to pass through freely, then my magic should hold far longer. We change the frequency of our own turrets slightly so that they can still shoot through."

"Already seen to my lady," Flint adds.

"Excellent."

"Although I also think you should have a bodyguard," he adds, like a knife to the back.

"Ugh!" Lila splutters.
       "Now listen here. With the barrier changed like that, those drones can come through it. This is partly by design; if they couldn't come through it, they might try and find some way to long-range bombard the shield until it ran out of juice, but since, as we know, they can detect the properties of shield magic, they'll know that charging right through is a viable strategy. Of course, the ring of turrets we've built is there explicitly to shoot them first, but we have to presume some will get in. When that happens, the turrets mustn't turn; that would create an opening for a whole flood. No, you guys will have to respond, taking out any stray drone that makes it in. Now you may have, just maybe noticed, the fort has four sides, while I have just three of you capable of going mano a mano with those drones in close quarters. The average Estoplfo can take on a scout class, but not these guys."

Sek points at himself, "What me?"

"Yes, you. You've passed level eighty now, and that chain sword Flint made is impressive. Also, the human class you 'players' start in is pretty versatile, I can load you up with some extra skills and stuff. Or are you too scared to be with the elite?"

"Pah! I'll do it just fine," Sek scowls, but it lacks the usual bite.

 Lila smiles, "So there, you see? To defend breaches on four sides, I have two Tier 2 demons, one Tier 1 dog. That said, since I'll be on the roof, I can direct you three. Hopefully, it will be enough. Our lack of a fourth responder is honestly one of the gaps I'm most worried about. The idea of taking one of you off that job to be a bodyguard, now that's preposterous!"
She finishes. I hate it, but a thought enters my mind, a cruel, coldly practical, mean-spirited thought, 'If only Ebbi weren't bedridden.'

"Graku..." Tom clicks, clearly unsatisfied.

Lila shakes her head, "This is the plan with the best odds, plain and simple. If I understand the drone’s behaviour patterns at all, then I'm confident one of two things will happen. A: Our defence cordon is so efficient that they can't break through at all and choose to retreat. In that scenario, fine by me - means we have a sure-fire defence and can then start hunting them down instead. B: The outcome I find more likely, they will be able to brute force units past the barrier, at which point it will become a question of individual skirmishes between you three and said invaders.
      These breeches will communicate to our enemy that a simple all-out charge is plausible; after all, they only need to get lucky once. We have backup operators in place for the turrets, but if the guns themselves fall, a couple next to each other and create a big opening, then the enemy can flood right in. That's what they'll be banking on, and what we have to prevent. Wear them down, keep them fighting endlessly in the hopes that they finally make a gap. Any luck, they'll be so dogged and determined, they'll literally dash their entire army against us."

"It has risks, but it makes sense. I agree with your take on how the drones will react based on how they were in the game," Sek says, stretching his arms and yawning.

"I can't believe a day would come when you're the only one in agreement with me," Lila sighs.

"Grek, rak, grok." Tom adds, stepping forward. He seems agitated.
     "Look, I'm telling you-" Lila starts.

"Grakkk Gor Rak!" A different voice to Tom interrupts the growing tension.

"Rak, rak rak!" Another replies.

"Grak gro."

"....! Grak go gran!"
      A pair of voices is echoing in the hallway. We all turn in surprise. The series of angry clicks and clacks continues as they get closer before finally two Estolpfo come into view, fighting of all things. Their little clawed skeletal hands batting and slashing at one another as they continue to argue in their indiscernible language.

In a flash of speed, while me, Sek and Lila are just staring bemused, Tom and Flint seem to teleport over to the doorway, fists clenched, faces red (well, ok, that one only applies to Flint), they bellow in perfect sync:

"Graok gar grain, Grak gar Graken!”
     "What do you ugly mugs think you're doing in front of our lady?!"

The two squabbling skeletons freeze, seemingly shrinking into the doorframe. Tom and Flint slowly look at one another in surprise, and then, wordlessly, they nod firmly, before turning their burning gazes back upon the interlopers. Who knew those two would be such fast friends, haha...

"Ok, cool it," Lila says, floating over and laying a hand on either man's shoulder (an act which requires one hand extending out, given the disparity in height), "Something to report you two?"

".... Grak gah, grakim."
     "! Gro Gro, Grakly."

Even I can tell they just answered oppositely, and I can feel the aura of violence emanating from the would-be drill sergeants next to me. Doing my best to smile reassuringly, I point to the one on the left, "You first, please."

He stares at me for a moment, then more calmly repeats some of the earlier sounds.
I nod and move my finger over to the other one, "And you?" Same again.

Lila hangs her head after listening to both, “They say, more or less, that we have a visitor."

"Why are they arguing then?" Sek asks.