Rats Among Beasts II

Aroura crawls into the carriage and begins constructing one of her spikes. Hopefully she can wait in there while we fight, long enough for the kerjj to show itself. Maheed and I help the soldiers lower the pikes on the ballistae wagons into a stationary spike wall and disconnect the beams tethering the wagons to the carriage. Wal and Naz struggle to drag the dead horses out of their binds and far enough away from the carriage to be out of our way when we retreat.

While we're doing all this, an impossibly bright light blasts through the trees towards where I last saw Stoler. The light dims and flashes again and again in a pattern. Surely, that must have alerted someone on Stoler's team. I was somewhat hoping they would charge into their own deaths, but they'll be an asset in our upcoming fight.

Shorty after the signal, the other two cavalrymen emerge from the brush, drenched in blood and their glamourous armour chipped and damaged. "Where are the villians? Why are you here heretics!?"

"We're retreating! The brigands have beastmen backing them and we don't have the forces to fight them. Help your fellow knights over there!"

The knights glance at one another before trotting over towards the front. The situation is quickly explained by the other knights and all four horses are dismounted and waiting. Hardly a minute later, from the woods comes, "Beastmen!"

I grab Maheed by the shoulder and order, "Flank around them, wait until they're unprotected, then assassinate the archers. Understood?"

He nods. "Got it."
I slap his back as he drops to all fours and rushes off into the woods. Their backline should be exposed since we don't have the numbers to defend ourselves from all angles, let alone send out a counter-attack. We need those archers gone because half of us are woefully unarmoured. Not to mention our horses are in grave danger if we can't stop the archers. They have armoured coats, but it won't save them forever.

Summer and her guard leap from the bushes onto the road. I shout, "Defend the ballista!"
I need more help than Wal and the four trained knights.

They don't respond, but Summer rushes towards the carriage and orders her templars to me. We brace ourselves to endure a relentless onslaught. I shift in place, gripping and releasing my weapon again and again. I can do this. Let's do this!

A grumbling blare resonates through the trees, commanding the beastmen and their allies to attack. A stampede of beastmen charge us, bodies lowed as though they're ready to pounce. It's impossible to find any two beastmen who look alike, some look like full beasts and others look nearly elven aside from the beast head. Scrap metal hangs on them mimicking armour and all their weapons have been scavenged from debris.

The first of many reaches me, leaping into the air like a fucking frog, scavenged axes raised above his head! As he lands my spear finds itself in his heart, his weapons crashing on my shield! But he doesn't stop, his weapons raise again, attempting to get past my defense. I bash him, and stab again, finally watching the life fade from his eyes.
What the fuck, that first stab should've killed him!

No time to dwell on it! Arrows fly overhead as more beastmen thrash my shield! From it's relative safety, I bash and thrust, dreading the sickly feeling of my spear in their flesh. The cart's pike wall keeps me from getting overwhelmed, but I never get the chance to land a fatal blow! My shield chips and splinters! If this keeps up, I'm fucked.
The rightmost beastman rests for the last second of his life. I crash my shield into the other two, plunge my spear straight into his throat and shove his shambling corpse away! The middle one raises his cleavers into the air, exposing his gut. In that next instant, my blade is buried in his guts and I duck under his weak swipe! Using my body as leverage, I rip the spear through him spilling him on my boots! I turn my gagging into a roar as I duel the last beastman! A swift exchange of parries and counters ends when the first beastman joins in for a final attack. I break off, only minor gashes on both of us. The first beastmen finally remembers that he's dead and keels over as I prepare for the next group!

I get a brief respite because the human and dwarf who replaced my foes are too scared too get hurt. They're far too defensive for having the advantage. I take the moment to survey the knight's progress.
All four knights and Wal are locked in constant combat, mostly unable to finish off their assailants. Naz alone is left to hitch the horses, but he's far too short to make any real progress.
A sword hacks off a chunk of my shield and slices my arm! No more dicking around then.

Fuuuuuck, I was hoping to leave that pious prick to die here, but we can't do this without him!
In between counter-attacks, I shout, "Maheed! Fetch Stoler! Now!"

Instead of responding, I notice Maheed dash out of the woods, dancing through the brigands and beastmen leaving slit throats in his wake before rushing off towards Stoler. When did he get so fucking good? Hopefully he's slain enough archers to keep us safe until Stoler gets his dumb ass back here.

Just as the battle slows, another wave of brigands and beastmen arrive with a new group of archers emerging from the woods, all moving towards the ballista. Fuck fuck, how many do they have!? It doesn't matter. If I have to escape by foot, I will- The carriage door slams open and a lance of water tears through an archer and the elf coordinating them! What!? Why!?
Aroura cheers, "Their leader is slain! They'll surely retreat..."

She deflates as she watches the goat head hood roll off the elf, his hands still gripping at the hole blasted through his chain mail. Aroura's hands rise to cover her mouth as though she's about to cry. Just as I stab another brigand, I shout, "It's fine, prepare another-"

The kerjj roars and stampedes over bushes straight towards the knights! An absurdly large and jagged glaive reared back ready to bisect it's first victim! "Ballista! Now!"
The operator drops his pike and aims the ballista! Arrows soar overhead, nailing the operator in his shoulder and leg. He cries out in pain as he fires, the bolt sailing off into the trees completely missing the kerjj. No... "Knock another one!"

He cries, "I can't!"

What!? The hoard of brigands press their advantage and charge the ballista! "Clear the ballista, now now now!"
Aroura glances between the kerjj and the brigands, unsure what to do! Fuck it! "Magic Aroura! We need your magic here!"
She finally breaks out of her stupor and hurls a giant glob of water at my opponents, knocking them off balance. Finally! "Keep that up!"
The templars and I break away from the battle and slink through the pikes onto the wagon. "How do we work this thing?"

Wincing through the pain, the operator groans and paws at the arrow in his shoulder. "Crank that. I'll get another bolt."

My weapons clatters on the wagon as I abandon them to work the ballista while the templars hold off any beastmen who manage through Aroura's magic. The crank starts out easy but almost immediately get difficult as the arms of the bow are dragged back. I get a clear view of the kerjj through Summer's magic as it charges the knights, it's oversized glaive crashing into a knight, dragging the armoured man into the air and arcing him straight into the ground! As though he wasn't dead enough, the kerjj tramples the knight under hoof while turning to face its next victim!
The next knight charges the beast jumping over its weapon and straight into its horns! He hacks and stabs at the horn's neck only to get his legs smashed and broken by the kerjj's stomping! It smashes the butt of its weapon into the screaming knight!

While the kerjj is distracted on the knights, Wal crushes his way through the fodder to flank around the beast. The beastmen and brigands surround him, but it just gives Wal more people to kill at once! His mace flies with blurring ferocity, caving in skulls and smashing bones with every swing! His tail mace whips and knocks away any attacks aimed at his back like swatting away songbirds, allowing him to advance straight through the enemy!
A human lunges to block his path, bringing his weapon down. Wal slaps the man's sword arm, flinging the weapon through the air and surely breaking the man's hand. Instead of wasting his mace on the man's skull, Wal strides forward, clamping his jaws around the man's collar, dragging him around with his teeth, using him as a meat shield!
The man pulls at Wal's jaws in vain as he's carried like a kitten while his allies are batted aside like branches. Only when no one else dares fight him, does Wal drop his meat shield. Every brigand and beastman give Wal as much room as they can spare. How did that lizard ever get captured?

Summer stops blasting the archers with light before blasting the kerjj with enough force to blow apart any building in New Town. She drops to her knees, her heavy breaths visible through her armour. The kerjj stumbles and flails as it topples over, kicking the air as though that will somehow keep it from falling. As it hits the ground with a booming thud, Wal leaps on the kerjj as though it were prey! The kerjj throws its hand back, awkwardly protecting its true head while it tries to regain its footing. Wal wastes no time in sparing the kerjj, bypassing his awkward defense and smacking his head! He can't do enough damage to kill the kerjj, but hopefully he won't need to.

The ballista is knocked and ready to loose! The operator orders, "Put the beast between those two pegs on the end! When you're ready, I'll pull the trigger!"

The pegs? Beside the bolt stand two small pegs that I suppose are for aiming. I swivel the surprisingly heavy bow until the kerjj is centred in my sights. "Ready!"

"Hold 'er steady!"
I brace myself as the operator pulls a lever on the ballista's underside. The wood groans and screams as the tension is released and the bolt flies off, rocking the whole wagon! It skewers the kerjj straight through the chest! Fuck yeah!
Only after it begins limping off do I remember that the vitals are all in the ass. Fuck! Doesn't matter, it's retreating and besides, it's not like I could risk hitting Wal with that!

My celebration is short-lived as another round of arrows hail into our carriage. The templars hold up their shields, saving the operator and I from arrows. Summer flashes the archers in bursts, probably trying to save her energy, but keeping them blinded. Despite our victory over the kerjj, we're still in the same predicament as before. The knights can't hitch their horses because there's too many fuckers attacking us!
I order Aroura, "Water to the knights! Help them!"

The swirling blob of water around the wagon suddenly rips across the road to the knights, knocking the brigands around. Back to the fight. The templars and I fend off anyone who tries to hop on our wagon, stabbing anyone who tries to climb up and dueling fuckers who try to stab us from the ground!

We don't fight for very long before Maheed finally returns, Stoler not far behind him. Stoler leaps from the brush greatsword in one hand and shimmering rays of light in the other, blasting any beastmen he sees. Stoler's poleaxe wielding friends unfortunately are still alive as well. At his return, the brigands start shouting, "Another one!? Fuck this, I'm out!"
They don't realize that Stoler has another hoard behind him!

Quickly, what was just a few retreating turned into the entire hoard running away. I hate that it was him that turned the tide, but I can't help but shout in victory, a celebration that spreads to the others.

A guttural shout drowns our cry of victory. His voice like jagged rocks in a language made for war. I don't understand a single word, but I can tell what they mean. "Reinforcements are here. Kill the mages. They are weak."
As I turn to face the voice, the beastman raises a horn and blows commanding his hoard to return, never taking his sideways eyes off me. They blaze with a green pyre of hatred and somehow never lose perfect clarity unlike his lesser brothers. With a clean greatsword resting across his back and perfect armour covering his blood-bathed fur, he strides down the road straight towards the ballistea. Two helmets identical to Summer and Stoler's, hang off his waist. No doubt about it. This is the leader.

The templars rush to the back of the wagon, shields raised. The leader stops and speaks, his eyes locked on me. Clearly not familiar with the language he says, "Join me. Us. Need strategist like you. You know city. You know temple. We destroy."

He's trying to recruit me? I can't. Even if I did and they destroyed the temple, the rest of the world would be next. I don't know much, but I know the beastmen are the enemy of the entire civilized world. I aim my spear forward and order, "Scars!"

The leader sprints forward, reaching the pike wall in an instant, smashing the pikes with his hoof and swirling his sword at the templar! He goes to defend, but the leader spins with blinding speed, slicing straight through his ankles! His feet no longer attached, the templar falls, his screams drowned out by the thunder of battle behind us!
We all go to stab him as he jumps on the wagon. He twirls his greatsword, easily catching our weapons before smashing his sword against the templar's shield! He twists, somehow bypassing the shield and carving through the templar's neck! The templar stumbles back off the wagon, his head barely hanging on his neck.
The operator doesn't last a second even with my help, his head soon flying off the wagon! The second operator hopped off his wagon to help, only to die in a blink! The leader stomps the edge of a shield, casting it up into his hand while deflecting my spear with one fucking arm! He hurls the shield at the second operator, crashing straight into his helmet! Before the operator can even adjust his helmet back, the leader steps off the wagon and stabs him through the heart! Tearing the great sword through him like a roast!
I'm fucked! I'm so fucked! I cry out, "Ears, ears, ears!"

Maheed whimpers through the roar of combat, "I can't!"
Even with their magic, all three mages are overwhelmed in beastmen. If it wasn't for Naz and Maheed, I'm sure Aroura would already be dead. Then I need to fight to retreat! I can't outrun him, but I can keep myself alive!

The leader swipes his sword at me! I deflect the attack with my battered shield, wary of his trick! His sword whips back and forth as though he weren't holding a fucking greatsword, and I manage to deflect each blow, taking steps backwards, throwing out attacks at his exposed skin! He twists, causing my spear to get caught on his armour, scratching the metal harmlessly! He raises his sword above his head exposing himself like the others! My spear flies towards his throat!
His head jerks, catching my spear between his horns! He jerks his head again, ripping my spear away from me as though I were a child! His sword swings back, arcing under him! The world slows as his sword rises through my shield splitting my only protection in half! His sword rips through my arm and the shield pieces fly away! My scream of pain turns to a grunt as I trip off the wagon and roll down the pikes. The pikes tear through my cloak and into my back as I thud into the dirt!

Fuck fuck fuck! A scream escapes through my teeth as I try to get up to run! I hold my shield arm close to my chest and quickly glance at the damage. A huge gash is taken out of my forearm exposing the bone underneath! Fuck!
I try to push myself to my feet, but stop once I notice. The fucking carriage is gone. Beastmen roar and rave where it once was. Off in the distance, I can see the carriage rushing away, retreating behind the trees. They left me?

The leader hops off the wagon and leans to be near my ears. His jagged voice speaks softly. "See them leave? See them betray? I kill them. I give revenge. Join me strategist."
After everything I did for them. Everything I did for Aroura. For Wal. For Naz. For Maheed! I thought we were friends and they just fucking leave me here! This is Stoler's fault, I'm sure of it. He convinced them to escape without me.
What was that about saving me Stoler? Is my death the only thing you think would save me!?

The leader speaks again. "Quajj-kik help arm. Follow."
He stands and orders the beastmen in his normal language. Immediately they begin carrying the bodies into the woods and scavenging the armour from the knights and templars. I stand watching the carriage. Do I help the beastmen? Can I sacrifice the world to save myself? Would the beastmen even accept me after I help them? They're odd, but... I think I could. I could probably get the beastmen to slay the temple then abandon them to save Solaris itself.

Before any of that, I need my arm healed. I'm losing blood and fast. As I take a step towards the woods, I hear it. The stomping of hooves. I scarcely see movement through the trees. They're charging back through here!?

What do I do here? Can I hop on the carriage as it's moving? Not with one arm surely. The leader notices the carriage returning and grumbles more orders. The beastmen scatter and drop the bodies in a large pile in between the ballistae wagons. They're attempting to block the path. A good idea, but they won't be ready in time.

The carriage thunders down the road, veering towards the bank, completely avoiding the wagons! I sprint down the road, holding my arm together and groaning through the pain! The leader yells, "Strategist!"

Fuck! The beastmen are blasted in light as the carriage passes! It begins to slow as they pass me, Stoler leaping from the carriage and rolling in the dirt, before rolling to a crouch and shouting, "Duck!"
I bend down allowing Stoler's scorching ray to pass over my shoulder straight into the leader behind me. He stops dead in his tracks as Stoler yells, "Go go go!"

We sprint side by side and I warn, "He's faster than us."

Stoler orders, "Aroura!"

The carriage is slowed to a trot and Aroura hangs out of the door sideways, Wal's scaled arm holding her up while she uses both of her hands to create a floating river she blasts into the leader! The leader growls another command and jarcoba begin flowing out of the trees again! They had more!? Stoler throws his hands back to blind anyone chasing us!

Naz hangs out of the trunk a hand extended and shouts, "I got ye Segugek!"
Naz heaves as he takes my good arm and drags me into the trunk while Stoler leaps in! Naz orders the driver, "We got 'em Gallien, go go go!"

The horses neigh under the whips and the carriage speeds back up. Naz holds up his shield blocking arrows from killing us. Stoler leans out and blasts the jarcoba who attempt to surround us! As they break off another horn is sounded and every pursuer gives up the chase. I lean against the carriage wall and stare at the leader slowly getting smaller. His eyes never break contact, his hatred boring into me like a curse.