Chapter 32

  The forest was still with the disturbance of the marching army. Hundreds of foot soldiers marched between the trees created a low crumble in the ground. Plants were trampled, animals scattered, threes trembled ever so slightly. The early morning ground fog swirled and shifted to make for the encroaching army.

  Non bothered to hide their presence. They didn’t need to. Muscular minotaurs marched the cloven feet. Dressed in thick plate armor over their most vulnerable areas. Heavy weapons resting in their gauntleted hands, ready to cleave of crush at will. Gibbering goblins, savage feral things moved in disorganized groups in hide armor. Their grubby hand clutching rusted and jagged daggers or short swords. Each one eager to draw blood. the orcs were dressed in a mix of leathers and steel, their weapons ranging in variety. Harpies flew overhead, their talons clutching weapons to drop on their enemies. And the trolls, though few in number, lumbered standing head and shoulders taller than even the biggest minotaur. Each carrying a massive club, clad in only pelts. They were ready to start their attack. To assault the adventurers in their budding base so they can take it over.

  That was until a harpy dropped from the sky.

  Like a sack of rocks, the dead harpy slammed into the ground with a hole in its chest. At the same time, it’s bundle of fletched darts all landing on its formal comrades in arms. The three forwards most goblins dropped dead with the iron darts sticking out of their bodies along with an orc clutched their punctured shoulder. The rest though stopped in their match, surprise by the sudden appearance of not one but four corpses.

  They all stood confused, surprised even that they were the ones being attacked. then another harpy came crashing through the trees overhead along with its bundle of darts to rain down on the forces of the regiment. The commander for the group stepped up. Trying to reign in his troupes by barking orders at them. The orc in charge tried to bellow his words to he heard. Getting them organized and finishing his orders to send a message to the rest of the forces about the encounter. It was when the last order was made that an arrow of steel struck in in the chest. Hitting him with the force of a tree being swung as he got pinned to the base of a tree from being knocked over by the impact. Their attacker could have also struck down the runner with message for backup. Plucked their life from them in mid stride but they wanted to rest to come this way.

  With the leader now in the process of dying and very much silenced, their attacked called out.

  "Hellooo, boys~!"

  A feminine voice called out loudly. Gaining the attention of the regiment with them all turning to the side to found the source. It was then they found a humanoid woman, dressed in light leather armor gear, and a thick mane of bright red hair that fell about her shoulders. She stood maybe two hundred and seventy yards away. Too far away to be seen clearly but just close enough to be seen through the foliage as she waved her arm in the air to further gain their attention.

  "You make excellent target practice. Now, be sweet and hold still... I want to see if I can knock the helmet clean off one of you." The woman called out.

  In one fluid motion, she readied her bow, drew and nocked and arrow. Sending it flying straight into the chest of a minotaur where the arrow punched through the center of its chest plate. Further taunting the invaders by showing them who had killed some of their numbers with a live demonstration.

  "Oops... I missed. How clumsy of me. Don’t worry... I’ll get it on the next one." She called out, drawing another arrow.

  With and enraged roar, and taunt having worked, the regiment charged at her. Heedlessly running into the awaiting traps that were waiting for them.

  ***

  Eorlas ran deeper into the dungeon. Excited to begin their deadly game. It wasn’t often the cat allowed themselves to be chased by the mouse. But then the Master had appointed Aegisthal in charge for a reason. And that reason was proving itself already. The enemy was following her like the good little lambs to slaughter that they were. She just needed to keep their anger up and stay just insight to keep leading them by the nose.

  She continued to mock them, tease them, and occasionally take a shot or two at the glorified pigeons overhead. Getting them to drop their fun little toys on the fools just below. Enraging them further as she saw the first clearing coming into view along with all the between her and said clearing.

  Oh, this is going to be fuuuun~.

  She thought while dashing at gull speed. Careful to hide that she was jumping between and over the hidden trip wires, poisoned caltrops, and other little surprises.

  ***

  Aegisthal watched when Eorlas broke through the foliage. He had long heard the charge of the enraged regiment approaching before he saw the Hunter. Seeing her though had been the signal he had been waiting for. The forty archers and zombies he had behind him where all stand with the Snapfang gremlin repeating crossbows in hand. Each one with a twenty crossbow bolts that have been coated with paralytic poison. It was not honorable, but honor had no place here. This was a war of survival and he was given a take by the General to crush them. Or in the words of his General would say, ‘have them look at this hand then smack them with the other.’

  With a raise of his hand, the forty lesser undead raised their crossbows and took aim in the air. All waiting for the command to make eight hundred poisoned bolt rain down on the enemy. Aegisthal though merely waited for the enemy to show themselves and navigate the traps.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  The sounds of vile curses could be heard from stepping on the caltrops piercing bare feet and the soles of boots. The enemy tripping on the strip wire with some falling prone as others fell on spikes. Causing them to trample their own troops or use the bodies of their fallen or paralyzed just to make it over the traps. It would have slowed them enough for Eorlas to escape the foot troops for certain. The harpies though were another matter.

  They would need to be delt with separately.

  Aegisthal stopped his musing when he saw the enemy forces break into the clearing as he sat atop his mount Ironhorn. It was when most of the force was in the clearing that he gave his first order through his command ability.

  “Rise. Restrain them.” he commanded.

  The lesser undead that were shallowly buried stretch their limbs. Catching and tripping more of the enemy combatants. Some of the undead were quickly killed but they weren’t expected to fight and win. Only to stop them long enough for what was the come.

  “Fire.” He ordered to his crossbowmen.

  Without hesitation, the forty he had pulled the trigger to their repeating crossbows. The Snapfang repeaters fired much faster than he had anticipated. Within seconds the undead crossbowmen emptied their first tend rounds and were dropping remaining bolts into their weapons. They fumbled due to the nature of their form, but it was fine. They were reloaded all the same and bolts would rain down on them all the same.

  The wave of bolts took a few seconds to reach their targets, but the results were satisfactory in Aegisthal’s mind.

  The enemy forces screamed and panicked as the bolts rained down on them. Some trying to take cover or use some means to escape. Yet they were kept in place by the undead they had been killing rather easily before. Even if they wore armor, they were cut and scrape by some measure and had to split their focus between the undead that were hounding them or bolts peppering them. A good many had bolt sticking out of their flesh or cut and bit by weapon wielding undead.

  They were disorganized and unsure where the next attack would come. More importantly, the trolls they had were now starting to fall. Paralyzed from the poison as were many who were hit fully by a bolt while others who were cut or scratched found the afflicted limb quickly becoming numb.

  Good, they are softened.

  With a wave of his hand, his crossbowmen dropped their weapons and drew shortswords, axes, and daggers.

  “Kill most. Leave some to escape.” He ordered, patting Ironhorn’s side to have his mount turn to leave.

  There was no point in staying. Phase one was complete. Fear had been installed in their enemy and gave them a bloody nose. Now they would ignore the town to come after the greater threat. Luring them further in the dungeon where they would meet their end.

  Now he needed to relocate to prepare for phase two.

  ***

  Omnus was absolutely DELIGHTED for this who debacle to be over. Well, not quite over, but they were starting to resolve the matter and that’s what counted.

  He stood in position two as instructed by their master strategist Aegisthal. Omnus was eager to begin using his newly formed spells but that wasn’t until later. It would be a difficult wait yes, but Omnus have never known Aegisthal to lie. So that just left the thing that Omnus struggled with the most.

  Waiting.

  He waited by the stream as instructed. Keeping his eyes open for Eorlas along with Halyndra by his side. He had already set up his surprise for any adversaries that made their way and was now observing Halyndra.

  She fascinated him even though she was a sentinel of the Primus Sage. But while he was a construct and undead, she was also a celestial. That made her unique compared to the rest of the sentinels. She wasn’t entirely corporeal for one and she did not bare the same presence of undeath.

  Currently she was crouched near the stream, her elegant fingers outstretched to the water. She was humming a melodious tune that was both sweat and soothing. One that could bring peace to even the most troubled soul. She smiled as the silver notes of dust and light danced about her while her finger broke the surface of the stream. Letting out a small giggle when a fish followed her finger.

  "Does it fascinate you, wise Omnus?” She asked with a welcoming smile, catching him off guard. “All the mysteries of magic at your command, yet you are entranced as I am by a curious little fish."

  Flustered and clearing his throat, Omnus refocused himself as he stood awkwardly.

  “Oh… yes, well… truthfully, it was not the fish that held my attention. It was you. I… ah… did not mean to stare, that was rude of me. I simply needed something to occupy my thoughts. I am not particularly skilled at... waiting quietly. My mind prefers puzzles. And with no offense meant, you should not be. Not by any known law, magical or divine. That is precisely why I find you so endlessly fascinating. In his infinite wisdom, the Primus Sage has achieved the impossible. And you... you are the proof.”

  For her credit, she only giggled some more. pulling her finger away from the stream and the fish swimming away.

  “Then let your thoughts wander freely, dear Omnus. If I am the puzzle that brings your restless mind some peace, I welcome the gaze." She said, her smile faltering a bit. Not out of sadness but from pity yet her voice still tender and sweet. "But you are wrong about one thing... I should not be? No, I must be. My Lord's will made it so. His faith shaped my soul, and your wonder helps me believe in it all the more."

  She then took a moment before a soft chuckle escaped her.

  “Though next time, perhaps stare a little quieter. The fish was starting to feel neglected."

  He looked to the stream where the fish once was but had swum away. Realizing that they have in fact neglected the fish that made it awkward for it to stay.

  “That is... beautiful. And deeply unfair to my studies. You are a far more distracting enigma than any scroll I have ever read.” He replied courtly when a thought struck him. “Tell me, Faithful Halyndra… what drew your gaze to the fish? It is but a humble creature, no grand riddle, no arcane complexity. Simply one of earth and water, living as it was shaped to live. What did you see that held your attention so?”

  She stood up and brushed her phantom robes for some reason to shake use dirt that was not there. Clasping her hands in front of her while slowly drawing closer to him.

  “A fair question. It is also one I’ve yet to fully answer myself, if I’m honest.” She said with a shrug of her shoulders and easy air to her voice. "I believe it is a gift. One our Lord saw fit to place within me at the moment of my creation. It allows me to see things, not just as they are, but as they might become."

  “Fascinating. I believe we might uncover something remarkable if we were to collaborate—” Omnus said, cutting himself short when he heard the sounds of Eorlas sprinting through the woods along with what sounded like wings beating in the air.

  Halyndra didn’t need to say anything. Only nodded to show she understood. Her serine smile becoming a slight frown while she took her position. When the minor flock of harpies became visible, chasing Eorlas through the woods.

  Halyndra, became to sing her siren’s call. Making the majority of their flying adversaries become enthralled. Causing them to fly right into the trap he laid. It was only when they were between the two mesh of threads that he cast his lightening through his threads. Crating a miniature lightning storm that fried the unprepared harpies. With their limp and charred bodies falling uselessly to the ground, the remaining harpies retreated. Dropping their weapons to fly faster mean while Eorlas rejoined Omnus and Halyndra. Commenting that the charred bodies smelt rather enticing.

  It was a wonderful start but it was just that, a stat. Hopefully everything else would go just a smoothly.