The events of 14th Timber, 56The fortress guard were on high alert. Well, most of them were. A few had been siphoned off for some secret mission in the caverns, some exploration party that Champion Graknorke was putting together. The rest of them were at the fortress entrance.
A group of goblins - Swords-goblins, led by their whip-wielding master - had already shown up at the entrance.
They had already managed to kill a Giant Sparrow that had been patrolling the entrance. The poor creature had managed to sound the alarm with a fierce chirping, before being cut down by one of the goblins.
The entire group of goblins had then immediately charged into the cage traps set out to catch wild animals, and had been captured to the last goblin.
The military commanders of Brightwater were not fools. They had seen the goblin tactic of sacrificing the first wave on the cage traps, then ambushing the dwarves who went out to retrieve the cages. They sent the military out first - keeping them close to the wall, while the marksdwarves were ordered up behind the fortifications to cover them.
Ash the marksdwarf had been assigned to the northern fortifications. He shielded his eyes against the glare, once again envying the militia commander for her famous artifact crossbow with the amazing polarized gemstone optics, and looked out for movement.
Something stirred in the forest. Something walking through the woods towards the fortress walls. He carefully sighted along his weapon, trying to make out the shape approaching. Quickly he realized it wasn't a goblin. Goblins didn't approach singly and without trying to hide like this figure was.
"Liaison from the mountainhomes, approaching from the north" he called down to the other soldiers.
He turned his attention away from the liaison, scanning back through the woods, and then spotted the goblins. They were hiding in the forest, in camouflaged cloaks, and were right between the liaison and the fortress entrance.
"Goblins! Six of them, north of the wall, in the path of the liaison!", he called down. "Quick, get their attention or the liaison's dead!"
Ash stepped out onto the walkway, and fired at the goblins. They turned his way, looking away from the liaison, and opened fire.
Maybe this wasn't such a great idea, thought ash, as the arrows flew towards him. One grazed his left hand, ripping flesh and splattering blood. He ignored the pain, firing back. His shot pierced a goblin's chest. The goblin staggered and wheezed in pain, but was still able to return fire. This shot struck Ash directly in the head, piercing his brain.
Ash slumped backwards, collapsing onto the stone surface of the wall.
On the ground, Fritz the military commander charged heedlessly into the group of goblins. The goblin leader had fallen quickly before her hammer, offering little effective resistance as Fritz broke his limbs before smashing his skull.
After downing the leader, she charged into the group of bow-wielding goblins, Higginbottom III behind her.
She then saw the goblin with the bow take a hit from Ash, and then return fire, killing her fellow soldier. She screamed and charged, landing a blow that shattered the goblin's arm. The goblin attempted to return fire, Fritz effortlessly batting the arrow aside, before landing another blow that crushed the goblin's skull.
The other bow-goblins, having heard tales about the ferocity and cruelty of this dwarf in particular, turned and ran. They were most dismayed to meed soldiers coming from the other direction, the dwarven caravan having arrived at this moment. Hearing the commotion, caravan guards had come running to help.
Fritz, meanwhile, had knocked down one more goblin archer, and as was her style was killing it slowly and painfully, smashing each limb before finishing it off.
Far below, in the caverns, five dwarves had gathered for a daring adventure.
Graknorke the champion, who had insisted on making a trip into the caverns, had convinced Phenix to carve the gateway. Refusing to risk the safety of the fortress, Phenix had insisted on making a closable gateway, so the passage to the caverns could be sealed off safely. Graknorke had chafed at the delay, but had taken the time to gather companions. Rather than one of Geb's masterful bone crossbows, Graknorke had chosen to take one brought by a goblin. Made from a strange, heavy metal, it was less accurate, but should prove far more effective if used as a hammer.
Happythoughts had been conscripted into the trip almost as soon as he had arrived. He gripped his arsenical bronze spear and waited for Graknorke to take the lead.
Domas the Wallpotdwarf had left his usual crossbow behind for this mission, instead taking a fine steel sword that Daenyth had made.
Dex, who had little to no military experience, was also carrying one of Daenyth's swords. He was starting to question the impulse that had made him sign up for this trip. He didn't want to leave his wife a widow, but Graknorke had assured him the trip would be safe.
And then there was CoraiUnki, who insisted loudly to everyone who would listen that this trip was a terrible idea. He was carrying a new battle-axe. This was, of course, not the same axe he used to cut down trees, as no decent dwarf would use the same axe for both tree-cutting and military use.
Along with them came two giant war sparrows, and one of Corai's pet war cavies. It remained to be seen which of them would prove more useful.
"This world we will explore is one that few dwarves have ever seen!" spoke Graknorke, "But it is one that we must explore and make ours, as is our right as dwarves!" He signaled for the lever to be pulled, to open the gate. "Go forth, and see our strange new world!"
The five dwarves, and three animals, spread out into a strange maze of twisty caverns. Cave moss covered the ground, and plants - some familiar, some not - grew everywhere. Domas the Wallpotdwarf stopped to examine a strange blue mushroom. The caves were hot - a magma pool being not far away - but the fungus was chill to the touch, with frost on its surface.
"We should be right above the magma smelter now" said Graknorke. "The magma pipe is to the south. Looks like the ground slopes down to the north, we'll head that way."
The ground sloped down, into a cavern lake. The water was dark, and had a faint musty smell, like something had died and rotted away long ago. Above them, fissures in the cavern, and odd acoustics, suggested a vertical passage, as if the roof was much higher above here than elsewhere.
"No way around the lake. What now?" asked Domas.
"I think there was a passage to the south-east, around the magma pit. We'll head back that way." replied Graknorke.
They made their way through the narrow, slimy passage Graknorke had spotted, and then came down to an opening by the magma pipe.
"Look across the magma, you can see the platform and pump for the smelters." said Graknorke.
"Don't go near the magma!" screamed Corai. "There are magma-monsters in it! Remember what happened to Rakust?"
Graknorke shrugged. "Unexplored caverns are to the east, anyway. Let's see what's over there."
The caverns were twisty and damp, but seemed unoccupied. They hadn't seen a single creature so far, just more plants. Ahead, there seemed to be an opening of some type, a clearing among the twisty caverns.
Happythoughts peered through the gloom. "I think something's moving over there. Some kind of creature. Can anyone make it out?"
Corai screamed.
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Topic: Brightwater: Community fortress of science, oceans, and animal taming (Read 155564 times)