Zzz... snore...
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP FER ARMOK'S SAKE!"
wha- What, what is it!?
"We're under attack!"
I rush out of my room, to see just what in the nine hells is attacking us. A description of the creature is swiftly given to me-
A bloody werebeast! I immediately order the south bridge closed but the beast is too fast and enters before it closes. Dammit, now it's trapped INSIDE the fort. The civilian alert is sounded, people confined to the tavern but it is too late for Sigun, already in the beast's reach.
Armok, I can hear his screams from here...
The militia commander "IMMORTAL-D" and two other recruits arrive just in time to see a broken corpse. They are newly armed with iron weapons and not much else, yet bravely rush to kill the wereweasel.
The mistake costs their lives
Yet, their sacrifice is not in vain and the beast succumbs to it's injuries, not able to take even one more step further inside.
They will be buried with honors in the same barracks they were to train in, and did not get to use even once.
With a weary sigh, Ulrich von Pimdwarf hauls the last coffin into place, glancing over at his nephew, the only recruit who survived by not reaching in time. He trains alone, and with quite intensity, suddenly shown the brutal reality of what combat is.
I still remember, when my teacher and I operated on dwarfs wounded in The Attack of Coincidences, the way the survivors gazed into nothing. 'axe' Alathuz isn't looking much better.
Perhaps attracted by the recent grisly happenstances, a spirit possesses a child to make a bone figurine. Though I disapprove of possessing any dwarf of mine, I must commend the spirit's grasp of irony
The dwarven caravan arrived, bringing no news and a frankly absurd amount of leather and wood. The entire fortress breathed easy after having the caravan guards stationed at the entrance.
I recruit three more dwarfs for the militia, a hammer, a mace and a spear wielder. As I'm inspecting their weaponry I hear another scream of alarm-
I stood stunned, processing that a beast from legend was attacking us. We could
hear it coming, its steps booming as they struck the ground, right above us. By the gods, it was so
fast.In the eyes of the troops I could see naked fear, but 'axe' Aluthuz also had a gleam of desperation, a desire to redeem himself. Perhaps making him train in front of his comrades' coffins was not the best idea. He broke the silence by running straight for the entrance, axe in hand.
"Follow him you fools! Drag him back to the depot, fight along with the guards!"
They obeyed in mute shock.
With not a little regret, I sealed the gates after them. Peaking through the gaps, I finally saw the Giant personally-
and the dog, ready to attack it. Oh the poor, loyal creature... I've hear humans say that the dog is man's best friend, but I don't need some gangly tall folks' saying to make me believe it.
The giant's kick sends her flying towards the depot, but she buys enough time for the three caravan markdwarfs to get a shot off. Two miss, but the third hits true. The Giant is hobbled, and bleeding.
The corridor is filled with the roar of combat, both frightened and angry at the same time. The caravan's macedwarf rushes forward and it's the most incredible sight I've even seen, the Giant has fallen over, and his mace falls over and over again while he himself is unscathed. Such martial prowess I have not seen in all my days.
But soon it replaced by something even more incredible.
This completely unskilled recruit, who has never held a weapon in just 14 years of life charges forth and slays the titanic being with a few rapid stabs
For a moment, she just stands there, uncomprehending of what she has accomplished-
She is welcomed inside as a true hero, and on further questioning I realize she is one of the Bladedancer's spawn, though one largely ignored in the favor of the two 'sorrows'
I bid her mother to grant her a name as well, and she falls into contemplation in her own, er, 'unique' way.
The festive mood continues, but mine is ruined by an unpleasant revelation. Unpleasant for us 'unclean peasants', anyway.
Ugh,
nobles.