22nd Felsite
We reached Sisterberry and began talking about our mission. In a change from the usual turn of events where everyone laughs at the cripple who thinks he can topple a colossus, instead everyone thinks I'm Zurko's slave. I've gotten tired of correcting them, so I just let it pass.
We met a fellow spearman called Vafice, who it turns out has little love for goblins. Goblins and their humans slaves slaughtered several of his relatives, and he seems irritably proud of how one of his ancestors actually devoured a goblin hero.
A bowelf, Awire, came directly to us when he heard I had slain the dragon Ertal Heatedgem. Of course, she came directly to us to tell me that I was a filthy liar and that everybody knows it was an elf who killed Ertal. She actually spat on me, and if it weren't for Zurko holding me back I'd be wearing that bitch as a fashion accessory. Turns out she's lost family to goblins too, but the reason this is so damned personal to her is that his aunt and cousin were two of Ertal's hundred and sixty-odd victims, burned until there was nothing left but ash and fragments of bone. I have to give Milu credit though; she convinced the elf that if she travelled with us, she would get to meet the real slayer of Ertal, whom Milu knew personally. Awiri said that if she could do that, she would gladly fight alongside her just to bend knee to him for doing it.
I'll be looking forward to that.
The third elf to join, a girl called Cacame after some terrible hero king of legend, just wanted to be part of the glory of slaying the bronze colossus. Go figure, I guess. After Awiri had joined, a whole bunch of elves wanted to come with, so we brought them as well. The names of the bowelves are Itha, Riramo, Enina and Amiya and the spearelves are called Thalu, Ecu and Are. All of them have lost friends and family either to Smospe Warbronze, or to another colossus who predates the region. Fortunately, I have plenty of cash, so hiring all these mercenaries isn't too much of a problem for me.
25th Felsite
All these soldiers are great. There's only one problem with elves. They won't kill any nguspo animals! Bloody bears and wolves are everywhere and the elves won't lift a finger against them tearing us to pieces because "it's not ethical". Oh, boo hoo. You think eating goblins was ethical, you pointy-eared pricks? Well, yes, you probably do. Urgh.
26th Felsite
So here I am. The Shadows of Sorcery, upon the Hill of Executing, a part of the Glittering Spine. They say this place is haunted, that the dark powers of the war that made the world still reside here; that they drive those within completely mad. At least, those with minds to be driven. I have no doubt that the colossus Warbronze is perfectly fine.
It's sunset, not night yet, but there's fog over everything. Always a fog in the Shadows of Sorcery, they say. But this time I'm not alone. This time I've got a dozen men and elves as backup. Alright then, Warbronze. Let's see what you're made of.
----
Milu lit a torch as the group began searching for the entrance to the cave. No entrance could be seen; even the hill through which the cave could be found was barely visible for the fog. Nothing could be seen, thanks to the fog.
And thanks to the fog, almost nothing could be heard. When Rakust's leg got caught in between some rocks and he had to struggle to get it free, nobody heard him struggle, nobody heard him call for them to stop. His companions rushed ahead and the light of the torch faded to a faint glimmer in the unending fog.
Rakust broke free of his bond, heaving one of the rocks until he could pull his game leg loose, then began clambering up the side of the hill in search of the torch and his companions. Somewhere in the distance he heard a clang. Was the colossus so near already? He saw a gleam of light amidst the fog and immediately began climbing towards it, using his spear as a crutch to push himself faster and faster. The light kept moving about, rushing from side to side and back and forth. More faint clangs in the distance. Had the battle already begun? Was he going to arrive too late for the glory? Damn this fog! Damn this game leg!
With a herculean effort, Rakust reached the top of the hill and the source of the light. A fairy. A bleeding fairy had led him on a merry chase away from his companions. The tiny insect-like humanoid stuck her thumbs to her mouth and blew a raspberry at him. Rakust answered by bashing her to a bloody pulp with his shield and watched in satisfaciton as her light faded away.
With the fairy's light gone, he could see another source of illumination in the dense fog. Unlike the fairy's, it was a stable, unmoving light. Thank the gods, the torch. Milu must have realised he was missing and stopped to wait. Rakust rushed down the hill as fast as he could drag himself, getting closer and closer to the light.
Yes, he could see it clearly now! There was the torch, right there in Milu's hand! The torch... on the floor... with Milu's hand... but not her arm. Oh gods.
Rakust couldn't see much of the rest of her body at the torchlight's edge, but it was barely recognisable. He wasn't even sure it was hers. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he could see other bodies, crushed in places very nearly beyond recognition. Vafice, Thalu, Enina, maybe Awire. She'd never kneel before him now. For one thing, she'd need knees for that. Across from her was a familiar bronze pistol. He didn't care to think of its owner's fate.
Rakust heard a sound from one of the bodies. At first he thought it was gas from a corpse, but then he realised it was a moan. He hurried over to the form. Ecu's face had been left untouched, but her limbs were mush and there was a gaping wound in her chest, roughly the shape of a fist. He could see her collapsed lung within. Her other lung was just barely functioning.
"Ecu..." Rakust said, cradling the dying elf.
"Rakust..." the elf said, her breathing rapid, like a dog after a long run. "My... my body..."
"I'm sorry," Rakust said, shaking his head. "It wasn't meant to go this way. I'll bury you."
"No... no..." Ecu said. "My... brother... Fa... Famime Empire... Empirspass. Take it to him. He'll... he'll know what..."
A few short, halting breaths and Ecu's passed out, most likely never to wake again. Rakust placed a hand on her head out of respect, then let the body fall to the floor. Rakust would have stood to face his foe, if he could, but he planted himself with his shield and dragged his body across the ground. He picked up the torch and, using rags from one of the bodies, tied it to his shield. Then he worked on following the trail of corpses.
With the torch in hand, it was easy enough to find the cavern entrance. Then all he had to do was follow the bloody footprints down. When he came upon the colossus at last, towering in the high natural cave, the being seemed to be resting from its recent slaughter. It stood perfectly still in the corner of the cave, a disproportionately small and bloody bronze sword held in both hands, point resting on the floor. Rakust recognised the sword. He had seen Milu sharpening mere hours before, and at that moment he knew that Warbronze had used it to slay every last ally he had brought.
It was time to put an end to Smospe Warbronze, the Ignited Warrior, or to be ended in turn.
Rakust tried to grasp hold of the colossus' blade, dropping his spear and trusting to his blessed wolfbone shield to protect him. He became locked in a battle of strength for the blade, his grip slipping against that of the great colossus.
Rakust heard a ragged scream from the entrance to the cavern. Against all odds, Ecu dragged herself into the room on barely functioning limbs and began stabbing wildly at the colossus. Completely uneffective as the attack proved to be, it bought time for Rakust to seize his spear again and begin thrusting it at the colossus' impenetrable hide. The colossus brought his sword down, cleaving Ecu's body in two, then turned to face the tiny crippled foe.
The battle persisted for hours as both fighters traded blows, Warbronze unable to bypass Rakust's blessed shield, Rakust unable to penetrate Warbronze's hide.
The problem, realised Rakust, is that no matter how hard I try, bone cannot pierce bronze.
He began to shuffle backward in retreat from his foe, the colossus striding forward to seize the advantage. Rakust would have believed Warbronze eager to slay him, but somehow he doubted even living bronze had such desires. He spared a split second of thought for Ecu's torn-up corpse. I'll come back for you, he promised, then continued his shuffling retreat.
Rakust crawled his way backwards up the winding tunnels of Warbronze's lair, fighting at every moment to ward away the colossus' blows and painfully aware that each of those moments could be his last. The worst part was the silence. Warbronze never spoke, never screamed, never even laughed. While its limbs moved with fluidity, its face was an expressionless mask. There was a horrible inevitability to it, because although Rakust knew that he would eventually wear out, Warbronze would never tire. He would keep coming until Rakust collapsed from exhaustion, and he would never stop.
By the time he reached the surface, Rakust was already feeling the effects of drowsiness. The sun was high in the sky by now - they had been in the cave over half a day. He would need sleep soon.
Rakust dragged himself into the field of corpses, now horribly visible in the mid-day sun, trying desperately to get to the edge of the cliff. The colossus kept following him, every single step of the way. He made it to the cliff edge and whispered a prayer to any god that might hear him.
With his one good leg, Rakust jumped.
----
28th Felsite
I got away, barely, but I nearly broke my other leg in the process. Turns out when you weigh as much as a castle, you think twice about jumping off a cliff in pursuit. Kind of like how spiders can fall a lot further because they're lighter, I guess. I waited in the forest for about a day, then crawled back to try and drag home the bodies. Thank the gods; Warbronze had retreated to his chamber.
I'll come back. I'll avenge the deaths of my companions. I don't care whether I get paid for this or not, I will not yield to this.
But to do that, I'm going to need that plot of land. Time to talk to the elves.
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16 (22.5%)
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Topic: Goblin Manor (Fortress) - Wardedhawks, The Home of Heroes (Read 17897 times)