Chapter 7
Karl brought the truck to an abrupt halt, tossing a pair of smoke grenades out of his window, giving us a few seconds to regroup and plan to meet the charge.
Tingles of mana use shimmered over my body as Karl hopped into the truck bed beside me.
"That’s a regenerating mana shield I cast on you. It’s a bit slow to come back, so try not to take too many direct hits. I’ll enchant your outfit later, but the process takes a few days, there just wasn’t time." He explained.
Well, that certainly eases my mind.
More tingles lit up my nerves and I had to stifle a moan.
"Strength and speed buffs, for lack of a better description" Karl smiled. Oh Moon Goddess, he didn’t notice that moan did he? That would be so embarrassing.
"You flank right and finish that heavy infantry. I’m good with area of attack, so I’ll start with the gate guards, circle behind them when you’re finished and meet me in the middle." Karl nodded in satisfaction with his plan, before hopping out of the truck, shotgun mounted with a drum magazine in one hand and what appeared to be a purple light saber in the other. What sort of combat technique is that? Hillbilly Jedi?
Moving into the smoke to meet my designated targets I was almost happy for my enhanced senses. Visibility was almost nothing in this smoke, but the stench of charred orc was overwhelming, making me a bit nauseous.
*Maybe I could have plugged my nose, these orcs are not at all stealthy* I thought, hearing heavy clumping footsteps sounding through the haze.
I turned towards them, sensing from the noise that they were making a clumsy attempt to surround the truck, not realizing that we’d both moved on from that location. That’s when the first came into view, towering over my crouched figure, I’m not certain he even noticed my presence before I lunged at his face, tapping my hands together and willing the gloves enchantment to life.
Ugh, that’s one down, but they smell even worse before you burn them.
Immediately to my right I hear two sets of steps together and launch myself into the thick, acrid smoke. Perfect, they’re back to back, looking out for each other, but react far too slowly to my silent attack. Necks fountaining blood they collapse into a pile with loud clangs of metal armor clashing and squealing battle cries fill the air.
Cries of agony sound out from the direction Karl disappeared and I hear what sounds like shouted orders. Someone must be trying to rally their defensive forces, maybe get them out of the smoke now that they know we are still on the attack. I’ll have to work fast if I want to finish the elite forces and circle behind the main force without being in the clear.
Heart pounding I pick off one huge orc after another, taking nothing more than superficial glances to the barrier Karl placed on me. The light when it gets hit has dimmed some, but still looks capable enough. The feeling of invincibility is almost euphoric and I don’t even notice that I’ve shifted to my lycan form, ears up searching for targets and tail slowly wagging at the thrill of combat.
There, that’s the last of this group. Now to get behind the gate guards. I can hear them gathering as they retreat, sounds of panic in the air, the sound of shotgun blasts still ringing through the air. How much ammunition did that mage bring with him? He must have fired a hundred or more rounds already, the sounds a constant barrage to my senses.
I’ve reached the edge of the smoke, and the scene before me is both baffling and horrific. Karl is indeed doing his very best Jedi impression, magical sword flashing so fast it leaves after images even in my sight. But at the same time, he’s standing upon a mound of corpses, surrounded by orcs with spears and swords, shotgun blasting an even rhythm, finding a new target with every blast, yet seemingly being fired blind.
Almost crawling through the mangled grass, coming almost to the picket line of the encampment, I circle most of the way behind the orcs before one starts snuffling at the air and looks directly at me. Pointing my location with his spear, his platoon of a dozen orcish warriors breaks off from the main force, which starts to realign into an arc to deal with this second threat.
I was wrong to take these lightly armoured guards lightly. While wearing next to no armour, they’re very skilled with their weapons, switching to relatively short swords instantly when I dash inside easy spear range. And they’re fast, much faster than the first group. But no match for me at this moment.
Half the squad has already fallen to my claws before reinforcements reach us and I begin to notice a change in the orcs attack patterns. No longer are they going for a quick kill, it seems they intend to wound and capture me. Ripping my claws from groin to sternum of my current opponent, a sword smashes into my back, knocking me to the ground and causing the orcs to squeal in glee. Slashing upwards quickly as I sense movement my claws dice a net that had been coming to cover me, its corners weighted and webbing covered in some sort of sticky substance.
They seem really serious about taking me prisoner. Nope, no way, not gonna let that happen. As if the vile smell wasn’t enough, the glint in the orcs eyes is giving me major creeps, causing every instinct to scream at me to avoid capture at all costs.
"Coming to you!" Karl shouts, executing a graceful, obviously super human leap over his crowd of opponents and landing at my side.
"It seems I under estimated their ability to sniff out females, but no matter. This spot will do as well as any" He pants, and I shudder at the implication. "Stay close on my side and I’ll do a mass clear. Carry me back to the truck if I collapse from mana deprivation"
Nodding my agreement, I decide it’s best not to voice my concerns about what exactly a mass clear entails, or just how bad our situation will get if he collapses and I have to fight protecting his body.
Karl slaps a fresh drum on the shotgun, and discards the now empty pouch slung over his shoulder before handing the weapon to me.
"Just keep them entertained for 30 seconds, I’ve got to set a circle for something this big" he commands while drawing a glowing circle on the ground, adding intricate details and some form of runic writing while my shotgun fire drives the remaining orcs back behind the picket line and into the camp walls.
Spears begin to rain down on us now that there is no danger of friendly fire, and I hurry to swat as many as possible away with a borrowed spear of my own.
"You’d better make this a quick circle mage, I can’t keep this up forever" I shout as the rain increases and I have to move in front of him, using my body and its rapidly failing shield to deflect away the ones my spear can’t get to in time.
"Done, give it 5 seconds and the camp will be clear"
"Oooh, here comes the good part" Narishma giggles with a disconcerting smile, showing off her fangs to the gathered technicians watching the drone feed of the fight.
"Good Part, it looks to me more like they’ve fought to a stalemate?" Agent Smith questions, drawing mass laughter from the assembled mages.
"Just give it a moment and you’ll understand why he’s under sanctions" a number of voices mutter in unison, causing Agent Smith to wonder exactly how bad the big biker’s reputation is, and why.
At that moment a flash of light blinds every camera at once, grainy images slowly returning before clearing to show scattered smoke and a ruined waste with a portal in the middle where the camp once stood. Everything from buildings to living beings has been shredded, not even the sturdy stone of the smithy forge remains intact, though the coals of the fire still burn, scattered out from the epicenter of the blast.