Beyond The Wall 2: Noble Intention

by Pwyll Duggan

  I'm running at Bunny, whip girl's eyes wide as an arrow sinks into my chest, another bouncing from the spirita shields on my arm. I'm punching, crunching sounds amongst the screams that go silent. Arrows are still arriving in the rain, coming from the burning building.

  I look up at the archer, drawing at me again and point. The Bright bolt flies at him, bow exploding at the hit, body slamming the wall of the burning building. I don't care. I'm holding Bunny, tiny blue globe floating above her, in tears. The heal doesn't work on her, healing me instead.

  I don't know what to do.

  I don't know what to do. I repeat that as night falls, rocking back and forth.

  Someone screams as a burning figure exits the building opposite. They're blown back in by a spear. I grab another and head over. Killing is good. They deserve killing. I walk into the burning building, ash and embers falling on me. One mage is coughing on the floor, the other pinned to the far wall, unmoving. I look down, stabbing until there's no more movement. Adding a few more, just to be sure, you bastards. I step out into the rain, look up and walk back to Bunny.

  She's lying there, rain running off her face, hair wet. Someone's shaking me, dragging me to Reiji. I reach down and touch him, not hearing his screaming. The electricity goes to me and I feel the heal leave me. My hands shake in pulse to the sparks and another heal, and they are away. Someone shakes me again, Amaya talking to me. Whatever. I kneel at the spears, adding them to my back. Princess is in my hand, staring back at me, eye blinking in the rain. I hear myself - "I want her to stay" and then the reply.

  Done.

  Her globe is gone as I pick up Bunny, taking her to the temple steps. Princess helps me take her long braid, cutting it gracefully from her head. Doll takes it from me, and I turn, walking into the rain, spear in each hand.

  Anything I met in furs or with that, that mark. Dies. Badly. In a lot of pain. I take arms and legs off, mainly. I pin them to buildings or throw them thru them. Before I realise, I am running up every street, clearing the whole western side and getting back to the bridge. Blood and gore follow me, trailing behind me. I don't care.

  The bridge is held, carriage at the rear providing heavy fire, the Vy Kings choosing not to cross over it. People see me and turn, saying things with their mouths, looking at me. It's just noise. I walk past them all, looks on these people's faces should make my heart move.

  It doesn't.

  I watch another flaming stone crash into the eastern village. I re-enhance, white flashes in the darkness. I float over the defenders, land in front of the line and walk over the bridge.

  That noise again as the Vy Kings shout at me. I answer with spears, blowing apart their formation before I should be in range. Spears at my side I just thrust, back and forth non-stop. It smashes, shields, armour and bodies. With their elite’s dead I clean the streets, throwing when I need to, feeding Princess as I go. It's only once I get to the Tanaka estate does the enemy change tactics. Outside the gate is a small formation of white armoured troops, spears up, officer out front. We walk forward, noise coming from his mouth, icy sphere flying from mine as I scream it at them.

  Adding more spears to my back I just jump over the gate, surprising the four guards facing the other side, fear on their faces. They run, and as the saying goes, die tired. I walk up the steps and into the mansion, bloody footprints in my wake. The house is a mess, signs of fighting everywhere. No looting from what I can see. Just lots of mess. I wander unopposed, nobody here. I finally hear the faint sounds of fighting, somewhere near the kitchen. That leads me down the stairs into the basement.

  Going down the stairs gets me closer, with the sounds louder and light pooling around the vault door at the far back of the room. Someone injured is holding off a squad of white troops, spears vs the one spear. Chen is staggering around, blocking the two fighting him, blood streaming down from a side hit. They stand back as the leader talks to him as I move up from the darkness.

  "Give up the girl. We have Lady Tanaka. We just need her whor..." and I put a spear thru his head, pulling it out as fast as it entered. I whack the two spears out wards that thrust at me, flicking mine back, slitting throats and stepping forward. Chen uses the surprise to drop one. I do an under-arm throw, punching thru two on one side and sweep the spear braining the last from the side. Chen slumps over, trying to use his spear to stay upright. I touch him and let the heal flow. Two left.

  Words are being spoken as I touch the vault door. People should be here. My people. I shake my head, Chen staring at me. I finally talk.

  "Report?"

  "I got Aysun in there, but they had too many. Rika's guards were killed, and they captured her. They took her away and I..." I raise my hand.

  "Get her to safety." I turn to go and he's still making noise.

  "What happened? You're not all here." I cut him off.

  "Army to kill. I might be back after that." I head out, stepping over the bodies and blood I'm leaving behind.

  They took Rika. Their mistake.

  Chapter 36

  They have only two catapults, throwing flaming clay pots and its cargo at the village. Their Sargent is rather loud, yelling at his troops, telling me this is a test for using more in the future, trying to get a good reload speed up. They have set up and a small rise, pushing 1200 feet away. Makes them both in range of each other, so I head north for a better angle. I get spotted, but in the rain no archers are going to risk a shoot. I'm also one man and they have such nice tents to keep the rain off.

  I watch the loading crew struggle with a large pot as the arm of the catapult gets winched down. I heft a spear, thinking maybe 2 seconds flight time and do a small run up and throw. I hope I can explode that pot, spraying oil everywhere over it. I miss. I hit the catapult arm instead, shattering it and the tension flips the end backwards, hitting the pot, spraying oil everywhere, including the torch bearer behind them all.

  And they make like dogs and go 'woof' and then there’s the bang as the catapult snaps and the debris field expands. Running figures on fire then fall, more ammunition catches, and we have a chain reaction, all the ammo going up at once. Hope Lady Rika is explaining the dangers of keeping her prisoner during this - that's what happens in the movies anyway.

  I use the fire and smoke as cover, popping invis and just walk around all the troops, confusion now the king here. Some officers come and take charge but seeing no attack start assuming human error. Runners go back and forth to these men, so I follow them into the main camp, behind the rise.

  There are tents for as far as I can see in the darkness. Campfires dot the landscape, fields in ruin underneath them. I stand well back of the tracks they have already made in the fields, silently counting. Cavalry, infantry, archers and spearman. Supply trains and one very large tent, in the centre. It has the only heavy armour I can see worn by its guards. To the south are the fur tents of the Vy Kings, with few camp followers around, tending to what needs to be done. Should have been more careful. Could have used those clay pots for this.

  What pickets, guards, I see are way too far apart to be useful. They're more interested in staying warm at the watch fires than guarding the camp, which is all fine by me. Listening in on the conversations I pass tells me they will 'liberate' Kawaba in the morning, from those barbarian Vy Kings. They seem to more upset that they cannot pillage and rape everyone than at anything else. Too bad you bastards, too bad.

  They have no dogs or watch animals at all, meaning I barely have to try and dodge any group of guards. Stick to the paths, dodge off as someone comes, too easy. Up ahead there is a patrol, guarding a sole person, leading them on. They give that person plenty of space, and I can guess why. Rika's voice carries over the camp noises "told you. Touch me again and another one of you will lose that body part you think with." She's in fine form.

  I race ahead to the huge tent. Its front is open, so I go in and move to the side immediately. Three long tables run up the length, ending at a raised dais, with two thrones. A
woman in a kimono of white and pink sits next to another mountain of a man, more hair than fur. Huge axe by his side, twin heads this time. The tables seem to be filled with officers, with the only stand out being a General, way at the front being tended too by some rather pretty servants. Officer's also vi for his attention, laughing at his jokes as he gropes the servants.

  The far table has almost no one on it, so I walk to the front there. No fear of being heard inside here, too much joyous celebration to hear anyone moving around. I perch myself at the end of the table, Princess over my shoulder, no one seeing thru my illusion. I rest, waiting for Rika to arrive.

  They bring her in to a big cheer, taking her forward to the dais, hands bound by rope, being led by them. An officer bows low to the dais. "My Lady Murdock. The Lady Tanaka as requested." Rika tosses her head, hair going wild.

  "Tanaka - Walsh." She says.

  The man laughs, deep and strong.

  "You heard the horns. Your 'husband' is no more. Those are my elites, trained to capture young dragons. A weak Shielder is no work for them."

  He swigs a huge horn of ale, holds it out as it is filled by a lovely servant, drinking it down again.

  "She's not bad. Can I have her wife. Your sister only needs her to sign papers." The lady on the throne is young and waves a dismissive hand at him.

  "My sister needs her, so not too much damage. She seems... trainable. Unlike that last one."

  A wave of laughter rolls thru the officers, some of it forced. The man raises his horn.

  "To the prizes my troops have bought us." The room drinks up and I stand up, roll my shoulders and get ready to work. Rika looks at the man.

  "Touch me and you will die." She's cold. He just laughs.

  "Your town is no more. Two hundred of my best are laying waste to it. In the morning these brave soldiers will save the town from them and 'poof' it becomes my new wife's domain, from which to conqueror the north." He steps down, going close to her. He reaches a hand out.

  Princess cleaves him, shoulder to hip, no armour to cut. He slides in two as I cut Rika free, handing her a dagger. The rooms deathly silent.

  "You go for your weapons, I take your soul. It’s that simple." I point Princess at the Lady on the throne.

  "You so much as move I will strike you down. The only thing keeping any of you alive is Lady Tanaka-Walsh here." Her hand goes to my shoulder and a whispered "Thank you" comes from behind.

  "They have, they have..." I stop and breathe. "They killed Bunny."

  I don't hear anything behind me, not even breathing. She walks forward, Lady Murdock sweating in her seat. She stands to the side of the throne and looks out at the room.

  "Do not fear."

  She twirls the dagger in her hand, reversing the grip. She holds the dagger high and then snaps it back, plunging it thru Lady Murdock's eye, into her brain.

  "The pain won’t last long for you."

  She nods at me and I send Princess flying, cutting down the general first. They don't last long at all. Being noble officers doesn't mean they know how to fight.

  I pull Princess up, cleaning her as Rika comes back to me, small sack dripping as she goes. I grab the huge axe, a few trinkets he had and meet her in the middle of the tent.

  "Take me home and burns this to the ground."

  I nod, take her in my arms and fly out and up a little, visible to all. As the guards sound an alarm, I launch fireballs into the tent and speed off into the night, leaving the flames behind.

  We fly over the ruined east half of the village, to the bridge and river side area, seeing the bustle of defenders is there. Landing I let Rika go, flying off to the Temple without pause. Bunny's body is not there as I land. People are moving bodies, debris as the fires are all out. I let the pull drag me in. As I get near, I sit, numb to it all.

  Operational Power at 03:102:12:21:43

  Shielder Network Connector #00735 Present

  Soul Refinery #0008 Present, bond detected to #00735

  Heartwood Present, bond detected to #00735

  ID: Paul Walsh, System: Sol 00548, Sol III

  Current Level: 20, ADVENTURER

  Harvested Spirita Aqua Detected

  Refined Spirita Aqua Detected - chosen for Storage.

  Prepare for Spirita Aqua Removal.........3...2...1

  Harvesting...

  Genus: Goblinoid

  Snotlings: 100 - total 285

  Goblins: 50 - total 200

  Genus: Humanoid

  Human Bandits: 14 - total 14

  Bane I Achieved, boon granted

  Human Blood Mercenary: 120 - total 130

  Bane II Achieved, boon granted

  Bane III Achieved, boon granted

  Bane IV Achieved, boon granted

  Human Mage: 4 - total 6

  Human Adventurers, Blood Mercenary: 6 - total 10

  Bane I Achieved, boon granted

  Human Corrupted Lead Soldiers: 10 - total 10

  Bane I Achieved, boon granted

  Human Corrupted Lead Officers: 10 - total 10

  Bane I Achieved, boon granted

  Human Corrupted General: 1 - total 1

  Human Corrupted Lords:2 - total 6

  Were, bear: 20 - total 20

  Bane I Achieved, boon granted

  Genus: Dragonoid Type

  Wyvern: 1 - total 2

  Dragon, Immature:1 - total 1

  Spirita Aqua Deposited Value: 4790

  Boon granted, 500 deposit

  Boon granted, 1000 deposit

  Boon granted, 1500 deposit

  Boon granted, 2000 deposit

  Boon granted, 2500 deposit

  Boon granted, 3000 deposit

  Boon granted, 3500 deposit

  Boon granted, 4000 deposit

  Boon granted, 4500 deposit

  Operational Power Now at 04:216:12:20:32

  Adjusting Shielder Network Connector: Spirita Aqua Deposit: 4790xp

  Total Adjustment: 4790 xp added 26745 xp total

  Shielder Network Connector #00735 XP at 26745xp

  Level 21 reached - one power point, one other.

  Level 22 reached - one power point

  Level 23 reached - one power point

  17 boon(s) tables generated for after power selection.

  220 Refined Spirita Aqua in storage.

  Leveling in 3...2...1...

  It kicks in and I feel nothing, staring off into the distance.

  Level 21 - Ability Increase or Power Choice? Other?

  "Power?"

  Powers available.

  Spirita: Firebolt, Boost, Mageshot, Chaotic Globe, Find Familiar, Summon Servant, Summon Lesser Undead, Summon Lesser Monster, Summon Lesser Daemon, Summon Minor Elemental, Lightning Bolt, Invisibility, Unseen Sight, Armour, Shield, Magic Weapon, Elemental Weapons, Enhance Companion, Flame Fan, Fog, Hidden Script, Lock, Blur, Levitate, Dragon's Breath, Mimic, Web, Fly, Fogform, Remove Curse, Elemental cloud, Elemental Wall, Vampire's touch, Tongue, Icespear, Wave of Lightning, Frozen Touch.

  Fighter: Power Strike II, Cleave, Overpowering Strike, Shield Bash, Leap attack, Reinforced Block, Defensive Fighter, Duellist, Two Weapons, Two Handed Specialist, Weapon Specialist, Eagle Eye, Reload Weapon.

  Mage: Wand Specialist, Staff Specialist, Rod Specialist, Silent Casting, Ritualism, Scroll Scribe, Potion Brewer, Item Creator, Reusable Foci, Enchanter.

  "Power, Eagle Eye. Other?"

  Not that I expect an answer at all, and I'm not let down by getting one.

  "Other, Store for later use."

  Eagle Eye (con) Power Added. Other stored for later use.

  Level 22 - Ability Increase or Power Choice?

  "Ability, Constitution."

  Constitution Increased by one.

  Level 23 - Ability Increase or Power Choice?

  I sigh. I'm going to war.

  "Power, Silent Casting."

  Silent Casting Passive added.

  Boon List Complied. 17 Boons available. Convert or use or store?


  "Ability, Constitution. Ability, Agility. Ability, Agility. Store."

  Constitution Increased by one

  Agility Increased by two

  2 Boon(s) stored

  #00735 now at: Level 23, ADVENTURER

  Fighting 9 Strength 12 Agility 10 Constitution 10

  Intellect 3 Reason 3 Spirita 15 Leadership 4

  Abilities: Survival, all, (S)

  Scout, (S)

  Speed +10%

  Regeneration 0.1% per minute

  Archer (Fighting +1)

  Healing, 20% total health, 9/day

  Shatter (x23 power), touch, 1/day

  Arcana Spirita

  Increased Foci Use

  Increased Scroll Use

  Small Arms

  Heraldry

  Cartography

  Staff Specialist. (Fighting +1)

  Silent Casting (passive)

  Enchantable Skeletal structure.

  Stones Blessing.

  3/day, limited based on object size or amount or a 10-foot radius.

  Power Strike, 12 second cooldown.

  Charge, 12 second cooldown.

  Force Shield, 6/day half sphere, boosted by Spirita, 20 Damage absorbed per Spirita, base 200. Resets midnight.

  Repair Items, 3/day resets at midnight.

  Eagle Eye (con)

  Spirita: Icy Sphere (40)

  Fly (30)

  Fireball (30)

  Tongue (20)

  Enhancement (20)

  Enhance Companion (20)

  Delay (20)

  Invisibility (20)

  Icebolt (10)

  Special: Level Advancement on non-shield container, charges 3.

  Permanent Tongues and Tongues(hidden) power

  Convert refined Spirita to Forced Level advancement on non-shield container. Now 0.2% chance per Refined Spirita Aqua.

  2 Boon(s) Stored

  1 Other(s) Stored

  Storage, 50 slots

  Storage Arm, 1 slot

  Storage Arm, 1 slot

  Shield (10) each arm - charged

  Armour (10) chest - charged

  Resistance to poisons / toxins

  Antidote x3 (20)- charged

  Remove Toxins (20) - charged

  220 Refined Spirita Aqua.