by Galen Wolf
Then a message flashes on my HUD.
“I would,” Mercurius says, as if he can read my HUD.
“Of course.”
I hit accept. My sword is enveloped in a beautiful golden glow. When the glow dies away and I examine the blade I see it has now got 300 Holy Damage on it. Things get better and better.
The hand vanishes below the waves and the water settles. “Let’s go back to see St Gwynnan.”
It seems to take less time to get back to the village. The villagers let up a cheer when they see us as if news of the dragon’s demise has already reached them. I can’t help but feel a sense of achievement. We go to St Gwynnan’s chapel. I hitch Spirit outside and walk in to where the red haired saint gives me another hug.
“Well done Gorrow!” he says.
I shrug. “Most of it was down to Mercurius.”
Mercurius slaps me on the back. “No, no. The lad did well. He’ll be a fine knight. And soon.”
St Gwynnan tilts his head. “The Lady gave you her blessing?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Richly deserved. To fight a dragon is no small thing. It would have been easy to turn your back on the challenge and go after smaller fry.”
He’s such a nice guy. His green eyes sparkle. “But I would like to add my own blessing.”
He closes his eyes and clasps his hand in prayer and then white smoke rises up from the ground and wraps around me. It only lasts for a second or two but when it’s gone I see my armour has a white sheen. I probe it to see I now have a Holy Armour blessing of +400 to my armour rating, giving me a total of 3400. That is very cool.
I look around to see Mercurius has gone out of the chapel. I bow to the saint again. I guess it’s time for us to make our way home. I go out to find Mercurius and see him by the churchyard gates, his brows knitted in concern.
“What’s up?”
“Bad news. Very bad news.”
The suspense is killing me. “What?”
“Satanus broke the King’s Army at Birdoswald. King Arthur has retreated back to Camelot and the city is besieged by the forces of the Evil One.”
“We need to go and help.”
Mercurius nods. “He’ll need every one. We can’t let Camelot fall.”
I mount Spirit and we trot then gallop on the stony road south to Camelot.
23
The Siege of Camelot
The first thing I see are clouds of black smoke. And then as we get closer, still galloping, the black hordes of the enemy’s armies. There are creatures there I’ve never encountered before, high level mobs I don’t recognise. We pause on top of a hill getting a good view of the true scale of the battle and I take the opportunity to ask Mercurius what they are.
He points his mailed finger. “Vampires of course, dire wolves, giant skeletons, undead elephants...”
“Undead elephants?”
“Yep. See those flitting above the army, those are pterosaurs. The black shadowy things are wraiths.”
As I peer ahead, shielding my eyes from the weak sunlight to see better, I make out that behind and among the hordes of NPC mobs are player characters. Some of them have guild banners and they are proudly displaying guild names above their heads. I see the Fangs of Koth, but also Dead Souls, The Reapers, and Blood for Satanus.
They have big siege engines, mangonels and trebuchets hurling boulders at the battlements of Camelot. As I watch I see a shower of dust and rubble go up as they score a direct hit on the Priests’ Tower.
“How are we going to get through that army?” I ask.
Mercurius has his visor up so I can see how deeply he’s frowning. “I don’t know. The best thing we can do is attack their lines of supply and hit any reinforcements that are coming from the north.”
It seems like a plan. We move forward and the enemy army is now about a mile distant. We find a small wood just off the road fork with us having come down the north west road from Kirkgunzeon and the enemy likely to come from the north-east. We only have to wait about half an hour before a unit of trolls carrying packs full of arrows to re-supply their archers appears.
Mercurius nods and snaps down his visor. I hand him his lance. He kicks his heels and his horse moves forward. I unsheathe my sword to the familiar and reassuring crackling of fire and cold. This time there is a faint hiss and when I look it is coming from billows of white that mingle with the blue and yellow. I’m keen to see how the sword does.
I don’t have long to wait. Mercurius hits the first one in the flank with his lance, slaying it instantly. We have the benefit of surprise and I get a crit as one turns to see Mercurius.
Wow, that was a big number. All gamers like to see the big numbers, and I’m no exception. I slash wildly at the back of another who still hasn’t reacted to me and I get another crit and another kill. A troll attempts to bash me with his club. His weapon clangs off my armour. Panic ripples across the trolls’ faces and they turn and run.
They run and we ride them down. They stumble and fall in realistic splashes of gore until they are all gone and their arrows will never reach the enemy army. This is at least a worthwhile thing to do.
I need 1200xp for Level 11.
We wait in our wood and watch the enemy batter the walls of Camelot. Fire projectiles slowly arc through the air, igniting buildings inside the city which go up with palls of smoke. The Priests Tower and the Alchemists Tower have taken damage, the Knights’ Tower looks intact so far. The sky darkens and I think night has come early and then I see a huge figure, bat-winged and surrounded by a haze of red, descending from the clouds.
“Oh dear,” Mercurius says. “That’s Satanus himself, come to the battle.”
“He’s a player?”
“Yep. Some twisted, sadistic griefer who likes ruining other peoples lives. He’s a player all right.”
The enemy army gives up a roar when they see their leader. I hear Mercurius sigh heavily.
“What now?” I ask.
“We do our bit.”
We don’t have long to wait when an artillery train drawn by trolls and guarded by Dwemmers comes down the road. Once again we gallop into the attack. We make short work of the Dwemmers and the trolls. My sword slices through them and they can’t touch me in my armour. It almost feels too easy, then I turn and look at the huge beasts and players that are surrounding Camelot. Flames blaze in the city, reflecting red against the low clouds. One of the walls looks very damaged.
I’m pleased with the xp from hitting the supply trains. I need 800 now for Level 10. Then Mercurius says, “Listen.”
I listen and hear the high calls of brass trumpets. We advance from the wood onto a small raise so we can get a better view. The North Gate of Camelot slowly opens and I see the gleaming knights emerge. These are players, the main guild of course is The Knights of the Round Table, but with them are priests from the Order of St Constantine and the Followers of St Helen. Their blades and maces are drawn and glow white with holy power, illuminating the hideous enemies like a hundred magnesium flares. Also with them are the Alchemists Guild and the Firethrowers. Before them all advance a wall of NPC spearmen, pikes levelled in schiltron formation. At the flanks are lightly armoured mounted hobilars and the knights form three battalions, their lances levelled, pennants fluttering. In the middle is the king himself surrounded by his most trusted knights. King Arthur’s banner is a white flag with a red cross and he carries the same emblem on his shield. Around him I recognise the arms of Sir Bors, Sir Galahad, Sir Parsifal, and Sir Lancelot. There are others I don’t recognise. It is an awesome sight to see the knights of the Round Table advance to war.
“Looks like the big one,” Mercurius says. “He must reckon it’s do or die now.”
A
s we watch, the trumpets ring out, the mounted drummers beat the advance and the NPC spearmen press against their monstrous foes. The enemy roar and charge, the spearman brace and take the assault, many of the trolls and hobgoblins end up like bugs on pins. But there are so many of them.
I can’t let our guys take this alone. I look to Mercurius for a lead.
“It’s time,” he says.
I nudge Spirit into a trot. We’re a fair way behind the enemy rear still. As we get closer we move up into a canter. Mercurius has his lance at the port, but then he couches it and readies. I unsheathe my sword. I’m concentrating on the rear of a unit of dire wolves.
I don’t see the dark shape before it hits me.
I raise my shield and slash out above me.
We trade blows until I crit and kill it.
I now need 600 for my level. I sip health, kill another pterosaur and I only need 400.
Mercurius finishes the last one and we get back to the dire wolves. They’ve now seen us and have turned to counter our threat to their rear. Ahead I hear a great shout and I almost feel the shock of the impact as the enemy forces reel back, sending their comrades stumbling all the way back to us. King Arthur has charged. I see the black and red winged shape of Satanus rise above his forces as his soars up to do battle with the King.
The dire wolves snarl and charge and we counter charge then I’m among the wolves slashing down at them. They leap and bite and I kill two. A third knocks me from Spirit and I’m down to 120 health. I sip potion but get bitten again. I’m focused on my own combat so I can’t see what Mercurius is doing but I hear the clash of steel behind me. I slaughter a dire wolf and I get my level.
Then another one’s on me. I get bitten again and am down to <80/550>. My heal potion is on cool down. I panic and jab a wolf as it leaps, skewering it and getting a crit so it dies with a whine. I look around and see Mercurius fighting two wolves. I go to his aid and kill the second one.
“Thanks.”
“I got my level.”
He congratulates me. “You are ready for knighthood. You’ve done well.”
“Just need to see the king, I guess?”
But that is going to be harder to say than to do. I peer at the slaughter ahead of us. I can hear shouts and the sounds of combat and death. I see flashing white swords in the distance as the knights attack their enemies. It’s player versus player combat now and the Knights of the Round Table and the different Camelot guilds are battling for their lives.
“Let’s fight our way through? “I say.
“Of course. Well spoken.”
“A knight never runs.”
“Never.”
I get Spirit, mount and ride beside Mercurius. The battle is more chaotic now. We fight our way through a unit of Hobgoblin spearmen who don’t cause us much problem. There is a unit of elephants to our right. I think about charging them, but our main aim now must be to get to King Arthur.
I see the enemy guilds have the knights and priests surrounded on a small hill. Most of the Camelot NPCs are dead or fled away. I see King Arthur’s flag standing bravely guarded by Sir Parsifal. As I watch Satanus dives from above and strikes at the King. The attack would have slaughtered a lesser man, but King Arthur is not king for nothing. He withstands the fiend’s attack and counter attacks with his sword of blinding white. The holy sword Excalibur strikes at the winged devil and hurts him sore.
Then I see Sir Luc and Bernard are standing with Adele among King Arthur’s forces, surrounded on the hill. Three of the Fangs of Koth are charging my friends. I recognise them as Azaz and Melchior. Standing back is Gearhart, firing arrows of dazzling black negative energy at the knights. I see a burning alchemist’s flask hurtle through the air and explode sending a unit of Skeleton warriors reeling back covered in napalm like fire. It looks like Bernard’s work.
But the battle isn’t going our way. Mercurius and I are hacking through enemy NPCs.
“To Adele?” He says.
“Of course.”
I hear the titanic clash of arms as the King struggles with the fire breath of Satanus and his claws like steel hooks. King Arthur’s horse Llamrei lashes out with steel shod hooves at the minions that try to accost her king.
Mercurius and I concentrate and we break through the NPCs and face enemy player characters. Then I see something coming from Camelot. Across, the broken and bloodied ground a group of alchemists are dragging a heavy metal tube. On its barrel are cast holy scenes of the saints and Our Lord. They set it up a three wraiths notice them. The dark shaped figures float over the ground towards them and an enormous blast and gout of flame shoots out from the alchemists’ cannon and obliterates them.
I sip another health potion but it only takes me up to <320/550>. We charge the Fangs of Koth. Gearhart turns and sees me. He fires an unholy arrow straight into my chest. He’s improved his skills since we last met.
I have not damage reduction for unholy damage so I’m down to <170/550> and my potion is on cool down. He doesn’t get another arrow off before I slice him.
He’s also improved his armour.
He hits me again and I’m down to <20/550>. I can see the grin on his evil face. He obviously has the skill to read my health. I see him ready another arrow but I hit him and crit for 180, which is enough to send him stumbling back and sipping at a health potion. That allows me to hit him again for 60.
But then he readies his arrow. If he kills me, I’ll go back to Croglin. I won’t get knighted and, judging by the way this is going, Camelot will fall.
Then a glow of silver wraps round me and I turn to see Adele has healed me for 300. Gearhart’s arrow takes me down to 170/550 but I sip Health 80 and I press my attack. Spirit lashes out at him with his hooves and Gearhart turns, allowing me hit him in the side and get an autocrit. He goes for his health potion and I jab him again for another lucky crit. And he’s dead.
Adele hits me with another heal and I’m 470/550, which feels better. I shout my thanks but see Luc is unhorsed and fighting Melchior of the Fangs of Koth. Mercurius rushes over to greet Adele and Bernard waves at me and runs over. “Here,” he stuffs a blue healing potion into my hand. It’s a Health 120. His skills have improved too. I take a sip and feel much better.
“No!” Adele shouts and I turn to see Sir Luc go down under Melchior’s axe. His ghost shimmers and disappears back to its binding point.
“Let’s go to the King,” Mercurius says. I press Spirit forward but Melchior rushes me, axe swinging. He hits for 120. I fight back and damage him, but it’s going to be an uneven slog. Then Bernard rushes over, shouting, “Fall back.”
I’m confused until I see he has a fizzing, glowing object in his fist. He runs at a surprised Melchior. Mercurius has seen this before, though I’m baffled. “Back!” he yells.
Bernard grabs at the back of Melchior’s metal plate armour and stuffs the object down the neck. He then turns and rolls away with remarkable agility and I see Melchior explode in a blaze of yellow flame.
Bernard stands, wiping his eyes. “Alchemist’s grenade.”
“Pretty impressive.”
Looking through the melee, Mercurius says, “We’re nearly at the King.”
There are only a few players between us and the King. Sir Bors is nearby and Sir Lamorak wielding a greataxe. Their fighting members of the Dead Souls. Then there’s a shriek and I see Satanus flap up to the red skies. The King has pierced him with Excalibur and the demon king has decided to let his minions finish off the Arthur and his knights it seems.
“Watch out!” yells Adele. I turn to see where she’s pointing and see six members of The Reapers charging us on skeleton horses. Mercurius and I turn to face them. Bernard c
hucks grenade after grenade, hitting them with acid and fire, but they keep coming.
This could be my end. But what an end!
I bend low on Spirit and we charge.
24
Sir Gorrow of the Bloody Field
Two of the Reapers go after Bernard who, knowing he’s no match for the armoured enemy toe to toe, turns and flees. Mercurius hits one in his flank full tilt and even though he crits, the guy doesn’t go down. The second one, seeing me, hefts his axe and snarls. He turns his skeleton horse and comes at me.
I charge into him and Spirit rears, raining hoof blows on the Reaper’s undead steed. I pull Spirit’s reins left and hack down. He raises his axe, facing me head on so I don’t get an autocrit.
Before he can raise the heavy axe to strike I hit him again for another 160.
Then he swings laterally, smashing his heavy blade into my armoured leg, but my armour withstands it. With all my bonuses I have a standing armour of 3400 and he’s only got 3000 damage on his weapon.
I swing again, and this time I crit for 480.
He sips a blue health potion but I don’t know what strength it is. His healing takes a slot and I hit him again. He swings but misses. He’s always going to miss unless he can hit me with elemental damage. Seeing, he can’t win this, he turns and tries to get away on his undead horse. He starts to pull away, he’s clearly faster than me but then runs up against a group of his own side’s NPCs and he can’t get through them. I’m on him and cut down and right then raise my blade to cut down and left then down and right in a x-shape. I get crits each time and then jab, skewering him just under his right shoulder.
I hear Mercurius cheer behind me. He’s finished his opponent and Bernard runs up to me. Adele is on her horse she attempts to heal me and says, “Hey, no injuries! You’re getting good.”
