"Is it an orc?' whispered Fer'shad. "Maybe from the village?"
Meatgrinder kneeled on one knee and examined the corpse. "No, not from the village, Fer'shad." Half of the face was gone, the other half the eye was open and staring off into space with an almost pale looking color to them. He then closed the eye.
"Not the end I would wish for," whispered Meatgrinder. He looked around cautiously as if he was expecting something before he turned his attention back to the group.
"This." he pointed to the body before them. "Is a Holmgren or deep orc, You can always tell by the dark grayish skin, white eyes, and of course, these."
He moved to open the mouth of the dead orc and pointed at the fangs both amid the front row and at the bottom of its teeth.
At the mention of deep orcs, Kel’Van started looking at the dead creature in a new light. The only deep race he ever heard of was dwarves. With the heavy-set build and short body, they kind of resembled them to Kel’Van.
"It does look like a weird dwarf in a way," Kel’Van whispered under his breath.
Unfortunately, Meatgrinder heard him. He looked back from his crouched position. "Who told you about dwarves, youngling?" he asked casually.
"Um, Uh, no one,” Kel’Van stammered. "I overheard some of the older orcs talk about them with the Shamans."
Meatgrinder was silent for a time, then turned his head back toward the body.
"Dwarves are darker than this, with faces covered in hair. And they talk too much and too loudly. Holmgren are almost as tall or strong as any of us. I've never heard them speak anything coherent to an orc or even to each other." Meatgrinder shook his head as he stood up. " This is bad."
"What do you mean?" asked Kel’Van
Belos spoke first. "The Holmgren caves are on the other side of the valley, far from here. Only their scouts travel alone and always with a group close by to report to. That is why this creature is smaller in height. It's a scout."
"Which is why this situation is not good," quipped Meatgrinder. "All indications from the amount of Holmgren we've killed and repeatedly encountered coming from that cave says they outnumber us at least 3 to 1. Our best defense has been the fact they do not know where the valley is."
For Kel’Van, the pieces started falling into place.
"So, we've been fighting them on their own ground or at least the caves they keep coming from and not out, here, right?" asked Kel’Van.
"Yes," nodded Belos.
"That is why we got to find the group this scout belongs to," said Meatgrinder. He then faced the whole group.
"Okay, this Warband mission has changed. We now have to find out where the group this scout belonged to is, then eliminate them. None of these things can go back and reveal how close they are to the valley. Voresh and Mal'kep, take point and track where this thing came from. Let's get moving."
Ulgo Meatgrinder invited all four of the youngling orcs back into the Warband. He casually looted the dead Holmgren after Mal'kep found a trail. Once the black smoke floated in the air, they began their hunt.
CHAPTER 10
Mal'kep found the scent of blood from when the gnolls ambushed the scout and worked backward from there. They followed the trail through the underbrush of tall trees and a slight crevice through a massive stone hill. Finally, as the sky was starting to darken, the trail ended. A short hike from their position at the mouth of the crevice, they saw a fire that marked the enemy camp.
They all huddled together once everyone was out of the crevice. With a nod from Ulgo Meatgrinder, Mal'kep silently moved through the tall grass and soon disappeared from sight. Twenty minutes later, he came back just as silently as he left.
"There are 12 in the group, mostly level 6 and eight with one whose level was too high for me to read Ulgo Meatgrinder."
"Hmm, level 8's and at least a level 20" said Meatgrinder as he shook his head." It's not as if we got a choice here."
"They were packing up their gear and tents. The one whose level I could not detect was pointing in this direction. I think they will be here in 15 minutes Ulgo Meatgrinder,” Mal'kep added quickly.
"Seems they are going to try to locate the scout. By Gaea, if we hadn't stumbled upon that nest, the chance they may have come across one of our patrols is high." Meatgrinder growled.
Fuming, the elder Ulgo turned to his Warband.
"We are going to split up. Belos, you and Mal'kep will wait in the underbrush on the left side of this crevice." Meatgrinder pointed his finger towards Fer'shad. "You, Toresh, and Roc'shor will be with me. We will wait just under these trees and brush on the right side of the crevice."
Meatgrinder then put his hands on the shoulder of Kel’Van. " You will take the rest and wait farther back behind me. When I engage the enemy, you will count 15 breaths, and then you will circle behind them, closing off their means of retreat and not a second before youngling!"
Kel’Van was about to turn and address the others that were left to him when Meatgrinder pulled him back.
"Understand they are not like the vermin you have killed earlier. They are not only higher levels than you are, but they are experienced and competent in the use of their weapons. Strike to kill quickly! Surprise is our best weapon here!"
Kel’Van nodded his understanding. Meatgrinder let go of his shoulder, leaving Kel’Van to his preparations, then went about his for the coming battle.
Kel’Van waited patiently just a couple of feet away from Meatgrinder with Voresh and Belar. It wasn't long before the Holmgren began marching towards the crevice. Dark grey skin, pale eyes, and big. He was hoping that they would be the same size as the scout. As far as their size was concerned, they were a bit broader and shorter, but they might as well be Ulgo orcs.
Except for the weapons.
The shiny glint coming off the business end of some of their gear was definitely metallic.
The Holmgren walked right past both groups as they made their way to the crack in the mountain. As the one in the front came close to the entrance, Ulgo Meatgrinder sprung from his hiding place. Without saying a word, he leaped in the air, pulling his weapon from the sheath on his back. On his descent down, Meatgrinder yelled," Thunderclap!" as he swung his large two-handed weapon. A concussive blast of air knocked down all of the Holmgren except one. This grey orc braced himself on one knee with his sword as a shield in front of him. Meatgrinder landed deftly on his feet, then suddenly stabbed forward, skewering the enemy directly in front of him through his stomach. The blade continued through the Holmgren's back, splattering blood on the grey-skinned orcs behind him.
Meatgrinder quickly kicked the dying orc off his sword, just in time for Fer'shad to brutally swing his ax right into the face of an enemy trying to stand up. Toresh and Roc'shor had descended upon the one closest to Meatgrinder, stabbing it in the back, while Roc'shor with two hacks of his twin axes separated his head from his body. Belos and Mal'kep also began their assault on the opposite side of Meatgrinder’s group.
Kel’Van had already circled to the backside of the group. He had already counted down to five, when he saw the tide of the battle begin to change. The difference between fighting the gnolls and fighting Holmgren became apparent very quickly. Though the surprise attack caught them off guard, resulting in three of their numbers dying quickly, they rallied in a formidable fashion. The one orc that managed to not be taken down by Meatgrinder's initial attack quickly swung his broad sword with both hands in an uppercut motion.
Clang!!! The Holmgren's weapon met the downward motion of Meatgrinder's killing attack, blocking the blow, but forced the enemy back to a kneeling position on the ground. The tall grey Holmgren had Meatgrinder's full attention, leaving the other Ulgo orcs to their own devices.
Fer'shad was the only one besides Meatgrinder fighting a single enemy and was losing ground quickly. The Holmgren’s was about Fer’shad’s’ height, bald except for the long black ponytail in the back, and was steadily lashing out with a series of blows. One powerful attack blending with another was
pushing Fer'shad back on his heels and on the defensive, blocking each attack from the grey-skinned sword with the long shaft of his bone ax.
The rest was taking on two Holmgren's at a time, barely holding their own.
Three seconds left...Fer'shad falls to the ground.
Two seconds...Roc'shor is backed against the crevice entrance by two Holmgren on either side of him.
One....
Kel’Van rushed towards the battle, the sound of his heart pumping wildly in his ears as he stretched forth his hand in front of him.
" BURN!!" he screamed, and torrents of flame burst forth inches from his crimson-colored hand. The fire found purchase on the back of the Holmgren attacking Roc'shor, searing his gear and head. Quickly Kel’Van turned his flames on the grey orc standing over Fer'shad, burning his back and arms alike. Fer'shad rolled beneath the fire, stood up quickly, and swung his ax into the midsection of his surprised burning foe. The Holmgren dropped his weapon in pain, clutching the ax now buried in his stomach. Kel’Van drove his blade into the Holmgren's back, then pulling it out almost the same time Fer'shad pulled his deeply buried ax from its gut. The large Ulgo fell on one knee from the force of retrieving his ax.
Flame spell hits Holmgren for 8 points…burning effect 2 points for 10 seconds
Flame spell hits Holmgren for 10 points…burning effect 2 points for 10 seconds
Bone sword strikes Holmgren for 8 points
“Not now,” thought Kel’van. He mentally cut off his combat log from cluttering his sight.
Forcing himself up using his own weapon, Fer’shad nodded his head toward Kel’Van.
"C'mon big guy, this thing is far from over," smiled Kel’Van
Both of the Holmgren that had cornered Roc'shor were quickly attacked by Belar bull-rushing one in the back and Voresh delivering an overhead strike into the shoulder, almost cleaving it in two. The Holmgren screamed in pain and grabbed the sword lodged in its body, while Roc'shor put an ax crushingly in the center of its face. The scream died in its throat as it fell on its side, bleeding out. They both turned to help Belar, but she had already planted her blades into the back of her downed foe.
"Thank you, younglings." said Roc'shor, "Come, Belos and the others need our help now!"
Roc'shor immediately sprinted to help Belos fight off a pair of Holmgren. A bald one with the top piece of its ear missing, swung its sword low towards Belo's leg. He had dipped his long ax down to block the strike, but the other grey orc had stabbed high at the same time and impaling his sword into Belos's shoulder.
"Gaaargh!!!" roared Belos as he kicked the Holmgren square in the chest. It’s grip still tightly on the sword, pulled the embedded blade back with him out of Belos's body. Roc'shor caught the grey orc as he was reeling from the blow in the crook of his arm, then ran the sharpend end of his weapon across the Holmgren's throat.
Belar was fighting off one of the pair of Holmgren fighting Mal'kep. She had initially attacked while the grey orc's back was turned. She had done a low sweep with her feet, tripping the female Holmgren on her back, then quickly tried to stab her with her twin blades. The Holmgren rolled swiftly out the way, the swords stabbing nothing but grass and earth. The grey orc stood up suddenly with her own twin blades out in front of her. The two circled each other. Belar jabbed at the other's stomach. The Holmgren slapped the weapons away with her right sword hand, and with a spin, tried to lop off Belar's head with her opposite sword in the left hand. Belar barely dodged in time to avoid the strike, the sword whizzing right above her head.
Belar again tried to go on the offensive, swinging both her swords at the Holmgren. The grey orc easily swatting them down with just one swipe of a sword, knocking Belar’s blades toward the ground, her other sword quickly stabbing for Belar's chest through the wide-open gap in her defense. The Ulgo Orc promptly dashed to her left, the strike missing her chest but nicking her right arm as she landed in a roll and sprung back up. Blood began to stain the grass and rocks as they once again began to circle each other.
Belar hissed as the left arm went numb, and the sword dropped in the grass. The Holmgren stalked her now casually. A smile planted on her face as Belar tried to stave her off with one blade and the other arm leaking blood.
The grey orc lunged with one sword towards Belar's chest, the other raised in the air as if to bring a chop upon the bleeding orc's temple. Belar side-stepped to the right, barely dodging the attack leaving more blood on the ground. She tried a swipe with her good arm, which the Holmgren blocked with little effort.
"The situation is beginning to feel too familiar," thought Belar. Too many times she had faced off against an opponent where she was faster and sometimes stronger than the person she was fighting. Only to see the match deemed a draw or even lose because she could not finish her enemy. Her skills with her weapon were severely underdeveloped compared to her peers.
She knew it. The Ulgo trainers knew it. Now, this grey-skinned bitch knew it.
This was actually worse, she thought, as she tried to create more space between her and the Holmgren. At least in the camp, she knew she was faster and more agile than her opponent. Here was an enemy who was almost as fast, and definitely stronger, with a far superior command of her weapons. Add that her levels were practically twice hers; the outcome of this battle was almost assuredly one that did not favor her. She could only dodge for so long before she bled out or was dealt a savage blow that would send her to the rebirth pool.
Just as the Holmgren was about to attack again, it turned quickly to her right side throwing her swords in a cross pattern across her face and body. A bone sword smashed against the Holmgren’s defense.
"Kel’Van," muttered Belar as she leaned down on one knee to get her bearings.
The Holmgren female pushed the bone blade back from the crisscross position her blades were in. She went into a series of darting and slicing moves with her twin blades. Nothing that Kel’Van had not seen before while in pvp or arena bouts. But her levels here compared to what he was now, put him at a severe disadvantage lacking the speed and strength to parry and attack properly. She swung one blade high. Kel’Van blocked it, automatically trying to parry the blow he knew was coming below, but he just was not fast enough.
"Schlukkk" was the meaty sound heard when the Holmgren's blade sunk hilt deep into Kelvin's thigh. As she yanked her sword free of his leg, he screamed at the top of his lungs and fell backward.
"Ahhh!!" Kel’Van yelled as he fell, clutching his thigh. She raised her sword to finish the job when Belar sent a backward kick right into the small of her back.
The Holmgren was falling forward stomach first, and sword hands spread wide, Kel’Van with a savage grin on his face, quickly slashed upward as she was coming down on him. The bone sword cut from chin, cheek, and forehead, splashing blood on himself as he kicked the falling orc in the chest. The grey orc fell just barely inches away from his body.
"Gahh!" cried the Holmgren woman, as she rolled in the dirt away from both combatants covering her face.
Kel’Van immediately cast a heal on his leg. Belar held out her hand to help him up. Behind them, Belos, Voresh, and Fer'shad were hurrying towards them. Kel’Van spotted the blood dripping from Belar's wound, and without saying a word, reached into his pouch. Inside his hand was green bulbous seeds, which he squeezed. A soft gelatinous substance began to ooze, which he smeared on Belar’s wound.
"Don't worry, this will only sting a bit when I wrap it," Kel’Van explained. He smoothed it on her wound, then used the leathery strap it came in to wrap the wound three times before tying in a knot.
"There, that should help with the healing and dripping," mumbled Kel’Van. "and thanks for the save." Belar looked downward at the ground and was about to say something when Belos stepped between them.
"No time for this. You and the rest of your team need to stop that Holmgren from escaping!" he yelled. Kel’Van looked around and then saw a thin trail of blood lead toward the dense bushes and trees.
"No time Kel’Van! My group has faced situations like this before, enough of the enemy is dead for us to finish this, but it will be all for naught if that Holmgren makes it back to its camp and tells them where we are!! GO!!!"
Belos then scrambled off after Meatgrinder having given Kel’Van his orders. Kel’Van stood heated, ready to defy his demands till he thought better of it. Maybe he just fell into the habit of following orders like he did in the military or just that Belos was ultimately thinking right. He never could figure out which later, but he then turned to Voresh and grabbed his arm.
"Have you learned enough from Mal'kep to track without him?"
Voresh nodded his head quickly.
"Good, let's get this Holmgren and finish what we started.”
CHAPTER 11
Kel’Van was momentarily shocked to see his first quest, let alone a radiant one. Most quests are given by a N.P.C.or Non Playable Character. They usually want something, then you go out and perform the deed for a reward. Radiant quests in Avarice are generated by G.A.I.A. based on a spontaneous storyline created by a player’s actions in the game, though it never performed like this. He quickly shoved the notification to the background of his D.S.
He had bigger problems.
“Captain did you-,” began Fer’shad.
“I think we all saw it Fer’shad,” Kel’Van said cutting him off. “ I’ll explain later, but we handle what's in front of us first, understand?”
“Yes, captain.”
Voresh lead the team through the now darkened jungle. It was a steady pace, only stopping to quickly clean and redress Belar's bandage. The chase was on through the dense grass and trees, until they came to a cave almost obscured from view by an overgrowth of foliage. Kel’Van stopped the group and had them re-draw their weapons.
"Better safe than sorry people, " Kel’Van said casually. " Voresh, you and Belos will stay upfront with Voresh in the lead to maintain tracking. Hopefully, this ain't the camp; if it is, we are heading straight back. Belar, stay close to me."
AVARICE ONLINE: KEL'VAN RED HAND Page 9
