Morgana: Everybody Loves Large Chests (Vol.4)

by Iliev, Neven

  Which, in essence, meant that the Goddess of Truth and Justice had allowed a war perpetuated on falsehoods to move forward unhindered. Even worse, her clergy were in full support of it. Boxxy failed to understand how and why someone that had the words ‘Truth’ and ‘Justice’ in her title would let this sort of thing happen. Then again, it vaguely recalled Charlie saying something or other about how the pantheon’s members were caught up in some kind of internal power struggle over who had the most followers. Perhaps this was part of that. After all, elves worshipped Nyrie, so perhaps Teresa saw them as competition?

  All things said and done, the shapeshifter didn’t know nearly enough about the Gods to discern her motives, nor did it have the power to do anything about them. Therefore, it put that particular quandary into a corner of its mind and focused on the task at hand.

  Keira’s recon team shadowed the Empire’s detachment for three more days and kept feeding relaying information about them to their higher ups. Jules was quite relieved, but also distinctly nervous that they had not come into contact with enemy scouts by now. His worries increased once Keira started reporting tracks of humans moving ahead of the main force, yet the group still hadn’t run into any of them directly.

  This was no accident, as Boxxy and Drea had been discretely eliminating and devouring Imperial scouting parties without Keira’s teammates catching on. The shapeshifter’s goal was to have its public persona gain the trust of her peers and superiors, which required that she show good results and rack up military achievements. A flawless execution of her first mission seemed like the quickest way to achieve both of those conditions. This, in turn, meant that all Boxxy had to do was make sure that Keira’s team avoided enemy contact by preemptively eliminating said contacts.

  Of course, this was hardly the ideal solution when it came to the Republic’s military goals. Imperial command did not fail to notice that several of their forward patrols disappeared in the woods without a trace. Given the circumstances, it was only natural to assume the humans would realize they were being harassed and monitored by the enemy.

  And yet they still walked straight into Republic’s ambush four days after crossing the border.

  Part Two

  It was subtle, at first. The people responsible for Baron Hayhurst’s cavalry detachment noticed the horses were uncharacteristically slow and lethargic. It had only been a few days since they’d crossed the Republic’s border and although the hilly terrain was rough, their overall speed was slow enough to not cause this perplexing fatigue. Of course, one could always attribute the animals’ lack of energy to the long trip they had to take in order to arrive at their staging area in the first place, but their handlers doubted it was something that simple. These were no common beasts of burden. These were the Empire’s specially bred and trained warhorses, the fastest and toughest steeds on the entire damn continent.

  With how barely noticeable this fatigue had been and how it hadn’t slowed their progress, nobody addressed the issue until it was too late.

  It happened while the Imperial expeditionary force made its way along a dirt road that snaked up the side of a steep hill. All nine hundred of their prized horses fell over foaming at the mouth, almost in unison. Some of the beasts fell over the side of the road and tumbled down the hill with their riders in tow, while others simply crushed the infantry under their massive weight. The march immediately ground to a halt, and the humans braced themselves for ambush. Though their training kept them from giving into panic, it was clear the suddenness of it all had shaken their courage.

  Thanks to Keira’s timely reports, the Republic had been able to accurately track the Imperials’ movements, and had extrapolated their destination based on that. There were a number of high-value targets in the region, such as Fort Yimin or the city of Kulgara, but this particular group was ill-equipped to lay siege to either of those heavily fortified settlements. It was soon made clear their goal was to suppress and seize control of the surrounding area, known simply as the Clattering Plains. Doing so would cut off said fort and city from the rest of the Republic, and secure a route through which the Empire could move in with a bigger invasion force.

  Having determined the enemy’s objectives and the route they’d need to reach them, the Republic’s Alchemists and scouts had laid a trap by spreading a special toxin into the soil along the way. It rapidly seeped into the surrounding vegetation, and was transmitted to the horses that grazed on the now-poisonous grass and shrubs. Once the slow-acting toxin had thoroughly infected their bodies, the Republic aggravated it at a specific point in time by using wind magic to send an invisible, nearly odorless gas washing over the human force. Although it didn’t do anything to the foot soldiers, it reacted with the mostly dormant poison within the horses’ bodies and rapidly sped up its effects.

  It was a roundabout way of doing things, but the plan had done its job of limiting the army’s mobility without shedding a single drop of blood. While said horses could undoubtedly be saved if the Imperial medics treated them immediately, the Republic’s strike force would not give them the chance. The elves made the Imperial army’s march stop at this spot specifically because this was the ideal spot to unleash the second phase of their plan. One they had vigorously prepared for over the last two days.

  The earth shook and groaned as a massive landslide of trees, mud, and rocks rumbled towards the Imperial ranks, threatening to crush them underneath. The detachment’s magic users immediately flew into action, erecting numerous shields of light and barriers of stone to protect their comrades. Their rushed defenses proved inadequate in the face of mother nature’s unleashed fury, and roughly a quarter of their forces found themselves buried under the dirt, or swept down the side of the hill.

  What followed was a barrage of arrows and magic from above, let loose by the Republic forces that had triggered the landslide. Hundreds of humans died in those first few seconds, but the damage could have been much, much worse, as the Republic had assigned only seven hundred or so of their drafted adventurers to this plan. While one explanation for this relatively small number was that a larger force would attract attention, the main reason was that they simply could not spare any more troops for this risky endeavor.

  As expected, an Imperial regiment was not so easily disrupted. While they did suffer some damage from the landslide and subsequent ambush, their soldiers were far too numerous and durable to be done in by this much. Warriors and Paladins raised their shields to block the incoming ranged attacks, while Priests chanted large-scale healing magic. Their own Casters and bow users returned fire as numerous men and women slowly dug their way out of the landslide’s aftermath.

  *DO-DO-DO-DOOON*

  A series of explosions ripped through the Empire’s back lines, seemingly targeted at their healers. Although the damage from the metal shrapnel was not enough to outright kill them, it proved sufficient to break their concentration and disrupt their chanting. The powerful, entirely non-magical shockwave also rattled both their bones and their resolve, as they did not see it coming in the slightest.

  “Yeah! How’d you like them apples!?”

  Keira, the main culprit behind the disturbance, shouted tauntingly down the hill. It was mostly for her benefit, though. It wasn’t as if her tiny voice could be heard by anyone but those around her.

  “Wow. That almost feels like cheating.”

  “Such violence…”

  Yeah! Show those bitches who’s boss!

  Namely Lola, Jules, and Purupururin, who respectively grumbled, shook their heads, and cheered internally. Of course, those four were part of the ambush. The Republic military had to make the most out of its resources, so the upper brass ordered the vast majority of scouting units, including recon team Three-One, to join up with the strike force and provide fire support. Even a close-ranged Warrior like Lola could contribute thanks to a heavy repeating crossbow of dwarven design. It was a bulky weapon that required a lot of strength to operate, making it impossible for the
average noodle-armed Rangers to use efficiently. While it lacked the accuracy, range and damage of a good bow, its dizzying rate of fire made up for it.

  However, even that dangerous-looking thing seemed like a toy compared to Keira’s newest acquisition.

  The beastkin reached back over her shoulder and drew another of her special arrows. Although the shaft was nothing out of the ordinary, the arrowhead was a thick metal cylinder with a long string sticking out of the underside. Keira put the string in her teeth, nocked the arrow on her bow and took a firing stance. She then pulled her head back just enough to make the string taut as she took aim. When she was ready, she pulled her head back sharply, yanking the string and the pin out of the arrowhead with a small clicking sound.

  “Multishot!”

  The single arrow split into four as it left her bow. The glinting cylinders flew through the air, just another few drops in a sea of projectiles headed in either direction.

  *DO-DO-DO-DOOON*

  Boxxy’s specially designed arrows let out another multi-pronged roar as they exploded on impact with the ground, seemingly at random. One managed to connect to an unfortunate Wizard’s face, ripping it to shreds, while another took off an armored soldier’s arm. It caught the humans completely off guard, as those slim projectiles were almost completely invisible and had far greater range than most Spells capable of such destruction.

  *DO-DO-DO-DOOON*

  The next set of explosions wonderfully set fire to the line of stalled supply carts at the back. This had been the shapeshifter’s initial target, but adjusting its aim to compensate for the extra weight and weird shape of those exploding arrowheads had proven difficult. Its personal objective in this attack was to rack up contributions, and targeting the enemy’s stockpile of food, water, and potions seemed like a good idea. After all, an army marched on its stomach, and the upper brass were sure to notice the redhead’s strategically-oriented initiative.

  *DO-DO-DO-DOOON*

  Its next target was a group of thirty Imperial soldiers that formed a shield wall towards the front and were steadily climbing up the steep hill towards the elves. The violent explosions didn’t kill any of them, but they did cause another, much smaller landslide that disrupted their balance and sent them falling backwards into each other. Left immobile and out of cover made them perfect targets for the rest of Republic’s strike force, who did not miss the opportunity to rip them to shreds.

  Looking over the battlefield with a keen eye from further behind and above Keira was Milo Faehorn. He was the highest-ranking officer around and also the one in command of this operation. Of course, that didn’t mean he just sat and watched. His superior Level and Attributes allowed him to attack from a far greater range than the others, so his hands never stopped shooting arrows. His unerring sight kept track of the slowly shifting battlefield, and his decades of experience warned him that this ambush had gone on long enough.

  With the element of surprise gone, the Imperial army regiments started to fight back in earnest. The Republic strike force would suffer heavy casualties if this skirmish lasted any longer, and they had already completed their main objective of hampering the enemy’s march. With that in mind, Faehorn decided it was time to fall back, and reached for the small wooden tube hanging off his belt. He pointed it towards the sky and pulled on the string coming out of its end, letting loose a glowing red flare that screamed over the battlefield, signaling a retreat. Seeing that bright light, the various adventurers immediately broke off their assault, split up into numerous teams of three-to-six people and scrambled up the side of the hill, over the top, and down the opposite slope.

  Faehorn coldly assessed the results of the attack while he watched over the disorderly retreat. They had managed to kill or heavily injure around one-thousand-five-hundred of the Empire’s forces within the span of those hectic few minutes. With their cavalry crippled and supplies torched, they would no doubt have a much harder time seizing control of the Clattering Plains. In return, the Republic side suffered relatively minor casualties. He would get an accurate headcount back at base, but for the moment, he estimated they hadn’t lost more than fifty people.

  There would probably be more if the army seriously gave chase, but that wouldn’t happen unless the humans’ commander was a complete idiot. The Imperial soldiers would still go after the retreating elves and attempt to pick off or catch any stragglers, but they wouldn’t stray too far from the group. Traversing this monster-infested wilderness was something adventurers did far better than rank-and-file soldiers, so they were bound to have casualties even without facing any enemy combatants.

  Before any of that could happen, Faehorn felt the Comm-crystal in his pocket vibrate while he and his troops made their way down the side of that hill. He held it with one hand and answered it, conjuring up the illusory image of a stern-looking information officer.

  “Faehorn, this is Forward Command!” he said urgently, not waiting for the elf to confirm his identity. “Be advised, recon team One-Six has spotted a group of five griffins headed towards you from east-by-southeast!”

  The high elf turned his gaze towards the specified direction and saw a number of tiny specks in the distance. Using Eagle Eye to augment his vision, he confirmed the presence of five winged creatures, each carrying either a metal container or wooden carriage on its back.

  “I see them,” said the old Ranger with a calm voice. “Are they coming after us?”

  “Negative. As far as we know they’re not part of the expeditionary force. They probably have no idea their allies had been ambushed.”

  “And you would appreciate it if they remained ignorant?” Faehorn hazarded a guess.

  “Indeed.”

  “Alright, I’ll take care of it.”

  “Understood. Forward Command, out.”

  Faehorn put away the Comm-crystal and dashed off to intercept the flying beasts. His subordinates knew what to do and where to go, so his presence wasn’t necessary. Instead, he decided to cut down a number of the Empire’s prized griffins. The air superiority they provided was something the elves could not match. While the Republic was home to a military unit of wyvern riders calling themselves the Scale Knights, they were no match for the much larger and more powerful griffins. The humans used them as flying fortresses that could ferry troops and supplies with ease, in addition to using them to scout out enemy positions. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that griffins assisted the Empire with all aspects of warfare, though that was expected of creatures literally bred for war.

  However, the Empire clearly had no idea who they were up against, otherwise they would’ve thought twice about exposing such large and valuable assets to a Ranger of Faehorn’s caliber. After setting up atop a nearby boulder, the high elf readied his longbow once more. It was a remarkably plain-looking thing, no fancier than any of the standard issue weapons used by his students. It hinted at its true abilities when its wielder pulled on the bowstring, and a spectral arrow materialized out of thin air, nocked and ready to be let loose. This Artifact-grade item’s name was Enduring Gale. Not only would it never run out of ammo so long as the user had MP, but the special arrows it conjured flew remarkably straight since they ignored silly things like wind and gravity.

  Taking a deep breath, Faehorn activated a few of his Ranger and Rogue Skills to temporarily boost his accuracy and damage output, then took aim.

  “Snipe!”

  The magic arrow flew out of his bow too fast for the untrained eye to catch, leaving a faint blue trail in its wake. The projectile flew over a kilometer through the air and struck the lead griffin in its eye. The beast howled in pain and wavered left and right, but did not fall. It would be ludicrous to think that a mere elf could fell such a massive beast with a single projectile, especially such a tiny one. Faehorn also knew this, which was why he had made three more Snipe shots before his first one hit.

  One after the other, the spectral arrows buried themselves in the griffin’s head, neck, and shoulde
rs, making the winged beast and its passengers plummet in a manner of seconds. Only then had the other four realized they were under fire by an unseen enemy. Though they knew the direction the attack was coming from, the rather absurd distance made it practically impossible for them to mount any sort of counter-offensive. With that in mind, the griffins’ handlers had their beasts swing around and beat a hasty retreat. Faehorn managed to bring down a second and severely injure a third before those overgrown pussy-chickens left his range. Unfortunately, the last two escaped completely unharmed. Even though Faehorn shot at them with all his might, a blur of golden yellow light had managed to deflect each and every shot aimed at them.

  “Heh, looks like I missed out on meeting a big shot,” the old elf chuckled.

  Though not even Faehorn’s eyes were able to see who was inside that blur, it was fairly obvious they were one of the Empire’s VIPs—a Level 100 ‘Ranker’ like himself. More specifically, an angel like his good friend Lichter by the look of things, which meant they were most likely a Monk or a Paladin. It was a bit irksome that he couldn’t shoot down all of the griffins, but Faehorn decided that killing two and scaring off the rest was good enough. His primary concern was making sure they didn’t interfere with his subordinates’ escape, which he already accomplished. He certainly wasn’t going to catch up to those things on foot, so he decided to call it a day and made his way towards the rendezvous point at Fort Yimin.

  Faehorn arrived at the fort the following morning. Much like several other elven fortifications, it was built inside a grove of hylt trees. These five were a lot younger than the ancient ones at the capital, with an estimated age of ‘only’ five hundred years and a height of about three hundred meters. The gaps between them were fortified with stone walls additionally reinforced with processed Ironbark from the hylt trees. The local garrison was home to around ten thousand troops with reinforcements streaming in each day. Though it seemed unlikely to fill out the fort’s maximum capacity of fifteen thousand, it was still the most heavily fortified location in the entire region. It was the Republic’s first real line of defense, as well as the staging area for their adventurer-led hit-and-run tactics, so the elven commanders expected it to be one of the first places hit by a large-scale assault.