“Because you are perceptive,” Mother smiled.
Tyr stared at her impassively, “What can we do for the Dark Lord’s only partner?”
“Allow us to be your air guard as you march on Stein. I’m the leader for the Infernals who have come to assist. If you can wait just a bit longer, there will be another surprise.”
Tyr met Mother’s gaze, “From the Dark Lord?”
“Oh no,” Mother laughed. She looked up, with everyone following her gaze. A bright circle of light was growing above them. “Oh, here she comes now.”
The circle of light flared and a host of Angels came through it. Leading them was a powerful Seraphim who flew down toward the King. “King Justiceson, I’m Parsnew, sister to Andrea. My Lady, Peace, has sent me to assist you in freeing my sister and bringing justice to Stein.”
Tyr took a moment to respond, awed to have a handmaiden of Peace standing in front of him. “Lady Parsnew... it is my honor to have one of Peace’s handmaidens here to help. You are leading the heavenly host?”
“I am, but I’m yours to command for this holy mission,” Parsnew replied. “What would you have of the host?”
“Join the Infernals and be our air guard as we march to the east,” Tyr commanded.
“As you will it,” Parsnew said, flying higher into the air and singing. As her words filled the air, all the Angels that had come with her responded and went to join the Infernals, who were locked in battle with undead.
“Damn, this is the most epic raid ever,” one of the Two-souled nearby said excitedly.
“Once they have secured us a safe path out of Law, we will march,” Tyr said. “Where are the others?”
“We are here,” Wildmane said as he approached. “The Pride has come at your call. We have a score to settle with Stein.”
“Aye, so do we,” Hammerhand said, coming up beside Wildmane. “Me people be out with the Infernals. They be needin’ to vent some anger.”
“Mine as well,” Wildmane nodded.
“As do mine,” Woodbinder said, walking up to stand beside the other two Ambassadors. “We’re a bit further back, but we’re helping. I’ve brought all the Archers and Druids I could; our contribution is smaller than the others, but we will be just as effective.”
“I’ll need to speak with you all,” Commander Roberto said, standing next to the King. “I’ll be coordinating our plan of attack once we reach Alctriuz.”
“Understood,” Woodbinder nodded.
“Nay a problem,” Hammerhand agreed.
“Just point us at them and we will carve them into pieces,” Wildmane growled.
“Be ready to move once word comes that a path is secured,” Tyr told everyone as he looked to the east. “Who knows what Stein will have waiting for us?”
Chapter Thirty-two
The call came for them to move a couple of hours later. Roberto had been in talks with Mother, Parsnew, Wildmane, Woodbinder, and Hammerhand, along with a handful of Stormguard Captains for most of that time. “The plan is in place; see to it,” Roberto said as they left the pavilion that had been erected.
Mother and Parsnew launched themselves into the air, heading toward the east where they were calling out to their charges. Hammerhand, Woodbinder, and Wildmane all took off at a jog in the same direction, their small contingent of guards falling in around them once they left the Alpha Company line.
“Stoutheart,” Roberto called out to Gerald, “if any of your Guild wishes to be in the thick of it, let me know. We’ll rotate in some regular guards so they can.”
“I’ll check,” Gerald said.
“Why would he offer that?” Karen asked.
“The more Two-souled in the middle of it, the less likely a native dies the Final Death,” Alburet said. “He’s asking us to join Heart’s Light as shock troops at the front, but doesn’t want us all gone because he’d like a few to stay back with the King.”
“That was my thought, as well,” Gerald said as he composed a message on the Guildstone. “Now, let’s see how many want to be in on this.”
“We’re not going,” Fluff said softly.
“No, we’re maxed out, and I think us staying close to the King is the better idea,” Gerald replied before Alburet could. “If Stein has another one or two agents still inside the Guild, once we thin down, they might strike.”
“We’ll be ready,” Karen said as she slipped into stealth. “I’ll stay close, but I want to be ready to use my full arsenal.”
“Commander, I have a list,” Gerald said, going over to Roberto.
Walking down the ruined streets at a steady pace, Alburet kept his head on a swivel, feeling uneasy. “TW, stick next to Marysue. TJ, I want you beside Fluff and Tiny. Be ready to assist the King. Bob, can any of you see anything odd up there? How about you, Kitten or KJ?”
“Nothin’,” Kitten replied.
“I see where battles were fought recently,” Bob said. “The dirt that covers the streets is disturbed there.”
Tiny and his Copies moved into position without comment.
“Ya feelin’ uneasy, Asthore. What be botherin’ ya?” Stacia asked.
“Something is making my teeth itch,” Alburet said.
Half of Alpha Company headed for the front lines of the slowly moving contingent that had the King at its center. Gerald walked back to where they were. “Okay, all of us who are maxed or only a couple levels off are staying back... what’s wrong?”
“Al feels uneasy,” Marysue said.
Gerald looked around, nodding slowly, “Yeah. A bit of an oppressive feeling, like a board trying to maneuver behind my back.” Glancing over to Roberto, Gerald caught the Commander’s eye, getting a minute nod.
A horned head appeared briefly in a ruined building ahead of them and Alburet frowned. He was able to recognize it as an Imp, but something about it felt wrong. All of the Infernals he had met since becoming a Demon Lord always waved or smiled at him, but that Imp seemed furious. “Gerald, I think the ambush is ahead of us—” Alburet started to say, but was cut off.
A furious roar came from all around them as giant, hulking Destroyers came out of the nearby buildings. The waxy sheen of their skin and lifeless eyes gave tell to the fact that these Infernals were undead. Fifty or more undead Imps suddenly took to the skies above the King’s party, and dozens of undead Succubi staggered out after the Destroyers and began to sing at the raid.
The guards closest to the King shook their heads as the small gems on their armor cracked and fell to the ground. “Kill the Succubi!” Roberto called out to the guards who had resisted the Succubi songs. “Archers, take down those Imps!”
Alburet leapt into the air, flying right into the middle of the Imps and using Fire Burst. A sphere of flame surrounded Alburet for a brief moment, a foot over the heads of everyone on the ground. Another burst of flame erupted before the Imps changed their target to him. “Coming down,” Alburet said. He folded his wings and aimed for a building with a missing window close to where Gerald was standing. “Line pull,” he called out as he shot toward the opening.
As Alburet fled, the Imps threw Fire Blasts at him, but only a few hit him before he vanished inside the building. All of the Imps turned and chased after him. Gerald waited for the Imps to come down before he Ground Stomped; the resulting stun caught almost all of them and made them fall to the ground.
The moment the Imps hit the ground, the rest of Alpha Company’s melee attackers fell on them with abandon. The Succubi— since their Dazes had been stopped— joined the Destroyers in attacking the tanks from Alpha Company and the Stormguard forces that formed in front of them.
The resulting chaotic battle was short lived; the raid had greater numbers of compared to the mobs. With the undead Infernals dealt with and looted, the King ordered them to move out again. “Roberto, have a couple of smaller groups go ahead to search the buildings,” Tyr said.
“I’m dispatching them now, Sire.”
“You were calling out the ambush
before it launched, Darkhand. What did you see?” Tyr asked, turning to him.
“I caught a brief glimpse of an Imp looking out a second story window,” Alburet replied. “It didn’t wave at me, and all Infernals have since my change.”
“Hmm... keep your eyes peeled, then,” Tyr said. “It’ll be an hour before we leave the city, and I’d just as soon not be ambushed again.”
“It was a sloppy ambush,” Roberto said. “I don’t think they had time to plan it out, Sire. It felt improvised.”
“Commander,” a Captain called out, coming back toward them. “The nearby buildings all have tunnels connecting them. The tunnels look new, like they were made in the last day.”
“Which gives my theory credence,” Roberto nodded. “They knew we were coming, but not how or where. All reports have said that while the city had been filled with undead, it was not organized.”
“They surely know where we are now,” Tyr said, “which gave them the chance to use what they had left inside the city to attempt an attack.”
“That is my theory, Sire.”
“Very well. We’ll keep the groups out just ahead of us, just in case,” Tyr replied. “Let’s hope that’s the last surprise until we are outside the walls.”
~*~*~
With the crumbling walls of the ruined city of Law behind them, the group took in the view of the attacking force marching across the dunes. Thousands of bodies spread out to form a containment circle around the King, while fights with a few dozen undead could be seen in the distance. The Infernals and Angels flew from hotspot to hotspot, adding their damage to try to quell the attacks.
“Wow,” Fluff whispered as she pulled her sketch pad out and began to draw the scene.
“Putting the city on a high spot overlooking the area surrounding it was a good idea, but it didn’t seem to help it in the end,” Alburet commented.
“Law, like most of the cities that fell to Stein during the revolt, fell because of the aid of collaborators and the chaos he likes to inspire,” Ioaniss replied. “I can only imagine what the city looked like in its heyday.”
“Form up!” Roberto’s voice echoed over the sand. “We march to the east!”
The army shifted. They pulled in some as the King and his advisers, surrounded by Alpha Company, marched out into the open area in front of them, letting the army make a circle around them.
“I wonder if Dad felt like this at all,” Karen muttered.
“If he was deployed at all, I’m sure it was a bit more intense,” Alburet replied. “Currently, we’re not under attack.”
“Fair enough,” Karen sighed. “I just don’t see how we’re going to be under real stress with this many people.”
“I’m sure something will turn up,” Alburet said. “Let’s enjoy the moment of peace for a bit.”
~*~*~
Undead popped out from the sands roughly every few minutes as they marched. Heart’s Light took the brunt of the attacks from the front, Hammerhand’s contingent took the attacks on the north, and the Pack led by Wildmane handled the attacks from the south. Delvers Inc. and Woodbinder’s Archers acted as response units, rushing to whatever fight was closest to them, while the Angels and Infernals gave air support.
“Those small Guilds are the weak points,” Ironhand commented after an hour of marching. “See how they’re disorganized at first if an attack is near them?”
“Yes, but thankfully, the Archangels and Destroyers are spread out to help bolster them,” Gerald added.
“We’ll have to reevaluate their status when we camp for the night,” Roberto commented from nearby. “We’ll be asking you, Heart’s Light, and Delvers to lead the push into the prison as it is.”
“I figured that would be the plan,” Gerald nodded. “We’re the best choices because we won’t die even if we fall. The question is whether or not there’s a graveyard near the prison, and can we hold it?”
“The book that Alburet brought with him indicates that there are a few graveyards for the prison,” Ioaniss added. “Getting to and holding them will be a key part of our strategy.”
“Footholds to give us multiple chances to deal with Stein and his followers,” Gerald agreed. “This is going to be a well-remembered moment, even in our world. Two-souled will be talking about this for years to come.”
“All the other times like this have been successful?” Ioaniss asked.
“Nothing on this scale has ever happened before,” Gerald said. “This will be the first of its kind for us.”
“A moment to bring our worlds closer together,” Ioaniss commented. “I shall have to make sure to write everything down afterward.”
“Take this for your notes,” Fluff said, handing him the sketch of the army leaving Law’s gates behind.
Looking at the drawing, Ioaniss shook his head, “I thank you. Is it all right if I have another artist expand this image into a tapestry?”
“I’d be honored,” Fluff smiled.
A horn blew from the east, its note discordant and making everyone shudder. “I think Stein is mounting his defense,” Roberto said as he looked to the Captains. “Be ready to shift as needed.”
Mother came diving down from the sky, landing beside Alburet to not cause the King’s men distress. “Tyr, the army moving against us is almost twice our size. They also have those damnable beams that banish Infernals and Angels.”
“Pull back, and inform Parsnew to do the same,” Roberto commanded. “Get the Assassins ready to infiltrate the lines. They are to kill anyone with those crystals,” he continued to a different subordinate. “Order the rear guard to come around us; we’ll need to present our full might against them.”
The group near the King climbed the dune to get a better view of the battlefield. The thirty thousand undead marching toward them seemed almost endless; the raid brought ten thousand to the fore to face them, while the Infernals and Angels shifted to the rear.
The undead army came to a halt a half mile from the raid, and a single figure stepped forward. “Tyr, false king of humanity and follower of false gods, today I shall wrest the crown from you and lead humanity to the true knowledge that we deserve,” Lord Carradine called out, his voice clear to the army opposite him. “Do you wish to spare those with you? I will give you a single chance to come forth. Turn yourself over to Stein, and your pathetic rabble can leave.”
“Sire, the Assassins near the enemy report that he is shielded by a light, smoky barrier,” Roberto reported. “It is unlikely they will be able to hurt him... do you wish them to bypass him for the crystal carriers? Among the undead are a hundred or more cultists, each wielding a staff topped with a gem like those that have banished minions before.”
“Target the cultists. If we can get rid of them, our allies will be able to assist us. Give me the amplification stone,” Tyr said, taking a small stone item shaped like a megaphone. “Carradine, your House has been disbanded and stricken from the records, as have the Houses of all your allies. Today, we shall end your life and continue our march on Stein.”
“Very well. I tried to play nice,” Carradine sneered. “I brought a gift for you. The Prophet and the Dragon Eater spent a month breaking her, but now she sees the truth.”
Large dark wings carried a being above the undead army, her features cold and cruel, twisted from their former regal beauty. The previous gown of gossamer white silk had been replaced by a flowing black silk gown; the dress accentuated all of her female charms while hiding them from view, drawing the eyes of all the men present.
“Sister!” Parsnew cried out, about to take to the air before Mother stopped her. “What are you doing? Let me go, I have to speak with her.”
“If you show yourself, the cultists will hit you with their magic and banish you from this plane. How many times will Peace be able to send you back?”
Parsnew gnashed her teeth in anguish, “But she needs me.”
“And you’ll be able to help her, but first, we have to help our allies,” Mo
ther placated her.
Andrea began to sing and the undead swelled with power while the natives facing them curled into balls, dropping weapons and shields. The Two-souled had been afflicted by a debuff that halved their stats, Angel’s Lament.
“Now we must sing together,” Mother told Parsnew. “Combined, we can end her song and empower our allies.”
Tears falling from her face at seeing her twin sister twisted so far from the pure being she used to be, Parsnew’s voice lifted into the air. The song that met Andrea’s was one of love for family and hope for reconciliation. As the two sisters sang at each other, effects from Andrea’s song faded.
Gamer for Love (Alpha World Book 8) Page 30
