I wrote this when the original game first came out.. for a guild web page.. ran across it again the other day.. thought someone in this forum might enjoy..
Comments and feedback on it, would be appreciated. Thanks :)
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My group consisted of a handful of warriors and half a dozen archers. We were sent by general Ul'thor himself to take control of this clearing before nightfall. Ul'thor planned on using this clearing as our main entrance into the valley where he planned to ambush the legion of undead that our scouts had discovered the previous night. That night, Anix, our scout, finally returned to camp after three days of being on the perimeter... The news he brought was horrifying. He spoke of an undead army marching along the wasteland, towards the southern end of the marshes. Beyond the marshes is a small group of villages. The people of this town would most likely be caught unaware, and most would be slaughtered. I have seen this happen too many times in my decade of service to the cause. He also spoke of a small town at the base of this mountain... apparently, unoccupied. It was after Anix's description of his findings that I understood the importance of our ambush. I calculated, in my mind, our numbers to Anix's approximation of the undead army, and our situation looked hopeless. Still, we had to try. The villagers were no army, and would fall easily to the undead.
We were not looking forward to tomorrow’s events, for as humans fall to undead, they soon rise up to join the undead ranks as one of them, and for many of us.. this means tomorrow we will be fighting against many familiar faces, or even worse... loved ones.
Tomorrow, when the rest of our forces arrive, we will report to General Ul'thor about this finding, although the General is well known for his tactical prowess and I am confident is already well aware of this threat.
...
It was my turn at watch. I could see some of the Fir'bolg archers perched up on some of the lower branches, and the knowledge of their presence relieved a great deal of my apprehension. Plus, Doric was assigned as my companion, to keep watch. Doric is a huge, muscular man. I have seen him lift other men up with one hand and throw them twenty feet across bar floors. He joined our company about four winters back when we found his family's house under attack by soulless... Doric was the only survivor of the incident, and had no choice but to join us in our war. No one speaks of the incident anymore.
Doric winked and motioned towards a nearby tree stump where he would "watch" from. I snickered inside, as we both knew that he planned on getting some sleep before tomorrow. I decided to walk along the brush, just outside the fires light, on the outskirts of camp.
I started wondering if I would survive this upcoming battle. I had seen many battles and have many times proven myself on the battlefield... maybe it was a sixth sense that only veterans develop that gave me an eerie feeling about this one. I'm not sure what it was, but something was wrong.
I then realized that I had wandered a little too far from camp. An alarm went on inside me and my heart began to pump at an accelerated pace. I saw before me another campfire! I wanted to run, but I knew that our company sergeant needed to know this. I stood there, frozen in place, hoping to whatever gods might be listening, that I wasn't too loud. After a few minutes, I finally built up enough courage to investigate.
I crept up slowly, on my stomach, in the mud. I held my breath as I peeked over the ridge separating me from the campfire light. I saw a pack of about eight ghols feeding on some, now unidentifiable, kill. They were about the size of a small deer, lanky but hunched over. They each carried a curved blade, in their mis-shapened paws, that was rusty but unmistakably more than effective for cutting through flesh.
On the other side of the camp I noticed a few Soulless. Undead spirits without any limbs below the waist, their flesh had rotten off long ago. Now all that remained was the upper torso of a skeleton hovering in mid-air, with its spine dangling beneath it. Terrible to see, new recruits often find themselves paralyzed with fear when they see their first. I however, have developed an immunity to the fear they inspire. I have unfortunately not developed an immunity to the stinging pain that comes when one of those poison-laced, razor-sharp javelins tear through my skin. I have learned to get out of the javelins path.
It was then that I first gazed towards the other side of the make-shift camp and caught a glimpse of a shadow moving in the nearby trees. I decided to investigate. Creeping slowly, I headed left, around the camp, and stopped. There before me, feasting on the dead horse at its feet, was a trow! A real trow!
My god! I almost screamed when I first saw it! I managed to stifle my scream, but still gasped in amazement! The trow was truly magnificent to see. The trow stopped tearing through the horses ribcage then... I was consumed with fear. I was too loud... It stood up then, hearing my deep breathing. The thing towered at least twice as tall as any man in my company! No! Any man I have ever seen! The giant glanced down the trail a bit until its evil gaze rested on me. A grin snaked across his face letting some fresh horse blood slowly ooze down his muscular jaw, painting a terrifyingly, ghastly portrait of death. The trow moved towards me. I screamed then. Turning and running, a glance to my side told me that the ghols had taken up pursuit too. I rounded the trail, heading back towards camp. I could hear the trows thunderous stomping, behind me, taking a shortcut through the forest! He was going to cut me off! I raced along, leaping over a fallen log, sprinting into the clear towards the campfire! "Trow! Trow!" I screamed, as I ran passed the sleeping Doric. The trow lumbered out of the forest then, crashing through a clump of small trees, reducing them to kindling in a few mere seconds! A few seconds?! How could my company even hope to contend with this giant tree breaker?!
My companions were awake now, and were quickly donning arms. They were a battle ready group.
I drew my sword and spun around, knowing that I would be backed up by other warriors.
Doric barely had time to draw his sword as the trow was upon him. One hit! Doric was launched through the air until his flight was abruptly ended by a nearby tree. I heard a bone crunching thud as his body went limp and slid down the tree to lay unmoving at its base. I turned my attention to the trow, fear replaced by utter hatred. I couldn't help it as a wicked grin etched its way onto my face. I snarled, took a deep breath, then charged...
The trow simply grinned, then it too charged. I heard my companions behind me muttering curses and trying to keep up with my probably suicidal attack.
I noticed, past the trow, the trailing pack of ghols heading towards Doric's body. I also noticed Doric move slightly..?! He was alive! A wave of options flooded into my mind. I decided on the first.
Wait... I kept telling myself... Wait. I charged at the trow, and at the last second dropped and rolled to the side. Rolled right back up to my feet behind the swinging arm of the enraged tree breaker. The trow didn’t react quick enough to my move, and my blade slid underneath his lowest rib!
The trow gave out an unearthly howl, and instinctively jerked backwards unlodging my sword. I retracted, and leapt backwards, barely avoiding the giants next swing. I completed my full backwards roll, and came up running towards the pack of ghols headed for Doric, blade out to my side. Doric had managed to sit up and was looking for his sword, seeing the oncoming pack of bloodthirsty ghols. I heard behind me, a sickening thud, like the sound a mans insides make when they are ruptured by some severe impact. I knew that the trow had gotten one of my companions. I raced on.
I was still 15 trow paces off when the first ghol reached Doric. To his credit, Doric deftly rolled to his side, sending the ghol face-first into the tree. Dorics clenched fist followed right behind the ghols head and splintered the tree, as it slammed through the ghols skull and crunched up against the bark of the tree. The move cost him, however, for I saw Doric openly drop the sword from his other hand and clutch at his midsection, doubling over in pain. Three ghols were on him then. I could hear him screaming as the ghols canine maws sometimes found flesh through his flailing arms.
I reached the first of the ghols, slashing hard. The ghol ducked under my swing, but could not hope to get out of the path of my trailing kick. My sweeping kick caught him on the side of the face and sent him sprawling into the dirt. I followed up on my attack , never slowing down, slashing at a reverse angle at the nearest ghol. I snickered as the head of the ghol left his body and rolled into the pack hovering over the bleeding, barely conscious Doric. The pack turned towards me.
5 ghols! I should’ve turned and ran, and I surely would have if I didn’t catch that last glimpse of poor Doric... staring, no, pleading with me, through his battered, bloody red eyes, for help. This strengthened my resolve, and I decided right there and then to die fighting here with Doric. The pack started encircling me, and I swung a wide swing meant to keep them away. The ones nearest my sword backed off a bit, and I lowered my swordtip... I should have known better. The ghol I had kicked when I first entered the fray was behind me. I felt a sharp pain on my right side, I quickly switched my sword over to my left hand, before I dropped it. I couldn’t feel my arm... I instinctively shot my sword in another wild swing backwards this time. The quick retaliation caught the ghol unaware, and his head rolled off next to his kins. The rest of the pack was on me then. I felt the first ghol clamp down on my wrist. I watched in seemingly slow motion as my sword fell out of my hand and hit the ground. I felt another sharp pain coming from my back right below my neck, and I ended up face first in the dirt. I began to panic. I shoved hard to one side and rolled onto my back and kept rolling, ending up on top of the ghol on my back. That ghol, snarled and clamped onto my right shoulder. I used my forearm and slammed it three times in the face. Its eyes rolled back into its sockets and it released my shoulder. I was knocked to my side, by another ghol, and I tried to stand back up.. another ghol bit down onto my leg. I felt a burning pain, as I saw him tear away, viscously, tearing chunks of my flesh, splattering blood everywhere. I fought to retain consciousness... something inside me snapped. Something was fighting inside me. My internal instincts fighting for its very existence. I grabbed the ghol by its neck and jerked it to one side. Hearing the grating sound of its spine cracking, I released my grip and rolled over towards Doric. I watched in horror as the few remaining ghols slowly closed in... They could smell blood and would not be deterred. I prepared to take one more down with me... Just then... I heard another monstrous howl. I glanced over towards camp. My companions were hacking away at the trow! It wasnt moving! I thought, at first, that it had constructed some sort of self-defense shell, some kind of stone skin spell, but whatever it was didn’t stop the warriors from hacking at it. Soon the trow crumbled into a dusty pile of trow bones. I smiled inwardly as I turned my attention back to the ghols. They were running! Two of them lay dead, near me, three or four arrows in each. The Fir'bolg! A couple archers dropped out of the branches to land next to me. Still lobbing arrows into the nearby darkness where the ghols had retreated.
A javelin hit the tree near the closest Fir’bolg. He turned his attention upwards. I followed his gaze... The soulless were descending on us now... I could see them floating down upon us like the legions of the grim reaper himself... Another javelin hit the dirt near me. The archer took his aim and let the arrow fly. Miss! Damn! By the time I hopelessly glanced back at the archer, he had already released another arrow! I watched as he systematically let fly dozens of arrows. The soulless was forced to retreat into the higher branches. I grabbed Doric and started to drag him behind the tree for cover. But my leg failed me and I doubled over in pain. Darkness overcame me then, and I felt myself falling.
...
“Get the hell up recruit!” my sergeant was yelling. I sat upright and quickly noticed the pain in my leg was gone. I glanced around at my surroundings and realized I was in a tent. I was in a make-shift cot, my leg was bandaged, and Doric was laying on the other side of the tent. Sergeant Hinnley, who we all called “Bone”, was standing at the foot of my bed. I stood up and at attention.
“At ease soldier”
I relaxed a bit. “Doric gonna make it?”
“That was one hell’uva stunt you pulled out there recruit. Yeah Doric’ll make it ‘til tonight ‘cause of your prancin’ around the battlefield yesterday like a damned fairy!”
Bone moved in a bit closer, smiling.
“Had to make it seem like your prancin’ self wasn’t on vacation, Ul’thor himself is out there ya know?”
With that, he winked and left the room yelling, “Ya bunch of lousy no good ghol eatin’ yeller bellies! Get them tents packed up tighter or so help me I’ll leave ya here for that other trow!...” his voice trailed off.
I could hear people all around the tent running this way and that... then I remembered. The ambush! I have to get ready! I jumped up and started getting dressed. Just then, a strange looking old man walked into the tent. I paid him no mind, and kept dressing.
He said, “That was quite a wound you had there laddy. If it weren’t fer meself you woulda been thrall bait! Hee hee hee ...”
At first I was disgusted, then it hit me. “You are a Journeyman?”
“Aye lad. But dont ye be thinkin’ I’ll fix ye up again, ye hear me?! That leg o’ yers spent me 3 mandrake roots!”
I laughed and thanked him anyways.
“Gotta go!” I said.
I left the tent, still putting my armor on. We were on a ridge overlooking the valley where our ambush was going to take place. Our position was perfect. There was a seperate ridge, for the archers, that was defensible by two plateaus. I could see dwarves laying satchel charges at strategic places in the valley. I smiled. Then something hit my shoulder.
“So, dey let ye out o’ der, eh?” I winced and turned around slowly.
“Oleg! How the hell have ya been?!”
Oleg was a dwarven hero. He had been fighting this war before any human I know could remember. He was highly viewed by dwarves and humans alike, although the Fir’bolg often scoffed at the tactic of hurling molotov cocktails at the enemy. They no doubt preferred their precision hunting bows. Still dwarven molotovs were extremely explosive and did a great deal of damage to anything near it. Oleg was one of the few dwarves who had mastered the art of molotov chucking.
Smiling, and extending his right hand “Dont ye be gettin’ soft on me ye filthy human!”
I laughed and shook his hand.
“Ye thought ye’d go git yerself a trow without me, eh?”
“I figured I’d go ahead and fight the trow, because even if you were there, you probably would’ve ran away anyways!”
Oleg just laughed and patted me on the back.
“I over’heerd yer prancin’ yesterdee. Good job lad.”
I just smiled and continued walking towards the other warriors.
...
I was sparring with Jakub Efreen, another good friend of mine, when I received orders. I was to report to the main headquarters, Ul’thor himself wanted to speak with me?! I ran towards the main tent. As soon as I got there, I was halted by two guards. Both of them were dressed in bright blue armor, the customary color of Ul’thors armies. My company was dressed in different shades of brown and green. We had no shared color, because we were just a hire-on group of fighters that were expendable.
After a few minutes, I was escorted into the tent. I had never seen Ul’thor until today. He was a giant man, almost as large as the trow. He made the other men standing near him look like children. I had heard stories when I was a child, about Ul’thor and how he grew up with the Forest Giants. I had even heard that the Forest Giants had taken him in as one of their own. I had never believed any of the stories until now.
In a deep grating voice, that seemed to echo throughout the camp, Ul’thor said to me, “I need another scout to accompany my main .. uh.. scout. Tremis, on his excursion into that uninhabited town your scout spoke of. Will you accept the mission?”
I stammered at first. “Err.. uh.. yes. Of course General Ul’thor”. I stood at attention. He said, “Good. You will leave at once. I cannot afford to lose anymore time, and I need to know if that camp poses a threat to our plans. Dismissed.”
I bowed quickly, turned and left the tent. The guards outside the tent pointed out a nearby single tree, that seemed out of place in this forest, and I thanked them.
I ran towards the tree. Upon approaching, I didn’t see anything there. Stupid guards. Maybe I should go back and clarify my question. I turned around and came face to face with Tremis. Startled at first, I quickly regained my composure. I said “I am to accompany you with your mission for information into ...” Tremis waved his hand to cut me off, “You can drop the formalities kid. If I’m gonna be ...uh .. scouting with you, we might as well drop the formalities. You ready? Lets not waste anymore time, and I’m kinda hoping we’ll be back before the ambush.” “Yes. I’m ready.” “O.K. good, lets go.”
...
We jogged down the trail towards where Anix had said he saw the village. It was obvious that Tremis was an accomplished tracker. He easily identified the different animals, and seemed to know exactly where the village was, even before I had led him to it. When I asked him how he knew, he simply responded, “The animals were avoiding the place”
We went silent as we got closer. I followed his lead trying not to make a sound. I noticed that I could hear myself as my weight shifted on the different leaves and twigs, but Tremis made not a sound. I found that if I stepped exactly where he did, and lightly, my noise was greatly reduced. Tremis turned around impressed, “Not bad kid, you’re pickin’ this up quick.” He whispered.
We rounded a corner of trees and came up to the first house... I heard him whisper, “quickly”. Then he sprinted off, almost completely silent, to the backside of the first house. I followed, not nearly as quiet, but still impressing myself.
I caught up to Tremis peeking up over a window. I waited for him to finish. He said, “Kid, you might not want to see this.” I waved his remark off and peeked over.
What I saw there, I was sure, would haunt me for the rest of my days. A family of four, both parents, and two kids, were hanging from different corners of the room. Their entrails spilled out onto heaps of intestinal carnage on the floor in front of them. Their skins had been carefully peeled off, and they all had looks of absolute terror on their faces. I fell back against the house. Tremis was looking intently at me, and I could not help the shocked look I gave him in return. He nodded. “C’mon”. I shook my head and followed him around the corner. When I got to the corner, I barely caught a glimpse of him going around the other corner of the next house! He had crossed the entire span of this yard in a matter or a second or two! I sprinted towards him, jumping over the small bush divider in the middle. When I reached the corner I stopped dead in my tracks. I heard grunting... I slowly crept up to the corner and glanced around. I barely saw the blow coming as an ax buried itself up to the hilt in the wood corner of the house, just mere inches above my head! I leapt back. Four thrall came lumbering around the corner. Obviously the undead had left a few sentries to guard this place as they passed through. I drew my sword. The thrall came towards me oblivious to my swinging sword. I hit the nearest one three times before he even got his ax up. He swung at me but was way too slow. I quickly sidestepped and flung my sword arm out in a wide arc. The blow caught him in his mid-section and my blade was lodged! I tried desperately to withdraw my sword from his body, but his convulsing ripped my sword from my hand and I backed away, weapon-less against the remaining three. I noticed a figure on top of the roof ... I subtly led the thrall back towards the house. They just kept coming... when I got close enough I made a run for the fallen thrall, with my sword in it. I glanced back as I sprinted, and noticed that Tremis had landed on top of one thrall, slashed at another while still on top, and leapt off the thrall, slashing backwards at the last thrall, landing near me, both blades drawn. The thrall he had leapt onto had stumbled from the misbalance and fell backwards onto the porch. I jerked on the sword, and it came free with a sickening crunching sound. Thrall had no insides left. They were simply rotted re-animated corpses. The thrall that I pulled my sword free from, kept on crawling. It was headed towards the house, but I don’t think it really knew where it was going. It simply just had to keep on fighting until it couldn’t move anymore. I felt a little sorry for them. Apparently Tremis didn’t. He rushed at the remaining three thrall in a wild frenzy of whirling blades. I tried to compliment his attack by flanking, but there was no need. The first thrall raised his ax just to have both of its arms cut off at the wrist, and the ax head fell right onto its own head, cutting a slight gash in its skull. The second thrall obviously thought it had an opening because it swung in a long arc aimed at Tremis’s mid-section. Tremis never stopped his spin maneuver, he simply lowered his blades and spun under the thralls side swing. Both of the thralls legs were severed at the shins. It toppled over, and continuously tried to get up, even though it just kept on falling back down. Tremis finally stopped, with the remaining thrall between the two of us. The thrall turned to me and swung its ax. I quickly spun reverse angle, and dropped down low, sweeping my trailing leg outwards. My kick caught him on the side of his nearest leg and he toppled over. I rolled backwards and up onto my feet, sword in hand. When I looked back, Tremis was already on top of the thrall with both blades embedded in the thralls chest. The thrall was squirming for a bit, then just lay still. Tremis withdrew his blades and finished the other wounded thrall off. When he came back he wiped his blades off on the tattered cloth remains still clinging to the thrall, and we continued.
After looking into the next couple houses, we concluded that all of them would be the same. I pleaded to Tremis to leave this place and head back to camp. But he would have nothing of it, insisting that “We must check for survivors”. I finally agreed, and we split up looking in each house.
An hour later we both met back at the first house as planned and both reported similar findings. There were no survivors of the attack. Some of the villagers had escaped and ran down the road only to be cut off by waiting Soulless. Their remains were left in the street where they died.
...
On the trail back towards camp, we were stopped by a dreaded now-familiar stomping sound. “Trow” we both whispered. Tremis followed my lead this time, and we headed in a side-winding pattern towards the sound. When we drew near, I motioned to Tremis. “Two ghols there” He nodded, and immediately disappeared into the brush. I decided to climb up a nearby tree, and get a better look. Quietly, I grabbed a hold of the tree trunk and started climbing. I got to the lowest branch and still couldn’t see anything... I reached up and grabbed another low hanging limb, still silent. I pulled myself up, right behind a Soulless! I clamped my hand over my mouth, and hung silently for a few moments. Extremely silent now, I pulled myself into position behind the soulless. The thing must’ve been asleep, for it never moved. I withdrew my sword and swung harshly at its neck. The decapitated head gave out a silent shriek and dropped to the ground below. The rest of its skeletal form soon followed. I quickly glanced around to check for other soulless. Nothing. I scanned the spot I saw the ghols at, and saw two trow! They were both sitting by a campfire gorging themselves on a huge mass of meat not identifiable anymore. I quietly slipped down from my perch and angled myself back to the trail.
“Pssst.”
I stopped and looked over in the direction. There was Tremis, on the trail waiting.
“Lets get out of here.”
“Agreed.”
...
The camp was silent when we got to it... at first we thought something terrible had happened, but as we approached we found out that the ambush was near. We hurried to the main command tent, which was now down, and packed away. There was a foxhole type bunker dug in the side of the hill. We headed for that first. Ul’thors guards stopped me at the entryway, but let Tremis through. Tremis, stopped and turned around.
“Would either of you like to wake up and see me hovering over you?” An evil grin on his face.
“Uh.. um.. No sir. But we have strict orders.”
Tremis lightly tapped his sword hilts.
Both men nodded and backed away.
“Thanks” I managed to say, while we were approaching the corner where General Ul’thor and his sergeants were finalizing plans.
...
After hearing about our findings, the two trow being the most vital information, Ul’thor decided he would have to use the satchels on the bulk of the thrall force, and the few berzerks that joined us to help the warriors with the trow. No one was looking forward to fighting with the trow, but there was no other choice.
...
It was just after sunset when the first sightings of the undead army were spread. They came slowly, into the valley where all of the satchels lay.. I was crouched down behind a nearby ridge behind the archers. 3 other warriors, whom I have never met, and I were assigned to protect the archers at all costs. I was peering over the ridge when I saw ... Oleg?! That damned dwarf must’ve gone insane I thought. I almost yelled out a warning, but decided to trust in my friend. He was muttering curses under his breath and sitting with his back to the thrall. The first of the thrall sighted him and grunted... there was a rolling sound of grunting as the word was passed back in ranks. It was then that I realized. The spring for our trap... Oleg just sat there, the thrall crept up slowly, the first ones with axes drawn. Then with about 10 trow paces left, Oleg sprang up and lobbed a molotov behind him, then sprinted towards the ridge where the archers were hidden. It seemed as though the whole undead army came to a standstill. Time itself came to a halt, as the soon to be nicknamed “thrall seeker” molotov, flew end over end. All undead eyes shifted upwards at the assured death from above.
The explosion rocked the very foundation of the mountain that we were fighting on. I have no doubt that it could be heard for miles and miles in all directions. Then the archers came alive! With precision timing unheard of.. and unprecedented speed... the archers began lobbing dozens and dozens of arrows into the wounded undead army. A couple more explosions, and I knew the undead had wights in their ranks. I heard trees breaking behind me and almost gave my position away. A “Stay down!” from one of my companions kept me from standing up to see what I already knew was there behind us. Trow.
The trow came swiftly, crashing out of the forest. They knew we had felled their brother the previous night, and they were out for revenge. I’m not sure how I knew, maybe that sixth sense again. The grim set features on their faces would allow no prisoners. Either they, or us, would die today.
Our second trap. The trow approached steadily, heading straight at the archers. At about 30 trow paces, our armies sprung to life. Even the approaching trow stopped and looked around. We had them surrounded from 3 sides. One of the trow was hesitant. The other gave out a deafeningly defiant howl, and charged at the warriors. The other seemed reluctant to attack. But, probably trying for easier kills, headed straight towards the archers. Some of the archers turned around and shot arrow after arrow at the incoming giant. The trow never made it. For between him and us, was General Ul’thor and his elite group of berzerkers. They came out from their hiding spot and stood their ground. One of the berserks screamed “Damn yer eyes beast!” and the charge was on. General Ul’thor, followed by fifteen berserks rushed the surprised trow. Ul’thor reached the trow first. Delivering a brilliant blow to the shoulder, Ul’thor followed by driving his broadsword through the beasts chest and out the other side. But, the trow managed to backhand Ul’thor. Ul’thor fell onto the ground, but got up immediately. His sword being lodged in the dying trows ribcage, Ul’thor stood facing the trow exchanging blows. I stared in awe at the might of the two contestants. Ul’thor managed to get in three hits, before the trow finally knocked him away for a second time.. Ul’thor was a little slower getting up, but then... the berserks were on the trow. Some berserks slashed at its legs while others came crashing into it, stabbing and slicing. Those berserks that lost their swords, from being stuck in the giant, scratched and grabbed on tight, biting at any opening they could. The trow behind found no more luck with the warriors who systematically cornered him into the middle of a circle and hacked it to death with minimal casualties.
“Ghols!” someone next to me shouted.
I scanned the battlefield and noticed a pack of 6 ghols approaching with an obvious target. Archers.
“Lets go!” I said.
I sprung up and ran to the plateau nearest the ghols and waited for the upcoming fight. The other warriors stood next to me then and we made our stand.
The ghols came rushing up, and we hacked the first few to pieces before they even got near the archers. But the next few just avoided us and headed around to get to the archers. “Spread out!”
We headed back towards the archers, meaning to get there first, but the ghols were too fast. We watched in horror as the first of the archers was caught unaware on the side by a ghol saber. He crumpled up and fell to the ground. The ghol stood over him and hacked at him until he stopped moving. Then the stupid ghol, in the middle of battle, decided to stop for a snack. He tore into the archers flesh right there while we were running up behind it. A fellow warrior, Coradim, got there first. I saw the rage in his eyes as he severed the ghol at the waist. We quickly got the last of the ghols before they could do any major damage. I had time to look up before we noticed it coming out of the forest. A wight. None of the other warriors knew what to do. He was behind a couple trees, so the archers couldn’t get to them.. and besides, with the ever steady flow of thrall into the valley, the archers had their hands full. I made a quick decision. “Stay here!” I took off running towards the wight. I saw through corners of my vision that a couple of the other fighters were watching me in my chase, cheering me on. I suddenly felt a boost of courage as I ran on. I approached the wight quickly and surely. The wight was a diseased zombie-like creature. It still however, held some of the memories of its life within its undead body. I looked into its eyes as I approached. It was crying. It had no control over what it had to do. Some unseen force was commanding it to explode, spraying disease and debree in all directions. “I’m sorry” it said with a sincerity that was unnerving. I leaped at it, trying to take the blunt of the explosion, so as to save some of the archers nearby. The impact was deafening from this close up. My mind reeled and I would’ve fell face first into the mud, if it weren’t for the paralization properties of the disease. I was surrounded by a purple haze, and felt myself falling. I reached further into my consciousness to grab hold of whatever reality was left to me. I caught a glimpse of a bright light. I dreamily wandered towards it. A blinding flash, and I found myself lying face down in the mud. I caught a glimpse of another blinding flash. A fetch! She was standing atop a rock mound facing away from me, cackling diabolically, while blasting the warriors and berserks that were down in the clearing. I gathered what little strength I had left and started climbing. Closer and closer I climbed, knowing that every lightning that she let loose, another friend of mine died. I quietly inched closer to her and when I was but a few trow paces away she turned and faced me. I leapt at her! The lightning blast only halfway singed me, and I felt its power course through my veins. I got to her, and we both went over the edge of the small cliff. I landed face first in the mud, ... again. The nearby warriors quickly dispatched the fetch while I lay there, not having anymore energy left. I could hear the sounds of dwarven molotovs echoing in the valley. I could then hear the cheers of our army... and I knew that we had won the day.
------ Michael McCartney aka “ Viral “
*not affiliated with bungie, this work was, however, inspired by an awesome game*
