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Night Watch I: Eliza, Ward of Andrew

I wouldn’t last much longer, I had to make every second count

*Jake’s POV*

Admittedly, the battering ram the opposing army had brought didn’t seem terribly effective, but they also appeared to have infinite replacements with which to wield and guard it. We couldn’t heat the oil fast enough; our archers couldn’t take down the ogres shielding the battering ram any faster than they were being replaced! I could smell the stench of the bodies of their fallen from where I stood on the Walls.

Suddenly, a burst of movement in my peripheral vision caught my eye. I spotted a small band of what appeared to be dirty, mangled, hairy children come pouring out of the solid side of the Wall to the North. That was just adjacent to where the shrine stood. Something was wrong.



*Andrew’s POV*

In an instant, the balance had completely changed. The enemy had the Soul of the Forest. I pointed at Bret and barked orders as I turned to leave the shrine, “Check on Vas first, tend to the injured!”

I ran as fast as I could towards the Gate, and when I stumbled, I flew instead. I was screaming unceremoniously at Elder Lemmy the moment I was in earshot, “They have the Soul! We have to open the Gates! The kobolds are outside the Gates with the Soul!”

Lemmy didn’t question when he saw the look on my face, though he did look at Eliza for confirmation. He frowned. “You know the stakes Andrew. We must give chase.” Indeed I did, as one of only a select few.

He hollered to the Watchmen on the Wall, “Time the Gates to open when they charge, to let the battering ram through to the inside, it’ll give room for an exit! Dawn Watch, you will take out the incoming Juggernauts and ogres! Archers, clear a path by the entrance! The rest of you get the Soul back!” He pointed at the two nearest Watchmen, “Jeremy, Racci, go to the Village and send for the Berserkers. Tell them the Soul is gone and the Gates are open.” The two Dusk Watchmen both took off at a dead run.

First Officer Jake called down, “The Soul is North, along the Walls. I can see the kobolds, they haven’t gone far!”

There was some clear confusion, but I saw the Watchmen ready themselves by the unlocking mechanism, waiting for a signal from Jake, while others quickly slid out the bolt. A path was made ready for the incoming battering ram, and terrified Watchmen lined up, ready to take on an army from the worst vantage point possible, trying to give chase outside our own fortifications. I had time to quickly grab Eliza’s hand and squeeze on her pressure point before Jake dropped his arm, and the Gates swung open.

Immediately the battering ram, held by confused-looking Juggernauts, came sailing completely through the Gates and well beyond me. The Dawn Watch quickly enveloped it, and I didn’t look back. I sprinted towards the brief opening we would have to get out of the Gate, before the horde would be able to completely block us off with our own bottleneck.

I ducked an axe and just ran, ran through the chaos and the stink, until I was through the Gates! I had time to register piles of dead bodies that were not Fae before I took off to my right along the Wall. Thankfully, the trolls were slow to realize what had happened, some of them hadn’t even drawn their weapons. When I could, I simply ran past, needing to gain more ground.

On some level, I was aware of the other Watchmen at my side, running behind me. I could hear the shock and surprised noises of the trolls, registered that they weren’t quite ready for a fight, that some of them were covered in grotesque boils, and that an ogre was lumbering in my direction. But another part of me was constantly scanning for the bright glint of the Soul, the dark bodies of the kobolds. Surely, somewhere near, there would be a transfer. No one would trust kobolds with the Soul of the Forest for very long.

Suddenly there was an edged weapon coming at me to my right. I displaced the blow with a counterstrike and used body leverage to put the troll on uncertain footing. As it struggled, I shoved it over and gutted it, spilling blood everywhere. It had slowed me down, curses!

I had time to register that Eliza had gotten ahead of me before I had to deal with the ogre that had singled me out. It was slow but its skin was thick, I could practically feel the blade dulling when I tried to slash it with Dennis. I waited for it to take a swing with its club, then shot vertically airborne and thrust Dennis into an eye that popped wetly. It bellowed and I dodged its kicks as it dropped its weapon to clutch at its face. With no time to fully dispatch it, I kept onwards, heading North, scanning, always scanning.




*Eliza’s POV*

I rent clear through the head of another one, pink brain matter flying when I jerked my axe free. I kept thinking I saw kobolds just up ahead, but more trolls would always get in the way! Angry, I went for the leg of the one in front of me. It foolishly tried to block with its wooden shield, and I split right through it, landing my blow in the meat of its thigh. It screamed as I punched it in the face, blood spraying outwards from my fist, then it crumpled to the ground. I fought and fought and fought, trying to cut a way to the Soul for Andy, it had to be just ahead. The screams, the sounds of the dying, they came from everywhere, they were so loud!




*Angela’s POV*

I was the only Wild One who fought not to save the Soul, but to protect the Elder. He had entered his Berserker haze and was fighting alongside all the rest of his tribesmen, just outside the Gate. Admirable, but foolish. Lem was a consummate Berserker and took too many risks.

I watched his back, fighting alongside him, as he literally bit into the side of a troll before skewering it through. Gods, if any leader could inspire his people to fight, Lem was it!

I turned, ripping my sword free of a chest cavity, only to see an entire group of Juggernauts approaching. Not waiting for anyone else to take notice, I brought the fight to them first. I had to keep them away from the Elder. I brought two of them down with some quick footwork before I felt metal entering my right side… DamnDammit...




*Billy’s POV*

I did a double take to make sure I was actually seeing what I thought I was. Shit! It was clear from my spot in the archer’s tower, the entire enemy army was pulling back! That meant they had to have the Soul!

I quickly slung my bow over my shoulder and called behind me as I ran down the curved steps, “Archers, take up your swords! Follow me or the Soul is lost!”




*Andrew’s POV*

I got a shock as I saw a diwata, her skin golden and luminous, running, screaming like a banshee, through the masses of the enemy, slinging energy as trolls dropped around her like flies. So the diwata had joined the battlefield! I used the clearance she had bought me to push a dozen more feet forward, sliding Dennis into the back of a troll that was focusing elsewhere.

As it went down thrashing, I caught a clear glimpse of Eliza, taking on a Juggernaut alone. In that moment, I lost the battle between focus and adrenaline as I frantically fought to get to her, cold terror flooding my system.

I took some air to dodge a shoddy blow from a troll that stank of infection, it’s skin raised in ugly, weeping welts. I was grateful for Papa’s work in the moment, as the thing was easily put down. But still I was taking too long!




*Eliza’s POV*

The fucking thing disarmed me! I loved that axe! Instinctively, I reached over my head and unsheathed my executioner’s sword, just in time to block a heavy blow that would have otherwise separated my head from my body. I was slowing down, I could feel my response time getting longer; I had so many wounds. I cleared my mind as I knocked the Juggernaut away, and then managed a lucky swipe through its neck as it lost its balance, not expecting such a forceful blow. It went down pumping blood into the air and gurgling, but I had no time to gloat. I had seen the glint of the Soul up ahead.

I opened every main line to my power sources that I could, draining myself dry to shove over the churning bodies of trolls in my way. There, the Soul, I could see it! A tiny kobold had it in outstretched arms; some sort of massive Juggernaut was reaching for it!

Desperate, I grabbed a dagger from my boot and flung it, managing only to glance harmlessly off the face of the enormous troll. It paid no heed, only grasped the Soul in its meaty hands. I struck the arm off of the only troll that stood in my way, and it fell, shrieking and fouling itself.

I ignored the kobold and went straight at the bizarrely large troll, advancing aggressively and swinging for its neck. It blocked me easily with only one hand on its spear, the other cradling the Soul. I was using all of my strength to try and destabilize the thing, but it was too strong!

It flung me backwards, and I had barely managed to steady myself on my feet when I realized there was a spear sticking clear through my gut! Shit! The kobold!

I turned, the pain starting to bother me, and easily felled the wretched thing, but it was too little, too late. I wouldn’t last much longer, I had to make every second count. When I turned back, the colossal troll was waving its hands, speaking some kind of incantation.

My thoughts grew fuzzy. I had to take down the troll before it opened a portal, before it took the Soul away. I didn’t have any ranged weapons, and I wasn’t sure I could walk closer… I blinked heavily as I remembered I had a spear sticking through my intestines, I just had to pull it out and throw... throw it. My vision started to tunnel as I wrapped both hands around the shaft, just below the metal tip, and started to pull.

Notes

woohoo, action!

Comments

*NOTE* The author of this story no longer has access to her account due to site malfunction.
SmuttyPariah SmuttyPariah
4/15/17

I've waited right to the end to comment. I loved this so much. I love all the characters and if this site would let me vote loads, I would. I wish it were more like wattpad in that respect. I've read the first chapter of the next installment and I can't wait. I'm super excited.

xPockyCookiex xPockyCookiex
4/7/17

@Teja

yay! so glad you like it so far!

anathema anathema
3/26/17

@smutty pariah

*snorts at you* ;0)

anathema anathema
3/26/17

Yes, can't wait!

Teja Teja
3/26/17