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Bloodsworn Ch. 22
🕑 Added 2024-11-14 00:18:58 +0000 UTC22.
“Here it comes!” Sammus yelled as the air around the gates burned hot and bright. The thin metal gate’s bars began to glow, within moments turning white hot. Chains snapped taunt and the gates were pulled inward, yanking open a hole that they were hoping to lure the demonic horde into.
Erak shuffled from foot to foot as hundreds of casters focused on the hole in the wall. There were several retrofitted vehicles ready to be shoved into the breach to plug the hole once their goal was accomplished.
A scream, high and piercing, rang out far above and Erak glanced up and tried to peer through the tarps stretched out covering a quarter of the entire Armory’s inner workings. He still couldn’t see through the tarps, so he looked back toward the gates and waited for the demons to take the bait.
Next to him Nevia shifted, looking uncomfortable in the liberated riot armor they had found in some dusty corner room. It had changed, the bulky vests becoming tight, but flexible, heavy leathers. It looked similar to what the Infernal Soldiers wore. She had managed to find and distribute knives and officers' swords, the officers having no need of them anymore.
Her small command now was one of the most well equipped, swords, knives, casters, and body armor. She had managed to even find some helmets that covered the majority of their heads. It was more than he had expected her to find. That Foy hadn’t already raided those stores was disappointing. He had thought she was more thorough.
“It’s like the mouth of hell,” Nevia whispered, staring at the now open gateway. Flames spewed into the Armory, licking over the first of the barricades in a burst of dark flame. Soldiers disappeared in a flash as the flipped over heavy metal tables and various salvaged equipment provided no protection. It had supposed to look like it was something that had been slapped together and the soldiers there a fast reaction force.
The demons kept firing their siege cannons, more and more bolts of flame searing away at the entrance. The stone around the gate glowed, pulsing white and standing out in the general murk of the day.
“Above!” The cry came and caster fire filled the sky as Hellspawn came diving for them. Erak kept his eyes focused on the glowing tunnel in the murk. Thick, oily smoke was billowing into the Armory and men began to cough as the first of the attackers came running forth.
Infernal Soldier lvl. 11
Infernal Soldier lvl. 13
Infernal Commander lvl. 14
They came flooding forward, scores of them, but Erak kept his eyes locked on the newest enemy he had seen. The commander was different than the horror shows that were the regular soldiers or Hellspawn. It was shorter and broad with pale pink skin with poisonous green lines tattooed across its bald head. It carried a whip, leather braid studded with cruel bits of metal, flesh still clinging to it. It sneered, showing off thousands of small nubby teeth.
Caster fire illuminated the world and the first wave of Infernal Soldiers disintegrated. Erak watched as the commander died, whip turned to ash. Erak’s disappointment in losing a fight was swiftly disabused as the next wave came rushing in, never slowing as they ran against walls of fire.
For an hour Erak watched as Infernal Soldiers, none above level 13, died by the hundreds inside of the glowing gateway. Commanders would appear, but died just as easily as their subordinates. Above them, Hellspawn circled and died, their limp bodies falling to hit unyielding stone and crunching. Weapons fire was flashing out from all around the Armory wall as the entire fortress was being pressed. The siege weapons never stopped their assault as they tried to open a second breach.
“Soon,” Sammus said as he sauntered up to them. He had followed Nevia’s example and taken some of the reformed riot armor and had a helm of stainless steel that reflected each of the bolt of caster fire.
“Sir?” Nevia asked. Her soldiers shuffled closer, trying to eavesdrop on them.
“They’ll send the heavies. Those golems you were talking about. They can’t breach the walls yet and they’re losing to many of their base troops trying to open up a gap. They’ll send the heavies to force it open. Erak, are you ready?”
Erak nodded. It was what this entire plan had been enacted for after all. He grabbed his spear and shook his arms out. And then waited. And waited. And waited.
“They have a higher tolerance for casualties than I thought they would. And what Foy thought too.” Sammus pursed his lips and watched as a pile of charred corpses grew higher and higher with no end in sight. If the tunnel didn’t get cleared soon, then they wouldn’t need to put their barricades into place, the dead would defend the gate.
Another ten minutes passed and the caster fire was slowing down. The Essence generated by the soldiers not enough to keep up with the steady swarm of bodies. Slowly but surely, the soldiers got further and further into the Armory, pushing deep into the established killbox.
The ground rumbled, so softly at first that Erak couldn’t tell in the chaos. A steady tremble that tickled his feet, but slowly increased to an earth rattling rumble. A wet, red hand reached inside of the gateway and pulled, ripping free the partially melted stone and then it was squeezing into the tunnel. Steam hissed as the golem crouched walked, the stone evaporating the wet blood and cooking its raw flesh.
It stood up straight towering above the field. Fourteen feet tall and wide as the gates had been with four oversized arms that drug across the ground. All of, aside from what had been cooked in the tunnel, was red and clotting, blood dripping off of it to splatter on the hot stone floors.
Caster fire hit it, small scorch marks appearing wherever they touched, but not harming it. It lifted its square head up, a half dozen eyes swirling madly in sockets as they looked about. Six different eyes. Six different colors.
“That looks to be your cue, Erak. I’ll wish you luck from back here,” Sammus said with a fake smile. Erak looked away from him and hoisted his shield into position and started toward it.
War Golem (Flesh)
Rare
Erak started to jog, his armor rattling as he smiled behind his helm. This thing could be the challenge he was waiting for, something to truly push him to his limit. Six mismatched eyes turned to look at him as he stepped in front of the defensive lines. Caster fire was redirected, targeting the hall behind the golem.
The golem lifted a single arm up and brought it crashing down. Erak twisted his hips and hit it with his shield, exerting the entirety of his strength to push the arm to the side. Stone shattered and exploded into fragments as Erak was sent in a tumble.
He rolled to his feet, rolling his sore shoulder as he reevaluated the war golem. It was strong and fast. His smile broadened as he closed the distance, trying to get inside of its guard. Fists came down like thundering meteors, Erak forced to jump back and to the side, slashing at the thick arms with his spear. More clotted, black blood dripped out of it faster with each slash, but it didn’t slow.
It was forcing him back, each attack forcing him to retreat. Frustration grew in his chest at the momentum shift. He was on the backfoot, pushed to nearly his maximum just to stay ahead of wide fists. Erak watched, and watched, fighting back his impatience. His mind stirred and thought and finally he saw it. The pattern.
