(OOC: Holy crap this is my longest chapter yet, maybe my best if I do say so myself. :) Anyway, there is a reference to some really interesting medical stuff in here somewhere, hope you catch it. I'm finally back at school and stuff and holy crap it's been an insane summer. Posting this during AP Calc 'cause we have a sub since our regular teacher was up in Oregon watching the black sun. So yay! I'll have a map of Haven up later today with markings of the battle, since that's kind of important. Enough of my blabbering, enjoy!)
Chapter Seventeen: Bloody Hands and Sweaty Faces
“We’re on our way back,” Rubidus told Ryker over the radio, “and we dropped the payload. We encountered one of Creevan’s airships on the way here, but other than that, I think we’re safe.”
“Good…” Ryker muttered. “How much damage do you think you did?”
“I don’t really know, but they aren’t attacking us, so I think they’re too busy fighting the fires and helping each other,” Rubidus explained. “I don’t think they’ll do anything soon, though they might mobilize and march south, possibly to attack us.”
“Well, you better get back here soon, we’ve got trouble down here,” Ryker ordered. “Do you have anything left in those airships?”
“Nothing at all, ‘cept machine guns and some soldiers,” he replied. “Why? What’s going on?”
“There are two swarms of cultists preparing for a battle of sorts,” Ryker answered. “One is gathering on the moors south of the Great Colony, and the other is to the west of Haven, and another small group just got into the Clockworks via the Arcade.”
“What are they doing?” Rubidus exclaimed. “Don’t they know we can blast them all to pieces with artillery if we want to?”
“They know that precisely, which is why they aren’t being aggressive, they’re just… waiting,” Ryker said ominously. “I don’t like it.”
“We’ll be there as soon as possible,” Rubidus assured him.
“Good, you better be, ‘cause this--”
And with that the radio cut out.
“Ryker? You there?” Rubidus yelled worriedly. “Ogven! Is the communications system working?”
“What’s going on?” Ogven called back. “Everything here seems fine, I don’t see anything wrong. I’ll contact the rest of the squadron and see if they have the same problem.”
And sure enough, the other ships were unable to contact Haven or the Great Colony.
Rubidus scowled. He knew something was wrong. I know, why don’t I try to contact Corvin? he thought to himself.
“Hello? You have reached the Corvin Communication Center, what do you need?” the operator said when Rubidus contacted them.
“Phew!” Rubidus exclaimed. “Send as many armed airships to Haven and the Great Colony as you can. Something is wrong there, both of their communications systems are down, and they’ve got enemies near them. Something is going down there.”
“I’m not authorized to do that, apologies,” the operator said flatly. “I can contact my superiors and tell them about your message, if you want.”
“Yeah, whatever, do that.”
!#-^*^-#!
The Great Colony was approaching on the horizon for the bombing squadron. At first, all seemed well, but as they got closer, they could see flashes of brilliant lights in the night. Rubidus noticed the lack of airships, and how dark the city actually was. Did they turn the power off for the entire city? Rubidus thought.
“Everyone, get in your positions!” he ordered. “Something is dreadfully wrong down there, so we need to do a few gunning runs, then continue south to Haven and see what is going on down there!”
The bombing squadron immediately began their descent, getting low enough to shoot enemy infantry with their machine guns. Half of the ships veered to the east, while Rubidus’ and the other half veered to the west. Their orders were to attack the cultists from different directions, then circle the battlefield a few times while firing, then ascend to a higher altitude and continue south to Haven.
Once he could see the south side of the Great Colony, Rubidus saw the cultists outside, firing onto the darkened city, with a massive horde trying to climb the switchbacks leading to the main entrance. The defenders were on the walls of the city, and were clearly limited to gunpowder based weaponry, mêlée, and grenades. No Pulsars or Alchemers were to be seen, but it seemed that Valiances remained unaffected.
“They’re not gonna hold out for long…” Rubidus muttered as the airship flew over the battlefield, opening fire on the enemies below and climbing the mountain. He noticed that the cultists were using all sorts of weaponry, and were obviously unhindered by whatever stopped the city from defending themselves properly.
Dozens of cultists fell to the airships’ gunfire during their first flight over the enemy, but they were a mere drop of water in the vast ocean of their comrades. The second swoop annihilated more of them, and by the fifth, their numbers had been significantly diminished. Believing that to be enough, Rubidus gave the order to veer south after the sixth.
The airships did as Rubidus had commanded, and continued on to Haven. By the time they reached the sandstone city of the jungle, fires raged on the fields and wooded areas around the city, as well as within the walls, and a massive pillar of smoke rose from the Haven Bazaar. When his ship flew over the metropolis to survey the damage, Rubidus saw clearly the current state of the city and what had been done.
The cultists, instead of approaching in a pincer movement, as the Spiral Order had prepared for, took the south entrance, Kal’itna Gate, by storm, and were fighting their way through barricades in the Bazaar that had been recently erected. They were three quarters of the way to the fountain at the city center already, and more were pouring in from outside. The new arrivals spread out into the western section of the Bazaar, setting alight a few shops and slaughtering any lingering civilians. This group had not yet made it to the main road of the western Bazaar, however, and were encountering stiff resistance from knights positioned on rooftops.
Spiral HQ had been evacuated, and almost all of the residents of the Bazaar and southern Military District gathered in the Coliseum, which was being used as an infirmary (for there was a hospital there designed for contestants in the Coliseum’s violent matches). Although the hospital in the Military District was closer to the line of fighting, and not under immediate danger, it was bound to fall before the Coliseum, which was the most defensible building in the entire city. Grub knew this, and for this reason had modified the emergency plan in case of a direct attack on the city.
Spiral snipers gathered on top of the Auction House, led by Ryker. Mono and Grub stood underneath the snipers, frantically barking orders to anyone that milled about the fountain area. Pteron led the front line of defense with Alisa, Vaelyn, and Actua Blackbolt nearby. Pop was leading by example in the Bazaar with his team of roof-jumpers and unconventional fighters, including Kaqueth, Ven Kumonai, Sophia Clemente, and the slime Jacques, who proved incredibly proficient at sneaking up behind small groups of cultists and slaughtering them in alleyways.
Unlike the defenders of the Great Colony, the Spiral Order seemed to retain most small weapons and devices that had been rendered useless by the cultists (including boosters for short term air combat). The assailants, however, had not prepared for this, and were fighting without Alchemers or Pulsars or other energy weapons.
Although Rubidus could not see all the aforementioned details, he knew the battle was not going well. It was only when Ogven pointed out to him that he noticed that the airfield had been taken, for it was south of the city, so the airships would have to crash-land on the northern plain.
“It’s gonna be risky,” Ogven told Rubidus and the other pilots. “There’s in no way any certainty that I or the other pilots will be able to land effectively, but I think there’s an area flat enough.”
“I’ll land mine first to test it,” Kÿvun, one of the other pilots, volunteered. “If my landing doesn’t work, don’t follow me, and find another place.”
Kÿvun’s airship continued to circle the city with the other airships, but it descended as it did. Once it was at a low enough altitude, it stopped turning, facing south. The airship continued moving south, then veered west, finally turning around to face east. By this time, it was low enough to land on the plain and overshoot into the jungle.
With its landing gear deployed, the airship hit the ground. It made a sudden deceleration as it skidded and bounced on the uneven terrain, but it eventually came to a stop.
“It’s all good, come on down,” Kÿvun sent the all clear.
The other airships followed, with Rubidus’ being the last on the ground. Suffering zero injuries and zero casualties, the crews were delighted that they made it to the ground intact.
Their celebration was more of an attempt to lighten the burden that was on them: the battle to come. Once they were all out of their ships and in a cluster, Rubidus called them to attention.
“We need to go join the front,” he spoke. “I want those of you with less combat experience, Para, Etta, and Ogven, for instance, to go to the Coliseum, and join the defense. That is where the civilians will be, assuming everyone is following the plan. Help in any way you can. Fortify it, cook, move weapons and supplies into the building, whatever. Whoever is in charge of it will give you your commands. I will be going to the front. Those of you more whose primary skill is fighting, such as Tylret, Erxlek, et cetera, will come with me. This is going to be a very hairy battle, and many of your friends have likely already fallen. Do not weep for them. There will be time for mourning later, should any of us actually survive. I expect all of you to give your all here. Fight bravely, but do not sacrifice yourself without reason. Let’s drive those mangy cultists back home and make this a fight to remember!”
With that, the group began jogging to the north gate, J’Kanregwem Gate. A haze filled the air, with the smells of blood, gunpowder, and smoke moving into air that remained untouched by bloodshed. As soon as they entered the city, they joined the confusion of the street. Hundreds of knights moved about frantically, carrying weapons, supplies, and other knights to the Coliseum, or moving to the front. Rubidus’ force stood out from the crowd as they carved their way through it: their armor was clean and their faces were dry and full of energy.
As they passed the Coliseum, Ogven, Para, Etta, and a few others branched away from the rest to assist that part of the defense. Rubidus and the others continued on to the Auction House, where Mono and Grub were ruling over the battle.
“Reporting in, sir,” Rubidus saluted Mono. “I have a force of roughly fifty-five here, all new arrivals to the battle, where do you want us?”
“Oh, enough of that formal nonsense,” Mono grumbled. “Go speak with Pteron, beyond the fountain. He’s organizing the main defense. If you’ve got any snipers, climb up on the Auction House and join the party up there, they’re having a blast.”
Eight of Rubidus’ force left to join Ryker on top of the Auction House, where they participated in raining lasers down onto the enemy, as they moved into the city. Rubidus brought the rest across the town square, to receive orders from Pteron.
“Sir, force of forty-five or so soldiers, reporting for duty,” Rubidus said to the Lieutenant. “Where do you want us?”
“Take half your force to the left side of that wedge-shaped shop over there,” Pteron pointed to the building in question. “Move down that street, then a few buildings past Spiral HQ, move into the Bazaar and assault the cultists that way. Leave the rest of your force here, they can be used.”
Rubidus and his men did as they were instructed: half of them moved over to hide behind barricades and shoot at the advancing cultists, whereas the other half (which included all the swordsmen and grenadiers, as well as a few gunners) followed Rubidus to the left. They moved quickly down the street, shooting three cultists that had either lost their way or were hiding. As they advanced, a small building exploded, sending shards of shrapnel flying in every direction. One fragment, no larger than a thumb, buried itself in Rubidus’ red Quilted Hunting Coat, staggering him, for it was much heavier than steel. He dropped both his weapons, a Winmillion and a Valiance (he wielded two weapons at all times, a sword in his right and a gun in his pseudoflesh (prosthetic) left arm, as he was mostly ambidextrous).
Unhurt, he picked up his weapons and continued down the street. After passing Spiral HQ, they turned right (west) down an alleyway, and immediately saw the horde of cultists. Rubidus busted down a door with his pseudoflesh arm on one side of the alley, and another knight did likewise on the opposite, and the whole force took cover inside the buildings, just a few dozen yards from the enemy.
Both groups moved through the shops, trying not to make any noise or break anything. They both found that their builds did not take them to the enemy, so they quickly darted across the next street and broke down those doors too. Rubidus was in the further north of the two shops.
On Rubidus’ signal, three grenadiers, each brandishing a Nitronome, moved to the front door of the building. They quickly burst the door open, tossing their grenades into the mass of cultists, who were hiding behind their own moving barricades. The three blasts tore twenty-odd cultists to pieces, and wounded many others. Before they could see the explosions, however, the grenadiers retreated into the back room of the shop, where the others were waiting. The cultists were struggling with the door when four more blasts resonated in the crowd: the other group of knights had clearly copied Rubidus’ idea.
The door fell off its hinges with a powerful crack, followed by an equally powerful thud. A cultist, likely the one responsible for the fallen door, entered the building, but was stopped dead in his tracks by a bullet from Erxlek’s shiny Sentenza. The lone bullet briefly illuminated the room with an eerie light, but it was gone in a split second. Five more charged in, and Erxlek emptied his magazine, killing each of them.
As the gunner reloaded, a grenadier in light padded armor crawled up to the door to place a pair of bombs. Rubidus approved, even though it would do damage to the building. The grenadier had just finished planting the bombs when eight cultists barged in, seeking shelter from the gunfire outside. They saw the grenadier instantly, and one raised his Combustor to put an end to him.
In the next fraction of a moment, the other knights tried to save the poor grenadier. Zun charged forward, wielding a Leviathan, and two gunners opened fire on the cultists.
But the grenadier never saw the help. He pressed the detonator, instantly killing himself, Zun, and the eight cultists. Shrapnel flew into the two gunners, killing one, and knocking the other, Phaidnsé Galgor, down with a terrible head injury, and all the other knights were knocked off their feet by the blast wave.
Rubidus ran forward to bring Phaidnsé into the back room. Even though there was a gaping hole in the left side of his head, Phaidnsé was certainly alive, as evidenced by his blood-curdling screams. “Erxlek and Kvalrod,” Rubidus ordered, “take Phaidnsé to the Coliseum and get him immediate medical help.”
Rubidus brought his four remaining men over to the other group in the adjacent building, to grab them and retreat to Pteron’s position. They found that four of the other group had been killed and two more had debilitating injuries, so they were more than willing to retreat.
The small group fell back to Pteron’s position and fell in with the ranks behind the barricades. Those without guns quickly acquired them from their fallen comrades to repel their killers.
After another two grueling hours of combat, Pteron’s force was forced to retreat. They ran across the square and began to form barricades on the other side of the fountain. Some bombers stayed behind for a short period of time to set up three piles of explosives behind the barricades to detonate. Once their work was finished, they fell back to the others’ position. Unfortunately, three of the thirteen fell to enemy fire and two were hit by the malevolent projectiles.
As a result of the construction of a new barricade, the cultists gained rapid momentum, with only Ryker’s snipers putting pressure on them. However, they had to leave the safety of their walls on wheels behind when they reached the abandoned barricade. This mistake would prove to be fatal for the fanatics of Vog.
In order to get past their barricades, they had to move around them, effectively bottlenecking themselves. Many moved between the two, and those that went to the edges found that the knights’ barricade’s only passable spot was in the center, so they had to move in, further bottlenecking the force.
Once enough moved into the square, the bombs were detonated. Unsuspecting cultists were sent flying, and the ground was stained by both blood and fire. Unhindered by the blasts and the fall of their comrades, the tide of cultists flooded into the square, advancing on Pteron’s force. Only sniper-fire from Ryker’s force helped to stem the leak, but even that was a drop in the ocean of force that would be needed to stop the enemy.
Realizing that the enemy would soon be upon them, Pteron's force halted construction of the barricade and drew their guns. Multiple Area Protection Shields were activated along the line, but there were not enough to form an effective barrier. The knights’ response was too late, however, to stop the mêlée that ensued. Combatants on both sides holstered their firearms and unsheathed their rapiers, Brandishes, and Caliburs, charging into the fray, bloodlust surging through their bodies.
At this point, Pop’s force from the southwest emerged from the bazaar, joining the chaos, with more cultists on their tales. They had been driven back by large swarms, and were now trapped in the middle of the confusion. Kaqueth, with little regard for his own life, jumped face first into the mess, landing on a shouting cultist, who was silenced forever in seconds by Kaqueth’s massive claws. More Snarbolax than knight, he found through the crowd, eliminating cultist after cultist, until finally a cultist stabbed him in the back. The blow knocked Kaqueth to the ground, but failed to puncture his coat.
Another cultist tried to skirt around what he thought was the knight’s corpse, then let out a hideous scream as Kaqueth’s claws penetrated his leg. The cultist fell to the ground, and, like his fallen comrades, was silenced within a second. Kaqueth scrambled to his feet, and continued fighting the invaders.
In the middle of the mess stood Creevan, obliviously stabbing defender after defender. Eventually he reached Mono, who had left Grub to deal with orders to join the battle himself. The two caught each other's eyes, and a deadly dance of swordplay began.
Each armed with a Barbarous Thorn Blade and matching shield, they circled one another, waiting for the other to strike first. Creevan made the first move, attempting to stab Mono in the gut, but his blow was cut short when the point of the rapier imbedded itself in Mono’s shield.
Mono watched the cultist struggle to get the sword out of his shield, honorably not striking the easy target. “Pick up another, and toss your shield down,” Mono told him, dropping his own shield.
Surprised by the knight’s honor, Creevan grabbed a Flourish from a fallen knight nearby and dropped his shield. Mono lunged at Creevan, but the cultist was ready, and deftly deflected three separate attempts at a stab.Creevan, in turn, made his assault, which lasted longer but was nevertheless stopped by Mono’s lightning reflexes.
“You can't hold out forever, old man,” Creevan shouted. “You shall fall eventually, as will the rest of Haven.”
The battle raged on around the two, who were blind to the rest of the world, and no one thought to disturb them. A duel of rivals was never to be interrupted. Even the cultists’ perverted sense of honor knew that, so no one dared interfere.
A few hundred yards south, Jürenð suffered a laser to the stomach before he even joined the mêlée. He fell to the ground, but a cultist named Kinvald, who was just behind him, grabbed the younger cultist and brought him into the alleyway where three menders were set up. Instead of fighting, Kinvald had decided to help bring the wounded to the menders, so as to save as many lives as possible. The menders were constantly busy, and made no distinction of who they healed, be they knight, gremlin, or cultist.
In the Town Square, however, the opposite was true. Amidst the chaos and confusion, the wounded were trampled to death, stabbed in the neck, or shot at point blank if they marched under the wrong banner. Many other knights filed into the Coliseum laden with the bodies of their comrades. Inside the building, however, was comparatively quiet. Neither shouting nor shooting could be heard, but the bustle of the doctors and medics as well as the preparations of the defenders kept the halls and passageways loud.
The mêlée around the fountain slowly moved north, towards the Coliseum. Ryker’s snipers were forced to retreat to the Coliseum, where they positioned themselves on the roof to fire down on the cultists. Although well over one thousand had perished already, the battle showed no sign of stopping. An alarm finally sounded from the Coliseum, giving the signal to fall back to the arena. A swarm of knights suddenly fell back, sprinting with all their energy to the safety of the Coliseum.
Confused, the cultists failed to pursue them for a few seconds, giving the knights the vital time to get everyone into the Coliseum and close the doors before the cultists arrived. Multiple bombs were hidden around the Coliseum, planted by the knights in preparation for defense. Once the cultists reached the Coliseum and began to surround it, the bombs were activated, causing chaos in the streets.
Gunfire erupted from the Coliseum, spraying lasers and bullets into the cultist-infested streets. The burst of shots lasted two minutes, and came to a halt once the cultists retreated. As abruptly as it had started, the battle was over.
Mono, Grub, and Pteron were the first to leave the Coliseum. They were prepared for what they saw, but nevertheless it shocked them. Blood puddled in the streets, with bodies strewn about everywhere. Some were still alive, and they received immediate medical attention, regardless of their side in the battle. The Town Square was painted crimson, and Mono, Grub, and Pteron had trouble crossing it without falling over corpses or slipping in the sticky liquid that covered the ground and permeated the air.
The three warriors walked to the fountain, to wash their bloody hands and sweaty faces. “This was my fault,” Grub wept. “I should've called the retreat sooner. This never would have happened.”
Finally got my steam to log in on the forums ..So now i can comment.
:( You take so long to release chapters i swear! I'll reach infront your house -_-
(You actually made me interested in a story then make me wait 10 years for a chapter D:)