Two Catapults Part 3

Dividing the prisoners, and killing them did not sit well with the Gnolls and Troglodytes. One hundred thirty something Gnolls and Troglodytes jumped the Gontrellans who reached for their firearms and other weapons. Another skirmish erupted over the prisoners they captured. Many of the Gontrellans tried to defend themselves against a stronger opponent. Although warriors could defeat them, the average civilian soldier or volunteer, and civilian did not do so well.

            Because they were armed with pistols the Gontrellans managed to kill a quarter of attackers. In less than a few moments the rest overwhelmed them. All the Goblins shook their heads. Some fired bolts or loosed arrows at the backs of the taller beast humanoids. The skirmish lasted for a few minutes with the Muskallans cutting down the Gnolls and Troglodytes alongside the rest. A handful of Goblins were killed in the skirmish as well. Many of the prisoners got caught in the crossfire and cross fighting. Just a quarter of the Gontrellans remained and half the Goblins still stood. Most of them were exhausted. Out of the remaining prisoners that were still in the grouping only 227 remained to be sorted out.

            A horn blew four times signaling the arrival of a fresh force. Rolling his eyes the Goblin looked through the spy glass. Sixty-five Rangers, and warriors with 36 more riding towards their location. He warned the others, some of whom reacted and prepared a defense. The rest of them scrambled to get the prisoners on the wagons as another group of thirty-six armed orcs rushed over from the main horde. They came to speed things up and get the slaves out of here as soon as possible.

            The Goblin overseer track-keeper looked past the convoy. A small force of about fifty-seven Muskallans rode up to them. Far behind them was the main horde itself. From where he stood the Goblin counted 903 out of some ten thousand and counting. His counting and train of thought were disrupted by gunfire that made him jump. All the armed Goblins, Gontrellans, slavers, and orcs fired on the approaching force of would be heroes. This forced them to spread out a little as they came in fast. About a dozen of them fell. Several of them fired back hitting a few defenders. With a dozen fallen the rangers, warriors, and mercenaries back off the attack. Another victory was given to the horde.

            Soon all the prisoners and slaves were rounded up and loaded on the wagons. Night was falling fast which gave them little time to get going, It forced them to stay on that spot until morning. At the crack of dawn they awoke to the sounds of war cries, hoofbeats, and shooting from a small range of hills they somehow missed. Their whole camp came under fire from those hills. Most of the shots were not very accurate. It was his job to keep track of everything and calculate numbers. He could not tell how many were on those hills, however he did catch sight of the small force racing towards them. It was a small army of 337 Uxane braves from the Eastern Mawnee Nation of the Pale Hills. They came running down the hills. Whoever was left of their own forces fired on the oncoming wave of Uxane.

            Barely over a hundred or more of the remaining forces sent to take the fort made a desperate defense. The camp was not too far away. Knowing the Mawnee it was the best to leave the cargo there for a better defensive position. Their main goal would be to kill the defenders then claim all the cargo and all survivors to parade around. Realizing he was going to be dragged into this the tracker acted fast. He grabbed a crossbow and a handful of bolts from a few his own kind before racing to the camp.

            Gontrellan troops and Orcs fired a few volleys at the oncoming wave of Mawnee warriors. The Mawnee descended on the camp moment they found a good spot. Like any defender the Goblin shot one bolt into the air hoping it would hit an Uxane. He loaded another bolt to shoot an Uxane Mawnee wielding a decorated axe. When the Goblin tried to load a third bolt most of the defenders were being cut down, speared, and filled with arrows. Mawnee warriors rode through the camp and circled around the encampment killing what remained of the defenders. Many Goblins hid as did he the very moment the Mawnee rode through. He hid under a tent with a perfect up close view.

            From his hiding place this Goblin overseer witnessed another force storm in the camp and force these Mawnee back to their hills. Muskallan arrows came first peppering the encampment, killing some braves in the volley. Most of the Mawnee turned to face this new threat as it stormed into the camp. This track-keeper got front row seat of the clash between two distinct cultures and armies. Both of who had to migrate for centuries before meeting in this part of the world.

            Mawnee and Muskallan fought ferociously inside the encampment. Combatants fell on the ground, others wrestled each other to the ground. Both horse and rider fell, warriors fell off their mounts dead, dying or wounded. Sounds of war cries, shouting, growling, weapons clashing, bones breaking, and horses screaming filled the air with a mixture of sounds. The Goblin watched from inside the tent as both forces destroy each other. He used this chance to slip out of the encampment. With his short legs managed to race out of there and head straight for the main horde. He looked over his shoulder to see another two waves of warriors coming. Some eight hundred twenty or more Uxane rushing straight for the camp.

            Racing for the horde made him tired. He stopped to watch this next wave of Mawnee surround the remaining Muskallans. On the hills was a larger wave of 2000 Mawnee warriors. His jaw dropped to see this other large army on those hills waiting to come down to fight the horde. Knowing he was going to die anyways the surviving Goblin turned to the south. As he took to the south he noticed another camp of three figures. This new trio made camp as far away from the scene as possible.

            Just three figures were camping out while a battle was raging on. He glanced over his shoulder to see what he guessed was a solid force of 3,021 and counting. None of them were mounted on any steeds. It was assumed they were all Troglodytes, and Gnolls with some Kuruks, and Orcs from the expanded territories. He turned away being the last one from the original army that attacked the fort village. Behind him he could hear the Uxane descending on the Muskallans at the encampment. The Goblin looked ahead to see the trio breaking camp or getting up to mount. Each one wore two types of cloaks over the other. One of them must have been for night time travel, and the other for wilderness travel, he thought to his Goblin self. He studied the foliage that covered most of the area. Various types of flowers, weeds, scattered trees such as thick dwarf trees, isolated pines, mother willows, purple leaf bushes, and those fields of thin candle grass.

            Whatever this trio were up to did not concern the Goblin. He knew this did not concern the main horde at all. To them they were just three figures who posed zero danger to the horde. Out of curiosity this Goblin turned around to see what was going on at the encampment this time. Using his spyglass he observed the scene laid out before him. The 3000 or more force was engaging the other wave of Mawnee as more than two thousand other Mawnee raced down to flank the three thousand on foot. More than half the ones closest to the impact died leaving the rest with the Uxane.

            With nothing else to watch the Goblin sat down on a fallen tree. No more than several thousand Uxane Mawnee, Gnolls, Troglodytes, Kuruks, and Orcs fought savagely. Due to their height many of the taller beings endured the impact. A few minutes of watching the battle brought the Goblin some entertainment. Using horse and spears Mawnee braves brought down the tall enemies. Hundreds of Uxane were pulled down or speared in turn. A few hundred broke off from the fighting and rode around. Each warrior in those groups let loose arrows into the flanks of the Gnolls, Troglodytes, Orcs and Kuruks. These two armies fought with one of them getting peppered with arrows. Although the horde had larger numbers their adversaries still had the upper hand. If this were an army of Goblins, smaller orcs, or men the Uxane cavalry would have run them down quickly. For nearly half an hour or more the battle lasted with no help coming from the Muskallans who simply watched.

            More than one thousand seven hundred Mawnee survived the onslaught with the horde. In astonishment he watched the Mawnee take all the loot and prisoners. He looked over at the Muskallans who did nothing to stop them. Not one of them lifted a finger to prevent the Mawnee from taking the loot. The Goblin scanned the area with his spyglass. Where most of the reinforcements had come in before the siege, a large force was making its way to the battle scene. Using the time he had he calculated a force of 5,500 troops bearing Tamoth colors. Among the Tamoth force were five other armies. These other five armies belonged to separate factions. He saw these factions consisted of mercenaries, an order of knights, elf swordsmen from some elf kingdom, clansmen, and a mixture of warriors, fighters, rangers, various, Uxane braves from other tribes, and individual adventurers, and explorers, plus civilized orcs. A total of 6,900 or more troops of Tamoth, elf swordsmen, mercenaries, knights, clansmen, warriors, fighters, rangers Uxane, adventurers, explorers and orcs marched towards them.

Another Childhood story Life

When I was younger than about pre-kindergarten or kindergarten I remember doing something mischievous in the play room. As a kid I always did something funny, mischievous, and often times naughty. There was the time I pushed out all my sister's dolls and furniture from this wooden playhouse before getting in for a picture. Being a three year old I did not seem to care of have that concept even though I was adorable. One day I had this ball of yarn or was string? Anyways I decided to wrap the whole ball of string all over the furniture, play house, a neat pirate ship I had has a kid. Seriously who else didn't have one as a kid? Being a little scamp I basically made the string covered most of the area. Looking back now it appeared more like a laser room you had to move through.

Well my mother was not happy about that at all and had to cut the string up in order to get inside the playroom. For years I kept thinking back on that and how as a teenager I would do that. 

Powers within the Forest

Deep within the forests a team of knights and brothers of a sword order hunted down non believers of their faith. For centuries they launched a mass purge after decades of inquisitions and weeding out the non-believers of their mighty deity. As those non-believers were rounded up those who escaped were hunted down into the forests. Non believers were said to be in this part of the forests encouraging these knights and brothers to hunt them down in the name of their faith. For days they trekked through the forests finding some camps, and fires. A few signs of their target could be seen in the dirt, broken branches, and disturbed leaves.

The team consisted of three Knights, and five members of the sword brotherhood. Under the leadership of a lord's son this team finally came upon a shrine of these non-believers. This shrine was decorated with bones from all sorts of animals, trinkets, coins, knives, and other strange offerings at its base. Here they found ten of these so called non-believers who prayed to the shrine that was shaped like a poor old woman. Each follower was naked save one who appeared to be a buxom female in a thick robe. This woman appeared to be held against her will as she was tied to a makeshift chair. She was forced to prayed to this old woman looking statue, which did not fit the nature of these heretics' believes. No one really wished to utter the words or even think of their believes.

Whoever the other nine non-believers where they bowed and prayed while chanting for some strange powers to be gifted to them. This statue shook a little as it started to move. Its movements were not swift but slow. From the way it moved its arms it appeared to be bound by some unseen ropes or force. Their chanting was setting her free somehow. All the knights and brothers watched in astonishment, confusion, puzzlement and nearly regret coming here at all. Ten non-believers were bringing some shrine or statue to life. Slowly the old woman shrine got up with slow movements. Two of the nude heretics raced to the female and grabbed her by the breasts. Each one pulled her over to sit before the awakened statue. It looked as though the woman was about to be ravaged or worse crushed in that chair.

Letting a religious war cry the leading knight unsheathed his sword and charged. With his whole team charging in behind him the leader cut down the rest of these non-believers. Eight armed warriors made short work of the non-believers save one. The statue stepped back as if it had been stabbed or wounded and began to crumble. Piece by piece it fell apart where it used to sit in its little shrine that was now a ruin. Silence filled the forest leaving the knights, brothers, and the single non-believer in the wake of the powers within the forest. 

A little Fan short story

Mark is sitting in his studio playing games for hours on end. From whenever he woke to past midnight he sits on his buttocks playing various games while recording. This was fun for him and was his job according to the favored media on the internet. Commentary is none stop with giggly laughs and crude jokes. His characters die every five to ten minutes of playing. Every time he dies he throws a fit, a rage, and curses the screen and the game. Blindly chatting on and on with hilarious commentary. After the ninetieth time he dies his girlfriend tells him to go to bed. Mark objects and begs for another hour of gaming. While they semi-argue his dog comes in the room and tries to jump on him. He tries to get the dog off but the dog is resilient forcing Mark to play with a big dog in his lap and an agitated girlfriend sitting there watching him play.

It is two A.M. in the morning when Mark is finally done playing games. Mark picks up both his dog and girlfriend to bed. In his bed he tucks both of them in and shuts everything off. Even the apartment main power for some reason. Somehow he makes his way back to bed as if he was sleep walking. Looking at 3:00 A.M. Mark goes to bed muttering how cool he is and what a bad moffo he has been. Mark lays on top of his girl and dog snoring loudly. As he sleeps Mark is woken up by something poking him. It was something pointy and sharp. He tries to smack it away cutting his hand in the process. Wide awake with a cut on his hand, Mark looks up to see a full party of Adventurers offering him a large war-hammer, a nice suit of bad ass armor, a helmet, and his own banner. 

A Flag For A Democracy

A group of men and women sat at a conference table on behalf of a new nation recently crafted. For years they strove to untie the links to a larger empire while uniting separate states into a single nation. Various factions and their own territories joined them along with city-states. After ten years of revolution and another six years of pressing unification they finally had their nation. One single democracy built by the hands of those who sought freedom and their own nation. Now one decision needed to be made. What should their flag be?

All the factions, states, and nations who united as one nation had their own flags until this very moment. Each flag was voted not to be the nation's flag, since it would give that region or faction too much sway over the rest of the country. Instead they had a few flags crafted to be selected as the new flag of a new nation.

City-State of Tamoth

North of the two city-states of Dos and Liv Tamoth has the Blackmell Mountains as a border, the Scimitar River acted as another border. It separated them from the other two city-states. To the east of Tamoth sat the lake of the lonely island, which sat on the base of the Blackmell Mountains. For neighbors Tamoth had a large city-state who was destroyed by the Muskallan Horde to the southwest. In the west they had the Uxane nation of the Mawnee, a Muskallan clan, a few Troglodyte Tribes, the large kingdom of New Vattorum created a century after the capitol was founded. Next to New Vattorum was the kingdom of Trast who was always hostile to the city state until recent years. Tamoth had a mixed population first founded by a collection of Elves, Humans, Forsythans, and Uxane outcasts. Orcs often entered the population after gaining trust, and respect. Goblins began trickling in along with the original races. For over two thousand years Tamoth flourished, expanded, shrank, and stood the tests of time. There is not one single culture within the city, however new cultures emerged through the mixing of races. 

A Prowler Kept Home

A full year had passed since he marched up that freaking mountain. His lodging rested at the base of the mountain, which he hiked up at least twice a month or every other weekend. No transportation other than his own two feet brought him up those mountain trails. Tourists would always come up those trails leaving their crap whether it was trash, uneaten food, pieces of clothing, flasks, bottles, and pocket change that fell out. Some times a full wallet would be left here by some blind father or hotshot who thinks he is the coolest thing until he flips his lid like a scared kid after losing his wallet loaded with cash. There was no need for wallets or those cards inside them. Stuff was cheap here if you were a local here.

Last year he found one wallet the very moment the owner came speeding back to retrieve it. As always someone accused him of stealing it. What do they not get about finders keepers? You lose something or leave something and someone else claims it you have already lost it. It is no longer yours unless you try to get it back in many cases they do. Out of the goodness of his heart and that he already has material to make another one anyways he gives it back. There was almost never a thank you just a snatch from his hands and getting back into the car with that wife yelling or screaming to quiet the kids down.

Something kept him from going up that mountain this year. His neighbors thought this was queer. Everyone sees him go up those mountain trails at least once a week or twice a month. Those whole entire year he did not show up at the trail. Instead they see him around the village of 298 people and counting. He was the village prowler and the county's explorer who did jobs here and there. For a whole year he stayed in the village working at the outdoor shop and the gas station at night. What kept him from going up to the mountain this year was anyone's guess.

At the time it was late evening he ended his shift and closed the shop. It was not early it was the usual time he had to close the shop. Pocketing the keys he returned to his lodge where he lived alone for the past four years. There were times he received visitors such as merchants who lost their way, fellow prowlers, explorers searching for a path on the map, some gorgeous looking adventurers with curves and lethal weapons. A party of would be heroes or knights would be sent to him to locate a certain landmark or path they were trying to find. Those days were almost behind him, as a new age dawned and the area flourished a little. In his head he knew it was only a matter of time before it happened again. This area would be full of monsters, bandits, and marauders.

At the lodging he lived in he found his large buff tabby cat waiting for him. His fury companion nibbled at his latest catch. he greeted the Prowler with a meow and a long whine that says "Open this door and let me in!" which is what he translated. He opened the door letting the cat inside. Most of his muscles ached from a long day at work. Dropping everything the Prowler went into his room and opened a closet door to reveal an object which he brought back from his latest trip up the mountain. A statuette of a strange item with a hole inside it. From that hole exited a spirit of a woman who danced, played with him, massaged him, and pleased him. 

Something Deeply Personal

Okay ever since I met this woman back in College, which she would rather call herself a weird girl, I have actually wanted her. However things did not go as I though and planned to go. It began with the very first day of meeting her in college before class even began. Now I had no clue what she was doing that made her "Too Busy for Dating", but gave zero shits about that ideology. Because frankly I think that is bull crap. If you make yourself too busy to date or relationships you have already fucked your future life experiences resulting in a sadness that you have to hide every waking moment. Which would explain excessive outings and binge drinking.

Do not bull shit me, if it was meant to happen it was meant to happen. Yes it is all in good time yes I get it. Now on the first day of meeting her we introduced each other, after some time she says aren't you going to eat? I blindly get up and get something to eat and return to find two other guys sitting where I was. Now listen she was not that kind of girl after learning this years later. That put me off and went on with my day and forgot about her. Over the course of our college career that desire and I guess people would say lust or interest kept coming back. So I acted upon that I tried to sit with her and make conversation hell even go out. Despite that I kept getting put off and she kept walking away. Like any smart person I gave up and went after other girls, which did not go very far.

I gave up on the dating life and focused on my writing, life, school, and pursued travelling to other parts of the world. On and off I still had the feeling to go for her, yet I kept holding myself back believing she would just put me off and say she is too busy and would walk away. That is my side of the story, which I have shared. There is more to this but that will not be shared because it drives me insane. 

A monster near Normandy?

June 6, 1944 outside a village not too far from Normandy. They heard the allied airplanes fly over head and the bombs dropping. It was not until later did they hear fighting behind Normandy. German units raced towards the coast where the allied invasion of France had finally begun. Hope rose up inside her hearing the news of Allied Soldiers storming the beaches. In her mind there was not a single doubt they would be headed here soon. German officers shouted for their men to get a move on. Half-Track engines rumbled and drove off from the area. Panzer units cranked up their loud engines. Tracks screeched and groaned loudly startling her little girl. As a mother of four children she prayed for their safety. Life in Nazi-Occupied France was never a safe place.

Although the Germans never massacred them on a daily basis, they still hunted for the resistance. She glared and cursed at her own brother for trying to join one such movement. It was not that she did not want France free, she valued peace more than anything at this point. The main goal was to stay alive and keep out of the Nazi Gestapo's radar and avoid contact with resistance or any Jews still hiding. Her heart went out to those innocent people being taken away and never to return. Those deeds were terrible, taking people away, she lost friends that day and had to convince the new authorities to let her be. To survive she had to serve a German Field Marshall who was at odds with another famous Field Marshall in the area. Her duties were acting as a maid.

She spoke three languages French, Spanish, and of course German. Her grand mother lived in Alsace Lorraine until the Prussians took it back in 1871. Many French people cheered joyously when it was returned to France at the end of 1918-1919. Now all French people or Franks as her father called themselves would rejoice at the return of France's Freedom. Everyone's heart ached and eyes teared up at the sight of Swastikas flying over buildings where their flag once flew. In her thoughts she could see British Flags, French Flags, Canadian Flags and American Flags waving all over France. Such thoughts brought her peace until they heard a loud banging noise. The noise startled her and scared her daughter to death. She wrapped her arms around her little girl tightly. In the dark the shadow outline of her brother got up to check where the source was.

She watched him search in the dark as the noise came again. It was closer this time and they felt the ground shake a little. He grabbed for something to use as a weapon before the noise came again and the room shook like there was an earthquake. Their hiding place shook so much that he fell and hit his head. Lights flickered a little as the floor shook and rumbled as if something was coming for them. She thought it was the Allies and their tanks or the Germans in retreat. Yet she was wrong about both of those things. A large creature emerged from the wall with a mollusk-snail appearance with a massive shell on its back. What ever this thing was it did not appear friendly. One of its tentacles smashed her brother into the ground. It wrapped its tentacles around him and proceeded to devour him.

Fearing for her life the maid picked up her daughter and raced for the stairs regardless of suspicions and the dangers of being outside during a war. Carrying her daughter she raced outside of the house and into the woods. She kept running oblivious to the world around her. Survival and getting her little girl away from the monster was her only goal. Through the woods the mother ran as fast she could until she tripped over a German defensive position. All the soldiers in the trench left their posts to help this mother and child. 

Two Catapults Part 2

He watched every minute of the barrage and the siege go under way. Two catapults launched projectiles at the fort manned by just sixty-three defenders. With the catapults behind the tents and in the center of the camp, the army could defend their siege weapons. As the pair of catapults fired their ninth projectiles the Goblin overseer track-keeper focused his attention on the surrounding area. Several camps appeared during the night. From the way the camps were set up, reinforcements had arrived on behalf of the defenders.

            Did they come for the fort? Or are these just foolish adventurers and travelers unaware of the horde? The overseer had to know. With permission from one of the leaders he looked through the spyglass. The projectiles were hitting the target. However, parts of the fort were reinforced. It seemed thicker than the other day. All the defenders had increased in numbers somehow. This confused him a little until he took a closer look. Using his calculations this Goblin counted more than sixty-three defenders. What he got was a total of 147-200 or more defenders. Each time a projectile struck they all ducked. That amused him to some extent, yet he wished to see that wall down. He turned to the other camps counting about five of them.

            None of these camps budged to enter the fort or even attack small army besieging it. He could tell why they were hesitant. Their numbers were too few to attack the horde, yet they still came any ways. In one of the closest camps he counted just thirteen mounted warriors and soldiers. To the far left of the fort, another camp was set up. Eleven Uxane were camped there. They seemed more curious about the situation. It was assumed the village was close to their lands.

            Another camp sat further away to the south of the 13 mounted riders. Twenty armed militiamen, 4 barons soldiers, and two adventurers who appeared very anxious to go out to the fort’s aid. Nearby was a fourth camp under the leadership of some local lord. Whoever this lord was they brought 21 elf, and elemani mercenaries, ten of his soldiers/guards. Towards the east by north he spotted a single heroine leading a band of twelve men. Making a closer observation he counted 4 troops, a band of 4 men from another noble house, and another four men who are rangers armed with rifles.

            The goblin overseer track-keeper chuckled at seeing only 83 had come to the aid of this fort. He quickly warned the leaders who had already decided to send the Goblins, and the Gnolls first. A group of fifty or more were sent out to attack each individual camp. Frustrated the overseer looked through the spy glass to see the camps were already on the move. Thirteen riders raced for the fort leaving their tents up. All the others either scrambled to gather up camp, or did not seem to care. The Goblin’s gaze was ripped away by a rough tap on the shoulder. He turned to see a large Muskallan Rider clad in traditional armor. Just twenty-one Muskallan Raiders arrived to assess the current situation.

            One of them dismounted and snatched the spyglass to see for himself. The Goblin looked past their own frontlines to watch no more than two hundred fifty of his own kind, and Gnolls mixed in race after the group of reinforcements. At full speed the defenders made a run for this fort with hundreds of attackers coming towards them. For several minutes the leaders and overseer watched the first wave charge after the reinforcements, except the Uxane. Two catapults continued to fire projectiles at the defenders. All thirteen riders made it to the fort. That left about fifty to sixty of the fort’s aid outside. Despite the distance between them and the camps both forces pressed on except for the Uxane. At full sprint the attackers raced on while the reinforcements were halfway to the fort. It was not long before a volley of arrows was loosed from the fort. The defenders also fired a volley of rounds at the oncoming wave.

            Many of them fell in each group, stunning the unit. A few of the groups stopped while others pressed on. Due to their lack of communication the wave kept on receiving another volley. For several more minutes the Goblin watched as the wave caught up with the militia and baron soldiers. At the same time the lord and his troops were just approaching the defenders. The heroine’ party was drawing closer when the wave made a frontal attack on the reinforcements. Barely a hundred of the first wave survived the volleys. The Goblin overseer watched their first wave get flanked, outgunned, and cut down by the fort’s defender.

            A skirmish broke out at the doorstep of the fort, which ended with a barrage of bullets. All the leaders watched the rest of the reinforcements enter the fort. By the track-keeper’s calculations they would have to send a larger wave. Each leader had to be cautious this time. None of them wanted to lose more than a hundred men next time.

            When they began to plan a new strategy one of the new arrivals unsheathed a blade. He cut a Troglodyte’s head off. In a loud voice the Muskallan demanded for the rest of them to take that fort immediately. Fearing the wrath of the Muskallan horde behind them over one thousand two hundred seventy formed the second wave. In moments the catapults were ordered to cease firing. They were almost out of ammo and that fort had been hit with projectiles for five hours straight. As overseer track-keeper, the goblin was relieved of rushing out there. He was stuck with the catapult crew, twenty-nine Muskallan raiders and those two catapults.

            At the horde’s most forward camp the Goblin and their “masters” of the horde watched the second wave. For this second wave to be defeated would be a total catastrophe for this army and a huge embarrassment for the main horde. He knew that would ruin any plans their Muskallan, and Gontrellan Masters had for any future campaigns. This little Goblin marched over to the edge of the camp with an extra spy glass to watch the next round of the siege. Inside his head he prayed to the war gods they would succeed this time. Arrows shot from the fort and the next wave. Even bullets and shot were fired on the next wave. A few hundred member’s of the wave fell before the bulk of their forces reached the fort. Just a thousand Gnolls, Goblins, Troglodytes, and humans attacked this fort that was no doubt manned by close to three hundred defenders.

            Their forces brought the ladders to scale those walls. Every being with claws climbed the walls. Most of the fort’s front was attacked. It left the other flanks open for artillery to focus on. None of that even came leaving the attackers to take the fort with little to no support. Even though the catapults did not fire on the fort, the attack on the walls was a success. More than two hundred attackers managed to climb on the walls. Nearly half the defenders were ready. Gnolls and Troglodytes proved too powerful for the average villager who proved too strong for the lowest Goblin. Many defenders and attackers fell in the second attempt to take this fort.

            After hours of fighting the defenders had lost ground and most of their manpower. Closer to four hundred to five hundred attackers pressed against the remaining defenders. He imagined the remaining ones were the sixty-three warriors and their reinforcements. The Goblin scanned the area and saw most of the camps were empty. It was clear all the new comers were at the fort except the Uxane, who were contemplating on whether to help the defenders and flank the attackers from behind. By the time the small horde had taken over most of the fort those Uxane saw something heading their way. Each warrior gave out a war cry and prepare for a fight.

            In his view of the spy glass he saw the Muskallan raiders went after the Uxane still in their camp. Eleven Uxane warriors raised their weapons before going in to meet the raiders. Instead of watching the fight at the fort the Goblin watched eleven Uxane braves charge in to meet twenty-seven Muskallan Raiders out in the open field. Both loosed arrows at the other. On horseback they clashed in the middle of the field. Using lances, spears, clubs, axes, blades, and long knives Uxane and Muskallan killed each other.

            Having a skirmish with the only cavalry unit at your disposal never proved to be in anyone’s favor. One the cavalry was supposed to defend the artillery. Second how would the be able to send for reinforcements when all of them are dead? He watched the skirmish that did not last very long. Under a few minutes there only eight remained alive. All the Uxane horses either fled or received new masters. Seeing this as both a positive and a negative the Goblin checked the fort. It was finally captured, but at a great cost. Before making any calculations, the Goblin waited for all the people to come out of this fort and village.

            Every human in their army was dead. The vast majority of the Troglodytes, Gnolls, and Goblins lay dead. Their bodies made a trail from where the volley’s started to the fort. The remaining forces slowly exited the fort after a costly success. Among the defenders just 28 remained alive and wounded. Those who lived in that village made up the bull of the defense leaving women, children, youth, and the elderly. Out of all the attackers only 192 remained alive, cut up, and exhausted. There must have been 1000 people living in that village.

            One thousand or more people in that one village and many of their adults died defending their home. Approximately four hundred fifty-two of the villagers survived. No doubt many civilians died in the crossfire or in the barrage. Having lost more than a thousand of your forces in a victory was also a loss itself. One of their scouts who survived reported seeing the city of Tamoth not too far away. If there was anything that needed to be done it would be to get a move on.

            With 28 prisoners and four hundred and fifty-two possible slaves, and prizes the reduced army had to stay for another night. Those who regained their strength raced back to the fort to plunder food, ammo, guns, and any loot that could be found. A few months of food was found in the storage. Over two hundred twenty-eight rifles, and muskets, the hundreds and hundreds of melee weapons, and 4000 pieces of coin. All the prisoners were tied up and they watched them in shifts. The very next day two hundred and eleven Gnolls, Troglodytes, Goblins, and Muskallans were met with some reinforcements. 116 troopers, and soldiers arrived from Gontrella with two artillery pieces. Many of them observed all the prisoners, most of whom would be slaves soon. Coming in behind the Gontrellans was a convoy of wagons and carts for their loot. Far behind them was the main horde this reduced army came from.

            For nearly half a decade a decade the Muskallan tribes, and clans raided, pillaged, enslaved, and expanded their territory westward. They managed to recruit a huge following of thousands from all walks of life. Tens of thousands of Gnolls, Troglodytes, outlaws, thousands of renegade Uxane, brigands, looters, and nearly a hundred thirty thousand wild, uncivilized Goblins joined three tribes/clans of Muskallans. Plenty of Gontrellans, slavers, and countless bands of renegades, brigands, thugs, and outlaw gunslingers joined this horde. Three tribes of the Muskallans were behind this horde were seeking to eliminate the Troglodytes, and Gnolls to make room. Whatever way they could eliminate the hairy and scaly beasts worked for them. What better way than to lure into a conflict and fight for loot, prizes and their own slaves to keep.

            The Gontrellans had their say now since this force lost most of their men. Whoever was leading the Gontrellans must have had an interesting yet heating discussion. An officer marched up to the prisoners to inspect them from the way he walked. In the common language this officer asked for all the elderly men who survived to stand up. A total of seventy-three elderly and aging villagers stood up. Each one was tied up to the people around them. One by one these old men were cut loose and forced to stand at the edge of the camp. For some time, they brought the old men to the side. Their age did not allow them to walk quickly. However, it was surprising to see they were alive. In one motion all 73 were executed in a line. They asked for all the children to be separated from the rest of the prisoners. More than 124 children were grabbed and taken over to the convoy of wagons.

A dream or a bad shift?

During his shift he always carried a flask with him. His shifts were at night and in the afternoon. For ten years he hardly saw anything suspicious in the streets of this small town. Tonight he walked on the wall that guarded a portion of the city. It was like every other night he went on patrol at least once a week. The lone watch guard saw nothing really go on at night. However during the day he saw many townsfolk going out, and doing errands, going home or going to work. While on the wall he could only see the outskirts and the surrounding wilderness. Wearing his long guard's coat, rifle on his shoulder, lantern swinging on his belt, and tricorn hat the guard kept a close eye to his right.

Trees covered most of the landscape along the edges of the town's borders. In his mind he wondered if the rest of the town would have those trees cut to make his job easier. He would only have to fire one warning shot at trespassers or at monsters to warn the rest of the town. They were practically right there within earshot of the wall. A close community did serve its purpose in bringing people together, however it also caused trouble. In the bars, taverns, and pubs were all the drunkards, and angry drunks who caused trouble and seldom saw a brawl break out. Thieves, and a few murders were occasional. Dealing with thieves was more prone to happen as it would happen during the day. At night a thief would have to be invisible or know the very schedule of the town guard.

He was halfway to the gate expecting the night to end the same as it always had the previous weeks before. It did not mean he never served his community. Before being a guard he had to serve in the militia who acted as rangers and soldiers who chased away bands of bandits, or savage creatures. For a whole year he had to serve his community keeping tribal creatures from entering the outskirts so farmsteads could grow and expand overtime. He saw the back of another guard who was slowly marching away from the gate. Neither of them changed stride just a steady pace to keep an eye on the wall.

Something lunged from the trees and onto the wall. A shadow of a humanoid leaping from the trees. It caught his attention in a horrified way. After doing this for multiple years and seeing nothing like this made him jumpy. His heart beat faster and faster as he prepared his rifle and approached the area he saw the shadow land. Going at a slower pace allowed the other guard to catch up. He had back up this time and the other guard immediately prepared his own rifle. Together the pair of guards encroached upon the location. Whatever the shadow humanoid was it leapt at them revealing an ugly face, and grotesque hairy body covered in bumps and scars. Both guards fired on the leaping creature. It fell at their feet then got up and swung at them with its huge arms. His back up was thrown over the wall and into a spike that was still left from an old fence. Not hesitating he fired again at this creature. The bullet hit the creature hardly doing anything except slow it down. It growled at him and lunged at him. He fired another round into its belly as it pounced on him. The world went black as it attacked him.

He awoke in a bed to find he was still alive. Although he was alive he was wounded, two of his limbs were in a cast, his ribs felt shattered and his face battered in. Nothing could have saved him from this creature unless they had someone like the heroes of the past and days of legend. His thoughts were a mesh of reality and illusion creating people that were not even there or even existed. A strange looking man in weird clothing spoke to him saying a strange name. Next to him was a child trying to get his attention. In the far corner was a woman trying not to cry when she was talking to the town doctor.