Each portal disgorged two of the green lizards, huge bows readied, with more waiting behind to follow through. At the edge of each, the blue lizards could be seen crouched on the other side of the portal, holding their Openers in place to maintain the portals.
Through the southernmost of the portals came one of the blueish lizards, although this one was the size of the plate-armoured green warriors and better equipped. It levelled a sword at the adventurers and bellowed; "Give back the Openers of the Way that you have stolen, magic-corrupted scum, or my Thanes will attack! Believe my word; I am Ventsteen!"
If he expected meek surrender, he was to be disappointed. His high-handed approach seemed to trigger something in Gorfang; the orc emitted a bellowing roar that spiralled up and up into a manic scream of fury. His eyes flooded with blood until they were red right across, a dribble of foam trailed from his snarling mouth and he erupted into a run.
Just for an instant, Lynien and Eloy stared at him in amazement. For the first time they could remember, Gorfang was actually running away from the majority of his enemies; two portals' worth of green lizards - Thanes - watched him go with slight puzzlement. Gorfang, however, knew what he was doing. As the bearer of the Regalia of Hektis, he could feel the threads of threat that wound through a battlefield and locate the strongest. He knew Ventsteen was the greatest threat present, and he was charging at that threat.
|
Eloy swung his bow off his back and stepped sideways slightly, his light fingers selecting one of his newly-poisoned arrows from his quiver. The portals were the key, he thought; Gorfang could take these blighters individually but if the portals stayed open they could pour through until even he was overwhelmed. He chose one well away from his comrades and loosed. He could only see about half the blue creature holding the Opener in the hole in reality, but his aim was good. The arrow sank into its' chest, and the venom spread into the creature's bloodstream almost instantly. Body chemistry was evidently similar - the lizard keeled over backwards and the portal slammed shut, slicing a Thane in half.
Lynien had had the same idea and had shot almost on the same instant. Her arrows smacked into the knife-holder of another portal, splattering green blood, but the creature gritted its' pointed teeth and maintained its' grip on the Opener.
Gorfang's run took him right across the area bracketed by the portals to pile into Ventsteen as he started to step clear of the portal for the next Thane to come through. His khopesh crashed into the lizard creature's leg, smashing through the armour and breaking the bone beneath, then backhanded across the Thane next to him and disabled that one's right arm.
 |
Eloy and Lynien suddenly realized that they were standing in the centre of the battlefield, unsupported by either Gorfang's warksill or Méabh's magic. Each reacted in their own way. Lynien spun and ran, the Sandals of Nebekehshut accelerating her to a near-blur as she raced between the two southern portals, loosing a snapshot as she went. Eloy triggered his god-given power and went Null, slipping through the Thanes as if he wasn't there (which, of course, he wasn't) towards the western portal.
Gorfang was a blurred whirl of howling, screaming berserk fury. His initial headlong strike had knocked Ventsteen down, and the lizard hero had no chance to recover. A blizzard of blows descended on him, blows with nothing of skill or finesse about them, overwhelming his defences. Barely pausing, the Master of Weapons transferred his assault to the thane next to him, battering him to the grass in a welter of gore before driving his khopesh through the portal, binding the Opener, and flicking it out of the startled lizard's hand. The portal healed itself, and Gorfang spun around to seek his next target.
His red rage cleared a little as he looked across the battlefield; little Bog was standing all alone among the mounts, with most of the Thanes converging on him. Gorfang took a deep breath and bellowed; "Bog! Get on Shamlakh and get away!" The little gangrel lost no time in clambering up onto the warg's shaggy back as the wolf set off eastwards under the noses of the attackers. While Bog was a hopelessly amateur rider, he had brought 'clinging in terror' among other things to a fine art, and stuck like a burr to Shamlakh's pelt as they hurtled out of harm's way.
 |
The latest wave of Thanes through the portals had bows readied, and a storm of arrows sleeted towards Gorfang and Lynien. Both took wounds, Lynien being struck twice in the head as she reached what she'd mistakenly believed to be a safe distance and turned.
Eloy was completely safe from being attacked (though not of course being struck) and stood still as the Thanes who'd been moving to attack him walked past, unaware of a target nearer than Gorfang. As they came past, he struck with the arrow he'd had in his hand ready to shoot, driving the poisoned point into the back of a Thane's neck. The monster collapsed dying, and the Man in the Shadows turned his attention to the portal. With no-one aware of his presence, he could take his time, and he lined up a careful strike at the wrist of the blue lizard holding it open. The blow was true, the scaly hand and dagger dropped back into the portal, and it closed behind the four Thanes.
Gorfang looked across at where eight Thanes were charging to engage him. Rather than waste energy charging them, he stood his ground and let them come to him, scorning the arrows that drew lines of black blood across his muscled arms. Eight of them swarmed up to him, swords flashing, but despite their numbers, despite their magic-suppressing auras, they were no match for Gorfang Deathdrinker. All eight died.
 |
To the south, Lynien vanished as she donned Maedar's Ring, and began gulping down healing potions. Eloy sprinted across to the next nearest portal, and once again killed the creature holding it open, as well as the nearest Thane. Its' comrades realized something was wrong as their comrade keeled over dead without any visible attacker, and gradually the realization dawned on them that their foe was invisible. The idea of this appeared to revolt them rather than frighten or anger them. One flailed with his greatsword. His blow was, by chance or skill, aimed in the right direction and Eloy saw it soaring towards him. Sabath, however, was the master of sliding blame and misfortune onto someone else. Reality shifted a little around Eloy, and the Thane's greatsword crashed into the shoulder of his comrade, breaking it. Smiling, Eloy stepped through the melee and crippled an archer with a shamless back-stab as the others swiped at where he had been seconds before.
 |
Then Gorfang arrived, butchering his way through the survivors. As he did this, Eloy took to his heels, knowing from bitter experience what was likely to happen. Sure enough, with Nullity erasing his knowledge of Eloy as an ally, Gorfang reacted to the invisible fighter with hostile suspicion. "Show yourself!" he challenged. Eloy, who couldn't, kept running. The orc looked down; unfortunately for Eloy, he'd run through soft mud and Gorfang was able to track him easily. There was no way Eloy could outrun Gorfang, and he knew it, so he turned to face him. Gorfang reached the end of the tracks and launched a massive blow at what he believed to be an unseen enemy. Eloy used his last Pass the Buck of the day and Gorfang blinked in surprise as his perfectly-aimed strike was suddenly whipping through empty air five feet to the left of where he'd aimed. At the same moment, Eloy's face, beaded with cold sweat, appeared right where he'd aimed, along with the memories of who he was.
Twenty minutes later, gathered back together, the adventurers passed around the healing potions. Gorfang, especially, was battered, bruised and bloodied, and proceeded to become quite drunk on Boom Boom. Bog mentioned his plans for an improved version of Boom Boom, to be called Kaboom Boom, once he managed to find the ingredients.
 |
 |
 |