laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

Soft crunching and movement awoke Adgertesse’ to a warm blanket and Alandria as she turned to notice Lericanin and Marian preparing breakfast as Sceva quietly rolled up their bedding. Knowing their goal for the day was nearby, she allowed the ranger beside her as well as Selyria and Galena to rest a little longer as she stood, replaced the blanket over Alandria, and moved towards the fire. Sitting near the edge, the cooks eyed her.

“Morning,” Marian greeted. “How’d you sleep?”

“Well, thanks.” She turned to eye Lericanin as he added ingredients which they had to hunt for daily. “Any more inspiration as to this town?”

He nodded as blue eyes intently served the task at hand. “We’ll be entering today. I was given a tour of it from the air this morning. As soon as we’re done here I’ll brief the kings and find out how they’d like to proceed. It’s fairly big but I’d still like you and Alandria to scout the perimeter to discover any patrols within the woods and anything else that I missed.”

“Sure. No problem.” Studying him, she noted his concern with the day’s mission and hoped that Sater hadn’t used this incident to finally show himself. Street fighting wasn’t what she had in mind.

Setting the spoon down, he eyed her. “Have you been having a dream about the final battle lately also?”

Brow furrowed in confusion. “No. I take it you have.” She turned to Marian who nodded as Sceva moved to them and sat across from her.

“Yes,” Lericanin nodded. “Large open field, grassy hills and a town nearby. At first I thought it might be somewhere we had fought before but, as I thought about it, the area doesn’t look familiar at all.”

“Hmm.” She was glad it wouldn’t be in this town at least. A feeling that also intensified her desperation to find their friend who had been captive now for over a year. If she was even still alive. Sighing, she stood and moved back to her gear as Alandria’s hazel-green eyes opened. “Hey kid. After breakfast we have to get back to work.”

“Alright.”

* * *

Soon, the duo was back at it as they reconned the perimeter of the large town which wasn’t even protected by a wall of any kind other than the forest itself. A fact that made her a bit nervous. Why would a town full of Saterists not worry about interlopers? Soon, she realized why as they moved towards the northeastern side of town to find a large walled necropolis. This town held training centers for various professions and the undead they had faced the day before would easily be replaced.
Full of large, two-story apartment buildings, large estates and several academic campuses, she also noticed a militia compound undoubtedly filled with undead soldiers. Five estates also looked well guarded and without closer inspection, there was no telling who lived within. But, they found what they needed as they both remained hidden within the forest.
Mentally, she reported in. ‘This town is pretty large, you sure Lericanin was told this place only held two thousand?’

‘Why,’ Selyria asked. ‘How big is it?’

‘Looks like it could house three times that easy. Large necropolis, several campuses and a huge cluster of apartment buildings. His drawing was correct and there were few on the borders. I think they relied mostly on their own magic to warn them of danger which means once the army approaches they’ll be seen so, you may wish to have them rush this.’

‘Alright. We’ll be there momentarily.’

Soon, the partly sunny day gleamed off of metal armor and shields sporting the black anvil on white field as the group also joined them on the eastern border of Consett. Now ready, they moved to engage.

In line, the group remained together and formed the extreme left of the dwarven army as they marched towards the distant cluster of large, stone buildings. Quiet, the town seemed to be sleeping until a large unit of undead charged the dwarves from within the first duo of apartment buildings to the necropolis’ south.
As they moved beyond the penetrating treeline, a fireball erupted from an upper window, catching Lericanin, Allaster and Lita in it’s small inferno. Dropping to the ground, Lita’s hand still held it’s sword as she fell backwards in shock.

“Nicolas, grab that,” Selyria directed as she pointed to the smoldering appendage in the snow as she dragged Lita from the front. Remaining with the medic, Alandria drew her bow and watched for any more targets as Tess moved up with the core group and charged the building. As they rounded the southern side, chaos erupted to their right as the dwarves were enjoying their bloodlust and infiltrated the first cluster of buildings, bashed down doors and burned everything in sight.
Knowing that Selyria was vulnerible in the open field, she followed the knights to the front door of the school’s main building as they shouldered it open and charged within. Now faced with a host of undead soldiers, they attacked as Galena motioned with her hands and created a wall of fire beyond the initial line of enemy, consuming those behind. Hammer and sword dropped the first line of defenders and soon the group rushed into a long hallway to left and right as the main staircase rose before them.

“Justyn, Kevin, Arthur and Galena, go left and clear those rooms,” Lericanin directed. “Sir Hanlen, take your men and go right, we’re going upstairs.”

“Alright,” the paladin agreed as the three groups split off and they moved up the wooden staircase, bordered by beautiful paintings and tapestries. Tess could feel the strength of someone within the building that was probably the founder, the air charged with energy as they moved to the second floor.

“Allaster, take Sceva and Marian right, we’ll go this way,” Lericanin continued as Tess followed him down the long hallway, bordered by three classrooms to either side until she heard commotion beyond the last door on their left. She motioned as the knight of Arhus nodded and prepared his hammer. Now that the previous rooms were clear, she awesomed the remaining students were trying their best to make a stand of some sort. Too bad.

“Hide, they’re coming this way,” Lericanin mockingly yelled as she moved to the door and went invisible. He shook the door’s handle and waited. “Hurry, let me in, they’re coming,” he cried, a performance which soon garnered a victory as the door opened to reveal a scared young man whose shock was priceless. Swinging mightily, the boy dropped from the blow as Tess followed him inside as four others cowered behind the distant table covered with vials, tubes and books. As she quietly crept, Lericanin moved the opposite direction and smirked evilly.

“You might as well jump out that window,” he stated coldly. “It would be less work for me.”

She noticed the fight in the three men as two of them reached for vials full of a red liquid on the table before them. Without thought, she stabbed with her shortsword, penetrating the rift between them as the blade entered an unseen gate to the boy’s back. Convulsing, the shocked look in his eyes caused the girl to scream as her blade penetrated through his chest, then exited as she prepared to take down the second.

“I warned you,” Lericanin kept up his relentless verbal abuse as he moved in closer.

Knowing that survival had kicked in with the remaining members of this alchemical school, she lunged and slashed at the girl as her companion attacked and finished off the two male students. Standing over their victims, she looked up as Lericanin grinned.

“Let’s find the others and clean this place out.”

Tess nodded, glad to finally be doing something worthwhile for a change. The journey this far had taken it’s toll on them all.
They soon met their accompanying trio at the stairs and ascended to the third floor only to find the way blocked by more soldiers. Suddenly, one of the defenders threw a spear in her direction which she easily dodged.

“That was a mistake,” she returned, orange eyes glowing as she concentrated and went invisible again. Moving upward, she followed in line with the other four religious knights as they made quick work of the duo’s companions that faced her. Using her backstabbing sword again, she dropped the first as they retreated from certain doom.

“I’m sorry you guys were dumb enough to remain and defend this city. A lost cause to be sure,” Lericanin continued as Allaster gave the remaining soldier last rites and Tess prepared to finish him off. With a strong thrust, the blade pierced his body and dropped him as she re-emerged behind her friends.

“I sure am glad you’re on our side,” Marian commented as she kept her eyes on the long hallway behind them.

Tess wiped the blade clean onto her pant’s leg as the powerful energy from the opposite end caught her attention. “Here she comes. Doorway to the far left....now.”

Lericanin launched his hammer as the lich emerged, ball of bright blue energy in her hands in time to be caught squarely in the side. Crunching of bone and a hollow cry from the female as she slammed into the frame as her lightning bolt died, replaced by a blue pulse from the hammer as they both hit the floor.

“Well done,” Allaster congratulated as they quickly approached the undead mage who raised a wand which shot a bolt of fire and hit Lericanin. Dissipating off of his magical platemail, he stopped momentarily.

“Good trade,” he smiled as their quarry died, obviously little effected by the bolt. Bending over, he retrieved his hammer and the group finally left the now burning building as they continued their conquest.