Chapter 18. The attack on Landamot.

(Note: This chapter is a direct continuation of previous one.)

Osfrid’s point of view.

Wolves without a stop jump straight at us.

*Crash*

*Snap*

With a loud sound followed by a quieter one, wolf hits my wooden shield. Force of impact is so strong that I slide back about few inches.

‘Now I need to finish it with my axe.’ I am preparing to cut it in half as I notice my attackers body falling down lifelessly.

‘Did it brake it’s neck from impact?’ I wonder while looking at a second wolf charging over it’s body.

So I grip tightly the handle of my axe and after moving my shield a bit away, I finish it with a swift hit to it’s head.

“This is wrong… Wolves don’t charge to death like this!” Shouts Gunnar while pulling his axe from another dead beast.

“Wrong or not, just kill them.” This is definitely our captains sweet intimidating voice.

Now after we stopped them, fighting is becoming more fierce. As our enemy is starting to use tactics.

As few try to get my feet the third one, by jumping on it’s brethren backs, with it’s mouth wide open charges for my throat.

I lift my shield up to intercept it, while at the same time I chop down the heads of those who try to bite at my legs.

‘Damn, it won’t be long before they will be able to jump over me.’ I think this while looking at the growing pile of dead bodies in front of me.

“Ahhh…” I pretty much shout swinging my axe at another one. I finish this one really fast and lift my shield up once more, waiting for the next prey.

“On my command all take a step back!” Roars captain.

So I withhold my next attack in anticipation of it.

“Now!” And we all as one take a big step back.

Wolf standing in front of me uses this opportunity and jumps straight at me. But I already expecting this, meet him with a cold steel of my axe.

‘There is no end to them!’ I think this while swinging already at the new guest.

“Argghhhh!” Suddenly I hear a painful shout of a man from my left side.

“What’s going on?” I have no time to look sideways.

“Bastards they got someone…” Answers Gunnar.

Hearing that anger wells up inside me.

“Just die!” I let it out from the bottom of my lungs as I swing with my whole strength at another beast.

But I make a mistake. I fail to notice a second one. And this costs me a huge pain as it’s sharp teeth digs into the flesh of my right leg.

“You bastard.” I say through gritted teeth while gripping the handle of axe so tightly that my knuckles become white.

Without waiting for anything I let it taste my blade. But this is my second mistake. Since I concentrate too much on killing a lone wolf biting my leg, I miss another one, already jumping on me.

‘Damn it…’ By pure luck after letting go of my axe, I still manage to catch it, by the jaws, and barely hold these teeth from biting to my face.

But this victory is short lived. Since I lose the balance and start falling down with a wolf right on top of me.

As I am falling, I hear someone shouting my name. But since my attention is focused elsewhere I can only guess who it is.

*Thud*

With a dull sound I hit the ground. Still keeping at bay those razor sharp teeth from biting me.

At this moment my face goes completely pale almost like a fresh snow in winter. As I see movement about 50 meters away from us. That is wolves, numbering in tens, simply jumping over the wall and going into the town.

“Arrrghhh!” A scream gets out from my mouth as a burning pain comes from my left leg. Making me focus my attention back on what is in front of me.

“I… Will… Not… Die… Today!” I say this putting all of my remaining strength into my arms.

With one arm I hold it’s upper jaw, while with other I push it’s lower jaw. Making him open wider and wider.

From the force I put in, my palms start to bleed, as it’s teeth cut into my flesh. But I ignore the pain and continue with the pressure. It doesn’t take long until I finally hear a snap and his lower jaw loses all resistance.

The beast let’s out a pained sound.

I pay no attention to it or to the mix of blood and saliva that is dripping on may face. I just grab by the head and twist it hard, with all my might. After which I hear another snap and the beast finally goes quiet.

The pain in my leg screams to me that there is still job to be done. So without a rest I push wolfs body to the side and try to sit up while pulling my dagger from the belt.

But before I manage to do that, another set of sharp teeth’s is jumping straight at me.

‘Shit…’ Only one word comes to my mind as I know that I won’t be able to stop this one.

But a few blinks of the eye later something unexplainable happens.

“Auww! What?” My expectations of dying with my throat ripped, in my own puddle of blood, does not come to life. Since what I get is only a head butt from a wolf.

It takes even a few second to overcome the confusion, of how I am still alive, and kill the damn beast with my dagger.

As I drop it’s body away, I see something which amazes me even more. The wolf, which was biting on my leg, released it and now is simply standing while shaking it’s head.

“They stopped moving. Use this chance and slaughter them!” I hear the shout of my goddess.

And with those words everybody immediately charges forward. Not slowing down they swing their weapons left and right leaving behind only ground littered with bodies.

I try to stand up but with both legs wounded like this it’s a hard job.

Then suddenly I see a twinkle, a bit further over the heads of my comrades.

*Thump**Thump**Thump**Thump**Thump**Thump*

And the sounds of something hitting the ground followed with the wines of the wolves reach my ears.

‘I heard about this. It’s the rain of ice blades destroying everything below them.’ I comment to myself as I hear the cries of the beast, while they are cut to shreds.

I turn my head back and see hundreds of warriors running towards us in many groups. And the largest of them about 60 people is being led by chief’s wife Gerd, a small woman with long white hair. Clearly of a respectable age, judging by the number of a wrinkles I can see on her face.

(Note: To those who didn’t get. Chiefs wife is a white witch.)

“What’s going on here?” She says looking at me with those white, piercing eyes while still being some distance away.

“I don’t know we were just coming back from patrol and then captain suddenly sensed them. So we ran back.” I blurt out everything I know.

Men and women, holding axes and shields, around us not slowing down run straight through the gate and into the battlefield. Looks like wolves regained their senses and a heated battle is starting again.

“I also saw wolves jump over the wall and get inside over there.” I add this while pointing to the place.

She frowns a bit and while looking back at those, who came with here, says: “Ingvild take 20 warriors and go search the alleys. Others help outside.”

After giving few precise orders she turns back at me and looking at my wounded legs say: “Don’t move I will try to heal your wounds to some extent.”

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Asger’s point of view.

“Come on can’t you walk faster? It would be nice to reach the town before we die from an old age…” I say quite annoyed while looking back at Nestor.

(Note: Reminder Nestor is a merchant which mc saved from 3 wolves.)

From his deep breathing and forehead drenched in sweat I can tell that it’s impossible for him to go any faster. But situation is dire and I am really anxious to get back home.

“Sorry, kid. This old man is going as fast as he can.” He answers me while breathing heavily.

‘Oh for Christ sake! I should have bailed, when I had a chance.’ I think this as I rub my forehead with right hand.

“Say kid is that a star birth mark on your arm?” Out of nowhere he asks me.

“You mean this? What about it?” I ask lifting my sleeve up to give him a better look.

“Amazing! Now that I take a better look…” He goes silent in a middle of his sentence while examining it intensely.

“What? What? Speak up! Or are you just stalling for time so you could rest?” Anger can be heard in my voice.

I need to be somewhere but instead I am stuck here with this turtle. So yeah I am really irritated…

“Ahh… you caught me, boy. But your pace is way too absurd we were walking so fast that you could say we ran for the past hour…” He almost whines.

“You are a grown up so how can you look so weak in front of a little kid? Where is your pride?” I try to taunt him a bit.

“My pride long ago left and now is taking a break.” He retorts back.

“And little kid my ass.” He silently murmurs to himself.

“If that’s all let’s just keep going on.” I have no will or time to deal with this child.

“Ahhh… But about that mark I didn’t lie it’s interesting because I saw similar one.” He says as we start to walk again.

“You saw someone with the same mark?” I ask him quite shocked.

‘Did he meet someone from the class?’ In my head runs many thoughts so I stop and wait until he gets close to me.

“Who and where?” I just ask him two simple questions while looking straight in the eyes.

Since my voice and facial expression suddenly become really serious. He asks: “What’s wrong?” After looking at my serious face for a bit he continues: “I can’t really say who, but in one of the noble parties, back at home, I saw a boy walking around with a similar mark also on his arm... So now, that I answered you question, can… Oh… My…” Suddenly he stops in the middle of the sentence and looks to the distance, with a face twisting in sadness and disgust.

Curiosity wins over me so I also look in front of us. Trying to see what disturbed this merchant so much.

“Is that… Bodies?” I ask after seeing something lying down on the road about 200 – 300 meters ahead of us.

“…” He didn’t say anything.

In the end both of us remained silent until we reached the part of road dyed in red.

“We got lucky…” Says Nestor silently. But since I was close I still managed to hear it.

The ground is one massive puddle of blood. What’s worst bodies are ripped apart. Some arms and legs are even lying down a bit further on the grass.

“Is that a human heart… Gubhh!” After seeing this I finally break and empty my stomach.

After vomiting everything I ate today, I get up while cleaning my mouth with a hand.

I take a look at my pain in the ass and notice him getting down near a female body without any limbs. He looks at her for a moment and then closes her still open eyes.

“Did you know them?” I ask him.

“I met them a few days ago in a village along the road. They were a fun bunch… So after taking care of my business I was in a hurry hoping to meet them again in Landamot. And keep on traveling together.” He tells me this while still looking at that females face.

‘I don’t really know what to say…’ I have never been in a situation like this before so I said only this: “You have my sympathy.”

“Ok… We can’t stop here. We need to move on.” Nestor says as he gets up.

“Shouldn’t we burry them or something? It just doesn’t fell right to leave them like this.” Saying this I try to not look down much.

“Now is not the time for that. After we reach the town I will ask someone to come back with me and help.” I believe heard a determination in his voice.

And so without looking back we keep on going forward.

== End of chapter 18 ==

To those who still don’t know you can find how much points you need under map.

Like I promised I tried to make a picture of main character. But it wasn’t so fun drawing him as Elise. So I kind of rushed it. In other words it’s of lower quality.

I tried to draw him walking but somehow it doesn’t look right to me…

So if anyone is good at drawing I would be pleased if you helped me ;D (by redrawing him)

Spoiler :

Maybe I will try to give it another go for Asger but it won’t be any time soon ( I am speaking about months).

LiefzDel:

About healing. If Wartech said that everyone can heal but some better then other than its fine. I dont know how he will do it but i think you could probably use fire magic to seal the wounds by burning them or rise temperature of body to help fight with sickness (or maybe someone real good can burn just harmfull viruses, bacterias and parazites in the body). Nature probably rising regeneration rate, regrowing new cells and maybe limbs. Water - well you can destroy specific cells by osmosis, offset blood loss by bit, or maybe stop bleeding by dehydratating blood from wound. Lightning - Defibrilator? (kinda useless but still). Earth - fixing broken bones. Darkness - killing viruses, bacterias, parasites, cancer cells.

Those are just mine ideas, so I think Wartech will add something.

A: I am thinking more along the lines of magician/witch simply using inner energy (magic) without an element. By injecting it through touch (like giving a life force). Something like that.

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If there are sentences that are wrong in you opinion write corrected version below in a comments. Help me make it smoother to read for others.

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