Chapter 5

Splat.

Miko grumbled as her white boot sank into the mud.

"It might have been a good idea to get changed, Miko," said Tierra, trying not to laugh.

"Might it, Tierra?!" Miko snapped back, "I'll just pop back to town, shall I? See you in a few days?"

Tierra rolled her eyes. "Put your foot up on that rock," she sighed.

Miko hesitated; her large orcish friend reached down, grabbed her foot and planted it on the rock, shaking her head. From one of her pouches she pulled a stretchy cord which she used to tie Miko's trousers around the tops of her boots.

"Honestly," Tierra sighed, "we had time."

"I—," Miko started as Tierra grabbed her other foot, "I'm wearing— My vestments are— It might be something I need to... banish or whatever."

"Will the gods care what you're wearing if you need to do a ritual?" asked Tierra carefully.

"I don't know," Miko said, wrestling her foot back, "At the temple I'm always— I don't know." She pulled a face, straightening out her clothes and fiddling with her sun pendant, shaking off the uncertainty as best she could as Commander Fulciire approached.

He smiled slightly, "If they help, I'd guess it's worth the bother, mahm."

"Yes," Miko replied curtly.

He carried on unperturbed, "We're gonna march up this incline here, get the lay of the land a bit. We're losing the sun."

"Very good commander," replied Tierra, "we'll be right behind you."

She wrapped her arm around Miko, "Come on, it's less muddy up there."

As they reached the top they looked out over the landscape they'd just been hiking over. Miko paused for a moment; looking out she could see the lights of her small town far off by the lake, the steeple atop her temple visible even from here.

She looked over at Tierra, who had her whittling knife out again, carving something into her staff. "What's that?" she asked.

"These," Tierra said, blowing the shavings out, "are druidic glyphs." She showed Miko the spiral pattern of symbols she had just finished. "You've seen these before."

"I have," said Miko, I suppose I've never looked very closely. What does this one do?"

"These ones are a ward," she explained, "a sort of, general ward against evil."

"Hey, I know some of these," Miko said, that's an inverted infernal symbol, and that's—"

"Talamus," they said together, smiling.

"What did you bring?" asked Tierra.

"Um," started Miko, fishing around in her large pockets, she pulled out a small golden case and a little book, "Incense, chalk, ritual ash..."

"And the book?" asked Tierra.

"I think I know the rituals in here, it's just been a long time and... well I've never had to do any that are supposed to... do things right away," Miko admitted quietly.

"More used to the long term blessings?" smiled Tierra.

"Alionmara works on her own timescale," Miko said, smiling back. "I've never asked her to do anything on mine."

"Mahm, mahm," Fulciire started, slightly out of breath. "We've had a look around the cliff face here. Might be a path on the other side of the ravine there, but on this side, it's just straight up. Might have to go up and over."

Tierra looked over at Miko, "You think you can do that?"

"Well I don't know any flying rituals, so I suppose I'll have to," replied Miko, smiling over her apprehension. 

She was panting heavily as they climbed, but she kept up more easily than she expected to. Tierra was below her, she'd insisted on going afterwards, and Miko knew exactly why. She was determined not to prove her friend right by needing to be caught.

Fulciire had reached the top already and was helping people over the edge. Miko was second to last up but not by much. It was pitch black but for the torches some of the guards were holding at the top.

"Maybe I should have gone first," Tierra laughed as she climbed the last part. "You're faster tha—" Her thought was cut off as the rock below her foot gave way. She scrabbled for a handhold but before she got one, she heard a shriek and a hand grabbed her wrist. Miko, her face bright red with the strain, had hold of her.

Tierra quickly regained her footing and hauled herself up with Miko's help. The dislodged rock crashed down the cliff below them, dislodging more as it went and the whole lot smashed into the ground, echoing around the landscape.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this am I?" panted Tierra.

"Nope," laughed Miko.

Fulciire walked over, his wry smile back, "Still with us mahm?"

"Apparently so, Commander," Tierra grinned, "I just—"

The three of them turned together, looking for the source of the strange noise ahead.

"Do you—" started Tierra.

"Yes," said Miko and Fulciire in unison.

Fulciire took a step forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword, "Get in line," he hissed to the group, "There might be—"

Its arrival was heralded by a blood curdling scream which was suddenly rent silent.

"To me! To me!" Fulciire called.

But they had barely moved before the darkness took another.

"Into line! Now! Now!" Fulciire bellowed, "Shields! Shields! To me! Shields! Kettering, left flank!"

Miko saw the first shield catch the moonlight near the front of the group but a second later it disappeared with a crunch.

"Form up! Form the line!" she heard the call propagate.

She saw Tierra move forward and immediately lost her in the fray.

She tried to go after her friend but Fulciire grabbed her and pushed her behind two guards at the back with their shields already up, "Abney, Whitstone, keep her safe."

Another scream to her right and a body flew over their heads and off the cliff edge; she turned to do something but there was nothing to do; his scream faded to a sickening stop.

Fulciire drew his pistol and fired it up at something Miko couldn't make out; the muzzle flash near blinded her and a roar reached her over the screams, chilling her to the bone.

She lost sight of him as her guards were pushed back by those in front, but heard him call out, "Open... fiiire!" There was a moment of relative stillness shattered by a deafening cascade of gunfire and a wave of smoke. For a brief moment she could see something enormous flailing wildly as the battlefield lit up around her. "Draaw... swords!"

Her boot slipped on some loose stones and she heard the pebbles clatter off the edge behind her.

"The cliff! The cliff!" Whitstone called, bracing the guard ahead of her.

"The cliff!" she heard echoed by someone else, "No room behind! Forward! Forward!"

"Drive it ba—" she heard somewhere to her left.

"Levick, no!"

Coming back to herself, Miko fumbled for her equipment.

"Whatever you can do," said Abney, looking back at her.

She struck alight a bundle of incense, clinging to her pendant as she brandished the smoking sticks over her head, "I am a servant of the lady of light! I will fear no darkness for there is no darkness before the lady of light!"

"Stay back, I think it—" started Abney, drawing his pistol before he was lifted up over their heads with a gargling scream.

"I fear no darkness!" she chanted, "No darkness... no darkness before the lady..."

The pistol fired from somewhere above; the horrible roar rang out again and a chunk of something gruesome slammed to the ground near Miko. Then an enormous mass of shadow loomed over her; its face was mostly lost in the darkness but she saw sunken, glassy eyes and white teeth bowed outwards, gnashing together.

Time seemed to slow as its gaze fell on the cleric in white, her voice projecting beyond her small form.

"I will fear no darkness," she insisted. "I will fear no darkness! I will fear no darkness for there is no darkness before the lady of light!"

For a second it seemed to hesitate, almost shifting back into the darkness, but then it snarled and stepped forward. Whitstone pulled her down, deflecting the glancing blow over their heads with her shield.

She heard Fulciire' commanding voice in the distance but couldn't make out what he said; then the creature was momentarily lit from behind, reared up in pain and turned, dark blood pouring from its back.

"Drive it back!" Miko recognised Tierra's voice from the same direction.

Whitstone pulled her up onto her feet, "Forward?" she asked.

"Forward," Miko stammered. "We have to kill it."

"Forward! Forward!" called Whitstone, "Gifford, Everleigh, we're forming up." she gestured to the guards she could see, as they were joined by six more.

"I will fear no darkness!" Miko chanted, forcing her voice louder. "I will fear no darkness for the lady of light guides our way! We walk in Mara's light and we shall fear no darkness!"

"I will fear no darkness." Whitstone repeated.

"I will fear no darkness. I will fear no darkness," she could hear the other guards echoing.

"Stay low!" called Tierra ahead, "Keep moving!"

"Aim for the head," Fulciire called, followed in turn by a series of bangs and flashes.

Another scream was cut short and someone dropped at Miko's feet.

"The light!" called Whitstone, as they caught sight of a pale light ahead.

Miko's eyes landed on her friend brandishing a flaming branch between the shields of two guards the other side of a dark, hulking form.

"Surround it!" Fulciire called.

"Surround it!" Whitstone repeated, leading their little group on.

The creature thrashed wildly, lead shot digging into it from all sides; it grabbed two guards to the right of Tierra and tore into them. Miko lost sight of her as she was brushed aside by its charge.

"It's not working!" screamed someone to the left.

"Hold firm!" Fulciire called with inarguable authority.

The creature locked eyes on Whitstone, lunging for her. Miko grabbed her around the waist and pulled, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws as they crunched into Whitstone's shield and wrenched it away. In a flash, Whitstone had pulled her pistol and fired, catching the creature in the jaw.

To her dismay, Miko saw the flesh and bone reforming before her eyes; she watched more wounds inflicted and disappearing as quickly as the guards could deal them. Before she could usefully process the information the creature was on top of them again.

Then suddenly she saw a muscular orcish form leap out of the darkness behind it. Tierra swung her staff desperately and it managed to connect; the wood struck the side of its skull and there was a flash of light. The creature reeled, holding its face. Tierra looked shocked and confused for a second before the creature's flailing arm slammed into her and she dropped like a stone a few feet from Miko. She groaned with pain, pointing her staff up defensively at the monster.

There was a stunned silence as the creature took several steps back. Miko looked up trying to make sense of it and saw a vicious burn from its eye round to the back of its head; it wasn't healing.

No-one moved for an agonising second.

Then it stepped back again, and with an angry growl it retreated into the inky blackness.

Miko finally broke; she clung to Whitstone and sobbed, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Whitstone said nothing but held onto her.

"Tierra! Tierra!" Miko said in a panic, scrambling over to her friend.

Tierra clung to her staff desperately, pointing it into the darkness. Miko hurriedly checked her over; she had a nasty gash across her chest and her face was badly bruised. Whitstone crawled over and wrenched a pack from her belt.

"Dressings," she croaked.

Miko took them quickly and began treating the wounds.

Fulciire made his way over, dragging Kettering by the straps of his breastplate, blood was seeping from the four slices in the metal front.

"Is she...?" Fulciire asked, laying Kettering down.

"She's hurt but she's with us," groaned Whitstone, crawling over to Kettering and starting to remove his armour.

"Get him," Fulciire started, wincing, "get him patched up. I'm going to look for others."

"How many, sir?" Whitstone asked, placing dressings over Kettering's wounds.

"H-half, I would guess," Fulciire grunted, favouring his left leg as he lit up a torch to keep searching.

Miko tied the last bandage over Tierra's chest, "It's... it's not that bad, Tierra," she sniffed, fairly certain her friend was in shock.

She dragged herself to her feet as another guard, Gifford, marched directly at her, his face was bloodied from a gash on his cheek. Before she could say anything he'd flung his arms around her. "You... you kept us safe. I-I thought I was dead when it took Abney, ma'am," he choked out, "but you had the fire of the gods in your eyes when you drove it back. Bless you and miss Tierra both, ma'am."

She embraced him gently, tears rolling down her cheeks but she said nothing.

Gifford let go of her, sniffing, and went to see Tierra.

Miko looked around in the dark; she wasn't sure what she was looking for initially, but after a while she stumbled across a small golden case on the ground.

"I think you dropped it when you saved me," she heard Whitstone say softly as she approached with a torch.

"I couldn't save anyone," Miko muttered.

"Oh, I guess I pulled myself out of that thing's jaws then."

"I meant—"

"I know what you meant," Whitstone said, quite forcefully, "and you're wrong. I suppose it was someone else leading that chant then? And yet another stood the beast down holding nothing but incense did they?"

"I didn't—"

"You didn't kill anything? You didn't stand your ground? What exactly didn't you do that the rest of us did?"

"None of us would have been here if not for me," Miko snapped back, rounding on Whitstone.

"Oh really?" Whitstone scoffed. "Let it take a few more townsfolk before the captain buckled and sent us out here anyway huh?"

Miko's jaw clenched but she had nothing.

"Oh but even better," Whitstone continued, "we'd have been out here without you or Tierra. That'd've gone well."

"Ugh," Miko growled, turning and kicking a rock across the ground, "And now what?"

"I don't know," Witstone shrugged, "But I'm not turning back, not now."

"Witstone..." Miko pleaded.

"Nadja," she corrected.

"Nadja, it wouldn't die, after all that, everything you did, nothing could—"

"Not nothing," Nadja interjected.

"Not nothing," Miko repeated, her mind racing.

Fulciire seemed to have gathered the remaining company by the time Miko marched back over.

She knelt down by Tierra, squeezing her shoulder and examining her staff.

"How many are lost Commander?" She spoke with renewed authority but the lump in her throat was hard to miss.

"Tweny, mahm," he grunted. "We've... accounted for all lost souls," his jaw clenched, "as far as we can."

"Understood."

"Next moves, mahm?" he asked cautiously.

"My next move is after the creature, Commander," she said firmly as she traced the runes carefully, "I will not insist you join me. In fact I suggest you don't."

"Noted, mahm. So how do we kill it?"

"I don't know," Miko admitted, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes, "but... Tierra hurt it."

"Did she?" Fulciire said, leaning in to look at the staff, "That's what drove it back?"

"I believe so," said Miko. "She struck it with her staff and left a mark that did not heal from what we saw."

"Not invincible," he nodded, "okay then."

Miko flipped open her book and leafed through the pages, comparing symbols, "Yes, I knew it!"

"What have you got?" Nadja asked.

"Tierra's ward," Miko explained, "The glyphs are almost an exact match to a ritual we perform to consecrate. Consecrated grounds, uh, churches, graveyards, you know."

They nodded along.

"If this thing is infernal or the evil of the hells drives it... maybe that's what heals it too?"

"Maybe?" sighed Fulciire

"Maybe is all I've got, Commander," I will fully understand if you cannot march forward on 'maybe'."

"We marched out here on a weaker 'maybe' than this, mahm," he shrugged.

At that moment they heard a roar and an echoing scream from just up the mountain.

"It's still so close," said Nadja.

"The injured should wait for dawn and find safe path down in case we should not return," said Miko, scrambling to pick up her things. "I fear waiting here risks another attack on its terms."

"Agreed," Fulciire nodded, "Witstone, gather those still in fighting form. Gifford, you're in command until I return. Get Miss Tierra and the others down at first light. You get as far as you can. If we make it out, we'll join you on the way home."

Gifford stood to attention and nodded.

"Witstone," Fulciire added, "get 'em to grab the spare powder barrels while you're at it."

"Commander?" Miko said quizically.

"If you can make its injuries permanent, I'd like to give it a bloody good injury, mahm. And I don't fancy scaling those rocks up ahead."