Invading Crushbone
The eastern sky grew a shade lighter as Kavak studied it. Not enough that anyone would notice were they awake so early in the morning, but enough for the trained eye to detect the coming dawn. None of the orcs slumbering in the stronghold below had noticed. Even their guards huddled in cloaks to stave off the morning chill, and many dozed instead of walking the patrols they’d been assigned. Sloppy, but that has hardly surprising where orcs were concerned.
“How are we going to get down there? If we go through that village we’re almost certainly going to get caught.” Thaia whispered from a few inches away. She was close enough that her hot breath tickled the back of Kavak’s neck, and he stifled the urge to touch that area.
“Were you taught the mind over matter incantation?” Kavak whispered. It was something all Koada’Dal were taught by their parents. Most learned it at an early age, and he’d met very few who who hadn’t mastered it.
“I know it,” Thaia bit her lip as she stared down at the camp. She was smart enough to know why he’d asked, but he spoke his plan aloud anyway.
“We’re going to leap from the ledge and float over the camp. If we time it right we’ll land not far from that gate over there,” Kavak stabbed finger at the eastern side of the keep. “There look to be two guards outside of it. When we land I want you to get their attention however you can. When they turn to face you I’ll take them from behind. Do you have any questions?”
He was still getting to know Thaia, but despite her seeming naivate she had a keen mind and possessed unwavering bravery. She had the potential to become a powerful warden, though she was just beginning to uncover her powers. She’d go far, if he didn’t get her killed with another one of his foolish plans.
“Nope, I’m ready. Think you can keep up?” Thaia grinned as she surged to her feet in one smooth motion. She leapt from the ledge and Kavak sucked in a nervous breath as she drifted towards the keep in the distance. The closer she got the lower she sank until her feet nearly brushed the tops of orc tents as she passed over the last section of the hastily erected town outside Crushbone.
When it seemed certain she’d land safely Kavak picked up his kite shield and muttered the same incantation. Leaping from the ledge he glided gracefully through the predawn chill. He passed over hundreds of sleeping orcs and the occasional sentry stifling a yawn. None looked up as he passed silently over them to land next to Thaia near the eastern gate.
“It’s about time,” Thaia whispered, her teeth flashing in an ivory grin barely visible in the darkness. “I thought you’d never get here.”
“You’re fiesty this morning,” Kavak growled back, but without any ferocity. His eyes twinkled as he continued. “Don’t make me drag you behind those bushes so I can settle you down.”
“I might let you, but you need your strength for the battle to come and I don’t want to tire you out,” Thaia gave a low melodic laugh.
“If you keep talking like that I’m going to make you follow through with it. If we survive that is,” he grinned as they crept towards the front gate. Both orc sentries were huddled in their blankets, and if they were awake they certainly weren’t very alert.
“We’ll survive. You have work to do later after all,” Thaia giggled. Her silhouette rippled like a pond after a stone was cast. It flowed so that the eye struggled to follow, and when the transformation was complete a large tiger stood where Thaia had been.
The great cat padded silently towards the pair of orcs guarding the eastern gate. Kavak hurried after, making considerably more noise but still not enough for the inattentive orcs to notice. At least not until he was ready for them.
“Excuse me,” he called out cheerfully when he was no more than ten feet away. “Have you seen my pet cat? She’s lost and I’m trying to find her.”
The guards eyes went wide and both rose to their feet, drawing broadswords as they stood. Before they could rush to the large brass gong near the gate Thaia was already on them. Swift and silent she leapt for the first orc, her enormous fangs closing around his throat and choaking off his cry of alarm.
The second orc pivoted to face his doomed companion, but before he could act Kavak leapt forward and rammed his blade through the orc’s back. It severed his spine and he caught the beast and eased it to the ground to prevent any further noise. No one in camp appeared to have noticed, though he stood stock still for several heartbeats just to be certain.
The tiger licked blood from her muzzle as the strange rippling occurred once more. Moment’s later a pleased looking Thaia stood in its place, complete with a blood stain on her cheek that she seemed unaware of. Definitely not the naïve little girl Kavak had first taken her for, that was for sure.
“Let’s get inside before they discover our handiwork,” Kavak suggested as he dumped the bodies into the narrow moat outside the keep. They landed with muffled splashes, but none of the sleeping orcs seemed to hear.
Thaia gave a nod and they pushed open the thick oaken door with a deafening creak.
((From Thaia))
Thaia pressed close to the wall, giving Kavak as much room needed, his large imposing frame drawing an admiring look or two from her. Around a bend, up the hall then he holds his hand out motioning for her stand still. She did though her eyes darted back down to his armored rear once more.
“Two guards up ahead, they seem to be talking to each other ..Thaia are you listening to me.” Kavak asked in a soft whisper, his expression worried, maybe that last encounter with the guards in the main entry way of the keep had caused more harm then good. He looked at her, knowing exactly where her gaze was and where it rested now since he turned to face her a bit.
She blinked, her wayward thoughts of metal, flesh and heat sizzled then vanished as she looked up to his face saying. “Oh .. two guards was it? .. shall I distract again like outside?” Her bright green gaze shimmering with excitement at the prospect of being the decoy again.
He shook his head at her and muttered. “No, we are going to do this like in the entrance way.” Kavak said as he turned, missing Thaia’s pout.
“Fine” She grumbled, moving up behind him only to grab his arm when he went to stride forward. “Wait I hear something, foot steps coming back the way we came” He instantly stepped in front of her and pushed her to the wall, shielding her with his body.
“You know, if you wanted me against the wall .. you only had to ask” She purred, the feel of her breath tickling his neck as the footsteps grew closer.
“I can’t believe the gate was completely unguarded,” a cultured voice with a Thexian accent hissed. “You say these orcs are valuable allies, but all I see is lack of discipline and battle tactics a child could better.”
“Then you are not looking deeply enough,” a deeper voice snapped. The footsteps grew louder as they thumped down the hall towards Kavak and Thaia. “The orcs numbers are limitless, and they will continue to fight long after any one else would have given up. All you need do is direct them at Kelethin, and they will distract our enemies long enough to do what must be done.”
Tunare’s bloody bosom there was nowhere to hide. To the south was the corridor the men were approaching from, and to the north lay a wide oaken door that would make enough noise to wake the dead should they open it. How could they get out of this?
“Play along,” Kavak ripped his cloak from his shoulders and draped it over Thaia. He pulled the emerald hood up high enough to cover her face, and then stepped boldly in front of her. Dipping his hand into his belt pouch he fumbled for the petrified orc eye he’d brought for just such an emergency. Crushing a bit of bone between two fingers he murmured an incantation, and the world shifted around him.
Suddenly he was much shorter and a good deal stockier. To most he would appear to be an orc centurion. He’d completed the transformation just in time, because the speakers rounded the corner and stopped as they saw Kavak and Thaia.
“What are you doing in our citadel, elf?” Kavak boomed in his best imitation of an orc. Evidently it was convincing because the figures stopped.
Both had the violet skin typical of Teir’Dal, but the similarity between them ended there. The taller wore night black robes, and had a river of ivory hair cascading loosely around delicate shoulders. His companion was half a hand shorter, and the more dangerous of the two in Kavak’s estimation. He wore a coat of blackened iron rings with a buckler fixed to one hand, with the other resting loosely on the hilt of a mace. Both had the black and red sigils of the Thexian order emblazoned on their chests. What were the Thexian’s doing in crushbone?
“Please, calm yourself centurion,” the taller man glided forward with an oily smile. “We’ve been dispatched to meet with your leader, and he is expecting us. In fact, if you’d like you may lead us there.” The man darted curious glances at Thaia, and seemed to will the shadows away so he could see her face under the scowl.
Kavak was torn with indecision. Should they kill the pair or play along?
((From Thaia))
“Please, calm yourself centurion” Thaia heard the male say, her breathing steady and calm for one who was in a pickle.
When one of them peered curiously at her, Thaia willed herself to not panic, darting a glance to Kavak waiting for his cue. But all he did was grunt like those smelly orcs did.
Keeping her head positioned right, to keep the shadows hiding her face still Thaia offered a silent prayer to Tunare. Then whispered one for Kavak as well. She knew Kavak was quick on his feet as well as with his mind. She had faith in his ability to get them out of this.
She hoped anyways.
“I’ll take you to the emperor,” Kavak boomed in his best orc imitation. “But If I see so much as a twitch I don’t like I’ll have a dozen of the boys on you dandelion eaters before you can so much as move. Ya got that?”
“Of course, my friend,” the robed Teir’Dal replied in an oily tone. “If you would show us the way?”
“After you. I don’t trust you behind me,” Kavak barred his orcish fangs then spit on the ground in front of the Teir’Dal. The one in mail quivered with rage at the insult, but his robed companion placed a hand on his arm.
“Of course centurion, of course,” the wizard smiled. He slid past and the moment his back was turned Kavak acted. The narrow hallway prevented sword work, so he drew his belt knife and rammed it into the man’s kidney. Wrenching it free with a twist he used his other hand to slam the man’s head into the stone wall with a wet thump. The wizard collapsed in a heap.
The second Teir’Dal moved with the speed of a viper. One moment his mace was belted at his side, and the next it was in his hand as if he’d simply not bothered with the intervening space. He lashed out with it in a silver blur, and Kavak’s shoulder shattered under the weight of the heavy weapon. He grunted, but surpressed the agonized scream that threatened to rip its way free.
“I don’t know who you are, but you’ve ruined months of work. You’ll suffer before you die,” The Teir’Dal’s face was a mask of rage, and Kavak felt a moment’s despair. His opponent was faster and stronger than he. Worse, he was small enough to capitalize on the close quarters while Kavak had to rely on his dagger.
Of course he also had Thaia. The warden ripped her scimitar from its sheath in one smooth motion as she dropped to her knees. She darted forward shoving the blade between Kavak’s legs, and catching the Teir’Dal across the thigh with a wicked gash. The man backpedaled for room, but Kavak wasn’t letting the bastard get away.
He leapt on the man and the pair crashed to the heavy stone. They wrestled for control, but now Kavak had the advantage. He didn’t need to win, only slow the man long enough for Thaia to take a shot. Sure enough the warden waited for an opening, and then darted forward to bury her blade in the Teir’Dal’s chest. Black blood leaked from his mouth and his eyes glittered hatefully, until the light left them forever.
“We’d best get out of this hallway quickly,” Kavak panted as he stumbled to his feet. “Think they heard us?”
((From Thaia))
Kethaia was to busy calling upon Tunare to respond to his question, her hand going to his face to cup it tenderly. Then he felt it, the breath of their Goddess where Thaia touched before its soothing caress traveled through his body..
It flowed through him, soothing, searching and warm. Once it found the damaged areas, it set to work repairing. In a matter of seconds Kavak’s burning pain was replaced, and he was moving far faster.
She smiled impishly. “Feel better now?” Her voice had a hint of a purr to it as she pulled her hand away.
“Much. I knew there was a reason why I allowed you to tag along.” Kavak said teasingly, watching her eyes light up with that fire he enjoyed to see from her. Before she could respond, he moved saying. “Well were not under attack yet … so they might not have heard.”