Deciever, Story But Not Related to TES Options

[Tulustan]

Last few weeks I have had ideas for stories rolling around in my brain muscle, so here is me trying to share one of them. Critiques are welcome!

Chapter 1

It had been roughly five years since I had gone north to the port city of Tanon in search of wealth. I had heard many things about the city, especially how easy it was to find a job on the wharf, which being of the prespant class left me very few choices in work. Slowly I had worked my way up the labor ladder on the wharfs and had become the manager of wharf four. It was still hard work especially getting the newer members to unload cargo quick enough and safe enough as to not hurt themselves or the cargo.

This year however I had begun to take a liking to one of the new dockhands. His name was Marcus and he had been working on the wharfs for only a few months. However, he had the brains to listen to my advice and not get himself seriously hurt or killed yet, and also no complaints had been filed against him (all extremely rare for new dockhands).

All in all life was going pretty good. I looked at the machine in the corner that told me what hour of the day it was… very nice almost time to go home. I decided to go down and arrange some festivities for the night.

As I walked onto the wharf the familiar feel of the treated wood groaned under my feet as the ocean tried to lazily dislodge it from the earth that it had been built into. Not much had changed about wharf four in the five years I had worked on it. A few broken planks here and there and that one time the crane had broken and almost clove the wharf in half, but it was still the same thing with a few scars and the blood of the men who worked it.

As I reached about halfway across the wharf I spied Marcus unloading a medium sized grey crate by himself. “Hey there!” I yelled to him.

“Whoa, if it isn’t the grand ol boss here to the rescue.” He yelled back. “Gonna actually contribute to this little shindig for once instead of sittin on your boat all day watchin us do all the work?”

“Hey! It takes a lot of strength writing those reports for all the crates you’ve dropped!” I replied not having to yell with the distance closed to within a few feet.

“Ah dang, you know I don’t drop any crates. But please feel free to keep sitting there while I do real work!”

I let out a little chuckle at that and began to help him lift a couple of the heavier crates off of the ship. I mean hell it’s a great way to keep in shape and I owed him after the drunken stupor I managed to drink myself into the night before.

Even though I had not totally recovered from that previous night I asked him “After were done off loading this ship wanna go to the Musty Sailor and grab some of the new import from Mumbril. I hear they added some extra zing to their new batch of ale!”

“Are you joking with me? After last night you wanna go drinking again? I mean cmon you just about killed yourself in that pile of puke you conjoured up! But yeah I guess, hopefully this time you’ll be walking me home though… Yeah I just realized the likelihood of that statement, ya drunky.”

“Hardy har har, see ya there. I gotta go take care of a few administrational things first.” under my breath, but loud enough to hear me I muttered “like getting you fired”.

“oh, you bag of dicks” he responded then said “later, don’t get too drunk before I get there to drag your boat home” he finished.

At that I walked back to my office at the end of the wharf and began to get all the reports ready to hand in the next day to the “dock master”. By the time I had finished my paperwork it was dark out and the candle lit room cast shadows of all the odd bobbles I had collected over the time I had lived in Tanon.

As I left my office the familiar smell of saltwater assailed my nostrils. Usually I just ignored it automatically but for some reason it was intensely strong. I kept walking back to my house. The whole way there the pungent aroma of the saltwater assaulted my senses.

I approached the shortcut to my house. It went behind the butchers shop and a few tall apartment buildings. Most of the city was built out of solid stone, one of the few in the kingdom. It was a key hub for commerce and with an abundance of quarries and a limited supply of farmland the city had built vertically.

As I reached my house, an apartment complex grafted onto the side of the southern wall, I noticed that most of the blankets over the windows of each apartment were down. I found this to be very odd because it was still early in the night and still fairly warm outside.

I got into my room and began changing into clothes I did not care overly much about (didn’t want to have to worry about puking on myself and buying a new shirt). I took care to put my dagger back on however, never know when you can use one in a enclosed area full of men whose heads may be a teeny bit infected with alcohol.

I left my house on the same route I had come in and when I got to the back ally I thought that I noticed someone following me. I ignored it, this being one of the safer cities in the kingdom thanks to all of the wealth it had acquired.

About halfway through the ally I heard someone full out sprinting in behind me. Quickly I turned around and began to pull my dagger. However, as the blade almost cleared the phantom behind me tackled me to the ground. He reached for something in his lavender robe, quickly I thrust my leg upward and into his growing getting enough force to somersault him over me.

I looked back to notice that he had somewhat recovered and had drawn a sword. Quickly I rolled to my feet and pulled my dagger. He came swift and fast with a lunge for my chest. I barely got the parry in time to stop the blade from gutting me. Again he tried to inflict damage on my innards using the same thrust. However this time I was more prepared and managed to parry the thrust easily. I noticed that he either must not have been expecting such a strong parry or was very inexperienced at using a sword because the parry had left his middle right open.

I took the advantage. I jumped on him with all of my might and knocked him to the ground. Right when we hit the ground I pummeled him once in the face with the butt of my dagger and kicked his sword away.

“Why are you attacking me!” I yelled into his face. The sound I got back was that of a mad animal trying all it could to break free. The thing was it wasn’t me he was trying to break free of. It was like something inside the man wanted out, or control of the body. I repeated my inquiry.

His face turned savagely red but it looked like something was winning over and he managed to mutter through gritted teeth “Heh help me”.

I had no idea how to help this man or even if he needed helping maybe this was just a ploy to break free from my hold. I began to ask in what way I could assist him when all of a sudden I heard a zinging sort of noise from my left ear, there was a wet smacking sound. The attacker had stopped moving altogether underneath me and a warm fluid had begun to puddle near my left knee where I was holding his arm down. That is when I noticed a small dagger handle jutting out of the side of my attackers’ neck.

This post has been edited by Tulustan: Dec 7 2010, 05:11 AM

[Tulustan]

Chapter 6

The Aceluns had been camped outside of Tanon for a few days now. Since they had arrived the city had been under siege. The Aceluns had not bothered to bring any siege machines with them counting on the area to provide them with the raw materials. No one had bothered to tell them that for the last century Tanon had been using all of the forest around them for firewood, and other industrial needs. The forest had been cut back so far in the last hundred years that it had become cheaper to ship wood into the city than drag the remainders from the foot of the mountain range.

The walls that Tanon hid behind had not been breached since the cities inception some 200 years ago. They were very well maintained. From the outside the city looked like it could withstand four armies and still come out swinging. Unfortunately the defenders on the inside saw a much different picture. Food supplies had been dwindling rapidly, no ships had arrived for days because of the massive Acelun blockade. A lot of the wealthier population had fled to the kingdom proper in the first week after new broke that Mumbril had been taken.

The state of the trained troops was questionable as well. The militia still had a painful lack of archers in the ranks. The few they had were poor shots barely being able to hit the side of a three story building from any respectable range. As for ground troops they had numbers enough to match that of the invading army. They did not however have the equipment or training to put up much of a fight.

Marcus had changed greatly in the last month. He was in a smaller squad chosen because of the quickness that each individual had in learning the fighting profession. They were stationed among center defenses inside the city gate where fighting was expected to be the worst.

“They say the attack is gwonna be coming any day now.” A light hearted voice bubbled.

“They say that everyday Rat. Hell you say that everyday.” Marcus replied.

“One oh me boys on the wall say that they’ve begun to assemble some sort of siege weapon.”

“Yeah well good. I’m tired of sitting on my boat just waiting. They are slowly killing us in here. We can’t get outa the damned city anymore.”

“I jus cant wait teh bash their heads in an show um even us Tamultan commoners got some lion in us.”

“Well for me I just want this done with. I’m tired of army life. Its all waiting, and for what? Death? Great, that’s just the kind of early retirement I want.”

“C’mon, we’ll be running through the streets killing those murderin bastards. We’ll be the avatars of ol, running through the streets and dealing death. The enemy will fear us and the women will want us!”

“You’ve got yourself an overaggressive imagination there. Best thing that can come outa this for us is a quick death. Were here to hold the line at all cost. Yeah we might be some of the best fighters in Tanon which is like being a dwarf amongst midgets, but really, they got a whole army of trained men out there.”

“Ya know, sometimes jus lettin a man dream doesn’t hurt.”

“Yeah, your right. Reality is so overrated.”

A shout came from one of the sentries on the tower. “Their coming!” The desperation was already clear in his voice.

The ants began to get into position, from afar it looked like a drunken blind painter had tried to assemble the men. Only one gate guarded Tanon, there had been no need for more entrances. It made defending the city much easier but it also meant no escape. There would be victory or death and every single one of the militiamen knew it.

Nothing happened for the next hour. Silence had pervaded the entire city. Everyone was anticipating the break of the gate. Then all of a sudden the sun was gone. Arrows had blocked out the sky, death began raining down among the defenders. The lack of shields meant mass death and panic in the groups directly defending the gate. The first earth shattering boom sounded soon after. The large battering ram had been constructed out of the largest trees the Andrine Mts. Could provide. Every few minutes the Aceluns would pull it back then let go making the massive wooden war machine slam violently against the reinforced steel doors.

“Told ya they was coming today.” Rat said smugly.

“Oh, what a great thing to be right about!” Some of Rat’s enthusiasm vanished.

For the next few hours all the defenders could do was sit and hope an arrow didn’t pick them off. The constant booming of the battering ram did nothing to quell the tide of panic that had begun to wash over them. Rat and Marcus began to notice the gate giving ground to the horde outside. Crashing into the defensive structure a final time the gate buckled and fell to the ground hinges destroyed.

“Here they come!” Rat exclaimed happily. Only they didn’t come. The soldiers began to move the war machine out of the way. The few defending archers inside finally began to fight back against the attackers plucking some off but more often than not missing altogether. After the siege machine had been moved a wall of red and blue shields had been created in an instant. It began to march forward.

The first line of defenders rushed towards it and tried to halt the attack. They got to within three feet of the wall before it showed its teeth. Spears the length of a man jutted out and skewered the defenders. Soon the wall had made it to the first buildings. It moved through the first block with ease. A bell sounded from town square and before the it could retreat hot blackness was being poured all over them from the buildings that surrounded them. The archers had armed themselves with flame tipped arrows and let loose.

Instantly the wall disintegrated into a buzzing burning hive of dying insects. The screams that came from it turned into wails of despair and a sickening smell began to permeate the city.

“Smells like bacon” Rat mentioned even more excited. “Lets go kill us some piggy’s!” Marcus just about threw up.

The attackers had wasted no time in getting more troops into the city. Once the burning men realized that they could not retreat because their brothers in arms were clogging the only way out they began to rush the defenders.

“Here they come!” Marcus yelled. Rat managed to make a noise of delight or ecstasy Marcus couldn’t tell.

The few men of the initial attack came sprinting towards the defenses where Rat and Marcus were. Rat jumped out to the side of the barricade that blocked half the street surprising the aggressor. His war hammer went into a wide arc moving in quickly on the man. The enemy swiftly positioned his shield in a way to try and deflect the blow while simultaneously pulling his short sword out. Rat’s blow connected and a sickening thud sounded. He had put so much force into the blow that the bones in the Aceluns arm disintegrated. The man stumbled over hitting the side of the barricade knocking him out. Marcus quickly grabbed the mans sword which was of much higher quality that his own.

“Finish him quick!” Rat yelled as another soldier approached him.

Marcus began trembling. He had never taken a mans life. What if this man had a family he wanted to return to what if- “Finish him now! He whudda killed you if he had the chance!” Rat yelled. He had been taking on soldiers with ease, if not grace. The power he could put behind the blows was astonishing but the flood kept coming and Rat was beginning to slow down. “AARRG!” Rat yelled as one of the soldiers broke through his defenses and cut a gash into his side.

A flip switched in Marcus’s head. Seeing someone hurt his comrade he instantly stabbed the unconscious man in the heart.

Three Aceluns had engaged Rat. Marcus jumped into the fray flanking one of them and cutting him down. A few of the other men in the squad had been killed on the far side of the street. Reinforcements had begun to pour in on both sides. It became hard to distinguish who was a friend and who was trying to cut who to ribbons.

Marcus tried hard to keep his back to a building or barricade. No reason to get chopped up from behind. He could make out Rat in the middle of the fighting still swinging his hammer smashing friend or foe around him. Three attacks were suddenly on Marcus, he had picked up a shield from one of the attackers and was making good use of it but he had neither the skill nor the strength to take them all on.

“Rat!” he yelled, his voice beginning to get horse. “HELP!”
He thought he heard a chuckle. The three attackers began to move in synchronization coming in from different angles at different heights. Two were blocked by shield and sword but the third was blocked by arm and bone. Blood began to flow freely from the top of Marcus’s arm. Pain coursed through it. The three seeing the opening began to attack again. Suddenly a blur came from behind them and turned one to paste against the barricade. The other two began to turn and Marcus used the opportunity to stab the middle one in the back. The last suffered a similar fate as the first.

“Hey there buddy! Lets get ya outa here, you don’t look so hot.” Marcus looked at Rat in disbelief. Rat was covered in blood. There were cuts all over him and what looked like a purple mushroom on the side of his arm.

“Thanks, but you don’t look too good either.”

The duo fought their way back to the defensive lines. Just as Rat and Marcus got through Rat collapsed on the ground. They were done fighting, at least for today. Marcus helped carry Rat back to the triage area. It took about five men to move him.

***

The Acelun commander Capt. Gregory Steiner was distressed by the progress of the attack, mostly by the failed push up the main street of Tanon. He was getting reports of a demon that had felled thirty shock troopers by himself. He had few of those in reserve. Most of the soldiers he had brought from Altrun (the Acelun capitol) had been draftees forced into the military after Brookensdale had been captured by the Tamultans.

Few of his troops were military grade and it was showing. The Tanon militia had been able to stop the attack at all of the major barricades except one. Unfortunately that one barricade was still blazing away from a grease fire.

The consequences of failing to capture Tanon were huge. The blockade wouldn’t be able to keep Tamultan ships from Tanon, they were needed elsewhere. If Tanon were to remain in the defenders hands not only would a needed supply of resources be flowing from the city it could be used as a critical staging area for southern Acelun territories.

“Geoffrey, I have an Idea.” Steiner said.

“Sir?”

“How many shock troopers do you have in reserve?”

“Twenty sir, not enough to break through anywhere along the line. Especially if the rumors of the demon man are even remotely true.”

“I know, I want them to go down to the beach and meet up with some of our ships. From there they will spearhead an amphibious assault on the rear of the city. I want three thousand of our reserves landing behind them.”

“Sir! With all due respect, modern tactics say an amphibious assault especially against cities is to invite disaster.”

“When have you ever personally heard of it failing?”

“Never sir, but that’s because no one has been addled enough to try it.”

“I appreciate you honesty Geoffrey but this will work. At dawn tomorrow I will order all of the troops not in the amphibious attack to assault the cities frontal defenses. It will be ours by ours by night.”

“I hope your right sir, because if your wrong not only will it be political suicide we may end up much closer to the fighting than warranted.”