Saiyan

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

My Hider

This round, Adam lived by the skin of his teeth :P

@Zapdos

My Hider

a small victory snatched from the jaws of defeat, you might say

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

There was a delayed reaction when Zell decapitated the giant orc. There was a small section in the back of Chip's mind that wondered if everyone was as shocked as he was.

This part of Chip - which seemed to operate with soberness and logic whilst the rest of his body was engulfed in the nerves and adrenaline of the loud battle - this part in the back of Chip's mind had been really rather uncomfortable as Chip stood by Biff and Kipper, watching the duel between the two Captains of each side. Uncomfortable and speechless. Who was this man and what had he done with Captain Zell?

Zell Brooks: A man with an easy laugh, an easier smile, a charming arrogance and witty lines. A man who had made the Lions feel about as confident and secure as they had any right to be, in the days leading up to the battle. He'd brought them all together instantly, by giving them a reason to call themselves Lions. By talking them - mostly strangers - into loving eachother like family.

But this was not the same man. All of those qualities were replaced by one dominant force... rage.

And were Chip's ears working correctly? Did he hear the name 'Baphomet' out of the mouth of his Captain? When Zell teleported, behind the mutant orc and onto the battlements, only to jump off into a 360 slash that took the monsters head clean off, Chip was sure Zell had called out to the Devil. Maybe it was just in Chip's head - a figment of his imagination mixed with the sensory overload of battle and the shock of seeing Zell in this rage-state.

What was not in his imagination, however, was what Zell did during the delayed reaction as the mutant orc's headless body fell to it's knees and then keeled over. With the thumb and palm of his gloved left hand, Zell, in one smooth motion, wiped the blood from his katana and then... licked the orc blood from his glove! One giant lick of his tongue, hand moving across his face, staining his mouth, nose and chin with ichor. And then he looked at the Lions who were watching and Chip saw the crazed wide eyes of a frenzied madman. Like a Wildling from the Badlands of the Southeast. A soulless menace, devoid of thought and fuelled by nothing but fury. Horrifying.

He roared. Like the Lion he was. And Biff, Kipper... Chip too... they roared with him.

And just like that, the delayed reaction was over. It had all lasted mere moments - even the duel itself was only, roughly, a minute long - but it had felt like forever. The Lions charged before the orcs on the other side of Zell, giving the defenders the momentum in their small portion of the chaos on the walls of Valhiem. Once again they were fighting like everyone else, incited and enraged alongside their Captain. Chip was once again loud and bloodthirsty, eager to slay these disgusting creatures who dared threaten to destroy his home.

The shock of seeing the dark side of Captain Zell, faded into insignifance.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Biff, Chip and even the youngster, Kipper had stayed close throughout the start the fighting. It was a hectic affair, but a general pattern could be surmised: Biff would engage the enemy in front (usually an orc,) head-on. Chip look to stab them while Biff had their attention. Kipper would stand behind and make sure no goblins moved in to try to do to Biff what Chip was doing to the orcs.

It was working decently well.

On the whole, The Lions had started exemplary. Captain Zell, the Valhiem veterans, Biff and Thomas, and a surviving soldier from Dantuin, fallen city in the east, called Jordash... these four were pushing at the front, right in the thick of things, leading The Lions against the first siege tower's orcs and goblins. Everyone else was moving up behind, staying in formation, keeping flanks covered and conservatively stabbing at the enemy. When the ladders hit, many worked together to successfully kill the climbers as they came and kept their section of the wall clear.

Thomas fell after taking a brutal hit to his side, under his arm. He was dragged back into the safety of the crowd, coughing up blood and leaking profusely. Alive - thank the Quinity - but he was out of the battle for good, without doubt. Jordash, Biff and Captain Zell maintained the tip of the spear with courage and prowess, while the least experienced Lions (minus Kipper) helped get Thomas off the wall and to the foot of a mage-platform ladder, where they could call for a healer.

For those near the orc heavies, the fighting was fierce and relentless, with no end in sight. Chip was already breathing hard as he stepped in and out, his sword-arm burning with lactic acid as he did the same move over and over, looking for an opening to critically wound Biff's opponent so that Biff could finish the job quickly. There were few weak points in the orc's heavy armour, but Chip had come to learn that the neck and also under the arm was a sure bet for his sword to meet flesh. Chip's throat was sore from the constant shouting of vile insults that everyone was taking part in - something that kept the anger flowing and the fear at bay. Biff was amazing - skilled and disciplined, taking down enemy after enemy. Chip knew that his friend was strong, but seeing him here brought a new level of respect for the big guy who was usually pretty laid back and affable.

"Take that you twat!" Kipper shouted as he shuffled around and caught a goblin trying to sneak attack Biff. The young Lion's sword sliced deep on the forearm of the goblin who reeled back and screamed. Biff saw the wounded goblin and killed him outright.

"Nice one, Kipper!" Chip shouted, eyes darting around the chaotic scene as he stuck doggedly to his tactic.

Captain Zell was utterly astounding. Chip could barely see him, the swordsman had pushed so far into the enemy. But he could definitely hear him. Shouting, roaring and grunting, non-stop - his green cloak fluttering and black sword swishing everywhere as he cut down a record-number of orcs and goblins.

As the minutes wore on, The Lions began to take more casualties. Men, elves and dwarves who were fighting for the Witch Queen started to get a footing on the wall. Another siege tower had docked at the wall, not far from them, preventing the allied archers from supporting their plight. Chip didn't see any Lions get killed but he guessed that someone must've died. Ten-fifteen of their block had been ushered out of the fighting and down the wall for healing. Their was action all around them now. The intensity had ramped up.

...

From the original siege tower that the Lions were fighting, something huge was struggling to get out, crouch walking and using a hand on the roof to pull itself through. As it's head got clear, it finally appeared and rose to it's full commanding height. It looked every bit of seven feet tall. Every bit of it. Head to toe in full-plate, helmet n all. It's sword was fucking ridiculous, making a greatsword look like a skinny toothpick. Zell thought the gangplank was going to break under the weight of the bastard. The Englishman was pretty sure he heard the wood crack.

The enemy around Zell backed off to let this monstrosity into the fight. It was... an orc... Zell guessed. But maybe half-ogre? Or just a fucking mutant? An peripheral orc tried to get a free shot at Zell who was awaiting the first move from the monster. Zell managed to parry the attack and throw and few swings in return, pushing the orc onto it's backfoot. And then Zell's attention was taken by the monstoristy again, as it engaged Jordash Sigmar, a reliable soldier, the first clash of blades knocking Jordash's sword flying out of his hand and over the battlements.

"No-!"

Zell barely got his word out as Jordash took a grizzly downwards strike from the giant orc. The man from Dantuin who had survived not only the fall of the eastern city, but skirmish after skirmish to protect the refugees and get them to Valhiem... he was dead instantly.

"Kipper get back!" Biff shouted as he tentatively stepped to take the place of Jordash.

Zell stopped him, pulling him back by the shoulder, eyes on the monster the whole time. This would be his fight. Fighting slowed almost to a complete stop in the immediate area. Everyone around was still fighting but those who were on the very front of the contact between orc heavies and Lions, had pretty-much come to a halt, watching as the mutant orc and the captain of the Lions faced off.

The monster twitched and Zell exploded into action...............

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Blood. Let the Black Sword drink.

The din of battle became secondary to the voice of Baphomet. It wasn't that the singing, shouting and screaming was drowned out or muffled. It was all still loud and abrasive. The thundercrack voice of Commander Thorn was louder still. And yet, on top of all this - equal in volume but far exceeding in importance - was the Oblivion Prince.

Flesh. Let the Black Sword rend.

The pressure in Zell's head caused his vision to pulse, as if his eyeballs were throbbing to the beat of his own heart. His ears plugged up the way they always did whenever he was travelling on an airplane. Slowly his priorities changed from defense to offense. The welfare of Valhiem was now superceded with desire to kill. Anger built up inside of him as he walked between the 1st and 2nd ranks of The Lions, his sights fixed on the approaching siege tower.

Souls. Let the Black Sword reap.

His jaw was clenched so tight, his teeth might crack. Even with the noise around him and Baphomet within him, the deep, vile chanting of the orcs and goblins on the top floor of the siege tower could be heard as it neared. The docking point of the first tower would be right between The Lions and The Scarabs and Zell placed himself on the left flank of his block so he would be dead in the thick of the action.

You are invincible. My champion. Slay your enemies with extreme prejudice. Show them the true meaning of 'Might.'

"OORAH! OORAH! OORAH!"

Bloodlust. Fury. Hate. Tension. The pit of his stomach was a bubbling cauldron of emotion that finally released as Zell's clenched jaw opened up to let free a throat-stinging roar. He drew the sword off his back and pointed it skyward. The iron door crashed down onto the battlements and out poured their enemy, led by the four massive orcs, heavily armoured and armed with greatswords. The huge beasts charged and lept at the defenders with swords held high, an irresistable force of metal and horsepower tantamount to that of a Mack Truck. Their mere landing alone pushed everyone back and they swung their greatswords in horizontal sweeps as they fanned out. Two Scarabs fell immediately. Zell met one orc in a clash of blades. An immediate foothold had been achieved for the assaulting force and more orcs and goblins boarded the wall. Fierce fighting ensued.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Tag team match. In the red corner... tiredness and a hangover. In the blue corner... adrenaline and fear.

It was a one sided slaughter that may have been the quickest match of all time.

The moment the city sirens reached Zell's ears, his eyes shot open. His skin tingled from the sheer speed that his body's internal systems had gone from a state of sleep to hyper-awareness and a racing heart. He got up and sat on the edge of his bed, taking a second to try and calm his heartrate - control his breathing. It didn't do much good, so he jumped up and hastily suited up for action.

Zell was out of his room around the same time of some of his friends. He clapped the first one he came into contact with on the shoulder and nodded, seamlessly turning to rush down the stairs. Barracker was in front. He clasped the vampire on the shoulder as they made for the exit of The Mended Drum and started running through the streets.

"This is us, guys!" he shouted as they ran. "We've got this! They don't know who they're fuckin with!" Booted feet pattered the cobblestones, the group staying together until the point where their individual assignments would force them to split. "Stay swift, bro," were his words for Barracker as they parted at an intersection. "Be careful. Later," or some form there of for the others, no time for a deeper and more caring message. He could only hope that they were used to his ways enough that they'd know just how much they all meant to him.

He was on his own by the time he met any resistance. Zombies. Even on his approach, more were dropping out of the sky, somehow still alive and struggling up to their feet to join in chaos. So that's what were falling out of that thing, he realised now. He didn't miss a step and sprinted straight into the action, drawing his sword off his back. He left the flimsy lightweight buckler hooked on his hip. The shield was purely to block magic, completely useless against physical attacks and therefore pointless at the moment, but it was light enough to be of minimal annoyance on his belt, ready to punch his left arm down into the hand hold the moment he needed it.

He fought his way down the street among allies, the bright white light coming from the flare above helping him keep his bearings as he progressed towards The Lions' meeting point. In spite of the intensity in his heart and mind, the technical difficulty of the foes before them was pitiful. They were slow. And if not slow, then straight lined and single-minded. Easy work. And yet it was wildly difficult on the stamina and the senses. It didn't matter how much knowledge of melee combat and field battle that the Source Crystal forced into his lexicon, it was all just theory and could never compare to the real deal. He had to control himself. He was expending too much energy on nerves alone. But the urgency to find his fellow Lions and rally them around him was too great.

Once he was only a single street away from the meeting point, he began to see familiar faces. "Lions!"

Bit by bit, he picked them up - "Lioooons!" - his group slowly growing as they made it to a crossroads. Here there were a large number of enemy, but ruthlessly, Zell ordered his men to leave the other soldiers to deal with the mob. It had to be done. Sure, the defenders on this intersection were outnumbered, but these dumbass zombies were just a distraction. Just here to cause chaos.

The real threat was the danger that Valhiem's walls were not adequately defended. If Saladin managed to take the walls without losing the absolute maximum number of his troops then Valhiem would most certainly fall. Every layer of fortification had to be utilised to the fullest. And anyway; if Commander Thorn wanted the Centre of the Defensive Line to stay in the streets, then it would have to come down the chain of command. "Move now!"

The looks in the eyes of some of his soldiers was hurt as Zell forced them to follow him down the much safer street, away from the fighting, but the hardened eyes of a couple of his vets gave him heart. "Liooons! To meee!"

They arrived at the meeting point and formed up. Ten ranks of ten was easy enough to count and the Lions held their position to wait for the stragglers. Zell knew he couldn't wait all day, but luckily none of his soldiers forced his hand. Everyone showed up and the made for the wall.

...

Five ranks of twenty. Higher troop quality in the front ranks and the flanks. No archers in his particular block. He'd been given the assignment of a pure melee centurion, flanked on either side by The Pits and The Scarabs who would be firing at will once present and ready. The Lions stood looking over the battlements, among the first of the blocks on the walls. The view was awe-striking, the sheer scale of the enemy host was so grand that each would have to swivel his head almost 180 degrees to see it all. Amongst the slowly advanced siege towers were just fucking MASSES of baddies. A million glinting metal blades of various shapes and sizes. Armour. So much armour. Monsters. Those fucking dino-cavalry. All sorts.

Zell was lost for words. For a time, he'd forgotten his place. He wasn't captain of The Lions. He was plain old Zell Brooks, stood in awe with tunnel vision as fire, ice, earth and air and plenty of arrows were traded between the mages of both sides. "Christ," he muttered shakily under his breath. He didn't even realise he was shaking his head slightly, his thoughts betrayed by his subconcious body language. His men and women stood faced front, so hopefully none noticed that their captain had frozen. Still... they were waiting for some words of encouragement from their boastful, boistrous beacon of courage, who usually carried himself like he was a legend of the Mythic Age.

And then...

Zell's eyes flared as a big firebolt came like a comet toward their position.

"WATCH-" there was not even time enough time for Biff in the front rank to get out the warning.

<Impact.>

At the same time:

<Teleportation.>

Zell appeared on the battlements with his buckler up, a millisecond before the firebolt struck, angling his shield in such a way to take as much off the punch as possible. There was an explosive crackle as the bolt was deflected in a high arc way over everyone. Zell was blown off the battlements into his men who didn't have any time or choice in catching him. The collective strength of a dozen or so Lions managed to cushion Zell's momentum and thankfully no one was knocked flying off the wall or anything. The firebolt went soaring into the background and landed on a distant empty section of wall south of them. Another stroke of fortune.

Zell's entire left arm was numb and shivering. He was breathing heavy and he was still yet to fully come to the realisation that his efforts had paid off.

"Captain," Chip said in a tone that spoke of great awe and gratitude. There was a similar sentiment from others as Zell was helped to his feet.

Thank fuck for that, Zell thought. He could not, under any circumstances, take casualties before The Lions had gotten some kills of their own to bolster their morale. It was terrifying enough just having to stand there and wait for those siege towers, with plenty of time to think about just how daunting the task in front of them was.

He felt like his arm was about to fall off, but thought of a great way to hide his pain. Aswell as capitalise on this close call.

"Weeeeee shall not,
We shall not be moved.
Weeeee shall not,
We shall not be moved.

We are the Lions,
Hear us Roar.
Weeeee shall not be mooooooooooooved!

"Weeee...." A song they'd sung before, with words easy to remember. Everyone joined in. "SHALL NOT,
WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED.
WEEEEE SHALL NOT,
WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED."

...And the siege towers rolled closer.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

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THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

hididdlyho.gif

everyone have a good time over xmas?

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

"Cheers," Fenna said to Clive and Zell, raising her mug. Zell copied her. "We've been through a lot and the troubles are far from over, but at least we're in good company."

"Spot on. I'll drink to that, mate," Zell added with a one-sided grin. He knocked his mug against theirs and took a big swig.

Shortly after Fenna's arrival, the trio had grabbed a spare table and gotten down to business. Beer, lively banter and funny stories all around. Each took a turn getting a round of drinks in, which took them a hour or two into the evening. As the sky outside darkened, the tavern got a little busier, not another adventurer in sight, just regular local folk who'd likely put in a hard days work with the defence preparations and now wanted to relax and take the edge off.

The addition of the Ranger had changed the vibe and Zell was glad of it. It was nice to have some one-on-one time with Clive, to hear about his life, to let him vent some of his thoughts. But in Zell's experience of friends, nothing good comes from extensive drinking while depressed. Combining this bit of wisdom with the Source Crystal superpowers; Fenna had potentially averted a disaster.

"Wehey!" Zell cheered as he approached the table, his big hands wrapped around three small glasses, with his fingers also hooking three mugs of beer. He set them down before taking his seat, then slid each of his friends a mug of beer and glass of dark fluid each. "Would you believe Mytheria's got shots n all, ha."

The stuff in the glass was called, "Manticore Spit," and Zell explained as much, telling them that he got chatting to a table while waiting for the beers and they recommended it as something that will - quote - 'blow your fucking head off.'

"Alright adventurers... shots up." Zell threw back the shot and immediately regretted it. It was as awful as it was powerful and so hard to swallow. "Oh-emm-gee, for fuck's sake," he croaked hoarsely. He banged a fist on the table, his unable to unsquint his eyes for a moment. "I think I'm gonna die."

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

lol alright lads, let's propel 'er to insanity

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Hahaha, thanks. I have been flying for a few years as a part of my education. Getting my BA in Flight Operations and working on my commercial certificate at the moment. I love it, and looking forward to it being my career soon.

@AvaP

seems like a pretty plain hobby to me