As the group rapidly now approaches the outpost under siege, the sound becomes deafening. Screeches and roars come from every direction. Some of those that were attacking the outpost turn to face the newcomers. Each is distinct from the other. Some are almost mundane; with few deformities showing it is from Bosch. Others are out of some twisted nightmare. Limbs are in the wrong places; jaws with far too many teeth leer and snarl at them and some … some even take to the air on tattered leathery wings. They dive into the marching soldiers with a resounding crash of bone on armor, and weapons rending through flesh. The Chronotopian patrol holds their rank through this, their training and coordination in stark contrast to the chaos which attacks them. Three of the multi-limbed monstrosities turn to face Amelia and her entourage of spirit warriors. The primary, a large bull-like creature with many horns and razor-sharp teeth bellows, then charges the Kadie!
Meanwhile, Natasha walks forward with a steady and firm pace. The spirit-dragon that she summoned whips and swirls around them. Now and then one of the fliers attempts to dive into the Khatta and her stalwart guardian Skeek … only to be thrown back from the vortex generated by her guardian. Under her breath, the Khatta can be heard muttering. Two pinpoints of light flare up behind her head, flickering and dancing wildly.
Focusing on the charging monster, Amelia shifts her grip on her halberd closer to the cudgel end, extending her reach. Once the monster is close enough, she begins to dart randomly from side to side, trying to find the creature's blind spot (if any) and gauge its speed and attack strategy.
Qing advances with Natasha, murmuring to himself as well, arms draped loosely at his sides. He sways curiously, as if half slithering, half dancing, ruby eyes fixed on the scene in front of him.
Olivia now watches the two points of light behind Natasha out of the corner of her eye. In all the noise, she can't tell whether they're being summoned by the mage, or something ready to attack her.
The answer to that question comes quickly for Olivia. One of the fliers lands near the two. Snarling, it leaps upward and towards them! And at that instant, Natasha calls out and swipes her arm towards the creature. One of the glowing balls burns brightly and streaks out … slamming, it squarely in the chest. The next moment is like nothing Olivia has really seen before. The ball seems to flare and ignite all around the creature. For a moment, a secondary image of the creature seems to echo around it and then suddenly implode inward. The creature goes limp mid-flight and hurdles right towards – and then right on top of – Olivia. They both go down. The creature stirs atop the Skeek, as if trying to recover its strength.
The Kadie's training taught her well … except she seems to have forgotten one thing in the heat of the battle: she forgot to check the terrain she was walking. Her foot suddenly sinks into something hot and warm. The smell is… well, it's pretty obvious what it probably is. Her foot then goes sliding out from under her and the blood-red Kadie goes head over heels. The front of her halberd thunks hard into the ground, at least, and stops her from sliding too far. The bull skids to a halt, diverts, and then charges the downed Kadie!
Olivia squeaks in alarm and pushes at the creature with her legs, trying to roll it off of her. She grips the handles of her two knives tightly and makes ready to stab the thing in the sides, if it comes to that.
Amy struggles to get her footing back, and braces her weapon against the ground while trying to crouch behind it with the spear-point angled towards the monster's chest. She doesn't have time to check on the positions of the two spirit-warriors that Qing summoned up, but hopes they're watching her back.
The Chisel doesn't seem to be nearby, but the Hammer certainly is, ghostly body charging shoulder-first to try moving between the bull and the Kadie. The specter seems ethereal, but the impact sounds solid enough…
Trying to move the creature that is laying atop of her is not unlike trying to move the stack of fabric bolts that had fallen on Olivia in years past. It feels just like a lot of dead weight … except for its squirming now and then. The best the Skeek can manage is to wiggle out from under it. Come to think of it, it's not unlike the time she had to wiggle out from under the otter back at the inn!
The impact of the Hammer on the bull kicks its backside out and diverts some of the force away from Amelia. Unfortunately for Amelia, she isn't able to angle her halberd up fast enough and ends up just tripping the bull. It staggers and whips its head. One of its horns catches Amelia and as if just being grabbed and thrown, Amelia goes up into the air. Fortunately, no pointy bit caught the Kadie at least … so she wasn't impaled.
As she crawls up to her knees beside the creature, Olivia gasps, "Yeah… this battle… is going really well… for the enemy!" Then, cringing, she pulls back one of her knives and brings it down on the neck of the flier. She can't risk it getting up again and charging Natasha - or anyone else, for that matter.
Natasha herself is in deep concentration as her eyes survey and dart across the battlefield; watching for any other creatures coming. To her left is Mage Qing, who is monitoring that side. Which is a good thing for the feline, as a rapidly moving doglike creature is charging the Rokuga, lips pulled back in a snarl.
Instinct tells Amelia to go slack and let go of her weapon to avoid injury when she hits the ground. Instead, the Kadie reorients in mid-air and uses her tail as a partial parachute, letting her land on her feet without having to lose her weapon. She dashes towards the monster again, partly to attack its flank and partly to put more distance between herself and the two creatures that were following the big bull one.
Since the creature is barely moving, the knife finds its mark easily enough and sinks into the creature's neck. Black ichor spurts from the point where the knife sinks in. Even limp, the creature lets out a loud shriek of pain. Weakly, it tries to swipe at the Skeek, but only manages to limply slap Olivia. Djivan's wet towel snaps have more force than it manages.
As graceful as Amelia's recovery was, her strike is off mark and just sweeps by the flank of the bull. It snorts loudly as it heads away and tries to circle back. The hackles on Amelia's neck then raise and instinctively, the Kadie jumps up and to the side. The whiplike tail of the multi-headed serpent then sweeps through the place right where the Kadie was just standing.
The pallid reptile's head turns slightly, still staring strangely and murmuring to himself, as if in a trance. A hand lifts up toward the dog approaching him, fingers contorting and then clenching into a fist. "Be still."
The ghostly form of Veksuel the Golden Chisel moves to Olivia's side. It hesitates a few moments, having brief difficulty drawing a bead on the squirming beast that the Skeek has crippled, but finally plunges its spear down, pinning it. For a ghostly weapon, it produces very real ichor from the beast.
Amelia spins and jumps to the side again, in case another strike is coming. This also lets her check to see how close the other two monsters are now.
Olivia pulls her knife back out again and wipes the blade on the hem of her skirt. "Squished, spattered, and now slapped by a flying critter. This day just keeps getting better," she mutters. She makes sure that the creature won't be a threat anymore before looking up at Veksuel and saying, "Thanks." Then she gets to her feet and catches up to Natasha.
The former flier jerks and writhes for a few seconds on the end of the guardian's weapon. The creature coughs, bits of flesh and ichor spewing from its mouth, and then grows still. After a moment, its body starts to dissolve into a puddle of goo.
Something seems to pass between Qing and the charging Boschian monster, a faint distortion, or hints of wind. It blows through the dog-beast, who simply freezes in mid-stride, a ghostly double of itself blowing out its back and dissipating like steam on the breeze. The creature pitches forward face-first, its head slamming into the ground and its momentum carrying it for a couple awkward tumbles before it lies motionless and limp.
The two other creatures have drawn in much closer to Amelia now. The serpent's heads are thrashing and hissing. Now and then they snap at each other. One even snaps at the spiked feline … only to get its own head stuck on the back of the monster as spikes go through the roof of its mouth. Behind her, the bull bellows … and with the shaking of the ground must be charging. So … Amelia is standing right between the two fighting creatures and the bull.
The ghostly serpent yanks its weapon from the fouled earth, then touches the haft of its spear to its helmet in a quick salute to Olivia before looking up again to rejoin the fray.
The Chronotopian soldiers seem to be at a standstill against the monsters which are attacking them. Strikes land only to be parried away. Charges are deflected. Neither side seems to be gaining the upper hand.
Figuring the creatures are close enough together (or soon will be), Amelia launches into her berserker 'battle dance'; leaping, spinning and zipping around at full speed to strike everything around her with the halberd's blade, axe, spike and cudgel.
The results of Amelia's berserker dance is probably not quite as graceful as the Kadie may have hoped. For a moment, the scene may bring back memories to Olivia of watching one of Zahn's flying machines go berserk and dance around right before Zahn is thrown clear. Amelia whips and spins her halberd. She actually manages to catch one of the bulls legs. The lower hoof goes flying up and away … and smacks the serpent's head which was diving in for her. It whips its head to the side … promptly sticking it into the spiked feline. The feline roars and jumps … but remains stuck fast on the serpents head. As the serpent whips around, the feline dislodges and goes flying. It collides into the bull as its coming crashing down. Blood spurts from the various points its spikes pierce the hide. And just when things couldn't get more crazy … the serpent's head sweeps down and catches Amelia with the side of its now bloody face. For the second time today, the Kadie finds herself airborne.
The Chronotopians surge forward against the bestial army they are fighting … and this time seem to drive them back. The monsters begin to break rank. But, it's not without cost. Some of the patrol are hit hard, and some go down and lay still on the battlefield.
Rolling into a ball, Amelia bounces once before jumping back to her feet. Her eyes are red now as well, and her breathing is hard and fast as she looks to see which monsters are still in the fight.
Another creature charges in towards the mages. This one is … unlike anything they may have seen before. It runs on eight legs towards them, fast and furious. Its mouth splits apart four ways as it roars, its blood red eyes tinted with the desire to rend their flesh. The dragon guardian swoops down to meet the creature. Its vortex slams into it with full force … but with those eight legs, it's slowly pushing though their shield.
The Silver Hammer returns to Amelia, back to back with her again, maul gripped tightly and held up and at the ready.
This time Natasha turns to face the creature as it lurches towards them. Her arm snaps outward and her second ball of light streaks towards it. This too connects and seems to ripple through its form. An echo of the monster ripples off the back of it. Its approach slows, but it's still coming. This one seems to have incredible force of spirit to be coming through the shield and have retained enough of its own power after being struck by a drain.
Olivia quickly sheathes her smaller knives and pulls out two that have longer, heavier blades. She jogs around and to the side of the many-legged creature, trying to put a little distance between herself and the force of the winds generated by the dragon-spirit. Then she takes aim at two of the thing's legs and throws, hoping beyond hope that they will make the mark.
The multi-headed serpent is still quite active, even while a few of its heads are now being dragged limply along as it slithers forward. The bull and feline, however, are currently distracted with trying to pry themselves apart, leaving the two oblivious to the blood-red Kadie and her guardian.
Qing's jaws are tightly clenched, but still he keeps murmuring through them, still weaving and swaying.
"How many heads does that thing need?" Amy hisses, and charges the hydra, switching her grip on the halberd to bring its axe-head around for striking. Those necks don't look as hard to cut through as logs to the Kadie…
Olivia's practicing has paid off. The knives whip through the air and find their mark. Each land home, hard, into the lower tendons of its legs. The creature buckles and weaves, stumbling and listing heavily to the side. The vortex of their protective dragon then manages to start pushing it backward.
Natasha's attention returns to the creature charging them. Instead of readying another spell, the feline begins chanting, trying to push more power into their defensive shield. The dragon flares brighter and the creature starts sliding away from them even more.
Machsuel doesn't answer the blood-red Kadie, but the specter doesn't seem to take kindly to the monster either. It weaves the opposite direction from Amelia, bringing its maul up to aim the crushing head at a head to crush.
Amelia's axe finds its mark in one of the many heads. It sinks deeply and that head goes completely limp. Unfortunately … the remaining head turns on Amelia and just smiles with its razor-sharp teeth as if to say 'my turn, little snack'. But, its happiness is short lived because the hammer of Machsuel slams into that head. In slow motion, the head literally explodes like an over-ripe melon dropped from a tree on a hot summer day. The serpent thrashes for a moment … then collapses into a bloody heap.
The ghostly twin near the mages takes up a defensive position between the struggling multi-limbed Boschian nightmare using the time Olivia has bought, watching cautiously. Qing, for his part, finishes his muttering, and raises an outstretched hand again…
Flashing a quick smile to the spirit-warrior, Amy wipes some of the splatter from her face and checks on the bull-feline pair in case they've managed to free themselves from each other.
Natasha is pouring her strength into powering the shield, putting her faith in her fellow mage and her friend Olivia to drop the nightmare that tries to reach them.
The knives the Skeek so expertly threw don't seem to be done yet. They quiver and dislodge themselves, hanging in the air momentarily, dripping ichor. Abruptly, they begin to spin, picking up speed until they're whipped clean of blood, and like angry hornets they begin diving again and again at the many-legged monster, oozing gashes opening here and there on its body.
The bull is struggling weakly on the ground. It tries to get back to its feet … only to slip on its bloody stump and collapse again on the ground. The feline, however, is nowhere to be seen. Amelia valiantly tries to locate it … except it locates her first. Behind her is a roar of utter hatred and rage as it leaps through the air. Machsuel tries to intercept it … but cannot manage it in time, but does at least manage to move in closer to them. The feline slams down on Amelia in a pounce. Liquid fire seems to burn through Amelia's shoulders as its claws sink into her flesh. Triumphant, it leans down and rasps in her ear, "Time to die. Time to let me feast upon your soul… "
Pinned, hurt and angry, Amelia does the only thing she can, and tries to tickle the monster's nose with her tail!
The now animated knives shred and dance along the many-legged creature's body, leaving cut after cut, until its hide is a bloody, slashed mess. Its legs buckle and creak as its power wanes. The spectral dragon roars and whips to the side hard. And this time, the charging beast is thrown. It lands with a sicking crash some twenty feet away from the group. Still growling, it tries to get up.
Well, her tail finds its nose. But instead of tickling it … she just manages to stuff the tip of it up its left nostril. Ever wonder what the inside of a monster's nose is like? No? Well, Amelia now knows anyway.
The feline beast's ducking and weaving throw the Silver Hammer's aim off a bit, but his broad uppercut swing is enough to lift it off the prone Kadie, the maul's follow-through carrying the beast only a distressingly scant distance.
Olivia draws her final long-bladed knife and closes with the creature that the dragon-spirit just threw to the ground. She circles around to its left flank, keeping away from its horrible mouth, and attempts to plunge the knife into that side, hoping that the thing will stay down.
The feline pulls away from Amelia. It's probably better if she tries not to pay attention to the rather slimy sensation that follows as her tail slides free from its nostril. A good eight inches of tip is covered in a day-glow-green slime. Her shoulders still burn and the muscles feel tight, but the Kadie can still move. The wounds are fairly shallow puncture-wounds in her shoulders.
Amelia gets to her feet, and turns her weapon towards the feline porcupine with a growl. If anything, the smell of her own blood makes her even angrier. She tenses her legs, and makes ready to rush forward and try a disemboweling slice if the monster attempts to pounce again.
The creature's body archs into a half-moon shape as its lower and upper parts lift away from the ground with a howl of pain. Its head then turns and the maw once again splits open four ways. For the briefest moment, it looks like this may have very well been Olivia's last action … and then the creature suddenly shudders and goes limp. It collapses back down into the dust. There's a disturbing bubbling sound and its flesh starts to boil away.
The Skeek's knives, apparently satisfied, languidly drift back to their mistress, still dripping, obligingly dipping their handles toward her.
Around the group, the Chronotopian patrol seems to have broken the ranks of the monsters. The creatures start to scatter, their attacks growing more frantic and ill-planned. It hasn't been without cost, though. Their number has been reduced by half. Those that remain standing are covered in blood and ichor.
The feline does attempt to pounce the Kadie again… but apparently was hurt more than it thought by the Hammer's attack. A fracture from the blow gives under the force of the leap, causing one of its back legs to break and throwing off the pounce, leaving its belly exposed as it twists in the air. Amy sees her chance and dashes forward, using the long iron blade of her weapon to slice open the monster's abdomen.
Olivia jerks her blade back out of the thing and backs away from its bubbling corpse, wiping the knife clean on the grass this time. Then she looks over to where her two other knives are hovering in the air, now just within her reach. Feeling somewhat foolish, she says to them, "Er… thanks to you, too." Then she takes their handles and cleans their blades on the grass, as well.
The slice cleaves open the feline's stomach, spraying Amelia with a burst of stinking black ichor. As the creature goes till and its flesh boils away, Amelia stands triumphant … covered in a mess of sticky black and green goo.
"Blah, why doesn't this gunk evaporate as well?" the Kadie complains, then looks to see how the others are doing before checking on the main battle.
No more monsters seem to dare to approach the mages. Natasha's expression hardens and she then nods. She draws back, holding one hand over the other. "Go," she tells their spectral dragon shield. As the Khatta then resumes her chanting, it surges away from the group and towards the beleaguered outpost. Much to the shock of those manning the parapets, the dragon whips around the building, knocking the remaining monsters from its walls.
The only monster remotely near the Hammer and Amelia is the thrashing and flopping bull-like creature. As wounded as it is, it flops and squirms along the ground, seemingly determined to flatten the annoying squirrel.
Eying the bull-monster, Amelia raises her weapon and makes a chopping motion with it, yelling at the monster, "You've still got three legs, how many more do you want to lose?"
To which the creature answers with … flopflopflop as it continues towards her, eyes red with rage.
Qing drops his hand once Olivia has retrieved her knives, and surveys the battlefield grimly. He shoos at Veksuel, who slithers off to help mop up the feeble remnants of Bosch's poisoned spawn. "I hope your Bravil is still in there, Madame."
"Okay, be that way," the Kadie grumbles. She's tired and sore, so approaches the monster with caution – it could just be faking, and be more mobile than it lets on. She grips her halberd in preparation to chop at its skull if she can get close enough.
Natasha finishes trying to energize the dragon and lets her attention return to those present. "I do as well," she says to Qing. "I have never seen such rage in creatures like this. I had always heard of how insane the Bosch creatures were … yet, they seemed organized to me. Does that not seem strange to you, Mage Qing? Why would they attack as an organized group?"
The bull isn't faking. Amelia swings with the cudgel end of the halberd to knock the monster senseless first as a show of mercy, then hacks the head off. She even starts to pick it up, before remembering that it isn't real – there's no way she can carry it back out of the spirit world as a trophy! This makes her kick at the corpse in frustration until it dissolves like the others.
The reptilian mage nods soberly, still supervising the twin guardians as they mop up. They find crippled Boschians and live up to their name, the Chisel placing its pike, and the Hammer striking the end, punching the blade through hide, plate, and bone. "It is indeed strange, but I would not be surprised if something with a twisted intelligence could survive out in the forbidden waste. Corruption in cunning individuals isn't unprecedented."
The Chronotopian soldiers regroup head back over to the mages. Theobold steps forward and bows to the mages, saying, "Thank you. Your skills may very well have saved us today. Please forgive my … accusations earlier." Captain Ulbrecht, however, is not in the group.
"You don't have to be sane to be intelligent," Amelia grumbles, without a hint of irony.
"No, it is not. I fear that some organizing force must be behind this. The translations of the letters we uncovered suspected similar," Natasha agrees with a nod. "We should head inside the walls before they return with reinforcements. I would like time to prepare more spells."
Olivia now sheathes her knives and jogs back over to Natasha and the rest of the group. She gives her friend a quick once-over before asking Amelia, "Your shoulders… do they hurt a lot? Do you need bandages or anything?"
Qing returns Theobold's bow with a nod. "We could have done no less. Is the outpost secure? Where is your captain?"
With her fur matted down with sweat, blood and ichor, Amelia looks to the fortress and hopes they have a bath or some other means of washing up. She'd settle for a kitchen sink even.
Theobold nods, saying, "For now. I am certain they will return with allies. We should send for more soldiers as soon as possible." When asked about the captain, his expression darkens. "Captain Ulbrecht fell on the field of battle. He died as he lived, a man of honor," he answers simply. Turning to the other soldiers, he orders, "To the outpost. We must re-enforce their defenses and send out a request to the Baron for more soldiers."
"Are you wounded, Amelia?" Natasha asks the splattered Kadie. "If you are, then those wounds must be cleaned immediately."
"That cat-thing's claws broke the skin on my shoulders," Amelia admits.
Qing hisses, "May Ulbrecht be commended to the Great Gear, his life given to peace and order." He gestures to the outpost beyond. "Let us make preparations, and move as many of the wounded and slain as possible."
"Then we should get inside and treat the wounded," Natasha says, then starts towards the outpost. The heavy wooden gates part with much creaking and groaning. Standing on the other side is a small contingent of soldiers. Many look haggard, as if they have not slept for a few days. At the front stands a Jupani in full armor and draped in a green tabard. "May the Great Gear be praised for he sent us aid," the man calls out. His voice is similar in a sense. But from the current distance making out any distinct features would be impossible.
"Just how real is all of this?" Amelia whispers to Natasha. "Can we actually change anything… and do I really have to worry about being contaminated?"
Olivia falls in with the rest of the group going inside, but she looks at the Jupani with great interest as they walk.
"As long as we are here, it is real enough. If you stay here, your form here can become corrupted," Natasha informs the Kadie as they walk. "As for change … perhaps. Not the events that happened in the past, but perhaps the understanding of them, or the results of them we can affect."
"Spirits you mean," Amy guesses. "We can alter Bravil's spirit or our own?"
As they draw close, the group can make out more of the details of the lanky Jupani. He's probably in his early twenties or so. His features are disturbingly familiar to those that know Bravil. Perhaps it's theangle of the muzzle, or the long black mane of hair that flows from his head. But … other things do not match, like the color of his eyes. "I am Captain Bannan Von Ril. I am in charge of this outpost," he says as he steps forward to meet the group. "Theobold I know, but … who are you?" he asks and looks at the ragtag group of mages, Kadie, and Skeek.
"You can always alter your own spirit, Amelia. You control your destiny," Natasha tells the Kadie. "But … Bravil I … " She stops to look at the wolf critically. And then her expression falls, saying, "It's not him."
The Rokuga answers, "Mage Zhu Ye Qing, of the Collegia Esoterica, Nagai Branch, and company." He gestures at the black Khatta, adding, "My associate, Mage Natasha."
From behind the rest of the group, Olivia murmurs, "Maybe things are as I suspected, after all. Time will tell." Then in a louder voice, she introduces herself, "My name is Olivia Weaver, sir."
"Lance-Corporal Amelia Blacktail, Stonebarrow Militia," Amelia says to the Jupani, saluting smartly.
"You are a long way from the Collegia," Bannan observes, "But, that is our gain this day. Please, enter and rest." When Amelia salutes the wolf, his brow quirks and he can't help but smirk slightly, "And you … I think you need a bath." Lastly, he turns towards Olivia and dips his head towards the mouse. "A pleasure." And with that, he heads back into the outpost. Motioning towards Theobold, he says, "Come, I must speak with you."
One of the outpost soldiers leads the group through the gates. All around them the walls seem oppressive and heavy. The feeling of hopelessness and futility are almost tangible in the air around them. The source of the feeling is clear enough: those who man the outpost all look as if they're waiting to die. The soldier leads the group into a small barracks area. They are shown where they can shower, are provided a few meager rations of food, and then left to themselves for a bit. Before going, the soldier tells them Captain Bannan would come see them later. All in all, at least they're all cleaner now. Even poor slime-covered Amelia looks as good as new, it just took the better part of an hour to scrub all the slime away. The worst had to be the snot, though. It would come off her tail, only to then stick to her hand. It finally came down to getting it to stick to a rag, then just burning the rag. Natasha is now busily treating the gashes in Amelia's shoulders. The procedure is uncomfortable, but thankfully not seriously painful.
"I hate snot," Amelia shudders, now that she's calmed down enough to go back to her natural colors. "And slugs, and snails, and… what did you mean about it not being him, Natasha?" the Kadie asks. "Are you saying that Bannan isn't Bravil?"
The witchdoctor sits piled in a corner, a bundle of supplies sitting in what passes for a 'lap' on the snake, hands picking through the bag without Qing really looking at it. "Indeed, Madame… now that we are here, our next step hinges on what you make of this. What are we dealing with?"
Olivia looks thankful to be clean herself, as well as sitting down in a somewhat comfortable area. She looks to Natasha at the Kadie's question, and receives a nod from her in return. Then she says, "This is just a theory, mind you, but I have a feeling that Captain Bannan is actually Bravil's son. Bravil may be the Baron that Captain Ulbrecht spoke of."
"How could he remember all of this, then?" Amelia asks, trying not to twitch as Natasha works on her back. "Or is it just a nightmare he keeps having?"
"Olivia may be right. I just know that Bannan is not Bravil. I have known Bravil for a long time. Even if his appearance changed I would … I would know. Everyone has a distinct spiritual signature – their soul, if you will," Natasha notes quietly as she pours more water into the cuts on Amelia's shoulders. "To answer that question, Amelia … have you never imagined what the things you father has done were like? Have you ever read a story and your mind filled in the pictures and spaces for you? This could be what Bravil imagined Bannan went through." And lastly, she addresses Qing, saying, "I feel we are near the answer. Near to understanding what happened to Bravil. Can we change what happened? Probably not. But … we can perhaps change how he feels about what happened … and perhaps free him from this nightmare."
"I guess the letters you found were written to Bravil then, Olivia," Amy says to the Skeek.
Olivia nods in agreement at Natasha's description. "The three letters that we found in an old trunk of Bravil's were from Captain Bannan, and they did describe some of what we're experiencing. So he may be putting some of the details from the letters into his nightmares and then just filling in the rest with his own imaginings."
Olivia says to Amelia, "That's what I suspect, anyway. I mean, why would you have letters that you wrote to someone else? They would be in the hands of the recipient, at that point."
The witchdoctor looks down at his satchel of supplies, but stops rummaging. "Yes… it does make sense. Bannan may have insisted on being stationed at this outpost. I haven't seen these letters you spoke of, but if what the melee outside suggested really happened, I can well imagine the pain Bravil must have felt, and how it must have haunted him."
"So… the real Bravil will arrive with the reinforcements, right?" Amelia asks. "I think the fort will fall before they arrive though… "
"I am not sure what Bravil would have done. If Bannan is his son … if he learned that his son was going to die," Natasha remarks quietly, letting the thought trail off as she applies a bandage to the wounds. "The last letter that Bravil had … was Bannan writing to say goodbye, Mage Qing. A plea to not allow his death to weigh upon him, as he died in service to his homeland."
Qing folds his arms, letting his head down to shade his eyes with his hat. "I have officiated many funerals in Nagai, and studied the practices of other cultures. I know that for most, funerals are not for the dead, but for the living. The living need closure, need something that grants their minds peace, gives them permission to go on with their lives. The letter may not have been enough. But if he could picture what his son would say to him… ?"
Amelia frowns at a thought, and says quietly, "What if Bannan didn't die, exactly? That's something that could drive his father crazy, if he became like Bravil… "
"Can anything ease the loss of a child?" Natasha asks. "In my lands, your child is your future." At Amelia's suggestion, Natasha frowns as well. "But, then how would that explain Bravil as he is now?" she asks.
"Because he went after his son into Bosch?" Amelia suggests. "Death is easier to accept. If Bannan falls in battle, maybe… maybe we need to make sure he doesn't get back up," she says, sounding upset by the idea.
"No, Nadia. Nothing can," whispers Qing, folding his arms closer in around himself, except for one, a topmost hand moving up to the neck of his mantle and laying there. "But you bear the scar, you carry the memory… and you move on."
Olivia doesn't look too enthralled by Amelia's suggestion, either. However, she shakes herself out of her thoughts and says, "I don't know if he found his son alive or dead – if our theories hold true – but he did find something of Bannan's, I think. There was also the arm patch of a Chronotopian border guard and a rusty sword in his chest, too."
"Well, we are here. And whether we like the truth or not, it is approaching us," Natasha says as she finishes the bandage and pats Amelia's back to signal she's done. And at that, there's a knock at their door.
"That must be the Captain," Amy suggests, pulling her tunic back up.
After Natasha calls out a 'Come in', the door opens. Amelia was right; Captain Bannan steps through the door and closes it behind himself. "Theobold tells me that you arrived through some sort of magical transport spell. Can you leave via the same spell?" he asks, expression neutral and calm.
Qing shakes his head slowly. "We are spirit mages. We were sent here by our colleagues, and have no such power ourselves."
"Then I am sorry," Bannan replies as he walks over to a chair and settles down into it. "I will not lie to you; you have walked into a tomb."
"We aren't dead yet," Amelia notes.
"We understood from Captain Ulbrecht that attacks from Bosch were becoming more frequent and organized of late," Olivia says, looking at the Jupani. "Is that why you say this? You fear more attacks?"
"Ulbrecht was right. They have been growing more intense as of late. For a while, they were attacking this outpost. They then shifted to the barony center. In just the past few days, the attacks have returned here, in force. … after the majority of the troops were sent back to protect the town. They lured away most of our defenses, then struck," Bannan explains, then lets out a long breath. "While you were bathing, they returned. Only this force is much larger. And this time, with their leader. I have … I have never seen anything like this creature. It is huge; its eyes burn like fire. It stays out of bow range, watching us, planning. We are … we are surrounded. It is a matter of time before the walls are breached."
"I see," hisses Qing.
"But they haven't attacked yet?" Amelia asks, looking confused.
"Why should they? We cannot leave and we have limited supplies. All they have to do is wait and we won't be able to resist an assault," Bannan notes grimly.
The witchdoctor lifts his head. "Then we have time… and a pair of master spirit mages."
"That… doesn't make sense though," Amelia says. "They know you received reinforcements already, and that more could be on the way. They sound like they're waiting for something else."
"Against that many? I do not doubt your abilities, for I have seen them … but," Bannan says. He then glances to Amelia and comments, "Reinforcements? A dozen or so soldiers? That would make no difference in our defensive ability. But … no matter. Tomorrow we will go out and meet them. If we must die, it will be on our terms. Perhaps you can sneak out through the chaos, or use your powers to aid in your escape. You are not Chronotopians, this is not your battle."
Qing flicks his tongue, his tail flipping over languidly. "Two mages against an army would indeed be our suicide. But two master mages who combine their power into a ritual of the appropriate caliber… The question is, can the horde be held at bay until we finish?"
"How long do you need?" Bannan asks.
The reptile exchanges glances with Natasha. "An army of the fallen? The fist of a god? What say you?"
Amy blinks at the suggestion of a spell that could do damage to an army of monsters. "You can conjure up a god?" she asks, wide-eyed.
"Creatures of Bosch are born of wild and corrupt magic. If we begin a ritual of any significant power, they will know," Natasha says quietly and folds her hands into her lap. She considers the suggestions and closes her eyes. After a bit, she opens them and answers, "Many have fallen here. Many echoes. Even now I can feel Ulbrecht's echo if I focus on him. If we can empower what remains of those echoes, it would increase their defensive power tenfold for a time. I think given the latent magic in the area, it would be the most effective approach. But, either of those will require at least fifteen hours, even for us combined, to be strong enough to handle an army. I suspect they would attack the moment they sense it."
"Then let them attack. We will hold the walls as best we can," Bannan says firmly. "We are Chronotopians, not some paid rabble. This is our home, this is our land. The accursed land will not take it from us."
The Kadie looks to Olivia, and whispers, "Are they talking about an army of ghosts?"
Olivia whispers back, "I think so… it sounds like they're going to call the spirits of the newly-fallen soldiers to assist us."
The Rokuga dusts his hands off with an air of finality. "Very well, then. Captain, I advise preparing your defenses as best you can, and then signaling us when they are as strong as you can manage. The attack will begin when Mage Natasha and I begin our work. Blacktail and Weaver, see that nothing happens to Captain Bannan." The command has greater connotations than the Jupani might realize.
"Yes Sir!" Amy responds to Qing.
Olivia nods to the mage. "I shall do my best."
