Iron Blooded

Seventeen: Without Mercy

“Get ready,” I said as I took my position by the side of the makeshift raft. The logs were still rough with unshorn bark.

The ropes that had been used to lash the logs together were stiff. I bent at the knees, reading myself to take on the weight.

“Lift.”

The men of my squad heaved upwards and the raft came slowly off the ground. It was still heavy, and I had to brace the load on my shoulder to keep my feet steady.

“Forward.” We moved forward towards the edge of the tree line. My squad, now comprised of fifteen men all told, strained forward under the weight.

It was slower going then I would have liked. Even as we reached the water’s edge my eyes raked over the opposite bank, searching for any hint of danger.

I could see nothing, but that didn’t mean there weren't Goblins laying in wait even now.

At my signal the raft was lowered into the water. Bjorn and Draxus held unto the rope leads on either side to keep the craft from floating in place.

The bank of the river was slippery, and I had to readjust my footing as I helped Astrid on board. Her quiver was full, and I spotted a few with the white fletching of armor piercing arrows.

The raft was mostly stable, but every now it would be caught by the current, jostling in place.

“Men to each side,” I said. “The weight has to be balanced.”

Kato, Seth and four other armored men of the 3rd climbed unto the raft, taking their positions behind the two tower shields.

The shields themselves comprised mostly of wooden boards that had been nailed together and fastened to the front of the raft with resin.

Draxus was the next unto the raft, which rocked under his weight. He held out both arms to steady himself before taking a place near the center.

Bjorn and I were the last to climb on. I braced my feet against the muddy bank of the river and, now knee deep in water, giving the raft an almighty shove.

Bjorn braced himself on the edge as the raft began to flow forward. He held out a hand to me and I took it, letting him pull me unto the craft. For It swayed ominously before I managed to brace myself.

Two of the soldiers produced long poles which they used to help propel us forward.

I had anticipated that the current might be a factor, but as we pushed out way towards the middle of the river I began to worry.

We were flowing downstream faster than I had intended. Even the use of the poles couldn’t seem to arrest our drift. It seemed that we weren't going to have the choice of ground.

I cast a glance over my shoulder at the tree line and caught Astrid’s eye.

“They will follow us,” she said, referring to the crossbow men that we'd left behind. “They are faster on foot then we are in the water."

I hoped she was right. The raft creaked as it drifted. It was eerily quiet, the only sound the occasional rustle of clothing and clink of armor.

Halfway there.

Somewhere nearby a fish leapt out of the water, it’s silver scales catching the sunlight. I propped an elbow on my knee and risked peeking around the edge of the tower shield.

The opposite bank was empty but I thought I caught a flicker of movement near a shrub. I blinked, and it was gone.

Draxus that spoke first.

“This feels too easy,” he said. “We haven’t seen any sign of Goblin activity, but I'm inclined to believe they know we're here."

“It could be that the scouts are watching the bridge construction,” said Astrid. “They may not even be aware we’re here.”

“Stay vigilant.” I ordered.

The raft fell silent.

Two thirds there.

One of the soldiers pushing the raft shifted oddly and I turned to glance at him. There was a black arrow protruding from his shoulder. A moment later there was a splash as his body hit the water. He thrashed wildly as the weight of his own armor dragged at him.

“Contact!” shouted Draxus, bracing himself. I moved to the edge of the raft, rope in hand. The other pole man’s eyes were wide.

“Keep going,” I barked. “Get us to the other side. We can't afford to stop here."

The man swallowed and nodded, dipping his pole back into the water.

I turned back to the drowning man. There was only a stream of bubbles bobbing on the waters surface. I knelt and tossed the rope in. For a moment the it simply floated. Had I been too late?

Then a hand erupted from the water and grabbed a hold. The rope went taught.

“Help me pull him in!” I called to Bjorn. The warrior moved to my side.

He gripped the rope in his hands and we both heaved backwards. A man in full armor is a heavy creature. It took us three pulls to get him within arms length.

Gripping his wrist I pulled him up and unto the raft. Water cascading across the wood. He was breathing hard, eyes wild with fear. He had lost the pole in the confusion, but that was to be expected.

He coughed water and I checked his vitality on my HUD.

“You’re alright soldier,” I said. "Ready yourself."

More arrows rained down from above.

I lifted my arm in time to catch one in my shield, still quivering.

We were almost across.

I waisted no time when the raft rocked against the shore.

“Out!” I called. “Get to ground and form up.”

The young soldier that had nearly drowned ripped his sword from his sheath and ducked behind a comrade with a shield.

Together we dismounted from the raft.

Draxus pulled the rope taught, tying it around a nearby boulder even as black arrows flew.

“Form the line!”

Men ran to obey.

Shields were lifted, legs braced as we made ourselves smaller targets for arrows.

I could hear the primal calls of the Goblins as they communicated. They knew we were here, and now they'd seen our numbers. Even now more raced through the trees towards us, crawling like spiders.

It was what I had anticipated.

“Now Sarge?” asked Bjorn. The blue warpaint on his face made him look like a mad man. We would need his brand of madness before the day was out.

“Not yet,” I said. “We need to time it right. Let them get closer. Let them think they have us.”

More arrows flew from the trees. Most were harmless but one managed to slip between the gap in shields and bury itself in the ground near my boot. I gritted my teeth, even as my adrenaline flowed through me.

Timing was everything.

To fast and we ruined our chances at an effective charge. Too slow and the Goblin forces would have time to position themselves freely or worse, call for reinforcements.

An arrow bounced off my helmet, spinning away.

“Steady,” I called to my men. I needed them to to hang on a few moments longer. The snarl of Goblin footsoldiers sounded close. Too close. I turned to Bjorn.

“Now.”

The warrior lifted his hands to his mouth and cupped them. He issued a strange fluting bird call, one that we had agreed upon as the signal.

The response wasn’t long in coming. There was a swishing sound and the whistle of air. Then a Goblin foot soldier collapsed, struck in the chest by a crossbow bolt.

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Five more bolts came whistling past. One dropped a Goblin archer that had been perched in a nearby tree.

The oncoming rush of Goblin’s hesitated and I took that moment to strike.

We lurched forward as a ragged line, pushing up the bank towards the oncoming enemy.

It wouldn’t have been my choice of ground. The mud was wet and soft, and the bank rose at an odd angle. Still, we had committed and now we had to see the assault through.

So we climbed.

And they died.

The first three goblins launched at us with fangs and weapons bared. We blocked with our shields and cut them down with swift efficiency. Another dove at me from the side. My sword hacked at it’s leg and it fell sideways, only to be gored through the eye by a spear.

Occasionally a crossbow bolt would find it’s mark among the Goblin archers hidden in the trees and our line would press forward.

We had gained ground and were now pushing into the tree line itself.

The assault was brutal. The Goblin’s numbers and desperation could only mean that we were drawing closer to the nest.

I risked swiping a glove across my visor to clear black icor from my vision. That's when I my instincts took over.

There was not time to dodge, no time to shout, only to react. The giant iron blade swept downwards, cleaving Seth’s head from his shoulders.

I was quick enough to raise my shield and stop the blow from doing the same to me. The force behind it me knocked sideways, stumbling into the man next to me.

A giant Goblin stood before us. It was wearing spiked armor, and it's eyes glittered with a cold intelligence I didn't like.

Goblin Chieftain, level 27

Several soldiers jabbed forward with their spears but the Goblin Chief had already moved backwards out of range.

We tried to close the distance but more Goblin foot soldiers rushed forward to hammer our line.

I lifted my shield and caught one under the chin, slamming it’s jaws together in a blow that shattered teeth. Then I brought my sword up and through it’s stomach. The Goblin dropped.

Another was killed by Bjorn, it’s head splitting in a spray of Icor as he roared a Northern war cry.

I was trying not to look at Seth, trying not to see the headless corpse of my friend now laying next to me. There was no time to mourn. No time to do anything but fight.

A crossbow bolt stuck the Chieftain in the the shoulder. It reached up and snapped the shaft in two in one of it's over sized hands. It seemed unphased.

Blood dripped into my eye from a cut on my forehead.

I was vaguely aware of the Iron-Blooded skill activating in the corner of my HUD.

My sword seemed to glow with a feint red light. And the next Goblin I hacked at came apart in a spray of viscera.

I stared at the sword for a moment, thinking.

The increase in damage could be enough to take down the Chieftain, or at least to slow it. But I needed a plan.

“Draxus,” I called, searching for him among the chaos of the fight.

He was locked in a battle with several Goblins. Even as I watched he exchanged blows and managed to slice on across the arm. He was slowing though and I saw he was bleeding heavily from a a slice above his knee.

I shouldered my way through the press, using my shield to bash one of the Goblin’s in the face. Black blood stained the painted surface as I jammed the rim of the shield into it’s face until it stopped moving.

Draxus whirled to face me, sword raised and teeth bared. Coated in Icor he looked like a demon.

“It’s me,” I said throwing out a hand. Draxus froze, breathing hard.

"Sorry," he said. "I thought you were.. never mind."

I waved it away.

“We need to kill the Chief,” I shouted over the melee. “It’s our best chance of scattering them.”

Draxus nodded and adjusted his grip on his sword. Between the two of us we managed to rally Bjorn and Kato to reform the line into a tighter formation. The men fought their way to us, joining their shields with ours.

Seth hadn’t been the only one to fall. One of the spear men from the raft was laying face down in the mud. I gritted my teeth against the sudden rush of guilt and anger.

The men needed victory and they needed it soon. Otherwise what was the point of his death? Of Seth’s?

The Goblin Cheiftan seemed to realize we were rallying against it's forces. It had retreated behind the thick trunk of an oak, but now reemerged and lifted it's sword.

It was still red with my friends blood. Lifting it to pale lips, it met my eyes and ran a tongue along the flat of the blade. Then it smiled, showing sharp teeth.

Draxus grabbed a hold of my shoulder as I stepped forward.

“It’s baiting you,” he snapped. “Don’t be a damn fool. You’re in command here.”

Tearing my eyes away form the sight I spoke to Bjorn.

“I need you to hold the line” I said. “Give us the chance to reach the Chief and bring him down.”

“Aye Sarge.”

“Astrid.” The woman paused shooting arrows to turn to me. Sweaty hair clung to her forehead.

“Shoot a steady steam of arrows at the Chieftain, don’t stop, not for anything.”

“Arrows won’t be enough to bring him down.” She said doubtfully.

“It won’t need to be.”

After a moment she nodded and turned for the trees.

We advanced slowly and predictably, pushing through the line.

The Chief Goblin watched us come, unperturbed. More of it’s mindless foot soldiers threw themselves at us, and we cut them down as best we could.

Goblin bodies began to pile in the mud, making footing precarious.

The Chief was in no hurry to meet us on the field.

Instead it let dozens fall in his place, retreating if we got too near.

I glanced to the side, checking to see if Astrid had found her position. We would be needing her arrows soon enough.

The farther we advanced into the trees, the less frequently crossbow bolts struck their targets. My understanding was that crossbows were mostly accurate at up to a 50 yard range and we were well beyond that.

A Goblin leapt from the branches of a nearby tree and I stepped aside, allowing it to crash to the ground. I stomped my boot into it’s head, feeling the crunch of bones as my increased damage did it’s grisly work. The Goblin did not rise.

The sound of an arrow whistled past my head. The point was aimed at the Chieftain’s face, but at the last moment he raised his arm, catching the arrow on his forearm.

It was a bodkin head, thick and built to pierce armor. It punched a hole in the sinew of the Chief’s arm and the Goblin bellowed in anger.

Another followed and this time it stepped aside. The tip grazed it’s shoulder, drawing black blood.

“That’s it you fucker,” I growled. “Take the bait.”

Another arrow pierced it’s sternum and the Chieftain snarled with rage. It spun towards the source of the projectiles, and spotted Astrid.

It bellowed to several of it's kin, and lumbered sideways towards the tree where Astrid was now perched.

“This is our chance,” I shouted to Bjorn. “Make your move.”

Bjorn needed no other prompting.

He let out a war cry and bounded forward with his Axe held high. Goblin skulls crunched, limbs flew, and black blood coated the ground as Bjorn the Skull Cleaver earned his name. There wasn’t time to stay and watch the carnage.

Astrid had a good position in the tree but she was isolated from the rest of us. She had placed herself in danger for the sake of drawing the Chieftain out.

Now that she had succeeded, she was vulnerable.

Draxus, myself, and another soldier broke from the line and charged the forward to meet them. the Chief spun, an it's eyes seemed narrow as they focused on me. It barked something to one of it's fellows and moments later the Goblin's raced for us.

Draxus took the arm of the first and I followed up with a slash to the throat that sent the Goblin spinning away. The next was speared through and eventually decapitated by me.

With no other line of defense the Chief seemed to realize it's error. Without it's foot soldiers as fodder against us, it would have to face us unprotected.

The Chieftain raised the bloody blade and bellowed a challenge. Draxus darted left and I went right, splitting it's attention.

I ducked aside as the giant sword whistled through the air inches above my head.

The Goblin stepped aside as Draxus slashed at it's groin. It curled it's hand into a fist and that same armored fist hit the spear men in the chest moments later.

The man was knocked backwards, crashing into a nearby tree. He lay unmoving at it’s base.

There was no time to check his vitals. I lunged, putting my weight behind a strike as I went for the Chief's knee. My blade punched through pale grey flesh and out the other side. The Chief stumbled.

My fingers slick with icor. I tried to the sword free but it was stuck fast. The Chief swung his blade around and I was forced to let go. I leaned backwards, catching myself with a hand as the iron passed over me.

I rose, only to be struck in the side by the Goblins armored fist.

the world spun. I landed on my back and skid several feet in the mud. Only my chain mail protected me from the broken ribs I likely would gave gained from the strike. I tried to rise and ended up having to roll aside to avoid the a heavy stomp aimed at my head.

Draxus rushed the Chief from behind, intending to catch it unawares. At the last second the Goblin spun and Draxus missed. His sword managed to slice the Chief's hand, and with a shriek it dropped it’s heavy sword. The blade came away with several fingers still attached.

Draxus dodged to the side as the Chief made to grab at him. It was enraged and I saw my opportunity.

Gritting my teeth I yanked Iron Fang from my belt and went for him. The Chief had managed to grab a hold of Draxus leg and now yanked him forward and into the air. Moment’s later one of Astrid’s arrows slammed into it's neck.

The Chief's head jerked to the side as the arrow bit deep. It bellowed, squeezing it's fist until I heard the crunch of bone. Draxus howled.

I sprinted forward, ducking under the Chieftain's fist as it swiped at me.

I was close enough to smell it's unwashed body, and see the dark circles of it's eyes. I slammed the dagger into it the spot just below it's ribs, driving the cursed blade in and out, icor spraying.

The increased damage did it’s job.

The Goblin screamed and dropped Draxus to the ground. Another arrow hit in in the shoulder and knocked it off balance. It was now or never. I stepped forward, lifting a boot to kick the hilt of the my sword deeper into it’s knee.

Bone crunched. The Chieftain fell forward and as it did I caught a fistful of it's matted black hair in my fist.

"This is for Seth." I hissed. Then I dragged my dagger across it's throat.

It bled Icor into the mud and I stepped over it's dying corpse to crouch beside my friend.

"Talk to me," I said. "Are you alive?"

Draxus groaned. His vitality meter was in the orange and it wasn't hard to guess why. From the knee down his leg had been shattered. It was bent almost at a ninety degree angle, and shards of bone stuck out from the calf.

"Hold still," I told him as I pulled a minor health potion from my inventory.

"I had," he said between breaths. "Every intention of walking away."

"Now you sound like Kato."

He hissed when the potion hit his leg but moments later the bleeding slowed and the pain in his face eased.

I stood and pulled my sword free from the Chief. The battle wasn't over.

Astrid leapt down from the tree and I held out a hand to her.

"That was some expert marksmanship. Helped save our asses out there."

She gripped my forearm.

"I am sorry for your friend. He seemed like a good man."

I nodded, thinking of Seth's smiling face.

"He was."

Astrid stayed beside Draxus as I ran to rejoin the battle. Bjorn had done his damage. He was covered in a a coating of icor so thick it looked as if he had bathed in it.

I aided my soldiers in pressing back the rest of the Goblin stragglers, but there weren’t many. Once their Chieftain had fallen, most had turned and fled the field.

I wiped my sword blade on one of the Goblin corpses.

“Sergeant,” said one of my soldiers. “We’ve located the nest. There’s a cave just beyond those trees.”

I followed him to where Kato and several others were standing.

“They’ve fled deeper into the save,” said Kato, his customary joking manner suddenly subdued.

“We’ve placed dry brush, firewood, and any kindling we could find inside. Now there’s just the matter of closing it.”

A soldier shifted by my side.

“Ain’t there little ones in there? Goblin’s nurse their young within the Nest. Least, that’s what I’d always heard.”

Kato shrugged.

“There is likely to be Goblin young in the tunnels, yes. Once we light the fires they’ll suffocate from the smoke just like all the others.”

The soldier looked unnerved.

Kato turned to me.

“It’s your call.” He said.

I stared into the dark mouth of the cave. I remembered the casualties on the battlefield, the way Seth’s head had toppled over his shoulders into the mud. There was no mercy for creatures like this. There couldn’t be. Not if mankind wanted to live in this world.

“Burn it.” I said.