This ti, the troops were ready.
As Xerxes kicked the blanket off his legs and jumped to his feet, Bel and Gandash scrambled up as well.
The Abhorrent had approached the camp from the opposite direction, but sentries spotted her before she reached the hillside. The archers released arrows as she was climbing up. The missiles pierced her skin, and her putrescent odor spread over the camp. Before the archers could get off a second round, she t the line of heavy infantry, fully armored soldiers with spears and shields.
Her fingers, which could attack with blinding speed from any direction, were deadly. But they couldnt penetrate armor. During the initial clash, the heavy infantry repelled her, causing her to stumble back down the slope.
After catching her footing, she ca back at them with intense fury. Two soldiers fell almost simultaneously, their throats ripped out. A mont later, another dropped, screaming as he clutched his face, which had been ripped open from forehead to chin. Spindly legs physically shoved aside the spears nearest her as she slamd into the shields and tried to climb over the line of soldiers.
Xerxes, get ready for shock fighting, Captain Ishki cried. Bel, have your healing spell ready. Gandash, summon help.
I only have one spell left.
NOW!
Xerxes heard the clink of vials as Gandash pulled out another dose of blisterscale reduction. lam flowed, and two dark portals appeared.
The Abhorrent spawn were different this ti. There were no spider-like legs and pale flesh. Instead, what looked like two black eggs dropped onto the ground, covered in a thick layer of brown ooze, like tubercular mucus coughed from the lungs of a dying codger.
Another rank odor spread through the camp, similar to that from the woman, but with a mustier undertone.
As soon as the black eggs appeared, they sohow stretched in the direction of the Abhorrent woman. Now it was possible to see that they werent eggs, but rather, were two balls connected with a springy, putty-like tissue. One of the balls would stretch forward, slap onto the ground, and the other would flip over it. Then the stretching would occur again. In this manner, the summoned Abhorrent crossed the hilltop like nefarious inchworms.
Behind them stretched a trail of brown mucus that, after a few seconds of contact with the ground, hissed and lted into the earth, causing small clouds of steam to rise into the air.
anwhile, there were more shouts from the armored soldiers, who were barely fending off the Abhorrent woman. As she ca to understand how armor and shields work, her attacks beca more judicious. What was more, in physical terms, she was vastly stronger than even the Seers. Two more n fell.
She didnt notice the summoned creatures until they were nearly upon her. In fact, it wasnt until Gandash cried out, Get the soldiers out of the way!
The heavy infantryn fell back, but in their confusion, they created more openings for their opponent. Three n fell. That was when the monstrous woman looked at the ball-mucus creatures and spat sothing in her incomprehensible language.
She backed away, but wasnt quick enough, as one of the balls flipped over and slapped into her at the waist, just above where her host of spindly legs began.
She shrieked and slashed at the balls with fingers and legs alike. But their mucus-like coverings acted like paste or glue. And then, hissing sounds filled the air as the Abhorrent womans flesh began to lt from contact with the sli.
Arrows! Captain Ishki shouted.
The archers unleashed more henbane arrows into the woman, firing as fast as they possibly could.
The Abhorrent woman scread and attacked the balls with renewed fury. But the sudden addition of the spawn, combined with the poison arrows, seed too much for her. A mont later, she lost her balance and tumbled down the hill.
More arrows! Ishki yelled.
The archers advanced and sent additional missiles into the night.
Shes running away! a soldier shouted.
Do we give chase? another yelled.
No! Captain Ishki ordered. Stand down. Form up and be ready for another attack. Sentries, keep your eyes peeled in case she cos from another direction.
Gandash sent his summoned Abhorrent out into the night in pursuit, but Spawn Duo only lasted for a short ti, whereupon the ball-like things vanished along with their caustic mucus.
Casualties were bad. The poor n whose throats had been ripped out never stood a chance. The other five who fell after them were all killed in similar ways. But the soldier with the injured face, whose na was Dagim, survived. He wouldnt have, if Sergeant Aniskipel had been the only one present. Aniskipel was a decent surgeon, but there was only so much he could do with mundane dical supplies. Bel healed Dagim with spellcasting. After it was over, he was left with only the traumatic mory of his facial flesh and muscles being shredded.
All of the other injuries were handled by Aniskipel.
When things cald down, Captain Ishki let half the n sleep, while the other half stood guard. She ordered the mages to get rest.
Unlike the soldiers, who seed capable of falling into a deep sleep at a monts notice, regardless of the surroundings, Xerxes just couldnt get comfortable. When he lay flat, the ground seed to push against the small of his back. When he turned onto his side, his shoulder started getting stiff. Bel and Gandash were also tossing and turning, another distraction that made sleep impossible. But eventually, in the deep part of the night, he finally succumbed to exhaustion. He dread of his family, especially his mother and sister.
When Sergeant Tamharu shook his shoulder to wake him, the glow of morning was just becoming manifest through the thick cloud cover.
Up and at em, Xerk, he said.
Ten dead. If they counted Gem, it was eleven. By any tric, the mission was an abject disaster. Furthermore, given the circumstances, it made no sense to lug the bodies along with them. Captain Ishki had them dig shallow graves at the base of the hill, which they marked with wood planks.
Well co back for them later, she said. On my word.
She kept Ligish and his servants bound. However, instead of sturdy manacles for the servants, she had their wrists tied with rope that could easily be cut with a blade if necessary. And she took personal responsibility for the key to the complicated contraption used to restrain Ligish.
Will you help us fight if, it cos to that? she asked him.
If it ans my life? he replied. Of course.
After all the final preparations were made, Ishki set a grueling pace toward the capital.
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