AC 2021 - Round Two: Team Two

[Umbra]

The wailing klaxon soon gave way to the dark elven commanders barking orders to their squadrons in preparation to meet the demon horde head on. The artificial lights dimmed as the first wave slammed against the steel battlements causing the underground facility to rumble in earnest. Even this far below ground the unholy shrieks of the demon horde could still be heard rendering a wave of doubt to settle over Sanctuary’s most valorous defenders.

Whispers amongst the guard spoke of abandonment, that the country was lost, that their nation had long ago fallen.

“And you're just supposed to roll over and die and let this vermin have their way without a fight?” The nearest commanding officer spoke out in clear opposition silencing his men as they turned their undivided attention towards the man of rank. With his sharp steely gaze he looked upon each of the men and women under his command.

This dark elf was growing to be another familiar sight within Sanctuary almost as much as the dull white walls and artificial lights had become. As an elf, most would retain a youthful appearance long into their twilight years, to find an elf that looked old was almost considered a practical joke. Though Commander Raimneth was almost one such person, his ashen black skin looked as weathered and aged as some of the more well travelled merchants Umbra had known. His long white hair was swept backwards and styled unto multiple braids that swayed to and fro from his movements as he held his helmet under his arm.

“Aye, outposts have fallen, our towns and cities ransacked. We may very well be the last of our people still standing.” He began with a sullen tone though the spark of life never left his eyes. “So now we go and get the bastards that did it!” He snarled.

“If you want to give up and die, fine, that’s your choice to make,” he said as his gaze burned with his conviction. “But not before we go and make every ugly Iblith stain REGRET that they ever stepped foot in this land, in OUR land!” The commander stated pointing to the ground beneath him.

“You are to make each and everyone of them pay in blood a thousand fold over before you are even allowed the luxury of dyeing. Am I clear?” He asked his squadron with a cruel smile.

“Crystal, Sir!” Came the unanimous cry.

“Of course I am," he said smugly and chuckled, satisfied by their renewed vigour “Sanctuary will be broken long before her guard gives up this fight.”

Umbra continued with a steady pace as they watched the proceedings with a curious tilt of their head. That they should treat their own death as a privilege was something that had been repeated often over the last few days. Even now it was abundantly clear that the fortress was now effectively cut off from all outside help and that they were all on their own for as long as they could hold out.

‘Unless something changes, Sanctuary really will break.’

“Ah- Well met mercenary, will you be joining us this fine morning?” The commander said as soon as they saw the aforementioned mercenary arrive as armed and ready as always. Umbra levelled a single nod of their head to affirm that they did indeed seek to aid them in pushing the horde back once more.

“Very well then, Please provide support the same as last time. We've had reports that there have been new variants spotted in the last battle but we were unable to verify any truth to these claims.” The commander warned, causing Umbra to frown in concern. These hell-borne demons were fearless and merciless, their strength supplemented by their sheer number and viscous nature. And yet though they were dangerous enough on their own, albeit easily outwitted, they were somewhat predictable in their fighting styles.

They fought like wolves, though they took any advantage they could muster even if it meant cutting down their own allies.

Umbra along with the squadron led by commander Raimneth stepped into one of the platforms that adorned the back wall. Machinery clicked and began to whil to life with a loud clang and a rattling of chains before the platform beneath them began to steadily ascend upwards to the outer walls battlements.

“Weapons out!” The commander called out and Umbra unsheathed their battered great-sword alongside those that would be fighting by their side. The old weapon was a welcome weight within the Mercenary's hands as they stood stoic, waiting for the platform to finish it’s ascent. The walls shook under the weight of the assault that crashed against the impenetrable fortress.

Dim lights glinted across their battered armour, as the floor below them locked into place with mechanical precision. As one, Umbra and the dark elven guards took in a deep breath as the doors before them slid apart before being ruthlessly pulled apart and carelessly tossed aside as a ravenous toothed maw of a demon smashed against the new opening with a hideous shriek.

Several of the dark elven guards stumbled back in surprise before their training took control. Sharpened blades pierced forwards a second later, the demon’s eyes widened in a brief moment of surprise as the dark elven guards pushed forward with their spears and drove back it’s oversized carcass. Umbra came out swinging only a moment later, cutting down another of the ‘imp’ type as it attempted to leap into the crowd.

Thrust and stab, Umbra’s blade met many opponents still scrambling to climb over the sides of the wall, many of which were not in a position to defend themselves. Though, to those that were, Umbra paid careful attention to their movements, shirking back out of reach of swiping talons before striking back. The iron blade struggled to cut deep into the demon's flesh, but that was fine as far as Umbra was concerned, though their blade struggled to rend their opponents, it’s hefty weight and size served as an effective bludgeoning tool against those it failed to cut.

Broken bones hampered the demon’s ability to fight almost as much as sundering their limbs.

Amongst the mindless bloodletting, Umbra distantly recalled the commander offering the mercenary to use one of their own elven sabres for one of their previous battles. Umbra had turned down the offer, citing that the elven blade felt too flimsy, too light in their hands and that using a weapon they were not comfortable with for a life and death battle would as easily get them killed as much as using nothing at all.

Though Umbra was perfectly comfortable using their fists too. An imp lunged up and over it’s fallen brethren, and Umbra reacted in the only way they knew how, by delivering a back handed fist into the creatures jaw sending it sprawling to the ground where the mercenary finished it off by stomping their heel atop of it’s jugular.

‘Deep breaths, pace yourself,’ Umbra recalled, preventing themselves from getting too carried away by their bloodlust. ‘How many were that just now, six, seven?’

Shield bearers came to the front of the Elven guard creating a steadfast wall that the rapidly encroaching horde slammed against with tooth and claw. The defenders pushed back with gritted teeth and yells of exertion to hold back the horde both figuratively and literally. Spears thrust through the gaps piercing the hellish chitinous skin earning screeches of rebuke as the imps reached around the tower shields to paw ineffectively against their armour.

“Look out!” Raimneth screamed to Umbra’s right. The shield wall seemed to hold firm for a few brief moments longer, up until an elongated tail snaked up and over the bastion wall and pierced the metal plate armour of an elven defender in a single stroke. The man barely was able to scream in pain as the tail tossed him to the side and reared back to strike again.

Umbra was faster to react as they darted forwards and grabbed the offending appendage before it could pull itself out of reach and viciously pulled the tailed demon into the clearing it had just made for itself.

Umbra scowled as they gazed upon one of the supposed new variants, It’s long tail and crab-like pincers lent itself a scorpion like appearance. Numerous uneven eyes scattered across it’s cranium darted about searching for the one that had grabbed its tail and all converged upon Umbra with a vile hate filled hiss as it scrambled forward amongst the Elven troops to strike the Mercenary with no heed for its own safety.

Umbra snapped forwards to meet the new assailant head on, smashing their iron helmet against the demon’s face cracking chitinous protrusions and causing the demon to stumble long enough for the Dark Elven guard to close in and close the gap, trapping the demons neck between two tower shields allowing for a number of spear tips from within the defensive line to silence the demon forever.

The defensive formation closed ranks and the injured soldier was pulled to one side to avoid being trampled underfoot as the group continued along the steel battlements.

Umbra wearily pulled back momentarily to gather their wits. Gritting their teeth while looking out across the battlements for any more of these ‘Scorpion’ type foes. The sky burned red in the morning of a new day dawned over the jagged gulch, greeting the demons' bloody swath as they challenged the fortress’s walls with reckless abandon, clambering across their own backs until they were able to scurry up and over Sanctuary’s outermost defensive wall to meet more squadrons of Elven defenders that bravely met them head on.

“Umbra, Above you!” was the only warning from a familiar voice Umbra got before a shadow descended upon the Mercenary. Red lightning crackled around Umbra as their gaze rose to meet the ghastly talons of a winged Demon rapidly descending from the sky. Umbra’s movement was brief, the innate ability of the spell was able to propel the warrior a fair distance at an alarming speed, though here and now, Umbra merely took a single step to the side and rose a clawed gauntlet upwards to seize the flying demon by the neck. Momentum slammed into an immovable force as it’s limbs twisted into odd angles before being slammed mercilessly into the ground.

Umbra stomped down upon the chest of the winged demon as they rapidly turned to the one that had yelled out the warning. “Celandine?” The mercenary uttered, unable to hide the surprise emanating from their throat for the first time in a long, long time.