AC 2021 - Final - Storm Veritas

[Storm Veritas]

Storm treated himself momentarily to a deep breath, and another, and another. He took a long pull from his skein, emptying what water he had left. The next encampment was stirring, this one without a large and abominable wolf to parade them into combat. They were running, the little one in front blowing a large horn of twisted bone.

Good, you fucker. Blow that horn and get all of you flaming assholes up. Come and get it, time to ring the dinner bell.

A long, terrible trumpeting noise reverberated far and wide across the plains, and Storm’s good fortune once again dawned on him. Had this been the first demon to spot him, he’d have been caught without a mount, and no dwarves behind him to fire. He’d have just died here and now, a fool that decided to dance with demons.

And if the queen had balls, she’d be king.

He sneered again at the sexist joke, kicking with joy at the ribs of his foul new ride. The wolf yelped with anger before charging ahead, and the mage tugged on the large chain that was bolted to the thick collar. Dutifully, easily, the wolf turned smoothly as he ran. The speed of the great beast was breathtaking, and Storm quickly learned to lean into the turn as he steered the monster around the upcoming camp. This wolf was so quick, so nimble, and so powerful that Veritas found himself toying with the camp of foot soldiers, who threw rocks and hurled a large axe as they futilely gave chase.

“Come on! Pick it up!” He taunted the demons as he charged at another camp, picking up more trailing demons along the way. It wasn’t until his fifth rocky outcropping that he found another wolf, and he sagely gave it a wide berth as he continued forward towards where the stars indicated southeast should be.

He offered a few quick, weak bursts of lightning to camps that lacked sufficient vitriole on his ride, growing a sizable following of enraged, snarling demons perhaps two hundred deep within a few miles.

Finally, mercifully, a massive army of demons on the march appeared on the horizon. There were large, rhinocerous sized mounts, hundreds of wolves, and thousands of small fires packed densely around a towering gate, a portal of black and purple that was surrounded by thick stone. Storm turned towards the right edge of the huge encampment, mindful of the smaller pack he had assembled behind him. His mind quickly lusted for the horn, when two or three quick trumpets greeted his convoy. The lookouts had spotted him riding in.

Even better.

Another significant hole in his cunning plan was exposed as a battalion of demon archers marched to the front line. They only took a few minutes of obviously trained maneuvering to form three long lines packed taut, a trumpet burst followed by a sky-filling swarm of fire.

Metal tips. Really fucking need some metal tips on these arrows right now.

Holding his right hand aloft as he clutched desperately to the wolf’s chain, Storm emanated a large burst of repulsive force to an area above him. The gods had favored him once more, as the smattering of arrows due to impale him and the wolf largely changed course as if deflected by an invisible barrier. Two arrows softly struck the wolf in the haunch, generating a painful and annoyed yelp.

“Sorry buddy. We’ll show them.”

Lilting forward once more, Storm Veritas fired a powerful bolt of lightning directly at the gate. Towering over one hundred feet tall and standing forty feet wide, the gate was truly tremendous in size, easily offering quick passage for all these vile cretins. The wizard relished in the idea of destroying it.

From this distance – perhaps a full half mile – the magical portal absorbed the energy and redirected it outward, shattering several pieces of stone in a thunderous explosion that showered the mass of demons below with shrapnel, causing an uproar of protestations among the enormous camp. Without wasting another moment, Storm and his new steed pivoted northwards, running away to the gargantuan horde of enraged demons.

A hellacious blast of trebuchet fire exploded just behind him, a sound which was chilling and familiar. The large pack of demons that were once chasing were running now, prey in the foreground of the tremendous dwarven army.