FVN Chapter 357: Chapter LXXX: Soldiering On
Chapter 357: Chapter LXXX: Soldiering On
Chapter 357: Chapter LXXX: Soldiering On
(Zarok's POV, before the battle began)
My irritation grew with each moment and each step. It was always the silence and anticipation that got to me, not the fighting itself, at least I got to wet my axes when the chaos began, now all I could do was worry about a stray spell ending me before I could react.
"You good there sir?" Percy whispers from my left.
I grunt, letting some of the frustration out if only barely "I'm fine."
"Getting all jittery are we?" Tiberius voices amusedly from my right, looking far too relaxed for the usually cautious brat.
My eyes trail to his face and narrow "Know something we don't?"
"Come now my friend, what is a little pre battle jitters to veterans like u-" His boast is cut off by a thunderous roar in the distance.
Most of my men do their best impression of a scared child and I am not ashamed to admit I felt the tiniest trickle in my groin before I gathered myself. The very air felt terrifying and a lot of us could barely breathe as we looked up to the pitch black monstrosity.
Tiberius himself was outright shaking, his cockiness as dead as an alleyway skooma addict.
I hear a rustle and the man behind me stumbles back, falling onto his ass "What the fuck..." Ah, Gunnar, if he lives I am going to make him regret ever being born.
Forcing my own fear down I round on him with a scowl "Get your ass up legionary! We have a job to do!"
He gets up almost immediately, the brief fearful hesitation easily overshadowed by training and discipline as his face turns completely blank and he stands behind me, breathing slowly evening.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
I allow myself a satisfied grunt and a nod before turning to the rest, all of them sporting a rather... diverse array of expressions going from 'Pissing himself' to 'Scared shitless' and the latter was quite literal "We've already seen what these beasts can do, and I understand that all of you are terrified."
A number of them shuffle but no one talks back.
"Good." I voice "If you weren't I'd consider you a fucking idiot."
A couple of forced chuckles come in response.
"It's a good thing we aren't here to fight the ugly fucker then, isn't it?" I try and relieve some of the tension "No, we are here to kill the dumbasses who decided that following the thing was a good idea. A bunch of cowards so pathetic that they'd follow the World Eater rather than face the world without trembling like the weakling little twigs they are!"
"So quit shivering like a bunch of milk drinkers and stop thinking about the damn dragon, that is for the mad elf and Dragonborn to worry about, you are starting to look greener than I am." I snort "Now get back in formation and check your weapons, if I find any of you have dropped your weapons by the time we march out you will regret everything."
My suddenly bloodthirsty expression manages to kick them into gear and all of them begin scrambling back into some barely acceptable sense of order. 'Bunch of fucking amateurs the lot of them' I shake my head, pretending I wasn't just as terrified.
The General's war horn sounds and I am already moving forward, no room for doubt now Zarok, just keep marching forward and things will work out, right?
Another roar makes the entire bloody hill shake.
Right...
My men begin falling in behind me, our formation was weak and haphazard but were quick to start getting back into the rhythm of things once the familiar one two one two of the shield wall step ingrained into their instincts began settling back.
Good thing the palisade did not have many platforms for archers or we would have been in big trouble, those damn walls looked way bigger up close.
Though I did notice someone missing and looked back "You coming brat?" I smirk at the still terrified Battlemage "Or is your magic only good for fighting weaklings?"
He begins to sputter indignantly and before long he is already marching in front of me.
A light chuckle leaves me 'Nobles.'
It took the lookout only a moment to notice us and by the time the cultists got their heads out of their asses we were already halfway across the field, the other units made up of the damaged veteran cohorts that came with us trailing just slightly behind our own.
Almost as if summoned by my thoughts I felt its gaze pass over us, not even acknowledging us but still flying in the exact position to make us unfortunate casualties, it went to shout, the dreaded words which shattered half of my unit already on its lips, only for Dagoth's massive bodyguard to grab a discarded spear and toss it at its neck, the force of the blow almost breaking the weapon before it connected.
Unwilling to find out just how far my luck stretched I barked out "Spread out and move!
Secure the mines and remain in cover!"
The Breton ponce almost seemed offended by my words but his wits won out in the end and he followed me and my unit as we moved behind a large outcropping of rock.
Just in time to witness an undead wearing what I heard the vestments of a Dragon Priest looked like get his head exploded with a bolt of lightning and then get bisected with an odd
looking sword just in case.
"Halt!" The knight, I really should ask his name, calls out "Who are you?"
The swordswoman looks just about ready to ignore us but the old mage answers in a relaxed, almost kindly voice "We serve the Lady Minthara, our current task is decapitation strikes as
you can see."
"Ha, as if I would believe that." The Breton scoffs and his men at arms tense.
"Come off it you ponce." Tiberius steps out of a nearby shadow, his eyes gleaming in that way
which told me he was having way too much fun for a battlefield "They just killed a Dragon Priest. If it were some kind of ploy I'd be amazed by the cult's wastefulness."
The Breton seems dissatisfied but not being an idiot relents "As you say Battlemage." "Right." I cut in, uncaring for the tension "You find out where they put their actual warriors?"
I ask the old man.
The greybeard looks around and points to a caved in mine entrance "They were being housed
in the mines, Lord Dagoth seems to have found the idea entertaining enough to reward them
for their folly."
An unimaginably loud roar of pain snapped us out of our conversation and before we could even consider what happened the numerous blockages on the mineshafts exploded outwards, disgorging what looked to be those mummified Nord undead they kept around the province
for whatever reason.
And as if that wasn't enough, the Divines decided to reward our efforts with a duo of distinctly non-World Eatery dragon roars in the distance. What joy!
I want to go back to the slums...
Want to see the wonders of the world?
Meet interesting people?
And sink your axe into them?
You may indeed! For just three stone the house offers you a full military tour of Tamriel,
satisfy your murderboner today and sing up!
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