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The Doomed Bastards: Reckoning (story complete)
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 3434691" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chaper 137</p><p></p><p>THE LIVING AND THE DEAD</p><p></p><p></p><p>Surrounded by zombies, nearly shorn of spells, Licinius Varo found himself in a rather precarious situation. The zombies closed around him, a tightening ring almost without break. </p><p></p><p>Varo lifted his hands to his divine focus, but said nothing as he waited there, silent. </p><p></p><p>The zombies surged forward, eager to rend him apart. But as several lunged laboriously to seize him, their groping hands passed through the cleric, and they collided into each other. </p><p></p><p>Varo, shrouded by his <em>mislead</em> spell, moved cautiously away as the zombies dealt with his illusory double. He started circumnavigating the mound of the gatherer’s remains, searching for signs. </p><p></p><p>He didn’t have to go far. He heard Dar before he saw him, laying about him with a dagger in each hand, knocking back the zombies that were trying to bring him down. As Varo watched, he drove his punching dagger up through the jaw of one, impaling it through its skull. As the zombie flailed at him he roared and hurled the creature behind him, knocking it into a second that had come on him from behind, sending both collapsing back into the dirt. Several other zombies were approaching fast, but he looked to be all right, at least for the immediate moment. With his heavy armor, they would have a tough time hurting him with bare hands, and he wasn’t going to bet money on their being able to drag him down, either. </p><p></p><p>Varo saw the other thing he’d been looking for, a flash of white light, and headed past Dar toward the center of the mound. He left deep prints in the piled dirt, but fortunately for him, zombies were not very observant. </p><p></p><p>He saw the sword jutting from the mound, but Allera had beaten him to it. The healer, ignoring the zombies that were already starting to grab at her, was digging frantically through the dirt, trying to find something. </p><p></p><p>Varo considered his wand; nearly out of charges, but very effective against lesser undead such as these. The only problem was the sheer number of foes. </p><p></p><p>His gaze shifted to his left. He took a few steps, and lifted <em>Beatus Incendia</em> from where it had fallen in the dirt. He could feel the surging hatred in the blade as soon as he touched it, but he’d expected that, and he ignored it as he swept the blade into a zombie that had grabbed onto Allera, and started to drag her up from her digging. </p><p></p><p>Allera let out a tiny shriek, but tore free as Varo clumsily hacked into the zombie with the holy sword. He wasn’t a trained fighter, but the power infused in the weapon more than compensated, and the zombie collapsed. A second zombie reached for Allera before she could turn, but it was distracted by a flutter of wings, and shallow gashes appeared across its forehead as Snaggletooth appeared in front of it. The zombie reached for the faerie dragon, but the nimble creature easily avoided its grasp. </p><p></p><p>“Who’s there?” Allera asked. Varo, protected still by his <em>mislead</em> spell, remained invisible even after his attack. A zombie, perhaps slightly brighter than its kin, seemed to realize that <em>something</em> had to be holding that flaming sword in mid-air, and it lurched at him. </p><p></p><p>“It’s Varo,” he said, as he dodged its attack, and took of one of its arms with <em>Beatus Incendia</em>. “Have you found Talen?”</p><p></p><p>“He’s here, I can feel it...” she said, but trailed off as she continued probing through the dirt. Varo left her to her work, and focused on keeping the zombies off her. The dragon helped, although it wasn’t really able to hurt them, insteading focusing on keeping the enemy distracted. </p><p></p><p>Looking around, he saw that some of the riders had returned, and were fighting their way to Dar. The zombies attacking his false image had finally realized their mistake, and were moving either toward the fighter, or toward him and Allera. There was no sign of Shaylara. </p><p></p><p>“I’ve found him!” Allera yelled, digging even more furiously in the dirt.</p><p></p><p>“Is he alive?” Varo asked, grunting as a zombie raked dirt-encrusted claws across his jaw. Stepping back, the cleric raised the holy sword in both hands and drove it through the zombie’s neck, nearly taking its head off its body. The zombie crumpled, but was replaced by three more that were clambering up the mound. </p><p></p><p>For several long seconds, Allera didn’t respond. Then, finally... “Yes! He’s breathing again... I’ve stabilized him, but I don’t have any more healing...”</p><p></p><p>“Here,” Varo said, sparing a moment to toss his <em>wand of cure moderate wounds</em> into her lap. “It only has a handful of charges left, but it should be enough to bring him around. Do it quickly; I am getting tired of swinging this slab of iron about.”</p><p></p><p>“We’ve got to find Shay, as well, she’ll suffocate...”</p><p></p><p>“First things first, healer.”</p><p></p><p>Dar’s men had fought their way to him, but the mercenary-turned-colonel had already started up the hill, slaying zombies as he came. As soon as he’d gotten close enough to take the pressure off of Allera, Varo stepped a few paces away, and cast a <em>detect magic</em> spell. He started scanning the mound, searching for the familiar signatures of Shaylara’s magic items. If she was further than a few feet below the surface, then he would have no chance of finding her, but if he was fortunate...</p><p></p><p>There; he didn’t bother to refine the scan, but instead negated his lingering invisibility with a thought, and pointed toward the spot that his spell had revealed. “Shaylara... she’s there,” he said, indicating a heap of dirt on the far side of the mound. </p><p></p><p>“Dig her out!” Dar yelled to his men, even as he grabbed onto a zombie from behind and hacked its head from its shoulders with his dagger. “Move it!”</p><p></p><p>Serah had come down the hill, and she ran to help the soldiers, half of whom started tearing at the small heap, while the other half took care of the few remaining zombies on that side of the mound. </p><p></p><p>Grunting with effort, Allera helped pull Talen free from the mound of dirt. The knight looked terrible, caked in dirt and blood, and with one eye swollen shut from an ugly bruise that covered the entire right side of his face. A few of his teeth were missing as well; clearly his face had encountered something hard during his time inside the gatherer’s body. But he was alive, and conscious. </p><p></p><p>“Thay?” he managed to spit, as Allera pulled him free. He lay there, coughing dirt from his lungs, unable to do more. </p><p></p><p>“They’re getting her,” Allera said. Looking up at Dar, who was enaged in hacking up the last two zombies atop the mound, she gave Talen a final burst of healing from Varo’s wand, before standing and running down the mound to where the other soldiers were digging out Shay. </p><p></p><p>They found the scout’s body a few seconds later; they couldn’t get it out at first, and finally found a buried zombie clutching her ankle. After they’d hacked her free, they were able to pull her from the embrace of the loosely packed dirt. Her leg had been broken, and her boot had been torn off, revealing a swollen purple mess that was her left foot. </p><p></p><p>Allera all but fell onto her, checked her pulse quickly, then used the wand on her. The power of the device faltered after just one more charge, and still Shay lay there, pale, covered in dirt. </p><p></p><p>“No, damn it, don’t you give up...”</p><p></p><p>Ignoring the sounds of combat that still continued a few feet away, Allera bent and pulled open the scout’s mouth. Clearing the airway, she forced a breath of air into her body, then pressed onto her chest with both hands, hard. She repeated the action, and on the second breath, Shay gasped. The scout sucked in a breath, and then started coughing uncontrollably. Allera helped her, holding her to the side so she could force some of the dirt and dust from her body. </p><p></p><p>“Don’t you ever do that again,” the healer said. </p><p></p><p>“Ta... Ta...” She couldn’t finish, as her body shook with spasms of coughing. </p><p></p><p>“He’ll be fine,” Allera said. “Don’t try to move.” Looking up to the top of the mound, she saw that Dar was already helping Talen to his feet, proving her right. But the others, she knew, would not be. Not Galen, the young knight who had been the first to strike, and the first to be drawn into the creature. Not Sextus, who had been smashed under its foot like a bug. Several of Dar’s men had been killed, too; some of them might still need her help, although she would have to rely on mundane treatments for now. </p><p></p><p>Releasing Shay, she staggered to her feet. Turning, she caught sight of Varo, standing off to the side, alone. The cleric met her eyes, and for an instant, she thought she could feel him reading her thoughts, weighing them. They had won, had defeated this monstrosity of undeath, but in his eyes, she saw no triumph, only a long and dark road stretching ahead as far as anyone could see. </p><p></p><p>Suddenly, she felt very, very cold. She shuddered, and turned away to help those still among the living.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 3434691, member: 143"] Chaper 137 THE LIVING AND THE DEAD Surrounded by zombies, nearly shorn of spells, Licinius Varo found himself in a rather precarious situation. The zombies closed around him, a tightening ring almost without break. Varo lifted his hands to his divine focus, but said nothing as he waited there, silent. The zombies surged forward, eager to rend him apart. But as several lunged laboriously to seize him, their groping hands passed through the cleric, and they collided into each other. Varo, shrouded by his [i]mislead[/i] spell, moved cautiously away as the zombies dealt with his illusory double. He started circumnavigating the mound of the gatherer’s remains, searching for signs. He didn’t have to go far. He heard Dar before he saw him, laying about him with a dagger in each hand, knocking back the zombies that were trying to bring him down. As Varo watched, he drove his punching dagger up through the jaw of one, impaling it through its skull. As the zombie flailed at him he roared and hurled the creature behind him, knocking it into a second that had come on him from behind, sending both collapsing back into the dirt. Several other zombies were approaching fast, but he looked to be all right, at least for the immediate moment. With his heavy armor, they would have a tough time hurting him with bare hands, and he wasn’t going to bet money on their being able to drag him down, either. Varo saw the other thing he’d been looking for, a flash of white light, and headed past Dar toward the center of the mound. He left deep prints in the piled dirt, but fortunately for him, zombies were not very observant. He saw the sword jutting from the mound, but Allera had beaten him to it. The healer, ignoring the zombies that were already starting to grab at her, was digging frantically through the dirt, trying to find something. Varo considered his wand; nearly out of charges, but very effective against lesser undead such as these. The only problem was the sheer number of foes. His gaze shifted to his left. He took a few steps, and lifted [i]Beatus Incendia[/i] from where it had fallen in the dirt. He could feel the surging hatred in the blade as soon as he touched it, but he’d expected that, and he ignored it as he swept the blade into a zombie that had grabbed onto Allera, and started to drag her up from her digging. Allera let out a tiny shriek, but tore free as Varo clumsily hacked into the zombie with the holy sword. He wasn’t a trained fighter, but the power infused in the weapon more than compensated, and the zombie collapsed. A second zombie reached for Allera before she could turn, but it was distracted by a flutter of wings, and shallow gashes appeared across its forehead as Snaggletooth appeared in front of it. The zombie reached for the faerie dragon, but the nimble creature easily avoided its grasp. “Who’s there?” Allera asked. Varo, protected still by his [i]mislead[/i] spell, remained invisible even after his attack. A zombie, perhaps slightly brighter than its kin, seemed to realize that [i]something[/i] had to be holding that flaming sword in mid-air, and it lurched at him. “It’s Varo,” he said, as he dodged its attack, and took of one of its arms with [i]Beatus Incendia[/i]. “Have you found Talen?” “He’s here, I can feel it...” she said, but trailed off as she continued probing through the dirt. Varo left her to her work, and focused on keeping the zombies off her. The dragon helped, although it wasn’t really able to hurt them, insteading focusing on keeping the enemy distracted. Looking around, he saw that some of the riders had returned, and were fighting their way to Dar. The zombies attacking his false image had finally realized their mistake, and were moving either toward the fighter, or toward him and Allera. There was no sign of Shaylara. “I’ve found him!” Allera yelled, digging even more furiously in the dirt. “Is he alive?” Varo asked, grunting as a zombie raked dirt-encrusted claws across his jaw. Stepping back, the cleric raised the holy sword in both hands and drove it through the zombie’s neck, nearly taking its head off its body. The zombie crumpled, but was replaced by three more that were clambering up the mound. For several long seconds, Allera didn’t respond. Then, finally... “Yes! He’s breathing again... I’ve stabilized him, but I don’t have any more healing...” “Here,” Varo said, sparing a moment to toss his [i]wand of cure moderate wounds[/i] into her lap. “It only has a handful of charges left, but it should be enough to bring him around. Do it quickly; I am getting tired of swinging this slab of iron about.” “We’ve got to find Shay, as well, she’ll suffocate...” “First things first, healer.” Dar’s men had fought their way to him, but the mercenary-turned-colonel had already started up the hill, slaying zombies as he came. As soon as he’d gotten close enough to take the pressure off of Allera, Varo stepped a few paces away, and cast a [i]detect magic[/i] spell. He started scanning the mound, searching for the familiar signatures of Shaylara’s magic items. If she was further than a few feet below the surface, then he would have no chance of finding her, but if he was fortunate... There; he didn’t bother to refine the scan, but instead negated his lingering invisibility with a thought, and pointed toward the spot that his spell had revealed. “Shaylara... she’s there,” he said, indicating a heap of dirt on the far side of the mound. “Dig her out!” Dar yelled to his men, even as he grabbed onto a zombie from behind and hacked its head from its shoulders with his dagger. “Move it!” Serah had come down the hill, and she ran to help the soldiers, half of whom started tearing at the small heap, while the other half took care of the few remaining zombies on that side of the mound. Grunting with effort, Allera helped pull Talen free from the mound of dirt. The knight looked terrible, caked in dirt and blood, and with one eye swollen shut from an ugly bruise that covered the entire right side of his face. A few of his teeth were missing as well; clearly his face had encountered something hard during his time inside the gatherer’s body. But he was alive, and conscious. “Thay?” he managed to spit, as Allera pulled him free. He lay there, coughing dirt from his lungs, unable to do more. “They’re getting her,” Allera said. Looking up at Dar, who was enaged in hacking up the last two zombies atop the mound, she gave Talen a final burst of healing from Varo’s wand, before standing and running down the mound to where the other soldiers were digging out Shay. They found the scout’s body a few seconds later; they couldn’t get it out at first, and finally found a buried zombie clutching her ankle. After they’d hacked her free, they were able to pull her from the embrace of the loosely packed dirt. Her leg had been broken, and her boot had been torn off, revealing a swollen purple mess that was her left foot. Allera all but fell onto her, checked her pulse quickly, then used the wand on her. The power of the device faltered after just one more charge, and still Shay lay there, pale, covered in dirt. “No, damn it, don’t you give up...” Ignoring the sounds of combat that still continued a few feet away, Allera bent and pulled open the scout’s mouth. Clearing the airway, she forced a breath of air into her body, then pressed onto her chest with both hands, hard. She repeated the action, and on the second breath, Shay gasped. The scout sucked in a breath, and then started coughing uncontrollably. Allera helped her, holding her to the side so she could force some of the dirt and dust from her body. “Don’t you ever do that again,” the healer said. “Ta... Ta...” She couldn’t finish, as her body shook with spasms of coughing. “He’ll be fine,” Allera said. “Don’t try to move.” Looking up to the top of the mound, she saw that Dar was already helping Talen to his feet, proving her right. But the others, she knew, would not be. Not Galen, the young knight who had been the first to strike, and the first to be drawn into the creature. Not Sextus, who had been smashed under its foot like a bug. Several of Dar’s men had been killed, too; some of them might still need her help, although she would have to rely on mundane treatments for now. Releasing Shay, she staggered to her feet. Turning, she caught sight of Varo, standing off to the side, alone. The cleric met her eyes, and for an instant, she thought she could feel him reading her thoughts, weighing them. They had won, had defeated this monstrosity of undeath, but in his eyes, she saw no triumph, only a long and dark road stretching ahead as far as anyone could see. Suddenly, she felt very, very cold. She shuddered, and turned away to help those still among the living. [/QUOTE]
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