Chapter 103: Graak, Chief of the outskirts

Chapter 103: Graak, Chief of the outskirts

Mason ran in a slight zig zag back towards Sanctuary, and managed to avoid getting hit by any arrows. As expected the snakes' burst of speed ran out, and they'd fallen back to their masters. Violet remained nowhere to be found. He guessed she didn't feel it was safe to attack with so many enemies close together, so he’d just have to make do on his own.

He decided to give up another ambush spot and ran straight to Sanctuary, too many eyes searching to reliable hide again. But he still had no idea if the gate would open.

As he touched the stone wall, he was rather surprised when a system message popped up.

[This settlement is currently empty of players, and has no patron. Would you like to claim it?]

Mason snorted, and thought yes, then watched as dozens of lists opened before his eyes.

[With 0 civilians, and 0 players, you have 100 initial patron points to spend on your settlement. Would you like to spend them now?]

Mason scrolled straight to defences, and grinned. The walls and automated crossbows were built in and still active, some kind of built in feature of the town. But what else could he afford?

He scrolled through several categories and quickly saw the answer was almost nothing. Slightly improved sections of wall? Not helpful. Decorations? Great. An unarmed guard tower caught his eye. He could get one for each side of the square walls—half concrete, half steel, enclosed with several slots for archers. Yeah, that'd do just fine. He picked it.

[Settlement changes will employ in 1 hour. Please remain inside the buildings.]

Mason winced at the message. An hour? Yeah, not going to work. He searched the options, hoping for some kind of ‘safety override’, and sure enough, a nice red button.

[Are you certain you wish to ignore the settlement safety procedures? This could result in negative consequences, up to and including a horrible death by crushing.]

Yes.

[Buildings deploying. Please do not stand near the construction areas.]

Mason stood back and watched in awe as the entire wall began to slightly re-shape. The towers formed out of the concrete and stone, metal fusing and collecting from the air with a violent crashing and hissing. In seconds, two new towers existed from nothing.

Mason dropped three traps outside the gate, then shook his head and stepped inside 'his' settlement. He climbed up the ramparts, all the way to the new tower, looking out at the approaching force through his arrow slit.

The orcs would find their ‘prize’ hadn't been totally abandoned. One man defended it still.

* * *

Graak, Chief of the Outskirts, growled and turned on the grumblers until they silenced. Some of the raiders who'd been badly burned by the caster's spell wanted to turn back home.

"Go if you wish," he rumbled. "But you will wear the traitor's brand by morning. Teeok," he turned to his clan’s eldest shaman, "can you protect us from their magic?"

"Yes, chief." The old orc scratched his chin. "If they wield the storm again, I will protect us."

"There," Graak roared at his raiders. "Mighty Teeok will protect you. Are there any other cowards who'd rather flee?"

They said nothing, of course, so Graak pushed them onward. He had won the right to take this settlement by order of his uncle, Overlord of the Blacktusk clan, and so he would do it, or he would die trying.

A few arrows bounced off the stone near his chest, one actually coming through but deflecting off. He looked down at the orcs and noticed a thin, green mist surrounding them, but had no idea what that meant. It didn’t matter now. He couldn’t stop the spell, and a few more seconds was all he needed...

Dirt sprayed from the center of the orcs. A flash of purple, then a splash of red. The orcs were growling and roaring as they turned towards the disruption, and Mason felt his mana draining to near empty as he tried to hold off long enough for the worm to escape.

“Shit..” His body was trembling now. “Why did you attack now you damn, stupid...” he couldn’t hold back, and he didn’t want to waste it. He loosed the bolt straight into the center of the orcs, the thunderous roar bouncing off the walls and echoing even worse than usual in the stone tower.

[You have slain Black Tower Orc Heavy Infantry x 5. Experience gained.]

Again the blue energy crackled and leapt through the orcs in a brutal flash of light before discharging. The creatures screamed in terror, with at least half turning to run flat out from the walls, tossing their weapons to the ground. Others charged ahead, following what was now a clearly massive leader covered in metal armor.

Mason went to shoot the bastard in the chaos.

[Not enough mana to activate Endless Quiver.]

“Shit.”

Mason had yet again forgotten the damn power took mana in a settlement, and apparently he’d utterly drained himself.

The automated towers were shooting now, at least, but they likely wouldn’t do much. Mason glanced to the right and saw the second group of orcs weren’t slowed or distracted, and now clanged against the wall with what sounded like ladders. There were at least forty of them.

He looked down at the blood, bodies and arrows littering the ground, and decided it would have to be good enough. More arrows and javelins were rattling off the wall, and he was doing nothing just standing there without arrows. It was time to go.

He turned and fled the tower, taking the stairs off the rampart two at a time then sprinting towards the far gate. Orcs were gathering at the top of the wall to his right, shouting and pointing down as he ran.

As usual he’d also mostly forgotten about his reduced speed in the settlement, too. He was still moving fast, but compared to usual it felt like running through water, or with a rope around his waist.

Bolts and arrows zipped and struck around him as he reached the gate, pain searing the side of his head as one apparently deflected off his skull. Then he was out, and running, straight for the nearby trees.

[Settlement abandoned. You will lose your patronage in twenty-four hours, or as soon as another patron lays claim. Do you still wish to abandon it?]

The message didn’t bother him. He’d certainly had no intention of keeping it. Sooner or later he’d be back with Blake and more players just to teach these orcs what happened when they took human settlements. But not today.

He wasn’t sure how many of the creatures he’d killed. Twenty in total, maybe slightly less. Enough to bloody their nose, but not enough to stop them.

He only hoped he’d harmed them enough they didn’t think much of chasing him or the civilians any further.

But a cold feeling tickled his gut as he considered another possibility. As he moved towards Carl and the others, he glanced back, wondering if this system made creatures more like animals, or like men. And sometimes men didn’t care about logic or reason, but revenge.

He took a deep breath, and wiped at the blood dripping down his scalp.

Stay behind your walls, he willed, feeling the exhaustion return now as the adrenaline died. Be happy with your stupid prize and leave us alone.

But if they didn’t, he’d be waiting in the trees.