Chapter 63

“Situation?” Roxanne asked the assembled command group as they stared out at the surface of Vultoq from one of their hidden bunkers.

“John’s rear-guard made it to the ruins in this sector. You can make them out in the distance,” Arch pointed at several mounds beyond what they considered the mile-wide kill-zone. “The Vultoqi have them surrounded but haven’t made any moves as yet, other than a few probes, which taught them to keep their distance.”

“Portals?” Roxanne asked the Seers.

“Blocked, even out of phase ones,” a clearly distressed Abi replied.

“Rescue by force?”

“Not without a much bigger army,” Arch grimaced. “Or heavy armour, even then, chancy. These creatures are the equivalent of consummate High Mages. Plus, one of Marja’s people pulled these off an adelshaut corpse,” Arch handed over a couple of objects clearly designed to fit the cilia on the appendages of the adelshaut. He pressed what had to be a trigger, causing a plasma burst to fire and be absorbed by his powers.

“We must do something, please!” Róisín begged.

“We will, but it won’t be anything stupid,” Roxanne replied sympathetically.

“He had a bad feeling about this one. It’s why he asked me to ensure you didn’t go along,” Arch added to Róisín as he and Jemima hugged her.

“I know, he doesn’t want Mark to lose me, silly man,” Róisín sobbed gently.

“Do we have any accurate figures for him?” Roxanne asked.

“About 270, he managed to save over 600 of us,” a distressed Clara almost sobbed out.

“May be less than that. We know they were under heavy attack when they headed to the ruins,” Kate added.

“He’s got a lot of ammo and assuming he can reach his pocket universes, lots of food and water as well as spare ammo there too,” Arch noted. “Lady Seers, how long to dig a tunnel to him ... without alerting the Vultoqi?”

“A day if we’re cautious ... assuming they don’t spot us doing it,” Jemima replied after a few microseconds introspection with the gestalt.

“Begin at once. Also find some way of contacting them, even if it’s Morse code via mirrors and sunlight,” Roxanne ordered.

“At once, Mage Roxanne.”

“Just hang on, John. We’re coming for you,” Roxanne muttered under her breath as the members of the group dispersed to do their work and she to speak to Crnnch.

“Mage Rahksahn, a pleasure as always,” Crnnch greeted her when she ported in to the Seeker’s meeting room after giving a mental warning she was on her way.

“Crnnch, Adepts,” Roxanne acknowledged the Orcs in the room. “Just updating you on the current situation. We destroyed the device the Vultoqi were planning to use on this fortress, hence the massive explosion last night. We lost some good warriors and there’s a group of us trapped in enemy territory, here,” she added, pointing to a map.

“Our commiserations on your losses, and thanks for your aid,” Crnnch replied. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

“Not as yet. The Vultoqi have them surrounded and we cannot get to them easily. Saying that, it’s a strong position and they will have dug in well. More disturbing is this,” she stated handing over another of the plasma pistols found on the Vultoqi dead as well as giving the Orcs its specifications. “As far as we are aware, they haven’t used any, but, we suspect they will soon as they won’t be able to affect the walls and the troops in them with their mental power.”

“Thank you, Rahksahn,” Crnnch acknowledged. “This is most disturbing.”

“It might just be the weapon your grunts need if you expect to take the fight to the enemy, assuming your people can duplicate it,” she added.

“Yes,” Slaarg nodded. “You may just have given us an opportunity to hold these creatures.”

“Blessings of Athena upon you,” Roxanne bade them farewell.

“Blessings of Ar-Thenna upon you too.”

“Wonder why they haven’t attacked?” Birry asked me.

“God alone knows. I doubt it’s to do with casualties, that’s never bothered them in the past,” I shrugged. “Mind you, I doubt they’ll get to us easily and I’m pretty sure that our friends will be coming up with a plan to get us out.”

“The Loegrians still have them targeted,” Ilzik noted.

“Yes, I suspect Roxanne or Arch has their full complement up on the top of the fortress,” I nodded.

“We’re digging down, but so far we cannot detect any underground structures to shelter us or get us out,” Nell added.

“We’re also totally cut off as I can’t raise anyone mentally, nor are the radios working,” I admitted. “Until we know what’s going on, just keep an eye on them and don’t provoke them.”

“Yes, John,” the trio replied.

As I observed the Vultoqi ranks, I was also testing my Mage powers. Unfortunately, very little worked, the Vultoqi had laid down a massive dampening field, along with our own efforts, to prevent any form of magic being used. I could enhance my senses, my speed and my strength, but could not send or receive any communications, which was worrying me greatly. That said, I was careful not to show it to the Drow, though I suspected both Ilzik and Nell both knew.

Glancing behind me, I could see the massive walls of the fortress as they surrounded the Vultoqi zone and wondered how something that appeared so near could be so far, particularly to the cleared zone that we’d set up as a killing zone which, if we could reach, would be our ticket home as I didn’t think any Vultoqi could survive in it.

A patripure was dying, it had been aeons since the last such event and that had been at the hands of one of its own. The creature had been supervising the assembly of the wrathbringer from the vaults of cleansing when the initial explosion had caught the Vultoqi by surprise. The corresponding destruction of the device had killed all the adelshaut guarding within the zone and mortally wounded the patripure. No known shielding could have protected it within the fiery destructive heart of an area hotter than the sun for such a length of time.

All of the patripure stood in a ring surrounding the now glassy surface of the bowl where their dying comrade lay and keened out their loss. Their adoring adelshaut stood by, unable to function, as no order or direction was given. They only knew to hold in place and defend themselves.

Mentally the patripure were aware of the group of the new enemy holed up in the ruins, but cared little at the moment as to deciding their fate, other than blocking mentally all psionic channels in the area. They were awaiting the death and mourning the consequences as assorted tasks were swapped amongst themselves to cover the work of the fallen comrade.

“We have reports of a massive explosion within the Vultoqi zone on Vultoq. Do you have any information on this?” Archimandrite Takkas asked Brnnt at the morning crisis meeting that had been held ever since the Council had realised Beog was missing.

“The Seeker reported damage to several of the higher spotter towers, but no attacks on the fortress by the Vultoqi,” Brnnt replied with a shrug.

“Has he not probed to see what happened?” Ambost queried.

“They can still see several Vultoqi observers, so I’d doubt they’ve killed themselves off,” Brnnt chuckled darkly.

“He could still probe!”

“The reason they are behind the fortress wall is because they do not have the weapons to fight the Vultoqi in the open.”

“Cowards!” Ambost quietly muttered, but did not add anything more to the discussion.

“Reports are reaching me that this seditious broadcast in the temples has now reached Draenoric,” Karkol stated into the silence.

“We have it under control,” Archimandrite Frust replied.

“Yet what if she manifests herself here? It’s not like we could summon Beog to counter her claims.”

There was an uneasy silence as the assembled Archimandrites considered Karkol’s point. None of them, except Brnnt, were happy with the loss of their powers. The thought of a new goddess arising made them very nervous, particularly as what she preached stood at extreme odds with what Beog had demanded and they knew that as a group they were hated by the other powers on Draenoric.

“We must continue our efforts to summon Beog. It is inconceivable he would leave his elect alone to face this enemy,” Takkas stated ... unconvincingly, yet several Archimandrites looked relieved at his words.

As there seemed little else to say, the meeting broke up. Brnnt and Karkol returned to Brnnt’s chambers to meet with the Seeker and continue their scheming.

“Greetings, revered Archimandrites,” Crnnch stated with a salute.

“Greetings, Seeker. You have news?” Karkol replied as Brnnt poured them all a drink.

“Ar-Thenna’s allies are trapped within the enemy lines. They are attempting a rescue, but the weapon the Vultoqi were assembling is destroyed. We also cannot fathom out why they, the Vultoqi, are holding in place. It makes no sense, unless they are awaiting a decision from whatever commands them,” Crnnch replied at length.

“By Ar-Thenna! Is there anything we can do?” Brnnt burst out.

“Our grunts could not survive outside the wall, then there’s this...” Crnnch placed the Vultoqi pistol on the table between them.

“A hand weapon?” Karkol asked, concern written all over his face.

“Yes, revered Archimandrite. It fires a plasma burst capable of cutting through our armour at distances of up to 300 paces,” Crnnch added.

“So the Vultoqi need no longer to approach to bladed weapon distance,” Brnnt sighed, wondering how the Yr’ch could get out of this mess of their own creation.

“This is true, but this weapon is what our grunts need to survive as well. The Vultoqi would be just as endangered by it as we are.”

“Ah, you wish us to take it to the TechnoYr’ch and get them to study it and start production? Assuming they can ... or will,” Karkol nodded.

“According to Mage Rahksahn, only the power pack is complex, all else is well within our capabilities.”

“We will take it there and insist they prioritise and produce it, though I doubt it will be quick, initially,” Brnnt replied.

“Thank you, revered Archimandrites.”

“Could our weapon platforms not get to Ar-Thenna’s allies? Karkol asked.