The Homecoming 68.

Battle Turns Again...

"What is it?" asks Tovis the war engineer "Looks like prisoners, a couple of their nobles i think" is the reply of one of the trebuchet crew, who has climbed halfway up the war machine. Well up the left side of the frame. Where he's got a good view away to the west, where the bulk of the army has moved off to.
"Taking them over to the other flank" continues the man up the frame, who then adds "To the baron i guess".
"More than likely" says the young engineer, who then asks "Many more of them left?". "Not much" is the reply of the crew member, who after a few moments pause, adds "Looks like their entire army has been wiped out".
Tovis glances at the workyard apprentice Larm, and some of the others nearby. And though they all feel jubilation at their victory. None of them are really happy with the way it came about.
The use of the cockatrice was fine. But what happened after that when the depleted ranks of the Lé Dic army continued to advance. None of them saw coming, even those few officers with them, such as the adjutant, senior captain Malcené. Who knew what was going to take place from up on the hilltop to their right, north of the trade road. Didn't expected that to happen.
He ripped apart the countryside, baron Harkonin's war engineer thinks to himself. Tovis instantly knew who it was that sent the wave of destruction down the hill, across the road, and the meadow, then into the Lé Dic army.
He doesn't know how the dark druid Palvarc got here. As he's supposed to be back at castle Harkonin. But it was the dark druid who was responsible for the destruction of the army from the neighbouring fief to the west.
His presence was confirmed a little while ago by the man up the side of the trebuchet. Who spotted the dark druid up the hill to the right. Then a bit after that. Saw him again on the meadow, at the left flank of the army. Where baron Harkonin and a number of the other nobles are at the moment.
"The ranks are moving slowly forward" says the trebuchet crew member up the side of the war machine, who continues with "Not many survivors out there". "They taking anymore prisoners?" asks Tovis "Not really" is the reply "Just nobles who might be alive by the looks of it" adds the man up the trebuchet, who follows that up with "They're dispatching anyone else they find alive".
The war engineer slightly grimaces when he hears that, but he isn't all that surprised this is happening. The baron has obviously planned to wipe out the Lé Dic army. And he's going through with that plan. Killing everyone who might of survived the recent destruction. With the exception of any enemy nobleman who might be found.
Tovis who is pretty much the most senior person here, now that senior captain Malcené and other officers have moved off with the majority of the soldiers and the rest of the army.
Says to the crews of the war machines, and nearby camp followers "Get things packed away and on their wagons" the young engineer continues with "No doubt we'll be moving soon". Where? He's not exactly sure. But Tovis suspects they'll continue west to the border. To retake the town of Falshire no doubt.
Baron Harkonin's war engineer looks up at the man up the second trebuchet, the one off the side of the road, and is about to tell him to come back down. When the member of the trebuchet crew looks down at him, and says "The beasts be coming back this way" he then adds "The cockatrice".
Tovis nods, as he guesses the naturally magical creatures probably travel better away from the rest of the army. When he's seen them back at castle Harkonin. He's thought them flighty, or a skittish type of animal.
Not exactly the kind of creatures you'd want around large amount of soldiers, horses and equipment.
Which he finds a little odd. As many armies throughout the Southlands, including the king's army of Druvic, has squads of cockatrice in their ranks.
These one's must be young and inexperienced, the war engineer thinks to himself, Tovis then silently adds, no wonder they were sent as a gift to the baron.
The young engineer looks up and says "Come on down" to the man up the side of the Trebuchet. Who nods his head, and gestures ahead, and to the left. Tovis looks that way, and spots the cockatrice heading, more or less in their direction as they head towards the trade road.
Baron Harkonin's war engineer slightly flinches when he sees them with their avian like heads looking in this direction. He knows they're harmless with their blinders on, and their handlers riding upon their backs, guiding and directing them.
But still, it's a little daunting when you see not just one, but two of them running towards you.
As they get closer, Tovis can clearly see the short, wyvern like wings they have. Useless appendages, as they're flightless creatures. Though they can hop a fair distance at times, whilst flapping their stubby wings.
The young engineer slightly winces when he gets a good look at their tails. Each one a serpent, with a serpents head. Whipping around and hissing at anything they go by.
He knows that the tail is just as deadly as the claws of their two powerful legs. Which can easily eviscerate a horse, let alone a man.
The war engineer slightly shakes his head, because the bird like, some say, cockerel's head, is so at odds with the rest of the creature's body.
Tovis is just glad that a creature that size doesn't make a call like a roster first thing in the morning. He can only imagine the racket it would make, if it did something like that.
"Let's get our stuff into that wagon" says the war engineer to the workyard apprentice Larm, who nods his head and gathers their recently acquired packs to put in the wagon they've been traveling in today.
As he does, Tovis looks back up at the member of the trebuchet crew who is up the frame of the large war machine, making his way back down.
It's just then that all hell breaks lose. When a loud squawk can be heard. The young engineer instinctively looks at where it came from. To between some of the wagons, and the trebuchet he's standing slightly behind and to the side of.
And he sees one of the two cockatrice has gone down with a large spear through the side of it.
Tovis quickly looks down at his feet just incase the blinders have come off the badly wounded creature that's squawking in pain, flapping it's stubby wings, trying to get up off the ground.
"Look down!" shouts Tovis in warning to those around him, it's repeated by others who have seen the naturally magical creature go down. Baron Harkonin's war engineer who is looking down, hears the other cockatrice still running, though much more slowly than it was previously.
He takes a step, when all of a sudden he hears a scream, and an instant later, a thud right infront of him.
He glances slightly up, and sees just half a dozen feet infront of him. The crew member who was up the side of the trebuchet, lying there motionless, with an arrow through his side.
Then there comes other screams and shouts from those near the war machines of the Harkonin army, and the young engineer who already knew it when he saw the cockatrice with a spear through it. Definitely knows that they're under attack now.
"Shit" mutters Tovis as he keeps looking down at the ground, the war engineer then yells out "We're under attack!" as others are shouting out as well.
"Keep your eyes down Dalin, keep your eyes down Dalin" Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy repeatedly murmurs to himself as he runs from the trees, following behind Dorc da Orc.
The elf from the principality of Alínlae follows the large ork, who is leading the way across the trade road, to amongst the war machines, and wagons of baron Harkonin's army.
The spy Tanith hears a chuckling Dorc da Orc say "Me got that fucker" followed by "Me just go and get that other silly fucken chicken".
As Dalinvardél Tanith, or Dalin as he's more commonly referred to by the rest of the group, hears yelling and shouting from the war machine crews and camp followers. He hopes that the others still in the tree line, keep any of them, who happen to have weapons, away from him if he gets to close.
The elven spy who once served in one of the more prominent noble houses in the principality of Alínlae, sees the ork warleader fling out an arm to the right. Dalin heads that way, while Dorkindle continues more or less, straight ahead.
The elven spy, who hears shouting warnings to keep your eyes down, as well as yells of we're under attack. Sees that he's moving parallel to the trade road.
He bumps into someone, who yelps in fright, before falling over, Dalinvardél Tanith continues on his way, using his enhanced hearing to make his way forward, as much as his sight. Since he's jogging while looking down.
"Keep your eyes down!" calls out Dalin in the common language, he follows that up with "Ware the cockatrice!". He jumps over a body just infront of him, it's one of the few soldiers who remained behind as the bulk of the Harkonin army advanced upon the decimated Lé Dic army. The soldier has a longbow shaft through his neck and throat. That the spy Tanith easily identifies as being shot from the elven longbow that belongs to Riley Hait the mercenary ranger.
As he goes by the first trebuchet, the one on the trade road, the elven spy from the principality of Alínlae hears Dorc da Orc roar, and one of the cockatrice screech in reply.
The spy Tanith knows that the ork warleader must be confronting the other naturally magical creature. Which is in for the surprise of it's life. As no way would it expect to encounter something like Dorc. Who is immune to it's powers. And has easily killed many of it's kind over the years. Though it's not Dorkindle's intention to kill it at this time. The ork weaponsmith has something else in mind. It's to use the cockatrice as an distraction.
Dalinvardél Tanith quickly looks up, looking away to his right, across the trade road, back to the trees at the base of the hill.
He runs around one of the war machine crew, who is stumbling away, with a hand over his eyes. Dalin dodges another, who is running with his eyes closed. Then he looks back down at the ground, when out of the corner of his left eye, he sees he's approaching the other trebuchet, the one that's off to the south side of the trade road.
Tovis the war engineer calls out to the workyard apprentice, and tells him to come towards his voice. The young engineer is bumped by someone, who says "Run engineer". Baron Harkonin's war engineer recognises the voice of the young runner, as the one who has bumped into him. The runner continues with "There's a monster over there!".
Tovis frowns, as of course the cockatrice are nearby. But he suspects the youngster is referring to something else entirely different.
"Larm!" calls out the young engineer, who then adds "Follow me!". Tovis turns, and runs, keeping his head down. The war engineer runs into the edge of the trebuchet he's next to, and he stumbles to his knees.
He's about to get up, when someone grabs his left arm in a strong grip, and hauls him up, saying "Move!".
Tovis glances to the side, and realises it's someone fairly tall next to him, who says to him "Run!" followed by "Keep your eyes down!".
The war engineer who hears a slight accent of the voice next to him, which he can't quite place, hears the person call out "The blinders are off the other cockatrice!" Tovis gulps in fear at that. As the person still holding his arm, leads him around the back of the trebuchet, and towards the trade road.
Holding the arm of the war engineer Tovis, Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy calls out again "The blinders are off the cockatrice!". Which is infact true.
For Dorc da Orc has tackled the other cockatrice, taking it's legs out from under it. The large ork who has got one arm around the neck of the ten foot tall creature. And a knee on it's back, to keep it pinned down as best as possible, as it flaps it's stubby wings trying to get up.
Has ripped it's blinders off, and is twisting it's head to and fro, pointing it at everyone who runs by. Those unlucky not to be looking down or away. Who happen to look at the eyes of the naturally magical creature. Instantly halt in their tracks, and find themselves standing there completely still, paralyzed with fear.
"Stupid chicken" mutters Dorkindle, who pronounces the word chicken as chick-on. The ork warleader who wretches the cockerel like head to one side, to point it at someone running by, with their head up. Growls as he's bit in the left shoulder by the tail of the squawking cockatrice. The large ork snaps his head to the left and bites the serpent head of the creature's tail that goes to bite him again.
Dorc da Orc who is totally immune to the poison of the serpent bite from the tail of the cockatrice. Repeatedly bites it's serpent headed tail over and over and over again. Saying "Nung, nung, nung, nung" with each quick bite. With one last final one, he tears off the serpent head. And the bloody tail flings about as the cockatrice squawks in pain.
The weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks looks up and sees Dalinvardél Tanith running across the trade road towards the trees at the base of the hill, holding the arm of the war engineer named Tovis.
The large ork gets up, hauling the cockatrice up with him "Stop ya fucken squawky shit, cunt" mutters Dorkindle, who then kicks one of the legs of the cockatrice. If the creature's leg wasn't broken already. It is now. The warleader of the ork race whacks it across the side of the head, sending it to the ground again.
Dorc da Orc doesn't kill it, as the cockatrice will be more dangerous, not to mention a major distraction. Badly wounded, it's handler crushed to death beneath it. While it's blinders are off.
"See ya later you big stupid chicken" says the chuckling ork weaponsmith, who heads back the way he came from. Towards the trade road, and the trees, and the hill on the otherside of it.
"Into the trees" says the person still holding the arm of Tovis the war engineer. Running into the cover of the trees with two out of control cockatrice nearby sounds like an excellent idea to the young engineer.
Baron Harkonin's war engineer glances to the side, and see others on the trade road, heads down, running from where the war machines are.
He hopes his apprentice Larm has fled too, and hasn't looked at the eyes of the cockatrice.
The war engineer runs between the first of the trees, and slows down as the person next to him slows down, and let's go of his arm, and says "Should be safe now" followed by "Just don't look back across the trade road, what with those cockatrice still over there".
After nodding, Tovis the war engineer says "Thanks" the young engineer lifts his head to look at the person standing next to him. When all of a sudden, something hits him in the back of the head, and he blacks out. As he does, Tovis is pretty sure someone catches him, stopping him from falling onto the ground . . . . . .