GRM-01

Chapter One

status: in progress · part two not yet posted

I liked my new musket. It was well made, waxed and had a detachable bayonet. Shot straight.

Took me right in the chest. My breastplate saved me, but it fucking hurt. Shield took the next shot. Clipped it somewhere up top and to the right. 3 second reload. He was good.

I figured he'd go low next, or bluff. Take a leg, lame me first. Or wait for a flinch and take my head. I prefer swinging with both arms anyway. As soon as he clipped the shield I was cocking it back. Spun it right at his fucking chest.

Crushed it.

He went right down. Followed up with a low swing. He didn't have to scream, his collapsing face crunched loudly enough. Done.

I spun around. It was clear.

I picked up my shield. A splurge of the soldiers' insides came with it. Stringy. The shield had been with me a while. It was made from aged oiled oak with a steel rim. I kept the outside edge sharp. Once, it had a crude painting of a unicorn on it. Now that was just a faded blue smudge where the blood had missed. I slipped it on the belt hook.

I found the straps of my chestpiece and slipped my hand in the gap. I could feel swelling where the plate was dented and struck my chest. Right on my heart. That was a fucking good shot. If I was in leather, I would be a goner.

I pulled my hand free, adjusted my cloak and looked around. The enemy had fallen or were running. Their white cloaks were stained red where they bled or brown where they shit themselves. Not my favourite kind of battle. Wasn't to gain land or defend it. We had already won the war. This last week we have been chasing a retreat. Cleanup duty. The only cleanup which ends dirtier than when you started.

Below me the man with the caved in face lay on his back, one leg folded the wrong way underneath him. Almost got me you wee fucker. 'Almost' ain't much if you don't follow up. I noticed the silvery-wood stock of the musket sticking up, the rest was beneath his body or stuck in the mud, Took a good yank to bring it free, his body rolling away. My leather gloves became sticky as I wiped off the mud. The gun was well made with carvings of lions along its barrel. Carvings of the enemy. Some sand and leather would work that out, nice and smooth.

The priests of the Red Tree had been explicit. The enemy had some misguided ideas about the world. Dangerous ideas that had to be cleansed. Ideas that would permeate their possessions, curse them. We had strict instructions not to loot.

Fuck that. The crew hadn't been paid in a month. I've taken nothing for two. We are owed, and a pat on the head from a priest aint buying me a ship.

I thanked the corpse for the musket and walked away..

"Kenrick". I looked around. He better not be dead.

I was in the middle of what looked like an angry and muddy sea, frozen mid-surge. Wizards tricks scarred the land with craters and gouges. There wasn't a bit of flat. Bodies and dead horses littered the landscape. The crows were already feasting.

No white-cloaks in sight. Well no standing ones anyway. Kenrick wasn't far. He was bent over something dead, picking through its things.

"Kenrick," I shouted. He looked over. "Are the others in position"

"How the fuck would ah know Grimmy. I've been down here saving your ass"

"Then why the fuck are you looting?"

"Am no looting. I am topping up on tools. Running a little thin."

He has a point. I look around. Picked up a few daggers. One was elven, maybe worth something. I also spotted 2 wraps of jerky. I stowed one in my belt and chewed the other."

"Well finish up and lets go"

Kenrick came jogging over with some sort of sceptre in his hand. It was the length of a staff but thick. Carved to look like a mooring rope, gold and on top was the carving of a lion with 3 heads. All roaring.

"Hope your not bringing a cursed religious stick into our army Kenrick"

"Ach naw Grim, knees playing up, needed a walking stick"

"Dont think that will pass with an idol to blasphemy on top"

"Right enough"

Kenrick stopped, smashed the thing down onto a corpse's helmet, the 3 headed Lion split off. Kenrick picked it up and hid it under his chain mail shirt.

"Sorted"

"Not worried about a priest calling you out on that stick?"

"Ach naw, Priests are already back in the city congratulating each other. You're not worried about your pretty riffe?"

I felt a smirk on my face. "I think I may be developing a dodgy ankle, figured I needed a crutch"

"Aye, seems to be going around." he bellowed loudly at his own joke.

It was good to hear him alive. Half expected to be dead myself.

Half a day ago we arrived at the tower. The land around it had been a vast sprawling flower garden with thin streams crisscrossing to keep it all watered. It was quite beautiful. Then the wizards got involved. Shit got blown up. At one point the air was so thick with debris some of us started choking.

Our job was to breach the tower. Capture or kill the resident sorcerer and close off this war for good. The squad was somewhere ahead, digging tunnels and priming explosives. We had no interest on bringing that wizard fucker home. That's a lot of risk. We decided to keep it simple. Rather than breaking in and dealing with all the magical fuckery, we'd bring him down to us. And his rigged tower with him.

Me, Kenrick and Ally had the job of rear-guard. Should've been a formality but they must have caught wind of our plan. Twelve came at us. Mostly really old or really young. Seemed easy enough till the muskets came out. I only noticed the rifles when Ally coughed up some blood before hitting the dirt face first. Didn't even draw his blade. After that me and Kenrick were cautious, using enemies as meat shields while we forced ourselves into the musket lines. At some point we got split, not ideal, but we survived.

We set off to join the rest of the crew. If they hadn't moved on already we'd hold the position while they made the next push. We went quiet and low over a muddy crest. I scanned the battleground. A few white cloaks were being harassed by groups from our side. They were no threat considering we outnumbered them twenty to one. Most of our companies were clear through to the tower and trying to smash their way in, through the thick stone walls.

The tower was maybe a hundred feet across, round and doorless. It rose high up, windowless, to a flat roof that looked out over rolling white. Or so they say. From where I was standing I had to crank my neck back to follow it up to where it met the clouds. The view was probably right but I couldn't see the top. If you believe the Red-Tree mob, that is where they cast vile magics that perverts nature. Around the head of the tower is reported to sit a crown of spikes. And on a clear day you can see them glinting in the sun.

Kenrick was prone, flat on the ground taking in the scene. His new walking stick was smeared in mud and strapped to his belt. A burst of rain and you'd see the gold underneath but it would do for now. My musket was strapped tight.

"Looks like we are the last company to reach the tower"

"Aye, need to get them clear though before we blow it"

"Whos covering?"

"Scroll-Worm, look" I pointed to the side of the tower where a figure dressed in yellow was approaching the companies besieging the tower.

"He's not exactly stealthy in that garb is he?"

"No, but he's never been caught. Maybe knows something we don't"

"Could do Grim, could do. Fucking doubt it though. Likely just dumb luck"

"Well if Scroll-Worm is already there it seems the plan is going well"

"Aye and Krlac from the Blue-Stags has got some ale stashed for the march home. I can taste it already"

"The stuff he found in the basement of the keep?"

"Aye, dunno how but they smuggled it out before the priests could claim it"

"Well thats music to my ears"

Screeeeeetch.

High above a wretched noise screamed through the air. I looked up to the tower. Shadows moved within the clouds, then they billowed and something huge fell out. It was a blur. It hit the ground with an almighty boom, and sent a spray of blood into the air like a splash. The other companies were gone, Scroll-worm was gone. And in their place was a spiked metal crown that surrounded the tower. I froze. I felt the breeze from the impact scratch over me. It was hot and damp. A pulse later the contraption slowly started moving back up like it was being hoisted by invisible ropes.

At the base of the tower, the spray settled into the newly formed moat. The falling crown must have been 30 feet thick and as It retreated I could see its underside was dense with muddy spikes.

"What the fuck was that?" I'd never heard Kenrick so shocked.

"Fucking wizards, and a waste of good fighting folk" i whispered back

"Did..did you see Scroll-worm?"

"Aye. He didn't make it"

"Shit. Who was he?"

"Said he was named Brendan, came from the Scorched Isles"

"Don't look much like a Brendan to me. Poor bastard. What about the tunnel?"

"Dunno. Shovel said they were going down below twelve feet. Might be okay"

"Or might be fucked"

"Aye, might be fucked"

"If the tunnel's gone, what's next? I dont fancy trying to break in with that spikey fucker hanging over us"

"Job's the job. We'll get it done"

"Or die trying"

"Let's get back to the crew. They may need a hand."

By the time we snuck to the rendezvous, the news had reached them. The Fiend came right over.

"Hail friends. It pleases me to see you well."

"Aye, got a bit ropey there, but we pulled through" Kenrick was already adjusting to the wizards carnage.

"I notice Ally is missing. Shall I presume he has passed?"

Shit I forgot about Ally. Only been with the company for three months but he was well liked. I cleared my throat.

"The fuckers had muskets, Fiend. Didn't see it coming"

"That is unfortunate. He will be missed. Are you aware of the tower's defences?"

"Yeah, we saw it all. Fucking brutal"

"I have been told as much. We lost Scoop when the tunnel collapsed. Suffocated. We are almost done clearing out the debris."

"Good, so the tunnel holds?"

"The tunnel holds"

The crew moved out. Spark stayed behind to backfill Ally. The crew would move on to the tunnel and set up a perimeter. Once Shovel's folk had confirmed the tunnel was clear, Tobias and Senga would get in and rig up the foundations. When done we would all spit. Longblade, Braids, Scoundrel and Frosty would join us and we'd take the fuse back a good way before digging in. When the rest were clear, they'd signal. Then we bring that death-tower right fucking down. Easy.

* purge *

Almost there. Senga was out of the tunnel first, her braided red hair was now black with dirt. Tobias was next. He came right to us, his arm through the fuse-lines spool. He was deliberately pulling the fuse out as he walked rather than letting the spool free-spin. He handed it to Spark.

"Mind, feed it out slowly, don't pull or you'll snap the line. Don't fancy being crowned tonight if this plan fails"

"No worries Tobias" I said, "get yourself away. We got it from here"

I could feel Spark switch. She didn't like being told how to do things. She was ready for her knives. This was not the time for a tantrum.

"Right spark. Lets do this". I turned and started walking.

"Er, Grimmy" it was Kenrick. I turned back. He was standing straight, pointing at the tower.

"Aw fuck, MOVE"

Six feet up the tower a large dark portal had opened in the stone. A shield the height of the portal was emerging from it, dark red metal with an emblem. It was a golden cloak around a body of darkness, with Blue eyes glowing from where a face should be.

"We got Purge-Knights inbound"

I fucking hate these cunts.

Spark shot past me, Kenrick next. Braids and Scoundrel were already scouting ahead. Frosty was rolling up her sleeves and Longblade drew his sword.

"We got this, dont you dare fuck it up" Frosty called over her shoulder.

I turned and ran. I heard the scratching cry of the Knight as I pushed the fuse team onwards. "Keep fucking moving, dont break that fuse"

We crossed over another muddy crest and jumped down. Kenrick was crouched, waiting. I joined him as the others pushed on.

"Thought we cleared those Purge-fuckers back in Atinia?"

"Don't look like it." I grunted back.

"Did the fiend not dual one of them? Over at SingleFerry?

"Aye he did, on that bridge. Kept the rest of the soldiers stuck on the other side while the Brown-Tree's thinned them with arrows."

"So we got this, right?"

"Are you the fucking Fiend?"

"Well, no but.."

"Could you take The Fiend?"

"I mean…."

"No you fucking couldnt. This is bad Ken"

The knights were out, two of them. Eight feet of dark red platemail. An oversized sword in one hand, and a thick towershield in the other. In the gaps where you'd normally stick a man there was no flesh. Just a deep red mist. You had to cave in their thick metal helms to stop them moving. I gripped my mace a little tighter. Shit, I should be there instead of Longblade. Frosty should be able to slow them down at least.

I turned around again, Sparks had the rest of the fuse team crossing over the next crest. Couldn't see anything else that would slow them down. Except these damn knights.

"Kenrick" I demanded.

"I'm coming too Grimmy"

"No, I need you to make sure the fuse get lit and everyone is safe."

"I'll do the second bit. Make sure you, Longblade and Frosty are safe"

"I really need you too…."

"When the fuck did you get a promotion Grimmy"

"What?"

"Aye exactly, you're not the boss. How about you fuck off and I'l take on the knight"

"Fuck sake Kenrick, lets go"

Spark would see it done through pure spite. But she wasn't alone. Braids could hold a position in a stampede of oxen. Scoundrel, well if you saw her ahead of you in a fight you were already dead.

We vaulted the crest, sliding down the other side. Before we were inside the crater proper I caught a glimpse of Longblade in a low stance, he had both daggers out and he was dodging around a shield bigger than him. Shit, I gotta get there.

As I slid into the crater I felt the world around me grow quiet. I could hear the clinking of Kenrick to my side, his breathing heavy but controlled. At the bottom we were isolated from the rest of the chaos. I felt my focus shift, I could feel the exhaustion I'd been suppressing for this past month. My legs screamed at me to rest. No fucking time.

I started to climb the other side, legs burning. The screams of the dying grew louder and I reached the top. Longblade was gangling in the air, a broad blade through his chest. I watched as he slid down it. Fuck.

"That Longblade Gone?"

We kept running.

"Seems so."

"Francis Lemont, he was from Bright Bridge."

"Bright Bridge? With his accent?"

"I kno…. Watch out"

I got my mace up just in time, caught the blade but my structure was poor. Knocked the fucking thing back at me. Broke my own damn nose.

I barely saw him, a kid with a white cloak and a sword far too big for him. I struck back before I even knew my eyes were watering. An overhand shield bashed him into the ground. I heard his neck break.

"Where the fuck did he come from"

"Didnt see Grim. It better be the last of them or I'l fucking kill them all"

I wiped the blood from my face in agreement.

We kept running.

I could see frosty now, She was closer than Longblade but off to the side. She was having better luck. Her knights joints were already tinged blue. He was slow. She didnt have a killing blow in her but she could keep that one busy for a while yet. Good old elven magic.

"Watch.." Kenrick roared as he pushed me to the side. Something crashed between us and slid behind.

"What the.."

"Longblade"

I couldn't afford to look back. "Fuck"

The knight stood ahead of us, shield raised, his sword dripping by his side. Kenrick got there first, HIs hammer swinging wildly at the shield. Knocked it to the side as he ducked low to avoid the sword. He made me an opening, I ran wide of the knight, skipped in. Swung my mace at its knee. It's leg buckled, dropping down. Almost toppled but his planted shield held him up. Kenrick was back, big swing. Hit the shield hard, enough to lift it. It slid forward and the knight toppled. Sprawled face down.

I slid, I crouched. I sprang back, jumping high and bringing my mace right down on its fucking head.

Crushed it.

But not enough. It swung its sword across the ground, casting up dust as it skimmed over it. I jumped, just made it, but my shield was lower and got clipped. I spun in the air before landing on my face. My nose screamed at me. I screamed back and got to my feet. I turned away from the knight and just dived. No idea if it was the right move, just didn't want to waste time making the decision. Shield down first I tumbled, feet over head, just like I trained. Felt the blade swish past me. Good decision. I spun.

The knight was up again, but stumbling. Kenrick had added another dent to its helm and had knocked it forward. Ken was swinging again but the shield spun back at him, horizontally, hitting him hard in the gut. He buckled over.

My turn. With his shield thrown back, his chest was open. My mace was already moving, keeping momentum, when I saw the gap I sent it. His sword slid between us, took the power out of the blow, but I had the sword pressed to the knight's chest. Trapped. Right where I wanted him. I leapt in. My shield cocked back, then I punched forward. Hit the thing where its nose would be. Crushed the visor. He was looking bad. But not dead.

Kenrick took out a leg. He was down on one knee. I turned my shield and added downward pressure. It bent down. Kenrick's hammer came in hard. Dent. My mace swung next. Dent, it went deeper. Kenrick again, then me, then… shit Kenrick was down. The knight managed to swing his shield up, right under my jaw. I flew back tasting blood. Fuck.

I landed hard. Sprawled forward. I pushed myself up. Failed. Smacked my nose again. The world was a blurry mess of pain. I managed to blink my eyes back working. My body was still refusing. This was bad. I could hear Kenrick's grunt, then a thud behind me. This isn't going too well.

In the blurry distance, something moved. A light on the ground, it was getting closer.

The fuse was lit. Good girl.

Could always trust Spark to get the job done. Her having your back was a little more debatable. This time she got it right.

It was a few feet away, coming fast, I found the energy to roll over and face the Knight. I wanted to see it crushed when the tower fell.

The lit fuse passed by me, fizzing quickly to the side of the knight. A hundred feet more and the tower comes down.

The knight flicked his sword. Cut the fuse right before it passed him. Fuuuuck.

He was playing with me.

He lifted his sword and pointed it right at me. A challenge or a fucking joke? Kenrick was absent from my view. Clinking to my side told me Frosty was still holding.

I pushed myself up. My jaw flared in pain and I almost fell again. I could feel my cheek guard digging in. Bent.

"Come on ya red bastard. Do you kiss your mamma with them dents." I thought it was funny.

He charged in. I threw my shield at his head. I didn't expect it to do damage, but I needed it blind for a second. The knight brought up its shield to deflect mine, I took the opening, side stepped and charged hard. I got behind it and dove for the fuse, my shield hand grabbing the flint from my belt. I didnt even look behind me, just starting grinding it hoping sparks would find the fuse.

It lit up, I turned. My next job was protecting it.

The Purge-Knight was already standing over me, sword falling from a high guard. I flinched.

Then it turned, sword mid swing. It managed to redirect the momentum into a guard before a skull sized fist crashed hard into its chest, sending it flying back. Thank fuck.

He didnt even acknowledge me lying in a death pose. That would be 'bad form' to The Fiend.

I groaned myself back to my feet. My shield arm was numb aside from where its battered pauldron dug in. It took a while. When I looked over, the Fiend and the Knight were exchanging blows. It looked pretty damn even. Well, it would have been if Kenrick wasn't taking pot-shots at the knight as The Fiend made the openings. I think the boys have this one .

I looked around. Frosty was still keeping distance but I could see she was tiring. At the same time the blue hue on the knights joints were fading. It was getting faster.

Fuck it.

I found the energy from somewhere and charged to join her. She'd been waiting.

"Grimmy, fucking bash". Oh she knows me well.

I got into leaping distance, she changed her stance. Her delicate frost bitten hands pointed up, palms first. I lept. Its helm quickly frosted over in blue. My mace crashed hard. It shattered the Knights helm into a million pieces.

I landed badly, knee buckled. I was on my front again. I kept my head up. One more hit and I wouldn't have a nose. I heard the knight crash to the ground. A strange hollow tin-like noise.

Behind me I heard Kenrick applauding Fiend. They must have killed the other one.

"Whoof, didn't think we'd make it through that one. Thanks Frosty, can always trust you to hold the line."

She didn't respond. I looked over. She was on her back, the Knights sword between the two halves of her it had just made.

Ach, no.

I rolled over again, and watched the fuse fizz down and into the tunnel. I counted down to twenty, then smiled.

The ground rumbled.

BOOM!

Now I've seen many a wall come down thanks to Shovel's crew. This was different. The entire ground heaved up, tossed me with it, the silty mud turned dry in an instant, then it cracked. I landed hard. Winded. I doubted I would stand up again after this. Around me the ground was flat, the craters shuffled to entropy. Glad I wasn't caught in the bottom of one. Ahead, the base of the tower erupted in a storm of debris and dust. The sound was deafening. All around chunks of earth were raining down. The world was loud with the sound of carnage. Then it all settled. The tower was standing. I gave it a dirty look. Then the creaking came. Nerve grinding noises from inside the tower like an old iron gate slowly swinging open. Then chains, rattling together. Then the tower started to sway from the top down. It was going. And then it did.

Huge chunks of shaped rock started to fall from the clouds. Somewhere I heard a man scream. The ground was beating hard with crashing debris. Where a big section landed, water erupted before settling in surface puddles around them. The Tower shunted, a huge crack ruptured down the side facing me.

There was a thud and shuffling beside me. Maybe a rock had just missed.

"Ah so your alive then you Grim fuck". It was Kenrick.

"More so than most, but probably close to not being." I coughed instead of laughed. Iron tasting liquid bubbled up from my throat.

"You'l be fine man. You've had worse beating"

"Ive really not"

"Sure you have"

I fucken hadn't.

The tower creaked as it fell, sounding more metallic than stone. I could see the top of it now as it fell to my left. Looks like a flat roof right enough. When it hit the ground it... disappeared? I could see the ground folding around it. Shit. The tower kept crashing into the earth, from the top down. It looked like it was bending. The ground around the fallen portions continued to fold beyond the impact. The earth around it was caving in.

"We need to go I screamed at Kenrick"

He laughed. "Where the fuck to? It's the end of the world, Grimmy. Just kick back and enjoy it" That didn't sound like the Kenrick I knew.

I watched in horror as the tower in front of us crashed down and the blast of wind smacked into me. If I had been standing I would have fallen. But I did anyway as the ground gave way beneath me.

— part two not yet posted —