Dark Age Of Camelot: A Dark Age (Part IV)

Author: Jeeshadow
Date: 10/09/04
A Dark Age (Part IV)

Heathe gritted his teeth as he sank his longsword into the back of the troll. It was like trying to cut into marble, he only cleaved the skin by a few inches. It didn't even stop the troll from pulling the arms off the archer he was grappling with.
Since the corner tower had fallen the battle had decidely turned for the worse. The trolls came in first climbing the tower walls to deal with the archers. They took a few down but not near enough before they scattered. The dwarves and savages came next in heavy armor. At first the tide turned favorably for the soldiers as Erysai had recovered enough to work with Damon to deal with the hordes entering the courtyard. Damon would put everyone to sleep then Erysai would hurl balls of fire at each one lighting them up like roman candles. The wildlings would scream in terror as they rolled on the ground, but wizard's fire consumed only, it would not extinguish. At the same time General Burke, a picture of calm in the chaos, ordered his troops to coordinate their attack on the larger animals. Always three men for every troll, axeman, or bezerker, they would hack and saw anything that came through the hole.
It started to go downhill after Erysai died. Heathe didn't see it happen but heard from a frantic soldier that a demon in the shape of an elf had "appeared" and ran the old wizard through with a sword that looked like lightening. Damon had to sacrifice his pet archer girl just to get away from the abomination. When the old wizard died a huge blast of wind shook the very walls of Renaris, giving everyone pause. Even the wildlings hesitated in fear for a few seconds, but on seeing that it was a dead wizard, they seemed to renew their efforts to take the courtyard.
The troll backhanded the armless scout off the wall before slowly turning around to face Heathe. He swung an axe larger than Heathe in a full arc towards his head. But it was a slow swing that Heathe easily dodged. At the end of the arc Heathe again tried to sink his sword into the thick skin of the huge animal. "Its like fighting a tree!" he muttered under his breath. The point of his sword barely breaking the skin at the troll's ribs.
"Fall back to the Keep!" Burke yelled and blew his horn in three short blasts. "Fall back to the Keep!"
Heathe barely dodged another blow from the axe that burst through the tower stone sending shards of dust and rock down the cliff. "Little late to get out of this one!" He backed up a little hoping to catch the troll off balance. The axe rose high in the air and came hurtling down towards his head. Instead of rolling away, he rolled forward and slammed his sword straight down into the foot of the beast. He broke the skin! The troll reared back to roar in pain. Heathe slipped out his knife from his boot and holding it with both hands lurched straight up into the troll's chin. The troll's scream was cut short as the knife found one of the few soft spots on the beast.
Instantly the troll dropped his axe and brought his arms around Heathe, giving him a good squeeze. The lover's embrace knocked all the air from Heathe as he squirmed to release himself from the grip of the troll. Everything flashed bright blue as lightening crashed into the tower wall beside them. The rain came down in buckets so that one could only see a few feet in front of him. Yet there were fires everywhere.
Heathe could feel himself starting to black out as the troll continued to squeeze while its throat made a gurgling sound with the knife still stuck in it. After what seemed like an eternity, the animal's gripped lessoned slightly as its eyes rolled back. Heathe gasped for air as his lungs were freed. "Thank the gods! oh....ah damn!"
With Heathe still in its clutches, the huge beast toppled over the tower wall. Both of them falling as one 30 feet to the mud below. Heathe saw black and knew no more.

(To be continued....)