AA3 53 - Atonement II (Kai)

The information Macha had given them on the Darjee camp was both useful and lacking at the same time.

The Witch’s crows had flown high in the sky, giving her an unparalleled view of the area, but leaving them without many specifics. She’d since sent more crows in to try and gather more information, but the Darjee seemed to have some way to detect and destroy them.

Thankfully, the crows were some sort of magical creation of hers, so there was always more ready to be sent.

This lack of actionable information meant that they were going to go with a brute force approach initially, trusting in their strength to see them through.

It wasn’t the best plan, and Kai had made his concerns abundantly clear, but the Darjee were clearly tracking them and their progress through the forest.

Splitting up in these circumstances invited the enemy to focus all their efforts on just one group, which would be a disaster.

Privately, Kai felt that the same knowledge of their location meant that the direct approach was almost guaranteed to cost lives, but he understood their reasoning.

Taking a breath, Kai cycled Aether into Essence and quietened his mind. They had cast the die now, and he could see the clearing Macha had spoken of up ahead.

It was time to see if their resolve outweighed whatever traps awaited them.

A bellowing roar and the distant sound of battle came from up ahead as the first elements of their attack force encountered the Darjee defences.

The majority of the thearns and shieldguard would be concentrated on that main push, with the Chosen acting as a vanguard to blunt the impact of any warbeasts or Bone Thralls.

In the meantime, Verdan and the Witches would provide long-range support while dealing with any Bonecallers that cropped up.

Or at least, that was the plan.

The section of the attack force containing Verdan and Kai finally exited the woods, giving the Sorcerer his first glimpse of the Darjee stronghold for their recent efforts.

Kai had been anticipating some form of Kranjir settlement or outpost that the Darjee had taken over, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, the main section was a collection of stone structures grouped together atop a small flat-topped hill in the centre of a large clearing.

It was hard to tell from here, but those structures gave Kai the impression of those he’d seen that had been made purely from magical techniques rather than built by more traditional means.

Around the hill and at its base lay a sprawling mass of tents, bringing the whole settlement to close to the same size as Dunkirn. The sheer numbers involved told Kai that there were plenty more Darjee left to fight.

Fortunately, there were no walls or fortifications around the chaotic mass, which made sense from what Kai had seen so far. The Darjee didn’t exactly seem to be the type to favour fighting from a distance.

Even now, a steady stream of Darjee was boiling out of those tents and rushing down to the approaching Kranjir. The closest of them had already made contact, and with each moment, more joined the fray.

The disorganised charge was lending itself to the Kranjir at the moment, as the Chosen were able to focus on any larger threats as a group.

It wouldn’t last, though. Kai could see a trio of Guzzgars coming from the far side of the settlement and a cluster of Bone Thralls amongst the stone buildings.

Ash wolves were trying to outflank the Kranjir as well, but the Pathfinders were keeping them at bay for the moment. The wolves were keeping to the trees to avoid being picked off by the archers, but if they got too close, they could cause a serious issue.

“I sense two main sources of abyssal energy,” Verdan said, gesturing over to the Darjee settlement. “The main source is at the centre of those stone buildings, but there is a secondary one at the edge of the settlement to the south.”

“Any idea what they are?” Gwen asked, sparks of lightning playing along her arms as the clouds overhead began to drift together.

It was always impressive to watch Gwen’s magic in action, even if it made Kai feel a bit underpowered in comparison. His fire and wind were perfectly suited to him, but the ability to call down torrents of lightning was something else entirely.

“The one in the centre feels like the Gormagyr, though it’s far greater than before. The other feels more like a group of Bonecallers working in concert, perhaps a ritual of some kind.”

"That explains why those Bone Thralls have yet to come forward,” Hedda said, looking to Verdan. “How should we act?”

“Whatever ritual they’re performing needs to be undone,” Verdan said firmly before glancing over to the wolves at the edge of the woods. “We can’t let those ash wolves draw focus from the main fight either.”

“The Chosen are pushing for the centre. They’ll need support against the Bone Thralls and the Gormagyr,” Kai said, his gaze resting on the Bone Thralls as his Essence stirred hungrily. “You and Gwen should deal with the Bonecallers and wolves. I’ll assist the Chosen.”

The Gormagyr would die this day, and he intended it to be his spear that dealt the final blow.

“No, you’ll need a bit more support than that with all those Bone Thralls. Gwen and Hedda, you accompany Kai and deal with the Gormagyr.” Verdan said, nodding to the two Witches as he spoke. “In the meantime, Magnus, Arlai and Beska will come with me to deal with the ritual.”

Magnus and the two Hex Witches looked a little surprised by Verdan’s statement, but Kai understood what he was doing. Keeping the weakest of the group with him let Verdan watch over them while still having some support.

“Agreed, those Bone Thralls are quite tough, and I’m concerned about what else is in there,” Gwen said, voicing Kai’s concerns.

While they were talking, a few Thralls had been emerging from a few set areas to join the fight, but not many, and none from the top of the hill. The Bone Thralls that they’d seen were still at the edge of the stone structures, simply watching the fight.

The Thralls were holding back for some reason, and that sort of change in behaviour was never a good thing.

“Wait, what about us?” Dirk asked, gesturing to Benlen, Barb and the Mhorgain thearns.

“Don’t forget about me either,” Macha said, the crow on her shoulder cawing in emphasis.

“I need all of you to work with the Pathfinders and deal with the wolves. Dirk, use your shield to protect the thearns while Macha helps you track them down and strike from unseen angles.”

Kai hid a smile as Dirk blinked in surprise and shared a slightly shocked look with the crow Witch. Clearly, neither of them had expected to be given such an important role.

“Understood, Master, you can rely on us,” Dirk said, squaring his shoulders and lifting his chin.

“I know I can,” Verdan said, a flicker of pride crossing his face before he looked over to Kai. “Be careful up there. I’ll support you as fast as I can, but it will take time.”

Kai nodded and shared a nod with Verdan before setting off at a jog, Gwen and Hedda rushing along behind him.

The Kranjir had made good progress, but now that they were in full contact with the Darjee, they were starting to slow down as resistance grew.

The Chosen had split up to fight independently, allowing them to deal with any areas of high resistance but stopping them from boring to the centre as fast as before.

“Focus your attention on the centre. We need to push for the top of the hill!” Kai called out to the two Witches as he let a thread of his fire Essence out of his core.

Control and endurance would be key here; he needed to be fast and hit hard, but only enough to put him beyond the average Darjee.

Flaming Essence touched Kai’s blood and surged through him, even this small amount making his heart quicken as the freedom and passion of fire suffused him.

Jarn and Anag were fighting side by side at the very tip of the Kranjir assault, both with fierce grins as they challenged each other to reach new heights.

Breezing through the shieldguard supporting their Captain, Kai struck the closest band of Darjee like a crimson thunderbolt, the force of his arrival letting his spear cut through one of the dog-faced creatures with a single swing before reversing the swing and putting his spike into the eye of another.

“Sorcerer Kai, good of you to join us!” Jarn called out as he backhanded a Thrall aside and crushed its chest.

“We need to push to the top of the hill. The Gormagyr are there!” Kai shouted back as he dodged the claws of one of the Darjee. He liked his new armour, but Darjee claws were as strong as metal and razor-sharp.

“Here that, Anag,” Jarn shouted excitedly as he plunged into a pack of Darjee that had come to stall their advance, his thearns charging in behind him to join the vicious melee. “Govannon favours us with this challenge!”

Thunder rumbled overhead, and lightning flashed as Gwen joined the battle, blinding their enemies and knocking them aside with gusts of wind.

The Captain wrenched her spear free from a fallen Darjee and lifted it high “You heard the Chosen; vengeance for our people lies at the top of this hill. Forward, for the Clan!”

A bull-throated roar came from the nearby Kranjir as they pushed forward, meeting the Darjee head-on with righteous fury as they paved the way for the rest.

Images of the captives they’d rescued flicked through Kai’s mind as he ignited his spear, his own anger surging and pushing him forward.

The Darjee were too spread out to put up a stiff resistance, and what little they did was ground underneath the relentless advance of the furious Kranjir and the burning Sorcerer at their head.