Danica Pt. 11

The attack occurred three hours before dawn: a swarm of monsters, magic, and hurled boulders. The men and women of the Forge had prepared well, and the defenders were able to hold – if only barely. The reinforcement of the walls and gates likewise proved sufficient to keep the monsters at bay.

The first hints of dawn found the defenders still holding, but weary. The companions hurried from place to place during the night, using their stronger enchanted weapons to destroy the demons that flew over the walls to attack. More men fell to the handful of demons than to any other attack from the hordes of monsters.

The defenders looked with exhaustion upon the attacking hordes as the light of day revealed the swarm. Despite the number of monsters killed, the horde still appeared endless. At least two thousand monsters remained on the field of battle, and the defenders were weakening far quicker than the hosts of evil creatures were.

The companions in particular were on the edge of falling over from exhaustion. They had defeated no less than seven of the deadly demons since the beginning of the attack. No demons had attacked for an hour, and Danica prayed that meant that they had destroyed all the hellspawn.

The monsters pulled back beyond arrow range, and formed up for a final deadly assault. Tight knots of ogres and warrior goblins surrounded the ogre magi, to protect the spell casters. The tireless undead moved to the head of the forces, ignoring the few arrows that thudded into their dead flesh, though a few went down before the order to cease fire passed amongst the defenders.

Danica saw the three wizards exit the woods at the rear of the horde, carried upon shaded pavilions borne by monsters. Everyone summoned up reserves of strength and courage to make a last stand, knowing that there was no way they could possibly repulse the enemy in their exhausted state, especially with the fresh and rested wizards joining the fray.

Then, the sound of a horn blast from the East broke the monotony of the eager snarls from the horde of monsters. The defenders’ spirits sank, thinking the sound heralded another fresh group of monsters arriving to join in the battle. A spark of hope flared to life within the men and women of the Forge when the monsters reacted as if to a threat, not reinforcements.

An army marched at double time down the road toward the Training Grounds. At the head of the forces marched a spearhead of stocky dwarves. Fifty dwarven berserkers formed the tip of the spear formation. The deadly razor edged armor of the dwarves and an incredible ability to ignore both wounds and magic made a single berserker a dangerous opponent for twenty men. The remainder of the stout folk equaled three hundred. The dwarves bore a standard depicting a hammer striking sparks on an anvil.

Despite his exhaustion, Griffith whooped a cheer, "Ironanvil! King Geflon has sent his lads to save our hides!"

Behind the dwarves followed a loose group of cavalry and infantry. The forces all appeared to be sell swords, having nothing that identified them as any sort of close-knit group. These irregulars numbered around two hundred. The human warriors charged ahead of the Dwarves with wild abandon once the monsters advanced to attack the new threat. The stout dwarves doubled their speed, breaking into a run without losing the spear formation.

The monsters charged, thinking to overwhelm the defenders and the newcomers, as one group was exhausted, and the other did not have the protection of the walls. The monstrous army reacted with surprise when the warriors that reached them first broke from their charge to tear at the edges of the horde with spells, arrows, and blades. The irregulars never remained still, never committed to direct combat if possible. The warriors swarming around them distracted the monsters, and thus the creatures were not fully prepared when the dwarven spear formation hit them.

The dwarves tore into the host like an arrow. The stout warriors cut directly into the heart of the battle, monsters falling on all sides. The defenders on the walls attacked with renewed hope, finding strength that they didn't have to send spells and arrows over the wall. Many fighters, led by the Commander himself, formed up near the gate and prepared to charge. Everyone knew their only hope lay in not giving the monsters a chance to get over the surprise of the attack.

The Commander charged out with his men to join the fray moments later. The dwarves continued to push through the host, leaving a trail of death in their wake. The monsters had no opportunity to attack at the dwarves’ backs, because the fighters outside and the defenders rushing from the complex fell upon them.

The wizards at the rear of the horde sent their deadly spells into the battle, felling defenders and monsters alike. The wizards commanding the army recognized the danger, and knew they had to take a hand. They concentrated their magic upon the never faltering spear of Dwarves charging straight at them.

Their magic rolled off the dwarves like water off a duck's back.

Danica knew that the dwarves must have some sort of magical protection in addition to the race’s natural resistance to magic and sheer determination in battle. Few fell, and the attack did not falter, continuing to press onward through the chaos toward the wizards.

A great cheer went up from the defenders when the dwarves drew near the wizards. Spells exploding and swarms of monsters made it impossible to truly see what was happening despite the high vantage on the wall. The monsters on the field began to lose their determination and retreat toward the woods. The fighters on the ground harried them every step of the way.

As suddenly as it had begun, it was over. The defenders collapsed, many falling asleep where they sat. The companions were amongst this group. They fell into an exhausted slumber, but did so with wide smiles on their faces. They knew they had survived, and it was likely the monstrous army was broken by the unexpected aid from the east.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Some days later, the companions were asked to come to the war room to meet with the Commander and others. Danica gasped when she entered, because she recognized two of the people there by description, even if she had never met them. A black bearded dwarf with a fierce expression could only be King Geflon Ironanvil himself, an ally of Darkniciad, and thus someone who knew her sister. A broad warrior, half-goblin by the tone of his skin and his pointed ears, could only be Mindblind – also someone who knew her sister.

A vision interrupted Danica’s surprise and delight, a vision that she assumed only she could see, since nobody else reacted to it. The image of Zoraster warned, "Reveal not yourself to them, or your punishment – and that of others – will be great."

Danica felt her hope deflate into resignation. Those gathered all sat down to relate first hand what Danica and the others had heard in bits and pieces as everyone recovered.

Geflon spoke first. "Well, I'm sittin' around, goin' through a mess of me duties, when this lad comes in wit' a letter from Griffith. I'ze sick an' tired of dealin' wit' the petty squabbles an' rot, so I tell'z everyone it's somethin' important I need to get to right away. I didn't have no idea I'ze tellin' the truth when I said it.

"Griffith was tellin' meself about the blade ye had discovered in the hands of a stinkin' orc. Now me lads ain't been in a good scrap for a bit now, an' they was gettin' soft. Seein' as how these critters kilt somebody who had been given a masterblade, I decides ta gather up me lads an' see what we kin do about payin' 'em back." The dwarf’s bearded face broke into a wide smile.

Geflon continued, "Long the way, I sent me some lads inta Fightershaven to see if’n Mindblind wanted ta come out and play too. It didn't take ‘im long to get a bunch a roughnecks ta come a running on our heels. When we got here, we hit the bastards hard an' just kept a runnin'. We'd seen them damn wizards, knew they was there from Griffith's tellin', an' we knew the damn spell hurlers hadda go.

"Now me lads, we got us some clerics, an' they called up t' power o' our gods ta protect us from damn magics when we come a chargin' in. I'm for wishin' ye coulda seen the look on them wizard’s faces when we hit 'em. One of 'em got away, used some damn magic ta vanish, but me berserkers chopped the other two up inta lil' bits. Them damn critters took to their feet then. We chased 'em all until there weren't no more to chase. Near as we can tell, they ran straight through that wood an' right on out the other side."

The Commander smiled and confirmed, "Indeed, from what my scouts and the war wizards tell me, there are very few creatures in the wood – at least compared to the hordes we faced. They are scattering back to their holes. The threat is nearly ended. It will take some time to send the rest to hell or running, but they'll not be any real threat again. We have the Companions of the Forge to thank in no small way for our surviving long enough for you to arrive."

The half-goblin leader of the sell swords spoke up then, "This place has done me a damn fine service over the last several years. Fightershaven is a damn crazy place, but the boys you've trained here are starting to have a positive influence on the rest of the rabble. When you're trying to control a city that's all but a glorified mercenary waypoint, it's a damn pleasure to see a higher class of sell sword around."

The Commander approached Mindblind, addressing him by his real name and title, "Duke Cerebus, I have long thought we could discover many mutual benefits were we ever to have the chance to sit down and speak. I would like to do so if you are willing."

"I've been thinking about building up something to train my army and my militia. We've got Drax on our border constantly making trouble. I've got good men, but just don't have a setup like you've got here."

"We'll work something out. I'm positive we could both benefit by sharing resources. Please convey my thanks to King Thakkorias as well."

Mindblind laughed. "He'll get the thanks and the information I took off here at the same time. I just grabbed that lot of rabble and shook some gold at them when Geflon showed up. I had the same itch Geflon did. I just needed to get away from the day-to-day boredom. My wife is watching over the Duchy. She'd have come as well, and left the Chancellor and Arilee to keep things under control, but she's too far along with our next kid to be traipsing across the countryside. She was still pouting though, and I'm going to owe her a vacation from our duties since I ran off to have fun without her."

"Your idea of fun is rather unique," the Commander offered with a smile, and then laughed. The Duke joined him in that laughter, as did the rest of those assembled.

The Companions all smiled as Mindblind and his group, and Geflon and the two dwarves with him turned to nod an acknowledgment. One of the dwarves stepped forward and walked to where Brandon and Griffith sat side-by-side. The dwarf looked hard at Brandon, especially the sword on Brandon’s hip. He then turned to Griffith, "He's weildin' the blade with honor? Doin' me craftin' proud?"

Griffith nodded. "Aye, I'm for thinkin' few humans are as deservin' o' that blade as Brandon. He makes out ta be a scalawag, but he don't fool nobody what kin see the true heart of a warrior born."

The Dwarf nodded, and then turned to Brandon. "The man what I made that blade for was a rare one. Me teeth grit thinkin' that some buncha filthy orcs swarmed 'im under an' took it – an' his life, for suren' he wouldna have let me finest craftin' fall to 'em if he still drew breath. Wield it well, an' cut down every filthy orc ye see with it, ta avenge one o' the few humans I was ever willin' ta put up with." The dwarf said the last in such a way that one couldn’t help but recognize it as a gruff bluff. Danica knew that the previous owner of the blade had surely been a good friend of the dwarf.

Brandon said, with unusual sincerity, "I will wield this fine blade with honor. I struck down the one who stole it, but ever are there orcs threatening people of all races. I shall be as a bane to them wherever I may go."

The dwarf smiled. "Aye, I'm for thinkin' ye will."

They spoke of the battles for a while longer. Mindblind and Geflon would be leading their forces home the next morning. Feros and Griffith revealed to the rest of the companions that they would stay in their camp with the dwarves, and would leave with them. Cheron instantly latched on to Mindblind, and she decided to journey with them as well. She expressed even greater interest when she learned that Mindblind's half-brother was a Heraklan of great renown, Vladamir. Janelle, Bear, and Venaru would return to their teaching, with Terran returning to the college. Nara and Mara were to return to their wanderings looking for warriors to bring to the school. Zoraster contacted Celes to inform her to return within the week as well. Danica knew she had another task here that Zoraster had not yet revealed to her.

The Companions of the Forge were going their separate ways.

The companions returned one last time to the Fortress. They celebrated and reminisced, enjoying their time together and vowing to try to meet here yearly after the Midwinter celebration. That night, when the dwarves left with their things to go to the dwarven camp, and Celes returned to her room in the complex, the remainder of the Companions shared a final fellowship.

Everyone had spent intimate moments together before, but Cheron managed to somehow, between her sultry words and far too much wine, coax them all into disrobing and enjoying each other together. Orgies were not uncommon amongst the Heraklans, but it was a new and incredibly intense thing for the rest. For hours, they shared each other's bodies on the blankets and mattresses piled on the floor.
Danica could remember few details once it was over. They all awoke lying together where they had collapsed of exhaustion. It took them many hours to part.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Danica returned to her room in the main complex of the Forge with a heavy heart. She knew that another task awaited her, this time without companions to stand with her.

Celes revealed that she planned to return to Zoraster's complex that day. She had left some things half finished, and wanted to get back to them. She also felt saddened by the breakup of the Companions of the Forge, and knew that staying here would remind her constantly of that loss.

When Celes left, Danica sat down to talk with Brandon. “What do you plan to do?”

Brandon shrugged and replied, “No idea. Zoraster told me to accompany you, so I’m with you until you leave.” His smile revealed that the prospect of remaining with her wasn’t an unwelcome prospect.

That lightened Danica's spirits a little.

Zoraster trampled her hopes when he arrived not long after. He walked into the room without the couple even noticing his arrival. They both started when he spoke. "Brandon, you have served well. Return to the complex through the portal in Danica's lab. Know you have served me well, and shall be well compensated. I imagine I shall find other work for you now that you have revealed the full extent of your abilities."

Brandon nodded to Zoraster, offered Danica a last smile, and then walked to the portal as instructed.

Zoraster and Danica locked eyes in a staring contest. Zoraster smiled and said, "Know you have served me well also, little rose. It is a pity they managed to marshal their stinking hordes. I was eager to see if you could capture any of the other four who conspired against me. Marlena is proving to be a most interesting young woman." He then laughed and Danica felt a chill run through her.

"I had thought I might have to personally intervene here when the final attack commenced. I feared the place lost. This enterprise is too important to my plans to allow to fall. Fortunately, Geflon and his midgets, and Mindblind and his vagabond sell swords prevented the need. I did not wish to so overtly play my hand here, showing the importance of this place to me. Your task is half complete, and well done. Are you ready to embark on the next part of your task?"

"Just tell me what I'm supposed to do," Danica snapped.

Zoraster laughed. "Ah – there's some fire. Very well, little rose – your task is to glean through those who sell their bodies in the House of Women. You are to find the most skillful and interesting of them, and coax them into my employ. They will be paid by me instead of relying on their own charms to make their living. Any who refuse, you are to send away. I am sending one to oversee them, and she will aid you when necessary. I want at least thirty young, attractive women, and at least two young handsome men working for me in that house before your task is complete.

“Find the disadvantaged and offer them hope in the coin I will pay. Bring them here and fill my house. You shall have the freedom to move about the farmsteads and villages of the area to seek them out. You will know if you have traveled beyond the set boundaries, I assure you. When you have filled the house, return and your task shall be complete – your freedom granted to you. Do feel free to sample those you bring into my employ. I rather enjoy watching."

"I understand," Danica responded in a dismissive tone.

Zoraster laughed again. "Ah – yes, yes – let the fire in your eyes match your fiery hair. Just remember, send that fire against me in more than words and glances and your punishment will be severe. Good day, little rose." With that final warning, the Archmage turned and left.

Only a few minutes later, a knock sounded on Danica’s door. Danica opened the door to find Zoraster’s promised Madam. She and Danica went to the house, and there they sat in the back room to watch the women at work. The Madame knew her trade well, and she quickly pointed out those who should stay and those who should go. They selected twenty women before the day ended, all of whom agreed to Zoraster's new arrangement. The Madam sent the rest of the prostitutes away and told them not to return.

Danica then moved into the city of Oakhaven to seek out more. She found two young men the Madame deemed suitable the first day in the city, and enticed five women from the local bawdy houses into Zoraster's employ.

With the possibilities in the city exhausted, Danica moved out into the countryside to seek out the hopeless. She filled the last spot in Zoraster’s house some two weeks later. Danica took great care to find those who truly had few other options in life and could truly benefit from the offer she had to make. She went about the task with a heavy heart, though. Somehow, she knew that Zoraster had more in store for the House of Women than he revealed.

With her task was complete, Danica returned to Zoraster's complex, and her familiar rooms.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Zoraster smiled, satisfied to have yet another house of whores under his complete control. Each house of ill repute would prove useful once he winnowed through the chaff to locate those who would serve him in a greater capacity.

Every element, every level of society had a place in Zoraster’s plan. His agents would be within every nook and cranny of the world before he acted.

Sitting back in his chair, Zoraster considered Danica, deciding to hold her back for some time. The encounter with the half-breed and the Dwarf could prove troublesome under the wrong circumstances, and it would be best if she were away from the stage of his great play for a while.