EarthBorn: First Days

SKY CHANGE

The Last Quarter

Dawn now past the mid morning come too early it will not last with the violet hue that come from the two moons eclipse all will be lasting twilight neither dark nor light, the sounds of the leafs colliding in the winds fade out vibrations ripple and tingle their booted feet in pulses of two...boom boom....boom boom, not far left to go Wayke can see the opening to the plain, they can hear the horde bustle but it is quiet for what they know lays ahead, the drums now shake the men’s whole bodies the trees seem to tremble and in an instant all falls totally silent, the end of the march, the knifes edge, exit of white and violet blinding in brilliance taking them onto the field as heroes...

Wayke shields his eyes as he passes through the light, his eyes adjust and the Awaiting Rock stack forces explode into bloodthirsty greeting and excitement, troops beast and King all take part in welcoming their quarry to their doom as certainty and clarity for what they truly face dawns on the Sapien troops as they walk out in a slow stream that is not of length, they can sight ranks upon ranks in block legions formed up on an incline across the field backed up against the tree line, armoured organized and purposed for one action, swordsman axe man pike man and Calvary on the flanks two tens of thousands strong the Sapien men frozen in awe of such a force, at this moment the grave mistake of meeting the Rock Stacks on an open field soaks their minds in doubt even Wayke himself.....

“FORM LINES BOWS AT THE READY HELMETS ON NOW!” ...the men snap from their daydream but look at Wayke lost in the overwhelming mass of hysterical hatred aimed at them...”FORM UP NOW!”...The men finally heed him and begin forming lines three hundred and fifty long and ten deep, the remaining five hundred Calvary take the right flank , Hillsiders on the left, they place their helmets over their heads and stand to attention, the armour is heavy not easy to bear the sun pulls sweat from their skin like life from blooming flower until browned and crispy, the mid calf length grass flattened by sweeping winds that bring moments of relief in the midst’s of such evil, the Rock stacks they fly banners of Adam and the one race proud, Wayke with the men formed turns to overlook the forces massed against them scanning the ranks for any he spots the Shepherds central to the horde with Mortem ready to lead his cave men into the fight, they do not commence with a charge, instead they order their artillery to unleash a barrage...

This artillery is not made from sources of nature it is formed of nature itself, trees stripped and carved to bear a load of stone drawn by a beast that use web as draw string, they secrete webbing from their abdomen onto the trunk tops before being lashed and harassed forward to put tension on the still rooted trees, when the maximum is reached they hold for the order the arachnids struggle to hold the strain...the arachnid beasts hold steady pulling their silk as taught as they can, the silence shattered by Mortems command it is as a lions roar...

“AHHH!”...a huge breathe the Rock stack blades come down to slice the silk releasing the built up energy in the trunks catapulting the projectiles high into sky at the Sapien lines...

“BREAK UP DO NOT LET THEM CRUSH YOU”...the huge boulders roll and turn through the air gaining more and more crushing momentum the Sapien troops widen their stance spreading out to avoid being obliterated by them, a moment where the air seems to disappear as the Sapien men look up at the stones as they barrel down on them, the impacts easily avoided in the loose formation none take direct hits but some scalded, the projectiles hit fragmenting and spraying molten rock shrapnel from their centres, only one goes down badly burnt skin peppered with deep instantaneous blistering...Mortem keeps up the barrage, the arachnids forced to draw the trees back time and time again the sapiens dodging and weaving taking cover behind their shield to halt any molten spray, the Rock stacks grow in eagerness, they continue to hurl insult and cheer with every impact and wounded Sapien cry of pain...

“BRING UP THE LINE BREAKERS!” ...

Mortems command dominates the field finally halting the barrage to Wayke and the Sapiens relief, the enemy front from the back separate making channels in the line to make way for wagons, cages containing a beast each they growl and rattle their cages itching to get at the sapiens they can see through their bars...

“DRAW BOWS”...Wayke shouts down the field to his loosely formed men whilst drawing his own bow ...”WAIT FOR MY ORDER TO SHOOT”...Mortem does not wait...

“LETEM GO!” ...He roars bringing his arm down fast, the beast keepers pull the pin on the cage, the war dogs explode like greyhounds out onto the turf their claws scrape the ground away beneath before gaining traction launching them towards the sapiens, Hounds grey furred blood eyes and tiger striped all fifty they close ground fast...

“READY”...Wayke nocks an arrow drawing his bow back hard the men try to copy but the longbows prove too powerful for most, Wayke picks his target, four hundred yards...”LOOOOOSE!” ...he roars letting their arrows fly, his own arrow sails true hitting the beast beneath it’s chin straight through the heart, the Hillsiders all competent bring several more down collectively hardly any sapiens make the volley the rest drop or misfire dangerously in all directions...”KEEP GOING”...Wayke continuously nocking and letting loose each arrow bringing down another with pin point accuracy, only two hundred yards left and there is not enough shots being fired to stop the hounds who’s predatory fineness sees them dodge any single arrows, Anuk slays three more with his native warriors bringing down six between them, fifty yards away, time has run out...”PIIIIIKKKKEEESSSS” ...Wayke draws his axe and slams his face guard down eyes charge to neon readiness the men dropping their bows and picking up their shields they close the ranks as fast as they can...but not fast enough, the remaining hounds tear through the few pikes that was able to form, Wayke felling two who came for him the un armoured Hillsiders take no loses only scratches, they rip and savage through the Sapien lines the men swinging and bashing wildly ,the only barrier between the men and the jaws of death is the steel plates many have jaw snapped bones, Wayke gets in amongst the men taking each beast he comes to down, Hounds dwindle but succeed in breaking the formation Rift leads a great effort thrusting his sword deep into a beast slaying it instantly giving a victorious war cry after, the sapiens begin to shift momentum, they find themselves and begin teaming up ,slaying the beasts quickly and now with ease Mortem looking on in disbelief as his Hell hounds fail him for the first time...Wayke orders the sapiens...”FORM UP!”...they pick each other up and drag the wounded behind the nearly solid front line, lining back in ranks showing their steel as one unit letting out one uniform chant...”AAAHHHOOOO!”...