h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*Razian was already fighting the Daemons. He cut down four bloodletters then turned to N'kai.*
[Razian] Hello N'kai we need to destroy the tower. Maybe Phoniex could help.

*N'kai smiles at the giant man.*
[N'kai] Fine, just don't get in the way... Phoniex! Make yourself useful and cook up a spell. a BIG spell. One big enough to destroy that tower... Razian! You take your men and hold them off at the tower...
*Screams come from behind them. The Orcs have taken the southern battlement, and N'kai's men, the Black Knights, are moving to intercept.*
[N'kai] I'm needed elsewhere. Here, use this!
*N'kai throws Phoniex a strange orb. It glows gently with, contrary to all belief, black light.*
[N'kai] Pour as much magic as you can into that, then throw it into the tower and get the hell away! Screw up and you're dead!
*N'kai parries a Bloodletter's sword, and slices it from groin to chin, sending it soaring over the wall. He topples a ladder, slices apart half a dosen Orcs, then leaps down the stairs to aid his men.*

*takes orb* back to insults n'kai *the orbs flashes a bright blue and it is hurled at the tower, the tower explodes crumbling in seconds*

*N'kai looks back at Phoniex.*
[N'kai] Perhaps you misunderstood. If you don't destroy that tower, they'll kill us all.
*Screams echo from the battlements as more arrows rain down. The Black Knights are forming a shield wall, and N'kai rushes to join them.*

It was chaos everywhere. The enemy was overrunning the battlements, climbing ladders, breaking through with leather-capped battering rams. Fireballs and arrows flew from catapults and bows.

Evadia's knights were telling well against the undisciplined horde, but they were only a few, against thousands, with equally untrained mercenaries on their side.

It boiled down to strength-against-strength, mano-a-mano, rage against rage.

Okay.

"HAAAUUURRRGH!"

Striking-Arm's battle cry ripped through the clamor. He stood atop a mound of enemy dead, swinging his battle-axe this way and that, adding to the formidable pile at his feet.

"YAAA-uh!"

An Orc chieftain had launched himself at him, stone axe raised high. A shiv flew into his throat, he fell, and Arm stepped over him to bat away a few more enemies.

CHTHUK!

Kinkawoodles smashed the enemy away, halberd in hand, lashing out with a hardened fist like an iron piston. He flipped, and kicked out with his powerful sandaled heels and crushed an Orc's ribs in.

Meanwhile, Miseri stuck to Graham. In this fray her bow and whip were useless, and she used her heavy Elven swords to slash and stab, hack and parry their way to the Daemon.

Someone from the high towers would see Arm, a raging giant, chest bare and head shorn to the sky, brandishing a huge axe in one banded arm, heavy knife in the other, an abundance of weapons at his girdled side. Kinka, a frightening stick figure in billowy orange robes, together cutting a swath to destiny.

A beautiful half-breed, pale and delicate-looking amidst the mud and guts and blood and dying, holding close an awkward brush-haired kid with a crossbow who was madly chanting a practice incantation.

"I can't quite get the last part!" he yelled to be heard over the din.
"You're gonna use magic?" she screamed back. "What? Fireballs, meteor showers?"
"Uh, I wish. But this one'll work. Featherfall!"
"Feather-what?"

They had no time to argue. Arm reached the feet of the daemon first, looking up challengingly at the flaming-red monolith.

"Now!" Graham said. A slight shimmer in his hands reflected on the monster's skin.

"EEEEEYYAAAAUUUURRGH!!" Daemon.

"He's still here!" Miseri, stating the obvious.
"Arm!" Graham. "Grab a leg and THROW!"
"Huh?" Miseri.

Arm stopped. Huh? But he followed. Setting aside his axe by burying it in a handy Troll, he reached down with both powerfully hewn arms to grasp the demon by its scaly knotted toes and-

HEAVE!

Like an overgrown float balloon, the dumbfounded demon looked at himself as he flew skyward with the speed of a mangonel shot, growing smaller till he vanished in the distance, a small red speck.

Graham looked pleased.

"The spell will negate his weight for a while, till he reaches the apex. Then he'll regain it, whereupon he'll slam back earthward."
"Cool." Miseri.

*The sounds of battle were deafening. James was sure he'd die. An Orc came for him, and staggered. He dispatched it, but three more stopped and stared past him. The Knights followed the gaze. N'kai was battling a Daemon Prince, and a mighty Black Orc Warlord at the same time. His enchanted sword cut viscious swathes back and forth, and a moment later, the Black Orc was flying down a stairwell, head severed. N'kai was moving so fast he was a blur, but the Daemon Prince was matching him. A constant stream of noise eminated from N'kai's voice. They spelt fury in any language. There was a deafening clash as the two blades met. The silence rang out across the melee, and the Daemon toppled.
The cheer was as solid as any battering ram. The Orcs bolted and fell back from the South Wall, desperate to escape N'kai's fury. James turned to his father, but something else had his attention.
A Giant, as tall as the battlements, was charging for the gate. Cannon crews opened fire, but the thing survived long enough to crash into the gate with all it's might. The gate slid open just enough to let someone get through. The Knights abandoned the battlements, and charged into the courtyard. Now it was all or nothing. By dawn, Talabhiem would be saved, or burned to the ground.*


To Track, here's what's happening:
NORTH WALL (GATE): Defences have been all but abandoned in orderto hold the courtyard.
WEST WALL: Phoniex is currently using an Orb of Annihilation, an ancient magical weapon given to her by N'kai, to try and destroy the Daemonic Seige Tower.
EAST WALL: Hawk and his men, plus several Talabhiem military, are currently holding the wall quite well. However, there forces are weakened by every attack wave.
SOUTH WALL: N'kai and his Black Knights have dealt the Orc morale a massive blow. With N'kai launching a new offensive, it is doubtful the Orcs can continue an offensive against the South Wall without re-inforcements.
COURTYARD: The Orcs are slowly breaking into the courtyard, and also made progress from the South Wall before N'kai arrived. The Evadian Knights are launching a counter attack, and the Orcs are suffering heavily from the charging Cavelry...

As for Recrash's people... they seem to move around at will, making them very hard to track. Ask Recrash if you really want to know where they are.

*phoniex fires the orb again* one more blast should have it n'kai but im running low if i finish this im gonna have to stop for a while

Arm, Miseri, Kinka, and Graham are currently in the courtyard. They've decided to take care of the enemy's daemon support and take them out, allowing the magic-users to fight.

HEAVE!

And another dot faded into the red night sky. The four stared a moment from a relatively empty part of the courtyard.

THWACK! Orc down! Relatively empty.

"That's the last of them," Miseri panted, haggard and blood-streaked. "I don't feel so good."

BISH! Another Orc!

Striking-Arm gazed back. Those last daemons had put up a fight. An ugly cut flowed from one side of his stark face. His great chest rose and fell in rumbling intakes of breath.

"You must rest," Kinkawoodles said. THWACK! Three-point whack on an Orc nose!
"Kinka, can you take them to an aid station?"
"But Master Jake, you'll be alone." the warrior-monk pointed out.

Graham Jake screwed up a determined face. "I'll handle it."

[Dragonheart] Alone? What are we, wallpaper? Step aside...
*Dragonheart leaps from the stairs, smashing into the Orcs. Several knights followed him, and the Cavelry cut a bloody swathe through the Courtyard. The battle was becoming more and more bloody, and the Knights, for the moment at least, had the advantage...*

*a massive crash shakes the battlefield and everyone looks towards the tower as it crumbles* N'KAI its done *phoniex faints*

*N'kai stares at the exploding tower, and the Orcs follow his gaze. A roar of terror comes from the Orcs as their Daemon allies finally fade back to the Warp. They begin their retreat. The Courtyard is still a major battleground, as the Orcs refuse to give up their hard earned ground, but even they broke. As dawn came at last, the people of Talabhiem stared in relief at the surrounding land. The Orcs were beaten.*

*phoniex continues to lie on the floor with dark cloud gathering*

[Dragonheart] Yes! Take that you green scumbags!
*Dragonheart rallys his men, while N'kai sends some troops to find Phoniex.*
[Black Knight #1] Hey, is this the one?
[BK #2] Yeah, looks like it. Come on, let's shift her.
*The two take Phoniex down to the caravan, wrap her in blankets, and leave her to sleep.*

*in the caravan phoniex grows paler*

[Hawk] Gees, are you okay Phoniex?
[Dragonheart] Can't find Pathos. Hope he's okay... Considering how many men we lost today, I wouldn't be suprised if he's headed for the King...
[Hawk] How about Razian?
[Dragonheart] Last I saw he was upto his neck in Daemons.
[Hawk] At least he was happy. What about Miseri, crew?
[Dragonheart] Look, I'm a knight, not a courier. I know that all of our Officers par Pathos are accounted for, but you can't expect me to follow everyone. I'm sure Miseri's alive, but uptil now I thought that Mage woman was dead.
[Hawk] She doesn't look far off...

*phoniex though not dead is recuperating and needs some magical essence despratly*

[N'kai] This isn't natural...
[Hawk] Then help her!
*N'kai stares at him.*
[N'kai] Okay... Should I flay the soul from her body, turn her to dust, wrack her with dark energy, or banish her into oblivion?
[Hawk] Huh?
[N'kai] I don't do healing!

[Razian] Let me try.
*Razian waves his hands over Phoniex and she looks better.*
[Razian] I have taken her body back to a time when it was well. But youll need to be cured properly later.

*phoniexs eyes flutter and she looks at everyone*

Hey everyone oops sorry about this *a blue glow etches over phoniex and she goes back to sleep*

[Hawk] Oh great, she's out cold again.