Orcs, orcs and more orcs! [Story]

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Orcs, orcs and more orcs! [A Dr Dolittle Adventure]

"Orcs," I muttered under my breath. "Why does it always have to be orcs?"

"Ed," I dropped the scroll, on which Stuffa's call to arms was written, back
into my pack as I turned to my nightmare friend, MrEdII. "It looks like we
will be doing a little bit of orc fighting tonight. A force is gathering at
Lord British's castle to drive the invading orcs out of Cove and the Court
of Truth in Yew"

"Cove, you say?" Asks Ed, a skeptical look in his red eyes. "Ummm. Sorry,
tonight Digger is trimming my hooves and fixing me up with new shoes. That
left rear is getting a little loose, you know."

I study my old friend a for moment, thinking of the mess we had walked into
doing an escort to cove not three days before. I was dead within seconds of
stepping through my gate - suddenly becoming the focus of attention for a
couple dozen angry orc mages will do that to you. The nightmare had
followed me into the gray realm a few short minutes later. In retrospect I
felt sure that this had been a planned ambush - the "bride", who had
requested the escort, had been noticeably ugly, even under her veil and,
thinking back, I seemed to remember a faint orcish order about her.

"Awww, that's OK," I scratch Ed behind the ears. "Maybe Draco will be
interested," I look over at the big brown dragon who is dozing in the
afternoon sun.

Draco opens one golden eye and peers in my direction. "Sorry, tonight
Prophesy and I are going to fly up to the mountain pool for a little.
relaxation." The eye closes as the dragon returns to the more important
task of resting up for his night's plans.

I sigh. "Well, maybe Ra will want to come along."

I assume my warrior persona and recall to the stables at Skara Brae where
the golden armored swamp dragon is resting. I had rescued the creature from
the cruel hand of Lord Blackthorn's Chaos Dragoons many years before. Ra
had loyally served as my mount during many desperate battles to defend the
city of Minoc from Blackthorn's Juka minions and is well accustomed to
pitched battles against overwhelming odds.

The swamp dragon readily accepts this new call to battle and I gather my
most powerful armor and magical weapons before riding off to the gathering
at Lord British's castle.

At the castle our leader, Stuffa, is efficiently organizing his volunteers
of warrior, mages, tamers and bards for the night's battle. I notice a few
warriors sparing vigorously and wonder if they would not be better off
conserving their energy for the night's unhappy work. Finally the troop is
ready and a gate is opened into the embattled village.

I ready my bow, take a deep breath and urge Ra forward through the blue mist
into.

..the middle of more orc mages than I have ever dreamed existed even in my
worst nightmare. My heart skins for the town square is packed, literally
shoulder to shoulder, with the foul creatures.

I loose my first arrow into the orcish ranks without even bothering to aim.
My shaft strikes one orc mage in the neck a second later it's twin puts an
end that wretched life. My third shot hits one of a pair of orcs attacking
a nearby warrior, hurting it badly. As the orc stumbles to it's knees I
shoot again, recording my second kill of the battle.

As a poisonous pain races through my body, I turn Ra and make a quick end of
a third orc who has chosen me as it's target. I pause a second to begin
applying bandages to my own wounds and then begin firing arrows as rapidly
as I can. Now I try to pick my targets, trying to dispatch orcs who
actively attacking myself or other members of our war party.

Bodies on both sides pile high. The battle quickly looses any semblance of
order and seems to draws the entire world into a swirling abyss of confusion
and death. I quickly loose count of the orcs that I kill for this is now a
nightmare of kill or be killed.

For many minutes I am able to hold my position against our enemy but that
can not last. Several of my fellows fall despite my best efforts and a
swarm of new orcs erupts out of a nearby building. I have applied bandages
to the ghostly gray form of a battle comrade but I am forced to flee,
clinging to a sliver of life, before that task of mercy has completed.

Offering a prayer under my breath I fire arrows into my attackers as I try
to lead the orcs away from the fallen while cheating the death that the orcs
have planned for me. Several orce fall as I heal my own wounds and loop
back to the waiting ghosts. I note the gray forms of fallen pets standing
near their equally gray masters. Sadly, in my warrior persona, I can do
nothing for them.

Now, the confusion of battle increases it's already fevered pitch as a troop
of ogre lords chase an unfortunate soul down from the direction of the town
docks. Several orc brutes are moving up from the south in a pincher
movement. I push forward trying to aid those caught in the orc's insidious
trap. My orc slayer bow is ill suited for dealing with ogre lords and orc
brutes, with their following of minions, are much tougher to kill than their
mage comrades. For every orc I kill two or three or four seem ready line up
to take it's place.

After what seems a lifetime of battle, I find that I am desperately short on
arrows. I notice piles of feathered shafts just outside the town walls and
dash through the gates hoping to pick up a new supply.

Outside the walls, I find several unhappy ghosts whom I resurrect as quickly
as I can. Even with Grand Master Healing and Anatomy, one takes me six
tries as I fight off attacking orc scouts and try to pick up more ammunition
to continue the battle. I work desperately to protect these newly revived
souls as they attempt to retrieve their lost belongings. Many require
multiple resurrections before that grim task is completed.

I discover that the human warriors seem to have largely abandoned the battle
at Cove so I make a quick stop at Skara Brae to restock on arrows and
bandages and then race towards the Court of Truth in Yew.

Outside the building I find the same desperate battle which I had all too
recently left. There are many of the orc brutes and I discover that even
ratmen and some human brigands have joined forces with the marauding orcs.
The numbers against us are far higher than the Juka invasion which I had
fought so long ago. At least in Yew, there is some room for proper battle
maneuver. Ra carries me about as I dispatch a host of orcish invaders back
to whatever dark hell spawned these creatures.

Finally, I can see no others from our battle troop and return to the Castle
in Britain. There I find our leader, Stuffa and several others discussing
the night's affair.

My tired spirit drops as Stuffa informs me that both battles were lost.

"Our efforts can not have been in vain," I protest. "I, myself have killed
at least a hundred of the vermin. Closer to two hundred," I amend as I take
note of the number of arrows that I have expended this night. "And, though
they tried, the orcs counted not a single death on me!"

"Our own losses were too high," Stuffa explains. "And we failed to hold our
objectives against the enemy."

I nod in sad agreement, thinking of the battle's confusion. "We could have,
though," I voice my own opinion. "We had the means, but not the
organization or cooperation between our own forces."

"Yes," Stuffa agrees. "And we will be better prepared to secure a victory
in the next battle," he promises.

Our leader's words reminds me of the dark time of the Juka wars and fact
that one battle will not make an end to the shadow that is reaching out to
cover our lands. I take leave of my comrades to rest for whatever battles
the future holds.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the entire Dr. Dolittle collection check out Katherine's web site at;
http://www.mhn.org/~kate/




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Todd Bailey wrote:

> Orcs, orcs and more orcs! [A Dr Dolittle Adventure]
>
> "Orcs," I muttered under my breath. "Why does it always have to be orcs?"
>

Wow, speak of the Devil and *POOF*! You must have been lurking....

--
YOU are the real piece of work in this post. I think you are
a couple of drumsticks short of a picnic there bud. - SVTKate
 

archeon

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Apr 12, 2004
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"Todd Bailey" <toddbailey25@-NoSpam-hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:RjSpd.6066$2e.399@fe37.usenetserver.com...
> Orcs, orcs and more orcs! [A Dr Dolittle Adventure]
>
<snipped>

Good to hear the scratch of your quill again!

Archeon
 
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Archeon wrote:

> "Todd Bailey" <toddbailey25@-NoSpam-hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:RjSpd.6066$2e.399@fe37.usenetserver.com...
>
>>Orcs, orcs and more orcs! [A Dr Dolittle Adventure]
>>
>
> <snipped>
>
> Good to hear the scratch of your quill again!
>
> Archeon
>
>

I can't wait to read a story about the pirates that turned out
to be execusioners....

--
YOU are the real piece of work in this post. I think you are
a couple of drumsticks short of a picnic there bud. - SVTKate