Hardcore: Qi Worlds Chapter 35: Spawn 2

 Charging headlong into battle without a plan was Benzhi's speciality. He was quite at home doing so. Gisael was the opposite, she gathered information, was organised and methodical in her approach. Following Benzhi and feeling him through the link not only gave her a thrill, it also gave her the chills. Reyas was fiery in nature, following Benzhi into the Dwarven Stronghold, with no plan, did not phase her in the least. The union of minds outvoted Gisael, not that it was a democracy, but if the two Daughters were against an action it may give Benzhi pause.

 Gisael engaged her qi senses and took the lead, many of the tunnels were not lit and once they had left the foyer daylight quickly dissipated. Benzhi ran behind her, with qi sight engaged, he was able to generally direct the group to clusters of qi cores presumably from the dwarves. 

 There was a cluster of thirty qi cores deep within the stronghold and a smattering throughout. Benzhi guided the Vanguard towards the closest qi core, on the way to the cluster. Turning left, right running down long corridors, running past a maze of rooms and halls the group arrived at the closest qi core Benzhi sensed. It was two stout dwarves packing carts with foods and other stores. 

 "Who be you," they shouted angrily at the Vanguard. Benzhi did not want to explain to everyone what they were doing, it would take too much time.

 "We have come from the outside to help and have the elders blessing. You are well and we have no time to talk. Bye." Benzhi waved quickly and they left.

 "Oi!" was shouted from behind them. The Vanguard just kept running.

  Benzhi scanned for any qi cores which looked to be in trouble. From experience, if someone was injured and they had any talent, the qi core would either flare in an attempt to supply energy to the body, or they would lay down and be still going into a dormant state. After a quick scan, it seemed all the cores were similar to the two they just found.

 "No point lolling about let's head to where the action is," Benzhi stated.

 "Took ye long enough," Reyas gently scolded as they ran, "I din wanna be running around in circles forever."

  The Vanguard wound their way through the corridors and ramps heading down and down into the stronghold. The dwarves are logical if anything, once they found the forges the ramps down to what was presumably the mines were nearby and the group were able to keep going down a level until they were on par with the mass of qi cores.

 The corridors were well made, with stone and metal bracing, Benzhi rarely had to duck his head, only when going through a doorway. Although the fully grown dwarves they had seen were at most five foot two with most under five foot, the height of the ceilings was eight foot high. As the Vanguard closed on the scene they could not only hear the battle, shouts, screams clanging of metal weapons. They could smell it. Blood and other smells of death were pungent and unable to escape the lower tunnels to the open air.

 There were only twelve dwarves holding a line of battle to the creatures which were obscured by the dwarven warriors. Benzhi could not see a portal such as the yetis entered through, but it could be down further or just around a corner. 

 Benzhi called out to the dwarves, "Hello, we are here to help."

 When the call hit the ears of the dwarves they did not panic but they certainly reacted quickly. The rear turning to face the Vanguard with axe, spear and shield.

 "You ought not be here," called an elder warrior looking at the Vanguard confused. And after awhile, "who be you?"

 "Do we have time for this? Let us fight the creatures, we want to help." Benzhi requested.

 "How do we know this not be a trick?" the elder retorted.

 "Because we didn't attack you when you had your backs turned and introduced ourselves instead," Benzhi replied.

 "No you be off, you are nort welcome in our home. If you be friendly prove it by leaving," the elder insisted.

 Benzhi sighed, "you try," he asked Gisael, "actually, may be better for Reyas to try."

  While Reyas continued to talk to the dwarves staying out of spear range. Benzhi enabled qi sight and looked for the Core. After a minute he pinpointed its relative location. Just as Reyas failed to impress upon the Dwarves who had now decided to escort them out of the stronghold despite being in a battle of attrition with the still unknown creatures and with such low numbers. Benzhi began to wonder if they were logical at all as that was crazy.

  "We run," Benzhi said, although Reyas and Gisael knew what he intended. They would outrun the grumpy heavily armoured dwarves and find the Core. After several twists and turns, it appeared the dwarves thought better of chasing them and stayed to help their comrades engaging the enemy that was actually trying to kill them.

 Benzhi ran with qi sight, Gisael with qi sense and Reyas followed behind trying to make sense of the planning. When they finally approached the hall which stored the Core they could see this was the main hall the dwarves used for gatherings and decision making. It was in the buried into the mountain further than any other construction, not including the mine ramps which went down and not in. It was not a throne room, there were tables and chairs enough for three hundred dwarves. At the far end was a platform with a table with three chairs. Behind the platform was a twenty-foot carving depicting three venerable looking dwarves a pick, hammer and spear. At the centre of the carving was the Core surrounded by a design which resembled a Celtic circle.

  The Cores streams ran through the hammer, pick and spear then throughout the mountain and down into the depths.There were no dwarves guarding it, Benzhi had no idea what they would have done if that was not the case. He approached the Core climbing straight up the wall, hanging on with the small qi discs on his hands and feet. He reached out tentatively to the Core and touched it. Benzhi closed his eyes and focused on the Core, taking a long breath and exhaling slowly. The last time he attempted something like this he had the Seer advising and assisting him, now that he was alone he had a few doubts about what he should do.

 'Hello Core of the Dwarven Fortress,' Benzhi thought at it, 'I am Benzhi and I would like to become a part of this ... domain.' A silence was returned to Benzhi, but his instincts told him to continue. ''I wish no harm to the Dwarves, I want to help. I am a protector, not a destroyer,'  the words felt right to Benzhi. 'Now little Mountain Core work with me.' Benzhi felt everything snap into place. This was now his Core. No, his was the wrong word, he was a protector as he said, he meant every word. This core was his responsibility. That felt right to Benzhi.

 "Ok, that worked well," Benzhi announced to the warrior women.  

 "Hurry up, I predict the dwarves will not last forever, whatever you are planning," Gisael informed Benzhi. 

 "Don't be harsh, we can still save them," he replied. 

 "They didn't seem to want saving," Gisael stated. 

 "If Benzhi has the Core, the way they view him will change," Reyas informed them of her first-hand experience.

 Benzhi focused back on the Core. First, he wanted to reach the Seer if he could everyone was concerned what effects the qi storm had back at home. Benzhi dove into the Core like it was a spiritual pool, reenacting what he had done under the Seers guidance. He then reached out for the Gael Mountain's Core through this one. 

 'Seer,' Benzhi called using the Core relay.

 'Ah, Benzhi ye have done it,' the Seer replied.

 'We don't have much time, I need information quickly,' Benzhi asked.

 'Har, I ken. I will tell ye what ye need to ken,' the Seer responded.

 'Are the lands in danger from portals or the qi storm?' Benzhi asked.

 'Aye, but the Guardians, Gael warriors and Mother's creatures are keeping it contained until you return. We are not dead yet,' the Seer sounded happy despite the dire news. 'Ye ken what ye must do?' The Seer asked Benzhi.

 'Not exactly, what I can I do right now other than hurry back?' Benzhi asked.

 'The Alpine Forest, the land, ye must make it a domain and use the power of the Core to keep these invaders out,' The Seer informed Benzhi.

 'Two things. One, why didn't you ask me to do this before and two, how the fuck am I supposed to do that?' Benzhi answered frustratedly.

 'I am the Seer, not the gods, I ken not everything. Now I ken what must be done, I have seen it in a vision walk. Connect with the Cores and draw on their power, like ye did when Mother changed the land, and tell the Cores this is your land and chaos is not welcome.' 

 Benzhi attempted what the Seer described. First, he connected with the third Core, the one in the bottom of the lake in the glade and brought Mother into the conference. With Mother's and the Seer's guidance, he exerted dominance over the region making it his domain. Enforcing all chaos to be expelled from its borders. The boundaries were clear to Benzhi, Mother and the Seer. They were the same borders they established when merging and terraforming the region.

 'Benzhi, it is working,' the Seer informed him, 'there is something important you must know. The domain will drain the Cores faster than their natural replenishment.'

 'Well shit,' Benzhi replied. 'I hope you have a solution for that too.'

 The Seer chuckled through the link, even his gurgle was translated mentally, 'I can seek a vision, but I know ye can keep bringing in more Cores to merge, that may not be good when the world runs out of Cores, but that is something that will work for now.'

 'I will bring this Core and the dwarves back if they will come, I can't be travelling a week between domains and I doubt I can relinquish this one. Any objections?' Benzhi asked Mother and the Seer.

 'They are welcome," Mother answered.

 'Aye, they are,' the Seer agreed.

 'I doubt they will come, they are pretty stubborn,' Benzhi stated.

 'They will come,' the Seer replied.

 Benzhi said farewell and left the conversation. He turned to the two stunning warrior women, "home is safer than we expected. And we just did something to make it safer still. I will explain later," Benzhi informed them.

 "I can sense it from you. You are not worried," Gisael said. Reyas nodded.

 "Let's go help the short arses. I hope they have a better attitude now." Benzhi joked.

 The Vanguard headed straight towards the fight they had left almost an hour ago. 

The past hour had not been kind to the dwarves. Benzhi had worked out that there were two groups of about twelve dwarves holding two corridors to contain the invading creatures. They had met up with one of these groups during their first attempt to help.

 Benzhi, Gisael and Reyas approached this group again. What were twelve dwarves was now ten. Two had died, which was tragic, but also amazing considering how many corpses of the enemy were piled up. Like the stereotype, strong defence was certainly a forte of the dwarves.

  Benzhi approached the rear again hoping for a better outcome. "Hello, I see you are still having trouble, can we help with the stalemate?"

  "Tis no trouble," one of the dwarves answered, "I can do this all day." His accent was thick but understandable.

  Benzhi tried another tac, "is one of your leaders here?"

 "Skandear and Kindeag be the other bastion," the same dwarf answered, "it be more thick with deep dwellers than thisson."

  Vanguard made their way to the other bastion where the nine remaining dwarves held the line. 

 "Is thus eva gonna end?" asked Kindeag.

 "Stop ya griping, this be nuthin," retorted Skandear.

 "Hey," Benzhi called. "I am Benzhi and I am here to help."

 "Oh arrr ya now," Skandear answered with a thick dwarvish accent.

  "Yes," Benzhi opted for forceful, he had run out of patience with the Dwarves, "We are going to help you by pushing back the enemy before your stupid fucking stubborn heads get you all killed. And there isn't anything you can do about it other than saying YES, SIR."

  "Oh it be like that thun," the Dwarf called Kindeag started but before he finished Benzhi ran up the side of the corridor and over the top of the dwarves and planted himself behind the deep dwellers with Gisael following him.

  The deep dwellers looked like five foot high skinny lizards with sharp claws on their feet and hands. They ran on both two or four limbs. They had a long barbed tail, over three foot, which whipped from side to side. The deep dwellers hide was thick, they were quite resilient to the blows from the dwarves and they could deal damage with any of their four limbs, their teeth or their spiked tail.

 Benzhi and Gisael started working together immediately. The quarters were too close for a bow, Gisael had unsheathed her sword and shadowed Benzhi. Reyas was still stuck behind the dwarves and trying to push her way through their line. Benzhi stabbed one deep dweller and bashed a second, there were thirty arrayed in front of the dwarves with just as many corpses on the ground. It was a mess. As Benzhi attacked Gisael did her best to defend his flanks stabbing and retreating from side to side. She also had to keep a close watch on their rear in case more deep dwellers arrived. 

 Although it was only the two of them, the deep dwellers were not pressed from both sides. The dwarves in the front line moving their shields forward. Skandear was deadly with his spear, pushing it out and back like a jackhammer. Stabbing with ferocity. The bravery of the Vanguard had lifted the dwarves who did not want to be outdone. Reyas broke into the frontline of the dwarves which would have to do because there were still over twenty deep dwellers between her and Benzhi. She whirled her picks in ferocious circles, piercing every dweller within reach. 

 With the added intensity and Reyas assisting the dwarven line started to move forward. Each dwarf bore a shield and either a spear, pickaxe or hammer. They were extremely well armoured in exquisite chain armour over gambeson long shirt. 

 Benzhi and Gisael darted back and forth into the rear of the dwellers before retreating, taking one or two lives with each incursion. The deep dwellers were ferocious and fought without fear, not unlike the yetis. After Benzhi and Gisael had taken out six, the dwarves with the aid of Reyas had whittled down their number to less than twenty. However, the dwellers at the rear decided they did not want to move forward anymore and turned on Benzhi and Gisael. Six dwellers rushed the two, slashing claws, biting and whipping tails. They fought with four weapons almost simultaneously, Benzhi had no idea how the dwarves defended against their relentless onslaught for so long. 

 Benzhi moved forward through the size, cutting off attacks from all but two, using the dwellers to shield him from the others. Gisael followed closely, they had no need to communicate during battle, their link enabled a higher level of understanding. Gisael could feel when Benzhi was going to spin, or stab or shield bash, she knew it as soon as he decided. When Benzhi spun to shield bash a dweller on his left, Gisael slashed and severed an outstretched claw trying to rip into Benzhi. She was able to escape the notice of the dwellers by shadowing Benzhi, they were all focused on him. Within moments they had taken two of the six dwellers down.

 Reyas was frustrated, she could not join the duo. She screamed in anger. Scaring the dwarves momentarily. She was now standing in the centre of the dwarven line stabbing dwellers left and right. Every blow was either fatal or incapacitated a limb on the dwellers. Skandear was shaken by her scream of rage at first and after she took down another two dwellers he started to laugh and encourage her.

 "Berserker," went the whispers through the dwarf line.

 "I almost feel sorry for 'em," Skandear joked as she stabbed another two unfortunate enough to move into her range. 

 After half an hour of hard fighting, the group of nine dwarves and the Vanguard killed the thirty deep dwellers without loss. 

 Stopping to take a couple of breaths Benzhi announced, "let's go help your kin, can we attack from the rear?"

 "More will come," replied Skandear, "the waves are never stopping."

  Benzhi gaped at him. When Skandear said waves it occurred to him. They had killed the first wave of six yetis and then more came through. They didn't kill those, but if they had would another wave have come? Benzhi began to realise what it could mean in game terms. Never ending waves of enemies, each stronger than the last. Benzhi shook his head, to clear his mind. He would take it as it came.

 Reyas and Gisael looked at Benzhi confused. "What does it mean?" Gisael asked.

 "It means, we need to rescue the other group and bring down this tunnel. We have to trap the dwellers inside here." Benzhi stated and looked at Skandear.

 "Kindeag," Skandear said, "Can we do this quickly" 

 "I know the place," Kindeag replied.

 Kindeag moved forward up the corridor towards the source of the deep dwellers. "These supports 'ere. Stand back all of you," he said gruffly. When Kindeag and his men took down the supports a tear left his eye. They didn't like collapsing their tunnels.

 The tunnel still held. Benzhi said, "what now?"

"Now, we take em down all the way back to the ramp. Taking down one support would never collapse one of my tunnels. You should go help Reidmon." Kindeag said with his thick accent.

The Vanguard went to assist the other group of dwarves while Kindeag and his men collapsed the tunnel behind them. Benzhi, Gisael and with Reyas in tow this time charged the rear of the deep dwellers assaulting Reidmon's bastion.

 There were only nine dwarves left standing by the time the Vanguard arrived back to support. Benzhi assaulted the rear of the dwellers with abandon. Sickened by the loss of the noble dwarves. Stubborn, yes. Bloody minded, yes. But he could not fault their self-sacrifice all for the good of their people. They would make tremendous allies. 

 When the lower parts of the stronghold were secured, at least for now, Benzhi asked Skandear and Kindeag for a meeting in their great hall where the Core resided. The Dwarves called a meeting of the entire clan. Clan Stoneskin.

Chapter end