IC: While the Mammoths and Tigers are perhaps distracted looking at Pantharez, the other two of Senix' most loyal icebears (not Ike and Iceslash) suddenly attack, breaking Senix out of his chains with their saw blade weapons. The icebears are shot down by the Mammoths (some of whom grabbed fire chi blasters out of the Tigers' hands when this happened) while they cover Senix's escape; Senix disappears in the snowy mist.
IC: *Some search parties are sent out to look for Senix.*
Two Bat scouts return to the camp the Bat Tribe has set up at the foot of the eastern Ice Mountains bordering the Arctic from the Northern Outland Mountains and the wastelands. The scouts report that Dr. Benjamin wasn't in the HQ of the "Dark Elephants", as the bats temporarily call them. Bliston: "Then it would appear that the fanged felines have our Doctor. Bats! We head out to find their HQ at once—!" Malgus: "Not so fast, Bliston Belkoroth, first King of the Bats." The hooded, hulking figure stands atop a snowy hill before the bats. His tattered cloak and grey beard blow in the wind, as the slouching figure holds his long scythe in both hands, giving him the appearance of an elderly beggar. Bliston: "Greetings, old man. Please do explain how you know who I am. My name has not yet been uttered in these lands." Malgus: "You will find, your highness, that I know a great many things. I am Malgus of the Mammoth Tribe. Your bats broke into my Queen's kingdom recently." Bliston: "Apologies for that. We needed to see if you were holding our missing head scientist hostage. You were not. Congratulations. Now, I believe it's time for us to go rescue him from the true captors." Malgus throws back his hood and stands to his full, towering height. His voice booms across the mountains. Malgus: "Oh, but my friend, I can assure you that YOU'RE not going ANYWHERE!! Your people bear the chi and armor of the Phoenix. You do not belong in the Arctic!" A legion of Mammoth warriors emerges from the fog behind the hill on which Malgus stands. Malgus: "Return to the south, Bliston. It's time for you to leave." Bliston locks eyes with Malgus for a moment before nodding. Bliston: "And so it is." Bliston steps backward. He and the bats start to walk south, before suddenly flying north at top speed. All at once, hundreds of fire chi powered bats fly into the air. Malgus: "Don't let them escape!" The two flying vehicles on top of the Ice Mammoth Stompers detach, flying after the bats with a squardon of 20 identical vehicles by themselves. The dogfight on the sky is hectic, as the bats shoot down and destroy many flying mammoth ships, but can't make it through to the northern air.
The battle rages on the ground as well, since Bliston and many bats are now trying to smash through the Mammoth forces to make it north on foot. Bliston duels Malgus, but the huge mammoth grabs and levitates the Bat King with a beam of energy from his scythe, smashing Bliston up and down into the ground. Malgus: "You are useless to me! It baffles me as to how a being without magic can lead a tribe!" Bliston suddenly breaks free, shattering the energy chain with a burst of fire power. Bliston falls to the ground. He pants as he stands, holding his weapons tightly. Malgus: "What?! How—?!" Bliston: "I may not have magic on my side, but I'm armed with something you'll never have; the power of the Phoenix. And unlike you, old man, I'm a leader who earns power...not a follower who claims it. Now, I will ask you once more: move out of my way, so I can rescue the last frozen member of my species before leaving this place forever." Malgus: "I admire your resolve, King Bliston, but beings with fire chi do not belong in the north." "I agree!" Malgus turns, only to be kicked in the face by Imperial Knight Longfang. Vamprah's Vulture and Leopard forces charge into the fray, attacking the Bats and Mammoths on the ground and in the air. The Empire of Balance has entered the battle, fighting both fire and ice forces. Bliston says, while dueling Vamprah: "Wait, the Vultures have allied with the Leopards? Leodus and the leopards rescued me and my kin from our common enemy of the Icebears. Why are them and their allies fighting us now?" Through sign language, Vamprah explains the origin of the Empire, and that the fire chi-bearing bats' presence in the north is upsetting the Balance just as much as the ice tribes' presence in the south. Bliston explains that the bats are only there to rescue one of their kind. Vamprah then makes a deal with Bliston to help the bats, as long as the bats leave the Arctic afterward. The news of this deal quickly passes through Imperial and Bat forces, and upon teaming up, the two factions outnumber and overwhelm the legion of Mammoths. Malgus is forced to retreat, as Vamprah and Bliston shake hands, marching their forces onward to Saber Mountain.
-last edited on Sept 18, 2021 18:12:15 GMT by Shamrock
Post by Shamrock on Sept 18, 2021 18:07:09 GMT
A small column of Sabretooth Walkers and speedorz travels down along the fringes of the Ice Mountains, down out of their northernmost reaches where Sabre Mountain stands alone. As it nears the border, the column turns east, along the Iron foothills, travelling along a deep ravine in hopes of avoiding southron patrols.
(batonmaster500 just tagging you so you know where Scodrick is)
Some three hundred crocodiles emerge from the Iron Mountains, wrapped all over in thick furs, hands gloved and wearing balaclavas on their heads. Their white-camoflaged vehicles are mounted with electric heaters powered by ordinary blue Chi; in this way, they avoid creating the distinctive orange glow of Fire Chi, which they keep stowed in sacks and crates.
The northern expeditionary force leaves the foothills of the Iron Mountains and treks northeast, towards an old Sabretooth Ice Fort.
Some three hundred crocodiles emerge from the Iron Mountains, wrapped all over in thick furs, hands gloved and wearing balaclavas on their heads. Their white-camoflaged vehicles are mounted with electric heaters powered by ordinary blue Chi; in this way, they avoid creating the distinctive orange glow of Fire Chi, which they keep stowed in sacks and crates.
The northern expeditionary force leaves the foothills of the Iron Mountains and treks northeast, towards an old Sabretooth Ice Fort.
Many miles to the north, in the foothills of the Ice Mountains, the task force breaks camp, taking down their tents and dismantling the makeshift fortifications they'd assembled the night before. Within an hour, the crocodiles have split into three ordered columns, two heading out onto the tundra whilst the third snakes its way up a narrow path into the hills.
* * * * *
In a narrow valley between two spurs of a small mountain, ancient walls of ice rise out of the ground in the shape of a small keep, surrounded by wooden stockades and ditches lined with rough iron spikes. A small garrison of Sabretooth Tigers patrol the fort, built in an enviable position with only one means of approach.
The ground immediately before the valley is occupied by a massive pool frozen over by pale ice. The lake, fed by a narrow stream that flows down beside the fort, stretches several times the width of the valley, compelling any attacker who carries Fire Chi to follow a narrow, uneven path right against the mountain, which has been carved into a vertical wall of rock. As such, no more than two invaders could approach at once, no matter how many had come, so that an enemy host may be made to advance slowly over treacherous ground, fight for every step against just a handful of Hunters, before even reaching the outermost palisade.
The Ice Fort, as such, is held by a small force of barely fifty guards, a number deemed easily sufficient to protect its single prisoner.
One of these guards, a young recruit who had long ago grown bored of this wretched assignment, was standing on the lakeshore when a sudden flash caught his eye; a small flash of orange on the southern shore of the pool. It was difficult to make out; light snow was falling, and the pale light of the setting sun glimmered from the frozen lake. Perhaps he had imagined it...but no. Something was moving...turning, the young guard cupped his hands and yelled up to the watchtower, "Saberon! There's something on the south shore!"
Frowning, the older man on the tower turned the massive telescope mounted atop the parapet and swept his gaze along the far side of the pool...and saw them.
"Southrons! Southrons with cannons!"
As the garrison roused itself, an orange glow leapt up on the far shore; there must have been at least twenty of them at least, gathered around several low-lying vehicles and machine guns. As the attackers opened fire, Saberon ducked behind his parapet; the telescope went up in flames as red-hot blasts lanced over the lake, peppering the watchtower.
And then the Sabretooths were firing back, their blue pulsor blasts colliding with the enemy's in flashing explosions over the lake. It seemed as if the defenders were winning...then everything happened at once.
Crack!
Steam shot up from the lake as its icy shell split into a thousand pieces, the orange flash of fire chi showing in the now-bubbling waters. Dozens of scaled crocodiles were leaping out of the pool just metres away from them; the young guard panicked. The gap in the stockade had been thrown open as the sabretoothes rushed out to fire on the southrons, but now the crocs were on this shore. How....? The cannons were just a diversion! They were distracting us while the others swam under the ice!
The young guard stumbled through the gap in the stockade, with a dozen crocs followed through after him, two dozen, three...there were at least a hundred of them on this shore already, and more were emerging out of the pool.
He crossed the plank that lay over the ditch just before it was pulled in, and a massive iron caltrop was rolled into place, sealing the second stockade. He followed two others as they ran over another plank and hid behind the third defensive layer - a proper palisade with a hinged door, which was closed and barred behind them. peering through an arrowslit, he could see the battle just a few feet away: the second stockade was ablaze, but the crocs hadn't managed to cross the ditches. If they could hold them here, it would all be -
It sounded as if the air itself was whirling around; looking up, the Sabretooth saw a huge green thing soar over from behind them - from above the Ice Mountains, and then fire was raining down from above as it circled around, blasting the palisade into matchwood.
As if things couldn't get any worse, the frozen stream to their right shattered, sending tiny shards of ice everywhere. Steaming water was flowing down from the mountains, and with it...more crocodiles. Braving the elements, they had scaled the mountain heights and followed the stream's path, placing them directly above the Ice Fort.
At least four dozen of them were spread out above them, firing crossbows and pulsors, whilst more were swimming down and leaping out all along the stream's bank, which ran perpendicular to the defensive earthworks...there were crocodiles behind him now, beneath the keep itself. He was surrounded.
Queen Carina leapt from the Helicroctor, plugging Fire Chi in midair. The walkway atop the keep exploded as she smashed into it, landing on one knee drawing her double-bladed sword as she rose. Two sabreoothes charged at her; two sabretoothes flew from the wall, landing with a crunch on the icy ground below.
Carina ran along the parapet, slashing at the warrior who manned the nearest cannon. By the time she'd dealt with him and disabled the cannon, three more crocs had jumped down, and this section of wall was clear. Glancing down at the battle below, the Queen saw more members of her expeditionary force charging up to the sealed gate of the keep and battering it with wooden trunks they'd hacked out of the fallen palisade wall.
There was fighting on every layer of the earthworks now, as the expeditionary force fought its way towards her. At least thirty Sabretoothes were scattered across the defences - mostly just behind the smashed palisade, which they had done a decent job of defending until Carina's own company had leapt down from the stream and attacked them from behind.
Turning, the She-Croc cut down another hunter and ducked through an archway; taking the stairs two at a time, she hurtled into the gatehouse; four opponents met her here, but she was equal to them. The Queen danced back and forth, slashing at them; one was disarmed, another thrown against the wall, two smashed. The first made to draw his dagger, but was caught in the back by a pulsor blast as one of her accomplices hurried down the stairs.
"Help me1" Together, they took hold of the wooden bar that braced the gate and heaved it down; the doors flew open, and a full score of crocodile warriors rushed inside.
The Governor stormed down a narrow passage barely wide enough to accommodate someone of his considerable girth. "Hold this door!" he commanded the three guards that followed, as he squeezed through a stout wooden door and slammed it behind him, hastily sliding the bolts into place. Not far now...
He could hear the muffled sound of fighting above and behind him. Jogging along, the Governor rounded the corner and entered a small guardroom. "Careful with that!" he thundered, leaping backwards as the man on duty stabbed on him with a spear. Determination turned to panic and terror as the guard realised his mistake, yanking back the spear.
"Sir! I'm sorry, I-"
The Governor shoved him aside, walking over to the cell door and peering in at the frozen form of Crogar Skelekar. The prisoner's eyes were open, staring at him with loathing and defiance. He had heard the noise, that was plain...
The Governor flinched as a drop of cold water struck him on the head. Looking up, he could more streaming down the walls. The heat from all the Fire Chi was melting the upper levels of the Ice Fort. Looking around, he saw a small table and chair in the corner. "Use those to brace the door; they'll be here any-"
Queen Carina charged down the corridor, hacking at the Sabretooth before her. The narrow passage made it impossible to manoeuvre properly, and her red-hot blade kept colliding with the walls, leaving deep gouges in the ice. Still, she was driving him back, just as she had done with the two that came before him. Half a dozen elite croc soldiers followed behind her, unable to intervene without risking hitting her in the back. The rest of their group was busy mopping up resistance in the rest of the stronghold.
The guard slipped in a pool of water that had accumulated on the floor; his sword was out of place for a second, and that was all it took. Her own sword struck his, knocking it into the wall, and she kicked him to the ground before delivering the final blow.
Stepping over the smashed sabretooth tiger, Carina reached the door. Pressing herself into the wall - which rapidly began to melt - she watched as the croc behind her threw an explosive; the door was blasted off its hinges, and then she was moving again.
The Governor recoiled as the blast shook the room. He registered a blur of red, green and gold as the She-Croc entered the room, colliding with the last of his guards and smashing him.
"Open the cell!" he heard her shout, as more of them streamed into the guardroom. His pulsor flew from his hand, but he managed to block her next strike with his axe. Instinct kicked in and he drove her back with a flurry of blows, making her duck and doge until the wall was right behind her. The sound of the cell door smashing open distracted him, and she struck instantaneously, kicking him in the hand and sending the axe spinning across the room to land, quivering, in the table.
-last edited on Oct 9, 2021 16:38:04 GMT by Shamrock
Post by Shamrock on Oct 9, 2021 16:37:22 GMT
Carina put her blade to his throat, watching his expression turn from shock to defeat. Then the other crocs grabbed him from behind, placing manacles on his wrists and leading the Governor away. Turning, the Queen swept into the cell, her accomplices stepping aside to let her past. He was there, right in front of her after all this time. Her eyes met his, and her stride turned to a run. The cell was built for at least six prisoners, but her husband was the only one. Reaching the block of ice at the very end of the room, Carina took an orb of Fire Chi from the pouch on her belt and reaches for his chest; the heat of it melted through the ice, and she pressed the orb into his Chi harness.
Fire flared, around him and in him. He felt his armour morphing and glowing, and water flowing as it melted the lump of ice that had held him captive for....months? Years? He would have to ask, but that could wait.
The power of the Phoenix glowed within him, and the ice was gone; his body responded at last, and he was stepping out of the puddle that had been his prison.
The Stinger-Copter from Scorpix City that Scorponok sent west flies over the Ice Mountains that divide the Arctic from the Wastelands. It goes over the Arctic and continues its flight, making sure to stay high above Saber Mountain.
