Village Decisions

Part 4 of the Valkyrie Six



With the stew still bubbling, we left the camp for a second time that day. Sophella walked at the front with Valeraine, stopped frequently, as her huge golem sized steps made it easy to accidentally put distance between the two of them.

Sophella could see and smell the fight that had taken place at the village now that they were close.

The villager who spoke to them about Ulburban's plight had assumed they knew what sea raiders did to a village they had captured.

It wasn't just sea raiders. It was anyone, and everyone that has an excuse. If the Vaegir King was at war, his enemies would take the same opportunity. And that opportunity was to kill every able bodied man they found who hadn't already died in the village's defense. To defile every woman of the village and drag her away to accompany the men wherever they went. To steal all of the food of the harvest and set fire to the village itself.

They had been thinking the night before. What exactly were they doing here, in this world. And what would they do, now that they were here.

"Anyone who orders or participates in this kind of 'raid' of a village or town or city or any other kind of place, is loathsome, despicable and our enemy," Sophella had said.

Sophella spoke up against it first, and everyone agreed. It wasn't until later that they realized that nearly every nobleman and soldier in Calradia had participated in a village raid.

The Six's own Vaegir soldiers had fought from the beginning only as part of the Six, so they hadn't.

Sophella was ready to get revenge for the sea raiders' depravity, and mark the line in the sand that they had agreed on.

As they approached the village, at last they teleported from the world zone into the village zone.

Surprisingly, they were surrounded by the villagers who had just been called hostages by the other peasant.

"Come on! we need to take back our village!" the man said.

The other peasants, armed only with pitchforks and without even cloth armor to their name, started charging into the village.

The sea raiders immediately started firing arrows into the crowd of peasants.

"Shut down those archers!" Valeraine yelled.

Sophella began bounded towards those sea raiders who moved to attack up close.

One peasant was cut down by a raider's sword before Sophella smashed her fist into the man, causing him to collapse. She use her taunt ability, saying, "Come fight me, you cowards!"

The archers and sword fighting raiders focused on her, and Sophella hurled a boulder into one archer's face while another fell as Melara reappeared behind them. Her light saber flickered on, and the Jedi began annihilating the raiders.

Sophella continued to smash raider after raider, and the initial wave of raiders was rapidly dissolved, but another group was holding position at the top of the hill. Sophella bounded forward into the middle of the leftover archers, and smashed them, killing each with only one punch.

A few peasants were dying as they got ahead of Melara and Sophella. Aliaga was busy healing the peasants and Alendria was shooting the archers at the top of the hill. Valeraine had hit the raiders at the hill with fire, and before Sophella could even reach them, they started to run.

Without any mounted troops it was tough to pursue the raiders, but Valeaine managed to kill two more.

Sophella was not impressed with the sea raiders, finding them stronger than the looters they had fought, but pathetic compared to the difficult Orc foes.

The village elder told Valeraine that they could take some of the villages food and supplies as just due for rescuing them, but Valeraine refused, instead giving the equipment of the fallen sea raiders to Bodahn for a decent sum. It seemed like the sea raiders wore decent equipment despite their poor fighting skill, as it all fetched a nice sum of 250 ducats.

Sophella approached Valeraine and the Elder. The Elder flinched away, scared by her size and weird appearance.

"This is Sophella, she's just wearing her stone armor, but she's human like you and me," Valeraine said.

"Oh, well thank you for intervening before more people were cut down by those animals," the elder said.

"Where do these Sea Raiders usually come from when they attack?" Sophella asked.

"We've never seen Sea Raiders in these parts before. The Mountain Bandits make their homes all around us, but the Sea Raiders stay to the north, near the sea and between Rivacheg of our nation and Wercheg of the Nords. Some of the other village elders think the Sea Raiders have been displaced by these so-called Orcs, and so they in turn have displaced the Mountain Bandits in these parts. You may want to go north and look for them, but I would sure appreciate it if you check around the village first before you go far."

Valeraine nodded, "We'll head out first thing in the morning, looking for these raiders."

So they returned to their camp, by once again going from the village zone, to the world zone and then to the camp zone. The stew was still cooking, bubbling away.

Alendria played a different song, while Aliaga was finishing up the cooking. She played it on her new spoons, and it was a lively, but tribal sounding song.

"What God is that song for?" Sophella asked.

"It's Drums of the Snake, I'm amplifying Aliaga's cooking abilities. I haven't seen a use for the chant in this world until now. It might help Melara with sneaking around while invisible, but I would have to be close to her, and my song would tend to cause more problems than it solves. Unfortunately, bards are decidedly bad at being sneaky. Why not one of my knockout songs, or even the fire song, but here I am with Drums of the Snake, and I suspect its usefulness would mostly be for other people from my world, especially locksmiths, or herbalists. "

"I've never thought of mixing everything like this, or adding these spices. I've got some other ideas for next time!" Aliaga said.

It was great stew. Sophella was very hungry after a day of fighting. The problem was, how do you eat while in stone armor.

Words flashed through her vision, like they were holograms.

Sophella, Stone Stone Tanker
Level Up! Level 2 Obtained

Fun Ability: Toggle Armor gained

Stone Armor Powerset Ability: Mud Pots
-- Toggle: Point Blank Area of Effect, Minor Damage over Time(Fire), Foe: Immobilize, -Speed

Stone Melee Powerset Ability: Build Up
-- Self +Damage, +To-Hit

"I'm so happy! Thank you Thank you!"

Sophella toggled off her Stone Armor, and in the middle of several other celebrations that must have indicated some leveling up, others looked towards her.

Sophella was wearing a blue shirt with a white skirt. Her hair was long and golden brown.

Sophella frowned though. Only level 2, and yet she already had the full granite armor? And she was just getting Mud Pots now? This was obviously something new in terms of what would happen at each level.

It looked like they all leveled up.

"I've got Smite, so I don't have to resort to my staff anymore. And Slow Fall! I can glide down from a mountain top if I wanted," Aliaga said.

"I got a little bit of my martial arts back, so I can try some more tricks," Isseria said.

Valeraine had a Rising Flames spell, and a Rally special ability.

Alendria was excited as she got a spell called Glythtide's Boon, which she said could summon a random drink for a little bit of mana. And she got an ability she called teaching.

Melara got a power to move things around with the force. She only gained one new thing, but then she explained that her fun ability was moving around everyday objects with the force, and her power ability was flunging things at her enemies with the force.

"Why did this happen now instead of after that last battle?" Aliaga asked.

"Maybe our skill ranks pulsed, and we just reached what we needed for level 2," Alendria said.

Sophella had no idea what skill ranks were or what pulsing was. "I think we all had slightly different ways of leveling up. Alendria how did yours work," Sophella asked.

"So I do different kinds of activities. If I use a bow, then I can bits in a pool in short bow. If I play my drums in order to play the drums of the snake chant, then I'm gaining Percussion, Primary Magic, Harnessing and Musical Lore bits.

After I've got some bits, there's certain points in time where the bits will pour out of those pools and give me partial ranks in those skills. Then I go see the guildmaster and ask her how much ranks I need to level up. And once I do I can talk to her and learn new abilities."

Alendria's world was weird.

"Why did we all gain a level at the same exact moment?" Melara asked. "That shouldn't happen."

Isseria and Valeraine asked, "What are levels anyway?"

"I remember like arcade games had different levels you could beat," Isseria said, pondering.

"Levels are what you gain to get stronger over time. Usually you have to fight a certain number of enemies and get experience by fighting them so that eventually you get levels," Melara said.

"Or do quests and get experience by completing them," Aliaga said.

"Quests? Like those things you have to pay a ton of money for?" Alendria asked, confused.

"No, quests pay you money and items if you complete them. OK, we are all from different worlds, so lets go to Bodahn and ask him, and then its time to eat," Aliaga said.

So they crowded around Bodahn.

"So how does this leveling thing work around here," Valeraine asked.

"The Six level together, always. I know, its not like my world, and I don't think its like this world. I mean, your Vaegir soldiers ranked up on their own, but I think you six have a shared experience pool. Everything I know about it, its just that the Six always have the same level. And I even suspect that the soldiers accompanying you gained some benefit from your leveling up, independent of their rank," Bodahn said.

"How do you know all of this stuff," Isseria asked.

"I don't know, I just do. Just let me know if you need anything."

So they went over to the tent where the four Vaegir soldiers were at.

"Did you notice anything when we leveled up?" Valeraine asked.

"We got something called a World ability. It said it was from your world, Six Alendria.. Its a feint that gives us greater defense after we attack with a sword. Its a weaker attack but then we can parry or block the enemy's blows better after that."

"Interesting," Alendria said.

After this news, and the excitement of their abilities had died down for the moment, they returned to the fire and ate. Sophella got the chance to interact with everyone all over again, this time not being treated like some kind of golem. She connected with Alendria and Valeraine a lot more. Melara and Aliaga seemed to be involved in a comparison of their orders, and how the priesthood's training varied from the Jedi academy's training. Isseria chimed in with her training at the reclusive martial arts compound.

It seemed like the others had one main story to tell, but Sophella could have told quite a few, and she got the impression that Aliaga had a few as well.

"Alright, let me talk about one of the stories I remember said," she said.

"My day to day life, largely involved fighting against all the gangs and criminal organizations in my world. I fought through so many warehouses full of goons that I've lost count. In addition, I often joined up as the protector for a group of fellow heroes that would taken on some of the bigger criminal foes, the arch-villains.

When I wasn't in a group I was tracking down my own leads into the criminal underworld. Finally, one day, I rescued a guy, who said he knew me, even though I had never met him. He gave a cryptic statement, and I had to track down what he was talking about.

Eventually, I found out that he was part of a group of time travelers, and I somehow stumbled upon their facility. I went through their time portal, and ended up at their headquarters in some distant future time when time travel had been invented.

The group told me that they were actually fighting against rogue time travelers that were trying to mess things up. I was sent back to the Roman empire to try to protect one of the first superheroes, who the meddlers were trying to kill.

It was a strange place and time, for sure. I had to gain Romulus' trust and then soundly defeat both the time travelers but also all the people they had gained on their side.

When I got back from that mission, the time travelers showed me a room that showed all of the major fights and investigations I had done since I hecame a superhero. I could look at them, or I could even go back in time, and try to fight my enemies again

I wasn't interested in redoing old fights, I didn't see the point in it, but I found an old fight that I had never actually fought. So I went back to that one.

After fighting through a wave of very scary enemies, who I barely struggled to defeat, I found another portal. It showed this very camp site.

When I stepped through, I thought I would be able to come back. As far as the hero authority is concerned, I just disappeared."

Melara and Aliaga headed towards the tents first, and then Isseria and Valeraine. Alendria practiced her mandolin by the fire, even as Sophella waved and said good night, and retired to the tents.

When she woke up the next morning and went to the fire, she saw that Alendria was talking with the Vaegir soldiers.

They had more armor now.

"My new ability can help the soldiers rank up!" Alendria said to Sophella as she came close.

"What are your ranks?" Sophella asked.

"I'm a guard, and he's a guard, and the other two are infantry," the soldier said.

"Does it work on us too?" Sophella asked.

Alendria did something, and then Sophella started realizing how she could better use her abilities. Upper cuts, body blows, grapples. Nothing visibly happened but she felt more confident in facing the enemy today."

"What's it doing?" Alendria asked.

So Sophella told her what she was noticing.

"I wonder if you have hidden skills related to using your abilities. In my world, teach is used for teaching a specific skill, but here it seems to teach each person the skill they need the most. For these soldiers, it was learning how to defend themselves and attack in a careful manner, as well as how to move around effectively," Alendria said.

"For me it was how to attack with my fists."

It wasn't long before the others were up, and Valeraine gathered everyone together.

Alendria seemed to be able to teach three people at a time, so she dropped the soldiers and tried Valeraine and Aliaga.

"I'm learning how to maneuver our forces and set up coordinated strikes. How does this even work?" she asked.

"I never really thought about it before," Alendria said.

Alendria was getting more confident in her teaching than she had been when the soldiers came to the fire the night before.

"Lets get moving. We'll do a series of spirals outward from the village and see if we find any one. If we notice any more villages being raided, or anyone tells us about it, we'll immediately go deal with that first."

So they left the camp and wandered around on the world zone near Ulburban. They found nothing for the first several hours, and it was just before noon when they noticed smoke coming from the village Ulandra to the southwest.

They were challenged at the village outskirts by a force of mounted knights.

"Hello, I am Count Grainwad of the Swadian Kingdom. We have never met before."

The man was bald, carrying a striped banner.

"Valeraine, of the Valkyrie Six. Why are you raiding this village?"

"As King Harlaus has declared a war to recover lost lands from the Vaegir scum, it is our right to raid any holding of the Vaegir crown," Grainwad said.

"We object strongly to any more villages being brutalized like this. The outlaws do this sort of thing, are you now falling to their level, or will you leave these peasants, who do not own the land you are seeking to recover, alone."

"It is my right to raid villages of the enemy. Peasants form the fighting backbone of any army. The resources they grow and gather sustain my enemy in the fight. So what are you going to do to stop me. Begone!"

"We will defend any village from any horrible treachery such as this," Valeraine said.

"So be it! You will be destroyed and scattered as a warning to the women of this world!"

Sophella was angry, she might as well be breathing fire. She knew Valeraine and the others felt the same way.

The conversation ended, and they entered the battle field.

"Hold Up villagers," Valeraine shouted, and the villagers that showed up beside them in the field of battle stopped running into the village.

"These are soldiers of one of the King's vassals. We're outnumbered. We need to soften them up first. Form ranks! Vaegir soldiers, form up on the first line with the villagers. Sophella, form up ten paces ahead of the first line.

Melara, Isseria, take flanking positions twenty paces to the left and right of Sophella. Aliaga, Alendria. form up right behind the first line. I will form up with you. Take your formations."

As the forces repositioned, Grainwad's forces were rushing out of the village, about half on horseback, and half on foot.

Alendria decided to sing an inspiring song,
"Whose gonna put up with this real Grainwad?
  Let's give him a fight that the Wad doesn't want.
  We stand for the village we stand for what's right
  We ain't gonna let no Grainwad take this fight.

  What do you say?
  Are you gonna take this anymore?"

"Hell no!
  Grainwad's got to go!"

"Ten paces forward!" Valeraine said, and they all kept formation, moving forward.

"Six! Fire on those cav! Blunt their charge!" she shouted.

Valeraine's fire, Alendria's arrows and Sophella's boulders crashed into the mounted fighters as they charged towards them. The horsemen tried to weave around Sophella, but Isseria started shooting and Melara slashed at a horseman from out of the shadows, and began to deal with the horsemen one at a time.

A few did make it through, and Valeraine waited until they crashed into the villagers and soldiers to yell, "attack at will, move and pursue your enemies wherever they are!"

Valeraine chopped at enemies attacking the villagers, avoiding hitting the friendly with the manuever. She used backdraft to fling threatening enemies away and off their horses.

Sophella was using her new mud pots ability to damage the people fighting her, and continued to smash and punch whirling here and there.

When the infantry and archers got into range,  Valeraine yelled, "Six, target the archers! Except you  Sophella."

Sophella and the villagers and soldiers continued to fight up front while Melara and Isseria extracted themselves.

Melara swiftly made her way up to the force and slashed her lightsaber into an archer. Isseria finished off another and Alendria shot back at several of them.

The infantry nearby took to battle against the two, and Valeraine bypassed the fight at the first line, flanking around to where she could using rising flames against a group of infantry. Aliaga leapt back to avoid getting hit by the fire, and watched two infantrymen scream in misery.

The battle was joined in several places, as the first line fight was going the Grainwad's way but the archers and infantrymen were routed. Alendria worked on healing the others near her with the lilt, and Aliaga healed whoever she could on the first line.

Sophella smashed Count Grainwad himself off of his horse, and one of the vaegir guards landed the knockout blow on the count.

The guard rank soldiers were a far cry from the recruits of just a few days ago, they had helped to rally the line and hold against the mounted units.

Valeraine watched as the last three horsed enemies rode in towards the villagers ago, and she launched one off his horse with backdraft, and watched as Melara flung a heavy stone into another horseman.

The guards and infantrymen on their side swarmed to the fallen enemies as Isseria shot the third cavalryman, and everyone mobbed the downed enemies.

Eventually, those few of Grainwads' who had survived fled the field.

The fight had ranged over a wide area around the village, and so it took a while to clean up.

The villagers had returned to their village, but surprising a few came from the village out to meet the Six.

"Can you teach us how to fight like that?" one of the village women asked.

"You can certainly learn to fight well enough to defeat men like Count Grainwad. We would love to see more villagers who are combat trained enough to repulse these hateful raids," Valeraine said. "If you are willing to help us protect other villages under attack, we'd love to have you."

One of the village woman decided not to come with them, and ran off, "Clair," the one speaking to them shouted.

In the end, Janet and Hilda decided to join up with them, though they didn't have any weapons more than crude wooden daggers, and only wore the traditional female dress of the region, with blue hoods and white robes that had seen many days in the field.

 Valeraine took the group back to camp to decide how to equip and bring the women into their group.

Janet and Hilda and the three Vaegir guards were sitting around the camp fire with Alendria, who was using her teaching ability with the two women and one of the guards.

"We meed to recruit additional forces if we want to take on this challenge," Valeraine said. "The Six can only do so much on their own. We need to be able to form a bigger battle line and protect the villagers from the initial wave of fighting."

Hilda said, "If you go to the men of our village, you might find more willing to sign up.to become Recruits. Also some of the bandits and raiders have captured women already. We should defeat them and rescue those women."

"What do you think six? What should our plan be?" Valeraine said.

"Let's work on building out this camp more, get some more tents set up, more firepits and supplies. Make sure everyone we recruit has a place to sleep. Then we can go to the village and find who is willing to join up," Alendria said.

"After that, we should go north and find out if the Sea Raiders have been displaced and see if we can rescue any captives," Melara said.