Chapter 467: At least it’s not boring
Blake’s train had become a convertible. Demons managed to rip off the boards and coverings, and now the players were forced to knock, slash, and Telekinetically hurl them off as they climbed and tried to get inside.
His constructs, of course, were keeping that number to a minimum. He’d lost his ball-and-chain, but created three more (a kind of preying mantis looking thing, a tube with spinning baseball bats, and a weight with legs that…jumped on things).
The Primordial constructs weren’t remotely equal. His Doom Donut and ‘Train’ had probably killed ten times the demons than all the other constructs combined. Primordial Making was definitely proving itself a frustrating, hilarious, glorious mess. Blake kind of appreciated all that, just not necessarily when his ass was slowly cooking over a demonic fire.
“There! Look!”
Seul-ki grabbed Blake’s arm and pointed to what was probably the central point between the portals. He winced as he saw a new portal forming, this one much bigger than the others. He was guessing that meant they had failed to ‘stop’ the greater demon from arriving.
Even moving around and killing the demons that left their portals wasn’t keeping up. Many were still forming or wandering away from their circles, Blake and the others were getting overwhelmed.
A chittering hiss raised little hairs all over Blake’s body. It was loud enough it sounded like an echo, the last clicks like fireworks popping with a deeper sound. He turned and saw Seul-ki going pale, even Annie glanced over with a blank sort of ‘that’s not good’ stare.
Something crawled into existence, a new consciousness that rose up like a mountain in the psionic landscape of Blake’s awareness. It felt like insects slithering and attaching to his skin, looking for a way inside.
Psion, hissed a snarling voice in Blake’s brain. You think that swarm of arrogant fish you call a god can save you? From me?
Blake sighed, deflecting the mental probing with the barest flick of resistance. While demons had mostly negative qualities, they really knew how to make a guy feel special.
“We’re going to need to deal with…that,” he said, standing to peek out from the ripped open roof. The central portal was freshly torn, and whatever this demon was had yet to physically form itself. All its little insect minions were rushing towards it to do God knew what. Certainly nothing good.
“They’re running away,” Annie said, lifting herself up to see. “Oh. No they’re just gathering to kill us in a clump.”
Blake sighed and tried not to look back at the orc towers. It had been long enough now he’d basically given up any hope of help.
But he just couldn’t stop himself. Surely Ilya would at least have tried to send some goblins, or appeal to the others? They could only come out in limited numbers, but you’d think with their tower under attack it would…
Blake blinked as he saw the dust. He stared until the shape and movement became obvious—until the line of orc infantry marching towards the demons became flanking cavalry and shamans holding staffs.
As if they’d noticed the attention, their drums began to beat, their tusk-horns sound.
“She fucking did it,” Blake said, laughing as he punched the side of his train then shook his fist. He glanced at Seul-ki, who still looked skeptical. “None of that, now,” he chastised. “They’re coming to help. Just look at the magnificent bastards!”
“Let’s hope they don’t turn on us when they’re finished with the demons,” she said quietly. “If the opportunity presents itself.”
Blake shook his head, too pleased to give her a frown. Though she was right—it was always possible. He knew his goal of uniting the ‘greenskins’ was always filled with danger and complication.
But he was so close. Stopping these creatures together might be just what he needed to cement a real alliance. To convince the tower lords he was here to help them, and that he’d risk it all.
But they had to win, first. And Blake was intimately familiar with how terrified orcs were of magic, and how particularly susceptible to mental spells. There was a reason these demons preyed on them, and that orcs hated them so much.
So the question was: would they actually be much help? Or was Blake soon going to have to deal with a mind-controlled, panicking mob of orcs?
He mentally commanded Navi to turn the train towards the central portal. As they rumbled along he realized no new smaller portals were forming now, so that was at least something. He supposed all the planar energy was being directed towards the greater demon.
A greater demon that was beginning to form.
A bulbous head covered in hundreds of spherical eyes emerged from the circle like the world’s ugliest baby being born. Antenna-like cat whiskers waved all around it, followed by pair after pair of long, spider-like leg.
The thing came out with a final slop of black goo, rising on a dozen pairs of hind leg to chitter and roar as it uncurled and waved more legs and several pairs of mandible. It had to be at least twenty feet tall.
“I’ve always hated bugs,” Blake said with a shudder. “I mean I don’t have any cool, life-threatening origin story. I just think they’re gross. Liking bugs should put you on some kind of watch list.”
“Do we have a plan?” Seul-ki asked with a subtle, but definitely concerned tone.
“Of course we do,” Blake lied.
Well, unless ‘attack the demons with orcs, and then win’ counted as a plan. But he’d heard what Navi said—‘upper’ demons were more intelligent, had more magic, were weak to physical damage.
So the plan seemed simple enough. Counter its magic, kill the little friends, splatter greater demon with flying javelins, an angry red-head, and a whole bunch of swarming orcs. What could go wrong?
Blake grinned and closed his eyes at the feel of the wind blowing through his hair as the train turned towards the giant demon. He finally realized the music he’d been hearing when he made the vehicle. It was an old, truck-driving novelty country song from the 70s, or something. It was fucking Convoy.
He hummed the tune, rising up in volume until he sung the chorus and gestured at the girls.
“Come on and join our convoy, ain’t nothin’ gonna get in our way!”
They stared blankly, and Blake shook his head.
“You’re both as bad as Mason. If you can’t have a little fun in the apocalypse, what’s the point?”
Seul-ki, at least, smiled politely. Void-Annie just stared at her target.
Next time, Blake decided—that is, the next opportunity he had to make another sentient, demon-crushing train to close abyssal portals—he was teaching it how to sing.
**
The demon ‘clumps’ soon looked a lot more like ‘ranks’. Blake decided to mentally command his train to a halt a good 500 yards from the outside of the gathering creatures. He stared out over the crawling, slithering, clicking mass of bug demons and Meditated as fast as possible.
Of course, he was down to about half of his ‘cap’ mana from controlling so many powerful constructs. But since he was waiting on the orc army anyway, he decided to try and transfer control of a few to Seul-ki through their tournament rewards.
The Demon-hunter popped from his mind, and then the Jumper and Spinning Bats. Blake laughed and was about to move another before the jewel felt warm and magically inert on his wrist.
“Oh.” He frowned. “It runs out, apparently. Well it’s a hell of a lot better than nothing. How’s your mana?”
“Reduced to 70% of my total,” Seul-ki said. “Having these things in my mind is…strange.”
“You get used to it.” Blake relaxed and squeezed Seul-ki’s hand as he Meditated with both halves of his mind. He expected he only had a few minutes, but it seemed best to squeeze out every drop he could.
The demons waited patiently. Or probably just weren’t ready to go murdering quite yet. The cacophonous din of the approaching orcs grew and grew until Blake thought it best to climb up out of his train to greet them.
He didn’t see Ilya, but supposed that wasn’t surprising. He had no idea if it was good or bad when he spotted Lord Halvar at the head of the army beside Malik Earthsoul.
The orc leader blew a tusk-horn, and the infantry growled to a stop. Blake and the orc leaders observed each other in an appraising silence for a long, tense moment. Blake decided it was best not to step on any clawed toes, or prickle any sensitive orc egos.
“I’m at your service, my lords.” He bowed his head low and waited. But he regretted not being able to see the reaction, and moved his vision to Seul-ki through Mental Influence to watch.
The orc lords all glanced to Malik, who looked far too pleased for a creature about to charge a portal full of abyssal awful.
“You prove yourself a loyal servant to your mistress, wizard. And a brave and powerful ally. I thank you for your courage.”
Blake blinked back to his senses and rose with a slight smile.
“The demon leader is weak to your blades, my lords. But it has powerful magic. I fear it will test me and all your shamans terribly. You’ll have to protect us.”
Malik snorted, glancing at the old shaman at his side.
“You hear that? I may finally be rid of you.”
The ancient orc smiled with a few wooden teeth, looking at the demons with one milky eye. He was muttering something, Blake realized, too quiet to be heard. And it didn’t take much arcane inspection to see the hunched creature was filled with some kind of power. Blake decided they might have a chance, after all.
“Better to attack now,” said Malik. “The blood is up, and our protection won’t last forever. Also, I hate waiting. Are you ready, wizard?”
Blake nodded, glancing at his girls. “We’re ready,” he said. “How do you want to attack?”
The orc leader snorted and blew his horn. His heavy infantry roared and marched forward, the orc lords spreading throughout their ranks. Blake decided he probably was over thinking things.
Feeling a bit like he’d stepped into Lord of the Rings, he commanded his sentient train-chariot and his Doom Donut forward, readying himself for a battle of magic and will. Would the orc shamans’ magic protect humans, too? He kind of doubted it.
And he’d had that greater demon’s mind close enough to know it didn’t like him very much. Not very much at all.
With a deep breath, and another squeeze of Seul-ki’s hand, he rumbled along beside his allied army, towards the giant, swarming mass of demonic insect, trying not to wish Mason was there. But at least things weren’t boring.