Tycoon May: Chapter 3 (Patreon)

Chapter 3

The enormously heavy gates opened with a groan as the mass of pseudo-Vassals approached, and the steady thrum-and-thock of the ballistae shooting fell silent.  The group in the front was ushered through the thick entryway quickly, but everyone else was forced to stop when some shouting came from the rear.  Grant turned around just in time to see the three scouts that had shot at him come sprinting over the hill.  Behind them, an undulating wave of those badger creatures were rapidly closing in.

“Best prepare yourself, Grant.  Things are about to get messy.”  Doug stepped forward a few paces to give him room to swing his stave.  “They will need some time to close the gates.  I don’t know how they do things in the south, but here, it’s our job to hold until they get it done.”

“Then we will hold.”  Grant shuffled to the side, moving out of the path of a group of archers that were trying to position themselves along the sides of the tunnel through the wall.  The majority of the people hadn’t even made it into the tunnel yet, and they quickly formed into lines meant to repel the beasts.   “Will they even need us?  We’re pretty far back.”

“Oh, I have a feeling we won’t be left out.”  Doug’s words proved prophetic.  As the three scouts sprinted through the loose lines of fighters, the gates started to creak closed at a glacial pace.  A few cries of alarm rose as those still not in the tunnel realized they would be left outside.  The already fragile lines broke before the monsters even made it two thirds of the way to the walls.  A few thick and heavy ballista bolts slammed through the beasts leading the small horde, but there was little impact in slowing their headlong charge into the unprepared people trying to shove their way inside.  Bodies went flying, the dense group of creatures plowing through them like they weren’t even there.

<This is what happens when you have untrained people wielding weapons meant for true Vassals.>  Grant swallowed heavily as the beasts plowed through humans like they weren’t even there.  It was clear their goal was to get inside the city, instead of finishing off the people standing in their way.  <They must understand the benefit of making it inside.  That speaks to a higher level of intelligence than we are used to dealing with.  It isn’t just muscle density that is increased.  We need to readjust the level of threat these monsters represent.>

“Turn and fight, you useless cowards!”  Doug pushed people out of the way to have room to swing his staff.  “You can’t let them get through!  Stand and defend your homes!”  His words mostly fell on deaf ears, only a few stopping to stand and fight.  A thin line of people formed behind the mercenary, none of them willing to push forward to stand next to the angry man.  Unfortunately, they managed to further slow the retreat of everyone else.  That only made it easier for the badger monsters to shred the people farther back.  One pocket of resistance still out on the field managed to hold long enough for a second wave of ballista bolts to slam through their ranks, killing both human and monster alike.  The whole group disappeared under the clawed feet of the creatures determined to fight through to the city.

<Once they pass into the shadow of the walls, the ballista won’t be able to angle down far enough to shoot.  You need to stop them at the opening of the gate.>  Grant grunted in agreement at Sarge’s words.  <Oh, and don’t forget to practice your Adjusted Air Friction skill!  This will make for some great training.>

Grant was shoved and jostled by the people streaming by, but he planted his feet in a wide stance and activated Adjusted Air Friction.  He mentally demanded the air around him thicken, and he set himself for the crushing arrival of the crazed giant badgers.  There was a gap between the charging monsters and the rear of the people still charging ahead, and that’s when Grant activated Thundering Step.

Instead of allowing the lightning that erupted from him to form a wide circle around his feet, he directed it into a solid line in front of him at hip height.  The front rank of the evil badgers smashed into the glowing energy and spasmed into a twitching heap in front of him.  Grant methodically stabbed through each skull of the seven monsters that made it through, while the remaining twenty or thirty beasts watched.  All but one were smart enough not to follow their dead clan-mates through the lightning.  The less-intelligent badger was zapped in its slathering snout, and it pulled back with a whimper.  After seeing what would happen if they touched it, they backed.  Watching him with murder in their beady, bloodshot eyes, their deep growls of rage at Grant’s actions made the ground tremble.  The tunnel slowly filled as they lined up across the entrance, waiting for the moment they could attack.  Grant’s spell flickered, and with a crackling sound, the temporary barrier dissipated.

The moment the spell died, they charged.