[Vfw-times] MK Winter Assault part 73 - Treachery revealed

[COkane8116 at aol.com]

   Here is the part many of you have been waiting for - The traitor in the 
Long Scouts is finally revealed. For those of you keeping track and reading 
the clues this might not be a surprise. 

   I hope you enjoy it. I hope you HAVE been enjoying WA so far.

    Chris
    The Lurking Fox


****

   Ferwig, Teria and the traitor moved quickly through the myriad passages 
that made up Long House. They calmly walked passed guards, servants, and 
countless women and children. No one paid the slightest attention to the 
trio. They came to an intersection and took the right hand turn and entered a 
small hall which like Long hall was crowded with people. To the fighter the 
people all looked like the refugees he had seen elsewhere, tired, hungry and 
scared.

   No one gave them a second glance as they moved through the hall. In a 
moment the group reached a doorway set in one wall. It was closed by a double 
door that lead into a passage wide enough for two people to walk side by 
side. The corridor was empty of people except for one soldier who was 
standing about twenty feet away.

   The three people moved down the passage slowly. There were closed doors on 
the right hand side of the passage but not the left. The left wall was devoid 
of any openings that he could see. When they got close to the guard Ferwig 
could see that it was a woman, no more then seventeen, maybe eighteen years 
old. She was standing next to a small door that was recessed into the left 
hand wall.

   Ferwig saw the traitor flexing his claws and realized he intended to kill 
the woman. He stepped in front of the scout. "We're here to relieve you while 
you go eat," he told the woman on guard duty.

   The woman smiled. "Great, "I've can use the relief." She saluted the 
traitorous Long scout "Thank you Sir. I'll be back quickly."

   "Take your time," the scout said as the woman moved off down the hallway 
and out of site.

   "That was stupid," the scout angrily. "I should have killed her."

   "Is killing all you know?" Teria asked.

   The traitor stared at her. "Since when do you care who lives as long as 
you get paid." Then he turned and rapped on the door three times. There came 
three sharp raps in return.

  "Good, they're ready," the traitor said and reached for the bolt that held 
the door closed. Suddenly the tip of Ferwig's spear blossomed out of his 
chest. The traitor managed to gasp and look in shock at his killer.

   He was dead before his body hit the floor.

   "Like Teria said," Ferwig pronounced to the corpse. "There are other 
things besides power and riches."

   Suddenly there came three sharp raps at the door. Teria lightly placed her 
hand on the woodwork. A bright light leaped from the door and hit her full in 
the chest knocking her across the corridor.

   Ferwig helped the mage to her feet. "They want in," Teria said.

   "Can you hold them?" he asked.

   She made some complex gestures on the door and a light yellow glow covered 
it completely. A soft thump sounded from the other side, the whole door shook 
and the glow dimmed noticeably. "No," Teria said, finally answering Ferwig. 
"There are too many and they're too powerful."

   "How many?" a voice asked from behind Ferwig. Turning they found George 
standing there with a half dozen soldiers. The jackal was staring at them 
with a coldness that made them both shiver. "How many?" he asked again.

   "At least eight," Teria answered. "Two of them very powerful. Plus at 
least sixty warriors."

   The jackal stared at the dead traitor for a moment. The birds plumage was 
covered in blood. "Baldwin. I was sure it was Allart," he said absent 
mindedly.

   The woman standing next to the jackal shook her head. "A Long Scout was a 
traitor. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed it. He 
was going to let them in," the woman said the shock plain in her voice.

   BOOM! The sound echoed through the corridor. The door shook visibly.

   "They still might get in," the jackal said. George turned to the woman 
standing next to him and pointed down the corridor passed the door and the 
mercenaries. "Where does that lead?"

   "It dead ends in a kitchen and some storerooms," came the answer.

   BOOM!

   "Any exits?"

   "No, this corridor is the only way in or out."

  BOOM! The glow surrounding the door flared and disappeared. BOOM! The door 
exploded, splinters showering everyone. A dozen men in armor came rushing 
through the shattered remains of the door.

   The first two invaders through the door died quickly. Ferwig speared one 
through the stomach and George beheaded the other with a single blow of his 
cutlass. A dozen more poured in to replace the dead and the corridor was 
filled with people locked in bitter combat.

   The fight in the hallway was a nightmare; men, women, and animal morphs of 
all shapes and sizes locked in a frenzied fight for survival. It was a 
hideous fight of sword, dagger, knife, too and claw devoid of any subtly or 
tactics. Magic arced and flared through the corridor adding an eerie and 
unworldly light to the scene.

   Ferwig lost all track of time and place as he fought to survive. He calmly 
speared a mercenary in the chest and kicked another one in the groin. The man 
dropped to the floor, groaning in pain. A spear in his back ended his groans. 
He saw George parry a blow with his cutlass and drove his large dagger into 
the attackers stomach. Suddenly flames filled the hallway engulfing attacker 
and defender alike. He heard screams of agony over the roar of flames. Then 
the fire disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

   Teria pointed her finger at a figure standing behind the attacking 
fighters, "FA SHOO!" she shouted. And the man just seemed to fall apart, 
blood spraying everywhere.

    In  the confusion Ferwig suddenly found himself fighting side by side 
with George as Teria stood behind them casting magic.

   "Seems like old times George," Ferwig shouted over the din of combat.

   The jackal parried a blow and slashed the stomach of his attacker. He 
laughed, "Yes it does. Now that you're on the right side."

   Suddenly from down the corridor came the sounds of shouting, screaming, 
and the crackle and boom of magic. The whole corridor suddenly lit up with 
the glow of flames. Behind the attackers he caught a brief glimpse of a skunk 
morph. The creatures black and white markings clearly visible amidst the 
invaders. He saw the skunks whole body glow with raw power. Then the image 
was gone, lost in a swirl of smoke and flame.

   "What's happening?" Someone shouted.

   "Magic," Teria answered. "Very powerful magic." The mage let out a cry and 
dropped to her knees.

   A soldier grabbed her and helped the mage to her feet. "What's wrong?" the 
man asked.

   "Something drained my magic," the woman gasped. "All of it!"

   "What's happening to the walls?" A voice asked above the din of the 
fighting.

   Ferwig spared a glance at the stonework overhead. He saw the stone go from 
the usual polished gray to a more corroded, ancient, very pale gray. Dust 
slowly filtered down on them. The stone was decaying as he watched. He heard 
George curse loudly as the stonework started to crumble. Suddenly one of the 
wooden roof beams he was standing under just seemed to disintegrate into 
sawdust and he heard the groan as the ceiling began to give way.

   "EVERYBODY OUT!" the jackals voiced boomed over the bedlam. "THE WHOLE 
PLACE IS COLLAPSING!" 

   Everyone tried to scramble back to the hall down a corridor that was 
collapsing around them. The stones of the ceiling were raining down on 
everywhere as choking dust and smoke filled the air. A large stone smashed 
into shoulder of the reptile morph in front of him. Ferwig grabbed the Gila 
monster under the shoulders and lifted him up. Dragging the wounded man, the 
fighter made his way down the disintegrating corridor into the hall and 
placed the wounded man a good distance from doorway. Unlike the corridor this 
stonework seemed strong and secure.

   Ferwig walked back to the opening and stood next to Teria. He place a hand 
on her shoulder and she gave him a faint smile. The woman didn't seem hurt, 
just tired. He watched as the corridor he had just come from collapse into 
rubble and debris as smoke and dust billowed out into the hall.

   There came a deep boom echoing down the corridor, followed by a bright 
flash of light clearly visible through the smoke and wreckage. A second boom 
rumbled passed the debris, this time shaking the very walls and floors, 
knocking everyone to the ground. Teria's eyes widened in shock. "Get back!" 
she warned. "Get away from the corridor!"

   Without bothering to ask why, Ferwig did as she ordered, scrambling on his 
hands and knees to do it. A tremendous roaring explosion boomed down the 
corridor and a jet of flame thirty feet long shot into the hall sending 
people and objects flying. Thick smoke filled the air and the stench of 
burning blotted out everything.

*************************

End part 73
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