In the search of Orichalcum 4 – Trouble in the neighbourhood

The amount of footsteps, trampled plants and other landmarks 30 people that are sure no threat is present to them make is easily found. As such Uklag is easily able to follow the tracks until he finds their campsite a few of hours before daybreak. A couple of fires are burning in a depression of the grounds, guarding them from wind. A couple of tree trumps are sticking out where the forest once had its influence.

Uklag is currently hiding behind one of the trees still standing close to the camp. He is watching the two guards that had the pleasure to be the first cog in his plan to get the Orichalcum. Patiently he hides until the opportunity presents itself.

“I’m going to piss really quickly.” One of the guardswomen say and walks into his general direction. It takes only a little bit of Alteration to get her to choose the exact tree where he is hiding. When she finally realizes that he is there it’s too late. She tries to open her mouth but Uklag already has grabbed her throat and presses her against the tree so the other guard can’t see them.

“I give you this sacrifice.” Uklag says, “Demon’s. I call you, in exchange for your services I offer you a soul. The soul of a sinner. Take it and my power to enter this realm, Fiends.” The whole time he chants his mantra the bandit tries to struggle, but an electrical current keeps her paralyzed. Then the point of Uklag’s staff pierces her heart.

Sadly Demon’s aren’t exactly known for stealthy entrances. With the smell of brimstone and fire the Fiend rises from the ground. “Who calls me, Zertz, and for what cause?” he asks. “I’m Uklag and I want you to attack that camp.” The Fiend bows his head and storms towards the second guard that has been coming closer ever since the Demon has started to loudly talk.

“Ignore her, just go attack the camp.” Zertz obeys and storms right beside the alarm-shouting guard. “DEMONS!” Uklag sends a Thunderbolt her way and proceeds to walk over to the paralyzed woman. “I love lightning magic.” He says and begins another chant. This time he summons a small horde of Imp’s and sends them after the Fiend.

The bandits had the situation under control that far, suppressing a single fiend is an easy matter with 28 people of average fighting prowess, but the Imp’s now run rampant all over the place sewing chaos. And chaos is exactly what Uklag needs. Whenever a bandit is standing out of sight from his comrades he is killed and replaced by more Demon’s. When they notice him the fifth time he does so it is already too late. Imps are running rampant and as much as Uklag hates the things he has to admit how useful they are in these type of situations.

Too small and fast to prove a good target they are running over the place like a bunch of worked up bees. They don’t do much damage themselves, but they break the concentration of the bandits, keep them from firing arrows or just jump into their faces and blind them. The two Fiends are getting more and more breathing room and Uklag, even though he was noticed, simply keeps summoning through the sacrifice of more bandits.

The tide of battle is turning ever faster until the bandits drop their weapons and surrender. “STOP.” Uklag yells at one of the Fiends that was striking at one of the bandits. He stops and lowers his clawed hand. “We give up.” A woman, from the look of her equipment she is the leader, says. “This is where is would ask you who you are, but I don’t give a tosh right now.” Uklag says. “Where are the goods?”

“Pardon?” The bandit is playing on time, even she knows that binding that many Demons at once can’t be held up for a long time. Sadly for her Uklag knows his own limits as well. “Kill one more.” He says to a Fiend. A cracking noise later another bandit with a twisted neck hits the ground. “You know which ones, where are the stocks of the Cult of Five?”

The leader points at a big tent. Uklag walks into it and is assaulted by a last bandit that was hiding inside. He is thrown backwards to the ground, a knife lowering on his chest, he hears the triumphant screams of the bandits.

The knife hits a wall of Ice. “You shouldn’t have done that.” Uklag says towards the panicked man, who tries to rip the knife out of the protective layer above the warlock’s heart. “My turn.” Uklag throws the man of him, gets up and rams his staff into the man’s heart.

“How?” the leader demands to know. “Simple really, if something closes in on me above a certain speed my staff will create an ice barrier.” Uklag picks a few pieces of the ice of his robe, “It’s really uncomfortable though.” Ripping his spear from the dead man’s chest he walks into the tent. “Oh yeah, kill one more.”

Four bandits remain. Uklag searches through the tent, there isn’t a huge amount of stuff in there and whoever was the one in charge of resources has been an orderly fellow. When Uklag leaves the tent he doesn’t look pleased. “Where is the Orichalcum?” he asks. “The what-now?” an honest question. “The green and black metal ore. You stole it, where is it?” The bandit knows that she will die if she answers, but if she doesn’t she will do as well.

Uklag doesn’t wait for her to think of some great lie, he puts his hand on her head. “Goodbye.” He says and assaults her mind. The last thought the bandit has is ‘He looks tired, if I can hold out just a bit more…’

Then she crumbles under the Alteration. “We sold it.” A lifeless voice says, “To whom?” “He called himself Ernie, black hair, big bushy beard, crooked nose.” “When did you sell it?” “Two days ago.” Too far to chase him by now, Uklag clicks his tongue unsatisfied. “Where is he going?” “To the Cult, we found it funny that we would sell them what we stole.”

“Thank you.” He pulls his hand away and the women goes to her knees. “Kill the rest.” Uklag says and watches the remained of bandits struggle under the overwhelming force. With the deed done he dismisses the demons and lets out a long sigh. “These fuckers.” He said with a tired voice.

If the bandit had said the truth the merchant had arrived before Uklag had done so, meaning that the cult had the Orichalcum all along. They most likely had planned to use him in the assault of the camp and then discard him when he was looking the wrong way afterwards. If he wouldn’t be so tired he would be furious right now.

“Well, you can always be angry after sleeping.” Uklag says and enters an empty tent in the destroyed campsite.