Step 1: Attack

You creep through the predawn darkness, moving towards Drux's hollow. Just before it comes into view, you pause, and allow some stragglers to catch up. When you are all finally assembled, you and your forces form up, with you in the middle, and the forest spiders on either side.

Again, there are no speeches, nor are there any roars or hisses of challenge. Surprise is your ally, and silence, your friend. Finally, you signal the advance, moving forward as quietly as possible to attack the enemy stronghold.

Exhilaration rushes through you, as you run forward with the forest spiders on your flanks. Days of preparation have led to this moment. At long last, you will all have your **** against Drux.

As before, Drux has kept his forces close to the hollow, fully aware that you cannot hope to challenge him there. However, this leaves the few sentries he does have exposed. You and your forces quickly overwhelm them, pushing further towards the hollow. A small party of black spiders approaches from the woods in front of you, pushing forward to block you advance. Their small numbers and inferior quality tells against them, and they waver as the forest spiders start cutting them down one by one, eventually breaking off altogether, and fleeing.

However, your initial success does not last. Although the hollow's perimeter was poorly defended, its center is not. The perimeter guard was merely a speed bump, meant to slow you down long enough for a proper response **** to get in position.

You blunder into this **** just as it finishes coalescing, catching both sides by surprise. Momentum though, carries you and your party into their midst, propelling you forward as you try to break through. For a brief few seconds these black spiders waver, but you are unable to cut through their numbers, giving them enough time to reorganize, and meet your attack.

Your small **** **** begins to get pushed back as the defenders continue to be reinforced. As the battle progresses, the lines of combat lose their earlier symmetry. Your left flank is losing ground faster than the rest of your forces, causing the lines to skew in a diagonal slant. This leaves your right side perfectly positioned to press forward into the interior, if not for the fact that they were currently heavily engaged.

You attempt to organize a counter-attack, trying to create an opportunity for a portion of your **** to break off and press further in. However, Drux himself leads another sizable party from the middle of the hollow, attempting to go around the main fight to attack you from behind. This maneuver threatens your right flank, and you realize your position is untenable. If you don't act soon, the entire party will be overrun.

For a moment, you are filled with the ****, insane urge to fight it out, but if you stay here all of you will die, and nothing will have been accomplished. You have no other choice.

Fall back! you call out. Fall back!

Fortunately, your forces are not heavily engaged, and are quick to respond to your order. You are the last to leave, using your size and strength to hold back the enemy as the forest spiders retreat. As soon as the last of the forest spiders has disengaged, you start give ground, while you use your Vine Lash to keep the black spiders at a distance. Once you reach the limit of your range, you turn and run, chasing after the rest of your forces.

Drux doesn't follow, as you and the forest spiders retreat. Having driven you off, he feels no need to continue your skirmish. You look back over your shoulder to see him wagging one fore-leg at you in an approximation of a smug wave. Ugly rage seizes you, almost causing you to turn back, and continue the fight. However reason returns, and persuades you to continue your flight. You'll be damned if you let Drux have the last word though.

Coward! you shout behind you, as you leave. You afraid to leave your den? Scared we'll beat you when you can't cheat?

You can see a few of the black spiders shift angrily. Drux, lowers his foreleg and goes stock still, staring straight at you.

Come on you miserable insects! Worried I'll stomp you like the bugs you are? you taunt.

The black spiders start to mutter angrily, and another one of Drux's legs twitches slightly.

You know? I think I did the world a favor when I got rid of those heroes carrying your eggs. Vermin like you shouldn't be allowed to breed.

A thrill of alarm fills you, and you quicken your pace. There is no way they are going to let that last one slide.

You hear an angry roar of voices behind you, and Drux's voice cries out, "Kill them! Leave none alive!"

Oh, goody! Now they've started chasing you.