The Grand Battle S2G1! [Round Six: Eddelin City]

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

---

Show Content

SpoilerAs an aside, bumping Grand Battles without double-posting is a simpler process now. I don't think you could delete your own posts unless they were the most recent before the move, but now you can. So just reserve, make your story-post, then delete the post where you reserved.

As Arkal arrived at the cathedral, he saw a single Sk'van frantically pulling on the doors, desperately trying to open them.

"GODDAMN IT! Of all the days to forget my keys!" he shouted.

Arkal coughed, getting his attention.

"What do you want?" the Sk'van growled back. "If you're looking to hide in here, forget it. These doors are solid transtanium, and without that stupid key I lost, they won't open."

"Then why are you trying to pull them open?"

"...shut up." He stopped his wild flailing, resigned to defeat. "I swear, this High Priest job isn't all it's cracked up to be. I wish I'd been born an engineer or something instead."

"Mind if I have a look?" Arkal asked, shoving him aside without waiting for an answer. The High Priest considered reprimanding him, then looked nervously at the unconscious officer slung over Arkal's shoulder and decided against it.

Arkal quickly realized that, although the doors and walls of the cathedral were indeed made of a potent alloy, these Sk'vans apparently didn't know much about making a proper hinge. In fact, it would have been more secure if they'd built the doors to open inwards rather than outwards.

He smashed the hinges of one door with his hammer, then grabbed it and carried it inside. The metal would be tough to work with due to its strength, but even without any smithing, it would make a good shield in a pinch. The only thing he'd seen so far that might be able to pierce it was Kracht.

The High Priest followed him in, nervously. He wasn't sure how safe the cathedral would be with a door missing, but it was still probably safer than outside.

***

"Wake up, you idiot!" Sikarius hissed at Maxwell. He hated it when the stupid boy fell unconscious; most of the body became significantly harder to control.

With great effort, the Bio Wyrm forced Maxwell's eyes partially open to get a look. It seemed he was being ignored by whichever army had attacked them; they probably thought Maxwell dead. Which was technically true, he mused; it was just that only now was he unmoving as well as dead. Jen was nowhere in sight either.

Focusing carefully, Sikarius grew two small limbs out of Maxwell's back and started slowly dragging the body away with them, stopping any time a soldier seemed about to turn in his direction. It took effort, but soon he had slithered away out of sight, so Maxwell could recover without dozens of soldiers watching him. After a few minutes, Maxwell groggily came to.

"About time, boy," Sikarius hissed. "Now, this is what we are going to do. We are going to find Arkal, and kill him."

"Wha...?" Maxwell groaned. "But Jen said..."

"That is precisely why we are going to kill him!" Sikarius' voice was even sharper than usual, snapping Maxwell to attention. "Nobody orders me around!"

"...if she figures that out, can't she trick you into doing stuff by telling you not to?"

"Silence! We need to figure out where he went..."

There was a sudden shout echoing down the alleyway.

"SOME MUSCLEBOUND HUMANOID OPENED UP THE CATHEDRAL! EVERYBODY GET OVER THERE!"

"...ah, how convenient. Now, let's get going, shall we? Or do I have to make your pathetic body walk over there?"

Maxwell sighed. "Fine. I'm not in the mood to argue with you right now."

***

"OVER TO THE CATHEDRAL! HURRY!" Kracht shouted. This iteration was proving frustratingly difficult so far, but hopefully getting Maxwell over to the cathedral would get it somewhat back on track.