Rune Engineer by Jakman217 | World Anvil Manuscripts | World Anvil

Hector: First Blood

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When the demons first entered sight he charged. He threw himself down the wall and ran straight for them. Normal men would call it suicidal, he called it good fun. It might have seemed like lunacy, but he knew that letting them approach the wall first would just let the other men die. If he was going to help save the city he would need to keep them alive as long as possible.

The first roar and blast was directed at him, but it didn't bother him, just excite him further. The blast meant to destroy a company of men instead missed and propelled him faster. Contact with their front line was akin to a cannon shot as he tore through them. His enchanted blade and hammer cut down a demon with each swing and he laughed.

"Is this all you've got! Give me a real challenge!" He bellowed at them. Despite the pace of violence, there were too many demons for just one man to push back, and so he stepped back and stepped back. He had pulled them away enough to slow them by almost an hour.

Once they hit the wall the brawl around him weakened. Demons like these loved violence, and if given a weaker or stronger target, why not go after the weaker. Distracting them was no longer valid so he adjusted.

Those who stuck to the ground could be handled by those on the wall well enough. The ones in the air however had few challengers. The arrows and bolts of the defenders could take out a few, but there weren't enough nor were they efficient enough to keep the sky clear. He would deal with them as best he could.

He alternated between blasts of Primal Lightning and swings of sword and hammer. Even the occasional strike which took out two or three wasn't enough to push them back. This was expected though. A murder of the demons crossed over the street which marked the line between the first and second groups and was immediately assaulted by the night sky.

"It's about time they crossed here. Now I can get to work!" He heard the voice faintly as the speaker rose up. The court war mage rose up from the street. The runes on his skin glowed a dark purple and the blackness that surrounded him reflected the darkest of night skies. Hector didn't recognize the magic, but could sense it's danger, not something to play with.

Below, running across the ground and occasionally launching a white spears up between them he could see what seemed to be a whirlwind of bones, behind it, riding on a demon was a young girl with a withered arm.

Hector nodded and began driving them back. The sun was up by the time they reached it, and the wall was in shambles by then. Large sections were unguarded, cleared of defenders, and the defended parts seemed to be at half strength. The demons seemed more interested in going after the defenders than pushing into the city. That was a problem.

Hector dropped next to the forward commander and was met by spears, but they stopped before they hit him. "Good, don't let your guards down. Commander!" The one in the center of a group paused to look at him, Brandr he remembered was his name. "Pull your defenders off the wall and back to the first Barricade. The-"

"I've already sent that order. I was waiting for you to join us up here before pulling back. Can I ask you to pull rearguard duty for us?"

Hector Smiled. "I was planning just that. Keep the fight up Brandr, and don't be afraid to get out there yourself once the command post falls back."

Brandr placed a hand on his sword. "I don't need an invitation to this party, I've got my own." Hector nodded back and lept back into the air and toward's the wall. So far the demons had been weak, but that would change. Weak demons charged forward seeking to kill and consume before the strong came. The strong would arrive when it suited them, and they may even be a challenge.

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