Erfensaga: Cormorant Feathers

[elmagnifico]

There’s a doombat on my head. Trying to sip my blood like a cheap wine. This was the extent of Javmaster Cormorant’s thought as the Transylvito scout unit nibbled at his leather helmet. Cor was not used to this. His normal fighting style involved flying over at the enemy at top speed, throwing javelins left and right, and drawing his sickle-sword when those ran out. Now, the enemy was a cloud of little doombats with only one objective: Drink him drier than a Trazzian sun raisin. Cor was just an Ibyssian corporal, a level 4! He had been trained to fight the largely ground-based enemies of Ibyssinia, not these air-heavy emos.

Each javelin took out five doombats, but ten more soon replaced them. Having no idea what to do about the doombat on his head, Cor simply kept stabbing at the ones trying to bite less protected areas. Like his Cokkatwice’s flanks. The two-headed winged tiger was having a ball, all the free rations it could eat, coming in as fast as it could munch them. All the way down the Cokkatwice’s body, a set of studded-leather armor kept Jim, the playful left head, and Gordon, the calm right head, free of Doombat bites. However, directly behind the wing-joints, there was an exposed portion for the rider’s legs, so that he or she could use the stirrups on their steed properly. It was this area that Cor busied himself with clearing of doombats, ignoring the increasing pressure that meant his head would be on the menu next.

[elmagnifico]

Suddenly, there was an audible *WHUMP*, and all the doombats began going berserk, those not immediately within range of Cor circling aimlessly for a second before fleeing the hex. Cor quickly dispensed with the remaining doombats and urged his steed over to the rest of his stack. A bemuscled human wielding a giant hammer nodded as Cor and his mount flew up and joined the circle.

Cor looked over the remains of his stack. Across from him hovered Sassafrass, Ibyssinia’s master-class scout, held aloft by two Catbyrds, small winged kittens that acted as both conveyance and surveillance. To Cor’s right was Ageis/Empires, a rare black Cokkatwice, and on his back, Mona Yrets, healomancer extraordinaire, decked out in her finest, form-fitting robes. On Cor’s left hovered General Dredge, Ibyssinia’s Chief Warlord and resident big stick, mounted on another Cokkatwice. Another ‘Twice rider that Cor didn’t recognize floated uneasily between Dredge and Sassafrass.

“Right. Now that we’re all here, this is the plan: Continue pursuit of the Transylvito warlord, dropping back in pairs as you run out of move. There’s only one route that burrito-speedo could have taken if he wants to reach his territory before Carpool figures out he’s there, and that’s straight down Clyde Canyon. He’s only got one more warlord with him, so since he knows we’re following him, he’s probably set one more trap like this somewhere in the canyon. I got a good look at our friend here’s stats before I squished him,” General Dredge indicated the blackish smear on his warmallet, “So, if they’ve all got the same move, I figure only you, you-“ Dredge waved his mallet at Cor and the other rider, “-and I will have the move to catch the Burrito Speedo. Let’s go!”

[elmagnifico]

As Dredge reigned in his Cokkatwice, urging it to fly further into Carpudlian territory, Cor shook his head. Always the same solution with Dredge: Find the problem, then squish it with his hammer. At least, so went the joke in the Ibyssian barracks.

Ah, the barracks. Thinking of his home brought the thought of rations, momentarily banished by the chaos of battle, crashing back to the forefront of Cor’s mind. He and the other pikers of the Cokkatwice Corps hadn’t had their morning rations before the call had been sent out: “The princess’ stack was attacked last turn! All fliers, battle stations!” They had been dispersed at all six points of the compass, three stacks to a hex, into the area surrounding Issusippi. Naturally, it had been one of Sassafrass’ Catbyrd scouts to raise the call. Princess Egret had been captured by an invading party of warlords.

No, it wasn’t Benderia attacking with more of their masked “Burnamancers”, nor was it Carenshare and their horrific Hippiemancy-infused Cloth Golems. Transylvito, a side from across the sea, was apparently after Ibyssinia’s heir and her ability to reduce the upkeep of nearby units.