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A Soldier's Life - 232 - No Rest for the Wicked
🕑 Added 2024-07-20 15:07:48 +0000 UTCChapter 232: No Rest For The Wicked
The creature’s mandibles helped its grotesque maw slurp up Rusty’s viscera. With the creature standing at over ten feet and almost as wide, I was not going to be able to move a large volume. My dimensional space was crowded, so I settled on a decent sized mass, targeting the head, and getting its brain.
Its clawed arm reached down and pulled up an intestine, pulling it into its mouth, pulling it inside like slurping spaghetti. I couldn’t take it anymore and moved in to slay the horror. Its claw was lightning quick, but I never got close enough for it to reach me as I removed part of its brain. It had a stronger resistance than I expected, but I succeeded in the brief tug-o-war, and the claw slowed, confused. “You’re dead and just don’t know it yet,” I boasted with a grim smile, thinking my revenge for Rusty was complete.
One of the eyes was going wild as I smirked, thinking I had succeeded, but then it lunged at me. I pivoted and interposed the black spear. The spear pierced easily and sunk deep into the carapace, but when the creature turned to face me, the shaft was ripped from my hand before I could extract it. Opening some distance, I swore. “Dragon shit. Why aren’t you dead?”
The creature was having difficulty moving as I drew my black blade. The only thing I could think of was I didn’t get enough of the brain. Anatomy was not part of my Hound training, not that this creature struck any chord of familiarity from Hearne’s lessons. It walked disjointedly toward me, the black spear’s shaft swinging like a new appendage. The massive arms, each tipped in four impressive claws, swung at me clumsily as I parried and retreated.
The clang of the dark blade against its shell was not a good sign. Orc’s Torment couldn’t penetrate the hard shell as easily as the black spear. If it hadn’t been weakened and slowed by the removal of part of its brain, I might have been in trouble. It didn’t want to let me go, so I drew it further away, hoping the blue blood leaking down the spear shaft would drain its life enough to kill it.
The creature was relentless as we danced in the woods. It finally seemed to notice the spear and yanked it free with a clawed hand. It tried to snap the shaft in anger, and I was shocked when it bowed slightly before rebounding.
After its failure to destroy the weapon, it furiously tossed away the weapon. I was unhappy to note that the hole left behind quickly congealed with blue blood, stopping its bleeding. It did give me time to circle and retrieve the discarded black spear.
The shaft was sticky with blue blood, but this weapon was capable of cutting the creature's hard shell. It once again located me and continued its pursuit of dessert. The spear was immediately effective as a slash cut removed one of its claws, surprising us both. If it had an intact brain, it might have been smart enough to run. Instead, I was able to remove more claws and poke shallow holes with the spear. The entire battle took over an hour, the beast having an impressive constitution, showering the forest floor with splatters of blue blood. I could have ended it sooner as my dimensional ability had recovered, but I was taking a perverse pleasure in tormenting the creature for killing Rusty.
When it did fall, I confirmed its death with the spear and immediately used the essence collector. The azure smoke was thick as it coalesced into a sphere. Unsurprisingly, an apex essence had formed, and its dark brown and gray swirls were a welcome sight.
As my adrenaline faded, I was able to mourn Rusty’s death. I should have trusted his instincts and ran as soon as he sensed something wrong. Standing over the mutilated horse, I apologized. “Damn it Rusty. I am sorry I let you down. You were a fine steed, and I thank you for your service.” I closed his eyes.
I drank from my canteen to replenish my fluids as I moved to climb the ridge to check on the orc fleet. Being on foot allowed me to use my earth speak spell form continuously, so at least I wouldn’t be surprised again.
The orc fleet had moved, and I counted thirty-eight ships again. I wrote in my notebook, “Orc fleet is about thirty miles south of my lookout and still sailing with thirty-eight ships. I lost my mount to a monstrosity in the woods, and I am on foot and healing from an injury.” I added the injury detail in hopes I wouldn’t have to continue following the armada.
Centurion Sergius must have had the notebook open as the response was nearly immediate. “Continue following the fleet. Hound Aesop is forty miles south of you. Join up with him and track the fleet together.”
The bastard didn’t even ask me if I was okay or what had killed Rusty—just get back to work. I had been ready to draw a picture in the book in hopes of learning what the creature was. Instead of following the fleet, I sat on the ridge and ate a burrito in mild protest. It was frustrating not knowing what was happening in the eastern part of the Empire. I was also being used as a tool by Centurion Sergius for his personal ambitions. It wouldn’t be long before I couldn’t escape doing despicable things.
I checked, and the fleet was well south of me, so I would have to get moving soon to catch up. Reluctantly, I stood and started to make my way slowly on the rocky ridge line. Using my earth speak, I found another concealed lookout about five miles further down the coast. It smelled foul, and a pool of water had rotted everything inside. It looked like the back of the cave had a clogged drain, and this post had not been manned in decades.
Leaving the cave, I turned the spyglass on the fleet. They were still a dozen miles off shore, but I was certain one of the ships had broken away from the armada and was angling toward my shore. I moved on the other side of the ridge to hide my movements as I tried to determine where the ship might land. It was still angling south, and after hours of its slow approach, it entered a small bay ahead of me.
I raced to get a good vantage point to spy from while remaining concealed. Nestled in the shadow of a rock crevice, I retrieved my spyglass and studied the ship. The sails had been drawn down, and they had anchored the ship two hundred yards from shore. The decks were busy with orc sailors and—what? A large, bald, gray-skinned man was moving crates. At first, I thought the shirtless goliath was Maveith. But getting a closer look, I saw that it was not him, and relief flooded me. Two other goliaths were on deck, moving crates to boats to be lowered.
At first, it saddened me to see the goliaths had allied with the orcs, but then an orc bashed one of the goliaths with a club for no reason I could discern. A second and third strike finished the harsh discipline. Tattooed orcs joined the sailors on deck as they prepared the two rowboats. The goliaths served as rowers, and nine tattooed orcs entered the boats. I assumed this was an orc Pathfinder squad by their armor and weapons.
There was nothing of importance nearby, so setting them ashore here made no sense. My best guess was they were to serve as a lookout for a Telhian fleet coming behind them and trapping them in the bay. But as far as I knew, the Telhian Empire only had a handful of warships. The two rowboats landed, and the goliaths began to unload the crates far up the shore. At least the Pathfinders were not as cruel as the sailors to the goliaths.
I wrote in my book, “The orcs have set a Pathfinder team ashore about twenty-five miles north of Aesop’s position. Counting nine.”
I was half expecting Centurion Sergius to order me to kill the entire squad. Thankfully, he did not when he responded an hour later. “They are here to hunt Hounds. Avoid them. Circle around and connect with Aesop. Move to the inlet of the Varvao River and see what the war fleet is doing there.”
Two orc Pathfinders started climbing the ridge, and I started to pulse earth speak and consumed the apex earth essence, extending my range further by a few feet. They were going to cut off my route south, but there were only two of them. I continued to watch, waiting for complete darkness to move out of my concealment. Surprisingly, the row boats returned and began to load for a second trip, as a fourth goliath worked the hoists on deck to lower more crates. It appeared the orcs were setting up a permanent station.
My earth speak revealed the approach of one of the pathfinders scouting above me. He shouldn’t be able to see into my dark crevice. As the sun set, I switched to my night vision goggles and waited for an opportunity to slip away. It didn’t come as the spotter settled in above me under the cover of some rock formations. The or yelled something in orcish above me, and a third orc climbed up to take watch from another viewpoint.
I was not going to be able to sneak away, and Neptune’s Tear was going to be bright tonight with the perfectly clear sky. I started to slide and hug the rocks as I moved quietly back. With earth speak’s range over forty feet, I could see the Pathfinder, but he couldn’t see me. Rather than risk an alarm, I got behind him and took his head, bottoming out my aether, but improved my odds of leaving unnoticed. Just one more sentry, and I should be able to make down the ridge and into the woods unnoticed.
With the aether collector generating strong aetheric blue light, I couldn’t risk using it at night. I could wait for my aether to replenish and take the entire body, but right now, I was hoping to escape unnoticed.
I couldn’t see the next sentry with my night vision goggles, but he was out of my earth speak’s range. Maybe he was scouting down into the woods already. I was at a higher position and had a better view of the beach. The goliaths were unloading the second shipment of crates under the light of the moon, and I guessed there was a cave in the bay below where they disappeared into the cliff face. I began to scuttle over the top of the ridge, and a heavy arrow thudded into my hip.
I kept in a scream as I moved lower for cover. The third orc across the bay had spotted me and was alerting his companions below with yells in his language. Of course, the orcs had a way to see me in the dark. Otherwise, they wouldn’t make good night sentries. I could hear the scrambling below and more orcs coming to join my penthouse party. At least the ship was anchored two hundred yards from shore, and I didn’t see any additional small boats coming from the ship.
Short clips of the orc language rang out in the night as I worked the arrow out and used purify self to cleanse the orc’s poison before healing the wound. The poison was a type of slow-working paralytic, causing my muscles to contract. My aether had barely recovered, and now I was empty again.
This, being my third fight in less than a day, just reinforced my current string of bad luck. I had eight orcs remaining and they all had an idea of where I was. I couldn’t let them encircle me and close in. I needed to move while they thought I was incapacitated.
I dashed along an exposed summit, hearing an arrow strike and shatter on a rock nearby. I got around a large stone to find a surprised orc with a bow. In quick motion, my Hound dagger was in my hand as I tackled him, riding him to the ground. The bastard was strong, but he wasn’t prepared for a dagger being shoved under his chin.
I rolled away, yanking the blade free to cause as much damage as possible. Even though I reached the brain, in a world with magical healing, you needed to make sure you did sufficient damage so they couldn’t be healed by others. I also knew the Pathfinders carried lesser healing potions.
I reached the rise and raced down the rocky slope into the forest. The orc Pathfinders were not giving up as stone clattered behind me as they descended in a run as well, communicating with each other is short phrases as they spread out. After a mile of sprinting among the trees, I squatted behind a large oak to listen.
The Pathfinders had slowed and gone silent as well. I thought racing recklessly through the woods at night could be dangerous with the other horrors out here, but if I could get enough aether, my earth speak would be invaluable right now. I was using most of the aether I was recovering to keep the night-sight goggles working. I could see two orcs coming toward me, scanning the woods and I silently drew Orc’s Torment, letting them come to me.
As they passed my tree, I took the one on the left. He only had his bow in hand, and he tried to roll away. My blade bit deep into his hip, and the pain from the moderate cut surprised him. He unleashed a pained wail.
I did not have a lot of time before the remaining orcs would be closing in. The other orc had discarded his bow and drew a short sword, rushing me. I threw my dagger at him to slow him down, not expecting it to kill him as I heard it thud into his body.
I turned to finish the other crippled orc who tried to roll away. I scored a slash of his thigh and then pierced his unprotected groin. His trembling hands were fumbling with his belt, and my final slash was across his face, crunching bone and digging deep and silencing his wails.
I turned quickly on the other orc to find him struggling with the dagger in his throat. I couldn’t tell if my luck was terrible today or great as he must have ducked to avoid the projectile, only to take it in the throat. The orcbane finished off my fourth orc and I sought cover as an arrow thudded near my feet.
The odds were still not in my favor, being five to one, but I decided finishing off the Pathfinders was the best course of action for my survival. I was going to start with this annoying archer. Once I recovered a little aether…
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Comments
Erick Thiemke
At the top of chapter release notes
GioAnime Sensei
Where can i find the discord server link?
Erick Thiemke
corrected
Erick Thiemke
corrected
Erick Thiemke
corrected
Erick Thiemke
corrected
Erick Thiemke
corrected both
Erick Thiemke
rewrote this mess, hopefully clearer now
Brianna Stormcloud
Thanks 📖🍿
Andrew Crews
I threw my dagger at him to slow him, not expecting it to kill him as it thudded into his chest and *hacked at the * downed orc who tried to roll away. I threw my dagger at him to slow him, not expecting it to kill him as it thudded into his chest and I hacked at the other downed orc who tried to roll away.
J S
Dang!
Jonathan Gleeson
and moved it to slay the horror. and moved in to slay the horror. He was shouldn’t be able to see into my dark crevice. He shouldn't be able to see into my dark crevice.
Trevayne
I think he goofed. If he really wanted the essence, he could have just put the orc in storage and killed it later on when he had time and privacy. Eryk goofed. I think making occasional mistakes makes for a more realistic character.
Walead Abdelhalim
I assume since he's affecting another being with a spell meant for objects, any interaction with it toggles their full resistance. Since his aether pool is still mid 20's it always drains it
Robert Biederman
What the f*** is up with this continuously bottoming out his Ather that's just dumb it should be based on volume and weight of what it is that he takes into his dimensional space it sounds like what you're saying is he even if he would take off a fingernail or hair from a body part it would bottom out his Ather which is just fracking stupid
Jordan
Short clips of the orc language rang out in the night as I worked the arrow out and used purify self to cleanse the poison before healing the world. World -> wound
Johan Timmers
I am wondering why cant he just put something in his enemy body like posion instead of removing parts should that not cost less mana to do .
Sean Kauffman
I don't understand the below. Doesn't taking the head or entire body both cost the same? So could have taken home alive and just popped him out and killed/collect him later. "With the aether collector generating strong aetheric blue light, I couldn’t risk using it. I could wait for my aether to replenish and take the entire body, but right now I was hoping to escape unnoticed."
Tetsu-nii
Punctuation: /archer—once I got a little aether…/ Em-dash not appropriate there. I'd recommend changing to ellipses and replacing the ellipses at the end with a period.
momo2009
or the girl he had a crush on.
momo2009
He need to try to collect the essence, it always seem so wasteful when he doesn't. Or like the other say take the whole body and ask for information instead of just taking the head. Great fight scene. more please
Erick Thiemke
I will try to edit it better. He was taking a path to get away with only having to face one opponent. I edit in that Pathfinder was 'above him' had his back to a stone face as well, so no sneaking up on him. Quick silent kill and then run... but he was still spotted
Karnnie
At thee cost of his defensive magic if discovered. The Mc needs to start thinking tactically and smartly, he has a small aether pool, he needs to think about options and by removing the head he removes one of his biggest defensive trump cards.
striderfighter
were a welcome site.... should be sight
Caledon Smith
First, it’s a world with magic so you can not bring in RW expectations. Second, not everyone mental trauma the same. There are people that prefer to be alone, those that can handle it but prefer people, those that can’t handle it but are fine when introduced back into society, and those that just break. Our MC has shown that he falls into the 2nd group where he prefers to have people to talk to and can function just fine without them. I fail to see how in this story you would jump to the conclusion that because the MC is talking to himself, a normal human function for processing information and problem solving, is going crazy and needs to be killed off.
Caledon Smith
I’d rather he not just run into her, into people that know of her, sure, but not directly into her.
yohan gu
Agreed for the stealth aspect and the essence collection possibility. But at least this way he has a dead-friend-decapitated-head jumpscare, which can be fun (for the desensitized reader)
yohan gu
Not a fan of the complications that would bring
Juarez Tavares
Eric tem de seguir endurecendo, se não ele não poderia sobreviver neste tipo de mundo
Jon
I can understand that. Maybe he can say something a little cooler next time or have some reflection on the need to hear himself speak no matter how cheesy it is.
Caledon Smith
To armchair general a little, why would Eyrk only take the orcs head into his space? If it’s going to bottom out his mana why not take the whole orc so he can interrogate and then kill him later. Least that way he could at worst get the essence. I know we are saying he’s low on space, but based off the descriptions of the things in his space and the size of it he has enough room for an orc. Given he wanted to get away unseen at the time, a missing orc from its post is less alarming than a headless orc at its post. Just my first thoughts. Thank you for the chapter
Erick Thiemke
I was drawing on Castaway with Tom Hanks. The more time alone, the more you talk just to be heard even if it is to Wilson
Jon
Idk about the trash talk. It seems a little childish, plus he doesn’t really do it in general so why start now especially with a monster that can’t understand him? Personally it seems more realistic if he is thinking this stuff than just saying it out loud. If he was trying to distract the opponent or provoke them then I can maybe understand them talking during the fight. But the trash talk during the fight with the ant lion is a little lame in my opinion. Calling it ugly or asking it out loud why won’t it die I Think is a little cliche and not like our cool clear headed MC. Still loved the chapter and the story though, just this instance I felt could’ve been improved.
Silver Beard
Makes you wonder- all those glorious likes and replies that want him to keep true and narrow... did they really want Eryk to live to die (and the for the story to die) right now? [There are the fiction rankings; and you are climbing; perhaps your potential pissed someone off. It's not just wanna-be's you need to guard against for other authors!]
Silver Beard
"Any aether" you meant? Those are meant for close up and personal. A quick assassination; and he truly doesn't know the extent of their runes so it would be reckless gamble
Silver Beard
That would be epic and unfortunate. She'd be a broken memory of what she was.
Silver Beard
Now that his life is in danger and needs a distraction- release all his captive in storage and move on. Surely no different than the goblin- let them serve a purpose and allow him to escape. Let fate decide their future. If he loses- they'd get expelled anyway, right? No life is more important than his own.
Erick Thiemke
but rather than risk getting that close, he can remove the head from 15 feet away
Silver Beard
Thanks for sharing; as liked above- it was a great chapter.
Lemes
It's Sunday! 😂
1536539
Does he have any myconic powder in his belt? Blinding the orcs and masking his scent at night would give him a great advantage, if he had the spores in his belt it wouldn’t cost him any aether to pull them out right?
Karnnie
Rather than risk an alarm, I got behind him and took his head, bottoming out my aether, but improved my odds of leaving unnoticed. A Garrote is an assassins weapon meant for quick and silent killing, making quick work of enemies by cutting into the skin easily and cutting through the windpipe immediately if enough strength is used. With adrenaline pumping through his veins, Eryk would probably use more strength than needed and just about cut to the bone within a second if he used it. It would also show use of his training in action from the Hounds which I think the readers would like to see.
1536539
Damn you Cliff!! Than k you for the chapter.
Daniel kanevsky
Awesome chapter, can't wait for the orcs to find out 😂
Daniel kanevsky
Is Sundya maveth's sister?
Sam
"He was shouldn’t be able to see into my dark crevice" he shouldn't
Erick Thiemke
You are thinking of konstantins blade. The orcbane isn't as addictive
Lemes
I have a feeling we might soon meet the lost sister of a certain goliath!
JollyRodger
Killing invading, slaver scum orcs and feeding orcbane is definitely a boss move. Bet he is being influenced by the sword. It does need to be fed orc blood after all to restore its power.
Quasimotolovesbells
Great chapter... but a personal question, after all the rewrites your perfectionist tendencies required of you... on a scale of 1 - 10, how much did you enjoy posting a combat cliff hanger chapter? :)
Angus
Thanks for the chapter!
Thresher
Great chapter. I wonder if orcbane will try and influence him to kill more orcs. Or maybe it already has.
Andrew
Thank you!
Erick Thiemke
1st of 3 for cycle. Just 3 chapters this week. Paperback and Hardcover for Book 2 are finished and available on Amazon. Next chapter is Sundya and tonight is World Sphere
