The Crow's Nest
For days the Cursed Company had tried to find the path shown on the map. The endless forest of the Harrowmark seemed to constantly shift, as if willfully trying to stop Kalyustar from reaching the Twisted Oak. Then, for the first time since he had been bonded into service, Grellem Vallkern spoke to the Soulchemist.
"Ascension is the path through darkness".
"What do you mean, servant?" Kalyustar snapped at the Wight.
"From the heights comes illumination. This I learnt from my enemies in Hysh".
'He might be right!" the Shadeglass Skull's whisper prevented Kalyustar's frustration at the Wight's aphorisms from exploding into a sorcerous blast. 'Reach a high point, and from there read the map, Soulchemist'.
"Yes! How come I couldn't think of it? Cursed Company, we march upon Freebooter's Tower!"
The night was nearly over when the Cursed Company reached Freeboter's Tower. Guttural voices rung in alarm from the ramparts and the hulking shape of Kaptain da Leeva emerged in the light cast by a lantern.
"The brute blots the light with his lack of wit. He belongs to me", rattled Grellem Vallkern.
"So be it!" in spite of the Wight's annoying aphorism, Kalyustar was starting to appreciate his qualities. "Take an elite party with you and assault the main door. I will lead the common soldiery to storm the walls".
Summoning all the Seneschals and Skeleton Champions to his side, Grellem Vallkern advanced towards the tower. A lone orruk sentinel was mercilessly trampled over by the advancing skeletons.
With the speed of the race it once belonged to, Thronir reached Kaptain Da Leeva, its rusted spear ripping through the orruk's great coat. In return, the pirate's cutlass smashed the aelf skeleton to pieces.
El Doctoro and the rest of the Rotmoons rushed to the ramparts. Unable to draw a bead on Kalyustar's party in the faint light of dawn, they taunted the necromancer.
Da Leeva made a sortie, vaulting over a stack of empty barrels to impale Rhedgar and then leaping back to safety.
Behind the Kaptain, Bortagno retched violently as he tried to keep down some Troggoth Guts he had greedily swallowed.
Kalyustar intoned Van Hel's Danse Macabre and the skeletons rushed forward, inaccurate lead shots whistling around them. The Necromancer then read from a Scroll of Summonation found at the Hurricane Bell. Kheinrich answered, rushing past the orruks at the base of the tower and reaching the balcony.
Grellem Vallkern raised Rhedgar again and sent it against Da Leeva together with Tollich and Krunti. They carried with them Gallowbark Splinters, and Corpsebloom coated weapons and Krunti read from a Scroll of Abasoth's Withering, weaking the massive orruk Boss.
Still they could not bring Da Leeva down. Though badly injured, he fell Rhedgar again. Only Grellem's intervention stopped him from smashing the others.
Kalyustar took a couple of glancing hits from Bold Rikk's pistols, but stood firm. Sorcerous blasts scorched the ramparts, but not the orruks sheltering behind. In a last ditch attempt before sunrise, Kalyustar intoned Van Hel's Danse Macabre once more.
The skeletons jerked forward, the weakened Bortagno overwhelmed by the frenzied tide of bones and rusted metal. But only the Skaven made it past the ramparts.
As the sun rose, the orruks brought all their guns to bear. In the cloud of black smoke and splintered bones, Kaptain De Leeva still stood defending the main door. Noisily sung shanties signaled the arrival of the Rotmoon reinforcements.
'The day is lost, Soulchemist. Swallow your pride and retreat!' the Shadeglass Skull's command broke through Kalyustar's astonishment.
"Swallow my pride? That's all Grellem's fault! This siege was his idea! Why am I surrounded by incompetents?"
***
Saul's side of the story is here.
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