August DWC 2026
Day 1 - Overwhelm
Based on the Midnight Mercenaries Prompt #2
The return journey from the Northern Amani Bulwark had begun with an uneasy quiet. Dicenne walked at the very front of the caravan alongside Commander Dal’shula, shield raised and sword in hand, while the wagon carried wounded defenders and mercenaries who could no longer make the journey on their own. Those still able to walk traveled alongside it, with mercenaries from several crews and Amani defenders forming a protective perimeter around the wagon as they made their way through the Vaults at Atal’Utek.
As expected, the quiet didn't last. Toxic pools bubbled across the stone, strange eggs ruptured beneath careless footsteps, and showers of corrosive venom forced the shield-bearing fighters to constantly adjust their formation. When the first toxic tornado tore through the passage, shields rose throughout the caravan as venomous globules splattered against metal, leather, and stone, while Dice and the other shield-bearers worked together to keep the wounded protected. Serpent-seers soon joined the assault from a distance, firing poison bolts and attempting to infect the defenders with venom, while coilers and coiled guards surged in from the darkness, using venomous bites, sweeping tails, and poison-coated weapons to tear into the defensive line.
Talonoa kept the caravan moving, calling out the positions of the serpent-seers and warning the defenders whenever coilers attempted to flank them. Dice remained beside him at the front, intercepting anything that made it through while the rest of the mercenaries and Amani soldiers handled the threats around the wagon. At one point, a massive globule of venom tore loose from a toxic tornado and came hurtling toward an Amani defender, only for Dice to grab the man and yank him out of its path a heartbeat before it crashed into the ground where he'd been standing. How peculiar it felt to work alongside those you once considered enemies, not that it would be the first time. He could sort through those feelings later.
The distant defenses of the Amani foothold eventually appeared through the haze, bringing with them the first real sense that they might actually make it safely. Unfortunately, the serpent forces seemed determined to prevent that, pouring onto the road in overwhelming numbers as the caravan pushed toward the stairs. Shields rose throughout the formation, ranged fighters picked off serpent-seers where they could, and the melee fighters fought desperately to keep the coilers and coiled guards from reaching the wounded.
Then, a wheel on the caravan broke.
The wagon lurched violently, one side dropping hard enough to send several wounded crying out. Dicenne turned instantly, catching the side of the wagon before it could tip further, his boots grinding against the stone as he took the weight. Talon immediately began directing the surrounding fighters into a defensive ring while the shield-bearing mercenaries and Amani defenders tightened around the wagon. "Easy," Dice called to those inside, his voice calm despite the tremendous weight settling against him. "I've got you, just stay steady." Rynga and the other healers within the cart did their best to keep the wounded calm and still despite the rising panic.
Dicenne shoved his shield into the crook of his arm and stepped beneath the wagon's side, planting one shoulder under the wooden frame. With a grunt, he lifted the wagon just enough for the broken wheel to clear the ground. Its weight settled heavily across his shoulder and back as his muscles tightened beneath his armor. The innate magic woven through his body surged instinctively, reinforcing every tendon and muscle and lending him the endurance to hold what should have been far beyond one elf's strength.
Solstryce immediately dropped beside the wheel, tools and spare wheel already in hand. Dicenne kept the wagon elevated while the newer mercenary worked beneath him, replacing the damaged wheel as the serpent forces crashed into the defensive line. His voice remained steady despite the strain. "You've got this. I'll keep them away from you."
The defensive line around them became a wall of shields. Amani defenders locked themselves shoulder to shoulder with mercenaries, catching poison bolts and venomous weapons while others struck at the coilers attempting to slip around them. Dice remained beneath the wagon with one arm supporting its weight and his shield held in the other, blocking whatever threats made it through the surrounding formation. The melee attackers were easily taken care of by the surrounding mercenaries, but then the serpent-seers began firing.
Poison bolts streaked toward the wagon from the darkness, and Dice twisted his shield to catch as many as he could. Other shield-bearers did the same, forming overlapping layers of protection around Solstryce and the wounded. One bolt struck Dice's shield near the edge, another hit dead center, and a third splashed venom across the already-damaged metal. The shield began to bubble and smoke from the corrosive poisons.
Another volley came and Dice raised the shield higher, while several other defenders did the same around him. The corrosive venom ate through another section of metal, but he refused to lower it, keeping the wagon balanced on his shoulder while using the shield to intercept poison bolts and splashes of corrosive sludge. Around him, other mercenaries and Amani defenders endured their own share of the punishment, armor and shields smoking beneath the relentless assault.
Help finally came from the foothold as their remaining crew joined the fray. The Amani defenders and other crews in the area joined in to assist creating a path towards the caravan while ranged defenders began to pick off the ranged attackers. Among them Garren and Sheizara, sowing far less chaos than they did last time. Maybe. It was hard to tell at this distance. And was that….Viggo? Dicenne could have sworn he spotted some other familiar faces not among their own crew. He knew Captain Felonous Blacksun’s crew was in the area on the Isle, but he didn’t think they’d be found down in the vaults.
The reinforcements began pouring down the stairs, the Commander's voice carrying clearly over the battlefield as he directed them toward the stranded caravan. He identified where the serpent-seers were massing and instructed the defenders to establish a corridor through which the wounded could eventually be moved. Even with the wagon stranded, his composure never seemed to break.
Among the newcomers with the caravan were Alaneria and Tycil, both women more accustomed to fighting from a distance than standing in the middle of a melee. Yet neither hesitated when they saw how badly the caravan was pinned down. They immediately adapted, helping cover the wounded and working alongside the other fighters to keep enemies away from the wagon. They took shots at serpent-seers whenever they had the opportunity while assisting wherever the defensive line needed another pair of hands.
A toxic tornado began forming between the reinforcements and the caravan. Talonoa raised one hand, frost magic exploding outward as the swirling column abruptly froze in place. Venomous globules hung suspended within the frozen mass, trapped mid-flight as he redirected the spell and brought the entire formation down behind the advancing defenders. The frozen tornado shattered across the roadway in a cascade of poisonous ice, creating an obstacle that slowed the serpentine forces trying to reach the stranded wagon.
Talon didn't stop there. Blood magic curled from his hands in dark crimson threads, latching onto the nearest coilers and coiled guards, draining their life force into himself. Their movements slowed as his strength increased, the Commander seeming to grow more formidable with every creature he siphoned. Dice caught sight of the display from beneath the wagon and gave a brief, impressed smile before turning his attention back to Solstryce and the enemies pressing toward them.
Naralinthe fought alongside Talon near the wagon, moving with the same efficiency whether she was tending to the wounded or striking down the creatures pressing toward them. A burst of brilliant Light erupted from her hands, searing into a cluster of serpent-like enemies before she followed with another flash that left others blinded and staggering, giving Talon the opening to cut through them. Just as easily, she would turn toward a wounded mercenary or Amani defender nearby, laying a glowing hand against them and pouring healing Light into their injuries before stepping back into the fight without missing a beat.
Xylaes kept his distance whenever possible, perched beside the cart and carefully watching the advancing serpent-seers. His magical immunity would do him no favors in a setting where he couldn’t be cleansed of toxins. Void magic poured from him in controlled bursts, ripping through groups of enemies and thinning the herd before it could overwhelm the defenders. Whenever a serpent-seer began preparing another volley of poison bolts, Xylaes was quick to disrupt them, while the surrounding shield-bearers continued intercepting anything that got through.
On the ground, Stellan proved that his melee skills were just as deadly as his ranged skills. Dicenne caught glimpses of him disappearing into the shadows and reappearing beside coiled guards, dagger flashing once before another serpent creature dropped. Every strike was quick and devastating, never needing more than a single precise stab before he vanished again.
Dicenne's attention briefly swept across the battlefield, and through the chaos he began recognizing familiar faces among the reinforcements from Felon's crew. Seeing them fighting alongside his own crew brought a welcome surge of relief. Having another experienced group at their backs could make all the difference in getting the caravan safely through.
Red was in the thick of it, per usual, and fought almost identically to Stellan. The two shadow dancers moved gracefully around the wagon, appearing beside serpent-seers before they could fire and slipping behind coiled guards before they could raise their venom-coated weapons. One moment an enemy would be standing, and the next it would collapse with no idea who had killed it. Red and Stellan were gone before the body even struck the ground, already appearing somewhere else along the defensive line.
One serpent lunged toward Dicenne's exposed side and a figure appeared beside him in a blur. Felonous drove a dagger into the coiler before its fangs could reach Dice, yanking the blade free as the body collapsed. Dicenne glanced over, recognizing his friend immediately, and the two briefly shared a warm smile before turning back toward the fight.
Then the wheel finally locked into place. "Got it!" Solstryce shouted over the chaos. Dicenne carefully lowered the wagon, allowing the repaired wheel to take its weight before stepping away. His shield was almost entirely gone, the corrosive venom having eaten through the metal in several places until it was barely more than a ruined frame. He looked down at it for a moment, gave Sol an approving nod, and tossed the remains aside.
He immediately snatched up his sword with both hands and charged. Without the shield, Dice changed his style entirely. He became more mobile, slipping between venom-coated weapons and twisting away from the sweeping tails of coilers while his sword cut through anything that tried to reach the wagon. When poison bolts came toward the wounded, he stepped into their path and used his sword to deflect what he could, taking the remaining splatter across his armor rather than letting it reach the people behind him.
The first globule struck his shoulder and began chewing through the metal. He ignored it. A second splashed across his back, burning through another section of armor, and he simply shifted his stance to cover more of the wagon. The poison was slowly reaching him through the joints in his armor, but his innate resilience kept him moving. His tougher skin took the worst of what managed to reach him, while his endurance refused to give out.
Several other mercenaries were taking similar punishment around him. Shield-bearers who had been protecting the wagon were now forced to rely on damaged armor and careful positioning, while Amani defenders continued forming barriers around the wounded whenever another toxic spray swept through. Luckily, being surrounded by a group of former Argent Crusaders proved invaluable. The poison continued eating through armor wherever it landed, but their cleansing magic kept the toxins from taking deeper hold, preventing the wounds and contamination from becoming worse. Reyindora remained focused on the task, continually purging the toxins before they could spread or do any lasting harm.
Fiorenze suddenly disappeared beneath a surge of shifting fur. A massive bear emerged in her place, barreling into the nearest cluster of coilers and taking blows that would have knocked most people flat. She planted herself firmly between the enemy and the caravan, absorbing their attacks while snapping and swiping at anything that tried to push past her. Nearby, Tinnaire unleashed a wave of fire that roared across the battlefield, engulfing a cluster of the serpent-like enemies and forcing those behind them to scatter. She continued hurling blazing bursts into the thick of the swarm, using the fire to carve openings for the fighters around her and keep the pressure off the wagon.
At some point during the battle, Dice had caught sight of a coiler flying high through the air, sending it directly down onto the only horn of Brute, the massive tauren first mate of Felonous's crew, who happened to be charging through the battlefield at that exact moment. The serpent hit Brute's horn with an unpleasant *shunk*, and he didn't even slow down. He shook his head violently, flinging the impaled creature aside before continuing his charge through the enemy line. From atop the wagon, Ryland's voice suddenly rose above the chaos in a completely inappropriate, but unmistakably enthusiastic rendition of, "He came in like a wrecking buuuuulllll!"
Dicenne actually laughed. Brute looked up and Ryland gave him an enormous grin. Brute responded with a big, goofy grin of his own and a thumbs-up before lowering his head and charging straight back into the swarm. Dice shook his head with a smirk before turning back toward the next coiled guard trying to reach the wounded, somehow finding the absurdity of the moment almost comforting. Even here, with venom eating through his armor and serpent humanoids attacking from every direction, his friends could still find a way to make him laugh.
Ryland himself was almost unrecognizable. Dice knew him as someone who spent his time onstage wearing next to nothing and performing graceful and provocative dances, but tonight he was covered head to toe in leather armor and hurling devastating arcane area magic from atop the wagon. Every spell tore through groups of serpent-seers and melee attackers alike, leaving openings for the fighters below while he shouted encouragement toward anyone who needed it. Even here his stage presence shined through.
Dice turned his attention back toward the road, sword rising as another group of coilers rushed them while poison bolts streaked overhead. With Felonous's crew now fighting alongside them, the newer mercenaries adapting to the chaos, and Talon’s defenders pushing from the other side, the never-ending wall of serpent humanoids was finally beginning to break.
The fighting finally began to thin as they approached the stairs. The path widened enough for the defenders to establish a corridor, and Dice shifted from cutting down everything in front of him to helping move the wounded through the opening. Nahi was already waiting near the base of the stairs, helping guide injured soldiers upward. Even with the chaos raging around her, she remained focused on getting every injured defender to safety. Kriell, the elderly elven healer of Felon's crew, stood nearby with a distinctly unimpressed look at the chaos unfolding around him. Yet, his hands remained steady as he expertly channeled flashes of Light into the most severe wounds. His expression suggested he had seen far worse.
Kaisina moved between them, using frost magic to slow any serpent that tried to breach the corridor while helping get the wounded into safer hands. A serpent-seer suddenly raised its hands from across the battlefield and Dice watched the venom gathering, readying himself to step in the way of the projectile that was aimed for the foothold crew. Before the bolt could be released, Kaisina threw up an ice shield around him. The poison projectile struck the frost and hissed violently, dissolving harmlessly instead of eating through what remained of his armor. Dicenne looked toward Kaisina and gave her an appreciative smile.
With the last of the wounded being carried up the stairs, Dice finally looked toward the battlefield one more time. The remaining mercenaries and Amani defenders had formed a line facing the serpent forces still advancing through the vaults, with Commander Dal’shula directing the defense. Dicenne stood among them, armor partially dissolved and still hissing in places, sword hanging heavily in his hand. He looked exhausted, but his expression remained determined as he watched the last of the wounded disappear into the safety of the foothold. Once he was certain the people who needed him were safely inside, he finally turned his attention toward the remaining fight.
The final wave surged forward. Talon’s command cut through the chaos, directing the defenders to hold their positions as the serpent humanoids made one final push. Dice raised his sword alongside the others, his stance settling into familiar readiness as coilers rushed forward, coiled guards followed with venom-coated weapons, and serpent-seers fired poison bolts from behind them. Around Dice, shields rose again as mercenaries and Amani defenders met the incoming barrage. Ranged fighters picked apart the seers, and the melee fighters drove the coilers and guards backward. They all met the swarm together as one unified group.
The last creatures were driven away from the stairs, the combined mercenary crews and Amani defenders forcing them back into the toxic haze. Talon continued directing the final defense, calling out movements and keeping everyone coordinated as the enemy finally began to retreat. Dice remained near him until the last possible moment, fighting beside the Commander and helping hold the line while everyone else withdrew toward safety.
Only once the final wounded were secure and the immediate threat had been pushed far enough away did Dice finally turn toward the stairs. He was one of the last to leave the roadway, pausing briefly to look back at the battered caravan. He gave the others still nearby an encouraging nod and began climbing.
By the time Dicenne reached the top, his armor was little more than smoking scraps in several places and his shield was gone entirely. He looked like he had been dragged through the vaults rather than simply escorted a wagon through them, yet his sword remained firmly in his hand and his posture was still steady. Rynga looked him over with concern, quickly moving in to help him remove his still-sizzling armor, and the fear and worry in Kaisina's widened eyes was obvious.
Dicenne simply smiled. "I'm alright," he assured them, before glancing back down the stairs. Some of the tension finally left his shoulders as he looked across the foothold at the wounded being tended to, the defenders regrouping, and the mercenaries gathering together after the ordeal. Patches of flesh along his body had been burned raw where the venom had eaten through armor, leaving angry, damaged areas in its wake, but he barely seemed to acknowledge them through the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. It would hurt later, surely. For all the damage, all the poison, and everything they had just fought through, they had gotten the caravan to safety.
@talonoa @xylaes @tristennedarkmorn
@inistellan @garrennorassin @rylandfalkov @felonous
@fio-renze @sheizara @solstryce @kharrisdawndancer @nahisummerhold @themadamelioness @kaisinasunblade @theeternalautumn
@themercenaries @daily-writing-challenge
