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The BloodVaine EpicChapter 30: Holocaust
The sun had burnt away the rain clouds, and now the firey orb glared with it's single eye onto Dametreos. However, it's firey breath was diminished by millions of miles of traversing space, and so by the time it's killer rays had reached the land it was merely a fraction of it’s firepower.
However, the Eroth Gamus had a miniature sun burning within it's scaly mass, and the Eroth Gamus could and would release this power anytime it wanted. The time was now. With a single scorching breath, the woods were lit. The Gate of Megablocks spewed forth. The Wildfire Massacre had begun.
The Wolfpack were the first to be hit and took the hardest blow. Their territory consisted mostly of pines and oak, and they lit up as if they had been drenched in oil. Many Wolfpack camps were burnt to ashes and many Wolfpack members were incinerated, man, woman and child.
The fires were slowed down in Dark Forest lands, for the trees were still waterlogged with rain and were slow to catch, but at last the Dark Forest was reduced to a forest of ashes.
By the time the flames had reached the Forestmen border, refugees from the two other Forestdweller Factions had reached Drullen Bell Keep.
There was a pounding on Bjarn’s oak door.
“Wussup?” slurred Bjarn.
“Bjarn, get the tyco out of bed!”
Bjarn recognized the voice.
Willem?
Bjarn untangled himself from the sheets and wrenched the door open. Willem Blackcloak and Graygon fairly fell in. Their clothes were black and sooty, their faces ashen. Right behind them were Sir Dractor and Gerald Vos.
“The woods are aflame!” exclaimed the leader of the Wolfpack, “Camps in ashes, outposts gutted, Siastrakahn abandoned, we were driven out by the smoke!”
Bjarn was instantly awake, and in charge. “Vos! Make sure everyone fleeing Dark Forest and Wolfpack lands get into Drullen Bell and have proper food and medical treatment. Send out scouting parties to find stragglers!”
Vos rushed out and Bjarn turned to Sir Dractor. “Dractor, get every able-bodied man out and set the Drullen Bell Swamps aflame, with the Keep within a five mile circle of remaining swamp. Make sure our fire doesn’t get near the keep!”
“We’re to burn our own land?”
“Yes! Willem will understand, it’s an old Wolfpack trick. When a raging fire reaches a stretch of ashes, it can’t burn any more. If we burn a wall of protection around us, the other fire won’t be able to reach us! Now go!”
Sir Dractor and almost every able-bodied person in Drullen Bell Keep had been busy. With controlled fires of their own, they burned a wide perimeter around the Keep, digging up the swamp by hand where the conditions didn't permit fires.
Sir Dractor was personally supervising one such site. A low point with a high amount of water, it was almost impossible to set alight by their skills, but it would be burned right through if the mile high flames reached it. Sir Dractor and fifty or so men were wielding spades in hopes of rectifying the situation.
Most of these men were ones that Sir Dractor felt compelled to keep an eye on. Men who might escape, do something stupid, or couldn't be trusted with fire. Among them was Green Fox. He was constantly looking like he wanted to make a break for the trees. Then he would look up at the flames, mutter under his breath, and then glance back at the Keep fearfully, as if guessing how long it would take to run there. Sir Dractor only kept an occasional eye on him. It was obvious that he was undecided as to what he would do. In the meantime, he would dig.
Finally, the perimeter has been completed. Most of the women and some of the more ailing men were sent back to the Keep, and the rest went to work widening the perimeter a bit more, and dousing the grounds about the Keep.
“It’s because of the sparks,” explained a Dark Forest ranger. “The fire might stop at the perimeter, but sparks can and will shoot over it. The less chance they have of starting a blaze, the better.”
“I wonder what started this fire anyway,” said Alex Funt. “It seems like Drullen Bell is attracting all the problems these days.”
“This was directed at all the Forestdweller kingdoms,” said the king of one, Willem Blackcloak, whose cloak was actually more gray with dirt now, “But I would agree that Drullen Bell appears to have been a major target.”
“But why?” asked Alex.
“It has something to do with this BloodVaine,” said Sir Dractor. “I’m certain he’s the one. But the question is, why? We know that he wanted the pendants and the Regga brothers last time, but they’re gone now, so it must be another reason. Is it spite, for defying him before? General ill-will towards us in general? Or is it because he fears something we have or might do?”
“More importantly,” said Willem, “how much effort will he put into attacking? Will he try again if this fails?”
“What I wonder is whether it might not be certain people he’s trying to destroy,” said Graygon. “Supposing he’s trying to get rid of Bjarn, Willem, and Radjar. Of course, Radjar’s gone, but he might not know that. And maybe other people who could be dangerous to him too. If so, it might be safer if they left Drullen Bell, and went into hiding.”
“Until we know anything like that for sure, we’d best stay here,” said Willem. “The people need leaders more than ever.”
Alex was doing his best to keep his mind on his work. A hard thing to do when the men around you are sharing valuable information. Alex ventured another comment.
“What puzzles me is why none of the surrounding factions are suffering.”
“It's the terrain.” said Willem. “Classic LEGOland and Crusaders don’t have the fire because their land has less trees and more rocks.”
“That may be.” said the Dark Forest ranger. “But the Black Falcons have trees a plenty on their land and still they are safe.”
“What are you saying ranger?”
“I’m saying that I know why they have no fire. A week ago I was scouting into their territory when I came upon a work camp. They were digging a trench. I couldn’t understand why at first but now I know. They were digging it to keep the fire from their lands. They knew about this ahead of time.”
There was silence for a while, then finallyfree united states tax filing Willem spoke. “It seems we are dealing with something bigger then we thought. Bjarn will hear of this.”
The place where they were working was close to the waterway used to reach the fell sea. The trenches had been dug close to it on both sides, making it certain that the fire wouldn’t pass there. Alex hadn’t paid it much heed earlier, but now, as he footed back to get a new shovel he noticed something.
Walf! What did he think he was doing?!
“Tyco!” Alex swore under his breath. “That kid is more trouble then a thousand BloodVaines!”
“Walf!” he shouted at the boy on the flatboat, “Get back here this instant!”
Walf either didn’t hear him or he didn’t care. Either way the boy was heading straight towards the sea and the places unprotected by fire. The flatboat passed the trenches and kept floating down the river.
“Crackers.” Alex said as he started off running. For a moment he thought he heard footsteps behind him but he couldn’t think about it now. Now he had to catch that flatboat.
Green Fox listened to mutterings of Sir Dractor and others about the nature of the attack. He knew he would be killed by these attackers if he stayed at the Keep, but he would easily get lost in this vast, burning forest. If only he could get a weapon.
As he walked back and forth to the ever-increasing pile of dug-up earth, he carefully observed the conversations of the other diggers. He found a young Forestman with a similar height to him, and approached him when Sir Dractor’s back was turned.
“Psssssst, mate?”
“What?”
“I have a plan to let us escape.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll see…”
The Forestmen overseeing the fire were standing by four large barrels of water, for Forestmen only.
“See that water?”
“Yes.”
“Ask for them to bring it over. Say a lot of people are thirsty over here.”
The Forestman called over to the water guards:
“Hey! We need water over here! Lots of it!”
The guards rolled over two barrels to the Forestman. Green Fox crept up behind the water barrels and threw the contents over the fire.
“Quickly, you! Follow me!”
They leapt through the gap in the fire, Green Fox carrying his shovel, and it closed up after them. They fled to the woods. Sir Dractor’s four bodyguards unsheathed their swords and prepared to follow him, until Dractor called, “Only one of you! That’s all he’s worth!”
The guard sped off.
The young Forestman leant against a tree, gasping for breath.
“I...ca...can’t...believe...we...did...that…”
Green Fox grabbed the shovel with both hands and hit the Forestman over the head. Working quickly, he dragged the unconscious Forestman into a ditch and stole his green uniform and dressed the Forestman in his. A new hat, he noticed.
The conversation did not resume after Green Fox fled. Willem had gone to tell Bjarn of their Falcon-related news. Alex seemed to have wandered off. Graygon turned to Sir Dractor.
“What’s the point in even sending one soldier after him?” he asked. “If he catches up to him, one man will be unlikely to bring him in. Two would have been better.”
“One man is enough to ensure he keeps running, and too little to ensure that he comes back,” said Sir Dractor. “It’s hard of me, maybe, but I’m glad to see him gone. One such as him is not going to help the Keep and its inhabitants, and I’m not overly concerned for his survival. Besides, he has the look of a man who has slipped, by luck or by skill, through plenty of life’s misfortunes.”
Not too long after, the guard returned with the young man who had helped Green Fox escape. The young man looked rather shaky and frightened.
“I don’t blame you, young one,” said Sir Dractor to the boy, “go up to the Keep and get some decent clothes on. There will be no punishment. This time. Don’t do it again.”
The young man practically fled to the Keep. Sir Dractor turned to soldier.
“There was no sign of Green Fox,” said the guard. “Do you want him searched for?”
“No,” said Sir Dractor, “we need every man, and the fire is drawing near. It could reach our firewall in less than a day. I don’t want to lose any men to it. The Forestmen have seen enough deaths of late.”
The soldier nodded, and left. Graygon looked at Sir Dractor.
“I won’t say I’m sorry to see you go,” he said, “but a word of advice: don’t tell Bjarn that anything has happened concerning Green Fox. It’s a subject best avoided with him.”
Bjarn forced his way outside, he couldn't breath with so many human bodies clustered together. However, the air outside was just as choking. Gasping, Bjarn made his way to Sir Dractor and Graygon, who broke off talking when they noticed Bjarn’s presence.
“Wha- what’s the status of the firewalls?” he choked.
“We’ve completely burned two circles around Drullen Bell, and now we are digging trenches and soaking the trees and ground with swamp water.” reported Graygon.
“Good…” Bjarn paused, “Get as many men inside to rest and start doing shifts every six hours. I’ll make sure the men out here get plenty of food and water…”
“How’s Drullen Bell holding up?” asked Sir Dractor.
“It was never built to hold the entire population of the three Forestdweller Factions, and so Vos and I had to organize the setup over ten score tents and shacks within the burn circle...but the cellars are well stocked with food and plenty of wine, so we won’t starve.”
“That’s...well...as good as we can get right now…” sighed Sir Dractor.
All three of them said nothing for a moment, all to tired to speak. Willem approached them a few minutes later.
“I’ve been scouting ahead, the fire has reached our first burn circle. It looks like the fire has stopped for know, but if the wind turns against us we’re tycoed.”
Bjarn groaned, “The Forestdweller Factions will cease to exist if this fire continues.”
Willem said grimly, “We’re not the only ones suffering, my Wolfpack contacts have discovered the Royals have been hit badly, for the fire’s curving around and heading west, setting some outer Royal cities ablaze. The Crusaders and Classics will not be affected until the fire either goes beyond us or...well…”
Willem stuttered, then stopped.
“You would think the Black Falcons would have been hit hard too..” said Bjarn. Sir Dractor and Graygon looked at one another.
“They’ve been prepared…” said Sir Dractor slowly.
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