karazos
04-23-2012, 05:56 PM
A Short Tale from the Heroes of Newerth
As the sun set over the forest of Caldavar, darkness slowly crept in. The shadows of the trees reaching out and over the dimly lit path and towards the massive stone tower of the Legion. The only light that of the glowing blue hue atop the tower and the orange glimmer of a ward in the distance. A soft hum filling the silence of the newborn night.
The Engineer rested an elbow on the base of the tower, shifting his large pack noisily. Small shifting plinks and clanks briefly joined the soft hum.
His gaze slowly moved back and forth along the path through his deep blue goggles.
He breathed in on his cigar. The small fire at the end briefly gaining life with a light crackle. He let loose a long, small puff of smoke.
A wave of the Legion's finest came into view, their armor clanking heavily. He threw up a hand of acknowledgement. They casually ignored. 'Pah, footman' he muttered. He knew where they were headed but he sensed something. Danger filled his nostrils. It had been too quiet for too long. He rang the stones he hoped his comrades would soon answer. Suddenly, an ear-splitting, booming explosion resounded in the distance. A large grin spread across his face. Hahaha! The spider mines he had planted had done the trick! He snickered as flames and smoke appeared over the forest top. This was good. Yet troubling. The Hellbourne were coming.
The stones remained silent. Where were his comrades? Had they not heard his call? The Engineer took a swig from his keg, the golden-red liquid burning his throat and igniting a fire in his belly. Flammable. And delicious. He looked to the light of the hilltop ward he had set up earlier and caught a glimpse of movement. In the blink of an eye the darkness quickly swallowed it up. Damn! He thought, they must have discovered it. He would have to replace it soon or doom would surely find him and his comrades.He squeaked a small hiccup and then took a few steps behind the tower. It was his only protection until his allies arrived.
He shifted his large pack again as a troop of Hellbourne came into view. A wave of the brutes and their casters immediately caught sight of him and began to charge in his direction. But just in the nick of time, another wave of the Legion charged up from behind the tower. Cries of bloodshed filled the air as did the booming cannons and projectiles of the ballistas. The Engineer took another swig of his keg and puffed on his cigar. He squeaked another hiccup before heading up behind the Legion.
He slowly hobbled towards the front of the tower, yet out of range from the Hellbourne’s forces. He fumbled in his large pack for a brief second and grabbed hold of his steam turret. Launching it far into the air in an acrobatic flip, it landed just where he’d aimed it - right behind the enemy’s lines! Bursts of wood, fire and metal shot forth from the turret, piercing his foes. The firepower was too great for them as the turret pushed them forward and into the Legion’s swords and arrows. The powerful ‘boom boom boom’ had weakened their line of forces. He took up his blunderbuss and finished off the last creep with a well-aimed shot, blasting its skull into pieces. Right between the eyes! He yelled.
As he turned around to face the tower, the stones he had called earlier finally came to life. His comrades had arrived! Beams of light shot towards the sky intensifying the hum of the tower. His allies materializing from the glowing rays. The Engineer quickly noticed a bit of movement in the treeline, he shouted and pointed in the direction. He took one last swig from his keg and lobbed it in the air towards the treeline... but it was too late.
Lines of fire shot out from the shadows, surrounding him and his allies. All of the trees nearby vanished in a deafening, thunderous explosion. In the center of the path between the Engineer and his team, a hole opened up from the bowels of Newerth. One of the most foul and feared beasts of the Hellbourne began to emerge, Malphas. The Engineer stood still, his cigar falling from his lips. He would not have time to deploy his patented Energy Field Double-Magnetic Modulator v3.0. The hellish creature let loose a terrifying roar as it slowly crawled from the ground and towered high above them. Lava and fire dripping from its body, it turned towards them with its enormous, twisted sword.
Within that same moment, two more foul heroes of the Hellbourne appeared before the Engineer and his allies. They materialized out of thin air next to Malphas, stepping through portals. One of the creatures, the legendary Magmus, let loose a gritty roar. Rippling waves of bright-orange lava spewed from his fiery-rock body like a volcano, showering the Engineer and his comrades. The other, Glacius, a foe of ice and darkness. He boomed with laughter as he exited the portal. The ice beast began to spin in a blur and piercing shards of ice rained from the sky. Unable to move, searing lava and shards of ice pierced and singed their flesh in a matter of seconds. Malphas, towering above them, let loose another roar and fire burst from his maw... it was the last sound the Engineer heard.
The Engineer and his allies’ bodies had been obliterated into nothing, their crumpled forms melted by lava, fire and ice. On their dying breaths they looked up to see the tower explode, showering stone and glowing debris in every direction. They had failed... The battle had been lost... But the war was far from over...
As the sun set over the forest of Caldavar, darkness slowly crept in. The shadows of the trees reaching out and over the dimly lit path and towards the massive stone tower of the Legion. The only light that of the glowing blue hue atop the tower and the orange glimmer of a ward in the distance. A soft hum filling the silence of the newborn night.
The Engineer rested an elbow on the base of the tower, shifting his large pack noisily. Small shifting plinks and clanks briefly joined the soft hum.
His gaze slowly moved back and forth along the path through his deep blue goggles.
He breathed in on his cigar. The small fire at the end briefly gaining life with a light crackle. He let loose a long, small puff of smoke.
A wave of the Legion's finest came into view, their armor clanking heavily. He threw up a hand of acknowledgement. They casually ignored. 'Pah, footman' he muttered. He knew where they were headed but he sensed something. Danger filled his nostrils. It had been too quiet for too long. He rang the stones he hoped his comrades would soon answer. Suddenly, an ear-splitting, booming explosion resounded in the distance. A large grin spread across his face. Hahaha! The spider mines he had planted had done the trick! He snickered as flames and smoke appeared over the forest top. This was good. Yet troubling. The Hellbourne were coming.
The stones remained silent. Where were his comrades? Had they not heard his call? The Engineer took a swig from his keg, the golden-red liquid burning his throat and igniting a fire in his belly. Flammable. And delicious. He looked to the light of the hilltop ward he had set up earlier and caught a glimpse of movement. In the blink of an eye the darkness quickly swallowed it up. Damn! He thought, they must have discovered it. He would have to replace it soon or doom would surely find him and his comrades.He squeaked a small hiccup and then took a few steps behind the tower. It was his only protection until his allies arrived.
He shifted his large pack again as a troop of Hellbourne came into view. A wave of the brutes and their casters immediately caught sight of him and began to charge in his direction. But just in the nick of time, another wave of the Legion charged up from behind the tower. Cries of bloodshed filled the air as did the booming cannons and projectiles of the ballistas. The Engineer took another swig of his keg and puffed on his cigar. He squeaked another hiccup before heading up behind the Legion.
He slowly hobbled towards the front of the tower, yet out of range from the Hellbourne’s forces. He fumbled in his large pack for a brief second and grabbed hold of his steam turret. Launching it far into the air in an acrobatic flip, it landed just where he’d aimed it - right behind the enemy’s lines! Bursts of wood, fire and metal shot forth from the turret, piercing his foes. The firepower was too great for them as the turret pushed them forward and into the Legion’s swords and arrows. The powerful ‘boom boom boom’ had weakened their line of forces. He took up his blunderbuss and finished off the last creep with a well-aimed shot, blasting its skull into pieces. Right between the eyes! He yelled.
As he turned around to face the tower, the stones he had called earlier finally came to life. His comrades had arrived! Beams of light shot towards the sky intensifying the hum of the tower. His allies materializing from the glowing rays. The Engineer quickly noticed a bit of movement in the treeline, he shouted and pointed in the direction. He took one last swig from his keg and lobbed it in the air towards the treeline... but it was too late.
Lines of fire shot out from the shadows, surrounding him and his allies. All of the trees nearby vanished in a deafening, thunderous explosion. In the center of the path between the Engineer and his team, a hole opened up from the bowels of Newerth. One of the most foul and feared beasts of the Hellbourne began to emerge, Malphas. The Engineer stood still, his cigar falling from his lips. He would not have time to deploy his patented Energy Field Double-Magnetic Modulator v3.0. The hellish creature let loose a terrifying roar as it slowly crawled from the ground and towered high above them. Lava and fire dripping from its body, it turned towards them with its enormous, twisted sword.
Within that same moment, two more foul heroes of the Hellbourne appeared before the Engineer and his allies. They materialized out of thin air next to Malphas, stepping through portals. One of the creatures, the legendary Magmus, let loose a gritty roar. Rippling waves of bright-orange lava spewed from his fiery-rock body like a volcano, showering the Engineer and his comrades. The other, Glacius, a foe of ice and darkness. He boomed with laughter as he exited the portal. The ice beast began to spin in a blur and piercing shards of ice rained from the sky. Unable to move, searing lava and shards of ice pierced and singed their flesh in a matter of seconds. Malphas, towering above them, let loose another roar and fire burst from his maw... it was the last sound the Engineer heard.
The Engineer and his allies’ bodies had been obliterated into nothing, their crumpled forms melted by lava, fire and ice. On their dying breaths they looked up to see the tower explode, showering stone and glowing debris in every direction. They had failed... The battle had been lost... But the war was far from over...