System Break

Chapter 137: Sneaky Bastard

I climbed up the outside of the wall like only a Svartalfar could. There were no defenders on the ramparts and orks were running rampant through the streets. 

I melded with the wood and watched quietly. The first thing I noticed was the orks weren't setting fire to the buildings. They were going from building to building and when the encountered someone they either killed or captured them. The ones who threw themselves at the orks died. The meek were captured.

I had a little compassion for the people of the fort, and I was kind of hoping the orks would go to the manor and clear out the mayor and his cronies instead of the common folk. 

The three who escaped me in the lake met with the others and they pointed and discussed wildly. The discussion turned into an argument until the largest ork stamped his authority and smashed the head of one of the dissenters against a wall. From their actions I guessed the orks wanted to keep the fort and they would take city folk prisoners who'd they would turn into slaves.

They just had one problem. Me.

I had no metal on me to glint in the torch light and almost the entire town was made of wood. It was the perfect battlefield for me to wage a guerrilla war. Their plan was to surround me, but I had turned the tables and they had become the hunted. They thought they faced a Svartalfar who were commonly rigid in their thinking. But in my wooden head rested the brain of a man who'd been trained by the best.

I didn't think of myself as smart, but in a fight I was a cunning bastard. The days when I played basketball I was point guard and ran the plays. My court vision was my strength which fuelled the passing game and my steals were usually more than five per game.

The orks had outnumbered me fifty to one and with those kinds of odds a full frontal attack would have been suicide. Now they had thirty at most and only twenty seven were inside the fort. I would bring my experience and talent to bear and whittle them down further.

I crept along the outside of the wall to the south then over and down. The orks searched for me towards the lake and left the locals alone for the time being. They grouped on the ramparts and then searched the closest buildings. A kernel of ten stayed together while the others scouted without straying far. 

The surviving ferals weren't allowed inside the fort. The orks used them but didn't trust them or let them loot.

Three orks guarded the city folk who were tied or chained in the square. It was the largest open space within the fort behind the main gate where I first met the captain.

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The orks watched the city folk while chewing on food they'd looted. I saw Carney amongst them, and her face was beaten blue. Her dress was torn but that could have been from earlier when she helped me, I wasn't sure.

I randomly doused torches to cut down the light without giving away my travel path. There was a firepit in the centre of the square which lit the faces of the city folk, but its light did not penetrate the laneways. 

I crept like the sneaky bastard I was. It was easy because I could pinpoint core locations, but I was invisible to them.

While twenty searched for me on the other side of the fort I crept towards the captives and their jailers. I had two knives, my skinning knife, and the wicked knife. Neither were designed for throwing but it didn't matter when I could guide them with qi.

I waited patiently for the ork to circle and show me his neck while I hid against the wooden storehouse. We were the same colour and even my leathers melded in nicely. I flushed my pathways with qi and sucked down on a core. Then I drew both knives and let one fly. It flew like a deranged bird bobbing up and down while I controlled its path and I kept my back against the wall. 

With a lot of effort from my qi - the wicked knife buried itself in the orks neck. I wasn't done, I used my qi to push a little further before whipping it out. It was like I had it on a string. It rattled across the cobblestones while the ork drowned in his own blood. It filled his airways and he fell to his knees blubbering. Blood leaked from his neck and ugly mouth onto the ground and everyone noticed.

All eyes were drawn to the dying ork before they whipped around looking for his assailant. I was ready but I waited.

The two orks looked at each other in panic and then one ran off. I charged the one who stayed while throwing my favourite skinning knife at the back of the fleeing ork.

The remaining ork wielded a double bladed axe. It was an impressive weapon, heavy and sharp. I guided my knife deep into the back of the fleeing ork while moving like the wind. 

To the city folk I would look almost like a blur. I passed between them and leaped over one while my elbow pulled back to my ear. My fist had all my strength and speed behind it. It barely needed any qi to smash the orks face into the back of his skull.

The heavy double bladed axe was still in a backswing when he died on the spot.

I quickly untied Carney and ignored the ork writhing on the ground with my skinning knife in his back.

"Get everyone out of here. Run west and don't come back until the sun rises."

I walked over to the ork and retrieved my skinning knife. I cut his throat and looked back at the city folk. They were staring at me.

"Go," I said and shooed them with my hands.

Carney wrapped her arms around me. "I thought you were dead."

I pushed her back. "You're no good to me if you don't follow orders. Now get out of here and take these people with you. If they chase you, great, I'll kill them on the plains. Spread out and hide. They want you for slaves so if you don't put up a fight they won't kill you."

"How do you know?" an old woman asked.

"Does it matter? Do what I say and live. I'll take care of the orks."

Someone who must have inherited the mayor's stupid genes said, "Why didn't you stop them breaching the walls then?"

I didn't need to say anything. Carney slapped him hard. It left a mark. "Reif, you would question the one who just saved you? Stay here or come. But do not spit in the face of the one who freed you."

I dug out a core then left them behind and merged back into the shadows. The band of orks were on the move, they'd heard the fight or the argument after. While they kept as a group I moved diagonally across their path. I crept back to the section they just searched and lay on top of one of the four story buildings.

I watched them search and argue where the captives were held. There were three dead orks, no captives and the gates were wide open. The orks were confused. They had no fucking idea what was going on.

The big one, their commander stared at the open gates while the others argued like cranky old men. He smacked one across the back of the head, it was probably to make himself feel better. He ordered the gate closed. They wanted the fort more than the captives.

I lay in wait. Now only twenty four remained and my friends were getting closer. Dark Bear was still running, he could sense where I was and led them in the dark straight towards me like an arrow.

"Should I leave you some?" I asked him. He complained that I had better since he had to run so much. "Then hurry Dark Bear, because I will kill some more." He spoke to Snow who in turn spoke to Gisael and they were all happy to learn I was alive and fighting.

I stifled a laugh and watched the orks. What would they do next?