Otherlife Nightmares: The Selfless Hero Trilogy (49 page)

“Here’s the thing. We have to operate as if the three hundred thousand don’t exist. If they do, we lose, if they don’t, we have a shot.” Runner blew out a heavy breath and leaned over the map.

“I figure Lady Death and Kitten take the left. Belle and Hanners take the right. Rabbit, you’re on assignment to Sparky. Grace and I will hold the center. If we roll the cannons during their approach, from the moment they’re in range, we’ll bleed them fiercely.

“They’re here to engage and pin us. Soften us up,” Runner said, positioning the small pieces into the proposed arrangement on the board.

“Think you can hold the center by your lonesome, jackass?”

“I’ll have Grace with me, but yes, Hanners. I believe I can.”

Runner picked up the small map marker, a small sculpted likeness of himself that captured a wry sense of humor in the smirk on its face, and held it up to his eyes.

“By the way, did you make these, Rabbit?” Runner asked.

“Yeah. Are they that bad?”

“Not at all, I love them. When do I get my own set? And by set I mean me, Lady Death, Kitten, Hanners, yourself, Sunshine, Grace, Sparky, Brighteyes, Angel, and Minxy.”

“I’m working on-n them. Promise,” Nadine said, her lips curling into an appreciative smile.

“Fantastic. Thank you. Okay, so. They’ll have far more than we do and could wrap up around us with their flanks. We use the tanks to keep their flanks from doing so. Tell them to keep out of the center but make long passes through the sides.”

“I agree on paper with your outline. I fear they’ll still overwhelm us in the number advantage. They’ll try to crush our center. Those we’ve fought have also had a few levels on the majority of our troops,” Faye said.

“I know. It’s the very reason I’m sending myself to the middle. I won’t have the sheer firepower or control as most of you, but I’m confident I’ll be able to take my pound of flesh. And then some. Though in my own way.”

As his voice fell off, everyone turned introspective. This was it, then. The battle they were expecting, just not this quickly or in this fashion. The probability of it being a slaughter was very high.

“I have nothing to add, Lord Runner. I believe this is as best as we’ll get.”

“Then that’s settled,” Thana said, clapping her hands together. “Everyone, get some food, freshen up, and get your troops together. Stock up on potions. Runner has been spending all his free time churning them out. Best we use them all.”

“Ah!” Runner blurted out. He’d nearly forgotten the rings he’d made. Moving over to the entrance, he held up his hand to Hannah to stop her from moving past him.

“One second, Hanners,” he said. “Everyone, as you exit I’ll be giving you a new ring. Please be sure to equip it. It has the ability to cast
Stealth, Throat
Strike
,
Silence
,
Blink
,
Cleanse,
and
Disarm.
My apologies, Kitten, you already have yours.
”

Katarina chuckled and held up her left hand to display said item. Runner realized that she’d removed her armor. Now that he thought about it, she’d taken to removing her armor for meetings and seemed more at ease with herself in normal clothing.

Exiting the tent, Katarina went off to prepare.

Hannah eyed him sideways. She never did care for surprises, even if was receiving a gift.

Selecting the small bag from his inventory that he had put the rings in, he opened the sub-inventory window and pulled free the particular ring he wanted. He handed Hannah a blue trillion-cut sapphire mounted in a ring the duplicate of Katarina’s.

“Here you go, Hanners.”

“Uhm. Thanks, Runner,” Hannah said, ducking her head. Closing her hand around the ring, she scampered from the tent.

Faye happened to be next in line and tried to slip by him. Her brows had come down a fraction and her lips were pressed tightly together.

“Where you going, Sparky? I told you I had something for you.”

Stopping in her tracks, her eyes jumped to Runner’s.

“Me?”

“Yes, you. Who else, idiot? You’ve a brilliant mind for strategy but I’m starting to wonder about your common sense.” Runner grinned and snorted, then plucked a marquise-cut citrine from his bag and placed it in her hand.

“Why?”

“Because you’re important? Also very hard to replace something that’s one of a kind. Rings are easy.”

Faye’s mouth opened and closed once. Runner gently pushed her to the side while she figured out what she wanted to say.

Sophia bounced up to him, a grin plastered to her face and her hand out.

“You’re all smiles, Grace. I’ve given you other items greater than this already,” Runner said, a little confused. After fishing a shield-cut onyx ring free, he pressed it into her open hand.

Sophia only grinned wider and stepped to the side, next to Faye. Wrapping her arm in the general’s, she escorted her out of the tent.

Thana took a step forward to place herself in front of him. She tilted her head to the side and held up her left hand to him. Deliberately she lifted her ring finger a little above the others.

Nerves weighed on him at the obvious gesture. Feeling a little silly, he brought out the radiant-cut smoky quartz ring and slipped it onto Thana’s finger.

Giving him a brilliant Sunless smile, she turned her head, presenting the side of her face to him.

A lot like a positive reinforcement Pavlov experiment, he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Thank you, dear heart,” Thana said, taking his hand in hers and lightly patting it before leaving.

“You’re very well trained, my lord,” Isabelle said, grinning and stepping to take her place in front of him.

“Shut it, or I’ll train you, Belle. Maybe you’d like to sleep at the foot of my bed every night? My feet get cold, maybe you could warm them as a footrest.”

“All bark and no bite, my lord. Now ring me so I can scout,” she boldly claimed, holding her hand up in the same way Thana had.

For fuck’s sake.

Grumbling, he got out the oval-cut malachite and slipped it onto Isabelle’s finger.

“I’m off. If I get the time I’ll take a peek at Lambart’s forces as well.”

“Go, be gone then.”

Isabelle saluted smartly and left.

“It’s because of who you are,” Nadine explained. She hadn’t moved from her spot at the table.

“And what exactly am I then?” Runner said, his hands pressing to the sides of his head.

Enough to deal with without every single one of them taunting me.

“You don’t kn-now?” she asked teasingly.

“I know who I believe I am.”

“I’ll n-not spoil it. Let’s just say it has to do with being able to tease and prod the strongest person we’ve met.”

“Hmph. Here, Rabbit.” Runner changed the subject, holding out a round-cut jade ring to her.

“Thank you. It’s very pretty. And thank you for what you did, Run-ner.”

“What I did?”

“Not putting me in the fight. I’m sorry. I can defend myself, and would do what I have to, but I’d rather n-not.”

“I know, Rabbit. Your kind and pure heart is one of the things I want to protect.”

“So long as you don’t hurt yourself in-n doing so. You’ve had a dark look about your eyes for the last couple days.”

“Mm. You’ve got me there, Rabbit. I’m afraid my medical server failed. I’m not positive moving the three hundred thousand would save them.”

“You’re n-not?”

“Nope. Could very well kill them rather than save them. Every single one of them.”

“Then why do it?”

“Because I want to protect Tirtius and you all,” Runner said, the simple answer rolling off his tongue before he realized what he was saying.

“I don’t like it. It’s n-not right, Runner. There has to be an-nother way,” Nadine said, her voice picking up in energy as she went.

“No, I can’t imagine you would, Rabbit. But that’s the world. If I don’t potentially kill them all, it’ll continue. Truthfully, it almost doesn’t even bother me. The idea of it, that is. I’ve done as bad to others, merely not on this scale.”

“And that’s the worst part. It’s what worries m-me. You’re a good person, Runner. This should concern you. Possibly killing three hundred thousand shouldn’t be a casual conversation. Your heart is dark and cold. It’s not who you were when we first m-met.”

Runner only nodded his head and patted Nadine gently on the shoulder.

“See you later, Rabbit,” Runner said, and promptly escaped. Her pure beliefs made him feel sick with his own actions.

Maybe it’s the same way Hannah looks at you.

1:28 pm Sovereign Earth time

12/08/43

Runner watched the oncoming horde as if it were a global disaster about to sweep the island clean of life. Fifteen thousand people took up a lot of space. Especially when they were already in formation and moving.

Runner checked his equipment and then his stats screen.

He had shifted around his stats to focus on being essentially a turret. There’d be no retreating here. No second round or extra inning. Here he would stand and here he would live or die.

Fanned out around and behind him were Sophia and his guard. Their instructions were simple. Protect his flank and rear while he worked. Don’t hesitate on potions and call out needs. Behind his guards were rows of healers and support classes. All tanks and fighters had been shifted further to the sides in a line expansion or to the third row.

Runner would be the primary component of the center and the one under the most pressure.

The cannons opened up and began unleashing their lethal storm of ordnance. Two hundred explosions detonated in the rank and file of Lambart’s followers. Death came in the hundreds. They marched onwards heedlessly. Soon the front line couldn’t be touched due to the fear of friendly fire casualties.

Letting out a shuddering breath, Runner shook out his hands. He’d prepared as best as he could. Targeting the first person that would come into his range, he prepared his
Banishing Bolt
attack.

Throwing his hand forward, he let
Banishing Bolt
fly. Every person it hit promptly disappeared. With one attack Runner banished ten.

Targeting the front line as far as his own guard could cover, Runner fired off the spell every time it was up off cooldown.

Holding up his left hand he triggered a rod he had enchanted with multiple uses of
Scott
called Scott’s Law. He fired off all ten charges across the middle of the enemy force, then switched back to
Banishing Bolt
.

Then the two lines met.

Runner was in the third row of the front line and worked at clearing those who engaged with his guard.
Banishing Bolts
flew out over the shoulders of his protectors to vanish their attackers. Those who did reach his line were quickly drawn into combat by the tanks.

Alexia was going to be overrun with new people if this battle was drawn out. Drowning in them even. Like snow landing on warm pavement, the enemy front line disappeared under the grisly grindstone of his personal guard and his spells.

Endlessly Runner cast into their ranks. Every time his potion timer expired he drank another mana potion. Each time Scott’s Law came off cooldown he, emptied it into the mid ranks.

When he could spare the mana, he made sure to drop a
Regeneration
on those directly around him, doing his best to contribute in every way he could.