Burnt Hollow had never been so full of charr soldiers; legionnaires and centurions from blood, ash and iron legions mainly. Most of the Vigil had moved west to Rustbowl to protect the east Frostgorge Sound entrance and to do what they could for Highland Thaw. It was getting a pounding, and would have already been taken were the Norn not teamed with Kodan doing some very devilish things to the flame legion with a massive ranger and pet army.
Mangonel Cavern to the north had a good sized defense contingent with the 2nd iron legion battalion and plenty of supplies, keeping pressure on the north flank of flame legion attacking Highland Thaw; every time flame legion dragged boats to the water to attack the village the 2nd ran out, set fire to the boats and wiped out the force. But it wouldn’t be long until flame got smart and went directly after iron in the cave.
Onager Bivouac had an ash legion battalion with a Vigil company and were relatively untouched at the moment, but swarms of flame legion were right outside, was only a matter of time before flame began to move in. East of the Bivouac from Switchback Canyons to Scorchlands and Ebbing Heart Run, and north from Cozen Desolation & Victium Moors, everything was in flame legion control and they kept pressure on pushing south.
When Grim first heard of the size of the flame legion offensive, he ordered every engineer under his command to start building wireless radio sets, with Grimpaw Grindgear and Poppler Swizzlestix in command of manufacture, beginning with one for each of the warbands in his batallion, while three warbands set up a larger assembly line for more near the gladium sector of Black Citadel. Then he was called north to Blood Legion Citadel by imperator Ruinbringer and left legionnaire Dinky in charge until his return.
Tribune Brimstone ordered the 12th to the front, so Poppler decided to stay and run the radio manufacturing operation with every engineer left that could be spared, all of them learning advanced electronics as they went along. Probably for the best he did, as Grimpaw or other charr supervising would not have had the patience it took to turn out the sets on the scale needed in a reasonable time. Not that it wasn’t frustrating for him as well; several nearby training dummies took the brunt of his off time ‘cheerfulness’.
West Fireheart Rise, flame legion offensive map
‘Are you sure that’s what this is, Dinky?’ Grim scowled. ‘From the information in these scrolls, boss, everything points to exactly that. But we have to move now. If we don’t and iron or ash find out about it and get there first, or even flame legion, you and I both know there is no guarantee what might happen. At least with Brimstone we will know what to expect.’ Dinky set the scrolls down on the primus centurion’s makeshift desk, an upside down crate next to a rock.
Grimcrotch picked them up and glanced over the scrolls, having already read them in depth. If the code translations were correct, the now extinct dwarves had found a gem that was missing from the Claw of the Khan-Ur, and buried it somewhere behind a rock face at the back of Fireheart Rise while being chased from the area by flame legion.
If ash legion found it, they could hold it ransom and start up infighting among the charr legions, and the order brought about since rebellion from flame legion could fall apart. If iron legion found it, Smodur could claim the Claw was rightfully theirs; ash legion would revolt, and blood legion very well might too since tribune Brimstone held the legendary sword Sohothin, and he had the best chance among charr to remove a major threat, the Ascalon spirits. Without Brimstone’s sword, fighting them may never end.
Tribune Brimstone already held the sword of Sohothin, a major weapon in bringing their homeland of Ascalon back under charr control by putting the human spirits to rest. If blood legion recovered the lost gem from the Claw of the Khan-Ur, Grim and Dinky both knew the tribune was a warrior, but would be sensible enough to bring the legions leadership together to negotiate a reasonable compromise for all.
Primus Centurion Grimcrotch and Legionnaire Dinky discussing new events in Fireheart Rise
But something didn’t feel right about this in the back of Grim’s mind. He hated politics. It was probably the only other thing he genuinely did hate besides flame legion, it was a strong word. Politics were nothing but empty words unless you backed them up with action, and soldiers died from empty words. To him, a politician shouldn’t even exist, only doers. Gather to decide what needed to be done, then do it, simple.
Grim sighed, ‘Alright, Dinky. Take the warband and whoever else you think you’ll need from Shredskin, Wraith and Wrathclaw. Only what you think you’ll need. Keep it tight, no one says a word. Memorize these translated directions then burn them. But remember this, we can’t leave the front to bail you out if we don’t know you’re out there, understand? No one can know of this but us.’ The primus centurion scowled again, raising an eyebrow at his life-long friend.
Dinky slapped Grim on his bicep, saying with a smile ‘You got it, buddy. Come on Grim, you know me better than that. If anything you’ll need my help before we need yours.’ He saluted his newly promoted primus centurion, then trotted out to round up a crew. His first stop was with Lefty Ironpaw of the Wrathclaw warband, the grizzled war wagon driver with no fear. At all.
‘I have something I want you to do for me, Ironpaw,’ Dinky said. ‘But it’s not with your wagon, just a few tanks.’ Lefty rolled out from under his war wagon covered in grease holding a wrench. ‘Like what, sir?’ he said, quickly standing at attention. ‘At ease soldier…’, then Dinky went on to describe the mission without going into what he thought was for his knowledge only.
‘Through the flame legion front lines, to attack something behind them, you say?’ He was already grinning. ‘As much as I’d rather have my heavy metal here, sir,’ he reached over to pat his wagon he affectionately called The Doombringer, ‘I suppose I can’t turn down something sounding this crazy. Count me in.’ Dinky then went on to have him find two more drivers he trusted, and to make sure the three tanks were ready to go when he called it. Almost time to roll…
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