Two arms and two legs. In the usual places. But three heads.

  “Got company, ain’t we, Hubert?” said the third head. This head looked more like a wolf than anything else.

  The first head cocked to one side, taking in the weapons carried by the Apples. It was bald, with big ears, and looked the most ogre-like of the three. “Seems they’ve come looking for a fight, as well.”

  The middle head looked alarmingly human, with long, black hair. “Not necessarily.” It looked from one member of the squad to the next. “We’ve just enjoyed a good old wrestle with Hubert here. Don’t have to do more fighting.”

  “Oh come on, Grim,” the first head complained. “Fetch my mace and let’s have some fun.”

  Tree held his spear two-handed, aiming at the ogre. Mental growled, hefting her axe; the bear growled back; and Sharptooth growled at the bear. Fortune studied the hilt of Blueblade, sighing at its dimness.

  Something about this ogre made Ashlyn pause. “You called him Grim,” she said.

  “Aye. Only because it’s his name.”

  “Then what’s your name?”

  “Dog. And my other brother is Og.”

  “People,” the first head said, “call us Og-Grim-Dog. What’s your name?”

  “Ashlyn,” she said, uncertainly. She held up her glowing sword. “People call me Greenblade.”

  “And you’re planning to stick us with that sword, Ashlyn?”

  “I was,” she admitted.

  “Second thoughts now,” said Dog. “Worried about me knocking them about with my mace.”

  “We are not worried about you and your mace,” said Wilson, indignant. “You don’t scare us.”

  Ashlyn wasn’t sure why, since the gnome could easily be pulverised by one of the ogre’s great fists.

  “Maybe it’s Hubert that’s giving ’em second thoughts,” Og said. “Realise they’ve got to fight both of us.”

  “Well, it’s true we didn’t know you had a bear,” Ashlyn said. “We were told there was an ogre here, and the Sargassians are too scared to come this way.”

  “The who?” Grim asked.

  “The Sargassians. From Varena.”

  All three heads looked at her blankly.

  “The village up on the mountain.” She thought about it. Yaiza hadn’t actually said the ogre had attacked any of them. “Oh. I think you scared them. Even if you didn’t know they were there.”

  “Ah,” said Og. “Humans.” As if that word summed it all up.

  Tree relaxed his grip on his spear, thudding the blade into the ground.

  “So, we’re not fighting this ogre then?” Pecs asked, sounding confused.

  “I don’t think so,” Ashlyn said.

  “Spoil sports,” said Dog.

  Hubert returned to all fours, and began sniffing the air.

  “Then we’re sorry to have bothered you,” The Hoffmeister said to the ogre.

  “Not a problem,” said Og. “I appreciate the apology.”

  “Manners cost nothing,” said the Hargon.

  “Wait,” said Ashlyn. “You’re obviously very strong. And like fighting.”

  “I don’t enjoy fighting,” said Og.

  “Oh.”

  “It’s me who likes it,” said Dog with a grin.

  “I see. Well, it’s just that we came here after chasing some Blood Fiends who attacked our home.”

  “They also have Rocs,” Twerk added.

  “There’s too many for us to fight. I was just wondering, whether you wanted to join us? It would help out these Sargassians I mentioned. You’d be doing a service to the whole of Gal’azu.”

  “And what would be in it for us?” Grim asked, a sharp intelligence in the ogre’s eyes.

  “I don’t know. Is there anything you want?”

  “How about that pike,” Dog said, pointing a thick finger at Breaker. “Reckon if you had that as a weapon, you might enjoy fightin’ a bit more, Og.”

  “Maybe,” said the first head.

  “You can’t expect someone to give up a magic weapon,” said Fortune.

  “It’s alright,” said Pecs. “I’ll do it for the good of the group.”

  “That’s most noble of you, friend,” said The Hoffmeister. “Then I shall give you the Spear of Riposte in return.”

  Pecs held up a hand. “No. You hang on to that, Georg.”

  “We can share it,” said the Hargon. “Take it in turns.”

  “Aah, bless ’em,” said Dog. “Well? Do we have a deal? An ogre fighting these Fiends for you, in return for that magic weapon? We’ll throw in a bear to sweeten the deal.”

  Hubert was sniffing at Sharptooth, who growled, then hid behind Twerk.

  Pecs nodded.

  “Deal,” said Ashlyn. She held out a hand.

  She wished she hadn’t, when the ogre approached her. Her hand disappeared inside Og’s as he shook on it. But he was surprisingly gentle.

  “I was thinking about an ambush,” Tree said, as the squad looked down into the col where the Blood Fiends had their home.

  “Sneaking and ambushes aren’t a strong point of ours,” Grim warned him. “I’m not the best mover. Also, I’m not sure that Hubert would keep quiet.”

  “An ogre after my own heart,” said Mental. “Let’s just get down there and create as much chaos as we can.”

  Henning shrugged. “Since my bow’s broken, I’m less effective in an ambush anyway. Here,” he said to Pecs, offering him his spear.

  “I can’t take that,” Victor said.

  “Sure you can. You need a weapon, and I can use my axe.”

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  Pecs took it. “Alright. Thanks. So we’re just attacking? That’s it?”

  “We’ll hit them fast, before they can organise,” Ashlyn said. It seemed the only option for the disparate group. “Just remember to beware those birds, everyone. One of them lifted Tree into the sky last time. If they carry you off somewhere, it may be the last time we see you.”

  ACTION ROUND

  Allies

  Enemies

  Tree went first, descending the rocky scarp with customary poise and balance. The group of six Blood Fiends out on guard duty didn’t spot him until he was nearly on them. But when they did, they let out a collective screech that echoed around the col. The other Fiends, and the Rocs, had been warned.

  Tree’s descent was quick enough to leave him with two action points for combat. He proved his proficiency with axe and shield, a series of accurate blows enough to score the squad’s first kill of the battle.

  Hubert the bear bounded after him, reaching the Fiends in similar time. Two swipes of his claws, and a crunching bite from his vice-like jaw, were enough to eviscerate the second Fiend.

  Mental went next, deceptively fast. Half way down the slope, she began screaming at the top of her lungs, a sign that the battle rage had come upon her. She laid about with her battle-axe. Her axe had its pros and cons—deadly when it struck, but needing two hands. Her berserker skill negated the cons, however, making her a blur of movement. When she was done, two more lay dead, and the fifth was badly injured.

  Sharptooth, his own blur of movement, inflicted a scratch on the same Fiend.

  Ashlyn went next, aware that she needed to get a hit in. The rest of the crew would be slower off the mark. She only had the one chance, relieved when she landed a good blow with Greenblade. The sword’s damage bonus meant the Fiend lay dead at her feet without the need to use her shield.

  Twerk reached their line, but took too long negotiating the descent to save an action point.

  It allowed the Blood Fiend to retaliate against Mental. Its multi-limbed attacks were difficult to defend against at the best of times; and Jenkins hadn’t set herself up to defend. 12 points of damage brought her down to 19 hit points.

  The other Fiends came running at them; some from their stone built house, some from the other end of the col. Those nearest slowed, to wait for reinforcements. It demonstrated the Fiends’ ability to strategize. They planned to attack in a block of fifteen rather than in small groups that Ashlyn’s squad could pick off. Meanwhile, in the sky, four specks grew larger, as the Rocs glided down from their eyrie towards the Apples’ position.

  The rest of the Apples caught up in their turns. Og-Grim-Dog brought up the rear, struggling to move freely in the rocky terrain. Only Fortune had a spare action with which to attack the Fiend left standing. Blueblade sliced into its leg, and it fell, dead.

  The second round began with only Mental injured, and six Fiends dealt with. But they now faced a coordinated attack from fifteen Fiends and four Rocs.

  The birds drew near. They beat their powerful wings, rising higher into the sky. Ashlyn had seen them do the same before. Soon they would dive towards them.

  Tree took one action to move forward. “A shieldwall here,” he ordered. “Those without shields to wait behind us and counter attack.” He hefted his axe. “Stay,” he ordered Hubert, who seemed to understand. The bear didn’t move, instead roaring at the approaching Fiends.

  But Mental was having none of it. Tree tried to grab her, but she shrugged him off, heading for the Blood Fiends. Perhaps it was fortunate that she had already suffered injuries. It had reduced her to four actions, meaning she couldn’t get too far ahead of her squad mates.

  Twerk held Sharptooth back, following Tree’s orders.

  Unsure what to do for the best, Ashlyn took up position next to Tree. She put her shield with his and waited for the Fiends to advance.

  Which they did. Attached into a unit of fifteen, they came at the Apples, ending their move only a couple of feet from the isolated Mental.

  The Hoffmeister, Pecs, and Fortune, joined Ashlyn and Tree, creating a five man shieldwall.

  Og-Grim-Dog left the safety of the squad to support Mental. The ogre stood next to her, bolstering her position a little. With two action points remaining, Dog and Og unleashed.

  The giant mace connected well, delivering a bone breaking 19 points of damage on contact. Og’s strike with Breaker wasn’t particularly well timed, but his strength, combined with the pike’s accuracy bonus, was enough to finish the weakened Fiend. Dog’s follow up mace strike was a repeat, the blunt weapon so large that it was hard for the ogre to miss. Their victim survived with only 5 hit points. Breaker dealt precisely 5 damage, reducing the Fiends to thirteen.

  The second turn had also gone the way of the Apples. But now their opponents would have their say.

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