Squad Games [Squad Building LitRPG] [Book One Complete]

MERCS:

The Explorer | Mila | Twerk | Sharptooth | Hubert

It had taken Jaelin days to feel comfortable in the Wildwood, and days more to piece together an understanding of the imperial operations.

Much of the great forest lay untouched. Once the crew attempted to pass into the woodland neighbouring the city, they found their path obstructed. Lookout posts established a perimeter, through which it was not easy to cross. Each wooden structure, built to a universal design, was constructed close enough to its neighbours to make passing between them undetected a challenge.

Alone, Jaelin could have done it. To get a few past unnoticed required a diversion.

They gave Hubert his last instructions.

"Just run away if it gets dangerous," Wilson advised the bear.

Jaelin looked into those brown eyes, trying to assess their squad mate's intelligence. Hubert was good at following, and good at fighting. He was less confident about his ability to act alone and make decisions. In the wild, bears were solitary creatures and knew to avoid trouble. But Hubert wasn't wild. He was a Rotten Apple, and he'd run into danger more than once.

He shared a look with Mila, and they peered around the tree to watch.

Hubert approached the lookout post. The forest had been cleared around it, giving the soldiers sight lines in every direction. The imperials on night watch were quick to pick him up, shouting a warning. The bear's aggressive roar, delivered upon reaching the base of the structure, ensured he had their full attention. The wooden posts that held the raised platform suddenly looked rather thin and vulnerable next to seven feet of muscular ursine power.

Hubert pushed at those posts, causing some rather unmanly sounding screams to emanate from inside.

"There goes the ladder," said Wilson.

The rope ladder, situated between the four posts was rapidly pulled up. So far, there was no attempt to attack or drive off the bear. The shouts from inside were loud enough to be heard by the post's neighbours. Another roar from Hubert drowned them out.

"Time to go," Jaelin decided.

Wilson clambered into his seat atop Sharptooth, and the four of them set off. They veered away, making for the safest crossing point, between the lookout post and its neighbour. The vegetation had been cut back here, but the ground was still uneven. Jaelin caught Mila when she stumbled. Otherwise, they broke through the imperial cordon without detection.

Jaelin shot a glance backwards. "You can leave now, Hubert," he muttered.

"He'll be fine," Mila assured him.

Beyond the ring of lookout posts, the trees were dense and blocked the moonlight. Sharptooth and Wilson were able to pick a path despite the darkness. Jaelin let them roam ahead, instead focusing on helping Mila.

"I always wondered how you could see in the dark," she whispered.

"Elvensight? I suppose that must be it." He wasn't sure why he hadn't considered it himself. His elven lineage—and he was convinced, now, that Seregin had been speaking the truth about it—seemed to explain much of his personality.

"When are you going to tell the others?" Mila asked him.

"I've barely come to terms with it myself. There are things about myself that I explained away for other reasons. Now I see I inherited them; from someone I never knew."

"I understand. But your blood and your past don't define you, Jaelin. You can be who you want to be."

He thought she was thinking of her own past as much as his. It was something she never spoke about. "What of your past?" he asked.

"I have come to terms with it and buried it. I won't be digging it up again."

Wilson and Sharptooth were waiting for them. "A steep drop ahead," the gnome commented.

The ground descended to the same level as Benxi. There was a route down, but it looked difficult. Jaelin scanned the terrain ahead of them. "There's something there," he said, pointing.

"I see it," Wilson confirmed. "A camp of some kind?"

Jaelin couldn't make all of it out. What at first looked like lines of trees he realised were more lookout posts. A few flickering lights looked like fires. He couldn't get an accurate picture of the scale of the place. "Perhaps if I go and get a closer look," he mused.

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"Split up even more?" Mila sounded unhappy.

"Might be better to stop here until sunrise," Wilson suggested. "We'll not find a much better vantage point to spy on them. Then, if needs be, we can get closer."

Jaelin acknowledged it was the safer course of action. The gnome dismounted and the four of them settled down to get what rest they could.

The camp was revealed to them in stages, as the sun rose higher in the sky. The more he saw of it, the more Jaelin realised its scale. Lookout posts were positioned along its rectangular perimeter. Inside, rows of wooden storage sheds housed military supplies. Its barracks could house hundreds of soldiers. It had all the hallmarks of the well organised Kuthenian state. "This was the staging post for the attack on Benxi," he noted.

"It was," Wilson agreed, "and is again. I've been looking at those accommodation blocks and tents. The soldiers spill out for their breakfast in shifts. I haven't noticed a single one empty yet."

"Meaning they're here to complete the occupation of Benxi?" Mila asked him.

"Aye. And then to march on to Pengshui. I reckon there are three to four hundred soldiers here, at the minimum; plus support. How close is it to the city, do you reckon?"

"Only a couple of miles," Jaelin said. "We need to go tell Stiff. This is serious."

They retraced their steps, daylight making their task that much easier.

Not long before the line of lookout posts came into view, Sharptooth emitted a deep growl and Wilson pulled up.

"I don't see anything," Jaelin said, scanning the trees.

"Me neither," said the gnome. "But Sharptooth smells it long before I see it."

Jaelin took his bow stave in hand and strung it, then readied an arrow. There were plenty of places to set up an ambush in the trees. "Suggestions? Do we circle around and avoid them?"

"Hmm," said Wilson, screwing his face up as if the idea tasted unpleasant. "Sharptooth and I don't really do 'avoiding'. We'll test their defences, and you provide backup."

It wasn't much of a plan. But when Jaelin opened his mouth to argue, the warg was already padding through the undergrowth towards the threat. "Shit on it," he muttered. "Follow me," he said to Mila, circling around so that they might hit from the flank. He didn't want to draw her into any fighting. Of course, his reasons were personal; but also tactical. Get their medic injured, and they could end up in real trouble.

ACTION ROUND

Sharptooth, the smell of the enemy in his nostrils, bounded towards them. Wilson gripped hold of the reins in one hand and readied a hand axe in the other. Ahead, stood either side of a tree trunk, he could make out two spear-wielding imperials.

Kuthenian Imperials

Human Warrior

Action Stats

EXP Level 2

Action Points 4

Hit Points 18

The warg and gnome bore down on them. Then, suddenly, Sharptooth was dragged to the ground for 2 damage; and Twerk was somersaulted through the air. The gnome was fortunate to land in a bush.

Shit on it. He looked back to see the rope his mount had tripped over. Stretched taut inches above the ground, it had caught them out. Two arrows thudded into him, for 5 damage. He had to give the imperials their due, it was a good trap.

Sharptooth, a larger target, drew the rest of the missiles. Fortunately, only 2 of the 6 hurt the warg—7 damage bringing his hit points down to 18.

The spearmen went to finish the job, each reaching their targets with two actions remaining. The first failed to add to the damage taken by the warg. Slightly stunned, Twerk allowed a spear strike to get past his defences, but his breastplate protected him.

The Apples were on the backfoot. But at least the enemy were now revealed to The Explorer. He ran for the scene, requiring two actions to reach a position where he had clear sight of the imperials. Three archers had their backs to him. His first two arrows accounted for the nearest, while his third dropped the second archer to 9 hit points.

Mila joined him, ready to defend with her knife.

Sharptooth tore into the first spearman, 16 damage enough to disable him.

One of Twerk's axes had gone missing in his fall, reducing his hit potential by half. But he had become a master with the weapon and only needed two actions to deal with the second spearman.

His next task was more difficult. He pushed through the undergrowth in the direction where the first arrow had come from. But he couldn't find his target until the last moment. He ran for the solitary archer who was using the greenery as cover…but stopped just short as his actions ran out.

With the gnome so close, the imperial was able to do another 6 points of damage, taking Twerk down to 15 hit points and only three actions.

The wounded archer turned to fire at The Explorer. His one shot missed.

The final archer kept his aim on Sharptooth. He found success with his second shot, taking the warg down to 15 hit points and 2 actions.

Sharptooth followed Twerk towards the lone archer, but like his rider, came up short.

Twerk swung his axe and struck the archer a terrible blow on the head, killing him instantly. "Don't mess with Wilson Turk!" he cried out.

A decision The Explorer did not approve of. But with all five actions, he concentrated on ending the fight. With mixed results. He finished off the wounded archer but only took the remaining one down to 12 hit points.

Mila ran at him, covering the distance in two actions. Neither of her knife strikes got through his hide armour.

But he was unable to shoot anymore, instead forced to use his stave as a melee weapon. He managed to knock the thief down to 12 hit points.

The Explorer couldn't afford to risk shooting with Mila in the way and had to waste time swapping his bow for his knife. He arrived with two actions remaining. 11 points of damage were enough to end the fight.

They wasted no time in carrying on, aware they were close enough to the line of lookout posts for the fight to have been heard. Passing between two posts without being challenged, they were free. But they had to get back to Benxi as quickly as possible.

On a rise, waiting for them, was a bear.

"Wait a minute," Jaelin gasped.

"Two bears?" said Mila.

Hubert strode over alone.

"Who was that?" Wilson asked him. "What have you been up to while we were fighting for our lives?"

Hubert didn't answer.

Maybe I'm imagining it, Jaelin told himself. But that bear looks rather sheepish.

MISSION COMPLETE

SUCCESS: The Wildwood was explored

Some of your mercs improved their stats:

The Explorer:

Skill with bows: expert

Might +1

Hit Points +1

Sharptooth:

Might +1

Agility +1

Grit +1

Hit Points +2

Action Points +1

No mercs levelled up