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

From her position atop the barn, Vixen watched developments with trepidation.

The first company of Silent Warriors was reduced to the four still in combat with the farmhands. But the next batch would soon be on them, and it was led by Eyota.

Pecs and The Hoffmeister withdrew out of range of the advancing enemy, but not as far as they could have done. Their problem was Hubert was exposed—he hadn't retreated, and the enemy could now reach him. Over thirty of them.

"We need help!" Chinara shouted.

Eyota looked indecisive. It seemed out of character to Chinara. The princess gazed straight at her, then the bear, then Wynter and the others running away. She wants to kill us all, Vixen realised, and must choose.

"I want this creature destroyed!" she ordered her Silent Warriors, gesturing at Hubert with her blade. She then ran after Wynter, Rake, and Greenblade, making up the distance with frightening speed.

She didn't choose me. Relief flooded her. More than once she'd nearly turned and run along the barn's roof to its far end. She'd have kept on running until she was very far away. At least now, she could leave without dishonouring herself.

Tree and The Guvnah appeared from inside the barn. Alfie's awful injury had been treated, but he'd been left on 24 hit points, only two thirds his maximum. He advanced on the melee, taking his place beside The Hoffmeister.

Tree loosed his arrows with 5 actions remaining. He scored four hits, on four different targets. One keeled over. Two were reduced to 1 action point, and the fourth to 2. It meant four less would reach Hubert and the farmhands. But there were still twenty-eight who now took their turn.

First, the four already fighting the Harris farmers. The farmers absorbed the punishment, finishing on 9, 8, 4 & 13 hit points.

But the next company of Silent Warriors could reach them with one action point spare.

The first farmhand withstood six attacks for only one injury, and it looked like they were going to hold on against the odds. The second farmhand faced the same number and was killed on the third strike that landed. Then the battle turned. The third farmhand was killed by the first strike he faced. The fourth farmhand withstood four spear blows before he too fell.

Hubert took three strikes from the next half-dozen warriors, leaving him on 13 hit points and only 2 action points.

The final four warriors used their final action to advance towards Pecs, The Hoffmeister, and The Guvnah, making a rescue attempt even more difficult.

The one remaining farmhand brought the second round to an end by gamely clubbing a warrior for 2 damage.

The Apples' fighters were about to get overwhelmed by thirty-five Silent Warriors.

"Retreat now!" Tree shouted.

It was the only sensible option.

The scout shot into the thick rank of warriors where the farmhands had fallen. His three strikes killed one outright, dropped a second, and left a third on 6 hit points.

Vixen decided to borrow his tactics of targeting the healthy warriors, reducing their ability to reach her colleagues. With five hits, she did 51 points of damage against five warriors, limiting their ability to do more damage.

The Guvnah, seemingly out of frustration, advanced on the four warriors who had come between him and Hubert. His first sword strike was a clean kill. His next was imperfect, but still sent his victim to the ground. He then missed with both sword and shield. But it didn't look like Alfie was in the mood to give in. He killed the third with blade, then struck the fourth with shield. On his final action, he used his shield to good effect again, finishing the job.

The Guvnah had killed all four. Was it possible Hubert might escape?

"Come on Hubie!" Pecs called.

With 2 action points remaining, the bear's only chance was to detach itself from combat and run for the safety of his friends.

Hubert did as Pecs asked. But this allowed six warriors a free hit. Two of the six struck the bear, but only for 4 damage. Hubert limped towards freedom, making it as far as The Guvnah.

"Get him to safety for me, Georg," Victor said. He advanced using two actions, placing himself in front of the bear. With 3 actions remaining, he launched an attack on the bear's assailants.

Pecs didn't miss with pike or shield on his first two actions. His blows were just enough to send three of the six warriors to the ground. Only with his final action did he tire, failing to land a hit.

"You'll need my help, Victor," said Georg.

The Hoffmeister advanced to stand with his friend, then lunged with the Spear of Riposte. The Hargon scored three out of three hits, and the weapon's damage was more than enough to give him a kill each time.

Is it possible we're getting out of this? Chinara wondered.

It took two warriors, but the last farmhand standing succumbed to a flurry of spear blows.

That left Pecs and The Hoffmeister as the next targets. Only ten of the warriors had escaped injury, however, so not all the remaining enemies could reach them.

Pecs avoided the single blow of his first attacker. The Hoffmeister was left uninjured after two attempts by the next. The group strafed by Tree and Vixen came at them. Only a few had enough action points to launch attacks. It was the last of them that scored the first damage, a nick on Pec's leg reducing him to 23 hit points.

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Then it was the turn of the ten Silent Warriors on full health, who reached them with 2 actions remaining. The blows began to get through. Pecs fell to 17 hit points; The Hoffmeister to 21. The spears came from all angles—chipping away at their defence. Each thrust that got through reducing their stamina a little more.

With four warriors left to have their turn, Pecs was on 11 and The Hoffmeister 19. Pecs was struck again for 4 damage—his defences were hard to penetrate, but his size made him an easy target. Then it was The Hoffmeister who was struck at the last, reduced to 16, while Pecs escaped further injury.

Was it still possible to get them out of there?

Tree fired into the crowd, but it was harder to pick targets now. He sent five to Gehenna, but they were wounded warriors who stood closest to his position.

With her elevated position, Vixen found it easier to target individuals. With two kills and more of the bastards wounded, she allowed hope to flare that they'd done enough.

So it was a shock when Alfie pulled Hubert away from the fight. "We have to go, big guy," he said. They didn't get very far, the bear bleeding from multiple wounds.

Chinara followed The Guvnah's nervous gaze, and her stomach dropped like a stone.

Eyota was returning to the fight. Albeit slowly. She dragged an individual with her, by the hair—the body so beaten-up Chinara couldn't tell who it was.

Pecs flailed at the enemies surrounding him. He sent two more to Gehenna.

"Please go back to Eva, Georg," he pleaded. "Don't let them have that weapon."

With tears in his eyes, The Hoffmeister pulled away from the combat. The free hits took 4 damage, but he had enough actions left to join The Guvnah and Hubert.

Victor 'Pecs' Balinski held them off for as long as he could. But the spears came, and his battered mail couldn't stop them all. He fell under the onslaught.

He'd done his crewmates one last favour. Only three Silent Warriors reached the retreating mercs, and only one of the three had a spare action for a strike. The Guvnah turned and took the spear blow on his shield.

"Go on, now," Tree said to Vixen. "Get out of here. I've got this." He moved to improve his angle. It took him four arrows to down the three warriors who had caught their retreating crewmates. The next two he used on Eyota. Both were hits. Neither did any damage. But they got the Sargassian's attention. The princess snarled; let go of her catch. Tree had her undivided attention.

Chinara didn't need to be told twice. She had seen and done enough. She turned and ran the length of the barn roof. To her left, she saw the fighting at the main farmhouse was all but over. When she reached the end of the roof she leaped off, landing lightly on the ground.

She spared a brief thought for her squad mates, hoping they would escape.

Then she ran.

***

A few moments earlier

Ashlyn heard someone chasing her. It was someone fast, and she knew it would be the princess Vixen was terrified of.

Ahead of her, Rake barged open the door of the barn.

I can make it, she told herself.

Wynter went next, reaching the doorway.

Ashlyn followed as fast as she could. Getting inside the barn would provide a measure of safety. As she approached, Wynter still blocked her way in.

It happened in slow motion. Wynter held her gaze, while her foot came up. Ashlyn was going too fast to avoid it. Wynter's boot slammed into her chest, sending her sprawling backwards.

A few thoughts flew through her mind as she sailed through the air. One was that Wynter Blair was a bitch. Another was that the bitch clearly knew Ashlyn had killed Rylan. Rake had seen her hanging around the day before and must have worked it out.

When she landed, her thoughts switched to the air leaving her body as her back slammed on the hard packed earth, and her limbs scraped along the ground. She lost a hit point and an action point.

Behind her, the door to the barn slammed shut.

She scrabbled for a proper grip on her sword hilt and rushed to her feet. Because she was about to lose more.

Princess Eyota had slowed her chase. She prowled forward with a feline grace, and cocked her head, surprised at what she had just witnessed. "That wasn't very nice."

"Just what I was thinking," Ashlyn admitted.

"Feels like I should go and punish the two in that barn instead of you."

"I'll not get in your way."

Eyota smiled at that. Then she stared at Greenblade, and her smile disappeared.

"You are wielding my sword."

"What?" Ashlyn asked, confused. She looked from her weapon to the princess, trying to work out the link.

"Where did you get it?"

"A barrow. There wasn't—"

"My barrow?"

Cold dread gripped Ashlyn. She recalled the skeleton in the chamber, encased in armour. It had been female size. Its hand had rested on Greenblade. Ashlyn had taken the sword anyway.

This wasn't going well. Think, Ashlyn. "I—"

"And you're wearing my armour."

Well fuck.

"Let's see how good you are with my sword and armour."

The princess spoke quietly now. Ashlyn didn't like it. "You can have them back."

"I intend to take them back," said Eyota.

She launched a swing, which Ashlyn took on her shield. She stepped to the side, avoiding the follow up.

The princess tilted her head once more. "You're not totally useless, then."

"I can't hurt you. You're undead."

"What's your name?"

"Ashlyn."

"Ashlyn. I didn't offer you a fair fight, did I? Such fanciful ideas are for children, and we are not children."

She launched another attack, shield then sword then shield again. She was stronger than Ashlyn, pushing her away. Her sword flicked low, and Ashlyn couldn't block it in time. Pain flared in her leg.

She's faster than me as well. And now I only have 4 hit points left.

Desperate, she tried a high swing—her only chance was scoring a massive hit. But her leg didn't move properly, and Greenblade failed to get through Eyota's helmet.

Then Ashlyn remembered it didn't matter anyway. Eyota was dead. "Are you going to kill me?"

Eyota considered this. "It would be better for you if I did." She launched another sword strike. Ashlyn avoided it, but walked into her opponent's shield, ending up flat on her back.

Her vision blurred, and she could feel the fog of sleep reaching for her. Eyota sank to her knees.

The princess's face swam above her. Between her helmet's cheek guards, Ashlyn could see piercing blue eyes in a dark-skinned face. "Kill me then," she said, her fear gone.

Eyota lifted her arm, made a fist, and smashed it down.

Ashlyn groaned as her senses returned. They brought agony in her leg, and pain all over her face and head.

She opened her eyes, groggy, to find she had been laid on her side in the dirt. A figure lay next to her. Looking as beat up as Ashlyn felt, she just about recognised the form of Mary 'Mental' Jenkins. She forced her body to move, crawling over to her squad mate.

"She's alive," came a voice. "Don't worry."

Ashlyn squinted up to look at the man who had spoken. Just like Mental, she barely recognised him. "Jurgen Stricker."

He blinked at her. "Jurgen. I barely remember that name. It's just Stricken now."

"You're dead."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"What are you going to do with us?"

"Me? I'm not going to do anything. It's Master Amotken who makes the plans around here. I am merely his humble servant." He looked up. "Ah. Here he comes."

MISSION COMPLETE

FAILURE: The Sargassian invasion wasn't stopped

Some of your mercs improved their stats:

The Hoffmeister:

Grit +1

Hit Points +1

Tree:

Agility +1

The Guvnah:

Grit +1

Hit Points +2

Action Points +1

Wynter Blair:

Skill with swords: expert

Might +1

Hit Points +1

Rake:

Agility +1

Vixen:

Grit +1

Hit Points +1

Hubert:

Agility +1

Grit +1

Hit Points +1

Some mercs levelled up:

The Guvnah is now Level 8

Fallen Apples:

Victor 'Pecs' Balinski

Eddie 'Fortune' Rich