Kaotic Beginnings

Kaotic Beginnings Part 8 (end)

The long, bulky, armed metal shell slid into the tank's receptacle with a 'clunk' and the orc turned next to the aiming mechanism. He'd not had chance to practise, and he unsteadily cranked it up with a hopeful grimace.

"Steady, soldier, you're only giving them a fright, don't fret. We won't actually hit anything from this distance. I don't think." Anar's knowledge extended to 'tank go boom' and 'tank crush', and that was about it.

The metal machine reverberated as ahead of them, a big chunk of earth was joyfully lifted into the air and settled back down again with a deafening noise.

"Again!"

"Yessir!" Kallo was grinning from ear to pointy ear as he slammed a green hand on the trigger and more pretty landscape was obliterated.

As the mud and dust settled, sure enough there was activity from within the walled city. Someone somewhere would be going mental at all this commotion. From this distance, all Anar could see were flags waving about on long poles from over the fortress boundary.

Still the tank drove onward, "again!" he ordered.

His Private obliged, loading up and moving to the turret position to fire. More debris. More noise. More chaos. Soon there was more hole than meadow.

Gritz readied his machine gun but Anar held a hand to stay him. "I don't want to have any casualties. Yet. I'm just getting their attention so I can worry them a bit." He hit the brake with a 'clunk' and watched through his tiny viewing window as elven fighters on white horses galloped through the wide-open gates. Robes flowed, swords gleamed, flags waved and bridles jingled. There was a faint clatter as arrows landed uselessly against the machine's armour.

A line formed before the city, spread out. Horses whinnied. Anar wondered what all of this looked like to these people - an unnatural metal beast roaring across their immaculate terrain, blasting away impervious to their longbows.

Anar turned to Gritz, "I'm going to pop the hatch and have a little chat. If any of those guys takes a hoof forward or fires a shot, I want you to aim just in front of the horses, ok? Scare the shit out of them."

He saluted, "you can count on me, sir."

"I bloody hope so!" He clicked at the radio attached to his webbed belt, "I've got the channel open. If I say 'fire', get that turret hot, Kallo, and blast 'em!"

"Anything you say, sir!"

Before leaving he gave them both a look, "you're working together now, I'm relying on you. Got it?"

They both straightened their shoulders and saluted once more.

He nodded and grabbed a rung, exhaling loudly. If he could deal with Demons, he could deal with elves...

The hatch flipped with a bang, and his ears popped up over the rim. His eyes followed, scanning and searching. There would be a leader, probably dressed in the flowiest robes and the shiniest armour. Biggest sword too.

Heads were turning, probably wondering as one just what the fuck this thing was that was emerging from the otherworldly contraption.

Sure enough, as soon as he was out an arrow whizzed by, and Gritz answered with a line of fire directly in front of the shooter's horse that whinnied and stepped back, visibly frightened. The adjacent steeds weren't too happy neither.

A massive stallion with fiery eyes trotted smartly forward. Astride it was an elf with a big, winged helmet and a smirk full of self-importance. Dear Leader.

Anar wasn't daft, he remained standing on the tank's front slope, ready to beat a retreat if he had to. He met the gaze of the approaching warrior. His hand slid to the pistol at his side, reassuringly.