220 220 Test Shot
The easiest way to find a target was to go down to the main dining room, where all of the reports were compiled and the plans were made. Today, there were only a few eating since it wasn’t quite lunchtime yet, but Ella and the Reaper were busily making notes on the map they had spread out, detailing the movement of troops that had been reported this morning.
It was all small groups, none of the large convoys that had been coming for the last week or so, and Wolfe wondered if this was a trick or if the Mundane Army was in a full rout.
But as he looked over the map, he realized something. There was no reason to take some of those routes. They were not only difficult to travel, but they were also more highly populated with both monsters and locals.
“They’re looking for something or someone.” Wolfe pointed out.
Ella nodded. “That’s what we think too. When Priya found that small group that she was hunting last night, the first thing that they did was run away and send out radio messages with their location.
We’re pretty certain that they are hunting for us.”
“What’s the point of hunting for us if they’re being routed out of the Coven Territories? Do they think that they will gain something from antagonizing us?” Wolfe pondered.
“Should we try to take some alive and interrogate them? They should talk with the right amount of persuasion.” One of the officers suggested.
Wolfe smiled at her enthusiasm. “That’s not a terrible idea. I have used it a few times before as well. They usually cling to any sort of hope, so if you question them in the field and then kill them as you leave, they get the idea that they might actually survive, which they wouldn’t if they were in a cell.
Let me take care of it. They’ve been capturing all sorts of witches, so they’ll have tricks to deal with you, most likely. But there aren’t many simple tricks that will work on me anymore. I’m too powerful for the low-grade toys to work on me.”
“I have a new offensive type of Array to test as well, so I will bring that with me and see how it goes. It’s more for hunting monsters, but I can use it on vehicles as well, I think.” He added, then got up from the table to gather his hunting gear.
“Why don’t you take someone with you? With the new Amulets, we’re much faster than we used to be.” Ella suggested.
“That works. I can get a second opinion on my new toy. It needs to be someone who can ride a motorcycle, though. I’m planning to start with the furthest groups to draw the search grid away from us.”
“My name is June, and I know how to ride a bike. I was a message runner for most of my term of service.” One of the witches announced as she got to her feet.
“Perfect, grab a small pack and a rifle. We will head out right away. If we have time, we will hit a couple of targets, so don’t forget to bring a bit of spare ammunition. One magazine per target is usually enough for these small groups.” Wolfe reminded her with a wink.
One per target for a group of ten or fifteen was massive overkill. A single three-round burst could take them out if they were walking too close together or you got lucky with the spread.
June grabbed an extra magazine and a few amulets that the other Witches had hung in the storage room.
“They are for hiding our tracks. It’s easier to do with an amulet than to constantly have my magic active. You’ll see once we get going.” She explained.
They were Witch Magic, so Wolfe hadn’t paid much attention to them, but from the looks of it, every patrol that went out took one with them and then hung it back in the storage room when they were finished.
Anything that gave them an advantage was a good thing, and the amulets prevented them from leaving a trail, so they couldn’t be tracked back.
Of course, if they got lost, they would be really lost since they couldn’t follow their own path back the way that they came, but that was a different matter, and if they wrote a note, the locals would happily guide the lost witches back to the Den.
They would laugh at them the whole way back, but they would bring the lost witches home. The amusement of the locals was just the price you had to pay for not bringing someone with a sense of direction.
With so many small groups out searching the Wastes, the locals were having an easier time than usual, from what Wolfe could tell by the handheld radio that he brought with him, but there were still plenty for him to test his new toy on.
The first target he picked was a group that had brought a tank with them instead of the usual APC. The personnel carriers had to be searched to make sure that they didn’t have captive witches in them, but a tank didn’t hold that many people.
It was also the better target to try out his new arrows. In theory, they should punch through the armour, and an array set by a Rank Four Magi shouldn’t be weak in any way if he had gotten the runes right.
The search group came into sight just before they were going to have to stop and recharge the bikes, nearly three hours after they had left the Den at a high rate of speed.
They were way out into the northern mountains now, and not even many locals lived here, but the ones that did were always cautious of intruders since they were near the very northern edge of the Myrrh Coven border before it turned west to follow the southern foothills of the mountains.
“Alright, I have a new attack that I want to test. It’s not an explosion. It’s a new form of [Lightning Arrow] array that I have enchanted onto this bow. If I’m right, it should penetrate the armour of the tank.” Wolfe whispered to his companion as they hid the bikes in the snow and began moving toward the Tank, which was stopped for the moment.
June was just about to answer when all hell broke loose. The tank wasn’t stopped for a break, they had found Wolfe before he found them, and the first bursts of machine gun fire bounced off his and June’s armour before Wolfe could even bring up a barrier.
June began unleashing bursts of fire at the tank and the infantry hidden in the snow around it while Wolfe brought up an [Unholy Barrier] in a dome over the top of them to keep them safe.
Once that was done, he drew his bow and admired the way that the spell formed the arrow for him. It was a smooth draw and release, and though Wolfe only understood the basics of archery, with the wind magic in effect, he got the arrow to track directly to the hull of the enemy vehicle.
The arrow punched through the composite armour with ease, propelled forward by the enchantments on it, and a second later, three men climbed out of the interior, all either bleeding or covered in blood. It was hard to tell from where Wolfe was hiding behind the barrier.
ƥαṇdα- ηθνε|·ƈθm
“It didn’t explode. I’m actually somewhat shocked. I thought that the [Fireball] spell was your specialty.” June joked as Wolfe dropped the barrier and prepared to loot their target.
“It’s a fun spell, but you can’t eat the same thing every day without getting bored.” Wolfe agreed.