The Undercity Awakens BR8 July 683

The engineers cranked back the throwing arm of the catapult, placed the stone in the sling and stepped back ready for the order to pull the trigger rope, launching the stone projectile into Broughton Lake. All around the settlement engineers were performing the same task over and over again in the hope of bringing out some of the Merfolk. There were also goats tied near the waters edge to lure the creatures closer. This was the start of the operation that had been planned for months. The Merfolk were too much of a threat to be allowed to live underneath the settlement being built in the ruins on Broughton Lakes isle. They had been attacking the fishing villages around the lakes edge for years, and the combined strength of the Broughton defence force, LegioIX and the Tungrians would now be used to subdue or destroy them. Underneath the ruins the real work was taking place. Under the combined leadership of Cerialis and Corvus the tunnels were being secured. Each of the pools that had been found were systematically being sealed up with stones by the engineers of the two tribes, and small groups of warriors left to ensure their safety. Only one pool was being left for the Merfolk to use the pool in the temple. With the pools sealed the temple was filling with warriors, all taking positions where they could not be seen from the pool until it was too late. They sat in waiting, tensed to strike as soon as the creatures showed themselves. The order was sent back for the catapults to begin their work, and before long the water in the temples pool started to bubble. The temperature in the temple began to rise, and the warriors felt the air pressure increase. The water in the pool began to rise, and within seconds had turned into a geyser fountaining upwards and spreading water all over the temple. The warriors could see movement into the darkness of the water, and Merfolk burst from it brandishing weapons and wearing

armour made from seaweed and scales. More and more of the creatures came from the geyser - soon there would be a strong force of them in the temple. The warriors of the Tungrians and LegioIX rose to meet the challenge, with archers loosing from high points around the temples edge and the infantry forming ranks and moving forward in good order. Corvus watched calmly as the warriors contacted the Merfolk. They fought well and without panic in the face of such strange creatures. The Merfolk fought with a wild anger that surprised him, they had seemed cowardly and disorganised before but they were now fighting more like berserkers. The weapons of the Merfolk caused terrible wounds to the warriors of the allied tribes. They were some sort of barbed swords, and the blades tore through the armour and flesh of the warriors. Cerialis fought hard in the front ranks of his warriors, the Merfolks armour was not particularly tough, but it made his weapons stick so he had to pull hard to release it from the creatures flesh. The Merfolk were attacking like madmen, and with every minute that passed more of them were arriving from their pool. His men were slowly making ground and getting closer to the pool but soon there would be too many foes to continue forward. The archers had started shooting into the geyser now as their allies were in the way of their shots, and the water was turning dark with blood. The water on the floor of the temple was getting deeper. It was up to knee high now, and was starting to get hard to manoeuver in. The geyser showed no signs of reducing its flow. Corvus looked at the battle in front of him. The Merfolk were a weaker force, but were being strengthened every second by more of their kind from the geyser, which was also flooding the temple and restricting the movements of his warriors. The Merfolk showed no sign of trouble in the water. The decision was made then. He called the retreat. The warriors fought a long withdrawal to the surface, and fresh warriors arrived to defend the entry point. The water reached the top of the entry point and there it stopped. Cerialis and Corvus started planning again.