There were almost no “fodder” goblins left, and Tamako knew that Sam and Jen finished the wall reinforcement, so she was about to signal to Wager that they head back up the ropes, when she heard Captain Wager say into his soundwave, “By The Seven Decks! There’s SIX of them, and another clan of several thousand goblins arrived!” There was a pause as Captain Wager listened to Captain Bingo’s comments, and he replied, “I agree, they must be planning to push all the way to Domino Hill. But with this fodder mound built up, they’ll probably only release one, and save the others for Domino Hill. Have you told the guards yet?” Wager paused for a response, and then said, “For Domino Hill!”

When Wager finished the conversation, he explained to Tamako, “Captain Bingo has a magnification sight skill. She has informed me the goblins have six trolls they can release.”

Tamako replied, “I have not fought trolls before, how do they impact the battle?”

Wager and Tamako were still killing the “fodder” goblins, but the numbers pressing were minimal, and they were not creating much of a distraction. Wager thought for a second and explained to Tamako, “This mound of dead fodder goblins is high enough that a troll can leap to top of the pass-wall. If there weren’t any goblins present, ready to barrage us with arrows, we could subdue and kill one troll, maybe two, but definitely not three. Even if they were to release one troll at a time, and politely waited for us to kill each troll before releasing the next one, we might have 10% of our force left able to take up defense of the wall. We are going to lose, but we plan on taking as many of them with us as possible.”

Sam and Jen heard Wager’s explanation to Tamako through their AI, and Sam messaged Tamako, “Ask him what would happen if there wasn’t a giant dead fodder mound.”

As Tamako asked her question, Captain Wager answered, “The trolls simply couldn’t make it over the wall. They would just pound uselessly against the wall all night…well, there is always the possibility that they might release all six trolls, and IF they all worked together, one or two might get over the wall, but then they definitely wouldn’t help the rest over. In that case we might survive the night.”

Tamako asked, “Why wouldn’t the goblins help the trolls get over the wall?”

Wager was surprised by the question, but answered, “Oh…yea, ummm.. the goblins have captured the trolls, and will be releasing them in our direction. Trolls hate everything and everyone, even each other. The only reason the trolls won’t turn around and try to immediately kill all the goblins, is because they will be smelling us humans. Trolls can’t resist the smell of human food! If the fodder mound weren’t here, the goblins wouldn’t be able to do anything but barrage us with arrows until the trolls were dead or gone.”

As soon as he heard the trolls wouldn’t be able to make it over the wall, he ran over to the goblin dumpster to check his theory, and then started running to the top of the tower. He messaged Jen and Tamako, “I’ve got a plan! How long before the trolls are released?”

Before he received a reply, everyone heard a horn far off in the distance. A moment Sam heard Wager’s reply to Tamako’s, “That horn notifies all the goblins that trolls are about to be released. See all the fodder running away. They won’t wait for the fodder to get out of the way, and I’d guess within the next 20 minutes they will have the trolls moved into position and released, maybe a little longer depending on how many they release at one time.”

Sam messaged, “Send Wager up the ropes. Jen, get ready. I’ll be there in a second to rope down with you.”

Jen turned to see Sam running towards her and the ropes, and just as she asked Sam, “What’s the plan?” Wager pulled himself up over the wall behind her.

Sam looked at the two of them, and said, “Wager, good you’re here! I’ve got a garbage spell that I think will work on the dead goblin bodies. If it does, I’m going to need every second to clear out as many as I can. Let’s go Jen!”

As Sam and Jen jumped over the wall and roped down towards Tamako, he messaged them, “I’ve got to put on a show of casting a spell over and over again. As you know, The System doesn’t let you loot and dispel the goblin bodies as long as the battle continues, but they are dead. I was able to store one of them in my space ring!

Tamako grinned with excitement of hope, and said, “Get to acting.”

As Sam started waving his arms in a pattern to resemble a spell he’d seen cast by the Stone Guild’s healer, he messaged, “I’m using that big space ring of mine. It should hold most of these dead bodies.”

Jen nodded and asked, “Is that the expensive one that you failed to turn into a biome for living animals?”

“Yep, but I have some new ideas on that experiment.” Sam stepped his foot in an area that gave way, causing his leg to sink up to his thigh in goblin gore, and he complained, “This shit is gross down here!”

Jen and Tamako rolled their eyes, and Jen said, “Really! We had no idea!”

Sam felt like vomiting, but kept slowly storing big sections of goblin bodies in his ring, and he said, “I’m hoping no one on top of the wall can sense that I’m not really using that much mana down here.”

Jen replied, “I don’t think so. There are only a few guards up there with significant power, and my psych skill gives me the impression, their mana manipulation skills are oriented to increasing their strength, stamina, and fighting skills, not in mana detection. But I’ll keep my senses open for any gossip.”

Captain Wager and Captain Bingo were both watching Master Slam as every few seconds he would pass his arms over a section of the fodder mound, and it would just disappear. Captain Bingo asked, “Do you think Master Slam has enough mana to get rid of the entire mound?”

Captain Wager replied, “I hope so. I know he has some enchanted gear that can increase your mana generation like I’ve never seen or heard of before on the Second or Third Deck.”

Captain Bingo commented, “Yea, they don’t seem to be constantly sickly or nauseous like other deck droppers. What do you…”

Captain Bingo’s question was interrupted by another horn from the goblins. Captain Wager hollered down to the trio, “They must have seen what you’re doing. They just released one troll too quickly.” Jen could see Wager turn to Captain Bingo as she told him something, and then he yelled, “The troll is destroying the goblins as it is tearing itself free, but it’ll probably get all the way over hear in the next five minutes!”

Captain Bingo swore, “Damn The Seven Decks! Master Slam is only about half way done. That’s not enough!”

Tamako called up to Wager, “Have they released anymore?”

Wager looked to Captain Bingo, then he replied, “No, they are taking it slower with the two other trolls they are working on releasing.”

Tamako started walking towards the troll, and said to Jen and Sam, “I’ll give you a few minutes to clear the rest of these bodies. Just get it done, who cares if the guards get suspicious. It’s better than letting these beasts get past the wall and go on a rampage in Domino Hill.”

Jen and Sam both nodded in agreement with Tamako’s comment as they watched her heading towards the troll.

Sam asked Jen, “Is she going to be O.K. against a troll?”

Jen replied with worry all over her face, “I don’t know. We don’t know crap about how trolls fight, or what their weaknesses might be, but I can tell there is no stopping her.”

Sam snorted, and said, “Get going! Go help her. I got this.”

****

As Captain Bingo noticed Jenasta heading out to meet the troll, she commented to Captain Wager, “looks like they’re trying to buy time for Master Slam to destroy the rest of the dead fodder bodies.”

Captain Wager asked, “They’re powerful as hell, but they don’t know shit about fighting goblins and trolls. How many shackles do we have?”

Captain Bingo replied, “We only have 3 sets. Are you wanting to send a team out there to try and shackle the troll with them?”

Captain Wager shook his head, “No, I won’t send any of our people out there on a suicide mission. Just give me a set.”

Captain Bingo frowned with a snort of disagreement, but she could see Wager wasn’t going to budge, and called out, “Sergeant Aces!”

A young sergeant ran over to Captain Bingo, and replied, “Yes, mam?”

Captain Bingo pointed to Captain Wager and said, “Give the captain the set of shackles you have in your storage ring.”

***

Sam looked up as he sensed someone coming down one of the ropes, and noticed it was Captain Wager. Sam was about to tell him he didn’t need any help, when Captain Wager said, “I’ll be back. I hope!” as he ran off to assist Jen and Tamako. Sam just shrugged, hoping he was right, but Sam didn’t fell it was his place to tell Wager what he should or shouldn’t do.

Sam made some crazy hand gestures, did a cartwheel, walked like an Egyptian, and swept all the remaining dead fodder goblin into his ring. Sam then staggered and stumbled around in a circle, before collapsing against the wall in a pretense of exhaustion.

Captain Bingo hollered down to him, “Are you O.K.? Do you need help?”

Sam gazed blearily up at Bingo as he grabbed one of the ropes, and called up to her, “O.K., just pull me up.”

As Sam was being pulled up the wall, he had a first-hand view of the goblins going ape-shit with the disappearance of all their fodder.

Captain Bingo used some sort of sound amplifier and called out, “The goblins are rushing to release all six of the trolls, and are moving their archers forward. Get up the wall!

Tamako hollered to Jen and Wager as she dodged, “The trolls fast, and nothing is getting through its’ skin.”

Captain Wager called out, “Keep it distracted. I need to get behind it.”

When Jen imagined trolls, she figured they would just be giants with green skin with cave man type clothing. However, this troll was around 15 or 16 feet tall, with very pale skin, no hair anywhere on his body, except a black-colored monobrow and goatee. He also had a very large bulbous nose, and his arms almost reached the ground while it was standing. What she found very distracting and somewhat humorous, was his reproductive organ went almost all the way down to his knee, and was flapping everywhere since he wasn’t wearing any clothing. The problem Jen had was she couldn’t think of way to distract the troll. She knew from Sam that the Troll’s sense of smell would tell it exactly where all three of them were at any moment, so a visual distraction would not allow Wager to sneak up behind the troll. Then she noticed the horrific fungus-crusted toenails on the troll, and the idea came to her, and she messaged Tamako, “Try to ram a spear under its damn toenails!”

Tamako cringed as the gross toenails, but immediately raced forward and slid down low in front of the troll, keeping her shield between her body and the troll's arms above her. She braced her shield to absorb the kinetic energy of the troll smashing a fist down on her, but instead the troll simply grabbed the shield and started pulling it and Tamako up off the ground, but Tamako didn’t forget her goal and slammed her spear under the nasty gnarled toenail of the troll. That was one spear she didn't care to get back.

The troll screamed in pain and rage, and flung the shield, with Tamako still holding onto it. While the troll grasped its foot with one head to steady it, and started reaching with its other hand to pull out the spear, Jen threw four knives towards the troll’s nose. One of the four knives struck home, lodging inside the Troll’s nostril.

The troll went wild with pain and anger, but instinctively pulled the spear from under its toenail it was already reaching for. However, its fingers were too large to reach inside its nostril to pull out the dagger, and when it tried to dig its finger in its nose to drag out the dagger, it only shoved the dagger deeper into its nose septum causing it to scream in more pain and anger.

While Jen backed off from the raging troll, Wager had worked his way to the rear of the troll, and pulled out what looked like bull whip made of chains. He lashed the whip towards one of the trolls ankles, and when it struck, it actually just wrapped around the troll's ankle like leg cuffs. He then whipped another chain that was still connected to the first one, around the troll’s other ankle, and another cuff appeared. The two shackles, attached by the chain, then cinched together pulling the trolls ankles and legs together. The troll furiously spun around trying to face Wager, but its’ wrapped-up legs caused it to fall on the ground. Wager then used the chain-whip to lash cuffs around each of the troll’s wrist. As he activated the last enchantment on the shackles, cinching all the cuffs together, and hog-tying the troll, preventing it from moving. Just then Wager became aware of the barrage of arrows from the goblins that were coming straight for him.

Thunk, thunk, thunk, sounded in Captain Wager’s ears as he heard the arrows slam against Tamako’s shield. Tamako yelled to him, “Slam cleared the fodder! The rest of the trolls are coming, run to the wall. I’ll cover us!.... but hunch over as you run, you damn giant!”

Captain Wager didn’t need to be told twice. It took less than 20 seconds for them to get to the ropes and get pulled up the wall, but even in that short amount of time, the trolls almost caught them. As they were pulled over the wall and behind a barrier, Jenasta ordered, “hold still,” as she pulled an arrow out of Wagers shoulder, and two out of Tamako’s legs, and then healed them both. When she finished, they all leaned back against the barrier which was shielding them from the rain of arrows, and took a moment to catch their metaphorical breath as they absorbed their successful retreat up the wall.

The pass-wall guards were still cheering and hollering congratulations to them from across the wall. Ringer said to Two Dice, “By The Seven Decks, did you see that! Three people, by themselves, captured a troll and not a single one of them was killed!”

Two Dice replied, “I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it with my own two eyes! Also, how could Make-it Take-it be thrown against the wall so hard, and just jump up and run back into the fight without even getting hurt!”

Ringer nodded in similar bewilderment, as she said, “The power of the Deck Droppers is absurd!”

Sam smiled as he heard the comments of Two Dice. Fortunately, the troll had flung Tamako towards the pass-wall, and not out towards the goblins. Sam was amazed as he’d watched Tamako, while in mid-air, shift her body to the outside of her own shield, placing it between the wall and herself, then she activated her shield to absorb the kinetic energy of her body, preventing her from a devastating and painful crash into the wall. Instead, the shield took all of her kinetic energy, and she just lightly slid down the wall, before running back out to rejoin the fight.

Sam could hear the trolls pounding on the wall and also fighting each other. He was a little relieved when the goblins stopped their barrage of arrows, but anytime one of the defenders stuck their head up too far, they were immediately met with a suppressive attack of more arrows. The goblins could see perfectly in the dark with the minimum moonlight and had no problem targeting them, and fortunately, Sam could also see perfectly after he toggled on his goblin sight.

Sam's impulse was to go over and physically check on Jen and Tamako, even though they already told him they were O.K., but the exposure to the arrow assault overruled his impulse. Using his AI, Sam listened in on Jen’s question to Wager and Bingo, “What now?”

Bingo replied, “They’re not going to waste five trolls. They’re going to keep us pinned down while they give siege ladders and grappling hooks to the trolls.”

Tamako asked, “I thought the trolls would attack the goblins?”

Bingo nodded, and answered, “They will kill them. That’s why the goblins will send some of their remaining fodder in with the equipment. But we have a little time before that happens, so now’s the time to execute our plan of retreat so we can all get out of here alive.”

Jen psych skill could sense Captain Wager’s surprise at Bingo’s suggestion, even though he did an admirable job hiding it, and then he asked, “Don’t you think we could destroy any siege device before the trolls could make it to the top of the wall?”

Jen focused her psych skill on Captain Bingo while she was responding to Wager’s question, “If it were just the trolls, probably. However, we are likely to suffer heavy losses from the goblin archers while we’re doing it.” Jen could sense Bingo’s worry, anxiety, and even a little fear, but Bingo was making several good points, as Bingo continued with her reasoning, “There are five trolls left, and we only have two shackles remaining. Also, while the three of you did an absolutely unprecedented feat of skill and strength taking down the one troll, the wall ledge is only 8 feet wide, and I’m not sure you could do the same up here. Even if you could, there would still be three trolls you couldn’t shackle.”

Captain Wager started to reply, “What about…” when Bingo cut him off, saying “and don’t forget, once the trolls start to get up here, the other 10,000 or so goblins will launch a full attack.”

Jen was nodding internally at Bingo’s words. She felt some shame acknowledging the trust, but she knew that She, Sam, and Tamako had no intention of fighting to the death to save the people of Domino Hill.

Captain Wager replied, “If we abandon the wall before reinforcements arrive, the goblins will spread out through our lands like locusts, thousands of people will be killed, and it will take many, many months to kill or push all the goblins back through the pass. Every hour we hold on, will allow the reinforcements to get closer, and decrease the ability of the goblins to spread out through our lands.”

“But…” Captain Bingo started, and this time Captain Wager cut her off and stated, “I will be staying. Domino Hill and Lady Domino has protected my family for generations, and I’m sure most of the guards on this wall feel the same way about staying. However, if you wish to leave and go with any guards that feel the same way, you may go, and I will not charge you with desertion, because I will sacrifice myself and every guard still here, before I let the goblins get past this wall.”

Captain Bingo shook her head with frustration, but said, “No, so long as the wall is being defended by our fellow warriors, I won’t leave either.”

Captain Wager nodded in approval, and yelled out, “For Domino Hill!”, and the guards on the wall echoed his words, “For Domino Hill!” Wager then called out, “For Lady Domino!” and the guards again echoed his words, “For Lady Domino!” Captain Wager also knew that any guards who abandoned the wall, would never be accepted by their families or the citizens back into Domino Hill.

Sam messaged Jen, “Send me that shitty bird of yours. I’ve got a plan!”