With a scene contributed by me, Cameron kicks a good amount of butt here in terms of action.

Tons of action - and a rather good amount of card themed jokes as well. Prepare yourself!

* * *

Meanwhile, in another section of the forest, in a piece written by Sebastian Dash

The queen had split her deck in order to surround the village. She had many cards to spare. The second set of cards would end up having to deal with another group of adventurers.

Three humans and three goblins made their way westwards towards Forest Village, the gem of the Nearby Forest - well, so the locals claimed. Of the six, two of the humans- Gail and Becky Joy- and the only female goblin- Goblina- were skipping along to music provided by the third human, the appropriately named Sassy Snake. In exchange, Becky created bolts of ice for Sassy's crossbow as they skipped towards Forest Village.

Darson and Green marched on with the others, used to this kind of thing from their time already with Becky.

Sassy finished explaining to Gail, "And that's how you play 'Haw, haw, who's the law?"

"It sounds pretty complex," Gail answered. "And it could use a lot of tree hugging, but it's a pretty good start."

"Ahhh, it's so fun!" Becky said. "Can we play now?!"

"Sure!" Sassy said smiling.

Gail got excited over the possibility. "I'll go hug a tree to get us started!"

"We better put a hold on that," Darson warned, drawing awww's from all four girls, although Green seemed okay with it. Green didn't like the next part. Darson pointed ahead of the group. "Those cards look like trouble."

"What horrible timing!" complained Gail, pouting. "I guess we better get this over with."

"Yay, playing with cards!" Becky started to run off, but turned back to note, "Even if they are highly dangerous and murderous."

Sassy giggled. "I guess that is supposed to be the fun part?"

Gail glared at the cards. "They look like they were made of trees, how horrible."

Green shivered, wishing he had a glass of rum for courage. Or gin. (Or rummy gin!) Meanwhile, the cards spotted our three Goblins and three girls and rushed into formation to attack, with eights and aces taking the initial offensive charge. Gail and Becky stopped 'em cold with a burst of air that sent them backwards. Well, icy winds in Becky's case. She continued the attack, stopping the lower cards in their tracks with thick, thick ice. The more powerful ranks were able to break through and avoid those attacks. Meanwhile, Sassy Snake blasted holes in several of the cards with her semi-automated crossbow. She quickly discovered two things. The symbols on the cards were the closest thing to a weak spot, and despite that, it took multiple crossbolts to drop even the weakest of cards. Becky's ice bolts, though harder to aim properly, helped a little, but to really contribute the fight, she only had one option; she desperately called for the aid of any nearby snakes, and any others who would aid her in the battle.

Two suits of the more powerful cards surrounded Awakensun, but she used a powerful updraft to blow the kings and queens high. Wild. Darson and Goblina combined their abilities to cut the cards down one by one, but even with Green reluctantly helping, the odds were starting to turn against them. The playful banter at the beginning of the fight started to fade away, as the double decker opening of over a hundred cards was just the beginning. Sensing their allies in trouble, backup cards started to pour in. It seemed to be turning the tide in their favor.

The Goblins were the first to be forced into fighting defensively, but not the only ones. Gail and Becky used their powers with the efficiency and effectively, and of course Sassy Snake had her crossbows, ample fighting skills and several snakes there to aid her.

Even so, Gail and Becky started to tire from constant use of their powers, and Sassy was starting to run low on crossbolts. Without something to turn the tide, or a little intervention by lady luck, they were starting to face very long odds which were starting to pile up with each new card that poured in.

 
* * *

"Incoming," said Zed. Konall could see the approaching armies of rectangular cards. There had to be a thousand of them. He was now sitting in a chair at the top of the watchtower, overlooking the defenses.

Around the village palisade, villagers were stationed, watching nervously. Konall said prayers of blessing over each of them, one for strength, one for luck, and one to add holy damage to their weapons. It had taken hours of work, but it was done.

Most of them stood ready to protect the east gate from attack, but they were spread out, protecting all of the walls and the south and west gates from sneak attacks as well.

"Watch the south gate," Konall said to Zed.

The army would be within range before the hour was up. The tall, lanky cards would probably be able to climb the palisades without too much difficulty. This would be a tough fight. But the village would win. They had to.

* * *

Fahari clawed through a three of clubs as it came over the wall while Cattaras picked two spades up and slammed their heads together.

The female monk focused her chi, closing her eyes and standing on one foot. Suddenly, she opened them and delivered a single, powerful punch at the nearest enemy, an eight of hearts, sending him flying and knocking over many of his companions. She leaped into a fluffy of claws and fur as she tore into enemies, punching, kicking, and clawing her way. No appendage could be spared, and she even bit with her teeth and struck with her tail as she defended the life machine with her own existence.

Meanwhile, two lines of cards shuffled toward Cattaras, spears forward. The feline grabbed the nearest spear, tossed it away, and smashed his way through his enemies.

They held their place against an onrushing tide of enemies.

* * *

Bad Beats slashed through card warrior after card warrior, giving a whole new meaning to cutting the deck. But as soon as he struck one down, another climbed up the wall and rushed him, forcing him to keep fighting as wave after wave came in.

Enough of this! Dash threw down a piece of flash paper and jumped off the palisade, tackling a group of cards. His sword flew everywhere as soldiers charged from every direction. Dodge, slash, cut, roll, parry, thrust, dodge, strike! Individually, these warriors were nothing, but together they were starting to build up wounds.

Dash felt a brief rush of energy as someone, no doubt Konall, sent a bit of healing his way. He was too hyped up to feel pain right now, but in the back of his mind he knew his injuries would be with him for weeks when this was over.

Block, downslash, whirl, strike, behead. The parts of cards were now turning into a mound as Dash hacked apart anyone who drew near, giving him the height advantage as he stood on them.

Fighting solitaire like this was difficult, but predictable. And with his blessed sword he was dealing horrendous damage to these demonic enemies. That was his trump. He aced another strike, lopping off a card's head. Hopefully the others were holding ground as well.

* * *

Zed was having increasing difficulty trusting his ears or his eyes - his heartbeat was drumming thunderously, and vying with almost any other sounds externally; his sight was spinning at times, or hazing over when he paused. "Heat exhaustion - almost guaranteed..." thought the feverish Ireacan, in the gaps between semi-automatic ass-kicking, and expert acrobatics designed to keep the cards from circling too closely. It was almost divine providence that the enemy could not be mistaken for any allies around him, as his strikes were becoming increasingly desperate, wild, and … Panting in relief, Zed croaked through trembling lips: "All praise Calypso, that was the last set! I don't think the boss is going to be pleased if I... damn..."

Rushing to the side of the boardwalk, Zed dry-heaved in a fit, bitterly appreciative of the fact that the hectic environment likely meant that his breakdown went unnoticed. The lull also granted him the opportunity to be one of the few that could spare focus as the east gate shuddered, warped, and gave way under a surprisingly quick and stealthy ramming maneuver. Fear edged its way past the rising nausea in the Blood Clan adventurer - he was on his last legs, but … "No one else can get there without being cut from behind - crud of the highest level." If he lived after this next moment of zen, he swore he'd stop thinking along the lines of a certain Bearsmasher. Rehearsing the intended moves only thrice in his head, Zed ran furiously - on the ground to build momentum; at increasingly impossible diagonal planes over rooftops, hanging lines, and whatever would hold him briefly; then - ! Gravity, speed, and a decisively sturdy meat spear crashed into the ranks of cards that had squeezed through the gap at the East Gate. Even with his bone fortified and his system already on the mend via spells reserved on the fly, Zed cried out in savage agony at his descent. Wasting not a second of the time left to him, he let his spirit guide his overexerted form, and forced the falling bodies of the cards around him into the opening. Without any immediate directive or conscious threat to account for, Zed fell in exhaustion at the foot of the pile - battered, burning up from within, but victorious.

Konall looked down. Zed was out of the fight, his injuries and exhaustion more than he could bear. But in running himself down, he had defended the east gate. South gate was turning the tide back. But west gate, west gate was falling and falling hard.

Cattaras was currently buried under a pile of cards, and even with his strength he couldn't pick up 52 enemies on top of him, beating him down. Dash had his back to the palisade, knocked to the ground and almost defeated. Only Fahari was still standing.

Konall uttered a prayer, "Goddess that Fahari worships, whoever you are. She needs your help. All her life she's fought for you, so please, just return the favor. Help her out."

A group of leaves whirled in the wind, briefly taking on a feminine form. A voice echoed out from it, "And what may I ask of you in return?"

"What do you want?"

"Catrina. I want her redeemed. You will rescue her."

"What! No way she..." Konall thought. If they lost the battle then so many lives would be wasted. Trying to rescue Catrina from... whatever. He'd have to.

Konall sighed. "I agree."

* * *

Fahari was surrounded on all sides in the middle of the battlefield, her injuries mounting. Suddenly, she felt her goddess's power surround and fill her. Life energy closes her wounds. Her muscles no longer felt tired. Her mind cleared. She felt her chi overflowing. This changed everything.

Fahari twirled, striking in every direction with lightning speed, sending cards flying in every direction. She jumped from enemy to enemy, using bodies as springboards as she kicked and scratched her way through everything that stood in her way.

A group of warriors made their way toward her, but she decked them and kept running. As fast as the north wind, no one could catch her.

And then she stopped, focusing. She gathered power and released it with a cry of "Hadouken!" and a massive ball of holy energy ushered forth from her hands, plowing through cards and shredding them. Anyone who drew near her, she dealt a series of powerful blows.

The armies halted. Mortals they could deal with. But the holy energy Fahari was throwing around overwhelmed them. They would not recover from these injuries. In droves the cards turned and ran. This was too much. Isolated retreats turned into full blown panic, and soon the entire army had fled, discarding their weapons and armor just to give themselves a chance to run away a bit faster.

* * *

Kadlin's scout stood in the trees, cloaked in shadow. He wore a pair of sunglasses over his red, glowing eyes, shielding them from the view of his prey.

The queen of hate's forces were marching towards a portal. Shuffling was more like it. Their dejected expressions didn't suit anything but a completely routed force. They were disheartened, clubbed down.

In twos and threes they descended back into the underworld through the portal the Queen had opened.

Suddenly, the scout saw something his crimson eyes scarcely believed. Catrina? Miss RNG, goddess of fate was smiling on him. This intel would be worth quite a lot to Kadlin. She'd reward him with meat and even more enhanced powers.

Catrina was stumbling along, mumbling to herself. Drunk? Insane? He wished he could draw closer, but dared not lose his concealment. She walked up to the portal and, stepped in? That was a one-way trip. Leaving the underworld was nearly impossible.

Catrina, gone. Kadlin would definitely want to know this. He departed immediately in a puff of shadows.

I'm not sure where Dr. Darth during this mission, but with I the Mouse and Hunk dealt with, that left us with the Queen of Hate and her army of playcards. Dealt with. Oops! Another card pun.

It made for a really fun read, though and I quite liked how the characters were handled. I am fond of having characters with themed armies like this. I also love how we took the four managers of Hey Daze, who were conceived for the Mission Finale WAY way back in the original Hey Daze mission.