Icky Battlefield Part 1

I was forming up ranks of troops. We were in a siege with a castle, hoping our magic users would tip the scales and allow us to defeat the hell spawn.

"I'm not going to be much use on the outer edge." I say to my second. "Keep the pressure on. Don't break unless you see the signal, then retreat as if the devil himself is on your tail..." (cause he probably will be)

I make my way back to the centre of the battlefield and a cheer goes up. On the edge of the disfigured creatures we can see peering over the edge of the castle battlements we spot a push from human figures and the Queen's short raven black hair is seen leading a skirmish among the monsters. The cheer is short lived as she herself draws the first arrow and looses it among our troops. She is but a puppet on a string, being used to crush our moral.

"Whatever is controlling her has to be close..." I mutter and a soldier nearby points over his shoulder and says "Maybe they're in there sir." I notice for the first time an area of dense forest directly behind us and make my way to it bringing the soldier for backup.

The forest, while black from the outside is surprisingly open once we hold aside a few branches. Something moves in a far corner and I shine my torch on it. It is the size of a medium dog and its many scuttling black legs allow it to move with surprising speed and it is quickly upon us. I have time to reach my dagger and take a couple of swipes at it. The soldier does the same, but loses his footing and sits down hard. Its strangely humanoid face is distorted in a scream and I recognise it as a thing called an "Icky"... it scuttles to the soldier, clawing at his pants. I take another swipe at its legs and then stab it in the eye. It squeals and takes off through the gap in the branches out to the soldiers. "Someone stop that thing! Stop the Icky!" I yell running after it, but most recoil in horror or make only cursory attempts to attack it.

It stops in front of one of the magic users who bends down and picks it up. It snuggles into his arm. "What are you doing? That thing attacked us!" I say.

"This is Rand." Says the magic user. (Yes, as in the Rand from Wheel of Time series)

"What?! How can that be?" I exclaim. "Shit... that means..." I run back to the forest opening.

I grab the soldier who is still sitting on the ground in shock and pull him out of the way then shine the torch around. To the left on a platform above us is Aughra (yep, Dark Crystal reference) and Ishmael. Aughra cackles evilly then they disappear.

It seems as though we won’t be winning this war...