I want no complaints of ecology inacuracies in this.
Seriously. None of them. S'my story - I'm deciding what's where.
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It was a good fifteen minutes later by the time the group made it clear of the campe surrounding Netherthomg and were on the road north again back towards the woods south of Mercia.
"Searchin' for werewolves in the dark..." Grundown said with a snort, clicking his tongue against his teeth, "The only thing more stupid would be huntin' for Vampires."
The sun had all but set and the moon was rising to their right, seemingly much larger than usual in the clear night air. Wind touched the slowly crisping leaves as summer started to die to leave autumn in its place.
Towards the back of the part, Addy and Crow walked side by side in silence, each glancing at the other every couple of minutes, but neither talking to each other. Aylix and Gregory led the group, Aylix's hammer resting loosely on his shoulder - a nimbus of red surrounding it.
Whether it was the coming of night or the enormity of what they were to do the following day - the group was subdued, even attempts at conversation by either Aylix or Grundown seemed to fall on deaf ears and the group walked in silence.
They were soon under the cover of trees and instantly Eliana knew something was wrong. "It's too quiet." she said as they were under the boughs. "Far too quiet."
They glanced round nervously one by one, Addy touched her holy symbol to her lips whispering Tralda's name quietly while Aylix, Crow Greg and Grundown readied weapons.
"You reckon there's somethin' out there elfling?" Grundown asked, scanning the treeline slowly.
Eliana nodded in reply, knocking an arrow to her bow as they made slow progress through the woods.
"Well... maybe it should COME ON OUT!" Grundown roared into the woods banging his weapons together, the steel ringing out as they struck each other.
"Grun!" Crow hissed, angrily, glaring at the dwarf over his shoulder.
"Tralda! CROW! Look out!" Addy screamed as a wolf came hurtling out of the gloom straight at the Kharachian. Crow managed to raised his shield in time to block the creatures claws and they bit deeply into the wood. He knocked it clear with a heavy boot to its chest as three more came flying out of the woods, followed by angry roars of orcs.
"Putrak!" Aylix swore in Dwarvish, deflecting a claw with his hammer - the previously subdued glow flaring to life as it struck. The creature roared in pain and spun away.
"You're not wrong there manling!" Grundown called above the roars, batting away wild swipes of another wolf-creature with his axe - which was similarly glowly and his hammer, which wasn't. He managed to score several light hits into its forearms with his axe before it jumped away from him.
Gregory - his greatsword not really designed to block claws managed to parry three times before the wolf pressed its attack and struck a gouge on his left arm. With a curse he kicked out hard and high, catching it on the snout and forcing it to retreat. The six came together, Addy and Eliana in the middle - Eliana having already taken out two of the orc creatures from around the edge with arrows. The wolves backed off and circled the companions. Occasionally making as if to dive into them, only to be swatted at by the blessed weapons that the four on the outside wielded.
"Gregory, is your arm okay?" Addy asked, her voice a slightly higher pitch than normal.
The Crowan nodded, not taking his eyes from their adversaries. "I'll be fine, my faith in Crowa keeps me shielded."
"Who's bright idea was this?" asked Aylix, both of his hands on his hammer.
"I believe it was yours, Captain." Crow shot back, batting away a probing claw from one of the wolves. Aylix tutted in reply.
"What are they?" Addy asked, clutching her holy symbol tight.
"My pets!" boomed a massive orc stepping out of the woods, dressed in scraps of leather and chain armour, a huge cleaver held in each fist, each of them dripping with a viscous green liquid. "And they're 'ungry for oomie flesh!"
Aylix and Grundown's curses were lost over the top of each other.
"Now gents, that's hardly the way to talk around ladies." despite Gregory's best efforts there was a wavering in the Crowan's voice.
"You got a plan then Guardian?" Crow asked, chancing a glance over his shoulder, rolling his eyes as Gregory laughed in return.
"I do..." Eliana said hurriedly, raising her face to the sky and letting out a long, sorrowful howl that echoed around the trees.
The howl eventually faded to no discernable effect and the massive orc let out a long, vicious laugh. "Nice try elfy. I fink I'll be eatin' you... Pets! Get 'im!" it roared pointing his cleavers forward.
The wolves let out snarled and - as one - pounced.
"FOR CROWA!" "FOR KHARACH!" "TRALDA!" the voices of the six mingled together as they all cried out for different Gods and moved to meet their foes.
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