The Battle for Middale - Part 2 - more future character fic originaly inspired in yesterdays post by Space Wolf. It's her fault this exists, which might be why she is getting the biggest cameo. =P
Uh.. Yea. [shrug] More fighting. "Ideal" futures - or "where I'd like my character to kind of be - power wise" are fun to think about. (Those rings he has are all kinds of badass.)
Probably the final part tomorrow.
-----
Somehow Lahsaa had found himself in the thick of the fighting, ducking and weaving through the flurry of blades that surrounded him, lashing out with his staff and unleashing a spell when things got too close. The foulspawn had hit their lines hard, hard enough to knock back even the usual steadfast Einherjar wall and the fighting had become desperate from then on. Several years of fighting alongside the Einherjar had given the mage more fighting spirit and abilitiy than the guild would ever be happy with, but right now, he didn't care - better to break guild rules and stay alive rather than be trampled under the ironshod boots of orcs. Spotting a gap, he swatted an orc to one side with a heavy blow to the back of its head with his staff, sent another collapsing to the floor as the back of its head exploded in a spray of blood and lept through to it, rolling clear and out of harms way, at least for now.
Taking stock from his vantage point, he realised just how badly things had gone. The two flanks held but that was only due to the fighting prowess of the knightly orders of Ithron - even over the orcish war criess he could hear Sir Marcus' shouts of "For Sidhe" as clear as anything. The very middle the Einherjar were holding - eight Llaminusians roaring in defiance as they continually added to the pile of foulspawn bodies behind them. Lahsaa wondered how he had managed to become so seperate from them - they were merely twenty meters away, but it might as well have been a different country.
To each side of them though - with some small pockets of resistance - the gaps in between were slowly being crushed over the sheer weight of numbers. He saw flashes of soulfire explode amongst the ranks as powerful artifacts and magic items were unleashed and Lahsaa idly thumbed at the rings on each hand.
His respite was quickly at an end as the goblin scouts that had been cutting through the woods saw and made for him, streaking towards him brandishing daggers dripping with vile substances.
"Tralda." he murmered, holding the staff ready before meeting the greenskins, knocking aside their weapons and delivering heavy clubbing blows to the greenskins. He held the upper hand for all of ten seconds before an orc lumbered into him, knocking him to the ground. With no time to be dazed, Lahsaa through himself to the side, rolling away as a massive axehead suddenly occupied the space Lahsaa's chest had half a second before. Crawling away, the orc advanced with a sneer, bloodrage mixing with its base nature of cruelty.
His body was frozen with fear, his mind screaming at him to cast a spell, to stop this creature from killing him but the words died somewhere on the path from his brain to his lips.
The orc raised the axe.
A blur streaked out from behind the tree behind him and a spray of black blood hit the mage in the face as suddenly the orcs throat opened up. Blinking and finally being able to move out of the way as the orc fell forwards, Lahsaa looked around to see Rowan stood behind the Orc. Her hood had fallen away from her face and blood was trickling down the left side of her face. Her chain was shredded in places and her weapons and arms were coated in black blood. Regardless, she had a smile for him as she pulled him to his feet. "What's that now?" she asked.
"I think it's twenty six, twenty five to me." Lahsaa said, a smile spreading across his lips after a beat.
"Well don't go dying before I've managed to save your life at least once more." she laughed, spinning hard to the left and catching an orc across the jaw with her mace, eliciting a load crack and another spray of black blood.
"I'll bare that in mind." the mage shot back, gesturing hard at two passing orcs and killing them both as magic tore them apart. Lahsaa grunted and fell to one knee, clenching his teeth and holding his chest with his right hand.
"Lahsaa?!" the Huntsmasters voice had an urgent note to it, but she was too busy fending off more orcs to be able to see to him properly.
"I'm fine! I'm fine... It's just that even with these rings I'm... I'm almost out." he said, his breath ragged. "And they show no signs of stopping." He pushed himself to his feet, taking down another orc with his staff, ripping the beasts dagger off its belt and ramming it through its neck before it had chance to stand.
Rowan shot him a glance. "We hold. We must. We're literally the last line of defense."
"I know..." Lahsaa grunted, falling backwards as an orc barreled into him, he barely managed to parry the hammer away before unleashing a spell binding it in place. The crack of his staff against the greenskins skull was sickening. He stood properly, looking over the battlefield, thumbing the magical rings around his fingers again. "I know."
Showing posts with label space wolf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label space wolf. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
The battle for Middale.
It's not Misery in Middale I'm afraid, there's a swing of things that has to be re-established - but I needed to get writing again. Inpsired by Space Wolfs FnH Fic short she posted on her blog - I decided to do my own short with existing characters rather than originals. And I hope I've managed to stay faithful to each of the characters mentioned.
Yes, slight self indulgent wankery but it was fun to write.
Enjoy!
The nine bodies stood in a circle looked solemly at each other as in the distance battlecries and roars of challenge grew ever closer.
"Foulspawn filth!" Ragnar spat, clearly a head over all the others except his brother Hati. Each of the nine held their weapons easily and if there was any fear in their eyes it was well masked. "We will make them curse the day that they attacked us! They've killed friends, they've killed people we wouldn't piss on if they were burning - but now they're here wanting a fight. Others have gone crying back to their mothers titties in fear, but we don't run! Because we're not scared of some fucking green skinned beasts! We are the Einherjar! We are the Black Hand of Kharach! I've had harder shits in the morning than the things that come for us now. Lahsaa can punch harder than them." across the circle from the Jarl, Lahsaa - the mage of the Einherjar just smiled sardonically in reply. "Let's show these bastards what a fight really is! FOR THE EINHERJAR!" the group roared an echoing reply. "FOR KHARACH!" the second cry was even louder as the voices of surrounding adventurers leant their voices. "Get in position." Ragnar shouted, stepping in front of the lines, his voicing pitching up even louder as he shouted to all the assembled men and women under his command.
"His speaches are certainly colourful." a familiar voice, lilted with the dialect of the northlands came from behind Lahsaa, distracting him from the Llamninusians around him and he turned to see Rowan stood behind him, the familiar mask over her lower face, a strip of blue woad over the bridge of her nose and eyes.
Lahsaa half smiled, with a glance back at his Jarl. "He's nervous. When he's really confident his speaches are normally grander and more questioning as to the parentage of our enemies."
"I don't think there are many here that aren't." she countered, glancing up at the still assmbling hordes in the distance. A drum beat had started, pounding loudly over the battlefield and setting Lahsaa's back teeth on edge.
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with gloved fingers. "I bloody hate drums. They don't do much at all other than irritate the enemy and make them want to put a sword through the drummers face rather than demoralise them." he looked hastily at the foresters tabard on his friends chest, adding hastily with a grin. "Not that I'd be likely to use a sword to take them down."
"Aye, that's right you won't." he couldn't see her mouth, but he could tell she was smiling underneath the scarf. That's what most people around them seemed to be doing - it was either laugh or cry at this point.
"The crows, they circle in anticipation..." Skade's voice was suddenly at Lahsaa's side, and he glanced first at the Llaminusia 'witch' and then followed her gaze up into the air where a murder of crows gathered above, seemingly waiting for the battle to start. When Lahsaa's looked back to the Llaminusia, trepidation in his eyes he noticed that Arya and Saja had joined them.
"Orc won't do them much good for food, they're tough and stringy." Arya laughed, with a wince - the excess drinking from last night still affecting her. "And that's all they're get to eat."
"Not true... There'll be goblin, ogre and troll as well." Saja smiled, hugging Arya's shoulders.
"Lahsaa... surrounded by ladies yet again?" another voice added to the crowd as Alfie, a fellow master in the mages guild pushed through the crowds. Lahsaa grinned in response and took the mans hand.
"All ready for this?"
"Tralda, I don't think I'll ever be ready for this. I don't think I've prayed so hard as in the last few hours." Alfie replied, glancing over as the foulspawn horde swelled across the field as he absently pulled out a stick of rolled tobacco from a slim silver case that he tucked back inside his robes.
The corner of Lahsaa's mouth flicked upwards slightly. "All stocked for spells I meant?" a look of understanding passed between them and a nod of understanding passed between them.
"Praise be to Sidhe!" a shout went up from far to Lahsaa's right and he glanced over to see a group of Templar Knights, headed by Sir Marcus Northclaw joined the line on one flank next to the Black Knights - led by Sir Anthony Drakenfist. The mage couldn't see the Greys or the Griffons from where he was, but he knew that they were somewhere on the left flank.
"I don't think I've ever fought in such a massive army before." Rowan mused, drawing his sword for her off hand and pulling out the Huntsmasters axe fromn the loop on her belt. Lahsaa couldn't help but pick out the magical aura that sorrounded it, and his eyes were subsequently drawn to other magical glows on the field around them. Arya's shield, Ragnar's armour, Skade's dagger, Alfiie's staff and the pair of rings that he himself wore.
"Me either and I still think we're outnumbered by at least three to one." Lahsaa replied.
"Pah! Three to one! Most Llamninusians could take those odds as babes!" Fith joned the group as they talked, He too had joined with the rest of the Einherjar in putting on the black handprint on their face as well as the being covered in blue woad. "This is just a warm up for most northmen. I don't know why you southmen worry so much."
The group - almost collectively - rolled their eyes at Fith as horns sounded long and loud across their own lines.
"Ithronians! Llaminusians! Men and women of Lirron and Sortho!" Ragnar's voice boomed across the battlefield, as he raised his sword, around which magic swirled powerfully. "It's time! Gather together! Let us show them what we're made of!"
A roar went up from the defenders as the foulspawn started forward, breaking quickly into a run as the shield wall of the army under Ragnar's command locked in tight.
"Lahsaa, I'm off with the scouts." Rowan said, touching the mages arm as a small group broke away into the trees to the east to meet the goblin skirmishers that had similarly broken away.
"Stay safe." he urged, following it up with a mutter of words of power.
"I'll be fine." she nodded in reply as the magical aura quickly faded around her. "I have Crowa with me." with that, she was lost to the crowds.
Lahsaa smiled, touching Ragnar's arm. "You got your little magic trick ready Lahsaa now you've finished flirting with the Huntsmaster?" the Llaminusian asked with a grin. Lahsaa shook his head and pushed forward, standing in front of the line and raising both hands to cup in front of him and closing his eyes, muttering rapidly. The foulspwn horde roared louder and grew ever closer.
"Do it now Lahsaa! Unless you plan on taking them on from the front line!" Hati barked, standing just behind his brother with a spear in hand.
The mages eyes opened suddenly, ablaze with magical energy as the rings shone brightly, ripping his fingertips through the air to each side. Magic exploded amongst the foulspawn rangs as bodies flew everywhere. Lahsaa staggered backwards, absorbed by the lines as the battle for Middale against the orcish horde errupted in front of him.
"Praise be to Kharach! Hail to the Seven!" the defenders battlecry boomed around him.
Yes, slight self indulgent wankery but it was fun to write.
Enjoy!
The nine bodies stood in a circle looked solemly at each other as in the distance battlecries and roars of challenge grew ever closer.
"Foulspawn filth!" Ragnar spat, clearly a head over all the others except his brother Hati. Each of the nine held their weapons easily and if there was any fear in their eyes it was well masked. "We will make them curse the day that they attacked us! They've killed friends, they've killed people we wouldn't piss on if they were burning - but now they're here wanting a fight. Others have gone crying back to their mothers titties in fear, but we don't run! Because we're not scared of some fucking green skinned beasts! We are the Einherjar! We are the Black Hand of Kharach! I've had harder shits in the morning than the things that come for us now. Lahsaa can punch harder than them." across the circle from the Jarl, Lahsaa - the mage of the Einherjar just smiled sardonically in reply. "Let's show these bastards what a fight really is! FOR THE EINHERJAR!" the group roared an echoing reply. "FOR KHARACH!" the second cry was even louder as the voices of surrounding adventurers leant their voices. "Get in position." Ragnar shouted, stepping in front of the lines, his voicing pitching up even louder as he shouted to all the assembled men and women under his command.
"His speaches are certainly colourful." a familiar voice, lilted with the dialect of the northlands came from behind Lahsaa, distracting him from the Llamninusians around him and he turned to see Rowan stood behind him, the familiar mask over her lower face, a strip of blue woad over the bridge of her nose and eyes.
Lahsaa half smiled, with a glance back at his Jarl. "He's nervous. When he's really confident his speaches are normally grander and more questioning as to the parentage of our enemies."
"I don't think there are many here that aren't." she countered, glancing up at the still assmbling hordes in the distance. A drum beat had started, pounding loudly over the battlefield and setting Lahsaa's back teeth on edge.
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with gloved fingers. "I bloody hate drums. They don't do much at all other than irritate the enemy and make them want to put a sword through the drummers face rather than demoralise them." he looked hastily at the foresters tabard on his friends chest, adding hastily with a grin. "Not that I'd be likely to use a sword to take them down."
"Aye, that's right you won't." he couldn't see her mouth, but he could tell she was smiling underneath the scarf. That's what most people around them seemed to be doing - it was either laugh or cry at this point.
"The crows, they circle in anticipation..." Skade's voice was suddenly at Lahsaa's side, and he glanced first at the Llaminusia 'witch' and then followed her gaze up into the air where a murder of crows gathered above, seemingly waiting for the battle to start. When Lahsaa's looked back to the Llaminusia, trepidation in his eyes he noticed that Arya and Saja had joined them.
"Orc won't do them much good for food, they're tough and stringy." Arya laughed, with a wince - the excess drinking from last night still affecting her. "And that's all they're get to eat."
"Not true... There'll be goblin, ogre and troll as well." Saja smiled, hugging Arya's shoulders.
"Lahsaa... surrounded by ladies yet again?" another voice added to the crowd as Alfie, a fellow master in the mages guild pushed through the crowds. Lahsaa grinned in response and took the mans hand.
"All ready for this?"
"Tralda, I don't think I'll ever be ready for this. I don't think I've prayed so hard as in the last few hours." Alfie replied, glancing over as the foulspawn horde swelled across the field as he absently pulled out a stick of rolled tobacco from a slim silver case that he tucked back inside his robes.
The corner of Lahsaa's mouth flicked upwards slightly. "All stocked for spells I meant?" a look of understanding passed between them and a nod of understanding passed between them.
"Praise be to Sidhe!" a shout went up from far to Lahsaa's right and he glanced over to see a group of Templar Knights, headed by Sir Marcus Northclaw joined the line on one flank next to the Black Knights - led by Sir Anthony Drakenfist. The mage couldn't see the Greys or the Griffons from where he was, but he knew that they were somewhere on the left flank.
"I don't think I've ever fought in such a massive army before." Rowan mused, drawing his sword for her off hand and pulling out the Huntsmasters axe fromn the loop on her belt. Lahsaa couldn't help but pick out the magical aura that sorrounded it, and his eyes were subsequently drawn to other magical glows on the field around them. Arya's shield, Ragnar's armour, Skade's dagger, Alfiie's staff and the pair of rings that he himself wore.
"Me either and I still think we're outnumbered by at least three to one." Lahsaa replied.
"Pah! Three to one! Most Llamninusians could take those odds as babes!" Fith joned the group as they talked, He too had joined with the rest of the Einherjar in putting on the black handprint on their face as well as the being covered in blue woad. "This is just a warm up for most northmen. I don't know why you southmen worry so much."
The group - almost collectively - rolled their eyes at Fith as horns sounded long and loud across their own lines.
"Ithronians! Llaminusians! Men and women of Lirron and Sortho!" Ragnar's voice boomed across the battlefield, as he raised his sword, around which magic swirled powerfully. "It's time! Gather together! Let us show them what we're made of!"
A roar went up from the defenders as the foulspawn started forward, breaking quickly into a run as the shield wall of the army under Ragnar's command locked in tight.
"Lahsaa, I'm off with the scouts." Rowan said, touching the mages arm as a small group broke away into the trees to the east to meet the goblin skirmishers that had similarly broken away.
"Stay safe." he urged, following it up with a mutter of words of power.
"I'll be fine." she nodded in reply as the magical aura quickly faded around her. "I have Crowa with me." with that, she was lost to the crowds.
Lahsaa smiled, touching Ragnar's arm. "You got your little magic trick ready Lahsaa now you've finished flirting with the Huntsmaster?" the Llaminusian asked with a grin. Lahsaa shook his head and pushed forward, standing in front of the line and raising both hands to cup in front of him and closing his eyes, muttering rapidly. The foulspwn horde roared louder and grew ever closer.
"Do it now Lahsaa! Unless you plan on taking them on from the front line!" Hati barked, standing just behind his brother with a spear in hand.
The mages eyes opened suddenly, ablaze with magical energy as the rings shone brightly, ripping his fingertips through the air to each side. Magic exploded amongst the foulspawn rangs as bodies flew everywhere. Lahsaa staggered backwards, absorbed by the lines as the battle for Middale against the orcish horde errupted in front of him.
"Praise be to Kharach! Hail to the Seven!" the defenders battlecry boomed around him.
Friday, March 23, 2012
The Path Leads Ever Onwards...
Before todays entry I HAVE to share this amazing bit of 3d Art done by Space Wolf - a fellow FnH'er who has been giving me awesome feedback every day. She has immortalised my main five in 3d absolutely beautifully.
-Gift- For Phyrehawk by ~space-wolf on deviantART
I love it to bits! Especially Gregory and Grundown (but I have a massive soft spot for Dwarves anyway.) SpaceWolf also does a lot of other AWESOME similar 3d art which you should check out while you're over there - or she has a blog at Wolfish Written where she catalogues her own forays into the world of the creative.
On with todays part!
=====
Gregory spoke first. "How can we help Brother Minchin?" Aylix leaned forward across the table, obviously interested as well as Robin, while the three other men drew back slightly.
"Please, Bill." the Traldan said with a smile.
"You might have guessed by now that the Kryganites could never have gotten in just by besieging the city, even outnumbering the local forces as they did, it should have taken them a lot longer to get in."
"You suspect they had help?" Aylix offered, suspecting he knew the answer already.
Bill nodded. "For months now we've been trying to root out followers of the Ladies dark brother. We know they're in the city, time and time again they've been seen, or evidence of their work has shown us they're around. Each time the Seraklanites having made it away - sometimes by mere minutes.... but earlier today we managed to capture one. We managed to get a bit of information out of him, but not a great deal..."
Gregory frowned. "... You're not asking what I think you're asking are you?"
Bill looked down at his hands, avoiding their eyes. "All I'm asking is that you question him. See if you can get more answers out of him than we're managing to."
"Don't jump to the worst possible way of doing it, Gregory." Aylix said calmly, standing expectantly."If you don't want to come in, you don't have to, but I'd at least like to see if I know the scum sucker who has let the enemy into our home."
Gregory chewed the inside of his cheek for a second before standing himself. "Okay. Lead on Brother."
-----
Lahsaa looked steadily more and more uneasy as Leanna outlined the plan to get back to the ritual site and do the ritual that she had on the scroll.
"What is the ritual?" he asked as she started to explain that he would have to keep a look out while she did the ritual.
An apologetic look flashed over her face. "I'm sorry - I... I can't tell you. It's a mages guild secret... I'd probably get in trouble just having the thing, I don't want to get you in trouble with the guild as well..."
Lahsaa opened his mouth to argue, but Leanna interrupted him. "Look... I know I'm asking a lot of you and I am so grateful of you even listening to me, never mind offering to actually try and and help me with it but... More than any other part - I need you to trust me on this." she reach out and took one of his hands in hers. "Please."
It took him half a minute to answer, but his other hand met hers across the table, and he nodded to her. "Okay..." he said hesitantly.
"Thanks Nicola, I'll bare that in mind." Tobias returned suddenly, and Lahsaa jerked his hands away from Leanna's as if they had been burned. "Good news Miss Leanna, I've managed to get you a room and board sorted for the next few nights while everything picks up. Hopefully we won't need more than that, but you know how slow adventurers can be at times." he clapped his son hard on the shoulder. "Go and help your mother with the bags, she knows where our lodgings are."
Lahsaa hesitated for a second, meeting Leanna's eyes apologetically.
"Get to it lad!"
Lahsaa hurried away without a backward glance and Tobias shook his head as he watched him go. "One day he'll do something useful with himself. He wasn't doing anything to upset you or embarrass himself was he?" he glanced at Leanna before looking back at Lahsaa's retreating back.
"Oh, no sir. He's been most helpful." a grin played on her lips. "Wonderfully useful in face."
----
Grundown reluctantly sheathed his weapons as the Longstorian closed the gap between the tree line and the pair. "Not my fault the bloody forest seems designed to impede any kind of travel through it." he muttered sullenly.
Eliana shook her head, exasperated, and bent with difficulty to retrieve her crutch.
"You are injured." Aston stated, prompting Grundown to roll his eyes, muttering something about observant dogs.
Eliana glared at the dwarf, before nodding. "Yes... I think I may need it looking at by a Vleyborian. The Kryganites they were using these blades with serrated edges - it felt like my leg was being torn off rather than just cut."
"We can do nothing for it I'm afraid, but we can show you a way out of the woods. Any enemy of the Kryganites is a friend of ours."
"You are most kind, and have OUR..." Eliana emphasised the word, glaring at Grundown again, "... deepest gratitude. We need to get back to the town and warn our friends as soon as possible."
Aston nodded, picking a direction seemingly at random started to lead the pair out. "The Kryganites were quiet for months before today, it seems they have been martialing their strength in preparation. Not even we dared get in their way as they spread their filth and corruption through our wood. They will be stopped... and their corpses shall feed new life in the forest."
"Do you know of anything of the rituals they're doing in the woods, lad?" Grundown called to their guide.
Aston shook his head. "We know not, but we will not stand idly by and do nothing while it happens. We shall scout the woods and find their purpose."
"If there is anything we can do to help." Eliana insisted. "We have no desire to see the forest fall to corruption either."
Aston stopped suddenly and turned to the pair. "I shall send word to you when we know. For now..." he stepped to the side as they caught up with him to reveal still more refugees pouring into the camps surrounding Netherthong. "The human town of Netherthong." his voice seemingly came from the trees themselves, and when the pair looked he was gone.
"Now... to find the gold flecks in the sand..." Grundown sighed as they joined the line of refugees, hearts sinking at the prospect of finding their two friends in the hundreds present.
----
"So in addition to everything else we have to deal with... we might have a Vampire on the loose as well?" Addy said some time later when she and Crow had found a slightly more deserted place to sit. Addy had broken out a bottle of mead and the two of them passed it back and forth slowly.
Crow shook his head. "I thought the Vampires that had taken him had been destroyed but..." he frowned. "If one of them escaped, I only have at most a couple of days to find his crypt before he rises and wreaks havoc here."
"So... how do we go about tracking a Vampire?"
Something finally clicked in Crow's mind. "Wait... we?"
"Tralda you're slow. I'm not going to let you do this alone, am I?" Addy sighed. "You're going to need all the luck you can get, and who else would you want with you for that, eh?" she winked at him, taking a long slug of the bottle.
"But... it'll be dangerous! Have you ever fought a Vampire before?" he took a drink, smaller than hers before passing the bottle back.
She shrugged. "I'd never dismissed a wraith before today. I'm a fast learner." more of the mead disappeared. "Besides, I'll have you looking out for me." she winked, "And what if it has backup?"
Crow looked like he was going to argue and Addy sighed, moving quickly to place one of her slender fingers against his lips. "Listen, mister, I'm old enough to make decisions for myself. These are my family, friends and neighbours too and if I can help protect them, I want to do it Gods damn it. Now just shut up and kiss me."
Crow's eyes widened, unable to look anywhere but hers. "Wha-what?"
"I said kiss me, so I can stop talking and so my mind doesn't come to its senses about going to hunt a Vampire." she urged, her hand going to the back of his head and pulling it forward to kiss him, hard.
Everything was silent for several minutes, apart from tiny gasps of breath and lips smacking before a shout went up for Addy from across the field. "Of all the timings..." Addy groaned, pulling away from Crow, sitting up from where they had ended up lying in the grass. "I've got to go before the doctor comes looking for me." she kissed him again quickly. "Come and find me tomorrow handsome."
She stood and fled in the direction of the camp that had been set up for the wounded, leaving Crow lying in the grass staring up at the stars, confused but - despite everything - a wide smile on his face.
-Gift- For Phyrehawk by ~space-wolf on deviantART
I love it to bits! Especially Gregory and Grundown (but I have a massive soft spot for Dwarves anyway.) SpaceWolf also does a lot of other AWESOME similar 3d art which you should check out while you're over there - or she has a blog at Wolfish Written where she catalogues her own forays into the world of the creative.
On with todays part!
=====
Gregory spoke first. "How can we help Brother Minchin?" Aylix leaned forward across the table, obviously interested as well as Robin, while the three other men drew back slightly.
"Please, Bill." the Traldan said with a smile.
"You might have guessed by now that the Kryganites could never have gotten in just by besieging the city, even outnumbering the local forces as they did, it should have taken them a lot longer to get in."
"You suspect they had help?" Aylix offered, suspecting he knew the answer already.
Bill nodded. "For months now we've been trying to root out followers of the Ladies dark brother. We know they're in the city, time and time again they've been seen, or evidence of their work has shown us they're around. Each time the Seraklanites having made it away - sometimes by mere minutes.... but earlier today we managed to capture one. We managed to get a bit of information out of him, but not a great deal..."
Gregory frowned. "... You're not asking what I think you're asking are you?"
Bill looked down at his hands, avoiding their eyes. "All I'm asking is that you question him. See if you can get more answers out of him than we're managing to."
"Don't jump to the worst possible way of doing it, Gregory." Aylix said calmly, standing expectantly."If you don't want to come in, you don't have to, but I'd at least like to see if I know the scum sucker who has let the enemy into our home."
Gregory chewed the inside of his cheek for a second before standing himself. "Okay. Lead on Brother."
-----
Lahsaa looked steadily more and more uneasy as Leanna outlined the plan to get back to the ritual site and do the ritual that she had on the scroll.
"What is the ritual?" he asked as she started to explain that he would have to keep a look out while she did the ritual.
An apologetic look flashed over her face. "I'm sorry - I... I can't tell you. It's a mages guild secret... I'd probably get in trouble just having the thing, I don't want to get you in trouble with the guild as well..."
Lahsaa opened his mouth to argue, but Leanna interrupted him. "Look... I know I'm asking a lot of you and I am so grateful of you even listening to me, never mind offering to actually try and and help me with it but... More than any other part - I need you to trust me on this." she reach out and took one of his hands in hers. "Please."
It took him half a minute to answer, but his other hand met hers across the table, and he nodded to her. "Okay..." he said hesitantly.
"Thanks Nicola, I'll bare that in mind." Tobias returned suddenly, and Lahsaa jerked his hands away from Leanna's as if they had been burned. "Good news Miss Leanna, I've managed to get you a room and board sorted for the next few nights while everything picks up. Hopefully we won't need more than that, but you know how slow adventurers can be at times." he clapped his son hard on the shoulder. "Go and help your mother with the bags, she knows where our lodgings are."
Lahsaa hesitated for a second, meeting Leanna's eyes apologetically.
"Get to it lad!"
Lahsaa hurried away without a backward glance and Tobias shook his head as he watched him go. "One day he'll do something useful with himself. He wasn't doing anything to upset you or embarrass himself was he?" he glanced at Leanna before looking back at Lahsaa's retreating back.
"Oh, no sir. He's been most helpful." a grin played on her lips. "Wonderfully useful in face."
----
Grundown reluctantly sheathed his weapons as the Longstorian closed the gap between the tree line and the pair. "Not my fault the bloody forest seems designed to impede any kind of travel through it." he muttered sullenly.
Eliana shook her head, exasperated, and bent with difficulty to retrieve her crutch.
"You are injured." Aston stated, prompting Grundown to roll his eyes, muttering something about observant dogs.
Eliana glared at the dwarf, before nodding. "Yes... I think I may need it looking at by a Vleyborian. The Kryganites they were using these blades with serrated edges - it felt like my leg was being torn off rather than just cut."
"We can do nothing for it I'm afraid, but we can show you a way out of the woods. Any enemy of the Kryganites is a friend of ours."
"You are most kind, and have OUR..." Eliana emphasised the word, glaring at Grundown again, "... deepest gratitude. We need to get back to the town and warn our friends as soon as possible."
Aston nodded, picking a direction seemingly at random started to lead the pair out. "The Kryganites were quiet for months before today, it seems they have been martialing their strength in preparation. Not even we dared get in their way as they spread their filth and corruption through our wood. They will be stopped... and their corpses shall feed new life in the forest."
"Do you know of anything of the rituals they're doing in the woods, lad?" Grundown called to their guide.
Aston shook his head. "We know not, but we will not stand idly by and do nothing while it happens. We shall scout the woods and find their purpose."
"If there is anything we can do to help." Eliana insisted. "We have no desire to see the forest fall to corruption either."
Aston stopped suddenly and turned to the pair. "I shall send word to you when we know. For now..." he stepped to the side as they caught up with him to reveal still more refugees pouring into the camps surrounding Netherthong. "The human town of Netherthong." his voice seemingly came from the trees themselves, and when the pair looked he was gone.
"Now... to find the gold flecks in the sand..." Grundown sighed as they joined the line of refugees, hearts sinking at the prospect of finding their two friends in the hundreds present.
----
"So in addition to everything else we have to deal with... we might have a Vampire on the loose as well?" Addy said some time later when she and Crow had found a slightly more deserted place to sit. Addy had broken out a bottle of mead and the two of them passed it back and forth slowly.
Crow shook his head. "I thought the Vampires that had taken him had been destroyed but..." he frowned. "If one of them escaped, I only have at most a couple of days to find his crypt before he rises and wreaks havoc here."
"So... how do we go about tracking a Vampire?"
Something finally clicked in Crow's mind. "Wait... we?"
"Tralda you're slow. I'm not going to let you do this alone, am I?" Addy sighed. "You're going to need all the luck you can get, and who else would you want with you for that, eh?" she winked at him, taking a long slug of the bottle.
"But... it'll be dangerous! Have you ever fought a Vampire before?" he took a drink, smaller than hers before passing the bottle back.
She shrugged. "I'd never dismissed a wraith before today. I'm a fast learner." more of the mead disappeared. "Besides, I'll have you looking out for me." she winked, "And what if it has backup?"
Crow looked like he was going to argue and Addy sighed, moving quickly to place one of her slender fingers against his lips. "Listen, mister, I'm old enough to make decisions for myself. These are my family, friends and neighbours too and if I can help protect them, I want to do it Gods damn it. Now just shut up and kiss me."
Crow's eyes widened, unable to look anywhere but hers. "Wha-what?"
"I said kiss me, so I can stop talking and so my mind doesn't come to its senses about going to hunt a Vampire." she urged, her hand going to the back of his head and pulling it forward to kiss him, hard.
Everything was silent for several minutes, apart from tiny gasps of breath and lips smacking before a shout went up for Addy from across the field. "Of all the timings..." Addy groaned, pulling away from Crow, sitting up from where they had ended up lying in the grass. "I've got to go before the doctor comes looking for me." she kissed him again quickly. "Come and find me tomorrow handsome."
She stood and fled in the direction of the camp that had been set up for the wounded, leaving Crow lying in the grass staring up at the stars, confused but - despite everything - a wide smile on his face.
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