The group of hunters carefully made their way through the trees, led by Kaiser, who had rejoined them at the forest's edge. He knew where the trees were thinnest, so he led the group into those parts and followed the narrow paths created by the formation of trees. He led the group for a long while, as he had learned about the attack from Landin and had investigated the area where it took place to gain some knowledge of what he was tracking, but found difficulty in tracking any beast, let alone one that could have attacked the town, and he frequently had to endure the source of that difficulty.
"Do you even know what attacked those men?" One of the hunters, a young woman with long dark hair in leather armor carrying a bow and arrows on her back and a pair of daggers on her belt, asked the question. She had been pestering Kaiser for some time, asking about where they were going or what he was doing without end, and she had pushed her way in front of the other hunters to ask him directly. Kaiser sighed and replied "Yes, now be quiet. I'm concentrating." He knew the moment he saw the scratches on the abandoned wagon what had attacked and killed the guards. The marks were from a forest worg, and the number of paw prints in the ground suggested that a pack of them were involved.
Kaiser would have followed the tracks, but his companions were mostly too bulky and heavily armed to fit through where the worgs entered the forest, and a certain someone was constantly preventing him from finding the tracks again with her seemingly endless assault of questions despite his repeated replies of 'be quiet'.
"So, what is it, then?" The woman asked. "It's a monster that eats nosy people like you," Kaiser replied. "Now, for the hundredth time, shut up!" The woman fell silent for a time, and Kaiser breathed a sigh of relief, but then she asked "Is there some kind of secret technique for tracking things? I always wanted to learn how to track." Kaiser groaned in frustration when he suddenly spotted something through the trees in front of him. He silently crept up to the closest tree and peered around it.
"Seems we've found our culprit, or one of them at least," he whispered to the woman behind him. She opened her mouth to speak, but Kaiser's hand covered it before she could say anything. "Once again, for our sake, be silent," he whispered, and the woman, finally listening to him, nodded. He turned back to the worg he spotted. Its light brown fur was stained red in several spots, especially around its jaws. It was lying on the ground roughly fifty feet away from where he stood. "Something isn't right," he whispered. The woman looked at him questioningly, her mouth still covered by his hand. He looked back and said "There were more than one."
Suddenly, a strange sound broke the silence. Kaiser furrowed his brow as it softly filled the air around him. It was the sound of someone singing a wordless tune, a soft, pleasant melody that seemed to resonate with him. He found himself strangely attracted to it, and he noticed that the worg was likewise affected. It stood, and several other worgs emerged from the nearby trees. As the song continued, the worgs started walking toward the source, deeper into the forest.
Kaiser paused a moment to shake off the effects of the song and looked back at the group behind him. The other hunters were a short distance away, close enough to hear him speak. "The worgs responsible for the attack are nearby, and they're heading deeper into the forest," he declared. The other hunters nodded and drew their weapons, ready to attack and slay the beasts. Kaiser looked to the woman beside him, who also nodded, her expression suddenly serious. "Let's move," he ordered, and the group followed after the worgs as they headed toward a certain clearing.
With a final heave, Emerin pushed the hydra's remains out of the clearing. His strength spell allowed him to push it away, though he still had to struggle significantly, and had to stretch his sore back after he finished. He looked back at Ronan, who had already started singing a softer song, and shook his head. "I don't think I can survive another day as his partner," he muttered to himself. "Still, as long as the money's good, I guess."
After a moment, Ronan stopped singing and said "They're here." Emerin readied his sword and began casting another spell. "They're all here," Ronan continued, a disappointed look on his face. "If only my partner wasn't so slow!" He spoke the last part loudly enough so that Emerin could hear him. It nearly broke his concentration, but he continued regardless, his mouth silently chanting the correct phrase. When he finished, his sword began to hum softly from the new enchantment placed upon it. "My voice picked up a few more than I would have wished," Ronan said as he turned to Emerin. "But we can deal with them as well. No need to share the reward with dead men." "I don't think we should kill anyone," Emerin replied. Ronan shook his head and asked "You would rather get something small than something big?" "I would not kill anyone for anything, even if we had to share the reward," Emerin countered.
A thought suddenly crossed Ronan's mind, and he asked "What if they attacked you first?" "Well, then I'd have to defend myself," Emerin replied, and he looked at Ronan with suspicion as he asked "Why would they attack us though?" Ronan shrugged and replied "I don't know, maybe for the same reason I would attack them." He smirked at Emerin once again and turned away from him, and started to sing once more.
Emerin listened as the song, a discordant and offbeat melody, filled the air around them, and though he didn't feel very different himself, he could sense that something in that song was off. It was much less harmonic than the others, though he couldn't help but feel that that was intended. Suddenly, the sounds of growling reached his ears, followed by cries of rage that sounded like human voices screaming. He looked again at Ronan, who stopped singing and turned to him, an arrogant smile on his face. "Problem solved," Ronan said, and his smile grew wider as Emerin stared at him, confused.
Kaiser swung his halberd in a low horizontal arc, slicing his opponent cleanly in half at the waist. The hunter's remains fell to the ground hard, weighed down by the heavy armor encasing it, but soon another hunter stepped in to take his place, swinging a morning star at Kaiser's head. Kaiser reacted quickly and ducked away from the swing, then backed off and thrust his halberd at his attacker, Impaling the hunter where he stood. As he wrenched the blade free, Kaiser heard the twang of a bow, and the next hunter fell, an arrow lodged inside of his right eye.
Kaiser and the young woman who was tagging along had no idea what was going on. So many things happened so quickly. As they followed the worgs deeper into the forest, they heard a strange yet soothing song. The song stopped after a time, and the worgs seemed to snap out of whatever trance held them, though they continued trying to find the source of the song. Soon after, a different song started to fill the air, a very harsh and distorted melody that felt more than a little wrong. Kaiser didn't know what the song could do, but the sudden irritation he felt set off an alarm in his head. He dove to the side, grabbing his partner as he went, and the feeling quickly passed, but when he stood back up he noticed the other hunters acting strangely. When they started shrieking madly and running in every direction, he knew he made the right call in diving aside.
Though some of the hunters ran off into the woods, most of them charged toward the nearest living thing they could find, which for most was each other. As the hunters wildly tore into each other, some of them split from the main group and attacked Kaiser and the young woman beside him. Kaiser took them head-on, his halberd moving quickly to intercept and slaughter them before they reached his partner. The woman stood back and fired her bow into the crowd, determined to keep the line of enemies from growing any larger.
Kaiser swung again, this time sending a female hunter's head flying back into the mob. He brought his halberd down and cleaved through another man, splitting him in half. An arrow flew over his shoulder and embedded itself in another man's throat. "Another one for me!" the young woman shouted, though Kaiser didn't share her enthusiasm. Killing other people was not something he took satisfaction in, regardless of the circumstances. Still, he would kill anyone who tried to kill him, especially if someone else's life was on the line.
The young woman fired again, but her target ducked aside and avoided the arrow. "Argh, hold still!" she shouted as she fitted another arrow onto the string. Kaiser swung low and took the hunter's legs out from under him, sending the now legless man to the ground. He looked over the thinning mob and saw Landin and two guards fighting other hunters on the other side. Landin followed behind the hunters to cover the rear, and he appeared to have avoided the effects of the song. He and his men covered each other during the fight, making it clear to Kaiser that their training was paying off.
Landin thrust his spear through an attacking hunter while his men protected his flanks, their swords moving to parry and counter their opponents' attacks. The guard on Landin's left sidestepped, and Landin's spear thrust through the opening and pierced the hunter who was attempting to kill him. The other guard shifted his position to keep Landin's flank covered, blocking an incoming sword with his own. Landin countered with a hard jab that skewered the hunter.
In a few moments, the battle was finished. Out of thirty-two men and women, only five remained. The survivors regrouped to consider the recent events and the options left to them. "What exactly happened here?" Landin asked, his spear still at the ready. "One minute, everyone was perfectly fine, and the next, complete pandemonium." "There was a sound in the wind, like a man singing," Kaiser replied. It seemed to me that the sound was what started this." "If that's the case," Landin said. "Then the source could still be around here somewhere." Kaiser nodded, and he turned back to where the worgs disappeared. "So, are we gonna follow those things, or what?" The young woman asked. Kaiser sighed and said "We might as well, since they were headed for the source of the song." He turned to the woman and said "You handled yourself rather well."
"Hells yeah, I did!" the woman exclaimed. "You won't find a better archer than me!" She smiled at him and said "I'm Velani. That's my name, I mean." "Kaiser," he replied. He turned to Landin and said "We should hurry. The perpetrator may not stay in one place for long." The group then proceeded to follow the tracks left behind by the worgs, keeping an eye out for signs of human activity.
Emerin stared silently into the line of trees, trying to make out any figures within. Ronan told him to watch the clearing's edge for their quarry, but something kept gnawing at him. Ronan's abilities were certainly magical, yet something kept telling him that they weren't the kind of magic that could be trusted. He looked at Ronan, who was waiting quietly in the center of the clearing. In fact, it was the quietest he had ever seen him.
Ronan noticed Emerin staring and smiled back at him. He started walking toward him, asking "No sign yet?" Emerin shook his head and replied "I don't even know what I'm looking for. Got any clues?" Ronan's smile faded, and he said "Well, the beasts we're hunting are wolflike in mindset, so probably forest worgs." "How could you tell that?" Emerin asked. "Call it a sixth sense," Ronan replied, a smirk suddenly forming on his face. Emerin looked at him and frowned, then asked "How can I trust you when you do nothing but dodge questions and give orders?" "Do you trust me?" Ronan countered. Emerin sighed and said "Fine, don't answer me. We'll see how long this partnership lasts." Ronan sighed, and his face took on a serious expression. Finally, he said "It may not make much sense to you. Just saying."
Emerin waited patiently for Ronan to begin to say something else, but a sudden sound caught both of their attentions, and they turned to see a pack of worgs come out of the woods. Their brown fur stained with blood, they snarled at the two men as they crept toward them. There were eight worgs in total, and as they approached they fanned out to the sides and surrounded Emerin and Ronan. "Looks like we'll have to continue this conversation another time," Ronan said. Emerin nodded and said "You might not get a chance to use your fancy songs this time." Ronan shrugged and stretched his legs, his expression turning serious. "I don't just get by on singing alone, you know," he replied. Suddenly, in a burst of movement, Ronan sprinted toward the worgs ahead of him. The worgs charged, and Emerin moved to intercept the ones on his side. He had very nearly forgotten to block the first attack, however, when he caught a brief glimpse of Ronan.
The storyteller flew at the nearest worg and kicked out at it, his boot delivering a hard impact upon its face. The worg slid backwards while three others charged in, and Ronan laughed as he broke into a strange dance, his feet moving rapidly and turning in all directions. The nearest worg lunged, and met a spinning kick that slammed Ronan's boot heel into the beast's neck. A cracking noise sounded as the worg was sent flying to the side, but Ronan could not revel in the kill, as the other two were upon him. He jumped, avoiding the third worg's leap, and he turned in midair and sent his feet back into the dance as he landed, managing to kick the fourth worg in the jaw shortly afterwards. The beast yelped as it skidded to a halt, while its remaining partner lunged at Ronan yet again. This time, Ronan met the lunge with a swift roundhouse kick that slammed into the beast's side, and it fell away from him and landed with a heavy thud on the ground.
In his own battle, Emerin slashed his sword across the nearest worg's face, cutting through its eyes as it lunged at him, and it yelped as Emerin sidestepped, crashing into the ground where he used to be. Emerin turned to see a second worg leaping at him, and he just barely avoided being bitten by ducking under its soaring body. He recovered more quickly than the worg, but the other two were already upon him. They both lunged simultaneously, and Emerin knew he couldn't escape both of them, but he also knew he wouldn't have to. He muttered a single syllable under his breath, and a tiny globe of blue light shot out from his sword's blade to hit one of the worgs squarely in the face, forcing it to land just short of its target. The other worg didn't stop, and it bit Emerin's outstretched arm, but his armor spell was still active, and it shielded the arm from any lasting damage. The worg clamped down on his arm, but Emerin's free hand spread itself into a fanlike shape in front of it, and Emerin spoke a single arcane word. Suddenly, bright red flames shot out from the hand's fingers, and the worg had to release his arm. Emerin responded by slicing off its dazed head.
The last uninjured worg started to flee, and the others tried to flee with it, but their injuries prevented them from running as quickly. Ronan jumped in front of the blinded worg and kicked it squarely in the jaw, sending it back to the center of the clearing, and Emerin finished it off with a sword to its brain.
They both turned when they heard a yelp from the trees where the worgs fled into, and a large red-haired man with three long scars and a lidless white orb where his left eye should have been stepped out to meet them. Emerin thought he looked familiar, then remembered the blacksmith he passed in Bellepoint. This man must be him, Emerin thought as he stared at the man. Instead of a smith's apron, he wore a long black coat, and instead of a hammer, he wielded a black halberd. He stood at least three heads taller than Emerin, and his scarred countenance was rather terrifying, as he glared at Emerin angrily. "Oh, shit," Ronan said when he too noticed Kaiser standing at the edge of the clearing. He, unlike Emerin, knew exactly who this man was, and he knew not to cross him. "So," Kaiser said, his deep voice seeming louder in the sudden silence. "You must be the ones responsible for the madness that infected the minds of our companions."
Emerin looked at Ronan, who started shifting his weight nervously. After a moment, he remembered the song that his companion had sung, and his gaze turned into a harsh glare. "What did you do?" he asked his companion angrily.
For some reason, my phone's autocorrect loves to change Emerin to Emeril. I noticed I hadn't caught it in one of my previous posts. The post has been edited.
For some reason, my phone's autocorrect loves to change Emerin to Emeril. I noticed I hadn't caught it in one of my previous posts. The post has been edited.
Your phone must want to "kick it up a notch," BAM!
"Nothing," Ronan said, a feigned expression of innocence on his face. "Ronan, who do you think you're trying to fool?" Emerin asked. "You did something to piss someone off again, and don't deny it." "Again?" Ronan asked. "You haven't known me that long." "I've experienced it firsthand only a few moments ago," Emerin countered. "Seriously, you have a terrible habit of causing trouble for everyone. In fact, you're probably the reason why the bear in your story even attacked those other men in the first place!" "Hey, I'm not that bad," Ronan replied. "Sure, I cause problems, but I solve them soon afterwards."
"Would the two of you please stop talking?" Kaiser asked. "I want to skip to the part of this meeting when I beat the living hells out of both of you, so I can get back to what's really important." "No one asked you for your opinion!" Emerin snapped back at him. Kaiser stood in stunned silence after that, allowing the other two to continue their conversation. "Just because you solve problems, that doesn't excuse you from being the reason they happen to begin with," Emerin said. "Sure thing, mom," Ronan retorted. "Anything else you want to lecture me about? If not, we should really focus on the matter at hand." "It's about time," Kaiser said, and he readied his weapon for battle. "I'll assume you're both finished bickering like an old married couple." Emerin sighed and readied his own weapon, silently muttering under his breath. Kaiser assumed that it was yet more complaining, but Emerin's voice became louder as he finished casting a spell. He stretched out his free hand, and a bolt of electricity jumped from his fingertips, aiming straight for Kaiser's chest. Kaiser raised his own left hand, releasing its grip on his halberd, and caught the bolt before it reached its target. He thrust his hand forward, and the bolt flew back toward Emerin, who ducked just as it flew over his head.
"You probably shouldn't try that again," Kaiser said as he gripped his halberd in both hands. Emerin stared in surprise for a moment before saying "That makes things a little difficult." He knew then that he would have to fight this enemy without relying on spells, which severely limited his options. Kaiser charged, his halberd leveled to impale Emerin. Emerin waited until he was upon him before sidestepping to the right, but Kaiser's left hand let go of his halberd once again and delivered a hard backhand to Emerin's head. The force of the blow was enough to send Emerin flying backwards into a tree, though his armor spell still protected him from any serious injuries. Even his strength spell couldn't allow him to resist the force.
Kaiser followed after him, but Ronan stepped in to meet him, lunging forward with his feet in the air. Kaiser's left hand reached out and grabbed Ronan's leading foot, and he turned and swung his arm, throwing Ronan into another tree. Ronan grunted as his body hit the tree hard, and he fell to the ground.
A sudden heat made Kaiser's skin tingle, and he turned back to see a bright ball of fire just before it impacted with his chest. The fireball exploded on impact, release enough force to throw Kaiser on the ground. Emerin stood at the edge of the clearing and started casting another spell. Kaiser staggered back up onto his feet as Emerin finished casting. His left hand caught the second fireball and he threw it back at Emerin, who smiled as it engulfed him. When the smoke cleared, leaving behind a cluster of burning trees, Emerin had disappeared.
Kaiser sensed sudden movement to his right, and turned to see Emerin thrusting his sword straight at him. He parried the incoming attack, but a hard boot slammed into the back of his head. He grunted and pushed Emerin away, then turned and swung at Ronan, who ducked under his halberd and kicked his knee. The blow wasn't strong enough to knock him down however, and he retaliated by grabbing Ronan's head with his left hand, lifting him up off of his feet, and throwing him over his shoulder to crash into Emerin, who was struggling to get back on his feet. The two men collapsed onto the ground, and Kaiser reached back to rub his head where Ronan kicked it.
"That was actually pretty impressive," he said as his opponents staggered back to their feet. "Not good enough, of course, but impressive nonetheless." "Damn," Emerin cursed as he stood up. "You're really getting into this fight, aren't you?" "Wasn't that the idea?" Kaiser asked, immediately becoming suspicious. "Not really," Emerin answered. "Not until now."
He spoke an arcane phrase, and suddenly his breathing quickened. He took a step, and then his movements became a blur as he moved with unnatural speed. He launched a rapid series of attacks, and Kaiser suddenly found himself on the defensive, barely deflecting each attack as it came. He hadn't fought an opponent this fast since the last time he had sparred with Starlen, and he had lost that match. Therefore, he knew he had to think of something before he lost this one.
Realizing the tables had turned, Ronan grinned and muttered "Way to go, Em." He stood, and soon he began to sing once more. The song, a powerful upbeat tune, filled the air, and as Emerin continued his relentless assault the tune filled his ears. He felt his tired muscles gradually return to their normal strength, then surpass it. His attacks, their power already bolstered by his strength spell, had become even more powerful. Kaiser, for his part, was capable of deflecting the attacks, but he soon felt his own arms grow tired. He had to think of something, or this fight would lead to death for him.
"Woah," Velani whispered as she watched the battle from the trees. She hadn't paid very much attention to Kaiser's movements during the fight against the hunters, but now that she was watching him closely, she saw that he was much stronger than anyone else she had ever seen. Even taking a fireball squarely in the chest did little to deter him. Still, it looked like his opponents had some tricks up their sleeves, and Kaiser suddenly found himself struggling.
"Looks like it's up to me to save the day," she declared, and she scanned the two men he was fighting. One was moving way too fast for her eyes to make out many details, but the other man was standing off to the side, singing a song that felt strange. She then realized that he was the man who had likely caused the others to go insane. "Ooh, I see," Velani said. "He's helping the other guy." She drew her bow and set an arrow on the string, then fired.
Ronan heard the arrow and ducked an instant before it was buried in his head, and his song came to a premature end. "What in the hells?!" he shouted, and he looked over and saw Velani stepping out of the trees, another arrow ready to fly. She fired, and he ducked again and ran straight for her. Seeing him charging, Velani dropped her bow and drew the daggers on her belt. Ronan leaped and kicked, but Velani rolled under him and turned to meet a spinning kick, as Ronan's dance began once more. She ducked to avoid the boot, and thrust her left dagger at his chest, but his right foot quickly jumped up and smacked it aside. He continued the motion, spinning and landing on both feet, while Velani also spun and swung her right dagger horizontally. Ronan brought up his right hand and slapped her wrist, sending her attack back to the left and forcing her to spin in the opposite direction, and his right foot came up and hit her lower back as she turned. She fell forward and rolled to the side, trying to avoid any further punishment, but Ronan didn't let her go, leaping forward as she rose from the ground and delivering a hard blow to her head with his left foot.
Velani groaned as she fell back to the ground. Ronan laughed and returned his attention to the other two men, and that was exactly what Velani wanted. She knew she couldn't beat him in a fair fight, so she feigned unconsciousness, which gave her both time to recover from his attack and an opportunity to surprise him. She suddenly rolled behind him, and Ronan had barely realized her movement before her left dagger thrust forward, aiming for his back. He ducked and rolled just as the dagger reached him, and he managed to avoid getting stabbed, though Velani managed to cut him as he rolled away.
On his end, Kaiser had found keeping up with Emerin a fair bit easier, since Ronan's song had been stopped. Emerin's movements were a blur as he swung and thrust his sword seemingly in the same motion, but Kaiser had faced this level of speed before, as Starlen and he had sparred several times, and unlike her, this opponent wasn't naturally quick, and Kaiser knew he had a chance of slipping up. He effortlessly swatted both attacks aside with his left hand and jumped back to swing his halberd. Emerin tried to duck, but in his aggressive rush he had no time to avoid the counterattack. The halberd came down on him, biting into his shoulder despite the protection of his armor spell, and he cried out in pain as his momentum stopped completely.
Kaiser didn't let him go, and he kept the blade of his halberd buried in Emerin's shoulder as he punched him in the head. Emerin's body lurched to the side, but Kaiser's halberd kept him on the ground in front of him, tearing the wound open even further. Emerin gasped from the pain, and he slumped down in defeat. Kaiser pulled his halberd free, drawing a grunt from Emerin, and looked for the other man responsible for the earlier deaths of the hunters.
Ronan recovered quickly from Velani's surprise attack and, with a series of rapid and powerful kicks to her belly and head, put her back on the ground, truly unconscious at that point. He sighed and looked back at Emerin, only to find his companion lying on the ground as well, and Kaiser making his way toward him. With a resigned sigh, Ronan threw up his hands and said "Fine, we surrender."
Starlen sighed heavily as she trudged down the main road to the pavilion. After a hard day of cleaning and fighting, she was exhausted, but she still had things to do, such as the healing lesson she was currently on her way to. She had used her uncanny speed to scrub the bloody floor, but she was still in danger of being late for her own lesson. Even so, she lacked the energy needed to proceed any faster. "The things I have to do..." she moaned, though she couldn't blame the people who had cared for her for most of her life. If anyone was to blame, it was the large man in red armor who caused trouble earlier. "Honestly, if I ever meet that guy again, I'm going to rip him to pieces," she declared as she finally reached the pavilion.
The streets were nearly empty now, as the sun had dipped below the horizon and night had fallen upon the town. Kaiser still hadn't returned from his journey into the forest, and Starlen had started to worry about him. He wasn't usually so late to return, since he had never left her alone for more than a few hours, but while some might consider that stifling, Starlen felt no such discomfort at her brother's presence. If anything, she relied on it, since Kaiser had been her dearest friend since before her earliest memory. She worried for his safety, as well as her own.
She entered the pavilion quietly, since she did not wish to disturb the patients. The healer, Agatha, was busily seeing to the needs of a young man with blond hair lying on a bed on the far side of the tent. She was sitting in a chair by the side of the bed, looking studiously at the patient. Another chair was sitting empty beside her. Starlen approached the chair and said quietly "Sorry I'm late. I had more work than usual at the inn." Agatha, a woman who had only just begun to show signs of old age despite being a fair bit older than she looked, turned her head toward Starlen and replied "It's no trouble, dear. I know how hard you need to work every day. Truly, you do far more for this town than most of the youths who were born here." She smiled tenderly at Starlen, who smiled back and sat down in the empty chair.
"We shall begin with this patient," Agatha said, nodding her head toward the young man on the bed. "Tell me, Starlen, do you see anything wrong with this boy?" Starlen turned her attention toward the patient and, after scanning his body for signs of injury, shook her head. "I don't see anything wrong with him," she answered. "Exactly," Agatha replied. "This is a most unusual case. There are no signs of injury anywhere on him, and yet he refuses to awaken." "Maybe he's just really lazy?" Starlen asked jokingly, but Agatha shook her head. "I've made many attempts to wake him, but none of them have worked," she replied. "I even slipped some of my homemade spicy soup into his mouth, but he still didn't do anything."
Starlen's eyes widened. How could anyone endure her teacher's cooking, especially the spicy soup? She looked back at the patient and studied him further, certain that she must have missed something, but despite her best efforts she found nothing. "This is so strange," she muttered. "Unless the injury is internal." The realization escaped her lips before she even gave it much thought, but she reacted immediately, placing her hands on the young man's chest. Pulling energy from somewhere inside of her, she sent a soft pulse of warmth into the patient, and carefully tuned her senses so that she could feel through the pulse and hopefully find a source of injury inside of him. What she found was not what she expected, however.
"He's not hurt at all," she said slowly, though she sent another pulse into him just to be sure. "At least, not physically." "What do you mean?" her teacher asked, obviously curious. "I've done some practicing on my own," Starlen admitted. "I had come up with a method for searching inside someone for any damage that can't be seen from the outside." Agatha's eyes widened in surprise when she heard that statement. "That's very impressive," she said. "But how did you practice?" Starlen looked back at her and said "I tried it on myself. I know it was a potential risk, but I had an idea that I thought could help." "Well, if you're certain that it's safe for both you and the patient, then I can trust you," Agatha replied.
Starlen nodded thankfully, then returned her attention to the patient. "His body if perfectly fine, but his mind is..." She trailed off for a moment, her face scrunching up in confusion. She looked at Agatha and said "He's a little odd." "What?" Agatha asked, her voice betraying a her utter confusion. Starlen looked just as confused as she said "He seems to be talking to me in his head, but I can't explain how he even knows I'm in his head." "What is he saying?" Agatha asked, completely lost at this point. "He's telling me that he's busy fighting evil right now," Starlen replied, shaking her head. "He says that he can't wake up yet. He says that it's urgent, and he must not be disturbed. He also says 'Thanks for the soup. It was delicious'."
Suddenly a loud noise broke the silence, and the two women jumped in alarm. Starlen looked around frantically, but the source of the noise was outside. She then heard the cries of several guards. "To arms, to arms!" they shouted throughout the town. "Monsters are attacking the town!" Starlen's eyes widened, and she stood up quickly and rushed for the tent's entrance. She stopped for a brief moment, however, and looked back at the patient. Her thoughts were still connected to his, if only for an instant, and she suddenly felt a strong sensation of boiling rage inside of him. She didn't have much time to contemplate this, however, so she turned and exited the pavilion, making her way to the inn where her sword was resting.
"Velani," Kaiser called out to the unconscious young woman as he knelt beside her. He waited for a response, but there was none. Landin, who had just joined them in the clearing after he and his men had fallen behind in the thick forest, was busily wrapping bandages around the wounded Emerin's shoulder while his men watched over the bound Ronan. He made no attempts at resistance, since he didn't believe he stood a chance of escaping, but he was also worried about his companion. In the small amount of time in which they had known each other, Ronan had actually grown rather fond of his easily frustrated partner.
Kaiser sighed when Velani refused to wake up, then grabbed her shoulders and started to shake her. "Velani!" he cried out again. Velani moaned weakly and opened her eyes. "Owww," she said. "Stop shaking my head. It hurts." Kaiser did as she said and lifted her head up as she regained her senses. She looked at him and said "Your bedside manners suck." He dropped her head, and Velani grunted as her head hit the ground. "You're welcome," Kaiser said sarcastically. He stood and looked back to the others. "We should be ready to return now," he reported. Landin had also finished bandaging Emerin, and he pulled the wounded man up so that he could walk. He nodded to his men and said "Let's head home. We're done here."
As the group made their way back to Bellepoint, Kaiser walked over to Emerin and said "Your wound is severe. We'll make sure it gets healed at the pavilion." "You're too kind," Emerin replied sarcastically. "You're lucky you still have an arm," Kaiser said. "I'm guessing one of your magic tricks was involved." "It wasn't good enough anyway," Emerin said. "And it's gone now. It lost its power while we were waiting for your friend to wake up." "Did you really think you could get away with something like what you and your friend pulled?" Kaiser asked. "I didn't even know what he was doing at the time," Emerin answered. "He told me he had a plan to get the reward, and I went along with him." Kaiser nodded slowly, as he began to understand. "I'll see if Landin can ease up on the charges," he stated. "After all, you did most of the work for us." "And if he doesn't?" Emerin asked. "Then I can't help you," Kaiser replied.
They walked on in silence for a long while. None of them, not even Velani, were in the mood for conversation. The journey had proven to be somewhat more eventful than they had wished. Kaiser sighed in resignation, knowing that he would have to pass up an opportunity to search for his father.
Suddenly, a loud sound filled the air, the sound of a fearsome roar, and it was coming from the direction of the town. The entire group stopped after hearing the sound, and Kaiser's expression turned sour. "The town is in danger!" Landin exclaimed. The group wasted no time in hurrying through the remaining trees, but as they left the forest, they came upon a terrible sight. Monstrous creatures that none of them had ever seen before we're assaulting the town, and they had already forced their way past the east gate. "Well," Ronan said. "Looks like we've got a bigger problem on our hands." He looked at Landin and said "If you agree to let my friend and I go, then we wouldn't mind helping your precious town."
Landin looked back at him, concern clearly etched on his face, and replied "Very well, release them." His men hurriedly untied Ronan and Emerin, and Ronan smirked at his partner yet again. Emerin's eyes widened in surprise when he realized that Ronan had just saved them both. "No more wasting time!" Kaiser yelled. "Let's go!"
Woah that's a lot of action there! Your combat descriptions are excellent, of a quality one could find in published novels. Congrats! To be honest I'm always more interested in people's stories and feelings than in battles and violence, so you had me exclaim: 'Easy there! Come on don't kill them!' a few times haha. Indeed I'm really glad that you didn't kill the likes of Emerin, Ronan, and Velani. I already find them too interesting to disappear from the stage so soon...
Speaking of disappearances, I'm also still curious about the stranger that led young Kaiser to his sister when she was in peril. I liked him. Will he return? (Guess I'll have to continue reading to find out...)
The characters all have their own personalities, their stories are nicely intertwined, and your writing continues to be very visual, which I like a lot as you know.
I don't feel like playing unsollicited grammar/spelling/style police but should you be interested in the mere trifles my editor's eye spotted, they're behind the spoiler tag (for if I don't mention them now I'll forget about them).[spoiler]1:
She entered the pavilion quietly, since she did not wish to disturb the patients. The healer, Agatha, was busily seeing to the needs of a young man with blond hair lying on a bed on the far side of the tent. She was titting in a chair by the side of the bed, looking studiously at the patient.
I tried to imagine something racy was going on there, but I'm sure you simply meant 'sitting'.[/spoiler] I feel I might come across like a bit of an *sshole with such nitpicking, while my intention is the opposite. If your story had been just a playthrough or something, I wouldn't have bothered, but it's something much bigger: a novel in progress, and you're sharing it with us, which is a beautiful thing to do. Hence my desire to 'help'.
For some reason, my phone's autocorrect loves to change Emerin to Emeril. I noticed I hadn't caught it in one of my previous posts. The post has been edited.
Bonus points for doing this on a freaking phone, even if it makes me feel like a grandpa (since I really only use phones for making calls with them, and maybe to send the odd sms. Yet here we are, 2015. Not only is Baldur's Gate being played on phones, no, entire novels are being written on them...)
@Blackraven thank you for pointing those mistakes out. You're far from an *sshole for doing so. I get so caught up in the story at times that I don't catch these mistakes before I hit the 'Post Comment' button. They have been corrected.
As for the mysterious stranger, I don't really want give away anything, but I certainly haven't forgotten about him. That's all I'm willing to say at the moment.
Also, thank you for the compliment. I have taken inspiration from several fine authors, and I try to put as much detail into my descriptions as they do. The novels I have been reading since childhood have been my teachers, and I try not to 'let them down', so to speak.
As the battle at the east gate raged on, the small jail close by rumbled from the sounds of the fighting. The rumblings were so loud that the jail's two occupants couldn't help but listen as screams and the sounds of metal clashing with metal permeated the space around them. The large man had stood and was pacing anxiously along the length of the bars holding them in their cell. "Sounds like the fight's getting closer," he said to his companion, who was lying on the small straw bed in the far corner of the cell. "With any luck, the boys outside will see some sense and let us go so we can help."
The two men had been relieved of their equipment and we're now dressed in tan prisoners' clothes. Thankfully, their items had been left on a nearby table, as the guard responsible for processing them had left when the call to arms had sounded. "You know, Garm," the dark-haired man said. "You could just kick down the door." "I could," Garm replied. "But we likely won't be forgiven for it if I did." "They will if we help save their town," his partner said. Garm sighed and said "You're probably right, Jem." He looked at the door and noticed the traces of rust on its hinges. He grinned and stepped back, and with a powerful kick he caused the hinges to break, and the door toppled to the floor.
"Alright," he said. "Let's grab our stuff and kill some beasties." Jem jumped from the bed and they both started putting on their armor. Once they were fully equipped, the two men ran outside, where they met three of the monsters surrounding a young blond woman. They were humanoid in appearance, with large curved horns protruding from the crowns of their heads. Their skin was a sickly green color, and dark scales covered their forearms and necks. Small pointed fangs peered out from beneath their lips, and they wore dark chain mail that blended with their skin. Despite their grotesque appearance, and the curved swords they wielded, the young woman seemed unafraid. In fact, she seemed rather bored as she waited for them to make the first move. She was dressed in a white blouse and red skirt, and she wielded what seemed to the two men to be a small rod in her left hand.
Suddenly, the monster on her left leaped at her, but the young woman muttered an arcane phrase as it attacked. With a violent lurch, the creature stopped and turned away from her to face its friends. It jumped back at them then, its sword flashing through the air, and the closest monster could not react quickly enough. The charmed creature sliced of its head, and the other creature hissed as its companion's corpse slumped to the ground. It charged at the charmed creature, and the two monsters began fighting each other as the young woman chanted another spell. She extended her rod, and a bolt of lightning jumped out from its tip, hitting the hostile monster squarely in the chest and sending to the ground, smoke rising from its body as it died. She issued a command to the charmed monster, and it charged the nearest group of monsters while she turned to face the two men.
"Good times, huh?" she asked them as they approached her. "Not bad," Garm said. "Looks like our help will not be needed after all." The young woman's eyes widened, and she said "That was my last spell." The two men looked at each other and sighed. "Alright, stay behind us," Jem said. "It would be far safer for you than trying to run through this crowd." "You have a point," the young woman said before falling in behind them. Garm watched the nearest group of monsters as they tore apart their newly charmed adversary. He grinned and said "Let's massacre them." The two men then rushed into the group, and Garm skewered one of the creatures with his greatsword while Jem's two swords flashed across to bring down another creature. The two men worked in tandem, with Garm taking the front of the group and Jem rushing in for attacks of opportunity. Garm's sword swept across the line of monsters in front of him, plowing through four of them before its movement stopped. Jem ducked beneath the large blade and furiously slashed and jabbed at the enemies behind the fallen line, and his swords began to drip green liquid as they became drenched in the monsters' blood.
One of the creatures lunged at Jem, but Garm stopped it by slicing it in half, forcing both halves to drop short of their target. Another creature charged at Garm, but Jem circled behind it and sliced off its head. Soon, the entire group was slain, leaving Garm, Jem, and the young woman alone in the area. "You can go ahead and get to safety now," Jem told the young woman, who shook her head and said "I'm pretty sure this is the safest I'll be. Besides, I can still help. If I see an enemy, I'll yell really loudly." The two men looked back at each other. Garm then shrugged and said "Fine, you can stick with us. Your life is on your own head, though." He turned to the larger crowd fighting near the gate and said "Let's go. We've got a lot to do."
Kaiser, Emerin, and the others ran as quickly as they could toward the gate, trying to reach it before the monsters broke through the town's defenses. As they were running, Ronan caught up to Emerin and said "Okay, here's the plan. We reach the gate just like normal, and then we push our way through these things and escape to the west." Emerin scowled at him and said "You promised these people that we would stay and help, in case you've forgotten." "I haven't forgotten," Ronan replied. "I just don't think we should get involved in situations this crazy." Emerin shook his head and said "Absolutely not. We will stay and help." "Well, aren't you the heroic one," Ronan muttered under his breath as they continued on.
The group reached the gate soon afterward, and Kaiser and Emerin, along with Landin and his guards, engaged the monsters while Ronan and Velani stood behind them. Velani launched an arrow from her bow, which plunged deep into one monster's skull from behind, causing the others to turn and regard their attackers. Kaiser swung his halberd and sliced through three of the creatures, while Emerin leaped into battle with two others. As the fight progressed, Ronan started singing a powerful tune, and his allies felt their energy being renewed. Kaiser's halberd tore through the monsters vigorously, sweeping aside two or three of them with each swing, and green fluids splashed in every direction as the monsters were brutally hacked to pieces.
Emerin parried an attack from the monster on his left, then swung his sword quickly to catch its partner off-guard. The creature's scales deflected the strike when the sword impacted with its neck, but Emerin wasn't finished. He called upon his sword's innate power, and a blue ball of light escaped its blade and flew into the creature's face. The creature was stunned, but it's partner had regained its balance. It lunged at Emerin with its sword outstretched, only to fall to a well-placed arrow in its eye. Emerin smiled as he slashed his sword across the remaining monster's face, putting it down for good.
After a few more monsters had fallen to the group's efforts, there were only five remaining. The five monsters fled from the group, heading toward another large cluster of monsters. Kaiser looked at the mass of enemies and saw Starlen slicing through the beasts with superhuman speed, ducking and rolling occasionally to avoid their own clumsy attacks. Seven guards were with her, including the guard captain, and they fought the cluster from the opposite end. Kaiser wasted no time and charged forward, seeking to aid his sister in the fight. Landin and his two men approached Emerin, and Landin said "The battle is almost won. These creatures are not as strong as they appear to be."
Emerin nodded. Even after he had exhausted all of his spells, these monsters were simply outmatched by the group, mainly due to the blacksmith and his incredible strength. He watched as the last few monsters were quickly disposed of. He turned to Ronan and said "That wasn't so bad." Ronan wasn't paying attention, though, as he was busy examining one of the monsters. "These creatures aren't from around here," he said, looking up at Emerin. "Not from this world, I mean."
Emerin stared at Ronan for a moment before asking "What do you mean?" Ronan looked back down at the monster and answered "These are hellspawn. They're the lowest form of demonic entities. I recognize them from an old book I once read." He kicked the monster's corpse roughly, causing it to roll onto its back. "They don't come over to this side unless someone brings them over," he stated. "So, you're saying that these things were summoned by someone?" Velani asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. Ronan looked at her and said "It's a definite possibility, though I wouldn't rule out a more powerful demon as the reason behind their arrival."
"If these things are demons, then we have nothing to fear from demons," Landin said. Ronan shook his head and said "They're not demons. These are what become of the dead who don't swear allegiance to any god. They are twisted and tortured into blind obedience, then sent into battle as fodder to soften the ranks of their enemies." "That's some book you've read," Emerin said. Ronan smirked and said "Vharaun's Behemoth Bestiary, page twenty-seven."
The group stood for a moment to ponder the situation they had found themselves in. Kaiser returned shortly, along with Starlen and three other people. The three who had joined them were every bit as diverse as the group who went into the forest. One was a large blond man wearing a suit of red armor and carrying a greatsword strapped to his back. The other man was smaller in build and wore fine black clothes. His two short swords were still unsheathed. The third was a blond woman in a white blouse and red skirt carrying a rod in her left hand. Starlen did not look pleased as she glared at the larger man.
"What a pain in the arse this trip turned out to be," the blond woman said. "Oh well, what can I do?" She looked at each of the people standing around her and said "You guys sure can do a lot of damage. Damn." Emerin stared at her and asked "Who exactly are you?" The young woman smiled and said "I'm Miria. I came here looking for an easy way to make money. So far, my luck has been rather poor." She forced out a laugh, but stopped when she noticed no one else was laughing. "Right," the shorter man said. "Well, if introductions are to be in order, then who am I to be so impolite as to refuse?" He dipped into a low bow and said "Jemeniah Tyrdane, at your service. This is my friend and colleague, Garm." "You can just call him Jem," Garm said. "He's a bit long-winded, but he's good at what he does."
After the others had made their introductions, with Starlen still eyeing Garm suspiciously, Landin approached them and said "You have our thanks, brave warriors. Without you, many more could have perished." "I don't suppose a reward is in order?" Ronan asked hopefully. Landin frowned, and Kaiser said "You're lucky you're not being thrown in jail. What you've done in the forest was unforgivable." Ronan rolled his eyes and sighed. "Hey, I helped you out, alright?" he said. "I guess freedom will do for a reward."
Emerin turned to Ronan and asked "What else did you expect? I mean, I've gotten over it, but only because you helped us out." He looked at Starlen and asked "What's the deal with you?" Starlen looked away from Garm, though she glanced back at him occasionally, and asked "What do you mean?" Emerin gestured toward Garm, and Starlen said "Oh, him. He kinda destroyed part of the inn, and guess who had to clean it up." "You attacked me, lady," Garm replied, but he nearly shied away from Starlen when her glare returned tenfold. "You're the ones who chose to make a scene in the first place!" she yelled, and Emerin and the others stood there while she continued to berate him. Finally, Kaiser sighed and said "That's enough bickering, you two." Starlen turned her gaze toward Kaiser, who nodded. She sighed and turned back to Emerin. "Thank you for your help," she said. Emerin shrugged and replied "I was honor-bound to help." He looked over at Ronan and said "We both were."
Suddenly, the group's discussion was interrupted by a loud roar coming from the forest. They turned to see a large horned beast charging from the trees straight for the town. "What in the hells?" Ronan asked. "You've gotta be kidding me," Emerin said. They readied themselves for yet another fight, but were surprised to hear a loud human scream coming from behind them. They turned and saw a young blond man wearing a suit of leather armor running toward them as quickly as he could, screaming furiously and carrying a large warhammer over his head with both hands. They stared as he ran past them, shouting "FEEL THE RIGHTEOUS FURY OF MY HAMMER OF JUSTICE, SPAWN OF EVIL!"
"Should we help him, or something?" Miria asked the group, but Ronan shook his head and said "Nah, let's just hang back and see what happens." "Maybe we should throw you in there and see what happens," Emerin replied. Starlen scowled at them and said "Come on, let's go." The group ran after the blond man, trying to keep up with his pace, though he ran with incredible vigor. As the beast drew near, it leaped at him, but he rolled under it and the beast missed completely. The young man returned to his feet quickly, then turned and swung his hammer. The hammer slammed hard against the monster's rear, and it slid to the side from the force of the impact. It tried to recover, but the blond man was already running toward it's head. He swung his hammer once more, bellowing a battle cry as he did so, and the hammer smacked into the beast's skull. The sound of cracking bone echoed across the small plain between the town and the forest, and the beast toppled over, dead.
As the others finally caught up to him, the young man noticed them and called out "Hail, friends! What stalwart companions have I found in the righteous quest against evil?!" Kaiser's face scrunched up, and he asked "What are you blabbering about?" The young man grinned wildly and said "I'm blabbering about the great evil that has begun to spread across the land, comrades! Even now, it threatens to plant its sinister seed in the soil of justice! Come friends, let us rejoice in the righteous victory of our kindred spirits against the creepy gardener of villainy!" "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, now," Ronan replied. Garm laughed and said "Well, he did just smash that beast's skull." Ronan sighed and said "Right, well, if you guys want to continue this little group meeting, then go right ahead. I'll be inside the inn, getting a drink or several." He walked off in the direction of the inn. Emerin watched him go before he told the others "After what I've been through recently, I should probably join him." He also left, rubbing his bandaged shoulder. The bandages had almost been soaked through, and he resolved to replace them after a few drinks.
Starlen watched him go for a moment before running after him. "Hey, let me take a look at that shoulder," she said when she caught up to him. He paused for a moment before nodding in acceptance, and Starlen started to unwrap the bandages as they went inside the inn. Kaiser sighed and said "I should get back to the smithy. It's getting late, and I promised my master that I would return before nightfall." He headed back into town, followed by Velani, who asked "So, you're the blacksmith? Do you think you could teach me some of what you do?" He looked back and replied "No." Velani let out a disappointed moan, and she departed for the inn.
Garm and Jem looked at each other and Garm said "We should probably go the inn as well." Can I come with you?" Miria asked them as they turned to depart. Garm shrugged and replied "Why not?" They left, leaving the blond man alone outside. He looked back at the monster he had just killed and grinned before following after the others.
*Sweet. Just always leave the dirty work to the street sweeper. And when i go and protest to the mayor he just ignores me. Scavengery ... mumble mumble mumble *
The following morning, Emerin awoke with a pounding headache. "Augh," he muttered. "Shouldn't have drunk so much last night..." He vaguely remembered Ronan challenging him to a drinking contest, but nothing else. After stumbling out of bed and gathering his equipment, Emerin slowly opened the door of his room at the inn and started down the hallway to the stairs. As he reached the top of the stairs, he heard a familiar voice saying "I'll have another, my good man." He shook his head groggily and moaned "Is he really still drinking?"
He walked down the stairs just as Mandon was saying "Look boy, Ye be bleeding me inn dry, and it's already morning. Yer friend went to sleep hours ago." Emerin stared at them both when he reached the bottom floor. Ronan was still sitting in the same spot that he was in when Emerin passed out, a pile of mugs to his left and another in his hand. He sighed and said "Very well, I was getting a little bored anyway." He looked over and saw Emerin, and a smirk found its way to his lips. He waved and gestured for Emerin to take a seat beside him, saying "Hey, there's the conquering hero, finally back from drowning in his own vomit. You know, Starlen was rather upset at having to clean it up."
He nodded his head toward the tables on the other side of the lobby where Starlen was busily cleaning them after what seemed to be a busy morning. Emerin walked over to her and said "I apologize for that." Starlen looked up at him, surprised, then smiled and shook her head. "It's part of my job," she told him. "But thanks. You've earned you drinks, so no harm done." "Has your brother told you what happened in the forest?" Emerin asked. Starlen nodded and said "He did." She took the opportunity to glare at Ronan, who smirked at her and took another drink of his mug. She turned back to Emerin and said "You be careful, okay? I don't trust that Ronan, and you probably shouldn't, either." "He did save my life," Emerin replied, remembering the encounter with the hydra and Ronan's last-minute intervention. Still, he wasn't going to trust Ronan. The storyteller seemed a little too willing to work with strangers, not to mention that he was the one who led Emerin into danger to begin with, and he obviously didn't care about the lives of the hunters who were killed as a result of his actions.
Just then, the door flew open, and the young blond man who had helped the group the night before barged in. He grinned when he saw Emerin and strode toward him before saying "Greetings again, comrade! I have come bearing a most urgent message for the righteous heroes and heroines who saved this pure light of justice from the sinister groping hands of evil." He looked at Starlen as if to include her as a recipient of his message. "We are to meet captain Varnam at the town square. He has a request to make of us all."
Emerin's eyes widened as he heard the message. He hadn't been a mercenary for very long, and yet the captain of the guard was asking for him personally. He looked at Starlen, who was equally surprised at hearing the news. Ronan, on the other hand, simply sighed and stood up from his seat at the bar and said "It's about time we were recognized for our efforts, right Em?"
Emerin frowned and asked "Ronan, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" Ronan let out a small chuckle, then addressed the blond man. "Hey, what kind of messenger are you?" he asked. "Leaving out the story's hero like that. You know I'm the important one, right?" The blond man delivered a new message to Ronan, in the form of an angry scowl, and said "Be silent, villain, lest you be crushed under the glorious weight of my hammer of justice!" He then turned back to Emerin and Starlen and said "Come, my friends! We must hurry to the captain's side as soon as we can!"
Emerin stifled a laugh at Ronan's expense, then turned to Starlen and asked "You in?" Starlen thought for a moment and looked at Mandon, who had overheard the message. He smiled and nodded his approval, and Starlen grinned happily as she said "Yes."
As the four companions made their way down the main road to the square, they caught sight of Garm and Jem waiting nearby. The two adventurers approached them, and Jem bowed in greeting when they drew near. "Greetings again, friends," he said. "I'll assume that we are all here for the same reason." Starlen looked at them both suspiciously as she replied "I hope not." Garm sighed and said "Hey, I'm sorry, alright? I shouldn't have started a brawl in the inn, and I apologize." Starlen stared at him for a moment, then said "I accept your apology, such as it is."
Emerin looked around to see if the captain had arrived. He wasn't in the square. Emerin looked back at Garm and asked "Are we early, or what?" Garm just shrugged. It was clear to Emerin that Garm knew about as much as he did about the meeting, which was nothing. Suddenly, an unfamiliar, soft voice interrupted their pondering. "Ah, Bellepoint, the town of memories," the voice said. The Emerin and the others turned around to see a man standing behind them.
He was dressed in a ragged poncho with a frayed hem and faded colors, and an equally worn wide-brimmed hat that covered his eyes as he kept his head low. A soft smile was on his lips as he stood before them. Emerin was completely surprised by his sudden appearance, and a quick glance to his left told him that his companions were all equally alarmed. "W-who are you?" Starlen asked. The man remained silent for a moment before saying "You may call me whatever you wish, but my name is my own and no one else's. I have no quarrel with either of you. I have come simply to extend my best wishes to you on your journey." Emerin's eyes widened in surprise, and he asked "What journey?" The mysterious man replied "What did you think this meeting of yours was about, exactly?" "Maybe a reward?" asked Ronan. The man turned to him and said "Doubtful." Ronan smirked and said "Please, as if you even know." "I know many things," the stranger said. "Such as the fact that you are indeed very lucky to have escaped from your punishment." After he had finished talking, he lifted his head, revealing two clear blue eyes that seemed to glow beneath the shade of his hat, and stared at Starlen. Emerin thought he saw the man's smile grow slightly larger for an instant, but the stranger quickly turned away from them. He began to walk away, but stopped when Kaiser nearly collided with him.
"Sorry," Kaiser began to say before he looked at the man and his good eye widened in surprise. He spent the next moment staring at the man before saying "I remember you." The man said nothing as he walked around Kaiser and continued down the street.
The group stood in silence for a moment, then Ronan said "Well, that was completely random." "What did he mean by 'journey?'" Emerin asked, but the others just shook their heads, every bit as confused as he was. "I think a better question would be 'who is he and why would he walk up to complete strangers and say stuff like that'," Garm replied. "Silly friend," the blond man said. "Those are two questions!" Garm looked at the blond man, his expression telling the others that he wanted to strangle him, but instead asked "Who in the hells are you, anyway?"
The blond man grinned wildly and said "Brian O'Brian, last of the heroic O'Brian clan and latest incarnation of the legendary hero, Brianheart!" Garm's hand immediately jumped up and smacked against his face when he heard Brian's introduction, while Ronan and Kaiser stared and scrunched up their own faces in confusion. Starlen could barely stifle a laugh at their reaction, while Emerin couldn't even do that, and he chuckled as quietly as he could manage. Jem, for his part, remained completely calm, ignoring the reactions of his companions, and said "Well met, Brian. I am certain we will have need of your strength in this apparent adventure of ours."
Brian's grin did not diminish as he replied "Have no fear, comrades, for I am not one to be easily affected by the rancid stench of evil! I shall smash the hordes of darkness with my hammer, and they will know to fear the likes of Brian O'Brian and his heroic companions!" Ronan groaned loudly and said "It's far more likely that we'll be chased out of every town we come to."
Emerin sighed, then his disposition suddenly brightened when he saw captain Varnam, along with Landin, walking up to them. Varnam raised his hand in greeting and said to the group "Thank you all for coming." He was interrupted suddenly by a voice shouting "WAIT!" The group turned to see Velani running toward them. When she reached them, she said "Sorry, I got lost on the way here." "How could you possibly get lost?" Kaiser asked her incredulously. "The square is in the middle of town!" Velani replied "I know, but I got turned around by this one." She pointed behind her, and the group looked in the direction she was pointing toward to see Miria panting and holding her side. She was a fair distance away, and her pace was slow as she limped toward them. When she finally reached them, she said "Too...much...running. Must...not...die from exhaustion." "How far have you been running?" Emerin asked. Velani snorted and said "She ran all the way here from the pavilion." "Wow," Starlen said. "That's not very far at all." "Oh, gimme a break!" Miria said. "I ran farther than that!"
Varnam cleared his throat, and the group's attention returned to him. "Our lord wishes to convey his heartfelt thanks for your efforts in the town's defense. As such, I have been entrusted with this message for you all." "What about a reward?" Ronan asked. "Stop that!" replied Emerin. Varnam frowned, but continued. "Your reward is the chance to prove your worth as agents of Bellepoint."
Velani made a small choking sound at that declaration and asked "Are you serious?!" The others were equally surprised. Becoming an agent of a township was usually reserved for soldiers who had proven both their skills and loyalty to their lord. It was a very esteemed position, and was very rarely given to travelers. The group could hardly believe what they had just heard. "That'll do it," said Ronan, his eyes nearly bursting out of his skull. Varnam sighed and looked at Landin, who shrugged and said "It is our lord's will." Varnam looked back at the group. "I still can scarcely believe that a ragtag band of miscreants and misfits could possibly accomplish what we could not," he said. "Don't worry, captain," Landin replied. "Those two kids make the best duo in town." He pointed at Starlen and Kaiser. After a moment, Varnam finally said "Very well." Landin looked back at the group and smiled.
"This is no time to celebrate, however," the captain declared. "Our lord has a request to make of you all. Landin has told me of the origins of the beasts that attacked us last night. We believe them to be the work of a dark sorcerer." The group traded glances with each other, and Varnam continued. "Your mission is to search for the source of these foul creatures and put a stop to his plans using any methods necessary. We officially recommend that you begin your search in the forest to the east. That is where the monsters came from."
Kaiser's good eye narrowed as he considered going into the forest once more. He was certainly willing to search for the source of those creatures, and, if circumstances permit, his father as well. Starlen looked at him, her expression turning sorrowful. She knew what he wanted. She just didn't think he would find it. She sighed and looked at Emerin. "We should all get ready," she said. "Where do you want to meet up when we're done?" "Why are you asking me?" Emerin asked in response. "Isn't it obvious, Em?" Ronan replied. "You're the group leader." "What?!" Emerin shouted, startled. "That's not exactly what I meant," Starlen added. Ronan shrugged and said "The team needs a leader, and Em is a coolheaded guy, well, most of the time. When it matters, at least." He smirked when Emerin scowled at him in response to his claim. "Yes!" Brian shouted. "We need a leader! Someone who can make all of the right decisions at the right time! Someone who can lead us to glorious evil-smashing!" "If he wants the job, sure," Miria added. "But I don't want it!" Emerin answered. "Em," Ronan said as he threw his arm around Emerin's shoulders. "There are two kinds of people in this world: the leaders and the followers. The other guys and me, well, we're the followers. You know, the people who do the real work behind the scenes. You, on the other hand, are a natural leader. You live to take the blame for our actions, and the glory for our deeds, all while staying behind us and barking orders."
"What happened to you being the hero?" Emerin asked. Ronan smirked and replied "True heroes need no such pressure. It's best for me, and for everyone else, if you become the scapegoat." Starlen shook her head and said "I don't know about this. He clearly doesn't want to lead us." "If we're talking about leaders, I have some experience," Garm said. Ronan shook his head and said "We need someone who will listen to us, someone who can get along with everyone here. Em, like it or not, you're that someone. The kind of attitude that you possess is the kind of attitude that we all lack. I mean, just look at Garm, here." He pointed at Garm, who immediately looked like he was going to strangle Ronan. "He has absolutely no tact. He actually looks for fights wherever he goes. That attitude will get us into trouble. Likewise, Jem is too much of a politically correct pansy, Brian is, well, Brian, Kaiser obviously has too many issues, Velani would never stop talking, though she still doesn't stop talking anyway, Miria would only lead us to the nearest tree before demanding we rest, and we're heading into a forest, and Starlen would just be too distracting."
"What?!" Starlen yelled. "What does that mean?!" "It means that your assets have a very good chance of causing a total defeat. I know I certainly can't keep my eyes off of them." Suddenly, Starlen reacted with a hard slap across Ronan's face, causing him to stumble sideways and yell "Ow!" "You jackass!" Starlen yelled. Emerin had to step between her and Ronan to keep her from tearing him apart. "Ronan, that was exceedingly rude," he said. Ronan massaged his cheek where he had been slapped and replied "Maybe, but it also solidified my case. Starlen is clearly not levelheaded enough to lead us."
"You smartarse son of a-" Emerin started to say, but he stopped and sighed mid sentence. He turned to the others and asked "What does everyone else here think?" The entire group glared furiously at Ronan, but one by one they realized the truth in his words. The group unanimously nominated Emerin as their leader.
"Now that that's decided," Ronan said. "We should come up with a name for our merry band." "How about the Hammering Heroes?!" Brian offered. Ronan looked at him incredulously and replied "No. It has to make sense. It also has to be a name that inspires both respect and fear, a name that traveling storytellers like myself will recall with admiration centuries from now as they tell stories of our exploits." He looked around at the others before saying "We'll call ourselves the Black Legion." Emerin shook his head slowly and said "Ronan, there's no way in the hells we're calling ourselves the Black Legion."
"I can't believe we're calling ourselves the Black Legion," Emerin said as the group proceeded into the forest later that day. Ronan smirked and said "You'll see, Em. It will be a name that thousands of people will remember for generations." "For some reason, I find that doubtful," Kaiser countered. "Still, I like the name." "Do any of you have a clue as to what we're searching for, exactly?" Velani asked. "Not a clue," Miria replied. "These hellspawn must have left tracks," Kaiser told the group. "I can follow them back to their original location easily." He pointed down, and the group's attention followed his finger to see footprints in the dirt beneath them. "Man," Velani said. "I really want to learn how to do that so well." "We'll be working together for a while," Kaiser told her. "I could probably teach you the basics, at least." Velani smiled at him and said "Awesome! I can't wait to start learning!"
"Speaking of working together," Emerin said, drawing the group's attention to himself. "Why did you want to come along with us, Ronan? You don't strike me as a loyal servant of the law." Ronan sighed and answered "Well, for the money, of course." "But we weren't offered anything," Emerin replied. Ronan shook his head and said "You don't get it, do you? Agents get paid for their work. And when I say paid, I mean thousands of gold pieces per job. We're basically mercenaries who now have a loyal, and rich, customer."
"That's not what the position is about," Starlen said. "Those who become agents of a township have an obligation to serve as well as they can, with whatever methods they deem necessary. The jobs that are given to them are far too dangerous for regular guards, and many groups don't make it back home." "Well, sod this, then!" Miria said. "I'm gonna have to pass on dying, thank you!" "Pfft," Ronan replied. "If I didn't think we had a chance, I would never have joined this team. We can handle whatever the big guys in the fancy courtrooms throw at us."
"Well, okay," Miria replied. "But if things go bad, I'm not sticking around." Emerin looked at her and smiled. "Don't worry," he said. "As the team's leader, I'll die before I'll let anyone else get killed." "Great," Miria replied. "If you die, we'll all know this was a bad idea." "That's what I'm here for, apparently," Emerin said with a sigh. "Wow, Em," Velani said. "You've certainly gotten used to the whole 'leader' thing pretty quickly." "I've just resigned myself to my fate," he replied. "My wonderful, terrible fate." "You're not too bad yet," Miria stated. "At least you're not yelling at everybody all the time." "Maybe he should start," Kaiser said. "We're wasting time with this nonsense."
Ronan threw his arms up and said "Watch out, everyone. We got ourselves a badarse over here." Kaiser stared at him balefully, and Ronan suddenly felt an urge to gulp. "You're right, Kaiser," Emerin said, trying to diffuse the tension. "Will you take the lead with your tracking skills?" Kaiser looked at him and nodded, eager to get started.
"It's about time," Garm said. He and Jem were leaning on a nearby tree, waiting for the others to hurry up. "I was about to fall asleep from all the blabbering." "True heroes do not sleep," said Brian, who had been guarding the group's rear. "When we are not smiting evil in reality, we are smiting it in our dreams!" "Nobody cares about what you do in your dreams, Brian," Ronan replied. Brian gave him a nasty glare and said "No doubt you dream of villainous deeds, vile one!" Ronan turned to Emerin and said "I won't deny that." He smirked yet again when Emerin looked at him and shook his head.
The group continued onward through the forest, following the footprints that the hellspawn had left behind. Kaiser led them cautiously as he examined not only the footprints, but also the trees and dirt around them. He made note of several broken branches that had fallen on the ground and said "These branches are freshly broken."
The group stopped, and Emerin asked "What does that mean?" Kaiser looked at him and stared, but Emerin strangely felt as though Kaiser wasn't looking at him. Finally, Kaiser nodded toward the trees past Emerin and whispered "We've been surrounded."
"Finally, some action," Garm said as he drew his greatsword. "We just had some action last night," Miria replied. "Can't we have some inaction instead?" Kaiser looked at her and said "Not today." She sighed and readied herself for battle. As the group readied themselves, Emerin looked back to them and said "We can handle this, guys. Let's all just stay focused and support one another." "You know me," Ronan said. "I'm all about being supportive."
Starlen rolled her eyes and said "Considering the stunt that you pulled last time you were here, I wouldn't be surprised if you lured another twenty monsters toward us." Ronan looked at her as though he was offended and replied "Madam, you wound me. I have only ever held the best interests of my friends as the highest priority. Well, besides money."
Starlen spun around toward Emerin and asked "Why are we even bringing him along?! He doesn't even care about the town or the people who are affected by the trouble that had occurred last night!" Emerin shook his head. "He's willing to help," he replied. "If he wasn't really interested in what's going on, he wouldn't be here." "That's right," said Ronan. "I'm just a nice enough guy to lend you all a hand, for a not-so-small fee of course." He smirked at Emerin before he started singing. The entire group suddenly felt empowered, and their arms were strengthened considerably.
Suddenly, out of the brush came an uncountable number of forest worgs, each one rushing madly at the group as the entire pack swarmed them from all sides. Miria and Velani immediately moved beside Ronan while the fighters positioned themselves around them. Emerin had already begun casting his armor spell, and he finished just as the worgs reached him. One came at him from his left and another came in from his right, both of their jaws reaching for his throat. He ducked and swung his sword above him, cutting the worg on his right's belly through its rib cage. The beast fell to the ground, dead. The other worg landed after leaping over him, and was immediately shot in the eye by an arrow. It collapsed as Velani readied another arrow and fired into the crowd in front of Kaiser. Kaiser's halberd seemed to dance in the air as he cut through the maddened pack like a farmer harvesting crops. His efforts, along with Velani's, prevented the worgs in front of him from getting within reach of his body.
Starlen had jumped to Brian's aid as he swung his large warhammer with reckless abandon, swatting aside small groups of worgs that had bunched together with each swing. Starlen herself had to dodge his wild swings occasionally as she weaved in and out of the fray between each of his swings, refusing to let the worgs find an opening. Brian spun around and around as he swung his hammer, and the momentum gained from each swing was not lost. He quickly began swinging with incredible speed, and Starlen soon found that she was no longer needed. She looked to the others and noticed that Emerin was fighting a group of the worgs alone. She immediately ran toward him, steering clear of the others as she ran.
Garm and Jem fought independently of the others, using their own well-honed teamwork to cut their way through the pack. Garm swung his greatsword and swept aside one or two worgs with each swing, while Jem snuck in behind his swings and cut down any worg that tried to seize the opening left from such a wide swing. Garm likewise turned and swung his greatsword to protect Jem's exposed back, sending the attacking worgs to the ground in pieces. The two men moved in perfect harmony with each other, both jumping in to cover each other's vulnerable side whenever necessary.
Miria chanted an arcane phrase and extended her rod, and a bright beam of light struck one of the worgs attacking Emerin in the face, leaving its fur scorched and blinding it. She had already started casting another spell as Emerin was joined by Starlen, and the three of them worked to keep the worgs on their side from jumping through to attack the others. Emerin's sword sliced through one worg, while Starlen moved beside him and impaled another worg on her sword by stabbing it through the beast's mouth as it lunged at her. Starlen hoisted the beast's corpse over her head and threw it into the group of worgs that was already moving to replace the first. The beasts tripped and fell over the corpse as it collided with them, and Emerin saw his chance. He spoke a phrase and stretched out his free hand toward the group, and a ball of fire flew from his fingertips to explode as it impacted with the nearest worg. The resulting blast devastated the entire group, and their charred and blackened bodies joined the thrown corpse on the ground.
Miria flicked her rod toward a worg as it rushed toward Brian, and a blue bolt of lightning shot forth from its tip and arced its way through the air toward the beast. As it impacted, the bolt split and sent four smaller bolts toward the nearest worgs. All five beasts were killed instantly with their respective bolts. Brian, seeing that the worgs had all been killed, stopped his rampage and grinned. "Haha!" he yelled. "Naughty spawn of evil! How does it feel to have your foul arses handed to you on a silver platter by the five-star chefs of justice?!"
"Why are you comparing us to food handlers?" Ronan asked, his singing having stopped when the battle was finished. Brian looked at him and said "Because I just worked up an appetite! I'm starving!" Ronan instantly slapped his palm over his face. "It's true that we haven't eaten since morning," Starlen said. "Maybe we should stop and eat some of our rations?" She turned to Emerin, who nodded in agreement. "I think we can all use a break after that fight," he said. "Fine," said Ronan. "But let's not eat here. The smell of burned animal corpses does little for the digestion."
After finding a small clearing where they could rest, the group sat down, and Kaiser pulled off his pack and began passing out the rations to everyone. As he reached Emerin, he leaned in and whispered in his ear "I need to take care of something for a bit. I'll return soon." Emerin looked at him in surprise. "Where are you going?" he asked. Kaiser said nothing more, but straightened and walked away from the group, deeper into the forest.
Ronan stared after him and said "I didn't think we were THAT bad." Starlen shook her head and said "That's not what he's doing at all. He's searching for something." Emerin grew curious. He asked "What is he searching for?" "If it's not what we're searching for, then it can wait," Garm said. "We have our own mission to take care of." "Speaking of which," Miria interrupted. "I'd like to know why we're all doing this. I mean, I know I'm in it for the money, but what's your reason?" She looked over at Emerin, who shrugged and said "I'm actually interested in what caused the attack last night. I'd like to stop it, if I can." Starlen nodded and said "This is my home. Kaiser and I will do whatever it takes to protect the people who took us in after what happened in this forest."
Emerin looked at her and asked "What are you talking about?" Starlen sighed wistfully as she gazed through the trees where Kaiser had disappeared and said "It's a long story. It explains why we're so different from everyone else." She looked back at Emerin sadly and said "We're not entirely human, you see. We were born from a union between a human and a demon."
At that point, everyone, including Garm and Jem, was focused on her story. After a short pause, Velani asked "So, you're saying that you're...half-demonic?" Starlen nodded somberly and continued, saying "Our mother was human, but our father was a demon. I don't know how they met, nor how they managed to stay together long enough to have several children, but I know the result was ultimately catastrophic for our family."
She paused and took a deep breath as she braced herself for the next part of her tale. "The night we left this forest and journeyed to Bellepoint is a night that neither of us will ever forget," she said. "Kaiser was unconscious through most of the night, so his memory is more focused on the fight than anything else." "Did your father do something?" Emerin asked. " I don't like to remember it, but yes. He tried to kill us, though I don't know why. Our mother tried to stop him, but he was too strong for a human to stand up to."
She paused again. Emerin could tell that the story she was telling was hard for her to talk about. Her voice was trembling as she continued. "He killed her. He tore off her head in front of us. My brother became very angry, but he couldn't fight our father either. That was the night he lost his hand, his eye, and his heart."
"That's...not what I expected to hear," Miria said. "I'm sorry to have brought back those memories." Starlen shook her head and replied "It's fine. I feel better after talking about it. "One question," Ronan said. "You're saying he lost his hand? He had two hands the last time I saw him." "He lost his left hand, but a group of enchanters came to the town a few days after we did. They...made a new hand to replace the one he lost. I don't really know how they did it, but Kaiser has begun learning to enchant items recently, because he wants to make one of his own."
"So about that 'heart' part, you don't mean his actual heart, do you?" Velani asked. "I'm fairly certain that he would be dead if that was the case," said Ronan. "He's not the same person he used to be," answered Starlen. "He's become colder, more distant from everyone. He never shares his feelings, not even with me. What happened that night has been tearing him apart ever since. He's convinced that finding our father will somehow cause the pain to stop, but I know the truth. It will never stop."
Emerin stared at Starlen as she finished speaking. He knew that she was trying to keep her own sadness and anger from boiling over while she recounted the events that had traumatized her and her brother. She was trying to hide it, but he saw the pain in her eyes, and heard it in her voice. Kaiser wasn't the only one tearing himself apart.
Comments
"Do you even know what attacked those men?" One of the hunters, a young woman with long dark hair in leather armor carrying a bow and arrows on her back and a pair of daggers on her belt, asked the question. She had been pestering Kaiser for some time, asking about where they were going or what he was doing without end, and she had pushed her way in front of the other hunters to ask him directly. Kaiser sighed and replied "Yes, now be quiet. I'm concentrating." He knew the moment he saw the scratches on the abandoned wagon what had attacked and killed the guards. The marks were from a forest worg, and the number of paw prints in the ground suggested that a pack of them were involved.
Kaiser would have followed the tracks, but his companions were mostly too bulky and heavily armed to fit through where the worgs entered the forest, and a certain someone was constantly preventing him from finding the tracks again with her seemingly endless assault of questions despite his repeated replies of 'be quiet'.
"So, what is it, then?" The woman asked. "It's a monster that eats nosy people like you," Kaiser replied. "Now, for the hundredth time, shut up!" The woman fell silent for a time, and Kaiser breathed a sigh of relief, but then she asked "Is there some kind of secret technique for tracking things? I always wanted to learn how to track." Kaiser groaned in frustration when he suddenly spotted something through the trees in front of him. He silently crept up to the closest tree and peered around it.
"Seems we've found our culprit, or one of them at least," he whispered to the woman behind him. She opened her mouth to speak, but Kaiser's hand covered it before she could say anything. "Once again, for our sake, be silent," he whispered, and the woman, finally listening to him, nodded. He turned back to the worg he spotted. Its light brown fur was stained red in several spots, especially around its jaws. It was lying on the ground roughly fifty feet away from where he stood. "Something isn't right," he whispered. The woman looked at him questioningly, her mouth still covered by his hand. He looked back and said "There were more than one."
Suddenly, a strange sound broke the silence. Kaiser furrowed his brow as it softly filled the air around him. It was the sound of someone singing a wordless tune, a soft, pleasant melody that seemed to resonate with him. He found himself strangely attracted to it, and he noticed that the worg was likewise affected. It stood, and several other worgs emerged from the nearby trees. As the song continued, the worgs started walking toward the source, deeper into the forest.
Kaiser paused a moment to shake off the effects of the song and looked back at the group behind him. The other hunters were a short distance away, close enough to hear him speak. "The worgs responsible for the attack are nearby, and they're heading deeper into the forest," he declared. The other hunters nodded and drew their weapons, ready to attack and slay the beasts. Kaiser looked to the woman beside him, who also nodded, her expression suddenly serious. "Let's move," he ordered, and the group followed after the worgs as they headed toward a certain clearing.
After a moment, Ronan stopped singing and said "They're here." Emerin readied his sword and began casting another spell. "They're all here," Ronan continued, a disappointed look on his face. "If only my partner wasn't so slow!" He spoke the last part loudly enough so that Emerin could hear him. It nearly broke his concentration, but he continued regardless, his mouth silently chanting the correct phrase. When he finished, his sword began to hum softly from the new enchantment placed upon it. "My voice picked up a few more than I would have wished," Ronan said as he turned to Emerin. "But we can deal with them as well. No need to share the reward with dead men." "I don't think we should kill anyone," Emerin replied. Ronan shook his head and asked "You would rather get something small than something big?" "I would not kill anyone for anything, even if we had to share the reward," Emerin countered.
A thought suddenly crossed Ronan's mind, and he asked "What if they attacked you first?" "Well, then I'd have to defend myself," Emerin replied, and he looked at Ronan with suspicion as he asked "Why would they attack us though?" Ronan shrugged and replied "I don't know, maybe for the same reason I would attack them." He smirked at Emerin once again and turned away from him, and started to sing once more.
Emerin listened as the song, a discordant and offbeat melody, filled the air around them, and though he didn't feel very different himself, he could sense that something in that song was off. It was much less harmonic than the others, though he couldn't help but feel that that was intended. Suddenly, the sounds of growling reached his ears, followed by cries of rage that sounded like human voices screaming. He looked again at Ronan, who stopped singing and turned to him, an arrogant smile on his face. "Problem solved," Ronan said, and his smile grew wider as Emerin stared at him, confused.
Kaiser and the young woman who was tagging along had no idea what was going on. So many things happened so quickly. As they followed the worgs deeper into the forest, they heard a strange yet soothing song. The song stopped after a time, and the worgs seemed to snap out of whatever trance held them, though they continued trying to find the source of the song. Soon after, a different song started to fill the air, a very harsh and distorted melody that felt more than a little wrong. Kaiser didn't know what the song could do, but the sudden irritation he felt set off an alarm in his head. He dove to the side, grabbing his partner as he went, and the feeling quickly passed, but when he stood back up he noticed the other hunters acting strangely. When they started shrieking madly and running in every direction, he knew he made the right call in diving aside.
Though some of the hunters ran off into the woods, most of them charged toward the nearest living thing they could find, which for most was each other. As the hunters wildly tore into each other, some of them split from the main group and attacked Kaiser and the young woman beside him. Kaiser took them head-on, his halberd moving quickly to intercept and slaughter them before they reached his partner. The woman stood back and fired her bow into the crowd, determined to keep the line of enemies from growing any larger.
Kaiser swung again, this time sending a female hunter's head flying back into the mob. He brought his halberd down and cleaved through another man, splitting him in half. An arrow flew over his shoulder and embedded itself in another man's throat. "Another one for me!" the young woman shouted, though Kaiser didn't share her enthusiasm. Killing other people was not something he took satisfaction in, regardless of the circumstances. Still, he would kill anyone who tried to kill him, especially if someone else's life was on the line.
The young woman fired again, but her target ducked aside and avoided the arrow. "Argh, hold still!" she shouted as she fitted another arrow onto the string. Kaiser swung low and took the hunter's legs out from under him, sending the now legless man to the ground. He looked over the thinning mob and saw Landin and two guards fighting other hunters on the other side. Landin followed behind the hunters to cover the rear, and he appeared to have avoided the effects of the song. He and his men covered each other during the fight, making it clear to Kaiser that their training was paying off.
Landin thrust his spear through an attacking hunter while his men protected his flanks, their swords moving to parry and counter their opponents' attacks. The guard on Landin's left sidestepped, and Landin's spear thrust through the opening and pierced the hunter who was attempting to kill him. The other guard shifted his position to keep Landin's flank covered, blocking an incoming sword with his own. Landin countered with a hard jab that skewered the hunter.
In a few moments, the battle was finished. Out of thirty-two men and women, only five remained. The survivors regrouped to consider the recent events and the options left to them. "What exactly happened here?" Landin asked, his spear still at the ready. "One minute, everyone was perfectly fine, and the next, complete pandemonium." "There was a sound in the wind, like a man singing," Kaiser replied. It seemed to me that the sound was what started this." "If that's the case," Landin said. "Then the source could still be around here somewhere." Kaiser nodded, and he turned back to where the worgs disappeared. "So, are we gonna follow those things, or what?" The young woman asked. Kaiser sighed and said "We might as well, since they were headed for the source of the song." He turned to the woman and said "You handled yourself rather well."
"Hells yeah, I did!" the woman exclaimed. "You won't find a better archer than me!" She smiled at him and said "I'm Velani. That's my name, I mean." "Kaiser," he replied. He turned to Landin and said "We should hurry. The perpetrator may not stay in one place for long." The group then proceeded to follow the tracks left behind by the worgs, keeping an eye out for signs of human activity.
Ronan noticed Emerin staring and smiled back at him. He started walking toward him, asking "No sign yet?" Emerin shook his head and replied "I don't even know what I'm looking for. Got any clues?" Ronan's smile faded, and he said "Well, the beasts we're hunting are wolflike in mindset, so probably forest worgs." "How could you tell that?" Emerin asked. "Call it a sixth sense," Ronan replied, a smirk suddenly forming on his face. Emerin looked at him and frowned, then asked "How can I trust you when you do nothing but dodge questions and give orders?" "Do you trust me?" Ronan countered. Emerin sighed and said "Fine, don't answer me. We'll see how long this partnership lasts." Ronan sighed, and his face took on a serious expression. Finally, he said "It may not make much sense to you. Just saying."
Emerin waited patiently for Ronan to begin to say something else, but a sudden sound caught both of their attentions, and they turned to see a pack of worgs come out of the woods. Their brown fur stained with blood, they snarled at the two men as they crept toward them. There were eight worgs in total, and as they approached they fanned out to the sides and surrounded Emerin and Ronan. "Looks like we'll have to continue this conversation another time," Ronan said. Emerin nodded and said "You might not get a chance to use your fancy songs this time." Ronan shrugged and stretched his legs, his expression turning serious. "I don't just get by on singing alone, you know," he replied. Suddenly, in a burst of movement, Ronan sprinted toward the worgs ahead of him. The worgs charged, and Emerin moved to intercept the ones on his side. He had very nearly forgotten to block the first attack, however, when he caught a brief glimpse of Ronan.
The storyteller flew at the nearest worg and kicked out at it, his boot delivering a hard impact upon its face. The worg slid backwards while three others charged in, and Ronan laughed as he broke into a strange dance, his feet moving rapidly and turning in all directions. The nearest worg lunged, and met a spinning kick that slammed Ronan's boot heel into the beast's neck. A cracking noise sounded as the worg was sent flying to the side, but Ronan could not revel in the kill, as the other two were upon him. He jumped, avoiding the third worg's leap, and he turned in midair and sent his feet back into the dance as he landed, managing to kick the fourth worg in the jaw shortly afterwards. The beast yelped as it skidded to a halt, while its remaining partner lunged at Ronan yet again. This time, Ronan met the lunge with a swift roundhouse kick that slammed into the beast's side, and it fell away from him and landed with a heavy thud on the ground.
In his own battle, Emerin slashed his sword across the nearest worg's face, cutting through its eyes as it lunged at him, and it yelped as Emerin sidestepped, crashing into the ground where he used to be. Emerin turned to see a second worg leaping at him, and he just barely avoided being bitten by ducking under its soaring body. He recovered more quickly than the worg, but the other two were already upon him. They both lunged simultaneously, and Emerin knew he couldn't escape both of them, but he also knew he wouldn't have to. He muttered a single syllable under his breath, and a tiny globe of blue light shot out from his sword's blade to hit one of the worgs squarely in the face, forcing it to land just short of its target. The other worg didn't stop, and it bit Emerin's outstretched arm, but his armor spell was still active, and it shielded the arm from any lasting damage. The worg clamped down on his arm, but Emerin's free hand spread itself into a fanlike shape in front of it, and Emerin spoke a single arcane word. Suddenly, bright red flames shot out from the hand's fingers, and the worg had to release his arm. Emerin responded by slicing off its dazed head.
The last uninjured worg started to flee, and the others tried to flee with it, but their injuries prevented them from running as quickly. Ronan jumped in front of the blinded worg and kicked it squarely in the jaw, sending it back to the center of the clearing, and Emerin finished it off with a sword to its brain.
They both turned when they heard a yelp from the trees where the worgs fled into, and a large red-haired man with three long scars and a lidless white orb where his left eye should have been stepped out to meet them. Emerin thought he looked familiar, then remembered the blacksmith he passed in Bellepoint. This man must be him, Emerin thought as he stared at the man. Instead of a smith's apron, he wore a long black coat, and instead of a hammer, he wielded a black halberd. He stood at least three heads taller than Emerin, and his scarred countenance was rather terrifying, as he glared at Emerin angrily. "Oh, shit," Ronan said when he too noticed Kaiser standing at the edge of the clearing. He, unlike Emerin, knew exactly who this man was, and he knew not to cross him. "So," Kaiser said, his deep voice seeming louder in the sudden silence. "You must be the ones responsible for the madness that infected the minds of our companions."
Emerin looked at Ronan, who started shifting his weight nervously. After a moment, he remembered the song that his companion had sung, and his gaze turned into a harsh glare. "What did you do?" he asked his companion angrily.
"Would the two of you please stop talking?" Kaiser asked. "I want to skip to the part of this meeting when I beat the living hells out of both of you, so I can get back to what's really important." "No one asked you for your opinion!" Emerin snapped back at him. Kaiser stood in stunned silence after that, allowing the other two to continue their conversation. "Just because you solve problems, that doesn't excuse you from being the reason they happen to begin with," Emerin said. "Sure thing, mom," Ronan retorted. "Anything else you want to lecture me about? If not, we should really focus on the matter at hand." "It's about time," Kaiser said, and he readied his weapon for battle. "I'll assume you're both finished bickering like an old married couple." Emerin sighed and readied his own weapon, silently muttering under his breath. Kaiser assumed that it was yet more complaining, but Emerin's voice became louder as he finished casting a spell. He stretched out his free hand, and a bolt of electricity jumped from his fingertips, aiming straight for Kaiser's chest. Kaiser raised his own left hand, releasing its grip on his halberd, and caught the bolt before it reached its target. He thrust his hand forward, and the bolt flew back toward Emerin, who ducked just as it flew over his head.
"You probably shouldn't try that again," Kaiser said as he gripped his halberd in both hands. Emerin stared in surprise for a moment before saying "That makes things a little difficult." He knew then that he would have to fight this enemy without relying on spells, which severely limited his options. Kaiser charged, his halberd leveled to impale Emerin. Emerin waited until he was upon him before sidestepping to the right, but Kaiser's left hand let go of his halberd once again and delivered a hard backhand to Emerin's head. The force of the blow was enough to send Emerin flying backwards into a tree, though his armor spell still protected him from any serious injuries. Even his strength spell couldn't allow him to resist the force.
Kaiser followed after him, but Ronan stepped in to meet him, lunging forward with his feet in the air. Kaiser's left hand reached out and grabbed Ronan's leading foot, and he turned and swung his arm, throwing Ronan into another tree. Ronan grunted as his body hit the tree hard, and he fell to the ground.
A sudden heat made Kaiser's skin tingle, and he turned back to see a bright ball of fire just before it impacted with his chest. The fireball exploded on impact, release enough force to throw Kaiser on the ground. Emerin stood at the edge of the clearing and started casting another spell. Kaiser staggered back up onto his feet as Emerin finished casting. His left hand caught the second fireball and he threw it back at Emerin, who smiled as it engulfed him. When the smoke cleared, leaving behind a cluster of burning trees, Emerin had disappeared.
Kaiser sensed sudden movement to his right, and turned to see Emerin thrusting his sword straight at him. He parried the incoming attack, but a hard boot slammed into the back of his head. He grunted and pushed Emerin away, then turned and swung at Ronan, who ducked under his halberd and kicked his knee. The blow wasn't strong enough to knock him down however, and he retaliated by grabbing Ronan's head with his left hand, lifting him up off of his feet, and throwing him over his shoulder to crash into Emerin, who was struggling to get back on his feet. The two men collapsed onto the ground, and Kaiser reached back to rub his head where Ronan kicked it.
"That was actually pretty impressive," he said as his opponents staggered back to their feet. "Not good enough, of course, but impressive nonetheless." "Damn," Emerin cursed as he stood up. "You're really getting into this fight, aren't you?" "Wasn't that the idea?" Kaiser asked, immediately becoming suspicious. "Not really," Emerin answered. "Not until now."
He spoke an arcane phrase, and suddenly his breathing quickened. He took a step, and then his movements became a blur as he moved with unnatural speed. He launched a rapid series of attacks, and Kaiser suddenly found himself on the defensive, barely deflecting each attack as it came. He hadn't fought an opponent this fast since the last time he had sparred with Starlen, and he had lost that match. Therefore, he knew he had to think of something before he lost this one.
Realizing the tables had turned, Ronan grinned and muttered "Way to go, Em." He stood, and soon he began to sing once more. The song, a powerful upbeat tune, filled the air, and as Emerin continued his relentless assault the tune filled his ears. He felt his tired muscles gradually return to their normal strength, then surpass it. His attacks, their power already bolstered by his strength spell, had become even more powerful. Kaiser, for his part, was capable of deflecting the attacks, but he soon felt his own arms grow tired. He had to think of something, or this fight would lead to death for him.
"Looks like it's up to me to save the day," she declared, and she scanned the two men he was fighting. One was moving way too fast for her eyes to make out many details, but the other man was standing off to the side, singing a song that felt strange. She then realized that he was the man who had likely caused the others to go insane. "Ooh, I see," Velani said. "He's helping the other guy." She drew her bow and set an arrow on the string, then fired.
Ronan heard the arrow and ducked an instant before it was buried in his head, and his song came to a premature end. "What in the hells?!" he shouted, and he looked over and saw Velani stepping out of the trees, another arrow ready to fly. She fired, and he ducked again and ran straight for her. Seeing him charging, Velani dropped her bow and drew the daggers on her belt. Ronan leaped and kicked, but Velani rolled under him and turned to meet a spinning kick, as Ronan's dance began once more. She ducked to avoid the boot, and thrust her left dagger at his chest, but his right foot quickly jumped up and smacked it aside. He continued the motion, spinning and landing on both feet, while Velani also spun and swung her right dagger horizontally. Ronan brought up his right hand and slapped her wrist, sending her attack back to the left and forcing her to spin in the opposite direction, and his right foot came up and hit her lower back as she turned. She fell forward and rolled to the side, trying to avoid any further punishment, but Ronan didn't let her go, leaping forward as she rose from the ground and delivering a hard blow to her head with his left foot.
Velani groaned as she fell back to the ground. Ronan laughed and returned his attention to the other two men, and that was exactly what Velani wanted. She knew she couldn't beat him in a fair fight, so she feigned unconsciousness, which gave her both time to recover from his attack and an opportunity to surprise him. She suddenly rolled behind him, and Ronan had barely realized her movement before her left dagger thrust forward, aiming for his back. He ducked and rolled just as the dagger reached him, and he managed to avoid getting stabbed, though Velani managed to cut him as he rolled away.
On his end, Kaiser had found keeping up with Emerin a fair bit easier, since Ronan's song had been stopped. Emerin's movements were a blur as he swung and thrust his sword seemingly in the same motion, but Kaiser had faced this level of speed before, as Starlen and he had sparred several times, and unlike her, this opponent wasn't naturally quick, and Kaiser knew he had a chance of slipping up. He effortlessly swatted both attacks aside with his left hand and jumped back to swing his halberd. Emerin tried to duck, but in his aggressive rush he had no time to avoid the counterattack. The halberd came down on him, biting into his shoulder despite the protection of his armor spell, and he cried out in pain as his momentum stopped completely.
Kaiser didn't let him go, and he kept the blade of his halberd buried in Emerin's shoulder as he punched him in the head. Emerin's body lurched to the side, but Kaiser's halberd kept him on the ground in front of him, tearing the wound open even further. Emerin gasped from the pain, and he slumped down in defeat. Kaiser pulled his halberd free, drawing a grunt from Emerin, and looked for the other man responsible for the earlier deaths of the hunters.
Ronan recovered quickly from Velani's surprise attack and, with a series of rapid and powerful kicks to her belly and head, put her back on the ground, truly unconscious at that point. He sighed and looked back at Emerin, only to find his companion lying on the ground as well, and Kaiser making his way toward him. With a resigned sigh, Ronan threw up his hands and said "Fine, we surrender."
The streets were nearly empty now, as the sun had dipped below the horizon and night had fallen upon the town. Kaiser still hadn't returned from his journey into the forest, and Starlen had started to worry about him. He wasn't usually so late to return, since he had never left her alone for more than a few hours, but while some might consider that stifling, Starlen felt no such discomfort at her brother's presence. If anything, she relied on it, since Kaiser had been her dearest friend since before her earliest memory. She worried for his safety, as well as her own.
She entered the pavilion quietly, since she did not wish to disturb the patients. The healer, Agatha, was busily seeing to the needs of a young man with blond hair lying on a bed on the far side of the tent. She was sitting in a chair by the side of the bed, looking studiously at the patient. Another chair was sitting empty beside her. Starlen approached the chair and said quietly "Sorry I'm late. I had more work than usual at the inn." Agatha, a woman who had only just begun to show signs of old age despite being a fair bit older than she looked, turned her head toward Starlen and replied "It's no trouble, dear. I know how hard you need to work every day. Truly, you do far more for this town than most of the youths who were born here." She smiled tenderly at Starlen, who smiled back and sat down in the empty chair.
"We shall begin with this patient," Agatha said, nodding her head toward the young man on the bed. "Tell me, Starlen, do you see anything wrong with this boy?" Starlen turned her attention toward the patient and, after scanning his body for signs of injury, shook her head. "I don't see anything wrong with him," she answered. "Exactly," Agatha replied. "This is a most unusual case. There are no signs of injury anywhere on him, and yet he refuses to awaken." "Maybe he's just really lazy?" Starlen asked jokingly, but Agatha shook her head. "I've made many attempts to wake him, but none of them have worked," she replied. "I even slipped some of my homemade spicy soup into his mouth, but he still didn't do anything."
Starlen's eyes widened. How could anyone endure her teacher's cooking, especially the spicy soup? She looked back at the patient and studied him further, certain that she must have missed something, but despite her best efforts she found nothing. "This is so strange," she muttered. "Unless the injury is internal." The realization escaped her lips before she even gave it much thought, but she reacted immediately, placing her hands on the young man's chest. Pulling energy from somewhere inside of her, she sent a soft pulse of warmth into the patient, and carefully tuned her senses so that she could feel through the pulse and hopefully find a source of injury inside of him. What she found was not what she expected, however.
"He's not hurt at all," she said slowly, though she sent another pulse into him just to be sure. "At least, not physically." "What do you mean?" her teacher asked, obviously curious. "I've done some practicing on my own," Starlen admitted. "I had come up with a method for searching inside someone for any damage that can't be seen from the outside." Agatha's eyes widened in surprise when she heard that statement. "That's very impressive," she said. "But how did you practice?" Starlen looked back at her and said "I tried it on myself. I know it was a potential risk, but I had an idea that I thought could help." "Well, if you're certain that it's safe for both you and the patient, then I can trust you," Agatha replied.
Starlen nodded thankfully, then returned her attention to the patient. "His body if perfectly fine, but his mind is..." She trailed off for a moment, her face scrunching up in confusion. She looked at Agatha and said "He's a little odd." "What?" Agatha asked, her voice betraying a her utter confusion. Starlen looked just as confused as she said "He seems to be talking to me in his head, but I can't explain how he even knows I'm in his head." "What is he saying?" Agatha asked, completely lost at this point. "He's telling me that he's busy fighting evil right now," Starlen replied, shaking her head. "He says that he can't wake up yet. He says that it's urgent, and he must not be disturbed. He also says 'Thanks for the soup. It was delicious'."
Suddenly a loud noise broke the silence, and the two women jumped in alarm. Starlen looked around frantically, but the source of the noise was outside. She then heard the cries of several guards. "To arms, to arms!" they shouted throughout the town. "Monsters are attacking the town!" Starlen's eyes widened, and she stood up quickly and rushed for the tent's entrance. She stopped for a brief moment, however, and looked back at the patient. Her thoughts were still connected to his, if only for an instant, and she suddenly felt a strong sensation of boiling rage inside of him. She didn't have much time to contemplate this, however, so she turned and exited the pavilion, making her way to the inn where her sword was resting.
I'm going to borrow that excuse the next time I want to sleep in!
Kaiser sighed when Velani refused to wake up, then grabbed her shoulders and started to shake her. "Velani!" he cried out again. Velani moaned weakly and opened her eyes. "Owww," she said. "Stop shaking my head. It hurts." Kaiser did as she said and lifted her head up as she regained her senses. She looked at him and said "Your bedside manners suck." He dropped her head, and Velani grunted as her head hit the ground. "You're welcome," Kaiser said sarcastically. He stood and looked back to the others. "We should be ready to return now," he reported. Landin had also finished bandaging Emerin, and he pulled the wounded man up so that he could walk. He nodded to his men and said "Let's head home. We're done here."
As the group made their way back to Bellepoint, Kaiser walked over to Emerin and said "Your wound is severe. We'll make sure it gets healed at the pavilion." "You're too kind," Emerin replied sarcastically. "You're lucky you still have an arm," Kaiser said. "I'm guessing one of your magic tricks was involved." "It wasn't good enough anyway," Emerin said. "And it's gone now. It lost its power while we were waiting for your friend to wake up." "Did you really think you could get away with something like what you and your friend pulled?" Kaiser asked. "I didn't even know what he was doing at the time," Emerin answered. "He told me he had a plan to get the reward, and I went along with him." Kaiser nodded slowly, as he began to understand. "I'll see if Landin can ease up on the charges," he stated. "After all, you did most of the work for us." "And if he doesn't?" Emerin asked. "Then I can't help you," Kaiser replied.
They walked on in silence for a long while. None of them, not even Velani, were in the mood for conversation. The journey had proven to be somewhat more eventful than they had wished. Kaiser sighed in resignation, knowing that he would have to pass up an opportunity to search for his father.
Suddenly, a loud sound filled the air, the sound of a fearsome roar, and it was coming from the direction of the town. The entire group stopped after hearing the sound, and Kaiser's expression turned sour. "The town is in danger!" Landin exclaimed. The group wasted no time in hurrying through the remaining trees, but as they left the forest, they came upon a terrible sight. Monstrous creatures that none of them had ever seen before we're assaulting the town, and they had already forced their way past the east gate. "Well," Ronan said. "Looks like we've got a bigger problem on our hands." He looked at Landin and said "If you agree to let my friend and I go, then we wouldn't mind helping your precious town."
Landin looked back at him, concern clearly etched on his face, and replied "Very well, release them." His men hurriedly untied Ronan and Emerin, and Ronan smirked at his partner yet again. Emerin's eyes widened in surprise when he realized that Ronan had just saved them both. "No more wasting time!" Kaiser yelled. "Let's go!"
Woah that's a lot of action there! Your combat descriptions are excellent, of a quality one could find in published novels. Congrats!
To be honest I'm always more interested in people's stories and feelings than in battles and violence, so you had me exclaim: 'Easy there! Come on don't kill them!' a few times haha. Indeed I'm really glad that you didn't kill the likes of Emerin, Ronan, and Velani. I already find them too interesting to disappear from the stage so soon...
Speaking of disappearances, I'm also still curious about the stranger that led young Kaiser to his sister when she was in peril. I liked him. Will he return? (Guess I'll have to continue reading to find out...)
The characters all have their own personalities, their stories are nicely intertwined, and your writing continues to be very visual, which I like a lot as you know.
I don't feel like playing unsollicited grammar/spelling/style police but should you be interested in the mere trifles my editor's eye spotted, they're behind the spoiler tag (for if I don't mention them now I'll forget about them).[spoiler]1: I think 'have' should be 'had' because you're telling the story in the past tense.
2:
At some point you start two brief, successive paragraphs with 'His thoughts', see here: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/comment/597175/#Comment_597175.
3: I tried to imagine something racy was going on there, but I'm sure you simply meant 'sitting'.[/spoiler]
I feel I might come across like a bit of an *sshole with such nitpicking, while my intention is the opposite. If your story had been just a playthrough or something, I wouldn't have bothered, but it's something much bigger: a novel in progress, and you're sharing it with us, which is a beautiful thing to do. Hence my desire to 'help'.
Anyway keep it up! Bonus points for doing this on a freaking phone, even if it makes me feel like a grandpa (since I really only use phones for making calls with them, and maybe to send the odd sms. Yet here we are, 2015. Not only is Baldur's Gate being played on phones, no, entire novels are being written on them...)
As for the mysterious stranger, I don't really want give away anything, but I certainly haven't forgotten about him. That's all I'm willing to say at the moment.
The two men had been relieved of their equipment and we're now dressed in tan prisoners' clothes. Thankfully, their items had been left on a nearby table, as the guard responsible for processing them had left when the call to arms had sounded. "You know, Garm," the dark-haired man said. "You could just kick down the door." "I could," Garm replied. "But we likely won't be forgiven for it if I did." "They will if we help save their town," his partner said. Garm sighed and said "You're probably right, Jem." He looked at the door and noticed the traces of rust on its hinges. He grinned and stepped back, and with a powerful kick he caused the hinges to break, and the door toppled to the floor.
"Alright," he said. "Let's grab our stuff and kill some beasties." Jem jumped from the bed and they both started putting on their armor. Once they were fully equipped, the two men ran outside, where they met three of the monsters surrounding a young blond woman. They were humanoid in appearance, with large curved horns protruding from the crowns of their heads. Their skin was a sickly green color, and dark scales covered their forearms and necks. Small pointed fangs peered out from beneath their lips, and they wore dark chain mail that blended with their skin. Despite their grotesque appearance, and the curved swords they wielded, the young woman seemed unafraid. In fact, she seemed rather bored as she waited for them to make the first move. She was dressed in a white blouse and red skirt, and she wielded what seemed to the two men to be a small rod in her left hand.
Suddenly, the monster on her left leaped at her, but the young woman muttered an arcane phrase as it attacked. With a violent lurch, the creature stopped and turned away from her to face its friends. It jumped back at them then, its sword flashing through the air, and the closest monster could not react quickly enough. The charmed creature sliced of its head, and the other creature hissed as its companion's corpse slumped to the ground. It charged at the charmed creature, and the two monsters began fighting each other as the young woman chanted another spell. She extended her rod, and a bolt of lightning jumped out from its tip, hitting the hostile monster squarely in the chest and sending to the ground, smoke rising from its body as it died. She issued a command to the charmed monster, and it charged the nearest group of monsters while she turned to face the two men.
"Good times, huh?" she asked them as they approached her. "Not bad," Garm said. "Looks like our help will not be needed after all." The young woman's eyes widened, and she said "That was my last spell." The two men looked at each other and sighed. "Alright, stay behind us," Jem said. "It would be far safer for you than trying to run through this crowd." "You have a point," the young woman said before falling in behind them. Garm watched the nearest group of monsters as they tore apart their newly charmed adversary. He grinned and said "Let's massacre them." The two men then rushed into the group, and Garm skewered one of the creatures with his greatsword while Jem's two swords flashed across to bring down another creature. The two men worked in tandem, with Garm taking the front of the group and Jem rushing in for attacks of opportunity. Garm's sword swept across the line of monsters in front of him, plowing through four of them before its movement stopped. Jem ducked beneath the large blade and furiously slashed and jabbed at the enemies behind the fallen line, and his swords began to drip green liquid as they became drenched in the monsters' blood.
One of the creatures lunged at Jem, but Garm stopped it by slicing it in half, forcing both halves to drop short of their target. Another creature charged at Garm, but Jem circled behind it and sliced off its head. Soon, the entire group was slain, leaving Garm, Jem, and the young woman alone in the area. "You can go ahead and get to safety now," Jem told the young woman, who shook her head and said "I'm pretty sure this is the safest I'll be. Besides, I can still help. If I see an enemy, I'll yell really loudly." The two men looked back at each other. Garm then shrugged and said "Fine, you can stick with us. Your life is on your own head, though." He turned to the larger crowd fighting near the gate and said "Let's go. We've got a lot to do."
The group reached the gate soon afterward, and Kaiser and Emerin, along with Landin and his guards, engaged the monsters while Ronan and Velani stood behind them. Velani launched an arrow from her bow, which plunged deep into one monster's skull from behind, causing the others to turn and regard their attackers. Kaiser swung his halberd and sliced through three of the creatures, while Emerin leaped into battle with two others. As the fight progressed, Ronan started singing a powerful tune, and his allies felt their energy being renewed. Kaiser's halberd tore through the monsters vigorously, sweeping aside two or three of them with each swing, and green fluids splashed in every direction as the monsters were brutally hacked to pieces.
Emerin parried an attack from the monster on his left, then swung his sword quickly to catch its partner off-guard. The creature's scales deflected the strike when the sword impacted with its neck, but Emerin wasn't finished. He called upon his sword's innate power, and a blue ball of light escaped its blade and flew into the creature's face. The creature was stunned, but it's partner had regained its balance. It lunged at Emerin with its sword outstretched, only to fall to a well-placed arrow in its eye. Emerin smiled as he slashed his sword across the remaining monster's face, putting it down for good.
After a few more monsters had fallen to the group's efforts, there were only five remaining. The five monsters fled from the group, heading toward another large cluster of monsters. Kaiser looked at the mass of enemies and saw Starlen slicing through the beasts with superhuman speed, ducking and rolling occasionally to avoid their own clumsy attacks. Seven guards were with her, including the guard captain, and they fought the cluster from the opposite end. Kaiser wasted no time and charged forward, seeking to aid his sister in the fight. Landin and his two men approached Emerin, and Landin said "The battle is almost won. These creatures are not as strong as they appear to be."
Emerin nodded. Even after he had exhausted all of his spells, these monsters were simply outmatched by the group, mainly due to the blacksmith and his incredible strength. He watched as the last few monsters were quickly disposed of. He turned to Ronan and said "That wasn't so bad." Ronan wasn't paying attention, though, as he was busy examining one of the monsters. "These creatures aren't from around here," he said, looking up at Emerin. "Not from this world, I mean."
Emerin stared at Ronan for a moment before asking "What do you mean?" Ronan looked back down at the monster and answered "These are hellspawn. They're the lowest form of demonic entities. I recognize them from an old book I once read." He kicked the monster's corpse roughly, causing it to roll onto its back. "They don't come over to this side unless someone brings them over," he stated. "So, you're saying that these things were summoned by someone?" Velani asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. Ronan looked at her and said "It's a definite possibility, though I wouldn't rule out a more powerful demon as the reason behind their arrival."
"If these things are demons, then we have nothing to fear from demons," Landin said. Ronan shook his head and said "They're not demons. These are what become of the dead who don't swear allegiance to any god. They are twisted and tortured into blind obedience, then sent into battle as fodder to soften the ranks of their enemies." "That's some book you've read," Emerin said. Ronan smirked and said "Vharaun's Behemoth Bestiary, page twenty-seven."
The group stood for a moment to ponder the situation they had found themselves in. Kaiser returned shortly, along with Starlen and three other people. The three who had joined them were every bit as diverse as the group who went into the forest. One was a large blond man wearing a suit of red armor and carrying a greatsword strapped to his back. The other man was smaller in build and wore fine black clothes. His two short swords were still unsheathed. The third was a blond woman in a white blouse and red skirt carrying a rod in her left hand. Starlen did not look pleased as she glared at the larger man.
"What a pain in the arse this trip turned out to be," the blond woman said. "Oh well, what can I do?" She looked at each of the people standing around her and said "You guys sure can do a lot of damage. Damn." Emerin stared at her and asked "Who exactly are you?" The young woman smiled and said "I'm Miria. I came here looking for an easy way to make money. So far, my luck has been rather poor." She forced out a laugh, but stopped when she noticed no one else was laughing. "Right," the shorter man said. "Well, if introductions are to be in order, then who am I to be so impolite as to refuse?" He dipped into a low bow and said "Jemeniah Tyrdane, at your service. This is my friend and colleague, Garm." "You can just call him Jem," Garm said. "He's a bit long-winded, but he's good at what he does."
After the others had made their introductions, with Starlen still eyeing Garm suspiciously, Landin approached them and said "You have our thanks, brave warriors. Without you, many more could have perished." "I don't suppose a reward is in order?" Ronan asked hopefully. Landin frowned, and Kaiser said "You're lucky you're not being thrown in jail. What you've done in the forest was unforgivable." Ronan rolled his eyes and sighed. "Hey, I helped you out, alright?" he said. "I guess freedom will do for a reward."
Emerin turned to Ronan and asked "What else did you expect? I mean, I've gotten over it, but only because you helped us out." He looked at Starlen and asked "What's the deal with you?" Starlen looked away from Garm, though she glanced back at him occasionally, and asked "What do you mean?" Emerin gestured toward Garm, and Starlen said "Oh, him. He kinda destroyed part of the inn, and guess who had to clean it up." "You attacked me, lady," Garm replied, but he nearly shied away from Starlen when her glare returned tenfold. "You're the ones who chose to make a scene in the first place!" she yelled, and Emerin and the others stood there while she continued to berate him. Finally, Kaiser sighed and said "That's enough bickering, you two." Starlen turned her gaze toward Kaiser, who nodded. She sighed and turned back to Emerin. "Thank you for your help," she said. Emerin shrugged and replied "I was honor-bound to help." He looked over at Ronan and said "We both were."
Suddenly, the group's discussion was interrupted by a loud roar coming from the forest. They turned to see a large horned beast charging from the trees straight for the town. "What in the hells?" Ronan asked. "You've gotta be kidding me," Emerin said. They readied themselves for yet another fight, but were surprised to hear a loud human scream coming from behind them. They turned and saw a young blond man wearing a suit of leather armor running toward them as quickly as he could, screaming furiously and carrying a large warhammer over his head with both hands. They stared as he ran past them, shouting "FEEL THE RIGHTEOUS FURY OF MY HAMMER OF JUSTICE, SPAWN OF EVIL!"
As the others finally caught up to him, the young man noticed them and called out "Hail, friends! What stalwart companions have I found in the righteous quest against evil?!" Kaiser's face scrunched up, and he asked "What are you blabbering about?" The young man grinned wildly and said "I'm blabbering about the great evil that has begun to spread across the land, comrades! Even now, it threatens to plant its sinister seed in the soil of justice! Come friends, let us rejoice in the righteous victory of our kindred spirits against the creepy gardener of villainy!" "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, now," Ronan replied. Garm laughed and said "Well, he did just smash that beast's skull." Ronan sighed and said "Right, well, if you guys want to continue this little group meeting, then go right ahead. I'll be inside the inn, getting a drink or several." He walked off in the direction of the inn. Emerin watched him go before he told the others "After what I've been through recently, I should probably join him." He also left, rubbing his bandaged shoulder. The bandages had almost been soaked through, and he resolved to replace them after a few drinks.
Starlen watched him go for a moment before running after him. "Hey, let me take a look at that shoulder," she said when she caught up to him. He paused for a moment before nodding in acceptance, and Starlen started to unwrap the bandages as they went inside the inn. Kaiser sighed and said "I should get back to the smithy. It's getting late, and I promised my master that I would return before nightfall." He headed back into town, followed by Velani, who asked "So, you're the blacksmith? Do you think you could teach me some of what you do?" He looked back and replied "No." Velani let out a disappointed moan, and she departed for the inn.
Garm and Jem looked at each other and Garm said "We should probably go the inn as well." Can I come with you?" Miria asked them as they turned to depart. Garm shrugged and replied "Why not?" They left, leaving the blond man alone outside. He looked back at the monster he had just killed and grinned before following after the others.
He walked down the stairs just as Mandon was saying "Look boy, Ye be bleeding me inn dry, and it's already morning. Yer friend went to sleep hours ago." Emerin stared at them both when he reached the bottom floor. Ronan was still sitting in the same spot that he was in when Emerin passed out, a pile of mugs to his left and another in his hand. He sighed and said "Very well, I was getting a little bored anyway." He looked over and saw Emerin, and a smirk found its way to his lips. He waved and gestured for Emerin to take a seat beside him, saying "Hey, there's the conquering hero, finally back from drowning in his own vomit. You know, Starlen was rather upset at having to clean it up."
He nodded his head toward the tables on the other side of the lobby where Starlen was busily cleaning them after what seemed to be a busy morning. Emerin walked over to her and said "I apologize for that." Starlen looked up at him, surprised, then smiled and shook her head. "It's part of my job," she told him. "But thanks. You've earned you drinks, so no harm done." "Has your brother told you what happened in the forest?" Emerin asked. Starlen nodded and said "He did." She took the opportunity to glare at Ronan, who smirked at her and took another drink of his mug. She turned back to Emerin and said "You be careful, okay? I don't trust that Ronan, and you probably shouldn't, either." "He did save my life," Emerin replied, remembering the encounter with the hydra and Ronan's last-minute intervention. Still, he wasn't going to trust Ronan. The storyteller seemed a little too willing to work with strangers, not to mention that he was the one who led Emerin into danger to begin with, and he obviously didn't care about the lives of the hunters who were killed as a result of his actions.
Just then, the door flew open, and the young blond man who had helped the group the night before barged in. He grinned when he saw Emerin and strode toward him before saying "Greetings again, comrade! I have come bearing a most urgent message for the righteous heroes and heroines who saved this pure light of justice from the sinister groping hands of evil." He looked at Starlen as if to include her as a recipient of his message. "We are to meet captain Varnam at the town square. He has a request to make of us all."
Emerin's eyes widened as he heard the message. He hadn't been a mercenary for very long, and yet the captain of the guard was asking for him personally. He looked at Starlen, who was equally surprised at hearing the news. Ronan, on the other hand, simply sighed and stood up from his seat at the bar and said "It's about time we were recognized for our efforts, right Em?"
Emerin frowned and asked "Ronan, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" Ronan let out a small chuckle, then addressed the blond man. "Hey, what kind of messenger are you?" he asked. "Leaving out the story's hero like that. You know I'm the important one, right?" The blond man delivered a new message to Ronan, in the form of an angry scowl, and said "Be silent, villain, lest you be crushed under the glorious weight of my hammer of justice!" He then turned back to Emerin and Starlen and said "Come, my friends! We must hurry to the captain's side as soon as we can!"
Emerin stifled a laugh at Ronan's expense, then turned to Starlen and asked "You in?" Starlen thought for a moment and looked at Mandon, who had overheard the message. He smiled and nodded his approval, and Starlen grinned happily as she said "Yes."
Emerin looked around to see if the captain had arrived. He wasn't in the square. Emerin looked back at Garm and asked "Are we early, or what?" Garm just shrugged. It was clear to Emerin that Garm knew about as much as he did about the meeting, which was nothing. Suddenly, an unfamiliar, soft voice interrupted their pondering. "Ah, Bellepoint, the town of memories," the voice said. The Emerin and the others turned around to see a man standing behind them.
He was dressed in a ragged poncho with a frayed hem and faded colors, and an equally worn wide-brimmed hat that covered his eyes as he kept his head low. A soft smile was on his lips as he stood before them. Emerin was completely surprised by his sudden appearance, and a quick glance to his left told him that his companions were all equally alarmed. "W-who are you?" Starlen asked. The man remained silent for a moment before saying "You may call me whatever you wish, but my name is my own and no one else's. I have no quarrel with either of you. I have come simply to extend my best wishes to you on your journey." Emerin's eyes widened in surprise, and he asked "What journey?" The mysterious man replied "What did you think this meeting of yours was about, exactly?" "Maybe a reward?" asked Ronan. The man turned to him and said "Doubtful." Ronan smirked and said "Please, as if you even know." "I know many things," the stranger said. "Such as the fact that you are indeed very lucky to have escaped from your punishment." After he had finished talking, he lifted his head, revealing two clear blue eyes that seemed to glow beneath the shade of his hat, and stared at Starlen. Emerin thought he saw the man's smile grow slightly larger for an instant, but the stranger quickly turned away from them. He began to walk away, but stopped when Kaiser nearly collided with him.
"Sorry," Kaiser began to say before he looked at the man and his good eye widened in surprise. He spent the next moment staring at the man before saying "I remember you." The man said nothing as he walked around Kaiser and continued down the street.
The group stood in silence for a moment, then Ronan said "Well, that was completely random." "What did he mean by 'journey?'" Emerin asked, but the others just shook their heads, every bit as confused as he was. "I think a better question would be 'who is he and why would he walk up to complete strangers and say stuff like that'," Garm replied. "Silly friend," the blond man said. "Those are two questions!" Garm looked at the blond man, his expression telling the others that he wanted to strangle him, but instead asked "Who in the hells are you, anyway?"
The blond man grinned wildly and said "Brian O'Brian, last of the heroic O'Brian clan and latest incarnation of the legendary hero, Brianheart!" Garm's hand immediately jumped up and smacked against his face when he heard Brian's introduction, while Ronan and Kaiser stared and scrunched up their own faces in confusion. Starlen could barely stifle a laugh at their reaction, while Emerin couldn't even do that, and he chuckled as quietly as he could manage. Jem, for his part, remained completely calm, ignoring the reactions of his companions, and said "Well met, Brian. I am certain we will have need of your strength in this apparent adventure of ours."
Brian's grin did not diminish as he replied "Have no fear, comrades, for I am not one to be easily affected by the rancid stench of evil! I shall smash the hordes of darkness with my hammer, and they will know to fear the likes of Brian O'Brian and his heroic companions!" Ronan groaned loudly and said "It's far more likely that we'll be chased out of every town we come to."
Emerin sighed, then his disposition suddenly brightened when he saw captain Varnam, along with Landin, walking up to them. Varnam raised his hand in greeting and said to the group "Thank you all for coming." He was interrupted suddenly by a voice shouting "WAIT!" The group turned to see Velani running toward them. When she reached them, she said "Sorry, I got lost on the way here." "How could you possibly get lost?" Kaiser asked her incredulously. "The square is in the middle of town!" Velani replied "I know, but I got turned around by this one." She pointed behind her, and the group looked in the direction she was pointing toward to see Miria panting and holding her side. She was a fair distance away, and her pace was slow as she limped toward them. When she finally reached them, she said "Too...much...running. Must...not...die from exhaustion." "How far have you been running?" Emerin asked. Velani snorted and said "She ran all the way here from the pavilion." "Wow," Starlen said. "That's not very far at all." "Oh, gimme a break!" Miria said. "I ran farther than that!"
Varnam cleared his throat, and the group's attention returned to him. "Our lord wishes to convey his heartfelt thanks for your efforts in the town's defense. As such, I have been entrusted with this message for you all." "What about a reward?" Ronan asked. "Stop that!" replied Emerin. Varnam frowned, but continued. "Your reward is the chance to prove your worth as agents of Bellepoint."
Velani made a small choking sound at that declaration and asked "Are you serious?!" The others were equally surprised. Becoming an agent of a township was usually reserved for soldiers who had proven both their skills and loyalty to their lord. It was a very esteemed position, and was very rarely given to travelers. The group could hardly believe what they had just heard. "That'll do it," said Ronan, his eyes nearly bursting out of his skull. Varnam sighed and looked at Landin, who shrugged and said "It is our lord's will." Varnam looked back at the group. "I still can scarcely believe that a ragtag band of miscreants and misfits could possibly accomplish what we could not," he said. "Don't worry, captain," Landin replied. "Those two kids make the best duo in town." He pointed at Starlen and Kaiser. After a moment, Varnam finally said "Very well." Landin looked back at the group and smiled.
"This is no time to celebrate, however," the captain declared. "Our lord has a request to make of you all. Landin has told me of the origins of the beasts that attacked us last night. We believe them to be the work of a dark sorcerer." The group traded glances with each other, and Varnam continued. "Your mission is to search for the source of these foul creatures and put a stop to his plans using any methods necessary. We officially recommend that you begin your search in the forest to the east. That is where the monsters came from."
Kaiser's good eye narrowed as he considered going into the forest once more. He was certainly willing to search for the source of those creatures, and, if circumstances permit, his father as well. Starlen looked at him, her expression turning sorrowful. She knew what he wanted. She just didn't think he would find it. She sighed and looked at Emerin. "We should all get ready," she said. "Where do you want to meet up when we're done?" "Why are you asking me?" Emerin asked in response. "Isn't it obvious, Em?" Ronan replied. "You're the group leader." "What?!" Emerin shouted, startled. "That's not exactly what I meant," Starlen added. Ronan shrugged and said "The team needs a leader, and Em is a coolheaded guy, well, most of the time. When it matters, at least." He smirked when Emerin scowled at him in response to his claim. "Yes!" Brian shouted. "We need a leader! Someone who can make all of the right decisions at the right time! Someone who can lead us to glorious evil-smashing!" "If he wants the job, sure," Miria added. "But I don't want it!" Emerin answered. "Em," Ronan said as he threw his arm around Emerin's shoulders. "There are two kinds of people in this world: the leaders and the followers. The other guys and me, well, we're the followers. You know, the people who do the real work behind the scenes. You, on the other hand, are a natural leader. You live to take the blame for our actions, and the glory for our deeds, all while staying behind us and barking orders."
"What happened to you being the hero?" Emerin asked. Ronan smirked and replied "True heroes need no such pressure. It's best for me, and for everyone else, if you become the scapegoat." Starlen shook her head and said "I don't know about this. He clearly doesn't want to lead us." "If we're talking about leaders, I have some experience," Garm said. Ronan shook his head and said "We need someone who will listen to us, someone who can get along with everyone here. Em, like it or not, you're that someone. The kind of attitude that you possess is the kind of attitude that we all lack. I mean, just look at Garm, here." He pointed at Garm, who immediately looked like he was going to strangle Ronan. "He has absolutely no tact. He actually looks for fights wherever he goes. That attitude will get us into trouble. Likewise, Jem is too much of a politically correct pansy, Brian is, well, Brian, Kaiser obviously has too many issues, Velani would never stop talking, though she still doesn't stop talking anyway, Miria would only lead us to the nearest tree before demanding we rest, and we're heading into a forest, and Starlen would just be too distracting."
"What?!" Starlen yelled. "What does that mean?!" "It means that your assets have a very good chance of causing a total defeat. I know I certainly can't keep my eyes off of them." Suddenly, Starlen reacted with a hard slap across Ronan's face, causing him to stumble sideways and yell "Ow!" "You jackass!" Starlen yelled. Emerin had to step between her and Ronan to keep her from tearing him apart. "Ronan, that was exceedingly rude," he said. Ronan massaged his cheek where he had been slapped and replied "Maybe, but it also solidified my case. Starlen is clearly not levelheaded enough to lead us."
"You smartarse son of a-" Emerin started to say, but he stopped and sighed mid sentence. He turned to the others and asked "What does everyone else here think?" The entire group glared furiously at Ronan, but one by one they realized the truth in his words. The group unanimously nominated Emerin as their leader.
"Now that that's decided," Ronan said. "We should come up with a name for our merry band." "How about the Hammering Heroes?!" Brian offered. Ronan looked at him incredulously and replied "No. It has to make sense. It also has to be a name that inspires both respect and fear, a name that traveling storytellers like myself will recall with admiration centuries from now as they tell stories of our exploits." He looked around at the others before saying "We'll call ourselves the Black Legion." Emerin shook his head slowly and said "Ronan, there's no way in the hells we're calling ourselves the Black Legion."
"Speaking of working together," Emerin said, drawing the group's attention to himself. "Why did you want to come along with us, Ronan? You don't strike me as a loyal servant of the law." Ronan sighed and answered "Well, for the money, of course." "But we weren't offered anything," Emerin replied. Ronan shook his head and said "You don't get it, do you? Agents get paid for their work. And when I say paid, I mean thousands of gold pieces per job. We're basically mercenaries who now have a loyal, and rich, customer."
"That's not what the position is about," Starlen said. "Those who become agents of a township have an obligation to serve as well as they can, with whatever methods they deem necessary. The jobs that are given to them are far too dangerous for regular guards, and many groups don't make it back home." "Well, sod this, then!" Miria said. "I'm gonna have to pass on dying, thank you!" "Pfft," Ronan replied. "If I didn't think we had a chance, I would never have joined this team. We can handle whatever the big guys in the fancy courtrooms throw at us."
"Well, okay," Miria replied. "But if things go bad, I'm not sticking around." Emerin looked at her and smiled. "Don't worry," he said. "As the team's leader, I'll die before I'll let anyone else get killed." "Great," Miria replied. "If you die, we'll all know this was a bad idea." "That's what I'm here for, apparently," Emerin said with a sigh. "Wow, Em," Velani said. "You've certainly gotten used to the whole 'leader' thing pretty quickly." "I've just resigned myself to my fate," he replied. "My wonderful, terrible fate." "You're not too bad yet," Miria stated. "At least you're not yelling at everybody all the time." "Maybe he should start," Kaiser said. "We're wasting time with this nonsense."
Ronan threw his arms up and said "Watch out, everyone. We got ourselves a badarse over here." Kaiser stared at him balefully, and Ronan suddenly felt an urge to gulp. "You're right, Kaiser," Emerin said, trying to diffuse the tension. "Will you take the lead with your tracking skills?" Kaiser looked at him and nodded, eager to get started.
"It's about time," Garm said. He and Jem were leaning on a nearby tree, waiting for the others to hurry up. "I was about to fall asleep from all the blabbering." "True heroes do not sleep," said Brian, who had been guarding the group's rear. "When we are not smiting evil in reality, we are smiting it in our dreams!" "Nobody cares about what you do in your dreams, Brian," Ronan replied. Brian gave him a nasty glare and said "No doubt you dream of villainous deeds, vile one!" Ronan turned to Emerin and said "I won't deny that." He smirked yet again when Emerin looked at him and shook his head.
The group continued onward through the forest, following the footprints that the hellspawn had left behind. Kaiser led them cautiously as he examined not only the footprints, but also the trees and dirt around them. He made note of several broken branches that had fallen on the ground and said "These branches are freshly broken."
The group stopped, and Emerin asked "What does that mean?" Kaiser looked at him and stared, but Emerin strangely felt as though Kaiser wasn't looking at him. Finally, Kaiser nodded toward the trees past Emerin and whispered "We've been surrounded."
Starlen rolled her eyes and said "Considering the stunt that you pulled last time you were here, I wouldn't be surprised if you lured another twenty monsters toward us." Ronan looked at her as though he was offended and replied "Madam, you wound me. I have only ever held the best interests of my friends as the highest priority. Well, besides money."
Starlen spun around toward Emerin and asked "Why are we even bringing him along?! He doesn't even care about the town or the people who are affected by the trouble that had occurred last night!" Emerin shook his head. "He's willing to help," he replied. "If he wasn't really interested in what's going on, he wouldn't be here." "That's right," said Ronan. "I'm just a nice enough guy to lend you all a hand, for a not-so-small fee of course." He smirked at Emerin before he started singing. The entire group suddenly felt empowered, and their arms were strengthened considerably.
Suddenly, out of the brush came an uncountable number of forest worgs, each one rushing madly at the group as the entire pack swarmed them from all sides. Miria and Velani immediately moved beside Ronan while the fighters positioned themselves around them. Emerin had already begun casting his armor spell, and he finished just as the worgs reached him. One came at him from his left and another came in from his right, both of their jaws reaching for his throat. He ducked and swung his sword above him, cutting the worg on his right's belly through its rib cage. The beast fell to the ground, dead. The other worg landed after leaping over him, and was immediately shot in the eye by an arrow. It collapsed as Velani readied another arrow and fired into the crowd in front of Kaiser. Kaiser's halberd seemed to dance in the air as he cut through the maddened pack like a farmer harvesting crops. His efforts, along with Velani's, prevented the worgs in front of him from getting within reach of his body.
Starlen had jumped to Brian's aid as he swung his large warhammer with reckless abandon, swatting aside small groups of worgs that had bunched together with each swing. Starlen herself had to dodge his wild swings occasionally as she weaved in and out of the fray between each of his swings, refusing to let the worgs find an opening. Brian spun around and around as he swung his hammer, and the momentum gained from each swing was not lost. He quickly began swinging with incredible speed, and Starlen soon found that she was no longer needed. She looked to the others and noticed that Emerin was fighting a group of the worgs alone. She immediately ran toward him, steering clear of the others as she ran.
Garm and Jem fought independently of the others, using their own well-honed teamwork to cut their way through the pack. Garm swung his greatsword and swept aside one or two worgs with each swing, while Jem snuck in behind his swings and cut down any worg that tried to seize the opening left from such a wide swing. Garm likewise turned and swung his greatsword to protect Jem's exposed back, sending the attacking worgs to the ground in pieces. The two men moved in perfect harmony with each other, both jumping in to cover each other's vulnerable side whenever necessary.
Miria chanted an arcane phrase and extended her rod, and a bright beam of light struck one of the worgs attacking Emerin in the face, leaving its fur scorched and blinding it. She had already started casting another spell as Emerin was joined by Starlen, and the three of them worked to keep the worgs on their side from jumping through to attack the others. Emerin's sword sliced through one worg, while Starlen moved beside him and impaled another worg on her sword by stabbing it through the beast's mouth as it lunged at her. Starlen hoisted the beast's corpse over her head and threw it into the group of worgs that was already moving to replace the first. The beasts tripped and fell over the corpse as it collided with them, and Emerin saw his chance. He spoke a phrase and stretched out his free hand toward the group, and a ball of fire flew from his fingertips to explode as it impacted with the nearest worg. The resulting blast devastated the entire group, and their charred and blackened bodies joined the thrown corpse on the ground.
Miria flicked her rod toward a worg as it rushed toward Brian, and a blue bolt of lightning shot forth from its tip and arced its way through the air toward the beast. As it impacted, the bolt split and sent four smaller bolts toward the nearest worgs. All five beasts were killed instantly with their respective bolts. Brian, seeing that the worgs had all been killed, stopped his rampage and grinned. "Haha!" he yelled. "Naughty spawn of evil! How does it feel to have your foul arses handed to you on a silver platter by the five-star chefs of justice?!"
"Why are you comparing us to food handlers?" Ronan asked, his singing having stopped when the battle was finished. Brian looked at him and said "Because I just worked up an appetite! I'm starving!" Ronan instantly slapped his palm over his face. "It's true that we haven't eaten since morning," Starlen said. "Maybe we should stop and eat some of our rations?" She turned to Emerin, who nodded in agreement. "I think we can all use a break after that fight," he said. "Fine," said Ronan. "But let's not eat here. The smell of burned animal corpses does little for the digestion."
Ronan stared after him and said "I didn't think we were THAT bad." Starlen shook her head and said "That's not what he's doing at all. He's searching for something." Emerin grew curious. He asked "What is he searching for?" "If it's not what we're searching for, then it can wait," Garm said. "We have our own mission to take care of." "Speaking of which," Miria interrupted. "I'd like to know why we're all doing this. I mean, I know I'm in it for the money, but what's your reason?" She looked over at Emerin, who shrugged and said "I'm actually interested in what caused the attack last night. I'd like to stop it, if I can." Starlen nodded and said "This is my home. Kaiser and I will do whatever it takes to protect the people who took us in after what happened in this forest."
Emerin looked at her and asked "What are you talking about?" Starlen sighed wistfully as she gazed through the trees where Kaiser had disappeared and said "It's a long story. It explains why we're so different from everyone else." She looked back at Emerin sadly and said "We're not entirely human, you see. We were born from a union between a human and a demon."
At that point, everyone, including Garm and Jem, was focused on her story. After a short pause, Velani asked "So, you're saying that you're...half-demonic?" Starlen nodded somberly and continued, saying "Our mother was human, but our father was a demon. I don't know how they met, nor how they managed to stay together long enough to have several children, but I know the result was ultimately catastrophic for our family."
She paused and took a deep breath as she braced herself for the next part of her tale. "The night we left this forest and journeyed to Bellepoint is a night that neither of us will ever forget," she said. "Kaiser was unconscious through most of the night, so his memory is more focused on the fight than anything else." "Did your father do something?" Emerin asked. " I don't like to remember it, but yes. He tried to kill us, though I don't know why. Our mother tried to stop him, but he was too strong for a human to stand up to."
She paused again. Emerin could tell that the story she was telling was hard for her to talk about. Her voice was trembling as she continued. "He killed her. He tore off her head in front of us. My brother became very angry, but he couldn't fight our father either. That was the night he lost his hand, his eye, and his heart."
"That's...not what I expected to hear," Miria said. "I'm sorry to have brought back those memories." Starlen shook her head and replied "It's fine. I feel better after talking about it. "One question," Ronan said. "You're saying he lost his hand? He had two hands the last time I saw him." "He lost his left hand, but a group of enchanters came to the town a few days after we did. They...made a new hand to replace the one he lost. I don't really know how they did it, but Kaiser has begun learning to enchant items recently, because he wants to make one of his own."
"So about that 'heart' part, you don't mean his actual heart, do you?" Velani asked. "I'm fairly certain that he would be dead if that was the case," said Ronan. "He's not the same person he used to be," answered Starlen. "He's become colder, more distant from everyone. He never shares his feelings, not even with me. What happened that night has been tearing him apart ever since. He's convinced that finding our father will somehow cause the pain to stop, but I know the truth. It will never stop."
Emerin stared at Starlen as she finished speaking. He knew that she was trying to keep her own sadness and anger from boiling over while she recounted the events that had traumatized her and her brother. She was trying to hide it, but he saw the pain in her eyes, and heard it in her voice. Kaiser wasn't the only one tearing himself apart.