Mavick
Seer
Little Strategist
"The Darkness... It consumes me."
Posts: 208
Etruria Fame: -2
Sacae Fame: 1
Affinity: Dark
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Post by Mavick on Jun 21, 2011 21:43:12 GMT -6
Mavick nodded as Marle descended with some soldiers, and turned to the remaining army. "Three units." he instructed. "One to the left on the village. One to the right. One following the Lance-Captain. Archers in the center of the formations, we don't know if we'll be attacked, or from which side. Go." Mavick ordered, ribbing his pony to get it following after Marle.
Mavick ignored the scenes of carnage around him, approaching Marle. Reaching her, he dismounted his horse. "Lance-Captain?" He asked, looking up to what she was looking at. "...How terrible..." he muttered, diverting his attention from the scene.
'Looking around at the surrounding area, something caught Mavick's attention. He ignored the stranger's announcement, and did not acknowledge that Marle was interrogating him. Mavick wandered a few feet away, and knelt down to touch a bit of ground that he had noticed was different than the rest. "A child lay here..." he muttered, moving on his knees. "And another here... They held eachother." He noted. He then turned his attention elsewhere. "A man stood here." His eyes moved up. "Another man attacked him. Both fell." He stared at the two corpses, and then turned his attention back to the initial clue. "The children crawled away..." He got up and began following the tracks. "One was cut." he noted, looking at a nail filled board on the ground with drying blood, as well as specks of blood that appeared to go in a trail. "They went this way." Mavick got up and began following the blood trail. "Men were fighting here, so they ran the corner!" Mavick's voice got louder, unable to contain himself. "There was no where to hide! But one of the buildings collapsed!" Mavick stopped short of some debris, an angled piece of wood and stone, a corner of a wall, that was caving in on itself. "And that means...!" Mavick tried to peer through the rubble around the wall, and saw a trace of cloth.
"Lance-Captain!" Mavick shouted. "Over here!" Mavick tried to clear the rubble, but of course lacked the needed strength. "Damn it!" he muttered, reaching into his satchel for his tome. Opening the book, the runes began to glow. "Steigen aus dem Nichts, stromen durch diese sterblichen ort!" Mavick commanded, his voice resonating from the power of magic that coursed through his body. As shadows began to wreath from beneath his own feet, Mavick used his free hand to point to the rubble. The dark magic snaked towards the rubble and gathered under the wall, and with a rising motion of Mavicks arm, it pushed the wall up and off the two children. Closing his tome, Mavick rushed to them, and touched one's neck. "Still alive. Just asleep, or perhaps unconcious."
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Jun 21, 2011 22:22:26 GMT -6
Garnet was fortunate, it seemed. A young brunette woman with the clear ring of command carrying in her voice came towards him. She was wearing more armor than he'd ever care to wear, he noted.
The armored man watched as the woman's breath misted out. Her questions weren't unsuitable. In fact they were more charitable than he'd expected of the mercenaries of the north. He couldn't help but cock his head sidelong at her comment, and give her a half grin. He wasn't sure what to think of that response, but it wasn't like he was unused to such posturing. Especially when it was likely true. He doubted he'd even be able to make much dent in this troop if he wanted to fight.
Information was power, or so they said. Garnet had none. Not at this point, but the leader who was present seemed willing to speak to him, rather than gut him. That was what allowed his body to relax, even with the two swordsmen flanking her.
"I'll take that to mean that I'm probably going to live after all." He commented back, responding in kind. "My name is Garnet. I've been hunting a group of Etrurians headed north, for some time now." His eyes grew sober, though he was still a wary of believing his life was free of imminent danger.
"I arrived here about four hours ago. Tracks of a decent sized group were still fresh at the time, but there was no way I'd follow them that close in broad daylight.... I've been... gathering the bodies in a building a few blocks away." The swordsman's eyes hardened at the memory of what he'd seen here. This was the work of zealots, or someone as fanatical about killing as they were.
Garnet heard a young lad call out from a distance away, and his head snapped in that direction, though he made a conscious effort to remain still. Two swords were not the sort of close companions he desired.
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Marle Daviau
General
The Lance of the North
One word of encouragement, One person believing in me, It's all I need to become stronger.
Posts: 436
Illia Fame: 2
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Marle
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Post by Marle Daviau on Jun 21, 2011 22:41:07 GMT -6
Garnet wasn't the only one to relax his stance. Marle followed suit as she listened to him, but still, she was unsure of him. A little odd a man from a distant country would be this far out of the way. His story might be true, but she had not seen any signs of men since they had left the city. Marle eyed the two men on her flanks, and she rose a hand, and then lowered it, signalling for them to sheath their blades. Stubbornly, they did so, and parted ways from the Knight and the Hero.
"We have had no reports of any other living being, that is human, of course, come this way....Garnet."
She hesitated a little by calling him on his name, not sure to add an honorific or not. His armor seemed crafted well, but he did not look the type to be of nobility, no more than she did. Turning a bit, she looked around, and then made note of the bodies he was trying to see to, and with a bob of her head in sadness, she gave a light sigh.
"I see...well...thank you for what you have done. THese lands are not safe anymore. Bandits and worse wander the forests, preying on the weak such as these. It has to end. Ilia does not need a Bandit War on its hands...not with Bern."
She gave a light curse, but was quickly silenced by Mavick's call. The boy was known for being silent, and tactful with what he had to say, he would not call out for no reason. With this in mind, Marle charged off with amazing speed for her heavy armored self, darting around rubble and corpses both, to where Mavick was, having just moved the wall, not witnessing the magic, though seeing the closing of his tome. Others had come as well, to see what was going on.
Looking for herself, Marle's eyes seemed to be one of supreme relief at hearing there was life in them still, turning her head, she called back.
"Healers! Healers here, quickly!"
With the call gone out, it didn't take long for them to rush through the packed snow, seemingly tripping over the robes they wore, carrying those heavy staves. Two Clerics, one blonde, one red headed, pushed in beside Mavick, as two soldiers tended to the children by pulling them free of the Rubble.
Marle placed a hand on Mavick's shoulder, her grip was tighter than it should, showing how relieved she was at hearing there were some still alive.
"Well done Mavick, thank you."
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Jun 22, 2011 0:29:20 GMT -6
That was an interesting phrase she'd used. Making a point to use the word "human".... Was she aware of something else? Elias and he, along with several other people had fought against a pack of doom wolves in southern Etruria. He wondered if that was what she'd meant.
At least she'd "called off her dogs". The two swordsman didn't look overly pleased as they left, but they did so.
As she rushed off to see what the lad was calling about, Garnet followed, though he stayed back a bit. Where else was he supposed to go?
It seemed that, against the odds, a pair of children had survived. Small victories. The rest of the village was in shambles. Still, this was worth celebrating.
There was still the matter of the band of soldiers he'd been following to inform them of though.
...How old was that midget kid, anyway?
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Mavick
Seer
Little Strategist
"The Darkness... It consumes me."
Posts: 208
Etruria Fame: -2
Sacae Fame: 1
Affinity: Dark
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Post by Mavick on Jun 22, 2011 5:26:47 GMT -6
Mavick sighed and nodded. "Thank you, Lance-Captain." he replied. Well, elder magic actually did something besides blow brains out. Put that one down in the books. Topping that, Mavick actually did something selfless, proving that maybe he wasn't a completely heartless ass. Maybe.
"So, who is our new friend?" The short tactician asked, looking up at Garnet. Mavick was annoyed, having gotten a little used to being around people not quite so tall, and now here he was straining his neck again. Though he'd measured recently, and he'd grown three inches to a proud 5'1. Looks like that growth spurt was finally kicking in.
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Marle Daviau
General
The Lance of the North
One word of encouragement, One person believing in me, It's all I need to become stronger.
Posts: 436
Illia Fame: 2
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Marle
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Post by Marle Daviau on Jun 22, 2011 20:12:12 GMT -6
A gloved hand was raised to her forehead as sweat had started to accumulate from all of the fires still blazing. The area was a hot spot for the time being. Everywhere, soldiers were piling bodies into buildings much like Garnet had. It was best to burn them this way, because the ground was far too hard to dig into, and the fact that there was no time also didn’t help.
Marle’s eyes traveled from the children that were being taken away to a temporary tent that had been set up to care for them, and then back to Mavick, hearing the question he raised. With a blink, Marle rose a bit in stature, and extended her hand towards Garnet.
“This is Garnet, he claims he has been tracking…hunting…Eturians which had been traveling north.”
Marle finished with a small shrug of her shoulders, it was a sort of non-committal motion, really not sure if she believed him or not. Moving her hand now towards Mavick, as she prepared to introduce him for the wandering Mercenary.
“And this is Mavick, my…book keeper…”
In a way, he was, he could answer more fully about his roles if he cared to.
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Jun 22, 2011 21:37:47 GMT -6
Claims... Bah. Garnet wasn't glad that she had dismissed his word so quickly. Not that he appeared outstandingly trustworthy, with the way he'd become a bit bedraggled over the trip north.
"It's true Captain. The Prophet is doing something here." The swordsman gave a stern look to the pair as he spoke. He only wished he had more to back it up with than words now. "I encountered three spell slingers in the colors of Etruria at a village near the border. There was word of others having already come north as well. I don't know the purpose."
The hero acknowledged the young man with a nod. So, this Mavick was her book keeper. Garnet gave him a measured eye. Short in stature, but there was something about him that seemed older. His eyes. That was it. They seemed to contain... well, more.
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Mavick
Seer
Little Strategist
"The Darkness... It consumes me."
Posts: 208
Etruria Fame: -2
Sacae Fame: 1
Affinity: Dark
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Post by Mavick on Jun 25, 2011 4:56:01 GMT -6
Mavick tucked his Flux tome away in his satchel as Garnet explained his being here. On the issue of being addressed by a book keeper, he really had nothing to comment. You could call it whatever you want. Book keeper, staff officer, secretary, it was all pretty much the same thing, and Mavick enjoyed it one way or the other.
"You can't really prove you're telling the truth, you know." Mavick pointed out. "Then again, you don't look like an Erturian soldier or a bandit, and neither would be caught dead alone out here..." Mavick absently raised his right hand and bit the side of his index finger as he thought. "...What do you say, Lance-Captain?" he finally asked, looking to Marle.
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Marle Daviau
General
The Lance of the North
One word of encouragement, One person believing in me, It's all I need to become stronger.
Posts: 436
Illia Fame: 2
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Marle
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Post by Marle Daviau on Jun 26, 2011 20:25:12 GMT -6
Marle flashed Garnet a look, one that appeared to be weighing his character. She didn't have anything to say just yet, but her gaze slipped back to Mavick, and then she turned away for a moment, bouncing her lance in her grip, deciding. So it was left to her, huh? She couldn't go north for the claims that he gave, they were north enough already as is.
"I am well aware of the Eturian presence here in Ilia, Garnet. I fought a man using Dark Magic..." Marle stopped, and looked back at Mavick before correcting herself "Elder magic, rather. He was here inciting the barbarians along the mountains bordering Ilia and Eturia. I do not discount your claims that they ware this far east as well, they are everywhere."
With a sigh, Marle rubbed at the bridge of her nose, as if a headache was resurfacing, but all of this just made her head hurt. Things were far too complicated.
"...I'm going to trust this man's information, because it would seem his is more reliable than what I have gathered. If there are more north of here, it'd be a safe thing to check. We have come west...the orders did not say how far, or north or south...bloody command.."
Marle turned back fully, and threw her lance back in the sling on her back, right next to the ornate looking Dragonspear.
"You will have to lead us, Sir...and I hope our numbers are sufficient."
This was the first stop to receive more troops. Hopefully this wasn't a major incursion.
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Jun 26, 2011 23:09:55 GMT -6
"Well, I'm glad we've cleared up who I'm not in such a rational way." Garnet said flatly towards Mavick. One corner of his mouth turned upwards in a slight grin.
Hearing the woman explain about the Etrurians inciting the bandits explained a few things. Not a question he'd been desperate to have answered, but another piece of a puzzle, all the same.
So, they'd been ordered west? With no more direction than that? No actual location? No North or South? These people were far more loyal to their command than he'd ever been to his guards. Things had always been planned out to the last detail in special operations that he was involved in, with contingency plans on top of contingencies. The group had been well enough trained to remember the plan too. Rarely had they had to deal with something beyond the scope of their preparations. Of course, sometimes they had bitten off more than they could chew....
Shamans...damn. Dark users had never sat well with the redhead. Not since the trouble maker his uncle had dealt with years before. Still, not all of them were worthy of disparaging. That blond-haired girl he'd met before hadn't been the bad sort. He felt more uncomfortable around fire magic these days, despite having a good friend who was a mage.
"Garnet's fine, Ma'am. There are rumors along the mountains to the south of increased bandit activity in Illia. I don't believe that's what I've been chasing though. I'm sorry. I've not actually managed to lay eyes on them yet."
Garnet sighed, gathering whatever information he could remember.
"I'll lead you as best I can, but I'm sure that you've got better trackers than me among your forces. I'm expecting them to be made up of zealots. Small enough to move quickly, but large enough to be able to make an effect....
The hero looked up as the village suddenly fell under shadow. A large storm cloud was hanging directly over the town. It seemed to fit the ruination rather well. Too well, the swordsman thought. He felt the bottom of his coat suddenly tugged aside as a cold wind hit him, chilling his face even more. Small whirlwinds of snow and ash picked up in the devastated roads of the town, winds howling around the corners. It could almost sound like a keening mournful moan for those who'd died here, if it wasn't for the disturbing tint cast by the clouds above them.
A storm.... The hero wouldn't try and dissuade pursuit, despite wishing he had a clearer idea of the troops they were chasing, but he wished that the storm hadn't hit them right then. There were still bodies to deal with, and this would only make hunting the Etrurians harder.
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Marle Daviau
General
The Lance of the North
One word of encouragement, One person believing in me, It's all I need to become stronger.
Posts: 436
Illia Fame: 2
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Marle
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Post by Marle Daviau on Jun 29, 2011 21:53:04 GMT -6
Marle noticed the storm coming as well, and she didn't look none too pleased about it. With a grumble, she tapped the point of her spear into the ground, striking something metal under the snow, as it rang, but she didn't bother to see what it was. Instead, she gave a sigh, and noticed as work to see to the bodies had stopped. As much as it pained her, she waved them off, to which her liutenants spread the word as she called it.
"Stop what you are doing. A storm is coming, finish up what you can, but only that. Set what you can ablaze, from the snow and ice were we forged in these cold lands, and so to we return."
Marle tried to dress it up as best as she could, but there was no time to bury the dead, the ground was to hard, and there was not enough spare wood to burn them all. It would take far too long to gather the bodies all up, and to burn them all collectively as well. This storm was fast approaching, and ground needed to be made before the trail disappeared.
"If you can show us where you were following them to, my scouts can pick up the slack, that's all I ask, before this storm obscures all chance for us."
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Jun 30, 2011 1:42:33 GMT -6
Garnet grimaced. This storm wouldn't be fun. In fact, it looked like it was on its way to becoming the worst storm he'd ever experienced. At least, if the strange hue of the clouds above had anything to add to the situation.
"Right....Dust to dust, ash to ash, and there's some butchers to kill." Garnet wasn't happy to be departing. Just leaving the townspeople's remains to the elements didn't suit the hero, but there wasn't time to delay, according to the Captain. Normally, he would have liked to have a short discussion, asked a few questions of her, and shared a bit about himself. It was something to build rapport with people that didn't know or otherwise trust him, but once again, time wasn't in a sharing mood. There was no time to spare.
"Alright, let's go then." The Hero started heading back through the center of town, bodies still littering the the path. As they passed he glimpsed the woman pinned to the door, her limbs still splayed lifelessly over the wooden frame. Who would have done this? Taken the time to cause so much suffering?
Garnet turned away from the woman pinned to the door, feeling a bit queasy again, when something struck him as odd. The bodies in the street ahead of them... Hadn't most of them been face up a moment ago? Now they were face down. The swordsman was honestly starting to wonder if he was losing his mind.
And that... It was difficult to make out, due to all the white, but it looked almost like a the trails that moles left around the gardens in his home, except it in snow? How had that formed?
A knocking sounded from behind them, and the red-headed hero turned just in time to see the woman pinned to the door surge off of it, leaving the spikes behind, and come at them with slow but purposeful stumbling stride. Her wide eyes, permanently open for lack of eyelids showed little emotion except for the horrible snarl that was painted across her face.
New to the army or not, Garnet's sword was not staying in its sheath. He ripped his worn slimsword from the sheath hanging at his side in a practiced motion and angled it towards the shambling corpse. Disgust and fear was apparent on his face. He about jumped out of his skin when the bluish tinted arms of yet more walking corpses burst from the snow near Himself, the Captain, and Mavick.
All remembrance of the news of walking horrors in Ostia was driven completely out of the swordsman's mind as he hacked off one of the arms reaching for him
---- Around the town
Cries of alarm and fear rang out through out the town as the bodies which the Lance-Captain's soldiers were trying to lay to rest, suddenly began trying to pull their benefactors into the eternal rest. The soldiers who pulled their weapons would note the disadvantage of fighting a foe who feels no pain, no fear, and no mercy.
Outside the town, peels of unearthly wolf howls could be heard competing with the strengthening winds. Red-eyed doom wolves fell on the outside parties, their thick grey fur just beginning to flake off. What was left behind was a tough, almost leathery skin, which was seemed to repel blades and flames. With a vengeance did the creatures tear at anyone who they spotted, charging in, even against impossible odds.
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Mavick
Seer
Little Strategist
"The Darkness... It consumes me."
Posts: 208
Etruria Fame: -2
Sacae Fame: 1
Affinity: Dark
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Post by Mavick on Jun 30, 2011 18:56:42 GMT -6
Mavick had never been very religious, but at the least he spared the people a short prayer. It was a shame, they did not even have time to bury the dead. "Alright then. Lets get on with it." Mavick suggested, turning his back from the door. He quickly wished he hadn't. He turned around in a fright as the woman pulled herself off the door, watching on in horror as even more of the dead joined her.
"No..." Mavick muttered, looking around in horror, barely able to reach for his tome. "No! Not this again! Anything but this, please!" he pleaded to the powers that be, not giving half a damn about who heard him. He'd been there in Ostia. He'd watched people he'd known his entire life as they rose from the dead like these monstrosities. "It's just like Ostia..."
Mavick opened his tome, and raised his hand. "Steigen aus dem Nichts, stromen durch diese sterblichen ort!" he commanded, his voice booming, the magic laced into every word making it sound as if it were more than one person speaking. The darkness slithered across the ground at a frighteningly quick rate, bursting up like a spiked tendril to impale the undead womap through her stomache, quickly flowing back into the ground.
"I'm not going to let this happen again!" Mavick roared. "Not a second time! I'll put every last one of you in your graves!" He thrust his arm out, the darkness following his motions like a marrionette, wrapping around a zombie from toe to head. Mavick made a tight fist, and in return, the darkness crushed the poor figure. Pure hate had never been so well expressed than by the look on Mavick's face at that instance.
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Marle Daviau
General
The Lance of the North
One word of encouragement, One person believing in me, It's all I need to become stronger.
Posts: 436
Illia Fame: 2
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Marle
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Post by Marle Daviau on Jun 30, 2011 21:42:00 GMT -6
Marle, and her men were taken off guard entirely. Those who were held in reserve were not at the forefront of the combat, trying their best to fight off this new kind of enemy. Everywhere, swords rang metal with bone and flesh, and screams filled the already dead village. Men were dying, and healers were doing their best to do what they could. Marle had no mages save for Mavick, and it seemed, from what she was watching around her, that man made weapons could only do so much.
Marle's eyes in the meantime, went wide in fright as the woman came off the door, a sickening sight that was, as Garnet cut off her arm, and Mavick impaled the...corpse. Not standing around, Marle lept into the fray, though her legs felt like iron, heavy, and not wanting to budge. Infront of her, another corpse was rising from the ground where she had passed before, taking it's time to rise to it's feet, Marle wouldn't wait for it to do so.
As it was just about to stand straight, Marle gave a yell, and rose her Lance up, and shoved it down into it's back. The steel tip pierced easily enough, but the cross-guard on her lance caught into the zombie's back, and pushed it back down to the ground. She had hit it in the heart, but it was still alive...this was preposterous! Twisting the blade, the creature gave a groan, but it reached out, and grabbed her leg, pulling at her, until she fought back, wrenching her foot away from it's sharp nails that scratched her armor.
"How do you kill these things!? What the hell are they?"
Marle instead, decided to step on it's back, to hold it down, though difficult as it was, and she rapidly stabbed down at it with her lance, piercing it over and over again, trying to kill what was already dead. After striking it in the back of the neck, the creature just seemed to stop, but she continued for a few more times, just incase, and then stepped back. it was a mess, and the sight of what she did made her sick
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Jul 1, 2011 0:52:25 GMT -6
The initial shock of the nightmare creatures passed for Garnet, even if the horror didn't. Seeing that his slim weapon wasn't much use in actually killing the creatures (if they were even to be considered), he slipped it back in its sheath, and drew out his heavy bladed two-hander.
Another corpse walked his way, as he turned his back towards the Captain. She was an officer. She could look after herself, and could watch his back while he dealt with the others approaching him. That book keeper kid, meanwhile, was their foes with... a book. No wonder he was the book keeper! He seemed a touch unstable right now though..... As did the Captain. As did he himself, and everyone he could see that wasn't a shambling mess of animated sinews and flesh.
As the walking dead reached him, Garnet stepped in and followed through with a heavy swing. The body crunched on the impact, frozen blood splattering out of it. It fell, nearly bisected, but continued crawling on towards the hero until he brought his weapon down and gashed the body from the top of the head to the large cut across the stomach he'd made. It was too much. The body simply didn't have enough fortitude to move effectively anymore, and it stopped moving shortly afterwards.
The red-head turned and saw the young Captain had finished aerating the corpse that had been near her.
"Unfriendly. And, I'd say that one's holey." The swordsman quipped, despite the gravity of the situation.
"Rumors of similar encounters have been heard near Ostia at the time of its fall. I don't know of the truth of those statements though."
The hero looked hard down at the creature the armored knight had slain. For the moment there was a respite, but more creatures could be heard moaning throughout the tow, and yet more fighting could be heard. The howls of doom wolves mixing into the fray sent a shiver down the swordsman's spine. Those he'd heard before.
"I hope your soldiers have hearts of steel, Captain." The swordsman said after a moment. how large was this town, anyway? How large was her force? How were they supposed to fight things which simply refused to die? The hero merely waited to hear from the others, resting the tip of his blade in the snow, and trying to keep down the bile.
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