Graveyard Stuffers (PM for entry)

[Colchys]

Colchys didn’t know how she felt delving into the depths of a long-abandoned tomb. Revenants she could deal with, but there was something that felt wrong about plundering the abodes of the dead. Even if it was at the family’s request, she couldn’t help but feel her skin crawl. Her sword drawn and a torch in her left hand, she continued her descent.

Memories of her own family tomb and her long-revered ancestors swelled up in her as she walked along the grave. Lycian tombs were much different than Ilian ones, but the two showed similar regard for their departed – Colchys knew how it felt. She’d lost too many of her own to…

She heard bones creak. This was not the time for reminiscence.

The mercenary spun around to see a bonewalker. A forward jab and the creature was history, not even getting time to strike. But where there was one bonewalker, there were always more close by – among the lowest of the dead, they were only a threat in numbers. A near-miss with an axe confirmed this; Colchys found herself sprawled on the floor, the torch inches from her and another skeleton about to strike above her.

She didn’t miss a beat. Colchys tackled the skeleton onto the floor and scattered its parts. The metal axe fell with a clang – she picked up her sword and tensed it, looking back and forth for more. Sure enough, she saw two coming from the darkness outside the torchlight.

“Come on.” she said, her mouth twisted in a snarl. “Come on, you!”

The skeletons seemed to acquiesce, and rushed at her. Colchys jumped back and narrowly avoided the first blow, and then struck back by jabbing her sword through the attacking skeleton. The other one swung and she parried its sword with hers; she won the ensuing contest of strength easily, and hacked the creature to bits.

It unnerved her that despite all this time training and fighting in wars, a few weak skeletons could have killed her were she a little less fortunate. Colchys rubbed her forehead. Such was life as a mercenary…

[Fargus]

Fargus slowly shifted his way through the graveyard. He knew it brought back too many painful memories of his diseased mother and father. He slowly felt his bow on his back as he sighed. Such was his luck, having lost the people he loved to foul creatures such as-

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he saw a bonewalker in the distance, nocking an arrow on its bow that it gripped with its bony fingers. Fargus saw that it was pointed at a female swordsman. Out of instincts, Fargus slowly pulled out his own bow and nocked an arrow. See how the Bonewalker didn't see him, Fargus used the opportunity to ambush the Bonewalker. He fired his arrow at the Bonewalker, hitting it in the skull, making the Bonewalker collapse in a pile of bones. He then nocked another arrow on his bow and fired on another of the Bonewalkers that was heading for the female swordsman. The arrow nearly missed the Bonewalker, but it drew the creatures attention as it changed course and headed towards Fargus. He quickly nocked another arrow on his bow and fired again, this time hitting the creature in the skull as it too collapsed in a pile of bones from the impact.

Hey! Thought you'd need a little help with these menaces, Names Fargus, just tell me where to shoot and I'll take these creatures down!"Fargus yelled out to the swords woman. He then nocked another arrow on his bow and looked around with his good eye, daring the creatures to get close...close enough for him to strike them down with a barrage of arrows.

[Colchys]

Colchys felt shock, then relief. If it hadn’t been for his timely intervention, she would have been bleeding out on the ground by now.

“Fargus, is it?” Colchys said. She tried to look stoic, but a small smile on her face betrayed relief. “Thank you for saving me. I do need some help, and you’re welcome to aid - ”

She twirled around. There wasn’t time to speak – another bonewalker was shambling towards her. She strode towards it and felled it with a slash of her sword. Dust kicked up as it fell to the ground, a mess of bones. Another stepped out of the corner and nearly hit her in the side with its mace. She stumbled in time to dodge it, then jumped up and skewered the creature’s torso.
Colchys pulled her sword out of the motionless corpse. She surveyed the surroundings for more enemies, and then sheathed her sword when she saw no more.

“I was hired to clear this place from the evils that plague it. I suppose you were too?” She tilted her head. “Or perhaps your presence is for less than noble reasons.” Grave-robbing was, sadly, a common sight nowadays. Respect for the dead tended to dwindle when they rose from their resting places and started stabbing people.

“Then again,” she added, “it’s not my place to assume the worst of the man who saved my life.”

Her thoughts were interrupted by a bonewalker behind Fargus, pointing a rusted bow at the archer. “Behind you!” she yelled, pointing at the skeleton.

[Fargus]

Fargus turned around when he heard the female swordsman yell out “Behind you!” in time to see a Bonewalker fire an arrow at Fargus. He gets hit in the shoulder and gets sent on his back. D-Dammit" Fargus sputtered out as he tried to quickly get back up. He nocked an arrow on his bow and fired it at the bonewalker in haste, only for it to soar right above the bonewalker.

Fargus nocked another arrow on his bow and nervously glared at the bonewalker. He fired again only for it to sail past it again to the left. "Dammit! I've got to hit that thing..." Fargus said as he nocked another arrow on his bow. He looked up in time to see the bonewalker nock another arrow on its bow and fired at Fargus. It hit the ground in front of Fargus, but he could see another bonewalker, this time with an axe walking toward Fargus. He fired at the bonewalker with the bow for it to scrape it on the side, but it only nocked another arrow and fired at Fargus. It hit Fargus in the shoulder again as the axe-wielding bonewalker continued to walk up to Fargus undeterred.

Fargus nervously looked at the female swordsman, then looked at the bonewalker with the axe. "Umm...I can tell you things later...for now, we've got some monsters to take care of. I'll try and take down the archer if you'll protect me from any bonewalkers that might get too close, alright?" Fargus said, hoping that his words reached her.

[Colchys]

“Sounds like a plan!”

Colchys lunged forward and caught the skeleton by its ribcage, impaling it on her sword. She slid her sword back into its sheath. Jumping back, she grabbed Fargus by his shoulders and hoisted him up. The suddenness of her movements would probably hurt his arm, but it was better than being dead.

Her mind raced. Already, he’d given a less than flattering impression of himself – but bad help was better than no help. As she ruminated on Fargus’ relative intelligence, she felt an arrow whiz past her left ear. There was still the matter of the other skeleton to take care of.

“Can you take care of it from here?” she said, still holding the archer steady.

[Fargus]

Fargus nodded as he got up with the aid of the female swordsman. "Y-yeah, I think I can"he said as he nocked an arrow only to quickly grip his shoulder. Damn those monsters...if it wasn't for them, I could find the answers that I needed and have been out of here by now...he thought to himself. He fired his arrow and it whizzed right at the bow wielding bonewalker. The bonewalker got hit in the torso area, but it still nocked an arrow and fired. Its shot missed as it sailed to the left of Fargus.

He fired another arrow at the bow bonewalker, but only for it to fly to its left. Fargus moved to the left and nocked another arrow. If I can keep the attention of that bonewalker on me, then I can still take it out easily and without the having it hit whoever she is...I just need to watch my sides for any other monsters that might be out here... he thought as he then fired his arrow, hitting the bonewalker in the torso again.

The bonewalker still nocked another arrow on its bow and pointed it at Fargus. It fired and hit the ground in front of Fargus. Fargus nocked an arrow on his bow and pointed it at the bow bonewalker. Then he saw another bonewalker, this one with a lance walking past it, heading to the female swordsman. Fargus quickly nocked another arrow and fired only to hit it in the torso. Unfazed however, the lance bonewalker continued to walk to the female swordsman. Fargus then looked back and saw another bonewalker with a sword behind the female swordsman. "Watch out, enemy behind you!" he shouted out to her, hoping that she heard him. He knew that she might be over her head with multiple bonewalkers heading toward her. He just hoped that she could handle them while he continued to distract the bow wielding bonewalker.

[Colchys]

Colchys cursed as she spun around to face the skeleton. It was holding a lance in one hand – lances. What did her teacher tell me about lances again?

Unfazed, she charged forward with her sword drawn. The two of them struck at the same time – the skeleton jabbing her side with its lance, and her decapitating the monster with a swing of her sword. The familiar crack of bones against the stone floor rang out across the tomb.

Colchys didn’t mind the wound blossoming with blood at her side. She ran past the archer, yelling a “Watch out!” passing by, and pointed her sword at the bow-and-arrow bonewalker. He evidently wasn’t going to be enough help in this situation, so it looked like it was up to her to dispatch of the creature.

The bonewalker fired two arrows in her direction, one of which nearly pierced her leather armor at the side. She was getting sloppy, and it might have cost her life. Blood trickled down to the ground from the wound at her side as she took a step and, grunting in pain while twisting her wound, impaled the archer.

Both threats neutralized, she got down on one knee and grasped at her side.

[Fargus]

Fargus breathed a sigh of relief after he saw the female Swordsman take out the bonewalkers. Damn, theres no way I'll be able to protect others if I keep fighting like this in the future...he thought. He then got down on a knee and breathed heavily. Seeing how there wern't anymore threats at the moment, he sighed and then said "As I said, you wanted to know my reasons for being here? Well...its a long story"

He lowered his bow on the ground as he continued to kneel. "You see...I'm searching for clues to...something that my father told me right before..."he paused, knowing all too well the pain that he felt. Or it could be the pain he felt from the battle. He wasn't sure. "Anyways, I'm searching for clues for what my father said to me. It's something that was said to protect me."he said as he sighed.

He then stood up. "I'm not sure if you believe me or not...I can tell you this much: I'm not a grave robber if you were wondering. I honestly have no interest in what these graves hold...especially if the have bonewalkers..." he said with a sigh. He then looked at the female Swordsman. "I...have my reasons for finding the clues for what I'm searching for...I'm not sure if their somewhere around here or not. If they are, then I'll be another step closer to finding what I need. If not, then I at least know that it's not here"he said, trying force a smile despite him being exhausted.

[Colchys]

Colchys smiled. "I apologize for my remark. I've no right to presume the worst of the man that saved my life." He did, after all, do just that - no matter what his other flaws were, she owed him that much, at least. Still, he was clearly green around the edges, or at least that was the general impression she had gotten from him.

"As long as your clues aren't anything owned by the family here, I suppose we can come at an understanding." She stretched her arm out and offered to keep him stable, holding her sword in her other hand just in case. "Let's search...friend."

She ambled through the graves, her sword swinging in the air. "This tomb reminds me so much of my family's own...I suppose we aren't so different in that regard."

[Fargus]

Fargus smiled. He knew that the female swordsman felt the same pain he did. "I see...perhaps so..."he said. He then took her arm and stood up weakly. He weakly strapped his bow back to his back and looked around. He knew that there had to be a clue somewhere. "Trust me...disturbing someones tomb is the last thing I'm going to do, in fact, I'd rather not do that at all if possible. I know that..." he then paused. He then spoke with slightly more confidence. "I know that there are loved ones who wouldn't be happy to find the tombs of those they lost disturbed by anyone..." Fargus then sighed and frowned. "It just makes me sad...sad and angry at the same time that now monsters like those bonewalkers roam places such as this. No one can come and pay respects to the people they lost..." He then smiled again. "Though it also makes me happy to know that there are still good people out there to stop monsters such as those things. Thank you for your help...I'm certain we'll find whatever clues that might be here if we search...together." he said with a smile.

He then looked at the female swordsman. He then quietly unstrapped his bow again. He spotted yet another bonewalker behind her, axe raised above its head. "Heads up!" Fargus yelled as he quickly nocked an arrow on his bow and fired. The arrow hit the axe wielding bonewalker on the torso, causing it to stumble back, but it still rose its axe in its attempt to strike the female swordsman.

[Colchys]

Colchys moved in a blur and sliced the bonewalker clean in two. "There's no end to these damned things, is there?" she spat, kneeling down a few feet away from the downed monster.

The wound now dripped at her side, and the adrenaline rush had given way to the familiar searing pain. Colchys took a vulnerary from her backpack and applied it to her side, her blank expression not betraying gritted teeth. She'd never get used to the strange, hissing feeling of the salve against her skin.

The swordswoman stood up. "Funny you should bring up visitation rights, because that's the reason I'm here." she said. "The family this crypt belongs to hired me to take care of this business. I'm not the saint you think I am, sadly."

It was never enough to buy as much as she wanted, though. Colchys cursed in her mind.

[Fargus]

Fargus shrugged when he heard what the swordswoman said. "Well...I still think you did a very good thing, you could have just as easily said no to the family in dealing with the threat here." He then looked around and saw no other bonewalkers in the area. "Well...I think the area should be cleared, at least for a long time. I don't think the monsters should be disturbing the place any longer" he said.

He then frowned. "Though I hate to say it, but I don't think the clue that I'm looking for is around here...but I'm sure that it's somewhere..." Fargus then sighed. He knew that what he was looking for was very important to him. He knew that his father wouldn't have told him what he said as he died without a good reason. "But maybe...there would be another place I can look..." he said with a smile.

He looked up at the swordswoman. He could tell that she had a really hard life as well. But he knew that she looked strong. He then sighed and looked at his bow still clutched in his hand. "I just kinda wish I was a little stronger...I mean, yeah what I did like you said saved your life, but I still feel that I need to get stronger. Granted, I have only one eye to aim with, but thats just the reason why I need to get stronger, I can't, ney, I won't let this be the sole reason why I'm weak... He said. He then smiled. He knew that he could get stronger one day. If he had to, he would lay down his own life so no one would endure the pain that he felt, physically and emotionally.

He then looked at the swordswoman. "So...since the place is cleared out, where do you plan on going or plan on doing at this point?" he asked.

[Colchys]

“Right now? I don’t know. Probably another job, I guess.”

The swordswoman asked herself whether or not it was worth it to ask the boy about whatever secret he was looking for. She didn’t want to be rude, and it was honestly none of her business – but the way he kept bringing it up made her think he wanted her to ask him.

It probably had something to do with that eye of his. She was surprised he could even hit a single target with that patch on his face. He was obviously far too weak to be risking his life like this; not that he might have had a choice, she reflected.

She felt a pang of pity in her heart. He reminded her of some of the people she’d met along her travels – Mary, especially, the young pupil she’d fought alongside as a beginner. She could still remember that awful day when they were caught by surprise, and only she’d made it out…

Colchys stepped back. “I’m coming with you.” she said. It wasn't a request. The swordswoman knew that she couldn’t leave this boy behind.

[END THREAD]