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Post by Matthias on Jan 25, 2007 17:17:50 GMT -6
Discussion about the story, or any comments should be posted in the separate thread for it. Thank you.
The fire licked the air, its crackle disturbing the silence that dominated the wood. Within that eerie light, two men sat. By their clothes, one could distinguish their origins: both were men of Sacae. Between them, dangling on the fire, hung a piece of freshly killed meat. Its smell filtered through the air, warning other animals away.
“Why don’t you sleep?” the older of the two men said, looking across the fire at his companion. Despite being the elder, the young man hadn’t gone out of his teens yet. A few scrapes had left the normal scars on his otherwise handsome features, testament to his tribes’ hardy way. Long, flame red hair, hung around his shoulders, framing his strong features. Many village girls had had their hearts broken by this warrior, and many warriors had had other, sturdier, parts broken.
“After what happened?” asked the other man, turning his gaze away from the flames. Younger than his companion by only a handful of years, this warrior resembled his friend closely. His hair had a golden color to it, an unusual tint for a Sacean. If possible, he had even sterner features than his companion, but still had that oddly handsome look. As fate would have it, the two were distantly related, and close friends.
“We have to avenge the village, Matis,” responded the older warrior, shifting slightly. His slim sword, the weapon of a rookie warrior, shone in the firelight.
“Yes, Kenshin,” responded Matis, not looking up. Unlike Kenshin, Matis had been wounded while escaping. He’d still managed to come this far, moving at the speed all Saceans possessed, but the wound had bled. That loss of blood had wearied the young warrior.
“Rest, I will stand guard,” insisted Kenshin, looking out into the woods. Matis’s gaze went out, searching for something in the oppressive wilderness. A life spent in the flats had left him uneasy in the forest. His grip tightened on his own slim blade, as though he could attack the night. Being in such a position frustrated the determined warrior. As long as he had a flesh and blood opponent in front of him, he could deal with it. This…
Suddenly, both men stiffened. Something had clanged amongst the trees. Nodding silently to his companion, Kenshin rose, drawing his sword. Matis loosened his own blade, and relaxed his body. As Kenshin melded into the woods, a figure stumbled out of the woods.
Heavy green armor clanged as the warrior burst into the clearing. Blinking in the new fire light, the disheveled man saw only one thing:
“Food! I’m starved!” he dove for the meat.
He never made it.
Moving with the practiced speed of swordsmen, Kenshin and Matis intercept. Barely three steps into their small camp, and the bulky warrior found two swords. Kenshin’s blade lay across his throat, eager to slit it and allow the warrior’s life to bubble away. Matis’s weapon had stopped under his chin, eager to drive into his brain.
“Wait, wait! I’m Sain! You know, the lord of Ostia!” cried the young warrior. The blades didn’t waver.
“Oh come on! I’ve been wandering in these woods for days! Some bandits were attacking people in Ostia…”
“And you decided to go check it out yourself?” asked Kenshin.
“Obviously, a very active leader,” added Matis, his gaze narrowing. Sain gulped, his chin bobbing Matis’s sword.
“Look, I just wanted some of your meat. If you want, you can take my axe and lay it over there,” he pointed at a stump some distance from the meat. “Just. Give. Me. Food.”
Matis looked over at Kenshin, deferring to the senior warrior. Kenshin nodded. Without a word, Matis stepped forward and removed the axe, tossing it to rest in the stump. Both warriors lowered their weapons, and the large lord dug into the fresh meat, slobbering the entire time.
Matis glanced over at Kenshin, raising his eyebrows. He’d never seen someone as large as Lord Sain, and the amount of food he ate was… impressive. Kenshin smiled as he sat down besides the impressive lord.
“We are men from Sacae. Our village was attacked by bandits, and we seek revenge,” he explained, reaching for his own piece of meat. “Our goals are similar.”
“Yep,” admitted Sain, as he slurped down some meat. Without saying anything, Matis reached over with his water skin. Mumbling his thanks, Sain took the skin and washed down the venison.
“Why don’t we travel together? As a lord, you have troops, correct? We can work together and stop these bandits,” explained Kenshin.
“Yeah, that sounds good,” agreed Sain, washing down another bite. “These bandits are bad news for everyone.”
The two Saceans nodded in agreement.
Without warning, a few scruffy men burst into the clearing.
The Sacaens couldn’t hear them over the noises Lord Sain made, so had been caught flat footed. It didn’t last long. Rising fluidly, Kenshin met the bandit. His sword flashed, and blood blossomed on the bandit’s bare chest. Groaning, the burly brigand lashed with his own ax. Kenshin barely avoided the desperate attack, leaning back as far as he could. Rising up, he thrust his blade into the bandit’s chest, piercing the fiend’s heart.
Matis hadn’t stood idle either. Ignoring the pain of his wound, he sprang up and thrust his sword at the bandit. Unfortunately, his opponent showed more skill than Kenshin’s. Dodging around the blade, the bandit delivered an impressive blow to Matis’s head, using the side of his axe. Matis stumbled back a few steps, and would’ve been finished by the bandit, if it wasn’t for an axe. It spun through the air, burying itself into the bandit’s throat. Another fiend dropped, his head damaged.
Sain stood, a leg of venison dangling in his mouth, his arm forward. Matis nodded his thanks, and whirled into the next opponent. The fury towards the man’s foul kind drove Matis’s blade. The weapon clove the bandit’s left arm from his body, and the axe fell with it. Satisfied, Matis kicked down the bandit, who fell to the ground.
“Yeah, that would be the bandits who attacked Ostia,” explained Sain, moving up to dig his axe out of the bandit’s stump. Matis wiped his sword on the body, and noticed something. A small brown bag hung from the bandit’s body. Reaching down, the Sacean removed the bag, and held it up to the firelight.
“That’s a vulnerary,” explained Kenshin, looking at it from across the fire. He too wiped his blade on his victim, and returned it to his sheath. “It’s used to heal wounds. You could probably use it.”
Matis nodded, and applied it to his body. Fatigue washed out of him, leaving him feeling hale and hearty. This feeling almost left, as a heavily mailed hand clapped his back.
“You showed great skill with a blade there, partner,” the Lord boomed, following it up with a boisterous laugh. Matis gave him a look that clearly conveyed his thoughts: the man was a lunatic.
“I am Kenshin, the man you are currently beating is Matis, we’re pleased to be traveling with you,” explained Kenshin, stepping forward. Sain nodded, and extended a hand. Kenshin returned the gesture, and the two stood, hands joined. Soon, Matis’s hand joined theirs.
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Post by Matthias on Jan 30, 2007 12:10:52 GMT -6
On a hill above the small campfire, a scruffy looking individual lay in waiting. He looked about like the sort of person you expected to fall in with bandits. Unkempt reddish blond hair sprang up on his head, defying any and all attempts to be reasonable. Dirty leather armor hung loosely about his body: obviously meant to be worn by somebody larger. A small bow lay on the ground beside him, the sort shopkeepers gave to pitiful urchins to play with. At least he wore an impressive looking green cloak about his shoulders…
“See, that’s what I’m talkin’ about,” the man mumbled to himself. “Some dumb lord ta serve under. What else could a guy ask for?”
He chuckled to himself in a rather dark manner, his green eyes sparkling with greed.
“Are you spying on them?” a high pitched voice demanded, causing the archer to leap up. Whirling around, he confronting a short young girl. Long blond hair fell neatly about her shoulders, and a green cloak covered most of her body. Despite that, the archer could quickly tell that this was a mage of some sort, and obviously had some money.
“Dammit, you scared the crap outta me!” cursed the archer. His mouth opened again to unleash more words, when the mage’s hand lashed out and hit him.
“Commoner! You should not speak that way in front of a lady!” she stated, her voice taking on a regal tone. “You are lucky I did not set you on fire!”
The archer could only stand there, gawking at the young girl. “What are you doing anyway? Staring at them?” the girl leaned over and tried to look at the gathered warriors. The archer debated pushing her down the hill for a few moments, and was about to when she turned around.
“Those look like important people! Certainly not the sort you should be associating with. I know, you can be my bodyguard!” “Wait just a d**n moment here!” This time, the archer dodged the slap.
“Listen, here, clueless peasant! You are obviously an uncouth ruffian! Without my assistance you will never become an associate to those fine warriors down there,” the mage jabbed a finger towards the three in question. “I am the Lady Flyssa and… where are you going?”
Without waiting for a response, the archer had set off down the hill. “Excuse me! I was talking to you!” Flyssa squealed, cutting off the archer. “Look, I’m really not that interested in talkin’ ta a wannabe lady,” the archer said. “My plan’s ta hook up with Lord Dumbass down there, and I can’t do that with those other two. ‘sides, I can’t be seen…” with an obnoxious mage… “before the right time.”
The mage gaped at the archer for a few moments, giving him time to move further down the hill. Darting forward, she caught onto his cloak. “You are supposed to tell a lady your name after she introduces herself!” she squealed, tugging on the cloak. Growling, the archer tugged back. The force of their struggles unbalanced the two of them, and they began tumbling down the hill.
Matis and Kenshin could only watch as Lord Sain put away yet another haunch of deer. They’d already seen the man eat nearly half the food by himself, and were beginning to wonder how they were going to keep him fed. Suddenly, something burst out of the shadows.
The strange form came to a rolling stop as it collided with a stone that Sain had pulled up to sit upon. As it untangled itself, it was revealed to be two young people. One looked to be an archer, or at least a bandit with a bow; the other was probably a mage.
“Who are you two?” demanded Kenshin, moving forward. His sword was already leveled at them. The archer shoved the mage off him, and hopped to his feet.
“I’m a brilliant archer by the name of Matthias! I’ve come here to enlist with Lord… uh… Whathisname,” Matthias waved his hand at Lord Sain, who was eyeing the archer. Clearly Sain’s opinion of him matched the Saceans: the man was crazy.
“Brilliant archer,” snorted the mage, as she gathered herself together. “Don’t listen to her, she’s completely insane,” responded Matthias. Then, leaning towards Lord Sain. “Women need to learn to be seen an’ not heard, eh m’lord. Lord Sain stared at the archer, and wondered if it would be too terribly wrong to cleave his head from his body.
“That man is an uncouth horrible little… thief!” announced Flyssa, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Kenshin looked at the small mage. “Theif?” “Well… er… just look at the way he behaves! No civilized person would possibly act that way! It’s downright barbaric!” the mage huffed. “You’d expect that sort of behavior from Saceans, or some other barbarians…” “We’re Saceans,” cut in Matis, sheathing his sword. “I meant… pirates! Yes, that’s it! I read somewhere that pirates are the most barbaric people in the world!” “See, she’s insane. I, on the other hand, will be useful beyond your wildest dreams!” Matthias cut in, leaning closer to Sain. “Pfft,” blew out the mage, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” “Kenshin, how desperate are we for troops?” asked Matis, looking at his elder warrior. Clearly he wanted to kill both of them . “The mage could be useful, I’d like her to come with me. I was planning on attacking the bandits, and her magic could be useful. You should go and try to find mercenaries, Ilia would be a good place to look. And Lord Sain can search for troops in his own land,” Kenshin instructed the group. Matis and Sain nodded.
“That means I’m traveling with you?” asked Flyssa, pointing at the older warrior. Kenshin nodded, causing Flyssa to smile. “Great! Anything would be better than traveling with that puffed up excuse for an archer.”
“So, Lord Sain, are we leaving soon? If I had to travel with that loud-mouthed obnoxious excuse for a mage, I’d probably need to get some beeswax,” Matthias grinned at Lord Sain, elbowing the impressive warrior. Sain, Matis, and Kenshin all looked to one another, regret showing on their faces. They sincerely hoped they had better troops somewhere…
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Post by Matthias on Feb 17, 2007 14:00:01 GMT -6
Without any warning, a wyvern suddenly landed in the middle of the camp. Flyssa chirped in surprise, diving behind Matthias, who tried unsuccessfully to draw his bow and look impressive. Thankfully, the trained warriors had their weapons out and leveled at the new arrival.
A scrawny young man hopped down from the wyvern, brushing his dark hair out of his face. The grin on his face banished any thoughts of him being a vicious killer, despite the lance tied to his wyvern. The beast looked rather young, though none there knew that.
“Hi there, I’m Rath. I noticed you guys gathered down here and thought I’d drop in,” he greeted, stepping towards the group with a hand extended. Kenshin looked at the man like he was moron with two heads.
“Is that a wyvern?” asked Flyssa, coming around Matthias to approach the beast. Rath’s smile widened as he nodded confirmation. The young mage reached up to stroke the beast’s neck, and it let out a happy cooing noise.
“I hope that thing bites you, and saves us the trouble,” yelled Matthias, still a little annoyed at his poor reaction to the flyer. How was he supposed to be a good archer if he couldn’t deal with a flyer.
“It’s alright, he doesn’t bite,” assured Rath, stepping towards the beast.
“What the hell? What good’s a d**n wyvern if it doesn’t bite!?” demanded Matthias.
“Aww, what’s his name?” asked Flyssa, ignoring Matthias, she turned to Rath.
“Umm… I haven’t exactly given him a name yet. We just were paired today… Why don’t you name him?”
“Hmm… what would make a good name?” the mage debated. The three warriors had put up their weapons by now, and looked to each other.
“At least he’s not a blabbering moron,” Matis muttered to Kenshin. The older warrior smiled and nodded.
“How about Themis!?” Flyssa shouted, triumphantly. Matthias groaned, but Rath nodded eagerly.
“Sounds good to me, what do you think, Themis?” the last was addressed to the wyvern, who let out a happy cooing noise again. He nuzzled the mage, almost knocking her off her feet. Flyssa chuckled and stroked the wyvern’s snout again.
She almost looks cute, as long as she’s not running her mouth…thought Matthias, stroking his chin. Rath glanced over at the others, as if just noticing there were more people present then the girl he’d been talking to. He stepped towards Sain, clasping his hand over his chest.
“Pleasure to meet you, I don’t suppose you’re lost or something?” he asked.
“Of course not,” lied Sain, looking over at the smirking Sacaens. “We’re forming a group to deal with the rising bandit problem. You look tough!” “Yes, why don’t you come with us?” asked Kenshin, sliding into the conversation. He didn’t want Sain to scare away the only decent fighter they’d met so far. Matis glanced askance at his cousin, wondering why he was so eager to enlist strangers. “Me? You want me to fight with you?” asked Rath, clearly surprised. “Nah, that’s why they asked you, dipshit,” the last was muttered by Matthias, into his cloak. Sain elbowed him out of the way, throwing an arm around Rath.
“We can always use a good lance,” the lord explained, grinning. Rath looked uneasy. “He’s coming with me, we’ll head to Ilia,” Matis cut in, stepping forward. Thankful he wasn’t traveling with the crazy lord, Rath edged towards Matis. “Ilia, where’d that come from?” asked Sain, looking over at Kenshin. “Matis is going to Ilia to search for mercenaries. Rath can head with him, giving him some support. We figured you and Matthias would want to head for Ostia, to gather troops there. Flyssa and I are going to sneak into the bandit’s base, to scout,” explained Kenshin. Matis nodded in agreement. None of the others had seen the two Sacaens discussing the plan, but no one was arguing the logic. “You’re taking her, and ignoring the sneaky looking archer?” demanded Matthias, motioning towards his cloak.
Okay, almost no one.
“You said you wanted to enlist with Lord Sain,” Kenshin pointed out, nodding to the Lord in question. By now Sain had forgotten they were talking, and picked up another piece of meat. Hearing his name, he hopped to his feet. “That’s right, and we’re leaving in the morning!” the lord barked. He squatted back down at the fire, and tore into the meat. “We’re going to have to go hunting again,” commented Matis, as he watched the lord devour their supply of food. Rath chuckled. “You guys seem like a lot of fun. I’ll go ahead and tag along for a while. I haven’t been to Ilia, should be interesting,” he looked over at Matis and smiled. The swordsman ignored him, settling down on a log. “It will certainly be refreshing, being rid of all these uncouth peasants,” added Flyssa, looking straight at Matthias. She huddled as close to fire as she could get, without being in Sain’s hunger reach. A cold breeze blew, causing her to shiver. “Here, take it,” Matthias had moved over to stand by Flyssa, and was holding out his cloak. The others hid their grins as the mage took the archer’s cloak, and rolled over to sleep.
Rath went to tend his wyvern, and as soon as Themis was settled, he fell asleep leaning against the beast.
Once Lord Sain finished devouring the meat, and half the supply of dried fruit he’d found in Matthias’s back, he fell over and immediately began snoring loudly.
Matthias ignored everyone, leaning against a tree, he too drifted off.
Kenshin and Matis exchanged glances. Neither could believe how quickly the group had grown. Matis nodded to Kenshin, and stretched out to sleep.
Kenshin sat alone, watching the fire. It reflected in his eyes, and made his hair look blood red. Only Matis could suspect his true reasons for entering the base. He’d reap his vengeance, alone if he had to. He glanced over at the sleeping mage, hoping he wouldn’t have to sacrifice someone for his revenge.
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Post by Matthias on Mar 3, 2007 10:52:59 GMT -6
The morning sun rose, shining down on the eclectic group. Normally, Kenshin would be one of the first to rise in the morning, but nightmares about his tribe and hard fighting had left him exhausted. Blinking away sleep, he noticed Sain giving orders to Matthias. They needed to head out as soon as possible. Rising slowly to his feet, he quietly moved over to nudge the sleeping Flyssa.
“You have a map, correct?” he questioned the wakening mage. Blue eyes blinked at him, bewildered. She looked around, obviously unsure as to where she was. “You’re on the border between Ostia and Sacae,” explained Kenshin, kneeling down next to the mage. “You agreed to come with me to scout out the Ruinz bandit base.” “Right,” murmured Flyssa, rising unsteadily to her feet. She tugged Matthias’s cloak tighter around her, shivering in the early morning cold. A mist shrouded the trees, giving the area an almost mystic feel. Kenshin straightened out, allowing his muscles a much needed stretch. Flyssa smiled to herself as she appreciatively watched the attractive swordsman bend and move. She snapped out of it just as the warrior turned to face her. Thankfully, the map had already materialized in her hands. “Right, we need to head this way, follow me!” she practically yelled, trumping off into the wilderness. Kenshin smiled as he noticed the slight coloring in the mage’s face, but said nothing as he followed along.
Winds from the plains ruffled the mage’s borrowed cloak as the duo marched along the empty land. Rabbits and other appropriately cuddly creatures hopped about, nibbling at whatever they could sink their teeth into. The bright sun shone down on them, almost blessing their journey. “Can I please see the map?” asked Kenshin. “Why would you need to see the map? Don’t you trust my guidance?” retorted Flyssa clutching the book that contained the map tightly to her chest. Sighing, the warrior rubbed his eyes with two fingers. “I just want to check our route,” he explained. Flyssa tossed the guidebook over her shoulder, trying not to show her distress. The sun’s warmth beamed down on her, and she removed the cloak. As she held it, she remembered the archer it belonged to. Fighting off another blush, she shoved the cloak into her bag. She was an intelligent noble of Etruria, not some love-starved twit. “It looks like we’re near the border of Bern,” explained Kenshin, handing the book back to the mage. “It doesn’t look like Bern,” responded Flyssa, flipping the pages of the book. She stopped on an earmarked page, holding it up so Kenshin could see. “Look, that’s Bern!” It showed an impressive looking wyvern diving down amidst forested mountains. By squinting, Kenshin was able to make out a green land underneath, with beautiful blue rivers and pleasant little houses.
“You can’t be serious,” he muttered. Flyssa shut the b ook in his face, tucking it away into the bag. “Quite, it’s obviously a beautiful country with gorgeous wyverns and lush farmlands. Not this horrendous wasteland,” she kicked the ground, as though she could dismiss it. “If you had received a proper education, you would know all about it.” Kenshin really didn’t see the point of having the sort of education that made one a snobby mage, but he wasn’t about to say that to someone in possession of a tome of fire. Instead, he continued onward, ignoring the gibber that came from his companion.
“I’m bored and hungry!” whined Flyssa, for what had to be the fiftieth time. “Can’t we stop and rest? My feet hurt!” She stopped for a few moments, surveying the area around her. “Where are we going to camp? There’s nothing but grass all around us!” she whined, waving her arms at the surrounding area. Kenshin debated how easy it would be to attack the bandit base single handed. “Hey, are you listening to me?” demanded Flyssa, tucking the warrior’s sleeve. Kenshin pulled his arm out of reach, sighing. “You’re hungry, right? Tell me what kind of meat you want to cook, and I’ll go hunt some,” he answered, laying down his pack and drawing his slim sword. Flyssa blinked in response. “You mean we have to hunt our food?” She couldn’t possibly be this dense and lasted this long, Kenshin thought to himself. “Yes, we have to hunt our food,” he answered her question. “Great! I can hunt! Well, I haven’t actually done it much. Okay, I’ve never hunted before. Still, if an uneducated savage can do it, then I should be able to do it even better!” she thrust her hand into the air, triumphantly. Kenshin wisely chose to ignore her. “Stay here, I’m going to…” By the time he finished, the mage had already taken off.
A fat rabbit hopped across the plains. Every few hops, he would stop and sniff the air, as though trying to sense danger. Content that nothing would harm him, he would continue along his way. Soon, he found a tantalizing piece of grass, and began chewing. Behind him stalked a creature that would be feared throughout the land. Trying to remain as quiet as she could, Flyssa sneaked up on the rabbit. “Okay! Prepare for a scorching!” she shouted, whipping out her tome of fire. She focused her energy, preparing to unleash fiery death upon the fluffy creature. The fire sprang from her hands, incinerating all in its path. Which did not include the rabbit, who was busy charging across the plains at top speed. Mumbling, Flyssa stalked back to the camp, where Kenshin was waiting. He’d just arrived with three rabbits, and held them out for her. “If you want, I can dress them,” he told her. “I must admit, I’m not a very good cook.” Flyssa reached out and touched a rabbit with her finger, expecting it to spring to life and run away. “Do we have to eat them?” she asked, looking up at Kenshin.’ “What?” “Well, they just look so cute…” she cooed, reaching out to stroke the chin of the rabbit. “I thought you were hungry…” began Kenshin, but he didn’t get to finish, as Flyssa snatched the rabbits from his hand. “I’ll cook them!” she announced, moving into the distance. Kenshin could only stand, baffled.
“You need to eat.” “But they’re so cuddly.” “Not anymore.” “They were cuddly.” “You can’t have any distractions in battle!” “Are you suggesting I’ll be thinking about food during battle?” “If you don’t eat something, yes!” “Why, I never!” That being said, Flyssa wrapped up in Matthias’s cloak, and immediately fell asleep. Once again, Kenshin could only stare dumbfounded at his companion. First she demands food. Then, when I catch the food, she doesn’t want it. Finally, she decides to cook the food, but doesn’t eat it? Kenshin thought to himself. “I must be insane,” he muttered, taking a bite from the rabbit.
The smell of cooked rabbit wafted far throughout the plains, tickling the nostrils of a certain thief, a scrawny young man who hadn’t seen a decent meal in days. Having nothing but a slim sword at his disposal, and distinctly less skill then Kenshin. Moving with the skill of a practiced thief, he approached the campfire. He could see an impressive looking warrior eating rabbit meat off a stick, which explained the smell. Lying next to him, and snoring loud enough to be heard from this distance, was a young female. More importantly, he noticed a bag lying next to said female. “Alright,” he muttered to himself, preparing to sprint. “It’s about time.”
Kenshin had noticed the thief quite a while ago, squatting in the plains some distance away. The young man was probably desperate for food, and since Flyssa wasn’t eating, there was enough to share. Of course, there was always the chance the thief was a ruthless bandit, in which case he’d be parted from his head. Kenshin watched as the bandit streaked towards their camp, diving down in time to snag Flyssa’s bag. Unfortunately, Flyssa woke up at just that moment. “What the…?” she muttered, watching the thief. “Excuse me miss, I’m just going to borrow this for an extended period of time,” the thief explained. Nodding to the mage, he sprinted into the distance. Springing to her feet, Flyssa readied her fire tome. The fireball struck the thief in the back, causing him to flip over and roll a few times in the grass. By that time, Kenshin was standing over him. The thief smiled up at the warrior, hoping to squirm out of this. Unfortunately, the swordsman had stabbed his cape, making things a little difficult. “My money is in that bag!” squealed Flyssa, coming up to stand on the other side of the thief. Kenshin leaned over, studying the thief. “Well, this is awkward,” the thief muttered, glancing between his two marks. “Unfortunately for you two, I have places to be, people to steal from.” He lurched up, wincing a little as he heard his cape tear on Kenshin’s blade. He gave the swordsman a sharp shove, and booked for the Lycian border, hoping to outrun the others. Flyssa started to run, but Kenshin snagged her ankle. “Leave it, we have to head in the opposite direction, and it’s getting dark,” he explained, rising to his feet. “Okay…” responded Flyssa, glancing over her shoulder forlornly. “But my locket was in there…
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Post by Matthias on May 1, 2007 7:52:42 GMT -6
Matis awoke later than his two companions. Blinking away sleep, he rose up to a sitting position. “I see they left me with no guard,” he mumbled as he tossed aside his sleeping blanket. His lithe body unfolded with ease, and he stretched the sleep from his trained muscles. The trip to Ilia would be long and cold, but it shouldn’t be that bad. He had just moved into a complicated stretching pose, when he heard something. He stopped, though his head was somewhere near his under pit, and carefully unwound himself. His sword made little noise as it left the scabbard. “Whoever you are, you’re failing at stealth, I can hear you!” Matis called. “I’m failing because I’m not trying,” a voice answered, as someone stepped out of the forest. “I’m a little lost.” Matis quickly sized up the new arrival. He had the loose garb of a Sacean myrmidon, and his loose brown hair was tied back by a grey bandanna. The slim sword dangling to his side meant he probably was a myrmidon, studying swordsmanship like Kenshin and Matis had. Something about him didn’t sit right with Matis, but… He’s a myrmidon, which could prove useful. “My name is Matis of tribe The Wind Tiger. You seem to be trained in the ways of the myrmidon,” Matis commented, as he locked eyes with the other swordsman. Grey eyes stared back at him, flashing coldly. “I am fairly skilled with the sword, if that’s what you mean,” the man replied, his voice icy. Matis didn’t even blink. “I… see… you didn’t give your name.” “Jaffer.” “Are you up for a challenge, Jaffer?” asked Matis, lowering his sword. The other myrmidon raised an eyebrow. “Several days ago a gang of bandits attacked my friend and my home camp. They slaughtered everyone…” Matis stared off for a few seconds, but quickly snapped back to attention. “There were some Lyceans and Bernese in that group. We think they came from Bern, and that they’re building up a large army. I’m heading to Ilia, to try and get more able bodied warriors, much like yourself, so that we can combat this threat.” Jaffer nodded. “I’ve seen a few bandit attacks myself,” he admitted, not adding the fact that he’d stolen a little from the survivors. He needed that vulnerary. “I’ll come with you.” “Good, we need to get moving,” Matis stated, sheathing his sword. He quickly gathered up his pack, and headed north. Jaffar followed him, smiling.
Several hours of silent walking had passed. Neither Sacean was the talkative sort, a trait possessed by many of their people. Journeys were meant to be made with feet or hooves, not mouths. Finally, Matis noticed a forest in the distance, nodding to Jaffer, he pointed towards it. Both men headed in that direction. After a few minutes, the skilled travelers found a clearing to rest in. “Time to stop. We need warmer clothes,” commented Jaffer, as he unshouldered his pack. Matis did the same. Jaffer noticed something red and shiny, an apple. He debated taking the fruit, as Matis wasn’t looking. It would be routine for the outcast. Finally he decided against it, shaking his head and laughing. Never steal from someone stronger than you, unless you were certain you’d get away with it. Matis had noticed Jaffer eying his food, though he didn’t know why. Saceans don’t steal; it wasn’t their way. He tried not to show his puzzlement, instead reaching in and pulling out the apple. He tossed it to Jaffer, who looked at it as though it were poisoned. “Go ahead and eat. We’ll find more food tomorrow,” Matis tried to reassure his companion. He moved to a tree, sitting down with his back against the massive trunk. “Try and get some sleep. We’ve still got a long way to go.” He closed his eyes, though didn’t fall asleep, half expecting another bandit attack. Jaffer quickly finished off the apple. He didn’t have the strength or the energy to try and hunt either, and he still didn’t want to steal from Matis. He curled up under his blanket, and fell into a silent slumber.
Rath had been scouting for several days now, trying to figure out the lay of the land. Several villages had met untimely ends recently. Rath couldn’t count the number of burnt husks he’d found. He’d also tried looking for new companions, but no one seemed willing to fight. Several people muttered the name “Hargus,” shaking their heads at the cheerful wyvern rider. No one volunteered to fight. Finally, Rath headed north, aiming for Ilia. “Don’t worry about the cold, I’m sure we’ll be fine,” he called to Themis, trying to keep cheerful despite the lowering temperatures. He noticed something down below, and squinted to better make it out. “That looks like Matis, let’s land and get a closer look!” Rath tugged on Themis’ reins, and steered the wyvern down.
Jaffer woke up, seeing that Matis had left. He’d left his pack though, so he was probably just hunting. Jaffer’s eyes fell on Matis’s pack, and he smiled. He took a few steps towards it, when a strong wind blew him back. He rolled to his feet, sword drawn, staring down the intruder. “Why do you have Matis’s pack?” the wyvern rider demanded, leveling a slim lance at Jaffer. The myrmidon batted it to the side, launching his entire body at the wyvern lord. Both tumbled to the ground, trading close blows. At that distance, neither could use their weapons properly, and it became a contest to see who could hit harder. A contest that Jaffer was losing. “Look, if you just tell me why you’re here, I’ll stop beating you!” the rider yelled, as he rolled out of the way of one of Jaffer’s wild blows. “You’re not winning!” screamed Jaffer, hooking a good shot on the rider’s jaw. The rider reeled back, which let Jaffer get out from under his bulk. He scooped up his sword, and brought it over his head. “Goodbye,” was all he said, as the blade flashed down. It reverberated off another Sacean blade. “Jaffer, this is Rath. Rath, Jaffer. You two are going to be traveling together.”
The two new rivals glared at each other. “Pleasure to meet you,” greeted Rath, sticking his hand out. Jaffer seized it, squeezing hard. “Pleasure’s all mine,” he replied, through gritted teeth. Matis sighed. “I’ve got some rabbits, let’s eat some food.”
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Post by Matthias on May 8, 2007 10:21:12 GMT -6
Sain had woken up early that morning, having gotten his eight hours of sleep. He glanced over to the Sacean fighters. Kenshin had just finished eating, and Matis looked to be still asleep. If they were to get the help they needed in time, they’d need to set out now. “Wake up! You lazy good for nothing!” he shouted, giving Matthias a sharp kick. The archer moaned and his eyes fluttered open. “What the hell…” Matthias muttered, as his vision cleared. Sain in full, blood covered armor, was not something you wanted to see first thing in the morning. Matthias quickly shut his eyes, hoping to block out the horrible image. “We need to get moving, come on!” bellowed the lord again, giving Matthias another kick. “If you keep kicking me I won’t be able to walk,” hissed Matthias, as he moved into a sitting position. He glared at the Ostian lord as he rose to his feet. Sain gave Matthias a hearty pat on the back. “Welcome to the land of the living! Now, we go to Ostia!” without saying anything else, (though he did grab a rabbit that Kenshin had left out), the lord thundered off. “Ostia’s that way,” Matthias muttered, pointing in another direction. “I knew that! I was testing you! Congratulations, you passed!” Sain answered, grinning wildly. He started off in the right direction, the cursing archer following.
After several hours of walking, Matthias was debating whether he shouldn’t let Sain carry him. The Ostian lord had more armor than Matthias, carried a heavy weapon than Matthias, wasn’t as used to traveling in the woods as Matthias, and yet was still puffing along ahead of the archer. “How much longer?” the archer asked Sain. “Two days, tops,” replied the lord, still jogging ahead. “Great… I wait… with baited breath,” panted Matthias, struggling to keep pace with the lord. “It’ll take even longer if you don’t hurry up!” the lord called over his shoulder. Cursing, Matthias jogged, matching pace with Sain. “Thankfully you look fierce enough that nobody should want to ambush us. What with the increased bandit attacks and all,” he said cheerily. “Speaking of the recent troubles, what are you three trying to do? I mean, if I'm going to serve you, I'd kinda like to know the details of this mission.” “We’re trying to stop the bandits from destroying the world the eight generals made,” explained Sain. He suddenly stopped, and looked uncharacteristically thoughtful. “I hope we can do it.” “That sounds like a worthy task for such great men as us,” Matthias replied, trying to reassure the lord. “After all, if we can’t save the world, who could?” Without saying a word, Sain continued slogging forward, leaving the archer’s question to hang in the air.
The brightly shining sun made the entire landscape look pleasant. Birds sang, and the flowers curled open, eager to soak in the wondrous sunshine. And Matthias followed behind Lord Crazy-Bastard, who apparently thought that a handful of people could stop a bandit invasion of the entire world. Matthias paused for a few moments, trying to catch his breath. “You had better not stop, who cares if you’re tired; I’m tired, and I’m not stopping!” Sain yelled back at Matthias, trying to hide his own fatigue. Matthias groaned, but fell in with the lord’s gait anyway. He felt like his legs were about to crumble into dust, or walk off on their own. Either way, he’d at least get some rest. “What’s the rush? It’s not like Ostia’s under attack or something,” pointed out Matthias. “If things are really bad, then Ostia could be in ruins by the time we get there,” retorted Sain. “We’ll stop after we travel a few more miles. An hour.” “I’ll count the seconds,” muttered Matthias. They continued on in silence for a few moments, before Matthias spoke again. “You don’t really think that two men will make all that much difference, do you? I mean, sure, you’re a lord, but we’re only two more fighters. Of course, you could pick up survivors,” Matthias’s mind wondered over what such rich survivors might have. “Any survivors would probably be poor, and not even have enough money for food,” Sain told his charge, addressing his suspicions. The lord suddenly stopped, threw out a cot, and collapsed on it. “We’re stopping here, good night!” Matthias collapsed in a heap beside Sain’s cot, glancing over at the snoring lord. He shifted some leaves around to form his own bedding, cursing himself for not thinking to grab something from Pherae before he left. Then, the archer readied himself for watch. He would remain ever vigilant, nothing would creep past him, not even that squirrel in the bushes. Nothing would make it past the ever watchful eyes of…
Matthias jerked awake several hours later, hearing a rustling in some bushes a short distance from where the two men had set up camp. He kicked the lord awake, giving Sain the same treatment he had given Matthias earlier. Sain leapt to his feet, his ax in his hands. “Matthias!! You kicked me!” “There’s something in the bushes, m’lord.” “Right, get behind me! You cowards, hiding in the shrubbery! Come out and fight me like men!” An arrow answered Sain’s challenge, hitting the armor and falling to the ground. Matthias stifled a laugh. “Shoot the archer, I’m getting the other one,” Sain ordered Matthias. With a bellowing cry, he charged into the underbrush. “Shoot the archer, he says. Like it’s going to be that d**n easy,” muttered Matthias, getting his short bow out and aiming an arrow. His mind flew back to all those training sessions. He’d been a good shot there, though he’d practiced not hitting the targets in rebellion of his training. Now, he didn’t have much choice. If he missed the target, it would shoot back. He let the arrow fly, confident that it would… He heard the satisfying meaty thunk of an arrow hitting a flesh target. He quickly readied another shot, and was about to fire when he felt a sharp pain enter his shoulder. Unwillingly, he gave a sharp cry of pain, letting his shot fly wild. The impact caused Matthias to take a step back. He recovered quickly, and yanked the arrow out of his shoulder with little preamble, loading it into his own bow. “Take this you bastard!” he shouted, letting the arrow fly. It sunk into the other archer’s body, adding to the other fletched decoration already there. The archer collapsed, crushing his bow beneath him. “Great, there goes my chance of getting his bow,” muttered Matthias he approached his first kill.
Sain’s charge had yielded results. He’d connected with an axe-wielding bandit, sending the grizzled man flying into a tree. “Ha!” shouted Sain, readying his ax. “That’s how a real man fights!” The lord’s head jerked back as he heard Matthias’s cry of pain, giving the bandit an opportunity to swing. Sain barely dodged out of the way of the bandit’s wild swing, returning the cut with a great cleave of his own. Unfortunately for the bandit, Sain’s swing did far more damage. The bandit’s arm fell to the ground, axe clutched in its grasp. “No… I… failed,” gasped the bandit, falling down before the lord. Sain grinned, stepping over his fallen foe on his way back to Matthias. The wounded archer was sifting through the other bandit’s belongings, and had just lifted out a blue bag when Sain arrived. “You’re wounded, here, use this,” Sain told the archer, tossing him a blue bottle he’d gotten off a bandit the other day. Matthias caught the bottle easily, though did so with his wounded arm. He dropped the bottle, which thankfully didn’t break against the hard ground. The archer bent over, uncapped the bottle, and applied the healing liquid to his shoulder wound. Within moments the magical liquid erased the damage, restoring the shoulder back to its original state. “Since we were just attacked, we should probably pick up the pace. We can rest when we reach my castle,” Sain told Matthias, taking off. “We were heading the other way, m’lord,” Matthias told Sain. The lord stopped for a few moments, and then turned the opposite direction. “I knew that!” the lord shouted, barreling in the correct direction. Matthias tucked away the bottle next to his newly acquired bag, and followed the lord, wishing he’d gotten more sleep.
After twelve more harrowing hours of jogging at Sain’s insane pace, the exhausted duo arrived at Castle Ostia. The impressive structure served two purposes. It was the seat of Lycian affairs, and all political business was conducted there. To that end, it had the necessary room and decorations suiting a place of such political importance. Yet at the same time, Castle Ostia was also a military stronghold. Dedicated knights roamed the hallways, which were as narrow as possible. Decorative windows were narrow enough to not allow many arrows through. And the whole building was made of a tough, flame resistant stone. Upon the two men’s arrival to the castle, they were greeted by a horde of Sain’s loyal servants. A maid escorted the grateful Matthias to a soft bed in a guest bedroom. Several soldiers came up to their leader, asking about his health and the bandit attack. “I’m fine, which is more than I can say for the bandits I met!” the lord replied, grinning. His men cheered around him. “Fetch my axe, and bring it to my room! I’ll be needing it in the conflict ahead.” At least three soldiers took off, each eager to serve their great lord. Sain allowed a chamberlain to escort him to his room, where the lord finally removed his bulky armor. Time may be short, but they still needed to rest, and Sain had a country to run.
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Post by Matthias on Sept 4, 2007 13:51:31 GMT -6
(Since Matis’s path is by far the longest, I’m going there first)
As Matis, Jaffer, and Rath traveled to Ilia, they found more of the same bad news. Bandit attacks were on the rise everywhere. Rath couldn’t scout a village without finding out they’d been attacked recently. They tried to help, but the three travelers didn’t have much of their own either.
One morning, the three arose shortly after dawn. Matis had once again been hunting, and delivered rabbits for the trio to eat. Jaffer scooped up his rabbit, and immediately began eating it. His two companions stared at him for a while. “You know you’re supposed to cook it first, right?” asked Rath. “That’s… different,” admitted Matis, trying not to insult the other Sacean. He had skinned all the rabbit, and had two spinning on a spit. “You never know when someone will take your food,” Jaffer responded, wiping blood from his mouth, “and if you eat it raw, you can still taste the life of the animal.” Rath shuddered at that. “I’d rather taste good cooked meat myself,” the wyvern rider joked. “I leave the raw stuff to Themis.” Matis and Rath enjoyed their cooked rabbit, trying to ignore the stares they got from Jaffer. “I think it would be best if Jaffer started riding Themis with you, Rath,” Matis offered after swallowing some food. “Huh?” Rath didn’t wait to finish chewing. “I’m one of the fastest runners from my village,” explained Matis Kenshin’s the strongest though… guess I should’ve trained more. “It should be no trouble for me to keep up.” “If you’re sure,” Jaffer responded. “Do I really have to?” asked Rath. “Yes,” Matis’s voice left no argument. Rath pouted as he finished off his rabbit. “You ready to go yet?” Jaffer demanded of the still eating wyvern lord. The myrmidon had to watch the other two eat, and it made him a little edgy. That and he wasn’t exactly looking forward to riding the wyvern, particularly not with Rath. “You sure you can keep up?” Rath asked, wiping the last bits of juices on his cloak. Matis smiled in response. “You’ll have trouble keeping up with me!” he declared, laughing. He rose to his feet, brushing dirt off. “Yeah right, Themis is one of the fastest wyverns in Bern, we’ll see who plays catch-up!” Rath crowed, jumping onto the wyvern. He helped the silent Jaffer onto the saddle, then took off. Matis spared only a moment to stare at the majestic flying beast, smiling to himself. He knew full well that Rath and Jaffer didn’t get along. Particularly after their volatile meeting. Matis hoped that if they were forced to spend some time together, they’d get to know each other. Besides, this way he didn’t have to listen to Rath prattle or put up with Jaffer’s silent stares. The Sacean took off at a run, letting the wind whip his golden hair behind him. He loved the feeling of running, the thrill it gave him as his muscles pumped. The wind spoke to Saceans, and Matis answered with a whoop. High above him, he could hear an answering call from the ever-jovial Rath. Together, yet separate, the trio traveled across the cold plains. Matis’s feet dug rivets in the Earth, while Themis’s wings flapped through the air. Several hours of joyous running passed, before Matis skidded to a stop. A temple? What’s that doing there? That isn’t on any map, the Sacean thought. He motioned for Rath to land the wyvern, as he cautiously approached the temple. The wyvern and riders landed just as Matis reached the steps of the temple. At a distance it had seemed rather small, house-sized. Up close it looked magnificent. Two immense stone statues stood guarding the entrance, each clutching an impressive stone ax. The entire building looked ancient, with ancient Sacean architecture. “This place is huge!” commented Rath, as he and Jaffer caught up with Matis. “It’s also ancient,” Jaffer added. “I’ve seen stuff like that on the ruins at home. These buildings are usually ruins.” Matis ignored both of them, as he felt himself drawn into the building. As he stepped past the statues, he felt them look at him. ONLY THE CHOSEN ONE MAY ENTER. He knew he heard them speak, and looked back at the other two. Jaffer was examining the columns, and Rath was speaking to Themis. Neither of them heard it, Matis thought, looking back I’m no chosen one, just a warrior with a goal. Still, he entered. The temple’s main path winded intricately, leading into the deep recesses of the ancient edifice. Sunlight streamed in from many windows, creating a beam of light directly on Matis’s path. Matis’s feet moved of their own accord, taking him into the temple. He found himself in front of an altar. On that altar rested a sword. Mani Katti , a silvery inscription on the alter identified the sword’s name. Matis reached down, reverently removing the blade from its place. He could feel power emanating from the blade, surging through his body. “I think I’ll use this from now on,” he said to no one in particular. He took his new blade and a new sense of purpose, and exited the temple.
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Post by Matthias on Sept 6, 2007 14:58:08 GMT -6
Matthias woke slowly, the world gradually coming back to focus. He yawned, stretched, and promptly fell out of bed. “What the hell! Stupid freakin’ bed!” he continued to curse out the bed far longer than was necessary as he rose to his feet. He blinked a few times, reorienting himself with his location. “That’s right, I’m in Ostia now,” he mumbled to himself, moving over to a sink to splash some water on his face. “Time for the easy life to start!” He grinned into the mirror, then hurried to get dressed.
Matthias jogged down to the audience chamber, where he’d left Sain last night. He’d been expecting the young lord to be here, doing lordly things. Naturally he’d ask for his first paycheck… Of course, he couldn’t do that with a non-existant lord. Growling, the archer stopped a nearby servant. “Where the hell is Lord Sain?” he demanded, sounding far more fierce than he’d intended. The nervous servant pointed down a corridor, gulping. “H...he…he went to the..the..the.. treasury,” the servant stammered. Matthias let the poor man go and began trudging that way. “Jeez, this place looks part palace part fort,” Matthias commented. Great works of art were artistically placed throughout the halls, yet the walls were solid, and had only high, narrow windows. The place could just as easily withstand a siege as a bal He had to ask another servant where the treasure was, but eventually he located the room. Just as he was stepping in, a sharp voice rang out. “Don’t step there! The whole place is booby trapped!” Matthias stopped, his foot hovering in the air. “Lord Crazy Bastard?” he asked, craning his neck to look into the room. Sain was standing at the far end of he treasury, in front of an impressive chest. “What are you doing here, Matthias?” Sain demanded, as he carefully began crossing the corridor. “Didn’t you bellow for a servant ta do this?” asked Matthias, hopping backwards. “Yeah, but I changed my mind. It only makes sense for the Lord of Ostia to touch the Wolf Biel. Oh boy, he’s crazier than I thought he was, Matthias didn’t dare voice that thought, only nodding. Sain finished crossing the hazardous corridor, and thumped Matthias on the chest. “See! That’s how a true lord of Ostia acts!” Like an idiot “Of course m’lord.” “Come on, I’ve gathered the soldiers we’re going to take with us!” Poor buggers “Lead on m’lord.” Neither the lord nor his servant noticed as shadow dart into the treasury as they left.
“Umm… there’s only three men here, sire,” Matthias pointed out. Indeed, only three soldiers stood at attention in the courtyard. They didn’t even look like good soldiers. “Of course, we don’t need an army to take care of a few bandits!” Sain bellowed. The soldiers nodded in agreement. “Sir, there’s supposed to be hundreds of bandits. I think we’ll need a few more than just three damned troops!” “Lord Sain is worth a hundred men in battle!” one of the soldiers shouted in response, causing Matthias to startle. “No, he’s worth two hundred!” another argued. “Lord Sain is a one man army!” The three continued arguing for a while, each trying to one-up the other. Matthias smirked a little, cocking an eyebrow at Sain. The oblivious lord just beamed at his assembled troops, obviously thrilled at their praise. “I’m gonna go get ready,” Matthias excused himself from the butt-kissing session, heading back inside.
Matthias had just entered the castle when he heard several voices arguing. "That damned fool of a lord came back, dragging some hopeless peasant with him." "Thank the powers that be for Bern!" "Aye, and for the Ruinz Bandits!" During the loud cheer that followed, Matthias pondered the comment. Who the hell were the Ruinz bandits? And why did that not sound particularly pleasing? The traitors continued talking. "So, we're to kill the Lord and his little friend." "That's right, so that the base in Bern is secure." "Won't be much of a problem, Sain's reckless, and that archer doesn't look like much." "Easy pickings." "Easy pickings my ass," muttered Matthias, as he started towards the entrance. These guys need a good ass-kicking, which is exactly what Sain excels at. He had made it a good way before a cloaked figure stepped into the hallway. “Hey! It’s that archer!” the shaman shouted, jutting a finger at Matthias. “Who, me? I’m just a stable hand!” Matthias shouted, though he spun on his heel and sprinted for the courtyard. He might’ve made it, if he hadn’t ran directly into a wall of steel. The archer rebounded off the knight, landing hard on his rear. “Ouch! Hey, you needta watch where I’m goin’!” Matthias snapped, looking up at the knight. Two muscular men were standing to either side of the knight, and they looked like… “You’re with the Ruinz bandits, aren’t you?” Matthias asked, pointing at the two shirtless wonders. They both nodded slowly. Matthias leapt to his feet, just in time for a dark energy to surge underneath him. He felt the magic tear at his very being, draining his life away. Cursing, he whirled about, firing two shots. Both sunk into the body of the shaman, and the user of ancient magics sank to the floor. “One down,” Matthias whispered, turning back around. A female mage had appeared, and stood with the trio that Matthias had run into. Matthias quickly drew another arrow, and let it fly at the shirtless wonder on the left. Unfortunately, the bandit managed to dodge the beam. Matthias tried to leap back a few steps, but his legs were tangled by something. He barely had time to register a slim lance between his legs before he fell again. I’m doin’ a lot of this lately, he thought, staring up at the ceiling. The view got a whole lot worse as the female mage stood over him. "Well, it seems as though Sain's little dog has some bite to him, shame you're not going to live long enough to matter," she hissed, hefting a yellow tome. Oh damn.
Sain decided to run the three troops he’d selected through a few drills, to make certain that they were ready for combat. They were instructed to thrust their lances into dummies full of straw, and cry out a battle cry. So far they were doing miserably. Not a one of them could produce a decent battle cry, and they all seemed to lack the muscle it took to stab the straw. Depressed, Sain sat on a stump, his head in his hands. “Excuse me, but could you tell me where the exit to this place is? I got a little turned around in there,” a pleasant voice asked. “Yeah, you just go through that door,” Sain pointed across the courtyard, “and head straight, if you get lost, you can just ask the servants for directions, that’s what I do.” “Thank you very much, kind sir,” the voice responded. Sain watched as the person stepped around him, and began strolling to the door. He wore a brown cloak, and his hair was tied back into a single tail. Looks kinda like a… “THIEF!” roared Sain, charging across the courtyard. The thin man barely had time to turn before the lumbering giant was on him. “You have two choices. Either get your hands removed by my ax, or serve me!” demanded Sain, lifting the thief off his feet. “While those both sound like pleasant choices, I’d rather keep my hands and not listen to the words of a boisterous fool of a lord,” responded the thief, kicking against Sain. The lord wouldn’t have dropped him, except he heard a loud crackling sound, the sound of thunder. And it came from the castle. Sain dropped the thief, and ran back inside.
Now I know what a roasted chicken feels like, Matthias thought as he rose to his feet. “Oh look, the little archer wants another roasting,” the mage taunted, flipping her tome open. “Too bad you heard too much. You might’ve proved useful.” Her fingers splayed open, as Matthias struggled to get an arrow ready. He could hear the gathering electricity… When a slim figure leapt into the room, and spun into the mage. The slim blade drew a thin line of blood across the mage’s throat, and the spellcaster went down. The thief danced back, stopping next to Matthias. He dumped the contents of a sack over Matthias’s head, and the archer felt instantly better. “Name’s Kyo,” the thief explained, “and I hope this is a short fight, I was on my way outta here.” The two agile fighters squared off against the remaining trio. The knight lunged forward, but both Matthias and Kyo dodged out of the way. One bandit swung at Kyo, but the thief dodged. The other tried for Matthias, with the same results. The archer rolled over to the body of the mage, quickly lifting her possessions, and came to his feet. “Something tells me we’re not gonna be able ta scratch that guy,” he said, nodding to the knight. “I don’t know, perhaps my tiny sword could pierce that armor,” joked Kyo as he dodged another swing. Matthias focused on a bandit. The entire room slowed down, and Matthias could clearly see the target. The arrow leapt to his hand of its own accord, and he simply guided it to its goal. The shot sunk deep into the bandit’s forehead, felling the warrior. The knight took advantage of Matthias’s momentary distraction, thrusting his massive lance at the archer. Matthias barely registered the thrust, and closed his eyes. A massive ax fell onto the lance, severing it. “Ha! I don’t think so!” crowed Lord Sain, bringing his elbow up into the knight’s unprotected nose. While the knight was distracted, the lord clove through the thick armor, splitting the knight into two pieces. “Impressive as always m’lord,” Matthias said. Kyo let out a low whistle. “Any more of them?” demanded Sain, looking around. “Just the one,” Matthias responded, pointing. “And from that wonderful smell, it’s safe to assume he’s had an accident lately,” added Kyo, holding his nose and waving with the other hand. Sain’s eyes flicked to the bandit. “Slay him.” “Wait don’t you think?” “Now, thief. Since you helped my comrade here, I’ll forgive you for stealing priceless Ostian artifacts,” Sain attempted to sound benevolent. “Most kind of you,” Kyo responded. “Shouldn’t we leave the last bandit alive? You know, to question?” asked Matthias, but the others ignored him. “We could use another sword arm. And your unique skills. Just think, you could help save the world.” “Well, that does sound tempting, but…” “Did I mention that the bandits are rich?” “I’m in.” “Never mind, I’ll just look at the dead people,” Matthias said, moving over to the mage. He began rooting through her things. Yellow tome of shocking stuff; blue bottle of mysterious liquid; dark evil looking book; secret plans complete with map; no gold to… wait a second Matthias lifted the secret plans up, and began studying them closely. Kyo, meanwhile, began searching the dead bodies, looting them of all their unnecessary possessions. “This says that there’s a base near Bern, and they’re planning something. Bern… that’s where Kenshin and Flyssa went! We’ve gotta go help them!” Matthias took off, heading for the mage tower. “Hey, we need to wait for the troops!” Sain demanded, racing after the archer. Kyo finished looting and quickly followed. “No time!” shouted Matthias, bursting into a mage room with the convient label of “teleporting chamber.” “Mages, I need a teleport to this spot.” He shoved the map at the mages, who took it. “Now would be good,” Matthias demanded. “Don’t you think we should wait, and try to all go at once?” insisted Sain, being surprisingly reasonable. “Yeah, we don’t want you to be killed before we get there,” Kyo added. Matthias ignored them both, entering the field of teleportation. Sain wondered why Matthias was doing this, but then he remembered that annoying little mage. could it be… nah… Kyo just smiled and waved, figuring he’d follow after the archer, and the scruffy plunder magnet would be full of arrows or fried or something. The mages teleported Sain’s newest vassal in a flash of white light.
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