Hellsing

[Orcleous]

This was it, the lead Orcleous needed to finding his sword. The rat that had taken it back when he ambushed that caravan had returned to the holy kingdom and for a while Orcleous thought he would never see his sword again. However after greaseing a few palms and making some contacts with some shady people Orcleous was not only able to locate his sword, but hire a guy to steal it back. However that is when it all went down hill and fast. The man who stole the sword gave it to his fence who gave it to another guy who was suppose to meet Orcleous in a village in Worde. However news coming from the area is that the little village Orcleous was suppose to meet the man in suddenly disappeared off the map, and by disappeared they meant overrun by monsters.

"So we have to go to the village of Haven", spoke Orcleous to Claira. The hero partially preyed that the man dipped out once trouble arrived, but his gut feeling told him that was not the case. Most of the time when monsters attack you are either overrun immediately or you win. There is rarely a in between, mainly due to monsters not having that fear of death normal people did. They would attack relentlessly and he was sure they would not just give up. More than likely the guy died and Orcleous sword is in some bag or lying next to some corpse. Either way he had to prey that they found it quickly or that there was not many of the buggers left.

As Orcleous moved closer to his destination his horse started to get more and more jumpy. The beast understood what they where getting into and that very fact make Orcleous a bit nervous. He had faced monsters before, but it was never a cake walk with them. They where ferocious and powerful. If you underestimated them you where dead.

[Claira]

"So we go in and get your sword then high tail it out of there? That all about sums it up right?" Claira asked Orcleous. Hearing the reports that the village of Haven being overwhelmed by monsters wasn't sitting well for her. She heard stories of great armies falling to hordes of creatures.This wasn't going to be an easy task, and she knew it. But it was better then running from slavers at this point. ' Who knows, maybe I'll find some goodies for myself.' She thought to herself. In the past she was able to get away from some creatures she encountered, but there were times where she had to fight off one or two creatures. But a village overwhelmed by them? More like a suicide mission.

If she was to make it through this, it be a good way to train herself. Thinking about the upcoming village made a shiver go up her spine. And on Que, both the horses began to act up as they gotten closer to the destination. Patting the side of her mare, she gently whispered, "There There girl. We will get through this fine."

Claira looked over to Orcleous and said, "We might want to tie them up and walk the rest of the way when we get close enough. The horses are spooked as is, how do you think they will act if we ride them into that coming hornets nest?"

[Orcleous]

"Hmm, you have a point", spoke Orcleous as he stopped and dismounted. Orcleous did not like the idea of tieing his horse up though. What if some creature came along and attacked it. Well that was better than it running off he guessed. Taking the reins of the horse Orcleous tied the beast around a nearby tree. "Here you are going to need this", spoke the hero as he handed the young thief his silver sword. "Silver is very effective against the undead. You will need the edge more than I will", spoke the hero as he walked back over to his horse. Orcleous reached his hand out to take Xigshaw, the holy hammer of might. However the warrior stopped and began to think about there task. "Nah it would only be a burden", spoke Orcleous as he left the massive hammer on the back of the horse. Instead he took that new towershield he picked up in the village before they came here. At this point he owned about four of these things. Every time he would buy one he would leave it behind at home in favor of Xigshaw. Then when he is out on the road he would remember why he carried a shield and then buy a new one. At this point he might as well start a collection.

"Alright I am ready", spoke Orcleous as he double checked his gear. At his side was his steel blade. It was not a longsword like his silver one, but a gladius. The blade was shorter, but had far more cutting power. The weighted tip also made cutting through bones easier. It was a perfect combination with the towershield.

"Alright so this is how we are going to do this", spoke Orcleous as he looked at the young thief. We go in quietly and stealthy. We need to first get a good idea of what the city looks like. If there are more undead than stars in the sky then we retreat and I simply find a guy to make me a new sword. If the number is manageable then we will try and find my contact. If you see any walking bones let me know immediately", spoke Orcleous as he looked into Claira's eyes with seriousness. "Bonewalkers are not to be underestimated. They are smart, tactical, and work well in groups. They know how to set ambushes and would prove deadly in a fight. I don't recommend going toe to toe with them unless you have too."

With that being said Orcleous began to move toward the destination.

[Claira]

Dismounting herself, she tied her horse next Orcleous's. She looked at the big sword and looked at him with a brow raised. Tying the silver sword to her belt, she felt a bit off balance with it. But she managed to get use to it and counterbalanced her other side. Hearing about bone walkers and what they can do made her a little scared. Nodding her head she followed him quietly since her boots didn't have soles under them, which makes even running quiet. But not fully though. Keeping a hand on the silver swords handle, she wanted to make sure she didn't make any sound on the way into the city.

Looking at the city, it now looked like a ghost town. One was able to imagine the horrors that happened and what the citizens were doing before the attack. Shaking her head to calm herself and to empty her thoughts, she had to get Into the zone for stealth. On the wall they were coming up to, there was a nice size hole in it. Looking at Orc then the wall, she moved quickly over to one side and kept an eye out. Didn't want anything coming out of it, and also because He had the big shield. Plow on through? A good idea if it was one or two of those creatures, but they don't know how many are inside which was the problem.

[Orcleous]

Unfortunately Orcleous armor clanked. Well the shoulder pads did. It was not much sound, but it pretty much meant that he was not going to be able to sneak around like a ninja. A normal person would get rid of it, but Orcleous knew better than that. A complete stealth mission was impossible for Orcleous. One with his towershield and two with his reliance on boots with soles. Orcleous wanted to be sure he did not die when he got hit. That is why he wears a breastplate. He may have trained a bit as a assassin, but he was always still a mercenary first. As they approached the wall Orcleous eyes widen. This was not a good sign. From what he hard he expected the town to have been without a wall or maybe had a old wall. The hole in the wall however it seemed deliberate, though Orcleous was not sure what exactly made it. However there was one thing for sure in his mind, they where not dealing with remnants.

"Draw your sword and keep it out", spoke Orcleous as he drew his gladius. From the entrance of the wall Orcleous could see part of the city. It was empty. Not a single walking corpse or a screaming moan. This was not a good sign. At this point Orcleous was sure that there was a bonewalker involved. Orcleous had been to a town overrun by undead. The bodies would shamble around and move all throughout the city. This was not the case here. Not a single body walked the streets, nor was there any sound coming from the town. Clearly this was a trap.

"Hey", spoke Orcleous as he looked at Claira. The hero took a knee on the ground and placed his shield in front of himself. Use my shield as a platform and see if you can reach the top of the wall. I want to get a view from a high plane.

[Claira]

Claira looked at him with the brow back up."You want...me to stand on yo...Oook." She took the silver sword out and stabbed it into the soil. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she stepped onto the tower shield and was lifted up a bit. Her head looked over the wall. Looking around the wall as best as she could, she saw dead bodies scattered everywhere. Limbs ripped off. Lowering herself down a bit, if orc looked up he would see her eyes closed and hand over her mouth.

She lifted herself up again to take another peek and that's when she saw it. Walking around what looked to be the back streets was what looked to be a skeleton with a small rusting sword and shield. Jumping down, she landed on her feet next to him.

"Dead bodies all around the wall...and what looked to be a skeleton with a rusty sword n shield walking around this sides back streets. That's all I could see."

She reached and pulled the silver sword out of the ground and waited.

"What you want to do since we are on the outside of the city. Most likely the major amount is further in."

[Orcleous]

Orcleous looked at her. Her expression told him enough of what to expect on the inside. However her words gave him a good bit of information. Skeletons seem to be the bulk of this force. She also mention dead bodies, thought the word walking was not added. This did not bold well. By not knowing there full numbers Orcleous could not make a true plan. He was going to need to play the caution game.

"Alright we are going to move in", spoke Orcleous as he stepped over some rubble and passed the wall. "I want you to stay back about five steps back from me. If I got down you run. Don't come back to help, don't try to avenge me, just run. First thing we need to do is find a house and sneak into it. Our goal would be to find one with multiple floors. If we can get a second floor window we can get a good view of things."

With that said Orcleous moved into the village. The hero knew how most cities were laid out. They had straight roads and a universal oval design. However villages where different. They where not planned. They just sprung up on there own volition. Streets would probably zig zag and narrow walkways would separate houses. It made stealth a lot easier, but at the same time it made stealth easier for the monsters.

'Alright if I was a tavern where would I be', thought Orcleous to himself as he took a right into the village. From the corner of a house he saw the skeleton she mention earlier. It was paroling the street looking for any sign of life. Orcleous did not want to get its attention as he knew it would probably raise the alarm and warn the others. Rather than move to attack it he used the narrow pathway next to the wall to move around toward another building. However that advantage was soon taken away when Orcleous saw a figure moving from one of the narrow spaces between homes. Orcleous quickly darted behind a porch of a house as another skeleton warrior walked onto the street. He could not see what it looked like from his position, but from the sound it was probably like the other one.

[Claira]

With a thumbs up, she followed behind him five steps back like asked of her. When she saw the bodies, she did a silent prayer to herself. Staying low to the ground as she could while low walking was easy for her. But when she saw Orcleous dove for cover beside a porch, she stayed with him. Looking around, she had to find somewhere for both of them. As she turned her head left, a small cellar door made of wood was a few feet away from them.

Claira made her way to the door and gently tried it. Locked. Of all days she thought to herself. Gently setting the sword down, she took out her picks and began on the lock. Not wasting a moment since one of those things were coming. The click was a relief. Opening it, she quickly scanned it, empty basement. Looking over to him, she punched the dirt loud enough that he could hear it. Grabbing the sword, she went inside.

It was somewhat dark and damp down there. She could smell water and what was the faint sent of different foods. Looking around, she saw a faint light coming from what looked to be a door. The thief decided to wait for her armored friend.

[Orcleous]

'Crap', thought Orcleous to himself as he stayed behind cover. He was not sure if the first skeleton warrior was coming his way, but he was sure the second was. He wanted to stay hidden for a bit longer, but he might have to charge out and fight. If he was lucky the beast could be out for blood and decided to simply fight him alone. If that was true he could kill it and keep moving on. However Bonewalkers where known for there cunning and not there honor or bloodlust. The creature would probably sound the alarm immediately and then attack. As Orcleous debated in his mind on what to do Claira hit the dirt and grabbed his attention. The little thief had come in hand as she unlocked a cellar door. Orcleous did not like the idea of going into a dark cellar in the middle of a town infested with undead, but it was far better than taking his chances outside.

Following the thief inside Orcleous closed the door behind him. The darkness enveloped the room and Orcleous wished he has his old sword right about now. Fiery had a unique ability to make its own flames. One nigh he used it as a torch to navigate through the dark. He was sure the spirit inside did not like that, but who cared. Probably why that sword tried so hard to burn him alive when it was stolen.

Seeing the faint light Orcleous naturally moved toward it. He wanted to open the door and discover the source, but he knew better than to simply rush in. If it was not a trap set by the beast then it was the last ditch effort of a survivor who was probably crazy by now. Orcleous knew better than to sneak up on people. He would need tact in dealing with this. Rather than rush in Orcleous put his ear to the door and listen.

He heard soft whispers on the inside. It was nothing he could make out, but there was most definitely something alive in there. Orcleous motioned with his hand for Claira to step back. But in the dark it did very little good. Finally the hero decided to simply speak. "Step back Claira, something is in there", he spoke. Who or whatever it was in there knew he was there now and that he was no bonewalker. Orcleous opened the door with his towershield up front to block any incoming strikes or attempts at attack.

[Claira]

Claira never left her spot as Orc went the stairs and tried to hear anything. When he spike up she simply placed her hand over her face and shook her head. When he opened the door, she slid her scarf up and over halfway up her face. But as she tried to get a better look around the shield, she heard people breathing fast. The sign of fear. Walking up behind him, she whispered. "Orcleous, lower your shield. They might think your going to attack. and besides, if something big hits that shield of yours dead center, what will happen?"

She would let that sink in for a moment and looked at the people who were huddled in a corner. They were young. Unharmed, but scared shitless. Who wouldn't be if your village was attacked by unholy creatures and a big man with a rather big shield opens your door from your basement?

[Orcleous]

"Civilians", spoke Orcleous as he looked at them. Claira soon came like the voice of reason. "If something hits it, it breaks", spoke the hero as he moved away from the group and lowered his shield. With the light now entering the room Orcleous could look around. The place was not that big and from what he can tell there was only one entrance, and as a result there was only one exit. That mean he only had to keep his eyes on one spot. Still the fact that these people where hear changes things. It made things far more difficult. At the same time it could prove to be useful.

"So", spoke Orcleous as he let the group of people calm down a bit. "I have three questions that need to be answered. The first is how long have you all been here? The second How many of the creatures are there? The last is can you all move?" At this point it came clear to Orcleous that he was going to have to get these people out of here. If he let them stay in the basement they would starve to death. Not to mention it was only a matter of time before the undead found them. Sure the basement was hidden well, but the bonewalkers are smart. They would soon realize it was here and knock out the lock with a axe. so much for sneak in, get my sword and leave. Now it was escort civilians out the gate and pray a horde of monsters does not follow. Though there was a third option Orcleous could take. He could use them as decoys and lure the monsters out of the city. Though he as sure Claira would not agree and his conscious would eat him up later.

"I...", spoke a young maiden as she stared to speak. When orcleous turned his head toward her she flinched. That very motion annoyed the crap out of Orcleous which in turn made his eyebrows lower. That also made the maiden more nervous and caused her to stutter more. "I... saw ... a lot of them. Well ... before the".

"Spit it out already", shouted Orcleous! The women was starting to get on his nerves.

[Claira]

Walking into the room, she sheathed the silver sword and touched his shoulder and whispered to him again. "Calm your sword. If we are to get around those bonewalkers, do you think yelling will help our situation any? Remember, they saw those things kill people that they knew or even loved. So please, calm down for these survivors. If not for them, then for me and your sword that you seek."

Lowering the scarf and hood, Claira went to a knee and looked at them. She was surprised that they were still alive. Claira spoke to them soft and gently as if a mother would sooth a crying baby. "We are not going to hurt you. I'm Raven. This tall dashing man is my friend Orcleous. Please, answer his questions for we don't have a lot of time until they come back around this way and the sooner we can sneak you out of here. Now. Try to remember how many you seen out there."

This sort of talking to her came naturally when she soothed and calmed the other slaves when she was younger. Her plan was that she would sneak them out and meet back up with Orcleous somewhere.

[Orcleous]

"Your right", spoke Orcleous as he looked at Claira. "I am just letting the situation get to me", spoke the hero as he moved toward the door. He would let Claira do all the talking. She seemed to be a people person, which was good. Somebody had to be anyway. Orlceous was better at dealing with mercenaries and those who had the stomach for battle. The crying, scared, and defenseless all shattered in Orcleous iron grip. It was a curse, but that was the way Orcleous was when it came to situations like this. There was no room for softness only cut calculated facts and tactics.

As the villagers spoke up and shared what they knew it soon became clear. A battle took place in the city. The guards fought hard and a hero rose up among them. They spoke of a man with a magical sword. From the description that was his guy. However by the results Orcleous could see they lost that battle. Probably got overtaken by the number of monsters. However the information the villagers gave him told Orclous that the beast numbers had dropped dramatically from their original assault. The chief of the guard preyed for reinforcement from Worde itself. He locked them in the cellar and charged back into battle.

"Alright so here is the plan", spoke Orcleous as Raven, if she wants to call herself that now, finished calming down the cannon fodder. "I will aid you in watching the backs of the civilians as they escaped the hole. By that time I am sure that one of the bonewalkers would have noticed and came to stop them. I will hold them off wile you direct the peasants to safety. Once you reach my horse you can ride back with both beast in toe. Depending on the situation we could either continue the search for the blade or simply leave. A magical sword is a rare and powerful tool however it is not worth a life."

After hashing out the little details with the sheep Orcleous walked over to the cellar door. "Alright stay close to each other and try not to make to much noise", spoke Orcleous as he opened the door with his shield raised and ready for combat.

[Claira]

It was a sound plan. Agreeing with him, they all prepared for the risky move they were going to attempt. Claira began thinking before he was going to open the door. "Orcleous, how about you lead them out? I'll run ahead and play decoy. You maybe stronger, but I'm faster and can get into spots you can't reach. Think about it. Its more of a safe bet to get them out of this mess. In the mean time I can try and track your sword down. Besides, I doubt they can out run me."

Sliding her scarf back up and her hood, she waited to hear what he was going to choose. Stick with his plan or go with hers. Either way, she had to steel herself. They all did for what was going to happen soon.

[Orcleous]

"No", spoke Orcleous bluntly as he looked at Claira. "On paper it sounds good, but in practice it is not. More than likely we are going to be scene and somebody is going to need to take there attention off the group. The Bonewalkers are not so stupid or clumsy that you can simply out run them. The safer bet would be for me to stay behind and you to lead the way. Your squishy, I am meaty."

Without another word Orcleous opened the door. To his surprise however they had a visitor. Standing just outside the door was a bonewalker. The creature was on its patrols and seemed to have passed in front of the cellar. There timing was just bad luck. Still that did not stop Orcleous.

The moment the gate opened up and the Bonewalker turned and looked at everyone inside it began to start shaking. It was clear to Orcleous it was going to rattle its bones and alter the others with the sound. However Orcleous would not have it. The Hero charged forward and slammed his shield into the creature. The blow caught it off guard as it was pinned against the side of a house. "Go", shouted Orcleous as the bonewalker struggled to gain its freedom.

With supernatural strength the bonewalker pushed off Orcleous shield. The beast was far stronger than just a pile of bones and it let that be known in its next attack. As it pushed off it swung with its battle axe. The bladed weapon slammed into Orcleous towershield and caused Orcleous to flinch a bit. He did not expect such power from the creature and as a result he was caught off guard. The monster pulled back and struck again, but Orcleous had already adjusted to its power. As the blow slammed into the left edge of the shield Orcleous stabbed forward with his gladious. If it had been a normal human the blade would have cut open there bowls and that would have been the end. However this was a bonewalker. Orcleous slash cut nothing but air as muscle memory drove him to slash rather than smash.

The creature kicked Orcleous Towershield with its right leg causing the hero to give ground. The monster then struck with its battle axe knocking Orcleous shield down. "Crap", spoke the hero as the beast struck out again. It moved to take advantage of the opening it just made. However Orcleous was strong enough to raise his shield back up quickly and block the incoming blow. Angered the hero charged forward and slammed the creature back into the wall of the house again. Instead of simply pushing it back Orcloeus pulled back on his shield. The monster thought it would be a opening to push off again, but Orcleous had diffrent ideas. Bringing his gladius up and around its rib cage Orcleous stabbed his short sword into the skull of the monster. The creature spasmed for a moment, but ultimately the bones lost there magical pwoer and tumbled to the ground.

"D#$%ed Bonewalkers", spoke Orcleous as he placed his blade into his sheath and picked up its steel axe. "Better suited for the job", he spoke. Before he could really catch a breather the sound of jiggling bones filled the air. One of the creatures saw the fleeing group of people and began to signal the others. "Great", spoke ORcleous as he moved into the back street running along the wall. He preyed that there was fewer monsters than he originally thought.