"The soldiers we have picked out are as follows: Tenes Lahrie, Darren Tionar, Chalybs Ferreus..." Darren Tionar? That must be himself, King Quoten realized. For some reason people, the captains especially, insisted on calling him that name. Which was strange, because it was only a pseudonym he had used back in the days when he was just a prince, sailing undercover in his father's navy as a rogue cake-miner. He shrugged it off. It didn't really matter what they called him, after all, just so he knew it meant himself. Heck, the captains could call him Chickenmeister for all he cared. With these thoughts in mind, he sauntered over to the strategium. Perhaps if he got there soon enough, he could write a quick letter to his country regarding the lack of reports. He entered the building and saw groups of people already milling about. The letter would have to wait; it was a king's first duty to be chivalrous after all! He walked up to one of the groups and cheerfully asked, "Hullo, is this the place we were to meet for the mission briefing?"
"A pleasure to meet you Van, and I've spent a majority of my life in the Elven forests; with my mentor of course. It's a pretty place, dangerous though," Chalybs said. The majority of his life in the Elven forest? Van thought. That either makes him the weirdest human I've ever met... or an Elf. His eyes scanned Chalybs from head to toe. He didn't ook like an Elf, but Van knew Elven magic could do strange things to a man's appearance. "If you don't mind me asking, what kind of sword is that you're carrying? I've never seen a person who carries a hilt without a sword," he added. And I've never seen a man who carries scrap metal and no conceivable weapon of any sort, Van thought. Chalybs was beginning to seem very suspect to him. "A very special kind," he replied. "As for how I came to possess such a weapon... don't worry about it. We all have our secrets. There's no harm in that, is there?" They were suddenly interrupted by a strange newcomer. "Hullo, is this the place we were to meet for the mission briefing?" "Yes," Van said, "yes it is."
Basch and Sacorax had finally entered the room and the other men had been conversing among themselves. Sacorax placed himself next to the capt. and he began to speak. "Alright men," looking over one of them was female, "and lady, we have some big issues here right now, this isn't small play and the thing is tough."
A very special kind "So it seems" Chalybs muttered, he knew just about every kind of weapon in existence, he grew up as the son of an elven weapon smith, and the adopted son of a dwarf explorer. "Must be an enchanted, magical sword" he thought to himself. this isn't small play and the thing is tough "May I ask what it is we are hunting for then?"
"We have some big issues here right now, this isn't small play and the thing is tough," the captain said. Well, duh, otherwise we wouldn't be standing here, talking about it. Van crossed his arms and waited for the man to go on. "May I ask what it is we are hunting for then?" Chalybs asked. At the moment, we're not hunting anything, Van thought. We're standing around, talking... while people are being slaughtered "What is it, where is it, and when do we leave?" he asked. He usually didn't like to back-talk his superiors, but he also didn't like wasting time while civilians were dying.
"What's with the secrecy? Looks simple to me. You tell us where it is, we go there, we kill it, we come back." He said, and shrugged. It was annoying when someone of authority was purposely obscure and unhelpful with those he commanded.
"This is getting troublesome," Sacorax said softly. "Briefings always take forever so lets just get going." He told Basch. Then he turned and addressed the others. "You shouldn't care what it is or what it's doing. If we want it dead then you kill it without a second thought. You're soldiers, not people." Sacorax shifted his body's weight to one side and crossed his arms. He was ready to go. The sooner the better if anyone asked him. But knowing the humans they'd either be here for another hour talking about their target or they'd spend the whole trip whining. Both were disgusting possibilities.
You shouldn't care what it is or what it's doing. If we want it dead then you kill it without a second thought. You're soldiers, not people. "I will be happy to kill whatever beast it is. I was merely trying to prepare for whatever we are fighting, it would be foolish to attack a giant boar with a sword instead of a spear, or chase a flying beast with an spear instead of a bow," Chalybs explained. This person was clearly an impatient person. "If what it is truly is of no importance then we should leave immediately, if we end up attacking a boar with a sword..." he said as he took out the chunk of metal at his side which had suddenly become a sword. "I'll make us a spear" he said as he spun the sword. When he stopped spinning the sword it was no longer a sword, but a spear. "And if we attack a bird with a spear.." he said once again giving his weapon a spin. "I'll make us a bow" he said as his weapon this time was shown to be a bow. When he was finished he placed his weapon at his side once more, returning it to its original form.
"Believe me, we're not going pig hunting," Sacorax stated heavily. He watched as the person transformed their weapon with only slight interest. This person liked to talk, that was the only thing Sacorax cared about from him. And since they liked to talk a lot, it meant Sacorax certainly did not like this particular human at all. Speaking only when Sacorax wanted them to was the kind he liked. "If your weapon can change then maybe you'll survive with no information," Sacorax said. "Good for you."
"Well, we don't know." Replied Basch. "There has been only one survivor of the attacks, and he is in no condition to tell us anything." "Luckily, it has not attacked any settlements, but we fear it is only a matter of time. We don't know where it is, but everyone who has disappeared has been going down the road about a mile away from here." "Right now. We meet at the barrack's entrance, now move out, men!" The group soon arrived at the Barrack's entrance, where they met two men in blue and purple robes (who they found out were wizards) and another man with a long, white beard, pure white robes of the finest make, and two silver hammers strapped to his belt (who they found out was a priest). They immediately set off to the south, where the monster reportedly was, and began their trek.
As they traveled, King Quoten attempted to initiate a conversation with his companions. "I daresay, that has to be the worst run briefing I have ever seen. We never would have tolerated that in the Cumber army. Why, we practically had to squeeze Captain Basche and Captain Delemarte to get anything useful out of them." The pack horse he was speaking to did not reply.
Van kept his mouth shut during the briefing. Chalybs did enough speaking for twenty men, anyway, so there wasn't much left to say. This creature wouldn't be much trouble, he thought. All he needed was someone to point him in the right direction and this mission would be as good as done. Still, he took notice when Chalybs decided to show off his little parlor tricks. Was it some sort of magic weapon or was this guy a mage? Van kept his questions to himself. Surely they would all be answered when the fighting starts. The battelfield is where you truly get to know someone. * * * A few minutes later, they hooked up with two mages and a priest outside the barracks and set off in search of the creature. "I daresay, that has to be the worst run briefing I have ever seen. We never would have tolerated that in the Cumber army. Why, we practically had to squeeze Captain Basche and Captain Delemarte to get anything useful out of them," said the strange fellow who had greeted him earlier. Van disregarded the comment. As true as it was, this guy was cannon fodder for sure. He probably wouldn't make it through the day. I'll have to keep an eye on that one, he thought.
Sacorax was enjoying the peace and quiet of the journey after the briefing until Quoten spoke up. Sacorax could care less if he was a King of Cumber, he was just another annoying humor. He was even worse when Sacorax was walking just behind him and Quoten was complaining about the briefing. "I'd like to see the Cumber army take down this monster," Sacorax said quietly but loud enough for King Quoten and others around him to hear.
"I'd like to see the Cumber army take down this monster," Basch stared over at the lt. "Something seems to upset you my friend, care to speak your mind?"
They had met a couple of mages and a priest. More fire power or simple companion? How big was whatever it was they were going to kill? He looked at the person who could transform a chunk of metal into, apparently, whatever he wanted to. He wondered if it was a learned skill. The sun was obnoxiously positioned in a way that got him just in the corner of his eyes. He put on his goggles. "I daresay, that has to be the worst run briefing I have ever seen. We never would have tolerated that in the Cumber army. Why, we practically had to squeeze Captain Basche and Captain Delemarte to get anything useful out of them." "I didn't hear anything useful. They told us there was something viciously attacking people somewhere further down the road." He said, annoyed by the morning sun blinding him every time he moved his head.
"Something seems to upset you my friend, care to speak your mind?" "Upset me? Of course not," Sacorax stated rather calmly, almost happily. "I just have a good knack for taking in some of the finer annoyances of life. It's a real naughty habit of mine." Sacorax kept walking. Humans didn't normally just hate all humans and while Sacorax was a part of this army, playing a human, he would have to hide his disgust as best as he could. Even if a few found out that he was of the scorpion clan it wouldn't be that big of a deal, only troublesome.
For nearly an hour, the group walked through the rugged wilderness path. Although they continued to make small talk, the forest around them seemed strangely quiet. A few distant bird calls could be heard, but other than that only the wind provided any kind of ambiance. A bird began singing not far from the path, but it abruptly stopped after the rustle of a small animal in the bushes interrupted it.
The group had started to move out after picking up some mages and a priest. It also seemed that their lieutenant was annoyed by everyone in the group. Something had seemed familiar about the way he walked, but Chalybs couldn't quite place it. A bird began singing not far from the path, but it abruptly stopped after the rustle of a small animal in the bushes interrupted it. "Something's not right here" Chalybs said aloud, not to tell everyone else, but rather just to state the fact. " The birds here are scared, they should be singing their heads of during this time day, but stop at the rustle of a bush."
Company Halt! Chalybs stopped dead in his tracks. It seemed that their commander shared his opinion that something was wrong, but surely they weren't stopping because of whatever little woodland creature was rustling through the underbrush. Were they?
Everyone stopped, waiting for more orders from their captain and glancing at the forest around them. After a short while, a small, fluffy bunny trotted out onto the path. "I bet he'd make a good stew..." One of the soldiers mumbled, loud enough for everyone to hear. The bunny stopped and, now at the center of the road, stood upon its hind legs and stared at the group. The same soldier pulled out his sword. "Don't mo-" But the captain was too late. The soldier charged at the rabbit with sword drawn, yet the bunny made no movement. Once the soldier was within five yards, the bunny plopped onto all fours and seemed to crouch towards the coming attacker. Then, its eyes suddenly glowed a bright crimson and it leaped at the soldier. In the few seconds of its flight, its head grew to monstrous proportions, the crease of it mouth expanding backwards rapidly, easily growing large enough to swallow a man whole. Its lips parted, revealing teeth as thick as the mess hall's chef and yellow as his choppers, and just as the soldier saw death approaching, he was engulfed. The rabbit, having quickly realized it had taken more than it could swallow, thrashed the soldier's body around and tossed the bloody mess into the woods. Its horrid eyes then fell upon the rest of the group.
Tenes watched as the rabbit mutated into horror incarnate. Just what exactly was going on here? He lifted his crossbow and aimed for the... well, it was hard not to hit his head. "Disgusting. Give the order, captain."
Basch stood in disbelief, a friggin rabbit came out of the road and ate his man alive, "You've got to be joking," he said to no one in particular, "Disgusting. Give the order, captain." Sword drawn he shouted, "CHARGE!!!"
surely they weren't stopping because of whatever little woodland creature was rustling through the underbrush. Were they? "Shows what I know" Chalybs said to himself as he reached for one of the chunks of metal at his side with one hand and the chunk on his back with the other. This was one evil rabbit, what was more it was big. Really big. He wouldn't be able to attack it from a close range, it could jump to far for that. He would need a powerful, but ranged attack. Instantaneously he had a quiver of inch and a half thick metal arrows on his back and an elegant bow in his hands and was knocking an arrow. CHARGE!!! "What are you thinking?! Stay out of that things range! It's a frickin' hell rabbit, so it can jump pretty far!" He himself said as he jumped back with bow and launched the first of a coming series of arrows at the beast.
The captain charged, his gleaming adamantine armor shining in the sun, he charged and turned, but no one actually followed. Before he could realize it, it was too late, the rabbit had already eaten Basch, a hero of awesomeness was lost that day.
