“Run guys, it’s just across this hill and we’re there!”
The mercenary trio was on their way from the forest to Ramur. In front ran the elf, still nimble in her movement despite the constant running, followed by the human and the dwarf.
“Shit, not only did we met this hairy bastard even our horses got killed by some beast”, cursed Brute.
“That’s why I told you we should leave them at the town!”
“And make the march to the forest twice on foot? No way. Till now there wasn’t any problem with leaving them in the vicinity, why are there so many beasts this time?”
“I don’t know… but it’s not… a good sign”, panted the dwarf.
“Shit, we gotta report this to the guild before the situation gets out of hand.”
As the elf reached the top of the hill she abruptly stopped. “I think it already got out of hand.”
“What do you…” The other two reached the top of the hill, stopping in their steps. “What’s going on?”
Before the trio lay the city of Ramur. Dark clouds hid the sky, bringing down a torrential rain. But still, Ramur wasn’t darkened in this night, as a raging fire engulfed part of the city, lightening the city, but also bringing destruction.
“Shit, I don’t like this one bit, fuck!” Brute cursed again. “What do we do?”
“For now, we should check it out.” The trio once again began to move as a loud roar sounded out.
“Still want to go?” asked Brute.
“There is no other place to go right now,” answered the elf.
“Well, at least I’m not gonna be stuck in last place anymore and have to buy your drinks.”
The dwarf looked at the man. “Don’t be too sure of yourself, young one. I’ll need one hell of a lot of drinks after tonight.”
The trio marched on, towards the city raging in flames, hands on their weapons.
Sam and Eve ran through the abbey looking for Aiden. But wherever they went, they saw no sign of him.
“Sam, what’s going on? Why are there monsters in town?”
“I know as much as ya, lad. Something weird is happenin’. If they struck the bell, then there is some kind of attack going on.”
“Then we have to hurry up even more and find Aiden!”
Sam stopped in his tracks before a crossroad and put a finger over his mouth. “Quiet lad. There’s company here.”
Eve’s face grew pale, remembering the moment she lay before the Goblin before. “Is it another one of those?”
“Shush, let me look.” Sam took a few quiet steps to the corner and peeked around. Behind it he saw a pair of men. “Good, fellow humans. It’s okay lass.”
Sam took another step, coming into sight for the two men. Startled, one of them warned another, as they both turned to Sam. “Easy boys, just another human,” said Sam. Still, both put up their arms, in their hands an old kitchen knife and a hatchet. Clearly the best the both could grab from what they had in their possessions.
“What do you mean ‘another human’? Ain’t this shit because of some trouble led by the gangs? They have finally done it, setting the whole city on flames!” The man with the knife screamed at Sam with anger in his eyes.
“And you! Looking at that sword in your hands with your shabby outfit, aren’t you one of them?”
“Calm down, okay. We have nothin’ to do with them. Monsters are attackin’.” Sam tried to calm them both down.
“As if! We are surrounded by walls here. How could they come inside? And there hasn’t been a monster attack in the last decade, why would there be one now?”
Bloody idiots, Sam cursed in his mind. Behind him Eve grow ever more worrisome of the situation escalating. “We’re just gonna go past here, kay? But believe me, there’s trouble comin’ for ya if ya don’t get outta here.” At least I must warn them. “Come lad, were going.”
Sam took off once again. Eve followed behind him, taking a glimpse at the two men, staring at them, in her eyes fear. “Where are we going Sam?”
“The main street. And from there to the castle. We need to find a safe haven.”
“But what about Aiden!” Eve stopped. Sam turned around hearing her. He looked in her eyes, seeing the fear, but also the resolve to save her little brother.
“Listen lad, we aren’t gonna find him here soon. The fire is spreadin’ and there are monsters in the city. He’s a clever boy, he will get out of here, if he isn’t already by now.”
“But!”
“No buts, lad. Trust in the boy.”
Eve stood there, clearly not intent on leaving. Blood flowed down her lips as she bit on it to stop herself from speaking. She opened her mouth, trying to retort once more, as a horrifying scream came from behind them.
“Sorry lad, but we’re leaving.” Sam put his sword into the scabbard and grabbed Eve as he started to run once more, pulling Eve along the way.
“No, let me go, I have to find him!” Eve struggled to break free, shacking of Sam’s arm for a moment and turning around to run into the depts of the slum.
Sorry lad, there’s nothing we can do now. As Eve started to run Sam struck her in the neck, nocking her out. He grabbed her before she fell and threw her over his shoulder. Walking to the main street he looked back into the dark alleys if the slum. Boy, if you’re still alive you gotta make it out of there. I don’t know if I can handle this beast here alone after she wakes up.
“Say women, do you really think it’s the best idea to go in there?” The dwarf looked at the elf in irritation.
The trio hid themselves in a group of bushes near the wall. In front of them stood groups of monsters. Green skinned ones, hairy ones, one as big as a house and ones smaller than children, making up for their bodies in numbers.
“Shut up, gramps, how the hell should I have known that the city turned into a monster paradise?”
“Even with this shit going on it’s better if we get in there, else we’re gonna turn into food real fast.”
“I knew there were too many monsters in the forest, but why are there so many here? This place should be under the protection of the tree, they shouldn’t find their way till here.” The elf looked around, trying to make sense of the situation. “There are goblins, kobolds, a troll and pixies. They should be killing each other, why are they fighting together?”
“No use trying to figure out the impossible. Well then, how should we even get inside this hellhole? I don’t think fighting our way through is going to work.”
“Climbing the wall?” The elf asked. “Should be easy enough, it isn’t that high.”
“Easy for you to say women, still young enough but you should think about this chunk of metal next to us.” The dwarf hit the armor of the big man lightly.
“You’re not gonna make it either old man, can’t even run a few miles, how can you even think of climbing up somewhere.”
“Has anyone of you a better plan then?”
A smile hushed over the dwarf’s face. “Well, as brittle as these bones are, never underestimate the power of the earth. Should be enough, but I’ll have to leave the fighting to you young ones afterwards.”
Unrest spread across the monsters. Reluctant to wait outside while other monsters were inside slaughtering humans the unrest grow. The looked at the gate, waiting for their time to pass it and bathe in the blood of the humans. But although the gates were open only little groups went in one at a time. For the anticipation of the slaughter was suppressed by fear. Fear of the one behind these forces. A group clad in black robes. Each of these ones had powers even bigger than the chiefs of their tribes. One of their overseers was within this group of monsters, fulfilling the wishes of their master.
One demon, with horns growing out of his head and leathery wings, smiled at the sight of the burning city. “Ahhhh, how beautiful these screams are. Makes me want to tear them apart myself. But I can’t. I’m not allowed to.” Speaking to himself he watched the hordes of monsters, pouring into the city on after another. “Well, well, what cute little rats we have here.” He turned away from the monsters, looking at a spot further down the wall. In the shadow of the night a trio ran towards the wall. “Little ones, the time has come for your turn.” The demon lifted his hand to show the pixies the way. At his command hundreds of pixies spread their tiny wings and flew towards the mercenary trio.
“Shit, we’ve been spotted. Pixies are coming over. Are you sure this is going to work old man?”
“Just don’t let them get to me, everything else will be alright.”
Brute took another look at the skittering swarm of pixies. “You know there are hundreds of them?”
“If you want to try something else then go. I’ll be on top of this wall by then.”
An arrow flew past them both, making its way through the cloud of pixies.
“No, thanks. At least I won’t be on the last place anymore. Then you’ll have to pay for the drinks.”
“Saving your asses should be worth a hundred extra points!” A smile crept upon the dwarf’s face.
“No changing the rules in between remember!” Brute declared.
Another arrow flew past, drilling its way through pixies and bringing forth shrill screams of death
“I don’t know anything about this. If you have a problem, try something on your own.”
“This old…” A vein bulged on Brutes forehead. “I’m gonna remember this. Your next drink will be a dragon’s tongue. Burn your inside’s away with it.”
“As if your human drinks could be anymore than a little spicy. Try the juicy of mount Angarr and we can talk about good drinks.”
“You dwarf have no idea about, hey!” The third arrow flew past Brute. The wind it rode on grazed his cheek. “That was dangerous, shit!”
“Stop talking! If you have the time to talk use it to run faster.” The elf ran in front of both men, already nearing the last dozens of feet to the wall. “And just that you know this. Your races drinks are like mud. If you ever drink the world tree dew you know what’s the best drink.” AS she reached the wall she turned around, loosening one arrow after another.
“You have no idea women!” Finally, the man and the dwarf reached the wall. “Now, lets see if this works.”
“What do you mean ‘if’?” Brute looked at the dwarf in panic.
“Just give me a moment.” The dwarf struck his staff into the ground and started to draw a symbol.
“Fuck, we don’t have time for you to draw!” The fastest pixies reached the group, only to be hit with the blade of the axe.
The elf drew her bowstring. “Spirits, rain needles upon my enemies.” An ethereal arrow began to form on the bow. As she let loose the arrow it split apart again and again, turning the nearest pixies into pincushions.
“Do you think you can let another one of those loose?” asked Brute.
“Not in the next minutes I fear.” The elf showed exhaustion as beads of sweat run down her temple.
The surviving horde of pixies came nearer and nearer, bringing a sense of nearing death with them.
“Old man, now’s the time!” screamed Brute.
“Don’t try to haste me, I need to draw this thing right!”
“Old man!”
The pixies draw even nearer. Only a few feet separated them from the group.
“Done! Ghosts of earth, I summon you to aid us!” As the dwarf spoke his spell the earth started to shake under them. The pixies stopped before them, looking at the shaking with suspicion. The earth started to rise under the trio. Quickly it grew into a tower as big as the wall but didn’t stop there.
“Gramps, you overdid it again!”
As the earthen tower grew it started to lean into the city.
“Old man, you don’t mean to say!”
“Yes. The first one down there gets free drinks!” As he said this the dwarf jumped down from the tower in the direction of a roof.”
“I’ll see you down there.” Without waiting for a moment, the elf jumped after the dwarf.
“Shit, these two crazy lunatics.” Looking down another time Brute took another step back. Then he ran towards the edge and jumped to the roof.
The demon looked at the trio falling from the tower. “Interesting little ones. At least possessing a little strength. Still, nothing to look out for. Well, I suppose it’s time to end this. Big one, it’s your turn.” With the demon’s word a troll, twenty feet tall, set into motion. It went to the gate, throwing its body against the framework to make itself some space to go through the clearly to small frame. The devil looked at the sight and started to laugh. “At least this will relieve me from my boredom. Now my cute little pets, show them the meaning of despair.”
