As the caravan's men entered the forest in shield wall formation, their formation was slowly broken up by necessity to traverse the forest. As they got deeper into the forest a loud *weee* sounded out, a soldier from the front was struck in his throat by a bolt. Several more came whipping out of the trees, one man was hit in the chest, failing to puncture his armor but knocking the wind out of him.
??? 5: There! Over there!
The Felia and Welrin troops looking to where the man who had spoken pointed to had spilt into three groups, one going down the center, the other left, and the last right.
As the soldiers gave chase they eventually reached the foot of a hill, the fire they faced increased in intensity.
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??? 6: They are here! Open fire!
The bandits came out from behind the trees with crossbows and fired into the oncoming troops, from the slope of the hill. As the troops mushed onwards under fire the bandits retreated to the top of the hill.
*BANG!* A soldier was hit in the chest, tripped over himself and fell down the slope. It was no bolt that had hit him though, it was the cold steel of a mace. Elsewhere another had their skull caved in and the scene repeats of one ambush after the other as the caravan's men had reached the half way point up the hill. An all out brawl was started as a result of this surprise attack.
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As Drago watched from the rear he thought now was the time, the time to send in the conscripted huntsmen.
Drago: Huntsmen, you have been conscripted with a purpose, a purpose that relies on your skill with the mana guns. NOW is the time to make your appearance, don't bother trying to form up, just kill, kill as many as you can!
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The troops pushed past the bandit ambush, further up the slope as they hear the loud rumbling of beast running at full speed. There was no time to reform ranks and than *BANG!*, a man skewered by a wooden spear before being sent back towards the bottom of the hill.
The vencarie riders have appeared, charging down the slope with spears at the ready. A felia soldier was run through in his throat, but the spear continued onwards into the chest of the man behind him. An as fast as they came they disappeared faster.
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The conscripted huntsmen reached the foot of the hill and took cover behind trees, sporadic fighting caused by the ambush was still ongoing in certain areas.
*BANG, BANG* The sound of metal clashing with metal rang out. A felia huntsman sighted a target amongst the clanging figures, taking aim he pressed the trigger, nothing happened. Or rather something did happen, the ball full of holes off to the side of the rifle glowed dimly; the ball was sucking in air, the huntsman could feel the pressure building up and his energy being sapped by a parasite infestation.
The huntsman's target looming over a comrade in arms, bringing his mace down, inches away from caving in a skull the second press of the trigger sent a bullet flying into the chest of the target. The barrel of the rifle with all of it's engravings glowing a light blue.
There upon contact a burst of dark jet black flames engulfed the area as the man stumbled backwards. The man quickly removed his gambeson but it was too late, the black flame already consuming his chest. In desperation the man, the bandit, the target clawed at his own chest trying to ripout the pulsating void eating his chest.
It was all futile though, the man screamed and screamed, but not out of pain. No, there was no pain to scream in agony, it was screams of terror that the man screamed. He brought up his hands only to see they and his fingers already disappearing into their own void, he felt no pain, but a terror! A terror brought upon him seeing his very self disappear into nothingness!
Soon he began hyperventaliting, the void was eating his lungs an diaphragm. The man collapsed onto his knees and tried with all his might to breath, the void in his chest grew smaller and smaller.
When the void was no more the hole in the chest cavity filled with fresh blood flowing onto the ground; the man's heart lurching forwards, hanging just outside of the chest as he collapses onto the ground.
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Meanwhile, from the top of the slope the vencar riders returned, charging down the slope once more. The boss of the bandits leading the charge in their cloak and bandanna, the weprin soldier in front of the boss faced the boss down, with spear at hand.
The soldier barely missed her head, stripping the cloak off. Pumpkin orange hair flowered out, with cat ears atop of their head. It was the last thing the welrin soldier saw before the boss ran him through.
As the riders returned to the top of the slope there was a brief flash of blue light. A rider took a hit to the back of the skull before it disappeared into the empty void of nothingness.
??? 7: They have mana guns! Dark ones!
Boss: *tch*, We need to get out of here, let this caravan through! We can hit another and grow back our numbers. RETREAT!
(Bosse's thoughts: The quality difference is too high, if we continue were looking at total annihilation.)
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Drago: Well lads, time to make our appearance on the field.
Drago and the makeshift cavalry begin their mad dash to the foot of the hill.
