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kors -> RE: =AQ= UnZardly Terror War Stories and Poems (3/23/2013 17:07:39)
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Part I: Chance Meeting
Rinia looked over the strange zard she had slain just moments ago. A Tadzard that had wondered several miles away from any large body of water. Of all the days for this to happen. Another more simpler job had shown up but now it seemed that most of Battleon would be doing it themselves for the next few days.
The young mercenary picked up the remains and took it back towards Yulgar’s. Her pay would be decent if she went with everyone to the island they had all come from. It was a surprisingly light Zard, the Tadzard seemed a dozen or so pounds lighter than normal. “Heh.... must be my imagination here, right? A Tadzard rarely gets this easy to lift...”
Yulgar’s was filled to the brim with Guardians and Adventurers waiting for the official declaration of war. Rinia dropped the carcass of her recent kill onto the front desk. Hans nearly leaped onto the ceiling when he saw the body. “Oh come on Hans, you’ve got to be used to this by now don’t you? Or was it because you were talking to yourself again?”
“Oh uh... it’s just you Rinia? Ok, so you want to sell this one right? We really need another few pounds of food for today so thanks a lot!” he said in a dodgy tone as he handed a large pouch to Rinia. A cook came in and quickly dragged the beast into the kitchen to cook.
The table Rinia took was out of the way and empty. A waiter came towards her and she ordered a mug of mogberry cider. She began to meticulously scan the Inn for anyone who might make a good contract with her.
It has been awhile since she left her Order for the work of a mercenary now. She remembered her days with the Paladins with a sigh. This attracted the attention of someone, a shadow moved over her.
“You again? Lords, are you trying to tell us something here?” the young man said as he sat down with his own mug and a plate of fresh Zard legs. “Let me guess, you are searching for someone who can give you a decent contract?” The smug smile on his face was hiding something important.
Rinia never fully understood where Kor had gotten his armor, an odd brownish metal with turquoise glass spread over several parts. It could almost qualify as a robe if not for it being almost entirely metal. He carried a different weapon with him this time as well, she noticed.
Rinia figured he might very well know someone who could give her a decent contract. “Do you have friends who would be willing to pay a mercenary enough to hold me over until the Grenwog season?” she asked. The mercenary only had a little gold left now, perhaps enough for another day or two at Yulgar’s Inn but not more.
The Chronomancer smiled for few seconds before finally saying, “I know exactly who you should go and see!”
Part II: Zardra
The boat rocked unevenly against the waves. Rinia was anxious for the coming swarms of zards that she would face. Her contract was very interesting to say the least, and even more generous. Kor had definitely sent her to the right person.
From the crow’s nest, Rinia scanned the seas. It was a beautiful sight, but no island in sight. Perhaps a day or two would bring the island onto the horizon.
The mercenary climbed down the long rope ladder and handed her telescope to pirate who came to relieve her of the job for the day. She headed towards the stairs to the food hall, only to spot a familiar face. A Paladin she had known for years.
“Well... this is interesting. I never thought I would see you again, you traitor!” the young Paladin whispered the last word with such malice that Rinia wanted to run.
She stood her ground and put a hand on her blade. “Why, why are you here Traven? You told me you wan...”
Traven interrupted, “I’m here because I wanted to do the Lady’s work and slay a few dozen undead Zards that may be on the island. Only a traitor like you would be unable to figure out my reason.” He shook his head, almost fatherly, in disapproval.
It hurt her to think that a close friend, like Traven, could become so hateful. They had not even argued for a month before she had left the Order. Traven had never seemed like one to become like the zealots, the pair had ended up being the more moderate part of the Order.
Before she could say anything more, a wave rocked the boat. Them and others were knocked over by the extremely odd wave. Seconds after Rinia managed to get back onto her feet a shout from the Crow’s nest, “Sea serpents! It’s a pair of sea serpents!” the man shouted to all on the deck and pointed in the general direction of the wave.
Rinia ran towards where the fellow mercenary pointed. Holy Might would not be the most useful weapon this time. The sound of the cannons being loaded and of another wave rang loud and clear in the midday sky.
A pair of shadows appeared inside the wave. Large and powerful, the twin serpents remained hidden inside the waves. “Those aren’t normal sea serpents!” shouted the ship’s captain, Captain Crabapple. “The way they’re attacking ain’t like no serpents my ship has ever met! Don’t get too cocky, maties!”
Cannon fire shook the large vessel. At least one struck it’s intended target, from the wave came a cry of one of the serpents. Both heads ripped through the wave and into view. “By the Lords!” Rinia thought to herself, “What sort of madman would consider this to be a good monster?”
The sea serpents revealed themselves to be a single creature, a large sea dwelling hydra. It had an unnatural color and shape, their heads resembling a zard. The left head was covered in cannon balls. Lefty seemed to be on the brink of death, it flailed and bled violently. Just as it looked hopeful that they slayed a head it began to shift and split.
It’s uninjured right head lunged ahead of it’s new heads and struck the boat. Rinia was flung across the deck. She plunged her sword into the deck in an attempt to stay aboard, falling into the seas now would be a death sentence. The zard-like hydra’s newer heads were attacking anyone who had fallen into the waters.
A crossbow bolt wizzed past Rinia, it speed towards the monster. The bolt struck it’s mark, the beast’s middle head roared in pain as it’s left eyes was pierced. It’s other heads all were angered noticeably by the harm it had taken. For some reason she knew that Traven was the one to fire the bolt, he was a master with a crossbow.
Another strike to the the ship sent Rinia flying into the waters. Fortune smiled upon Rinia and she managed to avoid the monster’s heads as they thrashed and attempted to devour all those in the water. She tried in vain to escape the now raging waves, the current and hydra made it almost impossible to make it to the surface.
Darkness embraced her as she gave up her futile effort. The tide took control and sent her along with several other luck sailors...
Part III: On Days Long Past...
Traven could hardly believe his luck for the last couple of weeks. He got stuck with the dead end low paying job, got into fight with an old friend on the way, watched as his ride was obliterated, and now he was stranded on this strange island. The Paladin kept himself largely to the beach he washed up on, the sounds of many zards further in made him wary of the inland.
As the sun reached the point it could easily shine in his eyes, Traven rose from his makeshift bed. He looked over towards the forest and sighed, “Day three now... I wonder if anyone else made it to here yet?” He left his ramshackle tent and began to comb the beach once again.
It was a day like this, so many years ago now, that he first joined the Order, and he could remember it so vividly now. His home had been ransacked by a Necromancer, most everyone had died and been turned into her thralls. Him and his parents had managed to escape, but his brother had fought the evil sorceress and failed like everyone else who dared.
Only a day later did the Paladins arrive. Traven jumped at the chance for vengeance. He was the first, and only one in the village to join them on their hunt. The thrill of the hunt for evil, and his victory over several undead and even the vile necromantress that killed his brother, lead him to joining as a permanent member.
When they brought him to the Paladin base, that was when he met her. She was timid then, raised almost entirely among Paladins as an orphan had that sort of effect on a child. They were so naive back then, they had truly believed they would be friends forever.
Traven’s train of thought was quickly derailed by a pair of bodies lying on the beach. He speed over to them, even with the water breathing potions magic in the oceans they had been left at sea for a few days now. Rinia and some other guy lay there unconscious, “So you made it too, huh? Looks like I will get to bring you back to the Order after all...” The Paladin dragged the two back to his temporary camp, and began to search once more.
The young man that Traven had rescued was the first to awaken. His eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the bright sunny day. He looked around him for any clues to his new surroundings. A poorly made tent, a single bed roll torn rather greatly, and a girl leaning against a side of the tent.
He remembered her almost instantly, she was the one who Kor had sent to him for a contract. It had been a while since he had used any of his gold, so he decided to be generous with the girl. Rinia began to stir from her slumber, distracting the young man from his thoughts.
The mercenary’s eyes fluttered open and the first thing she saw was her contractor leaning on the other side of the tent. “Dagan?” she exclaimed surprised at seeing him once again. “What happened? I didn't think you would’ve been on the ship with us!” Rinia looked around expectantly for anyone else to be there. No one else was there.
“So...,” Dagan starts surprised that it was not Rinia who had made this camp, “You didn’t make this little camp?” Both of them realized that they definitely were not the only ones on the island now. Rinia instinctively reached for the hilt of Holy Might, only to remember that she had used it to keep herself in the boat. Dagan himself reached for a longish dagger. Together they left the tent and searched for their unknown rescuer.
Traven’s beachcombing had been unusually productive today, no more people but several of the ships supplies had washed ashore. He picked up each and every thing that looked like it might be remotely useful. A little while before he decided it would be best to head back to the tent, he came upon a blade that reminded him of Rinia’s Holy Might.
She had always said that the blade was her mother’s, from her time as a Paladin. Rinia had only spoken about it once or twice. Her mother had been a talented Paladin stationed in Granemor. She had defended the city almost single handedly for over a year thanks to that sword. It was there that she met a priest from the now mostly scattered church of the Lord of Light, the two quickly fell in love and in less than a year Rinia’s mother had a child on the way.
During this time the girl’s mother had returned to the Paladin base to rest and prepare for her child’s arrival, and the commander at the time sent several men to defend the city in her place. Her lover decided that he should be there for those that need him most, the people of Granemor. The two parted ways hoping they would see each other in a year’s time, when she had regained her strength and had a nice, healthy baby in tow.
Their meeting was doomed to never happen in less than a month, the city had been raided by an undead army before the new group of Paladins even managed to get there. Well over a dozen people went missing, among their number was Rinia’s father. Rinia’s mother was distraught with grief for the next 8 months, slowly wasting away. By the time of Rinia’s birth she had become unfit to give birth and died.
When Traven picked the blade up it became obvious why the traitor continued to use it. It hummed in his hands, the silver and bronze were soaked with light magic. It may have looked simple but it was masterfully crafted by an old Paladin blacksmith. He removed the blade from the plank it was lodged in. Even a traitor deserved her weapon during her last moments.
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