[Closed] Strike

[Ketic]

The Hunter moved with down the hallway with uncanny grace. He passed two guards with jet black arrows in their chests, then he came to a door. It was not locked. He crept in and looked at the sleeping lump in the large bed. Boring ending for a boring man. Three arrows left The Hunter's bow almost in unison, the thwang of the bowstring a continuous noise.

The Hunter left the room quietly, and stood in the hallway. He counted to five then prepared to run.

"Lord Alister! The lord has been murdered! Come quick!" A voice rang out from inside the lord's chambers. The Hunter ran quickly down the hall, opposite of the way the soldiers were rushing to see if their lord really was dead.

-

deGray awoke to a flickering yellow light. At first he thought it was his fire, then he realized it was coming from the window. The battlemaster rose quickly and jogged to the window. What he saw made him gasp.

From his spot near the top of the third and smallest tower, deGray had a clear view of what was going on. Fire spread along the courtyard, obviously goaded on by oil or gunpowder. Hundreds of soldiers flanked the castle, and were climbing up the walls on siege ladders. Fights were already breaking out down below on the castle grounds, but deGray had no idea where Hadrian's soldiers could have come from.

Not good! Those battle plans must have been a decoy!!! deGray burst out of his room holding a two handed claymore. He looked around for any enemies, and not seeing any he began to sprint towards the stairs that would lead him to the fight below.

-

Chivel was already awake when she heard yelling. She nimbly rose from her spot in an armchair next to the fire and opened the door of her small cabin. Her face had no expression as she watched the battle.

The ranger lived in a cabin about a kilometer from the castle. The castle was on a large hill, so all Chivel could see was the mass of soldiers climbing the walls. In seconds she was wrapped in a cloak and a bow was in her right hand. She sprinted over to her horse Cab and quickly mounted. Lets see if we can get in without being noticed...

[Barley]

Muradin still half asleep and open the window.

"STOP ALL THA-" Muradin was cut short as he saw the battle and sprang fully awake he quickly dressed and grabbed his trowing axe and battle axe. He Grinned as he exited his room and walked down the hallway.

------

Azreal frowned as some of Alister's guard dragged him out of his hiding place in the castle. They threw him up against the wall and held him there.

"Boy! did you see who killed Lord Alister?" The guard shook him.

"No and I didn't kill him either." Azreal rolled his eyes.

"Stupid boy, then fight!" The guard handed him a dagger and pushed him out side.

[Barley]

Barley, Gregor and Fran hid in some bushes on a hill where they could see the battle. They saw fire from the torches of Hadrian's troops and the siege ladders that were pushed up, they waited. Barley noticed something out of the corner of his eye, a horse and a rider.

[Ketic]

Chivel brought Cab to a hard gallop and let the reins fall from her hands. An inexperienced rider would have fallen off right then but Chivel was a ranger and she had trained for this kind of combat. She brought her bow up and in an instant there was an arrow nocked and aimed. Chivel fired five arrows in total, four of which hit their marks.

Chivel put her bow across her knees and grabbed the reins again, turning hard to the right towards the rear of the castle. The ranger only hoped that Hadrian's men didn't know about the sewer entrance that led under the castle walls.

-

deGray fought with the strength of ten men but he was getting tired. Bloody body after bloody body lay at his feet and he huffed as more men circled around him. At first he had been charged head on, the enemy troops showing no fear; but now the men just circled, waiting for an opportunity to strike. I don't think I'll make it out of this...

The battlemaster let out a roar and sprinted at one of the men who seemed distracted; then the clang of steel and the slicing of flesh and bone was all that deGray could hear.

[Barley]

Muradin roared as he leapt from a box and landed on one of Hadrian's soldiers sinking his axe deep into the soldier's skull. Muradin swung his axe at more soldiers and chopped ones legs off, but more soldiers were charging at him, he grinned and gripped his axe tighter.

-

Azreal stumbled to his knees but jumped up as one of Hadrian's soldiers loomed over him. Azreal jumped up and forward into the soldier sinking the dagger into the soldier's neck. Azreal jumped back as the soldier fell to the ground. He grabbed the soldiers sword and sheath. Once having the sheath fastened to his waist he walked backwards with his sword out checking to see if any goons were following him. He was about to turn around but he tripped over a dead body. Azreal noticed that he was one of Alister's soldiers and had a bow. He looted the body for the bow and the arrows and quiver. Feeling fully equipped he started toward the sewer entrance which he used frequently to enter and exit the city without being noticed.

[Ketic]

deGray felt death looming over him. Two hard slices from a scimitar had him on his knees. The captain was laughing at him but deGray showed no fear. He only welcomed death, knowing that he would die like a warrior. Just before the scimitar came arcing down, deGray heard a familiar battle cry.

-

Chivel was just unlatching the grate on the sewers when her keen ears heard something from inside. She paused for a moment, then relatched the grate and moved to the side to wait for whoever was coming her way.

-

Meanwhile, Hadrian was grinning with happiness. Lord Alister's castle had fallen easily. Of course there would be casualties but casualties were a fact of war. Hadrian's eyes narrowed and his grin faded as he watched The Hunter riding back towards his tent. The man had succeeded in killing the Lord but Hadrian was sure that something was up.

The Ex-Lord had almost made up his mind to go after The Hunter but one of his man ran up to him, panting for breath. Hadrian waited a moment but the man was still catching his breath.

"Well speak you!" Hadrian roared.

"Sir!" The man coughed then took a deep breath. "There is a small garrison of men still fighting inside the castle. We have them cornered! What should we do?"

"Well kill them, OBVIOUSLY!" Hadrian smacked the man and then set his boot on the man's backside and shoved, hurling the soldier away.

Before the soldier was out of earshot, another voice spoke from behind Hadrian.

"Perhaps it would be more useful to take them captive, don't you agree Hadrian?"

"Er, yeah." Hadrian barked the order to the soldier who was running away, then turned and went into is tent.

[Barley]

Muradin hacked and slashed as many of Hadrian's troops he could reach but they were getting smart and staying father away than normal. Muradin called out his signature battle cry and hurled his throwing axe at a laughing soldier. Muradin then continued slashing at the soldiers.

-

Azreal hated growing he always was small and skinny but he was slightly bigger than before and he had to hunch his back more to get through the sewer exit. He reached his hand through the grate and unlatched it. Then he gripped the bars and pushed, the grate came free he pushed it to the side and crawled out. Once out he stretched his back and started walking away from the castle.

[Ketic]

"Muradin!" deGray mustered his strength and rolled sideways, barely dodging the captain's sword. "Over here!"

-

Chivel watched as the boy didn't even look her way when he climbed out of the grate. When he started to walk away she darted forward and grabbed him by the collar.

"What are you doing out here, kid?"

[Barley]

Muradin spotted deGray and ran over. He charged many soldiers as he went.

--

At first Azreal kept walking but his collar choked him and he was jerked back. A girls voice spoke to him.

"I was just trying to get away from the bad guys." Half lie and half true, he turned around and tried to look innocent. "I'm just a street boy and have no family."

[Ketic]

deGray shakily stood up and kicked at the captain. Somehow, despite the throwing axe embedded in the captain's chest, he kept standing and faced the battlemaster hungrily.

"I need some help here!" The battlemaster shouted over the din of the battle.

deGray grabbed up a loose sword that was lying on the ground and tapped into his resolve. He swung left and right, high and low, and eventually began gaining ground on the captain.

-

"Where did you get those weapons then?" Chivel countered. "And if you have weapons why are you leaving the battle? I say you are a deserter of Hadrian's army." The female ranger narrowed her eyes at the boy, as if looking at him hard enough would tell her his agenda.

[Barley]

Muradin turned to deGray and charged at the captain swinging his axe.

-

"I got them off of some dead soldiers." He slouched a little, he was getting annoyed. "I just got them to hunt and to defend my self, I'm not part of Hadrian's army I'm too small and i lived here all my life." He had a nagging question.
"Who are you then and what are you doing here?" He jumped back and drew his sword. "Maybe you are a part of Hadrian's army!"

[Ketic]

deGray left the shortsword stuck in the captain's chest and backed up as more soldiers appeared. The battlemaster brandished his claymore once more but he knew he wouldn't last a minute against a group of soldiers in his current state.

"We must retreat!" deGray shouted to Muradin who was doing great in the battle. "The castle is lost.."

-

Chivel scoffed. "Lets see you try and use those weapons then! Commit a grand felony by attacking a King's Ranger. See if I care." Chivel watched Azreal, waiting for any sign of an actual attack. Something about this boy's abrasiveness made her kind of like him.

[Barley]

Muradin nodded to deGray and slashed one final soldier. He ran to deGray. "How are we gonna get out?" Muradin asked.

-

Azreal kept his sword up and looked her in the eye. She could be lying. "You could be lying, you could be that Hunter guy since I've never seen you before." He narrowed his eyes and readied himself for any attack from her.

[Ketic]

"We will have to use the old crypt tunnels. The entrance is under my battleschool." deGray huffed as he threw his weight into a killing strike. "Follow me!" He sprinted off towards the battleschool.

-

Chivel chuckled. "The Hunter? Really?" She waited but Azreal didn't answer her. "The Hunter is a man. Ok?" Chivel lowered her bow. I don't have any more time to waste. The ranger turned and strode towards the pipe until she remembered something. She turned to Azreal. "Is Lord Alister leading the counter-attack?"

[Barley]

Muradin hacked one more enemy soldier and nodded to deGray. He charged after deGray toward the battleschool. Muradin closed the battleschools doors behind him as he followed deGray.

-

"No, he's dead." Azreal kept his stance. "If you were one of the king's rangers why weren't you in the castle?"

[Ketic]

deGray moved along the wall, taking caution not to be seen. After walking for no more than a minute, the two came upon an old gate with stairs leading down. Without a second thought deGray kicked the gate open, then turned to Muradin.

"Forgot the key." He explained.

-

"Because my cabin is not within castle walls. Don't you know anything about how King's Rangers operate?" Chivel had no time to mourn Alister's death, she needed to report to the king. He was an oaf anyways. "Enough arguing." Chivel mounted Cab and outstretched her hand to the boy. "Are you coming or not?"

[Barley]

Muradin jumped back when deGray kicked the gate open.

"Nice kick." Muradin said and nodded. He followed deGray down the stairs.

-

Azreal glowered and reluctantly grabbed her hand and climbed on the horse. "Where do you plan to go?" He asked.

[Ketic]

deGray rubbed his thigh regretfully as he jogged down the long spiral staircase that led into the crypt. He turned his head and saw that Muradin was keeping up ok. "Remember to be silent once we enter the crypt." He gave no other explanation.

-

Chivel brought Cab around the side of the castle and back into the open. By now Hadrian's forces had entered the castle and there were only a few lingering squads outside. "We are going to meet up with some other Rangers." Chivel dug her knees into the horse's sides and it began to gallop. "Look on the ridge there, see those men in green?" Chivel realized that unless Azreal had amazing eyesight he would only see shrubbery, as would anyone that wasn't a ranger or a ranger apprentice. "When we approach them, let me do the talking. They aren't exactly Kings Rangers."

[Barley]

Muradin nodded and looked into the crypt and saw darkness.

"Don't we need a torch?" He asked deGray in a hushed voice.

-

Azreal squinted in the darkness and spotted three hooded figures in the bushes.

"What kind of rangers are they?" He asked. "Are they exiles?"

-

Barley spotted a horse coming toward them with a girl and a young boy riding it. He beckoned silently to Fran and pointed, Fran nodded. Have to be survivors Hadrian's forces are inside the fortress. He would have to let them know they were here. Barley nodded to Fran and Gregor then ran down to the bottom of the hill and waited.

[Ketic]

"Not if we want the guards to stay asleep." deGray realized that Muradin probably wouldnt know what he was talking about but he was in too much of a hurry to care. He moved quickly down one of the paths, but then something bad happened. His foot hit against a loose stone and it went careening down the dark hallway making a loud clattering. He readied his sword. "We are about to have company." Just when he finished speaking a low moaning echoed from somewhere in the deep darkness ahead.

-

"Shh." Chivel reigned Cab in and hopped nimbly down to face the man who had run to meet them. "Chivel Ojiir, Kings Ranger." She spoke firmly, but her posture was relaxed.

[Barley]

"There are guards down there?" Muradin asked surprised, he drew his axe. He saw shadowy figures moving around in the darkness. "Time for a fight." He stated thrusting his axe forward.

-

Barley nodded and beckoned to Chivel to follow him and dashed up the hill to Fran and Gregor. He nodded to them and entered the forest.

[Ketic]

Undead men streamed from the darkness and sprinted towards Muradin and deGray. deGray swung his sword in an arc, sending the first of many undead back into the dark afterlife.

-

Chivel grabbed the ranger's shoulder. "Where is the rest of the reinforcements? Didn't you bring the whole corps?"

[Barley]

Muradin swung his axe at the undead cutting several gashes into their stomachs allowing rotting intestine to slide out onto the floor. Muradin then proceeded to tromp on the guts as he stormed ahead chopping undead as he went.

-

Barley turned to the girl. "We're not here to fight off Hadrian's army, we were sent to escort all remaining survivors back to the Ranger camp, we should get moving." He motioned with his head to follow and proceeded into the forest.

[Ketic]

deGray kicked one of the corpses back into its broken coffin and plunged his sword through it's flesh. He turned ready for more but he heard only his and Muradin's heavy breathing. deGray huffed and dropped his sword.

"You see any more of 'em?" He called into the darkness as he fumbled through the pack he had grabbed before leaving the keep. Oh. deGray pulled out a flint and some tinder and grinned. He quickly placed them back in the bag and stood up, waiting for Muradin's answering shout.

-

Chivel sighed. They are just like a band of outlaws. I wouldn't be surprised if they try to rob me when we get back to their camp. "What about all the other survivors?" Chivel halted at the treeline and pointed to the burning keep. Chivel knew there weren't any survivors but there might have been if these rangers had helped out in the battle.

[Barley]

Undead skulls burst and crunched under Muradin's foot as he stomped on the corpses. He breathed heavily for a moment. "Doesn't look like there are any more, RAUGH!" Muradin stomped one last time and poked around in the darkness looking for anymore bodies. "Nope I'm sure they're all dead, how are we gonna get through this dungeon with out light?"

-

Barley stopped and turned. "Doesn't look like there could be anybody still alive there." He glanced up at the burning keep.
Azrael groaned. "Do we have to just stand here?" He shifted his feet dramatically. "If there were any survivors they would have run, or they're just stupid."
Barley looked at Chivel "You say we should burst into the fortress that is swarming with enemy forces and look for survivors in a burning building?"

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