[IC] Knights of The Dawn Covenant: The Longest Winter

[OtomostheCrazy]

Further along the way from the increasingly large group of knights, yet another Knight of the Dawn Covenant, Kaathe, was sitting on the ground, his back leaning against the trunk of a tree, while his spear rested against his shoulder, dripping the excess blood, and drying the rest. His helm lay on the ground beside him, as if it was acting as some madman's lookout. On the ground at his other side, his own decorated crossbow rested.

His body would survive its injuries, but it was still a fact that his body had received them. They were nothing serious, as his armor had taken a majority of the attacks. In fact, most of his injuries were mere bruises. However, his body ached, and pain was felt all over those injuries. The price of being mortal. Still, Kaathe couldn't help but quietly laugh at them. Injury was expected by the dark elf. Especially when one knight had to fight several cultists alone after so much had already happened.

Surrounding Kaathe were the corpses of several deserters, stragglers, over-ambitious fools, and cultists that had separated from their main group to pursue knights that had fled. Some had large wounds that assured any who saw it that the man had been impaled. Others had large, bloody holes in their heads, with crossbow bolts stuck in the sides of trees nearby indicating that they had been shot. Then there were the few who were missing some limbs. Where were their parts? Scattered across the ground as icy shards.

Kaathe certainly had a busy night, but now he has found some personal respite...

Then the sound of hard breathing was heard. Kaathe looked in its direction to see who it was, and found that one more straggler had arrived. The cultist looked injured. Very injured. Cuts and bruises were scattered about and showing through the rips and tears of his garbs. Strangely enough this one had no weapon with him. He leaned on a tree to catch his breath, and the dark elf stood up

"What's wrong? Get a bit of an injury out there?" said Kaathe in a calm voice.

The cultist's head jolted up to see Kaathe, spear in hand. When the Dark Elf began to walk towards him, the man tried to back away. He tripped on a stone and fell onto his back. He flinched and gasped as his wounds punished him for making such a blunder, allowing Kaathe to close the distance.

"No problem."

Kaathe stomped down hard on the cultist's gut.

"Someone'll take care of you before you know it."

As the cultist lost consciousness, Kaathe dragged him by the feet over to where he had been resting before. Whatever a crazed religious man was worth, at least there was now someone to interrogate. All he needed to do now was wait for other Knights of the Dawn to pass by.

[TheDarkTemplar]

"HOLD THE INNER GATE! ARCHERS TO THE BATTLEMENTS! GET THW OIL TO THE WALLS!", Knight-Commander Grathan howled his order in rapid succession as the last surviving defenders of Starguard held back the enemy. Defeat was all but certain, what mattered now was that these men would slay as many of these cultists as possible. If they could thin the ranks, alleviate some danger and provide a sliver of hope for the remains of The Order then this was to be their fate. The main gate of Starguard Keep had already fallen to the enemy, now the Templars had fallen back to the inner wall to defend the keep and the Conclave Hall. During their retreat to the inner keep, those fit enough to do so carried the wounded along with them in the hopes they'd receive aid if they would survive this battle. The injured were placed in the Halls of the Conclave, scores of men scattered about the hall groaning in pain or screaming in agony as what few healers they had attempted to aid them. Unfortunately, with the attack of the dragon the Halls of the Conclave exploded, those who survived the initial blast were killed by the collapse. Knight-Commander Grathan watched in horror as the hall collapsed taking all those poor souls down with it. The battle for the inner keep raged on for quite some time before Grathan began to feel hope they'd survive.

That hope was quickly extinguished when a singular ball of light raced towards the heaven before exploding and causing a rain of light. The screaming could be heard far into the forest but as close as Grathan and his men were the screams were much worse. The Commander scrambled over to the walls to see what had transpired to find that that spell which had been cast into the sky resurrected every slain Templar on the battlefield. Those brave men and women screamed as their tortured souls were dragged back to the physical world as slaves to this evil army. Every corpse's eyes glowed green and observing this from such a height Grathan saw a sea of sinister green staring at him. Still the Commander did not break, he returned to his command and continued to give orders to his men. "YOU SEE WHAT THEY DO TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS! YOU HEAR THEIR SCREAMS! LET THAT GIVE YOU THE RESOLUTION TO SEND THEM BACK TO THE AFTERLIFE! LET NOT THEIR FACES HALT YOUR STRIKE! FIGHT ON, FOR THE ORDER AND FOR ALL THE WORLD!", Grathan's speech managed to shake some of the fear from his men but in their eyes he could see pain. The enemy was upon them now and this was to truly be the end..it mattered not.

---

The journey to Sharwood village was not to long yet it did held some dangers as stragglers of The Dead God's army stalked the lands. Along the way Evelyn had gained a good bit of her strength back thanks to being able to ride upon Henry, what's more the group had stumbled upon one of their own, Kaathe, whom they took with them and his captive to the nearest safehaven. Now that they were in the village, it was clear the news had already begun to spread. The village was in a state of chaos as those who did not frantically pack to flee scrambled back and forth to defend their home. Walls of spiked logs had been erected, scalding oil was being brewed, some even attempted to dig spike pits along the perimeter of the village. The local militia took up arms with bows, swords, and axes in hand. It was clear that these people would defend their home, but it was also obvious they'd fail in doing so. Even with this fact being known to Evelyn, she'd not be able to lend aid to these people. The group's purpose here was to rest, acquire horses, and collect food for the journey to the nearest Templar fort, Thanermere Keep.

The village inn, "The Snow Mare", was surprisingly occupied despite the danger nearing them. However, the drinking done here was not out of merriment but out of woe. This lot knew the harsh reality of what was to come, if they'd not die in defense of the settlement then they'd live lives as vagrants, surviving on what little they had left before inevitably wasting away. The group entered the inn and found themselves a corner to rest at. "You all wait here, once I learn what I can from the innkeep I'll return with news. In the meantime you should all gain what rest you can, once its time we leave this place with haste", Evelyn said before leaving to approach the counter. The innkeep was an elderly man, his beard greyed and his eyes holding a sense of wisdom to them. The man eyed Evelyn's armor for he knew what kin wore such arms. He placed a mug atop the counter and was about to pour some mead when Evelyn raised a hand for him to halt.

"None other Templars come this way, yet. Hadn't figured any would survive what happened o're at Starguard", the elder said as he put away the mug. Evelyn glanced back at where her group rested, a sharp sadness came over her. "So you've heard what has befallen The Order. Why remain? Tis it not dangerous to remain so close?", she asked as she eyed he door, listening for sounds that might alert danger.

"Aye, tis true we folk be targets in war. Still we've no knowledge o' this army an' its intentions. Whose t'say they'd come 'ere? Those who wish to leave may go as they please, those who remain'll keep watch n' warn the remainder 'fore its too late"

"Tis quite brave of you all, still you shouldn't remain here. My men and I have witnessed what this enemy truly is, an army of darkness serving an unholy cause"

"And where would we go? Once word gets travels the realm all manner o' folk'll travel to the capital. Every village from 'ere to there'll be ripe pickin's for bandits n' marauders. The roads'll all be infested with highwaymen and the wilds are no way to travel 'less you fancy facin' a whole number o' horrors. No Ma'am, my kin an I'll remain. Should them wretches come 'ere then we'll make haste"

Evelyn knew there'd be no convincing these people, this village was all they knew and to abandon it would be to abandon their lives. "Very well then, may the gods protect you all", Evelyn's words raised the innkeep'a brow as he began to clean a mug. "You mean to say you lot ain't stayin'? Twas my belief you were 'ere to help defend until more o' ye arrived", he said quietly so as to not bring attention to their conversation.

"Unfortunately no, my men and I have been given orders to carry word of this attack to the rest of The Order"

"You'll be needin' horses then, food and water too"

"Help yourself to as much as you like then. Harvest has been kind an we've a surplus. As for horses, Garvy'll be happy to part with his, man's brother is a Templar"

"My thanks, I shall send word for reinforcements to come here once we reach Thanermere", Evelyn thanked the innkeeper once more before heading back to her company. "Good news, the people here offer us their food and horses. Lucien, Glodin, and Cythlla, the man you are to look for is Garvy, he has our horses. Once you've acquired them bring them here. Jeremiah, Halen, Ruinil, the store house has the food we need. Take enough for the road and only enough, these people need it more than we. Kaathe, you stay with me, our captive has some questions to answer", Evelyn removed her helmet and placed it atop the table before stepping over to where the captured cultist lay unconscious and tied. Evelyn wound back her arm before throwing a brutal punch across the man's face. His pain rivaled only by his fear of what was to happen next.

[Aara1112]

Gasping for air, Lloyd collapsed on the ground. He ran and ran and when his legs beg him to stop, he only ran some more. It was to his relief then that he finally saw the village just ahead of him. It was not burnt down. Finding renewed strength, Lloyd propped himself up with his staff and jogged over quickly.

He saw a flurry of activity as the local militia raced to defend themselves. The poor souls, they would only find death if they stayed behind to defend their homes. "You there! Has any other member of the order come by here?" he yelled to one of the militiamen.

"Yes, a few stopped by!"

"I must meet them, can you show me where they are?"

"I don't know, look around! I'm busy here! Check the inn or something!" the militiaman said impatiently.

The militiaman left Lloyd in a hurry. "Well then, I should look around for any other members of the Order..."

[Ace of flames01]

Ruinil stood outside of the inn, leaning against one of its walls. In the distance, Ruinil could hear an occasional faint booms and the soft glow of the burning buildings from the fighting nearby. The town was surprisingly calm despite the hell fire that was engulfing the Stargard. It was quiet, but Ruinil knew that it wouldn't last for much longer, as she knew that the cultists would soon find the the surviving Templars.

"Then hell will break loose here... We can't let these innocent people die for our war...." Ruinil murmured to herself. The interrogation was still under way and it seemed that it wasn't going to end any time soon.

In the distance she watched as a man, whom seemed to be quite flustered, ran around the village as he could in search asking for a group of Templars. Her interest was piqued. She walked up to the young man and with a calm expression. "Why do you search for the Templars of former Dawn, mortal?"

[Mega Birb]

Lucien, having grabbed and paid for a mug of ale, grumbled a bit, as he was forced to leave his drink half-finished at Evelyn's order for him to go find Garvy. "Yes, ma'am," Then continued into a quiet mumble. "Not like I just bought a drink or anything..." He knew there were far more pressing matters, but he hadn't had anything to drink in several hours, and coupled with the still partially-full container taunting him, he made a rather rash decision... which involved his beard becoming laced with beads of alcohol within a moment.

He stood now, waiting on the other three that were to go with him. "Alright, soldiers! We need to find this Garvy fellow, unless we all decide it's a good idea to march all the way to Thanermere, and that's at least a day on horseback." Assuming Glodin and Cythlla would follow, he made his way across the room to the door, debating if he should get back at Halen for the comment on his crossbow.

For the moment, he decided against it. Now all that he needed to do was search for one man in a village in a chaotic scramble with a dwarf and a necromancer... why Evelyn thought it ideal that he have a demon child in his party, he'd never know.

[Cuccoruler]

Cythlla looked at the others as she was told to go with them to go look for horses. She didn't quite understand why she needed to go as she already had a mount known as Henry. Henry had spent his time outside of the inn as he could not fit inside, nor did he have a reason to. "So horses... those things poop like crazy." Cythlla said trying to make conversation, she knew that many people disliked her because of her profession. Truth be told she was happy that it made elves hate her, she hated them even more. But she didn't like the fact that human's and other human like creatures hated her for it. It was lonely being a necromancer. Thankfully that was where Henry came in, always taking care of her, kind of like a big brother sometimes.

[OtomostheCrazy]

"I fear not death, strike me down and I shall be made a martyr for the one true god!", the cultist tried his best to hide the fear that lay within him as he shouted at Kaathe and Evelyn. Evelyn punched the man once more before grabbing him by his shirt and slamming him down onto the table. The innkeep immediately glaced up to see what was the cause of the commotion but quickly returned to his duties once he realized what was happening. "Oh I intend to, but first you are to answer our questions", Evelyn unsheathed her dagger and handed it to Kaathe, the entire time eyeing the prisoner to ensure he didn't attempt to escape. "Hold it to him, should he make a move against us you are to end him", Evelyn ordered as she stepped back from the cultist to give room for Kaathe to move in.

"With all due respect, ma'am", said Kaathe, taking the dagger in hand and inspecting it. "He's a cultist. Death in the name of whatever he's into is an honor for him...Still, your orders are absolute."

Kaathe Tossed the dagger into the air. He caught it by the blade and flipped it again, catching it by the handle. He held it up to the cultist's neck, pressing it lightly against the flesh. Not enough to draw blood, but enough for the man to feel the sharpness just waiting to slide through him.

"By your leave, Ma'am" said the Dark Elf.

Evelyn didn't have to think hard about what to ask, as soon as Kaathe gave the word she began pressing the cultist for answers, "Why has your organization attacked The Order? What purpose are they fulfilling and for who? Who leads them?". The prisoner scowled at the two Templars, refusing to answer, but instead reply, "I'd rather die than betray my brothers, so you and your minions can go fuck off. Die for whatever false gods you believe in". Despite his bold words the cultist was more afraid than defiant, his hopes had been if he'd hold back long enough they'd leave him or set their guard low enough for him to escape.

"Well, well. Such a lively man who wishes to become a martyr."

Kaathe didn't take much time when he stabbed the cultist's leg. He had handled the blade swiftly and skillfully. Enough for the blade to stab into the flesh and bone, and return to its original position on the man's neck. This wound alone would be painful, however, this man had just been taken out of a battle, and had several wounds already. Knowing this, Kaathe had stabbed the leg horizontally, in order to connect some of the wounds that were already there. if those old lacerations had healed in any way before, they were opened again.

The cultist screamed in agony as blood flowed from his leg, his cries were so loud the entire inn went silent as all within silenced themselves to learn what happened. The innkeeper himself was not surprised by the sudden scream and quickly called for everyone to leave, "Alright, inn's closed, all you lot leave them be". Once the place had cleared out the innkeeper shot a reassuring look at Evelyn who returned the gesture before bringin her attention back to the interrogation. "Let's try this again shall we. Who leads that army? What are they planning?", Evelyn's words were cold and she seemed to have transformed into an entirely different person. Indeed, the sudden attack on Starguard and the destruction of the Commanders weighed eavilyon her and a powerful anger grew within her.

"We serve Sar'than, The Dead God, he will cleanse this world of our wrong doings and it shall be born anew"

"Sar'than? I've not heard of that name"

"Tis because he is before you! He is before all of us! His return has been foretold and you'd be wise not to stand in his way!", the cultist stopped speaking only because the pain had grown intolerable. He began to groan in pain and Evelyn took this time to convene with Kaathe on the matter. "Sar'than. Sounds Renmer but I've not heard of him before. Know anything about him?", she asked as she watched the prisoner writhe in pain.

Kaathe chuckled to himself after hearing the cultist spout something about serving a Dead God. This man was just like the dark elf had imagined. a deranged fool, risking his own life for something that just made no sense. A dead god? What idiocy. Still, it did pique his curiosity. Just who did these cultists think their idol was, if they were even willing to slaughter and die for it? His leader's curiosity seemed to have been piqued as well, for she asked if he knew anything about him. Kaathe was a knight that heard many rumors, but dead gods were not among them.

"I'm afraid that I don't. But, I think this man is willing to explain?"

Kaathe pressed the blade down with a bit more pressure, and held the cultist's head in place so the man would't accidentally get slit. Kaathe grinned a calm grin, and asked him,

"Please, tell us a bit more about your god."

The cultist hesitated at first but once the pain from his leg reminded him of the price for being hesitant he began to speak once more, "The Dead God, long before her kin set foot in these lands, he was the one true god. The last of the divines, he came to purge this world of the suffering it's people endured and now he has come again to finish his holy work. Savor these moments for they are your last on this earth! Once he's removed the false shepards he will open the way to salvation! The Gate of Aurum shall open, the worlds shall merge, and the Dead God's chosen will flourish in the new world!". Evelyn pressed her fingers to her temple as she tried to make sense of this man's ramblings. "We'll learn nothing more from him, perhaps we'll learn more once we reach Thanermere", Evelyn sat down at the table and thought for a moment on at to do with a now useless prisoner. "Kaathe, I've an idea as to what shall be this man's fate. Be that as it may, I'd prefer to hear your opinion on what shall become of him", Evelyn asked with hateful eyes pointed at the cultist.

"Honestly, I could care less about him. He's just a man who's destined to die at some point." replied Kaathe. "Whether he dies now or later doesn't matter to me."

Although Kaathe said, this, he didn't want to just let him go. After all, they went through all this trouble. Just killing him wouldn't really change much of their situation...Although there were others that might be able to put him to better use. Kaathe sighed, as he really wasn't used to thoughts such as these, but the villagers were kind enough to give them what they needed. Why not try to repay them? Kaathe sighed before saying,

"I'm not usually one for ideas such as these...but why not allow the villagers to decide his fate?"

Evelyn thought it over for a moment before nodding in approval, "Very well then, once everyone is back with what we have we'll hand this bastard over to the villagers. I have a feeling they'll deal with him accordingly. For the moment we should tie him up and set him in the corner. We wouldn't want him to wander off now".

Kaathe nodded as he removed the dagger from the man's throat and handed it back to Evelyn.

"Lucky you." he said to the cultist. "Here's a parting gift from us to you."

Kaathe threw the man onto the floor and stomped hard onto his gut again. The force behind knocked the cultist into unconsciousness once more. Grabbing some more rope, Kaathe proceeded to bind the man so that he could not possibly escape whatever fate the villagers decided.

[IcePezz]

The rage was building inside her. It felt like hours she had been there, fighting these monsters. But this is what she was made for, this was her purpose. She had to believe that, otherwise...

--BOOM--

An explosion hit. Their small, rallied group had become lost in the pile of rubble, Madelyn included.

It was hard to breathe as rock pushed it's weight upon you. A large one pinned her left leg, but the rest were intercepted by debris that cluttered the ground - dead bodies, wooden planks courtesy of other explostions, the entire town in bits and pieces. Ironic enough, it saved her from being crushed to death by the latest explosion.

A rock flew from the pile, as if something from inside the rubble had popped a cork top from a bottle. Or someone rather. She was very weak, bloodied all over, but somehow managed to remove herself from deaths grasp.

Her vision was still a bit hazy, but she thought she saw someone ... alive ... running towards... the woods. She blinked a few times, attempting to release the blur from her vision. It was the same man who rallied them! She tried to call for him, but it seemed she wasn't strong enough for that just yet. She was tired, her body was sore all over, except the parts that screamed with pain. There was still a ringing in her ears from the explosion, so loud that she could barely hear her own coarse voice as she tried to call for the man. Coward , was the first thought to come to mind. But as she looked around her, she understood why he left. And either she followed suit, or followed the path to death. What did anger her though was he left them all there, assumed they had all perished, didn't even come to check.

It took her a bit, but she pushed her way out from beneath the rubble. She used whatever strength she had left in her, which wasn't much, but it seemed to do the trick. She needed to make it out. I can't die here, not like this , it was the only thought that occupied her mind, propelling her body forward.

She recalled a village not far. By the time she made her way to the safety of the trees, survival was all she thought about. She had regained some of her strength back, but she feared it wouldn't be enough to get her to the village. Just then another boom shook the earth, and light soared into the sky, exploding over Starguard. She needed to quicken her steps, and hold on just a bit longer.

She made it to the main gates of the village not long after Lloyd. But her strength finally gave way, she collapsed on the ground. Her knotted, ragged blonde hair streaked with blood and dirt. The light armor that she wore was dented and tore in many places. Most of the blood that covered her wasn't even her own, but it so thickly coated her, one wouldn't know that just by looking at her. The injuries that she did sustain were minor, save for the leg that was pinned to the floor when the explosion hit earlier. She made it all this way with a limp. Dying didn't seem to be in her repertoire. Perhaps it was sheer will that got her this far. Whatever it was, it had just given out.

"We could use some help over here! Any one of you a healer?!" the militiaman called out. He managed to catch Maddy just before she hit the ground.

[Dolerman]

They want me to gather food like some sort of cargo dwarf......

Halen said to no one in particular he looked around the tavern he was in, littered with failed cutthroats and drunks. This was not scene he liked but was very familiar with, half elves are always pushed to the worst part of every town and alehouses like this are the meeting spots for said people. He saw the one named Lucien guzzling cheap ale before getting up.

But then I suppose its better than hanging around a poorly lit tavern like a dwarf...

Halen sneered as he left through the front door with Ruinil not to far behind. The store house wasn't too far from the tavern but the awkward first meeting they had would make the journey feel like an eternity. Halen did his best try and not be anti social and say something...

You spoke some sort of elven language before, is it wood elven, high elven or dark elven? my brother was a prince but he never told me the difference. I suppose I never thought it mattered.

Suddenly rabbit jumped out from the back of one of the houses on the street they were on, it was grey and juicy looking. Halen didn't even think twice, in a flash his bow was out and thwipp! an arrow was shot right though the rabbit's neck. Halen went to pick it up and turned to Ruinil

Easier to carry than a bag of grain....

Some commotion could be heard in the distance, it sounded like the village militia had just found someone at the gates, Halen's ears pricked up momentarily.

[Aara1112]

@Ace of flames01

Lloyd looked at the woman who asked her the question. Mortal? That was an odd way of ending a sentence but it mattered little to Lloyd. Her attire was that of the order and seeing another survivor was all that Lloyd cared about. Lloyd let out a sigh of relief. "You're part of the order! I am knight-lieutenant Lloyd Castellans. What is your name? Are there others who have traveled with you?" he said hurriedly.

He paused briefly, recalling the signal of electricity earlier. If they were still alive and came here first, perhaps it was them. "Were you part of the group that sent out the signals of electricity?"

[TheDarkTemplar]

After the interrogation, Evelyn had purchased a map from the innkeeper. Looking it over she began to chart the fastest route to Thanermere, and from what she determined it'd be two days of riding before they reached The Order, three if they ran into trouble. "If I'm reading this map correctly, the enemy will probably remain near Starguard to establish its territory before continuing to attack other fortresses. Once we leave tonight we'll be ahead of them for some time. Hopefully by the time the enemy does decide to advance our men in the north will already have been mobilized", Evelyn sighed as she thought of what the future would hold. In a matter of hours the world had already been changed drastically and possibly permanently. What place would The Order have, if any, and what place would Evelyn have once this was all over. Twas not as if things would return to the state they had previously been in, every decision from here on would determine the state of the world. Evelyn could only hope that once everything was said and done, she'd still have a place in the new world.

Just then a couple of militiamen burst through the entrance of the inn carrying a woman over their shoulders. "A Templar!", Evelyn eyed her armor and immediately got up from her seat to get a closer look. "Where did you find her?", Evelyn asked as she tried to get an idea of the knight's injuries. "We found her in the village, Ma'am, just by the entrance. She was barely able to stand when our man Thran found her. We new her kind were here so we figured some among you could help her", the man answered with haste before leaving to return to his duties. Evelyn carried Madelyn over to their table and seated her down before looking her over again. "What's your name soldier? Who did you serve under?", Evelyn's next question would have asked where Madelyn was injured but once she saw her leg she knew the answer. Turns out her leg had taken a pretty bad hit at some point; the bone was fractured though it did not break skin. "Your leg, it's badly injured. I can heal you but you must remain still", Evelyn took in a deep breathe before placing her hand over the site of the fracture. "The bone is out of place, I must reposition it. I'm sorry, I'll try to be quick", without another word Evelyn pushed the fractured bone back into its proper place as she squeezed tightly on the leg. Then with the same hand, she casted healing hands, illuminating the leg with a soft golden glow as bone was mended along with flesh.

"I've done what I can, you'll still feel some discomfort but it will pass as your body heals naturally", Evelyn said as she finished her work on the leg.

[ShaggyDoo0]

Glodin smirked at Cythlla's comment and patted her gently on the back. "Aye young lass, they do tend to leave quite a mess everywhere they go. But those fine beasts are bred to carry people and heavy loads." He spoke with a lighthearted tone, trying to keep strong for his comrades.

As they neared the stables he saw a man standing outside with horses on leads. Glodin walked over to him "I am Knight Templar Glodin, would you happen to be Garvy?"

The man turned to face the dwarf before replying, "Aye, thats me. You with the Knight Captain that needs the horses?"

Glodin nodded, "She ordered us to come get the horses while she delt with a prisoner. I suggest you gather your family and flee to safety before the battle makes it's way here. Oh and do you have a mule? I would rather something sturdier to ride."

"Sure, I have one but you will have to saddle him yourself."

Glodin grabbed a saddle and reigns then followed Garvy to the mule. After a bit of work he managed to saddle and mount the mule. Glodin made his way back to the other two with a proud grin. "What are you two waiting for? Grab some leads and hop on a horse so we can get back to the Captain." He then guided the mule over to the group of horses and nearly fell off the mule trying to grab the leads of two horses.

[IcePezz]

Madelyn was barely conscious when the militiaman brought her to Evelyn. She was barely conscious when the woman spoke. She heard tales of the legendary Knight-Captain, but never thought she would one day meet her, let alone be healed by her.

Her weary eyes traced the lines of Evelyn'a face, the curves of her lips as she tried to decipher what was being said. A thought crept in her mind, Is this the end. The thought however, was quickly shoved out when all of a sudden there was a horribly painful sensation from her leg. She let out a piercing scream as she gripped the sides of the table. The reality of the pain shifted her focus, and all she saw was red.

The upper half of her body sprung forward, and she would've lunged for Evelyn had she not still been so tired. She grasped the woman's shoulders, emitting a low growl.

"I've done what I can, you'll still feel some discomfort but it will pass as your body heals naturally", Evelyn said as she finished her work on the leg.

Finally realizing who had mended her leg, she let a soft sigh escape. "Thank you", she managed, "Madelyn, my name is Madelyn". The words were low, chopped between breaths as she tried to compose herself.

[Mega Birb]

As it sits, Lucien can barely maintain his composure around a dwarf on a mule. Their short but sturdy frames looked so out of place on the back of an animal that it was funny. But a dwarf almost falling off a mule? That tore it, and if Glodin asked why he was laughing, Jakorian was going to tell him exactly why.

The Cleric was chuckling to himself as he mounted one of the larger steeds, a gray, dappled stallion that looked to be slightly on the older side, but appeared to be alert... well, as alert as a horse can be. He grabbed the reins of three nearby equines and guided them to his side, and took a glance down at Cythlla. "I know you will be riding Henry to Thanermere, but it's no use walking back to the tavern." He knew he'd regret it, but since there wasn't a beast short enough for her to get on at this point, he held his hand out to the necromancer to pull her up onto his horse.

[Ace of flames01]

Ruinil heard a rustling in some bushes and briefly saw the head of a deer. She did not hesitate. With a movement that was nearly impossible to detect with the naked eye; Ruinil took out her bow and took aim before firing, shooting the deer right between the eyes. She looked back at the young lad she had been talking to prior and smirked before replying some what pleased with herself, " aye, I am indeed a Templar. The Halfling holding the hare is one as well. I'm glad to see that you have made it out of the rubble alive, child. My name is Ruinil, one of the remaining Knight- Corporals. I'm sure that the Captain will most certainly be pleased to know of your arrival. She is currently in the tavern. However, I would refrain from entering for now, friend."

She had purposely ignored Halen's friendly advances. She was not to fond of his prior attitude towards her and being labeled "alien" by a no good half elf. Of course calling her "nonhuman" didn't make things better for him. Of course she wasn't human! Anyone could see that! She had the ears and lifespan of an elf and the blood red eyes of a demon. It was not only her physical traits that made her ethnicity quite clear. The span of her life was near eternal compared to that of an elf, human, or dwarf. And her magica reserves and spells were more powerful than any human or elf. Of course, knowing that fact did not change her opinion of the Halfling.

Ruinil momentarily disappeared into the dark blanket of shrubbery and trees before reappearing with a large sized buck slung over her shoulder, soon after. It was incredibly heavy, but Ruinil's expression held that of great pride at her kill. However, Ruinil knew that the deer alone wouldn't suffice for supporting the growing militia. Thus, the hunt would have to continue.

[boomlover]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhFkafqZj58 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDfjXj5EGqI ( listen to both for immersion)

Argus awoke to the sound of battle. He heard swords clashing onto shields, arrows hitting there targets, and the screams of wounded. He crawled out of his sleeping bag, and started putting on his Armour in record speed. He then looked around an saw his dagger and hammer where he had put them. grabbing them with ease he ran outside his tent to see what was going on. His eyes looked upon a battlefield that had been going on for some time. He saw Templars hacking each-other, and demons ripping soldiers to shreds. some wore Armour others had nothing but there tunics on, and some where even naked. He looked around and saw the castle in flames, flames poured out of windows and screams could be heard from inside. But before he could even move he saw his drinking buddy Robert. His face was covered in blood and his sword was drenched with blood. He looked at Argus that was full of hate and anger. He then screamed a battle cry and charged Argus. Argus was full of anger and disgust at Robert's betrayal. His hammer started to glow and the runes on it where as red as fire. Argus screamed his battle cry awaited Roberts attack.

Robert swung his sword aiming at Argus's neck. Argus swung his hammer hitting the blade in the middle. The clash was so heavy that Robert was forced to take a few steps back to try to keep standing. He then looked then charged again doing the same tactic as he had done previously.
However this would prove foolish. The sword had a huge dent in the middle and small drips of metal where dripping from it. Argus grinned as he hit the sword again. It shattered into bits, pieces of liquid metal flew everywhere and the rest of his blade was a mess of melting metal. Robert was so stunned by this that Argus attacked him again hitting him right side of his lower rib cage. Argus could hear the bones crack, and hit was so hard that Robert fell sideways landing on his back. Robert screamed not because of his broken ribs but because of his Armour that was burning away his flesh. The liquid metal turned darker as blood joined it. Argus looked at his former friend with pity and anger. He then raised his hammer and let it come down on Roberts chest plate. The chest-plate caved in and Argus screaming stopped. Argus pulled is hammer out of Roberts chest seeing the damage he had done. The metal had burned through Robert leaving a hole in his chest which blood was gushing out of.
Robert looked at his hammer. The blood that had not been evaporated had fallen on the ground and the pieces of Armour where dripping of it.

He looked at Robert one more time his face full of disgust. And turned away to see A wounded soldier which was lying against a tree. The man had stab wounds through his chest and blood was gushing out of them. Argus ran up to him and tried to stop the bleeding. However he was to late ad too much blood had been lost. The soldier looked at Argus and said."Run you fool." He then died holding a small locket in his hands. Argus grabbed it and saw a young women smiling. There was writing on it." From your loving wife Sera."Argus put it around his neck and said. " I swear that i will find your wife and deliver your dead. She may not see you again. But at least not wait for you." He turned around and ran into his tent. He grabbed some food and water which he had stored here in case of food shortage, And grabbed his bag, Which contained some money and maps of old holds he had explored. He then ran outside and started running as fast as his small legs could carry him. His tent was in the outskirts of the camp and was only a few tents away from the perimeter. He ran through the camp dodging soldiers and demons. He then made it out of the camp. He made it to the forest line and decided to take a few seconds to catch his breath. He then looked back and saw fire and flame. Then a small light shoot up into the sky. It then exploded and horrible screams invaded his ears. He just stood there terrified with fear.He then turned around and ran as quickly as he could.

(turn of sounds)

Argus had ran the whole night he only slowed time a few times to keep himself from falling unconscious. However time had taken its toll and Argus was half dead. He had been running for hours. and now the running had turned into slowly walking. He had looked into his maps(while running) and had decided that The Snow Mare Inn was the best place to rest. After what seemed like a century of walking. Argus finally entered the village which had the Inn located in it. He looked around as villagers where either boarding up there homes, Or leaving them. He saw a an old man sitting in his wheelchair enjoying the sun like it was any normal day. Argus Walked up to him and said. " Excuse me for disturbing you but could you tell me if others of the order have made it here? The man opened his eyes and looked at Argus." A few of them yes. They where going for the Inn to rest i think."" Thank you old man and if i may ask why are you not leaving your home. Surely you can see that this town is lost." The man laughed, and said." Look at me, How much time do you think i have left? I'm not about to run for the few remaining years i have left in this old body of mine." Argus nodded understanding the situation." May your death be swift then." The old man smiled and showed Argus a small bottle." If they enter my house i will already have joined my family." Argus was surprised how easy the man was talking about dying." Well i wont keep you from enjoying the sun then."
He nodded and lay back in his chair enjoying that rays of light. Argus then walked on leaving the man to his fate.

He Then saw the Inn and walked to it. Before he entered however he saw no other than. Knight Captain Evelyn Sunderland. He then noticed the wounded women, which seemed to have been through a hard spot. He then harrumphed and said." My apologies for disturbing. My name is Argus Star crusher and i am Of the order. I managed to escape the slaughter just as you have. I hope that i might be able to help you on whatever you plan to do." Argus then looked at her for a response. He was however very tired which was very easy to see. @TheDarkTemplar

[Cuccoruler]

Cythlla looked up at Lucian, truth be told, Cythlla never liked Horses, or atleast she wasn't great at being on them. Being a Necromancer most horses panicked when she got on them. "I-I'm sorry, but I would rather not, Horses tend to get spooked when I'm on their backs." Cythlla said before going over to Henry who was right there. "Besides Henry is always here for me." Cythlla said with a smile as she got on Henry. Cythlla depended on Henry alot, some times more than she should, but Henry didn't mind much, being a spirit he would be there for her pretty much all the time anyways.

As they got closer to the Inn Cythlla hadn't quite noticed all of the comotion. She just came running forward on Henry. "We're back!" Cythlla said with a smile on her face, she really was childish. Though sometimes she was Childish in a scary way. Despite her being 20 years old she looked much younger.

[Aara1112]

Before he could say anything else, the templar called Ruinil disappeared into the woods to gather her kill. Furrowing his brow slightly Lloyd turned his attention to the tavern. A knight captain led a group of surviving templars here? Who could it be? There were several captains that were present at the time of the attack. Astan, Ravain, Evelyn...there were a few others too whose names escaped him presently.

"Well, no matter who is the captain, I should meet with them."

He entered the inn despite Ruinil's warning and found Evelyn healing another female templar, along with a dwarf. Tapping his rod lightly on the ground to announce his presence, he spoke.

"Well seems like we all had the bright idea to run here. Means the enemy will eventually fall upon this time. Lloyd Castellans, knight lieutenant. How are you doing this terrible night Knight Captain?"

[TheDarkTemplar]

Just as Evelyn turned to check outside she managed to hear the few words Madelyn struggled to say. "Don't thank me yet, we're still in danger here. Rest while you can, as soon as the rest of our party returns we ride for Thanermere", a worried look came upon Evelyn's face as she spoke of their plan. She remembered what had occurred in the battle but as to what that created that ball of light and the subsequent screams was unknown to her. Even if she gave a detailed report of what she saw there was still a significant unknown. "One thing at a time, Eve", she told herself as she checked on the still unconscious prisoner. The tapping of Lloyd's staff alerted her to his presence though at this point she was more focused on getting her people moving than to socialize, "I'd be much better once we arrive at Thanermere. My men have gone to acquire mounts for us, see stablenaster Garvy for yours. Hopefully we don't run off with all the horses in this villiage.

It seemed that many survived the battle as another knight entered the tavern. Evelyn had almost mistaken Argus for Glodin had she not noticed the runes on his hammer. "Speak to the stablemaster, Garvy. Once you have a mount return here", Evelyn had to skip pleasantries as they were being pressed for time. It was then that she remembered that Madelyn was still recovering from her injuries, turning to the berserker she asked, "We will be leaving soon, I hate to ask but are you fit to ride?". Even if she couldn't this was not a major issue as she could simply ride with someone. Once again another Templar entered, the necromancer entered with an aura of youth about her which eased Evelyn of some of her stress but not much. "Good your back, it appears we have a few more joining us to Thanermere. Point them to the stablemaster then head to the town square. We've one last item of business to take care off", this was not pleasant work but Evelyn swore to Cadeneire that justice would be done this night. "Kaathe, I need you to carry the prisoner to the town square", Evelyn said before turning to Cythlla once more, "Before you go, have you seen the supply group? If you run into them on the way relay them the directions".

The party was just about ready to go, all that remained was to pack the supplies and deal with the prisoner and the knights would be on their way to Thanermere. Evelyn put back on her helmet before turning to Madelyn, holding out her hand she asked, "Can you walk?".

[Zelosse]

Bartuc swung his weapons like a madman, without fear or regret, every crunch of his mace was another foe dead and every chunk of flesh his axe tore from his enemy was likewise. He knew no pain as the lights of eyes shone in the dark to fend off the tide of monsters ever present on the front lines. He had rushed to the forefront with almost maniacal glee and quickly put his reputation as one of the fiercest fighters alive to the test. At the back of his mind came the simple question of.. what was he really saving?

With a stifled gasp he rose from the ground. Nothing familiar around him, that was for certain. His memory was foggy, black and patchy really, and jumbled as if something had struck him hard in the head. Vision swam for a time before orientating itself properly to his surroundings to find the templar in a small village. Those roaming the area were desperate to escape something, it seemed. Knights ran to and fro to gather what they could and others lay in the dirt trying to find rest. All Bartuc could remember was.. running. The call to retreat had come from the upper-ranks and were to be followed to the letter in all haste. Bartuc had not gone willingly, turning to fight as often as not for the sake of just one more survivor and intended to do so till it cost him his own life in the process.
The gods had smiled on him and gotten the battered warrior to Sharwood with a small number of others.

How long had he been unconcious? His armor was still on and a tad damp but otherwise serviceable. His helmet lay nearby, an empty food bowl casually strewn in the dirt. The big man moved quietly to his knees and held the helmet before his face in both hands. "So.. Others die and I still live..." Bartuc growled and nearly threw the helm in his rage but couldn't bring himself to do it. There was still purpose. Still reason for him to draw breath, when so many others were dead or worse.
Slowly he took to his feet, sturdy and straight backed as the memories flooded back. The haze of his rage fled slowly to show him just how badly the last few days had been. Determined to be of use to his brothers and sisters in arms, he trotted off to help where he could.

To find what would come next for him.