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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 1569760" data-attributes="member: 2012">The Alliance (cont.)The Foulsoul and her minions:The sun slowly sinks beyond the horizon, minutes stretch into hours. The group sits around a large fire, their backs to the flame. All are transfixed on the darkness beyond the firelight. The mounts are tied to a makeshift post, within the light’s radius but not so close as to make them uncomfortable. Garth checks on them every hour including the darkness beyond them. Dabuk prowls the camp from one side to the other.“Ok, you are making me nervous.” Bactra stared at his cousin as he paced. “There isn’t anything out there.”“Quiet.” Garth strode back towards the fire pointing at Bactra. “No arguments.”Bactra sighed. It had been over three hours and still this vile enemy had not appeared. Bactra didn’t have any doubt about the elven woman’s identity but he refused to let her intimidate him. If she attacked alone, they would outnumber her seven to one. No matter how powerful this Foulsoul really was, she couldn’t possibly hope to stand against that many at once.“I smell something.” Dabuk quickly unsheathed his sword. “Something familiar but different.”Dabuk looked at Kellin then his father.“I smell them too.” Kellin stands up not believing his senses. “What they are doing on land I do not know.”“What is it?” Mesik had been sitting with Sheao laid on top of his knees. He stood holding the large knife in both hands.“Merrow.”“Damn it!” Garth swore.“No, what I smell are ogres.” Dabuk was sure he smelled ogres beyond Kellin’s less offensive stench. “I’m positive.”“Merrow are ogres, son.” Garth reached for one of his torches lit it and threw it out towards the darkness. “Aquatic ogres.”“Aquatic ogres!” Dabuk knew the beasts lived almost everywhere but under the sea. It was almost too much to bear. His quest to wipe out the beasts just became larger than he ever imagined.More torches were lit and thrown out towards the darkness. They had torn up the earth, cleared away the foliage, and cut a small firebreak around the camp. Light and shadow danced around the edge of the camp.Then they came into view, over a dozen of them. They stood around the camp in a circle. Half their numbers were ogres, as well as the merrow.“I told you there were ogres. Those other things are merrow, huh?”“Indeed they are, whelp.” Avaniia came into view riding atop her steed. Gone were the trapping of nobility and beauty. Now she was dressed in black from head to toe. She wore padded armor dyed black. The symbol they’d seen stained on the wood in blood, at Burnholm, hung from a pendent around her neck. Her horse appeared sinister now, draped in blackened chain barding.“The Foulsoul, I presume?” Garth snarled at the evil witch.“You know my reputation, Justiciar. I too remember the name Tigerstorm. How is your father, well I presume?” Her words were envenomed silk.“I will not play this game with you, witch.” Garth raised his sword urging her to attack. “Let’s get this over with.”“Patience Justiciar, you will have the chance to prove yourself against the beasts.”“It’s you I want, I don’t know how you resurrected yourself but I’m going to send you to your final judgement.”“You don’t know the opposition you face.” Avaniia turned her mount away from the camp looking in the direction of Onaway. “A pity you didn’t make it to the city before nightfall. You could have witnessed its destruction firsthand.”“We’re not impressed with your self-indulgent speech, witch.” Dabuk would have charged the first ogre he’d seen if not for his cousin’s calming hand on his shoulder.“Ah, but you see, I could not have laid siege to Onaway with an army of ogres and giants successfully if, say, a group of travelers gave away the location of my forces to the city’s populace.”“Would that include the ogres that killed the citizens of a small village southeast of here.” Mesik watched the witch, as a merrow hissed at him.“You’ll have to be more specific than that.”“Your evil heart will soon cease beating for your crimes!” Garth was livid.“I don’t think so, you and traitor there might be a match for me on more even terms.” Avaniia sniffed in disdain at Kellin. “But the odds are hardly in your favor.”“I am not a traitor to my friends and loved ones.” Kellin growls as he unsheathes his sword. “I do not serve Vaprak or your evil kind.”The banter ends violently as the ogres and merrow attack. The heroes move to meet them. Avaniia laughs as Garth’s sword impacts a wall of force separating her from the erupting melee.“NO,” is all Garth can yell before the Foulsoul turns her steed riding off into the night towards Onaway, while the ogres and merrow, on the other side of the magical wall, attack en masse.*                                        *                                        *</blockquote>

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