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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 1835534" data-attributes="member: 2012">The Battle of the Streets and Avenues:“Here’s the plan, follow the catwalks in this direction.” Bren pointed away from where the ogres were marching. “I’ll be on the avenue below you. I’ll lead them along the avenue while you shoot at them from above. Move as quickly as you can and stay ahead of me if you can. If you can’t then hide.”“Someone should go with you.” Dabuk wanted to go.“No, I need you up here guiding them. You’ve been watching how I work, I noticed. You pick things up fast and they’ll get lost without you. Besides, I’ll be moving too fast for anyone to keep up without setting off the hidden traps. I won’t risk that.”“But-“ Garth didn’t like the man’s chances down on the street alone.“No buts, I know what I’m doing. You have to trust my judgement on this.” Bren moved to the edge of the building. He grabbed on of the sturdier looking vines.“Just make sure you wait until I’ve lead them down the avenue before you begin firing at them. Now get moving!” Bren went over the wall and the others did as he said heading across the nearest catwalk in the direction he had pointed.*                                        *                                        *“This is nuts!” Mesik watched as Bren continued firing his bow at the irate ogres coming towards him. The Onan ranger wasn’t hurting them but, so far, his plan was working. Several of the less disciplined ogres had broken off from the column intent on squashing this easy prey.Bren ducked behind some rubble as an ogre-sized arrow skittered across the ground where he’d just been standing. He nimbly ran along a narrow path and jumped over a fallen column of stone just as another arrow slammed into the rubble behind him.“He’s really quick on his feet. I’ve never seen anyone move like that through such terrain. If he lives, I want lessons.” Dabuk had his bow ready eager to fire upon the advancing ogres. His gut told him to throw caution to the wind, but his head knew better. He’d gained a lot of good sense on the journey to Onaway and wouldn’t just throw away his life for vengeance.Bactra stood next to cousin, amazed by the restraint he was showing. Perhaps having Kellin around had pushed him to be more reckless. He seemed calmer now, almost serene in his inner anger. Bactra wasn’t sure if he liked this anymore than when his cousin constantly snapped when ogres appeared. Bactra went through the arcane formulas in his mind over and over. He didn’t have many powerful spells and knew he’d have to make his magic count.“I think we all could benefit from the teaches of these people.” Garth was amazed that Bren instinctively knew where to step, jump, and climb as not to set off the hidden traps of the avenue. The ogres weren’t so lucky. The blundered into several stone deadfalls and spear traps but kept coming, their rage driving them on. Several others from the column began howling in pain, as they failed to find a huge pit trap heading down the other direction of the T-intersection of the street and avenue. Three ogres fell in, only one came out alive.“Nasty!” Mesik was impressed.“I’m glad we decided to walk the upper-tangles. Now I see how dangerous it is down there.” Bactra wouldn’t go back down there unless he had to.“Ok, he’s almost below us. Get ready.” Garth notched an arrow to the emergency shortbow he normally kept slung to Hindle.“Wait for it,” Mesik began twirling his sling.“Now!” Dabuk fired the first shot. It streaked out just as the first ogre came into range. The arrow shattered uselessly on the ogre’s tough hide armor. “Damn it!”Garth shot his bow at the same ogre. It struck the beast in the arm and it howled at the projectile that had stung it. Mesik let loose with his sling but wasn’t surprised when it fell long before reaching the brutes.The ogres with shields raised them, while the others scanned the upper edges of the buildings for these new enemies. One barked out a command to the archers behind him to start scanning the rooftops. The archers couldn’t find them at first but zoned in on them after Dabuk and Garth fired two more shots each at the same ogre as before. The beast didn’t see the arrows until they impacted his arm and shoulder. The ogre archers began firing at the half-hidden heroes.“Time to move on,” Garth pulled Mesik back just as one of the large arrows streaked by. “Bren is on the move down that side street. I guess that means we cross over there.”Garth pointed to a strong-looking rope-bridge, entangled with thick vines.“One more shot,” Dabuk wanted to hurt one badly before retreating. He fired again, catching one of the other ogres in the nose with his arrow. “Bullseye!”“Dabuk, get down.” Mesik and Thessa pulled Dabuk down out of the way of a large arrow heading for his chest. The projectile clipped him as he stumbled back, doing only minor damage. Still, blood seeped from Dabuk’s shoulder.“That was too close.” Dabuk knew his small friends had saved his neck. “Thanks, I lost it for a moment there. Let’s get going.” Dabuk lead the way over a series of connected catwalks towards the larger one spanning the avenue to the other side of the side street where Bren was hold up firing his bow at the ogres. They took the bridge two at a time, as the ogres charged towards Bren’s position.Several of the ogre archers’ arrows flew just above the rope-bridge then a third clipped the bridge, snapping one of the rope supports. Dabuk, Thessa, and Garth were already across. Mesik and Bactra were still on the other side of the bridge, as it began to sway, as the ropes began to fray and unravel.“Move it you two, it’s coming apart.” Dabuk watched helplessly as the ropes on the far end began to snap.“Bactra, move your butt! I don’t want to die out here swinging over some ugly ogre’s nose.” Mesik watched as one of the ogres charging towards Bren, stopped, then started walking towards them his large sword ready to slice the bridge and them to ribbons.“There’s no time. It’ll get to us before we make it. Give me some room.”“You’re crazy to try that out here.”“Shut up, you’ll break my concentration.” Bactra began the incantations for his Melf’s acid arrow spell. It would definitely hurt the ogre and might slow him down a little. He finished the spell just as the ogre raised its sword to strike.Mesik closed his eyes as the acid arrow streaked out to slam into the ogre’s neck. The acid burnt the creature and it howled, dropping its sword, and grabbing at its neck. That was a mistake. It howled again as the acid burnt its fingers.“Okay, can we go now.” Mesik was ready to start pushing the elven wizard, but knew the bridge was precarious at best. They continued on watching as the ogre tried to scrape the acid off with a dirty undershirt.They were near the middle when another large arrow impacted the bridge near their position. The bridge rocked back and forth, as the rope began to unravel even faster. Then they heard several snaps as rope bent the wooded boards of the bridge.“Uh, oh.” Mesik knew it was bad.“I take it that’s not a good sound.” Bactra began to run even before Mesik told him to.*                                        *                                        *</blockquote>

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