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Message: <blockquote data-quote="monboesen" data-source="post: 1135500" data-attributes="member: 4647">Part 4.The three mercenaries were going to be a problem. They had not let Ran or Colill out of their sight since they entered the village. Right now they honkered down at a fire, the greasy one leering at them. His eyes roamed over them both in a way that left Ran unsure it was her or Colill he fancied. Perhaps it was both of them. During the day she had drifted through the entire village, sniffing and searching. She had found no other signs of taint than in Javid and the house he occupied. And on that house the windows were covered with planks denying curious glances. It had a door at either end and though there were no formal guards at least one small group of sellswords hung around near the house.Light was fading by the minute now and most of the men had settled for the night. She desperately needed privacy to signal Gabriel and Jonas. Some sort of distraction that would let her slip away. It would have to Colill. She nudged him.“Colill make a distraction that will let me get out of sight”“Ehh…. A distraction, what do you mean” the perplexed Manolis looked at her.“Get their attention, I don’t care how. Just get their eyes of me”Nervous and with his mind racing Manolis finally rose and declared in a small voice. “It is time for the evening blessing. We must honor… We must honor….Eh..  Elume so that she will rise again come morning” He moved to the three mercenaries fire and continued his voice gaining strength to rise above the general murmuring.“Gather here men and get Elumes blessing before nightfall”. Their interest piqued several nearby men crowded the fire.In near desperation Manolis rambled on.“Look at the fire. The fire that the great Elume gifted our forefathers with. The fire that rises in the sky and provides warmth and growth”In the back of the gathering crowd Ran easily slipped away and speedily continued to the west end of the village.Nearing the end of his religious knowledge and ability to convincingly lie to cover the lack of it Manolis continued in the language of magic. There seemed to be some other commotion from the palisade, maybe a warning. But lost in the magic he ignored it and focused on the fire. Nursing it, calling to it. He could feel the energy building to a peak. Then he released it.Ran had just lighted the bulls eye lantern as the night sky behind her erupted in brilliant lights of many colors. She could hear men screaming and cursing. Ignoring it and of the certain opinion that her two armed allies would soon be needed she flashed five short beams of light over the wall. She jumped down from the wagon into the space between it and the wall hoping that Gabriel would see the signal and was close to the village.******“Sh** what’s going on”  was all Jonas managed to say before the lights on the hill was surpassed by an impressive display of colored lights from the village. Mere seconds later the agreed five blinks shot out in the night, but by then both men were already sprinting towards the village.*****Manolis was astonished. He had used the spell once before to enjoy the beautiful fireworks it produced. He had never realized the effect it would have on nearly a hundred completely unprepared men. Most of them stumbled around screaming, clutching their eyes. Bumbling into each other, falling, crying and cursing. Close to tears himself he slunk away towards the wagons where he expected Ran to wait. From her hiding place Ran noticed a lot of small lights on a nearby hill. The lights moved down the hill, towards the village. Sentries from that side, the eastern, blew horns and screamed warnings trying to ready the men. Their effort was largely hindered by the many blinded men. While she waited two men came running to Javids house and entered closing the door behind them.Manolis stopped before reaching the wagon. With his mind once again fully focused on what lay ahead he wasted no time uttering spells to protect him and enchance his strength before moving on. Ran heard running feet and jingling armor from the other side of the wall followed by a hushed voice calling her name. As soon as she answered a rope went over the wall and she tied to the wagon. Less than a minute after all four companions huddled in the shadows. In the general confusion no one had noticed them. Most of the men had gathered near eastern gates. There was a lot of shouting and little organization.“He is in that house, there’s  at least two other men in there” Ran pointed and then promptly moved to the door but found it locked or barred. Gabriel followed her while Manolis hung back. Jonas for some reason rummaged around under the wagon. “No lock, it must be barred” concluded Gabriel and took some steps back and then rushed forward slamming into the door. It did not give an inch.Just then three men came running around the corner of the house, weapons drawn. Manolis recognized the three mercenaries that had followed them all day. “There you are my little bird. I knew something about you wasn’t right. A spy I think” the greasy one adressed Ran and cautiously moved closer, sword at the ready. The two others circled Gabriel, ignoring the unarmed Manolis.The initial attack unexpectedly came from under the wagon. With a soft click and hum a bolt buried itself in one of Gabriels opponents and he crumbled without a sound. The other one swung at Gabriel who easily parried, forced the sword out wide and followed up into the opening scoring a gash along the mans ribs. Ran was in more trouble. The fighter was skilled and strong, and she was forced to duck and parry furiously to avoid his blade, finding no time for a return strike. Manolis looked uncertain at the battling forms but then felt the strength of magic coursing through his muscles. He grabbed a board from a splintered case and with a roar he swung it at the surprised man throwing him to the ground with a cracked skull.Gabriels opponent realized the worsening situation and attacked desperately. Again the knight easily caught the blow, this time on his shield, and then ran the man through.Swearing Jonas came out from under the wagon, crossbow in hand.“Are they in there, what are you waiting for. Lets get the f****** thieving bastards. They’ve taken everything”“The door is barred. We need a ram” Gabriels looked around for suitable piece of wood.Exited and terrified from the brief battle and with dangerous amounts of adrenaline coursing through his veins from his spell, Manolis uttered yet another primal roar and sprinted into the door throwing it wide open. His momentum carried him further into the dark room and he felt something sting his left leg. In the shadows he could see an overturned table in front of the door to the next room. Someone was moving behind it.Eager to get to the sorcerer Ran followed Manolis into the house with Gabriel on her heels. Jonas equally eager to get his hands on the thieves joined them. As he moved in another crossbow bolt sped from behind the table lodging in a rib. The terrible pain overcame him and he swooned.Realizing he had to act before the hidden enemies had time to reload Gabriel charged forward and around the table slashing at one of the assailants, but missed in the dark. Ran sought cover behind a chair and readied her crossbow for a shot. It dawned upon Manolis that he might have done something foolish and he threw himself to the floor right in front of the overturned table.The snipers drew weapons and attacked Gabriel but failed to bypass his armor. Seconds later they were both down. One with Rans bolt through his head the other by Gabriels sword.Gabriel cautiously opened the door and light streamed out the opening. Ran saw that they were in a kitchen and that Jonas was down and unconscious in a pool of blood.Gabriel peeked into the next room“Torymus protect us”The room was predominantly red and brown. It was not its original color but stemmed from the frivolous amounts of blood spilled and splashed at everything in the room. From hooks in the ceiling hang what Gabriel fervently hoped was the butchered remains of livestock. A hope that died as he spotted the heads. Small heads.Manolis gagged and then vomited loudly. The hardened witchhunter merely moved into the room. “The merchant is bleeding to death” she said as she passed the knight and continued forward to the door across the room.Torn between duty and need Gabriel yelled at Manolis.“Press you hands into his wound. You must stop the bleeding”Ran carefully opened the door and found the room empty. The backdoor leading out was open. Through it she could se fighting further away in the village. The attackers wore uniforms. She rushed out the door and looked around trying to spot the sorcerer. But she couldn’t find him in the milling battle. As she turned she saw a dark shape climbing the palisade over by the wagons. It slipped over and was gone. She moved and sniffed the air, instantly catching the cloying stench of taint. So the sorcerer had abandoned his men. Good, the hunt had only just begun.Inside the house Gabriel found a near panicking Manolis both hands pressed firmly down on Jonas chest. A bolt sprouted between them. “Let me see the wound”Luckily the bleeding had stopped, but the bolt was lodged firmly in a rib.“Help me carry him. We must get out of here”To Gabriels surprise the young man knelt down cradled and then lifted the larger man as where Jonas but a child.“I can carry him. Lets go”With some trouble the three companions got the wounded merchant over the wall and left the fighting behind.</blockquote>

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