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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 2613760" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Realms #322] A Fallen Soldier[/PLAIN]Shock slammed into Karak as he beheld the devastation wrought by the skeletal warrior's spiteful act, and it knocked him out of his rage immediately. He hardly seemed to notice the lethargy that always followed his frenzied state, but it pulled at his limbs, making his armor feel heavy and every movement an effort. He ignored it and pulled one of the healing sticks from his belt."Ah... Morier," the dwarf muttered as he stepped up to the fallen albino. "It seems ye fall just when I be gettin' to like ye. I'd say that was some fine disarmament you did there. I can nae say I could have done it alone. Despite being a faeire elf, you were a brave warrier." Saying thus, he channeled a bit of the wand's healing energy into Morier's body and was happy to see the worst of the elf's terrific burns slough off, revealing healthy - if a trifle pale - skin beneath.Morier groaned and started to stir, but Karak placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Stay low and act dead, white one," he whispered. "Nae sense makin' yerself a target."In Morier's present condition, acting dead wasn't proving to be a problem.At the other end of the corridor, Feln dispatched the last of their opposition with frightening speed and efficiency. For a heartbeat, the large hallway was silent. Then Feln was in motion again. He'd seen the flash of light - they all had - when the undead creature's fireball had detonated, but in the silence that followed, there was no way of telling what had transpired beyond the Resilient Sphere."Huzair!" the half-ogre bellowed, gesturing in the sphere's general direction. "Can you bring down that spell?" The wizard looked at him as if he were insane."That is a spell of the 8th Circle! I am a Magus of the 2nd Circle, so obviously I can't do a damned thing about it!" Huzair snapped back even as he began to cast.All Feln understood of the mage's reply was the part about being powerless to help. So he scanned the hall quickly and formulated a new plan. "Huzair, Lela," he barked. "We need to move. Heal up and let's go!""Give me a minute..." Huzair grumbled as he used Detect Magic to scan their fallen foes. A dagger, a ring and a potion vial on the Plaguebringer glowed with potency.Still lying flat out on the floor, Morier watched as Karak moved over toward Ledare. The Janissary was splayed out on her back, and the eldritch warrior could see that she didn't stir when Karak touched her with the healing wand. But that's all he had time for before the enemy's reinforcements arrived."By Aphyx's bloody blade!" a gruff voice hissed and Karak turned to face the doorway. There stood three men, each armed with bastard sword and dagger, although none was clad in more than the soft leathers typically worn beneath heavier armor. The two in the rear were young, probably not much older than twenty years, but the man in the center was clearly more seasoned, his face lined from weather and experience. It was he who was talking."You slew the death knight! You slew Blackheart?!" his gaze flicked back and forth between the skeletal warrior and Karak."Aye!" the dwarf agreed, defiantly. "An' I'll do the same to ye if ye''ve a taste for crossed blades." This gave the man pause, and one of the two youths actually took a step back as if ready to flee. But the leader was better trained and he could tell that Karak, was bluffing. The bloodstains and sooty smears that marred the dwarf's platemail were testament to the beating he'd already taken. And there was a weariness about him that, while it didn't show in his resolute stare, was clearly manifest in the way he carried himself."I think not," the man said after a moment's study and motioned for the youths to take up flanking positions. "I think you'll throw down your sword and I'll march you helpless back to Deathshead. It should be amusing to see what Melengar does to you when he finds out you slew his favored knight of old." The man grinned darkly at the imagined torture. "Now drop your sword.""Never," Karak spat back, settling himself into a defensive stance in front of Ledare's body. And the battle was joined.The youth on Karak's left stepped onto the dwarf's flank and slashed with his bastard sword, but Karak raised his shield and turned the blade aside. When he raised the shield, the veteran charged in and drove the point of his own sword into the gap in the armor beneath Karak's shield arm. The dwarf bellowed in pain and brought his longsword slashing up across the veteran's torso. He tried to bring the blade back down across the throat of the youth to his right, but the lad was took quick for the tired dwarf and he avoided the stroke with ease even as he moved into position. His bastard sword came down at an awkward angle, skittering harmlessly off Karak's shoulder guard.The other youth slashed again with his sword, but this time Karak dodged the blow entirely. The stabbing thrust from the boy's dagger, too found nothing but air. Their leader slashed with his bastard sword and dagger, but both attacks were foiled by the dwarf's heavy armor. Karak, however, had no such difficulties.His sword thrust opened a bloody wound on the veteran's shoulder and then severed a vital artery in the man's throat as Karak pulled it back. The shocked warrior fell to the ground, his lifeblood fountaining outward from his ruined neck.That was enough for the two younger fighters. They turned tail and ran out the same door they'd come in by. The darkness outside soon swallowed them and Karak sighed with relief.Several moment's later, Feln, Lela and Huzair rushed into the room by the same door that Blackheart had used to get behind the VQS. They found Morier and Karak sitting beside Ledare's burned body. The dwarf was praying."Oh... Lass it seems this time you came to my aid and it be your last.  But I will tell you this, I will find the Priestess of Flor and bring her home. Whether it be her or just be her spirit, I will do it.  I know it be your wish," he said to the corpse before turning his head to the heavens and continuing."Shaharizod, that be a foul end to a foul beast that took two of my companions down like that.  I shall always be reminded of the cruelty of chaos, and I vow to you now I will continue to fight Aphyx with your blessed guidance!" Karak finished, his words growing stronger and with more conviction as he spoke the vow over the earthly remains of the last member of a group that had set out one morning many moonsdances past to fetch some supplies from a hospital in Barnacus...</blockquote>

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