A New Beginning

[Lady Ashenwyte]

"No need for that, Major." Zurakh said as he stepped out of the forest, the smell of rotting flesh accompanying him. He hefted his axe, and said "Come at me, you traitor scum! I'll finish what Ironlimb started!"   

       

[Delthion]

OOC: @Groddil, yes he is changed. I think he dies in this encounter, or he is double-crossed by your character and killed. Anyway, he won't be alive for long.

[Fatch of Southsward]

OOC: Just realized Zurakh is a badger! Good luck Major! 

Sham, being well of age, well of hearing and well of instinct immediately dove to the dirt. He was already after the villains before the last arrow landed. He winced at the sounds behind him - at least one or two hares must have been hit. He'd make them pay for it though - it was time to prove himself at last. A real vermin to deal with. A victory here could be enough to land him at least a starting position in the long patrol. This was his chance!

He entered a small clearing just before Fallop, when suddenly a giant badger stepped out from behind the tree. Sham's blood ran cold, and he stepped back weakly, leaning against a tree for support. He knew this was no fight for him, but he was ready to fight. Perhaps with Major Fallop beside him they would stand a chance.

One of the vermin that had fired the bows stepped out as well, shouldering his bow, and drawing a rusty axe. Sham drew his father's old sword. This was an opponent he could fight, despite his own inexperience.

"I'll get that'n, Fallop old chap. I'll help you out with that big'n as soon as I can, wot. If we both die here, it jolly well has been an honor, wot?." The young hare swallowed nervously and tensed his arms, awaiting his foe.

OOC: I power-played a little with one of your vermin gang, Ashwenwyte . Hopefully that's ok - I wanted Sham to fight something, anyway. Let me know if you want me to change anything. Also, do you want to control the vermin's movements / life / death, or can I?

@Lord Ashenwyte

[Groddil]

Fallop's ears stood on end.
"That's Major to you, Sham. Err, any chap wid a bow, shoot that bally badger, wot!"
The Major stepped over to the vermin that Sham was engaged with, and kicked him in the back. While the enemy was stunned, he slipped the bow from the vermin's shoulder and pulled an arrow from the quiver.
"This'n's all your's young 'un!"
Fallop pulled back the arrow and let it loose towards Zurakh. Two other hares, also armed with bows, let their projectiles fly.

OOC: Same, except with more PP-ing.

[Fatch of Southsward]

Sham, heart racing, approached his opponent. The villain had quickly regained his wits and balance after the Major's move, and now approached recklessly. The axe sliced through the air in a vicious arc as the vermin brought the two handed blow down from above his head.

Sham did not meet the blow - his sword could never have withstood it. Instead he took a step to the side, allowing it to sing harmlessly by. He whipped his sword backhanded after the weasel, as he stumbled forward - surprised to meet no resistance. The creature wailed as the blow sliced into his backside, chopping off his tail.

Now the two circles one another, neither willing to make such a bold move again. The weasel, short his tail, took full advantage of the power and weight of his axe. Great sweeping blows were combined with well timed back steps. Sham was unable to counter the blows, for any one of them could have shattered his father's old sword. He swayed in place - leaning back and down and occasionally stepping back entirely. His nimble movements saved him from the deadly axe. His attacks were short and precise - darting in and retreating quickly. He was fencing, just as he had practiced. Except this time his opponent was not imaginary and was also armed with a giant deadly weapon.

Sham's attacks began to hit home. Soon the weasel was bleeding in a dozen places. Sham had not been hit, but he knew even one hit would be enough to chop off an essential limb.

Finally he saw his chance. The weasel tried to chop him in half with a terrifying sweep at his midsection. Instead of stepping back as he had before, Sham ducked and stepped forward - using his free hand to hold down his ears, lest they be chopped off. The blow felt so close it may well have trimmed the hairs on the young hare's head.

Before the shocked weasel could react, Sham stepped to full height while simultaneously stabbing the sword upwards, at the lower belly.

The two creatures stood eye to eye, as the axe whirled away into the greenery. The weasel's mouth opened, and he gurgled oddly - clutching the sword that had run him through.

The light of battle left Sham's eyes, and he stepped back, disgusted, yanking his sword out of the hapless creature. Ignoring the battle just behind him with the belligerent badger, he fell to his knees in front of the slain enemy.

[Delthion]

OOC: Ashe, I believe we are waiting for your counter!

[Delthion]

OOC: @Lord Ashenwyte, please post!

[Lady Ashenwyte]

OOC: Sorry, was quite busy with starting a new grade and all that.

@Delthion I didn't say anything about Zurakh dying soon, or at all.

BIC:

Zurakh looked at the three arrows stuck in his leather armour, and laughed! With a might war cry he charged forward as one of the bowbeasts, who was surprised by the ferocious assault. He raised his axe high, and clove one of the hares into two, roaring thunderous oaths as he did so.
                      He then noticed that Sham had felled one of his warriors. "You have bested one of my warriors, hare! Count your days, for they shall be few!"  He said, and walked to where Sham lay kneeling.

[Delthion]

OOC: Not a problem! I haven't started school yet so I might have forgotten all about that.

[Fatch of Southsward]

Sham's shock in the act of killing another creature was lost by the small problem that a giant angry badger was approaching him.

He stood, still shaking slightly, and backed off slowly - holding his sword forward as though the old blade would somehow stop the beast's advance. He blinked moisture from his eyes, at the brutal killing of a fellow hare.

"Bloomin' disgrace and dishonor, sah! A flippin' badger killin' hares he ought to be taking care of! Fight someone your own bally size, wot! Your warrior was a cowardly murderer like ya'self, hope you go to bally join him sometime soon, wot! Eulaliaaaaa!!!!!!"

Sham advanced - swinging his sword ferociously. He knew the attack would do little more than slow the badger, but perhaps the cry would draw more fighters. He stood poised to jump in any direction to evade the axe blow that he knew would soon be coming.

[Dannflower Reguba]

OOC: Hey Ash, just pointing out that your character description never mentions armor (or any clothing for that matter), do you mind giving us details so we know what we're fighting here? BIC:

       Brussel saw the badger turn, but his band had drifted a little farther back, better opportunities did not exist. The squirrel dropped levels quickly, using a low hanging branch to change the direction of his momentum, catapulting straight into one of the vermin. Both of his feet made contact with the unfortunate beast who was thrust by them into the tree he and his cohort had stopped by. The vermin's chest cavity was completely caved in, a sentence to certain death finalized by a left backhanded, spinning fist-whip to the side of the head. The squirrel did not stop the spin though, as his right hand reached forward to pin the incoming spear thrust to the same spot the first vermin had been a mere moment ago. Brussel's left foot came up behind him and connected with the jaw of the second foe who lost control of the spear as he was spun around by the force of the blow. Brussel didn't give him time to recover, continuing the same motion he had started with the first, he brought the spear in his right hand all the way around, grabbing it with both hands, and thrust it with all of its momentum straight up the middle of the second vermin's chest. The poor beast fell backwards, and felt the grip of the squirrel's paws on his shoulders for a brief moment as those paws were used to slam him to the ground, sending the spear all the way through the vermin's chest. Brussel propelled himself off the stomach of his foe, shoving the just re-attained spear straight into the other's face, using the leverage to finish the leap over the corpse. As his feet reconnected with the forest floor, he yanked the spear out, having just heard Sham's cry after the debacle by the badger. He hurled the spear towards the hulking vermin leader in the same motion as the yank, refusing to lose any of the force, shouting as he did so, "Hey fatty! Catch this!" His back foot came off the ground after the throw, which he promptly stomped onto the handle of the first fallen vermin's axe. After catching it by the loop off the handle, he whipped it into a violent spin and flung it sideways at the badger's torso, followed up quickly by two knives aimed for the eyes.

[Groddil]

OOC: How is this battle going to end, anyway? Because I don't really understand what Zurakh is actually going to do after this, as he can't be the vermin warlord (which is what he seems to be, now anyway).

BIC:

Fallop took advantage of the fact that four projectiles were hurtling towards Zurakh, lashing at the badger's leg with his sabre.

[Dannflower Reguba]

@Lord Ashenwyte: Hey buddy there are at least 3 of us waitin' on you man.

[Lady Ashenwyte]

OOC: Sorry, gotta go to bed. I'll post tomorrow.

[Delthion]

Zurakh was irritated with the puny creatures attempting to take him down. He lashed out with his axe, killing three hares. He roared in rage as he was hit by three arrows, and watched another thud into the ground in front of him. He looked down and saw a hare slashing at his heel, then he felt the burn, he kicked at the hare, sending him into a nearby tree.

OOC: Sorry for the PPing.