Post by Antonius Dragonblade on Sept 1, 2007 3:16:51 GMT -8
(Mildly Graphic)
"Aaaaurrrr!" An un-aware goblin shrieks with an ear-piercing pitch as a tip of a longsword sinks deeply into its back, followed by a thrust kick to its spine. The goblin falls forward and makes impact on the ground in the middle of a small camp, drawing attention from the other Goblins to the attacker. The man revealed himself from the night's darkness nearing the campfire, clad in white garments worn underneath a lorica segmentata chestplate armor. While his right hand revealed a bloodstained sword, his left bears a shield. "Where is the crate?" he asked in a very smug tone just before glancing from goblin to goblin, his lips curved to a strange smile. "Kiiiiiiiill hiiiiiiim!" the goblins wasted no time reacting as crossbows were drawn and fired at the armored human. Bolts flew and found nothing but the surface of the shield as the man raises it in defense. The man charged a goblin to his left, violently slamming his shield against the creature's face just before raising his sword to deliver a successful downward thrust to its neck. Three more goblins remain, dropping their crossbows and charging the human with their pikes and swords with a few successful attacks that caught the man's open spots. The armored fighter falls back into a defensive stance behind his shield, allowing the greenskins to continue with their wild swings. A counter uppercut slash followed by a horizontal slice cuts across a goblin's neck like hot knife through butter. The two goblins still drawing breath looks at each other, one dropping his sword to run away from the camp. The human hurls his shield to the retreating creature, catching it in the back of the head with enough impact to knock it unconcious. The last goblin took advantage of the situation, thrusting his pike at the human's exposed armpit forcing him to stagger back. He draws a short sword from his scabbard, now using two blades to parry the advancing attacks of the goblin. The weakness of the pike was revealed as the warrior was able to cut it into two pieces with a well timed downward strike. The human raises his blades once again and brings them down, cutting each of the goblin's arms from the shoulders. "Raaaa--auk!!" The goblin's painful shriek was interrupted as the man now held him by the neck, each digits tightening its grip to a slow choke, his swords now sheathed in each scabbard. "Before you die, tell me, where is the crate?" he started to ask with a serious expression which quickly faded to another creepy smile. "T-t-t-tree.. bi-bi-big.. tree!" the limb-less goblin answers just before the human tosses him aside, walking towards a rather large tree that stood out from the rest, and sure enough under it was a small wooden crate...
"You cannot be serious, my friend..." The man who's garments were once white now stained with goblin blood finds himself in a Hobling's home, not too far from the camp. "You pulled me from my post.. to retrieve a crate.. from a goblin camp.. containing a musical instrument.." He cast a look of disbelief at the smaller figure before him. "It's a lute, sir! A fine one at that and very dear to me! You're a hero for getting it back, Lieutenant Dragonblade!" the Hobling replies with a hyper-optimistic tone, brandishing the instrument. A heavy sigh escapes the soldier's lips as he waves his hand dismissively, "Just call me Antonius.. Friend, when you told me this crate had something of 'great importance', I was under the impression that it was some sort of relic or ancient transcript. Not a.. a.." The hobling interrupts the man to end his sentence, "A lute, sir! It's called a lute!" Antonius shakes his head slowly from side to side and begins to walk out the door. "Lieutenant, wait!" The hobling tosses a small pouch of coins which Antonius caught with his right hand. "Your reward as promised! I thank you once again, sir!" The soldier slightly bows his head to the Hobling, then made his way outside. "Well, this will be quite a story to bring back to Soldrien..."
The man was more weary than he was irritated. The hobling caught him at the end of his day and midnight was approaching. One of the soldier's once-a-month task is to survey surrounding villages and towns in Aklicieum, rotating from one province to another. This week long period consisted of much travel and inevitable skirmishes. Antonius paused as he finds himself next to an open window of the hobling's house. There he witnessed the hobling playing the lute, its strings singing a soft lullaby to an infant hobling in a very tiny crib. "Your mother loved this song before she passed, little one..." says the hobling in the middle of the soothing tune. The soldier's lips curve to a sweet smile as he stood there for a moment, listening with genuine enjoyment. Not wanting to interrupt the hobling, he places the pouch of coins on a table inside the room through the small window then went on his way. The smile he gained never left his face that night.
The End.
"Aaaaurrrr!" An un-aware goblin shrieks with an ear-piercing pitch as a tip of a longsword sinks deeply into its back, followed by a thrust kick to its spine. The goblin falls forward and makes impact on the ground in the middle of a small camp, drawing attention from the other Goblins to the attacker. The man revealed himself from the night's darkness nearing the campfire, clad in white garments worn underneath a lorica segmentata chestplate armor. While his right hand revealed a bloodstained sword, his left bears a shield. "Where is the crate?" he asked in a very smug tone just before glancing from goblin to goblin, his lips curved to a strange smile. "Kiiiiiiiill hiiiiiiim!" the goblins wasted no time reacting as crossbows were drawn and fired at the armored human. Bolts flew and found nothing but the surface of the shield as the man raises it in defense. The man charged a goblin to his left, violently slamming his shield against the creature's face just before raising his sword to deliver a successful downward thrust to its neck. Three more goblins remain, dropping their crossbows and charging the human with their pikes and swords with a few successful attacks that caught the man's open spots. The armored fighter falls back into a defensive stance behind his shield, allowing the greenskins to continue with their wild swings. A counter uppercut slash followed by a horizontal slice cuts across a goblin's neck like hot knife through butter. The two goblins still drawing breath looks at each other, one dropping his sword to run away from the camp. The human hurls his shield to the retreating creature, catching it in the back of the head with enough impact to knock it unconcious. The last goblin took advantage of the situation, thrusting his pike at the human's exposed armpit forcing him to stagger back. He draws a short sword from his scabbard, now using two blades to parry the advancing attacks of the goblin. The weakness of the pike was revealed as the warrior was able to cut it into two pieces with a well timed downward strike. The human raises his blades once again and brings them down, cutting each of the goblin's arms from the shoulders. "Raaaa--auk!!" The goblin's painful shriek was interrupted as the man now held him by the neck, each digits tightening its grip to a slow choke, his swords now sheathed in each scabbard. "Before you die, tell me, where is the crate?" he started to ask with a serious expression which quickly faded to another creepy smile. "T-t-t-tree.. bi-bi-big.. tree!" the limb-less goblin answers just before the human tosses him aside, walking towards a rather large tree that stood out from the rest, and sure enough under it was a small wooden crate...
"You cannot be serious, my friend..." The man who's garments were once white now stained with goblin blood finds himself in a Hobling's home, not too far from the camp. "You pulled me from my post.. to retrieve a crate.. from a goblin camp.. containing a musical instrument.." He cast a look of disbelief at the smaller figure before him. "It's a lute, sir! A fine one at that and very dear to me! You're a hero for getting it back, Lieutenant Dragonblade!" the Hobling replies with a hyper-optimistic tone, brandishing the instrument. A heavy sigh escapes the soldier's lips as he waves his hand dismissively, "Just call me Antonius.. Friend, when you told me this crate had something of 'great importance', I was under the impression that it was some sort of relic or ancient transcript. Not a.. a.." The hobling interrupts the man to end his sentence, "A lute, sir! It's called a lute!" Antonius shakes his head slowly from side to side and begins to walk out the door. "Lieutenant, wait!" The hobling tosses a small pouch of coins which Antonius caught with his right hand. "Your reward as promised! I thank you once again, sir!" The soldier slightly bows his head to the Hobling, then made his way outside. "Well, this will be quite a story to bring back to Soldrien..."
The man was more weary than he was irritated. The hobling caught him at the end of his day and midnight was approaching. One of the soldier's once-a-month task is to survey surrounding villages and towns in Aklicieum, rotating from one province to another. This week long period consisted of much travel and inevitable skirmishes. Antonius paused as he finds himself next to an open window of the hobling's house. There he witnessed the hobling playing the lute, its strings singing a soft lullaby to an infant hobling in a very tiny crib. "Your mother loved this song before she passed, little one..." says the hobling in the middle of the soothing tune. The soldier's lips curve to a sweet smile as he stood there for a moment, listening with genuine enjoyment. Not wanting to interrupt the hobling, he places the pouch of coins on a table inside the room through the small window then went on his way. The smile he gained never left his face that night.
The End.