02-14-2018, 10:06 AM
Atelos slung his bronze shield over his back, before hopping onto his sturdy horse. The seat fit comfortably beneath him. The Spartan brought out his map of the region before the rest of the group came in. Lost in thought he hardly noticed when the rest of the squad arrived. An impatient clearing of the throat startled Atelos back into the real world. He jolted his head up to meet the Sorcerer’s eyes, along with the timid looks of his recruits. Without missing a beat, Atelos extended the local map of the Pale Moors so that everyone could see what he was examining. His fingers traced circles around the north area of the map, speaking fragmented sentences aloud to himself.
“This. This is Drow territory. They hate it when we come near them.” Atelos looked up at the recruits, expecting them to have completely understood his train of thought. His eyes went back down to the parchment in his hands, “We will be headed towards our scouts last known location here.” His finger pointed to a piece of the parchment where the intersection of tainted woods and grassland lay. “You four. If things ever get messy stay in between me and Tsung. We know a thing or two about fighting.” The Spartan met eyes with the Sorcerer, giving him a sly smirk before looking at the recruits again. “Let’s head out men.” He pulled his reigns, taking lead as confident as if he never left the field.
The path to the Drow’s territory was no short trip, leaving plenty of time for the Spartan and the Sorcerer to catch up. Unlike the rusty duo, the recruits had no issue socializing with one another. Atelos almost felt a pang of jealousy, he was never good at ‘small talk’. Shang, made no effort at beginning the conversation so Atelos felt like the pressure was on him, but the socially inept Spartan had no idea on how to begin. Atelos would spend minutes starting at Shang, but the minute the sorcerer turned his head to make eye contact, he would immediately jolt his head in the other direction. Minutes would go by, in which Atelos would take deep breathes as if he were to say something, for only a sigh of exasperation to escape his lips.
Despite his intentions of beginning the chat, Shang was the first to speak, “How have you been, Atelos?” The dry question left no room for a conversation, “Good. Good.” This social interaction left a dry, awkward feeling in the air. A witty joke came to Atelos mind and he chuckled to himself before speaking, “How is being a secretary, oh Triumvir Tsung?” An unearned, smug grin spread across his face as the Sorcerer rolled his eyes at the comment. Hours of these travels went by with these awkward interactions becoming less and less frequent. The two eventually got back into a rhythm that was second nature to them.
“The child shot at me with not a gun but a crutch!” Shang recounted the tale of his victories in the Colosseum with amusement. The Spartan hollered at the top of his lungs, laughing until his eyes watered. “You see sorcerer, I thought I was the funny one but you. You’re the charmer.” His laughter continued for too long and the recruits tailing behind them looked concerned for the sanity of their Captain. Shang, however, was familiar with the Spartan’s easily tickled funny bone. His laughter died, down all too suddenly as the appearance of thick smoke began to suffocate the sky.
“Shang.” The sorcerer’s face grew serious, “I know.” Atelos turned his head towards the group before speaking somberly, “We’re here.” Atelos knew what to expect of what Drow did with intruders, but the recruits weren’t as prepared. Within a few minutes, the source of the smog was visible and the stench of burning human flesh permeated through the air. The scouts’ corpses laid on the ground in horrific positions. Their bodies were burned to a complete char, their hands outreached begging for either mercy or help. Atelos heard one of the recruits retch, while the others muttered solemn prayers to themselves.
Shang put a hand on the Spartan’s shoulder, “I’m sure they were good men Captain. They were heroes.” The Spartan looked up at his friend, with a distasteful tone in his voice, “You're not the one that has to tell their families.”
“You dh’oine never learn do you. May their bodies serve as a warning to leave us.” The voice echoed and Atelos searched for its source. There was absolutely nothing in these burning fields and the looming smoggy forests could be a great source of cover for the offenders. Atelos dropped down from his horse and donned his rusty shield. A rush of adrenaline flew threw his body, making his heart race like it hadn’t in such a long time. Oh how he missed the frontline of battle.
“You murdered my men. This is where you will die!” Atelos shouted into the nothingness, eager for his opponents to show his face. Fire collected into his hand as his spear began to materialize into life. He pounded his spear against his shield, before letting out a growl.
“You humans never learn. May your death be a lesson to your underlings.” Red eyes materialized from the foggy forest, as a squad of drow emerged from the shadows. The leader was wearing a cowl and began to chant and wave his hands. Fire was born from the space in his hands and he fired it towards the Spartan. Atelos advanced, the fireball imminent towards burning his flesh. The recruits behind him looked on fearfully, while Shang had no sense of worry.
As the fireball was about to collide, the Spartan raised his shield to block the oncoming fire. The threat dissipated harmlessly onto the bronze shield, the drows’ faces becoming slightly more worried. More of the group began chanting their own fireballs, but Atelos dashed towards them with inhuman speed. Their target suddenly upon them, they stumbled backwards onto the ground. Atelos sprinted towards the leader, suddenly upon him and his spear slid through the drow’s chest. The other drow drew daggers and charged the Spartan warrior. As he ripped the spear from the leader’s chest, he whipped his shield towards his new attackers colliding the bronze with their skulls. As the body hit the ground from the whiplash the Spartan brought down his shield, smashing their skull. A dagger slid into Atelos’ shoulder, giving him as much pain as a paper cut. He quickly rose, bring his spear through the throat of the drow who stabbed him. As the last drow began to panic and run, Atelos withdrew his spear and brought his arm back and launched the spear. The drow made it about to the edge of the forest before the spear pierced his leg and pinned him to the ground.
Atelos walked over, the squirming drow trying to remove the spear from his leg before the bulky grecian was upon him. The drow raised his arms covering his face pleading for mercy. Atelos, with no look of sympathy on his face, bashed his shield into the drow’s throat, crushing his neck, letting the drow suffocate.
Shang and the recruits quickly caught up to the Spartan. “Sorry I didn’t leave you any sorcerer. I got a little carried away.” Shang put his hand on his comrades shoulder before calmly speaking, “I know you needed it.”
“This. This is Drow territory. They hate it when we come near them.” Atelos looked up at the recruits, expecting them to have completely understood his train of thought. His eyes went back down to the parchment in his hands, “We will be headed towards our scouts last known location here.” His finger pointed to a piece of the parchment where the intersection of tainted woods and grassland lay. “You four. If things ever get messy stay in between me and Tsung. We know a thing or two about fighting.” The Spartan met eyes with the Sorcerer, giving him a sly smirk before looking at the recruits again. “Let’s head out men.” He pulled his reigns, taking lead as confident as if he never left the field.
The path to the Drow’s territory was no short trip, leaving plenty of time for the Spartan and the Sorcerer to catch up. Unlike the rusty duo, the recruits had no issue socializing with one another. Atelos almost felt a pang of jealousy, he was never good at ‘small talk’. Shang, made no effort at beginning the conversation so Atelos felt like the pressure was on him, but the socially inept Spartan had no idea on how to begin. Atelos would spend minutes starting at Shang, but the minute the sorcerer turned his head to make eye contact, he would immediately jolt his head in the other direction. Minutes would go by, in which Atelos would take deep breathes as if he were to say something, for only a sigh of exasperation to escape his lips.
Despite his intentions of beginning the chat, Shang was the first to speak, “How have you been, Atelos?” The dry question left no room for a conversation, “Good. Good.” This social interaction left a dry, awkward feeling in the air. A witty joke came to Atelos mind and he chuckled to himself before speaking, “How is being a secretary, oh Triumvir Tsung?” An unearned, smug grin spread across his face as the Sorcerer rolled his eyes at the comment. Hours of these travels went by with these awkward interactions becoming less and less frequent. The two eventually got back into a rhythm that was second nature to them.
“The child shot at me with not a gun but a crutch!” Shang recounted the tale of his victories in the Colosseum with amusement. The Spartan hollered at the top of his lungs, laughing until his eyes watered. “You see sorcerer, I thought I was the funny one but you. You’re the charmer.” His laughter continued for too long and the recruits tailing behind them looked concerned for the sanity of their Captain. Shang, however, was familiar with the Spartan’s easily tickled funny bone. His laughter died, down all too suddenly as the appearance of thick smoke began to suffocate the sky.
“Shang.” The sorcerer’s face grew serious, “I know.” Atelos turned his head towards the group before speaking somberly, “We’re here.” Atelos knew what to expect of what Drow did with intruders, but the recruits weren’t as prepared. Within a few minutes, the source of the smog was visible and the stench of burning human flesh permeated through the air. The scouts’ corpses laid on the ground in horrific positions. Their bodies were burned to a complete char, their hands outreached begging for either mercy or help. Atelos heard one of the recruits retch, while the others muttered solemn prayers to themselves.
Shang put a hand on the Spartan’s shoulder, “I’m sure they were good men Captain. They were heroes.” The Spartan looked up at his friend, with a distasteful tone in his voice, “You're not the one that has to tell their families.”
“You dh’oine never learn do you. May their bodies serve as a warning to leave us.” The voice echoed and Atelos searched for its source. There was absolutely nothing in these burning fields and the looming smoggy forests could be a great source of cover for the offenders. Atelos dropped down from his horse and donned his rusty shield. A rush of adrenaline flew threw his body, making his heart race like it hadn’t in such a long time. Oh how he missed the frontline of battle.
“You murdered my men. This is where you will die!” Atelos shouted into the nothingness, eager for his opponents to show his face. Fire collected into his hand as his spear began to materialize into life. He pounded his spear against his shield, before letting out a growl.
“You humans never learn. May your death be a lesson to your underlings.” Red eyes materialized from the foggy forest, as a squad of drow emerged from the shadows. The leader was wearing a cowl and began to chant and wave his hands. Fire was born from the space in his hands and he fired it towards the Spartan. Atelos advanced, the fireball imminent towards burning his flesh. The recruits behind him looked on fearfully, while Shang had no sense of worry.
As the fireball was about to collide, the Spartan raised his shield to block the oncoming fire. The threat dissipated harmlessly onto the bronze shield, the drows’ faces becoming slightly more worried. More of the group began chanting their own fireballs, but Atelos dashed towards them with inhuman speed. Their target suddenly upon them, they stumbled backwards onto the ground. Atelos sprinted towards the leader, suddenly upon him and his spear slid through the drow’s chest. The other drow drew daggers and charged the Spartan warrior. As he ripped the spear from the leader’s chest, he whipped his shield towards his new attackers colliding the bronze with their skulls. As the body hit the ground from the whiplash the Spartan brought down his shield, smashing their skull. A dagger slid into Atelos’ shoulder, giving him as much pain as a paper cut. He quickly rose, bring his spear through the throat of the drow who stabbed him. As the last drow began to panic and run, Atelos withdrew his spear and brought his arm back and launched the spear. The drow made it about to the edge of the forest before the spear pierced his leg and pinned him to the ground.
Atelos walked over, the squirming drow trying to remove the spear from his leg before the bulky grecian was upon him. The drow raised his arms covering his face pleading for mercy. Atelos, with no look of sympathy on his face, bashed his shield into the drow’s throat, crushing his neck, letting the drow suffocate.
Shang and the recruits quickly caught up to the Spartan. “Sorry I didn’t leave you any sorcerer. I got a little carried away.” Shang put his hand on his comrades shoulder before calmly speaking, “I know you needed it.”
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