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2024-10-29 19:42:56Two pulled out daggers, the other a normal longsword. Edvard ran right towards the one with the longsword, aiming for the man's blade as he was still struggling to recover from the surprise and get a good grip on his weapon.
Edvard's attack sent the man's blade into the air and opened him up for more attacks.
With no hesitation Edvard struck through the man's side, spinning around to place this now wounded cloaked figure between him and one of the dagger wielders.
His new opponent was surprised not just by Edvard's actions, but also that her friend had been disarmed so easily. Watching Edvard's every move, she faltered between trying to save her friend or going for their attacker.
Seeing her hesitation Edvard swung his blade at the wounded man. Seeing this, she rushed to block the attack and save the man. Edvard smiled as he jumped back and thrust his sword towards her.
She was quickly put at a disadvantage as she had to both protect herself and her friend.
She also realized that help was not coming as a clash of blades was heard off to their side. Informing her that her other partner would not be able to help her, and informing Edvard that he could fully focus on the one before him.
Knowing this, she tried to move the fight away from her wounded friend, and Edvard let her. Once she felt comfortable, he rushed in close, catching her completely off guard.
Grabbing onto her left arm, careful to not cut himself on her dagger, Edvard blocked her other dagger with his blade. Ending his move with a mighty kick aimed at her diaphragm.
Gasping for air, she just barely managed to keep her daggers in hand, and Edvard was not going to give her a chance. He kicked again while also slashing her right hand and crushing her left.
Screaming in pain the assassin failed to keep hold of her daggers. Staring at Edvard in hatred she spat, "Who are you?"
It made no sense that their preparations had been ruined. Weeks of planning down the drain, and they had not even planned to attack right at that moment.
"Who are you?" Edvard countered, glancing at the first one he had struck.
The man was still alive, though he was clearly bleeding out quickly. The blade had cut through him like a heated knife through butter. Blood was flowing freely and the man had just a minute or two of life left.
Naturally, Edvard had come to realize that the sword was beyond sharp. It cut through chain mail without much trouble, only plate armor was able to block it when he placed his full power behind the strike.
And even then, Edvard felt he might be able to get through plate armor once his body reached its peak such as near the end of the illusion.
Hearing Edvard's question the assassin stayed quiet and followed his gaze, her hatred growing as she realized she could not save her friend. She did not even consider that she might not be able to save herself. No, she struggled with all her might, hoping for revenge.
Edvard gripped even harder and gave her a knee in the stomach again. Doubling over from pain, she just barely managed to hear his demands.
Suddenly Edvard felt the hair on his neck standing up and his blood boiling. Throwing the assassin down, he jumped to the side. A throwing knife flying past where his head used to be a second ago.
"Run!" The second assassin shouted as she threw another knife, this one aimed at their wounded companion. Giving him a quick death and ensuring he could not talk.
"Seems you were abandoned," Edvard said, closing the man's eyes as he looked at the two female assassins running away.
He was confused why the one he had fought had tried so hard to save the man, and the other had ended his life without a second thought.
'No honor among assassins.' Edvard mumbled and turned to look at Boris, shaking his head in disproval.
"Sorry…" Boris barely managed to get the words out. He had a dagger stuck in his side and a few too many cuts over his arms and one truly close to his right eye.
'Seems I overestimated him,' Edvard thought, considering how easily he had dealt with two. Yet, this noble could not even handle one. Still, he was confused why Boris had even come to help him.
"Why did you fight them, weren't they your pawns?" Edvard asked, standing up and looking Boris straight in the eyes. Not caring for the pain he must be in.
"No… I don't... I have no idea who they were. Come, let's go to the manor. I need... Help…" Boris said weakly, stepping towards Edvard who dodged his hand searching for support.
"I am leaving, this village is a mess and I do not want to be part of it."
"Wait! You must... Know, that, I... Was the target." Boris coughed up blood and fell to his knees, realizing that the dagger must have been poisoned.
"So? It means that allying with you will create a target on my own back." Edvard replied and turned around, ready to leave.
"But… Then... You know that I... Didn't break-"
"But you were planning something, weren't you?" Edvard turned to give him a spiteful look and also looked at the guards rushing towards them. Knowing that if he did not leave soon then it would be a far bloodier goodbye.
"I swear... I wasn't. Please, help me." Boris said, falling forward. The dagger moved as he fell and his bleeding worsened.
"Why should I?"
"Do... You, not have a heart?" Boris asked, by now the guards of the manor were finally reaching their location. Having acted as soon as they heard the clashing of blades.
"No…" Edvard replied, rushing down the street as he said this. No longer willing to delay.
"After him, we can't let the assassin get away!" The lead guard shouted upon seeing their lord on the ground.
Quickly the group split in half, one heading after Edvard and the others quickly applying first aid to Boris.
Hearing the shout and the clashing of armor, Edvard cursed. Not having expected they would miss the entire fight and consider him the assassin. He had expected them to try and detain him, but their drawn weapons made it clear they would take him in alive or dead.
Not knowing the layout of the village, he dared not try and lose them inside. Instead, he kept on the main road and rushed for the gate.
As he neared it the guards shouted at those on the wall to close the gate and stop him. Yet, Edvard was too fast and having seen him fighting the other guards earlier, no one dared stand in his way.
They also did not understand what was going on. Many felt conflicted, wondering why their lord would have broken his word, and so quickly at that.
Disappearing into the forest the guards cursed as they quickly lost sight of him. They dared not follow any further with night approaching, and the danger of the forest grew drastically with it.
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Epilogue (2)
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Epilogue (1)
Edvard stirred, his entire body afire. Grimacing, the previous events slowly came back to him. ‘So, I survived…’“Careful now.” Abigail instructed, bringing a cup to his mouth and having him take a few small sips.The herbal tea helped soothe the blazing fire in his throat, sadly it did little for the rest of the flames. Trying to force out any words caused his chest to explode in pain, so he remained quiet. Taking sips as Abigail offered them.“I can’t believe how reckless you were.” Abigail said, Edvard noticing that they were in the shade of some tree. The gentle sound of a stream was barely audible. “I really thought you were going to die on me when you didn’t stir for two days.”Unable to form any words, Edvard simply held his peace. Listening as Abigail detailed what had happened after he had lost consciousness. Atop the horse, she had rushed with him along the main road, heading deeper into the kingdom. Stopping long after night had arrived.That night, she had cleaned most of
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The orc horde (Part 11)
“He made it…” Edvard forced out these words as he continued to shoot arrow after arrow. No longer was it possible to keep the rooftop clear of orcs. The best he could do was kill them as they gathered their footing.The continuous pulling of his bow was showing its strain on his untrained body. His shoulder acts, his fingers burned, and his arm trembled. Yet, he pushed on. He had to. He couldn’t die here.He still needed to find Yawen. He still needed to find a way home.The screams from below had long since died. The knights had fought valiantly. But valiance was not enough to turn the tide of a battle.“Are we going to die like this?” Abigail asked, forcing herself to stay calm and take deep, steady breaths. Collecting her focus and doing her best to gather the ether in the surrounding. Thanks to overusing magic and a lack of sleep, her mind was already foggy. Yet, she pushed on.“That… isn’t… part… of… the plan.” Edvard replied between the twang of his bow. Luckily, he had more tha
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The orc horde (Part 10 – Salvation)
Edvard took a deep breath and calmed his heart. Abigail was next to him, responsible for blasting any orcs who made it to the roof, back to the ground. She was still tired. Unlike Edvard, she had no sudden recovery thanks to a strange magical sword.Yet, she was determined. She took deep, steady breaths, focusing on the surrounding and doing her best to remain calm. The destruction of her hometown had certainly sent her heart into shock. She was ready to accept that none of her family had made it out.Even so, she had many friends in the town. She hoped and prayed that some of them might still be alive.“You ready?” Edvard asked, his targets in his sights.“Yes, let’s do this!” Abigail replied, determined to fight to the last. Even if their mission ended up unsuccessful, she wanted to kill as many of these damned orcs as possible before her dying breath.“Right.” Taking another deep breath, Edvard could feel a strange energy filling his lungs. Distributing itself to the rose patterns
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The orc horde (Part 9 – I’m no strategist)
The roses imprinting themselves into Edvard caused him to glow. Abigail gasped in awe at the sight, his entire body lighting up like he was some sort of angel. Until it all vanished, leaving only faint outlines of the roses. Like fading tattoos.“A-are you alright?” Abigail asked.“I feel great!” Edvard replied with a warm smile. Filled to the brim with energy and more confident than ever. “Let’s go see if the town is still holding out.”Edvard took the lead. The two followed the path created by the orcs when they had chased Edvard, having cut down all plants in their way, allowed the two to move swiftly and in an almost straight line. Their return taking them no time at all.Smoke was the first thing they noticed upon exiting the forest.“Ahhh—” Edvard moved quickly, stopping Abigail from making any further sounds.“Look carefully, the smoke isn’t acting normal. I think someone is controlling it to give cover to survivors.” Once he was sure she wasn’t about to shout in concern, Eldri
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The orc horde (Part 8 – Tree of light)
Edvard slowly stirred, fighting the sleepiness that filled his entire body. He fought to simply stay conscious. Sleep was a tempting mistress, but his years in the illusion taught him never to let sleep dull his sense. He needed to confirm the situation. The last thing he recalled was seeing Abigail among the carnage.Abigail was sitting near a fire, her clothes a mess of blood and tears, having used her clothes as bandages for Edvard's wounds. Forcing himself upright, Edvard smiled. She was a beautiful girl, far too young for him, but he could at least enjoy the sight as the fire illuminated her hair. Her hair was no longer a shiny bright green but rather a deep dark green. Yet it was still enchanting as a shine would come through as the flames of the fire played in the wind. Edvard was lying atop some large leaves, close enough for the fire’s heat to reach him. His own clothes were tattered, his toning muscles reflecting the light of the fire. A few more months, and he would be at
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The orc horde (Part 7 – Their struggle)
As the despair grew and the atmosphere became heavier, it was all too clear that no one thought victory was possible. They had sacrificed so much just to stall the orcs on the walls yet here they were. Some had been optimistic, believing they could stop the orcs in their tracks. Sadly, even the wilds gate where the orcs had attacked in rage had managed little against the far lesser number of orcs. The other gates had lost far more and killed far less, this fact added to the heavy air of despair that filled the air. None were still optimistic. Everyone understood just how terrifying their enemy was. In their retreat they had not given up. A number had taken shelter in the abandoned homes. While some of those were praying not to be found like cowards, most were waiting. Waiting for the movement to strike. When they could make the largest difference while sacrificing themselves. For if they were to die, they would have it be in an effort to save their families. Sadly, even this was
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The orc horde (Part 6 – The siege)
The rivers going through Erendale had done nothing to slow the orcs. They had not even needed to deviate to the bridges to cross them. The rivers were after all not that deep nor that strong.As a result, all three gates had been assaulted with little difference in timing. Locking everyone inside the town with no way to escape. The orcs ramming the gates protected underneath their shield of fireproof logs.Jaune looked at the charging orcs with a slight smile, they had been truly bothered by the orcs’ patience thus far. The gates would not last long, they needed to thin the orcs on the walls before falling back to the keep. Sadly, the keep could not hold everyone. Some had to die here first, they could only retreat once it was clear that the walls were lost and after enough had died. It was terrible but it was their best bet. The attack had simply come too fast.Luckily, now it appeared that the orcs would indeed scale the walls, all thanks to Edvard. And to top it off he had taken ha
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The orc horde (Part 5 – Image of their god)
Edvard could feel that his body lacked the strength to fight on. Lacked the basic energy required for him to move. He had long since started running on fumes fuelled by his will, and even his mind was becoming foggy. As he was slipping on towards sleep, a welcomed sleep. The eternal sleep, Edvard’s mind flashed with his Yawen’s gentle smile. His body recalled her warm embrace. Her tender love. This flash of memories long past filled him with endless warmth and strength. It soared through him as he realized that she could very well be somewhere on this planet. He prayed that her situation was better, but if it was not. ‘I cannot allow that to happen!’ Edvard looked at the charging orc, his determination like fire. His will and bloodlust so strong that the orc paused for just a second, a second was enough. Edvard stood next to the orc, his sword dripping with blood. Taking a deep breath, he recalled this smell, he relished it. He suddenly recalled his last moments in that hell. ‘I s
