Open Chronicles A Different Plague

[Talus]

Souther Coast - Near Vel Cirak

Talus wrenched his sword free from the beasts stomach, brackish red blood coating the blade and splattering over the snowy white ground as the Werewolf tumbled onto the floor with a heavy thud.

It lay there twitching for a moment, then slowly shifted back into its human form. This one was a woman, tattoos on her face and crawling down the length of her shoulders. Talus didn't recognize her of course, but she had the looks of a wilder. Folk who lived on the edges of the Falwood and decided that the ways of Vel Cirak were simply too much. Vel Anir and it's client city mostly saw them as traitors.

The Apprentice glanced around for a moment, watching as two other apprentices finished off the same number werewolves while a handful of Guardsmen took care of a fourth.

This was only the latest attack in a string of a dozen like it.

No one could quite explain it, but it seemed that a plague of werewolves had descended upon the city of Vel Cirak and the surrounding lands. Attacks occurred weekly, if not more, and usually ended up with nearly everyone dead. That was why Talus was here. Vel Anir had sent an entire Batallion of Guardsmen to help protect the land, but aside from escorting the occasional supply Caravan and refugees from surrounding villages they were having trouble getting to the root of the problem.

Winter meant that sallying out from the walls of Vel Cirak was difficult, and the werewolves had a habit of never truly confronting the Anirian forces head on. Instead of standing and fighting the beasts would retreat into the nearby forest, lurking and waiting.

Truth was that the Anirian had absolutely no idea how many werewolves there actually were, nor why they were in the area. To Talus it all seemed…strange, almost set up in a way. He'd not voiced these concerns, but he couldn't help but think them. Lips thinned as he glanced down at the changed woman, his head slowly shaking. "Let's head to the city, take the bodies."

He called out to the others who nodded to him.

Vel Cirak was a minor fortress city. Smaller than Anir itself of course, but large enough to be home to several thousand people. It stood as a bulwark to the Falwood, though with this current plague of monsters it seemed fear gripped to the very walls.

 

[Erwin Geschwind]

“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.”
― Phil Collins ​

"If I knew we were going this far towards Vel Anir, I would have never signed up to begin with...." An archer grumbled to himself, looking upon the bleakness that made up the distance between the fortress city and the Falwoods.

"Why? Is it because of the werewolves?" A driver asked casually from where he sat. The two were currently in the middle of what looked to be a merchant convoy. The driver was obliviously driving the cart along, the archer in the back looking out for trouble.

"No...I mean, the werewolves don't exactly make this job any more appealing...but I was thinking more about the charming people that we are delivering these things to...." The archer snorted, scanning the horizons again, his longbow at the ready, an arrow ready to pierce any attacker.

"I suppose...but I suggest you keep an eye out for werewolves...it's why there's even so many of us..." The driver was referring to the convoy of mercenaries guarding the merchant convoy. Most of them seemed like your average rank-and-file mercenary, while others seemed a bit more like skilled, like they were specialists of sorts.

"Why are there even this many werewolves? I thought Anirians were puritan folk...militant, puritan folk at that...didn't think they'd let such things slide..." The archer wondered. It was rather a curious when he had heard of

"Your guess is as good as mine...but it's at least good for business...which is good for our coin pouches..." With the increase threat of werewolves mauling down supply and trade convoys, the price of imports and even some necessities in places like Vel Cirak went up. Which made it lucrative for anyone whom was brave enough to make the venture, if they managed to make it onto the other side alive. "...are you even looking out for danger?"

"Of course I am, you got nothing to worry about..." The archer, Erwin, simply snorted, before his gaze landed on his companion next to the cart. "...if I don't spot it first, Ace here will smell them coming..."

 

[Ace]

Ace looked at his friend, letting his tongue out in a sign of happiness. It was always a good day when traveling with Erwin, it was always a joy to be able to sniff at the random stuff he never got a chance to sniff back home.

But even so, the two were on the clock. If there was anything the canine had learned over his time with Erwin, it was that when they were on the clock, they got to be on point.

As Erwin looked away again(presumably to speak with the driver), Ace looked back away from the road, at the various plains and foliage that made up the landscape. Ace was as much as a integral part for this particular convoy, as he was effectively an early warning system for any impending werewolf attack. The more of them that came on, the more likely that Ace was going to smell or hear them. Werewolves had a distinct smell, usually a mix between human and wolf. It was what Ace was smelling for, somthing different from either the convoy or even the natural background, as he brought his nose to the air...

 

[Talus]

As Talus and the other trudged back towards the main road he caught sight of what appeared to be a caravan slowly winding their way down the raked dirt and half broken cobbles.

The city was not too far now, just a mile or so. The Walls could already be seen in the distance, but the forest was still lurking on either side and it was best to travel in numbers. He waved to the others, and the seven of them quickly set out to meet the Caravan.

By the time they came close Talus raised and arm and wave. "Ho there!"

He called as loudly as he could, brandishing the mark on his chest.

Most Anirians would recognize it instantly. It was the symbol of all Dreadlords, the fortress City of Vel Anir emblazoned with the Academy itself. Easy enough for people to recognize, and something that could not be mistaken.

The hope was someone would see it and decide not to put an arrow through them as they approached.

Nowadays people were rather paranoid around these parts.

Erwin Geschwind

 

[Ademar Acero]

He was enthused to hear that he and a few other Dreadlord apprentices were selected to investigate and act as reinforcements to the tribute city of Vel Anir, Vel Cirak, was facing. A plague of werewolves posed as a situation that needed to be immediately removed or at least humbled in lower numbers for them to give the fortress city some peace. Traders from caravans and traveling refugees were in need of trained warriors to escort them through these unwelcome woods.

So far they could not find any concrete theoretical answer to this problem. They had faced many attacks from different squads of werewolves making them seem like an endless horde; they had probably breed too much to have an army to become a threat for Vel Cirak.

A shame, but at least Ademar would be able to have a good amount of time of killing these fiends. Maybe they’d be good for a coat.

They had finished off another group of werewolves they encountered and were heading back for Vel Cirak. The walls could be seen, just a few more hundred meters to reach its gates. Then a caravan appeared in sight and the group seemed to abandon its destination and drew towards the caravan. A fellow apprentice, Talus, went forth to speak with the traders.

Perhaps another escort to carry out? Wonderful.

 

[Ace]

Nose to the air, it was the smell of...humans! Other humans that is, and magically adept ones at that! They're smell were extremely potent, magic was in the air and flowing through the wind. Another sniff would reveal the stench of blood on their bodies.

"Oi! Anirian patrol!" One of the guards from up ahead called out, he must of spotted their crest or uniform. The cry of the patrol seemed to bring momentary ease to the trading convoy. Regardless, Ace remained uneasy...

The winds began to pick up again, swaying the trees back and forth...wait, what was that smell? Nose to the air one more time, Ace was picking up a rather different smell...it was that mixture...part human, part wolf...definitely stood out...and it was growing stronger!...

Quickly turning in the direction of the wind, the canine was looking towards the woods next to the woods...bearing his sharp teeth, and starting a low growl...

 

[Erwin Geschwind]

"Woah...menacing..." Erwin mused, as he watched the patrol approached. Most of them seemed like the consisted of an actual patrol, though some of them were a bit more posh then the rest...especially the one holding up what looked to be a badge.

"They better be...'bout time we got some bloody help on this trip..." The driver grunted, as he urged the horses forward. Even given their appearance, they were still armed people who'd probably help out if things got hariy...after all, they were also carrying supplies along with...other, goods...

Things might have been a quiet trip, but unfortunately, Erwin heard Ace starting to bark.

Looking over the cart, Erwin saw Ace barking at a certain direction away from the main path, rapidly shifting his nose slightly in the various directions. Didn't take Erwin long to figure out what was going on; somthing was moving and somthing was moving quickly towards them, and there were more then one. It might have not been as alarming, had Ace stayed where he was, but the canine would abruptly turn and run to the opposite side of the road and begin barking in that direction.

Erwin's heart sank. This was a pincer maneuver, they were trying to hit the convoy from both sides.

"Incoming! Incoming!" Erwin began shouting his revelation, call towards the front and back of the convoy. "They approach from rear! Both sides!"

What little relief that the walls of the fortress and the patrol had granted those of the convoy seemed to immediately vanish, as a tense atmosphere engulfed the mercenaries, as blades were drawn and polearms lowered.

"What! They' wouldn't attack this close to the city!" The driver yelled from the front of the cart, bewlidered at what Erwin had just shouted, just as a ranger on the cart in front began to mount what looked to be a repeater crossbow.

"I don't even..." Erwin began, relaxing the tension of his bow strings, as he narrowed his eyes...only to catch a glimpse of dark black fur moving in the distance.

"....that's definitely....Warewolves! Approaching fast!" Erwin yelled, grasping the arrow with his bow hand, before hastily grabbing the hunting horn from his belt.

"Moving defense! Get to the city!" Someone yelled out, as guards had their weapons pointed towards the forests and the drivers began to curse their beasts of burden forward. The echos of the command was soon drowned out by the loud blare of the hunting horn, signaling to both the patrol and the fortress city that they were under attack...

 

[Talus]

"Ademar!" Talus called out to the other Apprentice as he signaled back towards the wood.

He had not noticed it until the call went up from the caravan, not until the horn had sounded, but the moment Talus looked back he could see them. There were dozens upon dozens of black beady eyes within the undergrowth.

They sat there unmoving, watching, the light of dusk reflecting upon them.

Talus drew his sword in an instant, the blade ringing as he and the others fell into step to quickly catch up with the moving caravan. The horn sounded loud again, twice, signalling an attack from both sides and trying to catch the attention of the city.

"Get to the Caravan!" Talus called. "Go!"

Just as he spoke the wolves broke from the trees.

There were dozens of them, perhaps hundreds. All of them twisted and broken human shapes, some running on all fours, others leaping just on two legs. They closed the distance in the field far faster than any man could, their mouths opening in a raucous song of howls.

 

[Ademar Acero]

Why was Talus frightened in that tone of voice when he called for him? It only took a few seconds to figure that when his fellow apprentice pointed him what was behind him and the loud blare of the horn. Turning his head and he saw a horde of those foul werewolves, just standing there with their jaws moving in a frenzy, maybe savoring the smell of meat before them.

And to make matters worse, there was another company of them on the other side of the forests.

Any smile or content feelings inside him washed away, replacing it with panic and caution. Ademar was a man who enjoyed combat in general, finding pleasure in the profession he trained for and was most know for his dauntless nature in battle, even at desperate times. But these were not men, there were monsters and he had heard the tales surrounding them, and what troubled him was the disease these half breeds carried that could transmit to another sane human in just a bite or a minor scratch.

“Ah, shit.”

The werewolves then broke off in their filed ranks and charged at the caravan. The Dreadlord Apprentice carried only two spears and a mace on his back, but before he raced for the caravan he threw one of his spears like a javelin at the horde of werewolves. The threw found its hit as it impaled a werewolf in its shoulder.

“Get in ranks! Form a circle!”

Unless Talus had another tactic better than that it was all Ademar could think of as he rejoined the group. Moving wouldn’t do any good, the werewolves would get to them before they could escape the woods.

“Mercy kill you if you get bitten I assume?” the short comment meant for Talus in a serious voice that matched the battle coming to them.

 

[Erwin Geschwind]

The caravan consisted of seven wagons and a dozen or so armed guards trailing about on either side of the road. The manifest of the cargo consisted of luxury goods and actual food supplies intended for the city. The first three wagons were consisted on luxury goods; furniture, weapons, potions and what not. The remaining three four were piled high with food and medicine that the city was in need of.

Erwin was stationed on the third wagon, as one of the members of the cavern tasked as lookout. Clipping his hunting horn back to his belt, he grasped onto the fletching and drew it along his bow. He was not the only one to do so, as lookouts and rangers mounted on each of the carts proceeded to do the same.

Something was off here, and it wasn't just a gut feeling. The werewolves were not coming from the trees in a uniformed manner, they're concentration was gathered towards the rear of the caravan...

The moment the first werewolf was visible to them, a flurry of arrows and bolts flew towards the trees, as archers and repeater crossbows unloaded into the woods. The first volley made contact, some missed, others found their mark. Erwin himself had drawn his bow to it's full extent, taking aim right above a set of furry little ears, before releasing. The arrow flew fast and true, impaling itself in the head a werewolf. Any sense of accomplishment from the act was immediately over shadow by two more werewolves that leaped over the corpse...but these were...bigger...then even what the dread lords had fought. A measly arrow or two was not going to bring these beasts down...and there were a lot of them...

Another volley went out into the woods, dropping more of the smaller ones, as the repeater crossbows maintained a steady rate of fire upon the horde. Yet this did little to stem the onslaught, as the first line of werewolves leaped out of the forests.

What formation the mercenaries took was little help against the onslaught of werewolves, as the beasts barreled through the thin line of warriors, smashing their way towards the cart. The last two carts stood no chance, as they were consumed by the tide of beasts. Men and women being ripped apart at the seams while horses were immediately dragged down and the carts themselves were quickly overturned, their contents scattering all over the ground as werewolves gnawed through the bags.

The two carts after the last fared better, as the guards were able to momentarily halt the wave, as blades were trusted into the beasts and their formation kept the monsters from closing. The keener eye would have noticed that there were less werewolves concentrated at these two carts then they were concentrated towards the last two. But these carts wouldn't last long as more werewolves poured out of the foliage, surging the horde forward and pushing the line back, as each mercenary lost was another sap on strength of the defense.

This was bad, but...this was also very bizarre...the werewolves were not attack the frontal half of the cavern...as the three carts quickly began to put distance between them and the rest of the caravan. The only exception to this were a number of the smaller werewolves breaking off from the horde to chase after remaining carts, with a only a few of the bigger ones following.

Erwin grimaced at the sight of the carnage, but his mind was more content on the beasts that were content in pursuing. They were few compared to the horde behind them, but enough to be a nuisance...as Erwin took a knew...and pulled back his bow string once more....

 

[Ace]

Feral people and blood, it was starting to congest the air all around them, as the draft began pushing the smell up the road. To add to the melancholy after the situations were the screams of both the mercenaries and the horses, people that not to long ago had been so nice and friendly and scratching his ear. But Ace had learned a long time ago that a good boy had to focus on the mission and keeping his closest companion alive. That was all that really mattered at the end of the day...having someone close by...made it all worth it...

Ace would follow closely with the third cart, running alongside the cart with the other mercenaries as Erwin began to unload arrows towards the chasing, feral people. The canine could spare a glance back at the chaos behind...they were still a good chunk of road between them and the patrol, so they were far from safe...

As if to prove that point, one of the smaller werewolves lept forward at one of the guards, having rapidly broken away from the rest of the pursing pack. The beast might have even landed his target, had the blur that was Ace didn't turn around to tackle it.

It was quite the sight to see, beast against beast. The canine had been aiming for the neck, sinking his fangs into the werewolve's neck. Had this been any other canine, the hide might have been too thick to pierce. But this was Ace, as his razor sharp teeth anchored itself into the beast's neck, causing it to scream out in pain. Ace was then able to bring the feral being downwards, tearing a chunk out of it's neck before falling onto his feet.

The beast recoiled in pain, bleeding from the neck. Any other dog might have ran, but Ace simply spat out the monster's chunks and flashed his fangs again. A low growl came flying out of he canine's throat, a sound that would have intimidated any being, scaring even the feral person in front of him to back off.

The next secound later, an arrow buried itself into the feral person's neck, instantly killing the beast.

Ace didn't need to turn around to see who it was, he knew his companion had him covered...as the canine turned and began sprinting to catch up with the cart...more feral people not far behind...

 

[Talus]

Talus' blade swept at a high arch, severing the head of one of the larger werewolves and sending the creature clattering to the ground.

The Knights and even some of the Caravan Guard had managed to form into a tight circle, protecting and shielding one another against the onslaught of wolves that came at them. He could barely see the caravans over the mass off furred bodies, most of them tearing at civilians and whatever else they could.

He had barely heard Ademar's question as the wolves burst upon them, not even having enough time to answer it as a black snouted wolf had bitten towards his throat.

His blade swept low, cutting through the haunches of another creature. "I'll take care of it myself."

Talus boasted to the other apprentice as his sword came up just in time to bar the teeth of another of the wolves. His leg came up, kicking the creature away as his other hand grasped at his throat and then suddenly twisted.

His head swept back, glancing at the Caravan and Erwin Geschwind.

"To the back!" Talus shouted. "Leave the wagons! Protect the people."

 

[Romeo Sin]

Jobs came in different colors and forms for Romeo, his last big job had been a choke up. Lots of death, and fighting someone else's war. Wasn't really his style, but currency was always needed. He ended up ducking out of the battle, taking some loot from the dead, making a few coins on it. This time, however, a local town had asked for his assistance in the hunting of beasts. Something he was more than okay with doing. So far he had begun his hunt today.

Snow crunched under his boots as Romeo made his way further from the city, the main road taking him deeper out. But it wasn't long before he would see the action. He cursed under his breath as the fog of it rose in the air. He hated the cold, so it was time to warm up.

Unsheathing his spear from his back, the iron head was long and rounded, while also on his back was a sword. The spear was more so replaceable, just simple wood with iron attached to the end. The sword, however, had become something he was quite fond of.

This caravan that Romeo saw was being surrounded, a dog, archer, a man in armor, and another man all defending the people, leaving the wagons behind. Generally speaking, Romeo's job was hunting wolves, not protecting people, question was how much of an arse did he feel like being today.

Talus Ace Erwin Geschwind Ademar Acero

 

[Erwin Geschwind]

Erwin really did hope the young man was joking...or was mad...or was perhaps both...because it'd make more sense then what he just screamed. To the back? Did he not see the mass of werewolves tearing apart the latter half of the trade caravan. Was this how people in Vel Anir to;d other people to go fu-

Ooooh, maybe he meant behind him...well, perhaps he could have worded it better. Maybe somthing like "Get to the city!" or even "Come closer!" ...

Frankly, this was the only thing that Erwin could think about, kept his mind from thinking too much about the screaming in the distance...as he loosed another arrow at the pursuing werewolves. This might have been the worse case scenario, being ambushed, losing more then half their cargo....

"Are you crazy!" Erwin could hear someone yelling from the front of the convoy, the mercenary captain that had been leading this sorry lot of a trade caravan. Were someone to look, they'd see his figure standing upon the first wagon, fists in the air. "We came all this way and you expect us to leave our goods!? How the hell do you expect us to get paid!?"

Way to make all mercenaries sound like money hungry jerks, way to push a stereotype. Even so, the captain wasn't all wrong; the people were not paying their tab. The trade caravan had come a long way from the Anirian border and they had been so close to their destination, to give up everything would have made this entire journey all pointless. Whoever this young lad was, his authority at the moment did not outweigh the prospect of gold, so the wagons continued to rumble towards the fortress.

As much as Erwin would have loved to follow suit after the armored lad, he would have gotten an earful from the mercenary captain about abandoning his post...plus a pay-cut, if there was any money left from this.

Although, only he was really attached to the post...

"*Whistle*" Erwin let out a high pitched whistle as the cart continued forward, catching the attention of his companion, before pointing at Talus. "Ace, go! Support them!"

 

[Ace]

Ace's ears perked up when he heard the pitch whistling, having been sprinting along the cart this entire time.It was one of their many signals that Erwin and Ace shared, this particular one was to get the canine's attention.

Looking up, he saw Erwin pointing at the magically saturated armored man that had rushed by, yelling about supporting him. Ace gave an affirmative nod, before quickly turning about and sprinted full force after Talus.

It didn't take long for Ace to overtake the armored fellow on all fours, as arrows whistled past his head. Safe in the knowledge that his companion was on overwatch, Ace rushed past Talus, before leaping upwards. His trajectory was another werewolf, as the canine tackled into the feral person at full force. This knocked back the werewolf long enough for the canine to began tearing into it's hide, biting and snarling, effectively ripping out the feral person's throat...

When Ace was sure this feral human was slowly starting to cease it's movements, he looked up baring his blood soaked fangs...looking for his next target...or looking out for his next ally...

 

[Ademar Acero]

Casualties were inevitable in any scenario of combat. The wagons at the very rear were not shed an ounce of fortune as the werewolves tear through the ranks of the guards, overwhelming their defense and eventually feasting on the helpless civilians part of the wagons. The combined forces of the warriors, despite their allegiances, were enough to fend off the wave of monsters for three wagons to survive and continue off without hesitation. The only way those carts would pick up more speed is if they abandoned most of the luxuries they carried. As he understood from Talus’ commands, the people were more important than gold.

But that didn’t suit the mercenaries as their captain protested this command, caring for their payment from this job.

To Ademar this was a sign of disrespect to his fellow apprentice and wouldn’t tolerate some desperate mercenaries to question his orders. The hulking figure of the Dreadlord broke off from the ranks, feeling magic being soared into his hand, and then, closing the distance towards the captain that didn’t seem to notice, he swung with the back of his fiat towards the side of the mercenaries head with a gauntlet hand and multiplied the boasted power he focused on his hand. Enough to send the man flying from his feet and knocked unconscious, not too far away from the group if his men wished to retrieve his unconscious body.

“Leave the damn goods and protect the people!” he roared at the mercenaries while thrusting his spear into a werewolf’s throat. This was to, in a way, assert his dominance over the mercenaries and obey the orders of the Anirians. They could try to challenge Ademar, but his skills and physical enhancing magic would overcome whatever iron blade that was meant for him. Maybe he could’ve been diplomatic, but actions always spoke louder than words. Fitting for a brute like him.

 

[ZafiraJade]

Don't get involved. Don't get involved. Don't get involved.

Zafira was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. The people around her were shoving her roughly, trying to get away from the werewolves while a few men stabbed at them, keeping them away from everyone else. She heard a man, a commander of sorts, tell mercenaries to protect the people.

Zafira swallowed hard, feeling the magic pull at the front of her fingertips. She pulled the dark cloak around her body tighter, aware of the herbs and plants she'd collected in her basket.

Damn it, she was going to get involved. Zafira dropped the basket quickly, mind screaming at her of a day's waste of searching for herbs and the like, but Zafira ignored it. There was a werewolf coming behind the commander looking man, one he didn't seem to notice.

Zafira's green eyes morphed into a bright brandy color as her hands moved up, taking some energy from the werewolf and turning it to attack the beast itself. The sick-looking werewolf fell back, whimpering yet still snarling. Zafira's hands curled into a fist, and she watched as the werewolf's eyes bulged, clawing at his throat before he stopped moving entirely.

Zafira pushed herself up against a caravan, back against the people. If she had the power to help, why wouldn't she?

She could hear her close friend, Marissa's voice, yelling at her in her head. Reckless girl.

 

[Talus]

In the chaos of battle Talus hardly had time to register anything at all.

He did not see Ademar strike the mercenary captain, nor did he hear the man shout at him in disobedience. He did not see the Witch coming to their aid, nor did he even notice the archer firing an arrow. All he saw was the dog, or at least the aftermath of what it had done.

As Talus ripped his sword free of yet another beast he turned, spotting the Hound with its teeth sunk into the throat of one of the wolves. His eyes opened in shock, head shaking for a second as he tried to look around to see what was happening.

A horn sounded within the wood as he stood there.

In the oddest twist of fate the Wolves that had been nearly overrunning them suddenly turned. They swept away, their tide pulling them back towards the forest. Confusion washed over the young Apprentice, his gaze have faltering as he watched the beasts retreat when they had been on the cusp of victory.

He looked around, then realized the reason why.

Half the Caravan was gone.

The wagons were still there the goods mostly untouched, but as the Mercenary Captain had refused go protect them, more than half the people had been taken. Women, men, even children. As Talus looked out he could see them. Some were slung over shoulders of bipedal wolves, others simply dragged. All of them were injured, yet alive.

Realization dawned on Talus. The wolves did not come for the caravan, they did not come for supplies or things. They had come for the people. "Shit."

The Apprentice said as he leaned himself against the back of a wagon.

 

[Romeo Sin]

A horn sounded off a blast, it seemed to bounce off the trees, echoing off to the distance. Romeo could see the beasts turning away, leaving the survivors be, and dragging the ones they could grasp away. It was quite interesting indeed, but Romeo had no time for the caravan as he was making his way up to the wagons. Someone new had popped into the scene as well, a witch?

Romeo had opted that the caravan was not as important as the hunt, and so he decided to move forward and leave the survivors as is.

"Tough luck." Romeo spoke softly as he moved past Talus and the few survivors towards the woods.

Granted the archer, Erwin Geschwind would have been nice to have on his side, though he suspected after his treason he would be useless. The dog Ace would have been helpful too. Either way, Romeo was about to set off on his own, to find where ever the beasts had taken their living loot.

ZafiraJade Ademar Acero

 

[ZafiraJade]

Zafira was about to pick on another werewolf, her magic already eclipsing on another's throat when she heard the sound of a horn. Everyone around her froze, and she noticed the werewolf start to back away. Quickly, she dropped her hold on him, and he backed away along with everyone else. Her eyes followed the werewolves to see people between their jaws.

Zafira's heart lurched and she placed her hold on the closest looking werewolf, which was still a good distance away, and ran towards him. She heard him howl around the child and with a soft yell, forced the werewolf to unclamp his jaw. The child, a young boy who looked to be about eight didn't respond, plopping onto the floor with a sickening noise.

Eyes flashing, Zafira twisted her hand roughly, killing the werewolf instantly. She wasn't the type to take unnecessary lives, but this beast...

She didn't finish her thought, leaning towards the child.

His face was muddy and bruised, blonde hair matted with blood and dirt. She put her ear by his chest, listening for a heartbeat. Finding a soft one, she let out an exhale of relief. Burrowing from her own energy, Zafira blended any physical wound, stitching up deep cuts, and speeding the healing process for bruises. She reached for her cloak and pulled out a strengthening potion she had picked up in a haste the day before. She tipped the liquid into the child's mouth.

In moments, the child was up, sputtering and coughing roughly.

"Thank god," she whispered, rubbing the boy's back while he steadied himself. She looked back towards where the werewolves retreated and felt bile rise in her throat. So many people gone.

 

[Erwin Geschwind]

The wagon didn't even slow down the big man punching the captain off the cart, although some of the guard's running alongside the carts ran to the captain's side to make sure he was alright. He was the one who would distribute the pay, after all. Maybe it had been fear that were driving forward the remaining three wagons, for whatever the big man did, he was at least one...there was the threat of many more behind them...and the safety of the fortress walls...

Erwin might have been the only one of the group still actively looking back, watching as the werewolf threat pulled back...just as the rolling carts neared the towering gates of the fortress city. Something about it was rather...familiar, in sense....

Instead of staying along for the ride into the city, Erwin turned to the driver, whom now had out his sword. "I think we're in the clear...if they pass out the pay, hold mine for me, will ya?"

Before the driver even had a moment to answer, Erwin had leaped off the back of the cart and began jogging towards the aftermath. There was somthing about how they moved that seemed familiar...the statement lingered in the huntsman's mind, even as he moved past a couple of dead werewolves with arrows sticking out of him.

Not before long, he was at the side of Talus, now also looking over at the wreckage. The archer's eyes were drifting between corpses to corpses...some had missing limbs...while others had been mutilated beyond recognition...until his eyes landed a women, who seemed to be treating one of the boys...

It was not the first time that Erwin had seen blood, but it had been a long time since he seen a massacre like this. It was these things that weighed on Erwin's conscious heavily, the loss of life...never an easy thing to do...but they really could have done so much...

They were not paid to guard these civilians...that was what the Anirian military was suppose to do...

When the cavern had entered Vel Anir proper, they had been nothing but armed mercenaries tasked with protecting supplies. Half way through their journey, they had picked up straggling refugees from nearby villages, trying to tag along the supply convoy for safety. Erwin remembered the captain yelling to their desperation "Go home! It's not safe! We can't protect you! Wait for the Anirian proper!". It might have been harsh, but he was right; they really couldn't protect them, they barely held onto the cargo.

So that was what was off, the cargo...

While everyone was looking at the werewolves, Erwin was starring at the overturned carts. The supplies were far from untouched, if anything, they were the first target of the initial assault. Nearly all the carts caught in insuring carnage had broken down or over turned, the food had been torn apart and was scattered all over the place...medical supplies had been either broken open or torn to shreds...the oozing liquids of potions and other substances began to ooze into the scattered food. The food would spoil within an hour, if not sooner. Yet the first three carts remained untouched...carts filled with nothing more then luxury goods some noble or another had paid a huge mark up to be shipped in...the ambush hadn't been about taking the people...that was just a matter of convince...

"Well...there certainly crafty bunch of buggers...I'll give 'em that much...once month's worth of supplies down the shitters......it's almost textbook" Chuckling perhaps was the last thing he should of done, but it was only thing that the archer could think to do. It was a rather bitter chuckle, of realization that came too late. Why didn't he realize this sooner?...Erwin thought, as he glanced to the armored fellow next to him. "...I thought you people had a werewolf infestation...but god's be damned, I was wrong; you guys are under boodly siege!"

 

[Ace]

Ace was sniffing through the what remained after the fight, sniffing through the bodies to see who was still alive. A lot of people had died, which made Ace sad. So many of them had been so nice to him, and there were gone. Even so...maybe some of them were alive...it was always the first protocol after a battle, sniff through quickly to gather the wounded before they bled out...at least that was how things were done back home.

After sniffing through another body, he heard the voice of a female. Looking up, he saw her helping up a boy. Ace remembered him! He was the boy that Erwin had given a bit of his food to! And he gave such a nice ear rub.

Trotting up to the boy, he made his presence known with a small whimper, startling the boy until he looked down. Seeing Ace was almost a relief, as the canine brushed himself against the boy, almost like he was trying to give the boy a huge. The boy, with shaky hands, brought his hand onto his head and began to pat Ace...his strokes becoming steadier...as did his breathing.

It was always somthing that Ace enjoyed, being petted...and he knew that most people found some comfort in it after a battle. Combat were never easy things to get through...it was always so much loss, all the unique scents...just drifting away with the wind...the only comfort to be found was with who was left...

As the boy looked away, so did Ace. He still needed to look for survivors.

Nose to the ground once more, he began sniffing...moving away from the women and the boy...before, what's this? The canine heard movement...and a groan...wait, he was picking up somthing...

Moving quicker, Ace began to follow the warm scent, trying hard to distinguish it from the other bodies becoming colder by the moment.

It was one of the caravan guards, and she was still breathing, but she didn't look good; her armor hadn't done enough to protect her, as she had gashes all over her body and one of her limbs were...gone......but she was breathing...there was hope yet...

Had this been back home, it would be the strecther-bearer or surgeons that Ace would call for, but here...the only person close by was the women and the boy...staring off after the werewolves.

"*WOOF*" Ace let out a loud bark, before barking again...and again...and again...until he got the women's attention, progressively getting louder on the subsequent barks. Had any of them look at the canine, they would then see the dog look back, nose pointed at the wounded women...before turning his head exactingly back at them...
ZafiraJade

 

[ZafiraJade]

"M-my ma?" She heard the boy sputter out. Zafira felt her heart drop. The likelihood of his mother being dragged off by one of the werewolves was high. Still, despite Zafira's usual realistic attitude, she held onto the hope that his mother was somewhere close.

A canine trotted over to the pair and before the boy could get too hysterical, she saw him calm the young boy down. Slowly, Zafira let her hand rub against the canine's ear, grinning when she saw it wag its tail. She turned her attention the the subdued boy, asking him of his name, age, and the like as the dog went away.

It was two minutes into her conversation with the boy that she heard the dog bark loudly. She snapped her attention towards him to see a spangled looking person next to him. Zafira's eyes widened. "Why don't you make your way to the caravan, darling, okay?" She said soothingly to the boy, running her hand against his arm before urging him to the caravan's direction.

Zafira scrambled up to see a woman, her face battered worse than the boy, a limb completely shorn off by a set of teeth, and bruises lining the areas the armour wasn't covering. Muttering a very unlady like curse, Zafira pulled off the armour to assess the damage.

The woman was barely breathing. Still, Zafira sat by her, forcing her breath to steady. Healing her would require a lot of strength and because there was no one else who seemed to have any she could burrow from, she'd have to use her own.

Stilling her breath and forcing herself into a state of meditation, Zafira looked for the woman's life thread in her mind. Finding it, weak but still, there, she strengthened it. Unconsciously, one hand went up the woman's chest, aiding in beating her heart. A fresh bout of blood pooled in the woman's chest as Zafira mended cracked ribs and internal injuries.

Zafira was about to faint.

She stopped her healing, biting her lip roughly to steady the world that seemed to be spinning. Beating someone else's heart, and fixing all the blood spurting from different areas would obviously take a toll. It took an even larger one when Zafira realized that she'd used her own energy to heal the boy to perfection as well.

Tearing a scrap of the woman's cloth, Zafira tied it to the portion of the leg that was missing. It would stop the infection, but the woman needed to be set in an infirmary.

"Dama," she murmured, grabbing a stick and using it to hoist herself up. She needed to go home or needed one of those strengthening options she had home. She'd given the last of it to the boy. Vaguely, she was aware of the canine by her feet. She offered him a tired smile, scratching the back of his ear. "Good boy,"

 

[Talus]

Talus glanced at the mercenary Archer that had made his way back over towards where he was standing. The Apprentice gave him a once over, glancing at the carts behind him before he slowly nodded in agreement with the mans assessment.

The supplies were utterly destroyed, and any losses that the Werewolves had taken in doing so would be replenished by the men and women that they had taken.

This was a siege.

No doubt sat in his mind about that thought, in fact he was so sure of it that he would have sworn it on his own life. The Werewolves were using strategy. The beasts could not hope to use siege weapons or anything of the like.Their hope was to starve out the city, bring it to it's knees so that they could...do what? Take it? Create a city of werewolves?

That seemed about as likely as a man walking through the air. "There's something going on here."

It was stating the obvious, but Talus felt the need to actually say it out loud.

"Something they didn't even tell us abou-" He was addressing Ademar when the sound of barking suddenly dragged his attention. He spotted the hound that had saved him earlier standing in a field besides a woman.

The man who had spoken to him briefly before heading towards the forest was ahead of her. A frown touched his lips, and he motioned for Ademar to fall into step behind him.

"Let's see what that is." He told the other Dreadlord. "Then get to the city."

They needed more men.

 

[Ace]

When the lady got to where Ace stood, the beast leapt to the side to give her space to work. The canine was only too grateful to have someone around who did the whole healing thing. He'd use his nose to sniff out the wounded, the people went around tending to them as needed. Neat and efficient that saved a lot of time and a lot of lives.

Turning away as the women worked, his nose was back to the ground, searching through the wreck of bodies that now constituted the road. Twice the canine thought he caught the scent of someone alive, twice when he arrived at still bodies, their warmth rapidly leaving their bodies.

On the third body he found, it began to frustrate him, as he bared his teeth and growled in fustration.

More moments would pass as Ace continued to comb through the bodies...minutes more before the canine realized that there was no one left alive; a sad thought that lingered...a thought that caused Ace to raise his snout into the air, letting out a sad wail for all those to hear.

When the canine was eventually done wailing, he sulked back to wear the women was. She was attempting to get up, and upon seeing this rushed to her side, lowering his head under a hand to help support her.

When she stood once more, Ace took a seat at her side, looking up to her as she began scratching his sweet spot.

At least someone was alive...and she gave great ear scratches! Ace decided that he liked this human lady....