Open Chronicles We held the line

[Saul Talith]

The Watch Commander proved to be surprisingly receptive to nearly everything Saul had to say. Perhaps it was the looming sense of dread that was probably filling his gut, or maybe he was just smart.

Every suggestion Saul made was taken with a nod and a thoughtful look, then a slow acceptance that perhaps it would be the best move. Of course the Lord Captain didn't take over completely, simply offering words of advice before he finally finished with. "Where are the walls weakest? You need to funnel the Horde there so if it breaks there's a funneling point."

For a moment the watch Commander didn't say anything, then nodded.

"Funny, one of my boys suggested the same thing."

Saul perked an eyebrow, wondering why the Commander hadn't already followed through then. His response was a simple shrug.

A part of the Lord Captain wanted to scream. This situation was hardly ideal to begin with, and the Town Watch was woefully unprepared to handle this sort of thing. Still, he supposed that it was better than nothing. With a shake of his head Saul motioned towards a few sections of the wall.

His own Templar would spread out among the normal men, small bulwark who would be able to take charge of the militia in those areas. In the meantime, before the horde arrived Saul suggested the placing of spikes and the use of hot tar traps near the gates. They were small suggestions, and against a full Horde would do little but a thousand ghouls?

It might help. "Lastly, I need that watch tower."[color]

Saul said as he pointed towards a large disheveled tower right by the gate.

It would be perfect for the Black Templar.

 

[Fraeya]

Fraeya ignored the disgruntled noises of the gate guard as she straddled the top. Pointed ears picked up someone Raigryn Vayd complaining about knees in the crowd behind her. She heard Saul Talith's voice too. Something about templars. Black, white, red, silver.

The trade lingo was clearly lost on the elf.

A frown drew on her lips as her eyes cast to the horizon. Dust kicked up. The trees were moving from something massive coming. The undead hordes were already closer than she thought.

A whinnying horse neighed from the barn just outside the gate. Not too far away from that moving treeline.

"Shit," she swore and then let herself drop down to the desolate and unprotected side. A little bit of magic left her fingertips toward the trapped animals that could sense danger coming.

Calm. Calm. I'm coming.

With light-footed feet, the girl sprinted across the open ground to that barn.

 

[Gunnolf Odinson]

When no one answered Gunnolf's question about the drink, he began to get a little agitated. However, the liquid comfort that he had already consumed the night before kept him from getting too terribly angry, besides, the situation laid out before him was much more interesting than the burning kiss of the drink. The big man shouldered his way into the group so that he could get a better foothold on the situation. His curiosity had been peaked, and he was dying to know what events had transpired here to lead to the corpses death.

Gunnolf watched as the drunken halfling proposed a hand to the half-elven woman, and he couldn't help but let out yet another loud laugh. His chuckling was quickly shut down, however, when the corpse that had been lying on the floor suddenly stood up and rushed the barkeep, before sinking it's teeth into the poor mans shoulder. Gunnolf was surprised to see that the human woman, who was almost as large as he himself, rushed the corpse and tackled it to the ground, careful to avoid its chomping teeth that were desperately trying to get a bite of her as well. She yelled at the group, asking what to do, and Gunnolf was about to take action when the half-elf drew her crossbow, readied a well aimed bolt, and laid the previously dead creature to rest once more. After this had all played out, the mysterious woman dressed in fine clothes decided to speak. She informed the group that what they had just witnessed was a member of the undead, but Gunnolf knew this much already. The pirate had seen and learned much on his many voyages across the waters, and the idea of the undead was nothing new to him. The woman then proceeded to pull out a silver flask, and stated that it was holy water, and that it could be used to kill the beasts just by adding it to regular tap water. This bit was new to Gunnolf, and he doubted how well it would truly work, but he held his tongue and didn't voice his concerns, for the woman seemed confident enough. The mysterious woman left the bar shortly after, laughing in a way that sent chills down Gunnolf's spine as she went. He wouldn't dare admit, but he was glad that she left, for she secretly gave him the creeps.

When the woman was gone, the pirate turned his attention to the barkeep that had been bitten. He knew that the undead spread their madness through way of biting, and he felt obligated to warn the group of what was sure to come next. So, Gunnolf walked over to the poor barkeep, and made sure that everyone heard what he was about to say. "Excuse me friend," the pirate started, "but I'm afraid that bite of yours raises some concern. You see, I know a little about the undead, and I'm afraid that the injury you now have is how the undead meat bags turn poor saps like yourself, into mindless beasts like them." Gunnolf let a drunken hiccup escape from his lips before continuing with the rest of what he had to say. The pirate turned to the rest of the group and loudly stated, "That means that for the rest of us, letting this man stay in our company puts the rest of us at risk! Now, I hate to be the one to say it, as barkeeps are personally my best friends, but we are gonna have to do something about his presence here, unless we all want to risk suffering the same fate!" When he had finished his statement, Gunnolf gripped his battle axe tightly and observed the group, waiting to see if any of them would prove brave enough to accept what had to be done....

 

[Cadger]

Breathing hard, the elf was in a manic defense routine. They were nearly constantly by his side now. Cadger now realized that the undead acted much like a flood, little by little they began to trickle in around him only to steadily surround him. Their moans were constant, their smell was acrid, their hunger was endless.

As he ran towards the town he swore he could see lights in the distance. Each time he thought he glimpsed salvation a ghoul would charge at him howling in sinful glee. The elf would nimbly let fly another arrow, felling the beast and letting Cadger move one just a few steps closer. But for each one that fell another would take its place. Although a Cadger’s legs grew tired, the swarm of zombies had no need for rest.

Another ghoul noticed Cadger’s latest execution and twitched to ramble on towards the sand elf. Cadger cursed under his breath as he notched another arrow. He still tried to hustle towards the village but reluctantly turned his attention to the monster before taking aim and letting loose another arrow. His shot missed this time, he was getting exhausted. His defensive circle had been growing smaller and he no longer had time to take a follow up shot.

Reaching for his belt he pulled out a dagger and reversed his course to plunge the dagger into the head of the latest ghoul. The wretched thing gurgled in protest as the blade sunk in just beside its’ nose. Cadger hardly waited to see the monster go limp before pulling his blade out. He hardly had time to inspect his handy work as he turned to keep heading towards the settlement. He didn’t even clean the blade as he returned it to its’ sheath. Pulling another arrow from his quiver he notched it just in time to notice a new pursuer coming for him. It was an endless cycle.

Just as he contemplated what his final moves should be he noticed the trees begin to thin. The vision beyond the trees was buildings and a wall of stone, the settlement! His spirit soared at the revelation but he had little means to celebrate beyond shooting another foul creature in the head just beside him. The elf scanned what he could to figure out what he should run to. Scaling the wall could be tricky with the zombies trailing him so closely. The vision of a barn outside of the town seemed much closer and he decided to try that. Maybe if he could hide in the structure he could look for a chance to get away from the swarm of undead? He started in a full sprint towards the barn using what little speed he had left to dupe the ghouls that noticed him. If he could just get inside the barn!

 

[Achates]

Ruby eyes watched as the woman lectured the group, reiterating what Achates had stated. It was nice having someone else know about the monsters that people liked to pretend didn’t exist. Something seemed to have caught the woman’s attention, the elf wondered if she picked up on the underlying scent that lingered gently in the air. Eyes followed till the woman left the room and the man who was shouting for alcohol continued the conversation. A soft groan vibrated in her throat as she listened to him scare the group.

“I was trying to keep the peace…” She spoke quietly, but still loud enough for someone to hear if they were listening. There was an expectation that the group would fall into a panic, but there was also a hope that the constitution of the group was a bit stronger than she assumed. Looking around she wanted to see if anyone had an idea, it didn’t seem like it – but she had a small one.

“One second.” Turning on her heel, she ran out to the streets chasing after the charismatic woman. She ran until she was able to pass her slightly and stand in front of her. Catching her breath slightly she smiled and did her best to get the woman’s attention. “Please, you seem to know what you’re doing.” Pausing, Achates knew what she was doing as well, but this woman seemed to have the means and the equipment for what could be necessary.

“The man, who was attacked. He was bitten, it’s pretty bad and I don’t know if he’ll survive.” Achates stopped, doing her best not to ramble. A hand moved stray strands of hair from her face as she continued, “Is there anything we can do – to stave off the undead from taking hold?” The young elf knew that there was probably very little she could do, but either way it was a possibility.

“Also…” Another long and probably very awkward pause as the girl looked over her shoulder and past the walls of the town. She knew something more was out there, something that was probably using this invasion as a cover for something – she sensed it and it made the small hairs on her neck stand as the desire to snarl grew. Remaining calm, she looked back to Vanya.

“I want to go with you.”

Vanya Valentine Laserie Altas Seredic Gunnolf Odinson Rhan Terrwyn

 

[Rayìld Darkweaver]

At the wall

Rayìld stood at the top of the wall, his pale eyes watching the darkness over top of the parapets. There was someone out there – someone still alive. An Elf.

Rayìld could feel the horde moving towards the town – he tried to count how many there were, but they weren’t individuals anymore, not in the traditional sense, and necromancy was…something he hadn’t delved into enough yet to properly sense. Was someone actively controlling them? Was it a runaway spell? Maybe some kind of infection or disease? (Rayìld hoped it wasn’t anything so mundane).

He turned his pale gaze towards the town – he could sense her. The Red Lady. Her presence was enigmatic, sensual, strong: he’d recognize it anywhere. It was like the scent of strong liqueur, or the aroma of a room full of blooming roses: unignorable, heady, and intoxicating. There were others with her, wherever exactly she was – he could sense them too, but only vaguely. If The Huntress was here, then there were more interesting things to be had than the undead horde stumbling towards the town.

He turned back to the wall, torn between his fascination with the undead, and the potency of The Huntress, when the sight of someone climbing the wall caught his eye – climbing to get out. Surprised, he moved closer to the gate, watching Fraeya – until he sensed the elf in the woods begin to slow. Rayìld frowned. He raised a hand, a small ball of fire sparking to life in his palm. Pale eyes searched the darkness, sensing, trying to figure out where the elf was, and where the horde was in relation to them. He was no tactician, but trees burned well enough when hit with enough pyromancy.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Fraeya drop to the ground – and head for the barn. It seemed there was someone else here who cared somewhat less for the inhabitants of the town, just as he did – though he hoped to find a few undead to…investigate, if he got the chance.

He sensed the horde getting close – and the elf in the distance moving slower. Frowning, Rayìld extended his hand, one fireball then another leaping from his hand towards Cadger – one to the left, and one to the right. At the very least he may hit the horde on either side of the elf, providing a small path towards the town – or the barn, as it appeared.

Rayìld wondered idly if the elf would make it.

Cadger Fraeya Elwing Saul Talith Raigryn Vayd

 

[Rhan Terrwyn]

Rhan flinched as the crossbow bolt pierced the skull of the man she pinned to the ground. She had seen death before, it was a common sight in the slums she grew up in, as was blood and violence. But seeing it so up close and personal like this, as in mere inches from her very own face, was sickening. Feeling the now dead dead corpse stop struggling beneath her, she rolled to the side and scrambled a few feet away, her face pale as a ghost. Her thoughts were racing. "That man was dead... he was dead!" she thought in a near state of panic at the events that had just transpired. "But he came back alive and rabid... and now he's dead again."

She looked to the rest of the group, who's expressions ranged from being mildly concerned to slightly amused. There was a lot of chatter going on about how crushing the brain, or using holy water and fire was effective against the undead. It was still hard to believe, even when faced with the harsh reality of it. "These people are mad," she thought. "Suspicious and primitive in their beliefs."

No matter how much she tried to convince herself of that, however, she knew now that they had been right all along. There was no other explanation for how the dead barkeep had become so suddenly animated and feral. She took several long and deep breaths to compose herself, fighting the urge to throw up. The elf doctor and the half elf left the bar, presumably off to tend to some business, probably undead related. She had missed much of the conversation that had gone on. It was only her, Benjamin, the tall bearded man, the half orc and the dwarf. She looked at Benjamin, who had gone awfully pale on account of the gaping would on his shoulder. "Blast it," he said through gritted teeth.

The bearded man seemed firm but gentle as he broke the news that the madness that had possessed that corpse would spread to Benjamin. Benjamin nodded knowingly, accepting his fate. "Just kill me now," he said. "Make it quick and clean. I don't want to turn out like him." He gestured to the other, dead, bartender.

He looked at Rhan. "Told you you would be better off going back to your city, lass," he said with a smirk. "But you're here now, I suppose. I think you'll be useful in defending this town as long as you accept the fact that these undead are monsters, far from human despite how they look. Take my axe and go fight at the wall. Gods willing you'll all be able to pull through all this."

He grunted with effort as he slid his axe across the floor towards Rhan. She was silent as she picked it up, feeling a new sense of duty and obligation to help. "Thanks, old man," she said after a moment. "Maybe I'll see you in another life."

"Touch wood," the barkeep said, knocking the wooden floorboards.

He looked to the bearded man and the half orc, who seemed far better suited to perform the task of killing him. "Just make it fast," he said.

Rhan left the bar and waited outside for the others to finish their business so they could decide what their next course of action would be. She already knew what her next course of action would be, but whether or not the rest of the group would do the same or not was another matter.

 

[Mualiin]

His breath was crawling up the throat. His armor felt like molten rock. His movements grew more sluggish, unresponsive. He had been running at speed for several minutes, having separated from the oncoming horde behind him. Approaching fast, the ghouls sped across the black earth, rotten maws gaping in hunger. He had to keep on the move, lest those foul things overtake him - again. His armor was already riddled and marked from attempts to claw through. His axe gleamed bloody in what light was to be found, held in his hand as he used it to cleave aside what trees he could find, and the few undead that managed to latch onto him. Had he turned back, he would realize the horde had been left behind - though not so far he had lost them entirely.

However, groups of more agile undead dashed across like hounds, eager for flesh and blood. He still outsped those in his sprint, though they kept close. Even to the fort beyond his sight, those within would hear the clamoring of arms and armament as Mualiin fought off his pursuers. And a couple crashes as he smashed aside a thin tree or two in his path.

Out the corner of his eye, he spotted an apparently abandoned barn, amd beyond that, a wall. It seemed the horde had been spotted already, and the defensive measures set and prepared from the settlements beyond it. He would approach it later, for now -

*SKREONK!*

He bit back a grunt as a ghoul collided with his left shoulder - the arm holding his axe - at velocities enough to stumble him from his run. How in the hell - nevermind. He would seek the barn first, then the cover of the town beyond. He reached an arm backwards, crushing the latching skull like rotten fruit. The undead flopped to the earth, and Mualiin continued on, unaware his destination was already approached by others.

At the foot of the building, he stopped and turned, his features twisting into a grimace as he faced his predators. They had no stamina limitations unlike he, damn it all. A dozen more ghouls, each as ugly as the rest. The entire horde itself had been long left behind, but they would be here soon. The wanderer did not desire to be stuck any longer than needed, and drawing his already exhausted body into a stance, he glared, violet irises gleaming from behind the visor with a vengeance. He would take care of these first.

The ghouls, as if expectant, charged as one. Shifting his grip so he was grasping the butt end of his weapon, he swung his axe in a sweeping arc, bisecting four in an instant, the bosies falling into pieces at his feet. The rest dove at his head, his chest, his limbs, gnawing at the ebony armor to get at the flesh within. With his free hand, he gripped at the one on his head, slamming it into the earth before him then tossing it out - and away from the barn. He wrestled with the remaining undead until he managed to slay the other seven. With weakening steps, he stumbled over to the last struggling one, the walking corpse missing an arm and a leg. Nearly keeling over, he reached out to grasp its skull. It took all he had to keep the ghoul at bay. Mustering the strength to crush it would take minutes. He dared not use the axe, still in a death grip with his left hand.

*Crunch*

He then knelt, the exhaustion finally catching up. "Such tenacity..." he growled.

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

The Northern wall

They were here. A good thousand as expected. Possibly more. It was difficult to count their numbers as they did not form blocks of troops to make counting easier. The last of the guard who had been driving stakes into the ground were called back behind the wall quickly. Another day and they might have been able to dig ditches.

They could only hope those patches of ground littered with stakes would funnel the undead towards the defenders. Hopefully they would be attracted to the noise of the fiercest fighting.

A few hundred good horsemen and he reckoned that they could have run the horde down. Even just a solid mass of experience spearmen could have held them off. The town didn't have that. They had perhaps a hundred amateur guardsmen and a handful of templar and a rag tag of adventurers along the wall.

No matter what happened this was merely a delaying action. They had to buy the townsfolk time to get south of the river and to collapse the bridges. A ghoul couldn't drown but the river here would wash away those that tried to cross well enough.

A dark thought cross Raigryn's mind as he watched the first undead chasing the living towards some buildings beyond the wall. That those people might distracted the horde long enough to buy the town some time.

 

[Vanya Valentine]

The sunset made the sky look like rose petals. Narrowing her cold blue eyes, the lady in black looked away from the heavens. The trees were casting long and flickering shadows, making everything either a rosy orange or a deep, thick black. Everything seemed to just be going to hell in this god forsaken town and while in some cases that would be thrilling to the Huntress this time it just felt like the spark was gone. It was one of the main reasons she wanted to just pass through this simple little town. Not enough excitement to keep her attention and Allfathers forbid she get bored and decides to just start entertaining herself.

Luckily the last few days of being in the town had provided her with more busywork then she cared to admit and while it wasn't exactly 'thrilling' she found the distraction useful for the time being. Boredom was not exactly something the Blue Eyed Devil handled very well. And as her pale, delicate fingers ran through her raven-colored hair she adjusted her glasses and used her other hand to lift the bottle she had taken on her way out the pub to examine it.

She rarely ever drank but she could tell tonight was gonna be a very long one. Sighing deeply and lifting up the bottle to take several swigs of the alcohol before bringing it back down and smacking her lips dramatically, wincing as if she were in pain and shaking her head. "The fuck is this?" She mused, swinging her arm in an arc to the side and letting the bottle leave her hand and smash against the wooden stables beside the pub. "If i had a coin for every time i tasted garbage like this i'd have so many fucking coins~" Making a face of disgust as she reached into her back and grabbed a piece of dried meat, popping the end of it into her mouth and biting into it with those sharpened fangs of hers while going on ahead to meet up with Skadi.

The heavy slamming of footsteps rapidly approaching her form the back however made the hair on her neck stick up and her eyes flare brightly in alarm, a wicked grin spreading across her obsidian lips as the girl from the pub ran in front of her like a peacock showing off its feathers to gain the wolfs attention. Stopping in her tracks and staring down at the elf girl from behind those crimson lenses as she rambled off about one of the occupants of the pub being bitten and getting sick. The wolfs expression softened as she lifted a hand and put it upon her chest as sympathy radiated from her.

"Oh heavens, that poor thing!" She cooed dramatically with the dried up jerky still clenched between her jaws. Pulling the strip from her teeth and chewing on the jerky for a moment before gesturing back and forth with the meat still in hand. "Perhaps you should find him a doctor~" She joked before unleashing an impish giggle and stepping forward to move past the elven girl. "As for fending off those brain-dead husks there are plenty of ways to do it darling, you just gotta get creative and you seem like a smart girl~" The Huntress explained, leaning down and running a finger along the young elfs cheek and examining her closely while inhaling her scent deeply.

Ah yes, there was no doubt about it. This girl was a...cousin of sorts. This made the woman in black lick her sharp fangs in amusement as she then stood her full height over the girl. Quirking a brow when she confessed wanting to come with the Wolf.

Van always played a strategic game. And a strategic game meant a game that used all resources available on the board. Weighing her head back and forth while mumbling quiet nothings to herself, the woman looked like a gargoyle, carved all out of stone, immobile, cold. The Huntress liked this one...so assertive and eager to be heard that she dared stand face to face with a complete stranger...oh how it must of felt to be young bold...But still, The Black Wolf would be lying if she said the girl did not strike her interest...she was young, she was healthy, she was smart, ambitious. But most importantly - she was naive.

When the Huntress saw naivety, it made her cringe, it made her want to rip and tear and BREAK. Snatch it. Because that was how naivety was taken from her. And every time a sprout of careless hopefulness arose in her heart, someone had made sure to crunch it down, pluck it up. Carefully pull the leaves away leaving just a broken stem. And that is what had saved her in the long run. That was what allowed her to flourish so much in this wicked game called life.

"Well sugar lump, i ain't gonna stop ya from followin me around. Not with all this...~" She lifted a hand and gestured to the people running around panicking and falling to the ground in a crazed frenzy all around town. "Drama?" She asked as a question, looking to her pet bird and gesturing like 'is that right?' as if having an unheard conversation before shifting her gaze back to the girl. "Anyway...i'm going to meet up with someone. It's been so long since i've had a fun little hunt for myself and this is the chance i have been given by the Allfathers! So tag along if you'd like, i won't stop you darling." She cheerfully explained before going forward and lifting her up up tot he sky. "Go find Skadi, lead her to me~" She whispered to the Raven, watching it flap from her arm and soar through the sky over the town to go fetch Skadi so the two could find each other quicker by moving towards each other.

Skadi Valentine | Achates​

 

[Achates]

Achates was a careful creature, she watched every movement from the other woman. It didn’t require her heightened senses to pick up the woman’s strength and differences. At the moment of the woman’s finger running along her cheek, she didn’t flinch or look away. Her eyes stayed locked on the woman she spoke to. There were questions that swirled inside of her mind, the scent from the woman felt familiar, but also very different. She also wondered if the tactic of her tone and touch was to intimidate her or cause her to second guess her choices.

In her young life, Achates had seen much especially fighting at her father’s side when they were hunting. She had hunted as a wolf and as herself. On command, she had ripped the head of other Lycans and vampiric creatures. The undead were considered children’s play to most of her small enclave of slayers. She had grown up drenched in the blood of other monsters before she could even realize what she was being taught to do. She didn’t fear anything this woman could bring to the table and Achates made sure to show it.

She nodded, accepting the nicknames for now and followed with a brisk step behind the older woman. An eyebrow raised slightly as she heard mention of the Allfathers and the joy of the hunt. The terms wouldn’t usually cause anyone to take a second look, but she remembered some notes in her father’s old hunting journal – speaking of the Allfathers. A part of her missed him in that instant, but he was too busy losing his mind.

“Meeting with someone else?” She questioned, but didn’t expect much of an answer. The young woman continued to follow till she caught stride with the eyeglass wearing woman. “My name is Achates Thuranni, you are?”

A question buzzed in her mind, the other woman had so much confidence and she wondered if she had assumed Achates knew who she was – even if the young slayer didn’t know who Vanya was, a part of her – something more primal growled telling her she should have known who the woman was.

Vanya Valentine Skadi Valentine

 

[Skadi Valentine]

Skadi lounged on the little roof covering the well, she held a head in her hand and it still moved, trying in vain to bite her with its lower jaw removed while she removed its teeth one by one. Absolutely nothing fazed it so long as its brain was intact. It looked at her with its sightless eyes as she gazed back up at it, the grisly creature so single minded on its goal that it didn't even realize that it lacked any ability to carry it out, if it had any self awareness in the first place.

She tossed the head aside and put her hands under her head, looking up at the sky. The sun was lowering and turned the sky many shades of beautiful colors. It was then that she located Vanya... Or rather her familiar who swooped down and delivered Vanya's command.
"Well, it's about time. I was getting bored."

She swung down from the roof and landed on the pile of dead bodies, her heavy boots crushing flesh and bone as she gathered up the supplies and swung the pack to her back. Several clawed hands reached out, but were too feeble to scratch her.
The hawk flew down and landed on her shoulder, but soon it changed into a serpent that slithered down into her shirt, speaking to her, "Vanya is heading this way, take that street over there."
Skadi nodded and headed off down the street. There were some undead walking this street but they seemed unconcerned or preoccupied to deal with her.

There was a time when she might have done something about the screaming around her... When she was young and idealistic, fresh out of the arena and wanting to do good... But Vanya took that idealism, showed her the reality, now she didn't even glance up when a woman called for help from the upper window of a rich looking house. Her blue eyes were on the road ahead as she traveled to meet Vanya.

She rounded a bend in the road and caught sight of Vanya, but she wasn't alone. Skadi passively approached the two and greeted Vanya, "I got the supplies you requested. Seems you brought a snack along for wherever we're going..."
She caught a whiff of her scent and changed her tone.
"Oooh, My apologies... Seems you're a companion, not a resource."

She extended her hand to shake and introduced herself.
"Skadi Valentine."

 

[Saul Talith]

The Northern Wall

He had always found the waiting to be the worst part of all.

It was like a slow crawling line of dread that moved before the inevitable. Saul and his Templar were used to it. They had faced things like before. Hordes of undead, insurmountable numbers. It was all in a days work for people like them.

For the City Watch though? For them it was practically torture.

Saul could see it in their faces, the way they gripped their halberds tighter, the way they constantly shifted and moved where they stood. The terror within them was obvious, painfully so. Saul knew there was little he could do about it, not now.

Men so gripped by terror would be in no mood to listen to reason or placation.

So instead of speaking, Saul simply played the stoic Templar.

He watched as some men ran from the coming horde, watched as women and children dashed before them, watched as some fell. It was all he could do, stand and watch silently.

It was painful, almost torture, but he did it. Just as he always would.

 

[Fraeya]

Barn Just Outside the Northern Wall

Bright lavender hair mixed with the patches of scales near the top of her forehead, damp sweat forming on her brow. From the corners of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a fireball going toward the treeline. Another elf? Maybe two? Could use all the help she could get. But after what happened to her tribe in Falwood, she didn't think she could trust anyone else.

Breath came out in short puffs as her hands slapped against the barn door. With a grunting heave, she drew the door open. Glancing over her shoulders, staggering figures were already stumbling from the tree-line. She could feel the gaze of those watching at the wall. Waiting for the first wave. Waiting for her to fail? Waiting to see the carnage.

With a sharp, tug of magic that whispered like targeted wind all the stall doors opened at once. A mixture of horses, sheep, and donkeys began streaming out. There was heavy breathing and gurgling sounds from the door and Fraeya knew without turning around that the first of the horde was upon them. Thin fingers yanked a scythe from the wall and she spun around, charging for the first ghoul as it staggered after one of the sheep.

Shhlccccck-sleeeece.

Head came off clean from the neck, thick blood splattering across the ground.

 

[Cadger]

The barn was becoming more of a reality as Cadger sprinted desperately towards the building. Even as he ran, ghouls hissed and lunged for him making him dance around the monsters in a serpentine pattern. Just as he thought the horde was beginning to be too much a miracle happened.

Two streaks of fire, like shooting stars, flew nearby nearly dazzling Cadger in disbelief. The fireballs flung loose from the wall and the elf had little idea what was happening but was opportunistic enough not to question good fortune. Despite his limited experience with magic the elf could guess the source was from a mage. As bodies around him flew back from the projectiles he gave a halfhearted salute towards the wall and continued his dash for the barn.

Just as he hit the wall of the building he heard a metallic commotion behind him. Something big was heading his way. He heard bodies being tossed and cut apart and the terrified elf had no sense to bother looking behind him at Mauliin, all he cared about was getting inside the barn. He stumbled around before finding the door of the barn jerking the latch and ducking inside. As he scrambled in he did his best to secure the latch once more.

As he sealed the door he looked around the building to see what he was inside with. He soon realized his efforts were almost in vain as the opposite side of the barn was flung wide open and animals spilled out into the open. His attention was stolen by the haunting shadow of a scythe flickering across his face and an elf maiden swinging the weapon, decapitating a ghoul before her.

He half wondered if he was hallucinating the sight for it was surely the last thing he expected to find inside the barn. As she swung the weapon he gawked at the sight; for the scythe (made for a human) looked slightly too big for her. As she finished the arc Cadger noticed another zombie coming for her from the side and he fumbled for his bow. Quickly he notched another arrow and letting fly a shot that hit the ghoul’s head. His arms were starting to burn from the effort and he could tell that he was running low on arrows in his quiver. Still he notched yet another shaft as he approached the she-elf from behind. “Well met!” He offered through ragged breaths.

Even as he approached he could hear the commotion get louder outside as the metallic noise persisted. The ghouls howled in excitement, although at this point it seemed like it could be for any reason. As Cadger followed the last of the animals towards the opposite end of the barn he surmised that the she-elf was responsible for freeing these animals. Letting his ideas of hiding fade he innocently asked, “where are you going to lead these animals? The monsters will surely chase them down.”

He hated being the pessimist but if he was going to help with woman out he needed to know what she was trying to do exactly. It had been many moons since he had seen another elf, and never before had he met one of his more distant kin. He marveled at her simple presence; and on kinship alone he already decided to aid her cause, whatever folly that would be. Too many memories of his family surfaced to the present, demanding that he behave like the Cadger he once was.

 

[Mualiin]

Barn Outside the Walls

Blast it all, the horde was already upon them. He had but minutes to regain what energy he could, and as he once again rose to his full height, he felt the exhaustion creep away bit by bit. It would make a difference once he reached the settlements. A meal was optimal for his current condition. He would fight again after that. But first, the commotion within the barn. Apparently he had not been the first to reach it. Within the interior, from the windows on the building's side, he spotted two elves fighting side by side. Admirable, but -

"Grk!"

The barn walls were wrenched inwards as Mualiin slammed through, grappling with a golem of undead several times larger than its fellow corpses. Maintaining his footing, he twisted with the momentum, bringing the undead creature down beneath his feet in a throw. Another sneak attack, but with one whose mass was sturdier than the rest. He growled in wrath, an inhuman metallic sound. They did not seem to relent.

He hefted his axe, the ebony blade coming down in a swing like a club, slamming the creature out of the barn. It would be back again, but this time, the mercenary would be with (hopeful) allies. With his free hand, he plucked out what ghouls he could within the barn, crushing their skulls like a child with a berry. Aching as it was, the hand pains were pinpricks to the agony going across his body, after taking two full body tackles. Amid the slaughter, he called to the two elves.

"If I may be so rude to interrupt in this meeting, we are not alone yet. Shall we move to the settlements?"

An unholy roar made the man's head snap back, then he fixed his gaze again. The golem was returning. "Quickly."

He swung his axe into a proper two handed stance, axehead out and facing the approaching abomination.

 

[Rayìld Darkweaver]

On the wall above the barn

Rayìld found himself reaching up to wave back at the elf, but dropped his hand down into a fist, feeling foolish. Instead, he turned and focused on the undead coming out of the forest. He noticed the she-elf release the animals from the barn and pursed his lips - curse it, they were scattering. He pressed his pale lips into a thin line, eyes quickly scanning the scene below him in the fading light, calculating where to aim his fire next.

Frustrated, he raised his right hand and let another fire ball fly - taking aim further into the woods. Many undead were already racing for the barn; Rayìld didn't want the barn to catch fire (at least, not yet), and so aimed the fire beyond it, staving off the bulk of the horde for as long as possible.

Get behind the walls, he thought grimly to himself. He closed his eyes in frustration when Mualin slammed into the building. Or don't.

Rayìld took a breath and noted where the animals were running to - sending a fireball or two to keep the undead and the animals separated. Horses screamed and reared. Rayìld flinched.

"Not...what I was hoping for."

Rayìld sighed, but something caught his attention from the corner of his eye - he turned towards the town, surprised to find undead on the streets below. He reached out with his magic and could feel the auras of more undead throughout the city.

"What...?" How were the undead already within the city?

He turned back to the barn - the undead hadn't yet breached the gate. Pale lips pressed together. He took a deep breath and turned back to the undead on the streets below - and flung another fireball at an undead chasing a family that had failed to bar their doors well enough, but had escaped into the streets. He curled his nose as the smell of burning flesh wafted up.

He hoped the rest of the undead hadn't broken through at another part of the city.

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

"Here come the first of them," he grunted. A handful had broken off from the horde and ran for the walls. He wasn't sure it even counted as a horde. He distracted himself trying to think of a word for something smaller than a horde, moving through collection to warband to settle on 'host'.

Raigryn let the tip of his sword rest on the stone at his feet. He did not have the stamina of a younger man and did not want to waste his Aspects before the battle started. Not that it was truly a battle. This was nothing more than slowing them down to give the townsfolk time to cross the river.

"Steady now, they're just broken men without weapons or armour," he told the guards. "Imagine having one arm tied behind your back, no sword, no mail and trying to attack one of your fellow guard. That is the challenge they face. If they breach a wall do not get surrounded. They cannot run as fast as you can, they cannot fight as hard as you can."

It was mostly true. Spoken to try and bolster the resolve of the guard around him. He pretended he hadn't seen the larger undead monsters in their ranks.

Raigryn has a small hammer at his belt, taken from the men putting some stakes into the ground beyond the walls. If he lost his sword then it would do well for crushing skulls.

The ghouls reached the walls, trying to find handholds to climb. Spears were used to keep them down. No need to put them down when a spear through the leg or arm could keep them on the ground.

The atmosphere became deathly still beneath the snarls and growls of the ghouls. All eyes went to the barn and then to the line of undead shambling towards the wall.

 

[Fraeya]

Barn Outside the Walls

Fraeya whipped around, chest heaving from a rumbling pulse fed upon adrenaline of battle. Silvered-lavender eyes narrowed on the elf. Then surprise. Another elf?

Fingers tightened around the scythe's handle.

"Well met," she finally repeated, her tone sounding anything but sure even after he'd stopped one of the undead coming at her from behind.

"The animals are on their own. I've given them a chance." They were already fleeing and streaming out of the opened barn doors, weaving between undead. Better than all of them being slaughtered like fish trapped in a barrel. Perhaps it was a cold and calculated answer.

"Shit," the young woman arched her neck to look up at the giant of a man? Whipping around, she sliced another head off a body - whoosh-slllcck. A sharp nod toward the new stranger and the other elf.

"Stick together. Try to cover each other's backs and we might make it back to the wall." With scythe raised, she sprinted forward, trying to find the quickly dwindling open spaces to weave back out of the barn and into the open.

And she wondered if they'd only make it back to become those fish in the barrel. Maybe they'd get lucky and the mage from the wall would send another fireball into the barn. Might temporarily draw in more of the undead and distract them.

 

[Saul Talith]

Saul stood patiently on top of the wall even as the ghouls began to scratch and claw their way into the poorly crafted stonework. His blessed blade, the sword which burned undead at a very touch, still remained in it's scabbard.

Instead in his hand was a spear, if one could call it that.

The Weapon had clearly been crafted in haste over the last day or so, it's head less of a spearpoint and more of a scythe that had been bent forward. Still, it did the job.

Saul peered down the wall as one of the Ghoul's scrambled up onto the corpse of one of it's dead brothers, it's clawing hands reaching towards the top of the wall. His spear dove into the creatures skull, pushing through it's eye and out the back of it's head.

The undead fell onto the floor, and the proceeded to become a step for one of it's brothers.

A scowl folded on his face, and he reached over to grab one of his brothers on the shoulder. His hand motioned towards the barn. "Tell the Black Templar to carve them a path."

It would give them a chance at least.

The word was quickly passed down the line, a few quick and curt yells that were received by the two Black Robed Templar in the Watch Tower. They turned their attentions, shifting their glances towards Saul for a moment before they regarded the barn before the wall.

Half a heartbeat passed, and then suddenly the wall of undead near the barn seemed to burst. Four or five the ghouls just exploding in a flare of radiant light.

 

[Mualiin]

The golem charged back from the woods it had come from, roaring in a gutteral voice entirely not human. Mualiin glimpsed a horde of more corpses behind it, and inwardly cursed. He would have a fight for the ages, and to remember. The axe was swung into his right, left hand up in a guard. His whole body tensed, feet digging into the wet earth as he braced for impact.

"Elves, retreat to the walls. These numbers will overwhelm you. I will draw them back!"

The swarm was upon him in moments, the golem's mess of limbs and parts coming down in an overhead smash. He swept it aside with his left arm, bashing it aside and bringing his axe up in a upward slash. The golem was tossed to his right, crashing into the right, and further destabilizing the structure. It shook dangerously, and thus Mualiin decided to bring down the building itself.

"Take cover, NOW!"

With a heave that nearly tore at his ligments, the armored giant swung at what remaining pillars of the foundation he could find, the axe cleaving through wood like a knife through butter. The barn shook as it began rain planks and parts, slowly but surely falling beneath his attack. The swarm was already upon him, and he fought back with ferocity, clawing them off with his free hand and swings of his axe.

"GO!"

He continued to swing at the barn itself, breaking what beams and pillars he could find, intent on bringing it down on the approaching horde. Time was needed, nd he would carve it out of these corpses if it meant he could have it.

Then he was tackled sideways by the golem, slamming into the other side of the barn, and he grappled with the monstrosity of flesh even as the structure came undone around them.