The battle was not over,
But may as well have been.
The Varanites had closed too fast...
He knew they couldn't win.
The arrow shaft within his leg
Had slowed him; made him weak,
And blood from many minor wounds
Ran down his plate in streaks.
What started as routine patrol
Would end in tragedy,
For naught but half his scouts remained,
Their number only three.
Their foes came on in laughter,
The odds were two to one,
Their chances hopeless should they stay...
And hopeless should they run.
The corporal grasped his shortsword hilt
And cried out to his Lord,
His comrades echoed his resolve
And spun to draw their swords.
The name of Marduk soared on high
As steel rasped free of sheath,
They prayed that He looked down upon
The band of them beneath.
The Varanites drew nearer now,
Their laughter growing still.
Their steps grew light and careful at
The soldiers' hardened will.
Three swordsmen took the forefront,
Their blades were black and cold,
Two wizards and a priest stayed back,
Their power yet untold.
The corporal grasped a silver horn
Which hung down from his right,
And raised the thing up to his lips
And blew with all his might.
The note rang out with clarity,
And strengthened their resolve,
And then they launched into the fray,
To see what would evolve.
The dance of blades was furious,
Steel and iron clashed,
Neither side would give an inch,
But neither could it last.
The corporal's blade was light and true,
It kept his foe at bay,
His two comrades fought hard as well,
And neither side held sway.
The wizards and the armored priest
Looked on with keen delight,
For Daris was outnumbered here,
These men would fall this night.
They rolled their sleeves to free their hands
And raised them without haste.
To end the torture early
Would have been an awful waste.
The corporal faltered in his step,
His guard swung open wide.
His black-mailed foe stepped in and launched
A strong thrust at his side.
The Daris scout regained his step,
His feint was a success,
His weapon batted down the thrust
And found the blackened breast.
He wrenched his sword free, then he turned
And drew back with a yell,
He let his blade fly forward
Even as his victim fell.
The strike was meant to claim the life
Of yet another foe
But whether it was good enough
We may not ever know.
For as the blade flashed through the air
Toward the target's back
A magic missile darted in
And halted the attack.
The corporal's sword was shattered
In a blinding flash of light
Hot metal shards ripped through his plate
And magic lit the night.
Another bolt streaked forward then
He watched it strike his friend,
And as the soldier groaned and reeled,
He knew they'd reached their end.
The Varanite stepped forward then
And raised his weapon high,
His eyes were red and fiery
As he grinned and let it fly.
The corporal turned his head away
Not wishing for to see,
But what he heard was not quite what
He'd thought that it would be.
The sword hissed down as it was swung
The soldier's fate to seal,
But the sound that reached the corporal's ears
Was that of steel on steel.
The corporal snapped his gaze back then,
And opened wide his eyes,
The deadly sword had been turned back
By a blade of massive size.
The wielder of the greatsword stepped
Before the wounded man,
And recognition dawned on him
As her assault began.
The woman moved with catlike grace,
Her swordstrokes sang with might,
Her very being shined from her
With brilliant holy light.
The Varanite was overmatched
His eyes were wide with fear,
His heart sank as he realized
Holly Fortinbras was here.
His eyes were not the only ones
To recognize the lass,
A startled mage began his chant
To call a deadly blast
His hand raised toward the holy knight,
And as his voice was raised,
The very sky went night to day
As other magics blazed.
Before the evil wizard had
A chance to throw his flame,
His words were changed within his throat
To garbled screams of pain.
A massive hand closed round his chest
And lifted him on high
He twisted round to see his foe
And looked it in the eye.
The elemental gazed at him,
And then it seemed to smirk,
As the rocky hand shot down again
To finish off its work.
The fragile mage stood little chance
Against the rocky beast,
And pain was all he knew from then
Until his breath had ceased.
The earthen monster shifted form
Took on an elven grace,
The slitted helmet serving to
Obscure the smirking face.
Salia stepped forward then to
Choose her next attack,
Not noticing the other mage
Who rose up at her back.
The black robed mage had cast a spell,
His staff shone bright with flame
He sought to kill this newest threat
And end this deadly game.
He stepped to her and raised his arm
To issue the command,
And screamed instead as a slender blade
Descended on his hand.
The lady elf dived swift away,
The staff swung far too high,
The wizard snarled and turned to see
The attacker at his side.
Another elf stood proud and tall,
His mail a sparkling gold,
His gaze was judgment in itself,
Inspiring to behold.
The elf raised up his longsword blade
And leveled it at him,
And then dropped into battle stance
And came on, looking grim.
The wizard stood and raised his staff,
Releasing angry flame,
The paladin raised up his shield
And shouted Girru's name.
The magic fire hit the shield,
Which seemed to drink it in
The symbol on the surface glowed,
The elf began to grin.
The holy knight spoke but a word
And lashed out with his blade,
The fire exited the sword,
Back toward where it was made.
Kisanth Felmoon gave his thanks
The mage gave forth a cry,
He crashed down writhing in the fire,
And in the fire he died.
Elsewhere on the battlefield
Holly's battle raged,
Until her flashing blade bit through
The final foe's ribcage.
The lady knight had vanquished both
Remaining black-clad beasts,
And the friends, united,
Looked about them for the priest.
Standing high upon the air
The cleric laughed aloud,
Malicious power filled the air
As he looked down toward the ground.
A foul wind blew as this dark priest
Chanted his first spell,
The elven paladin froze solid,
Magically held.
The cleric chanted once again,
Seeking to request
The power from his vile Lord
To see to Kisanth's death.
The cleric stopped and in his hand
Appeared a glowing light
He drew back and he threw it down
Toward the helpless knight.
The orb raced toward the paladin,
Who still stood frozen there,
When a screeching falcon darted through
And snatched it from the air.
A lonely form strode from the wood,
A glowing staff in hand,
The falcon circled round him once
And finally dove to land.
The bird came down upon his arm,
And looking rather bored,
The falcon hopped up to his shoulder
And offered up the orb.
Cirran Silverwind looked on,
Then subtly moved his wrist,
And took the orb upon his palm,
Then slowly closed his fist.
When he opened it again,
The magic was not there,
But in its place a roar tore forth
And fire lit the air.
The flames of Ki rained down with wrath
The priest could not ignore
His armor burned and charred his flesh,
His skin broke out in sores.
His spell of flight failed now at this,
And slowly he sank down,
An arrow and two blades had struck
Before he hit the ground.
The group saw to the wounded men
And gathered up their dead,
And then the corporal walked to them
And gratefully he said,
"You heard the horn. It saved our lives.
We never could have won.
None of us could ever say
Enough for what you've done."
"Then just say less," Salia countered.
Cirran almost smirked.
"Go on home now," Holly said.
"Your day is done at work."
And with that statement they all set out
Back to Daris town,
Thankful mostly for the fact
That most were safe and sound.
Do Not Go Gentle
Moderator: Lords of The Realm
-
Cirran Silverwind
- Archdruid of Dasaria
- Posts: 133
- Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2003 2:34 am
Do Not Go Gentle
Cirran Silverwind
In Service to Ki
In Service to Ki
A work of art, mate. Ditto on the Dasarian Lending Library.
Flin Hearthstone
Captain Talaluth Juran