Picnic Crashers(Samael, Hyacinth Please)

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam screamed with pain and rage and fear. Few had ever seen him in such a state. Knife in hand, he feinted at the faces of the women distracted by Horse, unwilling to let them harm his equine brother. But his hooves were shod in iron and he was not ill equipped to defend himself for a moment. Sam needed Jaeden free. He surged forward, trying to distract Terra as well with a flash of his hunting knife before he crouched down by Jaeden, trying to help him out with his spare hand. Meanwhile his internal monologue was no longer even coherent. Years of unhappiness exploded out of nowhere. Not slavery. Not again. Not ever again. He would rather be poor and alone than be even a pampered slave. "Jaeden, get up!" he screamed.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden’s face violently turned as the strike from the hilt of Terra’s sword struck him. His body stumbled back before he fell to a knee, coughing out slightly. His fingers began grabbing at the hilt of his dagger, trying to pull it free, but he found his strength to do so waning slightly, as the continual contact with Terra was soon wearing down any resistance he had to fight Ranuri’s influence to simply give in, and let the women take him. Even the sounds of Sam screaming out as he began to fight, and got injured himself. His eyes looked up lazily, seeing Terra’s back to him. It would cost him in the end, but eventually he lunged his feet forward, slamming his shoulder as hard as he could into Terra’s back, trying to force her forward on a collision course with the other two women.

The contact was enough to send him to the ground, laying there with all his will nearly drained away by Ranuri’s influence. If the females learned of his mark, his own value as a slave would sky rocket. He hoped Sama’el was strong enough to fend them off. Then there was another contact, a new desire filling his senses. The desire shouted at him to fight, to get up and remain free, and it was something Jaeden found himself fully embracing as Sama’el’s voice echoed at him to get up. His body was soon beginning to fill with renewed energy, only slightly hindered by his injuries. A quick tune was whistled out, a call to Fortunado as the large Nighwalker soon came galloping in, joining Horse in rearing back and swinging his front hooves at those who threatened him.

Jaeden’s muscles went taught as he grunted, sitting himself up. A slow yell echoed out then as the leather straps that bound him suddenly broke, freeing both of his arms. With such, he was quick to his feet, picking Sama’el up as well before looking down at his shoulder. “Grab your sword.” Jaeden simply said to Sama’el, firmly embracing his desires as the one to serve over Terra’s.

Jaeden’s hand snatched down, pulling his sword free as he began moving forward, pushing strongly with his legs as he began rushing towards Terra. Another whistle was given then, as Fortunado backed away. Terra’s eyes focused fiercely on Jaeden’s as he approached, her own sword being raised to strike at him. As her blade fell down, Jaeden’s own longsword passed before him, knocking it aside in a parry. Jaeden’s left hand swing around, knocking Terra across her cheek, suddenly spinning her body around. A quick kick was given to the back of her leg, dropping her to her knees as Jaeden suddenly swung his blade down hard along Terra’s own, knocking it free from her hand as it bounce along the ground out of reach. His left hand then snatched out, grabbing a handful of Terra’s hair tightly as he quickly yanked her back before the edge of his longsword was pressed against Terra’s neck. Contact with her was no longer a concern as Jaeden’s Ranuri now fell solely to serving Sama’el’s desires, if he had so wished it, for even and instant at that point, his sword would slice through Terra’s throat. “Ladies!” Jaeden then suddenly screamed to garner their attention. “How about we let things settle down and become a little more civil around her, shall we? Drop your weapons.”

[Kelpie]

It was Sama’el’s adrenaline that solely kept him from collapsing. The wound from Terra’s sword was gruesome, but had, thankfully missed his heart. His determination and fear of returning to the life of slavery seemed to emanate apprehension in the remaining two women who hadn’t been busy avoiding Horse. They had slashed at his hooves and legs, but nothing enough to cause troubling harm. Terra, having been caught off guard by Jaeden and clearly overwhelmed, cursed at him. “You petching shyke of a man, you. How dare you hurt a woman, have you no manners?” It seemed like a jest, a rather crude one, but one all the same. The woman appeared unfazed by the sword at her throat, although she bled from a tear on her lip and it gathered quite a bit on her chin before dropping on the collar of her tunic. For all her stubbornness, she chuckled at Jaeden’s request to settle down. “Yes, girls, put your weapons down, this boy means business.” There was a pause in the women as they looked from Sama’el to Jaeden, lowering their weapons a fraction as if unsure. It wasn’t long before Terra had slipped a dagger from her boot and sunk it into Jaeden’s thigh, deep enough to force blood to spurt from the impact. Whether or not Jaeden wished to strike at her then, Terra had pushed aside his sword and made for her own weapon, hoping to grasp it and attack him while he still suffered the initial puncture. The remaining two women who hadn’t been harmed by the two horses charged at Jaeden, their weapons raised to strike. There would be no mercy here, it was live or die.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

The problem for Sam was that despite his adrenaline, fear, and desperation, he only had one arm that was reliable at the moment. Thank all the gods it was his sword arm. But at the moment, his knife was in hand, the which he flung as best he could with Vakya's indifferent lessons, straight for the two women closing in on them. That freed up his hand to grab up his scimitar, the which he brandished toward the woman messing with his horse. One didn't mess with a Drykas' horse! He ran toward her and crouched low, letting his momentum drag him behind her as he swiped with his scimitar aimed at her achilles tendons, distracting her long enough for Horse's iron shod hooves to lash out in an attempt to brain her. With any luck, she was down and Jaeden would have beheaded Terra by now, and then it would be almost an even fight. Sam recovered as quickly as he could to engage the other two.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden let out a loud scream as the knife hit his leg, stepping back a couple of paces after Terra pushed his sword free from her neck. The hilt of her knife was grasped with his left hand as he released another grunt of pain, pulling it free from his leg before it was immediately hurled towards Terra’s own leg to return the favor. “You’re not a woman, officially unattractive.” Jaeden growled before his gaze raised to meet the two women coming in to meet him. “Fine, I was willing to let you ladies go provided you left your weapons and all apparel and armor with us, but now bets are off.”

A quick second was taken to check on Sama’el before he suddenly swung his own sword in front of him, parrying the first thrust that came from May, if he recalled correctly. His left hand snatched down, grasping her wrist as he yanked her forward, carrying the momentum of her forward thrust even further as she began to stumble forward, landing to the ground. Another attack came, this time from Diana as she swung her sword down towards Jaeden’s head. Jaeden raised his own sword in defense as it clanged loudly when Diana’s blade struck the flat of his own longsword. Again his hand snatched out, reaching for Diana’s wrist this time, but she drew her hand back quickly to avoid being grabbed, much to Jaeden’s anticipation as he suddenly swung his sword over his hand, bringing it around into her side as the edge bit deeply into her ribs, cutting part way through her left lung. Diana stumbled to the ground as Jaeden spun around again when May came charging in.

He didn’t have much time as he could hear Terra’s footsteps approaching him once again. His body leaned back as an angled swing of May’s sword cut lightly into his left shoulder, but otherwise missed him. Jaeden, in return, quickly swung his sword upward, dragging the edge of his sword along May’s weapon arm, cutting deeply into it before his left hand reached out, grabbing a handful of the fabric along the front of her tunic. He used his strength against her once again as he pulled her forward again, this time sending her stumbling towards Sama’el.

Jaeden’s body turned just in time as his sword swung out, blocking Terra’s incoming attack. Their flurry started as Jaeden pushed her weapon away with his own longsword before a return slash was returned. Terra quickly recovered as her own sword was brought up to block Jaeden’s incoming attack. Jaeden parried a thrust then as he began to step forward, forcing Terra t step back as he began to rain strike after heavy strike along her blade and defense. Her armor would be a problem. Made of metal as it was, Jaeden’s sword likely wouldn’t penetrate deep enough for a lethal strike, so instead he decided to begin testing her stamina, making her arms to tired to eventually lift her sword after blocking so many of Jaeden’s and swinging his own. As he felt the familiar twitch of pain in his stomach though, he only hopped that his own physical training over the years would prove that she would drain more quickly than him.

[Kelpie]

Diana now lay struggling on the ground, crying and drooling blood, and only flailing for mere seconds before gradually succumbing to death. May had been knocked into Sama’el, but fortunately, the boy had his scimitar handy after striking at Velly (who promptly lurched over and screamed in pain.) The blade sunk into May’s stomach, and she gasped for a moment before falling to the ground on her back, completely helpless. Velly too was down for the count, screaming obscenities at Sama’el before the swift kick from Horse’s hooves cracked her skull, and she was dead within the minute. Blood oozed on the battlefield and the scent of it was heavy in the air, predators would soon be drawn to the fight, but for the moment, it was only Terra and Jaeden left. She continued to block his attacks. Deflecting and parrying where she could, but Jaeden’s assumption was correct. She was beginning to slow, with the combination of the heavy plate and the quick movements the man was forcing on her. Sweat dripped from her brow, but she continued, effectively slashing him on the arm once before she finally could not keep up the continued defense any longer and she stopped midway in her attack. That was then when Jaeden saw the opening so readily made available, and slashed with his longsword to slice open her throat, sending blood over himself and Terra. She fell back, dead. With the enemies dealt with, Horse settled himself beside Sama’el, although the overwhelming scent of blood continued to unnerve him. But then a soft moaning escaped the lips of May, who lay squirming on the ground in a pool of her own blood, grasping at the wound in her stomach as if that would ease the profusion of blood.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam thought he had done rather well, all things considered. He wasn't going to be a slave. Horse was fine. Sam himself would probably bleed out, but at least he had gone down fighting. He stumbled over to the slowly dying May and, without thought, delivered a mercy stroke to the heart. It was done. He swayed, looking to Jaeden dazedly. Horse came up and nudged him with his nose, whinnying nervously. Sam stumbled. "Thinkmgneedtliedown," he mumbled. But he knew that was a bad idea. "Gotta see a physician... healer... somethin'..." He sniffled suddenly, not wanting to die. He was too young, and the gods hadn't let him when he had wanted to. Why should it be now? "I don't wanna die," he explained to Jaeden. "But if I do, bury me standin'. Spent too much of life on m'knees." The last thing he wanted was a slave's burial, but he knew Jaeden was better than that, though he was injured too. "C'mon, c'mon," he urged. "We gotta go."

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden took deep breaths as the adrenaline of battle slowly began to cool off, the pain in his arm and leg now making themselves more known. He still gripped his sword, taking a quick look around to make sure the threat was still gone. A slow breath was then released as he began gripping his stomach for a moment, the previous wound he had received, still not fully healed, now reopened slightly by the exertion of battle. His gaze dropped down to Sama’el as he dragged himself over to May, intent on finishing her off. Jaeden slowly turned his head, giving a tout whistle as he called Fortunado to his side. “I should have brought Red with me.” Jaeden muttered under his breath. “We wouldn’t have had as much trouble then.”

Jaeden slowly sheathed his sword, as Fortunado came galloping over to the camp. Jaeden quickly, or as quickly as one could be with a limp in their step, began digging through his pack, pulling out his rope and one of his clean tunics. “You’re not going to die Sam,” Jaeden then said. “You’re too damn pretty to die.”

Jaeden then stepped over to Sama’el, kneeling down next to him as he dropped the rope at his side. “But we have to, and it will be sloppy, bandage your wound and immobilize your arm first.” Jaeden then explained, folding the tunic up a couple of times. “Otherwise, you’ll likely tear the wound some more and bleed out more quickly. Hell, you’d likely pass out from the pain before we made it back.”

Jaeden the pulled out a clean rag from one of his pouches, wrapping it around a short branch he picked up along the ground. “Bite down.” Jaeden then just said, putting the cloth covered branch up to his mouth. “This is going to hurt.”

When Sama’el did so, Jaeden then place his hand along Sama’el’s shoulder before pressing the tunic along the Sama’el’s wound. His rope was then quickly taken as he wrapped it around Sama’el’s shoulder a few times, the strands pressing down along either side of the wound and under his arm to keep the tunic in place and decent pressure as well. Jaeden then moved Sama’el’s arm, pressing his forearm along his stomach before he began wrapping the rope around Sama’el’s waist, slowly bringing the wraps upward as he tied Sama’el’s injured arm to his body to prevent it from moving. “Just hold on, keep yourself awake.” Jaeden said before giving a slight smirk. “I’m gonna take you back to the people who usually patch me up when I get messed up on one of my trips. The ladies at the Soothing Waters will take good care of you. I’ll see to it you’re pampered the entire day.”

Jaeden finished just after a few chimes and he slowly pulled Sama’el to his feet, helping him to climb up along Horse’s back. “Start riding, I’ll be right behind you shortly.” Jaeden the said, making sure Sama’el had good hold and could sit upright. “Take it slow until I do.”

Jaeden then turned back to the camp, gathering the things left behind by Sama’el as well as his own things. When he had finally finished, he looked to the woman who laid dead along the ground, giving a slow shake of his head. “What a waste.” Jaeden said of the women before moving to each of them, stripping them of any weapons, armor and coin they may have had, finishing with Terra herself. “Could have just walked away from this, but you chose to be a hard ass. One which I didn’t even get to grab.”

Jaeden then strapped everything to Fortunado’s back, finally pulling himself up to the Nightwalker’s back, resting into the saddle comfortably before giving the women one last look. “Hopefully your next life you’ll be a little more wise.” Jaeden finally said before giving Fortunado a light kick sending him into a ride to catch up with Sama’el if he had rode off ahead. “Please accept my apologies for the elk, Caiyha. May your children’s charges feast upon it and the corpses that denied us the opportunity to make full use of it.”

[Kelpie]

Unexpected encounters in an unpredictable land. Some might say the two boys should have known something would occur whilst they were caught up in their fresh kill, but they have defeated their opponents, and reduced the number of female slavers quite considerably. The two left as quickly as they had arrived, and were safe for the duration of their travel. Sama’el: +2 Tracking, +3 Shortbow, +4 Scimitar, +3 Unarmed Combat Lore: Taking Down an Elk, How to Deal With Bandit Bitches Jaeden: + 2 Tracking, +2 Bow, +1 Seduction, +4 Longsword, +3 Unarmed Combat, +1 Medicine Lore: Taking Down an Elk, How to Deal with Bandit Bitches Mod note: Sorry this took so long. Hope you can forgive me!