Open Battle in the Forest

[Sina Vestia]

78 Fall 512 AV

Sina looked up at the glaring sun, the rays of light beamed down through the canopy of trees illuminating the dark forest floor. It had been about 3 days travel since he had left Syliras, he met some interesting people but he was finished with business and it was time to move on. The wind blew through the trees of The Everstone Forest and cooled him from the afternoon heat. A few birds fly low across the ground than suddenly turn to the sky and fly off into the distance.

“Ah, nature, I have always preferred it to people.” He says to his horse who he was mounted upon and pats him on the head. “Oh well, I suppose we should move on, we still have a week of travel to go.” He brings the horse to a trot through the forest, not wanting to go full gallop in case of roots that may trip the horse and break an ankle.

Suddenly the horse stops and looks up, something was wrong. The birds had stopped cawing, the wind stopped blowing, even a cloud had blocked the sunlight. The forest became darker and more menacing. Laughter comes out of the forest, seemingly from all sides. He leaps to the ground and pulls his light crossbow off his back, loads a bolt and aims into the trees. “Who goes there?! Show yourself!” He commands, not sure who he was speaking to.

Five men walk out from between the trees and command him “Hand over your valuables and we may let you live!”. Without saying ad word and with a deathly glare Sina fires a bolt and it slams into the knee of one of the rear ambushers knocking him to the ground screaming. The two that were standing draw their blades and make a mad dash towards Sina. Not having enough time to reload he puts his crossbow to the side and draws his scimitar and prepares for melee.

[Dau Kaiden]

The weather was pleasant as Dau moved along the path towards Nyka. The forest was cool, and the shade relieved him from the heat. Much of his pack was back with the caravan heading towards the city, but he had stepped away in order to seek a few moments of solace. His shift as a guard was over for the moment, and he would take what rest he could until he reached his new home. Nearby was a pleasant stream running between two small embankments, bubbling pleasantly as he approached.

From his pack he produced a small razor and a bar of soap as stepped down the low slow, and he set to the process of removing the coarse stubble that had appeared across his jawline within the last few days-- between seeking the job and preparing the caravan, he had been distracted from the chore.

Halfway through, he heard a cry from nearby. Startled, he nicked his cheek and drew a thin sliver of blood. Washing quickly, he heard an additional scream before he was able to shoulder his pack, rushing off to the source of the noise.

Between the trees he could see a handful of men, one with a scimitar drawn. The wielder appeared to be defending himself, having felled one of his foes with a nearby crossbow.

From his vantage, Dau tried to focus: The defending man could not be an assassin... The bolt hit his assailant in the knee, hardly a lethal blow. The one with the scimitar must have been ambushed.

None of these men were from the caravan, so he owed them nothing. However, it would not do to encourage thieves. He lifted the razor, let out a brief cry, and dashed into the fray.

[Sina Vestia]

Sina prepared to strike at the nearest bandit when they were close enough. His heart was still racing from the surprise of the ambush. He had killed men before but he usually was the one ambushing instead of being ambushed. He didn't like the table being flipped on him.

He kept a straight face as the bandits were almost upon him, bringing the scimitar up into a position where he could parry the first swing from one of the sharp blades. The first bandit just entered his range when all of a sudden a man comes running out of the forest screaming with a bloody razor in hand, directly towards the combat. Sina confused for a second didn't know what to make of the situation but he decided to worry about it later when he saw the bandit blade swinging at his neck and barely managed to dodge it. Sina responds with a swift uppercut slicing into the bandit's stomach sending him to the ground bleeding and screaming. Sina payed no attention to the blood that had splattered all over his face and clothing and turns his attention to the remaining bandits with an evil grin.

[Dau Kaiden]

Two bandits down, three more to go. Dau scooped a chunk of rock as he dashed forwards, slipping a little in his haste to raise it. He caught his footing, hefted the stone in his right hand, and channeled djed into the limb. He felt a rush of euphoria as the Flux took over, and he hurled the improvised weapon towards the nearest assailant.

It struck the man in the shoulder with a sickening crack, a telltale sign that bone and ligaments had been torn apart. The assassin shrieked, dropping his weapon, and fell to the ground cradling his limb. Deftly, Kaiden released his Djed-- his arm would be intensely sore in the morning from the exertion, but it was irrelevant at the moment.

Dau took the razor from his pocket and considered the next attacker. Two were down, and the closest one recently incapacitated. This left two bandits, one facing Dau's temporary ally, the other bandit nearer to Kaiden himself.

The man across from him was apoplectic from fury, his face red as veins stood out. They faced off, Dau keeping low to the ground, noting the location of sticks, stones, and other impromptu weapons. The razor was hardly a match for any kind of sword.

Bandit or not, the man facing him had guts after losing his buddies. Dau shrugged, loosening his shoulders and preparing himself for what came next. Within moments, the attacker yelled, leaping forward and swinging his sword down in an arc.

I'm too far away to close in, Dau thought to himself, jumping backwards. He caught his footing in the dirt as the other man lunged forward again, thrusting with the tip of his weapon. Kaiden turned, the edge of the blade slicing a thin line through the clothing of his shirt. He reached out, his eyes meeting his opponent's.

Dau indulged in a fierce smile as he grasped the sword's hilt with his left hand, once again channeling into the flesh and bone. His grip strengthened, and the bandit howled as his sword-hand was crushed beneath Flux-hardened muscle. Kaiden threw his opposite shoulder into the man, knocking him backwards and off balance. As the bandit fell back, the razor whipped up and outwards, slicing across the man's jugular, drawing a dark red line through the skin and muscle.

The bandit fell, and the sword slipped from his grasp. Dau began to move forward, advancing towards the last bandit, releasing the Djed from his left arm. As the Flux waned, he staggered slightly, falling to his knees as the razor tumbled from his hand.