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Post by ivory on Jun 22, 2009 18:35:08 GMT -5
Perkins' brow scrunched together in puzzlement when he didn't hear the russle of branches anymore. He took another chance and peeked around the tree, frowning when he didn't see the ranger anywhere. But he had to be. He'd just see-
His thought was shot down by an arrow.
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Yatal didn't feel the slightest remorse as he watched the arrow's flight into Perkins' brains. He now knew where the Ranger was. He didn't rush in and attack, preferring instead to trail for a minute and follow. Jokuin had no doubt gone to get reinforcements and he'd wait for them before attacking. He wasn't too proud to know that he'd probably need it.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 22, 2009 19:13:48 GMT -5
Monkuta knew he was being followed. Whoever it was wasn't being particularly careful with their footing. They must have thought he wasn't paying attention. He was always paying attention. The fact that it went on for several minutes meant that the didn't know that he knew. He would use this to his advantage.
He abruptly stopped and ducked behind a tree trunk. Kneeling there, he knocked an arrow as quickly as possible and took a fraction of a second to think. The footsteps were quiet, but not very. Twigs, dead leaves... The straightest line would be...
He spun back out of cover and let loose a barrage of arrows at the target. Ten were in the air. One would pierce this man's heart.
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Post by ivory on Jun 22, 2009 19:26:03 GMT -5
Yatal only had time to widen his eyes as the arrows shot toward him. He died with his mouth open in shock.
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Ten more bandits exited out of the tunnels heavily armed with swords, axes, maces, and two with bows. Amongst them were two arena fighters - Diga, a female armed with two swords and heavily scarred from battle, and Gamon, a giant of a male who picked his teeth with one of the mutliple knives hidden upon his body. Both held years of experience of surviving the hellworld of the arena.
And all had watched Yatal die and were heading toward the ranger in an independant group formation - far enough so one attack wouldn't hurt more than one, but close enough where they could easily circle a prey. Their plan was to pick them off one by one, starting with the ranger.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 22, 2009 19:48:49 GMT -5
Monkuta swore under his breath. He was running out of arrows. They had to regroup. Shouldering his bow, he took off running. He'd always bee able to outrun people. His legs we're very long which made it very easy. He just had to pray that the two bow wielders weren't good shots on the move with trees in the way. It was only the better rangers who could ever pull that off. The thought calmed his worries a bit, but not enough. It took him a few minutes to find Lea. She was close to where he had found Marina earlier. Of course, the girl was gone. Monkuta leaped over the river and met her with a look of despair.
"At least ten of them," he said, catching his breath. "Don't let your guard down." He re-equipped his bow, knocked an arrow and waited for the bandits to catch up to him. His legs had held true and given him quite a lead on them.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jun 23, 2009 10:57:49 GMT -5
Lea saw the ranger run up to her as she stooped to retrieve another of her knives. She had managed to retrieve five of them rather quickly as the two bandits she hadn't killed had suddenly seemed to melt away into nothing.
"Ten?" Lea asked increduously. Who were these guys? "Damn! They are decent fighters too. Maybe we should move back to that group of large trees so we can put our backs against something to keep from getting surrounded." She suggested.
"Or, better yet, why don't we hunt them? The grass is tall down here by the river, Maybe we can make them split up and come looking for us and take them out one on one by hiding in the grass or the trees up there."
Lea wasn't sure if there was time or not, but she would much rather fight 10 people one at a time than wait for them to all surround her and attack at one time.
Then she remembered Josh, "I am afraid they got your apprentice. They took her over the hill there." Lea pointed. "We need to stay free so we can get her back. I am begining to think these guys are slavers, not bandits. They didn't seem to want to injure me, only catch me."
Then another thought entered her head. "Damn! I hope they don't have nets!" Lea scowled and crouched down in the tall grass. "I hate nets."
She remembered Dougal's men trapping her one time in their net and hanging for hours in a tree before she figured out how to get herself down. Dougal was of the opinion that the best way to teach things was to throw you in and expose you to the menace and let you figure out how to handle it. Lea didn't subscribe to that philosopy, but had to admit that she did learn to really hate nets.
And she learned how to get out of them when you don't have a blade to hand. Teeth were good for more than just chewing food, as long as you are not in a hurry.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 23, 2009 16:31:17 GMT -5
Monkuta nodded gravely. He'd assumed that Marina had been taken somewhere by them. He shouldn't have brought her along. She hadn't even a month of training behind her yet. It was a foolish move and yet, if she hadn't come along she certainly would have quit. He didn't want that guilt on his shoulders either. He returned his focus to the matter at hand. "Very well," he began. "Into the tall grass. But they have to see us go in... And keep one alive. We need to figure out who they are and why they're here." Even as he said the words, the thought entered his mind. Could these men have been from the very place they were searching for? It was too coincidental. But then, why not? He counted his arrows. He'd been wise to carry extras on this trip. Only fifteen remained in the quiver. He looked over his bow, making sure it was holding up before skulking into the grass and waiting for Lea's signal.
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Post by ivory on Jun 23, 2009 17:14:44 GMT -5
The orders had come out capture if possible, kill if necessary. Diablo had already left with the girl, sticking Jokuin in charge and though he too was greedy, he knew when to cut his losses. After giving the order, he too was gone - slipping deeper into the tunnels.
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Diga sneered as she twirled her two swords. She glared at the two bowmen and with a scratchy voice made so by a not-to-long ago slice across her neck, ordered them to climb a tree and stand back. She'd been hoping they'd gone into they tall grass. So many before them had done likewise, thinking to hide themselves in there so they'd booty-trapped it. A net here, a pit there, another right where you're about to step. It was marvelous.
Gamon on the other hand sneered. He wanted to cut someone's throat. His eyes flicked toward both his lover and his enemy. Maybe he'd be able to slit hers again. No one would really care - she was worthless though a great fighter he had to admit. Still, they were all deposible and he wouldn't get in trouble for it. Just one little slip of his knife and the blood would come pouring out to cleanse the ground. He sneered before ordering those with the ropes to go in first.
Bigger hideouts used the nets, but since they were one of the smaller ones, they'd got the blasted ropes. In Mivalon's hands though, ropes could be deadly.
This kind of life was the best.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jun 24, 2009 11:03:34 GMT -5
Lea watched their pursuers approach and noted that one took the trees. "That one is carrying a bow. You might want to take him out." Lea said to the ranger. "Oh, and watch out for traps. These guys seem way to organized, like they have done this several times before."
Lea wondered why no one in town had heard anything about them, though. Even if no one survived these attacks, there would be reports of missing people. She put the thoughts aside for future analysing and concentrated on killing and staying alive as she slunk into the tall grass like a panther.
She dropped to all fours and pulled the dress and veil off in quickly and stashed it. So much for the disquise. What a waste of a silver.
Now she was wearing her usual wenches garb. Maybe the change in colors would help throw them off. Plus this outfit was worn and faded and would blend in with the colors in the grass much better.
She moved in closer to her pursuers, thinking they would expect her to move away. Sure enough, after only a few feet of sliding between the blades of grass, trying not to move them, she nearly placed her hand down on the edge of a pit.
she saw where there was newly turned over dirt along the edge and then saw a grass matt had been laid over the top of a lattice of water reeds. They were just strong enough to hold the matt up, but any weight on them would plunge the person into the deep pit. Too deep to climb out of by oneself.
Lea turned to go around it and saw the snare just as her hand was a mere inch from it. She stopped and studied it's set up. It was attached to a rope that wound it's way through the grass towards a stand of trees. Probably would snare you and drag you in that direction until you were dangling from a tree limb. Lea crouched and picked up her skirts and carefully stepped over the snare. She glanced around and saw two men closing on her posistion. She ducked back down and moved away so that the pitt and the snare were between her and them. With any luck they would catch themselves in their own traps, she thought with satisfaction.
She slithered through the grass, hardly making the tops of the blades move. When she got about 20 feet from the pitt, she stopped and turned around, drawing a knife in each hand and waited, listening to all the sounds around her. She could hear the two men still approaching. She listened to make sure no one was sneaking up behind her.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 24, 2009 11:39:38 GMT -5
It took only moments for Monkuta to locate the enemy in the trees and put an arrow in his chest. Fourteen arrows remained. When he lowered his gaze again, he noticed that Lea was gone. Oh well, she could handle herself. He would lie in wait for the next enemy foolish enough to enter his sights. He'd been distracted and angry before. He wasted arrows and time. Now, though, he ignored thoughts of Marina and focused on the mission. These men had to die before they had a chance of getting to her. He would not miss again.
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Post by ivory on Jun 24, 2009 11:46:05 GMT -5
Mivalon and Nocul moved slowly through the grass, eyes scanning both around them and below them, searching for the traps they had helped lay days before. A few feet behind them four other men were spread out in a line, weapons held at the ready. Diga and Gamon split off into a group of their own. Despite their bulking bodies, they were silent on their feet - having each served a good deal of time battling the Beast. He'd been raised as an animal and born blind. Silence was necessary for survival. He relied heavily on his hearing and it was damn accurate. The arena's floor was always covered in leaves whenever he was pitted up against someone, to 'better the odds' the judges would say when in reality, it was only to get rid of those they no longer wanted. Of course, they couldn't disappoint the crowd, so they would have him allow some to live no and then - those that they didn't have a personal matter to attend to. Many that found themselves the owners of the Judge's debts or personal wants, wound up facing him and one was yet to survive. The Judges had the Beast within the palms of their hands, ready to do their bidding at a moment's notice. And though he wasn't allowed to kill some, he always had his 'fun' before setting them up for Judgement.
Diga and Gamon had received many of their scars from his hands and though they'd learned to keep quiet, they'd never won. They saw this newest challenge as a chance to win, using their skills to capture the woman and ranger - two great foes from what they'd heard.
Mivalon stopped at the mere edge of the pit, but Nocul wasn't so lucky and with a cry his weight sank into the covering of the hole. He lashed out with his rope as he fell and Mivalon heard the thump as it connected with something hard. He ignored his comrade's cry of pain as he landed wrong, snapping some bone in his leg, and scanned the place where the end of the rope had hit.
A giant knot was tied at the very end of it, causing a bulge that would definitely leave a bruise if connected against the body. In some causes, it could break bones - which was the usually the cause when Mivalon decided to use his. Not only was it a weapon, but it was a capturing device. The knot gave it weight and with someone who knew what he was doing, he could wrap it around the limbs of a man, effectively tying him down while the others moved in to knock their captive out.
Mivalon's eyes narrowed as he searched the place, having a hard time spotting whoever it had been. His left hand came up, about ready to give the signal to warn the others.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jun 24, 2009 12:16:28 GMT -5
Lea heard one guy fall into the pit and cry out and grinned in satisfaction. One down, nine to go...or so they thought, they didn't have an exact count on how many were attacking them.
She heard something whip through the air and make a thud near hear, but had no idea what it was. She stayed still, not moving, barely breathing so as not to make a sound. Her daggers ready, waiting for the other to get caught in the snare or approach close enough she could bury a dagger in his chest.
She listened again to the sounds behind her and to the side. She still didn't hear anyone approaching except the man in front.
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Post by ivory on Jun 24, 2009 12:25:48 GMT -5
The other four had caught his signal and he gave one of them one more. Holding up one finger to command the man at the end on his side, he twisted his wrist twice, telling him to move ahead. Mivalon hadn't survived so long by taking chances. If one of them were there that he couldn't see, he wasn't going in first.
Hakalow didn't protest as he did as commanded. He hadn't the voice to do so anyways, having lost his voice in battle sixteen years ago. Now at the age of thirty-three, he was an expert fighter and confident in his skills. He eased around the pit, ignoring the slight sounds he made. What mistakes he mad in stealth he always made up in ruthless abandon.
He frowned when he didn't see anything, but wasn't too troubled. He'd seen her at a distance and she didn't look that threatening. He wondered even why they were going through the trouble of capturing her, but orders were orders and he didn't think on them further. A moment later, he couldn't think at all. [OOC: if you don't want to kill him, that's fine. I planned for another to have a slight revenge thing against him and seeing an opportunity, well he just took it. But whatev.'s fine with me]
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Post by Brandwyn on Jun 24, 2009 13:01:46 GMT -5
Lea listened carefully. She could have sworn the one man had stopped. She heard someone coming towards here, but she didn't think it was the same guy. The sounds he made when he moved were diffrent, heavier, less careful.
She was about to pop up and toss a knife at him, when she thought better of it. What if there were two of them and the first guy was waiting for her to do just that so he could shoot her or throw a knife into her, or worse, toss a net over her head.
She stayed still, waiting, tense and ready for action, crouched on the balls of her feet. She had a throwing knife in each hand, able to kill with her left hand as easily as with her right. Another thing Dougal insisted on from his trainees. His reasoning: what if you lost your right arm? You just going to give up and let them kill you?
She had wanted to point out that if her right arm got cut off she would most likely pass out from the pain and blood loss and die, but Dougal didn't care too much for backtalk, as she had also eventually learned - well for the most part. She still risked a good cuff to the head sometimes when she thought a comment here or there would bug him. She dearly loved to bait her mentor. It was a game they played often. She wished he was here now. She was nearly alone and more than a little bit scared about the situation.
At least she was with a ranger, if not for that, she would try melting away, possibly into the river where she would swim upstream and possibly get away from them. But she couldn't leave the ranger and his apprentice in this situation. It went against her own personal code.
That, and she hated running from a fight, no matter what the odds were. So she waited, biding her time until she was sure of a kill.
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Post by ivory on Jun 24, 2009 13:26:20 GMT -5
Luvor, one of the bowmen, saw his golden opportunity and without hesitation, he took it. Two seconds later, he sneered as he watched his arrow fly true - straight into the back of Hakalow. He figured he'd get a day in a cell, but didn't doubt that it wasn't worth it. Hakalow was a brute of a man and Luvor took great pleasure in ending his pathetic life. Besides, the man had looked at him funny. That was reason enough to die all and considering that the now dead man was responsible for his cut up face.
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Mivalon wasn't surprised when Hakalow went down with an arrow in his back. He knew the man wouldn't last the day with one of his archenemies acting as his backup. And if he had, Mivalon would've killed him himself since he didn't like to be proven wrong, even if no one knew that he had. It was more of a personal ordeal than anything.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jun 24, 2009 14:37:37 GMT -5
Lea heard the man approaching her topple to the ground after the thwang of a bow. She noted where the sound had come from and popped to her feet, the knife flying through the air towards the bowman's chest.
She glanced slightly to her left and saw the first man that had been pursueing her and let her knife in her left hand fly at him, hoping to nail him in the throat.
She didn't stand still to see if they struck true, though. She sprang up and dove over to her right and then tucked back down into the grass again. She was down to four throwing knives and her two long daggers that she had retrieved during their brief respite several minutes ago.
She was crawling through the grass, watching for traps when she smelled the distinct smell of rotting flesh. She moved towards it out of morbid curiosity. She parted the grass and there was a body that looked as if it had been lying there for two or three days.
The man was covered in maggots and Lea nearly gagged at the smell. He looked like he might be one of those who were attacking her now. He had an arsenal of knives and a sword on his body.
Lea inspected the area around him for traps, but didn't detect any. She needed to replenish her supply of weapons, so she carefully tugged a dagger from the unfortunate fellow's boot, knocking the maggots off it. He didn't appear to be booby trapped. She stuck the knife in her belt and pulled out three more, careful to not roll him over. He was half lying on the sword, but she didn't want that, not knowing how to use one effectively. She only cared about the knifes.
Some instinct told her not to move the man or touch the dagger in his left hand. She figured four daggers was a pretty good haul and decided to move on around him carefully. She was half in the open now, since the grass was trampled where the man lay, so she peeked over the top of the grass to see if her knife throws had taken out their intended targets. She was still holding a throwing knife in each hand, ready in case they were still on her tail.
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