Thread: Another Life (Cheshire Smirk & darkangel76)

A wave of sinew and steel spilled down the boarding ladders, crashing onto the docks and pushing through the rallied town defenders. Pitchfork splintered against war-scythe, Axes accustomed to splitting firewood shattered against the broad, heavy heads of battle-axes. In under a minute the docks belonged to the Sunderfangs, steel-clad behemoths rushed and spread out into the town, wreaking havoc while their siege-armaments continued to rain hell down onto the battlefield. One man stuck out against the others in the barbaric battalion. Four of the town's finest guards were engaged in fierce combat with him, trying their hardest to overcome the strangest weapons they had ever seen. Two wide heavy blades were attached to the man's forearms, blades extending roughly six inches past his knuckles. Each bladed gauntlet also had a long barbed chain hanging down from it, chains grasped in the man's hands. The warrior slashed and whipped, eviscerating the opponent in front of him while matching range with a halberd-wielding defender. The warrior moved with an unearthly grace, parrying and thrusting with an almost bored look on his face. Every now and again the man would kick out with a wicked clawed boot, just another weapon to keep his opposition at bay. A woman rushed to aid the embattled warrior, bashing the halberd wielder hard in the back of the head with her gilded shield then impaling a second man on the end of her heavy short-spear. The warrior with the arm-blades quickly stepped forward to meet his aid, standing back-to-back with her as more of the town's better trained guards came to stop their advance. Man after man died to the pair, unable to strike even a single blow. Together they worked deeper into the town as an unstoppable whirlwind of steel and fury, laying low any foolish enough to stand in their place. Their rampage was cut short as a lone arrow flew true and hit it's mark, slipping past the woman's shield and biting deep into her chest. The woman shrieked in pain and then tore the arrow free of her chest, dropping it to the ground without a thought. The wounded woman fought on, pressing hard against the three men who'd come between her and her charge. Her companion fought with redoubled vigor, cutting down the men who'd tried to separate them. As the third man died the woman succumbed to her wound, falling forward as her life slipped away. She was caught by her companion, who pulled her swiftly into his arms. Arzale...Today...I fulfill...my...vow The woman sputtered, coughing up blood with every syllable. Larethia...Hold on. This is but a flesh wound compared to other hurts you've sustained! The man growled, shaking her in vain attempts to rouse her. The warrior known as Arzale looked around swiftly, trying to find some safe place to tend to his companions wounds. Arzale kept his burden close to his chest, those broad blades on his forearms now serving as a shield while he ran to a spot on the beach that was free of fighting. A lone woman was the only person on that beach, apparently unable to get up off the sands. Arzale made a mad dash towards her, moving with surprising speed for somebody carrying another person in full battle-gear in his arms.