Thread: Savage Ambitions (InwiththeBooks and DreamsofFae)

A Talon was meant to be a leader, to guide warriors in glorious combat and bring wealth back to their clan. They were not born but forged in the fires of battle, not simply a warrior but also one who possessed a mind for warfare and strategy. Upon the offering of the title a potential Talon needed to seek out a wild beast and slay it, claiming a talon from its corpse as the symbol of their new office. These items carried their own stories, each one a mark of the honor held within the clan and a testament to the skills of the bearer. Around Ikas neck was a talon inscribed with crude tribal runes, having been torn from the paw of a great dire wolf. The young Orcish Talon strode through the village with the ease of a seasoned warrior, her cleaver like blade gripped in one hand with a shield being gripped in her other. The weapon was not clean, still dripping with the warm blood of a militiaman who had wielded naught but a pitchfork. The information her scouts had delivered was very much accurate, this place had been ill defended and ill prepared for a raid. The young orc female cut an intimidating figure, standing a full head above most human men and possessed of a form made of tightly corded muscles honed to kill. Her black hair was pulled into a tight series of braids which were allowed to fall back from her face. Tiny vestigial tusks just managed to jut up from her lower lip, a mark of embarrassment for her as smaller tusks were considered an oddity. Her armor was made of fine iron and was insolated with smooth and supple leather. Orcs prided themselves on craftsmanship, it might not have looked the prettiest but it was both functional and comfortable. The functionality of her blade was proven when a human militiaman attempted to gore her with a crude spear. The cleaver like blade whistled through the air as she briskly sidestepped, severing the head of the lesser weapon from the shaft easily. She carried her momentum into swinging her shield into the side of the mans head, causing him to fall limp upon the ground. It was not a lethal blow by any stretch but it did not need to be. A raid leaders goal was not death and destruction, but to procure resources for the clan as a whole. That included slaves that could be used for labor, the more people taken alive the better her raid would be seen. Talon! The voice was immediately recognized by Ika, who turned her head and graced the large bear of an Orc that was her second in command with a nod. Yigilsh, report. The woman ordered curtly. The fighting seems to be dying down our men are still encountering pockets of resistance but are working through them easily enough. The major point of contention is near the temple at the center of the village. A priestess has foiled our attempts to enter the building. Its possible it might have an escape route built into it. He stated clearly, hitting the heel of his hand against his breastplate. Ika frowned, the news certainly not what she had been expecting. It was rare that a holy mage was encountered she had not factored in that possibility before coming here. If the priestess was indeed guarding an escape passage of some description that would most certainly cut into the numbers of captives that could be taken. The orc cursed low and gestured for her second in command to lead on through the smoke and screams that permeated the night air. When she arrived upon the scene she noted the priestess standing in the doorway of the small church, the main doors having been smashed to splinters already. A few of her warriors were futilely smashing at the shield with their weapons, accomplishing nothing more than blunting their weapons. The Talon frown, turning to whisper a few words to her second in command who nodded and headed out back into the village proper. With that done the Talon approached the shielded doorway, regarding the priestess with a raised brow. You lot, stop it. You wont get through that shield so easily. Swords will not get us entry. The Talon commanded. It was about ten minutes later when her second in command returned, the fighting having audibly begun to calm down and the fires beginning to dim. He pushed a man along and shoved him to his knees on the ground before Ika, the human babbling in his own tongue. Ika kicked him roughly and placed her blade at the mans neck, half turning her gaze to the priestess. The message was clear open the way or the man died. Possibly followed by others.