Nostrum: Tales of Valor

Reminiscent

Images of straw-filled barrows reflect back at four figures as the glow of lanterns illuminate them in the absence of sunlight. Their obscure locations tell of work that had only just recently been abandoned. The four remain ignorant to such things, as greater concerns have already absorbed their conscious minds. Pressing on into deepening darkness, they keep their blades up high and their lanterns higher. With the rustling of their own footsteps occupying their hearing, no matter their efforts in keeping quiet, they rely mostly on their senses of sight and smell. Motions beyond the light they provide draw eyes and curious odors give new directions... until they give too many. Stopping almost simultaneously, each member of the party sways their lantern in opposing manners.

"The Decwicks say it'll take us more than one night, hm?" Lee grinds his teeth as he scrunches his left cheek, peering off in the same direction.

"They did." Assures Marne, now standing alongside Lee with his candlelight illuminating the grounds ahead. "We should keep together. If we've been given more than one night to fulfill this task, we've no need in separating from one another."

"Hmph." Lee sniffs sharply at the air. Then, begins to move once more.

Hael and Yuler keep near at the rear, ensuring that nothing attempts to sneak up on the group as they press on. Before long, they reach a far corner of the stone wall, where Hael steps to the front and runs her fingers over the scarred surface.

"These markings are relatively fresh. Whatever made them was attempting to climb out of this pen."

"Understandably so." Adds Yuler, still feeling uneasy about the whole situation.

"Come," insists Lee, following the wall to its right, "we'll surely stumble upon them soon."

"Soon would be an understatement." Hael tips her head to one side as if listening to something up ahead. The others acknowledge this and slow their pace, attempting to catch whatever it might be as well.

Scuttering and scraping become clear but do not yet seem to be aggressive in nature.

"Seems they haven't given up the effort." Lee turns a small wheel atop his lantern, prompting the others to do the same. As this is done, the lights within begin to dim and the immediate area around them darkens drastically. "Stick close to Hael."

Marne and Yuler do so without question. Leaving Lee to his own devices as he strays away from the group.

"Where is he-"

"Shh!" Demands Hael as she lowers herself as much as possible without hindering her ability to walk forwards. "Be ready."

Marne clips his lantern at his hip and silently slings his cleaver overhead, allowing the handle to rest on his shoulder as he grips the blade's edge in his free hand. Yuler keeps her ax in its shorter form and tucked tight against her body, allowing herself to keep her lantern held at the height of her shins. Hael, who has now stopped only a few yards away from the source of the sounds, sticks the edge of her sword into the ground. Then, winds her arm back with a lantern in hand. As if awaiting a signal, she remains as still as possible in this position. With what seems to be the hooting of an owl somewhere opposite of themselves, the beasts stop the efforts. As this happens, Hael immediately launches her lantern towards them. The flame spirals within, nearly extinguishing itself in the process. As glass shatters and the contents spill out, a burst of light illuminates the creatures for a brief moment. Startled by the sound and the light, they yip and back away from the wall, but quickly turn towards one of their own as it lets out a pain-filled wail. Lee tears his blade from the beast as he makes yet another hooting sound, which causes Hael to lunge forward herself. In one quick motion, she leaps from her hiding spot and clangs her sword against the wall.

"Now!" She shouts, still running her blade against the wall and drawing the attention of the four or five lycan that remain.

Marne and Yuler, taking this as their queue, expose themselves to the threat as well. With each of the beasts focused on Lee and Hael, another is quickly brought down by Marne's cleaver, which finds itself grinding at the paralyzed spinal column of an unsuspecting victim. Yuler, on the other hand, does not find herself to be so lucky with her engagement. As she attempts a swipe at the rear legs of a lycan that has already noticed her, it kicks its legs out, managing to knock the wind out of her. By now, Hael's efforts to distract have concluded and she finishes her striking of the wall with a whistling swish that causes yet another lycan yowl. Provoked growls and snapping are heard as two move in on Lee, who has only just managed to reopen the vent of his lantern. In moments, the area is illuminated around him and the beasts once more find themselves in a weakened state. With his light blinding them in their attack, one clumsily swipes a paw and loses it almost immediately.

"Yuler!" Marne shouts, desperately tugging at his cleaver to try breaking it free as he watches the lycan Yuler had failed to hit start to move nearer to her. "Roll!"

Taking his word, Yuler kicks herself off to one side just as the beast pounces. As its maw is met with a mouthful of earth, it snarls angrily and shakes the debris away. Once it has done so, it quickly returns to its attack. Yuler turns herself over so that her back is against the ground and places the ax out in front of herself, managing to catch the beast's jaw as it bites down on the wood and begins thrashing around.

"Marne!" Hael's voice draws his attention as one of the unoccupied lycan begins to charge. The rumbling of its vocal cords fills his ears as eyes of pure evil and hatred set themselves on his own.

Stepping down on the one he has slain and pulling himself up, he yanks at the cleaver until it is finally freed. Looking towards the beast that charges him and then at the one which has already begun snapping at Yuler, he grits his teeth, winds the cleaver back, and slings it.

"Yuler!" Marne's voice calls out once more. Taking her eyes off her attacker, she spots the cleaver, as well as Marne; who has braced himself against the trunk of a tree and placed his hands out in front of him, as if to be preparing for what is to come. Taking it all in as quickly as she can, she kicks against the lycan's jaw, causing its head to break away from the ax just as Marne's cleaver connects with its face. A cry is cut short as it falls limp. Taking what she has seen from Hael, she recollects the lantern that had fallen from her grasp and launches it at Marne's attacker, whilst producing a loud pitched whistle from her lips. As the glass crashes against the ground, the lycan turns to her, but only for a brief moment. As it turns back to Marne and goes in for a bite, he has already managed to shift himself out of the way. The beast's snout slams into the tree's bark, just as Yuler returns Marne's favor. Her ax finds itself placed between the lycan's ribs, where the lungs quickly begin to deflate. Collecting Marne's cleaver, she passes it off to him, with him giving her a grateful nod and her own ax. "Thanks."

"Of course." The pair look back to Hael and Lee, who have managed to bring down the last of the pack while they had been occupied.

"That will have to do for tonight." Huffs Lee, who plops himself against the ground and pulls out a stained cloth from a pant pocket. "We've yet to be prepared for another one like that."

"What? Should we not go on? The night is still young." Argues Yuler, who watches Lee use the cloth to clean his blade.

"We were fortunate enough that none of us were injured, Roo-... Yuler." Collecting Lee's lantern, Hael takes a seat herself, still huffing from the battle, and points to Marne's cleaver. "We will need that sharpened before next nightfall."

"Understood." Marne looks to his weapon with disapproval, knowing it to be true.

"Is there no other weapon you are proficient with?" Lee pulls his flask free and takes a hearty gulp from it, letting his eyes rest on Yuler.

"None that I have with me. No."

"Perhaps we should see what the Decwick's possess in their armory, then. It'd be for the best that-"

"N-No." Yuler grips at the ax with both hands in an insistent manner. "I've chosen to use this and it is what I will use."

Lee and Hael turn to face one another before Hael lowers her head and begins wiping her own blade clean. Leaving Lee to let off steam through his nostrils as he raises his flask to his lips once more.

"So be it."