Locking blades in grass surrounded by streams and trees he pulled ahead. Swiftly the figure's dagger was knocked from his hand while he fell to the ground. Draped halfway in shadow due to the overhanging cliff, he held his long sword below the man's neck steadily.
"Where is it? You must know of its location as a follower!" He shouted to the thinly dressed man. Through the sound of running water and clashing blades, he heard a laugh. From his disadvantageous position, he was hysterical writhing on the forest floor.
With fire in his veins, he didn't bother wasting any more time. Pulling the tip of his sword away he started back down in a cleave, and then suddenly a rumble from above shook him out of the swing.
Staring past the rock toward the sun a large form was illuminated against the bright backdrop. Hideous to all nature the cliff below it began to crack and fracture. As the spreading veins reached the level of their battlefield he backed away. A thunderstorm of sound soon followed as it began crumbling from above to below.
Sliding his blade onto his back he ran for the lower cliff edge. Shouting at his brethren to retreat he couldn't make the time to explain the situation.
Pieces of stone thudding against his armor plates, he was now more than ever thankful for his sturdy helmet's protection.
Behind him the tsunami-like wave had already overtaken much of the battlefield, clamping closer onto his rear. With little left to lose he dove for the edge only then realizing they were higher than he thought. Obscured at the bottom by tree cover he brought up his gauntlets to protect his face as if that would do anything on impact.
Catching and snapping branches as he fell, his helmet was quickly filled with water as he landed. Sinking into a small lake he didn't bother taking a breath before diving. Feeling the suction of the water as slabs of rock fell in behind him he pushed with all his body to out swim them.
The little light that filled the depths was now overshadowed. Colliding into him was one ton of stone dragging him down further.
Attempting to push away as he ran out of breath he narrowly slid out from under it and toward the surface. As he reemerged his lungs opened again to gulp in air while he struggled to remove his helm. Tossing it to the side into puddles of mud he gasped while rolling onto his back exhausted.
Branches above broken and snapped hung low to the water line while smaller rocks still cascaded down.
Head resting in the dirt he lay there collecting himself until the thought of what happened to his party crossed his mind again. "They didn't land in the water," he said tilting his head up through the aching pain in his neck.
Moving to look into the dark green of the forest he knew most couldn't have survived. Stuck between a crumbling mountain, cultists, and a cliff, their options were limited.
Basking in the rays of sun that broke through the disheveled canopy, he threw his arm over his chest and rolled onto his side. Pushing off the ground from there he eventually stood. Soaked through the cloth under his armor he patted his limbs making sure they were intact. As ready as he could be in the current predicament he started walking around the cliff wall's edge.
Some had to have survived, somehow.
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Bite Sized Story's Chronicles
Short Story"I had a family, I had a wife and kids... Think think, then it clicked. He killed them, he did it so long ago and now he could remember it clearly". -#52 Shattered "Through the gag their screams were muffled, deeply disturbing him as he noticed the...
