Age of Dragons Online

Chapter 8: Siege

Chapter 8

Siege

            Nadran and the troll faced each other, ready to attack.  The troll was not about to leave the one who had attacked him alive, and Nadran was not about to let Aledro’s killer go free.  There was a pause that, although it was only a few seconds long, seemed to stretch out into an eternity.  Then, almost simultaneously, they charged towards each other.

            Nadran met the troll’s attack head – on, and Nadran’s two swords clashed with the troll’s club.  The troll applied more force to its club, pushing Nadran back and causing their weapons to disengage.  The troll swung its club downwards, and Nadran quickly sidestepped, causing the club to collide with the ground, gouging a large tear into the earth.  Before the troll could lift its club again, Nadran leaped forward, impaling it through the heart with both swords.  Surprisingly, the troll survived the hit and grabbed him in its free hand, holding him up by his head.  The troll held Nadran at arms’ length, lifting its club in its other hand as if Nadran were a piñata, and the troll was about to try breaking the “piñata” open.  As the troll began to swing its club towards him, Nadran swung his swords upwards, slicing through its wrist and therefore removing its grip on him, along with its hand.

            Nadran fell towards the ground, the club missing him by inches.  The troll howled in pain and rage, and swung another downwards blow towards him.  Nadran jumped back as the club smashed the ground a couple of feet in front of him, then quickly ran up the club, then the troll’s arm.  Nadran launched himself off the troll’s shoulder, landing on its head and embedding both his swords into its skull.  As the troll froze, Nadran jumped off the troll, not noticing that it was a ten foot drop, or that he landed on the ground perfectly, not even losing his footing on the uneven terrain.  Instead, he felt a sort of satisfaction that the troll would never again hurt anyone as he watched the giant troll shatter into pieces.

            Nadran stood there silently for a few seconds before he was brought back to the battle around him by an explosion caused by a fire arrow hitting an alcohol storehouse.  He looked around for a second before running towards the center of the city.

            He fought through the city, working his way inwards and helping any people that he saw.  Oddly though, he saw very few people.  Where is everyone?  Are they all… dead?  However, Nadran felt that that was not the case.  He kept moving towards the city center, and noticed that everyone else he saw was moving inwards, as well.  When he reached the city center, he realized why the rest of the city seemed so empty.

            In the center of the city stood a giant, medieval style castle.  Huge, stone walls, a moat and drawbridge, massive towers – this castle looked exactly like what you would think of as a medieval castle.  The drawbridge was down, and several players were holding back the monsters from crossing the drawbridge as the last few players outside the castle ran across the drawbridge.  The fighting players followed them into the castle, the archers and mages on the wall above covering their retreat as the drawbridge retracted, sealing them safely inside.

            After the drawbridge had closed, Nadran, still fighting his way towards the castle, realized something.  The drawbridge just closed.  And I am stuck on the OUTSIDE!  With this revelation, Nadran continued to move towards the castle, though he was unsure of what to do when he got there.  They’re not going to bring down the drawbridge for only one person, he thought as he fought his way closer to the castle.  When he had almost reached the castle, an idea came to him.  My ideas are getting more and more ridiculous, he thought in despair.  However, he decided to try.  He finally managed to break free of the monsters, and reached the bank of the moat, which was full of crocodiles.  Of course it is full of crocodiles.  After all, this is the most stereotypical medieval castle ever… at least it seems that way.  Nadran jumped off the river bank and jumped across the backs of the crocodiles much like he had the monsters on the outskirts of the city.  When he reached the other side of the moat, he leaped off the last crocodile towards the castle wall, raising his swords in a reverse grip.