The Homecoming 55.

Close Quarter Combat...

Tamric Drubine glances back and sees that Dorc da Orc though not moving for a few moments, is now trying to sit up. The plate of natural dragon armour the large ork wears over his chest, and ample stomach. Has once again saved his life, from what was obviously a magical attack of some kind.
The nobleborn teenager sprints ahead, easily outpacing Riley Hait the mercenary ranger. Then Tamric Drubine, or Tam as he's often referred to, runs in through the doorway that sir Percavelle Lé Dic has just smashed open.
The former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine in the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, looks to his right down a hallway. And sees the former earl of Lé Dic fighting some soldiers in the army of baron Harkonin.
Then recalling what Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy shouted out, Tamric Drubine calls out to the former paladin "Percy he's here!" followed by "In this building!".
Tam spins, and swings his longsword up, taking a surprised looking soldier from the Harkonin fief, across the face. The soldier was so surprised because he just stabbed with shortsword, which missed what he was aiming for. The middle of Tamric Drubine's back.
But the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin had already activated his magical sword which protects him.
Tam moves, heading after sir Percavelle Lé Dic as Riley Hait the mercenary ranger enters the three storey building. The ranger Hait hops over the dead soldier that Tamric Drubine just killed. And he heads the other way down the hallway, hoping to locate the war engineer that he and the rest of the group, have travelled to the kingdom of Druvic to find.
Meanwhile, out in what's basically a town square. Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy heads to the three storey building that sir Percavelle Lé Dic, Tamric Drubine and Riley Hait the mercenary ranger have just entered.
Lisell Maera follows closely behind him. The two of them spare a quick glance to where Dorc da Orc lies after being hit by a spell of some kind. And they see that the ork weaponsmith is trying to move.
The two of them head to the open doorway that the others have gone through. While Shur Kee the monk hurries over to check on the warleader of the ork race.
Dorkindle, who is lying on his back at the base of the front wall of a house opposite the three storey building that's the headquarters of the Harkonin army here in the border town of Falshire. Winces, then groans as he tries to sit up.
The large ork who has been hit by multiple spells, ballista shots, monsters and beasts of all kinds over the years. Has to admit that whatever the spell was that just hit him, has to be one of the hardest hitting things he's ever endured.
"Goods dragony armour" groans Dorc da Orc who taps the black plate of natural dragon armour he wears. The large ork then thinks of whoever it was that just hit him with a spell, and he growls in his native language "That fucken cunt is dead".
The ork weaponsmith cracks an eyelid when he hears Shur Kee the monk say "Friend Dorc are you alright?".
"No" mutters Dorc da Orc, who takes in a deep breath, winces as it hurts to do so, then he says to the short, statured monk kneeling beside him "Yeah me's okay". "Have you got a healing potion, i think you might need to take it if you do" says the acolyte in the order of Bru Li "Nah fuck that shit" mutters the ork warleader who isn't particularly fond of taking healing potions, for the simple reason they taste so disgusting to him.
The big, burly ork lifts his head, and looks across the square he was just flung across. He looks up at the second storey, then third storey of the building opposite. Dorkindle sniffs deeply, then he frowns as he spots someone peeking out of a window. It's the same window the beam of darkness came from that struck him.
The large ork growls, then hating to admit it, as he doesn't think he can move that much at the moment, he says to Shur Kee "Hey monkey". Dorc da Orc nods his chin towards the three storey building across the square, where he sees the person he's spotted, is holding what looks like to be a staff of some kind.
"Up in that big fucken window" says the son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks who can hear, and smell the fighting taking place in the three storey building that's the headquarters of baron Harkonin's forces in Falshire.
"There's a magicky cunt up there" adds the ork weaponsmith who continues on in a slightly sour tone with "You mights want to start doing some of that fucken bruleeing shit you do, me think he gonna fucken spell us".
Shur Kee stands, and spins around and looks up at the window that Dorkindle has mentioned. The physical adept spots someone in dark clothing, and in a hood, holding something.
The acolyte in the order of Bru Li drops his quarterstaff, and grabs the jade pendant he wears on a fine, silver thread chain around his neck.
He lets go of the pendant that's now glowing green, he puts his left foot forward, and bends at the knees, putting his hands down at his right hip.
Shur Kee momentarily pauses, then he when sees the person at the large window, lifts what looks like to be a staff. The short, statured monk who is the living incarnation of the Jade Warrior Bru Li, thrusts his hands forward, and up, with his fingers spread out wide.
Dorc da Orc sourly smiles, and shakes his head as he watches Shur Kee the monk, standing there, shouting "Bru Li spirit!".
A white ball of energy, about eight to nine feet across. Forms just infront of the hands of the acolyte in the order of Bru Li. It then shoots across the square and up, heading towards the window that the figure is standing at.
Maren the apprentice dark druid, who can hear fighting downstairs. In particular one voice that's often shouting "Lé Dic!" quite regularly. Then "Saint Mar-che!" every so often, as well as the name of the god "Narille!"
Who is waiting for the staff of his to regenerate it's power. It takes a while to do so, after unleashing a force of dark malevolence that manifests in a physical form. Of such force that it propelled what he believes is an ork, across the square outside.
He's stunned that the ork in question is still alive, and appears to be trying to sit up. Considering Maren was expecting the beam of darkness to of punched a massive hole through the chest of the ork.
They must really be as tough as people have said they are, Maren the apprentice druid thinks to himself, who has read a couple of historical books that have briefly mentioned orks. And how they're extremely tough and hardy, and incredible difficult to kill compared to any other race* found on the world of Volunell.
The follower of the old ways frowns as he sees the short, statured man in the funny looking hat, next to the downed ork. Spin around and look up this way.
"What's he doing?" murmurs the apprentice to baron Harkonin's advisor the dark druid Palvarc. Who then blinks in surprise at what he suddenly sees. The spellcaster senses, then murmurs "What in the old ways is that?" as he doesn't sense anything magical about the ball of white looking energy, heading across the square, and up towards the window he's looking out of.
Maren quickly glances at his staff that was given to him by his master, then looks to his right, where one of the baron's soldiers, with a crossbow, is hurrying down the hallway, heading this way, probably looking for an open window to shoot out of.
The druid's apprentice, waits a moment, then figuring it's probably best not to stand there at the open window. With a fairly large ball of energy heading straight at it, even non magical energy. He dives out of the way. Hoping that the energy isn't destructive in anyway.
Maren hits the floor, and rolls on his back and looks back. The ball of energy comes through the window, and the wall around it. He's briefly relieved that it actually isn't damaging in anyway, as it just passed completely through the wall surrounding the open window.
Then the apprentice to Palvarc the dark druid inhales a deep breath in surprise. As the soldier running this way, who is almost at the window that Maren was just standing at. Is clipped by the edge of the white ball of energy.
The soldier is picked up, and hurled backwards at speed, smashing through the hallway wall opposite the open window. He's gone from sight, and the white ball of energy that just missed the dark druid's apprentice by a couple of yards.
Heads in the direction the soldier went, going through the wall he went hurtling through. Though it does no damage to the hallway wall when it touches, then passes through it.
The fuck was that? Maren thinks to himself as he lies there on the floor, stunned at what he just witnessed. The fairly young apprentice spellcaster, who has only recently turned eighteen. Grabs his staff that he's accidentally dropped, turns and gets up into a crouch, and scrambles along the hallway. Keeping low, making sure he's under any window sill if the window is open that he passes.
Maren figures with the fighting now  within the headquarters of the baron's forces based here in Falshire. And with what's just happened with him attacking the ork unsuccessfully. And the retaliation from the short fellow wearing a strange looking hat. It's probably a good idea to get the hell out of here, and find somewhere safe to be. At least until lord Sarvaine and the baron's soldiers can drive the enemy from the Lé Dic army out of the disputed border town. That's if they can drive them out.
Downstairs, and sir Percavelle Lé Dic smashes a gauntleted fist into one enemy soldier's face, then rams his shield into another, knocking the man down. The heavily armoured knight stomps a steel boot into that particular soldier's groin.
Then he hops over him, heading for the stairs, shouting "Lé Dic!". The former earl of the fief named after his family's name, grins as he hears the answering shouts of "Lé Dic" from outside, through a nearby window.
The former paladin is glad that the soldiers in his niece's army are making a damn good showing of it, as they try to take back the town of Falshire from the enemy army from the Harkonin fief.
The knight in the order of Saint Mar-che bashes down another enemy soldier with his shield. And hurries by him. Behind the heavily armoured knight, Tamric Drubine runs that soldier through, who is trying to get up off the floor.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin, who is almost right behind the former knight of the first class. Hurries up the stairs behind the former earl of Lé Dic.
"Out of the way you common riff raff" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who grabs an enemy soldier coming down the stairs. And slams his head into the wall to the right.
Tam has to jump to one side as the unconscious soldier in the army of baron Harkonin, comes tumbling down the stairs behind the heavily armoured knight who is racing up the stairs.
Tamric Drubine who is more than twenty five years younger than sir Percavelle Lé Dic, and is only wearing half plate, compared to the suit of full plate armour the former paladin is in.
Finds it difficult to keep up with the former earl of the Lé Dic fief.
The nobleborn teenager can barely keep behind the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che. And he's a few steps behind him when he eventually gets to the third floor of the large building that's being used as the headquarters of the baron Harkonin's forces here in Falshire.
Away to the right, much of the top storey, facing to the west and northwest, is open to the elements. As it's yet to be fully rebuilt after the last border conflict eighteen months ago.
After quickly looking around, sir Percavelle Lé Dic heads into a hallway to the left, Tamric Drubine follows him. Until the former paladin stops, when he sees someone in the hallway, who has just got up off the floor, after basically crawling beneath the height of one of the windows along one side of the hallway,
The son of a former knight of castle Drubine glances around the larger knight infront of him. And sees who it is that's getting up off the floor in the hallway.
"Spellcaster" is the warning Tamric Drubine gives to the former paladin, as he instantly figures out, who it is that's in the hallway with them. The fact he's in dark clothing, and carrying a gnarled looking staff, kind of gives him away. Not to mention it was from up here, that the beam of darkness that struck Dorc da Orc came from.
"Shit" mutters Tam, who drops to the ground and rolls to one side as sir Percavelle Lé Dic runs forward shouting "Narille!" the god, he and his fellow knights in the order of Saint Mar-che worship.
The former earl of Lé Dic is holding the shield of Saint Mar-che out infront of him. And Tamric Drubine winces as he can guess what's about to happen next. When he sees the spellcaster from the Harkonin fief, lift his staff and point it at the oncoming former knight of the first class.
A solid black beam shoots from the end of the staff. Not as wide as the one that struck Dorc da Orc. But it's still the same type.
It hits dead in the centre of sir Percavelle Lé Dic's heavy, footman's shield. With the inevitable results when something magical hits the shield of Saint Mar-che.
The former earl of Lé Dic is thrown backwards through the air, yelping "Damn ungodly villain!" as he does so.
While the black beam of magical energy, rebounds and goes back to where it came from. Way faster, and more powerful than it arrived.
It hits the staff that it originated from. That shatters apart, and the spellcaster holding it. Is flung backwards at speed, before coming to a stop, when he smashes into the wall at the far end of the hallway.
Tamric Drubine winces as he looks at the young spellcaster, who he guesses is a druid that serves in the army of baron Harkonin. Then he looks back behind him, at sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who went flying by, just a few feet above where he was lying on the floor.
Tam who sees the former earl of Lé Dic has rolled to a stop near the top of the stairs, asks him "You okay there Percy?".
The heavily armoured knight groans, then hisses out a painful breath, before replying with "Quite alright young Tamric". The nobleborn teenager rolls his eyes as he figures the former paladin is injured in some way.
Then sir Percavelle Lé Dic after another slight groan, asks "And that foul villain who dared to attack me?". "I think you might of got him" is the extremely dry reply from Tamric Drubine as he looks towards the far end of the hallway where the spellcaster lies motionless . . . . . .

*Authors Note - Non magical race.