Aftermath 68.

The Kaldel Plains...

Through some of the smoke that's drifting across the western part of the village from the burning airships on the village green.
A pair of horses that have broken free from their tethers, run between the roundhouses as they flee in fright.
They head east through the village, almost running into some of the illegal wreckers who are wandering around, trying to find those who have attacked the village this morning.
Meanwhile, to the south of the village. The last of the local plainsmen and women who were living in the large village with the crew of illegal wreckers.
Are fleeing along the wagon track that heads south. Carrying what little possessions they where able to grab as chaos broke out in the village here in the northeast of the Kaldel Plains.
Whilst back towards the village green. A mage skulks about. Heading in the direction he saw a small group of the attackers were going.
Though wrong, he's certain that one of them is the mage who nearly killed him a little earlier in the morning, near the middle of the large village, where there's a clearing.
He continues to keep holding his power within himself as he scampers from behind one roundhouse to another. Moving ever closer to the village green.
Meanwhile in a badly damaged two storey house on the northwest corner of the village green.
The actual mage who attacked that particular illegal wrecker earlier in the morning.
Is looking out of a north facing window on the ground floor of that house, the largest house in the entire village, the house that the leader of the crew of illegal wreckers has been living in ever since they took over this village, here in the northeast of the Kaldel Plains.
A large chest, infact it's a ship's locker, that's next to the mage. Disappears as he looks out of the window.
While behind him, a short, statured man wearing odd looking white clothing, and an even odder looking conical shaped hat.
Along with a young man, a teenager infact. Who is in half plate armour, who has black tunic like tabbard over his breastplate. And is wearing a black cloak to match.
Push another of the ship's lockers towards where the mage is standing near the window.
Whilst in one corner of the room. Lies the tall plainsman with the shaved head, who leads the crew of illegal wreckers.
He's unconscious, and is completely oblivious to what's happening in this room in his abode.
Not knowing that the wealth he and his crew have accumulated over the last year or so, from bringing down airships across the Kaldel Plains is disappearing, one locker after another. And there's nothing he and his crew of illegal wreckers can do about it.
Towards the middle of the large village, just south of the clearing where the wagon track that goes through the village, crosses a wide path.
Where on one side of a roundhouse, lies a dead wizard on the ground. On the opposite side of that particular house.
A large, heavily armoured knight has sat up with the assistance of an elf in a grey hooded cloak.
The nobleborn knight who has the faceplate of his full helm open. Is shaking his head, and pushing away one of the hands of the elf.
In that hand is a small glass vial. That the elf wants the knight to drink.
The knight who grimaces in pain, wants nothing to do with it.
But the elf in the grey hooded cloak persists, and eventually gets the heavily armoured knight to drink the contents of the small glass vial.
Though from the look upon the nobleman's face it's obvious he's displeased that he's drinking it, and displeased about the taste of it.
East of the village, well over four miles away from it. There's another elf, this one in a white hooded cloak.
Who suddenly appears near some boulders sticking out of the plains.
He turns, and looks back to the west. And spots a small ball of red light, about the size of an apple streaking through the morning sky, heading towards him.
It's a mageglobe. And after he swears something in the royal elven language. He disappears again, heading further east. Where in the distance he spotted a patch of the scrubby looking trees that can be found dotted across the Kaldel Plains.
Fluttering around the red mageglobe that's in pursuit of the elf in the white hooded cloak.
Is a ground pixie who is doing her best to dissuade the living piece of magic. But so far she's been unable to distract it enough so that it leaves the elf alone.
She's got a feeling the only way it will disappear. Is if it comes to the end of it's life, and whatever it does, the elf in the white hooded cloak survives it.
Or if the mage who created the living piece of magic is killed. Which would make it disappear too.
Meanwhile, back in the village. Near the village green which is on the western side of the large village that the crew of illegal wreckers took over more than a year ago.
Four of those who have attacked the village on this clear and sunny, though cold morning here in the northeast of the Kaldel Plains.
Are next to a roundhouse, looking through the smoke towards the village green.
Where they spot two of the stripped down airships on the village green, are on fire. With one of them, well and truly ablaze.
A man in his early twenties, wearing leather armour beneath his black tunic like tabbard and a black cloak.
Who seems to be their leader. Quietly says something to the other three with him.
A fairly large fellow in his late twenties, wearing heavy, half plate armour, who by the looks of it, is a fighting cleric.
Another man, younger, in his early twenties. Strong and muscular. With hammer in hand. Wearing a leather smock like blacksmith's wear.
As well as an attractive young woman, still a teen really. Who is tall and lean for someone her age. Who is also wearing a black tunic come tabbard, and a black cloak over her leather armour.
Then the four of them, turn and look back to the east through the village. As they hear a familiar roar, which they haven't heard in a little while.
Not since they heard a long continuous roar from somewhere near the middle of the large village, that's here in the northeast of the Kaldel Plains.
After the large ork roars, and as Gorlic the former arena fighter continues to stab it in the side of the neck with his long dagger, as he clings onto it's left shoulder.
He screams in pain when it turns it's head and bites him. It bites his left arm, just above the wrist.
The former arena fighter from the city-state of Brattonbury with his long dagger jammed into the neck of the large ork, falls off it and drops to the ground as he hears Pallen the swordmaster shout "No!".
Gorlic with his right hand, grabs the spurting stump where his left arm ends, as he now has no hand there. The former arena fighter turned illegal wrecker hisses in pain as he attempts to crawl away across the ground. As he does he hears a high pitched scream of pain that comes to an abrupt end.
Sasha the former mercenary stabs up at the large ork's throat again when she sees it turn it's head the other way as Gorlic clings to it's back and left shoulder, stabbing his long dagger into the otherside of it's neck.
The good looking, one eyed woman who has a wicked looking scar down one side of her face.
Shoves the point of her sword up into it's throat again. Then as she hears Gorlic scream in pain. Then fall off the back of the large ork. Something grabs her right arm which incredible force.
She lets go of her sword. Which is still stuck in the throat of the large ork.
Then after the former mercenary who hails from the kingdom of Girdane hears her lover, Pallen the blademaster shout "No!"
She screams as she's lifted up off the ground by her right arm and swung upwards. She's upside down as she swings upwards. Screaming as she does so.
Then she's suddenly dropping down. And her scream abruptly stops when she slams down into the ground.
Dorc da Orc who has just lifted up one of the illegal wreckers, swung her up into the air above his head by her right arm, then slammed her down onto the ground.
Stands on her right shoulder as he still holds her by the right arm. Then he pulls upwards, ripping her right arm off with relative ease.
The large ork looks at the tall plainsman with his long hair in braids, who comes to a stop as he was about to rush him.
Dorkindle who is the midst of an ork blood rage, roars. Then throws the blood soaked arm he's holding at the plainsman he's chased through the large village.
Pallen the blademaster comes to a halt after what he's just seen. And as he looks at his lover Sasha, who lies on the ground, with her right arm ripped off.
He sees that the former mercenary, who like him, is originally from the kingdom of Girdane.
Is still alive, and is attempting to move as blood pours from the gaping wound in her right shoulder.
The dangerous blademaster ducks as the large ork throws Sasha's right arm at him. The torn off limb just misses Pallen, who would of been knocked down if it had hit him.
The Girdanian blademaster stands back upright, and glares in anger as he looks at the large ork. Who is looking directly at him.
Then even with a sword sticking up in it's throat. A dagger in the side of it's face. A long dagger stuck in the side of it's neck. And with not one, but two swords stuck in the back of it's left leg.
It slightly turns to it's left where Gorlic the former arena fighter, is on the ground. Clutching at the bleeding stump of his left arm, while he tries to crawl away.
The large ork looks at Pallen again who has advanced a couple of steps, then stopped.
Then it steps to the left, and with it's left boot, it stomps down onto the middle of Gorlic's back as Pallen viciously shouts "Don't!".
The blademaster from the kingdom of Girdane grimaces as he sees the former arena fighter from the city-state of Brattonbury is no longer moving.
Then Pallen gasps as the large ork steps back to the right, back to near where his lover Sasha is trying to crawl away, even though she's bleeding out from where her right arm used to be.
The large ork slightly lifts up it's right foot, then looks straight at the dangerous blademaster.
Who sees a slight grin appear upon the blood covered, feral looking face of the ork as it looks directly at him. A grin that gets wider as it lifts it's right foot up higher.
And Pallen shouts "No!" in anger and rage as he rushes forward as the large ork brings it's right foot down. Stomping it's big, black boot down onto the side of Sasha the former mercenary's head.
The tall plainsman originally from the kingdom of Girdane leaps forward, swinging his longsword as he does so.
Pallen's longsword whacks into the face of the large ork. Hitting it so hard that the dagger that's stuck in it's left cheek, is whacked out, and sent flying.
The blademaster's weapon cuts across it's mouth and nose, as it cuts across the face of the ork who has attacked the village on this fine and sunny, though cold morning.
When the tall plainsman lands on his feet, to one side of the large ork, he quickly shoves his longsword upwards, catching it in the throat.
Pallen rips his blade sideways, which knocks free Sasha's sword that's already in the side of the large ork's throat.
There's a look of rage and determination on the face of the dangerous blademaster from the kingdom of Girdane as he rips his longsword sideways as he attempts to kill the large ork.
Then once his blade is free, he savagely grins as he sees blood pouring from the throat and neck of the ork.
Who for the first time, staggers sideways, then falls to one knee, even though it hasn't roared or screamed in pain from the horrible wounds it has received.
Then Pallen the blademaster after a quick glance at his lover Sasha lying dead on the ground with crushed head.
Lifts up his sword above his head, and swings it down like an axe at the bloody neck of the of the large ork, with every intention of trying to hack off it's large head as it's down on one knee.
Then just as Pallen's blade is about to hit. Something grabs his swordarm in an incredibly strong grip.
He sees the left hand of the large ork has got him by the forearm. The Girdanian blademaster hisses in pain as it squeezes, and he drops his longsword.
The large ork whose head was turned the other way, turns this way and looks at Pallen, who sees the wide grin upon it's feral looking, and very bloody face. Then it gets up off it's knee, and stands upright as it continues to squeeze the dangerous blademaster's right arm, breaking it.
"Got you" says Dorc da Orc in a bloody, gurgling growl as he comes out of the ork blood rage after getting what he wants . . . . . .