I think it’s…over…
No! Do something! Anything! THROW THE FUCKING AXE!!!
Uhmm no, maybe…uhmm…maybe…we could attack the crowd! It might get the gauntlet going again...
What, we’re in enough trouble already; I don’t see how murdering innocent people I front of a crowd would make things better!
But it’s…it’s a last ditch effort! We got nothing to lose at this point!
I’d suggest we start tearing off the nearby female's shirts and throwing them at the attacker in an attempt to slow/blind/stop/trip/mesmerize.
I like this idea but I don’t feel like this is neither the right place nor the right time for it!
Maybe we need to use that strangling thing that Tenebrosus did?
I don’t even know what the fuck happened back there…
How did you plan on actually reaching him though?
Uhmm…
It is merely a wooden stick! As he is about to swing simply grab the blade and finish him!
That might just work…
Uhmm a plan like that needs a finishing line though…
What?
How ‘bout; "This is your last chance to surrender, elf. You've proven you are a great warrior and worthy of your title, but if you force our hand, your people will lose their champion today. Do not make me destroy you."
…well…perfect…I guess.
Wait…do you think we could activate the gauntlet with our own blood!?
Why do you think Nerin hurting himself will be helpful? He's already banged up as it is.
And we already made a plan….
Wait, wait I’ve got a better idea! WE LIGHT OUR SELVES ON FIRE!
That’s the most stupid proposition so far.
No don’t you get it!? He’s sword is made from wood. You know what burns wood? Yea that’s right! FIRE!
Quickly let’s go with the plan!
No, don’t you see!
Stick to the plan, stick to the plan!
(OOC, I was too lazy to colour each persons conversation...I guess Nerin's too fucked up to judge who is who at this point
)
As I hear a loud chuckling followed some inaudible sound that I believe to be some snarky comments from the elf I rise onto my feet as one last feat of strength. The wind had stopped flowing and the two of us once again stood frozen facing each other. The crowd was cheering obnoxiously and seemed to find great joy in the execution of a lonesome dwarf. Where are all your fine standards and just morals now huh? The elf then raised his hands in the air followed by an immediate cheer from the audience, in an instant he’s recklessly charging towards me faster than I’ve ever seen someone move before. The crowd needlessly to say goes wild in anticipation of the final blow…
The voices start shouting different orders at the same time and I can’t pick out what they want me to do, at this point I’m completely panicking. Somehow they seem fairly united on agreeing to the fact that I should somehow grab his sword.
I can’t even finish my thought before the sword comes down upon me; luckily it comes in a wide arching swing from the left instead of the quick thrust like previously. He must have thought I’d given up…
In the last moment I manage to grab on to the blade in motion, a hefty pain spurts out in my hand and our eyes lock on as we stand before each other. In a soft voice the elf whispers:
- Do your worst…dwarf, hope you weren’t too fond of that hand of yours.As he says that he thrust his sword deep into my hand cutting off the ligaments and shallow arteries.
This is your chance Nerin!
Fast!
WHAT CAN I DO!? HE’LL KILL ME!
Do the Tenebrosus thing!
What!?
Grab his bloody throat!
I don’t have time to finish the conversation and in a last desperate attempt I lounge myself at his smug face and grab on to his neck.
.
.
.
This place again...
It actually worked!
Well yea…still don’t make bets like that in the future when lives are at stake!
Hey, what’s life without a lil’ bit o’ spice!
….sigh
-What is this wretched place!?
-What the fuck is going!?
-Answer me dwarf!-uhhm…
This is fantastic! Just roll with the assassin dude’s speech.
What!?
Yea like about this place and stuff, you know to freak him out and such!
-This is the inside of Extortusshis.
-What is this foul magic!?-Extortusshis is one of Silverdrop’s five artifacts, six if you count the lost throne. But it was not made by a dwarf from here; in fact it was not made by a dwarf at all. We got all the time in the world in here, heh heh heh…
-I don’t understand!? How do I escape this place!? -Time does not exist in here. It is just you and me.
-Even if this is hell and I am doomed to die here I shallt take you with me dwarf!-Your words mean nothing, and your life is already mine.
-Hah, you might’ve trapped me but I shall never fall!Damn this guy got some guts…for an elf that is of course!
-This is your last chance to surrender, elf. You've proven you are a great warrior and worthy of your title, but if you force our hand, your people will lose their champion today. Don't make me destroy you.
-Wait…you’ll let me go?Uhmm…
I didn’t expect that…
Do we even know how to get out of here?
I think we have to kill him like last time…
That’s…well…
-Uhmm…no. I finally got you exactly where I want you!
-Hah, dwarven liar! Nothing has changed, I could beat you even if the sky and the ground switched place, even if the sea rose higher than the tallest mountain, even if I’d lost my sight the outcome would still be the same!-Perhaps, but I’m not the only one you have to beat!
-Huh?I suddently feel extremly Nauseous and start belching...
-What the fuck are you doing!?The elf goes pale white with fear as some of the strange figures engage in combat while the others swarm around the fight crackling in unison.
In a great display of superb swordplay the elf took on the horde of attackers and gracefully dodged incoming swings from all directions. At first the figures had attacked with great joy and twisted smiles but for every failed attempt they grew more agitated, however neither their great numbers nor their superior strength was enough to bring him down.
Stand back peasants! This fateful situation calls for some divine intervention!
Oh thou simple beast facing the great Gili Stonehelm'
Oh how thou shallt suffer from my deific wrath’
Oh thou lost soul on the verge of hell’
Oh how thou shallt be purged by fire or reason. Possibly both.
With these words he paranoid one scurries of to some unknown location without anyone paying much attention as the battle is still ongoing, however as stagnant as ever.
He doesn't emerge again for a few urists when he suddently comes crawling in on all fours looking atrociously happy. What follows next was a disgrace to both parties fighting really...
A detail that will most likely be left out if this tale was ever to be sung by another in a distant future...
And in an instant the balance of the fight had been completely taken apart. As the elf was brought down to the ground one of the figures rushed up and decisively crushed the elf’s wrist followed by two others grabbing his leg and twisting it until the bone snapped out with a loud crack. Finally one of the larger figures slowly lifts his foot and rests it upon the elf’s head. The elf looks desperately over at me but just as he does that the paranoid one reaches down really close to look slyly at the elf. "I guess that’ll be the last thing he’ll ever see", I think as I hear a loud crunch and the mysterious wasteland fades away.
As I feel the elf’s body go limp in my grasp I quickly slam my sliced up fist at his face to simulate a killing blow to not raise any suspicion to the strange event that had just occurred
The cheering dies down and a loud gasp goes through the crowd, followed by panicked shouts and surprised mumbling
As I drop the elf to the ground the world goes red, the strange light or smoke or whatever it is engulfs me. As it flows around me greater than ever before I can’t really grasp its presence, flowing slowly like waves on a still day yet the edges jumped playfully like a roaring fire. Having neither resonance, fragrance, taste nor form its existence was hard to define. In a way it was similar to fire in the sense that neither one was a form of vapor even though they didn’t react to exterior elements but while the fire is so easily definable due to its thermal expulsion the red mist was no warmer than the air around it and was almost undetectable but for a faint subsiding feeling like sinking into a bed of moss or submerging your hand in lukewarm water. The whole event might’ve been fairly pleasant if it weren’t for my wounds starting to itch like the flesh itself was crawling underneath my skin and over my bones.
I was however quickly awoken from my moment of thought by a loud scream followed by some frightened voices. As I turned around the crowd was in complete dismay, some were running back for the city others were frozen in place just staring with widened eyes. Some of the more vocal bystanders started shouting things about dark magic and evil wizards and after the initial chock had died down some of the military started circling me cautiously with long spears pointed at my throat. I might’ve regained my strength but I was in no position to fight a multitude of armed military.
-Hey guys…stop it!
…
-You have no right to do this!
…
-I WON FAIR AND SQUARE!
…
-He challenged me for fuck sake!
…
-I don’t deserve this!
-You…you used some foul magic! We all saw it!-This isn’t my doing! I got this thing by killing an evil murderer in the past!
-The only evildoer here is you scum!-I won the fucking duel though! You can’t treat me like this!
-Stand down dwarf! *I’m forced down on my knees again*
-Let me speak to the council-guy!
-No, we’re waiting for the commander to have you executed.-What!? That’s not fair!
-PfffThe following wait was extremely painful, the exhaustion from the battle, the soldiers pointing their spears and the judging eyes of the crowd…
I had won…I had beaten all the odds! But they’ll still kill me?!
I can’t believe this…
I look around me to find anyone that might help me but crowd’s eyes were either filled with malice or with tears at this point…
I managed to spot Amathspar far off in the back where he stood looking mighty concerned and confused while clenching Wilfred to his chest.
Sehdul on the other hand was over at her brother’s body paying no attention to any other simultaneous events such as my arrest…
After a few urists the elven woman whom had led my captors came running, this time her frown was gone replaced by a broad smile which made a sharp contrast to all the miserable faces around us.
-Thought you could get away with killing an elf on our own ground!? Hah! And nobleman to make matters even worse; I’ll see to that you will receive a slow death. -It was a fair duel!
-Well, I heard you used some evil magic or something so I couldn’t care any less dwarf.-…
-I’m not surprised; you dwarves are all the same. Evil twisted creatures that take any opportunities to ruin people’s life!*Suddenly a robed elf emerges from the crowd carrying a scroll*
-And what the fuck do you guys want now then!?-Hrrmhrrm, on behalf of the patriarchs I have been given the authority to bring this dwarf with me to the priesthood’s residence. -What!? Don’t you know what he just did!?-Yes and that is why the priests wishes to have a word with him.-I won’t let you do this a second time, kill him!The soldiers twitch for a moment but hesitate as the robed elf lifts his hand.
-Please refrain from harming him for the time being, much appreciated.-Fuck!-I am merely following orders here so would you please refrain from expressing your agitation right here and instead make a complaint with the council that if approved might later reach my superior amongst the ranks of the Sun.She grinds her teeth loudly as she walks off in anger for a second time. As she does that the soldiers with the spears back off only to be replaced by four oddly dressed elves, the four then escorts me into the city and the robed elf stays behind. The crowd around as seems to be even madder than before as we cut through them…at least they seem to respect the priest dudes enough to not jump me…
Yes I’ve never been so happy to be kidnapped by a bunch of priests before!
I thought the plan was brilliant…
Why did have to turn out like this
This sucks…
Elves suck…
Life sucks…
At least were not dead!
“Yay”…sigh…
Maybe we can make a run for it!?
I think were actually safer with the priests than anywhere else right now…
For now!
I’m still in favor of the shirt tearing plan!
Well…
What do we have to lose!
As I pass by a girl in the crowd I casually reach out and grab her top as we walk past. No one even notices as there is so much commotion going on and the girl just is left standing there utterly confused.
Worth it.
After an eternity of walking throughout Seraté while having people giving you hateful looks I'm brought down a wooden spiral staircase below one of the great tree’s roots. The climb down goes on for quite a few urists and when we finally reached the end the staircase the guards had left without a trace. The room that I had been brought into was huge and dimly lit, almost resembling a dwarven hall so I felt surprisingly at ease considering what kind of a situation I’m in. In there were five tall thrones made from a dark wood three of which were occupied, why the other two were vacant I couldn’t figure out. Amongst the occupants of the chairs were an impressive looking elf with gray hair, a sharp gaze and an exquisite outfit. Furthermore there were also a tall dirty elf with a weird hat and loads of trinkets, he’d look old even for a human or a dwarf but considering the fact that he’s an elf he must be considerably older than that. Lastly there was an elven woman with and uninterested look on her face, what was a bit jarring about her was all the strange tattoos that looked almost like scars.
-You stand before three of the five patriarchs of the sun. -Please don’t kill me; the other guy challenged me to a duel! I didn’t mean to do it! I mean it was a fair fight so it’s not fair for me to be killed even though I did come out victorious!
-We have no interest with the petty affairs of the Courtlounger, but if you speak out of turn again I may change my mind on whether or not to execute you. -Yes master elf, sir uhmm…
-I would not even value his miserable life over yours, however you are in possession of an object that has peaked my interests, I assume you know what I’m talking about?On demand from the voices I lift up the recently acquired top. As he stares at me coldly I decide against it and put it back behind my back and take out the gauntlet.
-We would like to acquire as much knowledge as possible about such an artifact and as of such we’re willing to offer you a chance to avoid execution and you shall get to return to where you came from in exchange for it. What say you dwarf?-uhmmm
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This time the voting got so complicated that I decided to just jam in as many people's opinion's as possible
Btw why did noone tell me that I had posted the same picture twice on the last update -_______-' (fix'd)