I wrote a little something to try to win a revision credit.
Check it out, give opinions so that it can be improved and our victory assured.
As arstotzka troops marched on, snow advanced with them, the enemy weapon turned in long sought relief from home sickness. In the white jungle, however, pockets of resistance remained and one, only one, was enough to draw Myark away from the tower of frost. The effects were already showing, with snow turning into icy rain and the ground becoming slippery, but killing Al-Mutriqa is worth ANYTHING.
"Have you found him yet? where is he hiding?"
"The amulets grows hotter in direction north-north west. We have an estimate of significant magic use just a couple of kilometers in that direction. Either it is another of their mage squads engaging in heated combat, or it is him."
Myark gets on his horse and addresses his bodyguards:
"Men, mount on your horses, ready your broadswords. We go hunting!"
After a few minutes, the small group arrives in a clearing in the forest, where the much sought Al-Mutriqa is found. Wielding a big decorated ivory staff and ordering his bodyguards to slaughter a squad of helpless sleeping Arstotzkans. He staggers and turns toward the direction from which Myark is approaching, ordering his troops to stop the wild slaughter and rally around him.
"You are not bothering to hide your thoughts today. I will pass them to your next of kin, after I hang you on your entrails. If you think you will be spared again, you are gravely mistaken"
"My thirst for revenge is no secret I intend to keep from you. Chivalrious first, butcherer later? is this the unsteady nature of Moskurg? Your people disgust me. And this place will be your grave, not mine" says Myark while rising his wand to send a fireball hurling to the enemy group. The master wizard evades it, but a couple of his bodyguards are roasted alive, falling on the ground with deadly burns.
Al-Mutriqa orders his guard to scatter and after failing to make Arstotzka soldiers fall asleep, he starts blasting them with strong winds, making several fall down from their saddles while the rest still have trouble commanding their horses. This doesn't last much however, as another fireball arrives on him, forcing him to evade with a forward roll, moving ever closer to Myark.
Myark continues his assault with a wall of flame completely surrounding the Moskurg Wizard, followed by a wall of channeled fog engulfing him.
All around them, the bodyguards of both sides fight savagely, Arstotzka with broadsword seeking melee and Moskurg with composite bows, trying and mostly failing to penetrate the thick plater armor. Both sides for the most part stay clear from the wizards, now engaged in a magic duel in which they can't hope to compete.
Myark shouts to be heard above the noise of battle and fire :"You will not come any closer than this. You are trapped. Lets see how you can evade this now." and he rises his wand once more to land the final blow. However, the cage of fire and fog starts to dissipate, as Al-Mutriqa rotates his staff, magic going out as soon as he points at it.
"I learned a few tricks as well. And this wand can do more than this" Says the Moskurg wizard while running toward his foe and evading a fireball poorly aimed for the surprise.
Caltrops are summoned and easily dispelled as well; the wizards are getting close enough to see the white of their eyes.
"Too close" says Myark. "not even you are so agile". He rises his hand, summoning a jet of small fireballs to engulf the enemy.
*fizzle*
"Too close, replies Al-Mutriqa with a grin, while pointing the ivory staff at his enemy.
Myark's face turn from gloating to concern, as he starts moving backward and calls his bodyguard. He puts an hand in one of his pockets, hopefully unseen.
"Oh, no. You are not escaping" calls Al-Mutriqa while using his wind control to stop Myark's retreat. The wind, however, stop suddenly when Myark extracts from his pocket a newly enchanted charm giving off a poderous hum.
Myark grabs his mace and charges "We are solving this the old way. Ready your weapon"
Al-Mutriqa parries the first blow with his staff, but it is soon clear that it is not meant as a fighting weapon, nor he is yet familiar enough with it. Myark's pressing assault doesn't give him time or space to draw his sword and soon the staff is broken and the Moskurg wizard falls on the ground, a rib broken. A stray arrow luckily manages to make the mace fly off before an execution could be done, so Myark gets on top of his long time enemy and punches him with his armored glove.
"I would say it is not personal. Your death would provide my side a great advantage and spare many soldiers"
*punch*
"More resources and wealth for the kingdom"
*punch*, Al-Mutriqa's face is covered by blood, the nose broken
"But I never forgot the defeats you inflicted to me, or the soldiers slaughtered in their sleep due to your magic. Friends lost by lightning rather than honorable combat, prisoners executed last year"
*Punch*, the jaw dislocated and breaks with a loud snap
"From the deep of my heart, I WISH YOU DEATH"
Myark grabs the nearest hard object he can find, the charm, and aims straight at Al-Mutriqa's chest, landing a mighty blow.
*black*
*silence*
*Pounding headache*
*eyes open, slowly*
*light. tent. friendly voices*
"Lord Myark, are you awake? are you feeling fine? we see no big wounds, but -"
Myark forces himself to fully open his eyes and sit on the bed where he was resting. Around him, his tent in the encamptment near the frost tower. His personal medic and 2 of his bodyguards looking at him, concerned.
"What happened? last I remember, I was finally ridding the world of Al-Mutriqa."
"Sir, we could barely see what happened. At some point, we heard a hum growing higher and higher in pitch coming from your position, then there was a small explosion. In the confusion, the enemy managed to bring him away, bleeding profusely, and we found you nearby asleep. it has been a few hours since we got you back to the camp."
Myark ponders a bit, fighting the pain in his head obfuscating his thoughts.
"The charm... it was enchanted way too quickly, in the middle of the battle. Probably it was unstable. Maybe I hit a bit of metal and it cracked. Either way I suppose it broke and released the thankfully little stored energy. And I suppose that sneaky pig used the chance to cast a sleep spell on me. I let myself be blinded by my own emotions, but next time it will be different."
Myark grins
"Either way, it will take at least a year to try to recover from what I did to his face"
Author
Topic: Wands Race - [Arstotzka] {COMPLETED} (Read 393338 times)