Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Battle swept past Helbram like a tide. The bandits were caught on the back foot and were pushed back by the initial rush of men from the warehouse. Curses and screams erupted from the bandits’ position as projectiles peppered them from above. In the midst of all of this chaos, Helbram was still unable to move. The spell over him kept a firm leash over his mind and tried as might to push against it, it was to no avail as he watched Marlin retreat into the bandit’s ranks, arrows bouncing off of the ethereal shield that covered him. The halfling swiveled as he found cover behind the bandits and raised his hand.

Three rings appeared around Marlin’s head and Helbram felt the air chill around him. Jahora twitched next to him, her eyes flared as her fingers started to move slowly. In such a frozen state Helbram could only see that as panic, and understood why as a bead of fire formed over the townsfolk, the men unaware as they struck at the bandits in a fury. Helbram thrashed in his mind, barely producing a twitch as the spell locked him in place, only able to watch as the bead started to get bigger, ready to burst into chaos and fire.

An arrow flew from the direction of the town, striking the halfling in the arm through the cover of his men. Helbram’s body broke free from its paralysis as the halfling yelped in pain, but the armored man could do nothing but look as the bead over the townsfolk flared. Jahora’s hands snapped up, a burst of green Aether flowing from her fingers and towards the bead, catching it at the moment of its explosion. A pillar of fire shot into the sky, washing away the cold with a blast of dense heat, but the townsfolk remained unharmed. Jahora fell to her knees as the fire vanished, the two rings around her head fading away as her chest heaved.

“That… was… close,” she said between breaths.

“You need time to recover,” Helbram said, eyes cutting back to the battle, “Catch your breath as we push them back,” flares flew from the bandits’ formation and burst into the sky, “it’s going to be a long night.”

Jahora nodded and retreated back towards the warehouse, passing by Garuf as the older man stowed his crossbow and drew an ax and shield.

“One of these bastards stole my armor,” he muttered, “I’m going to find em.”

“First we need to clear out the men here as fast as possible. Reinforcements are on their way,” Helbram said as he nodded towards the flares in the sky.

Garuf nodded, “Aye, but I can’t guarantee anything if that mage gets another spell off.”

“Leave that to me.”

Leaf emerged from the shadows, bow in hand. His clothes and armor were riddled with cuts and scrapes, but no large wounds appeared to harm the half elf’s body.

He drew back his bow and loosed another arrow into the crowd. Marlin raised his hand and projected another shield to deflect the arrow, but the spell forming in his other hand faded as he did so, “I’m not Jahora but I can make sure the bastard can’t get a spell off,” he looked back towards the warehouse, “how’s she doing?”

“She needs rest,” Helbram said, “it’s up to us to carry the burden for a bit.”

Leaf nodded, “Then let’s get to it.”

The three men readied their weapons and charged into the fray. Leaf remained towards the back of the formation, keeping to the tops of crates and other objects. He silenced any attempted spell from Marlin with a well placed arrow from his elevated position. Garuf and Helbram pushed towards the front, aiding the men at keeping the bandits from gaining any momentum. However, the charge was clumsy, driven by both rage and desperation, a potent formula for an assault but not one for a defensive line. The bandits soon regained their footing and pushed back, halting Helbram and the other’s advance.

“Sheildbearers!” Garuf barked, “Up front!”

The men paused only for a moment, parting as those with shields made it to the front line. Helbram recognized most of them as the adventurers from the caravan. Some of their eyes were panicked, but most kept their gaze forward as they met the bandit’s with their shield’s upright. The formation was pushed back during the transition, but as the shield wall formed momentum began to shift back in favor of the adventures.

“Archers!” Garuf barked again, “focus the rear! Let’s bleed these bastard’s dry.”

Arrows and bolts flew overhead, pelting the back of the bandit’s formation as the shield wall pushed them to retreat. A few arrows flew back towards the warehouse, but quickly died down as Garuf’s formation kept their assault moving. Flashes of Aether surged from beneath the bandits, smothered each time as Leaf loosed an arrow into the crowd. Marlin’s curses grew progressively louder with each failed spell. 

The bandit’s faltered further under the weight of the now more focused charge. Many towards their front stumbled to the ground, trampled over by the shield wall and finished off by the townsfolk that followed. Eventually their formation broke and the bandit’s scattered, leaving Marlin out in the open. The halfling faced the crowd, his eyes alight with fury as fire formed at his palms. An arrow pierced his shoulder, but the halfling seemed to ignore it and maintained the spell's formation. A chill swept over the townsfolk once again, and as Helbram felt it wash over him he charged forward. He met Marlin with his shield, catching the brunt of the spell as the mage unleashed it. Helbram dug his heels into the ground as a jet of flame erupted from the halfling’s hands. Heat crashed over the armored man and his shoulder screamed with pain as he kept his shield against the force of the spell. His hand trembled as he kept his guard, and rage filled the halfling’s screams as Aether swelled in his hands, ignoring the arrow that struck him in the leg. The jet of flames ended with a final burst of fire that struck Helbram like a bull. 

His arm snapped back and the armored man’s mind went white as his shoulder tore open. He bit back the scream that formed at his throat and felt his vision clear as adrenaline surged through him. He tightened the grip around his sword and lunged at Marlin. Another spell had already formed in the halfling’s hands, and his blade never connected as a burst of force surged forward and knocked Helbram off of his feet. A wave of raw power carried him back into the shield wall, knocking the front line over as they absorbed both his weight and the force of the magicks carrying him.

Leaf readied another arrow, but before the half elf could get another shot off Marlin snapped his fingers, producing a blinding burst of light from their tips. It washed over the townsfolk and adventurers, forcing them to cover their eyes. When the light faded, Marlin was gone.

“Blasted…” Leaf cursed, “where did the little shite go?”

Helbram pushed himself up, keeping the weight off of his now bleeding shoulder. Still it flared with pain, and he bit his lip to stifle the groan building at the back of his throat. The rest of the men followed, shaken, but not injured from the blast. There was barely enough time to recover, for as the men got to their feet a chorus of yells swept into the mine. Bandits were starting to flood in from the mine’s entrance.

“There are too many to fight in the open,” Helbram said, “we need to set up a defensive position.”

Garuf nodded, “You’re right. The warehouse is an option, but we’d be packed tight should the mage decide to return,” the older man scanned the perimeter, “There.”

He pointed towards the pillar of light, or more importantly, the open structure that surrounded it. The singular entrance to the compound caught his attention, as well as the numerous windows lining its second story.

“Good, we’ll hold them there,” Helbam said.

Garuf directed the men to the building, keeping those with shields to the back as arrows flew from the bandits swarming in. Most were deflected by shields, but some of the retreating men were struck by stray projectiles. They fell to the ground, arrows protruding from their backs and legs. Garuf fell back with some of the men, lifting the fallen off of the ground and urging them to move forward. Helbram assisted, picking up one of the men on his good shoulder, but still feeling the twinge of pain and warmth that ran down his injured arm. Leaf and the other archers shot back, slowing the advance of the bandits as they were forced to duck for cover. It did little to stem the flow, for their numbers kept pressing them forward.

“Dammit!” Helbram cursed, “We won’t have enough time to organize with them nipping at our heels like this.”

As he spoke he noticed a distortion pulse through the air in front of the bandits, feeling the familiar twinge of Aether that turned his skin to gooseflesh. The air itself twisted and warped before slamming in on itself, producing a clap of thunder that knocked the bandits off of their feet. Their advance slowed as they tried to recover.

“Well… I can’t say that was much of a rest…”

Jahora emerged from behind the crates off to the side of Helbram. Her eyes looked haggard, but she stood solidly on her feet as she met up with the armored man.

“Come then, we need to hurry,” she said.

Helbram nodded and urged the injured man on his shoulder forward. They managed to make it into the structure, the shield wall forming a blockade in the entrance. He left the injured man with the others who were swapping their weapons for bows and arrows. Some lay on the ground in pain, but many of the injured men limped towards the stairs, resolve clear in their eyes.

His initial rush into the building was too hectic for him to notice anything, but as he readied himself for battle he could feel the unnatural density to the air. The hair stood up on his skin, and he could feel a steady throb pulse through the building. The more that he focused on it the more he felt the weight to the air suffocate him, and he knew the source of this sensation was the Ruhian artifact sitting at the center of the compound. The construct of stone and metal continued its function, with bits of its machinery orbiting around the pillar of light that it shot into the sky.

Jahora walked up next to him, the two Aetheric rings back to orbiting around her head. Her weariness looked to be washed away, like she’d just shaken off a severe headache.

“You certainly seem much better,” Helbram remarked

“This place is dense with Aether, should make wielding magicks much easier,” she said, but then her brow furrowed, “More importantly, how is your shoulder? Don’t think I didn’t notice you favoring it earlier.”

“Functional. You and Leaf head to the top, see if you can thin their numbers before they close in on us.”

She eyed him with doubt, but turned and made her way to the stairs.

“Jahora!”

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The gnome looked back.

“Keep an eye out for Marlin. If this place is so rich in Aether the man could try striking at us when we least suspect it.”

She nodded and ran up the stairs. Leaf noticed her movements, and nodded at Helbram before following her up.

The armored man made his way to the shield wall, getting his own shield into position. The moment he held it high enough pain flared through his arm once again, forcing him to drop his hand down as he let out a groan through clenched teeth. He could see the bandits in the distance, forming an impromptu shield wall with whatever cover they could find. It proved to be effective, for the hail of arrows that struck them failed to slow down their advance, and their more rigid formation withstood the second shockwave summoned by Jahora. Their archers started to fire towards the second story, slowing the rain of projectiles as they grew closer. Helbram grimaced and lifted his arm once more, only to be stopped by Garuf placing a hand over his uninjured shoulder.

“Best not to do that, you’re not going to be much help holding them back with that injured arm.”

Helbram was about to voice his protest before the older man handed him a spear.

“Better start thinning their ranks while we do that, eh?”

Helbram snorted, “And here I thought us younglings should be taking the burden from our elders.”

“Bah, these bones have life in them yet. No bandit is going to take that this day,” he clasped Helbram’s arm, “I won’t say no to an ale later though.”

“That can be arranged.”

He watched Garuf take position in the shield wall and found a spot of own, sword and shield stowed and spear in hand. The bandits closed in, breaking into a charge once they got within enough distance of the adventurers. Their makeshift shields were still raised, and those at the front wielded spears of their own.

“Men, Brace!” Garuf yelled. The men obeyed, tucking their torsos behind their shields and thrusting out with their spears, hands held at the very tip of the shaft. Helbram followed, thrusting his spear out between a gap in the line.

The bandits were not so organized, and their front line was skewered before they got in range to make an attack. The adventurers dropped their spears, letting them fall with the men that ran into them. They drew their swords right after, ready to meet the second line of bandits as they tripped over their fallen comrades. Helbram drew his spear back, having only  gashed one of the bandit’s at their side. As the second wave crashed into the shield wall he started to stab the spear at any bandit that looked to be breaking through. The spear's blade was soon stained red as bandits fell from his constant assault. The townsfolk that had joined him in this endeavor were having equal success, and soon the bandits were driven back as their numbers thinned.

Arrows once again rained down upon the brigands, and without the front of the shield wall to block them their numbers dropped even more. A third shockwave ripped through them soon after, scattering the bandits as they retreated.

The adventurers did not push through the battle unscathed. Most of those in the shield wall now sported new wounds, some grievous enough to cause a third of the line to fall to their knees. They fell back, allowing those uninjured to take their place as they swapped their swords for bows. Helbram kept his gaze focused at the mine’s entrance, anticipating another flood of bandits.

His caution was soon realized as more bandits flooded into the mines, their numbers far more than before. At their head ran their commander, eyes alight with excitement.

“Yes, yes!” He roared, “This is how it should be! Let the strongest show their mettle!”

The Quetali stomped on the ground, a surge of dark red Ether bleeding from his body as he left his men behind and sped towards the front. The shield wall trembled as the larger man drew closer. Helbram no longer saw the wounds that he left on the bandit commander before and he tried to keep his heart from sinking.

As the Quetali closed in he was met by a stream of arrows from above. Most were deflected as the commander’s four swords flashed around him, and those that landed bounced off of his skin, leaving only the barest of scratches. His assault was halted as a bolt of Aether flew towards him, forcing him to plant his feet and catch the magical projectile with Ether infused blades. His sword swatted the energy aside, but he slid back in the process. His grin widened as he cut his eyes upwards, right at the source of the magic.

The Quetali stomped on the ground again, Ether bleeding from his legs. The ground cracked and the man soared into the air, towards the second story of the building. A crash followed, then screams.

Helbram turned and sprinted towards the stairs, ignoring the panic that started to rise in his chest. He held his spear ready as he crested the final step, and saw Jahora fly by him. She remained encapsulated by an Aetheric barrier as she hit the ground, but still ended up on her back after she bounced from the impact. Helbram ran to her, his eyes still fixed to the Quetali in the distance. The townsfolk confronted him in a desperate charge to stall his assault, but their efforts were fruitless as the larger man cut them down with ease.

“Retreat!” Leaf yelled. He kept a steady stream of arrows flying towards the Quetali, giving the few remaining men time to get away. The bandit commander kicked off of the ground again and closed in on Leaf within the space of a breath. The half elf skipped back, narrowly avoiding the blades that slashed at him, but was unable to dodge the kick that followed. The Quetali’s foot sank into his chest, knocking the Leaf back with a burst of Ether. He bounced off of the ground and landed on his back. The bandit commander was in close pursuit, looming over the half elf as he tried to recover. Leaf fell back to avoid another cleave from the Quetali’s blades, rolling to his feet in the process. His hands moved in a blur as they loosed another arrow at the Quetali, but even at such a close range the bandit was able to deflect and close the gap once more. As much as he tried, Leaf could not create any distance between him and the battle crazed man. Cuts marred the half elf’s flesh as he abandoned any attempt at offense in favor of keeping the Quetali’s blades from slicing him in two..

Helbram helped Jahora up, noting the gnome was unharmed aside from a few scrapes and scratches across her skin. He could hear Garuf barking orders below, the cries of battle swelling in intensity as the bandits met the shield wall.

“I need you to give me a bit of a boost,” Helbram said as he held the spear out.

The gnome nodded and grasped the spear, forming a symbol of Aether at its base. It was the same glyph that she’d applied to his boot earlier, and as he felt the presence of the spell at the back of his mind form he turned back towards the Quetali, spear raised to throw.

“Leaf! Fall back!”

The half elf’s ears twitched and he skipped back, drawing the bandit commander forward. He turned to run, but as his eyes fell upon Helbram he instead dove to the ground. As Leaf fell Helbram threw his spear, releasing the spell the moment it left his hand. Wind burst from the base of the spear, carrying it forward at a speed impossible by the armored man’s strength alone. Helbram followed it, pulling the shield from his back and holding it in front of him and he charged forward.

The spear passed over Leaf and towards the Quetali, who’s eyes we focused on the projectile. The bandit had already sheathed two of his swords before Helbram even threw the spear, his now two empty hands at the ready. Ether flared from the commander as they snapped forward, snatching the spear from its flight. The projectile’s point only grazed the bandit’s skin as it was stopped, but it carried enough force behind it to knock the bandit from his balance.

It was then that Helbram closed in, ramming into the Quetali with his shield. He kept his charge low, allowing him to hit the larger man at his waist. The impact did not slow his momentum, and the armored man’s rush lifted the commander from his feet. The wooden railing splintered as the two men barreled into it, and both Helbram and the bandit fell to the ground below.

Time seemed to slow to Helbram for a moment as they hung in the air, and in that brief window he clenched his jaw and braced his arm. He landed on top of the Quetali, driving a cough from the commander’s lips. The bandit took the brunt of the impact with his large frame, but as the shock of the fall washed over Helbram his injured shoulder flared with a sharp pain that brought a scream from his lungs. The armored man made no effort to hold it back and drew the dagger from his waist. Fueled by the rush that filled his senses, he drove the dagger towards the bandit’s heart. The blade struck the Quetali’s chest but did not break through. It scraped across the hardened skin until it settled at the bandit’s shoulder, producing only a dent as the dagger pressed against it. Helbram felt the bandit move, and as he continued to scream he brought his other hand up and slammed it into the dagger’s handle. The Quetali’s skin broke and he let out a deafening roar as the blade sunk into his flesh. A roar that turned to a scream as Helbram twisted the knife, producing the cracking of bone and snapping of tendons that filled the air.

An Ether infused fist struck Helbram at his flank, knocking him off of the bandit and rolling on the ground. Helbram scrambled to his feet and drew his sword, ignoring the lightness to his head and the warmth that now pooled at his hand. Darkness encroached at the corners of his vision and he tried to blink it away with no success. Fatigue filled his lungs as he started to wheeze, finding little energy to charge forwards as the Quetali got to his feet. His scream had long faded to a booming laugh and an animalistic grin stretched across his face.

“Yes! This is what I’ve wanted!” He said, his voice cutting clear through the sounds of battle that surrounded them.

The Quetali grasped the blade in his shoulder and pulled it free, letting out an excited groan as the dagger left his flesh. One of his arms hung limply at his side, but that did not seem to phase him.

“You are the first in quite some time to provide such sport, and for that you deserve honor!,” the commander drew his swords with his other 3 hands, “I am Vol’kesh tok Ogrima, bane of the fell beasts of Gol’dun, slayer of Fo’rock the Twin Headed, commander of the Band of Red. Tell me, who is it that I have the privilege of killing today?”

Helbram stared at Vol’kesh, expression unreadable behind his visor, “Helbram, and I am afraid I’ve no titles to share to you this day.”

“Truly? A man of your caliber possesses no moniker at all? What an injustice! There must be something that you have been called in the past, for I refuse to believe that such a formidable foe holds no honor to his name.”

Hunger was clear in Vol’kesh’s eyes, a raw desire that Helbram both understood and could barely begin to comprehend. However, even with such desire Helbram could only disappoint his opponent, for there was nothing that he’d been called in the past…

A tired laugh parted from Helbram’s lips and he sighed, “I suppose I do have one I could claim.”

He readied his sword and straightened his stance, “Helbram Alligard, Hedge Knight.”

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Author's Note: And there it is, a chapter that is literally all action. I hope it managed to entertain you the whole way through. I tried to keep it as dynamic as possible so let me know how I did!

As always, if you have any suggestions of what you'd like to see or what resonates with you the most, please let me know in the comments and please drop a rating or review to let me know how I'm doing. I'm always aiming to improve and your feedback goes a long way to helping me with that.

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