Damsel in Distress?
"Saving Cassie"
Our glorious paladin of Sun Spire ventured into a swampy wooded area, whole acres filled with marsh grass, weeping willows, vines, and mud flats.
The orchestra of frogs and crickets was playing as the sun was starting to set, a sign that perhaps the knight should start setting up camp.
However, he could not.
Nearby, a group of men armed with unknown weapons marched in, their faces filled with grim determination and fury.
"What is going on here?" Fernando murmured, then dismounted his white steed and jogged on over to the posse.
"Amigos!" he called out, causing the men to turn rapidly.
The group, which was revealed to be some tribal warriors, hollered and yelled, then aimed their spears and bows at the knight.
"Dios mio!" Fernando gasped as he raised his shield to block the incoming volley, "Take this!" he activated his lance to drive them back.
The tribesmen yelled as they saw the fire shoot forth, then trembled at the awesome weapon and ran off into the woods.
The knight stood surprised.
"Who were those men?" he murmured and then followed the general area they entered.
Of course, this was going to be like searching for a foxkin in a barn. Thanks to his large shield and the glare from the fire, Fernando had not seen where the men had fled to. All the information he had right now was brief shadows and glimpses of figures that he thought had fled into this brush.
All that he had to go on was trails in the marsh grass.
"What could those men have been looking for?" Fernando said to himself as he stepped over a root, "They looked like a group of primitive hunters."
He heard whooping in the air, and clicking, and whistling.
Suddenly there was a scream, and several men also yelled over that shriek.
The knight raised his lance and tried to pinpoint the direction of the sounds, then marched onward as he felt he had struck the right position.
Plowing through marsh and brush, Fernando charged onward, only to fall into a mire.
Thanks to his robust armor, it was only natural for him to be imprisoned by the bog.
"Agh!" the knight groaned as he stood up, then felt his legs start to sink into the mud, "Oh Dios mio..." he grumbled and tried to raise his left foot.
However, he was faced with a troubling sight.
All around the bog were skeletons hung around the chest by vines, all of them in positions of pain and terror.
"What in the sun's rays?" Fernando looked up and saw around 10 of these skeletons, human, elf, and dwarf, "What is going on her-" he heard faint hissing.
Suddenly, a horde of snakes started to come out of the brush and slither all across the bog, aiming straight towards the knight.
"Oh no..." Fernando shook his head and then grabbed his lance, "Back!" he activated it and sent out a stream of fire, which drove back the front portion of the snakes, "Back I say!"
The knight tried his best to spin around in order to launch fire at the snakes on his flanks and on his back, "Alejaos!"
The snakes were incessant and hissed even louder as they returned to strike back.
Fernado yelled as he tried to get out of the bog, but then saw a most serious sight.
The posse from before had passed a few meters away from him holding up a woman, bound and gagged, as a prize.
"Hey!" the knight yelled, catching the attention of the hunters.
The hunters stopped and laughed at him, then muttered something in their language.
Fernado growled, "Leave that woman alone!" he felt his strength rising, then charged forward with enough strength to plow through the mud and get on dry land, "HRAHH!" he tackled two of the hunters and sent them flying into a tree.
The hunters yelled and grabbed their spears, then threw it at the knight, only to prove ineffective.
The knight saw as the hunters threw the woman into the marsh and then ran for it, afraid of this magical invader that could bypass all their weapons and breath a mysterious element that was bright and hot.
"Ha... Ha..." Fernando panted, then turned to the screaming woman as she was being surrounded by snakes, "Oh no!" he cried out and charged into the marsh, stepping over mud and snakes as he lowered his hands and swept the woman up in his arms.
"Hrah!" the knight gave a final effort and escaped from the marsh.
The woman looked up.
"Worry not, my lady!" Fernando yelled and removed the vines and the sackloth, "Are you ok?" he asked and then saw her previously covered face.
A young red head, glowing white skin, red lips that could be seen in the darkness.
Fernando gasped and then instinctively pulled out a rose.
"My lady, please!" he stood up and bowed, "For you..." he put on a smile as he handed her the flower, "I am Sir Fernando Hernando Servando Fulano Perengano y Zutano!"
The woman stood up and bowed accordingly.
"Thank you, Sir Fernando." she smiled and grabbed the rose, "I don't know what I would have done without you. I am Cassie."
Fernando nodded, "Worry not, Cassandra. Fernando has come to your aid." he nodded and extended his arm, "If it does not trouble my lady, shall I escort her out?" he pointed to a clearing in the woods.
"I actually have to gather my belongings at my camp." Cassie sighed, "I was asleep when those savages captured me... Heavens know what they were going to do to me had you not saved me." she said and then looked up to the canopy.
"What is a small and frail woman like you doing here, though?" Fernando asked as he escorted her back to her camp.
Cassie grumbled, "I am not small and frail..." she pouted.
Fernando looked down on her, "From my point of view."
Cassie turned to look up at the knight, "Of course... you're a knight." she chuckled, "All knights have to be tall and powerful."
Fernando grinned and extended his arm.
"Well can this tall and powerful knight have a kiss for his service?" he leaned over and looked at her.
"Very wel-"
"FOOLS!" a voice yelled, causing the two to turn and face another tribesman.
However, this particular tribal warrior was more decorated than the previous brutes and clad in several potions and arcane artifacts.
A more astounding sight was the cobra in his hand, glaring at the two of them.
"Stand back!" Fernando raised his lance, "These primitive heathens are easily frightened by my arsenal!" he chuckled and launched a stream of fire at the threat.
Unfortunately the man stood still, defiant as the fire stopped only a meter away from his face.
"Hmph."
Fernando chuckled and stopped his attack, "Huh!?" he exclaimed.
"I am quite accustomed to your Western Technologies, white man." the man chuckled, "I know both of fire and of steel, and rest assured that none of them strike fear into my heart." he stepped down from the stump he was standing on.
"You may have frightened others of my people. But I, Mal'Damba, fear no man. I am the Shaman of the Serpent Swamp and I will protect my realm..." he cackled.
"Stand back, Cassiopeia!" the knight stepped in front of the red head, "A woman should not get herself in danger!" he glared at the shaman.
Mal'Damba rattled his mask and then threw his serpent.
"HISSS!"
"DWAH!" Fernando was taken back by the move and sent into a shock.
"Watch out!" Cassie grabbed the snake and crushed its head before it latched on to Fernando, "Are you ok-"
"Henyahenyahenya!" the shaman chanted, and conjured up another cobra, "You will perish tonight!" he made the cobra spit forth an acidic liquid.
Fernando groaned and blocked it with his armor, "What?" he turned to see his armor was melting, "What is this sorcery!?" he turned to the shaman.
"The W'eb Cobra is the most poisonous snake in the entire Realm." Mal'Damba informed and looked at Cassie, "And you will see!" he launched it at the woman.
"No!" the knight intervened and took the blow, "ARGH!" he groaned as the serpent latched on his back and its poison started to burn through his steel, "Cassandra! Run!" he called out and turned to the shaman. "RAHHH!" he charged.
"AHHHHH!" Mal'Damba yelled when he was struck and sent crashing into a tree.
"You will not hurt my lady!" Fernando roared and then struck the man with fire, "AGHH!" he stopped when the serpent had bored through his armor.
"Fernando!" Cassie gasped and ran to the knight, "HYAH!" she grabbed the serpent by the tail and threw it into the marsh.
"You will suffocate!" Mal'Damba yelled and threw a gourd, which burst and let out a noxious gas that started to affect Cassie.
"Cah! Cah!" the woman coughed and gagged as she tried to search for fresh air.
"Hahahaa..." the shaman chuckled as he stepped into the smoke, the fires that tormented him clearing away as he did so, "Time for both of you to di-"
"HRAH!" Fernando appeared and rammed the witch doctor into another tree, "BEGONE!" he raised his mighty once more and ejected a stream of fire.
00000000
"No man... can kill me..." Mal'Damba murmured as he spirited away from the fight, never to be seen again.
Fernando groaned as he held his back, "Deus Vult." he got on his knees and looked up to the night sky, "I have taught the heathen his lesson. He has faced the judgment through fire!"
A soft cough was heard.
The knight turned and saw Cassie on the ground.
"No! Casio!" he said and walked over to her, "Cassandra, are you alright?" he asked and picked her up in his arms.
Cassie murmured, then opened her eyes.
"I have yet to lose a lady in distress!" Fernando grinned, "You are no exception!" he looked at her.
"Thank you, Fernando." Cassie smiled and grabbed his chin, then brought him down for a kiss.
Fernando grinned brightly, "Yes! Haha! Hahahaha!" he raised his fist.