"Hell is upon us!" Someone unseen in the village shouted causing others to fall into place in the now growing panic of the towns people. The young Templar guard Sandy, and Static, had been trying to keep an eye on seemed to take a few steps towards the ever-inflaming terror only to then take a few unsteady steps back before turning and running into the back of the bar he had been patrolling.
"Damned coward!" Sandy cursed under her breath while taking on a worried tone. That was until Static put one of his hands gently on her shoulder causing her to look over at him and return his small yet hopeful smile.
"Don't worry, doll. My boys are only gonna hack on buildings, or religious nut jobs with terrible uniform taste." He then released his touch on his love interest while moving a few feet to her left, still crouched, to keep in view his skeletal tools. "Those over dressed executioners can only hide for so long before the town turns on them only to force them out in the streets to partake in my little game." A wicked grin crossed his face as the town folk's commotion grew to the point one couldn't hear anything but screams, and muffled frantic prayers.
A sigh of content came out of both magic welding squirrels as they saw a group of five Templars walk out of the back of the bar, with swords drawn, seemingly to take on the towns new threat. Two of the five men walked behind the seemingly bolder, and likely more seasoned, zealot warriors.
"Now's your chance!" Static whispered as he kept his eyes on the men they were trying to avoid. "I'll Throw a bolt at the side of the bar's wall if they start to come back to draw them in my direction so you and your brother can run back to the woods. I'll lose them to the south and then head back towards the tower so we can meet up closer to nightfall if things go sideways."
A nod left Sandy but not before she leaned over and grabbed Static's face to pull him into an enthusiastic kiss. She then brushed the longer fur on her head out of her eyes as a short breath left her lungs before darting off as her male companion watched her, still somewhat stunned by their new sensual interactions. "Gods... if only this war had started a month earlier." He smiled to himself before shaking his head to get the blood flowing backup his shoulders instead of other lower areas. He now had to focus on being her lookout, so they could unite more privately later.
Sandy quickly creeped her way up to the back door of her building she hoped her brother was still in attendance at. It was still fairly early in the day so she hoped like hell her twin hadn't already passed out from a drunken bender. With Randy, she always saw it as hard to tell when his less attractive nature would kick in and render him basically useless. Sandy recalled her father also being a slave to the liquid consumption, but her brother definitely was fighting a much more elaborate war with it than their male parent ever had. Likely the young man ended up choosing the path of a bard, as he'd rarely stray far from his poison, and to a lesser extent keep tabs on, her, his sister.
After entering the backside of the building, with added magical stealth, Sandy found no one in site at first. The store room was in shambles and looked as if it was made to be a makeshift quarter of sorts. On further inspections Sandy noticed a few piles of blood. She started to recite a spell under her breath to get a better look at things but stopped after hearing a raged cough and strained voice then call her name. There was no question in her mind... it was Randy.
Sandy's head shot in the direction of the darkened corner the weak voice came from as she rushed over to find her twin, barely visible up close, bound and badly beaten to the point she wasn't sure he'd be able to fully open his eyes, let alone walk. "Randy." Sandy tried to say his name under her breath reassuringly, but knew full well her worry broke through. She grabbed her dagger and worked fast to cut through the ropes that clasped his limbs.
"Ya gotta get outta here." The male Cheeks stressed with what sounded like his last breath. "Dey..." He started before violently coughing uncontrollably again. The sound of blood falling from his mouth and hitting the floor during his fit was easily heard despite the commotion going on outside.
"Shhhh!" She whispered as his hands broke free and she moved on to his ankles. "I'm here with help. We're all in danger now, and I ain't about ta leave my family behind!" She not spoke with a bit more force as he was finally freed and rolled on his back still wheezing for breath.
The female of the family took a deep breath and then spoke a long spell as green lights started to surround her, and her brother, and only getting brighter as she continued going on and getting louder. Randy started to levitate in the air a bit and then she placed her hands out on his chest before shouting out one odd sounding work that sent a shockwave through the whole room building. Randy fell to the ground and then sat up quickly gasping for air but looking far better. Sandy then grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet.
"I'm sorry Randy, but dats da best I can do with so little time. We gotta get out of here!" She pulled Randy to the back door and he followed, somewhat in a daze as she made her way to where she came from. A smile crossed her face as she saw Static still there and waiting for her. Sandy was nearly halfway to her friend before a long screech rang through the air for what seemed liked nearly a full minute causing just about everyone in her sight to fall to their knees and cover their ears. Everyone but Static, who seemed to go limp and stand up only to look towards the sound as if hypnotized.
After the ear-piercing sound died out nothing could be hear for some time... Sandy had gotten dizzy as her skull seemed to vibrate. She was finally able to gain enough cognitive function to recite a small spell so she could center herself and then stand out. He ability to hear returned quickly after that, but the sounds she now was able to make out was far form welcoming. Marching... in perfect harmony. She'd only ran into one group that was able to pull off such an unnecessary feat, and likely only through the art of brainwashing. "Templars..." Sandy breathed heavily still feeling unwell from the senser attack to her ears, which she honestly wasn't aware the holy knights could do. She looked down at her brother who was still on the ground barely half awake. Sandy was about to bend down and cast the same spell on him she'd cast on herself before she looked behind her at the sound of fighting not too far off.
A few buildings down she saw one of the Templars for earlier, a large black hedgehog, fighting one of the new coming Templars that had just started inside the town's limits. She looked on for another moment completely confused before she heard a voice casting a spell behind her. After turning quickly, the female squirrel took on a defensive stance before losing it and becoming even more confused as she saw one of her most skilled and younger teachers, Mei, helping her brother up.
"Sandy! We need a clarity spell. Now!" The blue feline demanded causing the female squirrel to comply so fast she didn't even pay much mind to how large the area of effect the spell encompassed. That unfortunately gave them away... not just to the Templars that had been holding her brother captive but also the now clearly seen fleshless undead army invading the small town of Kemp.
The lone hedgehog Templar, that seemed shocked after the spell hit him, and glanced over at the two mages, and bard, as he continued to fight the undead that went after him and his still knocked out men.
After Sandy's give away their location many of the lifeless minions turned their focus and started coming down the ally to the newly seen enemies. "We need to retreat!" Mei called out to Sandy as the younger woman started walking backwards as she didn't want to take her eyes off the enemy until they were all ready to flee. "Where is Static?" Mei now asked franticly as time was running out before a fight would have to ensue.
Now Sandy finally turned around and ran towards her teacher and brother. "He was right there!" Sandy pointed as she finally made it next to her allies only to see her good friend gone. "He was..." The young healing mage tried to start but then looked back as their attackers grew closer. "We have to find him!" She demanded now becoming overrun with panic.
"Ya mean him?" Randy asked seemingly still a bit out of sorts as he pointed towards a dark brown rat on a skeletal steed that was burning green and white flames. "I don't know Sandy, but..." Randy paused as the rat clad in bone armor rode his steed closer to them, slowly, from an ally adjacent to the one his seemingly undead minions were approaching them from. " I think ya can do better. He's way too flashy fer ya." Randy almost fell back down to the ground before Mei caught him and helped him back onto his feet where he had to keep leaning on her. Obviously, Sandy's healing spell wasn't near enough for the amount of torture he'd endured. " I mean... what would ma think?" Randy tried to laugh only to nearly pass out before Mei recited a short-lasting stamina spell for him.
"We have to go now, Sandy! Now!" Mei insisted again as she grabbed onto one of each siblings' wrists. Right before Sandy could disagree, she saw Static standing right behind the powerful necromancer rat looking at her as if he was lost in a void. She tried to call his name in hopes to break whatever spell he was under but ultimately found herself being pulling into a location skip.
"STATIC!" Sandy screamed while being surrounded by the darkness of the spell as it took her alertness far away from her. "Stat..." She couldn't even finish her thought before the location jump took her away from the only man she'd finally come to admire, and maybe even love.