I repeat. None of this shit is mine except Marcus. Palton belongs to a friend of mine who has given me permission to use him. Everything else is property of Arenanet and NCsoft.
As Palton, Marcus, and Prince Rurik make their way through the wreckage of the academy they make mental notes of all those who were slain in the searing. All of those who were slain in the academy were struck down by the explosions and falling rubble. There were no major cuts or arrows in the corpses, just bones sticking out at odd angles and the occasional charred flesh. Palton stops and examines some of the corpses noticing that most of them are still young, some not even twenty years of age, "They will pay for this." he mutters to himself as they near the shattered doorway of the academy.
The Trio push through the doors which fall off of their hinges after opening. They quickly survey their surroundings before continuing on their way to what used to be the main entrance to Ascalon. On the way, Marcus stops when he notices something out of the ordinary. Rurik turns and walks back to Marcus with a questioning look, "What is the matter?" Marcus points to a nearby corpse and Rurik's eyes widen, "That corpse, it has been cut open." "Which means the Charr have come this way." Palton finishes Marcus's sentence as he walks over to the others. Marcus nods, "And if the Charr have been here, but not where we have just come from, then that means…." before Marcus can finish his theory and arrow flies over a hill behind the three and sinks deep into Marcus's calf, splintering a section of his shin bone and puncturing through to the other side sending a small blood spray onto Rurik's boot, "OW! FUCK!" Marcus screams as he falls to one knee.
Palton and Rurik run toward the Charr patrol as Marcus removes the arrow lodged in his leg. As Palton comes up over the hill a Charr axe warrior roars and charges him. Palton reacts quickly enough and thrusts his flaming sword down the unlucky axe warrior's throat. Off to the left of the now choking Charr, Rurik is fighting a Charr fire caller. The fire caller continues to block Rurik with his fire rod as Rurik swings wildly. Suddenly a sword impales the fire callers head. Following the sword is Palton, who knocks the fire caller down and pulls his sword from the head. Palton and Rurik turn toward the Charr hunter that had fired the first arrow in time to see a lightning bolt punch through its chest. Palton looks back at a limping Marcus with his cane still glowing from the magic. Marcus smirks at Palton, "When will they learn that what they do to me always comes back to bite them in the ass?" Palton and Rurik laugh, "As soon as you let one of them live to tell the others." Palton manages to say between laughs. The three sit down to rest as Palton helps heal Marcus's leg wound.
Before they go to leave the area, Palton pulls a large knife from a sheathe on his hip and stands. He then proceeds to skin one of the Charr corpses. Rurik looks at what Palton is doing and then back at Marcus questioningly, "What in the name of Dwayna is he doing?" Marcus chuckles to himself, "He is getting materials. He makes his armor out of Charr skin." Rurik nods and turns back to watch the spectacle in time to see a large tooth fly in front of his face. Marcus catches the tooth, "And I like to take souvenirs." Marcus says as he puts the tooth in a pocket on the inside of his shirt.
The party continues on their journey leaving three skinned corpses each missing a tooth behind. As they near the center of town Marcus notices a small child climbing out of a ruined home and immediately hisses. Rurik looks around puzzled, "Is there a cat around here?" Palton chuckles, "No but there is a child. Marcus hates them." "Annoying little buggers." Marcus mutters in the background. Rurik runs to the child to comfort it as Palton takes Marcus's cane away so he cant attack the child. Palton walks over to Rurik and the child while Marcus stays behind.
"He says he can't find his parents." Rurik tells Palton as he nears, "Then we should find them." Palton says before the child speaks up, "They said they were going to see the guild registrar up on the hill. But then everything starting blowing up." Palton looks up the hill and notices many Charr patrolling the area. He also notices they are all Charr hunters which would group tightly when attacking a target. Rurik looks into the child's eyes, "You stick close to us. We will find your parents." the kid nods and takes Rurik's hand. After hearing this, Marcus runs past Palton and grabs his cane. He then runs as fast as possible up the hill away from the child with Palton close behind.
Marcus and Palton stop behind some rocks out of sight of the Charr hunters to plan their strategy. Once they are agreed Palton stands and charges the patrols. He runs straight through the center of every patrol and when he passes the last one he squats down behind his shield blocking the barrage of arrows. Once the Charr had grouped together Marcus jumps up and casts his Chaos storm on the center of the group. Electrocuting all of the Charr to death.
Rurik and the child arrive at the top of the hill in time to see the Charr fall. They stop and watch next to Marcus who notices the child almost immediately and begins to twitch. Palton stands and shouts to Rurik, "You might want to get the child away from Marcus!" Rurik looks over at the twitching Marcus, who is grinning menacingly at Rurik and the child both, and slowly slinks away.
Marcus and Palton sit down and rest while Rurik helps the child look for his parents in the wreckage. A minute later they could hear the child crying on the other side of a wall. Palton and Marcus stand at the same time. Palton runs to the child while Marcus walks over maintaining his distance from the child. As soon as they round the wall they see the cause of the child crying. Two corpses lie in the corner, a man and a woman, both had their stomachs cuts open and their bowels littered the ground around them. Rurik and Palton kneel next to the child and comfort him in his mourning while Marcus bows his head in silence behind them.
To Be Continued
Please R&R