Flight of the Gryphonclaw Brigade

Part 5: Raid

It was nearly one in the morning when the Horde raiding party came into view of Darkshire. Keshick, Zifu, Priska, and the two Forsaken stopped on the road just outside of the small human town. There were about twelve guards posted, four archers on the roof tops and the rest were foot soldiers positioned behind some hastily made wooden barricades. Everyone was still, eyeing each other, measuring their opponents. There were two of the foot soldiers that stood out in Keshick's mind. The hooded figure and the other soldier in full chain mail, they did not look like the rest of the guards, probably some hired mercenaries.

"Good," thought Keshick, "maybe there are some worthwhile warriors among them."

"Take the Scourge first," Lozordo said, once again breaking the heavy silence, "they're wearing spell casters robes."

"But what about the orc?" asked one of the guards, "He looks as if he'll tear us apart if we get close."

"Leave him to me..." Lozordo replied with a cold tone in his voice.

The two Forsaken exchanged a few words to each other in their guttural tongue and walked back into the canopy of the woods.

"The Scourge are falling back out of sight!" Stated one of the guards.

"I'm not sure if I like the looks of that," Jerrith replied ominously, "Archers, keep an eye out for them!"

There was another long moment of silence from both parties.

"So...when we be doin dis?" Zifu chimed in, "me no be gettin any younger."

Priska stood there with her bow ready, an arrow already knocked in place. Her eyes were fixed on the strange one with the huge hammer. Keshick was eyeing the structure that blocked the pathway; he could easily tear through the barricade and the front lines to get to the two strangers. Either way, he didn't want to be here any longer, he was ready to be done with this task so he can return home and become a member of a real Horde army.

Keshick let out a howl "FOR THE HORDE!" and charged, his two handed axe held behind him for a sideways swing to break through the barricade. He easily tore through the wall, surprisingly not cutting anyone down but still sending the guards sprawling. He immediately lifted his axe high above his head to bring it down on one of the prone guardsmen, but it was stopped in mid swing. The hooded figure stood there in his way, wielding a massive great sword and holding Keshick's axe in place while the guard scrambled away and to his feet.

"Shall we dance?" Lozordo asked the orc, letting his fiery blue eyes burn into the orcs red eyes. Keshick had no idea what the human had said to him, but from the look in his eyes he had no doubt it was insulting.

Priska took her shot at the one with the hammer, she sent Chomper into the other guards to have his fun. She wanted this one for herself, solely for the tabard he had draped over him; she thought it would look nice on her as a trophy. The arrow screamed to her target. But a clumsy guard got in the way of it as he was standing up from being laid out by Keshick and the unlucky guard met his demise with a arrow in his neck. However this did not go unnoticed by Jerrith. He immediately charged hopping over the barricade and ran down the road at the troll hunter. Priska, flustered and caught a little off guard couldn't draw an arrow in time and instead her hand went to the small hand axe she had on her belt and lifted it to parry the attack.

Anyone who had the time to watch Keshick and Lozordo witnessed a spectacle. The two warriors used the entire town square as their battlefield. Their weapons eliminating the area with sparks as they clashed together. Both of them very seasoned and well honed for battle, could not manage to score a hit on the other.

"This human is well trained," Keshick thought, as he brought his axe down on Lozordo who parried it and sent it harmlessly into the fountain breaking off a chunk of the stone. "Could it be possible I may have met my equal?"

The fight did not last long though; it was interrupted by a cry from one of the archers on the rooftops.

"THE SCOURGE ARE BACK! THEY CAME IN THE BACKSIDE OF TOW--" he was abruptly interrupted as the top of the building exploded as the mage's fireball hit, incinerating the two of them on the roof and setting the building ablaze. Pieces of debris fell from the building; one large stone caught Keshick square on the head as he was preparing for another swing, knocking him out cold.

Lozordo watched him slump to the ground lifeless. Then he turned his head toward the burning building, this building was one of the shelters the women and children were using. They all came rushing out, coughing and singed but otherwise alright. Then one by one they started dropping to their knees writing in agony as dark patches of shadow fell over them. Lozordo's eyes widened with rage, he looked around to see the cause of it and he saw him. The Forsaken priest gleefully casting spells at the innocent women and children. With a howl Lozordo leapt at him his sword held high above him, he came crashing down splitting the undead's head wide open before he could get another spell off. He stood there, his sword still imbedded in the lifeless creature's skull, he was breathing heavily and shaking with rage. He then looked up at the mage that was nearby. Who was now beginning to look like a pin cushion from the arrows that the two remaining archers were filling him with. Even though the creature was dying when Lozordo rushed up, he cleaved the undead into two still boiling with rage but regaining his composure.

The axe Priska used to try and parry Jerrith's massive hammer was of no use. Jerrith shattered it in her hands, and her hand as well as he brought his hammer down upon her head. He let his holy energy flow through him and through his hammer adding to the impacting blow. Everything went dark in Priska's eyes as she was knocked out cold. Jerrith then turned to Zifu who was standing right next to Priska still yet to do anything. Zifu was staring at him with wide, wild, and frightened eyes. Zifu immediately dropped his staff and threw his arms up in surrender.

"My give up!" He exclaimed.