Chapter 3 (Prick us do we not bleed continued)

Authors note: This is really the second half of chapter 2 that I didn't include in the last update. Anyway, here is the dramatic ending to Chapter 2, Enjoy!

Baro shot out of bed at the sounds of a crash and breaking glass. Screams and explosions made him roll on his side and feel his heart beating like a mad man, pumping hot blood to his face. Quickly he grabbed his bag, unsheathed his hunting knife and opened the door to his room into the chaos outside.

The first thing he noticed was one of the town guard bent over a broken table, motionless to the glass fragments all around him. A small fire had been started around the door, so Baro quickly grabbed a tablecloth to dowse the flames. As he did so he noticed people running from the streets into their homes as four men marched down the street dressed in black, blue, and crimson robes. It didn't take long to guess their intentions, as soon as they met an old man who crossed their path one of the four shot a green bolt of magic at him and drained the life from his body. 'Necromancers!' Thought Baro and he ducked down behind the wall. He wanted to tear the thugs apart; his hands gripped the edge of the doorway so hard he thought he would crack it, but he would be a fool to take on four mages! From what Baro knew by storytellers, Necromancers were mages who dealt with altering life, even at times creating or destroying it. These four were most definitely the destroying kind, the kind that haunted nightmares and had sent the entire eastern empire on its toes.

Baromosa was forced to watch them march down the street edging nearer the Inn. 'Maybe if I surprise them I can get at least one of them.' He thought and looked around. The Inn had obviously already been hit so the ones coming down the street were separate from the ones who had killed the guard. Digging through the wreckage of glass and chairs Baro found a dead necromancer under the table. 'So you can be killed, interesting.'

With a sigh Baro lifted the guards spear, broken in half. Using its end he poked around the rubble until he saw something of interest. A scroll had fallen out of the mages robes; its seal had been cracked. Before Baro could read any of the parchment he heard footsteps scuffing outside. Clinging to the wall Baro took the half spear and prepared the throw it into whatever beast was under those black robes. 'None who processed that kind of ability could still call themselves human.' Baro concluded and stiffened his back more at the thought of the elderly man literally being sucked dry of his life.

A black boot stomped on the doorway before it turned around again before the owner of the boot was thrown back against the wall by an invisible force. It was a human male, now shaking his head in shock of being slammed into a hardwood wall. Baro was not as hesitant to react; he immediately ran up to his target and rested the spear end on his neck roughly. This one wasn't a mage, his sword sheath was on his belt and his armor was too heavy to allow for the movements involved in the arcane magic. Baro sneered and managed to bark out, "What the hell are you, a guard?"

The human simply squirmed under Baro's spearhead and gave him a menacing look. 'An armed guard for a mage wouldn't be a very valuable hostage to bargain with these attackers, I should just forget him.' Baro decided and wordlessly took a bottle from a near by table and bashed the thug unconscious.

Turning around to see who attacked this man, Baro saw Crystal locked in combat with one of the necromancers. She wielded a wiry thin scimitar vs. the mages short sword. Baro quickly looked around and threw his spear toward the black robed enemy that seemed to be dancing to the side of the battle, and caught him in his right leg. As soon as this happened the mage fell to the ground, gripping his leg and screaming out to the world around him. Whatever magic he had been doing must have been stopped because now Crystal seemed to have an easier time advancing on her duel.

Still feeling the heat of battle upon him Baro ran towards Crystal's attacker, eagerly feeling the surge of emotion that can only come from real danger and glory in combat. Before he could reach them however, the fourth man from the group of necromancers surprised him by charging him from behind with his shield. Baromosa was sent tumbling to his knees and bashed his head against the dirt road. Rolling over on his back Baro felt where the metal plate had hit him and the blood now covering his back. Dirt rubbed against where the shield had apparently ripped and sent ripples of continuous pain up his spine. His hands grasped at the knife on his belt but Baro felt so dizzy he could barely keep his eyes opened and soon passed into darkness. His last memories were hearing Tassadar letting out a battle cry as he ran passed him, and a pair of soft hands take Baro's head in their lap.

All of the sudden Baro spasmed to live and breathed hard as if he had jumped into freezing cold water. His head fell back into the healers lap and after letting his head stop spinning looked up lazily to the sky. Crystal's face smiled down at him, and she supported Baro to stand him up.

"What happened? While I was out it felt like cold water was brushing over me. It wasn't painful, but I almost thought I could sense you from across the current." Baromosa stumbled a little bit, then stood up and hunched his back over slightly.

"You were hit really bad. That soldier's shield was spiked and tore up your spine then bashed your head pretty hard. How are you now?" Crystal said, still looking Baro over for bruises.

"I'll live. Thank you, I wouldn't have made it with out you." Crystal smiled again and helped Baro back over to the Inn where Tassadar waited at one of the only remaining tables. A giant war hammer stained with blood was in his lap, and Tassadar was using a ripped tablecloth to clean it.

"So, here comes the warrior from his first battle. Was it what you expected?" Tassadar asked and raised an eyebrow. Baro shook his head and grunted as he took a seat near his friend.

"You did well for your first brawl, and with mages no less!" Tassadar patted him on the back and made Baro scream a small groan. "Oh that's right, it must still be a little sore."

Crystal shook her head and then looked up at Baro and said, "You did fight well though. If you hadn't distracted that second mage he would have strengthened his brother even more and would have killed me."

"His brother?" Crystal nodded in response and looked down toward her feet. Shadow came in from the street and sat by her, nudging Crystal's leg.

"Do you know who they are?" Baro walked closer to Crystal and knelt beside her, putting a hand on hers. She just sadly looked up to him and said 'This valley isn't safe for you anymore.'