DISCLAIMER Original characters belong to those people, you know; the ones with the eyes and the nose that're kinda in the middle. However, I am accountable for the random extras that get killed on a regular basis and, of course, Kiara.
I know I haven't updated in quite some time; I'll even throw around the phrase "for ages".
But here's the next chapter, I've found my muse again; and I hope you enjoy it's return as much as I have.
You know the drill; reviews are greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone had a specific song that they wanted me to base a chapter upon, please include it in the said review.
Next Contestant
"Nickelback"
Kiara
Up until that point the fight had been all fun and games. Now it was personal.
Well, okay, I guess some could say it was had already been some level of personal to begin with. I mean, the Luskan soldiers were sent specifically to kill me and then bring my head back on a bloody pike. (I know this specifically, as they'd told me upon bumping into both Bishop and I.) But now they'd really gone too far.
They had well and truly crossed the line.
I watched in pure outrage as a large clump of stark blue hair fell to the dirt; sliced from atop my head by a keen blade wielded by a not so keen enemy soldier.
"Now you're in for it, boy," Bishop stated bluntly, laughing manically.
Anger radiated off of me in heated waves. The soldier whom had truly doomed them all by cutting my said hair stumbled back. His eyes were wide in fear and his tight, white lips were wavering.
I regained my composure.
"Do you realise what you've just done?" I hissed at him. "You've just signed your own death warrant." I drew my rapiers. "Now, I'm going to forcibly reverse your gender."
There were twenty or so nameless Luskan soldiers against myself, Bishop, and his wolf; Karnwyr.
…The odds were in our favour; it was going to be far too easy.
With a manic laugh, Bishop charged the fearful cluster of Luskan soldiers.
"Luskan breed bastards," he shouted gruffly.
"Bishop, that battle cry has so lost all of its originality. Please, for the sake of my poor ears; think of a new one," I shouted to him.
I twirled my rapiers, my eyes never leaving that of the hair-hacking-Luskan. I slowly approached him.
"Ah, I think I might have one," Bishop called back, slitting throat after bloody throat.
"Hit me," I shouted to the psychopathic ranger.
"I'll tell ya mum of all your death's tonight," Bishop cried as he hacked off a soldier's head. "Don't worry," he whispered to the beheaded corpse, "I'll be there to comfort her."
Huh? That's the most idiotic battle cry ever; and I've heard some of Casavir's God-bothering ones, so that's definitely saying something. I give it a four out of ten.
"Okay, that was more original; but it was also kind of creepy and disconcerting," I called to him. "So, all in all, it really does suit you."
Bishop's attack shocked them out of their fearful stupor. In reply they swarmed both him and Karnwyr, hacking pathetically at the agile ranger and his equally dangerous animal companion.
I ducked a desperate swing of the soiled soldier's keen blade. Grinning as he stabbed fruitlessly at my leathers.
With my rapiers, I slashed at his wrist, causing him to drop his weapon with a shout of pain. The meagre cuts brought him to his knees. All in all, it was utterly pathetic and a bit of a letdown.
I drew back one of my thin blades.
"Awww, crap, not―" he had no time to finish his sentence.
I stabbed the rapier into his flesh and then right through his heart with a satisfactory squelch. Blood gurgled from his lips as he coughed, and then his head sagged.
I withdrew my blade with a disgusted tug.
"I don't know why nameless henchmen always think that their superior numbers can defeat us," I shouted to Bishop.
He'd dispatched six of them already.
"Everyone knows that the good guys can only die via one of the main bad guys, or some kind of cliché natural catastrophe that occurs after said bad guys have been defeated," I concluded.
I wiped the rapier clean on my grey leathers.
It had always confused me that my fire and acid enhanced weapons could burn through flesh, but never my clothes when I was cleaning them. They were so inconsistent; but I wasn't one to complain about something like that. It's not like I wanted to be burnt. It just always made me wonder.
"Stop rambling like an idiot and help me," Bishop shouted brusquely.
I couldn't actually see him amongst the horde of randomly stabbing men. However, I could hear the cries of the Luskan's as one after the other died, as well as the growls of both Karnwyr and Bishop quite clearly.
I giggled, rushing at the small group with my blades held out, straight and parallel. I simply had to run through them to effortlessly behead three with my magically enhanced rapiers. I spun in a full circle once I was completely within the crowd, killing numerous more. Their blood sprayed me as they cried out in shock.
I bounded around a man ―hacking one of his flailing arms from his body― to stand by Bishop and Karnwyr's side.
I wonder if Bishop would believe me if I stabbed the mangy wolf and blamed a Luskan… Hmm, I better not risk it. I'll never be able to find my way back to the Sunken Flagon without Bishop to lead me.
"I've killed six men and an arm," I shouted above the noise as I sidestepped a blow to my hip. "It seems I'm in the lead by an arm."
Bishop brought his hunting knife up through a soldier's chin, killing him instantly. He tugged his weapon free and then spun around, stabbing another in the stomach and then again in his chest simply for good measure.
He looked back at me; over his broad, padded shoulder. "I've killed eight now," he stated smugly, daring me silently to beat him.
I stabbed the last two men, one through the stomach, and the other in his hip. The one I'd stabbed in the stomach fell to the floor in a withering heap, though the other continued to swing his flailing flail ―catchy description, I know― at our heads.
Now let me clue you in on something I've come to learn in my time of adventuring; large metal flail vs. human skull, the flail will always win. This I know from experience.
Bishop chuckled; effortlessly elbowing the Luskan in the jaw and then kicking him forcefully with a heavily booted foot. The man toppled backwards and fell onto one of his dead comrades weapons.
"What a klutz," I laughed. "I mean, who falls onto a weapon?"
Well, there goes the last contestant.
"That last one still counts as my kill," I turned to face Bishop with a frown. "I stabbed him in the hip. Technically, I did all the hard work."
"I'm in the lead, deal with it." He grinned cockily. "So, what's my prize?"
"How does; me not killing you sound?" I retorted seriously.
"I'll hold you to that," he replied. "There'll be no attempted killings of me from this moment forth. Not that you could if you tried."
I wasn't one to go back on a promise, ―usually. However, I would find a way sooner or later. As soon as he ceased to be amusing and useful; he was gone for good.
"Fine, but rest assured; I'll find other means of ensuring your death," I replied earnestly. "And your pet doesn't count in this deal. He'd better watch his hairy little back."
I received a deep growl from the animal in question upon mentioning his name. Bishop, in reply to this, petted his beloved wolf upon the head.
"Later you can rip her throat out," he promised Karnwyr. "Right now there's more Luskan's on the horizon."
"I'll kill more this time, I'll win," I assured him confidently.
"We'll just have to wait and see," he muttered.
Blood-covered and sweaty, the ranger still managed to look darn fine after a week away from Neverwinter and real people. That was the problem; he was the only male for miles that wasn't Luskan and wasn't trying to kill me. Well, he wasn't Luskan; that was for sure. However, the last bit was still a little unclear.
I really should have brought more people along; but I knew that it was faster to travel in a small group, even if that small group consisted sorely of me, the disgusting mongrel, and Karnwyr. I mean, there was no way we could subtly and quickly rid the bordering lands of Luskan's with a large party of drunken dwarfs, troublesome tieflings, pyromaniac sorceresses, tone-deaf ankle-bitters ―or gnomes as some liked to call them, air-head tree-huggers, bulky god-botherers and annoying farmers that won't shut up. For the first time in my life; logic had won.
That'll teach me to never reason with logic again.
I raised a hand to my head, feeling around for the shortened cluster of hair. Sure enough, there was a whole patch which had been reduced to barely a few centimetres. My blood started to boil.
Each fight seems to be getting worse. I'll have to see if I can get Sand to 'kadabra' my hair when we get back. Chances of that being successful were slim though, I knew this.
"It'll grow back," Bishop insisted gruffly. "Be thankful it wasn't your head."
"If only," I mused. "I could have had that healed, at least."
"Yeah, now that you mention it, it would have been a vast improvement to listening to your constant whining. It would have saved me the trouble as well."
Trumpet calls resounded in the distance and barks from tracking dogs could be faintly heard too. Hmm, Karnwyr'll have some new play mates. I grinned; I hope they have sharp teeth.
Bishop took what I'm sure he thought was a threatening stance, Karnwyr licking his bloodied lips by his side.
The angered shouts of the approaching Luskan soldiers was next to reach my ears. I took a much-more-threatening-than-Bishop stance, awaiting the soldiers in anticipation. My weapons were held high, ready for the imminent attack.
"And here come our next contestants," Bishop drawled. "Luskan bread bastards."
I dropped my rapiers to my side with a sigh, turning to face Bishop. "Have you learnt nothing?"
It wasn't the charging mass of nameless men that I had to worry about. The person I knew I should worry about was my greatest competing challenger in the sick and twisted little game that my life had become.
Bishop was the real contestant and, through all the jests, we both knew it.
All we didn't know ―yet― was who would win.
Remember reviews are greatly appreciated and only help in creating a better read for you guys, I really appreciate them. :P
~just-passing-time
