Royal Knight raised his shield to stop the Goblin Commander's sword while using his own sword to strike at the Demon General's own sword. He growled as he could feel both pushing back against him and both his arms were beginning to weaken from fighting on two fronts.
"You bastards! I'll see your plans… gaaahhh!"
Royal Knight could feel intense pain in his leg; he quickly stumbled away from the Demon General and Goblin Commander where he could check what had injured him. The pain was growing as he felt like his leg was on fire, he looked down to see a green arrow pulsating with a faint glow but the area around his armor was beginning to melt. His armor was now stained with blood that fused with the melting metal as it ran down his leg as the arrow vanished. He looked up to find the Demon Warlock and the two hooded figures pointing their magical rods at him.
"Acid Arrow…I'm sure you know how effective they are boy and how painful. Don't struggle any further or we'll be forced to kill you." Demon Warlock smirked as he prepared to repeat the enchantment for another Acid Arrow.
"NO! I want this one to suffer! I won't rest until his blood is on my blade!" Goblin Commander chuckled as he licked his lips, eager to continue the fight.
"Nice try spellcaster, but even if you say you'll spare me, your goblin and demon comrade there already exclaimed to have me killed."
"Well I thought it was worth a try."
"Enough of your useless resistance human. You can't defeat us and the orcs are on their way here! Surrender and I may make your end as painless as possible." The Demon General held out his sword as it suddenly became engulfed in a purplish flame.
"Shit. It wasn't my intention to try and fight my way out but it seems like I have no choice in the matter." Royal Knight looked at his opponents carefully, doing his best to plan out his next step. "There's the High Ranked Demon with the sword and the goblin, behind them are the three demon spell casters, and behind them are those orcs who were assaulting the women in the cages. Had it been a simple fight I might be able to beat the goblin but against the demons…I'm not sure. It would seem that I am destined to die here then."
Royal Knight for a moment felt defeated, there was no way he would survive against these numbers and he could hear the sounds of more of the orcs approaching. His mind thought about his friends Dragon Inquisitor and Raven Inquisitor, the tiger barmaid, Guild Assistant, Guild Operator and those he enjoyed speaking with on a daily basis.
"No! I am a knight of this kingdom and I will not stop fighting until this body can no longer function. If I can at least kill the warlock, then he won't be able to impersonate the Grand Chancellor and that will raise suspicions." Royal Knight held up his shield and raised his sword high as he readied to continue his battle. "Witness how a true knight faces his end you sons of bitches!"
Royal Knight let loose a battle cry to rival a dragon's roar as he rushed forward with his plan. Goblin Commander let loose a roar of his own as he brought his sword crashing down, but Royal Knight managed to raise his shield to block to attack, sparks flying off the shield as he moved forward. Next was the Demon General who swung his sword at Royal Knight; Royal Knight swung his own sword, so he could at least parry the blow before going after the spellcasters. Their blades struck and to Royal Knight's horror watched as his weapon was not only knocked back but part of the sword broke off; Demon General smirked as his blade continued and cut at the knight's shoulder.
"Ahhh! Damn it!"
Royal Knight continued to move past the two, now focused on the spellcasters who were all now preparing to fire off another magic spell.
"Acid Arrow!"
The three projectiles flew towards him, the first he managed to avoid as it moved past the left side of his head, the second however found it target hitting the lower left side of his stomach. There was intense pain as he could feel the arrow burning, but he could not stop, not while his adrenaline was pushing him forward. The third arrow was going directly for his face, but he managed to raise his shield. He let loose a scream as he could see the tip of the green protruding through his arm.
Demon Warlock looked on with wide eyes as the human continued to rush towards them, even with the various wounds on his body. Royal Knight threw his broken sword aiming it directly at the warlock but at the last moment, Demon Warlock grabbed the closest mage and moved him directly in front of him. The demon mage let out a gurgled cry as the broken blade hit him in the throat.
"Damn it. He sacrificed one of his pawns to protect himself. Can't waste time, need to try and escape out through the dungeon entrance."
Suddenly two of the orcs let out guttle growls as they rushed to attack the injured knight. Royal Knight could see these orcs had no time to dress cloth themselves let alone get any armor, just their jagged blades. He moved for the first orc and slashed his shield horizontally, cutting at his throat; the orc dropped his blade as he clutched at his neck, trying to stop the blood from flowing. Royal Knight focused on the next orc and tackled it to the ground, as it dropped its weapon, Royal Knight picked up the fallen weapon and went to work hacking at the beast, its black blood staining his armor and face.
Royal Knight quickly got back to his feet and turned toward the Demon General and his subordinates. The three leaders looked toward the knight, his body now stained with blood and the armor appearing to resemble a melted candle wax from the spots where the acid arrows had struck.
"How much longer do you think you'll last "oh noble knight" before my forces have slaughtered you?" The Demon General chuckled as he started to walk forward toward the injured man.
"As…as long as I'm able to. If you think you can take me down, then come on!" Royal Knight found himself wheezing as his breathing grew more painful. "Damn…I'm starting to really feel the pain. Need to get to the dungeon entrance."
Royal Knight hesitantly took a step back, carefully watching his opponents, before turning and running as fast as his injuries would allow him. Goblin Commander and Demon Warlock looked toward Demon Lord General with curious expressions, yet the Demon General had a wicked smile on his face.
"Commander…call the horde! Hunt him down!"
Goblin Commander too smiled before reaching for the small war horn attached to the side of his belt. He blew the horn which echoed through the chambers, the Orcs and Uruk Hai heard the call and gave a triumphant roar before moving to gather weapons and armor. They had all heard the screams of the women but had assumed it was their usual screams of agony, now they all knew there was an intruder within the depths of the dungeon, and a lust for blood ran through their veins.
xxxx
Many knights doing their rounds believed they could hear a muffled rumble from the doorway leading to the dungeons. They were used to the occasional screams from prisoners, but this rumbled sounded like dozens of roars. There were not supposed to be that many individuals within and it had only been a short amount of time since the Grand Chancellor had gone into the speak with these traitors to the kingdom. Two of the nearby knights moved toward the entrance for the dungeon, reaching out for the handle to see what was the cause of this commotion and if the Chancellor was in any immediate danger but were stopped.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"
The knights turned, surprised to find Grand Inquisitor and Hawk Inquisitor calmly walking toward them; they were quick to stand at attention and salute the two continued onward toward the doorway.
"Apologies Grand Inquisitor, we heard an unknown sound from the dungeon and were concerned since the Grand Chancellor has yet to return. We were about to investigate when uh…well you stopped us."
"Think about your positions carefully! I can appreciate your desire to check on the Chancellor but if this is a revolt by the prisoners, they could be luring you all in with this noise, and if you fall here, then they could run loose causing untold amounts of damage."
"Oh you're absolutely correct, we hadn't thought about…"
"That's the problem with you weaklings, thinking is not your strong point." Hawk Inquisitor smirked as he pushed the knights aside before placing his right hand on his sword. "The Grand Inquisitor and I shall investigate this ruckus and hopefully…we'll be able to kill some rats."
The knights were a bit unnerved by the sadistic smile on Hawk Inquisitor's face but knew that he and the Grand Inquisitor were far more skilled than them. They bowed their heads before returning back to their assigned posts while the two Inquisitors moved toward the doorway.
xxxx
"COME BACK!"
"DON'T LEAVE US!"
"YOU COWARD!"
"DAMN YOU TO HELL!"
Royal Knight continued to run the best he could, the scornful shouts of the female captives echoing as he made his way up the first set of stairs. He felt a terrible pang of guilt as he fled from the battlefield, but his goal was to warn the kingdom of the plot against it.
"I'm sorry, but if I stand around to try and help you all then I will fail in helping anyone. Please forgive me! If I'm able to make it to the surface, I'll send help to save you all. Just be patient a bit…"
Royal Knight stumbled a bit as a sudden pain surged through his right shoulder; he'd already suffered a deep slashed from the Demon Lord General but now he could see the black arrow that pierced through his armor.
"Gahhh! Damn it! Where?"
Royal Knight quickly looked around, he had now reached the second level of the dungeon and from up above he could see archers getting ready to fire away. There were additional screeches from ahead of him as more of the orcs charged forward to deal with him.
"Damn it! Well come on then!" Royal Knight himself rushed toward the group of attacking monsters.
With the orc blade raised high he parried the first strike from the closest orc before slashing at their armor with the jagged blade. He then oved to slam his shield into the next orc and with them off guard, cut at their neck taking it off with one clean swipe. Even in the middle of all this chaos he knew he needed to keep an eye on the archers off to the side. He grabbed at one of the nearby orcs by their armor and moved them to his right side just as an arrow pierced the back of the orc's skull. He tossed the body aside and using his sword knocked the next arrow out of the air with a swing of his blade, but the moment of focusing on the arrows allowed another one of the orcs to strike. Another of the orcs rushed in and struck at his injured left side; the cut tore at his damaged armor as more of his blood spilled from his wound. Royal Knight screamed then looked at the orc with rage in his gaze; he growled as he then rammed his blade through the orc's chest.
"How'd you like that you…gaah! Shit!"
He could feel the pain in his back as one of the arrows managed to pierce through the back of his armor. He wanted to turn and see where the next attack would come from but there were still six other orcs rushing to kill him. There was still another level to get through and he could hear the rumbling of the approaching footsteps, there was no time to be thinking rationally. With another yell from an adrenaline rush, he rushed forward with the orc corpse still impaled on his sword' he crashed into the group of orcs and kept pushing while they were caught off guard by his assault. While charging forward another arrows struck the lower right side of his back but he would not stop; as the six orcs fell to the ground, he drew out the sword he had impaled in the orc and made his way up the stairwell for the next level.
"Get up you lot! He's getting away!" The Goblin Commander barked at the troops as he watched the archers missing their shots while the knight escaped.
Royal Knight had finally reached the first floor of the dungeon, thankfully he did not see any signs of orcs on this floor and even more surprising there were no other prisoners in the cells. Most likely the orcs had butchered and eaten these prisoners as well since the amount of food need to feed the army would be quite large. With a heavy sigh, the pain and exhaustion finally washed over him as he started to limp away from the entrance to the lower level.
"D, damn it…body feels like it's made of lead. Just…just a bit further." Royal Knight continued to limp away from the stairwell, turning every now and then to see if the orcs had poured through.
Royal Knight turned around, pointing his sword forward as he backed away expecting the orcs to emerge at any moment as their shrieks echoed in the dungeon. He focused all his attention on the stairwell that he failed to notice the large hulking figure that stood in the shadows.
"Here they come!" Royal Knight took another step back as several of the orcs poured through the stairwell swarming toward him. "Come no closer! Come no closer!"
He had just passed by the corner for one of the holding cells when his eyes widened, off to his right he could just make out a large figure as it moved. He turned his attention toward his right just as the figure brought a blade crashing downward. The massive blade struck at his right forearm, cutting through the armor and severing the limb like an axe obliterating a dry branch. Royal Knight cried out as he placed his left hand over the bleeding stump before looking at the figure who had attacked him. The creature was much larger than the other orcs he had seen, but where his right arm would have been was now a large jagged blade.
"An ogre…no, this must be one of the Uruk Hai the Demon General had mentioned."
"Puny human." Armored Uruk Hai had a sneer as he raised his bladed arm to strike at the Royal Knight once again.
Royal Knight could see he was preparing to strike once again and quickly removed his left hand from his wound to raise his shield. Armored Uruk Hai struck once again, his blade tearing away at the damaged shield and then hitting the left side of Royal Knight's head. Royal Knight's helmet clattered to the ground, dented and stained with blood as it rolled away from his body.
"Too bad, I wanted to cut your head off."
Royal Knight had instinctively rolled with the direction of the blade, and managed to avoid being decapitated as blood stained the side of his head.
"D, damn it…"
Royal Knight grunted as he struggled to stay on his feet, his eyes focused on the Armored Uruk Hai that he had completely forgotten about the orcs. He could not stop himself from gasping as he now realized that dozens of orcs had now encircled him, screeching and growling as they brandished their weapons. Several of the orcs moved aside to now allow the Demon General, Demon Warlock and Goblin Commander to walk forward.
"A valiant effort…for a human, but that all ends here." Demon General pointed his flame-covered sword at the injured knight. "Cease this pointless struggle and I may grant you a painless demise."
"Gods damn you…all of you…"
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"
The new voice quickly drew everyone's attention as the dungeon suddenly fell silent, at the top of the stirs near the entrance were two more knights.
"The…The Inquisitors." Royal Knight's breathing was quite ragged but a smile crossed his face as now his mission was not a complete failure. "INQUISITORS! THERE IS A PLOT TO DESTROY THE KINGDOM! YOU MUST WARN THE KING!"
Several of the orcs rushed forward, tackling Royal Knight to the ground in a feeble attempt to stop him from saying anything else.
"It's fine. I've alerted others who are capable of warning the stupid king and saving this kingdom. If I die here it's fine now." Even as the Orcs pushed him to the filthy ground, there was a small smirk on his face. "My only regret was then not spending more time with my lovely ladies. The Barmaid, Raven Inquisitor, Guild Director…I would have been able to live a happy life with any of…"
"Damn it. Is he the only intruder? We can't afford any other problems." Grand Inquisitor had a scowl on his face as he looked around the area before focusing his attention on the Demon General.
Royal Knight's eyes were wide as he heard these words escape from the Grand Inquisitor's lips; he struggled to looks up from the floor only to see the Demon General offer a sinister smile.
"Not to worry, he is the only one who would interfere with our plan, but that will soon be taken care of. If anything, it is you who should keep a better eye on your people. Keep them from poking their noses into situations that do not need their involvement." Demon General soon turned his gaze toward the surprised knight but this only made his smile even wider. "What's wrong? You look as if you heard something quite unpleasant."
Royal Knight was picked up off the ground by the orcs but was then forced to kneel as they held his arms outward, to keep him from struggling any further. There look on his face was one of shock and confusion as he looked at the Demon General and his minions before hearing someone's mocking laughter; he looked toward his right to see Hawk Inquisitor chuckling as he looked down on him.
"What a pathetic sight. What, did you plan on discovering the truth and telling your friends? What a stupid notion."
"Why? WHY? GRAND INQUISITOR! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? YOU SWORE AN OATH TO PROTECT THIS KINGDOM!"
"Fool. I have no desire to protect this kingdom or its pitiful people. I desire power." Grand Inquisitor had a look of disdain on his face as he looked down on Royal Knight from his vantage point but soon a smile crossed his face. "What is needed is not peace but conflict, and you shall serve as a catalyst to bring about more doubt and distrust toward the filthy City of Shadows. Rest easy knowing you will have served the next Demon Lord's cause, by becoming fuel for the machine of war. Hey you Demon, save me the scraps, I'll find a use for them."
"So long then little knight, and don't worry, I'll be sure to keep an eye on your friends." Hawk Inquisitor offered a final retort as he leaned against the wall with arms crossed.
"Armored Uruk Hai! End him." Demon General smirked as he watched his minion slowly step forward.
Royal Knight looked on with wide eyes, turning his gaze from the Demon General to the Demon Warlock to the Goblin Commander and finally all the orcs who mocking laughed at his situation. Royal Knight felt utterly defeated at this moment as the Armored Uruk Hai towered over him and raised his massive blade high.
"I'm sorry…everyone I'm so sorry. I wanted to fulfill my duty as a knight of this kingdom and save those close to me but…I failed miserably." Royal Knight closed his eyes as he waited for the monster to strike. "Director…please pass along the information to Dragon or Raven Inquisitor! Supreme God, help my friends complete the task I failed to finish. Keep this kingdom and its people safe."
A small smile crossed Royal Knight face just as the Armored Uruk Hai roared and brought the blade crashing downward…
xxxx
…the empty mug echoed as it was slammed down on the table. Raven Inquisitor let out a deep sigh as she looked around the bar, now having finished her third beer, she and Dragon Inquisitor were starting to wonder where their friend had gone.
"Damn it! Where the hell is that jackass?" Raven Inquisitor let out a growl on annoyance as she looked around. "Come by and drink with us he says. I'm paying he says. And now he has the gall to up and ditch us!"
"Calm down, it hasn't been that long. I'm sure he'll be coming around soon enough. Perhaps a last-minute thing to take care of." Dragon Inquisitor did his best to try and calm his friend down as he worked on his third drink, but he too was worried. "It's not like him to avoid us. I wonder if something happened to him. Hopefully just fooling around with one of his many flirts."
"I bet he's busy chasing after some woman! Stupid pervert!" Raven Inquisitor already feeling the effects of the beer slammed her fist down upon the table. "He's constantly sweet talking me but still chases after others!"
"You're quite the mean drunk aren't you?" Dragon Inquisitor chuckled as he continued to drink his beer, hoping to lighten the mood.
"HUH? I"LL SHOW YOU ME…"
Before she could finish, two more drinks had been set on the table in addition to some food for them to enjoy. Dragon Inquisitor wanted to say thank you but stopped himself as he noticed the scowl on the Tiger Barmaid's face as she looked toward Raven Inquisitor.
"I would ask that you not be so cruel when speaking about my favorite knight."
"Huh? Favorite?"
"Yes, he is a kind, sweet man who enjoys my company."
"Bah! You're just eye candy for him to enjoy when he drinks here."
"You're just jealous that he comes by often to pinch and caress my ass."
"What! Jealous? Ha! I'll have you know that he's constantly trying to grope my breasts!"
"That means nothing, he's obviously infatuated with my lovely figure." Tiger Barmaid made sure to place a hand on her hip to help accentuate her body.
"No, he's more infatuated with my body! Toned and conditioned from years of fighting!" Raven Inquisitor stood up from her seat to match Tiger Barmaid's appearance.
The two women continued to stare each other down all the while Dragon Inquisitor carefully studied them as he drank their beer.
"Quite the unique competition. Well the barmaid does have a lovely ass and shape to her body but Raven's body isn't too bad either…plus her breasts are quite big."
"Right…hey Dragon! Which of us is more attractive?" Raven Inquisitor now looked toward her friend just as he was drinking her beer.
Dragon Inquisitor coughed as he set his beer down to clear his throat, looking back at both women to try and clarify what his friend had asked.
"I'm sorry what?"
"Which of us has the better figure? Me or this walking cat here?"
"It's obviously me isn't that correct sir knight? That armor she wears just acts as padding to make her appear as if she has more to offer."
"Um…well…"
"Which one?" Raven Inquisitor slammed her palms down on the table as she moved closer to Dragon Inquisitor.
"Damn it. How the hell did I get dragged into this conversation? That idiot, where the hell is he? Get here quickly and help me diffuse the problem you created."
xxxx
The bandits cowered in fear as the giant of a man easily snapped the neck of one of their men before tossing it aside like a broken toy. They had spotted the bald figure traveling with a single bard and assumed they could ambush him and steal his goods, but this was clearly a mistake. Using his bare hands, he killed six of their number in no time, even their leader had been killed.
"That was quite rude lads." Dragon Executioner chuckled as he approached the remainder of the group, his hands stained in the blood of those he had killed. "If you're looking to make a profit, you had best select easier prey."
"Pl, please…spare us! We won't bother you any…"
"Hmm…actually I might have use for you." Dragon Executioner looked toward the group of bandits with a fiendish smile.
"Huh? You have a need for us?"
"Indeed. I need scum like you to help me with a small endeavor. Aid me and I shall not only allow you to keep living, but any spoils are yours to enjoy. Food, drink, money and of course…women."
The bandits were all silent as they looked at the giant, they weighed their options and going against him did not seem like a possible option.
"What do you need from us?"
"I need your aid in creating a trap to lure out a dragon."
"A dragon?!"
"Yes…a small one that walks on two legs."
xxxx
The morning came and with it came the massive headache and pain associated with a hangover as Raven Inquisitor grumbled while holding her head with her right hand. Dragon Inquisitor chuckled as he walked beside his friend, careful to offer her a hand should she feel the need to rush to a nearby alley to expunge the content of her stomach.
"Ugh…my head is killing me. Every little sound…ugh…is like a rock hitting the side of my head."
"That's what you get for drinking so much last night." Royal Knight had a smile on his face before reaching for the small pouch attached to his side. "Here."
"No. I don't want any wine."
"It's not wine but water. The last thing you need is more liquor in your system."
Raven Inquisitor nodded her head as she took the leather pouch and graciously drank the contents.
"Thanks." Raven Inquisitor wiped the side of her mouth as she returned the pouch to her friend. "That damn idiot, I still can't believe he never showed up."
"Yes, it was strange, almost as strange as the weird argument you and the barmaid got into last night."
"Don't remind me. A knight is supposed to show dignity and grace…but there was none of that in our petty squabble."
"Well she just wanted to stop you from hurling any further insults about him."
"That's what I normally do, he's used to it."
"I don't know, you best be careful or she might steal him away from you."
"You make it seem as though I'm happy with his constant advances and groping of my body."
"Am I wrong?"
"…shut up…" Raven Inquisitor pulled up her hood a bit more to hide the embarrassment on her face. "Idiot. Even if he is a bit childish, I can tell he truly loves me when he speaks. And yet…there is someone who doesn't seem aware of my feelings."
Raven Inquisitor slightly looked to her left and watched as Dragon Inquisitor continued his confident stride while greeting the citizens of the town; the blush on her face grew further so she quickly turned away to avoid being seen.
"Well for his sake, I can only hope that he's still asleep at the Guild." Dragon Inquisitor let out a small laugh as they continued to walk, the Guild was their destination to look for their compatriot.
"Right, he did mention going to speak with some of the adventurers. He does enjoy talking with the veteran adventurers or sparring with the rookies when he should be on duty."
"Don't forget the Guild Director and Guild Assistant, he also enjoys flirting with those two."
"Hmph. Those two I'm not worried about, no way I would lose out to a demon." Raven Inquisitor puffed out her cheeks yet could not let go of her petty anger. "Shameless flirt, hitting on anything with a pair of tits and a nice ass. If I do find that he went there to sleep with either of them, then so help me I'll…"
A scream cut through the morning air drawing everyone's attention toward their right. Both Inquisitors hesitated for a moment before charging to investigate, as did other nearby knights to see what was causing such commotion.
xxxx
The young Tiger Barmaid sighed as she walked toward the tavern, still tired from the previous night but as soon as the afternoon help would arrive, then she could finally enjoy her long-awaited two days off. She remembered getting into a minor disagreement with one of the Inquisitors over Royal Knight, but nothing that she would be punished for.
"I was hoping he would have visited last night, but alas he did not come back." Tiger Barmaid once again sighed but soon enough a new thought filled her mind making her tail shake. "If he were there, he and I could have spent the night together. That's it! I'll invite him out to spend the day with me and maybe he'll follow me back to my lodging for…"
Ahead of her, she could see her boss, the owner of the tavern, walking and talking with the two chefs who aided in preparing the food. Her tiredness vanished as she rushed over to greet them this fine morning. The trio was of course happy to see her and commented on the funny sight of her quarreling over who was more attractive to the knight. The owner smiled as he gave the keys to the young woman and asked her to go ahead and unlock the door, as she had the energy to run ahead of these old men. A bit miffed about teased, she relented with a smile and rushed toward the building, turning her head to tell then she'd chew them out later for their comments she failed to notice what was around her until she reached for the door and could feel a wet liquid touching her hand.
"Huh? What is…this…"
Tiger Barmaid looked at her hand and found it stained with blood; she looked ahead of her and could see that much of the door was also covered in blood. She let out a scream as she dropped the keys she had been holding and backed away from the sight. Her screams had drawn much attention as others were curious about what had scared the beastwoman; the owner moved beside her to comfort her, he too shocked by what he saw on his door. Within a minute's time, Raven Inquisitor and Dragon Inquisitor were the first to arrive and see what the situation was, but soon enough other knights also came by to aid in securing the scene.
"What's going on here? Who screamed?" Dragon Inquisitor had his hands on his blades as she scanned the crowd for answers.
"Over here Sir Knight!" The owner of the tavern waved for the Inquisitors to join him by the entrance.
"What in the name of…do you have any idea who might have done something like this?" Dragon Inquisitor looked toward the owner, maybe thinking a rival had defaced the building in an act of revenge.
"No. We had closed up and left but there were no signs of something like this as we returned home for the night. I have not had any problems with either customers or merchants I get my wears from."
"I see." Dragon Inquisitor frowned as he looked at the blood splashes against the doorway. "So this must have occurred sometime after we had all departed, which was close to midnight if I remember correctly. Why would, wait…"
Dragon Inquisitor looked toward the ground and could see a feint trail of blood leading off to the left side of the building as it rounded the corner.
"Raven, stay here for a moment! I'm going to investigate further." Dragon Inquisitor rushed to follow the blood trail.
"O, of course." Raven inquisitor frowned as she watched her friend disappear behind the building and moved to place a hand on the barmaid's shoulder. "There now, we'll get everything sorted out. Here, let me get you a cloth to clean your hand and some water."
xxxx
Dragon Inquisitor followed the trail, there were small drops of blood only in areas were people could be seen, not enough to draw attention but larger stains in the back alleys. He wondered if someone had been attacked and tried to flee yet the amount of blood he was seeing and they way it was staged seemed to indicate someone was trying to get him to follow a trail.
"What the hell is going on? Why leave such a scene at the tavern, a place where many go? Was it to leave a message?" Dragon Inquisitor disappeared into another alley and gasped as he saw a larger pool of blood ahead and an object resting in it. "There!"
The object in question was a shield, one that was used by the knights of the kingdom; he rushed to pick up the shield noting the damage to the front.
"Appears to have been pierced by an arrow but the metal looks melted. Maybe an acid or damage from a slime? But then there is also a piece cut off, the edges are all jagged, the blade cutting it was not very sharp." Dragon inquisitor turned the shield over, knowing that knights kept their coat of arms on the inside as a way to identify one another. "No…"
The shield slipped from his hands as it clattered to the ground, as it hit the small puddle of blood, it caused the liquid to splatter the floor. Though damaged he could still make out most of the symbols, the green color to denote hope, joy, and loyalty in love; the image of the griffon to show his allegiance to the king; a bear to symbolize strength, cunning and a ferocity to protect one's kindred and lastly the symbol to show they were the firstborn child.
All of which had been engraved upon Royal Knight's shield.
"No. It can't be…"
Dragon Inquisitor looked at the blood and the damaged shield which belonged to his friend but refused to accept what he was seeing. Despite his anger and confusion building he noticed the blood trail still continuing; he picked up the damaged shield and gave chase.
"There is no way he'd fall! He's too skilled to let something like this happen! Why did you call for help? He'll be fine, maybe unconscious or injured but he'll be…just…fine…"
Dragon Inquisitor's run slowed to a stop as he found the new items in the middle of the alley convergence. Blood was splattered all along the walls, and parts of the large puddle in the middle spilled into the nearby sewer grate, near the pool of blood he could see a blood-stained, dented helmet and further away was a severed arm, still clad in armor; just out of reach of the finger of the arm was a broken sword covered in black blood. Dragon Inquisitor's breathing was ragged as he took in the image around him, there was so much blood that whoever had been attacked could not have survived.
"Dragon!" Raven Inquisitor rushed to catch up with her friend, also worried by the amount of blood she was seeing and soon enough found him. "There you are! I've had other knights secure the tavern in case you needed…help…Gods above."
Raven Inquisitor was at a loss for words as she too looked at the carnage that surrounded them, she let out a gasp when she could see the arm and helmet among the blood.
"This is horrible. Do you have any idea who was attacked?" Raven Inquisitor looked toward her friend but he said nothing, just kept staring ahead through his ragged breathing. "Hey, what's wrong?"
Drago Inquisitor still in shock finally dropped the broken shield in his hands, the sudden sound did surprise Raven Inquisitor but as she looked down at the shield her eyes grew wide.
"No…no, no, no!" Raven Inquisitor covered her mouth as she backed away then looked back toward the blood on the walls. "Please no…it can't be true!"
With a final grunt, Dragon Inquisitor slammed the bottom of his left fist against the nearby wall, his body shaking with anger. Raven Inquisitor dropped to her knees and buried her face in his hands to keep from sobbing to loudly.
"Damn it…why didn't you find us? Why didn't you call for help?" Dragon Inquisitor ground his teeth as tears ran down his face before repeatedly hitting the wall. "DAMN IT!"
Hawk Inquisitor looked down at the scene from a nearby rooftop, a wicked smile on his face as he could hear the other's frustration.
"Fool. That's what you get for going against the kingdom."
He let out a small chuckle before turning and running down the other side of the roof, disappearing from sight.
