Chapter II: Magic and Might
Despite the obvious axe wound cleaving its skull in twain, the misshapen creature that lay among the poor denizens displayed a shocking visage. Twin horns, gnarled and wickedly sharp rose from its skull, its features more a mockery of Man than manlike. Thick, matted fur covered its sturdy form, with corded muscles lining its burly arms. Filthy long talons, yellow-tinged and soiled with unknown detritus lay now lifeless amongst the snowy pines encircling the clearing. Most shocking of all, instead of feet, cloven hooves lay at the end of bovine legs, as if a warped imagining of some satyr or centaur was given life.
Six suddenly realized that everything that he had attributed to his damaged mind is actually happening; this is no dream conjured up from his imagination. "I must have went through some kind of wormhole. I could be in an entirely different galaxy." Glancing over the corpse, the last of Noble team felt a sense of dread for what more is to come, for as he knows very well, more always comes. Going back to the tents, Six found a cache of muddied cloaks that must have belonged to the poor group of travelers, and covered each of their bodies to give as much of a sense of dignity as could be provided in the snowy forest, and walked back to the campsite to start a fire. Suddenly, a boisterous laugh followed by the sound of feet trampling brush underfoot echoed through the small clearing, and Six withdrew to the shadows to assess this potential new threat….
As one of the deadliest warriors from another galaxy crouched in the darkness akin to a predator in wait, a man of average height, but sturdy build walked up the hill with seemingly not a care in the world. Enshrouded in a gray cloak, old and tattered, with a staff in hand, the man appeared to be yet another weary traveler seeking rest upon the hill. Looking up at the crest a dozen paces away, the person stopped and reached up a hand to toss back his hood. Dark, wavy hair cropped close in a warriors cut framed a face with a strong jawline, the barest of stubble dashed across his face. An aquiline nose lent a patrician aspect to the otherwise vagabond look of the wanderer, however this was not his defining feature. His eyes were mesmerizing to behold, one an electric blue, that seemed nearly to glow in the rising moon as night began to take hold of the clearing, the other an otherworldly violet, with the barest hint of gold around the iris. A shrewd gaze quickly took in the scene in front of him, including the now blazing fire indicating that this grim campsite was no longer populated by the dead. Abruptly, a blur of motion from the treeline to his left flank had the strange man turning to confront a very large, very fast figure in dark plate, whirling in an exotic combat style, sword whistling through the air as it descended towards his neck….
As Six moved to incapacitate the robed man with the flat of his blade, a gleam of light entered his violet eye and, in a movement as fast as lightning, the now not-so-weary traveler in one smooth practiced motion, threw back his cloak, revealing a mysterious set of armor made out of the hide of some monstrous creature, and a dark blade that he drew with adroitness, belying years of experience and familiarity. To Six's amazement, within the span of swinging his blade from his side towards the warrior's head, the dark blade swept up and met his glowing sword midair, speed matching speed, and a match for even his own augmented strength. This hesitation would prove costly. The man's blue eye also blazed with an inner fire, and he raised the staff that had somehow changed shape completely into a dark metal staff, ending in two prongs jutting wickedly upwards, around which a pair of stones that matched the colors of his mismatched eyes orbited serenely, and spoke a Word. Six felt a force not unlike that of a charging Hunter slam into him and found himself thrown through the air nearly 30 paces into the trunk of a tree. Crashing into the towering oak with a thunderous impact, Six saw stars cross his vision for only a moment. Springing back to his feet, he caught eyes with his opponent and crouched in a ready position, sinews in his legs coiling akin to a lion of Earth, ready to pounce.
In a powerful motion, Six leapt through the air, narrowly dodging a blast of lightning from the staff of his surprised foe, and with all of the swiftness of his augmented body, swung his weapon to quickly dispatch this dangerous individual. Within a hairsbreadth of the edge of the blade severing the head from the cloaked figure, a golden dome blazed to life with the lines on the sword beaming equally as bright as two separate magics vied for supremacy. Gasping as if suddenly fatigued, the man knocked away Six's blade and the backlash from the two impacts created a gap of several paces between the two matched combatants. Just before the towering Spartan moved to reignite the conflict, his enemy bizarrely raised a gloved palm towards Six.
"It is of my experience that when two matched warriors meet in combat, etiquette dictates an exchange of names, if only to give to the bards so such a glorious duel would not be lost to the savagery of the wilds", the man said in a rich baritone voice. Six paused for a moment, blade still held at the ready. "It has been many an age since a singular swordsman, however his stature, has been able to reach my ward without the use of magic, however obviously amplified their physical abilities may be. I am Tobias Fellstone, aide to Yrtle the Loremaster, Planewalker, Master of the Celestial Wind, and one of the Eight original wizards Teclis took under his wing to ready against the encroaching darkness", Tobias stated without pride, more as a matter-of-fact. The man then unclasped his cloak to fully reveal the armor beneath, a form-fitting red leather with golden vambraces and pauldrons, stylized in a manner unseen in any history vid Six had ever seen of ancient Earth, with an amulet around his neck that shined golden with a crescent moon under the light of a bright star. To add more peculiarity to the bearing of Tobias, Six noticed the ears of the strange man seemed to end in slight points. "What of you dark warrior? Are you friend to one such as I, or do you aspire to serve darker masters not of this world?", Tobias grated out, shifting into a combat stance as his eclectic orbs gazed balefully upon Six.
As he slowly lowered his blade, understanding that this was no enemy of his, and also understanding the need for one that knows this world, our Spartan spoke a word he had not uttered since before his evolution into the being he was today. A word that contained much pain and tribulation. A word none of his superiors even knew: his name. "I….my name is Marcus, and I serve Mankind alone" Six stated haltingly. Tobias raised his palm again and a strange wind blew through Six, now revealed as Marcus, though it seemed to come from the wizard himself, not from the world around him. His armor glowed softly silver, as if recognizing the wind and accepting it. Tobias lowered his hand, sheathed his sword, and turned towards the embers of the fire Marcus had started prior to him stumbling on the campsite. Tobias mused thoughtfully and gestured to the other side of the smoldering coals and said, "It seems we both have walked in places others fear or are wise enough to avoid. Will you join me in warming by this flame? I feel as if much should be discussed between you and I that may be beneficial for the both of us".
As Tobias coaxed the fire back to life with a wave of flame from his staff, Marcus gradually walked to the other side of the fire, removed his helm, and sat across from the eccentric wizard, only a few moments before his erstwhile opponent, now it seemed to be his companion for the night, and sat in silence for a time. "Now, how is it a man, if that is still what you are, finds himself in Troll Country, at the site of a Beastman raid, without any companions or supplies?". Tobias made this question sound nonchalantly, however his eyes pierced into Marcus above the light of the fire, letting him know that though he passed whatever test the conjurer had placed upon him, more truth would be needed before any form of trust could be established. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you", Marcus said softly, his mind traveling back to Noble Team, the sacrifices they all made only for Reach to fall anyway, and the hellscape he went through once he was sucked into the wormhole that brought him here. Tobias only smiled, equally as softly as Noble Six spoke, and said in a whisper, "I think you would find me quite ready for any outlandish tale, as I seem to cocoon myself within every madness that has ever been dreamt in minds of man…. or otherwise". Marcus felt the tug of smirk cross his face, reached towards his helm to remove it and place it by his side. As the fire crackled and the cold air kissed the bare skin of his face, Noble Six finally told his story to the most unlikely of audiences, in the most unlikely of circumstances.
As Marcus spoke, Tobias listened intently, clarifying some terminology from time to time, otherwise taking the account in stride, even seeming to be familiar to the method by which Six had arrived on Mallus, if not the technology which effectuated the wormhole. As Marcus concluded his tale, the mage maintained the silence for a period of time, musing over the account of his large associate. "A grand tale, to be sure. I would recommend not speaking of these events again to another on this world. I fear that finding another person that would not immediately decry you as an agent of Chaos would be hopeful at best, extremely foolish at worst" Tobais mused ruefully. Six looked into the piercing eyes of the mage and said, "Tobias, where am I? What is this "Chaos" you speak of so hauntingly? How do you understand who I am and how I got here? Who are you really?". Tobias smiled and said, "The first question is the easiest, you are on Mallus, on the border of the Empire of Man and the country of Kislev. As to your other questions, your last could answer them all. Who am I you ask? That is a tale that would take many moons to tell, better suited for a warm tavern with food and drink worthy of such an endeavor. In due time, my new friend, and please, call me Toby." Marcus impossibly found himself nearly smirking in response again, his typically stoic appearance slowly eroding away in the face of this outlandish man. A calm but warm silence accompanied Tobias' last words as the two figures enjoyed the warmth of the fire.
Right before the moon reached the highest point of the night and the two men were nearly asleep by the fire, the mage bolted upright and raised his staff, a beacon of light rocketing into the sky like a flare, and the sound of dozens of beasts whined and squealed in pain as the bright light burned across their vision. Marcus slammed his helm upon his head and stood beside Tobias, both with swords drawn, as they beheld what the former poor denizens of their campsite must have seen the night before. A raiding band of warped creatures, dozens in number, similar in appearance to their dead comrade in the snow across the clearing, with some larger and some smaller, stood exposed in the wizard's light in the trees around the clearing.
They were surrounded.
Whew, this was a tough one. Tobias is an OC character I created long ago, more so part of a draft than any form of a published story. Looking forward to you guys' reactions as we flesh him out further. As always, I look forward to your reviews as the story progresses, and always welcome constructive criticism as I ease back in the saddle writing everyday.
Hope you enjoy, and may the Light of the Lady guide you.
-Gilles