StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Kade accepted the alchemical goggles from the borderer. Dugly Falk was a hard, weather beaten man nearing forty and was paid too little to do work that was too damn hard. His job either broke men or made them and he was a case of the latter. Lean, leathery, and more at home in the saddle than on foot, he knew the land better than he knew his wife. "There," the captain said, "see it?" The Cygnarans were lying on a ledge overlooking a forested valley. The night sky was clear and glorious, with all three of Caen's moon's visible in the sky. A gibbous, a full, and crescent moon provided a lot of light to see by.

The goggles drew power from the arcanik conversion engine on the captain's belt, enhancing the wearer's vision and allowing him or her to see in the dark with the acuity of an owl or Iosian. "No, just trees," said Kade. The mechanik was wearing brown leather like the borderer captain. "What should I- ah, I see it." Thin trails of smoke rose from the scraggly pine forest in the valley below. In daytime it would be easily visible, but in the dark it was almost invisible. Unless one had mechanikal goggles. "Smart. They're moving after dark so no one can see the smoke from the boilers."

"Yeah," said the borderer. "Sneaky, by their standards. Pure blind luck that one of my men spotted them while on patrol."

"You know what they say," Shay said as she accepted the goggles from Kade, "better lucky than good. Heading for the railroad?" Even her collection of road dust couldn't hide the fact that Shay was easy on the eyes went she wasn't being as hard as quenched serric steel.

"Makes sense," said Kade. "Sneak in, tear it up for a couple of miles, loot the trains, wreck what they can't carry off."

"Kill a couple hundred of our people, steal the fruits of our labor, and endanger the lives of countless others," said the borderer. "That's what one gets from the followers of Menoth." He turned his head and spat. "Traitor trash."

"We should introduce you to the Evil Twins," said Shay.

Kade raised an eyebrow. He didn't recall ever speaking that name out loud, but the evidence that he had was undeniable. "Why do you think I left them without a minder? They aren't going to make trouble with an opportunity to kill so many Menites is within reach. Hatred is the best baby sitter."

She cracked a smile. "I'm sure they would love to hear that."

Kade shrugged. "The only thing giving those two a minder does is allow someone to try and talk them down before they start shedding blood." He paused. "Does everyone know?"

"What? That you call them the Evil Twins? Yes. You talk in your sleep sometimes, fearless leader."

"Great." He thought for a moment. "How do they take it?"

"They like it."

"Figures." He changed the subject. "So, how many men do you have captain?"

"We're just a border patrol. Twenty one able bodied soldiers."

"Cuirass, carbines, and the like?"

"Yes."

"Two different smoke trails means two different 'jacks. Probably light ones to keep the logistic concerns of fueling merely hellish instead of almost impossible. Donkeys to carry supplies, the grunts march with their own gear on their backs. Too small a venture for one of their heavy hitters, but too tricky to send a rookie, so it will be one of the up and comers who has proven himself in the field. A couple of hard hitters to back the warcaster and his jacks."

"Sounds about right," said Falk. "There is no way my men can stop them and no time to send for reinforcements."

"And there is only six of us," said Kade. "And your worried we don't have enough weight to throw around, that hurting them badly enough that the train's defenders can hold them off is the most likely result and not too damn likely. I don't blame you for that, you don't know us. What is going to happen is that we are going to kick those Menites in the teeth and stomp them when they're down."

"I hope you're right," said Falk.

"Hope has nothing to do with it," replied Kade, "although adding in a prayer to Morrow never hurts."

"We should go," said Shay. "Time will be short."

"Might be hard to pick these boys up again," said the captain.

"No, it won't," replied Kade. "Not when we have a black clad in our ranks." The borderer flinched at the mention of the druid.

Shay smirked. "Yeah, and you're not a Menite and he's on our side. Think of how those bastards are going to take it. First of a bunch of very bad surprises for them."

'oh snap'?

Imperial Overlord wrote:"What? That you call them the Evil Twins? Yes. You talk in your sleep sometimes, fearless leader."

Erm ... is this what I think, or am I a bit too deviant ?

The Nomad wrote:

Imperial Overlord wrote:"What? That you call them the Evil Twins? Yes. You talk in your sleep sometimes, fearless leader."

Erm ... is this what I think, or am I a bit too deviant ?

Your reading too much into it. When in the field someone's going to be on watch and its a small group.

The Nomad wrote:

Imperial Overlord wrote:
"What? That you call them the Evil Twins? Yes. You talk in your sleep sometimes, fearless leader."

Erm ... is this what I think, or am I a bit too deviant ?

You're too deviant. Read Be Careful What You Wish For to find out about the Evil Twins (no, it's not a reference to his genitalia).

But I had to admit I had to read the lines in question a couple times to make full sense of it. "Evil Twins" is Kade's private nickname for two of his companions, and he didn't realise that others were aware of this nickname until Shay used it in conversation with him.

General Trelane (Retired) wrote:You're too deviant. Read Be Careful What You Wish For to find out about the Evil Twins (no, it's not a reference to his genitalia).

But I had to admit I had to read the lines in question a couple times to make full sense of it. "Evil Twins" is Kade's private nickname for two of his companions, and he didn't realise that others were aware of this nickname until Shay used it in conversation with him.

I know about the Evil Twins; I was thinking about Kade + Shay = actually (talk in his sleep, huh). You're even more deviant than I am

Oops, I've been outed. . .

We came back to the clearing where the main party was camped out. It was just off a side rode and had room for our wagon and for the borderers horses to graze while they waited. The sentries spotted us immediately, not an easy trick in the forest at night, and passed us along. Our people were waiting anxiously in the dark.

"What's the word?" Ardin asked. The wizard was sitting on a long, checking the edge of one of his daggers. The borderers were tending to their horses or to their weapons. They were quiet, as if they didn't know that they might be going to their deaths soon.

"We're going to hit them," said Kade. "Gear up."

"Alright men," said Captain Falk, "this isn't going to be easy, but we aren't going in alone and this needs to be done. These bastards are going to kill a lot of people if we don't stop them and there is no one here to do it but us. I know you all, know you are men and women who will due their duty no matter what. I am proud to serve with you."

No chear greated his words, just quiet acceptance. Border riders weren't flashy folk. By their standards they had just recieved an epic, three hour speech from their commanding general.

"Well," said Shay softly, "I hope you can manage something a little more upbeat than that."

"Listen up," Kade said loudly. "This is going to be a tough fight, but we are going to win. We'll take care of the 'jacks and the warcaster, but we would appreciate if you could take care of some of the rest. We have surprise, prep time, and we can see them coming. Their depending on surprise. They aren't going to get it."

He turned to Shay. "How's that?"

"Not bad. I take it you're going to suit up?" The gobber and the wizard were drifting towards him, the trollkin in the rear. Sadko was nowhere to be seen, but he was a druid in the woods. Nothing odd about that.

"Yeah. Me, Tak, Sadko, and Adrin are going to hit the warjacks. You and Garthek hit the warcaster and don't let up. If he gets his barrings and is able to go on the offensive or devote some time to managing his 'jacks . . ."

"We're paste," said Tak. "Well, you're paste. I'll be fine. Fun fun."

"That's the team spirit I was looking for," said Kade. He turned to Ardin. "Your partner?"

"Making sure the Menites are where they are supposed to be. I'll make sure he's up to speed on the plan. I approve, by the way."

"Well now that I have your approval I can die a happy man." He paused and lowered his voice. "Is your head in the game?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you hate the Protectorate like poison and I want to make sure you aren't going to do anything stupid."

"I didn't escape from the Protectorate by being rash. It took careful planning, exhaustive analysis of potential weaknesses, and carefully considered risks. Keeping my head gave me mastery of magic and freed me from bondage. I'm not about to stop doing what works now that I'm a heartbeat away from the opportunity to grind some of them into dust."

Kade nodded. "Got it. We don't have all the time in the world. Let's get moving."

Tak started the boilers and helped me into the War God. He was mighty, but not swiftly roused from his sleep, so to speak. We managed to get him up and moving in pretty good time. We trailed after the borderers as we pushed ourselves up the slope and over the forested ridge. I was in the back because there is really no way short of sorcery that the War God was going to move quietly.

Sadko appeared out of nowhere, signaling our scouts and moving up through our ranks. The good captain and the rest of my band followed him as he approached me. "There just ahead. Be on top of you in a few more minutes." The captain began to hand signal people into ambush positions. "Four score men and at least a score of pack animals. Light armour mix of grenades, rockets, and rifles."

I love Menite zealots, I really do, thought Kade to himself. Those crazed maniacs didn't know when to quit.

Sadko continued to report. "Pair of knights. Choir. Warcaster. Repenter and Revenger light warjacks."

I knew the 'jacks were going to be trouble and the news didn't change anything, Kade thought to himself. The Repenter isn't the best 'jack out there by a long shot, but its flamethrower was going to be murder against lightly armoured men in a forest. The Revenger was going to be nasty too, not so much the halberd and the shield, but the spell channelling arc node that would allow the warcaster to zap us while hanging back. "Kill the warcaster," Kade said.

The Evil Twins nodded in understanding and slipped forward and into cover. There was no way to hide the approach of 'jacks at close ranger. They would be making contact with the Menites any moment know. "Morrow," whispered Kade, "guard your people against those that would make them choose between fire and eternal slavery. Here, now, help us be the best we can be. Give us the strength to defend ourselves and others." The crack of gunfire sounded in front of him and then a long, rippling roar as other joined in and opened up on the Menites. Battle was joined.

The perspective seemed a little confused at the beginning, but again, it's your usual 'calm before the storm' chapter, which I've come to like.

Ford Prefect wrote:The perspective seemed a little confused at the beginning, but again, it's your usual 'calm before the storm' chapter, which I've come to like.

Yeah, I've been fiddling with it for days and then I said "fuck it, I'm going to just post it and get it out of the way. It's not like I'm getting paid."

Imperial Overlord wrote:

Ford Prefect wrote:
The perspective seemed a little confused at the beginning, but again, it's your usual 'calm before the storm' chapter, which I've come to like.

Yeah, I've been fiddling with it for days and then I said "fuck it, I'm going to just post it and get it out of the way. It's not like I'm getting paid."

Yeah, the perspective did flip a bit, but your stories are compelling enough that I overlook such things. Consider that a complement because I'm normally a style nazi.

Two Menites fell back with multiple bullet holes in their chests as the skirmishers opened up. Someone had jumped the gun, but it was too late to change that. The survivors of the vanguard, four men with rifles and veil shrouded faces, took cover behind trees and returned fire. One slid to the ground with a hole in his head.

The other Menites pushed forward upon hearing the sound of gunfire. An exemplar wearing the ornate armour favored by their order urged a half dozen zealots to move up along the left side while another half dozen moved up around the right. The tactic was obvious as it would be effective. The riflemen moving up to join their comrades in the center would keep the borderers pinned and allow the grenadiers to trap them in a hell-cauldron of flying metal.

The warjacks advanced towards the front, their footfalls shaking the ground around them as they stomped forward. A Menite rifleman fell, shot in the leg, as a dozen of them moved into firing positions ahead of the warjacks. Behind the warjacks was a huge figure in gold and cream plate, trails of smoke escaping stacks on his back.

A streak of flame shot toward the exemplar who quickly ducked and raised his shield. His lightly armoured companions were not quite as swift and paid the price. Shay's fireball detonated with a boom, consuming the grenadiers in a huge explosion of flames. The Exemplar, protected by his shield, heavy armour, and perhaps Menoth, suffered surface burns. He hissed in pain and then broke into a wobbling charge.

Garthek Slaughterborn edged his way forward, disdaining cover. A bullet embedded itself in his shield and another bounced off his armour. The trollkin grunted in response to the hits, but did not slow. He lined himself up with one of the rifleman and the advancing Repenter. The 'jack was beginning to swing its mammoth flail and in moments its flamethrower built into its left arm would be in range to spray the Cygnarians. He hit the trigger.

Lightning shot from his battleblade, blasting a large chunk out of the slender pine the rifleman was crouched behind, sending the now smoking rifleman flying down the slope, and smashing into the warjack. The Repenter jerked and staggered as the electricity coursed over its armour-shroud. Flames shot from the tubes in its left arm and a Cygnaran screamed briefly as he was engulfed and burned. Bullets slammed into Garthek, but his armour held. Mostly. Grunting, the trollkin moved forward.

As the Knight Exemplar closed on Shay, an iron shod staff smashed him across the thighs as Sadko emerged from behind a tree. The knight fell forward and Sadko cracked him across the back of the head with another blow. The Knight rolled away and caught Sadko's next strike with his shield as he rose to a kneeling position. He drove the druid back with a thrust of his sword and regained his feet.

There was a brilliant blue-white flash on the side of his helmet as an empowered rune bullet blew through his armour and destroyed his brain. The Knight Exemplar fell, blood leaking from the rent in his helmet. Shay ignored the bullets wizzing by her and calmly opened the breech of her magelock pistol to load another bullet. A slug clipped her left shoulder, and she bit back a curse at the pain, instead raising her reloaded pistol and uttering a spell. Bolts of blazing fire shot from the gun, one striking the tree the offending Menite was hiding behind and sending burning pieces of bark and scorched chips of wood flying. The other bolt hit the Menite in the left elbow and severed his forearm. He fell, clutching his mangled limb, and screaming.

Kade strode out to engage the zealots on the left, who were advancing to flank the Cygnarans and using the trees as cover as they did so. The Protectorate light infantry wore tan and cream robes over light armour, complete with hoods and face obscuring veils. Heavy close quarters weapons, mostly maces and morning stars, were slung on their belts and were effective weapons against even the heaviest armoured troops. Each one of these zealots also had explosive and incendiary grenades. None of these weapons were the equal of the War God.

Kade had loaded the steam armour's quad barrelled shoulder gun with steel rounds suitable for engaging a warjack. Leather and mail provided no protection at all. The War God's first round missed, but he adjusted his aim and struck the Menite in the chest. The round blew through the front and the back of the zealot's mail shirt and the man toppled. Another round missed the next zealot and the fourth destroyed the Menite's shoulder is a spray of blood, tissue, and bone fragments. He fell screaming.

Grenades burst around the War God, scarring the steam armour with shrapnel impacts or splashing flaming Menoth's Blood on it. Kade ignored the damage. As the clockwork mechanika reloaded his shoulder mount, he swung his oversized battleblade at the closest Menite. Kade half severed the pine, but the Menite had ducked out of the way and scrambled back.

Kade took a long step forward and kicked the Menite. Ribs cracked and the Menite went flying through the air and bouncing down the slope. A zealot rushed from either side. The one on the left was fast and connected with a head blow from his morning star which dazed Kade. Several more blows landed, denting plates and rupturing a steam line, as both Menites pounded on him.

Kade parried the one on the left with his left arm, blocking the haft of the morning star. He swung the oversized battleblade with his right. Mail, flesh, and bone parted easily. Blood gushed from the massive rent in the zealot's chest as Kade pulled the blade out and swung at the other zealot. The blade went through the haft of the morning star as he tried to parry and then through his upper arm. The zealot fell back, blood gushing from his severed limb.

As the War God swept the left flank, the Revenger and the trio of iron masked and heavily armoured junior priests who made up the choir advanced to support the Repenter. The Repenter stomped forward was in the process of bringing its flamethrower to bear on Garthek when Ardin unleashed a spell. The air shimmered around the warjack and a horrible shrieking of metal erupted from within. It's armoured cowling twisted and buckled, exposing rent and ruptured hydraulic and steam lines. Hot fluids and gusts of steam gushed from the vents and the machine staggered drunkenly forward. Garthek triggered another lightning bolt, sending tendrils of electricity ravaging through the Repenter's exposed workings.

A series of loud, sizzling, hisses interrupted the gun fight as the Menite's in the back ranks unleashed a volley of rockets at the Cygnarans. The rockets whistled as they flew from the heavy tube launchers and hissed through the air. Two prematurely impacted on tree trunks and exploded violently, sending wood chips and shrapnel flying over the Menite's heads. The tops of the damaged trees wobbled and then cracked as they broke free from the damaged trunks and then fell down slope back into the Menite ranks.

The rest exploded up slope in the general vicinity of the Cygnarans, in bursts of fire and shrapnel. Two borderers were killed by the blasts and four more were seriously wounded by the shrapnel. The Menites grabbed more of the long rockets from cases on their backs and loaded them into the launch cones they held in their hands.

Tak bounced a pair of grenades downhill as he darted from tree to tree. The grenades burst with a loud bang, but didn't do too much in the way of damage, but it did help distract the Protectorate troops and keep them from getting too organized. The priests in the Choir had gotten themselves together and were now singing a hymn which was causing the Repenter to glow a soft gold colour. Fire from its flame thrower splattered off Garthek's shield as the warjack advanced on the trollkin.

Garthek charged forward and struck the 'jack in the right leg, where some to the cowling had bent away. Lightning played over his blade as he hacked through hydraulic lines and wrecked a piston, putting a large notch in the 'jack's "bone" in the process. The Repenter swung its flail. Garthek caught the blow on his shield, but it still knocked him over, denting the shield and breaking the trollkin's arm. Garhek rolled away, interposing a nearby tree between him and the warjack.

Ardin unleashed another spell. Blasts of icy frost shot from his hand, coating the Repenter in rime and washing over the warrior-priests in the Choir. The priests fell and the 'jack moved slowly towards the wizard, its movement's sluggish and its crippled being dragged forward. Tak darted up to the lumbering monster and smashed his oversized wrench into the half frozen left knee joint. The 'jack jerked and then smashed into the ground face first.

A ragged chear of celebration came from the Cygnaran ranks at the sight of the disabled warjack. The Menites responded with another volley of rockets which chewed up trees, sent smoke and dust billowing up, and filled the air with deadly iron shrapnel. A ragged volley of gunfire helped keep the Cygnarans down as the Revenger surged forward next to a Knight Exemplar in elaborate armour. Behind them came the warcaster. Tak bolted and fled for cover as the warcaster brought down a column of golden fire down upon Ardin.

Bwah hah hah hah. Ardin just got smote.

Ardin rolled out of the column of fire, shielded by spells and barely singed by the terrible flames. It admittedly did not take a genius to anticipate that flame would play a role in the Menite's arsenal and to prepare spells to ward against it. The wizard's protections had limits and with that in mind he Ardin took to his feet after placing a tree between him and the warcaster.

He had other problems. The Knight Exemplar altered course slightly to finish him off as the warjack came foreward to slice and stab the remaining borderers with its giant halberd. A bullet impacted on Ardin's wards and fell to the ground as he saw the Menite approach and raise his huge and elaborately decorated relic blade to strike him down. Ardin hissed a spell and the Knight jerked and then fell writhing and screaming.

The Menite warcaster shouted a prayer for another flamestrike. The power gathered and was then torn asunder by Sadko's magic in a blaze of golden light. The Revenger stabbed at the druid but Sadko dodged aside. The halberd point punch through two feet of wood, the tip protruding from the other side of the tree. The warjack jerked the point free of the tree and raised the blade to strike again, this time with a powerful diagonal slash.

Kade lined up the quad barrel cannon with the warjack's left arm and fired all four rounds at one. The hardened steel rounds struck simultaneously and penetrated the Revenger's armour. Steam gushed from the wound and the arm went limp. Kade charged the monstrosity.

Garthek leveled his battleblade at the Revenger and unleashed a blast of lightning that writhed over the warjack's armour but did little damage. It did attract the 'jack's attention. The halberd smashed into the trollkin's shield, wrecking it and driving Garthek to his knees.

Kade hit the Revenger before it could strike again. His over sized battleblade smashed down on the Revenger's damaged arm and severed the limb completely. The maimed warjack turned on him, its halberd swinging. Kade blocked the blow with his shield, but was staggered by the warjack's power. The halberd left a massive gauge in the iron shield.

A deafening boom smote the air as Sadko and Ardin both unleashed lightning on the Menite warcaster. Crimson light flared as the power field failed under the dual hammer blows and the Menite fell to his knees. The druid and the wizard were unrelenting. The Menite pumped energy into the power field, refusing to capitulate as he called down another flamestrike. Sadko tore the spell apart as Ardin conjured a shimmering orb of distortion about a foot in diameter. He flung it downhill where it struck the warcaster in the chest. The orb detonated with a blast that shattered the breastplate and knocked the warcaster head over heals, tumbling down the hill.

Garthek struck at the Revenger's right arm with his charged battleblade as the Deliverers launched another ragged volley of rockets. The Revenger's armour buckled, but the blade did not penetrate. Loud booms sent smoke and jagged iron flying through the air. Several borderers screamed as shrapnel cut through armour and flesh. Bullets flew as the survivors struck down two with their carbines.

Fire blossomed in the midst of the zealot's ranks as Shay unleashed a fireball amongst them. The blast powder cooked off in violent secondary explosions that sent out clouds of black smoke and lethal chunks of metal. The gun mage advanced on the towering warjack as the borderers continued to pick off the surviving Menites.

A swarm of silvery missiles struck down another pair of zealots as Ardin advanced on them. The wizard still possessed ample war magic and the borderers' fire supported his advance. The Menites had taken heavy casualties, but there was still work left for him. One zealot poked his head out only to receive a Cygnaran bullet in the forehead. Blood and brains blew out the back of his skull. Ardin saw another zealot, fumbling, with a rocket tube and bleeding from multiple wounds. He spoke the initiators of another spell and silver bolts struck the Menite in his throat and chest. He fell.

As Garthek dodged to the side, avoid a sweep of the Revenger's halberd, Shay aimed her magelock pistol at its chest and poured as much power as she could muster into the rune bullet. She fired. There was brilliant cyan flash as the bullet impacted and armoured shattered and calved away from the impact point. Kade smashed the warjack in the leg with his massive blade and mechanikally augmented strength. The leg buckled.

Garthek lunged in and stabbed the 'jack in the chest with his charged blade. It slipped through the gap Shay had blown in its armour. Lightning coruscated over its frame and the 'jack fell back and lay still. Kade stepped passed the body, the clockwork mechanism having reloaded the quad cannon. No fire came his way.

"Move up slow and careful," Kade ordered. "No stupid risks. Cover those who are advancing." He looked around and then turned to Shay. "Where in Uncaen are the Evil Twins?"

Ford Prefect wrote:Bwah hah hah hah. Ardin just got smote.

Don't sell the wizard too short

I shall rephrase. The Menite warcaster got smote! Bwah hah hah!

ImpO, you may want to go over those chapters again. There were several places where the sentences didn't flow right, as well as typos and mis-placed words. For example:

"Where in Uncaen and the Evil Twins?"

I'm assuming the 'and' is supposed to be 'are'? This is just one of the many places where it needs touched up. In some places I lost track of who was doing what to whom.

LadyTevar wrote:ImpO, you may want to go over those chapters again. There were several places where the sentences didn't flow right, as well as typos and mis-placed words. For example:

"Where in Uncaen and the Evil Twins?"

I'm assuming the 'and' is supposed to be 'are'? This is just one of the many places where it needs touched up. In some places I lost track of who was doing what to whom.

I'm not seeing any pronoun confusion. If you have an incident post it.

Ardin half ran down the hill towards the Protectorate forces. He moved around a maimed and dying zealot with half of his face missing and shrapnel wounds riddling his left arm and torso, staying out of reach of any desperate final strikes. He was anxious for the kill, but he had not yet abandoned caution.

Ahead of him a bloody rocketeer staggered to his feet. His robes were torn and he was splattered with blood, most of it probably his own. He had been caught in an explosion, either that of his comrades rockets going off when Shay's fireball set them off or from Tak's grenades. The wizard slipped a thirty inch iron bar out of his belt and gripped the leather wrapped handle as he came forward.

Ardin slammed the bar into the Menite's gut before the zealot could react. The Menite folded at the waist, leather and mail only doing so much to cushion the vicious blow. Ardin followed up by slamming the bar down the back of the Menite's head with all his might. There was a crack and the back of the Menite's hood went red and sticky. He fell to the ground and began convulsing.

Ardin passed the body and continued on his way. The Menite warcaster lay on the ground ahead, his masked face looking up to the sky. The depression his spell had blown in the warcaster's breastplate was very deep. Ribs would have been shattered and organs ruptured by such force. The warcaster was definitely dead.

He skirted the warcaster and the bodies of several rocketeers as he continued on his way. Where was the Knight Exemplar? His spell would be wearing off soon. He need to strike now, while he was still helpless. There.

The Menite's armour was dirty and dented, indicating at least one unpleasant encounter with a rock on his way down the slope. Somewhere in the tumble down hill the Menite had lost his shield. The holy warrior was on his hands and knees grunting, trying to pull himself back to his feet with pure will. He was almost overcoming the spell. Incredible.

Ardin charged down and slammed him in the side of the head with his club. The Menite fell on his side and tried to get back up. The wizard seized the iron bar in a two handed grip and rained down blows on his side and shoulder. The Menite endured, protected by his elaborate harness of heavy plate. Then Ardin changed targets and smashed the iron rod down hard on the side of the Menite's knee. The Knight Exemplar screamed and then tried to surge to his feet.

Ardin struck him in the head and lower back. The Knight sprawled on the slope and the wizard brought the iron bar down hard on the Knight's right hand. Bones broke under the blow. With his good hand and leg the Menite pivoted and kicked Ardin's legs out from under him. The wizard fell.

The Menite pushed forward and grabbed Ardin's right leg. The wizard kicked him in the head with his left, once, twice, three times. The Knight Exemplar lost his grip and the wizard regained his feet. He smashed the Knight in the head again and twice in the left arm, the last bow striking the elbow joint. The Knight howled.

Ardin tossed aside his iron club and straddled the crippled Knight, pulling his helmet free so he could finish the job with his dagger. He wasn't expecting to recognize the bruised face inside. "You!"

"Yes heretic. I remember you as well." He tried to strike the wizard with his right vambrace. The wizard caught his wrist and drew his dagger, stabbing up through the mail armoured joint into the shoulder. He twisted the blade. The Menite hissed through clenched teeth.

"Glad we could get reacquainted," said Ardin. "I'm glad I can personally thank you for your role in my kidnapping and captivity."

"I saw your work, servant of the Inferno. You will taste Menoth's wrath in this world and the next."

"A slaver doesn't have the right to complain about what methods his slaves use to take back their freedom. You should count yourself lucky. A score of Menites will never see the Eternal City to pay off my escape. You, on the other hand, are getting the express route. You can explain to Menoth in person the costs associated with your 'Vassals'." With that the wizard plunged his dagger into the Knight's throat, just above the gorget.

"Ardin!" came Kade's voice from above.

The wizard stood up over the dying Menite. "Just finishing the job on the Knight," Ardin shouted back. He retrieved his club. "Just finishing old business," he said softly."

That was brutal. A lot more brutal than the other deaths so far.

Plate armour is very good protection, good enough that it sometimes even repelled bullets, and the Knight Exemplars are hard, hard guys. Ardin is pretty physically fit, but he's wielding an iron bar not a spiked warhammer. Taking out a guy in plate with it isn't going to be quick or easy.

ImpO is right... an iron bar isn't going to do much against iron plate, unless you hit and break joints.

Interesting glimpse of back history, tho.