#Pike is the horse I use when I need things to not be chaos all the time forever

[respheal]

Behold the bastard

Oops he's not max speed only max stamina and max crimes

Here's Rowdy in action in BotW

Things my main horse, Rowdy, has done between BotW and TotK: - ran off Carok Bridge after I whistled for him and died, forcing me to beg Malanya for a revival for the first and only time - kicked a stalkoblin in the head - kicked me in the head while I was holding a stalkoblin head (fair) - got stuck on a mountain. which mountain? yes - took a nap next to a gleeok. The gleeok then adopted Rowdy as its child and refused to let me approach - ran off the Bridge of Hylia after I clambered on in a mad dash to escape said gleeok - SURVIVED FALLING OFF THE BRIDGE OF HYLIA - revealed himself to be a godsdamned kelpie by diving under water and disappearing after I dove off the bridge after him - still somehow alive??? - what even is this horse. why do I keep taking him places

[shtern-and-art]

"Skeppy will probably cry" "Bad will probably cry". Bish, screw, that I am crying!!!

This whole thing was bloody gorgeous and I wasn't expecting that ending. I had no clue what ending to expect but that was definitely better than any I could have hoped for. Forest spirit to soulmate your honour!

I was terrified that you were gonna leave it at the point where he loses the spirit and becomes mortal again. If you had I would be actively sobbing!!!! And oh my god, the art!!! I still can't get over how wonderful your style is.

Imma ask fun things because if I don't I'll sit in a puddle of emotion all night:

What's the first tech thing Bad will buy and how annoying will he be about it? Poor Skeppy trying to answer 101 questions about something he doesn't really use XD.

Is no one concerned that the odd couple from a town they never name has a pet wolf??

Do they immediately go over to a different town or do they wander for a while. Find hidden creeks and befriend bears?

Does Bad still have a connection to nature and animals, like are creatures naturally more trusting of him?

Do they ever visit the og town again?

Does Skeppy still cause absolute chaos in other towns or has he learnt his lesson and only causes minor trouble now?

Does Bad ever try and study again? If he did what would he study and would Skeppy try to study as well?

Does Skeppy steal? I dunno, he just give off the vibe of a naughty lil trickster who'll pocket something if the owner refuses to sell it him.

Immediately after leaving the forest what the first 'argument' they have (not including the car one)?

Would they ever ride horse? If yes, how terrified would Skeppy be?

Skeppy falls outta tree. I don't know why but my mind keeps telling me that this man has great balance until he climbs trees. They are his mortal enemy and Bad finds this both hilarious and terrifying because he is going to hurt himself.

I had waaaaay more questions than I intended to have. My bad '^_^ but this story was way too much fun to read and you are entirely to blame for making it so engaging!

Make sure to take care of yourself and do stretches after and during drawing. You don't wanna hurt yourself <3

AaaaI’m so glad you liked it! :D And, dang, man, I cried while writing that part too :D

And I promised a nice ending for the main story, I did, and this one also makes the most sense narratively! For the story I wanted to tell, at least. Bad can’t really become human again, he’s changed to much. He can only move on, and do something with what he is, and has. And he did! :D That’s really nice and inspiring, this story will always have a place in my heart, heheh <3

Being a guardian spirit connected to a person and all, Bad may be not as strong as before, but he can’t die unless Skeppy dies first. And Skeppy can do that, but he’s pretty sturdy, and his lifespan operates on a whole other scale than human ones. And Bad knowing Skeppy’s real name balances it all out, makes them equal in the power and influence they have over each other.

So hellyeah, soulmates for the win :DDD

I’ll answer all questions under the cut, and this close up from one of the pages!

1) What's the first tech thing Bad will buy and how annoying will he be about it?

Probably a pager! Because it’s a more feasible thing to get than a wholeass computer Bad actually wanted :D An it means Skeppy will have to get one too, and that Bad will be having the time of his life texting him and everyone he can get a number from, even if they’re still in the room with him.

Poor Skeppy indeed, he can learn to appreciate the pagers, and later phones, too, and computers, but he really has 0 idea on how it all works and why Bad is so fascinated by it all.

2) Rat and regular people

Oh, she can shapeshift, just like Bad! If they’re out with people around, she takes form of a puppy, and Bad can pass her off as a weird mix breed rescue doggo.

3) Do they immediately go over to a different town or do they wander for a while?

Oh, since they have no end destination in mind, they can ride around for a bit, go visit some cool places and roadside attractions. Sadly, Skeppy is probably not spiritually or morally ready to full on befriend wild bears yet, and they do need money for gas and snacks. So, at some point they will have to stop somewhere and find work – at least for a bit, to save up. Life’s gonna be a bit complicated with all that, until Skeppy figures out his treasure-finding abilities :DD

4) Bad and nature and animals

He is definitely still in tune with all wildlife! Even more – Bad could become a proper guardian spirit for Skeppy in part because, in a way, Skeppy himself is part of the nature.

So yeah, Bad can understand animals (and plants) and communicate with them; they’re just more free to not take his shit, and Bad’s emotions do not “possess” them unless he makes an effort to do so.

He doesn’t like doing it, tho.

5) Do they ever visit the og town again?

Hm, I think they will completely forget about it for a while, until, like, 30+ years later they will be going somewhere, and find themselves around those parts. And they try to not appear too often in the areas they’ve spent a lot of time in already (they can be pretty recognizable, and also barely show signs of aging). But it’s been a long time, and the town’s really different now… So they make a stop, and spend a day there. They walk the unfamiliar streets between the new buildings, check out the popular hiking trail, the advertisements for hot springs and winter activities. The old cinema is still there, and is hosting an all-night marathon of classic horror movies of the last century.

Bad and Skeppy leave the town after sunset – the day was nice, but they have nothing more to do there. They ride through the forest on a well paved road, with radio playing something barely above the whisper. And in the dark of hot summer night, Bad can see the white stag running between the trees alongside their car. Shadows dance over the shimmering light of it’s fur.

Somewhere after the towns border, the stag disappears back in the forest. But the air in the car stays light and fresh, saving the smell of old pines and dry leaves all though the night.

6) Skeppy and chaos

Well, after the whole mess in the main story, Skeppy definitely learned some lessons, especially about not being a dick :D

But the thing is – he can’t really help the fact that things tend to stir up around him a lot. He naturally brings in chaos into everything, because he is, in part, a personification, or an outlet for it in the world. And so, to feel, well and good, and himself Skeppy gotta do stuff that disrupts balance, and creates some mayhem. And in gave him a lot of trouble in early life, but in the course of the main story he learned that he can chose were he lets that chaos to take hold, learned what can come of that chaos, apart from utter misery.

Like, where it can help dismantle something destructive, and where – bring in the more positive change, that was already brewing, possible, but is stagnant for some reason.

Soooo, I can’t say Skeppy causes only minor chaos in his life, but he sure learns even more about not being a dick :DDDD

7) The studying

I think Bad will want to get a higher education at some point, because he wanted to, and because it’s already new millennia and all that. Bet he’ll go for something very technical and/or literature. Maybe he’ll start by piking up some classes in small time colleges, when they stop in one place for a while, and later get into an online program, because why not.

Skeppy is not a college guy at all. He’ll listen to Bad talk about it, read textbooks if he wants to, can research stuff, buuut going to classes and doing homework is definitely not his thing.

8) Stealing

Well, you’re right, Skeppy can and will steal stuff out of spite! And will be scolded by Bad for it, and will not feel (that) sorry about it. But real stealer between them will be Bad himself :D

It’s just… he has the corvid tendencies, and a hoard (a box) of sentimental mementos from different people and events, and the thrill of stealing something small and harmless is very exciting. Bad is very proud of his little collection. Skeppy finds it very adorable, a bit hypocritical, and kinda creepy. Like, that pretty box he gifted Bad at some point is now full of stuff like:

- pressed flower from the clearing they had a picnic at on their anniversary

- the button the waitress lost that one day the storm caused a black out in the whole town

- some small animal bones

- couple pretty rocks Bad stole from Skeppy’s pockets

- penny that was once glued to the ground

- a handful of teeth people (and not people) lost in fights with Bad

- pen from some fancy hotel

- rainbow dash keychain that belonged to a child

- the list goes on

9) Argument

Oh, that same day they’ll fight over whether they should stay at the really crappy and suspicious looking motel, or go sleep in a perfectly fine forest near the road. Ironically, Bad wanted to try out the motel (because, yay, first time spending the night back in civilization), and Skeppy was the one insisting on sleeping in nature (because the motel looks like it could give you 10 diseases if you even stand near it, and sleeping in the forest is kind of nice, and means they can cuddle).

10) Horses

The guys will probably ride them at some point. Well, Bad will ride, and Skeppy will sit on his horse and hope it knows what to do and where to go, because trying to make this giant thing do something seems dangerous. If they’ll have to actually go somewhere fast, Skeppy will not survive that day, his butt (and legs) will be dead for days to come.

And riding with Bad on one horse may sound romantic and nice, but all romance dies when the gallop starts.

F.

11) Skeppy and climbing

Skeppy is more down to earth kind of guy, more of a “rocks and caves” kind of creature, real-life lizard person or something. Up on the trees and in the air – not really his element, yeah. But it doesn’t mean that Skeppy will accept this fact easy. The embarrassment of never managing to safely make it down a tree is too strong, he just has to do it all over again, and again. And again. Because, clearly, he was distracted this time. And the time before that Bad was teasing him, and it “disrupted his flow”. And, really, maybe these trees here just do not like Skeppy much, and make him slip a lot. Yeah.

So, more often than not, if Skeppy climbs a tree, he will not stop climbing it until he falls, or the tree ends. Bad had to take him off high branches couple times, forcefully, because, of course, Skeppy was sitting there for 2 hours just to properly enjoy the sunset. He can climb down at any point, he just Choses not to. The view is amazing. The bark is literally part of his skin now, not because he holds on tight, no, he’s just Than Much one with the nature )<

---

Don’t apologize for the questions! It’s always so fun to answer them, and it makes me think more about stuff I may have skipped, or didn’t think about before. It’s really nice :3c

Again, thank you for the ask, and for being here for this story! <3

(And I’ll try setting timers for rest breaks while I draw, mb that will help)

---

In The Dark - masterpost

[princess-sengoku]

I have a request for the Ultimate OTP Questions list, if you don't mind: Zhao Yun/Lu Bu

(Alright i got it. Sorry about a bit of a wait.)

Zhao Yun x Lu Bu OTP questions

Who is most affectionate?

Zhao Yun

Most common argument?

Probably what their strengths can be used for. Zhao Yun is for his lords and Lu Bu is for himself

Who apologizes first?

Zhao Yun

Favorite non-sexual activity to do together?

Riding red hare together or training.

Who drives and who rides shotgun?

Zhao Yun drives and Lu Bu will take the missle launcher (shotgun)

Who is most likely to carry the other?

Lu Bu will carry Zhao Yun in anyway he wants.

Nicknames(this took me a while)

Zhao Yun to Lu Bu: big bruiser, machoman, strongest warrior alive

Lu Bu to Zhao Yun: Hero, warrior

Who Proposes?

Zhao Yun

Who sings along with the radio?

Zhao Yun but really depends on the music.

Who worries the most?

Zhao Yun. He knows Lu Bu is strong, but he can do some incredibly dumb decisions that threaten his life. He's also concerned about Chen Gong, Lu Bu's strategist, for putting him in precarious situations and just feeling that he may have other intentions.

Who wants to take selfies with the other?

Zhao Yun

Who likes to playfully tease the other?

I think Lu Bu might do it more. (If Zhao Yun does it, it might cause the next DW opening in Xiapi again)

Weirdest taste in music?

Lu Bu

Who remembers what the other orders in a restaurant?

Lu Bu

Who is embarrassed to take off their clothes in front of the other?

Zhao Yun

Who tops?

Lu Bu. Not surprised

Who initiates kisses?

Lu Bu

Who reaches for the other hand first?

Zhao Yun

Who kisses the hardest?

Lu Bu

Who is the most ticklish?

Zhao Yun

Who brings an animal they found home?

Zhao Yun. Lu Bu allowed it only because Lu Lingqi found the animal cute.

Who holds the umbrella for the other when it's raining?

Lu Bu, he's taller and can find a big umbrella for the both of them.

Who tries to playfully embarrass the other in public?

Zhao Yun. At least it's outside with other warriors around, still he doesn't do it often.

Who kills the scary bugs?

Both but Lu Bu will do it more often.

Who asks the wierd questions at random in the middle of the night?

Lu Bu

Who hogs the blankets?

Zhao Yun

Who wakes up first?

Zhao Yun

Who wants to stay in bed longer?

Lu Bu

Who always makes coffee for the other each morning?

Lu Bu. He doesn't want to give too much coffee though as Zhao Yun will musou attack out the window.

Who cries during certain films or reading sad books?

Zhao Yun

Who gets scared of horror films?

Neither? Zhao Yun is too courageous for that and Lu Bu is Lu Bu.

Who cuts the other's hair?

Lu Bu.

Who says "I Love you" first?

Zhao Yun

Who tells their friends and family about their relationship first?

Lu Bu

What does their friends and family think about the relationship?

Lu Lingqi: She would be happy. She prefers Zhao Yun over Diaochan because at least he didn't keep him away from her while she was growing up.

Diaochan: She would be a bit surprised but accepting. She seemed to have feelings for Lu Bu, but will stay out of it unless Zhao Yun breaks his heart.

Chen Gong: He would think this is a good thing for Lu Bu. Anyone that can keep Lu Bu from any unnecessary killing sprees is great for him. Plus he would use this as a offer to ally themselves with Shu

Zhang Liao: He would be fine with it. He just hopes Zhao Yun would make a nice opponent for him to train sometime

Liu Bei: He would be a bit concerned (who wouldn't after they got kicked out of Xiapi in history) but the benevolence in his heart would at least let go of the grudge and accept it for one of his favorite officer's sake.

Liu Shan: He's fine with it. He just wants peace.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei: Guan Yu wouldn't like it personally because Lu Bu messed with his sworn brother's dream and Zhang Fei wants to drink so hard to forget this relationship exists. While Guan Yu tries not to let Zhang Fei drink himself to death, he tells Zhao Yun to be careful at least

Ma Chao (and Ma Dai): Ma Chao wants to vanquish the injusticable creature that took Zhao Yun away. Ma Dai stops his cousin and ties him up on the horse. He silently says that he's fine with it but Ma Chao is going to take some time and get a clearer head for it. He tips his hat like a silent apology and rides off.

Who is more likely to ask the other to dance with them?

Zhao Yun. Just a night at one of the karaoke bars.

Who cooks the best?

Lu Bu, especially when it's meats.

Who wears the other's jacket?

Zhao Yun

Who uses cheesy pick up lines?

Zhao Yun

Who whispers inappropriate things in the other's ear at inappropriate times?

Lu Bu. He would be so awkward with it though. at least Zhao Yun blushes easily.

Who makes the other laugh the most?

Lu Bu

Who needs more reassurance?

Zhao Yun

Who would have to bail the other out of Jail?

Zhao Yun has to bail Lu Bu out

What is their Theme song?

This. It doesn't have the guitar riff that Dynasty Warriors tracks have (it isn't from a dynasty warriors game anyway), but i can see them battling to this together.

Who would sing their child back to sleep?

Lu Bu. It calms down Lu Lingqi faster.

What do they do when they are away from each other?

Zhao Yun would probably go to train and see what's happening in the south (Nanman). Lu Bu would be bored and ask Chen Gong where's the Wei forces. That is his training for today at least.

A headcanon about them that stabs your feels

One day when Zhao Yun shows up in Xiapi castle, he noticed something was wrong. Dead soldiers of Lu Bu's army laid on the castle walls and among the grounds. Zhao Yun grasped his spear tightly as he rushed inside. Along the way, he saw a Shu flag. Did something happen without Liu Bei knowing and to Lu Bu? He got to the throne room and Zhang Fei, visibly drunk, was there with blood on his pike. Chen Gong was no where to be found, neither was Lingqi, Zhang Liao, or Lu Bu. "Master Zhang Fei? What did you do!?" Zhao Yun would ask in increasing anger. Zhang Fei, still out of it, only acknowledged Zhao Yun with an "ugh" and threw Lu Bu's headpiece back to him. The headpiece was also tainted with blood. Zhao Yun started to cry. Lu Bu... He can't be gone... How did this happen? He wanted to kill Zhang Fei. He didn't care about how his lords felt or what it would do to his position, he killed his love out of spite and drunkeness! Before he could get his spear off of the ground, he was knocked out by Zhang Fei, an ache in his head too great by a clean headbutt.

A headcanon that mends the previous one?

Zhao Yun woke up in what looks to him like a hideaway, the birds tweeting outside in harmony. He didn't want to get up from the bed, one Lu Bu was dead to him and two it hurts to move. He noticed he still held the headpiece Lu Bu wore and placed it on the table next to him. He wasn't fully awake but when he came to, he felt someone big and strong next to him in the bed. It sounded like a bear but calmer. As he turned, Lu Bu was alive and in bandages from the wounds he had gotten. Zhao Yun also found bandages on himself. He was so happy they were alive. Liu Bei, Chen Gong and Lu Lingqi came in as well from the outside. Liu Bei had apologized to Lu Bu and Zhao Yun that he didn't know Zhang Fei was attacking them and he didn't know about the incident til Chen Gong and Lingqi explained to him about it. Zhang Fei would be in Jail for it and shouldn't be bothered at all. Chen Gong felt regretful about the situation that he never saw it coming. After their worries were quelled and apologies was given and accepted, they left Lu Bu and Zhao Yun alone to heal. They cuddled comfortably in bed, Lu Bu silently wishing that Zhang Fei would be executed but he's fine with both alive to do battles again.

[baoshan-sanren]

Part 15

to the fucking NieLan arranged marriage AU I can’t stop thinking about - seriously guys, someone give me a title for this thing

pt.1 here | pt.2 here | pt.3 here | pt.4 here | pt.5 here | pt.6 here | pt.7 here | pt.8 here | pt.9 here | pt.10 here | pt.11 here | pt.12 here | pt.13 here | pt.14 here

Wen Ning does not have much time. 

He moves quickly, head lowered, hoping to avoid notice. It is rarely possible, for him to cross the length of the palace without some incident, without at least some of the guards deciding to torment him for their own amusement. Although he is under Wen RuoHan’s protection, as fickle as such a protection can be, they had learned quickly that he will bear their harassment in silence. Perhaps, if he was still allowed to carry his sword, they would not think him such an easy prey. But he thinks it is more likely his sword would have painted a larger target on his back.

The lack of his sword has been on his mind a great deal lately.

It is not the only concern crowding his mind. That same morning, a string of urgent messages from YiLing had completely annihilated every part of the plan Wen Qing had painstakingly pieced together.

The Second Young Master is dead. The Violet Spider had mounted the Second Young Master’s head on a pike, and is currently burning her way across YiLing, heading straight for the Nightless City.

The first message states that both the Jin Sect and Jiang Sect are riding at her back, something even Wen Ning knows to be impossible, as the two sects are on the opposite sides of QiShan. The second message claims that the Violet Spider is leading the combined forces of the MeiShan Yu, the LaoLing Qin, and the LangYa She. This message, Wen Ning does not know enough to dispute. The third message is even more ridiculous than the first two, claiming that it is not the Violet Spider who had killed the Second Young Master at all, but Madam Jin, and that Madam Jin is now leading half of the Jin Sect across YiLing.

Wen Ning thinks that the men who had sent those messages should probably not face Wen RuoHan again, not if they mean to keep their heads attached to their shoulders.  

Overall, Wen Chao’s death matters very little in the larger scheme of things, and by itself, it should not have affected his sister’s plans at all. But the messages had triggered a string of events, like ripples across clear water, spreading to every corner of the Nightless City. Suddenly, guards are stationed in places where none had been the day before. Two of the City gates are now sealed shut. The guards around Wen RuoHan have doubled, and every servant, including Wen Ning, has had their room tossed. Wen RuoHan is now convinced that there is a spy in the palace, and had been furious that the traitor could not be uncovered. In his rage, he had pulled Lan XiChen from his cell, and had him savagely whipped in the main hall.

The day is only half over, and Wen Ning already knows that everything else which can go wrong, is likely to go wrong, and very quickly. There is no time to contact Wen Qing. There is no time to ask for advice. Their contingency plan looms large and terrifying in his mind, even more impossible to achieve now than it had ever been before.

His sister had always had such faith in him, no matter how often he failed, no matter how often he disappointed her expectations. To this day, she believes him more capable than he has ever thought himself to be. Now, that he is utterly alone, with nothing to rely on but his own wits, he hopes that she was right all along, and that he will not let her down.

Back in his chambers, he burns the talisman for good, leaving only a small pile of ashes on the floor. The room is bare of personal belongings. This had never been Wen Ning’s home, and there is nothing he regrets leaving behind.  

--

They move at dusk.

The Nie Sect does not attack the way any other sect would. There are no drums and trumpets and neat formations. There is no warning, no battle declaration, and some would say, no honor in their tactics. But the Nie Sect is descended from men who had spent their entire lives wading through ankle-deep blood, who were born and raised in the dirt, who cared little for eternal judgment. To the QingHe Nie, honor is a fool's prize, and glory is of no use to the dead.

The first wave appears out of the evening fog some three hundred li inside the enemy lines. Half of the Wen camp is slaughtered before any manage to raise an alarm. By the time the horn signaling an attack echoes across the plain, the cavalry is already on the move. The Wen do not expect mounted archers to follow a ground attack, and their formation falls apart as quickly as it is assembled. Blood saturates the damp grass. Rows and rows of tents go up in a blaze, one after another, the risings suns of QiShan Wen engulfed in flames.

Wen Xu, located in the main cap some two hundred li from the border between GanQuan and QiShan, is not caught by surprise. By the time the Nie Sect crosses the plains, a wall of archers is already waiting. The arrows blacken the sky. Men and horses fall, and are trampled, their screams drowned by the battle drums. The Nie Sect does not falter. Only a third of their number reaches the first line of archers, shattering the wall they hold, spilling into the sea of ground troops. They are outnumbered twelve to one, but each pushes forward, the sabers swinging wildly, leaving carnage in their wake.

A smart ruler leads from the back, and Wen Xu is safely concealed behind thirty hand-picked guards. With his younger brother gone, he had promised his father that he would take no unnecessary risks, and withdraw to the safety of the Nightless City walls the moment the battle looks to be lost. But he can see Nie MingJue in the distance, still mounted, surrounded by the sea of red robes. The beast’s head helmet, its features twisted in a terrible grimace, seems to be mocking him from a distance.

He despises Nie MingJue with a singular type of vehemence. The man’s marriage to the First Jade of Lan is an abomination; Wen Xu cannot understand how the Gusu Lan could have ever stooped so low. The fact that the rest of the cultivation world would choose such a man to lead them is abhorrent beyond belief. The Wen Sect had descended from emperors; their supremacy is nothing less than Heaven-ordained. It is no simple affront, to have the Wen Sect dominance challenged by a man who is only a little better than a peasant. It is the worst type of insolence; it is a blasphemy against the natural order.

Everyone knows that there is no honor in battling butchers. But Wen Xu wants Nie MingJue’s head. He wants to mount it on a pike, as his younger brother’s head was mounted, and he wants to carry it with him back into the Nightless City. Perhaps his father will present it to the Young Master Lan as a wedding gift. Wen Xu is has no interest in Nie MingJue’s leftovers, but once the war is over, the most beautiful Young Master of the cultivation world will need to be married into the Wen Sect. First, however, Wen Xu intends to make Young Master Lan a widower.

When he moves into the fray, his guards move with him. Their bodies are a shield, but like any shield made of flesh and bone, it does not hold up for long. This does not matter. Wen Xu is not his younger brother. He does not carry a sword out of obligation or duty. The blade was his first toy, his first comfort, the first thing he learned how to carry. He has killed hundreds of men, and none had ever given him a fight worthy of remembrance. He does not need thirty guards to cut his way across the field.

Another battle horn echoes from the east, but his only focus is straight ahead. He sees Nie MingJue lose his horse, and soon after loses his own. A cultivator from the Jin Sect gets in his way, and loses an arm. Another is cut in two. There seem to be more golden robes now in the field than the deep green ones of the Nie Sect, but Wen Xu is so close, that he would not turn back now, even if he could. The Nie will fold when Nie MingJue is dead. The Jin will fold right after. The beast’s head helmet appears and disappears, it falls, then rises.

Finally, it is in front of him. His blade crosses with the heavy saber, the spiritual power of their combined force flashing brightly, knocking down both ally and enemy alike. The night is falling quickly, and the ground is slippery with blood, but Wen Xu is inconvenienced by neither. He has never wanted someone dead this badly, so badly that he can taste the victory in the back of his throat. The blades clash again and again, the saber cutting into his thigh, his own sword finding the soft flesh under Nie MingJue’s arm. The man is good, but Wen Xu had expected better. He knows he will win.

The tip of his sword catches the helmet, and the twisted, blood-spattered piece of armor tumbles to the ground. Wen Xu freezes in astonishment. It is a moment, a single breath, but it is an instant he cannot spare. The saber catches him under the navel and slices up, lodging between his ribs.

Nie ZongHui smiles.

[rawcatlawnchair]

Chapter 11 - Ruzuli

Ruzuli thought she knew how to fight. Fights were simple, it was just you and the opponent. You hit and they blocked. You struck and they evaded. The simple back-and-forth nature of it all had always appealed to her, and her natural talent for fighting only further pushed her interest. But she wasn’t in the middle of a fight.

This was carnage, this was chaos, and she had no clue where to start. A fight had a simple win condition, a singular goal to work towards. In a fight, one could be totally focused on defeating one’s opponent. Looking around her, she had a seemingly uncountable number of enemies, and far too few allies to help her in the fight.

Okay, let's take this one slowly, she thought. First rule, first rule. When Master Roko had first taught her how to fight, she had been utterly shocked when he told her the first rule was not, in fact, to hit it very hard. The first rule is to check your surroundings. And so she did.

Behind them was a gaping hole, the explosives having dug a massive chunk out of the bridge. Ahead of them, further down the bridge, was another hole of a similar size. All ten caravan cars were now trapped on a flimsy road of wood, with neither a way forward nor back.  And all around her, the air was peppered with cries of confusion and terror. Not to mention the monstrous ships quickly approaching the bridge.

The boats were immense, with countless sails and even more goblins hanging from their riggings. The twin boats sailed side by side, with only minutes to spare before they reached the bridge. Front mounted cannons were already firing at the bridge, albeit with many of their shots coming up short. Soon, however, those shots would find their mark.

All the while, a bell furiously rang, emanating from the center of their column, a clear call for aid. Ruzuli could spy an elf courier running from car to car, whispering some words to the rangers before moving off. One by one, groups of passengers began to gather their things and run to the middle of the bridge, seeking safety.

Ruzuli turned to face Jirei. “Any ideas?”

“Get these civilians out of here. RANGER!”

The ranger still sat at his seat, holding the reins of his horse. “Yes?”

“We need you to help with the evacuation. How many can you fit on your horse?”

“Two, maybe three.”

Ruzuli looked at the incoming boats. Even from a fair distance, she could hear the faint murmur of war cries and screaming from the goblin horde that was about to flood over them. They didn't have enough time to get everyone out in time.

Finally, the elf courier arrived to convey commands. “Feng wants all the civilians in the middle. We've made a makeshift defence there.”

Ruzuli didn't like the idea of caging themselves up and waiting for their enemies to come to them, but she had to agree this time. Already the civilians were fleeing for safety, having abandoned their personal belongings. Their party had no choice but to follow. As they moved off from their position, the ship nearest to them began to sail into the bridge. Ruzuli instinctively turned back to watch, and quickly wished she had not.

Using a tactic that only a goblin could have come up with, they used the already weakened bridge as a makeshift port, ramming their ship neatly into the hole they had blown up, completely blocking off any chance they had at escape. Even from hundreds of meters away, the triumphant roar of the goblins could be heard, shortly followed by the percussive roar of cannons, slamming into the bridge and spraying splinters into the air. Their attack was less of a tactical move and more of a way to flex their muscle, to show off the vast might of the goblins. A huge wave of goblins vaulted off the deck, landing on the bridge, and began to advance towards the now-abandoned caravan trains.

Ruzuli turned to face her destination, and ran quicker than ever.

-----------------------------------------

When the party reached the center of the bridge, Feng and his men had already set up a miniature fortification. Four cars had been corralled into makeshift walls, lying perpendicular to the bridge. Stacks of crates filled up the space between the cars, acting as deterrents to their goblin assailants. From their cargo, they had even managed to salvage weapons, armour and even some wooden barricades with sharpened edges. When they spotted the arrival of the last of the travellers, they hastily pulled a barricade to the side to allow their passage in. Ruzuli looked around, and picked out a furious Feng from within the crowd. Next to him stood another elf, dressed in the kingdom’s colours, with a white and green patterned shirt and a red symbol on the back. Unlike Feng, this one gave off a dignified air, and seemed to be in control of the situation. As they entered, he was in the midst of addressing a group of guards and civilians.

“...and under these emergency conditions, I am field promoting Feng to a Captain of the Elven Army.”

Feng stepped forth, a look of worry present on his face for the first time. “You heard Councillor Shi-an. Civilians, hide behind the cover wherever you can. Guards, keep watch for the incoming enemies. Attack on sight, and for those with guns, shoot to kill. We don't have the luxury of mercy out here.” Ruzuli didn't quite know what a gun was, but from the word 'shoot’ she assumed it was something akin to a crossbow.

Turning to face Ruzuli and her allies, he spoke once more. “As for our special guests, you’re going to be fighting by our side.”

“And what if I say no?” Ruzuli barely tolerated Feng, let alone wanted to take orders from him.

“Then we add four travelers to our casualties when we make it out of this mess,” Feng replied coldly. “I don't have time for rebellious underlings.” The two stared at each other briefly, before the air cracked with a cry.

“Fog rolling in, sir!” An elf mounted on top of a crate cried out a warning, and Ruzuli leapt up alongside him to see an unnatural wall of mist slowly approach their small fortress from all directions. It was accompanied by the telltale rumbling of the ground, a steady march that surged into a frenetic, uneven dash from both sides of the bridge. The rumble grew louder and louder, and it would be only seconds before the goblins would be on them.

“Look alive!” Feng cried, grabbing a polearm and standing at the vanguard of the defence. “Or you won't be alive for long.”

The fog rolled to the very edge of their fortress. And from the fog burst a red wave of goblins.

-------------------------------------------------

The worst part of large scale battle wasn't the fighting, Ruzuli noted. It was the noise. The screaming, the roars, the low booms of cannons in the distance and the piercing cracks of something else entirely. The dying, guttural cries of a goblin as a sword sliced his neck open, the screams as a goblin clubbed a guard’s head in, the sickening clash of metal scraping and slicing about. The defenders numbered just over twenty, and already their defences were being strained. With assailants from both sides, the defence was a constant scramble to keep up with the pace of the seemingly endless waves of goblins. Ruzuli stood abreast with three elves as they blasted back the goblins trying to scale the small mountain of crates they had formed, with the elves firing crossbow bolts alongside her own lightning.

Without warning, the charging goblins surged, pushing in faster than they could blast them back, and Ruzuli was forced to unsheath Kite and begin to hack away at the poorly armoured goblins. Kite was by no means a powerful weapon, designed more for quick strikes than for cleaving through opponents. Yet it slashed through poorly-forged copper armour as if it was paper, allowing her to smash the red horde back. A short distance away, a poor guard had a goblin stuck to his head, as the goblin mauled away at his head. Ruzuli gathered up energy and fired a force bolt in its direction, knocking the goblin away and impaling it on a wooden spike on a barricade. But her lapse in focus meant the goblins got ever closer, and now they were beginning to flood over the crest of the crates.

Ruzuli’s actions blurred into a constant stream of attacks. Parry, strike, duck, strike. A goblin had managed to make its way on top of one of the cars, and she shot a weak lightning bolt, briefly stunning it. Before she could move over to finish it off, a spear shot out from her right and embedded itself neatly into the goblin’s neck. Not waiting for it to bleed out, Feng dashed forward and leapt up, landing on the roof and snatching the weapon up, before going back into the fray.

Eventually, the enemy numbers began to thin. The poorly trained and equipped goblins had failed to overwhelm their defences with sheer numbers, and the tide turned against them. Ruzuli spied Trixi grabbing a stone club, then using his magic to blast it like a cannonball, slamming a goblin off the edge of the bridge to a watery grave. Over to her right, Octavia was cleaning up the last of them, taking on three goblins alone. She nimbly dodged a pike thrust at her, then grabbed it and broke it over her knee as if it were a twig, snapping it into two. She grabbed one of its splinters and bashed it into the startled goblin’s head, before dropping the splinter and smashing his head into the side of the caravan. He collided with a satisfying thwuck and slid down the wall, limp. The other two quickly fled, running for the safety of their ships.

“Is that the last of them?” Octavia asked.

Right on cue, a solitary goblin showed himself from atop a crate, and made a running leap at Feng, dagger outstretched and ready to stab him. And right before Ruzuli’s very own eyes, the goblin’s head exploded, bursting into a large pile of gore and a small pile of brains, accompanied by a thunderous crack. When she looked around for its source, she only found a dwarf with a cane in one hand, and one of those wooden weapons in the other. The dwarf presumably swore, and sat back down on a crate, cane in his lap, and completely uncaring about the goblin corpses surrounding him. It had been a slaughter for the goblins, but it had worn out the defenders. Ruzuli wasn't sure if they could survive another attack, much less several more.

“That’s a gun,” Trixi whispered as loud as possible. “Imagine a cannon, but it fits in your hand.”

“Impressive,” noted Ruzuli.

“Terrifying,” said Jirei, shaking her head. While none of the elf guards had fallen in battle yet, many of them were nursing injuries that ranged from small scratches to open wounds. Without a healer, many would fall in the coming skirmishes. Feng was already motioning to his men, trying to get them back in order.

“Move the injured over there, by the fresh water. You, druid, attend to them.” Feng waved Jirei away, turning to face the unimpaired survivors. “Right now, if we sit here and stand our ground we will die where we stand. We survived their first attack, but knowing goblin scum it won't be the last. I'm proposing we make a pre-emptive attack on the eastern ship and clear a path for a ranger to ride through and get help. There's a decently-sized guard outpost a twenty minute ride away, and with some luck, they'll help break us out of this siege.”

He called out a string of names and five elves lined up in front of him, ready for battle. They had fared better than most of their comrades, making it out of their first skirmish with little more than a few bruises and cuts. He inspected them one by one, then nodded. In a surprising turn of events, he called for the dragonling and the human.

“You two, you'll be fighting alongside these elf guards. You're our distraction for the rangers to get through, so buy as much time as you can.” Octavia grimly nodded, but Ruzuli would not take such orders so easily.

“So we're the sacrificial lambs, are we?”

“You catch on quick.” Feng nonchalantly answered. “Although you might survive, if you're good enough.”

“I’m not dying for your cause.”

“You’re right. You're not.” Feng paused, appearing to think for a second, tilting his head to the side. “You’re going to fight to the bitter end, not because some idiot elf told you to, but because people are relying on you to. The civilians outnumber the fighters here four to one, and as the strong we have a right to protect the weak. This isn't my cause. It's theirs.”

Feng pointed to the civilians crowded around their small base. The dwarf with the cane. The young guard, holding back cries of pain as Jirei attended to his wounds. The worried merchant, clutching a pendant, desperate to see his family once more. The uneasy fighter amongst the ones that Feng had chosen, who wasn't quite ready to leave this world just yet.

Feng looked back at Ruzuli, looking her in the eye for the first time since they had met on that road on the plains. “Will you fight?”

In that moment, they shared a connection, an understanding of warriors. The knowledge that their duty went beyond themselves. And Ruzuli nodded.

“I will do what I must.”

Their small advance party readied up however they could. Each one of the elf guards going with them carried a gun for an emergency, and two rangers with horses would be accompanying them. Octavia had already shifted into her focused mindset, and her face betrayed no emotion. Ruzuli could only try to match her expression.

At last they were ready. And without turning back, nine souls strode into the unfamiliar fog.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ruzuli had never been so thankful that goblins were completely unfamiliar with the concept of stealth. Against any other opponent, pushing straight into their lines like this would be suicide. Yet the telltale noises of goblins gave away the positions of enemies long before they came into view. Octavia’s light orb hovered above them, giving them an ever-so-slight advantage in the fog. It shone a few metres out, letting them see more without giving their position away.

Walking through the abandoned bridge made Ruzuli feel uneasy. Looking at the things people had abandoned, carts left in the middle of the road, and wreckage all over the place, these things simply did not feel right. In the distance, she could make out the faint silhouette of the ship, with its immense masts and sails showing through the fog.

Ruzuli noticed one of the guard's ears twitch, and he held up a hand, halting their progress. Octavia extinguished her orb; the small advantage they gained from sight was incomparable to the position they could be giving away. With elves and their superior sense of hearing, they could hear the threats before they could be seen.

“I hear...eating?” The guard who had warned them sounded confused but he unsheathed his blade and brought his shield up nonetheless. Underestimating an opponent was usually a death sentence. The rangers remained at the rear while the seven fighters moved forward as stealthily as possible, in a V-formation with Ruzuli and Octavia at the very edges of both ends. Every step was taken carefully, and they progressed in near silence.

As they approached an upended carriage, it was suddenly clear what the goblins were doing. With various foodstuffs laying all over the floor, and raucous gnashing noises from just beyond the veil of fog, it was obvious that a group of goblins were helping themselves to the food. While she was unsure if the feast was for five or fifty, every dead goblin was one less foe in between them and freedom. At the count of three, they charged forth and sprung their surprise.

Ruzuli didn't have time to count how many goblins they were facing. With their tactical edge, they never stood a chance. She had hacked through two goblins before one even picked up a comically oversized mace to face her. She sliced at its handle, breaking the weapon in two, leaving the goblin dumbfounded, before using a force bolt to slam it backwards into another hapless foe behind it. Beside her, an elf guard dashed forth to finish the duo off. A quick stab sealed their fates and Ruzuli went off to find another foe. She heard the horses begin to charge through the fog, trampling all over the hapless goblins.

While moving about the fog, trying to find another goblin to take down, one particular one stood out to her. Unlike the drab brown and grey armour that the average goblin wore, this one wore a light teal robe and a ridiculous pointed hat. It held its hands up to the sky, as if it was casting a spell. Perhaps it actually was.

She dashed closer and with a leap, fired a lightning bolt, which instantly caused the goblin to pay attention to her and dodge backwards. She drew a stream of water from the air and coiled it around her arm, poised and ready to attack.

“Impressive!” It cried, in a voice higher than most goblins. “But it'll take far more than that to slay Pawa, the Mistress of the Rains, the Bringer of Storms, the-”

“Shut up,” Ruzuli growled. After all the annoyance the fog had brought them, she was definitely not in the mood for some hydromancer’s monologue. Kite was already in motion, a wide swing aimed straight for her throat.

In one deft motion, Pawa used the tendril of water to shove herself aside, before summoning two more to bind Ruzuli’s hands together, knocking Kite aside and cackling maniacally in the process. Ruzuli tugged at the watery handcuffs and found that they were surprisingly strong. Even she was unable to snap free from them easily.

“Another victim, another victory for the great mage Pawa!” Despite the fact that her allies were being slaughtered around her, Pawa seemed to be extremely proud that she had managed to ‘disarm’ Ruzuli.

Before Pawa could break into another villainous rant, Ruzuli decided to end the fight there and then. Sending sparks into her fists, the shocks travelled through the water tendrils, sending jolts directly into Pawa’s hands. With her concentration broken, the water evaporated into air, Pawa’s knees buckled and the fog around them dissipated. For the first time, Ruzuli could truly see the carnage they had wreaked. She counted over fifty goblin corpses, at the hands of a mere nine people. And here she was, about to add one more to the casualty count.

She shot one more blast of lightning at the downed hydromancer. She made a series of pained noises, before rolling onto her back. She might have been defeated easily, but even in defeat she had to have the last word.

“I, Pawa, may have fallen, but you shall never defeat Captain Zazelle. Even my mighty power is a mere flicker in the shadow of her inferno.”

Ruzuli snorted. Every word that had come out from this goblins mouth had been nothing but hyperbole. A clean swipe with Kite slashed the female goblins throat open, and her breathing stopped without so much as a sound.

With this opponent felled, Ruzuli rose and took in the sights of their next obstacle. The boat was a good few hundred meters away, but even at this distance it was imposing.imposing. Three great masts lined its center, with its sails billowing and catching the breeze with ease. If this ship had sailed into the harbour back in the Chalice, it would have rivalled even the largest ships. At the signal of an elf guard, they began to advance

Clearly, the captain of the ship had taken notice of their presence, for the goblins had laid out a large plank from the deck and had begun to descend in remarkably neat fashion. Lining up in rows and armed with a variety of weapons, they stood in formation, with a space in the center for someone to walk down.

What came down the walkway was the least goblin-like goblin Ruzuli had ever seen. Instead of drab grey platemail and blood-stained leather armour, it dressed in a brilliant orange sleeveless robe, complete with flowing silver strands of cloth that flapped about as she walked. She strode with an air that was half confidence, and half arrogance. Ruzuli couldn’t see any weapons on her, but she knew better than to underestimate her enemies. Any goblin that dressed that flashy definitely had a couple of tricks up their sleeve.

The sea of goblins parted to let their apparent leader through, allowing her to stand at the very forefront of her fighting force. All the elf guards had already readied their arms, prepared to strike at a moment’s notice. Octavia had powered up, and Ruzuli had brought out Kite. Yet she seemed nonchalant about the challengers before her, as if they were but flies to be swatted. Finally, she spread her arms open, and began to speak.

“I am Captain Zazelle, second amongst goblins only to the great Three Princes. I see you have dispatched two entire squadrons of our advance parties, and for that I must congratulate you. Not many survive one encounter with a full squadron of goblins, let alone two.” She paused for a moment, before slashing the air with her hand, materialising a flaming whip from thin air. The embers danced about on the construct as she cracked her whip and continued with a menacing smile on her face. “Third time’s the charm, wouldn’t you say?” And with her words, she began to advance, striding forward step by step, her army two paces behind her.

Ruzuli clenched her fangs, roared, and charged.

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The plan was rapidly falling apart. Faced with a swarm of goblins, moving about on two feet was seemingly impossible, and the rangers did not fare much better. For every goblin they trampled over, two more took their place, harassing the horses as they went. At this rate, it would be impossible for anyone to call for help. Worse still, their commander, this Zazelle of theirs, had scarcely entered the fray, seeming content to allow her men to throw themselves onto the blades of the elven guards. Someone had to clear the way.

She gathered up as much energy as she could, and unleashed her flames in a wide arc, blasting them in the general direction of the goblins near the boat. While her control left much to be desired, her power was unmatched. The wave of fire immediately scattered the smarter goblins, and the rest quickly found themselves on the receiving end of searing pain, the fire quickly engulfing both them and the bridge under their feet.

“GO!” Ruzuli shouted with all her might, and the rangers made a break for the wooden walkway, gracious for the diversion. With significantly less opposition, their steeds stormed up the planks, knocking aside the helpless goblins. As they reached the deck, and subsequently disappeared from sight, Ruzuli breathed a silent sigh of relief. Aid would come in time. Now all she had to do was survive.

The elf guards had realised this, and one of them produced a horn and blew, signalling a retreat. As Ruzuli was about to turn and flee, a sudden snap sound burst through the air, and Ruzuli suddenly found herself on her back, having been tripped by something. Next to her, Octavia had met the same fate. She leaned up while prone, only to see Zazelle just metres away, and closing the distance. Without hesitation, she got back onto her feet and brought out her blade, only to quickly realise the quagmire they had gotten into. While the elves were fleeing for their lives in the distance, the goblins had completely encircled them, forming a large circle, almost as if they were to fight for their entertainment. As she watched Zazelle walk towards them in an almost lazy manner, it dawned on her that she was probably right.

“Two elves got away by horse. Five more ran on foot.” Zazelle spoke with a certain drawl, as if she was already bored by her two opponents. “My men get to kill all the elves they want. But you two aren’t from these parts, are you? I want you two for myself.”

“Observant.” Ruzuli couldn’t help but fire back a snarky remark, even if she was about to fight an opponent who was almost definitely stronger than her.

“And that I am. The dragonling has terrible control over her power, preferring to simply blast away until everything is ash. And as for the human, you’ve got so many blind spots you should have been born a bat. Essence is powerful, but all magic has its limits.”

The talking was clearly meant to put the two on edge, and the subtle taunts were getting to them. Already, Octavia was shuffling closer, aiming to close the gap between them and end the fight with a single blow. Ruzuli felt this immense urge to just shoot lightning at the goblin, although a small part of her brain told her that her plan would almost certainly backfire.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Zazelle said, crouching with her whip hand extended behind her. The smile of menace had turned into one of malice, now fully enthralled by the impending violence.“It’s only right for the guests to go first.”

Ruzuli flashed a brief look at Octavia, and with a wordless nod, both charged with blade and fist respectively, ready for anything the goblin could throw at them. Seemingly anything.

In a motion so fast Ruzuli could barely picture it, Zazelle used her free hand to conjure up a force bolt and shot herself upward, causing the both of them to stop and glance upwards, only to see the whip flash downwards and bring forth a wave of flame. Octavia had her essence barriers up, but Ruzuli brunt the full force of the attack. It quickly ignited her jacket, and she hastily attempted to put it out by absorbing the energy of the flame, much to the amusement of the goblins crowding around her. Ruzuli had known that the goblin mage was stronger than them just from the way she acted, but only now was it apparent the sheer gap in their skills.

Zazelle was already back on the offense, having already landed and making her way towards her. Ruzuli rose to her feet, anticipating the next attack. By the time the whip broke the air, her blade was up and ready to block, but it was in vain. The speed of a whip was too much for eyes to follow, and her sword met thin air, Zazelle’s attacks easily striking her. Time after time the flaming whip struck at her, leaving countless scars on her cloth armour.

Despite having a numerical advantage, Octavia was struggling to find a good opening to get a hit in. With her relatively slow essence blasts being easily dodged, she was forced to close the gap, only to be met with strong opposition. Time after time she pushed through the flames to get a hit in, and time after time she was repelled. Her barriers were strong, but under the heavy punishment the shields that protected her bare skin began to crack.

Ruzuli ached from the fight. Simply staying alive was pushing her to her limits, yet for Zazelle she seemed completely at ease. Neither she nor Octavia had managed to land a significant hit, and the injuries were starting to stack up. Eventually, the stinging sensation in her chest bit away at her, and in desperation, she put everything she had into a solitary lightning bolt, erupting from her fingertip.

The lightning, yellow and furious, closed the distance in an instant. With the essence she had put into it, it should have fried her at best, and incapacitated her at worst. Instead, Zazelle fired off one of her own, causing the twin bolts to collide and redirect, zapping a hapless goblin by the side and instantly causing it to explode. To Ruzuli’s surprise, his demise was met with cheers rather than sadness. Evidently, his grisly death was more amusing than the loss of a comrade.

Zap! Her lapse of attention meant she failed to notice Zazelle charging up another bolt, and now it arced through the air, headed straight for her. Time seemed to slow down as she saw a flash of white from her right, leaping through the air to intervene. The lighting bolt struck Octavia square in the chest, shattering the remnants of her barrier. The blast staggered her, but she landed on her feet, and without hesitation broke into a run for the goblin.

As expected, the whip flew out once more to stop her push, but without breaking a stride, she managed to grab onto the whip as it slashed through the air, and yanked on it, causing Zazelle to lose her balance and fall forwards. In one smooth motion, Octavia did a sideways flip with her full running momentum. While upside down, she angled herself such that the flailing goblin was behind her, brought her fists up to her chest, then struck over her head with an essence-powered strike, sending the goblin tumbling into the boundary of their arena.

For a moment, Ruzuli was awestruck by Octavia’s incredible maneuver. But they had no time to lose. Clearing the path with a quick series of sloppy lightning bolts to send the goblins in their way scrambling, Ruzuli and Octavia fled for the safety of the center of the bridge, not looking back to see if goblins had pursued them or not.

They had made half the distance back when an elf spotted them returning in the distance. As she gazed at their fortress, an assortment of heads poked out from cover, including what appeared to be their teammates, as they awaited their return. They were on the home stretch. They were making it out alive.

That optimism lasted but a fraction of a second. She felt something warm wrap around her leg, and before she could even look down, it yanked at her, dragging her down the bridge in an incredibly uncomfortable manner, bumping and turning as she went. Finally, she came to a standstill at the feet of a livid Zazelle, having transformed her whip into a lasso. Without mercy, she stomped down onto her chest, sending her retching for air.

“RUZULI!” By now, Octavia had realised the fate of her teammate, and had turned back for her. Before Ruzuli could even attempt a warning, the lasso had gone back for her once more, this time going for her eyes. Being unable to evade it, Octavia was ensnared, and Zazelle reeled in her prey, igniting the lasso all the while and filling the air with agonized screams.

“Did you think you could humiliate ME? IN FRONT OF MY MEN?” Zazelle had one boot firmly holding down Ruzuli, while Octavia remained trapped and burning beneath the flaming lasso. “I was going to be content with just your deaths, but it looks like much harsher treatment is in order.”

In the distance, Ruzuli saw two figures sprinting towards her, one tall and one short. She already knew who had come to their rescue, but she was uncertain of their success. Jirei and Trixi were fine fighters in their own right, but against Zazelle they would scarcely stand a chance.

“More victims?” Zazelle said with a sneer. She removed the lasso and the boot, leaving the two incapacitated on the floor as they struggled to recover. “If they insist.” Ruzuli was left gasping for air, the pain in her chest intensifying. Sharp pangs pierced her, and she felt like she could use a nice long nap right about now.

In the distance, she saw Jirei get down on both knees, with one hand flat on the ground. The very bridge itself seemed to glow a brown, earthy green, emanating with power flowing from the druid.

“CHARGE!” The order came to no one's surprise, and the goblins raced to claim a free kill, paying no heed to the downed fighters.

This was bad. This was really bad. This was-

CRASH! Ruzuli, already straining to stay conscious, looked at the water beside the bridge. Wading towards the bridge was a colossal monstrosity made of seaweed. Every fibre in the creature was made of the plant, and this seemed to amuse the goblins, as they began to fling spears at it, which it did not seem to mind.

It was only amusing until it swiped downwards, taking a huge chunk out of the bridge, along with twenty goblins. The bridge turned to chaos as half the army attempted to scale it to take it down, and the other half fled for the boat, causing chaos in the ranks. Even a seasoned veteran such as Zazelle would find it hard to keep her army under control under such bizarre circumstances.

With the last of her energy, Ruzuli turned to look at Octavia. If she had the strength to fight, she was not showing it, with a deep scar left by the lasso encircling her head at the eye level. She lay prone on the ground, invisible to the mayhem around her.

And at last Ruzuli's eyelids fell, mind devoid of any coherent thought.

Next Chapter ｜Start from the beginning

[thesassybooskter]

WHEN A COWBOY LOVES A WOMAN by Jennie Marts: Spotlight & Excerpt

NOW AVAILABLE / SOURCEBOOKS CASABLANCA

They both know the pain of loss and how to protect their hearts…but fate has a way of stepping in…

 When a kitchen fire forces young widow Elle Brooks to move in with her friend Bryn and her motley collection of rescue animals, she doesn’t foresee ending up in the muscled arms of handsome cowboy and veterinarian Brody Tate. But she can’t deny the feelings that being close to Brody are stirring in her. Spending time with the hunky cowboy and his adorable young daughter as they rehabilitate rescued horses reminds Elle of all she lost in a car crash years ago.

As a widower himself, Brody is devoted to being a good dad for his spirited daughter. He hasn’t let romance even enter his head. But now he’s met Elle. Spending time with her is shaking up the calm he’s worked so hard to achieve, and he can’t seem to get this woman off his mind.

Elle and Brody have both lost people they loved, but their mutual attraction and growing feelings are too strong to ignore. The hope of a future together is a beautiful possibility, but can these two wounded souls take a chance on each other and find the courage to love again?

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    Excerpt

Everything hurts, thought Elle Brooks as she sank lower in the bathtub. Her back and shoulders ached from carrying bales of hay and brushing the horses that morning at the Heaven Can Wait Horse Rescue, where she volunteered. Although she preferred the physical labor over the headache she got from spending the afternoon with her financial advisor, going over the trust and through her finances. Between his company and his considerable life insurance policy, her beloved Ryan had left her with a substantial amount of money. But she’d give it all away for one more day with him. 

She pushed a bubbly pile of suds across the spacious garden bathtub as the final strains of one of her favorite Pink songs faded in her ears. Usually the pop star’s music could energize her, but tonight she felt more like a sinking stone than any kind of rock star. With a sigh, she pushed the drain release with her toe and pulled the earbuds from her ears. 

That’s when she heard the sirens. 

Hair raised on the nape of her neck, and a chill that had nothing to do with the cooling bathwater raced up her spine. She slammed her eyes shut against the onslaught of memories. It had been over a year since Ryan died, but the images of the ambulance’s throbbing lights and the mournful sounds of the sirens were as vivid as if it had happened the day before. 

She caught the first whiff of smoke as she heard the fire trucks pull up in front of her house. Water sloshed over the side as she stumbled to get out of the tub. Grabbing a towel, she scarcely had time to run it over her body before she heard the slam of her front door and raised voices. 

Reaching for her pajamas, she pulled on the cotton shorts and wrenched the tank top over her head. 

Move, her brain screamed. Get out. 

The fabric clung to her damp skin as she snatched up her short robe and raced out of the bathroom. From the landing, she could see a flurry of men in yellow coats dragging a gray hose across the Italian marble of her foyer toward her kitchen. 

She choked on the acrid smoke filling the air. There were no blazing flames, but the smoke scorched her throat, and she blinked against the sting of it to her eyes. 

An older fireman caught sight of her. “You need to get out of the house, ma’am.” 

Panic gripped her as she wildly looked around at the chaos invading her home. Then her gaze caught and held on the familiar eyes of the tall cowboy who’d just stepped into view. He was dressed in jeans and boots and a black Stetson hat, and the sight of his broad shoulders filling the doorway somehow grounded her. 

She didn’t really know him—she’d briefly met him a few weeks ago. But that one time had shown his ability to stay calm and steady in a crisis situation. His name was Brody—Doctor Brody Tate. He was her best friend Bryn’s veterinarian. But why was a veterinarian at a house fire? 

A plume of dark smoke billowed out of the kitchen, and Elle caught the distinct sound of the crackle of flames. She coughed, then turned around and ran back down the hallway. 

She heard the older fireman’s voice yelling, “Get her out of here, Tate,” followed by the sound of cowboy boots sprinting up the stairs as she raced to the closed door at the end of the hall. 

She pushed through, ignoring the rush of emotions that normally flooded her when she opened the door to the room decorated in pink-and-white stripes. A hand-knit pink blanket lay in the seat of the rocking chair. Elle grabbed it and clutched it to her chest. If she could only save one thing, it had to be this. 

She turned back to see Brody in the doorway. He didn’t say anything, just reached for her hand and led her quickly back down the hallway. 

They reached the top of the stairs, and she froze again at the commotion below—the rush of the firefighters’ feet, the commanding tone of their voices as they shouted orders, the pulsing flash of red lights against the white walls of her entryway. 

Brody pulled at her hand, but she couldn’t move. He turned back and must have seen the panic in her eyes. His tone was soft as he swept her up, cradling her to him as if she weighed nothing at all. “It’s all right, darlin’. I’ve got you.” 

She buried her face in his chest, clinging to him, as he carried her down the stairs and out the front door. Elle lifted her head and gulped at the fresh air. 

“Is there anyone else in the house? Any pets?” 

She shook her head. “No. Only me.” 

“You remember me? We met a couple of weeks ago at Bryn’s?” 

“Yes, I remember. But what are you doing here?” And why was she clutching his neck like he was a life preserver? A handsome, tall cowboy life preserver. 

***

Excerpted from When a Cowboy Loves a Woman by Jennie Marts. © 2021 by Jennie Marts. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

  About Jennie Marts

Jennie Marts loves to make readers laugh as she weaves stories filled with love, friendship and intrigue. She writes for Entangled Publishing and is the Kindle Bestselling author of the Page Turners series, which includes the romantic comedies: Another Saturday Night & I Ain’t Got No Body, Easy Like Sunday Mourning, and Just Another Maniac Monday. Reviewers call her books “laugh out loud” funny and full of great characters that are “endearing and relatable.”

She writes from the mountains of Colorado where she lives with her husband, two sons, a golden retriever named Cooper and a Sheltie puppy named Maggie. Jennie enjoys being a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Colorado Indie Authors, and Pikes Peak Writers.

Jennie is addicted to Diet Coke and adores Cheetos. She loves playing volleyball and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes or friends.

Jennie loves to hear from readers. Follow her on Facebook at Jennie Marts Books , or Twitter at @JennieMarts.

Visit her at www.jenniemarts.com and subscribe to her newsletter for the latest on new releases and to find out the current happenings with the Pleasant Valley Page Turners.

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WHEN A COWBOY LOVES A WOMAN by Jennie Marts: Spotlight & Excerpt was originally published on The Sassy Bookster

[gerrinson]

The journal of Allinav - part deux

The continuing adventures of the brave group, as told from the viewpoint of the character Allinav. Again, I take no credit for anything but the storyline, this was all written by the player, in character:

Entry Eight.

Where do I even begin. To say that things have taken a turn for the worst would be putting it lightly. I guess I will pick up a few days after where I left off, off in the distance the Worlds End mountain range towers over the landscape, and just a short walk away is the town of Helforth. This town is quite different from any town of which I had the grace to visit before, it's design was that of multiple circles, one nested inside of the other, on the outside were the farms, livestock, gardens, everything you might need to survive out here amongst the forests and the mountains, and as you worked your way in you found your self surrounded by buildings, that while not nearly as impressive as those you would find in Absalon, were still much better then you would expect. As we began our entrance into town, just outside a raised up on spikes, were the heads of two Goblins. It was here that we had the what I initially thought was the pleasure of meeting the Mayors son, as we made our way to the mayor himself, his son told us of the Goblin warparty that he had intercepted, how he and his men had fought off dozens of goblins, and how the heads on the pike where take of their leaders. I've seen the likes of this man before, back home we would hear stories like these in the bars, and someone claimed to have fought off a few goblins, or a couple of orcs. Always a far cry from the truth, but it was no business of mine, or our party to tell the mayors son that he was a liar. Our job was clear, find the source of the missing livestock, and put an end to it.

After a brief discussion with Mayor Havershem, we have determined that these theifs have been stealing in a pattern, that if true, would mean that there are potentially two farms still left to be stolen from, and after deliberation we have decided that the best option is to hide out on the farm of the Egerton family, and hope to catch the thieves in the act. The Egerton's by the way grow turnips. Barrels and barrels of turnips. More turnips then you could possibly imagine. Night fell as we waited, as we spread ourselves out around the main barn, everyone had a job, and an area to watch, and despite my best efforts, nobody was disguised and hiding amongst the juicy bait of the wheel barrow full of turnips. It was shortly after midnight when the thieves arrived in force, It was dark and I could only make out what looked like 4 Goblins, but what they lacked in numbers, they more then made up in both skill, and stealth. Yoshi was knocked unconscious before anyone even knew the Raiding party was on us, And if not for Simon and Drogo on the roof, we may not have ever known they were there.

Both Ilyat and I had been hiding inside of the barn Waiting to jump out as soon as the thieves arrived, and let me just say, from experience, when an Orc charges out of a barn in the middle of the night, the look on a goblins face is quite prices, that is for the split second it takes them to react and unless their arrows. The fight was brief, and only so because as soon as ilyat charged all but one of the goblins was able to flee. And its here that things took a turn for the worse.

After securing the Goblin and setting up sentries to make sure no other Goblins formed a rescue party, and making sure that Yoshi was in fact, not dead, Simon and I attempted to get some rest while Ilyat, Yoshi, and Drogo kept watch. Rest, however was not going to be an option. After a short while I woke to watch sounded like fighting, but it was just Yoshi, full on fur mode standing over a recently smacked, screaming goblin. Despite all our efforts it continued to scream, Ilyat was screaming, the goblin was screaming, Yoshi was just staring, and of course nobody actually even speaks goblin. After some time Simon was able to communicate with it, via writing words into the dirt of the barn. The basic jist of what Simon was able to uncover was that the Goblins were NOT the bad guys, and that the humans had stolen from THEM.  After even more discussion, it became clear that as the sun was rising, and with any hope of sleep quickly evaporating, that we would have this goblin lead us to their leader to get to the bottom of the situation. A few knots here and there and we were off. Funny thing about Goblins in a complete panic at the sight of a raging Orc, they make zero attempt at covering their tracks, even without the help of our little tied up friend, we would have been able to follow this path directly to their camp with little trouble... That is of course, if Drogo would stop running directly into any and all traps. As we neared the camp, and started to hear noise, and to a greater extent SMELL the latrines of said camp, Drogo was tasked with scouting ahead to make sure we were not walking into an ambush. A few minutes after he left the first of what I can only imagine were dozens of early warning traps was sprung, and the sounds from before erupted into chaos. With little options, we decided the best thing to do was to release the goblin, as a means of him informing what no doubt was a sizable force, that we were in fact NOT enemies, and that we were just looking for information. This gamble paid off as we were not only unharmed, we were escorted to the goblin camp to meet their leader Karth Boghat, and once again things the story gets worse. The heads on the pike in town, were that of his wife, and another.

The reason for the Livestock theft quickly became apparent in our talk with the Karth Boghat. The Goblins, upon learning of an invading army of the Stone Guard Orc Clan, decided that instead of fighting, it would be best to leave. In order to do so, they sent a party to town to warn the mayor and the people of the incoming army, and to trade with them for the supplies needed to survive a long journey on the road. It this this small party that the mayors son came upon, a part of friendly goblins, none of which were fighters, but in fact traders. The Mayors son murdered them, stole their gold, and put their heads on pikes for all the world to see. It is disgusting to see just how ugly the world can be. After a brief meeting with Old Meklo, our party split up to try and accomplish as much as possible in what little time we had to spare with an army of orcs not more then a couple of days away. Ilyat, Yoshi and I were to go back to town, retrieve the heads of the Goblin traders, inform the mayor of the impending attack, and return to the edge of the forest to regroup with the Drogo and Simon. It was a pretty good plan... all except for the part where halfway back to town we ran into Gronch the mighty, son of Grunch the war leader. I'm still a little hazy about the details of what happened next, but I do know two things, One, I'm pretty sure Ilyat is married now and heir to the Stone Guard Clan, and Two, I finally got my first taste of real battle, that taste was my own blood. I remember seeing Yoshi cause a spray of colors, and I remember thinking that now was the time to attack with my morning star, and i remember waking up and feeling incredibly woozy, so woozy in fact that in my stupor I decided that the recently decapitated head of Gronch might come in handy.

Deciding that now would probably NOT in fact be a good time to split up, we decided to scratch the initial plan and head back for the others, about half way there we heard was sounded like an incoming undetermined amount of horses, it turned out to be young Meklo.

After a brief introduction, he was kind enough to give us a lift, as well as delivered some packages from the Pathfinders guild, mail, mission updates, a giant pile of gems for yoshi.

We met up with the others, while still somewhat dazed, and continued to brandish this horrific head of the Orc warrior, we finally as a group returned to town. and again things got worse. The mayor was dead, If I had to wager a guess i'd say I'd know who did it, however based on what the mayor covered up for his son Randy, the punishment seemed worthy of the crime. As we hurried to make preparations and gather the towns folk, via ringing of the church bell, The mayors Son randy decided that now was the time to turn on the bravado. Incoming Orc army? Impossible! Goblins were just looking to trade goods and warn the humans? Not likely! Not all Orcs smell like Lavender Randy! ok that one seems reasonable. It was becoming very apparent that Randy was not going to listen to reason, and while his murder of the goblins would be reasons to allow ilyat to tear him limb from limb, what we needed right now was a little bravado of our own. The people don't have the time to sit around, they needed to get out of town right now. Luckily, I still happened to have the now rather moist decapitated head of on Gronch the mighty. If you have never seen a 7 foot tall grown man soil himself, just toss him the skull of the warchiefs son, and then confront him with the facts in front of the entire town he was supposed to protect. After proving once and for all that Randy was in fact a coward, we convinced the towns people to grab only what they deemed was essential and leave town at once. After clearing all of the holy relics from the chuch, and retrieving the goblins stolen gold, we decided that it might be best to make it look as if part of the town had been attacked by a Different clan of Orcs, a little blood here, a warchief sons head on a pike there, and a taunt about someone's mother being a light lover, it was time to move on... it was also around this point that I noticed Drogo was carrying a stack of books he had taken from the church. I wasn't aware that he was quite so religious, but the thought that he might be taken a turn for the better made the events of the previous two days seem like a distant memory. There might be hope for Drogo yet.

Entry Nine.

My mother is dead, she had been sold into marriage when I was a child. My emotions are too confusing to properly put down into words.

Entry Ten.

We have received updated orders. We are to rendezvous with Amari Tazen, the woman that had been transporting skulls to the verdun forest shrine. Her convoy was attacked and the skulls and relics stolen. We are to attempt to retrieve said relics and escort her to her final destination.

Entry Eleven.

Drogo received more money juggling, then I did playing my harp, Tiny little evil monster, always stepping on my proverbial toes. On top of that we recovered two Nixie bodies, those same nixie that we had helped before, with tatzle worm size bite marks. Nobody tells the tales of the bad days of an adventurer.

[asylum-miniatures]

Guild Interview tape 1165234:

1# - ok, let’s begin 2# - you know this is complete bull... 1# - you know why your here because 2# - I keep telling you all that wasn't my fault! 1# - Like the other, what was it now, three times? 2# - six 1# - ok, how is bahamuts sweet ..(breath) ok, let’s just get this started. Beginning Guild member review with accompanying recording, stat your name for the record 2# - Jaune Dupree, yes like the old house of Dupree and all the stories and legends blar blar bar 1# - yes, I remember many of those stories from when I was growing up as a child, you come from a 'notable' family, let's start with them 2# - well my parents were Alexander and Joana Dupree. My dad was a knight of the realm, noble hero, champion of the helpless, all around great guy 1# - so what went wrong? 2# - was that a jab at me, thanks for be professional you assho.. 1# - NO, No I didn't mean it like that, I mean what happed next, clearly this didn't go well considering how you came to join the guild in the first place 2# - well just because my dad was a great guy doesn't mean the higher ups were. Our family was sworn in service to the king, but he was an inbred tool sworn to serve himself. Between the stupid ideas and the cruel treatment of his people they decided that they had had enough. And the first one's against the wall were, guess who, the guy who had been crusading in his name 1# - so what happened to you? 2# - well my dad made sure I could get away. I ended up spending a few months on the streets, constantly running and hiding. In the end, I didn't run fast enough 1# - oh? 2# - Someone found me and they knew who I was. He was an agent for one of the noble houses, don't know which one but that's how they wanted it. They had this plan for me. They figured 'someone is going to put this kingdom back together at some point, lets exploit it'. They would train me up, make me the perfect sleeper agent and then send me to some royal kingdom, either that one or whatever one seemed promising if the reconstruction never came around. I would 'reclaim my birthright' and be in a perfect position to do whatever they wanted. Assassinate a rogue element, manipulate trade deals or laws made to their own ends, you name it 1# - so they were responsible for your training? 2# - yeah, and not much else, psycho made the training gruelling to try and break me, you know he made me live rats? Do you have any idea how hard it is to eat rats from a swarm while they try to eat you? 1# - moving on, how did you come to join the guild? 2# - Well, after a few years turns out the guys in charge weren't as cunning as they thought. Don't know exactly how they found out but sure enough the guild raided his facilities. All the guys in charge were killed or ran and me and the other kids. I guess the boss saw something worthwhile in me since I hadn't been there as long so I wasn't as brainwashed. And that proves I can't possibly be a traitor or a team killer, the boss saved me and I will do anything to help him to repay that 1# - That does not actually prove anything, speaking of team killing, let's go over that starting with your first team 2# - Well we were hired to escort some noble girl to her fiancée as a part of some arranged marriage. We get their ok, they check her over and I get the horses while the others sort out the payment. Turns out the girl was real nervous about her wedding night and decided the fighter would be a much better "first-night" than the mystery groom, and the fighter obliged the night before we arrived. The second they find out we screwed the deal AND the girl, the guards go nuts, I only get out since I was in the stables. I go back that night but by then they had been dealt with. And by dealt with I mean beheaded and the heads stuck on pikes. I couldn't steal the whole heads since that would have alerted them, so I took the best thing I could cut off that wouldn't be noticed 1# - How did report call it, oh yes "a burlap sack full of ears" 2# - Well I had to improvise something! 1# - yes and you followed that incident by doing the same but with a bag of human jerky 2# - again, not my fault, we were flying back from a mission over a desert when it turns out it had been sabotaged. It’s hardly my fault I was the only one who kept the mission supplied ring of sustenance on because I hated the inflight food. Those things take a week to activate so they just ended up dropping like fly’s while I had to carry the bag of their equipment and remains for reviving. I had no idea the fact it was an old salt bag and the heat would literally turn their remains into jerky, I was just thankful it hadn’t started to smell yet 1# - from what I hear your reaction at the time was suitably surprised, although I don’t think anyone found it appropriate that you were literally rolling on the floor crying with laughter at your teammates corpse being presented to you 2# - I was taken by surprise, my nerves were shot to hell after a week walking through a desert, I was 1# - the review afterward that has already made it clear and on the record you were, as they say, ‘not in the right frame of mind’ 2# - you don’t have to say it that way… 1# - it’s hard not too when two weeks later you come back with another bag of pieces 2# - well maybe if you didn’t keep giving me morons to work with 1# - and its comments like that… 2# - no, they were idiots, we were asked to check out an old castle when they ran head first into carnivores sleeping moss 1# - bad fortune hardly makes them 2# - then the two elves in the middle of this patch who were the only one’s immune spent so long arguing about which path to take they ended up getting covered and eaten by said moss 1# - where were you during this 2# - at the back, no-one trusted me after the jerky incident so they wanted me out of the way and as far away as possible. No matter how much I shouted the two elves wouldn’t listen to me and I had to go back to town, get some supplies, come back and kill the moss before coming home with a bag of hedge trimmings. Stupid jerks made it hard to get a team after that 1# - not that it stopped you from coming back with bags constantly 2# - I am getting a lot of personal attacks here I do not appreciate 1# - and I don’t appreciate having to, over the space of a couple of years, explain how one team was ‘barbequed’ 2# - they went after a dragon in the open and no ranged attacks between them aside from the cleric with a bow. Do you know how long I had to hide in a river breathing through a reed until it got bored and left? 1# - a bag of ashes 2# - guy got his hands on a single wish spell and wished for the most powerful weapon of all, got some fancy tech wand that he broke the first time he used it and disintegrated everyone in a 60’ radius 1# - a bag of dried up, wait, am I reading this right? 2# - that team hated me a decided to haze me by not inviting me to the room with the several hot barmaids they picked up, their own fault they were succubus. After they were finished, those were the only parts of them left in any good condition, guess they had a sense of humour leaving charred skeleton with a bon.. 1# - and last, but certainly not least, the bag of human marbles 2# - I was acquitted of that one, the guys were chumps trying to use my reputation to blame me for their wrongdoings. I didn’t tell them to rob a church during a major religious gathering. Can I really be blamed that many of the head priests were high level clerics with implosion, it was all I could do to politely ask them for the remains so I could get them ‘punished’ back at the guild without being killed myself. Look is there a point to this aside from yelling at me again over this 1# - yes, we are here to try and access you suitability for fieldwork again in the 2# - wait, I’m getting a team again? Your finally letting me out! 1# - depending on the results of this review, yes. We are just starting a team and there is a need for someone of your skillset and experience. We only ask that you actually keep this one alive 2# - I keep telling you it’s 1# + 2# - not my fault 1# - yes, yes, you have made this comment perfectly clear 2# - any info on whose on it? 1# - you’ll learn soon enough 2# - so I passed 1# - more like I got sick of talking to you and just want you away from the guild for a while to save me from constant headaches 2# - don’t hold back on me, tell me how you really feel 1# - GET OUT OF MY OFFICE! 1# - (sigh) end Guild member review 3# - your thoughts old fried 1# - GUILDMASTER, sorry, I didn’t hear you come in 3# - that’s quite all right, I have ways of getting around quietly when I need it. What are your thoughts on the boy 1# - inconclusive, he doesn’t seem to be lying directly, but his past training could have involved conditioning for such tests or indoctrination and programming so he doesn’t realise he’s doing it. The fact remains he has survived so many team wipes he’s either sabotaging them or he really is that unlucky. I could take him in for more extensive testing if you… 3# - No, that quite enough for now, I have own way of testing, and some immediate plans for him. I am assigning Drashper as part of his team. 1# - my boy! But he’s just a librarian and he’s already under scrutiny, isn’t that why we’ve kept him off missions so long? 3# - We’ll never get an answer about if he does hold the same spark of chaos and destruction his parents had cooped up here. This team will sort out several of my problems at once. If Jaune is lying Draspher will have his own written account as evidence. If Draspher is too dangerous then we can act to ‘mitigate’ his threat and it will just be blamed on Jaunes bad track record 1# - I don’t like the fact you’re playing with my boy’s life with this ‘test’ 3# - you knew it would someday come to this the day you took him in. We both agreed he would need to be properly tested should the need arise. Besides, these are only the worst-case scenarios. I have faith in them both, as should you. Now come, I could do with a drink, and I ‘have faith’ that you need one too old friend 1# - that’s the best idea I’ve heard all day