[Flashback] When Bandit's Attack (Jahssasyuri)

[Ustengrav]

72nd Day of Spring, 506AV It was a week into their trip, a medium sized caravan full of wondrous good had been making its ways towards Riverfall from Zeltiva. They had just passed the high mountain passes that had encased Zeltiva and made the naval city relatively sheltered but isolated. The passes were treacherously cold and hazardous as snow fell almost constantly creating dangerous ice patches and covering broken paths. The buckling of the wheels and the high chance of getting stuck would prove disastrous as they were days from any civilised town or city. Ustengrav chose the job as he had spent the past few months in Zeltiva protecting a rich merchant and was now desperate for some new scenery, new drink and new women. He spent most of his nights, drinking in the various taverns of the city, spending his hard earned coin on the fine entertainments, but it had soon gotten too familiar and he yearned to move on to new pastures. They had just passed the borders into a vast expanse of wilderness called the Wildlands, thick forests and dark woods created much of the northern parts of the Wildlands, providing excellent cover for bandits and other denizens that had escaped the laws of the cities. It was also home to ferocious beasts that hungered for the fresh meat that made their way through their rugged, hazardous home. The southern part of the Wildlands however, was mainly comprised of rolling hills that gradually rose as they created the mountains around Zeltiva, navigating this type of terrain was tiresome as getting stuck was commonplace. Ustengrav had been recruited onto the venture for his past experience of travelling with caravans and was known as a reliable and strong warrior. He was also known as a womaniser and a boozer however and took any chance to indulge in his two most significant lust, even if it meant on the job, he didn't worry though, he was much bigger than most of the guards and the owners of the caravan respected his might and battle prowess. The wide dirt road that the wagons and the guards made their along was covered on both sides by thick woodland, only shimmers of light managed to penetrate the thick green canopy that covered the road. It was very shaded and fortunately provided some comfort and shelter from the pouring rain that came with the rejuvenating properties of spring season. Ustengrav at that time was sitting in one of the empty wagons that trailed at the end of the caravan line. He and some of the other guards where exchanging stories of previous battles and feats of valour. This was another strength of Ustengrav, he was clever with his words even when drunk, an ability that not all men could boast about, he used this to taunt his enemies and cause them to rush their actions with unplanned haste and anger. Slowly but steadily the caravan continued down the road, keeping aware of the potential terrain could be used if they unfortunately bumped into unfriendlies.

[Jahssasyuri]

oocHad a long post for it, but lost it so I am just giving something for you to get your feet wet. I am deeply sorry ! With the rain having a bi-polar sort of mood today, the bandits on the other side of the ridge weren't too happy about not having knowledge to their signal, supposed to be a smoking pillar. The lush green canopies coated the main camp where Yuri was waiting on the scout, sent back up the road to watch for the approaching caravan that they had been following for a few weeks. Jared, bald head being shined by the sun and pulverized by the heavy falling water, showed his impatient vice by doing his routine biting of the lip before spitting out a green goo that painted the ground. Tough dirt held steady despite the onslaught of moisture, the dryness trying to be preserved with tents and tarps lifted off the ground made out of animal hide covering the fire and shelter. Wrapped in blankets of soft local bird feathers, the plume insulated warmth but had to be kept out of the rain's way to be of actual use. The fire they had started had smoke pouring out, but the tarp made it spread ad thin out, with the tall canopy trees filtering the rest out and leaving barely any residue visible to the eye. Keeping the cold out of her bones, Yuri needed the warmth to stop being drowsy and keep her blood warm. Despite the sun being in full swing, it was a necessary precaution so that she could do the mission. "Damn scout being late..." complained Jared, scowl that showed jagged teeth, wear and tear upon the lips and gums bright pink. It was an unusual contrast, Yuri took note of the how wonderous nature was. Propping one eyebrow up with a stoic expression, before releasing her arms from the feathery embrace as the muscles loosened up. Then leaning forward to stretch the arms and back further more, Yuri rose up from her crossed legs sitting position without the use of her hands, attention towards her general surroundings and speech focused to Jared. "The weather isn't the smoothest Jard, the delay is only natural idiot," said with a feisty tone, spitting to her left before wiping off her lips. A moment of silence between, the pitter patter noise from the water colliding with branch, leaf and ground permeating the environment. The noise rose and fell, blocking out whispers and regular speech sometimes. Once it died down and the group had settled, a panting man who looked like his age-range was around 25 broke through some shrubs. Droplets flying from the covered leaves as they went back to their undisturbed state, some attached itself to Yuri's cheek as she wiped it off with a minor annoyance. "Hurry up with the report, we cannot waste idle time," both said in union, Jared and Yuri seemingly angry with their loss of time despite both knowing it wasn't worth it. Using the hard leather sleeve to wipe sweat and water from the eyes, Hroadgen was the man's name, eyes a bright green who locked eyes with Yuri's, a half crescent moon shaped slit looking back at him. "They are about 10 miles from our decoy, all preparations are set and the men just need to be set in place for the ambush," reported swiftly. Information had been received and the forces were being moved, 25 men in total, distributed across both sides of the ride. It was an enormous raid, showing the importance of the cargo being held, sought after by the bandits contractors. Four wagons were in the path of the caravan, seemingly littered across the dirt road. Empty chests were on the side, once brimming with gold just empty as if it was unused. The rain made the mud slightly come off, the uncovered parts shining through the small openings. It would be a suspicious scene, if it wasn't for a wife and three kids seemingly bloodied in front of the middle wagon, all yelling for help as they forced into the devious plan. oocJust use all NPC's in your post, along with any other type of traps to be set off if you think it'd make it interesting. All is in your control, including Yuri if you'd prefer for her to appear so you may have something to work off of.

[Ustengrav]

OOCWell we can just carry it on for now and let things unravel. I dont want to dictate to much. I'd also prefer if you initiate the ambush because I dont feel right doing it. Ustengrav was telling one of his stories of immense heroism to the other guardsmen as they trailed at the back of the caravan, obviously lying and highly exaggerating the claims of strength and endurance that he himself preformed. None of the guards for a moment believed that it was true but never the less, it made for an excellent and exciting story that heightened the spirit as a means to combat the dreariness of the wet weather. The story was about how he and another man had a race across the Suvan sea, in a test to proclaim his skill and power. "We swam for three days.. neck and neck. I was conserving my strength for the final stretch, when this storm blew up and with it came sea monsters!" His voice became deeper and more distinctive as the other guardsmen listened with a renewed interest. "Again and again the monsters attacked! Dark things from the seas depths.. I hacked and lashed at these foul beasts with my axe! Spilling their guts into the sea!" before Ustengrav could finish his story, however they came to a sudden halt and the wailing cries of a women filled the air from the front of the caravan line. Jumping down from the wagon he was on, Ustengrav decided to see what was happening, leaving the other guards to ponder over his heroic tale. Trudging through the now muddy and wet road passing the several caravans that littered the way, he soon discovered that a women all bloody and ragged sat with three children infront of several more wooden wagons that blocked the way. The merchants leading the caravan, called Veldrin, Tarrytown and Eldridge had been discussing a plan of action and the possible outcomes of exerting man power to move the blockade. Bandits was an occasional word that crept up amongst the men, but was quickly dismissed by the trio as the price they could of got for slaves would of been too high for them to leave a women and three children. Bandits saw everything as a valuable commodity and would only leave thing either too heavy or too destroyed. At least thats what the merchants believed. Ustengrav still had a funny feeling and was not convinced by the merchants honeyed words. He was a drunk womaniser but even he could see sense when it starred him back in the eyes. Eventually the merchants decided to try and move the blockade, more concerned with the coin they could amass if they got to their destination quickly, rather than the lives of their employees. Ustengrav argued that the manpower it would take, would leave several holes in the guardsman's view, giving ample opportunity for raiders to breach the defensive line allowing for a swifter victory. He suggested that they should turn around and go down a different path. Ustengrav had experienced many attacks during his years of guarding and knew how bandits worked but alas his advice was ignored. Advice that could of saved many men.

[Jahssasyuri]

Immediate actions were taken, knowing that the caravan was fast approaching of their set trap. It was an overzealous mother, wanting to be apart of the mercenary way of life, assuming that it was her only way to get out of heavy poverty without making her body a commodity. The prospect of selling her own blood and flesh was too daunting, thus she decided that maybe her looks and keen instincts to conceal weapons for protection would prove useful in this situation. Her only mission was to kill someone and then survive. If that was done, she would be accepted by the group and protected thereafter. Of course, whether that was actually gonna happen is a different story. Crouched low and hunched over, short bow in hand as the quiver was strapped tightly to her back, she took hold of one in anticipation of a scuffle. Rising humidity and the heat of the sun made the environment an advantage and large obstacle to overcome, except for Yuri who's snake roots made her enjoy this type of heat. She breathed in some of the freshest air in a while, she felt like she could kill for days on end with a blood-lust so savage that the evilest of mages would be afraid to get near her. An overhanging leaf hid her face and frame, Jared and 5 others behind her as they were the archery support. About thirty feet adjacent to Yuri's squad was a bigger group of about 15 guys, all under the cover of arrows and the perfect moment of heavy rain would swoop down for the ambush. But they'd have to be patient, with the water now returning to a drizzle. With visibility risen to a certain degree, Yuri was able to scout out some moving targets while under the brush, the tree-line not too far away from the dirt road. The hill across from her, she caught glimpses of flashing light from the sun on a knife, or leaves moving in an unnatural way. She knew that the other group was waiting patiently there, albeit not as subtle with their concealment tactics or as professional. No surprise would they garner minor attention, which isn't bad as long as they weren't compromised before the attack commenced. Stepping out of their own caravans, Veldrin, Tarrytown and Eldridge began talking amongst themselves. Whether they were gonna move the blockade wasn't too hard to figure out, just if it was worth the trouble of capturing them instead of killing them. Nothing of the contract said anything about killing them specifically, just that the loot be obtained in anyway necessary for the mission to be deemed successful. But the amount of information held within their minds was so extensive and vital for personal success, Yuri would try her hand at it. If capture wasn't possible, important documents in their wagons and person would suffice. "Shhh, quiet down, seems like the rest of the guard is coming outside for something," whispered Jared, silencing the group. Anxious for some type of opening to appear, some mistake or sign of weakness. That is all they needed right now to take the fools down, Yuri understanding the dilemma the caravan was forced in. They had to abide by their sense of moral ethics to help the mother and children, along with having to move the blockade as quick as possible despite the reduced effectiveness of any sort of hasty defensive counter-attack. Two men with iron shield and sword, helm rusty of chemical changes and linked rings of mail clinking together as they moved to pick up the kids. The rain was now picking up, as the several guardsmen began to try and push the wagons out of the way. The rest stood watch, only a handful, the main force that consisted of the strongest warriors were bogged down with moving duties. The men broke into song and cheer, heavy rain now dazzling the landscape as it collided with cold metal and soft dirt. The sounding of heaves and ho's resonated in the area, deep voices filled with high spirits and the want of staking out claim in the history books. Epic battles was a warriors dream, heavy rain pouring before the last heroic charge of a decisive battle as opposing armies put everything on the line for what they stood up for ; Family, friends, possessions, bonds, lineage. The prospect of something of that happening today, despite unlikely, filled their heads and day-dreaming of sort would begin. The chants was her own signal to commence the attack, now them being fully distracted and enthralled in work. "Spread out thin and fire volleys at the sentries, hopefully the other side can hear the screams of despair before our own side blindsides them," ordered Yuri, Jared taking the lead in front of her as they all slowly rose up from their position, dislodging themselves from the muck. Yuri being the only one without a steel weapon, the rest had theirs covered in mud, small particles coming off with each drop of rain. Crouching down, left knee touching the ground as the strong line of the bow was pulled back, arrow in the middle as it pointed towards the general direction. The sentries weren't completely visible, but the shape of silhouettes gave them some chance to hit atleast one person, or scare the shit out of them all. Tense arm muscle, pulling back with all her might. She closed one eye, the other one had moisture slither into it because of her eyebrow being drenched. Yuri breathed in deeply, entering a "zone" of concentration. Half a moment later, the whizzing noise of arrows were blocked out. It wasn't gonna be accurate at all despite the bandits hopes, the rain changing the arrows course every time it hit. "CHARGEEEE!" The ambush had begun! oocBasically, both sides are subject to getting hit by an arrow, and Urstengrav can save the day ! PM me for any changes needed.

[Ustengrav]

Ustengrav was one of the six men called up to move the the wooden wagons out the way, he along with the others chosen made up the more battle hardened and strong of the guardsmen that had been hired by the merchants to occupy the caravan back in Zeltiva. Everyone of them had their own strengths, Ustengrav was the eldest of them, strong and experienced, he had seen more than the rest of them combined. Kilso and Kalso were twins, they had very pale skin and they almost both spoke in unison, they both wielded short spears that had serrated edges and were very efficient at wilderness survival. Garmond had the strength of five men, he had short black hair and wielded a huge stone mallet that most normal sized men would have struggled to even lift but he was slow to understand orders and never talked. The other four had all been steadfast friends, Erlang, Bovine, Marduk and Werris, they were the youngest of the guardsmen but they were all skilled with a blade and provided good company to the other men. "Come on lads! Push!!" Ustengrav shouted at the other men, his tone of voice was commanding and stern, trying to assert some authority. It seemed like an age had passed as they strived their hardest to move the wagon, the sun soon had appeared out from the rain clouds reliving the men temporarily from the cold and wetness that came from the rain. However if the sun continued to shine bright and hot, the mud would soon harden causing the wagons to become near unmovable. Pushing and pulling they finally managed to dislodge the the wagon that was on the leftside of the road. They soon discovered that the wagons had gradually sunk into the muddy ground causing the time and effort that they would need to put into moving them to multiply. Garmond was the most valued in this task as his strength proved crucial in moving the wooden wagons, however it would still take alot of time to clear the way. All of a sudden, one of the sentries that had been placed upon the higher ground started to roll down, the speed that he was going at was almost carefree, the mud and dirt clinged to his clothing as he continued with his decent. Soon enough he landed on the road with a thud, looking over they could see blood seeping out of a wound and in the wound was an arrow. A rumble of feet and the roars and screams of many men soon followed. Just as Ustengrav had suspected, they were in for an ambush, what made matters worse was that the merchants had split the guardsman up placing them on all different directions, if they never acted quickly. This would be over as soon as it began. Unslinging his axe from his back, Ustengrav braced for the attack along with the six companions that had accompanied him.

[Jahssasyuri]

"I'd be damned if I miss," whispered the snake to herself, a certain satisfaction knowing that the her arrow had reached its intended target. It was more of a head-shot, but the current circumstances made it complicated to get anything more than lucky. Expressionless, wet hair whipped to the other opposite direction to where her head turned, facing Jared and looking over to see the other archer's reactions. Only person who actually showed any type of identification of hitting a target was Jared, not a total surprise. There wasn't a shot he couldn't make, it seemed like nothing could stop it outside of magical means. The only indicator that gave an idea of the location of the ambushing squads was the stomp in a puddle, or a knife between the legs. The rain was just so unforgiving for the caravan, one minute of non-stop, sound-blocking and vision distorting pour. Maybe it would be all over in a minute, or it'd be too late to continue the battle even after the elements favored the survivors. Fate was in the balance ; all were going to be tested. Being that Urstengrav was the largest and deemed most dangerous, it seemed like a veil of water was lifted off of them, revealing their silhouettes as their clothes were drenched and dripping. One held two short-swords, another man held a spear and the last one that was behind Urst, held a crescent sword with a bandage wrapped hilt, little piece hanging off as it was a deep brown. Blood thirsty for a first-kill, they attacked one after the other, about a one-second delay that allowed for a sequence of rebellious action. Yuri's archery squad, under her command as she was the one making split-second decisions based on what little she could see, went back on their stomachs on the very edge of the ridge. Her own temperature was getting lower and lower, a dread cold would overcome her quickly if she shan't make a move or enter the fray. It'd ruin their specific objective, which was to deliver the final blow or take any stray deserters by surprise, so she made no mention of it. Jared knew of her tendencies, not needing any sort of alarm. He acknowledged her conditions, the only one who really did. Streams of blood, rivers of hemoglobin just mixing itself in dirt, mud, grass, metal and water. The wood of the wagons that were in the way of blood puddles were subsequently stained, the occasional aimed strike that let a stream of blood spew out made the environment almost entirely change color. The droplets absorbed the color red, or reflected it, maybe an entire side of the field looking a different shade. In a sense, it was like a magic show when different magics were used to explode and light up the sky, creating rainbows of colors and shapes. Essentially, this would be the same application in a more dreadful situation. The rain let up, sunshine bathing the dead bodies on the floor as it peaked through the windows opened up by the gray clouds. The scene was graphic ; hooked weapons causing massive damage, innards not being where they were supposed like outside of the humanoid body. The arrow fire laid down by Yuri's squad and others, littered the ground and wagons. As if it was a canvas, the arrows just painted themselves all over corpses, lodging into flesh and bone of the still standing warriors while missing their mark and knocking through the wagons cleanly. The wear and tear of the constant rain and wind would have the arrows stopped by the thicker wood of the transports, but it was devastating to both sides. Once the sun tingled Yuri's skin, the joy of having warmth caressing her skin was almost like a royal delicacy. She stood up immediately, an arrow strung back with all of her strength once more. One eye closed while she focused on the remaining members of the guard, a twang resonated to all those who could hear. His axe was locked in with another bandits axe, their eyes filled with anger and the will to live. Looking out of the corner of his eye, the guard rose his shield to stop the projectile. It went through the shield, but stopped half-way. It didn't deeply penetrate the man's skin, but it would of teared right through if not for the shield. His knee buckled, lowering his posture and going into a submissive stance involuntarily. The only slight moment of distraction sufficed, a quickly circular motion with the axe flung his enemies weapon out of his hand, the bandit bringing down the axe with all of his force as it was a cleave a master would appraise. OOCIf the NPC'ing could be split between us, it'd help me indefinitely. ^^ Sorry if it'd be asking too much.

[Ustengrav]

Ustengrav could hear the whistling of the arrows that had now pierced several of his brethren guardsmen, he had to quickly take action before he to felt the puncturing of the arrows, his mail that covered the majority of body would stop the damage received from a swipe of a blade but it would not stop the penetrative power of the countless projectiles that thundered through the air. Seeing a near by wagon, Ustengrav dived for cover, the arrows gave slight knocks as they hit the wood. After several moments the sounds of the arrows stopped, looking up Ustengrav had seen that the majority of the men he had occupied now were either dead or wounded, what they all had in common however was the pools of blood that they layed in. Looking over to his right, he had seen that the strongman Garmond had also taken cover while still gripping his giant stone mallet in his hand. The twins Kilso and Kalso had also survived the volley fire of arrows, using the dead bodies as a meat shield of sorts. The four youngest warriors however, had not been so fortunate, the only surviving one of them was Werris and he had been bubbling behind at tree, now knowing that his death was imminent. "Hey!! Pull your self together boy! This isn't over yet! How can you avenge your friends if your crying like a woman?!" Ustengrav directed his voice towards Werris, hoping that his stern words would kick him into action. Ustengrav then looked to his left and saw that the other guardsmen from the end of the caravan had engaged in close combat with the raiders. Soon the charges and roars of the other bandits grew close as they rushed into the fray. Shouting for support Ustengrav made his way towards the bandits. Garmond had already made his charge to the attacking thugs, instantly splitting open one of their heads. He was dull and slow but one hell of a warrior. The twins and Werris also had engaged with their chosen opponents, parrying blows with resounding steel and iron. One of the attackers had a sword and rushed towards Ustengrav who had stood his ground, bracing for the impact. The bandit crudely thrusted forward with his blade, hoping that his momentum would be able to skewer the grizzled warrior quickly. Ustengrav had just managed to evade the blow by sidestepping quickly, the bandit had overstretched his reach and stumbled forward, giving the old warrior enough time to hammer his axe into the raiders back. Blood spurted outwards and a crack gave way as the force of the blow severed the spine causing instant death. Turning back his attention to the ensuing battle, he saw one of the guards that wielded a shield and a hand axe from the back of the caravan charge forward to reinforce the front guards position, unfortunately for him he soon locked weapons together with another bandit noticeably more skilled, even more unfortunately for him an arrow had lodged into his shield piercing deep enough to throw him off balance. The resulting bad posture allowed his opponent to cleave off his head with surprising power that impressed even Ustengrav. There was still arrows being dislodged at the guards for a distance, the archer was skilled so Ustengrav would need to watch his positioning, moving regularly to throw off him being an easy target. The shouts, roars and screams of the combatants circulated the air, the rain that had now started again dampened the sounds of steel clanking together and lowered the vision. This was good as it made the enemy archers job alot more difficult but it made the ground slippy and he had an opponent to face that was skilled with his weapon.

[Jahssasyuri]

The words of Urstengrav did remind Werris of his friend's sacrifices, the pledge they all had made before pursuing this dangerous way of life despite the protests of friends and family. Fortune and luck was what they sought through this endeavor, wanting to move their families off the farm and away from that type of life. Old and wrinkly, their parents couldn't uphold such vigorous schedules everyday. So using up all of their savings and selling the most valuable of family heirlooms, they all acquired their own armor and weapons. After a simple escort mission or two, the four boys decided to join the caravan as guards that was good pay. Sadly, their luck wasn't the best and met their end at the hands of Yuri and the rest of the bandit group. She didn't even notice that they had fallen until the shouting of Urstengrav to Werris made it clear that they had some type of relationship beforehand, but it did not matter much to her. Her opinion of him was simple ; a man who lacked backbone, not enough balls to slap death in the face and revenge his friends so that their hopes, dreams, livelihoods and future had not been wasted in vain. The opinion was reformed, somewhat, once she noticed the burly guardsmen shouted something at the young boy, causing him to enter the fray of combat and proceeding to kill scores of bandits. Either he said some type of insult and that meant alot to Werris, or the leadership skills of Urstengrav was of the highest degree. The tide was slowly turning, the battle becoming an even affair where the slightest mistake, push or hesitation of an action could flip the scales. She would recognize this and noticing that the man with what would seem a giant-esque hammer was leading the counter-attack, he would need to be taken down. Arrows that have been water-logged extensively, quiver filled almost to the top and close to overflowing. So focused on her task of winning the battle, checking her own temperature and keeping track of those around her, the small detail of watching for her arrows was simply overlooked. A hiss slithered out from her lips, her way of groaning in detest or disappointment. The arrowheads weren't as thick as regular arrows, built for piercing through an assortment of armor sets, shields, chainmails, etc. The usefulness of her arrows had been shrunk down towards entering the body and breaking up into splinters, an annoyance more than anything. But as Yuri began to think, if that were to happen to the vital organs, it wasn't roses and sunshine for the victim. Jared and four others ran out of arrows, showering the battlefield below with all they could since the battle began. Cursing under his breath as he grabbed air, Jared threw his bow to the side before biting his lip and spitting once more. It was lost amongst the pouring water, mixing and taking it away down the muddy waterways. Feeling like the rain would make any further use of her shortbow useless, she placed it on her back and strapped it tightly. With no close combat weapon of her own, her options were limited. "Where is your weapon?" Jared inquired. "Starting to lose memory Jared? I don't carry one, obviously," with a sarcastic tone pitched in for good measure. It did irritate Jared, the child tendencies of Yuri rarely coming out as an effect of her young age. It was amusing for her to find out the reactions of other humans, as she was still working on imitating their behaviors, not so far off as that of a Dhani except for the lack of a transformation. "Whatever idiot. Stay in the back and pick up something off a dead body," he suggested, and sort of ordered at the same time. It made sense, but Yuri was stubborn in regards to her combat options. Her way of living was her own, as was her combat tactics which she employed. Had Jared been more impressive with his battle wisdom, she'd take his advice seriously. Other than that, he was a mere-child. Yuri drained out the water from her quiver, then placed it in a tree, taking the sling and throwing it over hand, as it latched itself onto a thick branch about 25 feet in the air. Happy with her simple idea, she got behind Jared and the rest as they moved out in a wide wedge formation, Jared at the arrowhead. They would look like geese when migrating, if looked upon from the sky. Next to them to right, coming from the flank, 8 more bandits was in the same formation ready to give the last push. If anything, Yuri would let them engage in the main battle, before picking off those being distracted. Her lust for blood didn't overcome her battle sense, knowing that her main role had been played well and at this point it was all about survival. Maybe getting one of her comrades killed to get a bigger share was in the mix of her thinking, somewhere.

[Ustengrav]

Ustengrav had seen that the bandits were now massing for a final attempt to break the defending guards, the situation had now looked dire as the bandits had out numbered them at least two to one. Other guardsmen from the opposite end of the caravan rushed to regroup with Ustengrav and his companions in hoping to stem the tide. Although the numbers did not favour the guards, their location did as they had been fighting between the gap of the wagons that they were guarding and the wagons that blocked the road that would eventually lead to Riverfall. The weather also made the archers job very difficult due to the diminished vision and made the battle now only winnable by close quarter means. Something Ustengrav had excelled at. "Hold your ground in the gap between the wagons!" Ustengrav's voice boomed outward, keeping his authority in check. If they managed to hold the space, their might be a chance of victory. Unable to be flanked could allow the remaining guards to keep all their attention forward and not have to worry about being skewered in the back by a blade or a spear. Ustengrav was several metres away from the gap and he had an opponent breathing down the nape of his neck, if he wanted to support his fellow guardsmen into a chance of survival, he would need to cleave this bandit apart.. and quickly before the thugs reinforcements began their charge down hill. He had seen his enemy destroy one of the guards already and would not underestimate the confidence that the raider gained from his recent kill, even if the thug had no archer support. Suddenly the raider burst forward throwing a swipe to his left, the grizzled warrior barely managed to jump backward out of his opponents range, a good job too because the blow was powerful and had destructive force behind the swing. The thug soon followed up his missed swing with a kick that landed into Ustengrav's stomach forcing him backward onto one of the wooden caravan. Pain shot up his spine as he landed awkwardly on one of the planks. As the bandit could see his kill coming, a quick arrogant laugh emerged as the thug brought his axe over his head and thundered it down. To the raiders horror, a loud knock of wooden rebounded outward, he had missed his target and now his axe was embedded deep into the wood. Ustengrav had coxed his enemy into rash actions, rash actions that would lead to mistakes. Ustengrav retaliated against thug, now struggling to wrench free his weapon by cleaving across low down towards the raiders legs, a crunch and a slice gave way as the leg flung outward to the side, blood sprayed all over the grizzled warrior as the raider fell backwards screaming in pain. He had gotten too cocky and now paid the price of underestimating his foe. Ustengrav ended the roars of agony with a firm, powerful blow that made the face unrecognisable. The stampede of feet and the rumbling of the raiders became evident as they started there decent downwards, following the little muddy streams that carried on in the same direction. Ustengrav now together with his allies, braced for the imminent impact. OOCSorry, if this is not up to standard or if it doesn't make sense, I wrote this late at night and was feeling kinda of tired. If there is anything you need clarifying or want changed, just give me a PM.

[Jahssasyuri]

With the limited visibility caused by the current state of the storm that was starting to pass, the slaying of another bandit did not cause Yuri disdain as it did the others, but she hid her main intentions and played her part. She cursed out loud, two or three of the charging bandits looking back wondering why. Putting her face in a scowl while nostrils fuming, it was her way of acting furious. In reality, she didn't care who died except for Jared, but even that was too a certain extent. "Damn! Start sprinting faster you assholes!" Yuri started barking, teeth shown and a pep in her step reflected her urge to move faster. She was basically breathing down on someone's neck, her proximity to them after increasing her running speed to catch up to the tattered wagons. It was her act to show off a rare outburst of emotion, maybe to those who have been with Yuri for a while understanding how "serious" the situation was. One of them looked their shoulder, a female with a headband and face masked that looked like a veil. "Shut up!" was her first two choices of words, but that was far as she was allowed to go before the snake hissed at her. "Say another word and I am going to punch you in the throat!" albeit it wasn't a too successful intimidation attempt, considering the woman was battle-hardened, she knew better than the try and mess with Yuri at this current time and place. So she turned around and ran ahead of everybody, causing everybody to speed it up too. The other group noticed what the guardsmen were trying to do with the wagons, so they turned towards the back of the caravan, coming around and tried to attack from the flank. Yuri broke off from her main group as silently as possible, going with the others on the flanking maneuver. She knew that it would fool hardy to charge head-on, even moreso with the amount of people. There was only six including Yuri in her group, but attacking the defensive position would require 12 for the same result basically. Their were too many advantages, so she hoped they would provide a good enough distraction for the second group that was with them to go around and finish the fight. Jared and the four others all ran into the gaps, engaging in combat with each of the warriors as best as they could. Jared met Urstengrav with a gaze of utmost determination, almost projecting his very soul outward with the amount of emotion that swelled up inside. He brought out a chain with a meteor hammer at the end, while being attached to a sickle. He winded it up two or three times before slinging it at Urstengrav, a direct hit would certainly cause his chest to collapse inward. At the moment of the throw, the woman with the three children came out of nowhere after hiding so long next to him in the wagon, jumping on top of him and holding on to the broad shoulders as best as she could. Biting on his shoulder, this was her attempt to restrain him so that the projectile would kill him. But to take time to throw her off would risk of not paying to attention to the projectile itself. The woman prayed to herself that the man wouldn't turn around to let it hit her, counting on his morals or some type of goody-two shoes thinking to save her life and end his. The rest of the four people with Jared would put a fight, maybe killing one or two before falling themselves. At the end of the day, Yuri's fighting group was going to be the main phase of the attack. It was a glorious raid, but sadly without a miracle, it would be the bandit's victory today. They came around, and almost were drooling at the sight of unprotected flanks. They all screamed, shouted, battle-cried, as small weapons like daggers and shortswords were pulled out, an occasional axe and longsword in the mix too. But a miracle wasn't far from happening. "Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight. If they will face death, there is nothing they may not achieve." - Sun Tzu OOCAt this point, run amok with acts of heroism leading to Yuri and Urstengrav stand off!