31st of Summer, 516 AV
Eyes open with the sun quickly sinking in the sky.
Ears listening to the sounds of birds chirping and the soothing sounds of the flute.
Nose smelling the mixed fragrance of tall grass and tree leaves on a hilltop.
Body feeling the rough get comfortable branch of a tall tree.
Mouth tasting something familiar yet peculiar.
Dex was now aware of his surroundings and the senses thereof. He was in his favorite place, relaxing in the large branches of a tall tree at the top of a hill just a few miles away from Kalinor. He heard the music of his favorite childhood companion, Alasyia, she was playing the flute of course while sitting at the base of the tree opposite of himself. This is the perfect moment, the perfect environment, the perfect companionship, the perfect view. Dex's eyes gazed out from his perch in the tree down the hill into the valley below. Trees, hills, and mountains were the sights to behold here. A family of birds flew down into a copse of trees, likely with food for their children. Everything here was perfect, but something just didn't feel right either. An unsettling feeling nudged at the back of Dex's head like a tadpole might ever so slightly ripple the water just above. He had been here before...he had...seen this before but of course he had, he had come to this place so many times over he lost count. But something felt different, something felt wrong right now like looking in a reflection of broken glass. At that moment Dex realized what was wrong, he heard a sound he could never forget, a sound that was bound to this moment in time, he heard Alasyia screaming.
Quickly he dropped down from branch to branch until he was standing shin high the tall grasses below. As fast as he could he snatched up the scabbard that held his weapon and drew his rapier out in front of him. Right now he wished he could get comfortable sleeping in a tree with his weapon belted but it always seemed to get in the way up inside the large branches. Now armed with sword in hand he raced to his companions cries for help, it took less than half a chime to descend the tree and retrieve his weapon. At his companion's side he now saw them, five men who were clearly middle aged laborers stood in front of him. Ragged clothing adorned their dirty and scabbed skin with broken or rusty weapons held firmly in hand. Two trundled towards Alasyia while the remaining three shambled in his direction with death in their eyes.
Dex took a defensive stance as the first of the men reached him wielding a rusty short sword. The man took a few wild slashes at Dex, snarling all the while as Dex quickly parried the first attack away and to the left while dodging the second attack with a right sidestep. But this placed him right in striking distance of the next attacker who wielded a chipped hatchet as his weapon of choice. Down came the worn axe head towards his skull, with all intention of spilling his brain matter all over the grass. With little time to react Dex jumped forward into face to face contact with the axe wielding killer. He looked into this man's eyes and saw nothing, just emptiness and death stared back at him here. The man's clunky attack jerked him forward toward Dex, with his opponent off balance for the moment he bared his fangs before sinking his teeth into the shoulder of his enemy. Sinking venom into the killer's system jarred him enough which gave Dex the time he needed to adjust his footing and shove the man to the ground. Now vulnerable, Dex took the opportunity and struck his opponent with his weapon, a straight thrust through the gut sealed the man's fate.
No time for celebration now though, Dex pulled his rapier from the dying man's body and checked his surroundings. It had only been a few ticks since the axeman had begun his attack and now the remaining two combatants closed the distance. But what about Alasyia? A quick glance revealed his friend was holding her own, she could threaten them with the length advantage she got from her small spear but not forever. Dex's mind quickly returned to the men in his combat, they were preparing to strike in unison and he was barely even paying attention to them. Quickly he tucked into what he hoped would be a small roll but he merely dove forward instead, taking a small slash from the third man who wielded a long sword. Right leg now slowing bleeding his life onto the grass Dex rose and recovered his combat stance as well as he could. Strikes began to come in from both of his attackers, now side by side in front of him. Dodge back away from the short sword, parry the long sword in the direction of his ally, riposte and counter attack. With the long sword pressed down to the ground for the moment Dex had his rapier in a position to quickly strike over the arm of the third man and into the short sword wielder's chest. He took the attack, he had to get the odds of the fight more in his favor so Dex thrust the rapier quickly into the center of the man's chest. But the grip on Dex's weapon was broken as the last man brought his sword back up to bear it against him once more.
Stumbling back with just the scabbard of his rapier in hand Dex landed down on his bottom. Now sitting in the grass, he looked up at the man with the long sword. His eyes gleaned of death but still were filled with emptiness as he stepped forward to strike at Dex once more. Both hands now on the scabbard of his weapon he prepared for the man to attack, as the sword cut through the air Dex swung the scabbard across his body. Leather came into contact with iron in a resounding "thud" sound as Dex pressed the container of his weapon against the flat end of the long sword, with enough effort he was able to deflect the weapon into the ground right now to him with the sword only grazing his shoulder causing a minor cut. Two strikes on him now, he needed to hurry and end the fight before his wounds became an issues against this last man. Rolling left around the man Dex scampered to his feet, almost falling back down on his backside once more. Grabbing his rapier from the chest of the fallen man Dex turned to face his attacker once more, both swordsmen squared off to fight to the death. The large man charged forward, sword swinging through the air poised to remove Dex from existence. Stepping back as the final opponent charged barreling towards him Dex came upon the edge of the cliff he was looking over not a few chimes beforehand. The plan had to be formulated quickly, he would try his best, sword ready Dex awaited the blade to meet his weapon. The man reached him and Dex feinted an attack, a maneuver he was still getting used to using let alone against a charging opponent. The attacker swung his long sword, with the full intention of trading blows and erasing Dex from the battlefield but he wasn't expecting the feint attack. Stepping to the side after his fake attack he brought the rapier down to bear on the enemy's weapon, just as he had done earlier. The long sword pressed down into the ground, completely missing Dex but the momentum from his charge carried him further putting the man mere inches from the edge of the cliff.
Dex snarled as he half shoulder tackled half fell into his teetering opponent causing his final attacker to dive face first down off the hillside to his death. A large sigh of relief escaped Dex's lips as he watched the man disappear into the trees below him but that relief felt short lived as a hand firmly placed itself on his left shoulder. Part adrenaline part fear caused Dex to quickly whip around to the left and thrust his rapier through whatever opponent had grabbed a hold of him. But the person who received the attack was in fact no opponent, it was Alasyia and he had just run his sword clean through her body. Dex's face was one of pure horror as he looked into the eyes of his best friend which reflected the same look of emptiness and death that the men had. She coughed and blood escaped her lips only to splatter onto his face and a few drops into his mouth. That taste..the peculiar feeling he had on his tongue a few chimes ago buzzed through his mind again.
Now Dex remembered why this place seemed so familiar.
This place became part of his personal nightmare.
The haunting nightmare that never leaves.
He had done this before
This was his failure.
Another night another defeat.
He clutched her close and closed his eyes.
