Post by The Supreme Watcher on May 19, 2009 19:02:00 GMT -5
Garum took a knee, looking over the valley, as the snow lazily made its way to the ground, resting in large, plush piles. He sniffed, putting his fingers into the tracks of what seemed to be a man - only impossibly sized. Interestingly enough, it was unshod, its toes clearly visible in the footprint.
"Giants," Garum announced, speaking the obvious to his companions - a woman in black armor, with a spear, a man walking in a robe of shadow, and the agile scholar. He pushed himself to a stand, and adjusted the clasp on his cloak, allowing his sword hilt to peek out from under the cold-warding cloth. "We'd be best to keep wary - I don't want them coming from behind us."
On Garum's mark, they continued through the snow-laden passes, avoiding the worst of the pitfalls that one could find his death in in these high climes. It was nearly an hour of marching before Garum raised his hand, signaling the group behind him to halt.
"What is it?" the spear-wielding woman asked, and Garum nodded towards the ahead valley.
"Giants," he notified. "A whole group of them, it seems..." He indicated to the back of the group, towards the one with the gnarled "cane," more a two-summers-old tree than anything else. "They have a witch doctor amongst them." He turned to his team. "I'll handle the axemen - the savages won't stand a chance. Garistan, watch over me. Mina, Uju - handle the Witch Doctor. On my mark."
They moved into position, and Garum kneeled low, his shield nearly touching the ground - through the snow - even though he held it at a steep angle. He drew his sword with a cold scrape. The afternoon sunlight glinted off the blade, and Garum took a moment to admire it. Though the blade was of simple construction, it was beautiful. A stout base, and a tapered blade, a leather and cord wrapped hilt, a simple silver disc pommel, and a crosspiece with a triangular spike at each end were its decorations, and their simplicity was their strength. Garum tightened his hand on the hilt, and watched as the scholar and the priestess wound their way around the small dip, the giants none the wiser to the fury that was to be unleashed on them.
Standing, Garum redirected the light of the sun on his sword's blade, flashing it into the eyes of one of the axemen, who looked up stupefied towards it - and then nearly shrieked with anger when he saw two men.
"Hold..." Garum spoke lightly to Garistan, the wizard slipping a silken glove onto his hand. "Hold...." The giants began a frantic charge up the snow-covered slopes. "Hold..." They whipped their axes out in a fury, clawing their way closer. "Helm watch over me... and Tempus' Fury!" Garum snapped out of his ready position, as a green hand flew past his head, snapping down on one of the giants, holding him prostrate.
Echoes of the fight with the Witch Doctor made their way across the chasm - the sound of snapping bones, the roars of a magical tiger, and the booms and crashes of magic. Unable to heed them, Garum worked frantically, turning aside axes, and cutting into ankles and knees. Arrows of fire, bolts of force, and other magical forces slammed into the giants as they were cut down, the swordsman and the wizard working with practiced alacrity to put the brown-red beasts down.
A slash into the ankle dropped one, where an arrow of fire found its throat. A shoulder to the knee bowled another over, and Garum separated its head and shoulders. The one pinned beneath Garistan's green hand was mangled by magical force, and burnt to a crisp. Across the way, the tiger burst into magical energy, and disappeared, while Mina's spear found a sensitive area on the giant's flank, and Uju bowled him over, kicking him in the side of the head and stilling the massive man.
Garum looked over to them, and they looked back. "Not bad, if I do say," Garistan bragged.
"Not bad at all." Garum replied, picking up snow in his shield hand, and sliding it on the blade of his sword. "You know, Garistan..." He looked back at the wizard, who raised a brow. "I think we need to find bigger giants."
"Indeed," the wizard replied.
"Giants," Garum announced, speaking the obvious to his companions - a woman in black armor, with a spear, a man walking in a robe of shadow, and the agile scholar. He pushed himself to a stand, and adjusted the clasp on his cloak, allowing his sword hilt to peek out from under the cold-warding cloth. "We'd be best to keep wary - I don't want them coming from behind us."
On Garum's mark, they continued through the snow-laden passes, avoiding the worst of the pitfalls that one could find his death in in these high climes. It was nearly an hour of marching before Garum raised his hand, signaling the group behind him to halt.
"What is it?" the spear-wielding woman asked, and Garum nodded towards the ahead valley.
"Giants," he notified. "A whole group of them, it seems..." He indicated to the back of the group, towards the one with the gnarled "cane," more a two-summers-old tree than anything else. "They have a witch doctor amongst them." He turned to his team. "I'll handle the axemen - the savages won't stand a chance. Garistan, watch over me. Mina, Uju - handle the Witch Doctor. On my mark."
They moved into position, and Garum kneeled low, his shield nearly touching the ground - through the snow - even though he held it at a steep angle. He drew his sword with a cold scrape. The afternoon sunlight glinted off the blade, and Garum took a moment to admire it. Though the blade was of simple construction, it was beautiful. A stout base, and a tapered blade, a leather and cord wrapped hilt, a simple silver disc pommel, and a crosspiece with a triangular spike at each end were its decorations, and their simplicity was their strength. Garum tightened his hand on the hilt, and watched as the scholar and the priestess wound their way around the small dip, the giants none the wiser to the fury that was to be unleashed on them.
Standing, Garum redirected the light of the sun on his sword's blade, flashing it into the eyes of one of the axemen, who looked up stupefied towards it - and then nearly shrieked with anger when he saw two men.
"Hold..." Garum spoke lightly to Garistan, the wizard slipping a silken glove onto his hand. "Hold...." The giants began a frantic charge up the snow-covered slopes. "Hold..." They whipped their axes out in a fury, clawing their way closer. "Helm watch over me... and Tempus' Fury!" Garum snapped out of his ready position, as a green hand flew past his head, snapping down on one of the giants, holding him prostrate.
Echoes of the fight with the Witch Doctor made their way across the chasm - the sound of snapping bones, the roars of a magical tiger, and the booms and crashes of magic. Unable to heed them, Garum worked frantically, turning aside axes, and cutting into ankles and knees. Arrows of fire, bolts of force, and other magical forces slammed into the giants as they were cut down, the swordsman and the wizard working with practiced alacrity to put the brown-red beasts down.
A slash into the ankle dropped one, where an arrow of fire found its throat. A shoulder to the knee bowled another over, and Garum separated its head and shoulders. The one pinned beneath Garistan's green hand was mangled by magical force, and burnt to a crisp. Across the way, the tiger burst into magical energy, and disappeared, while Mina's spear found a sensitive area on the giant's flank, and Uju bowled him over, kicking him in the side of the head and stilling the massive man.
Garum looked over to them, and they looked back. "Not bad, if I do say," Garistan bragged.
"Not bad at all." Garum replied, picking up snow in his shield hand, and sliding it on the blade of his sword. "You know, Garistan..." He looked back at the wizard, who raised a brow. "I think we need to find bigger giants."
"Indeed," the wizard replied.
