inherit
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Sept 30, 2016 14:49:16 GMT
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CharlieGordon
28
August 2015
charliegordon
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Post by CharlieGordon on Aug 18, 2015 9:28:59 GMT
The grass was now a uniform yellow. The twenty-seventh successive day of hot weather had blanched the world of its vibrancy out here and left Ged busier than normal. He has long since set-up irrigation for the allotment; diverting water from the stream to the South through the plot. It had nourished his everlasting grove well and all he needed do was to maintain its course by dredging each year.
The added advantage was that it could also be used to supplement the well he had dug centuries before. The problem now was that the stream had run dry, the source itself was no more than a trickle. The well was a different matter, fed by an underground watersource yet the water was slightly chalky and long-term would contaminate and damage the crop. It was not ideal and Ged had decided enough was enough with the well for a while. He'd invariably end up with chalk-carrots and white-turnips which, whilst harmless, had a habit of selling rather poorly at market.
He'd spent the past week tearing up burlap sackcloth and greasing it thoroughly with animal fat to form a waterproofed veneer. This material was used to cover the driest areas of plot to provide daytime shade as well as trap droplets of moisture overnight to partially re-hydrate the plants.
It was working better than he expected but he needed more screens. That meant more trips into town; the sackcloth was cheap, a few pennies to the farmer would buy ten old haysacks that cut into manageable squares. The butcher would always have ample offal to spare but the butcher's was miles from the farm and it meant at least a half-day's walk to gather the numerous supplies. That was well and good but he hadn't enough hands to bring back all the sacks and the greasy containers of fat so he needed to take the vegetable cart too.
It was just a lot of leg-work for a non-market day. It was a beautiful place out here in the rural district and the town itself was breathtaking too. But after a thousand years, the world (much like the grass) lost its lustre. He was tired of seeing nothing new.
So as he prepared to unfasten the bolts that secured the cart to the outer shed, his eyes narrowed in intrigue at an unfamiliar slender figure blurring into sight through the heat-haze...
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Jul 17, 2016 13:50:51 GMT
2
Mach2
44
August 2015
mach2
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Post by Mach2 on Aug 18, 2015 10:56:32 GMT
Can we stop yet? Please? Have we reached the town yet?
For a few moments, Sage resigned herself to limping along in silence. Baeslan was right. It had been her idea to leave their previous dwelling, and venture out to find some new kingdom. Baeslan's compromise had been that they would not stop until they reached a destination. At this point, they had been walking for hours. Their last rest had been in the dead of night, and only for a few minutes. The journey hardly seemed worth the effort. Now the sun was hot overhead, and Sage was weary. Her lame leg held up well, if only because the demon controlled it. It was her able leg that felt as though it would collapse beneath her at any step.
There's a place up ahead. It's not the town...but can we please stop there?
There was no answer for several seconds. And then, finally, a mocking, If you're so weak you can't make it a few more minutes to town, fine. We'll stop. Sage didn't need the reminder of how weak she was. She knew. But right now, she cared more about finding some small hidden corner in the home on the horizon, and curling up there. There looked to be a shed. Perhaps it would be unlocked. Perhaps she could sleep inside.
Head down, she resumed her limping walk, drawing closer and closer to the homestead and the promise of a rest. It wasn't until she was much closer that she looked up again. And this time, her eyes fell on the figure of an older man, standing beside the shed, and looking directly at her. Ooooh, you've been caught. Now you're a trespasser. The voice of the demon laughed in her ear, causing Sage to freeze in place for a moment. She hadn't intended to trespass...well, she had...but she had no ill intent. Her mind raced, panicking for a moment at the thought of having to explain to the man what she was doing on his farm. Finally, she limped a few steps closer. There was still some distance, but she was close enough for him to hear her. "H-hello...H-h-how much fa-a-arther t-t-to to-town?" she called out, her voice wavering with an uncontrollable stutter.
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Sept 30, 2016 14:49:16 GMT
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CharlieGordon
28
August 2015
charliegordon
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Post by CharlieGordon on Aug 21, 2015 12:02:38 GMT
He perceived that his visitor was a frail girl with a severe limp. Albeit she seemed unfazed by her weight shifting onto her twisted leg and more anguished by the travails of her 'stronger' looking limb. Not that anything about this starveling spoke very much of strength.
No. That was unfair. There was a strength here. Ged couldn't place it though and momentarily she spoke to him in a dry, brittle voice.
It occurred to him that all the girl could see of his dwelling were these outer sheds owing to their position on a small rise in the land and the angle of her laboured approach.
"Come through the gate." He smiled as genially as he could given his quandary about manufacturing more dew screens. "There's a water buttress out here but I fear its been empty for days. So we'll have to walk up to the house"
He led the way, being careful to circumnavigate the root-veg as he went. He would ordinarily have asked questions concerning the visitor's purpose and destination but one look at this slip of a girl told him it would be better to make his inquiries after her thirst was sated.
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Jul 17, 2016 13:50:51 GMT
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Mach2
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August 2015
mach2
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Post by Mach2 on Aug 24, 2015 11:17:42 GMT
Baeslan, mercifully, was silent. He made no jibes at Sage while the man spoke, no snide comments in her ear to distract her. The man, who she could only presume was the owner of the property, seemed friendly enough. Though Sage's anxious eyes searched for it, she could see no ill intent on his face. There was no anger with her for trespassing on his property. In fact, he invited her to walk through the gate, back towards the main house where a drink of water awaited them. Only when water was mentioned did she remember the thirst that she'd been working so hard to ignore on her journey. When was the last time she had drank anything? Some time ago, now. Not quite as long as it had been since she'd last eaten something, though.
For a brief moment, she stared at Ged like a spooked animal. She was unused to such offers of charity. But she wasn't about to pass it up, either. Her weary legs carried her forward, exhausted limb slowly leading the crippled one. The distance between her and Ged slowly closed, and she followed in his footsteps in order to avoid stepping on any of the plants growing in the earth. The elderly man's pace was slow, for which she was grateful. Keeping up with a normal walking pace would have been difficult at best, impossible at worst.
All thoughts of making it to town were forgotten. She could stop here, have something to drink, and rest...if even for a few moments. "Th-thank-k you," she stammered, breaking the silence as they walked.
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Sept 30, 2016 14:49:16 GMT
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CharlieGordon
28
August 2015
charliegordon
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Post by CharlieGordon on Aug 24, 2015 20:28:27 GMT
The kitchen of the house was a dark, squat but cleanly swept place framed by low-set beams of unvarnished beech. It was pockmarked from woodworm and Ged had periodically drilled pilot holes into the wood in his conviction that he'd heard deathwatch beetles in the night.
The floor was made-up of terracotta tiles and the centre of the room made way for a large oaken table and six chairs; though only one showed signs of any use. Towards the back of the room was a stonework stove and a sink beneath a narrow window that looked out towards the mountain and the Capitol itself. This really was some outer spoke of the kingdom of Etirath but was part of a vast sprawling network of domiciles pulled in towards Theolandra's centrifugal force.
Ged took the lid from a stone jug and poured a measure of clear liquid into a clay mug which he handed to the girl gently.
"Help yourself to a chair. There's bread in the pantry if you're hungry... The name's Gerald. Everyone knows me as Ged. You look long past weary miss; pardon my frankness. Where're you headed? It's still a half-day's walk to the town and all of it uphill..."
He sliced two thick slices of his homemade fennel and clementine bread which he slid over to her on a small stone sideplate. The day was nigh at its hottest and he doubted this waif would manage the dizzying climb up to the citadel without rest and sustenance.
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Jan 17, 2019 22:10:26 GMT
4
blacknoise
I don't have kik.
273
Aug 14, 2015 15:19:56 GMT
August 2015
blacknoise
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Post by blacknoise on Aug 25, 2015 19:46:03 GMT
"It was two days ago when the skull and bones ship came in."
Aleksandria Kostya quietly sung to herself as she walked with the small group of four thugs towards the rural district. In her hands she held a thick wooden stick, no longer than the length of one hand from palm to fingertip. The bark had been stripped clean of the wood as she scratched at it. Black flames licked up from her fingers with every movement, carving miniscule runes into the wood. Walking behind the men, neither they nor any passers-bys would be able to see what she was doing unless they came right up atop her.
And the shadows grew long as a shiver ran right through the evening."
She made no motion to look up as she followed her men, new thugs and angry kids that joined up for the thrill and money that could be found in crime. Alek was testing them, in a way, to see if they would be worth her time to train. While anyone was free to join her 'gang,' very few men and women had the strength and the stomach to hack it. When she found her thugs to be, wanting, she disposed of them properly.
"I heard e'ery door slam as I stood in the street and just stared."
They soon arrived not too far outside of the small land plot of their 'target.' An old man by the name of 'Ged' lived here. The locals all described him as a quiet, solitary person who liked to be kept alone, never bothered anyone and typically was never bothered. Kids were often told by their parents to avoid his land, rumors that he was secretly some sort of monster. Not much was known about him, which led Alek to believe the rumors were naught but superstition.
"And the call of the sea rose up in my restless young ears."
The thugs knocked hard on the door, yelling as they did so, "Er, room service!" Alek did not bother to look up as another smacked the speaker and reprimanded, "Room service?! Are ye serious! Nah, it's this." Knocking harder, the second speaker yelled, "Housekeeping!" Wildly gesturing, the eldest of the group shoved the two idiots out of the way and knocked as hard as he could, yelling, "We're insurance men and we want to tell you about an amazing deal! Anybody home?" Stepping back, the four shielded Alek from view unintentionally as they waited for someone to answer.
"She said: Johnny come home, Johnny come home, Johnny, come home.
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Jul 17, 2016 13:50:51 GMT
2
Mach2
44
August 2015
mach2
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Post by Mach2 on Aug 26, 2015 17:13:26 GMT
Sage followed Ged back to his home, a building that looked as though it had withstood many tests of time. It had clearly been standing for far, far, longer than she had been alive. But the signs of wear and tear were showing. Looks like it'll collapse. Maybe right on top of is. Aaaany second now. Baeslan whispered in her ear as she walked through the building. Though Sage gave the worm-eaten framework a leery look, she did her best to ignore the demon. After all, they had made their home in abandoned homes in condemnable conditions. Ged's abode was aged, but well-kept.
She entered the kitchen as she entered any unfamiliar place - hesitantly, as if at any moment, something would jump out and chase her away. She stayed near the edge of the room, watching Ged as he poured a glass of water and passed it to her. She accepted it gratefully, and drained it in moments.
Only when a chair was offered did she even think of sitting down. The weariness in her legs had long since progressed into a numbness, one that she'd been pushing to the back of her mind. As Ged spoke, introducing himself and offering food, Sage made her way to the table. "M-my n-n-na-" Oh, here it comes. S-s-s-sa. Sa-sa-sage. "I'm S-sage," she finally managed, forcing the words out of her stammering mouth in spite of Baeslan's relentless teasing.
She was spared from attempting to say anything more by a forceful knocking at the door, nearly loud enough to make her jump. A voice called out, announcing "Room service". Another quickly took over, proclaiming instead to be "Housekeeping". Finally, a third voice yelled out, calling out that they were in fact insurance men, with an offer. Sage looked to the door, and then to Ged, her face filled with anxious confusion. Did he often get visitors? They were still so far from Etirath, it seemed unlikely.
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Sept 30, 2016 14:49:16 GMT
0
CharlieGordon
28
August 2015
charliegordon
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Post by CharlieGordon on Aug 30, 2015 20:42:12 GMT
As his guest sat down and began to tentatively thank him, a crude knocking rattled at the door. He hadn't spotted any other people when this frail and crippled girl staggered to his plot but suddenly a myriad of voices clamoured for his attention at the door.
Something was amiss. He was far from used to company, present company excepted and he no more thought this was a 'housekeeping' call than he thought it was the ghost of his millennium-long dead father come to chide him for the undersized radishes he'd disappointingly pulled up last harvest. If he'd had doubts about the girl, he was in no doubt now; trouble had come to his door.
"Please, I won't be a moment.." He spoke softly and flatly to avoid alarming this girl or give any indication of the misgivings he had about these new callers. Yet he did not hide the motion of reaching for the trusty oak of his pikestaff as he jerked the door open a face-width to glare out. He kept the pike hidden but as he surveyed the unwashed faces smirking back, his grip tightened involuntarily.
Thugs. Four of them, dirty, scarred square faces, with mismatched close-set eyes, one was old. Looked nearly as old as Ged appeared- possibly the leader? He was about to address him when his ancient eye snagged on a flash of scarlet. Out here only the wild poppies braved so ostentatious a hue, even the ribbon he carried had long lost such vibrancy and it gave him pause.
A woman. He craned his tortoise-like neck to see her. Eyes shone out with a mischief that is learned only from the study of pain. Here, behind her rank of rank foot soldiers was the real danger. Red Alert.
And before he could speak. Protest. A horn bellowed out from the bowels of hell.
Bhaaaa-rooooooooooooo!
His eyes widened and he stepped back, waving this deadly-looking band inside.
For hobgoblins had descended upon them, and friend or foe didn't matter anymore. Whatever differences they had or were about to have melted into the early afternoon sunshine as a hideous horde of hobgoblins crashed into view through the treeline only 200 yards away. There must have been twenty of them and they ran in ragged formation straight towards them.
"Whoever you all are, arm yourselves! We have a greater enemy than one another now!"
It seemed you wait months for a visitor and then three come along at once... Each one a greater danger than the last.
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Jan 17, 2019 22:10:26 GMT
4
blacknoise
I don't have kik.
273
Aug 14, 2015 15:19:56 GMT
August 2015
blacknoise
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Post by blacknoise on Sept 2, 2015 20:31:18 GMT
As Ged opened the door, one of the younger thugs, who hadn't spoken yet, chimed in, "Blessed afternoon sir, would you like to hear about our lord and sav-" Before being allowed to finished, the deep sound of the Hobgoblin horde blasted through their ears. Aleksandria's eyes snapped fully open and she spun around, the large group of hobgoblins rushing towards them caused her to audibly growl and grab the nape of the necks of the two men nearest to her. Heaving them back, she started barking orders as Ged rallied them, "You three, draw your swords and line up in front of the house, none of them get inside, am I clear?" Turning to the youngest who had just spoken, she ordered, "Listen up, run as fast as you can to the village center and start ringing the bell, alert everyone you can, we'll hold them until then."
It wasn't that Alek did not wish to run herself, it was simply logic that she would not be fast in her full plate. Putting away her carving and drawing her sword, she motioned for Ged to come with her as she stepped in front of her three men. Her gaze steeled and her nerves calm, Alek charged forward, meeting the hobgoblins a scarce 30 yards away from the house. The first in line was the most unlucky, Alek's sword was long, thrusting out, she drove it straight into his heart before immediately yanking it out and rolling to the side, avoiding the next group of hobgoblins that came at her.
The red headed woman aimed to kite the group, striking whenever one was braver than the next and charged her, rolling away whenever more than one came forward. Another Hobgoblin quickly fell, her blade raking down his chest before he could reach her, another decapitated as he swung too low and her saw-like blade caught his neck. Unfortunately, Alek was not deemed the greatest threat by the horde, and scarcely five others followed her, the rest charged towards Ged and his house.
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Sept 30, 2016 14:49:16 GMT
0
CharlieGordon
28
August 2015
charliegordon
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Post by CharlieGordon on Sept 14, 2015 14:42:50 GMT
Ged's first instinct was to protect the girl within. He vowed internally he would not let any cross the threshold into the kitchen whilst he yet drew breath. He saw the redhead flash forwards and skewer an agressor in his black heart and in a whirl of movement she was amongst them; swiftly making progress in reducing their number. But she was one against many and inevitably they had other ranks that streamed by on either side and engaged her vanguard; the ruffians that formed her dishevelled entourage. They were proficient combatants but were only really repelling the onslaught rather than turning the tide. Within seconds, Ged knew, this spirited defence would turn into a bloody rout and rather than ponder the ramifications, he had a homestead to defend (not to mention a weakened guest).
He flashed his pike over the heads of the thugs and struck a couple of hobgoblin faces, sending them reeling backwards. This only succeeded in making them flinch backwards but that alone helped to trip a few others pressing in from behind and the four goons could make short work of the fallen enemies. Ged didn't stop to look as he sensed an attack closing from his right. "No you don't" he murmured as he brought the long wooden shaft arcing back to clatter heavily against a thick shield covered in what he hoped was pigskin (but suspected otherwise). The recoil vibrated up to Ged's elbow but he had slowed the charge by provoking the defence and closed the gap to prevent any effective counterstrike causing harm; his right boot slammed into the inside of his foe's left knee and Ged heard the shield clatter to the dirt around the same time as his own knee made worse a ruin of the hobgoblin's already ruined face.
A glance over his shoulder told him the few that had fallen were indeed dispatched by the redhead's ragged band but beyond the doorway there were easily a score of bloodthirsty attackers still forging forward. If they could keep their momentum up then maybe they'd survive but just one or two losses would tip the balance for good.
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Jul 17, 2016 13:50:51 GMT
2
Mach2
44
August 2015
mach2
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Post by Mach2 on Sept 17, 2015 4:43:45 GMT
Sage waited anxiously at the table as Ged went to go open the door. Leaning forward, she could just barely see a small group gathered outside. But there was scarcely time for one of the visitors to say anything before another noise interrupted him. The not-so-distant bellow of a horn. Now that sounds interesting...
She could feel Baeslan's excitement, and that scared her. Anything that excited the demon was likely not a good thing. Sure enough, the instant after the horn sounded, Ged was yelling at the newcomers to arm themselves. Another voice, a female who had just arrived, was shouting instructions to the rest of her men. And then the fight was upon them.
Ignoring everything, Sage rose up from her chair, retreating as fast as her bad leg would allow to the furthest corner of the kitchen. She pressed herself against the wall, listening to the noises of the fight. Through the doorway of the kitchen, she could see little. She didn't even know what it was that had attacked them. But she could hear the squealing yells every time that Ged or Alek or one of the men made contact with them.
Grab your knife. I don't want to fight. You won't fight. I will. Grab your knife.
Reluctantly, Sage complied. She slipped her bag off of her thin shoulders, and rummaged around inside for a moment before withdrawing a sheathed blade. If any of the attackers made it into the kitchen, Baeslan would keep her safe. Watching the doorway, she gripped the handle of the knife tightly.
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10
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Jan 17, 2019 22:10:26 GMT
4
blacknoise
I don't have kik.
273
Aug 14, 2015 15:19:56 GMT
August 2015
blacknoise
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Post by blacknoise on Sept 28, 2015 14:25:47 GMT
[Run. Run. Run!
The boy had no room in his mind for thoughts and no room for fears. Consuming his mind was the singular need to run as fast as he could possibly push his body. Never before had he taken a task and performed it with such vigor. That said, neither had he ever been given a task that had lives hinged upon it.
Bursting through the village, he screamed as he ran towards the center of the town. "Hobgoblins are attacking!! Hobgoblins are attacking!!"
-
Aleksandria so tired of battle. Strike after strike after strike she landed upon the Hobgoblins, careful to make each and every hit lethal. Glad for the old man at her back, they easily dispatched the beasts that came after Alek.
Without a word, Alek pointed back to the house and charged the remaining warriors. She had not the time to guess how many assaulted the house, but she estimated it around 15-20. With their assault from both behind and the front, Alek felt a surge of confidence that they could defeat these monsters.
That is, until she saw one of her men at the house take a blade to the throat. Emboldened by their shallow victory, the Hobgoblins pressed and swarmed the other two men at the door. They would easily overwhelm them. Newfound ferocity overtook the redheaded woman, she could not let them get inside to the girl!
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Sept 30, 2016 14:49:16 GMT
0
CharlieGordon
28
August 2015
charliegordon
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Post by CharlieGordon on Oct 31, 2015 12:57:32 GMT
He stood with groaning and not-groaning-because-dead hobgoblin bodies mounting up. Not dozens but at least six or seven were down and not like to get up again. The girl had sent a cronie for help from town but this would be over before they saw him again. One way or another.
He'd bought himself some space and cleared a ten metre radius of buffer-zone between himself and the kitchen door; there were still a dozen hobgoblins standing and these twelve were the bigger, more skilled fighters.
The tide turned.
A Scimitar cleaved free the head of one of the remaining cronies and another simply bolted at the sight of his buddy's bonce bouncing busily amongst the beetroot. A bodkin arrow skewered him in the yellow spine. Ged had allowed his eye to be drawn to this sudden decisive action and as he made the motion to assist the sole remaining thug, he felt the spear's point in his own spine.
Foul, rank breath caked his nose, his mouth as a raspy whisper spat its hateful language in his ear.
" You wanna live another heartbeat old-timer, and you'll tell us where you keep your gold. 1500 whole pieces or we skewer you and burn the lot!"
It was clearly the leader, most hobgoblins hadn't the articulation to blackmail. His eyesight grew dim.
'please don't let 'em near the girl...' He thought.
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0
Jul 17, 2016 13:50:51 GMT
2
Mach2
44
August 2015
mach2
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Post by Mach2 on Nov 9, 2015 14:20:12 GMT
In the kitchen, pressed into the corner, Sage could clearly hear the sounds of the fight outside. She flinched at every shout, every thud of a weapon, every unfamiliar noise. Any moment, she expected one of the hobgoblins to burst through the door.
And then, there was a change in the noise. Immediately outside the kitchen door, where Ged had been fighting, things quieted. Sage swallowed, her grip on her weapon going white-knuckled. Was the battle over? Who had won? A fresh wave of nervousness flooded the girl's mind as she realized she still didn't know exactly what the threat was. An attack, but she had not seen the attacker.
She stood, limping closer to the door, holding her knife at the ready. Curious, are we? I want to know what it is... She reached the edge of the doorframe, and reached out with a shaking hand. Hesitantly, the girl pushed the door open. Just an inch, but that was all she needed. Through the tiny gap, she could see the monstrous figure of a hobgoblin standing above the old man's unmoving body. She stared, she couldn't help it. And she stared a second too long. Sage heard a grunt, and glanced to the source of the noise. Her eyes met directly with one of the hobgoblin's. Quickly, she let the door close again.
Was Ged dead? She didn't know. But regardless, she had been sighted, and was armed with only a knife. And me. She shook her head, eyes furiously scanning the room for an escape. I don't want to fight. I don't want to. Hm. Not much choice. And then she saw it. The window above the sink was small, but so was Sage. Baeslan, please. The window. She moved as quickly as her dead leg allowed. Fumbling her knife into its sheathe, and crossing over to the sink. She reached up, pushing the window open, but knew that she would not be climbing up onto the countertop by herself. Please.
Fine.
There it was. The familiar push from the corner of her mind. Sage let her consciousness give way, and all of a sudden her body was moving of its own accord. Legs that were previously weak and crippled now climbed agilely onto the counter. Her hands reached for the window frame, and in a moment, Baeslan was navigating her through the open window. She landed gently on the other side, just as the kitchen door opened. Until the goblins figured out where she went, she was safe. You owe me a fight, was Baeslan's only comment as he stood up straight, waiting to see if they would need to run or not.
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