Gate
crashing Badgers
23/14/10,121 - Thailot foothills
Frustrated by this waste of space, Tharla stoppers the flask & the mist dissipates, Molin & Kilite reach for respective weapons, from beyond the tent the sky city officer demands they hand over the flask immediately or face certain death.
Bursting forth Molin screams forth a cry for battle, Kilite more calmly casts fire arrow then hefts his poleaxe whilst Tharla brandishes her mighty bow. As the riders & sky city ground unit charge forward Molin rushes to meet them head on, urging his mount, Gunther, into the melee. Having seen Kilite's fire arrow goes awry, Tharla too casts forth her own flaming spell, but alas, it too goes wide of the mark.
As the dog riders close for the kill, Tharla drops a trooper with a well-placed arrow, Illyra struggling against the pain of her arm, raises first a spell of befuddlement against their attackers & then shimmer on her friends, blurring their image to the sky city murderers.
As the dog riders begin their assault both Kilite & Molin rain blows down on the lightly armed warriors, both scoring mortal wounds upon their foes, Illyra tries to urge her dog into the fray but alas her control of the animal is poor & its bolts in blind panic. Whilst outnumbered by the sky city troops the raised level of the wagon assists the friends in their defence, alas this does not prevent Molin being borne to the ground under a rain of blows, Gunther's loyality to his friend however is beyond reproach & with his mighty claws disembowels several of the riders who have clustered around the Molin's battered body.
Inevitably the mass of the troops begins to press against the four friends, weary from many cuts they realise that soon it must end. Sheltered at the back of the wagon again Illyra tries to befuddle one of thier attackers oblivious to the rider climbing up behind Tharla's dog sled. As desperation sets in the four launch a final flurry of blows & two more riders fall to the dirt. Realising that victory is close, but concerned at thier losses the commander of the eagle riders draws his sabre & joins the melee along with the two remaining troopers.
Against all expectations the friends continue to hold their own against the nine or so remaining sky city servants, but for how long can their tired limbs resist.
Unbelievably there is a shout to retreat, the friends, breathing heavily can not believe their luck, racing across the sands many riders can be seen charging both the sky city riders mounts & the fleeing troops themselves.
As Kilite, Tharla & Illyra give a ragged cheer, Molin looks on worriedly, he is not afraid to die but he recognises their saviours, they are Hurinzn, badger clan, at least twenty five of them fully armed & mounted, they are his tribes bitterest rivals, their blue swirling tattoo's heavily contrast with the red markings which adorn J's arms, legs & face. The sky city troops desperately try to escape or die fighting, knowing that to be taken alive will mean a long slow & painful death at the hands of these heathen scum.
Their "rescuers" waste no time in slitting the throats of the wounded eagle & dog soldiers as well as those of their mounts, including Illyra's.
As the triumphant badger clan surround the wagon, Molin ponders their fate, there is no love lost between badger & bear clan, the most common outcome is a bloody skirmish, for that matter there is little love between Badger clan & any body not of their colours.
The leader of the badger party approaches & smiles from ear to ear, he is pleased with the outcome, he has lost no warriors & scored a great victory over the accursed bird scavengers & their pet dog molesters.
"You have given me good entertainment & much honour bear rutter, you & your friends will be my guests until tomorrow, their will be a great feast this day to celebrate the death of this scum"
Illyra, Kilite & Tharla seem quite happy with this arrangement & can't seem to understand why Molin looks so worried.