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The Tale of Sir Dravius

Colonel Delthore Toffelsnoff
Northern Fury Guard
Tilamaires 13, 5101

Though I am used to the cool crisp air in the valley that Icemule Trace sits, the heat here was not unbearable. No, it was the humidity- a sticky blanket of moisture that seemed to fill your lungs with every breath. My sweat stained leathers did not add to the comfort. They slid with every jarring thump my foot made as it hit the ground. The weight grew heavier with each lift of my leg. We had been running for hours. My head spun every time my ears echoed the thud of my heart. The world around me grew distant. The far away death cries seemed to drift further into the haze my consciousness was slipping into, and suddenly…

We were there. My awareness was ripped back into reality with a nearby, adrenaline-powered battle cry. This was it. It was here, now, real, and alive. We had reached Hangman’s Bridge located on the northeastern corner of Solhaven, within the borders of the Turamzzryian Empire. By the Arkati on Liabo, I never thought my sylvan legs would tread this soil.

I have lead many hunting groups. My experience in leading a war party was far from lacking, but my war party consisted of several freshly recruited lancers. If we were not here I would be taking them out to patrol for giants near Icemule Trace. That would be risky. Now I had to take them against hordes of Shan that were attacking the town. I would be lucky to live through this let alone Dravius. Dravius was a young half-elf at the time. He had recently joined the Northern Fury, but was showing a lot of promise.

I had the mind to send him to the plaza, and have him help the medics. I never got the chance. The main fighting had been west of us closer to the broken tower. It was now apparent, as the Shan pushed closer to the town, where they intended to flank the forces Solhaven had mustered. We were the only ones by Hangman’s Bridge. If we did not stand our ground there would be nothing to stop them from gaining the town.

Dravius’ charged across the bridge to meet the foe. His boots echoed a rhythmic trodding over the planks. Glinting in the afternoon light, his sword was poised and ready to strike. In a blinding flash of fur and claw he was on his back. Saber-tooth tigers were much bigger than I had imagined. Splinters flew from Dravius’ shield as claw met wood with an odd scraping sound.

One step behind him, I lunged at the cat. My falchion flaring a brilliant arc of lightning, I barely broke the skin. There was a blast of light, a surge of power, my skin tingled, and my hair stood on end in the charged air. A fraction of a second later the tiger’s life was gone with the light (I love it when that happens). I looked to help Dravius up, but he was already gone moving to the next beast.

Next to me, cries of pain, Fomate grasped frantically at where his leg used to be. A quick thrust, a small weave and I was one step closer to him. Two more steps till I could reach him, but Dravius was already there dragging him to the safe side of the bridge.

We pushed our way over the blood stained timbers of the bridge. By the time we reached the north side of Cairnfang River all was quiet. Distant shouts from the west still drifted towards us on the calm breeze almost drown out by the rush of the river. I knelt by the river taking in the cool water while I gathered my thoughts. Reinforcements were over due. As soon as they arrived we would press west. I only hoped there were enough to form a real squad.

The corpses dangled in the wind from the gallows. The stench of decay seemed to hang in the humid air, and though the corpses’ eyes had long since rotted away I could not help but feel like I was being watched.

The next wave came before the reinforcements. We were down to four men counting me. Our only hope was to fight on the bridge where they could not surround us. I had never seen a Shan before, and knew nothing about them. They approached us at the northern end of the bridge. The only way I could describe them is a Shan. They walked upright on two legs like a human but were covered in a gray fur, their hands ended in long claws, and their eyes glowed. We just had to hold the bridge long enough for the reinforcements. If we could not they would be cut off from the town.

The battle begun. Dravius swung wildly at the nearest beast, but he was not fast enough. Yellowed, bloodstained claws ripped at his arm. My blade caught the back of its leg severing tendons nicely in a smooth slice. Dravius’ riposte pushed through the Shan's ribs and buried his blade deep.

The water below us gurgled, belched, and spewed forth a massive tangle of plants that groped its way over the bridge. Dravius ducked as it whizzed over his head. He leapt from his crouched position with his blade whispering through the wind. Another miss, he simply did not have the skill to take a Shan on toe to toe.

The mithril hilt of my blade landed squarely on the next Shan’s forehead leaving it dazed and off balanced. Dravius seized the opportunity. A quick clean thrust to the abdomen sent a spray of warm blood across my shield.

I whirled around in time to see I was too late. The plant thrashed violently towards me. Before I could dodge it Dravius was in front of me. The vines wrapped around his legs and lifted him above my head. He hit the bridge on his side with a hollow thump. I hacked at the vine till it let loose of him.

A sharp pain in my back sent me spinning around. My blade moved in a fluid swipe across the Shan’s chest. A blur of gray fur and my face was bleeding. My shield raised in time to catch the next blow, and the next. I trudged forward pushing him away from the fallen Dravius. Hoisted into the air like a flag I flailed wildly trying to grasp for anything to hold onto.

High in the air I could see the reinforcements clearing a hill to the east. Only a few more minutes. We had to hold a few more minutes. The bridge came racing to greet me with a non-giving thud. A bright light flashed before my eyes, a loud ringing screamed in my ears. Then I was in the air again. I hacked furiously at my legs with my trail knife cutting the plant and me. The grip slipped and sent me floating back down to the bridge like a rock.

The others were slowly being out matched. I wiped the blood from my brow and looked up to see Dravius crouched over me with his shield raised. The Shan clawed frantically at him. The force sent him falling back into me, but he did not drop his guard. I thrust from my back barely missing Dravius only to nip the Shan’s arm. I gained my footing. Dravius pivoted. The Shan stumbled between us. It could not block both our blows.

The vine came again feeling its way across the bridge for its next victim. Dravius dashed toward the plant, hurdled it, and was at Chantreuse’s side, keeping her from being overwhelmed by two Shan.

He made it look much easier than it was. I sailed over it only to be caught halfway. I was slammed into the bridge again and again. I prepared myself for the next jarring blow. The distinct taste of stomach acid spread through my mouth as I hit. Before I could gasp in a breath of fresh air I was soaring again. The sounds of shouting came from north side of the river as I met the timber again.

I came to before Dravius had finished dragging me to the south side of the river. The last few Shan were falling to the reinforcements. The bridge was ours for now.

That was only the beginning of the war. Once we secured the bridge and moved to the main battle, it got much worse. Though he lacked much of the fighting skills he needed to battle the Shan, Dravius managed to be an invaluable help that day. He proved without a doubt that even the most unskilled peasant can help turn the tables in a war. It was for that reason I nominated him for the first corner of the Quadrivial- a four-step path of knighthood within the Fury. May he forever be remembered in the Northern Fury Guard.

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