Fantasy Warhammer: The Dragonliche

[Da Doofus]

The burst of flame singed the matted fur on the monster’s chest, making it yowl as it burnt skin. With another snarl, it took off after Lorenz with its hooves stomping into the ground.

 

[Chai_T3a]

Lorenz sprinted out of the barn as fast as his legs would carry him. There was no way he could take on that beast, let alone when it had a damn axe. He saw what the beast had done to Birkman. And there was no way he’d let himself be next.

 

[Da Doofus]

The clove hoofed cannibal pursued Lorenz almost close enough to swing its axe. Once they were outside, it raised its axe to strike Lorenz down.
It was then it lost feeling in its hand, which was now flopping on the ground along with spurts of blood from his wrist.
The beast glanced at the bloody stump, and still didn’t notice the redhead human lunging his sword into his right side. The beast yowled at the cold steel slicing through its ribcage and piercing its lung and heart. It made a death rattle then toppled over, making Kendal’s blade slade out with a wet ‘shlick’.

Khazu had then caught up and spat on the mutant corpse.
“Boga. Was hopin it weren’t gor.”

“Beastmen.” Kendal translated. “This is not good.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

Lorenz looked away, staring off into the distant undulating hills in an attempt to calm himself down from the whole ordeal. Birkman's mutilated corpse, that fucking thing.....it was all just a little bit too much for him. Lorenz looked back at Kendal, face almost drained of colour as he willed himself to stare back into the barn. Carefully avoiding focus on the dead beastmen's body.

"Birkman's in there." He muttered out, voice trembling. "He's....dead."

 

[Da Doofus]

“I figured as much.” Kendal sighed. He then pulled out a cloth from his pocket and began cleaning his blade of the Beastmen’s blood.

“Ack! Tracks everywhere.” Khazu kicked the dirt outside the barn. The footprints that dotted all around the barn entrance were all cloven and of varying size. Many were belomging to Beastmen like the dead one nearby. Others were clearly bigger.

 

[Chai_T3a]

“Your saying that their’s more a them?” Lorenz asked, voice alarmed. “Don’t ya think their a bit too close to town?”

 

[Da Doofus]

“Oh aye.” Khazu pointed to the dead Beastman. “They never travel alone. Least of all a measely Ungor.”

Kendal inspected the corpse. “He probably stayed behind from an injury or was cast out from the herd.” He glanced at Lorenz. “And yes. They are unusually close.
Brayherds don’t come this close to major cities unless they have a Lord guiding them.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

Lorenz shivered, everything he heard from his two companions sounding more and more terrifying. First off, if that really was a runt, then what the fuck did a normal one look like? Besides that, he didn’t like the sound of a lord being within that pack. If one little runt could cause so much carnage, he wondered what potentially dozens, hundreds, of them could do to an entire town.

“They ain’t gonna get into Eicheschatten? Right?” Lorenz asked, clearly hoping for the two of them to give him a good answer.

 

[Da Doofus]

They looked at each other. Then Kendal looked back at Lorenz.

“If they attacked this farm, it’s probably a sign that they are preparing to move onto the town.” He pointed to the dead Ungor. “That’s usually what happens. This was a raid to gather food and maybe materials for a larger scale attack.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

"Fuck." Lorenz spat, looking back over the horizon to where they had come from. That was a whole ass TOWN they were talking about, with more people to fill his shitty small village a hundred fold. "The little one carved Kirkman up like he was a damn pig. And you're telling me there'll be even more' a them in town." Lorenz said, voice sounding panicked. "Can't you something about it?"

 

[Da Doofus]

Khazu gestured to his shoddy clothing and lack of equipment.
“Usually if you kill the leader, the rest either break away or start hacking at each other to see who’s the new head Gori.
I’ve killed beasts meself . . . When I had something to do it with.”

Kendal groaned.
“I can get your belongings back, Sir Dwarf.” He said. “Then . . . I don’t know. I haven’t had to fight Beastmen in a while.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

"It's either we do that or watch the town burn." Lorenz added, clearly not enjoying the sound of the second option. "C'mon Scarface, I don't even wanna see the prison guard die like that. Just help'em get his shit back."

 

[Da Doofus]

“My name is Kendal Bardeaux.” The swordsman glared. “Not Scarface.
And YOU will be staying in the town until either this is resolved or a regiment arrives.”

Khazu nodded. “Aye. Have to agree with him, manling.
T’is no concern of lads who’ve not known battle.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

Lorenz seemed surprised by Kendal's sudden outburst. He was beginning to believe that the man wasn't able to get any madder then just an irritated grumble. But clearly he was wrong. Lorenz clenched his fist, angry, but unsure of how to express it.

"C'mon Khazu, I'm not askin' to help. But at least you can do something about it."

 

[Da Doofus]

“Oh I plan to.” Khazu laughed with a hint of bloodthirst. “Dawi got plenty to settle with Gori. Me az will be needin a clean this time tomorrow.”

Kendal whistled for his horse. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, we need to get back and warn the town of the attack. With luck, a message for reinforcements will reach Averheim or the Stirland patrols in case this herd is larger than we think.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

Lorenz seemed at least slightly satisfied with that response, giving the two of them a nod.

"And we'd be runnin' back then?" Lorenz inquired.

 

[Da Doofus]

Kendal scanned what structures still remained.
“There could be a wagon left.” He stroked his chin.