Tagaern Unser - I had barely but finished my rites to Qinnah to still my soul from another night of war, kneeling with my sword in my armor, when the call rang out from Hakaar, “Duncan! We have trouble!”
Startled from my place in the shade of the stables, I rose and saw Hakaar and the others of Richter Holdings rushing off at full run on foot from Kellas House back up the partially finished cobblestone road to the west, back towards Dowry from whence I’d come only a couple days ago. In the distance, a flatbed wagon, like the supply transport I’d travelled with that day, crashed off the road with horses down and riders thrown. I started off, heavy with my full plate and damned if not also for the heavy girth of my body now, but I pushed myself huffing with all I had. I called for Hakaar to wait. Duncan had told me to watch out for his young protege, after all, but it was immediately clear that time was of the essence. A pack of orcs was still making for the felled wagon and its surviving occupant and an enormous giant the likes of which I could only compare to a titan in my mind.
His own incredible bow did seem to loose heavy javelins that soared through the air with incredible speed. I saw the mage, Sig, flying in midair with his powers take a sidelong blow and moments later vanish into thin air! I wondered a moment whether he had vanished by spell or transported himself but I needed to focus upon the battle I was going to join. Calling in the heavy armored infantry to attack usually meant they came after the skirmishers had clashed but I had to get there because time was now the most precious! Arrows flying from the distant giant and orcs with him on the hill and the ranger Floki likewise loosing volleys of arrows back with lightning speed! Hakaar, Danin and Bromm were in the midst of a clash at the wagon now, getting pelted and engaging with the orc foot soldiers. Then the seemingly impossible form of another giant appeared over the hill line. This one, in place of an enormous bow, brandished a wicked metal club…charging forward toward the clash forming at the wagon. Then too, as Hakaar raised the wagon as a barricade, the wagon rider became clear to my vision…it was Balrick! From the journey East a couple days before.
By Qinnah, strike me dead if I cannot make it in time to lend my shield and sword to this fight! Moments later, my wish was nearly granted…I could see the arrow screaming right toward me, incredible size like that from a ballista. I couldn’t breathe…I don’t know how other than my training and the grace of the Shield Maidens that I got my shield up barely in time to deflect it from taking my head cleanly off my body and instead crashed through my great red shield, making me cry out in unexpectedly vicious pain as my shield arm seemed to be torn from my body. I was lucky that moment to be alive and the shield passed to me by my father now was ruined.
I made out that Danin was casting healing spells upon Balrick, who had just fallen under an orc’s attack. Only one orc remained standing there by the wagon as Bromm prepared another round and Hakaar felled the orc who’d tried to flank Balrick. Eager to finally join, my injuries mattered not. Hakaar tried urging me to the wagon for cover but first this last one needed to be dealt with. My blade struck true just behind the dwarf Danin’s own axe strike, and the orc was dead before he hit the ground, gurgling. I looked to Balrick and saw Danin as well as felt the healing burst of power from his incantation. I reached down to help Balrick to his feet, even as the ground shook with the giant with his vicious maul neared with frightening speed. More surprising, the huge giant beast with the bow had fallen to the ground, seemingly knocked unconscious! This young looking mage, Sig, had just turned the tide of the battle like it was the march upon the Elder Elf King himself!
Still, this huge beast of giant could be more than a match of us. I tried to urge Balrick back considering his bloody wounds but he was as brave a man that day as any of my Red Shields. Hakaar, Balrick and even the ranger’s wolf, and I were upon the giant. We struck it but it was like fighting a hill, an armed hill with a log-sized maul. The monster swung its massive weapon and knocked the loyal wolf down with a yelp and I cringed at the sight of it. It kicked for me and I barely managed to pull aside from the strike as it drew up its maul once more.
Hakaar laid in a vicious slash over the giant’s back with his massive blade and I thought it would be dead, but in fact it was seemingly more enraged in the throes of a final attempt. It bellowed louder than a war beast and swung round its maul right through Balrick and crushing him to the ground. I didn’t actually feel the blow crash into me as well. not so much as I could not see or hear or feel my extremities for a moment.
I realized that the maul had nearly bounced off Balrick and struck true into me too fast to even react. My body rang, seemingly in tune to the voice. By Qinnah, this be a good day to die if that be Your will…give me one more ounce of Your strength I beg. Hakaar struck again and was being called away to the fallen giant, and I could see the pained look in his eyes…for he had wished like a true warrior to have been the one that day. Another time, my friend. I thought.
The feeling returned to my hands and I realized I had both my hands wrapped still about my blade, Fury. Time no longer stood still and I drove forward, up and true into the guts of the giant left just a moment long enough open. There will be no more deaths by your hand this day.
I staggered to the side as the giant fell to shake the earth. If not for Danin’s skill, I feel that I too would have been no more. Thanking him quietly, it seemed the battle was over. Hakaar finished the fallen giant with his massive blade Silah, and there was only now time to recover from the encounter.
Balrick had been brave beyond his ability. A true warrior in heart. I performed the warrior rite in solitude with him, setting his sword to his hand and setting the stones, praying for the Shield Maidens to see his courage. His shield was but only lightly scratched and in a strange way felt like his will that it pass now to me, my own shield damaged beyond normal repair, sacrificed. Sig, for whom I now had a dramatically greater sense of respect, came to me next and told me he felt magical protection about it. This too must have been meant to be.
Later too, in Dowry, my gratitude could not be adequately conveyed, for they took me to a shop of antiquities and found a pair of boots that lifted my weight magically to my frank disbelief! I gave all the gold that I had left and still more than an equal match was required for the purchase. Now, Sig said, I would be able to run as fast as a man out of full plate mail armor. This, indeed, was powerful magic. As strong and formidable as this small group called Richter Holdings was, it was an honor to have their sigil added to my new red shield.
