Private What Lurks in the Dark

[WindWalker]

Julius really didn't like the forest. It seemed to be ready to just swallow the group whole, and the darkness made by the thick trees and the dark clouds over them made it almost as dark as night. 'What am I doing here?' The young soldier wondered to himself. He wasn't much of a fighter, and whatever (if there was anything) was out in the dark forest seemed to know it. Julius was so busy worrying about what might be out...there, he almost bumped into the sturdy Nord warrior just ahead of him. Looking around, he figured that they must have found the bandits. A wooden wall protected the camp, with a gate and two towers with archers on them. The elven woman, the hooded thalmor, and the ranger were all at the front of the group, ready to attack. He saw the altmer woman draw two ebony swords, and he readied his own Imperial short sword. "I really hope this is worth it..." he whispered to himself, starting to sweat.

 

[Baneloth]

"Damned forest" growled Donath, readying his battle ax, and casting a weary eye around, looking for anything that might have less than friendly intentions for the group. He didn't see anything, but that didn't mean that nothing was there. In this gloomy and shadowed forest, anything short of an army could be lurking in the woods. Then to his relief, the group stopped, and out in front of them, was a large clearing, with a walled bandit camp. 'Smart buggers. Clear the forest and fortify your position' to the experienced Nord, it was clear that these bandits' knew what they were doing.

They were probably ex-stormcloak, but they could have been former legionnaires, as well. Either way, these men (and possibly women) knew the lay of the land, and had taken advantage of it. Donath didn't generally pass through Falkreath hold, but it was clear the bandits did, perhaps having been stationed here during the war. Either way, their walls wouldn't be much use to them once the group got inside. Already, it looked like the two elven vampires and the ranger were planning a way into the camp. 'Hopefully one that involves a big boom' he thought, grinning to himself. The notion of battle did wonders for his morale, and he almost forgot about the gloomy, brooding forest all around them. Almost.

 

[TheShadedOne]

Shadari stood near the trunk of a massive pine tree, one hand on her falchion, the other on one of the six throwing knives sheathed on her belt. She had no desire to stay in the forest for any extended period, as it made her scruff stand, her ears flick, searching for sounds that seemed to have no real origins, and her blasted tail was broadcasting her emotions to anyone with eyes. She breathed a prayer of thanks to her goddess as the ranger, the Thalmor, and the other elf vampire met up and began speaking in low tones. 'Planning the assault, hopefully'.
She wasn't offended that they didn't seek her council. She was just an assassin, and probably wouldn't have been able to offer that many insights.

As the rest of the group readied themselves, the Khajiit began planning her own attack route. She'd enter with the group, then veer off, and take down any bandits standing on their own, or not completely ready for the fight. She had no fear of fighting someone that was ready for her, but her armour was made for speed and to deflect blows, rather than take them. After all, bandits had a nasty habit of ganging up on an opponent, if you let them. Shadari intended her marks to be dead before they could even call out for assistance.

 

[Drahkma]

Averain drew Goldbrand, his dwarven long sword, and prepared to fight. He wasn't particularly nervous, being a veteran of hundreds of fights, and being vampire tended to take away from the fear of dying. Of course, that didn't mean he was going to just let the bandits inside the walls cut him into little pieces. It simply meant that he could concentrate on the best way to defeat an enemy without having that instinctual fear of death gnawing at the back of his head. Noticing that the Altmer woman had drawn her swords, a pair of magnificent ebony blades, the knight felt the welcome rush of adrenaline that came before combat. He simply hoped that he'd be able to find an honourable opponent to defeat.

 

[willowwisp]

Elizabeth wasn't looking forward to the battle, mostly because she had no real weapons, besides her dagger, and a few minor spells that she might or might not be able to use, depending on how much she was able to concentrate. Second, she had no armour, except her robes, which would do little to stop a hammer or blade from crushing her skull or piercing her heart. However, she'd tagged along on the adventure, and she'd be damned if she was going to walk all the way back to Falkreath through that spooky forest.

 

[Madrar]

Salthar decided to impress those in the group. After all, how could they be properly in awe of him if they didn't know his full power? The Altmer vampire selected the spell he wanted, and felt the energy rising to his arms, straining for release. Clapping his gloved hands together, he sent a tremendous thunderbolt into the gate, where the two doors met. With the crunch of wood and metal twisting and sundering, the gate was blasted apart, arm length chunks of wood raining down among the bandits. Grinning in satisfaction, he stepped aside, more than happy to let the others charge ahead.

 

[Blackwhite1223]

The spell cast by the Thalmor vampire was certainly impressive, turning the wooden gate into kindling like that. Of course, Torin wasn't going to admit that, and anyways, it was his turn to impress now. Stepping forward, he lifted his bow, lining it up on the right tower arhers chest and loosed. The ranger was so confident in his aim, that he was already turning to the left, drawing and loosing another arrow, this one whistling through the air to rip into the left hand archers throat, sending him to the ground in a spray of blood. Selecting another arrow, he moved forwards his bow trained on the entrance, ready to shoot whichever bandit was stupid enough to move to the entrance first.

 

[Aethalia]

Aliah watched as her fellow vampires' thunderbolt utterly destroyed the gate, more than a little impressed, and was impressed further by the rangers devastating shots, both of which put down the two sentries before they even had a chance to recover from the shock of the attack. "Come on!" She called to the group, sprinting for the opening where the gate had been several seconds ago. A bandit, wearing fur armour, an iron war ax in one hand, and a hide shield in the other, appeared to greet her. He swung his arm back, planning on chopping down, into her skull, but the vampire was much too fast.

Putting on an additional burst of speed, she stabbed low with her right hand blade, slashing high with her left. The man managed to bend backwards enough to avoid her high slash, but that was what Aliah had been hoping for. Her right hand blade dug into his groin, drawing a pained shriek from the man. He toppled to the ground, crying and screaming, but she ignored him.He was already dead. Circling the man, she took a quick count of the bandits in the outdoor area of the camp. 'At least twenty...maybe that's why the bounty is so high' she thought, as a pair of rough looking Nords stormed towards her, blades in hand. Aliah let them approach, and then went into a devastating spin, a dance, really, her blades flicking out to deliver mortal strikes, while defending herself at the same time. Within seconds, both of her targets were dead.

 

[Baneloth]

With a roar, Donath threw himself into the battle, charging through the wrecked gates, ax ready in both hands, searching for his first target. Then he spotted three, running on the wooden wall, either trying to outflank the group, or simply flee"Oh no, ye don't, ye nasty buggers" he growled. Noting a set of stair where the right-hand tower was, the warrior sprinted up the stairs, coming face to face with the trio. The wooden wall was too narrow for the three men to face off against Donath together, which was very unfortunate for them, and easier for the battle-hardened Nord. His first blow wasn't with a blade, but rather with the butt of his ax, a steel sphere about the size of his fist. He slammed it into the first bandits' chest, and then roughly shoved the man to the ground.

It hadn't killed the man, but it did clear the way for Donath to cut down the second man, who wasn't even prepared.His axe crushed ribs and lungs, leaving a bloody furrow in the mans' armour, and sending him off the wall as well, gasping out his last bloody breath. The third bandit, a large, heavily muscled orc, lifted a war hammer and let out a below, swinging the weapon at Donath with surprising speed and skill. The equally skilled Nord was already hopping backwards, avoiding a crushing blow. He responded with an overhand chop that the orc blocked with the haft of his own weapon. Donath frowned, flustered by his opponents skill with the two handed weapon, and knowing that he had to find a quick solution before the first bandit he'd knocked over got back up and stabbed him in the back.

 

[TheShadedOne]

Shadari went through with her plan, waiting for the last of the gate remnants to hit the ground, and for the two archers to crumple, before launching herself forward, moving with the grace and speed innate in most, if not all Khajiit. Her keen eyes picked out her first target, a man wielding a steel mace , and focusing more on the female vampire than he was on anyone else. That was the worst mistake he could have made. In an instant, the assassin was there, her falchion slapping the mace down and away, before swinging back to open up the mans' stomach.

As he gaped in surprised at the entrails that were spilling out of him, Shadari moved on, searching for another vulnerable target. The she spotted one, charging to engage to others that were massing at the gate, oblivious to the deadly Khajiit sprinting after him. Her blade plunged into his kidney, sending him to the ground, dying. Unfortunately, this attack hadn't gone unnoticed, and a trio of bandits were closing in on her. Sighing, the assassin changed her tactics, hoping that none of them were as proficient as their leering faces and confident postures made them look.

 

[Drahkma]

Averain was inside the camp shortly after the Nord warrior. He glanced around, searching for an enemy to lay low. Then he noticed the Khajiit warrior under attack by three bandits, all of which seemed to know what they were doing. "That's hardly fair..." he remarked, approaching the fight at an unhurried pace. One bandits back was turned to him, so Averain cleared his throat, and nodded politely when the bandit turned to face him. Saluting with Goldbrand, the knight waited for the bandit to make the first move.

Which he did, charging in and howling, clutching the war ax in his hands as if his life depended on it. The vampire slashed once, then again, one blow going across the mans' stomach, slowing his charge, and the second slash going across the mans' throat, ending his charge. Averain stepped aside, letting the corpse collapse, before turning to face another enemy, this one seemingly more experienced. Averains' leading thrust was slapped aside by the steel sword of his opponent. The bandit took a ready stance, and the vampire mirrored him, but this time it was clear that the knight would have to go on the offensive, or else they'd be standing around all day!

Two quick steps brought the vampire into optimal striking range, and he sent Goldbrand into a dizzying slashing and stabbing routine. To his credit, the bandit managed to parry or block all but one of the attacks, a graze on his right fore arm. "Well done" Averain congratulated, genuinely meaning it. Most bandits would have been lucky to block one blow. Now the bandit surged forward, buoyed by his success and arrogance. His wild strikes were quickly and efficiently picked off, and Averain offered a lunge for the mans' center mass as a counter. A grunt told the vampire that what his eyes were seeing was the truth. The bandit stood perfectly still, Goldbrand running him through. Grimacing, the vampire commented "Not so well done" and removed his sword from the corpse.

 

[WindWalker]

Julius tried not to be seen as he entered the camp. Of course, with his luck, one bandit, a argonian spotted him right away, and charged him, swinging a iron sword. Julius backed up quickly, and then felt something hard and rough hit his back. 'The wall. Great' he thought to himself, he closed his eyes holding his short sword out in front of him and hoping that dying wouldn't hurt too much. Then he felt his sword get heavy, and a surprised grunt.Opening his eyes, he saw a dead bandit slowly dragging Julius' sword to the ground, the first half a foot of the blade jabbed into the mans heart. Surprised, and happy to be alive, he found another bandit, this one holdig only a short dagger. Julius slashed with his sword, this time cutting open the enemies throat. "I think I'm getting the hang of this!" he yelled looking for someone else to kill.

 

[willowwisp]

The gates were blasted apart in a magnificent explosion of lightning and wood. Glancing at the source of the spell, she realized that the robed elf was much more powerful than she'd thought. If Elizabeth would attempt to cast a spell of that power, she'd be unconscious for hours afterwards. Realizing that everyone was know running into the bandits' camp, swinging a dangerous array of weapons, she sighed, and realized that the Thalmor robed elf was still there. Hoping he wouldn't think her a coward, she readied her flame spell in one hand, and her glass dagger in the other.And entered the camp, hoping she wouldn't need to fight anyone.

 

[Madrar]

Salthar was the last to enter the actual fighting, following the small imperial woman into the camp. His black, red and gold robes whipped around him as a stiff wind blew up, revealing the ebony sword at his side. He watched his fellow Altmer artfully cutting down the attacking bandits, each of her blades scoring a critical, killing blow on her targets. 'Magnificent' the Altmer vampire thought to himself, drawing his own weapon and facing off against four bandits. The group saw the robed, seemingly helpless sorcerer, all but one charged, drawing weapons. The fourth, a young bosmer stayed back, starting to cast a spell.

Salthar let the three bandits get close, his aura of terror slowing the trio, their arms drooping as they realized what the Altmer was. That was when he struck, beheading the man on the left in a single horizontal blow. The second man, so shocked by the abrupt end of his comrade had not time to block the blur of ebony that stabbed through his heart. The third bandit, a woman, managed to parry a single slash, more through blind luck than skill. Salthar's second strike punctured her chest right between the breasts, and removing his blade, he blasted her with a simple bolt of lightning, sending her smoking body flying backwards. The bosmer mage, finally managing to cast a simple flame bolt which soared more or less dead center at the vampire, who was unimpressed.

A single swipe of his arm, and a minor re-direction spell on his part, sent the fiery missile into the ground. A look of sheer panic came to the mers' face. It was the realization of one mage that has realized the power of his opponent. And been over matched by it. The young elf brought up a ward, but he had thrown all his magic into the attack, and had very little left. Salthars' lance of black energy punched through his ward, and then through his chest as well. As the Altmers' last opponent fell to his knees, and from there to the ground, he surveyed the battlefield. It seemed like the battle was under control with the bandits falling to the greater skills of the vampires companions.

 

[Blackwhite1223]

Unlike the others, who flung themselves into the fighting, Torin stayed back, at the entrance to the camp, shooting down those bandits that hadn't engaged anyone in combat yet. Always, he kept an eye on the left-hand tower, but it looked like most of the bandits that did have bows were very poor shots, and once they fired one arrow, they didn't get a chance to fire a second. The ranger assumed that the fighting would die down soon, as only about a dozen out of the original number of between twenty and thirty enemies had been whittled down rapidly.

He noticed Elizabeth, glass dagger in one hand, flame spell in the other , and gave her an encouraging nod. She was smart to stay away from the fighting. With her robes, she wouldn't last long against the heavily armed bandits. The rest of the group would stop any bandits from getting past, probably more for desire for gold, than concern for Elizabeths' welfare. Honestly, Torin too needed gold, to repair his gear, and buy more arrows. That was one of the reasons he'd trailed along on the venture.

 

[Aethalia]

Aliah hopped backwards, then went into a slow spin, switching feet every so often, her blades extended to their full length. The bandit facing her, great sword in hands, seemed to think she was tiring. A foolish mistake, one made far too often this day. The man charged, roaring and he brought the steel blade across in a horizontal slash that would have cut Aliah in half. Had she still been there, for as the blade had come swinging in, she'd risen out of her crouch, leaping high, and inclining her body slightly, and moving her arms so that both of her blades stabbed at the mans' face and chest. Although not overly smart, the man wasn't completely inexperienced. He worked his legs, keeping his upper body out of range, so that when Aliah landed, the man was off balance. The vampire came forwards in a rush, both blades slapping against the steel great sword.

The man tried desperately to compensate, and ended up stumbling forwards, as Aliah had already spun to the side, plunging one sword into his lungs, the other chopping into his spine. The man stiffened, and collapsed, his spinal cord severed, arms flopping uselessly. She disliked chopping into her opponents for the simple reason that if her blade got lodged into a bone, she'd be only half as efficient, and half as defended until she could retrieve her weapon. Taking a quick look around the battlefield, she noted with some satisfaction, that her companions weren't helpless. Already, most of the bandits were dead or dying, those few that weren't were engaged in lost battles. However, there was still the bandit chief, to deal with, presumably in the cave at the far end of the camp, a poor excuse for a door constructed over it. As another enemy charged at her, she forgot all about the chief, and concentrated on her next target.

 

[Baneloth]

Donath growled as the orc he fought deflected yet another swing of his ax. The Nord warrior knew full well that if he didn't end the fight soon, he'd be stabbed in the back by the other bandit who had yet to get up. Then an idea occurred to the warrior, and he grinned wickedly. After yet another failed attack, Donath dropped his ax, surprising his opponent more than a little bit. Then the Nord stepped in close, well inside the orcs' guard, and slammed his forehead into the bandit's undefended nose. The orc howled, and his hold on the war hammer slipped, so Donath headbutted him again, and this time the orc dropped his weapon, hands going to his nose, protecting it from further assault.

The Nord launched an armored right hook that sent the orc right off the wall, head first. The crunch when he hit the ground let Donath know that he needn't worry about that particular orc again. Turning, he scooped up his ax, and faced off against the bandit he'd laid low the first time. The younger man charged, then stopped abruptly, and ax blade buried in his skull. Glancing over to the young imperial, Donath couldn't help but grin. "I always knew the lad had it in him" then he turned back to the task of wrenching his weapon out of the bandits' skull.

 

[TheShadedOne]

Shadari noticed that one of her attackers was drawn off by the red armoured vampire. That left two more to go, which wasn't a real problem for Shadari. All she had to do was avoid getting hit, while doing all of the hitting. Dashing forward, she sent a probing stab at the left hand bandit, a Nord woman, and then feinted at the man on the right. The right hand bandit only shifted slightly, and the bandit on the left barely reacted at all, except to deflect the blow. Skittering back, she put up a defensive front, trying to lure the pair in so she could fight on her terms, not theirs.

They may have been experienced, but they certainly weren't bright enough to realize they were being fooled. The man rushed forward, mace held high...and died with that same mace, his throat slashed. The woman was slightly more cautious, launching testing stabs, and a few slashes, attempting to feel out the assassin. Shadari let her, let her get in close, before launching a devastating assault with her falchion. However, the blade was a diversion, her real attack being her wickedly sharp claws, that tore into the left side of the womans face, making five, deep, painful furrows in her cheek. That threw off her concentration, and Shadari ended the fight with a thrust to the stomach, and a sharp, fast kick to the head, breaking the womans neck.

 

[Drahkma]

Averain knew that the battle was winding down. The bandits had suddenly realized that despite their strength in numbers, they were outmatched by the handful of warriors and spell casters in the attacking group. It looked like perhaps a dozen more enemies stood between the group and the cave. 'Why has the chief not come out yet? Usually they aren't afraid of a fight' . The knight cut down another bandit, keeping an eye on the Khajiit warrior, who had just finished off the last of her attackers. 'She's quiet impressive with that blade of hers...doesn't fight like a traditional warrior either' he mused to himself, closing in on another soon to be corpse.

 

[Aethalia]

Aliah's blades carved through the throat of the last bandit, sending his head rolling away, and a spray of arterial blood sprayed from where his head had been. Glancing around, she motioned for the others to gather around her, from where she stood near the doors to the cave. "Come on. The bandit leader is still unaccounted for"
A strong kick from the female vampire had bot doors swinging wide open. She stepped inside, then stopped dead, her eyes wide with revulsion and horror.

The villagers that had disappeared...dozens lay on the cave floor; men, women...children. Aliah had a strong stomach, but the sight of so many corpses had her gagging. Even through her revulsion, she noticed a corpse propped up against the wall, strange, dark markings all over his bare upper body. Glancing at the Thalmor sorcerer, she motioned him close. "These markings...they aren't natural.."