Be You Traitor or Hero? [Wald]

[Pig Boy]

32nd of Vhalar 719


Wald was in his camp when a strange sensation came over him. The flying panther had eluded his efforts to try and hunt it, and Rasul was awfully quiet at the moment. A rare moment of lucidity, a clarity that was hard to find in these days where his mind was so troubled.

After the moment of clear quiet, he could hear what sounded like metal-clad footsteps approaching from the south. If he looked up, he'd see a powerful, tall; figure in half plate, bearing the crown of the Eternal Empire on her brow. She stopped, shook her head at Wald, and then resumed her approach.

"Collateral damage happens in war, Wald." She said to him. Was this another vision, or was it truly Raskalarn? He felt a sudden vitality and strength flooding into his arms. The Might of the Conquerer was his to command for now, and something else. Prey was calling to him. This animal was unlike others that he was accustomed to tracking. It walked on two legs and bore a great weapon, a bone-maul carved from the bones of a mammoth. Wald could see him now, all clad in hides and fur, and two heads taller than himself.

A crown of shadow encircled this one's brow, marking him as one who was reviled by Raskalarn. A true enemy of the Eternal Empire.

"I want you to find this Mortal Foe." Raskalarn told him, "Bring him to heel, as only a true son of the Empire can. He has harassed and vandalized my holdings to the north of the Empire, and now he's come to Viden, to rest on the laurels of having despoiled our ancestral lands."

"Do this, Wald. And you may keep my blessing." Raskalarn commanded, "Or fail, and share in his fate, to bear the black circlet of a traitor to our cause."

[Wald Lowca]

Time felt strange in this moment, it had a slight slowing feeling. Was it that his mind was clouded, or was it finally released from the constant toiling. The constant sounds seemed to stop suddenly. Rasul, a constant companion since he left the slave camp, had left to go check on things. His mind was stuck on a hunt that he needed to adventure towards, though it would involve claiming back into the mountains he escaped. Perhaps his body did not want him to go after the animal, as he kept trying to practice his climbing but slipping down a tree.

Though in this moment of quiet, he heard something strange. His first instinct would be to sniff through the air. A creature approached him, his senses told him exactly where. The hunter's eyes moved to the location, as he gripped into his bow. It seemed to be a woman, wearing the garments of war, and the crown of a ruler. She stopped when Wald looked, slowly shaking her head. Her voice had command to it when she started to speak, and it seemed to push strength back into Wald's body. This woman, was this the Eternal Empires leader. He had heard many stories of her when he was a child.

Soon a burning encircled his head, as a vision slowly seeped into his mind. He saw a hulk of a man, carrying what seemed to be a mammoth's bone. His bulk was covered in hides and fur, he was no mere hunter of animals though. This was a hunter of men, someone who may go out of their way to harm his family if given the chance as well. His head seemed to be covered in shadow as well, something compelled Wald to attack this man, though what it was alluded Wald for now.

A few slow blinks when the burning stopped, as Raskalarn began to command him. He was a child of the Empire, though his time was spent in the vast wilderness. She spoke of vandalism of the lands, and he slowly remembered something in his past. His side began to burn in past pains, as he reached for his left rib. Thoughts of a day long past seeped into his mind, the smell of burning, the world moving on without him. Though that was the past, Wald was grown now, stronger, smarter, he could write a wrong so long ago it seemed.

She spoke of a blessing now, was this where the sudden increase of strength came from. Yes. He may not know everything about blessings, but he knew they exhibited physical signs. Slowly the man rose his head, looking into the woman's eyes. Her deep green eyes caused the man to take a step back, as Wald could since the power in her eyes. Though he stood firm, before he turned towards the south. "I understand my Empress." His steps took him away from his camp, and the encounter he had had with the Immortal, or the vision of one. Though the task was very much real, he knew this. The thick snowing wind pelted the world around him, though he wore only menial equipment he did not feel such chills. This would help with his approach of the prey.

[Pig Boy]

An imperious drive brought Wald forth, and by the power of Raskalarn, he knew just where to find this barbarian. This treacherous baboon of a warrior would answer to his Empress' favored soul. And in time, he would reap the fruits of his raiding and pillaging. An early death would undoubtedly belong to one of them, one or the other.

But this two-legged prey was unlike many that Wald had faced before. He'd fought with pack animals, animals that fought in groups big and small. Animals that could use tools and weapons. Yet this barbarian warlord commanded the loyalty of his foolish compatriots. Through the link between the challenger's black crown, and Wald's shining circlet, the hunter of men could sense certain things about his chosen nemesis. Through the command of this hulk of a man, Wald would see that he had two dozen warriors of competent skills with him. Hardened men, he'd press-ganged into the force one time, who now followed him without question or complaint.

He'd led them to raid many, pillaging and taking what they would of the citizens of the Empire. They more than lacked morality, they knew they were wrong, yet reveled in the blackness of their own hearts.

The chosen enemy of Raskalarn was far from where Wald was, he would have to use every skill of survival that he had, and they were considerable, to find the camp. And once he did? How would he approach the attack plan?

These were no mere animals of prey or disorganized bandits. These were hardened warriors who would stop at nothing to serve their giant of a leader.

Eventually, Wald would make it to where they camped, at the foot of the mountains between the Videnese territories and the Empire. There he'd see for himself, the fortifications they'd built of wood and other stolen materials. They had pack animals and even a few domestic goats.

There was a token force of about ten or twelve warriors gathered there, and some might be in hiding elsewhere. Yet, while the favored enemy ability had led him here, he couldn't sense the barbarian leader's presence at hand. Would he seek the man out himself, or deal with these stragglers? Or did he have something else in mind?

Time was passing swiftly, and Wald would have to decide on how to proceed with his attack plan if he had one.

[Wald Lowca]

Wald would walk from his camp, into the forest that continued to give snow fall. Piles of snow would gather in between the trees, though Wald did not avoid them. He walked atop them, his feet sinking as he caused snow to run off the sides. The soft snow acted more like a liquid trying to reach lower ground, though once it found the low it was a thick solid once again. No air. No space. Pact snow was much harder then the fresh fluff most people think of.

Time seemed to pass in odd ways for the hunter, as Wald's mind became fuzzy the farther from the direct influenza of Raskalarn. His mind though still remained calm, as he started the hunt. For even though this was The Empresses mission, Karem still lent her gifts to the man. His body shed emotions away, one after another. Fear. Anger. Happiness. The emotions that make someone human, all fell to the ground like leaves in autumn. His mission was to finish his hunt, though how he will do so was not fully known to him yet.

Soon the forest relieved the fort of men, it seemed strange to watch creatures move around a wooden structure like this. Each man outside seemed to give him the pull off prey, he knew they were weaker then him. Thanks to the blessings off the Huntress, but numbers were not in his favor. Though his bow hand trembled, he knew he could take a number of them down. There was no doubt he could, but how long till they would be at his throat. He searched around looking for his target, though he was not to be seen. He knew it was there but not the exact point.

Some time later, Wald was walking up a white covered ground once again. The fort no longer ahead of him, as he walked up an incline. His footsteps were much more careful then before, he was mindful of each step he took. As where he walked not many men would treed, nor would many beasts. Soon the snow would fad to rocks, the rocks to boulders, if continued the boulders to ice. Wald stopped though, as he looked around himself. Below him laid a small dot on the landscape, a fault in the the view. He could feel he wanted to destroy it deep in his heart. Soon his eyes were brought to a boulder, only slightly larger then himself.

Wald would place both hands upon the large stone, pushing with the strength he was given. It took time, as the disturbed pebbles fell from underneath the boulder. Skipping in all directions from the site. Though soon he disturbed the boulder enough, it began to tumbled, gaining speed and momentum down the mountain. Smashing into the fresh snow as it did, a slow rumble in the ground could be felt. A large sea of white began to move below him, as the hunter smiled his sharpen teeth gleaming. A wave of snow fell from the mountain crashing into the fortress the prey though would keep him safe, swallowing the encampment in a solid cold tomb of ice.

Though Wald was never to careful, he took his bow out. He started down to ensure he finished them off from a distance. Senses open to all the information he could gather.

[Pig Boy]

Wald's trek up the mountain was difficult, but his strength and pathfinding saw him through the rough terrain. However, without the ability to climb, he wouldn't make it anywhere as high as the summit. He made it about a third of the way up before he reached an impasse, where he would not be able to proceed without climbing, a task that would've been suicidal without the accompanying skill.

Thus, when he unraveled his brilliant plan to drown the fort in a snowy avalanche, the palisade walls blocked much of the snowy drift. Half the fort was covered in snow by the time the avalanche abated, yet there were about six men free of the snow and ice, who'd sighted the direction the boulder had rolled from. These men took refuge by the far side of the palisade walls of the fort, their plan to confer and wait for the raiding parties to return, so they could make heads or tails of this mess.

With his sharp eyes, Wald could see snow shifting as men beneath the snow struggled to dig their way out. There were not just bandits underneath those snow piles, however. Beneath them, the slaves captured by the bandits also were stuck in their cages, waiting to suffocate beneath the snow. Were they subjects of the Empire? Of Viden? How far had these poor unfortunates been dragged out of the comfort of their hovels only to be buried beneath a hill of snow?

His enemy was still nowhere near to be detected, perhaps still out and about raiding.

[Wald Lowca]

Watching the view, Wald began to catch his breath for a moment. Walking down slowly to get a better view of the situation, though his mind was slowly slipping once again. The influence of the Empress on his mind staved off his internal struggle for a time. Though without the prey he was hunting for in front of him, his mind would slip from his own grip.

Taking his bow out, Wald looked at the shifting snow mounds. He knew there were likely prisoners down there as well, but he also knew now what it was like to get taken captive. Slowly he began to pull arrows back one after another, shooting into the shifting snow. This would give a mercy to those captives, and a guarantee that enemies would not emerge from the snow.

While he walked down, Wald's knee slipped from under him. He fell to one knee, as he gripped his head. "Why you here?" A child's voice spoke out to Wald. Looking to his right he saw Rasul, the child must of followed him right?

The hunter shook his head. "No... Go home you should not be here." The hunter pointed to where his camp should be, as he slowly got to his feet. Eyes trained back down to where the six men were hiding. There were patches of red snow now, as he tracked in a large circle around the camp.

The small child faded once again from Wald's mind, as he began to focus on the only men left standing for now. He readied his bow and searched for his shot, he only needed the smallest of gaps to inflict wounds on the few men.

[Strange]

Wald’s arrows flew into the snow, and with his keen hunter’s sight and mastery of his bow, they pierced into slave and men alike. For mercy.

Those who’d taken refuge by the far side of the palisade walls, took notice of this. For though they planned to wait, there was no mistaking exactly where Wald was located by the trajectory of the arrows.

In the absence of their leader, a quick debate took place between the remaining six men. Should they give fight to this lone archer? Or should they wait? Already, their supply of slaves was gone. Which meant they’d have to find more, which meant their leader would not be pleased once he returned, which meant… if they had nothing to show for it but fearful hiding…

“We can take him,” hissed a man with a thick gray beard, who peeked through a thin opening in the wall. “He’s snow-mad.”

For now, as Wald walked down, some of the surviving men could see the hunter. Through the smallest of gaps between the wooden palisades, they watched Wald slipping to his knee, holding his head, and then pointing in a direction that made no sense to those witnessing the scene. Did this odd archer know where their leader was? Was he of magic?

“You’ve got your axe?” asked the bearded man to a lithe younger fellow

“It got buried in the snow,” replied the lad, who had his own scraggly start of a beard.

“Here, son, take mine.” The bearded man had two battle-axes, and he handed an axe to the lad. In the absence of their leader, in the chaos of an assault, the natural inclination fell to this older man to take control of the situation.

One of the other men, who’d been watching through the palisade gap, told the others, “He’s seen us.”

For Wald had caught sight of the gap between the timbers, adjacent to the curve of the wall, and made direct eye contact with that man. Only a few trills remained before a tactical decision would be made.

Of the six men; he could see the man peeking through the gap; the bearded man's back; and another archer with a crossbow already aiming through his own respective gap toward Wald. The other three, including the lad, were hidden behind the actual timbers.

[Wald Lowca]

After fully recovering from the mental pull, he watched as six men began shuffling behind the wooden structure. Wald knew the number and rough location now of most of them. He began to take full aim to the men, starting with the archer who was still taking aim. Unless they were near the realm of accuracy and speed as Wald, the first volley would be for Wald. Though his bow would give a crack as it sent an arrow slipping through the air. It was sent out as Wald began to move quickly to another angle, his arrow would slip through the gaps of the wood.

The rest of the men would be hidden from sight, but not of mind. Wald began to aim his bow high, firing shot after shoot into the air. He was firing blind shots arrows whistling in the air, each one landing behind the barrier the men hid behind.

Wald's body finally started moving as the hunter wanted, his stature getting low again. He continued to fire his arrows to the men if he could still since their presence. Though with his Velduris mark, he could feel their life fall once they were slain. He would continue to get closer to the fort, if anyone else was within the fort his since of smell would root them out. It was filled sharp and within a certain distance, no one could escape his notice.

Once inside he thought of torching the fort, but instead perhaps using it as an ambush would be better. Hiding within the walls, after gathering a few of his arrows back. It was unknown to Wald just how many were left, as they were to far away from him for so long. It was best to use the element of surprise while he could.

[Strange]

Madness is such a tricky thing. What one might think happened before them, wasn't actually the case. The hunter had been far too preoccupied with viewing the slaves he'd buried before, with shooting the arrows into those unfortunate souls, for the sake of his mercy killings. While Wald had his delusions of Rasul, the men who took cover from the avalanche had long since retreated behind the palisade wall. Long before Wald had fired the first arrow into a slave.

So it was, that the six men Wald thought he watched shuffle behind the wooden structure after he'd recovered from his delusion... weren't the six men who watched Wald.

In fact, they weren't men at all. They were mere shadows, tricks of light in the glare of the snow, as the sunbeams flared the palisade's silhouette. In an ordinary state of mind, Wald would have realized this. He would have realized the signals sent to his mind weren't exactly true, but such realization meant he likely wouldn't have mistaken reality in the first place.

Because of this delusion, Wald had little idea as to the actual location of the six men. For he assumed he'd seen them shuffle - though he had not - and he assumed he knew the number - which was nothing more than a lucky guess - and as for the rough location...

...Luck, and the good fortune of his honored connection to The Huntress, granted Wald the chance of firing his bow toward the other archer.

The crossbow launched at the exact same time, whether by purpose or accident, and the respective arrows crossed paths with one another. Wald's arrow split directly through the crossbow's bolt, more strength and power behind it, and then landed in the other archer's throat.

Trills. Mere trills. As the archer fell back, arrow stuck in his throat - Wald fired another arrow and it landed in the scout's eye.

"Get back!" shouted the bearded man. He shoved at the lad for him to move.

Arrows launched above. Wald blindly shot one after the other.

Yet blind shot or not, Wald's mind had gotten scattered by his delusion. Where he thought the men were, despite the reality before him, sent his arrows into snow drifts that had no bodies there. Except for the bearded man, but by the time an arrow got sent... it did not kill. The four remaining men had taken the chance to hurry along the curve of the fort's wall.

Wald felt the life fall from two of the men. He could smell the remaining four, and the faint scent of blood as well. His blind shots had grazed one, but had not killed the man. The scents split though, in different directions. Two went further into the fort, and the other two... their scents started to become distant.

As Wald approached the fort, he was greeted to the exact location of the one who had gotten grazed. The scent of blood and anger powerful on the old man.

"Coward bastard! Yer not the first sent by Empress Bitch, and y' won't be the last!" shouted the bearded man who'd lifted from around a collapsed tent within the fort. He held up his axe and taunted, "Fight me like a man!"

[Wald Lowca]

His senses playing tricks on him, as he entered the fort. Blood drenched the air, as he followed the scent. His prey had scattered, and it would seem that he was disillusioned by something yet again. He saw a wounded man, the man began to taunt at Wald. But a simple smile sketched Wald's face, as he simply fired another shot. Piercing into the man's throat. A short comment was given as the man gurgled his breath. "You are no man, animal." Sharp fangs glistening from his mouth.

Two of the men seemed to be going off to warn some people, that was the assumption. Shaking his head he began to search for the final man, simply walking away from the man who got shot through the throat. Who would stand still for even a moment, while a man with a bow was coming to kill them. Who ever that man was did not have a good head on his shoulders. He would need to hurry and find the last man left behind, or maybe it was best for him to leave now. Knowing that they other two would give a report to whoever they had left.

Wald walked to the body of the fallen old man, pulling the arrow away. He would leave the fort for now, hiding within the wilderness would be his best strategy now, hunt them in his territory. Leaving one alive in the fort would make no difference, if he was facing down a small horde that would come in from the distance. Hunting men was no different then hunting animals for Wald, especially within the wilderness.