jaggedwolf (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jaggedwolf) wrote2018-11-16 12:04 am
jaggedwolf) wrote2018-11-16 12:04 am
Entry tags:
Ficlet | Bears | The Strange Case of Starship Iris
As the bandits dove out of the woods, Krejjh cracked their knuckles. Been a while since they’d gotten to enjoy a good fight. Not that these guys would be that much fun to deal with, they seemed disappointingly run-of-the-mill. Not even a spell-caster among them, or at least one uninterested in putting on a show.
Krejjh kept their back against the edge of the wagon, Translator Jeeter’s back pressing back from within it. They could feel the movement of Translator Jeeter rapidly opening his spellbook, probably looking for something awesomely helpful. Not real likely, given he just started.
That was okay. Better than okay, it was great, because it meant the three of them would handle it without Translator Jeeter or their new friend getting involved at all.
Krejjh surveyed the bandits surrounding them. Most of them had stopped in their tracks at the sight of Krejjh. Not every day they saw a drow. Krejjh’s scimitar popped into existence in their right hand with a faint purple glow as they screeched a terrible noise. Man, would their throat hurt later, but Lieutenant Patel had been right about the idea. Couple of the bandits threw down their weapons and started running away. People believed the weirdest shit about drow.
They looked back over their friends. Lieutenant Patel had already disappeared, and Captain Tripathi stood on the opposite side of the wagon, sword and shield drawn. The usual plan, then, with one more noncombatant to protect. Scholar Liu was frozen in place as far back into the wagon as she could be, her eyes wildly taking in the danger she was in. She was smart, right? Maybe at the end of this she’d have figured out why a bunch of bandits would risk attacking them.
A traded glance of understanding with Captain Tripathi and Krejjh bounded away towards the bandits, hexing one of them with a blast of purple energy and then carving into his shoulder with the scimitar. He dropped immediately, and Krejjh moved on to the next silly foe still looking for a fight.
From behind them Krejjh heard hideous laughter and then it stopping as suddenly as is started. Lieutenant doing her thing. This’d be a short fight, Krejjh thought, dispatching another pair of bandits.
A knife flew past them, hitting the outside of wagon instead. Got Translator Jeeter’s and Scholar Liu’s attention, certainly, but not much else. Captain Tripathi hadn’t even noticed, too busy sending someone flying backwards with a bash of her shield.
Krejjh smirked. “Ha! You missed! C'mon folks-”
The knife shattered.
Shards of ice flew everywhere, and all Krejjh could do was watch as Scholar Liu successfully ducked down to dodge it, and Translator Jeeter didn’t, still staring in the other direction at his stupid spellbook. The shards pierced his back. He toppled over in surprise, landing face down on the wagon’s floor.
A cry left Krejjh’s throat at the sight. No. They took a step towards him when the sound a sword swinging through the air and a grunt caught their ear behind them. Krejjh spun back, barely fending off the overhead strike with their own blade.
Oh, this guy was a funny-looking fellow. Not because he was an orc - Krejjh had fought beside many an orc, and they were surprisingly down for a good celebration - but because the expression on his face looked all wrong. Not sure what, but something was up. On the bright side, it looked like all the other bandits had been taken care of.
Krejjh was still holding off the blow, straining their ears for sounds from the wagon, when Lieutenant Patel darted out of the shadows to slide a dagger between the orc’s ribs.
Lieutenant Patel turned to scowl at Krejjh, hissing “Don’t get distracted.”
“Then don’t distract me!” Krejjh finally shoved the orc’s sword off their scimitar with a heave. The injury barely slowed the orc down as it struck out with a leg to kick Lieutenant Patel right in the gut and send her flying backwards.
“Dude, what are yo-”
“Violet, do-”
Captain Tripathi and Translator Jeeter’s intermingled, interrupted cries rang out. Krejjh turned around, scimitar ready to strike whoever was threatening the wagon.
Instead, it was only Violet walking. Straight towards the orc with clenched fists and heavy breaths.
“Hey!” said Krejjh, “Glad you’re less terrified, but maybe try staying back there with the others?”
A quick glance back at the orc revealed he was poking at the dagger in his chest, blood oozing out around it, but Krejjh’s words seemed to have grabbed his attention. He charged.
Krejjh dodged out of the way, realizing too late that they’d left Violet exposed. Shoot. They were so not used to this whole fighting around noncombatants thing.
They sputtered dirt out of their mouth as they got back to their feet. Violet could dodge things, right? She’d be fine. Definitely. Krejjh’s gaze tracked the orc, looking for Violet to either side or on the ground only to find…a bear.
A giant grizzly bear that was tearing into the orc with claws and teeth. And no sign of Violet.
Translator Jeeter was staring in shock at the bear, and Captain Tripathi looked like she had only just realized something really obvious.
Krejjh grinned as they leapt into the fray. Turning into a bear was way better than dodging. They’d have to find out what other animals Violet could do.
Krejjh kept their back against the edge of the wagon, Translator Jeeter’s back pressing back from within it. They could feel the movement of Translator Jeeter rapidly opening his spellbook, probably looking for something awesomely helpful. Not real likely, given he just started.
That was okay. Better than okay, it was great, because it meant the three of them would handle it without Translator Jeeter or their new friend getting involved at all.
Krejjh surveyed the bandits surrounding them. Most of them had stopped in their tracks at the sight of Krejjh. Not every day they saw a drow. Krejjh’s scimitar popped into existence in their right hand with a faint purple glow as they screeched a terrible noise. Man, would their throat hurt later, but Lieutenant Patel had been right about the idea. Couple of the bandits threw down their weapons and started running away. People believed the weirdest shit about drow.
They looked back over their friends. Lieutenant Patel had already disappeared, and Captain Tripathi stood on the opposite side of the wagon, sword and shield drawn. The usual plan, then, with one more noncombatant to protect. Scholar Liu was frozen in place as far back into the wagon as she could be, her eyes wildly taking in the danger she was in. She was smart, right? Maybe at the end of this she’d have figured out why a bunch of bandits would risk attacking them.
A traded glance of understanding with Captain Tripathi and Krejjh bounded away towards the bandits, hexing one of them with a blast of purple energy and then carving into his shoulder with the scimitar. He dropped immediately, and Krejjh moved on to the next silly foe still looking for a fight.
From behind them Krejjh heard hideous laughter and then it stopping as suddenly as is started. Lieutenant doing her thing. This’d be a short fight, Krejjh thought, dispatching another pair of bandits.
A knife flew past them, hitting the outside of wagon instead. Got Translator Jeeter’s and Scholar Liu’s attention, certainly, but not much else. Captain Tripathi hadn’t even noticed, too busy sending someone flying backwards with a bash of her shield.
Krejjh smirked. “Ha! You missed! C'mon folks-”
The knife shattered.
Shards of ice flew everywhere, and all Krejjh could do was watch as Scholar Liu successfully ducked down to dodge it, and Translator Jeeter didn’t, still staring in the other direction at his stupid spellbook. The shards pierced his back. He toppled over in surprise, landing face down on the wagon’s floor.
A cry left Krejjh’s throat at the sight. No. They took a step towards him when the sound a sword swinging through the air and a grunt caught their ear behind them. Krejjh spun back, barely fending off the overhead strike with their own blade.
Oh, this guy was a funny-looking fellow. Not because he was an orc - Krejjh had fought beside many an orc, and they were surprisingly down for a good celebration - but because the expression on his face looked all wrong. Not sure what, but something was up. On the bright side, it looked like all the other bandits had been taken care of.
Krejjh was still holding off the blow, straining their ears for sounds from the wagon, when Lieutenant Patel darted out of the shadows to slide a dagger between the orc’s ribs.
Lieutenant Patel turned to scowl at Krejjh, hissing “Don’t get distracted.”
“Then don’t distract me!” Krejjh finally shoved the orc’s sword off their scimitar with a heave. The injury barely slowed the orc down as it struck out with a leg to kick Lieutenant Patel right in the gut and send her flying backwards.
“Dude, what are yo-”
“Violet, do-”
Captain Tripathi and Translator Jeeter’s intermingled, interrupted cries rang out. Krejjh turned around, scimitar ready to strike whoever was threatening the wagon.
Instead, it was only Violet walking. Straight towards the orc with clenched fists and heavy breaths.
“Hey!” said Krejjh, “Glad you’re less terrified, but maybe try staying back there with the others?”
A quick glance back at the orc revealed he was poking at the dagger in his chest, blood oozing out around it, but Krejjh’s words seemed to have grabbed his attention. He charged.
Krejjh dodged out of the way, realizing too late that they’d left Violet exposed. Shoot. They were so not used to this whole fighting around noncombatants thing.
They sputtered dirt out of their mouth as they got back to their feet. Violet could dodge things, right? She’d be fine. Definitely. Krejjh’s gaze tracked the orc, looking for Violet to either side or on the ground only to find…a bear.
A giant grizzly bear that was tearing into the orc with claws and teeth. And no sign of Violet.
Translator Jeeter was staring in shock at the bear, and Captain Tripathi looked like she had only just realized something really obvious.
Krejjh grinned as they leapt into the fray. Turning into a bear was way better than dodging. They’d have to find out what other animals Violet could do.