Winstrom's Tales#1 part 2: New friends.
The group looked around at his new environment. Shocked by this sudden change in scenery, he exclaimed loudly,"Where did you take us?!!" Winstrom merely smile at Trim's comment swiftly turned to face them.
"Welcome , my friends to Oaken bridge, home of the not-so well renowned Goran Butt-head....sorry I meant Goran Headbutt!" Winstrom shouted the last bit, his voice echoing through the dilapidated structure of the abandoned town.He gestured all around the ancient town, the collapsed wooden settlements, wooden planks hanging at crooked angles against their base, dust and cob-webs spewed in between planks, weaving an eerie blanket of webs.
"Seems pretty deserted." Shadox replied softly but his voice rang loudly in the desolate town.
"Well, after all it's inhabitants left in their exodus that ultimately led to Brackenridge." Winstrom replied casually
"Exodus? From what?" Helfdane asked bewildered by this new piece of information.Then a large grumbling noise came about and a large skittering frenzy could be heard and grunts of goblins hidden in the collapsed shadows.
"We'll soon find out." Winstrom said calmly, bringing out a flute from a pocket in his garb. "How about a nice song about this grand encounter?"he asked smiling mischievously, as his companions readied for battle and brandished their weapons.
"Just don't get yourself killed," Helfdane said.
"Don't worry," The bard replied bringing out a dagger from another pocket, "I can handle myself." Then A large swarm of long-legged spiders,black bodied with a red arrowhead emblem on their large abdomen,raised in a threatening posture and shaking, readying for a barrage of silky missiles.The group stayed close together,Helfdane charges his horn ready to unleash it healing blow
SHREEEEEE-YOOOOOOH
A piercing whistle bursts through suddenly, making Helfdane loose his focus and miss charge the horn. Helfdane wasn't the only one out of phase, The skitterers began shaking as if stunned then suddenly a yellow arc whips across and they lay as pile of dust beside Winstrom's feet, his blade now whirring with arcane magic. "What are you waiting for?FIGHT!"
The party , now emboldened by their bard,charge forth into the horde of skitterers, Axes flying and Guns blazing as Winstrom continued his song with it's short sharp shrills and peaks invigorating his allies making it hit more precise and critically, and charging his blade with yellow energy.As the swarm turned their attention to him ,he dashed onward in a speed that could have been mistaken for teleporting and leaving them a smoldering pile of ash.The battle went on and they slowly thinned the skitterers.
"Keep pushing!" Helfdane yelled smashing the arachnids under his large blade, "We almost have them!"
"This just can't be it." Shadox said, launching a fireball at a bundle of skitterers,"I mean they are controlled by something right?"
Suddenly, out of the shadows, Arrows pierced through the skies and hailed down upon them. Luckily Helfdane charged his horn to shield them. "You had to ask!" Trim shouted.They heard the familiar grumble of goblins as they burst through the ancient structures and into the fray.
The goblin grumbled as always and pointed their spears ,dripping with a red toxin.They advanced forward bobbing their spears up and down as more goblins from the back circled around with red-tainted arrows.They significantly bigger than that of Brackenbrigde Forest's but nonetheless they were just plain goblins with pointy spears ,Trim though."I'll handle them!", he shouted erupting into a gale and clash in the goblin lines.
But these were no mere Goblins, they quickly formed a shield wall and took the brunt of the gale-force staggering back under the force .Then pushed back much to his dismay with with an equally tremendous force and began stabbing with fast precision, the spear points darting around like many snake's tongues sampling the little blue mage. Winstrom quickly dashed..no teleported to his side creating a large air fluctuation of energy ,forcing the horde back and making them dance.He quickly grabbed Trim's arm and walked out, buffed by another inspiring song.
"You okay?' Winstrom asked whilst dodging more firing arrows.He saw no blade has met its mark.
"Yeah..just...worn.." Trim replied raggedly breathing. The both reached their friends, dodging more arrows and spears.
"There are too many of them," Helfdane said catching a strike on the hilt of his axe and pushing back."More importantly, what are they? These are no goblins I've seen."
"That's because Goren exterminated these species...or so we thought." Winstrom replied solemnly, looking at the advancing horde of goblins and skitterers pursuing them in their crazed onslaught.
"How do you know all this?",Helfdane inquired.
"I'll tell you later,first we need to survive..." , then disaster struck.Trim collapsed showing a small cut ripped through his garb and skins.The wound had turned into a shade of dark black with crimson liquid using out. A large roar went through the horde,the party turned to see the goblins move into orderly ranks with one yelling command. "CHARGE ONWARD!" in a gruesome goblinoid voice.
Winstrom shouted at the peak of his voice "RUN!", Helfdane quickly carried Trim on his back and they all retreated away from the onslaught.
'Where are we going!?" Shadox shouted frantically trying to keep his hat from falling off.
'Just follow me, I know where to go." He blew a small trumpet, which he probably had in some hidden pocket, and made them move faster.They reached the far-end of the forsaken town of Oaken brigde and plunged into the forest and its labyrinth of entangled trees.
(Continues in part 3)
