TSoU Prelude 2 – A Walk in the Woods [Tang]

Tang pushes aside a branch in front of his face with a slow move of his gauntleted hand, careful not to break the thin wood. Although his footprints are clearly visible in the soil, he is a big man in full-armour after all, there is no need to make the job of trackers easier. Not that there are any trackers either. It’s a simple showing of discipline to the three new recruits that are with him. They recently had the Dragonbone implanted into them but were still in basic training. A sign of how grim Ulal viewed the situation.

He is on patrol in these forests for a multitude of reasons. Scouting, his official mission, but also searching for interesting plant life for Aclysia and Catherine, marking tress that should be culled down before the enemy can use them as firewood once they arrive. The most important reason however would be to get used to the second iteration of the glass armour he is wearing. Ulal added an enchantment linked to the Dragonbone inside Tang’s right arm. The details don’t matter much to Tang. He has tried to understand magic, he failed. Instead the general will stay with what he can understand: Warfare and Philosophy.

The wind suddenly turns and blows into his face. Cold, harsh and pulling a the last leaves of the surrounding trees, dark brown and golden they tumble through the air. “Do you smell that?” One of his fellow Houndred whispers. Tang takes a deep breath, indeed the turning wind has filled the air with another note. “Smoke.” He grunts silently. He makes a few gestures and all of them draw their weapons, the enormous battle axes formed after their Lord’s weapon.

They don’t even try to sneak as they follow the smell. It would have been completely useless, for one because they were chosen, men and women alike, because of their physical superiority but also because the dark blue armour doesn’t make for very good camouflage. Not before night-time anyway.

A last bush robs Tang of most of his sight. Through the many intertwined branches he sees the silhouette of a man sitting in front of a flickering fire. A quick strike of his axe and the bush becomes a clutter of wood that flies to the side, allowing him to step on the small glade behind.

His view now unobscured Tang realizes how big the man is. A giant, black fur cloak around his shoulders to stave of the cold, slowly lowering a helmet of silver and black on his head as Tang approaches. He stands up and Tang stops. Without turning the figure says. “Stop there. It is unwise to come any closer.” His warning voice a low, deep rumble.

Tang never thought the day would come that somebody towers over him. Clutching his weapon but still remaining still he raises his own voice. “Trespasser. You are in the domain of Lord Ulal. Leave or explain.” He takes a battle stance, one of his feet stepping forward, breaking a small branch. The giant is a man, that much is certain, so him being with Estara is unlikely, but being cautious is part of Tang’s orders. ‘Trust nothing.’ Ulal had advised after promoting him to general, ‘There are other forces than Estara that are threatening me after all.’

At the sound of the branch snapping the figure stiffens. “So, you are not a wise man after all.” A sudden whirl and Tang finds himself blocking the strike of a massive sword arcing down unto his head. For a split second he sees the man, the black steel, etched finely in silvers of his armour. Tang blocks the strike of the giant with the head of his axe. Called nearly unbreakable by his Lord the axe shatters under the force of the strike, however managing to halt the momentum. Tang’s eyes widen as the shards tumble through the air, the world seems to move at a snail’s pace, only the figure moving normally as he moves into a punch.

The giant’s black clad fist connects with Tang’s breastplate. The sound of a ringing bell accompanies his sudden journey into a tree behind him. The impact sends a shockwave through his head, blinding him as his eyes try to recover. His hearing however works perfectly. His comrades footsteps as they charge followed by the rasp of steel on glass. Then two sickening crunches.

Tang blinks a few times, his vision returning to him. First thing he sees clearly is the giant slamming his mailed fist into the face of his last standing ally. Again, the crunching sound rings through the forest as the man’s neck snaps and he hits the ground to never get up again.

Tang slowly rises, steeling himself for his last stand. Whoever or whatever this man was, he was powerful enough to take down three, four if he counted himself, of the Houndred in an exchange that couldn’t have lasted more than twenty seconds. It was here or never that he would have to use the new power granted to him by Lord Ulal.

“For the new order.” Tang groans, his lungs burning from the previous punch. A sudden rush of energy fills him. The world looking so much cleared, his muscles filled with strength but at the same time his breaths are so much quickens, exhausting almost. Ulal warned him that this was a short-time solution so he wastes no time and charges the figure.

The speed is overwhelming, too overwhelming for him in fact. He isn’t used to this kind of speed, the swing of his broken axe being powerful enough to cleave lesser soldiers without a blade even. Yet, the figure raises his arm in time to block the strike and the black glass shatters at the impact with the dark steel.

However, Tang had expected as much and twists his weight into and arcing punch, aimed at the giant’s faceplate. This blow finally connects and although he doesn’t do immediate damage he throws the giant of balance for long enough to follow up with two more heavy punches. Again, they connect, but the giant shrugs them off with some effort, his balance returning as his feet stomp onto the ground.

The third punch, Tang realizes to late, would be intercepted and he finds his arm in the grip of his opponents superhumanly powerful hands. Tang flies as the giant throws him. Stumbling over the floor, brown of the ground and white of the clouds fill his vision. He comes to a halt, finds a footing. Just for a moment.

A roar, Tang looks up, the giant flying at him, fist raised. The flying punch hits him square at the side of his helmet and sends him to the ground yet again. Tang tries to get up as quickly as possible but the weight of the giant suddenly pushes him down. A series of savage strikes against the helmet ensues. Each shockwave threatens to put Tang into unconsciousness as a network of cracks grows and finally the glass gives in.

The final safety enchantment triggers, glass exploding outwards as to not harm the wearer. The blue shards fly about wildly, a few sparking of against the giant’s black armour as the giant drew his fist back once more for what would be the final strike.

“Wait, Ulric!” A sudden shout and the giant halts in his movement. Tang can’t see the new arrival but he is thankful for the interception. “Doesn’t that sigil look familiar?” The giant looks over, then he looks at Tang’s own shoulder plate. The three eyes of his Lord in golden.

“Why do you wear the sigil of Uklag?” The giant asks. Tang gathers his thoughts; the repeated impacts having made thinking a bit difficult. Uklag? He has never heard that name before, or did he? Didn’t Alratha once say that name? What did she say? He can’t remember, she talks to much to remember every detail. “Not the sigil of Uklag. It is the sigil of Lord Ulal. Regent over Ultopja.” He says. The giant hesitates for a moment, Tang believes to see his eyes narrowing through the visor. “Something isn’t right. Take me to this Lord Ulal.”

Tang looks over to his fallen comrades. He will need to have their bodies retrieved later. In his current position, he only has the choice between obeying and dying. If he dies here four Dragonbones are lost. Better to guide this giant into his own demise and face the shame of defeat. “Yes.”