Pashin - Camp of the Cloaked Mercenary

09 Newkolt 349 AC

The Herald's performance ran all the way up to midnight. Mercenary thugs in the employ of the Green Dragonarmy arrived shortly thereafter to extort money from the owner, Stewart Donson. Arthur, not wanting to reveal his or Agnes’s presence in the city, did not interfere, an act that sat poorly on the conscience of both travelers.

Agnes took Arthur’s hand, "My Knight, my love, we are not going to waste any more time. One of your wizard friends can send our message to my people. Right now, you and I are going to get justice for Donson and everyone else being bullied by this scum!"

In the blink of an eye, Agnes the elf-girl was gone, replaced by Ag'nesallynn the Silver Dragon.

Arthur grips the hilt of Lawbringer, the tone of his changing, becoming more resonate, "Let's go." Arthur walks out with Agnes ready to fight.

The duo takes to the air, flying low across the city, literally skimming the roofs of buildings with the dragon's leg and belly scales. They clear the city wall and catch sight of the mercenary camp, lit by a single large fire at its center. The camp is located in a snowy clearing surrounded by light woods. There is just under two feet of snow on the ground. Six, small two-man tents are scattered around the camp, while a single, larger tent stands near the fire.

As Ag'nesallynn and Arthur close on the camp, a pair of horns begin to sound as the sentries on duty raise the alarm.

As the silver dragon swoops down on the camp from the north, Arthur sets an arrow to his bow and draws it back. He looses and draws and fire twice more in rapid succession, timing his shots to match the rhythm of Ag'nesallynn's beating wings. All three of his shots strike true with the second arrow hitting the sentry in the face. That warrior topples to the ground just as Agnes unleashes a blast of frigid air at the sentry at the camp's south end. The guard attempts to flee but is bogged down by the knee-deep snow and is flash frozen in a moment.

The juvenile dragon flares her wings and drops into the camp, sending snow flying in her wake. Shouting erupts from tents as men, half-asleep and only partially dressed emerge with weapons in hand. Arthur recognizes the man who extorted money from Donson back at the Wounded Crow. He is followed by a darkly-bearded man in red robes.

Arthur switches to his sword and shield. He concentrates on his helm and vanishes, reappearing a moment later behind the red-robed man and drags Lawbringer across the wizard's throat. Sparks fly as the silvery blade scrapes across flesh as hard as stone. The man staggers forward, a thin line of blood running down his chest.

He turns and looks at Arthur, "What the hell, man?" A flick of the wizard's wrist causes a wand to drop out of his sleeve and into his hand. He points the magical stick at the knight but the archers respond more quickly, firing at Ag'nesallynn from only a few dozen feet away. She brings up her left forearm, shielding her face and eyes, blocking the missiles with her thick scales.

The mercenary leader draws his sword. The rasp of the steel blade clearing its sheath. The green-cloaked swordsman lunges, his two-handed blade slipping past Arthur’s defenses and slamming into the knight’s right greaves.

The wizard barks out a command word and five glowing pulses burst from the wand. Arthur raises his shield and attempts to parry but the missiles avoid his defenses and pelt him with mystic energy.

Agnes turns toward the archer on her left. She leaps toward him with her claws extended. He dives back into his tent as she reaches for him. Her claws close, not on empty air but on the tent's tie down lines. The silver dragon grabs the ropes are hauls on them, pulling tent stakes from the frozen ground with ease. A voice within screams as the tent collapses.

Arthur swings his blade at the wizard knowing just how dangerous they can be in battle, "Your reign over the innocent ends here!" The paladin stalks forward, unleashing a furious string of slashes and overhand chops.

Sparks fly as enchanted blade meets magically-hardened flesh, chipping away at the wizard's defenses. The mage is driven back, step-by-step, toward the cloaked fighter from the Wounded Crow. He staggers and falls onto his back, breathing heavily from the onslaught.

The three archers loose more arrows at Ag'nesallynn. Most of the shots go wide or are deflected off of her silver scales. One missile, however, lodges just beneath her shoulder, eliciting a sharp gasp of pain and drawing Arthur’s attention.

The mercenary leader lunges, trying to take advantage of Arthur’s momentary distraction. He strikes with his blade but Arthur recovers, blocking each blow with his shield.

The wizard barks the command word to his wand once more. The magical pulses batter the paladin, leaving deep bruises and driving the wind from his lungs.

The dragon hoists the felled tent and the fighter within from the ground, grips it with both of her foreclaws and swings it in an arc over her head, slamming the man within onto the frozen ground before lifting and slamming it down once more to devastating effect. The snap of bones is clearly audible, even over the screams of the fighter trapped inside.

Arthur lunges, bringing Lawbringer down one final time and slices the mage's hand from his body. A shower of blood erupts from the wound and the wizard collapses into the snow. The knight turns and slashes at the cloaked mercenary leader, striking him twice in rapid succession.

He strikes back, his sword dancing up and down, seeking an opening in Arthur’s defenses but his attacks are fended away by the knight’s shield.

Archers continue shooting at Ag'nesallynn, but she holds the tent (and the man within) before her like a shield. A shield that jerks a couple of times as she stalks toward the warriors. As she reaches the far side of the camp's fire, the dragon swings the tent in a horizontal arc at the two archers standing closest together. She doesn't hit either but they duck down and scramble to avoid the blow. She finally releases the bloodied sleeping shelter to the ground, a faint whimper still audible coming from within as it plops down into the snow.

Arthur keeps up his assault, striking again and again. His blows force the mercenary back. The paladin lands three mighty blows. The sellsword fights back, battering away with all of his might but Arthur's sword and shield are there to turn every blow

The leader finally cries out, "I yield! Men, lay down your arms!"

The archers cease firing and stand down, slowly backing away from Ag'nesallynn before placing their bows on the ground.

Ag'nesallynn bares her teeth, "The coin you have been extorting from the locals bring it to me."

Within moments, a chest is produced and thrown open, revealing a trove of coins. The dragon closes the chest and tucks it beneath one arm. "Come, my knight, let us take our leave of this filth. Their stench offends me." She turns a baleful eye upon the men, "Leave the service of the Green Dragonarmy, for we will slay you should we find you on the field of battle."