Topic: Begin the Harvest

Pharagos

Date: 2007-04-24 15:55 EST
River Row, between the West End and Old Town

Hunting in RhyDin City had become much easier of late. The recent chaos in the Temple District had opened up parts of Old Town and the West End, due to the drawdown of city guard patrols. A situation that Kam and Rellen had been exploiting to the fullest.

Tonight, for example, the two were trailing behind a young man hurrying down the waterfront, a box clutched under an arm as he made his way to work at one of the local warehouses. He wasn't worried overmuch; the path he was walking was regularly patrolled, and most knew the nightly troubles were further west in the city. A sense of security that bred carelessness.

From their vantage point on the roof the two looked down at their target, Kam giving Rellen a nudge with his elbow and nodding toward the next roof over. Heavy boots were near silent as the two sprinted for the edge, Kam leading the way in the leap across the gulf to the next warehouse. Preternatural strength made the jump easy, a three-step landing into a turn to look back at Rellen, who had just made the jump.

His feet never touched the rooftop, a hulking shadow appearing from nowhere to slam into Rellen, dragging him skyward. The young vampire had barely enough time to register the impact when pain exploded at his neck, blood flaring into the air as a large hand closed over the dark flesh and ripped away a large chunk of meat. Nerve centers, overloaded by the shock of mutilation, didn't register the rushing of air, or the impact with the water below.

"What th?" catching movement out of the corner of his eye Kam hit the rooftop in a roll, hissing as claws raked along his shoulder, slicing the leather as easy as linen. Coming up to one knee, silver flashed in the light of the two moons, the butterfly knife twirling before slapping into his hand. Several feet away his assailant turned, the heavy coat almost glowing in the moonlight before heavy wings folded over the shoulders.

There was an almost instinctual flash of hatred; fangs dropping into place as Kam crouched, slowly waving the knife in front of him, daring the other to come at him. Clawed feet crunched softly on the tar-and-gravel rooftop; the winged wolfman easing to Kam's left with a low growl. The attack came in a sudden rush, but from the side. It was only the briefest of glances, but enough to send Kam diving again to the rooftop, only to roll quickly while slashing out at the first of his attackers, who took the opportunity to charge in.

Blade met flesh and bit deep, the reflexive jerking back allowing Kam time to regain his feet. He found himself roughly between the two weres, for the two had split apart, forcing Kam to keep refocusing his attention. One would feint in, only to draw back as Kam slashed out with his knife, the other following close suit, keeping the vampire dancing. A monstrous game of cat and mouse, until the one time Kam was too slow to reposte.

The heavy arm slammed hard into his neck and upper shoulders, sending Kam to a knee with the force of the blow. It was followed immediately by another, then another still. The one he had been lunging for stepped back in, a clawed backhand sending the vampire flailing backward, only to be sent forward again by a clubbing blow to his midsection. The knife dropped, forgotten, Kam lashed out, his fingernails lengthening to draw blood as he slashed along the muscled forearm of his enemy. With a cry that was more snarl than scream, the were brought both fists together in a roundhouse that took Kam off his feet, depositing him several feet from where he had stood.

The second of the two was there, and grabbed the dazed vampire's arm, drawing it up behind his back and higher, a savage jerk filling the night with the wet crack of breaking bone. Now Kam's cry of agony filled the night, only to be cut off as the two rained blow after blow on him, only stopping when he collapsed to the roof and did not move again.

"What of the other?" The words came with a soft growl of annoyance, as the Pack-brother looked at his clawed arm, the muscles slowly shifting under the torn skin as he flexed his fingers.

"Disposed." Replied the second, kicking the supine Kam in the side. "Alpha will be pleased with this one."

"Pleased, as this one has a fighting spirit." The first agreed, reaching down to hoist the vampire up enough so its partner could grab a shoulder. "Would have been better, to have two."

"Then dive for the leech yourself." The second snarled, illiciting a snap of the jaws from the first. From a looped rope one wore as a belt manacles were taken and snapped around Kam's wrists and ankles. Using the adjoinging chains to juggle the deadweight between them, the two quickly vanished into the night on the beat of leathery wings.

And as for the young dockworker" He had heard the outcry as he neared the warehouse at which he worked, and had shaken his head in disgust, thinking the racket coming from Tennor's Rest, a rundown tavern down the row. "Stupid sailors. Always got to drink and go busting up the place.?

He would never know how this night, death had stalked him from above.

Pharagos

Date: 2007-04-28 20:43 EST
Chessek Street, near the border of the West End and Temple District. It was almost strange, how a scream carried further at night. Perhaps it was the lack of other ambient noise to interfere and drown out. Whatever the case, the scream of terror did reach the ears of Eron barVeck, who was walking a self-appointed patrol along the edge of the Temple District. He, like many, had arrived not long after the dustup in the Temple District, trying to do their part in easing the burden of the City Guard and the city's stalwart defenders as they could.

As luck would have it (darkly, he would say to himself) Eron's route around the streets always was quiet enough, and the young man longed for something to happen. Now, it seemed his wish was finally going to be granted, and he would be able to lift his head high when he attended vesper's in the morning.

Rounding the corner he spied two forms deeper into an alleyway, darker shapes in the darkness untouched by the two moons above. The young paladin acted without thought, raising a hand and pointing toward the two. "Ec"larch!" Light instantly bloomed, a small ball appearing above the two chasing away the shadows as though the afternoon sun had suddenly broke free of nights chains. There was a flash of blonde hair, terrified green eyes and small hands clutching at the massive wrist of the hand holding her against the wall. Large wings, crimson eyes blinking in sudden surprise, the canine features etched in fury as they turned on the intruder.

The light was brief, Eron's command of the spell enough for a few seconds of light. But, it had been more than enough to get the fiend's attention. Leather creaked as he tightened the hold on his warhammer and stepped closer. "Let her go, NOW!" For a second"two'silence, before a low sound came from the beast, for all the world like laughter

"As you command, holy one." The words were rough, guttural, but definitely in the Common tongue. There was a glint, even in the low light, and the beast turned and slashed an arm upward, sending a spray of dark crimson against the wall before letting the woman drop with a strangled gurgle. Deliberately provocative, it raised its paw and licked the vitae coating its claws.

The move worked. Eron charged forward with a shout, warhammer gripped with both hands as he moved toward the beast. It wasn't a blind charge however, and the paladin skidded to a stop, turning and bringing his warhammer around in a smooth motion to strike down the black figure that had swept in behind him. The hammer with with a solid thud, and the force of this new enemy's attack along with the hammer's sent both wheeling away. Eron hit the wall hard, his armor grating hard against the brick, while the one he had struck slammed into a stack of crates, sending planks flying in all directions.

The other took advantage of the momentary distraction, leaping forward as Eron stumbled away from the wall. Again acting without thought the young man brought his hand up again, channeling the power of his god into the gesture, Muscles locked in midmove, and the almost-gleaming eyes would have widened in surprise had the body been willing. Again the hammer was brought around, and now the beast was the one bouncing off the wall, careening into a second blow that sent it sprawling.

"Bastard!" As much hate and fury that the paladin could feel colored that one word, and Eron advanced, bringing his weapon around as he stood over the fallen fiend. "You're going back to whatever hell spawned you!" Teeth gritted, he brought his hammer back and around, and nearly fell over completely backward as the hammer was jerked from his hold from behind.

Pharagos

Date: 2007-04-28 20:49 EST
"We Are hell, human." Rough words, as a heavy fist caught Eron's chin, sending him backwards into a stumble that was not helped by hitting the sprawled form in the alley. Tossing the gleaming hammer it had taken from the paladin aside, a third beast closed in on the scrabbling Eron, who was trying to clear the cobwebs from his head as he pulled himself up on the remains of the packing crates. And that put him within reach of the one he had struck down a moment before, the beast snarling in fury as a heavy foot kicked out, spinning Eron around with a screech of claws against metal.

Blinking rapidly in pain, Eron fell back, knowing the odds had shifted against him with two of the things stalking him. A paladin is never without hope, one of his teachers had once told him, and he took comfort as he again felt his god's presence. Channeling that power, a glowing hammer sprang into being in his hands, and Eron sent it whirling end over end at the beasts, catching one in the shoulder in a brilliant flash of light and a screech of pain.

Weaponless, Eron glanced aside, and spotted a loose board knocked from the packing crates earlier. He swiftly bent down to grab it, but the second of inattention was the opening the fiend still standing had needed, and a heavy body crashed into Eron, sending both tumbling into the hard-packed earth. The young man punched and pummeled at his attacker, but the weight advantage was with his opponent, and was only magnified when the one he had hit with the mystical hammer stumbled back over, lending it's fist and foot to the beating.

"Stop!" The single word, ending in a rough cough, brought both to a halt, each looking over a massive shoulder as the one Eron had paralyzed with his symbol slowly came to its feet, favoring it's right arm. "We need him alive!"

"He is meat, for the slaughter!" the second of the Pack snarled, lifting the nearly-unconscious paladin aloft by one of the spaulders of his armor.

"Prey, for the harvest!" the third agreed, the black spot over his shoulder where the hammer had expended it's power visible even in the low light. He reached over and pulled back Eron's head by his hair, exposing the paladin's throat.

"He is life for the first of our new Pack!" Pharagos growled, pointing back into the alleyway, where the girl he had nearly torn atwain lay. "You want blood" Then feed!" The two pack-brothers looked at one another, and as one they hurried around Pharagos. The leader of the Pack turned to watch as his brothers fell upon the woman, ignoring the once soft whimper before one tore out her throat, sending blood and gibbets of flesh flying, the other gnawing on one of the unfortunate's arms. "Leave enough for her to be recognized."

As his brothers fed Pharagos walked over to where Eron still lay, a heavy foot sending the young paladin skidding against the wall and bringing a snarl of pain and annoyance from the Pack-leader. Reaching down, claws curled around the edge of the neckpiece of Erons armor, using it as leverage to hoist the beaten paladin against the wall. "Oh holy one, you will soon know power undreamed." Holding him with one hand Pharagos reached to the rough-cord belt looped around his waist, drawing out Uthek's Flask and popping the top. "Power is in the blood, blood is the bringer of life."

Massive jaws opened, and the brilliant flow from the flask poured over the sharp teeth, dribbling down his chest as much as sliding down the open throat. Power flowed in that fountain, aiding the already-formidable regenerative powers in knitting bones and tissue. The Black King's eyes rolled back as a growl of dark ecstasy escaped him, the oversized canines dropping in the moment of vitae-fueled gluttony.

The shouts and sounds of running feet nearly escaped him, and it was only the glow of lantern light growing on the wall that snapped him out of his momentary trance. "Brothers, fly!? the command would have been unintelligible to anyone hearing, but the pack-brothers instantly leapt from their meal, claws scrabbling at the sides of the buildings bordering the alley as they headed for the roof. Pharagos was slower in his ascent, hampered by dragging Eron's dead weight, but the blood he had taken from the flask embued him, and near the top he heaved the unconscious man upward into the waiting arms of his brothers. He moved over the lip of the roof just as the patrol, having seen the flash of Eron's Hammer of Wrath from across the river and hurried to cross as quick as they could, turned into the alley.