Death of Arick Darkfist

Leaves crushed under the feet of the heavily armored band of the Reavers as they stalked through the wood. Theolanthilis, the Infernal Champion, lead the wizard Bob the Jester, Hobbes the warrior, Donald Bain Blake the Druid and Kipp the gnomish barbarian toward the clearing that Ozzette had told them Arick Darkfist would be waiting.

As the band moved through the woods, Arick watched from behind the tree’s as they approached. Quickly he made his way back to the grove and waited. Theo spotted him just as he stepped into the clearing, and motioned to the Jester to speak. Arick leaned against a tree and listened as they prattled on about why they sought him. Finally when the long winded Jester finished Arick smiled and asked to see the warrant, thinking it might look better to destroy any warrant served. The Jester, having no warrant showed a paper from a great distant assuming Arick wouldn’t be able to make out the shopping list the Jester held out. Arick didn’t spend much time wondering why the jester would need a tube of lubricated jelly and five large zucchini, before he realized the Reavers had begun to inch closer and fan out. Arick was ready for battle but knew their magic would end the fight before he could move for than a few feet. Quickly he chanted the incantation to teleport to a safe location to set up a fight he would be more even footed. The druid also reached to the sky and threw lightning at Arick, trying to end it there, but the lightning was seconds to slow and simply cracked from the sky into the tree where Arick had just stood. Arick appeared on the other side of the grove on a trail and called out to the Reavers, letting them know which way he had gone.

Quickly Arick moved up to the head of the trail, only to see a mass of Havenswatch militia doing battle with Ogre’s and Brownies. Turning down a side trail he looked about thinking he found a safe place to set up when ahead a large ogre growled at him. Arick took on a relaxed pose and offered to help the ogre defend its lair. The ogre easily agreed with all the Havenswatch militia nearby, Arick thought now he was a bit more even footed with the Reavers and prepared. Seconds later the Theo and his group entered the mouth of the cave. The quick witted Jester began offering the Ogre shiny trinkets to turn Arick over. The druid seeing his chance began once again to call down lightning at the assassin, yet once again Arick proved too quick and nimbly jumped back out of range as lightning struck the ground only a few feet from where he had just stood. Seeing the Ogre was easily being persuaded by the Gnome jester, Arick crept out the back of the cave through a crevice. Coming up behind the Reavers he caught Kipp unaware and almost plunged his sword into the barbarian before the rest of the Reavers became aware of the assassin and once again Arick backed away, using his great endurance to put time on his side.

Ozzette crouched in the shadows of the trail as Arick came jaunting past, her keen eyes quickly ascertaining a small flaw in the back of his armor that she could use to end his misery now. Knowing that Arick wanted to die did not make it any easier on her, and she knew the reavers would not make a pleasant end to him. The Reavers followed with sweat beginning to roll down their faces as they tracked the assassin through the forest. Ozzette heard them coming and gripped the hilt of her sword tighter. As they made their way passed her she had to use all of her self control not to jump out and attack them all. She gritted her teeth knowing that this was what Arick wanted, and she shouldn’t interfere. Besides if they did manage to kill him she would rise higher among the ranks in her kingdom. After they passed she released her sword and ran her hand deep into the fur of her warg. “Let them think they have won for now” she muttered softly to it,” but in the end it will be you and me who come out on top…death after all is only the beginning” she stood and with her warg at her side began to follow them again at a distance. Finally they noticed Arick seemed to be headed back to the grove where they first encountered him and split into two groups. Arick watched from the tree’s as the Jester and the Warrior Hobbes took the back trail, while the rest followed Arick’s trail. Arick quickly sprinted off to meet up and face off with the first group. Back in the grove, Arick walked along slowly, watching the Jester and the great warrior move along. Suddenly they sighted him and charged in. Arick charged as well. Bob the Jester began charging a ball of fire in his hands as Hobbes, weighed down with much armor came up a bit slower. As the wizard charged his fireball Arick pulled a dagger from his belt and in wild abandon threw it at the wizard. Arick’s charge cost him accuracy as the dagger sailed directly at the wizard’s head. The Wizards eyes grew huge in amazement as the blade inched toward him, yet at the last second he twisted and the dagger sailed past him. Before the wizard could regain his footing Arick leapt and brought his swords down on the Jester. Arick could almost see his blades as they ripped into the Jester, until suddenly grayish blue sparks shot up from the wizards arms and stone flecks flew into the sky. Arick’s second blade also struck the wizard in the arm, and once again a skin of stone flecked away in grayish blue sparks!

Robbed of his kill, Arick hit the ground behind the wizard and turned to confront him with another assault when suddenly Hobbes rushed in blade slashing in quick movements first slashing deep into Arick’s main sword arm’s armor, then again biting deep into the flesh. Arick gritted his teeth and with his arm hanging uselessly at his side slashed back at the Sidhe with his offhand blade. Back and forth the two’s weapons lashed out only to be deflected. Arick’s blade continued to hit the warrior’s shield and finally dug deeply into Hobbes grieve. Arick looked past his opponent and saw the others coming up behind to aid their comrades and decided the odds were once again against him too greatly. Dashing backward he turned and began to sprint down the trail, he knew with a few moments of resting in a hidden spot he could rest his arm and repair the damage to it. So much magic, it would make this fight last much longer before he would finally slay these Reavers… Thinking he was easily safe from the slower Sidhe, Arick began to think of a safe place to heal his wound when suddenly from many miles away he felt the twinge of panic, yet it was hit body that felt the pain, and suddenly a ball of fire, lobed by the still standing wizard, struck Arick in the back. Fire consumed his body and many miles away his soul felt the final disconnection from the corpse that was once his body as it fell dead on the ground.

Panting with the jaunt the Reavers looked about. Thinking that perhaps that was a bit too easy, though quite worth it for them. They took no chances and pillaged everything Arick had on his body, then disgraced him more by removing his armor, leaving him in only his singed loin clothes. On Arick’s person they found a small journal and reading it, found two entries claiming fault for destroying the walls of Nexvicus as well as poisoning the militia there. Cheering they quickly drug the corpse back to the castle, looking about for any that might rob them of their kill.

As proud as dwarves finding a vein of Mithril, the Reavers dropped the corpse of Arick before Azariaz, and proclaimed his misdeeds. Theo handed the king the assassin’s journal. Azariaz read over it and nodded. He looked at the Reavers and sighed. “It is sad that one such as he could do such a thing, he will be resurrected to stand on trial and be questioned for his evils, but you have done all that I have asked and more.

“What about our adamantine Ore?” exclaimed one of the impatient Reavers. Azariaz looked back to see who had spoke before exclaiming. “I may be a dwarf, but I do not keep the precious ore on my person at all times! It will be in the treasury. I will have one of the attendants retrieve it for you. You have earned the thanks of the kingdom and it will be proclaimed that the Reavers are True Heroes of Havenswatch!”