Agent Down ((Closed))

[Breaker]

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Through the constant sucking noise caused by the odd black portal, a sharp high pitched beeping could be heard by all present. A green light flashed in time with the beeping, signifying that everything was okay, that the mission was about to begin. The portal was simply a circle in the air, seemingly just a black void, a gap in reality where nothing existed. Strangely, it was not the centre of attention. A young man was preparing to step into the dangerous void, the void which had already apparently claimed the lives of two people. Several scientists in their stereotypical white lab coats circulated, checking machinery, taking down notes, generally just making sure that the portal was stable. Behind a foot thick wall of glass sat Dr. Barnaby Wells, and Head Agent Genvieve Aneed. Both looked nervous, afraid even, and seeing expressions of that sort on the faces of two such brave people would be enough to dishearten anyone. Their faces, each masked grimly, had odd shadows cast upon them. There were many floodlights stationed around the room, but the portal seemed to suck up light, all the while droning away with its odd noise, drawing the young man forwards. He might have been the centre of attention in that room, but the portal was his centre of attention.

"Shit."

With the straps of his Gore-Tex backpack cutting into his shoulders, Joshua Cronen stood tall and confident, the way he had been taught. He was careful that his face remained completely neutral, as devoid of emotion as the black portal which he was about to enter. With calm, steady hands he buckled the waist strap of his backpack, easing the pain from his shoulders and adding to his mobility. He had checked the contents of the pack countless times, and knew that everything was in there. His single steel nunchaku was strapped to his left forearm, comfortably heavy. The man refused to let himself wonder what awaited him on the other side, or if there even was another side to the portal. He had wondered enough on that topic, and at any rate, he was not being paid to think about that. The scientists were, and the sweat beading on their foreheads was enough to tell Josh that they were doing their job well. And that he was taking a great risk.
"Well, I wouldn't have signed up to be an Agent if I wanted to live forever... heh." Even in his mind, Josh liked to joke around, as though he was some brave ancient warrior who would toy with death. "I doubt that anyone in the world has ever been like that. No one should take death lightly." With his last grim thoughts, Josh squared his shoulders towards the portal and began the longest.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

It should have been hard to walk towards the circle of black danger. It should have been easy to turn and run, to stand down and simply say "I can't do this." Everyone would have understood. But Josh couldn't do it. He felt the slight physical tug of the portal, egging him on, trying hard to draw him into its writhing dark depths. He felt as well his own mental pull, towards danger, towards the unknown, and towards keeping his word; what he considered his word of honor. "Chivalry is dead." The young man reminded himself. That had been a favorite phrase of one of his Agent Training instructors. "Chivalry is dead." The man had always said, "If a woman points a gun at your head, you shoot her. If you have a choice between saving the damsel in distress or the carload of civilians, you go with the carload. You need to prioritize, get things straight in your head. Otherwise, you'll never survive in our dangerous world." A slight smile tugged at the corner of Joshua's mouth, rustling the two day's growth of moustache. The smile disappeared, and his face resumed its well-trained neutrality as he arrived before the portal.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

"That beeping is like one of those hospital machines. Measuring someone's heart rate. Steady..." It was as Joshua Cronen imagined that the machine was measuring his own heart rate that the steady beeping seemed to explode. A frantic, high pitched siren rang through the building, pounding in Josh's ears, filling his conscious mind. Dreadful flashing red lights lit every shadow where the floodlights did not reach, criss crossing the young man's vision. Suddenly, he no longer felt a mental attraction to the portal. It was just dangerous. Dangerous and stupid, incredibly, terribly stupid. But as his mental pull vanished, the physical one quadrupled, forcing him to stumble forwards. There were voices screaming in his ears, frantic yelling, mingling horribly with the screaming sirens. There was another great tug, and Joshua pitched forwards. His vision whirled, a grey lab and red lights suddenly replaced by a darkened forest glade. Then darkness began to rush in upon him, filling his eyes, clogging his breathing, forcing the life from his very body. A single phrase lingered in the void which surrounded Joshua as he lost consciousness in an unknown land.

"Agent down, Jenny. We've lost him."

[Breaker]

From the depths of a forced sleep, Joshua began to stir. It was hours after he had had the accident with the portal, and in the strange wooded realm, the sun was already well established in the sky. The young agent lay on his back, his face sheltered from the sunlight by the shade of a large oak tree. Slowly, blackness became grey, and Joshua's eyes began to open. His vision was blurred, at first, but he lay still, allowing his body to recuperate, and eventually his eyes were able to open fully. The grey shadowy shapes sharpened and became colorful. He was staring upwards through a keen network of branches. They wove in an out of each other, like the weaving of some crazy quilt, each different yet fitting in together. The branches were covered by a kaleidoscope of colorful leaves, each one with its own unique shape, almost like a snowflake. Josh's well trained mind registered the information as his sharp eyes blinked twice, taking it all in. Every muscle in his body groaned, as though he had been thrown to the ground. "I probably was." Groaning, and defying his body's reluctance, Josh attempted to rise, and failed. Twice more he tried to regain his feet, but could not. "What's wrong with me?" He wondered. His mind was still slightly scattered, so he made an attempt to gather his wits. "Right. First things first... take stock of situation. Not too difficult... I'm in a forest." The Agent's head turned left and right, his eyes settling on various objects and identifying them. "There's a rock on one side of me, and a tree on the other. Good. Now, why can't I get up?" The man's powerful abdominals bunched as he did a half sit-up, bending himself into a position where he could see his legs. "Oh... Because there's a rock on my leg."

Josh was used to doing upwards of two hundred sit ups a day, but completing just one, with his back aching and a boulder pinning his left leg to the ground, seemed like the biggest workout of his life. Once there, he gripped the boulder which had him pinned, panting slightly, and sizing up the situation. The rock was not actually on top of his leg, but it looked as if he had been slammed powerfully into the base of the boulder, and that because of that, his leg had become firmly wedged beneath it. Wincing, Josh felt his right leg. It was bruised, like the rest of him, but otherwise unharmed. His left leg was completely numb. "I guess I should be gracious for small mercies... but once I get this boulder off my leg, I don't think I even want to look at it." Grunting with exertion, Josh heaved sideways on the boulder, but could scarcely budge it. He pushed against it a few more times, but found it as immovable as ever. Defeated, he slumped against it, breathing hard and feeling completely helpless. "Come one. He urged himself, "No one else is going to help you out of this one... this is some real life danger. You don't know if there are any kinds of dangerous animals around here, or if it's going to rain and drown you..." Suddenly, Josh's skin went from its usual light tan to a strange glowing gold color. He heaved against the boulder once more, and rolled it aside without too much difficulty. Keeping his hands on the large stone, he hauled himself upright using pure upper body strength, and leaned heavily against the oak tree which was casting him in shade. The leg which had been pinned, his left leg, still felt rather numb, but he could feel a smattering of pain growing across his shin and quadricep. Josh was still uncertain of how he did it, but years ago, he had found a way to double his strength at any given time. The only visible difference was how his skin changed color. Normally, he young man didn't like using the strange ability, for fear that it would separate him from other humans. "Oh well... desperate times call for desperate measures." Grinning in spite of himself, Josh reached up above his head and snapped off a solid oaken branch. Held in the right fashion, it made a sufficient crutch. "Now it's time to find out where I am."

After casting about a bit, Josh was able to figure which way the land sloped. It was very gradual, but he was on a very slight hill. Never afraid to walk the easier path, Josh began moving downhill, leaning heavily on his makeshift crutch. It was very solid wood, and didn't bend even when he put most of his weight on it. The man was afraid to try using his injured leg, and so he made his way awkwardly be hopping, using the branch for balance. It was lucky that the forest was not too thick, and Josh ventured to hope that this meant he was nearing a stream or river. "I could go for a drink right about now..." He thought of the ration pack, inside his knapsack, but did not want to slow his momentum, fearing that if he stopped he would never get started again. This mentality developed into a feverish haste to get nowhere. The injured Agent stumbled along, barely keeping his feet, not noticing that the land was beginning to incline much more sharply. Suddenly, the earth disappeared, and Josh found himself momentarily airborne, before he landed with a thud in wet sand.

Crying out in joy, Josh rolled over swiftly, twice, until he could put his face into the stream. He drank deeply, allowing the water to wash the grit and sweat from his face as he enjoyed the cold, sweet taste of the spring. Finally, he rolled away again, having drank his fill, and stood up. With the oaken branch still in one hand, Josh took a step in the direction which the water was flowing. One step he took, and in doing so transferred all his weight onto his left leg. Without a sound, Josh dropped to the ground for the second time that day, having fainted from sheer pain.

[Breaker]

The river ran on, with the earthling laying dead to the world next to it. The sun rose to its peak, and began its descent again, but still the Canadian Agent slept, his body recuperating from the heavy trials of the day. Unfortunately for him, a stranger's presence would never go unnoticed for long in that area of Concordia. Men came to the place where he lay, humans which were similar to him in every way possible. They approached the fallen Agent fearlessly, feeling like gods in their group, and on their own terrain. There were eight of them in total, all with swords of varying lengths on their hips, and most of them carrying some other form of weapon, or a shield. Their garments were civilized, but dirty and torn in various places, showing that they were not of upper society. Their leader, a small, thin man carrying a small bolas in his left hand, attempted to roll Joshua over, but failed. The earthling's dead weight, alongside the manner in which his body had sunk into the wet sand would clearly require a stronger arm to move. The thin man was not about to allow his underlings to see him fail though, so rather than moving Josh, he scooped up a handful of water and sprinkled it onto the young man's face. Joshua's eyes snapped open, and he reacted immediately. The sight of a dirty man carrying a primitive weapon drove him to assume he was being attacked. Both the young man's arms shot up in a double palm strike to the dirty leader's narrow chest. The smaller man was launched a full three feet into the air, and from that height he came crashing down on his back into the river, unable to breathe from the trauma his chest had received. One of his underlings ran to help him, while the other six readied their weapons and pressed in on Joshua, who was just beginning to sit up.

It took a full second for Josh to scramble up to his knees, and by that time, his attackers were practically upon him. The Special Agent could feel a sharp throb in his left leg, and knew that he would not be able to rise to his feet. The first man who reached him attempted to take advantage of Josh’s position, swinging a beheading stroke with his longsword while still running forwards, and guarding his face with his shield. Josh put the stick he had been using as a cane to good use, this time as a staff. He spun the stout oak hard, hitting the flat of the man’s sword blade and driving it upwards. This caused the man to overextend on his swing, giving Josh a simple opening. The other end of his makeshift staff nestled into the man’s armpit, heaving him over the Josh’s shoulder. The martial artist used a combination of his own strength and his adversary’s momentum to throw the man several yards, where he landed in a heap. The other men arrived practically at the same time, and were much more sensible than the first. They attacked Joshua with sword hilts and clubs, beating him into submission. The earthling cracked skulls, wrists and shoulders with his staff until a solid blow from a short club knocked him forwards into the sand, senseless.

Although he could scarcely move, Josh was still conscious, so he was aware of his wrists being bound behind his back with rough pieces of leather, and felt himself being lifted onto the shoulders of two men. He could hear voices, and see shapes, but his senses were severely numbed by the blow which had been delivered to the back of his head. He began to drift in and out of consciousness, with the pain in his head and leg being heightened by the way the two men were jostling him. “We must be moving over hills, or something... either that or these guys are just really cruel.” He thought. Eventually, his aches began to fade, or at least numb, slightly, and he was able to see and here properly. Still, he stayed slumped and kept his eyes half closed. He wasn’t learning anything, as it seemed these men weren’t a talkative bunch, but he preferred being carried to hobbling. Finally, through hooded eyes he saw a variety of dull coloured tents ahead. “These guys aren’t exactly living in the lap of luxury out-oof!” The men dumped Josh on the ground like a sack of potatoes, just inside a large grey tent. He stayed as he had fallen, that is, until rough hands sat him upright, cut the bonds on his wrists, and tossed a bucket of water in his face. Spluttering, Josh opened his eyes and found himself staring at a well dressed man who looked very, very angry.

[Breaker]

“So, this is the man who attacked you, is it?”
Josh winced visibly. “Those bastards WOULD have to have changed their story to tell their boss.” The distinguished looking man was wearing strange garments, made of a fancy material that reminded Josh of silk, but looked stronger. The Agent had no more time to examine the man's clothes, for suddenly he found his vision filled with the well-dressed man’s face.
“Who are you, and why did you attack my men?”
Still keeping his eyes hooded, and acting thoroughly tired, Josh answered.
“I didn’t attack them, they attacked me.”
“Worthless dog! Do not lie!”
The man swung a fist at Josh, which the martial artist evaded by simply pressing his head back against the canvas. Joshua watched the fist whiz by, and watched the man’s face turn beat red. His other fist was soon aimed in a straight bunch at Josh’s face, and this time the agent used his right hand to avoid being hit, simply rapping the man’s elbow, causing him to miss once again by mere inches.
“Fool! Kill him, Marcus!”
The man named Marcus did not hesitate in drawing his short sword and stabbing brutally at the prisoner’s throat. Josh threw himself sideways, hearing the sword point rip through the tent canvas. From his awkward position on the ground, Josh kicked upwards, hitting Marcus’ wrist with his heel, and sending the short sword flying. By this time, the well-dressed leader was spitting with rage. He flung himself at Josh, but was held back by one of the two large men who had borne the earthling to the tent.

“Easy, boss. There’s no point in wasting his life. He’s a good fighter--why not let him fight in the pit? The little guy died yesterday, remember? We need a new gladiator, and this way, you won’t have to risk losing one of your men.”

The ‘boss’ clearly did not like being manhandled by one of his underlings, but by the time the big man had finished talking, he had calmed down somewhat. He also saw sense in what had been said, so he contented himself with merely kicking out at Josh. The kick missed.
“That’s not a bad idea. The next fight starts in an hour, see that he’s in it, get him ready. I’ll be there, and if he loses, you’ll be taking his place tomorrow, Bill! I’m going to get something to eat. You lot, follow me!”

As the leader strode out with his underlings in tow, the large man called Bill helped Josh to his feet. He was surprisingly helpful and nice.
“Come on, you. I’ll have to get you healing, and outfitted with a weapon in the next hour. What’s your name, anyhow?”
“You can call me Josh. Now, unless you want me to die... and I doubt you do, since then you’ll be taking my place, you’d better fill me in on this gladiator thing.”
Bill chuckled gruffly at Josh’s bold manner, but quickly began to explain. Josh didn’t like all that he was hearing, but went along towards a large tent with a sword on it, absorbing the information for later use.

[Breaker]

The tent with the picture of a sword was, as Josh had guessed, an armoury. The weapons within were all well-made, but forged from the metal Josh recognised as iron. It was interesting to see the black metal, when he was used to everything being made out of shiny stainless steel. Bill was an excellent source of information on the gladiator battles, which turned out to be something quite like the ancient Roman ones. He informed Josh that he would be fighting first in a rather large free-for-all, and possibly in a duel or two after...if he lived. Josh opted not to think about the possibility of dying, but instead focussed on appropriate weaponry. He selected first a lightweight iron plate, which could be strapped to his chest and back beneath his shirt. This would protect his vital organs from attack from both in front and behind, something which Josh knew would be very important. He next chose two slightly heavier iron bracers, which covered his forearms thus allowing him to fend off blades, while still leaving his hands free. Josh denied the offer of larger breastplates, leg and foot guards, gloves, and a variety of helms. He instead passed straight on to selecting weapons, which turned out to be rather difficult. He was more used to martial arts weapons, as opposed to the straight swords, flails, and maces found there. Eventually, he decided on a sturdy quarterstaff as his primary weapon, with a long dagger hanging from a sword belt round his waist, and a shorter one concealed in his boot. He turned to Bill, who was nodding in approval of his selection, but suddenly felt a hand clap onto the back of his neck. He tensed momentarily, but suddenly felt as though he had fallen through a hole in ice covering a lake.

The sensation of freezing lasted but an instant, and then Josh was staggering forward, breathless. Gasping, he turned to the woman who had touched him. She was dressed simply in coarse fabric, but quite pretty. She grinned, obviously amused by his discomfort. Confused, Josh turned again to Bill.
“What the hell did she just do to me?”
“That’s called healing, buddy. How’s your head?”
It was then that Josh realised that his head no longer ached, and that he once again had full mobility in his left leg. Amazed, he turned to the woman, but she was gone.
“Ash is a shy one, Josh, but the best bloody healer we’ve got. Come on, I’ll get you to the ring. Your match will be starting soon.”
Josh followed, his head exploding with questions about how the woman had healed him so quickly, but knowing that at the moment, he would get no answers.

“The ring, eh? Huh, more like the pit... of death.”
Josh glared down at the gladiator’s ring, fairly impressed. It was an enormous pit, dug into the ground in the middle of a large field. It was at least ten feet deep, and somewhere near a hundred feet wide and long. The floor and walls were completely lacking any decoration, made simply from the soft dark earth which had been dug out to create them. There were already several “gladiators” within, carrying a variety of weapons, and all wearing different amounts of armour. Previously, Josh had not realised how large the camp was. Close to five hundred tents surrounded the pit, and it seemed that everyone was there for the same purpose; to watch and gamble on the bloodbath which occurred in the area they simply referred to as ‘the ring’. Josh thought that his name for it, the ‘pit of death’ was more appropriate. Broken weapons littered the ground, and there were bloodstains everywhere. Josh’s grim analysis of his situation was interrupted as Bill pushed him into the pit. He landed lightly, using his staff for support, and looked up at Bill in irritation.
“Sorry, that’s the only way anyone gets in. You’d best turn around, the fight will be starting soon.”
Grimacing, Josh did as he was told.

[Breaker]

There were about twenty other men in the pit with Josh, all spaced out, close to the walls. They’re attention was all directed towards a podium at one end, so Josh looked there, too. A man appeared quickly, dressed in a flowing red silk coat and loose black silk pants. He raised his arms above his had imperiously.
“The wagers have been placed. Let the fight begin!”
A cheer rose up from the crowd, and the combatants all rushed forwards. At least, they all did except for Josh. “Why would I risk my neck killing these idiots when they can kill each other for me?” he reasoned. A second later, his reasoning was shattered. An enormous man in a black leather coat hurled a javelin so that it landed point first in the ground next to him. The man didn’t speak, but the message was clear; Josh was to fight.
“Get in there, Josh! My boss gets paid a certain amount for every man you kill, and if you’re the last one standing, we’ll get a lot more. Remember, the more money we make, the better you’re treated.” Bill’s voice rang above the melee. Sighing, Josh shifted his quarterstaff to his left hand, and wrenched the javelin’s point from the earth. He looked to the battle in the centre of the pit, and was surprised to see that only two men were down.
“Make that three.” He muttered as he hurled the javelin into a nearby man’s back. The warrior was wearing a small breastplate which totally failed to protect him. He went down, and Josh’s supporters roared appreciation at the easy kill. Obviously, no one cared about chivalry or fighting fair. A dark-skinned man had been fighting the one that Josh had killed, and ran forward with a scream of rage. Spinning his staff quickly, Josh met the charge, knocking aside the man’s sword thrust he then side-stepped, dealing a sharp blow to the back of the man’s head. After watching the man go sprawling, Josh turned to the large battle, grinning slightly. “I think I may be meant for this.”

Joshua soon found himself engaged in combat by a spear-wielding mercenary, who was heavily armoured, but moved quite quickly just the same. He was more experienced in the use of a polearm than Josh, and only the earthling’s superior speed kept him alive. Several times he had to fend off the probing spear point with one of his bracers. He had been trying to find an unprotected part of the man’s body to hit with his staff, but soon realised it was a bad strategy. Instead, he brought his staff smashing down on the man’s helmet, setting the visor askew. Blinded, the spear wielder took one hand off his weapon to lift his visor, only to have Josh’s quarterstaff thrust into the gap. The man staggered backwards, recovering quickly, but not quickly enough. Josh was about to finish him when he felt something glance off of the iron plate protecting his back. He turned quickly, finding himself facing the swordsman who he had previously hit upside the head. “I guess I’m not quite used to finishing off my opponents.” He thought. The swordsman’s eyes showed panic--he had been hoping to kill Josh from behind. Josh wasted no time in wasting the man’s life; he clubbed the man in the neck with one end of his staff, then tripped him with the other, delivering the finishing blow with the butt of the first end, crushing the man’s Adam’s apple into his throat. Remembering his spear-wielding opponent, Josh swung his staff blindly behind him as he turned, but struck only air. His eyes found the skilled man, though: just as his throat was being cut from behind. Making good use of his time, Josh scanned the pit, and saw that now there was only one battling couple left, besides himself, and the knife-wielding man who was now charging at him with his head down.

Normally, trying to rhino-charge a trained martial artist would have been a terrible idea, resulting in at best a very bad headache. Josh was, however, taken completely by surprise. The man’s head collided with Josh’s abdomen, sending the Agent flying. He tried to roll when he landed, but was impeded by a corpse. Panicking slightly, Josh realised he had dropped his quarterstaff from the impact and snatched up the first available weapon; a short sword which had fallen near the corpse’s hand. Rolling back onto his shoulders, Josh kicked his legs hard into the air, using the momentum to jump off his back and onto his feet. He was about to throw the short sword when he realised that the man who had charged him was down; the blow of his skull to Josh’s iron breastplate had left him unconscious. Chuckling grimly at his luck, Josh hurled the short sword at the man’s prone form and snatched up his quarterstaff, running as he did so towards the only other two men standing, who were locked in a furious knife fight.

The men were similarly built, and each wielded two long daggers with practically flawless ambidexterity. They were both breathing hard, and sporting several superficial cuts. Not able to decide which was the stronger fighter, Josh sneaked up behind the closest, and rapped him sharply in the back of his knee with one end of his staff. The man staggered and went down, with his opponent diving in with both blades, stabbing him four times in the back in less than a second. Noticing the man’s speed, Josh did not relish facing him in fair combat, so instead he dealt a furious blow the back of the knife fighter’s unprotected skull. Amidst the sound of cracking bone, Josh looked around and smiled genuinely. He had won. A cheer rose up from those who had bet on him winning, as well as from the hundred-odd people who were just there to watch the gore fest. Josh leaned on his staff amidst the bloodthirsty cheers, regaining his breath as adrenaline faded from his veins. “Well, I certainly could have done worse.” Noticing that Bill was summoning him to the pit’s wall, Josh straightened himself and began walking with measured steps back to the edge of the ring.

[Breaker]

“That was good. But, since you managed to walk back over here on your own, they’re probably going to make you fight a duel now. Look, there’s your opponent.”
Bill gestured over Josh’s shoulder, and the young man did another about face. His opponent was a large man, sparsely armoured, but carrying a round wooden buckler and what looked like a repeating crossbow.
“Just f*cking great... Is that even allowed?”
“Yeah. Most people avoid ranged weapons in the free-for-alls, because having a crossbow would make them everyone’s primary target. But this isn’t a mayhem battle, and as I’m sure you’ve noticed, no one here believes in fighting fair. Well... you’re up.”
Grimacing, Josh turned and began making his way towards the enemy. The man’s eyes were confident, and he held his weapon with a calm, steady hand. From years of training, Josh’s eyes sought the man’s weak points; his legs were completely unprotected, as were arms, armpits, neck, and the back of his head. Part of his back was covered by leather straps, but those would not provide much protection. “Looks like my goal today is to hit this guy from behind... kind of difficult seeing as how this is a duel.” Taking up a ready stance with his staff ten feet from his opponent, Josh waited for the match to begin.

There was no announcement this time, and no clanging of a bell like in boxing or wrestling. Instead, the match started when Josh’s opponent fired his first crossbow bolt.
“Sh*t.”
Josh dropped to the ground, and immediately began rolling. The first bolt whizzed by overhead, and three others smashed into the ground just behind him. Finally, Josh arrived at his goal; yet another corpse, this one with a round shield next to it. The shield was made of iron rather than wood, and had two leather straps on the back. Josh dove for it, feeling a bolt ricochet off of his breastplate. “This armour certainly was a good choice.” With the round shield on his forearm, Josh advanced upon his foe. The man was being more conservative with his bolts now, trying to get in a crippling shot. Josh spun his staff in one hand while protecting his face and upper body with the shield. He moved in a zigzag pattern, crouched the whole time. Finally, he got a chance. The crossbow clicked--it was out of arrows. Panicking, the man began loading another set of bolts. Josh did not hesitate in hurling his shield like a Frisbee. He turned to run again, noticing a large oak tower shield lying on the ground some distance away. As he ran, he heard the satisfying crack as the metal shield struck the Bowman’s arm, causing him to drop his crossbow, and buying Josh valuable seconds. He made it to the tower shield, and quickly hoisted the massive wooden plank up, laying the straps across the arm which carried his staff. Feeling relieved, Josh again began to advance.

Seconds after he obtained the large shield, Josh heard three bolts hit it. The first two bounced off, fended by the shield's curve. The third struck dead centre, though, and punched through, the barbed head arriving an inch from Joshua’s eye. Taking a chance, he peeked around the shield, drew his long dagger, and threw it. The weapon was deflected by a snakelike movement from the enemy’s buckler. Forgetting all strategies, Josh charged forwards, still blocking arrows with his shield, until he felt the impact of smashing into his opponent. At the same time he stumbled, dropping the shield and tripping over it, with the result that he rolled into the dirt. As he tried to rise, he felt a pang in his ankle, and looked down. A bolt had found its way past the shield, and had pierced his lower leg. In rage Josh scrambled upright, putting the majority of his weight on his left leg. His opponent managed to get up at about the same time, breathing heavily and obviously winded from the impact. He carried a small axe in one hand now, and his buckler in the other. The repeating crossbow was at his feet, broken in two. Snarling simultaneously, the two combatants leaped forward, and met to the sound of splintering wood.

Immediately, Josh found his trusty quarterstaff cleaved in two by the axe. He dropped one piece on instinct, using the other to block a second axe stroke. By sliding the piece of his staff beneath the axe head, Josh was able to hold his opponent’s bladed weapon off. All he would have to do to be freed was drop the axe, but clearly, he didn’t want to. Instead, he threw a punch at Josh’s stomach with his buckler acting as a battering ram. The martial artist used a sweep block to fend off the man’s left hand, twisting his own arm around to grab the man’s wrist. With both of his opponent’s arms immobilised, Josh grinned into the seething man’s face, then delivered a sharp shoulder strike to his face. The defeated fighter fell heavily, crushing what was left of his crossbow to splinters. Josh turned to walk away, but felt suddenly light headed. He looked down, and saw that somehow, the crossbow bolt had left his leg, and blood was beginning to seep out. Confused, Josh sat down in the dirt, clutching his leg to try to stop the bleeding, while three increasingly dim figures rushed towards him.

[Breaker]

“For such a brave man, you certainly do have a tendency to faint a lot. Bill tells me that when they found you, you were unconscious, and that he knocked you out again after that, and now you go and faint on us right after winning your second match. I saw a bunch of ladies fawning over you as Bill and the others brought you back, probably just because you’re handsome, but I doubt they’d be so interested if they knew your record of faints per day. After all, they say that...”
Josh became aware of his existence slowly, making his way through shades of grey until he was fully conscious. He could hear Ash talking to him, and had to repress a smile at what she was saying. Opening one eye, he looked down at his leg, where the crossbow bolt had found its mark. He felt no pain, but there was a bandage wrapped around it. Somewhere behind him, he could hear the healer still talking.
“‘A man’s face is only as handsome as his body is strong’, and most of the girls will stand by that to a-”
“-Why didn’t you just heal my leg the way you did earlier today, and if you think I’m handsome, why didn’t you just say so?”
Josh chuckled as he heard a surprised squeak from Ash. She came around into his line of view, her face slightly flushed, but still stern. She ignored his second question entirely, but answered the first well enough.
“Part of the energy it takes to heal your wounds comes from you. I thought that with all the blood you had lost, it would be a better idea to just close the wound, and let you recuperate on your own.” Josh nodded in agreement, then gave in to temptation, and asked the question which had been bothering him for so long.

“Ashley, how can you heal injuries so fast?”
“My name is Ash.”
“Oh... sorry. Where I’m from, Ash is a common short form for the name Ashley.”
“I accept you’re apology. I was born with the talent to heal, as well as do other things, within me. It is not something that can be learned, if that is what you meant.”
“No, I just... I’ve never seen anything like that before. Is... is it magic?”
There was scorn in Ash’s voice as she spoke again.
“Most call it magic. But there is no foolish hand waving or reciting of incantations. My power comes from my mother and father.”
Josh’s head was spinning. ‘Incantation’ was a word he had only ever read before, in books about fantasy and magic. “She uses the word like she says it every day... I wonder if... magic is really possible, at least, here. But where am I?”[/I
“Ash. This may sound like an odd question, but... where are we?”
“We’re in my tent at the moment. Or, if you meant in the broader sense, we are fairly close to the southern border of the great forest Concordia.” [I]“I’ve never heard of a forest called Concordia before... there was a school named Concordia, somewhere in Canada. That must just be a coincidence. Hmm...”
“Uh... could you tell me the name of, err, the co... continent?”
“Corone, of course. It’s my favourite continent in all of Althanas.” “Althanas.”
“Althanas? Is that the planet we’re on? It’s called Althanas?”
“Yes, calm down, or else you’re wound will open up again.”

Josh realised that he had leapt to his feet in agitation. Trying to calm his breathing, he sat back down on the cot which he had just jumped off of, allowing Ash to life the bandage on his leg and peer at the wound beneath. “I don’t know what I was thinking when these primitives captured me. I should have realised then that it wasn’t earth. I was thinking I might have just ended up on another continent, somewhere in Europe. But this... how can I get home?” Ash interrupted his thought process.
“Your leg is healing well. Here, eat this.” She handed Josh a plate with some odd looking vegetation and a meat which might as well have been beef on it. Ravenous, Josh dug in. Once he had finished half the meal, he began eating slower, looking around at his surroundings. He noticed another bed, plainly Ash’s, as well as a large iron trunk, a set of shelves with a variety of medical instruments (most of them quite primitive), and what seemed to be an operating bench. Slowly, Josh began to relax, taking things in stride. “There’s no point in panicking about something I can’t control. I’ll just have to get out of this camp as soon as possible, and find a more civilised place.” Finishing his meal, Josh turned to Ash, his face set, determined to get what he needed.

“Tell me something. Where is the nearest city?”
“Well, there are a bunch of small towns, you’d find one eventually if you walked far enough. But if you want a big city, Radasanth isn’t too far south of Concordia. If you followed Concordia’s River it would take you there. But you won’t escape from here, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“You just stop assuming you know what I think, okay little lady? I might decide to escape, then again I might not. We’ll just see.”
“Well, whether you plan on escaping or not, you’re scheduled to fight another mayhem battle tomorrow, so get some rest. You’ll get your weapons and armour back tomorrow too. They took them, of course.” Ash departed with a knowing smile. “She probably thinks I need weapons to escape from a place like this. Huh. Not likely. Besides, they don’t know about my nunchaku yet, and I wonder...” Josh reached down and felt inside his boot. The small dagger was still there. “I’ve got more weapons than I need. Right now though, I’ve got a safe place to sleep, so I’d best get down to it.”

[Breaker]

After his hard day of Gladiator battles, Josh slept like those he had killed. Just after dawn the next morning, he woke up, feeling refreshed and hungry. Dressing swiftly, he found his backpack beneath the cot and sorted through the contents. Pulling out the small hygiene kit, he looked in the miniature mirror which was inside. "Nice." A two-day stubble adorned the agent's chin and upper lip, and his forehead sported a bruise. "No point in shaving, really. I'm not in a beauty contest here, and I'll fit in better with the locals this way." Re-packing his bag, Josh turned around and practically bumped into Bill. The big man was carrying a freshly baked loaf of bread in one hand, and a waterskin in the other.
"Here's brekkist for ya, warrior. You're battle is starting soon. Eat while we move, we need to get you outfitted again."
Munching on the warm loaf, Josh checked his boot knife again, then hurried to catch up with Bill.

In a quick visit to the armoury, Josh selected the same weapons he had the previous day, adding a new boot knife to his other boot to avoid raising suspicion about the first. Ash arrived in time to finish healing his leg wound, and before Josh knew it, he was being hurried towards the battle ring. It was beginning to look as if rain would come soon. There was a chill in the air, and the sky was grey, covered in heavy clouds. A breeze began to stir hair and vegetation, swiftly building into a mid-powered wind. Bill told all he had learned about the day's battle while they walked.
"It's you and seven others in the ring today, Josh. A couple of swordsmen and spear fighters, plus a hand and foot fighter and one of the best knife throwers I ever saw. You'd best watch your back, especially with the latter two. Still, fight like y'did yesterday and you'll come out alive." In a short time the pit came into site. It looked no less intimidating or vile than it had the day before, but Josh made his way into it confidently. Soon everything was ready, and the battle began.

Almost instantly, Josh found himself set upon by a spear wielding man. The Agent spun his staff, deflecting the first of two thrusts. The second struck his staff dead centre, the spearhead piercing the wood and yanking the staff from Josh's hands. "Now what the hell are the odds of that?" Josh was annoyed at having lost his primary weapon so quickly, but immediately realised that the other man's spear was practically useless. Stepping closer, the martial artist capitalized on this, delivering a powerful hammer strike to his enemy's temple. The man dropped like a log, and Josh looked around for someone new to fight. Here he got a shock; the two swordsmen were fighting together, against the remaining two spear fighters. Not far away, a man wielding two daggers with several others stuck in his belt was fighting a tall weapon less warrior. The Althanian martial artist had an interesting style which Josh would have liked to study. Unfortunately, the bladeslinger ended all possibilities of this by clicking open a boot-toe knife and surprising the hand and foot fighter, kicking the toe blade into his chest. A javelin suddenly thudded into the ground next to Josh, a reminder from the Betters to keep fighting. He raced towards the swordsmen pair, who had dispatched of the spearmen. Suddenly, Josh found himself running alongside the man with multiple knives.
"We'll need to fight together. If we overcome them, the gamblers might let us both live. My name is Shard." It came in a quiet mutter, and Josh quickly made signal that he agreed. The pair were nearing the swordsmen, who had taken up fighting stances and were waiting. Shard tried a clever trick, throwing two knives with one hand as they approached. They flew accurately, but proved useless. One of the swordsmen ducked under the knife, the other proved skilful enough to deflect it with his broad blade. Josh saw an opening just then; with his sword raised, the man's vision was temporarily blocked. Josh threw himself headlong onto the man, knocking him down and causing him to drop his sword. The two rolled over in the hard packed dirt. Josh had to chuckle at his opponent's uneducated fighting style. The man tried to use his fists, which was practically impossible at such close range. Instead of trying to punch, Josh used a powerful grappling technique, bludgeoning the swordsman with shoulder and elbow strikes, as well as the occasional head bash. Before long, the man was practically unconscious, and Josh sat up on top of his chest, delivering a strong punch to the man's face, putting him out like a light. With a quick glance, he saw Shard struggling against the swordsman. The young man's lighter, shorter blades were not of great use in a duel. Josh rose to help him, but was halted by a scream of pure terror from outside of the pit.

"It's the wolves! Run!"

[Breaker]

Screams broke out from the watchers of the mayhem battle. Amongst the terrified cries were shrieks of pain, bellowing of orders, and a seemingly continuous howl. Josh quickly snatched up a spear from the dead grasp of a fallen warrior, and began whirling about. He could see very little from inside the pit, just terrified gamblers running and screaming, and the occasional flash of dark grey fur, fur which was connected to huge forms. Josh turned again, and saw the swordsman running away. Shard was still uninjured, and threw another dagger, which bounced harmlessly off the swordsman’s breastplate. Suddenly, a massive creature bounded into the pit. Blood dripped from its long yellow fangs, its golden eyes seeking out new prey. Josh stumbled away from the beast, terrified. It was like a wolf, but the size of a horse, and with vicious curved claws extending from the pads of its paws. Josh stood horrified as the beast leaped upon the fleeing swordsman, gripping the man’s neck in its teeth and crushing him. Turning to run, Josh spied two other of the wolves leaping into the pit. They made straight for the earthling and Shard, bounding powerfully across the bloodstained dirt. Josh quickly caught up to Shard, and passed him. Running at full tilt, the Agent suddenly jabbed the point of his spear into the ground. With a great jump, he pole-vaulted onto even ground above the pit. He was about to continue running when a voice hailed him.
“Josh! Hey! Help me!”

It was Shard. The shorter man was scrabbling against the edge of the pit, trying to find a way up with the wolves fast approaching from behind. Groaning, Josh threw himself flat, reaching an arm down into the pit. Shard leaped up and grabbed it, clasping both of his hands onto the Martial Artist’s forearm. With a mighty heave, Josh began pulling the smaller man from the battling ring. Shard’s upper body had just been pulled onto the edge when one of the wolves reached him. Standing on its hind legs, it wrapped its large jaws around the young man’s leg. Shard didn’t seem to notice, until it attempted to pull him back. When he felt the resistance, Shard panicked and began trying to scramble out of the pit. Josh’s arm was beginning to ache from holding the bladeslinger up. Growling in frustration, Josh held the end of his spear, thrusting it hard at the wolf’s head. The wolf backed off, barking in pain. Suddenly Josh’s skin glowed as golden as the wolf’s eyes, and he swung Shard bodily from the pit. Shard scrambled upright and began running, gesturing for Josh to follow him. The warrior did so, feeling the strange strength he possessed flow through him, turning his skin to the strange golden hue. “I could get used to this feeling...”

The scene in the camp could only be described as insane carnage. Mangled, often half-eaten bodies of humans littered the area like driftwood on a beach. Between these bodies could be found the occasional corpse of one of the giant wolves. Here, men and women fled screaming from their attackers; there, groups of armoured men fought against the beasts with pikes and spears. Josh began to follow Shard, not knowing where to go himself. The bladeslinger was limping badly due to the wolf’s bite on his leg. With a quick burst of speed, Josh caught up to him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. With his normal strength doubled, Josh had no trouble halting the shorter man’s momentum and spinning him around.
“My tent is just over there!” The amount of noise in the camp was tremendous, making it necessary to shout to be heard. “I need to get my pack, come with me!” Shard shook his head and started to turn, but halted in his tracks when a wolf bounded towards them. Josh slashed out, holding his spear in one hand. A second later, the wolf was down with a slash across the flank and one of Shard’s knives growing from its left eye. Josh grabbed Shard’s forearm this time, squeezing slightly harder than necessary.
“Come with me! We need to help each other to get out alive!” Shard nodded this time, his eyes wild, and shouted something which was lost in the air. Josh bounded towards his tent, the extra strength and adrenaline of his strange power propelling him along.
“Guard the door!” He yelled over his shoulder. It wasn’t that having Shard at the door would change anything, but Josh didn’t want the inside of the tent to become cramped. He raced inside, and suddenly ground to a halt. Ash was standing next to her bed, a half filled sack in one hand and a full one on her back, still as a statue with tears running down her cheeks.

“Ash! What are you?...” Josh stopped himself. He needed to get himself, and Ash, out of the camp and to safety. Panic and anxiety left him as his social training came back to him. Although he was mentally calm, the golden glow remained around his skin; a little extra strength might be necessary. At the moment, Ash was in shock, she needed to be assisted.
“Ash…” he started again, “We need to get out of here. Grab whatever is important or necessary, and come with me.” The young woman remained still for a second, then seemed to snap out of a trance.
“I… I just… the wolves, and my things, my medicines, my potions, my…” Her words faded into incoherent mumblings. Crossing the tent in two firm strides, Josh gripped her by the shoulders.
“Listen, Ash. Just pack what you need most. Finish filling that bag, and then we leave. Understand?” She nodded, then turned and began transferring items from her trunk to the sack. Breathing a sigh of relief, Josh dove to the floor and reached under his bed, grabbing his knapsack. He stood up and shrugged it on at the same time, then buckled the waist strap. As Ash finished tying her second bag and threw it over her shoulder, Josh ran through a quick inventory of his weapons and equipment. “Nunchaku, belt knife, two boot knives, breastplate, bracers, backpack. Good… got everything. Now we just need to get out of here.”
“Come on!” he hollered, taking her hand. As the pair turned towards the entry flap, however, a strangled yell reached their ears.
“Josh! Watch out!” it was Shard’s voice. There was a tearing of canvas, a buckling of poles, and then the tent collapsed.

[Breaker]

Panic began to well in Josh once more, and he fought to suppress it as he cast about for an opening in the smothering material. The tent was heavy, muffling sound significantly. He could hear Ash screaming, and faintly, Shard yelling something. The roars and screams of others were like whispers in the dark. Abruptly, Josh's flailing fingers met human flesh. "Ash..." His long fingers closed around the woman's wrist, and he dragged her next to him. She was still screaming, and flailing even more wildly than he. Josh's mind raced. He could see no way out of the situation. He was beginning to panic, stuck beneath a heavy tent with a full-scale massacre going on above him. The air was beginning to grow uncomfortably hot and hard to breathe. "I've got to get out of here... got to think..."

Rrrrrrrriiiip!
A dagger came thrusting through the heavy canvas, missing Josh by inches. A second joined it, a little farther away, and the two began to slice frantically through the tent. Josh kicked heavily at the opening, making it larger by tearing where the daggers had cut. Finally, it looked large enough to get through. With his head pounding from lack of oxygen, Josh shifted Ash bodily past him and through the opening, then scrambled through after her. The material clung to him, trying to push him back down to the ground, but he surged onward, suddenly, he was in the daylight, with fresh air rushing into his open mouth, and the open mouth of a giant wolf rushing straight toward him.

It was an instantaneous reflex which saved him. Josh ducked, and as the wolf's leap carried it over top of him, stood up, pushing with both hands. Even with his strength doubled it was a strain, but he managed to toss the wolf. With a wild yowl it toppled end over end through the air to land several metres away. Panting, the Agent wiped sweat from his eyes, and his mouth dropped open. Ash was standing still, shaking, miraculously still with her two bags. Shard, however, was far worse. With flesh-eating beasts running all around him, the man appeared to be retrieving knives from the carcasses of both men and beasts. "Of all the... don't these people have ANY sense?" Josh grabbed Shard's shoulder with one hand, and dragged him over to Ash. He spun the woman around, and bellowed over the screams;
"Get us out of here! You know the way woman... think!" For the second time Ash seemed to jump from another world, and began running. Josh followed her, still dragging Shard. The bladeslinger seemed to get the idea after a few steps, and began running of his own accord.
"Are you mad?" Josh said as he ran, "Going around robbing corpses while others are still being killed?" Shard looked slightly offended, although it was hard to tell, as his face was already red from running.
"I wasn't... robbing them." He puffed, "Just... getting my knives back." Josh could only shake his head in wonder at the idea of placing one's life upon a weapon. He decided, though, that both of them needed to save their breath for running, and set himself to the task.

The trio raced between tents and small buildings, until the treeline finally came in site. The idea of running in to the forest to get away from wild animals seemed strange to Josh, but he knew nothing of the area and decided to trust Ash's will to live. Shard and the healer were now running shoulder to shoulder, with the former carrying two knives ready for use. Josh was in considerably better physical condition than either, and loped easily behind them, acting as a rearguard. The long dagger from his belt was in his hand, held inverted so he could run without fear of stabbing himself. There was no need for it, however; the wolf pack seemed to have concentrated their attack towards the middle of the camp. The Agent wondered idly if wolves would win this battle, or the humans. "Since the majority of the men were trying to run, I think those who stand and fight will probably lose... it's a shame that the bravest will be killed... even if they aren't very smart." With that thought, Josh nearly threw himself backwards in attempt to halt his forward momentum. Shard and Ash had both stopped running. They were just inside the treeline, and walking along a rough-beaten path. Ash's voice punctured his stupefaction.
"Don't worry... we'll be safe now."

[Breaker]

"I'm sorry... what? Would you please explain to me how we are safe with a pack of giant wolves on our tail?" Josh stood with his hands outspread, for once, completely dumbfounded. Ash looked back at him and rolled her eyes, then glanced at Shard. The bladeslinger shrugged and turned away, muttering something about scouting ahead. For a moment, Ash seemed to be composing herself, as a teacher might before explaining something complicated to a very young student. Josh felt irritated at this, and was about to speak up when she broke the silence.
"Josh... as soon as we left the camp, I cast a scent neutralizing spell. The dire wolves can't smell us, so they can't follow us. Do you understand?" Josh remained in his surprised stance. "This would be very easy to understand," He felt like saying, "If there were such a thing as magic spells!" But he had seen magic spells. Or, rather, magical healing spells had been performed on him. They had healed bruises, cuts and broken bones for him, and he had taken it all in stride. "This can't be... what was I thinking?" There was no such thing as magic. Of course, there was no such thing as giant--dire--wolves either. Josh felt a numbness come to his head and limbs as shock began to take him over. It was too much to comprehend. He fell to his knees with his head in his hands, panting as though air were scarce. He couldn't hear Ash calling to him, asking if he was all right, or see her mouth moving. "It's... impossible... it's not... it can't be..." For a full ten seconds he was slumped upon the ground. Then, suddenly, the panic was gone and he pushed himself to his feet. "Basic Agent training...", he thought; "Never let the situation overwhelm you. Overwhelm the situation, instead. Take control. If you can't change something, turn to the most pressing issue." Finally, the earth man shook his head, and looked at Ash.
"I'm okay," he said, giving her a reassuring smile, "Now, how do we find this... Radasanth?"

Before long, the Joshua and Ash had caught up with Shard. The bladeslinger was waiting for them next to a small stream, about a meter wide and deep. They began to follow the water's downward descent, with Shard explaining their route.
"This stream, like many others, feeds into Concordia's great river. Once we get there, we'll follow it until we hit Radasanth. Lots of traders use the river to ship their wares, so with any luck, we may be able to hitch a ride on someone's boat." Josh nodded as he set them at a swift pace along the riverbank. It was a good plan; simple in all respects with little chance for failure. The Agent was anxious to reach Radasanth, in order to find as much civilization as he could. As the trio trudged along, Joshua examined his surroundings. Near the stream, the trees were less dense, and there was a permanent breach in the overhead foliage which allowed a significant amount of sunlight through. The ultraviolet rays cast shimmering shadows on the water and muddy banks, and played across the faces of the Agent's traveling companions. Shard, with his deep green eyes, fiery red hair and fantastic array of knives, and Ash, smiling and laughing at something the former had said. From what Josh gathered of their conversation, Ash had healed Shard from near-fatal wounds several times in the past, and the two of them were becoming close quickly. This made Josh happy; if they were on good terms, they would work well together in an emergency. "Now I just need to hope neither of them slides a knife into my back while I'm sleeping... no, now I'm being paranoid." With his worries about loyalty settled, Josh set himself to the task of watching the surrounding woods for sign of attack.

***

It was night.
Ash had never liked sleeping in the open. A tent, she didn't mind. A tent had walls, after all, and her tent had a bed. She would much rather a tent and a bed, even a folding cot, than this thin padding of pine branches and a cloak for a blanket. The night was not cold, but she felt so very open, so vulnerable. Sighing to herself, she rolled over so that her back was to the fire. She had let Shard have his fun with a fire bow for a half hour before producing a fine powder from one of her bags which had started a blaze in no time. The man was a good fighter and traveling companion, but certainly not an expert on wilderness lore. Ash smiled to herself, trying to relive the happy past memories rather than face the pressing darkness which surrounded her. She was not afraid of the dark, exactly, but with her eyes still dazzled by the fire light, she may as well have been blind. Not wanting to be lost without any senses, she strained her hearing, trying to catch any noise. The chirping of small insects was all that greeted her ears, accompanied later by the distant hooting of an owl. She wasn't afraid. "I won't let myself be taken over by a moonless night." she thought. Then she jumped as a large hand extended from the darkness and covered her mouth.

[Otter Guy]

***

Allen Whitesbridge was an intimidating sight. His presence alone was remarkable-- standing six feet eleven inches tall and weighing over two hundred and fifty pounds, he could dominate any room merely by entering it. His appearance was even more frightening due to long scar running the length of his forehead, as well as his shaggy, matted black hair. With a thick beard and moustache to match, Allen could have been a murderer right out of any child's nightmare. He was much more than a murderer though; he was also a traitor, thief, rapist and childkiller. He had been running a dirty business of killing and stealing in Radasanth for several months, and recently become so infamous that he had been forced to leave town. Together with four henchmen, he had stolen a five-man boat and begun sailing up the great Concordia River. Over the past few days he had preyed on small camps and settlements along the riverbank, approaching under cover of darkness and murdering, stealing, then sailing away before a defense could be roused. He and his crew of four were, for that reason, very optimistic as they approached the near bank of the river. A short distance from the shore, a thin plume of smoke was rising through the trees. It was undoubtedly a small camp, and probably completely unsuspecting. Allen Whitesbridge grinned a horrible grin as his men rowed them ever closer to his next victims. His right snaked down to his belt to touch the grip of a long, heavy iron flail. Few men possessed the strength required to wield such a weapon, but Allen was more than up to the challenge. He was a renowned fighter with the fearsome weapon; it was difficult to defend against due to its immense weigh and power. A malicious euphoria took Allen over as he thought of killing to come.

***

In a small eruption of water droplets, Brogalaw Galedeep's head broke the surface of the great River Concordia. The giant otter was swimming powerfully after a small boat rowed by four men, with a fifth crouching in the bow. Brogalaw's powerful eyes broke through the darkness, showing that the crew of the small vessel was well armed and dangerous. By the light of the moon, he could make out the thin plume of smoke which the boat was headed towards. "I wonder what those boyos' are up to... where in the blazes is Bane?" He thought. As though his mind had been read, the large golden eagle named Bane swooped down from the night. The big bird landed awkwardly on Brog's shoulder. Although he was an excellent flier, Bane could not see very well in the darkness. Settling his wings, he dug his talons into Brogalaw so as not to lose his perch. The otter remained treading water as he said irritably;
"Easy does it there, matey. What're yeh tryin' t'do, rip me flamin' shoulder off?"
"Krgh... I am no barn owl, Brogalaw. My eyes do not see you well as yours at night." Brog rolled his eyes at the eagle's imperial manner, but quickly got down to business.
"O'course you’re not an eagle, mate. Anyways, would yeh kindly tell me where those five are headed?" Bane allowed a dignified silence to permeate the conversation before responding.
"Certainly, friend. The smoke which you have undoubtedly noticed is coming from a campfire with three humans sleeping around it. They are not equipped for traveling or sleeping in the wilderness, but that is irrelevant. They seemed to be completely unaware of the danger, so I took the liberty of dropping branches on one of them. I managed to eavesdrop on a bit of conversation from those in the boat. They are properly overconfident for the situation, I think. They do not expect much resistance, I think." The eagle felt Brogalaw's muscles tense up. The giant otter hated for the weak or unwary to be taken advantage of.
"Oh, they'll meet with some resistance alright, me feathered friend... I'll resist 'em 'till they ain't got any life left. Now, see if ye' can go an' find a perch somewheres in between the camp an' the murderin' scum in that tub. Don't let 'em see yeh unless y'need me urgently, in which case, gimme a shout." Bane dipped his beak in approval of the plan, then flapped his wings powerfully until he gained altitude, flying towards the trees.

As he watched his ally soar into the darkness, Brog went over the past day in his mind. He had been visiting some friendly bank-dwelling humans on his trip upriver. Having decided to once more take up the lumber trade, Brog had been investigating the trees in the area. In the earliest hours of the morning he had left the human's camp to fish. When he returned, he found the camp in a state of panic; three men and a child had been killed by what the others had referred to as 'river pirates'. Bane had followed the murderers by air, and come back to report their position. The humans had, of course, wanted to give chase, but their boats had all been smashed in the attack. For that reason, Brogalaw had promised to seek vengeance upon the pirates while the men and women buried their dead and cleaned up the camp. The thought of innocent men-- and a child-- being killed for personal gain made Brog's blood boil. Now, he felt fearsome satisfaction at having caught up with the evildoers in time to prevent another such killing. Grimly, the otter drew in a deep breath and sank beneath the water's surface, once more pursuing the boat.

***

With a soft scraping noise, the five-man boat landed on the riverbank. It had been a stroke of luck finding the small sandy beach to land on. Allen Whitesbridge was beginning to feel as though his luck could not change. In a low voice Allen gave the instructions for one of his men to tie up the boat and follow him. The murderer had a good amount of experience in trekking through the woods, and a decent sense of direction. So, with one last glance at the smoke rising toward the moon, he set off into the forest followed by his cronies. The four men were carrying an array of long daggers and small axes. Although they had little training, all were large and strong enough to win a fight easily. Slowly, they made their way through the woods. Soon enough the flickering fire came into sight, barely visible through the dense trees. Sneaking forward until he could make out the two shapes lying on either side of the fire, Allen slowly reached down to his boot and drew a small dagger. He generally preferred the use of his flail, but for a quick kill in the clearing ahead, the dagger would work much more easily.
"It's a pity we won't get a fight this night." He muttered to his companions, "I coulda' used some exercise. No matter though. Let’s see what the pickins' is like." Through the darkened trees the sinister five advanced with weapons drawn.

***

[Breaker]

Josh awoke with a start. His eyes were bleary, and he rubbed them until the firelit scene came into focus. Everything was as it should be-- the fire having died considerably, Shard and Ash both on their respective beds of pine branches. "There's nothing here... what woke me up?" The Agent rolled over and got to his feet. As he did so, several dead branches cracked beneath his weight. "Strange... I didn't think I had used any dry brush on my bed." Naturally adopting a cautious air, Josh moved stealthily away from the fire, until he was hidden among the trees. For a full minute he crouched their, listening. He heard nothing, and with his vision slightly adjusted, began to circle the clearing. He managed to move practically noiselessly until he was next to Shard. Reaching down, he slid a single long dagger from a sheath on the bladeslinger's belt. The man woke with a start and sat up, looking at Josh questioningly.
"Shh... something's up. Get some of your knives out and lie down. Be ready, though." Shard looked confused, but compliantly produced two knives from his sleeves and lay down. Josh began to flow through the darkness once more, heading towards Ash's unmoving form. "I've got to get Shard to teach me how to do that. He looks like a magician, slipping out knives like that." As he approached Ash, Josh saw that her eyes were open, but she looked beyond him. "Strange... she should be asleep." In complete silence Josh reached out and covered the woman's mouth with one large hand. Her eyes widened in shock and her throat pulsated like she wanted to scream, but his hand muffled all noise. Realizing that he had shocked her, Josh moved forward into the light.
"Stay quiet... it's me. Something strange is going on... I'm going to take a look around. Stay here, and take this." Josh pressed Shard's dagger into Ash's hands. "You shouldn't have to use it, but you never know. I'll be back soon." With that, Josh slipped off into the trees, leaving the healer staring after him. The young man once again paused at the tree fringe, letting his eyes adjust. As he waited, a new sound reached his ears. It was the unmistakable sound of water being sloshed about. "This is peculiar, I didn't hear that before. I guess I'd better take a look."

As he moved through the forest, Joshua's confidence grew. His ninjitsu training was paying off. Not a twig or dry leaf crackled beneath his shoes as he crossed the earthen floor. It was lucky that he didn't; just as the Martial Artist reached the river's bank, a boat containing five murderers was landing ten yards downstream. Josh spotted them and immediately dropped to the ground behind a clump of loam. In the stillness, he could only catch vague mutters, but the moonlight glittered clearly off their weapons; these were not friendly people. The leader appeared to be a giant of a man, and he immediately entered the forest, stalking in a fairly experienced manner. The others followed him less deftly, cracking the occasional root or branch. "It looks like they're headed toward my camp... hopefully Shard and Ash hear them coming." Even as the thought crossed his mind, Josh had no intention of letting the men reach his companions. "I can't attack them without knowing for sure that they're up to no good... maybe I can pick one off and question him." Remaining on his hands and knees, Josh slithered through the brush, not standing up until he was directly behind the last of the armed men. He was about to grab one of them when a strong hand grabbed his shoulder. The Agent froze momentarily, his muscles tensing as eight different methods of breaking his attacker's wrist ran through his mind. Instantly, he decided on something less damaging. In a series of swift movements, he grabbed the offending hand, turned, elbowed his opponent in the midriff, ducked under the elbow and twisted it into an effective arm bar. His attacker immobilized, Josh began to whisper ferociously.
"Who are you, and what are you--?" That was as far as he got. As his sentence neared an end, his attacker's muscular tail struck him, knocking him into the water.

Josh actually landed on the sandy bank, but without thinking went into a role that cushioned his fall, and placed him in the shallows. There was no splash, just a soft swoosh as the Agent was submerged. An instant later he was on his feet and leaping for his opponent. At least, he tried to.
"What in the..." Shock caused Josh to vocalize his surprise. Around his ankles the water had frozen to solid ice, trapping him in place. It took all of Joshua's balance and keen reflexes to stop him from planting himself on his face. Alarmed, he looked up at the creature which had done this to him. Standing two yards away on the bank was a tall, muscular, furry... thing. Faking a loss of balance, Josh bent down and snatched a dagger from his boot, then righted himself. The small blade concealed in his hand, he tried to gain some information. In a level tone, he finished his earlier sentence.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

[Otter Guy]

Underwater, Brogalaw could dimly make out an outline of the boat he was following. Before long the small craft had beached itself at the river's side. With a swish of his long, powerful tail, Brog changed directions. He swam carefully to the bank approximately ten yards down stream of the boat, and slowly crawled out of the water. Laying on his stomach, he used his tail and paws to slide himself through the mud and shallow water to the beached craft. In the dark with his brown fur blending with the mud, Brog was virtually invisible. He watched as the men filed past him, each carrying an implement of death.
"You'll all be dead 'afore this night be over, me beauties." Brog muttered to himself. The otter counted to twenty in his head, then began following the humans on all fours. Before long he had caught up to them, and, upon approaching the last one in line, reached out and laid a muscular paw on the man's shoulder. What happened next came as a complete shock. The man moved with a speed and sureness which Brogalaw had never seen before. He was aware vaguely of his paw being grabbed and twisted, and suddenly the man was behind him, and his shoulder was in searing pain. The man was muttering something, undoubtedly a thread of death, but Brog had no time to listen to it. Instead, he spun in the direction his attacker was twisting his arm, delivering a sharp blow to the man's midriff with his hefty tail. The human was taken completely by surprise and was bowled over, but landed lightly and rolled into the water. "Big mistake there, matey." Many people would say that it is a bad idea to fight an animal in its natural habitat... and they would be right. The water was where Brogalaw Galedeep was most at home, and no one had ever bested him in an aquatic situation. Raising a paw, he froze the shallow water around the human's ankles as the man caught up. "There y'go, mate. Cool your feet for awhile."

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
The question surprised Brogalaw. The idea that a trapped man would question him was confusing in itself. However, the human's manner surprised him as well. Although he was in a hopeless situation, he seemed to be completely confident and unafraid. Having recovered from his shock, Brog decided to answer the question, to see where it got him.
"My name's Brogalaw Galedeep, matey, an' I'm here t'stop you an' that other murderin' scum from killing the poor wretches campin' by that fire." The otter gestured carelessly over his shoulder. Although he was expressing a veneer of detachment, Brog never stopped listening for the slightest signal from Bane. He was confident that the golden eagle would warn him before it was too late.
"Now, matey, it's time for YOU to tell ME who you are, and what yer' doin' here." As he spoke Brogalaw studied the man. He was tall, with short hair and an excellent physique. Also, he did not appear to be armed or wearing any kind of armour. "Strange for one of them flamin' thieves to look like this... still, he couldn't be anyone else." The otter shifted from one footpaw to another as he awaited an answer. "It won't take long for the other men to make it to that camp."

***

Bane did not enjoy flying at night. In this opinion, night was a good time to find a sturdy, sheltered place to perch and sleep. The eagle swooped low over the treetops, having to exert much more effort than normal to stay airborne without the sun-warmed thermals of day. Although his vision was greatly reduced by darkness, his abnormally sharp hearing could easily pick out the noises of the five men traipsing through the woods. Flying a decent distance ahead of them, Bane dipped his wings and landed amidst the branches of a tall oak tree. He could barely make out the figures of the five men moving towards him, now. "They will be here in short time... Brogalaw, ye water-logged riverdog, where do ye be?"

***

[Breaker]

Brogalaw Galedeep, eh? That's a strange name..." Josh's sharp mind processed what he had heard. The creature was clearly intelligent, but spoke in a thick accent. "He thinks I'm one of those men... and he knows they're murderers. This is not good... I have to catch those guys before they find Ash and Shard." Knowing it was an irrelevant issue, Josh quickly decided that Brogalaw was some type of unevolved Neanderthal. The tail and fur, he decided, might later disappear through the process of evolution. This established, the Agent moved on to more pressing business.
"Listen to me, uh... Brogalaw. I'm from the camp those men are heading towards. You have to... undo whatever you've done to this water, let me go after them." "He seems to think it's his job to stop the men..." "You can help me if you want."

There was a moment of dead air, then almost instantly, the ice around Joshua's ankles melted away. Leaving the wonder of how it had happened for another time, Josh raced up the bank. The creature made no move to attack him, but rested casually with one-- paw-- on a sword hilt. It had two short cutlasses thrust through its broad leather belt. "I hope he knows how to use those things." The thought flickered through the back of Josh's mind as he stopped next to his newfound ally.
"I'll circle upstream, you circle down. We're going to have to move fast to catch up to them, but try to stay quiet. Once you're in position to ambush, wait for my signal, and we'll come at them from both sides." Josh felt confident giving the instructions, it put him in his element, as though he were back on earth running a mission through the city. He was surprised, though, when the furred humanoid shook its head.
"Sounds like a good plan, matey, but I think you should wait for my signal. You'll know it for what it is, sure enough. Now hurry; they've got a head start." With that, the web-toed wonder dropped to all fours and scuttled off downstream and into the forest. "Wow... he moves fast." Josh thought; but his own legs were already carrying him rapidly through the underbrush.

Josh ran lightly, choosing the ground he stepped on carefully without losing too much momentum. He had long since returned the short knife to his boot; he needed both hands to ward off the whippy branches which slashed out of the darkness at his face. Before long he could hear the murderers ahead, moving clumsily. Joshua slowed his speed slightly, in attempt to make less noise, but stayed at a jog. Soon the dying embers of the fire were visible, as were the shadowy shapes and metallic glints which made up the would-be attackers and their weapons. Josh slowed to a walk, and began stalking them in a crouch, coming to within a few steps of the pack. "Where is that... thing? If he doesn't give a signal soon, I'm going to-" But at that moment, the signal came.

It was not the kind of signal Josh was expecting; rather than a flicker of light, a bird call, a drum rhythm or a plume of smoke, a hail of icicles suddenly burst from the trees, slashing into the pirates. There were screams of pain and curses. Although he was beginning to suspect that the ice the magical creature used was not normal frozen water, Josh wasted no time in leaping into the battle. He charged into the midst of the murders, grabbing arms or shoulders wherever he could and flinging men left and right using a variety of judo techniques. Finally, he found himself facing the leader of the group; the enormously tall, broad shouldered man wielding a comparatively small dagger. Not wishing to grapple with the heavier man, Josh kept up his momentum and leapt into the air, delivering a solid two-footed kick to the man's chest. The force sent the pirate sprawling backwards into the clearing, and Josh landed lightly on his side. In an instant he was on his feet, and saw that the battle had been joined; Shard was fending off two men with a dagger in each hand, trying to protect Ash who was getting in the occasional awkward slash with her long knife. Brogalaw was grappling with another man, straining to keep a dagger away from his furry throat while reaching with his other hand for one of his short cutlasses. "That makes three, plus the leader on the ground is four... where's the last guy?" The question was soon answered; Josh heard a grunt of exertion behind him, and turned around to see the fifth attacker swinging a small axe towards his face.

[Otter Guy]

As Brogalaw raced through the low bushes of the forest, he wondered if he had done the right thing in releasing the human from his icy bonds. Although the man had seemed completely honest and innocent, Brog still had his doubts about them meeting up at the exact same time and place. "Oh well... It do be too late t'worry now. Besides, he didn't look or act like one of 'em pirates." Low hanging branches and whippy bushes whizzed past Brog on either side as his four paws churned up the dirt. Running on all four paws had many advantages; the otter stayed very low that way, out of regular lines of site, and he moved considerably faster than an average human could run. Because of this, it was only a short while later that Brog caught up to his quarry. From the otter's perspective, the men were crashing through the woods like intoxicated bears; by comparison, Brogalaw made next to no noise at all. He bided his time, allowing for Joshua Cronen, who was certainly slower, to catch up. Before long, however, the men were getting dangerously close to the clearing in which the otter could dimly make out two sleeping forms. Hoping that Josh was in position, Brogalaw rose to his full height and raised both fore paws. Icicles formed themselves in thin air at his bidding, sparkling slivers of ice as hard and durable as steel. One thought later they were flying towards the five murderers; the fight was on.

With a deadly roar, Brogalaw burst through the few thin twigs shielding him from the pirates. They were caught by surprise and in a considerable amount of pain from the ice attack, but were swiftly regrouping. The nearest villain, a short, stocky man, rushed at Brog with a dagger upraised to stab. Without changing his momentum, the otter flung himself upon the man, bringing up his right paw just in time to block the stab. He gripped the man's wrist, halting the keen blade inches from his throat. Straining to overpower his heavier opponent, Brog reached with his left paw for one of his short cutlasses. The human saw this action, and plunged his hand downward to stop it. Brog growled throatily at him, twisting sideways as he did so. His powerful tail flicked forward, delivering a stinging blow to the man's wrist. The hand withdrew, and an instant later, a cutlass was free from Brog's belt. He slashed horizontally, opening up the pirate's chest in a shallow cut. The man leapt backwards, cursing loudly. His shouts of pain mingled with the other battle cries and gasps lamenting injuries. The night was alive with the noise and blood of a battle. Brogalaw felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he surged forward, all of his anger and hatred towards the evildoers coming to the surface; the otter looked quite literally like a berserker.

The heavyweight pirate saw death in his opponent's eyes, and frantically seized a hatchet from his belt. Dually armed, he found himself attacked by the giant otter who wielded two shortswords with apparent ambidexterity. The man knew he was fighting for his life as he was pushed backwards by the furious onslaught. With a final burst of strength, he shorter combatant jumped forwards, hoping to surprise his opponent with a double attack. His dagger found its mark in the otter's shoulder, but the axe cleaved nothing but air. Brogalaw emitted a roar of pain as his shoulder was pierced by the thin blade, but capitalized on the opportunity. In a swift motion, he brought up his uninjured arm and slashed the pirate's throat open. Blood sprayed outwards, matting his fur, but as his first opponent fell, the otter searched for another. With manic speed he dropped both cutlasses and loaded a rock into his sling. The flexible weapon began to whirl above his head as he sought a target in the moonlit battleground.

[Breaker]

In a split-second reflex, Josh brought both his arms up in a high X-block. A surprised look appeared on the attacker's face, it was clear he had been expecting an easy kill. Josh dropped his left arm lightly, deflecting a pathetic punch with a swift low block. His right arm still held his attacker's arm high in the air, and he latched his hand onto the man's wrist now, twisting it and taking a step to the side for power. The pirate was forced to stumble sideways as he uttered a scream of pain. Bringing his left hand up once again, Josh pushed hard on the back of twisted arm's elbow, throwing his attacker head over heels to the ground. The man had a thick skull, however, and scrambled to his feet. A light smallsword was hanging from his belt, and he drew it quickly, menacing Joshua with the point. The Agent backed up, careful not to let his heels scrape on roots. Suddenly, the swordsman lunged in a quick stab, then twisted to follow up with a diagonal slash at Josh's face. Nimbly, the earthling hopped sideways, avoiding the primary attack. As the lithe sword flicked upwards, he attempted to sway sideways, but his head struck a low-hanging tree limb, stopping his evasion. The point of the small sword sliced across Joshua's jawline, leaving a dark trickle of blood to run down his face. With a grunt of pain, Josh seized his opponent's sword arm before it could strike him again. Anger flashed through his body as we wrenched the arm around and struck a twisted elbow with his forearm. There was a sick popping as the swordsman's arm broke. Raising his left leg, Josh stomped down on the side of his enemy's knee, dislocating it, then turned and flung the man headfirst into the very tree which had helped him to scar the Agent's face. Spitting out blood which had pooled in his mouth, Josh dashed into the clearing and found himself confronted by a monster of man.

***

Shard fought valiantly to hold off two opponents at once, all the while trying to stay between them and his newfound friend Ash. Although he was an excellent knife fighter, Shard usually tried to take his opponent's down from a distance. He had been unable to do that because of the ambush, though, and now only his natural speed and luck were keeping him alive. As his knives flashed back and forth, the bladeslinger spun them, sparkling in the moonlight, through his fingers. Although such flourishes were normally kept for party tricks, they helped in the two-on-one battle to keep his attackers at bay. At first, the pirates attacked haphazardly, slashing with their long daggers and lunging. Eventually, though, they began to co-ordinate their attacks. They backed off momentarily, then lunged simultaneously, one slashing, the other stabbing. Shard managed to knock one in the temple with his fist, but at the same time the man scored a shallow slash to the bladeslinger's ribcage. Shard gasped in pain, and dropped his guard. His second opponent tried to capitalize, but was repelled by a sequence of frantic attacks from Ash. Although the woman had obviously had no training, she had been working at a fighting ring for a long time, and the fear and exhilaration of the battle leant strength to her slim arms. The two pirates backed away, one nursing a bruised face, the other rubbing at a series of thin gashes on his forearm. Shard dropped into a crouch, panting hard and trying to regain his breath in the temporary lull. Suddenly, a large round stone ricocheted off one of the pirate's skulls. The man slumped to the ground, killed instantly. His partner gasped and backed away in shock, giving Shard all the space he needed. Swivelling one of his knives so he was holding it by the blade, he whipped his arm back and forward. Abruptly, it seemed as though the knife was growing from the remaining pirate's throat. A sick gurgling noise emitted from his mouth as he sank to his knees, clawing at his neck as death took him. Grimacing in success, Shard looked to see who had thrown the stone. A large furred creature bounded out of the darkness, whirling a sling above his head.
"Got 'im! Hahar... I see ye' felled the other 'un. Keen bladework there, matey." It talked. It was a man-sized furry beast with a thick tail, and it talked. Shard's head spun as the adrenaline left him, and he sat down heavily. Dimly, he heard Ash's scream;
"Josh! Look out!"

***

The second Josh's feet landed in the clearing, he saw a heavy spiked ball flying for his head. Frantically, the Agent threw himself to the ground, feeling a wind caused by the flail tickle his neck. He rolled upon meeting the ground, and heard the flail thump into the dirt inches behind him. Twisting, he back-rolled to his feet, facing his attacker. It was Allen Whitesbridge, the gigantic man. Astonished at the speed with which his new opponent wielded his heavy flail, Josh was forced to throw himself backwards to avoid being mashed to a pulp by the ball and chain. Allen Whitesbridge advanced swiftly, his face a storm cloud. The pirate could see that his men were losing, but was determined to kill Joshua just the same. His heavy boots skipped over rocks and roots as he attacked again and again. Josh was forced to continue retreating, jumping and rolling. The flail wrecked havoc on the forest as Josh was pushed back into the brush. Small trees and branches of larger ones were torn to shreds by the black spiked ball. Josh felt his body beginning to tire from the continuous evasion; his back and tailbone ached from where they had struck rocks during his frenzied rolling. "I can't stand up to much more of this..." The Agent thought. Just then, he caught a break. The pirate's weapon finally met with a solid oak tree, and lodged itself firmly in the bark. Gasping for breath, Josh dove between Whitesbridge's legs and scrambled back towards the clearing. In seconds the pirate was upon him again, but this time, met with a surprise. The Martial Artist turned, sliding his leather-covered nunchaku from where it was concealed in his sleeve. The nun chuck lashed like a striking snake, cracking Whitesbridge's wrist. The unexpected attack stopped the pirate's flail arm, but then it was Whitesbridge's turn to surprise his opponent. The giant man threw a massive haymaker, catching Josh firmly in the jaw. The Agent found himself thrown backwards, sliding through the dirt into the clearing.

Joshua's head spun. He rose to one knee, forcing himself to rise, but then nearly slumped back to the ground. Darkness crept into his vision from every corner of his eyes, threatening to pull him into unconsciousness. The place where his opponent's fist had landed throbbed all along his jaw line and up to his temples, causing a dull ache border lining on that of a bad hangover. Frantically the Martial Artist pushed himself to his feet, staggering and rubbing his jaw while blinking furiously. The darkness faded just in time. Allen Whitsebridge came crashing out of the forest like a juggernaut, swinging his flail down to crack the Agent's skull like an egg. Joshua staggered to his right, then spun over his left shoulder, extending his arm and smacking Whitsebridge in the throat with his nunchaku. The menacing man paused at this, making a choking noise and clutching his neck, but soon returned himself to the attack. Again and again he flailed the spike ball of his weapon, backing Josh around the clearing. The Martial Artist matched the pirate blow for blow, often countering with his weapon, other times dodging and striking, each blow evoking a small grunt of pain from the giant. Finally, the spiked iron ball thudded into the ground and stuck there. Josh leaned back and delivered a swift snap kick to his opponent's stomach. There was a whisper in the night as air left Whitsebridge's diaphragm, and he doubled over in pain. Josh moved relentlessly, rotating to deliver a hammer-like spin back roundhouse kick to the giant's temple. The mountain-like man collapsed to his knees, amazingly still conscious. The Agent grabbed his felled opponent roughly by the air and smashed the defeated man's head off his knee. Like a log, Whitsebridge dropped to the ground, out like an overused bulb.

A soft wind sprung up, rustling the treetops. It felt soothing to Joshua's aching head as he staggered round the survey the carnage. His friends had survived, and the evil-doers were all on the ground. The strange creature Brogalaw Galedeep was just beginning to slacken off a primitive looking sling. Josh sighed heavily, running a hand through his close cropped hair. His hair was dirty, and matted by blood and sweat. Lazily, he folded up his nunchaku and returned it to the straps on his forearm. "I hope to God things like this don't happen every night here on Althanas."

[Breaker]

The remainder of the night passed in murky restlessness. Brogalaw Galedeep shared the fire with the three companions, and Ash healed everyone where she could. By the time slim fingers of daylight began to creep over the tree tops, a bone-tired silence had settled over the small clearing. As the sun rose, Joshua got his first proper look at Brogalaw. The giant otter had long since explained his species, their origins, and his powers, but still the earthling was baffled that such a creature could exist. With the morning dew descending, Josh stared through the fire's smoke at Brogalaw Galedeep.

"A giant otter. Giant. Otter... who can talk. Otter who can talk. Christ, I could use a drink." As a dedicated Special Agent and Martial Artist, Josh rarely abused alcohol, but he could feel his nerves and muscles longing to be relaxed by the potent toxins brought by whisky. A glance at Brogalaw was certainly enough to make any earthling reach for a bottle. Joshua made several attempts to sketch Brog in his notebook, but eventually gave up and resorted to a close physical description.


My previous assumptions that the only sentient life form on this planet was humans turned out to be wrong. Last night, a strange creature named Brogalaw Galedeep helped me and my new friends to defend ourselves against a band of what he described as "river pirates". Brogalaw is, by his own claim, a Giant Otter. Apparently, the giant otters have as long a history and heritage as humans, and were not the result of some horrible biological experiment gone wrong. Brogalaw talks about (and uses) magic as though it were as natural as electricity. Which, incidentally, they do not seem to have discovered here. Although he is human in shape, this beast certainly does resemble an otter... in some ways.

The most striking thing about him is evident when you first see him; He is six feet tall, well muscled, and covered in thick brown fur. His eyes are deep brown and have an almost human intelligence to them, but after having a conversation with him, it has occurred to me that he is probably smarter than humans. Although a six-foot furry sentient creature might seem frightening, Brogalaw almost perpetually has an enormous, goofy grin on his face. His face itself is difficult to understand. It follows the general structure of an otter's face, but is slightly flattened, thus looking almost human. His neck and shoulders, while sleek and serpentine like earth otters, seem, once again, strangely human, almost square. Did I mention that he walks upright? His arms, which double as forepaws, are muscular and toned, and were they not covered in fur, could be human. His forepaws, while looking like paws, have opposable thumbs and function as ordinary hands in such a way as I can not even begin to describe. His waist and legs are very much humanoid, but tilted forward on a stronger angle, built more for speed than a human's, and of course, are covered in brown fur. Finally, Brogalaw has a long tail. It is pliable but quite strong, and I have... seen... him use it in combat as a weapon. Perhaps strangest of all, Brogalaw wears a pair of short pants and a sleeveless jacket made of some sort of scale, perhaps from a large snake. Over this he has a sword belt, complemented by two short cutlasses. If this planet... Althanas... continue to present me with these kind of surprises on a daily basis, I suspect that all scientific impossibilities will be proved to be not only possible, but fairly normal.

Joshua looked up from his writing pad, glanced at Brogalaw, then back at the pad, then keeled over laughing.

[Otter Guy]

It took a full day of rest and good food for the four travelers to recover. Brogalaw took a good long swim and caught several fish, bringing them back to be roasted over the fire. Bane teamed up with the shorter man, Shard, and together the two managed to fell several rabbits and a wood grouse. The healer named Ash, accompanied by the strange Joshua Cronen, ventured into the woods cutting and digging up edible vegetation and roots, as well as picking a variety of overripe berries. Joshua then spent a good deal of time writing in his book, and shaking his head at what he had written. Brogalaw decided that it was a custom from wherever the strange man had come from, and took it as a matter of course. By the end of the day, the giant otter had gotten to know all of the humans fairly well. Josh, in particular, caught Brog's attention with his relentless ambition. In a few short conversations over meals, the Agent outlined his plans of joining the Radasanthian Law Enforcement and starting a school for Martial Arts. The latter plan interested Brogalaw quite a bit, for he had been fascinated by the incredibly efficient methods which Joshua had used to fell opponents with his bare hands. Wanting to help, Brogalaw made a suggestion.

"Y'know matey, y'may want t'think about startin' yer' school in Scara Brae, rather than Radasanth." The human was quite open minded, yet, as always, curious.
"Why? What's the difference between Radasanth and Scara Brae?" It was the type of question which only a true outsider would ask. As such, it was very difficult to answer. Brogalaw was glad, therefore, when Shard ventured a definition.
"Josh, they're completely different places! The city of Radasanth must be almost as big as the entire island of Scara Brae. The City of Scara Brae would be a good place for you to get started. Scara Brae's law enforcement is just as organized as Radasanth's is, but there's much less crime." Brogalaw saw the Martial Artist's back stiffen at this, and jumped in.
"Lissen, matey. We all know yer' tough enough t'take on Radasanth, but yeh've gotta learn the local... er... the customs o' this planet first. One wrong move in a big ol' place like Radasanth, and ye' could have a mob comin' after yeh. B'sides, there's lots' people in Scara Brae, it would be a good place t'start that school o' yourn'." The otter's words worked magic, and a light of consideration entered Joshua's eyes. Swiftly, Shard set about sealing the deal.
"I'll go with you. I spent a good chunk of time in Scara Brae recently. I should be able to help you find your way around easily enough." Surprisingly, Ash spoke up as well.
"I may as well go with the two of you. I need to find a new job now, anyway. Now... we need to decide what we're going to do with him." She pointed over her shoulder, drawing all eyes to the form of Allan Whitesbridge, who was bound and gagged against a thick yew tree.

***

Splash.
Brogalaw was in his element. Shard and Josh worked the boat's oars while Ash peered over the bow, calling out obstacles which the otter steered expertly around while calling out the stroke. The previous owner of the boat, Allan Whitesbridge, lay sleeping on the deck. Ash had produced a strange herb which Brogalaw forced down the pirate's throat with a considerable torrent of water, and the murderer had slept like the dead since. It was morning, they had decided the previous night how to handle their situation. They were to journey downstream to Radasanth in order to hand Whitesbridge over to the authorities. Josh, Ash, and Shard could then catch a ship from Radasanth to Scara Brae. Splashing river water sparkled in the sunlight as it shot away from either side of the boat's stern. Despite their slumbering cargo, it would be a pleasant journey.

[Breaker]

"So, this is your first time in Radasanth?" Josh stared at the lawman before him. The officer was a tall, barrel chested man with dark brown hair and eyes, creating an appearance which managed to look both dangerous and safe. For an instant, Joshua considered telling the lawman that he was from another planet, but then decided against it. Instead, he merely nodded his head in an assured taciturn manner. The officer grinned. He bore little resemblance to Shard, but according to the bladeslinger, they were cousins. The Agent's eyes flickered to his companions as the lawman continued;
"Well, if you can fight the way Shard says you can, we could definitely use you on the force here. Even if you can't fight that well, anyone who can bring in the likes of Allan Whitesbridge alive is worth his weight in gold, I say." Again, Josh remained silent, and the man continued through the silence. "But, if you're path takes you to Scara Brae, then by all means, go there. I wrote a letter to Sir Pallotan about you-- here. That's the Official Seal of Radasanth on the envelope. Give it to him unbroken, and after he reads the letter, he'll help you get whatever you need." A heavy envelope was passed to Josh's hands with a fancy-looking wax seal on the front. Tucking the letter carefully into his backpack, Joshua broke his silence.
"Thank you very much, sir. I'm sure that I'll return sometime soon. In the meantime, keep that murderer locked up for me." With a chuckle and a small nod, the Officer turned and walked away. Drawing in a breath, Josh turned to his two friends.
"Well, looks like we're off to Scara Brae."

As they walked to the docks, Josh reflected on the day's earlier events. Brogalaw had dropped them in Radasanth, then turned the boat right around again. They had discovered a treasure trove of valuable items stolen from riverside dwellings in the boat's luggage compartment. The giant otter had vowed to sail upriver visiting each of the colonies and returning what had been stolen. This noble action had caused Josh to secretly dub the otter "Santa", but he told no one because they wouldn't get it. Brogalaw had, however, promised to meet them in Scara Brae in order to help Josh start his Martial Arts school. As plans and preparations for the School drifted through Josh's mind, the three humans reached the docks.

"Closed for the night... Next barge leaves noon tomorrow." Ash read the sign which was strung across the docks. Josh sighed, disappointed. He glanced at the sky, and saw that the crimson waves of light signaling sunset had long since begun to paint the sky. He was about to ask what they would do, when Ash answered the question.
"We may as well get a room or two at that inn over there." The inn was on the second story of a large building, the first story of which was a dockside bar. The bar was dingy and fairly dark, and smelled of fish and alcohol, which made a very strange combination. It had a pleasant atmosphere of positive energy though, and bustled with the noise of conversation. Josh sat down at a table while Ash went to make arrangements with the innkeeper, while Shard plunked himself in a bar stool and ordered a drink, striking up a conversation with the pretty waitress. "Everyone seems to know just what to do except me." Josh thought. The Agent tried to maintain an optimistic standing at all times, and made a conscious effort not to have any regrets. The Martial Arts School had kept him looking forward, but now, stuck overnight in a primitive pub, he had nowhere to look but back. Quite suddenly, everything came crashing down on him. On an alien world, with nowhere to turn. Josh slumped in his chair, feeling helpless.

"Hey there... why the long face?" Ash appeared at his side from the crowd and punched him lightly in the stomach. Josh looked up at the woman who had been his helper and ally practically since his arrival on this strange planet. A small smile played on her lips and she grabbed his hands, pulling him upright.
"Now that you've escaped from a Camp after I told you it was impossible, led us through foreign woods, defended us against pirates and found us a free trip downriver, what are you going to do?" Josh couldn't help but laughing at the manner in which she awarded him credit for everything. However, Ash wasn't finished.
"Now you're going to start a free school to teach people how to defend themselves. Then what... start a home for the elderly? Slay dragons? Flush out Haidia? Wait... you don't know what Haidia is. Never mind. Um... find a cure for the plague? Do you ever do anything that's not charitable?" Still laughing, Josh placed a big hand on the woman's head and rustled her long hair.
"I don't think I'm quite the Saint you make me out to be, Ash. You seem to have forgotten that I'm not starting my school until tomorrow."
"Oh... then what are you going to do tonight, hero?" Josh glanced at Shard, starting back his second drink at the bar.
"Tonight," he said, "I'm going to get very, very drunk. Care to join me?"

[Storm Veritas]

-Closed for Judgment-

[Storm Veritas]

OK, Judgement Time!!!!

Jake (I refuse to call you by a string of numbers), very well written work, extremely creative stuff, and entertaining through all. You could have edited this more meticulously; there were a solid handful of mistakes I came across that wouldn't get caught by a spellcheck. From a strictly technical perspective, I thought you were fine.

Brogolaw, your entrance in this quest made no sense to me. Just the reason you were here in the first place... it completely transformed the quest, made things seem unbelievable, and disrupted the flow entirely. Not necessarily your fault, but the otter character is just bizarre. I love the creativity, but he seems suited for solos more than these types of interactions. Do you have a second character?

While I didn't like the rationale for your entering, your writing can't be shrugged off. You're creative, with some terrific dialogue and effective scene setting. Neither of you failed to consider the Althanian environment as a whole.

Overall, this quest seemed to be well planned, then totally disrupted, and changed in mid-course. The character types were incompatible, but I loved how both of you dealt with the interaction... Josh's reluctance to accept Brogolaw, and the otter's refusal to believe he is abnormal.

Again, I was impressed with your writing, but the planning behind this quest leaves a bit to be desired.

Now, on to the scoring.

Introduction - 7 Very creative, the Josh character's entry was unlike anything I've seen. Took me a bit to understand what the hell was going on, but I loved the styling, and the beeps made me think of "24", so you get a couple bonus points there.

Setting - 6 I liked the way you kept Althanas in mind for most of the quest. Setting was occasionally brilliant, but had some spotty moments, and I wasn't always aware of your environment.

Characters - 8 Tons of points for creativity, I have to hand it to you two. Can't overstate the importance of originality, despite a lack of depth to the characters. Really impressive work here.

Writing Style - 7 For the most part, you two were crisp, sharp, and kept me entertained. I may not have been blown away, but you kept the reader in mind, and for that you are rewarded.

Strategy - 3 I'm sorry, but the entire concept of breaking up a solo to introduce a totally different storyline with a man-sized otter is a WTF to end all WTFs.

Rising Action - 4 Again, I wasn't really enraptured once the animal came into play, I was sort of confused. Since it broke the quest in half, it really hurt your overall development.

Dialogue - 7 I thought Brogolaw was a little stronger here, and that both of you did a very sound job with dialogue. The problem with the Josh-style character (uber noble) is that his dialogue tends to come off flat. You did a great job breaking away from that as the story progressed.

Climax - 5 The main opponent didn't really come into play until late, and the struggles I had assumed were going to be prevalent really weren't that important in the end. Still clever throughout.

Conclusion - 6 I was happy with it, but it seemed like Brog's story was too short, and it left Josh's tale disjointed.

Wild Card - 8 Very creative interplay. Good work from both of you. I was very happy with the level of work put in by the two of you, and your originality scores big points.

OVERALL - 61

A good score, and well deserved, since I think you two did a good job.

Next time you're going to throw a walking beaver into a quest, please do it at the beginning. That was really the only thing that completely shook me.

Good job you two.

8675309 (016573) gets 528 EXP, 150 gold.
Brogolaw gets 384 EXP, 100 gold.

[Thoracis]

EXP and GP added.