Hired for Havoc

Rolling Enemies First

Enemies:

Council Mages x3
Crusader Knights x 12
Cleric of Arcanos x2
Archpriest of Arcanos

The member 'Cetus' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

---

'Monster Dice' :

The wind whipped through the assassin's hair. The long silver locks floated about his head, graceful despite the violent wind. His wide grin never left his face. Nearby, two squads of Pergrande soldiers checked their weapons. Cetus could see they were nervously glancing at him from time to time. That made his grin grow wider. Let them be scared. He was about to have some fun. He was finally free of the White Court, had waved goodbye to the pushy Dragon of Supremacy. That kind of freedom sent the need for enjoyment coursing through his veins. It was the only reason he'd signed up for this stuffy war. That and killing people was loads of fun. A dull crackling echoed through his mind.

Cetus leapt off the outcropping. His trajectory landed him square between the two squads. Someone cried out in shock. Cetus shushed them with a frown. "You'll give our game away before its time. Calm yourselves. I know you're as excited as I." He giggled, reaching into his thick coat. Clicking was heard as guns were aimed his way. The smile dropped immediately. "Now, ya'll don't wanna do that." He growled gently. The gun points didn't waver. Stupid Pergrande and their superstitions. Cetus withdrew his hand slowly. Once it cleared his coat, the soldiers relaxed. Idiots. They knew he had magic. Not to mention he could kill them with his bare hands. They'd contacted Dubhar, the serial murderer who resided in Fiore. What could he possibly have in his coat that was so terrifying?

Chanting voices rose from the valley below. The victims had arrived. Cetus moved to the edge. A procession of the enemy was moving through the kill zone. The shark man squinted toward them. A rather important looking female stood in the center of the formation. She was flanked by two serious looking women. Cetus let his sharp teeth gleam in the dim light. They'd snagged a big fish. This small contingent must be moving to reinforce someone else. He looked toward the soldiers on either side. They'd die quickly. He cackled happily. The sound echoed down the stony corridor. Bellum's finest immediately fell into defensive positions. Knights fell in on either side, the mage looking people reinforced the rearguard while the priestly looking ones covered the front.

The assassin grinned evilly at those on either side of him. "Chop, chop, my young lambs. They're ready for you." He said in a sing song voice. Twelve guns cocked in response. The squads rose up and rained down fire on those below. Cetus watched the armor absorb most of the bullets. His teeth gnashed together as he moved away from the squads. These idiots had aimed for the knights primarily. Not the squishy targets that would have been more fun. The assassin got a safe distance and crouched down. "Three. Two. One. Boom" Fire blossomed on the ridge. Cetus launched himself toward the flames. His mouth eagerly drank down the offering. Then he turned, sprinting away. Lightning bit at his heels. Close but no cigar.

The squads cried out as magic crashed into them. Cetus turned to watch their demise. Pillars of wind and lightning crashed into their midst. Few survived the onslaught. Those that did weren't unscathed. Cetus hummed, rocking back on his heels. After a moment of silence, other than the screams of the wounded, the Bellum soldiers finished off the squads. Cetus estimated there was still one round of destruction left in them. Whistling, the shark man moved toward the decimated bodies. "Should have listened to me." He chided the corpses. He pried two guns from death grips. A few clips were salvaged. Not many had escaped without being melted by magic. Pity. Perhaps he should have asked for a gun.

Cetus reloaded his new toys. Aiming the barrels at the opposite ridge, he let out a whoop. The barrels blazed with repeated fire. Bullets peppered the snow and ice. Cetus stuck his tongue between his teeth. The barrels moved in either direction. When the guns clicked empty, snow and ice tumbled into the stone valley below. Cetus reloaded once more. Last mags, emergency weapons only. The straps were thrown over his shoulders. He retrieved two books from his coat. As the pages opened to the sky, rainbow light bathed the assassin's form. Underneath his boots, the ground cracked. The books moved to float behind his head. Deep purple armor snapped around his body. Now he was ready to play. The armored assassin ran toward the ledge and leapt over it. "Come out and playyyyy" He shouted. Let the games begin.

768 (768 of 4000)

Cetus let the magic of the armor sweep over him. He broke apart into rats. Spells flew over his bodies. It seemed some of them had managed to avoid being buried. Cetus laughed as his body coalesced. That meant more fun for him. The Dubhar Ego slid into place effortlessly. His emotionless demeanor wouldn't allow him to take risks. Plus ever since Persephone had broken under Louie's tender affections, he could slip through the Egos with ease. Dubhar crouched looking for those that had escaped the snowfall. Fire blossomed about him. The assassin laughed again, drawing the fire in.

He turned slowly. Two mages supported a third. They looked rather beat up. Torn robes, blood tickling his nose from both visible and hidden wounds, and various bruises. They looked positively delectable. "You three are rather lovely. How about I give you a little mist to cool off?" He asked with a wide grin. Purple haze leaked from the corners of his mouth. His eyes glowed red. The mages moved to strike him with magic. Dubhar would have laughed if he wasn't in the middle of his spell. Haze streamed forth to strike all three mages. They choked. Snakes spread across their skin. Dubhar clapped as they collapsed, gasping for air. The snakes devoured their bodies with surprising speed.

Dubhar crouched by the dust piles and robes. "Dust in the wind, my fellas. Dust in the wind." He murmured, running his fingers through the remains. The assassin giggled as he regained his feet. There was more people to hunt. People buried under the snow. He stepped to the side as a sword swept through where he'd been. Mostly buried in the snow it seemed. Dubhar snapped a kick into the knight's knee. The man screamed as the joint snapped. The shark man whipped around, using the momentum to kick. The heel slammed into the helmet. The metal crunched, blood spurted. Dubhar smiled as he faced the knight. "Pity you didn't bring friends with you." His fingers sank into the metal. A sharp twist and a crack. Dead. One down, several to go.

351 (1119 of 4000)

Enemies:
Council Mages x3
Crusader Knights x 12/11
Cleric of Arcanos x2
Archpriest of Arcanos

Dubhar moved around the snow pile, waiting for more people to emerge. His hands patted the snow like a slumbering beast. His armor clanked unnecessarily several times. The assassin even struck a pose, as if about to slay the snow beast. When people still didn't emerge, the shark man moved into the shadows. Perhaps he could wait them out. They had to emerge eventually. Unless of course, he'd been extraordinarily lucky and they'd been killed by the snowfall. The assassin tapped his chin. Perhaps he was thinking about this all wrong. There was another entrance to the valley. It would be a simple thing to come out the other side, circle around and...

Dubhar spun, unleashing his poisoned breath. The knights standing behind him got hit full in the face. Flames flickered on the tips of his fingers. "Do you prefer medium, rare or charbroiled?" He asked in a singsong voice. The knights coughed blood through their visors. Pity they might not even be any fun to play with in this state. He noticed another knight coming forth. A sword glowed with magic as it pointed towards the sky. Brilliance radiated off it, smashing through his sight. Hmm, a blinding spell then. Dubhar smiled with his pointed teeth. As if a little blindness would stop him. They'd drilled alternative methods of 'sight' into him since day one.

"Oh, no. I can't see." He bemoaned sarcastically. The knight chuckled evilly. Dubhar could imagine the sword glowing with power. Considering he couldn't wipe this effect, this knight person was stronger than him. He could hear the creak of leather and clink of metal as the other knights drew their swords back. Dubhar snapped his fingers. Pillars of fire enveloped the four figures. Dubhar was already moving before the screams. His body fell apart, becoming rats and mice. He coalesced behind the Alpha knight guy. His sight still showed nothing. His nose however detailed the awful stench of the male. His ears picked up the subtle noises of the armor and cloth. A high spec vision of his target.

His foot swept through the cleric's legs. The male didn't even register the hit, getting straight back to his feet. "That is some armor." Dubhar said with a whistle. He let off several jets of fire directly into the man's chest. Only the last bit seemed to do any damage. "Oh, it looks like it's all used up! Four!" Dubhar wound up and slammed his foot into the cleric's stomach. A snap kick knocked the sword from the cleric's hand. He could hear the knights moving. The swords hummed with magic. Aw, shucks. He'd wanted to play around with the cleric a little more.

Dodging three swords, while blind, turned out to be a little harder than he thought. Dubhar slipped past the first two. The third slammed into his side. He felt the blow even through the armor. His hand slipped behind the offending knight's neck. Two knee hits then Dubhar dragged the man's head down into his knee. "Spikes, meet face." The assassin crooned. He twisted the head sharply. A satisfying crack accompanied the twist. Another one down. While he'd dealt with this knight, the cleric had recovered his sword. Dubhar smiled widely. This was such a challenge. He loved it.

549 (1668 of 4000)

Enemies:
Council Mages x3
Crusader Knights x 12/10
Cleric of Arcanos x2
Archpriest of Arcanos

Dubhar kicked the fallen knight's sword into his hand. He inspected the blade as the cleric pointed his sword at him. The assassin grinned as he collapsed into rats. Seconds later, a column of light sheared the spot he had been. He thought the cleric might have been calling for him to be cleansed. The shark man reformed behind the cleric. Wrapping his arms around the man, Dubhar turned to face the approaching swords. His ears had picked up the sound of creaking leather. The knights cried out in shock as they cleaved into their leader. "Oops. That's not the training dummy." He cackled as he slid the point of his stolen sword into the cleric's back.

The cleric went slack in his grip. A shove sent the man tumbling into the two knights. His eyesight returned slowly revealing the shocked knights. The assassin frowned thinking he was seeing double. The knights had multiplied. No, wait. They'd been reinforced. Extra metal unburied from the snow mine. Dubhar clapped his free hand against his armor. The knights turned toward him. "I'm waiting!" He said impatiently. It took a moment for the anger to register. They'd been that unprepared for the death of their second in command. Dubhar could have laughed. Pergrande was sure to lose this fight. They'd believed a couple squads could take out this Bellum delegation. Fools. All of them. Fools.

Dubhar deflected the first strike. His step took him past the attacker. A swing of his blade cut deep into the second knight's side. It spoiled the man's attack. Dubhar sent a burst of flame into the eyes of the third. A kick sent that one into the fourth. He spun, his blade flashing twice. The knight gasped, his hands jumping to his throat. A torrent of crimson splashed through his fingers. Dubhar's pupils dilated rapidly. Blood. Blood. Blood. He stepped forward, thrusting. His blade slammed through the visor of the first knight. The assassin struggled to keep his thoughts intact. His grip on the sword hilt made his knuckles go white. The blood made it difficult. He snapped a kick into the side of the man's knee as the other man screamed. The knight grasped at the metal sticking from his face. He didn't even seem to care that he'd been knocked to his knees. Dubhar's good mood had been ruined. "Shut up." Dubhar growled, twisting the blade. It snapped, spraying shards into the snow. The mage killer snapped his fingers and let columns of fire consume the lot of them.

Death floated in the assassin's eyes. He stepped toward the knights. His mind had become deadly focused on his targets. Luckily, there was enough of his mind to grasp his surroundings. The Dubhar Ego was shunted from the driver's seat. Several more knights were headed in their direction. Cetus threw the destroyed sword into the closest knight. It sank through the heated metal, piercing flesh. The assassin thought it a sloppy job. The man wasn't yet dead. Yet remaining wasn't a good idea. If enough knights got free or worse the remaining leaders, he'd easily be overwhelmed. The assassin spit poison at the second knight. The scream that accompanied the attack was feminine. Cetus didn't pause, turning and running.

The knights came after him. His ears picked up the footfalls of four or five. Perhaps more if the echo factor of the valley was strong enough. The valley grew narrow. Cetus spun, unleashing a purplish haze behind him. The haze floated in the air. When the knights ran through it, they'd breath in the poison. Cetus knelt in the gap, the area barely wide enough for one person. He could hold them off here. Fire came to his hands. As the knights came around the corner, the assassin unleashed his barrage. His magic wove with that of one of his tomes. Tiny figures rushed forth. They were clothed in green plate mail. Swords flashed as the ancestors attacked with gusto. Two knights fell. The remaining four coughed violently as they ran into the cloud. Their swords waved in the air, uselessly trying to ward off the ancestors.

Cetus slammed his shoulder into the foremost knight. His foot hooked behind the opponent's ankle. The knight went crashing down. The assassin slapped the sword strike of the second knight. The idiot's swing was rather clumsy. The slap sent the weapon spinning from his hand. Cetus' hand snapped out to grasp the visor. A sharp jerk sent that one to the ground. Two knights remained. They'd torn off their helms, scrubbing at streaming eyes. The assassin took the opportunity provided. He blurred from the speed. His fingers skimmed past the bared skin. Each screamed, falling back. sheets of skin clung to his fingers. A cheek and a forehead, best he could tell. Cetus threw fire behind him. It blossomed into a ball, consuming the fallen knights. No need to leave enemies at his back.

The two survivors stared at Cetus in horror. "Arcanos, save us." One of them whispered. Cetus raised an eyebrow. They called to an imaginary construct of useless faith at a time like this? It was more, much more, reliable to fight or flee. No god was going to strike him down. The assassin slapped the man who had spoken. The man screamed anew. This time, the skin had torn violently. Blood spurted. The knight's companion dropped her sword. Cetus snatched it up. A swift swing relieved the male knight of his head. The female fell to the ground. Her eyes were wide as Cetus approached. "Arcanos, protect me. Arcanos, show me mercy. Arcanos... deliver me from my enemies." The last part of the fervent prayer was whispered. She knew the end had come. Cetus swung once and turned away.

964 (2632 of 4000)

Enemies:
Council Mages
Crusader Knights x 12/4
Cleric of Arcanos x2/1
Archpriest of Arcanos

It seemed Cetus' bad luck wasn't at an end. As he turned away from the bodies, he could feel the rising surge of magic. Several people were headed this way. One was stronger than he. Another stood on his level. Four others ran with them. The assassin raised an eyebrow. This was only the remnant of the force he'd been sent to eliminate. The squads he'd been sent with barely covered a fraction of this power. The shark man had several conclusions to this disturbing revelation.

One: Pergrande was in dire straights. The war was draining their resources, both men and wealth. Bellum had surprised the looming giant or they'd put too much faith in their anti-magic ways. Mercenaries were being bought where they could be and thrown at Bellum's troops. It was a desperate gamble on their part, hoping to destroy what they could. Potentially, the hope was to send Bellum into a retreat. Cetus doubted this was true. First, a real war wasn't being waged. If Pergrande was so desperate, they would cede this conflict. Bellum would be given what they wanted. Unless Pergrande was run by zealots which was a possibility.

Two: Bellum had used magic to fool Pergrande scouts. The Empire refused to use magic of any sort and seemed to only begrudgingly be using mage mercenaries. If this was the case, Bellum was gearing up for a full scale war. Their false information cost Pergrande lives with every engagement here on the border. Again, Cetus doubted this conclusion. Pergrande trained its soldiers to be resistant to magic. Scouts likely had a few different magic defying devices. Otherwise, the assassin couldn't see how the Empire had stood for so long. Magic was prevalent in most nations surround it. Without counter measures, spies and his own ilk could waltz through the nation as they willed. Something he knew wasn't true.

Three: The Empire was testing his abilities. They'd hired Dubhar, Menace in the Shadows. The Ego had grown in infamy. Not quite to the standing of a Warlord, not even close to such infamy, but noticeable. The assassin couldn't really see this conclusion making any sense. Why would they want to test his abilities? Dubhar was a psychopathic mage without regard for human life. The Empire had little use for his magic. Less use for his personality or apparent destructive capacity. Pergrande must have assassins of their own. While they probably outsourced problematic jobs, Cetus saw no reason for a test.

That left, Four: They had thrown him at the enemy to do damage and then die. Similar to the first conclusion except in this case, the objective was to kill as many filthy mages as possible. Dubhar being included was a bonus. If he succeeded at this job, then his employer would point him toward another target. Rinse and repeat until Dubhar was worn to the bone. At that point, either Bellum would kill him or the Empire would run him through. Another mage for the dust heap. Cetus could admire the cold calculating nature of that one. However, he did feel that they had underestimated Dubhar's abilities. After all, the psychopath had clashed with the Rune Knights on several occasions. Tossed down with multiple stronger opponents. The Empire would regret this oversight. Cetus never let a betrayal go unpunished. Not after letting one go. He learned from his mistakes.

The assassin looked down at the blood on his armor. One of the knights had gotten him. Perhaps... Cetus laid among the bodies. The pools of blood obscured his lack of bleeding. He tucked the flying tomes beneath him. That was a dead giveaway. Thankfully, his armor covered his head. It allowed him to watch the area his opponents would enter from. Then his training took over. His heartbeat slowed. His pulse froze. His magic wrapped around him so tightly, his body paralyzed. The shark man became the corpse. His breath sighed from his body. Everything in him stilled.

Cetus could hold this state for only a short time. The sluggish advance of his blood would eventually damage his body if he wasn't careful. These situations were the best time to use it. Hiding his lifeforce from an enemy. His eyes glazed over as six figures entered the small rounded area. The sheer ice reflected distorted images back at them.

"My lady, we cannot stay here. We do not know how many attackers there are!" A woman sheathed in thick plate, carrying a heavy shield, gestured wildly to a woman in robes. A cleric and a priest of some kind was Cetus' best guess. "Our mission was top secret. Few could have told where we were headed. This mission should be given up. We have-" The cleric was cut off with a sharp gesture. The priestess gestured to the battlefield. Most likely to Cetus' 'body'. "Our soldiers have fought bravely to secure a victory. We have lost many, yes, but that supply line must fall. Pergrande cannot be allowed to win this border clash nor can we afford it to escalate to war without tipping things into our favor. The supply line will fall by our hand. If not for our country, to honor the lives of our brave comrades." Cetus could see the cleric's face well enough to see her lips press into a thin line. He'd bet that her mission was the priestess' safety above all else.

Four knights with heavily damaged armor came into the area after the clergy. He heard one retch, throwing up into some nearby bushes. "What monster did those bastards hire?" Cetus heard one whisper. "Pergrande must pay for these atrocities! He... destroyed them. Ripped them up, burned them alive!" The priestess raised her hand. It swiftly cut through the rising anger of the knights. "Pergrande will pay, my brothers. Take some time. Mourn our losses. Then we march onward to blacken the eye of our foe." She sounded close. The rustling of cloth against his armor told him just how close. "They did indeed hire a monster..." She muttered to herself. "How far is the Empire willing to go?"

Cetus braced himself for the pain as he jumpstarted his system. This was the ideal time to strike. Magic surged from his body. "Lady Marin!" He heard the Cleric cry out. Fire surged from his body. The priestess' magical protection flared in response. Cetus' arms shot out to grasp Marin's bare shoulders. Magical protection once again flared. No matter. A toxic purple haze burst from his mouth. It provided a thick veil of protection if only for a moment. The shark man unhinged his jaw to unleash a barrage of poison against the shield. It flickered and failed. The acidic discharge landed directly on the priestess. Her shock was broken as she opened her mouth to scream. Cetus' dentils ripped into her skin. He tore his hands away, taking with it several bloody chunks. The knights were charging as was the Cleric. If he allowed the priestess to get away, her magic would cut him down. Green mist floated from his armor, mixing with the noxious fumes around them. The knights began to choke. The Cleric had blood running down her face. Odd reaction. The priestess still hadn't died.

Cetus rolled away from his target. His fingers snapped and columns of flame enveloped them all. The knights screamed as the black flame consumed them. The priestess screamed, scrambling away from the flames. Hmm, this one seemed to be highly resistant to magic. No matter. He'd worn away her health as intended. He held up two fingers and crooked them. Tiny green clothed figures erupted from corpses. They swarmed the priestess and the cleric. The cleric uselessly waved her sword at them. The priestess died. The nasty buggers tore her apart as she weakly tried to wave them away. She hadn't really been suited for combat. The Cleric screamed Marin's name as she died.

The holy knight of Bellum lost her mind watching her mistress died. She raved, ranted, trying to cut down the immaterial bodies of her mistress' murderers. Cetus watched the display curiously. Could this be the downside of emotions? The utter lack of control when they took over. The assassin knew the cleric was near death. He could teleport behind the woman, snap her neck. However, there was a strange urge to face her head on. She was at the end of her rope. No threat to him. He scratched his cheek. Nothing to it. He walked toward the cleric. When she spotted him, Bellum's champion bellowed a challenge. She charged out of the leprechaun horde. Cetus watched her with dead eyes. When she was within 10 meters, the slayer opened his mouth. A column of black flame consumed the cleric.

When Cetus shut his mouth, a new branch to the canyon lay cut into the ice. All that remained of the cleric was a pair of scorched boots. The assassin scratched the back of his head. That had been a close one. His equipment had barely saved him. He touched his side with two fingers. The blood that came away glistened in the pale light. Perhaps it was find to find a partner, or a few, to take on the tougher jobs. Things were not so simple anymore. Even a trained assassin could be killed by a lucky amateur.

1563 (4195 of 4000)

Enemies:
Council Mages
Crusader Knights
Cleric of Arcanos
Archpriest of Arcanos