Chapter 1 - A lonely ranger
A cool night breeze swept through the forest, the trees swaying to the direction of the wind their leaves falling freely to the floor, everything was tranquil. A single shrew ran from the cover of a bush and
stopped in a clearing, its beady little eyes scouring the near by shrubbery for berries and insects, it
rose it head and sniffed the air and darted forward, quickly, its instincts told it, it was sprinting at full
pelt for the cover of a bush, and there it was it was close, a sudden jolt took it by surprise, it was in the
air now squealing in terror, one quick squeeze and it went limp, its bones crushed, an owl flew of over
the tree tops leaving the clearing silent again, the owl had what it needed to survive, it was the way of nature.
The small clearing was calm again, the silence hung heavily in the air, the night air cool and
crisp, the silence suddenly dispersed as a figure stumbled through a bush into the clearing, he stood
there doubled over and gasping for air before he collapsed against a tree and used it for support to
keep himself standing, his legs suddenly gave way and he lay there propped up against the tree. He
was exhausted he’d been running for four days straight, fighting for his life, continuously on the run and barely resting, he was at his limit, he was moving on pure will power now, muscles where screaming in protest not to move anymore, he was finding it difficult to breathe, he’d just used up the last of his
energy in running away, he had seen the forest and aimed for it, he had lived in one for most of his life,
a sudden rush of home sickness shot through his head, he’d lived a peaceful normal life, only working when he needed to, living off what the forest had to offer, and enjoying it, that led him to question why
they where chasing him, why so many? What had he done to make them chase him? The questions
where zooming around in his head, thinking about it just antagonised him more, sudden images flashed through his mind, his home on fire, his dog lying there with a spear through its side, its vacant eyes
looking up at the sky but not seeing, his log house on fire, the surrounding trees catching alight and
setting ablaze, he shook his head trying to clear the images away from his mind, he opened his eyes
and looked up at the moon, why, he though to himself, a tear ran down his cheek, his rose his bruised
and battered arm up to his face and wiped his eyes, his breathing was starting to ease up, a sudden grumble in his stomach told him it was eating time, he stiffly wrestled his bag of his back and opened
it, he pulled out the last of his provisions, half a canteen of water and a slab of dried meat with elvish herbs, he looked at the meat and his mouth watered, he wolfed down the meat and savoured the taste,
at this point it tasted as good as the finest cut of ceribin meat, he washed it down with a few gulps of water, he thought about finishing there and then, but he had to stop himself, he didn’t know how much longer this would go on, he needed more food and water, right that’s what I’ll do next, he went to get
up but his legs had stiffened and weren’t budging, right, I’ll do that later then, and laid back against the tree.
As he laid there his eyes lids started to feel heavy, no can’t fall asleep, he made his eyes bulge to make them uncomfortable , but it wasn’t working he needed to sleep but he couldn’t, he gathered up a little
bit strength he had recuperated from resting, made a fist and rammed it into his own jaw, it was a dull pain but at least it kept him awake, he needed to keep himself busy, his eyes suddenly found
themselves resting on his sword still tied to his waist, he smiled slightly and untied it, he drew it out of
its sheath, the blade was covered in all colours of blood, just how many things have I killed in these last
few days, he saw red blood; hmmmm last nights dinner, maybe I should of cooked that?, green blood;
slug beasts should really be a little more quieter, green blood; a little flash back of him slicing open an
orc's gut suddenly wondered into his mind and gave him a little morale boost, he sighed, and looked at
his bag, he reached into it and pulled out an old cloth, he opened his canteen and poured a little water
on it, he then put it down and began cleaning the blade. It had taken care of him and he had taken care
of it, it was one of the only things he could do now that he liked. As he finished cleaning it he put the
cloth back in his bag and looked at his sword, the moon light reflected off of its now shiny surface, he
tilted it towards him and stared in awe at his reflection, his once handsome features where now
diminished, his face was lean and he had heavy bags under his eyes, in his opinion he resembled an
aged man, he tore his eyes away from his sword and reached for his sheath, he began to slide it back in. Crack. He pretended not to notice the sound, he slid his sword back into its sheath, he stuck the end in ground and used it for support and pulled himself up his legs where still stiff and heavy he turned
around and reached for his bag casually, he slid his hand into the bag and felt the handle of his knife
and gripped it, straightened up and snapped his hips sideways and released it, it flew of into the
bushes, and there wasn’t a sound which meant that it had found its target, he reached down and
picked up his sword and bag gently, he done up the buckle on his bag and tied his sword back to his waist, he walked stiffly and cautiously to the bush, he peeled back a branch and peered into the bush,
a dead rabbit laid there with his knife protruding from it’s side, he lent over and picked up by the scruff of the neck and pulled his knife out, at least that’s food outta the way, he smiled slightly, it was the first time in a while he had done so, suddenly snarls and angry yells filled the air, he froze and looked quickly from left to right repeatedly looking for the source,
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he jumped into the bush seeing it was clear and looked back across the clearing, he could see flame torches and outlines of stout and tall figures,
“HE WAS HERE, I CAN SMELL BLOOD AND SWEAT!” yelled, he looked at the rabbit in his hand and thought crap, he threw it to the left of him into the shadows of the trees, “WAIT! I heard something” the torch lights started to come close to him, suddenly figures appeared in the clearing, “look!” he stared anguish as one of them picked up his canteen by where he was laying a few |
minutes before, “what is it?”
another figure inquired, “his canteen” another said with a sickly note glee in his voice “he can’t get far without that” the torch light was bright enough for him to see the faces of the figures, they were all orcs,
the one holding his canteen was the largest of them all, his skin was green and compiled of scars and warts, “RIGHT, BATTALIAN 1 YOU GO TO THE RIGHT, BATTALIAN TWO YOU GO LEFT, BATTALIAN 3 STAY HERE INCASE HE COMES BACK, BATTALIAN 4 COME WITH ME STRAIGHT AHEAD!, AND REMEMBER TAKE HIM ALIVE, BUT THE MASTER WON’T MIND IF HE’S GOT A FEW LIMBS MISSING!” yells of appreciation from comment rippled through the forest, the orcs set off in their directions, his eyes widened, he needed to get out there fast, he couldn’t move or they’d see, him but they were coming straight for him, he gently and quietly slid his sword out of its sheath, and pulled a knife out of his pocket, he had one chance at this but it didn’t look good, he was outnumber at least 50 to 1, he was shaking, maybe this is it, the end of a great run, but hey I had a good time, they were coming close, closer, closer, until they were at the bush, “YAAAAAAAAARGH” he yelled maybe his last battle cry , he stabbed the first in the skull killing it instantly, and slicing another’s neck, causing its head to flop backwards uselessly drawing his knife out the firsts head and straight into another, there were yells off shock from the orcs, they he sliced another’s chest open with his sword , threw his knife into the crowd of orcs and saw it land in one of their eyes, he heard the yell of pain, turn and ran.
A pain suddenly exploded in his side, one of them had stuff a pike in his hip, he yelled in pain, but adrenaline was keeping him moving, he could feel his blood pouring down his leg, as he was half running, half limping into the forest, he could hear the pounding feet of orcs behind him, but he had to keep moving, everything started to go silent, all he could hear was himself running through the bushes and something else, as he ran he turned his head, he could see a hooded figure running along side him, it was pacing him, keeping along with him, but why, as quickly as he saw it, it was gone, his sense of hearing returned as well, he could hear the orcs hot on his tail again, the pain was taking hold, he couldn’t run anymore, he stopped and doubled over, panting he heard the orcs running slowing down, a gruff laugh came from behind him, and it was soon followed by many more, and soon an entire crowd of laughs came, he turned around and saw them all standing there, weapons at the ready, the largest orc that was holding his canteen at the clearing came forward, “you did good for a human, I must say” it was a good chase, you took out at least 17 of my best warriors, but now you have to pay the price, our master wants, you, for what we don’t know” it grinned at him bearing its jagged yellow fang teeth, “ he wont mind me having a little fun as long as I bring back alive” it pulled out its long sword wielding it with both its claws, Jack straightened up in agony, his face trying not to contort in pain, he rose his sword, his hands shaking “look he’s shaking like a baby!” it mocked, the orcs laughed and pointed, but he new what he was doing, he stuck it in the ground next to him, the orc leader looked confused, its upper lips twitched, half confused, half angry, Jack reached in his pocket, he was hoping he wouldn’t have to use this, he pulled out a vial with a purple liquid bubbling happily in it, he pulled out the cork and drained it in one, he stood there glaring at the orcs, he opened his mouth and said calmly
| “you.....are.....all....going......to.....die” a sudden pain shot through his head, he screamed pain, this was pain beyond reckoning, his head felt like it was going to explode, his hands flew up to his head, digging his nails into his skull, he breathing was becoming heavy, his muscles started to bulge, becoming bigger and stronger, he was screaming in pain, his legs gave way and he was curled in a ball on the floor, the sound of his screams echoed through out the entire forest, suddenly, the pain stopped, he tried to get up and stumbled to his feet, he was shaking all over, he looked up, the orcs recoiled and the leader stepped back in horror. Jacks eyes where now glowing an ominous red, his teeth now looked like fangs, saliva was dripping from his mouth, his tongue lolling around freely, his body had doubled in size, his muscles where bulging, he stared at the orcs, he felt nothing but bloodlust and the urge to kill, |  |
he ran forward with inhuman speed and grabbed the leader by the neck, turned him sideways ripped him in half like a twig, blood stained his bear like hands, he still wasn’t satisfied, his head snapped upwards and looked at the field of orcs he jumped forward landing on and crushing 3 orcs, he swung his arms in all directions crushing bones and killing orcs, he roared in delight, he felt pricks of pains, but didn’t pay attention, he just continued, crushing and killing. The slaughter continued until there was merely a handful left , they turned and ran, he gave chase but in two leap like steps, caught up with them and crushed them in a simple swing of his fists, and then there were none, they were gone, each and every one of them, nothing but a field of corpses, he was shaking again, he began to tremble, and gave a roar pain, his body was contorting and shrinking, the pain was back, he was yelling again, the pain was unbelievable, he was stumbling around his vision blurring until he found a tree, he leant against it waiting for the pain to subside, but it didn’t, he was panting, his body was back to normal he couldn’t stand any longer and collapsed against the tree, his eyes felt like led, he just wanted it all to end, but he wanted to live, and sudden grunt took him by surprise and shakily rose his head, all of his joints were in pain, he couldn’t move, an orc was moving towards him, he missed one, “heh, with you I can attain rank, of my recently deceased leader” it reached for him Jack gave a feeble attempt at a punch , his arm felt like it weighed a ton, the orc merely grabbed his arm and snapped his wrist, he yelled in pain, it stared down at him its eyes bore into his, they suddenly grew wider with shock, it released his hand and fell sideways, an arrow protruding from its back, Jack looked up and saw the hooded figure he saw earlier in the forest walking towards him, he reached in his pocket and pulled out a knife, shakily grabbed its hilt pulled it out and pointed the tip towards his chest, he wasn’t going to go with them alive, his arm bent and pulled the knife towards him, it’s finally over, a sudden jolt stopped his arm, a dart protruded from the side of his neck, who ever it was wasn’t aiming to kill, his body suddenly tensed, his muscles locked and left him paralysed, his vision suddenly blurred, and he collapsed sideways into sleep.