Let's Get It

Blades ripped viciously through the air accompanied by a plume of flames. A sharp whirring sounded after, the sound of gears spinning for all they were worth.

Spider looked over the battlefield slightly incredulously.

So this was the final challenge huh.

Golems.

Seven foot tall monstrosities walked across the battlefield like a creature possessed.

On occasion a squad would test their luck trying to sneak by them, but would quickly be discovered.

With a flash of the golems red eyes, they stampeded such sneaks, large stone bodies devoid of emotion falling upon them and leaving them a stain on the ground.

Spider scratched his head as he looked at the body of stone.

'He wasn't sure if he could cut that.'

"Hey what's that? " A voice reached out from his right.

"What are you? "

" It's there. "

" You see that."

The crowd fell into a frenzy as many began pointing to the sky. Spider followed a few fingers and saw it.

There was a slab of stone floating their way. It drifted in slowly from over the large wall of Lethos. Spider looked close but couldn't make out the figures atop it.

"Nella? " He said questioningly.

With her hand above her eye to block out the son she searched the sky.

"There's people atop it. " She said carefully. "Three by the look of it. " She frowned then.

"It's trouble Spider. "

-------

As the slab of stone floated in the crowd below heard them before they saw them.

Ahhhhhhh." A man cast a lazy yawn.

"Look at them all coddled together. No spine in this batch huh." He said, his voice full with lazy arrogance.

"Now then, don't demean them too bad, you were like that too once." An old voice said to him with a chuckle.

"Their softer than kitten pussy. Let's kill them and be done with it. " A tall figure with a feminine voice said lazily.

They were all dressed finely. Unlike the non-descript cloaks and masks of the recruits their outfits all had a flair.

The man of arrogance, a fine orange embroidery of a tiger ran upon his back and shoulders of his cloak. Upon his wrist were small wristlets that glimmered with the shine of diamonds. While the upper part of his face was covered the bottom was not, if one wanted they could see the gleam of his pearly white teeth.

The old man refrained from such lavishness but even still he was wrapped in the fur of an animal that must've survived in the harshest conditions. For it was large, very large and draped heavily over the man's small figure, it seemed to swallow him whole. Only his face covered beneath the mask of a tiger was free from it's clutches.

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The woman forgoed all the notions of a cloak and mask entirely. A pair of slacks, soft sandals and a slim shirt hung from her. In her hand a blade of black and green flashed venomously and on both ankles and wrist, wringlets of green rubies clung to her limbs.

Spider frowned upon seeing her.

"Now, now, don't be so rash." The old man said calmly to the two.

He reached within his large fur coat and pulled out a small stick, and from the platform leagues above the ground lightly flicked his wrist.

The ground below opened immediately, a deep line now marking an area just ahead of the city's gate.

"Ahem." The old man said loudly, clearing his throat. In a strong lackadaisical way he began.

"Ahh, well, good job to you all. You 88 that sit before our gates have done well to get so far...however 88 is still too many. So remember less than half of you will make it in. "

He coughed after that and let the silence drag on......

....................."ahh I remember." He said suddenly.

"Yes, I have other things to get too unfortunately.. so instead of giving you all till sunset. You have one hour.

Good Luck. "

After that the voice clicked off and the field fell into noise.

"Well" Nella said suddenly. "If you two make it through... come say hi sometime."

Nella gave a wave and turned on her heel then.

"Ready spider." She said pulling my arm.

I looked over the two for a little while meeting thier gaze and finding guilt. "Yea. " I said letting her pull me away.

When we had made it a few paces , she leaned in. "Roger's been trying to convince Vienna to double cross us for a while. " She said matterfactedly.

I nodded.

I had been aware.

The walk to the wall had that air of backstabbing-ness. My opened arm must've made me seem like a takable target.

It wasn't an unusual thing to happen in these tests and something I would've respected more had he acted on it.

I wouldn't accompany a coward and a traitor.

I looked toward the golems walking like the living dead across the earth. We would need a team to take them on.

It was luck someone popped up at that moment.

"Ay Spider, " he heard a voice approach from his left.

"Probably gonna need some help on this one, huh. Especially in your condition. Don't worry I got you.... for a favor."

Spider knew the voice upon hearing it.

Spider knew the voice,..... but didn't deign to look at its face. "It would be a favor. " He responded instead. "If I let you live."

A laugh cackled. " C'mon Spider. You need to lighten up a lil. Ain't that right sweety. "

Spider turned then as Nella was addressed. His hand falling to his sword while he finished the rotation. Nella had already said something back but he didn't hear it, instead he began taking in this man's posture.

With hair so long it spilled out over his shoulders, and a stance that screamed slime, he stood at ten feet tall and was quite a figure to see.

"Ravage," he said, addressing the man. "You must wanna lose a finger again. "

Indeed the man was missing a pinky and when he heard that he put his hand behind his head and used it to scratch his head embarrassed.

"C'mon now Spider. Let's not get into the past. We've got a real threat ahead. "

Spider didn't oblige. He held his sword sheath still in hand as he looked him over. A hand patted his shoulder. Nella looked at him shaking her head.

He sighed.

"You're not getting shit Ravage.. but we can work together. What do you have in mind? "

Ravage cleared his throat. "I have a team I've started to run with. We want you to team up with us. " Ravage said, his thumb pointed in the direction of three cloaks.

An Enchantress and two mages sat on a stone a small distance away. Watching the conversation from a distance.

'Shit.'

"Shit."

Spider looked back at the golems destroying all who came close.

Spider sighed, they were a team of two now.

"Spider." Nella said as he was thinking it over. She pulled his sleeve and looked him in the eye. Her eyes spoke of her intentions more than words.

"Alright." He said turning to Ravage

"Let's Get it. "