Name: Todd Longfellow, Race: Human

Height: 5’6”, Weight: 130, Sex: Male

Archetype: Fighter

HP: 18 / 18, Mana: 0 / 0

Stats:

Physical: 4, Moxie: 2, Spiritual: 2, Luck: 2

Agility: 2, Magic: 2, Mental: 2, Energy: 3.

Relevant Skills: Agility - Dodge, Physical - Armored Defense, Physical - Awareness, Physical - Jump, Physical - Kick, Physical - Lift, Physical - Melee Fist, Physical - Melee Fork, Physical - Melee Sword, Physical - Pull, Physical - Run

_________________

Todd was a dozen feet from the stairs going up when the hole appeared in the floor. As Jax and Mark disappeared through the hole, Henderson fell to the floor as a crossbow bolt tore through his knee.

Footsteps behind Todd and up the stairs echoed down the wooden steps. The massive curving staircase was suspended to the ceiling with heavy chains as it circled through the floors of the building. Todd moved to put the wall to his back as he pulled out his sword.

“Reggie, help Henderson; we got company on this side also,” Todd said.

He waited under the curving staircase and could see some parts of guards poking over the railing. He crouched down to leap up. With a mighty leap, Todd launched himself up. As he cleared the railing, he swung his sword down.

Swinging the sword down, he managed to slice through one of the guards, splitting his leather armor and shoulders. The weapon's blade also lodged an inch of it into the wooden railing. Upward momentum ceased, and he started falling.

Todd clutched his sword with both hands, trying to pull himself up onto the stairs where the guard was dying. Another guard stepped behind the corpse and swung over the side of the stairs at Todd.

The tip of the sword managed to find a hole in the chainmail, cutting into Todd’s shoulder. His fingers lost their grip as the impact of the sword and pain coursed through him.

Todd gracelessly fell while trying to put his feet under him. He landed on one foot and a knee, bent over at the waist. Driving his knee into his chest.

“They are coming down the stairs!” Todd called out as he caught his breath and rushed up the stairs. He reached a hand into his backpack as he ran to pull another sword. One appeared in his hand so he could give a receipt to the same guard who hit him.

Swinging from above, he stabbed through the guard's armor, Todd’s blade sinking an inch into the man’s left shoulder. With a cry of pain, the guard grabbed the sword with his gloved right hand.

With the sword still in his shoulder, the guard knelt, dragging the sword with him. Todd managed to keep a grip on it as he tried to wrestle it free.

As Todd was focusing on getting his sword free, a wave of healing energy flowed through him. He gritted his teeth and tried to yank to free his sword but could not. A blade swung in from above.

Todd twisted his shoulder forward to deflect the strike and took the brunt of it on his back. The backpack and armor absorbed most of the swing, but the impact still bruised some ribs.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

Giving up on his sword, Todd let go and stepped back.

A suddenly appearing wooden crate caught Todd’s foot. He barely had time to think as he stepped into the produce and slipped and fell backward. Tumbling down the stairs in a waterfall of random adventuring items, Todd landed at the bottom with a slight thud upon a bedroll, a couple of canteens, and a handful of apples. Todd reached out as he sat up, his hands seeking a weapon. Thankfully, he found a metal object and brought it before him to defend against whatever attack was coming. He groaned once he saw it was a fork in his hand.

A guard came into view, holding a sword and shield. Once he laid eyes on Todd, he charged, swinging his blade high. A loop of rope on the ground caught the guard’s left foot and caused him to lose his balance.

Todd thrust the fork out; the fork stabbed into the guard’s armor and then stopped. Its tines were too dull to pierce the thick leather. Todd pulled his arm back keeping a hold of the utinsel. The guard swung his sword down and hit Todd, the blade skipped off the side of Todd’s chainmail before slamming into the floor.

A heavy weight slammed into Todd as the guard also fell upon him. Todd swung the fork toward the guard’s head, hoping there was a hole or weak point.

“Aarrrg!” the guard screamed as the fork stabbed into his neck.

Todd pushed the guard off of him and rolled on top, reaching for the guard’s sword. He grabbed the hilt, but the guard wouldn’t let go.

As he pulled on the hilt, the guard lifted off the ground. Todd managed to lift him entirely off the floor. Swinging to his left, Todd spun and released, letting go as the guard was in line with the hole in the floor. He released his hold of the sword, allowing the guard to fall into the hole below.

Todd turned to see if another guard had come down the stairs.

Turning around in time to see a blade swinging toward him, Todd could not dodge the weapon. The chainmail blocked the blade, but the impact of the strike pushed Todd backward.

Flailing wildly,

Todd tried to grab onto something, but nothing was within reach, so he toppled backward into the hole.

A familiar hand reached over him and offered help. Todd grabbed Reggie's hand and was pulled up and out from under the hole.

Todd glanced around to get his bearings. He’d fallen fifteen feet and was now in a long hall. Soldiers are at each end, Reggie and Henderson are near the back, and Mark and Jax are on the other side fighting the King.

He saw the King take a swing at Jax. His friend went to a knee and weakly brought up his warhammer. Mark pulled Jax backward and out of the way of the next strike, but Jax just collapsed to the ground. Mark stood over his friend and managed to grab the King’s arm as he swung a dagger where Jax’s face had been.

Todd started running toward Mark.

“Silly boy, didn’t your teacher ever teach you? Don’t play with dead things.” The King said as he grasped Mark’s arm.

Todd pumped his arms as he ran with no sword or significant object to impede him. Right before he would step on Jax’s unmoving form, Todd lept.

Feeling a burst of energy, he jumped high, quickly clearing Jax. Mark collapsed to the floor, and Todd passed over him as well.

Todd’s feet connected solidly with the King’s chest, throwing him back thirty feet. Todd jumped up and reached a hand down to his friend. “Let's finish this and go home,” he said. They stood to face off against the King together, Mark to the left of Todd. Todd pulled out his fork and smiled at the unarmored King.

Todd saw the look Mark got on his face, the one that looked like he was going to cast a big spell. Stepping to the right to give Mark some space, he readied to charge in after the spell went off, fork at the ready.

A small ball of fire appeared from Mark’s hand and flew toward the King. It hit some invisible wall, causing it to explode, filling the room with fire. Todd raised his hands to protect his face, but the flames never reached him. A wall stretched at a slant between the King and Mark, putting Todd on the side of the King.

As the magical flames disappeared, a charred husk of a man crumpled to the ground.

“MA…” Todd’s scream was interrupted by a dagger entering his abdomen.

The King stood before Todd, His hand holding the dagger, twisting it to emphasize the pain. Todd lost his breath, almost as if the weapon was sucking it out of him. He opened his mouth to scream but couldn’t.

“You kids never learn.” The King said, as he pushed Todd to the ground. A warhammer swung over Todd causing the King to jump back. A tall shadow stepped over Todd.

“You cannot defeat me Paladin.” The King said. “My power is greater than your faith, you interloper.”

“You are both correct and incorrect,” Jax said. He knelt and touched Todd. “Finish this for me.”

As energy flowed through Todd, Jax carefully set his warhammer on the ground. Slowly, he lifted his right arm, gazed at the ceiling, and cried out, “Let my last breathe consecrate this land against all evil.”

Light from within Jax grew until Todd had to turn and close his eyes from it. Even through his eyelids, the room went white and silent. Then it was gone, and Todd opened his eyes, blinking through the afterimages, trying to locate the King and Jax.

Nothing remained of Jax except his armor. The King looked more pale, and Todd saw the ruler breathing heavily.

“Impossible,” The King said as he spat blood in Todd’s direction.

Standing up, Todd glanced around. A feeling of calm permeated through the hall. The soldiers seemed uninterested in fighting, and Henderson was even standing awkwardly, his gaze moving between two groups of guards that had pulled back. Reggie had one hand on Henderson’s shoulder while watching the King and other guards.

Todd broke the silence by swinging a fist at the King. The King’s forearm partially blocked Todd’s fist, but the squishiness of the ruler surprised Todd. The King stepped back, and his face looked like Mark's every time he gathered mana.

Todd lept towards him, not allowing the King to get distance to cast a spell.

Somehow, he managed to jump at the right time. A black bolt of energy flew from the King’s hand and under Todd. As Todd came falling back down, he swung down with his only weapon.

The King looked up at Todd and the fork he was holding. The fork stabbed the King through the eye, and Todd's weight drove it deep into his skull before they both crashed to the ground.

White light filled the world before going black.