ACTION ROUND

Redblade

Name

Tomas Krezinsky

Nickname

Redblade

Race/Nationality

Human/Livanian

Age

30

Action Stats

EXP Level

6

Action Points

7

Hit Points

33

Core Stats

Might

14

Agility

11

Grit

13

Intellect

13

Skills

Swords (proficient) Knives (competent)

Equipment

Weapons

Longsword (Redblade,?, damage 3-24), Dagger (2-8)

Armour

Piecemeal

Other

Necklace of Agility (+2 agility)

Brigands

Human

Brigand

Action Stats

EXP Level

2

Action Points

3

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Hit Points

16

Lothar didn’t know why Edmund put his hand to the hilt of Slayer. But it was a mistake. It drew Redblade onto him, and the brigand leader was fast.

He hacked at Manslayer with sword and dagger. Edmund couldn’t stop Redblade tearing through his limited hide armour with his very first strike, taking nineteen hit points from him. It was a blow that would have killed most men; Edmund had a mere ten points left.

Next turn it was the dagger rather than the sword that struck, dealing a further six points of damage. Edmund swayed on his feet now, barely hanging on. Somehow, he blocked Redblade’s next sword strike. But again, the dagger got through. It tore a third wound, and Manslayer collapsed to the ground.

Implacable, Redblade’s gaze turned to Brickhouse, letting him know he was next in line. With one action point, he closed in. With the next, he swung sword and dagger.

It was Redblade that got through Brickhouse’s defences, piercing his ringmail. It was another punishing strike, and Brickhouse was left with four hit points. Redblade still had an action point left to finish him. His sword struck again. Brickhouse shuddered as the length of blade entered his chest—when it was ripped out he was already dead.

The disastrous nature of those brutal few moments threatened to root Lothar to the spot. Slayer and Breaker hadn’t even been given a chance to be used in anger, their wielders dead or dying. If The Baron hadn’t moved next, Lothar might have simply given up.

The thief wielded his dagger with his good hand, using the short sword he had claimed from his dead brigand as a second attack. It was the dagger that sank home, taking nine hit points. His final two strikes both missed.

But The Baron had wounded Redblade, and Lothar knew he had to finish the job. Whatever happened afterwards—should these brigands cut him down—he would complete one last mission.

Lothar used his first action to engage with Redblade. As he closed in, he bent low and took Slayer from Edmund’s hands. The sword would be a useful second attack to his own longsword.

He hadn’t fought in the melee for a while—not since arriving in Gal’azu. He’d told himself those days were over. He was past it. But the blood flowed through his veins just like it always had, and his body remembered exactly what to do. Both swords cut into the brigand chieftain, taking exactly the number of hit points needed to send him to the ground.

Lothar’s hands itched to do more damage; to swing those weapons at the brigands who surrounded them. He felt sure he could take enough down with the action points he had left. But sense prevailed. Better to end it now, if he could. Better to make these men fight with him, than against him, if at all possible.

‘Redblade and Brickhouse are dead,’ he bellowed, turning to look each in the face, daring them to take him on. ‘There will be a new leader here.’

The new leader was meant to be Brickhouse, but he was no more. He caught sight of Pavel, who had been occupied with pulling up the rope ladder. Lothar pointed the tip of Slayer’s blade at the brigand. ‘Pavel will be your new leader. The new Redblade.’

‘Hurrah for our new leader,’ The Baron joined in.

Pavel was surprisingly quick to catch on. ‘Yes,’ he agreed, marching over. ‘I will take charge here.’

The nine brigands who stood with them in the centre of the settlement looked bemused at the idea. But they weren’t attacking, and that was the important thing.

Lothar wasted no time in dropping his own sword and taking Redblade from the cold hands of its former owner. He presented it to Pavel, whose reaction of wide-eyed disbelief wasn’t ideal, but at least the man had the presence of mind to grasp its hilt.

Lothar went on one knee, raising Slayer in the air. ‘The new Redblade,’ he uttered, glaring around at those present.

‘The new Redblade,’ The Baron repeated.

The brigands took the hint, mumbling an affirmation.

‘I will protect our settlement,’ Pavel declared.

‘And I will ensure it is well supplied from Eisenberg,’ Lothar added.

The other brigands looked more cheerful at these words. If Lothar kept the fort supplied with food and weapons, he thought Pavel would have a decent chance of keeping his position. That suited Lothar fine.

The fight formally ended, meaning they no longer had to spend action points.

Lothar knelt by Manslayer’s side. His life blood was leaking into the grass on which he lay. ‘A healer!’ Lothar demanded, but those assembled looked at him like he was mad.

‘We have no one who can heal those wounds,’ Pavel said, sounding genuinely sorrowful.

Lothar cursed himself for following a plan that risked Edmund’s life without having Femke available to treat his wounds.

Edmund stirred, emitting a weak groan.

Lothar could see the man was dying, but he somehow had the willpower to reach out a hand, which Lothar gripped.

‘Did Ashlyn tell you?’ the mercenary asked in a whisper.

‘No.’

Edmund grinned. ‘She’s a good one. Promise me you’ll look after her.’

‘I promise you.’

‘My Betty is already dead, Stiff. She waits for me. So don’t mourn my passing. I am leaving this world of pain to be at my wife’s side once more.’

With those words, Edmund Rigge, known as Manslayer, breathed his last.

MISSION COMPLETE

SUCCESS: Redblade was killed

None of your mercs improved their stats

Fallen Apples:

Edmund ‘Manslayer’ Rigge

***

Lothar divided Redblade’s treasure with Pavel. Breaker was given to one of the brigand’s friends, who became his second in command. It was sensible to have an ally with some skin in the game.

Lothar left with a decent haul. He had the Necklace of Agility Redblade had worn around his neck. There was also a wizard’s staff and an amulet. Pavel told him there had been other treasures found in the hidden chambers in the hill fort, but they had been sold or used by Redblade a long time ago. The brigand did hand over the map of the barrows, however. Like the one found in the first barrow, it depicted two other locations, somewhere out to the north and west.

Lothar climbed down the rope ladder and returned to Eisenberg. Accompanying him were The Baron, and those boys and girls who had been taken from Eisenberg.

He would tell his crew about his success. But he would also have to tell them about Manslayer, and guilt and pain followed him all the way to the town.

Leading a mercenary crew was hard. He’d lost people before: no doubt he’d lose more in the future. Some people liked to say he got his nickname on account of the number of dead bodies that seemed to pile up wherever he went.

But whenever it happened, and however much he blamed himself, he kept going.

HERE ENDS PART ONE OF SQUAD GAMES