With a roar, some of the front ranks of the guards rush forward, whilst the more sensible ones stand their ground, wondering why their leaders aren’t leading them, and nervously eyeing their opponents and ascertaining what might be the best course of action. As the front ranks move, more colours enter the hall from the side stairs, swelling the numbers.

“Why are we here again?” shouts Hy-Jynx rhetorically, above the noise of battle.

“Hood wants a book from the library,” shouts Helmet, jabbing his gauntleted finger in the direction of Hood. “I think we’re to abseil there from the top of the bell tower” he continues, now jabbing his finger in an upward direction. “Didn’t anyone tell you the plan?”

“This was planned for?!” laughs Hy-Jinx in response, surveying the chaotic body-scape before her.

From above, the sombre sound of the great bell can be heard tolling:

BONG!

“I hope this book’s worth it,” shouts Bembry “because this looks like it’s just turned into the mother of all shi…” his voice momentarily drowned out by a tremendous roar as the naked tattooed barbarian sorcerers each drag into existence a large ball of what looks like whirling blue flame that barrels into the troops before them, each striking a single soldier in the stomach, lifting them off their feet and thrusting them mid-flight into the ranks behind… “storms.” Bembry concludes.

As the barbarian sorcerers launch another volley of blue flames, the towering presence of Dworf shambles forward, picking up half of the crossbeam in a colossal malformed hand, he tries to swipe aside the ranked colours, a poorly conceived plan due to the size of the room that he’s in. His first attempt causing him to half lift the beam before it collides with the wall and when he attempts to swing it back it collides with one of the stone columns, causing the whole column itself to shudder, mortar and masonry falling from its sides.

BONG!

The colours swarm about him, their swords stabbing like needles into his feet and legs. Dworf lets out a scream of torment, dropping the crossbeam which crushes several of the guardsmen, before clenching both fists and lashing out at all before him. A throng of barbarians are now about the hall, shoving and pushing and the two sides lay into one another, thrusting and parrying, hacking and screaming. Amidst the fray the two barbarian sorcerers work together with the rest of the barbarian horde, energy bursting and crackling in small jolts from their finger tips, occasionally summoning an energetic shield in front of themselves or others to counter incoming attacks.

Hood, watching their progress bides his time, slowly murmuring and waiving his hands before snapping his fingers into a specific alignment. A bright orange bolt of searing energy coalesces from the aether, pulled from the fabric of reality, and bursts forth in a direct line towards the female sorcerer. Screaming through the air it looks as if it is going to reach its mark before it flashes and dissipates against a glowing blue disc. Hood looks up to lock eyes with the male sorcerer who fixes his stare across the hall, whilst between them the colours and the barbarians fight on. Understanding that he has now drawn their fire, Hood rolls up his sleeves and furiously starts to work. Two balls of glowing blue flame arch his way as he calls up a shield similar to that which the sorcerers have been using but much larger - large enough to cover the entirety of the companions. Taking a step backwards Hood turns both palms outwards and braces into his stance as the blue flames slam into his shield. Hood’s feet scrape backwards, as his body shifts under the sheer force of the impact, but his shield holds and he continues his incantation, murmuring and waiving, keeping the shield in place.

BONG!

“Dozer, pick up Hood! Use your strength to get us to that stairwell!” shouts Madeleine, indicating the stairs in the east wall. “The rest of you protect our circumference as best you can.”

Dozer lifts Hood with ease and without question, but as he tries to move forward the shield which is a couple of feet in front of Hood presses up against the rear of the guards. To move further Dozer has to exert himself, his large leg muscles straining as he begins to push the guards, via the shield, out of the way. The rest of the companions fall into a semi circle about Dozer, their weapons drawn, guarding his sides and back as he moves slowly forward.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Just because they are on the move does not, however, deter the ire of the barbarian magi. Sizzling bolts of energy scream across the hall, walloping into Hood’s shield, which buckles and ripples under the stress. Again, another volley. It is evident that Hood’s shield may not hold against a further attack as the most recent energy bolt seems to stretch the shield inwards until it nearly splits, the bolt dissipating just at the last moment. Fearing the worst, Hood, drenched now in sweat, the effort of maintaining the shield clearly having a draining effect on him, breathes deeply and tries to steady his mind, tempering it with his will, but a moment of fortune arrives as the glowing metal helmet of Dworf, slips from his head and plummets down, glowing runes first, to impact with the hall floor. As the helmet strikes, whatever energy is stored within it is released in a large explosion, which shakes the ground and sends barbarians and colours alike flying, along with dust and shattered masonry, as it blows out a large side section of one of the columns.Through this confusion, Hood can just make out that the male sorcerer has been blown over, whilst the other is distracted, wiping dust from her eyes. Without hesitation Hood dissolves his shield, and then realises that he is still in part responsible for lighting the hall. He draws this energy back from the room, and converts it instantaneously into another sizzling energy bolt which shrieks through the melee-ing throng and strikes the female sorcerer square in the chest, knocking her clean off her feet.

Hy-Jinx is duly impressed: “Wow Hood, you blasted her right in the t…”

BONG!

“Next time why don’t you try and get the other wrinkly one and blast him in the bol…”

“Look out!” interrupts Helmet, as he pushes Hy-Jinx out of the way of a large chunk of masonry that has fallen from the ceiling.

“I think we best get out of here as quickly as possible before the ceiling collapses!” shouts Bembry, pointing to the half wrecked, crumbling pillar nearby.

As this exchange is going on, Dozer, carrying Hood, is pushing his way to the base of the steps, the companions in close array about him. With Helmet on one side of Dozer and Hy-Jinx and Bembry on the other, Madeleine enters the stepped passageway behind him and carefully ascends until three guards come rushing down the steps, single file, swords already drawn before them. Seeing the masked figure approaching they cautiously slow to a halt, warily shifting their stance.

“I can let you past you know, I’m not here to hurt you, the barbarians are below and your comrades need your support,” says Madeleine calmly but loudly, speaking over the echoing din from below.

Each guard looks to the other, before shouting a battle cry and rushing Madeleine, who like a wind, smoothly slips between each guard and sword blow alike, nudging the first in the ribs and stepping back on the inside of his leg, causing him to fall knees first to the ground, as the second’s sword passes an inch from her mask. She steps forward placing the blade of her right hand on the guardswoman’s elbow, preventing her from making a return strike, then rolls around her side, taking her neck in her left and slipping her right to the guardswoman’s wrist, controlling her sword arm as she spins her, shadowing her body, to the strike at the third. The guardsman at the rear clumsily blocks the unexpected blow but Madeleine flicks his blade away, slapping his wrist with the guardswoman’s blade, creating an opening which she exploits. Releasing her hold on the guardswoman she steps forward taking her sword from her in one smooth motion and driving its pommel onto the third guard’s forehead.

BONG!

The guard crashes to the ground unconscious, as Madeleine turns on the spot and shifting her grip higher up the sword’s handle, hooks it partially behind the guardswoman’s neck, drawing her against the wall as she chokes her out using a scissoring action with her forearm. As Madeleine does this her attention returns to the first guard, who halfway to his feet is met with a short but powerful kick to the stomach which sends him cascading backwards down the stones steps to land in a heap at Dozer’s feet.

“Dozer, I need you!” shouts Madeleine. “Hood can fend for himself. There’ll be more, and we need to clear the way!”

Dozer sets Hood down and bounds up the stairs, two at a time to join Madeleine, as Hood, surrounded now by Bembry, Helmet and Hy-Jinx slowly backs into the stairway, stepping over the unfortunate guard who is lying groaning on the floor.

“Wait up” shouts Hy-jinx, “I think I have a better plan, if you don’t mind, oh powerful leader?” she says without a hint of sarcasm which perhaps makes it even more acerbic.

Madeleine raises an eyebrow.

Hy-Jinx stops, gobsmacked, pointing at Madeleine’s mask.

“Well?” Madeleine says, chuckling to herself. “Don’t just stand there speechless like an imbecile - what’s the plan?”

“Cloaks,” says Hy-Jinx. “Bembry!” she shouts, before turning to the others: “You guys take a breather.”

Bembry pushes past Hood and Helmet.

“Get a cloak and follow my lead,” orders Hy-Jinx.

“Mischief?” asks Bembry.

“Subterfuge,” replies Hy-Jinx, “Come on!… And she can move her eyebrows!”

BONG!