Attended by:Raiden, Grenadier Corporal
(leading)Hoagie, Dragoon Sergeant
Mela, Scout Sergeant
Joey Lanai, Senior Dragoon
Gimbly, Regular Grenadier
Tom Sendrich, Regular Dragoon
John Dell, Regular Guardsman
Conan Darkmoon, Regular Guardsman
Eve, Junior Grenadier
Falconheart, Watchman
Arel Mortan, Watchman
Zoie Hayden, Watchman
Mercy, Guardsman Recruit
Trophy Collected: Tooth Of The Bone Dragon.It had been a long hard day for Raiden as he trudged towards his cottage. Had Mela suspected that something was amiss with Vince from his conversation with her earlier he pondered?
As he walked up the path to his front door a figure appeared from the shadows. Raiden eyed the figure with disdain.
"I have ill news of your Sergeant."
"Well?"
"A goat herder saw a soldier crawl into the ruins near the Sacrifice shrine... The soldier was injured."
"A soldier? A goat herder sees a soldier hobbling about and I'm supposed to mount a rescue mission... What the feck am I paying you for!"
"The soldier was a Covian... He wore bronze arms."Raiden tossed a bag of coins to the figure and swore harshly under his breath. He turned and ran into the barracks. No one was about. He checked the rotas. Damn it! There's no way I can lead a rescue mission until next eve.
Monday eve a large detachment of Covian Grenadiers, Scouts, Dragoons and Guardsmen gathered at the barracks as Raiden briefed them quickly.
"The Sarge is missing men, in the vicinity of the sacrifice shrine in Ilshenar. We leave NOW! There's not a moment to lose!"Raiden could feel an anger and unease in his men as they rallied in Ilshenar. A frustration borne from the fact that Sergeant Valentine was missing in action.
The rescue party advanced towards the ruins and came upon a group of brigands. None of the bandits were forthcoming with information so they were slain where the stood. The mood amongst the men was getting darker.
As they searched the ruins for a sign as to Vince's whereabouts Raiden's expedition came under archer fire.
"Cheese eaters!" Came the cry.
"FORM ON ME" Raiden bellowed as he tapped his helm and the ratmen charged.
It didn't take long for the attack to be repelled and the order was given to skirmish the disordered enemy.
With the ruins secure and still no sign of Sergeant Valentine the brave band of Covians searched the surrounding area. Still no sign could be found. The only place left to shelter was a cave known to be infested with ratmen and elementals not to mention rumours of undead dragons. It would be a desperate situation indeed to force Vince to shelter in such a place.
"Alright. Form up on me! We're going in! Stay close!" Raiden barked the orders as the guardsmen entered the cave.
They immediately came under attack from elementals and ratmen as they entered. Something had certainly got the buggers riled up! Not a Covian gave an inch and soon the onslaught was subdued and Raiden ordered his men into the Ratmen's lair.
The rescue party hadn't ventured far when they came across the first clues to Sergeant Valentine's whereabouts.
"Look a Covian sash!" Shouted a Watchman.
Raiden looked at the tattered piece of cloth through his visor, dread burning his cheeks. He clenched his teeth and ventured on.
"A helm too!"
"And Vince's bow!"Junior Grenadier Eve gathered up these abandoned items and the group moved on down the passage when they hit a dead end.
"Rockfall Sir. It looks recent." Falconheart said as he strained to move the boulders.
"Stand back!" Raiden placed a few small charges to blast away at the rock.
After the dull thud of the explosions the guardsman clawed at the rubble and eventually made their way into the sealed cavern.
"Nooooooooooooooo! Vince!" Raiden fell to his knees.
Other guardsmen too dropped to their knees at the site of Valentine's broken and burned remains. The Grenadier Sergeant had been dead a while judging from the condition of his body or what was left of it. A charred and battered torso was all that remained of the charismatic Grenadier.
Raiden was dazed. He could hear the sobs and cries of his guardsmen but his limbs wouldn't respond as he tried to rally them. He had to steel himself. He couldn't let the men lose themselves in grief.
As he was about to push himself to his feet Raiden saw a twinkle flash from Vince's body. His ring! Vince's wedding ring! He took Vince's hand to remove the ring and as he did so Vince's Grenadier Sergeant's badge fell to the floor, it had been clasped in his fallen friend's hand when he died. Raiden tucked them carefully into his pack and rose to his feet.
"Gimbly... Gimbly!" Raiden shouted but even the bald veteran was in shock.
"Gimbly, wrap the Sarge up in a bedroll, he's coming with us!" The Grenadier nodded.
"Eve... Lass..." Raiden placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Collect up his gear lass." She nodded tearfully.
Raiden looked around the sullen guardsmen, it was like the life had been sucked out of them.
"LINE UP! LINE UP!" Bellowed Raiden. He couldn't let them ponder on Vince's death, but even Sergeant Mela was slowed by grief.
"Mela... Mela! MA'AM! Line up." The Scout shuffled into line.
"Now then. I want the place cleared! Understand?"A muffled response came back from the guardsman.
"I said do you understand! No prisoners! Nothing lives! Got it!""AYE SIR!" Came the response. He had them back! They were soldiers again.
The guardsman went from cavern to cavern exterminating the ratpeople. Regular Guardsman Dell nearly chopped a ratman in half with one great heft of his axe. But the gentle giant hacked again and again and again at the mutilated body.
"Dell! Dell!" It took all of Raiden's strength to haul his friend away and shake the sense back into him.
Raiden looked around his platoon. There was a murderous intent about the group. They wanted blood. They wanted vengeance. Gimbly had Vince's remains slung over his shoulder in a bedroll but still wielded his mace and shield as if they were straw toys.
Deeper and deeper went the Covians, slaying all before them. Sendrich and Darkmoon cursing as they hacked their way on. Raiden sent Mela to scout ahead into the deepest cavern where the undead dragons dwelled and on her return he ordered his men forward.
The huge skeletal frame roared it's defiance as the Covians entered, or was it the primal scream of fear. It clung to it's haven on the cave wall as Covian archers and mages let loose and Grenadiers hurled explosive potions. The beast fell at their feet, dead again. The Grenadier Corporal smashed it's jaw with his mace. He lifted a tooth high into the air.
"FOR COVE!" He cried in bloodlust!
"FOR VINCE!" Came the response.
"FOR VINCE! FOR VINCE!" Raiden bit back the tears.
The rescue party fought it's way out into the daylight and returned to Cove solemnly. No amount of vengeance would fill the void of their lost comrade, Sergeant, friend. And now thoughts turned to his wife Kelly.
Raiden dismissed the men but no-one scarcely moved. So shocked they were. So blank their expressions. So disbelieving.
Mela and Raiden headed to the newly constructed Scout Tower to seek out Kelly. What words could they say? What comfort could they offer?
Kelly turned around as the door closed, Raiden and Mela entered.
"Hey! How did a Grenadier get in here so easily?" She grinned.
Kelly looked at them. What was wrong?
"Kelly... Kelly... Take a seat lass." Raiden said at last.
"No. I'll stand... What's wrong?"Raiden looked at Mela, her lip trembled and a tear escaped her eyes.
"There's no easy way to say... Vince has been killed in action." Raiden said solemnly.
"We recovered his body this eve... I am truly sorry lass."Kelly slumped against the wall and slid to the floor as if poleaxed. Raiden and Mela rushed to her side. The Officer Cadet rocked back and forth then burst into uncontrollable floods of tears. Mela consoled her as best she could.
Raiden reached into his pack and pulled out Vince's wedding ring.
"Here lass. His ring."Kelly sniffled and took the ring with a forlorn smile that broke Raiden's heart, before burying her head again in Mela's arms.
He could bear it no longer. Raiden got up and made to leave. Only when he had left the Scout Tower for the solitude of the woods did he let -his- tears fall.
*Signed*Raiden, Grenadier Corporal.
[ooc note]Thank you to everyone who turned up to make this event possible. I hope you enjoyed it and my apologies if i missed you off the attendance list - post a note below and I will add you to the roster. It's one of the few reports i have done in the 3rd person so i hope you enjoy - Raiden
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