[centre][h2]Longsight[/h2] 
[b]&[/b]
[h2]Badboy[/h2]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/Kskn8GF.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/pcXVo2n.png[/img]
[/centre]
[hr]
For some weeks, they moved about the great cliff and did not camp in any one place for more than a few nights. There was no wind to speak of here, and so whatever cold beset them at night was chased away by a carefully constructed fire. They stuck to crevices and other such nooks and crannies so that the light would not attract unwanted attention during the hours of darkness, and when they tucked in for the night they snuffed it out. They rotated the watch between all six of them over the course of each night, and by the first squeak of dawn they were up and moving. 
Longsight had quickly learned that those were not birds chorusing by the light of the sun rising from the great blood sea. His quick eyes had spotted just one such creature as he stood one morning on a rocking overhanging the vast ocean, gazing forlornly as he was wont to do and waiting on the others to join him for the day’s march. 

As he gazed, he noticed unexpected movement at the edge of the rock before him and was swift to bring his war hammer up. He had named it Bonebreaker and pitied whatever poor critter was soon to taste it. As it were, the being that sprung suddenly from beyond the rock ledge was not quite the monstrosity he expected. [url=https://i.imgur.com/HbAuG1z.jpeg]It seemed an odd sort of bat[/url], only more colourful and with great feathery wings. Surveying the strange creature for a few moments, Longsight at last relaxed when he heard it warbling in an imitation of birdsong and even managed a slight smile. It remained there, observing him with its beady eyes until Badboy and the goblins arrived. “We are prepared for the day’s journey, Timesworn.” Songster, who had been known as Fee, said. Longsight glanced at the four goblins – gobtrotters, they had called them in Renev. From their first speech to him they had referred to him only as Timesworn, and to Badboy as Barbtongue. They spoke with a heavy accent that betrayed the heaviness of the language upon them. It was not their native tongue, that was certain. 

Casting one last glance at the strange bat-creature, Longsight gestured to the others and they began their trek. They were still in search of a good location to establish themselves more permanently, having so far only found crevices and fissures largely unsuitable as long-term dwellings. It was doubtless that, on a cliff this large, they would eventually find a suitable enough cave. They had not gone more than ten steps when a shrill shriek sounded behind them. Longsight and the others turned swiftly, the two greatgoblins reaching for their weapons and the boys doing the same. The bat-thing had taken flight and was flapping its wings as it approached. Flying right over them, it let out another shriek – this time a succession of sounds that Longsight did not doubt were words. Only, he did not understand them. Saboteur, who had been known as Fo but was dubbed Saboteur by Badboy following his sabotage of their food stocks, leapt forth and swiftly drew and fired his bow.

[centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/7wkwFwL.jpeg[/img]
[i]There like an iron bolt he stood
And shot as only brave ones could[/i][/centre]
The arrow flew like a shooting star. Yet the screeching bat-creature was nimble and, at the last second, dived so that the arrow whisked past it. Saboteur lowered his bow, eyes narrowed. Tentongues, who had been called Fi, gazed after the creature and eventually spat audibly. “Spy bird. It said we trespass on the land of its master, ‘Hylsek Adech’ – and that this master thirsts for mortal flesh.” Longsight scratched his jaw, his brow set in a deep frown. Finally shrugging his shoulders – for there was very little that could be done about that now – he set off again and the others fell silently in quick lockstep. 

By midmorning, they had made considerable progress and no spybirds had been spotted trailing them or on their path. Longsight and the gobtrotters rested a little while Badboy, ever energetic, scouted ahead to see if there were any likely positions where a cave could be found. He returned some quarter of an hour later, breathing heavily and gesticulating frantically while making several grimacing, snarling faces. “Outer beasts?” Horntusk, who was once Fum, asked. Badboy nodded, a grin growing on his face as he gripped Headsplitter. They had not had any encounters since Galaxor had departed, and Badboy had been getting visibly restless. He had taken to bothering and provoking Saboteur. Longsight knew he had not forgiven the greatgoblin for destroying much of the food and ralk tirelessly looted from Galaxor’s enchanted table, and so the greatgoblin became the unfortunate recipient of Badboy’s harassment and pranks. Whenever Longsight thought his fellow Renevit was going too far, he called him out on it with angry snaps of the finger, which afforded Saboteur some reprieve for at least a while. Patient though he was, there was no hiding the greatgoblin’s distinct dislike for ‘Barbtongue’.

“If the outer beasts are in the direction Barbtongue came,” Tentongues spoke up, “then we should try to put as much distance as we can between them and us.” Hearing these words, Badboy’s face darkened and he shook his head. Turning to Longsight, he raised his hand with fingers outstretched - [i]five of them[/i] – and hefted Headplitter confidently – [i]we can take them[/i]. Tentongues looked at Longsight with pursed lips, though Songster was less successful at hiding the fear in his eyes. While the two greatgoblins were confident fighters, the little gobtrotters had made abundantly clear over the previous days that they preferred to keep away from all that. Looking at Badboy, Longsight shook his head in the negative. Badboy visibly deflated, face drooping in disappointment, and the gobtrotters all turned and began gathering their things. Longsight patted Badboy’s shoulder with a reassuring smile, and the other boy sighed, shrugged with a forced smile, and nodded in understanding.

Ascending the cliff away from the monsters meant they had to negotiate unintuitive paths that saw them eventually venture into a rocky outcropping. The large boulders offered some cover and, though they moved between crags and jutting rock formations with difficulty, they were safe in the knowledge that they were free of being seen. At the very least that was the case for anyone spying for them from below. The screech that ripped through the air, however, was undoubtedly from above. A glance into the sky confirmed that two spybirds were circling above them. Swiftly, Saboteur and Horntusk drew their pre-nocked arrows and fired one after the other. The spybirds squawked but were both ultimately too near to avoid the fast-coming darts, and they fell silently from the heavens. The sounds of roars and growls far below them confirmed, however, that the spybirds had done their part. The party set off once more with renewed urgency.

Badboy kept glancing furtively behind them and between boulders, Headsplitter ever-ready in both hands. Longsight too tightened his grip on Bonebreaker. As they continued their quick ascent through the treacherous terrain, Longsight noted that Songster and Tentongues were struggling. They were small of build even compared to Badboy and him, and the two gobtrotters often had to climb or jump over rocks that the others could simply step across. It therefore came as no surprise to Longsight when one of them – Songster – eventually slipped while climbing and appeared to twist his foot rather badly. Longsight heard no snap, so doubted it was broken. Still, he was unable to walk, let alone attempt to continue manoeuvring the rocks like that. Saboteur glanced to Longsight, and with a nod from the lad he moved across to Songster and picked him up. The little gobtrotter placed his arms about the greatgoblin’s neck, and the party continued. 

The growling – as well as shouting in that same foreign tongue, Longsight now realised – was getting ever closer. It was not long before they sighted the first of their pursuers. It was a birdlike humanoid, with the head of a [url=https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/001/186/101/large/nicholas-cloister-64-drocharan-jpg.jpg?1441801576]freak raven[/url] and wings for arms. Feathers of black and deepest blue covered it from its head until they gave way to tufts as they reached its taloned legs. Seeing them, it croaked and spread its great black wings, leaping easily from rock to rock in its pursuit. Behind it, the other pursuers began to appear in quick succession. Cursing inwardly, Longsight leapt as fast as he safely could over and between the small jutting rocks and followed the others. Horntusk, the biggest of them all and unencumbered, had naturally taken the lead. Arriving by an especially tall stone spire, Longsight quickly clambered atop it – nearly slipping, he managed to hook Bonebreaker’s pick into the stone and pull himself up. 

Launching his gaze across the distances, he saw that from where they were was a descent and- his eyes widened and a small smile hovered on his lips. There was no doubt in his mind that those rocks piled one above the other part of the way down hid a by no means small opening. He knew there was no rational reason to think it was anything more than a hovel, barely fit for one person, and yet laying his sight on it filled him with a certain elation and unreasonable hope. No, it was not hope but [i]certainty[/i]. Leaping down from the spire, he jumped swiftly – madly! – from rock to rock and took the lead once more, gesturing for everyone to follow and pointing towards their goal.

Their descent was fast and wild, throwing caution to the wind as the monsters slowly but surely gained on them. Before long they could almost feel them snapping at their heels. The cave opening reared open, closer and closer, but Longsight knew they would not make it there before the beasts had caught them. And even if they did, reaching the cave would not rid them of the need to fight. Realising this, he slowed suddenly and turned about. The others made to do the same, but he signalled for Saboteur to keep going and for Tentongues to follow. Pointing to Badboy and Horntusk, he hefted his war hammer and tapped the ground beneath him. [i]Here we stand.[/i] Though breathing hard, the two nodded. Badboy even managed a grin.

The croak of the ravenbeast sounded from a near rock, appearing to speak, and the other beasts emerged all about it. “It’s saying that Hylsek Adech orders our surrender,” Horntusk spoke gruffly. “Says that before long he will have arrived.” Even as he translated, Horntusk began to draw a nocked arrow. Setting his jaw, Longsight stood his ground and hefted Bonebreaker now this way and now that. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Badboy taking a forward position. He did not need to see his friend’s face to know he was grinning like an absolute maniac. Seeing them take a stand, the ravenbeast guffawed and screamed some words. Immediately the other four beasts sprung forward. They were large, terrible things, not very far in appearance from some of the beings that had ravaged Renev. Two of them were quadrupeds, one like a [url=https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/038/720/large/per-haagensen-khitan-lion-concept-2k-w-sign.jpg?1456346805]great black daemonic cat[/url] and the other [url=https://www.realmofhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/mythical-creatures-strangest-hybrids_14-min.jpg?ezimgfmt=ng:webp/ngcb20]a thing of hair and teeth and horns[/url] that had little relation to any animal Longsight had ever known. The other two were two bipedal monstrosities, like giant freak monkeys. They may well have been twins, only that one was [url=https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/003/127/482/large/yang-qi917-yang-qi-stc-20101231-1801.jpg?1470049790]smaller[/url] and the other [url=https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/003/127/483/large/yang-qi917-yang-qi-world-boss-1.jpg?1470049828]larger[/url] – the largest of the four in fact.

Without hesitation, Badboy raised Headsplitter, gesticulated at the biggest of the monstrosities, and dashed forth. The monster scoffed, growling something under its breath, and seemed to accept his challenge. “I’ll take its brother,” Horntusk said, firing off an arrow at the small biped, which caught it in the torso but hardly seemed to faze it. Without pause, the greatgoblin fired more in quick succession. Though he had a blade at his side, Horntusk kept his distance as his opponent charged, continuing to pepper it with arrows from afar for as long as possible. That left the quadrupeds, which appeared in all ways more bestial. They prowled towards Longsight together, circling around him even as he backed away to prevent them from completely encircling him. Before they could take the offensive, Longsight chose to surge towards the terrible black cat. He swung his pick with savage force and fury, hoping to cleave right through its head and be done with it. The beast was fast, however, and managed to rear up just in time and swat at him with its massive claws. Just about managing to change his mad sweep into an upward swing, he met its paw with Bonebreaker’s vicious pick. Bile-like blood exploded in every which way, and the beast roared its pain and rage into the heavens and turned swiftly in partial flight.

Not bothering to chase the wounded creature, he turned to the second beast and found it fast approaching. Falling to one knee, he steadied Bonebreaker, cocked his arm, and locked his gaze on its wide-open maw and the uncountable razor teeth bearing down on him. His intention had been to swing with all his might at the last second, but as it descended upon him he knew that would be tantamount to suicide. Turning his body ever so slightly, he threw himself into the side-roll of his life. The beast passed him, and his pick flailed for it – but he had rolled too hard and too far. As the thing turned back towards him, he heard a growl at his back that caused the hairs at the nape of his neck to rapidly straighten. He lurched forward with all he had in strength just as the ground he had been on was sundered by the descending claws of the catbeast. Gathering himself up at speed, Longsight turned – heaving Bonebreaker – and flung it with all he had of power so that it spun like an impossible wheel towards the cat. Too fast and far from anything it had likely expected in its bestial mind, the hammer caught it right in the face, leaving it unrecognisable. It remained standing, as though not realising it was dead, for a while before at last crumpling forward and stilling. 

Not waiting, Longsight threw himself forward to retrieve his weapon. He had not taken four steps when the other was upon him, its branch-like horns catching him by the torso, knocking the breath out of him, and flinging him high into the air. He landed in a heap, and with no more air to be knocked out of him felt blood spittle and leak from his mouth and nose. The world swirled about him. There was no air and he could not even groan at the pain that wracked his lungs and limbs. The beast sauntered up to him, knowing its victory and, as more cruel-natured predators were wont to do, wished to toy with him a little before it finished the job. Longsight forced his body to move against the pain and turned onto his back. The beast’s tail thwacked him and sent him reeling onto his side. Dizziness overcame him and he struggled to rise once again, but a blow from the beast’s paw sent him rolling once more. 

As the beast approached again, he gurgled and his hands spasmed as he attempted against his body's protestations to move, but there was nothing. As it brought its head near, he heard shouts across the foggy distance of his mind. An arrow then appeared with sudden speed in the beast’s eye. It leapt back and shrieked in pain, but before it could lash out another arrow caught it in the shoulder and then Badboy’s form was over Longsight. His brown eyes glinted in the sunlight, bileblood coated him from head to toe, and the grin plastered on his face spoke of battle-dementedness. Without any concern for himself, he rushed forth towards the flailing monstrosity, swinging Headsplitter as though it were some sling above him. The beast surged towards its new challenger, but the impossible blade had already descended like thunder. The form of the beast parted before Badboy. Head, spine, torso; they fell this way and that before him as though little more than pulp. Above them, the ravenbeast circled, croaking and raging as arrows missed it, and soon it had turned about and was flying away from the field of battle.

Badboy turned back and ambled towards Longsight, then crouched by him and idly poked his cheek. The crumpled lad managed a slight nod and smile to assure his friend that he was fine. Even as he did so, big steady arms were scooping him up and the last he remembered before he surrendered to darkness was the jaw of Saboteur against the pale blue sky.

[hider=Summary]On the cliff, Longsight, Badboy, Songster (formerly Fee), Tentongues (formerly Fi), Saboteur (formerly Fo), and Horntusk (formerly Fum), are on the search for a cave in which to settle more permanently. One morning, a weird bat-bird sees the group. They pay it little heed, but a shouted word from it in a foreign tongue – that the goblins thankfully understand – notifies the group that it is a spy for a local outer beast lord named Hylsek Adech. The group continues but eventually discovers a group of five monsters scouting up the cliff. The party attempts to escape without alerting them, but a couple of spybirds eventually see them and the chase begins. As they escape, Longsight spots what appears to be a suitable cave – at long last! They head towards it, but the group eventually realises that they’ve not been able to lose their pursuers and whether at the cave or not they’ll need to fight. A fight commences and Longsight is hurt, but Badboy – now super bad-ass battle-crazy boy – jumps to his rescue. Post ends with Longsight passing out.

Characters featured or mentioned:
-- Longsight: our lil hero. After running his mouth at Sylia and being imprisoned beyond the wall, he is now a glorious war hammer-swinging chronomancer hero of the lord of time! Still got completely beat up though.
-- Badboy: our very own blood-streaked, headsplitting madboy. Longsight’s close friend and co-conspirator; absolutely battle-demented.
-- Songster (formerly Fee): A goblin librarian assigned by Galaxor the task of teaching the lads to read and write; does not like fighting.
-- Tentongues (formerly Fi): A goblin librarian also assigned by Galaxor to teach the lads. He appears to have a degree of diplomatic charisma. Though he also does not like fighting, he can still keep a calm head when under attack.
-- Saboteur (formerly Fo): A greatgoblin who, having destroyed the foodstuff looted by Badboy from Galaxor, becomes the target of the lads frustrations. He doesn't much like Badboy. A skilled archer, and likely a skilled melee combatant too.
-- Horntusk (formerly Fum): A greatgoblin warrior and archer, and part of Longsight's party.
-- Hylsek Adech: mentioned by name only, appears to be - at the least - an outer beast lord of some standing. Longsight's band seems to have trespassed on his territory and have made themselves his target.[/hider]