"We have to help them!" she exclaimed, and ran to the aid of others further up the Caravan. "Wait!" he called, his hand out. She had already ran ahead. The warcries and the screams of the dying probably causing her not to hear him. He was just about to pursue after her before he was cut off.

The tumult of the melee suddenly increased in ferocity, and something huge passed through the treeline, rustling the branches that were half again as tall as Markus. A fist the size of a cannon ball pulled a branch out of the way, and a 9 foot tall brutish humanoid loomed between Markus and the running Valerie.

"Fuck me..." he breathed. An Ogre was certainly not a welcome sight. It eyed Markus hungrily, its free hand reaching out to grab him. In his opposite hand, it held a large carved log as a club. Markus lashed out on instinct, cutting its hand. It reared back and roared, before bringing the log down in a terrible arc. It slammed into the ground, Markus having barely avoided it with a quick roll. The Dwarf behind him wasn't so lucky. They had strong bodies, but the momentum and strength of the blow shattered the Dwarf's legs. Two others ran to the Broken Dwarf's aid and guarded him, while the one with the PoleAxe growled in fury and joined Markus in facing the Ogre. 

Before it could pull the log back in, Markus had leaped forward and stabbed into the creature's exposed side. Its stomach was like a wall of flesh! His sharp blade pierced the hide of the Ogre, causing it great pain. It lashed out a weak backhand at Markus, connecting and lifting the Swordmage off the ground with the blow to hit a tree. "Ah!" he cried out, and slid down. Ache and stiffness engulfed him after the initial explosion of pain. It was moments later when he regained his senses, and he opened his eyes to see the Ogre holding the warrior Dwarf alof, attempting to crush it. 

The Poleaxe was closer now, however. The Dwarf stabbed forward into the creature's collarbone, and with a fury he didn't know he had, Markus groggily got to his feet, and with a savage cry ran forward and sank two feet of steel into the beast's monstrous kidney. With a PoleAxe and Sword lodged in it, it weakened and dropped the Dwarf, falling to its knees. The Dwarf hit the ground on its feet, and stabbed the armor piercing point of his weapon into the Ogre's eye, killing it. Markus fell to his knees and caught his breath. Most of the Orcs seemed to have faded, and many of the Mercenaries were also likely dead. He turned his head out of curiosity to see how the battle fared up ahead. 

A cold chill ran down his spine as he saw the Orc nearly as big as the Ogre standing above Valerie. He couldn't see her very well against the cart, but the hair and outfit he recognized. [i]Shit[/i]. He got to his feet, lashing his hand out toward the Orc and concentrating. He had only one shot at this. He knew he couldn't make it there in time. "[i]Seiroch[/i]!" 

In a blink, Markus appeared behind the Orc as it removed Valerie's sword from its arm. Later that night, he'd think back and wonder why he always decided to make the most out of a situation, but he couldn't help himself. He had a dangerous glint in his eye as he spoke. "Hey Swamp Water." he said. The Orc blinked at the noise. "You should have chosen to finish the Elf. I might have let that slide." 

The last thing the Orc saw was a flash of steel, before its head was separated from its shoulders. The Swordmage's bastard sword sheared through bone and tissue, blood droplets flying as its head tumbled to the ground. The Orc's body comically twitched and flailed a bit, before it fell limp upon the ground. 

"What!?" Eloryen said, picking himself up after having been thrown into the wagon by a dying Orc with the last of its strength. Markus glanced back to Eloryan and gave a subtle wink, showing he had been joking. It was a rare sight to have someone as smooth as the Elf taken aback. 

His amusement faded though when he saw Valerie on the ground. He rushed forward and knelt down, brushing some of the hair out of her face and checking her. Satisfied she hadn't been stabbed in her upper body, he stood up, and reached down to give her a hand. "Can you stand?" he asked breathlessly. They gripped forearms, and he pulled her to her feet and gave her a nod. 

Other than a few sporadic cries, it seemed the battle was now nearing its completion. Bodies of Mercenaries and Orcs were strewn under and atop the wagons. A few were laid broken near the gnarled roots at the treeline. Tobias the Merchant appeared out of the thinned crowd at the fore, his apron and midsection covered in Orc blood. He held a cleaver, and Markus looked down to his free hand that now only had 2 fingers. 

"Damned Orcs," Tobias seethed with a wrath, which was very much out of character for the man. "Once we get to Hillglen, I'm going to have a talk with the mayor about this." 

Eloryen stepped before Markus and Valerie, taking his hat off and smoothing his golden mane of hair, before placing the hat atop his head once more. "Well, that was eventful."
[@Luminosity]