The Onslaught Cometh

[Onslaught]

*The bitter chill of the night falls over Wolfenden, bringing with it the deathly cold of evil - be it from men of sin, or from the creatures of darkness. Through the night, unheralded by torches or lanterns, a lone figure strides towards the village, picking his way along the well-travelled path through the dense, forbidding thicket.*

*Despite the all-consuming night, the stranger moves with an assurance befitting the brightest morning, unhindered by the darkness. Were a light source of some kind to play upon his form now, it would reveal a slim, muscular man of over six foot in height, clad in a long and well-worn surcoat and hood. Underneath that hood, one would notice a slight grin, as if in anticipation of what may await him when the path finally ends. It would not betray the apprehension, the frustration - fear, in a sense - slowly bubbling beneath the surface; the quiet agony of an itch that, to date, he has found himself wholly powerless to relieve.*

*But no light comes - no welcome is to be had, warm or otherwise. He continues to move in silence through the inky blackness, flexing his gauntlets, ready. At the back of his mind lurks the thought of employment, of sustaining himself for his time here through application of his various skills. Yet it is of no great concern, as this is a troubled and ever-changing land he ventures into, and if anything is certain, it is that someone, somewhere, sometime, will need killing.*

*And that, after all, is what he really excels at.*

*Pulling his surcoat around him tightly for warmth, Onslaught continues along the path, as the torchlight of Wolfenden Village appears on the horizon.*

[Sera Williams]

*She was ignorant of any fellow travellers on said path. Her foot steps slow, steady.. she had not rested during the day and as night drew on the young woman was more a zombie. Her mind wanted to shut off and her body burned as it begged her for rest. The Other could have passed her and she would never be seen at all. Sera was hungry... and so worn out that all she could feel was a faint, twinge of fear. Her voice was melodious, sweetly cresting on the night air revealing her presence to all.*

Night time harkens to us all. Sweetly doth the night bird call. I wish to see you here with me my dream dear... I wish to dance and play in the summer day and have you near.. Night time darkens sweetly surrender the creatures of the day... Yet I shall travel on for thee my eternal blasphemy..

*The same melody was alternately hummed but she sang the words over and over again.. one step, two steps... her sleep blurred eyes were suddenly aware of the village before her. She was so tired that she did not comprehend the significance of this. She had been walking for almost three weeks with no supplies.. dizzy with hunger and thirsty, for she had not had any water since that stream earlier this day, she continued to stumble on. The simple, too small, brown gown was coated in grime.. and in this way she entered her new existance.*

[Onslaught]

*A melody is carried to Onslaught on the wind, the words unintelligible but its resonance piercing. It comes from ahead of him, though its source is unseen at present. The voice is young, and in its tone he can detect the unique vibrato of fear.*

*He is loathe to reveal his location, always willing to believe in the possibility of an ambush by thieves or bandits. Yet his instincts, which have served him so well in the years since he was granted his 'gifts', speak of little threat.*

*He blinks once, and finds himself and his surroundings plunged into the pitch black of the night, pupils dilating as he squints into the gloom. Reaching into his pocket, he takes out a flint lighter before pulling some dry kindling from the roadside. A few sparks, and the kindling blazes into life, revealing his location to anyone looking in his general direction.*

"Hello? Who goes there?"

[Sera Williams]

*Her eyes hurt when those sparks flared blinding her for a moment. She stopped singing and spun around blinking wildly.. one hand lifted to protect her eyes from the sudden flickers. Someone was here... she should have expected that but the young woman was really not thinking clearly... there was a low whimper in her throat that hint of fear emanating from her increasing. It took her a long moment to make her reply... the young woman swaying on her feet whispered*

J-just a traveller...

*As her fear increased her protector of sorts came nearer. The small Kestrel had no name for he had not shared his name with his friend yet.. he was small even though he was but a dainty hawk, the creature landed on the trembling woman's shoulder his golden eyes seeming to glow in this thick night... he let out a small cry of warning to any danger in the night.. though obviously the pair was not made to fight.*

[Onslaught]

*Something in the voice makes Onslaught's blood run cold. For reasons alien to him, a sudden apprehension siezes his mind. Sensing the proximity of the voice's owner about a hundred metres away, he find himself having to fight an overwhelming urge to defend himself.*

*Yet he manages to reason with himself long enough to steady his nerves, while musing as to what has unsettled him so. It was the hollow, frail ring of the voice, that despite this carried so much hidden gravitas as to be wholly disturbing. It was the sound of death, impending and guaranteed, and he no longer wishes to be there.*

*What little chivalry remains within him gnaws at his being, until reason suggests a compromise. He pulls a small parcel of rations from his knapsack and places it on the path, thrusting the burning twigs into the soft earth nearby to draw attention to them.*

"I have left some food here, fellow traveller. Please take it with my blessing. Perhaps we will meet in Wolfenden."

"If you require assistance, seek me out and I will aid you if I can. Remember my name: Onslaught."

"I must leave..."

*Without waiting for a reply, he strides swiftly from the path into the thicket. A blink, and the darkness parts for him again, appearing to his eyes as clear as in daybreak. And then he is gone, seeping through the trees, eager to reach Wolfenden before sunrise.*

[Continued in 'The Wolf's Howl Inn: Some Time To Kill'.]

[Sera Williams]

*Perhaps it was her utter naivety but she would grab the rations listening to the stranger's vanishing step. The young woman curled up right there in the path and peaked at the food... her bird let out a low cry before starting to preen his feathers. No danger came from the food.. she would eat a few bites before resting the night. Onslaught... what a strange name.. she had no idea why he had sounded so terrified suddenly... the last thing he would hear out of Sera this fine evening was*

Thank you...

*Perhaps it was her utter innocence that sparked his fear? The bird.. she did wonder. She slept on the side of the road this evening. When the sun rose so did she. Exhausted, thirsty but stronger for the food the grubby redhaired female started into town... she had come to Wolfenden, and now she knew where she was... thanks to the Onslaught*

[ModNote: Sera is next seen here.]