Brattick (One Small Story From New Britannia)

A small story I started set in The SOTA World!

Brattick looked across the Arena at his opponent and made a quick assertion of his power, looking for weakness as they circled each other, both warriors had on the light dark red leather combat dress of the Owls Head Militia (OHM) each moving with the fluid grace only hard Warrior training could bring, Ganuk flew forward with a combination of kicks and punches culminating with a sweep to the foot and leading jab to Brattick’s head.

The gathered ring of Warriors watched with a mute silence that came with an understanding of the complexities of battles, each Warrior having experienced victory and the more bitter taste of failure many times over, They watched as Brattick got up from the floor of the Arena blood coming from his ear, Ganuk stood back to let him rise as good etiquette demanded until Brattick nodded to carry on, Both fighter's having to endure the fight until Master Han thought he had seen enough.

Master Han looked on with un-moving eyes his thoughts unreadable, Hans decision on the two men was final, Each had spent nearly all of their twenty three years under the instruction of this man, but both would abide by his decision or be banished from the OHM, A not all to pleasant experience.

The setting suns light burned into the eyes of Brattick as he parried another flurry of attacks this time he counter struck to Ganuk’s ribs knocking him to the ground in pain, trying very hard to shake off his nausea Ganuk got up. Brattick kept his distance and both men circled once more.

The tall thin silhouette of Lomo stood atop the Castle walls looking down on his old adversary, there was no love lost between these two, Lomo had never liked Brattick since he had been taken in by Master Han and he had not, Lomo had survived on his wits and a little help from begging on the streets of Owls Head, At first Brattick went out of his way to try and help Lomo, But Lomo came to hate him more and more, Despise his very being as the epitome and mirror of his own failure, Brattick had climbed a rung and he had been forgotten it seemed, by the whole world. Lomo held a grudge for this and it went very deep indeed.

Ganuk's feint drew Brattick’s guard as Ganuk's back foot left the hard compact sand and fine gravel floor glancing a blow as Brattick rolled to the side executing a scissor kick to Ganuk's leg's bringing him down, At the same time axe kicking Ganuk to the forehead, "Cease" shouted Master Han, as all the gathered Soto clapped with reserved enthusiasm, Both Warriors going to their respective marks on the ground, "The fight is over I have seen enough" said Han "Bow to your opponent’s and come forward", Each Warrior bowing, Coming together and sharing blood to skin with each other, If one or the other fails today then it is up to the victor to help train the remaining Warrior for the next cycle of stars.

"Both of you have done well today, it is difficult to chose between the two of you who would win in open combat, Your fighting skill is second to none in the ranks of the OHM, What have you to say for yourselves?".

"I....I feel honoured to be fighting such a brave warrior as Ganuk master" said Brattick "Yes it has been a honour to....erm", Ganuk stumbled on his words "To ..em!.. be on the Arena with Brattick and..", Han cut him short, "I can see you both need a lot more teaching's in the ways of the OHM", Both men visibly sagged at Han's word's, "It's a big world out there and fighting is a handy tool to have at your disposal...but you also need to master other arts as well, Arts that may not seem so apparent as fighting, Such as tact guile and diplomacy", Both men now feared the worst, and they were thinking of how it would be to endure another year as trainee OHM.
"But because of these men's dedication to training and good discipline" Han said addressing the crowd that was beginning to build, "It is with great honour I grant these two hopefuls the right of passage to OHM Warrior", Great cheers erupted around the Arena as the gathered OHM started chanting Brattick’s and Ganuk’s name's, lifting them up onto the shoulders Brattick was carried one way and Ganuk the other meeting back round the other side of the Arena.

Lomo watched from near the main gate of the Arena that led to the outer ring of the Castle, The inner ring being where The Lord of Owls Head lived with various Dignitaries, Politicians and the like, A world far removed from the outer sanction's of the Castle wall's. If thought's could kill then rest assured Brattick would be burning on a pyre to the Guardian.
Lomo thought back to when they both found themselves out in the gutter, abandoned by poor parents just given the cruellest of gaming hands ever.

And to think I was monumental in saving Brattick from certain death at the hands of some street pervert, Lomo's mind drifting in pictures as his eyeball's took in the offence that was Brattick, We had been begging in the streets with our crippled child scam when Brattick had tried it on with some Lord from a well to do court house near the Owls Head Castle moat, next minute he had disappeared from view, Running over to the side alley I find a Lord on top of a screaming Brattick trying to pull down his trousers with a bloody massive blade at his throat...

Lomo was brought back to reality by the procession spilling out into the outer ring wall and taking him with it, only his sheer height kept him from being levelled to the ground.
Brattick was ecstatic as he was let down and made his way to the barracks of the Trainee OHM, Outside Riyna stood. "What do you want here Brattick your OHM now, go wet your guts some place else", She said with a wry smile, "I would" Brattick said "But Han told me to come get you for wooden stooge training". "Said you had been slacking of late"!. Ganuk bounded up grabbing Brattick's head and kissing it, "You bastard son of a *****, I think you broke one of my rib's', Brattick laughed, "Your 'spose t'be con...cerned' Ganuk said as the obvious effects of adrenaline wore off much to the stiffening Ganuk’s displeasure, "Well Ganuck how does it feel to be second best on the day", "Second best! I caught you first, and I didn't visit the toilet every ten minute's to empty my guts!," "You liar" said Brattick "Findler said he heard you feeding the birds with the contents of your guts not long after first light".

"Yo.. OHM.. stop your petty squabbles" said the approaching Man, "This is a great day for you both, get on your cleanest garb and let this old Warrior escort you to your doom in the Town.’
Both Ganuk and Brattick and Riyna all stopped in mid sentence as what the Old OHM had said was unheard of, looking at the Old Warrior Brattick’s sun bronzed face showed disbelief and suspicion, For to talk with trainee OHM was a passage in a scroll in itself but to offer to take new initiate’s on a Tavern crawl was unprecedented.

Both men went into the barracks and cold showered under the dunk tanks put on some cleaner clothes and went back out to this unknown Warrior, "Who do we have the pleasure of sharing our time with?" Brattick said looking strangely bemused, "For now you can call me Daster, And Daster only, Let us move quickly for my thirst is great and the cool night air awaits the fortunes of four handsome OHM".

In the late evening air Owls Head seemed an almost pleasant experience, shopkeepers were closing down shutters, herbs and fruits wafted aromatic smells that just about killed off the stench of the open sewers, certain ladies stood on street corners to entice custom, and the general chaos and hubbub of life nearer the great Castle was still intense, This being the end of market day meant that an abnormal amount of people were into the Town from the country to trade wares, also it meant every thief in a large radius was on the take for finery's of any description.

"Over there" Ganuk said in suppressed excitement, "That’s where we go on the occasion when Han lets...", "Master Han" Daster corrected, "Always show your Master respect especially as others not of our ways can overhear, Master Han is one of a kind", "Do you know him personally?" asked Brattick, "That may be so lad, but let us enter this establishment and clear out the dust so we can discuss the future that is coming for all of us" Daster said, Brattick looked to Ganuk with raised eyebrows, But both men did not respond and entered the Fire Lotus Tavern with their new friend Daster and Riyna.

Lomo made his way across the city keeping to the boardwalks as much as possible, people tended to move out the way of his tall stature and the way he moved the oak staff in his hand thump, thump! on the rotting boards, signaled to people here came Krendall's menace, Krendall used Lomo as his messenger of doom and Lomo liked the fear his association with an Archmage brought him.

Having reached Bondeo street Lomo walked down to one of the few stone building's on the street, With the fowl wind blowing Lomo's thin blond hair all over, He looked every part the madman people claimed him to be, but Lomo had cold hard reason's for all of his action's and never did anything without an ulterior motive.

Lomo's staff struck the base of the door with a loud thuk, thuk!...no one answered, he tried again with the same result.

In the failing light Lomo could detect the feint hew of a fire sending light through an upstairs window, he closed his eye's to concentrate his mind sending his thought's down his arm's through the blood and nerves into his hands and ultimately the staff, Krendall had infused the staff for him with the power of searching, how he had done this was something Lomo was hoping to learn someday but for the moment he was content just to know how to manipulate Krendall's spell, Atop the staff was a strange metal orb silver in colour, Strange because the metal gave no reflection and when an unfortunate victim looked into it, His mind became disorientated, and his stomach nauseous, Lomo convulsed and green tendril's of light smoked their way from the orb to the door, Seeming to stop and think, they moved down to the gap at the bottom, Once under, The light moved across the room and up the stair's, Into the upstairs rooms the light tendril's flicked their way searching for a life force but none could be found.

Down in the basement under a hidden hatch inside a dank dead end tunnel, sat a man transfixed, Ossic had heard the banging and had bolted down to the basement, he did not need to be told who it was, he knew!.

Cold perspiration beaded on Ossic's forehead, As urine trickled down his Trousers, he had sent his family away the day before to Kingsport but had to wait on for he had nearly clinched a deal on the house to a wealthy trader from New Britannia.

The light came down the stairs and Lomo was about to give up when he remembered, this was a stone building and it may have a basement, moving the light again Lomo spread out the tendril’s across the floor finding a trapdoor in the corner, the light found a gap and went down,

Almost instantly Lomo sensed a life force, He sent the light darting down the hidden tunnel.
Ossic suddenly looked up the tunnel to the upper hatch, Light poured in, At first Ossic thought it was a person coming down but then saw the thin green light streaming towards him, He let out a low moan as the tendril's slammed into his moaning mouth and nostril's entering up into his brain, "Ossic, so you are here you bastard", Lomo screamed in his head, "Time to pay my master", "No...oh! I cannot" said Ossic as he bolted on all fours down the tunnel, smashing up with his head and hand's on the trapdoor, heaving himself up he rushed across the room smashing his knee on the table, and tumbling into the wall.

Lomo brought his foot up and kicked at the door three times, and then ran quickly round the back, Ossic on hearing the noise realised then that Lomo was at the front, his chance was given and under curses to Krendall Ossic burst through the kitchen door and ran for the back way down the hall to the window, As he reached the window he dived through the glass covering his head as crashed through.

Standing to the side Lomo watched as Ossic came through the window glass and thin splinters of wood were flying everywhere as Ossic landed at his feet, Lomo made to grab him but Ossic's survival was on red alert, he turned and ducked under Lomo's hand and stumbled up into a run down the back alley, Lomo put his hand into his tunic and gripped the red stone that was around his neck, at the same time bringing his right hand up, With all the willpower of his mind and the stone in his grasp he caused an arc through his body, His bodies energy forced itself toward his out stretched arm and left the palm of his hand, you could not see it but Ossic felt it as it tore into Ossic's back knocking him into the air and head first into the ground. As all Lomo's energy left him his knee's gave way and he collapsed to the ground.

Pulling himself up from his knee's Lomo wobbled over to Ossic's still form, Rolling him over Lomo slapped his face, Ossic stirred, "Oh please Lomo have mercy for pity's sake", "Shut up Ossic and answer my question", "Where is the child of yours you promised Krendall in payment of your debt's"?, "My wife ran out on me the other day taking the children as well, what was I to do?", Said Ossic, "You dare lie to me!" said Lomo.

"Krendall was good enough to help you out of a tight spot with your debt's, and also give you inside advice from the court of Lord British to help with your business but you have mis-managed your affair's and failed to make the pay back's on time", "But ...I’ll have the gold by tomorrow...j..ju…just give me 'till…tomorrow", Ossic said with a look of absolute fear, "To late Krendall had your accounts checked, you are broke, and a life force was the agreed payment in case of default and now I need that payment, your life force will have to suffice".

Without so much as a grimace Lomo smashed his staff into the Fallen Ossic's head, the blow tore open his skull and blood spurted onto Lomo's Tunic, Then as Ossic became unconscious Lomo turned his staff over and raised the Orb up to the full height of his long stature, Then with the only strength left in his body Lomo slammed the orb into Ossic's abdomen.

The orb churned its way into Ossic's flesh, and as Lomo concentrated he could feel Ossic's life force being pulled into the staff, the sensation was incredible better than an orgasm ten fold, As the last remnant’s of Ossic’s life force bled into the staff Lomo collapsed again on top of Ossic's now empty shell, All Lomo had to do now was get back across the other side of the Town to the comparative safety of Krendall's Mansion, But without any energy he would need to rest a lot now, he just hoped Krendall would be satisfied?.