Don't say that. Norio muttered. Haven't you ever read a book or watched a play? Any time anyone ever says that, something bad happens.
He kept his eyes on the quiet tone, absent-mindedly listening to the bells.
Thoughts, Thuketan? He asked, looking up, checking the weather.
Skilt looks surprised, "How many plays do you think Turvik has? Hell, how many books?"[/]b He pauses and looks at the seemingly deserted town. [b]'Besides, I think something bad already happened here."
Thuketan looks up at the sky as well. "Perhaps it has something to do with the strange weather? Obviously some disaster has occurred."
The weather seems normal now, for a Linnorm spring day. That is, cold gray with a bit of a chill wind.
"Shall we go inside?" the samsaran healer asks.
You must have at least seen a book in passing. Provided you can see anything in passing Norio said. Pirhaps one of your war dirges contain the lyrics, they thought something was wrong, then it was. If not, that's something we should get on top of, eh Thuketen?
Norio nodded. Aye. He said. Look's to be it. Let's see if we can't find someone helpful.
Skilt grunts in reply to Norio's gibe but Thuketen grin's. "You would do well on the stage, Master Norio. A quick wit is always well rewarded."
Together, the three of them enter the town. They pass gray buildings, many with doors hanging open in the cold. Refuse and garbage are piled in the streets, and a few houses have fire damage. They all jump when a cat runs out from an alley, yowling.
Then they see the bodies. Stacked like cordwood, Norio sees a dozen bodies piled against a house. Thuketen ushes past him, the healer looking intent. He bends down next to the blue-ish looking corpses.
"The cold has preserved them. It is hard to tell how long they have been dead."
"Tian." Skilt barks, voice intent. 'Get that sword out. We are not alone."
From around a corner, a figure appears, followed by another and another. They have the horrid look of the undead, unfeeling and hungry. Their skin has the same blue color of the bodies behind them, but also wrapped in frost. Two of them have icy swords, while the last is unarmed.
"Shall we get to work?" Skilt says grimly, holding his own sword.
We'd make a brilliant theatre troupe, now that I consider it. What do you say after this we just drop everything and pursue the arts?
Damn cat... Norio growled. Did that on purpose.
What could have done this... ? Norio said.
Norio immediately puts his hand on the hilt of his blade, but doesn't draw it. My friend, my sword doesn't escape it's sheath until the exact moment when I need it. He said.
Norio sees the figures and swallows. Ah... Damn...
"If we did, you'd be the fool." Skilt says to Norio's suggestion of a troupe.
The three blue skinned undead rush toward them, the shambling gait quickening.
One with a sword rushes right at the samurai, teethbared in a frozen grin.
The other two attack Skilt, who curses as he fights. His vocabulary is quite...immense.
Thuketen looks quite worried but also looks intent at observing the creatures.
Well, someone has to be the charismatic one.
Norio takes the blow and growls. His hand still on his blade, he unsheathes it and slashes in one fluid movement.
Is there anything in this gods-forsaken land that doesn't immediately try and kill you?
Norio's blade hits but bounces off the hardened frost 'armor' of the undead creature which snarls.
Its own blow misses as well, the samurai, easily ducking it.
"This is the Linnorm Kingdoms, a land of real men." Skilt shouts, but is soon lost in fighting off two of the creatures.
Behind him, Norio can hear Thuketen cast a spell of some kind. Then he feels a sort of warmth surround and evelop him.
Funny, haven't met any of them, yet. Norio said, jerking his leg out and kicking at the creature's kneecap in the hopes of knocking it to the ground.
Norio trips the ungainly, icy creature. It falls hard, scrabbling at the cold ground.
Growling, it tries to stand up, and Norio swings at the exposed creature.
The blow nearly slices the creature in half, and blue blood leaks from the massive back wound. Still, barely, it stands up, facing the samurai, teeth bared.
Norio clenches a jaw and lets out a loud cry, raising his blade to uppercut the creature and cleave through it's face.
The blow misses, and the creature growls. It raises its own sword, swinging it quickly at Norio's head.
Even as the blow cuts into Norio's shoulder, he hears Thuketen behind him cry out in pain. A matching wound opens on the samsaran's pale blue skin, and clear rippling blood flows out, freezing to ice as it hits the cold hard ground.
Dammit, are you okay over there? Norio shouted behind him before he raised his weapon over head, preparing to bring it crashing down.
Norio, filled with concern at Thuketen's pain, smashes down on the frozen looking zombie. His blow claaves the head in two, revealing a blue-tinged brain.
Skilt is still struggling to fight off two others and the warrior has a few minor wounds.
Norio charges in to aid Skilt and flank on of the zombies. Tapping his hip with the flat of the blade, he preps himself for a slash and goes in at it.
How did you get two of 'em? He asked. I am obviously the greater threat here.
Norio's blow dispatches one of the zombies from behind, while Skilt stabs another through the eye. Both of the frozen creatures fall, twitching, to the cold ground.
The samsaran comes up behind them, inspecting them. "A frozen type of undead." He peers closely, looking worried, 'There are some strange magics at work here."
Then Norio hears a shrill, female scream coming from inside the town.
Norio leads, Skilt coming behind and Thuketen last of all, still obviously pondering the undead.
They enter another square and see a chilling sight. There is a robed, dead looking man, holding a woman against her will. His skin is pale, traced with blue veins and he mutters profane and forbidden magics.
In front of him and the helpless woman, two more of the same ice-covered undead stand guard, dead eyes on the world.
Norio, sword still drawn, shouts at the creatures in a last-ditch, reflexive attempt to draw their attention away from her and onto him.
The undead magic user looks up at Norio's shout. The face doesn't alter, but instead it raises two pale hands and begins a magic incantation.
At the same time, the two frost covered undead lumber forward, acting as guards for the frightened woman and their magical leader.
Norio moves in on the closest danger, swinging his sword. Skilt! Thin the herd. He called out, directing him to the second nearest creature. Thuketan, put yourself behind us and brace yourself.
Norio's blade hits the undead, but the icy bones seem to mes supt he blade, and it does less damage then he'd like. The grinning skull is wrapped in cold frost.
Skilt, breathe turning into a thick fog runs up and attacks the other undead, slashing at it with his large blade.
Thuketan moves behind them, muttering a prayer of some type to himself. Norio then feels a warmth through him, making his body sing and blade twinkle with light.
The undead necromancer finish his spell and a black rift appears in the air. Out of it lunges a horrid shape, a floating ball of eyes and teeth. Dripping frothy bile from it's teeth it lunges at the samurai, gnashing and biting.
Norio can feel the bite of the sharp teeth, like needles, but he shakes off the evil venom.
The undead in front of him tries to slam into Norio.
It misses.
Norio pulls his blade back, swinging at the legs with his forearm, using the hilt of his katana as a hook to catch and trip the biped.
Things got worse. Norio muttered. An accurate summation of my life.
Norio's breath fogs in front of him, the air colder then it should be. With a fluid movement he knocks the undead in front of him tot he ground, it howling as it falls.
Skilt hits his again,s ending it reeling in shrieking pain.
Behind him Thuketan starts muttering to himself, the Samsaran praying hard to some deity. Suddenly he bursts into orange light as a wave of channeled energy surrounds him.
The two undead are vaporized instantly, Norio easily finishing off the one he tripped. The writhing flying beast in front of Norio seems unaffected, as does the necromancer.
The undead caster waves his hand and two more shambling undead jump from the rooftops into the fight.
The wriggling, flying thing in front of Norio tries to grab on with it's oversized jaws.
It misses.
Surprised by Thuketan's show of power, Norio nevertheless keeps his head in the battle, eyes on the closest threat, mind on the leader of the group.
Norio slashed diagonally towards the gaping maw of the creature.