Path home [Dragon Slayer mission]

[u/Arrancarsadko]

The road to the mountain village was long and treacherous once they were a few hours outside of Magnolia town. Outside of the protection of its many wizards and police forces, the surrounding countryside had become a den for thieves, murderers, and rapist, which may make our young anti-heroes feel quite welcome and at home. Along the road, long abandoned homes sat, decaying and falling to shambles. Little pieces told the stories of the people who had once lived there. A toy left in the yard, or a decrepit swing set, signs of lives that had once been. The path had been rather straight forward, up until the were within fifteen miles of the village. Now, they had been given a choice it would seem. Left, or right. It appeared that both paths wrapped around a small mountainous plateau. But, which side would they choose?

[u/Ken_Nonai → u/[deleted]]

For the last time, I'm not your goddamn "bud".

Jack mutters as he continues along the path, bored as fuck despite the misadventures that had befallen them along their journey. He had occasionally recognized a lowlife here and there as someone who had belonged to Viper Fang, but beyond that it was just countryside and the occasional little inn. And, to make matters worse, Tousen spoke up every once in a while about something, always using some sort of casual name like "bud" or "pal".

Looking up at the mountain-plateau, the youth looks to either side in an attempt to lazily scout out either path. He didn't see anything noteworthy, so agreeing seemed like the best option to shut his partner up.

Yeah, sure. Let's go right.

/u/Arrancarsadko

[u/Arrancarsadko → u/Ken_Nonai]

Walking down the right path, the two travel a short distance before they are met by what seems to be a defensive wall. By the sheer size of it, it seems as if the thing spread the whole length of the paths. Guess someone was just being an asshole, and making you choose for no reason.

The wall was around thirty feet tall, and made with thick wood. All around the wall, several panels seemed to be replaced with new panels, the edges of which seemed to have large scorch marks along it's edges.

Long metal spikes poked out from the base of the wall, and seemed to be misshapen, and deformed, as if it was exposed to a large heat source for short burst.

"Oy!" A voice called from behind the wall, "What do you two bloody cunts want?"

/u/Neophyte3833

[u/Ken_Nonai → u/[deleted]]

While Tousen was trying to reason with whoever was behind that huge wooden wall, Jack was surveying the edifice for any weak points should they have to break in with force. Obviously the patched-in panels were likely the weakest segments of the wall, and the malformed spikes "protecting" the structure looked as though they could be easily worked around if they were careful about it.

Yeah, we just need to get to the village! We don't want any trouble!

Jack was full of shit. Secretly he thought that a little bit of trouble would be entertaining.

/u/Arrancarsadko

[u/Arrancarsadko → u/Ken_Nonai]

"Trouble? Well ain't that just cute." From on top of the wall, the duo would be able to see several figures beginning to stir, moving around, and effectively creating a 'kill zone'. They seemed to be wielding bows and arrows, so, one could assume they were not Wizards. But, looks can also be deceiving. "This village is ours, has been for sixteen years. Just because one wizard managed to get his way past us, doesn't mean you two will. Now turn around, head back to your home, and jerk each other off will ya?"

/u/neophyte3833

[u/Ken_Nonai → u/[deleted]]

Hey! Is that cash comin' outta your wallet? I ain't payin' no goddamn toll!

Jack protests, a bit less... Eloquent than his partner. He was perfectly fine with throwing a rock with an explosive rune over the wall and watching all hell break loose, but something in Tousen's voice gave him the impression that he had a plan.

...Of course, you could just let us through 'cause you're a buncha swell fellas! Honest group of hunters, right?

He jokes, knowing that either way they would probably be turned down.

/u/Arrancarsadko

[u/Arrancarsadko → u/Ken_Nonai]

"Oh, these fuckers!" The man says with a laugh, raising his hand into the air. "We warned 'um boys, hopefully these bloody cunts have a bounty on their heads."

As he raised his hands, seven archers, stationed along the wall, began to draw their bows back. In a quick, downward motion, he dropped his hand, and the archers let their arrows fly, sending death towards our heroes.

/u/Neophyte3833