The street fight had become an all out brawl. There were soldiers lined up in formation sure, but they looked more like thugs lined up to intimidate each other than actual soldiers in war. All the while arrows rained down like… rain. It was vicious and brutal. It seemed that the enemy didn’t care about their own soldiers since they kept up the fire no matter what.

Karmin wasn’t having it though. He continued his charge undaunted. He would be first and he would get his promotion. Unfortunately the arrow rain was too much to Martin however. Karmin quickly dragged him into a nearby ally away from the fighting. His friend deserved that at least for all that they had been through together.

Martin was coughing up blood, an arrow through a lung will do that to you. However he was still able to get some words out. “*Cough, cough* I don’t think I’ll be able to make it man. *Cough* Hey, take care of my sister would you? You’re like her brother and all she has left after I’m gone. I’m so glad we met you. You picked us up off the street. *Cough, cough*” He said.

Karmin replied, “Don’t worry, I will take care of you sister for you. She can be my second wife after I marry into nobility… make that third, after I find a rich merchant… maybe a concubine? Well I’ve been screwing her already so I should probably make her something more than a bed warming maid...”

Martin’s eyes bugged out and he weeze coughed at the top of his lungs, “What the *cough* did you say? You *Cough* of *Cough* dare to say *cough* like that to me after all we’ve done for you? Just because your parents were a little better off! *Cough* You think that you *cough* just *cough* on us *cough* because you were a little richer growing up?! I’m *cough* kill you!” Martin screamed at the end. And, he meant it too, going for a spare dagger. Unfortunately he was to slow and weak to fend off Karmin, who easily fended him off his knife and forced him down.

“Ahh, I’m sorry it’s come to this Martin. Let me be a good friend and put you out of your misery.” Said Karmin. Karmin drew his own knife and stabbed it through Martin’s throat. He quickly looted his friend making sure to stay away from the true valuables and mainly heirlooms. These were both mysteriously important to him as well as probably poisoned and booby trapped.

Karmin quickly made off with his newfound loot and charged back into the arrow rain. He was on the move and ready for battle.

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Karmin found himself trapped behind a building with several allies. He was close to the archers now but they were too far away for him to get in without risking his one neck. Already there were several dipshits that had tried to brave the snipers and died to the crack shots. The silent but deadly arrows slicing through the air before killing the designated targets.

Karmin wasn’t that dumb though, he had a plan, he just needed to think about how to enact it. Leaning up against the flimsy wall of the only thing standing between him and the archers he had an idea for a plan… or the lack of a plan and improvisation.

Karmin pushed over the building before his allies could react. The building collapsed and now the allies were scurrying away like ants evacuating the nest. This gave Karmin and a few like minded people the time to charge the archers. Others ran around like chickens with their heads cut off. They were the first to be picked off before the archers wised up. The tactic was pretty obvious in hindsight. The allies were all cowards so it was no wonder that those with the ability would stay hidden. So when they used each other as a distraction, it should have been obvious. Now they were trying to pick off those that were actually charging them.

It was already too late for the archers to dodge, and there was no way for archers to take on fully armed soldiers. So they did the only thing they could do, distract and run. It did not save them. Now he just needed to get back to the gate now that the archers were done with. There was more fish to fry as they say and he need to get his glory if he was going to take care of martin’s sister.

He charged the gates and then up the hill to the flag. It was an even worse most pit here. There were battles and skirmishes all over the place. Karmin simply started attacking and didn’t stop until he was close to the flag. He needed to take it above all else. But the archers' fire was more intense even as it grew more faint. All that was left were those that had a high capability with ranged combat.

So Karmin ignored the new arrows in his back. As his allies continued to battle and die around him he charged the hill. His prize was on top of this pedestal and there was now way he would give it up for anybody else. He slashed through the defenders and smashed his way. He was bleeding out himself and was forced to crawl. But this entire hill was now a [Dead] zone. It was no doubt it would be a [Dead] type dungeon at some point in the future.

Karmin crawled up to the top of the hill. He slowly grabbed the flag as more arrows were planted into his back. But he had the prize in his blood soaked hands. He had won, he would earn it all. He was bleeding out but that was nothing a [Cure] and [Heal] couldn’t fix. And as the hero he could have it, and the pretty little [Priest] to nurse him back to health too…

“We’ve secured the area captain! The archers have been taken care of.” stated a soldier from behind Karmin. He would have guessed an ally but he had to look up to make sure.

“That’s good news.” Replied the captain, who he couldn’t really identify.

“I will take that for the captain now… give it here...” Grunted out a soldier as he tried to pry the flag from the cold dieing hands of Karmin. When Karmin didn’t give it up, the soldier just gave up and gave Karmin a brand new sword… to the face.

“Here is your reward and honor captain! We also found these trophies and medallions on him and our fellows. They had collected quite a lot.” They said after they relieved their fellows of their burden.

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“Milord Legate, Sir, the flag has been secured and thus the keep is now ours. It is yours to command.” Stated a page before the legate.

“Good, good, and to whom do I owe this favor to?” Stated the legate.

“A captain Cecilia, sir.” Stated the page.

“Oh good, nobody too important. I was afraid they would trade it up to a centurion and I would have to promote them to my vice. Promote them to formation leader and be done with it. And how goes the state of the battle?” Asked the legate.

“Not good sir, we have taken the fort but we have faced heavy losses. In addition a vast majority of our divisions have been surrounded by the enemy. In addition it seems that the enemy has prepared for a retreat and has really left nothing of value behind. We have only captured a few trebuchet and some food stores. Nothing else of importance was left behind.”

“I see, is it our divisions, or ‘our’ divisions that have been surrounded?” Asked the legate.

“Both sir.” The page stated, sweating a little. He was clear on what the legate was implying.

“Then rescue the important ones and leave the other fools that can’t follow simple orders to figure out their own mess. I’ll let you figure out which ones count to what end. I have a fort to inspect.” Stated the legate. The page only started to sweat more…

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“And that is the state of things sweetness. The battle was bloody and pyrrhic at best. It’s left most soldiers [Dead] and the enemy retreated calmly. However, the legate has made no small mention that all reports are to state that the battle was a victory and that the ‘pyrrhic’ be left out.” Stated the woman as she bent over just a little bit too far.

“Ahh, that will be good thanks. Please do tell me if you find any more important news for me. And I’ll be sure to tell agent ‘Quack’ that you have been most helpful.” Said a young man sitting with what looked like a poleax.

“Well, are you going to pay for some fun now or what?” She said with a wink as she sat in his lap. It was clear the show of affection was making him uncomfortable but not in a bad way… Though he seemed just a tad to nervous and green to take advantage of it. His companion on the other hand, was the right type of green and was currently attempting to stifle her full on chuckles and giggles.

“I don’t think I will… But my soldiers would appriciat a bit of celabration. So if you could round up all the boys and girls you could, plus the ‘spirits’ that would be much appreciated.” Said the scrawny stranger.

“Honey, if you got the coin I can more than take care of a few soldiers. Trust me I’ve had hard times, and rough times before, this’ll be nothing.” Said the woman.

“Ahh, I have more than just ‘a few’ soldiers...” He said as he continued to hammer out the deal for his celebration.

Finished with the negotiations the woman took a drag of some ‘road weed’ and said “I certainly hope that Martin makes it out ok. I don’t trust his dumbass friends, they're going to get him killed one day. I can’t believe that dumbass even convinced him to sign up...”