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Trial by fire
The old watchtower loomed above him. Blinking sweat from his eyes, he sprinted past the entrance markers as the first agent reached him. He parried a lightning-fast dagger strike with his sword, his backswing opening the agent's throat. Warriors seemed to fade out of nothingness around him as he ran up the few steps to the door, his sword flicking left and right slicing arteries as he fled.
The door was locked. Turning, a bare-headed warrior flew at him, dagger cutting wildly. Sithric barely had time to defend himself, knocking the dagger aside with a fierce strike whilst jabbing with his left. His opponent flinched as his nose was crushed, seconds before Sithric's longsword tore a hole through his midriff. He had hardly hit the ground before Sithric was bounding up a ladder to the tower's roof. Another agent, clad in dark fabric, leaped out of the trees ahead of him but quickly had his dagger reversed into his unprotected shoulder. Sithric took the steps two at a time, aware of a greater menace clawing at his heels.
A rickety siege engine sat atop the tower, heavily rusted with age. A bolt sat in the groove, still primed. Its last owners must have left in a hurry. Sithric jumped with all his remaining might, reaching for the trigger. His armoured weight jarred the engine free of its stand, wrenching it round just as his pursuer reached the top of the steps.
Sithric pulled the trigger. The engine's ancient arms released slackly, time having sapped much of their strength. But it was enough. The rusted, pock-marked bolt shot out, embedding itself in the unaware warrior in a shower of brain and blood, sending the body tumbling like a ragdoll. Sithric rolled onto the wooden boards, at the point of collapse. The warrior's sword lay in front of him, its tip caught in the engine's cables. The sun, which Sithric notice for the first time, shone enticingly from its intricate blade. The hilt was clad in supple leather, lovingly laced with silk thread. Sithric reached and took his prize.
42x44 stud boundary, LDD rendered in POV-Ray. All parts checked on Brickshelf for availability. Original image 2217x2352 pixels, reduced to 965x1024 for entry.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7498/15823363116_f41c9a6340_b.jpg
Submitted by: Becheman
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