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The Fucking Pub (Panakananana and Boyo111)

Bodicea chuckles "You must be the famous Andros. I can smell your blood, are you bleeding Andros?" she let's out a high pitched scream and three of the guards who l on the ground rise up and race toward Andros from different directions. At this point Noella has just pulled her spear from the corpse of Shu and she travels with it at a high speed, catching to the guard nearest Andros with a straight thrust to the heart with the double head of the spear, although she is now human, she instinctively goes for the heart when she can, having lived among so many creatures of the night for so long.

The other two guards band together and approach Noella slowly as Bodicea makes a sexy grunting noise, as if she was climaxing, and with a burst of strength, pushes Andros back to where he nearly loses balance and savagely rams his shield with the point of her blade. Bodicea keeps her distance, attempting to wear the knight down before displaying the prowess of a typical Northerner. Noella spins her spear while taking baby steps toward the two approaching guards, she uses the momentum of the spear to strike the sword nearly from one guard's grip just as he flings it out to attack, she uses the back end of the spear to strike at the second guard's exposed throat as he attempts to retaliate.

Another distinctive scream and three more guards rise before the other three have all fallen, among them being the man with a pierced heart and the one who had his throat cut by Andros. They come sprinting.
 
Andros pushed back ineffectively against Bodicea's strength, normally he might be a match, but the blood that flowed out from the stab wound weakened him. It took both hands to hold the shield up against her, as she made her call. He'd heard it before when he'd seen the Northmen fight, their battle cry, in multitudes it could still an army. Something about the call, its primitive battle lust called forth their strength, stirred them on into a frenzy that cut a bloody swath through all but the most disciplined of armies. There was something different about Bodicea's call though.

As she pushed against him Andros knew Noella was back in the fight, but not how. To take his attention away from Bodicea meant death, to look away from your opponent, when this close, was a mistake only a new soldier would make. Then, only once. His feet grated against the hard ground as he moved back, the sword pushed hard into him, sweat on her brow as Bodicea looked down on him with a mixture of lust and complete abandon. As the shield came pressing down Andros knew he had one chance, and took it.

Tilting the shield to his protected side let the sword glance off, Bodicea was quick but not quick enough. She slipped to the side, her leg moved out. A muscular thigh exposed before him, that normally he would admire, but as she caught herself the mace thrust out catching her leg. The muscles were like iron, she grunted and slipped to the side, the blow struck deep but she moved with it and lessened the blow. Her fist crashed into the side of his helmet, as she issued the undulating cry once more. Andros' head rang with the force of the blow as she stepped back.

"Very good, you are a worthy opponent after all," she smiled as she looked down at him before the sword whipped around and as it struck the shield she cried one more time. There was a force that slammed into the shield and Andros was thrust back, the blow sinking into the open wound that now bled more profusely as he slowly rose to his knees. Bodicea coming up to him with a smile on her face, the sword swinging one more time over her head as she leaped at him, "too bad this was such a short fight."
 
And now, eleven of the fortress' guards had awaken, immediately sprinting after either Noella or Andros depending on whom was closest. Most of the guards on the lower level are armed with a sword, chain mail, and a helmet that covers the head and only a partial amount of the face, the ear area is left open too in order to allow one to hear orders without excuse. Seven of the guards remain within Noella's frontal region while four are closing in on Andros.

Holding her spear out with two hands Noella launches herself like a torpedo towards the men behind her, after quickly decapitating the one a few feet in front of her with a horizontal fling of the spear that was barely able to be seen. She pierces through the heart of one guard, spins the spear twice in order to remove gore from it and also to build momentum, and she cuts the second guard who was only a few yards away, nearly in half starting from the asshole and stopping somewhere around the ribs. Blood spatters her armor more as this goes on and her strength becomes comparable to Andros', but she isn't fast enough to stop the other guards from reaching Andros.

Noella makes a look of disappointment, indistinguishable under her full helmet, and turns abruptly to stop the remaining seven guards. As she turns, she is instantly greeted by two blades, one thrusting directly into the face area of her full helm and the other into her exposed hip area. Reacting instantly, Noella is able to veer the thrust of the blade entering her helmet by turning her head slightly, but the full collision of the other sword into the bottom of her lower right oblique is taken. As she is cut into she roars even louder than Bodicea, flailing her spear around with such speed and rage, ending in a shower of cut up body parts. Noella takes a knee and holds her lower side as Bodicea screams again, raising another three, this time Shu becomes one of the resurrected.
 
Andros could feel something about him, the armor as if affronted by whatever Bodicea was doing seemed to awake. Like before he felt a light course through him, through the armor and into the shield and mace. In concert the three connected, Andros stood as the sword came down. The clash of sword on shield shattered the air of the courtyard, Andros stood and stared at the eyes of Bodicea, the blue eyes went wide as she pressed the sword down, the strength in her arms coursing through the blade. Andros met it with his own arm, the shield groaned once as the blade ran across its face then the blade shattered around them.

"What?" Bodicea cried as she stood in shock a moment.

It was all Andros needed as he swung the mace out, striking Bodicea in the side. She called out once, and grunted as she fell to the ground. The soldiers stopped, a slight groan came from Shu who rose up behind him. Turning Andros saw the demon stand and look at him, the eyes more dead than before as Andros threw the mace at the demon. A surprised yell from behind as he sensed more than saw Bodicea, the mace connected with Shu and both exploded in light and fire. A godly fire that scourged the courtyard, Bodicea cried out in pain as she was thrown backwards, the soldiers that had arisen fell to ash around them. The fire felt pure, like the touch of the gods, an essence that Andros had not felt for a long time, that of pure devotion.

Stepping over to pick up the mace heard the voice come from behind between gasps of pain, "you can't win, it's all against you."

Picking up the mace felt the light fade, the connection between the the mace, shield, and armor was done. Burned out for now, Andros felt recovered, "maybe so, but that doesn't mean we will give up the fight."
 
Noella rises to her feet, noticing that the cut into her had been recovered as well. "So...is it done, have we completed our service to you?" Noella asks while looking to the sky at the break of dawn, and while stepping closer to Andros. The extremely bright and purplish orb appears within the courtyard and retorts "you both have done a great service, your ability to complete such a task so quickly has surpassed even my expectations" the voice of the assumed to be goddess changes to a familiar male tone and there is a violet flash that reveals the orb to be Saint Germain "there is however, a final task that I ask of you two. Lord Dracula has stricken a deal with us, that will ensure the preservation of the human race, leaving this fortress be and going about your business as usual would surely have prevented a worldwide war, but Dracula's forces would prevail either way. Lord Dracula has promised that if I orchestrate what I did, and complete one other task, he would ally with Europe. The other thing that he asks..." he hesitates "...is for me to kill the two of you, and so, for the good of your country, will you two make the ultimate sacrifice?".
 
Andros looked up at Saint Germain, not understanding the import of what the man said. "Always in mystery you are," he struggled to his feet as he listened to yet another missive of the gods. "Why does the demon lord care about us?" He asked then added as he thought back, "especially when he offered us a peace? Or was that like the wind, the words fade away after a time?"

He didn't want to fight again, he would if he had to, that was a warriors cause after all. To just give up, even for the sake of peace, especially against someone he knew had powers that could rival the gods. That seemed hopeless, recalling the arena where he watched Saint Germain take down enemies with a sword which was beyond his ability to master. Fighting for the gods and the laws the Knights were meant to uphold was his life, but to just give it up without raising it? Or a mace, he laughed to himself as he readied himself, Andros tightened his grip on mace and shield and stood his ground.

"Even if I fight you there is no guarantee I would survive, but if you wish to take my life for this so called peace, then come. You will not find me wanting." Andros gave the challenge, preferring to sacrifice himself as he lived, on the field, ready to spill his blood for the cause, but that blood would not be given cheaply. If he was to die, it was to be a warrior's death. Whatever sword took him would need to work for it, his blood did not come easy.
 
"This stronghold has been the only one of it's kind, the only one that would be able to repel the attacks of Dracula's forces in the coming war, everything in this fortress has been made to stop evil and Dracula wanted it gone. In exchange, he promises to side with Europe in this upcoming war, that is the only way that Europe, that mankind will survive. Just accept this fate, think of all the lives that you will be saving" Saint Germain retorts "as I have said before, I will not kill you, but perhaps it is not me that you should worry about" Saint Germain tips his hat and floats away into the parted clouds. To the far left side of Andros, Lord Derfel Cadarn could be seen charging toward Noella with Hywelbane with Hywelbane held out, directed at Noella, a glint of morning sunlight shining onto him.

Noella points her spear at Derfel "I'm with you all the way" Noella sprints forth to meet Derfel first, Hywelbane is thrusted mercilessly into Noella's guard, the blade of Hywelbane is precisely moved up and out of the way with the alloy pole of Noella's spear, followed by a quick horizontal fling of the spear head. Derfel is already a good space away and, though the strike was quick, Derfel sees it coming and backs just out of range, on the way back he lifts Hywelbane above his head then brings it down, crashing it's full weight upon the pole of the spear. Noella grunts, having to exert herself beyond the norm for this.

Andros would not stand there and watch as Noella is killed, Derfel is a great deal more skilled and experienced than she. Just as Andros starts moving in to help, he is shot in the chest by a rifle with a familiar sound, Richard is here somewhere too. The ball from the rifle just barely glances off of the armor, leaving a simple scratch, Sharpe's trajectory had not been precise.

Noella turns her weapon 360 degrees to knock away Hywelbane with the back end of her spear and slash Derfel all in one movement. Derfel allows Hywelbane to be knocked to the side and then moves in momentum with it, moving in a full circle and countering with the full weight of the sword. Noella ends up on the floor, not wounded but thoroughly disappointed in herself.
 
Turning to see Richard Sharpe holding the smoking weapon at him, a grin on the scarred face as Richard pointedly turns the weapon around and slips it over his shoulder. With a mocking nod the grim face changes in anger as the huge broad sword is bared, the blade scraping loudly as it comes out of the scabbard. Richard moves quickly the blade held to his side before using the momentum of his run across the courtyard to bring the blade up and around, where it smashes loudly against Andros' shield. The force of the blow significant, but nothing he can't handle.

"Why are you helping them?" Andros asked as he swung the mace before him, Richard darting aside as Andros swings.

Turning to the side with his shield Richard turns the blade and pushes the point towards him, the edge scraping along the edge of the shield as Andros lifts it. The blade then coming up and over the top as Richard rushes against the shield, "that's not for you to know." Richard tries to stab Andros in the shoulder, missing as the shield is raised, and leaping back as Andros tries to get Richard as he is so close.

"That's not really for you to know," Richard grins as he dances about. Trading blows with Andros who is on the defensive more for the friendship he feels for Richard than anything else, though as he hears Noella's grunt he rushed Richard who tries to get out of the way but fails to step aside for both mace and shield. Knocked back with the breath coming out in a whoosh Andros uses the tip of the mace to knock Richard out and turn to rush towards Derfel.
 
Derfel slams Hywelbane at Noella but she rolls out of the way as Derfel's weapon stabs cleanly into the ground. Noella tries to take advantage of the opening and slashes at his legs but instead of pulling his blade up out of the ground, he jumps and hoists himself a few feet up on his sword to bring both legs down and stomp on Noella's head with his boots. Andros arrives just as Noella is knocked out, his mace is swung at Derfel, with the added momentum of Andros whirling the mace above his head as he charged. Derfel lifts Hywelbane from the ground as easily as it had gone in and gaurds againt the mace with a two handed grip. Derfel slides the blade of his sword down and off of Andros' mace while simultaneously stepping back, he then circles Andros looking for a weak spot, his eyes target the spot in Andros' armor where he had been stabbed through the armpit. Andros sees Derfel's eyes flash a red glow and Saint Germain watching the fight from a good 12 feet in the air.
 
Seeing the flash in Derfel's eyes felt that he was right, something was wrong. Richard and Lord Derfel wouldn't just attack them without cause, the same as the attack in the forest. Nothing is as it seems, for a moment he wondered if this was an elaborate scheme from Dracula and if they were still in his castle. Like a dream it changed, gave things a feeling of the impossible, and yet here they were. Derfel staring at him down the flat of the sword as they circled each other. Derfel looked at the wound on his arm, though with the shield in the way and the glow from earlier that healed him, Andros doubted the swordsman could access the soft spot in the armor.

"Derfel this doesn't feel like you," Andros knew it was pointless but it gave him a chance to talk. "You and Richard, why are you back?"

At the name of the other he heard the crack of thunder and something bounced off the shield as he adjusted it. Derfel leaped in the sword stabbing and down, then reversing itself as Andros moved the shield to scrape along the blade knocking it aside. Swinging the mace out he knew it would not connect but it made Derfel leap back, as Andros stepped to keep the two in front of him, and his shield between Richard and Noella. Knowing that Richard's weapon, whatever it was, had range and Noella was a target they could use against him. Derfel grunted as he lunged, the shield knocking the sword aside as he jabbed with the mace, hearing the crack again and something spun off the mace making Andros pull back.

"Saint Germain, you don't need to do this," Andros feels the mists grown thicker around them. The courtyard becoming empty as it becomes only the five of them, as if they are all that matter right now.
 
Saint Germain bows from above and yells "I have already explained myself to you, Andros, and you have made it abundantly clear to me that you will not go down without a fight, you are the bad guy here so do not look at me like that. Do not bother asking these two either, they are not themselves".

Noella rolls over and sweeps Richard off of his feet with her spear, she then picks him up off of the ground, holding the spear pole to his throat and having it weaved through his elbows and biceps. "Andros, don't kill them, Saint Germain will just bring them back. He says they are not themselves, as I said before, a god always speaks the truth".

"Finally, it has come to a one on one match" Andros says in his head. Without any other distractions Andros can fight with a more focused attention. Another forceful bash of Andros' mace knocks Derfels sword downward, the swing had much more power than was expected and a section of the blade sticks into Derfel's foot. A second bash of the mace that goes for Derfel's head but is blocked by his arm, causing it to break and Derfel is sent to the ground. As Derfel grips Hywelbane with one hand and uses the blade that was ripped from his foot during the fall to hoist himself to a standing position, Saint Germain throws his arms up "time reverse" and Derfel's wounds vanish, Saint Germain then dances through the air playing Love Gun on an air guitar "time advance" and Derfel is granted the ability to move at superior speed.
 
Confused Andros drops to his knees. Knowing how Saint Germain fights, he wonders would it be worth it to continue the struggle that would eventually end in his own death. Why would the Gods bring him here, if all they required was his sacrifice. Leaning on his shield watches Derfel advance cautiously, Andros knew the Gods were fickle but this seemed too much even for them. Derfel leaped at him, Andros just used the shield to block the blows, using the mace only when Derfel gets too close. The ring of sword on shield echoes hollowly in his helm, his desire for the fight slowly weakening.

A knight was meant to go out and fight the kingdom's enemies, earning glory along the way for his combats, but this was beyond anything he was taught. Ever since that first night something bigger had fallen around him, Andros had tried to shrug it off but the weight of it was crushing now. Just as Derfel's blows come faster and harder, Andros keeps the shield ahead of the blade. Sensing rather than seeing the edge of the blade, the sweat on Derfel's brow echoes his own while they fight across the courtyard until Andros meets blade with mace, holding it in place for a moment.

"Fine, if you want my head take it. There is no honor in just presenting you my neck," the mace and sword shake as both put strength into pushing the other back. The weapons push and sway in the grip, as he growls his challenge, "come on then, show me what you have."
 
Andros stands up straight, thinking how impossible it would be to give up after what he and Noella had been through. After all, this would be the fight that would lead to Noella's knighthood, and her happiness, Noella the woman who started all of this. The desire for their own survival surpasses all doubts as Derfel moves in at a speed almost beyond sight, slashing speedily and much harder than it would seem for the speed at which he was moving, Andros keeps up with the movement of Derfel's weapon, knowing where the blade would end up almost immediately and moving his shield appropriately. Staying on the defensive, Andros hurls his mace at the speedy Derfel just as Derfels backs up from a fake with the mace, watching his mace seemingly glide right through Derfel as he charges toward Andros at a magnificent speed. Andros smirks, he had been counting on Derfel not having mastered his newfound speed and turns his triangular shield around, thrusting the point where Derfel would be. Derfel, of course, overkills it and pierces his own gut in the shield, as he falls, Andros quickly grabs him into a submission hold similar to Noella's hold on Sharpe only Andros is using his arms, as Derfel is time reversed by Saint Germain.

Saint Germain exudes a purple light as he teleports himself somewhere between Andros and Noella with a solemn look on his face "Well, not even I could foresee it, but It would seem I've made a mistake. You've made your choice, we will see how this turns out" and he disappears.
 
As Saint Germain disappears the mist gathers about them in the courtyard. Around them Andros hears a marching of feet and the men that had been garrisoning the castle march out of the gate, fading into the mist. Thick about them there is little to see but darkness as the braziers burn around them, the firelight fading to a small orange glow lost in the mist. Slowly it lifts as the fires go out, one by one, Andros and Noella look around them as the mist lightens then seems to fade away with a breeze that brings th dawn. The keep around them is old, its walls cracked and crumbling as if no one has been here in a long time.

"That's it?" Andros mutters to himself as he looks at Noella who shrugs her shoulders and leans on the spear. The two of them are healed, the armor thrums for a moment, like a bowstring that surrounds him, then Andros feels its weight. The silence that had descended on them is broken by the early morning cries of the birds and woods around them, a snort and neigh shows their horses outside the gate. As if waiting for them.

Turning his head up in the helmet, "not even a thank you?" Andros addresses the sky, the gods, or whomever might be listening. Waiting a moment he is only greeted with the sounds of the waking woods, the walls of the keep already littered with the nests of birds, as if whatever had happened here, never did. Walking towards the gate and the horses turned to Noella, "this is why I avoid the gods, you do something and you never know if you did the right thing or not. Faith not withstanding it'd be good to know, did we pass or not?"

Groaning for a moment placed the shield and mace on the saddle as they mounted and headed back towards the city, "I need a drink."
 
The keep crumbles and fades away as the two knights ride off toward the kingdom to show the scroll that contains Shu's proposition to the king, earning Noella's knighthood at last. When they get back to the kingdom, the first and more important stop is The Fucking Pub. As they sit, undo some of the armor, and order two of the tavern's signature ales, the tavern is soon after filled with a troop of royal guards who declare the two knights under arrest. "What for" says Noella lazily.

"We've received a scroll, carried to us on horseback, stating that the target force that you two were ordered to offer the chance to surrender to us, has been confronted by a small army led by you two. Because of the enormous respect we all have for you, Andros, we will offer you the chance to speak in defense" speaks one of the men as he holds out a scroll with permission for arrest from the king.

Andros gets up and walks over to the speaker, he stands up straight with no helmet or anything covering his top half "that's not possible, it's been one day and no army has been raised from this, the only kingdom that I have any power in" Andros stands above this man showing that he is not about to go to jail "do you propose that this woman and I took down the entire fortress on our own without a scratch?".

The guard retorts "We will tell the king that no such action occurred, please go about your day" one of the guards takes the scroll from Noella "you are now officially a knight here Noella".
 
Sitting at the table Andros calls for another round. "Well, since its official, we may as well celebrate."

When the tankards clatter on the table Andros grabs one and raises it in toast to Noella. "Well deserved?" Raising an eyebrow in Noella's direction wonders if this is truly what she wants, or wanted. The culmination of his life's dreams had come true on the day he was anointed. For Noella he hoped it was something she truly wanted, needed. Putting an arm around her sat back against the wall letting the ale wash over him, letting the calm take him over after the Keep. For once he felt tired of fighting, looking now for just an afternoon of rest.

The Pub was quiet for the afternoon, the hearth burned low, and the ale was strong. For now that sufficed.
 
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