Child’s Play
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At the Crossroads gathered two opposing forces without banners. The Renatians’ armor gleamed in the sun as they stood down a horde of bloodthirsty Orcish screamers. This bloody bout had begun with a simple scream that echoed across the battlefield from the lips of one Orcish ally, “Magnus, your lunch money sir?” The young boy released a pitched screech back at the Orc with spittle flying from his lips, “Come and get it!”
So ensued this momentous feud as blades were drawn from their sheathes and archers loosed their volleys at the opposing side. Arrows missed, flung into the dirt and some glancing off armor with horrible scraping noises. The Renatian boys and their leal bannermen kited away with steadfast determination and the Orcs and their Allies followed suit feeling as though they had won. Victory, they thought, was certainly assured. Today they would feast on the fruits of their labor and add a tally to their list.
Young Cicero put an end to this notion fast as he sallied his fellow Renatians uphill, arrows being loosed volley after volley at the quickly encroaching Orcish warriors. The orcs struggled uphill due to their momentous size, and the men poured down from the side and then flanked them, and, thus began an orgy of blood. Three warriors fell prey to Cassius’ sword as another dubbed Austin “The Duelist” scrambled away and thought he would escape. He too met his end by being pierced through the spine with Magnus’ sword before he said, “Thanks for the lunch money…” The Duelist sputtered and bloody phlegm left his lips before he collapsed to the ground and bled to death.
The four children who let the battle turned around with vicious glee after the bloodletting, very proud of the work they and their loyal bannermen had accomplished. Cicero and Cassius shook with glee, rattled by the experience but unfettered by worry. This hunting session had gone well and there was plenty of tusk-ivory for everybody involved. Cassius squealed and said, “I got the most kills! I got ‘em I got ‘em!” Cicero skulked for a moment and looked like he wanted to disagree, but Magnus kept order and told them to stop their yapping. Laelius let his sword drag against the ground for a minute before wiping a tiny splotch of blood off of it. The gang returned home with their spoils of war and began to plot their next expedition.
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After all, if the big bad orcs could not stop four children, what good could they do to an army of full-grown men?