The Legacy of O.U.T.L.A.W.S.: No. 1 Introductions and Disturbances

And now for something a bit more... recent. I have been conveying with my good friends (and, yes, I do have friends!) INFOS and Exalndria and they think that it would be a good idea for me to detail their, and their teams, adventures. So, here it is; the first part in the Legacy of O.U.T.L.A.W.S. saga! The series will follow a weekly posting format which will detail the latest adventure of O.U.T.L.A.W.S. all conveyed to me by INFOS and the other members of the team.

“Come on Gedrick, hurry up,” called the water nymph from a little way ahead, her voice like a bubbling stream.

“I’m coming, Fam,” the dwarf, whose name was Gedrick, called back before purposefully slowing down and muttering “It’s not like we’re in a hurry, anyway.”

Fam spun around, the sunlight falling on her fair face “I heard that!”

Gedrick looked down at his ironclad feet, “I know, that’s why I said it.”

Fam leapt over to her best friend “And I knew, that,” she stepped in front of him, forcing him to stop and lent over to look him in the eye, hands on hips, “I also know that we are in a hurry,”

“Ah, yes,” grumbled Gedrick, “The troll.”

Fam nodded and looked towards the sky, the trees creating dappled shadows upon the ground. She breathed in and closed her light blue eyes, taking in the beauty of nature. Gedrick had never understood why she looked towards the sky for beauty when he knew that the soil and stone of the Earth were much more beautiful.

He crouched down and placed his gauntleted hands on the soil and took in the vibrations of the ground, each tiny movement a life and a story in their own right. They both stayed there, each content in their own observations of beauty when, suddenly, they both frowned.

“It’s here,” Fam whispered, her eyes snapping open and her hands falling to her twin Water Daggers, Aiylier and Daiylier, “I can smell it,”

“Aye,” replied Gedrick, drawing his pistol, Smokespitter, and standing up “And I can feel it,”

They waited. The glade was still and silent. But then, all of a sudden, they heard a thudding in the distance. 

The pair looked at each other and nodded, already decided on a plan. A tree fell and thudded into the ground behind them, only to be replaced by a beast just as large and a thousand times fiercer. A troll.

They had been searching for this particular troll for days, having been tasked with bringing it down by the O.U.T.L.A.W.S. (Organisation Uncovering Treasure Lawfully And With Secrecy) and having no luck. Well, it seemed that the troll had gotten bored of waiting as well, and come to find them.

Gedrick spun around and fired a smokescreen at the troll from Smokespitter before spinning the side wheel and changing the setting to fire. Six shots (at the head, heart, arms and legs) and then a reload. While Gedrick reloaded, Fam ran forward, her hair flowing like water. As she reached the edge of the smokescreen, she jumped up and threw Daiylier at the silhouette of the troll’s neck. Just as the blade would have bounced harmlessly off of the troll’s thick hide, she shouted “Frigid!”

The water forming the blade of Daiylier started to freeze. It started from near the hilt and then quickly ran up the blade to the tip. The ice pierced the troll’s neck and the blade stuck. As Fam landed, Gedrick fired another six shots (this time all at the head) and the troll collapsed.

Once the smoke had cleared, Fam walked forward to reclaim her dagger which was dripping with the trolls blood. She held it at arm’s length and looked at Gedrick “Well, that’s one good thing about these weapons,” she said before whispering the word “Tidal,” and seeing the blade melt and start running again, the blood dripping off “They’re self-cleaning,”

“I suppose,” Gedrick replied, resting on his war hammer, Stonesplitter, which he always carried with him.  

“Well, cheer up, Gedrick,” cried Fam, exasperated “We did just finish our mission,”

“I won’t be happy until we’ve claimed the reward and I've got a belly full of mead,” replied the dwarf, stubborn as the metal clothing he wore.

Fam sighed, “And I expect, you won’t be happy then either,” she lightened up, “Oh, well. Let’s go then. And,” she smiled craftily, “I might just have to take you up on that mead offer,”

Gedrick looked at her, puzzled “But you don’t drink.”

“And you’re never happy,” she laughed, “Let’s see who can hold out the longest,”

“Of course,” replied Gedrick, already set off “But I’ll win,”

Fam nodded, knowing the stubbornness of her friend, before setting off to join him.