Loot and Pillage

The Roaster clutches his rapier, knuckles whitening around the handle. The viking raider carrying the small hammer swings first, but the Roaster was a shrewd merchant and spent many years protecting his world-coffee beans from thieving highwaymen. He nimbly steps backwards and swipes his arm with the fine tip of his rapier. The viking howls as he stumbles forward, off-balanced from the missed hammer blow.

 

The second viking raider does not wait but quickly advances, hacking and slashing with his robust viking blade. The Roaster’s finer blade could not effectively block the viking’s heavier blade, but parrying the strikes kept the viking’s slashes from hitting home. Unfortunately, the viking is an experienced fighter and his fury burns hotter the longer the battle rages. The Roaster is doing his best to keep up with the viking’s furious strokes, but he is running out of room. Between the sword fight with the viking swordsman, and keeping the wary but increasingly bolder hammer-wielding viking back, he is having to retreat deeper into his coffeehouse. 

 

In a complex exchange of blade-play, the raider’s sword solidly strikes the Roaster’s blade, the incredible force wrenching it from his grip, sending it skittering across the floor. The two viking raiders advance slowly, like coyotes cornering their prey. The swordsman viking raises his sword…

 

*CLANG WOOSH*

 

The Hero explodes through a window, rolling across the floor before bringing his sabers up to intercept the viking’s killing blow. He crosses the viking’s blade between his saber and pulls him forward and off-balance. The Hero spins into the viking’s guard, striking the viking in the nose with his elbow. The viking sinks to the ground with a bloodied and broken nose, the Hero’s sword at his jugular.

 

*CRACK BANG*

 

The Wolf crashes through the coffee shop ceiling, landing on top of the other viking raider. He snatches him up in his jaws and shakes the viking raider viciously, his hammer and buckler flying across the establishment. The Wolf slings the viking raider, slamming him into the wall, before slowly stalking up to the unconscious body of the raider, and putting his massive paw on his back.

 

The coffeeshop is quiet, just the gurgling of the bloodied-swordsman’s breathing. The Roaster retrieves his rapier.

 

“How ‘bout you tell us what is going on here,” says the Hero suavely. 

 

“Not so fast..”

 

The Hero and the Wolf spin around to see the viking Jarl standing behind them with his viking longsword drawn. He motions for the heroes to look up and see two viking archers flanking them from the rafters, their bows drawn.

 

The Hero lowers his sword, cursing. The Wolf takes his foot off the unconscious viking raider.

 

“Now that’s better,” says the Jarl, smiling.

 

The archers drop from the ceiling and advance, bows still drawn, demanding that the Hero and the Roaster drop their weapons. The Wolf transforms back into Dr. Wolf.

 

“Very good boys, now as I see it…”

 

*BANG PING*

 

The Jarl’s helmet is ripped off his head, one of the metallic wings bent and twisted. The Jarl spins around to find himself facing the latter of Captain Crimson’s dual pistols.

 

“Now I’d hate to hear that you’re mistreating my friends,” says Crimson in a cheerful, yet menacing tone.