Gate: War of Two Worlds Shorts

Tales of the Clanless - A New Opportunity

— Some time before the gate invasion —

Darkness had descended onto this land known as Falmart. The night was still, calm as any normal person would naturally be fast asleep at this time. However this wasn't the case at a forest a little ways from Alnus Hill.

A man ran desperately as if trying to get away from someone, something. He wore the standard Empire's uniform heading towards the nearest encampment. From the look of the scars that littered his entire body, you could tell he was no stranger to combat. No, he was a veteran that had seen some glorious battles which contrasted to the terrified look on his face as he kept running.

He kept glancing at his rear, looking for his pursuer and though he couldn't see it, he knew it was on his tail. He stumbled over a branch that laid on the ground but quickly jolted up and continued his escape. He could see the camp just up ahead, the light from the campfires still visible in the distance. He ran until he finally reached it and looked around in horror.

He stood there, gasping for air from his run as he saw the bloodbath that was his camp. Bodies were littered everywhere; the corpses were torn apart by what seemed to be some kind of animal. Body parts were hung all over in full display. The faces of these poor victims had fear and shock painted all over them. Hope had disappeared from eyes, he knew he wasn't going to return home from this. He wasn't going to get to see his beloved daughter any more.

As he begins to get lost in his thoughts of his child, anger begins to swell in him. 'My compatriots, they deserved better than this. To be robbed of a glorious death in battle and instead slaughtered like animals. Well they will not have me so easily,' he thinks to himself.

Just then a javelin flies at him as he barely rolls out of the way to dodge it. He quickly regains his footing, taking out his slingshot and prepares to fire in retaliation. As he scans the area and sees something move from behind the bushes he launches his projectile from his sling. Hearing a short yelp brings a satisfactory smile to his face, he hit his mark. As he prepares another shot, an arrow strikes at his shoulder blade causing him to drop his weapon and grabs his right shoulder. He quickly drops and runs straight for cover behind a wagon stationed nearby as he's struck again on his thigh.

He sat behind cover panting and holding his new injury as he gritted his teeth. He knew pulling them out would do more harm so he proceeded to break the arrows for now and leave the heads in. He notices a sword lying near a dead corpse and begins to reach for it quickly to avoid being shot again. Unbeknownst to him, the sniper, a concealed male elf, had already repositioned himself to get another shot and was ready to take it.

But before the assailant could fire, he heard a rapid rhythm of footsteps approaching behind him. He quickly turns while dropping his bow and beginning to draw his knife when he feels an intense pain for an instant. Shock was frozen on his face as his head slowly detaches from his body. As his life begins to fade he catches a glimpse of his killer; a Warrior Bunny donning a tribal battle outfit. She wore a carved up metal chest plate with fur lining that covered her chest and upper back with matching forearm and shin guards with the same fur lining. She had an armored belt and loincloth that ran pretty low. A sturdy headband wrapped around with cheek guards attached on it. Feathers jutted out of different parts of her armor piece with tribal markings completing her look. She lifts her leg to push the body away from her as it drops lifelessly and continues to move through the bushes.

The Imperial soldier watched the spectacle unfold uncertain if they're turning on their own or if this was an entirely new group. But he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip and began to stumble along, picking up one of the numerous shields still littered on the ground. He continued to move in the direction of a town that the Empire's troops had passed a few days ago.