Jack and Rose sat hunched in alleyways on opposite sides of the street Madeleine would be trying to trick the gnolls into chasing her down. Rose pressed herself flat against the near side wall, the red of her skin lost against the flickering firelight and red-brown clay of the wall plaster.Jack for his part sat curled up behind a large wooden cart parked in the alleyway he occupied, curled up into as small a s.p.a.ce as possible, and trying to talk himself out of being scared completely s.h.i.tless.
Way to go, loser. You could have had an eternity of bliss, and instead you"re here in a fiery h.e.l.lscape about to try and rescue a little girl from being probably raped and definitely murdered, G.o.d knows in which order, by a gang of seven foot tall hyena monsters that outnumber you six to one. Oh, and you"re the a.s.shole who convinced that girl to use herself as bait to lure them in, so if she DOES get murder-raped, that"ll be your fault. Go you.
Jack couldn"t help wonder if there was any way he could maybe, just maybe, talk Frumpkin into letting him switch options. He was suddenly having just the absolute worst buyer"s remorse right now.
Before he had time to dwell any longer, however, he heard the faint patter of small feet grow closer and closer, until a moment or two later he saw the small form of Madeleine run past, breathing heavily. She was followed several seconds later by sound of much larger feet pounding the ground, accompanied by yelping and barking and snapping.
Rose looked across the alleyway and made eye contact with him, raising her hand up, signalling for him get into position to hold his place. With a deep breath and a gulp, Jack pulled himself to his feet, and gripped his axe tighter.
The first gnoll flew past, then the second, then third and fourth. Then the fifth.
Rose nodded across at him, and without another hint of warning, dove out of the alleyway and directly into the sixth, burying her sword cleanly between its ribs and bearing it into the ground.
Welp, here goes nothing.
With his best attempt at a warcry, Jack rushed out of the alleyway, and directly in front of the remaining six gnolls, who drew up short, seemingly just as confused by this unfortunate turn of events as Jack was terrified.
"Heh...uh... h-hey guys!" Jack squeaked. He shifted into his best attempt at a battle stance, but his hands were shaking so much that he was was afraid he"d drop his axe if tried to move.
Behind him, he heard a yelping screech of another gnoll, then Rose"s voice shouting at him.
"Jack, get them! Hurry!" She said, parrying one of the creature"s blows with the flat of her blade. Jack saw that not far beyond her, the other gnolls who had rushed past them had turned back around and were heading back towards them.
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He gulped and turned around, just in time to see an axe swing from the nearest gnoll on a collision course with his face. Before he could consciously process what was happening, he felt his arm swing up, pivoting his axe in an arc as he took a step backwards, glancing the strike harmlessly away.
Oh, right. He knew how to fight. Why did he keep forgetting that?
The rest of the gnolls were on him in an instant, driving and slashing with their weapons, and it was all Jack could do to keep them from making contact as he slowly gave ground and pulled them further down the street in the direction of Rose and the rest of the gnolls.