Oathbound Chronicles III

Sullied Steel

The knight caught the pitted axe on his shield, but his return strike with his sword came up short as the veteran looter hopped away. The older man was clearly clever and skilled, and not to be underestimated. Bankin took the offensive, slicing down one of the looters that came too close. Others attempted to attack inside of his shield, but they were too hesitant or lacked the skill to thwart his defenses..

When at last, with no companions remaining, the scarred veteran launched himself at Bankin, the knight easily caught the axe on his shield and ran the man through with his sword. The encounter lasted no more than half a minute, but Bankin’s steel was sullied with blood to the hilt.

Bankin took some time to search through the pockets and sacks left behind by the looters in hopes that he might locate some clue about the disturbances in the area. In the veteran’s trouser pocket he discovered a folded parchment, inked in red—he shuddered to think it might be blood—and instructing the bandits to waylay a caravan of travelers and merchants as they passed up from the southern Chains for the purpose of using the people as sacrifices to an unidentified “her.”

“Blood sacrifice!” Bankin’s righteous indignation could not be contained and he all but shouted into the heavy silence. With that, the zealous knight moved deeper into the ruin.

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Oathbound Chronicles is a series of short fiction inspired by my current in-development solo TTRPG, Oathbound and Kate Korsaro’s “The League.”