Greed (Part 1)

The grass was overtaken by flames that burned with rage and left the earth scorched,along with the decomposing bodies that laid in the midst. All men with their battle armor melting from the heat,swords handles stuck up from ribcages as other were impaled by spears raised to the heavens.

Vultues circled the mass battle ground as wild dogs paced side to side all being kept at bay by the flames. Even theives crept in the distance waiting to loot the corpse's of the fallen but patience was the key priority at the time.

The wind began to shift the ragged remains of a crested flag that waved from the corpse of a horse,his rider laid upon the saddle riddled with arrows in his chest piece. Soon the flames began to die down as vultures swooped down on the burnt bodies;a signal to the dogs and thieves the area was safe to enter.

Suddenly bodies began being ripped and torn apart by the hungry hounds as the flesh had become tender to pluck apat. The three men covered in hoods began to tip toe the the savage scene like spider's trying not to cause any commotion.

Quickly feeling around the warm bodies trying to find anything valuable to salvage for coin. One man began to pull a dagger out of his belt and began cutting a finger from one of the soldiers had for the ring had became melyed to the flesh.

The other raided saddlebags looking for valuables as he kicked the blood thirsty hounds that were gorging themselves on the horses intestines. Looking through the saddlebags all he could find was some wraps of crusty bread and a water noose.

Looking up he saw the rider covered in arrows around the man's neck was a blue jewl necklace,"Ah..this will fetch a pretty price." He whispered not to let his companions over hear him,reaching toward the man's throat to retrieve the necklace,Suddenly a hand reached up and grabbed his.

Overcome with fear the man let out a cry that made everyone even the dogs stop what they were doing. The rider was still alive but barely as his grasp was frail and his eyes were in a daze,he glanced at the thief and whispered,"H..hel..help me."

Suddenly the other raiders began to laugh as one of them yelled over,"looka there,Masden has a live one." Suddenly the other began laughing as the one known as Masden pulled his hand free from the man's grasp and replied to the rider,"Don't worry my liege...I'll help you."

Pulling a dagger from his belt,Masden grabbed the horseman by the head and pulled it back as he slide the blade across the man's throat. The rider was stricken in fear as his eyes bulged in shock as blood sprayed from his throat cavity. Masden then slipped his blade back into his belt as he ripped the necklace from the man's opened throat.

Watching as a group of dogs began lapping up the blood that spilled below on the scortched earth below. Scowling as he watched in disgust,"Filthy beasts." As his companions continued their quest for treasures,Masden began to do a perimeter watch to see if anyone may be coming upon the destructive sight.

Vultures perched on the spikes as they plucked strips of meat from the impaled as dogs began dragging body parts out of the battle zone to take back to the lair. Then suddenly a figure in the distance caught his attention,they were so far off that his eyes nearly overlooked the outline of what appeared to be a man. Masden quickly began to spring to his companions side,not taking his eyes off the figure that stood motionless.

"Dario...Dario!" Masden chirped tucking at the sleeve of his sleeve radically as Dario looked up at him as he was searching a corpse. "Do you see that figure in the distance...is it a man or are the flames blurring my vision?" Dario got to his feet as he looked off into the distance with a hand over his brow to shade from the sun. "Well it's no tree,we better hide in those brushes." His voice was stricken with urgency as he grabbed his treasures and began to move.

"Why do we need to hide?" Masden asked in curiosity,"Because the figure is moving this way." Dario's response brought Julian to his feet as he began to run through a pack of hounds feasting. Masden quickly followed behind as they took refuge behind a line of brushes feet from the bloody scene.

Watching eagerly the men tried to control there breathing as the figure made it's way through the maze of dead bodies. Tall and slender the figure didn't seem to be aware of the hound's presence as it glided past the blood thirsty mutts.

Hood over it's head,Masden couldn't make out a face only the healed burn marks on it's hands. Suddenly all the men froze as the figure stopped,right at the head of the dead horsemen. A long claw like hand grabbed the horsemen's head as if inspecting it.

The men began to notice that dark clouds began to build in formation around the massacre as the figure let out a deep terrifying cry. All three men jolted back as the cry was followed by lightning and thunder in the midst of a down poor.

Angered the figure grabbed the horse and propelled it six feet in the air with one hand as the horsemen's corpse flung around like a ragdoll. "I believe we should take our leave now." Dario whispered with a crackling voice as his companions agreed with a quick nod as they crawled backwards on there belly.