The ogre looked at the children in front of it with glee. Who would have thought mere seconds upon entering the human's nest, he would have come upon two tasty appetizers. He looked at them closely, seeing that one of the children wore the dreaded black armor.
But it was still just a child.
The ogre walked casually towards the pair, delighted that the smaller one was already in tears. If only the other one could follow her example.
The older one suddenly started shouting in their despicable human tongue, and brought out a black ball.
'What a fool' thought the ogre as he remembered the time when he had been hit by high level thunder magic. If it could survive that, this bomb would have no effect on it.
Then the child threw it on the ground and a large cloud of black smoke erupted.
*
"When I throw this down, run for your life!" shouted Pierre as the ogre drew closer.
Anna nodded, prompting Pierre to bring out his black smoke bomb and throw it on the ground.
Anna ran for the exit immediately, while Pierre stood still, prepared to face his incoming foe, getting a makeshift debris shield and his spear, then standing in phalanx position.
Soon enough, his opponent came charging with bloodshot eyes, unaware that Pierre was still present.
Pierre proceeded to slam his shield into the beast's abdomen, halting its advance and leaving it clutching its stomach.
The beast looked at Pierre with anger and shock, as if to say how.
"Mage stones really can stop ogres...." said Pierre as the light blue gem in his chestplate glowed brightly.
The ogre looking at this flash, immediately regained its composure. It's enemy could use magic. This was no longer simple feeding time.
It was a fight.
The ogre drew its machete from its back and roared with ferocity. It's veins contorted and it's body let out a slight red aura.
"Attack enchancement magic." said Pierre with a grim expression, realising that his enemy had an easy counter for his mage stone. "Intelligent is an understatement."
The monster ran towards Pierre, slamming his club fown with full strength. Pierre could only block the incredibly fast attack, which sent his heels into the ground and put cracks in his makeshift shield.
"Guess wood's still wood" said Pierre as the blue aura around his shield began to depreciate.
"This isn't goung to be easy, is it big guy?" asked Pierre as the ogre looked down on him with a slasher smile, slowly pushing down its club.
Getting impatient, the ogre raised his club to bash the shield again, but Pierre quickly took the opportunity to roll away, leaving his wooden helper behind to be crushed to dust.
"I hope Gars is having better luck than me right now" said Pierre as he stared down the ogre.
*
"This is hell right?" asked Gars as he did a double take of the land scape.
The once simple buildings were now columns of fire, and even the ground would fit the criteria for brimstone.
"Why does it have fire magic damnit" said Gars from behind some charred rubble.
The gargoyle looked toward his direction, summoning a magic circle and sending a spear of flame towards him.
Gars dodged the attack, then proceeded to examine his opponent once more.
The creature's iron body made all attempts to attack it's vitals null and void. So far, he had only managed to leave scratches on its body.
He proceeded to strike its wing, which left the beast with an expression of slight annoyance.
It proceeded to slap away Gars, leaving him with bad bruises and a vengeful look.
"Vener damnit" said Gars as he coughed up blood, looking at the creature.
The gargoyle stood dejectedly. He had flown down after eyeing a black armor with height, which tended to be the strong ones.
It swooped down, expecting a fight against a strong opponent, only to be faced with this sad excuse for a human. All the human had managed to do was scratch it. Who couldn't do that?
Bored out of its mind, the gargoyle simply toyed with the child, knowing that this raid would be succesful and they could move on to the next human nest with haste.
But Gars stood up once more, brandishing his black blade against his foe.
"Why don't you go back to the pits you came from!" shouted Gars angrily.
Then he stopped.
"Wait....pits....Hell."
Gars realised something. He stood upright, making a pose fitting for a royal court guard, then lowering his blade towards the flames.
"There is a human tale, demon....of a certain knife that condemns it's victims to eternal damnation. This knife...." he said while walking around the demon, which was watching him without interest, wondering whether he had lost his mind.
"...was placed in a fire for 100 days....and 100 nights. I may not have that kind of time but..." Gars said while a red stone in his chestplate began to glow, for the second time in this struggle. "This should be enough."
Gars removed his blade from the flames, and charged towards the gargoyle, which simply prepared to smack him away.
When it extended its arm though....it suddenly felt a lot lighter.
It looked at the spot where his arm usually was, only to find it missing. The beast looked at Gars as if to say 'What the fuck just happened?'
"The battle begins now." said Gars, releasing a red aura.
*
"This is ridiculous." said Pierre as he blocked yet another attack from the fiend. The battle had gone all around the city, to various locations, causing unnecessary havoc. Luckily one was an armory where Pierre quickly grabbed a shield.
Standing firm, Pierre prepared to face yet another charge. But it didn't come.
The ogre stood there, looking backwards.
Pierre looked at where he was facing to see Anne holding a stick like a sword.
"Leave my town alone you big meathead!" shouted Anna, picking up a stone and throwing it at the ogre.
The ogre looked at the girl with fury, its eyes turning red with magic.
"Mental effect!" shouted Pierre as he ran towards the girl.
The ogre grew slightly larger, roaring at its target to induce more fear.
Then Pierre stood in the way.
He looked at the ogre with blazing conviction, preparing for its strongest attack.
"I may not be a model Vanguard, or even a proper knight.....But to this girl right now." said Pierre, turning back to look at Anna then facing the Ogre again.
"I am her shield, I am her sword.....and I am her hope"