Commander Braghaman Larethian

Caught

Braghaman woke with a start and instinctively reached out for the war hammer laying on the ground next to him. Blinking his eyes rapidly, he looked around the cave he had been sleeping in. The fog of sleep burned away as he heard another howl, like the one that had woken him up. 

“Damn,” he muttered to himself. The paladin stood up and slowly made his way to the mouth of the cave. He couldn’t see anything for the haze that was hanging low to the ground, but he could hear the howls and growling as it grew closer. “Guess it’s time to find a new hole to hide in.”

Braghaman slowly exited the cave, looking from side to side. Then he heard a growl behind him. Gripping his war hammer, he turned to find a skeletal hound with armor plates crouched on the side of the hill next to the cave opening. The shadehound leapt. Bragh barely got his hammer up when the hound landed against him. Braghaman fell to the ground with the shadehound on top of him, but the paladin rolled with the momentum and kicked up against the beast, sending it flying over his head.

Braghaman rolled over onto his hands and knees and locked eyes with the beast. The shadehound, snarled at Braghaman and pawed at the ground. The hound then lifted its head and let out another howl. Bragh quickly got to his feet and then heard other howls in response. He started to back away from the shadehound, trying to keep an eye on it while also glancing around for signs of others approaching. He had only taken a couple of steps back when three other hounds appeared and started snapping at him.

One of the shadehounds rushed forward and leapt at the paladin. Bragh pulled his war hammer around and slammed it into the side of the hound, knocking it to the side. But before he could recover, another hound ran forward and bowled into him. Bragh fell to the ground, his war hammer flying from his grasp and skidding across the ground. Bragh put his left arm under the jaw of the hound and kept its head pointed up while he reached for the mace on his belt with his right hand. Bragh swung his mace against the front leg of the shadowhound multiple times before hearing the sound of metal breaking and the shadehound tumbled off of him. 

Before Bragh could get off the ground, another shadehound rush forward and locked its jaws around the wrist of the hand that held the mace. Bragh grunted and then reached over with his left hand, punching the shadehound repeatedly in the side of the head. The beast let go and stumbled back.

Braghaman rolled over and got up to his feet. Holding his mace in front of him, he kept shifting his gaze to keep an eye on all four of the shadehounds. One of the beasts started stalking closer and Bragh raised his mace up to attack. But before he could swing, Bragh felt his arm pulled backwards and there was the sound of chains. Looking at his wrist, he saw dark chains pulling his arm to the ground. Before he could do anything, he felt the same weight attach to his left hand. The weight of the chains pulled him to his knees.

“Enough,” a voice echoed out. 

Braghaman looked up and saw the shadehounds separate. A being with a horned helm and robes came floating up to the paladin who was now anchored to the ground.

“Another live one,” the floating being said in a metallic voice. “Another one to break into service.”