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Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
This is a first draft of a story set in the world of Greyhawk.
It is based on a home campaign so some of the people, places and things
may be different. Any helpful comments or suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks
Jason Zavoda
"Who you be, human?" an orc asked Derue. Its face bled from
long deep cuts one of the apes had opened across its face.
"I am Killer of Giants, as you can see." he told the orc and spoke
loud enough for the others to hear. The crowd of orcs began to murmur, the
one who had spoken stepped back and immediately began to shout down those
around him.
Derue had sheathed his blade, he breathed hard from the fight just
ended, but felt in his heart that Edouard must be near. His brother
must surely be injured there was no time to wait for these orcs to decide
if he was friend or foe.
"Do You Challenge Me!" he yelled at them and drew his sword. The
flames sprang out and ran along its length.
A hush fell on the crowd, the orcs were wild with rage at their
captors and joyful at their victory, but they were unprepared to face
Derue and the burning sword which had struck down the giant Keeper. Many
orcs had died beneath that giant's massive foot, their lives crushed out
upon the stones, none had thought to see him dead, not in their
wildest dreams. They respected strength and felt a kinship of size, if not
of kind, with the human, and none wished to face his magic fiery sword.
The crowd backed away when Derue came near, only the one who had
stepped up to him before approached him now.
"Killer of Giants." the orc said to him with respect, "Leaders are
dead, I follow you, they," he waved his arm at the gathered orcs, "follow
me. What we do now?"
"My brother. Another human like me, he was just taken, he is alive
where would he be?" Derue asked the orc.
"We want to leave," the orc ignored his question or did not
understand it, "You take us from this place."
A burst of red fury went through Derue, he backhanded the orc
hard with his left hand, the meaty smack drew a babble of cries from the
orcs. The orc touched the side of his mouth and spat out a gob of blood,
he bowed his head and then held out both his hands, palms up, to Derue.
"You obey." Derue told him and put the edge of his blade to
the orcs throat, close enough to singe the hair on its piglike snout and
head.
"I obey." the orc replied.
"My brother. Where would they have taken him." said Derue, not
asking a question but making a demand.
"There." the orc pointed to the eastern wall and a huge Iron
bound wooden door.
"Open it." commanded Derue.
The orc nodded and without turning, Derue's blade still
near his neck, its heat making his face burn worse than the slap, he
shouted to the other orcs in their own tongue. A dozen of them ran to the
door and grabbed a metal chain. They hauled and, straining, pulled it
open with a rasping creak.
"Now what." the orc asked looking up at Derue. The mercenary
lowered his sword and ran to the open door. The orcs had dropped the chain
and milled about, Derue pushed them aside and jumped into the room, he
felt the steel spikes from a morningstar leave gashes along his head as
it whirled by. The spiked metal ball took a chunk from the wooden door,
sending splinters flying.
* * *
(To Be Continued)