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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
He heard their laughter before he saw them. Deep, booming and
touched with cruel mockery. A flush of anger colored Edouard's sweating
brow, but he stood, powerless before the giants, a dark pair with red
hair and beards and teeth like dinner plates, yellowed and stained.
Both were huge, much bigger than Nosnra's kind, but one
held Edouard's unsheathed blade across his hand and laughed as the human
rushed forward to retrieve it.
The call from Kalfashow was all that Edouard could hear, when he
saw it he was aware of nothing else, the room faded from his sight, even
the giant which held his sword. The hand that smacked him aside came as
if from nowhere, it knocked him from his feet and sent him sprawling on
the floor.
"Little one," the giant spoke, "you hear fire spirit, it sing
pretty song yes." the giant laughed. "It talk to me, say you powerful,
have strong spirit too, you make good slave. Be good and let you see
fire sword, be bad and take fire away."
Edouard didn't reply but gathered himself and launched a leaping
kick toward the giant's mocking face. The monster held out his hand and
waved the sword back and forth, small as a toy in his huge palm. A
scream,
a screeching voice, threw Edouard into a spasm of pain, he dropped
halfway
through his attack, landing hard on the stones and curling into a tight
ball, his knees hugged against his chest.
"Naughty little one." the giant chuckled. "You make fire spirit
mad, it serve me, you obey, or fire spirit get mad again."
* * *
"Look at all those orcs." said Talberth.
"Where are the others?" Harald looked left than right, trying to
pick out Telenstil or Gytha from the crowd. He would have been happy
even to see the scout.
"I have my wand." Talberth held the carved magic stick nervously
in his hand. "These orcs wouldn't survive the lightning I could
unleash."
"Our friends could be among them." Harald reminded him. "The
scout said these orc's rebelled against the giants didn't he?"
"Yes, but I'll never put trust in such beasts." Talberth
said. "What should we do? Where are the others?"
"Here come Harold and Ivo, let's wait for them, then just march
out there, if the orcs attack we will fight them off." the ranger said,
he
held his sword, a claymore almost as long as he was tall, and peered
back up the stairs, waiting for the gnome and halfling to appear.
* * *
"What do you see?" asked Gytha.
"Orcs. I do not see Edouard." said Telenstil. "They are milling
about, some are dragging things, ahh..bodies, several bodies, some
are still thrashing. There seem to be many less than when we went
through
before, no...I see them now, a large group is coming from a opening
on my left..."
"That would be south." said Ghibelline.
"Yes, your direction sense is good." Telenstil said, surprised.
"Jalal knows these tunnels well and he has told me what he
knows."
Ghibelline explained. "We hoped to escape, somehow. I should see to him,
do you need me here?"
"Please go see to your friend, but come if we call..." Telenstil
began. "Wait, there is a new commotion, Gytha I see Harald, he stands
at least a head taller than any of the orcs. Quick let us move the table
and unbar the door, they may need our help."
* * *
(To Be Continued)