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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
"Ughhh, this is disgusting." said Harald. He used his dagger to
cut away at the giants hide shirt. "Telenstil...Telenstil!"
"Yes Harald." Telenstil called back.
The ranger crouched by the giant he had killed. Skule's body lay
between two boulders, it blocked the flowing stream, the water rushed
against the mangled chest and bubbled from its open mouth. Harald tried
to find a pocket in the rough hide shirt, or a pouch on its belt, but
the clothes were soaked and tacky with the drying blood.
Telenstil had better luck, he'd found a tied bundle of skins
held beneath the giants belt. The broken body was not the wet and bloody
mess that confronted Harald, but still he had to work around the
massive limbs and immobile bulk of the dead giant. He'd used a small
knife with a razored edge to slice the belt away, then checked the body
from toes to crown of head, but found nothing else. He could not check the
side that lay upon the rock or move the body the slightest inch, he could
not even lift the giant's lifeless arm.
"Harald, check the belt, I will come and help." called Telenstil.
"This one is a mess," Harald shook his head, then dunked his
gory hands into the stream and scrubbed them one against the other.
"he has spilt out his innards, whatever he had beneath his belt is
ruined."
"What say you my friend?" asked Telenstil hopping from stone
to stone trying to keep his robe from the waters touch.
"Just look at this." Harald pointed to the coiled loops which
bulged from the deep rent left by Harald's sword. The giant's bowls
were like huge red and purple snakes swarming in the stream, the water
foamed red around them. "What is it we are looking for?" asked Harald.
"Is it worth trying to sort beneath the giant's gizzards?"
"There should be a message from their chief." said Telenstil.
"I have found one on the other giant, this one should have another."
"All right," Harald shrugged. "No worse than gutting a deer,
it shouldn't be, but it is, this is foul work."
"I will help." said Telenstil. "What can I do?"
"My sword is no good for this, it's a butchers job," said Harald.
"I'll cut, you keep pushing the guts away, too bad he isn't facing down
the stream."
The two went at the giants body with their spirits set for the
gruesome job, they were bloodied from hand to shoulder, but when they
finished they'd found another roll of hide. It was soaked and had a
gash left by the rangers sword, but Telenstil held it like the rough
bundle was a fine tapestry made from cloth of gold.
"Is that it?" asked Harald wearily.
"This should be it." said Telenstil. "Now we can find our
companions, they will need your help to find another camp."
"I'll wash this muck off first." said Harald.
"Let me." Telenstil cast a minor spell, a mere cantrip, but one
which he had found useful more than once already. With a word
and a gesture he caused the blood to jump from the rangers clothes and
skin, then he did the same again and he was clean as well.
"Now we must take flight." Telenstil removed the small white orb
whose enchantments had taken them like birds over the valley and ahead of
the giants they had just waylayed.
"Can't we just walk." Harald asked, leery of the magic which
carried them through the air. "I could scout out the land."
"They may need us." Telenstil reminded him. "I would have let
these giants be if I had not believed it was of vital importance to stop
them. We have also gone far, it would take some time for us to find our
companions trail."
"All right." Harald conceded. "Let's get this over with."
"This will be the last that I can use this toy to fly, for some
time at least. I doubt it could have taken more than you and I with
the power it still maintains." said Telenstil.
"That's good to hear." Harald said. "Are you sure it has enough
power left to take us back?"
"We will find out. Now take hold of the sphere and let us be
gone."
* * *
(To Be Continued)