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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
Little Rat danced among the waves of furry bodies in a frenzy of
stabs and slashes. A small mouth bit his chin and he bit back, then
spit out the body.
"This no rat!" he yelled, but the other two did not reply.
Harald brushed a dozen of the creatures from his arms and legs
then reached out and grabbed hold of the thief, then lifted up the small
orc in his other arm. Taking huge strides he began to run, but he did not
get far. The ranger was blind in the utter black, first he crashed hard
against a wall then stepped on two of the little beasts. His foot slipped
to the side and he fell coming down hard on the knee of his other leg. He
might have smashed the bone but a half dozen small bodies took the blow
instead.
All three were sent sprawling across the ground, the furry wave
swallowed them and they were gone.
* * *
"I do not see..." Telenstil began, but stopped as he caught sight
of the trail left by the snake. "Yes, I see the trail but I do not see
this snake."
"I see it." said Gytha. "I know it well."
"You have seen this type of creature before?" asked Ghibelline.
The elf held his sword so tight that his knuckles whitened from the
grip. He felt a touch of fear as the creature approached, the wounds
on his arm began to throb.
"You have seen it, and you Telenstil." she told them. "It has
grown, but it is what attacked me when I healed Derue, the evil
is the same, you do not feel it, do not see it?"
"I see only the path it leaves," said Telenstil, "it nears."
"I do not see it either." Ghibelline rubbed at his arm. "I feel
it though, where it struck me."
"Ghibelline, stand here," Gytha pointed with the iron staff
she held to a place beside her, "I will ask the Saint for his blessing
and protection."
The elf stepped forward and stood next to her, Gytha set her
iron staff into the ground and took his hand in her own then reached
out and put her other hand on Telenstil's.
"Oh pure of heart and strong of arm, bless those gathered
here to fight the spirit of evil which comes upon us." she released
them and held up her hands, a fresh wind, refreshing and cool, blew
over them.
With her iron staff Gytha traced a circle in the dirt around
Ghibelline then looked up toward the sky. "Sainted one, you have blessed
us all, protect this warrior with special care, he has fought the evil
sent forth against us, your strength has touched him, let your spirit
protect him!"
A circle of white erupted around the elf, it shot up from the
ground and wrapped him in its brilliance. Ghibelline felt the pain
lessen in his arm, the venomous heat was gone, though the wound still
stung. A sense of rest and strength settled on him and a feeling that
the light had suffused his skin, protecting him from the evil that
approached.
"I see it now!" cried out Ghibelline, he could see the edges of
the scales, the fangs, the glowing eyes, red and molten in the serpentine
skull. The body of the snake was still translucent, he could see clear
through, but the monster was a net of shimmering lines of fire, no
substance inbetween.
"Yes, let me see if my magic can hold it in place." said
Telenstil. He drew out a small bar of steel and and with it traced a
pattern of blue fire in the air. "Zeiz! Zeiz! Zeiz!" he called out
and threw the steel bar at the snake. It flashed far across the
clearing and exploded in a cloud of blue sparks that made the serpent
jump and thrash like a fish trying to break the line which held it.
* * *
(To Be Continued)