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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
"As I thought." Ivo smugly said. He nudged a curled circle of fur
with his foot, it appeared to be dead. Immediately his thoughts went to
his friends, "Harold! Harald!" he called out.
The ranger groaned and shook a covering of the little beasts
from off of his back and legs, beside him Harold jumped to his feet and
flung a pair of small bodies against the wall. The halfling kicked some
aside and cursed the others where they lay. Blood streamed from dozens
of tiny cuts and bites painting the halfling red, the ranger was washed
by the flow from his owns wounds, he'd saved his eyes but his hands and
arms were a patchwork of torn and bitten flesh.
Harold appeared dazed, he looked with wild eyes first at Harald
then at Ivo. His chest heaved with relief, he still lived, he'd thought
for certain that he would not survive.
"Where is the orc?"
* * *
There was a screech, a sharp sparking sound like the teeth of a
saw striking a nail hidden in a plank of wood. The snake opened its
mouth, its tongue sticking out, its head swaying back and forth, it
wailed.
Ghibelline gritted his teeth against the sound, clamped
his jaw shut and launched himself at the beast. His sword gleamed
with a nimbus of gold, an edge of spiritual energy that coated the
mere sharpened steel. A line of fire burst forth where his sword
cut the sinewy body, his blow still swept through but this time
there was resistance. The shining red lines of the scales snapped
and some did not rejoin as they had before.
The fanged mouth ceased its noise, its body shuddered briefly at
the wound, and its head came whipping down. Ghibelline dived aside, but
the snake brushed his shoulder and rolled him, he slipped when he tried
to rise. His sword shot up and grazed the creatures chin, the mouth
closed with a chomp then opened in a sharpfanged grin.
A knife slashed it just below its eye, the blade shone blue
and sent a fiery burst of red where it cut the snake deeply atop
its mouth. The beast jumped back, the serpent twisted in the air
and scurried back from the glowing blade.
There was a pause, the snake held back, drops of molten
red dripping from its wound, they struck the air and smoked, disappearing
in a cloud before they touched the ground. Ghibelline scurried to his feet
and as he did he heard the mage cast a spell.
"Koova-Lazi!" Telenstil called out. He blurred and seemed to come
apart, and then there were six Telenstil's facing the snake with glowing
knives of blue. The elven mage charged the beast and all five images
followed suit.
Fangs pierced a magic veil, as Ghibelline's sword had passed
through the snake before the blessing of the Saint, so the serpent met
with no resistance and in a blur the image disappeared. A knife licked
out, Telenstil and his four surviving duplicates all struck at once, but
only one was real. A long line of red was drawn along the scales,
the snakes body twitched in pain.
Ghibelline rushed to join the fray, he first chopped its tail,
the nearest portion of the beast. The sword cut it like a sausage
beneath the edge of a hungry mans knife, the tail burned with flame,
the gaping wound glowed with light like the heart of a fire.
* * *
(To Be Continued)