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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
The wall curved and the floor began to slope. As Talberth neared
the far end of the hall he'd found a passage leading down. The floor and
walls showed the scratching that they'd seen in the first passage. Here
though there had been no mosaic on the ground, just rough stone that
provided firm footing as the decline of the slope increased.
"Do you think the orcs went this way?" asked Talberth.
"I see no signs, but picking out one set of marks among these
others is impossible." said Harold.
The sloping passage sank beneath the floor of the hall as it
curved near to the far end. It became a tunnel cut into the ground with
walls and ceiling no wider than Talberth's outstretched arms. He could
place his palm flat upon the ceiling and let the fingers of his hands
brush both walls at the same time.
Soon the slope leveled out and the passage crossed another,
they could proceed ahead or turn to the left or to the right. Each
way was dark, the walls were chipped and scarred, the floor marked by
countless claws.
"Which way?" asked Talberth.
"Which way for what?" Harold replied. He stepped between the
passages into the small open area where all four ways met. Harold peered
down one way, turned and checked another till he had looked into each of
the passages that lay ahead. "There is nothing, no difference that I
can see, no sign of the orcs."
Talberth huffed, he'd been hoping to find something right away.
Time was passing, they had little to spare, he hated to waste it marching
down empty corridors.
"Blast the orcs." Talberth spat out. "Let's go to the left."
"That seems like a good choice to me." said Harold. "Straight
ahead and I bet we find ourselves back in the hall with pillars. To
the right and its that pit with the openings in the side."
"I just thought left looked good." said Talberth.
Harold smiled and took a small cloth from his vest. He unrapped
a piece of coal and made a mark at the corner of the wall near the
floor.
"Just in case." he said.
"In case of what?" asked Talberth.
"We get lost." spoke up Little Rat.
"Correct." Harold said, pleased that the young orc knew enough
to mark his trail. "I always like to know where I've been."
* * *
"How did it go?" Harald asked the two mages. Telenstil and Ivo
found the ranger sitting by the fire, he'd fed it a few dry sticks and
kept it burning low.
"We are moving to the other room." said Telenstil.
The ranger raised a brow and gave the elf a quizzical look.
"As safe there as here, perhaps safer." Telenstil told him.
Harald shrugged. "I'd sooner be gone from here." he said and
brushed the wounds that covered his arms. "Those gibberling pups made
me loose my taste for staying."
"I hate to wake her." said Ghibelline.
"She sleeps," said Telenstil, "good. But I feel it will be better
if we move down the hall. I will wake Gytha, she can sleep again in
a few minutes."
"Sometimes sleep is hard to recapture." said Harald.
"I will wake her." Ghibelline volunteered.
"Then help me carry Derue." Harald told him.
"Come then, Ivo and I will start bringing the packs and the
supplies." said Telenstil.
* * *
(To Be Continued...)