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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
A spark of greenish light danced within the carven pillars. It
ran down the spine of a dragon whose head braced the ceiling stone, then
followed a pattern of tiles till it reached the base of a fire giant
bringing brief color to the grey rock. When it reached the eyes a red
gleam awoke but faded as the spark ran past.
There were cracks that radiated out from a hole broken in the
roof. A block of rough stone wedged the gap shut and time had locked
it in place as if it had been set there on purpose by a conscious hand.
Circling like a leaf caught in a whirlwind the spark jumped
around the web of cracks. It flared as it leapt through the air, a
sharp smell of brimstone and a puff of smoke followed its path. The
spark touched the outstretched fingers of a storm giant and swam down the
side of the statue.
Telenstil's nose twitched, the brimstone smell wafted down
through the still air. The elf had been in deep thought examing the
stone ogre that had been animated and seemed to obey his command, but the
the sharp scent brought his attention back to the chamber and the
statues which surrounded him.
"Do you smell that?" asked Ghibelline.
"Yes." Telenstil answered. "It is very faint. Up there." he
pointed to the ceiling.
They could see nothing. Rings of pillars blocked their view,
a forest of statues each depicting some huge beast or monster running
from the floor to the roof.
The two elves walked slowly toward the center of the room, but
the smell became weaker dissipating even as they approached its source.
There was a sound, Telenstil put out his hand and Ghibelline halted beside
him. Their footsteps were almost silent on the tiled floor but some small
faint noise was nearly masked by them.
Stone scraping against stone, that was the sound. It came from
high up toward the roof and to their right. Both elves could see the
tiny glow but they still could not see what made the noise.
Telenstil gestured, the movement of his hands and fingers cutting
through the air like an ingot of molten iron leaving a momentary trail
of haze behind. "Lo-Ta No-Tu" he said and pointed toward the spark of
light.
It was like a tiny sun erupting from the dark. The eye of a
spreading lacework of power that spread down the side of the pillar.
Now they could see what made the grinding noise, it was the statue pulling
fingers loose from the ceiling high above. The blaze of magic revealed by
Telenstil's spell lit the stone arm like a burning tree, its branches
in full flame, while tongues of fire licked down its sides.
"Something has awoken." said Telenstil.
"Can you control it." asked Ghibelline, alarmed.
"I will try." Telenstil put out his hand, he whispered a word
in a tongue that Ghibelline could not understand. "Ker-Zer." he said
and placed his hand against the pillar.
A line of glowing fire flowed down from the spark, it ran inside
of the stone and burst from the spot that Telenstil's hand touched.
White light flared and the green line was snuffed out in a fury
of sparks. A splinter of stone sheared away from the statue and a shower
of debris came falling from the roof. The statue shuddered and its upper
body twisted free from the pillar.
"Ker-Zer!" Telenstil shouted. The stone exploded beneath his hand,
the fragments shot to either side and a crack like thunder echoed across
the hall.
Above them the giant turned at the waist but its lower half did
not move. It split in half and as the two elves watched it began to
tilt and slowly fall, both stony arms reaching out radiating a green
light, an intense blazing mote at its heart.
* * *
(To Be Continued...)