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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 dwarven warrior kicked at the snarling muzzle of a wolf.
Jaws opened wide and the booted foot was caught within a trap of
fangs. They both tugged. The dwarf, hopping on one foot, his balance in
peril, could only weakly try to free himself from the wolf's mouth.
The wolf bit down, but the boot was pushed too far in for the fangs
to pierce the thick sole.
It was a losing battle for the dwarf. One precarious hop at a
time, he was dragged forward. Then a flash of silvered steel swept
down. The trap was sprung and the dwarf fell, his foot suddenly set free.
He landed hard on his back, his mail shirt clashed noisely against
the stones. Sparks flew around his eyes and a blinding flash of blue-white
light streaked by him, somewhere to his right. He blinked away the dazzle,
but a purple nimbus stained his vision. Trying to stand, he nearly fell
again. The wolf's head was still firmly locked to his right boot. Severed
at the neck, the beasts eyes were dead but the grip of its jaws was tight
as steel.
The ranger's blade hissed with steaming blood. Harald killed a
wolf, taking off its head, then ran to meet another that had come rushing
at him. It leapt, trying for his wrist, but Harald was the quicker and
his blade passed through the middle of the wolf. Two twitching halves
fell to the ground amid a gory flow from the entrails of the beast.
"Hold! Hold!" called out the voice of Telenstil.
Harald did not hear the voice or did not heed its warning call.
A giant faced him. The monster bore no weapons but for his hands. One
fist came down as if to smash Harald into the stones, but the ranger's
sword met it. Oerthy flesh, tough as the hills, met enchanted steel.
Mimming, Harald's blade, sang with the voice of rocks splitting in
the cold. Flesh parted, as did bone, and the sword passed through the
giant's arm clear to the elbow.
The monster howled, horribly maimed, and grabbed the halved
forearm in his other hand. He tried to meld the sides together again.
Harald's backstroke went high, took the flesh from shoulder,
took off an ear and a length of scalp. The giant fell to his knees
and the ranger mercifully ended the wailing cry, severing the huge head
in a single blow.
Talberth intoned a spell, "Fotia-Ena!" he said and tossed a yellow
brown pellet toward the giants and the wolves.
"Harald!" Telenstil yelled again.
"I sent it past him." Talberth said without looking toward
Telenstil.
The pellet turned into an orange glow, like the heart of a
fire, and the flames expanded. Fist sized, it streaked past Derue and
Ghibelline, then large as a barrel, it struck far beyond and to the
right of Harald. There was a thud and then a whump like a gust of
wind filling a sail, then a roaring ball of flame. High as the tree-tops,
it caught half the giants from behind, wrapping them in a wave of fire.
"Tuli-Pal!" cried Telenstil. The elven mage followed his former
apprentice's lead. A second pellet streaked by and grew into a ball of
fire.
Giants who were still aflame were caught within this second burst
of fire.
"We cannot stop the others this way." said Talberth. "Not without
roasting Harald as well."
* * *
(To Be Continued...)