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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
Mimming thrummed, the blade seemed happy and Harald let a tune
whistle through his teeth. There were a half dozen giants to his right
and almost twice that number to his left. They seemed to have forgotten
his companions, their attention riveted on the man grown almost to
their size and the glowing blade he wielded in one hand.
The wolves charged, they'd been near the edge of the camp
where the company had been hidden. Derue, Ghibelline and Gytha
fanned out to try and protect the mages, but it was all that they could
do to protect themselves.
Gytha ran to Ghibelline's side. He nearly took a swing at her, but
turned his blade in time. Derue went to the left and brought down a wolf
that was running toward the gnome. Three more went past, the last of the
black-coated pack, their leader in the front.
Ivo faced them alone. The old gnome made three quick passes with
his hands and the words of power he used seemed to come from his mouth
like smoke. In his mind he thought of molten rock cooling to solid stone
and the wolves froze in place.
There was a snap that Ivo heard and felt, but within, no sound
that anyone else could ever hear. The lead wolf, Konig he was named by
his master, had fought free of Ivo's spell. Leaving his packmates behind,
he sprang at the small creature, hoping to rend it to pieces.
A stone whizzed by and skimmed across the wolf's muzzle. Then a
small shape flung itself atop the balck-furred bacxk, a pair of daggers
stabbing into its side. Little Rat twisted one knife in the wound, and
pulled the other out to stab again.
The wolf spun and bit at the creature who had hurt it so. A keen
edge cut above one eye, clipped and ear, then Konig had the arm in its
jaw and bit hard till bones snapped.
"No!" yelled out Harold. The halfling had been running forward,
his sling useless while Little Rat was tangled with the beast. He drew out
a magic spike, with a word it would bury itself deep in wood or stone.
Harold spoke the word as he slammed the spike against the wolf's head.
It whirred and sunk in past the bone and into the monster's brain.
Jaws opened wide and Little Rats torn and broken arm dropped from
the mouth. Harold was tossed aside like a rag doll, and the wolf ran off
into the rocks and scrub.
To the right of Talberth and Telenstil, as they faced toward the
camp and the path beyond, the wolves had gathered in large number. The
two mages sent a hail of magic bolts into the pack, grey-coats, big,
strong and many. The missiles only stung them and made them howl. They
came on lusting for the kill.
"Fo-Tia-Tikos!" yelled Talberth as he flung a ball of tar and
sulphur at the wolves.
"No!" shouted Telenstil but it was too late.
A wall of fire sprang from the ground just before the rushing
wolves. It curved from the side of a stone outcropping, enclosed
Ghibelline and Gytha on the near side of the flames and Ivo and the others
to the left of Talberth as well.
"Harald is out there!" Telenstil said and his voice was an
accusation.
"I know." Talberth replied.
* * *
(To Be Continued...)