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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
Human hands could do little against the giant's mighty bulk. Derue
could shatter the bricks in a wall, crack stone and splinter wood, but the
bones of the massive warrior that he fought were as thick as tree-trunks
and wrapped in flesh, tougher than any man's. His feet were another matter
and he used them to good effect.
The giant tried to bat the scout aside with a backhand swipe.
Bending almost double, Derue ducked beneath the blow, but swung his arms
up so that they hooked about the huge forearm as it passed.
He was carried up into the air, his weight was nothing to the
corded muscles of the giant's arm. As he rose, he slid, his own arms
loosely circled around the giant's. Past the elbow he went, then letting
go as he reached the bicep. Derue's arms went down to his sides and he
spun, using his hips and his shoulders to torque his body.
One leg pulled up, bending at the knee, his other extended heel
first. He struck beneath the giant's upraised arm, the monster's own
strength adding to the force of Derue's blow, as he spiraled his heel into
the pit of the creature's arm.
A man would have been crippled, if not killed. The giant gave a
grunt of pain, its arm spasmed, its clenched fist sprang open, fingers
outstretched from the jabbing shock. The injured arm moved weak and slow,
but the giant swept out with its other hand only to slash the air where
Derue had been.
A few yards to the side, Ghibelline tore his sword free from the
giant's belly. He staggered back, Gytha catching him by the shoulder and
keeping him from falling to the ground.
Blazing talons had sunk into the giant's throat. The fire-beast
still rode upon the huge warrior's back and reaching round sliced smoking
cuts across the wide neck, setting beard and hair aflame.
It was the giant's turn to stumble, but he had no one to keep him
on his feet. Backwards he fell and buried the elemental beneath him.
A little further on found Ivo dragging at Harald's sword. The
small gnome was half the size of the huge blade. Beside him, Talberth and
Telenstil worked at moving the body of the ranger. Each mage pulled at a
shoulder. Harald was human sized again, but a mighty man, no less so in
sleep, or death. A word from Talberth had taken away the spell that had
transformed the ranger to almost giant size. His weight was more than
either mage could have hoped to budge alone, and together they still
strained to drag him from the midst of battle.
The bodies of giants formed a waist high wall for the man and elf.
A wall almost higher than Ivo's head as he passed the unmoving blackened,
chest of a slain warrior.
They had not gone far, no more than half a score of feet, when a
voice groaned from the throat of a giant. Ivo looked over to see a pair of
white eyes flash open amid a face charred black and lined with raw red
cracks. Hairless, the fire had eaten all the skin of its head. Burnt ears
to stumps, nose to a lump of coal-like flesh and the giant's mouth
scorched into a dark pit no longer ringed with lips.
"Lppphhh." came a voice like a deep moan of wind. A hand shot out
with a shocking speed.
Telenstil had half turned. He still held Harald's upper arm when
the hand caught him by his neck and shoulders. Nailess fingers closed
around him like bands of steel. Flakes of skin broke from the giant's
hand, but the monster had passed the point of feeling pain.
The giant pulled himself to his feet. Fjolver, strong among his
people, but stronger in will and heart than even his own kind would have
believed. With a casual flick of his hand, he tossed Telenstil behind him
as he would toss a bone at mealtime to the floor.
* * *
(To Be Continued...)