Chapter 6: Randolph's Green Crystal
The party arrived at Randolph's quarters, surpsied at the door was wide open. Kelevmor and Enaris were the first to enter, immediatly spotting Randolph Willim standing by the window, with his back turned to to them, and Kenai standing next to him, brandishing twin axes with jagged edges.
The tauern first mate stepped forward but Randolph held up his hand to stop him. " Stop there Mr. Smite. They will not escape or attack, especially with the guards surrounding the room." He turned to face the intruders, a wicked grin spreading across his face when he saw everyone else's eyes stare at the glowing green crystal protruding from his chest.
Enaris gasped, watching the crystal. "That is what controls the ship. You must have been aware that the ship was being infiltrated. But why?"
"So since the ship is in your control, then you knew the Defias were attacking the ship and slaughtering its passengers?" Kelevmor asked accusingly.
"Of course I did," answered the older human. "It was my idea all along Kelevmor. I must say even when I told him that we would be losing lots of assassins on this mission, the Kingpin showed more entusiam about the plan then you are now. He was even more enthused when I told him I was going to crash the Crimson Angel into Stormwind Keep, killing the king and anyone else in the palace, and all of us as well."
Captain Enaris pointed his sword at the human. "You purposely sacrifised innocent lives because of a grudge your gang holds against the humans. I can not stand by and allow you to do this." The orc charged his employer, aiming the blade's tip at his chest, only to have Kenai-now Mr. Smite-stand in his way.
"What do you care for humans," the tauern spat, swinging both axes at the orc, who successfully blocked both attacks. Smite went for another attack, but Enaris stepped out of the way, allowing Kelevmor, who was directly behind him, to stab the tauern in the side.
"Your brother isn't here to save you VanCleef," Randolph said with manical laughter as Kelevmor pumped his arms and slashed his swords at Mr. Smite, who-despite his size-was able to match the younger human's speed.
Just as Randolph turned his head to face the other passengers, six Defias sword wielding assassins revealed themselves from the shadows. One assassin struck Jools in the temple with his fist, but the female dwarf swung her hammer low, delievering a crushing blow into the assassin's stomach, shattering four of his ribs. Next to her, Brianne had drawn a dagger and stabbed the eye of a woman assassin shorter than her.
"Get back Baxter," Taffy yelled as an ice blue glow radiated from her fingertips. Heeding her words, the silver tabby watched as the gnome released a spell that encased all six assassins in ice.
"Not bad gnomeling," Daystar remarked as she shifted into her bear form and jumped onto a bald Defias, ripping out his throat with her teeth while Monteray drew his red glowing mace and slappped it across the face of the assassin his wife had wounded seconds before.
Six feet away, Randolph watched as Enaris and Kelevmor, bleeding from cuts they had just recieved courtsey of Mr. Smite's axes, attacked the tauern furiously with their weapons. The human made an X formation with his blades and thrust forward. Mr. Smite caught both blades with his axes, there by blocking the human's attack, but allowing the orc captain to seize the oppurtunity and drive cutlass through Smite's midsection.
"Quickly, we have to finish him," Captain Enaris said to the human as the wounded Mr. Smite took three steps back. Kelevmor nodded, eager to slay the tauern, but his momentum was stopped when a green lightning bolt hit his body and sent him to the floor. Enaris turned to his left, watching Randolph, whose fingertips and eyes were emitting the same green glow that came from the crystal.
"We might have to destroy-" the orc stopped when he too was struck by a lightning bolt and was sent flying into the wall opposite where Randolph stood.
Taffy, who had successfully heard the orc's words, shot two arcane missles at Randolph, hitting him directly in the chest. "You'll have to hit it harder than that," cried the Angel's owner as he shot a thick stream of lightning directly at the gnome, who held her hand to block the lightning from hitting her face. Determined but disoriented, Taffy spun in a circle and shot two fireballs, which ended up hitting two of the unwounded Defias she had trapped in her ice. Monteray and Jools ran over and finished the Defias with their weapons before helping their friend come to her senses, then looked over at their human companion, who was spitting up blood and rising to his feet. "Kelevmor, he's coming!" Jools cried.
Kelevmor turned to see Mr. Smite charging towards him. Swords up and a look in his eye that said he was ready to meet death, Kelevmor stepped towards Mr. Smite and swing his swords from one side to the other, cutting two thin lines across the tauern's midsection. Unphased by the attack or the loss of blood, Smite grabbed Kelevmor by the neck and tossed him into Brianne, causing them both to hit the floor.
Just as Mr. Smite turned his attention to Captain Enaris, the druid headbutt the tauern pushing him all the way through the wall, causing a large hole that was followed by a large gust of cold wind that tried to pull everyone into the sky.
"Oh no," whispered Brianne as she and Kelevmor watched Daystar and Mr. Smite fall through the air. Remebering the captain's words, the undead woman jumped onto Randolph, who was struggling to keep himself into the cabin. Despite the lightning that was shooting into her body from the man's fingertips, Brianne clawed at the man's chest, supressing the pain coming from the lightning's burn as she pulled the crystal from his chest and tossed it towards her companions.
Kelevmor jumped and grabbed the crystal as it hit the floor. As he held the gem, he realized Brianne and Randolph were going to be pulled into the sky like Daystar and Smite.
Looking up, he saw Randolph fall from the window while Brianne held onto walls. Standing up, he was ready to attempt to save her when he felt the freezing ice capture his legs. Cursing, he looked up and watched as Brianne slipped out of the hole, further and further away from him.
"Damn!" cried the human as he felt four paws jump onto his head. "Baxter?" The tabby let out a meow, digging his claws into his master's scalp, telling him to turn to the orc.
"You have to tell the crystal to land the ship before it crashes into the keep," Captain Enaris said with a shiver. Like Kelevmor, his legs too were encased in ice.
The human looked at the glowing crystal in his hands as the freezing winds blew through his hair, silently commanding the crystal to land the ship safely in the waters near Stormwind Harbor. After he finished his thought the human felt a strong energy flow through him. Baxter, who too felt this sensation purred and brushed his nose into his master's hair.
And so it was, that several minutes the Crimson Angel landing somewhat gracefully in the waters near the docks. One they had landed, Enaris and Monteray, who had grown comfortable around the orc captain, searched for a life boat while Kelevmor, Jools, and Taffy had found a group of five survivors; Jon the paladin, two female troll waitresses, the spiky haired gnome, and Scundi the bartender.
* * * *
Kelevmor, Baxter, and Taffy stayed on the ship as the Octobrews, the captain, and the survivor began boarding the life boat. "We can only fit eight at a time," Enaris explained, staring at the human. "I will come back for you after I drop them off."
"No need to hurry captain," replied the human. He gave the orc a salute. "It was an honor to fight along side you."
"I feel the same my friend," the orc replied with a smile. "Or should I say friends. If we do not see each other again, may you have a wonderful Winter Veil." He and Jon began to row while Jools began talking with the waitresses about mending their torn clothes, Monteray and Jon began making preperations to making bandages for their wounds, as well as dicussing how they survived.
After watching them row back to the docks, Kelevmor looked into the water in hopes Brianne would spring up from the water. After two minutes, someone did rise from the water. A seal with runes on its body, and small horns, similar to that of the bear who had helped him on the ship against Smite.
"Do you think that's Daystar?" asked the human, looking at the gnome.
After tilting her head, Taffy nodded. "I have heard that druids can use seal form." Looking down, she said," That has to be Daystar."
The seal moved her body and clapped her hands, informing the gnome she was right.
"Interesting," Kelevmor remarked as he felt Baxter's whiskers touch his forehead. "Any sign of Brianne or Smite? Or Randolph?"
Daystar shook her head and began swimming towards the shore. Kelevmor sighed and looked at the green crystal in his hand, its green glow slowly fading.
Taffy stared at the crystal, then looked to her friend. "Do you think the ships is losing its power now that Randolph is dead? Assuming he is dead?"
"Who knows," he said in a calm voice. "I suppose I could give it to the mages in the tower. Or if you want, you can keep it."
The gnome shook her head. "You have it. Keeping might inspire you to write your story."
"Yes the story," Kelevmor whispered before placing the crystal in his pocket.