Tristram
Chapter 9
I awoke to something cold and wet dripping on my face. Looking up, I saw a hole in the tent. It was raining again.
"Perfect. I hate the rain," I grumbled. I stood, re-covering Kiara with the blanket. I pulled on my armor, and put my shield in it's place. Looking over at the bundle on the other side of the tent, I decided not to wake up the two younger ones of our party. I stepped outside, the light rain beginning to soak into the leather of my armor. I asked Charsi to check my shield and sword for damage, and got some arrows for Kiara and Paige. I then went to see Akara, and picked up some health potions and the scroll.
Returning to the tent, I saw Kiara step out, her face souring as she stepped into the rain. Then she saw me and smiled. I returned the smile, arriving at her side.
"So, how's my friendly neighborhood Rogue doing this morning?" I asked.
"She will be much better if this rain departs," she answered, then spotted the arrows slung over my back. "Do you think we'll need that many?"
"I hope it's enough. Just the fact that Cain can't get out of whatever he's in right now makes me wonder if we can."
"Wait a minute. The guy who wades through carvers like they're a river, destroys a dozen skeletons with a swipe of a mace, and decapitates Brutes is worried about rescuing one old man?" She jabbed me in the side.
"Let's get the sleeping beauties up. I hope this rain doesn't increase."
We went back inside the tent and woke up Ravina and Paige. I told them to check their equipment and make sure the rain hadn't messed any up. As they were getting ready, I went back to get my things from Charsi.
We went to the waypoint, and stepped into the Stony Field. Luckily, the stones were close. We only killed a few Corrupted Rogues on our way there. I pulled out the scroll, and touched the five stones in the order shown on the parchment. As I completed, the parchment crumbled and blew away. Lightning bolts rained down out of the sky, striking each stone. The thunder of it all grew until the monoliths rang like a bell. Lightning flew from one stone to another, until each stone was connected to two others. A red Portal opened in the center, and in an instant the lightning was gone.
I then realized I had covered my ears. I pulled my hands down and looked back at the rest of the party. Kiara was digging in her ear, and Ravina and Paige were staring at me wide-eyed.
"Well. Who wants to do it again?" I asked, punctuating the question with a laugh. Kiara just glared at me. "Right…"
I stepped through first, and scanned the town… or what was left of it. Several walls still stood, but most of the buildings had collapsed, and were burning. The flames looked as if they had been set the day Tristram was overrun. The air was filled with smoke and ash, choking everything. There was no life to be seen. I heard a gasp behind me. Turning, I saw tears running down Kiara's face, and Paige and Ravina looked about to lose their lunch.
"We will set this right," I told them, and handed all three some scarves Akara had given me. "Wrap these around your face, to keep out the stench.
"Paige, Ravina, go around the outside of the town. See if there is any way to put out the flames. Yell if you need help, but try not to drag an entire army down on my head while I'm getting Cain. Kiara, let's find the old man and get this over with."
My Rogue and I started into the town, slipping past the burned-out husks of buildings that once stood tall and proud. The hairs on my arms were standing straight, the reaction caused by the evil in the air. Nearing the central square, we slowed, taking in the scene before us. There were several skeleton champions and carver shaman, and dozens of carvers. I also spotted, over to one side, a few goatmen. In the center of this group was a cage, raised high off the ground. An old man was inside it.
"Alright, let's loop around to the other side and try to find the other two. It will take all of us to pull this off," I told Kiara.
We moved a few buildings away, then headed after our younger charges. We found them close to the opposite side of town.
"We found Cain," I told them. "He's in the central square. We'll have to hit hard and fast, without giving the creatures much time to respond. I want you all to give all the covering fire you can. I will run in, release Cain, and cast a Portal for him. I want all Hell to rain down on those creatures. We only get one chance at this. Kiara, don't start. You may be faster than I, but I need you to shoot anything that comes close. Concentrate on the shaman first. If the carvers start rising, I may not get out."
I took off my backpack, laying it on the ground. I took Kiara into my arms, looked deep into her arms, and gave her a light kiss.
"I love you, and I expect you love me. When we get out of this, I'll show you just how much I love you." I wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Now, let's do it." We crept to the edge of the square, the assembly still not moved from the last time we saw them. I readied my sword. "Give me five seconds, then start firing."
I took off, running straight into the crowd. I killed the first shaman I reached with a decapitating swing. I pulled out a town portal spell, and cut the rope to Cain's gibbet. The cage crashed to the ground, spilling it's contents. I pulled Cain up, and shoved the spell in his face.
"Cain, get the Hell out of here!" I shouted, then spun and drove my sword through a skeleton. I saw fire bolts and arrows raining down, clearing a path for me to escape. I heard the Portal open and close behind me. Risking a glance, I made sure Cain had escaped, then ran back to my companions.
"Alright, we did it. Are there any creatures left?"
"Not in the square."
"Good, let's check them for items, then get out of here."
We moved into the square, watching for any sign of movement. I ran my sword through each creature I looted, making sure it was dead. After collecting a sizable amount of equipment, gold, potions, and scrolls, we headed for the Portal to the Stony Field. Unfortunately, it was blocked, by the biggest, ugliest person I had ever seen. He stood seven feet tall. He was wearing what looked like smith's gear, but it was old and rotting.
"Griswold…" Kiara whispered, "He was Tristram's blacksmith."
The creature roared, an inhuman sound emanating from it's mouth. It raised it's arms, huge sledge-swinging arms. Each was the size of a tree trunk. We stepped back a pace. It advanced, still roaring.
"Ravina, watch our backs. Paige, Kiara, take out it's eyes."
I heard the bowstrings being drawn, and two arrows leapt passed my head. The projectiles buried themselves deep into the former smith's head. This served to enrage him more. I rushed in, driving my sword into his stomach. I was rewarded with a skull-numbing blow to the head. More arrows blossomed in his throat, and he staggered. I stumbled away, not hearing anything. A pair of ice bolts flashed in, freezing him in his place. They were followed by fire bolts, turning the former smith into a molten pool of slag.
I felt hands grab me and pull me up. "Xavier, are you all right?"
I turned, and looked into Kiara's charcoal eyes. I reached out and ran my hand through her chestnut hair, and lost consciousness.
Chapter 9
I awoke to something cold and wet dripping on my face. Looking up, I saw a hole in the tent. It was raining again.
"Perfect. I hate the rain," I grumbled. I stood, re-covering Kiara with the blanket. I pulled on my armor, and put my shield in it's place. Looking over at the bundle on the other side of the tent, I decided not to wake up the two younger ones of our party. I stepped outside, the light rain beginning to soak into the leather of my armor. I asked Charsi to check my shield and sword for damage, and got some arrows for Kiara and Paige. I then went to see Akara, and picked up some health potions and the scroll.
Returning to the tent, I saw Kiara step out, her face souring as she stepped into the rain. Then she saw me and smiled. I returned the smile, arriving at her side.
"So, how's my friendly neighborhood Rogue doing this morning?" I asked.
"She will be much better if this rain departs," she answered, then spotted the arrows slung over my back. "Do you think we'll need that many?"
"I hope it's enough. Just the fact that Cain can't get out of whatever he's in right now makes me wonder if we can."
"Wait a minute. The guy who wades through carvers like they're a river, destroys a dozen skeletons with a swipe of a mace, and decapitates Brutes is worried about rescuing one old man?" She jabbed me in the side.
"Let's get the sleeping beauties up. I hope this rain doesn't increase."
We went back inside the tent and woke up Ravina and Paige. I told them to check their equipment and make sure the rain hadn't messed any up. As they were getting ready, I went back to get my things from Charsi.
We went to the waypoint, and stepped into the Stony Field. Luckily, the stones were close. We only killed a few Corrupted Rogues on our way there. I pulled out the scroll, and touched the five stones in the order shown on the parchment. As I completed, the parchment crumbled and blew away. Lightning bolts rained down out of the sky, striking each stone. The thunder of it all grew until the monoliths rang like a bell. Lightning flew from one stone to another, until each stone was connected to two others. A red Portal opened in the center, and in an instant the lightning was gone.
I then realized I had covered my ears. I pulled my hands down and looked back at the rest of the party. Kiara was digging in her ear, and Ravina and Paige were staring at me wide-eyed.
"Well. Who wants to do it again?" I asked, punctuating the question with a laugh. Kiara just glared at me. "Right…"
I stepped through first, and scanned the town… or what was left of it. Several walls still stood, but most of the buildings had collapsed, and were burning. The flames looked as if they had been set the day Tristram was overrun. The air was filled with smoke and ash, choking everything. There was no life to be seen. I heard a gasp behind me. Turning, I saw tears running down Kiara's face, and Paige and Ravina looked about to lose their lunch.
"We will set this right," I told them, and handed all three some scarves Akara had given me. "Wrap these around your face, to keep out the stench.
"Paige, Ravina, go around the outside of the town. See if there is any way to put out the flames. Yell if you need help, but try not to drag an entire army down on my head while I'm getting Cain. Kiara, let's find the old man and get this over with."
My Rogue and I started into the town, slipping past the burned-out husks of buildings that once stood tall and proud. The hairs on my arms were standing straight, the reaction caused by the evil in the air. Nearing the central square, we slowed, taking in the scene before us. There were several skeleton champions and carver shaman, and dozens of carvers. I also spotted, over to one side, a few goatmen. In the center of this group was a cage, raised high off the ground. An old man was inside it.
"Alright, let's loop around to the other side and try to find the other two. It will take all of us to pull this off," I told Kiara.
We moved a few buildings away, then headed after our younger charges. We found them close to the opposite side of town.
"We found Cain," I told them. "He's in the central square. We'll have to hit hard and fast, without giving the creatures much time to respond. I want you all to give all the covering fire you can. I will run in, release Cain, and cast a Portal for him. I want all Hell to rain down on those creatures. We only get one chance at this. Kiara, don't start. You may be faster than I, but I need you to shoot anything that comes close. Concentrate on the shaman first. If the carvers start rising, I may not get out."
I took off my backpack, laying it on the ground. I took Kiara into my arms, looked deep into her arms, and gave her a light kiss.
"I love you, and I expect you love me. When we get out of this, I'll show you just how much I love you." I wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Now, let's do it." We crept to the edge of the square, the assembly still not moved from the last time we saw them. I readied my sword. "Give me five seconds, then start firing."
I took off, running straight into the crowd. I killed the first shaman I reached with a decapitating swing. I pulled out a town portal spell, and cut the rope to Cain's gibbet. The cage crashed to the ground, spilling it's contents. I pulled Cain up, and shoved the spell in his face.
"Cain, get the Hell out of here!" I shouted, then spun and drove my sword through a skeleton. I saw fire bolts and arrows raining down, clearing a path for me to escape. I heard the Portal open and close behind me. Risking a glance, I made sure Cain had escaped, then ran back to my companions.
"Alright, we did it. Are there any creatures left?"
"Not in the square."
"Good, let's check them for items, then get out of here."
We moved into the square, watching for any sign of movement. I ran my sword through each creature I looted, making sure it was dead. After collecting a sizable amount of equipment, gold, potions, and scrolls, we headed for the Portal to the Stony Field. Unfortunately, it was blocked, by the biggest, ugliest person I had ever seen. He stood seven feet tall. He was wearing what looked like smith's gear, but it was old and rotting.
"Griswold…" Kiara whispered, "He was Tristram's blacksmith."
The creature roared, an inhuman sound emanating from it's mouth. It raised it's arms, huge sledge-swinging arms. Each was the size of a tree trunk. We stepped back a pace. It advanced, still roaring.
"Ravina, watch our backs. Paige, Kiara, take out it's eyes."
I heard the bowstrings being drawn, and two arrows leapt passed my head. The projectiles buried themselves deep into the former smith's head. This served to enrage him more. I rushed in, driving my sword into his stomach. I was rewarded with a skull-numbing blow to the head. More arrows blossomed in his throat, and he staggered. I stumbled away, not hearing anything. A pair of ice bolts flashed in, freezing him in his place. They were followed by fire bolts, turning the former smith into a molten pool of slag.
I felt hands grab me and pull me up. "Xavier, are you all right?"
I turned, and looked into Kiara's charcoal eyes. I reached out and ran my hand through her chestnut hair, and lost consciousness.