The Messenger
Chapter 14
The next morning dawned bright and early, but the smell of rain still lingered. I hate rain. It's so. . . wet. And miserable. And it makes mud, which sticks to boots, making them heavy. And, to top things off, the hole is still there. The morning dew is dripping through it, onto my face.
But there was one good thing about this morning, and she is lying here beside me. I shifted my head a bit, trying to get out of the way of the drips. Finally realizing it's useless, I sat up and cast the blankets off both of us.
"What are you doing? I'm cold, Xavier," Kiara mumbled, ineffectually reaching for something to cover her. Her hands grasped my shirt, and pulled me down instead.
"No, no, my love," I whispered, holding her tight against me. "It's time for us to get up. The others will be waiting."
"So let them wait. I'm not ready to get up yet."
I sat up, and pulled her up with me. "Come on, sleepyhead. Let's face the day."
Kiara grumbles but gets up, and slips on her armor. She throws mine to me, then walks out of the tent. I followed her, squinting at the sun's light. Alanna and Riega were already at the fire. The assassin was sharpening her blades, and the Amazon was counting arrows. Both looked up as we approached.
"We're going straight through today, right?" Alanna queried.
"Yes," I responded. "I want to get us close to Andariel's lair. We'll toss up a Portal, return here to rest, then go fight her tomorrow, if it takes us too long today."
"Hmmm. . . Are you sure we should wait, Halcrion?" Riega asked. "I believe we should complete this as quickly as possible."
"You want to face one of the Lesser Evils when you are tired? Go right ahead. I'm just looking out for the welfare of those in my party."
"Do you realize, Paladin, that your party has seven women in it? And it is extremely difficult for one man to argue with one woman, let alone seven. But I will compromise. When we get to her lair, we vote, to go or not to go."
"Very well."
An uneasy silence stretched between us. The Rogues, and Alanna, tried to busy themselves with checking their arrows, but they did it half-heartedly. Ravina tried to meditate, to open herself to more powerful spells, but was unsuccessful. Riega just glared at me, waiting for me to cave in to her demands.
"Skeletons!!! Approaching the camp!!!"
The shout broke the silence threatening to devour us. I drew my sword, running towards the gate. I could hear the others scrambling to follow. Upon reaching the gate, I looked out at the approaching monsters. Three skeletons were drawing near, but none of them had weapons. One was carrying what looked to be a scroll.
"Rogues, they are unarmed. I will speak to them," I spoke loudly, to allow them all to hear me. "Riega, join me in the field. Kiara, Ravina, Alanna, Paige, Blaise, and Amplisa, stay here and cover us."
"Xavier," Kiara started, "I am. . ."
"No, I want you to stay here, my love," I gave her a quick kiss. "Protect me. Riega, let's go."
I slid my sword back into the sheath, but motioned to the Assassin to leave her katars out. We started across the bridge to meet the three animated skeletons.
"We come with a message, for the one ripping through the countryside," one of the skeletons spoke, it's voice rattling through the bones. "The message is from the Lady of Despair, Andariel herself."
"Speak messenger," I said. "Let us hear what the demoness wants."
"The Lady would like to extend an invitation to you, Paladin," it read from the scroll. "You are formally invited to attend a dinner, given by the Lady to her demon army, two nights from now, in the deepest catacomb of the Monastery of the Sightless Eye. She would like you and those in your party to attend, along with Deckard Cain and the High Priestess Akara."
"Tell your demon boss that we'll be there, but Cain and Akara will not."
The skeleton cocked his head to one side, as if hearing something faint. "She finds your terms acceptable. And she adds, do not bring weapons. To do so would only insult her."
"And insure our quick deaths. No, we will bring our weapons, and she will accept that. Don't worry about telling me what she tells you. Get out of here before I - oh, what the hell." I rip my sword from the sheath and swing out, decapitating the skeleton in front of me. Riega delivers a snap kick to the one on the right, and I slam my sword into the other one, busting through the ribs and cracking the spine. It was over in five seconds.
"You are going to explain the reason for that outburst, correct?" The Assassin regarded me with a critical eye.
"We would have had to fight those three later, so why not find a quick way to get rid of them now? That's three less we have to worry about."
Riega nodded, and we returned to the Rogue camp.
"You struck down three unarmed messengers? Are you out of your mind?" Kashya screamed. "That is beyond all rules of warfare!!!"
"Kashya, before you get completely out of your mind, realize this: they were skeletons. All they were here for was to invite the four of us to dinner with Andariel. I figured those three would be a part of her force that we would have to fight through, so I killed them before we had to face them."
"To dinner? Did you accept?"
"Of course I did, but we won't be going to eat. I'm sure her plans for us was to make us the main course. My plan is to turn the tables on her, and roast her in her own fire. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe my party is ready. We're going through tonight, I don't care how long it takes. We'll get the Horadric Malus, then go after the demon."
"Go then, and take care of my daughter."
I spun, heading for the group by the blue Portal. "Change of plans. With this new information, that Andariel is planning a feast for us, or more likely, of us, I plan on taking her today. We'll swing through the barracks, and get the hammer, then go after the demon. Any objections?"
"Why tonight?" Ravina asked, her face pale. "Do we have to face her tonight?"
"What's wrong with tonight? Other than the fact that we'll be tired, I cannot see any problem with it."
"This is the night before a full moon. She'll be almost at her full power."
"So it's better than facing her tomorrow. Look, Ravina, you don't have to worry about her. I don't know what is bothering you, but you do not have to face it alone. There are eight of us, so you have seven to turn to. Just look inside yourself. I know you have the ability to face and conquer what is going on inside you. So, please, join us. We need your magic to get through this."
She looked up at me, her face tear-streaked. "Thank you, Xavier, I feel better now. Let's fry this demon and all her army."
I looked around at the members of my party. "You heard the lady, we have a demon to fry." With that, I leapt through the Portal.
Chapter 14
The next morning dawned bright and early, but the smell of rain still lingered. I hate rain. It's so. . . wet. And miserable. And it makes mud, which sticks to boots, making them heavy. And, to top things off, the hole is still there. The morning dew is dripping through it, onto my face.
But there was one good thing about this morning, and she is lying here beside me. I shifted my head a bit, trying to get out of the way of the drips. Finally realizing it's useless, I sat up and cast the blankets off both of us.
"What are you doing? I'm cold, Xavier," Kiara mumbled, ineffectually reaching for something to cover her. Her hands grasped my shirt, and pulled me down instead.
"No, no, my love," I whispered, holding her tight against me. "It's time for us to get up. The others will be waiting."
"So let them wait. I'm not ready to get up yet."
I sat up, and pulled her up with me. "Come on, sleepyhead. Let's face the day."
Kiara grumbles but gets up, and slips on her armor. She throws mine to me, then walks out of the tent. I followed her, squinting at the sun's light. Alanna and Riega were already at the fire. The assassin was sharpening her blades, and the Amazon was counting arrows. Both looked up as we approached.
"We're going straight through today, right?" Alanna queried.
"Yes," I responded. "I want to get us close to Andariel's lair. We'll toss up a Portal, return here to rest, then go fight her tomorrow, if it takes us too long today."
"Hmmm. . . Are you sure we should wait, Halcrion?" Riega asked. "I believe we should complete this as quickly as possible."
"You want to face one of the Lesser Evils when you are tired? Go right ahead. I'm just looking out for the welfare of those in my party."
"Do you realize, Paladin, that your party has seven women in it? And it is extremely difficult for one man to argue with one woman, let alone seven. But I will compromise. When we get to her lair, we vote, to go or not to go."
"Very well."
An uneasy silence stretched between us. The Rogues, and Alanna, tried to busy themselves with checking their arrows, but they did it half-heartedly. Ravina tried to meditate, to open herself to more powerful spells, but was unsuccessful. Riega just glared at me, waiting for me to cave in to her demands.
"Skeletons!!! Approaching the camp!!!"
The shout broke the silence threatening to devour us. I drew my sword, running towards the gate. I could hear the others scrambling to follow. Upon reaching the gate, I looked out at the approaching monsters. Three skeletons were drawing near, but none of them had weapons. One was carrying what looked to be a scroll.
"Rogues, they are unarmed. I will speak to them," I spoke loudly, to allow them all to hear me. "Riega, join me in the field. Kiara, Ravina, Alanna, Paige, Blaise, and Amplisa, stay here and cover us."
"Xavier," Kiara started, "I am. . ."
"No, I want you to stay here, my love," I gave her a quick kiss. "Protect me. Riega, let's go."
I slid my sword back into the sheath, but motioned to the Assassin to leave her katars out. We started across the bridge to meet the three animated skeletons.
"We come with a message, for the one ripping through the countryside," one of the skeletons spoke, it's voice rattling through the bones. "The message is from the Lady of Despair, Andariel herself."
"Speak messenger," I said. "Let us hear what the demoness wants."
"The Lady would like to extend an invitation to you, Paladin," it read from the scroll. "You are formally invited to attend a dinner, given by the Lady to her demon army, two nights from now, in the deepest catacomb of the Monastery of the Sightless Eye. She would like you and those in your party to attend, along with Deckard Cain and the High Priestess Akara."
"Tell your demon boss that we'll be there, but Cain and Akara will not."
The skeleton cocked his head to one side, as if hearing something faint. "She finds your terms acceptable. And she adds, do not bring weapons. To do so would only insult her."
"And insure our quick deaths. No, we will bring our weapons, and she will accept that. Don't worry about telling me what she tells you. Get out of here before I - oh, what the hell." I rip my sword from the sheath and swing out, decapitating the skeleton in front of me. Riega delivers a snap kick to the one on the right, and I slam my sword into the other one, busting through the ribs and cracking the spine. It was over in five seconds.
"You are going to explain the reason for that outburst, correct?" The Assassin regarded me with a critical eye.
"We would have had to fight those three later, so why not find a quick way to get rid of them now? That's three less we have to worry about."
Riega nodded, and we returned to the Rogue camp.
"You struck down three unarmed messengers? Are you out of your mind?" Kashya screamed. "That is beyond all rules of warfare!!!"
"Kashya, before you get completely out of your mind, realize this: they were skeletons. All they were here for was to invite the four of us to dinner with Andariel. I figured those three would be a part of her force that we would have to fight through, so I killed them before we had to face them."
"To dinner? Did you accept?"
"Of course I did, but we won't be going to eat. I'm sure her plans for us was to make us the main course. My plan is to turn the tables on her, and roast her in her own fire. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe my party is ready. We're going through tonight, I don't care how long it takes. We'll get the Horadric Malus, then go after the demon."
"Go then, and take care of my daughter."
I spun, heading for the group by the blue Portal. "Change of plans. With this new information, that Andariel is planning a feast for us, or more likely, of us, I plan on taking her today. We'll swing through the barracks, and get the hammer, then go after the demon. Any objections?"
"Why tonight?" Ravina asked, her face pale. "Do we have to face her tonight?"
"What's wrong with tonight? Other than the fact that we'll be tired, I cannot see any problem with it."
"This is the night before a full moon. She'll be almost at her full power."
"So it's better than facing her tomorrow. Look, Ravina, you don't have to worry about her. I don't know what is bothering you, but you do not have to face it alone. There are eight of us, so you have seven to turn to. Just look inside yourself. I know you have the ability to face and conquer what is going on inside you. So, please, join us. We need your magic to get through this."
She looked up at me, her face tear-streaked. "Thank you, Xavier, I feel better now. Let's fry this demon and all her army."
I looked around at the members of my party. "You heard the lady, we have a demon to fry." With that, I leapt through the Portal.