11. Final Conflict
The sound of steel clashing against steel resounded from the huge trees of the Butcherblock. Accompanied by shouted directives, thunderous magical impacts and muttered incantations, the battle between light and dark scorched the earth, shook the very air and scared away nearby animals.
Rendil's air elemental that had remained hidden until the combat began pounded mercilessly on its target, preventing the dark-armoured elf from sneaking behind her opponents. The magician himself stood behind his tall barbarian caompanion, who was engaged in melee with Lord Kalath, their weapons locking and unlocking, landing on each others' shield, drawing blood. Powder stood to one side, holding off two dark elves as he chanted loudly, his heavy magical mace screaming audibly as it smashed against their armour.
A short distance from the blinding lights and deafening sounds of the battle, Vaeksil stood, just behind the two powerful clerics helping their evil friends at a distance. He observed the combat, knowing he and his team would be of little use except as a distraction. He did not mind biding his time, staying where he was, waiting until he was needed to give Neriak's better fighters a little breathing space. Glancing quickly at his companions, he noted the same reaction on their part: only the ogre was anxious to fight, as he had suspected. He glared at the huge creature, who shuffled her feet nervously as she felt the dark elf's stare.
Suddenly, a scream was heard from beside Vaeksil. Turning sharply towards the source of the cry, the necromancer looked past the troll beside him to see the dark elf who had accompanied them crumple to the ground, a look of surprise and pain on his face. In his place stood Ganth, bloodied knife in hand, and behind him Siobhan, her sword raised. The barbarian howled a long, heartfelt cry of hatred and brought her father's blade down upon the troll, as her friends charged into the fray, shouting and chanting.
Surprised by the flanking action, the two powerful dark-elven clerics interrupted their support of their friends, momentarily turning to face the new threat. They regarded the attacking group, measuring their power, then returned to their role with a scowl.
The troll facing Siobhan staggered as her family heirloom sliced cleanly through his shoulder armour, carving into the flesh. Bashing her with his shield, he tried to regain his balance, but fell prey to her short sword's attack as it arced in and struck his thigh. Crying out in pain, the beast kicked out at the barbarian with his good leg, knocking her temporarily off- balance. He regained his composure, just in time to see an earth elemental stomp past on its way towards the rest of the evil support group.
Vaeksil cursed loudly and began summoning a skeletal helper, as the ogre thundered past, growling deeply and waving a club in the air. The huge, hideous woman headed straight towards the relatively tiny Ganth, but was cut off by the arrival of Krael's elemental. The ogre's club landed with a dull thud as she hammered the pet, which seemed almost to ignore her attacks, punching with an almost mindless rhythm. Further away, Krael finished casting a spell, surrounding his elemental assistant in flickering magical flames. Jomen watched in shock as his former friends assaulted the group. The look on Siobhan's face alone scared the life out of him, and seeing Gueri and Eltheria chanting loudly as they approached from the bushes did not help. Hastily nocking an arrow, he let it fly at the clerics, but Gueri's raised shield protected them from the missile, and they continued to chant, closing in on the nearby combat. Deftly positioning Vaeksil between himself and the approaching lightbringers, the wood elf targeted a healing spell at the troll fighting Siobhan, healing some of the damage caused to his shoulder.
Hidden amongst some tall bushy undergrowth, Ganth considered his options. He had managed to sneak away during their surprise attack, while Vaeksil was summoning help, and had managed to move unnoticed until he was almost behind the evil lord. He glanced at the big battle, and his attention was caught: Rendil and his friends were suffering badly at the hands of their enemies. Outnumbered, they were struggling: the dark elves had two clerics healing them as they fought, while Powder was fighting two enemies and could not be expected to concentrate on spells. The air elemental was still harassing the evil rogue - much to Ganth's amusement - and the barbarian was desperately holding back the elven warrior, fighting defensively. Rendil himself was mostly untouched at this stage, but one of Powder's opponents was backing away, probably with the intention of attacking the magician. Ganth was unsure which way to turn. His friends were in combat, and in danger, but he hated seeing people outnumbered.
A moment later, his decision was made for him: a strange throbbing filled the air and, looking over towards the two dark-elven clerics, Ganth saw a tall, pale individual appearing from the ether just behind them, his hands raised. Strange lights filled the air as the casting was completed, and the dark elves screamed, their bodies twisting painfully. They both ceased their chanting and raised their hands to their eyes, blinded by the power of the spell.
"High Priest Zael!" shouted Rendil, a wide, white grin spreading over his thin elven face. The newly arrived high elf raised a hand in greeting, then spread his arms wide. Beside him, two other elves appeared, both clad in brightly shining armour and wielding glowing swords. Powder burst out laughing, as protective magical lights surrounded him and his friends.
Ganth headed for Vaeksil. The elf's skeletal pet had been sent off to attack the dwarf's cleric friends, but the lord himself was once again preparing to cast a spell. Jomen was off to one side, firing arrows into the fray.
"I'll leave you to Siobhan," Ganth muttered under his breath, eyeing the wood elf with distaste as he continued towards the necromancer. Arriving just behind him, the little rogue stood up and brought his knife down upon the evil caster's back. Vaeksil shrieked. Engrossed in his casting, he had not heard the dwarf approach, and had been caught completely unawares. The knife cut through his skin, the muscle underneath and embedded itself under one of his shoulder-blades. Ganth began to sing, a bawdy song about dark elven maidens. Jomen spun around and, seeing his master attacked by his former friend, dropped his bow and reached for his whip.
"Ohhhhhh, them dark elf maiiiiidens," sang Ganth, as he pierced Vaeksil's silken robes with his spear. "They got no underweaaaarrrrrr." The necromancer spun around, spitting blood, slashing at the rogue with his knife. "And I's so short that I can seeeeeeeee," continued Ganth. "What they got unde. ack!"
His song was cut short as Jomen's whip closed around his throat. Pulling hard, the wood elf dragged Ganth forward, stumbling as the cord closed tighter. Vaeksil took advantage and slashed down with his dagger, cutting through armour and muscle, opening a bloody tract down the dwarf's leg. Banth gasped for air as he felt the dagger slice into his leg, but was grateful that this time, at least, there was no poison.
Just behind Vaeksil, his monstrous companions, the troll and the ogre, were faring very badly. As hired muscle, they had expected only to be needed for a support role, and here they were faced not only with a direct attack, but two clerics who supported their enemies! Siobhan's rage had completely surprised her opponent, and the poor troll wondered what he had done to offend the gods. Faced with her two swords and a speed he had not thought possible in a barbarian, he fought defensively. Even Jomen's hastily thrown healing had helped him little, faced by such a tornado of hatred. He glanced to one side and saw his partner, the ogre, being pounded by the earth elemental, being scorched every time she hit the damnable thing, and under constant magical attack from the skinny, dark-elven magician - that traitor, fighting for lightbringers! The ogre glanced over at her mercenary companion, and the two exchanged an obvious thought. Turning tail, they ran.
"Get them!" shouted Siobhan to her friends. "Jomen's mine!" Gueri and Krael took off after the huge running forms, as did the magician's pet, while Eltheria turned her attention to the continuing battles. Vaeksil's skeletal companion jerked along after its previous target, Gueri, out of range of its master's commands.
The forces of evil were having a bad day. Lord Kalath suddenly found himself without the support of his two clerics, who were being savagely beaten by the newly-arrived paladins from Felwithe, and was faced not only by Rendil's barbarian friend, but also by the magician himself, who concentrated his magical energies on the evil party leader. Powder was on an equal footing with his opponent, neither of them landing many blows, but neither conceding. His second opponent, who had broken away to attack Rendil, had suddenly found herself face to face with High Priest Zael, who had rooted her to the spot and was standing off a little way, mercilessly thrashing her with deific forces of varying colours. She wailed and cursed as she tried to free her feet, but could not.
Jomen dragged Ganth along the ground, as the dwarf tried to free his throat from the grip of his former friend's whip.
"Hah! Stupid idiots! I had you fooled," spat Jomen. "If it hadn't have been for that damned magician, you'd all be dead now!"
"But we're not," said a voice behind him. Jomen spun around, to see Siobhan's massive frame blocking his path. "Now let him go, traitor."
Both Vaeksil and Jomen stopped for a moment and looked at the warrior. She stood before them, her armour covered in green troll blood, her father's sword raised high, a look of revulsion fixed on her face. Seconds passed. Vaeksil took a final look at the group and ran. Then Siobhan's sword descended in a powerful arc, towards Jomen, as a valkyrie shriek escaped the barbarian's lips. With a sound like creaking ice, her father's heirloom struck her treacherous friend. The wood elf's eyes opened wide in surprise and fear. and froze. Siobhan pushed his body with her foot and it toppled backwards, not moving, and struck the ground.
"Well, now. He won't be goin' nowhere fer a wee while, eh?" chuckled Ganth, as he rose.
***
Gueri and Krael returned at a jog, carrying with them the spoils of their hunt. With the departure of Vaeksil, the skeletal pet had crumpled and ceased chasing them, and they had been able to catch the ogre and troll mercenaries. The latter had begged for their lives, and offered a ransom, the bag of coins jingling as Gueri had attached it to her belt.
Back at the pass, they surveyed the destruction caused by the battle. Rendil's group tended their wounds, as the two paladins who had arrived with Zael guarded their dark-elf prisoners. The High Priest himself tended the wounds of their foes, showing a respect for his enemies that surprised them. He had even resurrected the dark elf who Ganth had so neatly assassinated, stating simply that "all life is holy in the eyes of the gods".
Siobhan sat by the frozen body of Jomen, refusing to let the priest near it. Beside her stood Ganth and Eltheria, hand in hand. Gueri and Krael jogged over to them, as Rendil walked up from his group's makeshift camp. He held Gueri close for a moment, then released her and turned to address the friends.
"I thank you, my friends," he said, bowing low and long. "Not only did you come to our aid when we were outnumbered, but you provided essential information: when and where the ambush would be. Without your help, our lives would have been at risk, but you made it possible for the Felwithe council to send us the support we needed. We owe you a debt of gratitude."
Thanking each of the friends individually, Rendil stopped for a moment longer with Krael. He handed the dark elf a rolled note, bowed and returned to his group and their prisoners. The young dark elf unrolled the parchment and, reading the text, smiled.
"It's a note of introduction. I shall be able to enter Felwithe without being accosted by the guards - oh, how I have longed to see the inside of that city!" he said, his smile beaming even wider.
"What are we going to do with Jomen?" asked Eltheria, looking at the frozen body of their ex-team member. Siobhan stood up and grinned a malicious grin.
"He'll be makin' a wonderful trophy for the family lodge in Halas," she stated.
The sound of steel clashing against steel resounded from the huge trees of the Butcherblock. Accompanied by shouted directives, thunderous magical impacts and muttered incantations, the battle between light and dark scorched the earth, shook the very air and scared away nearby animals.
Rendil's air elemental that had remained hidden until the combat began pounded mercilessly on its target, preventing the dark-armoured elf from sneaking behind her opponents. The magician himself stood behind his tall barbarian caompanion, who was engaged in melee with Lord Kalath, their weapons locking and unlocking, landing on each others' shield, drawing blood. Powder stood to one side, holding off two dark elves as he chanted loudly, his heavy magical mace screaming audibly as it smashed against their armour.
A short distance from the blinding lights and deafening sounds of the battle, Vaeksil stood, just behind the two powerful clerics helping their evil friends at a distance. He observed the combat, knowing he and his team would be of little use except as a distraction. He did not mind biding his time, staying where he was, waiting until he was needed to give Neriak's better fighters a little breathing space. Glancing quickly at his companions, he noted the same reaction on their part: only the ogre was anxious to fight, as he had suspected. He glared at the huge creature, who shuffled her feet nervously as she felt the dark elf's stare.
Suddenly, a scream was heard from beside Vaeksil. Turning sharply towards the source of the cry, the necromancer looked past the troll beside him to see the dark elf who had accompanied them crumple to the ground, a look of surprise and pain on his face. In his place stood Ganth, bloodied knife in hand, and behind him Siobhan, her sword raised. The barbarian howled a long, heartfelt cry of hatred and brought her father's blade down upon the troll, as her friends charged into the fray, shouting and chanting.
Surprised by the flanking action, the two powerful dark-elven clerics interrupted their support of their friends, momentarily turning to face the new threat. They regarded the attacking group, measuring their power, then returned to their role with a scowl.
The troll facing Siobhan staggered as her family heirloom sliced cleanly through his shoulder armour, carving into the flesh. Bashing her with his shield, he tried to regain his balance, but fell prey to her short sword's attack as it arced in and struck his thigh. Crying out in pain, the beast kicked out at the barbarian with his good leg, knocking her temporarily off- balance. He regained his composure, just in time to see an earth elemental stomp past on its way towards the rest of the evil support group.
Vaeksil cursed loudly and began summoning a skeletal helper, as the ogre thundered past, growling deeply and waving a club in the air. The huge, hideous woman headed straight towards the relatively tiny Ganth, but was cut off by the arrival of Krael's elemental. The ogre's club landed with a dull thud as she hammered the pet, which seemed almost to ignore her attacks, punching with an almost mindless rhythm. Further away, Krael finished casting a spell, surrounding his elemental assistant in flickering magical flames. Jomen watched in shock as his former friends assaulted the group. The look on Siobhan's face alone scared the life out of him, and seeing Gueri and Eltheria chanting loudly as they approached from the bushes did not help. Hastily nocking an arrow, he let it fly at the clerics, but Gueri's raised shield protected them from the missile, and they continued to chant, closing in on the nearby combat. Deftly positioning Vaeksil between himself and the approaching lightbringers, the wood elf targeted a healing spell at the troll fighting Siobhan, healing some of the damage caused to his shoulder.
Hidden amongst some tall bushy undergrowth, Ganth considered his options. He had managed to sneak away during their surprise attack, while Vaeksil was summoning help, and had managed to move unnoticed until he was almost behind the evil lord. He glanced at the big battle, and his attention was caught: Rendil and his friends were suffering badly at the hands of their enemies. Outnumbered, they were struggling: the dark elves had two clerics healing them as they fought, while Powder was fighting two enemies and could not be expected to concentrate on spells. The air elemental was still harassing the evil rogue - much to Ganth's amusement - and the barbarian was desperately holding back the elven warrior, fighting defensively. Rendil himself was mostly untouched at this stage, but one of Powder's opponents was backing away, probably with the intention of attacking the magician. Ganth was unsure which way to turn. His friends were in combat, and in danger, but he hated seeing people outnumbered.
A moment later, his decision was made for him: a strange throbbing filled the air and, looking over towards the two dark-elven clerics, Ganth saw a tall, pale individual appearing from the ether just behind them, his hands raised. Strange lights filled the air as the casting was completed, and the dark elves screamed, their bodies twisting painfully. They both ceased their chanting and raised their hands to their eyes, blinded by the power of the spell.
"High Priest Zael!" shouted Rendil, a wide, white grin spreading over his thin elven face. The newly arrived high elf raised a hand in greeting, then spread his arms wide. Beside him, two other elves appeared, both clad in brightly shining armour and wielding glowing swords. Powder burst out laughing, as protective magical lights surrounded him and his friends.
Ganth headed for Vaeksil. The elf's skeletal pet had been sent off to attack the dwarf's cleric friends, but the lord himself was once again preparing to cast a spell. Jomen was off to one side, firing arrows into the fray.
"I'll leave you to Siobhan," Ganth muttered under his breath, eyeing the wood elf with distaste as he continued towards the necromancer. Arriving just behind him, the little rogue stood up and brought his knife down upon the evil caster's back. Vaeksil shrieked. Engrossed in his casting, he had not heard the dwarf approach, and had been caught completely unawares. The knife cut through his skin, the muscle underneath and embedded itself under one of his shoulder-blades. Ganth began to sing, a bawdy song about dark elven maidens. Jomen spun around and, seeing his master attacked by his former friend, dropped his bow and reached for his whip.
"Ohhhhhh, them dark elf maiiiiidens," sang Ganth, as he pierced Vaeksil's silken robes with his spear. "They got no underweaaaarrrrrr." The necromancer spun around, spitting blood, slashing at the rogue with his knife. "And I's so short that I can seeeeeeeee," continued Ganth. "What they got unde. ack!"
His song was cut short as Jomen's whip closed around his throat. Pulling hard, the wood elf dragged Ganth forward, stumbling as the cord closed tighter. Vaeksil took advantage and slashed down with his dagger, cutting through armour and muscle, opening a bloody tract down the dwarf's leg. Banth gasped for air as he felt the dagger slice into his leg, but was grateful that this time, at least, there was no poison.
Just behind Vaeksil, his monstrous companions, the troll and the ogre, were faring very badly. As hired muscle, they had expected only to be needed for a support role, and here they were faced not only with a direct attack, but two clerics who supported their enemies! Siobhan's rage had completely surprised her opponent, and the poor troll wondered what he had done to offend the gods. Faced with her two swords and a speed he had not thought possible in a barbarian, he fought defensively. Even Jomen's hastily thrown healing had helped him little, faced by such a tornado of hatred. He glanced to one side and saw his partner, the ogre, being pounded by the earth elemental, being scorched every time she hit the damnable thing, and under constant magical attack from the skinny, dark-elven magician - that traitor, fighting for lightbringers! The ogre glanced over at her mercenary companion, and the two exchanged an obvious thought. Turning tail, they ran.
"Get them!" shouted Siobhan to her friends. "Jomen's mine!" Gueri and Krael took off after the huge running forms, as did the magician's pet, while Eltheria turned her attention to the continuing battles. Vaeksil's skeletal companion jerked along after its previous target, Gueri, out of range of its master's commands.
The forces of evil were having a bad day. Lord Kalath suddenly found himself without the support of his two clerics, who were being savagely beaten by the newly-arrived paladins from Felwithe, and was faced not only by Rendil's barbarian friend, but also by the magician himself, who concentrated his magical energies on the evil party leader. Powder was on an equal footing with his opponent, neither of them landing many blows, but neither conceding. His second opponent, who had broken away to attack Rendil, had suddenly found herself face to face with High Priest Zael, who had rooted her to the spot and was standing off a little way, mercilessly thrashing her with deific forces of varying colours. She wailed and cursed as she tried to free her feet, but could not.
Jomen dragged Ganth along the ground, as the dwarf tried to free his throat from the grip of his former friend's whip.
"Hah! Stupid idiots! I had you fooled," spat Jomen. "If it hadn't have been for that damned magician, you'd all be dead now!"
"But we're not," said a voice behind him. Jomen spun around, to see Siobhan's massive frame blocking his path. "Now let him go, traitor."
Both Vaeksil and Jomen stopped for a moment and looked at the warrior. She stood before them, her armour covered in green troll blood, her father's sword raised high, a look of revulsion fixed on her face. Seconds passed. Vaeksil took a final look at the group and ran. Then Siobhan's sword descended in a powerful arc, towards Jomen, as a valkyrie shriek escaped the barbarian's lips. With a sound like creaking ice, her father's heirloom struck her treacherous friend. The wood elf's eyes opened wide in surprise and fear. and froze. Siobhan pushed his body with her foot and it toppled backwards, not moving, and struck the ground.
"Well, now. He won't be goin' nowhere fer a wee while, eh?" chuckled Ganth, as he rose.
***
Gueri and Krael returned at a jog, carrying with them the spoils of their hunt. With the departure of Vaeksil, the skeletal pet had crumpled and ceased chasing them, and they had been able to catch the ogre and troll mercenaries. The latter had begged for their lives, and offered a ransom, the bag of coins jingling as Gueri had attached it to her belt.
Back at the pass, they surveyed the destruction caused by the battle. Rendil's group tended their wounds, as the two paladins who had arrived with Zael guarded their dark-elf prisoners. The High Priest himself tended the wounds of their foes, showing a respect for his enemies that surprised them. He had even resurrected the dark elf who Ganth had so neatly assassinated, stating simply that "all life is holy in the eyes of the gods".
Siobhan sat by the frozen body of Jomen, refusing to let the priest near it. Beside her stood Ganth and Eltheria, hand in hand. Gueri and Krael jogged over to them, as Rendil walked up from his group's makeshift camp. He held Gueri close for a moment, then released her and turned to address the friends.
"I thank you, my friends," he said, bowing low and long. "Not only did you come to our aid when we were outnumbered, but you provided essential information: when and where the ambush would be. Without your help, our lives would have been at risk, but you made it possible for the Felwithe council to send us the support we needed. We owe you a debt of gratitude."
Thanking each of the friends individually, Rendil stopped for a moment longer with Krael. He handed the dark elf a rolled note, bowed and returned to his group and their prisoners. The young dark elf unrolled the parchment and, reading the text, smiled.
"It's a note of introduction. I shall be able to enter Felwithe without being accosted by the guards - oh, how I have longed to see the inside of that city!" he said, his smile beaming even wider.
"What are we going to do with Jomen?" asked Eltheria, looking at the frozen body of their ex-team member. Siobhan stood up and grinned a malicious grin.
"He'll be makin' a wonderful trophy for the family lodge in Halas," she stated.