The huge lizard like creature that had been before him fell with a
loud clang sound as its steel armor crashed to the ground. He leaned over
and grabbed an amulet that was tied around its neck. In a quick deft
motion, he cut the chain and freed the amulet. As he held it, he studied
it. It was a circle wrought of solid iron. In the circle, the image of a
scaled bird clutching flames in its talons could be made out. He smiled;
he had found exactly what he was looking for. Suddenly out of the corner
of his eye he saw something coming at him.
He jumped up, and in a flash had produced a dagger from his sleeve and slammed it into the oncoming creature. He withdrew it and the creature hit the ground with an audible thud. All around him, he could hear the sounds of steel clashing with steel as men and elves fought savagely fought against untold numbers of fiends. He picked a fiend out, flicked his wrist and sent his dagger hurtling towards its forehead. Before he even knew whether his throw had landed or not, he spun, producing two more daggers so quickly that it could not be told from where they came. His head lashed around surveying the situation. The fiends clearly outnumbered the men and elves by a large ratio. However, the men and elves fought valiantly, and seemed to be holding their own against the swarm.
He sprinted headlong at a group of five or six oncoming slim snake like creatures with large bat like wings. As he met them, he rolled to his right so that his back was facing them. With his left arm extended, the dagger it held slammed into one of them sending it screaming to the ground. His right arm popped up with the blade facing backwards and hit another of the slim creatures over his shoulder. He spun back around and parried the thrust of another of the creatures with his left hand. His right hand slid under its attack and sliced it cleanly across the throat. The hand that had parried the blow flew back to his left, and with the blade facing backwards, sliced into a creature that had begun to rush at him. The fifth and final of the group stared had him several feet away, unmoving. It's tongue flicked out of its snake like head for a moment as they stared at each other.
"I know you. I have seen you in the past," it hissed at him. He turned to face it completely, and stood up straight, staring it in the eye. It hissed again. "You were supposed to be dead! I watched you die," it said very surprised as it finally placed his face.
"You aren't the first," he said, a smile evident on his face. The battle was now raging fifty yards ahead of where it had been, and they stood alone behind the line.
"Never the less, you shall die now," the creature hissed at him. It leapt and extended its wings and sailed at him at incredible speed. He dove and rolled underneath it. As soon as it landed it turned to see a dagger hurtling at it. He approached the now dead creature, and pulled his dagger out of its face. Just as he turned to look at the battle ahead he heard it. A scream, loud enough to barely be audible over the screams and sounds of battle.
"He is here! Run! Run for your lives!" His eyes darted to where the scream had come from, but all he beheld was the ranks of the elves and men dissolving and running, and being cut down from behind as they did so. Then suddenly, over the line of the battle, he saw a giant winged creature arise. It was completely coal black, as if only a silhouette of the actual being. Immediately he knew what it was. He stared at it, his eyes wide, not sure what to do. His head whipped around to see a great city behind him in flames. Great flaming chunks of some unknown material were still hurtling at it from somewhere behind the battle line.
Suddenly he sat straight up. In either hand he had a dagger drawn. A cold sweat covered his entire body. He felt his adrenaline coursing through his veins, as if he had just lived through the moment he dreamed about. He shook his head slightly and looked around. He had been sleeping up against a log, not far from a campfire. The fire was in the center of a clearing. Around most of the clearing was what appeared to be a solid wall of pine trees. The portion that was not barricaded by the thick pine trees was a cliff. His mine was struggling to grasp the present and shake off the dream. Finally he remembered. He was on this stinking prime again. He stood up and looked around. Not to far away his friend adorned in spikes slept leaning against a tree stump. The girl they had brought with them seemed to be gone. For a moment he wondered about her, but he shrugged it off. She was no concern of his. He wandered several yards to their north, and came to the edge of the cliff. Down below in the darkness he could hear the waves crushing against the coast. He could not get the images of the dream out of his mind.
"Steady, chief. That was a long time ago." he muttered to himself. Suddenly he heard a soft voice behind him.
"You were awakened by a dream as well?" came the woman's voice. For a moment he stood staring off into the dark. Finally he turned to face her. For a moment his look was far away, lost in thought, but his usual controlled smirk returned quickly.
"It seems that the only memories you dream of are those you do not wish to relive, m'lady," he said to her before turning to look back over the ocean.
"I do not think there are any moments of my life that I do not relish. Save for the past week or so. However, even that was quite an experience for me. I am glad to have had it."
"How old are you, m'lady? Are you over a century old yet?"
"I am only sixty seven. Very young by elf standards, yet quite old by yours." As she said this, he turned to look at her again.
"You are quick to judge people's standards. But I understand your meaning. Where are we?" he asked her.
"We are on the northern edge of a continent known as Kunark. We must be careful here. The iksar have long held a strong presence here, despite the loss of their great empire."
"I'm not worried. Maybe you can help us, you know, as payment for our assistance in getting you back here. We need to get there," he said, pointing up into the sky at Luclin, now clearly visible in the dark.
"Ah, Luclin. To reach Luclin, you must journey to one of the wizard spires and speak with a scion there. Might I ask what your business on Luclin is?" "There is an object there of tremendous value. We need to get it before." suddenly he stopped and looked back over at her. "Well, before certain other parties do."
"I see. So your task is merely mercenary then," she said, sounding slightly disappointed.
"Something like that. So, why don't you tell me what you were really doing in Sigil now, and why in the nine hells you have gate keepers after you." She whirled at him as he spoke this, her eyes clearly giving away her worry.
"Gate Keepers? And they were hunting me? I do not even know of a gatekeeper. As I told you, I saw a portal open and I."
"Bar that, m'lady. Listen, I'm assuming you're going to wanna be coming with us. That's fine, and you don't even have to tell me why they want you, but I don't need any more of those piking Gate Keepers chasing after me. So make sure you cover your tracks as well as we cover ours, got it? Hey, sod, wake up!" he called to the spiked man. "There a civilized town near by?" he asked her as the spiked man stirred and began to get up. She stood staring at him, totally confused.
"What are these Gate Keepers?" she demanded.
"Don't worry about it, they won't find us out here," he replied. "But right now, I really need to find somewhere where people outnumber wolves, and rats outnumber people."
"The nearest city is Cabalis. It is quite a distance away, and it is the throne of the Iksar Empire. They will kill you the moment they see you. So you may go if you wish," she said matter of factly, obviously not happy with his withholding of information.
"How far is it?"
"You cannot seriously mean to go there," she said, a little shocked. "I was not seriously suggesting that we journey there. It is a terrible place full of slavery, sacrifices, deceit and villainy!" she said in shock.
"Sounds just like home," the spiked man chimed in.
"They shall kill us without a second thought!" she exclaimed.
"Listen, m'lady. Every sod I've ever met has tried to kill me at one time or another, present company included," the brown clad man said indicating the spiked man. "Where and how far is it?"
"It is about twenty miles south east of here. However, I beg you to reconsider. No good can come of our going there. The moment that they see us."
"Who said they are ever going to see us? And, of course, you don't gotta come with us," the brown clad man said with a smirk. "You have nothing to worry about, m'lady. I assure you. Moments later he had disappeared into the thick brush of the pine trees. She looked at the spiked man who was now standing, still looking very much asleep on his feet. He shrugged at her lazily and followed. She stood for a moment staring after them. The fire suddenly dimmed and vanished entirely. She jumped at the sudden change of lighting. She realized she really had no choice in the matter, and ran to catch up to the two men.
He jumped up, and in a flash had produced a dagger from his sleeve and slammed it into the oncoming creature. He withdrew it and the creature hit the ground with an audible thud. All around him, he could hear the sounds of steel clashing with steel as men and elves fought savagely fought against untold numbers of fiends. He picked a fiend out, flicked his wrist and sent his dagger hurtling towards its forehead. Before he even knew whether his throw had landed or not, he spun, producing two more daggers so quickly that it could not be told from where they came. His head lashed around surveying the situation. The fiends clearly outnumbered the men and elves by a large ratio. However, the men and elves fought valiantly, and seemed to be holding their own against the swarm.
He sprinted headlong at a group of five or six oncoming slim snake like creatures with large bat like wings. As he met them, he rolled to his right so that his back was facing them. With his left arm extended, the dagger it held slammed into one of them sending it screaming to the ground. His right arm popped up with the blade facing backwards and hit another of the slim creatures over his shoulder. He spun back around and parried the thrust of another of the creatures with his left hand. His right hand slid under its attack and sliced it cleanly across the throat. The hand that had parried the blow flew back to his left, and with the blade facing backwards, sliced into a creature that had begun to rush at him. The fifth and final of the group stared had him several feet away, unmoving. It's tongue flicked out of its snake like head for a moment as they stared at each other.
"I know you. I have seen you in the past," it hissed at him. He turned to face it completely, and stood up straight, staring it in the eye. It hissed again. "You were supposed to be dead! I watched you die," it said very surprised as it finally placed his face.
"You aren't the first," he said, a smile evident on his face. The battle was now raging fifty yards ahead of where it had been, and they stood alone behind the line.
"Never the less, you shall die now," the creature hissed at him. It leapt and extended its wings and sailed at him at incredible speed. He dove and rolled underneath it. As soon as it landed it turned to see a dagger hurtling at it. He approached the now dead creature, and pulled his dagger out of its face. Just as he turned to look at the battle ahead he heard it. A scream, loud enough to barely be audible over the screams and sounds of battle.
"He is here! Run! Run for your lives!" His eyes darted to where the scream had come from, but all he beheld was the ranks of the elves and men dissolving and running, and being cut down from behind as they did so. Then suddenly, over the line of the battle, he saw a giant winged creature arise. It was completely coal black, as if only a silhouette of the actual being. Immediately he knew what it was. He stared at it, his eyes wide, not sure what to do. His head whipped around to see a great city behind him in flames. Great flaming chunks of some unknown material were still hurtling at it from somewhere behind the battle line.
Suddenly he sat straight up. In either hand he had a dagger drawn. A cold sweat covered his entire body. He felt his adrenaline coursing through his veins, as if he had just lived through the moment he dreamed about. He shook his head slightly and looked around. He had been sleeping up against a log, not far from a campfire. The fire was in the center of a clearing. Around most of the clearing was what appeared to be a solid wall of pine trees. The portion that was not barricaded by the thick pine trees was a cliff. His mine was struggling to grasp the present and shake off the dream. Finally he remembered. He was on this stinking prime again. He stood up and looked around. Not to far away his friend adorned in spikes slept leaning against a tree stump. The girl they had brought with them seemed to be gone. For a moment he wondered about her, but he shrugged it off. She was no concern of his. He wandered several yards to their north, and came to the edge of the cliff. Down below in the darkness he could hear the waves crushing against the coast. He could not get the images of the dream out of his mind.
"Steady, chief. That was a long time ago." he muttered to himself. Suddenly he heard a soft voice behind him.
"You were awakened by a dream as well?" came the woman's voice. For a moment he stood staring off into the dark. Finally he turned to face her. For a moment his look was far away, lost in thought, but his usual controlled smirk returned quickly.
"It seems that the only memories you dream of are those you do not wish to relive, m'lady," he said to her before turning to look back over the ocean.
"I do not think there are any moments of my life that I do not relish. Save for the past week or so. However, even that was quite an experience for me. I am glad to have had it."
"How old are you, m'lady? Are you over a century old yet?"
"I am only sixty seven. Very young by elf standards, yet quite old by yours." As she said this, he turned to look at her again.
"You are quick to judge people's standards. But I understand your meaning. Where are we?" he asked her.
"We are on the northern edge of a continent known as Kunark. We must be careful here. The iksar have long held a strong presence here, despite the loss of their great empire."
"I'm not worried. Maybe you can help us, you know, as payment for our assistance in getting you back here. We need to get there," he said, pointing up into the sky at Luclin, now clearly visible in the dark.
"Ah, Luclin. To reach Luclin, you must journey to one of the wizard spires and speak with a scion there. Might I ask what your business on Luclin is?" "There is an object there of tremendous value. We need to get it before." suddenly he stopped and looked back over at her. "Well, before certain other parties do."
"I see. So your task is merely mercenary then," she said, sounding slightly disappointed.
"Something like that. So, why don't you tell me what you were really doing in Sigil now, and why in the nine hells you have gate keepers after you." She whirled at him as he spoke this, her eyes clearly giving away her worry.
"Gate Keepers? And they were hunting me? I do not even know of a gatekeeper. As I told you, I saw a portal open and I."
"Bar that, m'lady. Listen, I'm assuming you're going to wanna be coming with us. That's fine, and you don't even have to tell me why they want you, but I don't need any more of those piking Gate Keepers chasing after me. So make sure you cover your tracks as well as we cover ours, got it? Hey, sod, wake up!" he called to the spiked man. "There a civilized town near by?" he asked her as the spiked man stirred and began to get up. She stood staring at him, totally confused.
"What are these Gate Keepers?" she demanded.
"Don't worry about it, they won't find us out here," he replied. "But right now, I really need to find somewhere where people outnumber wolves, and rats outnumber people."
"The nearest city is Cabalis. It is quite a distance away, and it is the throne of the Iksar Empire. They will kill you the moment they see you. So you may go if you wish," she said matter of factly, obviously not happy with his withholding of information.
"How far is it?"
"You cannot seriously mean to go there," she said, a little shocked. "I was not seriously suggesting that we journey there. It is a terrible place full of slavery, sacrifices, deceit and villainy!" she said in shock.
"Sounds just like home," the spiked man chimed in.
"They shall kill us without a second thought!" she exclaimed.
"Listen, m'lady. Every sod I've ever met has tried to kill me at one time or another, present company included," the brown clad man said indicating the spiked man. "Where and how far is it?"
"It is about twenty miles south east of here. However, I beg you to reconsider. No good can come of our going there. The moment that they see us."
"Who said they are ever going to see us? And, of course, you don't gotta come with us," the brown clad man said with a smirk. "You have nothing to worry about, m'lady. I assure you. Moments later he had disappeared into the thick brush of the pine trees. She looked at the spiked man who was now standing, still looking very much asleep on his feet. He shrugged at her lazily and followed. She stood for a moment staring after them. The fire suddenly dimmed and vanished entirely. She jumped at the sudden change of lighting. She realized she really had no choice in the matter, and ran to catch up to the two men.