Escape from the Shadow
Drake crept carefulyl into the darkness ahead, aware of the monk several yards behind him. He tried to meld with the darkness, to wear shadow like a cloak. It was a little trick he had learned from his mentor.
"FOR THE GLORY OF MORADIN!"
The dwarf's war cries echoed through the mine shaft. It was the perfect cover for halfing's stalking. He soon found himself in bowshot of the dwarf. His eyes, capable of seeing in the dark, noticed a pack of goblins scattering under Berrant's charge. One body was already strewn on the floor. He loosed a shaft, catching an unsuspecting goblin through the shoulder blade, dropping it kicking to the floor. The others panicked, and made to run. In the time it took the goblins to react, Berrant had managed to sever the hamstring on the fleeing monstrosities, it fell cursing to the floor. Drake gasped as a large figure bounded noiselessly past from the darkness behind him. Rabid's lithe form streaked past, hurling itself into the midst of the fleeing goblins.
"Blood and ashes! I must be bloody tired, not hearing the blasted monk." Drake berated himself.
He enjoyed watching the monk fight. It was an elaborate dance, twisting and pirouetting amongst enemies. His arms, elbows, knees, head, were all one great weapon, one magnificent piece of art. Rabid struck out, his heel hooking just below the goblins knee, with a sweeping motion, he turned, and ducked, pulling the goblin to the ground and ducking beneath a morning star swing. The dance continued, as Rabid brought up is knee into one of the goblin's chins in a smooth movement which blended into a round-house kick into the next goblin's gut. A quarrel hissed from Drake's crossbow, leaving another goblin on the ground. The last, larger than the rest, was using a rusted long sword to keep Rabid away from him, flailing desparately. The dwarf moved with Rabid, flanking the last goblin.
"Ig chucka bat dego! Gruk daboo gitter!" the goblin sputtered.
"He says there is a treasure nearby, he can show us if we spare him." Berrant translated. "I still say we kill the bugger, he'll probably lead us to more of his kind."
Drake still watched wearily, he loaded his crossbow
"I don't like this. I agree, we should finish him before he tries to pull something."
Drake knew that Rabid did not approve of unnecessary violence, but he also did not approve of goblins.
"Ask him if he's seen the wizard." Rabid suggested, reluctant to kill the creature.
"Gekar ja sidow. Grunk dalla?" Berrant spat the words as if they had made his mouth unclean, he hated goblin.
"Grunk dalla migat! Duntor gown Vilesbane!" the goblin spat back angrily.
The word Vilesbane stood out, Drake was surprised to hear something that he could translate to common, probably a title. Drake's ears twitched as the goblin tensed, he sensed the attack coming. With an angry hiss, the quarrel loosed, catching the goblin in the chest. He stared dumbly at the protruding fletching as he sank to his knees. Red foam dripped from his lips.
"Dellar gik... Vilesbane. Stunty... will... die" he collapsed in a heap on the floor. Drake was surprised to hear common, as guttural as it was.
"What did it say? It didn't sound like any good news."
"He said that the wizard has been killed by Vilesbane, and that we will also receive death from Vilesbane. As to who or what Vilesbane is, I have no flaming clue."
"Berrant, do you have your first aid kit with you, I have been wounded."
Rabid gestured to the blood seeping across the bandage he had applied to his chest. Drake remembered the he had suffered that cut from the collapsing tunnel.
"Unless these dirty buggers took it."
Berrant made his way over to the pile of furs where the goblins had left his gear. They didn't seem to have taken anything. The dwarf donned his breastplate. He dug through his backpack, producing some salves and bandages. He handed them to Rabid, who quickly replaced his bloodied makeshift bandage with a proper one, having first applied a salve.
"We should find that bloody wizard, no doubt he's found Vilesbane and needs our help. Ah, well, just goes to show you should always leave things to a dwarf." Berrant turned down the corridor, "If he's anywhere, it's going to be downhill, the upper passage is blocked."
With that the party made there way down the mineshaft, Berrant bragging in the lead.
- - - - - - - - - -
As Corran's cloak flared from his light spell, the cavern revealed not his friend whom he had expected to be there, but the hulking form of an adolescent green dragon. A large tunnel lead from the dragon's cave into dark reaches where his light could not illuminate.
"Fool wizard, you will die for what you have done!"
The voice was no longer that of Rabid, but a grating voice that belonged to the dragon. Rabid remembered reading that from a young age, green dragons could use ventriloquism, and other magical abilities. However, Corran did not have time to think about what he had or hadn't read. He turned to run, his magic could nothing for the time being. He heard a sharp intake behind him as the dragon drew breath, he hurled himself through the passage and a poisonous cloud filled the passage. The fall jarred him, ripping his tunic at the elbow. He quickly rose, and covered his face with is cloak as the noxious gas filled the tunnel. At least this will give me cover. He reached out a hand managed to find the tunnel wall. Slowly he groped his way along, hoping the dragon would be slow in pursuit, like a cat playing with the mouse. Arrogance was a weapon to be used against your enemies.
"You cannot hide from me fool. You will never escape."
Corran quickly found his way to the end of the gas filled stretch of tunnel. He fumbled through his spell components. Moss, guano, ox hair. If only I hadn't knocked down that bloody support! We'd be alright. The thought struck him, quickly he began to murmur the cryptic arcane words.
"Phelanos domini shirak..."
"You will wish for death before the end" The dragons harsh voice sounded from down the tunnel.
"Enphelos digari, sena..."
"You will crawl on your belly like worm before me, the great Vilesbane" the voice was closing in.
"Detarese... SEDA!"
A spray of sparkling missiles sprouted from his fingers, striking the tunnel's roof. Dust crumbled and flooded the rough stone floor. He turned to run, he knew the dragon would not survive the tons of rock that began to crumble from above. In a dying gasp, the dragon panted, spraying out another gust of green fumes. There was no way for Corran to run, no way to jump aside. He was trapped like a squirrel in a hollow is by a badger. However this squirrel had teeth. He stumbled blindly, his only thoughts were on propelling himself forward. Bright lights danced across his vision, his legs slowly turned to jelly, he stumbled, but could not catch himself. He never felt the rough stone floor before he reached the unconscious, he only felt rough arms catch him, and Berrant's voice.
"...bloody wizard pops out of the mist like that bloody Halfling from the shadows..."
Drake crept carefulyl into the darkness ahead, aware of the monk several yards behind him. He tried to meld with the darkness, to wear shadow like a cloak. It was a little trick he had learned from his mentor.
"FOR THE GLORY OF MORADIN!"
The dwarf's war cries echoed through the mine shaft. It was the perfect cover for halfing's stalking. He soon found himself in bowshot of the dwarf. His eyes, capable of seeing in the dark, noticed a pack of goblins scattering under Berrant's charge. One body was already strewn on the floor. He loosed a shaft, catching an unsuspecting goblin through the shoulder blade, dropping it kicking to the floor. The others panicked, and made to run. In the time it took the goblins to react, Berrant had managed to sever the hamstring on the fleeing monstrosities, it fell cursing to the floor. Drake gasped as a large figure bounded noiselessly past from the darkness behind him. Rabid's lithe form streaked past, hurling itself into the midst of the fleeing goblins.
"Blood and ashes! I must be bloody tired, not hearing the blasted monk." Drake berated himself.
He enjoyed watching the monk fight. It was an elaborate dance, twisting and pirouetting amongst enemies. His arms, elbows, knees, head, were all one great weapon, one magnificent piece of art. Rabid struck out, his heel hooking just below the goblins knee, with a sweeping motion, he turned, and ducked, pulling the goblin to the ground and ducking beneath a morning star swing. The dance continued, as Rabid brought up is knee into one of the goblin's chins in a smooth movement which blended into a round-house kick into the next goblin's gut. A quarrel hissed from Drake's crossbow, leaving another goblin on the ground. The last, larger than the rest, was using a rusted long sword to keep Rabid away from him, flailing desparately. The dwarf moved with Rabid, flanking the last goblin.
"Ig chucka bat dego! Gruk daboo gitter!" the goblin sputtered.
"He says there is a treasure nearby, he can show us if we spare him." Berrant translated. "I still say we kill the bugger, he'll probably lead us to more of his kind."
Drake still watched wearily, he loaded his crossbow
"I don't like this. I agree, we should finish him before he tries to pull something."
Drake knew that Rabid did not approve of unnecessary violence, but he also did not approve of goblins.
"Ask him if he's seen the wizard." Rabid suggested, reluctant to kill the creature.
"Gekar ja sidow. Grunk dalla?" Berrant spat the words as if they had made his mouth unclean, he hated goblin.
"Grunk dalla migat! Duntor gown Vilesbane!" the goblin spat back angrily.
The word Vilesbane stood out, Drake was surprised to hear something that he could translate to common, probably a title. Drake's ears twitched as the goblin tensed, he sensed the attack coming. With an angry hiss, the quarrel loosed, catching the goblin in the chest. He stared dumbly at the protruding fletching as he sank to his knees. Red foam dripped from his lips.
"Dellar gik... Vilesbane. Stunty... will... die" he collapsed in a heap on the floor. Drake was surprised to hear common, as guttural as it was.
"What did it say? It didn't sound like any good news."
"He said that the wizard has been killed by Vilesbane, and that we will also receive death from Vilesbane. As to who or what Vilesbane is, I have no flaming clue."
"Berrant, do you have your first aid kit with you, I have been wounded."
Rabid gestured to the blood seeping across the bandage he had applied to his chest. Drake remembered the he had suffered that cut from the collapsing tunnel.
"Unless these dirty buggers took it."
Berrant made his way over to the pile of furs where the goblins had left his gear. They didn't seem to have taken anything. The dwarf donned his breastplate. He dug through his backpack, producing some salves and bandages. He handed them to Rabid, who quickly replaced his bloodied makeshift bandage with a proper one, having first applied a salve.
"We should find that bloody wizard, no doubt he's found Vilesbane and needs our help. Ah, well, just goes to show you should always leave things to a dwarf." Berrant turned down the corridor, "If he's anywhere, it's going to be downhill, the upper passage is blocked."
With that the party made there way down the mineshaft, Berrant bragging in the lead.
- - - - - - - - - -
As Corran's cloak flared from his light spell, the cavern revealed not his friend whom he had expected to be there, but the hulking form of an adolescent green dragon. A large tunnel lead from the dragon's cave into dark reaches where his light could not illuminate.
"Fool wizard, you will die for what you have done!"
The voice was no longer that of Rabid, but a grating voice that belonged to the dragon. Rabid remembered reading that from a young age, green dragons could use ventriloquism, and other magical abilities. However, Corran did not have time to think about what he had or hadn't read. He turned to run, his magic could nothing for the time being. He heard a sharp intake behind him as the dragon drew breath, he hurled himself through the passage and a poisonous cloud filled the passage. The fall jarred him, ripping his tunic at the elbow. He quickly rose, and covered his face with is cloak as the noxious gas filled the tunnel. At least this will give me cover. He reached out a hand managed to find the tunnel wall. Slowly he groped his way along, hoping the dragon would be slow in pursuit, like a cat playing with the mouse. Arrogance was a weapon to be used against your enemies.
"You cannot hide from me fool. You will never escape."
Corran quickly found his way to the end of the gas filled stretch of tunnel. He fumbled through his spell components. Moss, guano, ox hair. If only I hadn't knocked down that bloody support! We'd be alright. The thought struck him, quickly he began to murmur the cryptic arcane words.
"Phelanos domini shirak..."
"You will wish for death before the end" The dragons harsh voice sounded from down the tunnel.
"Enphelos digari, sena..."
"You will crawl on your belly like worm before me, the great Vilesbane" the voice was closing in.
"Detarese... SEDA!"
A spray of sparkling missiles sprouted from his fingers, striking the tunnel's roof. Dust crumbled and flooded the rough stone floor. He turned to run, he knew the dragon would not survive the tons of rock that began to crumble from above. In a dying gasp, the dragon panted, spraying out another gust of green fumes. There was no way for Corran to run, no way to jump aside. He was trapped like a squirrel in a hollow is by a badger. However this squirrel had teeth. He stumbled blindly, his only thoughts were on propelling himself forward. Bright lights danced across his vision, his legs slowly turned to jelly, he stumbled, but could not catch himself. He never felt the rough stone floor before he reached the unconscious, he only felt rough arms catch him, and Berrant's voice.
"...bloody wizard pops out of the mist like that bloody Halfling from the shadows..."