Chapter 2
The flame Endures
Orion left the quaint town through a gauntlet of cheers, thanks, kisses,
pats on the back and offerings of that sacred of all drinks 'Beer'.
Orion was no more than three metres away from the town when he was called to by an old man, obviously a law man as he was wearing the general garb of
the local guard and carrying an extremely large sword.
"Wait...Wait Orion I think there is a problem.... The orc you slew, his corpse
has disappeared" the man told Orion in an exhausted tone,
"My friend the heretic was shattered, I don't think he's getting up anytime
soon" Orion Replied in a sarcastic tone,
"Please Orion, I think you should come and see for yourself"
"Listen you overweight human, I think you should stay off the beer...but if
you so wish it, show me"
Orion and the lawman walked back to the bridge crossing Azarkand's river toward the site of the battle, and to Orion's surprise the Orc was gone,
well his pieces anyway Orion thought,
"By the sword of Correlon, what trickery is this, I smote the sinful bastard on this very spot, and there is no possible way he is still alive"
"My lord, he was a shaman" the man replied fearfully
"And I am a Powerful mage, I trained and fought alongside the great wizard
Morkai the Red" Orion snapped back alerting the attention of half the
townsfolk. "Perhaps he was wearing an amulet of resurrection" a voice familiar voice spoke from the shadows, the figure came into the light, it was a tall man wearing leather armour and looking well into his fifties, he spoke again "I
always did envy the lifespan of the elves my old friend...."
"BY THE GODS...." Orion replied "Derwood Leally you old dog.... It's been so long, how've ya been" Orion ran up and hugged his old friend from his last party "wow, the last thirty years haven't been kind have they, your hairs going grey... come, come we must celebrate over a beer or two" or five Orion
didn't add.
Orion and Derwood exchanged stories of their exploits during the last
thirty years and learned a lot including the passing of old Shortfoot Curlybrow, the hobbit who amusingly challenged a destrachen to a screaming contest and the ascension of the riddle loving Igneous to 'High Guard of the Temple of Yondalla' and to Orion's distress Derwood told Orion the fate of Morkai the Red who fought as valiantly as any paladin could, holding of
thousands of goblins so that his friends might escaped but for all his skill in wizardry and staff work was finally brought down by the intense
numbers. "So he is at Pease then" Orion recited an elvish prayer for his long time
friend before Derwood finally spoke.
"Just before we ran he told me to find you, to give you this" at that
Derwood held out a beautiful dagger which glowed with a strong red.
Orion held the Dagger in his hands, "my old dagger returned to me, we enchanted this dagger together you know.... we called it 'Flicker'...rest well
my friend" With that Derwood tried to change the subject, "listen Orion I know where 'The Spear of Kord' rest, it is a cave west of the elven woods, come Orion sleep tonight, in the morning we shall head to the elven woods, the trip
will be long but we can finally end this pathetic band of heretics".
The flame Endures
Orion left the quaint town through a gauntlet of cheers, thanks, kisses,
pats on the back and offerings of that sacred of all drinks 'Beer'.
Orion was no more than three metres away from the town when he was called to by an old man, obviously a law man as he was wearing the general garb of
the local guard and carrying an extremely large sword.
"Wait...Wait Orion I think there is a problem.... The orc you slew, his corpse
has disappeared" the man told Orion in an exhausted tone,
"My friend the heretic was shattered, I don't think he's getting up anytime
soon" Orion Replied in a sarcastic tone,
"Please Orion, I think you should come and see for yourself"
"Listen you overweight human, I think you should stay off the beer...but if
you so wish it, show me"
Orion and the lawman walked back to the bridge crossing Azarkand's river toward the site of the battle, and to Orion's surprise the Orc was gone,
well his pieces anyway Orion thought,
"By the sword of Correlon, what trickery is this, I smote the sinful bastard on this very spot, and there is no possible way he is still alive"
"My lord, he was a shaman" the man replied fearfully
"And I am a Powerful mage, I trained and fought alongside the great wizard
Morkai the Red" Orion snapped back alerting the attention of half the
townsfolk. "Perhaps he was wearing an amulet of resurrection" a voice familiar voice spoke from the shadows, the figure came into the light, it was a tall man wearing leather armour and looking well into his fifties, he spoke again "I
always did envy the lifespan of the elves my old friend...."
"BY THE GODS...." Orion replied "Derwood Leally you old dog.... It's been so long, how've ya been" Orion ran up and hugged his old friend from his last party "wow, the last thirty years haven't been kind have they, your hairs going grey... come, come we must celebrate over a beer or two" or five Orion
didn't add.
Orion and Derwood exchanged stories of their exploits during the last
thirty years and learned a lot including the passing of old Shortfoot Curlybrow, the hobbit who amusingly challenged a destrachen to a screaming contest and the ascension of the riddle loving Igneous to 'High Guard of the Temple of Yondalla' and to Orion's distress Derwood told Orion the fate of Morkai the Red who fought as valiantly as any paladin could, holding of
thousands of goblins so that his friends might escaped but for all his skill in wizardry and staff work was finally brought down by the intense
numbers. "So he is at Pease then" Orion recited an elvish prayer for his long time
friend before Derwood finally spoke.
"Just before we ran he told me to find you, to give you this" at that
Derwood held out a beautiful dagger which glowed with a strong red.
Orion held the Dagger in his hands, "my old dagger returned to me, we enchanted this dagger together you know.... we called it 'Flicker'...rest well
my friend" With that Derwood tried to change the subject, "listen Orion I know where 'The Spear of Kord' rest, it is a cave west of the elven woods, come Orion sleep tonight, in the morning we shall head to the elven woods, the trip
will be long but we can finally end this pathetic band of heretics".