A Lost Flame
DEFCON 1 said:
He drops to his knees next to his Lumin Brother, then glances down at the litter to see who it was that Khensu was referring to.
Hearing his wounds, the other person turns to Jarrith. He is surprised to find it is Ireena, girded in an old breastplate and with fresh wounds apparent. She nods solemnly, but it quiet as the he looks over the litter.
It was Sir Urik, almost as still as death, Hurrn perched protectively on the old man's chest.
From the strained Khensu and tired Ireena, Jarrith puts together the story. The wolves came night from the forest, surrounding the town. Those with lights on were targeted first, but anyone fleeing was cut down. Almost no resistance was put up except at the town square where Ireena and some of the remaining Denieth mercenaries fought. Somewhere in the earlier part of the fight, Urik had arrived, bringing some frightened townfolk into the center of the village.
Then Lord ir'Zarovich appeared.
Khensu had seen the Lord's carriage, a thing of velvet darkness led by horses faster than even the magebred. The paladin had heard the howls of the wolves, but stood at his post until the carriage blew past him. That was when Khensu had to act. Mounting Luminous, he followed faster than was safe. The paladin's instincts told him something was wrong.
Both Ireena and Khensu describe the scene, though differently. Ireena's views of the man are colored by her obvious feelings, and she could not identify the strange metal and wood creations that fought at the Lord's side. Khensu could, however. Warforged, with silver tracings no less. The perfect weapon against a lycanthrope horde. Of the Lord himself, Khensu can only describe him as stately but a fury on the field, fighting with blade and magic.
But that is when things went wrong.
One of the great beasts, having discarded their wolf forms and now walking upon two legs of death, had bitten the paladin. All looked to him, and suddenly a savage fury awakened.
"I could not control it. The Beast within only wanted one thing---to kill." Khensu's voice is pained, and he cannot continue. Ireena must finish the tale. Her voice is cold. Steely.
"Your friend became a savage, echoing the beasts around us. His axe cut all around him---wolf, villager, it did not matter. At least one of your guardsmen feel by that blade, his head severed in a single cut." She looks down at Urik.
"It was the foolish Knight that stopped him. He possessed a stele, where he found it I do not know, and he strode heedlessly toward the raver, chanting the words of the spell. But you friend, as the last of the chant was intoned, brought his axe down cruelly, nearly cutting Urik in twain." Her look at the Knight softens, a mixture of sadness, curiosity, and perhaps respect.
"He is mad, but perhaps you have to be mad to fight here." She looks up at Jarrith again.
"But even cut down, Urik held the last of his strength to finish the prayer, and in a flash of light, your friend's madness was lifted." She bows her head again.
Khensu looked at Jarrith, tears flowing freely down his animal-touched face.
"I have sinned, Jarrith. The Flame is gone. I cannot hear it."
