7-8 Tarsakh, Year of Rogue Dragons The Beginning of the End, part IV
Grim ran as fast as his halfling legs could carry him. He jumped over fallen soldiers and rubble and then tumbled past the Inquisitor and Sergei who supported each other in the trek towards the sword. Shouts echoed through the castle as Grim imagined Lord Bron's men were mustering to face the threat of the dragon. The occasional rumbling of the very stones of the High Keep reminded him that the large green lizard that had decimated the Cormyrean guards upstairs was not finished. He stifled a whimper of fear and shook his head.
Time to find Big Brother and have him make like a tree so we can leave!
Yondalla smiles on her children.
Grim exited the stairs in time to see Ellysidell lay a resounding SMACK! on some she-elf that sent her collapsing to the ground. Other elves lay strewn about the room (and curiously, some were stuffed in the fireplace), and he saw men wearing Lord Bron's livery fighting elves and men...who wore Black Talon colors. He drew his weapons and made ready to finish Ell's foe.
Hold Grim! he heard the Souliess shout in his head. She is our prisoner, and now she is Ellysidell's...well follower
Grim dropped out of his shadows and gave Ellysidell a sneer.
"Quick, little brother, help me force healing down her throat. I do not wish my first convert to the cause of Fenmarel Mestarine to die!"
Grim hesitated but reluctantly agreed. The other skimishes had left the banquet hall and an ominous silence pervaded the body-filled room.
Grim screamed in everyone's head GET OUT OF HERE! IT'S COMING!"
And on cue, the green wyrm crashed through the ceiling.
*
It seemed like an eternity, while in actuality it was less than three heartbeats that it took Benito to break free of the elven Shadow adept's dark well. He held up Mano and called upon Tyr to break the enchantments of his elusive foe. It did not blast away his invisibilty but it did free Khirin al-D'hib from the grip of the Well of Shadows. Khirin shook off the cobwebs and saw Benito cast a searing light at no one. He snapped his fingers and called upon Waukeen to purge what was hidden in the room.
The Shadow adept appeared and was suddenly very vulnerable. It did not take long for the clerics, in tandem, to send him to his death. Making sure the Starym Moonblade was secure back in her cell, Benito flew back to help Ivan while Khirin remained, crossbow at the ready, in front of the cell. Khirin ignored the blade as it 'screamed' at him in frustration and anger.
"Milady, you will remain in your cage and you will like it," Khirin said looking over his shoulder.
The cracks in the blade pulsed even more, still impotent against Khirin's mind-protecting magic.
*
Sergei and the limping Inquisitor peered into the banquet hall. The dragon had beat them and now lay in their path. Sergei wracked his brain. There was no other way that he knew to get to the dungeon. They had to go through the dragon.
He looked at the Inquisitor. The young acolyte held the anti-magic sword case tightly. Sergei pointed to himself and then at the dragon. He pointed at the priest and at one of the side entrances. The priest nodded knowingly, and cast a healing spell on Sergei to aid him.
Ancestors, guide my blade!
The mute Kozakuran charged the dragon. The reptile breathed. Caustic gas filled the room and the fallen bodies sizzled as the heavy substance settled.
*
Grim peering from a side room, slammed the door and shook his head.
We gotta get out of here and quick, Big Brother!
The wild elven female was unconscious. Ell was not even near full strength. Souliess was uninjured, but was running low in mental power. Grim pointed to a back door forcefully.
Ellysidell was torn, but seeing his new charge unable to continue on her own nodded his head. Carrying the wild elf, Ell led the way out from the room and after a short hall found a garden. The sounds of battle and the smell of smoke assaulted his senses. This High Tower was lost. He hoped his friends still lived.
"Souliess, can you escape on your own?"
The psionic wolverine nodded.
"Then meet us at the Temple of Eldath when the smoke clears."
Souliess teleported to the dungeon entrance.
Ellysidell grabbed Grim and sunk into the nearest tree, then jumped from tree to tree until he was outside the castle walls. Grim shook himself loose, unnerved by the experience and began running. Ell followed him through the streets and alleys. In the early morning, streams of people were already heading towards the gates. Finally, crossing the river after an ardorous romp avoiding contact from anything that moved, Ellysidell and Grim, found a secluded bower. Grim went to sleep while Ell watched.
His heart sunk as he looked back towards the spires of Irieabor. Two more green dragons circled the High Tower.
*
The inquisitor covered his face as the dragon's breath weapon spilled into the banquet's anteroom where he and Sergei had hid. Coughing but undamaged he peered into the hall, the lingering gas stinging his eyes. Somehow Sergei had survived and even now was fighting against the dragon.
The dragon screamed in rage as the swordsmaster slashed deeply into its neck with his katana. The inquisitor wasted no more time. He sprinted as best he could towards the entrance and made it unscathed. Fortunately, the lizard was concentrating on his lastest victim.
Sergei was surprised that he had lasted his long and saw the priest make it across the void. One of the dragon's claws ripped across his chest, tearing the mithral links as if they were paper. He spun away avoiding the other claw. Unfortunately, this exposed him to the creature's mouth. Sword-sized teeth dug into his shoulder. Sergei screamed silently and wriggled with all his strength. He heard his shoulder bone snap and saw a chunk of his own flesh in the dragon's teeth, but he was free.
He ignored the pain and tumbled away, but the dragon gave him a parting gift and tore more skin from his leg.
Looking back he saw the dragon attempt to reach into the hall and grab them, loosening more stones from the already unstable building. Rubble began to fall around them and the dragon stuck its snout blindly into the hall to breath the deadly gas again. The pair limped faster.
*
Behind the dragon the elven lich floated into the ruin that had become the banquet hall. He (it still regarded itself as a he) surveyed the chaos that Eldereth Veluthra had caused and was pleased. His servants had caused enough destruction to the man-building that it made the wards against undead ineffective. He landed and began walking calmly towards the dungeon. Some oppostition came against him but he blasted them into cinders and continued calmly towards his objective. Unfortunately, nothing ever went as planned. The moonblade should have already been recovered, but...
"If you want to do things right, you have to do them yourself," said the lich to no one in particular, blowing another human soldier apart as it dared to attack him.
*
"The Black Talons have attacked the High Tower. They seem to be in league with these elves," reported Lord Bron to Ivan and Benito as they cleaned their weapons on the carcasses of the fallen elven warriors. Benito was also administering to Ivan, his men and the Shields who had remained here with Lord Bron.
"There is also a large green dragon, and there are reports of two smaller ones."
"So what now, Lord Bron. How long can we hole up down here and then re-take the High Tower?" asked Benito.
Lord Bron placed his hand on his chin and began to think.
Benito and Ivan couldn't help but feel a little guilty bringing this doom to their host's castle. Fortunately, Bron was a better man than most and his tone was matter-of-fact, devoid of accusation.
Souliess had arrived as well, much to their surprise and informing them that the dragon was not far behind and that Grim and Ellysidell had quit the field, but at least were alive. He could not give any news of the others, but assumed that the dragon had gotten to them already.
"Oh, and Grim said something about an undead wizard," Souliess had added while Bron was lost in thought.
Before anyone could respond to this new information, a cry of "My Lord!" came from the top of the stairs from one of the surviving Shields, as Sergei and the Inquisitor's acolyte came running.
On their heels came the lich. He announced himself with the screams of two more Shields as they were immolated and their charred husks crumpled to the floor.
The acolyte gave Sergei the swordcase and whispered, "My turn...get the sword out of here," and turned to face the undead wizard.
Segei bounded down the stairs, and quickly signed to Ivan who gave the case to Benito.
They heard the cries of "By Tyr I command you to rest in your grave!"
It was followed by a cackle and a muffled scream.
"Then, my Lord, I guess we finish it here?" asked Ivan grimly, raising his two scimitars into a defensive position.
"Actually, no. There is a back entrance. The last cell has a secret door that leads to a tunnel, that leads to a concealed entrance at the base of the tor."
Ivan commanded his men and the remaining Shields to leave and secure the tunnel. They needed no extra prodding and informed Khirin on their way out. He remained at the secret passage's entrance
The lich appeared at the top of the stairs. Lord Bron moved towards him with Ivan and Souliess and then Benito holding the case still at the base of the stairs. Non-chalantly, the lich cast another spell, sending lightning into Lord Bron which then arched to Souliess and then to Ivan. Lord Bron collapsed, a smoking hole in his chest and mini-arcs of electricity causing his body to twitch.
The other three heroes ran. The lich began to walk down the stairs sensing victory.
In front of the secret entrance, Benito motioned for them to go. Khirin, Souliess and Ivan ran into the tunnel. Only Ivan looked over his shoulder to see about the cleric. Not seeing him close behind, he clasped Khirin on the shoulder and nodded seriously.
"Take care of my men."
Khirin stopped and watched Ivan run back for Benito. Then calling on a much unused divine spell that for some reason he had asked Waukeen for that day, he collaspsed the tunnel behind him. He sighed and kept jogging down the tunnel.
Ivan returned to the dungeon to see Benito screaming in pain as he lifted the Starym moonblade and like a heavy bar of lead dropped it into the anti-magic swordcase. Near collapse, the cleric of Tyr slammed the case shut and locked it.
In the haze, and barely conscious, he felt someone drag him from the prison cell. Looking up he saw it was Ivan and smiled. The door blew open in dramatic fashion and the pair looked up to see the lich silohuetted at the entrance. Ivan almost stood up to face the undead abomination, but Benito pulled him down.
"I pray that this works," whispered the weakend cleric.
Clutching both Ivan and the swordcase, Benito recited the words that would recall him home....
*
As soon as they exited the tunnel followed by a cloud of dust, Souliess teleported with as many of the soldiers as he could with the last of his power to just outside the Temple of Eldath. Even here he could hear the sounds of fighting and chaos. He ducked into the sanctuary, found a quiet spot, and collapsed with exhaustion. Khirin and the others made their way towards the temple the long way. Khirin gave a silent prayer to Waukeen asking her to keep his friends from harm. He hoped they were alright.
I mean it was kind of like being on Hoth when Vader unleashed the might of the Empire on poor Han and Luke and the rest of the gang. Well I am looking forward to the next few since I think the way it wound up was very cool... in a death of thousands kind of way, heh.
