Broccli_Head
Explorer
9 Ches , 1373 Year of Rogue Dragons: Force March
"I've been bitten," repeated Grim.
Lightning flashed and it began to rain again. Grim went to the body of the fallen shapechanger and stabbed it a few more times in frustration and then started kicking the corpse for good measure. Benito and Ellysidell looked on wondering what they would do if Grim turned into a werewolf. Meliane caught up with the group.
"One of the abominations is alive," she revealed.
Benito looked behind him and saw Souliss and Khirin standing over the body of one of the lycanthropes, now a naked human. Khirin had his crossbow that fired mini-lightning bolts trained on the prisoner. Souliss had a look of deep concentration. Meliane motioned Grim away from the body of the leader and tore something from his neck. She held up a strange looking fetish...a claw attached to a bloated body.
"People of the Black Blood," she stated icily. "We best find a good defensible position, there may be more Malarites around."
"Malarites!" growled Benito and stalked towards the surviving enemy that the merchants guarded.
"Foul beast," he said, pointing emphatically to the prisoner. "You are now the prisoner of the Holy Justices of Tyr."
He bent over and clamped on the manacles of truth. Picking up the injured man, he half-dragged, half-carried him towards a pile of large rocks that he spied through the rain. The rest of the party followed and Ellysidell took the prisoner from Benito. Grim, in a daze, brought up the rear. Once at the rocks, Benito constructed a crude shelter by shaping the stone, partially encasing his prisoner under the structure for interrogation. He saw the dejected look on Grim's face.
"Is there anything we can do for him?" he asked Meliane.
"There is belladona that we could administer to him, cure spells. None of which I have. It's a curse also." she replied, examining Grim's wounds.
He had another bite mark on his shoulder.
"The rain may help. It can wash away some of the taint from the bite. I'm not going to find any useable herbs in this downpour, though. Hopefully, the Temple of Ilmater in Twilight Hollow will have some stores. Did your priest tell you anything about that place?"
Benito pretended not to hear the question and answered, "Well then, let me make this quick. Khirin, can we make it to the village before nightfall."
The merchant, leaning against the rock and huddling under the shelter to avoid getting rained on as much as possible replied, "I guess. "
Your're no help, thought Benito. Why is everyone looking so glum?
He turned his attention back to the lycanthrope and began the questioning. Are there more of you? No. Where did you come from? Snarl. Who is your leader? Snarl. Apparently, the beast was able to resist the manacles.
"Forget it. I will just question your corpse."
"Let me," petitioned Meliane drawing her crackling scimitar.
Before anyone could object, she cut off the prisoner's head. Questioning the dead head, Benito didn't learn anything new. He pulled the body out, and retrieved his cuffs.
"The curr does not deserve a proper burial," said the druidess with an edge in her voice.
She motioned Ellysidell for help and the pair tossed the body down the slope. The head she threw in another direction.
"Let's go, then."
Without waiting for a response, Benito headed towards the north planning to get to the village of Ilmater this evening no matter how difficlut. Grim needed to be cured. The rest of the party followed, Ellysidell pulled a still morose Grim along while Meliane looked vigilantly at the surrounding landscape expecting another attack. Souliss, followed the woman closely, respecting her heretofore unknown fury, and Khirin brought up the rear, grumbling and thinking of the warm mead and hotcakes from the Black Boar Inn in Iraiebor that he would be missing...and it was getting further away. He glanced back and sighed.
The party trudged onward through the mud. The rain picked up and the sky darkened even more. Visiblity became difficult and no one wanted to shout over the wind, so the journey passed without conversation. Finally, they topped a rise and saw farmland and lights clustered in the distance. The vale of Twilight Hollow with its cultivated fields and orchards lay below them. The Sunset Mountains loomed ever ominously closer.
Somewhere in the rain they heard a horse whinny. No response followed.
"See," said Khirin smugly, "only one horse. Bet there's only one inn, too."
Benito looked back and glared but then, thought better and did not respond. Adjusting his soaked tabard and repositioning his baldric, he strode confidently towards town.
"I've been bitten," repeated Grim.
Lightning flashed and it began to rain again. Grim went to the body of the fallen shapechanger and stabbed it a few more times in frustration and then started kicking the corpse for good measure. Benito and Ellysidell looked on wondering what they would do if Grim turned into a werewolf. Meliane caught up with the group.
"One of the abominations is alive," she revealed.
Benito looked behind him and saw Souliss and Khirin standing over the body of one of the lycanthropes, now a naked human. Khirin had his crossbow that fired mini-lightning bolts trained on the prisoner. Souliss had a look of deep concentration. Meliane motioned Grim away from the body of the leader and tore something from his neck. She held up a strange looking fetish...a claw attached to a bloated body.
"People of the Black Blood," she stated icily. "We best find a good defensible position, there may be more Malarites around."
"Malarites!" growled Benito and stalked towards the surviving enemy that the merchants guarded.
"Foul beast," he said, pointing emphatically to the prisoner. "You are now the prisoner of the Holy Justices of Tyr."
He bent over and clamped on the manacles of truth. Picking up the injured man, he half-dragged, half-carried him towards a pile of large rocks that he spied through the rain. The rest of the party followed and Ellysidell took the prisoner from Benito. Grim, in a daze, brought up the rear. Once at the rocks, Benito constructed a crude shelter by shaping the stone, partially encasing his prisoner under the structure for interrogation. He saw the dejected look on Grim's face.
"Is there anything we can do for him?" he asked Meliane.
"There is belladona that we could administer to him, cure spells. None of which I have. It's a curse also." she replied, examining Grim's wounds.
He had another bite mark on his shoulder.
"The rain may help. It can wash away some of the taint from the bite. I'm not going to find any useable herbs in this downpour, though. Hopefully, the Temple of Ilmater in Twilight Hollow will have some stores. Did your priest tell you anything about that place?"
Benito pretended not to hear the question and answered, "Well then, let me make this quick. Khirin, can we make it to the village before nightfall."
The merchant, leaning against the rock and huddling under the shelter to avoid getting rained on as much as possible replied, "I guess. "
Your're no help, thought Benito. Why is everyone looking so glum?
He turned his attention back to the lycanthrope and began the questioning. Are there more of you? No. Where did you come from? Snarl. Who is your leader? Snarl. Apparently, the beast was able to resist the manacles.
"Forget it. I will just question your corpse."
"Let me," petitioned Meliane drawing her crackling scimitar.
Before anyone could object, she cut off the prisoner's head. Questioning the dead head, Benito didn't learn anything new. He pulled the body out, and retrieved his cuffs.
"The curr does not deserve a proper burial," said the druidess with an edge in her voice.
She motioned Ellysidell for help and the pair tossed the body down the slope. The head she threw in another direction.
"Let's go, then."
Without waiting for a response, Benito headed towards the north planning to get to the village of Ilmater this evening no matter how difficlut. Grim needed to be cured. The rest of the party followed, Ellysidell pulled a still morose Grim along while Meliane looked vigilantly at the surrounding landscape expecting another attack. Souliss, followed the woman closely, respecting her heretofore unknown fury, and Khirin brought up the rear, grumbling and thinking of the warm mead and hotcakes from the Black Boar Inn in Iraiebor that he would be missing...and it was getting further away. He glanced back and sighed.
The party trudged onward through the mud. The rain picked up and the sky darkened even more. Visiblity became difficult and no one wanted to shout over the wind, so the journey passed without conversation. Finally, they topped a rise and saw farmland and lights clustered in the distance. The vale of Twilight Hollow with its cultivated fields and orchards lay below them. The Sunset Mountains loomed ever ominously closer.
Somewhere in the rain they heard a horse whinny. No response followed.
"See," said Khirin smugly, "only one horse. Bet there's only one inn, too."
Benito looked back and glared but then, thought better and did not respond. Adjusting his soaked tabard and repositioning his baldric, he strode confidently towards town.
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