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The Doomed Bastards: Reckoning (story complete)
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 3049006" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Thanks, Synchronicity. And don't worry, there will be plenty of twists and misdirections to come in this story. <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious :]" data-shortname=":]" /> </p><p></p><p></p><p>* * * * * </p><p></p><p>Chapter 4</p><p></p><p></p><p>THE MAUSOLEUM</p><p></p><p>The gargoyles lifted into the air, their intent obvious.</p><p></p><p>“Bows would have been right handy about now,” Dar said, drawing his sword. </p><p></p><p>“Form a defensive ring!” Tiros shouted. But the gargoyles were already diving to the attack, and his companions were already launching their own counters.</p><p></p><p>Navev had claimed a wickedly-spiked morningstar from the weapons provided by the Duke’s men, but he made no move for the ugly weapon stuck into his belt. As he looked up at the green gargoyles, his eyes began to shine with a red glow that cast the lines of his face into stark relief. As his hands came up, each likewise was surrounded by a faint scarlet nimbus that seemed to emanate from within his flesh. </p><p></p><p>The warlock’s brought his hands together, and as the heels of his hands slapped, his fingers spread wide, the twin glows coalesced into an orb of coruscating red and black energies. The glowing sphere erupted from his grasp as soon as it was formed, flying up to strike the lead gargoyle solidly across its right shoulder. The creature screeched as the <em>eldritch blast</em> ripped into its unnatural hide. </p><p></p><p>Unfortunately for Navev, his attack made him the primary target. Two gargoyles swooped down upon him, lashing out with their hind claws. One clipped the side of his head, opening a bloody gash an inch long in his scalp. The blow staggered him, and he fell back, the gargoyles in hot pursuit. </p><p></p><p>Ukas let out a roar as he charged forward into the fray. Unconcerned by any tactical concerns, he merely swept his chain up into the torso of the nearest gargoyle as it dove, putting his full strength behind the swing. The gargoyle was hit hard enough to reverse the momentum of its dive, flying back several feet before it could recover. A second gargoyle swept around and came at the barbarian from behind, tearing a wicked series of gashes in his thick left bicep with a sweep of its claws. </p><p></p><p>Dar and Varo moved back to back as a trio of gargoyles landed around them and leapt to the attack. The fighter adjusted his stance to face two of them, scoring a hit with his sword that appeared to have no effect upon the creature. “How in the hells are we supposed to kill these things?” he asked no one in particular. </p><p></p><p>The last gargoyle dove at Tiros, blocking his route to Dar and Varo, its hind claws extended toward the marshal’s eye sockets. The old commander dove to the side, but he could not avoid a painful cut at the base of his neck as the claws tore blindly as his back. For a moment the gargoyle nearly had a grip on him, but then he fell free. The creature flapped its wings and landed a few feet away, turning to grin maliciously at the overmatched warrior. </p><p></p><p>“The marshal is in difficulty,” Varo pointed out, narrowly evading his foe’s first rush. </p><p></p><p>“I have my own problems!” Dar said, grimacing as he took several gashes to his less-protected arms. Thus far he was keeping his two foes at bay, but only barely. </p><p></p><p>Navev tried to flee, but one of his foes flew ahead of him and landed in his path. Behind him, the other was fast approaching, intending to cut him off. With no place to go, the warlock hit his foe with another <em>eldritch blast</em> at close range. The energies of the sphere savaged the gargoyle again, blasting a swath across its torso, but it was clear that the creature could absorb a fair amount of punishment. </p><p></p><p>Navev screamed as the two creatures leapt upon him. </p><p></p><p>Ukas grunted as gargoyle claws tore at his limbs. Blood was running down his arms and legs from several shallow gashes, but the half-orc, lost within a blind fighting rage, paid those little hurts no heed. The gargoyle in front of him was still hovering, slashing with its hind claws, while the one at his back was coming at him with claws, horn, and bite. </p><p></p><p>Taking up his chain, the barbarian swept it up into the injured gargoyle before him. The creature tried to dart back, but one end of the chain, weighted by an iron manacle, looped around its neck. The monster squeaked as Ukas heaved, yanking the gargoyle out of the air, and swinging it around until it collided into its companion. Both creatures fell to the ground, and Ukas released the chain as both of them got tangled up in the improvised weapon. </p><p></p><p>Dar felt a cold chill spread through his body as one of the gargoyles facing him scored a pair of hits with its claws. The wounds were not serious, but for a moment he felt his muscles going numb, his guard coming down. A surge of desperation filled him, and he barely fought off the effect. </p><p></p><p>“They have some kind of foul power!” he yelled to the cleric behind him. “Can you counter it?” </p><p></p><p>“If I had my sigil, perhaps,” Varo said. His foe, seeing that the cleric’s weapons could not harm it, surged eagerly forward. Varo waited, letting it cut him across the body, his armor absorbing most of the force of the blow. The attack still hurt... but not as much as the gargoyle did a moment later, as the priest of Dagos seized the creature’s wrist, and unleashed the power of an <em>inflict serious wounds</em> into it. The gargoyle screamed and pulled back as nasty cracks appeared in its arm and shoulder. </p><p></p><p>“You hurt it?” Dar asked over his shoulder, keeping his attention focused on his two adversaries. </p><p></p><p>“Yes, but not enough,” the cleric replied, as his enemy snarled and came at him again. </p><p></p><p>Tiros regained his footing just in time to meet the gargoyle’s renewed assault. Thus far, he had not even reached for the old sword at his belt, but as the gargoyle leapt at him for another attack, he snapped his fingers—the fingers of his right hand. </p><p></p><p>Out of nowhere, a longsword of brilliant blue steel appeared in the old marshal’s hand. The gargoyle, surprised, nevertheless continued its attack, only to scream as Tiros slashed the blade across the side of its body. The sword seemed to sing as it rang against the monster’s stony flesh, and a huge crack erupted in its side.</p><p></p><p>The gargoyle staggered back, newly cautious. </p><p></p><p>Dar caught a glimpse of the marshal fighting off the gargoyle out of the corner of his eye. <em>What in the hells?</em> he thought. He didn’t have time to consider further as one of his foes, overconfident at the fighter’s ineffectiveness thus far, leapt at him with claws extended toward his throat. The fighter quickly recovered and dodged, driving his sword up into the gargoyle’s side. The creature’s resistances absorbed much of the strength of the blow, but the critical hit nevertheless had obviously hurt it. </p><p></p><p>Unfortunately for Dar, the attack gave the creature’s companion an opening, and it leapt at him, tearing vicious gashes in his body as it threatened to bear him down beneath the fury of its assault. </p><p></p><p>A final cry came from the direction of Navev, and was suddenly cut off. The warlock had vanished beneath the flapping wings and emerald bodies of the attacking gargoyles. But now he reappeared as the two monsters flapped their wings and lifted into the air. They carried the motionless and bloody form of the warlock between them, Navev hanging limp in their claws as they slowly lifted him upward toward the roof of the mausoleum.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 3049006, member: 143"] Thanks, Synchronicity. And don't worry, there will be plenty of twists and misdirections to come in this story. :] * * * * * Chapter 4 THE MAUSOLEUM The gargoyles lifted into the air, their intent obvious. “Bows would have been right handy about now,” Dar said, drawing his sword. “Form a defensive ring!” Tiros shouted. But the gargoyles were already diving to the attack, and his companions were already launching their own counters. Navev had claimed a wickedly-spiked morningstar from the weapons provided by the Duke’s men, but he made no move for the ugly weapon stuck into his belt. As he looked up at the green gargoyles, his eyes began to shine with a red glow that cast the lines of his face into stark relief. As his hands came up, each likewise was surrounded by a faint scarlet nimbus that seemed to emanate from within his flesh. The warlock’s brought his hands together, and as the heels of his hands slapped, his fingers spread wide, the twin glows coalesced into an orb of coruscating red and black energies. The glowing sphere erupted from his grasp as soon as it was formed, flying up to strike the lead gargoyle solidly across its right shoulder. The creature screeched as the [i]eldritch blast[/i] ripped into its unnatural hide. Unfortunately for Navev, his attack made him the primary target. Two gargoyles swooped down upon him, lashing out with their hind claws. One clipped the side of his head, opening a bloody gash an inch long in his scalp. The blow staggered him, and he fell back, the gargoyles in hot pursuit. Ukas let out a roar as he charged forward into the fray. Unconcerned by any tactical concerns, he merely swept his chain up into the torso of the nearest gargoyle as it dove, putting his full strength behind the swing. The gargoyle was hit hard enough to reverse the momentum of its dive, flying back several feet before it could recover. A second gargoyle swept around and came at the barbarian from behind, tearing a wicked series of gashes in his thick left bicep with a sweep of its claws. Dar and Varo moved back to back as a trio of gargoyles landed around them and leapt to the attack. The fighter adjusted his stance to face two of them, scoring a hit with his sword that appeared to have no effect upon the creature. “How in the hells are we supposed to kill these things?” he asked no one in particular. The last gargoyle dove at Tiros, blocking his route to Dar and Varo, its hind claws extended toward the marshal’s eye sockets. The old commander dove to the side, but he could not avoid a painful cut at the base of his neck as the claws tore blindly as his back. For a moment the gargoyle nearly had a grip on him, but then he fell free. The creature flapped its wings and landed a few feet away, turning to grin maliciously at the overmatched warrior. “The marshal is in difficulty,” Varo pointed out, narrowly evading his foe’s first rush. “I have my own problems!” Dar said, grimacing as he took several gashes to his less-protected arms. Thus far he was keeping his two foes at bay, but only barely. Navev tried to flee, but one of his foes flew ahead of him and landed in his path. Behind him, the other was fast approaching, intending to cut him off. With no place to go, the warlock hit his foe with another [i]eldritch blast[/i] at close range. The energies of the sphere savaged the gargoyle again, blasting a swath across its torso, but it was clear that the creature could absorb a fair amount of punishment. Navev screamed as the two creatures leapt upon him. Ukas grunted as gargoyle claws tore at his limbs. Blood was running down his arms and legs from several shallow gashes, but the half-orc, lost within a blind fighting rage, paid those little hurts no heed. The gargoyle in front of him was still hovering, slashing with its hind claws, while the one at his back was coming at him with claws, horn, and bite. Taking up his chain, the barbarian swept it up into the injured gargoyle before him. The creature tried to dart back, but one end of the chain, weighted by an iron manacle, looped around its neck. The monster squeaked as Ukas heaved, yanking the gargoyle out of the air, and swinging it around until it collided into its companion. Both creatures fell to the ground, and Ukas released the chain as both of them got tangled up in the improvised weapon. Dar felt a cold chill spread through his body as one of the gargoyles facing him scored a pair of hits with its claws. The wounds were not serious, but for a moment he felt his muscles going numb, his guard coming down. A surge of desperation filled him, and he barely fought off the effect. “They have some kind of foul power!” he yelled to the cleric behind him. “Can you counter it?” “If I had my sigil, perhaps,” Varo said. His foe, seeing that the cleric’s weapons could not harm it, surged eagerly forward. Varo waited, letting it cut him across the body, his armor absorbing most of the force of the blow. The attack still hurt... but not as much as the gargoyle did a moment later, as the priest of Dagos seized the creature’s wrist, and unleashed the power of an [i]inflict serious wounds[/i] into it. The gargoyle screamed and pulled back as nasty cracks appeared in its arm and shoulder. “You hurt it?” Dar asked over his shoulder, keeping his attention focused on his two adversaries. “Yes, but not enough,” the cleric replied, as his enemy snarled and came at him again. Tiros regained his footing just in time to meet the gargoyle’s renewed assault. Thus far, he had not even reached for the old sword at his belt, but as the gargoyle leapt at him for another attack, he snapped his fingers—the fingers of his right hand. Out of nowhere, a longsword of brilliant blue steel appeared in the old marshal’s hand. The gargoyle, surprised, nevertheless continued its attack, only to scream as Tiros slashed the blade across the side of its body. The sword seemed to sing as it rang against the monster’s stony flesh, and a huge crack erupted in its side. The gargoyle staggered back, newly cautious. Dar caught a glimpse of the marshal fighting off the gargoyle out of the corner of his eye. [i]What in the hells?[/i] he thought. He didn’t have time to consider further as one of his foes, overconfident at the fighter’s ineffectiveness thus far, leapt at him with claws extended toward his throat. The fighter quickly recovered and dodged, driving his sword up into the gargoyle’s side. The creature’s resistances absorbed much of the strength of the blow, but the critical hit nevertheless had obviously hurt it. Unfortunately for Dar, the attack gave the creature’s companion an opening, and it leapt at him, tearing vicious gashes in his body as it threatened to bear him down beneath the fury of its assault. A final cry came from the direction of Navev, and was suddenly cut off. The warlock had vanished beneath the flapping wings and emerald bodies of the attacking gargoyles. But now he reappeared as the two monsters flapped their wings and lifted into the air. They carried the motionless and bloody form of the warlock between them, Navev hanging limp in their claws as they slowly lifted him upward toward the roof of the mausoleum. [/QUOTE]
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