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Travels through the Wild West: a Forgotten Realms Story
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 1382" data-attributes="member: 143"><p><strong>Part 3</strong></p><p></p><p>Part 3</p><p></p><p>Benzan was quick to react. “Ambush!” he cried, darting to his feet at the same moment that a half-dozen armed men burst into their camp, weapons drawn and intentions clear. </p><p></p><p>For a moment things looked dismal. Despite Cal’s warning, the suddenness of the attack caught all of them, save the agile Benzan, off guard. He lashed out with his longsword at the first of three attackers to rush him. The stroke penetrated the man’s scale armor, hurting him but not taking him down. His companions lunged in, scoring two hits on Benzan through his armor. Suddenly, only moments into the fight, he looked about to fall, bleeding from the severe wounds. </p><p></p><p>The gnome was isolated on the far side of the fire, so the other attackers fanned out to attack Lok and Delem. Two attacked the genasi, but their blows might as well been with practice swords for all that they did through his heavy armor. The last darted around toward Delem, whose eyes widened with horror as the man leered at his unarmored and virtually unarmed opponent. Had the brigand been more experienced, he might have recognized what that combination signified, here in the Realms. Delem darted back inelegantly, taking a glancing blow to his shoulder from the man’s sword. He fell back hard against the remnants of a wall, trapped. </p><p></p><p>Once the companions were able to react to the assault, though, the tide of the battle quickly turned. Cal acted first, almost indignant that none of the bandits had targeted him. “Overlook me, will you!” he shouted, as he drew a slender wand from a hidden pocket in his coat. He stepped around the fire, and approached two of the men attacking Benzan. “Hey, look at this!” he said, to catch their attention.</p><p></p><p>A stream of blinding colors erupted from the wand, catching up the two bandits in its wake. The color spray lasted only an instant, but when it had faded, both men were lying unconscious, their senses overloaded by the magical display.</p><p></p><p>Benzan took advantage of the distraction to attack his remaining opponent, but the bandit caught his stroke on his own sword. For a moment the two hung on the parry, the bandit’s ragged face only a foot from his own. </p><p></p><p>“I never liked you, half-breed. You made a big mistake stealing from Guthan,” the bandit hissed at him. </p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, Delem’s opponent had him cornered. His eyes shown with a feral glint that he matched with a dark smile. “No… don’t… make me…” Delem begged, as he approached for a final strike. </p><p> </p><p>Misunderstanding his fear, the evil warrior lunged forward. Delem cried out and pushed out his hand, as if that alone could repel the bandit. The man’s gloating look was replaced by one of surprise, though, as a fan of roaring flames erupted from Delem’s hand, slashing into him with a roar and the tang of roasted flesh. The bandit lashed out at Delem blindly as the flames died, cutting him again and knocking him prone.</p><p></p><p>“No… no…” Delem sobbed, his eyes witnessing something entirely different than the deadly melee around him, a remembered scene from the past.</p><p></p><p>Lok took another several hits from his attackers, but none of them penetrated his armor. Now he struck back, slamming his axe into one bandit so hard that the man nearly fell into the fire. Saved from instant death by his armor, he and his companion suddenly looked reluctant to continue the battle against this dangerous opponent. </p><p></p><p>Then, abruptly, a globe of absolute darkness fell over the camp. </p><p></p><p>“It’s a spell!” Cal’s voice sounded through the confusion that followed. “Retreat out of it, and you’ll be able to see!”</p><p></p><p>Taking his own advice, he dodged back with agility until the utter dark of the spell was replaced by the comparatively bright darkness of the overcast night. Luckily, his gnomish eyes could see clearly in even this meager light. As he watched, he saw Delem crawl blindly out of the ruin a few feet away, followed a few moments later by a bandit, still trying to finish him off by the sounds of his passage. He didn’t hear Cal, but he felt the crossbow bolt that sank to the feathers in his chest, knocking him roughly to the ground. Delem, confused and injured, continued to seek escape, stumbling through the brush.</p><p></p><p>Lok and his two attackers emerged from the darkness together. The genasi had a slight trickle of blood running down the side of his head from a lucky stroke in the darkness, but the injury was a slight one. As the two bandits came on him simultaneously, he slashed his battleaxe in a welcoming arc backed by all his considerable strength. The first went down with half his side caved in, and then, so quickly that the other could only gurgle in surprised pain, he switched momentum and cleaved the second’s skull in with his backswing. Both bandits fell to the ground, dead. </p><p></p><p>Two attackers were down, but Lok did not see another that crept up behind him. Suddenly, though, his limbs felt leaden, his muscles refusing to obey his commands. He stiffened, paralyzed. </p><p></p><p>Benzan emerged from the darkness a short distance away, limping from the loss of blood and the pain of his injuries. His sword, however, was also bloody, and no bandit followed him out of the darkness. Even as he finished moving, though, he took a small vial from a pouch at his belt, and downed the contents in a single gulp. The elixir worked its magic swiftly, and soon the bleeding stopped. </p><p></p><p>He looked around to get his bearings, and saw the genasi standing motionless a few strides away. “Look out, Lok!” he shouted in warning. </p><p></p><p>But the genasi could not react, helpless as his attacker came up behind him and slammed him hard in the back of his skull with his mace. Lok fell face down, and it wasn’t clear if even he could have survived such a stroke. </p><p></p><p>“You bastard,” Benzan said, raising his sword in challenge. </p><p></p><p>The newcomer was wreathed in robes that concealed the details of his form, and he wore a cloth mask that shrouded his features in blank darkness. When he spoke, his voice was like the whisper of velvet over smooth stone. </p><p> </p><p>“You were a fool, to think you could escape me,” he hissed. “The Lord of Shadows sees all that creep away in the night, even if they hide behind new friends.” He glanced down at the fallen genasi. “Although it is a wonder that any would trust a bastard tiefling rogue, who are known for their duplicitous natures…”</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s finish this, Guthan,” Benzan said in response, launching himself at the evil cleric with a sudden fury. The two met and exchanged blows, and it was quickly clear that Guthan wore mail under his robes, for the first stroke was turned with the sound of metal striking metal.</p><p></p><p>“Flee, fool—you cannot win!” Guthan said, and as Benzan felt a chill sweep through him he knew that the words were backed by a magic spell. He gritted his teeth, and somehow managed to resist the power of the enchantment. He struck again, and this time hit home, feeling his blade bite deep under the robes. The cleric danced back, injured. </p><p></p><p>“Ah, so the fly has a sting! Well then, follow me—if you dare!” And with that, he darted into the sphere of darkness. </p><p></p><p>Benzan nearly did that, but Cal appeared around the edges of the darkness, his crossbow again at the ready in his hands. “Be wary,” he said. “The followers of Mask have deadly instincts fighting in the darkness.” Benzan saw that Delem was with the gnome as well, hovering back a few feet, giving the darkness a wide berth. </p><p></p><p>“Are you all right?” the gnome asked him.</p><p></p><p>“He killed Lok,” Benzan said, gesturing to where the genasi lie, not taking his eyes off of the darkness. Nothing stirred, though—if the cleric was still inside, he was not making noise. </p><p></p><p>The gnome bent over the fallen genasi. “By the gods, he’s alive—somehow,” Cal told him. “Cover me,” he said, as he dug a wand—another one—out of another pocket. He touched it to the genasi’s side, and whispered a command word. A blue glow spread from the tip of the wand, fading into the battered genasi’s body, restoring him. </p><p></p><p>“I didn’t know you were a cleric,” Benzan said. </p><p></p><p>“We bards can channel some of the gift,” Cal said. “A friend of mine sold me this, and I’ve found that healing wands are a useful thing to have around, if you can afford them.” He glanced down to check the effect of the glow on the fighter. “He’s hurt bad, this might take a minute,” the gnome said, extending the wand again. “Keep an eye on—”</p><p></p><p>He was interrupted by a violent rumble that shattered the night, a sound of shattering stone that came from the center of the ruin where the darkness still held sway. That sound was followed by a scream, a cry of agony that mercifully ended after an instant. That was followed by something even worse, though, an unfamiliar sound that each of them gradually realized with horror was the sound of rending flesh. </p><p></p><p>“What in the hells?” Benzan said, stepping involuntarily backward from the globe of darkness. Cal had not risen from Lok’s side, although his face had darkened. Delem blanched, and it wasn’t clear what force was keeping him there with them—he looked as though every bit of instinct in him was telling him to bolt.</p><p></p><p>The horrible sounds subsided somewhat, but the silence that replaced them was even more forbidding. Benzan reached reflexively for his bow, only to realize that he’d left it by the fireside in their camp. His fingers tightened on the hilt of his sword. </p><p></p><p>And then it came out of the darkness, somehow silent despite its massive bulk. It was huge, its skin mottled and gray, its eyes burning with an ember of dark hatred as it looked upon them. It looked like an ogre, a common if powerful threat in these frontier regions, but as they looked upon it, they realized that this thing was no living being, but rather one of the undead, animated by evil power with a hunger for living flesh. </p><p></p><p>Apparently, what it had gotten from the cleric and his followers had only whetted its appetite. </p><p></p><p>“Oh, sh—”</p><p></p><p>Benzan did not even get to finish his thought as the creature lashed into him.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 1382, member: 143"] [b]Part 3[/b] Part 3 Benzan was quick to react. “Ambush!” he cried, darting to his feet at the same moment that a half-dozen armed men burst into their camp, weapons drawn and intentions clear. For a moment things looked dismal. Despite Cal’s warning, the suddenness of the attack caught all of them, save the agile Benzan, off guard. He lashed out with his longsword at the first of three attackers to rush him. The stroke penetrated the man’s scale armor, hurting him but not taking him down. His companions lunged in, scoring two hits on Benzan through his armor. Suddenly, only moments into the fight, he looked about to fall, bleeding from the severe wounds. The gnome was isolated on the far side of the fire, so the other attackers fanned out to attack Lok and Delem. Two attacked the genasi, but their blows might as well been with practice swords for all that they did through his heavy armor. The last darted around toward Delem, whose eyes widened with horror as the man leered at his unarmored and virtually unarmed opponent. Had the brigand been more experienced, he might have recognized what that combination signified, here in the Realms. Delem darted back inelegantly, taking a glancing blow to his shoulder from the man’s sword. He fell back hard against the remnants of a wall, trapped. Once the companions were able to react to the assault, though, the tide of the battle quickly turned. Cal acted first, almost indignant that none of the bandits had targeted him. “Overlook me, will you!” he shouted, as he drew a slender wand from a hidden pocket in his coat. He stepped around the fire, and approached two of the men attacking Benzan. “Hey, look at this!” he said, to catch their attention. A stream of blinding colors erupted from the wand, catching up the two bandits in its wake. The color spray lasted only an instant, but when it had faded, both men were lying unconscious, their senses overloaded by the magical display. Benzan took advantage of the distraction to attack his remaining opponent, but the bandit caught his stroke on his own sword. For a moment the two hung on the parry, the bandit’s ragged face only a foot from his own. “I never liked you, half-breed. You made a big mistake stealing from Guthan,” the bandit hissed at him. Meanwhile, Delem’s opponent had him cornered. His eyes shown with a feral glint that he matched with a dark smile. “No… don’t… make me…” Delem begged, as he approached for a final strike. Misunderstanding his fear, the evil warrior lunged forward. Delem cried out and pushed out his hand, as if that alone could repel the bandit. The man’s gloating look was replaced by one of surprise, though, as a fan of roaring flames erupted from Delem’s hand, slashing into him with a roar and the tang of roasted flesh. The bandit lashed out at Delem blindly as the flames died, cutting him again and knocking him prone. “No… no…” Delem sobbed, his eyes witnessing something entirely different than the deadly melee around him, a remembered scene from the past. Lok took another several hits from his attackers, but none of them penetrated his armor. Now he struck back, slamming his axe into one bandit so hard that the man nearly fell into the fire. Saved from instant death by his armor, he and his companion suddenly looked reluctant to continue the battle against this dangerous opponent. Then, abruptly, a globe of absolute darkness fell over the camp. “It’s a spell!” Cal’s voice sounded through the confusion that followed. “Retreat out of it, and you’ll be able to see!” Taking his own advice, he dodged back with agility until the utter dark of the spell was replaced by the comparatively bright darkness of the overcast night. Luckily, his gnomish eyes could see clearly in even this meager light. As he watched, he saw Delem crawl blindly out of the ruin a few feet away, followed a few moments later by a bandit, still trying to finish him off by the sounds of his passage. He didn’t hear Cal, but he felt the crossbow bolt that sank to the feathers in his chest, knocking him roughly to the ground. Delem, confused and injured, continued to seek escape, stumbling through the brush. Lok and his two attackers emerged from the darkness together. The genasi had a slight trickle of blood running down the side of his head from a lucky stroke in the darkness, but the injury was a slight one. As the two bandits came on him simultaneously, he slashed his battleaxe in a welcoming arc backed by all his considerable strength. The first went down with half his side caved in, and then, so quickly that the other could only gurgle in surprised pain, he switched momentum and cleaved the second’s skull in with his backswing. Both bandits fell to the ground, dead. Two attackers were down, but Lok did not see another that crept up behind him. Suddenly, though, his limbs felt leaden, his muscles refusing to obey his commands. He stiffened, paralyzed. Benzan emerged from the darkness a short distance away, limping from the loss of blood and the pain of his injuries. His sword, however, was also bloody, and no bandit followed him out of the darkness. Even as he finished moving, though, he took a small vial from a pouch at his belt, and downed the contents in a single gulp. The elixir worked its magic swiftly, and soon the bleeding stopped. He looked around to get his bearings, and saw the genasi standing motionless a few strides away. “Look out, Lok!” he shouted in warning. But the genasi could not react, helpless as his attacker came up behind him and slammed him hard in the back of his skull with his mace. Lok fell face down, and it wasn’t clear if even he could have survived such a stroke. “You bastard,” Benzan said, raising his sword in challenge. The newcomer was wreathed in robes that concealed the details of his form, and he wore a cloth mask that shrouded his features in blank darkness. When he spoke, his voice was like the whisper of velvet over smooth stone. “You were a fool, to think you could escape me,” he hissed. “The Lord of Shadows sees all that creep away in the night, even if they hide behind new friends.” He glanced down at the fallen genasi. “Although it is a wonder that any would trust a bastard tiefling rogue, who are known for their duplicitous natures…” “Let’s finish this, Guthan,” Benzan said in response, launching himself at the evil cleric with a sudden fury. The two met and exchanged blows, and it was quickly clear that Guthan wore mail under his robes, for the first stroke was turned with the sound of metal striking metal. “Flee, fool—you cannot win!” Guthan said, and as Benzan felt a chill sweep through him he knew that the words were backed by a magic spell. He gritted his teeth, and somehow managed to resist the power of the enchantment. He struck again, and this time hit home, feeling his blade bite deep under the robes. The cleric danced back, injured. “Ah, so the fly has a sting! Well then, follow me—if you dare!” And with that, he darted into the sphere of darkness. Benzan nearly did that, but Cal appeared around the edges of the darkness, his crossbow again at the ready in his hands. “Be wary,” he said. “The followers of Mask have deadly instincts fighting in the darkness.” Benzan saw that Delem was with the gnome as well, hovering back a few feet, giving the darkness a wide berth. “Are you all right?” the gnome asked him. “He killed Lok,” Benzan said, gesturing to where the genasi lie, not taking his eyes off of the darkness. Nothing stirred, though—if the cleric was still inside, he was not making noise. The gnome bent over the fallen genasi. “By the gods, he’s alive—somehow,” Cal told him. “Cover me,” he said, as he dug a wand—another one—out of another pocket. He touched it to the genasi’s side, and whispered a command word. A blue glow spread from the tip of the wand, fading into the battered genasi’s body, restoring him. “I didn’t know you were a cleric,” Benzan said. “We bards can channel some of the gift,” Cal said. “A friend of mine sold me this, and I’ve found that healing wands are a useful thing to have around, if you can afford them.” He glanced down to check the effect of the glow on the fighter. “He’s hurt bad, this might take a minute,” the gnome said, extending the wand again. “Keep an eye on—” He was interrupted by a violent rumble that shattered the night, a sound of shattering stone that came from the center of the ruin where the darkness still held sway. That sound was followed by a scream, a cry of agony that mercifully ended after an instant. That was followed by something even worse, though, an unfamiliar sound that each of them gradually realized with horror was the sound of rending flesh. “What in the hells?” Benzan said, stepping involuntarily backward from the globe of darkness. Cal had not risen from Lok’s side, although his face had darkened. Delem blanched, and it wasn’t clear what force was keeping him there with them—he looked as though every bit of instinct in him was telling him to bolt. The horrible sounds subsided somewhat, but the silence that replaced them was even more forbidding. Benzan reached reflexively for his bow, only to realize that he’d left it by the fireside in their camp. His fingers tightened on the hilt of his sword. And then it came out of the darkness, somehow silent despite its massive bulk. It was huge, its skin mottled and gray, its eyes burning with an ember of dark hatred as it looked upon them. It looked like an ogre, a common if powerful threat in these frontier regions, but as they looked upon it, they realized that this thing was no living being, but rather one of the undead, animated by evil power with a hunger for living flesh. Apparently, what it had gotten from the cleric and his followers had only whetted its appetite. “Oh, sh—” Benzan did not even get to finish his thought as the creature lashed into him. [/QUOTE]
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