FOUNDATION OF FLAME PART 4: HOOKFACE’ REVENGE
Hookface crouched on the mountaintop above her lair, gazing out over the heights towards the lurid glow in the distance. She had felt the tremors several hours ago, and now it seemed as if a full-scale eruption was eminent. She knew for a fact that the mountain had lain dormant for over three hundred years. For it suddenly to awaken like this, and reach its current point of activity was not natural. Not that the dragon particularly cared about the impending destruction of Cauldron, but all the noise was interrupting her rest. Still, there was a bright side to this. Now the city would be empty, and ripe for the plundering. Furthermore, the old hermit had told her, albeit after extensive ‘interrogation,’ that the adventurers responsible for the death of her son, Gotrrod, had come from Cauldron. Again, she wasn’t particularly saddened about her offspring…once the little ingrates left her lair they were no longer her concern as long as they stayed out of her territory…but there was a principle involved. After all, how would it look to others of her kind is she simply allowed her children to be slaughtered like cattle, unless of course it was her doing the slaughtering? So it seemed she would be able to kill two birds with this particular stone. She spread her great wings and took to the sky, smiling to herself at the prospect of gold and blood.
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The Bright Axes had made their way out of the city and to the safe house Jenya had procured as a staging headquarters for the evacuation. Cauldron had been completely emptied of its populace, and now they were encamped near the base of the volcano, preparing to depart at first light towards the safety of Redgorge. The heroes had given their report to the high priestess, and were preparing themselves for a short, but much needed rest. The weary adventurers felt secure in their surroundings, and so posted no watch, contrary to their usual habit of late. So it was, that in the deepest part of the night, they were all awakened by a soft, blue light suddenly flooding the darkness of their room. All of the seasoned warriors were on their feet in an instant, weapons at hand, suspecting some foul, new attack on the part of the Cage Wrights. They were therefore taken completely aback by the sight that greeted them. Standing in the center of the room was a tall being, with green skin and a shaved head. Great feathered, white wings lay folded against his back, and he wore robes of the purest ivory. He clasped a golden horn in one hand, and when he turned to regard each of them, they could see that in place of one eye, there was a glowing red orb, which constantly trickled a thin stream of acrid smoke. “Hello my old friends,” the creature said in a voice like silver rain. “Do not fear me, for I am one who was once known to you and called you all allies. I am he who was Pez, and also Caine, and I return to you now with tidings, and a gift.” “Pez?” Rusty exclaimed in an uncharacteristically husky voice. “Is it really you lad?” “Caine?” Grimm asked. “How can this be?” “Be at peace,” the archon replied. “There was a time when I dishonored the celestial host, and it was deemed that I should suffer penance for my transgression. As the one you knew as Pez, I was sent here to live as a mortal, so that I might learn humility. That was but the first lesson. The next was compassion, and so I came to you once more as Caine, to teach you that violence and death are not the only path to victory. Now I am redeemed, and have once again taken my place among my brothers. Yet I find that I cannot put aside the bonds that I forged when I walked this earth. I have watched you and witnessed the great things you have accomplished, and I also have foreseen the path that still lies ahead of you. You have yet to face your greatest challenges, and much sorrow will be visited upon you. It is with sadness that I say I cannot directly aid you along this road, but there is one need that I may fulfill. When we journeyed to Occipitus together, it was I who took the mark of the Smoking Eye. However, if you are to have any hope of seeing your quest through to its conclusion, one of you must now bear it. Grimm, you tried to take this burden from me at the Skull, and it cost you dearly. Now I give to you that which you would willingly have received.” The archon approached Grimm, and the half-ogre knelt before him. Placing one hand upon the warrior’s head, the celestial closed both of his eyes. A moment later, when he opened them, they were both of the purest blue once more. When Grimm raised his head, however, his left eye was gone, replaced by the mark of Occipitus. “There is no more I can do for you, my friends,” the archon said. “Go your way and know that what you seek to do has greater ramifications than you can imagine. Heaven and Hell will pay close heed.” With that, the angel vanished, leaving the room in darkness once again, save for the glow from a single, red eye.
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It was the great sage Dalthon who once said, there is no rest for the weary. Truer words had never been spoken, and with the coming of dawn, the Bright Axes continued to learn that lesson. A frantic pounding on the door by one of Jenya’s acolytes awakened them. “My lords!” the boy babbled. “You are summoned! Come now, and hurry!” Muttering and cursing, the company collected their gear and followed the young cleric to the rooftop widow’s walk of the manor house. There, they found Jenya staring intently towards Cauldron. “What’s so fascinatin’ at this ungodly hour?” Rusty asked sarcastically. “There,” she replied, pointing. At first the group could not see what she was indicating. Dark clouds and flashes of energy still enveloped the city, making it difficult to discern any details, but then one particularly bright explosion revealed the circling form of a huge dragon over the central lake. “She’s been there since before dawn,” Jenya said. “The sentries first spied her as she was setting fire to some of the buildings that were still intact.” “She?” Kiko asked. “Yes,” said Jenya. “I believe it is Hookface, a dragon rumored to have lived in this area for centuries. She has not been seen nor heard from in decades, and many now believe her to be a myth. They are obviously mistaken.” “I’d say so,” Rusty replied, “and it looks like that myth is headed this way.”
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Hookface was disappointed. She had been circling the city for hours now, and had found no sign of treasure. The city was empty, and most likely all the magic had been taken by the evacuees. She had noticed the refugee encampment on the way in, but had paid it little heed, thinking the larger haul would be found within Cauldron itself. Now she began winging her way towards the base of the volcano, using her keen senses to detect the taint of magic below. As she approached a large outlying estate, she instantly felt the familiar tingling that told her a large stock of magic was nearby. She pinpointed the area to the rooftop of the manor house, where she could see a group of humans gathered. Only adventurers tended to carry such a large supply of magic on their persons. Could she be so fortunate as to have found Gotrrod’s killers as well? Tiamat be praised!
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“Take cover!” Rusty cried, but it was too late. The great wyrm deftly turned on one wing and raked the entire roof of the manor with its fiery breath. As the Bright Axes and Jenya scattered, the dragon soared directly over them, snatching Kiko with one mighty claw as she passed. Grimm leaped to his feet and ran for the edge of the roof as Hookface retreated. With all his formidable strength, he snapped his chain out directly in front of the dragon’s face as she flew by. With a roar of surprise, Hookface back-winged abruptly, coming to a stop in mid-air. Grimm wasted no time, lashing out at her twice more, going for the kill this time. Kiko used the momentary distraction to gather his ki to him and step between dimensions to the relative safety of the ground below. Bellowing in anger, Hookface lashed her tree-like tail behind her, sweeping Grimm off his feet. She beat her wings furiously, struggling to regain altitude and come around for another attack. As she circled above the rooftop, Gunther managed to get off one spell, blasting her from behind with searing light. “Get below!” Grimm shouted. “All of you!” Quickly, Jenya, Tilly, Gunther, and Dalthon, followed closely by Grimm, descended the stairs back inside the manor house. Once below, Jenya wove a spell of healing over them all, soothing the worst of their burns. “Dalthon,” Grimm said once he’d caught his breath. “I need to be able to fly.” The sorcerer readily obliged, casting the spell upon the half-ogre. “This might help too,” Gunther offered, weaving a charm of prolonged invisibility on Grimm as well.
Back on the rooftop, one of the Bright Axes had remained behind. Rusty knew he had to cover the retreat of his comrades to safety. Hookface was coming around for another attack, and Rusty attempted his own searing light as she drew near. However, despite his long battle experience, he found himself unnerved at the wyrm’s approach, and his shot went wide of the mark. As he struggled to call up another spell, the dragon fell upon him, grabbing him with her forepaw and carrying him into the air.
At that moment, Grimm reached the roof once more. Leaping into the air, he struggled to close the distance between himself and the dragon, hoping his invisibility would mask his approach. “I smell you, little worm,” the dragon hissed, coiling her neck to peer behind her. “Your parlor tricks do not impress me.” “Well, what’dya think of this one?” Rusty shouted, as his right arm suddenly morphed into a gleaming, razor sharp blade…the aspect of a sword archon!
Tilly availed himself of one of Dalthon’s fly charms, and quickly bolted back to the roof, pausing only to invoke the power of the ring he wore to render himself invisible. On the ground below, Kiko also took flight, using the winged boots he had come to love so well.
“You might impress me more dwarf if I actually gave you a chance to bring that pig-sticker to bear!” Hookface cackled, and then she tightened her grip around the priest, squeezing the breath from his lungs. At the same time, she beat her mighty wings, easily outdistancing Grimm as she flew back towards the city. Rusty gasped and wheezed as he tried desperately to draw air. Blindly, he thrust his sword arm at the dragon, and felt it sink deeply into her hide. Hookface screamed, and squeezed harder. Rusty felt his sight grow dim. Behind her, Hookface saw that two more of the adventurers were now airborne, and pursuing her. She could still sense the invisible half-ogre as well. Though no sorcerer, she had learned a few tricks in her long years. Calling upon her innate magic, she willed herself to become invisible, and before the startled eyes of Kiko and Tilly, the huge beast simply vanished. Kiko cried out in rage, and charged ahead towards the last place he had seen the dragon. No sooner had he reached the spot, than he was thrown back several yards as Hookface’ invisible tail smashed into him. Hookface laughed at this game she was enjoying so thoroughly. How wonderful it was to experience the thrill of the kill once more. Confident in her ability to best these so-called adventurers, she plunged towards the street with Rusty, landing in the middle of a large square.
Gunther and Dalthon watched the aerial battle from the manor roof. “We’ve got to do something,” Gunther said grimly. “I can’t just stand her and watch Rusty die.” Without another word, the theurge hurled himself over the side of the roof, and gently drifted to the ground below, thanks to the enchanted, levitating boots that he wore. He then set off towards the city gate at a steady trot. Dalthon shook his head, praying to all the gods to keep fools safe. He then cast a fly spell on himself and took to the air.
Grimm had no problem seeing Hookface. The half-ogre’s extensive training in extra-planar combat had given him the ability to see invisible creatures at will. He charged the dragon at full speed, laying into her with all his power. Though his blows were telling, the wyrm kept her back turned to him. “I’ll deal with you in a moment, fool!” she cried, and then with snapping jaws and rending claws, she tore into Rusty. The priest fought back feebly, before lapsing into death-like stillness. Satisfied, Hookface cast his body aside, then turned towards Grimm.
Gunther cried out in anguish from a nearby alleyway as he saw Rusty’s limp form strike the cobblestones. Knowing the dragon was still in the area, the theurge layered the entire square with a dispelling field. Instantaneously, the massive wyrm appeared. Tilly had been hovering above the square, waiting for the right opportunity. He now saw his chance, and darted in towards the dragon’s flank. Hookface was a clever opponent, however, and as she sensed the halfling approaching, she struck out, snatching him from the air with her scythe-like jaws and shaking him like a dog with a bone. At that same moment, Grimm lashed out again, landing blow after withering blow. Kiko, somewhat recovered from the beating he had taken, moved in as well, trying to draw the dragon’s attention and goad her into releasing the hapless halfling. Then, from above, a heavy barrage of magic missiles bombarded Hookface as Dalthon joined the fray. Enraged, Hookface unleashed her fiery breath once more. Tilly, still trapped in her mouth, took the full brunt of the blast. His death was instantaneous. Kiko and Gunther also felt the flames upon them, and then Kiko found himself once more sailing thru the air as Hookface’ tail batted him aside like a fly. The great dragon knew she was mortally wounded, but she intended to take every last one of these creatures to Hell with her. Further opportunity was denied her, though, as one last time, Grimm’s devastating chain bit into her. She crashed to the ground with the impact of a small earthquake, her legend finally at and end.
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Gunther breathed a brief sigh of relief when he saw that Rusty still lived, and then he hurried to what was left of Tilly. Praying he was not too late, he cast his spell of revivify. Immediately, the halfling’s flesh began to regenerate and heal, and in moments his eyes opened and he breathed once more. The Bright Axes all smiled despite their injuries. Once again, their people had been saved by their hands. Perhaps things would be all right after all. None of them, however, saw the yawning portal that suddenly appeared behind them. As it expanded, it engulfed them all in one fell swoop, and then vanished as quickly as it had come, taking the heroes with it…
