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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7162653" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 55</p><p></p><p>With a deep growl Kosk tore the pick embedded in his side free and tossed the bloody weapon aside. The goblin, smiling at its handiwork, drew out a dagger and lunged forward to finish him off. But the little humanoid didn’t expect the monk’s sudden pivot, or the foot that snapped up and cracked it under the jaw.</p><p></p><p>The goblin was flung backwards to where it had started, bouncing off the front of the vanity. The dresser wobbled, then cracked as Kosk slammed his staff down where the goblin’s head had been a moment before. The creature had obviously decided that this foe was too much for it, for it ducked and dove back into the cover of the piled up furnishings, disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared.</p><p></p><p>Bredan carefully tore away broken bits of wood as he tried to get to Glori. He could see where the axe had struck, and the blood that was soaking through her vest to stain her tunic. Her lyre had been shattered by the impact, and one of her hands was tangled up in the broken strings.</p><p></p><p>“Glori…” he said, trying to think of something to do.</p><p></p><p>“Bredan!” came a panicked yell from behind him. That cut through the bard’s haze of pain more than his calling her name had, and the confusion in her eyes cleared as they met his. “Go!” she yelled, pushing at him with her bloody hand. “I’m… fine!”</p><p></p><p>It was clear that she was anything but, but Bredan knew he couldn’t help her until they were out of danger. He rose up, grasping his sword as he turned. He saw the enemy at once, a brutish hulk of a monster that was making a surprisingly sinuous approach through the maze of crates. Off to his right Kosk was fighting a goblin, but Bredan’s attention was fixed entirely on the primary foe. He recognized its type from the bodies they’d encountered at the shrine of the Eth’barat, but those corpses were nothing like this very alive and very vital foe that was coming forward to face him. He flashed back to his battle with the half-ogre in the kobold lair, but there at least he’d had the power of a magic potion pulsing through his veins, not to mention room to swing his sword.</p><p></p><p>But there was no more time to consider tactics; the bugbear was right in front of him.</p><p></p><p>Bredan came at Gakrak cautiously, wary of the clutter that surrounded them both. That proved prescient as the giant goblinoid abruptly kicked a loose crate in his direction. The crate was empty and did little damage as it bounced off Bredan’s left hip, but it left him off-balance for just a moment. The bugbear exploited its advantage with a speed that belied its size, sweeping the axe around for a killing blow.</p><p></p><p>But Bredan was fast as well. He brought his sword up as he dodged, the two steel blades filling the room with a loud ring that echoed off the surrounding walls. The impact knocked Bredan sideways into a stack of loose barrels that tottered threateningly against his weight. He managed to pull himself clear before he toppled over with them, a scant instant before his foe’s axe smashed into one and shattered it into kindling.</p><p></p><p>Xeeta shifted in the narrow space, looking for an opening for her <em>fire bolt</em>. As Bredan was flung aside she raised her rod and summoned her magic, only to lose the spell as a sharp pain exploded in her back.</p><p></p><p>Biting back a cry of pain, she turned to see that the goblin that Kosk had frightened off had returned. The creature looked pathetic in a moth-eaten linen shirt that had probably been scavenged, like all of the other junk that filled the room. But there was nothing pathetic in the silver-edged dagger it carried, already stained with her blood.</p><p></p><p>Stumbling back to gain space, Xeeta lifted her rod and unleashed a <em>fire bolt</em> from the tip. But at the last instant she had to dodge as the goblin tried to stab her, and the spell flashed wide past its target. It was perhaps fortunate that it struck the wall rather than the highly-flammable wooden and cloth furnishings stacked throughout the room, which might have complicated matters for both sides.</p><p></p><p>Glori finally managed to pull herself up out of the ruins of the crate where she’d fallen. Still wincing with the pain that shot through her body with each movement, she struggled to unlimber her bow. Her fingers felt thick and unresponsive as she fumbled for an arrow.</p><p></p><p>Kosk leapt up onto the heaped chairs and crates that partitioned the room. The uneven platform wavered under his feet, but he easily maintained his balance as he thrust his staff out at the bugbear. But the creature ducked back before the iron-tipped end of the staff could connect. Bredan took advantage of the distraction to regain a stable footing. He thrust forward with his heavy blade, forcing the bugbear back another step.</p><p></p><p>A shifting motion behind the bugbear drew their attention just as the upturned couch fell over and Quellan rose up behind it. The durabaility granted by his orcish heritage had allowed him to barely cling to consciousness even with the terrible wound in his side gushing blood. Bolstered by a quick <em>cure wounds</em> spell, the cleric had a fire in his eyes as he lifted his mace and charged at the bugbear from behind. Gakrak heard him coming but couldn’t pivot with two foes facing him from ahead. But as Quellan slammed him with his mace the bugbear turned with the blow, absorbing what had to be a painful hit while thrusting back with the long haft of his weapon. The half-orc was struck hard in the gut, and he slumped once more to the floor. As Quellan struggled to draw in a breath the bugbear lifted his axe to finish him off.</p><p></p><p>“Die, you bloody bastard!” Kosk yelled. He jumped onto an adjacent chair, intending to leap onto the bugbear before he could strike down his friend, but even as he landed on it he could feel the rotten wood give way. The chair disintegrated, as did the empty crates underneath as the dwarf fell heavily onto them. For a moment Kosk vanished within the wreckage, the curses rising from the collapse telling them he was only temporarily out of the fight.</p><p></p><p>Gakrak chuckled at the dwarf’s would-be heroics, but shot Bredan a quick glance. The young warrior raised his sword and charged, but he was too late to stop the big goblinoid from driving his axe down into Quellan’s back, slamming the hapless cleric to the floor. Bredan yelled and lunged, but the bugbear spun quickly and almost casually knocked his thrust aside with the haft of his axe.</p><p></p><p>“You next,” Gakrak said to Bredan.</p><p></p><p>Although she was engaged with her own foe, Xeeta could hear the titanic clashes of her allies against the bugbear and knew that they needed her help. She thought that her display of magic, inaccurate as it was, would drive the already-injured goblin to seek cover again, but to her surprise the creature sprang forward to attack. She brought her rod up to try to deflect its lunge, but to her surprise it reached up and grabbed hold of her focus instead of trying to stab her again. The unexpected maneuver caught her off guard, and the goblin was able to yank the ebony rod free of her grasp after just a quick struggle for possession.</p><p></p><p>The goblin lifted its prize, a feral look of triumph on its face. But that triumph faded when Xeeta raised her hand and flames burst from her fingers.</p><p></p><p>“I don’t need that to burn you, you little idiot,” she said.</p><p></p><p>Realizing its mistake, the goblin tried to flee, but this time it was too late.</p><p></p><p>Too late to save Quellan, Bredan pressed his attack against the bugbear. This time he anticipated Gakrak’s quick evasions, and he was able to score a hit that tore a deep gash in the hides that covered his foe’s left shoulder. Blood oozed up from the wound, but the bugbear didn’t try to retreat as Bredan drew his weapon up for another strike. Instead he leapt forward, wrapping the arm on his injured side around the smith’s broad shoulders and dragging them both against the wobbling row of barrels. The rotten wood sagged but held as the two combatants fought for position. Unable to use his sword, Bredan focused on staying upright as he tried to keep the weight of the bugbear from pinning him.</p><p></p><p>Gakrak flinched as an arrow thudded into his side. Bredan took advantage of the distraction and thrust the fist holding his sword against the side of the bugbear’s face. He was rewarded with a solid crunch as the impact dislocated his enemy’s jaw. The goblinoid, now seriously injured, started to withdraw, but even as Bredan pushed himself up he could see the intent in the creature’s eyes.</p><p></p><p>With blood pouring down his side and his crippled jaw hanging loosely, the bugbear lunged forward at his foe. There was no room for Bredan to dodge, and no time to get his sword up to absorb the creature’s rush. Once again he was slammed into the barrel, but this time he went right through it and into the wall behind. The sheer mass of the bugbear knocked the breath from his lungs, and only the pressure of the creature’s body against his kept him from falling.</p><p></p><p>He’d either dropped his sword or had it pinned; he couldn’t tell. His entire right side felt numb. He lifted his left hand and grabbed hold of the bugbear’s shoulder, intending to push him off. But he heard a chuckle and looked up to see Gakrak staring down at him. The creature shifted slightly, just enough for Bredan to see the axe that he was holding in his right hand like a spear.</p><p></p><p>Bredan heard someone yell his name, but could do nothing to stop the bugbear as he drove the steel point at the end of the axe deep into his body. The last thing he heard was Gakrak’s voice rasping in his ear.</p><p></p><p>“Three.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7162653, member: 143"] Chapter 55 With a deep growl Kosk tore the pick embedded in his side free and tossed the bloody weapon aside. The goblin, smiling at its handiwork, drew out a dagger and lunged forward to finish him off. But the little humanoid didn’t expect the monk’s sudden pivot, or the foot that snapped up and cracked it under the jaw. The goblin was flung backwards to where it had started, bouncing off the front of the vanity. The dresser wobbled, then cracked as Kosk slammed his staff down where the goblin’s head had been a moment before. The creature had obviously decided that this foe was too much for it, for it ducked and dove back into the cover of the piled up furnishings, disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared. Bredan carefully tore away broken bits of wood as he tried to get to Glori. He could see where the axe had struck, and the blood that was soaking through her vest to stain her tunic. Her lyre had been shattered by the impact, and one of her hands was tangled up in the broken strings. “Glori…” he said, trying to think of something to do. “Bredan!” came a panicked yell from behind him. That cut through the bard’s haze of pain more than his calling her name had, and the confusion in her eyes cleared as they met his. “Go!” she yelled, pushing at him with her bloody hand. “I’m… fine!” It was clear that she was anything but, but Bredan knew he couldn’t help her until they were out of danger. He rose up, grasping his sword as he turned. He saw the enemy at once, a brutish hulk of a monster that was making a surprisingly sinuous approach through the maze of crates. Off to his right Kosk was fighting a goblin, but Bredan’s attention was fixed entirely on the primary foe. He recognized its type from the bodies they’d encountered at the shrine of the Eth’barat, but those corpses were nothing like this very alive and very vital foe that was coming forward to face him. He flashed back to his battle with the half-ogre in the kobold lair, but there at least he’d had the power of a magic potion pulsing through his veins, not to mention room to swing his sword. But there was no more time to consider tactics; the bugbear was right in front of him. Bredan came at Gakrak cautiously, wary of the clutter that surrounded them both. That proved prescient as the giant goblinoid abruptly kicked a loose crate in his direction. The crate was empty and did little damage as it bounced off Bredan’s left hip, but it left him off-balance for just a moment. The bugbear exploited its advantage with a speed that belied its size, sweeping the axe around for a killing blow. But Bredan was fast as well. He brought his sword up as he dodged, the two steel blades filling the room with a loud ring that echoed off the surrounding walls. The impact knocked Bredan sideways into a stack of loose barrels that tottered threateningly against his weight. He managed to pull himself clear before he toppled over with them, a scant instant before his foe’s axe smashed into one and shattered it into kindling. Xeeta shifted in the narrow space, looking for an opening for her [i]fire bolt[/i]. As Bredan was flung aside she raised her rod and summoned her magic, only to lose the spell as a sharp pain exploded in her back. Biting back a cry of pain, she turned to see that the goblin that Kosk had frightened off had returned. The creature looked pathetic in a moth-eaten linen shirt that had probably been scavenged, like all of the other junk that filled the room. But there was nothing pathetic in the silver-edged dagger it carried, already stained with her blood. Stumbling back to gain space, Xeeta lifted her rod and unleashed a [i]fire bolt[/i] from the tip. But at the last instant she had to dodge as the goblin tried to stab her, and the spell flashed wide past its target. It was perhaps fortunate that it struck the wall rather than the highly-flammable wooden and cloth furnishings stacked throughout the room, which might have complicated matters for both sides. Glori finally managed to pull herself up out of the ruins of the crate where she’d fallen. Still wincing with the pain that shot through her body with each movement, she struggled to unlimber her bow. Her fingers felt thick and unresponsive as she fumbled for an arrow. Kosk leapt up onto the heaped chairs and crates that partitioned the room. The uneven platform wavered under his feet, but he easily maintained his balance as he thrust his staff out at the bugbear. But the creature ducked back before the iron-tipped end of the staff could connect. Bredan took advantage of the distraction to regain a stable footing. He thrust forward with his heavy blade, forcing the bugbear back another step. A shifting motion behind the bugbear drew their attention just as the upturned couch fell over and Quellan rose up behind it. The durabaility granted by his orcish heritage had allowed him to barely cling to consciousness even with the terrible wound in his side gushing blood. Bolstered by a quick [i]cure wounds[/i] spell, the cleric had a fire in his eyes as he lifted his mace and charged at the bugbear from behind. Gakrak heard him coming but couldn’t pivot with two foes facing him from ahead. But as Quellan slammed him with his mace the bugbear turned with the blow, absorbing what had to be a painful hit while thrusting back with the long haft of his weapon. The half-orc was struck hard in the gut, and he slumped once more to the floor. As Quellan struggled to draw in a breath the bugbear lifted his axe to finish him off. “Die, you bloody bastard!” Kosk yelled. He jumped onto an adjacent chair, intending to leap onto the bugbear before he could strike down his friend, but even as he landed on it he could feel the rotten wood give way. The chair disintegrated, as did the empty crates underneath as the dwarf fell heavily onto them. For a moment Kosk vanished within the wreckage, the curses rising from the collapse telling them he was only temporarily out of the fight. Gakrak chuckled at the dwarf’s would-be heroics, but shot Bredan a quick glance. The young warrior raised his sword and charged, but he was too late to stop the big goblinoid from driving his axe down into Quellan’s back, slamming the hapless cleric to the floor. Bredan yelled and lunged, but the bugbear spun quickly and almost casually knocked his thrust aside with the haft of his axe. “You next,” Gakrak said to Bredan. Although she was engaged with her own foe, Xeeta could hear the titanic clashes of her allies against the bugbear and knew that they needed her help. She thought that her display of magic, inaccurate as it was, would drive the already-injured goblin to seek cover again, but to her surprise the creature sprang forward to attack. She brought her rod up to try to deflect its lunge, but to her surprise it reached up and grabbed hold of her focus instead of trying to stab her again. The unexpected maneuver caught her off guard, and the goblin was able to yank the ebony rod free of her grasp after just a quick struggle for possession. The goblin lifted its prize, a feral look of triumph on its face. But that triumph faded when Xeeta raised her hand and flames burst from her fingers. “I don’t need that to burn you, you little idiot,” she said. Realizing its mistake, the goblin tried to flee, but this time it was too late. Too late to save Quellan, Bredan pressed his attack against the bugbear. This time he anticipated Gakrak’s quick evasions, and he was able to score a hit that tore a deep gash in the hides that covered his foe’s left shoulder. Blood oozed up from the wound, but the bugbear didn’t try to retreat as Bredan drew his weapon up for another strike. Instead he leapt forward, wrapping the arm on his injured side around the smith’s broad shoulders and dragging them both against the wobbling row of barrels. The rotten wood sagged but held as the two combatants fought for position. Unable to use his sword, Bredan focused on staying upright as he tried to keep the weight of the bugbear from pinning him. Gakrak flinched as an arrow thudded into his side. Bredan took advantage of the distraction and thrust the fist holding his sword against the side of the bugbear’s face. He was rewarded with a solid crunch as the impact dislocated his enemy’s jaw. The goblinoid, now seriously injured, started to withdraw, but even as Bredan pushed himself up he could see the intent in the creature’s eyes. With blood pouring down his side and his crippled jaw hanging loosely, the bugbear lunged forward at his foe. There was no room for Bredan to dodge, and no time to get his sword up to absorb the creature’s rush. Once again he was slammed into the barrel, but this time he went right through it and into the wall behind. The sheer mass of the bugbear knocked the breath from his lungs, and only the pressure of the creature’s body against his kept him from falling. He’d either dropped his sword or had it pinned; he couldn’t tell. His entire right side felt numb. He lifted his left hand and grabbed hold of the bugbear’s shoulder, intending to push him off. But he heard a chuckle and looked up to see Gakrak staring down at him. The creature shifted slightly, just enough for Bredan to see the axe that he was holding in his right hand like a spear. Bredan heard someone yell his name, but could do nothing to stop the bugbear as he drove the steel point at the end of the axe deep into his body. The last thing he heard was Gakrak’s voice rasping in his ear. “Three.” [/QUOTE]
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