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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7196566" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 71</p><p></p><p>A scant instant before the hideous monster would have torn out Glori’s throat with those awful teeth, Bredan slammed into them.</p><p></p><p>The impact loosened its hold on the girl, and in that moment of advantage Bredan tore her from its grasp. He pulled her away. The creature recovered quickly and would have followed, but its legs were still embedded in the mud of the floor. It took it only a second to free itself, but before it could pursue its escaped victim Kosk rushed up from behind.</p><p></p><p>“Chew on this, ghoul!” he hissed, sweeping his staff into its back. The creature shifted quickly, and the blow only glanced off its side, doing little damage. The dwarf recoiled, choking, “Gods, that’s foul!”</p><p></p><p>“It’s a ghast!” Quellan warned. The priest held up his holy symbol, which began to glow with a bright light. The undead monster slashed its head right to stare at him, hissing in fury.</p><p></p><p>Bredan pulled Glori over to the side of the room. She was limp in his grasp, and as he laid her down he could see that her limbs and body were all tensed, like she was clenching all of her muscles at once. Her eyes were open and her lips twitched as though she was trying to say something, but no sound came out.</p><p></p><p>“Glori!” Bredan asked. “What’s wrong, what did it do to you?”</p><p></p><p>“She’s paralyzed!” Xeeta yelled. She cursed as the <em>fire bolt</em> that she hurled at the ghast flashed past its head, exploding harmlessly on the far side of the room. She’d had to aim high in order to avoid accidentally hitting Kosk. “She’ll recover, assuming that thing doesn’t kill all of us!”</p><p></p><p>Bredan nodded and left his friend, reaching for his sword.</p><p></p><p>Quellan launched a <em>guiding bolt</em> at the ghast, but the undead monster anticipated the attack and ducked under the streaking pulse of divine energy. The half-orc reached for his mace, but the creature was faster. It closed the gap separating them in a single leap, its claws lashing out as it landed. With one hand it seized hold of the cleric’s shield and pulled it down, and then the other flashed across his face, scraping over his helmet before tearing bloody red lines across his face. The impact knocked Quellan back, and like Glori he stiffened as he collapsed, paralyzed by the creature’s fell power.</p><p></p><p>Before it could move to finish him, off, however, Xeeta launched another flaming bolt, this one striking it squarely in the center of its back. The ghast let out a furious shriek and spun to face her, the violence showing on its face causing her to stumble back a few steps.</p><p></p><p>But even as it started toward her, Bredan stepped into its path. His sword swept out in a brilliant arc, the steel glowing in the light from his spelled scabbard. But the ghast sprang nimbly back, and the stroke met only empty air.</p><p></p><p>The two combatants faced off, each wary of the other.</p><p></p><p>Kosk came at it again from behind, his face twisted from fighting off the effects of its poisonous stench. But as he swung the staff the ghast twisted its torso and swept back an arm at an angle that would have been painful for a man. The staff glanced off its forearm before it locked its claws around the weapon and tore it from the dwarf’s grasp. The ghast flung the staff at Bredan, doing no harm but forcing him back a step.</p><p></p><p>Kosk held his ground. His sandaled feet ground into the muddy earth, and for a moment his face became blank as a look of intense focus flashed in his eyes.</p><p></p><p>Then he exploded into a blur of motion.</p><p></p><p>Kosk drove one fist into the ghast’s side, delivering a blow that would have shattered ribs on a normal man. Clearly even the undead monster felt it, for it spun around to face this foe, even though that left its back momentarily open to Bredan and Xeeta. It hissed as it raised a claw to strike.</p><p></p><p>But Kosk wasn’t finished. His arms moved like the snap of a whip, delivering a series of impacts that pulverized the ghast’s body. The creature withstood that assault but each time it tried to counter the dwarf was already moving to deflect and attack again.</p><p></p><p>Finally he let out a sharp sound, more like a focused blast of noise than a battle cry, and launched one last attack. His fist struck the ghast in the breastbone with a force that knocked it off its feet. It spun around and landed hard in the mud.</p><p></p><p>Driven by the unnatural unlife that animated it, the ghast did not stay down long. But even as it rose to its feet, perhaps a bit unsteady after the hammering it had taken, Bredan’s sword came sweeping down. This time it could not evade in time, and the blazing arc of steel tore its chest open from its shoulder to the opposite hip. For a moment it looked as though even that would not stop it, as it took a step forward and reached out a clawed arm toward the swordsman. Bredan drew back a step and raised his sword to a ready position, but a second stroke was not necessary. With a final hiss of frustrated rage the ghast crumpled to the ground and did not move.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7196566, member: 143"] Chapter 71 A scant instant before the hideous monster would have torn out Glori’s throat with those awful teeth, Bredan slammed into them. The impact loosened its hold on the girl, and in that moment of advantage Bredan tore her from its grasp. He pulled her away. The creature recovered quickly and would have followed, but its legs were still embedded in the mud of the floor. It took it only a second to free itself, but before it could pursue its escaped victim Kosk rushed up from behind. “Chew on this, ghoul!” he hissed, sweeping his staff into its back. The creature shifted quickly, and the blow only glanced off its side, doing little damage. The dwarf recoiled, choking, “Gods, that’s foul!” “It’s a ghast!” Quellan warned. The priest held up his holy symbol, which began to glow with a bright light. The undead monster slashed its head right to stare at him, hissing in fury. Bredan pulled Glori over to the side of the room. She was limp in his grasp, and as he laid her down he could see that her limbs and body were all tensed, like she was clenching all of her muscles at once. Her eyes were open and her lips twitched as though she was trying to say something, but no sound came out. “Glori!” Bredan asked. “What’s wrong, what did it do to you?” “She’s paralyzed!” Xeeta yelled. She cursed as the [i]fire bolt[/i] that she hurled at the ghast flashed past its head, exploding harmlessly on the far side of the room. She’d had to aim high in order to avoid accidentally hitting Kosk. “She’ll recover, assuming that thing doesn’t kill all of us!” Bredan nodded and left his friend, reaching for his sword. Quellan launched a [i]guiding bolt[/i] at the ghast, but the undead monster anticipated the attack and ducked under the streaking pulse of divine energy. The half-orc reached for his mace, but the creature was faster. It closed the gap separating them in a single leap, its claws lashing out as it landed. With one hand it seized hold of the cleric’s shield and pulled it down, and then the other flashed across his face, scraping over his helmet before tearing bloody red lines across his face. The impact knocked Quellan back, and like Glori he stiffened as he collapsed, paralyzed by the creature’s fell power. Before it could move to finish him, off, however, Xeeta launched another flaming bolt, this one striking it squarely in the center of its back. The ghast let out a furious shriek and spun to face her, the violence showing on its face causing her to stumble back a few steps. But even as it started toward her, Bredan stepped into its path. His sword swept out in a brilliant arc, the steel glowing in the light from his spelled scabbard. But the ghast sprang nimbly back, and the stroke met only empty air. The two combatants faced off, each wary of the other. Kosk came at it again from behind, his face twisted from fighting off the effects of its poisonous stench. But as he swung the staff the ghast twisted its torso and swept back an arm at an angle that would have been painful for a man. The staff glanced off its forearm before it locked its claws around the weapon and tore it from the dwarf’s grasp. The ghast flung the staff at Bredan, doing no harm but forcing him back a step. Kosk held his ground. His sandaled feet ground into the muddy earth, and for a moment his face became blank as a look of intense focus flashed in his eyes. Then he exploded into a blur of motion. Kosk drove one fist into the ghast’s side, delivering a blow that would have shattered ribs on a normal man. Clearly even the undead monster felt it, for it spun around to face this foe, even though that left its back momentarily open to Bredan and Xeeta. It hissed as it raised a claw to strike. But Kosk wasn’t finished. His arms moved like the snap of a whip, delivering a series of impacts that pulverized the ghast’s body. The creature withstood that assault but each time it tried to counter the dwarf was already moving to deflect and attack again. Finally he let out a sharp sound, more like a focused blast of noise than a battle cry, and launched one last attack. His fist struck the ghast in the breastbone with a force that knocked it off its feet. It spun around and landed hard in the mud. Driven by the unnatural unlife that animated it, the ghast did not stay down long. But even as it rose to its feet, perhaps a bit unsteady after the hammering it had taken, Bredan’s sword came sweeping down. This time it could not evade in time, and the blazing arc of steel tore its chest open from its shoulder to the opposite hip. For a moment it looked as though even that would not stop it, as it took a step forward and reached out a clawed arm toward the swordsman. Bredan drew back a step and raised his sword to a ready position, but a second stroke was not necessary. With a final hiss of frustrated rage the ghast crumpled to the ground and did not move. [/QUOTE]
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