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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7238585" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 91</p><p></p><p>Bredan turned his head—and paid the price as another stab of agony shot through his neck—but there was no one close by, none of his friends coming to save him.</p><p></p><p>The ogre’s foot slammed into the ground next to his leg and the club came plummeting down. There was nowhere to go, not even enough time to roll off the edge and take his chances with the fall. All he could do was lift his hand in a vain attempt to stop the death descending toward him.</p><p></p><p>There was a flash of light, a crash of impact.</p><p></p><p>Bredan blinked in surprise.</p><p></p><p>A glowing disk of transparent energy hung in the air between him and the ogre. The creature looked to be just as surprised as he was; the hovering <em>shield</em> had somehow completely absorbed the impact of the heavy club. But the surprise lasted only a moment, and before Bredan could do more than scramble up into a crouch the barrier dissolved into nothing as suddenly as it had appeared.</p><p></p><p>The ogre quickly lifted his club to strike again.</p><p></p><p><em>If only I still had my sword</em>, Bredan thought. He started to reach for his hammer—a pathetic weapon against an ogre, but all he had—but was suddenly amazed to feel the familiar weight of his father’s sword in his hand.</p><p></p><p>There was no time to think about whether he was hallucinating; he rose and thrust with all the strength he had left. Pain erupted throughout his body, but he let out a cry that pushed through it, pushed with everything he had.</p><p></p><p>After a moment he realized that he was still alive. He was pressing against something that gave slightly, something that filled his nostrils with a terrible stench. He drew back slightly and realized it was the ogre. He was clinging to the hilt of his sword with both hands. The entire length of the blade was buried in the creature’s body.</p><p></p><p>He drew back another step—wary of the drop right behind him—and looked up at the ogre’s face. It wore a stricken expression, one that grew slack as the life drained from it. Ever so slowly it began to lean backward as its knees gave way, and then it topped over onto the hard surface of the road.</p><p></p><p>Thankful for that small blessing—if it had fallen forward it might have pinned his sword under its bulk, or taken it off the cliff for a second time—he stumbled forward to try to recover his weapon. As he did he saw that the smoke around the other wagons had cleared in the brief interval, giving him a better view of what was happening.</p><p></p><p>One of the other ogres was down; the thing looked like a pincushion with all the bolts and arrows sticking out from its body. The other one was still up and fighting, but Bredan could see both Quellan and Kosk battling it. Those among the wagon crews still alive, including Glori, had taken cover behind their vehicles and were taking shots with their bows when they could.</p><p></p><p>A deep thumping sound drew Bredan around in time to see the hill giant as it emerged from the dense plume of smoke rising from around the still-burning wagon. Its fur leggings were stained red from the blood of the horses it had killed, and to Bredan’s horror he saw that it had a bloody haunch in one hand, from which it took another gory bite as he watched. On seeing that the fight was still going on the giant dropped its half-finished meal and reached into its sack for another boulder.</p><p></p><p>Bredan quickly lunged for the hilt of his sword, but before he could try to yank it from the ogre’s body a clatter of hooves on the hard-packed surface of the road announced Haran’s return. The expedition leader looked battered, with one of his shoulder plates torn away and his helmet missing so that the bloody gashes above his left eye were clearly visible. But he had somehow managed to both stay on his horse and keep his spear, which he raised as he charged at a full gallop at the giant. The horse had to be well-trained, for it didn’t veer from its course in the slightest as the gap between the two foes closed in an instant.</p><p></p><p>Bredan kept pulling on his sword, but it was caught on something and wouldn’t budge. All he could do was watch as the giant pulled a club that made the ogre weapons look like toys from its belt. With that and the length of its arms it could swat Haran from his saddle before he could hope to get within reach to use his spear.</p><p></p><p>But Haran didn’t turn aside; even as the giant started its swing he ducked low and hurled his spear with all his might and momentum behind it. The shaft drove into the giant’s side, and the massive creature reared up in pain. But it was just too huge to be seriously hurt by even that blow. With a subtle tug on his reins Haran guided his horse to the left. It looked like he would get clear, but at the last moment the giant simply hurled its club at its foe.</p><p></p><p>The club, the size of a good-sized tree, smashed into mount and rider from behind. The horse crumpled, its rear legs broken by the impact. Haran was launched flying much as Bredan had been earlier, but instead of falling to the ground he hit the mass of the boulder that blocked the road. He bounced off the unyielding rock and collapsed in a limp heap.</p><p></p><p>Trying to ignore the stabbing pains his efforts caused, Bredan planted a foot against the ogre’s body and tried to twist his sword around to free it from whatever it was embedded against. Blood jutted from the ogre’s fat torso as he strugged, but finally the sword came free. Stumbling as he staggered clear, he lifted the weapon and confronted the giant from twenty human-sized paces away.</p><p></p><p>Arrows and bolts were buzzing this way now from the wagons, and although some stuck in the giant’s body it reacted as it might have to a mosquito’s sting. Bredan glanced back and saw that the last ogre was down, but Quellan was bent over someone, probably one of the guards hurt in the fighting. Kosk was coming around the wagons, but the dwarf was moving with a definite limp.</p><p></p><p>Bredan heard the thump of the giant’s massive stride and tensed, but when he looked back he saw that the creature was moving away. It passed behind the massive boulder in just a few steps, the smoke from the burning wagon concealing even its considerable form. He heard rather than saw it continue down the road and out of the fight.</p><p></p><p>Bredan knew he should go after it, or at least check on Haran, but it was all he could do just to remain upright.</p><p></p><p>“You all right, lad?”</p><p></p><p>Just turning around was difficult; Bredan managed an awkward shuffle. “I’m okay,” he said.</p><p></p><p>Kosk glanced at the fallen ogre and the bloody sword in Bredan’s hands. “Sorry we couldn’t get over here earlier.”</p><p></p><p>“Haran…” Bredan said.</p><p></p><p>Kosk nodded. “I saw. I’ll go check on him. You wait here, Glori’s coming.”</p><p></p><p>She arrived before the dwarf had managed ten steps. Unlike Kosk she didn’t ask how he was; she could see it on his face. “Hold on,” she said, placing a hand gently against his chest while she strummed her lyre. While she didn’t need it to invoke her magic anymore, she often still used it as a focus. Her hand glowed briefly, and Bredan let out a sigh of relief as the healing energies faded into him. It wasn’t enough to treat his various wounds fully, but at least he didn’t feel like he was going to collapse.</p><p></p><p>“Thanks,” he said. “Go help Kosk with Haran.”</p><p></p><p>Glori ran after him, but from the way that Haran hit that boulder, Bredan wasn’t optimistic. He had come very close to a grim fate himself, and would have died if it hadn’t been for… what <em>had</em> happened? He might have thought that the shield had been Glori’s work somehow, but he clearly had seen his sword fall over the cliff, and then it had been in his hand again. It was possible that the hit from the ogre’s club had scattered his brains, but for a moment there had been <em>something</em>, a flash of power within him…</p><p></p><p>A shout from someone drew his attention back to the moment. Glori and Kosk had turned from Haran, the looks on their faces confirming Bredan’s earlier suspicion. The ogres were dead and the giant gone, but one look was enough to remind Bredan that their situation remained precarious. The lead wagon was a total loss, but they would still need to move it in order to get the rest of their caravan past the giant boulder. There were also graves to be prepared, or more likely cairns, given the nature of the ground here. And it was getting late. The fight felt like it had lasted for hours, but the sun had only dipped incrementally in the sky. But Bredan knew that night would arrive swiftly once it dipped below the horizon.</p><p></p><p>He dug in his pouch for a rag to clean his sword, then started toward the wagons.</p><p></p><p>* * * </p><p></p><p>Now you know why I didn't want to post the stat blocks for the most recent level-up. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> </p><p></p><p>I'll finish book 4 on Monday, then put the story on hiatus for a while. Thanks to everyone who's been reading along and posting replies, XP, and laughs.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7238585, member: 143"] Chapter 91 Bredan turned his head—and paid the price as another stab of agony shot through his neck—but there was no one close by, none of his friends coming to save him. The ogre’s foot slammed into the ground next to his leg and the club came plummeting down. There was nowhere to go, not even enough time to roll off the edge and take his chances with the fall. All he could do was lift his hand in a vain attempt to stop the death descending toward him. There was a flash of light, a crash of impact. Bredan blinked in surprise. A glowing disk of transparent energy hung in the air between him and the ogre. The creature looked to be just as surprised as he was; the hovering [i]shield[/i] had somehow completely absorbed the impact of the heavy club. But the surprise lasted only a moment, and before Bredan could do more than scramble up into a crouch the barrier dissolved into nothing as suddenly as it had appeared. The ogre quickly lifted his club to strike again. [i]If only I still had my sword[/i], Bredan thought. He started to reach for his hammer—a pathetic weapon against an ogre, but all he had—but was suddenly amazed to feel the familiar weight of his father’s sword in his hand. There was no time to think about whether he was hallucinating; he rose and thrust with all the strength he had left. Pain erupted throughout his body, but he let out a cry that pushed through it, pushed with everything he had. After a moment he realized that he was still alive. He was pressing against something that gave slightly, something that filled his nostrils with a terrible stench. He drew back slightly and realized it was the ogre. He was clinging to the hilt of his sword with both hands. The entire length of the blade was buried in the creature’s body. He drew back another step—wary of the drop right behind him—and looked up at the ogre’s face. It wore a stricken expression, one that grew slack as the life drained from it. Ever so slowly it began to lean backward as its knees gave way, and then it topped over onto the hard surface of the road. Thankful for that small blessing—if it had fallen forward it might have pinned his sword under its bulk, or taken it off the cliff for a second time—he stumbled forward to try to recover his weapon. As he did he saw that the smoke around the other wagons had cleared in the brief interval, giving him a better view of what was happening. One of the other ogres was down; the thing looked like a pincushion with all the bolts and arrows sticking out from its body. The other one was still up and fighting, but Bredan could see both Quellan and Kosk battling it. Those among the wagon crews still alive, including Glori, had taken cover behind their vehicles and were taking shots with their bows when they could. A deep thumping sound drew Bredan around in time to see the hill giant as it emerged from the dense plume of smoke rising from around the still-burning wagon. Its fur leggings were stained red from the blood of the horses it had killed, and to Bredan’s horror he saw that it had a bloody haunch in one hand, from which it took another gory bite as he watched. On seeing that the fight was still going on the giant dropped its half-finished meal and reached into its sack for another boulder. Bredan quickly lunged for the hilt of his sword, but before he could try to yank it from the ogre’s body a clatter of hooves on the hard-packed surface of the road announced Haran’s return. The expedition leader looked battered, with one of his shoulder plates torn away and his helmet missing so that the bloody gashes above his left eye were clearly visible. But he had somehow managed to both stay on his horse and keep his spear, which he raised as he charged at a full gallop at the giant. The horse had to be well-trained, for it didn’t veer from its course in the slightest as the gap between the two foes closed in an instant. Bredan kept pulling on his sword, but it was caught on something and wouldn’t budge. All he could do was watch as the giant pulled a club that made the ogre weapons look like toys from its belt. With that and the length of its arms it could swat Haran from his saddle before he could hope to get within reach to use his spear. But Haran didn’t turn aside; even as the giant started its swing he ducked low and hurled his spear with all his might and momentum behind it. The shaft drove into the giant’s side, and the massive creature reared up in pain. But it was just too huge to be seriously hurt by even that blow. With a subtle tug on his reins Haran guided his horse to the left. It looked like he would get clear, but at the last moment the giant simply hurled its club at its foe. The club, the size of a good-sized tree, smashed into mount and rider from behind. The horse crumpled, its rear legs broken by the impact. Haran was launched flying much as Bredan had been earlier, but instead of falling to the ground he hit the mass of the boulder that blocked the road. He bounced off the unyielding rock and collapsed in a limp heap. Trying to ignore the stabbing pains his efforts caused, Bredan planted a foot against the ogre’s body and tried to twist his sword around to free it from whatever it was embedded against. Blood jutted from the ogre’s fat torso as he strugged, but finally the sword came free. Stumbling as he staggered clear, he lifted the weapon and confronted the giant from twenty human-sized paces away. Arrows and bolts were buzzing this way now from the wagons, and although some stuck in the giant’s body it reacted as it might have to a mosquito’s sting. Bredan glanced back and saw that the last ogre was down, but Quellan was bent over someone, probably one of the guards hurt in the fighting. Kosk was coming around the wagons, but the dwarf was moving with a definite limp. Bredan heard the thump of the giant’s massive stride and tensed, but when he looked back he saw that the creature was moving away. It passed behind the massive boulder in just a few steps, the smoke from the burning wagon concealing even its considerable form. He heard rather than saw it continue down the road and out of the fight. Bredan knew he should go after it, or at least check on Haran, but it was all he could do just to remain upright. “You all right, lad?” Just turning around was difficult; Bredan managed an awkward shuffle. “I’m okay,” he said. Kosk glanced at the fallen ogre and the bloody sword in Bredan’s hands. “Sorry we couldn’t get over here earlier.” “Haran…” Bredan said. Kosk nodded. “I saw. I’ll go check on him. You wait here, Glori’s coming.” She arrived before the dwarf had managed ten steps. Unlike Kosk she didn’t ask how he was; she could see it on his face. “Hold on,” she said, placing a hand gently against his chest while she strummed her lyre. While she didn’t need it to invoke her magic anymore, she often still used it as a focus. Her hand glowed briefly, and Bredan let out a sigh of relief as the healing energies faded into him. It wasn’t enough to treat his various wounds fully, but at least he didn’t feel like he was going to collapse. “Thanks,” he said. “Go help Kosk with Haran.” Glori ran after him, but from the way that Haran hit that boulder, Bredan wasn’t optimistic. He had come very close to a grim fate himself, and would have died if it hadn’t been for… what [i]had[/i] happened? He might have thought that the shield had been Glori’s work somehow, but he clearly had seen his sword fall over the cliff, and then it had been in his hand again. It was possible that the hit from the ogre’s club had scattered his brains, but for a moment there had been [i]something[/i], a flash of power within him… A shout from someone drew his attention back to the moment. Glori and Kosk had turned from Haran, the looks on their faces confirming Bredan’s earlier suspicion. The ogres were dead and the giant gone, but one look was enough to remind Bredan that their situation remained precarious. The lead wagon was a total loss, but they would still need to move it in order to get the rest of their caravan past the giant boulder. There were also graves to be prepared, or more likely cairns, given the nature of the ground here. And it was getting late. The fight felt like it had lasted for hours, but the sun had only dipped incrementally in the sky. But Bredan knew that night would arrive swiftly once it dipped below the horizon. He dug in his pouch for a rag to clean his sword, then started toward the wagons. * * * Now you know why I didn't want to post the stat blocks for the most recent level-up. :) I'll finish book 4 on Monday, then put the story on hiatus for a while. Thanks to everyone who's been reading along and posting replies, XP, and laughs. [/QUOTE]
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