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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7301896" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 100</p><p></p><p>The terrain to the north of Wildrush grew increasingly rugged the further the small party moved away from the town. Occasionally they emerged from mazes of ravines and ridges or dense stands of trees to see the snowcapped heights of Silverpeak in the distance, but for the most part they were unable to see more than fifty paces away in any direction.</p><p></p><p>Bredan knew that was partly by design. Rodan led them along trails that only he knew, when the blacksmith could even see a trail at all. The ranger avoided routes that looked easy but which would have left them completely exposed and visible from a great distance to something flying above. The man seemed to be in his element, and Bredan could respect the simple fact of his competence.</p><p></p><p>He wasn’t the only one who noticed; he caught Glori giving the man an evaluative look more than once. Kosk was less generous in his praise; he frequently muttered comments under his breath as the ranger directed them into a particularly challenging piece of landscape.</p><p></p><p>Bredan knew that the dwarf’s ire wasn’t really for Rodan. As they were making their way through a gully that was choked with dense tangles of thorny brush, Bredan saw Kosk glance back and heard him mutter, “They face a known threat, and the best they can manage is half measures.”</p><p></p><p>Rodan was a good ten paces ahead, but he stopped and looked at them. “These men aren’t hunters,” he said, careful to keep his voice low enough so that the men bringing up the rear of their small column couldn’t hear. “Breaking up a few fights and standing a few watches doesn’t prepare a man for something like this.”</p><p></p><p>The others had stopped as well. The three men that had come from Wildrush with them seemed to sense that they were the topic of the exchange. One of them they knew already; Willem was one of the surviving guards that had come up from Adelar with them. The other two were locals, Jakob and Viktor. Both had come from Lydon’s small force of soldiers, but Rodan’s words seemed appropriate in their case. Despite their long leather tunics studded with iron rivets and the iron-rimmed caps they wore they looked like most of the other men in the frontier town, hard-edged and scruffy. They carried their crossbows with obvious unease, but they <em>had</em> volunteered. Bredan wondered what incentives Brownwell had offered.</p><p></p><p>“We’re all here because we have a duty,” Bredan said, loudly enough that everyone could hear. “If we don’t stop that thing it will keep coming until it’s dead or Wildrush is destroyed. Better to face it out here where nobody else can get hurt, than there.”</p><p></p><p>“Indeed,” Quellan said.</p><p></p><p>Rodan gave Bredan a long look. “A wise truth,” he said.</p><p></p><p>“Damn straight,” Glori said. “And this is too great a story to pass up. A heroic band of heroes, setting out from a town under siege to hunt down a monster from legends. I can assure you that each of you will get your own stanza in the ballad I will write of our deeds this day.”</p><p></p><p>She directed her comments at the three soldiers, and managed to draw a few nervous laughs out of them.</p><p></p><p>“Come on,” Rodan said. “We shouldn’t linger here. It will take a hard pace to reach the High Hollows by nightfall.”</p><p></p><p>The ranger proved true to his word, forcing them to a grueling pace that nevertheless accomplished only slow progress over the difficult terrain. They paused for a brief rest at midday, deep within the cover of a dense copse of ancient trees, but they’d barely finished their cold meal before Rodan was chivvying them forward again. They had brought enough food for a couple of days, and there were plenty of streams where they could fill their water bottles, but none of them wanted to be night to catch them anywhere near the chimera’s lair.</p><p></p><p>As the day crept on the tree cover began to thin, and finally they emerged at the base of a long, rocky rise. Formations of exposed granite jutted from the steep slope, fashioned into odd shapes by centuries of wind and water. Occasionally one of those features had been shaped into a natural arch, some of them large enough for a wagon and full team to ride through without difficulty. They could just make out the dark mouths of caves up near the summit, where the ascent culminated at the base of fifty-foot cliffs that ringed the area. The protruding rocks and natural curves of the terrain left enough hiding places to conceal a hundred chimeras.</p><p></p><p>“We’re getting close,” Rodan said quietly. The warning was unnecessary, Bredan thought. He could feel a sense of wrongness here, like when you struck a piece of bad iron in the forge.</p><p></p><p>The ranger led them forward again, weaving a path between the various rock formations, extracting every bit of cover from the scattered patches of growth that dotted the hillside. The others followed him in single-file, duplicating his steps as best they could.</p><p></p><p>They had barely covered fifty paces when a loud roar shattered the afternoon quiet. Birds scattered in the trees behind them, the furious rustle of their wings fading as they fled the scene. The companions all froze for a heartbeat, then reached for their weapons. Viktor cursed as the bolt dropped from its groove in his bow, the steel head clinking softly as it landed in the rocks. Kosk shot him a withering look. Bredan started to take a halting step, looking for cover, but froze as Rodan held up a hand in warning. The ranger remained utterly still, his eyes fixed on the summit ahead.</p><p></p><p>They waited as the seconds crept on. Nothing stirred, no shifting shadows, no flash of wings. Finally, Rodan lowered his hand. “Keep moving,” he said.</p><p></p><p>“At least we know it’s home,” Glori said. “Would be a big waste of time if we came all this way to visit for nothing.”</p><p></p><p>Bredan didn’t respond, focusing on placing his feet in places where they wouldn’t cause any loose rocks to clatter free. To his ears the soft scrapes of their boots on the stony ground seemed painfully loud. He wondered how well chimeras could hear, given that they had three sets of ears. He should have asked Quellan before they left. He should have asked more questions about their weaknesses, if they even had any.</p><p></p><p>Realizing that he was getting dangerously close to panic, he tried to focus on the breathing exercises that his uncle had taught him.</p><p></p><p>Rodan didn’t stop until they reached the shelter of one of the larger rock formations. This one was the size of a crofter’s cottage, with a fringe around the top where a few particularly stubborn weeds had found tiny cracks to sprout in. It gave the stone the vague look of an old man who was nearly bald.</p><p></p><p>The ranger paused in the shadow of the huge rock, gesturing for the others to gather behind him. He waited until they were all close enough to hear him at a whisper before he spoke. “We’ll take a moment here. Catch your breath, gather yourselves. From here on up there isn’t much cover.”</p><p></p><p>“You’ve been here before, then?” Glori asked.</p><p></p><p>“Aye. Though never hunting something like this.” He gave a wry look then crept slowly forward to scout around the edge of the boulder.</p><p></p><p>Quellan tapped Glori on the shoulder. As she turned to look at him, he leaned in close while he dug something out of his pouch. “I’d like you to take this,” he said.</p><p></p><p>She looked down and saw that he’d produced a ring, a plain band of silver. No, she amended as she studied it more closely, it was <em>platinum</em>, even that simple circle likely worth as much as her shirt of mail.</p><p></p><p>“Are you asking me to become betrothed to you?” she asked.</p><p></p><p>Quellan’s mouth dropped open and he nearly dropped the ring. The half-orc could not blush, but it was certainly easy to embarrass him, she thought. “No, nothing like… that is, I… It’s a magical focus,” he said, recovering enough to finish his thought. “It will help protect you from harm.”</p><p></p><p>She took the ring and held it up to look at it carefully. It’s wasn’t completely plain as she’d first thought; there were faint, spidery runes etched into the metal. She could not read them; divine magic did not function the way her own spells worked. “Maybe you should give it to one of the warriors,” she said.</p><p></p><p>“I would feel better if you wore it,” he said.</p><p></p><p>“Okay,” she said. She took off the glove on her right hand and slid the ring onto her middle finger. It fit perfectly. “Do I have to do anything…”</p><p></p><p>“Just stay close to me. Within fifty or sixty feet. The spell will last for an hour.” He reached out and touched the ring, and she felt a slight jolt, nothing painful, just a brief sensation that faded quickly. “Watch yourself out there,” she said. She knew that he would be right in the thick of the fight, running to help anyone injured in the battle. Her own role was more of a supporting one, though she had her bow in addition to her magic. Even with all of the training she’d done with Bredan, she doubted that she would have much success against a foe like the chimera with her sword.</p><p></p><p>Rodan returned and waved them forward. Before they stepped out from the shadow of the boulder he turned and met their eyes once more. “Remember from this point on there is no retreat. If you run, that thing will catch you.”</p><p></p><p>“We won’t run, archer,” Kosk said. “Just find where it’s hiding, and we’ll do the rest.”</p><p></p><p>“Perhaps some of us could linger here, in cover,” Quellan suggested. He nodded toward the three soldiers. “Wait for the others to flush the beast out.”</p><p></p><p>Rodan considered a moment and nodded. “We should not cluster together too closely in any case,” he said. “Remember, the chimera breathes fire. But don’t get too separated, we don’t want to be picked off one by one, and there’s no telling from which direction the creature may strike.”</p><p></p><p>“We’ll follow your lead,” Glori said. “This is your area of expertise.”</p><p></p><p>“At least until the fighting starts,” Kosk said.</p><p></p><p>“Right,” Rodan said. “Let’s be about it, then.”</p><p></p><p>The ranger led them back up the slope. After just a few minutes in the shade of the boulder the bright afternoon sunlight seemed blinding to Bredan’s eyes. He had his crossbow, a bolt loaded and ready to fire, though he hadn’t had much luck with it thus far. But he’d only get to use his sword if the monster chose to face them on the ground.</p><p></p><p>He had only completed maybe twenty steps since emerging from the shadow of the boulder when he felt something. It was that premonition of dread, but sharper now, a sudden twisting in his gut that had him turning slowly around. His eyes drifted up, to the top of the boulder…</p><p></p><p>The descriptions from the townsfolk and Quellan’s accounts from his book could never have done this thing justice. It was huge, its body oversized to accommodate the three heads that sprouted from its torso. Its wings were half-folded across its back, but that hinted at a wingspan that likely could have enveloped even the considerable mass of the boulder upon which it perched. Bredan could see the way its claws bit into the stone as it shifted forward.</p><p></p><p>But worst of all were the heads. They were as described: a goat, a lion, and worst of all the dragon, its scales glistening in the bright sunlight. There was an intelligence in each of those sets of eyes as they met Bredan’s, savoring his terror.</p><p></p><p>He tried to shout a warning, but only a terrible, feral sound escaped his lips. That was enough to alert his companions, who turned as one to face the beast. One of the Wildrush soldiers screamed.</p><p></p><p>Those screams were abruptly ended as the dragon head gaped wide and unleashed a gout of fire upon the men of the rear guard, incinerating all three of them. Even as they collapsed, burning, the lion head opened wide and issued a terrible roar of challenge that echoed off of the surrounding cliffs.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7301896, member: 143"] Chapter 100 The terrain to the north of Wildrush grew increasingly rugged the further the small party moved away from the town. Occasionally they emerged from mazes of ravines and ridges or dense stands of trees to see the snowcapped heights of Silverpeak in the distance, but for the most part they were unable to see more than fifty paces away in any direction. Bredan knew that was partly by design. Rodan led them along trails that only he knew, when the blacksmith could even see a trail at all. The ranger avoided routes that looked easy but which would have left them completely exposed and visible from a great distance to something flying above. The man seemed to be in his element, and Bredan could respect the simple fact of his competence. He wasn’t the only one who noticed; he caught Glori giving the man an evaluative look more than once. Kosk was less generous in his praise; he frequently muttered comments under his breath as the ranger directed them into a particularly challenging piece of landscape. Bredan knew that the dwarf’s ire wasn’t really for Rodan. As they were making their way through a gully that was choked with dense tangles of thorny brush, Bredan saw Kosk glance back and heard him mutter, “They face a known threat, and the best they can manage is half measures.” Rodan was a good ten paces ahead, but he stopped and looked at them. “These men aren’t hunters,” he said, careful to keep his voice low enough so that the men bringing up the rear of their small column couldn’t hear. “Breaking up a few fights and standing a few watches doesn’t prepare a man for something like this.” The others had stopped as well. The three men that had come from Wildrush with them seemed to sense that they were the topic of the exchange. One of them they knew already; Willem was one of the surviving guards that had come up from Adelar with them. The other two were locals, Jakob and Viktor. Both had come from Lydon’s small force of soldiers, but Rodan’s words seemed appropriate in their case. Despite their long leather tunics studded with iron rivets and the iron-rimmed caps they wore they looked like most of the other men in the frontier town, hard-edged and scruffy. They carried their crossbows with obvious unease, but they [i]had[/i] volunteered. Bredan wondered what incentives Brownwell had offered. “We’re all here because we have a duty,” Bredan said, loudly enough that everyone could hear. “If we don’t stop that thing it will keep coming until it’s dead or Wildrush is destroyed. Better to face it out here where nobody else can get hurt, than there.” “Indeed,” Quellan said. Rodan gave Bredan a long look. “A wise truth,” he said. “Damn straight,” Glori said. “And this is too great a story to pass up. A heroic band of heroes, setting out from a town under siege to hunt down a monster from legends. I can assure you that each of you will get your own stanza in the ballad I will write of our deeds this day.” She directed her comments at the three soldiers, and managed to draw a few nervous laughs out of them. “Come on,” Rodan said. “We shouldn’t linger here. It will take a hard pace to reach the High Hollows by nightfall.” The ranger proved true to his word, forcing them to a grueling pace that nevertheless accomplished only slow progress over the difficult terrain. They paused for a brief rest at midday, deep within the cover of a dense copse of ancient trees, but they’d barely finished their cold meal before Rodan was chivvying them forward again. They had brought enough food for a couple of days, and there were plenty of streams where they could fill their water bottles, but none of them wanted to be night to catch them anywhere near the chimera’s lair. As the day crept on the tree cover began to thin, and finally they emerged at the base of a long, rocky rise. Formations of exposed granite jutted from the steep slope, fashioned into odd shapes by centuries of wind and water. Occasionally one of those features had been shaped into a natural arch, some of them large enough for a wagon and full team to ride through without difficulty. They could just make out the dark mouths of caves up near the summit, where the ascent culminated at the base of fifty-foot cliffs that ringed the area. The protruding rocks and natural curves of the terrain left enough hiding places to conceal a hundred chimeras. “We’re getting close,” Rodan said quietly. The warning was unnecessary, Bredan thought. He could feel a sense of wrongness here, like when you struck a piece of bad iron in the forge. The ranger led them forward again, weaving a path between the various rock formations, extracting every bit of cover from the scattered patches of growth that dotted the hillside. The others followed him in single-file, duplicating his steps as best they could. They had barely covered fifty paces when a loud roar shattered the afternoon quiet. Birds scattered in the trees behind them, the furious rustle of their wings fading as they fled the scene. The companions all froze for a heartbeat, then reached for their weapons. Viktor cursed as the bolt dropped from its groove in his bow, the steel head clinking softly as it landed in the rocks. Kosk shot him a withering look. Bredan started to take a halting step, looking for cover, but froze as Rodan held up a hand in warning. The ranger remained utterly still, his eyes fixed on the summit ahead. They waited as the seconds crept on. Nothing stirred, no shifting shadows, no flash of wings. Finally, Rodan lowered his hand. “Keep moving,” he said. “At least we know it’s home,” Glori said. “Would be a big waste of time if we came all this way to visit for nothing.” Bredan didn’t respond, focusing on placing his feet in places where they wouldn’t cause any loose rocks to clatter free. To his ears the soft scrapes of their boots on the stony ground seemed painfully loud. He wondered how well chimeras could hear, given that they had three sets of ears. He should have asked Quellan before they left. He should have asked more questions about their weaknesses, if they even had any. Realizing that he was getting dangerously close to panic, he tried to focus on the breathing exercises that his uncle had taught him. Rodan didn’t stop until they reached the shelter of one of the larger rock formations. This one was the size of a crofter’s cottage, with a fringe around the top where a few particularly stubborn weeds had found tiny cracks to sprout in. It gave the stone the vague look of an old man who was nearly bald. The ranger paused in the shadow of the huge rock, gesturing for the others to gather behind him. He waited until they were all close enough to hear him at a whisper before he spoke. “We’ll take a moment here. Catch your breath, gather yourselves. From here on up there isn’t much cover.” “You’ve been here before, then?” Glori asked. “Aye. Though never hunting something like this.” He gave a wry look then crept slowly forward to scout around the edge of the boulder. Quellan tapped Glori on the shoulder. As she turned to look at him, he leaned in close while he dug something out of his pouch. “I’d like you to take this,” he said. She looked down and saw that he’d produced a ring, a plain band of silver. No, she amended as she studied it more closely, it was [i]platinum[/i], even that simple circle likely worth as much as her shirt of mail. “Are you asking me to become betrothed to you?” she asked. Quellan’s mouth dropped open and he nearly dropped the ring. The half-orc could not blush, but it was certainly easy to embarrass him, she thought. “No, nothing like… that is, I… It’s a magical focus,” he said, recovering enough to finish his thought. “It will help protect you from harm.” She took the ring and held it up to look at it carefully. It’s wasn’t completely plain as she’d first thought; there were faint, spidery runes etched into the metal. She could not read them; divine magic did not function the way her own spells worked. “Maybe you should give it to one of the warriors,” she said. “I would feel better if you wore it,” he said. “Okay,” she said. She took off the glove on her right hand and slid the ring onto her middle finger. It fit perfectly. “Do I have to do anything…” “Just stay close to me. Within fifty or sixty feet. The spell will last for an hour.” He reached out and touched the ring, and she felt a slight jolt, nothing painful, just a brief sensation that faded quickly. “Watch yourself out there,” she said. She knew that he would be right in the thick of the fight, running to help anyone injured in the battle. Her own role was more of a supporting one, though she had her bow in addition to her magic. Even with all of the training she’d done with Bredan, she doubted that she would have much success against a foe like the chimera with her sword. Rodan returned and waved them forward. Before they stepped out from the shadow of the boulder he turned and met their eyes once more. “Remember from this point on there is no retreat. If you run, that thing will catch you.” “We won’t run, archer,” Kosk said. “Just find where it’s hiding, and we’ll do the rest.” “Perhaps some of us could linger here, in cover,” Quellan suggested. He nodded toward the three soldiers. “Wait for the others to flush the beast out.” Rodan considered a moment and nodded. “We should not cluster together too closely in any case,” he said. “Remember, the chimera breathes fire. But don’t get too separated, we don’t want to be picked off one by one, and there’s no telling from which direction the creature may strike.” “We’ll follow your lead,” Glori said. “This is your area of expertise.” “At least until the fighting starts,” Kosk said. “Right,” Rodan said. “Let’s be about it, then.” The ranger led them back up the slope. After just a few minutes in the shade of the boulder the bright afternoon sunlight seemed blinding to Bredan’s eyes. He had his crossbow, a bolt loaded and ready to fire, though he hadn’t had much luck with it thus far. But he’d only get to use his sword if the monster chose to face them on the ground. He had only completed maybe twenty steps since emerging from the shadow of the boulder when he felt something. It was that premonition of dread, but sharper now, a sudden twisting in his gut that had him turning slowly around. His eyes drifted up, to the top of the boulder… The descriptions from the townsfolk and Quellan’s accounts from his book could never have done this thing justice. It was huge, its body oversized to accommodate the three heads that sprouted from its torso. Its wings were half-folded across its back, but that hinted at a wingspan that likely could have enveloped even the considerable mass of the boulder upon which it perched. Bredan could see the way its claws bit into the stone as it shifted forward. But worst of all were the heads. They were as described: a goat, a lion, and worst of all the dragon, its scales glistening in the bright sunlight. There was an intelligence in each of those sets of eyes as they met Bredan’s, savoring his terror. He tried to shout a warning, but only a terrible, feral sound escaped his lips. That was enough to alert his companions, who turned as one to face the beast. One of the Wildrush soldiers screamed. Those screams were abruptly ended as the dragon head gaped wide and unleashed a gout of fire upon the men of the rear guard, incinerating all three of them. Even as they collapsed, burning, the lion head opened wide and issued a terrible roar of challenge that echoed off of the surrounding cliffs. [/QUOTE]
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