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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7303709" data-attributes="member: 143">You're welcome! I love those Friday cliffhangers as much as you guys do. I was rereading the Rappan Athuk thread last weekend, and found myself caught up in the story (and the many comments from readers) once again.* * *Chapter 101The chimera fell into a crouch and Bredan tensed, anticipating a leap down from the boulder to finish what it had begun by killing the three soldiers.  But when the creature sprang forward it spread its huge wings, launching it up into the air.  The wings unleashed a windstorm beneath it, filling Bredan’s face with dust and smoke from the conflagration it had just unleashed.But as the monster passed overhead he saw that his companions were already attacking.  Arrows flew up to meet it, and there was even a tiny flash that had to be one of Kosk’s knives.  He couldn’t tell if any of the attacks hit, but they reminded him that he held a weapon of his own and that he wasn’t using it.  Shaking his head to clear it of the blinding grit, he raised his crossbow to his shoulder and fired.  The shot flew embarrassingly wide, but he ignored the failure and reached for the weapon’s cocking hook.His haste appeared to be unnecessary; the chimera was already a hundred paces away and gaining altitude.  But as the survivors of its first assault watched it spread its wings wide and began to bank hard to the left, passing close to the cliffs before turning back toward them.“It’s coming back!” Glori yelled, just in case any of them weren’t watching.“Spread out!” Rodan said.  “Take cover!”Bredan looked around, but there was no cover to be had; none of the rocks nearby rose higher than his shin, and the massive boulder behind him was too far to reach before the chimera’s return.  Resolving that this time he wouldn’t cower, he quickly cocked his bow.  Setting a fresh bolt into its groove, he looked up to see the chimera approaching fast; it looked like it was coming right for him.  All three of its jaws opened wide, but it was the dragon’s that he focused on.  Was that a glow he saw forming within that terrible maw?The lion’s head roared again, and he again he raised his crossbow.  This time he took more care in aiming, but even as he pulled the trigger the creature jerked suddenly to the side.  He cursed as the bolt flew through the space it would have been had it not moved, but he just had time to see an arrow jutting from its side before the dragon head turned and unleashed another gout of flame.He tried to dive to the side, but the seeking fire found him.  Searing heat scorched the left side of his face, and he thought he could feel the flesh crinkling against that assault.  He was dimly aware of the creature’s passage as it flashed overhead, and then it was gone.In an instant someone was at his side.  “Bredan!  Are you all right?”It was Glori, already reaching for her lyre to summon her magic.  While she’d proven that she did not need the silver instrument to cast spells, it still helped her to focus her power.  Bredan felt a sweeping relief as the pain of his burns suddenly eased.  He resisted the urge to reach up and touch the side of his face that had gotten scorched.  Instead he staggered to his feet.  Glori’s clothes were a bit singed as well, suggesting that she’d been caught in the chimera’s breath attack as well.He wasn’t the only one to notice.  “Are you both all right?” Quellan yelled at them.  The others had followed Rodan’s command and spread out at the creature’s approach, but the cleric started tentatively forward in case they needed additional healing.“I’m fine,” Bredan said to Glori, and she shouted back, “We’re both all right!”“It’s coming around again!” Kosk warned, drawing their attention back to the sky.The chimera’s dive had taken it down the length of the slope it had taken them such difficulty to climb earlier.  It had swung out over the forest, just clearing the tops of the tallest trees, and was once more swinging around back toward them.  It seemed to be taking its time.  Maybe it did not consider them a threat, Bredan thought.  Then again, thus far they had not done much to prove it wrong.“Get ready!” Rodan shouted.  The ranger had not been idle, seeking out the cover of one of the other rock formations that littered the area, a stone pillar as thick around as a syrewood tree.  Prodding Glori in front of him, Bredan grabbed his crossbow and ran toward the huge boulder where the creature had originally appeared.  He didn’t bother trying to reload the weapon, instead focusing on covering ground quickly.The chimera was picking up speed as well, dipping into another diving attack.  Glori paused to shoot her bow, and Bredan cursed, thinking that she wouldn’t reach the protection of the boulder before it could breathe fire again.  If her arrow hit, it didn’t seem to faze the creature at all.But then the creature jerked up again, and Bredan could see an arrow sticking out from the creature’s goat head, the shaft embedded in its neck right behind the jaw.  All three heads let out a terrible sound, then the chimera swept around to the right.  Bredan could see at once where it was going.  Rodan tried to dart back into cover, reaching for another arrow as he did so, but the chimera merely altered its angle of approach, holding its breath until it had veered around the obstacle.Then it breathed.There was nowhere for the ranger to go.  The flames enveloped him, sweeping around the stone pillar.  Bredan felt a cold feeling clutch his gut as the chimera shot past, leaving just a swirling haze of black smoke and burning brush in its wake.Quellan started running toward the pillar, though Bredan could not see how the ranger could have survived that direct blast.  But before he could decide what to do he saw that the chimera had changed course again; instead of continuing in another broad loop over the cliffs it had banked into a tight curve that had it standing up almost straight upon one wingtip before it turned back toward them.  This time its dive was steeper, its intent clear as it swept down toward them.Bredan reached for his sword as Kosk yelled, “Here it comes!”</blockquote>

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