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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Broccli_Head" data-source="post: 272426" data-attributes="member: 105">More Heroes!21 Ches, 1373 Year of Rogue Dragons: The Darkest Hour, part III Benito was awakened by a pounding, slamming sound. Grim was already making for the warded door. As Benito rolled from under the bed, the halfling had muttered the password and tumbled out the door. In the hallway they saw ice and snow spilling from Meliane's room and a red glow appear from under the door where Ellysidell and Souleiss rested. Grim crept quickly and stealthily forward toward's Meliane's room,  while Benito examined the middle door. No sound emanated from the elf and beast's room and he banged hard for them to get up and get out. A large, feral cat crouched on hind legs in the corner and changed back into the familiar form of Meliane of the Emerald Enclave. "Fool assassin!" she exclaimed pointing to the frozen-to-death form of a black-clad humanoid standing over her bed. But Benito was more concerned about the middle door. He called Grim forward to examine it. Meliane stood ready. Grim swung the door inward and saw the wall of flame. There was no heat and it was eerily silent. The companions saw humanoid shadows flickering beyond the fire. Two dispels sprung from the divine mights of the druid and cleric. Suddenly the crackle of fire and the ring of metal could be heard and then the cry of distress and agony. A larger shadow stood above the others. Benito did not  hesistate and lept into the fire, grunting as the flames burned him. Grim hung back, hearing the cleric's pain in his head. He knew that there would be no evading a wall of fire that he was to purposely run through. For you, big, forest-brother!Curiously, there was no reply and the shock of pain paled in comparison to what the halfling felt as he exited the wall of flame. Ellysidell lay crumpled on the ground, a bloody, steaming heap of flesh. Benito now stood back as he saw the fire-demon stand and smile over the dead bodies of his friends. I have completed my task, so I give you a choice. You may leave and I will spare you, spoke the demon in Benito's head. Benito stalled as he weighed his options and asked questions, not gaining new information from Farrouk, Slayer of Ten Thousand (and two). The efreet pondered as well as he watched the halfling attempt to flank him and saw that the would-be-heroes were suffering in this heat and not dropping. He reversed the wall of fire.I could use servants such as yourselves. You do not seem as weak as these two. I have a plan...For Benito, this condescension was the last straw. He charged the efreet and struck home. The efreet struck back doing more damage as his sharp, hot blades found critical points on the cleric's body. His contingent healing spells went off! Grim sliced with his Twin Fangs, but could not find a vital area. This assassin was too experienced to fall for his feints and weaves. Then Benito in desperation reached not for the divine might of Tyr but for something darker. The cleric of justice touched Farrouk al-Sudin with a glowing dark-green hand. The firelord stumbled back as multiple wounds opened from his body and gushed dark-red blood, but before Benito could finish him with Mano--all the while Salazar crying out to Benito to stop--a gem hanging from a black metal chain glowed with its own dweomer. The efreet laughed. Not bad, youngling, but now I am through toying. Say hello to your god for me!Benito recovered quickly, however and instead of striking or defending, concentrated and sent forth another spell. No, you go back and say hello to yours!The efreet was surrounded by a nimbus of white light, and before he could curse the Holy Justice, vanished!======Benito walked numbly through the firewall. Ellysidell was gone!Grim sank to his knees and cradled his big brother's head in his arms. There was still a spark of life, and then it winked out as the bloody body convulsed and more fluids burst from the wounds. Grim and Meliane waited until the fire went out and carried the bodies of their fallen companions to the tap room upstairs. Benito had started drinking whatever spirits he could find, but took a small break to drive the Flaming Falchion into the planks of the floor. It hummed for a second or two and stopped. Benito went back to drinking. Grim found a shadowy corner and cried. Meliane turned into a large bear and stood guard over the corpses....===========Benito felt alone... everywhere they turned evil stood unchallenged. Every step they took was beset by those that would do them harm. For the young Holy Justice it seemed as if he stood alone against the darkness. They had seen dragons, evil druidesses, demonic clerics, evil orginizations that seemingly ran entire cities with impunity, adventuring groups composed of foul and evil creatures... and yet he had never seen anyone like themselves. Where  were the like-minded people to uphold the cause of the righteous?  Indeed, he felt there were none. We stand alone... and it isn't enough anymore.  Perhaps good is not victorious. It merely hides in a few strongholds protecting itself as the rest of the world around it burns with the fires of the wicked. Now I understand why  Denton didn't want me to leave Alaghon... Denton knew what lay beyond the city. He knew that outside of their little bastion of hope that there was pain and suffering. Yet I, in my pride did not listen. I left with my friends believing that Tyr had a purpose for us and that the good would burn brighter than the darkness around them. I was wrong. It  has been less than a month outside of Alaghon and the Darkness has all but snuffed out the light of my friends. What can I do now? What hope  is there? The evil of Faerun has won. I am defeated. All that is left for is vengeance, and maybe that will be denied to me...He is a man... no a boy without hope. His only wish was to die well so that he would see his friends again in the afterlife. He sat alone at the bar, no longer dreaming of the good and the just, instead he saw visions of blood and death...He wept bitterly, alone once more as he was those many months ago.</blockquote>

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