NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Funeris" data-source="post: 1873123" data-attributes="member: 22792">Chapter 5 ConcludedMe break a promise? Never. I'm a paladin now, remember.  hee hee.So here's the rest of chapter 5.  I'm beginning work on the next chapter now, work can wait until Monday I guess....--------------------------------------------------------------------------Motega glanced to his rear left and a gigantic smile split his face.  But his grin faded as another of the dwem archers broke free from the writhing mass of vines and quickly took the place of the fallen durven.  With the combined skill of Motega and Tobias, the dwem crossbowman did not last long at all.Climbing to his feet, Magnus paused and gave himself a pat on the back.“Why thank you Magnus, oh…you’re welcome.  Not a problem.  Glad I could help.”  The mage spoke to his self while surveying the battle.  It seemed Calyx had fallen as well, but that cleric was well within reach to heal her.  Not much to do, he concluded and turned his attention back to the ensnared durven.The largest one and the closest to Magnus, was screaming what sounded like obscenities.  I will have to learn whatever that language is, Magnus silently noted while observing the scene.  Magnus checked once more, Funeris and Motega had their backs toward him.  Check.  Calyx was unconscious or dead.  Check.  And Fitz was distracted with the hand-to-hand combat with that other durven.  Check.“Well, that means you’re mine.”  A smile stretched across his face and then the vines released their grip.  His smile quickly turned to hard determination as rays of color crackled from his hands, directly hitting the durven leader and the other remaining dwarf square in the eyes.Motega and Funeris whirled around, having dropped the last durven archer, to the sight of Magnus slaughtering the two remaining dwem with his tiny daggers.  The dwem were definitely unconscious.  Fitz had removed the threat of his durven, healed Calyx at least to consciousness and returned to the other side of the battle.Everyone shared looks, mentally deciding what to do next.  Finally, Motega said, “Camp.”  And it was so.--------------------------------------------------------------------------Motega and Tobias grabbed the durven bodies, dragging them toward the campsite while Fitz gave Calyx her routine battle check-up.  Magnus had already started plundering the bodies, a sheet of parchment and a quill in one hand, his other hand rummaging.  Occasionally his chuckling filled the air as he catalogued every item the enemies had held.After a quiet dinner, Magnus went over his list with the rest of the group.  The items that could be carried were divided up and Motega hid the rest in the wilderness.  Then, shifts for watch were divided up and the majority of the party rested.--------------------------------------------------------------------------Tobias had been stuck with the graveyard shift again.  The woods were comfortably silent and he found his thoughts drawn back to Reddel.It wasn’t unheard of to be chosen by an angel.  He thought the chosen were called Paladins.  But it often led to a life of persecution.  The Risen Gods weren’t the most friendly toward the perfectly designed angels and their chosen.  And that was not saying anything about the Gods’ even more imperfect followers on Ostia Prim.But his thoughts drifted and ebbed as his eyes started to close.  Tobias’ head bobbed; sleep slowly rapped its exhaustive tendrils around Tobias.  And whether from the exertion of the day or just the lateness of the night, he slept.--------------------------------------------------------------------------“Shhhh....Shut up, will you,” the cloaked mage whispered hoarsely.  “We need our hearing!  You can’t see in the dark, can you?!”  The mage stalked slowly ahead of his two remaining companions.  Already, they had lost too many companions this foul night.Now, they were forced to trudge through this d@mn forest, just to escape….whatever the hell those things were.  And Galum, the mage, wasn’t happy at all about it.  Especially with his two remaining noisy companions.“We need to hear in case they’re following,” he hissed to emphasize his point.  As he said that, he stopped abruptly causing his companions to bump into him.  His hand shot up in the gesture for stop although he doubted they knew what that meant.  So, instantly he changed the gesture to one meaning look.His companions stepped nearly silently from behind and peered at the young man sleeping against the tree.--------------------------------------------------------------------------A harsh snap of twigs and metal clanging together roused Motega.  He nocked an arrow, while on the ground then kicked Magnus to wake him.  The mage’s eyes flickered open as well and before he could utter a sound, Motega motioned for silence then pointed toward Funeris’ general location.  Magnus nodded and rolled over to tap Fitz.Motega stood up, the fire had died long ago and what few embers remained did nothing to alleviate the darkness.  With the skill he was practically born with, Motega stalked over to an old, huge tree that provided enough cover.  His eyes, slowly adjusting to the dark night made out three shapes standing above Funeris.  One of them was reaching for Funeris’ great sword.Suddenly a clank from the camp caused the bandit to snap his head up.  No time like the present, thought Motega.  He loosed the arrow, which hit the bandit in the shoulder.  Galum, stepped backward toward the entrance of the forest, avoiding the arrow fire.The other bandit stepped in toward the still sleeping paladin, removing a huge sword from its scabbard.  He swung at the sleeping boy with all of his might.  The sword landed maybe an inch above Tobias’ head.  The reverberation of the tree woke the sleeping paladin, his hand instinctively grabbing the sword.Magnus, Fitz and Calyx ran onto the scene as Tobias stood returning the sword blow.  Galum unleashed a ball of energy onto Tobias, which pushed him back but didn’t nearly drop the man-child.Within mere seconds, with the mage making his self known, the battle was ended as abruptly as it began.  The bandit with the sword lied dead at Tobias feet, Galum’s body not far off in the wood and the younger bandit cowering at Fitz’s feet, begging for mercy from the cleric.“I haven’t had a good hek.”  Fitz stated plainly.  “You’re lucky I’m a holy man.  Bind him.”</blockquote>

Verification