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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Medriev" data-source="post: 4518762" data-attributes="member: 21864">Chapter 14 - Kobold Hall (Part 4)Kel prayed for healing as she watched the drake before her and then, as it darted forward, she changed her prayer and swung at the creature. She ducked left and struck its flank, forcing it away from her towards Dulvarna and marking it with a glowing symbol of a spider where her blow had struck home. The creature hissed, spat and then rushed at her, rearing back to tear and her throat and push her to the ground with its front legs. Kel fell but scrabbled out from under the beast as warm blood flowed down her chest from her torn throat. The dark elf pushed herself to her feet and spat out blood while holding her morning star before her. Her enemy looked for the moment of weakness in which it would finish her and Kel knew that she could do nothing to stop it when it took its chance. Thinking only to save herself, Kel retreated from the corridor and left Dulvarna to fight both drakes. Dulvarna became a whirlwind then, filling the corridor with the steel of her single blade. She struck at one drake and then the other, leaving both bleeding and drawing screeches of pain from both. They surveyed their enemy with cautious, predatory eyes as if wondering whether this prey was truly worth taking down at all. They decided almost as one to try again at least and darted forward once more. Outside the doors, Kel crouched back against the wall as a sling stone skipped off the stone floor nearby and wondered how she could yet aid her companions in this battle. Even as she wondered, she felt blinding pain and looked down to see a spear protruding from her side. Raising her gaze, she saw a kobold on the southern ledge leaning out over the chamber so that his aim would be true. The dark elf felt a now familiar nausea and then blackness took her as she slumped down against the wall.Thira pulled herself free of the slime and clambered up the rough wall of the pit only to slip as Lavren had and tumble back into the pit. Lavren heard her cry out and looked over the edge of the pit just as she splashed into the slime. He looked up at the two ledges and heard a whirring sound. From the ledge on the right came a sling stone, faster than her could see and as he turned to loo, the missile struck him in the forehead. Lavren saw blinding lights for a moment and then blackness took him.The kobold before Erlmoor dropped the slime covered stone to the ledge and raised its spear. It stabbed at him but he swatted the spear aside and roared, spraying both kobolds on the ledge with acid. Both kobolds collapsed as the acid seared their faces and eyes and Erlmoor rushed down the stairs to join the battle with the drakes. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, the dragonborn had a prayer on his lips and his blade glowed white as he drove it into the flank of the nearest drake. The creature screeched and collapsed but the dragonborn paid it no mind and strode on to meet Dulvarna. The warrior woman came forward to meet the paladin, slashing her blade across the snout of the remaining drake and driving it back before her. She smiled at the dragonborn and he roared again, this time in triumph. The drake darted forward but Dulvarna stepped back and dodged right to avoid its fiercesome jaws. Erlmoor plunged his blade into its back leg and the creature reared and screeched but its agony was not over. As it came down from rearing, Dulvarna was waiting and her sword was before her. The beast drove itself onto that sharp point until it pierced the creature’s spine and emerged from its back. Dulvarna met its terrible gaze barely an inch from her face as the light faded from its eyes and then she turned her blade so that the drake slid down to join its companion. Without a second thought, Dulvarna waved Erlmoor on and rushed down the corridor to the right hand turn that she knew had to lead up to the second ledge. She rounded the corner and came face to face with a kobold and his spear. Erlmoor rounded the corner just behind Dulvarna and slashed out with his blade, cutting down the kobold without breaking his stride. Together, the two started up the stairs to the southern ledge.Thira pulled herself up over the edge of the pit, grateful that she was free of it at last. She stayed low, knowing that the kobolds on the ledges would likely be waiting for her to emerge. Next to the pit she found Lavren, still breathing but with a nasty wound to the head that had bled badly to matt his hair with crimson. Hastily, she pulled rags from her belt pouch and began to bind the elf’s wounds, desperately trying to save him, without realising that she had sat up to do so. Thira heard whirring an instant before pain and white light exploded in her head and then the blackness took her. Thira collapsed across Lavren and with her last spark of thought, Thira wondered if she would die like this, draped across her lover. Somehow, she found it fitting.Outside the doors, Kel felt blinding pain once more but recognised that as a sign that she still lived. Her eyes flicked open and she surveyed the chamber without moving, lest the kobolds on the ledge still be watching. She saw the fallen forms of Thira and Lavren and knew she had to aid them. She only hoped that she could cross the chamber to them without being hit by a sling stone or a spear.Dulvarna reached the ledge first and found the two kobolds still facing the chamber seeking targets. The warrior woman rushed them silently, slashing her blade across the back of one and carrying the blow through to bury her blade in the side of the other. The second kobold fell but the other dropped its sling and turned, fumbling for a dagger at its belt. The kobold drew the dagger and stabbed at Dulvarna who swatted the small blade aside. Erlmoor reached the ledge then and the kobold began to panic. The dragonborn slashed at the creature wildly and forced it back to the edge but though it knew its cause was hopeless, it refused to yield.Lavren’s eyes opened and he looked down at Thira who was draped across him. She needed his aid but he could not risk being struck again by the kobolds on the ledge. Desperately, he craned his head around to survey the eastern end of the room and saw Kel creeping across towards him. Twisting the other way, he saw the last of the kobold sling wielders had more to worry about than enemies in the chamber below.“Kel, hurry,” he called out. “It is safe.”The dark elf rushed over to the tiefling and the elf and knelt beside Thira. She began to pray softly while placing her hand on Thira’s forehead. Pale blue light spread over Thira and almost at once, her eyes flew open. She rose from where she lay warily, fearful of the slime covered stone as much as the slingshot and spears of the kobolds. Thira rose and turned towards the southern ledge, levelling her stave at the last kobold there. At a word, a silver bolt lanced forth and struck the wall close to the kobold. The creature screeched and jumped to its left only to meet Dulvarna’s blade as it slashed across. The kobold slashed out desperately with its dagger, drawing blood along Dulvarna’s forearm. The warrior wondered what kept this creature fighting. Surely whatever kobold led this band must be fiercesome indeed for it to inspire such fear of surrender in its followers. Black energy crackled from Lavren’s wand to strike the ledge at the kobold’s feet but still the creature faught on. It ducked a swing from Erlmoor’s blade but as it came back up, Dulvarna’s sword cut across and cut through its neck, beheading it where it stood. Its headless body toppled backwards over the ledge while its bloody head landed at Dulvarna’s feet. The battle was won at last.</blockquote>

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