Chapter 21 - The Inner Sanctum (Part 5)
Beside Lavren, Litiraan raised his wand and loosed a silver bolt followed by another. These found their marks in the demon’s chest and drove it back against the stone platform behind it. Telkya retreated from the demon’s fury and knelt beside Erlmoor. She uttered her most powerful healing prayer and laid a hand on the dragonborn’s chest as light filled her palm. It flowed into the dragonborn, closing the terrible wound in his chest and as she prayed, Telkya saw Erlmoor’s eyes open once more. She smiled for a moment but then a bolt of black, crackling power lanced out from the gnoll near the altar and struck her in the shoulder, hurling her back against the wall.
The demon leapt forward after the priestess, snarling as it came but Erlmoor rolled over on the floor as it drew near and stabbed his blade into its leg. The demon turned and lashed a claw across the dragonborn’s back but he paid it no mind. He could feel little pain now and began to push himself to his feet. Even as he rose, Lavren cursed the demon and loosed a bolt of black energy that drove it back from Telkya. Enlishia loosed an arrow from her bow that nicked the demon’s cheek and then another, that flew past to strike the cauldron at the far end of the raised platform. The demon snarled for the last time and then Litiraan raised his wand to loose a silver bolt at the demon. It seared through its chest, pierced its foul heart and felled it against the platform from which it had come. Litiraan vanished in a shower of light motes and reappeared on the platform a few feet from the gnoll who turned towards him while behind the elf, Erlmoor rose again with a roar. He rushed up the steps and moved to meet the gnoll with his blade before him.
Telkya watched her brother and the dragonborn advance on the gnoll and knew that she had a chance now to tend to Dulvarna. She knelt beside the warrior woman and uttered a healing prayer while resting her hand on the terrible wound at her throat. Again golden light filled her hand and flowed into her companion to close the wound before finally, Dulvarna’s eyes flicked open.
The gnoll growled at Erlmoor and lashed out with its tail which bore sharp spikes. The tail struck the dragonborn’s right knee and drove its spikes deep into his leg. He staggered and lurched to the right as the gnoll threw down its rod and drew a large mace from its belt. It lashed out at the paladin while still reading from the parchment in its left hand and Erlmoor parried desperately, stopping the mace mere inches from his head. The gnoll’s voice rose to a crescendo for a moment and to his right, Erlmoor saw one of the elf prisoners consumed in a flash of bright light. He roared his defiance again and shoved the gnoll’s mace away from him though he knew that his knee would not hold him for much longer.
As Erlmoor roared, Dulvarna rushed up the steps behind him with Aecris before her and behind her came Lavren, loosing black lightning at the gnoll to drive it back from the others. Enlishia came next, loosing arrows one after the other and wounding the gnoll twice and then Litiraan unleashed a silver bolt into the gnoll’s side. For the first time, the terrible creature staggered and seemed to falter in its reading of the parchment in its left hand. As he saw his companions arrive, Erlmoor summoned the last of his strength and channelled it into his blade before swing out at the gnoll. The sword glowed brightly and clove into the creature’s left shoulder, tearing through flesh and bone. The gnoll howled and its grip on the parchment loosened but it continued to chant the ritual phrases. Erlmoor roared and rushed forward and the gnoll raised its mace to meet him.
Telkya watched the battle on the platform unfold for a moment and then focused her fey energy on moving to join her companions. She vanished in a shower of motes and reappeared next to the gnoll as it moved to meet Erlmoor. Despite its distractions, it seemed to sense her presence and lashed its spiked tail around towards her. She could not avoid the terrible weapon and it struck her in the wide, driving the breath from her body and audibly cracking several ribs. The priestess staggered to the right and uttered a short blessing to enchant her sword before rushing in at the gnoll and stabbing at it. The gnoll twisted away from her and brought its mace down to parry her thrust with amazing speed. It whipped the mace back up and struck the side of the elf’s head before turning back towards Erlmoor and Dulvarna. Telkya staggered away in a daze but saw the gnoll feint low towards Erlmoor before raising the mace over his head and bringing its down on the dragonborn’s skull. Erlmoor crumpled and fell for the third time in a shower of blood.
Beside Lavren, Litiraan raised his wand and loosed a silver bolt followed by another. These found their marks in the demon’s chest and drove it back against the stone platform behind it. Telkya retreated from the demon’s fury and knelt beside Erlmoor. She uttered her most powerful healing prayer and laid a hand on the dragonborn’s chest as light filled her palm. It flowed into the dragonborn, closing the terrible wound in his chest and as she prayed, Telkya saw Erlmoor’s eyes open once more. She smiled for a moment but then a bolt of black, crackling power lanced out from the gnoll near the altar and struck her in the shoulder, hurling her back against the wall.
The demon leapt forward after the priestess, snarling as it came but Erlmoor rolled over on the floor as it drew near and stabbed his blade into its leg. The demon turned and lashed a claw across the dragonborn’s back but he paid it no mind. He could feel little pain now and began to push himself to his feet. Even as he rose, Lavren cursed the demon and loosed a bolt of black energy that drove it back from Telkya. Enlishia loosed an arrow from her bow that nicked the demon’s cheek and then another, that flew past to strike the cauldron at the far end of the raised platform. The demon snarled for the last time and then Litiraan raised his wand to loose a silver bolt at the demon. It seared through its chest, pierced its foul heart and felled it against the platform from which it had come. Litiraan vanished in a shower of light motes and reappeared on the platform a few feet from the gnoll who turned towards him while behind the elf, Erlmoor rose again with a roar. He rushed up the steps and moved to meet the gnoll with his blade before him.
Telkya watched her brother and the dragonborn advance on the gnoll and knew that she had a chance now to tend to Dulvarna. She knelt beside the warrior woman and uttered a healing prayer while resting her hand on the terrible wound at her throat. Again golden light filled her hand and flowed into her companion to close the wound before finally, Dulvarna’s eyes flicked open.
The gnoll growled at Erlmoor and lashed out with its tail which bore sharp spikes. The tail struck the dragonborn’s right knee and drove its spikes deep into his leg. He staggered and lurched to the right as the gnoll threw down its rod and drew a large mace from its belt. It lashed out at the paladin while still reading from the parchment in its left hand and Erlmoor parried desperately, stopping the mace mere inches from his head. The gnoll’s voice rose to a crescendo for a moment and to his right, Erlmoor saw one of the elf prisoners consumed in a flash of bright light. He roared his defiance again and shoved the gnoll’s mace away from him though he knew that his knee would not hold him for much longer.
As Erlmoor roared, Dulvarna rushed up the steps behind him with Aecris before her and behind her came Lavren, loosing black lightning at the gnoll to drive it back from the others. Enlishia came next, loosing arrows one after the other and wounding the gnoll twice and then Litiraan unleashed a silver bolt into the gnoll’s side. For the first time, the terrible creature staggered and seemed to falter in its reading of the parchment in its left hand. As he saw his companions arrive, Erlmoor summoned the last of his strength and channelled it into his blade before swing out at the gnoll. The sword glowed brightly and clove into the creature’s left shoulder, tearing through flesh and bone. The gnoll howled and its grip on the parchment loosened but it continued to chant the ritual phrases. Erlmoor roared and rushed forward and the gnoll raised its mace to meet him.
Telkya watched the battle on the platform unfold for a moment and then focused her fey energy on moving to join her companions. She vanished in a shower of motes and reappeared next to the gnoll as it moved to meet Erlmoor. Despite its distractions, it seemed to sense her presence and lashed its spiked tail around towards her. She could not avoid the terrible weapon and it struck her in the wide, driving the breath from her body and audibly cracking several ribs. The priestess staggered to the right and uttered a short blessing to enchant her sword before rushing in at the gnoll and stabbing at it. The gnoll twisted away from her and brought its mace down to parry her thrust with amazing speed. It whipped the mace back up and struck the side of the elf’s head before turning back towards Erlmoor and Dulvarna. Telkya staggered away in a daze but saw the gnoll feint low towards Erlmoor before raising the mace over his head and bringing its down on the dragonborn’s skull. Erlmoor crumpled and fell for the third time in a shower of blood.