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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wicht" data-source="post: 1272561" data-attributes="member: 221">Black Waters – Part 7The companions stared in frustration at the placid dark waters of the lake.  The sheep’s carcass floated morosely, a piece of bait that was not working.  Somewhere out there they knew swam one more small black dragon, but how to get it they had not a clue.For his part, the small black dragon Xar’kalt watched the companions in frustration and anger.  Lying still and unseen behind some lake grass, the black dragons eyes barely cleared the surface of the lake some 100 feet away from the six warriors.  A part of Xar’kalt’s mind wanted revenge for the death of his sister.  A larger and more practical part of his mind wanted these dangerous interlopers to leave him (and his rather small collection of treasure) in peace.  The small dragon however did not have a clue on how to get them to leave.  And then one of them, one of the short, partially furry ones started to move towards the water.  Smiling to himself Xar’kalt slipped under the water and began to gracefully swim towards the beach.“What are you doing,” Leesarel asked Durunak as he began trudging towards the shoreline.“I want my rope back,” huffed the shaggy dwarf, “I ain’t going to leave it tied to that piece of wool forever.”The dwarf stopped and gazed around at the lake water carefully, pulling out his great axe at the same time.  Then, seeing nothing, he began wadding out to where the sheep was.  The body was now about ten feet away from the shore.  The water there was only about three or four feet deep and so the dwarf was unafraid of drowning.  Determined to move quickly, he reached the body and began to work at the wet knot around the sheeps neck.  It was then that Xar’kalt struck.  Not bothering to clear the water and use his acid, the small dragon instead lunged at Durunak’s leg.  The small but sharp teeth tore into the dwarf.  The taste of blood excited the small dragon but he did not get another chance to attack.  The dwarf, not completely taken by surprise managed to quickly  recover from the shock of being attacked.  Ignoring the pain, Durunak hefted his axe and cleaved into  the water at the black lithe body.  He could barely make out the black dragon in the dark waters but his aim was still true.  He could feel his axe connect and then, a moment later he felt the dragon moving away from him in the water and saw a flicker of shadow under the dark surface of the water.  Durunak did not wait for the dragon to return again, nor did he bother to finish untying the knot in the water.  Instead he grabbed at the noose around the sheep’s neck and began pulling the body through the water towards the shore.The threw the sheep back into the water after Durunak untied the knot, but some minutes later they were ready to try something else.“Its just not taking the bait,” said Leesarel dejectedly.“No, its not,” said Hulmar, easing up on his bow and resheathing the arrow he had been holding in readiness for the last twenty minutes or so.“We ought to use Durunak as bait,” said Leesarel with a grin, “The dragon seemed to go for him.”Durunak grinned ruefully and then a second later really began to grin.“We could get a boat,” said Zurmak helpfully.“And use you as a paddle,” said Hulmar.“Wait,” Durunak, “Leesarel’s right with her idea of bait.  It goes for us everytime.”“Yeah!” said Zurmak, “I’m tired of waiting for it.” and with that Zurmak began to march towards the lake, axe at the ready.“Wait…,” said Leesarel, not entirely sure she liked the idea of using party members as bait.But Zurmak was already in the lake water, wading out and Durunak was following behind, five feet to his cousins right.  Zurmak paused about ten feet from the water’s edge, where the water came up to his chest.  Durunak stopped at the same point.  With a nod, Minlion moved to join the two dwarfs, five feet to Zurmak’s left.  With a sigh Leesarel nocked an arrow.She did not have to wait long.  With a shriek the small dragon reared its head about five feet to Minlion’s left.  The elves did not hesitate.  Both Leesarel and Hulmar let fly an arrow.  And both missed.The dragon breathed its acid at Minlion, who dove down under the water to avoid it.  The acid struck the water and dispersed.  Unfortunately for Minlion, the acid was not diluted enough as he rose up from the water.  The acid stung at his skin and scalp as he stood once more.  “Back up!” shouted Durunak to Minlion and Zurmak as he began to move once more towards the shoreline, but the other two fighters did not listen, instead holding their ground and moving in closer to the dragon.  Three more arrows skipped into the water around the small black dragon as the archers on the shore fired and then the dragon was charging through the water at Minlion.  The human fighter held the dragon back behind his shield as he looked for an opening.  Zurmak charged in to help Minlion and the dragon shrieked in rage as it sought to avoid both axe and sword.  But even as it moved down and into the water, considering the idea of fleeing this fight, Minlion stabbed into its shoulder with his sword.  Xar’kalt paused a moment in disbelieve as it was once more wounded, and then through a haze of rage it saw the other dwarf floundering wildly through the water, the huge axe lifted high above its head.  In wonder it realized for a moment that the shaggy dward was almost literally foaming at the mouth and then the axe descended and the young black dragon saw no more.“Hack it’s head off,” said Zurmak as the dragon collapsed unmoving into the lake, its body floating just on top of the water.  Minlion moved back, out of the way and Durunak complied, severing the small black head from the thin black scaled body with a single stroke“Good job cousin,” said Zurmak with a smile as he, Minlion and Durunak waded toward the shore, Durunak dragging the dragon’s body behind him.“Thanks,” said Durunak, breathing heavily as he recovered from his adrenaline boosting battle rage.  The six companions silently and competently got ready to leave the black waters of the lake behind them.  It was Zurmak who had the last word as the left, Dragons bodies and all, “I think,” he said, one of the dragons draped over his shoulder “I think I would really like a pony to ride.”  Durunak, worn out, but still carrying the other dragon on his shoulder, was silent.  He was too tired to argue.</blockquote>

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