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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jonrog1" data-source="post: 722023" data-attributes="member: 189"> Chapter 2: “Wherein our accidental companions pause just long enough to reaffirm their committed self-interest in the face of others’ suffering.” “Taggart?!” the priest called out.  Taggart pulled up short, nose to nose with the man.  Kirby stopped next to them, staring one to the other.  Same eyes, same nose, same build – identical except for the vague air of upright morality surrounding the newcomer.“Argent?”  Taggart and Argent couldn’t believe it.  It had been close to ten years since the two had seen each other, since Taggart had stolen away that last fateful time from the orphanage run by the Sisters of Madriel.  Ten years of doubt, of worry, knowing that the other lived simply because each could sense the heavy presence of his twin within his own heart.  Argent, cleric of Madriel, threw his arms wide out for an embrace.Taggart chucked him on the shoulder and ran past.  “Great-to-see-ya-lets-find-some-more-horses –“Argent looked to Kirby.  Kirby shrugged elegantly.  Even covered in three years of mud, Kirby still always managed to come across as a vaguely inconvenienced city gentleman.  Kirby ran after Taggart.Argent welcomed the others.  “Finally, more to aid me in the –““Sorry, can’t talk, fleeing now.”  Alec waved to the cleric, circled the interior of the ruin while committing the layout to memory.  Although the roof was long gone, the North and West walls were still almost at their original height of three stories.  Arched windows, empty of glass, dotted the West wall.  The South wall where they’d entered was half-ruined and half-standing.  The East wall was also almost intact.   Where a gate would ordinarily have stood, the aperture was clogged shut with logs and wagon ruins, all the way up to the top of the wall.Argent hailed the young swordswoman.  That was no ordinary blade she carried; it was an Oathblade.  She was obviously a royal of high character –“OW!”  Indigo kicked a wounded man on the ground.  His low moan was lost beneath the rain.  “One of your men tripped me!  You shouldn’t leave them lying around like this!”(DM’s Note: Indigo speaks with Inigo Montoya’s accent from THE PRINCESS BRIDE.  Drink in the beauty of a surly, five foot-four swordswoman with that accent carrying a four-foot five sword …)There was a broken stone stairway leading up to the East wall edge.  With a stunning bit of acrobatics Taggart leapt from stone to stone until he was balanced atop the ramshackle ruin’s high top.  He scanned their surroundings.  The ruin was perched atop a ridge.  In front of them, to the East, he could see the forces of the Veshian army in full retreat, thousands of men stumbling through the mud, breaking before the vast wave of titanspawn and undead, stretching from one edge of the horizon to the next.  Beyond that Taggart could see the Black Tower.  A weird cloudbank surrounded the top of the Bandit King’s stronghold, and phosphorescent lightning chewed at the battlements.  Something was up – something waaaay out of Taggart’s league.  Behind the fort square, the ridge fell away into the winding, narrow cliffside paths of Blood Steppe ravines.  And just at the base of the ruin –-- “A WAGON!”  There was a large supply wagon dug into the mud.  Its dead driver was slumped across the seat.  The four driving horses sloshed through the muck aimlessly.  “You, Alec!  Circle around!” Just as Alec got to one of the windows, a SCREAM caught their attention.  They all turned to see one of the wounded men on the ground writhing, a rough spear pinned through his chest.Over the broken south wall scurried half a dozen walking nightmares.  Six foot tall, mottled wet fur, pointed jaws, brandishing wicked barbed spears.Slitheren.  Rat-men!Kirby spun as three of the beasts tried to climb through the wooden barricades of the old gate.  Their refuge was  attacked from two directions by slavering, savage titanspawn – just the leading skirmishers of the vast wave of monstrosities even now clawing their way up the wet ridgeline!Taggart, Kirby, Alec and Indigo turned to run.  “Damn,” Taggart shouted, “I thought we had more lead time!”But on the ground, Argent pulled his short-spear’s point from the ground.  Beside him, just one of the soldiers managed to stumble to his feet – a wizened veteran of forty who stood guard over a wounded young red-headed lieutenant.  Argent and the soldier nodded to each other, set their feet in the bloody mud.  Argent brandished his spear, his robes falling away to reveal his bone-white chainmail shirt.  “Come on then!” he cried.  “Come and face the wrath of the blessed, titan-filth!”“What the $%^#@ is he doing?” Taggart thought.“What the $%^#@ is he doing?” Kirby thought.“What the $%^#@ is he doing?” Indigo thought.“This is going to make a great story,” Alec thought.The Slitheren at the South wall hissed again and leapt into the courtyard.  They STABBED down into some of the wounded as they rushed the cleric and the old soldier.  Argent’s face contorted with rage as he saw men die he could do nothing to save.  The first Ratman reached him, throwing up a savage series of blows. Argent parried them expertly, his spear flashing.  The old soldier beside him was instantly set upon by three of the beasts.  Argent felt hot blood spray his face as the man fell, his throat slit.  The Ratmen pivoted to take the cleric in the flank, the one before him ROARED, hot breath of rotted meat filling Argent’s eyes with tears.  He could sense the other two Ratmen from the South wall closing in.  Despite his insane bravery, some small part of him despaired.  How could the others abandon him like this?</blockquote>

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