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The Doomed Bastards: Reckoning (story complete)
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 3310546" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 92</p><p></p><p>THE RIVER TREK</p><p></p><p></p><p>The sound of the water rushing beneath their feet echoed loudly through the close confines of the tunnel, as the companions from Camar made their way deeper into Rappan Athuk. Their light sources glistened off of the slick, moist lichens that covered the upper half of the tunnel. Thus far, true to Talen’s estimate, the going had been much easier than in the last such river passage they’d negotiated, but there had still be a number of places where they had to get wet to make it past low overhangs in the uneven ceiling above. </p><p></p><p>Shay had moved up ahead, checking back periodically to warn them of another tight fit coming up. She was like a ghost, materializing out of the shadows without warning. Talen would betray his tension each time she left again, his jaw tight as he led them forward. </p><p></p><p>“Hey, I meant to ask you,” Dar said, as they pressed onward, “What ever happened to that old man, and the wizard girl, that we found before? Sorcatos, or whatever his name was.”</p><p></p><p>“Setarcos,” Talen said. “And Kupra.”</p><p></p><p>“Yeah, right.”</p><p></p><p>“They departed Camar shortly after our return,” Talen said. “I believe that they had agreed to return together to the monk’s homeland.”</p><p></p><p>“Really?” Dar scratched his beard. “Huh. Girl was a bit too pudgy for my tastes; I don’t go in for the porkers. But good for the old man, I guess. They’ll probably be the only ones to have survived Rappan Athuk, and live to tell about it.”</p><p></p><p>The captain glanced over his shoulder at the fighter. “You do not expect us to survive?” </p><p></p><p>“Do you?”</p><p></p><p>Talen turned back and continued on without responding. </p><p></p><p>Dar looked to his left, and saw the elf crouched there, looking intently at him. “What?” the fighter asked. </p><p></p><p>“There is a large insect on your shoulder,” Malerase said. </p><p></p><p>“Crap!” the fighter exclaimed, knocking the foot-long centipede off his armor before it could bite him in the neck. The creature fell into the stream with a soft plop, and was quickly carried off by the current. </p><p></p><p>Dar looked at the elf, who merely met his gaze with a silent stare. Behind him, he could see Varo, and then Zosimos, with Valus bringing up the rear about fifteen paces back. The cleric was again having difficulty, his heavy armor making him less mobile in the close confines of the underground river channel.</p><p></p><p>Dar kept going, bent over low, his helmet protecting him from the frequent collisions with the irregular protrusions that jutted from the ceiling. </p><p></p><p>After a time, he turned back, and saw the elf still there, hovering directly behind him. “You want to go on ahead?”</p><p></p><p>“I am content to follow,” he replied. </p><p></p><p>Dar looked at him for a long moment. The last two exchanges had been more words he’d had with the elf than in the entire trip from Camar. </p><p></p><p>The elf was more of a mystery now than he’d been when he was a raving madman. Dar’s knowledge of elves, or the <em>aelfinn</em>, as they called himself, was mostly limited to camp rumor and dirty jokes. Despite having served on the frontier during his stint in the army, he’d never met an elf prior to the day that this one had been dragged forward as a fellow prisoner on the edge of Rappan Athuk. Elves were not common in Camar, although they apparently dwelled in great numbers in the deep forest that extended as much as a thousand miles beyond Greathold. No one in the Duchy was really sure how many of them there were, exactly. At one time, they had contested with the men of the city-state in a series of violent wars. The last of those had been well over a century past, but it was said that the aelfinn had long memories. </p><p></p><p>“So now you’re some kind of wizard, eh?” he finally said. “How’d that happen?”</p><p></p><p>“After Licinius Varo restored my wits, I chanced to examine some tomes that he had left lying out upon a workbench. I found that I could understand some of the script within; the language of arcane magic.”</p><p></p><p>“Lucky break, that,” he said, glancing back to where the cleric was drawing quickly nearer. </p><p></p><p>“Most of the spells in the books are beyond me,” the elf continued, his gaze drifting, as if he’d forgotten that Dar was there. “But it feels as if the knowledge is there, waiting...”</p><p></p><p>“Why are you here, elf?”</p><p></p><p>Malerase turned back to meet his stare. For a moment, Dar thought he wasn’t going to respond. But finally, in a low voice, he said, “This place... it draws me...”</p><p></p><p>“Anything the matter?” Varo asked, as he finally joined them. </p><p></p><p>“Just waiting for word from Shay,” Dar said, turning back. Talen had gotten a good distance ahead, he saw; the captain’s glowing sword was visible a good fifty feet down the tunnel, although a clear view of the soldier was blocked by the low, jutting rock ceiling. </p><p></p><p>“We shouldn’t linger,” the cleric said. They moved forward to rejoin the captain, and found him with Shay at the edge of a wide bend in the course of the river. The two were talking in low voices, and Shay urged them to silence as they approached. </p><p></p><p>“The river enters a cavern up ahead,” she told them. “It’s occupied, I think. I didn’t see anything, but I heard growls, and I could sense <em>something</em> moving about.”</p><p></p><p>“It’ll be hard to get close without whatever it is seeing our light,” Dar said. “Or hearing us; Valus clanks like a smithy with all that metal he’s wearing.”</p><p></p><p>“You are all making a great deal of noise,” Shay said, tapping him lightly on the front of his battered helmet, dented by his frequent collisions with the low ceiling. “I can try and get closer, scout out the situation more clearly.”</p><p></p><p>Talen shook his head. “It’s too much of a risk to get separated. No, I don’t say this too often, but for once, I think this is a situation where we blast first, and ask questions later.”</p><p></p><p>“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Dar said with a grin. “And here comes the blaster now.”</p><p></p><p>They looked up to see Zosimos approach, the wizard moving with silence and grace in comparison to the heavily armored and armed cleric just behind him. The Guild mage met their expectant gazes with a raised eyebrow. </p><p></p><p>“You’re up, wizard,” Dar said.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 3310546, member: 143"] Chapter 92 THE RIVER TREK The sound of the water rushing beneath their feet echoed loudly through the close confines of the tunnel, as the companions from Camar made their way deeper into Rappan Athuk. Their light sources glistened off of the slick, moist lichens that covered the upper half of the tunnel. Thus far, true to Talen’s estimate, the going had been much easier than in the last such river passage they’d negotiated, but there had still be a number of places where they had to get wet to make it past low overhangs in the uneven ceiling above. Shay had moved up ahead, checking back periodically to warn them of another tight fit coming up. She was like a ghost, materializing out of the shadows without warning. Talen would betray his tension each time she left again, his jaw tight as he led them forward. “Hey, I meant to ask you,” Dar said, as they pressed onward, “What ever happened to that old man, and the wizard girl, that we found before? Sorcatos, or whatever his name was.” “Setarcos,” Talen said. “And Kupra.” “Yeah, right.” “They departed Camar shortly after our return,” Talen said. “I believe that they had agreed to return together to the monk’s homeland.” “Really?” Dar scratched his beard. “Huh. Girl was a bit too pudgy for my tastes; I don’t go in for the porkers. But good for the old man, I guess. They’ll probably be the only ones to have survived Rappan Athuk, and live to tell about it.” The captain glanced over his shoulder at the fighter. “You do not expect us to survive?” “Do you?” Talen turned back and continued on without responding. Dar looked to his left, and saw the elf crouched there, looking intently at him. “What?” the fighter asked. “There is a large insect on your shoulder,” Malerase said. “Crap!” the fighter exclaimed, knocking the foot-long centipede off his armor before it could bite him in the neck. The creature fell into the stream with a soft plop, and was quickly carried off by the current. Dar looked at the elf, who merely met his gaze with a silent stare. Behind him, he could see Varo, and then Zosimos, with Valus bringing up the rear about fifteen paces back. The cleric was again having difficulty, his heavy armor making him less mobile in the close confines of the underground river channel. Dar kept going, bent over low, his helmet protecting him from the frequent collisions with the irregular protrusions that jutted from the ceiling. After a time, he turned back, and saw the elf still there, hovering directly behind him. “You want to go on ahead?” “I am content to follow,” he replied. Dar looked at him for a long moment. The last two exchanges had been more words he’d had with the elf than in the entire trip from Camar. The elf was more of a mystery now than he’d been when he was a raving madman. Dar’s knowledge of elves, or the [i]aelfinn[/i], as they called himself, was mostly limited to camp rumor and dirty jokes. Despite having served on the frontier during his stint in the army, he’d never met an elf prior to the day that this one had been dragged forward as a fellow prisoner on the edge of Rappan Athuk. Elves were not common in Camar, although they apparently dwelled in great numbers in the deep forest that extended as much as a thousand miles beyond Greathold. No one in the Duchy was really sure how many of them there were, exactly. At one time, they had contested with the men of the city-state in a series of violent wars. The last of those had been well over a century past, but it was said that the aelfinn had long memories. “So now you’re some kind of wizard, eh?” he finally said. “How’d that happen?” “After Licinius Varo restored my wits, I chanced to examine some tomes that he had left lying out upon a workbench. I found that I could understand some of the script within; the language of arcane magic.” “Lucky break, that,” he said, glancing back to where the cleric was drawing quickly nearer. “Most of the spells in the books are beyond me,” the elf continued, his gaze drifting, as if he’d forgotten that Dar was there. “But it feels as if the knowledge is there, waiting...” “Why are you here, elf?” Malerase turned back to meet his stare. For a moment, Dar thought he wasn’t going to respond. But finally, in a low voice, he said, “This place... it draws me...” “Anything the matter?” Varo asked, as he finally joined them. “Just waiting for word from Shay,” Dar said, turning back. Talen had gotten a good distance ahead, he saw; the captain’s glowing sword was visible a good fifty feet down the tunnel, although a clear view of the soldier was blocked by the low, jutting rock ceiling. “We shouldn’t linger,” the cleric said. They moved forward to rejoin the captain, and found him with Shay at the edge of a wide bend in the course of the river. The two were talking in low voices, and Shay urged them to silence as they approached. “The river enters a cavern up ahead,” she told them. “It’s occupied, I think. I didn’t see anything, but I heard growls, and I could sense [i]something[/i] moving about.” “It’ll be hard to get close without whatever it is seeing our light,” Dar said. “Or hearing us; Valus clanks like a smithy with all that metal he’s wearing.” “You are all making a great deal of noise,” Shay said, tapping him lightly on the front of his battered helmet, dented by his frequent collisions with the low ceiling. “I can try and get closer, scout out the situation more clearly.” Talen shook his head. “It’s too much of a risk to get separated. No, I don’t say this too often, but for once, I think this is a situation where we blast first, and ask questions later.” “Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Dar said with a grin. “And here comes the blaster now.” They looked up to see Zosimos approach, the wizard moving with silence and grace in comparison to the heavily armored and armed cleric just behind him. The Guild mage met their expectant gazes with a raised eyebrow. “You’re up, wizard,” Dar said. [/QUOTE]
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