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The Doomed Bastards: Reckoning (story complete)
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 3422845" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Right, it's from the MM2. And it is nasty. </p><p></p><p>And Varo has two WoRs; one taken off Valus, the other from Gudmund in the second temple of Orcus in Rappan Athuk. </p><p></p><p>* * * * * </p><p></p><p>Chapter 132</p><p></p><p>SHADOW BOXING</p><p></p><p></p><p>Talen stood up from behind the cover of his boulder, brandishing <em>Beatus Incendia</em> high above his head. The holy sword erupted into white flames, driving back the night, and filling the defenders with hope. </p><p></p><p>The shadows saw it, and flew toward that light, drawn to it like moths to a flame. Or perhaps more accurately, drawn to the pulsing life energy of the man brandishing the weapon. </p><p></p><p>Talen saw them coming, and drew back into the open space beyond the boulder. The rules of cover worked differently with shadows; the rocks would serve to conceal them until they were right on top of him. They could still come up from the hill below him, but these shadows did not appear to be interested in subtle tactics, they came straight for him. </p><p></p><p>The corpse gatherer took another step up the hill, but paused as Varo’s centipede attacked again, coiling around its leg, and surging up to stab its mandibles into its torso. The undead monster paused for a moment, reaching down to seize the creature. Tearing the centipede off its body, ignoring the bites it delivered to its hand and forearm, the gatherer lifted the fiendish vermin, and <em>squeezed.</em></p><p></p><p>The companions on the hilltop could hear the cracking of the centipede’s body as it was crushed. The gatherer pressed the centipede’s body against its chest, and it started to absorb it into itself before the summoning spell died, and the slain monster dissolved into greasy black smoke. </p><p></p><p>Frustrated in its primal urge to add more bodies to its mass, the gatherer at once started forward again, toward the life forms clustered around the top of the hill.</p><p></p><p>Talen held his ground, waiting until the last possible moment as the shadows dove toward him, faint points of red flickering where their eyes would have been, had they been mortal beings. The pure light of the sword cast them in stark relief against the surrounding night, and that allowed him to time his stroke perfectly. The holy sword clove through the shadow, flaring with energy as it passed through the undead creature. </p><p></p><p>The blow had absolutely no effect. </p><p></p><p>Talen threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the shadow’s attack, and nearly losing his footing on the uneven stones of the hilltop. But there were other shadows swarming at him, and he could not avoid them all. He felt a cold touch pierce him as one touched him, draining strength from his body. Several others swept around to take him from the flanks.</p><p></p><p>And there seemed to be nothing he could do to stop them. </p><p></p><p>But Talen was not alone, and his companions hastened to his aid. Varo stepped out from behind a nearby rock, and stabbed a wand into one of the shadows attacking Talen. The blue flash of a <em>cure moderate wounds</em> spell erupted from the device, and the shadow let out a hollow scream as tendrils of positive energy ripped through it. But the shadow, bolstered by the presence of the gatherer, remained intact, and it turned on Varo with a fury. </p><p></p><p>On the opposite flank, Shay and Serah attacked another of the shadows trying to flank Talen. The scout’s magical sword passed through one of the shadows without harming it, but Serah copied Varo, poking it with a wand and casting a healing spell at it. The wand was only a minor one, and the <em>cure light wounds</em> spell did not harm the shadow greatly, but it did get its attention. The creature dove at Serah, who screamed as it tore strength from her body. The cleric fell back upon the rocks, while Shay tried in vain to help her. </p><p></p><p>Talen was still facing a pair of shadows, and as they came at him again, he lifted <em>Beatus Incendia</em> and roared out a challenge. The sword pulsed with potency, and this time his strokes met resistance as the weapon tore through the substance of the undead monsters. Even bolstered by the gatherer, the shadows could not absorb the power of the dragon knight, and both shadows came apart, hissing as they dissolved into nothingness. </p><p></p><p>Varo held his ground calmly even as the shadow touched him, taking his strength. His expression did not change as he stabbed it again with his wand, destroying it with a second pulse of positive energy. </p><p></p><p>Serah was clearly weakening, but she managed to lift her wand again, hitting the shadow with another <em>cure light wounds</em>. The shadow continued to feed on her. Shay, standing over the cleric and her enemy, yelled in frustration as her sword continued to pass harmlessly through it. Finally she took the weapon in both hands, and thrust it through the shadow’s head. The elven steel flared as it bisected the red points of the creature’s eyes, and finally the sword cut into it. Already damaged by Serah’s healing, the shadow expired. </p><p></p><p>Talen spun, holding <em>Beatus Incendia</em> above his head, scanning for any more of the undead. There were no more shadows, but as the ground shook beneath his feet, he looked up to see the massive figure of the corpse gatherer looming above him, close enough now for him to see the animated bodies that jutted from its hideous mass, and to even to see the faded writing on some of the gravestones that were impaled within its substance. </p><p></p><p>Then there was no more time; as the creature attacked.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 3422845, member: 143"] Right, it's from the MM2. And it is nasty. And Varo has two WoRs; one taken off Valus, the other from Gudmund in the second temple of Orcus in Rappan Athuk. * * * * * Chapter 132 SHADOW BOXING Talen stood up from behind the cover of his boulder, brandishing [i]Beatus Incendia[/i] high above his head. The holy sword erupted into white flames, driving back the night, and filling the defenders with hope. The shadows saw it, and flew toward that light, drawn to it like moths to a flame. Or perhaps more accurately, drawn to the pulsing life energy of the man brandishing the weapon. Talen saw them coming, and drew back into the open space beyond the boulder. The rules of cover worked differently with shadows; the rocks would serve to conceal them until they were right on top of him. They could still come up from the hill below him, but these shadows did not appear to be interested in subtle tactics, they came straight for him. The corpse gatherer took another step up the hill, but paused as Varo’s centipede attacked again, coiling around its leg, and surging up to stab its mandibles into its torso. The undead monster paused for a moment, reaching down to seize the creature. Tearing the centipede off its body, ignoring the bites it delivered to its hand and forearm, the gatherer lifted the fiendish vermin, and [i]squeezed.[/i] The companions on the hilltop could hear the cracking of the centipede’s body as it was crushed. The gatherer pressed the centipede’s body against its chest, and it started to absorb it into itself before the summoning spell died, and the slain monster dissolved into greasy black smoke. Frustrated in its primal urge to add more bodies to its mass, the gatherer at once started forward again, toward the life forms clustered around the top of the hill. Talen held his ground, waiting until the last possible moment as the shadows dove toward him, faint points of red flickering where their eyes would have been, had they been mortal beings. The pure light of the sword cast them in stark relief against the surrounding night, and that allowed him to time his stroke perfectly. The holy sword clove through the shadow, flaring with energy as it passed through the undead creature. The blow had absolutely no effect. Talen threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the shadow’s attack, and nearly losing his footing on the uneven stones of the hilltop. But there were other shadows swarming at him, and he could not avoid them all. He felt a cold touch pierce him as one touched him, draining strength from his body. Several others swept around to take him from the flanks. And there seemed to be nothing he could do to stop them. But Talen was not alone, and his companions hastened to his aid. Varo stepped out from behind a nearby rock, and stabbed a wand into one of the shadows attacking Talen. The blue flash of a [i]cure moderate wounds[/i] spell erupted from the device, and the shadow let out a hollow scream as tendrils of positive energy ripped through it. But the shadow, bolstered by the presence of the gatherer, remained intact, and it turned on Varo with a fury. On the opposite flank, Shay and Serah attacked another of the shadows trying to flank Talen. The scout’s magical sword passed through one of the shadows without harming it, but Serah copied Varo, poking it with a wand and casting a healing spell at it. The wand was only a minor one, and the [i]cure light wounds[/i] spell did not harm the shadow greatly, but it did get its attention. The creature dove at Serah, who screamed as it tore strength from her body. The cleric fell back upon the rocks, while Shay tried in vain to help her. Talen was still facing a pair of shadows, and as they came at him again, he lifted [i]Beatus Incendia[/i] and roared out a challenge. The sword pulsed with potency, and this time his strokes met resistance as the weapon tore through the substance of the undead monsters. Even bolstered by the gatherer, the shadows could not absorb the power of the dragon knight, and both shadows came apart, hissing as they dissolved into nothingness. Varo held his ground calmly even as the shadow touched him, taking his strength. His expression did not change as he stabbed it again with his wand, destroying it with a second pulse of positive energy. Serah was clearly weakening, but she managed to lift her wand again, hitting the shadow with another [i]cure light wounds[/i]. The shadow continued to feed on her. Shay, standing over the cleric and her enemy, yelled in frustration as her sword continued to pass harmlessly through it. Finally she took the weapon in both hands, and thrust it through the shadow’s head. The elven steel flared as it bisected the red points of the creature’s eyes, and finally the sword cut into it. Already damaged by Serah’s healing, the shadow expired. Talen spun, holding [i]Beatus Incendia[/i] above his head, scanning for any more of the undead. There were no more shadows, but as the ground shook beneath his feet, he looked up to see the massive figure of the corpse gatherer looming above him, close enough now for him to see the animated bodies that jutted from its hideous mass, and to even to see the faded writing on some of the gravestones that were impaled within its substance. Then there was no more time; as the creature attacked. [/QUOTE]
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