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Tirlanolir/D'nemy's Tales of Turgos: The Heroes of Goldfire Glen (UPDATE 7/26)
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<blockquote data-quote="Canaan" data-source="post: 2820227" data-attributes="member: 40239"><p><strong>Chapter 1: Reunion (part 2)</strong></p><p></p><p>Lilian cut the air with her blade. Boots, Talon and Gabriel were on their feet. Boots brandished a sword of his own while Talon and Gabriel both balled their hands into white knuckled fists. </p><p></p><p>In a flash, the ravenous boars closed in. One leapt at Lilian, but she was ready for it. Her blade expertly met the mangy-haired hide of the animal and cut deep. It let out a short squeal as its side opened up and its blood gushed freely. It slammed into Lilian, knocking her down. But it was dead.</p><p></p><p>Aesendel completed his abnormally deep breath, waiting a moment, then exhaled, hurling forth a massive stream of green acid that caught two of the boars in its path. So drowned were they by the toxic torrent, they simply bowled over silently as noxious fumes bellowed from their charred hides. The acid swiftly consumed their flesh. </p><p></p><p>Never breaking his complex, indecipherable chant, The Acolyte Hu-Li moved behind the wall that Boots, Talon and Gabriel had unknowingly created. Gabriel, worried about his sister’s well being, plunged into the fray. Several boars had already surrounded Lilian, and as she struggled to get up, the animals head butted her and tried to tear through her chainmail shirt with their tusks. Gabriel sprung forward, entangling one of them in a head lock and pulling it away from his sister in a violent roll. </p><p></p><p>Talon followed suit, performing the same maneuver with equally effective results. </p><p></p><p>There was the dull sound of a bone crack where Gabriel struggled with his boar. It’s back legs let out a short spasm, then it died. </p><p></p><p>Gabriel sprang up only to see a heap of boars where his sister once lay. She was buried under them. </p><p></p><p>“Why are they all focused on her?” he cried to the night air. </p><p></p><p>Boots rushed toward the writhing pile of boars and slashed at the hides of those on the edge, but a split second before he managed to scurry into range, his toes struck an errant log and he fell into dry dirt with a dull thud. His hand lost its grip on the sword. </p><p></p><p>Three of the boars detached from the pile and pounced onto the fallen Boots. </p><p></p><p>Hu-Li’s chant ended. There was a flash and a sudden zephyr of warm air that wafted over the chaos. A dog, wrapped in a silvery aura, shot from the ether and raced toward one of the boars smothering Lilian. It’s mouth was pulled back into a toothy sneer as it snapped and barked at the wild beast. The boar turned to meet the intruder only to have its throat caught in the celestial dog’s powerful jaws. Blood seeped out between the hound’s teeth as the boar’s life shook away. The dog wasted no time. It flung the carcass aside and lunged for the next one.</p><p></p><p>Boots let out a cry that was grotesquely cut short by the gurgling of his own blood as a boar sunk its tusks into the warrior’s throat. Two other boar tore through his flimsy leather armor and shredded the exposed flesh around his abdomen until it was lost under a thick sheet of pooling crimson. </p><p></p><p>Aesendel sent a morning blue missile hurtling from his outstretched hand and it smashed into one of the boars that had been feasting on Boots. It was thrown back and hit the ground with an ugly crack, and moved no more. </p><p></p><p>Talon flung the broken body of the boar he had been wrestling into the tall grass that surrounded him when three more of beasts suddenly leapt from the shadows and bowled him over. </p><p></p><p>Gabriel let out a shout and hurtled himself toward his sister. He grabbed and yanked at the heavy boars, trying to get them off her. The glittering dog aided the frantic brawler by tearing chunks of flesh off any boar that got near either one of them. </p><p></p><p>Aesendel spanned the field and quickly heard the scuffle with Talon and the three boars in the tall grass. </p><p></p><p>Hu-Li began another chant. </p><p></p><p>The sorcerer took in a deep breath as he raced for the spot where the tall grass swayed violently from the battle it masked. </p><p></p><p>A boar’s head shot out from the grass, baring its tusks and barring Aesendel’s way. Out of panic and simply by reflex, he vomited out another horrid green stream. The boar’s face was instantly devoured by the acid. </p><p></p><p>Behind Aesendel, Gabriel let out a howl of pain. The sorcerer turned and saw his childhood friend being knocked over by two of the boars. All the other beasts were dead. The dog and its reassuring glow, vanished, only to be replaced by a second, summoned by Hu Li’s mastery. </p><p></p><p>The hound ripped into the flesh of the two remaining boars with abandon. </p><p></p><p>Aesendel held up a hand and a white light flickered in his palm, then wrapped around the whole of his hand, covering it in an orb of bright light as the <em>light</em> spell did its trick. He pushed his way into the tall grass, racing toward the sounds of Talon’s fight.</p><p></p><p>Hu-Li looked on at the carnage, swallowing down an urge to vomit. </p><p></p><p>“This is most unpleasant.” He muttered. </p><p></p><p>His second summoned dog dispatched the remaining boar with an efficient tear at the back of the animal’s neck, severing its spine and instantly killing it. It turned to the one who called it, wagged its tail, panted sweetly, its snout smothered in blood and gore, then vanished. </p><p></p><p>Talon lay in the midst of the tall grass. His knees where knocked out from behind by a boar’s head. The suddenness of the unbalancing maneuver, as well as the shock of pain, sent the monk instantly to his knees where the same boar hit him again in the back, knocking him face forward onto the ground. Talon tried to roll over, but the beast was on his back. The other two were dead, battered by Talon’s fists and feet. </p><p></p><p>He tried to wriggle out from under the beast, but it was no use. It was too big, too heavy and it had him pinned right below the shoulder blades. It butted the back of Talon’s head. The monk lost consciousness. </p><p></p><p>The boar snorted once, dripping thick globules of gray spittle all over Talon’s back. It opened it maw, ready to scoop out a chunk of flesh with its powerful tusks, when the grass crunched nearby. It looked up and saw nothing else but pure, blinding radiance as the <em>light</em> spell surrounding Aesendel's hand, engulfing the Boar's vision.</p><p></p><p>Aesendel pushed his glowing hand into the beast’s face. It reeled back, snorted and squealed with shock, leapt off the prone Talon and clumsily scurried away. It was some time before its angry screams faded off entirely. </p><p></p><p>* * * </p><p></p><p>Aesendel dragged Talon’s unconscious body back to the camp where he found Hu Li had pulled Lilian and Gabriel’s bodies together, so the siblings lay side by side. He had covered Boot’s corpse in his own blanket. </p><p></p><p>Upon seeing what remained of Boots, Aesendel let go of Talon and hurried over to the blood stained blanket. He knelt to his knees and sobbed. </p><p></p><p>Behind him Hu Li rolled his eyes, but out of custom allowed the sorcerer a moment to grieve. </p><p></p><p>“He’s not the one you need to be worrying about.” The wizard finally said. “He’s gone. Lilian, Gabriel and Talon all hang to life by a weakening strand, and if we do not make haste, the Eyeless Hollow Ones will consume them as well.” </p><p></p><p>“You sicken me, Jordan.” Aesendel coldly stated. </p><p></p><p>Hu Li opened his mouth, ready to correct the boy as to his name, but given the circumstances thought better of it.</p><p></p><p>“I shall hurry back to the Farmer Jed’s and procure from him a horse and cart. When I return we shall bury our dear friend Boots and carry those three back to the man’s provincial cottage where they can recover in some semblance of comfort. We should never have come out here. This was a mistake. I was wrong. Balian will not be pleased with this foolishness. Look after them. I will return by this time tomorrow.” </p><p></p><p>And with that Hu Li hurried off, leaving Aesendel alone. The sorcerer looked up at the half moon. He hummed to himself and uttered a strange ode:</p><p></p><p><em>Look after us</em></p><p><em>Oh, my fathers</em></p><p><em>Have pity on us</em></p><p><em>Oh, my mothers</em></p><p><em>Void of wing</em></p><p><em>Void of scale</em></p><p><em>Void of claw</em></p><p><em>Void of breath</em></p><p><em>We beseech, thee</em></p><p><em>Most ancient</em></p><p><em>Most powerful</em></p><p><em>Look after us</em></p><p><em>Your children lost. </em> </p><p>For the remainder of the night, and the next day, Aesendel quietly watched over his friends. All was peaceful until the last, thin beam of orange sunlight flickered away and the stars popped out of the black dome that loomed over the camp. </p><p></p><p>Aesendel stood, hungry after forgoing any sustenance, too mournful to pay any attention to the churning in his empty stomach, and moved over to his backpack and bent down beside it. He reached in a dug out a sliver of jerky. When he stood back up to take a bite, his eyes met those of the wild boar he had blinded the night previous.</p><p></p><p>Red rings still wreathed the beady eyes of the animal, and they narrowed at the site of its prey. Aesendel threw the treat he held into the tall grass. </p><p></p><p>“Go! Get it!” he yelled.</p><p></p><p>The boar looked to where the sorcerer had thrown the jerky. For a moment, he thought the ruse might work, but when the boar turned back and let out an irritated snort, those hopes instantly dwindled. </p><p></p><p>The animal kicked its hind legs back and hurtled itself forward. Aesendel started to take in another long breath, but it was cut short, the spell interrupted, when the animal smashed into the sorcerer’s side, knocking him into the earth.</p><p></p><p>His body throbbed as he tried to rouse back to his feet. His left side, numb, refused to move at all. The throbbing faded on his right and was replaced by a stabbing, disorientating sting. He tried to roll over, to get to his knees, anything other than remain there prone to serve as a meal to some wild animal. </p><p></p><p>It was no use, though. All his struggles were cut short by the pain on his right and the numbness on his left. He laid there and waited. The boar gave a pleased snort, and began pacing, taking in the prize, the victory.</p><p></p><p>Aesendel closed his eyes and waited.</p><p></p><p>The boar climbed up on the sorcerer. Hooves dug shallow crevices into Aesendel’s chest. Its toothy jaws opened.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Canaan, post: 2820227, member: 40239"] [b]Chapter 1: Reunion (part 2)[/b] Lilian cut the air with her blade. Boots, Talon and Gabriel were on their feet. Boots brandished a sword of his own while Talon and Gabriel both balled their hands into white knuckled fists. In a flash, the ravenous boars closed in. One leapt at Lilian, but she was ready for it. Her blade expertly met the mangy-haired hide of the animal and cut deep. It let out a short squeal as its side opened up and its blood gushed freely. It slammed into Lilian, knocking her down. But it was dead. Aesendel completed his abnormally deep breath, waiting a moment, then exhaled, hurling forth a massive stream of green acid that caught two of the boars in its path. So drowned were they by the toxic torrent, they simply bowled over silently as noxious fumes bellowed from their charred hides. The acid swiftly consumed their flesh. Never breaking his complex, indecipherable chant, The Acolyte Hu-Li moved behind the wall that Boots, Talon and Gabriel had unknowingly created. Gabriel, worried about his sister’s well being, plunged into the fray. Several boars had already surrounded Lilian, and as she struggled to get up, the animals head butted her and tried to tear through her chainmail shirt with their tusks. Gabriel sprung forward, entangling one of them in a head lock and pulling it away from his sister in a violent roll. Talon followed suit, performing the same maneuver with equally effective results. There was the dull sound of a bone crack where Gabriel struggled with his boar. It’s back legs let out a short spasm, then it died. Gabriel sprang up only to see a heap of boars where his sister once lay. She was buried under them. “Why are they all focused on her?” he cried to the night air. Boots rushed toward the writhing pile of boars and slashed at the hides of those on the edge, but a split second before he managed to scurry into range, his toes struck an errant log and he fell into dry dirt with a dull thud. His hand lost its grip on the sword. Three of the boars detached from the pile and pounced onto the fallen Boots. Hu-Li’s chant ended. There was a flash and a sudden zephyr of warm air that wafted over the chaos. A dog, wrapped in a silvery aura, shot from the ether and raced toward one of the boars smothering Lilian. It’s mouth was pulled back into a toothy sneer as it snapped and barked at the wild beast. The boar turned to meet the intruder only to have its throat caught in the celestial dog’s powerful jaws. Blood seeped out between the hound’s teeth as the boar’s life shook away. The dog wasted no time. It flung the carcass aside and lunged for the next one. Boots let out a cry that was grotesquely cut short by the gurgling of his own blood as a boar sunk its tusks into the warrior’s throat. Two other boar tore through his flimsy leather armor and shredded the exposed flesh around his abdomen until it was lost under a thick sheet of pooling crimson. Aesendel sent a morning blue missile hurtling from his outstretched hand and it smashed into one of the boars that had been feasting on Boots. It was thrown back and hit the ground with an ugly crack, and moved no more. Talon flung the broken body of the boar he had been wrestling into the tall grass that surrounded him when three more of beasts suddenly leapt from the shadows and bowled him over. Gabriel let out a shout and hurtled himself toward his sister. He grabbed and yanked at the heavy boars, trying to get them off her. The glittering dog aided the frantic brawler by tearing chunks of flesh off any boar that got near either one of them. Aesendel spanned the field and quickly heard the scuffle with Talon and the three boars in the tall grass. Hu-Li began another chant. The sorcerer took in a deep breath as he raced for the spot where the tall grass swayed violently from the battle it masked. A boar’s head shot out from the grass, baring its tusks and barring Aesendel’s way. Out of panic and simply by reflex, he vomited out another horrid green stream. The boar’s face was instantly devoured by the acid. Behind Aesendel, Gabriel let out a howl of pain. The sorcerer turned and saw his childhood friend being knocked over by two of the boars. All the other beasts were dead. The dog and its reassuring glow, vanished, only to be replaced by a second, summoned by Hu Li’s mastery. The hound ripped into the flesh of the two remaining boars with abandon. Aesendel held up a hand and a white light flickered in his palm, then wrapped around the whole of his hand, covering it in an orb of bright light as the [I]light[/I] spell did its trick. He pushed his way into the tall grass, racing toward the sounds of Talon’s fight. Hu-Li looked on at the carnage, swallowing down an urge to vomit. “This is most unpleasant.” He muttered. His second summoned dog dispatched the remaining boar with an efficient tear at the back of the animal’s neck, severing its spine and instantly killing it. It turned to the one who called it, wagged its tail, panted sweetly, its snout smothered in blood and gore, then vanished. Talon lay in the midst of the tall grass. His knees where knocked out from behind by a boar’s head. The suddenness of the unbalancing maneuver, as well as the shock of pain, sent the monk instantly to his knees where the same boar hit him again in the back, knocking him face forward onto the ground. Talon tried to roll over, but the beast was on his back. The other two were dead, battered by Talon’s fists and feet. He tried to wriggle out from under the beast, but it was no use. It was too big, too heavy and it had him pinned right below the shoulder blades. It butted the back of Talon’s head. The monk lost consciousness. The boar snorted once, dripping thick globules of gray spittle all over Talon’s back. It opened it maw, ready to scoop out a chunk of flesh with its powerful tusks, when the grass crunched nearby. It looked up and saw nothing else but pure, blinding radiance as the [I]light[/I] spell surrounding Aesendel's hand, engulfing the Boar's vision. Aesendel pushed his glowing hand into the beast’s face. It reeled back, snorted and squealed with shock, leapt off the prone Talon and clumsily scurried away. It was some time before its angry screams faded off entirely. * * * Aesendel dragged Talon’s unconscious body back to the camp where he found Hu Li had pulled Lilian and Gabriel’s bodies together, so the siblings lay side by side. He had covered Boot’s corpse in his own blanket. Upon seeing what remained of Boots, Aesendel let go of Talon and hurried over to the blood stained blanket. He knelt to his knees and sobbed. Behind him Hu Li rolled his eyes, but out of custom allowed the sorcerer a moment to grieve. “He’s not the one you need to be worrying about.” The wizard finally said. “He’s gone. Lilian, Gabriel and Talon all hang to life by a weakening strand, and if we do not make haste, the Eyeless Hollow Ones will consume them as well.” “You sicken me, Jordan.” Aesendel coldly stated. Hu Li opened his mouth, ready to correct the boy as to his name, but given the circumstances thought better of it. “I shall hurry back to the Farmer Jed’s and procure from him a horse and cart. When I return we shall bury our dear friend Boots and carry those three back to the man’s provincial cottage where they can recover in some semblance of comfort. We should never have come out here. This was a mistake. I was wrong. Balian will not be pleased with this foolishness. Look after them. I will return by this time tomorrow.” And with that Hu Li hurried off, leaving Aesendel alone. The sorcerer looked up at the half moon. He hummed to himself and uttered a strange ode: [I]Look after us Oh, my fathers Have pity on us Oh, my mothers Void of wing Void of scale Void of claw Void of breath We beseech, thee Most ancient Most powerful Look after us Your children lost. [/I] For the remainder of the night, and the next day, Aesendel quietly watched over his friends. All was peaceful until the last, thin beam of orange sunlight flickered away and the stars popped out of the black dome that loomed over the camp. Aesendel stood, hungry after forgoing any sustenance, too mournful to pay any attention to the churning in his empty stomach, and moved over to his backpack and bent down beside it. He reached in a dug out a sliver of jerky. When he stood back up to take a bite, his eyes met those of the wild boar he had blinded the night previous. Red rings still wreathed the beady eyes of the animal, and they narrowed at the site of its prey. Aesendel threw the treat he held into the tall grass. “Go! Get it!” he yelled. The boar looked to where the sorcerer had thrown the jerky. For a moment, he thought the ruse might work, but when the boar turned back and let out an irritated snort, those hopes instantly dwindled. The animal kicked its hind legs back and hurtled itself forward. Aesendel started to take in another long breath, but it was cut short, the spell interrupted, when the animal smashed into the sorcerer’s side, knocking him into the earth. His body throbbed as he tried to rouse back to his feet. His left side, numb, refused to move at all. The throbbing faded on his right and was replaced by a stabbing, disorientating sting. He tried to roll over, to get to his knees, anything other than remain there prone to serve as a meal to some wild animal. It was no use, though. All his struggles were cut short by the pain on his right and the numbness on his left. He laid there and waited. The boar gave a pleased snort, and began pacing, taking in the prize, the victory. Aesendel closed his eyes and waited. The boar climbed up on the sorcerer. Hooves dug shallow crevices into Aesendel’s chest. Its toothy jaws opened. [/QUOTE]
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