Hunt the Great Hellwyrm

Status
Not open for further replies.
Looking to Baros as the darkness cleared he seemed a bit out of sorts for a moment as if waiting for his eyes to adjust back to the normal day light he stood taking count of the bodies before glancingaround for the Elf or his former master from earlier. " You Know Baros you'd think that they would have the decency to stay and fight till thier task was complete. " He said in a cool tone before finding a rock and sitting down upon it pulling a cloth from his pocket and wiping his blades clean.
 
Baros's sword returned to its dull grey as the flames vanished with a puff of smoke. "I fear it already is. Perhaps delay was their aim, destruction may have been far more than they expected." Then the spellsword cleaned cleaned his bloodied weapon on a rag of cloth he pulled from the saddle of his mount. It had almost psychically known to trot over to its master once the carnage was over.

"Are they all dead then?" Baros asked as he bent down and looked at a rough pattern painted in yellow on a leather breastplate. It was an eight pointed arrow of some sort. It radiated out from a central point. He was sure he'd seen it somewhere before.
 
Asana Nodded to his words of Delay " If Delay was thier Aim surely they would have used more than these" He said kicking the corpse of one of the orcs before looking around towards the number of Orcs on the ground " I think we missed on, I got these two, and you got four but I could swear I saw Seven of them when that man interuppted my question " He said Calmly before turning around slowly and glancing at the land around them .
 
Baros could not see the seventh orc either. "Perhaps he fled along with his master."

The spellsword sheathed his sword and then sprang up into the saddle. Despite the rapid energy of the skirmish, he did not seem out of breath and could possibly have fought on again for some time yet.

"We should get going. We have perhaps two days to ride yet before we reach our destination, and hopefully we will not meet anymore of our oddly marked friends."

They rode for two days, stopping twice to rest and then pressing on even harder. The sky seemed to be darkening above, in the direction they were headed and Baros was starting to look worried. The prospect of what they faced was getting to him.

Eventually they reached a small town, or what would very soon be the smoking ruins of a small town unless they could act and succeed. Some of the building were on fire, and the place was deserted. The only people left who had lived here were the dead.

There was something occuring up in the hills that overlooked the town, and Baros spurred his mount on. "It must be there, perhaps the garrison is mounting a last defence."
 
Asana Looked to Baros his eyes looking him over, it had been a relatively short Journy if they were getting so close now. Asana could see the worry and hint of doubt upon Baros. Taking a breath he said calmly " So Ale on you once we put an end to the beast, and the damsels on me " He said with a bright smile. He two had some doubt wondering where the rest of thier companions had gone. He said this before the reached the small village.

Upon seeing the growing destruction something sparked in his mind " Baros, the mortars not melting like in freehaven, is it possible this is not the beast we are after ?" He asked his eyes showing a little confussion.
 
Baros nodded and thought for a moment.

"Perhaps the explosion was caused by whatever brought it here. More than a normal dragon..."

As Baros was speaking there was a load roar and a bright flash of light before a huge plume of smoke rose from the hills that enclosed the conflict.

"We should hurry.."

Baros put spurs to his horse's flank and set it off at a gallop. Foolhardy perhaps, but he'd not let anyone else die if he could help it.
 
Asana considered what Baros stated before the dragons roar cracked like thunder, and then he was off his horse spurned forward chasing closely at Baros' mounts hoofs, closing the gap before comming aside of him.

" Well no one said we couldn't find a few battles before we found our true enemy"
 
Asana and Baros would hear the piercing cry of a crow as they rode closer towards the sound of the beast. The dark bird would swoop in several passes within five feet of each rider before climbing back up above the trees then careening back down behind a clearing near a small outcropping of rocks. The clearing was some twenty yards to the east of the trail the two men rode on.

Shortly after the bird had vanished over the trees, the thunderous sound of hoof beats would be audible. The rider was moving very swiftly on a horse of battle.

Corban rode directly at the path he had been on a day or two ago. His face was showing no emotion, but the ash and streaks of dried tears gave a clue as to the severity of the situation. A large burn on the left side of his jaw line and neck would further escalate the imagination as to what he’s seen.

His grey cloak whipped behind him in tatters. He could see the two riders bearing directly for the sound of the monster further up the hill. They would see a rider in brown, grey, and green attire on an all white horse. It might have been easy to mistake him for a ranger or bandit; save for the chain mail shirt which bore the emblem of his order, The Burning Blade.

Normally cautious, Corban rode hard because Tirra had flown back and tapped his emblem alerting him to the presence of a brother. He had seen too many die already and would not let this one be next. He was nearly upon the trail as these thoughts coursed through his mind. All the while, the dragon continued to bellow and wail as it feasted on what was left of his squadron’s horses.
 
Baros reigned in as he heard the approaching hoofbeats. Fleeing survivors? Most likely, unless it was thier blue skinned foe and his orc comrades. His hand swept up to the Sword of the Flame's hilt, ready to draw it at a seconds notice.

Only when he saw who it was did his hand lower.

"Brother." He said, using the less familial meaning. "Did you face the beast that destroyed Freehaven? We come with a possible means for its slaying."
 
Asana too heard the hoofs beating agaisnt the ground as his hands swept back his fingers brushing over the hilts of Courage and Vengence as his eyes narrowed in the direction of the hoofs. Spotting the cloak and the rest of his assorted clothing. It was uncommon for a bandit to have use of a war horse they typically went for something a bit quicker. Although ready to draw his weapons he waited for a moment as he heard Baros call out brother, that was when he tensed a little bit. How many burning blades were tied to this beast ?

He didn't have a chance to ask anything as Baros had in essence hit on the key points but it would be hard to varify if the beast was that which had struck freehaven unless they knew what beast it was and by name. Asana took a moment and breathed slowly as he released courage and took hold of the reings easing the horse to a calm trott.
 
Corban quickly slowed his mount; pulling up on the reins, his face eased with the sight of Baros and Asana. Both men appeared noble and righteous. The young lieutenant sighed and lowered his head in greeting at being addressed as brother.

His voice was frail and weak for the last few days had been hell on earth for the knight. “Indeed, we have heard rumors, my brother, but I cannot confer as to whether this beast is the same one you seek.” He shifted his gaze upward as the crow spiraled down over and over again until alighting upon his left shoulder.

With greenest eyes of sorrow and fatigue, Corban met each man’s gaze before speaking again. The elf’s presence made him slightly uneasy as it brought to mind a more severe scenario than the one he had already assumed. “My squadron and I were on patrol when the monster stormed in on us. Out of the twenty who rode, only four survive aside from myself and two are in dire need of a healer.” The sound of his voice faded with each syllable as if the very essence of his being was drained.

Focusing upon Baros, Corban made a pause as if to collect his thoughts, but in truth, it was only to rest as his lungs failed him. “The beast is insatiable. I have never seen the like, nor heard or read of it in study. I beseech you to come and camp with what is left of my men so that we might plan some sort of retreat or attack that would be anything more than futile.”

Corban had the appearance of a man defeated. His eyes were dull and his emotions dry. He had only known defeat one time in his life prior to this experience and compounded by the loss of life, he was not coping so well within himself.
 
"That is most of the garrison slain by this creature."

Baros nodded and looked towards the horizon. He could see smoke and red flashes of flame, but no sign of what was doing it. He shook his head.

"Did you get a good look at it, what could you learn about it?"

His mind went to the task at hand. The loss of a garrison of the 6th Legion was sad, but nothing compared to the loss he'd witnessed in the rubble of Freehaven, or even worse, what would happen if it reached Hightower or Oakenbridge. Much bigger towns than Freehaven was.
 
Asana looked towards the sounds of hte beast clawing and bellowing over the earth his eyes could not see it even thought they could see farher than a humans eyes they could not contort around the land to see the beast . Quietly he stood there waiting for the answer of the other burning blade to Baros' questions. It was clear the man felt the shame of defeat and carried the burden of all the men slain by the beast upon his shoulders perhaps singularly.

However Asana could offer no kind words to ease the mans guilt for not any kind word would seem an insult to the mans fallen commrads, and take away his grand desire to kill the beast.
 
Corban drew both men carefully into his gaze to examine them more thoroughly than he had done at first glance. Baros seemed almost detached from the situation but Corban knew this to be a facade for calculation.

The rumble in the distance was starting to die down from roaring to vicious growls and spits of fire. Tirra stirred and flapped her wings. Corban looked down the storm crow from the corner of his eye. His gaze shifted towards the sounds and smells of the abomination. Baros had asked for a description. The image was seared into Corban’s memories. “It’s the length of about eight or nine horses with reddish brown scales. The color looks like dried blood.” As he spoke, Corban’s gaze had fallen into a vacant stare. “There is a horn above each hellish eye. To look into them is madness. You can see nothing. You remember nothing and you feel like you are nothing like a void has pulled away your soul.” The knight lowered his head for a second to collect himself as the memory flashed.

Raising his head, Corban addressed both Baros and Asana with a great deal of decisiveness. “Its wings are gigantic. They almost seem disproportionate because the body is very slim and serpentile.” He grasped the reigns tightly in his armored hand and began to turn his horse around. “Come with me, Sirs. You can rest and we can regroup until a plan presents itself.” After he had finished, he bowed his head slightly and then rode away back towards the clearing.
 
Baros stroked his chin. There was a great cavernous roar and another great plume of smoke rose into the sky. Then as the roar echoed into nothingness the sounds of battle died. Those of the garrison not with Corban were no more, sent to the same fate as those of Freehaven.

"Can your bird keep a watch on the beast? We should share our plan to slay this thing, but we need to know if it moves."

The spellsword spoke with a purpose. He would come to terms with the destruction they witnessed here later, for now more than his sanity and fraying nerves depended on the death of this scaled beast.
 
Asanas eyes tracked over the land towards the sounds of battle from a few moments ago watching for any sign that the beast was one its way towards them. It Had not left a single survivor above ground in Freehaven, " Where is this camp ? Above ground or below it ? It was quite clear if this is the beast of Freehavens destruction that it does not leave survivors that it can find."

Turning his eyes towards the mans pet or perhaps familiar, he wondered if the man would be willing to loose one so close to him in an effort to know where the beast went if it took flight.
 
Corban paused a moment as each man spoke. Surely this was the beast they sought for the carnage at Freehaven. “Our camp is inside a small cave. It appears to be the base of operations for a small group of hunters or poachers.” It would now be very crowded with two more men, horses, and all of their possessions.

He turned to face Tirra. He smiled and whispered to her then used one finger to stroke against her neck feathers. The bird flew off delicately skyward. The ascending spiral took the crow higher and higher until she was merely a small black smudge against the orange rays of the setting sun. Corban returned his gaze to Baros. “She will be safe. Her sights is good enough to avoid incidental contact with the monster. Though I am not studied enough, I am learning a spell that will allow me to see through her eyes. If either of you are skilled in the nature of such spells, I would appreciate the assistance while we rest.”

Corban tapped his chest creating a small rustling sound. The parchment kept against his breast contained the aforementioned spell he was trying to commit to memory. It had several words and symbols that were unknown to Corban. Some of the symbols were said to be Drow, but Corban didn’t have the ability to distinguish such things. He only knew it was a language he could not read.
 
Baros nodded to Corban, "I have cast something similar in the past, but from a scroll also and I did not commit it to memory. Perhaps I can help though." He said.

Tirra would see that the great beast currently lay resting upon the ground. Smoke from its nostrils sent two plumes into the sky to mingle with that of burning vegtation that surrounded the wyrm.
 
Asana looked at the man " I know a spell that has a similar effect it is part of learning sorcery. and learning to control ones familiar " Asana said softly before looking around at the horses and decided now would not be the best time to summon his familiar little would be gained by summoning him here.

"However we should move to this cave and you both should get what rest you need"
 
Corban nodded to both men. A small tingle assured him of a bit of weight lifting from his shoulders; Asana and Baros’ presence had relieved a good deal of stress from the young man. The seemingly hopeless situation was beginning to look better.

Turning his mount, Corban caught peripheral sight of Tirra rolling and pitching around the burnt circle in which the beast was residing. He started the horse back towards the small cave at a quick step, almost as if the creature was nervous. Tension passed between rider and animal and Corban hoped his newly brightened hopes would ease Brom’s stress as well.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom