Hunt the Great Hellwyrm

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Baros kicked his horse into a walk and patted it on the neck.

"A rest for you then" He said to the animal as he followed Corban. This close to the beast that destroyed Freehaven and yet still no nearer to destroying it. This could well be the toughest test the gods have presented him with yet.
 
Asana watched the bird flitter off towards where the beast seemingly remained. Following Baros's lead he spurred his horse forward at a slow pace keeping pace with the other two. He was half tempted to summon his familiar just so he could see the size and scope of the beast.However his familiar would not go as unnoticed as Corbans bird. For now they would need to travel to the cave which couldn't have been too far off. " Can you tell us what attemps and what schools of magic were attempted upon the beast ? I would be foolish to use the same school of magic if all attempts have been rebuffed by the creature. " He said his silver eyes looking towards the errie glow of the fire illuminated smoke.
 
Corban rode about half a length ahead of the two warriors. He did not hear Baros speaking to his horse, but Asana wanted to be heard and his words were clear. Corban recalled what he could of his spells and the few that were cast by others in the group. “Spells that deal physical damage work fairly well but not I nor any other in our small band had anything of sufficient magnitude for the beast. It’s nearly impossible to actually make contact directly which limits my abilities significantly.”

He paused a moment in thought. This was a revelation for him and as such would shape future training. Corban continued on trying to disclose as much information as he could for his new allies. “Any sort of spells having to do with stunning or pacifying the monster are useless. The one thing we have in our favor is that the wurm doesn’t seem to have any magical abilities other than a natural resistance to mediocre spells.”

A small smile crept over Corban’s face. They were nearly to the cave where a solider, covered in ash and exhausted, rose to his feet at the approaching group. Hope had come back into the young knight’s life. His spirits lifted a touch, Corban dismounted and went about stripping the light saddle from Brom’s back. The motion coupled with an altered frame of mind brought about a burst of energy that was reflected in his actions. It seemed as if everything was weightless to him while he stowed his gear away and rigged a feed sack for his horse.
 
Baros, as soon as the entered the cave dismounted and stripped his saddle from his horse. He removed his saddlebags; their contents were too valuable to be left lying around. He moved further into the cave and looked around...
 
Asana Looked at the mouth of the cave as Baros and the other burning blade headed inside he slowly dismounted his horse and removed the saddle looking up at the night sky it was hazy and difficult to see the stars behind the haze. Licking his lips he flicked his wings idly before stretching them as wide as they would go. They were close very close but it would be impossible to sneak up on the beast and a frontal assualt would most likely end in total defeat. Slidding his bag off his back he pulled out a short bow and thought over its properties and if it could shoot far enough to hit with the arrows Baros had brought with out putting the rest of them into the fire. " Wheres a Druid when you need one ?" He said to himself as he leaned himself against the mouth of the cave. He was not of the burning blades order and they would most likely prefer to be amongst thier kin than have an outsider adding to thier discomfort.
 
"A druid would be too convenient I'm afraid..."

The raspy voice of the old figure cut sharply into the relative silence of the area in response to Asana's question. The brown robed figure crept slowly, his back hunched heavily as he stepped out of the shadow of a nearby tree. The enigmatic figure shuffled slowly toward Asana, the swaying hood as always casting his pale features in shadow and effectively concealing them. Despite the darkness that consumed and separated their party, the old man seemed no worse off than he had been earlier. His mount was long gone and his staff was apparently discarded though. Yet, beneath the folds of his robes a bulky object protruded slightly, held tight to his body used as a crutch of sorts.

"You should trust in your own talents, for they are all that you can truly rely on in this endevour, my friend." With those words, the folds of his robe slowly parted and the bulky perch concealed within was revealed. A shaky hand bound in a leather glove slowly extended, the object offered toward Asana. It was a beautifully crafted ebony recurve bow that stood almost as tall as the old figure himself, inset with golden etchings along the sides. Beneath his hood a soft grin crept across his lips as he offered it with a surprisingly simple suggestion. "I believe you might get a little more range out of this..." He paused before adding; "I know little of such... trinkets, but it was crafted by a pointy ear'd fellow who assured me of the quality. It will not fail you..."

If nothing else, it would seem the old man had a flare for mysteriously coming and going without notice in the thick of the events that followed the group.
 
Asana's eyes reached through the ill illuminated land and found the source of the words that brought a smile to his weary face. " Convenient it certainly would be, but so far convenience has not been often our companion upon this journey." He said looking over the old man. It had been a while since last he had seen any of his other companions other than Baros. His eyes were drawn to the hidden walking stick the man used as he hobbled foward Listening to the man speak again.

As the bow made its appearance in the darkness Asana squinted to see the bow and the runes upon it clearly but it seemed that was a bit much even for his elven vission in this hazy night. As the old mans words cut though the darkness Asana reached forward and took hold of the bow in his gauntlet covered fingers and nodded slowly before speaking " You should rest here, and I'll go find you another walking stick" he said softly his eyes remaining upon the illuminated smoke above the location of the beast.

Slowly Asana pulled his pack off his back and set it against the entrance of the cave and Set the bow beside it. Then raising his hands to around shoulder length he bagan to speak in a hushed wishper, a simple summoning spell that called forth Neith his familiar, a large black panther. Neith on arrival seemed nonplused and sat down beside his masters belonging his silver eyes ,much like his masters, looked around cautiously. " This is Neith my familiar, He'll be my eyes and ears here incase the beast comes this way. " He said before digging though his pack and pulling out a small hatchet.

Standing up he took the hatchet in hand looking like the strangest of all lumberjacks before heading towards the woods tothe south. He Knew what he was looking for a young Aspen would do well although they would need to fire cure it once it was skinned but that would be a relatively fast process. Stumbling down the side of the hill he found many smaller aspens and some very tall ones but the perfect one lay a bit further down as he soon discovered. He did not need the hatchet though, as he stumbled down the slope he caught hold of the tree solid and young in his hand but it had no roots and came free allowing him to fall foward before catching himself with the walking stick to prevent a painful end to his stumble.

Walking up the hill it would have taken nearly three hours before he returned up over the ridge to find Neith, and the old man, if indeed the old man remained where Asana had left him.
 
Aramil could only watch in silence as the bow was gripped and Asana judged it in the darkness. The old man smiled softly beneath his hood as the conversation continued and he nodded his understand as the familiar was brought fourth and Asana went off to find a new crutch for him. The moment Asana had stepped from sight, the old man's hood tilted forward, his gaze obviously falling on the familiar before he muttered softly; "It had to be a cat..."

With those words, he pulled up against the mouth of the cave, his back pressing to the rugged stone and slowly inching down until he sat against it. Despite the danger of the entire situation, his eyes slowly closed and not surprisingly the old man drifted from consciousness. A simple sight for any to behold, a weary old man asleep against the mouth of an ominous cave entrance, guarded by a panther. Of course, his head dipped forward, the hood once more enveloping his pale features in shadow. And there, asleep, he would wait until Asana returned, or another awoke him.
 
Baros settled himself down on the ground and studied the soldiers. Warriors of the fifth legion. As skillfull as any you'd meet wearing a brown cloak out on the roads of the empire, but not by any means as useful in a fight as a first legion black cloak, or of course a member of his own order.

"How many fell to it?" He asked the nearest of them, hoping to learn more of the nature of fighting the beast.

"Captain and twelve others. Then Corban got the rest of us out alive. Its like nothing else. I fought in the war with the lizards five years back. They had a green dragon but it was a hatchling compared to that creature." One of the men piped up.

"Shame, thats most of the garrison too. Well I've something that might kill it. We'll need to find a way to make it bleed first though." Baros drew the burning blade and pulled a cloth from his pack. He started to clean it.

"Is that really what it looks like?" The soldier asked. "I've heard about them, never seen one used though."

"Well you'll certainly see that tomorow, but I don't think this alone will be enough."

They continued to talk into the night, and then Baros bedded down to sleep through until dawn.

((Hope I didn't take too many liberties.))
 
Asana Slowly pulled himself up the hill to the mouth of the cave looking finding first Neith and then spotting the old man resting in such a way that for a moment Asana thought he had been mugged. Carrying the walking stick with him he knealed down next to the old man and extended his left arm touching the old man upon the shoulder " Wake up Aramil" He said in a soft voice as to not make the man awaken with fright. It was clearly getting late in the evening, the sun would be peaking over the mountains in the distance in a little while. Asana glanced towards the area where the beast had last pointed out, it was a worry that the beast could very well start moving come day break and if so where would it go. Setting the staff down beside Aramil, Asana slowly rose to his feet not sure if the man would awaken or not from such a gentle rousing. Slowly walking around the clearing near the front of the cave Asana waited he knew the blades would have to awaken soon and now with the bow the old man had brought and the arrows of slaying that Baros had attained at the fort they had a decent chance, if they could but cut the beast and get some of its blood upon the arrow tips.
 
The moment Asana's hand touched the old man, his chest filled with breath, as if a doll had been rekindled to life by the warmth of the touch. A raspy voice replied almost immediately; "I am up..." Trailing off, as the soft violet eyes fell upon the walking stick at his side and beneath the shadows of his hood a smile stretched over pale lips. "Thank you, my friend..." Came his response, his voice touched with the warmth a grandfather might offer to one of his grandchildren.

Pulling himself slowly to his feet, aided heavily by the walking stick brought by Asana, the old man's hood swayed to the distance an eerie silence stifling even his breath as he looked to where one might imagine the dragon lay in the distance. Finally, he spoke; "Such a creature... A shame that it needs to die. If only it had no strayed to where it did not belong." Beneath the hood the old man winced, closing his eyes before speaking a final thought. "Though, I hate to sleep, never knowing if it will be my last... I fear we should rest soon, we will need our strength tomorrow."
 
Asana Looked to Aramil a moment as he stood , glad that the man was indeed not dead and nodded to his thanks. It was not long before dawn already, and they would best make thier move shortly after daybreak. Moving over to his belongings and Neith he picked up his bag and his belongings putting them back where they belonged before kneelings and stroking Nieth between the ears" I do not know if we have the time to spend on sleep " he said while looking towards the sky briefly.

Turnin slowly on the spot he looked to Aramil " I wish I could offer you some bedding but theres a limit to the level of equipment a bag of holding can hold" He said with a wry smile before leaning against a near by tree . A look of Shock seemed to cover Asanas face briefly as he sniffed the air " The smell of smoke is weaker, and I doubt the beast decided it was time for a catnap" He said looking towards the place where the errie glowing plume had been it seems thiner .
 
The old man allowed a soft, thoaty chuckle to fall from his lips at the mention of a lack of bedding. He wasn't concerned, as it seemed at his age, sleep came no matter how uncomfortable or precarious the position. At the mention of the creature they were stalking and the sudden flash of alaram in Asana's face, he could only offer a faint-hearted shrug. Slowly he began to pace back and fourth, as if considering the options that lay before them. Finally, he looked to his Elven companion and nodded once more from within the folds of his hood.

"If that is the case, then perhaps we should set out immediately. Far better than to let it get away when so close, only to have it ravage another village." The words were sullen as the old man came to a stop and looked up, with a hopeless grin; "So, do you want to break the news to our friends in there, or should I?" He asked, unsure of how the events of the evening would unfold, now.
 
Nodding to Aramil he stood at the mouth of the cave after four long paces and looked down the dark entrance. He Could see the dim orange light reflecting off the walls near the end of the tunnel. To cause the injured to be recklessly moved would be unwise, but for a crazy elf and an old man to take on the beast by themselves even if they could distract the beast by themselves, seemed to be utter folly. He knew that Baros was a high rank with in the blades order, and was carrying the arrows of slaying; yet he did not want to cause the whole of the blades within to stir with out genuine certainty. " Baros I need a word with you" He called down the cave while looking back to Aramil, watching him pace. Neith had already left the clearing and was headed towards the last known location of the beast. Asana figured Baros would need to marshal the Blades, but to have a random paladin issuing orders would just cause in fighting so early in the morning.
 
Baros appeared from the cave a moment later. As he walked he was pulling on his leather gauntlets. Strange looking gloves with the fingertips and palms missing but protection for his nuckles and the back of his hands. The burning blade was upon his back and he looked ready for war.

"Asana, morning comes and the beast awaits. What would you speak with me of?"
 
Asana was rather impressed with the suddenness of Baros appearance if not a little startled " Well The beast waiting is the problem, the air is clearer than it was yestereve, and the glow from its flames is less, I think the beast may be on the move, I've sent my familiar ahead of us to check the clearing, but I did not wish to stir the whole of the injured within the cave incase I am wrong" He said briefly before turning and inclining his head towards Aramil " and one lost member of our party has returned" He said with a kind smile.
 
"Aramil. Good that you were able to find us." Baros nodded and moved up to the cave entrance. Indeed the sky was clearer than the day before.

"Worrying. I fear if we need to chase the beast once more many of the survivors of the town's garrison will not be able to follow."
 
Asana Nodded to Baros's words before closing his eyes and seeing through his familiars eyes, Neith was growing far closer to where the beast had been the smell of scortched flesh and burnt wood was still heavy here. Neith crept cautiously around the clearing where battle had been previously made upon the beast. It was clear it had moved but how far was not the question.

Asana opened his eyes and blinked a few times before he looked to baros and then to Aramil and spoke " The beast has moved but which direction and how quickly is questionable" He said his Familar sulking in the surounding timbers near the beasts former clearing.
 
"Then we need to act quickly." Baros said. He moved back along the tunnel and shouted. "To arms. Go to the site of the last battle with the beast. It is gone and we must follow."

Then Baros ran from the cave, mounted his horse and galloped to the clearing...
 
Asana Stood looking towards Baros as he yelled down the earthen hole before moving with haste towards his beast before glancing towards Aramil and tilting his head towards his steed. " Here take my horse" He said giving chase after Baros on foot.
 
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