Friday, February 22, 2013

Expedition to the Silver Mountain-08

What came next was a flight through darkened caverns and ruined corridors. Half-starved things once employed as guardians for the cult would attack out of desperation for living flesh and hot blood, but all they did was wet our blades with ichor and offend our senses with their inhuman stench. We heard not, initially, any sign of the demon but that did not comfort us; we knew he lay out there, and it was only a matter of time before he found us.

Eloc’s blade gave us our warning, for he bare with him that same sword what you My Lords made for him all those years ago when we warred against the cult. The blade shimmered when the demon drew near, and that was how we were able to keep ahead of us until we were ready. With each warning, we threw whatever obstacles we could to slow it down, assuming that he followed us instead of coming from another direction. We were not wrong, but neither were we correct.

After the first few warnings, we kept an eye on Eloc’s sword for another shimmer, but when that next one came we could not discern where behind us it was. Unlike the previous warnings we heard no sound, and felt no menace, until it was too late. The floor before us exploded and the demon leapt into our path, its menace now oppressive and overbearing upon us.

Eloc’s blade gave us our warning, for he bare with him that same sword what you My Lords made for him all those years ago when we warred against the cult. The blade shimmered when the demon drew near, and that was how we were able to keep ahead of us until we were ready. With each warning, we threw whatever obstacles we could to slow it down, assuming that he followed us instead of coming from another direction. We were not wrong, but neither were we correct.

After the first few warnings, we kept an eye on Eloc’s sword for another shimmer, but when that next one came we could not discern where behind us it was. Unlike the previous warnings we heard no sound, and felt no menace, until it was too late. The floor before us exploded and the demon leapt into our path, its menace now oppressive and overbearing upon us. Eloc’s blade glowed bright as the sun in its presence, and the demon howled at it.

Eloc knew me well enough to know what to expect next, but neither of us counted upon Ray to come through. With a simple, but firm, command he rebuked the demon and it recoiled as if smote by Eloc’s sword. The Dawnsman followed up with a literal smite with his sun-like mace, and again the fiend recoiled as if struck by a much mightier blow. Eloc saw the opening, so he charged and struck at it with that brilliant blade. Then the henchmen with us struck it with their swords. With such unexpected violence of action, the demon’s ambush turned against him and we drove him back into the pit he came from. I conjured a wall and used it to seal the breach, and then we continued running for our goal.

Once Eloc’s blade stopped so much as shimmering, we paused to regroup and refocus. Ray assured us that, when it comes to it, we’ll be able to put down the demon; he’s certain that our might combined, if properly marshaled, will do the deed. This Dawnsman, and by extension his order, has already proved to be far more useful than I previously thought. (My Lords, if their master has not made contact with you already by the time you receive this letter, then I urge you to take the initiative and do just that on behalf of our nation. While the horrors of our own area wane, other follow; we could use their support.)

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