Ancient Domains Of Mystery, forum overview / Stories / Freak Story: Edited Version
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3754 days, 2 hours, 4 minutes and 24 seconds ago. |
First of all: No one post on this thread but me. I'll add new posts to the story as they're posted on the regular Freak Story thread, as I did with the Goblin Tale. Thanks :) THE FREAK STORYTHE FREAK STORY Soon after Reiko was born, the healer had spilled a potion of raw chaos on his face. Reiko was scarred for life. He could neither speak very well, nor see very well; but, all the same, he was an intelligent boy. He grew up wandering what a misshapen freak like himself could possibly make of himself. The ancient sage Khelavaster restored his confidence in life, and taught him to communicate more efficiently, through sign language and writing. Reiko became a jack of all trades, picking up tidbits of knowledge and power here and there, until one day he received news that Khelavaster had vanished while battling chaos. Reiko knew what he had to do. With his trusty quarterstaff in hand, Reiko journeyed to the Drakalor chain in search of his friend and mentor. He arrived after a week’s journey, and headed into a backwoods burg called Terinyo, searching out the local tavern in search of news and rumors. As Reiko entered the bar, he felt a knife flying through the air at him. With a twirl of Nightmare, the knife lay harmless at his feet. The occupants of the tavern watched with amazement as he pocketed the knife and walked toward the bar. "Elvish wine," he said to the bartender. As the stocky human prepared his drink, Reiko pondered what was to be done with the assassin who had tried to dispatch him. The wine came within moments and was quickly consumed (with looks of confusion by some of the drunks) by Reiko, who decided to confront his attempted killer. "I should slay you here," Reiko said. "Why should you live?" "I have a better question." Without seeming to move at all, the hands that had thrown the knife suddenly held a tiny crossbow. "Why should I let YOU live?" "Strange town," Reiko commented, quite calm despite the weapon he knew was pointed at his heart. "Shooting visitors is a custom here?" The patrons, in varying degrees of sobriety, had quieted down a little to listen to this odd (and, for those who didn't understand signs, one-sided) exchange. "Visitors!" she scoffed. "Murderers, more like it. I've fought your type before. I'm not the average naive villager. You stink of Chaos." "You know of Chaos?" "Enough to tell one of its subjects when I see one." "What if," Reiko paused, "I told you that my... injury... had been caused by Chaos, through no fault of my own?" She seemed slightly interested. "What is your name?" "Reiko." "I am Callista." Though her hands remained on the crossbow, she was a little more relaxed now. "Tell me what brings you to Terinyo." "I seek to destroy the thing that brought this upon me." Upon saying that, Reiko removed the cloth that poorly veiled his cursed face. The relaxation that had gradually taken Callista turned to fear in a matter of seconds. The left half of Reiko's face was nothing but a skull. Skin grew in patches and the exposed skull was a whitish-yellow color. While Reiko's unscarred side looked at her questioningly, the destroyed side grinned with evil malice. After swallowing her fear and disgust, Callista said, "I've seen worse than you, but not on anything human. If it weren't for the veil, I would have killed you with that shot." Reiko then replaced the veil and said, "Good. You've been here longer than I; where should I start?" "The village carpenter has disappeared and nobody knows where to find him. We could probably get a reward for finding him," Callista proposed. It was an offer to travel with Reiko, though whether Callista meant to join his quest or simply to keep a close watch on him, Reiko didn’t know. "Sounds good. If they trust me, they'll guide me. There’s a cave on the outskirts of town; he could possibly be in there." Reiko said. So, after nearly dying, Reiko had a partner and something to do (for a profit). After gathering their supplies, Reiko and Callista made there way to the small cave where they had been told local carpenter might be found. "So, what do you know about the carpenter?" Reiko asked. "Not a lot. He was quite secretive," Callista replied. "His name is Yrrigs, and he's from over the pass--came to Terinyo a few years ago with his daughter, and not much more. He set up shop in the village; you can still see the clearing where he's chopped the trees down. "Terinyo's a farming town, as you know," Callista continued. "The people are poor as it is, and the coming of Chaos didn't help matters any. But they're tough. Kept on plowing the fields, planting, harvesting. Quite boring, really, but that's the way they live." She smiled briefly. "But a few months ago the minions of Chaos began to get bolder. They started coming closer and closer to Terinyo... at first it was just a few cattle missing... then there were fields burned, orchards destroyed. Then, a week or so ago, Yrrigs just disappeared. No one knew where he'd gone. When they went to ask his daughter, they found her alone in the house with just her dog to keep her company... she just said he'd gone to keep the goblins away. I only wish he'd asked me. I could have used a bit of adventure." Callista fell silent and they walked on for a while longer. "Someone's following us," Reiko commented. He'd been sure of it for a while now. "Oh. Yes, that," Callista replied. "I know. Whoever it is has been following us for some time already." "What do you say we do about it?" "Nothing. They're out of bow-shot, and I'll wager they show themselves eventually." Reiko agreed. They went on for a while longer, watching their pursuer carefully. "It seems to me that he isn't quite following us," Callista said finally. "Right. We've got to move if we --" Reiko halted, hearing a distant roar. "A cave bear. I don't like --" another roar made Callista turn around and ready the crossbow. They were in thirty feet from the glade when they saw the bear swing its paw at someone and heard a short, pained scream. Cursing, Callista took a shot almost without aiming. The bolt only grazed bear's shoulder, but the beast turned its attention towards Callista and her companion. "Stay back!" Callista shouted to Reiko. A quick and graceful gesture, and a dagger sank into bear's chest. The creature staggered and fell. They saw a figure lying on the ground and hastened towards it. "Are you all right?" With a moan, the stranger tried to rise from the ground and turned his-her--face to see her saviors. Callista started as she saw the jet-black face and silver-white hair of a dark elf. Reiko came closer and now held his staff at ready. The elf maid moaned again and stood up, picking her staff from the ground and using it to hold herself up. "Thank you. The beast would have killed me," she said. "Maybe it should have." Callista said coldly. "Servants of Lol'th deserve that fully." The elf maid frowned. "Lol'th has not found place in my heart, human. I understand your concern, though," she sighed. "I hope our next meeting will be more friendly." With that, the dark elf left the glade. "You should not be so rough," Reiko commented. "By all the gods! She's a dark elf, an enslaver, a worshipper of the damned Spider Queen!" "Are you so sure? I think she spoke the truth." Reiko paused. "Let's go. We have to find the carpenter." "Fine," Callista said. They came to the cave; it had obviously been visited recently. They walked into the cave and, immediately, the air took on a cold, sharp feel. It smelled of blood and filth. "By the gods, what a stink!" exclaimed Callista. Reiko chuckled at his companion’s obvious disgust, and Callista, noticing his mirth, turned and shouted, "What is so funny?" "Well, one of the senses that was destroyed along with my face was my sense of smell. I can't smell a damned thing!" roared Reiko. Callista gave him a sour look, Reiko's laughter subsided, and they journeyed deeper into the cave. The caves were eerily empty. Except for an occasional puddle or patch of moss, the stone was bare and featureless. Suddenly Reiko stumbled and bent over, holding his head in both hands. "Reiko?" Callista whirled around, crossbow out. "Are you all right?" "Chaos," Reiko's trembling fingers told her. "Chaos..." "Tell me. What's happening?" "Can't-- can't you feel it?" Reiko demanded, straightening to lean on his staff. Callista stood quietly for a second, straining her senses. And then, yes, she could feel it... not quite like a feeling... "Someone is... hurt?" Callista asked hesitantly. "More than hurt... someone--something--has been turned... turned toward Chaos..." And she knew it was true. The Chaos beings she had seen exuded the same air of confusion, desperation, evil as that which she now felt. Somehow--probably because of his injury--Reiko had sensed it right away. Several more times during the next few minutes, the pair sensed the intrusion of Chaos into some poor creature's soul. But not even Reiko could tell exactly where the feeling was coming from. The stench increased in strength as they approached a particularly large tunnel. Callista tried to breathe sparingly as they crept towards the opening, weapons at ready. The cavern they entered was quite unlike the others. It was littered with food leftovers, dirty furs, and sticks of wood. A large campfire had burnt itself out in the middle of the room; the place looked as if it had been deserted by someone in a hurry. "Goblins, or orcs," Callista said, examining the place. "I'd say they ran off a day ago, not more than that." While Callista spoke, Reiko absently poked the furs with his staff. As he moved one aside, he noticed a small puddle of blood. Attracted by his actions, Callista came closer as he pushed another fur off. What they saw made them abruptly turn away. Callista took a deep breath of the air that suddenly didn't smell so terrible. She turned again in response to a touch. "What... could do that?" She barely understood the gestures. "An axe of sorts. And a lot of hate." She shrugged. "Could be orcs or gnolls. I don't particularly like goblins, but that's... butchery." They were about to leave the cavern when they noticed another body half-covered by furs. "This one just had his neck broken." Callista knelt to examine the body. "And this happened not long ago. Animal claws... a cat, I think." Reiko nodded and pointed to the traces of blood leading into a small passage. "Looks like other goblins hit the beast and it ran off," he commented. Callista noticed a glimpse of metal on goblin's belt in the unsure light of her torch. She reached her hand to take it, and-- "Don't!" A familiar cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows. "I thought you two know the ways of the underground." "You again!" Unpleasantly surprised, Callista turned towards the dark elf. "Don't tell me you just stumbled on us by accident." "No. But by Anssaria I swear I did not know you were going to these caves." Saying so, the black-skinned woman approached the goblin. Callista stiffened, her hand feeling for her daggers, but the dark elf displayed her empty hands. Carefully pushing Callista's arm aside, she started feeling goblin's clothes and continued her explanation: "I was wandering about these caves when I noticed your torch. So I followed you to this... place..." With a satisfied "Ah!" she carefully pulled out a potion from goblin's clothes. Callista and Reiko could see a crude string attached to the potion and the dagger on goblin's belt. The elf maid untied the string and demonstrated the clear liquid and some dried roots pushed into the neck of the bottle in place of a cork. "Burb roots. Natural acid… Crude and cruel... but effective. You should know that goblins would never leave a weapon behind." The dark elf rose to her feet. "I understand your feelings towards my race are far from tender, but I'd like to accompany you in these caves. It will be much safer for all of us." Reiko and Callista exchanged long glances. Finally the latter said: "I am Callista, and this is Reiko. I can't say I'm pleased to meet you... but you may join us if you wish. We're looking for a local village carpenter and it's quite possible that he went this way." "I just wanted to examine the caves, but this sounds much more interesting. I am Laenril Tha'Kardim, an artificer." "A noble!" Callista exclaimed. "What would--" She halted as Reiko fell to his knees with a moan, his hands pressed against his temples. Reiko howled and dropped into unconsciousness. "What just happened?" Laenril asked. "It's never been this bad," Callista said, a fearful look in her eyes. "Not to worry. Not to worry. I'll fix Reiko up for you," rang out a voice that sounded friendly and urgent. A healer came running up to them from another room. He bent down and pulled out some demon daisies and a potion that stank of rot and decay. "This'll fix him up in a jiffy. Poor lad doesn't take well to Chaos. By the way, my name is Jharod," said the healer. "How do you know Reiko?" Callista asked. "All healers are informed of Reiko upon joining the guilds. Of his wounds, of the chaos, and of the healer that betrayed the pact of all healers. We have a bounty on the rogue's head. His name is Nemuri Kyoshiro. He came from another part of the world a long time ago. His name means sleepy-eyed deranged fellow," said Jharod. Apparently, the healer enjoyed talking, and now that he had an audience, he was taking full advantage of his opportunity. "There we go. How do you feel, my son?" Jharod asked a slightly groggy Reiko. "Better. Thanks. Is there any way for me to get rid of my sensitivity to chaos?" Reiko asked. "More than that, my son. There is a healer in the rift who could help you. His name is Tenvin Faust. If you find him, he can return your senses and your face. He helped Khelavaster a long time ago with some sickness that had brought the poor sage almost to the point of death. Khelavaster was so thankful that he gave Tenvin a shiny gold amulet. He also gave Tenvin a plain brass amulet and gave specific instructions to give it to you, Reiko," explained Jharod. "Is there anything else I should know?" Reiko said, amidst audible groans from his companions. "Faust is a little eccentric due to his hermit-like ways. You should be careful when you find him. Also, Reiko, you have power that few can fathom. You need to find it if you want to save your mentor. Don't scoff, ladies." Jharod turned to Callista and Laenril. "He may not have fought any battles, but if you try to protect him, he will never realize the full extent of his powers. He carries that staff for a good reason. Let him use it to find out why." "He doesn't look too strong." Callista said out of earshot of Reiko. "He caught a dagger that you threw, didn't he? Don't be surprised. I have eyes and ears that reach me here." Jharod said. "Look. We have to go. Farewell, Jharod, and thanks for your help." Callista said. An uneasy silence settled over the trio as they continued exploring the caves. Reiko occasionally winced as he sensed another blast of Chaos; but he didn’t comment on it. Callista had almost grown used to the smell of decay that permeated the caves when they came to a wooden door. Its hinges were rusty and the wood was rotten, but when Reiko tried the handle, he found it locked. Another blast of Chaos, stronger than most, caused him to pause, leaning on the staff; then he straightened again. “Want me to try and kick the door down?” Reiko asked. “Yes, but wait.” Laenril pushed past him. Probing the edges of the door with long elven fingers, she said, “Orcs, goblins, whoever they are, they’ll all set traps for unsuspecting travelers. Better check… Ah, nothing here. Go ahead.” Reiko backed up and launched a flying kick at the door. The wood burst to splinters immediately; and Reiko grunted, then collapsed, unconscious. “Reiko!” Callista shouted. “What--“ “Back!” Laenril grabbed Callista’s arm. Callista was pulling away from Laenril’s grasp, trying to get to Reiko, when she looked up and saw what Laenril knew spelled certain death if it caught them: a being she could identify only as pure Chaos. No shape left, no hint of what it had been--only pure chaotic energy, gibbering mouths and arms and claws, melting and deforming into a shapeless mass of Chaos. It had sensed them; It was coming for them, surprisingly fast- “Run!” Laenril screamed. Callista pulled away from her, grabbing Reiko, trying to pull him away from the thing. Laenril saw and rushed forward to help; together they half-carried, half-dragged the unconscious man back down the passage. The shapeless mass was gaining on them; it would soon catch them, burdened as they were. “We can’t leave him!” Callista gasped. “I know!” Laenril replied, trying to run faster. A room branched off from the main hall; its door was closed. Callista’s hand grasped the handle. It turned. She shoved the door open and fell inside, Reiko and Laenril tumbling in behind her. Laenril slammed the door just as the heavy bulk of the Chaos creature slammed against it. Thankfully, the door held. “What was that thing?” Callista said. “I’ve seen Chaos creatures, but never anything like that!” Laenril bent over Reiko, who seemed to be recovering his senses. “That is what happens to a living creature when Chaos completely controls it,” she replied. Reiko’s eyes opened. “What just happened? And where’s my staff?” “Right here,” Callista said, amazed that she had managed to keep a hold of Reiko’s weapon during their headlong flight. “And what happened is, we just tangled with a blob of living chaos, which-not to be pessimistic or anything- happens to be sitting outside the only entrance to this room.” Reiko groaned again. “No wonder I’ve got a splitting headache. The sooner we get to the healer—“ But Reiko never finished his sentence, because at that very moment Callista shifted her weight slightly and heard a quiet “click” as a piece of the floor shifted. Then, the next moment, the floor gave way underneath them and they fell, in a confusion of dust and rubble and flying bodies. Something slammed into Callista, knocking the wind out of her. She gasped for breath, looking around wildly. She saw a piece of rope… a lot of rope, connected to form a gigantic net… and beyond it, a leering face-- orc! More than one… a full dozen at least... and they were trapped! One of the orcs pulled a lever and the chute closed. Another let off a rope and the net with the adventurers in it fell to the ground. The orcs laughed and started poking them with spears, urging them to stand up. Their laughter subsided however, when they saw Reiko's face, and they threw several nervous glances at Laenril. The room had been crudely carved with pickaxes; and its purpose was solely determined by the net. "What you do in us caves?" a large orc wearing (relatively) good armor stepped forward. Callista opened her mouth, but Laenril was faster. "How dare you question the motives of the priestess of the Spider Queen?". With a defiant and angry look, she rose to her full height, despite the net, and pointed a finger in the orc's direction. The orcs (as well as Laenril’s companions) were set aback by these words and their cold tone. "My Mistress is upset with such an interference with her plans," Laenril continued. Callista noticed a slight movement of her other hand, a familiar movement... Sign language! Prepare to run to the door, it said. Orcs raised spears, muttering something unpleasant. Their chief, understanding the threat a priestess could pose, put his hands forward in an appeasing gesture: "Us want no trouble. You go", he pointed to the two humans: "They stay!" Laenril frowned: "They are to be brought to the sacrificial altar. They go with me." The chief shook his head: "Us need sacrifice too. And us need supper!" Suddenly something slipped on the floor from under the dark elf's feet. Everyone (including Callista and Reiko) backed away when they saw that it was a small jade-colored spider. "You ssshall sssuffferrh ffforrh thisss insssolenssse!" the loud hiss made the orcs yell with fright. Some of the more imaginative fainted. The chief tried to calm them down, but was knocked to the ground. In the general confusion Laenril quickly picked up her staff. With a metallic 'click' two blades appeared and soon the net was in pieces. Not hesitating a moment, the three ran through the door, hitting and pushing anyone in their path. They ran up the winding corridors and stopped only when the sounds behind them fainted. Leaning against a wall, Callista gave the elf maid a long look. "That tale of yours almost sounded true. Especially the last part." "Really?" Laenril smiled. "I have talent, then." A roar and clatter of many feet told them that the orcs had come to their senses. The adventurers had to flee again, but were soon stopped by a rather sturdy iron-shod door. Reiko tried to bash it in but had to abandon the futile idea. He tightened his grip on Nightmare and stepped to the widest part of the passage, giving himself more space. Callista readied her crossbow and Laenril took out a small curved wand. "It's got only one charge," she sighed. The clatter came closer, and, amidst the general roar, cries of "Cheated! Tricked us!" could be heard. As Laenril activated the wand, Reiko bumped her with his staff and the shot went sideways. "You fool! What have--" before Laenril could finish the sentence, orcish screams filled the room. The energy blast was bouncing all over the place and shooting through the orcs, hitting one after another. The blast bounced again and headed right towards the companions. Callista grabbed Reiko and Laenril and pushed them down; Callista's quick reflexes had saved them again. The magical blast of energy was so powerful that it broke the door down and permitted them freedom. "Well, that was a little closer than I would have liked,” commented Reiko as they exited. "I don't know whether to kiss you or kick you. That was either incredibly smart or incredibly stupid," Laenril said. "Well, I think--OUCH!" Laenril had kicked Reiko. "At least we're out and my headache's gone. That must have been a longer fall than I thought," Reiko said, massaging his shins. "That staff is very well made,” Laenril commented. “It's too short, though." Laenril said. "Let's see. Hey, there's a button on here." As Laenril pressed the button, a long scimitar blade protruded from one end of the staff. "It's a spear. It looks like that blade is mithril too," said Laenril. "Let me see that," Reiko said, handling his new weapon. "I can feel the button. I wonder why I never noticed this before?" Callista and Laenril made a couple of choice comments, but Reiko didn't hear them. "Let's see here." Reiko said. He twirled the spear. He moved so fast and so gracefully that all his companions could see was the glint of the blade. "Very nice, Reiko. We have to get moving." Callista said. "Killjoy," Reiko signed behind her back. They crossed the threshold of the ruined iron door. The passage beyond it was lined with blocks of wet gray stone; a chilly dampness added itself to the usual stink of the tunnels. It led straight on for a while; then branched off in two directions. They chose the left passage; the hall was lined with doors crudely constructed of tall iron bars. The small rooms beyond the first three were empty. ”It looks like some sort of prison,” Callista said. “Probably where we were meant to end up,” replied Laenril. They passed two more cells, also empty. “Anyone?” a voice called. “Is anyone out there?” The fifth cell wasn’t empty, and they hurried to look through the bars. A painfully thin, ragged man stood grasping the bars on the door. Laenril pulled up the hood of her cloak, hiding her dark hair and skin, before she approached the door and answered. “We’re here. What is this place?” “The orcs’ prison. They trapped us, like so many animals-“ Now they could hear rustling and whispers, as more ragged prisoners clutched at cell doors and looked out at them. “Why would orcs need a prison?” wondered Reiko. “Slaves… sometimes they need slaves, to carry things or cook… and sometimes, they need food.” The man shuddered. “Please, if you have any mercy, kill me before they--” “There’ll be no killing here,” Callista said. “Unless it’s killing of orcs.” “Strangers!” yet another man called softly. This one looked stronger than the rest, though he was just as thin and ragged. “Have you come to help us?” “We were trapped by the orcs ourselves,” Callista replied matter-of-factly, “but we killed them.” “Killed them!” the man exclaimed, “How long I’ve been waiting to hear news of that! Can you help us escape?” Callista spoke to the prisoner. “What’s your name? And how many of you are there?” she asked the man. “Call me Len,” he said. “And there are fifty-three of us, some in this corridor and some in the one across from us.” Callista held a hurried conference with her comrades. “Can we help them?” she asked. “I’d like to, Callista,” Reiko argued, “but... much as I respect your talents, there really isn't much chance of leading such a large group of people safely out of these caves. The carpenter needs our help. The longer we wait, the more likely it is that he’ll die without us.” “And these people won’t?” Callista said sharply. “Who knows when the orcs will get hungry again?” “There’s a solution,” Laenril broke into their argument. “We’ll get them out of the cells, then I’ll take half the prisoners, and Reiko and I will look for the carpenter. You can take the less able-bodied prisoners up to Terinyo. We can meet there.” Callista turned to Laenril and opened her mouth to object, then shut it again. “All right,” she said finally, “It’s fine with me if it’s fine with you.” Reiko nodded and indicated, yes. It was fine with him. “We’ll help. Do you know where the keys are?” “Probably with the orcs you killed,” Len replied. Reiko was already leaving to search the orcs for the keys. “Do you know anything about a carpenter, Yrrigs, who may have been down here”” Callista asked. “He was here,” Len told her. “They caught him too, but he got away before they put him into a cell. The last I saw of him, he was running down that way, towards their barracks. I don’t know what happened to him after that. Either he got away… or they killed him.” Reiko returned, carrying a large bunch of keys, as well as a dozen crude orcish spears and knives. “You’ll need these,” he told Len, unlocking the man’s cell and handing him a spear. “The caves above are dangerous enough, without orcs on your tails.” Reiko turned around and looked at Len again, surprised: Even in rags, Len looked like more than just a farmer. Reiko didn’t say anything, however. “What I was thinking to do,” said Callista, “is climb back up that pit trap, and hope that chaotic—thing-- has gone.” “Chaotic thing?” Len wanted to know. “Yes, that’s why we fell into the trap-- we triggered it while running from some sort of Chaos creature.” “Oh, I see,” said Len. “But you don’t have to climb up that one--there’s more than one trap. I can show you the way to another if you like. In any event, we should be quick. It isn’t long till they change the guards and discover what’s happened.” “Good. I was wondering what we’d do about that Chaos-thing,” said Callista. By now there were several dozen ragged prisoners gathered around; Reiko had handed weapons to the strongest of the bunch. They bunched furtively in the hallway, whispering and hoping the guards wouldn’t think anything odd was happening. “Len,” said Laenril suddenly. “What do you know about the rest of these caves?” “Marta-she was their servant for a long while--she’s gone now--but she told me a good deal about the orcs’ barracks.” Len knelt down, drawing on the slimy rock at their feet with a finger. “This hall leads to their main barracks--one room, where they all sleep; and another where they hold weapons practice.” A map of the orcs’ compound grew under Len’s finger. “Here are the kitchens… the storerooms… torture chambers…” Len shuddered at that thought. “And another room, where their lord holds audiences.” “Is there a way I might get through unnoticed?” Laenril inquired. “Possibly. There are several hundred orcs all told, but if you avoid the main areas,” Len said, “this hall goes off to the right, and through the lesser-used part of the compound: kitchens, servants’ quarters… they’re often empty but there’s no guarantee.” “Thank you,” said Laenril, fixing the map in firmly her mind. By now, Reiko had released the last prisoner, a youth with a deep wound in his right leg, his face hot with fever, who had to be supported by two friends. They parted ways; Len led the way towards the pit trap, and Laenril explained the map to Reiko, strategizing on how to sneak past several hundred well-armed orcs. Len quickly led Callista and her group of escapees to the nearest trap door. A few accurately-thrown rocks broke the loose plaster which formed the false floor, showering Callista and her companions with gray dust. As soon as the plaster stopped coming down, the people began crowding into the small room. Looping a rope through the straps on her pack, Callista quickly climbed the rock walls, finding near-invisible handholds, and hoisted herself up through the hole in the ceiling. "All clear," she called down softly. "Start climbing up. Those of you with the spears, guard the passage." The most able-bodied of the prisoners began climbing up the rope. It seemed to take forever--ten, twelve, fourteen at the top now. A ragged young woman, the fifteenth, found herself too weak to climb; finally, they tied a loop into the end of the rope and pulled the rest of them up. Len came up with the wounded boy, whom he carried in one arm while holding the rope with the other hand. Last of all were the members of their hastily organized defensive team, clutching their spears. The halls they now entered were unfamiliar to Callista. The escapees who had been issued weapons walked warily at the outer edges of the group; Callista led them and Len brought up the rear. Even a quick walk exhausted the malnourished prisoners, but they could not slow for fear of the orcs. Soon, several of the stronger prisoners had to support the weaker; the three young children were already being carried. As they passed a side passage, one of the makeshift guards suddenly staggered, babbling confusedly, and fell into a woman to his right. Callista immediately hurried to his side. "What happened?" she demanded. The young man mumbled something; Callista lightly slapped his face. "What..." "What did you see?" Callista demanded. "I saw... I must be getting sick..." he muttered. "What did you see?" "I... uh... I saw myself. Like in a mirror... but so much more real..." he replied. A short intake of breath was all Callista allowed herself to show of the fear she felt. "We'll have to go faster!" she ordered her group. "I know you're tired, but you have to trust me. We're in great danger!" As Laenril led the group of people down the narrow hallways leading to the kitchens, the smell of burnt meat and bad ale permeated her nostrils. "We're close to the kitchens," she said. "I'll check it out. I’ll signal if it’s safe to move." Reiko’s nod and a click from Nightmare signaled her descent into the room. As she entered, an orc with a massive cleaver (no doubt the cook) bowed to her as she presented the spider talisman. "The news hasn't spread as quickly as we thought," she thought as she demanded the cook let her and her sacrifices through. With a deeper bow that nearly put his face on the blood-, entrails-, and vomit-smeared floor, he replied, "As you wish, priestess." Reiko signaled for everyone to move. But as they all came out into the open, he couldn't help but think that Laenril had betrayed them. Apparently, at least some of the prisoners felt the same way because they were openly trembling now. As Reiko and the group caught up to Laenril, she explained the good news to him. As they entered the dining room, however, Reiko realized that the news had, indeed, traveled fast as hundreds of orcs--and some ogres--stood up and drew their weapons. "Get the injured in the middle. The healthy ones, surround them. NOW!! We've been ambushed!" Reiko said. He threw a dirty look to Laenril for not picking it up earlier. Swords, spears, knives, and staves were drawn and at ready in lightning speed. The prisoners knew what they had to do, and they were willing to die for their freedom. The orcs' commander showed up just as the ragtag group readied their weapons. He gestured at his warriors, and hundreds of orcs swarmed in to crush the group. Nightmare's blade bared, Reiko moved as gracefully as the wind; he swiftly cut through orc after orc on his way to the middle of the room. He watched to make sure that the group had made it safely to the door and Laenril had given him the signal before he tapped into his rage fully. He unleashed a bright blast from within himself that consumed everything living in the room. All of the angry denizens were engulfed in the white-hot fire that Reiko had thrown out and burnt to ash before they could scream. At the epicenter of the destruction was Reiko, slumped into a heap on the floor. As Laenril hurriedly checked his vital signs, she found him to be unconscious from the effort. Staff in one hand and Reiko on her back, she carried the both to the prisoners, who were now screaming to their gods for mercy. Once she had assured the group that everything was safe, she pulled out a bright green potion and poured it down Reiko's throat. He awoke at once, although he was obviously worse for wear after generating the explosion. Reiko woke up as the vile liquid entered his stomach and immediately wanted to know the status of the escaped prisoners. Laenril informed him that none had died, although most feared him because of his blast. "Rage is more potent then magic, and twice as dangerous," he told the group. "I killed a part of myself to save you.” “Laenril must lead now. I've no more strength for fighting now," Reiko said as he collapsed into a deep sleep. Spurred on by her urgency, Callista's group of prisoners tried to move faster, but they were exhausted. It didn't take long before several more of them had to be carried by their companions. Callista kept every sense on the alert for trouble; she could tell that Len's group of guards was doing the same. She thought she heard a shuffling step in the distance, but it was hard to tell, with the prisoners also moving around. "Be on the alert," she commanded. "We may be attacked at any second." They were now going through a passage that was narrow enough so they could only comfortably pass through it by walking in single file. Other passages also opened into the one they were in, a fact that made Callista distinctly nervous. Suddenly, a woman towards the back of the group let out a piercing scream. The person nearest her looked exactly like...! No, more like... The creature's face shifted again; now it looked exactly like another of the prisoners... another... How the doppelganger had managed to sneak into the passage without being noticed was immaterial now. Callista, roughly pushing the people that blocked her way into the side of the passage, couldn't even loose a crossbow bolt without fear of hitting the prisoners. As she got closer to the doppelganger, Callista encountered mass confusion. People were screaming and stumbling into the walls and each other; some were wounded, and one lay on the floor. Finally, Callista had a clear shot. As quick as thought, she loosed a crossbow bolt at the creature, which was now looking straight at her. It didn't try to dodge, as people usually did when they knew Callista had a weapon pointed at them (not that it helped them any when they did). The tiny quarrel hit the doppelganger straight in the chest. There was a flash of light where it hit, and the quarrel bounced off the doppelganger, hit the wall, and landed harmlessly on the stone floor. Missiles will be useless against this creature, thought Callista. Some sort of magic, obviously... She pulled a long dagger from her belt and pushed the last two people aside, to find herself facing something that looked... exactly like her. Get a grip! Callista ordered herself. It's not you! She brought up her dagger to parry a deadly thrust from an exactly identical dagger, and as she did, her head cleared and she was no longer confused by the thing's uncanny appearance. That didn't mean the doppelganger was any easier to kill, though. The thing was fast, and strong. At first, Callista barely managed to keep its dagger away from vital spots, but suddenly she realized: The thing was using her own tactics--the same tricks, the same method, the same moves. She would have to use her own weaknesses to defeat the creature. Callista began making what she had always considered stupid moves--things that put her off balance, or left openings in her defense. Sheer speed now kept her from injury. Suddenly, Callista knew what she had to do. In the past, she had taken jobs that led her to some very hostile areas. To survive, Callista had always obeyed a simple principle: If she fought someone, she had to have the skill to finish it without getting herself significantly wounded; otherwise, she would be easy prey for anyone wanting to stop her getaway or obtain revenge. She had trained with this in mind, learning techniques that were primarily defensive. She would have to change that now. Suddenly, Callista threw herself to the right, leaving herself completely defenseless on the left. The doppelganger's dagger darted for the opening. Callista did nothing to prevent it, but even as she felt the dagger pierce her shoulder, she lunged forwards, embedding her own weapon deep in the doppelganger's chest. Her opponent shuddered and collapsed to the ground and let out the last of its breath with a gurgling sound. Callista looked down at it. Though she knew this thing was not even remotely human, it was still disconcerting to see something--something that looked so much like her--die. Callista heaved a deep breath, which painfully caused her to remember the dagger still embedded in her shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she carefully withdrew it and wrapped a bandage around the wound to stop the bleeding. The arm would be next to useless until it healed... She looked up, meeting several dozen pairs of eyes. In fact, everyone but Len, who had been completely confused during the fight but had now taken it upon himself to tend the three wounded, was looking straight at her. "A doppelganger," said Callista in explanation. "They mimic their prey to cause confusion before they... uh, before they kill." She had never seen one before this--she was glad she hadn't--but she wasn't going to tell that to her group. Two of the wounded were now bandaged and standing unsteadily; one, the first victim of the doppelganger, lay on the ground, a stab wound in his abdomen. He was alive but in pain. Len, who knelt next to the man, looked up at Callista. "We'll need to carry him," he said. "A stretcher of some sort..." The man on the ground looked up at Callista. "I'll slow you down," he muttered. "Just... I'll be fine here..." "Nothing of the sort," said Len, pointedly ignoring the man. Two spears and some extra bits of clothing made a passable stretcher. They carefully lifted the man onto it, and the two who had carried the spears--a wiry man and a young woman--picked up the stretcher. Once again, they made for the surface, only to hear more sounds behind them. Callista, Len, and several of the makeshift guards immediately headed for the sounds of the threat. Callista heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of Laenril and the group of prisoners, but then she saw Reiko's unconscious body. "Don't worry," said Laenril, "he's not dead, but he was wounded seriously and we had to turn back. We'll need to get back to Jharod, and quickly." Callista nodded. “Right. I could use a healer, too," she said. Laenril walked back through the confused group of villagers to Callista and made sure the woman’s arm was all right before they moved on. As soon as Callista and Len had prepared the group of freed prisoners to continue, Laenril had another one of the more able-bodied villagers help Callista carry the unconscious form of Reiko. With everything in order after the attack of the doppelganger, Laenril began to lead the group down the passages, occasionally checking the floor or the walls for traps. After a short while, Laenril came to a split in the passage-one leading to the right, one to the left. “Len, which way should we go?” Laenril asked, looking down one, then the other. While the rest of the villagers caught up to Laenril, Len carefully brought back the map he had made in his head while he had been dragged through these passages. “I believe we should go right.” Len said after a few minutes of thinking. “Are you certain?” Laenril replied, not sure she should trust the information of a poor farmer who had been captured by the orcs. But then, she thought, my information isn’t any better. I have no idea where to go in these caves. Len nodded and began going forward through the right passage when Laenril stopped him. “Be careful! Orcs like to use traps--better let me go first. You organize a rear guard in case some of the brutes notice where their prisoners have gone.” Laenril glanced up and down the hallway, then back at the ragged group of people she had with her. What happened to me? Why can't I move? “You are unconscious. We are in your mind. Things work differently here. Everything you do here is by thought," said a deep voice. Okay. What are we doing here? "We are here to search and destroy. There is a place in your mind where all of your strength lies. We are here to destroy its chaotic inhabitants and instill goodness to it." What'll that do? "I don't know. It's never been done before." Let's go then...Wow. That's a bright light. Is that where we need to go? "Yes." Now what do we do? "You wait. I'll do the work." Why are you doing this for me? "You need the chaos out of you. I figured I'd start here... ...Got them. You can wake up now." "He should be better now,” said Jharod. "It's a good thing I studied that particular art in healing." "Which one was that?" Reiko asked. The group jumped as one of their leaders rose shakily to his feet. Reiko stretched the stiffness out of his bones and asked Callista for an update on what had happened since he'd dropped. "You were out for a long time. I got this from a doppelganger," she said, showing Reiko her shoulder. "Laenril led you back to Jharod after I'd been stabbed. You were twitching a lot. Like a dying bug. It was scary." "The chaos hasn't gotten me yet," said Reiko wryly. "Where to next?" "Wait," said Jharod. "You're injured, Callista. And some of these people, too." "Oh. Yes," she said, suddenly remembering the man on the stretcher. Jharod followed her gaze to the now-unconscious man and immediately headed in his direction. Jharod knelt next to the man and began speaking softly in a language they didn't understand. There was a soft blue glow around the man's body, and presently he opened his eyes and looked at Jharod questioningly. "You can take that bandage off now, I believe. Do you feel all right?" said Jharod, straightening. The man experimentally propped himself up on an elbow, then sat; then stood. His wide grin of thanks gave Jharod all the answer he needed. "Come here, Callista. I'll see to that shoulder," said Jharod. Callista looked more closely at the healer; he looked tired. Helping Reiko must have taken quite a bit of his power--and no wonder, since not even the gods could make any great headway against the power of Chaos. "You're tired," said Callista. "I can see it. I'll be all right; it'll heal on its own." But before Jharod answered, Laenril stepped forward. "Callista, I think you had better take his offer," she said. "If the orcs came back, we'd need you. Reiko is much weaker than he was--no, don't argue, Reiko--and I'm only one person. We'd be dealing with more than just wounded people if you couldn't fight." Callista nodded, turning to Jharod. "All right," she agreed reluctantly. Jharod placed his hands over her wound, and slowly the blue glow flickered into place. Callista could feel the flesh knitting back together, the severed tendons re-connecting. It was slow, almost faltering, but her arm was healing. Finally, Jharod stepped back and drew a deep breath. "There," he said. There were beads of sweat on the healer's forehead and he looked as though he were about to fall right on the spot. "Thank you," said Callista softly, watching as Jharod moved to the side of the chamber and sat on the floor, his back against the wall and his head in his hands. "But back to Reiko's question: Where do we go next?" Len spoke up suddenly. "I can take everyone back up. I remember being here now--I was captured by the orcs not too far away from here. I was going to come down to study whatever Jharod had to teach me about healing, but I ran into some sort of raiding party before I got there. But this is close to where I've been before. I'm sure of it." Callista and Reiko looked at each other, carrying on a silent conversation. Finally Callista spoke. "It's a good idea," she said. "I don't like how long we've waited to get down to Yrrigs, in the first place; he could be dead by now. Reiko, maybe you had better go with them." Callista was trying out her newly healed arm; it seemed to be in good order. "I don't know exactly what you did, but from what Laenril told me, you took out an entire roomful of orcs with it. Whatever it was, you don't seem to have completely recovered." Laenril turned to Reiko. "Well?" she asked. "What do you think you should do?" "I'm not one for a huge party. Len, you lead the others out to safety." Reiko said. "I want Callista, Laenril, and myself to find Yrrigs. If Chaos has corrupted him to the level I think it has, we'll need the three of us to live through it. Jharod, you can come too if you so wish." "I'll come," said Jharod. "Just let me rest a bit." After a few hours of resting, during which the hostages took flight from the cave to their families and friends, Reiko, Callista, Laenril, and Jharod left to find Yrrigs. It was Laenril who led them into the depths of the dungeons, and that made Callista uneasy. She still didn’t trust Laenril completely, even though the dark elf had led Reiko back to Jharod. Of course, thought Callista, in the event that Reiko was also not to be trusted…. Dark elf, she was, yes-and an artificer, too; and Reiko, with his Chaos-disfigured face. Never had Callista known someone she could fully trust, though Jharod and his fellow healers, with their strict code of honor, came close. But, since Jharod seemed to accept Reiko and Laenril, she would trust the talkative healer’s judgment for now-and, as she always did, she would watch her back. Laenril stopped and looked ahead to find a stairway that seemed a bit run down and old, she paused next to it and searched for any traps, but found none. Laenril moved down the stairway with Callista, Reiko and Jharod following her. Soon they came down to the bottom of the stairwell into a brightly lit room by torches, a horrible smell penetrated their nostrils. “What is that smell?” Callista said, making a sour face and looking around. “I’m not sure; I can’t smell anything,” Reiko replied looking around the room; but Jharod uttered one word that they all understood: “Chaos.” At that word, Callista shivered and Laenril closed her eyes as if trying to banish some evil thought. Jharod looked around to see where the smell was coming from, but could find nothing. Laenril opened her eyes and gripped her staff tightly before she led the group down the hall. The way was getting dimmer, so Callista went back to the stairway and got one of the lit torches. There was no sound at all coming from the corridor they followed. That bothered Laenril a great deal, and she scanned their surroundings ceaselessly, expecting some kind of a trap. They heard something in the distance that they could not make out, and decided to walk even more cautiously. “Something isn’t right here,” Laenril said, stopping and looking around as if expecting an orc to jump out and attack them (which, incidentally, wasn’t such a far-fetched possibility). “I know what you mean. We haven’t encountered a single orc, and it’s just too quiet around here. I don’t like this place,” Callista said, bringing out her little crossbow and loading it. Laenril nodded in answer and started down the hall once again until it split off, one path straight forward, and the other headed off to the left. Callista voiced everyone’s thoughts in two simple words: “Which way?” Laenril was about to say something when they all heard a scream coming from the left hall. They turned left--and saw what had made the scream. A goblin lay on the floor, both its arms and one leg severed. As they watched, a bloody hatchet descended. The goblin screamed one last time before the hatchet buried itself in its forehead. Their eyes followed the hatchet to focus on the... thing... that wielded it. "Yrrigs?" whispered Callista in an incredulous tone. It was, indeed, the carpenter; but Callista's disbelief was to be expected: What now stood before them was barely human. “Is that Yrrigs?” Laenril managed to say after staring for a moment at the man who was now deformed and twisted by chaos, till he raged upon anything within his reach. Reiko managed to nod and reply, “It is. Or… was.” Reiko looked once again at the deformed being. He, himself, was also in his present condition as a result of Chaos; the terrible force had destroyed them both. Chaos. The word itself seemed evil, and Reiko felt a strange kinship with the poor, insane carpenter. “He has gone mad from the chaos forces. Callista, use your crossbow and put him out of his misery!” Laenril said, looking at the carpenter for a moment, then back at Callista. Many thoughts and memories entered Reiko’s mind at that point, especially some of the things he had heard had said about his own face. When Laenril ordered Callista to kill Yrrigs, he could only think, What if someone had killed me? Everything has the right to a chance at life?. Immediately, Reiko found himself shouting, “NO! There must be another way to free him.” Callista had her own thoughts, but did not voice them; instead, she readied her tiny crossbow just in case she had to use it. Laenril was about to reply to Reiko when the carpenter charged toward, them howling and swinging his blood-stained hatchet. Reiko struck out at Yrrigs with his staff, trying to make the mad carpenter back off. Laenril swung her staff and missed Yrrigs, but came around in mid-swing and dug the end of her staff into Yriggs’s stomach, dazing him for a moment. In that moment, several things happened. Callista aimed her tiny crossbow at Yrrigs, thinking that she might just have to kill him; Reiko and Laenril pinned Yrrigs to the wall, fighting against his superhuman strength; and Jharod placed his hand on Callista’s crossbow to prevent her from firing. Stepping forward, the healer reached out and touched Yrrigs on the forehead, whispering some soothing, though unintelligible, words. Swirls of magic surrounded the carpenter’s body as he slowly became normal once again. Jharod withdrew his hand; and, for a moment, the carpenter, his eyes closed, did not move. Then, as Yrrigs at last opened his eyes, they could see that his sanity had finally been restored. "Jharod..." whispered the carpenter. "Where am I?..." The influence of Chaos might have left Yrrigs, but the memories came rushing back. Killing, for no reason at all--hatred, with no purpose but to kill everything that lived. The carpenter's glance fell on the goblin lying on the floor, dead, in a pool of its own blood. The hatchet dropped from his fingers, making a startlingly loud clatter on the stone floor. "No. Don't think about it," said Jharod. Yrrigs looked up. "It wasn't you," managed Laenril, releasing her hold on the now sane carpenter. "It wasn't..." Yrrigs managed a weak smile; he stood a little straighter, one hand on the wall and the other arm still in Reiko's grasp. "Wasn't quite cut out to fight this… Chaos thing," he said, shaking his head. "It be much stronger than I ever thought." "It's much stronger than any of us," agreed Jharod. "But... maybe, not stronger than all of us." Yrrigs considered that for a minute; then, opening the blood-stained bag he wore on his back, he removed a large, leather-bound book and an oily yellow bottle. "It's all I can give ye, in gratitude," said the carpenter. "But maybe it'll come in handy." They accepted the items, thanking Yrrigs. Callista, paging through the book, found it was a volume on carpentry. "I'll be going back to Terinyo now," said the carpenter, starting towards the exit. "At least there, I can do some good." "But the goblins--" said Jharod, casting a glance at the carpenter's discarded hatchet. "They know me. They're afraid of me," said Yrrigs regretfully. "I'll be fine." He vanished down the hall. Byrak quietly sneaked though the hallway towards the kitchen. There were intruders, and he wasn't about to alert them of his presence, wherever they were. He held his staff tightly. The staff’s decorations would have held no significance to any non-orcs, but, along with his black robes, the staff was, in fact, decorated to show his priesthood and his closeness to his god. The head of The One Who Rages, which was carved into the top of the staff, enhanced the power of the wide range of clerical and the small amount of arcane spells he knew. He looked back for his companion, Catherine. The tamed female cave tiger slowly walked past her master and through the hallway, looking around in the darkness for enemies. The tiger’s fur was painted black, with the head of The One Who Rages painted in gray on her forehead. Her ears suddenly perked up and she growled in the direction of an opening to the right, her powerful hind legs ready to pounce on whoever was there. Byrak readied his staff. “Byrak! Friend!” came the voice from the opening. Out came an orcish fighter, one hand holding his spear in a non-threatening position, while the other clutched his chest. He was severely injured, probably had run from a recent battle. Byrak didn’t remember this particular fighter’s name, and didn’t try to. He didn’t care for lowly fighters, but if he were to face the group of invaders, he would need all the help he could get. “You,” Byrak said in a commanding voice, “Gather as many survivors as you can, and meet me in the dining room.” “But--” the orc objected, “I can hardly walk, and my damned eyes can hardly see, can’t you do something?” Byrak sighed, and pointed his staff towards the fighter. He muttered a few words, and the wounds of the fighter closed a little. Byrak then reached into his robes and pulled out a torch. The torch magically lit up as he threw it towards fighter, who caught the torch and ran off. Byrak continued on his way to the dining room. As he neared the room, the smell of blood and death filled his nose. He clutched his staff tightly, readying himself for battle. With a single wave of his hand and a low muttering of words, he and the spirit of his tiger companion rose. Catherine went through the doorway to the dinning room first, and looked around. The tiger turned towards her orcish master and growled deeply. The priest took a couple of steps forward, and the sight that met him there horrified him. Bodies of orcs, and orcs only, littered the ground, burnt to ashes. Byrak went from body to body, looking for anyone that could have survived such destruction. Before the Orcish Priest stood a small army of orcs, many of whom were badly injured. Byrak had done what he could to heal the five orcs he had found still struggling to survive. The orcish fighter he sent had returned with eight other orcs, who all waited patiently for his Byrak’s orders. “Intruders have invaded our home, and killed many of our brethren!” Byrak cried, along with a mighty roar from his tiger. ‘such an act cannot be allowed to go unpunished! The invaders shall never leave here alive, and we shall make sure of that! Do not take prisoners--kill them all! Tonight, we would have fresh human meat to feast on!” Uproar filled the rooms and hallways; the orcs gathered their weapons for one last confrontation with the invaders. As they made their way back up the stairs, Laenril stopped them, putting a hand to the wall and listening intently. "What is it?" asked Callista. "I'm not sure. A commotion of some sort. A battle, maybe, or a celebration." "I wouldn't like the thought of either one, down here," said Jharod. "With orcs, or goblins, or whatever it is, you don't want them doing either!" "Well, we'll just have to be careful," said Reiko, interrupting Jharod before he had time to launch into another speech. They continued up those stairs, and one more set, before the sounds became apparent to anyone other than Laenril. Orcish voices, yelling battle cries, whipping themselves into a murderous frenzy in preparation for killing. Out for revenge, probably. They would meet the orcs soon; there was no getting around that. And then, they turned a corner, and the orcs were there, and seconds later they were in the middle of a battle, fighting so hard they had no time to think about the fact that the odds were seriously against them. Two of his men were already down before Byrak had reached the invaders. An orc fell down beside him, and its slayer headed towards him. In his hand, his opponent held a quarterstaff, which he swung at Byrak. Byrak parried the blow and looked at the face of his enemy, and gasped. A Chaos Brother! Byrak thought in horror. He had many hateful memories of these monsters: It was a chaos brother that had killed his father, and almost killed him, before his fellow orcs had chased it away. Byrak quickly shrugged off his moment of shock and proceeded to parry a swing from the being's quarterstaff. His opponent seemed to anticipate the block, and shifted the attack downwards. The quarterstaff hit the orc's legs, causing the priest to fall backwards. He saw his enemy step towards him and bring his quarterstaff around for the final blow. The priest swung his staff up, but not to parry the blow. Instead, a ray shot out of it, stunning his opponent. The orc rolled to the side and jumped up, then proceeded to swing his staff towards his enemy. His opponent has regained his senses by then and knocked priest's staff right out of his hands. Byrak panicked. It took every ounce of his will not to run away as he reached into his knowledge of clerical spells. He threw energy at the advancing enemy, expecting him to slow down. But the enemy didn't slow down, but instead, raised his staff. Byrak knew it was too late, but he reached for his own staff anyways. He saw his opponent starting to swing... ...only to get knocked down by a black blur. Catherine growled, and kept her paws on the enemy. Behind her, a dark elf lay unconscious on the ground, and beside the elf, a human, still conscious, but barely alive. His orcs seemed confused, and Byrak saw why. Standing in front of both of the invaders was the healer Jharod, who the orcs had owned a debt to for saving their lives once, Byrak's included. "Jharod, stand aside, or we will kill you too," Byrak cried, angry at the healer's interference. Jharod started to reply, but was interrupted by a startled cry. Byrak turned his head towards the sound, and saw, behind his opponents, a being of pure chaos, heading straight towards them. Feeling the beginnings of a crushing headache, Reiko turned to see a beast so corrupted by chaos that its origins could not even be distinguished. He screamed in anguish and fell. Callista saw the beast and knew instinctively that Reiko had fallen from its reek of chaos. She positioned herself between Reiko, the robed orc, and the Chaos-thing and proceeded to shoot bolt after bolt at it; out of the corner of her eye, she saw the orcish priest throwing magical fire at the mass of Chaos. Eventually, the creature fell to a blast from the robed orc. When it was undoubtedly dead, Callista turned to Jharod. "Heal him," she said, indicating Reiko. She then turned to the orc. Callista had one more tiny quarrel left, and she kept it trained on the orc. She didn’t bother to hide her surprise as she said, “You helped us, when you could simply have run and let that Chaos-ridden beast take us. Why?” Although Byrak had little magical power left, he kept a spell close to mind, ready to attack. “Chaos is no one’s friend,” he said, “not even the orcs’.” The ever-present suspicion on the priest’s face grew deeper as he glanced at Callista’s two companions: a dark elf, rumored servants of Chaos, and Reiko, whose ruined face Jharod held between his palms. “No one’s friend,” repeated the priest, “though some claim friendship.” Byrak did not know where the Chaos-beast had come from; to his ever-mistrustful mind, it was not such a far-fetched thought that Reiko, with his aura of Chaos and disfigured face, had somehow called it to help them. That Callista had helped him to slay it quieted his mind only a little. At the priest’s comment, Callista grew angry. “Reiko is a friend of Jharod’s, and an enemy of Chaos,” she said. “His appearance is not by his own choice.” Callista felt a bit of déjà vu as she recalled her first meeting with Reiko, and her own initial suspicion. Reiko, who had recovered more quickly this time than the last, had been listening to the conversation. “My body may be scarred by Chaos,” his hands spoke, “but my will is still my own. Callista spoke truly when she said I am an enemy of Chaos; and as long as my will remains my own, that is what I shall be.” Byrak did not relax his grip on his weapon, but his misgivings quieted enough to let him consider Reiko’s words. Behind him, the remaining orcish warriors shifted uncomfortably, their promised battle taken from them. “What is your quest in the domain of the orcs?” Byrak demanded. Callista was about to explain their role in Yrrigs’s rescue, but Jharod interrupted. “They came to seek me,” he said. “I am to lead Reiko and his companions to see a healer who dwells in the great Rift, far to the east of this place. If we are successful, and the man’s skills are as great as I hope, Reiko may there be healed of his disfigurement.” Byrak looked at Reiko. “And if you are successful?” he demanded. “What then?” “I mean to find a man who may be able to help me defeat Chaos,” said Reiko simply. Khelavaster was much more than that, but to explain what the ancient sage meant to him, especially to an orc armed with a staff as well as magic, and ready to use both on Reiko at the slightest provocation, would have taken much more time than Reiko had. Byrak suddenly lowered his staff and turned to the orcs. By now, the wounded ones had picked themselves off the floor, and the healthy ones were uneasily fingering weapons. “You were engaged in a great battle here,” said Byrak in a commanding voice. “You fought well, but the humans were too powerful for you.” A few of the more dim-witted orcs blinked in confusion, but the rest understood what Byrak wanted. “I was killed in battle,” Byrak said, “and you were forced into a… tactical retreat.” The orcs grunted in surprise; Byrak leveled his staff at them. “Go now, and tell the leaders what happened. But go slowly,” Byrak commanded. Byrak’s troops were still confused, but they were more than a little afraid of Byrak’s magic. They were trained to obey, and they did, heading back down the tunnel. Byrak turned to the stunned party. “I am going with you,” he said. The chaos brother stood, with a spear in his hand. Blood was dripping from the tip, and at the brother's feet, lied a body of an orcish priest, once powerful, but no more. I stared in horror of the dead priest, my father. It was the first time I glimpsed at the horror of Chaos, the first time I felt so much hate and fear. The chaos brother looked at my direction. He has found me, and I will die just as my father had, in the hands of Chaos. It was nighttime as Byrak wandered, trying to shake away these memories. He preferred not to be near his newfound companions at such a moment of weakness, and so, with each step, he was farther away from the place they had camped and closer to the darkness of the wilderness. The priest looked back at the camp, and Jharod waved at him. Byrak turned his gaze away and continued to walk. Why had he been so willing to join these invaders? “I mean to find a man who may be able to help me defeat Chaos,” the human named Reiko had said. That had struck him--defeat Chaos? Chaos is everywhere; you can't defeat Chaos. But still, there might be a way; these companions of his might be able to do something. It was better then staying where he was, waiting for Chaos to overtake and kill them all. A uproar of laughter interrupted his thoughts. Everyone was sitting around a campfire, cooking a bear they had killed earlier today. All of them was laughing--all of them, with the exception of Callista. She wasn’t looking at Byrak, but he knew that she was closely watching him. “You’re not joining us,” Callista said, “How would I know you wouldn’t kill us the moment our backs are turned?” She kept her crossbow aimed at my head, but I wasn’t; afraid, I have been through many battles, dodging one quarrel would be easy enough, and Catherine was ready just in case. “Chaos had turned us orcs against each other, it have ruined us, and kept us down, and for that, I would inflict pain and fear a hundred times more than they have brought upon us.” I half lied; it was true that some of the orcs has left the tribe, and later came back to attack as corrupted beings, but that wasn’t the reason I wanted to join, “I would be glad to rid us of Chaos, even if it meant joining with you.” Callista didn’t seem convinced, but before she could say anything, Reiko walked up with hands out, and said, “Then welcome to the party; we could use more allies, orc or not.” “Yes, a priest would be a nice addition,” said a voice. It belonged to that dark elf, who seemed fine now, probably due to the magic of the healer. I looked at Callista; she seemed shocked, but she didn’t say a word after that. From the moment Byrak had joined, Callista has been ever watchful and suspicious. Let her be, Byrak thought, it is suspicion and ferocity that survives, not laughter. The priest was so intent on his thoughts that he didn’t notice a shadow trailing him. Byrak would have thought Callista had decided to kill him after all, and had betrayed herself by allowing firelight to reflect from the crossbow bolt which she had quietly fitted into her weapon. But, as suddenly as Byrak noticed the glint of light reflected from metal, he also noticed that Callista was not looking at him, but past him. Instinctively, Byrak dove to the side, rolled, and came up with his staff in front of him. Where his torso had been, a spear cut the air, thudding into the ground barely three feet from the campfire. The same instant, a crossbow quarrel swished past his ear and thunked into something solid. Someone screamed, a gurgling sound that told Byrak that the injury would prove fatal to the one who had received it. More shadowy forms materialized out of the night—orcs, all of them--and Byrak wasted no time in retreating to the campfire, where his attackers would have a harder time surrounding him. The orcs advanced, roaring battle-cries now that their surprise had been spoiled. As the light of the fire fell on their faces, Byrak was not surprised to notice that, leading the group (from the rear, as most orcish leaders did), was his brother, captain, and rival, Balak. Someone, thought Byrak, must have told his brother the true story; that, or had been forced to tell under torture. Either way, Byrak knew, his brother would show him no mercy. Callista calmly felled two orcs before the attackers arrived, then drew her long dagger. Byrak ran through his mental list of memorized spells; Laenril and Reiko stood side-by-side, ready to defend each other if necessary. And then the battle began... Balak screamed out, cursing Byrak for his actions and winding the gathered orcs into a furious rage. Laenril opened her mouth to speak but was cut short as a spear flew out at her from the gathered orcs. She dodged to the side while the leader shouted again. "Orcs now listen only to Balak. Not toys for your games. You will be sacrifice for intruding. Others die." He opened his mouth into a grin, "Byrak eaten." With his last word, ten spears launched themselves at the small group. Callista and Laenril moved immediately to the side, dispersing the group so as to not present such a large target. Byrak stepped back and shouted in rage, letting loose his prepared spell. A bolt of fire flew from him, turning half the spears to ash. At the sound of Byrak's spell Callista took a quick glance towards the fire. Five spears arrowed straight through the air at Reiko. As she watched she saw him flick the button and his staff’s blade flashed out, rippling with reflected flame. As he stepped forward towards the spears his staff begun to move, a blur in the dim light. Confident he would be all right for the moment, she returned her gaze to the oncoming orcs. She caught the eye of Laenril opposite her and nodded quickly. They flung themselves into the melee, whip and dagger flying. Reiko grounded the flying spears with ease and beckoned the orcs to come at him. His gesture was met with angered howls of rage as three orcs came at him with death in their eyes. With a thrust and a pull up, the first orc was disemboweled. Reiko turned and slashed the second orc's throat and, with a palm strike, dropped the third orc. "All too easy," he thought as he looked over to see what Laenril and Callista had in mind. The freakish one is a good fighter, thought Byrak, shooting energy missiles at his one-time bretheren. "Catherine! To the right!" Byrak yelled. His tiger ripped through orc after orc in a blood-rage. Soon, most of the orcs were dead or dying. Byrak turned to Balak. Byrak's brother, who had been keeping out of the fight until now, caught sight of him and leveled his wickedly barbed spear. Byrak managed to catch the spear on his staff and turn it aside, but Balak, always the better fighter of the two, caught Byrak across his knees with the butt end of the spear. Byrak had to get his balance before he could begin calling the words of a magic missile spell to his mind. Byrak had blocked two more spear-thrusts and connected once with the staff when he finally completed the spell; small balls of fire flew from the tips of his outstretched fingers. Balak dodged, and only one of the missiles hit him, burning a scar into his forehead. The air reeked of burnt orc. Balak, too angry to feel much pain from Byrak's spell, immediately took advantage of the fact that Byrak had had to take one hand from his staff to cast it. His spear penetrated Byrak's defenses, slashed through his armor, and sank into his midsection. Byrak had just started to jump back when he saw Balak's spear headed for him, so the weapon did not, as intended, impale him completely. Still, they both knew it was a dangerous wound--probably deadly. Byrak struggled doggedly back through the haze of pain and focused on his spells again while Balak roared in victory, pulling his spear back for the final blow. Catherine had finished dispatching the rest of the orcs and now turned her attention to her master's battle. She was enraged enough from her slaughter of the orcs; now that she saw Balak's spear wounding Byrak, her anger was ten times what it had been. Byrak's spell hit Balak full in the chest, and while he was still stunned, Catherine sprang onto his back, claws sinking through his armor and tearing his flesh. There Catherine stayed, her great weight throwing Balak down and pinning the stunned orc to the ground. The spear flew out of Balak's hands and cartwheeled through the air, spraying an arc of blood-droplets, landing out of the reach of its owner. Drawing his dagger, Byrak staggered toward his brother. For the first time, Byrak saw true fear on the usually grim and proud face of his brother. No... not for the first time. The first time, Balak had been staring up at the ever-changing face of a chaos creature... Shaking off the memory, Byrak sheathed the dagger and brandished the staff instead. He stood over his brother, still pinned to the ground by a raging Catherine. The tiger turned her gaze on Byrak, asking permission to do what she wanted to do most at this moment: tearing the throat out of this little creature who had tried to kill Byrak. "No, Catherine. Not yet," said Byrak. "Well? What are you waiting for?" spat his brother. "You're bent on ruining our tribe; you might as well finish the job." "No. I'm not. What I am doing is for the good of the tribe. But--" he raised the staff-- "you'll never understand that, I think." The staff flashed through the air and hit Balak solidly on the top of his head; the orc groaned, and his eyelids fluttered closed. With that, Byrak collapsed next to his brother, the pain and loss of blood finally stealing his consciousness. While Jharod muttered healing spells over Byrak, Callista bound Balak's hands and feet securely. No one had suffered any serious injury, though Reiko found himself unexpectedly much more tired than the fighting accounted for. Catherine padded silent circles around Jharod and Byrak, her eyes conveying a silent message: I know you are trying to help my master, but if you hurt him, I will be forced to hurt you. Presently Byrak was feeling better; the spear wound had closed, and though both he and Jharod were tired, they pronounced themselves ready for travel. They tied Balak to a nearby tree. "Our people will find him," said Byrak. "If there are any left," said Reiko. "There are probably some left," replied Byrak. He didn't seem too sorry; an orc's life was harsh, and strength a virtue prized above all others. The weak died; the strong survived. That was why the orcs were so strong: They had no pity for weaklings. Callista said, and the others agreed, that they didn't want another encounter with whatever remained of Balak's tribe; so they packed up their belongings, searched the orcs' bodies (nothing more of value than a little gold, and Balak's spear, which Byrak insisted on leaving with his brother), and traveled the rest of the night. Die Gedanken sind Frei [Edited 3 times, last edit on 7/24/2004 at 00:53 (GMT -5) by Iridia] |
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