<< Previous Chapter
>> Next Chapter
^^ Index
We investigated putting down the lizardman cults to the Soulsmith for years. It was 1068 by the time the next milestone in this story occurred.
In the intervening years I had managed to save my fortune, and spend it on a pair of Celestrial Steel short swords. Most stuff didn't have a second chance, and they could cut a man in half with relative ease.
We'd partnered with another twosome, a human wrestler named Boris and a dwarven Hammerer named Toranos.
Toranos was a hard nut, by any measure, though Boris had always been something of an embarrassment, spurning even the protection of armour in favour of his ego. We were taking out a cult lair at the behest of a local town leader when poor Boris had his throat slashed out by their wicked claws.
He bled to death before any of us could reach him, but Kel took swift vengeance upon his killer.
We pressed onwards, and pressed our luck in the process. I myself was set upon by 4 skilled enemies at once. Although my allies rushed to my aid, the damage was already done, and I was left a mere ruin.
The enemy was everywhere. And through my dazed senses, I heard my friends battling all around me, striking down cultists everywhere. I collapsed frequently into unconsciousness, the pain too much to bear.
My friends guarded me as I dragged myself free of the lair, and I was surprised to see it was daylight as I emerged. We must have spent a long time in that horrid place, for even now it was descending in the west.
I dragged myself against a tree and propped myself up.
I looked at my comrades. There was only Kel and The Pidge present.
"Where is Toranos?" I asked.
I could tell it was a painful question, as they shot a look at each other.
"We don't know." said Kel. "He just went off into the darkness. We were more concerned with getting you, and ourselves out of there."
"Did we at least kill the bastard we came to kill?" I asked them.
The Pidge shook his head. "Not to my knowledge. If Toranos managed to crack his skull, he's not here to gloat about it. We're going to have to come back."
He appraised me. "Once you've healed, that is."
I nodded. We returned to the nearby town where I spent some time resting, plotting our next strike.