Perhaps it was just the cool autumn winds that blew through the open shutters of the warm window, but he was sure he could feel something cold and evil in the air this night. It may just have been a reflection on the lost battles of the past few months, or it may have been something more. The Prince did not really want to find out and closed the wooden shutters returning to the warm fireside table where he had placed the map of Rohrmarch. On the map were marked the current positions of his troops in Rohrgaard and Osternord, and the suspected positions of King Alaric's armies. It looked bleak, but not as bad as it had two winters ago when Alaric had nearly taken Oden city itself. With winter already stretching its cold, icy fingers across the land no armies would be marching and Prince Pieter Oden could reinforce his own positions. Come spring when the snows melted his armies would be ready to strike once more. Another cold chill ran through his body, despite his location right next to a roaring fire. The Prince looked around, sure that something was wrong, but then the chill withdrew and he returned to his maps, marking the location of the new troops he hoped to muster in time for the war next spring. Slowly as he wrote the warmth again returned to the room and he was filled with the heat from the fire.
After watching for several more minutes the Gorgon withdrew his thoughts from the south, back to the fiery peaks of Kal-Saitharak. Gently he lifted the valuable crystal ball from its holder on the table and placed it in a box, lined with the finest furs so that it would not be scratched. Closing the box he passed it to a waiting aide who carried it off towards main throne room. The Gorgon himself followed soon after thinking carefully on what he had seen. The Rohrmarch armies looked vulnerable, but if things were left too long then they would be strengthened and powerful enough to hold off his initial attack. Then he stopped and thought for a moment, a solution had suddenly presented itself, it was time to call on a favour from his new ally in the Chimaeron, or the Iron Hills as it was called now.
A knock at the door interrupted him, and looking up he saw his Lieutenant Nekrul Adaere standing in the doorway. The tall knight knelt before his master and spoke.
"My Lord, I ask your pardon for the interruption of your important work, but a visitor has come to see you."
"Who is important enough to interrupt my pleasure," said the Awnshegh in a low whisper. The Flayer's voice had been severely effected by the changes his cursed bloodline had done to his body, and he no longer could speak, except in a whisper. He did however have the power to speak in the minds of those he engaged in conversation and this more than made up for the changes to his voice.
"A Dwarven warrior sent by Prince Raesene, he asks that you meet with him to discuss something of importance."
"Very well, let us go see what old Stone Face wants."
The Flayer stood and drew the hood of his robe over his face, hiding his entire body in its shadowy folds. Carefully he activated the wards that protected his treasury from thieves and assassins. Although he had little in the way of magical powers several of those who served him could cast true magic, especially the wizards known as the Three Brother Mages. Their help had been instrumental in protecting his realm, even if some of their demands were a little strange at times. The Flayer of Minds discarded these thoughts though and strode off to meet with his visitor.
The Dwarf who stood waiting in the small throne room of the Mhowe citadel was typical of his race. He wore a suit of dull metal armour, the same colour as his dull grey skin, and at his side was slung a wicked looking War Hammer, covered with sharp spikes. His neatly trimmed black beard was set in the latest Dwarven style however and it gave him a courtly grace that did not really match his military clothing. When the Awnshegh ruler of the Iron Hills entered through a side door at the back of the throne room he knelt in the human style, rising only after the ruler of the Iron Hills was firmly seated on his cushioned throne. Lord Nekrul who also served as the Awnshegh chamberlain, as well as treasurer, administrator, and general head kicker, spoke first.
"The court recognises Kern Earthcore, leader of the 5th and 6th regiments of Mur-Kilad infantry and gives him leave to speak."
The Dwarf drew himself up to all of his four and half feet of height and spoke in a deep rolling voice that immediately remind the few who remained in the throne room of the tall mountains that lay north of the city of Mhowe.
"My Lord, and Noble King. I have been sent by my master to ask for your assistance in an important matter. Great Prince Raesene seeks to expand his influence and following the terms of the agreement between the Iron Hills and Kal-Saitharak he would like permission to station several units of soldiers in your lands for the purpose of expansion in Coeranys to the west."
With that the Dwarf stood silently and watched as the Awnshegh and his servant whisper quickly to each other.
"I don't remember that being in the agreement." said the Flayer, his voice only a whisper, but its message rebounded inside Nekrul's head.
"I think it was on the last page, right under the rights of each party in case of a border dispute over Baruk-Azhik. It was in very small writing though my lord."
The Flayer of Minds, not known for his good vision frowned, or at least attempted to, the mutations his cursed blood had forced on him long ago taking his vision as well as his voice. Obviously he had not read the treaty document well enough, but when in the presence of the most powerful being on the planet and with a massive army surrounding you it was probably best to sign whatever was placed in front of you. He looked towards Lord Nekrul who waited expectantly.
"So what do we do now then, allow them in, or refuse them entry and break our treaty with the Gorgon."
"Well my Lord, I would suggest allowing them entry for now, let them think that we are allied with them and then slowly turn them against their ruler, and should he move against us then crush them with our own forces."
"Our own forces being your small group of cavalry and the knights still loyal to me that are longing around in the courtyard."
"My lord, they are a crack regiment, did we not capture this entire realm with just those few men?"
"A few rangers and city watch were no threat to us, especially since most of them changed sides when we arrived. Then all we had to do was kill the Chimaera and the realm was mine. Can your men stand up to fighting a well trained Dwarven army like that which may be based here."
"I do not know lord, but either way we will be facing them, and I would prefer to at least have time to prepare for an attack as one will surely come if we refuse the Gorgon's request."
"Very well I agree, I will let them stay, but I want them watched by as many men as you can spare."
With the decision made the cloaked Awnshegh looked back to the Dwarf who stood awaiting an answer.
"Well General Earthcore please return to your master and tell him that we would be delighted to welcome his soldiers to stay on our lands. We offer the province of Salviene for the stationing of your soldiers."
"Thank you noble lord, I shall return at once with the news. My master expected you would agree however and the troops shall be arriving here within the next day or so."
"So soon, I though it would at least take a month of travel from your master's realm to mine."
"My master has other methods of transporting soldiers, I know little of these, except to say that if he says it will only take a day then I believe him."
"I see, well I look forward to welcoming them then."
General Kern Earthcore nodded sharply and with a stamp of his armoured feet spun around and exited the throne room. The Flayer of Minds turned back to his servant and spoke again.
"Well I hadn't expected them so soon, I wonder what the Gorgon is using to transport his soldiers?"
"Do you want me to look into it my lord? I can get those idiot mages to keep an eye on the Dwarf if you like."
"If you think they can be trusted, I am not too sure on their loyalty myself, certainly they aided us in capturing this realm, but they haven't been very friendly since. If you do use them send some men to keep an eye on them at the same time, I don't want them destroying my plans for revenge against that bastard da Enlien."
"Of course my lord, we would not want that to happen. I shall personally supervise their work."
"Very good, well go then and do your work. I have other things to take care of."
Lord Nekrul Adaere bowed deeply and left the room, a faint smile on his lips. As he walked towards the courtyard to gather his troops he though on the recent events. Certainly his life had taken a turn for the better since he had met Adu el-Hadid, the merchant who was now known as the Flayer of Minds.
He had once been a knight in the nation of Medoere, a noble with lands and title. It had all been stripped from him though by the priest Lenviath da Enlien, the now ruler of Medoere. He had been exiled from his own land for breaking the laws of Ruornil as they were seen by the high priest, and his lands taken by the church. When he left Medoere he was a broken man, his life and reputation ruined. For a long time he considered what to do with his life, even considering throwing his life away on a foolish quest against the Spider or some other Awnshegh.
The then guilder el-Hadid has saved him though, signing him up as the head of a private mercenary army the guilder was gathering under the nose of Count Aglondier of Ilien. Following the fall of Ilien to the guilder he had served as it's general guiding it through several wars against Medoere, something he had enjoyed no end. Medoere however proved to be too strong for the small Ilien army and they had been defeated, and both Nekrul and el-Hadid had been driven from the city.
That defeat however was not to last, as with the assistance of the Baron of Diemed the merchant city of Endier fell to the surviving mercenaries and Nekrul became the general of an even larger army. That too was not to last, his master el-Hadid was soon revealed as a being cursed with the blood of Azrai, the ancient god of darkness and an alliance of nations led by Medoere was gathered against them. Defeat and certain death looked likely.
However the newly emerged Awnshegh, who now called himself El-Hadid, the Flayer of Minds hatched a brilliant plan and the Awnshegh and the most trusted, and blood-thirsty soldiers in the Endier garrison fled the city with its huge treasury while leaving those who defended it to face the enemy swords.
A month later and Nekrul found himself in the Chimaeron, and a month after that with the Chimaera dead at the hands of his master he was again a general, this time watching over several mountainous provinces, and his master had given him the castle in Lyssan province as his own. As long as this problem with the Gorgon could be solved then he would soon be rich once more, with an entire province as his lands, instead of the small manor that had been his home in Medoere.
A small party of Dwarven adventurers was attempting to assist in that very task. They were climbing slowly up the mountain side of the highest peak in the Promontory, searching for an old tower that was said to hold the treasures of the now dead Chimaera. They would not have attempted this had the feared Awnshegh been alive, but now with reports of her death, and a new ruler in the Chimaeron the Dwarves had set out under the command of Thane Wulfram Wainier to enter the tower and claim whatever lay there for the province.
So far travel had been slow as the ancient tower sat high a top the peak that gave the Promontory its name, however the Thane and his party hoped to reach the summit soon, for there on the flat top of the mountain they hoped to discover the treasures of the Chimaera.
They were moving as fast as possible though, as there was also word of a company of soldiers having set out from the capital Rivenrock three days ago and both parties wanted the legendary treasures of the Chimaera first to press their claims on the position of Overthane. Thane Wainier had no intention of letting Overthane Greybeard's foolish son claim all the credit. He intended on make the journey first and hopefully using the treasure to increase his own claims for power within Baruk-Azhik. This would all be a waste however if Merkul Greybeard reached the tower first.
El-Hadid and his servant watched closely, noting that the language the Dwarf spoke in was one neither had ever heard before. What ever it was however an effect was soon noticeable. Directly above the glowing stone and blue portal of light began to form and it quickly opened fully allowing a view to another location, a barren, cold looking landscape. Through the portal El-Hadid could also see the smart lines of Dwarven and Human troops readying for the march. It was not long before the first soldier began stepping through the portal into the courtyard. Fortunately the courtyard had been cleared of commoners and only the most loyal guards were able to view what was happening.
The Gorgon's soldiers moved quickly through the portal and less than six hours later the entire division was in Mhowe, most already marching on their way toward the province put aside for their use. With them also came large wagon's of food and supplies. A small group of battle priests as well as an entire unit of mounted human soldiers, all marching through the portal as if they were walking down a road instead of through a glowing magical doorway.
Most of the Gorgon's troops were Dwarven, almost fifteen units in total, but there were also four units of Human mercenaries, one mounted, the others infantry. All wore a dull yellow and black uniform, with no markings as so to keep their identity hidden from those who may be watching. El-Hadid and his general were watching with growing alarm. Neither had expected the Gorgon to send so many soldiers and so quickly. El-Hadid had thought maybe two or three units of troops may sneak into the Iron Hills from Kiergard, he had not expected such a large number, and certainly had not expected the use of magic to transport the soldiers. He wondered what exactly the stone that General Earthcore was carefully wrapping in its dark cloth covering exactly was. Perhaps it would be worth stealing. He quickly dismissed that idea however, looking at the number of troops still gathered in the courtyard below.
Lord Adaere turn to his master and said softly, "This doesn't look good my lord. I hadn't expected so many."
"Nor I Nekrul. I don't think that your soldiers, no matter how good they are, will be able to stand against them. I think we shall have to move to plan B."
"Plan B my Lord?"
"Yes, I will just have to convince them to work for me instead."
"Are you sure that will work though my lord? Dwarves are supposed to be almost immune to magic."
"But I will not be using magic though will I. All I have to do is talk to them, they will soon see that working for me is better than working for the Gorgon. With any luck we might even be able to convince the entire Dwarven army to switch sides, as well as those mercenaries. It is the mercenaries that bother me though. They, unlike the Dwarves, serve the Gorgon for gold and power, it will be difficult to convince them to switch sides. The Dwarves will be easier to convert, they already wish to be free of the Gorgon's influence. I shall simply provide them with an opportunity."
"If you say so my lord, I still don't see how you can convince them though."
"Leave that to me Nekrul, you stay here and watch the troops. I will take care of the details." With that final word the powerful Awnshegh turned around and walked quietly down inside the tower, his cloak raising barely a whisper as it brushed across the rough stone floor.
"As you wish my lord." said Nekrul with a bow. He waited for a short while watching the retreating figure of his master. Deep in the back of his mind there was a faint feeling that something very wrong was going on here. He could pin down what the feeling was though, it was almost as though he felt that he was doing something wrong, and yet he didn't even know what it could be. Rubbing his temples to ward off a headache felt the feeling reside. He knew now that he was doing the right thing, and that he had work to do. With sudden determination he shoved his plumed helm back on his head and marched with determination toward the stair leading to the lower levels of the tower.
As soon as he passed El-Hadid stepped from behind the curtains that adorned the walls of the throne room and smiled to himself. The mind control was working much better now. Nekrul was now totally devoted to him, and despite the knights generally good nature he would not betray his master. El-Hadid remembered the first time his powers has shown themselves. He had been worried at first, but now he reveled in his new found power and strength. This body may not be perfect, but his mind was so much more powerful than before. No-one could resist his charms, and soon he would have his army. The Gorgon had been nice enough to deliver two thousand skilled Dwarven warriors and no amount of magical resistance would prevent him from controlling the minds of their leaders. Then with his new army in place he could finally have revenge on that bastard Lenviath da Enlien, after all it was all the priests fault that he was stuck out here in some tiny little kingdom, instead of ruling a great city like Ilien of Endier as he had been destined to do.
Still as he looked out the over the small coastal port he could see possibilities. Perhaps in a few years this place could become something to be proud of, a great port city. Looking across the tiny hovels that crowded together around the docks he could see in his mind a row of casinos and tavern's all bringing in vast amounts of wealth for his kingdom. He saw a port full of Galleons, Dhouras, and other trading vessels. Actually the harbour was already full of Galleons, with the four ships that made up his fleet still sitting at anchor out in the bay. The sailors had fled to Coeranys soon after arriving here, but a few had remained, perhaps enough to crew one vessel certainly not any more. El-Hadid looked at his idle fleet and wondered if it wasn't time to send them out again, and bring in some trade income for his city.
Another thought soon dismissed this idea however as he felt the beginning of a hunger in his body. He smiled evilly and headed down the stairs to the cellars where his captives were kept. Soon one more corpse would join the others that had been fished out of the bay, their skulls caved in and their brains torn out by some horrible beast. The people of the town below the tower tried not to think of what went on inside the dungeons below the tower, and none were in too much of a hurry to find out, especially after those who did become curious usually ended up dead.
Build at the mouth of the Esden river, Fellport was a foul, evil port that seemed to have a permanent stench of death hanging above it. The port normally would have drawn little notice, as few wished to visit it. Now however the city teemed with the Gorgon's troops as they prepared for the coming war. Gnoll legions gathered in the south of the city, with the Orog regiments marshaled near the docks, and the Goblins seemed to be everywhere. Even trolls, and the occasional Fhoimorien Giant could be seen towering over the others as all awaited the word for the march to the south. In the middle of this gathering of evil soldiers strode the current head of the army, General Baruk One-Eye.
The General had left Kal-Saitharak several months ago think that he had been demoted, stripped of his rank and sent off to command some goblin unit in the war. Instead he had found himself in charge of the newly created Orog Lizard Riders, a small force of maybe a hundred of the best warriors the Orog tribes had to offer. Mounted of powerful lizards his new soldiers were almost unstoppable. Baruk smiled as he thought of the conflict to come. Soon he would take he place at the head of the army, and the plundering would begin. Right now however he had to attend the latest meeting of the other Generals, a tiresome task as most of the other generals were little more that thugs, with no understanding of a how to fight a battle. They had gained their position simply through their strength and skill at assassination, while he had fought his way to the top using his strength and intelligence, two attributes that were a very dangerous combination in an Orog. The other creatures of Fellport had certainly learned to respect the dangerous Orog general. Even the powerful trolls avoided him as he strode towards the meeting hall.
The meeting hall was the largest building in the city, a massive domed structure made of a dark, red veined marble common to the region. It was to this building that Baruk and the other generals had been summoned to finally meet with their master, the Gorgon. The Awnshegh had arrived in the city last night, after first coming from Kiergard where he had used an ancient Elven artifact to transport troops into the Iron Hills. Baruk smiled as he thought of the surprise the enemy in Rohrmarch would receive when they were suddenly attacked from both sides. He smiled mostly however at the surprise the Gorgon's ally in the Iron Hills would have when his realm was snatched from him by the Dwarven armies. Not that Baruk thought much of the Dwarves, but the Gorgon had decreed that the Orog tribes work with the Dwarves, and despite their ancient differences all had agreed. It was either that be exterminated. Even now though the old hatreds still survived and most Orogs had little to do with the Dwarves of Mur-Kilad.
At last Baruk made it to the great doors of the meeting hall. Most of the minor tribal chiefs, their lieutenants and captains had already arrived, but as was tradition in the Gorgon's armies the most powerful always arrived last. Despite the slow pace Baruk had set he was still unfashionably early and some of the lesser Generals had yet to arrive. Baruk sighed and waited in a shadowy nearby ally until his lesser rivals had arrived. Then when it was his time he strode purposely towards the open doors, arriving just before Kiras Earthcore, the Gorgon's current lieutenant. Both leaders stared at each other with barely hidden bile as they stood and awaited their master, Prince Raesene, otherwise known as the Gorgon, among other less tasteful titles.
Down the main street of Fellport walked the creature of many nightmares. The Gorgon, his diamond-hard hooves shattering the stones of the road beneath him walked past his generals with barely a nod of recognition and entered the hall. The guards and top generals who awaited his arrival filed into the cavernous room beyond walking to the end of the hall before taking their position around their leader.
Inside the hall had been gather nearly two thousand Orogs, Goblins, Humans, and member of other races. All were either tribal chiefs, important army figures, or priests, and all were here for a purpose. They were here to hear the words of their ruler and master who had called the assembly to announce his battle plans. Normally such a meeting would take place in one of the throne rooms in Kal-Saitharak, but this time the city of Fellport had been chosen. Baruk One-Eye from his position could see the fat merchant who ran Fellport for the Gorgon gloating to other leaders from other cities and provinces. All round the hall in the assembled masses there was an air of anticipation about what this meeting was about. Some though it was to announce an attack on Mhoried, while others thought one of the rich Brecht kingdoms to the west. Baruk and the other generals knew better though. Baruk already knew the target was Rohrmarch, and soon all of the Gorgon's armies would know, and then probably all of Cerilia, for several nations had spies hiding out somewhere in either Kiergard or the Crown. Baruk knew though that it matter little what who would find out, they would all be too late to stop the attack. Next to him he heard Kiras Earthcore call for silence among those assembled, it was time for the Gorgon to speak, to inspire his troops into battle and death.
Prince Raesene came to his feet, his stony face watching the crowd carefully. There was a hush in the hall, and from the whole city itself, even the Goblin hordes gathered in the city held there breath. A speech by the Gorgon to his followers was not something that occurred everyday. Then in deep rumbling tones the mightiest of Awnshegh began to lay down his plans for the conquest of Rohrmarch.
"Followers of Azrai," he began. "We are about to begin a war to bring both wealth and food to our people. The nation of Rohrmarch is ripe for the plundering, for too long they have looked as us and see only rabble. Before winter fall across Cerilia we shall prove them to be wrong. Their cities shall be destroyed and their children killed and eaten. We shall ravage through their forests and tear their farms from the ground. Their soldiers are no match for us, always too busy fighting each other, not protecting their nation. Many of you may have worried about food for the coming winter and wondered how you would survives. We shall take from Rohrmarch that which we need and destroy the rest. By the time we have finished with them nothing but ashes shall cover their lands."
Baruk watched the reaction of the troops as the Gorgon continued his speech for another half hour. He went on about the poor goblin farmers and their hungry children and how the people of Rohrmarch kept their wealth and food for themselves, not wanting to share. Baruk however knew the truth. The Gorgon's land could not support the current number of warriors and the Goblin tribes especially had grown large over the past couple of years. As Raesene himself had put it Baruk not too long ago, it was time to cull the herds. Attacking Rohrmarch would accomplish little more than the deaths of thousands and thousands of Goblin soldiers. This was why much of the army was comprised on Goblin troops. Certainly there would be plunder to be taken, and food supplies as well, but the main aim was to reduce the Goblin population of Kiergard and the Kal-Saitharak. The slave farms of Kiergard could only support a certain population and with no trade with other realms the Gorgon had no choice. It was either a war here or risk conflict among his own troops.
By the time Prince Raesene was ending his speech his powerful voice call almost not be heard above the cheering and cries of his soldiers in the hall. Baruk looked in disgust at the mindless masses as they cheered the Gorgon at the tops of their voices, each falling over themselves to attract the Awnshegh's attention and hopefully special notice. He watched as the Gorgon selected a couple of his soldiers for such special attention, a glance perhaps or if they were very lucky a mention. Baruk knew that most of those in the hall today would never amount to much in the Gorgon's army. Mindless adulation only went so far and Raesene usually rewarded only those who showed true skill or intelligence. Baruk had been selected as a general simply because he was the best in his legion, the toughest fighter and veteran of over one hundred victories, both as a young warrior, and later as its unit leader. Now he was to lead the largest army of his life, nearly a third of all the Gorgon's forces were readying to match south the Rohrmarch and Baruk would ride at his masters side. His new legions of lizard riding cavalry had were already on the way to the southern Brecht kingdom, snaking their way along the underground passages that twisted beneath the plains and hills of Kiergard. Baruk wished he was travelling with them for a moment, out of sight of the blinding sunlight, but the honour of being the second in command of the Gorgon's horde was too much to pass up. Further thoughts washed from his mind though as even he opened his mouth in a cheer to mark the end of the Gorgon's speech. The noise from the hall was now deafening, and it echoed in his head for several minutes after he had turned and followed the Gorgon to the exit.
In Fellport news of the war announcement had already spread among the troops and many were already celebrating the march to war, after such a long time of peace. Outside the hall the guards held horses for the leaders, including the Gorgon's current steed, the jet black horse known and Black Thunder. Where the monstrous beast had come from Baruk did not know, but it was certainly the largest horse he had seen, yet even Black Thunder buckled a little when carrying the huge Awnshegh.
As the Gorgon and his generals rode off to plan the coming battles throughout the city the Goblin host gathered, eager for the slaughter planned for the innocents of Rohrmarch to begin. Before a week was out most would be gone, marching south along the old roads as fast as they could travel. Baruk took one look around him before mounting his own horse, and riding off after his master, as eager for the battle as the others in Fellport that night.
After another hour had passed though the storm began to ease, and shortly after the sun rose to the east, shining through the open entrance to the cave, the Dwarves awoke. Thane Wainier was the first up and despite his high rank busied himself organising food for the rest of the party. Loaves of dark bread were handed around, along with piles of berries that had been picked two days ago. By the time the Dwarven leader unwrapped the smoked fish and pulled out the flasks of ale the rest of his company had also arisen, all hungry after a long, and fast march over the previous two days. Once they had eaten, in silence as usual, the Dwarves packed up the remaining food and their other goods and were on their once more.
The cave was a common sleeping area for Dwarven scouts and so had been well stocked with wood, a rarity in Baruk-Azhik where the most common fuel was dried fungus, dung or occasionally, charcoal. Little was left now however as the Dwarves had burned most the previous night to ward off the cold that came with the storm. This morning however was an entirely different kind of day. The cold of the previous day and night had vanished and the rays of sunlight that filtered down through the broken clouds warmed the wet earth cloaking the valley below in think fog. Near the peak however where the Dwarves where there was no fog, and the rain from the previous night had already sunk into the ground leaving it firm and dry for their continued march.
Thane Wainier after consulting with the sergeant of the small group of soldiers realised that before the sun had traveled half way across the sky they would reach the tower. So far they had seen no sign of Merkul Greybeard and with any luck they would be there before the other group of Dwarves. Wulfram hoped they were still further down the mountain, for the treasures of the Chimaera's tower were rightly his, at least in his mind, and he had no intention of sharing with the Overthane what was his. With a gruff wave of his hand the Thane set off once more along the narrow mountain trail, his men falling in single file behind him.
After another two hours of marching the Thane called a halt beside a tiny mountain stream that trickled down from the mountain top above them. As the Thane looked upward, and could see the mountain top only a short way above him. Another hour of walking and they would be standing on the flat mountain top where the Chimaera's tower stood. Wulfram looked around him and noticed that the fog below had lifted. He could now see all the way down to the Khurinlach below. The mountain that he now stood on, the Promontory, jutted out into the lake itself, and was surrounded on three sides by the dark waters of the Khurinlach. The mountain was the southern most in Baruk-Azhik and marked the border between the lands that had once belonged to the Chimaera and Baruk-Azhik itself. Thane Wulfram soon tired of looking at the lake below, despite its great beauty and order the march to continue. They would soon reach the home of the now dead Awnshegh and with any luck would be the first to plunder its treasures.
The Thane's thoughts of gold and other valuables were soon broken by a cry from one of his men. He looked behind him and noticed several of the Dwarves gathered around a lump in the snow. Quickly he jogged back to join them, in time to see the sergeant brush the snow from the body of a dead Dwarf. Beneath the fresh snow that had fallen during the night the older snow was stained with the dead Dwarfs blood, and it looked to Wulfram that some sort of wild animal had killed the Dwarf. Long jagged claw marks ran down the front of the body, with the thick furs having been ripped from the Dwarf chest, also it looked as though some one had stabbed him with a thin blade of some kind.
Merner, a priest of Moradin who had consented to join the Thane wiped the dark blood away from the Dwarf's body with the remains of his torn furs. The priest knelt in the snow, ignoring the black stains on his clothing from the blood and examined the body. After a few minutes he rose and spoke to the party.
"It looks to me as though he died after someone drove a knife or similar weapon through his left heart. I don't know who he was, but he looked like a tough old bastard, that nasty clawing he got didn't kill him, he must have stumbled here before being killed by someone else. Who he is I do not know, but I found this on him."
Merner passed a small leather patch over to the Thane. It was a guild patch, marking the Dwarf as a member of the Points East Trading Guild, a human company, which although it was based in Elinie did a lot of trade with Baruk-Azhik. The thane rubbed the patch between his thick, leather covered fingers, wiping the bloody stains off its surface, thinking on the matter.
"Hmmm, a guild member. A little way off course I should think, the nearest I thought the Points East Trading came to here was Cliff's Lament."
"I have heard that young Merkul Greybeard employed some merchants from that company Thane," spoke up sergeant Rommel. "Perhaps this is one of his party."
"Perhaps," mused the Thane. "Why was he abandoned here then, I hardly think even Merkul is capable of killing one of his own men, and especially not abandoning him out here in the snow. That sort of thing just isn't done to another of our kind."
"Unless this chap the last one of the party alive." said Merner dryly, scratching his dark red beard. "He looks like he was running from something."
"True, if they were all dead then no-one would be left to return them to the stone. That of course raises the question, who or what killed them."
"It could of been the Chimaera," said one of the soldier nervously. "No-one has ever seen her body."
"I doubt it," said the Thane. "That creature who runs the lands south here would not rule if the Chimaera was still alive. Besides I have heard that her head is on display in one of the human towns somewhere, Mhowe I think it is called. Perhaps a large mountain cat, or even pack of them. We shall have to keep out eyes open."
"My Thane, this Dwarf was killed by a blade though, not the beast that slashed his chest," Merner reminded Wulfram.
"A trained beast led by a human master then. Probably a group of Human thieves from the Iron Hills or Coeranys after the treasure. I only hope that Merkul is still alive or the Overthane will be most upset with me. Come let us return him to the stone and then get on to this blasted tower before the thieves strip the place bare."
With that the Dwarven party pulled out their picks and began to cut a small grave out of the solid rock to place the body in. Merner, the priest quickly arranged his holy implements, which consisted of a vial of holy ale and a round coin of a dull silver metal. The burial was conducted quickly, and in under half an hour the dead Dwarf had vanished beneath a pile of broken stone and the Thane's party was heading up the mountain once more, this time though with their weapons readied for conflict.
Prince Pieter Oden himself stood on the balcony of the Citadel watching his soldiers march down the main street of the city, to the cheers of the crowd. Once long ago the people may not have cared if he won or lost, but now after such a long period of warfare both halves of the kingdom were even more divided than ever before. As soon as most of his soldiers had marched past the Prince turned from the balcony and returned to the war room behind him, closing the large windows to shut out the autumn chill. It was now growing colder every day, and with the land in many places already covered in snow it would be impossible to conduct further warfare for the year.
The people of the city had gathered mainly for the Eve of the Dead festival that was to occur in two days time. The festival, held each years to ward off the influence of the Shadow World in the coming year was popular with the hardy citizens of northern Rohrmarch and this year the city seemed even brighter and more vibrant than ever before. As was the Rohrmarch custom the festival would be a day of grand celebration, when the whole city was lit up by lights, so that the undead of the Shadow World would find no way into the citizen's homes for another year. Prince Oden cared little for the festival however, his only concerns at the moment were his soldiers, and the plans for the next years war.
In the large open room that he had just stepped into were gathered his current advisors, with only his son Alder was not present, being currently off leading the parade for the people below. The rest had all gathered around the enormous open fireplace, sipping his brandy, and mulling over the plans for the next year among them. As the prince entered they all moved to the large oak table that sat in the centre of the room and took their places in the high-backed, heavily cushioned seats that surrounded it.
"Well gentlemen," said the Prince as soon as he also had taken his own seat. "What is our current situation."
The largest man in the room, the heavily armoured General Otto Osternord came to his feat and spoke first. "We stand well my Prince. Alaric took heavy loses in Friedlund, especially among his infantry. He won't in a position to replace that many loses for a least another six months. Assuming we don't have too long a winter this year we should be able to reclaim Friedlund, and perhaps even take Edel within the first couple of months of spring."
"The King also faces trouble in the south with raiders from the Iron Hills," said Kurt Warkinde, the High Priest of Kirche, and long time friend of the General. "I can not be sure of this for certain, but we have heard rumours of a large army being assembled in the port town of Mhowe. Perhaps this Flayer of Minds creature plans to invade."
"He can not invade us can he?," asked the Prince anxiously.
"I do not think so my lord, not unless he goes though Alaric's entire army in Friedlund first," answer Kurt, "Even if the Awnshegh gathered all the people of the Iron Hills into an army he would not have enough men to beat Alaric."
"Good," said the Prince. "Are there any other threats I need to know about at this time? Darold, any word from your scouts."
"All is quiet my Prince," answer Captain Darold, the young commander of the Prince's scouts. "We have not seen any movement of troops in either Kiergard or the Vampire's realm. There are rumours that the Gorgon is planning to invade Mhoried or maybe even one of the Elven kingdoms, but no word of an attack here. My men had not spotted any Kiergard troops for some time, and we believe that they may have bedded down for the winter as well."
"Keep your men there for now though," the Prince said. "We must be informed in case of any threat from Kiergard, and send some more men to watch the western border, just in case these rumours about the Iron Hills prove to be true. I don't want any surprises this time."
"Yes my Lord, said Darold with a nod of his head.
"Anything else we need to discuss right now then," asked the Prince, looking around at his advisors. Most muttered to themselves, unable to think of important matters with the parade going on outside. "Very well then, off you go. I want to see everyone back here tomorrow morning though, we have to discuss the rebuilding of Osternord castle."
General Osternord looked a little pained at the mention of his now destroyed family home, which had been burned down several weeks back. He stood with the rest and bowed though, before leaving the room. Prince Pieter Oden, now on his own, stood near the fireplace, watching the flames and feeling the warmth of the large fire filling his whole body. "Soon," he muttered. "Soon I will have my throne, Alaric can not live forever."
"You know it would be a lot easier for you if you just told us what he had planned," said Nekrul. "There would be no need then for this unpleasantness, and you could be at peace once more."
The Dwarf looked back at the human with a steady gaze. "You will never learn anything from me you fool, and when my men find out I am missing they will tear this place apart."
"But they will not find out you are missing, will they," said Nekrul with a smile. "My master is doing a good job of convincing them that you are still alive even as we speak."
"They will not be fooled by his magic trick. My kind is not taken in by such thing."
"Hmm well they have so far, they seem firmly convinced that he is you, and soon they will join us against your master. They don't seem to be taking much convincing, perhaps they are not as loyal as you think."
"My men would die for me, and they will not betray me," said Kern firmly.
Nekrul laughed at this comment, and after making sure the Dwarven general was firmly chained up left the room, left the Dwarf to the torturers. He knew they would get little out of him, but at least he would amuse them for some time. In truth nothing the Dwarf could have told them was of any use, as his masters plans were already well in place. Soon the entire Dwarven army would join the Iron Hills and the Gorgon's plans to conquer this land would fail.
His master was at the time heading back to the tower, after spending most of day in the form of Kern Earthcore, spreading the word about the offer for the Dwarven troops to join the Iron Hills. Nekrul had spoken the truth when he said that the Mur-Kilad troops would join willingly, as many already had. The thought of living free of the Gorgon's influence over their lives and families appealed to the Dwarven soldiers and most had already switched sides, prefer the opportunity provide for a free life here in the Iron Hills to a continued life of slavery in Mur-Kilad. While it was true many did not wish to leave their ancestral home, few could resist the idea of peace.
El-Hadid walked through the streets at the side of Ruarch Rockhammer, the high priest of Moradin's Forge, a temple from the Dwarven nation of Baruk-Azhik to the north. He had summoned the Dwarven priest to Mhowe when he had first thought up this plan and between them they had managed to convince the Mur-Kilad troops to switch sides and join the Iron Hills. Gaining the assistance of the High Priest had also not taken much convincing, as Rockhammer's priests had for many years been sent to Mur-Kilad to put forward the idea of freedom from the Gorgon. Both he and the Mur-Kilad dwarves however had realised that freedom would never come for those living in the Gorgon's shadow. But the Iron Hills was far from the Gorgon, and still relatively empty. The Dwarven cities would need to rebuilt though, and El-Hadid has already promised the central province of Lyssan as the site of a new fortress city for the Mur-Kilad Dwarves.
Sidestepping the pools of water left over from the recent flooding the two discussed the plans for the evacuation of Mur-Kilad, for the Gorgon was sure to crush anyone who betrayed him.
"So will Greybeard allow them through the passes do you think?," asked El-Hadid.
"Well he does not need to know. I can arrange for safe passage to Lyssan. I am sure that over time he will come to accept this, he is a stubborn Dwarf but not a stupid one."
"Good, I am pleased to see that most have already agreed to my proposal, we must still worry however about those who have yet to agree. I do not wish to kill any, but they may be a threat if they warn the Gorgon and his allies of our plans."
"Then we must act quickly good king. We should send those who do not agree with our ideas west, away from the pass to Rohrmarch so it will be difficult for them to find their way east before we can move against the leader. I understand that you already have General Earthcore under arrest."
"Yes we have placed him in the prison and are questioning him about the Gorgon's plans even as we speak. So far he has given up little, and I think perhaps he know little. The troops do not know of his disappearance yet, and I think it best that they do not until they have signed up with the Iron Hills and no longer serve the Gorgon."
"Yes, I agree on this of course. I shall return at once to the barracks and continue my work. With any luck the entire army will side with us before the week is out. It is a good thing that you are doing your majesty. The Dwarven people will thank you greatly for this great service. To think that our brothers may finally be returned to us after these long centuries. It will be a day of great celebration in my homeland, and one that we will have you to thank for."
"I am glad I can assist good priest, now go, there is much work to do and we must be careful not to alert our enemies."
Ruarch Rockhammer bowed slightly and turned toward the barracks for the Dwarven troops in northern Mhowe. El-Hadid returned to the central tower where Kern Earthcore's command staff were awaiting him. His disguise was perfect, and as he used no magic to achieve it, for with only the power of his mind he could fool the magic resistant Dwarves fully, as well as the leaders of the Human Mercenaries. already he had learned that the plan was to await the signal from the Gorgon for that attack and then to quickly capture all of the Iron Hills. Thanks to his own powers he was now prepared and when the Gorgon's signal came the troops would side with him, instead of against him and his home would be safe, and would have a friendly Dwarven army to protect it.
El-Hadid smiled as he mounted the stairs leading to the throne room. Even the sight of the mast from the sunken galleon in the harbour no longer upset him, it truly had been an interesting week.
As Danita lay there she wondered what had awoken her before she had healed fully, and it was then she heard the noise of louc footsteps on the stone floor of the level below her. Painfully pulling herself to her feet she grabbed a handful of torn cloth and wrapped it around her wound in an vain attempt to assist some of the injuries in healing. She knew that she would heal in time, but if more Dwarves where here she may not have much time. She tried walking, but found that she was still too weak, and slumped back to the floor. This was not good.
Below on the ground floor of the dark tower Thane Wainier and his party of soldiers had discovered the bodies of the other Dwarves, including Merkul Greybeard, the son of the Overthane. All seemed to have been savaged by some wild beast and the Dwarves were looking around nervously in case the creature should appear.
"It looks like who ever was here cleaned out the place," observed sergeant Rommel. He had been looking around the room and it seemed that what ever had once resided here was long gone. The room was a shambles with broken glass and torn books scattered across the stone floor.
"Yes, they probably killed poor Merkul here and then ransacked the tower, taking everything of value with them," said the Thane.
"Yes, although much of this damage looks fairly old, it may have occurred months ago." said Rommel. "That crack in the stonework there is at least twenty years old."
"Then someone must have cleaned the tower out long ago, this whole journey was a waste of time," said the Thane with a frown. He moved across the entry hall, and noticed some sort of broken vat in the room beyond. "Come let us check the rest of the tower before we leave. And be careful with Merkul's body we have to take him back with us. Half of you come with me, while the rest prepare those bodies. We can not leave them here for the scavengers to pick at."
The rest of the Dwarves look appalled at the very thought and quickly set about their task, half working with the priest Merner to prepare the bodies of the fallen Dwarves for burial, while the rest followed Thane Wainier as he entered the room beyond. The second chamber was much larger than the entry hall and seemed to have been some sort of laboratory. Piles of broken glassware and several burned books lay scattered about the room, while in its centre was large broken vat or bath of some kind. The floor was pitted and stained by some unknown liquid and everything in the room seemed smashed or broken in some manner. Another Dwarven body lay at the foot of the stairs leading up to the next level of the tower. Wulfram was just bending over to examine the body when he heard the sounds of movement above.
The Thane quickly looked back at his troops, motioning for silence, and at the same time unslinging his war hammer from his position across his shoulder. Holding the mighty weapon in one had he motioned his troops forward up the stairs. Sergeant Rommel led the soldiers, carefully taking one step at a time, ever mindful of the bodies they had seen scattered around the previous rooms, torn apart as though they were nothing but rag dolls. He slowly pushed open the door on the second floor, exposing a darkened room. Accustomed to the darkness of the underground mines Rommel could see clearly the room beyond with his heat vision.
A whimper from one corner alerted him to the presence of another creature in the room, and looking left he saw the warm form of another being hiding in one corner, behind what looked like a large canopied bed. He motioned to one of the men behind him and was handed a lantern, that had as its light source a rock, magically enchanted by the priests of Moradin. The lantern lit the room with the brightness of daylight, showing it to be a ruined bedroom, with the large bed filling much of the room, and dark curtains blocking the sunlight from outside from enter the darkened chamber. Slowly and ever so carefully Rommel edged himself around the blood-stained bed, looking for the creature he had spotted earlier.
The creature, a young looking, and skinny half-elf woman gathered the blanket she was wrapped in closely around her and tried to shield herself from the light. She look very frightened and shied away from the sergeant as he came closer. As he nearly the woman he could see the bloody wounds that covered her body, and looked in surprise, amazed that she was not already dead. Looking back towards the door he called out. "Get the priest up here, I have found someone. She needs a healer though, and quick by the look of it."
One of the other Dwarves quickly ran back down the stairs to get the priest. Thane Wainier entered the room and crossed the chamber to examine the woman they had found. She was young, although the age of Elves and other beings had always been difficult for the Dwarves to determine. Long dark hair hung around her head, matted with thickened blood. She had a blanket drawn around her, but he could see a pair of beautiful, large, purple coloured eyes looking back at him. It was then he noticed the wounds, several long slashes from what looked like blades of various kinds ran down her arm, and across her exposed neck.
The Thane leaned forward and slowly pulled the blanket away to expose the rest of her body, the woman drawing back in fear as he did so. She wore a tattered gown, that may once had been beautiful, now though it was torn and blood soaked, and the Thane could see more cuts covering the rest of her body. Slinging his war hammer over his shoulder he reached down and gathered the slight girl in his strong arms, carrying her gently over to the bed and laying her down so the priest could better tend to her. The woman tensed in his grip, but did not resist, and as he laid her down on the bed he noticed a thin dagger gripped in her right hand. He gently pried open the woman's hands and took the dagger from her, noting the slight magical glow around it as he did so.
Merner, the priest of Moradin then arrived at the top of the stair, puffing slightly from the dash up the stairs. He quickly knelt at the edge of the bed and began to examine the woman's wounds. The Thane motioned everyone else out of the room and quickly spoke to the sergeant. "I want the rest of the tower checked out carefully, just in case there is something lurking around here. I will be standing guard here, so if you see anything come and warn me."
"Yes Thane," replied Rommel. "Come on men we have work to do yet.
Back in the bedroom the priest had laid out the contents of his bag, and was readying his spells to heal the woman's wounds. Merner picked up a large earthenware jar and after opening it spread a pale white ointment across the wounds, noting in please that it was already having an effect. The ointment, made of rare fungus from deep beneath the earth, was expensive to produce, but very effective. Only the spells granted by Moradin could do a quicker job, and he was saving his priestly powers for the moment in case of battle when his the healing spells granted by Moradin would be needed.
The woman seemed to be healing very quickly, almost as though some other agent was assisting her recovery in some way. As she lay there he looked more closely at her. She seemed oddly familiar to him, as long he knew her in some way. He dismissed this recognition, thinking that perhaps he had seen her before, as many traders from the Human lands visited Baruk-Azhik these days. The first dead Dwarf had carried a guild patch, so she also was likely a member of the same guild. He could see no patch on her at the moment though, but a magical dagger was certainly a sign of wealth, for few could afford such a wonderous item.
The woman's wounds soon healed, although she was still weak. Merner reached into his backpack and hand her a small flask that she eyed cautiously, as though she was not sure of its contents. Merner smiled at her and said, "do not fear my child, it is only brandy. It will give you warmth and strength."
She didn't look as convinced but took a sip anyway, wincing at the strength of the Dwarven liqueur. Merner was right though and Danita felt a warm feeling fill her body, making her forget about her wounds and the other hurts. She smiled for the first time and handed the flask back to Merner who put it back in his pack and drew out instead a large loaf of Dwarven bread, made of dark grain, and thick with raisins and honey. He broke her off a piece and she wolfed it down hungrily, almost as though she had not eaten in some time.
At the door Thane Wainier watched, pleased that she was recovering, soon she may be strong enough to speak on what she had seen. He had to know what had happened to Merkul Greybeard and his men, for there would be questions to be asked once he returned home. On the bed the young woman was motioning to Merner to pass her more bread. Merner was just doing so when one of his guards called from the floor above. "My lord, you had best get up here."
Quickly he climbed the steep steps arriving on the next floor where his men were gathered around a large chest. He was walking forward when he noticed that the chest was filled with coins and precious gems. He turned to one of his soldiers and asked, "Was this just sitting here? You didn't find it hidden anywhere?"
"No Thane, this chest and the other three over there were sitting as you see them now, we have not moved them yet. We also found this large book" said the soldier, pointing toward a large leather bound volume sitting on a nearby table.
"Interesting, I wonder why the thieves did not find them? These certainly looks like a fair stash of valuables."
In the bedroom below Danita motioned toward the Dwarven priest for more food. Merner shook his head saying, "I think you have had enough child, you do not want to eat too much recovering from such nasty wounds. Here why don't you just lie back there and get some rest."
Danita shook here head and motioned for more bread again, a slight scowl on here face this time. She could not believe that this foolish Dwarf would refuse her, she could never understand why these lesser creatures always tried to prevent her from having what she wanted. She motioned once more for bread, at the same time creeping closer to the Dwarven priest.
On the floor above the Thane and his men suddenly heard a scream, followed by the horrible choking and crunching sound from below them. There were several thumps as though something heavy was being thrown around and then there came a deep growling sound, like a large cat or some other dangerous beast. By the time heavy footsteps began to mount the stairs from the floor below the Thane was very worried, and once more had his war hammer in his hand. The rest of his soldiers quickly moved to close the door leading into the room and barricade it with the chests of gold, as they thought little would be able to move such a heavy object.
Inside the room the Thane and his men could hear something very large pacing outside the door, and there can a loud scratching on the wood along with heavy breathing. None of them looked too keen on finding out exactly what it was that was on the other side of the door. Suddenly however the noise vanished and then the heavy footsteps could be heard ascending the tower to the upper levels where they had yet to venture. The Dwarves wiped their brows and looked at each other, wondering what they would do now.
From the floor above came another crashing sound, as though something wooden had just been torn apart. Then there came a fearsome roar, a bestial noise from some powerful monster. The Thane's hand tightened around his war hammer, hoping that the creature would go away before it found a way into the room. He thought of the dead priest and girl in the room below and made a quick prayer to Moradin his own survival, seeing that his soldiers were already doing the same.
The noise from above stopped abruptly and then the heavy footsteps started down the stairs once more, pausing outside the door of the room they were hidden in. The footsteps seemed to recede for a little and then with another horrible roar the creature charged the door. The room shook with the power of the blow and the stonework around the doorway began to crumble. To the surprise of the soldiers the heavy chest of gold moved a good foot away from the door. They were just rushing to move it back up against the door when the creature struck it with another charge.
This time the old stonework did not stand up to the power of the creatures charge and the soldiers were tossed across the room along with the door and the heavy chest. The chest struck first, sending a pile of gold spilling out across the floor. As the dazed soldiers gathered their wits about them and tried to get back to their feet the monstered enter the room.
It was a horrible beast, covered in thick purple, reptilian like skin. It was at least three metres long and had a largest bestial head like that of a cat, surrounded by reddish fur. Two large bat like wings sat folded across the monster back, and it had four powerful legs that ending in dangerous looking claws. But worst of all were the two human like arms that grew from the body behind the head and the first set of reptilian arms. Wulfram Wainier knew what he was looking at, for it was the Chimaera that stood before him, one of the powerful Awnsheghlien that threatened all of Cerilia.
The other Dwarves also knew what they faced, for stories of the Chimaera were common in The Promontory, usually told to young children to warn them away from the mountain. Two of the Dwarves tried to flee but the Chimaera lashed out, catching one around the neck with her fearsome bite, with the other was driven up against the wall by her bulk and had the breath knocked out of his body. The Dwarf caught in her fearsome mouth did not last long as she simply broke his neck and then with a twist of her head tossed his lifeless body across the room toward the surviving Dwarves.
The Thane readied his War Hammer. He knew he faced a dangerous foe, but he was not an unskilled warrior, and despite his age stood a good chance at survival. The Chimaera merely turned her head towards him and smiled, not a pretty sight on a three metre long monster such as she. As Wulfram was watching her body for any signs of a charge he did not see her human hand coming around toward him until it was almost too late.
A lord crack resonated throughout the room as Wulfram threw himself toward the other side of the room, rolling beneath the Chimaera's body. The wand in her hand had blasted much of the room with a powerful bolt of lightning and the surviving soldiers were now lying on the floor, some dead, the others twitching as their bodies fought to overcome the effects of the wand. The Chimaera let out another roar, this one of triumph and started to move toward the fallen soldiers, obviously intent on ending their lives. Wulfram would have none of that though and swung his War Hammer with all the strength he could muster, striking the Chimaera on one of her hind legs.
There was a shattering crunch of bone and the Chimaera roar of triumph changes to one of pain as the hammer smashed the large bone in her leg. She fell over on her side and Wulfram watched in horror as her form began to twist and shake in pain, her powerful claws lashing out in all directions. The three Dwarves who has survived the lightning wand were quickly pushed to their feet and out of the room by Wulfram. He then looked back at the creature writhing in pain and thought about attempting another attack. He soon changed his mind however when the Chimaera again hobbled to her feet, clutching at the wand in her human hand. He dived toward the stairs and tucked himself up into a ball as the struck the first stair just as a second bolt of lightning rushed past him, blowing stonework off the wall.
Like a Dwarven bowling ball Wulfram charged down the stair, eventually crashing into the other Dwarves who had also reach the bottom. They quickly got to their feet when they heard another roar from the Chimaera and rushed toward the exit and the other soldiers who remained there. Sergeant Rommel, who was one of the three who had survived the attack in the treasure room gathered the soldiers around him and began unbuckling his crossbow. The Thane stopped him with a shake of his head saying, "that will do no good against her, she is too strong, and that wand will make short work of you. It is best that we run, at least then some of us may have a chance."
The rest of the Dwarves nodded and took off towards the path down the mountain, and away from the monster that lived in the tower. As he ran the Thane thought what a fool he had been to trust the word of this other Awnshegh that the Chimaera was really dead, he should have known better. His thoughts then turn to more immediate matters, such as how to survive and escape the monster that was even now coming after them. A roar from behind him gave him reason to look back, and what he saw caused his eyes to open wide in fear and his legs to start pumping even faster.
One the top of the tower behind him he had seen the Chimaera, with her bat like wings spread wide. She may have a broken leg, but it was not needed for her to fly, which was what she did best. She leapt into the air and began to swoop down toward the fleeing Dwarves, her large wings catching the air currents and bringing her ever closer to her prey.
Thane Wainier felt a breeze pass by his head and heard another load scream. Looking back again he saw a scene that filled his heart with horror. The Chimaera had grabbed on of his men in her claws and was disemboweling him, the thick plate armour the soldier wore, little protection against such powerful claws.
The Chimaera soon tired of her sport and turned once again to those who were fleeing. Another bolt of lightning flew out from the wand, and suddenly only the Thane and the Sergeant still stood, the rest of their party lying dead or twitching on the snow covered ground. As the Thane ran on Sergeant Rommel spun around and bought his heavy crossbow up and level with the Chimaera's head. He fired, but the bolt went wide embedding itself in one of her legs instead. The Chimaera bellowed in pain again and pawed at the bolt with one of her remaining limbs. Rommel sank to one knee and quickly began to reload the crossbow.
The Chimaera soon gave up on trying to pull out the crossbow bolt and instead turned her attention back to the cause of her pain. Sergeant Rommel was just standing to take another shot when something hit him in the chest and he found himself flying across the frozen, rocky landscape. His life had already left him when he came crashing down to the ground again, just in front of a running Thane.
Wulfram looked downward, and saw the lifeless eyes of his sergeant, a huge smoking hole in his chest and began to run even faster. He was now close to the edge where the track went back down the mountain. It was then he felt hot breath behind him and knew he would not be fast enough. Already knowing what he found find he turned around staring straight into the purple eyes of the Chimaera as she hovered in the air just above him. She let out another bestial roar and pointed her smoking wand toward him. The Thane jumped backward as fast as he could and the blast from the wand struck the ground in front of him, throwing up a cloud of steam as the snow melted. He quickly got to his feet and began to run hoping that the steam would hide his presence.
A massive claw swiped him across his back, and although it did not get through his tough armour it threw him across the slick surface and he suddenly found himself sliding, his breastplate finding little grip on the snow. As he spun around and around he saw the Chimaera again, crouched in the snow next to the dead body of his sergeant and wondered for a moment why she was not coming after him still. He soon found out though as the ground beneath him suddenly disappeared and he found himself falling. A scream echoed across the mountains as Thane Wulfram Wainier began his plunge from the top of the Promontory to the dark, icy waters of the Khurinlach far, far below.
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