Part 12: The Mission
          Chapters 46, 47, 48, 49

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Part 12 – The Mission

Chapter 46

          After thinking for a few moments Magnus says, “This matter definitely bears looking into.  I volunteer as well.  Although I would like some more information on this cult as well as on this other group mentioned, we may mistake them for the enemy.  It may be easier to send someone to infiltrate the cult so that we have more of a chance at stopping their plans.  Also Warlord if I may, do you have any new of Torana?”

          The Warlord listens in silence to the various reactions and when everyone has calmed down he says, “I can understand your caution and based on what I understand of the situation, that caution could save your life.”

          Looking at Dayal, “As for proof, before you are done you will have more than ample proof.  If that is not enough, then you can foolishly wait until this race of creatures is born and try to stop it then.  Though I think by that time it will be too late.  As for the person I am doing the favor for.... it does not matter.  If you are meant to find out, then you will.  But not from me. Though I doubt that finding out who the person is, will persuade you not to take this mission.” 

          Turning to Magnus, “I cannot give you any more information on this cult, as I have none.  As for the other group, they will be expecting a group such as yours and will be on the look out for you.  The only other information I was given on this group is one word that I do not understand: Piaassyirma.”

          The ogre mummers something in response to the word.  When everyone looks at him, he clears his throat and says louder, “It means ‘the Unity of God’ though you have used the plural of a word that has no plural meaning.  It is a word from my religion that you should have never heard of.  This only gives me further incentive to go.”

          After listening to all the arguments, Mordred says, “Count me in, I think it is time that I don’t see any orcs around me, maybe this will fuel my hatred for them a little bit.”  He turns to Gwydeon and says, “Thanks for your support.  We will go together.”

          Dayal looks around the table for some support and finding none sits back in his chair and mutters, “Alright, I’ll go on this fools errand.  It seems religious zealots and bloodthirsty fools surround me.  You think I’m going to leave my future and that of all the races to this lot!  I’ll go along just to give ‘em a good dose of common sense and a swift kick in the butt when needed.  Otherwise we’re all in trouble....”

          With this the silent mage clicks his tongue and gives a small chuckle as he sits back in his seat and looks around.          “I am glad that you have decided to go as a group.  I don’t know how you will do it, but good luck.  Remember you only have two weeks.  If this thing is born of woman, birth could occur early or late as I have seen in past experience.  But my source was specific as to the date and my friend is never wrong in such things.  Eppsus will lead you to where we have packed some food for your journey.  After that he will lead you to the exit tunnel, you need not worry about being attacked as the tunnel as long been abandoned.  Now if you’ll excuse me I have some other business to attend to.  Farewell and Good luck!”

            He starts to leave and turns to Magnus and says, “I have not heard anything from Torana.  The last time I heard he was leaving with you for the conference.  I seem to remember him saying he was going back to his laboratory in the forest somewhere after the conference.  Other than that I cannot say.”  He places puts his hand on Magnus shoulder and says, “I’m sure Torana is having a grand old time.  I admit I sort of dread his return from these conferences.  Last time he came back and demonstrated something he found there...” His voice trails off and he closes his eyes and shudders.  Taking a deep breath he opens his eyes and says, “You’re probably safer away from him, at least until he is done experimenting with all the new toys and spells he brings back from the conference.”  He turns to go and as he leaves Magnus hears him mutter, “Perhaps I can convince him to demonstrate his toys to the orcs...”

          Eppsus looks relieved as the Warlord leaves, “I am surprised at the nature of your mission.  I had no idea it was so serious.  I’m sure if it weren’t for the current state of things, he might have sent one or two of us with you as well.  I’ll show you to one of the pantry rooms where we have packed some food for you.  It should last a few days, after that you’ll have to fend for yourselves.”

          Pendran and Dayal breathe a sigh of relief. “Good”, says Dayal, “We weren’t exactly ready for this little trip so we were a little short on rations.”

          As they get up, Eppsus leads them out of the room.  The first thing they notice is that all the guards are gone.  He leads them through several tunnels changing directions every hundred yards or so.  As they walk the smell of food gets stronger.  Finally the group enters a small room.  There is just barely room for them and a table with eleven small sacks of food and one large sack of food.  Everyone takes a sack and goes into the tunnel to try and stuff it into their pack or tie it somewhere so they can bring it with them.

            After this is done, Voruth dashes back in to the pantry and returns with several wine skins. “We can’t go about dehydrated now can we.” He smiles.  He passes them around, saving several for himself.  Three of the skins he ties to a leather belt around his waist.

          Eppsus the leads them through another set of tunnels, by this time everyone is completely lost, someone mentions something about going in circles.  After a while Eppsus slows as he nears a tunnel entrance and places his hand on his sword as they enter the tunnel, which quickly opens up, into a large cavern.  With a quick look around he motions for everyone to hurry.  “This is one of the areas where our caves and those of the orcs meet.  Though this cavern is rarely used.”  After crossing quickly with no sign of any creatures they reach a tunnel that has a steep upgrade.  Eppsus stops and looks back at the group,  “By order of the Warlord this is as far as I may go.  Though I would like to join you on this endeavor, my people need me here.  Lorana discovered this tunnel.  It leads straight to the surface with no branches.  Good luck!”  And without waiting for a goodbye, he sprints back across the cavern, covering the distance with amazing speed and disappears back into the darkness.

          Pendran looks around and says, “Well here we go.”  And heads into the tunnel, the others following.  The tunnel moves steeply upward.

Chapter 47

          As they exit the cavern, Zraxins’ expression goes from blank to one of pure joy.  “Out of the caves.... FINALLY!”  Taking a deep breath he says, “Oh, it is soooo good to be back with The Mother... the forest.”  He stands lost in the beauty that surrounds him.

          Dayal exclaims, “Fresh air, at last! Freedom!”  He throws his arms open wide and takes a deep breath.  He drops his pack and lies down on the ground.  “Ooo, my aching legs.  That rock is hard on a fellas feet.”

          Sivad grabs his water skin and takes a drink.  When done he says, “My word, that was a climb.”  He plops down on the grass and smiling he takes a little bit of the rations he has and starts to eat.   Wiping the sweat off his brow he looks up at the sky.  

         Voruth exits and looks around saying, “Ah, can you not smell the wondrous beauty of nature... I don’t suppose there is a decent tavern around for miles is there?”

          The little man comes out next and upon looking around sighs, “This ain’t much better than where we just came from.  At least down there, there were only one or two directions they could come at ya!  Out here they could come from everywhere.”  He looks at Voruth and says sourly, “No I don’t suppose there is.”  He moves off to the side and starts examining a lute he recently acquired.

          Burk exits and looks around cautiously before joining the others on the ground.

          The ogre comes out and moves off to one side sitting silently, though impatiently.

          Magnus and the silent mage are the last to exit.  Both take a moment take in the fresh air and the surroundings.

          Mordred starts to gather his stuff saying, “I am ready for it, does anybody know the way?”

          After a few second, they realize that they forgot to get the map.   A voice from the side says, “You mean this map?”   The little man holds the map in one hand tapping it against his shoulder.  “I kinda figured you guys would forget something this important.  So I grabbed it before we left.  Though it doesn’t make much sense to me.  I’m just a city boy and apparently so are some of you.”

          After consulting the map Pendran says, “I think I figured out where we are.  We got a three maybe four day hike that way.”  He points into the forest roughly southeast.

          “Also,” he motions to the little man, “he is very fast and would make a very good scout occasionally.  What do you say?”

          While this discussion occurs Magnus moves over to the silent mage and begins to talk. 

Chapter 48

          The little man looks at Gwydeon as if he had threatened him, “Are you nuts?  No way I’m putting my butt in the fire!  You want to know what’s out there you just go yourself.  I’m a city boy; I’m not risking my neck out here in the back of beyond.  The only reason I came with you guys is because I didn’t want to get stuck down there!”

          Zraxin, still taking in the beauty around him says, “It matters not I’ll will scout ahead.  I’d feel safer that way and will have better success than this city dweller.”

          The little man bristles at the comment, but says nothing.

          After a short rest they agree to try and put some distance between them and the clearing before nightfall.  The walk is refreshing and relatively uneventful. 

          When they camp that evening they set up rotating shifts for guard duty and as usual the little man gripes about having to actually work.

          Without a word between them the magi all sit near each other of their own accord as they study from their various tomes.

          On the other side of the fire, Gwydeon and Mordred talk of battle strategies for the future while Voruth, Pendran and Dayal work on getting drunk and singing off-key.

          In the morning, they quickly head out the little man and Zraxin disappearing into the forest scouting ahead.

          After nearly a week of hard traveling and spotting little in the way of danger the situation finally changes.

          It is around noon when both scouts quickly return.  “Something has started to follow us” warns the little man.

          Zraxin appears and gives a little more information, “We are being surrounded by something or someone.  I could not tell which.”

          Aladfar readies his staff and looks carefully into the forest around them.

          Pendran and Dayal get ready and Dayal notices with a bit of dismay that Pendran has chosen to wield the hammer again.

          The scarred priest, Burk, Magnus and the silent Mage stand near the center of the group each looking in a different direction watching and waiting.

          Voruth and Zraxin stand close to each other watching the forest intently and Gwydeon and Mordred pair up as well.

          For a long time the forest is silent.  Too silent as even the sounds of the birds and insect vanishes.

          Soon the silence is shattered, by laughter.  But this is not the normal lighthearted laughter of children or even the good-natured laughter of friends or acquaintances.  It is more like an evil hysterical cackle that seems to echo and re-echo through the forest.  The laughter sends shivers down the spine as it promises pain and death.

          From the bushes comes a terrible rattle as the creatures appear from the underbrush on all sides.

          The orange skinned creatures are stranger than anything they have ever seen.  Shorter than a tall dwarf and very thin with large heads whose large black eyes seem too large for their heads.   Each one of them carries in its claw like tiny hands a weapon that looks like a cross between a small thin short sword and a long dagger.  One of them lifts its head up and laughs that evil spine chilling laughs that speaks of hysterical insanity with a quality so unnatural as to be nightmarish.  The other creatures quickly take up the evil laugh and it fills the ears of the adventurers to the exclusion of all else.

Chapter 49

          Then at once they attack, swift and deadly the little fighters charge in looking for a quick and easy kill.  The adventurers quickly raise their defenses and deflect the multiple attacks, but they soon find that they cannot launch any counterattacks without leaving themselves open as well.  The little creatures attack in small groups each dancing in and out of range, as one dodges another retreats and a third tries to catch a flank.  For every attack there is a parry, for every parry there is a flank attack or retreat, for every flank attack there is a counterattack.   The little swords don’t get in often to do much damage, however by the same token the defenders have trouble scoring a hit on their attackers who nimbly avoid any attacks sent their way.

          Aladfar seems to be having the most trouble as the creatures seem small enough that he has trouble hitting them.  Sivad quickly comes to his aid and the creatures are forced back.  Sivad seems to be suffering the most as he is quite unnerved by the sight of the creatures.  Voruth and Zraxin  seem to be able to give the creatures the most resistance as they work in tandem much the same way the creatures are.  On the other hand Pendran is also having a lot of trouble with the creatures as he swings and they dodge his hammer blows, much to the disgust of Dayal, and sting him multiple times, thankfully his armor protects him from most of the damage.   Gwydeon and Mordred seem to be fairing fairly well as they mimic the fighting styles of Voruth and his one time partner at the bar, each trying to read the moves of the other and coordinate their attacking style.

          The tide of the battle turns as first the silent mage and then Magnus unleashes their spells.  A right blue glow appears in front of Magnus, another dully gray appears before the silent mage.  The glowing auras resolving into arrows of magical origin and with a gesture the two magi send them streaking outward blasting into the creatures that are attacking Aladfar and Sivad as well as Gwydeon and Mordred

          The struck creatures fly back hit the ground hard, their chests caved in and their bodies lying at odd uncomfortable angles.  With the battle now turning in their favor, Mordred shouts, “Now we have them!  Gwydeon, quickly let us show these foul creatures the error of their ways!”

          With the odds now even, the two redouble their efforts and quickly break through the creatures defense and with the greatest of ease cut through the fragile bodies of the creatures.  Almost too easily as Gwydeon scores a solid blow that cleaves the creature in twain.  So little was the resistance that his sword barely slowed down in it’s passage through the creature and left the elf off balance.  Another of the creatures attempts to take advantage of his state and tries to spear him, but Mordred is quickly there and the creatures head flies off into the forest.

          Aladfar switches tactics using his staff to expand and retract quickly.  The staff quickly smashes through the creatures’ defense and mostly through the creatures as they charge into the opening and getting met dead on with the staff as it comes back with a vengeance.  Sivad kills the last of the creatures as it pauses realizing that it is surrounded when Zraxin and Voruth appear behind it having easily slain their attackers.

          Pendran swings the hammer in a mighty arc that misses all of the creatures, but nearly hits Dayal who dodges out of the way.  The creatures charge in toward the exposed back of Pendran and quickly into range as Pendran spins completely around bringing his hammer back around again and hitting the four creatures so hard that they practically explode on impact.  Bits of the strange orangish blood and body parts are sprayed all around.

          Unfortunately Pendran cannot seem to stop spinning and within moments a small whirlwind has appeared around him.  The winds pick up speed and start to drag in everything around it.  But just as suddenly as it started it stopped as he slows down and the stops spinning.  He staggers a few feet and then falls onto the ground badly disoriented.

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