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Killing Red

Niamh and Mae sat the dining room table and waited. This was supposed to be a meeting for all involved in the killing of the dragon that they had nicknamed “Old Red”. They needed the meeting to get their act together and know just what the other would be doing.
Mae shook her head and said, “Fine let’s get going. Cindaer and I have been writing some “polymorph” spells onto scrolls. That way I or you can cast them on people once Old Red is spotted.”
Niamh nodded her head. “Sounds good. I think that Hinnom should prepare some potions to protect us against the fiery breath of the beast.” Mae nodded and wrote it down on some scrap paper. “I don’t have anything in my casting that can really do any harm to him, so I’ll help to concentrate on swordplay. What can polymorphing do for us?”
“It will turn you into a hill giant and increase the size of your equipment. Your strength will increase, your bracers and rings will remain effective, and you can still cast spells should you need them,” Mae smiled as she turned her head to the window. If she focused her eyes hard enough she could see the city guards on the palace walls running drills with the ballistas. “That reminds me. I don’t want anyone else fighting this beast with us. No guards, and no priests.”
Niamh agreed. “We started this and we’ll finish it.”
Mae felt a vague memory pass through her brain. They had done this before. They had scried the dragon in his lair and had actually gone there, fought him…and lost. She remembered that Niamh and Hinnom were dead. She had been forced to drag their bodies out of the great cavern to let some other monster eat their bodies. She remembered Shelli and Dugal being forced to retrieve their most prized possessions in order to buy her freedom from the beast. Then it was as though they had never left the city. All five stood outside the city gate wondering what had happened, all five dimly recalling the same vague dream of evil.
Now Old Red was coming to the city to kill the wizard who had spied on him. That wizard was Mae’s teacher, Cindaer Thorne. Old Red had to be stopped.
Mae rubbed her head.
“You look tired.” Niamh said, “You should get some rest. How long were you and Cindaer scribing scrolls?”
“About four days in a row. It takes a bit to do those damn things….” She stopped as a feeling of triumph came over her from her familiar rat, Pearl. A quick picture of him on top of a bookcase pushing down anything he could unto the cat. “Your sibling’s cat is after Pearl again.”
Niamh chuckled. She had brought her younger brother and sister here to the capital to help give them a better education of the world. They were sorcerers like their sister. Magic ran in her family’s blood, and with their youth, it was easy for them to abuse their powers. Her mother asked that she take them out of her hometown before the hometown ran them out. Niamh snapped her fingers. “Hey! What about that story that you and Dugal told me. The one about what guards my town!”
Just as Mae was about to comment, Dugal burst into the room. “Well, let’s get started! I was thinking that me and Sri-Awk would wait for the small beastie just outside of town then, charge him as he flew over. How about that?”
Mae blinked then said, “Can Sri-Awk fly that fast?”
“No, we’ll catch Old Red at an angle to make up the distance.”
“That might work,” said Niamh cautiously, “what about the fear factor?”
“Well, you’ll just cast that spell on me and it’ll take care of that.”
“That spell only last a few minutes. We would have to be next to you to cast it before you took off.” Said Mae.
“Or,” Niamh broke in, “make another set of potions.”
“That would be a lot of potion making. Do we have the time?”
Niamh shrugged, “According to Emil, Old Red won’t be coming till mid-summer. That’s about two weeks away.”
They all three nodded. It could be done, but barely.
“What were you asking me before, Niamh?” Mae asked.
“Oh! What’s the story about what guards my town. You told me once long ago…”
“What that statue guardian thing?” Said Dugal.
“Yes! Can we use that?”
“We can always ask.” Said Mae. “And if not, we can always borrow it.”
“Do you wanna go now?” Dugal asked.
“No, Hinnom and I have some potions to make, then we can go and get it. Where’s Tunley?”
Dugal shrugged. “I told him to be here. Though this isn’t his fight, he seems eager to help.”
“As long as he doesn’t get in the way.” Mae said, “Here’s our plan so far…” and she outlined what they had talked about earlier.

Mae rode behind Dugal on Sri-Awk the hippogriff. The flight to Allcome, Niahm’s hometown, took only one day by air. They landed just outside of town and walked to the shrine. They both glanced at the statue, standing so serene on its pedestal. Few knew how deadly the thing actually was.
The shrine was dark and cool, and the priest Joseph addressed them by name as they entered. They asked to meet with him in his office. Once settled, Mae asked her question.
“What! Certainly not!” the priest said. “What would protect this town once it’s gone?”
Dugal was shocked. “It’s only for one day, maybe two…”
“To fight a dragon…and what happens if you should kill our protector?”
“Then I’ll see that it is replaced! It won’t be killed. If it takes too much damage we’ll send it away.”
“And who will repair it?”
“I don’t know, I’ll find someone who can if I can’t. Please trust us.”
The priest shook his head. “No, it’s too great a gamble. I cannot endanger my people for this.”
Dugal knew a stonewall when he saw one. “Well, if that’s your final answer then we’ll respect it.” He grabbed Mae by the arm and took her out side, giving the priest a hasty goodbye.
Mae glared at Dugal, “We’re playing the Game.”
“Humans don’t like the Game. We don’t play it well. We’ll have to sneak it out of town now.”
“So be it. It can be done.”
“And,” he said, “how do you propose to get to Eldhome? It’s to heavy for Sri Awk.”
Mae snickered at the thought of a shield guardian on back of the hippogriff. “It should follow who ever wears the medallion.”
“Should?”
“All of life is a gamble.” Mae shrugged.

Dugal waited for her outside of town. He had no doubt that she would obtain the medallion, it was all a question of could they get the statue out of town without the town folks knowing about it. He knew that no question of thievery would be raised, for this was part of the “Game” that the elves played. You steal something only to return it and be applauded for your skill. He also knew that not a lot of humans got into this “Game”. It was going to be close.
He saw Mae down the road walking a little fast. He mounted Sri and waited.
When she reached him, Mae climbed behind Dugal. “OK, let’s go!”
“Is it coming?”
“Yes! Go!”
“I don’t see it.”
“Listen.”
He stopped and heard a thump, thump, thump on the roadway. “You turned it invisible!” he smiled.
“Well, I didn’t want a crowd following. The spell will wear off soon. We can fly all the way home and he’ll follow.”

The day came. The people of the city hid behind the strong palace walls. Only Mae, Niamh, Hinnom, Dugal, Cindaer, and Tunley remained outside. They stood in front of the House of Keryx where Old Red had once tried to destroy it on the one day that was many.
Mae looked at Tunley. They had decided to try to keep him safe by giving him the medallion to control the shield guardian. Mae had her doubts. He never attended any of the meetings they set up and only talked to them when they were at his tavern where he sang. Dugal had confidence in him and that was good enough for her.
Cindaer stood on top of the stairs of the Temple. Mae noted her coolness as though a big red Wyrm hunted her down every day. She felt her own knees knocking and bit her lip. Cindaer had that far away look that Mae knew was her scrying. “He’s coming.”
Mae nodded and started to cast her spells on all there.

Dugal patted Sri Awk on the neck. “Don’t worry boy, there’s nothing to fear with Old Red. We can take him.” As he looked up, he saw a red streak go by. Cursing he spurred the hippogriff into the air after the dragon. In the air he took his potions to protect himself from the dragon’s breath. He didn’t figure that the dragon would be in such a hurry to destroy a single wizard.

Those at the Temple saw the dragon wheel in place over the temple and then let out a blast of fire. The length of the fire reached Cindaer and the shield guardian and behind him was Tunley. The first two were safe, thanks to the potions, but Tunley didn’t have time to take his, and the fire killed him.
Cursing Mae grabbed the medallion and ordered the guardian to get ready to attack the dragon. The three of them had already been changed into hill giants with size and strengths to match. They waited for the right time to strike. Mae only hoped that the dragon would land and not fly off. She had a spell of flying ready for her self, but knew that she could never match a dragon in the air.
Cindaer raised her arms for a spell and a globe surrounded Old Red and he clinked to the ground inside of it.
“Wait for it!” came an old voice from the temple. The elder Abbot was there beside Cindaer.
“Sorry. I’ll dispell it, then you can cast yours.”
Hinnom nodded to the others knowing what to expect. “Be ready.”
Old Red found himself freed from the globe. He roared mightily and started to turn towards the wizard.
From the feet of the Abbot a green wave of slime arose and crashed onto the dragon.
“Duck!” yelled Niamh. The three fighters dodged the slime.
The dragon alone took the worse of it. The green slime started to eat its way into the flesh. Old Red found himself in another cage of force of Cindaer’s making.
Then Dugal and Shri dived from the sky and struck the dragon with the lance going deep into its side.
Mae had never heard such a cry as this dragon was making. She almost felt sorry for it. She aimed for its small back brain in hopes of ending this quickly as it turned its head to breath fire on them. She hit a vulnerable spot with her rapier and Old Red was no more. His body slid down the cage and the slime ate away his flesh, bones, and blood.
Dugal dismounted Sri Awk and complained about not getting the head as a trophy. Then he noticed Tunley. He cursed some more.
Mae went to Cindaer. “Are you alright?”
Cindaer nodded, “Sorry about your friend.”
“We’ll see that he is restored. It’ll cost us money wise, but he stood up to the dragon with us. That says a lot.”
“I’m sure the dragon will have enough to pay for the cost.”
They both smiled as they knew what Mae was really after.
The temple bells rang out that all was all right.
“Hey Mae!” Niamh yelled. “I don’t think that my husband would want me this way. I would never fit in the bed.”
Mae laughed and dispelled the morphing spells. A strange thought came into her head as she dispelled Hinnom. Did the spell actually make him handsome as a giant or was he naturally that way for his kind? She shook her head of such thoughts and looked to Tunley.
The other priests were carrying his body indoors to be prepared for raising. The people came to the temple to view what was left of Old Red. The slime had taken much of it and only outlines and some bones were left. The people muttered and went into the temple to give thanks.
That evening a more formal service was held with the King attending. Much was made of them and Mae, not liking the public eye, lowered herself in her seat. Hinnom nudged her up.
After the services, the Abbot asked that they join him in his study. The troop found the King in the study as well as the humans' ambassador, the Voice of Landing, Edwina. She stated that there was going to be trouble with Allcome for the taking of the guardian.
“So Dugal,” said the King, “How do you propose to settle this with your people?”
People, thought Dugal, meant humans. “Well, Sire, my associates and I have discuss this and we thought that if you would be so kind as to write a letter thanking them for the use of their guardian, there shouldn’t be any trouble.”
The King nodded. He was coming along nicely, the King thought.
Voice of Landing spoke, “There will be trouble with this. We are not ready for the ‘Game,’ as we have so often been told. It was wrong to have it played on us.”
“But if humans are ever to be considered a true people to this land, surely we must accept the rules of the land.” Said Dugal.
Edwina sniffed, “There will be trouble.”

The adventurers walked out of the Temple late that night. There was nothing left of Old Red now except a watery outline where the slime had been washed away. The shield guardian stood watch over the temple steps as it awaited orders.
“Well,” said Mae, “this calls for some celebrating!” she tried to sound cheerful, but came off only as tired.
“Er, no,” said Dugal. “I’m off to see my wife Shelli. It’ll be well into morning before I can do that after taking care of Shri.” He waved at them and jumped on Sri Awk’s back and flew off.
“I’ve got my husband to see.” Said Niamh. “With creating all these potions, scrolls, meetings with town guards, etc. I haven’t seen him in a while. But have fun anyway!” She scampered off down the streets.
Mae sighed. She felt a mental nudging as the guardian asked for instructions. “Stay and guard the temple.” She told it.
Hinnom looked from the statue to her. “It looks like everyone has a guardian but you.”
“Such is the life.” They started walking back towards the house they shared with Niahm’s siblings.
Glancing at Mae from the corner of his eyes he said, “I’m not guarding anyone tonight.”
Mae had a tired smile. “I do want someone tonight. With creatures like Old Red the end of life could be at anytime.” She looked into his eyes. “We were lucky we had the warning. Next time there may not be any warning. Let us take what we have tonight and let tomorrow sort itself out.”
They went indoors arm in arm.

In the morning, the adventurers gathered back at the church for the resurrection of Tunley. The Abbot apologized saying that he was not given the spell by his deity. So instead he would call an ally to help. He asked that all be patient and not speak unless spoken to. Such is the way of these allies.
Incense was lit, the place was purified, and the Abbot made his blessings. From the statue of the deity, came an unearthly light. The most beautiful creature they had ever seen descended from the arms of the statue to the earth. Its voice was that of music and most of the company cried tears of unworthiness at the hearing of it.
“Why have you called me?” the angel asked.
“To heal this person who died in defense of this Temple.” Replied the Abbot.
“Who will pay the price which will be asked?”
“We shall.” They all said as though it was rehearsed.
“The price is this: be ready to answer when called.”
“We shall.”
“Then let it be done.”
It touched the purified remains of Tunley. The coffin filled with light and life returned to Tunley. He arose confused and dazed, but alive.
The angel turned and left the way it came, and returned to the arms of the deity.
Tunley joked, “Did I miss anything?”

The town folk of Allcome did not welcome the adventurers at all. Most were angry but did not openly say anything. Mae and Dugal returned the medallion to the priest. The guardian was standing in his usual pedestal in the town square.
“Because of the King’s letter, we can’t do anything to you. But please leave as soon as you can. You’re not welcomed here anymore.”
There was nothing they could do but agree.
They went to see Niahm’s mother who ran an inn in town. The two siblings came as well to show their mother that they were OK. The inn seemed deserted and alone. Dugal asked if this was because of her association with them. She said it was. “If it’s not their father the pirate on one side, it’s you on the other. This time I agree with the town. You should have asked first.”
“We did.” Mae protested. “The priest refused. We had to do something.”
“Then why didn’t you get the King to ask? You got him to pardon you, why didn’t you get him to ask us? That’s all we want, to be recognized as part of this kingdom.”
“Then don’t get upset when the Game is played.” Mae said coldly.
Just then the siblings came out from the kitchen rough housing it. Their mother went out to stop them without replying to Mae.
It was decided among the troops that they would leave some money behind to help get the inn through this time of trouble.
They left the next day.

In their own town of Shady Meade they found the buildings had been completed to their liking. Mae’s and Niahm’s lab was complete. The large mayor’s house was rebuilt and the distillery was coming along nicely due to the new Halfling brewer. Business was taken care of and budgets got their monies.
They continued on back to Eldhome.

By the time they had gotten back, Cindaer had written several spells to teleport the adventures to Old Red’s lair. Excited by this, they gathered all the empty trunks and backpacks they could. Mae tried reading the first spell, but misspoke a word and the spell fizzled in her brain. Cursing, she didn’t have will to try again. She went to Cindaer to ask why it had failed.
“I did scribe the spell at the highest strength I could. I know that transporting all that weight to and fro will take some effort.”
“I see. I think that the spell is too strong for me, for I miscast it.”
“I shall tell you that I will send you and your associates to the lair. Then you can read the last scroll to get back.”
“But what if I fail again…”
“Then it’s a long, heavy walk home…”

At the lair, the troop gleefully began stuffing all the treasure into trunks and bags. They packed all the magic items that they could find first, to be sure that they could take those home. Then they took the coinage, weapons, and armor. There was a single item that they would glance over but never really look at. It was a black wooden skull with ruby eyes. The item reeked of evil and none wanted to touch it.
“If we don’t take it,” Hinnom said, “it will come back to haunt us.”
“Then let it,” Said Dugal, “I don’t want that infecting the King or anybody I know.”
“It doesn’t infect,” said Hinnom, “it….look out!”
As they were talking, a pile of filthy creatures attacked them. Mae remembered these things, this is what ate her friends the last time they were here. Or rather, would have if they had been here. Her mind confused, Mae was grappled by one of them.
Dugal had a grand time cutting and slicing his way through the lot of them. The others took it one creature at a time. Soon all of filthy piles of evil lay dead.
Hinnom healed those whose injuries were severe. He also made sure that there were no infections from these filthy beasts.
They gathered all into a circle. With one last look they decided that all that they wanted had been taken and packed. This was the thrill of victory to Mae, cold cash. This was the way to having an easy life. For some reason she thought that this beat making a living with a craft.
Mae read the spell perfectly this time. Her spirit bolstered by the sight of such a large amount of money.
They landed on the dining room table, which broke under so much weight.