GoCorral

Another odd change in this one. I got into a flow yesterday writing about what was happening to Blendegad and Tereman within the battle. That left Galandir a little behind chronologically. I wrote a scene for him today that’s a bit out of order for where it should be placed in a finished version. It works well enough with this post that I’ll leave it here for the blog post version. If it were inserted “correctly” it would be right after Blendegad drains an adlishar with his magic.

Chapter 5 – Into Danger (Continued)

Galandir shuddered in anticipation of the creature’s silver sword blow. Only he couldn’t shudder. The creature stepped closer. Stuart and Locklin bled on the ground from their wounds. Tokint suffered a vicious chop to her legs and another to her back when she fell. All the way through the creature kept its left hand on its forehead and the paralyzing thrumming sound emitted. Now the creature came for Galandir.

A bowshot resounded through the thrumming sound. An arrow whizzed in from the pack of adventurers behind the adlishar. The arrows struck the back of the monster. It reeled forward. The magic armor protected its back but the impact still kicked the creature off balance. Its bloody left hand left its forehead.

Galandir raised his arm as he’d intended to do before. His body could move. He stepped towards the creature. It brought the left hand back to the temple. Galandir heard the thrumming sound starting. Before it could envelop him he whisked his own left hand downwards in front of him.

“A’dant!” Galandir cast.

A simple telekinetic pull spell. Galandir’s hand engaged in a remote tug of war with the adlishar’s hand. It struggled to bring the thrumming sound to bear. It pushed upwards harder.

“A’dant!” Galandir cast again.

Galandir strode forward controlling the adlishar. The creature realized it would have to fight. It screamed in rage and swung an odd strike at Galandir. The rotating elbow allowed the adlishar’s silver sword to follow an unusual path to its target.

Galandir shouted, “Stachit!”

A blast of ice cold air struck the rotating arm. The elbow slowed as frost covered it. Galandir kept the stream of cold up and he struck the arm with the sword in his right hand. A deep cut at the arm and the adlishar buckled to the ground.

The left hand reached for the forehead once more. Bloody fingerprints mixed with the natural black spots on the adlishar’s skin. Galandir blasted that left hand behind the creature’s head with a push spell while he stabbed with his sword into the creature’s heart. The creature let out a horrible groan. It clawed at the sword stuck in its chest, slowly losing energy until it slumped to the ground. Galandir withdrew the sword as his foe died.

Galandir looked at the bodies. All of his traveling companions were slain. All killed by a single one of these creatures. These monsters! Galandir angrily struck the creature at his feet with his sword again.

The silver sword lay below him. Galandir picked it up in his left hand. The flowing silver moved in a chaotic swirl as he adjusted the grip. The hilt was made from something soft, but not leather or wood. It felt good and the material seemed to mold to his hand. Still, Galandir’s own sword was preferred.

Glancing at the battlefield, Galandir saw that his allies were retreating. No time to retrieve anything from his companions. He ran towards the group led by Forgeus making their way up the hill.

Blendegad wiped the gore from his face. He surveyed the battlefield. The three adlishar near them were defeated. Nearly a dozen adventurers lay dead around them in exchange.

Further away Blendegad focused on Forgeus. The wizard master led his people up the hill side. They kept the monsters at bay with fire and shield spells. Gallana and her clerics were with the wizards. The clerics supported injured people, healing their wounds as best they could. A ring of shield bearing hoplites protected the whole group. Shouts echoed out, “Fall back! Fall back!”

Blendegad looked at Tereman and said, “We’ve got to get to them.”

Tereman nodded. “No time for rest.”

The pair jogged up the hill towards Forgeus and Gallana’s retreating formation. The bodies of dead allies littered the ripped grass and churned dirt of the hill. A few remaining people weren’t dead, but frozen in place. The adlishar’s left hand paralysis still took affect as they executed humans left and right.

As they approached the formation Gallana shouted at them, “Get behind the shields!”

Blendegad continued to jog with the group while glancing back at the paralyzed people, slowly being executed one by one. “What about them?”

Forgeus shouted, “They are lost! We need to retreat and come up with a new plan!”

Blendegad looked at Tereman and shook his head. He said to his friend over the shouting and explosions of fire, “I can’t leave those people.”

Tereman said, “I can’t either.” Tereman turned to the retreating mob, “We’re going to save those people! Who’s with me?”

Cries came out from the mob, “Fuck that!”

“They’re on their own!”

“I’m not dying for this!”

Blendegad and Tereman looked at each other and nodded. They turned to go back into the fray when they heard another voice from the crowd.

“Make way! Get out of my way! I’m not leaving those people!”

A silver-haired elf shoved a hoplite to the side to make an exit from the formation. He came over to where Blendegad and Tereman stood. The elf wore a tight leather jerkin and trousers. He had a tall nose that stretched up to his eyebrows. The elf carried a finely made thin sword in his right hand with a matching scabbard on his belt. His left hand held one of the adlishar’s hooked silver swords.

“I’m not leaving anyone behind,” the elf said.

“Glad to hear it. I’m Tereman.”

“And I’m Blendegad.”

Voices in the crowd implored the trio to leave with them.

Blendegad shouted back at them, “I am no coward! I won’t run with my tail between my legs!”

A shot of magical force struck Blendegad from behind, knocking him to his knees.

“Leave the fools!” screamed Forgeus. “Go! Go! Go!”

Blendegad stood and turned to face the coming adlishars.

Galandir looked across the battlefield. Half a dozen adlishars were walking towards them. They seemed relaxed. No weapons raised or magic shooting at them.

“They look like… they want to talk?” said Galandir.

“I don’t believe it,” growled Blendegad.

Behind the adlishars the number of paralyzed people had dwindled. Galandir saw only one, a hoplite with no crest. Two adlishars were next to her. One kept its left hand by its forehead to paralyze her. The other put his hands under her arms to drag her. They brought her in Galandir’s direction.

The six adlishars gathered in a semi-circle around Blendegad, Tereman, and Galandir.

“What do you think they want?” Galandir asked Blendegad.

Blendegad didn’t answer. His lip curled, revealing his furious teeth.

Tereman wondered aloud, “What are they doing with that woman?”

The three of them kept their weapons and magic ready. They had to stay free of the mental paralysis at all costs. The adlishars dragged the warrior closer. Galandir could make out an emerald pendant around her neck.

They stopped dragging the warrior once she was right behind the semi-circle of passive monsters. Suddenly the adlishar with the green shawl appeared. This was the one that negotiated with Forgeus and Gallana.

It spoke in its hollow voice, “You three were the only ones to kill one of the sluricon.”

Galandir asked, “Sluricon?”

The leader looked at Galandir with disgust. “A scouting expedition.” It continued, “Your strength is recognized. You have decided to stay behind to rescue those of your kind that remain living. There is only this one.” The monster pointed back at the human behind him.

“We will let you fight for her life.”

“Why?” asked Tereman.

“We owe you nothing. Be glad you received this much.”

Blendegad snarled, “I’ll go first.”

Blendegad didn’t wait for a response from the adlishar leader. He threw himself forward with a left-handed cross slash. The creature bent and sidestepped to dodge the attack. Blendegad reached out with his right hand to grab the creature. It pushed Blendegad’s hand away with telekinetic force.

Blendegad hacked again with a horizontal cut. The creature blocked with its silver sword. Blendegad made another grab with his right hand. The creature shoved his hand downwards onto Blendegad’s with a telekinetic buffer between them. Blendegad’s hand went into the mud and dirt.

Blendegad screamed and ran forward to tackle the adlishar. It swept both its arms up, pulling Blendegad along with it. Blendegad’s arms extended over his head and he stood at full height. The monster dropped its sword and both hands came forward like snakes. They grabbed Blendegad’s wrists holding him in place.

Galandir watched Blendegad struggling and screaming. He couldn’t break free and he couldn’t reach his opponent. Kicks were weak and ineffective. Blendegad even tried biting, but was out of range.

“You are like a savage animal,” said the adlishar, “in need of restraints. Surrender.”

“Never!” shouted Blendegad.

The adlishar sighed. It released its right hand. Blendegad shot forward with his freed left. The creature touched Blendegad’s cheek with its right hand. Instantly, Blendegad went limp. The creature effortlessly held him up by his arm. It tossed Blendegad aside as easily as Galandir might discard a nut shell.

The creature retrieved its sword.

“Next.”