GoCorral

Chapter 5 – Into Danger (Continued)

Galandir let go.

The adlishar walked back to the others and handed the silver sword off to one of them. Galandir glanced back at the warrior with Tereman and Blendegad. What would happen to them if he didn’t win. Galandir drew his sword once more with sweaty hands. The adlishar turned around. It stared at Galandir with its cold black eyes.

Galandir shook his head to relax. He shook out his hands, flexing the fingers on his left for spellcasting. The adlishar chuckled, “Ready?”

“Ready,” said Galandir. “Kindieron!”

Fire flew at the adlishar’s face. It blocked with its silver sword, slicing the fire bolt in halves that flew around its head. Galandir was already moving forwards. A lunge turning to the outside with his right arm while his left hand…

“A’dant!”

A pull aimed at the adlishar’s right foot. It stumbled. It’s sword fell away from parry position. It’s left hand shoved Galandir’s sword away with telekinetic force. The blade shot past the adlishar’s cheek. So close!

Galandir pivoted. He kept the pull spell up, but the adlishar had shielded their feet with some sort of magic in an instant.

“Fleed!” Galandir shouted.

His left hand shout an arrow of force at the adlishar. Not to kill, but to push. The adlishar’s transparent magical armor took the impact. It leaned forward on braced feet and gripped its silver sword with both hands.

“Fleed!” Galandir shouted again, this time casting the spell with his right hand. The magic traveled down his sword as he pointed it at his foe. At the tip it widened and empowered in a powerful explosion.

The adlishar cut through the thick force with its two-handed sword. It rapidly switch grips back to just its right hand. The blade went back for an uppercut stroke at Galandir as it ran forward. It’s left arm extended towards him with its palm first.

Galandir tried to strike the left arm. His strike was sloppily improvised. The arm had a battering arm of kinetic energy around it. His sword bounced off.

The monster’s left arm piled into Galandir. There was no physical contact, only a relentless pushing as the magic struck him. Galandir felt himself being pushed off balance. His left hand was behind him. “Fleed!” he shouted. The push spell aimed backwards to try and stabilize himself against the adlishar juggernaut.

The silver sword flashed towards Galandir’s head. He’d never released a spell so quickly. The push spell abandoned for a shield spell. “Spours!” His left hand shout up to take the blow on his magic shield. The sword didn’t cut, but the strength of the blow still sent him in a spin. Off balance from the shove, Galandir fell to the ground.

The adlishar stood over him. It brought the sword down. “Spours!” And again. And again. His force shield was cracking. Galandir rebuilt it between the strikes, “Spours!” The silver sword rained down like a blacksmith’s hammer on an anvil. Where was the offer of surrender the adlishar had offered the other two? Galandir stared up at the monster’s eyes but saw only blackness.

Galandir had to do something. He kept the shield up. It cracked. He knew it would break on the next blow. The adlishar hit it and Galandir struck. With his sword in his right hand he stabbed at the chest for a killing blow.

The invisible armor took the point of his sword, deflecting it to the side. Galandir’s eyes widened in surprise. He’d forgotten about his enemy’s protections. The adlishar knocked Galandir’s sword away from its chest and held the silver sword’s point to the elf’s throat.

“Surrender.”

Galandir dropped his sword. The adlishar pressed the point into his neck drawing a small prick of blood.

“Do not steal from my people again,” it said. It withdrew the sword and backed away.

Galandir stood and hesitantly grabbed his own sword to place within his sheath. It had said again? Were they being allowed to leave?

The adlishar provided the answer, “You four may go.”

Tereman pleaded, “Why? Why did you do this? Why are you letting us go?”

“You defeated four of my recruits. I had to show the rest of them that you are nothing before a trained combatant.”

“Who are you?” Galandir asked.

“I am Sendilar Kardishan in service the Great Empress of the Adlishar. Take your people and leave before my mercy expires.”

With that the adlishar turned on his heel. It walked back towards the shell structure through the field of bodies.

Galandir walked over the Tereman and the others.

“What was your name?” Tereman said.

Galandir realized with embarrassment that he had not given it when they met earlier in the battle. “Galandir of Valor’s Forest.”

“Glad to meet you Galandir. This is Stenvall,” he indicated the warrior with the emerald necklace. She smiled meekly at Galandir. He nodded back. Tereman continued speaking to Galandir, “She can walk on her own. I’ll need your help with Blendegad. He’s coming round but can’t move yet.”

Galandir took Blendegad with one shoulder while Tereman took the other shoulder. The four of them limped away from the battlefield. More than half that had come with them lay behind. All dead within a few minutes.

Chapter 6 – Antidote to Adlishar

Stenvall poured herself another drink of watered down raspberry water from the pitcher. She said, “I still do not understand what exactly we are doing?”

Tereman said it again, “If we’re going back we need to know more about each of our abilities, our talents.”

“I will fight my way and you will fight your way,” she said. “What is the difference if you know my way or not?”

“There might be some combination or coordination that lets us beat those things,” Tereman explained. “Going back without a plan is only a foolish death.”

The four of them had limped there way back towards Shalerton after the duel with Kardishan. As the sun began to set they caught up to the camp of Gallana and a few others from the expedition. Forgeus went ahead with the more endurant members to Shalerton. Gallana stayed with the tired and the injured.

Tereman helped tend to the wounded along with the other warrior priests. Galandir told the story of their final fight with the adlishar to rescue Stenvall. While heroic, all of them had been incredibly outmatched. Galandir asked if anyone else had managed to kill an adlishar. No one answered.

After a poor night’s sleep they returned to Shalerton. Forgeus had already left for Phoenix. Others filtered away back to whatever town or village they had come from. Those who stayed behind told the injured band that Forgeus would return with additional help from Phoenix. Tereman didn’t believe it. The man ran with his tail between his legs. The effort to save Shalerton was over.

Gallana and the Clerics Guild members healed the wounds of the injured over the next few days. Many cuts and stabs from the adlishar along with a few burns from stray fire magic cast by the wizards. After they were able, they abandoned Shalerton as well. Gallana promised to return, same as Forgeus. Tereman expected he might see her again, but not with any numbers behind her.

Blendegad proposed staying.

“We can’t leave these people here. Those monsters will come back and take the lot of them.”

Galandir agreed, “I won’t walk away from this. These people need help from someone. If no one else will do it, then we need to. We were the only ones to kill any adlishar. Maybe we can be the ones to save those villagers too.”

Tereman felt the same as they did.

Stenvall had stayed with them out of a life debt to the three of them. Even though they lost their duels with Kardishan, their actions had led to the adlishar sparing Stenvall’s life. As Stenvall owed her life to the trio, she vowed to serve them until she could save one of their lives in return.

She was a warrior from an honorable orc tribe to the east. Not an orc herself, but a half-orc. Her helmet was in the Corinthian style which hid most of her more prominent orc features while in battle. Stenvall had short tusks sticking out of her bottom row of teeth. Her wide ears were slightly pointed at the ends. Her black hair also grew in tight bristles typical of some orc tribes. Tereman wondered if that affected the comfort of her helmet, but thought it rude to ask her directly. The rest of Stenvall’s features were like others common for the people of Cimmeria, light olive colored skin and brown eyes. Without seeing her head, one would never know her orkin parentage.

Stenvall was surprisingly muscular. Tereman felt she might be stronger than him or Blendegad. Both of them had tight bodies trained from constant use hunting monsters in the wild. Even with their advanced fitness, Stenvall was a step beyond them. She had legs and arms as thick as logs. She could probably throw logs as easily as others threw pebbles. There was no question that she was stronger than the twiggy elf, Galandir.

Once the other adventurers left town the remaining villagers approached Blendegad, Galandir, Stenvall, and Tereman. The villagers were led by a grandmother who asked, “Will you be going as well or continuing to partake of our hospitality?”

Blendegad said, “No. Absolutely not. We’re staying to help you.”

Galandir interrupted, “We need a plan though. We can’t go rushing in to that viper’s nest without a plan.”

Blendegad looked annoyed but continued, “Yes. We don’t want to impose on your hospitality. If you wish us to leave as guests we can support ourselves.”

The other three exchanged looks with Blendegad. They were here to help. It was tradition that the ones who received their help host them as guests with food and shelter. Galandir and Stenvall had done without shelter even as the Pot of Comfort was occupied when they arrived. Blendegad and Tereman only had a roof by occupying the house whose occupants had been kidnapped by the adlishars.

Tereman started, “Blendegad…”

“No! You don’t understand because you haven’t lived like them. They’ve hosted us for days. Not just us but all the other adventurers and guild members. Dozens of people! When they’ve already had dozens more kidnapped. All those taken who can’t work the fields for these past weeks. And who knows if they’re even alive to return and recover what’s left of their lives and farms. You want them to keep giving you food when they might not have enough of their own this season?! I won’t be a part of it.”

Tereman looked down. Stenvall’s eyes swiveled from Blendegad to Tereman.

Galandir said, “We didn’t think of that way Blendegad. We can live off the land. There’s rabbits around and some nuts and seeds.”

Tereman said, “Surely we can still sleep in here?” He swept his arms around the Pot of Comfort where they were speaking. “It costs them nothing to let us sleep by a warm fire.”

“It costs them their honor,” said Blendegad. “If we sleep here, we’re guests. Guests must be fed. You know the rules. I won’t stay.”

Tereman looked around the room. The crowd of villagers and the grandmother nodded slightly. Blendegad had accurately guessed their feelings. The rules of hospitality also stated they couldn’t turn a guest out. But a guest turning themselves out to not impose further? That was allowed.

Tereman took a deep breath and nodded. “Understood. We will leave before the next meal.”

Blendegad said, “Thank you.”

The assembled villagers shuffled out of the Pot of Comfort. The inn had a similar cozy feeling to the road inn Blendegad and Tereman stayed at on their way to Shalerton. The building was an A-frame structure. Rather than enter through one of the A’s there was a cut out extension in the middle of the frame. There were fireplaces at both ends. One fireplace was for guests, while the other was reserved for the hosts and the cooking they did for guests. The furthest corner from the door by the reserved fireplace was surrounded by wooden walls. That corner maintained some privacy for the living quarters of the owners of the Pot of Comfort, a friendly old couple named Ron and Petra.

Ron and Petra remained as the other villagers left. They retreated to their living area, giving the four adventurers space to discuss their next moves.