Post by vendredi on Aug 2, 2006 21:20:03 GMT -5
Vendredi dropped to the dock before the windrider's great paws touched down, ignoring the protests of the flight master. She paused only to restock her quiver at the tradesman, and to sear some meat for the pig at the great bonfire in the centre of the village, then mounted and set off along the Overlook Cliffs, her eyes burning with grief and hate.
"They must all die," she muttered as she rode. "I must kill them all if She is to embrace me." As she spoke, the medallion at her throat glowed with the power of the Ancients, and her voice was cast across the world to her companions. Immediately, there was an answer.
"Vendredi?" the voice was Kerrig's, and Vendredi frowned. She had not touched the medallion; why had its power come unbidden? "What it is you do?"
"I have a task," she said roughly, not wishing to talk, but unwilling to shun her brother. "The Evil of Jintha'Alor must be destroyed."
The next voice she heard was Yagrek's, calm but concerned. "Surely you do not go alone, sister?"
She ground her teeth. "I do what must be done."
"Then I shall come with you." Kerrig spoke as if discussing the weather, but Vendredi knew that once Kerrig had made up his mind, nothing short of a mountain falling on him would divert him from his chosen course. He will be of great help, fool. Accept graciously.
"Thank you," she managed.
"And I," said Yagrek, his deep voice resonating with the quiet but unmistakable warning of the first rumble of thunder before the raging storm. Nothing can deter him either. "Thanks to you as well, brother," she said, fighting to keep her rage in check. "I shall meet you there."
Her ride was swift and uneventful, and soon the great stone edifices of Jintha'Alor rose before her. Her nostrils caught the scent of woodsmoke, sweat and blood, and her lips curled in a feral snarl. She knew she should wait for her brothers, but the turmoil within her overcame her good sense. The first guard came into view, and she sent the pig charging in, nocking the first arrow with primal anticipation. The pig opened his leg with a slash of his sharp tusks, and as he hacked ineffectively at the animal, she put an arrow through his throat. His death throes brought others, and Vendredi gave in to the fury boiling up inside her, attacking one after the other with no thought to herself. Screaming in rage, she shot one after the other, until she was surrounded, and still she fought, her swords whirling in deadly arcs around her. Her own blood ran as freely as her foes, but the pig savaged each one in turn, and one after the other, they dropped, but not all, not enough. Her vision began to blur, and a brief rational thought flickered; I am dying.....
Suddenly a huge figure struck her attacker, and the shining blade of a massive axe clove his skull in two. She turned to fight, and slowly recognized the armoured figure. Kerrig fought beside her, and the others turned on him, realizing the new and much greater threat. Struggling to regain her wits, she stumbled back, drawing her bow, and as she shot, she felt the cool wash of healing magic run through her. Yagrek stood beside her, his hands glowing as he channeled the might of the Skyfather. Lightning forked from his spread hands, arcing from one foe to the next, and more dropped. Soon their attackers lay dead at their feet.
"Vendredi, why did you not wait for us?" Kerrig eyed her in mild exasperation, but she did not answer. She knelt shakily, and rummaged in her pack for food and drink. Yagrek regarded her with a penetrating stare that felt as though it went to her bones, but still she remained silent. Shortly the two orcs sat beside her, and they shared a meal before continuing. When they were rested, they ascended the first great set of stone stairs that led to the dark trolls' corrupt temple.
The fight was long, and bloody. Several times Crusoe charged a group of foes, squealing in fury, something he would normally never do without her signal. Kerrig eyed the pig balefully, but Vendredi knew that it was her own boiling rage that drove the animal. Crusoe was bonded to her, body and soul, and her own turmoil was affecting him. Binding their wounds, they pushed onward.
Their enemies stretched endlessly, group after group, tier after tier. Blood soaked Vendredi's hair, glistened redly on Kerrig's mail shirt, stained Yagrek's tabard. On they fought, and on, but more were there, and slowly, Vendredi's driving rage began to falter. Am I strong enough? came the thought unbidden. Another thought, this one twisting her heart in her chest....Is this what I should do? She squeezed her eyes shut, and sent a prayer to the Undying One, but still, she faltered.
They approached a small building, its ancient stones beginning to crumble. Skulls on poles adorned the entrance, carefully placed feathers and beads marking them as powerful Voodoo talismans. Very little of the roof remained, and they could make out moving figures within. Kerrig gave the signal, and loosed an arrow upon the closest one. A group came boiling out, and the battle began anew. As before, the trolls fell before the might of their attackers, and soon another pile of bodies littered the ground. Yagrek took a deep draught of restorative, and squinted up at the darkening sky. "Vendredi, the hour is late. Soon we shall not be able to see what we fight. Would it not be better to continue our campaign on the morrow?"
She stared at him, unable to speak; her rage flared anew, born of desperation. Although her body quivered with exhaustion, her heart burned with a fire that would not be quenched, and the more they killed, the more she wanted to kill, until every blue-skinned savage lay dead at her feet. Her brother knew little of this, and she fought not to shout at him, to shake him until he understood the need for bloodshed as she did. These are my brothers - are they to endure punishment for my failure? She opened her mouth to speak, but the words were lost.
A figure slipped from the shadows, her hands waving, a low chant on her lips. Kerrig charged, but not before she had cast her foul spell, and Vendredi's eyes widened as she felt the shadow drinking her very soul. Slowly, as the darkness descended, she folded to the ground as her companions slew the witch doctor, the damage already done despite their efforts. I have failed, her heart cried out, failed.....
"They must all die," she muttered as she rode. "I must kill them all if She is to embrace me." As she spoke, the medallion at her throat glowed with the power of the Ancients, and her voice was cast across the world to her companions. Immediately, there was an answer.
"Vendredi?" the voice was Kerrig's, and Vendredi frowned. She had not touched the medallion; why had its power come unbidden? "What it is you do?"
"I have a task," she said roughly, not wishing to talk, but unwilling to shun her brother. "The Evil of Jintha'Alor must be destroyed."
The next voice she heard was Yagrek's, calm but concerned. "Surely you do not go alone, sister?"
She ground her teeth. "I do what must be done."
"Then I shall come with you." Kerrig spoke as if discussing the weather, but Vendredi knew that once Kerrig had made up his mind, nothing short of a mountain falling on him would divert him from his chosen course. He will be of great help, fool. Accept graciously.
"Thank you," she managed.
"And I," said Yagrek, his deep voice resonating with the quiet but unmistakable warning of the first rumble of thunder before the raging storm. Nothing can deter him either. "Thanks to you as well, brother," she said, fighting to keep her rage in check. "I shall meet you there."
Her ride was swift and uneventful, and soon the great stone edifices of Jintha'Alor rose before her. Her nostrils caught the scent of woodsmoke, sweat and blood, and her lips curled in a feral snarl. She knew she should wait for her brothers, but the turmoil within her overcame her good sense. The first guard came into view, and she sent the pig charging in, nocking the first arrow with primal anticipation. The pig opened his leg with a slash of his sharp tusks, and as he hacked ineffectively at the animal, she put an arrow through his throat. His death throes brought others, and Vendredi gave in to the fury boiling up inside her, attacking one after the other with no thought to herself. Screaming in rage, she shot one after the other, until she was surrounded, and still she fought, her swords whirling in deadly arcs around her. Her own blood ran as freely as her foes, but the pig savaged each one in turn, and one after the other, they dropped, but not all, not enough. Her vision began to blur, and a brief rational thought flickered; I am dying.....
Suddenly a huge figure struck her attacker, and the shining blade of a massive axe clove his skull in two. She turned to fight, and slowly recognized the armoured figure. Kerrig fought beside her, and the others turned on him, realizing the new and much greater threat. Struggling to regain her wits, she stumbled back, drawing her bow, and as she shot, she felt the cool wash of healing magic run through her. Yagrek stood beside her, his hands glowing as he channeled the might of the Skyfather. Lightning forked from his spread hands, arcing from one foe to the next, and more dropped. Soon their attackers lay dead at their feet.
"Vendredi, why did you not wait for us?" Kerrig eyed her in mild exasperation, but she did not answer. She knelt shakily, and rummaged in her pack for food and drink. Yagrek regarded her with a penetrating stare that felt as though it went to her bones, but still she remained silent. Shortly the two orcs sat beside her, and they shared a meal before continuing. When they were rested, they ascended the first great set of stone stairs that led to the dark trolls' corrupt temple.
The fight was long, and bloody. Several times Crusoe charged a group of foes, squealing in fury, something he would normally never do without her signal. Kerrig eyed the pig balefully, but Vendredi knew that it was her own boiling rage that drove the animal. Crusoe was bonded to her, body and soul, and her own turmoil was affecting him. Binding their wounds, they pushed onward.
Their enemies stretched endlessly, group after group, tier after tier. Blood soaked Vendredi's hair, glistened redly on Kerrig's mail shirt, stained Yagrek's tabard. On they fought, and on, but more were there, and slowly, Vendredi's driving rage began to falter. Am I strong enough? came the thought unbidden. Another thought, this one twisting her heart in her chest....Is this what I should do? She squeezed her eyes shut, and sent a prayer to the Undying One, but still, she faltered.
They approached a small building, its ancient stones beginning to crumble. Skulls on poles adorned the entrance, carefully placed feathers and beads marking them as powerful Voodoo talismans. Very little of the roof remained, and they could make out moving figures within. Kerrig gave the signal, and loosed an arrow upon the closest one. A group came boiling out, and the battle began anew. As before, the trolls fell before the might of their attackers, and soon another pile of bodies littered the ground. Yagrek took a deep draught of restorative, and squinted up at the darkening sky. "Vendredi, the hour is late. Soon we shall not be able to see what we fight. Would it not be better to continue our campaign on the morrow?"
She stared at him, unable to speak; her rage flared anew, born of desperation. Although her body quivered with exhaustion, her heart burned with a fire that would not be quenched, and the more they killed, the more she wanted to kill, until every blue-skinned savage lay dead at her feet. Her brother knew little of this, and she fought not to shout at him, to shake him until he understood the need for bloodshed as she did. These are my brothers - are they to endure punishment for my failure? She opened her mouth to speak, but the words were lost.
A figure slipped from the shadows, her hands waving, a low chant on her lips. Kerrig charged, but not before she had cast her foul spell, and Vendredi's eyes widened as she felt the shadow drinking her very soul. Slowly, as the darkness descended, she folded to the ground as her companions slew the witch doctor, the damage already done despite their efforts. I have failed, her heart cried out, failed.....