Disclaimer:
Hello again! I'm back with the twelfth part of NNT. First of all, as mentioned before, this story is totally fictional and has no purpose whatsoever to imply that any member of the BSB is gay. Secondly, also as mentioned before, the setting of this story is 100% based on TSR, Inc. Novels, the Forgotten Realms. The story is written purely out of fun and leisure and I have no intention of publishing it anywhere or whatever. Hmm... what else? Oh yeah, this story also contain homosexual elements, so if you got a problem with it, hmm... too bad. Who asked you to come here anyway? However, if you are looking for some hot monkey sex scenes, sorry dudes, you'll be disappointed. I'm just not good in writing about that stuff :P Let just keeps the detailed sex stuff behind closed doors. But if you like stories that goes nice and slow and have more to offer than just sex, oh well, you might like this one (I hope).
Well! Now that is gone out of da way, lets get on with the story. Hope you enjoy it. If ya got comments, objections, suggestions, tips, death threats, boos, tomatoes or cabbages to throw or whatever, just write to me at goldenknightuk@yahoo.co.uk
Anyway, I would like to thank everyone who e-mailed me of your comments and such. It's nice to know that you've enjoyed it. I live to serve (Hah!). All in all, thanks guys. I intend to make this story as long as I can. But ideas do tend to run out quickly. I can always think up of new ideas (if I can get my lazy mind going long enough. It really needs a kick or two at time but it has always serve me well... hmm... well, most of the time). But if you have any inputs, ideas or suggestions, feel free to drop me a note anytime you want, be it through e-mails, letters, pigeons, message in a bottle, Morse codes, talking drums, whatever.
Author's Note:
Another thing is, in case you didn't notice; I have changed my email address. So if you guys wanna drop us a note, sent it to goldenknightuk@yahoo.co.uk
Right! Enough mindless chatters and on with the show!
Drew and Andy
In the Stonelands, north of Cormyr...
"Get her in there!!"
Howie could only watched in silent bitterness as the bleeding and bruised Tessaril was shoved roughly into the room. The Lady of Eveningstar slammed onto the floor with a grunt of pain. Battered, weak and helpless, she tried in vain to get up.
The cell lightened up as a cold-face woman strode in, accompanied by a Zhentarim soldier bearing a torch and a similarly cold-face man wearing the garb of a mage. The woman looked at Howie and smiled mockingly.
"Well, well, well! The boy is awake at last." She purred.
Howie looked up at her coldly.
"Who the hell are you?"
The woman strolled over and stopped before him and lifted his chin so that she can peer into his eyes.
"Why, I am nothing but a simple clergywoman, doing the work of her god." She said. "What a pretty eyes you have, young one. A pity the Stormlord wants you dead."
She laughed when Howie angrily shook his head from her grasp. The laughter stopped when the mage stepped forward.
"That's enough, Deina." Growled the mage. "Let's get on with the interrogation. You can toy with him later."
Deina swirled around towards the mage, eyes flashing with anger. Obviously she is unaccustomed to not getting what she wants. The mage, Damien, simply looked at her challengingly. After a moment of a battle of wills, Deina silently backed down, though her eyes are still filled with anger. She turned to Tessaril and waved her hands before her, uttering a harsh magical phrase as she did so. A wave of magical force lifted the wounded woman of the ground and slammed her to the wall on the other side of the room.
"Chain her!" she snarled at the guard.
She turns back towards Howie and grasped him by his hair.
"Now, pretty boy, we can do this the easy way or the painful way." She hissed. "Either way, I will have my answer."
Howie simply glared at her and spat on her face. He immediately regretted his action when he was immediately rewarded by terrible blow at the side of his head. For a moment he felt as if the world around him heaved and spins. Pain cloud his mind and his vision blurred for a moment as the priestess struck him. Despite her lithe appearance, the woman is far stronger than she looks.
"Don't test my patient, boy." The priestess growled as she wiped the spit off her face. "Now, where are the rest of your friends?"
"Even if I know, I will never tell you, you bitch!" Howie spat. Again he was rewarded by another blow.
"I see that I really am going to enjoy this, boy." Said Deina. "I will ask you one last time. Where are the others?"
"Leave the lad alone! He already said he doesn't know!" said Zen.
Deina whirled around and struck the man with the back of her hand.
"Silence, fool! You will speak only when spoken to. Comply or I shall personally cut out your tongue!" she said harshly. She turned back to Howie. "Well?"
Howie just glared at her defiantly.
"He knows," Damien mused softly, "but he wouldn't tell."
"Kill me if you must. I will never tell you anything."
Deina threw back her head and laughed delightedly.
"That's what they all say at first," she said before looking wearily at Howie, "this is getting old indeed."
She knelt before Howie and regards him lazily.
"So, as usual, we have to do it the hard way then." She purred. "Damien?"
The wizard stepped forward and rolled up his sleeves before kneeling before Howie.
"Now, this is going to be..." the Zhentarim mage smiled, "very painful."
"Fight... Howard! Don't let him..." Tessaril cried out weakly.
"SILENCE BITCH!" Deina roared and hurled a ball lightning towards the Lady of Eveningstar. The ball lightning struck Tessaril mercilessly, flashing and crackling as it did. Tessaril screamed in pain before falling to the floor, unconscious.
"Milady!" cried Derek while Zen rattles against his chain in anger, trying to break free. Deina whispers another prayer and trace a rune on the air before her. A glowing rune appeared before her and Deina whispered the words to trigger the rune's power. The Rune of Pain is activated and soon, the chained Cormyrian soldiers are writhing in pain on the floor.
Howie looked helplessly at Tessaril and the soldiers before locking his gaze on the smiling mage.
"Don't worry." Said Damien. "You'll feel more pain than they do soon."
The chanting started slowly and softly before it picked up in rhythm and volume. The Zhentarim mage's voice rose as he intoned the words of his spell. Deina grabbed Howie by his hair and jerk his head so that he continually facing the wizard. Damien's clawed hands began to glow with blue-white light. Still chanting his spell, the mage grabbed each side of Howie's head. Howie trashed about to free himself but to no avail.
The hands glow brighter and with a final phrase of the spell, the hands grew translucent and then sank into Howie's head. Howie's scream echoed through out the dungeon passages as the mage began to rummage through his mind and extract the information he needed. An hour later, Deina and Damien left the room, leaving the barely conscious Howie and the rest on the floor of the dungeon.
"What did you found?" asked Deina.
"Nothing much. He was telling the truth about not knowing where the others are. But it seems that each of them had a visitation from the Moongoddess Selune in their dream a while back, bidding them to head for Shadowdale and look up for the Old Mage Elminster." Damien replied.
Deina growled softly. Elminster of Shadowdale. Another of those accursed powerful archmages she wouldn't want to mess around with. The world would be a better place indeed without the presence of wizards!
"They must not reach the place," said Deina.
"Our allies serving the Nightgoddess have already met the drow warriors in the Underdark. While the drow are keeping the Shadowdale folks, the Knights of Myth Drannor and the Harpers busy, Lord Manshoon and the Zhentarim has already taken their place around Shadowdale and keeping a careful lookout. Manshoon has also rouse his pet dragon, Orthanc to aid them. They wouldn't stand a chance in reaching Shadowdale alive."
"Unless some of those over-ambitious Zhentarim mages messed up with their job again," Deina replied.
Damien just laughed as they walked though the door leading them out of the dungeon. Neither noticed a slight shift within the dark shadows of the dungeon.
In the wilderness of the Sword Coast...
Lightning tore through the sky again and again, and rain pelted down as the storm raged above them, but still they rushed on. Galadriel rode at the back of the party, grim-faced and watching the surrounding warily. She held her sword readily in her hand - the blade flashes occasionally as lightning flashes overhead.
Nick raised his hand to shield his face from the pelting rain. He grimaced as rainwater trickled from his drenched hair. He looked at the others around him.
Andy rode quietly at his side, staring contemplatively at the darkness before them. Occasionally, Muragh would say something to him from the net on his belt where he dangles and he would reply back just as quietly. Brian rode near the front, occasionally looking back at where they came from. Sarelle rode silently at the front, leading them all through the wilderness.
"This way." Sarelle spokes softly from the front. "This trail leads through the Seven Pillars of Tandrull and from there, we can make our way out of the Woods of Sharp Teeth with less chance of running through bandits that constantly plague this place."
Lightning flashes again and thunder rolled in the sky. The wind rises to the point where it is practically howling. Nick grabbed his cloak to prevent it from being blown away. His horse neighed nervously at the crashing of the thunder.
"What is the Seven Pillars of Tandrull?" asked Nick.
"It is the ruins of a once massive fortress that was once the abode of a powerful evil lich called Tandrull." Andy answered. "Tandrull once dominated this area during the Age of the Netheril. His reign of terror over this land was destroyed however when a band of Netheril mages, led by the sorcerer-king Lanthor, decided to end his threat against the world once and for all. They defeated the lich in a spectacular spell-battle, in doing so destroying the fortress, leaving only of seven pillars of stone around the area where the lich last stood as a monument of their triumph."
"Or a warning." Said Galadriel. "The elves are familiar of the great power of Tandrull for his threat reaches far and has struck the elves time and again throughout our history. I question your wisdom, Sarelle, in going to that place. There were whispers amongst the elven sages of the old saying that Tandrull was defeated but not destroyed. Despite their great power, the best the Netheril mages could do was imprisoning the lich in another plane and using powerful enchantments to seal off the portal. To this day, the place has always been a place of great evil. I do not think this is a good idea, Sarelle."
"We will not enter the ruins, Galadriel. We merely ride the fringe of it. With the Zhentarim at our backs and bandits at our front, we don't really have any choices in this matter. I have no wish to cross steel with bandits at this hour and weather. The ruin is well known for its evil histories and has always been a place of foreboding. Even bandits avoid the place. With luck, we'll win an uninterrupted journey for a day or two before arriving at Iriaebor."
"What say you, Brian and Nick? And you Andy?" said Galadriel.
"I say we take our chances." Said Brian thoughtfully. "It's not like we are going to touch or disturb anything. We're simply passing through."
Nick nodded.
"I'm not comfortable with it," said Andy "but I don't think we have much choice. My spells are numerous and more than a match against simple bandits but I am still recovering from my healing. I say we take our chances and pray that Tymora and Tempus look upon us favorably."
"Huh, I don't think I have much say in this considering I'm just a head and all," Muragh piped in "but I got a bad feeling about this."
They have crested a hill when it happened. A cold and terrible howl pierced though the darkness and rain and wind, halting everyone in their track. The horses began to whine in fear. Nick looked back nervously.
"What was that?"
Lightning flashes again and the roar of thunder followed. Then again, the howl arises, so cold and so terrible that it raises the hair at the back of Nick's neck.
"Galadriel?" asked Sarelle sharply.
The elf shook her head in wary silence.
"I know not. But whatever it is, it is very evil. My elven blood broiled even as I sense it." The elf replied.
The howl rises again, nearer this time.
"I know that sound." Said Andy softly, causing the others to turn towards him. Blood began to drains from his face. "Curse the gods, it cannot be..."
"What is it, Andy?" asked Sarelle. In the distance, the howls arise again. Brian began to look around uneasily.
Andy looked at the priestess with naked fear in his eyes.
"We must flee! We cannot fight this!" Andy hissed and spurred his horse around and rushed off with Nick at his side. Soon they were riding hard again through the wilderness and rain. The howls get nearer and nearer as they rushed through the muddy path.
"What is it Andy? What are we running from?!" Nick shouted above the howling wind and the crashing thunder.
"Hellhounds!" Andy shouted back. "Terrible beasts from the Abyss. Someone back there must be powerful enough to summon these beast and unleashed it upon us!"
"The beholder back at the inn?" asked Galadriel.
Andy shook his head.
"Maybe. Or perhaps a Zhentarim mage. Beholders have always been allies to the Zhents."
Thunder crashes again and they topped another hill. In the distance, though the brief flash of lightning, they could make out the outline of seven pillars or stone stretching up skywards as if to embrace the sky, half hidden within the mists and darkness.
Lightning flashes again, lighting the surrounding briefly.
"Look! Over there!" Brian cried out.
In the distance, they could see four huge beasts, rushing towards the hill they are on. Even from the distance, Nick could see the glow of hell fire emanating from the beast's mouth and eyes.
"They are moving too fast! We cannot outrun them!" said Galadriel grimly.
"No creatures in the Realms except the dragons can outrun a hellhound." Andy replied as he drew his staff out from the strap of his saddle. "We must fight them and I need to be at the height of my power to do it."
"Have you faced such creatures before?" asked Sarelle.
Andy looked at the creatures for a moment or two before answering. When he answered, Nick noticed his eyes flashes briefly in pain.
"Aye." Andy whispered. "Once... long time ago."
"Let's head for the ruins. If we have to do a battle, we'll do it at our own terms." Said Galadriel.
They spurred their horses around and rushed through the path towards the distant ruins. As they got nearer, Nick began to feel a sliver of fear creeping into his soul as he stares at the towering pillars of black stone that mark the remnants of a powerful evil that has once ruled this land.
"It looks like we'll be going to that place after all," Muragh squeaked against the gushing wind as they rushed through the mud-covered trail.
Behind them, the howl rises again, nearer this time.
Some distance behind them...
Halaccan watched warily at the disappearing hellhounds he summoned a moment before. Hellhounds are normally stupid beast that relishes in carnage and blood. Although useful, like all creatures of the Abyss, they are unreliable especially when it comes to loyalty. It took great amount of his willpower to coerce them into performing his bidding.
"Impressive."
Halaccan turns to regard the beholder at his side expressionlessly, though his fear towards the creature is even greater than the hellhounds. After his failure in the Moonshae Isles, he has been following Brian, Sarelle and Galadriel ever since, noting their skills and planning his next move.
Lortan, the beholder, found him near the Friendly Arm Inn area. His fear rose even further when the beholder made it clear that both Sememmon of Darkhold and he are fully aware of his defeat and his failure in the Moonshae Isles. But thanks to Mystra and Bane, the Lord of Darkhold has decided to give him another chance. If he fails again, then his life is truly forfeited and he will be at the beholder's mercy - a fate that he truly dreaded.
Beholders have always been feared throughout the Realms. Intelligent and powerful, they are considered to be almost as powerful and crafty as dragons. They fear little and only the most powerful archmages could ever hope to have any chance against these creatures.
Lortan in particular, is even more dangerous. Normal beholders do not have the abilities to shape-change and masquerade as a human. But through Sememmon's dark magic, Lortan has managed to gain such abilities. With this in hand, the beholder could assume any form he wants and walk amongst the people in the Realms.
"To have the power enough to summons hellhounds. Its surprising that with the amount of power you possess, you were still defeated by a half-trained boy and a priestess in the Moonshae Isles."
Biting back his angry retort, Halaccan simply looked at the beholder expressionlessly. Being bold towards a beholder is never wise, a lesson Halaccan learned firsthand through a now dead comrade in the halls of Zhentil Keep where he was apprenticed.
"I was led by an over-ambitious fool. Lord Manshoon should have let me taken charge instead of that fool cleric." He said softly, careful to keep his anger in check. "I shall prevail this time. They shall die by my hands, by Bane I swear it!"
The beholder chuckled softly.
"We shall see, mageling. We shall see." Said Lortan. "But know this, Halaccan. The only thing that is standing between you and your death by my hands is Sememmon's order for granting you to live. Pray that you succeed in your task, lest you shall be my next meal. And my appetite for human flesh has never gone down even after all these years.
In the Stonelands, North of Cormyr...
"Howard? Howard, please wake up."
Howie opened his eyes and saw the worried eyes of Tessaril, looking at him sadly.
"Tess," he said hoarsely.
"Shhh..." the Lady of Eveningstar said soothingly. "The pain will pass. Be steadfast."
"What happened?"
"The mage, Damien, used a Mind-Delving Spell upon you. He knows now of your dreams and our destination." Tessaril replied.
Howie winced as he sat up and leaned against the wall. Looking up, he saw Zen standing near the door, looking at him. The old soldier nodded at him once before turning to look outside the door. The younger Purple Dragon soldier, Derek slept quietly near the corner.
"How long was I unconscious?"
"For nearly a day, I think. It's hard to tell with us being in this dark dungeon." Said Tessaril.
Howie looked at the cuts and bruises on Tessaril's face.
"What did they do to you?"
Tessaril looked at him resignedly.
"What they didn't do to me is what you should be asking." She sighed before wincing at the small cut on her lips. "The woman, Deina, is an old foe of mine. Be wary of her, Howard, for she is more powerful than she appears to be. She is a priestess of Talos, God of Storms and Destructions."
"I have faced her a couple of years back when I accompanied a Harper friend of mine to defeat a necromancer that is wreaking havoc near the Storm Horn Mountains. Deina was serving that wizard at the time. While the Harpers battled with the wizard, I was left to battle Deina. Her power matches mine in almost everyway and had it not for my battle skills, I would have surely been slain back then."
"I defeated her and she fled, badly wounded. And now she has managed to capture me. Naturally she wants revenge." Tessaril closed her eyes and shuddered. "She will never let me die. She tortured me in every way she could think of, but when I nearly died, she healed me again. It goes on and on, and the only think I could hope of is that she grew tired of me and slay me."
Howie looked at her in pure sorrow as he listened.
"Where are we, Tess? We must flee this place."
Tessaril simply shook her head.
"I know we're somewhere within the Stonelands. But the Stonelands is a vast area of desolated wilderness, filled with all kinds of brigands and monster. We might escape this place, but we might not make it out alive to Cormyr."
Howie pulled against his chains again, testing its strength.
"I think I can break this chain." He murmured. "We might not make it back alive to Cormyr, Tess. But I'm damn well not going to die here. Can you use your magic, Tess?"
Tessaril shook her head.
"They took away my spell book and my spell components. Without it, my magic is useless."
"Then we have to find it." Said Howie. "Zen, how strong is the door?"
Zen looked at him strangely and gently feels the door.
"Strong, but not too strong. What are you planning, lad?"
"Any guards outside?"
Zen peered through the bar to look into the gloomy hallway outside their cell.
"Forget it lad. There's about six... nay, seven well-armed guards outside. Without weapons, they may as well cut us down like grass."
"It's the chance I'm gonna take," said Howie.
"Hold, lad!" Zen hissed and looked outside more intently. "Something amiss."
"What is it Zen?" asked Tessaril as she stood and peered outside with Howie.
Within the hall outside, two shadowy figures glided soundlessly towards the guards. Then, there was a glint of steel and one of the guards slumped down to the floor silently. Another guard looked up at his comrade and cried out in surprise. But his cries turned into a horrible gurgle as the other figure slipped behind him and sliced his throat.
By then the other guards were shouting and grabbing their weapons. The first figure flicked his wrist and another guard fell to the floor with a dagger in his throat. Then, with lightning speed, the figure has his slim longsword out to block the swing of another guard.
Two guards charged towards the other figure, who stood facing them calmly and weaponless. Then, as they got nearer, the figure laughed and flipped over gracefully, landing behind them, with a dagger held in both hands, ready to throw. Then with a swift glide, the figure turned and at the same time, the daggers flew through the air, one embedded straight into one of the guard's chest, the other bounced harmlessly away from the other guard's armor.
The surviving guard circled around slowly, sword out before him, watching the figure warily. The figure smiled and followed his movements.
"Now, now, dear. You wouldn't hurt a woman, would you?" the figure spoke softly as she drew her own sword out.
The guard sneered and charged, sword swinging before him. The woman simply laughed and met his charge, swings to swings, blows to blows.
The other figure has his own epic battle in his own hands too. He parried off the swing of one of the guards before dodging the swing of the other. The sword sliced over his head so close that he could actually feel the air rushing by over his forehead.
"Whoa, man. Careful. You could have hurt someone with that, you know." He said before spinning around and swiped his foot across the first guard's face. Boot meet face and soon, with a cracking sound, the guard's face spun around... though his body doesn't.
Howie looked up at the voice.
"I know that voice." He whispered in disbelief. "AJ? AJ!!!"
"Coming though!" cried the woman as she thrust her feet hard into the guard's abdomen. The guard stumbled backward dazedly.
At the same time, the guard AJ was fighting thrust his sword forward, roaring with rage. AJ dodged sideway and down at the same time as the other guard stumbled backward and impaled himself onto the thrusting sword.
The last guard cursed and turned around, just in time to see AJ's sword thrusting into his abdomen. At the same time, he felt another dagger piercing the back of his neck, before he keeled over, dead.
"AJ!!"
AJ looked up at the direction of the voice and gave a cheerful grin through his blood-spattered face.
"I know you have your own ways towards women, D, but a priestess of Talos? Man! You must be desperate."
"Just get us out of here, you dickhead. I'm happy enough to see you again, so don't spoil the moment!"
In the High Forest, in the North...
"A hard day of healing?" asked Ken wryly as Garth knelt beside him. The cleric just grunted.
"Hard on the knees, anyway," he agreed, rolling open one of his healing scroll. "Now lie there, damn ye. It's hard enough convincing Tymora that healing an unrepentant servant of Mielikki like thyself is a devout act, without ye squirming around."
"True enough," Ken agreed, settling himself. "Where's Kevin? Is he alright?"
"Aye. Keres sent him and Alvin off into the woods to make sure the area is safe." Replied the cleric. Ken raised his eyebrow. "A recipe for disaster I know. Who knows what that lame-brain thief will get yer man into out there."
"Lame-brain? Me? Well, that's as polite and yet as honest calling as I've ever had in a long time," the thief unmistakable voice floated dryly from behind them.
Garth and Ken turned to see Kevin and Alvin striding out from amongst the bushes.
"It's 'bout time ye're here," said Garth gruffly. "Kevin, yer lad is healed. Do whate'er yer want with him. And you, ye blasted thief! Ye've been stealing healing potions out of my bag again didn't ye?!"
Alvin just grinned.
"How are you, love?" said Kevin. He gave the half-elf a small kiss before sitting beside him. Ken smiled at him fondly.
"As well as I can be, thank to our Tymoran friend here." Ken replied before peering into Kevin's eyes curiously. "You looked strangely happy. What's news?"
"Guess who I found in the woods again." Said Kevin.
"Who?"
Kevin grinned and whistled, holding his forearm out. Then, out from the trees above, a falcon swoop down and landed gracefully, squawking cheerfully.
"Sabre!!!" Ken laughed as he stroked the falcon gently. "I thought you were lost!"
The falcon squawked again and hopped onto Ken's forearm.
"Hmph, a man like ye shouldn't be wasting yer time with parrots and trees. Stick to the humble works of a priest I say. That is the best thing of all." Garth grumbled as he pack his scroll case into his bag.
Alvin snorted.
"Oh, you can leave Ken to Garth to learn how to ride and fight and worship and all," said the thief, "and let me ride with you, Kevin. I am witty, agile, clean, quick and experienced. Stick with me and I can make a good thief out of you."
"And probably end up being a halfwit like ye too!" Kevin snorted, drawing a soft giggle from Ken. "I'll stick with my love here, though I do owe all of you for aiding us, especially you Garth for healing us all."
"Worry not about that lad. 'Tis what I walk the Realm fer." Said Garth. "Now where's the ale? With all those battles and flying mages and fireballs all around, a priest can get very thirsty!"
"Delg has them. Better be quick, servant of Tymora, lest the dwarf finish it all before you get there." Said Alvin cheerfully.
"When the Abyss freeze over!!!" roared Garth as he lumbered his way to the direction of the dwarf. Alvin accompanied him.
Beneath the caverns of the Star Mountains...
"Rise O Great Shargrailar, for the Cult needs your great strength."
The blue dragon opened his terrible eyes and stared at the female mage that stood before him.
"Who dares disturb my rest?!" the dragon roared as it slithered to wake. Its eyes caught the cruel, cold eyes of the mage. He recognizes her. It's Diana, one of Halaster's apprentices. An invoker, Shargrailar remembered - a mage specializing in the manipulation of magical energy and shaping it into the desired effects like fireball or lightning bolts. Powerful indeed, since most battle magic arises from the field of Invocation and Evocation.
"I heard of Halaster's defeat, young Diana." Said Shargrailar. "I suppose he sent you to exact his revenge?"
"Aye, Great One." The invoker replied calmly. "Shall we do this together?"
The blue dragon chuckled softly before nodded.
"It has been long since I wrecked terror onto the lands outside." He said confidently. "Ride behind me, mage. Witness the terrible power of Shargrailar!"
Diana smiled cruelly as she cast the Spell of Flight upon herself in bravado (or rather, she told herself, began it a little early; she intended to use it during dragonriding, in case of a fall in aerial battle or treachery on the part of the great blue dragon). She flew over the glittered coins and gems of the dragon hoard, over the awed guardian warriors of the Cult of the Dragons, to reach Shargrailar. She paused before the dragon's broad head and bowed respectfully, eyes lowered - for it is not safe to meet the wise old eyes of a dragon, even if one is a powerful mage. She flew slowly up and around in a smooth arc to settle lightly upon the back of the great dragon, between its wings.
"My thanks, Great One." Diana said as she drew several magical rings and amulets from the pouch at her belt, settled the wands on her thighs for rapid drawing and nestled herself in behind a fin she could grasp once her gloves were on.
The great wings gathered above them as the dragon leaped upward in a great bound into the darkness. The shaft from its lair twisted and bent back upon itself to entrap and discourage flying intruders. The great wings beat twice, precisely in the rare spaces where they could spread. Suddenly there was daylight, and they burst out into it in a great roaring glide that curved up and became a climb. The great blue dragon let out a roar that echoed back from the surrounding peaks of the Star Mountains, and it wheeled out over the High Forest that stretched almost endlessly before them...
Far to the West, in the great city of Neverwinter...
Deep within the sacred inner chamber of the Great Hall of Justice, the temple of Tyr, Reverend Judge Olef Uskar, High Priest of Tyr froze in the middle of his daily evening ritual to the God of Justice as the Hallowed Redeemer, a powerful sword blessed by priests of Tyr in the days of the old, began to glow with silvery-white light, over the sacred pedestal where it was placed. All about the room, priests and paladins of Tyr ceased their prayers to look upon the sword in confusion and awe. Regaining his composure, the Reverend Judge immediately fell into his own trance as he pray upon the God of Justice to guide him in translating this strange omen.
"What has transpired?" Lord Nasher, ruler of Neverwinter stepped forward to regard the High Priest.
"Great evil somewhere in the East, probably within the High Forest. And a time of strife will come soon. Be vigilant all. Lord Tyr commands."
Meanwhile, in the High Forest...
"Shameless philanderer," Garth growled. He looked at the trees all about them. "I wonder if there will be further attacks soon?"
"While you're standing there," Alvin replied, "If you keep yapping sourly and tempting fates as to when we are going to have our next attacks and the dangers you have foolishly plunged headlong into, I'll be obliged to fetch Delg here to aid me in hammering some sense into you, but make sure you pray to the Lady Luck for healing spells beforehand, because once we're finished, you head will be to painful to even think even if your life is in danger! An attack from one mage is enough lay low most of us here. I'd be grateful to have a moment of peace before plunging myself into another battle."
"Aye, there ye speak truth, I doubt not, for the first time in my life," Garth replied wryly. "Is there no wine about?" He peered about the campsite and met Lamelle's eyes. Lamelle grinned back and shook her head.
"No," Alvin answered the cleric brightly. "Between you and Delg, our supply of wines seems to run out quickly indeed. A tragedy, I agree."
"Indeed!" Garth groaned, "May Tymora help us all! I can feel my thirst growing already."
"Here, then." Alvin passed him a flask. Garth unstoppered it and sniffed suspiciously.
"What is it? I smell nothing."
"Water of the Gods," Alvin replied. "Pale ale. Tymora's Tipple."
"Eh?" the cleric frowned at him suspiciously. "Ye blaspheme?"
"No," said Alvin. "I offer you a drink, sot. Your thirst, remember?"
"Aye," Garth agreed, mollified, and took a swig. "Aaaagh!" he said, spitting most of it out. "It is water."
"Yes, as I told you," Alvin replied smoothly, and then leaped nimbly out of reach as the cleric reached for him.
The chosen of Tymora pursued his sly tormentor across the rocky hilltop; while Kevin and Ken looked up from under the tree they sat and shook their heads.
"Playing already, I see," Ken remarked, just loudly enough for Alvin to hear. The thief turned and waved at him, grinning - and promptly fell over a stone, with Garth on top of him. In the distance, Lamelle and Myra chuckled softly while Delg looked upon them in sour disgust.
The scene was interrupted by a shout from Keres. Kevin's head snapped up as he looked to where the paladin's blade pointed.
"'Ware, all" came Keres' voice, and all around him, the adventurers drew their weapons and looked.
Far off in the sky to the south, a dark winged shape moved, drawing nearer. It was large and serpentine.
"Dragon!" Keres and Lamelle shouted, and the adventurers began to move.
"Gods laughter," Alvin muttered as he ran past, "will this never end?"
The adventurers scattered, seeking cover of the large boulders. Kevin stared at the approaching dragon in awe. Even from the distance, he couldn't help but admire the magnificent beauty of this supposedly most powerful and dangerous creature in all of the Realms. Its blue scales seem to writhe in the afternoon sun, occasionally reflecting the light back to the sky. The sunlight passed down the dragon's great spearlike horns, crossed down the awesome beast's ridge skull, past the red glowing eyes to the maw that could snapped a giant in half with hardly an effort. It's wings stretched out wide on each side, supporting the great bulk of the creature's body in the air with ease. Looking on, Kevin could see the outline of a figure, sitting proudly on the dragon's back.
Kevin gulped at the scene before him and raised his long bow, nocking it with his best magical arrows. Though what good will these do against a dragon, he has no idea.
Ken and Myra arrived on the run to where Kevin is standing. The half-elven ranger held his nocked bow readily. Lamelle stood a distance away, apparently unconcerned but watching the sky. Then the sorceress raised her hands and quietly began to work a spell.
"Kevin, take your stand over there," said Ken gravely and jerked his head toward a spur of a rock far off to the right. "Use your best arrow and make every shot count."
His tone, for all its gentleness, was a command, and Kevin made no protest as he make his way towards the place in haste. Ken moved off to the other side of the clearing while Myra turned to make her way further up the rise.
Lamelle and Garth were both casting spells now, calmly calling up every protective and beneficiary spells they memorized in their mind. Alvin was quaffing wine hastily from behind the huge boulder where he hides with a ready crossbow in his other hand.
"This is not a good time to fight a dragon." Said Kevin.
"Lad," Ken replied as he moved off, "it's never a good time to fight a dragon."
Myra squeezed his shoulder for a moment, and were gone across the clearing. A faint belch echoed in her wake. Alvin turned once to wave and grin as the blue dragon roared upon them.
Shargrailar came down out of the chilly heights in a long glide, great wings spread stiffly. Upon its back, Diana waved her hands and spoke grim words of magic, calmly calling upon her most powerful spell into being. Eight balls of fire sprang from her fingertips, as the spell of Meteor Swarm was unleashed, flashing past Shargrailar's blue neck like shafts from a bow, trailing flame. Down they sizzled. Shargrailar arched its giant wings like sails to slow its dive.
There was a flash and a ground-shaking roar as the balls of flame exploded. Fire leaped briefly towards the sky. In the inferno, Diana saw shapes staggering, yet standing against her. She drew a wand from her belt even as Shargrailar eagerly lowered its neck and spat blue white lightning bolt from its maw. Shargrailar roared triumphantly as two of his enemies fell. The dragon was turning and climbing steeply as the cold gray flank of one of the rocky peaks rushed up to meet it.
The great wings beat once, twice and then there was a sudden, sickening shudder beneath Diana. The vast body of the dragon faltered and twisted. Diana grabbed at a razor sharp bony fin on the wyrm's neck to maintain her balance and cried out in surprise, juggling the wand for a few anxious moments. Shargrailar convulsed again, and sheered off sideways in the air with breath-robbing speed, revealing their foe.
In the air behind them flew a paladin in full plate armor, shield up before him, long naked sword that blazed in holy light reaching again towards Shargrailar.
'Those blasted fools must have a mage to cast the spell of Flight on them!' she thought angrily.
Diana snarled and blasted the fool with her spell. Magic missiles pelted the twisting paladin like a sudden rain, and he fell away as they swept on.
Dianna hissed a curse into the wind as she felt Shargrailar's wingbeats come more slowly, and heard the joyous battle-roars of the great dragon no more. Her wyrm was hurt already! These people looked to be tougher than she had thought!
She was readying a lightning bolt spell as Shargrailar swept around once more and she saw a woman garbed in a mage robe standing on the rocks below. Ah! The mage! Beyond her, there was a fat man that looks like a priest. Diana dismissed him as nothing as she bent her gaze on the female mage and cast her lightning bolt spell.
Lightning seared the air in its crackling descent, white and writhing. Diana's eyes widened as she saw the bolt crawled harmlessly over what looks like an invisible spherical barrier around the enemy mage. The bolt swirled around and then shot back towards her. The evil invoker screamed as the bolt shot home. Loviatar spits on them! The Spell of Turning! She should have known better than to think the female mage would not have cast protective spells over herself beforehand!
The female mage looked up calmly as she cast a spell of her own. Her eyes twinkled slightly in silent amusement. Diana snarled, a little unsettled and reached for another wand. At the same time, she hastily cast a spell that would protect her from any magical energy the female mage might cast upon her. Shargrailar would not stoop as low as he had last time. The great wings were already lifting them up steadily.
Lamelle finished her spellcasting and spread her hands skywards, letting the magical energy coarse through her body. Then the very air coalesced before Diana to form the body of a huge air elemental and before Diana could even groan, Shargrailar's flight had swept her into it with a stunning speed. The clap of their meeting was thunderous.
A broken wand and a dagger spun down out of the air as the dragon screamed shrilly and thundered past above them. Myra turned in the wind of its passing and said "Now!" as she dispelled the protective barrier around the evil sorceress. Lamelle nodded, lifted a wand of her own, and breathed its word of command gently over it, her eyes on Diana. Magic missiles hissed forth, twisting and turning in the air to follow the slumped invoker, clinging to the back of the great blue dragon. The huge air elemental hung in the air by her shoulder and moved with her.
Shargrailar swept around again, and Diana rose in her saddle, roaring her rage and pain as she spat the necessary word and the wand spewed lightning. The air elemental struck at her again, and Diana was hurled back against Shargrailar's rough scales by the blow. She had a brief glimpse of the paladin in armor flying up and at her, that blazing long sword swinging...
Shargrailar saved her, striking out in fear with one wing at the paladin that had so hurt him before. The point of Keres' blade skittered harmlessly across the dragon's scales. The dragon struck at him and then, with a flapping of wings, rolled swiftly away.
Far below, Lamelle breathed the last words of her final Spell of Flight as she gently touched Ken's forehead. Ken smiled at her briefly before springing aloft, blade flashing, to join the fray.
As she knelt by the moaning form of Delg and Alvin, Myra was calmly using her own druidic magic to summon insects to attack the enemy mage. Ten paces away, Kevin released arrows after arrows towards the dragon, though the arrows did little damage against the armor-like scales of the great wyrm. The dragon leaned forward again and spat out another of its deadly lightning breath, this time towards Lamelle. As the bolt descended, Garth raised his hands as he chanted his most powerful prayer. The bolt crawled harmlessly away, as a barrier against dragonbreath appeared from behind the two spellcasters, curved forward and slammed together before them.
The battle raged on overhead. The dragon slashed at Keres with its claws, cartwheeling across the sky with mighty beats of its wings. Ken was flying as fast as he could, while the uncanny air elemental struck again in midair and Diana cast down lightning once more. Then Diana rose from her saddle again, snarling a spell, staring balefully at Keres and Ken as she did so.
"Go, Sabre!" Kevin shouted.
A blur of shadow rise up from the forest and her spellcasting was foiled as Sabre scratched her face, screeching in anger. The dragon swooped away again, with Diana hanging at its back, screaming curses of anger and pain as she did.
Myra finished her spell, pointing at Diana carefully, and then turned her attention again to healing Delg and Alvin. From the forest, swarm of wasps, mosquitoes, bees and biting flies rose up and snarled as a single entity in the direction where Myra pointed. Kevin raised his bow and aimed carefully at Diana. At the same time Diana, amidst the pain of the attacking insects, saw him and hurled a lightning bolt towards him. Kevin staggered and fell as the bolt struck at the same time as Diana screamed in pain as the arrow struck deeply into her shoulder.
"Look out! She's free of the insects!" Kevin heard Myra cried out a moment later.
Then the ground shook again as the fireball Diana hurled exploded in front of Lamelle, Garth and Myra...