Rashemen - Book 3

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"Not me, Atten, but a few Hin have so the stories go. Had children too. Or so it is said."

She moves over near Kongol and waits anxiously for the response from the clerics.

 

"Aye, I know they've no reason to...yet. I was just serving notice that I'm ready for them if they ever do change their minds." Del stared out the cave opening as she spoke to Jex, her eyes darting involuntarily to where the two brothers stood side by side. "Just look at the way they stand there next to each other. So accustomed to murder and betrayal that they can still stand the sight of each other even after what they tried to do. Whatever they feel now will vanish when they find a better target for their evil."

 

Atten leaned back in a comfortably shaped hollow in the cave wall. This was infinitely more relaxing than the constant fighting and near death experiences that made up a typical day of adventuring with his current companions. But he was sure it wasn't going to last for long. Sooner or later, one of them would remember about some vastly important mission that could only be completed through insane disregard for personal safety.

 

Maron nodded instantly at Kongol's request, but Daie looked away for a few moments, and closed his eyes.

He opened them soon, and turned back.
'Fine. Tell me when you need it done.'

 

Kelvados stretched and walked back into the cave. He sat down on a boulder and gave a large yawn. His eyes looked down the deep tunnel, there was a flash of heat in the one to the left. But he didn't know what kinds of creatures lived down there. The sand was too scuffed up by the party to do any tracking.

Suddenly he stood up, his fingers tingled and his heart pounded.

"Viconia! Vi is down there!" He hollered to his brother, "we must go now, she is moving away." Kelvados didn't know how he sensed it but he knew it was her, there was no mistake.

 

Elendia was about to agree to help Kongol when Kelvados stood up and started shouting about someone named Viconia. She wasn't sure who this person was but apparently, she was important to the brothers. Elendia went to her bag and started to strap on her armor. She settled her helmet in place over her head and grabbed her shield and mace. She was going to be prepared if things got sticky.

 

Nakia prepared for battle but kept one eye on the captured halflings. She had a feeling that if they got away before be unspelled things could be bad. Bad for them and bad for the group and maybe a lot of people. She wanted to help the brothers but was torn.

Muttering in halfling, "Batok, nadinva, blasted Greater Good. Ayee, Atten's infecting me."

Calling to Jex who was nearest the halflings, "Jex, can you tie up those halflings so they can't get away? Remember they're halflings so good at escaping."

Whatever happened she hoped she would survive to free the halflings.

 

Jex pulled a strong thin elven made rope from his pack. He roughly grabbed both halflings and tied them together facing each other. He made sure to tie their arms in a way that they would need to either pop their elbow out of join or break their own arm to escape. Then leaned in close and smiled "I don't really care if you escape and run back to the orcs. Nakia is the only thing keeping you alive right now. I'd have no problem leaving you in this cave in a puddle of blood."

With that he started off towards the others.

 

Nakia moved off down the dark corridor. Some sort of plant growing on the walls gave off a minimal light and she could see quite clearly. The tunnel twisted and turned and suddenly she could hear the sound of fighting. Picking up speed she turned a corner to see a small figure fighting two grey golens.

Shouting, "Halfling, trouble, golems." Bullets rained on the golems from her sling, distracting them. With sword in one hand and a dagger in the other she began to dance around the golems, slashing at their legs. She was too busy fighting to pay attention to the other halfling but knew he also fought. She hoped some of the others would come quickly since the two halflings were rather outmatched by the golems.

 

Sepp heard Nakia's shout and was running down the corridor before he was fully awake. He turned the corner to see Nakia and another halfling fighting two large grey things. They looked pretty tough, but then they also looked like they were made out of stone, no, it was clay. A mixture of dirt and water. And here they were, standing in the middle of a very dry desert. And here was Sepp, holding the living Staff of the Tree in his hands, which had not drunk of water in awhile.

He pointed the Staff at the two clay creatures, and opened a conduit through the air for the water vapor in the creatures to pass into the Staff. Misty trails shot out from them into the Staff. Their movement became jerky and slow, their bodies powdery. With the next hits that Nakia and the other halfling landed on the two creatures, they both exploded into a dry cloud of grey dust.

When the dust settled, Sepp knelt down next to the piles to apologize to these creatures of the earth he had destroyed, but he felt no life force lingering.

Looking up at Nakia he asked, "These creatures were not elementals. They seem to have been created, with no life force of their own. What were they?"

 

Kelvados heard the shouts and raced with the others to see the trouble, but he felt a horrible urge to go left at the fork. He grabbed Delinos' cloak and pulled him along, he sprinted up the slanted tunnel. Turning a bend he was overwhelmed with a painful bright light. He covered his eyes, the light faded, and everything was returned to peaceful darkness. Before him stood a mass of... DROW! And the leader was the one that struck fear into his heart, beside her lay Viconia, bound and gagged.

"Matron!" He spat.

"The Brothers DeVir, I heard so much about, but your tracking skills are for below average. I had heard you were the finest in the land, and to my extreme annoyance, a friend of Loth's would like some officers. Dominance makes the person so much...... stupider. Therefore I ask you only once, become an officer of the army that will destroy the surface scum, or well.... die!" Her wrinkled face shown horribly, her power filled the room. It stuck to their clothes and it stank horribly.

"You wouldn't be affiliated with Gruumush, would you?"

"How perceptive of you," she cakled maniacly. "But yes, unfourtunately we had to look somewhere to get fodder, and orcs and their kind are perfect. And so easy to intice, and word there and a stab there. They are sent into a frenzy."

"Well..." Kelvados' hand flung out, a knife flashed and sliced towards the bitch. She didn'n move, and the blade merely struck an invisible barrier.

"You fool, did you realy think it would be that easy?"

"Yeah for a moment there, yeah I kinda did." He tried to distract her, as Viconia used the knife to cut her bonds.

"But, I suppose you're a lost cause, I'll have to tell Loth, she is DeVir-less!" She cried and put out her hand, mumbling a spell. She was disrupted when Viconia checked her off her feet. Instead of running towards her expecting brothers, she blasted them back, and collapsed the tunnel. Between the fallen rocks and rubble, they saw the scourge of black elves pierce her with deadly blades, again, and again. The cave was full, nothing could pass this way, but there were sure to be more of ways in these catacombs.

"We must tell the others," he hastily said and rushed down the passage, he was confused, water was dripping down his face, salty tears slided along his cheeks. He did not want his brother to see his new weakness, he was crtying!

 

Delinos ran in silent shock after his brother, who he had seen crying. While this was shocking indeed, the more shocking was seeing his sister, alive. He had seen her in visions and dreams, alive, sometimes dead, but actually seeing her was amazing. Delinos' feelings of shock were soon replaced with sorrow, as he had seen his sister pierced and attacked by his own kin.

He ran in sync with his brother, the two making little noise as they passed through the passage.

 

"Clay golems, mage makes 'em" Nakia wasn't really paying much attention to Sepp or the defunct golems.

"Perim!" She is caught up into the arms of the new halfling. He is about 101cm tall, with a handlebar moustache, wearing dark studded leather armour. He dances around with Nakia.

Perim: "Hey, you came at the right time." He turns and looks at Sepp with a slight frown. "Who's the friend?"

Nakia introduces Sepp and Perim. "Sepp is my cousin. Primo."

She drags them back to where the others are. "Hey, meet an old friend. This is Perim. Small world."

 

Ciana looked at the beaming face of Nakia, her obvious happiness at meeting this Perin was infectious a smile crept onto her face, which was quickly replaced by a puzzled frown as she looked at Perin.

"I'm sorry, but have we met before? I feel like I know you somehow"

 

"Nice to meet you, Perim," Sepp said. He thought that Perim looked kind of like his brother Gesed, especially the way his eyes were set above his cheek bones.

 

Perim swept a deep bow to Ciana. "My Lady, I have traveled far and met many but I would surely remember one as fair as thou.

And greetings, Sepp, cousin of my fair Nakia. It is my pleasure to know you."

Giving Nakia a hug, "Ah, Nakia, we have a lot of catching up to do. Especially what brings you to this forsaken place. But prehaps a little food and drink while we tell our tales?"

He looks around at the group, smiles and waves to all.

 

Daie smiled at the new halfling, but Maron grinned broadly and nudged Nakia.

'So, it's like that, is it?' she whispered, bending low o meet Nakia's ear.

 

Jex nodded he had heard ans felt the rumblings from what the drow brothers were doing. His hand stayed at his hilts. He trusted the halfing any friend of Nakias was a friend of his but he was still worried about the brothers.

 

Elendia stood off to the side. Thinking it curious that Perim just happened to be in this cave in the middle of no where. And that Nakia and Sepp just happened to save his life. She would give the halfling the benefit of doubt but she didn't trust the circumstances. Maybe she would feel better once she knew why he was in this cave in the middle of this Tyr forsaken desert.
The floor shook slightly and Elendia wondered where the brothers had gone. She had started back up the tunnel when she noticed Jex was a little on edge. She wondered if he was concerned about our new companion or the floor shaking, or maybe both.
Elendia started back up the tunnel to investigate.

 

Kongol had picked up the rogue Halflings and brought them down to the group; “If we do not have more interruptions, I will like to get this hins free, please.” Kongol then move the Halflings in front of Daie, Maron and Elindia and showed the scroll, “Please, one of you read it; I feel that they might even be important to Sepp, after all he let them alive”

Kongol then approaches the slightly taller Halfling next to Nakia and kneels down to get a bit closer “I’m sorry, It is a pleasure to meet you” Kongol said while looking at a blushed face of Nakia.