Happy February, everyone! It's time for another chapter of the strange wee fantasy story I seem to be creating. I want to try and post one of these a week so if you're enjoying them, you're in for a lot more. If you're not enjoying them... Well then F you I guess come back another time.
Anyway please sit yerselve's down and have a nice wee read of...
Chapter Three: The Ravine
Darius Grimhold gritted his teeth and popped his shoulder back into place. The shield had broken his fall, but his left arm had gone numb regardless. That'll be another trip to Doctor Leafy, he thought. Too much of the money earned from his questing went towards visits to Doctor Leafy. That Halfling quack could probably retire early, if this particular excursion caused any more damage.
High above Darius, the battle raged on. He couldn't quite remember who or what had knocked him off the bridge, but he was willing to bet that a rogue fireball had exploded just a little too close to his face. The smell of singed moustache was all too familiar at this point.
“DARIUS!!” The call echoed down the ravine from the bridge. “YOU STILL ALIVE, BUDDY?!” Darius looked up and saw Elenor's silver hair and pointy ears peering down looking for him.
Still winded from the fall, Darius waved up at the Elf just as a pair of skeletal arms pulled him out of sight. A few seconds later, the creature they belonged to was tossed from the bridge, an ornate Elvish dagger buried in its chest.
“SHIT!” The old knight stumbled out of the way just as the corpse was about to land on him. There was an unsettling crunch as it hit the ground and Darius gave it a nudge with his foot to make sure the cursed thing was really dead. “Nope!” It made a grab for his ankles, its smashed face a mix of anger and desperation. “Poor bugger...” Darius’ massive boot crashed into its skull, putting it out of its misery once and for all.
“IS IT DEAD?!” Elenor was back at the edge of the bridge. Darius gave a thumbs up and kicked the corpse again. “WE’RE JUST ABOUT DONE WITH THE-”
KRAKOOM!! Another explosion shook the ancient stone bridge, causing loose pieces of decaying masonry to shower down on Darius
“OKAY WE’RE ALL GOOD UP HERE!! CAN YOU FIND A WAY BACK UP?!”
Darius looked around for a way up to the bridge. Several vines crept up the walls of the ravine, but with his broken arm and heavy armour, Darius would struggle to climb them.
“AH SO YOU SURVIVED THE FALL THEN?!” Another face had joined Elenor’s to check on their fallen partner. It was a long way up, but Darius easily recognised the smug little shit. The most reckless young wizard he’d ever had the misfortune of working with.
“Wilred…” Darius growled “YOU SON OF A BITCH!! YER DAMN EXPLODING FIREBALLS ALMOST KILLED ME!! HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO GET BACK UP TO YOU?!”
“YEAH SORRY ABOUT THAT!! THE MAP SAYS THERE'S A TUNNEL ENTRANCE ABOUT 50 PACES THAT-A WAY!!” Wilred pointed along the ravine behind Darius. “IT SHOULD LEAD STRAIGHT INTO THE NECROMANCER'S CASTLE!! JUST UNDER THE DUNGEONS!!”
Looking along the walls, there was indeed a small tunnel entrance. Although it looked more like a large sewage outflow pipe. The ground around it muddy and rotten.
“Brilliant.” Another low growl. The only place more dingy and depressing than a dungeon, was the network of tunnels that ran under it.
“AND HOW AM I GOING TO FIND YOU WHEN I-” Darius looked up to see his two young companions had already left. Fucking kids. He knelt down to the crumpled, lifeless thing next to him and wrenched the dagger from its chest. This should pay for my arm, at least. Doctor Leafy loves an antique.
Many, many, years later in a tiny apothecary shop in Brazenhold, Wilred the Well-Read is rooting around an old chest in a forgotten cupboard. "I'm sure I put it somewhere in here..." he mutters, lifting out various scrolls and dull gemstones. One of his many cats pokes its head into the chest, having found something shiny under a scrap of leather. The old wizard snaps his fingers at this discovery, spooking the cat slightly. "Good find, Oscar." Out of nowhere, he produces a morsel of fish as a reward for his companion.
"Oh for Pete's sake. What is it, Wilred? You've been searching for hours now."
Unwrapping the leather, Wilred finds that the Elvish dagger is just as shiny and sharp as it was back at the Necromancer's castle. It has hardly aged a day. Just like the Elf it belongs to.
"This, my impatient friend," The wizard grins a wide grin and presents the dagger to his companion "I believe this is yours."
High above Darius, the battle raged on. He couldn't quite remember who or what had knocked him off the bridge, but he was willing to bet that a rogue fireball had exploded just a little too close to his face. The smell of singed moustache was all too familiar at this point.
“DARIUS!!” The call echoed down the ravine from the bridge. “YOU STILL ALIVE, BUDDY?!” Darius looked up and saw Elenor's silver hair and pointy ears peering down looking for him.
Still winded from the fall, Darius waved up at the Elf just as a pair of skeletal arms pulled him out of sight. A few seconds later, the creature they belonged to was tossed from the bridge, an ornate Elvish dagger buried in its chest.
“SHIT!” The old knight stumbled out of the way just as the corpse was about to land on him. There was an unsettling crunch as it hit the ground and Darius gave it a nudge with his foot to make sure the cursed thing was really dead. “Nope!” It made a grab for his ankles, its smashed face a mix of anger and desperation. “Poor bugger...” Darius’ massive boot crashed into its skull, putting it out of its misery once and for all.
“IS IT DEAD?!” Elenor was back at the edge of the bridge. Darius gave a thumbs up and kicked the corpse again. “WE’RE JUST ABOUT DONE WITH THE-”
KRAKOOM!! Another explosion shook the ancient stone bridge, causing loose pieces of decaying masonry to shower down on Darius
“OKAY WE’RE ALL GOOD UP HERE!! CAN YOU FIND A WAY BACK UP?!”
Darius looked around for a way up to the bridge. Several vines crept up the walls of the ravine, but with his broken arm and heavy armour, Darius would struggle to climb them.
“AH SO YOU SURVIVED THE FALL THEN?!” Another face had joined Elenor’s to check on their fallen partner. It was a long way up, but Darius easily recognised the smug little shit. The most reckless young wizard he’d ever had the misfortune of working with.
“Wilred…” Darius growled “YOU SON OF A BITCH!! YER DAMN EXPLODING FIREBALLS ALMOST KILLED ME!! HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO GET BACK UP TO YOU?!”
“YEAH SORRY ABOUT THAT!! THE MAP SAYS THERE'S A TUNNEL ENTRANCE ABOUT 50 PACES THAT-A WAY!!” Wilred pointed along the ravine behind Darius. “IT SHOULD LEAD STRAIGHT INTO THE NECROMANCER'S CASTLE!! JUST UNDER THE DUNGEONS!!”
Looking along the walls, there was indeed a small tunnel entrance. Although it looked more like a large sewage outflow pipe. The ground around it muddy and rotten.
“Brilliant.” Another low growl. The only place more dingy and depressing than a dungeon, was the network of tunnels that ran under it.
“AND HOW AM I GOING TO FIND YOU WHEN I-” Darius looked up to see his two young companions had already left. Fucking kids. He knelt down to the crumpled, lifeless thing next to him and wrenched the dagger from its chest. This should pay for my arm, at least. Doctor Leafy loves an antique.
---------------------
"Oh for Pete's sake. What is it, Wilred? You've been searching for hours now."
Unwrapping the leather, Wilred finds that the Elvish dagger is just as shiny and sharp as it was back at the Necromancer's castle. It has hardly aged a day. Just like the Elf it belongs to.
"This, my impatient friend," The wizard grins a wide grin and presents the dagger to his companion "I believe this is yours."
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