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The lordling smiles at Rolg, but shakes his head. “My place is here, defending my people. I believe your place is finishing what we started. It was an honor to fight alongside you, battle brother. I will see you when the matter is finished, I hope. It will surely be a fascinating tale.”
The young lordling reddens but does not look away from his father. Simon nods stiffly at the question. “It is all true -if anything, I coerced them to follow me. An army of goblinkind and giants in the thousands march on our heels, and their warlord rides a black, fire-breathing dragon. It seems, the beasts we thought to be long dead, are not.”
“What I wouldn’t give for my horse,” pants the Wyldote to himself. He holds his torch high and keeps a close proximity to Aladdin. He peers into the darkening landscape beyond the torchlight.
“I sent that bird to my father in Silogard two days ago. The message warned him of this warlord and a coming raid, but that was before we knew of the dragon and the size of the force,” Simon says between strides, “I don’t think we’ve ever seen such an organized attack...” he turns a questioning look to Logan, assuming the young lieutenant to have more insight on what “normal” sized goblin raids looked like. “Anyway, we can hope he responded by bolstering defenses, or at the very least, sending riders to investigate. Regardless, we need to get home to warn and aid the realm against this threat. We might have to run through the night.”
Simon keeps his bow trained on the bugbear already wounded from a previous arrow.
The shot drops the bugbear at Rolg's feet.
Simon’s arrow hits a burnt bugbear in the chest, but it does not bring it down.
Simon continues running, panting prayers into his helm as his heavy armor hurtles his onward.
Seeing the Rolg and Logan hesitate to cover the escape, Simon snaps a shot from his ready bow before pivoting and stomping heavy, armored steps away from the pursuing horde. But in his panic the string twangs and the arrow sails wide. The lordling does not look back.
An arrow clatters off the stone walls close to the bugbear and dwarf.
The bow creaks and the string snaps, and an arrow sticks into the bulgy back of Jamie’s attacker. “Aladdin, stay behind Bolgrith!” the lordling gasps, already reaching for another arrow.
Simon ties the goblin’s line to his belt and unlimbers his bow and nocks an arrow, grimacing at the echoes of the melee. “If we can take them down quietly, we should,” he says to no one in particular.
“Quiet everyone. I heard something ahead,” the lordling whispers urgently. Simon scowls, and tugs on Gat’s rope, perhaps a little too roughly. “What was that? Tell me what that was!” he hisses. Gat looks up at him in confusion, rubbing his thin neck and very plainly not knowing what the Wyldote is talking about. His other hand takes hold of the longsword handle at his belt, but does not draw it as he peers into the dark ahead of them.
Still holding onto the rope tied to Gat, Simon follows the guide with a wary look, picking his footfalls through the uneven rock floor.
The lordling picks up one of the bows, and tests the draw, but is unable to fully pull it back. Quietly setting down the bow, he looks over the set of field plate ignored by Rolg and Logan. “Not like my set at home, but it should suffice until we get there…” After shedding his chainmail, during which he reddened at Jamie’s catcalls from across the room, the Wyldote asks one of his companions to help him into the heavy plate. In a few minutes, he walks around the room a few times, rotating his arms and taking high-knee steps, testing his range of movement. He stops at the collection of shields, and seeing that no one has taken the magical buckler, secures it over his plated left forearm. Satisfied, he approaches the weapons rack, and takes up one of the longswords set aside by Bolgrith as a magical weapon. Drawing the blade, the lordling spins it by his wrist, and blade whistles through the air. Nodding, he moves the scimitar to the other side of his belt and straps in the longsword as his first choice in combat. Then he stoops and shoulders one of the oversized quiver of arrows, and readjusts his bow for easy retrieval. His clanking steps take him to the door, cutting a much more knightly figure than a soft nobleman.
“Stonebit. They will attack Stonebit first,” Simon answers Logan as he rises numbly, regarding the goblin at their feet with a look of disgust. “I told him to lead us out, a way where we won’t get spotted by the army. Once we are a good distance away, we run like mad, back to the Commonwealth. There we can get a ship to the Hammertides, and warn our people.” He reaches into his pack and produces a rope. On one end, he fashions a loop knot and tightens it around the goblin’s neck. Then he nods to Logan for the goblin to be released.
Anger flashes over Simon’s face, but he bites his tongue and pauses before speaking to Rolg. “I see your reasoning, Rolg. This is a dire situation indeed, and it seems we’ve learned of it too late. And six of us running out with brazen blades won’t help...” He is quiet for a moment before he steps up to where Logan holds down the goblin and stoops closer to the gnarled, ugly face. “Spune-ne unde te va ataca primul.” He places a hand on the lieutenant’s boot and presses it harder onto the goblin’s small body. “Nu am atentia ta?” The lordling keeps a dark look on the goblin as he gestures to Rolg. “El va scrie numele dumneavoastră dacă nu ne ajuta sa se strecoare de aici nevătămat. Vei face cum spunem noi.”
goblin: “Tell us where your army will attack first.” “Do I have your attention?” “He will write your name if you do not help us sneak out of here unharmed. You will do as we say.”
“When the attack begins,” Simon says to Rolg, “And if they plan to use watercraft or sorcery.”
“Agreed, Bol…” Simon trails off, listening. He raises a finger to his lips and inclines his head to the hallway in question.
Simon inclines his head and whispers "I heard it too. What if someone else is down here? Maybe Rolg or Bolgrith can sneak up ahead to see, I think torchlight would give the rest of us away." The lordling looks at the two, waiting for one of them to volunteer.
Simon curses under his breath, his wide eyes rereading the verse at the end of the historical account. With a sense of urgency, he looks to the others, “We need to get out here, now. Hagglesport’s alliance with the Commonwealth is false!” He glances at the Stonebit, “Our people are in danger!”
Simon finds his voice. “He fell fighting a great evil, the serpent-man called Naja. He was buried outside Wolftooth Cave.” After a few moments, he rallies his courage as well. “Tell us what is going on. Are you after the sceptre of the Commonwealth? Are you a friend to Gartok the Undying, the goblin warlord? Tell us your plans!”
"Well struck, Jamie." Simon gasps and suddenly stands digging through his pack. At length, he holds up a headband of two entwined silver snakes, with both jaws holding half of a large ruby, that rests on the brow when worn. “I forgot to tell you, Aladdin. This is for you. Bolgrith suggested it would be best utilized by your talents. I think it has magic in it.” He holds it out for Aladdin to take.
Simon jabs again at the lava monster.
Simon attacks the tower of roaring magma and billowing steam.
Simon hangs back, and aims at the great monster’s chest with the longspear.
“Flank! Attack it from both sides!” he calls.
"Very well!" Simon lifts his spear and turns to run after Rolg.
Simon unlimbers his longspear and turns to aid Logan.
“Clever, Aladdin! Clever!” Simon cheers proudly. He calls down to two below, “Hurry! His spell will not last long!”
crunch:
Simon follows up the chain right after Jamie. As he recovers at the top, he looks around, his eyes wide with realization. “Rolg isn’t here?! I thought I followed him up! I was certain I grabbed his shoulder…”
“Oh!” Simon suddenly brightens, approaching the door. “Of course!” “Excuse me, Master Dwarf.” The lordling takes hold of the key. He looks up at the hole in the ceiling, “Turn the key, find the link. I see chains up there!” he points, “Chain links! Up the chimney, ere you sink! I’ll bet if I turn this, that roll of chain will drop, and we can climb out of that opening up there.” “This door in front of us must be false,” he knocks on it, “Hear that? It sounds completely solid behind here.” Before anyone can stop him, Simon twists the key further in the lock. As the young man supposed, the roll of chain overhead uncoils and falls to the floor of the small room. Tumblers turn in the lock, and larger mechanisms in the door shunk as heavy deadbolts retract. The door suddenly blasts open, releasing a great deluge of black oil. The thick grease glugs inside under great pressure, and soon the low-ceilinged room begins to fill. In no time at all, the depth of the oil raises from waist height to chest height. The now open door continues to gush oil into the room, and shows no sign of slowing. The chain is covered in oil from the initial explosion of inky grease.
“Swimming… on a beach?” Simon angles his head at the door, truly perplexed.
Simon breathes a sigh of relief when Rolg does not come to harm. He quietly follows the two mercenaries inside. “Hmm…” He thinks aloud, looking over the carved images of captivity and punishment.
Simon nods and tries to peer down the pit a safe distance away. "I can't shoot them, angle isn't right. And it's too dark down there. Hm ... "
Simon squints at the carvings. "What are those tall men with pointy ears? They do not look like hobgoblins to me."
Simon’s bowstring thrums again.
Simon lets fly another arrow. It pierces the edge of the puddle.
“No objections here,” In seconds, Simon has his bow out, nocked, and aimed. He slowly exhales and releases the arrow.
“Nice work, Aladdin!” Simon says as the sorcerer casts his light spell. “Now, to find the trigger. Jamie, Logan, don’t move…”
“Logan, you mentioned you had some experience with traps in the Borderguard? Would you like to use these?” Simon holds up the set of well-made tools for picking locks or other small mechanisms. “Not that I’ve used them to steal anything,” the young noble adds, his ears turning pink.
“I’ll go. Watch out Jamie!” Simon calls down the stairs. He makes sure his pack and weapons are secure, and then launches himself forward.
“Jamie, move the light closer to the steps. Let’s find that second trap.” Simon unshoulders and digs through his pack. In a moment he produces a roll of pockets containing tiny, fine tools.
The lordling nods at Bolgrith's reasoning, and watches the holes tensely. A grin breaks over his face at Aladdin's antics. "He wasn't like this when he disappeared," Simon whispers to Logan's ear, discreetly gesturing at the sorcerer.
"Bolgrith? What are you doing?" Simon nervously glances from the dwarf's hands to the holes overhead.
“Shapeless teeth? Smokeless fire? A riddle indeed!” Simon exclaims, scratching his chin. He suddenly brightens. “Is it talking about love or hate?”
"Thanks, Rolg," Simon claps the sellsword's pauldron and takes up spare rope to help him pull up the remainder of their companions.
Simon offers his torch to Aladdin. "Sounds like you're next."
Embarrassed, Simon quietly trades his spear for a torch from his pack, and stirs the lingering embers of last night’s campfire until the wadding ignites. “Not everyone can see as well as you two,” he says to the dwarf and hobgoblin. He marches into the tunnel after Logan, shedding light on the rough-hewn stone and the threshold of the concealed doorway. He continues a little further, and lifts his torch as he gazes up the pitted rock at the end. “Superbly found, Bolgrith. This wall looks like it must be climbed, but I cannot see how far it goes. Were your dwarf eyes able to spot the end? Rolg?” Simon calls from the end of the tunnel.
“Uh…” Simon moves to help, but the corner of the cave looks too crowded. He retrieves the longspear from his back. “This might help.” The lordling stands with the polearm at the ready.
Simon answers the hobgoblin. “Agreed, Rolg. We should at least rest the night to see if Aladdin returns. If he doesn’t, well, uh, we’ll sort that out tomorrow.” He shifts uneasily for a moment. He looks at the fissure curiously. “If we get to the other side, I promise we won’t go far, we’ll climb back for the night’s watch. Bolgrith said it would take a lot of magic to move someone to another world, more than he is capable of, respectively. I'm no mage. There isn't much to do but wait.”
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