“They come from there,” spoken in only what he thought was a soft voice, Kel pointed to the west.
Not doubting the temperamental bugbear I gave a questioning look, “How do you know? They track us from the south.”
“They travel with worg, have good nose, come from upwind, in case we smells them, orcs smells bads,” again with the small voice, akin to a slow moving avalanche. “Here is good spot,” stomping his foot on the ground.
Pacing and tracking us for many days waiting for the opportunity to catch us off guard, Kel and I agreed to try and not let the pursuers know that we had spotted them. As night fell on the 4th day, hungry worgs with orc riders could not help themselves as the adrenalin pumped through their bodies, seeming to defeat an easy kill. Wanting to request from Kel to keep one alive for questioning, I realized that it was probably futile.
Wanting to know if this was a larger force or just a random party that picked up our scent, I needed some answers.
Kel looking to the future battlefield told me to stand behind a tree and “you no die.” Noticing that Kel had some decent and interesting battle tactics, he chose the spot well. Giving us a slight uphill advantage and wedging the attackers into some thick brush, funneling them into us, so as to slow any attackers from our flanks.
How I wish Von Hearth was beside me. Waiting I gave a small prayer and awaited the attack.
Deep into the night they came, torchless and silent until the very last moment. Setting camp as we normally would and stuffing our blankets with brush, they charged into camp, only to see a behemoth of rage and muscle burst forth from his hiding spot.
With a roar not unlike that of a dragon, steam poured forth from Kel’Megdals mouth, stopping no less than three feet from his foaming orifice, before dissipating into the crisp night air. With suprising agility and stamina, the massive frame of the bugbear charged straight into the unsuspecting war band with wild abandon swinging his blood stained mace.
Dropping into the void I was no longer Market, but Eschallus, the Caller in Darkness. Veiling my face with my crimson Cadin’sor that is tradition of the Wegwuir before a fight, I touch Thokul in anticipation. Behind a tree I began to summon those most evil to combat our pursuers.
Blocking out the bone crunching slaughter that Kel was dealing I could feel the raw energy of the Malconvoker inside me begin to bring forth a demon from the realms below. Feeling the blackness that is always there as I begin my summons, it coats my soul like an oil slick, turning my stomach upside down, finishing with a tease of ecstasy, enticing me to further my downward spiral into evils embrace . As my incantation began and with the toss of sulfur into the air my location was revealed to those attacking us, a dretch welled up from the earth in front of me. Commanding it to protect me, I began another summons and another and another until the air surrounding the battle field was rot with the smell of the abyss.
Grabbing Thokul, twin to Cuelendar from my waist I began to fend off what my summons let through.
After the last worg ran off without it’s rider, I released the void, looking upon the battle field with awe. Noticing that the last orc was dead and with no enemies to fight, the several Dretches that were left were feeding on the still forms of the orcs, slurping up their supper. Not wishing to give them their reward, I dismissed them with a thought. The utter carnage that littered the faux camp site was something to behold. Moments after I released the last of the abyssal vermin, Kel had apparently fleshed out one last surviving orc hiding in the bushes. Dashing in the direction they had come, Kel had roared one last time and threw his huge mace twenty feet, somersaulting through the air, slamming into the retreating orc’s back. Running up to the downed form Kel sits upon his back completely exhausted, almost seeming to pass out from the ordeal.
Kel looks at me through his blood splattered eyes and spanks the orc on the ass saying, ”Question him?”
After questioning the Orc and receiving no useful information, Kel dispatched the orc. Relieved that this party had no idea who I was, I felt assured that my trailblazing through the Gnarley Forest and staying off the main road to get to Verbobonc was a good choice. I just need to resupply at Kendell Keep and talk to Castellan Ferric before moving on.
