AngelHeart

Chapter Seven

"It's a boy," said the mid-wife to Annmarie, handing her the newborn. "As handsome as his father, I take it," said King Zamor, entering the room to gaze upon his newborn son. King Zamor, a man of true honor and nobility, a tall man, his dirty blonde hair neatly groomed coming down just past his shoulder, chiseled jawline with a short beard neatly trimmed, his eyes heavy, from the stress of politics. "Just as handsome if not more so," the queen said jokingly, handing the babe to her husband, "what shall we name him my lord. "I hadn't really given it much thought, what would you have us name him," Zamor asked AnnMarie. "He needs a strong name if he is to rule a kingdom someday," she said, "How about James, James Evergardon." "James Evergardon," the king said aloud, as a guard burst through the door. "My lord urgent news," the guardsman shouted. "Can't it wait, as you can see I'm busy," the king shouted back. "It has to do with the dungeon expansion," the guard said frantically, "We've tunneled into a dragon's lair, and it's wanting to speak with whomever is responsible." "It hasn't attacked anyone yet," the king said, handing his son to his wife. "Not yet your majesty," the guard said.
Zamor was rushing down the corridors of the newly expanded dungeon, when he reached the arch of where the new door was to be placed he saw the dragon, its scales emerald green and fierce amber, standing over a dead dragon hatchling slighly buried under the rubble. "Dragon," Zamor shouted, holding the hilt of the sword in the scabbard at his side, "I'm the one in charge."
***
James' earliest memories are those of his grandfather, a humble woodworker, living in the wood's traveling to town only when they needed supplies, he was always upset because he was never allowed to go on the journey with him, these were his thoughts as was tracking the treant toward the charred part of the forest. The treant's footsteps shook the ground, until it reached the top of a hill in the burned down remnants of what used to be a once luscious green forest, now a barren ash-covered land, that could be seen across the horizon. The creature had planted its large trunk-like legs deep into the ground atop the hill and the light in its eyes slowly faded, as the ash-covered forest sprand to life from the mana the elder treant was releasing back in the world. The once barren soil now green and full of life, the once dead trees now alive and healhly, all while James bore witness to the miracle the very few have seen, and atop the hill stood an elegant newborn Everwood tree.
***
"Mallachi to your left," shouted James as he slew another spider with his new blade. "I see it," he said dodging a lunging spider as Raziel burnt it to a crisp. "Raziel, above us on the right ten meters and closing," Caiyne shouted, as Raziel set the webs and the spiders in them ablaze. The end of Deadman's Gulch was almost in sight, as a spider lunged at James narrowly missing him by the hairs on the back of his neck, as Caiyne pounced on it plunging her rapier in its head. "Keeping moving," she said, "we are almost out." The party was almost out of the dangerous ravine that was the spider's lair, and just before the exit a Queen Dire-Wolf Spider blocked the path just before the uphill trek out, her brood just behind them. "I really fucking hate spiders," Rowan shouted, pointing to the giant spider ten meters tall spider blocking their path just up ahead. "I'm starting to feel the same way," Malachi shouted back, striking down another spider. "Less talking, more killing," James said, spotting a full quiver just up ahead on the left, slicing through another web, grabbing it and throwing it on his back while steathing his sword and taking Shatterwind off his back. "Cover me," James shouted, "I have an idea, but y'all aren't gonna like it." "If it manages to get us out of here alive I'm all ears," Raziel shouted. The party was about a humdred meters for the queen spider and closing, as James let loose an arrow hitting the giant ten meter tall spider in one of its eight eyes. "I'm going to blind the queen," James shouted, firing another arrow hitting another eye, "After I've blinded it completely Raziel I want you to set the webs around it on fire and then, blast it with the biggest fireball you can manage. While it's blinded and trying to put itself out we run like hell out of the godsdamned ravine." "James," Rowan shouted, " I hate this plan." "Do you have a better one," James shouted, as he blind the spider's seventh eye, "if not get ready." James fired the final arrow striking the spider's final eye, "Raziel now," James shouted, as Raziel set the webs around the Queen Dire-wolf spider ablaze, the falling webs landing on the queen still burning setting the hairs on it back alight, just before Raziel conjured the biggest fireball striking the creatures face, sending it writhing on the ground in agony. "Now's our chance," James shouted, as the party was twenty meters from the writhing creature, "Ignore it and just keep running and kill the spiders in between us and the exit." Raziel who had just spent the last of his mana reserves on that hail Mary plan of James' collapsed, "Raziel," Rowan shouted. "Keep going, I got him," Caiyne shouted, stopping to sheathe her rapier and throw him over her shoulders, "James keep us covered."
James nocted another arrow just before firing it, striking a lunging spider, "You can count on me," he said. The end of the ravine in sight, the light at the end of a very dark tunnel, the giant spider a few hundred meters behind them still ablaze writhing in agony, they finally made it out and far enough that spiders stopped chasing them. "Hold," Rowan shouted, out of breath, slowly coming to a halt,"I think they've stopped chasing us." The rest of the party followed suit, "Raziel," how is he," James asked panting and out of breath. "Unconscious, but alive," Caiyne said panting, placing him gently on the ground. "Please tell me, one of you has water," Malachi managed to stutter out between breaths. "Here," Caiyne said, handing him a canteen after taking a drink herself. Malachi took the canteen and took a drink, before James and Rowan followed suit. The party, now exhausted from the ordeal of Deadman's Gulch, were the only five soldiers remaining from the inflitration force.