Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Chapter Eight: The Helm, the Hunter, and the Fat Dragon

Xenk guided the party through a garden of statues.

Some had lost their heads, legs, or other important limbs, but they all appeared to be the same. A bald dark elf holding a bowl in front of him.

The paladin walked up to the bowl of one and blew away the sand, revealing an ancient mechanism. Xenk then activated the mechanism, placing a glowing stone in the center after it opened, revealing a golden helmet lined with silver.

The Helmet of Disjunction.

Picking up the helmet, the Thayan handed it to Edgin.

"This I give you now," the warrior said, "trusting that you will protect it with your very life."

"I will," the bard answered before handing it to Simon. "Hold this."

Just then, Xenk began sniffing the air.

"What is it?" Drordask asked. "What's wrong?"

"There is evil here," Xenk answered. He then guided the party to the edge of the garden, revealing the Thayan hunter and his five huntsmen.

"Are those..." Holga began to ask.

"Thayan assassins," Edgin answered.

"Loranala warned me about them," Drordask whispered as he reached for his bow and quiver. "Please tell me I can finally shoot an arrow."

"You look older, Yendar," the leader of the Thayan group said to Xenk in their native tongue. "Must be all that foul mortal blood."

"And you, Dralas, look just as loathsome as the last time we met," Xenk replied in the Thayan language.

"Then I'll see it we don't meet again," the assassin said to the paladin.

"Leave them to me," Xenk said to his allies in the Common language.

The assassins charged. Drawing his sword, Xenk slashed at two while defending himself from a third's blade. Pointing his blade at another assassin, the paladin released it, transforming the longsword into a dagger. The sword blade pierced the assassin's heart as Xenk cut another down. The paladin retrieved his sword blade as he slashed the last one through the heart.

Xenk then faced Dralas, who drew his sword and caused the blade to ignite with emerald fire. The paladin didn't back down. He chanted a Thayan spell, causing the runes on his sword to glow with golden light.

The two Thayans entered a mighty duel. Sparks flew from the two magic blades as they clashed again and again. Neither warrior would give the other an advantage. After Xenk knocked Dralas back, the assassin drew a dagger from his belt as the paladin held up his sword.

Their duel continued, taking them up a flight of stairs. Dralas punched Xenk down before picking him up again, ready to slash him down. Xenk screamed in pain as he held the flaming sword under his arm. He tried to stab the assassin, but the sword blade was knocked aside, leaving the paladin with a dagger. Xenk, however, knocked Dralas' sword away, leaving the assassin with his dagger as the two continued to battle with Xenk slashing and stabbing at Dralas until he sliced his throat.

"I'm glad he's on our side," Holga admitted after the mighty battle was over.

"We must flee," Xenk said after he retrieved his sword blade.

"Why?" Drordask asked. "You killed all six of them."

"'Tis no simple feat to kill that which is already dead," the paladin answered the ranger. Just then, behind the group, the assassins all came back to life.

"Son of a mother f--" Drordask began to say but was cut off by Dralas standing up, his wounds healing.

"Ready for the next bout, Yendar?" the assassin asked in Thayan.