New Worlds Begin in Dreams!

Chapter 7.

As they approached the temple they saw a line of town guards and militia waiting patiently to enter. They where all talking about who would best the temple champion today and win the purse of 5 gold coins. Triveria Hardhammer was thier champion a dwarven priestess who showed up in town one day and took up the calling. They all said she is as wild as her tattoos. Her face was tattooed in azure tribal markings, and she had red hair that was dyed with shades of orange and red making it look as if it were living fire. Tattooed across her back was a pentacle with a tree of life in it's center. She often worked out with no armor on and always made sure she was clean shaven unlike other dwarves who took pride in there beards.

"So which of us is going to challenge her and see if she has what it takes? Sure she can fight, that is a bonus, but can she heal afterwards and does she know when to hold back and not get herself killed so the rest of us can all go on?" Brice says to the rest of them.

"I think you should be the one that challenges her Brice. The ogre here or the tin can could take on from three to five of these guards by themselves. She expects warrior tactics, so having a thief challenge her, might throw her off some." Scott says as they all watched the activity outside the temple.

"Ahh, you do have a point there. Besides it would be nice to know if our sneak thief here is able to handle his weapons as well as he does his lock picks. Maybe he will be as fast with them as he is with his mouth." Andrew of the shire says, as he leans upon his shield.

"I am no thief. I just borrow things, and keep other items safe from being lost is all. Oh by the way I found your boot knife on the table this morning Bill. Here you might need it a little later." Brice says as he hands it back, with a slight grin on his face.

"Wonder who this is walking our way? Bill stand up straight I think you are still getting bigger. How tall are you now? I am thinking over eight feet now. Andrew of the Shier be ready even the town guard are whispering about him." Scott says as he stands flexing his clawed hands.

"Well met travelers. Are you here to see if Triveria Hardhammer will join your group? Or are you trying to hire her?" the tall stranger in a dark grey robe says as he nears them.

"We wish to hire her, for her healing skills. What concern of it, is yours? " Bill says standing up full in front of the stranger hefting his seven foot battle hammer over his shoulder.

"Andrew of the Shier, what do you think of this? I know you have your own thoughts about this. Ogre put down your hammer I would hate to see you get hurt, or do you prefer I call you by your name Desvel the Wanderer ? Teagon Brightbow do not try sneaking around me, it will not do you any good. Your magic missiles will only piss me off Brenton the Shameless, and do not even think of using a acid spray on me." he says as he looks at Scott.

"I am afraid we are at a disadvantage stranger, as we do not know who you are. What is your interest in Triveria? Are you her keeper?" Scott says snidely.

"Where is Kaos the Mad? I would think he would also be in on this choice? You all look confused, I guess you all have not gone through the naming yet?" the stranger states.

"No we have not stranger. Yes I believe we should make the dwarf a full partner, but wished to see her abilities first, so have not spoken up as of yet." Andrew of the Shier says.

"I need a bit of a work out, so why don't you four step into the arena with me. Then Triveria can heal you up afterwards." the stranger says as he turns and walks past the line and into the arena.

"Shall we, four on one is good odds for us. Besides we need to find out what we can do together in battle." Scott says as he looks at the others.

 As they walk to the arena the soldiers start making odds and placing bets on the up coming battle on how long the four of them might last. Not a single one makes a bet on them winning.

Scott and Brice take up a position in the center as Andrew and Bill both take fighting stances up to either side of them as soon as they enter the arena. Triveria takes a small bag of coins from the stranger and goes to sit on a bench close to a weapons rack to one side of the arena.

"Any wish to join? 50 gold coin to any still standing at the end. Anyone at all?" the stranger yells out to the crowd that is gathering.

Everyone starts to cringe at the sound of bones breaking and reforming as the stranger begins to shift and grow larger. His boots look like they start to meld into his skin as clawed black furred feet start to appear.

Scott doesn't hesitate as he launches three glowing missiles into the chest of the stranger. Brice hurls two well balanced knives at him, watching as the stranger twists just enough to have them sink into his shoulder. Bill charges forward with his battle hammer as Andrew advances with shield up and his three and half foot long sword ready for action.

Bill dropped and rolled as he sensed the gout of fire erupt from the huge were panthers mouth. Andrew crouched behind his shield feeling the hot flames smash into it rolling around it's edges. Brice hurled a sling bullet at it's chest as Scott flung a ray of freezing ice at him. The were panther hardly noticed the sling bullet impact on him as he slides under the ray of ice coming up to grab Bill's war-hammer in one furred paw as he started to swing it down upon him. Andrew sprung at him only to meet one of the creatures black furred feet as he side kicked him hard enough to to send him flying ten feet backwards to crash down on the arenas sandy floor. Scott called three arrows up dripping green toxic acid waiting for a opening to send them ripping into the were panthers body. Bill snapped off a quick front kick to shove the creature back some as he struggled to pull his hammer free of the were panthers grip. Andrew stood up just in time to see the were creature strike Brice in the chest with his other clawed hand sending blood spraying to the arena floor as Brice flew twenty feet threw the air hitting the ground hard. Three arrows sink deep into the were creatures leg as Tim ran into the arena from it's entrance. Scott followed them up, by sending his acid arrows at the creature, just grazing his arms as his fur smoked and melted some from the acid. Scott felt the bite of steel in his chest as he looked down to see both of Brice's daggers sticking out of it and his hot blood leaking from the wounds around the blades edges. Tim spit a stream of acid at the were panther making him disengage from Bill as Andrew stood up to join back into the battle. With a roll of his shoulders the were panther unsheathed a scimitar with one hand crackling with blueish white energy up and down it's long curved dark grey blade, in his other hand he held a flaming scimitar waiting for the three of them to advance on him. Bill lunged forward to shove him off balance with his mighty war-hammer, only for him to side step it and slam the pommel of one of the scimitars into the back of his head. Andrew of the Shier leaped forward bring up his shield as he rolled in the air to protect him and Bill from the killing blow that was being swung at Bill's chest. Tim advanced with both his long-swords at the ready as Andrew of the Shier landed on Bill's chest absorbing the blow ment to kill Bill. Tim noticed the sky's starting to cloud over and darken above the were panther, knowing no good could come of this.

"We concede the battle to you mighty warrior." Tim says as he sheaths his weapons looking at Andrew to do the same.

Triveria runs out to Brice her hands glowing with energy as she lays them upon Brice's wounds, as they start to knit together and close she pulls the daggers from Scott's chest praying and laying her hands over his wounds also. Andrew and Tim pull Bill's limp form to her as she finishes on Scott and starts to attend Bill's head wound.

"Nice of you to join us Kaos the Mad," Andrew of the Shier says to Tim as he watches Triveria work on his comrades in arms.

"I had the worse dream of a black dragon raping my dark elf mother. The books do no justice to what it is like to grow up in a dark elven city." Kaos the Mad says back to him.

Triveria laughs, "Try growing up with a battle rager as a father and your mother a priestess of Odin who thought living among druids in the mountains of the cold north was the best way to raise there children to survive the world dark one."