Odd, Bold Fellows

Elven Spa

Linus was seeking gems, though he had no eye for a jeweler's cut. His purpose was not of economy, but research. The unaffiliated magic user was learning under his own tutelage, as so many men and women had to do to survive the constant Imperial witch hunts. Those same people, finding themselves outlaws in the land of their birth, through their very birth, often sought to earn the lawless status that already threatened their lives.

Linus himself had traveled south of the Empire, but his operations were stymied of late by some witches who decided goblins are not so disturbing they cannot be used as a shield. Now, they had adventurers bringing their form of law to the land. It was all very inconvenient, but at least his laboratory was safe.

Or, not. Linus cursed as he heard the innocuous toad. Things were getting ridiculous. The wizard held the raw quartz crystal at his neck, broadcasting telepathically to his minions they were under attack before teleporting to safety, leaving most of his precious work behind.

~~~

In a rainy forest languished the abandoned remains of a once-proud elven structure. Not many of the ancient folk remained, though their ruins, when found, often weathered time well. This odd place was not so fortunate, as one of the three original structures was naught but rubble.

It had once been the twin of a round white gazebo, and the surviving mate stood still, the white stone darkened with soot, as brigands used it as cover for their fire. Covered walkways of white stone led from the gazebo and its dead partner to the main structure.

Round and wide, the impressive two story building seemed to be a solid, perfect piece of marble, uncracked despite the many windows at the top. The walkways were at a ninety degree angle as they disappeared under arched entrances. Between these doors, the three adventures considered their breach.

Pog clung to the wall, feeling the movement on the inside as he counted opponents. Dirk hugged an entrance, shield ready, as K'chak braced against the wall to hold the other with his mighty spear. Pog chirped once, twice...

"We know you're out there, fools!", cried a voice from inside. Dirk sighed.

K'chak lifted his voice, "How many are you?"

"Come and see!", was the response.

K'chak was serious, Dirk was daring, Pog was committed. The goblin began to climb, crawling upward as effortlessly as some frogs might. Devonport himself, squared off inside his empty doorway behind his black shield that bore the silvery crest of his family. K'chak awaited his moment to strike.

The twang of bows met Dirk's impetuousness, though the arrows banked in mid flight to shatter on the stone surrounding the short Imperial. The lightweight shield was not greatly powerful, but the adventurer was learning small items of iron and steel could not touch the device. "Nay, you scoundrels! Draw swords and come at me!"

Tables turned on their sides, crates strategically stacked, the labyrinth the bandits created within the large open space provided good cover. The hail of arrows continued until a mighty spear punctured a crate as though it were made of parchment, killing the kneeling man aiming from the other side.

The adventurers drew back, and turned to one another. Dirk lifted his voice as K'chak drew his swords. "Do you have more of those spears?"

K'chak answered, confident his guile was improving. "Oh. Yes. I will go get the other three now." The barbarian stomped in the grass, his steps growing less heavy until he was still.

"Do they think we're stupid?" Dirk and K'chak turned their heads to one another. Why did that never work?

Purple eyes lifted above the ledge of a window, as Pog studied the wizard's work area. The goblin knew an alchemy lab when he saw one, but that was only half the purpose of this space. The rest, he did not recognize, save one man.

The giant that had almost bested the party days ago laid on a wooden table. He yet lived, but seemed comatose in his rest. Yet Pog's interest was on one item, and he snatched it from under the window to prove himself once and for all.

Dirk stepped back into the breach, arrows once again flying wide of his shield. He rushed a table, his sword angled against the edge of his device to drive a stab at a bandit. Though the outlaw fell back to safety, the shield itself bashed the head of the other ruffian using the table as cover.

K'chak moved past his short leader, and took cover behind the crates the archers were employing, putting his back into his intent. The heavy wooden boxes groaned, then collapsed, bringing a distressed cry.

Dirk stepped on the table's lifted edge, tilting it toward himself to stomp it flat upside down. He paced at the rising bandit who now had a sword. Though he stabbed at Davenport, the sword felt heavy as it approached the black shield, then the disk laid the bandit flat with two rapid bashes that broke the brigand's right arm.

K'chak turned to see a man trapped under two crates, one broken to spill large stones of salt. Another man was rising, but even as the barbarian's deadly blades crossed over the ruffian's chest, then belly, he heard the exchange of steel as the remaining outlaws abandoned their bows.

The two adventurers stepped back to support one another, as the four remaining bandits left their cover with two-handed axes. They circled the bold fellows, who in turn, knew they each had two opponents. This would be close.

Pog bounced in on two feet, ready to save the day with sword and shield, just as he had always dreamed. This would be the day the clan sang of when juveniles asked for tales of daring. A large man turned with a heavy axe, but this was the moment Pog had awaited!

The bandit advanced on the goblin as steel rang behind him. He swung his mighty axe, but Pog knew just what to do. He did not block, but punched with his shield as his combatant swung home. The resulting impact snapped the goblin's arm, lifting him to fly until Pog hit the wall with a splat, his new shield rolling away like a great coin.

The bandit grinned as he approached Pog, but two dark slender blades erupted from his chest. As the brigand looked down at his death, K'chak stated, "This is for my brother." With that, the blades twisted and withdrew, leaving the outlaw to die with his final thoughts.

K'chak spun to his right as a massive axe split the air he had been occupying. Two swords crossed over the brigand's exposed shoulder, then thigh. The barbarian stepped away from the bleeding man. Whether he lived or died, he was removed from combat.

Dirk smiled, his shield reducing the work required of his left arm as heavy axe blades bounced from his standard as though swung by boys. Having the measure of one opponent's timing, Dirk slid his sword against the shield's edge, guiding his Imperial blade into a bandit's upper arm, skipping along the humerus, to bite into his rotator cuff. The final ruffian dropped his heavy weapon and fled uncontested for his very life.

Dirk sighed as he turned on Pog. "Most of these bad men were mean boys. I assure you, sir, they know how to play frogball!"

The ruins quaked, and fine white dust fell from the ceiling. Pog lifted a purple eye from his skull as a thin skirl weakly issued from the broken toad. "Oh, yeah... That reminds me..."