Chapter 11 - the Saga Continues...

[Black Knight]

For those who want to read the early stuff see here - Chapter 1-10

Chapter 11.

When we last saw CloudBringer, she was being led away by a Gully Dwarf…. She is lead into a door, where the Gully Dwarf pushes her on a circle with a pentagram on it, knocked on the door, and then backs up. CloudBringer shakes her head and, with a wry smile on her face, steels herself for the assault of evil. When she materializes, her breath is taken away. She sees a stone path of gray stones. On either side of the path are many different colors of flowers. There are birds chirping, the hum of bees…the sounds of beauty…then she comes up on a giant circle of white wizard’s sand. There are various symbols already drawn on the sand.

She sees Jerome with a stick, drawing symbols. He laughs as he sees her expression. “WHY DO YOU LOOK SO SURPRISED? IT’S THE ULTIMATE PERVERSION OF EVIL TO DO ALL MY EVIL ACTS FROM SUCH A PLACE OF BEAUTY…IF YOU WANT, I CAN CHANGE THE PLACE TO REFLECT WHAT YOU WERE THINKING…” Jerome draws some symbols in the sand and the flowers all wilt… “IT’S NOT REALLY ABOUT GOOD OR EVIL, YOU KNOW. POWER IS WHAT IT’S ALL REALLY ABOUT…I TRIED TO GET IT THE NICE WAU, BUT THAT SISTER OF YOURS….” Jerome looks down to see his stick has shattered and he is slowly bleeding … Jerome smiles and spreads it in the sand and all the flowers grow again, but in a bright red shade. The color of blood. CloudBringer shivers.

Jerome waves his hand again and CloudBringer is once again outside the Garden of Evil. She turns and sees the Gray Robed person and the Evil Mage Accord. The Evil mage looks at Gray Robed one and laughs. “IT LOOKS LIKE MY CHANGE PERSON SPELL IS WEARING OFF…”

The Gray Robed One laughs and pulls off the hood. “Wait, let CloudBringer see my face. I want her to know who is causing the downfall of her family.” The Gray Robed one slowly turns and CloudBringer looks in wonder. Then disgust. “We gave you everything you asked for … my sister…” CloudBringer raises her fist and starts to charge the Figure. Accord laughs and says a quick spell and CloudBringer is frozen in place.

……………

The Black Knight takes a look at the courtyard. The rebuilding has just started. It will take a long time for Lady Wendy’s estates to look the same. In files LadyWendy and Cervando, talking in low voices. Memnoch the Jester can be seen giving last minute instructions to the Canine leaders of the Guards, Kdog and WOLFGIR. Sir_Tainley, in his shining Knight of the Holy Flame Armor, sits calmly on his steed. The Black Knight looks around for Father Bronze. He sees a confident lady dressed in White and Blue come striding into the courtyard. Her blond, waist length hair blowing in the slight wind, she looks around the courtyard. She sees The Black Knight and walks over to him, bows slightly, and her deep Blue eyes look intensely into his. The Black Knight looks at the Cleric and sees a scroll in her hands.

“I am a messenger from Father Bronze. He has been called to meet with the highest member of our order. He has sent me in his place. He wishes you all well and looks forward to your report on my…conduct.” She hands The Black Knight the scroll. He looks at it. The seal is unbroken, with a FB in gold wax. He opens it.

“My humblest apologies for having to back out on you…the ruling council in my Order has called me to duty. I am to spend my three years on the Ruling board. You don’t pick the time to serve, it picks you. I send you my Daughter, Lady Blue the Third. She is one of the highest clerics in my Order, second only to myself here in Amn. She will help you quite nicely. Just don’t’ be too put off by her slightly professional demeanor. The right person walks by and she will act like any other young lady and turn into a puddle of sappiness. But when it comes to fighting in a tough spot, she is to be trusted.

May Pelor be with you”

FB”

The Black Knight shakes his head, extends his hand to Lady Blue the Third. “Looks like you’re coming with us. Do you ride?” She laughs and nods yes. “Good. We leave in one hour.” The Black Knight nods to Memnoch the Jester. “He will give you anything we need. Did Father Bronze explain the situation?” Lady Blue the Third nods and says, “I believe we are doing a tactically impossible mission where the six of us are going to do an assault on a Evil Mage and Fallen Paladin’s Fortress where we will face countless fights and where we should all probably die. Sounds like fun.” She grins and walks over to Memnoch the Jester. The Black Knight laughs, and says under his breath, “Yep, she’s Father Bronze’s Daughter alright.” One hour later, LadyWendy, Cervando, Memnoch the Jester, Sir_Tainley, Lady Blue the Third, and The Black Knight mount up and ride for the Mountains where The Black Knight’s ring says his CloudBringer is.

After the first day, the Adventures are close to the Mountains. Lady Blue the Third walks through the forest and collects small rocks and pine cones into a basket. When Memnoch the Jester asks what’s she is doing, she smiles and says, “You never know when you are going to meet a magic user….” Memnoch the Jester looks are the pile, shakes his head, and suppresses a smile. Then he remembers Father Bronze’s unique fighting style and shrugs his shoulders. Cervando scouts ahead. The Black Knight has the party stop for the night near a cave. LadyWendy and Sir_Tainley scout the cave and report it safe for the night. They go to sleep, taking turns keeping watch near the small cooking fire. The Black Knight is taking the 2nd watch when Cervando comes back. He reports small tracks of similar creatures about, smallish, but with three pointed toes…probably Kobolts. He grips The Black Knight’s arm and simple says, “We’ll get her back.” The Black Knight smiles and continues his watch. The rest of the night passes uneventfully.

The next morning finds the Group in a fog bank. LadyWendy tells The Black Knight that it is not unusual for this to happen at this elevation and should burn off in a couple hours. The Black Knight says, “We may not have a couple of hours. I say we move on. Anyone object?” Cervando smiles and says, “Hey, we’re not suggesting not starting out this morning, we are just telling you we need to be careful. We could stumble onto trouble before we can be ready for it. I speak for everyone here when I say we all want to get her back.” The Black Knight bows his head and prays for the wisdom to lead. Then says, “Ok, we will mount up. Be careful, and we walk the mounts this morning until the fog lifts.

After about two hours, Cervando motions the part to stop. “Do you hear that?” The Black Knight shakes his head no. “Exactly,” replies Cervando. “It’s too quite. Where are the birds?” The Black Knight eases his sword out, as does Sir_Tainley. LadyWendy turns to Memnoch the Jester and says a few words. Memnoch the Jester gets out his sling and looks through his spell book. The Black Knight looks back to Lady Blue the Third, and sees her horse tied to a tree. He looks around just in time to hear a horn sound. A ring of 24 Kobolts circles the Party, with 4 Kobolt Commanders and a Kobolt Shaman outside of them. The Shaman laughs as he steps under the tree next to Lady Blue the Third’s horse. “Seems we’ve caught some trespassers. Cervando quickly levels his bow at one of the Commanders and both LadyWendy and Memnoch the Jester start spell casting. The Black Knight charges the closest Kobolt as Sir_Tainley salutes the closest Kobolt with his sword and engages him. Cervando’s bow twangs with an arrow going at the Shaman. He blinks in disbelieve as the arrow bounces off the Shaman. “Damn Stoneskins.” Cervando says. He pulls another arrow from his bow. Both LadyWendy’s and Memnoch the Jester’s spells go off. The closest 10 of the Kobolts fall dead asleep, as well as the 2 Kobolt Commanders. LadyWendy turns to survey the rest of the battle as Memnoch the Jester finishes slitting the throats of the sleeping Kobolts. LadyWendy sees The Black Knight and Sir_Tainley both slightly pressed, having each slain 2 of the small beasts. She does a quick spell and a flame shoots into the nearest Kobolt, where he drops to the ground. Just as Cervando goes to shoot his arrow of Dispel Magic, a small shower of pinecones and rocks comes from the tree above the Shaman. He spell disrupted, he looks up just in time to see Lady Blue the Third’s Mace aimed at his head. Cervando winces as he sees the Shaman’s skull crushed by her mace. Lady Blue the Third looks at her dress which has a spot of green Kobolt blood on it. She sees Cervando gaping at her and she smiles, blows him a kiss, and takes out her sling. Cervando shakes his head and grabs a different arrow and starts taking out Kobolts. Between the shower of arrows from Cervando and Lady Blue the Third’s sling bullets, the rest of the Kobolts are quickly dispatched.

The Black Knight, having shaken off the battle lust, walks over to the Shaman. He sees the cones and rocks and laughs. He walks over to Lady Blue the Third and clasps her arm. “You will do you’re father proud.” She smiles and says, “You’ve seen nothing yet, mister Dark and Brooding.” She laughs at his slack jaw and goes to find her bullets. Memnoch the Jester comes from the brush and finds one of the injured Kobolt Commanders. “Hey, The Black Knight, you want to question this one?” Memnoch the Jester finishes tying the creature up.

The Black Knight walks slowly to the Kobolt Commander and smacks it on the back of the head. It awakes sees it’s plight and says in crude common, “Kill me…no torture.” The Black Knight says, “Where is Jerome? Kobolt looks north and says, look to the sky.” The Black Knight looks at Memnoch the Jester, who shakes his head with no comprehension. The Kobolt commander says, “Look for the Flying….” Just then a shadow appears. A scream is heard and a Large Griffin comes flying in. The party scatters as the Griffin reaches out with its talon’s and picks up the Kobolt Commander.

…………………

Accord laughs at CloudBringer and says, “WHAT A SPIRITED ONE. I LIKE SPIRIT…TOO BAD WE HAVE TO KILL HER…SHE COULD HAVE BEEN…FUN…” His laugh chills CloudBringer’s blood. He looks at the Grey Robed Figure, says a few words in the language of magic, and throws some sand and rose petals at the Grey Robed Figure. The Grey Robed Figure face shimmers a bit and once again looks like Hope. Accord flips CloudBringer’s sword and armor to the Gray Robed Figure and says, “TAKE HER BELOW AND KILL HER. WE ALREADY KNOW THE BLACK KNIGHT HAS COME. AFTER YOU KILL HER, TAKE HER HEAD AND HER ARMOR AND BRING IT BACK TO JEROME. HE HAS …PLANS FOR IT. I HAVE TO GO GET READY FOR THE BATTLE.” Accord looks at CloudBringer “YOUR KNIGHT IN BLACK ARMOR WILL BE DEAD BY MORNING.” Accord laughs again and walks off.

The Grey Robed Figure takes a long look at Accords back…smiles and starts walking the other way. CloudBringer, having no other choice, follows. The Grey Robed Figure turns a few corners, then suddenly turns and clips CloudBringer on the head, knocking her unconscious. He gently lowers her to the ground and starts to put the armor on her…

[Ladyzekke]

Woohooo! Great Job BK! Sigh, again the memories it brings, this is great reading all this I love it! [img]smile.gif[/img] You really are talented at writing, I love the way you can take small parts and weave a bigger story around it. So cool, thanks BK [img]smile.gif[/img] Keep going!

[Ladyzekke]

LOL, and where the heck did you find those eyeballs?? ?? ??

[Cloudbringer]

OUCH! Knocks me on the head.. *mutter mutter* Good one, BK! Well all but the bump on the head part.. life's dangerous around my Black Knight! LOL

[Black Knight]

Thanks, Wendy. Oh, ya like the eyes? [img]smile.gif[/img] Sorry about that, Cloudy, but hey, better than what Accord wanted him to do....

BK

[The.Relic]

Ooooh! Thanx BK! It is really great to see your stories once again. Now if we could get his Wolfishness and Tobb's to post theirs again. .

[WOLFGIR]

Mmm, *shivers* A what nice a night to see you post here again, the story once more Black Knight..

As it is I have actually still the chapter 1-9 archieved at my homepage! It´s oin the story selection for everyone to read!

[Black Knight]

WOLFGIR - emailing chapter 10 to you now... [img]smile.gif[/img]

Thanks

BK