Walk of Vengeance
The group is large, we have numbers at our side, least I hope we do, who knows what foul followers she might have gathered. And she could be prepared…
Our first goal is a house, “Her personal guard” is believed to be inside, strange… Why use a house… Not my call, I decide. Christophen and Zuna are those that have been here before, they know what they are doing… Follow, find, and then do what must be done…
We sneak up on the house, no alarms yet, that is good… I can see the tree hut, just before the house covers my view, how I wish that I will be the last person the bitch sees in this world! My mind races towards the rope, but first is first, the house, then the tree. I pull out the acorn, a gift from an old flame, one of the others might have better use of it, but I think Maeve cast similar protections one those in need, arcane words are hard to follow. I utter the command word and feel its power before I follow the others to the door.
We burst through the door as one and is met whit a female scream, this is a scream of fear, then anger… Could it be her? I look around and see a farmer’s wife… I frown and back out of the house again, that is no Talonite, this is the wrong place… I look to Christophen, waiting for the order to proceed to the tree, he tries to explain to the wench, she screams… Alerting the woods for miles... Not good…
We go on, closing on the tree. Vipers in the grass, I draw my blade again and walk towards them, ordering the rest to use bows, their bite will affect me little, and their poison none. I begin my fight but am soon joined by the others in close combat, few seemed to hear my words, and I hope they will not regret it… I cannot help but smile a little seeing Corgrym, killing Vipers left and right, the man has a talent for this… It will be needed…
The group moves closer to the tree, they should really spread out a little, a well placed spell could have dire effects, I tell them, but none listens… I am not the leader I understand, perhaps I should talk to Christophen directly… No time to dwell on that now. I look up at the tree trying to spot anything, Christophen asks me a question, now it is I that do not listen, and he mentions something about Moon, panther and me climbing the tree… A faint smile touches my lip in this serious moment… I tell him I would rather fly, oh how much more liberating that is… And by the grin on his face, I believe he can understand.
As the others begin to climb, I beat my feathered wings of the raven shape I’m in, and rise higher, I send a worried look at the group then to the rope. We will be few at first, I hope the others hurry.
I land on the platform, a dozen or so small beast, bugs, and snakes attack me the moment I land. But my protections keep me safe enough so I peck at them whit my beak while trying to assess the situation. To fight as a raven is strange, I only use it to travel, so when I spot HER, I quickly shed this form, and pull out my scimitar once again.
She comes charging, me as her target, I am glad, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Come to me, do your worst, The Forrest queen will keep me safe and we will win this day. At what cost does not bother me, not yet… Whit her comes heat, oh how it burns. The first is mostly stopped by my minor elemental protection, but the divine strength behind it goes past any protection I have been granted, it leaves a burned feeling along my spine… We parry, paw against blade, her fires keep burning me… when the last of them hits, there is no protection against the flames left, and I get the full blow of it… I can feel it now, there is not much life left in me, and I have done so little! Christophen and Corgrym are tearing through the other creatures now. I am glad they are here, and hope the rest will come soon.
When I can only take a blow or two more of her strong paws, there is a small break, she turns and swipes at Chris, I dive to the side, and chants a few words of healing to get my mind straight again. I turn and look at her, I can see her casting, even in her animal form, from the corner of my eye I see her scaled Viper strike at Christophen, its fangs sinking deep into his flesh, he pales and falls.
I begin a casting of my own… I know it has little chance to work, but I have divine backing this day, I am sure, I trust my faith and cast the spell that can alter this fight. It is a test of will this spell, and her will is not great enough to stand against it, she fails and are held …
I let my anger run free now, and I change. Hands to paws, claws, and teeth grow to fangs… Oh how I love this shape, the strength, the power, the feeling, I love all about it. And as a bear I charge at her ripping at her still form… Blood flows, I feel stabbing at my side, I do not care, I might die, but she will DIE TOO!
I don’t know how long I hit, clawed and bit her, but finally she dies. Her form changes back, no longer the bear, she is now just a dead corps, a corps I will see to later, there are other things here that deserve death, they are all dangers to the balance and must die.
I already know who will die next, that scaled horror, the little sneaky and deadly Viper, I sense she had a bond to it and it fuels my anger further, I don’t kill for pleasure, but to kill her, and then rip the viper apart, it feels good, really good…
I go on after the viper is dead, seeking other targets, I do not care that I walk trough traps, I only seek something to rip to pieces, a brute is what I find, it is dead before many moments has passed. I see Zuna at my side, fighting whit skill and fury. Together we charge a Halfling that is aiming a spell towards us, Zuna gets the blow of the spell, but takes it well. I charge past a summoned dire boar, I do not care, it will be gone once the mage is dead. Beleg joins in the slaughter and the Halfling mage’s life is over.
I look around but find no more prey to kill, until a lone figure on a platform too far to reach casts something on me… I change back and without thinking I unleash a spell I had saved for the now dead druid. Flames surround the lone figure until she falls over dead.
Maeve is by my side watching as the figure falls over dead, I believe I saw some bolts of energy from his direction, but there is none now. I stand there trying to calm my breathing and my shivers. Moon walks up to my side and without a word tends to my many wounds, I do not use the energy to thank him, we are close, and he knows what I feel.
Whit new strength I turn, look over the gathering that is now preparing to secure the hut, and loot, a small warning leaves my lips but few listen, why should they after seeing my wild charge trough traps and enemies. I walk back to the platform where she lies, passing the corps of Christophen, I do not stop, he is dead. Zuna is there she can handle him.
I pierce the skin on her sickly form and stab her heart, twisting the scimitar in the wound. I must be a sickening sight to Zuna, where I stab at a dead corps while a friend is dead, I do not care... My eyes burn whit fury still and I almost wish she was still alive so we could battle more.
Moon comes to my side again, trying to help me, to break me of this trance. Zuna struggles past us whit the corpse of Christophen, and I tell Moon to help her, there is nothing he can do for me now, and whit a nod he accepts that.
ALARM! I sniff the air again, fire… FIRE! I get up and run to the other side, the platform were I flamed the figure is burning, quickly I change to my raven form and flies over, change back and cast the content of my canteen in the center of the fire. Little use… The fire stings, I forget my protection was long gone… But I always prepare two, I cast it then use my bedroll to beat the rest of the flames down. This is why I never use this “gift”, fire is danger… I should know…
I toss the corps there to the ground and climb back across on a rope… It goes well. I return to the corps and strip her of her belongings I can sense the evil in some of them and decide right then and there, IT WILL ALL BURN. It scares me a little, how much fire I choose to use this day, but this will be done safe, not reckless. I pray while I prepare her for transport.
I carry the corps back towards the house, Corgrym is there arguing whit the farmers, why does he bother… They don’t look like Talonites, they don’t smell like it either, probably scared farmers, but whit foul mouths. Corgrym hits the man, I almost smile, but the situation does not allow it. Instead I barter whit them, I leave some ale and healing plants and ask if they would clean up the hut, they do not seem eager, their loss it will stink something fierce… I leave.
I walk as far as the Glen, I am alone. The others are probably whit Christophen’s corps… I find the place I was looking for, grassland whit huge rocks. I place her corps on one of the largest, place her shield and armor at her sides, and then I stab the spear into her spine so it stands straight. Her holy symbol and a few scrolls whit unpleasant content is also placed there before I soak the area around in water.
When the last preparation is done, I step back and begin to pray. “Forrest Queen! Aid my strength now! Let me use your divine fire to burn this Evildoer from the face of this world, let her and her tainted possessions burn to ash, and feed the soil!” I take another step back and utter the words of devastation. The column of fire comes down and incinerate it all, small flames lick at the tiny remains. I sit down and meditate.
When the last of the flames die, I gather the ashes in my canteen, and leave the place. One friend avenged, one foe defeated, the balance protected.
Now I go to mourn a friend.