Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2002 04:03:06 -0600 From: David Presents <dwpresents@hotmail.com> Subject: The Plight of Strolin Chapter 5 Do Not Read If: *You are not legally old enough for the laws where you live *You have objections to gay/bi sex, and at some points, incest *You are just looking for an email address for hate mail *Or if you know you shouldn't be reading it for any other reason *Legal Notice: This work is total fiction, and other then being from the author's imagination, has no basis in reality. And reference to anyone living, or dead, is pure coincidence, and unintended. The author holds all rights and privileges to this work, and any that may follow. Any redistributing, and other uses of this work with the author's consent are strictly prohibited. Any violations of the author's rights for this work will be challenged legally. The Plight of Strolin Chapter 5 Falon and Trylon led their team heading to the southwest. Kathos had spies all around, so the elven princes were trying to throw them off from discovering their true destination. If the team kept on their current path, they would run into wolffen territory in two weeks. The wolffen are wolves the size of a small horse, very mean and vicious, and like regular wolves, territorial. Until a few packs had joined Kathos' army, the wolffen were not known to leave their lands unless provoked. It was almost midday when the party finally came to a rest. Trylon raised his hand and all of the members circled around him. "We'll stop here for an hour. Our mounts need not rest, but some of us do. I'm sure we'd all appreciate a little nourishment." Murmurs of agreement and the rumblings of hungry stomachs were Trylon's only feedback. The elves slid off of the teirven with expert ease. The humans were only a little less graceful. The dwarves however, fell to the ground as often as not. The short, but stout, men were all rubbing sore posteriors. Rations were passed out, and everyone sat down for a cold meal. When everyone had finished speaking, Falon advised the group of their next move. "We told you that we would have to travel for at least a couple of weeks to reach the outskirts of elven territory, which end at the town called South Point. There we will stock up on supplies, and it will be where we separate the decoy team from the real one. What I didn't tell you is that we are going to take a short cut." "The teirven have some powers that only elven people have been allowed to know, that is, until now. The teirven are descendants of unicorns, they have certain magical properties that are unexpected. The one that concerns us now is their space shifting abilities. When in danger, or in great need, the teirven can summon their stored power and move from one place to another through an area of nothingness." Giving his audience a little time to soak things in, Trylon moved on. "When the sun sets, we will use the teirven's space shifting powers to bring us within one day's ride of South Point. Hopefully this move will not only confuse Kathos, but give us a little more time to learn how to stop Skentrak." Everyone moved off into separate places to finish their meals. When Falon signaled to mount up again, the humans and elves had to assist the dwarves in remounting their teirven. Wil was watching how Scott mounted, and to Wil's surprise, Scott mounted with the grace and look of a practiced rider. "Scott, where did you ever learn to ride?" Scott smiled and chuckled at the memory. "It's a funny story, but not one you'd expect from a town's boy. I learned to ride when I stole some horse. it was either learn quickly or fall on my face." Scott had his teirven spin in a quick, tight circle. "A man who owned lots of horses used to treat the horses better than the children and slaves he would buy. So, I stole his horses, ransacked his place, and had his captives released. Then I sold the horses to a farmer for a good price and riding tips. The worst part was that his plantation was 100 miles from town." Trylon pulled his mount in between the two boys. "Sorry to interrupt you two, but we need to get moving. We have to get to a large meadow for the teirven, and we have a limited time span." The two boys grimaced, but they fell into line. Soon, the company was moving south, towards their goal. * * * Dusk was drawing near. The sun was more than half of the way down. It cast shadows and red auras across the land. Kathos smiled. Soon the fun would begin. He turned to his second in command, one of the few trolls with enough intelligence to give orders, and spoke to him. "Kelset, you will lead one team, while I will lead the other. We will take two squads each. You and your team head straight south, at a normal canter. Attack the village's northern side. I will take my team and flank the village, coming in from the south. Distract them long enough for my team to sneak in, and the village will fall." Kelset gave a small head-bow to his master. "When shall the attack commence sir?" Kathos's blood red eyes glowed brightly, with an evil power. "Begin now! Move out!" Two parties were quickly formed, containing trolls, gnomes, humans, drow elves, and wolffen. The humans road horses, while the trolls, gnomes, drow elves, and wolffen ran. Kathos and his party set out first, at a fast gallop, and then Kelset and his team began their own journey. * * * The sun had been down for an hour or two. The torches were burning, and the guards were alert. Sicheit was a well-guarded village. Sicheit was located on an island and surrounded by a river. The river was only about 75 feet across, but it was also over 50 feet deep. Around the village was a wall made of poles that had been lashed together and planted deeply into the ground. There were 8 guard towers, each with 3 archers. The inner wall was built of stone, so that it couldn't be burnt if the outer wall fell. The entire outpost had been built only about 25 years ago. A group of people who were concerned for their safety found the site and built Sicheit to protect them. A screeching alarm pierced the night. The Bridges leading from the north were being overtaken by the dark legions. Sicheitian archers were providing cover fire while the ground troops moved into place. The human riders that were in front of Kelset's squads were quickly picked off. Just when the Sicheit defenders were beginning to show signs of hope, the wolffen leaped into action. With a push from their hind legs, the five wolffen under Kelset's authority leaped into the guard towers. In a few moments they had ripped through the archers and dropped down into the city. The trolls, gnomes, and drow elves moved in after the wolffen. They used their shields to deflect arrows, and soon were engaged in battle with the main force of Sicheit. The defenders were all elven and human warriors, proven many times in fighting, so Kelset's forces were up against a formidable foe. The Sicheitian fighters were not novices at defending their city and had left the guard towers at the south side of the city filled with archers, incase of a flanking maneuver. Two of the three archers in the southern tower had turned towards Sicheit and the sounds of battle, while the third remained watchful. The guard's ears twitched, and he peered into the darkness. Just as he was able to make out moving figures, Kathos's sword slid through his throat. When his body fell, his two companions reached for the alarm gong. They never got a chance to ring it, for the wolffen had been sneaking up from within the city, while Kathos snuck up from without. The south gate was torn from its hinges by four of the trolls under Kathos' control. With a red glint in his eyes, Kathos led the charge on the unprotected backs of the Sicheitians. The trolls hacked and slashed at the elven and human victims, while the wolffen chomped and ripped the bodies to pieces, and the drow elves and gnomes took care of any townsmen left standing. The defenders fought to the last man, but there was no hope, and they were soon all dead or dying. The town lay in ruins, its people dead. The older youths had taken the children, and fled through escape tunnels to the river. They would travel to towns where friends and families waited. Many of the women had been fighting along side the men, defending their homes from the onslaught. What few women remained were either gathering all of their important documents and relics, or they were laying fire to the remnants of the town in order to provide time for the last few people to escape. One man had not taken part in the fight, and was not making any attempt to flee. His name was Strembeck, and he was the last of the elven warriors who had been in charge of guarding the stone. After placing the shard in a deep cave in the Sandtrap, Strembeck had taken the stone and hidden it far in the north, where Kathos wouldn't expect it to be located. When his job had been finished, he had returned to the elven lands, and with some allies, had settled Sicheit. Strembeck knew why Kathos had come, and he had expected Kathos' coming for many years. Kathos had been the one to kill all of the stone guardians, until only Strembeck remained. Strembeck had been trapped in the bowels of a dungeon, and was awaiting his own death. Then an old man had appeared out of the mists, and stood before him in the cell. With a tap from the man's staff, the chains holding Strembeck had fallen, and he was free. In a puff of smoke, the old man had vanished, leaving a small hole in the wall of the cell. After Strembeck followed the hole to escape, he had sought a safe place to hide until the end of his days. There was nowhere other then Sicheit for him to go, and he knew Kathos would follow him wherever he went. So with a regretful smile on his face, he awaited the giant drow. Strembeck was sitting in his favorite chair, enjoying a glass of wine and staring towards the door and what would soon to come through it. The flames in the fireplace cast shadows on the wall, while the wind outside made his cottage shutter and tremble. The end was near. With a sound of tearing and splintering his door was reduced to rubble. In the darkness of the night, two red, glowing eyes were visible. The eyes moved closer until they entered the room, along with the body that carried them. A large form cast a forbidding shadow on the wall. "Well Strembeck, it has been a long time. I see you were expecting me. Then of course, you know why I'm here. So let's get to the point, give me the information I want, and I will make your death quick and painless." Taking the last sip of his wine, Strembeck stood to face his tormentor. "Kathos, it doesn't matter what you do to me. I'll laugh at you from hell, because you'll never know the location of the stone." Having said his mind, Strembeck threw back his head in laughter, and with movements born of madness, plunged a small dagger into Kathos's heart. "I'll see you in hell!" Kathos stood calmly, while his dark blood was covering Strembeck's knife and arm. The blood was forming a pool around their feet. With a contented sigh, Strembeck let go of the knife and stepped back. "After all of these years of running and hiding, now we'll go to hell together." Kathos began to laugh when he kicked Strembeck, making him fall onto the floor. "You think I would die that easily?" With deliberately slow movements, Kathos pulled the bloody dagger from his heart and then threw the dagger into the fire. The blood stopped flowing, and then, the skin surrounding the wound began to pulsate. The skin then pressed together, and quickly began to seal itself. "For anyone else I would have made their death slow for attacking me, but for you, I'll finish you quickly, so you'll be out of my sight. I don't really need to know the location of the stone. I'll find it soon enough. Which means, I have no use for you." Kathos bent over and grabbed Strembeck by the throat. Kathos picked Strembeck up and pulled him to eye level. His lips curled into an evil sneer, and his eyes glowed brightly. With one quick squeeze Strembeck's throat caved in, his eyes rolled back, and his life force faded away. Kathos tossed the corpse to the floor like a sack of rubbish. As he was leaving the cottage, he flicked his fingers and cast the home into flames. When he reached the portion of his army that had accompanied him on his raid, his second in command, Kelset, came to report. "Sir, we have set fire to the village, killed any people we encountered, and sent troops to chase the ones that fled. Did you find what you were looking for?" Kathos was facing Kelset, but his eyes were focused on empty space. "No, but it's not important any longer. At least I've finally completed my revenge on the those who once dared to challenge my master." His eyes reverted their focus onto the face of his second in command. "Return to our main camp, and get what rest you can, for it will be daylight soon." What remained of the two companies headed in the direction of their main camp. Most of the humans that had ridden with them had fallen, some of the gnomes had been taken, and the wolffen had been fed. Although the information that had been the goal of the raid was never discovered, the dark forces felt content that they had destroyed yet another village standing in their way. The remnants of Sicheit burned far into the night. * * * The sun was about to set, and the sky was colored with the shades of a rainbow. Trylon and Falon had halted the team in a small clearing that was surrounded by tall trees. Trylon moved away from the group, so everyone could see and hear him. "We will form a single line. I will be in front, then my brother Falon, and then the rest of you in any order you see fit. The area we will travel through will look like an endless gray zone. Do not fall off your mount, whatever you do. The teirven will know the way, so just hold on for the ride. I suggest you focus on something, such as the back of your teirven or the person in front of you. This will keep you from being tempted to look down, and possibly losing your balance." Trylon and Falon moved to the front of the line, and they signaled the others to form up into whatever order they wished. When everyone was ready, Trylon chanted words not spoken in over fifty years. "Enecktumb ahnerabule sofurito cafatorumbolica celadora." The incantation still hung in the air, when all of the teirven threw their heads back and let out a high-pitched cry. Lowering their eyes, the teirven pointed their center horn at the same location, a single point a few feet in front of the pack leader. A thin blue steam of light shot out from each teirven's horn. When all of the beams had touched at the single point, a large portal began to form. The portal shifted and expanded until it was an opening nine feet in diameter. Whenever the edge of the opening encountered a tree, grass, or anything else, the edge sliced through everything like a blade. The shimmering blue color of the portal opened and between the blue edges, only a large, dull gray area remained. Pylon and Falon lead the rest of the party into the portal. Their line quickly entered the grayness, and the portal closed behind them. It seemed as the teirven were walking on air, but nothing except the grayness that surrounded and encompassed them could be seen. The teirven turned to the right, and then they turned to back in the direction they had come from. Their path made no sense to the party members, because the path they chose doubled back on itself and made very unusual twists and turns. The dwarves were beginning to discuss turning back and finding their own way to South Point, but Carzo quickly told them to trust in the elven princes' lead. Pylon and Falon could easily hear the comments that were being made, but they looked ahead and never said a word. Wil and Scott were both getting bored from this trip, and they thought that hours had passed. Time had no meaning in this gray area nor did distance. Since there was no landscape or other points of interest, the ride was extremely boring. The lulling of the teirven's movements and the endless grayness was too much for one dwarf to overcome. He was getting drowsy, and to his dismay, he looked down. While he couldn't see anything, it was the feeling of walking on nothing that caused him to get dizzy. While he was suffering from vertigo, he leaned too much to one side, and slipped from his mount. Fenta saw his ally slipping and he tried to catch him. "Sikari, hold on!" Fenta strapped a rope around his waist, and was about to go after his fallen friend, but Carzo moved to stop him. "No my friend, Sikari is lost to us. He could have fallen anywhere in the world. Wherever he is, I hope he's safe and that he can live happily. Get back in line, when we reach our destination, we'll hold a short memorial for our lost friend." The company moved back into the line and pressed on. Although the party members were depressed and saddened by the loss of their friend, they were also very careful to stay awake and hold tight to their mounts. In what was perceived as a short time, the party reached their goal. Another gate formed before them, this one was blue rimmed, but showed short trees, with sand and grass between them. The teirven exited through the gateway into a small clearing. The dwarves were the first to dismount, being the least experienced riders. Everyone rubbed their sore legs and walked around bow-legged for a few moments. After a few more minutes of relaxing, they climbed back on, aching legs and all, and followed Trylon to their stopping point for the night. The sun had set an hour before the party reached South Point. South Point was situated near the edge of a cliff, on one side having large trees and forests, and on the other having sand as far as the eye could see. South Point was more of a slightly protected village than a fort. The village had a wooden pole fence that surrounded it, but the fence was only two meters high and had obviously been moved many times. This makeshift protection served more as a source of comfort than as any real protection from attack. South Point had two gates, one at the north face and one at the south. Trylon lead the group until they were about 100 yards from the north gate, then he called a halt. "Most of the elves still remember the teirven, but they would not be happy to see them ridden by non-elves. Therefore, we'll dismount here, and walk the last leg of our journey through elven territory." Scott and Wil were both very tired from the trip, but they were also excited about going into their first elven village. All of the riders were bone weary from the hard miles and were quite happy to walk away a little of the stiffness in their legs. When the teirven were unburdened, they disappeared into the forest like a phantom dissolving in the mist. By the time Trylon, Falon, their elven protectors, Wil, Scott, Carzo, Fenta, the dwarven fighters, and the human fighters reached the north gate, a small welcoming party was waiting to greet them. A few elven fighters and one distinguished looking elf seemed happy to see their visitors. What surprised most of the dwarves and humans was that the elf that seemed to be in charge was not only a bit on the plump side, but he was also showing signs of aging. The elder elf stepped forward and bowed his head slightly to the elven princes. "I am Elganor, and I am the Council Chief of South Point. I speak for all of South Point when I say that we are honored and most pleased to have visitors of such significance. Our village seer had given us a notice that the two princes would soon be joining us, and that the reason you would come would affect the entire world. We will assist in any way we can to aid you in your effort." He motioned towards the open gate. "Please, let me show you to our guest lodgings." Elganor lead the procession through the village to a large building located in the center of town. South Point was constructed largely of wood. Drainage canals were located on the sides of the streets. Fresh streams were channeled in from many directions, to not only provide the city with water, but also to keep South Point clean. When the entire group had entered the large waiting room of the guest quarters, Elganor stepped onto a slightly raised platform so that he might be heard. "I apologize for these guest quarters. They were never designed to facilitate such a large number of visitors. I'm afraid that the rooms might be rather cramped, but the beds will be soft, and the food good. The Council of South Point will be using this room later tonight to host a banquet in your honor. I'll leave any room assignments to you, and once again apologize for the inconvenience." The elves from South Point left the room and the tired group members went towards the rooms. They would decide on sleeping arrangements after everyone had time to clean up. The dinner would not be served until late that night, so everyone was looking forward to a nice, refreshing nap. * * * Sikari tried hard to reach the safety of his mount, but he could not stop his fall. The endless gray seemed to remain the same, although he could feel himself falling quite fast. He had no real idea of time, but his best guess was that he had been falling for almost 20 minutes. He had fallen from ledges and off mountain paths while in the dwarven homeland, so falling was nothing new to him. Sikari rotated so he was now falling headfirst, incase there was anything to look at on this one-way trip. He felt himself picking up more speed, and soon his eyes began to water from the wind racing past. Faster and faster he fell. He was soon whizzing by so fast that he had to place his arms in front of his head, so he could open his eyes at all. Sikari heard a loud thunderclap as a bright blue vortex appeared before him. He was approaching it at tremendous speed, and tried to reduce his speed by making his body less aerodynamic. No matter what he tried, Sikari was going to enter the vortex moving extremely fast. Not knowing what the entering the vortex would do, he took one last big breath and looked away as he entered the blue gateway. With his eyes closed, all Sikari was aware of was the loud whooshing sound as he passed through the vortex. He had no warning at all when he was suddenly enveloped by water. The sudden drop into cold water caused Sikari to blow out all of his air and open his eyes. He quickly righted himself and headed for the surface. He had been pulled under with such force that he was far below the surface before he was aware of his situation. By the time his head broke the surface, his lungs were burning for air. Sikari gasped for air and struggled against the current of whatever water body he was in, as he moved towards the shore. The banks were high and he was having trouble getting anything to hold on to before the current pulled him on. He was quickly losing his strength and made one last grab for land. He reached for a tree root, as his last try, and missed. In surrender, he spread his arms wide and waited for the water to claim him. Just as he started to go under, his outstretched arm caught on a tree branch. The frantic dwarf clamped his hand onto his newfound lifeline, and with all of his might, managed to drag himself out of the water. He crawled a few feet away from the water and then collapsed from exhaustion. * * * Elganor and the rest of the Council had prepared a large dinner while Wil, Scott, and the others were cleaning up. The elves had provided wild boar, roasted fowls, skilla roots, pigmy apples, and sweet tubers. Wil, Scott, Trylon, Falon, and the other elves opted for roasted fowl and pigmy apples, while Carzo, Fenta, and the other dwarves chose the boar and skilla roots. They all enjoyed the sweet tubers as dessert. Elganor asked for everyone's attention so he could speak. "South Point welcomes all of you, and we are glad to provide assistance on your quest. While all of you were preparing for dinner, the Council held a conference with the two princes. We have convinced them to stay here and rest for three days, after which we will restock your supplies and wish you well. During these next three days, our elven warriors will also teach you some of what you will need to know, in order to survive in the Sandtrap. Please enjoy your meal." The meal was quickly finished, and the Council left the room. Carzo stood up as the room became silent. "I ask you to give a moment of silence in memory of Sikari. I know that this journey will have many casualties, but I had not expected one so soon. >From this point on there may not be enough time to honor fallen warriors, but we will use any time we do have to remember them. I am sure that you all agree with me when I say that we hope Sikari has either moved on to a better place, or if he did survive, that he will be happy until the end of his days." Once Carzo had finished his speech, the dwarves, elves, and humans went to their rooms to get some rest. The rooms were sparse, so sleeping arrangements were cramped. Wil and Scott were sharing the room with Piffin and Griffin, while Carzo and Fenta were sharing one with Trylon and Falon. The other dwarves, humans and elves were rooming with at least four other people in a room. Although the rooms were filled, everyone was happy to have a bed to sleep in. * * * Two scouts dressed in dark leather armor were patrolling the southern quadrant of their camp when they came upon a large mound lying next to the river. They moved over to examine the mass, thinking it a downed animal. On closer inspection, they found the body to be that of a strong dwarf. The scouts each grabbed an arm and started to drag Sikari back to their camp. * * * Sikari woke up in chains. He heard a deep voice ask him for his name. "My name is Sikari. Who wants to know?" A large drow stepped out into the light provided by the moon. "I am Kathos. Now, you are going to tell me everything you know about the efforts to destroy the shard and foil my plans. If you do not tell me, I will introduce you to a new world of pain. I will have my answers one way or the other." Sikari mustered his will and glared at Kathos. "You'll only find out what I know from my ghost, because I will never tell you!" Two large eyes glowed blood red, and a huge grin spread across an evil drow's face. Kathos's grin looked more like a hungry wolf drooling over food, in the dwarf's opinion. "I was hoping you would say that. Now, my guest, get comfortable, because you will be here for a long time." Kathos left the room and yelled orders to his guards, but Sikari could not hear what was said. He could hear Kathos laughing an evil and malevolent cackle. Two hours passed while Sikari tried to sleep, but the chains cutting into his skin and the hard rock slab pushing into his back made sleeping impossible. Just as Sikari was about to doze off from complete exhaustion, the cell door burst open. Kathos slapped a metal collar around Sikari's neck and then used his hands to break the other chains that held his prisoner. Sikari was dragged like a dog on a leash out of his small cell and into the main camp of Kathos's army. Two large poles had been erected in the center of the grounds, and two large, metal rings were attached to each. Guards had attached chains to each ring. Sikari was strapped into the chains that were hanging from the poles and pulled, until he was in a spread eagle position. Once he was strung up, his clothes were cut off him until he was only wearing his underclothes. Kathos sauntered up carrying a large, multi tipped whip with him. He held the whip menacingly in front of Sikari's face. "By the time I return, you will be past the breaking point, and you will beg me to listen to your secrets." He motioned to a figure standing in the shadows, and the figure stood up. The figure, a rock troll, stepped up until he stood next to Kathos. Kathos handed him the whip. "You will whip his legs, back, buttocks, and shoulders. Then, when he starts to pass out, you will stop and wake him up. You will continue this pattern until I return." Without a further thought, he walked away. Kathos knew his orders would be carried out without error, and very soon he'd have the answers he sought. If you enjoyed reading The Plight of Strolin, please feel free to contact me at dwpresents@hotmail.com Please send only comments that are 'constructive'. For those comments that you know I don't want to see, don't bother typing them. Author's Note: I apologize for taking this long in between chapters.