Binding of the Blood

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 1697

Bending low, Astra moved as if she was dropping the claymore in front of this small man. Quickly glancing to assure herself he was not accompanied, she acted with blinding fast speed, launching the claymore upward at the man's crossbow.

As the weapon flew from the man's hand, Astra leapt gracefully, catching her sword and bringing it to bear upon the man.

What she heard from the man surprised her, for it was not fear, not surprise, but chuckling...

"I see you've chosen to make this interesting, Astra," the man said with mirth, an impish grin half visible in the darkness.

Astra struck, swinging with several strokes that would have easily felled most men, yet somehow the stranger escaped with only a scrap of his robes torn off by her attack. Then, still dodging her, the man began to recite strange syllables under his breath.

"Sanguinüm, Regó Fraternüm, Tempestæ..." the man intoned.

Astra winced as she felt something akin to a crawling beneath her skin. She felt herself weaken steadily. Acting quickly, she was able to manage one last thrust, hitting home in the man's chest. His chanting was cut short rather abruptly.

"The devil take ye, warlock," Astra hissed as he crumpled, clutching his stomach.

He began to cough up blood, yet curiously made a motion to Astra to come closer. Knowing he could not cast spells when in such pain, she humored his dying wish.

"Ye surprised me, Astra, but now I know that ye are touched by the wyrm's spells. The blood knows..." the man whispered, his voice almost a rattle.

Astra remembered the strange feeling she had felt.

"True, you struggle now, but I'll reckon that when what he laid in you reveals itself, ye'll do what he had planned..." he said, his voice growing fainter.

"Know this, we are legion. I do not matter..." he said, finally giving way to death.

Closing his eyes, Astra looked up to see that Andrea had dismounted, and was studying the scrap from the man's robe.

"This...this was from the robes of office worn by Lucien, my father's advisor. Astra, ye have killed a traitor," Andrea whispered.

They made their way out of Croix Keep through the back passage, and pondered what these things meant.

  1. They camped for the night in the nearby forest, needing their strength.
  2. They pressed their travels onward, fearing brigands, or worse, pursuit.

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5/15/1999 12:51:05 AM

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