Swords and Sorcery

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 25386

Like a lion stalking a herd of prey, Fred picked out the weakest target from amoung the Baron's soldiers; a cock-eyed, malnourished lad with a frail look to him. His armor and weapons were good, but still no match for the craftsmanship of Fred's sword and chainmail, forged and tempered in the finest smithies in all of Havnheim for the express purpose of taking on drakes and archmages. Infact, the young soldier's loose-fitting get-up only made him look awkward and clumsy. If he could even manage to swing the cumbersome sword at his side, Fred would have been impressed. Foolishly, the boy began to veer ever-so-subtly away from the rest of the entourage, making him all the more vulnerable. He was now positioned a little behind the others and to the right, where the ground sloped down slightly.

"Hey!"Fred hissed quietly, giving Jernicus a quick nudge and motioning at the soldier. He fingered the hilt of his now partly revealed sword suggestivley. "You got my back, dawg?"

A very soaked through and shivering Jernicus gave Fred a puzzled look. "Do I have your black dog? No, that's an absurd question, of course I don't! This is no time for nonsense, Fred!"

"Hey!" the leader barked stridently, overhearing the hushed exchange between the foreigners. "Keep it down up there, boys! Don't let the fact that the Baron has taken a fancy to your miserable arses go to your heads! No one gave you permission to talk!"

Dammit! Fred cursed inwardly. I thought the option leading to this episode said that I would attack 'without warning'! "Well, time for a new tactic!" he accidently blurted out. He had a nasty habbit of speaking his mind aloud in the most dire of circumstances. It was, to him, his one great weakness.

The leader spurred his short, thickset horse ahead of his troops. "Do what?"

Without warning, Fred had his sword out and cutting through the air in the same swift motion. An awed silence followed. The leader's head had been lopped clean off. Aha!he thought.So the episode didstay consistant with option leading into it!"What are you waiting for, Jernicus!?"he cried desperately, the shock of the moment fading away as several other soldiers advanced to avenege their fallen leader, fury mirrored in their weathered features. "Smoke these fools!"

"Ya, almighty one!" Jarvis quiped. "Let's see you get us out of this one, magic-man!"

The old sorcerer uttered a brief incantation and reached into a pouch, withdrawing a small vial of bluish liquid. He took the tiniest droplet from the vial and...swallowed it!!?? He then gestured at one of the advancing thugs. The man's entire form was engulfed in an ensorcled azure flame, suffusing the immediate area with it's ethereal energy. He did not scream, he did not flail about. Within an instant he had been incinerated into dust.

Taking advantage of yet another distraction, Fred lunged at the now riderless (and amazingly unscathed) horse, gaining control of the steed with relative ease. He reeled around to confront the throng of vengeful soldiers.

  1. The cock-eyed soldier turns out to be more than he at first seemed...

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4/1/2003 9:17:27 PM

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