idnapped! Part 2

Jodotha jumped back as Cain punched and kicked at the mummies. He moved behind the taller of the two and brought his sword down in a two handed blow that drove the blade clean through the undead monster's body. To his horror the creature still lived and the blade was pulled from his grip as the creature turned. Cain then leapt and with a double kick knocked the mummies head from it's body. Jodotha rolled sideways to avoid it and dragged his sword free before desperately moving to attack the other mummy. Both Cain and Jodotha had now taken several blows from the creatures and had become slow and weak, rashes and pus filled sores spotting their faces.. Jodotha's rolls were less nimble and Cain's kicks didn't carry the same weight they had before. Eventually Jodotha, arms leaden with fatigue, summoned up one last blow and split the mummy in half. Leaning on Cain, his breath rasping through his throat, he looked up to see Darkhawk, and Trimus shake themselves from their enforced immobility. Jodotha pulled a vial from one of his pockets and quaffed a potion of super healing.
"You fool!" shouted Ako. "Until someone cures that mummy rot no potions or spells will aid you."
"Curses." Spat Jodotha and dashed the empty flask to the floor. "Do you have such a spell?"
"No" replied Ako turning on his heel to watch Trimus and Darkhawk examine the chests in which the mummies had been resting. Slitting open the dusty bandages around the mummies Darkhawk found a handful of gems. Two rubies, two emeralds, tow amethysts and a pair of onyx disks.

"Where is Colloran?" asked Darkhawk after the room had been thoroughly searched. "We've been had. While we have been here his captors have been back to the house and taken what they wanted."
"You may be right." Agreed Ako. "We should go back."
"No." said Trimus firmly. "He may still be here, we may have missed something."
"Perhaps there is another clue somewhere on the surface." suggested Cain. "In any case I could do with some fresh air." The mystic gingerly prodded the sores on his face and grimaced.

They retraced their steps to the staircase and climbed up. Trimus paused as he reached the surface as arrayed in a semicircle before him was a posse of bandits.
"Glad you decided to turn up." An elf, the same one that had bid against them in the auction for Lakeside House, urged his horse forward and looked down at Trimus. "We have your friend, give us the deeds and we will do you no more harm." Colloran, his face bruised and swollen hung limply between two of the bandits.
"Come and get them then." Said Trimus sarcastically, waving the deeds in the air.
In the shadows at the foot of the stairs, Darkhawk grasped his amulet and changed form and flew up the stairs. The elf, open mouthed, hesitated for a moment as the dark armoured figure rushed towards him. Darkhawk knocked the elf off his horse and crashed into the two bandits holding Colloran. Jodotha drew his crossbow and fired, the bolt thudding into the ground between the prone elf's feet. The elf scrambled to his feet and moved to cast a spell but Ako was too quick and a net of silence enveloped the elf and all those standing at the top of the stairs. The elf tried to bark orders to his men but they couldn't hear what he was saying. Spiting a silent curse he ran from the stairs and his men drew crossbows and pointed them at Trimus and the others. Darkhawk blasted the elf with his weapon causing his victim to crash to the ground. The elf scorched but unbeaten turned and cast a spell and Darkhawk was enveloped in a fiery bloom. This was followed shortly after by another spell which left Darkhawk webbed to a ruined wall. Jodotha climbed up the rest of the stairs and grasping a burning branch from a blasted hawthorn set fire to the webs encasing Darkhawk. The elf cast another spell and confusingly a trio of elven mages replaced the single elf that had stood there before.

Jodotha crept behind the crossbow wielding bandits and stabbed one between the shoulders as Cain and Ako engaged the other two. Meanwhile Darkhawk and Trimus moved towards the elven mage but Trimus' aim was poor and his thrown daggers posed more of a risk to local wildlife then they did to the elf. Darkhawk quaffed a potion and he vanished. The elf swung wildly with a sword and Darkhawk grunted as the blade struck home. The Celestial Knight drew his gnomish crossbow and fired, each bolt struck home causing the mirror images to disappear. Jodotha and Cain finished off the last of the bandits and joined Ako in examining the fallen Colloran. The elf launched a trio of magic missiles at Trimus badly wounding the young mage. Jodotha turned from Colloran and fired with his crossbow striking the mage in the shoulder.
"Take that!" shouted Trimus as he launched a venomous lightning bolt at the bleeding mage.
"Another time perhaps." Muttered the mage, bloodied and blackened as he clicked his fingers and vanished.

"These were nobodies, hired swords." Said Darkhawk after he had examined the bodies and Ako had administered healing to all those that needed it. Jodotha and Cain rounded up the horses, all were sturdy horses though the one ridden by the elf was much finer. Upon this horses saddlecloth was an embroidered 'M'. Ako's ministrations soon brought Colloran out of his stupor and he sat quietly as Trimus and the others told him what had happened.

Taking the horses they rode back to Lakeside house where after each had a hot bath to ease their aches and pains and a large warming supper they retired to bed. Trimus was up early the next day to examine the items they had found. Casting a spell of identification upon the sword and amulet which they had discovered in the old, disused wizard's lab the young mage's eyes widened and he whistled through his teeth as the spell showed him the items' enchantments.

"This." he said later holding up the amulet. "Is a lesser talisman of earth. With this I could travel through the Plane of Earth, if I knew the spell of elemental summoning." Trimus then presented the sword to Jodotha. "This sword may only have a minor enchantment upon it but it is also bears a glamour that makes it especially powerful against regenerating creatures such as trolls."
Jodotha took the sword and thanked the mage before trying a few passes with the blade. "It is well balanced. Thank you again Trimus for determining what it is. Does any one object to me keeping this?"
No one did so the rogue slid the blade into it's scabbard and put it with the rest of his belongings.
"Thank you again, friends." Said Colloran. "I should have been more vigilant but that close to my order I was not expecting trouble. I owe you all for saving my life."
"Don't worry." Said Ako warmly. "I'm sure that before long you will get a chance to repay that debt."

Back to my home page.
Back to the story's contents page

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page