Thralls of a Dread Lord (1.45T)
Welcome to my weekly serial. This is a rough draft that I am working on, for your reading pleasure.
It is a fairly grim tale, so be warned.
Here is the first post from this series.
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Retaak stared at the ash and charred bone that was all that remained of Ashoktyaar’s hand. The mage had been a powerful one; a kill that on any other day Retaak would have bragged about. But his spell had overcome Ashoktyaar…
“Retaak, we have to move, NOW!” said Uyage, the urgency in her voice cutting through to him.
Retaak nodded. “Here lies Ashoktyaar, mighty among Fellspawn. I will remember you, friend and carry your dust back to the warrens.”
He put the handful of ash in a pouch on his belt, noticing a tearful Uyaashie doing the same, and then he looked at Uyage, who led them back into the tunnel through which they had penetrated Greyrock.
Retaak was the last to leave. As they entered the tunnel he slammed the heavy door shut and wedged a knife into the frame, hammering it deeply into the wood and iron with the hilt of his falchion. The door would be difficult to open from the other side now. He looked around for something to block the possible flow of water that might come through the grate and into the tunnel, but saw nothing and so hurried to catch up to his band
Ashoktyaar had stood with Retaak in the titanic clash of battle and in the wild, unpredictable confrontations that characterized life in in the Fellspawn warrens. The had shared meat by the fire, blood on the field, and even Retaak’s dreams for a better world. Never once had Ashoktyaar admonished him for wanting to overthrow the Dread Lord and lead the spawn into freedom. A boon companion.
Retaak avoided the traps guarding the tunnel as he ran. Uyage had disabled all of them, and he was thankful that she had. The elves would flood the tunnel to dislodge them, and they had best be out before the water came.
Ushochhushi was to blame for Retaak’s involvement, binding both he and Ashoktyaar with Kaasukak, the power of the Dread Lord and his vassals to compel the Fellspawn. Retaak could not escape blame for his friend’s death, he could have left him out or killed the mage before he harmed the troll, but Ushochhushi must be made to pay a price as well.
I must find a way to make him pay, though Retaak.
Stoked by rage Retaak ran faster, catching up to his band. Uyaashie and Kuzat were escorting the Elf, Albyursia with Uyage well ahead of them, scouting and leading them past the disabled traps. He fell in behind them and they ran down the long tunnel.
They made swift progress. Retaak kept running, slowing only to avoid a pressure plate or step around a once-hidden pit. He kept thinking of Ashoktyaar, the look in his friend’s eyes. It was all he could think about.
At least until his feet got wet.
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