Hearts and Bones

Carefully I peer out the doorway of the zigguret and look to my right. Above me, a large troll is looking the other way.



“Clear on this side,” I say, seeing no oncoming Scourge.



“Ja, clear on dis side too,” he says and we carefully but quickly make our way down the stairs and around the side as we approach our next target. A group of humans, the Cult of the Damned, are standing around a cauldron chanting incantations to keep its foul magics working. Several undead are there too, guarding them and aiding in their ritual.



“I don tink we kin pick dese ones off, man,” the troll, Cer'ango comments, “we try and dey all come a runnin.”



I nod in agreement, we're going to have to go in and take them all at once.



“I will deal with the undead, you take the humans.”



Cer'ango nods and lowers his visor. In a flash he runs out to the center of the humans and stomps the ground causing sparks to fly. His long sword flashes out and immediately begins tearing the cultists to pieces. The undead sorcerers, though taken by surprise, begin casting their spells and so are unaware of my presence. My shield flares with light which I take in my hand and throw towards them. It stuns them, allowing me to rush in and unleash the light's power around me.



Within minutes, its all over. A brutal, but short fight. Cer'Ango loots the bodies while I pour some mixture given to me by the druid at Light's Hope, which she hopes will neutralize the affects of the cauldon. It bubbles and steams, and then settles down again. I scoop out a sample to bring back to her, just as Cer'Ango holds up his hand, signaling me to keep down.



I crouch down and crab walk over to where he is, next to a wall of fungus and bone and look where he's pointing.



“Scarlets,” he whispers.









“Scarlet Crusaders,” I say, ducking down low. Kelmar ducks down with me, his off white skin turning paler.



“I've heard of them,” he whispers, “but never seen them, what are they doing here?”



I peek over the broken down wagon we are hiding behind and then duck back.



“Looks like an escort, maybe they've got a base in the city and they're taking messages to Tyr's Hand in the south,” an idea starts forming in my head, and Kelmar notices the wheels are turning and narrows his eyes.



“What are you going to do?” he asks suspiciously.



“Maybe we should find out what the message is,” I suggest with a smile.



He raises his eyebrows, “you're serious,” he says, pointing out the obvious, “that would mean killing them.”



Kelmar really shouldn't be out here, the idea of killing undead is one thing, because he feels he's putting their souls to rest, but killing humans and other sentient beings bothers him immensely. He believes they can be redeemed. Its a pain at times, but I have to admire his ability to stand by his convictions.



“If they're in Stratholme the Argent Dawn should know about it,” I point out, “and they're not likely to just tell us.”



“Maybe we can follow them,” he suggests hopefully, “and find out by listening.”



I doubt this, and feel my patience beginning to run out when something catches me attention. I don't know what it is exactly, but alarms have suddenly gone off in my head. I peek up over the cart again to see what it is that's alerted me, just in time to get a blow to the face from an angry Crusader.







I see Dotai stagger back from the blow as the other Crusaders race around the cart to surround her and her companion. She quickly recovers and four totems spring up at her feet. The priest is already surrounded by light as he begins chanting his spell. The Crusaders have them outnumbered, but not by enough. Still it could get ugly for them.



Cer'Ango chuckles next to me and I give him a questioning look.



“Could just leav'em and see who comes out,” he says, scratching his chin and giving me a side look.



I put on my helmet and race into the fight, the laughing troll speeding up behind me. He easily passes me and one of the Scarlets turns just in time to be knocked to the ground. Two of the others go back to back, ready now to take us from both sides, but also I realize, to protect the last one, who quickly summons a horse to ride away. I try to break through to her, but the other two are blocking me with their bodies. Whoever she is, they are willing to die to get her away and that worries me immensely.



My shield lights up and flares at them, just as a bolt of lightening arcs between them. I look up at the shaman, who in a second blurs into a wolf and gives chase to the rider.





The world shifts around me as I leap forward, hands extending into paws as I pound away after her. Being a wolf, I feel like I can run forever, but the horse is faster. I must out think it. The rider is sticking to the road, hoping to simply out run pursuit. She may not know the terrain well enough to risk going off of it.



In a gamble I turn off the road and peel north, cutting across the blighted land and looking to rejoin the road ahead of her. I dodge trees and steer clear of the mutated wildlife while trying to maintain my speed. A deep gully, once the bed of a river opens up beneath me and I leap to the other bank, scrambling just a little on the edge.



The road appears beneath me as I run along the edge of a cliff, looking down into it. The rider is there, I've managed to only make even with her, and she is already pulling away. She also doesn't look up, so she doesn't know I'm here.



So I leap down onto her.



With a terrific crash and numerous cries of alarm, we hit the ground together. I roll partially away and jump to my feet, only to be knocked in the head again by the Scarlet who was just a bit faster. I shift back into my normal form as I let fire loose on her, before she can get in another hit with her staff. Its followed by another, and another. I manage to get my hammers out to block the blows, but its clear she's trying to wear me down quickly, and she's fast enough and strong enough to do so. I need room, but its hard to cast when I'm being so well pummeled.



My opening comes when she suddenly staggers back from the hammer that just appeared above her head and slammed into her. I manage to get my totems up and get the opening I needed to hit her back with lightening. Bronal, closes the last few feet as his horse disappears beneath him and his shield flares up with light, stunning the Scarlet. As she turns to face her new opponent I hit her with one of my hammers on the back of the knee and she drops, just as the paladin brings his sword down onto her neck. There is a sickening crack and she goes limp, dropping to the ground.



We stand there for a moment, breathing heavy in the aftermath of a battle. I take off my helmet and let the cool air run through my hair, drying out the sweat. Once I get my heart to stop pounding so hard, I feel the stare of the paladin on me. I return his gaze in what is meant to be a challenge, but once again I find my eyes locking with his and I suddenly remember the dream.





The adrenaline is pumping in me as we finish off the Crusader. I watch Dotai take off her helmet and tilt her head back, her eyes closed and just like that I want her. I realize that I have been thinking this for some time, at least since the other night when I caught her staring at me, but now with the aftermath of battle desire is pressing against my heart all the way down to my loins.



She looks up at me, and for a split moment I try to avert my eyes, but they refuse to move. We stare at each other, both glowing with sweat and battle heat, which I have known to give way to a different kind of heat. I take a tentative step towards her, and while she stiffens, she doesn't back away. Her breath quickens as I reach to touch her face, but still she doesn't pull away. My hand almost reaches her when I hear the sound of Cer'Ango and his raptor coming up the road towards us. I quickly lower my hand and look away, my heart pounding crazily in my chest.



“We take care of dem others back dere. Nuthin on em,” the troll says as he rides up to us. The priest is just behind him, looking unharmed but shaken. He dismounts and goes to check on his companion, who I sneak a quick look at. She's bent over the Crusader and going through her possessions. The priest looks somewhat uncomfortable with this, but says nothing. Cer'Ango gives me a wary look and indicates the two Dreanai with a slight nod of his head. I shrug and crouch down across from Dotai who is rifling through the woman's satchel.



“Oh, here's something,” she says quietly, as she pulls out a letter.