The War Without End – Episode 1.17

The Med-Jai are trapped in the cave mouth. A sea of spiders surrounds them, offering them no avenue of escape. There is little time to dwell on their predicament however, behind them the faint sounds of crumbling from the ice-wall spur them into action.

Under his breath Growler starts a low chant and thunderclouds begin to roll across the sky. Tentatively the group move out of the cave into the only area that the spiders have left clear, a small semi-circle immediately outside.

The mass of arachnids shifts restlessly, edging slightly closer, but they do not attack. It seems as though they are waiting for something.

Suddenly Legagog’s daughter appears. It is not clear where she has come from. “Didn’t my father tell you to leave”, she says in her strange alien dialect.

The Med-Jai don’t need a second invitation, they hurriedly seek to make themselves scarce. Elsabeth casts a spell that will open a Dimensional Doorway and Baratus begins calling on divine power that will turn himself, Growler, Shredda and Sa’ara into a vaporous form and allow them to fly off.

The spiders become increasingly agitated. They start edging forward.

“Hurry” Legagog’s daughter warns the Med-Jai dispassionately “Time is running short.”

At that moment the Dimensional Doorway opens, Kai and Elsabeth step through it and disappear. Meanwhile the others are beginning to turn incorporeal under the divine influence of Baratus’s god.

As one, the spiders suddenly surge forward, pouncing and scuttling into the space where they are standing. But it is just at that moment that the four companions fade. They escape by the narrowest of margins, floating up into the air and departing on the wind.

By the time all six members of the group have returned to solid form and met up again, it is early evening and the weather has closed in. They leave the trail and go into the forest looking for a place to spend the night. Eventually they set up camp in the lee of a small hill. They stay vigilant but thankfully the hours of darkness pass without incident.

The next morning, Growler informs them that he has seen a Kobold hunting-party nearby. After some debate, they decide that they will try to track the Kobolds back to their stronghold in the hopes that it will lead them to the evil Dragon, Leannapazrak and the Cup of the Blessed Sun. Before they depart Baratus prepares a magical feast that invigorates everyone in preparation for the day’s challenges.

Fully refreshed, the group head off into the forest hunting for Kobolds. It takes a while for Shredda to pick up a scent, but when he does he sets off eagerly in pursuit.

After a while the group realise that Shredda is leading them toward a large rock outcropping that is visible through the trees. As they get closer, they begin encountering poorly concealed tripwires and pit-traps, clear signs that they are nearing the Kobold’s stronghold.

When they eventually arrive at the rock face it doesn’t take long for them to spot an entrance to another cave.

Sa’ara goes forward to scout around, disappearing into the trees. After a while she returns to tell the others that there are no sentries posted outside. The first guards that she can detect are some distance within. She has been right up to the entrance and it is safe to approach it, though they will have to remain vigilant for hunting-parties going out or returning.

Sa’ara leads the group up to the cave mouth and then takes Kai inside with her to deal with the first group of sentries. With deadly speed and efficiency, and without making a sound, the pair despatch the three Kobolds that are guarding the entrance.

Immediately beyond the guard-post is a large cave with a chasm across it. A bridge, that would span the chasm when extended, has been drawn back to the far side by some form of machinery. Slightly further away are six more Kobolds playing dice around a fire. Behind them are two large ironbound doors. The Kobolds remain unaware of the danger they are in.

However, as the remainder of the Med-jai move up, one of the Kobolds notices that the sentries aren’t where they are supposed to be. The Kobolds quarrel for a while about whether it is worth investigating, before operating the bridge apparatus, so one of them can cross the chasm and investigate.

Biding their time, Kai and Sa’ara wait for the bridge to be fully extended and then break cover and sprint across before it can be retracted. Simultaneously Elsabeth opens a Dimensional portal to transport herself, Baratus and Growler over to the ironbound doors to cut off the Kobold’s retreat.

With Shredda bounding out of the darkness to join the onslaught, the Kobolds panic and are rapidly dealt with, but not before the alarm is raised.

Deciding to try and keep the defenders off-balance by quickly pressing home their advantage in order to maintain the initiative, Kai and Sa’ara push on through the double doorway. They enter a twisting corridor that takes them deeper into the underground fortress.

There is no further resistance from the Kobolds until the Med-Jai come to an immense hall with a raised parapet at the far end of it. Twin stairways lead up to an ornate altar where the Green Dragon, Leannapazrak is waiting. Either side of her, lined up along the parapet and down each stairway are Kobolds with crossbows covering every approach, and there, upon the altar, under the Dragon’s watchful gaze, stands a chalice inscribed with solar symbols. It is the stolen relic that they seek.

Continuing their attempt to press home a rather tenuous advantage, Kai and Sa’ara barely hesitate before darting out across the hall toward the stairways. There is a lot of ground for them to cover and a Dragon waiting for them should they get there, but neither seems deterred by this. Kai takes the left side and Sa’ara the right. A hail of bolts fly from the Kobold’s crossbows, but miraculously the two fleet-footed heroes narrowly avoid being skewered.

In an effort to provide some protection for his impetuous companions, Growler summons a Wall of Wind between them and the Kobold crossbowmen. No more bolts are able to penetrate it. Meanwhile Elsabeth conjures a huge fireball and hurls it at the altar. As the fireball explodes, Leannapazrak takes to the air, but a large number of Kobolds are incinerated.

The Dragon bursts through the Wind Wall and swoops down towards them. She soars over Kai and Sa’ara, heading straight for the entrance where Growler, Elsabeth, Baratus and Shredda are sheltering. As she bears down on them, the Dragon breathes out a stream of acidic bile that sends them all diving for cover. Fortunately no one is badly injured.

Elsabeth retaliates by conjuring an even bigger fireball, and this time the magical fire erupts all around Leannapazrak, engulfing her in flames. Buffeted by the huge explosion the Dragon is hurled backward and flies away licking her wounds.

As their adversary lands unsteadily back amongst the Kobolds, Growler follows up Elsabeth’s attack by calling a freezing ice storm down upon the parapet. Leannapazrak’s shriek of pain and fury is whipped away on the wind. Many of the Kobolds are instantly frozen to death in the icy gale.

Eager to join the battle, Shredda bounds past the others, and out into the hall, heading for the parapet.

Once again, Leannapazrak takes to the air. Her scales blackened with heat and frosted with ice, the enraged Dragon swoops out of the howling whirlwind. This time she dives angrily down toward Sa’ara and Kai. The two have dealt with a few Kobold stragglers and are finally nearing the base of the parapet. Sa’ara throws herself to the ground and narrowly avoids Leannapazrak’s raking talons but Kai is less fortunate. As the Dragon passes overhead she claws him and snatches him up in her jaws.

Turning and carrying Kai up to the parapet, Leannapazrak lands next to the altar and perches disdainfully at the very edge of the storm. Kai struggles weakly as the Dragon pins him with her talons and grinds him against the stone.

Seeing that Kai is at the Dragon’s mercy, Growler calls upon the elements to aid him once again, and Elsabeth uses her magic to fuel the force of the gale. Meanwhile Sa’ara reaches the base of the parapet and begins to climb. The air around her grows chill as she moves ever closer to the raging storm. None of the Kobolds who were caught in its fury have survived.

With a burst of astonishing speed it is Shredda who unexpectedly comes to Kai’s aid. Bounding across the hall and up the stairway, the Velociraptor leaps the altar and barges into Leannapazrak. Icy winds envelop the two reptiles as they tumble into the storm.

Freed from the Dragon’s clutches, Kai weakly crawls away and starts descending toward safety. Baratus warily makes his way forward to help him.

Within the ice storm, Shredda bears the full brunt of Leannapazrak’s fury. The enraged Dragon claws, bites and tears at the Velociraptor until he collapses from the severity of his wounds. Only the arrival of a huge Air Elemental, responding to Growler’s summons, prevents Leannapazrak from finishing him. As it manifests, the storm’s intensity increases dramatically. Searing winds rage around the Dragon freezing her hide and pelting her with ice and snow. Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse Elsabeth strikes her with a lightning bolt.

With a final effort, the wounded Leannapazrak takes to the air once more. The Elemental is hot on her heels but she emerges from the ice storm, howling maniacally, “YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME SORCERESS!!!”

Swooping down toward Elsabeth, Growler, Baratus and Kai, the Dragon tries to snatch Elsabeth up in her talons but, though the sorceress is badly clawed, she manages to open a Dimensional Doorway at the very last instant and escapes from Leannapazrak’s clutches.

The Dragon screams and spits fury, venting her anger on Kai, who has only just been healed by Baratus. Leannapazrak only has a moment however before the Air Elemental descends on her once again. With a despairing shriek she is enveloped and vanishes. Her final cry echoes around the hall, “YOU SHALL NEVER DEFEAT MEEEEEE!!!!”

As the ice storm begins to dissipate Sa’ara finally reaches the parapet and recovers the Cup of the Blessed Sun from the altar. Meanwhile the others treat their wounds. Baratus heals Kai, and Growler rushes to aid Shredda.

They are left to ponder what dark magic caused Leannapazrak’s body to disappear. They suspect that they have not seen the last of her.

To be continued…

Notes:

During this episode there was a cut-scene of Marann the Enforcer, who was slain by Ebon in Episode 1.4. It seems that, through the divine power of Pholtus, Marann has been returned to life and is now in the process of interrogating a captive.

“You will tell us what we want to know” the Enforcer demands, “The heretic will be ours.”

The prisoner, who is tied to a low table, is just recognizable as Massingleigh. Defiantly he replies, “No. I will never submit”

Marann gives Massingleigh a disdainful look.

“Very well. Take him away and dispose of him” he commands his men. “Bring in the mercenary”

Massingleigh is dragged out and a striking blonde woman enters. As she passes Massingleigh her form shifts and she changes into him. It appears she is a Doppelganger.