The Story thus far: Millraven Finn Izzle; a beautiful sword-slinging elven wizard and her partner Brand Anlace; a plucky Halfling scout, are working to retrieve a powerful magical talisman from a group of human supremacist cultists. Having escaped capture at the cultist’s hands the two are preparing to use the confusion resulting from their escape to make one last desperate grab for the artifact.
Knights rushed by them too concerned with finding the prisoners quickly to look for them well. Millraven had to shake her head, the Knights of the Hill acted as if they were a trained, disciplined army. They were not; they were simply pathetic men and women with weapons and a mad on for their situation in life. They were a group dedicated to hate and because of that their eyes were blind.
“Oh well” Millraven thought to herself “Works out for me.”
She and Brand were moving ever closer to their goal: the ramshackle hut that was the only new construction in the ruin, the current resting place of The Blue Streak of Commodore Cramden.
They at least did not leave the hut unguarded, two sharp eyed men and a small patrol of about ten zombies stood between them and their goal.
“Easy”, thought Millraven to herself, “Too damn easy.”
She did not have time to think more on the subject however, the final goal lay ahead of her and her window of opportunity was rapidly closing. She steeled herself and whispered a throw-away prayer to whatever gods of light were listening, and with a gulp and a breath she shot forward past the guards and the zombies, or so she thought. The second her foot touched the threshold of the hut she heard the grunts and moans of more and more creatures of unlife. She felt the ground beneath her shake and tremble as she was suddenly thrown off onto her backside. Ten zombies had become fifty, they’d been buried in shallow graves and waiting for their signal to arise.
The human guards came rushing at her along with the Zombie hordes. She parried the strike of the first, her arm ringing as the fortes of their blades met with a crash and sparks flew in the air. The two combatants were locked together, each refusing to give as they tried to overpower one another. Brand fought at her back, wielding the mace Sir Bruno had been carrying and using it to bludgeon his taller opponents' knees into soup before ending their lives with a smash to the head.
Millraven began to sweat as she continued to test the strength of the guard she was facing off against. She had been doing well at first, but the human had the advantage, both in height and overall physical strength. Slowly but surely Millraven's blade was being forced back. She knew she could not keep this up much longer, so she stopped. She leaped backwards removing her resistance from the contest and causing the guard to pitch forward and stumble trying to make up for the sudden change in the center of gravity. Taking advantage of the split second needed for the guard to right himself Millraven snatched the dagger out of the belt of Brand’s fallen attacker and winged it forward, striking her target directly between the eyes.
She did not notice yet that the Halfling was nowhere to be seen, nor did she have time to care. The zombies in their slow, implacable way were pressing in on her now stepping over the corpses of the guards to get at her beautiful, succulent flesh.
Millraven took one zombie out, then another, stabbing them between the eyes as they approached. She’d not be able to keep it up however. Not only did they outnumber her, but they were crowding her and not giving her any room in which to swing her sword.
“Brand!” she called out, “I need you to open up some space for me!”
There was no answer. She spared a quick glance behind her, the Halfling was gone! Had he been captured again? Or killed? She did not have time to consider those questions, but she did know the cold, sinking feeling that told her these moments of life would be her last. Just as the zombies closed over her in a huddle all she could think was “Why” as she anticipated the pain of her flesh being rent from her bones by nasty, filthy teeth.
Only, there was no flesh rending pain at least not for Millraven. Suddenly there was a cacophony of pained, fearful shouting and the sounds of small, soft explosions. The zombies around her crumbled to dust!
“Miss me?” Brand asked, suddenly stepping out of his own pile of zombie dust.
Before him he held a necklace with a golden charm featuring a hexagon with a golden apple at the center; the holy symbol of the Halfling goddess. Millraven simply nodded and taking note of the zombies that were stumbling forward to take the places of their fallen brethren asked,
“Can you do it again?”
Brand shook his head, “Twice is pushing it for me. I can hold them back though."
He held up the symbols and the zombies backed away, snarling and snapping. “That’ll work!” Millraven said and dashed for the blue streak.
The rest happened relatively quickly. She grabbed the box that the streak was contained in and with a glance to check the contents grabbed Brand by the back of the collar and booked it. There were a few Knights who’d been ordered to stay at their posts, but they easily fell to her blade leaving the way out of the camp wide open. After that they ran and ran, and ran not stopping until they had reached an old cabin in the middle of a copse of thick trees. It was well hidden, and dry if not terribly comfortable. It was a safe house Millraven had used before.
After they rested a while and ate Millraven sat down with Brand to talk a bit,
“How were you able to destroy and hold off those zombies?” she asked “I thought you were a scout and thief. No offense intended.”
Brand nodded and smiled, “None Taken. Scouts are clerics as far as Halflings are concerned. It’s kind of like fighters who use spells are all Elves to humans, or used to be.”
Millraven nodded sagely.
“Lady Discord is not too picky about where the tithes come from.” Brand continued, “As long as they are gotten by our own hand and cleverness.”
Millraven then put the box containing the streak on the table,
“So? Shall we have a look?” she asked,
“Of course” Brand said with a laugh.
The box lid was opened with appropriate seriousness and aplomb. The two peeked inside and were struck with awe at the contents,
“It-it’s beautiful.” Millraven whispered.
Lying before them, studded in sapphire and diamond was a line of malediction and cursing so well crafted, so perfectly built to humiliate, belittle, and entertain that it just had to be immortalized, the blue streak of an experienced and intelligent sailor. They shut the lid and exploded into giggles.
A short time later once the heat was off they returned to Commodore’s crossing and gave the blue streak over to the Council of Five. To be more accurate it was now the Council of Four, Brand left their services in accordance to his inborn love of wandering and finding new adventures. As they left the meeting place he turned to Millraven and spoke.
“Hey, I know this is kind of sudden and all, but you seem to run into some pretty interesting stuff. Mind if I travel with you for a time?”
Millraven considered this for a second and then nodded, he was useful in a fight, a good companion to talk to, and as a bonus he was kind of cute despite his lack of stature.
“You are more than welcome to join me.” She said.
With that the two journeyed away from the town, looking for more trouble to get into.
EPILOGUE
General Mercer sat behind the chair of her office and glowered. It had only been her years of successful service to the Hanged God that saved her from demotion and even expulsion. As it was she got a serious dressing down. She banged her fists against her desk. She would find that disgusting Elf and that upstart Halfling if the search took her a thousand years, and when she did she would make them wish they’d never crossed swords with her or the Knights. She rose and looked at the captured armor of her enemy and with a motion faster than the eye could follow she drew her sword and sliced it and the armor rack it was hanging on in half. She watched as the bisected armor clattered to the floor. She then threw her head back and laughed. The two had not seen the last of her, in fact this was just the beginning!
Millraven Finn Izzle and Brand Anlace will be back for further adventures, coming soon.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Millraven Finn Izzle Elf for Hire! Chapter Six
The story thus far: Millraven Finn Izzle and her partner Brand Anlace have been charged with the task of stealing a powerful magical artifact, The Blue Streak of Commodore Cramden from a human supremacist cult who wish to use it to erase all words for any non-human race from existence. Unfortunately the two have been captured by the enemy and are now awaiting the fate handed down to them by their merciless captors. They have separated Brand and Millraven and have begun to torture the Halfling! Now Millraven must escape and rescue her comrade as well.
As Brand was being shown the negative aspects of heat, Millraven had finished taking advantage of one of the more positive aspects, using a spell she’d heated the metal in her cell door to a state of flexibility. She then broke one of the wooden slats from her cot off and used it to create an opening wide enough for her to get through. She was through the hole in a flash and with equal speed she had drawn the guard’s short sword from his belt and run him through the neck with it. She watched in grim satisfaction as the metal blocked the wound and kept the more over dramatic bleeding to a minimum. It also blocked the air passage meaning that whatever air was in the lungs before could not be used to call for help. She stole the guard’s key ring and dagger and was moving down the hall when she heard Brand’s screams. She went a little pale imagining the kind of pain that could trigger such noises from the usually calm Halfling and began jogging toward the noise. She and he were going to do this together, no matter what!
Brand screamed, he could not help it, this was the most pain he’d ever been in his entire adult life and he’d been a part of some gruesome stuff in his time. Sir Bruno, the knight handling Brand’s “interrogation” under the behest of the eagle-faced General Mercer was an expert at using what the general referred to as “Burn Sticks” They resembled the “Hightower Candle” style fireworks that mages used to bring into town when he was a kid, but they burnt much hotter and for much longer. The general had already left the cell and Sir Bruno was not asking any questions, Brand winced as he saw the brute raise his arm again, preparing to further turn his chest into a mass of burnt and bleeding flesh. But then the Knight of the Hill’s eyes bulged out and he made a gurgling noise, a sword point made its way out of his chest from behind.
“Hey there.” Millraven greeted him as she kicked the hulking human off her stolen sword. “You look like garbage.” Brand coughed and managed to dig up a smile “Thanks” he rasped and then passed out. The darkness and absence of pain managed to be pretty comfortable.
Millraven wrapped Brand’s chest in strips of cloth torn from the cleaner parts of Sir Bruno’s Uniform grabbing the officer’s mace as well, just in case and then very gently hoisted the Halfling over her shoulder. He was lighter than she’d thought he’d be.
A stop by the medic’s room yielded a few healing potions, nothing great, but they’d get the job done, after that it was a matter of finding a secluded space. She forced Brand to swallow the potions, watching in satisfaction as his wounds healed leaving only a few scars behind she then slapped the Halfling awake. Already the knights were scrambling the word was beginning to spread through the camp, they were starting to search for the escaped prisoners. She and Brand would have to be quick if they were going to take advantage of the confusion and use it to get their hands on the Blue Streak. It would be the last chance they had.
Will Millraven and Brand be able to make effective use of the confusion? Will they finally get a hold of the Blue Streak of Commodore Cramden? Will they be able to outsmart the Knights of the Hill and get away with the prize? Find out next week in the final chapter of Millraven Finn Izzle: Elf for Hire!
As Brand was being shown the negative aspects of heat, Millraven had finished taking advantage of one of the more positive aspects, using a spell she’d heated the metal in her cell door to a state of flexibility. She then broke one of the wooden slats from her cot off and used it to create an opening wide enough for her to get through. She was through the hole in a flash and with equal speed she had drawn the guard’s short sword from his belt and run him through the neck with it. She watched in grim satisfaction as the metal blocked the wound and kept the more over dramatic bleeding to a minimum. It also blocked the air passage meaning that whatever air was in the lungs before could not be used to call for help. She stole the guard’s key ring and dagger and was moving down the hall when she heard Brand’s screams. She went a little pale imagining the kind of pain that could trigger such noises from the usually calm Halfling and began jogging toward the noise. She and he were going to do this together, no matter what!
Brand screamed, he could not help it, this was the most pain he’d ever been in his entire adult life and he’d been a part of some gruesome stuff in his time. Sir Bruno, the knight handling Brand’s “interrogation” under the behest of the eagle-faced General Mercer was an expert at using what the general referred to as “Burn Sticks” They resembled the “Hightower Candle” style fireworks that mages used to bring into town when he was a kid, but they burnt much hotter and for much longer. The general had already left the cell and Sir Bruno was not asking any questions, Brand winced as he saw the brute raise his arm again, preparing to further turn his chest into a mass of burnt and bleeding flesh. But then the Knight of the Hill’s eyes bulged out and he made a gurgling noise, a sword point made its way out of his chest from behind.
“Hey there.” Millraven greeted him as she kicked the hulking human off her stolen sword. “You look like garbage.” Brand coughed and managed to dig up a smile “Thanks” he rasped and then passed out. The darkness and absence of pain managed to be pretty comfortable.
Millraven wrapped Brand’s chest in strips of cloth torn from the cleaner parts of Sir Bruno’s Uniform grabbing the officer’s mace as well, just in case and then very gently hoisted the Halfling over her shoulder. He was lighter than she’d thought he’d be.
A stop by the medic’s room yielded a few healing potions, nothing great, but they’d get the job done, after that it was a matter of finding a secluded space. She forced Brand to swallow the potions, watching in satisfaction as his wounds healed leaving only a few scars behind she then slapped the Halfling awake. Already the knights were scrambling the word was beginning to spread through the camp, they were starting to search for the escaped prisoners. She and Brand would have to be quick if they were going to take advantage of the confusion and use it to get their hands on the Blue Streak. It would be the last chance they had.
Will Millraven and Brand be able to make effective use of the confusion? Will they finally get a hold of the Blue Streak of Commodore Cramden? Will they be able to outsmart the Knights of the Hill and get away with the prize? Find out next week in the final chapter of Millraven Finn Izzle: Elf for Hire!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Millraven Finn Izzle Elf for Hire! Chapter Five
The story thus far: Millraven Finn Izzle an elf that is also an Elf (The human name for spell slinging fighters) and her partner Brand Anlace have been charged with the task of stealing a powerful magical artifact, The Blue Streak of Commodore Cramden from a human supremacist cult who wish to use it to erase all words for any non-human race from existence. Unfortunately the two have been captured by the enemy and are now awaiting the fate handed down to them by their merciless captors. Even as the two are taken to their cells they begin wracking their minds, looking for ways to escape.
They did not bind her. They took her armor and her sword, but they did not bind her, nor did they gag her. They simply led her to an iron cell by sword-point and shoved her in. Millraven could barely keep her feet. The sight and scent of iron all around her sickened the elf to the core. She counted her blessings that they’d not thought to magically lower the temperature of the stuff as well. Cold Iron was as poisonous to Elves as Chlorine vapors were to humans. They did not take the simple precaution of making sure she could not move her hands and arms. It was a mistake many of them would not live long enough to regret.
Working past the waves of nausea and the pain in her lungs she struggled to stay upright, to stay calm and focused. She heard the guards talking as they shut and locked the cell door, “Hey Joe. You sure this is okay? We, I dunno, shouldn’t have searched her or somethin’?” The first guard asked. The second guard snorted and then replied “Nah. You saw the armor and the sword, she’s a straight fighter and not very strong. No elf sellsword is going to get themselves out of an Iron Prison. She’s harmless as a kitten.” Millraven couldn’t help but smile a bit, they didn’t know her very well at all.
A cell block away Brand was not feeling so self-assured. Almost immediately after they’d dumped him in his cell a long, tall, willowy woman with stone gray hair and a sharp, eagle-like face entered his cell flanked by two armored knights. She wore the effigy of the hanged god around her neck and a dress military uniform. Her scabbard however, was scuffed and showed that her sword had seen much use and she held her body as if she were constantly on the attack. Brand got the feeling that as she looked down at him that she was mentally separating his head from his body.
“Little brother”, she addressed Brand with the infuriating nickname humans had given his race, “You are in big trouble. You see, these men are extremely upset that you and that FILTHY elf infiltrated the camp. Now, we don’t really have a problem with Halflings so we’re going to be reasonable with you.” Brand didn’t know about Reasonableness, but he had heard that even though the Knights of the Hill hated all intelligent non-humans they tolerated halflings because like humans they had no real homeland and tended to live in lands controlled by other races. He filed the confirmation of that rumor away in his head as interesting, but currently irrelevant. The eagle faced woman continued, “We simply want to know who you’re working for. Tell us this and give us your word that you won’t attempt this foolishness again and you’ll simply be escorted out of the camp.” Brand adopted a smirk and leaned against the wall exuding a confidence he truly wasn’t feeling. “And if I don’t?” He asked. “Bruno”, the eagle-faced woman said to the beefy young guard to her right, “Show him the burn-sticks” Bruno stepped forward and pulled two, meter long sticks from next to the mace he carried on his belt, with a word the end of the sticks exploded into hissing, sparking flames “Yes General Mercer”, he said and turned to Brand backing him into a corner of the cell, “My pleasure”
What tortures is Brand about to endure? Will Millraven rescue him and get her hands on the Blue-Streak? Find out in the next exciting installment of Millraven Finn Izzle Elf for Hire!
They did not bind her. They took her armor and her sword, but they did not bind her, nor did they gag her. They simply led her to an iron cell by sword-point and shoved her in. Millraven could barely keep her feet. The sight and scent of iron all around her sickened the elf to the core. She counted her blessings that they’d not thought to magically lower the temperature of the stuff as well. Cold Iron was as poisonous to Elves as Chlorine vapors were to humans. They did not take the simple precaution of making sure she could not move her hands and arms. It was a mistake many of them would not live long enough to regret.
Working past the waves of nausea and the pain in her lungs she struggled to stay upright, to stay calm and focused. She heard the guards talking as they shut and locked the cell door, “Hey Joe. You sure this is okay? We, I dunno, shouldn’t have searched her or somethin’?” The first guard asked. The second guard snorted and then replied “Nah. You saw the armor and the sword, she’s a straight fighter and not very strong. No elf sellsword is going to get themselves out of an Iron Prison. She’s harmless as a kitten.” Millraven couldn’t help but smile a bit, they didn’t know her very well at all.
A cell block away Brand was not feeling so self-assured. Almost immediately after they’d dumped him in his cell a long, tall, willowy woman with stone gray hair and a sharp, eagle-like face entered his cell flanked by two armored knights. She wore the effigy of the hanged god around her neck and a dress military uniform. Her scabbard however, was scuffed and showed that her sword had seen much use and she held her body as if she were constantly on the attack. Brand got the feeling that as she looked down at him that she was mentally separating his head from his body.
“Little brother”, she addressed Brand with the infuriating nickname humans had given his race, “You are in big trouble. You see, these men are extremely upset that you and that FILTHY elf infiltrated the camp. Now, we don’t really have a problem with Halflings so we’re going to be reasonable with you.” Brand didn’t know about Reasonableness, but he had heard that even though the Knights of the Hill hated all intelligent non-humans they tolerated halflings because like humans they had no real homeland and tended to live in lands controlled by other races. He filed the confirmation of that rumor away in his head as interesting, but currently irrelevant. The eagle faced woman continued, “We simply want to know who you’re working for. Tell us this and give us your word that you won’t attempt this foolishness again and you’ll simply be escorted out of the camp.” Brand adopted a smirk and leaned against the wall exuding a confidence he truly wasn’t feeling. “And if I don’t?” He asked. “Bruno”, the eagle-faced woman said to the beefy young guard to her right, “Show him the burn-sticks” Bruno stepped forward and pulled two, meter long sticks from next to the mace he carried on his belt, with a word the end of the sticks exploded into hissing, sparking flames “Yes General Mercer”, he said and turned to Brand backing him into a corner of the cell, “My pleasure”
What tortures is Brand about to endure? Will Millraven rescue him and get her hands on the Blue-Streak? Find out in the next exciting installment of Millraven Finn Izzle Elf for Hire!
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