Kirjotusvihe

Well, the thing didn’t look much like a monster. Sure that eye was creepy as hell and the thing didn’t look anything like a human, but it didn’t seem threatening. The toothless mouth smiled warmly at them as Nearin followed Selesta’s lead and stood up. Besides, the thing barely reached above Nearin’s waist. “We are just taking shelter,” Selesta answered. “Not many humans take shelter in the labyrinth,” the thing pointed out. “I am called Nerltholp. I am of Kaalp.” “I am Knight-champion Selesta of the Paladin order.” Selesta said. “This is Nearin Ur-Emma, my

Nearin must have hurt her wrist when falling without noticing it, because her throw was decidedly unimpressive. Of course, it didn’t take much to throw an object that weighed as little as the orb only a few meters that lay between Nearin, who had backed up all the way to the portal in case something went wrong, and the devouring cloud of black something. The glow of the orb disappeared as soon as it entered the cloud. A moment later there was a metallic ‘ting!’ sound as it hit the ground. The cloud advanced another inch before stopping. A ripple passed through it. Then another. Then what looked like a vertical whirlpool for

Nearin barely had the time to think she was going to die before the free fall turned into a slide. The headless corpse hit the slide first, serving as a cushion for Nearin and protecting her from breaking any bones. After her shoulder hit the corpse she rolled, her back hitting the rock hard enough to empty her lungs as she and the corpse slid down under the chamber. The slide rapidly got less steep until the ground was horizontal again. Nearin’s momentum took her a bit further until her movement was stopped by the back of her helmet hitting something hard. She blinked rapidly at the pain, trying to clear her vision from the stars tha

Nearin swallowed.  The Aura was keeping the worst of the fear away, but it couldn’t stop her from reacting to the presence of a curse-wraith. Apart from summoning demons there were very few things that were more taboo than the creature in front of her. The result of losing control of a curse, it is the biggest reason only the most desperate even think of using a curse. She remembered the cautionary tales she had been told as a child that revolved around curse-wraiths. About tragic heroes who were tempted by the use of a curse only to turn into nightmarish monsters. All to scare her from even considering a curse when she was an adult.

Nearin had never been in a cave before. Unless the one where they had found the girl yesterday counted, but she didn’t think that one counted. It hadn’t been anything like what she found under the Phoenix’s Fall. The caverns here were infinitely more foreboding than that one. It had been barely more than a foxhole. These were dark tunnels that led deep under the mountain. The entrance they used was large enough that you could ride a horse inside with barely ducking your head. Nearin gulped as she stared into the dark tunnel. According to history, the last remains of the demon lord’s forces had been pushed back here a

”Do you think he spoke the truth?” Nearin broke the silence with a rasp. They had been walking for a while and were about half way to the Fall. Selvos was walking a few dozen meters ahead of them. With how her legs felt and with her wearing more armor she was having difficulty keeping up but she was managing somehow. “Honestly? No idea,” Selesta chuckled. “Shouldn’t we have questioned him more?” Nearin stopped from surprise for few seconds before remembering to start walking again. “Not worth it. The problem is that we don’t know what part was true and what wasn’t. If we had press

The cookie was very tasty. Whoever had made it had maybe been a bit heavy handed with sugar but the overly sweet taste still worked together with the pieces of oat that crumbled in her mouth. Nearin sighed with contentment then brushed a few crumps off her scarf. Grumps weren’t intimidating. To be honest, the idea of her being intimidating was hilarious. Though she had beaten the man they were looking for and his three friends.  That had to up the scary factor a bit. “This is it,” Selesta said as they arrived in front of the house where they had been told their suspect was likely to be. Nearin cocked her head. “Why

“And done,” the man said as he the glow of healing magic disappeared and he started to wrap the arm with bandages. “You couldn’t heal it all the way?”  Kevos whined. “Complain to someone who cares and be happy you didn’t lose the arm,” the man grunted. The camp could rarely be described as peaceful but now the usual ruckus was replaced with the tension of waiting for the storm. Only three members of the party that had gone to track the Paladins for the ambush had returned, two of them wounded and all of them bruised. “You should have waited for the rest of us,” someone compl

It was well into the evening. Nearin scratched the back of her head.  Getting the blood out of her hair had been difficult. At least the man she had killed hadn’t bled on her. The man she had killed… She felt sick, but forced her mouth open and took another bite of the bread. They were eating dinner at the village Elder’s house. Selesta hadn’t wanted to go back to investigate before the child woke up. Nearin’s feet were infinitely grateful for that. Now the girl was awake and Selesta was questioning her gently while the girl who was starving ate.   “What do you remember of the dream?” Se

Nearin was panting and staring at the pool of her own vomit. Her stomach muscles cramped and she gagged, but nothing more came out. She closed her eyes and straightened. She had just killed someone. Someone who had been trying to kill her, true, but she felt sick nonetheless. Get a hold of yourself, you have a child to save. She took a deep breath, then quickly wiped the blood from her sword and started running. Getting into rhythm was a lot harder this time, as the bruise in her stomach kept reminding her of its existence. And then every tree and rock she passed looked like it could have hidden another ambush. Thankfully none did. The res