We're back to Sassy, who made a very strong showing this mission, thankfully.

This story sets up big things. I'm really happy with how it turned out. It's also a good read and a solid piece on its own.

 
So, I am following a big thug; big strong back, wide powerful-looking shoulders and the dumbest mind anywhere. He has to be heading for a camp to meet up with some friends. He is just too stupid to be by himself. Then again, look at me! I am following him alone into who knows what. Kind of makes you wonder who is smarter, huh? Anyway, I keep out of his sight in the brush and fairly soon we come to a clearing near the river. By scouting around, I can tell there are about three other thugs and a short dwarf who appears to be their cook, but doesn't seem very happy about it. Moving around the perimeter of the camp, I discover a sentry who is very much alert. I also see that to one side there are three people lying on the ground. At first I thought them to be sleeping but no, they are tied and staked down. Definitely prisoners or slaves.

I take cover in the brush and wait for darkness; might be able to do something then.

So, now it is dark with just a sliver of moon shining down to light my way. I start to approach the prisoners when a movement out of the corner of my eye stops me and I retreat back to the brush. Three thugs are moving toward their three victims. If I hadn't found cover; I would have made number four by now.

I can see the three prisoners in the moonlight. The one nearest me has caramel-colored hair and she seems to be a very pretty, but scared girl. Next to her is a young man with grizzled hair. At the end farthest from me lies a girl with black hair.

The leader of the thugs takes a long pointed wooden rod and holds it over the young man. "'ey, yu! Yuse wont dis stick?" It is clear from the man's expression and the way he strains at his bonds that he would very much like to have it. "Yea, yuse is wonting dis bad, huh? Wal den, come and git it!"

He and his fellows roar with laughter at the man's obvious failure to do so. "Once I get free I'll show you beasts a thing or two," says the man.

"Oooooh, why yu not show us now, ha? Com'on, show us som'fun den!" They roar with laughter.

The man, deciding to just do nothing and let them go on, forces himself to relax. "Aw, 'e's no fung, is 'e? Less try sommun else den." The leader moves on to the black-haired girl. "Ok, missie, yu turn now! Yu has not spoken sinse we tuk ye. What's up wit that den?"

He gets no answer and he doesn't like that. "Guess I'll have to make you talk den. Yuse very pretty, yu know. Dat black hair." He bends down to stroke it gently. "Mebbe I should git me som for m' collection." With that, he changes from stroking it and grabs a strand and yanks it out forcibly. It must hurt very much because she is crying, but doesn't utter a sound.

"hmmm, dat hurt, di'n't it? Yu want me to do dat again? No, den start talkin. You talk and I don hurt yu, yu don talk and, well de pain ain't goin to be mine, is it?" His friends start to laugh, but there is still silence from the girl. "Mebbe yu is shy, dat it? I coul sen dese other guys away and we kin talk quiet in private, huh?" The girl hasn't made a move, but the leader signals to the others to leave which they do. While he is tormenting the girl, the leader has laid that staff between the man and the girl and the man who has been trying to reach it but can't. The leader hears his movements and half turns to glare at him. In one motion, I unsling my crossbow, fit a bolt into it, load it and cock the bow. As the leader turns to face the man, I have a perfect shot. With a twang and a thump, my bolt strikes him deep in the chest. He sprawls on the ground dead. I swiftly move from the brush and cut the caramel-haired girl loose and then the man.

As soon as he is free, he grabs the staff. "I will hold them off should they attack us." he says. I look at him in disbelief until the black-haired girl says, "He's a wizard and has magic to fight with." I cut the last prisoner free and we head off into the brush as the wizard stands with his staff in attack position.

I wait till we are a fair distance from the camp and then we stop for a rest. "My name is Sassy Snake. Who are you two?"

The little caramel-haired girl says, "It may sound a bit corny but they call me 'Carmel Ice.'"

"Well," I say giving her a bow, "Nice to meet you Icy."

"Hmmm, Icy, hmmmm, I think I like that."

"Then Icy, it will be. And your name?" I ask, turning to the black-haired girl.

"My name is Ravyn Wynge. It is weird, huh?"

"Well, looks like none of us really likes the name given us, but we can deal with that. Can either of you use any weapons?"

"No," says Icy and "Yes," says Ravyn.

"Okay, let me see now. Ravyn, what is your weapon of choice then?"

"I was trained to be an archer."

"No longbow or arrows here. You can have the loan of my crossbow and bolts until we can figure out a way to equip you properly. How would that be then?"

"Well, normally, I would decline the favor because we were taught that a crossbow is inferior but I don't really have too many choices. I would prefer to be armed than not, so I would be proud to use your crossbow."

I hand my crossbow and bolts to her and turn to Icy. "Well, Icy, you don't use weapons of any kind?"

"No, I don't. I don't like the thought of using an edged weapon such as a blade that cuts. I have always been bad at archery as well as throwing rocks or darts. So, what else is there?"

"Well," I say reaching into my pack, "How about something like this then?" I hand her a short piece of wood whose ends are tipped with iron.

She looks at it curiously. "What is that?"

"Some call it a club or bludgeon, but I like to call it a cudgel. It is perfect for in close fighting. If someone bothers you, you can swing it and hit them and believe me, it can be a lifesaver." I grin as she picks up the cudgel and swings it a few times getting the feel of the balance and the weight of it.

"Oh, yes, this is good. I'll use this then."

"Good, so that's settled. Now, where should we go from here?"

"Depends on what you want," says Ravyn.

"For right now, just safety from those thugs. I don't know this area so well, do either of you?"

Icy shakes her head, but Ravyn says, "Yes, I do. There are some falls on this side of the river and near them are some caverns where we can hide. Perhaps that is the best place to head for right now and we can talk and plan more later." We all agree and with Ravyn leading the way, Icy in the middle, and me bringing up the rear; we head off toward the river.

We have traveled a mile or so toward the river when I stop in my tracks. "Quick! Everyone, hide!"

Icy and Ravyn run to me saying "What is it?"

"Can't you feel that vibration and smell that horrible noxious smell?"

"No, we can't." They both stare at me and shake their heads as if I were crazy.

"Don't just stand there! Get into that gully behind the brush!" We all three drop down into the gully.

"What is it then, Sassy?" asks Icy. "Not sure, but the last time I felt it and smelled it, there was a loud explosion." I stop as a loud explosion roared out. "Then that was followed by thugs and lots of other foul creatures. There were so many and they seemed to come from nowhere."

"A portal?" asks Ravyn.

"Not sure what that is." We look through the brush and see a huge army of thugs, trolls and other fiendish creatures too numerous to count and too nasty to think about. We flatten ourselves and wait for them to pass.

From my hiding place, I peek out and watch the procession of ogres go by. Suddenly I see a sight that almost makes me gasp. In front of us is a mammoth creature perhaps a combination of a demon and a thug with giant or troll blood. He is huge indeed! There are two bodyguards near him and one holds a chain that secures a person. His personal prisoner by the looks of it.

"Bristle!"

I think he said something, but I can't tell and its too late now. Before I am aware of it, I am moving toward the man in chains. "Bristle? Bris, is that you?"

The man looks up and into my eyes. "Sassy?" My sword Malangra has leaped into my hand and I am charging at the big demon-thug thing. I get in one swift stroke to his midsection and then I am fighting off the two bodyguards. Our swords clash and then I hear a twang and a thump and one of the bodyguards is down. I dispatch the other one with a quite stroke and turn to the demon. "If you let this guy go, I will not kill you."

He laughs a deep and cruel laugh. "I will kill you ef yu don't get back! Matter of fact I should take yu prisoner too. I like to hurt 'em when they is pretty and y'ung like yu." He swings his ax at me, but I meet him with my sword. He is too close and misses while my sword is true and he slumps to the ground dead. I take his keys and free Bristle. We head for the brush just as another ogre appears out of nowhere. I sling a rock at him, but it bounces off his helmet. "Bad shot Sassy."

"Could you do better? Hey, that's right! I forgot, Bris, you taught me how to sling stones. Here take the sling and stones."

He takes them and slings a stone that strikes the ogre in his chest. After this, we head for the brush and rejoin the others. I introduce them to my friend. "This is Icy and Ravyn," I say as I point out each in turn, "and this is my friend Thorny Bristle."

"Why did you do that, Sassy? Was freeing him worth risking our lives for?" asks Ravyn.

"I think so, Ravyn, I risked my life to rescue you and Icy. Wouldn't you say that was worth the risk?"

"Well, yes but . . ."

"Now we are four of us instead of each of us out for their own. If we stick together, we can make a formidable team. Anyway, like it or not, it's the way it is. Let's put some distance between us and these goons." Ravyn takes the lead with Icy and Bristle in the middle and I take the rear. "Some time when we have more time, Bris, I want to hear about what is happening at home."

"It may not be news to your liking. I have learned to be good with that sling because what little peace we had before with Dark and Kwadlin has been shattered at home. That's why I was captured."

We move onward toward the river heading for the falls and the caverns that Rayvon says are nearby us.

New NPC's! Which is great, but next up, it's time to start seeing our new player characters. Isn't it exciting? (Oh.. I made sure to add the Dark and Kwadlin reference in for the other universe since it fits there.)

Next up... Shelldor the mighty!