Alcander: Day 108

Today we came across the smoking crater of what had been a town. It looks to be the work of dragons.

If I had time, I would find this dragon, fight him, smash in his skull no matter how many scales might lie between my mace and his brain. Perhaps I will have the chance. Perhaps not.

We're on our way to Stone Keep. Heracles finally decided that it would be nice of him to stop being so damned obtuse. This time, he simply told me that it was where I needed to be. That here I would have a chance to prove myselfl, to be a part of a great battle.

I live to do the work of Heracles. I'd die to do the work of Heracles. I wonder, which is the superior deal?

In Stone Keep, we will face far vaster forces than ourselves. We will face death, with a host of allies at our backs who may well be evil and only waiting for us to let our guards down so they can end us. We'll be caught between ancient evil and newer evil, with only ourselves in between.

I suppose there could be worse groups to be stuck in such a situation with. Arcadius has proven that, from time to time, he is capable of necessary daring. His stunt with the gem proved that. I can only hope that he can do as well when the true battle comes.

Oda is not a bad warrior himself. He seems to lack the necessary enthusiasm for a true warrior, but I think he'll do what he must. Shaft, too.

And Flam. Flam, I think, will do what he does. I don't foresee him surviving this battle, but I don't see him dying without taking a large number of the enemy with him.

The bard, well. The bard will do what bard's do. At least there will be music at my funeral.

Then there is Tupper. I still worry most about Tupper. I don't know if he'll stand upright when the time comes, or be too busy carefully examing a rock that he'd like to hide under, but can't because he's too afraid someone might have set a trap on it. But Heracles himself has set out to bring him around, so perhaps there is hope for him, yet. My prayers will go with him, worthy or no, and the prayers of Jacob, too, whatever the prayers of a man who will only fly away from the fight are worth.

So these will be my companions in death. Perhaps some of them will survive, perhaps not. I doubt I will be among them.

May Heracles watch over my soul on it's journey.