Arcadius and the Shadow Dragon

PART VII - VICTORY AND A JOURNEY


I was wounded where the breastplate of my armor met the backplate, a deep puncture as from a stiletto or arrow. I spun around and there stood the Drow servitor woman with a weapon instead shaped much like a stinger or gigantic thorn, covered in some foul-smelling ooze. I felt momentarily ill, but then the radiant power of Lord Pelor coursed through my body, and whatever it had done was swept away. She, the Drow looked startled, and disappeared again. However I charged the place she seemed to be in motion toward, and by good fortune was able to strike a blow. She was no warrior, and dropped immediately.

Then I turned around and saw the Drow guard attending to his Lady, or as it turned out, rather reaching for the amulet at her chest, which looked to be the same as that of the Lord. I charged him, and throwing my body weight into it, forced him out of that spot before could complete the necessary activation. He leapt up and nicked me with his sword, but I then struck him down. Now however, I heard motion, and turned around to see the Drow lord. By some magic on his person, he had been revived. He was casting, and struck me full-on with a lightning bolt. I reeled, but advanced to face him. He felt for his amulet, but finding it gone, raised his sword instead, a grim look in his eyes.

We dueled, and he was a skilled swordsman, but he was gravely wounded and I only moderately so. It was a foregone conclusion, and in the end I slew him, this time freeing him of his head to be sure he didn't rise again. Only then did I remember whatever had been forming in that place of power, but looking over saw it instead fading, as if indeed something had not been completed.

I then made sure the others were truly dead, then cleaned them and the area of all the weapons, implements and gear they had possessed. The Drow had traveled lightly, and all that they had could be fit into a single large chest that they had stowed to one side. The altar seemed to have been something raised or carved of the stone of the place itself. Looking around I saw that the columns of this part of the cave, and no other, were faintly carved in ancient, water-weathered glyphs and images, gruesome-looking, though not I think the work of Drow. I took note of what they looked like, then held tight to the chest and activated MY amulet.

The now-familiar magic activated, and I returned to the area of the Drow city. I went straight to see lady Alis, who was most pleased to hear my report, and to receive the items I had taken from her foes. I asked for the lady Viriya, and wonder if any emotion showed through in my voice. The lady Alis however merely answered mildly that she had been sent on a mission. O' fate! She bid me rest for a day, and recover. During that day, the stinger-like weapon was examined, and it was discovered to bear some sort of horrible, invariably deadly, and fast-acting disease, rather than a mere common poison. I humbly thank all the gods and Pelor most of all that I am a Paladin! After that day had passed, the lady Alis sent me with folk of her house to yet another departure point, and from there I was transported without delay to the Northlands.

It was joy itself to see the sun again.