Growing Up Part 2 : Giantkin
Vierna, in peaceful slumber tossed around in her bedroll once more. The Drow ranger was in a dreamstate, drifting on the fringes between sleep and the waking world... Just lazying about dreaming about flying across high mountains and deep forests. Vierna felt content as her dream took her over the high seas of the Moonshea Isles, across the stretches of the Eastern Shaar and the great Fields of the Dead near Baldur's Gate...
When her dream-journeys prepared to even take her into the depths of Realmspace, she felt a pulling, tugging her back to the real world...
"Ma'am?... Madam hero Drow?" a boyish sounding voice sounded. 'A voice in realmspace?' Vierna considered. 'This must be a dream, then.'
"Ma'am?" Vierna heard again and was being pushed in her arm a little.
"Just a few more minutes, momma..." Vierna muttered sleepily and tossed around in her bedroll once more. A few moments later, Vierna felt a lick move across the length of her cheek, giving her face a slight burning sensation.
"Awww, Brimstone," Vierna muttered sleepily again and tossed around once more. "Cut it out..."
Another lick followed soon, once again burning her cheek a little. "I said cut it out, Brimstone..." Vierna said.
That was Brimstone, Vierna DeVir's faithful animal companion and just as an unusual creature as she herself was, for Brimstone was a Hell Hound. Hell Hounds orginated on planes where fires run rampant, like the vast planes of Baator or the Elemental plane of Fire. Sometimes, evil wizards summoned them to do their bidding, seeing Hell Hounds make excellent guard dogs or retrievers. Often enough, some Hell Hounds escaped to the wild, where they lived like regular packs of wild dogs. Because of their nature, reproduction is slow, making Hell Hound puppies very rare. And since Hell Hounds breathe fire, farmers see them as a danger to their crops and hunt them without remorse. Vierna had managed to save a single Hell Hound puppy from hunters several years ago, and raised the pup (avoiding the flames the young hound often uncontrollably belched) making him her good-natured animal companion. Now, Hell Hounds were still not very popular within cities, so she usually let Brimstone run wild whenever she was required to enter one. When the group of friends made themselves ready to leave for Nashkell, faithfull Brimstone was waiting for them outside the gates and ran alongside the horses.
"WUUUUFFFF" Sounded real close to Vierna's ear now, and was accompanied by the pungent smell of sulfur. Vierna's eyes fluttered open, only to stare in the mouth of her animal companion.
Vierna sighed once and slowly turned to her side. "Alright..." she muttered, "I'm getting up, I'm getting up..."
She slowly got to her feet, rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned once... She briefly wondered what those strange sounds were... 'Metal clanking? Yells? Hmmm, they sound kinda close...' Only then did Vierna become aware of the battle raging all around her.
"Nice of you to wake up too!" Lenny yelled from the other side of camp, while stabbing his spear inside the chest of a Giant Troll...
"Hey, we're fighting for our lives here, and she keeps on counting sheep!" Gerty yelled, while reloading her crossbow.
Immediately, Vierna snapped to attention and snatched her two longswords from her pack. She surveyed the area, noticing about eight of the beasts attacking her friends. She decided there was no time to put on her armor, and after instructing Brimstone to protect Nathan, she charged the creatures wearing only her nightshift for protection.
"They're after the horses!" Lenny yelled. Vierna, taking the hint, ran towards the horses which were trashing about at the place where they were bound trying frantically to get away from the hungry Trolls. Vierna didn't hesitate and slammed one of her swords down on the reigns, freeing the horses which took off immediately...
When Vierna rejoined the frey with infernal fury, her friends had already been fighting the trolls for the last few minutes. Leonard fought with the unsual holy vigor in the name of Lathander, like a knight in the proverbial shining armor. Punching his magical spear through the heart of one of the monsters, the Paladin used this great strength to lift the creature over his head and slammed it down on the ground with even greater strength.
Gerty fought in a very different matter, since her weapon of choice was the crossbow. Using her quick and nimble speed, she often ran out of range of the monsters while firing a few bolts in their direction as she did so. Becoming of a Jansen, she openly mocked the Trolls in various ways, varying from sticking out her tongue to throwing a rotten turnip against their ugly faces.
Glyill Nightshadow might be a Cleric of Ilmater now, but the way she bent her body during combat as well as the quick movements was a trait she had acquired during her days of an assassin. Even with a mace she was as deadly as if it was a poisoned dagger. Her half-elven grace had saved her from many a mortal blow, and she still grinned ferally every time she slammed down her mace on the head of her opponent.
Vierna herself fought viciously, yet being careful to keep out of range of the swooping claws. The Giant Troll in front of her fell after Vierna slashed one longsword across its chest while the other slashed across its throat...
"We need your spells to finish them off!" Gerty yelled to Vierna, causing the Drow ranger to fall back and prepare her spells of acid and fire...
"Stand back!" Vierna yelled. As the partymembers scattered, Vierna launched a fireball which expanded on impact and consumed the fallen Trolls. Seeing this, the two remaining Trolls took another look at the carnage in front of them, and wisely decided it was time to split the scene.
Looking around them, the companions checked their camp. It was a total mess. Equipment and supplies lay scattered all over camp, and when the companions began to clean up came the time for jocularity...
"Only you could sleep through a Troll attack, Vierna," Lenny snickered.
"Are you kidding?" Gerty giggled. "If the world blew up tomorrow morning, Vierna will arrive in Arvandor never knowing what hit her!"
"Okay, okay!" Vierna laughed and held up her hands. "So I'm a heavy sleeper..."
"You know, my great-uncle Rip van Jansen once slept..." Gerty began, but was interrupted by Lenny.
"Excuse me, my good gnome," he smiled. "But I'd rather have you concentrating on food. It's your turn to fix breakfast, you know?"
"Oh, aren't you the hungry one!" Gerty joked. "Let's get this mess cleaned up then, so we can eat... And you owe me a willing ear then!"
"I suppose," Lenny sighed heavily.
"Is it save?" A boyish voice came from the bushes.
"Sure, Nathan," Lenny replied, "You can come out now."
A tiny boy slinked from the bushes, closely followed by Brimstone. After receiving a scratch behind the ear from his mistress, the large Hell Hound lay down next to the firepit to chew on his bone, as if the battle never happened.
"Well, at least he's relaxed..." Gerty joked.
"Excuse me, madam hero Drow?" Nathan asked when he noticed Glyill sitting crosslegged on the floor whispering reverently with bowed head, "but what is your hero friend doing?"
"She's praying, Nathan," Vierna replied. "She's praying for Ilmater to watch over the souls of those Trolls we have slain."
"But... but," Nathan stammered, "they are just monsters..."
"Trolls have souls too, Nathan," Glyill replied icily before returning to her prayers. "Never forget that..."
"Ermm, madame Drow? Your friend is scary..."
"You don't know how often I've heard that..." Vierna smiled. "But we have to get back to our travels. We will have to wait for our horses to return, like they've been trained to do..."
"Hey, V..." Gerty started, "I'm not looking down on you, but we really need a mage in this party. A proper mage...."
"Hey, my aunties Imoen and Nalia taught me everything I know about magic!"
---
About an hour after breakfast, the horses returned to the campsite and the companions continued their trek to Nashkell. When they finally arrived at the mountainpass through the Cloud Peaks, the adventurers let their horses step slowly through the tight passage. Even though the pass was relatively free of loose rock and debris, the road could still be very treacherous to the unwary. Vierna took point and guided her friends forwards, suddenly holding up her arm as they can to a small grove inbetween the faces of grey rock.
"Uh-oh," Gerty whispered to Glyill. "There's her Ranger Danger Sense again. What will we find now? A load of ogre beserkers, you think?"
"Oh, be quiet fool!" Glyill whispered back. "Like you said, who knows what she's sensing..."
Vierna slowly stepped off her horse and motioned Brimstone to follow her. Together, they snuck forwards until they came to a pair of overturned carts. They were smashed in several places and their content was missing... She then bent to one knee, examining the ground. Finding several sets of tracks and analysing them, she motioned Brimstone to smell them as well. It seems her Uncle Minsc' lessons had been paying off! She knew exactly what had happened and where the culprits had gone. She didn't even have to ask Boo!
"Brigands?" Lenny, who had silently walked to her, asked.
"No," Vierna muttered. "About seven humans. Three male, two female, two children... And two Hill Giants..."
After a bark from Brimstone, there was no question where the two giants had gone too...
"Come on, Len," Vierna smiled. "We've got some hero-stuff to do! I'll leave Brimstone here to guard Nathan."
---
The group of adventurers lay belly-down on a flat rock overlooking the giant-camp. Their tracks were easy enough to follow, them being giants and all. The two hill giants were obviously brothers, twins in fact, and they had their home in the mouth of a large cave. The giants were busy stirring in large cauldron filled with a murky broth, which would probably be used to cook their prisoners who were being held in wooden cages inside the cave.
Vierna exhaled deeply when she sized up the two brothers. From the look of them, they were not only experienced fighters, they also stood over 16 feet tall. Now Vierna, still being a young Drow was not considerably tall. In fact, she was rather short and had accepted the fact that she would probably be short all her life, even when she would mature fully. And these giants were now very intimidating to her.
"Alright," Lenny whispered, "I say we flank them. You and Gerty take the one on the right, while Glyill and me take on the one on the left..."
"I've got a better idea..." Gerty chuckled. "Hey Glyill? Do you know how to handle a sling?"
---
It only took Glyill a couple of moments to get into a good position behind the two giants and readied her sling. She grabbed some blunt rocks from the ground, loaded her sling and, becoming of her previous profession, silently flung the rock towards the back of the neck of the rightmost brother.
The rightmost brother, a dirty, smelly giant was startled when he felt a slap against his neck. Then, he angrily faced his brother and punched him in the arm. The leftmost brother, a scowly, but cleaner giant, flashed his brother an annoyed look and snarled angrily at him.
Then, Glyill fired a second rock, this time at Scowly's neck! Scowly was, once again, quite perturbed at his brother's terrible behavior and slugged Smelly in the arm once. Of course, this slug was answered with another, this time from Smelly.
The giggling adventurers noticed the giants were still not annoyed enough for Gerty's plan to work, but they figured one more shot would do the trick.
Yet again, Glyill fired another rock, this time hitting Smelly. And this time, it had an effect. Smelly snarled at Scowly and slammed his fists in his brother's face. A flurry of kicks and punches followed, making the ground shake violently whenever they stomped their feet. Eventually, the two giants ended up rolling all over the ground, punching, scratching and pounding each other at every opportunity. They were so engrossed in their fight that they did not notice they were dangerously close to the edge of a deep chasm in the rocks. But they only noticed when it was too late. Lenny, having come out of hiding, poked his spear in the rear-end of Smelly, who bellowed and jerked violently forward, pushing his brother and himself over the edge. As the screams of the giants made way for a violent crash below, Lenny and Gerty stared over the edge as Vierna went over to the cage to free the prisoners...
"Lenny?" Gerty asked, "you think they're dead?"
"Well," Lenny replied, "deaddish..."
"Excuse me..." Glyill broke in as she sat down at the edge of the cliff for reverent prayer...
Lenny and Gerty shared a look and left their friend to pray for the souls of the fallen giants.
---
"Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" A merchant yelled and hugged Vierna fiercely when she released the prisoners from their case. "And you too, and you!" he yelled as he moved from party-member to party-member...
"And..." The man started,
"Forget about her," Gerty snickered. "She's too busy praying over there..."
"Ah, well..." The man said, "we were on our way home to Nashkell with our merchandise, but those giants ambushed us and destroyed it... Nearly ate us all too, if it weren't for you... Unfortunatly, I can no longer reward you for your rescue..."
"We do not require a reward, good sir," Lenny said in a Paladin-like matter. "And since we are travelling to Nashkell, perhaps we can escort you..."
"HEY! Speak for yourself! It was my idea and I still want a reward!" Gerty spoke up, only to be ignored by the others...
"You're a Drow, aren't you, missy?" The man adressed Vierna with a certain amount of suspision now. "Have you simply stumbled upon our camp or have you been looking for your comrade?"
"Comrade?" Vierna asked with interest. "No... No, we found the carts, we weren't looking for anyone... Another Drow you say?"
"Yes," The man said, a bit relieved, "the giants dragged him into the cave and locked him up there... Apparently he put up quite a fight..."
"I...see," Vierna replied warily. Her mother had told her about the viciousness of the Drow people and also warned her not to trust any Drow she would encounter during her adventures... But she had to admit her curiosity had been piqued. She motioned her companions to draw their weapons as they made their way into the cave.
"Wow..." A girl told the man as she saw the group disappear inside the cave. "I think that was Vierna DeVir, daddy!"
---
"There he is!" Lenny whispered, as she noticed a male Drow standing in a steel cage... The male got up as soon as he saw the group.
Vierna took a good look at the male, and had to admit he was quite striking. He wore a tattered cloak, which looked like it had been burned in the sunlight, but his plain-colored clothes were intact. The male was slightly muscular and had a very commanding presence, betraying his combat and leadership experiences. His hair was not white, but silver and was neatly trimmed save for a long pony-tail which hung loose over his back. He wore no jewelry, save for a single ring on his finger. His eyes were bright red, two glowing orbs in the darkness. Vierna noticed the cold room had gotten more than a little warmer...
"Hey, V..." Gerty whispered mockingly. "When you're finished melting into a lust-puddle, you might want to adress our prisoner..."
---
'Who were these people?' Yalafein Xsoralynn wondered as he got up from his perch. He had heard the sounds of battle outside and was sure that the giants had been defeated, but were these simply other jailors, more surfacers trying to kill him for being Drow? He decided to give them the benefit of the doubt for now, giving more attention to the burns on his skin. 'Bloody sun' he muttered as he took another look at the newcomers. The was a human, a gnome, and... He gasped in disbelief as he saw the third figure more clearly. 'A FEMALE?!' He was so overcome with confusion he just started to laugh... 'Oh, the irony! I flee... No, walk away, from my home to be away from female domination and who rescues me from my fate? A Drow female... The very reason of my miseries and pain... And still they find me wherever I go...'
The female stepped forward, and she was obviously their leader. 'Hmmm, what kind of female aligns herself with humans and gnomes?' Then he noticed the female was quite young, and he guessed she was under fifty years old. 'No priestess then... An assassin? Would Matron Tegryina actually send an assassin to the surfacelands to track me down?'
The female was rather snort, and her skin was not exactly ebony, but had a more grayish quality... Perhaps it was the result of being in the sun for long times? She didn't seem to have any burns...
Yalafein decided he should perhaps say something to break the silence between the two groups... He decided a formal greeting might do the trick... But he made a note not to be too submissive. He would never bow to a female again...
"Vendui, malla Jalil. Ustan tlu Yalafein, Qu'el'saruk del Qu'ellar Xsoralynn d'che'el Rilauven..." He started reverenty, not mentioning he no longer considered being a part of his house. Then he noticed the confusion on the female's face. He wondered briefly why this was, but then it hit him... 'She...she doesn't understand a word I'm saying!! What kind of female doesn't know her own language?!'
He reached for his ring, being careful not to provoke the three obviously experienced adventurers. He might be a weaponmaster, but he was unarmed right now so the odds weren't in his favor. And then there was the fact that these people defeated the two giants he could not handle on his own. Yalafein didn't survive for threehundred years by being reckless.
After he twisted the top of his ring, he spoke up again. "Do you understand me now?" He asked, and sighed in relief as the female nodded in understanding. "Good... Like I said, honored female, I am Yalafein, weaponmaster of House Xsoralynn of the faraway city of Rilauven."
"I'm Vierna," The female replied in a girlish voice. "Vierna DeVir..."
"DeVir?" Yalafein asked in surprise. "House DeVir was wiped out of existance about a century ago..."
"I am my own person and owe no fealty to any Drow house!" The female suddenly snapped, and for the first time Yalafein noticed the female's... Vierna's eyes. Such a striking color of blue he had never seen before! So rare these eyecolors were amongst the Drow! 'Stop it, fool... he thought to himself, 'You're supposed to hate females, remember?'
"I bear the name DeVir, because it is my mother's family name. I do not worship or serve Lolth in any capacity..." Vierna said sharply.
'A fellow rogue!' Yalafein thought happily. 'Perhaps she shall understand my plight, then...'
"So... what are your plans, then?" Yalafein asked with a hint of trepidation.
"Plans?" Vierna replied in surprise.
"Yes," Yalafein smiled. "I am your prisoner, am I not?"
"Well," Vierna stammered, but smiled, "I hadn't thought that far ahead, actually..."
"Oh?" Yalafein smiled again. 'A female with a sense of humor! How rare!'
"Give me a moment to consult with my friends," Vierna smiled.
'Friends? A female with FRIENDS?!' Yalafein wondered again. This female was quite a mystery and he found her a little aluring because of that. 'STOP THAT! You're supposed to hate females!'
---
"What do you think?" Vierna asked her friends.
"He seems harmless enough," Gerty mused. "Certainly not a vicious killer like your mother... told us about."
"Watch it, Gerty!" Vierna menaced.
"Hey, what'd I do!" Gerty chuckled innocently.
"I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I still sense an underlying core of evil within him. Maybe if I can observe him a little longer until we get to Nashkell. Perhaps we can be more sure what to do..." Lenny said.
"Oooohh!" Gerty laughed. "Paladin superpowers!"
"I'm sure Glyill will agree," Vierna said. "So it's decided?"
After recieving two nods from her friends, Vierna turned to Yalafein again. "Well, you could come with us to Nashkell, if you want to that is... After that you'll be free to go wherever you please. Is it a deal?"
At this moment, every instinct in Yalafein's body yelled 'NO!', but he found himself more than a little curious about this female. She was the first female rogue he had encountered since his... escape, and he wanted to know more about her... Yet there was one more thing he should say.
"You seem to have me with a disadvantage, so I agree. But hear this : I no longer bow to any female... no matter the reason," Yalafein said sternly, half awaiting a lash of a whip.
"Well," Vierna mused, "that's fair enough, I suppose..."
"It... It is?" Yalafein stammered in surprise, not quite believing his ears.
"You know," Vierna chuckled, "you're a little silly..."
"I am?" Yalafein was stunned.
That said, Vierna released him from his confiment and led the humans and Drow back to the mountain-trail, were Brimstone and Nathan were waiting for them. After that, they took off towards Nashkell...
If any of you are wondering what a Hell hound looks like, Just imagine a Rottweiler about 1 1/2 times bigger than usual, with a rust-brown color and blackened teeth and tongue. And then there's the red glowing eyes.
Makes a nice pet, though!
