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[Laufey]

“Greetings,” Benny was the first to speak as he realised that his suspicions that their enemy was not quite human had been correct. “Firkraag.”

None other.

“For my amusement and my curiosity more than anything,” Firkraag admitted. “I know what you are, Kane Theaza, and I thought that you may be an interesting subject to study. I could keep you here if I desired, but there is something else I’m interested in. Your conflict with Irenicus. Yes…that is something that I should very much like to see.”

You won't be seeing anything for much longer, lizard.

“But they were not I,” Firkraag pointed out. “I have given you the chance to walk away and I would advise you to take it if you wish to live to fight another day. Think carefully on this.”

“That’s not the way I work, Firkraag!” There was a faint hiss of steel as Kane pulled his swords from their scabbards. “You manipulated me and my party for your own purposes and I dislike being used like that! I swear that you’ll regret the day you decided to mess me!”

No, he wouldn't walk away, would he?

Firkraag chose that moment to target the shapeshifter with another wing attack, and this time Benny left his sword where it had fallen and took out one of his many daggers. If things went on as they were, he knew that they would probably all end up getting killed and he didn’t plan on letting that happen. He waited until Firkraag brought his head down to snap at Kane, aimed carefully and then threw it. The dagger, covered in powerful poison, hit directly in the Firkraag’s eye and the dragon threw his head back and roared in pain. Taking his time, aiming carefully, Benny then did the same to Firkraag’s other eye. With the dragon blinded and in great pain, the powerful poison hurting his body from the inside, the adventurers grouped together and made one last attack. Firkraag tried his best to fight back, but it was useless and a moment or two later, he finally fell.

Oh, nice! Very nice!

“Yoshimo?” he asked Benny, who had left Yoshimo where he lay and come back over to join them. But he already knew what the assassin was going to say.

“Dead,” Benny shrugged, his eyes emotionlessly. “I reckon that blow he took broke his neck. From the looks of it, there’s nothing that can be done for him…”

Aww...

“Very well,” Kane glanced briefly at the unconscious dwarf in his arms, his expression as emotionless as that of his teacher. They had both seen too much death in their lives to be particularly affected even by the passing of one of their companions. “It was going to happen to one of us sooner or later, I suppose. Not pleasant, but death comes for us all at some point. At the moment, I’m more concerned with the living. Let’s just get out of here before anything else happens.”

Let's hope so. But don't forget to collect those scales...

Next Part: Kane’s actions drive Edwina dangerously close to the edge…but will his companions realise it in time to stop her doing something stupid?

We seem to be coinciding here. My Edwina is also about to come dangerously close to the brink...

[Weyoun]

Warning: This chapter contains character death!

Oh, sounds exciting.

“What do you know of Irenicus?” Kane demanded. “Answer me, Firkraag! What do you know of that sadist?”

Well, he knows his name...

Unlike their battle with the shadow dragon, the adventurers had little chance to prepare themselves and this put them at an instant disadvantage as Firkraag brought up several protection spells before attacking them. Edwina protected herself from fire, threw out a few spells to strip Firkraag of his spell protection and then stood back in a corner of the room and bombarded the dragon with a constant stream of magic missiles. The warriors, including Viconia, did as they had done in the last dragon battle and surrounded the beast, hitting it with everything they had. Unfortunately they soon discovered that Firkraag was even tougher than the shadow dragon had been and most of their weapons did little more than mild scratches. The dragon seemed more amused than angry by their attempts and was obviously holding back on his attacks, at least until Yoshimo stuck his sword through his wing and Korgan did some damage to one of his legs. Then Firkraag began to get angry.

Well, you can try to talk to him just before his circle goes red. It'll give you a big advantage.

Using his wing attack, the dragon knocked Kane, Benny and Viconia off their feet and sent them crashing into the wall before sending a fireball after them. The two men just managed to roll out of the way in time, although Viconia got slightly burnt on her side. With the three of them temporarily out of the way, he swung his heavy tail at Yoshimo, who tried to duck but didn’t quite manage it. It caught the bounty hunter on the side of the head and he flew across the room, crashing into the rocky wall. There was the sound of snapping bone; then he dropped to the ground and didn’t move.

Uh-oh...I guess this is the character death.

As Kane and Benny came back into the battle, Firkraag used another wing attack, this time on Kagain and Korgan, who had previously been attacking him from the side. As the dwarves hit the wall, he swung his tail again and knocked down one of the pillars, sending it crashing onto their heads.

“I’m running out of spells!” Edwina called over, sending another round of magic missiles slamming into Firkraag’s side. The dragon visibly flinched, although he had the upper hand in the fight, he had still taken a fair bit of damage. “My magic isn’t going to last much longer!”

Roaring fight!

“We can’t win!” Cory shouted desperately, just dodging Firkraag’s claws as the dragon swiped at him. “We’ve got to get out of here, Kane!”

“Not a chance!” their leader said at once. “Kane Theaza never runs from a battle. You run if you like, but I’ll destroy Firkraag or die trying!”

Well, he's either overconfident or dumb.

Laska : Just like me!

“That,” Kane started as he slumped against the wall and tried to get his breath back, “was one good battle!”

“Yes,” Cory agreed. “Good but dangerous.”

“Thank the gods that someone is capable of thinking on their feet,” Viconia slipped her arms around Benny’s waist and gave him a quick kiss. “Blinding the dragon, that was a clever idea.”

Indeed!

“Yoshimo?” he asked Benny, who had left Yoshimo where he lay and come back over to join them. But he already knew what the assassin was going to say.

“Dead,” Benny shrugged, his eyes emotionlessly. “I reckon that blow he took broke his neck. From the looks of it, there’s nothing that can be done for him…”

“Very well,” Kane glanced briefly at the unconscious dwarf in his arms, his expression as emotionless as that of his teacher. They had both seen too much death in their lives to be particularly affected even by the passing of one of their companions. “It was going to happen to one of us sooner or later, I suppose. Not pleasant, but death comes for us all at some point. At the moment, I’m more concerned with the living. Let’s just get out of here before anything else happens.”

Erm, no mourning? No regrets? No burials?

Next Part: Kane’s actions drive Edwina dangerously close to the edge…but will his companions realise it in time to stop her doing something stupid?

Great stuff,
---Weyoun