A team did I once join,
A captain and apprentice four.
An odd party we were,
As if some old story of yore.
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Our leader an Elf mage,
Elegant, calm, and well-spoken.
Yet, behind those old eyes,
Lay a hot spirit long broken.
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Reggie, a childhood friend,
Grew strong to survive and provide.
He put on a false mask,
Hid all his pain to save his pride.
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Katherine the fighter,
A soul both kind and ferocious.
Guarding those she loved,
Even through pain so atrocious.
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Mak, her dear little friend,
A hero unlike any before.
A Nequese ever meek,
His deeds will be sung evermore.
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The last of our small group,
Myself, the soft Half-Giant Gus.
Whose ambition was small,
Tell stories, a ballad of us!
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While our start was a mess,
Reggie’s derision towards Mak,
Kindled fury in Kat.
It was hard to keep us on track.
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But through hard times and good,
A bond of sorts began to form.
We made each other strong,
Into a team we would transform.
Threats enormous and small,
From cobblers to a cunning thief.
When fighting side by side,
Our enemies in disbelief.
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This small poem I write,
After a recent victory.
We stopped the bandits,
We saved Maria’s Abbey.
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This should have gone on,
A story of our adventures.
But in this little town,
I fear my final act enters.
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I know what I must do,
So please do not quarrel further.
How I would like to stay,
But someone must stop this murder.
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I have but one request,
That you continue our fable.
And if you have the time,
Write it down if you are able.
Ignatius took a deep breath as he finished reading Gus’ poem.
I grabbed my ears and pulled them in frustration, I’m supposed to be the observant one! How did I miss a half GIANT leaving the room!
We were a moment too late.
As we got close to the exit that deafening sound grew louder and louder until we got to the mouth of the cave and saw Gus standing still.
RING
The bell tolled slowly.
“No, Gus! Get back here!” Reggie pleaded.
RING
Gus leaned down and placed something in Reggie’s hand.
RING
Gus turned away from Reggie and turned to meet his fate.
With one final
RING
Gus’ body fell back, no scream, not even a sound as he hit the ground. A melancholy yet peaceful look on his face.
At the same moment, right in front of where Gus had stood, a horrible statue began to form. Starting with the finger that burst our friend’s heart this stone materialized and slowly began to form its shape.
Long, horrible claws, a nearly skeletal frame, narrow limbs, and the skull of a deformed deer. Strings of bells, small and large, wrapped around its decrepit body.
At this point, Reggie took what Gus gave him, took one look, and fell to the ground in anguish.
“GAAAAAAAAH!” Katherine yelled as she bore down on the monster with her blade.
CLANG!
Her sword bounced off the stone as if she had struck a rock with a butter knife. Despite the thin appearance, the statue was indestructible.
Ignatius picked up the note and read the poem as we all tried in vain to process our loss.
After a few moments of silence, Ignatius placed his hand on my back, “come on Mak, let’s put this thing back underground.”
While the statue itself was immovable and impossible to harm, the dirt beneath it was not. Ignatius directed me to use my portals to transport it back to the cavern, shifting the thin frame of the creature through the largest portal I could manage.
As soon as we were done, Katherine thrust her sword in the side of the entrance and channeled energy into the ground. There was intense shaking as the cave collapsed.
“So long, Frederick Rundoon,” Ignatius whispered.
Began to walk towards Reggie, but accidentally kicked something next to him.
“Oh?” I mutter as I pick it up.
Reggie looked over, “I think the poem was wrapped around that,”
I examined it a moment and saw that it was the grip of what must’ve been a large weapon. On its bottom side was a familiar-looking crest.
“Reggie,” I handed him the grip, “Do you think this could be…”
“It can’t be…” he said, “But, I suppose that is why he was so at peace,”
“It must’ve broken off the day they took it,”
“The first in his family to even get this far to finding that hammer and he didn’t even make it home to show them,” Reggie shook his head.
“He always put family first,”
“Including us,” Katherine interjected.
Ignatius waited a moment before approaching us, “I truly hate to say this, but we really ought to be going. I have a cart we can put him on, I can drive you back to the guild.”
“Thank you, Ignatius,” Katherine said, “But we only need you to take us as far as Vertsbridge, we are supposed to meet our captain there,”
“I see,” he replied, “Let’s be off then,”
Silence followed for the next couple of days as we travelled to Vertsbridge. The only sound coming from the horse pulling the carriage and the occasional soft pulsating noise of the magic Ignatius used to keep Gus’ body fresh.
“An old archeologist trick for preserving delicate finds,” he’d tell me at a later time. But until we got to town, not a word was spoken between us.
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