Near the well, overlooking the small islander village, the horrible Devourers rush the three hands of the Reckoning: Baj and Talon, with Mera cowering behind them. Baj has his twin rapiers drawn, and Talon has his single rapier in his hand as the creatures scramble on all fours, like rabid animals, towards the pirates. The stench coming off them is rank with decay. Massed as they are, their foul reeking stink seems to cling to your faces, hair and clothes, reaching out for you like tentacles.
Baj is bleeding from his neck, blood gouting down his shoulder from the horrific claw wounds he's received just a moment ago.
Mera shrieks in terror. She draws her dagger and cowers back, behind you both. Baj and Talon summon up sufficient force of will to fight on, regardless of the choking stench. However, Mera gasps and gags on the acrid fumes.
Talon lunges at the creature. Heyells, "By the Powers, but you undead reek! I'm not sure what's more deadly--your claws or your stench!" Talon's rapier sinks into the thing's rotting eye socket, and emerges from the back of the creature's skull, but it fights on, biting and snapping at him. Talon spins to gut the second Devourer, but the other creature throws itself flat on the ground, avoiding Talon's lunge.
Baj slashes at the first of the charging creatures as they bear down on him, "Stay back, Mera!" His blade slices the thing's head clean off. It topples to the ground in a ghastly pool of choking dust. As the first creature drops, Baj whirls and presses his attack againt the second. He crushes the second Devourer's head with a blow from his rapier's basket hilt. The rotted thing slides to the ground, limp and still.
Dropping his second foe, Baj turns in a fury to aid Talon. But Talon is in close combat with his foes, so Baj cannot find a clear strike.
Snapping its sharp teeth madly at Baj, one of the Devourers whirls and launches itself at him. Baj kicks the creature away as it rushes him, and it falls back before him, readying itself for another spring.
Talon, close in with his own foe, evades injury from his enemy's long slashing arms. Only a few hours ago, this was a sailor on the Queen Amoret. As Talon's blade again flashes out at the creature he says, "I decided--the smell's worse!" His blade flashes once, and he cuts the Devourer down the center. The thing's two halves fall left and right in a dusty, twitching pile at his feet.
Baj presses his advantage and slashes at the last remaining foe. He strikes the head off the last one, and it spins off into the dense bushes. The body topples backwards over one of the other ones, still twitching and slashing with its claws.
Mera points, screaming. Six more Devourers tumble into view from the shadows at the north end of the village. As the last of the foul creatures drops, Baj turns to look where Mera is pointing, "Quickly, we must get back to the Reckoning."
There's a voice from the village, from the stout two-story shrine to Inglorian at the south end. A figure in the second floor window is shouting, "Here! Ahoy there! Here, over here!" The broad door on the first floor looks locked from the inside.
The only means of retreat away from the village is back down the hillside you climbed to get here, and thence into the dense thicketed woods beyond--unsure footing in the dark. The Urag are swift on foot, but not so the Reith.The Devourers, fast as they are, might catch you before you got very far, especially with Mera in tow. That shrine is closer than the ravening creatures are.
Baj makes a snap change in plans and grabs Mera by the arm, running for the shrine, "Open the door!" Talon, right behind Baj, smakes a sprint for the shrine. The three of you race for the shrine, the Devourers swarming after you.
A fair-haired youth in the window drops a rope from the second floor window, aided by some others within the shrine. "Grab hold!" the boy shouts. "Come on, you can make it!" The window's only about ten feet up--a pretty easy reach for anyone who knows how to climb.
The Devourers are nearly as swift as racing Urag, snarling and snapping, slashing at the air as they scramble forward.
Baj half tosses Mera up to the window as he reaches the building and turns to face the swarming Devourers, "Climb, woman!"
Talon reaches the base of the shrine first, the rope in easy reach. Baj and Mera, who is now breathless, are right behind him.
Mera struggles to pull herself up, the young bluecoat sailor at the window tugging at the rope, as the villagers behind him pull, up goes the terrified lady.
The young sailor in the window passes Mera within the window and tosses down the rope to Talon. "You next, sir, then your Urag servant!" he tells Talon.
Talon turns to Baj and says, "You're next big fella."He finds a handhold and swings up the wall without the aid of the rope.
Baj arches an eyebrow at Talon and then grabs the rope, scaling quickly up to the window.
The Devourers race forward in the moonlight, the cold stars shining down on the ghastly scene. Their smell is almost palpable. As you both push up the sheer wall, the Devourers snatch at you. One almost seizes Talon as he scrambles up the drainpipe. The wall is proof against their own climbing skils, however, stupid and feral as they are.
The young bluecoat extends a hand to Baj, assisting him through the open window, and then Mera does the same for Talon as he reaches the window.
Below, the Devourers howl in rage. More of them spill into view from the north end of the village, thirty or forty at least. You would never have made it through those woods.
Talon nimbly swings through the window. Taking Mera's hand, he turns it into a bow, "My thanks, dear lady."
Baj turns to look over the village, shaking his head, "We will have to wait for rescue from the Reckoning."
There is a small room inside the window, where the young bluecoat crouches. He has a crossbow in his hand and he says, "There's others inside, about thirty villagers, some children, sir, and old folks."
Talon looks at the young man."Well done sir, I must commend you on your service to the village."
Baj looks to the young sailor, "Are there any more of your fellows? Or anyone else who can fight?"
The youth shrugs. "That's a fate worse'n death, mister. Saw what they did to me shipmates and not e'en pirates deserve that. There's only me and ol'Fitch left from the Queen. The rest of us...the things got 'em."
Baj says, "Do they move about in the daylight? Or only after darkness falls?"
The youth says, "They got us in the daylight, when we came up here. Reckon it's no barrier to 'em. But they seem to move faster after dark." At the sound of footsteps outside the small room, he says, "Ah, here's Merno."
An old man sticks his head in the door. "Thank the Warrior, you're safe. I'm Merno, the elderman of this village. We've been trapped here for two days, since those things came on us from out the graveyard. I don't know how much longer we can last..."
Baj says, "We should not have to wait much longer. I am certain that Captain Rhyll will come soon and in sufficient force to deal with those...creatures.""
Talon looks at what medications he's brought along to see if there is anything there that could help him or Baj.
Merno says, "Oh, thank the Warrior, this Captain Rhyll sounds like a brave man."
Talon looks up and says, "This is a temple--have you no priests here trained in dealing with the undead?"
Merno shakes his head. "Not no more, we don't..." and looks away. "Me son...he was the cleric, but they...they et him!"
Talon say, "My apologies for bringing up such a sad topic. He returns to searching his medical supplies.
The youth says, looking over Talon's kit, "You're a healer, then? You both been bit. I don't think you're gonna like what I'm gonna tell you. Some of the men, they was bit, and they died from their wounds, and not long after, they turned into those things...I'm afeared it's gonna happen t'old Fitch, downstairs."
Talon looks up again."Well, lad if I die you have my permission to pitch me out the window."
Baj frowns at the young man's words, muscles bunching in his broad shoulders, "The Captain will come and he will bring Benning. I am sure that the healer will know what to do. Elderman, have you any holy relics to deal with these creatures?"
Merno shakes his head. "We got few relics here, Urag. There's a shield of Inglorian that me son brought us from Port Kalida. It's downstairs by the altar. But he protects us--and if we take it down, then what'll protect us then, eh?"
Baj says, "I do not want your sacred shield, Elderman, I simply look for healing. Our own healer often uses ointments and slaves that he has blessed in the name of the White Lady."
Merno shakes his head, "Unfortunately, my Urag friend, this is a shrine of the Warrior, not the Healer. What is your name?"
Baj bows deeply to the elder, "My apologies, Elderman. I am Baj Mirko, first mate of the Reckoning."
The youth says, "Name's Tully, former scorpion's mate of the Queen Amoret."
Talon asks, "How bad is this Fitch fellow?"
Tully shakes his head. "I'm not sure...Would you come 'n look at him?"
Mera slumps in the corner, wiping at her eyes.
Talon says, "Sure, I'll have a look at your friend but first I need to see to my companions."
Mera babbles. "We have to get out of here. We have to get out of here. We have to leave here, now, and go back to the ship!"
Talon finally makes a decision are removes a packet from his pouch. He walks over to Baj and measures out a small quantity of powdered wildwort and mixes it into the wine skin he brought along. "Here, Baj take a healthy swig of this." The wildwort will slow the advance of any poison that the Devourers touched you with. You can prolong your life a few hours this way, at most.
Baj takes the wineskin from Talon and gulps down a big swallow.
Talon takes a healthy swallow of his own as well.
Talon offers the wine skin to Mera. She hasn't been bitten but he knows the wine and the wildwort will calm here down.
Mera rises to her feet, racing for the window. "If we hurry, Talon...we must hurry!"
Talon says, "It's not safe out there Mera. Please drink this--it will help you calm down."
Baj grabs Mera and shakes her, "Silence! If you go out there, you will be killed. We will wait here for the Captain and hope he comes in time."
Mera looks up in horror, blinks and then regains her usual composure. "Of course, Mister Mirko. I am sorry." She takes the skin from Talon and sips at it, seating herself, then passing it back meekly.
Talon hands Tully the wine skin and says, "Give this to your friend."
Baj squats down, looking out the window over the village, "The Captain will come soon, I only hope that it is soon enough."
Talon returns to Baj to see what he can do to heal the numerous slashes Baj has suffered from the battle. "Let me take a look at those wounds Mister Mirko."
Baj peels his shirt back and stands in front of Talon, "For what good it will do, Mister Talon, I appreciate your efforts."