Kane, Verraine and Ugash slip into the crowd that has formed into the street outside the tavern. The tavern keeper, Hobb, and his children have been loaded into a prison wagon, which moves off down the cobbled street toward the Old Keep of Camars.
Even under the Shroud of night, nature runs its course. Large, heavy raindrops begin to fall on the old city, spattering you all. Verraine turns up her cloak to hide her short dark hair.
Kane whispers to his companions, "We will need to take them before they reach the keep. Ugash, you know this town best. Where is the best spot to make our move?"
Khom-Bei on his pony, Brion on Kane's horse, and Thragga race into the narrow city streets. A crowd has formed outside the tavern across the street, and Kane's tall form is visible on the edge of the crowd.
Brion waggles his thick eyebrows in dismay at the weather.
The procession, prison wagon, soldiers, and spectral legionnaires, move slowly up the cobbled street, headed up the hill towards the Old Keep.
Sighting Kane, Khom-bei directs his pony towards the tall Hunter and urges it forward through the crowd.
Ugash points. "If inside the Keep, there will be no getting out." The Old Keep is a dark, walled shadow on the hillside overlooking the center of the city.
Kane says, "I meant where is the best spot to attack before they enter the keep."
Ugash squints, gesticulating at the Old Keep and the road leading to it. "See? The road goes up that way, then short bridge over old canal. Only one way on and off the bridge." He folds his arms. "Ugash is no fighter."
Indeed, half a mile up the hill, up the cobbled road, there is a short stone bridge that spans the canal, no wider than one wagon. Across the bridge is Judicial Square, where punishment is meted out, and beyond that are the gates to the Keep.
There are ten Reith soldiers in and around the cart, with the fearsome Lord Ashur and one of his spectre lieutenants as escorts.
One tall man turns to Kane and says, "Who woulda thought Hobb was a Hunter, eh?"
Kane replies, "None, I should think."
Thragga, Kane and Brion, on Kane's horse, push through the crowd to where Kane, Ugash and Verraine lurk.
Kane says, "Ugash, I want you to go back to Dras now and be ready to flee for your lives if you must. We may be recognized as guest of Dras'." Turning back to his companions, he looks to Verraine. "I think you should go with him to help out."
Ugash squints up at you. "The Eye watches over you all." He means the Gholibin deity.
Thragga spits.
Kane says, "Go now hurry. Verraine go with him."
Brion says to Verraine, "Yeah, beautiful, listen to Kane, we can handle this."
Khom-Bei says, "Kane, she is a Hunter, too. And we will need every blade."
Verraine says, warily, "This could be a trap. That tavern keeper is no Hunter."
Kane says, "What of Dras? Should we abandon him after all he's done for us? He may need the extra sword himself."
Khom-Bei says, "We cannot abandon the children, Kane."
Kane says, "This is most certainly a trap. But I will not let the innkeeper and his family suffer on our account."
"And where will you take them after you free them, Kane?" Verraine says.
Kane says, "I know not yet. My first goal is to free them. Then we will see."
Brion says, wiping rainwater from his eyes, "This is a war. You taught me that, old man. People die."
Kane says, "Yes, people die every day. We will most likely die as well, so if you want to leave I will not hold it against you. But there are some things I can not stand by and watch without taking action."
Thragga spits again. He glowers at a pair of soldiers who march past the crowd.
"Nothing to see here, you lot!" they call. "Break it up, move along! Justice is done, right?" Two other soldiers nail the doors of the tavern closed.
Khom-Bei says, "Ugash, go tell Dras that he must be ready to flee if it is needed. We must go now and free the children." He looks at Kane and jerks his head toward the soldiers with a question in his eyes.
Ugash nods and nods. He shifts from foot to foot in the manner of his kind.
Verraine looks from Khom-Bei to Ugash. "Come on, Ugash." she says. "Dras may need our help." The two silently slip away through the crowd.
Brion calls to her, "Wait for me, beautiful, I'll be along presently." Then he turns to Kane with a grin.
Thragga adjusts his cloak, which conceals his massive axe. Clearly he is getting antsy. "Too much talk." he grumbles, not taking his eyes off the soldiers breaking up the crowd.
It's a rainy night in Camars. The rain is coming down pretty hard, and can hide a multitude of sins.
Khom-Bei slips from the back of his pony and grips his hammer tightly as he steps to Thragga's side. "Fast and quiet, my friend, fast and quiet."
The bridge is half a mile off, through the mazy city streets. You can see it a little further up the hillside.
Kane looks to Khom-Bhei and nods. Then eases his sword out of its sheath.
Lightning pierces the Shrouded night, followed by a boom of thunder. Most of the crowd has returned to their business, taking shelter from the storm.
Khom-Bei looks Thragga in the eye and nods as he raises his newly-forged hammer.
Thragga rushes forward into the street, as the two soldiers are turning to speak to one of the city's denizens, an old Tobon merchant by the looks of him.
Lightning strikes again, this time closer, as the storm approaches. The rain torrents down.
Khom-Bei follows on Thragga's heels, his hammer glinting in the flash of lightning.
Thragga is silent as he swings his axe out from under his cloak. He raises the blade and hacks down on the unsuspecting first soldier.
Kane walks casually up behind the other guard and runs his sword into the man's back.
Khom-Bei swings his hammer in a great arc toward the second guards head.
Thunder booms as the Urag strikes.Thragga hacks the man's head clean off in midsentence. It rolls to a stop, eyes blinking, just before the tavern steps.
The old Tobon, cloaked and hooded, gasps.
The second soldier turns to shriek, and Kane and Khom-Bei smash him down. Blood gouts over them both, quickly washed off by the rain.
The old Tobon totters backwards, hand over his heart.
Thragga bares his fangs at the old one.
Kane looks at the Tobon and puts his finger to his mouth and tosses him a silver drake.
Kane says, "Drag these to an alley and then let's go."
Khom-Bei grabs a dead guard and pulls him toward a nearby alleyway
The Tobon takes the silver coin, without another sound, and totters away silently.
Brion clears his throat. He's still saddled on Kane's horse. He points up the roadway. "Gentlemen...the party is that way."
Kane , seeing there is no time to hide the bodies Kane moves on after the caravan.
Thragga seizes the decapitated body of the other and hauls him into the alley, then dumps both bodies into the tavern midden.
Khom-Bei leaps astride his pony and spurs it along the road toward the bridge.
Thragga nudges Kane. A short ladder leads to the flat rooftop of a nearby stone building.
Kane says, "What have you in mind?"
Khom-Bei reins his horse in to wait for the others.
Thragga says, "I can move faster than through the streets up there..."
Kane looks to the roof top and then looks to the cart and soldiers pulling away.
Kane nods, "Then do so, but keep close." He again hides his sword under his cloak and mounts his horse behind Brion.
Brion looks behind him as Kane mounts. "You've put on weight," he jibes.
Kane says, "You, boy, ride and keep quiet."
Thragga scrambles up the ladder and is gone.
Lightning strikes again, brighter this time. The rain is sheeting down now, soaking you all.
Brion kicks the horse forward, cantering up the narrow streets. The prison procession makes its way across a cobbled square, approaching the stone bridge over the canal. The white horses of the Sathanid warriors are easily visible from here.
Lightning arcs again. In the flash, above you, a dark shadow bigger than a man is seen for a moment, and then is gone.
Brion asks, eyeing the prison procession in the square, "Ambush?"
Khom-Bei says, "If we can get ahead of them or attack from the side, it would be better than a direct attack."
Kane says to Khom-Bhei, "My friend, do you think you can ride ahead and cause a commotion to slow them down?"
Khom-Bei eyes Kane and Brion and grins."I can try." He wheels his pony around and kicks it hard as it gallops off into the downpour.
Kane says to Brion, "When it comes to a fight I want you to take control of the cart and get it out of here. Can you do this?"
Brion smirks, ever the overconfident one. "Easy as seducing a widow."
Kane says, "Drive it straight out of town and into the wood. We will follow when we can." He keeps a look out for a commotion up ahead.
Khom-Bei guides his pony through the narrow streets, hooves thudding on the slick pavement as he races to head off the procession.
The procession, a single cart and the two horses, crosses into the cobbled square, no more than twenty yards across, which is fronted by some tall, narrow houses. The north end of the square overlooks the old canal, which cuts east-west across the central city. A short stone bridge spans the canal and leads to the wide Judicial Square, where are kept the gallows tree, impalement spikes and other implements of Tol Nedran justice. Beyond that are the high stone walls of the Old Keep.
Thunder booms, rattling your bones and teeth. Rain falls in huge drops now.The rainwater spills into the old canal, which flows and splashes noisily even from here.
Brion stops the horse on the edge of the square and waits for a signal.
Stepping from the shadows into the square, Khom-bei throws back his cloak and raises his hands as he calls upon his God. "Great Father, show these evil ones the true light of this world."
Although concerned for the plight of the captives, Kane is happy to be moving after so much idle time. He knows he may be dead soon but for now, he feels very alive.
A burst of pure sunlight, not seen in this dark city for a hundred years, flares from Khom-Bei's outstretched hands. The effect is startling. Even in the violent rainstorm, light lances out, terrifying and cleansing at the same time.
As the brightness of the sun enters the square for the first time in generations, Khom-bei steps forward and yells out."My God commands that you release your prisoners or suffer his wrath!"
As soon as Kane sees the light he urges Brion to charge the horse into the soldiers. Kane says, "Ride for the cart Brion!"
The Sathanids give hisses of pure terror and fall back. Ashur's sword, which Dras repaired, clangs to the stone cobbles. The Reith throw their hands up, blinking stupidly in the flare.
Kane urges, "Ride, boy! Ride them down!"
Brion drives his heels into the Angharan horse, with Kane clinging behind him. The sturdy cavalry horse leaps forward.
Kane and Brion gallop for the cart holding the captives.
Brion makes ready to leap to the cart. He passes Kane the reins.
Kane grabs the reins and takes control of the horse.
Khom-Bei takes a step forward and raises his hand again. "I said that my God commands you to release the prisoners or suffer his wrath!"
From under his cloak Kane draws Light Bringer and raises it high.
There is a shouted Urag war-cry, a roar of pure rage, and a shadow drops from the dark sky and lands on the Reith soldiers.
Lord Ashur tries to recover. He draws up his tall, incorporeal form. In life, he was a brave Tol Nedran knight. "Hunters...kill them..." But he is blinded by the sunlight, too weakened to do more than hiss impotently.
A searing beam of light flies from Khom-Bei's hand. Lord Ashur, panicked, wheels his horse around to avoid Khom-Bei's magical attack.
Thragga, amidst the soldiers, cuts the lead warrior in half, roars again, and hauls his axe back for another strike.
As his friends enter the fray, Khom-bei smiles gently and extends his hands. "Great Father, grant these warriors your blessing!"
The sunlight burns like fire. The spectres recoil in horror, stricken nearly helpless and blinded in its power.
The nine remaining Tol Nedran soldiers must be well-drilled. They draw shortswords and form a phalanx around the prisoners. Two hack at Thragga, and two more go after Khom-Bei.
One slices open Thragga's upper arm. Green blood spills down his bicep. This infuriates the Urag.
As the soldiers approach him, Khom-bei raises his freshly-blooded hammer to the ready.
Kane slashes Light bringer into the driver of the prisoner cart.He slices down the cart driver before the man can draw his sword. Thunder booms again.,
Brion leaps from the horse, drawing his rapier.
Thragga bellows at Kane, "I have them, Kane! Go after the Sathanids!" The Urag hacks again with a roar. He beheads another soldier and kicks the body aside.
The Reith line breaks; they are beginning to panic now.
Hobb's little girls, in the prison cart, shriek in terror at the ongoing battle. The littlest one, a boy, watches in stony silence.
Brion slides smoothly into the cart seat, pushing Kane's dead victim aside. He seizes the cart reins.
As the soldiers close on him, Khom-bei readies his hammer and smiles grimly. "You do well against children, let us see how you fare against a shaman of Busc." He swings his hammer.
The daylight flickers and arcs over the square. The great spell powering the Shroud must begin to assert itself soon.
Khom-Bei smashes in the head of a Tol Nedran soldier, who pitches headlong into the canal.
The Tol Nedrans warriors panic, and flee for the bridge over the canal.
Kane slices down a fleeing soldier.
Khom-Bei swings at the fleeing soldier and strikes him a solid blow on the spine, and he drops into the canal with a cry and sinks without a trace.
Kane rears his horse toward Lord Ashur to draw the remaining Tol Nedrans away from the cart. He raises his flaming blade and stabs down into the spectre. Ashur hisses, "You!!" in recognition as Kane strikes.
Thragga barrels up behind Kane and chops two-handed at the Sathanid leader.His massive axe penetrates the ancient warrior's armor with a tearing sound.
Bright light leaks out from within, and stale air sprays over both Kane and Thragga, as Ashur's spirit escapes the spectral curse. The armor topples to the ground with a hollow rattle, empty. The rainy air smells like the grave.
Brion lunges forward, flicking his rapier in sharp strokes and makes quick work of the remaining Tol Nedrans warriors. Once, twice, thrice, a fourth time. His blade is swift and merciless. None make it to the bridge alive.
Thragga nods in approval at the troubador's efficiency.
Kane says, "Brion, get that cart out of here! Now!"
Brion leaps into the driver's seat again and whips the reins, and the cart shoots off through the square. The innkeeper and his children, in the cart, hold on to the bars for dear life.
Kane says, "Khom-Bei, help Brion!"
From the Old Keep on the far side of the canal, you can hear alarm bells ringing.
Thunder booms, drowning out the sound of the bells.
Khom-Bei takes the opportunity to snatch up Ashur's fallen sword as he whistles for his pony. "We must leave here, Kane, the light will fail soon!"
You can feel the darkness pressing in from all sides like a malevolent force.
The spectre tries to right his horse, blinded, and gallops for the bridge uncertainly.
Kane slashes into the fleeing spectre, driven by battle lust.
Thragga is right behind Kane. He leaps overhead and slices down atop the fleeing spectre.
The bright light throws off the Urag's blow and the spectre skitters away. He will be on the bridge in a heartbeat.
Khom-Bei's pony canters into the square.
Kane turns his horse, "Go, we can do no more here! Khom-Bei, take the lead. Thragga, to me! We will guard the rear!"
Thragga roars. He is berserk with fury now. "Kane! I can kill it!"
Khom-Bei leaps astride his pony and gallops out of the square, waving the captured Sathanid sword.
Kane says, "Now Thragga, killing the spectre is not our main objective. To me I say!"
The mounted spectre reaches the bridge and hurries madly across it. The darkness on the other side of the canal cloaks his exit.
Kane grabs Thragga by the arm and pulls him in the direction of the fleeing cart.
Thragga looks with rage at the fleeing Sathanid, then consents to Kane's tugging, and turns to guard the rear as you escape. He races after you all on foot, down the narrow cobbled streets.