[Goland McCray]
***Speaking from his favorite barstool to a mishmash of drunks and labourers that had stopped by the tavern for a quick drink after a hard day\'s work, Goland begins....***
After a day of fighting those bloody clackers in the arena, making a living ya know, I was out and about trying to find me a sword. These sabres I bought just aren\'t cutting it anymore....no pun intended. Tired after a long day, I stopped by the tavern for a few drinks. Ahem...speaking of drinks....I think I\'ll have me a pint.......alright....So where was I? Oh ya.... Once I had me enough, I took my leave.
Drifting around the center of the city, I stumbled upon a couple fellows. An enkidukai and a ylian...they were talking and having a smoke. They went by the names Serdin and Seperot...kind people they were.
Not shortly after introducing myself there approached a second enkidukai in the distance crying for help...the poor bastard was in tough shape. As the others rushed to help, I stood there....still quite well off from my ale earlier. I was in no shape to tend to the wounded.
His name was Swodan, the injured enkidukai told us. He spoke a tale of a female....the wife of one of the city guards....and of an ambush. A rogue had snatched his little girlie friend away. The poor bastard was too yellow to make a move to save her. He did manage to follow the vile kidnapper to a warehouse and seen him take the girl into the dungeon. After snooping around just a little too much the rogue spotted him...cornering him. In the shuffle he got himself a nice scratch in the leg, which Serdin kindly cared to, luckily he escaped the villain.
Not being the cowardly type, me and the others were ready to spring to action. We were told the warehouse entrance to the dungeon had been blocked off....we needed to find another way in. We were left with one plan of attack....the well.
I had been told the well was a backdoor entrance to the caverns beneath the city. Many attempt the drop down the well...but few survive. We couldn\'t take any chances and had no time to waste.
Seperot spoke. A rope! Why didn\'t I think of that? Well....of course I did.....I just didn\'t say nothin.....ya.....so anyway. It was off to Harnquist to get us some rope. Let me tell you, merchants are all the same...always trying to soak you for all your worth. 5 trias per metre! I\'d be better off making me own rope! Alas, we hadn\'t much time...there was a damsel in distress ya know.
With the rope in hand we made our way to the temple well. Upon reaching the well, Seperot found a pillar to affix the line. The rope didn\'t seem to be of the finest quality so we agreed to go one at a time. One by one we dropped down into the dark abyss.
A strange green fog overcame us. Twas dense, hindering our vision. We took a moment to gather ourselves and get our bearings. I heard Serdin exclaim \"An edge!\" as he was inching himself forward. We were apparently not at the bottom of this seemingly endless pit. If we dropped much farther I feared we would reach the death realm. With plenty more rope and some courage, we continued our descent.
Quite tame it was...for the moment. Very dark...very quiet...very...uh...very.....nevermind..enough with the very. By this point I was sobered and yearning for some more ale. What a kind gift of the gods me ale is.....soon enough....soon enough. First things first........and I think I\'ll have me another pint....sorry.....anyway....
We started off...not long after coming to some sort of ruins. After a little bit of exploring we heard a faint call. Screams. Cries for help. We ran in the direction of the noise but echoes played tricks on our ears. We ran through halls, twists and turns....and then a room....and the screaming.....and a massive beast guarding the opposing exit.
Seperot spotted her first. She was held captive in a cage strung high up from the ceiling. How were we to get up there? What of the grendol that stood silently in the corner?
The shrieks were nearly hysterical. It\'s a wonder the rogue could bear it. I swear me ears were nearly bleeding. Stop it! Stop it! I thought to myself, keeping one eye on the grendol at all times. The grendols in the arena kick me arse so, naturally, I\'m weary of the one standing several metres ahead of me.
Serdin and Seperot were able to calm the lass. Her name was Saradi. The cage was locked she said. She had seen her kidnapper drop the key into some rubble not far down a hall exiting the room. Serdin searched as Seperot attempted to keep Saradi sedate as possible. Serdin called over to us.
Running over to Serdin, I heard him say he had seen a glimmer of bronze beneath a large rock. Seperot joined us and together we were able to shift the rock. Lo and behold, it was the key!
Of course a key doesn\'t do you very much good when the lock it belongs to is on a cage 10 metres in the air. We fruitlessly searched for a way to reach Saradi for what seemed like hours as my heart incessantly beat a five hundred and sixty-three times a minute.
A large tapestry hung from the wall. Using his ferine claws, Seperot scaled the tapestry, hoisting himself up the wall to a crossmember. Walking the narrow beam like one of those circus dwarves walking a tightrope, he made his way to the cage that was suspended from the center of the room.
What was taking him so long? \"Watch as he seduces someone else\'s wife,\" Serdin said with a wink. I couldn\'t hold in the laughter. Remembering the grendol, not so far from me, I collected myself.
Finally Serdin and I got the call to position ourselves below Saradi...we were going to catch her. Such a long drop was undoubtably dangerous. My knees became weak at the thought.
Time seemed to nearly halt as she dropped. It seemed like an eternity before her furry enkidukai body fell into the arms of Serdin and I. Nevertheless, she was safe. I let out a sigh of relief. Saradi was still quite shooken up as Seperot climbed back down the tapestry.
We comforted her but were preoccupied by other thoughts. It was now time to move. There was no telling when the rogue would return. Without much hesitation, we took flight. Up stairs, down stairs, left, then left again, and then right, it seemed as if we were heading nowhere.
Pausing for a moment to catch our breath, we heard a tapping in the distance. Twasn\'t just any tapping, but the tapping of footsteps. We were being followed!
Saradi must have been roughed up a bit by the rogue as she was limping as we attempted to keep ahead of our stalker. Hastily, Seperot lifted Saradi up onto his back and we continued our escape.
We found ourselves in a large cavern. The vicinity was swarmed with grendols and clackers. The monsters began to pursue us as we made our way through. As the others ran for safety I attempted to delay the beasts with my steel.
Making our way to a staircase, we heard more footsteps...and now voices. There was no telling how many were following us. We knew we needed to get out of this dungeon and we needed to get out quick.
Another couple flights of stairs and we found ourselves in more familiar surroundings. We appeared to be near the warehouse. As relieved as I was, it wouldn\'t last for long. Footsteps could be heard at the bottom of the stairs. I could see nothing but the footsteps kept getting closer.
We entered a room full of barrels and crates. I assumed this was the warehouse. Still feeling the presence of whatever was following us, Serdin called Seperot and I to push the barrels against the door of the room hoping to put a barrier between ourselves and whatever danger may be coming from those stairs.
As we looked for an exit to the outside world we could hear the sound of wood giving from the hacks of a blade. We were running short on time. Alas! A way out! Serdin, Saradi and I quickly ran out of the warehouse and found ourselves faced with a drop of sizeable height.
Knowing full well that there was no way Saradi would make the drop without injuring herself further, Serdin and I jumped first and positioned ourselves near several barrels to yet again catch Saradi.
She edged her way out, preparing herself for the fall. Just as she was about to jump there was a shout. Not of a voice I recognized but Saradi apparently did. She was overcome with fear. In a fit of panic, Saradi fell backwards and onto the barrels next to me. Oops. Luckily they were soft barrels.
Out from the shadows appeared no other than the perpetrator....a rogue! He was a shifty figure with a rasp voice. Saradi went absolutely hysterical. The shrieks and screams. Aye...I wanted to rip me head off.......oi....I need one more pint......just one more....I swear.....
Back to the story....so there we are....Serdin, Saradi and I standing below the ledge from which we had just dropped from where the rogue was now standing...taunting us. As the rogue heckled, he failed to notice Seperot....making his moves from behind. Before Seperot could take the villain by suprise Saradi screamed up to him in a panic. The rogue quickly turned to see Seperot in close quarters.
Drawing their weapons, the two began a fight to the death. He may be able to pick on the ladies but the rogue was no match for Seperot\'s blade. With a few swift slashes of the steel the knave was finished. Relieved and thankful, Saradi rewarded the three of us generously. We bid her farewell....and then it was back to the tavern for me.
***The audience has since passed out. Goland can no longer see straight as he reaches for his ale. Losing his balance, he falls of his stool and face first to the floor.***
