| "The Adventures of Kat and Clara" Part III -- The Green Orb of S'Allumer Kat, Clara, and Keilich all awoke the following morning, or at least they presumed their new period of consciousness to be the morning; due to the thickness of branches and leaves high above them, it was still very dark. Keilich used his staff to assist in standing up; he then yawned and stretched. The girls soon followed suit. Kat put away her book in the sack and prayed with Clara. "Do you always pray before facing each new day?" Keilich asked, smiling. "If so, you are truly loved by S'Allumer." "Always," Kat said. "I've been doing ever since I was able to speak. Clara, too." "Well, let's not dawdle about," Keilich said, turning around. "Let's be on our way. There's a whole great forest to explore out there." The trio continued onward into the forest; neither of them knew how far they would have to go until reaching its edges. On the way through the forest, in what they believed to be the "late morning," they encountered a beautiful clear stream running through the forest, with a stone bridge over it. As Kat first stepped onto the bridge, she again lifted her head, sensing something nearby. "There's someone approaching," she said, then pointed out into the trees. "Look out there!" Sure enough, along came a six-member party of other travelers; among them was a fox, a wolf, a lion, a tiger, and two coyotes. They walked along, until arriving at the bridge, 20 feet in front of Kat, Clara, and Keilich. "Good day," Clara said. "Hello," the tiger said. He was a tall man, standing half a foot taller than Clara, the tallest of any in their party. He and his men were dressed in light armor and carried with them great swords and knives. "Don't mind us; we are only passing by." "Where do you travel to?" Kat asked. "On our way to worldly glory," he answered. "Now, stand aside. Time is of the essence." "Wait," Keilich inturrupted. "Are you on a quest of S'Allumer?" "No," he answered, laughing. "We only wish to find his sword." Kat's eyes widened. "That is a quest for only the strong," she said, "as well as the pure of heart." "We are both," the tiger said. "Now, stand aside, I say! The sword will be ours." "We are the children of S'Allumer," Clara protested. "It is we who are the rightful questing people. You are thieves and betrayers of S'Allumer. We will not allow you to even see a piece of that sword." "Not by my arm," the tiger replied, reaching down to strike Keilich in the ribs, knocking him over. "Keilich!" Kat cried, then turned back to the tiger. "You! Arm yourselves! We will fight you, even if our own lives are taken for S'Allumer." The tiger's party all armed themselves and slowly approached Kat and Clara, and Keilich, who was just standing up to protect himself. "I cannot kill them," Keilich said, "but I will protect you with magic." Within minutes, the bridge was overtaken by battle. Kat and Clara jumped and dodged blades and arms to strike down their attackers. Clara killed one of the coyotes, stabbing him in the chest, running him through. Kat managed to put down the fox and the lion. Keilich had used his clerical powers to paralyze the other coyote. As the girls fought, their strength was wearing down, even as Clara killed the wolf who jumped onto her in a failed attempt to stab her in the throat. Kat, at the same time, dueled the tiger. But just as she stepped back to distance herself, the unthinkable occured -- she stumbled over a small rock, causing her to fall to one knee. The tiger seized his opportunity. "Now, you are no more!" he exclaimed, and ran his sword through her abdomen, jerking it slightly upward to cut open her belly. Kat screamed out in agony as her blood spilled onto her legs and abdomen; she then fell to her knees. Clara heard her cry and fled to her, swinging her sword wildly. "You will pay for what you have done!" she shouted, and planted her sword to the hilt in his chest, penetrating his entire body. The tiger screamed as his blood squirted everywhere from his chest, then fell lifeless onto the ground. His entire party had been murdered, save the one coyote who still stood paralyzed. Clara ran to Kat's side as she bled. "What has happened to you," she sobbed, holding her friend in her arms. "Keilich, help us! Try to heal her." Kat lay in Clara's arms as Keilich tried to use his magic to heal Kat. He was horribly unsuccessful. "I can't do it!" he shouted, in a strangled tone of voice. "Quick, Clara -- search the bodies; maybe they were carrying some medicine." He continued to utter strangled curses under his breath. "Clara...." Kat moaned. "Don't let me die like this...." "You will live!" Clara cried, tears streaming down her face. "You will continue on with me, and if not, than forever in my heart." Clara rushed to her side. "I'm not going to live...." Kat whispered. "But you and Keilich have, and when I am gone, you and he shall remain alive, and complete your quest, so that all of us may yet be saved." "Kat, no...." Clara whined, holding her dying friend close. "I must go," Kat said, struggling to keep her eyes open. "I love you; be strong...." Kat lay her head back in Clara's cradling arms, closed her eyes, and her body relaxed. She had died finally, her abdomen still bleeding. "No, Kat...." Clara wailed, as Keilich came to her side. "She is gone," Keilich said, staring at Kat's lifeless body. "I'm sorry. But she died honorably. There is nothing we can do." "Nothing can bring her back?" Clara wept. "Not even your magic?" "I don't know how to raise the dead," Keilich said. "Only certain clerics know how to do that." Keilich began to search the bodies. "Now, let us find you some bandages for your arm." Next page >> |