A high-pitched screaming in the middle of the night causes Maurice to leap up from bed and grab his sword. Following the distant cry he starts running in that direction as fast as he can. The fact that he is naked, its freezing cold, and that it no longer looks like the Whaler's Inn at Red Shore doesn't even cross his mind. Someone's in trouble and he's going to find out what is happening..
Alric and Kazier also both leap to action, but they realize very quickly that they are not where they went to sleep at. Following the bare-assed Maurice outside they encounter frigid cold. The little pixie knows where he is now, he's at Bird Keep in the icy northlands. They had just raced out of the Fight and Drink Inn, the place where they had originally been some weeks ago. The pixie shakes his bald, tatooed head and buzzes after the charging orc and elf.
Kazier is just happy to have slept with some clothes on, and his mind is whirling to these strange turn of events. He gets his sword and steel hand-claws ready for whatever might be coming up. The city here is totally unknown to him, and for a moment he wonders if he is now in that dream that Alric had been ceaselessly babbling about.
Through the streets they run, snow and ice everywhere. Above in the black sky, glows a very large and full moon. It's silvery-blue light illuminates the frozen landscape. Their breath comes out in ragged plumes, the air is positively frigid.
A man's body comes crashing through a window and plunges to the ground in a cascade of wood and glass. Leaping on top of him is a great, shaggy wolf with a frothing bloody mouth and glowing red eyes. From a nearby door way comes a huge bear, an infant being carried in it's great jaws.
The flying pixie hurls off two fast spells and the two animals find themselves momentarily paralyzed and confused. His magics have clouded their minds and slowed them down for a fraction of an instant. Maurice leaps at the bear, his saber slashing it's head in half, the kid dropping into the snow. Kazier stabs the wolf on the man with his sword and then rips it with his claws. The slain creatures collapse and their bodies twist and change. They turn into a man and a woman.
Maurice picks up the crying child as a great, wild boar comes leaping at him from out of nowhere. It bowls him over and gores his chest with a huge tusk. Still holding onto the kid he stabs upward with his blade going deep into it's underbelly. Alric zaps it with a tiny spell and Kaziers slashes with his steel claws. Beneath it Maurice keeps on stabbing with his sword and the beast eventually falls over. To make sure it's good and dead Kazier cuts it's head off.
Throughout the area, wild animals are running madly through the streets. They are escaping now, and more than a few are dragging children with them. Alric uses his powers to shapeshift into a wolf and follows this disorderly mob of creatues as they make a rapid exit from Bird Keep. People start filling the streets with weapons and pitchforks to fight these savage invaders.
A matronly woman takes the child Maurice is carrying and both he and Kazier rush towards the next closest ruckus. Another huge bear is standing on it's back legs, fighting a mob of people armed with mostly farm tools. Nearby is another young kid, obviously having been dragged by this thing. Pushing past the people the elf and orc make fast work of the great bear and it hits the ground in a bloody heap. By now there are armored guards about.
The bear suddenly leaps up and claws madly at Kazier who ducks the blow. Before it can make another move it is again stabbed and hacked and it collapses over. It changes forms and becomes human. It looks dead but it isn't, the terrible wounds it's taken are rapidly regenerating. Beginning to shiver, Maurice puts his blade to the man's throat and his eyes open. "Can you shift fast enough to get away this time? If you try to I'll take your head off!" Of course he tries to turn into a bear again to run but both Kazier and Maurice plunge their weapons into it's flesh and decapitate it fast.
Kazier looks around, at the unfamiliar buildings and heavily dressed people. "Where are we?" He asks out loud.
"Bird Keep," replies Maurice. "We're back in Sigel."
Outside the city Alric keeps pace with the wild pack of animals. There are wolves, bears, cats, boars and more in this chaotic mob. Many have screaming children in their jaws. Once they are in the deep woods quite a few of them change into human form. They are wild-eyed and dirty. Many do not change and might actually be animals themselves. Alric is unnoticed, appearing as a wolf himself. He watches them as they head out into the mountains and memorizes their path.
Getting out of the cold Maurice and Kazier return to the Drink and Fight Inn. There they are greeted by a very surprised Jinx. Seeing that Maurice is hurt she quickly heals him with a spell. Afterwards he goes and gets his clothes on, beginning to shiver from the extreme chill. "It's nice to be back in Sigel."
"What?" Asks Jinx. "What are you talking about?" She looks to Kazier, who appears as confused as she is. In fact she's surprised to see him.
"Well both Kazier, Methos, Alric and myself were in Red Shore. What an adventure! Saving slave girls, battling Kilmoorians, helping out our old friends like Captain Scrimm out. It's been very busy!" All the while he's trying to ‘comb' his imaginary moustache on, adjusting his elvish looking gear while gazing into a mirror.
Jinx shakes her head. "That's crazy Maurice! We went to bed last night! There is no way you could have gone to Red Shore!"
"Don't worry about it Jinx. Everything is all right. You can talk to Kazier, he'll back me up in what I am saying. I haven't lost my mind." He says, putting on a little green cap with a feather stuck in it, smiling at his reflection.
Kazier just looks at him and shakes his head. "I don't think we have time to explain it."
Checking out the inn neither Methos or Gargash the Minotaur can be found. It's all very strange and confusing, but Maurice takes it all in stride.
Alric comes buzzing back to the rest of the group. Rapidly he explains what he's seen. Obviously the large number of were-creatures is going somewhere, taking a dozen or so children with them for some horrible end. After a quick discussion it is decided to go and track these creatures to their lair. Maurice has his blood up and thinks they can be taken, Kazier and Jinx are less optimistic.
Derig, the three tusked orc is there. He's the bartender of the joint and he gets out some drinks and refreshments as they rapidly make their plans.
At that moment the doors swing open, and Duke David of Sigel has arrived with his guards. He knows who Maurice and Jinx are, they are emissaries from Marigor. The young duke is clean shaven, with flaming red hair, wearing a green forrester's outfit. He is a passionate man, very frustrated by all these attacks.
"My men go out to track these beasts, but they don't come back. There have been more and more assaults against my people and now they have struck at Bird Keep itself!"
The Duke is reluctant to send the emissaries from Blariston out to track down these creatures, worried that they also might not return. However, Maurice is convinced that this can be done. "Kazier and I both fought against the goblins of the Cursed Wood up in our home of Brudic. We can find these monsters."
It is decided they will go out from the keep and attempt to find their location. When that happens the Duke would be more than pleased to launch a massive assault against them to wipe them from his land. "A hundred geld per enemy head you bring back to me!"
The group gets some food and minor supplies. Kazier gets a heavier cloak to keep him warm, it's no longer the balmy clime of southern Corvel any more. Alric frets some, wondering what happend to Talia Glittergold, the pixie girl they had rescued from Kilmoor. He enjoyed ‘pollinating' with her. Jinx dons her blue cloak and does some praying, hoping for guidance and success in their somewhat brash venture.
Getting prepared they leave the city, Maurice telling Duke David that "We'll be back by dawn tomorrow or not at all."
With Alric leading the way the myriad of animal tracks are easily followed. Deep into the snow-covered woods they go, each step taking them closer and closer towards a very powerful and deadly enemy. Carefully they move through the wilderness, ready for anything to happen.
Before too long they encounter a bedraggled and obviously disturbed elf by the name of Ganam Oore. He's wild-eyed, his body shakes and quivers, and he seems to be on the edge of madness. Following him they are guided to a cave surrounded by frost-covered pines. Inside is a book ripped and bloodied along with a severed arm. Strangely enough the arm looks elven and could be an exact match for the unbalanced elf.
Jinx takes the book and reads through it quickly. It is written by Ganam and he's a scholar from the city of Dysa. It details his attempts to find the lair of the shape-shifting monsters that have been preying on the people of Sigel. The text becomes broken, erratic. There are mentions of Margist, the Dark One's minions about, corruption in the Duke's household. The lycanthropes have been gathering people for a mass sacrifice, planning some horrific ritual. Most importantly he explains that he has found their base.
Haltingly and with much difficulty, Ganam Oore speaks. "Sick with lycanthropy, disease. Fighting the urge to . . . . Turn. Fighting the summons to return to......... Kill me . . . before that happens . . . Please!" It is obvious that he is suffering and in great pain. He is doing all he can to stop the transformation and begs for death.
Maurice tries to knock him out, hoping to tie him up once he's down. However his punch only causes him to stagger, already regenerating. "Please . . Kill Me!" Ganam moves off, motioning for the group to follow. Close on his tracks they keep behind him as he guides them through the tangle of frozen trees and rocks. He's still following all the animal trails, winding this way and that.
Ganam stops and points into the distance and four, rather evil-looking warriors are guarding a massive cave entrance. They are armed and armored, and appear to be very much the chaos cultists that had been written about. Beyond that is undoubtedly the source of all this evil and suffering.
Since they know where the cave is Maurice is ready to run Ganam through, to end his misery. However Jinx and Alric keep him back, thinking that there may be a way to cure him. Before this ritual can be done, Kazier runs off, heading back to Bird Keep to inform the Duke of what is going on. Hopefully he will return with the necessary soldiers needed to take on this massive force of evil.
Maurice pins Ganam to the ground, using his strength and size to keep him there. Jinx draws a magic circle around them and both she and the small Alric pray to the powers of light. As the ceremony goes on Ganam thrashes and roars, an inner light begins to glow within him. While this goes on the vegetation in the area begins to wither and die. Soon the convulsing elf goes still and the light fades.
The magic used to cure the lycanthropy from Ganam has drained the life from the area. Even Maurice and Alric are exhausted by this. Both of them fall asleep soon after the ritual is complete, leaving only Jinx to guard over them. She covers them with some blankets and waits. The sun is high in the sky right now, but it won't be there for long.
Running as fast as his feet can carry him, Kazier returns to Bird Keep. The trail that took hours to originally follow takes only a fraction of that time. It is only a few more hours before nightfall, and he knows that every moment is precious. Quickly he makes it to the Duke's presence, who is a bit surprised to see him.
"We have the location of the enemy, my Duke!" Says a nearly exhausted Kazier.
With that the Duke stands and calls his guard to him. "Fantastic! At long last we will purge Sigel of this darkness once and for all!" They gather weapons and prepare for battle . . .
TO BE CONTINUED . . . .
Chronicled by Ken Paynter aka...Maurice leChevalier
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