Calandryll
Virtue Guard
Calandryll approached entrance to Trinsic with
more than a little caution. He had not been in his home town for
many cycles and did not know what his recepton would be. He
stopped and when into a defensive stance as he saw one of the
deamon-guards just inside the walls. Would the guard attack? He
knew not as he had heard that other former dread lords were still
attacked in the cities even if their reputation had improved.
Resolutely, he walked into town, keeping his eyes on the guard.
The guard turned to him.
"I have mine eye on you Calandryll!",
he said, but did not attack with his hellblade.
Calandryll recognized this guard. He has been
one of Calandryll’s classmates at the academy. His heart
sank as he knew Milo’s soul belonged to the deamons. He
continued walking, ignoring the idle threat. As he walked towards
the bank, a young looking virtue guard did approach him.
"Get out of this town asshole!", he
said in his uncouth accent.
"But Trinsic is mine home.",
Calandryll’s eyes narrowed, "I have every right to be
here."
"I will not tolerate PKs in towns!",
was the response.
Calandryll sighed. He had not the time to argue
with this mis-guided youth. "Prithee, my impetuous friend,
tell me what thou hast heard of me?"
"I dont know anything about you, but you
are a Dark Lord, thats all I need to know"
"Ahh, so thou dost not no the time I
allowed a Gazer to kill me to help another escape, or the time I
did save a helpless healer from a murderous fool? Would thee
judge me evil, knowing that?"
There was a long and uneasy pause as the youth
tried to sort things out. Before he could speak, Calandryll had
an idea. "I do need to get to the bank, and afterwards the
smithy. However when I am finished, twould be mine honor if thou
would accompany me in mine journeys."
Again there was a pause, "How do I know
you wont kill me?"
"I shall walk with no weapon to strike
thee and will hold my shield so that I cannot cast spells. Fair
enough?", Calandryll stated.
"Um, ok, I am DerTod by the way."
The youth followed Calandryll to the bank and
waited while Calandryll made his transaction. They then went to
the smith were Calandryll purchased some new armor. Once
finished, Calandryll sheathed his sword and readied his shield.
"Are we ready?"
"Sure".
"I hath business in Yew.", Calandryll
said, "Prithee follow me"
The two ventured out into the wilderness and it
did not take long for them to encounter an orc camp. The orcs
came on savagely and Calandryll barely got his sword out to black
the ax of their captain. Outnumbered two to one, Calandryll moved
to a better position to split his opponents in two, having done
this he managed to dispatch one of them. In the split second he
had before the other attacked, Calandryll saw DerTod was hard
pressed. His wounds looked severe and Calandryll knew he had no
time to think. Sheathing his sword and throwing down his shield,
he quickly cast heal on the virtue guard. DerTod tensed as he
felt the magical energy, no doubt expecting a trick. Calandryll
acted quickly to ready his weapon once more as the other orc has
hit him twice. Managing to get a few lucky strikes Calandryll
brought down the orc, just as DerTod killed his last opponent.
Again Calandryll cast heal on himself and his
companion. "You did think me to betray you before, did you
not?"
"Yeah, when I saw you cast, I thought you
were gonna kill me while I was weak, I owe you an apology."
"Accepted my friend, perhaps this shall
teach thee that not all is as it seems. Prithee lets go before
more arrive."
They continued onward, the youth no doubt very
confused. He had been brought up to think he knew evil when he
saw it, yet now he knew he did not. His thought must have been
interrupted as two fighters charged in, attacking Calandryll.
"Die PK!", They shouted.
Calandryll had little hope against two well
trained foes. He thought of recalling away and was about to when
an idea struck him. "Help me, DerTod!" A test. Would
the youth help someone who had just saved him, or would the
clutches of Lord British be too tight?
"Stop, he is not evil", yelled
DerTod.
There was no response. "DerTod, help me, I
cant beat them both!"
Calandryll thought he would surely die, when
suddenly, DerTod threw down his shield and waded in to the
combat. The sheer force and brutality of the attack was enough to
beat the two fighters into a retreat. Calandryll again healed
himself and DerTod. Saluting his new friend, and the continued
their journey…
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