Rollvag's countenance was grim, but he forced himself to remain calm. He knew that if he was going to see some action it would be now. "The first of the Kanokai should be arriving at the mushroom caves," he thought to himself. "Half of the group of 500 have left," he noted.
Rollvag's group had neither seen nor heard any movement out of the garrison encamped on the hillside below their position. Rollvag reminded himself again that the mass of sleeping men looked like locusts...
Shockingly, a series of loud and sharp explosions echoed in their canyon. A horn sounded a few seconds later. All the Drog awoke with a start and grabbed for their weapons. The sound of their chattering was incredible:
"What's that?" called several. "What's going on?" cried others. "Those dratted elves are upon us!" yelled others still.
Rollvag used the time of noise to tell Kuros and the Ghosts his strategy:
"Arrows first -- one at a time. Pick off their leaders first. If they charge -- Kuros will fire lightning bolts; then balls of fire when we get serious." Rollvag smiled as he pointed to his red stone. The archers took position with bows at ready...
A voice shouted from above. "Kill the prisoners! We are under attack!!" At least three dozen Drog made their way toward the cave.
The grim voice of Rollvag spoke lowly:
"Notch your arrows... wait till they get closer... closer...ready... FIRE!!!"
With a shout, the ghosts stood up and fired their bows. A dozen arrows hit their marks straight on. Twelve Drog fell, as the others yelled and ran back down the hill. Their leader was not shocked, however:
"Fire on them!!!"
"Quick now!, A flash!; left to right; sweep them!!!"
Before the stunned Drog could even notch an arrow, Kuros stood up and held the diamond out with both hands. A huge, searing bolt of electricity leapt from it toward the left. The barbarians that could not dive out of the way were enshrouded in energy and fell down in convulsing heaps.
As the bolt passed to the center, the leader dodged and those at the right ran down the hill to get away. Even so, some of those on the right were caught as they ran. Despite their leader's shouts to the contrary, the remaining Drog ran down the hill.
The Ghosts started to cheer, but Rollvag silenced them: "Save it!" he ordered. "They'll be back with more firepower."
With some surprise, Rollvag turned around to see eleven of the prisoners standing a short distance away. The prisoner that Rollvag had first awakened stepped forward and said in barbarian: "We want to help."
Rollvag studied their size and found them to be bigger than the Ghosts. Also, they each were armed with spear, club, and sword.
"You must be the sheriffs."
"We are." he said grimly. Then: "This is our fight too."
"I've heard that excuse before, but ok; kneel beside us and prepare to meet a charge."
Those barbarians that could move vacated the hillside very slowly. Several minutes passed. Rollvag soon began to worry that they had not been accosted: "I wonder what they're up to..."
Suddenly, a few pebbles fell from the roof at the lip of the cave. Instantly, Kuros knew what was wrong:
"Vag, they're going to..."
"Uh-oh! Back!!" yelled Rollvag before Kuros could finish. "Everybody to the back of the cave!..."
With a crash and a giant roar, the mouth of the cave collapsed, completely covering the place that they had hid and filled in the opening.
Rollvag smiled and said matter of factly: "Good thinking Kuros. We'd all have been lost."
Rollvag looked back toward the fountain passage. There were still about fifty left to go through. He could hear the sound of Barbarians shouting on the other side of the opening.
Kuros smiled: "They think that they have us bottled up!"
They waited the remaining time until the last Kanokai entered the tunnel. They could hear the sound of stones being pulled back from the now plugged cave opening. Rollvag said in Drog: "Now you, Warriors, GO!"
Seconds later: "Now you, Ghosts, GO!"
Seconds later: "Now you, Byc, GO!
Kuros and Rollvag stood by themselves in the empty cave.
"I wish we could set a trap for them, Vag." said Kuros.
"Me too, Kuros, but What?... I guess that we will just have to leave them a calling card."
Rollvag found a large shield with the Drog banner on it. He took an arrow and drove it through the center of the banner.
"There. They're sure to find it.."
Just then, an Elf appeared at the opening. "Let's go! I'm about to seal this passage."
Rollvag and Kuros slid through. There was a flash and then the elf was hot on their heels. They ran down the dimly lit passage at break-neck speed...
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© Copyright 1999 by Abram Paradies.
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