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Hero’s
Reckoning Chapter 2 All Characters and story copyrighted by Rekk, Not to be distributed without the authors permission.
We
flew among the clouds a bit before Shimmer caught a thermal and ascended above
them. Shimmer
began to play around a bit, doing barrel rolls, flips and dives. “Do
you really need to do that?” I
asked as she pulled out of a dive. “
No, not particularly, but it is great fun.”
She replied, banking into some clouds I
shook my head and lamented” Dragons.” She
dove out of the clouds and I looked down and pointed” there!” I exclaimed,
“over there! The city of Lakeside, we should land over there.” I said
pointing outside of town. Shimmer
nodded and began to descend, a shallow circling dive that lasted for about five
minutes after which she landed lightly on her feet. I dismounted and began to
help her take the saddle off but she put up a hand and said “I learned a new
spell, give me a moment.” She began speaking in an arcane tongue and moving
her claws in strange ways and her body began to glow in the usual prelude to a
polymorph spell. Her
bulk condensed into a small 5’6” frame, after the glowing stopped she was a
female white tiger fur with metallic silver hair and stripes.
She was wearing hunting leathers matching the color of my armor, and a
pack slung over one shoulder to complete the ensemble. “
Nice choice”. I said, staring. “
I thought you would like it.” She
said, batting her eyelashes playfully. “
Your one of a kind, Shim”, I looked about “where’s the gear?”
I asked. She
gestured me forward and opened the pack, inside was a miniature of the tent and
other gear. “Cool”
I said. She
shouldered her pack and gestured in the direction of the city gates,” shall we
go?” she inquired. “Let’s.”
I said putting my arm around her shoulder. We
walked to the gates, where the Doberman guards halted us. “State
your name and business.” one barked at me. My
name is Rekk Ironclaw, and my business, is none of your concern.” “Why
you insolent little maggot!” he roared, drawing his sword, I depressed the
button in the palm of my gauntlet and a blade sprang forth from the top of my
wrist, which I quickly brought to his throat. “
Move “ I said coldly, and ill carve you a new smile.” The
guard stood there stiff as a board, glaring at me. “Drop
the sword dog-man, and let us pass, oh and if you even think of calling the city
guard after we pass, ill hunt you down, and carve you into pieces just the right
size for my friend here.” I said nodding to shimmer, who for just a moment shifted back
to a dragon. Horrified,
the guards dropped their weapons and let us pass, I sheathed my blade back into
my gauntlet and patted him on the shoulder;” smart move.” As
soon as we were inside the gates, we could not contain it; we burst into gales
of laughter until tears streamed from our eyes. “Rekk,”
she said still quaking with giggles; “ can you go nowhere without starting a
fight?” “
It keeps life interesting”, I replied,” besides its great fun”. “Furs”
she lamented, shaking her head. I
gave a evil chuckle and pointed towards a local tavern, “ lord rat-ass said he
would he would meet us in there.” “Now
Rekk is that any way to talk of an employer?” shimmer chided me. “We’ll
see.” I replied.
Our
employer was a small lord from some obscure fife in some godforsaken kingdom who
had recruited us to reclaim a “stolen” treasure of his family, normally we
would of turned down this kind of job, but he offered enormous amounts of
platinum so we took the assignment. The
treasure we had to recover was a silver necklace with a gold ring hanging on it
that glowed. Shimmer said it was
magical but she did not know in what way. So
we walked into the tavern without any incident, and spied our benefactor a short
brown rat in expensive ale stained doublet. He
said his name was Lord Fong but I did not believe him, We
sat at the table with our benefactor and I said; “ we return with your booty,
pay up.” “
Now Mr. Ironclaw, I would like to see my merchandise before I pay.”
He said putting out his hand. I reached into my trench coat, pulled out
the necklace, and handed it to him. “At
last I finally have it,” he looked back at me still waiting and said”; oh
yes here is your payment” and tossed me a heavy sack that clinked as I caught
it and then he hurried off. I
opened it “son of a bitch.” I snarled and got up and chased after him. “What
is it Rekk?” Shimmer asked. “He
gave us a bag full of rivets, the cheating bastard!”
I yelled back as I tore through the busy tavern, disrupting meals and
knocking over serving wenches. I
leaped out the back door and saw him round the corner at the end of the street,
I swore and ran after him, behind me I heard shimmer following me. We
ran through the streets causing a great commotion, he ran into a public
bathhouse and I followed him. The
attendant said; ”you need to leave your clothes here, hey!
Stop! I’m talking to you!”, but I didn’t listen and ran into the
bathing area and continued the chase. I
rounded a corner to fast and skidded into a tub with some fine looking vixens in
it. I looked up and said “evening ladies, waters nice isn’t it?” and they
started giggling, just then shimmer ran by and said “Aren’t
you supposed to be looking for the thief?” “I
am looking.” I said. “Then
look for the one wearing clothes!” she yelled and took off after him. “
Pardon me ladies, I must go.” I
said, which sent them into another fit of giggles, and as I walked off I faintly
heard one say “too bad he had to leave”. I
chased after shimmer and caught up to her and we continued the chase together.
We
rounded a corner and found him trying to climb a fence, I reached up, grabbed
him by the collar, and slammed him against the wall. “
Where’s my money, you jackass?” “I
don’t have any money for you,” he said. “Wrong
answer!” I snarled slamming him
against the wall. “I
really am broke, s-sir.” he whimpered. “You
tire me,” I said and slammed him against the wall until he lost conciseness,
then I took the necklace we risked our lives for and through him over the fence. “Cheating
scum.” I said, brushing off my
self. “Rekk,
don’t you think you were a bit hard on him?” shimmer asked. I
stood for a moment and listened to the sound of him landing in the trashcans on
the other side of the fence. “Nope.”
I replied. We
walked back out of the alley and I turned back towards the bathhouse, “Where
do you think you are going?” shim demanded, “I
thought I would pay those vixens another visit.” I explained innocently. “Oh
no you don’t you pig.” she said ”you’re coming with me so we can get
some rooms at the inn, its getting dark”. “And
if rat-man comes back?” I inquired “I
trust you’ll beat him senseless again.” she said. “Shim,
you know me so well.” I replied.
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