One Orc, Two Orc,…

With surprise on my side, I ran into the room and plunged my weapons into the first two Orcs I could see. Before they had time to react I pulled my blades back and attacked again. One of the Orcs was dead before his soup spoon hit the table.

Like a flash, Rosorc appeared beside me and cut down another. Areon, with a gleam in his eyes came up by my other side and finished the one in front of him. As the three Orcs laid there dead and another wounded, the three of us faced the looks of about twenty more Orcs. These were the dim looks of recognition, recognition that they were about to die. I almost felt sorry for them….. almost.

And the battle raged, Rosorc plowed into the ranks to my left and Areon leaped upon the nearest table and swung his massive sword in a wide arc that nearly took three heads from their owners. For a moment I was still, awestruck by the carnage my comrades were reaping upon the Orcish foe. Then I heard a sound that struck fear into me, the sound of “THREE.” Realizing I was still on one, I had some work to do.

I finished the one Orc that I wounded earlier and then ran to a spot between my two friends. As it was, the Orcs were so infuriated at the Elf and Dwarf in their midst that they paid no attention to me. No problem.

With sword and dagger I went to work. Dagger to the back of a knee, followed by a sword to the small of the back. The silly Orcs never even looked at me as I took their lives, they just kept trying to kill my two friends, even as they fell. “THREE” I shouted, only to hear “FIVE” come as response. Damned Dwarf.

I finished another Orc when I noticed Areon heavily favoring his one side. Upon a closer look he was bleeding fiercely from a spear wound. A quick glance over at Rosorc told me he was getting a bit ruffed up also. To Areon’s side I went, just in time to cut down a well-scarred Orc that had slipped around us and intended to stab him in the back.

I then looked up to see a look of fear on Deitricha’s face. I followed her gaze to see two huge Ogres coming into the room. I never seen them this big, and Deitricha said there was a spell caster with them too. Just then William cast some spell at one of the Ogres, and ducked behind the wall as two massive javelins came at him. The one Ogre, wounded by William’s spell, drew a great club and crossed the room with speed and agility of an elf. Before I could come to his aid the creature swung the club and mashed William a good one. With its body in an exposed position from the swing, I ran right under it and took its throat out with a well placed swing.

I then had to dodge to my right side quickly to avoid the weight of the brute as it fell to the ground. I turned to see the other Ogre falling dead and there was only one Orc left in the room. Areon finished it before I could even lift my sword. I looked at my other friends who were a bit wounded but alive. Rosorc looked at me and said, “the big ones only count as one.” Having said that we added up our kills and decided he was still ahead by two. I went over to the doorway that two of the Orcs had escaped through to notice the kitchen. Hmm, loot the bodies or loot the stew, hmmm. It is then that I announced that I will keep watch and went into the kitchen to see what was cooking.

I found a somewhat clean bowl and spoon, filled the first with some stew from the kettle and sat on the counter. Then remembering the watching thing, I got down and placed a few pots and pans around the kitchen’s other doors. Seconds later, back on the counter, I dug into the stew. It wasn’t the best stew, but I had not eaten in at least an hour. Near the end of my second bowl I heard the sounds of Orcs cursing. It appears some of them didn’t notice the pans on the floor and fell over them. I put my stew bowl behind me, drew my weapons and stood up, “My stew!” I let them know. Then the first two Orcs seemed to disappear as a massive ball of beard and axe called Rosorc leaped into their path and cut them down. Areon, Theona and I all then pulled our bows and shot down the hall at the nice line of targets. Targets that noticed too late that they had no where to go, all they could do is watch the one in front die and wait their turn.

As the last one fell, Rosorc charged into and through the hall followed by Areon, me and the others. We all appeared in a larger hall with pillars and Orcs. One look at Rosorc and I knew he was thinking about removing one of the two. With my bow still in hand I began shooting the Orcs. Theona joined me and William cast a spell. He cast a spell at the Ogre in the back line. Slow learner that one.

Before I could say something to William, Rosorc charge ahead and into a pit that seemed to open suddenly. Theona looked at the pit then me, I could only shrug. Across the way two Orcs lit a torch and threw it into the pit. Areon said something about oil, I came to the edge of the pit to see Rosorc standing in oil up to his knees and holding the torch. Oh, he was on fire too. Yet he had a smile on his face for the flame had not touched off the massive pool of oil he was standing in. Deitricha began lowering a rope to him when I noticed the first Orc fly our way. The second Orc projectile launched by the Ogre hit William squarely; I thought we would lose him then. I tried to work my way around to shoot and distract the Ogre only to have my bowstring snap. Oh well, it was either sit and avoid the flying Orcs or try to cross a narrow ledge and do something about it. I chose the ledge.

Seconds later, in the bottom of the pit, I found myself screaming out to Tempus. To tell the truth I would have cursed the god of traps if I knew which one it was. Another Orc flew across above me. Determined to be of some help I pulled my warfork and threw it at the Ogre who had moved near the edge to get more ammo (dead Orcs). My shot must have pleased Tempus for the fork entered the Ogre under the chin and buried itself almost completely in its skull. I then heard a massive door shut and Rosorc yell “they are still just one a piece Tassar.”