fantasy

"It isn't a matter of knowing how to perform the kata," the wizened man said as he made a wide and graceful sweep with his right arm. His gi swished as he moved and dropped into a crouch. "You must take in the spirit of the kata and become that which you seek to find." With his last word the old man vanished from sight leaving Nick blinking and apparently alone in the garden.

"Row!" the shipmaster barked and the sting of the whip followed his command. Nick grunted and pulled on the oar, his sweat caused the lash to burn.

The young man threw a sidelong glance a Bradley. "You can take your authentic sailing experience and shove it!"

The mage eyed the mercenary as he handed over the scroll. "Take the fastest wyvern. It is of the utmost importance that this gets to Allejandros. Do you understand?"

Lightning roiled in the clouds illuminating the army of men and beasts below as it twisted through the pass. Steel spears glimmered like a thousand metal thorns, tenant's flapped like bat wings. Two men looked down upon the procession from a lonely spar of rock. Nicolai grunted and turned to the druid at his right. "Not natural, I say."

The grizzled man nodded, the antlers on her head bobbing. "Ye'd be right - the fey have wind of our coming."

"CAW!" The crow hopped on one foot to the next branch.

"You're not a lot of help!" Nick said and threw a stone at the bird. "You're supposed to be leading me to Mordecai."

Nine pairs of vertically-slit eyes watched the boy as the hydra slithered forward. Nine tongues hissed and nine mouths spoke in chorus: "You have dared the plains, river and mountain; outsmarted Grim and the Nur; but you shall go no farther."

The wind ripped at Nicodamus' robes and clawed at his eyes. Phyras had ordered his great eagle up to a considerable height before dropping the mage - it gave him longer to consider his demise - but the forest was still rushing to meet him. Nicodamus clamped down upon the terror that writhed within him and summoned the focus that the spell required. He would have to time it just right - too soon meant death from the wicked talon's of Phyras' eagle, while too slow would lead to him creating his own grave as he hit the earth at tremendous speed.

The troll sat with a giant huff, like the billows of a great forge. Tobbias alighted on giant being's shoulder, the sprite sighed as well. "What's the matter big guy?" he asked in his tinny voice.

"I'm beginning to think drinking that potion was a bad idea," the troll growled in a voice that sounded like grinding boulders. "How do they manage being so big? Everything about them is soooo heavy!"