Simon and Da Dwarf

When he awoke, Nod was in a small bed with several layers of bloodied cloth wrapped around his waist. His shirt was nowhere to be seen and his pants were neatly folded on a desk beside a similarly folded set of formal clothing and a large silver platter of assorted meat. He pulled himself up onto his elbows and immediately fell once again to his back. With his mind clear, he dove into the recesses of his mind for a telekinesis spell. Finding it, Nod drew the platter to him. He shoveled the tender and heavily spiced meat into his mouth with both hands.
When the platter was empty, Nod rested again. He could feel the wound in his stomach slowly knitting itself together. It itched so much he couldn't help but cut through the bandage with his claws. Before he could scratch the wound, a man wearing white robes holding some parchment entered the room,
"Please don't," Nod looked up at him menacingly, but the man continued, "you'll upset the healing process." He looked to be no more than twenty or so.
"You're a little young to be a healer aren't you?"
"I'm apprenticed to the great cleric Bleric," feeling he needed further explanation, he continued, "Bleric is the high priest of all of Twilight Crest."
"His parents had a sense of humor for naming didn't they?"
"It is said that he was chosen by the gods from birth. The night sky opened up and his pregnant mother was bathed in silver light whilst an avatar foretold Bleric's intended path." He took a deep breath, "It is also said that he will one day transcend and, like a phoenix, he will be continually consumed and reborn."
Nod decided upon a different approach to dealing with the over zealous acolyte, "So... When exactly is this meat of which you speak coming?"
"I didn't mention any-,"
"Then you'd better get moving then. shouldn't you?" Nod gave the young man's mind a gentle push.
"Meat, right away sir."
"Good man." He smiled and closed his eyes as the dazed man shuffled out.
When Nod awoke again he sensed the presence of a giant. He sprang to his feet and immediately collapsed again from the pain in his abdomen. He looked up again to see the red headed knight who helped him earlier standing beside his bed. Nod was somewhat disappointed to find that the knight was slightly shorter than him. Nod's memory insisted that the man before him could be no less than six and a half feet tall.
Something about the knight made him seem to dwarf all those around him. His smile was kind and peaceful. Nod could see past his smile into his soul which was...well... kind and peaceful.
"I am the Red Knight Simon." his voice was quiet but firm.
As Simon spoke, Nod's attention was drawn to the beautiful sword that hung at the knight's hip. Simon's words blended together and faded into the background. All Nod could focus on was the hilt of the master crafted blade drawing him into a trance. Simon had informed Nod of the entire history of the history of Twilight Crest, the manner in which he and his associates came to rule it, and an extensive description of all three-hundred seventy-four flavors of beer brewed in the magnificent Twilight Crest Brewery.
The trance was broken by a harsh knock on the door. Simon opened the door to an armor clad dwarf. That is, Nod assumed it was a dwarf though nothing of it's body save a long salt and pepper beard that protruded from under the helmet. Plates, chainmail or spikes covered it's Entire body.
After a short pause, the dwarf spoke,"Unghh."
"I see," Simon's voice sounded as though he understood perfectly, "well, carry on and we'll deal with it in the morning."
"Unghh." The dwarf turned sharply and left.
Simon closed the door and returned to Nod. "Where was I? Oh yes, the wheat beers. The flavor is a bit-"
"What was the dwarf that just showed up saying?"
"Oh, nothing important, a Pack of Giants made a home in the nearby hills. Da Dwarf and I are going to slay them tomorrow. You can come if you like."
"Doesn't... um... Da Dwarf have a proper name?
"If he did, he wouldn't tell anyone."
"You're just going to go out and slay an entire pack of giants without any planning? No luring them into a trap, nothing?"
"That way isn't very fair to the giants now is it?"
"What does fair matter? They're Giants!"
"Should be fair, ten or so of them, Two of us, three if you come." Simon looked Nod over, "You look like you could take down one or two, I also hear you're a wizard of some sort."
Nod felt his stomach and was surprised to find no wound.
"Bleric sped your already exceptional healing whilst we were talking." Chimed Simon when he noticed Nod's confusion.
"Alright then, I suppose I will go."
"Excellent, I'll have my squire bring you up a selection of battle gear." Simon left making sure to close the door behind him.
Moments later the young cleric entered with a large platter of assorted meats. Sorry about the wait sir, I didn't wish to interrupt Simon's speech lest I become trapped within it as well."
"What do you mean 'trapped'?"
"Simon's blade 'Katrina,' also known as 'The Monologue Blade,' holds the power of forcing enemies to listen as long as the wielder is willing to speak." He thought over what he had just said. "I suppose it's almost as if the blade were made for him. He's the only knight in the Order of Red Warriors willing to speak to his opponents for any length of time." The young cleric put down the platter and made his way out "Goodnight sir."
After the meat was gone, Nod was bored. Finding nothing to read in the room nor anything to see through the small window, Nod went to sleep.
In the morning there were three sets of leathers on a bench that hadn't been there the night before. The first had small metal plates sewn into key places on the chest, upper arms and thighs. The second was stiff leather with wide steel studs binding all the seams and affording the wearer almost as much protection as the first. The third was soft, light, flexible and the one Nod chose to protect him. Under the leather armor was a small dagger more ornate but not nearly as well made as his own. Not sensing any magick within it, he left it on the bench.
A few minutes later, Simon arrived and led him to the stables, "You can use this one for the day. She's getting old but she knows the way."
Da Dwarf climbed atop his pony as Simon mounted his brown warhorse. Nod watched Simon mounting his horse and did his best to mimic his movements. Having never before ridden a horse, he had some difficulty getting himself situated. They rode single-file down one of the three narrow paths through the forest.
"Why is the forest so heavily trapped?"
"A friend of ours is a druid who took it upon himself to protect the forest from all invaders, unfortunately, his definition of the term ‘invaders' is loose at best, he uses it to describe any non-druid human."
"Unghh"
"And Dwarves too." he sighed, "well, at least he keeps three sides of our city safe from our enemies."
Nod opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted.
"Occasionally, after we've angered a local monarch, he'll find the better part of an army hanging from the trees by one body part or another."
Nod decided to stop questioning Simon and turned his attention to the forest. By the time they exited the forest and entered a fairly open plane, Nod had counted three men trapped in one way or another in the hands of the forest. One man, trapped in a snare similar to the one Nod had found himself in, waved calmly at him as if he had been in that situation more times than he could remember.
Having nothing to look at on the planes, Nod focused his attention inward. He readied a handful of offensive spells for the battle ahead.
Da Dwarf stopped his pony for a moment before turning it around and heading back towards Twilight Crest at full gallop. Simon and Nod stopped to await his return.
"Don't worry," assured Simon, "he'll be back, he just forgot something,"
Nod wondered if Simon carried any meat in his pack, hopefully not salted. The boots he had been given pinched the sides of his feet. a flock of unfamiliar brown birds flew overhead, they looked tasty but out of reach. He considered using 'Frandz's Instant Banquet,' a spell designed by the dark wizard himself. It would not only bring the flock down but cook, baste and season each bird in a different way on it's way down. Before they hit the ground, they would float fourteen inches off the ground for exactly six minutes. One thing had to be said for the wizard, evil though he was, he knew how to live... well, if not how to live then definitely how to eat. The question of what ever happened to the old man still plagued him whenever he took the time to think about it. He probably tread on the toes of one deity too many.
Finally Da Dwarf had returned. the first thing Nod noticed was the seven foot long war axe he held in one hand as he rode. The axe was a magnificent sight to behold, unusually large jewels were attached to the head and handle apparently at random. It looked as if they were added as they were found. some were set neatly by a master craftsman, others looked as if they had been stuck on with glue.
Da Dwarf paused when he reached Nod and Simon, "Unghh."
"What'd he say?" Nod asked Simon
"Loosely translated, Groovy."
As they rode, Nod saw an army of small, fiendish looking people marching in a vague semblance of order towards them on the horizon. Having never seen beings like them before, he decided to ask, "What are those?"
"Goblins!" Simon and Da Dwarf turned their mounts towards the army and set off at a full charge.
"There are hundreds of them!"
"If you're worried, start throwin' fire or something!" Nod could see the expressions on the individual Goblin faces...
<They are scared, Why?> his mind raced <If they're that scared, why don't they run?> The goblins in front looked back to one sitting atop an unidentifiable beast in the middle of the group <they won't run until he does>
Nod pointed at the leader with two fingers and spoke a four syllable incantation before pointing to the heavens and repeating the words.
The army scattered in all directions at the very moment their leader, minus his steed, catapulted into the clouds. Nod wondered if and where the spell would deposit the goblin commander.
Simon and Da Dwarf stopped in unison. "Ah well," Simon couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice, "let's go get those giants."
Simon pulled another breaded sausage on a stick from his pack. It was the fifth one he had eaten in this journey alone and Nod was getting curious. "where do you keep getting those?"
Simon paused for a moment, thrown off by the question. "No time for explanations, we're getting close to the giant's campsite."
"How can you tell?"
"There's a lookout on top of that hill trying desperately to hide behind some bushes."
"Unghh" Da Dwarf's tone was menacing.
The giants came, they moved as a single entity as if afraid of leaving the pack. there were nine distinct figures that Nod could make out. The lumbering figures were no less than fifteen feet tall each.
As Simon and Da Dwarf dismounted, Nod used a large version of a small spell to trip the lead Giant. One after another, the giants tripped over their leader.
By the time they had pulled themselves off the ground, Da Dwarf was close enough to throw his axe. To Nod, it didn't seem that he threw it so much as released it. It flew with more grace and speed than an arrow shot from Apollo's Bow and unleashed more blood than an industrial meat packing plant. The Giant standing beside the leader was the first to die, the one behind him was the second. On it's way back to Da Dwarf's hand, two more Giants felt it's keen edge. Da dwarf heaved his fiendish axe again, this time seemingly out of pure hatred for giants more than any desire to help his friend. When Da Dwarf caught it again, another Giant was lying on its back clutching the stump where it's leg had been severed at the knee.
"Unghh," the tone was one of approval
By the time Simon was close enough to use his sword, Da Dwarf had returned to his pony and was packing up his axe. Nod raised a hand and was about to heave a fireball at a giant when he was interrupted.
"Unghh," Da Dwarf was holding up his hand signaling to Nod not to help Simon.
"Why not?"
Da Dwarf only pointed to the Red Knight. When Nod's eyes adjusted, he could clearly see Simon, Sword in one hand, breaded sausage on a stick in the other, tearing through the giants as if they were made of butter.
The Monologue blade Katrina fell from Simon's hand when he was struck by a giant using the arm of a fallen comrade as a weapon. Nod raised his hand again to throw a fireball but was again stopped by Da Dwarf who made a strange gesture that could be vaguely interpreted as eating.
"What?"
Da Dwarf simply pointed again at Simon who was pummeling the last giant with his free hand and taking bites from his breaded sausage on a stick between punches. When he was finished with his sausage snack, he picked up the Monologue blade and sauntered over to where Nod and Da Dwarf were sitting atop their mounts waiting for him.
"Good workout, eh guys?" Simon spoke as if he had just returned from a hike and wasn't soaked in blood.
"I was a little worried when you lost your sword."
"Good thing I didn't loose my sausage snack."
Simon and Da Dwarf simultaneously threw back their heads and laughed heartily Nod, looking vacant and not knowing what else to do, joined in.

If you want to read more about Nod, email me. Please specify if you like the funny or seroius Nod.