Eris' Handmaiden Page 11

Written by the player of Kadatha of the Mad Kobolds

Darrius held the woman's small waist firmly as he rode out of town. Although he was only half her height, many years of hunting had strengthened his arms. His captive did not struggle as the headed south, moving quickly through the moist air.
The hunter shifted his eyes from the road to the woman in his arms for a moment. They sure seemed to be going out of their way for a silly human. If Knutha and Korth were certain she was an enemy, why didn’t they just send her to her gods and be done with it? Was she worth anything beyond the armor she wore? Kicking his heels into the horse, Darrius urged it to a gallop, and continued towards the troll village.
Upon their arrival in Nalliten, Knutha gathered the party. The ride by boat to the ancient isles took many days, but since the appearance of the gate, the journey had become much simpler. For the older kobolds, traveling through the gate was no different than being transported by the Gothi, or hunting in the dark depths above Niflheim.
Korbel, however, had never ventured through the gateway. Though he had stopped many times while collecting crabs to watch the adventurers as they faded through the magical rift, the idea of it frightened him.
Knutha motioned to the group. Darrius helped the woman from his horse and guided her towards the portal. Korbel followed, hesitantly kicking at the steps as the climbed onto the platform. “We walk through magic. Yus not stop,” Knutha spoke.
Gazing beyond the portal at the ocean, Korbel closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the salty smell of the ocean float through him. “Gudbye home…” he thought, as he opened his eyes, staring now at the shimmering portal before him. As Knutha stepped forward, the purple glow engulfed her, mingling with her body as her imaged danced in and out of existence.
Korbel swallowed sharply as Darrius prodded him forward. “It not hurt,” the older kobold chuckled. Korbel squeezed his hands tightly, barely noticing as his fingernails dug into his palms. Bracing himself, he stepped through the portal.
Darkness. It felt cold, yet somehow odd. The salty smell of the ocean was gone. In fact—all smells were gone. The young kobold willed himself to move but to no avail. It was as if there was nothing TO move. In a split second he realized he could not feel anything, and the coolness was more an absence of heat than an actual feeling. He could not feel his limbs, his heart, his chest rising and falling with his breath. Nothing.
Warmth filled the kobold as he emerged into the light. An explosion of sounds and feelings coursed through him almost instantaneously. The smell of the ocean had returned, along with the shouts of merchants. Korbel’s body tingled as he squinted his eyes, trying to slowly adjust to the light. He smiled, “me alibe!”
Aegirhamn was bustling with activity, as it was already well into the day. The most disconcerting part of magical travel was always the sudden loss of time. Many times Knutha felt as if her body were paralyzed for a moment as she rematerialized; it sometimes took a few minutes to adjust to her surroundings. The kobold watched the others for a while, and then turned to Darrius. "Mes not know Aegirhamn," Knutha said, looking around. "Wes get horses to Knarr from here?"
“Ja,” he replied, as he led the party towards the stable. “We hab only one more ride to go.” The stable master assisted Darrius with the woman, and the group mounted their horses. “So close!” Knutha thought to herself. Trying to contain her eagerness to discover what had happened with the spirit, she motioned to Darrius, who led the group through the valley and out of town.
Korbel stared with excitement as he rode with Knutha across the new lands. The air felt different, and the smell…was somehow strange. The further they got from town, the fresher the air seemed to get. “Knutha…” he whispered. “Wat?” Knutha replied, somewhat curtly. “Er…nebermind.” Knutha smiled and lifted one hand, stroking the young kobolds hair slightly. “Go ahed, me was jus tinkin, yu not bodder me.”
Korbel smiled. “me was wunderin…why dat city smell so funny.” Knutha grinned. “Well, wen it were only native libin dere, it were quiet. Den dis portal appear, let eberyone visit wen dey wants. After lil time pepol sees it preddy nice city, an da pepol was a lil friendlier den dose in da big city.” She leaned forward and whispered in the young kobold’s ear, “dats cos dis city not so full ob humans.” Grinning she continued, “Many pepol libes dere now an dey was not expektin so many…so da town not reely able to support dat many, it get kinna dirty. Plus da truth is dat wen dem Valkyn gets wet dey smell werse den wet worg.” Korbel nodded, and returned contentedly to gazing at the countryside.
The path curved slightly as it approached the coast. In the distance, the kobolds could already make out the fishing village of Knarr, and the tall tower on the shore. As they drew nearer, they noticed how empty it seemed. The buildings were a different style than any those in any other village, and many were quite run down. A series of channels had been dug from the coast, allowing water to cut through the village itself.
The kobolds dismounted, and Knutha helped Darrius with the woman. After a quick word with the stable master, Knutha led the group along one of the canals to an old house. The wood was grayed, and almost appeared rotten. Knutha knocked firmly at the door.
After a moment, she knocked again. After a third try, a woman’s voice shouted, “Why are you bothering me here?!” The door opened a crack.
“Sarry send us, we needs yur help,” Knutha spoke.
The door shut.
Darrius looked at Knutha in disbelief, then turned towards the door. Knutha felt her heart sink at the prospect that this mystery might never be answered. Together, the three kobolds stared at the door in silence.
Images from
Archer image from Graphic Knights
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