Disclaimer:
Hello again! Well then! I finally managed to get my ass back in writing again (particularly because I'm so sick of studying college stuff 'n' all...). But I'm back with the fourteenth part of NNT. It's kinda shorter than the rest, I know. Sorry about that. Now what should I yap about first... oh yeah! Legal stuff. You all may shut your ears now. First of all (bla, bla, bla), as mentioned before, this story is totally fictional and has no purpose whatsoever to imply that any member of the BSB is gay. Secondly, also as mentioned before, the setting of this story is 100% based on TSR, Inc. Novels, the Forgotten Realms. The story is written purely out of fun and leisure and I have no intention of publishing it anywhere or whatever. Hmm... what else? Oh yeah, this story also contain homosexual elements, so if you got a problem with it, Boo-hoo, I don't give fuck. However, if you are looking for some hot monkey sex scenes, sorry dudes, you'll be disappointed. I'm just not good in writing about that stuff :P Let just keeps the detailed sex stuff behind closed doors. But if you like stories that goes nice and slow and have more to offer than just sex, oh well, you might like this one (I hope).
Well! Now that is gone out of da way, lets get on with the story. Hope you enjoy it. If ya got comments, objections, suggestions, tips, death threats, boos, tomatoes or cabbages to throw or whatever, just write to me at goldenknightuk@yahoo.co.uk
Anyway, I would like to thank everyone who e-mailed me of your comments and such. It's nice to know that you've enjoyed it. I live to serve (Hah!). All in all, thanks guys. I intend to make this story as long as I can. But ideas do tend to run out quickly. I can always think up of new ideas (if I can get my lazy mind going long enough. It really needs a kick or two at time but it has always serve me well... hmm... well, most of the time). But if you have any inputs, ideas or suggestions, feel free to drop me a note anytime you want, be it through e-mails, letters, pigeons, message in a bottle, Morse codes, talking drums, whatever.
Author's Note:
Another thing is, in case you didn't notice; I have changed my email address. So if you guys wanna drop us a note, sent it to goldenknightuk@yahoo.co.uk
Right! Enough mindless chatters, roll back the curtain, roll the drums and on with the show!
Drew and Andy
At the ruins of Tandrull, in the Sword Coast...
"We cannot outrun them!" Galadriel snarled as she reared her horse to a halt.
Andy reared his own horse, as did the others. He turned to look at the approaching Hellhounds. Through the mist and the flashing lightning, Nick shuddered as he saw the snarling beasts leaping towards them. It mouth gaped open to reveal the rows upon rows of needle sharp fangs. Even as the beasts snarled, gout of flames appeared from its throat, scorching the very earth itself. Its eyes seems to burn in flames too and even now seems to be glaring at them all hungrily.
Nick remembered reading about the Hellhounds during the time of his training with Andy. Native of the deepest part of the Abyss, Hellhounds are treated by the demon-lords as a pet, much like a dog to a man. It feeds on the flesh of mortal but its strength is fueled by chaos and corruptions. It hates mortals or anything that is not belongs to the Abyss. That is why it considered dangerous to summon such beast. The mage who summoned such creatures must have been powerful indeed.
Andy looked around them to survey their surrounding. They stood at the gate of the ruined keep now. Beyond them, the earth gives way to a huge crevice and even as Nick peered down, he could see nothing but cold darkness. A crumbling stone bridge projecting from the gate to the ruined tower beyond is the only means to get across the cavern.
The scene beyond the cavern is even more gruesome. Even if Nick hasn't been told about the tales of Tandrull, one look at the four towering pillars beyond and the crumbling tower in the middle would have told him that it is a place of great evil. Lightning flashes again, lighting the surrounding briefly. Most of the walls surrounding the keep are in ruins. Only the four pillars seem to be intact, stretching towards the sky as if attempting to reach the heavens. The tower in the middle also seems to be the only structure that is still intact.
"We'll make our stand here," said Andy as he got off his horse and drew his staff. "We can retreat to the ruins and destroy the bridge should we become too overwhelmed by those creatures. Even the Hellhounds cannot make a leap across the cavern width."
Galadriel nodded reluctantly as she took her place and nocked her bow with her silver arrow. Nick stood at the back with Brian while Sarelle ushered the horses to make their ways across the bridge towards the ruins. The crevice seems to circles around the ruins. The horses will not get anywhere. Andy raised his hands and quietly began to work a spell. Nick searches his mind and selected all of the protective spells he could think of before. Near him, Sarelle and Brian did the same.
The hellhounds are nearing them now; their howls pierced the surrounding darkness and echoed back from the walls of the crevice. Nick completed the Spell of Haste on everyone and proceeded to cast the Spell of Invisibility on himself. Brian completed his prayer-spell too and the air rippled slightly around them as a barrier against evil surrounded them.
The beasts drew closer and Nick shuddered at their savage snarls.
"Mother Chauntea, hear the call of thy servant." Nick heard Sarelle whispered her own prayer-spell. "Bless us all with thy divine might as we stand against these beast that defile thy lands."
The Rose-In-The-Sun medallion glowed around the priestess' neck and the light then spread to engulf the whole party. Almost immediately, Nick felt his senses became more focused and clearer and his fear vanished only to be replaced with courage and determination.
At the head of the party, Andy began to ripples slightly as his Spell of Stoneskin took effect. His skin began to harden until is became as hard as a stone. He uttered another two spells and a barrier against fire and a globe of invulnerability appeared around him.
By the time he completed his third spell, the hellhounds has already reached the arrow-firing range.
"Here they come," said Sarelle grimly as she strode forward to stand beside Andy, her silver mace gripped tightly in her hands.
It was Galadriel who struck first. The elf released her arrow and was rewarded with a pained screech from one of the four hellhounds. The arrow doesn't even slow them down. Andy placed his staff at the crook of his elbow again and works his first offensive spell. His hands began to crackles with electricity and as he completed intoning the final words of the spell, he hurled a lightning bolt towards one of the creatures. The creature staggered and howled in pain. But the bolt doesn't stops there. As soon as the bolt hits the first creature, it leaped to another, and another and finally the last one. Nick raised his brow in surprise. A Chain-Lightning Spell! That's a powerful spell indeed!
Nick dismissed the thought as quickly as it came when he saw the beast still closing towards them. He raised his own hands and uttered a spell of his own. His own fingers began to glow with blue-white light. He shouted the final incantations and quickly hurled an Icelance towards the leading creature. The lance sailed through the air and struck, causing the beast to howled in agony. Fire is a friend to the creature. Cold is its enemy. Nick nodded grimly in satisfaction as the leading beast fell back to recover itself.
But the other three beasts, upon identifying as to how formidable their foe is, roared in rage and each spat out a fireball. Nick and Andy immediately raised their voice in incantation to commence a counterspell. Two of the fireballs sputtered out and vanished in spark of flames. The third fireball, however, sailed into their midst and exploded, throwing all off them back several feet away. Only Andy remains standing at his spot, protected by his barrier against fire and his globe of invulnerability.
The beast roared in triumph and drew closer. Nick, sorely burned from the effect of the fireball, cast the spell to conjure a globe of invulnerability of his own to protect himself from anymore fireball. Beside him, Brian raised his voice as he uttered his own spell. Blue lightning split the sky and struck all of the beasts in a mighty thunderous roar. The spell of Holy Smite succeeded in destroying the wounded leading beast, but the rest still came on. Near them, Galadriel released her next arrow at the nearest beast. The beast dodged the oncoming arrow and came on. The elf cursed and slid her sword out. By this time, the beast is too close for any more arrows.
"Chauntea! Grant thy servant strength!" Sarelle cried out to the heavens in the face of the approaching beasts. Her medallion glowed again and the light enveloped her body. She strode towards the first beast and swiped her silver mace out into an arc. Strengthened by the strength of her goddess, the mace struck the first beast to the extent that sends the creature flying several feet away.
"Well struck, Sarelle!" Galadriel cried out as she dodged the snarling leap of another beast. "The strike of Chauntea's servant bites deep!"
Andy completed his next spell and spread his hands wide towards another approaching beast. A ball of light appeared before him, growing brighter and brighter in seconds. Then a blinding light shot out from the ball, lighting the area briefly. The beam of light raced through the air and struck the approaching creature. The creature wailed in agony as it turned into ash.
"The Spell of Disintegration." Muragh muttered from the net dangling at Nick's belt. "A terrible fate indeed. I felt sorry for the beast."
Nick paid little attention to the skull as he wove his own spell. Beside him, Brian intoned his own prayer-spell too. Nick hurled a lightning bolt towards the beast that is attacking Sarelle at the same moment as Brian hurled a Bolt of Glory towards the beast that is attacking Galadriel. The Bolt of Glory struck the beast deeply causing it to howl in agony. It turns it snarling face towards Brian and began to rush towards him. But Andy strode between the two.
"Get back!" the young mage snarled as he swiped his glowing staff towards the beast. The staff struck the creature with a crackling blow, causing it to yelp and sending it back a few paces away.
The other beast staggered at Nick's lightning bolt. Sarelle swiped her mace again but the beast dodged the deadly swing before hurling itself towards the priestess. Sarelle swore an oath before plunging to the ground with the beast on to of her, drooling triumphantly. Trickles of saliva dropped from its mouth and landed on the priestess' exposed arm. Sarelle screamed in pain as the saliva burned through her skin. She tried to move, but found herself unable to do so.
"Sarelle!" Brian cried in horror. Beside him, Nick muttered another spell and hurled five magic missiles towards the creature.
The magic missiles struck mercilessly, throwing the beast off-balance for an instant.
"Run, Sarelle! Get up and run!" Brian shouted. "Get away from there!"
"She can't!" said Muragh urgently. "A hellhound touch is paralyzing! Go there and aid her! Nick will cover you!"
"Sarelle!!" Brian cried as he rushed towards the priestess, war-hammer gripped tightly in his hand.
The beast looked up and snarled at the approaching young cleric. But before it could do anything, another swarm of magic missiles swooped through the air and struck deeply.
"Get away from her!!" Brian snarled angrily and struck the beast with his war-hammer.
The swing managed to throw the beast off a few paces away, but inflicted no wound. Brian swings his war-hammer again. The weapon struck but was deflected off from the beast body. Brian looked at his weapon in horror. His weapon has no effect! This must be one of those beasts that can only be hurt by magical weapon.
The beast howled in triumph and took a menacing step forward. Brian stepped back with his back facing Sarelle as he wrack his mind to figure out a way to defeat the beast. Near them, he heard Nick's voice rising in spellcasting and then, there was a flash of magical light. The beast turned at the same moment and dodged the oncoming Icelance. At the same time, the beast opened its maw wide and spat out a stream of fire. Brian turned just in time to see the fire being deflected off Nick by the globe of invulnerability.
But the distraction was just the thing Brian needed. The beast may be immune to normal weapons. But is it vulnerable to his Spiritual Hammer?
Brian set off to intone the prayer-spell necessary to conjure a Spiritual Hammer. Perhaps it was the feel of the weaving of Holy Magic or perhaps it was something else. Somehow, the hellhound, creature from the most foul and unholy depth of the Abyss, immediately turn back to face Brian and snarled viciously. It hurled itself towards the young man; claws stretched out and fanged jaws stretched wide open. But Brian completed his spell first and narrowed his eyes towards the oncoming beast in concentration. There was a flash of blue light and suddenly a glowing hammer shot out from the thin air before Brian and struck the beast, sending it flying back a couple of feet away, howling in pain.
At the same time, they heard Andy's voice rises as he cast another spell. The spell was aimed at the other beast but the beast Brian and Nick were battling was unfortunate to land in between the young mage and his target. Soon both creatures were sent flying away several yards away by Andy's Windblast spell.
"How is she?" asked Nick.
Brian knelt before the unconscious and paralyzed priestess.
"I can dispel the paralyzation and heal her wounds. But I need time." Brian replied.
"Time is a thing we do not have right now," said Galadriel sharply as she pointed at the group of Zhentarim warriors streaming out of the trees towards them.
Andy looked at the approaching warriors and the hellhounds sharply.
"Nick! Take Brian and Sarelle across the bridge. Make haste!" said Andy before applying himself into another spell-casting.
Nick rushed towards Brian and helped him carry the injured priestess across the crumbling bridge. As they crossed the bridge, Nick looked back and saw Andy unleashed a fireball at the approaching warriors. Galadriel stood beside him.
The hellhounds snarling approach forced the young mage to turn his attention from the approaching warriors. Galadriel snarled out her own curse and swiped her own blade at one of the beast. The beast was finally destroyed when Andy uttered a spell harshly and hurled five magic missiles at it. But the other beast jumped over the two and makes its way across the bridge.
"Nick! Brian! Look out!" Galadriel shouted as she chased the creature across the bridge, Andy not far behind her.
Brian lie Sarelle on the ground as Nick straightened himself to face the beast.
'Magius Stryke!!'
Five magic missiles leaped out from his outstretched hand and struck the beast mercilessly. At the same time, Brian rushed forward and concentrated on his Spiritual Hammer. The ghostly hammer flew through the air and struck again and again. The beast snarled but kept racing forward, dodging Galadriel's swinging blade as it did. At the head of the bridge, Andy uttered something harshly and stretched out his hand. Two missiles of forces shrieked through the air and slammed onto the beast, causing it to howled in pain... right before Brian's spiritual hammer struck and send it off the bridge. The creature howled angrily as it fell into the pit. It faded away as darkness engulfed it and Nick shuddered as he realized that he didn't hear the beast reaches the bottom when its howl fades.
But the battle is far from over. At the gate, stream of warriors spilled out onto the bridge. Andy turned swiftly around and intoned a spell. Arrows sailed towards him but it bounced away as it hits the young mage's stone-hard skin. Galadriel halted in mid-running and dodged away from the oncoming arrows before forcing herself to back away out of bow range. Instead of coming closer, the elf took out her own bow, nocked it and fire. Her aim hits true, sending a Zhentarim warrior careening off into the pit.
Andy completed his Death Spell and spread his arm into an arc. Tendrils of dark fog spread across through the air towards the warriors. Whenever the tendrils touch someone, the person eyes glazed over and fell to the ground like an empty husk - dead. Nick looked in amazement at the display of the workings of heavy magic. The necromantic spell took out about a dozen of the warriors and those that survived scrambled back in fear.
'Small wonder,' Nick thought quietly, 'A person who got hit by a Death Spell is dead forever. Not even a priest's Resurrection Spell could bring that person back.'
Andy was casting another spell. He passed his arms in an arc and then pointed at the direction of the gate. A blast of swirling ice crystals sprung from his hands. The frigid air forms a cone and then fanned out towards the gathered warriors. More yells arise and more warriors fell into the pit.
Soon the warriors are running towards the gate. Andy stepped forward toward the gate and then stopped when a creature floated into view. It is spherical and surrounded by numerous eyestalks, all of which are glaring at Andy as with the baleful central eyes in the middle. Brian recognizes the creature, as did Nick and Galadriel. It's the beholder from the Friendly Arm Inn!
Andy took a step back and held his staff protectively before him. The Staff of Tempus blazed with blue-white light, brighter than any Nick has seen before.
"Get away from me, creature, or I shall destroy you," said Andy coldly. Nick shuddered at the coldness of his lover's voice. Again he bore witness at the awesome strength of power that radiates from Andy. No mage could hold such power!
The beholder smiled, revealing the rows of needle-sharp teeth lining in its mouth.
"So, you're the Chosen of Tempus," the beholder rumbled amusingly. "A demonstration of your power perhaps?"
One of the eyestalks stretched forward and spat out a lightning bold. Andy simply batted the lightning bolt aside with his staff. Another eyestalk stretched out and spat out another lightning bolt but it too was batted aside. Soon, all the eyestalks are stretched out towards Andy, each lashing out one magical blast after another - lightning bolts, paralyzing rays, petrification rays, disintegrating rays, death rays, fire blast, energy beams, fireballs - but Andy simply swat it all aside with his staff. Fireballs exploded all around him but his globe of invulnerability protected him. The death rays and disintegrating rays were simply absorbed into his staff.
Then, amidst the chaos, Andy raised his voice and intoned a spell. The air wavered around him slightly as he completed his spell. The beholder, now angry in the face of the mocking gaze of the young mage, drew all of its eyestalk together and fired all of its rays at the same time. The rays swirled around Andy for an instant before turning back and shot back the creature. All of the beholder's eyes widened in shock and it screamed as the first of his own lightning bolt struck him. He hastily raised his own anti-magic field around him and it was this act that saved him from the rest of his own deadly rays.
"I have destroyed many of your kinds before, creature. You will not be the last!" Andy sneered as he wove another spell. "You anti-magic field protect you from magic. Does it protect you from this?"
Andy aimed his lightning bolt at the stone arch above the gate. The bolt struck and blocks of stone thundered down. The beholder cried shrilly as it raised a wall of force above him desperately to protect himself from the falling rock.
"I wonder if you can hold that wall while maintaining the anti-magic field?" said Andy as he wove another spell. The beholder screamed as a wave of magic missile struck him. It hastily re-create the anti-magic field around him and in doing so, he has to draw some of the power that is maintaining the wall of force that keeps the rocks from burying him. The wall weakened and several blocks of rocks began to fall around him.
"Halaccan!!!" the beholder roared.
A shadow crossed Nick's view, causing him to look up. Up in the air, a wyvern swooped down from the sky, bearing a figure wearing a mage's robe on its back. The mage's hands moved in the gesture of spell-casting.
"Andy! Look out!" Nick cried just as Galadriel aimed and released her arrow at the mage.
Andy looked up in surprise at the approaching mage. His globe of invulnerability and his barrier of Spell Turning are still intact; protecting him from any spells the mage might hurls at him. But the flying mage is not aiming at him.
Galadriel's arrow struck an invisible barrier around the mage. Halaccan completed his spell and hurled a lightning bolt aimed at the stone bridge where Andy is standing. The lightning bolt struck and bridge shook, cracked and began to crumble apart. Andy was thrown off his feet.
"Andy!!" Nick cried out and began to rush toward the crumbling bridge.
"No!" Brian caught him and dragged him back. "It's too dangerous!"
"I don't care! I have to save him!!" Nick shouted back.
But the situation is beyond their control now. Lortan, the beholder moved quickly from underneath the gate and floated onto the bridge. The rocks crashed where he last floated as he released the wall of force. Andy was trying to get up to his feet up the bridge shook so badly that it was all he could do to keep himself from falling off into the pit. He looked up when Lortan approached him. The beholder used its central eyes to dispel all the barriers surrounding the young mage. Then he used his paralyzing rays to render the young mage immobilized.
"What a pity Sememmon wants you alive," Lortan hissed as he remembered how Andy nearly defeated him. "But I will have my revenge yet!"
"Andy!!!" Nick shouted hoarsely from the other side. The bridge is falling apart. The other end has already fallen into the pit and even now, the part where Andy lay is cracking apart.
The beholder concentrated on changing his shape. Then the creature blurred and shifted before Nick's eyes and finally ended up wearing the form of some twisted beast with wings and scaly skin. It stretched his clawed hands and picked up the paralyzed form of Andy.
The bridge finally collapse and the beast floated up in the air, wings beating slowly. It fixes a glare at Nick and the rest.
"He'll be at the Citadel of the Ravens," the creature hissed. "Come and get him, if you dare!"
With that, the creature flew off. As it flew off, Andy, trying his hardest to fight off the paralyzing spell placed on him, turned slowly to fixed a final look at his love. Nick was screaming his name from below, tears spilling of his cheek.
He is aware of what is happening. The beholder mentioned the name Sememmon. Andy knew that name. He also knew another name that is related to that evil archmage - the enchantress Elaendra, current ruler of the Citadel of the Raven. He knows what is waiting for him there. It must not happen!!
As they flew off, Andy continues to look at Nick. He has little time! Summoning all of his strength, he called upon Tempus and willed the power of Tempus into Nick. Inside, he cried at what he is doing. To some, having such power would be a blessing. Eventually, they would find out it is a curse! Nick has to bear this. There is no other way.
He willed half of Tempus' gift to Nick, and left the other half within him. Tempus is a God of Battle. His power is divided into two halves. One half is dark and chaotic. This represented in life as the blood, fire, ashes and the carnage of war. The other half is light. This is represented as a warrior's might, courage and honor. Such is the nature of War.
Andy gave Nick the latter half and retain within himself, the dark half. As they flew off, tears began to trickle off his eyes and slid down his cheek. The Zhentarim will have his power but not his full power. He knows what Sememmon and Elaendra are going to do to him. He fears for the days ahead. He fears for Nick.
He watched Nick crying out his name for the last time before they disappear from view. He could stifle his sobs but he cannot stop his tears from trickling down his cheek. Inside, he is screaming.
'I love you, Nick,' he thought tearfully in his mind. 'Take care of yourself'.