Derek's Quest (standard:fantasy, 765 words)
Author: lowelldam	Added: Nov 29 2003	Views/Reads: 3415/4	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Derek The Paladin is searching for answers.

Derek dismounts from his steed to view the tracks he has spotted below. 
He has been on the trail of Corthulis The Grey for three days now.  He 
is closing slowly but he is sure that he will catch the elf soon.  The 
tracks are extremely fresh, maybe just a day old.  Derek looks ahead in 
the distance trying to spot his adversary.  He pulls out his waterskin 
and takes a quick drink, then offers his horse a drink from his cupped 
hands.  He mounts his horse and heads forward, following the tracks 
that Corthulis has left for him. 

The night has slowly crept up on Derek and he decides to set up camp for
the evening.  He hops smoothly from his horse and ties him to the 
nearest tree.  He slips the feedback off from the side of his saddle 
and places it around his horses neck.  He wants to start a fire to take 
the chill off from the cool evening air but decides against it.  He 
does not want to alert Corthulis to his approach.  Derek pulls his 
bedroll from his saddle and lays it across a soft patch of ground.  He 
then pulls himself a bit of jerky from his bag and takes another drink 
from his skin.  He will need to fill it in the morning.  He lays on his 
bedroll and slowly drifts off into a restless sleep. 

Derek and his brother Evaus and standing together with there swords
drawn.  Corthulis is in front of them.  The elf is mumbling something 
that neither of them can understand.  There is a sudden burst.  Xaquel, 
a deamon from somewhere deep in the nine hells is now standing next to 
Corthulis.  They begin laughing at the two brothers.  They raise there 
hands in unison.  Evaus charges, striking Xaquel on the side of the 
head.  The sword drives deep into the skull.  Xaquel screams in 
apperent pain then reaches out and grasps the sword from Evaus.  His 
laughter becomes deafening.  Evaus' sword is ripped from his hands and 
is turned against him.  Xaquel strikes him three times.  Corthulis 
pulls his sword and also strikes Evaus. 

Derek stands there stunned as his brother rushes the two.  He watches as
Evaus strikes a blow that should have killed the deamon.  He watches as 
Evaus is struck in the leg with his own sword.  He watches as the blunt 
edge of the sword strikes the side of his head.  The sound of that blow 
breaks him free from whatever held him there.  He charges as the elf 
strikes his brother.  He sees the blood from the wounds on his brother 
and drifts away.  His sword does the work for him, he is in his battle 
frenzy.  His sword strikes blow after blow on Xaquel.  The deamon 
drops.  Derek turns his focus on the elf.  His sword finds the meaty 
part of Corthulis' left leg, leaving it a bloody mess.  There is a 
bright clap of lightning.  Derek feels the blow that strikes the side 
of his helmet.  He looks around dazed trying to see what hit him.  He 
heres the rumble of thunder coming from behind him.  He falls to the 
ground as the thunder becomes closer.  Xaquel dissappears.  Corthulis 
swings his sword once more and strikes Derek on the other side of his 
head.  Derek lay on the ground as the thunder surrounded him.  He 
watched as Corthulis drifted into the Grey Woods and out of sight.  He 
looked over at his brother lying just a few feet from him.  He saw the 
blood flowing freely from the side of his brothers head.  He sees the 
beasts surronding him as he drifts off into the darkness. 

Derek awakens from his dream expecting to see his brother lying dead
beside him.  He is not there, just like he was not there when he 
awakened from there battle.  The people of Moran had taken them both 
back to there small keep just outside of the Grey Woods.  They had 
saved Derek, but they knew nothing of Evaus.  He had not been there 
when they had arrived.  Derek had many questions to ask them but knew 
that he had to hurry, Corthulis was getting farther and farther away.  
He had to get back to the battlefield and find the trail that Corthulis 
had left.  Derek stands and looks around into the darkness, trying to 
spot any sign of Corthulis in the distance.  He walked over to his 
horse and sat by the tree he tied the horse to.  There would be no more 
sleep for him this night.


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