Escape from the dark. Einar's saga chapter eight.

When Einar regained consciousness he found himself lying on the floor in a filthy and very dark room. The unbearable pain on his head grew even worse when he remembered how his childhood friend Fafnir had died in the hands of that troll. He was in Valhalla now and he should be avenged.
There were muffled voices gossiping in the dark, but when Einar raised his head they silenced, and then he felt some eyes fixed on him.

There was his friend Rialto, thanks to Ymir, and next to him two miserable dwarfs with long beards and fire in their eyes, gazing at him fiercely. They quickly stood up and introduced themselves as Brythnot, chieftain of the Eroded Rock Clan, and his assistant Uri, a dwarf warrior. They told Einar they were the last survivors of a war party sent to recover Soul Reaver, his lost sword; but they were ambushed and captured by the Red Sun Dwarfs, and give them as a tribute to the lord of this dungeon, a powerful wizard who was also very interested in Einar's sword.

From the Dwarfs' tale Einar learnt that Soul Reaver is a very powerful tool that the Undead Lord wants it to unite the evil forces and make a total war crusade against the civilized nations. The sword was on his way when Einar's party intercepted and snatched it from those evil Dwarfs.

Thank to the all the gods that the master of the dungeon was out on a trip, but he was to return soon. Brythnot and Uri sworn in front of Einar to help him to retrieve Soul Reaver and keep it away from the Lord of the Undead. Rialto told them he can easily open the door of the cell and so they plot to escape that night, before it was too late.

After many hours of waiting, Einar, Rialto and the Dwarfs finally came out from their cell and went straight ahead, ignoring lateral doors without knowing exactly where they are and where was the exit.

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They hastily opened the door in front of them and bumped into one Black Orc and one Orc archer who were on sentry duty. With an animal shout Einar charged them and they dropped their weapons and routed in terror without even thinking of sounding off the alarm. Einar's group kept striding forward to the next door; behind it there was a narrow corridor with a hidden trap in it, but the expert eyes of the Dwarfs quickly detected and disarmed it.

Then they entered into a new chamber with some tombs and coffins, and boxes full of skulls; but without any living creature to be afraid of.

After that, they faced a new door in which Rialto had to use all his ability to open it. Once they trespassed it, they reached a great room panelled with shelves and shelves of rare books, and in the centre, an altar covered with black stains of victims' dry blood. They could also glimpse in a square on the floor their lost equipment, and Soul Reaver! But there was something else in the room...

Maybe the Lord was not at home, but he had left a guardian dog. From the dark shades of the front wall emerged a terrible monster. It was like an Ogre but with the body of a dragon. Uri muttered in fear its name, an Ogre Dragon. They were doomed.

Without uttering any sound, the terrible creature jumped onto Brythnot, swinging his brutal two handed axe towards him, but Brythnot reacted on time and evaded the hit by stepping aside. Rialto let slip a moan of pure terror, but Einar got over and charged the monster, with Brythnot and Uri who, jumping onto the altar, managed to hit the dragon's spine and stun it while the other distracted it. The creature fell back in surprise and then Einar delivered such a killing stroke upon it, that all its armour and hardiness could not stop it!

The group stood in silence around the agonizing monster, still not believing what they have done. When the creature finally breathed its last liter, they run for their things. Einar drop the rusty Orc scimitar and took up his sword again, whereas Rialto found many many interesting books, and among them, the one he was looking for. Brythnot discovered a magic axe of ancient Dwarf manufacture.

When they exit to the next room they realized it was the one where they had fallen in ambush. From there they could find the exit without further trouble and fade away in the dark of the night.

Well, Einar and his new group managed to escape from prison and with the sword, but still they have to avoid pursuit and capture. They run as fast as they can towards the Border Kingdoms.

Einar is now Rep 5 as he had to Cheat Death in his last encounter. His Hardiness has also fallen down to 3 due to his severe wound and conditions in prison. His Social Standing has also dropped to 8 as it was not very popular Fafnir's death, nor being captured by Orcs.
Brythnot raises his Rep from 5 up to 6 as well as his Hardiness to 2. He also found a magical weapon with a +1d6 in melee. Uri raised his Rep to 5. Both Dwarfs are stumpy, stubborn and has developed a hatred against Orcs (as if Fanatic all melee turns against Orcs).