{"id":174,"date":"2019-04-06T11:59:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-06T11:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/141.148.246.190\/index.php\/single-post\/the-giants-gamble-pt-12\/"},"modified":"2022-04-22T12:46:44","modified_gmt":"2022-04-22T12:46:44","slug":"the-giants-gamble-pt-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/index.php\/2019\/04\/06\/the-giants-gamble-pt-12\/","title":{"rendered":"The Giant’s Gamble Pt. 12"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Chapter 12: Carnivorous Squirrels<\/span><\/h3>\n
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They escaped Yartar through the main gates, a half-dozen guards behind them. Thia threw a fog cloud behind them as they ran and they quickly made it to the treeline and out of harm\u2019s way. Roon had left his Tressym, Beatrice, back at their inn, but he doubted they would be returning that way anytime soon. He hoped someone found the winged cat and took care of it for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWe need,\u201d Thia breathed hard, holding a stitch in her side as they slowed to a walk, Roon barely keeping up on his short legs, \u201cto get to Triboar and speak to Darathra.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cAnd tell her what?\u201d Kilian asked, coughing and shedding his overlarge coat.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cExplain to her what happened. We\u2019re the heroes of Triboar. She\u2019ll believe us, and maybe she can speak on our behalf to the town of Yartar.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cIt couldn\u2019t hurt,\u201d Roon said. He didn\u2019t like the idea of being banned from a town or being suddenly arrested for the murder of guards who were wholly guilty of their own crimes.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThey don\u2019t know it was us,\u201d Bran pointed out. \u201cWe all wore disguises.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cStill,\u201d Thia said, \u201cthey could make the connection.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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They continued for another few hours through the dark before finally making camp in a group of trees far from the road and slept soundly until morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

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They passed through surrounding hills in the early light, the heat already starting to pull layers of clothing from their backs. The hills were pastoral and untouched for miles until they came across a group of shepherds watching their small flock of sheep. The men warned their group of hill giants in the area. They thanked them and continued until they skirted the edge of Triboar, then cautiously entered the town and went to the leaning tower, the place where they hoped the Lord Protector would be.<\/span><\/p>\n

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They found Darathra sitting at her desk in lamplight, combing over a set of ledgers carefully and sipping on a steaming cup of tea. Her eyes were bright and she looked more rested than last they saw her.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cDarathra,\u201d Thia said, striding ahead of the rest, \u201chow are you? How is the town?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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She stood to greet them with a smile. \u201cIt\u2019s making its way toward repair,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat are you all doing back here?\u201d She gave Bran a strange look, having never met him before.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Thia quickly explained their meeting with Harthall, who was wrongly convicted of a crime by a Captain Brenner of Yartar. She told Darathra about the guards shaking money from criminals, and their quick bout against the guards and their subsequent escape from the city. When she finished, Darathra looked thoughtful.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t know this Captain Brenner\u2026\u201d she said finally.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s okay, because we killed him,\u201d Evelyn chimed in helpfully, and Kilian cast the girl a quick warning look.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cBut,\u201d Darathra continued, unhindered, \u201cI can send a message to my connections in Yartar and see about getting a fair trial for this Harthall Zimmorvan. Furthermore, I\u2019d suggest you avoid the city for a while, until this mess is sorted. That\u2019s all I can give you for now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThank you,\u201d Roon said gratefully. \u201cWe should also warn you that there may be hill giants in the area. We ran across a few shepherds who claim to have seen some.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI\u2019ll keep your warning under consideration,\u201d the Lord Protector said, and she sat again, shuffling her papers.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Before leaving, Roon asked, \u201cone last thing, if you don\u2019t mind.\u201d Thia rolled her eyes, expecting the worst. \u201cHave you heard of a dragon in Crypt Garden?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cCrypt Garden?\u201d She looked up as if searching her brain, \u201cthere is a child\u2019s tale told about the dragon who snatches misbehaving children. That\u2019s about all I know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cDoes it have a name?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m sure it does, but none that I can recall. It\u2019s no more than a bedtime story, as far as I know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Roon thanked her, and they made to leave.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWe should stay here tonight,\u201d Kilian suggested as they stepped outside into the daylight. \u201cGet a proper night\u2019s rest before we travel to Crypt Garden.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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They all agreed, and with a wry smile, Thia excused herself from the group to partake in the entertainment of the brothel. The rest went to the Talking Troll<\/em> for a midday meal.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThia\u2019s a bit of an\u2026\u201d Bran started to say, at a loss for words.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cEnigma?\u201d Roon asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cSure,\u201d the half-elf shrugged as they entered the tavern.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI say we try the powdered unicorn horn,\u201d Roon said as they sat and ordered their food, dodging past the hole in the ceiling where bird droppings were a constant worry.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Kilian looked skeptical. \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s the best idea\u2026\u201d the sailor said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI thought it wasn\u2019t actually unicorn horn,\u201d Opal said, folding her arms.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s not,\u201d Kilian told them. \u201cWe don\u2019t know what<\/em> it is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cLook, we can\u2019t know if it\u2019s going to work on an enemy if we don\u2019t try a bit of it ourselves. We need to know that it\u2019s legitimate. Besides, if it was poison, Beatrice would have noticed when we first got it. Tressym\u2019s are sensitive to poison.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI\u2019ll lick it,\u201d Evelyn shrugged, and Roon handed her the large bag of grayish powder.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cTry just a little bit,\u201d Roon suggested, unsure of what it would do to her.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Kilian leaned back, opting to avoid the argument. \u201cYou\u2019re a very bad influence.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Opal took some next, and Roon tried a very small dab on his tongue. It took only a few minutes for the substance to take effect on Evelyn and Opal. Their gazes turned dreamy and distant. Opal crawled onto the floor and began stroking the dirt smeared boards. \u201cThe earth,\u201d the genasi said slowly, \u201cis a part of us. All of us. Taste the dirt…\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Before Roon or Kilian could intervene, she had licked the floor. \u201cEw,\u201d Bran said dispassionately.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cAlright, I think we\u2019ve seen it works,\u201d Roon said quickly, and with a flourish of his hands, he cast a restoration spell over them and the effect wore off immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Opal awkwardly extricated herself from the floor, looking confused.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI would drink this,\u201d Kilian said with a grimace, pushing a cup of water toward her.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Opal drank it gratefully, clearly noting the taste of dirt in her mouth. \u201cOkay,\u201d Roon said, \u201cso it works.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cNot on gnomes, evidently,\u201d Bran added.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Roon grinned and tucked the bag away, eyes widening in excitement as their meal was brought to them on a steaming plate. He dug in.<\/span><\/p>\n

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They spent the evening in the Northshield House, a comfortable inn owned by Urgola, the woman who\u2019d fought the fire giants with them and told Evelyn about the giantslayer sword. Inside the main room was a large, crackling fireplace with three hunting dogs sleeping in furs before it. Evelyn went to tell Urgola about their finding of the sword while the rest of them eventually went upstairs to bed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In the morning, Roon sent a message to Thia telling her to meet them south of the city and got a one-word response of \u201cokay.\u201d They set out an hour later and began their journey southwards to Crypt Garden.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Their second day on the road led them past three hill giants, seen by Thia\u2019s fey owl well in time and allowing them to sneak up on the three overlarge creatures and dispatch of them quickly. Again they found a strange assortment of objects on the giant\u2019s bodies, including a giant pipe that Roon happily kept, though he had never smoked before, and a rocking horse that Opal was amazed by, but they told her it was too large to take with them. Thia even found a tombstone, the engraved name too worn to make out. They left that, and various other junk, behind. Thia told them that hill giants were known to be the least intelligent of the giants, and Roon had to agree, based on how quickly they defeated them. He almost felt guilty, except that the giants were also known to destroy farmland and wreak havoc on livestock, as testified by the shepherds they\u2019d encountered two days ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

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They continued down the road until they came across the very small, quaint hamlet of Westbridge and found their place at an inn, the only establishment in the tight grouping of buildings.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The interior of the inn was well lit despite the darkening sky outside, and the walls were decorated with many sized statues of men, women, orcs, goblins, elves and more, all posing and completely nude. Roon picked up a small statue of a naked gnome woman curiously, holding it up to Kilian with raised eyebrows. Kilian gave him a look that said, don\u2019t break anything<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cAh, hello travellers! Welcome, welcome to the Harvest Inn!\u201d A small halfling man with curly hair trotted up to them and gestured for them to follow. He took them through the maze of statues into a separate room, where he stood at a halfling-sized desk, which Roon gratefully leaned on, finally feeling a normal size. \u201cHow can I help you this evening?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cTwo rooms, please,\u201d Roon said with a smile, gesturing to the group of them. \u201cMind if I ask your name, and perhaps we could also ask for some directions?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cHarivin Dardron, at your service,\u201d the halfling bowed. \u201cWhat are you looking for?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cA dragon,\u201d Thia said without pause. \u201cWe\u2019re headed to Crypt Garden. We were told we might find one there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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The halfling gave them an interested look, but Roon could tell he held back a smile. \u201cAye, well that\u2019d be old Gnawbone you\u2019re looking for.\u201d He held up a finger dramatically, \u201cthe great green dragon of Crypt Garden.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cGnawbone?\u201d Roon asked curiously. \u201cThat\u2019s an odd name. Could you tell us about him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cOh, yes,\u201d Harivin\u2019s eyes went wide. \u201cTis\u2019 a children\u2019s story told to keep the younglings in bed at night. Should a child not listen to his or her parents and not go to sleep, great Gnawbone will swoop down and carry them in his mouth, flying \u2018round the land for all to see the disobedient children.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s a tad dark for a children\u2019s story,\u201d Roon said. \u201cI don\u2019t think fear is a great way to raise kids.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cAnd you know a lot about raising kids, Roon?\u201d Thia asked in bemusement.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cAlright,\u201d he held up a hand, \u201cfair enough. What about an oracle?\u201d He asked Harivin. \u201cHeard anything about one of those in Crypt Garden?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c\u2019Fraid I haven\u2019t, no,\u201d the halfling shook his head.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWell, thanks anyways, good sir,\u201d Roon smiled and Harivin proffered the keys to their room.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cIt is just a story, you know,\u201d Harivin added.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cRight,\u201d Roon smiled. \u201cA story.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Evelyn gave Roon a pile of tarp and some rope and wood and asked if the gnome would construct a large kite for her. When he asked what she needed it for, she shrugged. He took the components and spent the evening in the room with Bran and Kilian. Kilian helped him put together the pieces while Bran watched, cleaning his nails with a dagger.<\/span><\/p>\n

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When he thought they\u2019d put together something that looked like it might fly, Kilian tossed it out the second-floor window, the rope tied securely to one of the bed posts, then shot a gust of wind into it. The kite billowed out like a sail and floated there. Kilian let the spell drop, and Roon reeled the kite inside. He went to the women\u2019s room and knocked on the door, handing the kite over to Evelyn. She thanked him quickly and the door clicked shut.<\/span><\/p>\n

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By morning, they were all anxious to get back on the road, so they bid farewell to Harivin Dardron and took the road that curved west toward the forest.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t like this,\u201d Opal whispered. \u201cNot at all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cShh,\u201d Kilian warned.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The forest was dark despite the early hour, and the trees were growing denser as they crept deeper. The animals watched them with unblinking eyes. They could hear the constant sound of wings fluttering down into the trees and of tiny feet skittering through the brush to follow them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cCan you speak to them?\u201d Roon asked quietly. \u201cSee what they want?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is giving me the creeps,\u201d Thia said as a squirrel bounced past and climbed a tree, staring down at them from its branch.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Opal motioned for them to stop as she bent and put her hand to the ground and closed her eyes, and a shimmering green light cascaded over her and then disappeared. When she opened her eyes, she looked up at the squirrel in the tree and began chattering in a strange voice. The squirrel watched her, then ran down the tree and went to stand in front of her. It blinked and tilted its head. Its movements were unnatural, too intelligent for the rodent. It chattered back, slowly, deliberately. Opal stared, mouth slightly open. The druid girl spoke to the squirrel for some time, and Roon could feel the other animals in the forest pressing in around them, but when he turned, he saw nothing. He felt a chill run down his spine and from somewhere a crow cawed and branches snapped.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Opal stood, looking terrified, and the squirrel continued to watch them. Evelyn drew her sunblade, the curved rapier, and pointed it at the squirrel.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Kilian asked the genasi.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cUm,\u201d she looked at all of them, \u201cthe animals all work for the dragon. It\u2019s name is, uh\u2026 Clowgilmiamatar,\u201d she struggled through the long name. \u201cThe squirrel said it, uh, it wants to eat us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Another crow landed on a branch near them and cawed loudly, staring at Opal with beady black eyes. Opal jumped back, frightened. \u201cThey keep saying they\u2019re watching us,\u201d she trembled, and a moth fluttered past her head deliberately and she stepped aside. \u201cThey think we look tasty.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWell, this is sufficiently disturbing,\u201d Roon said. \u201cI think I should send a message to Zephy\u2014\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWhat was that?!\u201d Thia said suddenly, pointing behind Opal.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Roon saw a flash of green, but it disappeared.<\/span><\/p>\n

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There was a cracking sound like splitting wood, and a figure moved through the trees, not toward them, but around them, watching.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s a tree person of some kind,\u201d Bran said, watching it move, a finger already over his crossbow.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cMaybe it wants to help,\u201d Opal whispered.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cH-hello?\u201d Thia called to it, and the figure stopped, then stepped into<\/em> a tree and disappeared.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Roon heard Kilian swallow nervously.<\/span><\/p>\n

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They heard breaking branches again. It came from a tree next to Opal. She jumped back and said softly, \u201cthey just spoke.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWhat\u2019d they say?\u201d Kilian prodded.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cUh, they said \u2018don\u2019t mind the animals, they\u2019re not themselves\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWell, I mind them,\u201d Roon said, pressing closer to his companions. \u201cI certainly mind them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThey\u2019re behind you!\u201d Kilian said quickly, grabbing Opal by the shoulders and pulling her back as the tree person appeared from within a tree and tilted a head at them. The cracking wood sound came from their mouth. It was dark, so their momentary stillness made them easily blend in with the forest.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThey said the animals serve the green one,\u201d Opal translated, and the tree person again stepped into a tree and vanished.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Roon cast his detection spell and felt a shimmer of magical aura all around them. It pressed in. \u201cWe wish to see your master,\u201d Roon said, stepping forward and feigning bravery as best he could, pulling out two large gems from their bag of holding and proffering them to the many animals. \u201cDragons like treasure, right? Well, we\u2019re here to offer some to Gnawbone, in exchange for information.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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He saw a herd of deer in the corner of his eye, but when he turned, they were gone. The birds took flight immediately and the squirrels disappeared in the underbrush.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s it,\u201d Roon whispered to his companions, \u201cI\u2019m speaking to Zephyros. He sent us here, he must know what to do.\u201d With that, the gnome sent his message to the cloud giant, and got a speedy response.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The cloud giant\u2019s voice sounded confused and airy. \u201cOh, did I send you to Crypt Garden? Hm, I forgot I did that. I don\u2019t trust dragons. No\u2026 Well, try not to die!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Roon stared ahead, momentarily dumbstruck. \u201cWell?\u201d Kilian said, shaking him, \u201cdid he respond?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWe\u2019re getting out of here,\u201d Roon said, voice cracking. \u201cNOW.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d Thia asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Roon shook his head, backing away, unable to spot any animals around them. \u201cIt sounds like he didn\u2019t mean to send us here. This is bad news. Very, very bad.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWe came all this way,\u201d Thia hissed. \u201cWe can\u2019t turn back now. We have nowhere else to go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWe\u2019ll figure something out,\u201d Roon said, eyes shifting to his companions, who all looked confused. \u201cCome on, we can find another way to stop the giants. We don\u2019t even know if this is a good lead. Please,\u201d he looked at Kilian pleadingly, but the sorcerer shook his head.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWe have to push on,\u201d Kilian said. \u201cThia\u2019s right. There\u2019s nowhere else to\u2014\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Suddenly, there was a noise behind Roon and he turned quickly as they all jumped back, drawing their weapons. Clacking. It came from all around them. Roon held up his hands, ready to throw a spell at whatever came at them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cSpiders,\u201d Bran said quickly, and they all saw he was right.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Out of the dense, dark forest crawled half a dozen massive spiders with shiny bodies and thick, hairy legs.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cToo late,\u201d Roon squeaked, and released a blast of white fire.<\/span><\/p>\n

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They all jumped into action as the spiders closed in, shooting wet globs of webbing at them and coating the surrounding trees in the sticky goo. Opal transformed into a sabretooth and went leaping after one. Thia turned and sent a massive, earthen hand shooting from the ground to grasp one of the arachnids. Bran jumped between trees out of the spider\u2019s range shooting crossbow after crossbow. Kilian got webbing across his legs but still managed to shoot spells at the spiders facing him. Roon threw his hands up and cast spiritual guardians over himself, and a thick, magical aura raised up and turned into tiny, flitting playing cards which sliced through the air and lashed out at any spiders who tried to get near him. Evelyn wielded her sunblade scimitar in one hand and her giantslayer longsword in the other. Roon turned and saw Bran shoot down another spider, but they were still coming through the trees. Roon could hear the chattering of animals as though cheering for the dark creatures. He sent his spiritual middle finger flying through the air to slam into a spider, crushing it, and behind it, the spider in Thia\u2019s earthen grasp exploded. He turned again and saw the sabretooth tiger had been bit and was limping back. Poisoned,<\/em> Roon thought, trying to maneuver back toward her.<\/span><\/p>\n

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As they killed another spider, and another, Roon could see the herd was thinning. Only a few remained. He grinned as he jumped back and managed to get a grasp of Opal\u2019s fur and send a healing spell through her.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Just then, he saw a spider at least twice the size of the others slunk out of the woods. It moved slowly, deliberately, clacking its pincers menacingly. The other spiders seemed to bow before it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Evelyn didn\u2019t even pause. She raised her blades, screamed in bloodlust, and charged the spider queen. Thia flicked her wrist and her giant spelled hand sprung up and grabbed a hold of two of its legs. The spider screeched and tried to pull away and Roon moved his spiritual weapon to hover over it just as Thia shot an invisible spell into the spider\u2019s mind and made it scream horribly. Kilian finally broke his legs out of the webbing wrapped around his feet and shot a bolt of fire directly into the spider queen\u2019s chest as it reared in agony. The fire exploded over its massive, hairy body and consumed it. The body shuddered and the two legs ripped free as it fell with finality.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Roon barely breathed his sigh of relief before, from within the trees, they all turned at the sight of a gargantuan, green-scaled dragon head with blood dripping from its yellowing, toothy maw.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/main><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 12 of the adventures of a strange party of people as their journey takes them across Faerun, following the story from Dungeons & Dragons, the Storm King’s Thunder.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":754,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[18,19,17,14,15,16,23,20],"series":[],"class_list":["post-174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-giants-gamble-dungeons-and-dragons-series","tag-campaign","tag-cult-of-the-dragon","tag-dnd","tag-dungeons-and-dragons","tag-fantasy","tag-series","tag-the-giants-gamble","tag-wizards-of-the-coast"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Giants-Gamble-Blog-Photos10-copy-2.png","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"amazon":{"key":"amazon","url":"https:\/\/music.amazon.ca\/podcasts\/09c34bbc-b359-49af-a286-31830ed5634c\/short-stories","label":"Amazon","class":"amazon","icon":"amazon.png"},"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/short-stories\/id1621456328","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_play":{"key":"google_play","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/feed\/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbGV4aXN2ZWVuZW5kYWFsLmNvbS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qvc2hvcnQtc3Rvcmllcw","label":"Google Play","class":"google_play","icon":"google-play.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/feed\/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbGV4aXN2ZWVuZW5kYWFsLmNvbS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qvc2hvcnQtc3Rvcmllcw","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0lcQCRs52MfYlKs35lVX4K","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"itunes":{"key":"itunes","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/short-stories\/id1621456328","label":"iTunes","class":"itunes","icon":"itunes.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/feed\/podcast\/default-podcast","embedCode":"

The Giant’s Gamble Pt. 12<\/a><\/blockquote>