Squinting her emerald green eyes, Ember could see five draconians
sitting around a fire pit in the middle of the camp. There were
two large tents at the far end of the camp. One looked like a mess
tent, the other sleeping quarters. She could not see if any of the
creatures were in the tents.
Satisfied with her findings and anxious to report back, Ember wriggled
out of the underbrush, careful not to snag her cream colored tunic or
the fringe of her deerskin leggings on the thorny bush. She hurried
back to the others, shifting her load of pouches beneath her green
cape as she ran.
When Ember returned to her companions, the elven twins Hera and
Thya were discussing strategy. Thya, a mage, was deciding was
enchantments to use. Her clerical twin was praying for clarity
of thought during the upcoming battle.
Flint sharpened his battle ax. "So, what did you find out,
little thief?" he asked.
Ember's face turned crimson. "I am not a little thief," she
quipped, fingering the tip of her waist-length ginger-colored
topknot. She opened her mouth to protest further, but she felt
a hand on her shoulder.
Ember came face-to-waist with Soss Dragonslayer. The human knelt
down, handing the kender her hoopak. "I think what Flint means is
do you have anything to report," he said quietly. The kender's face
brightened, and Soss hid a smile. He had a soft spot for kender,
especially this spunky one.
"Well, since you put it *that* way," Ember chattered. She quickly
related to Soss what to expect. The big human related this information
to the elves, who confirmed their strategy.
The companions moved to the edge of the ridge. If the draconians heard
them, they gave no indication, or they did not care.
Thya and Hera found a good spot from which they could weave their spells.
Flint and Soss moved into position to run down the hill after Thya cast her
first spell. Soss motioned to Ember to hide in some of the thorny underbrush.
"Stay here, don't get into the middle of the fight. I don't want another
incident like we had at that tower a month back."
Ember began to protest, but then she bit her lip and nodded. She
crawled into the brush and waited.
Thya started chanting, and soon lightning bolts erupted from her
finger tips, shooting down the hill and striking the two tents.
The canvas quickly caught fire, and reptilian screams erupted.
The five draconians turned to the ridge and spotted the mage and
the cleric. They hissed and advanced towards the elves. Soss and
Flint crashed down the hill.
Soss felled two of the draconians with one slash of his two-handed
sword, withdrawing the sword before it could get caught in the stony
figures the draconians became when they died. Flint cleaved off a
third draconian's head. Dwarf and human brawled with the remaining
two draconians.
>From her hiding place, Ember watched the two warriors fight and pouted.
They were having all the fun. How am I supposed to gain any battle
experience if Soss kept sending me to hide in the bushes?
Soss killed the draconian he was fighting when suddenly two more dropped
down from the sky, landing on him. He lost his footing and rolled down
the hill, leaving Flint alone.
Flint quickly dispatched the remaining draconian, but he had not managed
to pull his weapon from the draconian's body before it turned to stone.
Swearing, the dwarf tugged on his battle ax. He did not notice a draconian
sneaking up behind him.
But Ember saw it. The creature raised its sword, intending to strike the
dwarf dead. She tried to scream to Flint, but there was too much din going
on around him and he could not hear the kender. Soss was too far away, and
the elven twins were battling two draconians of their own.
It's up to me, Ember said silently. She drew a medallion out from underneath
her cape. With her finger, she traced the picture of the platinum dragon on
the medallion. "Please, Fizban, please grant me this spell."
Ember closed her eyes, concentrating deeply. She visualized the spell,
opening her mind to Fizban, asking him again for his guidance. A scarlet
flame formed in the palm of her small hand.
In one motion, Ember stood up, opened her eyes, took aim at the draconian,
and threw the fiery missile.
Flint turned around just in time to see the flame strike the draconian's head.
The reptile dropped his sword, but it did not catch fire.
However, Flint's beard caught fire.
"REORX!!!!!!!" the dwarf swore. He dropped his ax and began trying to put
himself out.
Ember's eyes widened in horror. "Oops....sorry Flint," she whispered,
extinguishing the flame in her palm. She saw the draconian pick up its sword
and move a step towards Flint.
"No!!" the kender screamed. She waved her hoopak over her head, creating a
hair-raising whirring sound with the kender weapon. The draconian looked up and,
leaving the dwarf rolling in the dust, advanced up the hill towards Ember.
Perfect, just what I want you to do, she thought. She drew a silver dagger
from inside her knee-high boots and threw it at the draconian, striking it
in the chest. The creature gasped but kept advancing. It fell upon the kender,
clawing her shoulders.
Ember kicked the draconian, but it was too heavy for her. She was pinned.
She grasped the dagger from the creature's chest and plunged it in again, but
it just would not die.
Suddenly, the draconian stopped moving. It turned to stone, crushing her further.
She heard several grunts and swears as the corpse was rolled off her. Flint gave
the kender his hand and helped her to her feet.
"Thank you, Flint," Ember said solemnly. "I'm sorry," she added quickly, "I didn't
mean it. This isn't the first time this hap....."
Flint broke into a laugh. "You doorknob, if you wanted me to shave, why didn't you
just ask?"
Ember was speechless. "You mean, you aren't mad I set you on fire?"
Flint touched the remains of his singed beard. "Well, a dwarf's pride is his beard.
But if you hadn't thrown that fire missile of yours, that draconian might have done me in."
Ember smiled and reached into one of her pouches. She pulled out a
small jar with purple
oozing gel in it. "Here you go, Flint, my Uncle Tasslehoff's special burn ointment."
The dwarf scoffed at the salve which smelled like elderberries and dung and began arguing
with the kender about putting it on his blistering face.
A short distance away, Thya and Hera had watched the entire scene.
Hera shook her head
sadly. "A kender cleric of E'li, what has Krynn come to?"
Thya giggled. "You are too serious, dear sister. Still, at least now we know how Ember
got her name."
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