Kalsis' Potion of Strength, Part IV by Robert Adam Morrison Kardan returns to his home village, leaving Neme to deal with his old girlfriend. Send Comments & Story Ideas to alphac@orc.ca Homepage: http://www.fortunecity.com/rivendell/perilith/478/index.html WARNING: Adult and erotic content. Kalsis' Potion of Strength, Part IV Hemral awoke in numbing pain. His world was dark, and the only thing he could feel was the excruciating pain that waved over his body. Hemral started to gain more and more awareness as time passed. He soon found that he was chained to a stone wall. The room he was in was dark and rank, with odd smells. His clothes and armour had been removed, and he was clad only in a loincloth. His hands were bound by shackles, no doubt bolted to the wall behind him. Hemral tried to remember what happened. He recalled traveling to the temple of Ferror, his goddess. That was it! he thought. He was flanked on the way by a force of imperial troopers. He remembered trying to hold off against the iron-armoured fighters, but being struck from behind. More memories awoke. He remembered a tall and strong man in black armour questioning him and beating him. Hemral also seemed to recall a scantly-clad raven-haired beauty. She cast spells over him, but he called upon his goddess to protect him. He remembered the pain. He remembered the hot irons. Hemral looked around, but the room was still dark. He could hear two guards conversing with one another down the hall, but could not make out the words. He was trapped. There was a coughing from across the room. Hemral's keen ears noted that the coughing came from only ten feet away. The coughing was husky, yet feminine, and frighteningly familiar. Hemral seldom forgot a voice. 'Who's there?' he asked. 'Wh-Where am I?' asked the woman. 'Cordina?' Hemral exclaimed. 'Is that you?' 'Who's that?' Cordina asked. 'It's me, Hemral.' 'Hemral. Gods... where are we?' 'I think we are in the hands of the Empire.' 'Huh? Why... why do I hurt so?' 'We're being tortured. They're after Neme.' 'Neme? Gods. Why?' 'She imbibed a potion of strength. Just relax.' 'What? She's not that strong?' 'No. The potion was permanent. Relax.' There was a silence between the two. 'Hemral?' 'Yes?' 'I'm scared.' 'Worry not. We'll get through this.' The three horses galloped over the hill. Each horse bore a single rider. There was one man and two women: Kardan the warrior, Raddi the elven wizardress and Neme the thief. Kardan's half-plate armour was niched with scratches and scuffs from battles. His handsome face was tanned. His hair was long and unkempt. Raddi's pouches seemed nearly empty. Her robes were covered with dust. Neme's muscles were tanned and smooth, bursting out of her clothes. The sleeves of her shirt and the legs of her pants were split apart, revealing her thick, muscular limbs. The three were traveling over the plains and farmlands of Cordoban. They had gone through Imperial soldiers who were trying to capture them. For six days since their escape from the trade city of Yarkan they had been waylaid by the Imperial forces, but the formidable three were able to fight their way through and avoid capture. They now had one goal: to find the magician Kalsis, creator of the potion which had transformed Neme from a small and weak woman to a great amazon of strength. To do this, they had to travel to the Elven Woods, and seek the hills of Ekkeder from there. Kardan looked into the distance. He turned to Raddi. 'How many days till we reach the Elven Woods?' he asked her. 'One week.' Raddi replied. 'This land seems familiar.' Kardan stated. 'Look!' shouted Neme, as she pointed to the northeast. 'Smoke.' The two other adventurers turned and looked. Indeed, as Neme had indicated, a slim and long pilum of smoke reached towards the sky. The smoke came from beyond the treeline in the distance. 'Can it be?' said Kardan aloud. 'Can it be, what?' asked Neme. 'My village!' he shouted. 'My home village of Harster.' Kardan clicked at his horse, and trotted off like the wind. Neme and Raddi followed. Kardan rode into the village of Harster with his companions. The small farming village was just as he left it: a lazy town with small buildings. He smelled the air and smiled greatly as the memories flooded over him. Raddi was indifferent to the experience, although she was pleased that these humans were able to live with nature more than the ones she met in the cities. Neme was bored out of her skull. Neme was a city gal, and hated the country life. She peered around, and noted something. 'Not much activity here!' she said. 'It's the wrong time of day for activity.' said Kardan. 'People'll be eating 'bout now.' The three continued into the heart of the village, and got to the main crossroads, where there was a few larger buildings with stone foundations. The signs indicated a smithy, a general store, an inn and tavern, a clothiers, an abattoir and a grocer's. Kardan pointed to the inn. 'The Gladdened Cow.' he proclaimed. 'I've spent many hours in there.' 'Then let's go in.' Neme said. 'I need a drink!' The adventurers went to the stables. They gave their horses over to the stable boy, and entered the inn. The inn's interior was made from old wood that had many knots. The tables and chairs were made of the same wood, and creaked unsteadily. The small common room had a large red-brick chimney that was cold and unused. The inn was empty, save for an obese and bald man. He wore a leather apron with many stains, and the common pants and shirt of a peasant. His nose was bent and stubby. His ears were cauliflowered and his skin was red and abrasive. He beamed. 'Kardan!' he bellowed with a voice that threatened to collapse the inn. 'You have returned! After all these years!' 'Menth!' Kardan rushed towards the fat man. 'You old elephant! How are things?' The two hugged one another in the fashion that warriors do: more like a wrestling match than an embrace. Neme and Raddi looked at each other in confusion. The two men laughed. 'This is Menth!' Kardan exclaimed. 'He's the owner of this inn, and he was also my fighting instructor oh so many years ago.' 'You probably still need training!' Menth laughed. 'Menth,' Kardan said, 'this is Raddi, an elven wizardress of the Elven Woods.' 'My lord.' Raddi said as she curtsied. 'A pleasure.' said Menth. 'And this is Neme,' stated Kardan, 'rogue extraordinare and, er...' 'His lover.' added Neme. 'A great pleasure.' said Menth. He looked Neme up and down. 'They make 'em big where you come from, don't they? I like it. A drink for Kardan and his extraordinary companions!' Menth pulled three ales, and got a glass of wine for Raddi. He set the drinks at a table and sat down with the adventurers. 'So, how do things fare in the village?' asked Kardan. 'Ooh, bad tidings!' hissed Menth. 'Many of the able men of the village have been called by the Lord to serve in the Royal Army. The Empire is ready to annex Cordoban!' 'We ran into some Imperial troops in Yarkan!' gulped Neme. 'Gods!' swore Menth. 'They are attacking from within. The situation is more dire than the Lord foresaw. But enough with politics.' 'How does Manzi fare?' asked Kardan. Neme stared at him with inner rage. 'She runs her father's farm in his absence. Being an only child, she is in a rough position, what with no other family.' 'I should have...' 'No you shouldn't have!' exclaimed Neme. 'Each person lives their own life, and you have a right to live your own.' 'I must visit her.' 'Well, we can...' 'Alone.' said Kardan. 'Please, I must.' Kardan stepped towards the gates of the farm. He was on foot and without pack. His face was painted with mixed emotions. His head rushed with conflicting feelings. Kardan was unsure of what he was doing. 'I should have never come back.' he thought to himself. He opened the gate and walked to the farmhouse. The large house was made of red bricks. The green wood shutters of the windows were all open. The house was incredibly still. The house itself was next to a large two-level barn. The sound of a few animals came from the barn. Various farm implements were scattered around the base of the barn. Kardan started to walk up the steps to the farmhouse door. The rotting wooden steps made a creak with each step he took. Suddenly, a figure came from around the corner. 'Who's there?' the figure demanded. 'Manzi?' There was a pause. 'Kardan?' The figure stepped from the shadows. Standing there was a tall and strong girl of Kardan's age. She was pretty with long blond hair and eggshell blue eyes. She a blouse of white and a skirt of leather. Her leather shoes were covered with dust. Manzi's skin was bronzed from long hours of work under the sun. Her hands and arms were strong and supple. Her legs were knotted and powerful. Manzi's entire body was muscular from hours of chores. 'Manzi!' Kardan said. 'It's been a while.' 'It's been a while?' Manzi retorted. 'You come back after four years and all you have to say is "It's been a while?" Kardan, have you no idea what pain you caused me.' Manzi began to pout. She turned to cry. 'Manzi!' Kardan said. 'I... I wanted to gain enough money.' 'And now you return, just so things...' 'Things can't be like they were. I've met someone.' 'Oh! You've met someone.' Manzi choked back her tears. 'Of course. I meant nothing to you. Just some country gal back home who you could go back to just in case the real world turned out to be too tough for you.' 'Manzi! That's not fair.' 'How dare you come back.' 'Manzi.' 'I love you, you goat-head. You are tearing me up inside and I haven't been able to find anyone else. Do you realize that? You can't just love someone and then leave them hanging. I have feelings!' 'Manzi.' Kardan walked over to Manzi, and put his arms over her supple shoulders. He kissed her head. 'Kardan. Who...' 'Her name is Neme. She's... well, she's a fellow adventurer.' Manzi turned around. 'Then you don't need her!' she cried out. 'Just tell her you need your professional distance. Then, you can come back and live here. You should have enough money by now, and I need help.' She started to stroke one finger around Kardan's chin. 'I need you. You know you want to come back. We could be married, then you could inherit the farm. Then we could have a large family. Isn't that what you originally had planned?' 'Manzi...' She put her finger over his lips. 'Shhh.' she said. 'Let's just get on with it.' She grabbed his hands and pulled him up to the farmhouse door. She opened the door and started to go inside. Kardan resisted. 'Come on.' Kardan struggled internally. He balanced his desire for Neme and for Manzi against one another, and waged the internal war. However, Neme was not present, and his male organs failed him. Manzi was there, and promised him his life-long hopes and dreams. He followed Manzi into the house. Hemral began to arise from his dream-like state. He was still aware of being in the cell, but was slightly aware of a strange noise. He awoke and concentrated on listening. The noise sounded like whispering, someone chanting a strange mantra. The more Hemral concentrated, the clearer and louder the chanting became. The words were definitely arcane, and spoke by a clear male voice. The voice became clearer until it sounded as if the chanter was sitting beside Hemral. Hemral turned to look, and indeed, bathed in a purple light, there was the chanter. He was an ancient man with a white beard. His nose was long, and his eyes were grey. Although he was old, his skin was smooth. He wore robes of purple highlighted by yellow trimmings. A hood covered the top of his head. 'A so li can wa for tal pi so.' the man finished his chanting. 'Who...' Hemral stuttered. 'I am Laeron, High Magi.' the man said. 'Do not struggle. I will free you and your friend.' The Magi cast a spell, and the sound of shackles splitting filled the room. Cordina began to awake. The Magi cast another spell, and the room filled with a slight yellow glow, as if a candle had been lit. Hemral looked around, now finally able to see the cell. It was not worth the wait. The cell was a typical dungeon cell: cracked concrete blocks, hay scattered, rusty iron bonds. A single window opened up to the outside. Two iron bars blocked exit through the window. The outside was pure black from Hemral's view. A single iron door with no obvious slots or handles blocked passage from the room. Hemral began to get up, free from the shackles. He nursed his wrists. 'How will we escape?' he asked the wizard. 'There must be guards everywhere!' 'I will teleport you away.' Hemral studied the mage. 'There are but two reasons why a Magi would help someone as humble as me.' Hemral stated. 'One: There has been an act of treason by another High Magi or Two: you want something in return.' 'A priest's wisdom can be a bother and a boon!' Laeron said. 'True, I want something. But, you would be well to do what I ask. I will teleport you to the edge of the Empire, as you are in its interior. You must travel to the hills of Ekkeder and meet your companions there. 'Once rejoined with your companions, you must seek out the magician Kalsis and ask him to give up the Sword of Balthor. Mention my name and he will surely oblige. Return to the Empire, and slay the Emperor.' 'What?' exclaimed Hemral. 'His time has passed for too long. He must die, and his reign of tyranny must come to an end. The Magi have seen this, and have asked me to carry it out, Fate willing. Do you agree to this quest?' Hemral stared. 'For the greater good, I will go.' 'Good! Go!' The Magi cast a spell, and Hemral and Cordina were teleported away. Laeron let the spell of light fade. He then faded into the darkness. Manzi led Kardan into the main bedroom. Manzi's things were strewn about. There was a large rope-frame bed in the center of the room with cotton sheets and a hay-filled mattress. The bed looked strong. 'Manzi, are you sure about this?' Kardan asked. 'We never went this far before!' 'I've never been surer. Come one. Let's see how you've grown.' Manzi sat at the end of the bed. Kardan sighed, and removed the pieces of his armour. He took off his weapon belt and weapons. Kardan then started to remove each piece of clothing: his boots, his pants, his shirt. He was standing there in the bedroom with only his skivvies. His muscular body was tanned and strong. His large chest heaved up and down. Kardan finally got brave, and stripped off his underwear. He stood there naked. Manzi looked with great pleasure at his body. 'My word, Kardan.' she cooed. 'You have grown! I had no idea! Now let me show you.' Manzi stood up, took Kardan by the shoulder, and gently sat him down on the bed. She stepped back and started to remove her clothes. She undid the strings on her blouse and skirt. She removed her shoes, then took off her clothes. Manzi stood in her underclothes. Her body was stronger than Kardan had first seen. Her arms were thick and toned. Her abdomen muscles were ridged. Her thighs were strong and supportive. Her calf muscles stood up at an angle. Her shoulders were large and strong. Manzi began to flex her muscles. Her biceps peaked upwards. Her abdomen danced and vibrated. Her calf muscles stood up. Manzi delighted in showing Kardan her muscles. His member moved noticeably. Manzi quickly stripped off her underclothes, and crawled over to Kardan's side. Kardan touched and rubbed Manzi's strong and buxom breasts. The two embraced. Kardan stroked his hands across Manzi's back and she nibbled at his neck. Their passions rose as they shifted from position to position. Manzi's breathing speeded up. Kardan's penis had lengthened to its apex. Manzi crouched on the bed as Kardan mounted her from behind. He slide his member into her awaiting hole as he kneaded her buttox. Manzi groaned in ecstasy as he rhythmically pumped her. He finally came and they shifted position. Facing one another, Kardan forces his member into Manzi's vagina. She wrapped her strong legs around his sides. He held her face to his and embraced passionately. She ran her hands down his muscular torso. Kardan came many times, and the two shared orgasm after orgasm as the sun set. Neme walked to the dark farmhouse. She could hear the voices of ecstasy within. Neme growled to herself, and entered the building with the quiet stealth she had from her thieving experience. TO BE CONTINUED EXTRA!: The section for roleplayers. KARDAN: AD&D Stats: Male Human Fighter, 5th level Lawful Good STR: 18/55 DEX: 15 CON: 17 INT: 14 WIS: 15 CHA: 16 HP: 60, AC: 2, THAC0: 16 Weapon Proficiencies: Broad-Group (Blades), Broadsword Specialization, Two-Handed Weapon Specialization. Nonweapon Proficiencies: Land-Based Riding (Horse), Armourer, Black- smithing, Tracking, Local History (Lore), Languages (Common, Dwarf). Psionical/Magical Abilities: Psionic Talent of Accelerate. Defense Modes: Mind Blank, Thought Shield, Mind Barrier. FUZION Stats: INT: 5, WILL: 5, PRE: 6, TECH: 4, REF: 5, DEX: 5, CON: 6, STR: 7, BODY: 7, MOVE: 5. Skills: Melee (Broadsword) +6, Melee Evade +4, Ranged Evade +1, Melee (Dagger) +2, Melee (Long Sword) +3, Language (Dwarf) +2, Horse Riding +4, Athletics +4, Hand to Hand +3, Tracking +2, Expert: Armourer +3, Expert: Blacksmithing +4, Lore +2. Powers: 15 points Mental Defense, +3 SPD (Costs END). Talents: Handsome +2, Combat Sense +3, Intuition, Common Sense. Complications: Lovestruck (Torn between Neme and Manzi), Hatred of Evil Races, Code of Honour (will not forget a debt), Enemy (Hunted by the Empire). The FUZION Core Rules can be D/L'ed at: http://www.sabram.com/rtalsoriangames/site/fuzion.html Equipment: Broadsword, Dagger, Half-Plate Armour (KD 11/AC 4), Medium Shield (DV +3/AC +1), Clothes, Adventuring Gear. RADDI: AD&D Stats: Female High Elven Mage, 5th level Chaotic Good STR: 17 (originally 7) DEX: 17 CON: 15 (originally 8) INT: 17 WIS: 14 CHA: 17 HP: 25, AC: 7, THAC0: Fights as Fighter of equal level Spells Cast per Day: 1] 4, 2] 2, 3] 1. Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, Elven Blade. Nonweapon Proficiencies: Reading/Writing (Elven, Common), Ancient History (Cordoban), Local Elven History (Elven Woods), Astrology, Seamstress, Herbalism, Spellcraft, Languages (Elven, High Elven, Common, Silver Dragon). Psionical/Magical Abilities: Cast as 5th level mage. FUZION Stats: INT: 7, WILL: 5, PRE: 6, TECH: 5, REF: 6, DEX: 6, CON: 5, STR: 6, BODY: 5, MOVE: 4. Skills: Melee (Elven Blade) +2, Melee Evade +2, Melee (Dagger) +2, Language (Silver Dragon) +2, Expert: Astrology +3, Expert: Herbalism +4, Expert: Magic Lore +4, Expert: History +4, Expert: Elven Culture +5, Wardrobe & Style +2, Expert: Seamstress +2, Lore +5. Powers: Elven Package (Longevity, Enhanced Perception +2 to all senses). Talents: Beautiful +3, Animal Empathy, Nightvision. Complications: Longing (wants to be a warrior-wizard), Elven pride, Hatred of evil races, Enemy (Hunted by the Empire). Equipment: Dagger, Elven Blade (WA +1, DC 2AP/1d8 damage, pierces as stiletto), Robes, Clothes, Spell Book & Components, Herbs & Herb Pouches.