Days of Slowtree 8, Part 2
Now that we knew more about the Wraith, we were even more terrified of it. What a horrible series of events! I felt bad for the people of Pillarfield, both the Herd and Grim Farmers. There was nothing else of interest here, so it was time to move on. We exited the warehouse.
We walked no more than twenty feet down the street before we were accosted by a number of Wraiths. Fear seized me. I remembered what had happened to Grub and I shrieked. Their uncanny bodies filled the street with a mesmerizing blue light. I mastered myself and brandished my only weapon: a wood axe that I use in my work.
I swung the axe wildly and struck several Wraiths. At least, I thought that I did. They were so close that I could not have missed. But my axe passed right through them. I hopped backwards to put some space between myself and my foes. I looked at Wren for help. She shrugged and waved her dagger and wand around. Fire erupted from nowhere and consumed the Wraiths. Grub attacked other Wraiths with the same fiery magic. A moment later, the flames vanished. Surely the Wraiths were consumed by such a vicious inferno.
The Wraiths were unharmed. They slowly moved in, soon to surround us. A Wraith reached out to me and its fingertips brushed against my arm. I felt like my head had been dunked in a bucket of ice water. I was bitterly cold and my vision quickly faded. But a mere second later, the sensation was gone. Another Wraith laid a hand on me and I was frozen blind again. I stumbled backwards and my sight returned. I confess that panic took over my body. I turned and ran. I heard Grub shout behind me, “Wren! Let’s go!”
The three of us ran wildly down the street. The Wraiths had no trouble keeping up with us. I glanced behind me and saw that they were following in an angled line, guiding us down the street. There was nothing that I could do but run. There was no time for discussion. We just ran.
Moments later, I burst through a door and turned around. Wren and Grub came through too. We shut the door and locked it, not knowing if that would do any good. I quickly examined the room. There was a strange design painted on the floor. A stone cube protruded from the center of the design. The cube was three feet on a side. A crimson and silver cloth was draped across the cube. A strange object leaned against the cube. It was a long, metal rod with bizarre designs decorating its length.
The Wraiths suddenly appeared in the room. They leapt on Wren and Grub and forced them to the ground. They both shrieked as the Wraiths laid hands on them. I grabbed the rod from the altar and swung it at the closest Wraith. The rod crunched into the side of its head. I don’t know what sort of spells were set upon this item, but it was the only weapon that could touch these fiends.
I set upon the Wraiths that were pinning my friends down. I bludgeoned two of them to death(?) and struck several others. I put fear into these dire foes and they fled from the room.
Grub and Wren lay on the floor, chests heaving as they struggled to breath. They slowly recovered and Wren said, “They took so much from me. I was close to death, I think. First I went blind, then smell went. Probably taste too. I’m not sure. But hearing went next. I could hear our screams and you shouting, Tick. But then it all went silent. Did the same happen to you, Grub?”
Grub sobbed a quiet, “Yes.”
Wren asked me to give Grub some water and a little food while she looked around. He felt better after a little cheese and an apple. Wren walked over to us. I asked her if she found any good stuff. She said that she found a few decent items.
We spent the night in this room. Even though Grub and Wren had recovered their senses, they were exhausted. I was too, but not as much. I kept watch for a few hours. I did not see any Wraiths. I hoped that they were scared of my new weapon. I wonder if Wren will let me keep it. I don’t expect to have much use for it back home.