KILARRA ORIGINS, PART 3 (published 11/20/2013)

The class continued.  Sir Greymalkin continued with the instruction with gruff professionalism.  Tiyru was an excellent student, deferring to the Illrigger as the instructor despite his status as a mere mortal.  She knew how to use terrain to her benefit and quickly grasped the concepts of using undead troops.  The pit fiend was the most difficult, and found a willing toadie in the lich.  Not stupid but disruptive, dismissive and, despite his ominous status as a supreme devil, obnoxious in the extreme.  One morning, Tiyru came to class to find her desk encircled with a faux binding circle.  The entire class roared with laughter at the sight of the prank.  Adding further insult, during that day’s instruction Tiyru rose from her desk with an agonized scream.  In a flash of smoke and brimstone, she disappeared.  Between guffaws, the lich confirmed that the hapless erinyes had indeed been summoned by her mortal master.  The Illrigger wondered how many teachers had to excuse students for such reasons.  He ended the instruction early for the day and dismissed the class.  He remained in the hall until Tiyru’s return hours later.



There was a crack of thunder and flash of red light as Tiyru appeared.  Her form smoked from the banishment command that sent her back to Dis from the realm of Faerun.  She yelled in frustrated rage.

“At least bring me a vampire to slay!  If you summon me, mortal-bitch, set me on a foe!  I’ll tear your throat and stomp your puny limbs, mage-whore!”  She stomped into the hall and hacked down one of the undead minotaurs in a screaming fury.   Tristan watched with disinterest.

“Still no vampire?”

She turned on him, her weapons coated in dried, rotted gore.

“And you!  What advice does the death knight have for his student?  I’m ready.  I will open your throat again if that what it takes!  I will string you by your feet and roast you over the sulfur fires of Nessus!  After that, the Dripping Edge rack will wring the answer from you over the sound of your cracking bones!”

The Illrigger approached her, swinging his spiked chain.  Decent threats, he thought.

“Very well.  I dislike the interruptions to my classes so I will tell you.  It is the culmination of my instruction, but I will tell you early.  Audacity.  Do what has not been done.  Consider what is commonly considered impossible and do it to destroy your enemy.  What is typically impossible for a bound devil?  Consider that.  Audacity.  Do what cannot be done and watch your enemy’s plan fail.  Think on that, and fight me.”

They fought, matching each other blow for blow.  Tristan disarmed her and she drew another weapon, this time wary of the feint.  They tore each other’s armor and flesh.  With a shout of triumph, he stripped her last weapon from her grasp.  She swore and grabbed the chain despite the piercing spikes.  The she-devil flew with her dark, feathered wings to the apex of the vaulted ceiling in the instruction hall, jerking the Illrigger along.  She kicked him free of the chain with a battle cry and savored watching his fall.  The Illrigger hurtled to the ground, only to have his fall arrested suddenly by a spell.  He grinned at her as he drifted weightlessly toward the floor.  Furious, she streaked downward, stomped his breastplate mid-air, and rode him to the marble floor.  Bleeding and hissing from the chain’s acid, Tiyru stepped off his torso and gave the knight a solid kick.  Stunned and fighting for breath, he drew a long dagger and started the incantation of a spell.

  “Audacity?  That’s your wisdom?  Feh, I will show you audacity,” she said and unbuckled her belt.  She pulled her chain shirt off over her head and let her mail leggings fall to the floor.  She straddled him like a wolf panting over a bloody steak.  “I’ll thank you for your airy advice.  If it benefits me perhaps I won’t kill you in our next sparring session.”

The death knight stopped his spell and allowed the she-devil access to the tassets and greaves of his dark plate.  He hung on to the dagger

“I’m a man of honor, Tiyru.  This will not improve your grade.”

“Idiot!  Shut up and enjoy this.”

He did, but kept his dagger in hand just in case.