The Life and Times of Marlineus

3) The Sword of Fire

4) And Lo, There shall Come a ... Fred? (coming soon)

5) Into the Lair of Giants (coming soon)

6) The Fires of Falteem (coming soon)

The Sword of Fire
part 1

"Marlineus! Watch out!!", cried Alonna, as she let loose a lightning bolt , over the heroic Ranger's head at
the lethal Umber Hulk.

"Thanks, Milady!" he replied, as he flipped backwards and took out the beast's central pair of eyes with twin
arrows, finishing the burrowing monster.

"Are you all right?"

"Thanks to you I am. That confounded confusion-effect those eyes give off really caught me by surprise. It
was your voice which brought me back."

"Well, it's not every Mage who has a Ranger for her betrothed. I didn't want to lose my claim to fame.", the Elven
maiden teasingly replied.

"Oh really!?", he said, putting his arms around her.

"You know I'd be lost if anything ever happened to you, Marl." The tears were starting to well up in her sky-blue eyes.

"I know. I feel the same, 'Lonna." He kissed her tears away.

"Moradin's Axe! Get an Inn-room, you two!", boomed a deep voice. "While you two are busy courting, the REST of us
were battling for our lives against a horde of Hobgoblins!"

"Please let me turn that dirt-licker into a pillow to put my feet on," the annoyed Elf Mage whispered.

"Sorry, Love. I KNOW how Elves & Dwarves are like oil & water, but Firodan IS my friend AND a fine warrior."

"There's a hidden room with a strange seal on it, Marlineus! Maybe you or Alonna can read it?", asked the eager
young Halfling acrobat, Perry Tookit.

The group walked down the hallway where they found the Cleric, Orrin, healing Grandin, another fighter. The room was
filled with the bodies of about a dozen Hobgoblins.

"I can't believe this place has gotten so overrun by this filth," said Marlineus. When I left Ar five years ago, it was
prosperous. The people were all alive and the farms were thriving. I come back and find my Father and everyone else
driven off. This temple was sacred to my people, and now these animals desecrate it with their presence. As soon as
we finish here, I want to go to Furyondy's capital to find my Father. he has kinsmen there."

"Marl, you should come here. I think you should look at this seal.", said Allona.

"This...this is my family seal. What can it mean?"

"Marlineus! There's a small indentation UNDER the knocker bar!", cried the young Halfling.

"Hmmmm....I wonder....." Marlineus held out his right fist. On it were two rings - a silver Dragon-figured ring, given
to him by his Dragon-teacher, SilverWing; and the other was a signet ring, given to him by his Father, Rongar, on the
day he left home. "I wonder if THIS was what he meant by 'This ring will one day unlock our family secrets, should you
need them.' It seems too simple."

With a trembling hand he placed the ring into the indentation, and within seconds, the door opened. The Dwarf's
torch illuminated the long-ignored room. Inside was a grisly sight - a human skeleton with an Orc axe where its back
had once been. Nearby was an Orc skeleton with a dagger piercing a rusted chestplate. It appeared that the man had
placed something on the nearby table when he'd died, based on the position of his remains.

Marlineus found a scroll with a small map on the table and began reading it. His eyes widened in horror.

"Marl? Dear heart, what is it?" Allona grew alarmed, as she'd never seen her lover this terrified.

"Look at this dagger! It's a beauty!"

Marlineus whirled about, his face a masque of anger. "PUT THAT DOWN, HALFLING!"

The young fur-footed acrobat was shocked. He never heard his friend speak to him like this. "M-m-marlineus...I'm
sorry....I...I..." The Ranger grabbed the knife away from his smaller friend.

"What are you screaming at the boy for, Ranger? What's possessed you?" asked the incredulous Cleric.

"Perry--I...I'm sorry, Small Fry." His voice calmed, as he called the Halfling by his friendly nick-name."You had no way
of knowing. This man...it's my Father. This is his dagger. I recognize it now. I only realized this after I read this letter."

'It is my dearest hope that my son, Marlineus, finds this. If it is indeed you who reads this my son, there are things you
must know. First, though I have raised you, you are not my flesh and blood. I know not who your parents are, only that
the spirits of the Wood asked me to raise you as my own. Never doubt that your Mother and I loved you as our own. We
couldn't have loved you more, or been prouder of you if you HAD been born to us. Perhaps SilverWing can give you
insight as to your origins. I hope he can. I am sorry that it is at this time of invasion, when you are not here that I must
tell you these things, instead of face to face. I only hope I survive to tell you upon the day of your return. The evil
armies that have invaded our homeland have been sneaking in for some time apparently, Somehow without King Randolph's forces knowing of this. There is one weapon that can save us. It is the bane of evil humanoids and all who are enemies of Good.
In the hands of a Ranger it will be almost invincible as will he who wields it. That is why YOU must find it my son. It is the
sword that my Father, Griffon, used in the Wars of his youth. It is the Sword of Fire and Power - the Mighty Sword, Argiff.
The map is the route to Griffon's tomb. Find it and save our people, if in fact any of them survive. Godspeed my Son.'

"It's dated 3 years ago. If only..."

"Marl? Dear Heart, I am so sorry. Come, let us bury him..."

"No, 'Lonna. We'll remove the filth that has shared his resting place these last few years. Then I'll place him in the crypt
in the next room. This is where he would have been buried, anyway. Then we'll reseal the doorway."

"And then?"

"Then we go in search of my Grandfather's Sword. We go find Argiff."

(To be continued)

CHAPTER 2

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