Adamante
By Adam Madigan

Leshrac and the Tiran Woods

     Leshrac enters the great forest knows as the Tiran Woods. The forest is massive spanning the whole of his vision. There are dark clouds looming ahead. It will rain soon. He must find shelter or take his chances with lightning. There are caves in the forested area nearer the mountains but Leshrac is fearful of the orcs that dwell inside. "Monsters imagined or real lightning . . . Which doth thy choose Leshrac?" he ponders. CRACK! CRACK! "Monsters it’ll be!"
     Leshrac has dared to venture into this dangerous wood for the singular reason of learning the adamante sword’s powers. The demon Xain said his answers would be here, but it wouldn’t be the first time Leshrac has been misinformed by the demon. There is little animal life to be seen. Even the animals know to be wary of storms of these proportions. "Damn" Leshrac mutters as the first large drops hit him on the forehead. "Have to hurry my pace." He has a mile or so more to go before there will be suitable caves.
     It is raining hard now. He sees the beginnings of the caves. "Now to find safety . . ." Leshrac says as he sights a less than suitable cave. "Home sweet home." He rushes inside the cave mouth and is flooded by darkness. Leshrac pulls out a flint out of his pack and starts a fire. He has gained some wealth off the bodies of the slain. It has been some time since he lost everything. His was temporary imprisoned by Xain and in that short time Mordifin’s army obliterated his army’s resistance. Leshrac lost something more of himself on that fateful day. He hopes for his daughter’s safety but fears the worst has occurred.
     Leshrac’s fire has grown and he sits in quiet reverie listening to the rainfall. "All I have to do is learn the powers of the sword . . . then I can kill that madman!" He ponders upon his future and for the first time notices an orc skeleton in the back of the cave. "Your getting slow" He berates himself for not seeing it sooner. "Could have been a live one . . ." Leshrac says as he drifts off to sleep.
     He awakens the next morning in pain "Arrgghh . . . slept on my arm . . ." Nothing to be done for it; he gathers his meager possessions and his adamante sword and begins his journey. It had stopped raining hours before, but now the ground is soaking wet. It is unusually quiet as Leshrac walks. "Tis strange the animals still have not returned." Contemplates Leshrac as he looks around the forest. "The color is odd too . . . seemingly lifeless." He sees what looks to be a thick tree on the horizon. After walking a ways he looks back to where he was, the tree is there but it is getting larger. "Damn . . . its an orc . . ." Leshrac says as he looks for a means of escape. "Maybe it hasn’t seen me." His hopes fall away as he looks back at footprints that end at his feet. "Bloody orcs!" he mutters as he moves into a full run in another direction. He tries running into a thickly wooded area but he can’t lose the orc. The orc spots him . . .It is running but it is slow through the trees. "GRRRAH!" it screams at him.
     The trees are large and ancient in this area of the Tiran Woods. Leshrac contemplates hiding in on of the trees, but he does not have enough time. The orc is about to get him. "RUN . . .you didn’t live this long to die by a bloody orc!" "GRRA!!!" the orc isn’t making any signs of slowing. "OOFFF." Leshrac trips over a root. The orc grasps Leshrac’s arm, and lifts him in the air. They are staring at one another; Leshrac pulls out his sword with his free hand. The orc slaps the sword away. Leshrac has made the decision to call the demon and begins chanting. The orc grabs his legs and starts to pull. Leshrac loses his breath. WHISHT! A single arrow is protruding from the orc’s neck. "GRRAAAH!!" it screams. The arrow must have been poisoned because the monster is losing its strength. The orc falls onto its side, Leshrac still in hand. The monster growls and tightens its grip on Leshrac’s arm and legs. Leshrac can’t breath because of the pain he is being dealt. The orc rolls on top of him but loses its grip. Leshrac’s left leg is pinned underneath the monster but he can breathe. "Who are you?" he yells to his savior. "Help me out from underneath this orc." Implores Leshrac to the Bowman. "What is your name traveler?" asks the Bowman, still out of sight. "My name is Leshrac! I am the baron of Cylinia!" yells Leshrac. "Are you now . . .well then I guess we have unfinished business!" The Bowman comes into his sight. He has a bolt aimed at Leshrac. "Lord Mordifin said you’d show up here." Leshrac just has just about freed his foot. "I’m here to take you back . . ." "Demon hells" mutters Leshrac as the Bowman motions him to get out from under the orc.

Adamante episode one. . .
Adamante: Leshrac and the Cursed Sword