With a wordless grunt Harnst put more shoulder into his next strike.  This time striking past the little creatures buckler.

The spear slams into its arm and it's eyes widen. It drops to the ground beside its writhing comrade but unlike the other you can hear it chanting a spell through its gritted tusks.

You look up to see another trollkin watching you from the bridge. Its eyes glint and it shudders. Suddenly it convulses and drops to all fours, then its body begins to transform . . .

His eyes widen and he shoots the little Dragonewt a look. "Stop this one from getting up but keep it alive 8f you can." the draws his arm back and throws his spear at the one transforming.  He drops his shield and transfers the new spear he got from the lost temple and prepares to engage the new threat.

The trollkin's shuddering form elongates. Its tusks lengthen and curve while its snout becomes longer. Its squeals become louder, throatier and the hair on its head changes into a long razorback along its spine. A half-troll/half-pig rears up on the bridge.

Your spear whistles across the bridge in a flat arc, hits the pig-thing squarely and simply bounces off. In shock you glance back at Bearer of Flames who is advancing with a strange dragonewt short sword in his hand who stops when he sees that, looks back at the cave mouth and then says to himself "I'd never make it".

Looking at the charging creature Harnsts eyes widen in surprise, then with a determined look he calls out "Now Bearer of Flames use your spell to make my spear alight with fire." then with a determined look he sets the spear. "Odalya guide me."

Bearer of Flames' eyes flash and the spear point bursts into flames

(OOC: You know have Fireblade cast on your spear)

As the creature came barrelling in Harnst struck with his spear hitting it in the hindquarters.

The were-pig's back end collapses and it screams in pain but its heavy bulk crashes into you, the stinking bristled body slamming you back . . .

(Please resist SIZ 19)

The pig's body hits you and knocks you back, sending you into Bearer of Flames who gives a chirp of alarm as you crash into him and throws you both flying. Luckily there's nothing else to hit. As you roll over you see Bearer of Flames picking itself up, it looks at you and rolls its draconic eyes.
Quickly rolling onto your feet you see the pig-thing shuddering its last on the slick stone of the natural bridge.

"What by Kiger Litors left tits was that thing." Harnst exclaimed rising to his feet and regathereing his spear.  He took a moment to check on the two trollkin as he proffered not to kill them.  "Bearer of Flames, can you speak their tongue?  If you can tell them to surrender and the will be allowed to live.

Bearer of Flames hisses and prods one of the trollkin with his short sword as it tries to heal itself, its face screwed up with pain, and Bearer of Flames says in Auld Wyrmish "stop that you beastly thing". The dragonewt pauses, noting the complete lack of comprehension on the trollkin's face. "Well, more accurately, it can't understand me which is more to the point."

Bearer of Flames looks at you and cocks its head on one side "do you eat these things?"

With a sigh Harnst replied"No we don't eat them, but they may have value" then shook his head at the strange little dragon man.  Switching to trade tongue he asked the trollkin"Speak trade?"

They clutch their wounds and don't answer but you think probably not

Harnst gathered the trollkins equipment an placed it to one side ensuring the weapons were out of reach. Moving over to the one that had tried to heal itself he attempted to bandage the creatures wound then he moved to the second and did the same.  Rummaging around in his pack he drew out some snares and used them to tie the hands and feet of the little creatures.  Unable to communicate he kept talking anyway using a low soothing tone as he did.

The wriggling trollkin simply refuse to sit still and you spend a frustrating five minutes trying to both bind their wounds and their limbs. You're near ready to pull your hair out when there is a soft cough from Bearer of Flames as he holds the torch near to give you light. He looks off into the distance and says "I'm sure this is quite amusing, whatever it is that you're doing, but at some point we really should be looking for the Coral Klanth of Aeschyanart. After that if you wish we could return and you could continue this umm . . . behaviour."

"Aren't these your thieves?  Don't they have this Klanth thing? he asked frustration clearly audible in his voice.  He took thier weapons and placed them in his pack.

Then with a snort he headed over 5owards where the pig thing had come from.

Bearer of Flames holds up the guttering torch as you both look around but this chamber seems to be mainly empty. Even though it's big and fairly even floored the constant moisture seems to have dissuaded the trollkin from camping here. After a few minutes you carefully cross the bridge to the exit and go down a short tunnel, weapons at the ready. Here you find a small cave which was where the trollkin had their base. Sitting in pride of place is the Coral Klanth of Aeschyanart that Bearer of Flames remarked on earlier. His eyes light up when he sees it.

"There it is! O Mighty Wyrm will be happy to get it back, that is if you decide to give it back to him . . . "

The tiny dragonewt looks at you speculatively, his lizard eyes inscrutable.

"What do you think, are you going to give it to him? It's not magical as such but it's worth an enormous amount. I'm just not exactly sure how a human would go about dealing O Mighty Wyrm and then actually selling it."

"I'm no thief, your Master may have poisoned me with his elixir but I won't betray him." Harnst said to the little dragonnewt then he carefully took a sack out of his pack and wrapped the Klanth in it being careful not to touch the blade itself.

"Now we should see to our captives and return your masters Klanth to him so I can get the antidate to his poison... there is an antidote right?"

Leaving the den you see the trollkin have absconded, probably having healed themselves. Following the only route back you come to the junction of the dry cave you have just left, the wet cave you have not explored and the surface. The sun sends beams of light that flicker on the walls and Bearer of Flames looks about trying to see if the trollkin are around.

"If they have half a brain between them then the will still be running." Harnst said looking for the trollkin himself.  He stopped and waited for a moment

Before we go out there is there some ceremo y I should perform to make sure the wyrm keeps his end of the deal?

"It's never occurred to me that there is some way of making O Mighty Wyrm do something, I highly suspect there isn't one".

The dragonewt looks around the cave again and starts ostentatiously humming.

Harnst stroked his beard in thought, he looked towards the outside then back down the other tunnel.  "Well Bearer of Flame we have completed your masters task, let us return to him this Klanth he so desires then I can return to the task I have been set." with that he heads out of the cave.

Climbing out of the noisome cave you come back into the surface. Although it seems days that you were below ground the sun seems to only have a moved a small distance across the sky, it was probably only a few hours. Eventful hours though.

On the hillside next to the cave the huge wyrm is settled down near your rather unhappy horse. It's kaleidoscope eyes fix on you and once again you feel that strange feeling that your soul is falling out of your body and into the void. The big dragonkin shifts its gaze over to Bearer of Flames and sees that the tiny dragonewt is holding aloft the Coral Klanth of Aeschyanart in triumph.

O Great Wyrm says to you "Well done tiny thing, you have retrieved the Coral Klanth of Aeschyanart and have earned my gratitude. You may keep the slave, it might be useful."

Rather crestfallen both figuratively and literally, Bearer of Flames hands over the klanth. O Great Wyrm wraps its tail around it and then vaults into the air, its wondrous leathery pinions thunder as it flies up into the heavens. In a few minutes it is gone from view.

You can hear Bearer of Flames mutter behind you "Oh, 'gratitude'. I've heard about that somewhere."

It would appear that talking and an antidote are beyond the wyrms gratitude." Harnst said as he looked at the wyrm as it flew away...

I don't suppose you have your own mount do you?

The crested dragonewt also watches the wyrm fly away "well, O Mighty Wyrm seemed well-disposed towards you, I guess it's unlikely he'd poison you" but after a bit of silence added bitterly "then again, there's a case to be made that his gratitude is somewhat poisonous in itself."

The little dragonewt turns to you "ride, no. I usually am carried atop O Mighty Wyrm which I really must admit is highly unpleasant. Long ripples run along his body in flight and one tends to suddenly shift several body lengths up and down with a concurrent sense of vertigo, stomach upset and disorientation." He snuffs the still-lit torch out. "Do you wish to still examine the unexplored reaches of the cavern in exercise of your avarice, blood-lust and curiosity? There may well be things in there to kill, loot and examine."

He ponders the sudden shifts of his fortunes for a few more moments and it seems he realises he'd best properly introduce himself now you are both inextricably linked "as to me, I am as you know Bearer of Flames. My usual functions are the procuration of game animals although I myself only eat vegetable matter, I have a strong preference for tree nuts and lettuces although I suppose my preferences are of little account. In addition to this hunting function I also scout, I like to think of myself as particularly skilled in this area."