Rhiann reached out to shove p-Mayard but had no time. The arrow struck p-Mayard in the left shoulder. Mayard Klarje’s doppelganger’s mouth gaped open, and he fell silently to the ground. His body shimmered briefly and then returned to its amorphous shiny Shapechanger form. The dark red arrow with black fletching protruded from the amorphous mass. Rhiann reflexively reached for the arrow but Exeter warned, “No, no, no! Danger! Its fletching is a Tuscon feather. Touching it risks death!”
Iyaca Vassi and the Gnomes moved silently away from Rhiann and the fallen Shapechanger. The archer turned and ran toward the woods to the east.
Exeter informed Rhiann, “An area of silence extends thirty feet from the four lances thrown by the kobolds. You must move thirty feet away.”
Rhiann said, “So you can detect Magick?”
Exeter returned, “The area of silence poses a threat to you. I can detect threats to my bearer. Don’t ask me how I know. It’s Magick!”
Rhiann wildly waved his arms, pointed Exeter toward the clustered score of kobolds to the north of the road, and ran toward them. He shouted, “Charge!” but only the sword heard the scream. Iyaca Vassi drew his little hunting knife and bravely charged behind Rhiann. Longbeard Nineteen-names recovered from the death and transformation of p-Mayard’s body and ran with Rhiann toward the group of Kobolds. Donovan Ten-names, Rudy Nine-names, and Alden Eight-names followed Longbeard’s lead, shrieked loudly, and charged toward the kobolds. The screams became audible when they passed thirty feet from the northernmost lance. Dibbit Five-names still carried his bow. He regained his composure, pulled his drawstring taut, and silently released an arrow toward the fleeing kobold archer, who had smitten p-Mayard. Though missing the twang of “string music,’ the arrow followed a true course and ripped into the archer’s back. The archer fell forward with a thud, which Dibbit did not hear. The kobold archer’s body shimmered and changed into another amorphous featureless bipedal form indistinguishable from what had been p-Mayard.
benjamintowe 