The Queen spared no expense in outfitting Rashan. She gave him a long coat of bronze scales washed with gold and protected by mighty spells. A fine pointed helm with phoenix plumes covered his head while a delicate seeming dwarven chain iron camail dangling behind protecting his neck. For weapons she gave him a long hafted curved headed axe, a mighty mace ringed around with spikes, a round shield with a deadly spike in the centre, and a curved sword known as Separator that could be wielded one or two handed. A brace of spears, a fine bow and a quiver of magic arrows were also included. For a mount she gave him a noble hippogriff that had been raised from youth to obey his every wish. After bathing and shriving himself Rashan donned his armour and weapons over a spotless white robe and once he was fully dressed he was a sight that stirred the hearts and minds of men to great deeds and the loins of women to lust.
The Spolite Queen stood before her son and the sight of him filled her empty heart with pride and something passing for love. She could not embrace him in front of her court but she did give him her blessing, "My son, I know that you shall make me proud. Go forth and slay the ogre and return to me safe. Take this as a symbol of my love." She pressed a black cloth into his hand. He took the cloth and tied it around his upper arm. Rashan nodded and bowed to his mother and the assembled multitudes. Then he sprang to the sandle on the back of the hippogriff, saluted his mother and the assembled court and made the beast spring into the air.
As learned as he was in geography he had no trouble locating Mount Rakshish. As he neared the mountain he needed no extra help to locate its lair. There was a terrible swath of devastation all around the mountain where the ogre had been wrecking havoc. This Ogre of Mount Rakshish was infamous in its time. It had defeated all the forces sent against it and its appetites, both for human flesh and the bodies of young women were far feared. Many a hero had been slain by it and no army could approach its mountain lair. Somehow it was even proof to the darkest magics sent by the Spolite Queen and she had known herself helpless to defeat it. Rashan spotted a large cavern mouth that had to be the lair of the beast and made his hippogriff alight just outside its mouth.
Rashan tied his mount to a rock outcropping. After readying his weapons he bellowed a challenge to the ogre. "Show yourself foul monster. I, Rashan, have come to slay you." He waited but there was no answer from within the cave. Retrieving and lighting a torch from his well-stocked saddle bags Rashan cautiously entered the cavern. The torch light illimunated a dank cavern descending down into the earth. Rashan made his was downward, glad that there was only the one route to follow. The route descended, ever steeper until Rashan was forced to sheath his sword and clamber his way downwards.
Finally he came upon a great chamber and there he was faced with a grisly sight. The bones and possessions of countless warriors and other victims of the monster were strewn all over the chamber. This would have given a lesser man cause to pause. But Rashan was made of sterner stuff and he continuted on unflinchingly. As he crossed the chamber he noticed that the air became colder and he heard the sounds of breathing. There, across the chamber he espied a large mishappen lump! Was this the ogre? Knowing no other way Rashan bellowed another challenge to the monster. "Awaken foul beast, I Rashan have come to slay you." The mound stirred and bespoke himself. "Begone puny human, I have just eaten two heroes and a princess and I am no longer hungry. Come back tomorrow and I shall eat you."
To be continued
Oliver
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