Role Playing Fan Fiction ❯ Swamp Adder Conundrum ❯ Chapter 1

The Swamp Adder Conundrum

Dr Sheldon Cooper was sitting in a heavy dark wooden chair near the fireplace, his chair, the optimal one, near the fireplace, at equal distance from both windows, near the bookshelf And with good sight to the door. He was reading a thick leather bound old volume, 'Treatise on Some Obscure Questions of Magic' by Azerian of Thena. Sheldon nodded at some passages, snorted at others, obviously Azerian was not right on many points but right on some. Of course, there were few minds in Mythika equal to his. He got his Master's degree at 14 And his first doctorate at 16. Now he was studying for his second doctorate at Princeborough University, And he was just 19! 

The door banged open. Sheldon sighed And looked up from his book. Of course, he saw Master Leonard Hofstadter, his roommate and best friend, a good wizard, though of course not as brillant as Sheldon. Leonard was studying magic at Princeborough too, for his doctorate. Leonard was 23, he was from Uberwald And had a regrettable tendency to dress in outdated Uberwaldean fashion, long cloak over shirt And waistcoat And wide trousers. But he was reasonable, easy going and he didn't snore. With Leonard were his And now Sheldon's friends, Master Howard Wallace, a short, thin, energetic Hunter, And Dr Raj Koothrappalli, a Ghatian Elementalist, a wizard of Fire And Air, a rather good one, but very shy to the extent that he couldn't speak to women one on one. Sheldon sometimes wondered if something should be done about Raj's problém, but it didn't concern Sheldon directly, after all.

'Hello,' Sheldon said calmly.

'Hello,' Leonard grinned.

He looked at his roommate And best friend, sitting in HIS chair, tall, lean And composed, looking even more of a maypole in his tight black doublet And trousers with vertical golden stripes, a thick volume in his lap. 

''Hello, Sheldon,' Raj said quietly.

'Hallo!' Howard exclaimed loudly, grinning widely. He was clutching in his hands a large cloth bag that was twitching violently.

'Good Gods, what is it this time?' Sheldon frowned.

'Not to worry, Sheldon, just a little experiment,' Leonard grinned.

Sheldon nodded, utterly unconvinced. The pranks that those three always were making, And dragging Sheldon into them too!

And of course he was right as always. Howard put the bag on the table, grinning. Leonard And Raj sat down on chairs by the table.

'Well, here goes!' Howard said with a flourish And untied the bag. 'Leonard, ready? On one, two, three!'

Leonard nodded quietly. As soon as the strings were untied, a snake crawled out of the bag, a yellow spotted creature that inflated its neck, hissing threateningly. It darted at Leonard.

Leonard chanted, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this snake for 5 power points!'

And he froze when snake did not only drop dead but slid even closer to him, it's neck inflated And it's yellow eyes glowing fiercely. Howard And Raj froze too.

Sheldon didn't waste any time, he chanted confidently, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this snake for 5 power points!' The snake froze in its track And dropped to the table, still.

Leonard blew out a sigh of relief. Howard And Raj just looked at the dead snake, shaking.

'Holy cow!' Raj shouted.

'Great Artemis!' Howard said loudly.

'They wouldn't help you if not for me,' Sheldon said sternly looking at his foolish friends. 'Really, you three? To bring a swamp adder of all things into MY room!'

The three looked at him contrite.

'Howard, a Hunter needs not only agility but common sense,' Sheldon continued rebuking them. 'Leonard, haven't you thought that you might not manage that snake? Raj, couldn't you at least throw a Fire Dart at the creature!? And No More wild animals in my room! And, to think of it, when you go to the woods again, bring me with you next time!'

They nodded quietly.

'Thank you very much, Sheldon,' Leonard said with feeling.

'Don't mention it,' Sheldon said. He went into the kitchen And some time later returned with three cups of fragrant steaming tea on a copper chased tray. 'Here you are, hot beverages.'

'T-thank you,' Howard said, still shaking. Raj just nodded quietly as he sipped his tea.

Some days later in the dense woods near Princeborough, the four were walking quietly. They approached a swamp. 

'All right, wait quietly till the Bapharon emerges, And be ready,' Sheldon commanded. 'Howard, to the front, Leonard, Raj, behind him with me. Howard, prepare your arrows, Leonard, Raj, prepare your spells.'

'Sure,' Howard grinned. Leonard And Raj nodded quietly. Howard stood in front of the three young wizards, took his yew longbow from under his back, took a goose feathered arrow from his quiver And notched it aptly.

They didn't have to wait long, a slimy creature with gaping maw emerged from the mire and lurched at them. But Howard quickly aimed at it And let his arrow loose. It whizzed through the air And hit the monster. It wailed in pain. Next Leonard chanted, 'I unleash Psychic Attack on this Bapharon for 5 power points!' Bapharon cringed in pain. Then Sheldon, standing tall, chanted in his drawl, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Bapharon for 5 power points!' Bapharon yelped with pain. Sheldon smirked smugly. Then Raj chanted quietly in his thick Ghatian accent, 'I unleash a Blezing Sphère on this Barharon for 4 power points!' A large ball of Fire formed in front of him And flew at the swamp monster And hit it, enveloping it in fire. Barharon yelled horribly, And when the flames subdued, there was Nothing but Ashes in its place

'Well, what can't be accomplished with good Command?' Sheldon said smugly.

'Yeah, sure,' Leonard rolled his eyes. 

'Tell you what, guys, let's form a band of adventurers when Leo And Sheldon graduate,' Howard suggested grinning broadly. 

'You mean when I get my second doctorate And Leonard his first,' Sheldon corrected. 'We already have degrees, four in my case.'

'Yeah, whatever,' Howard shrugged. 'You for it?'

'Well, it certainly sounds like a good idea,' Sheldon said cautiously. 'We'll see faraway countries And get many rewards.'

'Yeah!' Howard grinned. 'Leo, Raj, how about you?'

'I'm on it,' Leonard shrugged, good natured.

'I guess,' Raj said nervously.

'How about name, we have to think of a good name,' Sheldon said eagerly. 'What about Dr Cooper's Men?'

'Oh No, what about Fearless Tigers?' Raj shot.

'Or Merry Men of Princeborough?' Howard grinned.

'Oh please, Raj, we're not Tigers, we're more of mighty wizards..And a Hunter,' Sheldon scoffed.

'Let's vote?' Leonard suggested gently.

And of course the name Dr Cooper's Men stuck, because Sheldon was very determined, or stubborn as a herd of donkeys, as his friends maintained.