By Richard LeBlanc
Chapter Nine
An unknown amount of time later - Enchanter was still trying to free himself from the Shadow Plane, but no matter what he tried he remained in this voidlike place.
"I can't spell my way back - according to my magic - I'm home." he muttered as he looked around.
Shadow Plane is parallel. only way out is with key. A familiar voice whispered in his mind. He looked around and saw a ghostlike woman watching him.
"Who are you - and what do you want?" Enchanter asked.
Only way out is with key. Find the key and you can go home and honor the promise you made so long ago. Find the key. I believe in you. the ghost whispered in his mind. He was going to ask a question - but the ghost faded away before his eyes.
"Key? Promise? What the hell is going on here?" he demanded. Silence was his answer. He began to pace back and forth. He was being given clue after clue and he was still missing something - something obvious - but what? It was then that he got it.
"The troll that brought me here. He had a spell that sucked me into this place. If I find his lair - I can find that spell and find my way out of this wretched lifeless place." he rationalized. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on anything that had a magical aura in the shadowy universe around him. He detected many creatures - but he knew that they were not what he saught. He sensed powerful cities that were warded - but something told him that what he saught would be a touch more subtle. It was then that he saw in his mind a cave shaped like a demonic mouth. The lair of Wart Fang.
"Here i come." he muttered as he hurried off to the west.
A short while later - the wizard found himself outside of the gaping demon jaws that led to the lair of Wart Fang. Enchanted looked at the cave and knew that getting what he wanted from the troll wizard's lair wasn't going to be that easy.
"I know its a trap - but what does it do?" he asked himself as he studied the dripping fangs of stone.
"Let's try a Wildgrowth spell." he stated. he waved his hand at the ground of the cave opening. plants and vines began to sprout up. seconds later the jaws slammed shut - repeatedly until all of the life that was there was snuffed out.
How very unsubtle. Whatever spell is animating this entrance of stone - return! He thought as he waved a hand at the cave. For a few seconds there was no response. Then it began to shake. The stone teeth fell from the roof of the cave and the rocks coming up from the floor crumbled.
"Now - let's try a Wildgrowth spell again." he repeated. Vines and other plants sprouted up from the cave floor. This time there was no reaction. the spell that guarded the entrance was dealt with. Now he just had to worry about however many traps were inside.
"Step one - complete - now for the fun part." he sarcastically commented. He cautiously made his way into the cave and looked around at the primitive carvings that littered the walls. Some looked very old - but as he went further in - the markings seemed to get fresher - more recently made.
"Odd - one would think that the older marking would be deeper in." he commented as he came to two seperate sets of wooden doors. Above each door was a stone face that seemed to be alive.
"Let me guess - you want to tell me the way to go?" Enchanter asked.
"One door is life - the other is death." one face warned.
"Turn back while you are able." the other face added.
"Can't do that. The troll had something i need. something that he hid in his happy home. As such - i must go forward. Give me a clue - i know you are dying to." Enchanter taunted. The two faces looked over at each other and then looked over at the wizard.
"A clue - you shall have. The path you chose - will not be the same." one face began.
"The incorrect path - shall be your bane." the other face continued.
"The choice be yours - it is your fate." the other face continued.
"To err now - will be your last - mistake." the other head concluded.
"Wow - that's the clue huh. I guess that means that my path is through the right door." he rationalized.
"Why do you say that?" the two faces asked.
"You told me that the incorect - or nonright path would be my bane. That would be the left door. Thanks for the tip." he stated with a smile. the two faces became unmoving stone as the right door slowly opened to reveal a staircase that went down.
"I hope the other defenses he has are as gullable as those two were." he said to himself as he descended the staircase. as he walked he noticed more markings on the wall. He didn't pay attention to most of them - as they were just illegible scribblings - but then he stopped and looked at one wall of scribblings.
"What is this?" he asked himself. He focused his mind and then slowly opened his eyes. All of the markings began to blur together to form a face - the face of the woman! he blinked - and it was gone - the scribblings were clear again.
"I will get to the bottom of this." he muttered as he quickened his pace down the stairs.
To be continued...
