THIRTEEN
"I'll change two of them." he said, so Nigel dealt him two more cards from the top of the pile. Isarion looked at them before placing them face up before Nigel. There was a 9, a 10, a Jack, a Queen, and a King: all of the diamond suit. Isarion had managed a straight flush!
Nigel knew he had to pull something out of the hat here. He looked at his cards, and drastically chose to change three of them. Picking up three new cards, he then placed them face up one by one before Isarion.
A Queen of Spades.... a Jack of Spades.... an Ace of Spades.... then the 10 of Spades.... Nigel nervously turned over his final card.... and it revealed to be the King of Spades. A royal flush! Against the odds, Nigel had triumphed against Isarion.
"How did you manage that - I can't believe I lost!" stormed Isarion, before grabbing the remaining cards off the table. Each of the cards was totally different and unique from one another, therefore Isarion had to accept defeat.
"I don't know how you did it, but you've won fair and square." acknowledged Isarion to Nigel. "You may leave and continue with your quest. I shall award you with a ZAP spell also. Now go and spare me any more humiliation."
Nigel thanked him, got off the seat and proceeded to leave - when Morgaine sudfenly advanced towards them!
"You may have won that encounter dungeoneer, but you won't win this one!" cackled Morgaine as she prepared to stun Nigel with her magic.
"Qucik team, do something!" shouted Treguard to the advisors. Andy began to spellcast.
"Spellcasting: Z-A-P!"
Without warning, a bolt of lightning shot out of Nigel's hand and slanned Morgaine in the chest. The witch was knoecked out unconscious, and Terry guided Nigel to a safe enough distance before Isarion could even speak.
A bit further down the cavern and Nigel came upon the Level 2 causeway.
"The Opposition are getting more devious." warned Treguard. "Do you remember the correct sequence of Roman Numerals to get across safely?"
"5, 3, 1, 2 and 4." said Andy.
"Which would mean V, III, I, II and IV." indicated Duane.
Using this sequence, it was then Terry's job to get Nigel across the causeway. Despite the added-on Frightknight timer and a few jangled nerves, Terry wasted no time in getting Nigel across the causeway via the correct method and into the next chamber.
Nigel then came across Hordriss and Sidriss.
"I'm glad you have found us, dungeoneer." said Hordriss. One, or two even, bitterly regret venturing into the Shadow Caverns where you can easily fall into the Opposition's trickery."
"Do you have something that can help Daddy and I get out of here?" asked Sidriss. "It's ever so scary you know."
Nigel showed them the compass.
"Phantastikos!" smiled Hordriss as he clapsed eyes on the item. "One cannot help you much in return though. All I can give you is this Sphere of Light - when rolled at an opponent, it sends off a light bright enough that can blind them for you to make an escape. Come now Sidriss, this young man's wy lies ahead, we must try and find our way back."
"Yes, Daddy." nodded Sidriss. "Thank you ever so much dungeoneer."
The team then guided Nigel onward to the final chamber of Level 2. Ahead of him was a single door, but as Nigel walked towards it, he was suddenly ambushed by Ruke and Lucifer.
"Well, what do we have here?" grinned Lucifer manically, "does kitty want to play and rip apart a dungeoneer?"
"Yes," smiled Ruke, "feeding time for the cat!"
Nigel was prompted quickly by Duane and Terry to throw the Sphere of Light straight at Ruke and Lucifer before they could even react. Hurling the sphere, Nigel found his target and the light pierecrd both Lucifer and Ruke's eyes.
"We'll get you for this, dungeoneer!" stormed Lucifer as himself and Ruke shrieked in pain after being blinded. Nigel was hurriedly rushed out of the exit ahead of him, not wanting to stay around any longer.
There, past the door, lurked a stairwell. That could onlymean one thing - the way down to Level 3 and Marblehead. The final level awaited Nigel, Duane, Terry and Andy, with Treguard and Frego confident that their team were really proving to be true squires of the dungeon....