They
traveled back towards the spiral staircase cut into stone and started to climb.
“Wait.”
Tragg said, stopping the group.
“This is foolish.
What is to keep the drow from coming up behind us?”
That
comment made them stop and ponder their position.
“A
portal can be created only when the caster knows the two points in which it will
serve.” Aldarys
explained. “If
the caster is strong enough, then he is not limited by distance.
None of the drow that we saw here were wizards or sorcerers.
We only saw the woman cast a spell that must have been divine magic.”
“Yes,
drow woman do not dabble in wizardly magic.”
Tragg confirmed.
“However, I do not know much about drow religion.”
“Regardless,
they must have wizards somewhere down there.
We will need to destroy the room and most likely this stairway to insure
our safety.”
Aldarys concluded.
“Great…and
how will we go about doing that?”
Mac asked in his usual biting tone.
“Shall we blow it with some arcane power that you have failed to
display so far?
Or shall we jump up and down real hard and hope that the tunnels will
collapse? Oh,
I know, we will just wish it so, and it will be.”
The
others looked at the man has he finished his tirade, and then turned away as if
he were a child who’s tantrum had ended.
“In
the first place: there are thousands of pounds of rock and earth above us.
That room has bearing walls that allow it to keep its shape so far below
the earth. We
can identify that wall, weaken it, and allow nature to take its course.”
Tragg told them.
“How
do we escape the collapse?”
Sonja asked.
“We have not yet finished our job, and we must survive if we are to
restore the Dintmoor line.”
They
all stood in thought for a few minutes, and then a light seemed to turn on in
Aldarys’ mind.
“Will
fire weaken stone?”
Aldarys asked Tragg.
“Laddie,
fire weakens everything that burns.
If ye can find a way to make stone burn, then I’d say that yes, the stone
will weaken.”
Tragg answered.
“Then
we can use this.”
Aldarys said, fishing a vial out of his pack.
“I have two vials of alchemist fire…this will burn anything.
I also know for a fact that there are at least four more in the room up
these stairs.”
“The
dragon probably thought to engulf the room in flames if it things went badly.
Sonja never gave him an opportunity to ignite the vials.”
Spike said, patting the druid on the back.
“Then
let’s go back and seal the drow’s point of entry.”
Tragg said.
They
turned and headed back to the room with the large dead snake.
Once they reached the room, Tragg moved around, checking the walls and
looking at the ceiling.
He spent ten to fifteen minutes before he came to the others with his
analysis.
“I
estimate that we are 300 feet below the surface of the ground.
That kind of weight will cause a sizable cave in if we weaken the two
walls opposed from each other here and here.”
He pointed to the wall that had the portal and the wall opposite of it.
“I have a war hammer, but what we really need is some of the mining
tools that they used to dig the mines.”
“We
saw nothing of the sort down here.”
Aldarys said, “Can we improvise?”
“I
can increase my strength for a very short time…a benefit of serving Kord.”
Tragg said.
“Aside from that, if I had something to use as a pick it would take no
time at all.”
Use
me.
Bryn Mawr told Spike.
The enchantments on the sword will
keep the hammer from damaging me.
Spike
thought for a moment and then pulled her old sword from the scabbard where it
hung on her back.
She placed Bryn Mawr in her scabbard and stood by Tragg.
“Where
do you want me to hold it?”
She asked, holding up her sword.
”Aye, that’s a good lass.”
We start over here.”
Tragg said, pointing to the far wall.
Spike
held the sword as Tragg chipped out a three-foot wide trench along the length of
the wall. They
then moved over to the nearer wall and did the same.
After an hour of digging, Tragg looked satisfied.
The great sword that Spike had once wielded in battle was now beaten and
dull. It
would never see battle again.
She held the sword in the center of the room, and Tragg concentrated hard
before he swung down with one mighty blow.
He buried the sword to the hilt in the center of the room, and dust began
to fall from the walls and ceiling.
“Everybody
head back to the stairs.”
Mac said, taking the vials from Aldarys.
“I will cast these and run like a bat out of Hades to catch up to
you.”
“Why
you?” Spike
asked accusingly.
“Maybe
I want to die a hero so that your love for me will be unrequited.”
Mac responded boldly.
“Or maybe because I am the fastest runner here and stand a better
chance of getting out of here quickly.”
They
all seemed to agree, and moved off towards the stairs.
After about five minutes, Mac heard a shout from down the tunnel.
He turned and cast the first vial into the center of the far wall.
It burst into flame and spread along the wall as if it were soaked in pig
fat. He
then cast the second vial on the nearer wall and started to run.
“Go
up!” He
shouted down the hall as he ran.
“Run!”
The
room at his back became a furnace, and he felt as if his clothes would burst
into flames. He
pushed himself to run harder, especially when he heard a loud crack from the
burning chamber behind him.
He reached the stairs and started up, he was around two turns when he
heard a tremendous rumble.
The rumble continued, and the stairs shook, as he continued to sprint his
way to the treasure room above.
Dust filled the stairs, and pebbles started to fall on him from above
him. He
continued to run, even when it fell as if the stairs were crumbling away from
his very feet.
Soon
he heard yelling from ahead.
Was it encouragement?
Was it despair?
Was it panic?
He did not have time to discern the mood of those that had gone before
him. Mac
continued to pound his way up the stairs until he saw dim glow through the dust
ahead of him. He
knew that he had less than seconds left as the ground beneath him crumbled away.
He made a last desperate dive at the light ahead of him, and the stairs
crumbled and filled in with dirt and rocks.
Mac
rolled into a pile of gold coins and started emulating a backstroke.
“Yow!”
Mac shouted as he swam through the gold coins.
“What a party!”
The others looked at him, once again as if he were a bothersome child, and turned away.
“Hey,
what’s this?”
Mac asked as he stood and pulled a length of cloth out from under the
pile of gold. He
held up a cloak and flipped it over to show the others.
“It
is a cloak of elvenkind.”
Aldarys said.
“They are fairly common in the woods and on the Moon Isle.
It will hide you from those who might be looking for you.”
“Oh…”
Mac said, eyeing the cloak.
“I can use something like this.”
“I
saw some shoes of elvenkind in the far corner earlier today.
They will soften your footsteps.”
Aldarys told him, apparently uninterested in the cloak.
Mac
went straight to the corner that Aldarys indicated and clasped the cloak around
his neck. He
found his shoes and quickly traded for his soft boots.
He practiced walking and noticed that his footsteps were silent.
“What
do you think?”
He asked Spike as picked up a vial of the alchemist fire.
She
stood tall and looked down on the human.
“Nope,
it does not seem to work.”
She finally said.
“I can still see you.”
“Let’s
waste no more time here.”
Sonja said impatiently.
“We must find the prince while we can.”
They
all agreed and started down out the door and down the tunnels in which they
came. They
decided that stealth would be less use to them than haste, and that they would
gladly battle whatever they had to just to leave the mines and the palace.
Surprisingly,
they made good time and did not even have to deal with zombies or other
creatures that had hindered them before.
They theorized that with Maktar’s temporary withdraw had caused the
creature activity to subside.
Winded,
they arrived at the lift in the mausoleum after a double time pace through the
mines. They
rested for about twenty minutes and then each took their place at the hoists to
winch themselves back up to the funeral parlor.
They
pulled themselves up to the funeral parlor, and locked the lift in place.
They then struck out for the library.
It took them a little over thirty minutes to get to the library.
They climbed the stairs that led to the balcony and found themselves at
the panels that had originally granted them entrance.
“Now
what?” Mac
asked as they pressed and prodded the panel.
Take
your original positions and exit the way that you entered.
Bryn Mawr told Spike.
“Light
a torch.” Spike
told them. “We
can not see the symbols in the dark vision spectrum.
We are to exit as we entered.”
Mac wasted no time in sparking a torch to give them light. They quickly found their respective panels, and Mac stood behind Spike ready to leap as he did before. Aldarys counted down from three and they pressed their panels simultaneously. As before, the panels gave a little, prompting them to lean harder into their pushing, and then gave suddenly to spit them all out into the palace courtyard. Mac made his well-timed dive and rolled to his feet.
Night
had fallen, and by the position of the full moon it seems to have been dark for
a while.
“Good,
the moon is full.”
Sonja said.
“He should be in his wolf form, and easier to track.”
“Did
you just say that it’s a good thing that the werewolf is out in full form
tonight?” Mac
asked in disbelief.
“I still can’t believe that we are doing this.”
“We
do this because we must as per our agreement.”
Spike turned on Mac.
“Why you would do it, I have no idea.”
“I
do this to help a potentially grateful monarch.
That is a good ally to have.”
Mac said.
“So who will track this thing?”
“Sonja
and I will track it.”
Spike said.
“You just be ready in case we run into danger.”
They
set out, led by the two women.
They came upon the enchanted path, open again to give them safe passage
through the forest.
As they walked towards the trailhead they heard the howl of a wolf off to
the east. They
decided to forgo that path to search in the woods nearby.
Spike
and Sonja both found traces of a large wolf out in the ruined ground that
surrounded the keep.
They continued tracking until they found a point where the wolf and
entered the woods.
The canine had taken no pains to hide its tracks: who would stalk a
werewolf? They
continued on until they found a spot where the wolf had made a kill.
A large, moist, red spot on the ground told them that it had killed
recently, most likely when it made the triumphant howl.
Following
the trail of blood through the woods they came upon where the wolf was feeding
on a dead doe.
Spike removed her weapons, for she did not want to kill the wolf, then
she sprang out at the wolf and caught it in a wrestling hold from behind.
The
wolf clawed and thrashed about, but the Amazon warrior would not relinquish her
hold. It
tried to bite at her, but it could not find her flesh.
Finally she was able to slip her arm over its ceratoid artery and
temporarily affect the flow of blood to the wolf’s brain.
The creature’s struggling began to subside, and then it lost
consciousness.
Spike released it and called the others out of the woods.
Sonja
came forward quickly with the vial and poured the contents of the vial into the
werewolf’s mouth.
The held the mouth closed and capped its nose, forcing it to swallow.
In seconds the wolf’s eyes opened.
It snarled and growled at them all and broke free of their hold on him.
It then turned and faced them to defend itself.
“How
fast does this work?”
Mac asked.
“I
do not even know if it does work.”
Spike said.
“What?”
Mac was most unpleased to here that bit of news.
“So it may still rip us to shreds?”
“It was a risk that we had to take.” Sonja said, not taking her eyes off of the wolf.
The
wolf charged at Sonja, but just as it reached her it reared back and gave a
baleful howl. It
began to whine and whimper as the hair on its hackles rose and fell.
Its forepaws grew, stretched, and transformed into hands.
Its hind paws made the similar transformation into feet.
The ears and snout shrank down to more human proportions, while its body
contorted and twisted to match those of a young human man.
The hair on his body retreated through whichever pores that had grown out
of, leaving a long matted mess in his head and a modest amount of hair on his
chest.
The
eyes were the last to change: from the yellow canine eyes that pierced the night
to soft green eyes that looked up at them in sorrow.
“Run.”
He said, as he lay curled on the ground.
“I do not know how long this will last.”
“It
will last forever, Your Highness.”
Aldarys said, stepping forward to lay his cloak around the young man’s
shoulders. “We
have come to relieve you of your curse.”
The
man looked at Aldarys, and then let his eyes roam over the others.
He looked at this hands and feet and ran his hands across his hair.
“How…how
long?” He
asked feebly.
“Twenty
years.” Aldarys
answered.
“My
family, why did they not seek me out before now?”
Darius asked.
“I
am sorry, Your Majesty, but your family was killed the night that this happened
to you.” Sonja
explained softly.
“The soothsayer Maktar engineered a plot to overthrow your father, and
he arranged to have this curse come over you.
We were sent by the wizards of Ispen Guiver’s tower to right this wrong
and restore your family to power.”
The
young prince, recently turned king, looked down at the ground for a few moments
in deep thought.
He then reached out for Aldarys to help him stand.
Once on his feet, he faced them all and addressed them for the first time
as a king.
“Then
you have succeeded.
Let us return to the keep decide what the next move should be.”
He said.
He looked down on the doe on which he had recently dined.
“I will begin my outlawing the hunt in this forest for a season.
I owe the poor creatures that I victimized for so long at least that
much.”
“Nature
has its seasons and cycles.”
Sonja assured him, “It will overcome the abuse and grow to be lush and
beautiful again.
Besides, there are more monsters in this wood that need to be cleared out
before it will be safe for man to hunt.”
Darius regarded her and nodded. He then led the way back to the keep. They walked silently through the dark forest, and nothing made a move to bar their path. When they arrived at the keep they found that they were not alone. The gathering of brothers from Ispen Guiver’s tower had arrived: the same men that invited the five travelers on their quest.
“Ah…we
were watching from afar.” Vlan said as he broke away from the group of wizards
to greet the king and his rescuers.
“We could not see you inside of the keep, but we watched as your
rescuers approached the keep, and we watched as they freed Your Majesty from
your horrible condition.
Welcome back to your home.”
Darius
stopped as the inside of the keep came into view.
His face looked lost.
“Where
is the palace?
What has passed here?”
He asked as if he were a lost eleven-year-old boy again.
“We
are have prepared ourselves to restore your castle, at considerable cost of our
own strength, Your Highness.”
Vlan explained.
“Please wait here as we harness the power of the moon.
Aldarys, if you would like to join our circle, you are welcome.”
Aldarys
did take up the invitation to join the circle.
The wizards began chanting in unison, forming
harmonies with their
baritone, bass, and tenor voices.
Arcane power emanated from their circle, making Tragg very uncomfortable.
The power took from as a ball of bright light, white and pure, that
formed over the circle.
Light shot from ball and struck the walls of the keep.
Instead of damaging the walls, the light spread until the walls glowed
brilliant and white.
Next the ball itself moved from the circle and traveled to where the lone structure stood in the center of the keep. The ball rested on the pavilion that gave entrance to the sunken palace. The ground began to shake and rumble as it broke inside of the keep. The pavilion rose, higher and higher, until it was merely an ornate dome atop of a grand palace. The walls of the palace rose from the churning earth like a flower stretching towards the spring sun. The light on the walls scrubbed away the frightening gargoyles, leaving only beautifying Adonis’ in their place. The wild overgrowth fell from the walls, and the dingy drab granite shone as it changed to white alabaster.
A wisp of white reached out and wrapped around the sword that hung in the scabbard on Spike's back. The sword glowed white as if heated in a forge, but it did not burn hot.
I
thank thee for thy strength and bravery,
Amazon warrior. Spike heard inside of her
head. The brotherhood has freed my soul
from its metal prison, and I go now to my rest now.
The last bit of transformation was the prince himself: a strand of white light stretched out from the palace and gently kissed the young man. The light bathed Darius in a soft glow, concealing his features. The chanting from the wizards circle reached a fevered pitch, and a in a single flash the light brightened and then blinked out.
Everyone
blinked at the sudden darkness.
Truth be told, if this spell had been worked in the noonday sun it would
still seem dark compared to the light that they had all just witnessed.
As their sight slowly adjusted to the darkness they saw the final effects
of the wizards’ spell.
The land around the keep, though bare, showed rich soil ready for
planting. The
walls of the keep no longer forbade entrance, but rather invited guests.
The palace shone bright under the full moon, sparkling as if it were
forged from the stars.
And the prince stood before them no more.
The man that they knew to be Prince Darius had changed from the scraggly
ragamuffin that they found in the woods to a stately and grand young man.
His long hair, matted no more, has straight and clean pulled to a neat
tail at the back of his head.
Instead of Aldarys’ cloak he wore a scarlet doublet lined with gold
thread. His
legs were covered with stylish leggings, and on his brow rested the state crown
of the Dintmoor dynasty.
Prince Darius had become King Darius.
“Welcome
to your new home.”
Vlan gasped.
The
wizards of the circle, Aldarys included, were visibly weakened by their effort.
Still, they all had broad smiles on their faces.
“I
thank you for your assistance, and I invite you all inside to rest from your
labors for a while. Still, until the time comes that I receive the kingdom
formally, I prefer to retain my title as a prince.”
Darius said.
His voice had changed from frightened to somwhat confident.
All of them, adventurers and wizards alike, took the prince up on his offer. They all entered the palace and received the rest that they so richly deserved.
