Infernal Grotto
Galin walked next to Jena, who was holding a brightly illuminated crystal from her Odella Light spell. His sword was drawn as they followed the hulking liches back towards their lair. Something was different; there was a soft, white glow around them. “What happens when they get back?” Galin asked as he looked back at Keya.
Keya was walking next to Brock and Ellis; both had their weapons drawn. “They will go into hibernation until the next moonrise.”
Ellis blinked. “Really? Come on.”
Keya nodded. “Yes.” The sweat forming on her forehead glistened in the moonlight. “Let’s just hope there aren’t any more of them.
“How do we defeat those things?” Brock asked Keya.
“If we kill the one who summoned them, those souls will return to Odella’s or Methos’ realms and be at peace,” Keya said.
Jena looked back at Keya. “Mother, are they basically slaves to the mage that summoned them?”
“Yes.”
Galin nodded. “Then we know what we have to do.” The mage who summoned those creatures must be elven or a human female or a gnome, just like at Tadus School of Magic. His powers protected him against offensive spells, but would it protect him against the undead? Would he be able to protect Jena?
Jena pointed at the liches, just inside the light emanating from her crystal. “They seem to be converging.”
Galin pushed through the thorny underbrush. On the other side was a large mound. It was twice as tall as it was wide and crowned with thistles and dead trees. “They must have gone around the other side.”
Ellis shook his head. “No way. Galin, this is too weird.”
“Shut up,” Jena said as she followed Galin.
Galin veered right at the base of the mound. His heart pounded with each step. Moans could be heard from the other side, not like the liches, but…something else. The leaves crunched underfoot as they moved around the mound. Light, there was light around the corner.
Jena doused her crystal and drew her short sword.
Galin gripped his sword tighter, trying to keep his hands from shaking. He put his hand up, stopping the group. Galin closed his eyes and listened. Moaning, all he heard was moaning. Whatever it was, it wasn’t elven or human or gnome. He moved silently through the brush, just like his adoptive father taught him. The closer he got to the light, the more he hugged the trees. After all, he was trying to see what was ahead of them, not confront it.
“What’s this?” a high, raspy male voice said. “Why are my liches back?”
Galin froze. That voice—no, that type of voice he’d heard before. He crept behind a large oak tree. He peered around its trunk and the entrance to the mound was in full view. There were two torches on either side of the entrance. The entrance was a cave mouth with more torchlight inside the cave. The black-robed gnome was no more than four feet tall. His skin was wrinkled, but his eyes were young. It was as if he’d aged by magical means; after all, every magical spell has a cost to the caster. The more powerful the spell, the greater the cost. That’s what Nyna always told him. Could that explain him?
There were two walking and moaning corpses standing next to the gnome. Their flesh was rotting off their bones. Galin blinked. Could they be zombies? Like he heard about at school?
The gnome threw up his hands. “Why do I even bother? You idiots can’t speak.”
The liches passed right by the gnome and entered the cave, ignoring the gnome.
He rubbed his chin. “There must be a priestess of Odella nearby.” He smiled. “I haven’t fought someone in a long time, this will be fun.” The gnome hurried inside the cave.
Galin just stared at the cave entrance. There were just the two zombies left and whatever waited for them inside. He moved back to the group, huddling around the corner. “There’s two zombies, and the summoner is a gnome.”
Ellis sighed. “We’re fighting a midget mage? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Shut up,” Brock whispered.
Galin looked at Keya. “Can Zombies be killed?”
Keya nodded. “Just sever their heads from their bodies.” She leaned in. “Like all summoned creatures, if we kill the summoner, all of the animated creatures that he summoned will die.”
“So, the summoner is the key,” Galin said. He smiled at Brock. “Ready?”
Brock smiled. “Yes, sire.”
With his sword at the ready, Galin moved towards the entrance. As soon as the torchlight was visible, Galin charged towards the zombie on the left. Brock lunged at the one on the right.
The left zombie slashed its clawed hand at Galin.
In one motion, Galin stepped left while swinging his sword completely around, taking off the zombie’s head.
Brock’s sword crashed into the zombie’s shoulder. He yanked on it, but couldn’t get it out.
The zombie lunged at him with both clawed hands flailing towards his throat.
Jena leaped from behind Brock and severed the creature’s head from its body with one blow of her short sword. She watched the zombie crash to the ground.
Brock put his foot on its chest and pulled his sword from its chest. “Thanks.”
Ellis pointed up at the sky. “What’s that?”
The rest of them looked up. High up in the sky, a fiery cloud was forming. Not a black storm cloud, but one that was as bright as the embers in a fire. It was growing and moving towards them.
Brock’s face went white as he stared at Keya. “Is it?”
One ball of fire plunged to the ground, exploding on impact. The underbrush and dead trees ignited. It was followed by another, and another, and another.
“Get inside!” Galin yelled. They all followed him into the cave.
Tasar, a mere one hundred yards away, smiled. “Now, it’s your turn, gnome.” He disappeared into the darkness.
Galin pressed against the wall of the cave, right next to the entrance. He counted everyone as they passed him, ensuring that everyone made it. “What the hell was that?”
Brock’s face was still white. “I’ve seen that before, when I was on the wall with Thea the Loyal at Staerdale Castle, just before the walls came down. But, she’s dead.”
“Who?” Keya asked.
“Beldroth. She was a pyromancer,” Brock said.
Galin shook his head. “No, Father, there are lots of Dark Elf pyromancers.”
“It can’t be the gnome,” Brock said. “When Beldroth did it, she had to keep her eyes on the castle. As soon as she looked away, it stopped. He’s somewhere inside.”
Ellis laughed. “Please, relax people. Let’s go get stubby and then deal with that clown after. Too easy.” He twirled his daggers in his hands. “Coming?”
Galin nodded. “Yeah. Father, could you take up the rear with Keya?”
“Sure,” Brock replied.
Jena was next to Galin with her short sword drawn. “I will be a healer someday.”
Galin smiled. “I know.”
Ellis kicked Galin in the butt. “Come on already, we’re wasting time. Do that crap after you’re married.”
The cave before them was well lit by torches mounted in sconces at every turn. The slightest sounds echoed through the cave. Light glistened off the moisture of the walls. Galin’s soft leather boots slightly sank into the sandy floor.
Galin crept forward. Could he really do this? This was no test that Nyna could stop when they were losing. If someone dies here, they die. Nothing he could do about it. A cool breeze delivered the foul stench of rotting meat to his nostrils. He covered his nose and started breathing through his mouth.
They came to an intersection. Galin looked through the opening to the right. The liches, still glowing from Keya’s spell, were pressed against the far wall, as if afraid of them. “They’re no danger,” Galin said.
“Let’s get out of here before they are,” Jena said as she tightened her grasp on the short sword.
Ellis grunted at the terrified liches. “Good thing, for them!”
Galin rolled his eyes. “Come on, Ellis.”
“What did I say?” Ellis asked with a smile.
Galin and Jena moved past the opening, further down the cave. It was clear that the gnome didn’t mind living in a hole in the ground. If they ran into more liches, what were they to do?
The black robed gnome rushed into a large cavern. The ceiling was covered with stalactites, like daggers hanging overhead. The rocky floor was uneven, and stalagmites sporadically protruded from the cave floor. The mica in the rock reflected the firelight from the sconces sprinkled throughout the cavern. “Where are you, my servants?”
The clanking of bones, as if assembling together, echoed throughout the cavern. One by one, twenty in all, fleshless humanoid creatures with green, glowing eyes approached him. “Yes, Master Balan,” they said in unison.
Balan grinned. “We have intruders. Make sure they find their way in here.” He looked towards the back of the cave and smiled. “It’s time to try out my new pet.”
Half of the skeletons hid amongst the stalagmites and the others ran out of the cavern.
Galin stopped. The tunnel came to a fork just ahead. Which way? These tunnels could go on for miles underground. If they took the wrong path, they could be lost forever.
“Do we split up?” Jena asked?
Galin shook his head. “No, no way. But, which way?”
Ellis rolled his eyes. “Come on.” He pulled out a coin. “Flip it? Heads left and tails right?”
Brock frowned. “Are you really going to let this idiot decide for you, sire?”
Ellis tossed the coin in the air.
Galen snatched it away. “No, I’m not.” He threw the coin down the left tunnel.
“Damn it!” Ellis yelled. “That was mine.”
“Everyone, quiet. Let’s listen,” Galin said. He closed his eyes. Nyna told them that sometimes you could see things with magic, but he didn’t know how to do it with dragon magic, if it could be done at all. Tadus School of Magic taught him that focusing and controlling emotions made dragon magic work. What if he tried to see the gnome? What thoughts and emotions would he need to conjure up such a vision? How would he recognize it as a magical vision rather than his imagination?
“Look out!” Brock yelled.
Galen’s eyes flashed open. Seven cackling man-sized skeletons with glowing, green eyes carrying swords, axes, and shields were charging at them from the left tunnel.
The lead skeleton swung its ax at Brock.
He sidestepped while swinging his sword at its mid-section.
The skeleton batted away Brock’s sword and advanced on him.
Ellis threw a dagger at another skeleton’s head; it embedded in its skull.
The skeleton smiled at Ellis.
“Oh, this sucks!” Ellis yelled as he backed away, looking for another weapon.
The tingle ran from Galin’s heart. The tiny electrical arcs leaped across his skin and along his sword. His eyes began to glow as he charged in, with Jena right behind him. He swung his sword at the skeleton attacking Brock.
The skeleton raised its ax.
Galin severed its head from its fleshless body. The reanimated skeleton fell to pieces.
Jena swung at another one.
It blocked her.
Jena spun around. Her sword severed its backbone. It collapsed to the ground.
Ellis grabbed a fallen femur. “This will work.”
The skeleton with the dagger embedded in its skull raised its sword.
Ellis swung the bone like a club. His new weapon shattered its right arm and the sword fell to the ground. Ellis grinned. “Who’s laughing now?” He crushed the skeleton’s skull, killing it.
Galin’s glowing sword cut through two more in one swipe.
With both short swords drawn, Keya rushed at another. She swung both swords parallel to each other, severing both the skeleton’s head and backbone simultaneously.
Brock slammed the last one into the wall, causing it to drop its sword. In a single movement, Brock sidestepped and slammed his sword into the skeleton’s neck. The headless body dropped to the ground.
A cackle echoed down the tunnel ahead of them.
Galin gripped his sword tight. “Let’s go.”
Three skeletons ran into the huge cavern where Balan was waiting. “Master, they are coming.”
Balan smiled. “Time to bring out the chimera.”
A tiny drop fell from the stalactite onto Galin’s face. “Look,” he said, pointing at the large opening into a well-lit cavern.
“What are we waiting for?” Ellis asked. “You are always stopping and looking and listening. Just go.”
Brock shook his head. “No, there’s no more cackling. There’s something wrong. I’ve got a bad feeling.”
“A trap?” Galin asked.
Keya nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”
“What do we do?” Jena asked.
Galin smiled. “We spring it.”
Ellis rolled his eyes. “Hurry up already,” he said as he rushed inside with daggers in each hand.
“Bastard,” Galin said as he chased after him.
Ellis laughed as he twirled his daggers in his hands. “I knew it! Cowards.”
Keya looked around. “I…I don’t understand.”
Jena, with her sword drawn, moved next to Galin. “Where are they?”
Galin moved forward. “Did we go the right way?” He led everyone further into the immense cavern. Stalactites decorated the ceiling. Throughout the cavern floor were islands of stalagmites. Torches, mounted inside sconces, lined the walls. The further they moved inside, the more spread out they got.
A mass of cackling suddenly erupted from behind them.
Galin whipped around. Thirteen skeletons with glowing eyes cut off their escape. Their bones were slightly green and their eyes were a bright blue. “Are these different?”
Ellis looked down at his daggers. “This sucks.” He immediately started looking around for another weapon.
Jena looked right at Keya. “Mother, can I do that spell you did before?”
Keya’s mouth dropped. “I don’t think it will work on these. These are not normal skeletons.”
Galin moved forward. “We can do this.” He focused his anger. The tiny electrical arcs jumped across his skin. His sword began to glow. Galin raised his sword and charged in.
Jena, with her short sword at the ready, ran towards the skeletons.
Eight skeletons charged straight at Galin and Jena with their axes and swords raised. The remaining five stayed back near the only exit.
As one skeleton swung at Brock, he dropped to ground. In a single motion Brock kicked the feet from underneath it and slammed the hilt of his sword into its skull, smashing it to pieces.
Jena leaped at the skeleton who thrust its sword towards Keya. “Mother!” She batted it away.
Keya slammed her two short swords on its right shoulder, cutting right through its spine. It collapsed on the ground.
“What the hades?” Ellis said as threw a dagger at a skeleton. It went right through its right eye socket and embedded itself into the back of its skull.
The skeleton raised its ax and charged at Ellis.
“This really sucks!” Ellis yelled as he tackled the skeleton, slamming it on the ground.
As soon as the skeleton hit the ground, the ax flew from its grip.
Ellis snatched it up and split the skeleton’s skull in half. He spun it around in his hand. “I could get used to this one.”
Galin’s glowing sword sliced two skeletons in half with ease.
“Roar!” a deep raspy voice echoed throughout the cavern.
The skeletons jumped back.
Galin whipped around.
It had a lion’s head with a scorpion-like tail and a dragon body. Its enormous body had a bright-blue glow, just like the skeletons’ eyes.
Brock hacked off the head of another skeleton.
Ellis slammed his ax into the side of another. “Galin, we’ll get these, while you get that.”
Jena looked at her mother.
“I’m with you,” Keya said as she moved next to her daughter.
“What is it?”
“The gnome summoner must be around here somewhere,” Keya said. “Those are not undead.”
Ellis picked up his daggers. “I’ll find him, while you distract that,” he said, pointing at the chimera. He disappeared around a stalagmite.
Brock broke another one. “Keya, help me.”
Keya’s sorrowful eyes looked right at Jena. “I’m sorry.” She rushed to Brock’s side.
Galin and Jena moved towards the chimera.
“What do we do?” Jena asked.
Galin shook his head. “Nyna always said think defense first.”
“And that means what?”
Galin grinned. “Follow me.” He focused his rage towards the creature, even more than he did with the skeletons. His skin glowed brighter and his sword became almost a bright white. He rushed in on its left.
Jena, with her short sword at the ready, charged in on the right.
The chimera’s right claw backhanded Galin into a stalagmite, knocking off the top.
Jena slammed her short sword into its right front leg. Her sword bounced off its leg, as if it was made of solid rock. “It’s not real!”
Galin shook his head. His mouth dropped as the chimera’s scorpion-like tail reeled back. “Jena!” Its stinger slammed into her leg. Her blood spewed on the cavern floor as the chimera retrieved its stinger. His heart pounded. He had to save her.
“Jena!” Keya yelled as she charged towards her daughter.
“Sire, watch out!” Brock yelled.
The chimera’s left claw swiped at him.
He sidestepped and slashed it with his glowing sword. Nothing. It bounced off. There must be a way to kill it! Must be! That’s the only way he could save Jena.
The stinger bore down on Galin.
He batted it aside with his sword. More power, he must summon more power. His anger turned to rage, his rage turned into hatred. The white arcs dancing along his skin turned red. He felt his skin burning, but he didn’t care.
The chimera smacked Keya away. She hit her head on a rock, knocking her unconscious.
Galin looked over at Keya.
As its claw swiped at Galin, his sword nicked its claw. He couldn’t keep this up. His skin was on fire. Black spots started to appear. Must calm down, I must control it. He willed his power back down.
After he killed the last skeleton, Brock rushed at the chimera.
“Over here!” Galin rolled to the side as the stinger came crashing down, missing him.
The chimera yanked on its stinger, but it was stuck into the rock.
Galin swung his white-glowing sword at the tail and it bounced off. He needed more power, but his body couldn’t take it. “How do we kill it?”
It broke its stinger free from the rock and squared off with Galin.
Brock dodged its claw. “We’ve got to kill the summoner.”
Ellis! Where was Ellis? Galin threw a rock at the chimera, hitting it square in the forehead. “Come here, stupid!” As soon as it started towards him, Galin ran deeper into the cavern. “Ellis?” He weaved between stalagmites as the three-legged creature lumbered after him. “Where is he?”
The chimera swiped at Galin. It missed and took out a stalagmite.
“Over here!” Ellis yelled. “He’s got me!”
Galin bolted around a boulder, following Ellis’ voice.
The chimera’s stinger nearly hit Galin’s foot.
Twenty yards away, Ellis was hogtied in the corner. Balan’s face turned white as Galin charged at him.
The chimera leaped at Galin from behind the boulder.
Galin grabbed Balan by the shoulders, dropping both of them to the ground.
Its tail reeled back.
“Galin, watch out!” Ellis yelled.
Galin rolled over with Balan on top of him.
The chimera’s stinger skewered the gnome. As his life left him, the chimera froze. Piece by piece, the rock chimera fell to the ground, turning to dust on impact.
He untied Ellis. “Jena’s hurt.” Galin ran back to Jena.
Keya was already leaning over Jena. Her spell component bag was already out. Tears flowed down her cheeks. “I can’t cure her!”
Galin hoisted Jena into his arms. “Maybe someone at Vebaco can.” He carried her out of the cave.
Tasar watched the small band ride towards Vebaco from behind a tree. He sighed. “Can’t trust a gnome to do a Dark Elf’s job.” His thin lips curled. “Next time.”