Even though she had heard the magical scream before, Madeleine's heart skipped a beat upon hearing it. The scream came from a distance, but in the quiet dark of the pitch black tunnels off the store room in which they rested, it carried loud and clear to them, followed by the sound of running feet and something screaming. Madeleine was up, squatting around the small fire that they had lit, and the scream made the others stire from their slumber with quiet groans.
"Did you see anything?" Naruel's voice whispered in her ear. "Something triggered a rune?"
"Nothing." Madeleine whispered in response. In the pitch black Madeleine had waited for any hints of a light source carried by travelers but had seen none.
"I don't think the allies of the cult trigger the runes," contributed Wing, also stirring from his rest. "Though just because they are not allies of the cult does not mean they are friends of ours."
"Wait?" Madeleine asked.
Naruel considered it for a moment, then shook her head and pulled her battle mask over her face. "No, Wing, conjure a light. Lets go find whatever triggered that trap."
* * * *
Whoever had triggered the trap was very quiet. The darkness of the halls posed a real problem for the group, as any light that they could use to illuminate the area would also give up their position but they needed the light both to make their way and to avoid the trap runes in the halls. They finally settled on relying solely on Wing's light cantrip being cast ahead of them, which would give away their general location but would not actually reveal any of them, who remained in darkness.
Slowly they made their way until they stood at the entrance of the room directly next to the stairway Balgrom had originally led them down into the set of tunnels. Wing illuminated the room -- amidst the scattered pieces of the zombies they had dismembered and dragged into the room -- they saw a figure turn and face their direction for a moment. He would have been a handsome young man in his late teens, if it were not for his reddish hue, horns and solid orbs of silver where a man's eyes would be.
"A tiefling," muttered Farad, recognizing his race's ancient enemy.
"Stop him so we can question him," hissed Madeleine to Wing.
Wing's ice bolt flew through the air, but with uncanny speed the figure darted out of the light and through an exit on the opposite side and the bolt shattered harmlessly against the wall, sending sparks of ice and blue fire in all directions.
"After him," cried Madeleine and ran to follow.
Madeleine, closely followed by the others, emerged into a dimly lit stone crypt. Massive sarcophagi lined the walls of the crypt, five pairs facing one another, granite and containing relief images of human warriors in plate. To the east the crypt opened into a higher, wider area from which emanated a starry glow.
"Be careful, something's wrong!" warned Farad, one of the last ones to enter the room.
The figure they had been chasing stood in between the first set of massive sarcophogi. Turning upon their entrance into the room, the tiefling cried out, "Oh, its you! I thought it was goblins. I've been sent from Lord Padraig of Winterhaven to find you ..."
The rest of his speech was drowned out by concussive bangs that rang throughout the crypt as the sarcophagi slammed open. Clattering, clicking noises grew louder and bony hands emerged to grab the sides of the stone coffins.
"Never mind that! Defend yourself!" Madeleine cried, drawing her greatblade as skeletons emerged from the tombs, rusted but intact longswords in hand. The tiefling wheeled and with a single motion drew a short sword. Madeleine was relieved to see that, for his sake, whether friend or foe, he was armored in well-maintained leather.
"Something is odd about this place ..." noted Farad in his deep voice as he hefted his warhammer.
"Did the walking dead give it away, my boy?" Bailyn replied.
Naruel dropped her longbow and unsheathed her blades as skeletons emerged from the sarcophagi nearest her. She spun around and struck, but her blade was blocked by the undead's longsword. Though they were minor, the skeletons drew blood with their blades and, as an arrow nicked her, she asked incredulously "These things can shoot arrows?"
His way unobstructed by allies, Wing conjured a fan of fire that lit up the skeletons that had emerged from the sarcophagi west of them, maintaining the spell even as one avoided the flames and struck at him.
The tiefling dodged under a sweeping blow and sent one skeleton clattering into pieces with a skillful strike of his blade, drawing an appreciative glance from Madeleine, who tore another asunder with a mighty blow that cleft another in twain, while a third crumbled as Farad impaled it with a javelin.
"Not bad!" called out Madeleine, but before the tiefling could respond a blade wielding skeleton warrior, his corpse still covered with some sinew and bone, darted in and slashed the tiefling, who cried out in surprise and pain. Another skeleton of the same ilk, seemingly hardier than the others, sent Madeleine crashing to the ground as she dodged to avoid being beheaded by the creatures' attack.
The group had already destroyed a handful of creatures, but more were emerging from the sarcophagi.
Farad seemed distracted, looking toward the crypt as it opened up to the east. Stepping over broken skeletal remains and manuevering past the stone sarcophagi, he saw that the illumination emanated from silvery-white light from a domed wide portion of the crypt. Atop the dome was a fantastic, regal dragon with silver scales in flight across an endless sky. Farad roared in recognition, "'Tis Bahamut!"
The tiefling brought down another, but his breathing was heavy and strained. Madeleine leaned over to the young man -- "I know not who you are, but for now, we fight together. I have your back!" The tiefling smiled in appreciation, though he said nothing. Madeleine started at his fanged teeth.
Bailyn smashed two of the more decrepit skeletons in one blow and Wing and Naruel each brought down another, but even more were emerging, and the two hardier skeletons were pressing their attack on the tiefling and Madeleine.
"Cover me!" Farad yelled and ran towards the east. One of the skeletal warriors, with uncanny speed, struck at the passing paladin, the blade making a terrible ripping sound as it cut through metal and flesh. Farad staggered, but then kept on running.
Madeleine pressed the attack against one of the hardier skeletons, supported by Naruel's arrows and Wing's magic, while the tiefling parried and riposted against the other. Bailyn swung his maul in a mad rage, trying to strike down the corpses that continued to arise from various sarcophagi. The floor became dark and slick with blood from their wounds as well as from the gristle and bone of their undead opponents.
Farad stood in front of one of two altars, inscribed in verses exalting Bahamut in draconic and carved with soldiers in plate armor in prayer in relief behind each.
"What is your dragon friend doing?!" hissed the tiefling to Madeleine. "We need help -- these creatures are spawning as fast as we kill them!"
"Trust us," Madeleine replied, though she too looked dubiously at the paladin standing motionless east of them.
Farad knelt, praying the inscription.
The Platinum Dragon is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my armor against the foes of life -- I need only kneel and offer him praise.
The crypt went from dimly to brightly lit as the silver-white light increased in intensity. The undead, so intent on the group's destruction a moment before, ceased attacks and turned to return to the sarcophagi. Madeleine raised her blade to strike one from behind, but Wing warned her against it. "Who knows what might break the return enchantment," he warned.
Soon the group was alone in the crypt. Farad rose. "Keegan lies in the tomb beyond. I must investigate. But first ..." He looked at the tiefling.
* * * *
The tiefling looked and realized that the others had surrounded him. While no weapons were unsheathed, hands rested close to hilts and wands. He raised his hands and looked at each one of them with his silvery orbs. "I pose you no threat. I am Vorthos of Winterhaven -- a scout in Lord Padraig's service. Two of my comrades and I were sent to find you. We need your aid."
"How did you know we were here? We told no one of our goings?" demanded a woman clothed head to toe in dark greens and browns, longbow slung upon her back.
"Yes, but Ninaran saw you leave the town and deduced that you might be found here. I helped fight off those creatures with you -- and you, you fought alongside of me. I did not betray you," Vothros explained, looking at Madeleine as he finished his point.
Green eyes looked at him throughfully as the brown haired young woman in battered chain mail regarded him, hands on her hips. "That is true. But even enemies may temporarily unite beside a common foe."
"How do we know you are not a spy. We have reason to blieve there is a spy in Kalarel." Vothros turned as the dark-haired Eastern mage asked him a question.
"Who is Kalarel?" Vothros responded. He drew his shortsword in one quick smooth motion as he heard the sound of a maul scraping against the ground.
"Ach, not this again!" roared Bailyn, brandishing his maul. "First the fat goblin and now an infernal blooded bladesman! if you are of no use to use ..."
"Do not threaten me, sir dwarf. You may outnumber me but I will make you suffer," hissed Vothros.
Farad's massive plate armored body stepped in front of Vothros and Bailyn, hands outstretched. "There is no need for violence."
"I have come to tell you that Lord Padraig and the town need you. An undead blight has beset Winterhaven. The graveyard is overrun and they threaten the town. Some worried that you caused this evil, but others believe in you. Seeing how you treat me, I wonder."
"Calm Vorthos. I apologize. You are right to be so aggravated -- I too know how it is to be judged falsely," responded Farad.
"We have risked much. We were captured by goblins and one of my friends slain and another captured upon our approach to the ruins. We must recue my captured friend -- he is a good man, well liked in the town and my personal friend.
"Yet he escaped. How convenient," whispered Madeleine to Wing, who gestured at her to keep quiet.
The group was quiet for a moment, until Naruel broke the silence. "Well, what do we think?"
"If what Vorthos said is true, that others from Winterhaven have been captured that were seeking us, they need to be rescued before they give up our presence." Wing suggested.
"I think .. that I must first investigate Lord Keegan's tomb on the other side of this crypt, and then we will decide how to proceed." Farad responded. Madeleine and Wing nodded in agreement and Naruel and Bailyn stood silent and indifferent.
"Three to two. Not the most overwhelming of votes, but I guess I don't die, huh?" Vorthos said, sheathing his blade. Farad turned to enter the next room.
Madeleine clapped him on the shoulder, "not yet, anyway. Welcome to the team."
Twelve
"Keegan's dead. What are we doing here?" Madeleine whispered to Wing as they entered the smaller final room in the crypt. The raised dais held a single coffin, a warrior in plate armor with a sword laid across his chest, point toward his feet, carved upon the lid.
"Not sure. Different ways to commune with the dead," Wing answered. "But be on your guard."
Farad stepped forward and knelt in front of the coffin. He began to pray, silently.
The room was silent.
He prayed out loud.
Still nothing.
"Maybe we should peek inside?" The tiefling suggested.
The silence became more pronounced as Farad stopped from his prayer to look at Vorthos.
"Just joking," Vorthos protested.
After various other prayers resulted in nothing, Farad shook his head. "I do not know how to put him to rest, though I sense he is uneasy. Perhaps we must destroy this Kalarel. Let us go."
As they turned to leave, the heavy lid of the coffin exploded in a flurry of dust. A humanoid skeleton girded in ornate plate armor emerged from the cloud, pointing an ornate longsword at them, the empty sockets of its skull pointed right at them.
"The rift must never be re-opened!" Sir Keegan said, "State your business or prepare to die!"
Madeleine gave a low whistle of appreciation.
Farad turned towards the skeletal knight. He bowed. "Brother, I am Farad, fellow initiate of Bahamut. We have come to redeem you."
Sir Keegan's ghostly voice echoed through the chamber. "I am beyond redemption, whoever you are, and the evil that corrupted me threatens to corrupt you. Why should I not slay you to keep you from the same fallen path!"
Vorthos felt a firm hand in his wrist as he brought his hand to his hilt. The ranger, Naruel, shook his head at him.
"Whatever has befallen you, I can sense that you ache to return to the road of righteousness that all paladins aspire to. You will not slay us. We seek to stop interlopers who are seeking to reopen the rift. Search your senses -- I have faith that Bahamut will grant you good judgment even now to tell friend from foe."
The skeletal knight was silent for a moment. Then the eyeless skull turned to regard Wing. "You, wizard born from those in eastern lands, unnatural forces abound in this place. Are you equipped to overcome them?"
Wing paused, then stepped forward, summoning a light into his hand at the same time. "I am still early in my training but I recognize that there are powerful forces at work here. I believe that with the aid of my friends, we can overcome them collectively, and I will lend my arcane talents to that effort."
"I fell alone in the dark. Allies are important." The skeletal knight surveyed them, then turned to face Naruel, "Half-elf, your cold blue eyes seem observant, but may also hide ulterior motives. What do you see before you?"
Naruel hesitated, then answered "I see a hero trying to right past wrongs, corrupted by dark forces."
"False!" cried the skeleton, dust and grime shifting as he swung his blade and hit the ground in front of him. "No hero here ... only a fiend damned to eternal torment! Perhaps you are not worthy!"
"Wing gives better answers than you, Nary," whispered Madeleine. "I hope we don't have to fight him."
"Wait," Vorthos said, stepping forward, "do not judge us so quickly, sir knight. I was just a lad when you fell and I acknowledge that the darkness of your sins may never be washed fully away in this world. But as another who always bears darkness within him, I know that even those who live with darkness can tell friend from foe -- look at us truly. What are we?"
Sir Keegan regarded him with a creaky turn. "Tiefling, you remember my fall?"
"Yes, I remember they say you killed your wife and children ..."
A rending shriek filled the anteroom as Sir Keegan dropped his longsword and grasped his head. "Yes! I remember! What darkness touched me!"
"That can not be undone, but do not do more ill by harming those who would have been your allies in another better time. Help us!" Vorthos urged.
The skeleton sat heavily on the coffin from which he had emerged, hands still cradling his skull.
"I am past redemption. But perhaps I can grant you aid. I cannot leave this crypt, but Aecris can," the skeletal knight said, gesturing at his longsword. "Perhaps this elegant weapon, unlike me, can be redeemed. I give it to you that you might purge this keep of those who seek to open the rift."
The skeletal warrior stood up, picked up the sword, still gleaming after years in the dust, and presented its hilt to Madeleine. "Take it, swordswoman. I see in your heart valor and loyalty, but guard yourself lest it become recklessness and cold-heartedness against strangers."
"Seek Bahamut's boon at the altars outside and perhaps our lord too will grant you aid. I see that devotion to Bahamut burns in your heart and it may save you from corruption, but remember that devotion can easily be corrupted into fanaticism and inflexibility," he addressed Farad.
"Go," he commanded. "I hope for all of us that if you are successful that we will not meet again in this world."
They left the anteroom and as they closed the doors the darkness fell like a curtain over the sight of the skeletal warrior standing astride his coffin, silent as the grave.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment