The Temple of Elemental Evil: Dungeons & Dragons: Greyhawk, Book 3 Written by Thomas M. Reid

[Music] audible frontiers presents the temple of elemental evil book three of dungeons and dragons greyhawk classics written by thomas m reid narrated by bernard sotero clark prologue the smoke from two incense-laden braziers hung heavy in the air giving the small but comfortable room a warm pungent atmosphere the dim light from the braziers combined with the fire burning in the fireplace on the far wall filled the room with long flickering shadows dressed only in black silk pants hedrack high priest of the elemental temple reclined in his plush chair his feet propped upon his writing desk conquest obedience and command lay open in his lap but he paid little notice to the book instead his attention was turned to the high ermine-covered bed in the corner where his twin beauties lay mika dozed sprawled naked on her stomach atop the furs her face was hidden by the waves of ebony hair cascading across it estelle sitting cross-legged on the bed next to mika with one of the furs loosely draped across a shoulder watched head rack she leaned forward one arm propped upon her knee her chin cradled in her hand and gazed at her master through heavy eyelids a contented half smile curved on her lips her own dark hair was thrown back leaving her slender white neck and wand delectable shoulder bare hedrick watched estelle's drowsy face for a moment saw her lids flutter once twice as she struggled to keep her eyes open good he thought always obedient she would struggle to remain awake to carry out any command he might choose to issue knowing failure would be painful even with the threat of punishment though in her charmed state either girl would jump to obey for the chance to please her master thus he did not often have to punish and they pleased me well tonight hadrak thought with an inward smile always reward obedience he reminded himself rereading those words on the open page before him sleep he told estelle she smiled then slid down the bed and curled up beside mika throwing the fur across both of them in a moment her breathing matched that of the other girl slow and steady hadrak turned back to his book intending to refocus his attention when a small bell sitting upon his writing desk chimed once he rose from his chair and threw a silk robe over his shoulders the black garment bore a symbol of a jawless golden skull on the breast and a horned skull in red on the back after donning his black silk slippers hedrack moved to the door slipped the lock back and opened it he stepped into a large room furnished with a massive table and many chairs then pulled the door shut behind him and locked it again the high priest turned to look at the guard standing in this meeting room the creature its two heads rising more than twice hadrak's own height stood straight watching the man with no small amount of fear in its two pairs of eyes master one of the heads said while the other called out lord hedrack and the ettin bowed deus armor hedrack replied addressing each head separately how stands the watch the watch stands ever ready deus and alma replied in unison very good hadrax said as he turned and made his way out of the room no one goes in no one comes out as always behind him the aton nodded and saluted one hand to each forehead hedrack moved into the hallways of his underground headquarters walking with ease and confidence except for the occasional troll standing guard the temple was quiet this evening the high priest was in a good mood and his thoughts strayed back to mika and estelle awaiting him in his bed as he made his way to the greater temple chambers he found himself craving their embrace smiling his steps quickened hadrak passed through several more chambers and into a great room with many passages fanning out to either side he made his way past these side halls and up a large set of steps to a deus there he passed through a strange shimmering purple curtain that seemed alive writhing and undulating as he pushed through it he emerged in a smaller private chamber with three altars a faint pearly glow emanated from a set of descending stairs and to either side black curtains blocked off small alcoves settling himself between the three altars hedrack went to his knees and prayed it was not long before he felt a presence in his mind a strong and powerful personality that radiated beautiful black malice my lord is hedraq said to the presence inside his head i am your mouth i pronounce your wishes to the world you will tread beneath your feet you called my lord yes the god replied bathing head rack in his energy of hatred my loyal servant how fairs your progress edrax smiled for he loved bringing his deity good news my lord things progress better than expected my commander in the field reports additional troops within the week and many more soon to follow he also sends fresh sacrifices well and good ears said his grating voice reverberating through the high priest's mind we shall soon lay claim to the entire region and that fat toad belvorin kendall will not know what to do when i comet him from both north and south it will be a war the likes of which he has never seen it will be a glorious day my lord ewes any progress in finding her andrak nodded having fully expected to be asked this question only a little my lord the throne i spoke of before i have discovered that she can feel me and i her when i sit upon it we have begun a tentative communication in this way and she calls for freedom though she seems how shall i say this not all there as though she is in the midst of a deep slumber and only a part of her is aware of me i have forestalled her assuring her that you labor to free her i think it satisfies her for the moment as you instructed i have not sent diggers to search for her hidden chambers yet excellent my loyal one ewes replied however i think it is time to find her and free her my lord i thought you wish to leave her be did you not say that having the promise of her rather than the reality of her would keep the temples faithful to her and obedient to you i did but i have discovered activities on other fronts powers that move against us we no longer have the luxury of keeping her promise of power locked away it is time we took it out and wielded it others terrible one yes he has taken notice and even now sends his servants to medal that is all the mustachioed fop in his silly hat will do for the moment but now that he takes an active interest we must be ready for more from him you yourself said that it would be unavoidable to draw his attention great use as he meddled too soon no but we must not hesitate begin the digging find her awaken her and also intercept his servants destroy them send a clear message to any others he might think to send make them fear to come this way i hear and obey my lord i will catch them and send them into the very plains themselves good i want him to lose hope go now and do these things yes lord use as quickly as it had come the presence departed from hedrax mind the high priest opened his eyes and stood again looking around the room he spotted the descending stairs the pearly white glow coming from below and walked down them the gentle pale illumination radiated from a column of light in the center of the room suffusing the place the walls of the circular chamber were entirely encrusted with precious stones arranged to form the image of rich farmland as seen from the battlements of a great structure beings from every direction were bowing in homage to the viewer hedrack moved to the center of the chamber and passed into the column of light inside he found himself facing a silvery throne covered with more of the gems this throne was completely bathed in the milky glow moving toward the throne hedrack took a deep breath and seated himself instantly the high priest felt the presence of her mind within his own it was similar to the manner in which his own master visited him but in some ways quite different where eus was aware and penetrating she seemed sluggish comatose hadrak tried to awaken her to get her attention she reacted slowly as if she were engulfed in a sea of molasses but she did respond you are back she said recognizing him from before that pleased him yes i seek you your whereabouts the lord use and i come to free you i am here in this place but you must help me you must remember how you got there it is difficult i see men coming my beloved tells me to run i flee where i can't remember but there is something golden a key yes a key you must find the key a key what key what is this key what does it do it will free me you must find it yes i will but where where is the key and where is the lock a golden it is key the contact with her shattered she was too drained to continue with the struggle to remember to stay conscious pursing his lips in a slight frown hadrax stood and left the column of light a golden key edrack thought and she remembered me perhaps there is progress he smiled feeling pleased as he headed out of the gem encrusted chamber he considered whether he should order barkinar commander of the temple troops to begin exploratory digging in an attempt to find her no he decided soon but not yet still the temples rail against each other i must force them to accept one another before i free her then nothing will stand against us not this time in the meantime i will simply find out about this golden key still smiling hedrack returned to his chambers where his lovely mika and estelle lay waiting for him one ragged clouds hung low among the easternmost crown hills drifting damply and obscuring the tree-lined ridges like the hoary tattered wisps of rao's beard as though the god of peace were passing there the drizzle laden sky had deepened into the purple of dusk and only a steely gray glow in the west still resisted the coming of night amid the rain-soaked oak and ip trees lining the valley between those hills two horses bearing riders plodded through the endless puddles of a deeply rutted road the rear rider a stout staff of ironshot wood tied across the saddle in front of him shivered as rivulets of chill rain seeped through the heavy oiled cloak he wore trickling under the edge of his oversized hood and slithering maddeningly down his neck for the hundredth time he tugged the hood forward and hunched more tightly into himself slumping further down into the saddle and trying to hide from the soft rain that had been pummeling him and his companion since mid-morning he sighed saddle weary after three days riding through the westernmost part of the gnarly forest and clicked his tongue to his mount signaling a sense of urgency that his posture belied the horse snorted once and ignored the command for haste its hoofs splashing incessantly through the shallow muddy water lanathane please tell me we're going to reach this village tonight the rider said to the figure ahead of him tell me we're almost to this homeless he shook the rain free of his hood once more yes sean hazel the man in front of him said over his shoulder we should reach hamlet in another hour at most then lanathan laughed you know you've always told me elves have the patience to sit and watch a tree grow you'll seem awfully eager to be where we're going yesterday you were complaining that we should never have left the gnarly i just need a warm hearth and a drypad shan havel muttered of course i'd much preferred if it were my bed lanathan laughed again a rich warm chuckle that glowed with genuine affection what you don't want to spend another night huddled on the cold ground in the rain oh bow comb shan havel snorted don't be silly why be back home warm and dry when we can be out here who knows where traveling to a wide place in the road that isn't even on most maps he sighed again thinking of home hmm a roof over our heads would do me good lanathan replied his voice low and muffled now this weather seems to seep into my bones shandhavel could hear the weariness in his teacher's voice you still haven't explained to me why we're traveling to this place lanathane sighed some tales are best left untold you know shanhavil frowned puzzled by his mentor's words what tale what are you talking about lanathan sighed again something i had fervently hoped i would never have to talk about again not with anyone the older man paused for a moment as if considering there is a wizard in hamlet an old friend of mine bern and i were very close once we survived a war together a war what war you might remember it it wasn't so long ago at least it would not seem so to you i'd wager a powerful temple a walled fortress really had risen it was a dark and horrific place dedicated to worship of the elements and to foul demons too i left you for a time and told you to watch over the village while i was gone i remember shane havel replied i heard the stories that came back with the traitors the army of the temple was soundly defeated if i recall and the temple raised it was only a decade ago i never realized you were a part of it you never spoke of it yes well it wasn't something i liked to think about much less talk to others about not even to you i hope you never have to experience such a thing but i digress the older man continued burn and i rode together serving the marshall of fariandi himself prince thromel who was in command of the army marching to oppose the temple we were part of a special company his personal retinue in a manner of speaking we had a special and very dangerous job we were needed to counter the dark magic of the temple leaders and the fiends they served as awful as it was it was a glorious time too lanathan seemed lost in his memories his voice was far away in a younger day all the members of that company grew close under the prince war made us more than just comrades we became friends some of those friends of mine died that day his voice grew dark and troubled but that's neither here nor now but this is more than a social visit isn't it shane havel said you have some other reason for going to see this burn yes he needs my help with something we didn't finish during that battle and it's time to finish it now it's burns tale to tell though you'll see in good time i hope his tale is worth sleeping on the wet ground shane havel grumbled dissatisfied with his mentor's abrupt ending to the story i'd rather be sleeping in my own bed tonight too but i made a promise and i'm going to see the promise fulfilled the older man sounded weary the elf looked at lanathan's back hunched low in the saddle the older man seemed even more stooped than he remembered we should both be at home shanhavil told himself not out here in this mess in his mind's eye shanhavil saw lanathan walking through the forest village of home with a stoop and a slight limp smiling to everyone he met along the way when did you grow so old where did those years go it seemed like only a few seasons since lanathane had taken chanhavel in and begun to teach the orphaned elf child his craft of magic chanhavel felt as though he had barely scratched the surface of his studies that it was only a few short months ago he had tried his first simple cantrips lanathane had worn a much younger face then and there had been no stooped shoulders no limp lanathan had spent most of his life with his pupil the older man had devoted himself to teaching and the student had been there since nearly the beginning older man shan havel thought with rye amusement he's not really that much older perhaps a decade or so not really old at all and yet lanathan was old it made shane havel sad to look at the man in front of him hunched low on his horse as they rode through the rain and the last remnants of the day he realized that their roles had reversed now he was taking care of the old man looking out for lanathan just as lanathan had done for him years ago we don't have many of those two short years left to spend together the elf thought it'll be gone soon i should make the most of the time we do still have left chanhal forced his thoughts back to the present they can't ride in the dark they elf told himself they'll have to stop soon or i'll have to lead him he shook himself sending a cascade of droplets spraying to the near darkness at that moment a vague half voice little more than a thought intruded into his mind and he realized it had been there for several moments nudging him trying to get his attention bad things a branch snapped somewhere ahead near the trail and shane havel froze pulling his mouth to a stop lanathan hold on he called as his teacher reigned in the elf listened barely breathing such a fool shan havel berated himself as he watched and waited letting your guard down to listen to nostalgic tales and to argue where he thought sending his silent question to the trees above speaking to the mind that had spoken to him hiding in the trees the back of his neck prickled but chanhal heard nothing more so he raised himself in his stirrups and shoved his hood back for a better look around his eyes shimmered and glowed faintly reflecting the faintest remnants of western light revealing the unmistakable shape and lavender hue of his grey elven heritage having stared so long at nothing more than the back of lanathan's horse and the muddy road those eyes now scanned the purple gloom without difficulty spying shape where there should be darkness grayish light where only deep shadow should hang what is it lanathane asked as he guided his horse beside shane havels ormil spotted something ahead the elf replied his voice low he said there were bad things i don't see anything but i heard a twig pop you did i haven't heard a thing that's because you're as deaf as a newell post champion whispered still watching he saw no menace but he caught scent of something something foul his horse must have smelled it as well for it wickered and tossed its head shh chanhavel whispered running his hand along the horse's mane to calm it he was straining to see and hear but was still unable to detect anything long moments passed but there was only the patter of rain as it pelted the broad leaves of the ips towering around him after a moment chanhal mentally commanded show me from overhead there was the briefest rustle and as the elf looked up a red-tailed hawk its wings spread wide glided down shooting past his shoulder and a head following the road it pulled up near a large tree perhaps 30 paces further down settling onto a large branch about 15 feet above the ground as its talon feet grasped the rough bark of the tree limb it screeched loudly here it whispered into shane havel's mind hiding the elf was just about to open his mouth and suggest that they turn their horses and head back the way they had come when he heard another fallen branch crack and then there was the unmistakable sound of a bow being drawn tight at the same time something crashed out from the underbrush fly chanhal cried as he heard the twang of an arrow but the hawk was already in motion lunging off the branch and diving low to gain speed rapidly then gliding inches off the ground it was past the two riders and up into the branches above in a heartbeat the arrow lanced through the oak leaves where the hawk had been slicing a few free of the branch and sending them floating wetly to the ground chanhal caught a glimpse of several shapes swarming out from where they had been hiding behind the trunks of trees the elf caught a glimpse of tall bodies with oddly shaped heads a broad-bladed axe was in the hands of the nearest attacker but chanhal was already dismounting tossing his staff down to the muddy road and cursing as he swung out of the saddle come on he growled at lanathan as he tugged the reins swinging his horse around to use it as a shield between the two of them and the ambush lanothane was leaning low in the saddle and trying to swing a frayer leg back but his horse was panicked and with a frightened winnie it reared up on its hind legs and dumped its rider to the ground lanathan toppled into the mud and rolled to one side run chanhal shouted as he fought to maintain control of his own frightened mount at the same time reaching to grab hold of the reins of lanathan's horse the approaching figures fully a half dozen of them had fanned out along the road and were closing at least two wielded bows and were taking aim chanhevel felt an arrow whisk past his shoulder and he detected a soft grunt of pain from lanathan filled the elf let him be all right he prayed abandoning his efforts to control the horses shane havel released them both letting them charge away in terror lanathan's mount reared and lunged forward colliding with one of the creatures which shouted what sounded like a curse knowles shane havel recognized the creature's language this close to the edge of the forest this near civilization he shook his head and dismissed the thought as he spun toward where lanathan had rolled seeking to aid the injured man and went sprawling into the mud he had stepped squarely on his own staff and it had rolled out from underneath him he landed awkwardly on both hands and wrenched one shoulder while the other arm slipped in the slick dampness of the road and shot out from beneath him he went face down into the mud chanhal rolled sputtering and trying to wipe the mud free from his eyes with the hem of his cloak move he screamed silently the gnolls had to be almost on him he managed to clean his face enough to open his eyes just in time to see one of the gnolls looming over him with a huge axe raised high overhead gasping in near panic shan havel felt for his staff as he scrambled to avoid being split in two above shane havel the knoll leered and hefted the axe even higher bokob the elf prayed again as he rolled to the side time seemed to come to a near standstill as he kicked himself away from impending slaughter no matter how hard and fast he tried to churn his legs the knoll was never far away striding inexorably closer to him a second creature moved beside the first and peered down at chanhavel watching the elf with an ominous green on its dog-like face the elf's cloak and clothes were now soaked in thick wet mud and tangled about his arms and legs he slipped again and flopped on his back staring skyward as the knoll hesitated apparently savoring the moment the burst of light that shot across shandhavel's field of vision at that moment wasn't nearly as jarring as the concussive blast that accompanied it leaving the elf flailing in the mud blind and death his whole body buzzing painfully he panicked although he knew what had happened for he had seen lanathan's magical bolts of lightning often enough blinded shan havel had no idea if the knolls had been felled by the bolt or was still standing over him about to carve him into tiny mud and blood-covered bits in his frightened floundering chanhal's hand smacked against something hard and he instinctively closed his grip on it it was his staff he realized and he pulled it to himself gripping it for all he was worth and swinging it all about hoping to discourage any potential attacks he could still neither seen or hear although both his vision and hearing seem to be gradually returning after a moment or two the elf realized that it was quiet he could hear the slurping and sucking of the mud beneath his body as he twisted around he stopped moving and listened there were no sounds of battle only the dripping from the surrounding trees and a faint rasping sound shaking his head and wishing he could rub his eyes to try to restore his sight shan havel sat up and peered around as his vision returned lanathan he called worried that more knowles might be nearby there was no answer shane havel scrambled to his feet his eyesight mostly restored burned bodies lay everywhere he moved among them relieved to see that they were all knowles then he spotted his teacher slumped against the bowl of a large oak breathing in ragged rapid gasps chanha leaped across the distance between them and knelt down beside the old man lanathan's breathing was shallow and shane havel could detect a faint gurgling with each breath an arrow had caught him squarely in the back and was protruding from his ribs in front shanhava leaned down close to his teacher's face he could see blood discoloring lanathan's lips no the elf screamed silently why now i have no healing magic lanathan talk to me he said lanathan opened his eyes and looked at shane havel although the elf knew that his own visage was nearly invisible to the man good he thought don't let him see my fear you must go to to hamlet lanathan rasped his voice weak and moist find burn tell him what happened no you're coming too chad havel insisted i'm taking you there just as soon as i can get you on one of the horses lanathane reached up and took hold of shanhavel's arm with his hand the grip was weak and his teacher's fingers trembled no the older man said his voice softer still can't breathe arrow through chanhal could feel the tears welling up in his eyes because he knew what his teacher was saying and he couldn't bear to hear the rest he started to drag a sleeve across his face to keep the tears away but his arm his face everything was covered in mud so he simply let them fall go lanathane said the effort to speak clearly taxing him he coughed his body seizing up with spasms and blood now stained his white beard chanheal could only hold the man feeling lanathan's fingers dig into his arm when the coughing fit subsided the older man continued his voice barely a whisper you can do this burn needs you help as you the old man paused for breath me lanathey no you are my teacher i can't won't serve another shan havel too struggled to breathe feeling as though he was suffocating he felt helpless and his master's words were ripping at his insides the suggestion that the elf serve another was too much it cut too deeply the lump that formed in his throat nearly choked him no serve aid for me see task through another coughing fit gripped lanothane and this time it would not release him as his breath grew more and more shallow the older man gasped his head sagging back until the last cough was little more than a pitiful wheeze and he sighed lying still two on moving shan havel crouched beside his master's body his mind refusing to believe what was before him it could not be they were supposed to spend many more years together this was not how it was supposed to end he shook his head trying to clear his vision of the face of his dead teacher but he could not tear his eyes away no he insisted and shook lanathan once gently he is just unconscious the elf told himself i can revive him not dead not dead no he screamed into the forest loud and long feeling his throat grow hoarse and not caring he screamed it again and grabbed at the hated arrow yanking it free from lanathan's body with his fist clenched around the missile shan havel lunged back and away from lanathan unwilling to look upon his teacher's face any longer his rage burned inside him now white hot anger that made him clench his teeth and ball his free hand into a fist the elf whirled around wanting hoping to spot a knoll on the road one that might have escaped the death of lanathan's bolt of lightning there were none if any had survived they had vanished desperate chanhal peered around listening his breath heaved in his chest and hot tears ran down his face mixing with the mud caked there he could feel his fists shaking from his rage in fury he gripped the arrow even more tightly then flung it away and sank down in the road his mind numb bad things dad ormiel said the thought vaguely coupled with a slight yearning for a mouse to snack upon i still shout for the hunt raised his head and looked around his vision was fine now but the world seemed dull muted lanathan is dead he told the hawk didn't answer but chanhavel sensed the sorrow the bird felt and the hawk cried out a forlorn screech from the branches overhead that echoed into the night damn they all thought feeling the rage inside him reduced to a dull smoldering damn it all to hells he tried to wrap his mind around the meaning behind the words lanathan is dead the elf felt his throat tightening once more and refused to let it overwhelm him instead he stood peering around and focusing his mind on what to do next shutting out for the moment his grief he spotted one of the knolls lamethane had slain moving closer he crouched down for a look gathering in as many details as he could from the blackened charred body it was armed and armored fairly well too chanhevel did not recognize the symbol emblazoned on the beast's black tunic the cloth was burned but the symbol seemed to be a flaming eye of orange he made a mental note of it wondering what tribes he might not be familiar with roamed this part of the gnarly knolls this far west shan havel thought lanathan said we weren't more than another hour even on foot from hamlet there are easily half a dozen other communities scattered around at least according to his map plus we i i'm into the hills now and the gnomes hold solid sway here why would knowles risk ranging this far out of the deep forest maybe this bone in hamlet will know do i go on though why what am i going to do there just walk up and ask for this burn excuse me mr burn but lanathan is dead so i'm here instead they'll think i'm crazy he shook his head in dismissal i'm not going to hamlet yes you are chad havel told himself lanathan wanted it he wanted you to go in his stead the one thing lanathan would have hated the most about dying was leaving an obligation unpaid for a moment the elf was angry again angry with the wizard burn who had needed lanathan for whatever reason angry with lanathan for coming to aid burn and for dying but mostly angry with himself for letting his emotions get so twisted around everything the anger gave way to fresh sorrow because he knew the reason plainly enough it was lanathan's honor that was at stake even in death and shane havel had cared too much for the man in life to taint that so be it the elf told himself i'll go for you lanathan shan havel stood a little way from the road over the shallow grave he had dug for his teacher studying the pile of rocks that covered the body and marked the site to leave lanathan in this spot here in the middle of nowhere had it first seemed wrong but chan havel then remembered that most of all lanathan had loved the forest after that realization it had seemed like the only thing to do the elf hung his head for a moment closed his eyes and recalled the happy times he had spent with this man who had taught him of both magic and friendship goodbye lanathan rest i will serve your cause only then will i go home not before shane havel turned and strode away from the grave pausing at the edge of the trees to listen and peer about one final time wanting to remember this spot this moment the rain had stopped but the sky remained overcast and moisture still dripped steadily from the bows overhead nodding in poignant satisfaction the elf drew the hood of the heavy cloak over his head and moved out onto the road a few hundred paces up the path chanhal found the horses standing quietly now with his walking staff once again tied across the saddle shanhavil freed the reins stepped into the stirrup and swung up onto his mount despite the clouds luna a largest moon had risen she was nearly full and gave the overcast sky a faint glow providing enough light for him to ride from the highest branches of a nearby tree the hawk dropped like a rock then flattened its dive and went gliding silently by in the open area of the road it climbed banked and turned returning to circle the elf once before swooping in and coming to rest on his shoulder shanhavil stroked the creature's neck as the hawk bobbed its head in quick jerky motions eyeing him as if he were a morsel of fleeing food chanhal reached inside another of his many pockets and drew out a strip of dried meat holding it up the hawk eyed it for a mere second before darting its head forward to snag the snack with his avian companion perched upon one shoulder shan havel began his journey traveling for the first time without his teacher his friend riding along the center hump of the road to avoid the bountiful puddles that clustered in the wagon ruts chanhal took an easy pace not wanting to be flung into the mud again should his mount stumble as he rode shane havel considered just how he should introduce himself to the people he met especially this burn fellow you don't want them to dismiss you as a green apprentice he told himself you should be cautious you're not at home anymore don't trust anyone too quickly or easily you need something that sounds impressive subtle but impressive shan havel considered his own full name chanterell gallanhavel which meant child born of the shadow wood in his native elvish well welp is more accurate than child he reminded himself but i'm certainly never telling anyone that i can twist it around a little make it sound more mysterious and powerful i am the spawn of shadows born of night's sweet fold he said softly testing the words i am shane havel he liked what he heard it fit his black mood three after nearly an hour of steady riding shan havel realized the terrain had changed subtly the trees that had lined the road all day were still there flanking it as thickly as before though the underbrush beneath them was now absent replaced by short grasses more importantly was the rail fence that cordoned the trees off from the road it was someone's farm as he swept his gaze farther ahead to spy the open pasture there the elf caught the faint scent of wood smoke with the barest hint of freshly baked bread as if on cue his stomach roiled the body must eat shane havel thought whether i'm interested or not this must be hamlet and even if it isn't it's as far as i'm going tonight the road crested ahead of him to a low rise and when he topped it he spotted the thatched roof of a building peeping over the next ridge to his left beyond the split rails of the fence was the unmistakable uniformity of an orchard to his right was a sweeping pasture and beyond it in the distance half hidden by another line of trees was a stone tower gesturing toward the orchard shan havel whispered in the hawk's mind go rest feed come again with the yes food for me sleep the hawk spread its wings wide pushed free of shanhaville's shoulder and flew toward the orchard shane havel watched it go for a moment then turned his attention back to the final step of his journey eager to get out of the night to some place warm as he drew nearer the first building a well-kept wood and plaster farm house with a sturdy barn beyond it shane havel saw lights in its windows and in several others beyond a dog standing in the doorway of the barn loped halfway to the road barking at his approach and was soon joined by a second both beasts warning the stranger away from their domain when it became obvious to the pair that the traveler was passing on they retreated back into the shelter of the barn ahead of him at what looked to be a crossroads shan havel could see a larger structure two stories tall with light spilling warmly from many of its windows the smoke from the vast buildings several chimneys carried the unmistakable smell of fresh bread smoked fowl and savory seasonings of many types the elf's stomach rumbled again as he rode forward through the open gate and into the yard the glow of two lanterns flanking the door shone brightly upon a large wooden plank displayed prominently overhead the image a smiling maiden showing much of her ample bosom and holding forth a frothy tankard was painted with no small amount of skill upon the plank which glistened wetly from the rain and glowed in the light of the twin lanterns chanhal untied his staff and tossed it down to the ground then dismounted and began unbuckling the strap of both his and lanathan's saddlebags when he had freed them he flung both over his shoulder at that moment a strapping lad of perhaps 16 years came out of the nearby stable he walked across the yard to see to the care of the mounts chanhal dug a silver coin from his pocket and pressed it into the boy's hand the young man smiled and took the reins welcome to homeless the boy said as he turned to lead the horses to the barn and to the inn of the welcome wench mystery skundergoot will have a hot meal a room and a bath the lad eyed shan havel's filthy appearance before continuing waiting for you inside grimacing shane havel nodded and stepped onto the porch and pulled the stout door open letting both the dull buzz of conversation and the warm glow of lantern and fire light spill upon him after so long in the darkness he had to squint a moment before stepping into the building there was a pause in the chatter as he entered knowing that he was a sight caked in mud as he was shane havel stood there for a moment letting his eyes adjust and take in the place most of the patrons realized they were staring and resumed the conversations chen chenhaevel found himself standing in one corner of a large common room filled with rough-hewn tables and benches perhaps a dozen folks sat in various spots some alone and others together dining playing dice or talking several massive tree trunks their bark dark with smoke and age supported the ceiling and the second story above a huge fireplace with a lively crackling blaze nearly filled the opposite wall and several patrons mostly farmers it seemed had gathered near it to smoke their pipes and laugh two young women one with shoulder-length wavy blonde hair and the other a brunette with straight tresses that hung all the way to her waist moved back and forth easily in the half-empty tap room aprons and skirts swishing with the swaying of their hips a slight smile curled up at one corner of the elf's mouth as he watched them serve the patrons a third woman stouter and older than the other two entered through a door behind the bar she held aloft a tray in one hand filled with dishes each containing a puffy pie with rich brown gravy dripping from the edges of the crust in the other hand the woman bore a large platter that held a hunk of white cheese and several loaves of rich brown bread the smell of the hot food wafted over shane havel like a lazy summer breeze and despite his sorrow he realized he was famished he leaned his staff against the corner set his saddlebags down and unfastened his filthy cloak he slipped the hood back shaking his hair free a full mane of silvery locks cascaded down his shoulders in thick waves the tips of his angled pointed ears protruding through the hair matching the narrow swept back features of his face the din of the common room grew quiet a second time and shan havel stopped in the middle of hanging the cloak on a peg near the door to peer over his shoulder wandering what had silenced the room many of the patrons were looking at him the most of them tried not to show it shane havel did a quick inspection of himself wondering what else might be a miss besides the thick mud the blonde serving wench frozen in the act of retrieving an empty platter stared at him wide-eyed her mouth hanging open when she realized that shan havel was staring back at her she gasped lowered her gaze turning away to retreat toward the bar unfortunately in the process of escaping the elf's attention she bumped against one of the large tree trunk pillars and lost her grip on the platter which clattered to the floor everyone turned to look at the poor girl and chan havel was relieved to have the attention diverted elsewhere at that moment the older woman with the meat pies spied shan havel still standing near the door his cloak half hung and strode out from behind the bar toward the two serving girls scolding them severely in low tones and motioning them back to the kitchens her cheeks glowing the blonde hastily dropped to one knee to retrieve the dish and then scurried to the kitchen avoiding looking in shan havel's direction sighing the matronly woman turned to the elf a wide and sincere smile on her face welcome good traveler to the inn of the welcome winch my apologies for leah's rudeness she is a silly girl who should know better than to leave a customer standing in the doorway shane havel waved the woman's apology away as he watched both serving girls disappear into the kitchen he finished hanging up his cloak and replied it's all right although i've never seen people so amazed by someone covered in mud before i may be a bit filthy but you'd think they were looking at a ghost the woman laughed no not the mud good sir she leaned in and spoke a bit lower a more serious expression on her mean i suspect your uh heritage surprised leah we do not have many wood folk visit us even though we see many travelers pass through i apologize i will speak to her about such rudeness tran havel blinked puzzled before he realized the woman was referring to his elven appearance rather than the fact that he hailed from the welkwood he shook his head well good mistress there was no harm done that a seat by the fire and one of those savory-smelling meat pies won't put right he kept the tone of his words warm there was no sense taking his dark disposition out on her the woman's smile returned of course good traveller but please call me glora i'm gloria gundygoot and my husband ostler and i run the welcome wench anything either of us can get for you all you must do is ask i suspect the first thing you'll be wanting is a bath shan havel grabbed his saddlebags as gloro turned to lead him deeper into the welcome wench actually good wife gundagu shan havel said as they crossed the room the woman threw a quick look over his shoulder yes i'm looking for someone a local his name is byrne can you tell me where i might find him gloria's eyes widened but she covered her surprise quickly ah you're the one there waiting for i didn't realize my apologies again master burn and the others are waiting in the back room for you it's this way the woman gestured for shane havel to the back corner of the room toward a door the elf followed her wondering just how many assistant wizards this burn was going to need as he followed the good wife to the door he noticed a trio of men sitting at a nearby table staring at him scowls on their faces the three were in the middle of a game and their dress suggested travelers like him rather than local farmers one a hulking fellow with a scar across the back of one hand openly wore a long dagger on his belt while another a wiry man whose golden hued skin and blue black hair marked him as bakloony was dressed all in crimson he was almost completely bald except for a top knot and wore a slightly contemptuous smile on his face as shan havel and his escort passed their table the third man who was facing the door gloro was approaching leaned out as though trying to gain a better view of what was beyond the portal have they just never been muddy before shane havel wondered certain he did not recognize them maybe they've never seen an elf before cobb what back what a place am i visiting when gloria reached the door she knocked twice pushed it open and poked her head in beyond shane havel could see a good-sized room with a round table and several men sitting around it thick pottery mugs in front of most of them and a sweating pitcher in the middle of the table the smell of tobacco smoke wafted through the open door and a thick haze hung near the ceiling galore said something in a low voice that shan havel could not quite make out then pushed the door open the rest of the way and motioned the elf inside you go right on in and i'll bring you some food sean havel nodded his appreciation as he entered the room it was cozy with a fire built in a hearth on the opposite wall a pair of decorative swords crossed hung over the mantle two lanterns hung from the ceiling to give the place plenty of light laura pulled the door shut as she hurried out the elf stood near the door facing the group of men there were almost a dozen in all sean havel cleared his throat unnerved by the strangers who sat silently staring at him and introduced himself i am shadow he croaked in a gravelly voice choking as he stumbled through his introduction oh bo cobb i sound like a frog he shook his head and tried again i am spawn i mean the shadow of spawns no idiot he silently cursed as the men looked at him obviously confused you're who did you say shadow spawn one of them asked with a twinkle in his eye a younger clean-shaven fellow with a dimpled chin and a mop of unruly brown hair shadow spawn the man barely more than a boy continued that's got quite a ring to it you must be a grey hero the twinkle in the young man's eye grew brighter as several others in the room chuckled along with him no shane havel said disgusted with having just made a fool of himself just shane havel it means shadow the mud caking his clothing only added to the ridiculousness of the situation he realized you've only made yourself out to be a buffoon he silently charted no more fancy speeches just talk the elf blinked knowing his cheeks were glowing red with embarrassment i seek the wizard burn to serve in the stead of my late master lanathan the elf stared at no one as he finished not knowing which man was the wizard he sought and not certain he could hold anyone's gaze anyway feeling as foolish as he did right now the sudden thought that this burn character would find him unsuitable and send him back home with the obligation unsettled made shan havel squirm one of them gasped at the elf's words he was tall muscular and clean shaven with closely cropped straight dark hair chanhevel could see that the man was dressed for traveling complete with a shirt of mail a second man an older fellow with a thick pile of curly hair and rather large ears who was smoking a long stemmed pipe rose from his chair despite his embarrassment and saw with some surprise that he was rather short and paunchy and his long robes seemed slightly too big for him did i hear you correctly the man asked his face ashen lanathan is dead shan havel opened his mouth to speak but the lump in his throat was back so he only nodded it was the first time someone else was aware of his teacher's death and it freshened his pain oh by the gods the fellow replied sitting heavily and gripping the armrests of his chair with trembling hands our old friend he half whispered lost in some private grief amid the solemn group of men sitting around him in the silent room yes this is grave news indeed the first man answered softly staring at his hands blinking the paunchy man with the pipe looked up at chan havel once more how chanhavel swallowed hard trying to gain command of his voice slain earlier tonight by knowles the room erupted in chaotic chatter 4. this is outrageous tonight you say this is not good that's the third sighting this week it all came at once a whirlwind of conversation everyone speaking and asking questions finally the man who had first spoken to shane havel banged his mug on the table please gentlemen enough when the room returned to order the man's side his face grave now we all know that this does not bode well and certainly we will take steps to find out what is going on but first things first if you please the man turned back to shan havel my friend i am lord byrne lanathan was a friend and a good man i am deeply sorry for your loss shan havel nodded his thanks once again unwilling to trust his voice i know of you burn continued lanathan mentioned you often i was led to believe that you are capable we need someone of your skill to ride with the company chanhal swallowed in surprise the company i don't understand burn pursed his lips and explained we're forming a small expedition by order of his grace the vi count of verbal bonk we need a wizard with some skill to be a part of it lanathan did not mention this to you shen havel cocked his head to one side considering an expedition now that was something he never would have considered no his heart felt as if someone was squeezing it but he swallowed the lump in his throat and held the other man's gaze i only know that the two of you served together in a war a decade ago he said you were friends please sit down the wizard said gesturing to one of the empty chairs surrounding the table shane havel nodded gratefully and slid into the seat dropping his suddenly heavy saddlebags to floor beside him burn turned to make introductions this burn began gesturing to the man immediately on his right is mallius sent to us by his grace the king of feriande he also rode with your mentor and he is to be in charge of the company the hilt of a sword protruded above the man's shoulder he nodded once at shane havel and smiled the expression held surprising warmth in it shane havel returned the nod respectfully still trying to sort this out in his head i'll let mallius introduce his own companions burns said indicating the two other fellows flanking melius at the table for they arrived with him only today and they are in his service not mine malius nodded again and pointed to the young man with the twinkle in his eye who had spoken earlier teasing shane havel about his botched introduction this is olig our um scout and this is drogger who's a fair shot with that bow shan havel nodded to each in turn getting a better look at both as he did so our league was dressed in a shirt of black leather and as he rose and bowed his movements were fluid and graceful chanhal noticed both a short sword and dagger on his belt when he sat again he kept his chair away from the table and shan havel sensed that he was tightly coiled a cat ready to spring up and away in a heartbeat draga was slightly older than our league though not by much chanhevel suspected also dressed in armor the bowman was a rather hairy fellow with tight curls of light brown hair on his head several days growth of beard on his face big bushy eyebrows and forearms that were generously covered as well a bow stood in the corner behind him unstrung at the moment but shan havel could tell that it was a weapon of some quality a quiver of arrows rested beside it the rest of these gentlemen are the village council byrne said this is lord rufus of the tower a greying full bearded man one of the two who wore armor and weaponry and who had a reserved look to him and that's cannon terzon a thin middle-aged blonde man clean-shaven his lips pursed in a no-nonsense frown his robes were of the church of saint cuthbert byrne gestured next to a man with a greying beard a long braid and a playful warm smile this is jaru ashtaf a druid of the old faith burn continued on his other side indicating a powerfully built completely bald man with grand sweeping mustaches to my left here is mike who runs the mill in hamlet beside him is roth the captain of hamlet's militia a fellow with closely cropped white hair one scarred cloudy eye and a large hawkish nose oscar gundagoot the owner of the welcome wench a bespectacled fellow with nearly white hair and beard who was smoking a long stemmed pipe similar to burns and finally the lord mayor of hamlet kendra nevitz a slight man with little of his dark hair left and somewhat watery blue eyes who held an unlit pipe good evening and good health to you all shane havel said as he tried to gather his wits and mask his confusion as i said before i am shane havel companion and student of the wizard land that's not what you said our league interrupted chuckling and draga stifled a cackle of his own you said your name was shadow spawn shen havel's face flushed he opened his mouth to retort but mallius spoke first enough i don't need at that moment the door opened and gloria gundigoot entered followed by the blonde barmaid bearing a tray with platters of food more mugs and another heavy moisture coated pitcher chanhal noticed that the younger girl blushed as she caught olig's eye and she nearly stumbled as she came through the door just set it down and scoot galore scolded they have plenty to talk about without you lollygagging around leah placed the tray on the table and turned to go stealing a quick glance back at ollieg galore admonished swatting at the girl with her dish towel until she scurried out and then the good wife pulled the door shut once again the smile on ollie's face remained for some time afterward despite his unease chandhavel wasted no time reaching for one of the platters of food as he shoveled mouthfuls of hot meat pie in using a crust of fresh bread to sop up the rich gravy byrne reached for the pitcher and poured cold mead for shane havel then began refilling everyone else's mugs sean havel nodded appreciatively to the wizard before going back to the food in front of him mallius our league and draga joined in eating but the rest of the gathered crowd seemed to have already dined for they were content to sip their mugs byrne tipped his back and took a long draft then set the mug down and wiped his sleeve across his mouth now that you know everyone byrne said perhaps mallius can explain why he is here and why the company has been formed the warrior nodded at burn and finished off his own mug before speaking yes well as most of you know ten years ago a blight of evil assailed these parts a festering sore in the form of a foul temple dedicated to the worship of things dark and elemental an uncomfortable murmur rose up and it was obvious to sean havel that this discussion did not set well with some in the room the marshal of fairy under prince thromel raised an army to destroy this temple bern lanathan and i among others rode with the prince at the battle of emery meadows we scattered the forces of the temple most of their leadership was slain or captured although a few managed to escape melius paused at this point obviously troubled by this fact clenching both his fists and his jaw he took a deep breath and continued the temple itself was thrown down the prince's company which we were apart was there to seal the place however recent activity in the area suggests that something may be stirring in or near the temple once again the room erupted into chaos for the second time that night and it took quite a bit of mug banging on burns part to restore the group to some semblance of order even after the men had quieted many of the council members continued to mutter only the druid jaru and rufus seemed unfazed by this revelation froth the captain of the militia spoke and shane havel leaned in listening intently are you telling me sir that the temple is growing again is that what this is about before melius could answer burn explained recently there have been a rash of attacks along the trade routes near here as everyone certainly knows there was more mumbling along with several nods of ascent these attacks have been far too well organized to be attributed to the normal depredations of the tribes someone or something is leading them it is entirely possible that whoever or whatever is behind this would like to see the temple rise again we won't know for sure until we investigate if your suspicions are true might the miller said we are no match for them we're farmers not soldiers oh sure we stand in the field once a month and march around when hroth tells us to but we're not up to fighting roving beasts on a regular basis we need help mike is right agreed the mayor whose soft voice seemed at odds with his position of authority this is how it started ten years ago but we must not wait to act this time the vi count must send an army immediately as the clamor for aid arose byrne raised his hands for silence when the room was calm he said that is why melius is here of all the old companions who rode with the prince ten years ago mallius still serves king belvoir in kendall primarily as an adviser to the vi count here in verba bonk the king and the vi count have agreed that mallius can represent both of their interests in this matter and he thus has instructions to assemble a company to search the area specifically the remains of the old mote house south and east of here once we can determine the extent of the threat the king and the vi count will act jointly sending whatever aid is required shan havel stopped eating and looked keenly at burn that's where you summoned lanathan to join this company surely you realize he was too old to go gallivanting around the countryside any the wizard waved the elf to silence it was never lanothane who was to go on this expedition i needed him here for other reasons to help me research something related to this trouble it was you whom we both intended would join mallius shan havel's jaw dropped at this revelation why didn't lanathan tell me what was he afraid of this must have been what he was keeping to himself but why burn smiled at the elf as he said i know this must seem overwhelming to you with lanathan's death there are new problems to solve nodding shane havel let all of this information settle then looked up at burn this mote house what is oh was it an old stronghold in the swamps burn replied it was an outpost for the temple a mastering point for troops it was besieged and defeated shortly after the battle of enmity meadows once the temple itself had been defeated melius caught in looking somewhat pained you mentioned before that you were attacked tonight by knowles shan havel inhaled sharply at the mention of the ambush that had slain his mentor how many of them attacked you the elf grimaced six of them lanathane killed them before he died did they have any markings any insignias malius asked his hands on the table in front of him tranhavel nodded yes he replied an eye a flaming eye nothing i've ever seen before but then i've never been outside of he stopped suddenly realizing he was about to admit that he had never left his home before those are the same markings mentioned by the other victims malia said to burn yes burn nodded it seems as though they are spreading their activities farther afield if ormeal had not been keeping a look out for us shan havel said i might have died too our league asked who's that shan havel cringed for he seldom liked mentioning his hawk companion to people ormiel is a friend of mine a pet shane havel replied you will meet him tomorrow chad havel realized he was clenching his jaw the very thing lanathan was traveling to hamlet to eradicate had instead brought about his own end it should not have ended this way if only he told me are you certain it was only knowledge burn asked there was no one or nothing else with them the elf shook his head trying to keep his thoughts on the conversation at hand not that i could see although i was in fairly deep woods and it was night so something could have been farther back out of my line of sight but they seem to be acting on their own hmm burn mused scratching behind one large ear we must not delay then mallius and his company will set out first thing tomorrow i muttered the mayor and several others nodded in agreement how can we aid you the company will need supplies malia said i have coin of course but the favor of the king and vi count will shine upon those who provide what we need at better than fair prices there was another round of murmuring but it faded away as burn cut in most of what you will need must come from the traders ranos and gremag keep their own council and few seem able to sway them from their profits whatever else we can provide we will offer at no gain to ourselves a few others muttered but burns stare quickly silenced these i could use a couple more stout bodies to round out the group i need a healer malia said looking toward terezhon the priest of saint cuthbert and another strong arm especially one who knows the land would make me feel more at ease terjon frowned looking uncomfortable i do not think kalmat my assistant is much of the soldiering type i can however provide you with a potion or two of curative magic with saint cuthbert's blessing of course the priest smiled apparently feeling he had done his good deed for the day jaru the druid snorted i can do better than that my apprentice cheryl will go with you i will send her at dawn she will provide the healing you need and she knows the land well for several leagues in every direction my thanks druid melia said nodding tarjan glowered at jaru but said nothing a healthy bit of competition between the two faiths chanhal noted with a silent chuckle my lad elmo can join you froth piped up a couple of other men grimaced but they were careful to hide their expressions from the captain of the militia he's a good lad and he swings a mean axe i welcome him then mallius replied i thank all of you for your help at first light we will pay a visit to the trading post and then the company rides forth there was a general banter after that and the meeting began to break up our league and draga both excused themselves our league with a devilish grin on his face as he scurried through the door so how is that beef pie ostler gundergoot asked as the crowded room emptied leaving only burn and melius still at the table i baked that myself he added proudly sean havel glanced at the thick pottery dish where the pie had been all that remained were a few smears from where he had mopped up the gravy with wads of bread he chuckled and smiled at the innkeeper it was delicious and i could eat another two i'll tell glora to fetch a couple more for you ostler said i assume you'll be taking a room with us tonight chanhevo glanced at melius for some sort of guidance and the warrior nodded saying we've all got rooms here oslo will take good care of you then yes chad havel said i would like a room for the night please with that the innkeeper turned and headed out returning shortly with fresh platters of food as shane havel began to put away his second helping byrne smiled a warm expression that reminded the elf of the way lanathan often looked he glanced away feeling sorrow washing over him once again byrne cleared his throat and spoke lanathan will be deeply missed shane havel mallius and i both considered him a good friend and a staunch companion he spoke fondly of you to me during the war i wish i had known shane havel replied he never talked about any of this to me and he never mentioned any of you he merely rode off one day telling me he had something to take care of and that he would be back soon burn nodded he thought you could have ridden with us back then you know he just couldn't bear dragging you into a war so he left you to take care of the folk in your village he believed you more than abel even back then if you are capable now of even half what he claimed you learned from him i have no doubt you will serve our company well i'm very flattered thank you i will do my best he suddenly felt a little embarrassed by both the praise and scrutiny he hoped he would live up to everyone's expectations on this expedition he realized that he had already decided to become a part of it never bothering to take time to mull it over of course he told himself because that's what lanathan wanted you to do tell me shane havel asked changing the subject what was it like to serve with the prince i never knew lanathan had meant royalty although i recall now that he seemed quite upset when the news came to our village of thromel's disappearance there was a long silence at the table as both byrne and melius stared at their hands neither of them seemed eager to respond and chen havel grew uncomfortable wondering if he had touched on a taboo subject i'm sorry he began finally i didn't mean to it's all right burn answered at last you didn't know shane havel frowned puzzled but he was loathed to pry i continued to serve with rommel after the war malia said his voice low i rode with him as part of his royal bodyguard i was a part of the hunting party that was with him the day he disappeared shan havel could see that the soldier's knuckles were white where the man gripped the table the elf swallowed hard unnerved by the passion building in melius byrne took up the tail when melius seemed unable to continue there is evidence to suggest that the temple leaders who escaped us at the battle of emery meadows somehow orchestrated the prince's kidnapping there's still more evidence that the prince is still alive somewhere mallius has continued to serve the throne even with the prince missing i've spent the last seven years searching for him mellie said i swore to his father king belvoir that i would the soldier sighed and released the table but the trail grows colder it's been seven long years chandhavel nodded trying to grasp what frustration and disappointment melius must be feeling i am sorry i brought up such a sensitive issue he said but your loyalty and perseverance honors you he bowed his head toward melius trying to show some sense of his respect for the man finally he shoved back his plate but now i am weary from three days in the saddle and tomorrow comes early i think i'm ready for bed yes of course byrne said come i'll get osler to get you a room as he arose from the table gathered his belongings and followed the other wizard and melius out into the common room chanhal noticed the trio of men nearby still sitting and watching asmelius led the way across the floor toward the stairs the stranger with the top knot stood up his crimson robes swishing and stepped to block the warrior's path my name is turuko the man said with a deep bow and a smile his back loonish accent was thick these are my companions cobort and desert word has spread that you seek wealth in the ruins nearby one of his companions the one with the scar across the back of his hand added we'd lock in what say we band together melius sidestepped the man to pass him we're not on a treasure hunt thanks anyway the back loonish man's smile faded and he looked genuinely sad that is unfortunate or there is much greater safety in numbers it would be better for all of us to work together in any event we've been planning a foray there since before you arrived perhaps we will see you there he smiled again and resumed his seat without a word or a backward glance melius started walking again leading the way to the foot of the stairs alig and draga who had been at another table enjoying a last mug before retiring fell in to step right behind him you may have trouble with those three i'm afraid ostler whispered as he led them up to their rooms they may try to reach the ruins first they are of no concern to us malia said we will explore the moat house and if they try to interfere we will deal with them then as the group reached the landing the front door to the inn banged open and a young man stormed in homeless under attack he shouted lord burns towers of fire five damnation ostler shouted as chaos erupted in the room mallius our league and draga moved toward the door and before shanhavil realized it he had fallen into step with them he reached for his staff and gripped it in both hands as he followed them out in the night snow had begun to fall huge heavy flakes that fluttered to the ground settling with a muted whisper like fingers tapping softly against an overstuffed pillow other than that the world was eerily quiet the ground had already gained a thin covering of the stuff a blanket of white that was quickly hiding the damp muddy yard havel faltered a step surprised at this turn of weather snow it's not that cold certainly the ground's not cold enough for it to stick he shuddered once but there was no time to consider it further a handful of villagers were rushing past and just beyond a line of trees to the east the orange illumination of flame hung in the night sky diffused to a hazy glow ran toward the main crossroads with our league draga and chanhavel right behind him he drew to a halt his sword drawn looking around as though he sensed something chanhal scanned the area searching for signs of attack and listening for telltale screams or the sounds of fighting at first all he detected was a series of muffled shouts coming from down the road where the fire burned melius turned and started that way and the others followed shanhavil spotted them first forms drifting silently through the trees to the south wait he called softly pointing his stomach churned at what he saw the other three men stopped and turned back to the elf expectantly not reacting what is it mellius asked his voice oddly disembodied in the curtains of snow over there chanhal replied jabbing his finger in the direction of the figures which were obviously creeping stealthily toward the middle of town elf where his blindest bats out here draga grumbled we don't have your sight what annoying hells do you see shield your eyes shanhaville warned muttering a magical phrase the wizard gestured toward the area of the woods where the figures were creeping he closed his own eyes but through his lids he still saw the sudden brightness a number of throaty guttural bellows issued forth from the woods and chanhal opened his eyes blinking because the forest was filled with a blaze of fuzzy light as though a lit lantern were hanging from a branch there chanhavel said pointing again this time melius and the others saw what he had spotted a half dozen creatures large furred beasts with ursine heads were stumbling about with arms thrown across their faces to ward off the blinding light weapons hung loosely in their hands bug bears mallius growled grinning as he ran forward a league joined him his short sword in one hand and his dagger in the other dragon knelt in the damp snow he dropped the quiver by his side as he pressed his knee against his bow and flexed it in order to string it then grabbed an arrow from the quiver in one smooth motion he had the fletching against his cheek the bow forced out before him and had sighted his first target there was a solid twang as the bowman loosed and shan havel saw and heard a bug bear take the arrow in one leg it fell to the ground howling draga was already sighting along another arrow melius and alig meanwhile had closed with the creatures who were recovering some of their sight and turning to face their attackers chanhal watched the battle begin mallius was steady and true with his large blade swinging it in a wide arc before him clanging his weapon hard against the parries of the first bug bear he encountered a league was a whirlwind of faints and jabs constantly spinning out of the way of a killing blow at the last instant and slicing at a hamstring or got both men appeared capable yet they were outnumbered even though draga had dropped two by this time shan havel hesitated he had no more useful offensive magic at hand having prepared only a handful of practical spells earlier in the day he had not expected to be engaged in a running battle the light had helped but now all he had was his staff useful enough for cracking an arm or rib he thought but how good against a bugbear despite his own misgivings he started forward to help just seeing the hulking humanoids made his blood burn in anger drago was beside him now having tossed aside the bow when the fighting had gotten tight together they threaded their way through the trees and headed off a bug bear that was trying to circle around melius the beast snarled at them and turned to jab at drago with its sword shanhaville shifted around flanking the creature the trees made using the staff tricky but when the bug bear lunged in again at draga the elf brought the iron shot end of his staff up from the ground and caught the creature on the back of the elbow with a satisfying crunch howling in pain the bug bear whirled on shan havel hatred gleaming in its narrowed red eyes its wounded arm hung limply shan havel took a step back but his blow had given draga all the opening necessary the bowman drove in with his own sword running the blade deep into the bug bear's gut and up under the ribs finding the heart with a horrible gurgling howl the bug bear dropped to the ground unmoving shan looked up just in time to see another beast stagger away from our league who had just embedded a dagger in its throat the wounded bug bear stumbled through the snow for several paces its paws clasped around its ruined neck then dropped to one knee and fell over on its side shaking and gurgling mallius stood over the body of another behind the elf the sound of battle still raged before he could turn around he saw the surprise in draga's eyes spinning shan havel discovered the last two remaining bug bears seemingly facing off with one another he blinked realizing the far creature was not a bug bear but a huge brown bear reared up on its hind legs the bug bear had dropped its weapon and was now warily watching the bear's huge paws trying to anticipate an attack draga stepped past the stunned elf to engage the bugbear when the humanoid suddenly stiffened and spasmed a dagger hilt protruding from the base of its skull with a shudder the bug bear crumpled to the snowy ground and lay still shan havel caught olig out of the corner of his eye and turned to see him rising from a post-throwing crouch draga did not lower his guard however he turned to engage the bear the bear still rearing on its hind feet lumbered forward and dragger raised his sword to strike in a blur a figure emerged from the veil of falling snow and intercepted the bowman's blow it was a human shan havel realized who brought a scimitar up parried draga strike and shouted no draga stepped back as surprised as shen havel and stared at the figure it was a woman though her features were masked in shadow easy mobley the woman said to the bear the bear settled down to all fours rumbled one deep-throated wine at her then sat down on its haunches as she scratched it behind one ear she turned staring at draga and said there are more to the east you big oaf go fight them and leave mobley alone and you she turned to shane havel douse that stupid light go fling your magic somewhere else with that she turned her back on them and patted back into the forest with the bear ambling after her the two of them were quickly obscured by the huge feathery flakes that continued to descend from the sky and coat the ground dragger just stood there stunned then turned and looked at shane havel blinking did you see that sun havel nodded oh do you suppose she was i guess that would be cheryl jarroo the druids apprentice oh now draga breathed oh yes chad havel replied she said there were more bug bears to the east malius had joined the two of them and he stared with the rest of them let's go he said good work with the light magic shan havel well timed mallius turned and moved back to the road and draga and olig followed him shan havel hesitated for only a moment looking back again to where cyril had disappeared before he muttered a phrase and felt the connection with magical energies inside him loosen and dissolve leaving the woods once more in darkness the rest of the battle had already been fought by the time melius and his company arrived at the tower which sat on a low hill on the east side of the village guarding the road to divers it was the same structure shane havel had seen when he had first arrived in hamlet it was actually intact unscathed by the fire what was severely damaged however was the scaffolding and forms beyond it where byrne and rufus were in the formative stages of erecting a good-sized keep adjoining the tower the workers hired to erect the keep had managed to bring the fire under control although several of them had been killed or had vanished in the attack although the damage to the scaffolding and such was not total the fire set the project back several weeks burn surmised no one was sure if the fire had been lit to serve as a diversion for an attack in the village itself or if the opposite had been intended members of the militia and some of the men at arms serving rufus began to gather the bodies of the attacking they wore the same flaming eye insignia that chanhal had seen before something was definitely organizing the beasts and making them uncommonly bold everyone agreed chanhal summoned ormiel who had been awakened by the commotion and was none too happy at having his sleep disturbed bad things were in the woods chanhal projected to the hawk are any of them still near where the people live ormeal flew around the village several times swooping through the trees and soaring across the pasture land but the only sign of the bug bears was their retreating footprints which were slowly disappearing beneath the thickening blanket of snow shan havel reported as much to malius who looked at him as scance how do you know the warrior asked because my hawk told me i mentioned him before ormiel a hawk melia said obviously a little surprised yes chad havel replied ormiel and i have a very special bond i can talk to him and he to me after a fashion he patrolled the perimeter of hamlet just now and says there's nothing in the woods anymore hmm mellie is grunted i've seen enough strange things tonight if you say a hawk told you there's nothing out there then i believe you let's get back to the inn six champ havel rested comfortably in a steaming bath feeling the ache of three days of travel slowly seeping out of his body more than once lat and fip the stable hands returned with buckets of nearly scalding water to add to the tub until the elf could barely stand the heat and told them that was plenty a short time after that leah brought him towels and paid him good night listening to the sounds of the inn settling in for the night he soaked a while longer and contemplated everything that had happened to him over the course of the long day he avoided dwelling on lanathan instead trying to concentrate on what lay ahead of him joining an expedition to ferret out marauding bug bears seemed straightforward enough and he was eager to exact some sort of revenge on lanathan's murderers but there was something more to this he knew the snow had unnerved him though he couldn't put his finger on why sighing he closed his eyes and contemplated what he would need to do to prepare for the journey tomorrow finally when the water had simmered to comfortable warmth but before it could grow cool shanhaville finished the bath comfortably drowsy he readied himself for bed he stoked the fire adding fresh wood then doused the lamp and made his way to bed by fire light after crawling beneath the sheets and settling into the pillows he let out a long slow sigh trying to relax his body completely he lay there in the darkness for a moment or two unable to avoid thinking about lanathan he found himself imagining the body of his teacher lying wrapped in his cloak beneath the pile of stones back in the woods along the road how cold and hard that bed was compared to the one the elf found himself in how damp and lonely and disappearing beneath a covering of snow chanhavel shook his head and shuddered as he tried to rid his mind of the morbid vision he heard a noise a low thump from the room next door where olig was staying before he could throw back the covers and climb out of bed however he picked up the low murmur of conversation he could not make out the words but then he heard a soft feminine giggle followed by a muffled squeal of delight leah chanhavel rolled his eyes as a string of moans and giggles emanated through the wall bro cobb please don't let them do that all night he groaned half smiling rolling over he pulled the covers high then wrapped one of the pillows around his head pressing it against his ear to block out the noise it helped some but didn't shut out the sounds completely for the moment shane havel forgot his grim musings about lanathan's grave soon enough despite the tryst next door or perhaps because of it shane havel was soundly sleeping in the small room off the main tap room of the inn of the welcome wench by the light of a single dim lantern byrne and melius conversed softly planning the foray to the mote house a curling scroll of parchment rested on the table between them you may prevail yet my friend byrne said laying a comforting hand on melius's shoulder if what we believe is true if the scattered priests are nearby trying to raise the temple again you may get the opportunity to discover the whereabouts of prince trommel mallius nodded that must be the least of my worries right now if they somehow find her managed to free her the soldier left his thought unfinished and for several heartbeats the room sat in silence that will be harder than you might imagine burn replied the old seals we placed on those portals are strong still they will hold but we must find the key that is mentioned in the sears poem he said tapping the parchment before him we must find it before they do and finish this finish it like we should have ten years ago aye malius nodded this time there won't be anyone telling us to turn back if only we hadn't lost falrenth that day we could have destroyed the demon instead of trapping her inside yes burn agreed but what's donnie's done he fell in battle and we survived we cannot go back and change history we can however ensure that the bindings we placed on the temple's portals will hold the demon inside forever i will continue to try to learn what the key is when i know i will send word to you find the key and return here i will know by then how to destroy it shane havel awoke the next morning to find cheery light slipping around the edges of the curtains covering the window in his room he stretched feeling completely refreshed even after such a short night for it had been spent in such a comfortable bed he threw the covers back and dressed quickly then parted the curtains to let in more light he looked out the day had dawned clear and sunny and the eerie snow from the night before had almost melted away from all appearances it looked as if it would be a fine spring day the elf sat down at the table unbuckling one of his saddle bags he slipped out a thick package wrapped in oil skin unfolding the protective cloth he noted with satisfaction that his spell book was still dry uttering a few syllables of magic softly over the cover of the book he carefully opened the tome and turned the pages thinking it was the first time he had gone through this exercise without consultation with his teacher and it felt strange after a few moments of careful deliberation he settled on the spells he wanted for the day and began to memorize them halfway through his studies there was a light knock on the door shan havel crossed over and opened it melius stood in the hallway a large leather backpack slung on his back and a coil of rope draped over one shoulder aren't you ready to go the sun's been up an hour now i've already been to the traders for supplies the man made a sour smirk that suggested the experience had been none too pleasant shane havel gestured back at the table i'm studying i shouldn't be much longer ah good well have you eaten at least when chad havel shook his head the warrior frowned and said i'll have gloria send up some breakfast so you can eat while you work with that malius turned on his heel and headed down the hall toward the stairs fair enough chanha called after him then shut the door and returned to his spell book a short time later there was another knock and leah opened the door bearing a tray with steaming porridge more fresh bread and cold milk just said it here shane havel pointed to a clear place on the table beside where he was working the girl's footsteps were heavy across the floor and she practically slammed the breakfast tray on the spot where shan havel had indicated he glanced up at her what is it he asked leah blushed nothing sir i'm sorry it's just that pida is off somewhere hiding or something now i have to do all the work please forgive me and don't tell mistress gundagoot of my rudeness she curtsied and hurried from the room shan havel looked up from his work long enough to watch her disappear then shrugged and started in on breakfast while he finished his studying by the time shan havel made his way downstairs and out the front door walking staff in one hand the rest of the company had already gathered it was indeed a clear bright morning although snow still clung in the shade the elf's breath was visible whisked away by a mild morning breeze shane havel hadn't taken four steps out the door before he noticed cheryl standing off by herself bundled in a woolen cape of deep brown over leather armor she leaned on a walking staff facing away from him and down the road her golden blonde hair cascaded in gentle waves past her shoulders she wore a curved scimitar at her belt but she was twirling a sling in one hand maybe it's time to make more proper introductions shan havel thought see if maybe the morning sun has done a little something for a disposition when he altered his course to introduce himself the druid heard his approach and turned to face him he stopped dead in his tracks stunned her narrow face bore the unmistakable swept-back look of the elves and her partially pointed ears confirmed her heritage but she was not full-blooded he realized she had been born to mixed parentage a half breed of elf and human which explained why he hadn't noticed this last night and she was absolutely beautiful chen havel realized he was staring at her and she looked right back at him her icy blue eyes flashing in anger her arms now folded across her chest he shook his head realizing his rudeness and crossed the rest of the distance between them preparing to introduce himself we met last night he said with a slight chuckle but we didn't get introduced i'm sure i know who you are jaru told me shanhavel stood frozen one eyebrow raised taken aback by the druids abrupt manner i'm sorry i i didn't mean to stare it's just that i wasn't expecting a half breed well there's a surprise no one ever does but there you go the world is just full of the unexpected isn't it with that cheryl turned and walked several steps away ignoring him as she tightened the straps on her horse's saddle shan havel stood with his mouth hanging open for several moments before a shadow crossing in front of him brought him out of his stunned surprise it was our league astride a chestnut gelding trying to reign in the frisky mount chanhavel looked up at the young man and almost laughed out loud forgetting his confrontation with the druid for the moment ollie's eyes were bleary and his face was puffy as though he had slept with it buried between two pillows all night well pillows over soared at any rate shane havel thought didn't get much sleep last night huh shane havel asked smiling ollie blinked a couple of times as though trying to absorb the elf's words then he cracked a sleepy but smug smile and turned his horse away again muttering something about needing eggs for a proper breakfast chanhal shook his head in amusement and turned to find himself face to face with two more horses a scowling melius and a very large smiling man were astride them shan havel stepped back and caught himself staring again uh hello there he said looking from melius to the newcomer and back again hoya the huge man said smiling even more broadly he leaned down and stuck out one big meaty hand his breath smelled of ale and strongly at that shan havel shot one puzzled glance at melius whose scowl deepened and took the large hand offered to him shaking it vigorously the captain's son shan havel realized with a start remembering now the stifled groans during the meeting the night before so he's a drinker is he chad havel mused what's his name again elmo the fellow said as though reading shan havel's mind you're an elf yes chad havel smiled at the big earth's forward manor nodding i'm shan havel good to meet you the man's smile was replaced by a deep contemplated frown though's other two said your name was shadow spawn elmo said pointing over the elf's shoulder shan havel didn't even have to turn around to know the big man was pointing to our league and draga he rolled his eyes and tried to laugh now they're just having some fun with you really my name's sean havel they just like to call me that other name elmo puzzled over this for a moment longer then smiled and nodded again oh raw shanghai chanhal took a moment to study elmo's outfit the man wore a shirt of chain mail and he had an unstrung bow tied across his saddle chenhal's eyes widened considerably at the huge two bladed battle axe on elmo's back are you any good with those they asked gesturing to the weapons uh-huh elmo replied then pulled out a fine dagger from a sheath at his belt this is my favorite my brother otis gave it to me he said beaming with pride he held the dagger out hilt first for shan havel to examine go on you can hold it it's beautiful huh chanhal reached out and gripped the dagger the blade felt amazingly well balanced in his hand and just holding it gave him a small unusual shiver one he had felt only a few times before he took a closer look at the weapon even in the brightness of the early morning sun the elf's keen eyes noted the perfect edge to it he spotted what he suspected was there a tiny sigil etched into the blade near the hilt magical chanhal thought in amazement i wonder if he even knows the elf looked up into the smiling face of the simple man made a show of feeling the balance of the blade in his hand then flipped the weapon around and passed it back hilt first to elmo very nice he said you should hang on to oh that will elma replied my brother otis gave it to me chad havel nodded and elmo smiled again the man spurred his horse and trotted off to show our league and draga the dagger leaving shan havel and melius to themselves goodness shane havel remarked he doesn't seem to be the brightest fellow in the village but he looks like he can handle that axe well enough if we can keep him away from the drink i nodded melius still scowling i would rather not have to watch him to make sure he stays out of trouble but cyril vouches for him so the man shrugged i can't very well tell him to go home we'd get run out of town i suspect he shook his head as if to clear it come we must be on our way where's your mount shanhaville pointed as he saw a lat leading the pair of horses one already saddled out of the adjoining barn right here shan havel said reaching for a silver to toss to the boy one to ride and one for gear malius raised his voice to get everyone's attention come on let's get going the entourage gathered together and set out shan havel found himself riding next to cheryl he wasn't sure what to say to her as they started up the road but he certainly didn't want her scowling at him for the entire day so he started by apologizing i'm sorry for staring before he began i didn't mean to make you uncomfortable forget it the druid said not looking at him when cheryl seemed unwilling to say more shan havel continued no really i was surprised but only because i've been getting so many looks myself cheryl did look at him then and her visage softened somewhat after a moment she said it's all right i'm just a little angry with jaroo for sending me off with the rest of you i've got better things to do than traips around the woods with a bunch of men chanhal chuckled drawing another scowl from the druid i'm not really here by choice either he said trying to explain my late master and burn were old friends so i get to go on this expedition without being consulted believe me i'd rather be back home cheryl looked at shan havel but she only grunted in response anyway chanhavel continued last night you and your friend really took us by surprise who mobley he's harmless most of the time except when there are bug bears about shane havel added yes and idiots with swords smashing their way through the forest well i don't own a sword shira looked at him her blue eyes blazing and other idiots who sling magic around in the woods lighting the place up like a needfest tree neither mobley nor i could see what was going on you know she said rather indignantly jaru would have had my hide and all of yours if anything had happened to mobley i'm sorry shane havel replied i was trying to blind the bugbears not you we didn't even know you were there yes well cheryl said not finishing at that point the entourage was approaching byrne and rufus's tower and they all got a better look at the damage from the fire the previous evening some of the blackened wood still smoked and several sections of scaffolding were damaged beyond repair but it didn't appear as bad as burn had made it sound the night before the turn off to the old high road is just ahead cheryl said as the group left the edge of town the road was flanked on both sides by woods now at the junction malius headed off the main road to the right with the rest following him the old high road was little more than a game trail overgrown and half hidden shan havel and sheryl were riding beside elmo and the three of them formed the rear of the procession farther up the line draga broke into a song his voice high and smooth as the morning sun as he sang some ditty with a lot of nonsensical words shane havel had never heard before jahru tells me you have a friend cheryl said a hawk chanhavel turned and looked at cheryl they got acquainted last night cheryl said realizing shane havel was confused jared told me he met your familiar after the bugbear raid seanhavel nodded and reached out with his mind o'meal are you there yes came the hawks reply hunting mice come to me the elf commanded then smiled at sheryl and elmo he's a steady friend and a good lookout i've called him so you can meet him cheryl smiled and it was the first time shane havel had seen her do it he realized it dazzled him but he tried not to show it instead he turned and looked at the road in front of him ormiel appeared swooping in from the trees behind the company shan havel smiled as the hawk circled the group and settled on his shoulder when the bird landed cheryl gasped in delight smiling as brightly as shan havel thought imaginable hello there you magnificent beauty she said reaching up to stroke the top of ormiel's head smoothing the feathers softly chanhal watched the druid and tranced and dazzled by her beauty here he said reaching inside his pocket and pulling out a strip of dried meat which he handed to her he loves these carefully cheryl held her hand up and extended the piece of meat toward ormiel's beak the bird eyed the meat without blinking then in an instant the hawk darted its head forward snatched the meat from the druid's grasp and began to consume it what a gorgeous creature cheryl said yes shane havel agreed turning to see elmo's reaction the huge man was simply watching an intent look on his face ormiel is a fine specimen the elf added then mentally spoke to his companion walks the trail ahead today your mate with sky eyes speaks to me responded big man speaks to me shane havel nearly choked at the bird's reference to cheryl then he caught himself as the other half of ormil's claim registered big man ormil says you're talking to him shane havel said looking back and forth between cheryl and elmo he could hear me oh that's delightful the druid said she continued to stroke the bird's feathers and speak to it aloud in soothing tones elmo however said nothing turning once again in the saddle to watch the path before him not a mate only a friend shane havel projected what big man speaks to you big man with shiny feathers and bad air shiny feathers means armor but bad air oh chad havel realized elmo's breath o'meal says you speak to him too chanhavel said elmo only smiled not turning around shiru talks to the animals i'll just watch omu was a very nice bird though chandhivu shan havel shook his head wondering if elmo had some sort of ability to speak with animals that he didn't know about he watched the axeman for a long moment but elmo offered no clues dismissing this thought shanhavil repeated to ormiel watch the road today for bad things yes i watch watch and hunt sky eyes is very nice chanhal looked again at cheryl who was still enraptured with the hawk seemingly very happy yes thank you ormea she is very nice seven hedrack walked to one of the braziers that warmed his chambers he pulled a burning taper from it then crossed to the center of the room and dropped cross-legged atop a series of thick plush carpets and cushions closing his eyes and uttering a few words of prayer to ews he lit a single black candle in front of him and cast a spell a moment later the ghostly vaporous image of larath appeared before him as hedrack made eye contact with his field commander the apparition of the other man smiled and bowed most humble greetings mouth of use larith in toned maintaining his bow hadrax studied the figure for a moment reminded with a tiny pang of envy how handsome he was considered to be a mane of sandy blonde hair framed a rugged face with compelling blue eyes larith's broad shoulders and devilish smile always turned the lady's heads and the field commander knew it all too well in fact larath's assessment of his own beauty had made him slightly insolent of late always with the handsome ones the high priest thought there are aspirations to rise above station derbus the author of conquest obedience and command maintained that the occasional reprimand was absolutely necessary to remind a servant of his actual worth to avoid instilling a false notion of favoritism and thus the mistaken belief that the servant might someday replace the master larith was certainly one for whom this might be necessary greetings commander larith hedrack responded rise and report larith straightened himself and began i will send raiding parties in three directions this evening head rack hedrack frowned at the clerics familiarity with him however last night our raid on hamlet did not fare as well as expected ah thought hedrack the small failure i will exploit to remind him of his place yes the high priest said furrowing his brow in displeasure for emphasis a number of capable travelers stopping for the night in that village came to the sorry peasant's aid larith sighed i lost fully half a dozen bug bears in the raid you'd disappoint me hedrack said glowering larith's eyebrows shot up in surprise he was clearly not used to being so openly rebuked i have charged you with recruiting fresh troops and with filling our coffers through your raids i don't remember anything about having my army shrink through your mismanagement my lord i beg pardon but this was an unexpected and unavoidable situation i withdrew the moment unexpected and unavoidable it is clear to me that you are not giving your duties the attention they deserve a competent field commander always gains reliable intelligence before engaging the enemy and he always has not one but two contingency plans for unexpected hedrack emphasized larith's own words back at him situations so that nothing becomes an unavoidable mistake of course my lord larith answered i beg your forgiveness in this and i assure you that i will redouble my precautions hand rack wasn't sure if larith's look of contrition was genuine or not but he was convinced that the man had received the intended message loudly and clearly do not presume too much a thought occurred to hadrak i have received warnings from eus himself that enemies move against us even now agents of cuthbert come this way perhaps these meddlers you mentioned are the very same i have reason to believe they are larith replied causing hedrack to raise his eyebrow oh and how is that my spies in hamlet report that there is a company led by an agent of the king himself who's preparing to explore the outpost i am setting up plans to deal with them hadrak leveled his gaze at the other man good see that you do and report to me when you have he waved the issue away and changed the subject what are fresh sacrifices when will i receive more larith's charming smile returned in an instant i managed to snare a few last night despite the unexpected opposition i have sent a fresh batch of them to you this very day i think you will be very pleased good good hedraq said nodding i look forward to examining them anything else to report larith nodded his head i shall have no less than 50 new troops for you by the end of the month and if my reports are correct another 250 by the end of next excellent hendrak said genuinely pleased we are ahead of schedule then keep it up and no more mishaps i hear and obey my lord eight the remains of the ruined moat house sat to the left of the path surrounded by a fetid bog and connected to the main road by a narrow causeway that was banked high to stay clear of the wetland around it most of the walls were still standing although in places the stonework was a tumbled ruin and the whole thing seemed ready to fall over into the bog at any moment timbers from what must have once been a second story jutted up in places but they were blackened from fire the entire structure was overgrown with vines and creepers yellowish and sickly looking the front gates were smashed and hanging askew but a sad excuse for a drawbridge still spanned the gap between the pathway and the gate's threshold mellius studied the moat house as if considering the rest of the company waited in the eerie quiet of the morning the silence broken only by the deep croaking of frogs and an occasional fetid breeze blowing up from the direction of the marsh finally mallius nodded half to himself and motioned for everyone to continue slowly the company made its way down to the ruined moat house our league sitting astrid his horse next to shane havel coughed and held his nose gah he groaned it stinks shaun havel mallius called would you please ask your hawk to rick annoy to the area i want to know if there's anyone or anything about before we go inside chad havel nodded ormiel he projected feeling for his familiar i am here fly over the big broken man nest are there any bad things any people from the trees off to the group's left the hawk took flight its powerful wings pumping as it rose into the air it soared past the company only a few feet over their heads and winged its way toward the mote house shan havel watched as ormiel circled the place a couple of times and landed on a high parapet of a mostly intact tower near the front entrance from there ormeal scanned the area jerking his head this way and that no bad things no people chen havel shook his head ormill says nothing is around thank you mellie has turned in his saddle to face the rest of the group all right stay sharp everyone let's move with that the warrior turned and spurred his horse forward heading toward the side path that led to the front gate of the mote house as he turned to follow shan havel thought omeo good job hunt now ormiel took off from his perch atop the tower searching for food the group reached the embanked path crossing over the swampy ground where a slight breeze rustled the cattails a bird of a type shan havel had never heard before called from the trees shane havel studied the ruins looking for any telltale signs that they were being watched mallius dismounted signaling the rest of the company to do the same he stood for a few moments staring at the building finally he turned to the rest of the group and said we leave the horses here i want our league to take the lead check the drawbridge to make sure it'll hold us before we cross got it our league said already advancing along the causeway the rest of the companions followed a few paces behind before they made it even a third of the way across something bounded out of the marshy ground to the group's right chanhaville spun in time to see a huge frog fully six feet long land near him as several more of the giant creatures plopped into the company's midst the one nearest chanhal snaked its long sticky tongue out latching onto his arm and pulling and he was jerked off his feet toward the beast's gaping mouth chanhal thrashed wildly with his staff trying to beat the huge frog senseless with one arm wrapped up by the beast's tongue however he found it impossible to wield the weapon effectively and worse he was still being pulled closer and closer to the frog's hungry mouth in desperation shane havel used the staff to brace himself digging into the ground with it and trying to resist the tug of the frog's tongue it helped only a little it's got me shanhavel shouted barely keeping his voice from cracking in terror somebody get it off me he flailed about looking around but the rest of the company was hard at work battling more of the frogs although few of the creatures seemed as large as the one that had attacked him one of the beasts had a hold of draga's leg and was pulling him slowly along the ground draga sitting on his rear facing the frog had his bow out and was firing arrows straight into the creature's head three or four shafts already protruded from the thing and it was jerking and spasming in pain malius and shirelle worked together to kill another one with their blades while elmo dealt with the third by splitting it almost in half with his axe two more hopped out of the marsh even as the huge man dealt the killing blow and juan quickly had a hold of elmo's leg with its tongue chanhal longed to draw upon his magic but he couldn't concentrate to cast the spell correctly the frog pulled again and dragged him closer to its mouth one more good tug and he would be lunch desperately he spun his staff around and sat down feet facing the frog when the creature tugged him a third time he lined the staff up and tossed it into the slathering maw crosswise like a horse's bit then he quickly brought his feet up and braced them against either side of the staff pushing with all his might against the frog itself the frog did not like this and began to thrash and shake its head shane havel found it tricky to keep himself balanced but the brace held although his arm felt as if it were being ripped from its socket and his legs strained with effort quickly before he lost strength chanhal reached inside his tunic with his free hand and pulled a long dagger from within laying the edge of the blade along the taut tongue of the frog he sawed back and forth slicing into the flesh instantly the frog loosened its grip on shan havel's arm and jerked its tongue away the elf kicked backward as hard as he could and rolled away from the frog coming to his knees at the far edge of the embanked path the frog tossed its head and pitched the staff to one side dagger still in hand shane havel rose to his feet the frog leaped its mouth open wide and shandhavel took a half step back stumbling as he stepped beyond the edge of the path and onto the steep slope beyond slipping to one knee he brought the dagger up to defend himself treacherously balanced on the side of the embankment the frog landed right in front of him its cold round eyes staring at its potential meal shan havel raised his dagger to plunge it between those eyes and suddenly alig was there seemingly appearing out of thin air and bringing his sword down across the neck of the frog and severing its head shan havel flinched away from the shock of the sudden attack and the frog's head bounced and rolled past him down the hill into the murky marsh at the bottom chanhal sighed wearily and slumped down breathing heavily our league grinned at sean havel as the sounds of battle died away around them laying his head back against the ground the elf stared up at the cloud-flecked sky and caught his breath his legs were shaking from the strain and his shoulder was tender he moved his arm in a swimming motion experimentally and was satisfied that it was not seriously injured shortly melius announced that the group should move out so they rolled the bodies of the frogs down the side of the path letting the carcasses splash into the marshy water when they were done they prepared to enter the ruins once more just as our league started forward there was a shout from farther down the abandoned road shane havel turned to look as everyone else unsheathed weapons a second time it was one of the three men from last night the one with the scar on the back of his hand either cobort or zert the elf wasn't certain which he was running toward the group waving for their attention as he did so as the man caught up to them melius brandished his sword and warned that's close enough the man stopped in his tracks chest heaving eyeing the weapon somewhat fearfully please he panted zertz hurt he's trapped and i can't get him out we need your help the man pointed back the way he had come breathing heavily melius's eyes narrowed in suspicion what are you doing here we hiked out at at first light this morning the man explained to riko zurt and i we were going to dig for treasure like we told you but you came from a different direction just now our league said a pair of daggers in his hands the mount house is over there he gestured with one of his weapons at the ruined structure cobalt nodded still trying to catch his breath we went inside and found a way down into the cellars there's a second way out back over there he pointed down the road from where he had come one of the wolves collapsed while we were exploring it completely buried duraco and zurt's leg is pinned i can't lift the stone by myself please he's bleeding pretty bad mellie is frowned considering have you noticed any signs that others have been here recently cobort looked surprised no one else is here it looks like some bandits might have been camping in there he pointed again this time at the visible ground level of the mote house they must have cleared out because no one's there now please zurt's dying cheryl strode back to her horse mounted and started forward come on she called over her shoulder sounding exasperated we can't just let him die malius grunted in exasperation but he remounted and spurred his own horse to follow and the rest of the group fell in with him cobalt ran along beside them saying thank you over and over again just show us melia said cobort nodded and pointed as they reached the bottom of the rise pushing through some brush off the side of the road shan havel dismounted and tied the reins of his horse to the brush then followed melius and the others into the undergrowth several paces off the trail cobalt showed the group a partially concealed tunnel mouth covered over with bushes in air he said and moved inside wait melia said grasping cobalt's shoulder to stop him unpack the gear the soldier said to everyone if it's unstable in there i want to be prepared turning back to cobalt melia said how far back is your friend cobort scrunched up his face apparently trying to think maybe a hundred pisces he said at last not sounding too sure didn't you have a torch or something melius asked how did you find your way out oh i left a torch with zert so he wouldn't get scared cobalt replied i could see the light here at the end of the tunnel so i just felt along the wall with my hand and walked out mallius nodded his lips pursed in a frown all right let's get some lanterns lit and see what's what when the group was ready cobort led them inside the tunnel it was long and straight descending slightly as it ran cobort went first followed by melius alig and draga followed the soldier and shan havel walked along beside cheryl elmo brought up the rear as the companions proceeded into the blackness of the passage chanhal frowned thinking something isn't right what is it after perhaps a hundred pesos or so just as cobort had said the group reached a point where the tunnel leveled out and ended there were two doors one directly ahead and another to their right the one to the right was standing open and a second passage led off from it said his voice echoing oddly in the passage by the light of the group's lanterns shan havel could see that the man was pointing through the open door to the right i found help we're coming for you just hang on in response to cobort's calls there was a weak groan from down the second passage shh mallius admonished your shouting could bring down more of the place whispers only from now on cobort nodded solemnly all right malia said ollie lead the way check the entire place for weak spots and go slowly i you don't have to remind me the man replied starting forward cautiously shane havel had to resist the urge to reach out and grab our league damn it he chided himself what has you so spooked he still couldn't put his finger on it but something was definitely wrong with our league in the lead the group worked its way down the passage which ran for about 20 yards before turning a corner beyond the turn there was the faint glow of torchlight chanhal tried to convince himself that his doubts were foolish but the nagging feeling would not go away alig reached the turn and went around the corner everyone else close behind him when chan havel reached the bend he looked around in surprise at the turn the passage opened into a room a room filled with a large crude wooden table surrounded by similarly constructed chairs crates and barrels of goods were stacked along the walls foodstuffs weapons armor and blankets enough to supply a small army a door was set into the wall to one side but there was no collapse anywhere and no one about a lone torch crackled in a sconce on one wall desert's in there cobalt whispered pointing to a far corner where shan havel could now see a second room off the first just then it dawned on shane havel the frogs cobord had never mentioned his party being attacked by the frogs he was about to call to melius when about half a dozen dirty armed men rose up from hiding places on the far side of the table a couple of them leveled crossbows of the group at that same moment another cluster including a handful of knolls stepped out from the second room brandishing swords each of the companions froze although draga immediately took aim with his bow at the chest of the closest man to him mother arrelishas our league snarled you bastards shanghai will turn to where the man was glaring turko and desert were among the group of men on the far side of the table only a heartbeat or two later a third contingent of men appeared coming up behind the companions from the corridor cobort had led them through to get here they were surrounded fool shandhavel admonished himself it was right in front of me why didn't i see it sooner he lied shan havel said they never fought the frogs what mellie has snapped his hands clenched in white-knuckled fists what are you talking about he said they went in through the front but the frogs didn't get them i should have realized it sooner i'm sorry help please help turoku said mockingly an unfriendly smile on his face i've been buried alive and desert's leg is broken he laughed then said lay your weapons on the ground and kick them away now malius growled in fury but several crossbows were aimed in his direction and he stayed his hand slowly he pulled his sword free and set it on the floor following the soldier's lead draga relaxed his bow and tossed it away the rest of the companions followed suit and soon all their weapons lay out of reach melius glared at cobort who had joined his companions turning to the door the crimson robed turoko called out master larith we have them a moment later the door along the side of the room swung open wide framed in the doorway was a large man dressed in shining plate mail with the flaming eye and blazoned on the chest plate his face was hidden by a helm but the malevolence that radiated from him nearly made shan havel choke in one hand the man wielded a mace and in the other he held a staff he stepped into the room and crossed to melius the soldier involuntarily flinched from the palpable evil emanating from the helmed figure though he refused to back down i am larith priest and master of this place the man said looking from person to person before him and you are nothing before the might of the elemental temple you will now die at my pleasure then in a single graceful motion the man struck first hitting melius squarely in the chest with one end of the staff then swinging at our league with the other alig leaped back out of range of the attack but the blow against melius sent a shower of sparks cascading over the warrior who cried out for an instant in pain that cry was short-lived though for larith finished his attack by swinging the mace up directly in melius's face the warrior crumpled limpy to the ground his face a pulpy mess of blood tissue and shattered bone shane havel found himself rooted to the spot horrified by what he was witnessing but unable to move the filthy clinging feel of evil that emanated from this heinous man threatened to choke him no one else seemed able to react either chaos engulfed the room as larith's troops surged forward ready to cut down the disarmed prisoners where they stood the remaining companions crouched defensively pressed together back to back our league had daggers in his hands chad havel flinched as several crossbows went off but none of the missiles struck him although one bolt whizzed by so closely that he felt the wind from its fletching as it passed his nose he tried as best as he could to ignore the confusion welling up around him and concentrate instead on casting magic in the back of his mind he prayed it would be enough shane havel spread his fingers wide and pointed them at larith uttering a single magical phrase the elven wizard engulfed the malevolent priest in great gouts of flame spraying him with charring heat beyond him the other ambushers flinched away from the scorching flames shandhavel hoped that larith would be consumed or wounded enough so that he would back away from the fight when the spell faded the smell of smoke hung thick in the dim light of the room both companions and ambushers paused staring in larath's direction the evil priest appeared untouched by the fire bokob shanhavil breathed in dismay larith laughed his voice boomed in the place echoing in the chamber and the vileness of his evil washed over the companions like a foul vapor turning shan havel's stomach kill them he said and stepped forward to engage the dragon darted between shan havel and larith the bowman let out a ferocious roar and lunged forward bull rushing the priest grabbing him by the collar and flinging him backward against the wall larith grunted from the force of the blow but he quickly shoved back easily pushing draga away from him rolling to his side and away from that fight chen havel came up next to cheryl who cried out in a language the elf had never heard before she was instantly wielding a blade of fire in her hand a glowing scimitar of flame magic chanhavel thought admiringly magnificent the druid and the wizard faced an advancing cadre of gnolls who were grinning and barking as they closed the distance every one of them held a large ax and a few even had a shield shan havel began to cast again hoping cyril could keep the nasty humanoids at bay long enough for him to summon the magic with the utterance of another simple enchantment he gestured at the wall of menacing knolls and three of them slumped to the ground in a deep sleep leaving the fourth still up now dropping into a defensive crouch and eyeing the flaming blade in the druid's hand get him cheryl the elf silently urged the druid then turned to see how the others were faring he nearly had his head taken off by cobot who had come up behind him sword held high chanhal dived away scrambling to stay clear of the furious cobort who had swung at the elf full force and was just now regaining his balance the man glared at shen havel nostrils flaring you're dead tree boy he growled advancing again and swinging his blade back to strike shan havel shoved one of the chairs toward cobort and jumped away desperately hoping the move would catch the thug off guard and buy him a second or two for a spell he shouted a word of enchantment aiming a finger at cobord as the man kicked the chair away and came at the elf again a bright flash of light followed almost instantly by a second darted forth from the tip of the elf's finger and streaked across the distance slamming into the thug's chest cobord gasped and fell back dropping his sword and clutching his chest which was smoking slightly he stumbled and tripped over a crate pitching down behind it shen havel spied elmo's axe lying on the floor and seized it the heavy weapon felt awkward in his hands he had often chopped wood for himself and lanathan but this was a far different weapon a much shorter heft and a wicked double head easily as large as his chest and it was abominably heavy to the elf stealing his courage shan havel closed the distance between himself and cobort the weapon in hand the man was trying to rise to his knees chanhevel lifted the axe as high as he could then brought the huge blade down hard on the back of the man's head there was a sickening crunch and a spray of blood and cobalt collapsed to the floor he did not rise again chen havel gave a shuddering sigh and surveyed the rest of the battle elmo was about to be cornered by zurt and another bandit each of them holding him at bay with spears the huge axeman had a crossbow bolt protruding from his thigh and he staggered as he backed away dodging the spear thrusts cursing shan havel ran forward shouting the two men turned to see what the ruckus was and when they saw the elf running at them axe in hand they turned to receive his charge perfect chanhal thought he stopped dead in his tracks dropped to one knee and sent the ax sliding across the floor between the two bandits toward elmo in a single smooth motion elmo scooped the weapon up even as zert and his companion watched the axe slide by them by the time they realized their opponent was now armed it was too late elmo slammed one blade of the axe into the chest of the bandit in a swift swing knocking him off his feet and back two full paces then turned to face zert who retreated his step horrified before the thug could flee elmo caught him squarely in the hip zert screamed as he fell and elmo wasted no time closing in to finish him off chen havel stepped away from that fight and took stock of the rest of the company amazingly most of the ambush force was down cheryl her shoulder soaked in blood alig and draga were fighting with larith now without hesitating shane havel cast again summoning two more of the magic missiles he had used against cobort unerringly the glowing green streaks of light shot across the room and hit lareth squarely in the chest the priest grunted and stumbled back a step and draga took advantage of the magical distraction to cut the man hard across the shoulder larith growled in pain and fury and knocked draga away with his staff cheryl darted forward swinging her blade of flame at the priest's head larith ignored the blow as it connected and rammed his staff into the druid's mid-section cheryl collapsed with a groan but before larith could step forward to finish her a league was behind him ramming his dagger into the small of the man's back howling in agony larith spun away swinging his mace to fend off further blows our league had to roll away from the attack to avoid getting his skull bashed in breathing heavily and with blood flowing from several wounds larith backed away from draga and surveyed his failed ambush finish them the priest growled then gestured and was engulfed in a cloud of palpable darkness bastard our league shouted as he leaped into the magical blackness shane havel hesitated knowing it would be dangerous to join our league in a blind fight he'd likely plant a dagger in my ribs thinking i was larith the wizard thought and he turned back to survey the room once more the only foe still standing was turoko who was now facing elmo the huge man was charging the bakluni bloody axe held high elmo brought his weapon down but turko was faster as elmo swung the bakloon leaped into the air top-notch streaming out behind him as he dodged the swipe of the blade and kicked out with his foot catching elmo in the shoulder the kick was hard enough to send the huge man sprawling to the floor chen havel sucked air in through his teeth amazed and dismayed for he realized that turko must be a member of the scarlet brotherhood a fabled order of fighting monks here the elf wondered even as he and his companions fanned out ready to do battle the scarlet brotherhood in league with the temple their battle prowess was legendary turko would be deadly even without weapons dismissing the thought for now the wizard waited for an opportunity to attack draga closed with the monk first his sword in his hand shan havel grimaced and relaxed his grip on his staff moving into aid draga elmo stood again growling in fury and brought his axe up once more advancing turko moved as a whirlwind surrounded by the three of them his hands and feet moving like snakes shane havel tried to follow the back looney's movements but turko was too fast the monk paused in his motions and smiled yes were the adversaries indeed i had not expected he cut himself off laughing in a placating manner but that is the first rule of combat is it not never underestimate your adversary well i shall not make that mistake again come let's finish this he whirled around leaping through martial forms one after another kicks and punches graceful and life demonstrating conservation of energy and motion with each successive form he landed facing a different opponent ready to strike anyone and everyone who faced him elmo was the first to lunge in swinging his axe in a wide arc before him turrico dodged the attack and spun around kicking draga in his midsection before the bowman knew what had hit him draga grunted stumbling back a step but then he darted in again jabbing his sword at turko while the monk was turned to face shan havel the monk dodged both attacks and sent a kick in elmo's direction that barely missed the huge man's head he almost swung his axe again but chan havel saw that the big man was having a difficult time using the large weapon with his wounded leg and so many of his companions about bring your best crowed turrico smiling as he moved and dodged gliding easily from opponent to opponent i welcome it if you surrender elmo said i promise you will live ha turrico laughed spinning to kick drag a sword from his hands and following through with a punch that caught the man on his jaw it was a glancing blow but draga staggered back breathing hard if you attack i promise you will die turko said as he dodged a swipe from shanhavil and a lunge from elmo simultaneously there was a lull in the fight as the three men facing the monk stepped back breathing hard damn thought chen havel wishing he had some appropriate magic left to aid in his attacks anything he tried to use now would endanger his companions too he adjusted his grip on his staff and found his center of balance again the three men circled turko closing in to take the fight to him once more draga struck first this time jumping in and fainting then darting back out while turko was still in the midst of repelling that shan havel stepped forward and tried to sweep the monk's legs but he stepped back again before turco could land a retaliatory strike they were working the monk more effectively now fainting jabbing and making him spin and defend more strenuously than before after both draga and shan havel occupied turko together elmo came in high his axe raised turko sneered as he prepared to bend away from the attack but at the last moment turko released the axe sending it spinning and turrico's sneer turned to surprise as the weapon went rotating toward his head the monk ducted easily enough but elmo had gone into a roll at the monk's feet and was now inside the bakluny's reach turko spun back to face the huge man preparing to strike with a kick but elmo was too fast amazingly fast shan havel later remembered thinking elmo snapped up and at turko from a crouch there was a glint of bluish silver in elmo's hand as he embraced turrico the monk went suddenly still his eyes glazed over in surprise he looked into elmo's eyes his own betraying the pain he felt he opened his mouth to say something but no sound issued forth and then he sagged elmo let him slide to the flagstones the huge man's dagger protruding from his chest turning back to the one remaining foe shan havel saw that the magical darkness larith had used to escape had dissipated a league slumped against a wall alive but holding his head where a trickle of blood ran into his face of the dark priest himself there was no sign cheryl huddled over melius the warrior was sprawled on his back his one good eye staring at the ceiling he was still breathing shallowly shan havel knelt beside cheryl and looked at melius trying not to let his horror show in his face the druid had the soldier's hand in her own but she was only crying the others knelt down beside melius speaking soothing words to the warrior but it was obvious to all of them that he was nearly gone that bastard cobalt and his two companions had better be very dead alig said struggling to his feet and joining the rest of them they all elmo said cradling melius's head in his lap larith will join them soon i promise you i can't save him cheryl growled through clenched teeth she hung her head and sobbed my healing isn't strong enough mellie has tried to speak but his words were little more than a gurgle shan havel and the others leaned in listening closely malius whispered laboring to breathe point key please his head slumped back into elmo's lap then and his hand slipped from shirl's grasp his eye still stared at the ceiling but it was unseeing now with a final wet sigh his last breath left his body nine a league the muscles in his jaw clenched and flexing rose to his feet and turned away from melius's body he stomped to the other side of the room and paste draga stood off to the side a respectful look on his face but he said nothing elmo reached down and carefully pulled the warrior's cloak over his face cheryl cried quietly what the hells do we do now shane havel wandered feeling the all too familiar and fresh ache in his chest zlanothane all over again only this time everyone feels it is this all there is pain and death if that's all we have to look forward to on this expedition then i should just go home there's no more reason to stay anyway except there was the elf realized there was cheryl he sighed unsure if he wanted to leave and that surprised him more than anything i didn't think i would hear myself saying that he reflected but there it was the thought of leaving cheryl made the pit of his stomach royal still the thought of telling her how he felt made it royal even more instead of trying the wizard laid a soft hand on cheryl's shoulder and squeezed gently you did what you could he said softly without your other magic your blade of flame we would have all died at their hands cyril nodded but did not look up jaru has tried to get me to study more she said at last you work on tuning my energy so i can cast more powerful spells i never wanted to take the time though she sniffed and turned to look at chen havel if i had i would have had something to aid him her eyes did not sparkle now they were clouded and red rimmed with sadness he could only nod and say i wanted something last night too on the road when lanathan died something anything to keep him alive i didn't have it sooner or later we all discover that power isn't enough lanathan often told me that power is not what defines us it's what you do with what you have that makes you who you are right now everyone else needs your skills you still have the ability to help them you need someone to tend to your wound he gestured to the druid's blood-soaked shoulder shearer looked at him for a moment then nodded and replied i don't ever want to feel this inadequate again with that she stood before she moved to aid the wounded she looked back over her shoulder at him and said i led us here i was the one who said we couldn't let zert die mallius wanted to be cautious and i wouldn't let him it's my fault chen havel started to shake his head to tell her that it was his fault not hers that if he had realized desserts lie in time they never would have been ambushed but she had already turned away again and the words died in his throat sighing he stood up and looked around seeing what he could do to help our league and draga went from body to body making sure there were no survivors shane havel realized the three knolls he had subjected to his magical sleep were gone they must have awakened and slipped away during the fight or they could be hiding somewhere waiting until our guard is down he told this to the others cautioning them all to be careful cheryl administered to elmo's injury first the huge man took a deep breath then yanked the bolt free grimacing from obvious pain muttering under her breath shearer laid her hands softly upon the puncture wound and a soft glow emanated from the spot a moment later elmo was up and testing his leg walking back and forth with noticeably less of a limp the huge man smiled at cheryl but she was swooning and he had to catch her you've lost a lot of blood elmo said lowering her to the floor as shan havel rushed to her side his heart pounding not her too he thought in a panic as he knelt down next to her look in mallius's pack elmo ordered he had magical healing elixirs in there somewhere shane havel moved quickly to the dead soldier and removed the man's backpack hurrying back to cheryl's side he rooted through the gear pausing for only a moment to peer at a finely worked scroll case before shoving it aside and continuing to dig until he found a small stopped bottle holding it up he asked elmo this to which the huge axeman nodded cheryl you have to drink this shan havel said holding the bottle to the druid's lips it smelled of cinnamon and ash he noted as he carefully poured it into her mouth as she sipped it a soft blue glow rose from cheryl concentrating on her wounded shoulder a few moments later she was sitting up don't scare me like that sanhable told her she looked at him quizzically but assured the wizard she was all right when alieg and draga confirmed that there were no enemies still alive elmo moved over to turko's body and ripped the dagger from the monk's chest we should pitch these he gestured at the dead bandits into the marsh let the swamp eat them and we must take mallius back to omelet he deserves a hero's funeral but first we have to find out what we can about this larith phone with me our league said he dropped down beside one of the bandits corpses and began to search through the man's clothing first things first they won't be needing any of this stuff anymore he said pulling a small pouch of coins free and a small payment for what they cost us all what the entrance dragger said moving down the passageway out to make sure no one else sneaks stared at elmo's back somehow not surprised by the big man's sudden take charge attitude i knew there was more to him than he's been letting on they all thought as he followed him into the priest's lair beyond the door was a lavishly decorated room filled with thick rugs wall hangings soft chairs and a couch overflowing with overstuffed cushions a brazier warmed the dimly lit room and gave off the odor of incense as elmo took more careful stock of the place he and chan havel discovered delicacies fine wines and an assortment of fine serving pieces including a set of silver goblets that were exquisitely wrought in a cabinet along one wall was an alabaster box filled with rare and valuable ungents as well as an assortment of loose gems and jewelry by far the most important discovery was a small writing desk that also served as a shrine shan havel blanched upon seeing it shuddering beaucomp he muttered that's a shrine to loaf or no elmo said we destroyed that when we are through in here chad havel spawned to face the huge axemen how exactly do you know that you're far more than a drunken farmer's son admit it elmo didn't look up from the sheaf of parchment he was beginning to go through yes far more but it's not a tale for right now lighter i will explain to you look at this he said changing the subject as he held up some of the papers whatever we stumbled onto here to die he's much bigger than just these troops chad havel stared at the big man for a moment longer shaking his head in amazement then turned his attention to what elmo was trying to show him the papers held clues about larith's recent activities in the area the records and letters were written by someone named hedrack obviously larith's superior and they detailed plans for raiding caravan routes in the region there was also mention of recruitment techniques payment instructions for military troops delivery schedules of various goods armor weapons foodstuffs and even slaves and a long-term plan for the eventual destruction of hamlet through the use of elemental forces most powerful unfortunately locations were left vague as though this head rack did not want anyone to trace them back to him it was clear nonetheless that larath served a very secretive and powerful organization that was somewhere close by the temple shanhavil surmised sucking in his breath i'll wager my right arm that's where this head rack is i think you're wrong elmo replied nodding tell the others the companions deposited the bodies of the bandits in the swamp wrapping the corpses in their bedrolls and weighing them down with rubble from the ruins so they would sink below the surface someone had wrapped melius's body in his cloak as well and he now lay stretched out near the entrance to the tunnel waiting to be hauled out to the horses let's go home cheryl said when they were done suddenly looking sad again it's getting late elmo nodded in agreement and stood or get melius carefully the huge man hoisted the body of their leader up into his arms and headed out into the afternoon alig and draga followed him carrying a small chest with the valuables they had recovered from the place shan havel was alone with cheryl the elf looked over at the druid who was biting her lip thoughtfully cheryl chen havel began what happened today that wasn't your fault the lie desert told us was right in front of us in front of me and we still fell for it all of us stop blaming yourself at least you suspected i was just a trusting fool i talked him into going in there i insisted on it rode off with the man before melius could argue with me so damn sure i was right and it cost mallius his life i practically killed him myself no chanhal shouted he took the druid by the shoulders and made her look him squarely in the eye shut up you did no such thing cheryl was crying now big tears streaming down her face but she said nothing just bit her lip and looked away we were doing what we thought was right the elf continued the people who know you who care about you he emphasized these last words no better so should you looked at the wizard again now her blue eyes flashing as she deciphered the meaning of his words care about me shane havel nodded suddenly nervous he covered it by saying do you think jaru would blame you for what happened would lennothane blame me she cocked her head to one side as though realizing he was avoiding saying what he was really thinking yes i care about you the voice in his head said i don't know she said and it was almost a whisper but he isn't the one who just died because of my foolishness you should stop thinking about me that way and go home with that she turned to leave chan havel let out the breath he had been holding wait he said following her they walked together out into the daylight why are you saying there's no reason for me to stay none at all shira looked at him again as they reached the road i'm saying that i won't let there be one not like this melisa's death hurts enough i couldn't bear watching someone i cared about die i have my work with charu that's all there can be for me it's safer that way as she finished the druid sped up moving up the road and leaving changhavel behind the elf watched her walk away from him feeling a dull pain in his chest then slowly turned and followed her back at the top of the rise where the group had left their horses elmo was tying melius's body across the warrior's saddle our league and drago were securing the chest of goods to the pack horse the spare that had been lanathanes cheryl was inspecting her mount tightening a cinch here and there and shortening the stirrups more to her liking at that moment the sound of a winning horse floated across the bog and as one the group turned weapons drawn a powerfully built man approached along the path from hamlet he was wearing plate armor and sitting astride a horse so large and muscular that it was obvious it had been bred for war the man had a shield slung over his back and a very fine looking sword belted to his hip he looked road weary and somewhat lost he slowed the horse when he realized the group had spotted him slipping his riding gloves from his hands he reached up and removed his open-faced helmet and scanned the group he was clean-shaven and had short curly black hair the stranger clicked his tongue and his steed moved forward right up to where elmo stood axe in hand by cuthbert it's true the stranger muttered half to himself his eyes were wide and they flicked back and forth among the companions studying each in turn i will not doubt again my lord he added still staring pardon elmo said staring back a cautious concerned look on his mean can we help you cheryl asked i don't know the man replied i hope so i was sent to find you find us our league said half smirking by um by saint cuthbert my god and guiding hand what our league blurted nearly choking why would a god send you to find us i don't know the stranger replied smiling warmly i know it sounds bizarre but he came to me in a dream showed me your faces and sent me here to find you four and us elmo repeated still holding his axe yes i have seen each of you a wizard with a silver mane a rogue with a sharp tongue a big man with an axe a hairy fellow with a bow and a song in his heart and a woman a druid he said i would need you and you me there is work to be done and i had to find you so that we can do it together that sounds really noble our league said looking at the rest of his companions out of the corner of his eye but as you can see our work came to an abrupt end ollie ignored it at melius's body and we're going in different directions did your god tell you that the man frowned saint cuthbert admitted plain that there would be difficulties along this path but i know his will is for me to bring us all together so i hope you will reconsider you must reconsider shane havel glanced at the others in return and when he caught alig's eye the young man brought his hand to one side of his face to hide it from the stranger then made a crazed look back at the elf shen havel had to keep from cracking a grin but then he shrugged maybe this gets me more time with cheryl he thought you seem sincere the druid said but we have no idea if you're telling the truth or not regardless we don't even know your name the man started then shook his head in embarrassment by cuthbert i'm sorry i am sir govindana knight of saint cuthbert you can call me govern if there is a man of the church back in that town i will go before him and allow him to conduct his test of truth on me to prove to you i am what and who i say i am all right then govern shann havel said pointing from person to person that's elmo over there's draga there's cheryl that's our league and i'm chad havel not shadow spawn the elf said throwing a look toward our league the unlucky soul on the back of the horse was malius yes that is one of your names shane havel you go by another however galdurios suel el miral dua sulis min and williams su chantirel galerevel medioste shan havel's eyes widened as he stared at the man before him gavin had used the elf's own tongue some who know you well name you chanterelle galeravel mage cheryl was staring open mouthed at first the night then at shen havel del merca shan havel finally replied bowing slightly you speak the truth noble knight your dreams seem to tell you much about us our league shook his head exasperated what the nine hails did he just say to you he told me some things that only the people of the welkwood should know and he named me as a wizard despite the discomfort of this man knowing so much about him shane havel was beginning to warm to the night it was strange he somehow felt right yes that was it right with govind here that's as odd a thing as you have ever thought chanterelle galleravel so govin bowed his head forgive me and did not mean to put you on guard they only wish to prove that i am legitimate this is a lot to accept i realize perhaps i should withdraw and let you discuss things for a bit in private or don't think that's necessary elmo said he had that look on his face that had convinced shane havel there was more to him than his story told you must be tired after roaring heroed away from from divers i rode here from divers yes a long journey indeed our unfortunate companion here melius needs a proper burial we were hoping to get him back to omelet but the day grows late we should make camp and discuss this further you are welcome to join us i accept your invitation the knight said with a small appreciative bow 10. it was nightfall by the time the group set up camp they pitched their meager shelters and built a small fire in a secluded spot a fair distance away from the moat house on some high ground that was drier than the surrounding marsh everyone had gathered around the fire and was consuming a fine stew of rabbit meat chen havel had just finished telling sir gavin the tale of their exploration of the moat house and of mellius's death by mutual agreement with elmo during a private conversation earlier he left out many of the significant details of larith and the things they had found in his chambers there was an expectant silence now as everyone watched the night while he ate waiting for him to respond in some manner to the story govan was wolfing down spoonfuls of stew seemingly unconcerned that everyone was studying him finally he sopped the last drops of broth up with bread and set the bowl aside he leaned back against a tree and steepled his fingers shan havel stole a glance in cheryl's direction she had said little to him since their conversation before now she had her head bowed slightly and was absently biting her lower lip staring at nothing i see now why i was sent here gotham began your task is not yet completed yet your perseverance has faded away he leaned forward again warming to his speech this malleus may his spirit rest was the guiding hand he brought you together and he had the drive to see this through now that he has gone i have been sent not by a mere lord by no king or viscount but by a power far stronger and more enduring a league coughed at this point and when sean havel looked over he could see derision written on the man's face perhaps our league said but i don't follow your god so what's he want with me i don't know that strange dreams really provide a good enough reason for me probably not for my friend draga here either drago merely shrugged and went back to whittling on a piece of branch of course not garvin replied not everyone hears or recognizes the call of cuthbert you need your own reasons for choosing your way i can't give you what you want out of this but i believe it will come to you nonetheless success lies down this path should we choose to follow it so govern shan havel said folding his fingers together and leaning forward if everything you say is true it would seem that something fairly profound will come of it why do you think cuthbert wants you to lead us it was a leading question shane havel but he wanted to see just how much the knight might know about what was going on i did not come here to lead you that is not my place you are already companions having learned to rely on one another before my arrival it is plain to me that i can only ask to join you not presume to lead you to answer your question though i cannot say in certain terms what will come of this but i believe i have part of the answer it is a poem something else that came to me in a dream though i do not know what it means yet here it is the two united in the past a place to build and spells to cast their power grew and took the land and people round as they had planned a key without a lock they made of gold and gems and overlaid with spells a tool for men to wield to force the powers of good to yield but armies came their weapons beared while evil was yet unprepared the heart was followed by the crowns and moon and people of the towns the two were split one got away but she when came the judgment day did break the key and sent the rocks to box's four with magic locks in doing so she fell behind as he escaped she was confined among her own her very lair became her prison and despair the place was ruined torn apart and left with chains around the heart of evil power but the key was never found in the debris he knows not where she dwells today she set the minion's path the way to lift her temple high again with tools of flesh with mortal men many now have gone to die in water flame in earth or sky they did not bear the key of old that must be found the orb of gold beware my friend for you shall fall unless you have the wherewithal to find and search the boxes for and then escape forevermore but with the key you might succeed in throwing down her power and greed destroy the key when you are done and then rejoice the battle won when the night had finished chanhal was certain his face was pale he looked from companion to companion realizing they all looked shaken mallius begged us to find the key before he died the elf said quietly of us knew what he meant so what our league argued he could have been talking about anything and that poem could mean anything there's nothing to prove that they are the same shan havel nodded and then he remembered something well there might be one way to find out he said rising to his feet he moved over to the pile of gear going through it until he found melius's pack returning to his seat he opened the pack and looked for the scroll case do you think that's such a good idea cheryl asked doubtfully he was an agent of the king you might be breaking some law brother chen havel looked at her then shrugged it might be that those are ezudas from the var count or the king elmo said motioning for shan havel to open the scroll case and if there's something useful in there we must find it i think under the circumstances any transgression would be overlooked shen havel eyed elmo for a moment wondering just how the big man might come to that conclusion then shrugged and twisted the seal from the scroll case the role of parchment inside was crinkled and weathered everyone gathered around as he stared at the words written on the scroll in a careful neat hand they were word for word the poem the knight had just quoted i don't think there's any doubt now shane havel said in a breathless whisper a league's eyes were wide as he shook his head agreeing with the elf's assessment but what does it mean cheryl asked govan the night shrugged i don't know but i am willing to accept cuthbert's wisdom in bringing us together i have faith that whatever it is we are to accomplish it will be revealed to us when the time is right cheryl continued to chew her lip while elmo frowned tom israel the huge man said he stormed for a few explanations elmo rose from the ground where he had been seated as he spoke to the group you see i'm not merely an ill-swilling simpleton although i've done little to maintain that guys in recent hours so i suppose most of you already realized that it is an image i have cultivated for many a year now and it has been very useful for throwing off suspicion shan havel leaned forward eager to hear what this huge man whose mean was suddenly contemplative and intelligent was going to say next you see elmo continued looking at his hands or two work for the var count there were a few gasps from the group i am a knight of the heart a hunter a tracker it has been more responsibility to keep an eye on the activities around the area the comings and goings of merchants strangers what have you few have passed through only without my knowing shane havel found himself shaking his head in amazement and he saw that everyone else around the fire shared his sentiment i knew there was something up the elf said grinning riley when ormil told me you were speaking to him i was confused every once in a while you said or did something that seemed so out of character for the pardon the expression simple bumpkin farmer you seem to be elmo smiled and nodded yes you are extremely astute well born of the shadow wood more so than most people i meet there was a time or two that i slipped up most of the time i was watching for your reaction i wanted to know if i could trust you each of you i learned today that i can and that's going to be a very important part of our relationship if we're going to see this through how is it that you know my true name the wizard asked not really surprised i told you it's my job to know as much as i can about everyone who comes and goes elmo smiled again as shane havel nodded in acquiescence at the explanation in this case though there are two reasons first ormiel told me regardless of what practical jokes your friend here likes to play i still like his nickname better our league replied grinning but not looking up from the dagger he was studiously examining and the second reason is estrus or two speak your tongue shan havel blinked in surprise as did cheryl but govan only smiled in any event elmer went on coffin is wrong we've only scratched the surface of this problem i've known about it for a while but i couldn't risk revealing myself until i was sure we could do something about it elmo gazed into the fire for several moments his brow wrinkled and his visage turned grim he seemed to be gathering his courage the temple of the elements is flourishing once again elmo continued i have sources in nulb the next village to the east and the community closest to the site of the place that confirm this i intend to stop it elmo looked at each of the companions shane havel sat quietly reflecting is this why i'm here he thought it was one thing when we were just looking for a bandit lair but now still the elf realized there was that warm glow he was feeling thinking about this these people are my friends he reminded himself i trust them and they me and cheryl chanhavel looked across at the druid who was biting her lip a worried look on her face this is her home he thought she needs my help too i'm with you shane havel said he had already made up his mind that he would stay and be a part of this regardless of what cheryl did well he asked her the druid gazed back at the wizard steadily her blue eyes reflecting the flickering fire light as she studied him finally she grimaced and shook her head but she said all right shane havel smiled despite himself well i'm not our league growled throwing a rock off into the trees this is as far as i go tomorrow i ride for greener pastures droga are you coming with me the hairy bowman looked up from the object he was carving which shan havel now saw was some sort of a flute or similar instrument and frowned if we leave them and i fail who else would do this who cares it's not our problem sooner or later it will be cheryl said if the temple grows and becomes too powerful to stop there will be no greener pastures left i know you don't follow my god garvin said i cannot ask you to go on faith but i can foresee this deed being a great boon to you our league scowled looking at all of them then sighed and slumped in resignation oh what the hell's i'll stay and help he glared at draga since when did you get all noble draga only smiled sheepishly and said nothing whittling again with his knife excellent elmo said we roy did a temple it first lied then it's official chen havel said we are an alliance no garvin said smiling we are the alliance it is the name that came to me in my visions the alliance the fire had burned low at the campsite the night air was cool and filled with the sounds of sleeping only shane a league and draga were awake keeping watch the bowman sat a little off to the side working on his flute occasionally playing it softly testing it before continuing to work on it hmm chanhavel said draining his mug as he looked up at the stars so what's your story our league he asked quietly how did you get hooked up with melius our league twisted his mouth around in a pensive frown well he said playing with one of his ever-present daggers let's just say i was getting tired of the street life in verba bonk melius and i bumped into one another one night and he offered me a job it was a nice change of pace so i accepted shan havel chuckled you tried to steal something he caught you and then he gave you a chance to avoid going to the viacounts dungeons if you would come with him our league grinned well not exactly but close enough my welcome was worn out back there that's for sure shane havel nodded what about drunka he asked gesturing at the man sitting next to him where's he from i don't know olig answered shrugging he doesn't say much he's good for a laugh or two he's a damn foreign shot with that bow he finished loudly enough that drauga heard the bowman looked up and smiled then played a little melody on his flute it was not in tune but chen havel could tell it was getting better as draga continued to work on it yes he is the elf replied grinning our league looked directly at the elf what about you why are you here and what in the nine hells did elmo mean when he called you whelp of the shadow wood chan havel sat back thinking when byrne called upon lanathan to aid him it seemed to go without saying that i would come too when lalthane died the wizard swallowed hard thinking of the incident it seemed so much longer ago than a few short nights he paid me to come without him so burn wanted someone to come poke around the ruins of an old ford and you just said sure our league looked skeptical well i didn't know exactly what the favor would be when i agreed but essentially yes it's something i had to do for lanathan's sec and it's what my full name actually means war the elf looked at him my full name is chanterelle galeravel whelp born of the shadow wood is the truest translation although i prefer child to welp shane havel is the short form and it means shadow child shadow child our league said looking at shen havel why would your parents name you there chen havel smiled as our league reached to refill his mug from the wineskin the two of them were sharing actually i was orphaned a woodsman found me crying one day while he was hunting he didn't like children very much and it was in a deep dark part of the welkwood so he gave me this unpleasant name in elvish he was from a community of humans and elves who managed to live together peacefully which is how he knew the elvish language you don't know who your parents were they were never found shane havel shook his head they lived a little ways away from that community they were slain by utter caps a spider people who live in the darkest part of the woods no one is really sure how i managed to survive anyway he continued my aunt sully she's not really my aunt but i think of her that way she's an elder on the council where i grew up aunt sully anterel made them shortened to shun havel shadow child so that's why you call yourself shane havel our league said i like shadow spawn better really that's kind of what your name means chen havel just shook his head in resignation whatever makes you happy shane havel turned to look up at the night sky he stole a glance at cheryl sleeping on the far side of the remains of the fire wrapped in her thick cloak he likes you more than she's admitting you know our league said you're giving up too easily shane havel nearly choked on his wine what what are you talking about oh i'm not stupid neither is anyone else we all know how you feel about her believe me i can sit in your eyes when you look at her and it's in her eyes too she's just stubborn that's all chanhal cocked his head to one side studying our league and mulling over the man's words she made it clear i should leave alex snorted in derision that's what she said that's not what she was thinking sean havel shook his head but he realized he was suddenly thinking about the possibilities again 11. hedrack's footfalls were soft against the flagstones echoing in the near silence of the great temple chamber as the high priest of ewes hurried toward the private chapel behind the writhing violet curtain once beyond the deus and in the room with three altars hedrack dropped to his knees and taking a deep breath began to pray frowning slightly as he struggled to find the right words it was not long before the priest felt his deity's presence in his mind my lord use hendrak said the words tumbling forth i am your mouth i pronounce your wishes to the world you will tread beneath your feet i sense your unease servant the gravelly voice inside the priest's head grated down his spine hedrack knew better than to hide this information from his master yes my lord i bear unpleasant news we have lost the mote house larith did manage to flee and is safe with me but certain things were left behind that could prove troublesome there was no answer but hedrack nonetheless felt the waves of malevolent displeasure washing through him as ewes seethed despite himself the priest shuddered a small part of him fearing that the gods annoyance would spill over to him how ews finally asked his voice more grating than ever how did this happen larath reported that a band of interlopers wielding substantial magic invaded the place i'm still trying to find out the particulars hedrack's thoughts strayed to the handsome priest bound in chains in one of his recreation rooms awaiting his return for more questions i will know more soon it is his doing the god said i warned you that he had sent meddlers to interfere you must not take them lightly for them to defeat one of our best commanders i understand my lord hendrak responded he knew the group of adventurers that had managed to bring laerth's forces down would follow the trail to knolb looking for more information on the temple edrack's instructions had been clear destroy them when they arrived and bring their bodies to him what other news ews asked interrupting hedrack's thoughts ah good news my lord we have begun to bring forth creatures from the plains i have witnessed three and falrenth and my other staff have moved several more from the plains to the nodes our army is growing my lord excellent use beamed what of my beloved have you located her yet efforts proceed to pace my master she remains only marginally aware and communicating with her is arduous he does not seem to know where she is and thus far falrinh's scrying efforts have revealed little however we have found the key she mentioned a golden skull although it does not appear to be intact there are four sockets that seem to have been designed to hold something gems perhaps once falrenth determines its workings we will use it to free her of course he use a fused waves of pleasure radiating over head rack from the god she was always clever the sockets are indeed designed for gems one representing each element this is an item of power that she and i constructed before to aid in ruling the temple she must have attuned it to herself somehow find the gems place them in their sockets and you'll find her excellent my lord i will notify falrinth at once you must find her you said the insistence washing over hedrack like a wave of cold black water that is your main charge in my service discover her prison and bring her forth hedrack bowed lower touching his head to the floor before him i hear and obey my master with that eus was gone leaving the priest alone in the chapel reflecting on his thoughts how much longer can i delay in unearthing her he wondered hedrack shook his head dismissing the thought he knew he would obey his god's commands in due time indeed it was the timing that was important here too soon and he would lose control of the feuding factions on the levels above too late and he would risk his masters ire in the meantime he had other matters to attend to including dealing with this band of would-be heroes who have stuck their noses into something they shouldn't have thinking of these cretans as he returned to his chambers as well as having been forced to report unpleasant news to his master and put the priest in a foul mood when he arrived deus and armor snapped to attention and saluted him he dismissed the aton and unlocked his chamber door stepping inside hedrack surveyed the room mika was busy straightening the place while estelle was stretched out upon the bed chin in hands a petulant pout upon her face she had been acting this way ever since hedrack had brought the new girl in sitting in the corner the young woman stared at hedrack with fearful eyes her hands and ankles bound tightly her dress was torn and dirty a result of her capture by larith's men the night of the field commander's last fateful raid on hamlet her dark hair was matted about her sweaty face hedrack smiled at her which caused the terrified girl to shrink back further into the corner there was a knock upon his door and rack turned back and unlocked it swinging it open to admit barkinar the commander of the temple troops and head racks second in command we have a new batch of sacrifices barcana began peering at mika as she hurried to fetch a cold drink for the visitor i thought you would want to witness their delivery to the nodes hedrack sighed thinking how much there was to do and how he wished at this moment to be left alone to brood to brood and to spend time with his new plaything he turned to look back at the young woman tied in the corner then at estelle who was still flopped on the bed not lifting a hand to aid mika in making barkinar comfortable perhaps he thought i could use a bit of spectacle yes he said debaconar i would like that very much i will be along shortly barkinar nodded and took his leave hedrack shot the door behind the man and turned to look at the girl in the corner he strode across the room and squatted down in front of her reveling in her terrified squirms to pull away from him smiling he pulled a knife from his boot and sliced the bonds from the girl's wrists and ankles as she cowered he waved his hands in front of her and spoke a few words of prayer as the girl's visage changed from fear to eagerness the priest said now young thing what is your name peda the girl replied beaming that he had deigned to speak to her be a good girl then painter and go to mika she will help you learn what is expected of you peda smiled and leaped to her feet running to the other girl handrack turned to a stell who was still pouting you he said grabbing her by the wrist and lifting her to her feet you and i are going to take a walk estelle's face brightened as she fell into step beside her master hedrack led her out the door locking it behind him as the pair of them headed toward the staging area of the nodes hendrax smiled thinking that estelle would make a fine sacrifice to one of his precious elemental creatures 12. during the night shane havel had a dream burn came to him the wizard's face hovering in substantially in front of the elf's field of vision you must remember this when you awaken i can only assume that something terrible has befallen melius for i cannot reach his mind if elmo still lives he will be able to explain further it is time you and the others knew the full truth the forces of the temple are on the rise again and you must stop them from releasing a terrible evil an evil we could not destroy ten years ago i am sorry we kept this from you before melius and i felt it best not to reveal this until the time was right but now there can be no more delay you must find a golden key and return it to me i will have determined the means to destroy it by then the key is in the form of a skull missing its lower jaw it contains four gems one for each of the elements set into the crown line at the compass points you must infiltrate the temple ruins discover the whereabouts of this key and return it to me whatever happens get the key many lives depend on your success burns face faded from view and chanhal's dreams were troubled by looming golden skulls and demonic faces when he woke the pink of dawn was just brightening on the horizon shivering he sat up remembering burns dream message with perfect clarity when the rest of the alliance had awakened the elf shared the message with them elmo nodded when shan havel finished this skull is known to me at least somewhat it was created during the initial rise of the temple as an object of power it must be the orb of gold mentioned in the poem so we must do this we must find this key before it's too late what does too light mean our league asked worry on his face too late is when the temple leaders find this key and use it to release the demon what our league choked no one said anything to me about demons last night this is way over my head she was sealed there when the temple was defeated elmo explained burn lanathane and others rode with the prince to combat her at the battle of emery meadows their losses were heavy and when the time came to destroy her they were too weakened instead they sealed her deep within her own lair trapping her and making it impossible for anyone to reach her again except that she must have seen it coming and somehow she attuned this object this key so it became the means to free her she knew it would be only a matter of time before someone found it and unlocked the seals on her prison bow cobb chanhal breathed malius knew this the whole time he and burn and lanathan why didn't they just tell us they felt you would never agree to do this if you knew the full extent of the problem i disagreed with their reasons but it wasn't my expedition so i acquiesced despite elmo's eagerness to be underway the group had to bury melius they knew they had no time to return to hamlet for a proper ceremony so they chose a quiet spot near their camp govind spoke a few words in honor of the man he had never met the grave was flanked by two large maple trees that were just beginning to leaf out their buds blazing crimson in the morning sun it was a fine marker chanhal decided as they mounted up and set out toward knob null was a dirty seedy dangerous place and since they wanted to attract as little attention as possible the alliance left the road and went around the town to avoid the place entirely instead they headed directly for the temple hoping to find a safe and hidden spot close to the ruined structure in which to rest for the night with most of the day gone the sky had grown overcast and shane havel could smell the threat of rain as they rode chanhavel looked over at cheryl she had been pensive and quiet the whole day despite several efforts on the wizards part to engage her in conversation he had not yet found a good way to open up to her to find out if our league's comments from the previous evening would hold true [Music] he shook his head and turned his attention back to the small track along which elmo was leading them [Music] the route to the temple was little more than a rutted trail the dense forest pressed in on either side but it was obvious that some amount of traffic had been using it recently which set the entire group on edge chen havel found himself shuddering on more than one occasion his skin crawling from the sensation of being watched pulling his hood up as it began to drizzle he hunched down as if he was shying away from prying eyes after about an hour of riding through the waning cloud filtered light of the late afternoon they reached the edge of the tree line and saw it dismounting and leaving their horses in a small cops of trees near the road the group stealthily approached the ruined temple on foot leery of guards there seemed to be none the vegetation surrounding the place was sickly and warped with a profusion of nettles briars and burrs many of the trees were dead and skeletal and the scrub growth at their bases was stunted and unnaturally coloured yellowish with disease here and there among the weeds gleamed the bleached white remains of countless dead skulls half buried in the soil and other bones scattered among the brown grass surrounding the main structure were piles of gray rubble with the occasional intact section of wall at the northeast corner of these outer walls stood the stump of a tower there seemed to be no signs of life there other than a handful of ravens perching atop the structure the main building itself was intact an impressive bastion of arched buttresses and hideous leering faces carved into the stone disgusting creepers and vines clung to the entire thing as though clawing at the building in an attempt to get to the rich source of malevolence inside shane havel shivered the light already diffused in the overcast sky somehow seemed even weaker and more ineffectual here more than once he saw a darting movement out of the corner of his eye but when he turned his gaze in that direction all he spotted was a shadow or a blackish bush moving slightly in the breeze by cuthbert this place exudes evil garvin said my mouth is sour with the taste of it yeah agreed our league not keep seeing things that aren't there come on garvin said loosening his sword in its scabbard let's have a look around wait shan havel said why aren't there any guards i've asked myself that question about a dozen times now our league added my suspicion garvin responded is that the residual evil of the place is enough to discourage most would-be explorers and there's a certain logic to giving the appearance of being abandoned rather than swarming with guards well even if we can't see guards that doesn't mean there aren't some hiding somewhere sean havel warned let's get a little unobtrusive reconnaissance first i'll call ormiel to fly overhead and see what he can see good idea nodded cheryl her eyes wide let's make absolutely sure before we go in reaching out with his mind shane havel called to his hawk summoning the bird ormiel swooped past and circled the ruined temple but he peeled abruptly to the side and retreated to a nearby tree o'meal spy for me shanhavil told him fly and look the hawk answered bad place he won't go near the place the wizard explained to everyone else shane havel sighed and shook his head he can sense the evil too then we'll just have to trust our own wits and senses carven said starting toward the temple and our faith in goodness to see us through i was afraid he was going to say that a league muttered at elmo's suggestion they approached the ruined structure from the side it would be wiser to avoid the main road if possible they soon discovered though that despite the fact that the walls were thrown down and ruined the path was almost impassable everywhere the thorns nettles and creeping vines were too thick and high to move through we could be here all night trying to hack through this elmo grumbled as he wiped blood from yet another thorn scratch on the back of his hand the skin already showed a swollen red welt as much as i hate to come knocking at the front door i'm going to have to follow the road i think there's no other way inside reluctantly the companions made their way around to the south side following the road until they were inside the barrier ahead of them the great archway of the main doors loomed casting dark shadows upon the portals themselves standing inside the destroyed walls set shan havel's teeth on edge the entire place reeked of hatred and malevolence what the hell are we doing here he wondered his place must feed off our fears the drizzle that had been falling began to transform becoming a slushy sleet that grew heavier by the moment it rattled off every surface crackling as it hit the stonework of the ruins and pelting the huddled figures as they drew cloaks and hoods more tightly around the themselves approached the front entrance in the fading light of early evening studying the twin bronze doors before them which towered more than 20 feet high and were nearly as wide the doors were held fast by huge iron chains and shan havel could see that every crack and crevice in the thing had been sealed with soft iron more importantly though a set of magical runes had been etched into the portal each glowing with a silvery radiance shaun havel could make out only a little of what the roon said although their effect was clear enough none of the companions could muster the will to approach the doors any closer than about ten feet beyond that they found the deed impossible to carry out they are binding sigils chanhevel said turning away to escape the sense of opposition that washed over him when he tried to draw near they were put there by bern lanathan and the others when the temple fell a decade ago that must be how they sealed the demon inside so there's no way to open them garvin asked not that i know of shane havel replied shuddering still at the proximity to the temple come on then garvin suggested heading around the side of the building there's got to be another way inside some secret passage that they are using the rest of the companions followed the knight who made his way carefully through the tall weeds and dead trees following what seemed to be game trails criss-crossing through the bracken as they approached the rear of the temple chanhal noted again a large number of ravens silhouetted against the steely gray sky atop the tower perching among the ruins of the upper floors they made him shiver ravens are never a good sign he told himself then rolled his eyes that's silly he chastised himself they're just birds when the group got closer to the base of the tower the ravens grew agitated and fully a dozen or more of them arose from their perches the birds swooped down upon the group and as shan havel watched they appeared to grow larger in size look out chanhal cried bringing his staff up to swat at the first of the creatures that flew past him it was huge he realized with a wingspan of nearly ten feet it went soaring past nearly knocking him down by now the rest of the alliance was aware of the attack drawing weapons and crouching low as giant ravens swarmed and swooped all around elmo growled in pain as one of the beasts raked him with its claws catching him across the back of one shoulder with a razor-sharp talon draga elmo and olig had their bows up and were firing arrows at the birds govin cheryl and shan havel did their best to repel those giant ravens that swooped in to attack the bowmen at that moment the group came under attack from arrow fire one of the missiles tore through chanhal's cloak barely missing his leg another caught olig in the arm he cried out and nearly dropped his bow the tower yelled garvin turning his shield to ward off any more shots aimed at him they're firing from the arrow slits get into cover the group managed to retreat from the tower and fend off the attacks of the ravens at the same time moving into a grove of usks short bushy trees usually prized for their sweet fruit the pale blue still unripe fruit of these particular twisted stunted specimens were tainted with angry red splotches however from this protected spot the battle continued in the sleet at first the ravens were everywhere and shane havel suffered several cuts on his arms and hands from the flyby attacks but the bowman soon took their toll on the birds dropping them out of the sky one by one finally when but one or two of the giant creatures remained aloft they turned and flew away leaving the alliance crouched among the sickly trees wet bleeding and panting a handful of giant birds that had been shot were only wounded flapping their wings haphazardly and struggling to move across the ground elmo stepped out to dispatch the injured ones with his axe and to retrieve intact arrows cheryl tended to everyone's wounds well if they didn't know we were coming before our league snarled quietly in disgust jerking a thumb back over his shoulder toward the tower behind him they sure as hell's now now there's no way to get over there without being turned into a pin cushion i might be able to sneak up there but what then i'm not going in there by myself chad naval thought for a moment a possibility occurred to him but he wasn't sure how much he liked it what choice do we have he asked himself sighing he said i have an idea but it isn't terribly noble it'll kill them hopefully all of them in one blow before i agree to do this though i want to give them a fair warning i'll go order them to surrender garvin said we'll see what happens the knight stood and walked out toward the tower he approached the main door his shield held before him the rest of the group watched from cover hear me gavin called out in the name of cuthbert and goodness surrender we offer you this one chance or we will destroy you in reply several arrows hissed out from the arrow slits causing the knight to flinch back behind his shield backing away hastily gavin returned to the others all right i gave them a chance whether they think we're bluffing or not they want a fight what do you have in mind wizard wait and watch chad havel said preparing to cast his magic taking a deep breath he began an incantation to render himself invisible as he finished the spell and faded from sight our league chuckled i was hoping he'd do that the man said sh chaneville said quietly i'm almost ready govan give me about two minutes then come out and make that same demand again yes i like offering myself as an easy target the night grumbled alright two minutes chad havel stood the rest of you sit tight they shouldn't take long he made his way toward the tower trying to disturb as little of the grass and weeds beneath his feet as possible he crept along using his staff for balance checking to see if he was leaving easily discernible footprints in the mud so far so good he told himself as he got to the base of the tower near one of the arrow slits now he only had to wait until govan appeared again a moment later the night came out his shield held in front of himself when govind reached the point where he had been previously he called out again this is your last chance surrender now or we will attack shan havel could hear a handful of snickers through the arrow slit and then he heard movement from just on the other side of the opening more arrows shot out at the night who was struck once in the arm and howled in pain as he backed away eliciting more guffaws from inside the tower grimly shan havel peeked inside the arrow slit and saw a scruffy looking bandit a bow in hand peering right at him he had to fight the urge to jerk back away from the man but it was obvious that the bandit did not see him the man stepped away from the arrow slit letting a piece of black canvas fall across the opening nodding and taking a deep breath to calm himself chandhavel whispered his spell bringing his staff up as he did so when he neared the end of the incantation he thrust his staff through the opening forcing the canvas back out of the way and pointed his finger inside there was a single surprised yelp from the other side of the arrow slit but shane havel knowing that his spell casting had negated the invisibility and that he was now visible again had already ducked away crouching low and pressing himself tightly to the base of the tower a heartbeat later there was a muffled but concussive thump as the elf's spell went off tongues of flame shot out of each of the arrow slits like fiery breath from some beast and then vanished nodding in grim satisfaction the wizard motioned for his companions to join him the rest of the group moved out of hiding and came running toward the tower there was no arrow fire this time when they reached the base of the tower our league stared at shane havel what the hell's did you do the man asked flung a little magic their way shane havel replied he looks like the old inside of the tower exploded elmo said i've heard of spells like that you did that chanhal nodded but he didn't feel much like celebrating i did i doubt anyone survived the thought made him grimace it's a pretty brutal spell govan his arm apparently healed by cheryl had his sword out let's get out of the slush and see the door turned out to be barred and chained on the outside but it didn't take a league long to defeat the lock that's on san havel observed it must come and go by a different route perhaps they have a way to the temple inside govan suggested inside the acrid smell of sulphurous smoke and burned flesh was strong entering cautiously weapons at the ready the alliance crept inside the tower none of the bandits remained alive from their positioning it was obvious that they had been lying in wait preparing to ambush anyone foolish enough to enter the tower through the main doors two low walls flanked the entrance designed to funnel intruders toward a central point where ranks of spearmen and crossbowmen would annihilate them the bodies were still in those spots the fiery burst of magic had killed them instantly and dropped them where they had stood guilt washed over shane havel they never knew what hit them he thought he tried not to imagine what it must have felt like that instant of fiery death they attacked us he reminded himself and they serve an evil so powerful that it's palpable he shook his head refusing to grieve for these thugs the group wasted little time exploring the interior of the tower lighting a couple of lanterns and beginning to explore the main room where the bandits had died held little besides rude furniture and some old cloaks and blankets as well as some sacks of foodstuffs the remains of a half-eaten meal still rested on the table tops burned to a crisp now from the rafters hung various smoked meats and sausages along with some bags of herbs and onions beneath an ascending staircase blocked at its upper end by the collapse of the upper levels of the tower were several barrels filled with water beer and sour smelling wine off of the main room were two smaller ones apparently quarters for the officers of the bandit troops a league rooted around in an oak chest in the first chamber but all he came up with was personal clothing and effects in the other chamber they found a second chest this one sealed tight aligned knelt down to pick the lock the young man howled jerking his hand away from the lock and sticking his finger into his mouth something pricked me shane havel moved beside olig and peered down at the lock a small needle protruded from it local was set inside the lock he observed pointing whoa our league said suddenly falling back on his backside i don't feel so good he was pale and had broken out in a sweat shane havel turned back to the chest and examined the needle in the lock more closely oh bokob he thought as he saw the substance coating the needle what is it elmo asked when he saw the elf's stricken face he's been poisoned shane havel said there's poison on the needle move out of my way now cheryl crossed from where she had been searching through some papers at a desk and crouched down beside olig i need some room closing her eyes cheryl prayed placing her hands over olig's chest shanhavil listened as the druid beseeched the forces of nature calling upon the spirit of the land to aid her when she was finished she sat back peering intently at the man's face our league lay with his eyes closed not moving his color seemed to be getting better to shan havel's eye but the elf had no sense in these matters his heart thumped in his chest as he waited to see if our league would survive everyone hovered over the fallen man waiting alike cheryl called her eyes filled with tears olig can you hear me alig opened one eye looking first at the druid then swiveling it around a period each of the other faces gathered around him where he lay yes he asked drawing the word out are you all right she will ask frowning actually now me what's wrong then the druid said whatever you need if i can heal it i will oh that a league remarked dryly i'm fine now i'm just hungry you don't have any roasted chicken do you oh for the love of cheeril snarled leaping to her feet i thought i was too late damn you olig you scared me to death she kicked him on the side of the leg ow our league said laughing and holding his sides as the druid stalked away you should have seen the looks on your faces that was priceless shane havel rolled his eyes and sat back damn our league you know how sensitive she is after meliuz that wasn't funny yes it was he replied tears streaming down his face at least i thought it was shan havel stood and moved over to where sheryl stood at the other end of the room her arms folded across her chest the elf could tell she was fuming hey he said he's just a jokester that's all he damn him cheryl said and a single tear ran down her face i thought i was too late i thought he was dying shh shan havel said turning the druid to face him and then giving her a hug to his pleasant surprise she did not resist melting into his embrace that's just the way he is you know he's thankful for what you did even if he doesn't say it i know cheryl replied it just scared me that's all she buried her face in shane havel's chest for a moment then just as abruptly she looked up at shan havel the elf stared back at her wondering what she was thinking you all right now he asked brushing away the tear she nodded and pulled free from his hug by this time olig was on his feet again having managed to get his laughter under control but he was still smiling don't you dare do that to me again cheryl punched ollie in the arm but this time shanhavel could hear a hint of laughter in the druid's words chicken she said rolling her eyes and walking away our league snickered and looked at the rest of the group see she thinks it was funny govind sighed loudly and shane havel gave a rag grin let's finish here and get moving the elf said 13. despite a thorough search of the tower the companions could find no way into the temple from the tower they left it behind hoping to find another entrance elsewhere outside the sleet had turned to snow although there wasn't enough to coat the ground yet this snowfall seems unnatural cheryl muttered it never snows this late in the year shane havel had to agree with her although he wasn't sure of the eerie sensations crawling up his spine weren't just from the temple itself the companions completed their journey around the perimeter of the temple stopping at the front entrance again it was well after dark now damn gavin growled how do we get in we will never find it in the dark and snow elmo said let's get away from here and come somewhere out of the way we'll figure it out in the morning everyone was tired cold and hungry so no one argued the alliance moved quickly along the path the last vestiges of malevolence still whispering at the edge of their minds once the temple was out of sight everyone's spirits improved immensely the sense of relief that washed over each of them was almost palpable they had just moved back onto the trail after fetching their horses when shen havel heard the sound of distant hoof beats shh cyril called from the rear i hear riders get off the road elmo commanded turning his own horse and riding into the trees along the side of the path shane havel wheeled his own mount and trotted into the cover of the forest when he was several feet back under the boughs he halted the horse and listened sure enough from the direction of knulb the sound of galloping horses grew louder a moment later the sound ceased shan havel called out to his hawk ormiel are you there yes came a sleepy reply fly to me what happened to them our league whispered fiercely where'd they go or not sure elmo replied let's wait a moment longer i don't want to run into any ambushes out here a moment later ormiel swooped past shan havel's shoulder gods growled our league flinching as the bird shot past him what else was that shh it was just ormiel the wizard whispered smiling in the darkness men were riding this way find them i fine the hawk replied flying off into the night tell your bird not to scare me like that anymore our league huffed hunching his shoulders did you send all meal ahead to scout for us elmo asked yes i told him to find the riders maybe he'll see where they went good idea let's stay quiet and keep an eye and ear out the group sat waiting for shan havel's familiar to report the silence was broken only by the falling snow patterning on the branches around them after nearly ten minutes ormiel called out to shan havel riders went into trees we are coming shan havel replied o'meal found where they left the road he reported to the others let's go then govan said as a group they all moved back out onto the road show yourself the elf called listening for the telltale sounds of the hawk it caught sight of the bird perhaps 40 yards ahead of them omio says the riders left the trail and entered the woods here chad havel told the rest of the group as they approached the spot where the bird perched high in a tree when they reached this spot they discovered a faint side trail that they had missed before leading off into the woods elmo hopped down and examined the ground for a moment yep there are fresh tracks here hard to see in the dark but with the snow they're discernible this is where our visitors went as the group turned off the main path and followed this side trail the snow stopped and the sky cleared as the clouds blew out chanhal pushed his hood back o'meal are the riders nearby they went into a man nest he relayed this information to the others after a short while the path opened onto a clearing in the middle sat a ramshackle farmhouse with an equally dilapidated barn behind it no one seemed to be around at that moment luna broke through a long fringe of cloud bathing the clearing and the woods around in pale light celine luna's blue little sister was still hiding though a deep blue fringe round a nearby cloud gave her away do you think they knew we were coming and are hiding cheryl asked peering around elmo shook his head don't know he replied but he looks like the tracks lead to the barn everyone looked with a man pointed to the ground fresh horse prince ran past the farmhouse and toward the doors of the barn there's no light inside govind said they're either hiding in there or else they went somewhere else i'll go check it out our league said dismounting everybody stay here unless you hear me yell then come running a league crept off in the darkness and was soon lost from sight when he wants to disappear he really disappears cheryl breathed let's get back in the trees a little out of sight shanghail suggested even if the thugs aren't here they may come back and we don't want to be sitting in the middle of the path when they do the rest of the companions dismounted and led their horses a little way into the trees tethering the mounts to low branches they settled into weight listening to the dripping of the moisture from the melting snow on the tree branches odd thought shane havel the snow seems to come and go almost randomly what could be causing that the last of the clouds disappeared but the stars remained dull behind a thin haze even little celine was little more than a blue blur trailing after luna the pale moon shadows had moved almost an arm's length before our league returned there's nobody in the farmhouse he reported still keeping his voice low there are a bunch of horses in the barn though they're also here but they're not dragger asked where'd they go don't know the man answered well we can wait and find out there are a few good auditing places around we could even hide in the farmhouse did all mules see where they went by chance elmo asked i don't know i'll ask shanhavil called to the hawk and posed elmo's question but the bird merely repeated what it had said before that the riders had entered the man nest he seems to think they're inside one of the buildings well then no our league insisted i checked maybe there is some sort of secret door cheryl offered a trap door that leads to a tunnel or something it's possible our league admitted i didn't look around for anything like that so what we going to do elmo asked i like the idea of waiting govan said and shane havel nodded in agreement yes the elf added we could set up a watch and see where they come from i say some of us hide in the house and we put some others out here hidden in one of the good spots olig mentioned everyone agreed to this plan and it was decided that govan elmo and draga would wait inside the house while shan havel cheryl and our league would remain outside hiding behind an old well that sat near the edge of the clearing but faced the barn i've got spells that will be useful out here cheryl mentioned as the three of them made their way to the well between the two of us we should be able to surprise anyone coming into the clearing right chanhal said squatting down behind the well and preparing to get comfortable wherever they went they won't be glad to see us when they return he stifled a long yawn with the back of his hand as his two friends found dry spots next to him as the three of them sat there behind the well shanhavil's eyes grew heavy no time for sleeping he told himself but the long day's activities were wearing on him and more than once he caught himself snapping his head back after nodding off he rubbed his eyes and looked at both chiral and our league they seemed to be fighting sleep as desperately as he maybe this isn't such a good idea after all he thought what are we hoping to learn from these brutes anyway at that moment the wizard heard a distant sound as though a bolt had been thrown back alig and cheryl both heard it too they each sat forward peering carefully around the base of the well toward the barn and farmhouse there was no one there there came another sound a scraping and voices that seem to echo oddly in the night shane have looked this way and that peering carefully in all directions but he could not see anyone at all the elf turned to his two friends and mouthed where to them all he could not see well enough to read the wizard's lips but cheryl shrugged her shoulder and gave him a look of confusion our league suddenly rose holding on to the side of the well and listening then his eyes wide he dropped back down beside the druid motioning for them to be still and quiet swallowing the lump in his throat shane havel froze in place holding his breath and listening intently at that moment a shadowy figure rose out of the well hedrack scowled as he stared across the polished surface of his table at falrenth sitting on the opposite side the high priest of the temple the mouth of use did not like what he was hearing from the wizard you are sure hedrack asked again wanting no more confusion that they have been there as i said falringth repeated recounting his tale to the armored priest when grozdin did not visit me this evening as he should have i sent critch up to see what the trouble was through his eyes i saw grozdin and his men all dead critch checked and all of the men's valuables had been removed as well i did not see who did it but my guess is that it's the ones you have been looking for although how they got past our spies in null but i do not know hmm edward said considering the wizard was right of course although hedrack hated making any assumptions these meddlers ews had warned him of were growing irritating the priest had expected to deal with them quickly and decisively or rather he had expected his underlings to deal with them quickly and decisively and instead they had been met with setback after setback he had too many things on his mind and too many things for his commanders to deal with to spare more time and effort on these muelling cretans who thought they might poke their nose into his plans but it appeared that he had no choice all right hedrack said at last looking at falrenth again it is obvious that they are a bigger thorn in my side than i presumed i will not underestimate them again i want no more problems find them use your scrying magic to figure out where they are then i will send larith to deal with them of course falrenth replied nodding in acquiescence i will let you know as soon as i discover their whereabouts the wizard rose to leave drawing his heavy robes about him what have you learned from the key hedrack said stopping the wizard in his tracks have you determined yet how he may use it i know some of its workings but not all when i locate the four gems then i will have the answers you seek find the interlopers first do not fail me wizard and hurry hand rack warned scowling the time grows nigh for us to move against our enemies i want this resolved before then i understand falrenth said as he stepped through the chamber door i will bring good news hedrack still deep in thought shot and locked the door then returned to his chair he sighed feeling the heavy burden of command upon his shoulders today the temples are fighting again he reflected and she gives little help in finding herself her own foolish pride let her be caught and now i must dig her out again a soft noise distracted hedrack from his thoughts and he glanced across the room to where mika and peder stood trembling it was peder who had whimpered though both girls stared at their master with plaintiff expressions on their faces they both had been forbidden to speak and paid his own doe-eyed stare seemed particularly expressive she kept her lips firmly closed but she muled softly nonetheless obviously trying to plead with hedrack for permission to break his rule of silence the high priest smiled and strolled over to where his two serving girls he squatted down beside peda noting with satisfaction how her calves were corded with the strain of standing on her tiptoes he checked mika's too running his hand along the back of her leg feeling the rock-hard muscle quivering there the girl whimpered at his touch each girl currently stood inside a box her feet trapped there by a lid with holes in it that closed and locked about the ankles except where the girl's toes touched the floor of each box was covered entirely with small thin metal spikes that jutted up underneath each heel each girl had two choices raise herself up on tiptoe or rest her heel and thus her weight on the spikes the lid of the box was high enough up the ankle that the girl's leg was forced to remain perfectly vertical and she could thus not sit down the wine that mika had spilled upon one of hedrack's silk robes had been a particularly good vintage and of course the robe itself was now ruined hadrak had decided to punish both girls so that peter would learn just how high her new masters expectations were for obedience diligence and care he considered one quarter of an hour in the box a reasonable punishment and the burning candle on his desk told him they had perhaps five minutes remaining hedrack smiled at his two lovely maidens i must go out again for a while but i will return soon the two imprisoned girls whimpered in unison but they obediently avoided speaking a single tear trickled down peter's cheek and her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides as she struggled to remain on her tiptoes hedrack nodded in satisfaction and departed fourteen shanghai barely suppressed his gasp of surprise as he watched the man holding a pair of throwing spears in one hand fleeing his other arm over the side of the well and climb out in the glow of the moonlit night the elf could see that this unexpected visitor was wearing a chainmail shirt and had a shield across his back amazingly the fellow hadn't noticed either the elf or his two companions crouched next to the well swinging a leg over the man scrambled out of the well heading toward the dilapidated barn next to the farmhouse immediately a second and then a third armored figure followed chanhavel counted six men by the time the last one was up and out of the well all of them well armed and armored fortunately it didn't appear that any of them carried bows of any sort the six strangers were talking softly discussing something in urgent tones as they moved across the clearing toward the barn neither cheryl nor a league had made a move yet and shandhavel remained frozen caught totally off guard by the appearance of these strangers gathering his wits about him the elf quickly chose a spell and prepared to cast it he raised himself up and peered over the side of the well but it was empty nothing more than a dry shaft satisfied that no one else would be coming out of the well for the moment shane havel crouched back down nothing in there he whispered to his companions pointing to the retreating man he said let's do it both the druid and ollie nodded cheryl closed her eyes and mouthed a prayer when she was done she swept her arms out before her gesturing in the direction of the line of men walking toward the barn at the same time a league rose and moved forward his body slung low and his feet silent in the grass chanhal followed him his own spell at the ready there was a sudden shout from a head as the men moving toward the barn halted suddenly milling about in confusion that would be cheryl's spell chenhaevel noted with satisfaction watching as the surrounding plant growth came alive writhing and wrapping itself around the feet and ankles of the six men holding them fast only one of the men managed to avoid the reaching grasping grass and weeds stumbling away from the others and nearly falling as he did so olig moved toward him gaining the drop on the man and threatening him with a dagger to the throat before he knew the man was there all of you surrender our league ordered throw your weapons to the side and do not resist several of the men grumbled in defiance trying to turn to better face the man but when they realized they were helpless trapped by the magic of the entangling plants they reluctantly surrendered tossing their weapons down cheryl had remained behind her blade drawn waiting to see if any more surprises appeared at the mouth of the well chanhal gave a shrill whistle as he collected the discarded weapons signaling for the rest of the alliance to come out of hiding elmo and draga were already out the front door of the farmhouse and govern appeared a moment later carrying a lit lantern to guide their way the other two had their bows out once they joined the other three govan gave his lantern to alig and bound the captives so that ali could join cheryl by the well holding the lantern high he peered down inside the mouth of the well studying the interior then setting the lantern on the edge he swung his legs over and disappeared inside shane havel gathered what weapons he could although a few had been tossed down in the midst of the area of sheryl's spell and the wizard could not reach them without becoming entangled by the time he was done our league had crawled back out of the well and he and the druid had moved to join the rest of the group what's down there govin asked gesturing toward the well looks like some sort of secret passage olig replied a set of ledges drop about halfway down into the thing and then there's a ladder propped against the side at the bottom there's a door painted to look like the side of the well i took a peek there's a tunnel that goes back a long way the dual bolt shut from the inside but it wasn't latched after a nod from elmo cheryl told the trapped men i'm going to release you from the entanglement don't even think about going for a weapon the six strangers glared at their captors but when shiro released the magic from the plants none tried to resist gavin elmo cheryl and olig herded the men into the barn while shan havel stayed behind gathering the rest of the weapons draga took a position to watch the well his bow handy when shane havel had collected everything he joined his friends inside leaving draga alone to stand watch the men were quickly stripped of their armor and bound govin and elmo led them off one at a time to question them before deciding what to do with them while this was going on our league and shane havel moved off to converse in private leaving cheryl to stand watch over the men we can't keep prisoners the wizard said we want to be able to move fast and at a moment's notice they'll slow us down and make us vulnerable then let's just kill them and be done with it our league suggested no killing them is not an option why we killed the men at the tower today i'm not a murderer our league this isn't like at the tower today those thugs had a chance to surrender and wouldn't change felt as if you were trying to convince himself as much as the man standing next to him it was the right move they would have killed us if they'd had a chance this is a warshin evil it's kill or be killed but if you won't let me kill them i have another idea perhaps you have some magic up your sleeve that we could use to convince them to leave for good and never come back hmm sham havel mused illusions aren't my specialty give me some time to think about it all right we'll see what govern and elmo find out and go from there after the other two men were done interrogating the prisoners everyone gathered to discuss the situation none of them want to talk govern began which isn't surprising they seem frightened something has them shook up something other than us capturing them they did admit that they had instructions to watch for us in town and attack us with the intent to capture us elmo added they've been expecting us how i don't know but it was wise of us to slip around town without them seeing us so what's beyond that door down in the well she will asked they wouldn't say their lair i suspect so in your estimation our league said what were our chances of convincing them that they can find greener pastures somewhere else governor and elmo looked at one another and thought for a moment i suppose govan finally answered that if we could convince their leader the rest of them would follow along their leader shan havel asked you mean someone beyond the door how many more men do you think we would find there hard to say govind said i suspect they're hoping we'd go try to find out and get the bad end of it but i meant the leader of these six that fellow over there with the beard is their sergeant the night added gesturing subtly if we can talk him into running and never looking back he'd probably convince the others that's easy enough to take care of cheryl said bring him off by himself and let me have a few minutes alone with him shane havel turned and looked at the druid with surprise and dismay on his face when she saw his expression she rolled her eyes and said oh stupid i meant i could use a little of my magic on him convince him that he'd be helping me out if he and his men could go far away chad havel gave the druid a sheepish grin and nodded i hadn't thought of that he said it figures cheryl replied grimacing shane havel elmo and cheryl led the sergeant off by himself while the rest stayed behind continuing to watch the prisoners cheryl squatted down in front of the man who was still bound and looked him in the eye then she chanted softly invoking a spell when she reached the end of her magical phrases she flicked her fingers softly in front of the fellow's face and shane havel observed his expression change from sullen defiance to eagerness now cheryl said i want you to tell me all about yourself her voice was soft and sweet and she held a big smile which the prisoner returned shanhaville nodded in satisfaction and returned to the others after several more minutes elmo returned leaving cheryl alone with the man any luck the wizard asked boy did she will ever get him to talk elmo replied she's convincing him right now that it's best if he and his men rod on and never turn back the tunnel leads all the way to the tower there's a secret trap door up through the bedroom where ollie got poisoned they're frightened because of all their dead companions ah sean havel said nodding that would do it i suppose that would also explain how the troops came and went they don't know much about the temple itself elmo continued they just raid and gather information their captain somebody named grossden would take off every once in a while through the tunnel to visit the temple itself and get marching orders that's where they got their instructions to watch for us in knulb and capture us that's our way in shane havel said then he traps along his tunnel our league asked no governor replied cheryl specifically asked him how safe the tunnel was and he said it was fine after we were way past due to ride into town and didn't they rode back to report elmo added when they discovered everyone at the tower dead they i tailed it back here and we're discussing what they should do next when we caught them should we expect anyone else to come through there tonight the wizard asked i don't know elmo answered he doesn't sound like anyone but them uses this tunnel they certainly don't know how grossden got into the temple itself from the passage and they don't mention ever seeing anyone else coming or going just to be safe i want to block that door from this side our league said i'll get drugged help me sounds good kevin said we'll get the men on their way the six bandits were given their armor and horses but not their weapons based on the harrowing site they had discovered in the tower it must not have taken too much convincing from the leader and they all fell in line riding off in the middle of the night i suggested that they could find better and safer working divers and he completely agreed with me cheryl said a slight smile on her face he was convinced that he and his men were going to strike it rich there i don't think we'll have any more trouble from them our league and draga had returned from blocking the passage by this time and our leagues sat going through the goods they had pulled out of the tower earlier in the day as shan havel yawned and considered readying himself for sleep our league whistled softly in surprise hello what's this he muttered half to himself as he pulled a blank sheet of parchment out from a small gap in the slats of the lid of a small chest you got there elmo asked moving over beside our league to look at the page there's nothing on it olig murmured to seem turned the sheet this way and that hey look cheryl exclaimed moving beside our league and grabbing his wrist she lifted the man's hand up into the air when you hold it up to the lantern light there's a map here the rest of the companions gathered around the druid and looked at the faint traces of the map the other end of the tunnel goes right to the tower like they said she noted pointing there's a second tunnel that goes underneath the temple govind said pointing to a spot with a subterranean passage branched off in two directions just as we suspected it might the way it's marked on the map it might be concealed cheryl replied which also confirms what we thought those six didn't know it existed that's got to be where this grossden went to meet with his superiors chad havel said it probably connects with the lower levels of the temple then the first thing to do tomorrow is explore that tunnel govan said by this time it was well past midnight and everyone was exhausted govind volunteered to stand first watch the night set an old chair on the porch and made himself passively comfortable while everyone else got ready to bed down for the night shane havel was surprised at how little used the place was in addition to a large open room that served as a sitting room dining room and kitchen there were two smaller rooms that were presumably bedrooms though there was very little furniture left chanheva leaned his staff into a corner in one of the bedrooms and pulled his bedroll out of his saddlebags which he had brought in with him after they had stabled their horses cheryl stood in the doorway for a moment watching him is there room for me in here too the druid asked somewhat shyly shanghai looked at her silhouetted by the light of the single lantern in the other room then nodded it's cold she said she came in and tossed her own belongings near where he was preparing his blanket we'll stay warmer if we use both of our blankets together the wizard had already stretched his blanket out so that he could wrap himself in it but cheryl layered her own woolen covering atop his and then dropped down pulling half the covers over herself and leaving half for him beside her she was yawning profusely chanhal saw and he had caught himself doing the same several times since entering the cottage smiling and realizing he was going to be glad for the warmth he crawled under the bedding beside her for a moment shandhaville merely lay there inhaling the faint fragrance of shearel's hair near his face and then he felt her shift turned toward him and he looked into her eyes knowing she could see him even in the darkness she pressed her lips against his just once and then her eyelids closed soon both of them were breathing the slow easy rhythm of slumber huddled together in the coolness of the early spring night 15. hadrax smiled pleased with what he was about to reveal to his master ears your beloved grows more aware every day without knowing it she has begun to affect the elements around the temple i believe that i can focus her power and bring it to bear in a useful manner she is not at full strength to be sure but she grows stronger that is fortuitous news use beamed his malevolent pleasure washing over hedrack it was a welcome sensation you will harness this power turn it against those damned interlopers that the moustache farps sent do not kill them though bring them here to the temple i want them sacrificed to me i hear and obey my lord hedrock bowed knowing the delight he would shower upon his lord should he manage to do such a thing but use was already gone hedraq left the inner temple and visited the cell of his prisoner larith stared at nothing his eyes glazed the burn marks on his face would never go away disfiguring the once handsome priest of the mote house as hedrack had suspected larith had been too wrapped up in his own beauty too immersed in his own glory hadrak had made sure that would never be a problem again and now larith's feverish mind churned with hatred for those infidels who had cost him his glory he would be good for little else anymore but for what hedrack now had in mind larith was the perfect instrument i have duties for you the high priest said signaling for the guards to release the prisoner larith's appearance was ragged but there now burned a fire in the man's eyes that had not been there moments before edrack drew close and spoke softly they're out there you know larith blinked and looked into headrack's eyes they're close too and you remember what they did to you larith nodded slowly his nostrils flaring yes the plans you had the promises they ruined all of that yes i hate them the humiliation of defeat hadrak reminded him i know you want to right that wrong don't you yes please let me destroy them no andrak's tone was firm not destroy capture i have an army above it is yours you will take command as you are meant to you will lead them you know where the enemy is lead that army and exact your just revenge bring your enemies to me so that they may be cast to the elements and properly sacrificed to use larith's head was nodding vigorously now saliva flecking his lips as he breathed heavily the hatred overwhelming him he was a near mindless machine and he was ready to throw his life away for the privilege of capturing the six who were hiding in the abandoned farmhouse he strained where he stood eager to move forward to begin his last greatest quest but he was unwilling to take his leave without permission from the one who had instructed him so effectively with pain horrible horrible pain about the error of his ways hedrack knew that a small rational part of larith's mind still clung to the notion that his own mistress that spider lolth would save him would take him and make him whole and beautiful again the high priest knew that the broken man before him still believed he was destined for greater things in her service and that he would gain the chance to exact revenge in a way hedrack pitied larith for his false hopes if there was one thing he was certain of if there was one constant in the universe he believed above all else it was the pettiness of gods lolth would have nothing to do with a man such as larith of that hedrack was convinced she would see the failures that tainted his damned soul and she would not mend his ruined face she might ignore him or worse betray him at the point when his belief was strongest that was the way of lolth ewes and all of the masters they did not accept failure for it reflected badly on them it was much better hadraknew for a deity to turn away to find another champion it saved face still hedrack would exploit larath's faint hope he would temper it mold it and forge it into something useful if only for a brief while he smiled and waved his hand softly casting a spell as he did so he would use his magic to transform the broken defeated man and rid himself of a pest that had gone too long unchecked lolth too proud lolf would see her own meddling in the temple warped her power over this man would be tainted transformed and used in a way she never intended edrack smiled as he thought of the spider bitch's displeasure at being thwarted he almost wished he could see her face almost now go my friend hedrack said tulareth at last go mount your steed and command the army bring the hated ones back to me in chains then you can help me punish them for all of their transgressions hedrack gave larith a gentle shove and the man who had once been beautiful almost stumbled in his eagerness to carry out the high priest's orders hedrack left the cell shortly afterwards making his way back to the main temple he passed through the writhing purple curtain and passed the three small altars of the private temple he descended the stairs to the chamber of gems where the shaft of pearly white light softly illuminated the throne in the center seating himself in the gem encrusted chair hedrack reached out with his mind seeking her awaken my lady your servants need your help why do you disturb my rest she replied less sluggish than before i am weary from answering your questions why do not free me patience mistress lord ews and i have a plan that will bring you to us very soon i promise but first i have need of your services there was hope in the other mind now eagerness to be free what how can i aid you trapped as i am call on your power my lady call on the forces of the elements but that is not my realm i am the lady of fungi the elements were his notion hadrock frowned having known this would surface sooner or later in his mind it did not matter who sat at the bottom of the temple bound in that pit beyond his reach in the end what he desired had more to do with focusing the temples than the realms of power behind the energy but eventually the discrepancies between her love of all things fungal and the elemental bent of the temple would come to a head he cleared his mind of those thoughts and projected it does not matter my lady funnel your energy into the temple around you we will take care of the rest he felt it the hum in the walls the vibration of energy yes he thought it's working very good my lady or yourself into it we will free you soon i promise very soon hadrack arose from the throne and hurried from the room he was very pleased shane have awoke shivering he groaned and opened his eyes to see cyril huddled next to him shivering as well she had the majority of the blanket wrapped about her leaving only her neck and shoulders bare suddenly his mind cleared and he sat bolt upright why in the hells is it so cold he asked her i don't know she said but something's wrong can't you feel it in the air shan havel rubbed his eyes and scrambled off the pallet bow cobb it's freezing he muttered in the darkness there was more to it than that he realized cheryl was right something was wrong he could feel it the elf hurried out of the room in the main living area drago was trying to stoke the fire higher and govin was pacing back and forth half dressed rubbing his hands together and muttering as shane havel entered the room elmo came out of the other spare room rubbing his arms upon seeing the wizard govind stopped pacing this isn't natural govern exclaimed it's spring time not winter and that's not all i can smell evil in the air shane havel merely nodded and crossed the room toward the fire what time is it he asked almost dawn draga answered i just came in from my post about ready to wake elmo for his turn at watch my govern was already up now elmo is two elmo joined the rest of them by the fire who can sleep with this chill in the air he muttered where in the hells did this weather come from you're nowhere govern growled jerking a thumb in the general direction of the temple you could feel it no one denied it how long has it been getting cold elmo said draga snorted only about half an hour and there's no wind order like when another comes in it was calm and quiet we need to get back out there on watch shan havel said we'd be easily trapped in here i can go back out dragger replied but i have to get a warm cloak first cheryl the blanket wrapped around her entered the room but instead of moving close to the fire she crossed to the door a grim look on her face she flung it wide and stepped onto the porch chanhal followed sensing her extreme unease he stepped behind her wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her against him what is it he asked instead of answering him she pointed he turned to look into the small yard it had begun to snow again more heavily than he had seen in his life by cuthbert govind growled following the two of them out they've awakened something yes cheryl said quietly the demon and she's powerful enough to thwart the mother herself all right elmo said stumbling out onto the porch as he pulled on his boots drogo no get out there and keep watch while the rest of you get ready shane hival join us as soon as you can we may need your rise nodding shan havel turned and headed back into the smaller room to gather his things everyone else began scurrying about dressing and preparing for whatever might come shanhaville stifled a yawn as he grabbed his cloak and staff as he was leaving the room slinging his cloak about his shoulders cheryl stopped him with a touch on his arm be careful she said and she leaned in to kiss him once softly on the lips i can feel something wicked stirring i know everyone can feel it i will be wary he squeezed her hand and said you watch yourself too shane havel turned away and headed out of the room but he turned back and drew cheryl to him hugging her tightly the scent of her hair filled his nostrils and the warmth of her body against him made his heart race prying himself free he left her to dawn her armor and hurried out the door to join elmo and draga once outside chen havel hugged his cloak about his body shivering in the cold the snow was falling steadily and the ground was already beginning to disappear beneath a blanket of white the wizard shook his head in wonder and dread at the notion that such heavy snow would come so late in the season no it's not for little vigil i elmo said with a smile but the worry in his eyes belied his humor shane havel snorted whatever's going on it has everyone spooked something's going to happen droga said and soon too i can feel it yes alma replied we all sense an attack and or can't explain that which worries me in battle i like to base my planning on knowing where the enemy is how strong he is and what he's doing not on my line feelings hovering in the air this snowfall isn't going to help everything feels wrong i don't like it elmo you sound like a veteran who's been on many field campaigns the elf said a slight smile on his face another little secret of yours no one knew about before now elmo laughed told you i'm a member of the knots of the heart and fairy andy i have received some training in martial tactics you know hi draga cut them off crouching low and whispering do you see that sean havel and elmo ducked down beside the bowman gazing out across the snowy clearing into the woods beyond even with the elf's vision the woods seemed gloomy through the falling snow in the distance threading their way through the trees were figures many figures they were crouched low and coming toward the stronghold men and other things big things like ogres and trolls oh gods shane havel's heart leaped into his throat he tried to calm himself by taking a deep breath bow comb draga you don't need me to help you keep watch your sight is almost as good as mine out here there's an army of them coming this way that's what i was afraid you were going to tell me elmo said droga check that side see what's coming from that direction draga obeyed while elmo moved to the other corner of the farmhouse to have a look at the backside of the farmhouse chanhal turned back to watch the advancing force sweeping his gaze in either direction tracking them in his estimation there were possibly a hundred or more plus maybe a total of two dozen ogres trolls and even what looked like a giant and tried to squelch the panic that was rising in his chest a giant draga returned from the side of the house shaking his head it's now use dive surrounded us he's the same on this side elmo said we defend the house then back inside the three of them retreated inside and elmo quickly explained the situation to the rest of the group we're trapped our league muttered flicking his wrists and producing two daggers what do we do now we pray that the gods give us strength to hold them back elmo whispered everyone take a window keep the shutters closed except for a crack the members of the alliance moved to various windows taking up defensive positions and watching do you have some of those spills of magical law ready elmo asked from his vantage point by the front door yes chanhevel replied two of them get ready to light up the night then because i think they're about to charge as if on cue a shout arose from outside and the army surged forward lord now elmo said swinging the door open an arrow knocked all around the farmhouse there began a howling from the advancing force a war cry to begin the charge from all sides they came jogging forward with weapons in hand hurriedly shane havel muttered the words of his spell aiming the effect into the air some 30 paces directly over the heads of the men charging on the side elmo's bow sang as he sent arrows at the approaching hordes dropping men as fast as he could for everyone he dropped though three more moved ahead drawing closer as soon as his spell went off chanhal turned and darted across the room to a window on the other side there draga and olig were using their bows in much the same way elmo was though neither of them could see the oncoming enemy as well chanhaville cast his second spell illuminating the landscape for the bowman that's mo loke draga said working his bow as fast as he could with deadly accuracy a league joined in and soon they were mowing down the front ranks of the onrushing attackers cheryl had positioned herself in one of the bedrooms in a window facing the barn and was using her sling to attempt to hold back the oncoming forces governed paced in the center of the main room ready to take up a position anywhere a breach was imminent after a couple of furious rounds of bow fire the first wave fell back retreating back into the trees chanhal moved back next to elmo and for what appeared to be the weakest spot in the defenses and the place where the most enemy troops were amassed that was just a faint elmo said they just want to see how we'd react they're going to regroup and come at us again where they think we're weakest chanhevel looked around trying to determine what he thought was their weakest point his gaze settled there he said pointing towards cheryl huddled by herself in the other room her sling in hand elmo looked and nodded yes he said that's where all would come to of course they haven't shown their true strength yet so when they do come what haven't we seen the elf asked bowman and magic elmer replied shandhavel nodded we should move around to keep them guessing that's a four no dear elmo grinned and moved past govern motioning the knight to take his place as governor approached shanhaville explained we're mixing it up hoping to catch them off guard a bit governed nodded hold back on the rest of your magic until they get really close you know that magical light isn't going to stay too much longer when it winks out we're in trouble i don't think we have to worry about that for too much longer govan said pointing the sky was just beginning to lighten in the east although it was hard to see because of the snowfall which was growing steadily heavier shen havel realized he could barely make out the line of trees through the white curtain which was falling in huge thick clumps it's like goose down he said wishing the circumstances were different so he could enjoy it a shout arose from the tree line and again the horde advanced this time as elmo had predicted bowfire accompanied the onrush of troops forcing the members of the alliance to crouch low behind their defenses what can you throw at them governor asked peering through the crack of the doorway at the oncoming men and beasts shane havel risked a glance as an arrow whizzed close and the second one thunked into the wall a few inches to one side of the door frame the elf ducked back in and said i have plenty if i can get enough time to cast i'd buy you time if i could wizard they're almost to the porch better do something quick chanhevu began he drew on the magic from other planes focusing the energy then poked his head out long enough to spot a large contingent of men clumped together he aimed his spell and a single glowing cinder shot forth from his fingertip directly at the fomen when it landed it detonated and a ball of flame blossomed engulfing the troops in searing heat the men caught in the inferno screamed briefly before dropping onto the scorched earth perfect govind said there's more coming on the left shanhavel started casting anew forming other magical energies and bringing them together he hurled his new spell and ducked back inside coven watched but when there was no bright burst of flame he turned to the elf and shouted what's wrong nothing shandhavel replied i just conjured a cloud of foul vapors and positioned it in a line about ten paces out directly along this side of the house nothing will want to come through it for a few moments at the very least hmm the night frowned fighting with smell you wizards shanhaville smiled i'm going to see if anyone else needs me gavin nodded and shanghail shot across the room towards sheryl who was standing with drago while the bowman fired arrow after arrow when she turned and saw him she waved him away and pointed to elmo and olig he turned to see the two of them trying to repel a substantial force that had managed to get to a window and were struggling to get inside elmo was using his axe to keep them at bay while alig stayed clear of the wide arc of the wicked axe his bow in hand shanhaville cast and when the magic materialized five of the figures slumped down deeply asleep that tipped the balance back in elmo and ollie's favor and they repelled the last few remaining enemies a shout from behind made shandhaval turn again and what he saw made his heart skip a beat a giant was approaching the front door with a fist full of burning logs and was preparing to fling the fire brands at the house damn they all fumed i forgot they would be too tall for the cloud of govern seemed on the verge of charging out to confront the giant but the immensity of the creature gave the night pause gavin hold the wizard shouted open the door and give me room the night nodded flung the door wide and leaped away shanhava wasted no time aiming the lightning bolt at the huge creature but he wasn't fast enough the bolt that flashed across his field of vision was true crackling all about the giant's body but when the massive humanoid cried out in agony and tumbled forward its momentum carried it into the front of the house the ground shook and the air exploded in shards and splinters of wood as the giant collapsed across the front porch and destroyed the front wall of the house both champhaeval and govan leaped away from the destruction scrambling to avoid the jagged beams that had been ripped free by the impact already the fire from the creatures burning timbers were spreading igniting the dry wood of the farmhouse smoke filled the rest of the ruined structure nothing else seemed to be attacking them for the moment so shane havel sank down to the floor coughing and gasping from the smoke unless you can put out this fire we have to get out of here elmo moved beside him helping the elf to his feet everyone gather outside before they charge again shanghai will scramble through the hole that was once the front wall keeping himself pressed well back from the flames which were quickly growing to a roaring inferno too fast chanhal considered in a daze as he watched the tongues of fire leap from spot to spot licking the wood it's burning too fast elementals he realized as he made it out into the snow of the yard creatures of flame were jumping round the ruin of the house burning whatever they could dawn had broken but the daylight was still weak and gray looking back chanha watched as the rest of the companions fled the fiery farmhouse which would be consumed in a matter of moments listen elmo said his voice loud in the early morning the snow had stopped falling at last though now it was at mid thigh on most of the group in a softer voice elmo continued we make a stand here right in the middle bow and sling fire first and then we give them everything we've got left once they're in reach it's no good cheryl panted all i have left is some healing spells and a couple of other things not useful in battle nothing i can do to them then be ready with healing elmo instructed shanghai whatever spells you still have use them wisely everyone nodded and prepared for the final assault even though the snow had ceased falling the smoke from the fire made the battleground just as hazy and difficult to see through as before there was a guttural shout from in the distance but it was not the order to attack it was an angry sound full of despair hatred and fury oh cobb what was that chanhavel breathed stealing himself for what was about to come expecting some huge beast or thing summoned from the lower plains the first figure to appear through the thick drifting smoke was not a terrible creature however it was a man upon a horse it was larith sixteen chandhavel stared at the priest the once handsome man was now horrible to look upon his face bore scars inflicted by fire and sharp blades chanhal took an involuntary step back when he saw the feverish hatred in the man's eyes the other members of the alliance saw it too for the elf heard several of his companions gasp and no one made a move for several moments yes larith said his once honey voice now rough as gravel shanhaville wondered what foul substances might have been poured down the man's gullet to ruin the dulcet tones he remembered from before see what you have wrought upon me what maiming you inflicted through your interference now you will suffer as i suffered at your hands govern stepped forward sword held high nay larith these things you suffered were not our doing you cannot blame us wrong larith screamed his eyes burning fiercely the pain all the pain and it was your face as i saw yours you were there think carefully govin shook his head apparently hoping he could still reason with the crazed cleric we did not defeat you nor did we follow you from the mote house you fled and someone else did these terrible things to you we would not do those things only a cruel and hurtful master would visit such punishment and a master like that does not deserve your loyalty cease this war surrender to us and we will help you we will not mistreat you like the ones who scarred your face larith seemed to listen to the night for a moment but when govern reminded the priest of how his once beautiful face was now ruined with scars larath's eyes blazed in crazed fury once more lies i will not listen to them you will die in the nodes of fire water earth and air larith's horse reared on its hind legs and the priest had to grab hold of the pommel of the saddle with both hands to keep from falling shandhavel peered around awaiting the inevitable approach of more of the enemy but they never came aside from the roar of the flames and the stamping of the priest's horse it was strangely quiet a strong breeze wafted over the battleground clearing the smoke and mist and giving the companions a better view of the carnage they had wrought the land around the ruined farmhouse was literally piled with the bodies of the crazed priest's army the few left alive were fleeing into the woods only larith still stood fast trying to regain control of his panicked and bucking mount he was alone facing all six of the companions the hatred still burned in the priest's eyes though it was now joined by something else the elf saw larith was afraid he had witnessed six individuals defeat his army still larath's insane desire to destroy those whom he believed had maimed him drove him to hold his ground his horse still seemed skittish but larath maintained his position glaring at the six of them i will see you dad he spat twirling his mace once i will destroy you and see your corpse is delivered into the nodes your lust for our blood will be your undoing priest govern roared pointing an accusatory finger at larith we have defeated your army and bloodied your master do you think you all by yourself can hope to conquer us we have the might of saint cuthbert to deliver victory into our hands if you do not surrender you will die snarling larith stood in the stirrups and shouted at the top of his lungs hate me my mistress love swinging his mace wildly over his head larith spurred his horse forward the six companions fanned out weapons at the ready as the crazed priest rushed them shanhaville readied himself for the attack madalerith took his charge straight to govern who stood his ground his body held low in a defensive crouch sword ready to strike as larath reached the night govind shifted to his right darting directly in front of the charging horse the mount weaned and reared up and govin came in low swinging his blade at larith the knight caught the priest squarely in the chest with his blow which shattered the man's armor and threw a spray of blood into the air the force of the blow sent larith flying backward into the snow as the frightened mount skidded away govern closed on larith who was struggling to rise to one knee blood pulsing from his chest and staining the snow the color of wine aid me my mistress love larith repeated his voice cracking with the strain of his mad bloodlust he began muttering casting a spell shanhaville realized as he heard the sinister words larith raised one hand at goven even as his lifeblood spilled away into the frozen ground before larith could complete his diabolical conjuring though govind brought his sword back and swung it forward grunting from the exertion the blade cut cleanly slicing through larith's neck the priest's head tumbled away as his body hovered kneeling for a moment longer and then finally toppled over into the crimson tinged drifts of snow hedrack paced in his chambers as he watched falringth impatient for news in the middle of the floor the wizard knelt upon several thick cushions his hands clasped before him he seemed to be in a trance his eyes unblinking focused on nothing the high priest felt a sudden tingling a magical connection that made the hair on the back of his neck stand larith was dead and drac knew and he smiled wondering if the spider knew what he had done to her servant but first hadrak needed to know the outcome of the battle above with an anxious growl he spun on his heel and faced the wizard what do you see up there he asked falrenth how does the battle fare do we have victory the wizard jerked as though he'd been awakened from dozing now they stand and the army has broken and fled larith is dead yes i know headrack replied pacing again how bad were our losses perhaps half but the company exhausted a lot of magic defending themselves the remaining forces could be regrouped falrenth left the suggestion hanging hendra considered this then shook his head no let them flee i anticipated this outcome and i have already set into motion a contingency plan i will have baccanar round up the remaining troops and prepare them for the possibility however slight that the meddlers survive my little surprise and make their way inside palaranth nodded although the look on his face made it clear he did not understand what hedrack meant as you wish the wizard said at last leave me and reconstructed keep an eye on the troublemakers i want a report of their next moves the moment you know something faller and throws and moved toward the door they may very well find a way inside you know the wizard said as he opened the door they are proving more resourceful than we anticipated the high priest nodded a half frown on his lips perhaps he said and that is why barkinar will be ready falrinth nodded and left pulling the door shut softly behind him hedrack continued to stare at the closed portal a moment after the wizard's departure pondering the possibilities let them come he mused dangerous though it was the idea of the meddlers roaming in his halls made him lick his lips in anticipation if they get inside it will be all the easier to snare them and present them to ears the morning was quiet except for the sounds of labored breathing for a moment the alliance stood unmoving staring at the headless body of larath lying in the thigh deep snow the dead priest's fingers still twitched perhaps struggling even in death to finish the casting that could not be completed in life sword still in hand govind stood feet slightly apart and stared down at what he had done he bowed his head eyes closed and softly muttered a few words of thanks to saint cuthbert for granting him the strength to achieve victory when he opened them again there was no regret in his visage nor was there malice or glee shanhavel noted only the look of a man who did what he had to and would think on it no further shanhaville closed his own eyes for a moment thankful that the battle was over suddenly a keening whale an unnatural sound of death and despair cut through the silent morning air in a heartbeat the wizard knew that death had been awakened in the woods he blanched as a dark shadow-like thing rose from the body of the beheaded priest a horrible shade that extended eight wispy legs tapering to nothing before coming to rest on the ground the head of the creature a demonic insubstantial spider form was larith's bokob chanhal cried his blood turning as cold as the snow around him to the well elmo cried already running in a terrified mad dash the six companions darted across the yard heading straight toward the well elmo reached the lip of the well and scrambled over the side frantically he worked to unblock the secret passage clearing away our league and draga's handiwork from the night before scrap wood and debris flew until elmo had cleared a hole large enough for a man to pass through elmo ushered cheryl through the makeshift passage a league was next by the time draga govin and elmo had disappeared inside the well the haunt was just beginning to separate itself from the body from which it grew but there was no mistaking the message in the sound it made as it howled intimating its craving for life for souls the shadow hungered and shanhavil knew what it would mean to be caught its song hinted at darkness terror and everlasting pain and cold the elf prayed that his spell coupled with the heavy snowfall would veil the alliance's escape with a sharp gesture the wizard finished his spell immediately he felt the cold whipping wind that he had summoned it swirled through the clearing of the farmhouse stirring up the smoke and snow in a blinding gray wash that masked all movement and whisked away any hint of footprints satisfied that the trail was covered shane havel ducked down into the well pausing near the top of the ladder o'meal fly fly far away and wait for me to call you i go to hide in the earth bad thing in the woods i fly away yes shane havel responded i may be gone a long time wait for me stay warm i wait with that chanhal dropped the rest of the way down and ducked into the tunnel govind shut the door and ollie dropped the bar into place the group stood panting and looking wide-eyed at one another in the light of one lantern which elmo kept partially hooded what was that drago whispered his voice wavering death undying govern replied his face grim it will be on us soon it can sense our life force and it will not stop hunting until it finds us i guess it's time to explore the inside of the temple then our league said riley but there was no humor in his eyes lead the way cheryl told him her face pale in the dimness the tunnel descended steadily through the clay shored up by stout timbers at regular intervals once the companions were sufficiently below ground level they discovered that the tunnel had been cut directly through the limestone bedrock it was narrow and cool in the passage and the alliance moved steadily if cautiously through it after 400 paces and a couple of slight turns later they found themselves standing on the north side of a cavern perhaps 40 feet across a second tunnel led away east according to the map alig had found in the lid of the chest the six explorers were now near the northwest corner of the temple but still well below the surface this is it our league said holding a lantern up and peering at the sheet of parchment in his hand according to the map the other passage heads out from right over there he pointed toward the southeast corner of the oval-shaped cavern there was nothing visible in the natural limestone wall let me take a look shane havel said i've got the eyes for it the wizard stepped to the area our league had indicated and studied the rock cheryl moved up beside him you're not the only one with keen eyes you know she muttered shanghai glanced sideways at her he nodded and continued to look i'm going to follow the other passageway and see where it ends our league announced i'll be right back i'll go with you draga said just to watch your back with that the two of them departed taking one of the lanterns with them elmo held the other light high trying to give everyone a clear view of the limestone walls and always makes me nervous when he goes off like that governed muttered pacing in the middle of the room there's going to come a time when he doesn't come back and the night left the thought unfinished here it is cheryl proclaimed running her finger along a faint vertical crack right here the rest of the group crowded around her looking at what she had discovered looks like a pivoting slab gavin said elmo shall we nodding elmo stepped up beside the night and together they pushed on the stone it swung open easily revealing a narrow passage beyond shanhavil picked up the lantern elmo had set down and shown it into the tunnel the passage stretched straight ahead as far as the light would illuminate well it agrees with what's on the map shirelle said too bad the map doesn't show what's at the other end that's what we're going to find out govern said just as soon as those two return are you sure that's such a good idea cheryl asked i burned off a lot of magic up there in the fight i need to rest and meditate or don't think we can white elmo said that owling thing that rose up from larith will be tracking us and we can't let it catch up cheryl nodded i suppose she said a moment later our league and the bowman did return carrying a chest between the two of them draga also carried a rolled up piece of cloth and an extra quiver in his free hand local we found our league said setting the chest down and throwing the lid back inside were small containers all ornate boxes and coffers trimmed in precious metals the tunnel goes for a long way and at the end is a small room all this was sitting at the base of a ladder we didn't bother going up to the tower again shane havel noticed the folded cloth in draga's hand and asked to have a closer look when he unfurled it the elf realized it was a cloak made of a rare weave he had only seen such a fabric once before back home in the welkwood elven he breathed this is a rare find indeed watch he flung the cloak over his shoulders and moved beside the wall the rest of the group murmured in surprise as he faded into the surrounding rock is it magic our league asked as sean havel removed the cloak partially the elf replied that and the elves have a way of weaving their fibers to reflect the surrounding light what about days draga asked holding out the quiver he bore shanhavel walked over to the bowman and removed an arrow from the container he examined it closely for a moment his eyes caught what he was hoping to see a faint sign engraved in the shaft they bear the mark of magic he told draga hang on to them use them carefully draga nodded a rye grin on his face and stuffed the new found arrows into his own quiver then tossed the spare one aside leave the rest of that here govan said pointing to the chest we'll take it with us when we come back this way assuming we come back this way our league said with an army overhead it's only a matter of time before they realize where we went he shut the lid and pushed the container over against the wall near the new tunnel the group was about to enter let's go elmo said one by one the alliance filed into the narrow opening and followed the tunnel with our league scouting ahead it descended more sharply than the previous passage had and it was so narrow that govern elmo and draga had to turn sideways from time to time to squeeze through the going was slow but eventually the tunnel widened and turned becoming a better constructed corridor the ceiling was a rounded arch that ran the length of the passage and torched sconces were set in the walls at regular intervals some of the sconces still held torches though none were lit the stonework itself was good solid craftsmanship and the walls and floors had been polished smooth after a while chanhal could sense slight air currents deducing from such that the place was somehow ventilated i think we're here cheryl whispered shivering and running her hand along one wall the tunnel ahead turned once more oh we're here all right gavin said i can feel the taint the very walls ooze with evil stay here ollie called softly over his shoulder then he darted ahead into the darkness stopping at the corner and peeking around he waited a moment before disappearing around the bend gov inside but everyone held their positions while they waited for our league to return chanhal went through his remaining spells considering which ones would be useful at that moment they heard our league shout and the unmistakable red orange light of bright flames have fused the corridor just around the corner seventeen govern was around the corner of the passage instantly his sword in hand the rest of the companions followed without hesitation beyond our league and around the corner of that intersection a wide passage glowed with flame while the passage they currently traversed continued past into darkness when shen havel saw the unmoving silhouette of a league standing near another intersection a bit farther down one arm raised before him as though to ward off some attack the elf's heart skipped a beat the man's form was stiff in fact it was absolutely unmoving hold govern the wizard called out slowing and throwing himself against the wall of the passage the knight paused and turned to look back at shen havel who motioned frantically for him to get away from our league come here the elf hissed by cuthbert what's wrong with him govin asked his teeth clenched as he stepped back beside the wizard he took a half step forward again and barely able to restrain himself from charging around the corner from this vantage point shane havel saw that his worst fears were confirmed our league had been transformed into a statue easy night elmo said moving up beside shane havel whatever happened to our league could happen to you too we must be cautious it looks like he's been petrified chanheaver whispered govind's eyes bulged what he growled we must do something shh shenhavel said motioning for the night to keep his voice down we will but if you don't be quiet everyone in the entire temple is going to know we're here what shall we do draga asked from behind the three of them let me think the wizard replied whatever you do do not look at anything that comes around that corner chen havel studied our league for a moment even as the flames around the corner flickered and cast the shadow of his form on the wall all right the elf said at last handing his staff to elmo give me your shield govern the knight looked at him askance but handed the shield over chad havel gasped as he took hold of the thing for it was heavier than he had expected hoisting it up with both hands he moved down the hallway holding the shield in front of him and keeping his back pressed against the wall what in the hells are you doing govind called out shan havel ignored the night and walked all the way to the corner so that he was right behind our league keeping the shield high in front of him so that it blocked his line of sight ahead he moved around the corner navigating by staring at the floor before him wizard stop govin called again shane havel continued to ignore the night instead concentrating on what he was looking at or rather what he was not looking at slowly moving the shield around he studied the passage in small sections the glow of fire came from several places the brightest of which were two braziers set in the floor one at each corner of a t-shaped intersection the closer of the pair was mere inches away from our league a runnel of flame lit each brazier igniting oil that flowed through shallow channels in the floor alongside each wall the channels came from the far end of the passage which hit a dead end after perhaps thirty feet at that far end there was a great fountain it too was filled with oil burning brightly flanking the fountain set into the side walls of the short hallway were a pair of doors between shan havel and the fountain of burning oil stood a creature he'd only heard described in legend the beast a dull brown in color was vaguely lizard-like in appearance although it sported eight legs instead of four champhaevel was careful to avoid looking at the creature's face it snorted and hissed bobbing its head back and forth as though it was trying to move into a position past the side of the shield and catch the wizard's attention shane havel kept his eyes averted though refusing to meet the thing's gaze hurriedly chanhal shuffled backward keeping the shield raised and cutting off his sight from the beast he turned around and took a few steps toward the rest of the group lowering the shield as he did so in order to speak it's a basilisk the wizard said quietly its gaze can turn a man to stone i read about one once long ago if it comes around the corner don't look at its face the group tensed and waited for a few moments but the basilisk did not appear puzzled sean havel tried to recall everything he knew about the fabled basilisk finally he said just stay here and wait what are you going to do govan asked i'm going to try to destroy it the wizard replied hoping his voice sounded more confident than he felt i still have some magic left even after the fight above be careful cheryl growled flashing her icy blue eyes at him in warning shane havel nodded swallowed and turned to cautiously advance toward the corner once more none of this made any sense to him though why would the creature be down here how did it get here he remembered that a basilisk's gaze reflected back at the monster could turn the creature to stone but he was pretty certain none of the companions had anything even faintly resembling a mirror shaking his head he reached the corner and using our league's frozen form as cover began a spell staying behind our league's petrified form and keeping govind's shield between himself and the beast chad havel leveled his free arm in the direction of the basilisk and uttered the final phrases of the spell instantly he felt the magic forces slide through his arm erupting as a stroke of lightning shandhaval watched as his magic bolt flashed spanning the length of the hallway between him and the far wall where the flaming fountain still burned the lightning fully engulfed the body of the beast as it crouched in front of the elf and passed right through it shane havel barely heard the surprised shouts of his companions behind him the basilisk apparently unscathed by the attack continued to stand hissing and shifting almost exactly as it had before what in the hell's you doing cheryl cried shane havel didn't answer his eyes narrowed in suspicion even though the magic he had mustered into the lightning bolt wasn't on the same level as lanathan's he was certain the beast should have been affected somewhat perhaps the basilisk is immune to electrical magic a wizard thought then let's try a little fire setting the shield down but still careful not to look at the monster's face shane havel mustered the magic of one of his familiar reliable spells from his spread fingertips he sent a sheet of flame cascading across the body of the basilisk nothing happened the basilisk didn't react in the slightest and seemed completely unharmed by the wizard's attack sean havel shaking his head stepped back out of the way and thought behind him gavin took a few steps forward what in the hell is going on the knight asked insistently is it dead no chanhal replied his tone revealing his frustration it isn't even singed so far i have one more idea wait with that chanhal drew upon another reserve of magical energy channeling the mystical forces and shaping them into the spell he desired he stepped from around the corner and pointed his finger at the basilisk's flank firing off two green missiles that he knew would fly unerringly at the beast and strike true only they didn't the first shot straight ahead but rather than striking the beast it seemed to pass right through and hit the far wall and the second missile sputtered and fizzled flying haphazardly off to one side damn chad havel said in disbelief it's like it's just not there then realization hit him of course he said snapping his fingers it's not it's an illusion with that the creature faded from view what are you muttering gavin asked still standing behind the wizard shane havel laughed it all made sense the creature was an illusion which explained why it was down here in the first place why it didn't come around the corner to attack the group in hiding and why none of the wizard's spells had had any effect on it it's all right shane havel said picking up govan's shield and then turning to face his companions it's not really there it's illusory magic as long as you are really convinced it isn't real it will just disappear but you have to change look out elmo shouted bringing his bow up and drawing an arrow to his cheek in one smooth motion shan havel spun around acting before he realized that perhaps he had been wrong and that the basilisk had merely disappeared reappearing directly behind him but what he gazed on as he turned was not the magical beast but an elf a woman smiling at him as she thrust a sword directly at his midsection gasping in surprise chandhavel swung the knight shield up not enough to block the blow but enough to force the killing stab aside so that it sliced into his side grazing his ribs rather than plunging into his heart he felt liquid warmth on his side and a sharp stinging pain as he stumbled away from his attacker at the same instant an arrow buried itself in the elf woman's shoulder she growled in anger and vanished cheryl cried out and shanhaville heard bo fire from behind him as two more arrows streaked across his field of vision and vanished in midair the wizard heard a pained grunt from in front of him as his own back hit the wall and he slid down his entire side slick with blood now gavin raised his sword high and swung at the spot where the wizard's attacker had been his blade passed through air reaching down and taking hold of the shield in shanhavil's hands govind lifted it from the elf's grasp and stepped forward in a defensive crouch deftly he swung his blade from side to side careful shane havel croaked trying to ward govern if you don't believe the beast is false it will still turn you to stone then cheryl was beside shandhavel as elmo and draga ran past weapons in hand to join govin the druid took the wizard by the shoulders and dragged him backward away from the fight pain shot through shanhaville's side cheryl released shan havel and let him sink to the ground as she dug through one of her satchels here she said removing one of the vials the group had recovered from the chest in the tower drink this she held the small bottle toward his mouth he opened his mouth and swallowed the thick liquid as cheryl poured it down his throat it tasted of cinnamon and ash as the potion settled in his stomach chanhal felt a tingling throughout his body it seemed to start everywhere but as it grew stronger it coalesced near his injury until he could feel the rent flesh knitting together being made whole again in a moment chanhal felt free of pain he gazed down at his side seeing pink scar tissue peeking through the cut in his black shirt he stood feeling clear-headed once more cheryl was already on her feet moving close to our league careful chad havel called as he moved beside her it's not real but you really have to believe it shiro nodded but kept her focus on the hunt beyond the druid govind elmo and draga were all moving slowly cautiously trying to find shane havel's invisible attacker as shan havel picked up his staff he realized he was almost spent a substantial portion of his energy had been exhausted in the battle at the farmhouse and now after using even more spells dealing with the basilisk that wasn't there he wondered if that hadn't been the intention all along the basilisk was placed there to drain our resources he thought she and anyone else down here wanted to wear us down before attacking at that moment movement caught shane havel's eye and he jerked his head around in time to see the elf woman dropping down from high up on one wall her sword raised and ready to plunge between sheryl's shoulders chanhal opened his mouth to shout but it happened too fast and he watched the blade ram into the druid's back no chanhal cried out as cyril crumpled to the ground he was running in the direction of the attacker before he even realized it his staff raised the elf woman standing over cheryl turned and smiled malevolently at chan havel before winking out of sight once more forgetting the woman shan havel dropped to his knees next to cheryl who lay face down he gently rolled her over even though his heart was pounding cheryl was still breathing but her whole body was limp her eyes were glazed and stared dolly at nothing in particular shane havel cradled her head in his arms fighting back the tears there is still time his mind screamed at him don't let her die govind the wizard cried out cheryl needs you the other three men had moved in and surrounded the fallen druid their backs to her they stood guard in case the invisible assassin attempted to strike again upon hearing his name gavin stepped back into the circle of protection and knelt opposite shan havel it's bad shanhaville said still holding cheryl we're losing her let me see the knight said pulling cheryl in his direction and rolling her over on her stomach the wound between her shoulders was jagged long and deep chanhevel shuddered as he peered down sickened by the sight of the exposed bone visible in the gash it looked as if the druid's spine had been severed in the blow i'll do what i can govan said and he closed his eyes he placed his hands upon the wound heedless of the blood and uttered a prayer to saint cuthbert as the night prayed shane havel heard a door open looking up he saw a man dressed similarly to himself stepped through one of the portals and into the room the man began to gesticulate his fingers weaving a complicated pattern in the air another wizard don't stop chanhavur whispered to the night then he stood up still watching the man's motions trying to discern the nature of the spell he was casting upon seeing the man into the hallway elmo and draga took a halting step or two away from their companions but they both seemed reluctant to leave their posts chad havel realized the wizard opposite him was taking advantage of that standing seemingly unprotected out in the open while casting hold fast chanhel muttered under his breath resisting his own urge to dive out of the way of whatever magic was about to erupt in their direction let goblin finish his healing and then we can deal with the mage whatever magic the wizard was conjuring shane havel did not recognize it when the spell was finished a faintly shimmering globe of energy appeared around the wizard slightly distorting his image immediately the wizard began a second spell well see doing draga asked his wide eyes darted back and forth watching for the invisible attacker but not wanting to turn away from the wizard he sheathed his sword slid his bow free from his shoulder and knocked an arrow drawing it back he took aim at the wizard shanghaiville should i shanhavil nodded yes he answered disrupt the spell he spoke a moment too late for the other wizard completed his second casting and suddenly there were five of him all standing in the midst of the shimmering globe of magic at the very same instant the elf woman appeared next to draga swinging her sword at the bowman's weapon the sudden arrival startled draga who loosed his arrow a moment before the assassin strike snapped his bow in two the arrow clattered harmlessly off the wall elmo leaped across the distance attacking the woman with his axe this time the elf woman had no chance to invoke her invisibility all of her energy was consumed in defending herself from the blows of the huge axemen struggling to deflect the powerful swings aimed at her the woman slowly fell back desperately using her own blade to ward off the blows falrince she shrieked backpedaling do something draga had tossed aside his ruined bow drawn his sword and was now advancing on the multiple images of the wizard the wizard hastily cast again at that moment cheryl cried out and shandhavel spun around to look at the druid govind still knelt over her his hands bloody but it appeared that he had finished his prayer of healing cheryl still face down was writhing in pain her fingers clawing at the coarse stone floor by the mother she howled as she rolled to her side rocking back and forth it hurts so much oh it hurts what's wrong with her shandhavel demanded as he dropped down beside govin i mended her as much as i could but all i really managed to do was keep her from dying she still badly wounded i can take care of her shane havel said go help draga and elmo garvin hesitated looking at the wizard then nodded and rose to his feet he took an instant to survey both situations and then moved to join draga let's just hope we don't have any more invisible friends about shane havel thought as he fished through cheryl's pack when he found another of the vials they had recovered he carefully uncorked it at his knees cheryl was groaning softly still sprawled on her side her eyes were shut and a sheen of perspiration coated her face chanhal inhaled a whiff of the elixir and caught the scent of cinnamon and ash he reached down and coaxed cheryl into a sitting position come on drink this he said helping the druid to rise i know it hurts easy just drink this and you'll feel better cheryl grunted and clenched her teeth slowly awkwardly she sat up the druid opened her mouth and as shanhavil poured the contents she drank down the entire potion when the bottle was empty shanhaville watched for the effect of the magic a soft blue glow began to emanate from sheryl's body she closed her eyes again but this time there seemed to be a look of peace rather than of pain on her face when the glow subsided cheryl opened her eyes again and looked at her companion feel better shan havel asked cheryl nodded and smiled her icy blue eyes twinkling yes she said thank you the tone of her voice made shane havel glow for it resonated with heartfelt affection come on shane havel said rising and helping cheryl to stand as well we have a mess on our hands together they got to their feet and observed the battles taking place around them elmo had managed to press the elf woman down the length of the hallway while draga and govin were desperately trying to attack the wizard whom the assassin had called falrinth unfortunately the elven woman had just managed to disappear again and draga and govan were having little luck determining which image of the wizard was the real one although they had succeeded in reducing the number from five down to three shan havel could tell also that falrenth was casting another spell listen shane havel said turning to cheryl we can defeat that wizard if we can get rid of misinvisible beforehand besides a few healing spells i only have a couple of tricks left that might be useful cheryl answered but i have to know where she is first i have a spell that just might work chanheville replied get ready he called up the magical energies easily gesturing and waiting for the spell to take effect when he was done the view before his eyes changed substantially he now saw manifestations of magic all about him auras radiating from different places throughout the t-shaped intersection where the company fought the three images of falrenth glowed brightly as did the shimmering globe of energy which was no surprise to shandhavel the illusionary spell of the basilisk also glowed which the elven wizard had almost forgotten he had expected to see all of those emanations of magic however flanking the flaming fountain were two forms that also radiated magic though they were unmoving shane havel taken aback at their presence studied them for a moment they were vague in shape not exactly human in form and they stood motionless as though waiting for some instructions of some sort puzzled but sensing that they were not immediate threats chanhal continued his sweep of the area our league in statute form glowed as did a handful of weapons and items in the possession of the various companions that left only two more sources one that he expected to find and one he did not the first of course was the elven assassin she was moving up the hall toward them having managed to get past elmo she seemed to be coming toward the two of them which suited shan havel just fine the final magical radiance came from a small creature sitting high on one wall of the wide passageway near the door where the wizard had entered it appeared to be a centipede about a foot long and it rested in a crack in the wall watching everything taking place below this puzzled shan havel but he did not have time to dwell on it for the woman was almost upon them keep your voice low and pretend we're watching the wizard shane havel told cheryl she's close are you ready yes the druid whispered tell me where when the assassin had closed so that she was slightly to the side and behind cheryl chanhavel tensed when he saw the woman draw her weapon back ready to stab at the druid he swung around blocking the blow with his staff as the woman became visible surprised at shan havel's quick reaction the woman blinked shandhavel took advantage of the situation to hit her hard right in the midsection with the other end of his staff cheryl turned and pointed to the woman shouting a single word and summoning magic of the earth immediately a faint purplish glow sprang up around the woman who had stepped away from shanhavel's attack and was straightening up once more cheryl had her scimitar out and was advancing on the elven assassin who smiled and deftly stepped to one side when cheryl turned to face her the other woman's smile turned to a frown and she backed away confusion playing on her face elmo having seen the commotion by the two spellcasters hurried to join them and he closed with the woman who now had a panicked look on her face realizing she was no longer invisible chanhal turned to see what was happening with the others what he saw shocked and dismayed him draga had taken a stand between govan and the wizard who was now down to one image draga was defending against the night's attacks golvin refusing to strike his own companion repeatedly tried to move around the hairy bowman but draga would not allow it he's been charmed in some way chanhal realized the bastard is using draga against us shanhavil moved forward ready to strike the man down when garvin stopped pressing his attack and giggled shanghai faltered in mid-step wondering what the knight could possibly find funny in the midst of a desperate battle govan was rooted to the spot though and his giggle turned to a full laugh dropping his sword and shield the knight grabbed his sides doubling over and guffawing hardly able to breathe more magic shan havel realized i'm going to get my hands on this bastard spell books for certain but first shanghai closed with the other wizard again then stopped realizing that the spell he had cast to detect magic emanations had reached its limit and winked out leaving his sight normal again however the giant centipede in its niche was still quite visible though well camouflaged shane havel suddenly had a very good idea what the horrid insect was quickly the elf cast he had only a couple of spells left but the one he was about to invoke might still prove useful summoning the supernatural energies once more he flung his hand out in the direction of the centipede which upon seeing the elf gestures had turned and was trying to retreat into the wall but it was not fast enough in a flash a long glowing arrow streaked forward trailing a stream of liquid as it went the magic arrow struck true embedding itself in the giant insect and spraying the liquid all over it the centipede writhed in agony and fell free of the niche dropping to the stone floor below and transforming as it did so distantly shan havel heard the other wizard shriek and he knew his assumption had been correct when the creature hit the floor it lay still but it was no longer a centipede chad havel did not recognize it precisely but he had no doubt that it was an imp of some type summoned from the lower plains its flesh smoked and sizzled as the liquid which was a potent acid soaked and burned it thank you melf chanhal muttered acknowledging the creator of the magic arrow of acid he had just used to slay the imp by this time govan had ceased his laughing and draga was his own self again both of them were advancing on falrenth whose face looked slightly burned as if from acid and who was desperately trying to cast one more spell get him shanhaville yelled don't let him cast again the two warriors were not quick enough behind falrenth a glowing portal appeared a doorway framed in strange light and the mage backed through it avoiding the oncoming warriors as soon as he was through the doorway winked out of existence eighteen damn govan growled flinging his sword through the space where the doorway had been a moment before damn that wizard to the hells the knight spun around looking for something anything to attack when he saw that there were no enemies he sighed loudly and his shoulder sagged if i ever tracked that wizard down he swore leaving the vow unfinished shane havel i don't know if you know the spell he used on me but don't you ever make me cackle like that ever shan havel suppressed a smile he could only imagine the indignation the knight must feel it having to endure such an ignoble thing i would never do that to you the elf said his smile leaking through i promise garvin glared at the wizard for a moment then nodded curtly and pointed behind shane havel what in the hells is that shane havel turned and saw that the knight was pointing to the dead imp exactly he answered it's a thing from the hells themselves an imp of some sort perhaps a closet it was the wizard familiar as ormiel is mine i discovered it watching us and when i killed it the wizard suffered accordingly there is a strong bond between mage and familiar when one suffers the other suffers also that's why he seemed suddenly in agony govin asked why his face seemed burned shane havel nodded i would suffer great injury too should anything happen to ormiel hmm well i guess i know how to get even then should you ever cast that infernal laughing spell upon me shanhavil raised one eyebrow but the twinkle in govind's eye made it clear the night was merely teasing let's see how the others fared the night said shan havel turned to see cheryl and elmo examining the body of the elf woman cheryl pulled something off the woman's face and suddenly straightened and stepped back flinging the item away in disgust govind stepped closer and shane havel and draga followed or izzy the bowman asked she's no elf cheryl replied glaring at the body what do you mean garvin asked she was only disguised as an elf elmo explained his face grave well then at least we know one of our own wasn't besmirching our good name shanhavil quipped moving beside the druid to gaze down with the body so what's bothering you cheryl grimaced oh nothing except that she looks like she's got some orcish blood in her oh a half breed huh garvin said nodding figures what does that mean cheryl said turning to face the night her eyes smoldering shen havel winced dreading what was to come galvan blinked a couple of times a look of puzzlement on his face then his eyes widened no that's he sputtered i mean i that's not what i meant he took a deep breath i was trying to point out that i was surprised an elf would be here at all many half walks are angry with their lot in life shunned by both of their lineages it made more sense to me that a half-breed would have fallen in with the temple than an elf that's all i meant cheryl's glare didn't lessen much it's not just half orcs that are shunned by both lineages in most people's eyes a half-breed is a half-breed regardless of the blood mixed together govind's face grew very serious chiral of the wood daughter of the earth and sky you have my solemn word as a servant of saint cuthbert that your lineage is of no concern to me you are a steady and true companion i respect your friendship and would never disparage your heritage cheryl's countenance softened all right coven thank you whoa regardless of her bloodlines elmo said standing but we have a bigger problem on our hands the huge axemen still looked shaken what's wrong shane havel asked it could have just been coincidence elmo replied shaking his head but she he pointed at the dead half orc called him falrenth so cheryl asked removing a pair of earrings and a belt from the woman falwens was the name of a wizard who rode with thrommel ten years ago elmo answered burn told me once that falrinth was a key to their efforts to destroy the demon when he fell during the battle and was carried off by temple forces the rest of them were forced to revise their plan sealing the demon inside the temple rather than confronting and destroying her they all grieved for the loss of their friend burn has presumed all these years that falrent was killed and now you think this might be him shane havel asked the same falring it's quite possible alma replied there more have broken him instead of killing him turned him to their cause he may be one of the main resources the temple leaders are using to hunt for the key his knowledge of the demon's power was extensive burn must know of this cheryl said we have to figure out a way to get him a message if we could get to the surface dragger cut in one of us could ride farmlet that's a big if elmo said first we have to find a way past that army plus we must see what can be done about oleg everyone turned suddenly remembering their petrified friend a wave of despair passed through them as they beheld our league's frozen form it seemed as though the palpable evil of the temple weighed even more heavily upon them no chanhal insisted to himself don't let it wear you down fight it i don't understand garvin said you told us the image was false why then is he cursed so would not the effects also be fake chanhal nodded except that the image seemed real enough to him he believed he was going to be petrified and so he is at least in his mind chanhal considered if that's true shanhavil hurried over to where our league stood frozen in place he examined the man carefully studying the skin and clothing to his surprise or rather lack of it now our league was not made of stone at all the one light cast from their lanterns had only made him look like stone he was only totally and completely rigid of course chanhal said he's only petrified in his mind lanny can be saved draga said the relief evident in his voice well maybe shane havel frowned actually even had he truly been turned to stone there are ways to reverse it but it still requires special dispelling magic to do so i know of such a spell but i would have to spend some time studying before i cast it i could do it cheryl said quietly the druid stepped forward as shanghai will turn to her one eyebrow raised i think i can reverse the condition your magic allows for dispellings the wizard asked cheryl nodded closed her eyes and prayed shanhavel took a deep breath hoping this would be the right course as cheryl muttered her prayers the rest of the group gathered around waiting expectantly after several long moments shiro placed a hand upon ali's rigid arm and murmured the final words of her prayer there was a faint blue flash that cascaded across our league's body and in the next instant he was yelling and backing up his shield still in front of him he backed right into draga who caught hold of his companion and held him steady our league's head whipped about when he realized his whole frame of reference had changed in what for him had been a mere instant whoa what happened alig asked regaining his balance where's the the thing he gestured in the direction where the basilisk had been shan havel sighed in relief and joy more joy than he thought he could feel in this accursed place on impulse he decided to tease our league thing what thing we heard you yell we ran around the corner and we found you like this no there was a thing a beast i saw it hmm elmo said playing along there's nothing there you must have been seeing things i was not our league growled indignantly it was right there easy oleg draga said patting his friend on one shoulder it probably scared under the door right before we got here the bowman snickered and cheryl covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile oh i get it our league said turning from companion to companion seeing the smiles on all their faces just having a little fun with me huh at that everyone grinned openly born of both the humor and the relief that their companion was safe and recovered you were affected by powerful magic shane havel explained still grinning you were tricked by an illusion to believe you had been petrified cheryl returned you to normal a league blinked looking around at the group and finally settling on the druid thanks he muttered at last oh you're more than welcome cheryl said sweetly it's the least i could do for those friends of mine who pretend to be dying of poison everyone chuckled but the oppressiveness of the temple caused the mirth to subside quickly and the group returned to the business at hand a league accepted a magical weapon and armor obtained from the dead assassin as they were preparing to move on shanghai will remember the two vague forms standing near the flaming fountain with a little study the elf determined that they were magical constructs invisible servants that wizards often summoned to perform menial labor these two had worked together to light the oil in the fountain which had lit the place upon our league's arrival i'll wager that the half-orc woman was falren's bodyguard shanhaville commented as they prepared to check the doors leading off the wide passage perhaps we'll find out beyond these portals garvin said as he opened the first of the doors just go slowly shanhavil warned both cyril and i have burned off a lot of our spells if we run into trouble we'd better be ready to turn back fast caution is the word governor replied falrinth may still be lurking around here oh some more of his pets elmo added from the back of the group the first door they passed through led to what appeared to be the half-orcs chamber it was furnished with a simple cot a table with a chair and bench and a wardrobe the walls however were decorated with various sorts of unusual weapons mostly wicked looking daggers the tools of an assassin the group spent some time poking around the place turning up a few gems and small pieces of jewelry as well as some vials of thick poison in the wardrobe once they were done they moved across the hall to the door through which the wizard had arrived the chamber beyond was obviously falren's lair the walls were lined with shelves each of which was laden with books scrolls stuffed and mummified animals and so forth in addition there was a small bed a writing table some cabinets and a second door leading out a cloak with many strange runes hung upon a peg near that second door and next to it was a piece of parchment with more odd symbols attached to the far wall was another sheet of parchment this one larger it seemed to be a map of some sort of the wizard himself there was no sign garvin led the way into the room and shandhavel called softly careful coven wizards are known for their fondness for magical traps don't touch anything until i have a chance to examine it first nodding the night continued in cautiously followed by the rest of the group everyone fanned out checking for signs of possible danger when they were certain that the wizard truly was gone the members of the alliance relaxed chen havel moved to examine the cloak and the parchment with the runes near the door the cloak seemed plain enough just elaborately decorated so he moved over to the parchment as the elf read he heard garvin say remember our league the wizard said not to touch at that very instant shanhavil's eyes roamed over a symbol he immediately realized as magical unfortunately the very act of reading the sigil triggered its effect a powerful explosion knocked shanhaville backward engulfing him in a blast of searing flame as he fell to the floor the explosion was over in an instant but shandhavel was in agony his face burned and his eyes blinded he clawed at the burns and realized a heartbeat later that his throat was going hoarse from screaming suddenly there was cooling relief the pain faded and as he pulled his hands back from his eyes shanhaville found that he could see again the first sight that greeted him was cheryl's face creased with worry looming over his own are you all right she asked her voice tremulous shanhaville nodded not trusting himself to speak i didn't do it our league was saying somewhere nearby i didn't touch a thing shanhavil smiled slightly as he tried to move up into a sitting position cheryl gave him a hand and rocked back to give the wizard some room you didn't do it olig he said i did it myself see ollie said adamantly i told you that may be gavin replied but i saw you about to all right all right elmo interrupted shane havel seems fine so let's quit arguing over who actually triggered it hey shane havel said standing i said it was me and i didn't touch it don't read anything in here that's how it was triggered don't even look at that map until i get a chance to check it for more runes are you sure you're whole again garvin asked yes shan havel replied i'm all right he looked at cheryl who smiled back but her worry lines were still evident that however was the last of my healing power cheryl said so we must stop and rest soon so i can meditate and pray we should at least check this other door garvin argued if falringth is still around i'd rather face him now than when he's had time to heal and regain his spells i agree shane havel added and i do want to examine that map first are you kidding our league said you almost had your head blown off from the last thing you examined i'll be all right sean havel responded i know what to look for now i'll need a mirror look around and see if there's one anywhere in here the group searched the place but no one could find a reflecting glass anywhere so shane havel reluctantly agreed to leave the map for later i hope it's still here he said wistfully leaving the map behind the group turned its attention to the door after allowing our league a chance to examine it for possible traps gavin opened it beyond the portal was a small work room obviously the wizards laboratory beakers bottles and tomes covered a table in the center of the room while more shelves along the walls were filled with wands staves and rods of all sizes and shapes again falringth himself was nowhere to be found chanhevel's eyes almost bulged out of his head bow cobb he muttered looking around the chamber look at this horde elmo whistled is all of this magical he asked pointing to the various items on the walls chanhal nodded scarcely able to speak i imagine so he said but there's no way to tell for sure without some divination and i just don't have any more of that spell left look around for fallen spell books they might be here somewhere too the elf's face felt hot from his excitement remember just look don't touch anything maybe we can find a mirror in here cheryl suggested good ordea draga replied the group spread out and searched the place havel was almost giddy with excitement as he examined in detail the various devices on the shelves and work table what a mother load he thought with this kind of magical power i could be here's one our league said pointing to an item on the other end of the table careful not to touch it chanhevel hurried to see what he had found it was a small polished mirror the elf carefully picked it up even as olig practically dived under the table to get away from any impending blasts take it easy shandhavel chuckled no wizard is going to trap a mirror i don't care our league said as he rose wide-eyed from the floor standing too close to you and you mess with things appears to be dangerous shane havel just smiled and pocketed the mirror why would wizard keep all of his best magic stored away in here rather than with him elmo asked looking around you'd think he'd want to use all this stuff shanhaville frowned for the axeman's words made sense if this were mine the elf thought i wouldn't keep it stored away in fact if i had been falringth i would have had at least two or three of those wands with me out there in the hallway good point elmo very good point so what are you saying ollie asked this place seems to have been a little too easy to find shane havel replied maybe we were supposed to find it his heart was sinking of course falringth wouldn't leave all of his prized possessions just sitting out like this i'm a fool to think he would his true treasure trove must be hidden somewhere else come on let's at least get that map chanhe will led everyone back out into the main room standing with his back to the map he scanned its contents through the mirror looking for more of the magical sigils that he knew would trigger an explosion sure enough they were there damn the wizard thought already was quite the protective fellow shanhaville put the mirror away removed the map from the wall and rolled it up as he did so an oddity in the stonework caught his attention looking more closely he found a continuous crack running up the wall following it with his eye shanhaville realized he was looking at another secret door hey he called to his companions his voice filled with excitement again i think i found another hidden portal that figures draga said it's the companions all gathered around shall we push let olig do his thing first garvin advised stepping aside to make room rolling his eyes our league stepped to the wall and went over it carefully looking as usual for any signs of danger looks clean to me he said stepping away again together elmo gavin and draga placed their shoulders against the wall and pushed nothing happened the three men redoubled their efforts but to no avail the wall did not swing open draga said at last easing up from his exertions mustard just looked like a secret door shanivo nice nothing but solid wall maybe shane havel said thoughtfully he frowned maybe not there might be some other way of opening it a trigger of some kind look around and see if you can spot a switch or lever or something disguised as one of those things anywhere in the room somewhat reluctantly the group spread out checking every item of furniture every square foot of wall every last item in the room carefully this went on for a number of minutes until our league sighed and knuckled his back this is getting us nowhere our league complained i hate to admit it but he's right cheryl added i think we found everything we're going to find just a few more minutes shane havel pleaded if we leave falrenth could come back and clean the place out the swords elmo said we might not have many other options that thing that crawled out of lareth might be waiting on the surface it's possible that falrunth is still around here somewhere garvin added we hurt him today if we can catch up to him before he has a chance to seek healing and regain his strength and spells so much the better hi draga said standing next to a wall and holding a torch crescent in his hand look at this the bowman pulled the crescent free of the wall but where a normal hole should have been a tiny lever projected instead how does that work our league asked puzzled as everyone crowded around draga's discovery carefully he reached out and touched the metal protrusion draw to turn it elmo suggested our league twisted pushed pulled and generally fussed with the metal rod for half a minute or so before giving up if he's supposed to do anything it's too odd for me to move wait cheryl exclaimed use the crescent ah shan havel said nodding eagerly in agreement with the druid put the crescent back on and then try it handed the crescent to our league who slipped the thing back on the rod there was a tiny click and then ollie twisted the device it rotated easily this time and behind them the section of wall that had held fast before swung free that did it our league said you were raw after all draga told shan evil as he drew his sword the space beyond the hidden portal turned out to be exactly what chanhal had been hoping a second laboratory this one looked far more lived in and there was an amazing amount of clutter everywhere however the thing that drew everyone's attention was a small iron box sitting in the middle of the table it made all the companions uneasy and gavin refused to touch the thing carefully our league examined it from the outside and when he found nothing to indicate mundane traps chanhal took a turn satisfied that nothing untoward would happen the elf flipped the lid open inside was a small golden skull with no jaw it had four empty sockets at the compass points of the crown line that appeared to be designed to hold gems bow cobb chanhal breathed the key we have the key don't touch it garvin hissed jerking the elf away from the box i can feel its wickedness from here shanhaville nodded carefully shutting the lid once more and picking up the box let's get out of here garvin pleaded i am suddenly overwhelmed with dread the thought of staying the gnaw is right our league added as the group began to depart we have what we came for it's long past time to go the alliance made its way out of the wizards chambers and back into the t-shaped intersection just as they were about to head back out through the tunnel that led to the tower and well a forlorn keening faintly drifted down from that direction seanhavel shivered at the sound a sleek breathed or the thing he has become nineteen hedrack paced back and forth his steps hammering on the stone floor of the meeting chamber the high priest was angry truly angry and he had to admit more than a little afraid every careful plan he had made of late had gone awry underlings had failed in their duties and those damned meddlers had caused him untold amounts of trouble he was seething ready to have falren cast into one of the elemental nodes for this latest disappointment to have lost the key the very golden key that would freeze moy was unforgivable and to those interlopers hedrack wondered just how much longer eus would be willing to put up with such blunders the high priest knew that regardless of whose fault it was that these mishaps continued to occur hedrack himself would be held responsible lord ewes will not tolerate such incompetence he thought just as i do not it is the way of the world falrenth shifted in his uncomfortable position kneeling as he was with his hands and feet manacled behind his back he remained silent however dutifully waiting for his superior to speak again good odd head rack he must fear for his very life now for i will not be a patient man any longer so you are certain this will free her even without the key he hotly emphasized the last word making it clear that falrin's new proposal for freeing the demon s would not alleviate his extreme displeasure at the wizard's foolishness yes my lord i had been studying this for a while even before we knew of the existence of the key the wards on the doors will be of no consequence to my servants they can place the items and ignite them at the proper moment while we watch from a safe distance i am certain it will work never mind that what i want to know is are you certain this will free her there is no danger to her well-being falreth attempted to shrug but having very little mobility due to his bindings it was barely more than a flinch i cannot say without any doubt at all my that is not the answer i want screamed head rack crossing the distance between them in a single step and slapping the wizard across the mouth falringth grunted in pain as his head whipped to the side the fierceness of the blow causing him to lose his balance and topple over onto his side the two attendants tall mangy bug bears with matted fur and sour smelling leather armor immediately reached down and righted falrenth once more the wizard stared at the floor a trickle of blood running down his chin [Music] he worked his jaw slowly before speaking i am convinced that it will free her unharmed my lord the wizard said at last forcing the words through clenched teeth hadrak smiled bending slightly at the waist to stare straight into falren's eyes that's much more satisfying to hear his visage sobered again for your sake you had better be right if even the slightest harm comes to her as a result of this i will not be tossing you into one of our private little sanctuaries below instead i will offer you directly to use as a toy a plaything and i will make mention that you have been secretly consorting with the spider behind my back falrin's eyes bulged at this revelation oh yes and drac continued his voice dripping with honeyed acid you did not think i knew did you i am aware of much you and larith both have been inviting trouble playing lackey to others besides he who will trample the flanness beneath his feet perhaps if i mention that fact he will not be so quick to blame me for all the trouble your incompetence has caused falrinth was shivering slightly as evidenced by the faint clinking of the chains that bound him excellent and rack thought smiling now i have his attention with a nod from the high priest the bug bears moved to flank the prisoner lifting him between them and bearing him away to his cell once more once alone hedrack let out a deep and mournful sigh for he did not relish his next task making his way down to the central temple he passed beyond the writhing purple curtain and prepared to contact his lord and master dropping to his knees he prayed almost immediately he felt the presence of his god in his mind my lord use in toned i am your mouth i pronounce what news the presence demanded it's evil washing over him mingling with impatient anger hedrack flinched knowing this was going to be most unpleasant my lord he began looking for the right words the best way to honeycoat the news we have encountered more setbacks and i am afraid i have unfortunate news i grow tired of your excuses priest perhaps it is time i find another someone more capable of carrying out my wishes this humble servant begs your indulgence for a moment longer master had rack pleaded truly groveling now i also have encouraging news that i pray we'll offset the unpleasantness of the other he uses malevolent displeasure washed over head rack sickening the high priest in the core of his stomach and making his limbs weak and numb but after a moment the sensations of ill-ease subsided very well speak sighing in relief hedrack began my lord the golden key has been lost to the meddlers unfortunately you incompetent idiot eews cried his gravelly voice grinding into headrack's brain and driving him hard to the floor the one thing that would free her you have lost his head pounding from the pain of eusa's wrath hadrax struggled to speak no my lord he managed to utter through clenched teeth there is another way the waves of hatred crashing over the high priest subsided once more go on he was insisted catching his breath hedrack continued falringth believes he knows where she is and he thinks he has a way to free her without the golden orb he thinks we can free her from her bindings eu's was silent as though considering for a moment interesting tell me more if you recall my lord he was a part of the company that planned to destroy her ten years ago before his capture and conversion to the beliefs of the temple he believes he knows how the bindings work he thinks he knows a way to circumvent and destroy them i have but to give the order and he will try is there a danger to her he has assured me there is not hedrack said hoping beyond hope the wizard was right he has failed you before you scrumbled blackness roiling with the words why should you trust him now because he bargains with his life my lord because he now knows that i am aware of his other allegiance his servitude to the spider and he believes that it is only through my machinations that you do not yet know i hold that over his head hmm well played very well proceed with this new plan hedrack smiled despite the pounding in his chest yes my lord he answered but the god was already gone from his mind hedrack returned to the cell and loomed over falrinth who was kneeling in one corner still bound in his chains and glaring back sullenly he knew better than to open his mouth in open disdain to hedrack the high priest understood all too well the wizard's resentment though after all falrenth had attempted to save his own pitiful life with the plan and in return hedrack had thrown him back in his cell if only he understood thought the high priest how much anguish he truly did save himself his stay in this prison is a welcome alternative to what might have been the high priest signaled for the guards to release the wizard as falrin stood stretching two long bound muscles hedrack clapped the wizard on one shoulder use likes your plan my friend we are going to put it in motion at once you should go and prepare falrenth blinked hesitating then seeing the earnest look on henrik's face the wizard nodded and with a last side-long glance at his jailers hurried from the room 20. come on elmo urged as he turned and headed down the passage they hadn't yet explored as shandhaval swung around to follow all leagues skidded to a stop and stared after them are you crazy he growled we can't go deeper into the temple that's suicide we don't have a choice cheryl hissed trying to grab ollie's arm and pull him along we can't stand and face that thing right now we're tired and our magic is all but exhausted no ollie insisted through clenched teeth yanking his arm free from the druid's grasp we could hide maybe the wizard as a spell will turn us all invisible anything is better than going deeper into this hell hole oh league shannon havel said taking his friend by the arms and forcing the man to look him in the eye if we don't get out of here right now we are going to die don't let the temple beat you down it's evil and it preys upon your mind making you feel defeated before you've even fought whatever's down that corridor it can't be any worse than what's coming this way now come on with that shane havel released our league and turned to follow elmo into the gloom of the passage it seemed to be some sort of a dead end but then the elf spotted a steep set of steps at the very end leading up elmo was perched near the top pushing open a trapdoor set into the ceiling the huge man poked his head up through the opening and paused to look around then motioned for everyone to follow he ascended out of sight as shanhavil reached the bottom of the steep steps and waited for draga gavin and shiro to make their way up an unnerving howl rose up from the opposite direction the sound made the wizard's spine crawl and he shuddered alig ran up beside him i can't believe i let you talk me into this he growled as the elf started up the steps it's that or face that horror that was lareth chandhavel replied reaching the top and beginning to climb through the trap door not this our league whispered as he crowded up behind the elf i mean two nights ago around a campfire i can't believe i let you talk me into coming to the temple in the first place as soon as our league was through the trap door elmo settled the lid back into place sean havel made a quick inspection of the new space in which they found themselves it was a small circular room very dusty and with many cobwebs only one passage let out the only light was the group's own lanterns but at the far end of the passage the elf saw the faint glow of torchlight emanating from around a corner come on garvin said drawing his sword and proceeding cautiously down the passage out of the room that thing will figure out where we went soon enough wait ollie called softly that may take the lead it's just knows i'm a fool but i can keep a sharp eye out for he shrugged whatever acquiescing gavin let alek move a little ahead of him and the group proceeded down the hall shanhavil padding along beside cheryl was trying very hard to keep from scuffing his feet along the floor despite his efforts it seemed to him that every footfall was a thunderclap in his ears this isn't like walking on the floor of the forest he reminded himself shaking his head he redoubled his efforts at stealth the gloom of the place weighed down upon him the mass of earth and stone overhead seemed somehow to be slowly sinking pressing down threatening to crush them all to trap them in the darkness even the lanterns elmo and cheryl carried seemed to do little to banish the menacing shadows and shane havel found that he was hearing faint noises just beyond the range of the light he shuddered and pressed on staying close to draga who was right in front of him the passage ran straight for a ways then turned to the right there was a door to the left currently shot and the tunnel continued on into the gloom it was here that the torches were lit and the cobwebs and dust of before were absent which way she will ask her voice barely above a whisper no doors olig replied just as softly turning to head the other direction as long as we don't open them we're not surprised by anything on the other side cheryl looked at shane havel who only shrugged and nodded they continued to pad along and more than once shane havel realized he was holding his breath after a short while this next passage opened into another circular room although this one was larger than the first and far from being empty its rounded walls were lined with statues ollie pulled up short of entering and peered around there were nine statues in total strange and fantastic creatures only some of which shandhavel recognized nearest was a great spherical beast with but a single giant eye in its middle gaping jaws below that and ten tentacles also containing eyes on its top side it had been carved so that it appeared to float next to that was a rearing dragon much smaller than shan havel imagined a real one would be the other forms were hidden by the gloom although four odd glowing bronze spheres set into the walls lighted the place two other passages led out of the room now what our league asked over his shoulder not turning us back to the chamber how much father we willing to go we need a place to rest elmo said some place where we can hide and wait for a chance to go back and get out of here that way garvin said pointing across the round room to the passage on the left how do you know ollie consisted scowling what makes that one better than the other i don't know but it is the night answered i can feel it our league raised one eyebrow at governor as if the knight were crazy but finally he shook his head and crept across the open floor of the round chamber heading for the passage govern had indicated as shane havel followed he noticed that the glowing spheres had detached themselves from the walls and were floating hovering he looked more closely and realized the lights were closing in on the group uh let's hurry he said softly i don't think this room is safe when cheryl looked in the direction he was staring she gasped willow wisps she shoved gobin who was in front of her so he would move faster don't let them touch you olig looked over his shoulder and when he saw the advancing balls of light his eyes widened he turned and jogged out the far side the rest of the group close behind the alliance hurried down this new corridor which was once again kept in darkness although it lacked the dust that might indicate disuse it ran for much longer than the more recent tunnels had and after a few moments shanhaville heard running water ahead alike slowed cautious once more and the elf stole a glance behind them the willow wisps as the druid had named them were not following although they still bobbed and weaved in the now distant chamber the water flowed from a horrid fountain set back in a slight alcove leering demonic faces spewed nasty smelling water from mouths eyes and open sores on their faces the rancid water fell into several basins blackened by some sort of aquatic growth our league shuddered and gave the fountain a wide berth skirting along on the opposite side of the passage still think this is a great idea he asked govan over his shoulder as they continued how much longer does our luck hold out or league is right elmo said slowing this is getting us nowhere but lost we should stop and rethink this no govern insisted he pointed again i can't explain why but this is the way we must go look knight our league said turning on govern with a fierce look we are mad to be doing this we found a key and we should be trying to leave not go deeper and where is everyone why aren't we running into temple forces it scares me that it's so empty in here i understand your reluctance the night said i feel so many bad sensations from this accursed place that i want to wretch but for some reason i can sense something else ahead what olig insisted what you sense i don't know i can't quite put my finger on it but it feels holy somehow our league rolled his eyes and whistled i think your brain's been poisoned by this place he said in disgust a sensation of frigid blackness suddenly ran up and down shanhavel's spine shuddering from the unnerving feeling he turned to peer back down the hall half expecting to see one of the willowisps nearby instead a shadowed thing reared up not two paces away and turned his blood to ice bokob the wizard yelped jerking back instinctively and slamming into draga larith's face stared balefully at him and hissed malevolence radiating from its spectral spidery body it shambled forward its two front legs curled upward reaching for the elf cheryl screamed and shandhavel felt someone grab his collar and jerk him back as one of the tendrils swiped at his face barely missing they were running garvin leading the way all of them scrambling madly desperately away from the shade that had crept up on them shane havel paid little attention to the twists and turns of their progress concentrating only on staying close to the rest of them and making sure cheryl was still beside him he did not dare turn around to see if the animate shadow was still there from farther back the creature let out its keening whale which both terrified the elf and relieved him as horrifying as it was it meant they were putting distance between themselves and the monster as he rounded another corner still making certain he was keeping up with draga shandhavel nearly collided with the bowman who had stopped to stare at govern the knight was standing in the middle of a hallway once again a dust and cobweb covered passage staring around uncertainly here the knight said his voice was filled with doubt somewhere right here his words trailed off as he peered at the floor then moved to the wall and pressed it experimentally with his hand a frown pursed his lips as he looked then shaking his head stepped back and pointed saying a door it is here somewhere find it shrugging chanhal stepped up to where govind had indicated he looked feeling his spine crawl from increasing panic at the thought of the shadowy creature catching up to them again suddenly he spotted the scene gavin had somehow known would be there the outline of a door here the elf cried softly pointing it's right here push as one the companions found places and pushed slowly far too slowly for shan havel a section of the wall pivoted inward nodding his head in satisfaction govan was the first one through gesturing for the others to follow him when the last person was safely beyond the portal draga pushed it shut again when it finally closed with a slight click the bowman sank down with a weary sigh that was klaus he said looking at his companions too close everyone nodded as shanhavel peered around it was an odd-shaped room all uneven angles and corners and it had the appearance of not having been used since the temple fell ten years ago the place had the look and feel of a chapel and it even had an altar covered with a snowy white cloth that had been inscribed with red runes venerate this shrine of good then haste away all ye of true and good faith a statue of faltus god of the blinding light had been placed in a niche in the wall a large silver staff topped by a large disk known as the staff of the silvery sun the symbol of faltus hung upon the western surface other wall hangings gave the room a peaceful feel that seemed out of place after the oppressive dread of the temple how did you know ollie gasped sinking down to the floor and stretching his legs out before him perspiration beated on his forehead garvin shook his head i don't know i just felt it he closed his eyes and whispered thank you saint cuthbert your guiding hand it might be fultis you should be thanking elmo replied dryly pointing to the symbols govern nodded the energies of many holy beings may lend a hand during times of true need my thanks extend to all of them so cyril said slumping down in her own spot what now we white rest elmo answered finding a spot of his own and setting his lantern down before laying his axe gently on the floor are we safe here yes govan replied that thing will not enter i think this place feels consecrated and larith's spirit may not pass into it that won't stop something else shandhavel pointed out something alive he shuddered then something is to find us first our league muttered closing his eyes damned if i know how to get back out again the group fell silent and eventually everyone caught their breath they broke out a meager meal to share and when they were done they settled into wait draga pulled out the small wooden instrument he had been working on he played a few notes but somehow the tones sounded hollow and weak and he put the thing away again looking forlorn shan havel in an effort to pass the time paced through the room examining the various trappings of the chapel wondering how anyone might have managed to transport all of this into the bowels of the temple without notice as he was studying the silver symbol he caught sight of a tiny ring of metal that had been partially hidden behind the intersection of the staff and disc reaching up he took hold of the ring and tried to pull it free as he drew the ring out from its hiding place he discovered that it was connected to a length of steel thread that went back into the wall upon pulling on it there was an audible click and a section of the wall swung open next to the elf what did you do our league exclaimed jumping to his feet his sword in his hand another one you found another one careful darwin said rising to his feet as well i have a great sense of unease about whatever's beyond there collecting themselves the six friends moved cautiously toward the secret door and peered inside the six-sided chamber beyond was inky black and it appeared to be empty except for a lone skeleton stretched out near the door shanhaville shuddered the place had an eerie feel to it something he could not quite put his finger on as the group moved farther into the chamber the elves spotted a coffin resting against the far wall its lid closed and buckled the rest of the companions spotted this too and the whole group approached the sarcophagus cautiously the lid had a silver cross inlaid into its surface and there was a scroll case lying atop it oh strange cheryl breathed reaching out to gently poke at the scroll case with her blade why would there be a tomb here hidden behind that chapel and who was the poor fellow by the door our league asked i don't like this govind said it doesn't feel right should we open it ollie asked flicking daggers in and out of his sleeves in nervousness yes garvin nodded i think we should but let's be prepared draga and our league be ready with your bows elmo cheryl and shan havel you open it on the count of three surrounding the sarcophagus they took a collective deep breath unfastened the locks and prepared to remove the lid on the count of three govern whispered we flip it open ready everyone nodded and took hold of an edge shanghai will half expected something to rise out of the coffin and lunge at him tightening his grip he waited for the night's countdown one garvin said chanhevel took a deep breath two three the lid went tumbling to the side and three companions scattered while the other three prepared to attack govind tensed then paused and stared curiously down at the inside of the coffin chanhal peered inside from several feet away rising up on tiptoe to get a better look it was a man a very handsome man in fact far from being dead the fellow looked healthy and strong if unconscious he was clad in fine mail with a white surcote and it took the elf a moment to register the crest upon the breast the arms of fairy andy and voluna as well as the knights of the heart were there two royal houses and a nightly order the wizard realized more god elmo said stumbling to one knee and getting a closer look what is it elmo shandhavel moved beside him who is this or don't believe it the big man said reaching out to nudge the comatose form eats him emu our league demanded as he and the others crowded around elmo took a deep breath before replying prince thromu is the missing prince chanhevel fell back stunned trommel in here in the bowels of the temple mocob gavin shook his head in disbelief and draga grinned from ear to ear cheryl checked the man failing to see if he was injured or ensorced in some way the prince stirred his chest rose ever so slightly then fell and shane havel thought he saw the eyelids flicker for the first time the elf noticed the finely tooled gold belt around the man's waist and the gold medallion around his neck with the emblem of a crown and a crescent moon inscribed upon it the prince's eyelids fluttered open blinking in the light of the lanterns he reached out grasped the edges of his coffin and tried to rise govind's strong hand was there to aid him the night lifted the man into a sitting position from where the prince blinked repeatedly and peered about studying the faces of the six companions surrounding him where where am i who are you my lord gavin servant of cuthbert these are my companions and friends are you injured in any way the prince blinked several more times as he focused on the night's face i i don't think so he said moving his arms and legs experimentally who are you again and where in the hells am i we are the alliance my lord the knight responded and you are in the bowels of the ruined elemental temple the temple what am i doing here what alliance what are you talking about we are garvin began but elmo interrupted him my lord i am annoyed of the heart like yourself these companions and i have banded together in the service of the far count of verbal bonk and your father at the behest of burn of the tower we were exploring the ruins of the temple and discovered you sealed away magically preserved it seems we apparently broke the spell i see thromel replied rubbing his eyes burn you say what dire circumstances would cause him to send you all into the ruins of the temple then shaking his head in dismissal he continued i must get to metric so i can let everyone know i am alive and well jolene must be beside herself with worry the wedding tell me they haven't canceled the wedding the prince tried to rise but he was unsteady on his feet and several hands reached out to aid him as he slowly and carefully climbed out of the coffin my lord elmo said gravely you have been missing for seven years it's the spring of four seventy nine thromel stared swaying unsteadily on his feet seven years he breathed they must all think i'm dead no govan interjected not all boy lord elmo said somehow through some means of scrying members of your father's court knew you still lived but there appeared to be no way to determine your location jolene has refused to marry although there have been a number of suitors ah jolene frommel said smiling gently who is the loyal one fiercely so i hope she is well and melius gavin added who served with you at the fall of the temple ten years ago held out hope that he would someday find you hmm the prince mused nodding his head absently as he listened to the unfolding tale his dedication honors me elmo looked at the rest of the alliance from face to face his own visage grave as he spoke sadly my lord melius was leading this expedition but he fell in battle not three days ago i am sorry no the prince said his unsteady legs betraying him at last he sat down hard not melius i would have welcomed seeing him again and he you my lord shan havel said as would have my master lanathan he was on his way here when he also fell the prince looked at shane havel and frowned lanathan the wizard shane havel only nodded two of my company fallen in battle and i missing for seven years what is going on why are we in the depths of the temple tell me your tale and quickly shan't have a blinked wants of the man's commanding manner but then the elf remembered that he was after all a prince used to commanding and to getting what he wanted with but a word with little fanfare elmo explained the situation to thromel when he was done the prince sat thinking for several long moments finally he spoke again this key you now have it yes prince thromel shan havel said retrieving the box from his pack and opening the lid to display to the prince both thromel and garvin recoiled from the thing and the prince said oh it is foul with evil i can feel its corruption even from here he turned back to elmo you say that you recovered it from a wizard named falrinth the very same who also rode with me at the battle of emery meadows he fell in battle that day perhaps he was taken prisoner instead my lord elmer replied he might have been broken in some way and made to serve the temple that is very grave news rommel said but it shall be addressed just as soon as we return to the surface you say that burn is researching the means to destroy this key yes shane havel replied we must take it to hamlet at once once the key is destroyed the demon will be forever imprisoned in this place yes the prince said and i must ride to mitric this very day my sword where is fragarak thromel looked about frantically glancing into the coffin as well was there a sword here with me i see only your shield prince our league said pointing to the crested shield that had lain beneath rommel's feet in the coffin there is no sword ah thromel cried pointing to the lid of the coffin chanhal turned his gaze to where the lid rested upon the floor cast away when the alliance had awakened the prince where the inlaid cross had been there now rested a fine broadsword its hilt wrapped in silver and gold wire its pommel set with brilliant emeralds the blade shone brightly even in the dim light of the lanterns gleaming with an almost unnatural blueish hue fragarak thromel shouted holding forth his hand the sword leaped free of the lid of its own accord crossing the distance to the printer's outstretched grasp thrommel held the blade aloft closing his eyes in contentment as though some unseen power coursed from the blade into his body when prince thromel opened his eyes again they were clear with determination and purpose we must leave this chapel and find our way out of the temple he said you must deliver the key to burn and i must ride to metric 21. tranhavel sat with his back against the wall of the chapel keeping an eye on the others while they slept despite the prince's eagerness to move quickly the lack of sleep and the exertion of battle had caught up with the members of the alliance while shane havel cheryl and draga rested elmo olig govan and prince thromel kept watch byrne had visited shan havel in his dreams again the wizard's floating visage had appeared and the words burn had spoken remained with shan havel even upon waking shane havel i have discovered the means to destroy the key as soon as you retrieve it and are able to return to hamlet we can conduct the procedure together if for some reason you are unable to reach me or if something happens to me before you can return i will pass along the steps for the keys destruction now you must expose the key complete with its four gems in quick succession and in the proper order to the forces of each of the four elements first comes air a gust of wind should do nicely follow that with a hard strike from stone preferably granite exposure to searing flame is next to be followed finally by complete immersion in cold black water only after these four steps are followed will the orb crack and its magical energies dissipate hurry shane havel return to me with the key when shane havel awakened several hours later the dream remained in his consciousness and the import of burn's words had horrified him the key could not be destroyed unless it was whole and the alliance did not possess the four gems we're not done yet he had realized he had hung his head in dismay dreading to tell the others but tell them the elf did and his words had been met with many groans and disconcerted looks we have no choice but to continue to look for the gems garvin had said grimly first we see to it that the prince reaches the surface elmo had added trommel had shaken his head no your task is far more important i will make my own way to the top guided by the wisdom of cuthbert you continue your quest seek the gems elmo had opened his mouth to protest but the prince would hear none of it so the huge axemen had finally given in i shall depart a little before you prommel had announced with luck your fiendish spidery friend will not be there but if it is i will lure it away from you so that you may escape when he had seen both garvan and elmo shaking their heads and opening their mouths about to protest the prince had silenced them with a gesture do not worry my friends fragarak will protect me from this fiend now shen havel sat awake thinking about all that had transpired it seemed like many years ago that he had set out with lanathan to ride to hamlet he had been almost a different person then certainly if he survived this terrifying escapade and ever managed to return to the welkwood he would be a different person a far different person shaking his head shanhaville turned to his spell books and spent the next several hours meticulously studying memorizing the formulas he would need to cast his spells when he finished he sat pondering the coming trials within the temple cheryl was still in some sort of reverent trance communing with the forces of nature bringing the powers of the earth into herself in order to shape and form them as she desired shane havel sighed softly though we draw upon powers that are vastly different amused in the end we both become vessels channeling that power from somewhere to somewhere else why is it then that neither of us can comprehend the method the other employs to garner that power the wizard looked at his own pack bulging with gear he noticed a particular bulge and frowned it was the smallish box in which was the small golden skull the key to either free or destroy the demon shanhaville frowned because the thing made him uneasy every time he picked the box up he was overcome with a sense of dread and foreboding he just didn't like the thing half grumbling he leaned over flipped the pocket of the pack open and retrieved the box he shook off the unease that washed over him as best as he could and set the box in his lap he remembered burns explanation of how to destroy the thing and wished he could carry out the ceremony here and now shan havel opened the box and stared down at the small golden skull the thing was nestled in a padded velvet-lined depression in the middle of the box staring up at him if he let his imagination run he could almost sense the skull smiling at him very carefully and with no small amount of trepidation shane havel reached down and tugged the skull free of its form-fitting depression almost immediately he was overwhelmed with visions horrible visions of agony torture and death he tensed suffering through the stinging pain of ice and wind as he fell endlessly through a colorless void his body buffeted cruelly by a howling storm that carried him away white light seared him blinding him he tumbled into nothingness and suddenly he was buried beneath a million tons of dirt and stone his body pinned deep beneath the surface of the world trapped unable to speak to move to even open his eyes he was crushed by the pressure of the earth itself his ribs cracked his heart constricted and his breath was squeezed from him then he was elsewhere free to move again gasping for the blessed air only to discover that it was searing hot scorching his lungs flames looked at his body burning away his hair his skin boiling his blood in the span of a heartbeat he opened his mouth to scream and felt his flesh scorched to nothing he swallowed a briny mouthful of cold water choking he flailed about once more drowning in darkness feeling himself sinking deeper and deeper the pressure of the brackish sea enveloping him and bearing him down and down and shandhavel blinked gasping a deep lungful of air the elf's heart raced and his face and hands were covered with a cold sheen of sweat he felt his face drawn back in a fierce snarl of pain and tension the chapel he was back in the abandoned chapel with only one shuttered lamp burning the small room was very dim shanhaville sighed and relaxed feeling the ache and his tense muscles slowly drain away he shook his head clearing the visions that still flickered in the corners of his mind and he wondered how long he had been sitting there he looked around at his resting companions the chapel seemed quiet but in half a heartbeat shanhavil was no longer there but in a great and terrible temple one decorated with horrible images carved into stone the color of death and decay standing in the middle of the great room looking at him was an older man dressed in crimson robes and leaning upon a staff the man's face was wrinkled and leathery and he wore a smile as he gazed at the wizard though the grin was far from benign slowly almost languidly the man reached a hand out towards shan havel and opened his mouth to speak give me the orb welp the man said the hatred and malevolence that washed over the elf as he heard these words made him cringe and shudder he shrieked in horror and tried to back away but overwhelmed with loathing and terror for this figure standing before him he slammed into a great column and crumpled to the floor the old man walked toward him but no matter how hard he tried chanhal could not move the old man reached for the orb grasping it and taking it from shane havel still smiling the old man backed away the key grasped in his hands he moved to the front of the temple where a great raised deus spread out before a rounded alcove in the center of this alcove sat a huge black throne carved of stone the old man sat down upon the throne and sank disappearing into the very floor of the temple shan havel found himself pulled along following the man as the throne descended slipping deeper into the depths below the temple finally the throne stopped and the man stood and walked to the center of a large room filled with earth and the smell of rot fungi thrived everywhere in the center of the room next to the elderly man was an immense blob a being of putrescence and decay looking as much like a bloated mushroom as anything the creature stood upon four immensely thick legs a pair of strange arm-like extensions protruded from its sides the fungus thing stank of rot and mold slowly inexorably the fungus creature reached for him shanhavil screamed shanhavil's cries clamored through the chapel when the wizard opened his eyes govan was on his feet standing before him sword in hand looking down prince thromel stood close by fragarak in his hand apparently ready to do battle with any foe what is it what's wrong the knight asked he looked ready to strike at whatever unseen menace threatened his companion shan havel raised his hand to point at the foreboding figures standing before him threatening him and blinked the old man and the fungus creature were both gone he peered around the chapel looking for the horrific beings but the figures were nowhere to be found a vision chanhal breathed looking down at his hand which was still firmly clasped around the golden skull they were standing right there he understood now how the golden key functioned could feel the unwanted knowledge flowing into him from the item who govind demanded looking around once more who was here chad havel swallowed and shook his head he knew what he had just seen for the orb itself was telling him even though his mind rebelled at the implications of it oohs the wizard croaked his hands shaking he was the old he was the terrible what garvin cried yes thromel muttered the old one's hand was always behind the rise of the temple you did not know this govind shook his head his frown intense the other companions were stirring now moving over to see what the commotion was about they all seemed perfectly fine oblivious that anything might have been out of the ordinary in the chamber i i saw them chad havel said it had seemed so real they wanted this he held up the orb govind drew back from it repulsed by the evil it embodied he fashioned it shane havel continued he and his mistress the demonos zagat moy i saw them both standing there in the middle of the room he smiled at me shane havel shuddered remembering and told me to give him the orb the rest of his companions looked around doubt showing on their faces there is no one here now draga said or never saw or heard anyone alig added wrinkling his brow obviously convinced that the wizard had been seeing things no chanhal replied shaking his head you don't understand i don't think they were really here i felt their presence through this again he gestured at the golden skull still clasped in his hand subtle waves of nausea seemed to wash over him whenever he was reminded that he still held it she definitely wasn't really here and i don't think he was either how do you know elmo asked as cheryl knelt beside chad havel and took his free hand in hers i know she wasn't here because i know she's still trapped sealed behind the doors i don't think he was actually here because she wasn't here besides in this vision i was somewhere else some temple with a great throne made of black stone i think it was a vision triggered by touching this wretched thing blanching shanhaville shoved the golden skull back into its form-fitting pocket and slammed the box lid closed instantly he felt great relief how do you know all of this all of a sudden she will ask she was huddled close to chad havel and caressed his face soothingly worry filled her eyes and her mouth frowned in a way the wizard had never seen before because it tilled me shane havel replied closing his eyes and suddenly feeling very weary the druid's caresses were cool and gentle against his skin washing away the last of the taint of evil still lurking in his being it it told you govan gasped obviously disturbed it speaks we must find those gems and destroy this thing soon shane havel opened his mouth to answer but just then there was a deep rumble that reverberated all around them the ground shook as shock waves rattled the chapel and sent dust cascading from the walls war on our earth was that droga growled his legs braced wide to hold his balance shanhaville imagined his face must have been a pale personification of his own fright for when cheryl returned his look her eyes widened in fear when he spoke his words were soft i don't know twenty-two hendrak moved forward eagerly ignoring the dust that hung in the air of the demolished stairway the swirling floating detritus was so impenetrable that the high priest was unsure if the blast had in fact demolished the magical portal pushing past chunks of stone he worked his way down the steps moving closer determined to find out when he reached the bottom of the stairway where the great doors had once stood there was nothing the last few steps had been destroyed leaving only a scarred and shattered hole in the floor the walls to either side had been ripped away and a large portion of the ceiling had collapsed where the magically sealed doors had once stood barring passage or even approach there was now only a great gaping hole beyond hadrak could see a portion of the dirt floor of the temple of earth the high priest grinned in delight yes he murmured softly excellent her power must be returning now with one of the four sundered he turned back to face his small retinue of experts including the wizard falringth you will begin preparing for the destruction of the second door prepare the wand at the front entrance i am going to visit the chamber of light and speak with her falrenth bowed lows the rest of the men and humanoids scurried to carry out the high priest's orders we will assemble the oil and flash powder at once he said genuine eagerness evident in his own voice i will prepare the door first then send for you when we are ready nodded absently immersed in thoughts of the glory that would be his once she was freed ewes would laud him with praise and power for certain yes he said at last when you are ready with that he returned to the main temple below dismissing falrenth and the others with a casual wave of his hand when he reached the chamber of light he passed through the pearly column of illumination and seated himself upon the throne the bonds are slipping away she said startling head drag she had never spoken first during their contacts before it feels so good free me i want to rise to roam my halls once more and scour the land we hurry my lady andrak replied amazed at how aware the demon s was he was pleased with the destruction of the first doorway her power was returning to her and her awareness with it the next portal will fall in a matter of hours hurry i feel others seeking me seeking my death they are of no consequence the high priest projected soothingly they cannot muster the wherewithal to do more than annoy we will be triumphant fool she radiated malevolently they have the key the golden key they can destroy me with it you must recover it for it is the power of this temple without it we can never fully command the elements edrack did not answer immediately her vehemence startled him made him mentally retreat from her he sat for a moment in thought contemplating what her ire meant what changes would exist in the power structure of the temple once she was freed a decade ago he had been nothing a minor servant in the cause of the temple charged with trivial duties she had never taken notice of him and she did not know him now would she respect his position as commander of the temple once she was returned to power or would she seek out others those whom she considered to be more loyal more trustworthy he did not relish the idea of surrendering his position of authority the situation would require careful cultivation he would speak to eus about it he decided realizing he had not answered the demon s hendrick hastily projected the orb will be recovered from the interlopers they will fall and become sacrifices to the elements as have all others who have come to oppose the might of the elemental temple i will see to it personally yes she replied see to it personally they must not be allowed to enter my sanctuary with the key the danger to me would be great i understand and obey and wreck acknowledged he arose from the throne then not wanting to give the demon s another opportunity to find fault with any of his actions frowning he strode out of the chamber and up the stairs toward the greater temple pondering the machinations he would have to put into motion to ensure his position would remain intact shanhavil's view was far away from his body drifting effortlessly over the deep snow of the surface near the front doors of the temple a spell made it possible one in which he could see things far away an invisible eye he guided with a thought he peered toward the front doors of the temple what he saw made him gasp a crowd had gathered standing back from the front of the temple he recognized at least one of the men as falrenth the wizard seemed to be directing some sort of invisible magical force moving a large quantity of kegs to the great door the kegs already there were stacked against the portal and additional ones were being added to the pile shanhavel recognized the magical forces as more of the invisible constructs he had spotted in the chamber near the flaming fountain magical servants shapeless beings that could carry out simple commands they were stacking something against the door without seeming to be affected by its powerful warding magic when the last keg was placed atop the pile one of the invisible servants removed the lid shanhaville couldn't hear what was being said but falringth had turned to talk to another a man in black armor with a hideous helm embroidered on the back of the man's cloak was the skull of use shanhaville shivered he used the terrible joining forces with a trapped demon the elf was beginning to think this whole expedition was a horrible mistake we should go get out of here right now they're too powerful too strong if we got far enough away the temple wouldn't affect us the man in the dark armor nodded and he and everyone else stepped back even farther from the doors falringth cast shanhavil watched the wizard with a critical eye trying to determine what was about to happen what's going on ollie hissed from somewhere beyond back in the chapel where shan havel's body sat what's happening suddenly the elf recognized the spell falrenh was conjuring and he realized with terrible certainty what was about to happen oh bokob shane havel muttered they're going to destroy the doors falringth completed his spell and sprinted in the opposite direction retreating from the doors as a small streaking cinder went flying toward the stack of kegs there was a sudden concussive blast accompanied by a blossoming ball of fire that was quickly overwhelmed by an even larger and more destructive detonation shane havel felt the blast as it occurred even though in reality he was far away as before it shook the temple to its foundations chunks of stone earth and wood exploded with vehemence the particles of what had once been the front of the temple showered down upon the surrounding woods that cannot be thromble whispered fiercely as the vibrations faded the warding magic of those doors is too powerful it was placed there to prevent just such an occurrence there should be no way to destroy them perhaps there shouldn't be shane havel said but that's exactly what they just did they intend to destroy all of the doors and free the demon well then we've got to stop them elmo growled charnavel nodded and released his hold on the spell bringing his frame of reference back to the chapel once more yes the wizard replied blinking as he adjusted to the difference in lighting forget the gems we must stop them before they destroy another door yes but how are we defined where they will strike next sherol ask we don't know where the other doors are i do thromel said quietly everyone looked at the prince i was there when the doors were sealed he explained you were observing them working on the front doors right the elf nodded start there once we leave this place you must go to the surface and track them down from there i can leave first as i suggested before and hopefully lead any threats away you follow get to the great temple just inside those outer doors follow the large staircases each door gives way to another deeper in the temple structure eventually you will find one that they haven't destroyed yet we can waste no more time garvin said we are rested we must depart at once give me a few moments then follow thromel repeated just tell me the way out an idea occurred to shane havel hold on he said reaching for his pack once more and rummaging through it he retrieved the rolled-up map he had found in falren's chambers the one with the dangerous glyph on it that he had removed from the wall perhaps this can help the elf said it he unrolled the parchment when i was studying it before some of it looked familiar give me a moment to remove the explosive symbol if you're going to do that near i'm going in there our league said as he retreated into the other room the rest of the group and the prince moved a safe distance as well shane havel pinned the corners of the map down with things from his pack careful to avoid looking directly at anything written on the map he cast a magical dispelling similar to the one cheryl had used to free olig from the effects of the illusory basilisk muttering the words of the spell he centered the magic on the map and released the energy bound there and a portion of the markings disappeared all right shanheel called out studying the map it's safe to come see now the group clustered around the large sheet of parchment examining it carefully it did not take them long to determine that it was indeed a depiction of some of the temple it included falrinth's chambers lost most of what the alliance had traversed to reach the chapel although it did not show the chapel itself chanhal traced the path backward from where they were now to fall rinse and the tunnel to the well beyond showing thromel how to return to the surface the prince studied the route carefully for a few moments then stood up to leave i cannot stay to aid you though i consider the cause worthy enough i must return to ferry on the end to jolene but i will get word to burn he will know what is happening here find falrenth and stop him then destroy the orb the people of many lands are counting on you may the hand of cuthbert guide you to victory with that the prince slipped out of the hidden chapel and was gone leaving the alliance to seal the secret door behind him the group sat for a moment letting the prince's words sink in and giving the royal progeny time to get ahead of them then it was time to go the companions gathered their gear and prepared to set out let's hope he was successful in luring the spider shadow away garvin said mccuthbert go with him let's go find that wizard with garvin leading the way the alliance slipped into the darkness beyond 23 the horrid undead thing that had resulted from larith's death was nowhere to be found shanhavil watched every shadow as the group retraced its steps back along the path the elf could only imagine what horrors prowled through these passages when the temple flourished ten years ago he was surprised that so much of the place was empty now and yet he was grateful too the companions managed to return to the tunnels between the well and the tower without incident but as they reached the cavern garvin hesitated which way should we go he asked as everyone else passed through the secret door i imagine either direction will be watched frowning shane havel nodded you're right the elf said considering but i have something that just might solve that problem come on the companions moved toward the well and just before they reached the door leading into the side of the shaft the wizard gathered everyone together in a small group and gather the magic forces within him he summoned the arcane energies and cloaked the group in them causing the alliance to disappear from view i our league said that's pretty damned handy slowly so as not to bump or trip one another the group made their way into the well our league moved up the shaft to the top and peered over the lip there doesn't seem to be anyone around he whispered although they could be hiding in the barn of the ruins of the house it doesn't matter elmo called back up let's just get to the temple wait shane havel said then called out to ormiel friend the hawk greeted you hide beneath the ground a long time yes the elf replied are you well hungry the hawk projected hunting food do others prowl the woods any bad things no not for a while says nothing is around but just to be safe let's go through the woods instead of taking the path holding on to one another so as not to lose track of each person's position the group moved up and out of the well into bright daylight they avoided the barn and ruined farmhouse choosing instead to cross the small open space between it and the woods leaving footprints in the half-melted snow they picked their way through the woods finding the going slow because of their invisibility more than once someone stepped on another's heel or bumped into the back of a companion who halted without warning eventually however they reached the temple stopping at the opening that had once been the main gate in the long ruined wall they stopped and peered around checking for guards there were none to be found which surprised shane havel they've blown away the front door the wizard pondered aloud and yet they don't set some sort of watch when they were satisfied nothing was going to attack they filed inside passing through the gaping hole that had once been the sealed doors inside they examined the place thoroughly they stood within a vestibule which opened to the nave of the temple it still appeared that no one was about so shanghai will dispelled their invisibility so that everyone could function normally again the whole place was garishly decorated with vile scenes the floor of the vestibule was set with reddish reddish-brown slate squares and the walls were plastered and painted with images of murder destruction enslavement and even worse deeds that made shanhavel blanch and turn away he realized this was the place from his vision when he had held the skull key beyond the vestibule in the main part of the temple the floor was set in greenish stones the light streaming through the high narrow stained glass windows that flanked the main entryway fell upon that green creating a ghastly mixture of hues that hurt the eyes my cuthbert what vileness govind breathed clenching his sword so tightly that his knuckles turned white why didn't they raise this place and bury it beneath the ground and should never have been allowed to stand in even this condition agreed night said elmo shaking his head but they did what they could and now we must do the same come on let's see where they went with that elmo turned and headed into the nave a huge room that might have been 40 paces wide and easily three times as long strong pillars of pinkish stone shot through with worm-colored veins held up the high vaulted ceiling they were working in boss relief more images of vile and damnable acts the companion's footfalls echoed sharply in the place as they walked peering this way and that stained glass windows were the only source of light though chanhal wouldn't allow his gaze to linger on any of them long enough to discern the images portrayed there ahead seanhavel saw an altar cut from a large block of the pinkish marble with the depression on the top surface as he drew nearer he saw that the depression was in the shape of a man legs splayed apart and arms held away from the body the stone was stained a darker shade of red here shanhaville shook his head and moved on but cheryl having also spotted the tell-tale depression gasped and stood rooted to the spot staring no don't linger shanhaville said moving to her side look at me look at me she finally pulled her gaze away from the altar and stared wide-eyed at the elf you must block it out cheryl if you let it get to you you will not survive hi she said at last nodding all right to either side of the altar were two wings of the chamber projecting out at an angle back toward the front of the building both of the wings held an altar and each was decorated in a different color scheme the wing to the left was in greens and the one to the right was all browns and blacks the colors of the elements shane havel remarked peering more closely at the wing to his right he spotted a door against the far wall curious about the symmetry of the place he walked back across to his left and looked in that direction there was an identical portal there everyone look there are doors in these wings let's keep to this main area for now govan said having moved ahead of the central altar to a large circular pit in the floor we want to find that staircase the prince mentioned the knight stood on the edge of the pit and was peering down into its depths if that doesn't work out or if he isn't remembering correctly he can consider taking alternate routes down beyond the pit the group came to a wide staircase leading down it was perhaps 20 feet wide and each step was both broad and tall made of a gray stone flecked with white blue red green and black this is what we're looking for cheryl whispered peering down into the darkness below garvin shuddered my senses are overwhelmed with the taint of evil once wrought here i can still feel the suffering of those who are sacrificed to these elements it seeps from the very stones easy night elmo said we all feel it keep your wits about you beyond the staircase was a railing and beyond the railing was what might have been the high altar of the temple the entire area beyond the railing was decorated in reds oranges and golds and scenes of fiery torture abounded in the middle of the place was a large bronze pot perhaps eight feet wide hanging down from the ceiling directly over the vessel was a long chain temple of fire chanhal breathed looking around as his companions stayed close together they revered the flames above all other elements i presume i don't care what they revered garvin said shattering again this place should be blasted from the face of the lands look our league said crossing the distance from where the group stood to the farthest region of the temple look at his throne the rest of the group joined him spying at last what he had seen a great throne sat upon a high deus which was made of four different colors of stone the shades of the elements the deus in the shape of a semicircle was actually set into the northernmost wall of the temple farthest from the blasted entrance at the other end inscribed in tall bold letters across the back wall were words that made the hair on the back of shanhavel's neck stand out the power of elemental death brings mortals low but raises the nameless one high this is the throne from my vision shane havel said flinching in memory of the vile hallucination with the four gems in place the key will take you directly down to her the nameless one trogger gasped i pray to saint cuthbert that no one ever manages to free her govind said but should we meet her we have the strength to prevail spinning away from the throne and walking toward the back of the temple he said the staircase down it's time 24 they descended the staircase into the depths of the temple once more still seeking falrenth hoping to catch the wizard before he could destroy a third door shanhavil swallowed nervously ahead of him olig moved along following the stairs while behind the wizard elmo held a lantern high helping everyone to see as the group moving single file reached the end of the stairs shane havel saw that a second opening had been blasted in the structure of the temple he could easily imagine that a second set of doors also sealed with magical sigils had been placed at the foot of the stairs but now there was only a gaping hole the second door the elf said quietly or what once was we only felt two blasts elmer said then the third must not be far beyond garvin said motioning for our league to push on beyond the blasted remains of the second portal was a patch of earthen floor what once might have been a large area now a large portion of the room had collapsed and a great wall of rubble blocked their way damnation cursed govern smacking his hands together so now what cheryl asked one of those other ways down govern his mouth twisted in a snarl of frustration nodded and headed back up the stairs as the rest of the group followed him he stopped at the pit he had been examining earlier we try this next we must find another way down get to the next door and stop them look there about 15 feet down there is a ledge and if i'm not seeing things a set of stairs that spirals down from it the night pointed down into the shaft a league who had lain down on his stomach to peer over the edge of the pit turned his head sideways and stared at govin you just got through saying that you hope we never meet this nameless one and now you want to go straight down a gaping shaft that probably leads to one of the nine elves itself i think i can see light from the very bottom cheryl said hunched over and peering down herself it's just a faint white glow but i'm almost certain something is lit down there or could be in homelet right now our league muttered even as he uncoiled some rope and tied one end to a post of the railing he tossed the other end over the side of the pit and continued his tirade leia could be on my lap i could be eating some of gloria's fine roast chicken but no i'm here about to go down a hole with a crazy night and you four all insane enough to follow him are you finished elmo asked ali pursed his lips as if thinking finally he replied for now give me a few moments though well then garvin said as he sheathed his sword let's get moving let me go first our league suggested i can check to make sure the ledge is solid and safe enough to stand on i'll talk until i get down there our league sat down and dangled his legs over the side he took hold of the rope twisted around and lowered his body so that he was hanging freely in the shaft with only his head above the surface of the floor don't wait too long now if some demon tries to grab me i'll sure want the rest of you to be there too with that ali glowed himself once he had determined the safety of the ledge the rest of the group descended into the shaft chanhal swallowed nervously as he peered between his feet over the edge of the narrow ledge the drop made him sweat far far below he could see the faint glow of light that told him how far he would fall should he slip ahead ollie moved along following the ledge around to the stairs that descended lower into that shaft behind the wizard elmo held a lantern high helping everyone to see as the group descended the stairs moving single file chanhal used his staff to make sure his footing was sound the steps spiraled downward but fortunately they seem to be stout and intact the group took a couple of turns around the perimeter of the shaft and then the steps just ended at a small platform hanging from the side great our league said good idea govan let's head back up and try those doors i guess it was then that chan havel felt a strange cool breeze against his cheek held a minute the elf said just as everyone was about to reverse direction i think there's something here what did you find another secret passage our league asked having turned to face shane havel as the elf examine the wall actually the wizard replied as he pushed a section of wall so that it suddenly slid downward yes easter sea's mother only breathed you give me the creeps the way you always find those things elmo showing your light down in here the huge man held the lantern forward as our league squeezed past shan havel and moved through the portal opening he stopped halfway through what is it chad havel asked peering past the man into the area beyond the floor immediately before our league was covered in bones skulls mingled with femurs and rib cages tumbled together with fibulas in a jumble of remains many of the skeletons were roughly intact still wearing armor of some sort in several cases a great battle was fought here chanhal surmised maybe when the temple fell so that's supposed to make me feel better our league said still frozen in his spot i don't want to go in there wait a moment shan havel said then turned and looked back along the line of companions strung out on the stairs we've found a secret way into some tunnels and it's full of bones what's beyond the bones cheryl asked it looks like a hallway but i can't tell for sure we don't have a choice garvin said keep moving all right shan havel said then turned back and relayed the answer to our league did you tell them about the bones ollie asked testily yes lots of bones yes was this sir govind donners so we must stop them at all cost idea oh league shannon havel replied sounding each word slowly and distinctly to drive home his urgency go inside the door now our league signed and sculpt into the chamber shane havel followed close behind the area was indeed a hallway or rather a t-shaped junction of two hallways each several paces wide the covering of bones stretched beyond the lantern light in both directions the passageway straight ahead went about that distance before it ended a door to either side as the last of the members of the alliance filed through the secret door it abruptly slid upward closing our league lunged at the portal trying to stop it from completely sealing shot but he was not quite in time with a solid thunk the door slammed shut the echo of the door had scarcely faded when there was a clattering at each end of the hallway in horror the companions watched as several intact skeletons arose from the heaps wearing armor from their days among the living and brandishing weapons in their bony fingers a half dozen or more of the undead charged the group from both sides this way yelled elmo as he cut across the corridor into the central part of the intersection the others followed him all except alig who was clawing frantically at the door when he realized that his friends had left him there he turned and sprinted into the safety of the side hall elmo his axe held ready motioned for shane havel and shirl to get behind him and the more battle capable members of the group draga garvin and finally our league took up positions across the mouth of the hall ready for the onslaught the first of the animated horrors turned the corner their bony grins silently laughing as they clattered down the hall toward the waiting defenders it was at that moment that the door beside chandhavel and govan opened an ogre stood there a club raised in his hand ready to bring its weapon down upon the head of some enemy behind it a second ogre waited with a feral grin on its ugly wart-covered face shane havel was too surprised to move when the ogre's club came crashing down on him the elf was only able to twist his body out of the way enough to avoid being brained the weapon caught him across the back of the neck and shoulder and drove him straight to the ground all of the elf's extremities went numb and he could scarcely breathe he lay on the floor his mind unable to register what had happened the ogre stepped into the corridor where the members of the alliance were already battling a line of skeletons the creature raised its weapon to strike the wizard again and behind it the second ogre waited eagerly to get into the fray as shan havel watched the huge wooden weapon loom over him its face set with sharp stones he found himself suddenly thinking of lanathan his old mentor's face seemed to hover in the elf's field of vision smiling down on him and shandhavel wondered if lanathan would be proud of him of what he had been a part of i came and served the wizard thought i honored his name and helped to protect the people of hamlet from harm at least for a little while chanhal smiled back at lanathane hoping his teacher was proud of him and then the vision dissolved and it was the ogre again about to kill him but the beast never got the chance galvan was suddenly there jumping between the huge creature in the fallen wizard warding off the intended blow with his shield and driving his sword deep into the ogre's midsection at the same moment cheryl dragged shan havel away giving govin room to fight sean havel tried to twist his head around to smile at the druid as she pulled him to safety but he could not move his head the way he wanted to he heard the scream of the ogre as the night's sword eviscerated it and out of the corner of his vision he saw elmo bulrush a skeleton shattering the undead with his shield while he swung his axe around a strike at another shan havel's vision blurred as a jolt of pain shot through his neck and down his back agony coursed up and down his spine so much so that he could not even scream the searing pain faded to a doll throbbing and he could feel his fingers and toes again cheeril told him trying to press her hands against the back of his neck hold still the liquid fire that coursed down every nerve in his body emulated him forcing him to cry out with the little strength he could find only a horse croak suddenly there was a blessed coolness he felt it radiate through him like a frozen stream melting in the spring sun sheryl's fingertips gently caressed his skin sending quiet ripples of healing magic through him until the pain from the ogre's blow was reduced to a vague throbbing in his neck and shoulder muscles cheryl sat back looking at shan havel who blinked and realized he could sit up thank you he said not knowing what else he could say without a word she leaned forward grabbed him roughly by the collar of his cloak and kissed him pulling him to her lips and holding him tightly he blinked in surprise and then kissed her back just as suddenly shiro pulled away from him and uttered a few words of prayer so that her flaming scimitar ignited in her hand raising her weapon high she leaped in beside draga who was being pushed back by no less than three skeletal warriors their spears coming dangerously close to the bowman's flesh time and time again shaking his head to clear his senses shanhavil rolled to his feet noting that there was still some stiffness where he had been strung gauvin was locked in a battle with the second ogre while the rest of the companions fought skeletons now that cheryl stood with draga it looked as if our league was bearing the worst of the fight with three of the skeletons surrounding him the man danced and fainted trying to keep from getting pinned but he was tiring shan havel moved up behind ollie and said keep them busy for just a moment more then he began a spell drawing the magical energy and directing it outward as a sheet of flame from his spread fingers he caught two of the skeletons in his magical fire the scorching flame crackled and licked over the bones of the skeletons igniting them like dry wood when the jet of fire finally dissipated a moment later the skeletons were nothing but a heap of smoldering bones thanks wizard elmo grunted using the broad flat blade of his axe to smash skeletons now shattering them with his ferocious blows our league said nothing but he did take the offensive again battering the lone skeleton still facing him with the flat of his own sword chad havel assisted with his staff where he could swinging the stout weapon about and cracking bones when he saw a clean shot after elmo knocked the last skeleton backward to shatter against the wall shane havel turned to see govan his shield arm hanging awkwardly at his side standing over the second ogre blood dripped from his blade cheryl was already moving to the night's aid preparing to use her magical healing powers to mend his arm [Music] despite his injury the fire in govind's eyes told shan havel that the holy warrior was ready for more leaning on his staff to catch his breath the elf looked around at the rest of his companions each of them had wounds some worse than others draga had a nasty gash across the side of his face that had barely missed his eye elmo had a gaping rent in his armor across the ribs on his left side and he was bleeding even cheryl walked with a slight limp yet none of them seemed cowed or subdued instead he sensed an eagerness about the group despite the oppressive feel of the temple as though they felt they were close even chanhevel felt the excitement coursing through his limbs when cheryl finished her healing work the companions turned their attention to their surroundings trying to determine which way to go at either end of the great hallway were other passages and of course there was the room from which the ogre had come they were just beginning to debate which way to go when olig held his hand up for silence his head cocked in the distance shandhavel could make out muffled sounds a discussion it seemed accompanied by footsteps motioning for the rest of the group to follow him our league padded forward in the direction of the sounds my lord hedrack we are almost ready to destroy the third door a man in the distance was saying it sounded as though the voice carried from just a bit beyond where they were around a bend in the passage head rack shandhavel thought the name was familiar the name from the papers in lareth's lair was this the man in the armor i saw today very good another voice replied one that was rich and deep and carried the weight of authority head racks shane havel knew the power that radiated from that voice left no doubt in the elf's mind the footsteps had stopped you may proceed i shall be in the main temple preparing for her arrival notify me when the last doors are sundered as you wish the first voice answered then there was a commotion as though several others were scurrying somewhere hedrack garvin hissed we take them now before they can destroy the door with that the knight dashed around the corner no chanhal called after govin cringing at the thought of charging recklessly into battle unprepared but it was too late shaking his head the wizard followed as the rest of the alliance charged after the night the bend in the passageway deposited them in a wide corridor that ran at an angle and ended in another wide staircase leading down a second passage as wide as the first branched off in the other direction so that the whole of the intersection was in the shape of a y with the staircase as the vertical line at the bottom falrenth and a small host of men and bug bears stood near the top of the stairwell looking down into its depths they were turned away from the onrushing knight and other members of the alliance and there was no sign of anyone else upon hearing govind's heavy footfalls falrin spun bringing his hands up instantly and cast a spell the wizard stepped back as the bug bears brandished weapons and stepped forward blocking govind's advance grunting from exertion govin charged into the fray raising his sword high and swiping at the mangy humanoids our league and draga hit the wall of bugbears a moment later and quickly the wide corridor was a broiling sea of weapons and blood falrenth was on the verge of casting a spell that shanhaville recognized the flaming ball of fire the elf had used several times before shanghai opened his mouth to shatter warning but before he could utter a word a league threw a dagger and the blade blossomed in the other wizard's shoulder crying and stumbling backward in pain falringth lost his concentration and the spell he had been about to unleash failed snarling in anger falwenth reached inside his robes and removed a small length of wood polished dark with age and ducked to avoid further injury shanhaville frowned when he saw the wand in the other wizard's hand he quickly cast a spell of his own summoning three of the glowing green missiles and directing them unerringly toward falrenth as the other wizard raised his arm to use the wand the missiles struck him in rapid succession causing him to howl in renewed pain shanhaville followed with a new spell launching the acidic arrow that he had used to slay falrin's imp but falrin had taken enough he turned away and scampered into the darkness of the opposite corridor the magical arrow of acid fell harmlessly to the floor where he had been only moments before her flaming blade in hand cheryl was battling a pair of grim looking men each of them wielding a short spear govin and ali meanwhile had waded through the thickest clump of the enemy and found themselves pressing the attack against the force of temple followers from both sides trapping them with practiced ease shandhavel summoned his spell of sleeping and put the few remaining combatants down as the handful of men at arms and bug bears slumped to the ground our league moved in to finish them with his dagger no olig the elf cried out causing the men to pause they would release a demon on the world our league said we can't leave them here to destroy the door after we're gone if there was another way i'd take it but there isn't blood for blood wizard shanghai will shook his head they cannot get in the door to ignite the powder only falringth can do that with his magic leave them to their fates or won't risk it our league replied a flaming arrow a hurled lantern a torch you convinced me to come here to save the world from this festering evil well i'm here now and i'm gonna make sure it gets done turn away if you cannot watch resigned shane havel turned away trying hard not to listen he concentrated instead on cheryl who was looking at him with sorrowful eyes does the evil of the temple wash over us he asked her softly does it wean in the end then the lesser of two the druid whispered taking his face in her hands and kissing him our sorrow at committing even the lesser evil is what separates us from evil shanhaville nodded feeling great sadness in his heart because he realized cheryl was right i understand now why lanathan never talked about his experiences during the war the elf said quietly in war the line that separates the two sides of conflict grows perilously narrow galvan looked back at his companions and his gaze fell finally on our league whose bloody dagger was still grasped in his hand the night frowned there will be too much killing before this day is over he said may cuff but have mercy on us all come on our league said wiping the dagger on a dead bug bear's cloak or he still a wizard to catch 25. seanhavel and the rest of the alliance crept through a wide corridor decorated with gruesome murals the elf's stomach roiled as he passed images of demons frolicking upon some great battlefield dancing and playing among their vanquished foes suffering humans elves gnomes and dwarves the defeated lay in agony battered and broken claiming the bodies of the victims were horrid growths great pools of vile substances fungal sprouts of every conceivable shape and color molds and other things the wizard could not identify shane havel forced himself to stare at the floor avoiding the hideous imagery the passage led gently downward bisected occasionally by sets of broad stairs and smaller side passages falringth had escaped fleeing through several winding passages and stairwells deeper into the temple his wounds had left a discernible trail of blood and the chase led the group to this vile passageway now shane havel could see the faint glow of light where the hallway opened into a much larger space ahead elmo who was now in the lead with govind held up a hand signaling the group to halt chanhal paused in mid-stride listening intently after a long breathless moment the word was passed back a great chamber lies ahead be ready for an attack sorting through the magic he had prepared chanhavel selected a couple of useful spells and steeled himself for the coming conflict quietly elmo started forward again treading softly upon the great black flagstones of the corridor and into the vast chamber beyond one by one the rest of the alliance followed him in fanning out the warriors took the lead shan havel and shiro remained near the back out of harm's way but ready to cast spells when needed the place was obviously a temple and chanhal scanned the great room taking in the details and looking for hidden threats the vast chamber was a rough u-shape with the hallway through which the group had entered connecting to the bottom of the curve several smaller passages led off four to a side along the outer perimeter a great altar atop a raised deus with steps leading up to it dominated the center of the chamber a great red cloth embroidered with the elemental symbol for fire covered the altar behind the altar was a great purple curtain that writhed and undulated in some unfelt breeze to either side of the altar and set back a little were two great statues each 20 feet tall to the left the statue was of an old man except that the head was that of a horned and grinning skull the right-hand statue was the great bulbous fungal thing shane havel had seen in his vision he cringed realizing that the two statues depicted ewes and his demon-esque consort zaghetmoye flanking the altar were a pair of golden columns that rose to the ceiling well over 50 feet above the floor the ceiling itself had been decorated to appear as a night sky full of bright twinkling stars all along the walls near the ceiling were a series of flying buttresses atop which sat hideous gargoyles that leered down at everything below the walls as well as the floor were of the deepest onyx unblemished with any further decoration torches flickered along the walls at even intervals casting weak light throughout at that moment a lone figure dressed in the blackest armor with the stylized symbol of ewes painted in bright gold upon the breastplate stepped into the room passing through the shimmering curtain and walking past the altar it was the same man shan havel had seen through his spell out in the snow when the second door had been demolished upon seeing the six intruders the figure stopped contemplating the group for a moment slowly almost casually the figure removed its helmet the man behind the helmet wore his hair short and his face was clean-shaven he smirked slightly though his fingers drummed frantically upon the helmet under his arm well at last we come face to face the man said his rich and deep voice echoing strangely in the large chamber and confirming that this was indeed hedrack falrinth told me you were on your way you do prove yourselves time and again as more than a mere annoyance don't you i hedrack mouth of use high priest of the elemental temple salute you hedrack bowed low sweeping his arms out to either side govin who is standing the closest to the man took a couple of steps forward and said i am sir govindana knight of saint gothbert i bring the light of truth and goodness into this unholy place surrender head rack and be spared my wrath surrender the high priest laughed to you i think not you have done nothing proven nothing this is the elemental temple's finest hour the elements will feast upon your souls before this day is through sir govin donna he laughed again turned and disappeared through the curtain once more gauvin growled and took two more steps forward intent on pursuing the man when chaos erupted from out of nowhere a torrent of ice rained down upon the group thin cutting shards sliced through the air shredding clothing and skin alike gavin dropped to one knee and held his shield over his head chanhevel spun away from the center of the storm shielding his face with his arm as the splinters of ice slammed against him he could feel the stinging needles stabbing at him from everywhere and the pain was fierce suddenly he found himself free of the attack and he spun around again looking for evidence of where it had come from he could spot nothing frowning the elf drew upon the energies he was so used to shaping and molding now hoping they would reveal to him where magic was being used as he opened himself to the magic and spoke the words of the spell he was struck as something dark and swift shot past him raking him with horrible sharp claws he felt the talons drag across his back trenching deep gouges in his flesh the wizard cried out and fell forward losing control of the magic he had been gathering he tumbled and rolled onto his back he brought his arms up to ward off the next attack and saw something dart past only inches away from his face as the thing circled and turned to come at him again he saw now that it was a gargoyle a flying abomination magically animated from the buttresses overhand scrambling to his knees shanhavil waited for the next attack and when the gargoyle soared close he swung his staff up hard catching the thing across the front of the wing there was a sickening crack and the gargoyle swerved away flying haphazardly to the floor and landing hard chanhal saw other gargoyles swarming about but he ignored them for the moment as he rose to his feet trying to see what was happening to his companions everyone was engaged in a fierce battle a host of ogres and trolls had rushed in during the ice attack to swarm the companions shanhaville turned to put his back against the wall hoping to secure some bit of defense against the flying attacks of the gargoyles pressing himself firmly against the wall he cast praying to bokob in the back of his mind to allow him time to make good use of the magic he prepared a bolt of lightning to catch several ogres that had formed up in a rank opposite govin draga and cheryl as he completed the final words of the spell he took aim with his line of sight but a troll suddenly loomed over him seemingly appearing from thin air both of its huge clawed hands drew back ready to strike in his surprise chanhal yelped and fell back unable to set the lightning where he had intended instead the bolt struck from above the troll raked out snapping shan havel across the head with one claw an instant before the lightning engulfed it the creature shrieked as the electrical energy course through its flesh killing it shane havel was knocked sideways and tumbled to the floor his vision blurred and hindered with streams of light his ears rang from the thunder of the lightning and his whole body felt numb even as he tried to rise he was knocked sideways again as something plowed into him scoring a direct hit on his ribs with the air knocked from his lungs shane havel gasped and dropped to the floor once more breathless and defenseless as his vision was just beginning to clear he saw yet another dark form hurtling toward him from overhead he tried to roll away but his muscles would not work at the moment it seemed that the flying gargoyle would plow directly into him a blade slashed out a blade of flame that ignited shan havel's vision all over again arcing through the air and slicing the gargoyle cleanly in two the two parts of the flying beast tumbled apart and bounced like stone as they hit the ground and bounded away into some dark recess of the chamber shane havel blinked trying to clear his vision his head throbbed from the blow of the troll and his breath was still shallow he was pretty certain one of his ribs was cracked and the wounds across his back were bleeding in front of him cheryl stood her ground brandishing her blade of flame at anything that moved close as shan havel rose painfully to his feet he caught sight of a new streak of light out of the corner of his eye from behind the terrible statue of ewes three glowing green missiles shot into view blazing across the distance and heading straight towards cheryl the druid saw the attacks coming but she was not fast enough to avoid them all three of the missiles slammed into her chest knocking her backward and making her cry out in pain growling in frustration and anger shanhavil managed to get to his feet even as cheryl sank down to one knee he moved beside her even though he saw an ogre approaching them reaching down the elf grabbed the druid's shoulder and tried to help her stand cheryl struggled to her feet still wielding the blade of flame and turned to face the ogre as it neared a large axe in its hands working quickly shanhaville cast muttering the words to a spell and aiming his own missiles at the beast rearing up before cheryl guided by his sight and mind all three of the green missiles shot from his finger and hammered into the ogre's arm and shoulder shearel darted in and cut low raking her blade of flame across its knees and sending it staggering back howling in pain the druid pressed the attack cutting again and again as the beast reeled from the onslaught and finally fell shanhaville turned to see who else needed his help and spotted olig surrounded by two ogres and a troll pursing his lips the elf rushed between them and set off another spell summoning magical black tentacles and positioning them behind the two ogres immediately the tentacles sprang up and writhed outward seeking anything to grab they found the ogre's legs as the tentacles enveloped the beast's limbs the ogres screamed and tried to beat them away flailing at the magical constructs with their clubs ali darted away free at last to engage the troll as shan havel turned looking where his help was needed next he spied a movement at the huge purple curtain narrowing his eyes shandhavel saw an arm holding a thin wand that was stained dark with age the wand was aimed at where elmo draga and govin were engaged in a running battle with several large foes a thin white beam sprang forth from the wand and chanhavel saw his three companions engulfed in another of the magical storms of ice grimacing shanhaville prepared a spell of his own waiting and watching when the arm appeared again he let his spell fly a tiny cinder shot forth from his fingertip and streaked across the room to the figure hiding behind the curtain when the cinder reached its target it detonated blossoming into a mammoth ball of flame that expanded in a heartbeat and then vaporized almost as quickly falrin staggered out from behind the curtain and fell forward his burned and smoking form tumbling against the base of the altar nodding in satisfaction shane havel started forward to determine the wizard's condition when out of the corner of his eye he saw another movement ollie darted forward daggers in his hands olig no chan havel cried out but the man was too fast and did not hesitate reaching the downed wizard ollie grazed his daggers high but he never finished the killing blow the curtains sprang to life writhing violently and shooting forth several dark tendrils that struck his leg ollie cried out and stumbled away even as shane havel came to him the man fell to the floor trembling to shan havel's horror alig's leg atrophied before the elf's eyes shrinking and darkening almost to nothing in a matter of seconds a league almost delirious from the pain rolled about clutching his rotting limb futilely and screaming for someone anyone to help him to make the pain go away govan reached our league and knelt down to tend to his tormented companion the battle seemed to have come to a halt and the rest of the companions gathered around their fallen friend shanhavil turned his attention back to falrenth the wizard was alive but he was burned almost beyond recognition and did not seem long for this world the elf grabbed falrin that dragged him away from the curtain then knelt close to his face my druid companion can heal you but you must help me where are the gems falringth stared unblinking at shan havel's face and said nothing chanhal shook his head and tried again she can make the pain go away the temple will fall but you can serve goodness once again as before when you rode with prince thromel redeem yourself find it in your heart to rise to goodness once more tell me where the gems are very faintly almost imperceptibly falrenth nodded head rack he gasped edrack has them something sean havel could never explain later made the elf flinch back at that moment perhaps it was a reflection in falren's eyes or maybe it was a rustle of cloth or the swish of a weapon through the air but whatever it was flinch shanhaville did and it saved his life the crushing blow of a mace that had been intended for his head instead fell upon falrin's face spattering shanhavel with blood stumbling away from the gruesome sight of the other wizard's pulp face the elf stared up to see hedrack looming over him bloody mace in hand you won't be able to turn him back to goodness now hedrack said his voice filled with malevolent glee he took a step forward raising his mace once more elmo snarled leaping between shan havel and head rack lunging into the air with his axe held high head racks spun sliding easily out of the way and swung a fist around pummeling elmo in the ribs at the same instant hedrack barked a single word something shane havel did not comprehend a word of power at the moment of contact elmo's eyes went wide he spasmed gasped in midair and his body went limp as he skidded across the floor hedrack grinned down at the axeman's unmoving form sniffed and turned away again casting another spell before shane havel could react he lost track of hedrack his attention seemed to be forced elsewhere one moment the high priest was standing there and the next shan havel just didn't care he could still see the high priest's movements but it no longer mattered that hedreck was walking across the room retreating from him unable to shake off these disconcerting sensations the wizard turned his attention back to elmo elmo lay perfectly still his eyes staring at nothing cheryl had already rushed to his side rolling him over before shane havel could even touch the man get up she pleaded tears welling up in her eyes elmo get up elmo still form told chanhavel well enough that he was dead no the druid wailed realizing the terrible truth too she buried her face in elmo's chest huge sobs racking her frame chanhal reached out a hand to console her but cheryl shoved him away a crazed look in her eyes no she screamed leaping to her feet come back here you bastard she took off like a shot running after head rack cheryl wait shandhavel yelled forcing down his own horror at elmo's death and scrambling to his feet to try to catch her to slow her from her mad headlong charge she was too fast though and he could not catch her come on he cried out to govern and draga who were still kneeling over our league watching with stricken looks on their faces shane seanhavel didn't wait to see if they would follow he sprinted out of the temple after cheryl praying he could catch up to the grief-stricken druid before she caught hedrack the winding passages cyril followed led to a series of well-appointed rooms living quarters from the looks of them chanhal saw cheryl dart ahead of him around a corner and out of sight panic rising in his chest with every footstep he ran after her charging around the corner and almost into the flank of a huge creature a two-headed monster that loomed over the fallen body of cheryl the monster held a great axe in each of its hands cheryl moved though she seemed woozy languishing on a thick carpet with a gash across her forehead the two-headed creature and ettin turned to chanhevel before the elf could react though a glowing hammer of dark blue light swooped in hovering before him in midair the wizard backed away from the levitating weapon ready to dart out of the way should it attack but the magical hammer was quick and it caught him squarely on the chest coughing from the blow chanhal stumbled back and down landing hard on his rump his vision swam with spots and he found it difficult to breathe he tried to bring his staff up but discovered that he was sitting on it and as he worked to get it free the hammer hit him again catching him in the temple everything faded to black 26. wizard come on get up it was garvin's voice although it seemed far away it came through a haze of pain a throbbing pounding pain that bounced around in shane havel's skull he considered speaking but the idea of opening his mouth seemed to make his head pound worse so he decided against it draga's voice cut through the throbbing wake up i've taken sherul the elf's eyes opened then almost involuntarily nothing was in focus but he blinked several times willing them to work and soon enough several faces swam into view govind hovered over him as well as olig and draga shanhavel was lying on his back looking up at the ceiling he tried to speak and found that his jaw was incredibly sore he only managed a feeble croak can you drink garvin asked holding up a small vial and lifting shanhavel's head the elf nodded feebly the knight pressed the vial to the wizard's lips and dribbled a bit of the liquid the familiar taste of cinnamon and ash confirmed its healing nature chanhal swallowed the thick fluid and felt some of the pain leech out of his jaw pushing himself up with one hand he reached out took the vial from govin and quaffed the remainder of its contents swallowing it hurriedly he felt the familiar feeling of the magic at work the coolness spreading through his body as the potion did its trick soothing away many of the pains he felt when the healing was done shanghaiville felt much better sitting up fully now he looked from face to face at the three men around him what happened to cheryl he asked strangely calm edrak grabbed her our league said his voice wavering the slightest bit he managed to get away before we could get past that he motioned with his head back in the direction of the two-headed ettin now lying dead in a spreading pool of blood to reach and aid either of you damn shane havel another part of his mind was strangely surprised that this was his reaction we've got to find her he said trying to stand he wavered on his feet still a little lightheaded from the beating he had taken where did he go ollie gestured back through the doorway where shen havel had come in he threw her over his sheldon went that way he said gesturing at his now healthy leg he added govind managed to kill me he shuddered once but that was all chanhal saw how pale the man looked recognizing the mark of having survived a harrowing experience you all right i'll survive our league nodded once but she rule may not if we don't go now elmo shane havel tried to swallow but found that he couldn't our league shook his head and pointed to a wrapped body a little bit beyond the dead eton we will avenge him garvin said draga standing next to the knight nodded and tightened his grip on his sword then let's go find him where might he have gone chanhal looked around the room seeing for the first time the richly furnished chambers on a great bed on the far side of the room two young women covering their nakedness with furs trembled as they stared at the group crouched in the doorway shandhavel could tell they were scared to death peda our league took a couple of halting steps toward the two who shrank back cowering his eyes widened in recognition relish as his mother it is we must get them out of here govan said flatly and figure out where hedrack has taken chiro our league tried to approach peder but the girl screamed and scrambled to the far side of the bed covering herself completely with the furs hadrak must have charmed them in some way chanhal said i'll see if i can break it he began his spell watching to make sure neither of the girls tried to escape before his spell coalesced when he was done he felt a sudden burst of dispelling energy flash across the two women for a moment peda and the other girl blinked in confusion and then recognition dawned on the serving girl's face oh thank the mother peter cried out trembling anew please don't let him come back the other girl sobbed i want to go home our league smiled softly we'll take you home what's your name mika the other young woman said she followed peda as the two of them still clutching the furs about themselves climbed off the bed and came toward the companions pider maker do you know where he went our league asked mika blanched and shook her head speaking to chan havel peder said after you were hit by the glowing hammer he dug something out of your belongings and grabbed the elf woman he carried her out telling deus and armor she pointed to the dead edin to keep everyone from following shanghai's heart leaped in his throat he reached for his satchel and snarled in desperate frustration when he confirmed what he feared the box with the golden skull was gone he has the key the elf said panic rising in his voice he's going to freeze it moy we cannot let that happen govind said his voice low and intense where will he do this back on the surface level at that great throne the wizard replied gesturing upward with his thumb come on then carven said motioning for the women to join them let's go before it's too late and gingerly the two women using the furs from the bed to cover themselves joined the four companions and they exited the chambers ready to return to the surface just as galvan passed through the doorway and crouched to pick up elmo's wrapped body a dark form lunged out of the shadows the face of larath glared as it let out a keening whale it rushed forward eager to consume them all in an instant two of the eight spidery legs of the undead creature struck one glancing off draga shoulder and the other raking mika's torso there was no physical contact from the creature but nonetheless the poor girl shriek died in her throat as the color left her body and she slumped to the floor pale and unmoving peda screamed even as ali grabbed her arm and yanked her away from the horrid death spirit draga holding his limp arm fumbled for his sword but garvin was there before the undead thing could strike again bless this weapon saint cuthbert the knight shouted and he swung his sword through the shadow spider the blade slipped unhindered through the wispy apparition but the face of larath grimaced in pain and it howled as it stumbled back a step trying to avoid the blessed blade shanhaville dropped to one knee checking mika but the young woman was dead her life drawn away by the touch of the cold spirit go gavin shouted advancing a step toward the monster get up there and save her i will follow hesitating only a moment draga our league and shane havel hustled peter from the chambers scurrying away as govind swung his blade again eliciting another pained howl from the ghostly creature may saint cuthbert protect him shane havel breathed as they ran why would edrack take shirou draga asked as they moved through the now empty hallways what could he want with her sacrifice for the daemonist most likely our league said as they hurried along at the man's words shanhavil flinched but he said nothing he didn't want to think about such a thing and he thrust it firmly from his mind it's not going to happen he told himself firmly we'll just stop him before he gets the chance as the group moved ever upward chanhal noticed that the place seemed vacant many of the troops have either died at our hands or deserted he decided it was really no comfort if she is freed it won't matter how many of the enemy died the elf quickened his pace a bit more when at last the four of them reached the top level of the temple entering the horrible chamber they had first explored there was no one there either chanhal motioned toward the blown out front entrance and whispered draga take peder and go get her somewhere safe draga opened his mouth to protest but as he looked back and forth from the wizard to the terrified woman he nodded at last he turned to go leading peda away i'll be back he said shane havel turned away from the exit and pointed at the front of the great room with a great semi-circular wall faced out past the large throne of stone hedrack was there is back to them his rigid stance and quick precise movements showed that he was working on something urgently at the sound of their footsteps the high priest turned and shandhavel saw that he held the skull in one hand the four depressions circling the top of the skull had been filled each hole contained a gem one for each color of the elements chanhevel groaned realizing the key was now a powerful weapon in the hands of hedrack cheryl slumped in the seat of the throne her legs and arms bound her face covered with a blindfold and a gag she turned her head at the sound of the approaching footfalls and shane havel breathed a soft sigh of relief knowing she was alive my ears you will not go away hadrax snarled his face darkening in anger i would not have thought the wretched servants of the fop to be so persistent persistent is a fair enough word hedrack shanhavel said coldly moving steadily toward the man and preparing to rip the high priest apart with his bare hands if necessary whatever your choice of terms it changes nothing govan's voice echoed from behind the elf shane havel turned to look at the night who stood a little way back the body of elmo lying at his feet the night's face looked a bit drawn but he was smiling shane havel returned the grin thankful to see his friend still alive victory is ours by the might of cuthbert govind said you cannot stand against us you must know that lay down your arms one chance no quarter will be given unless you surrender now the knight strode forward as he spoke closing with the high priest shan havel and our league fanned out beside him ready to finish this once and for all cheryl upon hearing the voices of her companions struggled trying to shrug off her bonds so be it the high priest spat whirling to face them all of you die without looking back hedrack slammed a fist into the druid's face drawing a muffled grunt from her she slumped down groaning once and lying still hedrack held forth the skull in his other hand and spoke softly shane havel upon seeing the punishing blow the high priest had put upon the druid swore furiously he stepped forward ready to fling a spell at head wreck that would hurl the man back and slam him against the wall out of the corner of his eyes he saw the others react similarly all of them were ready to pummel the man standing at the far end into oblivion before any of them could close on the high priest there was a swirl of wind in the vast chamber and suddenly four loathsome creatures swam into view summoned from some nether plane chanhal and the others drew up short hadrak grinned turned back to the throne and sat upon it as the planar creatures stepped forward to attack hadrak held the skull aloft and the throne slowly sank into the floor twenty-seven shan havel stood frozen in place for a moment as the horrible realization of what was transpiring hit him hedrack had summoned creatures from deep in the abyssal plains to cover his departure the foul beasts advanced as the high priest disappeared sinking down into the floor of the deus and taking the captured druid with him if he were allowed to go unhindered zagat moy would be freed and the lands around the temple would fall prey to her trying to watch all the creatures at once shane havel backed away from the horrors which were now advancing eagerly the first a tall gaunt creature that resembled a skeleton with reddish leather stretched tightly over its frame grinned malevolently as it darted forward swinging both of its long bony claws at the wizard shanhavil stumbled away from the attack and nearly rolled within range of the second creature an ebony monstrosity with the head of a slathering fanged dog and four arms which was threatening govin the beast's eyes glowed as sickly violet and shan havel could smell the stench of rot as it lunged at the night swiping at him with two of its arms both of which ended in snapping pinchers another of the summoned creatures a giant spike-backed toad with grotesquely human arms loomed close to chanhaville who rolled again desperate to get away it landed where he had been only a split second before bowling the dogheaded demon over the two beasts tumbled to the side snapping and hissing at one another galvan waded in between them swinging his sword with a well-practiced aim chad havel scrambled to his feet and considered a spell that would harm these fiends the two creatures govern occupied ignored the wizard but the tall gaunt skeletal monstrosity pounced forward again causing the elf to fall back once more go our league roared as he plowed into the red-skinned creature slicing at it with his sword savor the skeletal demons swiped at our league with a claw but the man was quicker severing its arm with a rapid strike shanhaville used the distraction to turn and run sickened at the stench of rot sulfur and disease that radiated from the monsters the last of the beings a particularly horrid vulture-like monstrosity also with human-like arms took flight and pursued him the elf sprinted away running past the great stairwell in the center of the temple and toward the throne in the distance he kept running even as he waited for the inevitable feel of claws raking across his back and a sharp beak ripping the flesh from his head and neck the vulture creature shot past shanhavil rather than attacking him seeming to prefer to toy with him it landed to block his path near the huge hole in the floor where the alliance had descended what seemed like an eternity ago it spread its wings wide and screeched triumphantly a sound that made the elf cringe as he drew up short breathing heavily behind him the other creatures howled sending shivers down shan havel's spine as they did battle with govern and alig shanghai glanced around desperately looking for some means of escape he has cheryl a part of him screamed hurry there might still be enough time to save her you must try if you don't reach her he couldn't make himself think of what might happen to the druid if he didn't reach her but it won't matter he told himself for zuggetmore will be freed and we'll all suffer the same fate panting he wiped his sleeve across his eyes his vision blurred with the sickening weight of the temple's evil pressing in on him it's the temple that makes you lose hope he reminded himself focus don't let it win chanhal cleared his thoughts the vulture thing was closing with him now clacking its beak and screeching into light the wizard kept his staff in front of him holding it in a defensive stance waiting to see if he might get a chance to dart around the beast and reach the throne no opportunity presented itself though and the wizard grew more and more frustrated as time slipped away there was a blur of motion in the corner of the wizard's eye and draga slammed into the creature driving it backward save the druid he roared as he stepped back his sword in his hand go wizard cow the demon screamed at the newcomer before it and when shan havel darted forward trying to slip past the two combatants the fiend tried to cut the wizard off draga lunged again soared up slamming himself full force into the creature and driving his weapon into the vulture thing's chest his momentum cracked the thin hollow bones of one wing as he drove it back the fiend stumbled crying from the pain inflicted by the warrior and slashing at drago with its talons and beak it gouged draga's flesh in a spray of blood in one terrible instant chanhal realized that both friend and foe were about to tumble over the edge of the great pit the planar beast was over balanced tumbling backward it flailed with its one good wing trying to write itself as draga continued to push it drive it oblivious to his own danger draga shanhavel cried out taking a faltering step forward hoping to catch his companion before both he and the abomination went over the edge but the elf was much too far away and as his friend took that final step the embraced combatants seemed to hang in empty space for a heartbeat before slipping down and away lost chanhal could only stare in horror at the dark pit the final whale of the maimed monstrosity echoed as it fell to its death draga the elf shouted devastated make it count the wizard charted himself shutting his mind off from the horror he had just witnessed make his sacrifice worth something move shandhavel shook off his despair and ran toward the dais once more he brought into being a spell that he had never tried before another of the potent magics he had gleaned from studying lanathan's tomes weaving the magical energies the elf transformed changing from the familiar form of an elf into the very odd and unfamiliar form of an owl his heart pounded as he transformed fearing he might lose his mind to the process becoming an owl in thought as well as in body but it did not happen when the spell was complete he was still shane havel spreading his arms wide shandhavel discovered they were now feathered wings and instinctually he took flight rising swiftly he soared toward the now concealed throne the elf prayed that some means of ingress were still available he spotted a square hole where the throne had been and made directly for it beating his wings furiously before the shaft could close chanhal did not contemplate the consequences of his actions he did not consider that he was flying straight toward a bloated horrifying demon or the angry vengeful high priest who was trying to free her all he could think about was the deaths of his friends retrieving the golden key and rescuing shiro as he dived into the hole and winged his way down that black shaft his mind burned with fury for head rack and the hatred seemed to give him strength the shaft descended a fair distance the bottom was faintly lit with unsettling purple green and sickly yellow light shan havel could see the throne resting on the floor directly below him the seat was now empty he wondered if hedrack lay in weight at the bottom ready to attack anything that appeared from above or if in the high priest's pride he assumed the abyssal creatures he had summoned would suffice to stave off any further interruptions regardless shane havel thought and drack would not be expecting an owl to spring forth and the elf hoped that would provide him with enough surprise that he could steal away the golden skull before hedrack knew what had happened as the transformed wizard dropped out of the shaft and into the wider chamber at its bottom he drew up from his plunge and banked to one side darting away from the entrance to the place he found himself in another strange throne room but this one faced at right angles to the one above and unlike the chamber overhead with its harsh reds browns and greens this one was inky black with strange glowing grey runes inscribed along the walls the bizarre writing seemed to twist and writhe at the edge of shan havel's vision as he scanned the place the only light issued from flickering torches set in cressets all about the perimeter of the room at the near end of the long chamber close to the shaft opening through which he had dropped down a broad set of stairs led up into another chamber currently unlit at the far end just before the throne hedrack knelt with his back to shanhavil working at something on the floor before him sitting upon the throne was a horrid crone a frightful woman whose gaze seemed glazed and distant uncertain of how to proceed seanhavel swooped in closer on silent wings hoping to gain a better view of what the high priest was doing as the transformed elf circled overhead he saw that hedrack knelt at the edge of a great symbol inscribed in the floor a hexagon inside a circle the tips of the hexagon radiating out past the circle glowed in the colors of the rainbow red orange yellow green blue and indigo while the center of the device pulsed with a faint purple light the various hues somehow seemed sickly and wrong but the wizard gave it little thought for cheryl was lying on her back in the center of the device she had been stripped bare and hedrak was attaching iron manacles to her ankles and wrists obviously preparing her for some sacrifice the druid seemed sluggish her eyes only half open and her jaw slack as she stared vacantly up toward the ceiling resting on the floor between hedrack's knees as he leaned out over the druid was the golden skull again preparing to dart in and steal the golden key out from under headracks nose the transformed elf had been swift and silent to this point and the high priest had not noticed him at all hedrack secured both of cheryl's ankles and began to work on her left wrist it would be such a simple matter to fly in grab the key and soar to the far side of the room before the high priest knew what had happened chanhal came around low and fast he was approaching his target when the crone sitting upon the throne shrieked and pointed shanhavel's heart sank as hedrack's head whipped around and spotted the owl even as he snatched up the key and clutched it close chanhal tried to pull up and fly out of reach of the high priest but he had built up too much momentum and it was an easy thing for hedrack to swing out with his mailed fist and strike the wizard hard the blow sent chanhal sprawling across the black marble floor he came to rest against the wall a good distance away his vision blurred red with pain and anger at his own failure one wing was broken wide-eyed he triggered the magical effect that would cancel the spell and he felt himself shape-shift back into his normal form his arm hung uselessly at his side his staff at his feet hedrack stood facing the wizard an unpleasant smile on his face that was daring the priest said grinning i applaud your efforts since you managed to come down here you can at least watch as i send your companion screaming into the abyss my lady zugatmoy will enjoy entertaining her i'm sure at this the crone cackled with crazed glee shanhaville clenched his fists and immediately regretted it for pain shot through his injured arm gritting his teeth he snarled save your mocking for someone who cares to listen to you you bastard i came down here to put an end to this the wizard drew a deep breath and prepared a spell hadrack laughed seeming to find the elf's words genuinely funny chanhal paused in his casting taken aback by the high priest's unexpected display hedrack chuckled softly at first openly amazed but he was soon bent halfway over howling with amusement gasping for air tears of mirth ran down his face shandhavel could only watch dumbfounded you you honestly still think you have a chance the high priest gasped between fits of laughter you think you might still be able to stop me oh that is rich finally regaining control hendra continued don't you understand it's over you've lost the moment i gained control of the key he held up the small golden skull to emphasize his words victory was mine what do you expect to accomplish now how do you expect to stop me when i can do this the high priest gestured and a scintillating coalescence swirled in the air near where he stood the disturbance grew and solidified until it was a whirlwind hovering beside the high priest the thing of air seemed alive shifting and spinning sending a cascade of dust through the room it towered almost to the ceiling seanhavel swallowed and took an involuntary step backward thinking desperately through the magic he had left trying to come up with something he could use to defeat the air being andrak gestured again and another disturbance appeared swirling into the form of a huge pile of earth and stone vaguely man-like in shape it swayed on its feet two massive arms that ended in great rocky fists hung at its sides obviously enjoying his grandiose demonstration of power handrak made a third and then a fourth gesture bringing into existence two more elemental creatures one of fire and one of water the two new beings danced with energy seeming to lean forward against the forces that bound them eager to scurry forward and strike at the odd elf standing on the opposite side of the chamber behind hedrack the crone cackled in mad glee delighted with the summonings the high priest had performed gloating and proud hedrack lowered his arms so tell me wizard did you honestly think you had a chance did you really believe you could defeat the temple in its finest hour i will give you credit you are amusing he gestured once more and as one the four elemental creatures lurched toward shanhavil destroy him now as hedrick watched standing casually with one arm folded across his chest and the other hanging easily at his side his four new pets made for shan havel unerringly moving to consume him in their essence to freeze crush burn and drown him utterly the air elemental spun crazily whipping about the room gliding rapidly along one wall until it was behind the elf trapping him and preventing escape the creatures of fire and water moved to flank shen havel their bodies a sheet of flickering flame and a trembling surging wave the creature of earth came last making the hall shake with its slow deliberate footfalls shane havel had nowhere to go he was trapped between the four elemental forces surrounded by the powers of nature and doomed to suffer their effects desperately the elf looked at hedrack hoping beyond hope that there might be some reprieve from the high priest some sudden notion from the man that death like this was beyond even his desire but chan havel knew in his heart that hedrack delighted in this cheryl would die and zug it moy strong in her own plane though she had manifested as a cackling crone here on earth would be freed to ruin the lands around the temple now you will die had dragged loaded still watching the destruction he was visiting on his foe as soon as my men destroy the last of the doors my lady zuggetmore will be free and this lovely sacrifice will be sent to an abyssal plain to await the demons attentions there chanhal felt a familiar lump grow in his throat felt the overwhelming sense of sadness that produced it he thought of lanathan grieving again for his teacher and friend the wizard's sense of sorrow seemed bottomless as he contemplated his own failings he had been unable to save his mentor he could not now save his love and in the end he would not be able to save even himself sean havel hung his head even as he felt the forces of the four creatures closing in he sank down to one knee his wounded arm still limp at his side and bowed his head surrendering to the inevitable at last hedrack's gasp of surprise forced the elf to look up in the high priest's direction the golden skull was skittering across the floor towards shane havel knocked free of hedrack's grasp cheryl had done it with one arm still free of the shackles she had managed to reach up and knocked the key loose sending it clattering in the direction of the elf the golden skull bounced a couple of times as it rolled across the floor sliding between the massive foot of the earth elemental and the roaring flames of the living fire creature the small bejeweled orb rolled to a stop at shandhavel's foot even as zugatmoye screeched in horror and anger from her chair hedrack snarled and backhanded shiro knocking her back with an audible thunk that shanhavel could hear even over the roar of wind and fire around him the druid slumped back with a pitiful cry and lay still spinning hedrack looked to see where his treasure had rolled to a stop when he saw the object of his desire resting near the toe of shanhavel's boot the high priest's eyes grew wide rage still smoldering in the elf's heart now flamed snatching up the golden skull with his good arm shanhaville stood up the four creatures surrounding him were now no more than a couple of paces away each of them stopped however as their quarry rose before them holding a loft the source of their summoning and the icon of their subservience presenting the skull shanhavil felt the link of command to the four elemental creatures and he knew that they were under his influence and would obey his commands for a moment shanhavil considered sending the elemental beasts to attack hedrack to drive him against a wall and to destroy him as he had intended to destroy the wizard but he realized it would be fruitless and would most likely harm cyril in the process the only way to defeat hedrack was to destroy the key before zugetmore could be freed except that he needed cheryl's aid to do that even if chanhavel could manage to free his companion hedrack would slay the druid before he would allow her to participate in such a ritual even with the orb in his grasp defeat still seemed imminent to the wizard unless there is another way the elf thought going quickly through the steps of the process byrne had explained before he realized he might have an alternate way to perform the rites of destruction wind and earth then fire and water it could be done maybe hadrax spun on his heel pulling a knife from his boot and kneeling down next to cyril who still seemed groggy her head was bruised and blood leaked from a wicked gash on her temple rex squatted so that shandhavel could see him clearly could witness what he was about to do shane havel had seen it coming and braced himself for it yet he still felt the panic rise in him as the high priest grasped the druid by the hair and pressed the blade against her throat give me the skull or she dies right now and drac commanded fighting the urge to comply with the high priest shane havel responded you will kill her anyway but the wizard held the golden skull aloft so that hedra could see it do you realize what will happen if i do this shanghai plunged his arm into the center of the creature of air his grasp on the magical key making him immune to the effects of its buffeting winds hadrak's eyes widened a second time suddenly aware of what chanhal was thinking releasing the druid's hair he raised his arm and pointed beseechingly no do not you must not hedrack leaped to his feet and charged the distance between them quickly chanhal spun on his feet and darted across to the creature of earth commanding the beast to strike at the key with one of its rocky powerful stone fists the monster brought its thick hand down hard almost knocking the orb out of the elf's grasp but shan havel managed to hang on with his one good arm there was an intense clanging sound from the blow stop him zagat moy shrieked stop him you fool hedrack was closer now no more than a dozen long strides away though he was walled off from reaching shane havel by the creature of earth and stone wasting no time watching the high priest shanhaville spun away and thrust his arm into the heart of the hot licking flames of the creature of fire he held the orb in its center though he himself was not burned because of his hold on the key as the blood pounded in his ears and the stones beneath his feet trembled chanhal felt the gold grow hot in his palm and heard a scream of agony from zagat moy hedrack was but a couple of paces away now pushing past the creatures that blocked his way squeezing between the earth elemental and its flaming counterpart ignoring the scorching flames that licked at him and singed his hair the high priest lunged for shanhavil trying to grab the elf but he was not fast enough the wizard darted away launching himself at the last creature in the sequence plunging his fist still holding the orb deep into the murky recesses of the water beast no hadrax screamed and the roaring in chanhaville's ears intensified he felt the orb crack in his hand shattering into a dozen jagged pieces of gold the gems around the skull's crown slipped free and shattered in the distance zagatmoy screamed once more but it was not the cry of the old crone but rather the pained roar of the great bulbous demon her true form shanhavil's momentum carried him into the depths of the creature of water and as the golden key cracked he felt its magical protection over him slip away he felt the intense cold of the water the water itself subtly changed too it no longer undulated with life instead it turned into a torrent of water a cascade that spilled to the floor chanhal passed through it tumbling unharmed to the other side and sliding across the floor soaking wet shaking his head to clear the streams of water that poured down his face and wiping the damp bedraggled hair from his eyes the wizard tried to sit up but the floor beneath his feet rumbled and shifted with only one good arm he lost his balance behind the elf hedrax screamed a plaintive terrified shriek shanhavil heard a sickening sound of stone clattering upon the floor a wet smacking sound and the high priest was quiet he turned to see what had happened the creature of stone its magic undone by the destruction of the golden skull had fallen lifeless right atop hedrack the high priest's body was pinned beneath a great slab of marble a twisted and mangled leg stuck out at an unnatural angle he was still alive though his face was white with shock and terror he gazed up at the ceiling muttering softly shan chanhal approached the high priest even as another rumbling shock wave shook the chamber kill me hand rack pleaded softly kill me please kill me don't let him get me who sean havel asked shifting unsteadily on his feet as the chamber crumbled around him my lord and master andrak's tone was fevered and crazed he will torment me he will punish me please kill me don't leave me to him i beg you shan havel considered for a moment then reached for the knife that was just beyond rack's grasp he stood for a moment looking down at the high priest yes please andrak said kill me quickly do it i beg you shan havel raised the knife preparing to plunge it through hedrack's eye wandering why after all of this he would grant the high priest's request would help despair the man his faint he raised the dagger but a cry stopped him short shane havel cheryl cried help me the elf turned to see the druid still chained to the floor although the symbol beneath her had vanished pieces of stonework were falling now bits of the ceiling and walls tumbling down around her cheryl was helpless to dodge the shards imprisoned as she was dropping the knife and leaving hedrack shanhaville scurried across the floor he dropped to his knees beside cheryl and began frantically working with only one hand to unlock the manacles that bound her in the throne nearby shandhavel could see the image of zugatmoye still trapped in the chair she was in her true form now but she was insubstantial fading in and out of view occasionally she would materialize so solidly that the elf could hear her howls of pain and agony as she was being ripped from this plane and dragged back to her own finally chanhal managed to unbind sheryl's hand and he worked to free one of her ankles the druid leaned forward working on the binding that encircled her leg around the two of them the chamber shook and heaved dropping huge chunks of masonry and stonework around them one particularly large piece shattered near the two spraying them both with shards of stone that stung their skin i'm not going to make it out of here shandhavel silently fumed as he struggled to release the catch on the manacle release damn you he commanded the shackle frustrated that one arm still hung useless at his side as if responding to the elf's demand the manacles clicked open and cheryl was finally free shane havel tried to help her stand but the floor beneath him shifted suddenly rocking and cracking so that it buckled in the middle of the chamber both of them went sliding toward a crevasse that had opened the middle foul fumes belched up from the rip in the stone spewing up and filling the air with smoke gases and heat no chiral yelled clinging to shan havel as they both edged closer to the chasm with one arm wounded the elf had a difficult time controlling his inexorable slide but the druid managed to take hold of his shirt in one hand and grab an outcropping of buckled floor stone with her other slowly straining she pulled them both away from the shifting widening gap in the rock the two companions rolled to the side panting but the collapse of the room was growing in intensity scrambling to his feet chaneville helped shirl to stand yanked his tattered cloak free and gave it to her to cover herself this way the wizard said taking her by the hand and leading her toward the bottom of the shaft as they passed the point where hadrax still lay pinned beneath the stones of the dead elemental the high priest reached his free hand out desperately straining for them please he called turning his head as he saw them past just beyond his grasp don't leave don't let him take me shandhavel ignored the high priest as he reached the point where the shaft was directly overhead the shifting collapse of the temple had fractured the earth however and the whole leading to freedom was now sealed there was no way to escape shane have a whirled around in frustration knowing their time was running out as the walls of the chamber sagged inward his gaze settled on the broad stairs leading up into the darkness it was the only way out of the room come on shane havel growled taking cheryl's hand once more and dragging her up the stairs no hedrack howled and shanhaville paused for the briefest of moments turning to look back at the high priest as their eyes locked as the elf saw the desperation in hedrack's own visage he knew his own face was a cold mask of contempt he felt no compassion for the man without remorse he turned away just as a great mass of one wall tumbled downward burying the high priest beneath it hurrying with cyril up the stairs and out of the chamber shane havel never looked back the area at the top of the broad steps was another wide throne room it too was on the verge of collapse and there was but one way out a large pair of bronze wood doors sealed tightly with both silver and magic that faced the throne when shan havel saw the portal his despair was complete as the earth shook and the stonework of the temple continued to fall all around him he sank to his knees shaking his head cyril settled beside him and pressed her face against his chest tears and blood streaked her cheeks he did it though she sobbed struggling to smile we stopped them she took his face in her trembling hands and kissed him we kept them from freeing her chanhal nodded at her numbly thankful that they would have that to cling to to give them some measure of solace in these final moments he drew the druid to him with his good arm and held her tightly as the thick columns of the throne room collapsed sending deadly shards of stone scattering in all directions as the ground bucked and quaked shanhaville watched death close in on them suddenly there was a bright blaze of blue light that emanated from the sealed doors with a loud crack that reverberated above the noise of grinding stone and trembling earth the doors flew apart each half of the portal slamming hard against the stone wall in which it was set chanhal gaped in open amazement for a heartbeat before lurching up to his feet pulling cheryl whose face was still buried in his chest along with him pointing he staggered forward dragging her along behind him when the druids saw where he was headed she gasped then scrambled to catch up with him a column smashed hard into the floor where they had been crouched stinging them with slivers of shattered rock as it hit turning they both fled through the open doorway and up the stairs they found beyond running as fast as he had ever thought possible chanhavel scrambled up the stairs into a wide hallway then turned and found the next portal also gaping open without hesitating he charged through and clamored up the next set of steps still holding cheryl's hand at the top though he found the way blocked by collapse groaning he turned back thinking desperately the shaft he said praying the pit would still be open and the ledge intact come on he pulled cheryl along behind him his broken arm ached horribly but he tried to put it out of his mind as they sprinted together struggling to maintain their balance as the whole place rumbled and shifted violently dust filled the air and passages were crumbling sealed off desperately shane havel ran down the long hall of bones scattering the remains of long dead warriors as he charged through when he reached the spot where the secret door had been he began the desperate search to find the release and open it help me he cried to cheryl together they fumbled for the catch and when cyril found it the two of them slammed the hidden panel down and peered through fortunately the ledge was still there and the two of them slipped through the small opening and into the shaft beyond the tremors of the collapsing temple continued and the companions had to brace themselves against the wall of the shaft to maintain their balance hold together just a little longer shanhaville prayed taking sheryl's hand he began the ascent of the top to blessed escape he knew of a spell that would aid him a bit of magic he could use to levitate upward but he refused to think about it i won't leave her he insisted shane havel cheryl cried as the world pitched and rocked it's not going to hold as if in response to the druid's words the stairs cracked and crumbled beneath their feet do you have any magic cheryl asked desperation in her eyes anything that could i won't leave you he cut her off shaking his head we can shout for help use it cheryl said cast something and get yourself out no i can't take you and i won't go without you the steps they were on suddenly shifted and shane havel was forced to leap back and away as the section dropped away into the darkness he and cheryl were now separated by a large gap shanhavil choked back a sob no he screamed reaching across to cheryl naughtwhen was so close cheryl looked at him and in her eyes he saw the love she felt for him she smiled even as the section of stone beneath her gave way and she fell no chanhal screamed wanting to lunge after her but he leaned wrong and was unable to get his legs under him as he watched her slip away he thought his chest would burst but then an amazing thing happened as he watched horrified he saw the woman he loved transform taking the shape of a small bird in the blink of an eye she was a sparrow her wings beating furiously as she swooped up the shaft to the surface laughing in delight and relief shanhaville watched her go gladness filling his heart the earth shook and before more of the stonework could break away he began his spell as he finished weaving the magic of the levitation spell the stairs he was standing on gave way and he found himself hovering in space trembling in relief the wizard rose steadily as the walls of the shaft cracked and tumbled into the darkness below at the top shanhaville found cheryl waiting for him once again in human form why didn't you just go he asked as they both ran toward the front of the temple to the gaping hole where the front doors once stood why didn't you just fly out of here because you were still down there she said simply when they were but thirty paces from the exit and freedom a good portion of the ceiling crashed down around them narrowly missing cheryl and grazing shanhavil's leg he stumbled forward losing his balance and felt his breath leave his body as he landed hard on his back sharp pain coursed through his wounded arm and he fought to remain conscious come on cheryl urged grabbing the wizard by the shoulders and helping him to his feet together they stumbled the last few feet toward the exit leaping through it and out onto the ground just as the remaining structure fell to ruin behind them multiple rumbles shook the ground aftershocks from the total destruction of the temple dust hung thick in the air and the earth groaned shane havel lay panting in the snow feeling it soaking into him as it melted rapidly heated by the warmth of the spring sun with a final exhausted sigh the wizard rose to a sitting position a few feet away govind our league and peder stood grinning at him between the knight and our league draga reclined on a makeshift litter his face chest and arms were a weave of bloody scratches though almost as pale as the surrounding snow dragger was also grinning shanhaville blinked in surprise then laughed smiling widely at draga i did not think we would see you again garvin said genuine pleasure in his voice you have the blessing of cuthbert himself it seems so it would seem seanhavel agreed finally feeling his breathing returning to normal i thought we'd lost you draga said beaming at cheryl i was already imagining what i'd have to say to jaru when we returned to homelet yes well our league interjected now she can imagine telling him what happened to her clothes always squinted watching the druid wearily but the grin on his face was broad and joyful beside him peda who had gothen's cloak wrapped around her turned and furrowed her brow glaring at the man cheryl scowled at ollie for a moment her icy blue eyes flashing but then she cracked a smile and laughed her laughter faded though when she saw the wrapped form of elmo lying on a second litter behind them all a single tear rolled down the druid's cheek as she moved toward the huge axeman she knelt beside his body and lowered her head chanhal was tempted to move to her side to try to comfort her but something held him back he sensed that she needed a moment alone a chance to say goodbye by herself instead he turned and looked at draga shaking his head i thought i was seeing the dead when i first spotted you there how on earth did you survive the wizard asked draga merely shrugged but our league was quick to answer somehow this lucky son of a sailor managed to land on the ledge of the shaft when he went over after governor and i managed to kill those other things our league shuddered at the memory of the fiends we heard him calling we had just pulled him back to the surface when the whole place crumbled down around our ears we waited for you as long as we could garvin added but when that last strange flash of blue rippled through the place and everything began to come down it could stay inside no longer the look in the night's eyes told shan havel he wasn't terribly proud of having left them behind it was the right decision shane havel said and he meant it it would have been senseless for you to die if we had never come out i am thankful you did gavin said though i can't imagine how you managed it that my friends is a tale to be told on the way back to hamlet epilogue the tap room at the end of the welcome wench was boisterous this evening the five companions sat around a table piled with platters of food steaming meat pies roasted chicken huge hunks of cheese cold milk fresh bread eggs prepared several different ways potatoes and assorted fruit covered the surface and the members of the alliance were heartily consuming the delicious food it had been three days since the fall of the temple and everyone was healed and refreshed after recuperating from their exploits cheryl snuggled next to shan havel as they ate feeding him bites of cheese between the occasional kiss peda and leah joined them leah sitting with our league and paid a relaxing between draga and govan glora gundigoot continued to bring fresh dishes of her wonderful cooking out to replace what was already consumed around them all the local inhabitants of hamlet including the members of the council drank sang and celebrated the alliance's victory only hroth did not participate in the festivities sitting off to one side nursing a cold mug and staring into the large fireplace when cheryl spotted the captain of the militia she slipped from the table and moved to the man's side shandhavel watched as the druid sat next to the captain and whispered something to him she reached out a hand and took the older mans in her own froth smiled at her and she leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder he took her in his arms and hugged her tightly then a tear sliding down his cheek finally cheryl pulled away and stood saying one last thing to froth the man smiled and nodded patting her hand before letting her leave his side and return to the table when she sat down next to shan havel once more the wizard looked at her questioningly and she leaned close and kissed him on the cheek he's a very sad man who will miss his son very much i just told him elmo had honored him with his bravery and he should be proud chanhavel nodded and took her hand in his own he turned his attention back to the table where govind now stood preparing to speak by the grace of my god saint cuthbert we successfully saw our way to the end of this monumental victory for the first time in a long while i don't really know what lies before me i do know however that there are no finer people than the four of you i would rather be with when i follow that unknown path i the banging of the front door cut the night off in mid-sentence a young man was standing there dressed in the finery of court he wore a tunic of blue and red and the coat of arms of fairy andy was embroidered upon his right breast he swept into the room muddy boots and all and bowed low to no one in particular i bear a message for certain distinguished members of an alliance including one sir gavin donna loyal knight of saint cuthbert and his companions chanterelle gallanhavel cheryl our league draga and elmo from his lordship marshall of fariandi prince thromel can anyone direct me to these individuals for a long moment there was perfect silence everyone in the room stared at the liveried courier unable to speak at last govan recovered his wits and stepped around the table toward the young man i am sir govan he said with the bow and the others you speak of with the exception of elmo may his spirit find peace dine with me here he gestured to his friends what is the message the courier handed govern a scroll case saluted the night turned on his heel and strolled out the door and into the evening staring after the courier for a moment garvin held the scroll case until olig coughed loudly uh no you can open it anytime you'd like our league suggested tapping his fingers on the table shaking his head gavin turned his attention back to the others and cracked the seal on the case pulling the curled parchment free he unrolled it and read when he finished he let his hands fall to his sides staring off in wonder well what does it say cheryl insisted reaching for the message govan let her take it from him and shanhaville looked over the druid's shoulder as she read aloud my good and faithful subjects and friends i trust this message finds you all in good health and successful in your effort to dispatch the elemental temple i have returned home in triumph and have been received gratefully by both my father's court and my beloved jolene princess of eluna unfortunately civil war in her nation threatens our impending marriage several in her father's court challenged my claim to her hand and would see our union destroyed i require your assistance if this notice has reached you i must assume that you have achieved victory over our mutual enemies come with all due haste to chandel i have a special task that requires your unique talents further explanations will have to wait until your arrival thrommel shandhavel looked up and saw everyone around the table staring wide-eyed at cheryl by cuthbert garvin said that look of amazement still on his face what a great honor this is serving the prince tomorrow it seems we ride for gentle shanhaville shook his head realizing he had already made up his mind to go to ride with his companions his friends the alliance what was it you were saying about unknown paths govan he asked a smile appearing on his face this has been an audible frontier's production of the temple of elemental evil book three of dungeons and dragons greyhawk classics written by thomas m reed narrated by bernard saterro clark producer mike charzik copyright 2001 by wizards of the coast llc production copyright 2012 by audible inc you

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Id: i0bgDLk2F0Y

Length: 587min 38sec (35258 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 15 2021