Death Or Fortune (10 page)

     Did it
dawn on any of you fools that if this dragon was flying away with food that it
is feeding it's young?"
Hetaron kept coming back to this point over
the next day in a half as we were getting ready. He arrived not far behind
Charles after the message was delivered. He listened to the story and agreed
that this was something that needed to be taken care of. The four of us gathered
our gear, hunted about town for supplies and anything else we might need. I
started to develop a bad habit of carrying more junk around than I needed.
 I was convinced that as soon as I didn't have something with me, I would
find use for it.  It seemed to be a contest between Hetaron and I, who
could carry the most useless stuff.  Also, having all the extra things
lessened the chance that Pare would walk away with something we really needed.
     When Michaels returned I wasn't sure what to expect. He
had a smile on his face, looked well rested and just seemed way too happy.
 When he reported that he found the lair and found a way in I thought it
was too good to be true. We would all find out later that it was. "
It
enters its lair by way of a large pit, must be a good five hundred feet down
into the ground. It sits on top of a large hill, with a little luck and
guidance from Solarth I was able to find a back way in. I did not enter, I
could feel the evil inside so I know it is the right place.
" I raised
an eyebrow and looked over at Hans who only gave me a small sigh.  So the
rest of us mounted up and followed Michaels.
     We kept a good pace for more than half the day. As the
sun was falling behind the horizon I called ahead and asked Michaels how much
farther we had to go. When he told me that we were close, maybe another five or
six hours ride I started to question what he considered far. We talked it over
for a moment and decided it would be best to make camp until the morning and
ride on from there. It didn't dawn on me right away but as we were making a
small fire I noticed something odd.  Hetaron was going out of his way to
avoid Michaels.  He stayed as far away from him as possible at all times.
 I told the others that Hetaron and I would take the first watch, Hans and
Michaels would take second and then told Pare to do a quick check of the area.
 I watched the happy halfling dash off into the dark and called Hetaron
over to join me.
     As he got close to me I whispered to him, asking what
his problem was. He cast a quick glance back at the others and started to walk
farther away from the fire.
"Just being near him makes my skin burn. It
took all my will not to hit him with a fireball when he passed to close to me.
It nearly made me vomit. His god is with him, do not doubt that. Never leave me
alone with him Kromwell, it may not end well."
With that said he
turned back towards the fire and got as close to it as he dared.  He then
pulled out a set of spell books and sat down to study.  I cast another
look towards Hans and Michaels, both of them sitting there, heads hanging down
in prayer.  I wondered how much longer we would be able to stay together
as we were.  I turned around quickly and nearly tripped over Pare who had
been standing behind me.
     I looked down into his smiling face and had to hold
back a smile of my own.
"This trail we have been on is old Darmot.
Really old, like older than dirt old. It hasn't been used in a really long
time. The path used to be marked with stones, I dug a couple up. I bet it leads
to an old town or a really old outpost that the Arcadians used to use. You
should see the spider I killed, it was huge.  I got its guts all over my
new boots. Oh and I think we are being followed."
As he said that last
bit he was trying to walk away from me, I reached out and grabbed his arm. I
asked him if he was sure and he just shrugged at me.
"Just a feeling I
had, I doubt it is anything."
I watched as he ran over to the fire and
fell fast asleep in a ball on the ground.
     I could not think of a single reason why anyone would
be on our trail.  No single good reason that was.  I must have stood
in that spot for close to an hour, just staring off in the darkness. Pare's
words had me paranoid.  I took one last look the horses and then put out
the fire.  Better to be cold than give ourselves away.  I took a
single blanket and laid it over Pare and walked a few feet away from them.
 Watching and waiting for someone to come. Waiting for anything to come,
nothing ever did. I kept watch for the next five hours.  Hetaron was in
some kind of trance, I did not bother him as I went to wake up Hans and
Michaels.  I told Hans about what Pare had said and asked him not to say
anything to Michaels. With the way he had been acting he may have charged off
into the night to look for whatever it could have been.
     I laid one hand on my friends shoulder and told him
good night.  I knew I could trust Hans to watch over us as we slept.
 I trusted him with my life.  I laid there on the cold hard ground
looking towards the stars.  For a small moment I missed my bed and having
my wife by my side.  I took one deep pull of the night air into my lungs
and the moment passed.  This is what life was all about.  Adventure,
danger, living life on the edge of a blade, death just a misstep away.
Unlimited fortune behind every locked door.  One by one the stars began to
drift and fade away. I awoke the next morning with Pare trying to pull my
eyelids apart telling me to wake up.
     We fed the horses, broke camp and were once again on
the trail.  I asked Hans if he saw anything during the night and he only
shook his head no.  I found myself constantly looking back behind us.
 I could not get those words out of my mind.  The feeling wouldn't go
away, no matter how many times I looked back and saw nothing.  As Michaels
had said, we rode for another five hours when he said we were there.  The
entrance was in the side of a hill that just kept going up until I could only
see the tree line above us.  I could see no clue as to where we were or
what this once was.  I watched as he stood there, sword in hand before the
entrance.
"Can you feel it, I can almost see the evil drifting out from
there."
I told Pare to go ahead with Michaels, told him to watch for
any traps.  Hans followed them, Hetaron and I were the last to enter.
 A rune covered steel door was inside the entrance, hinges smashed,
hanging to the side and open.  I felt Hetaron grab onto my arm as he
hissed my name.
"Kromwell, this was once a crypt.  The paladin is
right, there is great evil in here. We best take care or we may never see the
outside again."
     I nodded my head once and quick stepped to catch up
with the rest of our friends.  I had thought they were just being
paranoid.  As I had thought we were being followed, they had been sure
these old dusty halls were under the watchful eye of Asmodai himself.  I
was sure they had both been mistaken; we did not see anything other than old
mold covered walls.  We did not see anything at all until the first zombie
reached out to grab Pare.

    
Now boy, repeat what I said." If you are underground and do not have a
map, always follow the right hand wall. This way, if you ever get lost, you can
just turn around and walk back out again. "Very good now block."
As our swords clashed I jumped up from the dream.  I looked over to the
door and saw Pare on the floor looking under.  I put my hands to my face
and tried to scrub away the dream I had just been having.  We explored and
fought in the underground tomb for hours it seemed like. When I saw Hetaron
begin to falter I knew it was time to take our rest. We found a room that had
not been in use.  We then blocked the door and hoped that it would stay
safe long enough for us to get rested.
     I looked around at my friends.  Hetaron was in a
far corner, reading his book by the light of his staff.  Michaels was
being Michaels, pacing the floor. The wraith we fought took its toll on the man
but he held his ground.  He was a good addition to the team. Hans however
looked, worried. When I asked him how he was holding up he spoke but seemed to
be far off.
"Did I ever tell you why I became a cleric, devoted my life
to Solarth?"
I shook my head no but I don't think he saw me. "
I
was once like you, a warrior, little more than a mercenary.  I was in
Eystlund when I met my mentor and the others.  It was an interesting
group, much like the four of us here. Lomark, a mage very much like that one
over there"
he said as he pointed towards Hetaron.  Who seemed to
be paying more attention to us than he was his book.
 "Zender, who
is my mentor, powerful cleric. Very strong in the faith, great believer in
justice.  He did whatever he saw fit to make sure the innocent were
protected.  Zackary, another sword arm. His cousin was with us for some
time, named William."
    
" We traveled together for close to a year. We
were sent on a mission of great importance by King Darius. It took us into
Toryth Vol. This place reminds me of that. Imagine wave after wave of undead.
We were only passing through, I could not imagine going to the center of that
hell hole. After we lost William I was shaken to my core. It was Zender who
kept me together. Even when we were in a place that the gods have turned away
from, his faith was unshakable. He was a pillar of light in a sea of darkness.
He is by far the bravest man I have ever met. Remind me to tell you about the
dragon turtle one day. When we returned to Eystlund they called us heroes. I
followed Zender back to the temple one night. I cast away my sword, cast away
everything that I was and gave myself over to the good god.  This place,
reminded me of who I once was. Reminded me of who I am now and why I started
down this path."
 Since that day, he has spoken of his time
before I knew him but it is rare.  Most of the time all he will tell me is
that man is gone.
     I wanted to ask him a few questions about the story he
just told me but Pare dragged me away once again.  It would seem something
else had stirred up the dead, Pare had seen a group of them pass by the door
and he said he could hear fighting.  That drew every ones attention, we
all gathered around the door.  I cracked it open enough to stick my head
out, the coast was clear.  So we headed towards the sounds Pare had heard.
 There was a group of about four or five men fighting off the undead.
 They were all protecting a single man, I felt Hetarons hand on my arm,
pulling me back.  
"We need to move now. We are not ready for him
yet."
I looked him right in the eye.  It was clear he knew who
the robed man was yet the details were not forth coming.  So we turned and
fled that room down a dark hall, deeper into the darkness.  We traveled
down a slight slope of unfinished tunnel, the walls were still rough.
     Hetaron came up with the idea to trap the path behind
us so we did. Using some grease and several jars of acid we left the group
behind us a little surprise.  Once those were set, we went even deeper and
then waited.  If they were here for us, they would have to come the same
way. If they were coming for us, they would find us ready and waiting.
 Had we known about the troll we were about to run into we might have
saved some of the acid.  It stood seven feet tall and was hunched over as
it was.  Green skin with eyes as black as the starless sky.  When it
roared at us I knew right away what it had been doing here.  The fetid
stench of death on its breath, it had been eating the zombies.  Now that
we were there he saw nothing but fresh meat for him to eat.  I stood there
sword in hand waiting for the great beast to make a move.  Out of the
corner of my eye I saw Michaels, standing next to me.  
"Well, what
is the plan sir."

     I told him
the first thing that came to my mind, kill it before it kills us.  In
truth I should have just told him to stay alive until Hetaron can do something
with it.  I know I did not say anything about charging towards it, which
is just what he did.  I was to slow to do anything about it.  I
watched in horror as the beast brought its club into full view.  It let
loose with a great swinging blow which Michaels managed to avoid.  He then
lashed out with a blow of his own cutting deep into the trolls gut.  Which
only seemed to anger it, it swiped at Michaels and landed a crushing blow right
into the chest of the new paladin.  He must have flown back a good ten
feet before he hit the ground.  I knew this was something I was going to
have to deal with.  This was the first time I had a chance to test the
strength of this belt.
     The beast saw me moving in and thought to do the same
to me. I saw the club coming, I knew I was in its path.  I knew it was
going to hit me.  Yet there I stood and watched it come, I wanted it to
hit me.  As it got close I rammed my shield up and into the club.
 The first sound was a great metal crash as it hit my shield, the second
was the trolls club breaking in two.  For one small moment I thought I saw
regret in the eye of the stupid beast as it looked down at its hand holding
what was left of his broken club.  I then pressed the attack.  I
could feel the power inside of me as I hacked at the beast.  I first
slashed at its legs trying to cut it off at the knee.  Hoping that it
would slow the beast down, make it easy to deal with.  There is no such
thing as an easy way to deal with trolls.
     Before long Hans had Michaels back on his feet and all
five of us were in the fight. In the end we over powered the beast, chopping it
down a little at a time until it at last fell to the floor.  We stood
there and watched it, gallons of its green blood soaking the floor.  I
looked to Hetaron and reminded him that it wasn't dead yet.  He simply
nodded, fanned out his fingers and engulfed the creature in magical fire.
 
"I was watching to see how fast it would heal itself."
he snapped at me.  The smell of the burning beast was horrid.  Yet it
was the only way to be sure.  I could not look away from the creature
melting on the floor as what was left of its body was covered in flames.
 It was the screaming that got my attention and we all knew right away
what it was.
     I turned back towards the tunnel that lead to the room
we were in.  The scream of pain coming from there was enough to make the
hairs stand up on the back of my neck.  I turned to Hetaron who had a
rather pleased look on his face.  It would seem someone had walked right
into our trap. We all stood silent, waiting to see if anyone came.  For
what seemed an eternity all we could hear was the screams of a man who was in
quite a bit of pain.  When the screaming stopped we could hear two voices,
in a heated argument.  I inched closer to the tunnel to try to hear just
what was being said. "
We are leaving Lakarus, we can come back later.
 It is clear we need more men
." Nothing he said meant anything to
me but when I turned around, Hetaron was white as a ghost.