Refuge: Kurt's Quest (19 page)

*     *      *

The march into the valley was a complete
nightmare.  As soon as they started on the path down the psychic assault
started.  To Kurt it felt like he was surrounded by the spirits of vampire bats
that flitted around his head, reaching their wings into his mind.  He looked
around and could see that all of the others were also affected.  He didn’t know
where the assault was coming from, only that it was evil, and relentless.

Garios started to pray, his voice rising in the
language of his people, calling on the Gods of Law to protect them.  Minutes into
his prayer the shadows seemed to lift, a bit.  They didn’t go away, but they
definitely were of a reduced presence.  Smiles didn’t appear, but the troubled
looks were smoothed away.

The men started to pray as well, following the
example of their priest, and a glow started to form around all of the party. 
The Goddess was with them, and the members of her Pantheon, feeding them her
strength in this evil place.  In this place even Arathonia couldn’t bring total
relief, but the people were able to forge ahead, putting one foot in front of
the other.

One man started to sing, but the others around
him whispered him to silence.  While song might have aided them even more, the
noise could bring other enemies to them, those who would not be deterred by
prayer and singing.

As they stepped from the path onto the lowlands
of the valley, the psychic assault strengthened, threatening to send the
sailors running back the way they came.  Kurt’s party and the knights were made
of sterner stuff, though even they were tempted to retreat from where they
stood.  Garios lifted his hammer into the air and his voice rose in prayer.  He
bowed to the north, his prayer changing into the words of a spell.  He turned
to the west and bowed, then to the south, then the east.  The entire area
flared with light for a moment.  When the light faded, so did the feeling of
evil that had been beating down on them.

“We are safe for the night,” said the Dwarf, a
smile on his weary face.

“I would like to scout that back door while it
is still dark,” said Jackie, ever the professional soldier.

“It is not safe, my dear,” said Garios.  “There
are things walking the forest that are stronger in the dark.”  Jackie started
to open her mouth when the Dwarf continued.  “You could probably beat them,
knowing your prowess.  By why risk it, when the daylight will make them so much
weaker.”

“Are there many evil creatures out there, friend
Garios?” asked Kurt.

“They are legion.  I suggest we all get a good
night’s sleep, and forge on in the morning.”

White Paw stood there with his hackles up, a
low growl in his throat.

“The wolf should stay in camp tonight.  It
would be dangerous for him as well, as the things out there would ignore his
mental might.  We are safe enough with a few sentries to watch over the camp.”

Kurt nodded and took Jackie by the hand,
leading her to an area where they could lie down.  Morning would come soon
enough, and they would need all of their faculties to face the unknowns
tomorrow.

*     *     *

[Oh great and powerful dragon,] sent the Death
Priest Jakisanda Millistara.  [We wish to talk with your mightiness.]

Most dragons were only as smart as very
intelligent animals.  When young they possessed the intellect of a parrot or a
wolf.  As they grew older and larger they attained the intelligence of a very
smart monkey or ape.  Very few got beyond that point, though all were capable
of communicating.

[And why would I want to talk with such as you,
when I can instead kill and eat you.]

The Marshal was listening in on the cast, which
was not on a private circuit, as the Priest had broadcast out to hopefully
catch the dragon’s attention. He was surprised by the power and intelligence
behind the return cast.  
This creature possesses Elfin intelligence. 
Possibly even greater.

[We can help you,] sent Jakisanda, his mindcast
indicating his surprise at having contacted such an intelligence.

[I do not see how,] sent back the Red.  [But I
will listen.  You will taste just as good ten minutes from now as you will at
this moment.]

[I don’t like this,] sent the Marshal over a
private circuit, or at least he thought it was such until the dragon’s next
transmission.

[I would not like it either if it were me,]
sent the dragon, raising the hackles on both men’s necks.

How in the hells did he listen in on us?  That’s
impossible, isn’t it?

“This is not an ordinary dragon,” whispered the
Death Priest, his eyes wide.  “This may be one of the children of the Dragon
God.”  [What is your name, mighty Wyrm?] he sent back at the dragon.

[Names are power,] said the dragon, [and I’m
not sure I wish you to have such over me.]

The Priest was silent for a moment, not sure
what to do. 

[You can call me Keristratinix,] sent the Red.

“This is a son of the Dragon God,” said
Jakisanda.  “Ten thousand years or older.  I know what to offer him now.”

[Oh mighty Keristratinix.  How awful must be
your exile to this place.]

[Of what exile do you speak, tiny creature?]
roared the dragon in a mental blast that had everyone in the area holding their
heads in pain.

[You were placed here by your father, the Elder
God Draconostrix.  Far from the lands you used to roam, to guard the artifacts
placed within the temple.  What would you do if we could set you free?]

The ground rumbled under foot, knocking several
of the Ellala off their feet.  A deep roar sounded from inside the opening,
what was once a doorway before something ripped it open in passage.  A heavy
thump sounded, then another, as something massive walked.

The Ellala cowered, waiting for their doom to
come, gripping weapons tight that would be of no more use against a Great Wyrm
than a small stick plucked from the ground.  A head thrust through the opening,
a head such as no one alive had ever seen.  Its horns were the length of three
tall men, its teeth like great swords.  The neck followed the head, which
reached up to the heavens until it towered thirty meters over the ground.  And
the great body followed, huge clawed feet supporting a body that had to weigh
three hundred tons.  As soon as that body was out in the open the wings swung
open with a sound like a hundred sails exploded into fullness by the wind.

[What can you puny mortals do for me that I
cannot do for myself?] sent the dragon, while his mouth opened and sent a huge
cone of flame into the air.  [I could burn you to ash in a moment, or better
yet, cook you, and then consume you.]  The flames stopped, though wisps of
smoke continued to roll from his nostrils.  The head lowered to near the
ground, the huge eyes glaring at the Ellala with hate and anger.

Ellisandra had felt the temperature rising around
him as the dragon shot flame into the air.  The heat of the flame was almost
unbelievable, an order of magnitude greater than that of a normal red.

[How far can you fly from this place?] asked
the Death Priest, keeping his eyes locked on the Great Wyrm.  [What are your
limits?]

[I can fly five minutes from where I stand,]
sent the giant creature with sorrow.  [No more.]

[And if you had a lair of your own?]

[I would own all that I could see, and control
an area as far as I could fly in a day’s time.]

[Why don’t you leave here then?]

[I cannot,] sent the dragon in a roar, his head
shooting back into the sky to stare down on the Ellala.  [As long as the
artifacts I was set here to guard are below, I am chained to this damnable
place.]

[And if you could get the artifacts, remove
them from the temple?]

[I cannot fit through the tunnels.]

[And if we were to remove those artifacts? 
What then?]

[I don’t know.  They are the whole reason for
my being confined to this area.]

[Perhaps you would be free.  And we would have
the means to crush our enemies, worshippers of the weakling Life Gods.  A
mutually beneficial outcome, wouldn’t you say?]

The dragon stared at them for some minutes, not
making a sound or sending a transmission.  The Marshal felt the sweat rolling
down his skin under his armor, and wondered if the next thing he would see
might be the dragon’s head being thrust his way ahead of a torrent of fire.

[What you say makes sense,] said the dragon. 
[I am so tired of sitting here like some mere guard animal for century after
century.]

[So you will let us pass?]

[I don’t see why not.  It’s not like you are
likely to do any harm, since the guardians further in will probably kill you
anyway.  So be my guest, and maybe you might actually succeed, and the peoples
of the north will be privileged to look to the sky and see death on the wing.]

“Ask him if he will do one more thing for us,
while he’s in such a giving mood,” said the Marshal to the Death Priest. 
And
won’t our foe be surprised when this one starts hunting them.

*     *     *

“There are undead in the woods,” said Garios to
his companions as they moved as quietly as possible along the path.

“I thought it was safe during the day?” asked
Kurt, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at the Priest.

“Not safe, no,” said the Priest, shaking his
head.  “Not as dangerous, yes.  These are only lesser undead that now roam
these woods.  The great hibernate with the rising of the sun.”

“I can smell them,” said Fenris.  “The rot on
them.”

[There are many undead ahead on this path,]
sent White Paw.  [The shambling walkers.]

“Zombies,” whispered Jackie, drawing both of
her blades, a disgusted look on her face.

Probably the weakest of the undead, they were
also among the most grotesque.  And they were well hated among all civilized and
most uncivilized peoples alike.

“Why don’t they get turned to stone when they
get near the entrance?” asked Kurt.  The party was only about a kilometer from
that place of petrified people.

“They lack life force,” said Garios, holding
his own nose against the stench.  “They are creatures of negative energy, and
cannot be petrified like living beings.”

“We should be able to defeat them soon enough,”
said Sir Gromli, coughing a bit from the stench.

“It’s not defeating them that worries me,” said
Kurt, seeing the first movement from ahead.  “It’s the noise we will make in
defeating them, and the warning it will give whatever lives in that entry.  It
will be alerted to our coming, and ready for us.”

“We could retreat and try again tomorrow, if
you are concerned about us being spotted,” said Fenris, moving with the quiet
stealth that only an Elf Ranger could carry off.

“We don’t have the time,” said Kurt, drawing
his blade, which glowed with light at the proximity of undead.  “Have at them.”

The undead came shambling out of the woods,
hundreds of rotting creatures dressed in all manner of rusty barbaric armor and
shredded clothing.  Most were Grogotha, the Orcs of this land.  An Ogre or two
were moving with them, as well as some humans, Nords who had wandered into this
valley to die and be resurrected as monsters.

Kurt was the first to attack, right into the
center of the horde. 
Lenoris,
the Paladin Blade of Arathonia, sang in Kurt’s mind as it tore through the
zombies.  On each strike one or more of the monsters burst into flame for an
instant and fell as ash to the ground.  This was what the blade was made for,
and in a minute it had destroyed scores of the monsters.  The rest started
moving out of Kurt’s way, their primitive minds sensing the danger that the
blade presented.

Jackie whipped through the zombies to Kurt’s
right, her twin blades working to place a whirling barrier between herself and
the rotting creatures. 
Ice
simply sliced through them, taking heads and
arms off with each strike.  Those zombies were still animated, but without
their sensory organs they wandered without targets.  While those without an arm
were reduced to futilely clawing with one hand.  Those struck by
Fire
suffered a different fate, bursting into flame and burning like greasy rags
until their charred bones hit the ground.  While not as spectacular as the
burning of Kurt’s blade, it still did the job.

Garios’ hammer also glowed with holy light, and
did much the same as Kurt’s weapon, if not at the same speed.  The hammer
landed with thunderclaps of sound, and each zombie flew into ash after that
moment’s hesitation.  Kurt cringed at each thunderclap, knowing that whatever
waited for them at the entrance to the ruins could also hear.

Fenris and the knights guarded the flanks,
cutting down zombies before they could get behind the party.  All possessed
enchanted weapons, if not of the same quality as the two Immortals and the
Priest, and all did more than normal damage to the creatures.  Unfortunately,
they did not possess the natural immunity of the Immortals, or the holy
resistance of the Priest.