by C. M. Carney
“Without him… I,” Ovyrm hesitated again. “I should have stopped him. But he'd become obsessed, and the quest drove him mad.” Emotion surged into Ovyrm. “In his madness he suspected me. Claimed that I would take the Godhead from him. Even then I didn’t believe he would do it. Even then I thought there was hope. But, he was too far-gone. We battled, and he defeated me. He could have killed me, but he left me wounded, dying. A farmer woman found me, and she nursed me back to health. Me, a demon from the old tales. It was then that I realized what I had to do, no matter what the cost. If this woman could risk her life for a stranger, then I must do the same for the man who raised me. I tracked him to a city a few days ride from here and learned that he had gone to the mountains to the west. Legend told of an ancient city, long abandoned by the Thalmiir, the High Dwarves. It was said to contain a great treasure.”
“The Godhead?” Gryph asked.
Ovyrm eyed Gryph. “Zyrrin thought it to be true. He was lost, but no fool.”
Ovyrm explained how he had met up with the Grey Company, convinced them of the wealth to be had. En route the Barrow had seduce them.
“We fought and died and the Barrow King came for us. Then after several days, the attacks just stopped.”
“Dirge?” Wick asked.
Ovyrm nodded. “He’d somehow made a parlay. None of us asked questions, not even me.”
“It turned out that the parlay came with a cost. Dirge had broken the Code of Brotherhood by offering members of the Grey Company as a sacrifice. Once a month, he’d select a member he felt was a rival to his power or otherwise expendable and would take them on patrol. Invariably the group would return with one less member and the Barrow King would leave us be for another month.”
“I suppose I didn’t want to know how he had done it. The men who he sacrificed are on my conscious as much as Dirge’s, yet I did nothing.” Ovyrm said. “Until Dirge decided it was my turn.”
“Dirge has a strong mind and he could shield his intentions. But his two cohorts did not,” Ovyrm said. “Byrrck, the uglier of the two couldn’t stop thinking about what he could kill once he had his hands on my saber. That’s how I knew, I felt his thoughts. I would have killed them all but Dirge sensed my intent and I only just escaped. I left him with a parting gift though.”
“The scar?” Gryph asked.
Ovyrm nodded and a thin smile curled his lips. “We will use his own nature against him.”
It had taken some convincing, but Xeg had finally agreed to the plan. The imp disappeared in a puff of sulphur and flame. Ovyrm made an antidote to the paralytic that Dirge favored. Then they waited. When the time came, they downed the antidote, suited up and opened the secret door.
The Grey company was waiting.
*****
Wick stumbled from the tent where Dirge and Gryph were getting chummy. Feigning anger at Gryph was easy for Wick. Despite the logic of the plan, fear bit at Wick’s soul. He turned the fear to anger and feigned drunkenness. After his last confrontation with Gryph, he’d climbed up to the old guard spot and snuggled under the blankets. To all peering eyes, he was fast asleep. He waited an agonizing hour before peering out from his hiding spot.
Down below, he could see the back of the hooded guard keeping watch over the well they'd tossed Ovyrm down. His eyes scanned the rest of the cavern. From his perch Wick could see the entire village. Nobody was looking his way. He had played the role of angry drunk perfectly.
Wick eased himself over the edge and dropped to the ground. He skirted by several tents with stealth born of his small size. Snores and grunts popped here and there, but he encountered no one.
Soon he slithered up behind the lone guard. Ovrym had not known if this man was part of Dirge’s group of traitors or not, so he had insisted that Wick keep him alive. The same poison Dirge favored coated the tip of Wick’s blade. He snuck up behind the man and like a cobra striking from the shadows nicked the man’s exposed hand.
“What the…” was all he managed, before the poison took did its work and the man slumped. Wick tossed a rope into the well. A moment later Ovrym eased himself over the lip of the well and landed as silently as a mouse next to Wick.
They bound and gagged the man and eased him down into the well, making sure to hide his features. Then Ovyrm took his place and Wick hid.
Soon, Dirge and his minions emerged from Gryph’s tent with a man-sized sack. Two arrows sailed up to Wick’s onetime hiding spot, slaying the pile of rags. Then the traitor came over to the well. Ovyrm tensed, but kept his cool as Dirge looked into the well.
“Goodbye old friend,” Dirge said in a low voice. He nodded to his cohort who sunk two arrows into the bound form at the bottom of the well. For a moment Ovyrm felt a pang of guilt, but then realized if Dirge was so casual about murder, then the guard Ovyrm was masquerading as was part of Dirge’s crew. Perhaps this was justice.
Dirge and his crew moved out.
“It’s time,” Ovyrm said. Wick emerged from the shadows. They stopped at the cage that held Xeg and Wick nodded. The small demon grinned a mouthful of needle sharp teeth and disappeared in a puff of rancid smoke. They dipped into Sneak and followed the three traitors.
Ovyrm had no idea how Dirge had parlayed with the Barrow King, but the way to the depths of the Barrow was clear of enemies. No wyrmynn rushed them from hidden corridors. The dead stayed dead. So far, both sides were keeping the bargain. When Gryph suggested this plan, Ovyrm thought it had a slim chance at success. While he still had his doubts, he now believed they at least had a fighting chance.
They kept to the shadows and always a turn or two behind Dirge and his cronies. Eventually, they came to the massive door that marked the entrance to the Barrow’s inner sanctum. They stopped.
“You realize that this entire plan relies on a demon of the chthonic realm right?” Wick said.
“That’s why Gryph called it a Hail Mary. I do not know what kind of god this Mary is, but if she helps us get through this, I’ll make whatever sacrifice she desires.”
Wick nodded and then they waited. Seconds felt like hours, but soon their patience was rewarded.
“Pssst. Stupid ugly things. Look up. Xeg here.”
Ovyrm and Wick looked down the corridor where Xeg’s head hung upside down, dangling though a small square hatch.
“Thank you Mary,” Wick said as the two men rushed to the hatch, careful not to disturb the undead sentinels in their receded alcoves. Ovyrm boosted Wick. Wick held his hand down, but the warrior monk just nodded no and then jumped up into the small crawlspace.
Wick nodded in appreciation and closed the hatch again. They moved down the thin shaft scattering a few rats, spiders, and things with hundreds of legs. Soon they came to a grate that overlooked a balcony. Below they could hear Dirge and something much, much worse.
Ovyrm closed his eyes and his fingers moved as if unbidden by the conscious mind. The four points that held the grate to the wall parted, and the grate fell forward. Wick grabbed the grating with his right hand before it could fall to the ground.
The weight of the grate pulled at Wick’s fingers. Gnomes weren’t known for their strength and he panicked. Ovyrm’s eyes snapped open, and a hand lashed put to grab the grate before the heavy iron could smash to the ground.
Wick breathed a heavy, silent breath and Ovrym gave him a sideways glance of apology. They eased the grate against the wall and clambered out. Ovyrm pulled his bow from his back. Wick admired the intricate scrollwork that ran up and down the fine weapon. The buzz of potential inside its taut length was palpable.
Wick pulled on his Maker Goggles and prepped himself. A wet squelching crunch caused both men to snap their eyes down to Xeg. The tiny demon had a fat spider clasped in its hands and was tearing off its legs. Each leg pulled free with a wet tear and then stuffed into the demon’s mouth. Then came the unpleasant crunch.
Xeg was in a world of his own, thoroughly enjoying his disgusting treat. Wick nudged him with his knee, and Xeg nearly crie
d out in irritation before scowling up at Wick. Wick gave him the universal silence look and for once Xeg seemed abashed. As if making up for his faux pa he offered Wick a leg.
Wick shook his head in disgust, earning a silent chuckle from Ovyrm. Xeg shrugged and tossed the half chomped spider aside. The poor creature pulled itself away on half legs. Xeg saw the spider slime on his hands and grimaced before looking from Wick to his hands and back to Wick. Realizing what was about to happen, Wick reached out to stop the imp, but he was too late and a mélange of spider guts joined the other muck staining his clothes.
Wick felt the urge to punch the imp, but knew they still needed its help to save Tifala. He could not see her, but Xeg had told them she was in a cage somewhere against the wall below the balcony on which they now stood. He could feel her through their bond and forced his will into the ring at his throat. I’m coming my love he thought.
Ovyrm cast another spell and Wick felt other minds inside his own. It wasn't like he was sharing one mind, but more like these other voices were hovering right out of his perception. He heard a calm voice in his head.
Xeg, once we attack you go free Tifala and get her to safety, Ovyrm said inside Wick’s head.
Xeg will save pretty lady, tall demon eyes. Wick’s mind recoiled at the oily slipperiness of Xeg’s mind. He was not of this realm.
Wick felt a schematic of the room pop into his mind and he knew Ovyrm’s plan. They would hide on opposite ends of the balcony and would take out the dread knights closest to Gryph, giving him the time to get free.
Wick nodded and moved silently to his position. Down below he could see Gryph on his knees with Dirge’s dagger at his throat. A portal to a wondrous place of green shimmered in front of them. Then there was the Barrow King.
Wick’s mind and soul told him to flee. Fear bubbled up inside him at the sight of the revenant who nature was so unnatural as to make Xeg seem like the fairest of elf maidens. Whatever the Barrow King was, he had perverted not only nature, but his immortal soul. Wick forced his fear away.
Eight dread knights lined the walls along with the two standing guard at the Barrow King’s feet. Shoving his fear away with a deep breath, Wick summoned chthonic energy around his hand and waited.
Eons passed, it until a single word pulsed into his mind.
Now.
43
A flash of red-black energy exploded against the nearest dread knight’s face, searing desiccated flesh and exploding the creature’s skull.
An arrow zipped down and caught another of the undead creatures in the eye. Whatever animated the beast must have still considered the brain important, because like its fellow, it dropped to the ground dying for a second time.
Gryph’s right hand moved the second the mental call had come though and as the blast tore the first dread knight’s head from its shoulders, the rope binding Gryph snapped up and coiled itself around Dirge’s wrist.
The thief yelped in surprise and attempted to thrust the dagger home, but the serpentine rope’s strength was too much. The rest of the rope disentangled from Gryph and flowed around Dirge and squeezed. Gryph poured his will into the rope and activated the spider silk’s compel ability.
Drop the blade, he ordered Dirge. The Aegyptian’s face contorted, but he held onto the blade. Ovyrm was right, the man had a strong mind.
“Betrayers,” the Barrow King bellowed in a voice that tore at Gryph's bones. The revenant leaped from the dais with incredible speed and raised his staff on high. As the Barrow King landed, he brought the tip smashing down onto the stone floor. A wave of raw energy exploded from the impact point, knocking everything in the room from their feet.
The Barrow King spun his staff and pointed its gnarled tip at Gryph. Tendrils of inky black shot from it and flew at Gryph. He rolled and spun, avoiding the lithe streams of smoke and darkness. He pulled his spear from his inventory and pushed Mana into the tip. There was little time to load the spear before he arced the weapon down. It sliced through several tendrils near to enveloping him. Gryph spun again, slicing through another reaching tendril.
Then one and another, and then a half a dozen grasped a hold of Gryph and squeezed. The spear fell from his grasp as his body immobilized. The tendrils squeezed harder stretched him. Gryph imagined being drawn and quartered felt like.
Debuff Added: Immobile. Health Drain: 5pts/sec. Mana Drain: 5pts/sec. Stamina Drain: 5pts/sec. Spirit Drain: 5 pts/sec.
Gryph screamed in pain as his life essence siphoned from him and into the Barrow King. He couldn’t grab his spear, couldn’t down a health potion. He couldn’t move, but he didn’t need to. Gryph poured Mana into his chest plate and released it. The room exploded with the light of a newborn sun. The tendrils burned away under the intense glare and Gryph could almost hear them scream in otherworldly pain.
Dirge, his thugs, and every dread knight in the room roared in pain as the searing light bit at their eyes, blinding them. The Barrow King staggered. Gryph was surprised that the brightness did not blind him.
Gryph threw his left hand out and poured Mana into his bracers. His discarded spear flew to his hand just as the Barrow King drove downward with his staff. Gryph parried the blow, the power knocking him to his knees. For an ethereal spirit with no real physical form, the Barrow King packed a wallop.
Gryph spun, adding Mana into the spear and slashed at the Barrow King’s ankle. The tip passed right through the ethereal limb, leaving flashed of brilliant light as he did. The Barrow King’s leg buckled, and he fell to one knee. It turned towards Gryph and roared.
Viscous black liquid vomited towards Gryph as he once again spun and rolled out of the way. It landed in a heap and the floor beneath it sizzled. Gryph poured more Mana into his spear and struck again, this time triggering the weapon’s Banish ability.
The Barrow King shimmered as the spear interrupted the connection to the netherworld that sustained him. Gryph used the time to regain his footing and catch his breath. Gryph pleaded with the universe for aid, but his prayers fell on deaf ears as the shimmer of light assaulting the Barrow King faded.
“Shit,” Gryph muttered as he backed away from the shadow-cloaked revenant. With a quick glance borne from intense training, Gryph surveyed the battle.
Ovyrm had leaped from the balcony and his red saber was a blur of crimson energy, slicing and dicing through the desiccated limbs of several dread knights. The xydai’s grace and power amazed Gryph. Two of the undead warriors lay dead, and a third was not long for it.
Dirge and his cronies had pulled together into defensive positions. Back to back to back they were holding their own. The ugly one, Byrkk, screamed out in agony as the black ooze enveloped his leg. The same black ooze that the Barrow King had vomited at Gryph.
Holy Shit, Gryph thought. The black ooze is an undead vomit baby?
Gryph watched in horror as the baby ooze leached itself up Bryyk’s body, consuming him. The brute swung his sword down in panic, doing as much damage to his own leg as to the ooze. Soon he collapsed, and he was enveloped. The large man's horrific screams were muffled and then ended. The smell of dissolving flesh reached Gryph’s nose, spasming him from his momentary shock.
Wick was gone. Gryph smiled. That was part of the plan. The gnome conjurer’s power did not lay in hand-to-hand combat. Soon a powerful ally should join the fray.
Xeg was at the cage holding Tifala, struggling with the lock. Gryph couldn’t hear what the gnome woman was saying, but he knew that her gentle voice was encouraging the imp. She made eye contact with Gryph and nodded.
Gryph turned back to his own fight as the Barrow King launched a lightning quick strike of his staff. The gnarled wood caught Gryph in the chest and a pulse of black energy smashed him backwards. Pain erupted and for a moment Gryph feared his heart had stopped. But soon he felt the beat and a deep breath pushed a shard of icy pain into his chest. He had broken ribs and his health bar had dropped by a quarter.
The Barrow King swung again and Gryph knew he cou
ldn’t take another shot like that. He thrust his right hand out and activated his ring. The bubble of solid air shimmered as the staff struck. A corona of black energy flowed around the sphere, but it held.
Gryph fired Flying Stalactite through the shield and grinned as the spike of stone bit into the Barrow King’s shoulder. The undead lord screamed and tore the shard of earth from its body, whipping it back at Gryph with incredible force. Once again the air shield deflected the attack, but its shimmer told Gryph it would not hold much longer.
Gryph double fisted a health and mana potion and rolled back to his feet just as the shield failed. Gryph put himself into a defensive stance and poured Mana into his spear. He activated his bracers and threw the spear with all his might. The blazing missile surged towards the shadowy form of the Barrow King and thundered into his chest. The force of the blow pushed the creature back, and it fell to one knee. It shuddered as if in pain and Gryph took a quick glance at the wraith’s stats.
The things Health was at 75%, but its Mana was bottoming out. Gryph grumbled. He’d been pounding the wraith with everything he had barely made a dent to the revenant's life.
The Barrow King pulled himself back up to his full size. It pulled the spear from its body and held it in a shaking hand. A pulse of power flowed down the Barrow King’s arm and Gryph’s spear disintegrated into ash. Losing good spears was becoming a bad habit for Gryph.
Then things got worse.
The Barrow King’s dead eyes filled with eldritch green energy and it spread both arms wide. Its mouth opened far wider than it ever could have in life and a piercing scream, like the sound of some demonic bird calling allies to arms erupted from its throat.
Around the chamber, the fallen bodies of the dread knights and Byrrk shook as if seething maggots were trying to burrow free. Pulsing blobs of green energy erupted from their mouths and flew into the waiting maw of the Barrow King. The revenant’s body spasmed and all of his stats surged to 100%.