by Dave Gross
"Just don't be overconfident," said Darrow. "Lord Malveen is probably down there waiting for us, and he is no mere vampire."
"That makes us even," said Tal. His face was flush with excitement. Despite the horrors of the place, he had never felt so confident. "I'm no mere werewolf."
Chapter 21
The Baiting Pit
Tarsakh, 1372 DR
Darrow led them through the secret panel and down the winding stairs. Years of Malveen family trophies stared down at them from the walls. The images unnerved Barrow, who found them eerily similar to the skulls mounted in Rusk's sanctum back at the lodge. He was still trembling since the attack of Lord Malveen's minion. Whatever else it had drawn out of his body, it took some of his courage with it-and he had precious little to start with.
"It's that smell again," whispered Talbot, sniffing. "Or something like it."
"Lord Malveen," confirmed Darrow. "He's down here somewhere. I wouldn't be surprised if Radu is nearby, too. Let's just hope they haven't-" Darrow couldn't finish the thought.
"They haven't," said Talbot. His confidence helped sooth Barrow's fears, but only slightly.
Chaney tugged on Talbot's arm. "I'm just going to hang back a little," he said. "But don't worry. I'll be watching your back."
"I appreciate it," said Talbot.
Feena covered her shining holy symbol in both hands, but the daylight still shone brightly through her fingers. It was too valuable to extinguish, but it meant there was no hiding their arrival in the baiting pit. As they entered, Darrow saw that they were expected.
The stone sconces all danced with green flame. In the pit below, the great iron portals were raised to reveal the cells beyond. All but one were empty. Maelin sat on the floor near the heavy bars, looking out into the dueling pit, which was empty except for a row of weapons planted in the sand and the fanged pit in the center.
On the other side of the stands, a roiling mass of shadows hovered above the floor. It was approximately the shape of Lord Malveen and half again as large.
"That's him," whispered Darrow. Talbot nodded and walked down the aisle to the edge of the ring. Darrow followed him.
Feena crossed over to the next aisle, opening her fingers to shine her daylight toward the shadowy figure. The radiance failed to dispel the shadows, but it did reveal another occupant in the room. Radu Malveen stood motionless near the door to the cells below. His reptilian eyes watched the intruders while his face remained impassive. Darrow shuddered to imagine what he was thinking.
Stannis Malveen's wheezy laughter emanated from the shadowy mass.
"You must have brought me quite a tale, dear boy. Did our friend the Huntmaster bite off more than he could swallow?"
Talbot stepped away from Darrow, fresh suspicion apparent in his face. He tried to keep his eyes on Darrow, Radu, and Stannis all at once. Darrow tried to reassure him with a quick shake of his head, but he could hardly blame the man for being careful.
Stannis seemed to be reading his mind. "How hard it must be for you to make new friends, you fickle lad, and how wicked of you to lead them back here without permission."
The shadow floated out over the ring but remained safely out of range of their weapons.
"We've come for Maelin," said Feena. "Release her, and we'll go."
"Be silent, you smelly little drudge!" spat Stannis.
Barrow had never heard such incivility from his former master. The shadows swirled, and an arm-shaped branch reached out to point at Feena. A black bolt of energy shot forth to strike her holy symbol. It smothered the daylight and plunged the room back into eerie green darkness.
Barrow's intuition told him to move the moment the light vanished. "Look out!" he cried, throwing himself over the seats into the next aisle.
The big man did not need the warning. His big sword had already caught Radu's blade as it licked toward him. He struck back with astounding speed, destroying the chair where his attacker had stood an instant earlier. Radu had already slipped away to attack from another direction.
Barrow took advantage of the fight to make a run for the cell entrance. Miraculously, it remained unlocked. He rushed down the stairs and found the portcullis closed. Cursing himself, he realized Stannis or Radu must have kept the key. He ran back up to the arena.
Talbot and Radu fought near the edge of the baiting pit, retreating and attacking by turns. Talbot bore a long slash along his face and another on his sword arm. His shirt clung to his body, sodden with perspiration. Barrow saw no wounds on Radu, who fenced with cool precision.
Feena and Stannis both hurled magic, the vampire casting forth his shadows while the cleric invoked the name of her goddess. Black tentacles erupted from the arena floor to encircle Feena's legs, pulling her inexorably down. She slashed at them with a radiant blade of moonlight, but it was a losing battle.
Stannis floated toward the struggling cleric, his armor of shadows still cloaking his bloated body. Barrow feared many things in the world, but few of them as much as the touch of the vampire's hand. He thought of what would become of Maelin should he fail, gripped his sword tightly, and ran to help Feena hack at the wriggling tentacles. With two quick chops of his blade, he freed one of her legs as she cut away another inky limb that encircled her waist.
"My sweet^ reckless, feckless boy," hissed Stannis. "What a disappointment you have become. Is this how you repay my generosity?"
The vampire whispered arcane words and made a gripping gesture. Pain lanced through Barrow's body. His back jerked in uncontrollable spasms, and the sword fell uselessly from his hand.
"If only a mild lesson would suffice to correct such behavior," mourned Stannis. "It pains me to rebuke you, my dear boy. You do believe me, don't you?"
The pain became blindingly powerful, and Barrow felt he could rip Stannis's arms from his body, if only he could control his own. The spasms gripped him from head to foot, twisting every nerve and bending every sinew against his will. His own screams were deafening inside his brain, but they escaped his lips as a weak gasp.
Stannis shrieked suddenly, and through the red veil of pain Barrow saw Chaney stab again through the shadows around Lord Malveen. He had crept unseen along the inner railing, attacking from beneath as the sorcerer levitated above him.
The railing offered no protection from the sorcerer's dark magic. With a sibilant string of incantations and another violent gesture, Stannis wracked Chaney's body with waves of agony. The little man arched his back and writhed, no words escaping his gaping mouth.
"Get away from him, you revolting thing!" Free at last from the groping tendrils, Feena leaped to Chaney's defense.
Her blade cut effortlessly through the vampire's shadow armor. The flesh beneath boiled away with a sickening stench, spraying ribbons of vile ichor across the floor and down onto the sandy pit below.
"Brother!" cried Stannis. "Defend me!"
Radu did not even glance in his brother's direction. Instead, he pressed Talbot with a series of attacks to his arms and face. He was only slightly quicker than the big man, but his sword was far lighter than Perivel's war blade. Talbot used reach and retreats more than parries to defend himself. Soon he ran out of room to withdraw without stepping on Chancy, who struggled to his feet.
With his friend at his back, Chancy set his teeth against the pain and thrust again at Stannis, whose attention was fixed on Feena and her devastating blade. Chaney's blade sank deep into the vampire's flesh and evoked another shriek of pain.
The shadow sorcerer lashed his heavy tail once, then again, slamming Chaney hard enough to knock the sword from his hand. Each blow slapped the blush from his face, leaving him as colorless as rain. The last blow threw him against Talbot's back, where Chaney sank to the floor.
"No!" yelled Feena, slashing again at the monstrous vampire. "Face me!"
Talbot looked down at his fallen friend. It was the opening Radu needed. He thrust past Talbot's open guard and ran his long sword through the swordmaster's chest. The red point emerged ju
st an inch to the left of Talbot's spine.
The big man gasped at his foe, who tried twisting the blade. The sword would not turn, and Talbot grabbed Radu's hand, holding it fast to the grip. Dropping his own weapon, Talbot grabbed Malveen's jacket and pulled him close.
Darrow saw the big man's shoulders swell and the fur sprout on his arms. For a moment he thought Radu had met his match at last, but then he remembered the real danger.
"The knife!" he cried, cursing himself silently for not thinking of it earlier. "Look out!"
The bone blade flashed at Radu's hip, striking up toward Tal's exposed stomach. Before it touched flesh, Chaney's hands closed on Radu's wrist. He mustered all of his strength to pull the weapon down, away from his friend.
Instead of struggling against him, Radu turned the point down and thrust the dagger at Chaney, who was unprepared for the sudden reversal. The slender dagger sank deeply into Chaney's throat. Hateful white light shot from the little man's eyes and mouth, showing a red skull beneath his flesh.
"No!" roared Talbot, releasing his grip on Radu's clothing to grab the hand that held the dagger.
Darrow heard the bones of Radu's arm grind and crack as Talbot squeeze his wrist and pulled the blade out of Chaney's throat.
It was far too late for Chaney. His flesh withered and collapsed, leaving only a ragged skeleton behind. Those meager remains survived only a moment longer before dispersing to the finest dust.
Still transfixed by his foe's blade, Talbot gripped Radu by wrist and throat, lifting the slender man off the floor. The motion would have seemed effortless except for the stream of blood that ran from both sides of the sword wound. With an inarticulate scream, Talbot hurled the swordsman over the edge of the baiting pit, onto the hard sand twenty feet below.
"Brother!" cried Stannis, retreating from Feena's glowing blade.
The cleric spared only one brief glance for the slain Chaney before pursuing the fleeing vampire. Stannis flew down to Radu, still dripping black ichor. Darrow looked down to see that the cell gates were open. Maelin was the only occupant, and she crouched behind the shelter of her cot when she saw Stannis arrive.
With furious abandon, Talbot grasped the sword in his chest and pushed it out in two painful thrusts, each one punctuated by a mournful howl. His face was a twisted cross between man and wolf, curved fangs protruding over a short snout, his blood-red eyes blazing furiously.
"Help him!" he cried to Feena. He scooped two big hand-fuls of the dust that was his friend.
Torn between rage and sympathy, Feena simply shook her head. "I can't," she said.
Talbot crouched over Chaney*s remains, letting the dust sift through his bestial hands. A low growl grew in his chest, and he reached for PerivePs sword.
Darrow was afraid to speak and turn the werewolf's anger on himself, but his fear for Maelin was even greater. "Stannis has the key to Maelin's cell," he said.
Talbot's blazing eyes fell upon him, and the werewolf leaped up onto the edge of the pit. Darrow craned his neck to see the Malveen brothers below.
Stannis curled protectively around Radu, who struggled to regain his feet. The fall had finished the work that Talbot had begun. Radu's left arm turned at an impossible angle, hanging awkward and useless at his side. The bone blade lay on the sand beside him.
"Malveen!" roared Talbot in a voice that only the Nine Hells could lend him.
He leaped down into the pit and landed squarely on two feet, bending slightly to absorb the shock. His black torso gleamed with blood, but the wound had begun to close. He took one step toward the brothers, raising his massive sword.
"No!" squealed Stannis. "Spare us, I beg you! It isn't us you want."
"Be silent!" hissed Radu.
Clutching his horrid brother's chain veil, Radu pulled himself up. His left leg trailed as uselessly as his broken arm.
"Pietro!" shrieked Stannis. "Laskar! They are the ones you want. Spare me, and I will give you what you want."
"Liar!" shouted Radu. It was the first time Darrow had ever seen his former master impassioned.
"It's no good, dear brother," said Stannis. "We must make amends as best we can, even if it means acknowledging our brothers' misdeeds. Perhaps we can earn some clemency for our incidental-brother! What are you doing?"
Radu released the golden veil and snatched up the bone blade.
Talbot took a cautious step back, but Radu did not even look at him. Instead, he thrust the bone blade into his brother's wide flank.
An explosion of light dispelled the remaining shadows that cloaked Stannis. His golden veil flew away, leaving bloody wounds where the rings had pierced his face, revealing a round, gasping mouth filled with row upon row of triangular teeth. The radiance that surged from his body was tainted with wriggling strands of liquid black and red.
Still holding the bone blade, Radu was galvanized by the magical feedback. His body trembled and rose from the floor as the dark energies of his brother mingled with the life-draining magic of the dagger.
The vampire's body did not wither but flushed with power, glowing blindingly as it shook.
"Get down!" cried Feena from the rail.
Darrow heeded her warning just as an explosion shook the arena. Sand and wet matter fell all around them. The bright light was gone, leaving the baiting pit illuminated only by the flickering green flames of the braziers.
Darrow picked himself up carefully. Feena was already at the edge of the pit, leaning over to see what was below.
"Tal!" She ran her thumb across her holy symbol and spoke a word. Light shone from the talisman, revealing the aftermath of the vampire's destruction.
Radu Malveen lay on his back beside the pit. The explosion had reduced his right hand to a withered black branch. His face was also ruined, burned to the bone in some places, in others spotted with raw, weeping red wounds.
There was no sign of Stannis Malveen except for the nasty black and red stains covering every surface.
Talbot sat propped against the bars of Maelin's cell, where the blast had thrown him. Everywhere his exposed skin was burned and peeling, his hair singed and smoking.
Feena gasped and thrust her fist against her mouth, staring down at his motionless body. At last, Maelin emerged from the shelter of her overturned cot, cautiously approaching Tal. She placed a tentative hand on his neck, and he flinched at the pain.
"Oh, thank you!" cried Feena from the other side of the bars. She closed her eyes and clutched her glowing talisman. "Thank you, Lady."
Darrow ran to fetch the key from the veil. The chains were still hot, but the keys were relatively undamaged. Despite the slight bend in the shaft, the key did its job. After a few fumbling moments, Darrow let Feena into the baiting pit before releasing Maelin.
The cleric channeled the last of her power into healing Talbot's burns. The worst of them had vanished, but he still appeared groggy and weak. His burned hair stank worse than the foul odor left by the demise of Stannis Malveen.
"You're free," he told her as he opened her cell door. He mustered a weak smile, wondering whether she would throw herself into his arms or simply weep with gratitude.
She did neither. Instead, she moved into the hall, making every effort not to touch him as she slipped by. He followed her into the baiting pit. There, Maelin stood behind Feena, who knelt beside Talbot.
"Get Radu," said Tal. "Make sure he's alive. We need the Scepters to get the truth out of him."
Darrow turned to obey. First he would throw that sword into the pit, and-
But Radu Malveen was gone. Darrow searched for some trail in the sand, but there was none. He peered into the dark pit, but there was nothing but darkness as far as he could see.
"Where in the Nine Hells did he go?" thundered Talbot.
"I-I don't know," said Darrow, staring into the fanged pit.
"Where does that hole go?"
" 'Somewhere worse…' " quoted Darrow, remembering Lord Malveen's words.
"I smell smoke
," said Feena.
Darrow didn't yet, but he trusted the cleric's sense of smell. He remembered the dry timbers of the second floor and could only imagine the inferno they had ignited above.
"Dark and empty," said Maelin. "What did you do? Set fire to the place before coming down?" When she saw Feena wince, she cursed again. "Some rescue this is."
"Ill check the door." Feena ran out of the baiting pit and up the stairs.
"Where does that hole lead?" demanded Talbot, his voice thundering like that of a battlefield commander. He pushed himself up and painfully got to his feet. He looked like the walking dead.
"I really don't know!" said Darrow. Now he smelled the smoke, too. They all did. Suddenly he remembered, "The troughs!"
Maelin ran back into the hall between the cells. Darrow and Tal followed, finding her lifting the stone slabs that bordered the running water. Beneath them the trough was just wide enough for a big man to crawl through. At its end, it slanted sharply down, its bottom surface black and green with slime.
"This has to empty out somewhere, doesn't it?" Maelin said. "Probably the sewers."
"Probably," agreed Tal. He knelt down and squirmed his head and shoulders into the chute, then pulled himself back out. "It's a tight fit, but it's slippery enough."
Feena returned from the stairs, breathless. "The door's too hot to touch," she reported, "but smoke's pouring down the steps."
Darrow looked dubiously at the sewage tunnel. The thought of being trapped in there was no more appealing than the prospect of suffocating under a house fire.
"Do we have any other options?" asked Tal.
Darrow felt slightly hurt that Talbot looked to Maelin before him. Nobody had an alternative.
"Right, then," Tal said. "The sewers it is. I'm most likely to get stuck, so I'll go first."
"No," said Feena. "You're most likely to get stuck, so you go last."
Talbot started to argue but thought better of it. Before any more arguments could arise, Maelin shucked off her outer clothing.
"I don't know about you people," she said, "but I'm sick of this place." She dived head-first into the nasty chute. The rest of them followed her lead.