by Bill Ricardi
Everyone had a turn peering through the porthole. I was last in line. What I saw made me question either my eyes or my sanity.
Around thirty-five paces distant, slowly shambling across the broken chamber floor, was a humanoid figure. But instead of curved features, everything about the thing was glassy and square. It didn’t look particularly pristine; even at this distance one could see large chunks missing from its head and torso. Whether it was ‘born’ with those defects or something had damaged it was unknown to me.
I slid out from behind the blanket to join my companions, who were already deep in discussion. As the junior partner in this venture, I listened rather than spoke.
Toby was smiling. “We have the opportunity to discover who or what is raising these creatures. Perhaps they can be reasoned with. Then we can restore the mines to their former glory.”
Will shrugged, “While that’s a possibility, there’s no real benefit to us if there’s still an owner of record. We don’t have any sort of contract or salvage agreement.”
Ames rubbed their chin. “If we were to cleanse this place, we could research the owner of record when we get back. It’s not like people come out here very often. Then we could strike a deal to clear the place out, wait a week, and report back.” Toby stared at the cat, looking a little saddened by that somewhat deceptive suggestion.
Rick chimed in, “I don’t know how valuable this place is. There are no roads in, no easy transportation. I’d say that we continue with our quest, and then we’ll see what opportunities arise.”
All eyes turned to me, as I hadn’t weighed in yet.
“Ummm. Before I weigh in with an opinion, does anyone know how to kill a salt elemental?”
The silence and thoughtful looks gave me my answer.
I shrugged, “I think we worry about how easy or hard the task might be first, then figure out exactly what the scope of our opportunity might be.”
The taller human nodded. “That’s a fair point and a reasonable course of action, I think. Let’s secure the room, keep watch out the window, and we mages can have a midday rest to prepare spells that we think might be appropriate to destroy something like that thing. Objections?”
There were none.
I took the first watch while the others set up defenses. That would allow the non mages to observe through the porthole while we slept and memorized an array of combat spells. The elemental that we knew about wandered in and out of vision for an hour, but other than that, I had nothing to report. Will took a half watch while the rest of us prepared bedrolls and discussed potential strategies. With nothing interesting going on, the three magic users bedded down so that we could refresh our spells with something more appropriate than travel and exploration oriented magic.
When I awoke, Toby’s big head was inches from my face. He murmured, “We have a problem.”
The minotaur ushered me over to the porthole and urged me to slide behind the curtain. There was something on the side of the chamber opposite to where we spotted the elemental. To be accurate, there were several somethings. Humanoid in nature. But they looked crystalline, almost sharp. The phosphorescent green light gave these new creatures an aquamarine color. They shambled like restless zombies. These things were quite a bit smaller than the salt elemental, but I still wouldn’t want to mess with them without a very good reason.
I slid out from behind the hanging blanket. “What are they?”
Toby murmured, “Frigid simulacrums. Imagine a zombie that was animated by the frost and ice invading their joints and bones. These are the kind of undead raised by an ice necromancer. I can feel the oppression of their evil from here.”
I glanced over at Ames, who wore a feline scowl. The cat remained mute, but was clearly not pleased.
Turning my gaze to the slumbering human magis, I murmured, “Go ahead and wake them up. I’ll brew some tea and we can discuss our next move.”
The discussion was animated, but we kept our voices down. The general consensus was that we could outrun a threat in this chamber, if it was immune to our influences. We needed a clear path back to the cave exit, at least until we were sure about our chances. The mages would prepare spells that revolved around impact, fire, and escape. We finished our tea and made preparations and memorizations. Infused by the caffeine and warmth, the five of us were packed and ready in no time at all.
There were four of the undead creatures shambling around the to our left, on the south side of the large chamber. Both Will and Rick had Light sticks tucked into their belts, and our illumination announced our presence to the simulacrums. One of them raised an arm towards our group and opened its cold-mummified jaw in a silent scream. The other three turned their lifeless heads towards us, as in if hearing the soundless cry.
The first thing that I noticed was their speed. They may have been exploring at a glacial pace, but when aroused to anger, they were able to lumber around fairly quickly. The second thing that I noticed was the vaguely elven designs of their tattered and rusted armor. Finally, the longswords that they were brandishing were still fairly solid. We would want to deal with them quickly.
I opened with Noon Sunlight, testing the theory that these dark creatures suffer when exposed to the light of day. Over half of the chamber was suddenly flooded with bright light. The good news was that no other creatures were within our line of sight. The bad news was that it had absolutely no effect on the undead, and they simply pushed forward towards our front line.
The difference in fighting styles between Toby and Ames was astonishing. Toby used his body and his armor to full effect, moving in to crowd the two undead foes he was facing. He almost never let them get a full swing, pushing forward with his shield, truncating their blows before they could build power. You could see him smiling, just waiting for the right moment to chop his foes down with that huge broadsword.
The were-cat, on the other hand, was like a dancer. The leathers wouldn’t provide a lot of protection against a direct strike, so Ames relied on agility for the bulk of their defense. The feline faced off against one of the simulacrums, starting in a low crouch. By the time the creature’s sword was arcing through the air, the cat simply wasn’t there anymore. Ames had spun to the right and was already stabbing the frigid simulacrum in the ribs. It was a minor blow to the undead warrior, but it was the first of many to come. Parry and dodge, feint and backstep: These were the tools in Ames’ arsenal.
The last of the undead approached Will, but it was met by a gout of fire streaming from the smaller human's hands, as his Fan of Flames connected. A fraction of a second later, a tight grouping of Magic Missiles cascaded from Rick’s fingertips, piercing flesh and breaking bones. The undead creature seemed disoriented under the assault. It lunged forward, the tip of its longsword missing Will, who had stopped channeling his spell to throw himself to one side.
As the human and the undead creature both recovered from the attack, I made amends for my less than spectacular opening spell. My Force Bolt slammed the simulacrum into a large stalagmite, finishing the job that my fellow mages had started.
A few moments later, there was a satisfying ‘crunch’ as Toby shattered the skull of one of his two opponents. It was followed by a wince however, as the other icey zombie landed a blow across the left side of the minotaur’s face. The thick jawbone did it’s job, but there was a spray of blood as Toby’s flesh was split open.
Seeing their friend in trouble, Ames picked up the pace. A quick parry and riposte cost the undead creature its shoulder socket. The next fumbling swing from the simulacrum resulted in it being disarmed. Clearly the were-cat had their foe well in hand.
Will had an angle on big bull man’s enemy, and a series of Magic Missiles lanced out to pepper its side. I circled left to get an unhampered line of sight, and Rick circled right to get the same. We needn’t have bothered. The creature dropped its guard for a moment, and Toby bisected it. As the undead fiend’s torso slid away from its hips, Ames’ short sword pierced the skul
l of the last cursed creature.
Rick hurried over to Toby, who fell to the ground clutching his face. Even through the blood, one could see the dull white of jawbone through the gaping cut. The tall human urged the minotaur, “Heal yourself, use it.”
Tears were flowing from the bull man’s eyes. This time it might have been as simple as a reaction to pain, though he might be equally upset that he let his guard down. It’s hard to tell with minotaurs. It looked like Toby was going to protest against the suggestion that he use the healing power on himself. There was a sound from the back of his throat, but when he moved his jaw to say something, the pain stole his voice. The paladin relented, and closed his eyes to concentrate.
To see the healing of Aro-Remset up close was really something. Toby’s hands started to glow. That aura seeped into the open wound to do its work. Before our very eyes, flesh stitched itself together. The pain melted away from the big man’s features. All that was left of the grievous wound was a puffy red scar and a line in Toby’s fur that was bare for the moment. There was still evidence that he had been hit of course. His armor and the ground were slick with blood. But looking at our friend, we might have assumed he suffered a minor sparring accident rather than the bone-deep wound that had been inflicted just a minute ago.
Ames wiped their friend’s teary eyes with the back of one fluffy white paw. This resulted in a strained, somewhat breathless chuckle from the minotaur. “Is everyone else alright?” he asked.
We all piped in with reports of our good health as Toby got to his feet. Will and I policed the area, but found nothing of value on the bodies. There was a brief discussion as to how that went, and all agreed that a small band of these fiends wasn’t too much of a problem, now that we’ve seen them in action. The minotaur admitted that his mistake was overconfidence, and vowed to avoid underestimating the frigid simulacrums again. We pressed on, making use of the faux-sunlight that my spell was still providing.
At the southern edge of the light field, a passage could be seen. It was strange. The salt stone was warped in places. It was as in if the passage, certainly hewn by sentient beings, was being reclaimed by nature at an unnatural rate. Walls that were perfectly square to the floor and ceiling suddenly became bumpy, as in if the stone had bubbled fluidly from the wall at some point. Then a few paces further on, it was squared off once again.
We explored the rest of the main room, Ames adding details to their map every once in awhile. Rick and Will switched to Light sticks when we moved out of the radius of my spell. In the lifeless white light, we saw another exit from the chamber to the northeast. This tunnel was far more uniform than the other, but no less disturbing. It was as in if a perfect semicircle had eaten through the rock. The domed tunnel was massive, easily four paces in radius. It was completely devoid of features… not a single stalactite or stalagmite, and bearing not even a scrap of moss. Disturbing, as I said.
Toby mentioned, “This one is sloping downwards slightly. Whatever created this was aiming for something just a little bit below us.” I couldn’t detect the grade of the passage, but one should always trust a minotaur in mazes and caves.
Rick, our fearless expedition leader, made the executive decision. “Well. This one is closer. Let’s start here.” He truly was a font of wisdom.
We proceeded down the cold, sterile passage for a little under eighty paces before we saw anything new. Eventually the featureless passage opened into a natural cavern of salt rock and limestone. When our light started to shine deeper into the cavern, we heard a voice call out: “Oh, come in, come in! So rare I have visitors these days.”
We proceeded with caution, seeing a light very similar to our own in the distance. As we crept forward, details started to come into focus. The magical light was from the tip of a staff… not a wooden staff, but one that looked to be coated in black stone. The holder of said staff seemed to be an ancient elf, seated atop a makeshift rock throne. Everything about the man was pale, from skin, to light amber eyes, to that wild mane of hair. He was flanked by two of those salt elementals that we spotted earlier. The elf’s free hand was stroking one of them absently, as in if the creature was an overgrown housecat of some sort.
Seeing Toby in the lead, the wizened elf laughed. “A minotaur! So they’ve finally sent a rescue party, have they?” He peered over Toby’s shoulder from his elevated position. “A ragtag group to be sure, but one needs native guides and… muscle, I suppose.”
Will asked Rick, “Are we really ragtag?”
Rick answered, “We’re not top shelf, buddy.”
Toby cleared his throat and made introductions, “Greetings. I am Toby McGoldberg of Ice House, Paladin of Aro-Remset, defender of the Order of the Snow. We are a survey mission rather than a rescue mission, though if you require rescue then we are more than happy to offer assistance.”
The old elf snorted, and then spat. The salt elementals stirred restlessly. “You can simply call me Salt, boy. And I do not require rescue, young thing. I do not wish to leave, and no force has been able to best me yet. I doubt anything will happen along that poses a significant challenge. Other than the Necromancer, of course.”
Toby glanced back at me for some reason, possibly looking for guidance. I gave him a ‘thumb’s up’, which Will had taught me to do when I wanted to encourage someone. Toby rolled his eyes and turned back to the ancient elf.
“We did encounter and slay some undead creatures in the room up yonder, sir. Might those be products of this Necromancer you speak of?”
The old man cackled and clapped his hands together, like a pleased four year old child. “Oh excellent. You’ve softened him up for tonight’s battle. Perhaps the tide is finally turning. My children might march all the way down his throat and bury him once and for all. Then I can proceed with my quest.”
Toby’s look back at us seemed to effectively convey the message: ‘Help me with this madman.’
Not seeing anyone else step forward, I cleared my throat and asked, “We see that your mastery of the element of earth is unquestionable, sir. As you don’t seek to leave this place, might we assume that your quest relates to your magical pursuits?”
I regretted speaking almost instantly, because those pale amber eyes were now fixed on me. It was quite unnerving.
Salt seemed surprised. “Things have changed since my retirement, if one such as you can surmise such things. But the answer to your question is ‘yes’. You might assume that. And you would be correct, after a fashion. I plan to use the salt of the earth to melt the snow.”
Ames chimed in, “You mean to create a road? Perhaps between here and Ice House? That would allow the mine to reopen and-”
The elementalist cut off the were-cat in mid sentence. “No, no, no. I will use the salt of the earth to melt the snow. All snow. Everywhere.”
We were stunned into silence. Toby started to say something, and then reconsidered. After a few seconds, he finally asked, “You can do that?”
The elven madman wiggled his staff around, causing the nearby shadows to dance around wildly for a few moments. “Of course! Well perhaps not all of it right away. I’ll start close to home. My children will multiply and spread their salt all around. The land will go sterile, the ice will not form, and the earth will have won. Then we’ll spiral out further and further. It will take time. But time, I have.”
I scowled. “That would kill tens, if not hundreds of thousands of creatures. The runoff would be toxic and poison streams. Ice House and other settlements would need to be abandoned.”
The elf shrugged. “Sure. But. No snow!”
Toby shot me a quick glance before I said something we might all regret. He turned back to the elementalist and said, “We will go and examine this Necromancer you speak of. Can I assume that he resides in a place that can be reached from the other side of the main chamber?”
Salt snickered a bit. “Yes, yes. He’s lived there since the original expedition. So intent on keeping those other fools alive that he nev
er really noticed that little slip between life and undeath. Now he wishes to claim me, and I simply wish him to be out of the way.” The ancient, mad elf shook his head. “Ah well. Go. You may need to butcher some more of his creations before you can speak to him. That would be such a shame!” He waved us off, like royalty dismissing servants.
We made our way back to the main chamber. My magical zone of daylight had faded. After a quick check around, we retreated to the safety of the observation room so that we could have a discussion.
Ames gave their professional assessment. “That guy is nuts.”
I agreed with our fuzzy feline companion. “His plan is tantamount to mass murder or mass destruction, or potentially both.”
Our golden brown fuzzy companion seemed uncertain. Toby sighed. “Are we sure that he has both the power and the will to do what he’s talking about? Plotting destruction is an offense to the Order, but idle rambling is not.”
Will and Rick had been conferring. Will said, “We think he could do it. At least the first part of his plan. He could set salt elementals loose in the wilderness and cause all manner of personal and natural destruction. Unsupervised, they would kill indiscriminately.”
Rick added, “It might take years, but eventually everything between here and Ice House would be barren and scarred. The water supplies would be poison. One powerful and insane elementalist left to his own destructive ways for a decade? The damage would be unspeakable.”
Toby nodded curtly. “And the Necromancer? There’s no such thing as a good one of those, in my experience. These two apparently have some sort of feud going on.”
Will noted, “On a regular basis, for over a hundred years. And their next battle is to happen tonight, if you trust the word of Salt.”
Ames tilted their head. “I can try to sneak in and spy on the necromancer, if we wanted more intel.”
Our expedition leader considered the options quietly for a few moments. Then Rick said, “No. There’s no need. We can’t risk an army of frozen undead wandering the area any more than we can elementals. This ends tonight.”