The Sorcerer's Torment (The Sorcerer's Path)

by Brock Deskins

  Malek had followed the mural to its end. “Only a few thousand people are left when the clouds part, rays of mystical light shine down, and transcendence occurs.”

  Tears for the unimaginable loss of life that occurred here freely flowed down the cleric’s face. “This last part gets hard to read. I can’t make out what happens after that.”

  “I guess we know where all the people went,” Maude whispered.

  “I just hope they didn’t stick around to haunt the place,” Borik rumbled.

  Maude let out a deep breath. “I just don’t understand why the people, the ones being sacrificed, allowed themselves to be slaughtered like sheep. Why didn’t they fight back?”

  “These were obviously people with deep-seated religious devotion. To them, the priests were the mouths of their gods, the closest thing to the gods themselves. I imagine that they figured if they could sacrifice themselves to please the gods and save the rest of their people then it was worth it. By the time they realized that their deaths were not going to save the rest of them, it was too late. They simply lacked the numbers to resist.”

  “Let’s get what we came for and leave this place as quickly as we can,” Maude suggested.

  The party explored the other rooms, each adorned with a tiled mosaic, but none was as gruesome as the huge mural in the main chamber. Most of the others were simple depictions of religious services, detailed astronomy, and the people’s everyday lives before the building of the temple. They found ramps in place of stairs that led to the levels above. Maude figured that whatever they were looking for would likely lie near the top, and not in the sublevels dug under the great pyramid.

  So far, they had not discovered any signs of life. Nowhere did they find any refuse, scraps of old clothing, or eating utensils that normally would have been left behind. They followed the ramps to the top of the structure, deciding that there was nothing of value to find in the empty lower chambers. The rooms continued to grow smaller and decreased in number the higher they climbed. When the ramp they were following stopped in front of a single door, they knew that they had arrived at the top of the pyramid. If there was anything of value to be found in the abandoned temple, it would likely behind this sealed door.

  “The door appears to have been sealed. Borik, Tarth; do either of you see any way to open it?” Malek asked.

  Both shook their heads in the negative.

  “See if you can break it down, Malek,” ordered Maude.

  The cleric shrugged his shoulders and took his war hammer to the door. Mortar around the joints cracked and crumbled away revealing the outline of the portal. Stone chips flew as Malek hammered against the stone. A spider web of cracks appeared near the center of the door where the hammer continuously pounded against it. Malek jumped away from the door as the structure finally gave in to his relentless abuse and crumbled to the floor.

  After a brief hesitation to allow the dust to clear, the party stepped into the room. It was not the smallest room they had found, but it was considerably less vast than the main chamber far below. What it lacked in size however, it made up in decorativeness. Tiled mosaics covered every inch of the floors and walls, but what drew the eyes of everyone in the room was the gold mask inlaid with cut gems that rested on a pedestal in the center of the room. The precious gems set within the mask glittered under the beam of moonlight that shone through a square opening about a foot across in the top of the ceiling. Malek saw that it was the same mask the high priest had worn when he slaughtered his people.

  “That doesn’t look like it is part of Dundalor’s armor,” Borik observed.

  “I would have to agree with you, Borik, but it looks valuable all the same, so I guess we should take back whatever we find,” Maude told the dwarf.

  “Great, another damned wild goose chase,” the dwarf complained bitterly. “I swear if I didn’t know better, I’d think that someone is intentionally sending us in the wrong direction.”

  “I’m sure that’s not it,” Maude reassured her companion. “What would the King gain by it? He needs to prevent anyone from completing the suit of armor.”

  “I have a question, Maudeline,” Tarth interjected.

  “What is it, Tarth?”

  “Well, if this place has truly been abandoned, who does all the cleaning? There is not a speck of dust anywhere. Trust me, I have looked.”

  Maude looked around and reviewed her memory of the rooms and passages they had explored and realized that the wizard was correct. With the exception of the pit trap, not so much as a spider web littered the walls or floor.

  “It seems to me,” the elf continued, “that every old tomb and ruin we have ever visited has always been filthy, even when there were inhabitants within.”

  “I don’t know. Borik, grab that mask but be careful, then let’s get the hell out of here,” Maude ordered.

  Borik carefully examined the tiles on the floor for any sign of traps or triggers but found nothing. Minutes later, he stood before the pedestal and looked into the eyes of the mask. He scanned for any signs of traps on and around the plinth, but he saw nothing to cause concern. With a shrug of his wide shoulders, he gently lifted the heavy mask from its narrow dais.

  A small column of stone perhaps two inches in diameter gently rose from the center of the pedestal. Borik’s danger sense screamed a warning just as a single, deep, reverberating gong echoed through the pyramid. The single note was long, low, and seemed to originate from the entire pyramid.

  “I think we better go now,” Borik suggested eagerly, shoving the mask into his pack, and hustled after the others as they fled the room.

  Borik stole a furtive glance back over his shoulder as he followed the others out and saw a movement in the deep shadows of the high priest’s chambers. The party stole down the ramp, walking swiftly and watching for any signs of trouble. Borik kept looking back over his shoulder for signs of pursuit.

  “I think we had better pick up the pace a bit,” the dwarf recommended.

  “Why, did you see something?” Maude asked, glancing around.

  “I think the shadows are chasing us.”

  Maude shuddered as she thought back to the shadows they had fought a couple years back while they searched an ancient tomb for treasure. Then, she too saw numerous dark shapes detach themselves from the walls and ceiling.

  “We have company!” she shouted as several small black shapes lunged at her from darkened alcoves and side rooms.

  The creatures were small, not much larger than a goblin. Their skin was a midnight blue bordering on black with huge yellow eyes. Not a single follicle of hair marred their dark skin. The creatures struck with surprising speed and guile, suddenly appearing as if they had been birthed by the pyramid’s dark shadows to punish the intruders.

  Claws and wickedly sharp teeth grated against steel armor followed by hisses and screeches of rage. Maude was forced to hold her massive two-handed sword in her left hand and draw her dagger to fend off the vicious assault.

  Malek slammed his shield into two of the creatures and sent them flying against the unyielding stone wall while he cracked the skull of another with his hammer. The cleric barely had time to bring his weapon back in line before the two he had shield slammed launched themselves at him once again.

  Tarth sent a salvo of magic darts that looked like tiny, sword-wielding pixies streaking into one of the dark-skinned creatures, killing it instantly. Borik swung his battleaxe in hard, sweeping arcs that split the bodies of his attackers open like ripe melons. Maude finally beat back the creatures assailing her front, enabling her to bring her large sword into play.

  “Come on and stick close,” she called back to the others and mowed down the diminutive demons blocking their path like a scythe through tall grass.

  They barreled down ramp after ramp, using their steel weapons and greater bulk to force their way through the unending tide of monsters. The party managed to get in front of the majority of their attackers as they fled down dark passageway
s while a legion of the black-skinned monsters chased after them, hissing and shrieking their rage.

  Maude heard laughter behind her and glanced over her shoulder at Malek. “I’m glad you are finding this amusing. If we hit a dead end, it’s really going to be a dead end!”

  “I’m sorry. I just realized what happened to everyone,” Malek panted as he ran. “The priests managed to effect a transcendence all right, but not for themselves. The gods opened the passage to the heavens, but they took the people not the priests! They cursed the priests and their guards to live forever in the darkness of their pyramid. The punishments from the gods were never because of the lack of faith from the followers, but because of the abuses of their priests!”

  “What goes around comes around I guess,” Maude replied, breathing heavily as she cut through several more of the cursed priests that tried to block their path.

  “Oh crap,” Maude muttered as a large group of the dark priests and guardians crowded the passageway up ahead. “Tarth, can you clear a hole for us?”

  “Of course, Maudeline, it would be my pleasure,” the elf replied sinuously.

  The party skidded to a halt about thirty yards from the mass of creatures who stood in their way. Malek and Borik guarded their rear as the monsters that chased them quickly closed the distance. The wizard raised his long thin arms and chanted a short phrase of magic in his musical, elven language. A small ball of fire leapt from his outstretched hand and streaked down the corridor, growing larger as it flew towards its target. It reached the center mass of the small horde of creatures and exploded violently.

  However, instead of the lethally destructive inferno that such a spell should have released, the fireball burst into a huge swarm of multi-colored, brightly luminescent butterflies. One of the sparkling insects landed on the nose of one of the creatures, causing it to go cross-eyed trying to focus on it.

  Tarth gasped at the effect his spell had created. “Oh, how pretty!” he squealed and clapped his perfectly manicured hands.

  “For crying out loud, Tarth!” Maude shouted in frustration.

  The warrior woman charged the group of fallen priests with a battle cry so shrill and full of malice that the hate-filled creatures before her paused in surprise. Maude savagely tore into the ranks of cursed creatures, cutting a path of destruction as she went. Her three companions followed behind, engaging any enemies that managed to avoid the enraged woman’s brutal assault.

  Maude finally cut a path through to the rear ranks of the cursed priests and saw a lighter patch of darkness ahead.

  “I think I see an exit!” Maude shouted to her companions.

  Something sliced through the air near her head that caused one of the dark-skinned creatures behind her to cry out in pain. Several more objects whizzed past like a swarm of angry hornets, dropping and slowing their pursuers. A torch flared near the end of the passage revealing a lithe, muscular shape wielding a bow.

  “Kar’Rok!” Maude cried joyously.

  “Run past me, quickly!” the wood elf ordered.

  Maude grabbed Tarth by the hand and pulled him along, forcing him to move faster. Maude felt the wizard try to pull away, but she jerked him forward forcefully.

  “Come on, Tarth! What are you doing?”

  “I lost my hat!” the elf wailed as he looked forlornly over his shoulder.

  “Forget the damn hat!”

  “I’ll never forget the hat,” Tarth whimpered as Maude half-dragged him towards the exit.

  The party had to wade through a large pile of leaves that had accumulated at the base of the ramp that led up to the surface. They barreled up the slope then came to a halt at the top, urging Kar’Rok to follow them.

  “I’m right behind you,” he called up to them and dropped his torch into the pile of leaves onto which he had poured two flasks of oil moments earlier.

  The elf jogged up the ramp as the dry leaves erupted into a bright orange wall of fire, casting a bright, flickering light into the faces of both the adventures and the evil former priests and their minions. The blue-black skinned creatures were forced to stop at the edge of the inferno and could only howl in futility as the desecrators made their escape.

  “Kar’Rok, how did you find us? Did you settle the problem you had with your people?” Maude inquired as they jogged through the forest trying to put as much distance between them and the cursed temple as they could.

  “Not exactly,” their guide answered vaguely.

  Maude did not pursue the issue until they slowed to a walk once they reached the open ring of grass that circled the pyramid’s grounds. Even then, Kar’Rok avoided the question until they stopped for the remainder of the night, several miles away from the pyramid.

  “So what happened to you? What kind of trouble are you in with your people?” Maude demanded.

  Kar’Rok let out a long, slow breath before answering. “I ran out on a marriage contract several years ago, and the bride-to-be’s family was bent on enforcing it.”

  Borik burst out laughing. “You left some elf maiden standing at the altar, and that’s why you have been hiding from your people?”

  “It is not a laughing matter. Her family is very well respected, and my refusal to marry their daughter was looked upon as a grave insult,” Kar’Rok insisted.

  “So why didn’t you want to marry her?” asked Malek.

  The wood elf slowly shook his head. “It is complicated. It was arranged when we were both still children. I had other interests and goals when the time came for us to be joined. It just wasn’t going to work.”

  “She’s ugly isn’t she?” Borik asked with a straight face.

  “Extremely.”

  Borik rolled onto his back, holding his stomach, and laughing in hysterics.

  “It’s not funny! She was hideous, her hair was thin and stringy, her front teeth stuck out, one ear was twice as big as the other, and her right eye tended to wander around looking in every direction but forward!” Kar’Rok defended seriously.

  Borik and Malek were both rolling with laughter at the elf’s plight. Even Tarth had to hide his mouth behind his hand to conceal his amusement.

  “So how did you manage to get away this time?” Maude inquired.

  “Same way I did last time. I snuck out, so we had best move quickly. So did you find what you were looking for?” he asked, quickly changing the subject.

  “Not exactly. Borik, let’s see that mask.”

  The dwarf opened his pack and pulled the heavy metal mask out. The mask was solid and heavy.

  “That is all you found?” Kar’Rok asked incredulously.

  “Yeah, it’s not what we hoped for, but at least it’s something valuable,” Maude justified.

  Borik handed Kar’Rok the mask as the elf leaned towards him for a closer look. Now it was Kar’Rok’s turn to burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” Maude demanded.

  The wood elf leaned forward cradling his forehead in his hand trying to subdue his mirth. “It’s worthless! You risked your lives for a worthless trinket!”

  “Worthless?” Borik exclaimed. “That thing is solid—,”

  “Brass!” Kar’Rok finished for him.

  “Brass? Impossible. Who sets gems in brass?”

  “They’re only semi-precious stones and crystals,” Kar’Rok pointed out.

  “Unbelievable,” Borik muttered. “Not only were they evil and twisted, but they were a bunch of cheap bastards to boot!”

  The party went to sleep angry and dejected at the wasted trip that could have cost them their lives. Fortunately, their luck turned around and they made it back to Borne’s landing without further incident. The party welcomed even The Murder Hole’s substandard beds and warm food. Kar’Rok received the second half of his promised fee and disappeared back into the jungle.

  They found the ship they had hired to bring them here still moored at the dock and being loaded with fresh cargo. The party arranged passage back to Southport the next day. Maude fou
nd Tarth and Malek eating a simple breakfast of oatmeal and joined them.

  “So how are we going to get Borik on the ship today?” Maude inquired of the two.

  “We’re going to have to find him first,” Malek replied.

  “Find him? Where is he?”

  “I don’t know. He was already gone along with his gear when we woke up,” Malek told her.

  “You don’t think he deserted us do you?”

  “I think so. I think he finally cracked and ran off. You know how he is about boats.”

  The remaining three members of the party searched the town for as long as they could until they had to board the ship before it set sail with the tide.

  “Should we stay here and look for Borik and catch a later ship?” Maude asked the cleric as they made their way to the docks.

  “I don’t think so. We would have found him if he wanted to be found. We’ll just have to hope he calms down and comes back on his own.”

  The party, smaller by one, walked down the dock towards the ship that lay at anchor. They had nearly reached the end of the dock when a familiar voice shouted down to them.

  “There you all are! I thought I was going to have to leave ya behind,” Borik called down to his friends from the deck of the ship.

  Maude looked up into the dwarf’s grinning face. “Borik, what are you doing up there? You hate ships!”

  “Nuh uh, not this one. This is a beautiful ship! This is the most beautiful ship ever to sail the seas!” Borik grandly pronounced.

  “What makes this ship so special?” Maude demanded, frustrated at the troublesome dwarf.

  “Because this ship is leaving this thrice-damned place behind in just a few minutes!” Borik shouted gleefully. “Now hump your rumps on up here so we can leave!”

  The party could only shake their heads in disbelief as they crossed the gangplank. As they boarded they could hear Borik shouting orders to the crew.

  “Hoist the main sails, raise the anchor, and swab the decks, ya lazy slouches, it’s time to go!” Borik shouted.

  The dwarf started blowing as hard as he could into the sails in an attempt to get the ship moving until his face turned purple and he grew light-headed. He then hugged the center mast tightly and kissed it several times, drawing stares from the crew.