“How else could he explain the turning, and Telseir, and The Veil, and everything else?”
“A lot of ways,” she said, raising her hands. “For one thing, you actually stole Telseir from that hag...”
“Only kind of,” he interjected.
“Maybe you're not actually turning,” she continued. “Maybe you're a sorcerer who's found a way to destroy the undead with magic that just looks like turning. He may not believe you have The Veil - there are other ways to hide from magic. That would also tie into the idea of you being a sorcerer.”
“So, you really don't think he believes I'm the it?”
“I don't,” she replied, shaking her head. “And, no matter what he believes, you can be sure the other lords aren't going to credit the story. At least, I wouldn't if I were one of them. I would suspect that Grathis just had a rebellion on his hands and was using rumors of the it to keep other lords at bay. And that would make me think he was more vulnerable than he looked.”
“So, the fact that I'm involved might make it more likely that they'll attack him.”
“Maybe,” she said with a shrug. “But, either way, you can be sure they're watching him.”
“Well, that's a good start I guess.”
“Yes,” she nodded. “Yes, it is.”
For the next two days, they traveled slowly forward before reaching the next rendezvous spot. Thaelen was overjoyed to see his family again, and they to see him. They spent a single night at the hidden camp before once again resuming their journey.
The further they got from Lord Grathis's lands, the more verdant the surrounding landscape became. Sarrac and several other Warriors were able to forage up small amounts of food to vary their diet of dried meat and roasted grain. It wasn't much, but every berry, nut, or edible root, was welcomed by the band. Unfortunately, no more Unncar worms were discovered; in spite of Paul and Joey incessantly searching the treetops.
After several more days, the landscape began to shift from forest to mountains. By the eighth day of their journey, the wagons were rolling through such rocky soil that their wheels left no tracks behind them. Although lush green grass could be found growing in between the stones, the land seemed to produce almost nothing fit for human consumption. Still, Paul thought to himself, they had left the power of the Dark Shards far behind them. If they worked at it, they might just be able to grow something here. And something was a great deal more than nothing under the circumstances.
As the sun set on the tenth day, Thaelen brought the band to a halt less than a mile from The Catacombs of Raenlass. After the fires were lit and dinner consumed, the party set out in search of Kalmock Tal.
“Should we really be doing this now?” Joey asked, as the companions rode along by torchlight. “It seems to me that killing wraiths is more daytime work.”
“It'll be dark in the catacombs either way,” Alena pointed out.
“Sure,” he replied. “But, doesn't sunlight kill wraiths?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then...”
“Well, then what?” the ogress asked. “You think we could just ask him to step out into the sunlight and talk to us for a few minutes?”
“Not exactly,” Joey replied. “But, maybe we could trick him out into the light.”
“You really are stupid sometimes,” Nyssa said. “You do realize that wraiths know that sunlight will kill them, right?”
“No, I didn't. But, even so, he's insane, isn't he?”
“Yes,” the fairy replied. “But, there's a big difference between crazy and stupid. You, of all people, should know that.”
Shortly after this discussion, they reached the ominous entrance to the catacombs. Runes of warning were painted around the doorway in what appeared to be blood and a gentle wind was blowing; carrying on it what almost sounded like unintelligible whispers. The members of the band got off their horses and readied their weapons.
“So,” Joey said, staring at the open passageway, “we're really going in there?”
“We are,” Alena replied, gazing at him from under a single raised eyebrow. “You can stay here and listen to your knees knocking together, if you'd prefer.”
“No, thanks,” he replied. “After all, you may need someone to get shot, or blown up, or the life sucked out of them to save you. Anyways... Ladies first.”
Chapter 10: Madness There and Nothing More
“Actually, I'm going in first,” Paul said, stepping forward, his sword and shield at the ready.
“Before you do,” Nyssa replied, flying up to Joey's face, “we need to take some basic precautions.”
Having said this, she began throwing what appeared to be balls of blue light into the young man's eyes.
“What are you doing?” Joey asked.
“Doing my best to make sure that Kalmock Tal can't take control of any of you.”
“That's a good idea.”
“I thought so,” she smiled.
As soon as the fairy finished offering the rest of her companions this same magical protection, Joey spoke again.
“Will that do anything to protect us from going crazy in there?” he asked.
“It might,” the fairy said encouragingly.
“But, probably not much,” Myra asserted. “Madness Wraiths don't actively try to drive people insane. It's just that their own lunacy is contagious.”
“So, what can we do to protect ourselves?”
“Kill Kalmock Tal quickly,” Darek suggested with a smile.
“And stay focused,” Myra added. “You have to be determined not to go insane. Force yourself to see reality as it is.”
“How can we do that?”
“I'm not sure,” the maiden admitted. “I've never faced a Madness Wraith before. But, from what I've read, it's just a matter of willpower.”
“That's it?” Joey asked, raising his hands. “That's all you've got?”
“It's not all we've got, bro,” Paul replied. “We've got each other. If any of us start acting crazy, the others will let us know.”
“That doesn't make any sense, man,” he replied, shaking his head. “If one of us is cracking up, the others might be, too.”
“Well, it's not like we've got much of a choice,” the paladin said. “We can't use this place while the wraith is here; so we've got to try to kill him.”
“Fairies are essentially immune to insanity,” Nyssa pointed out. “I think it's mainly because illogical things don't really upset us, and we can only become so terrified, and we don't really stay depressed - even if we think that everyone we know and love has died a horrible, horrible death. So, if any of you start going crazy, I'll find some way to get you out of there.”
“So...” Joey replied thoughtfully. “If I die a horrible, horrible death, you won't be depressed about it?”
“Not for long,” the fairy smiled. “After all, you'll have been dead for centuries before I die, no matter what happens in here.”
“Ah, of course,” he said sarcastically. “That makes me feel much better about the whole situation.”
“Glad I could help!”
“Well, if we're going; let's go,” Joey said with a sigh. “I don't see any reason to prolong the anticipation of insanity followed by a horrible death.”
“Once sec,” Paul replied, pausing just outside the door.
The young man knelt before the entrance and said a quick prayer for his own safety and the safety of his companions.
“Okay,” he said, rising to his feet. “Let's do this.”
As he made his way inside, Paul was somewhat surprised by the appearance of the catacombs. He had expected nothing more than a rough-hewn cavern with holes cut in the walls where bodies could be laid to rest. What he found instead, was stonework done by true masters of the craft. The floor, ceiling, and walls were all perfectly smooth and covered with engravings. Most of these seemed to be prayers for the dead, or epitaphs, or poetry about the fleeting nature of life; although, there were also some carved scenes
of historic importance. At least that's what the young man assumed they must be. The truth was that he knew very little of the history of Zanoth. If he survived, he decided he would strive to learn more.
Each of the alcoves along the walls had, at one time, been sealed with doors of stone or metal. Most of these, however, had long since been torn away; exposing the empty interiors of the once filled graves to the curious eyes of the passing party members. Even in the flickering light of the three torches the band carried, the tomb was an impressive sight. Paul could only imagine what it must have been like when monks and priests of long ago preformed funeral services here.
It seemed a strange thought that they hoped soon to fill this place of the dead with women and children. Of course, on the other hand, the undead had driven the living from their homes. It was an odd sort of irony that the living would soon be taking up residence in the home of the dead.
The deeper they delved into the catacombs, the louder the whispers they had heard outside grew – although, what they were saying - if they were saying anything at all - was still unintelligible.
“Can anyone make out what those disembodied voices are saying?” Joey whispered.
“No,” Myra replied. “And, don't try to. I can't imagine it's anything good and it might break your concentration.”
“What am I concentrating on again?”
“Not going insane!”
“Oh, that,” he replied, nodding his head. “Yeah, I'm still focused on that.”
“Can any of you feel that?” Paul asked, glancing back over his shoulder at his companions.
“Feel what?” Joey asked.
“I don't know,” the young man replied. “It's almost like my chest it getting tight. Like, it's hard to breathe.”
“Oh, that's just great,” Joey replied, shaking his head. “That is just what we need. In the middle of the catacombs of crazy, you start having a heart attack. We need to get out of here. How does your left arm feel?”
“It's not a heart attack,” Paul replied.
“How do you know? Have you ever had one?”
“No,” the paladin admitted. “But, it's not like that. It's more like a dark foreboding.”
“Oh, good!” Joey replied excitedly. “That's much better than a heart attack. Thank you for sharing that. If you happen to have a vision of what kind of horrible death I go through, I'd appreciate you letting me know. I mean; I wouldn't want it to come as a surprise.”
“Either way,” Paul said, shaking his head. “You don't feel it?”
“I didn't until you mentioned it! But, you can be sure I'm feeling it now!”
“What is it like?” Sarrac asked, his eyes locked on those of the paladin.
“I don't know exactly,” he replied. “It's like there's an evil presence here.”
“There is an evil presence here, you idiot!” Joey said, his eyes darting around as he spoke. “That's why we're here!”
“I know,” Paul chuckled. “But, it's more than that. I feel almost like we're being watched.”
“I can't believe you're laughing about this! We're crawling into a tomb, hunting some undead horror in the middle of the night, you feel like we’re being watched by something evil, and you think this is funny?”
“No. I think you're funny.”
“Well, I'm not! Do you not have enough sense to understand what's going on here? We could all end up crazy and/or dead! Does that not frighten you just a tad?”
“No,” Paul said thoughtfully, a little surprised by his own answer. “No, it doesn't actually.”
“Then, you're a moron!” his friend replied.
“Look, Joey,” the paladin replied, gazing into his companion’s eyes. “We're either going to die here, or we're not. All we can do is our best to try to survive. Today, tomorrow, or someday; we're all gonna die. Getting scared about it is only going to make us more likely to get ourselves killed.”
“I guess I see your point, but I'm not sure it makes me feel any better.”
“I can understand that,” Paul nodded. “We can take you back to the entrance really quick, if you’d like. I'm really not sure you’re ready for this anyway, brother.”
“Are you kidding me?” Joey snapped, wiping the sweat from his brow. “I'm not about to leave you guys down here alone. I've already saved Alena and Darek's lives. Who knows who I'll be able to save tonight. I'm just pointing out that this is no time for laughter!”
“I don't know,” Nyssa said, shaking her head. “I think it's as likely as anything else to protect you from losing your mind.”
“Maybe,” Joey replied. “But, I'm not really in the mood.”
“Well then, I'll do my best to hold back,” Paul replied, before turning to make his way further down the corridor. “Come on.”
“So, you're really afraid?” the fairy asked Joey softly, buzzing around near his head.
“Yes, Nyssa,” he sighed. “I really am afraid.”
“That's rather remarkable,” she replied. “I mean; it takes a certain amount of courage not to feel fear, but even more to overcome it.”
“Thanks,” he said with a half a smile. “That will make me feel a lot better when it's time to die horribly.”
“I'm glad I could make it easier on you.”
Less than a minute after this conversation, Paul brought the party to a halt. The passage before them opened into a large room; the far sides of which, the torchlight could not reveal. On the floor of this chamber were scrawled a number of runes in black. For several seconds, the paladin stared at them in silence.
“These look familiar,” he said at last.
“They should,” Myra replied. “You've seen something similar before.”
“On the floor of Lord Telraen's chambers,” the young man nodded.
“Exactly,” the former lich said. “This place has been desecrated. It's filled with unholy power.”
“Which will make it impossible for me to turn.”
“This just keeps getting better and better,” Joey said, shaking his head.
“I don't know about impossible,” Myra corrected, “but it probably will make it much more difficult.”
“Well, we won't need it,” the paladin replied confidently. “We've only got one wraith to kill; and seven against one is pretty good odds.”
“Are we sure about that?” Joey asked. “Might not old Kaltomack have some backup?”
“Kalmock Tal,” the fair maiden replied. “And, it's very unlikely. Madness Wraiths are very... territorial... I guess you would call it. Whereas most wraiths will exist quite happily together, ignoring one another's insanity, Kalmock will likely have destroyed any other undead in these catacombs.”
“That's some comfort, I guess,” he nodded. “But, couldn't we undesecrate the place before we face him.”
“The word is sanctify,” Alena replied. “And, that's a great idea. Unfortunately, Paul won't be able to do that until after we've destroyed the wraith.”
“And, unfortunately, Paul doesn't know how to do that anyway,” the paladin said.
“That is unfortunate,” the ogress agreed.
“You should have read that book,” Joey added.
“Yeah,” Paul replied. “That thought had struck me. Either way, we're not going to kill him by standing around talking about it. Let's get moving.”
The moment the last of the party members stepped across the threshold of the black runes, a powerful wind filled the chamber as ominous laughter echoed off the walls. Almost instantly, all three torches were blown out; wrapping the band in utter darkness. Less than a second later, Joey began chanting words of mystic power. The moment his spell ended, a small sphere of light formed above his head.
“When did you learn to do that?” Paul asked, his voice filled with surprise.
“The last ten days,” Joey replied, glancing around him as he spoke. “I figured since we were going down into some catacombs we might need it. Since I figured I couldn't read in the dark, I memorized it.
”
“Well, I'm impressed,” Alena chuckled.
“Me, too,” Darek agreed with a smile.
“I am as well,” Joey added. “I hadn't actually tried to cast it yet because I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Well, it is,” Nyssa said. “It's probably the smartest thing you've ever done. Of course, it's not exactly up against any serious competition.”
“Thanks.”
“Yes,” Sarrac said, relighting his torch with a flint and steel, “very well done, Joey. Still, we had better keep moving. The sooner we've done what we're here to do, the better.”
Three corridors led away from the chamber. One went to the left, another to the center, and a third to the right. Due to habits formed during years of playing Dungeons and Dragons, along with countless video games, Paul selected the passage to the left, and began making his way cautiously down it.
As they moved down the corridor, some of what was being said by the countless whispers that seemed to fill the place became more audible.
“The reapers are trying to outflank us to the east,” one said.
“We have to fall back,” said another. “There are just too many of them.”
“Have the gods abandoned us?”
“She's already dead... There's no point in going back.”
“At least they'll never know exactly what happened to us.”
“I haven't liked most of this so far,” Joey said rather loudly. “But, I'm really not liking this.”
“Just ignore it,” Myra said. “It's not real.”
“It sounds real.”
“I know,” she replied, “which is why it's really important to keep in mind that it's not.”
At the end of the passageway, they found a chamber which had at one time served as a tomb for an ancient order of knights now forgotten. As they stepped into the room, a light feminine voice spoke.
“Into the dark they did descend,
And risk their souls forever lost,
For bone shall break, and flesh shall rend,
The Fortress of Donmar (The Tales of Zanoth Book 2) Page 17