“Alright, fine,” she said with another sigh. “Have it your own way. But, if the four of them end up dead, remember that it was because I wasn't there to keep them out of trouble.”
“I certainly will,” he nodded before turning his eyes to the paladin. “Do your best to get out as quickly as you can. We'll try to find a way in after we make contact with Rex.”
“Sounds good,” Paul replied, placing the stone on the ground before beginning to pull The Ward from his wrist.
“Be careful,” the fairy said, fluttering over to kiss one of the young men on the cheek and then the other. “If they go to eat you, try playing dead. Some ghouls won't devour anyone they think died of natural causes. That might be bears, actually...”
“We'll keep it in mind,” Paul replied with a wink, before reaching out toward Darek. “You ready?”
“As I'm likely to get,” his friend replied, taking him by the hand. “Let's do this.”
Paul bent down and grabbed the stone. Instantly, the pair were wrapped in a flash of blue light. This time, the paladin was more prepared for the transition from glorious golden sunlight to the dim glow of burning torches. He was also more accustomed to the effects of arcane power on his body. As a result, he wasn't nearly as disoriented or nauseated as he had been the first time he'd been hit with a capture stone.
“You're not naked,” was the first thing he said as he noticed Joey leaning over near one of the walls.
“Of course I'm not naked, you idiot,” the wizard replied, glancing over his shoulder. “Why – in all of Zanoth – would I...”
“I just thought the capture stones...”
“Oh, right,” Joey nodded. “Well, according to Myra, they only leave magical stuff behind. So, although we have our underclothes on, they stripped off my robe and her dress. Which is why, incidentally, the table is turned over and she's hiding behind it.”
“Put out the light, Joey,” her apparently disembodied voice demanded.
“We've already been through this,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I can't work in the dark and you're completely decent.”
“No, I'm not,” she insisted.
“Alright,” he sighed. “Well, as wild as bare shoulders may drive men in Zanoth, men from Earth are pretty much desensitized to them. Either way, you're wearing way more than Nyssa ever does.”
“She's a fairy,” the maiden explained. “They are like that. Plus, even if you can see more, she's still wearing a dress! I'm in my underwear, Joey!”
“You know, this has got me thinking,” Paul said with a slightly mischievous smile. “We're unquestionably in the middle of our current task, aren't we?”
“Undoubtedly,” Darek chuckled, stepping over near the door. “I don't think anyone could argue about that.”
“So,” he continued, “if there was ever a safe time for me to kiss Myra...”
“I am not kissing you in my underwear,” the maiden said from behind the table.
“I don't want to put on your underwear,” he replied with a widening smile.
“You know what I mean,” she said. “That would be so improper, I... I can't even wrap my head around it.”
“I won't look,” he assured her.
“I don't trust you.”
“What?” he chuckled. “I'm a paladin for goodness sake! Who could you trust more than me?”
“No one...”
“Are you seriously saying that you think I'd lie to you?”
“No...” she sighed.
“Well, then,” he smiled, “I'll close my eyes and Darek and Joey will turn their backs. We have to jump on this moment while we have it. Who knows when we'll be this in the middle of things again.”
“Alright,” she replied with another sigh. “I suppose I do see you're point, but you'd better not...”
“Oh no!” Joey interrupted, glancing over his shoulder. “You two are not going to kiss me back to Earth. Not until all of us are safely out of here, anyway. How would you feel if you kissed her and she and Darek ended up dead?”
“Sometimes I hate you, bro,” Paul pointed out with a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Right back at you,” Joey chuckled. “Anyway, what took you two so long to get captured and how was the battle going when they got you?”
“The battle was over,” the paladin replied, pulling off his shirt and throwing it behind the overturned table. “Put that on, dear.”
“We came to rescue you,” Darek explained quietly, his eye to the keyhole. “I can only see a couple of zombies. Not that I can really make out much of the hallway. And, the door's locked.”
“We certainly appreciate the thought,” Joey said, turning his attention back to a chain hanging from the wall, “I have to say that there's a good chance that Myra and I could have escaped on our own. After all, she's a mistress of darkness and I'm an up and coming famous wizard. Still, a little extra help never hurt anything.”
Having made this observation, he grabbed the chain in his left hand as an arc of electricity began shooting from his right index finger.
“What are you doing?” Paul asked.
“At the moment, cutting,” the wizard said, gazing at his work through squinted eyes. “I should probably try to find a spell to protect my eyes in the future.”
“What's the point of that?”
“I think it's a good idea to have a weapon before we leave the room. Don't you?”
“You're going to beat them with a chain?” the paladin asked, shaking his head. “This isn't Castlevania.”
“No, it's not,” Joey said, handing one end of the three-foot piece he had cut to Paul, “but, it's close. Now, hold that tight.”
“Why?” the paladin asked, fulfilling his friend's request.
“Did you know I could weld?” the wizard asked, arcing electricity between two of the links.
“Yeah,” Paul nodded. “You took that class in high-school.”
“I did,” he replied, smiling at the results of his work. “I thought it was cool. Plus, welding is manly.”
“I suppose you could look at it that way,” Paul agreed. “Still, a lot of women weld.”
“Some do. Tough, strong women. Women who could build battleships. That doesn't make it any less manly, though.”
“You are a real oddball sometimes. You know that, don't you?”
“I do,” the wizard nodded. “Anyway, hold it straight, would you?”
In just minutes, Joey had manufactured what amounted to a metal club three feet long. This done, he broke a leg off one of the chairs that occupied the room as quietly as he could. He handed these two items to Myra – who had climbed from behind the table attired in Paul's shirt, as well as her own undergarments. At his request, the maiden magically joined the two items before handing the completed weapon back to him.
“How did you do that?” Paul asked.
“Magic,” Joey chuckled.
“It's basically the same spell we use to fix things,” Myra explained. “You can use it for more than just repair work.”
“Nice,” the paladin observed, taking the weapon from Joey. “It's not great, but it's a whole lot better than nothing.”
“I agree,” the wizard nodded. “Now, let's improve it a bit. Don't touch any of the metal.”
Joey held out his hands and electrified the chain-blade of the make-shift-sword.
“Awesome!” Paul exclaimed. “How long will it hold a charge?”
“No idea,” Joey admitted. “But, I'm sure it'll ground out as soon as you hit anything with it.”
“As cool as this is,” the paladin said, gazing at the weapon, “Myra may still want to summon her staff.”
“I can't,” she replied. “As it turns out, the city is shielded. I checked as soon as we got here. Until I know exactly how it's being done, I won't be able to cast any kind of teleportation spell. So, Joey's makeshift-weapon is what we've got for the moment.”
“As it seems we're as prepared as we're likely to get,” Darek sa
id, breaking off another of the chair's legs, “we may as well start escaping. Unless you guys want to hang around until they feed us lunch.”
“Pass,” Joey said, stepping over to the door. “I should probably try to find an open the door spell at some point.”
Having made this observation, the wizard began cutting his way through the lock. Whether it was because they were stunned by what they were seeing, or because zombies basically can't think, the two sentries outside the door didn't make a move while this was going on. In less than a minute, the door was thrown open and Myra had ordered all the undead that filled the hallway to remain completely silent.
Fortunately for the four companions, only six zombies and two ghouls stood guard over the passage. Paul flew at one of the ghouls, who found himself electrified as he blocked the paladin's blow. This wasn't enough to kill the creature, but it certainly didn't do him any good. It also distracted him enough to allow the young man to follow up with a blow to the head with his chain-club.
Darek engaged the second of the ghouls and was somewhat dismayed to find out just how fast a chair leg could be cut to pieces by an extremely sharp sword. He had hoped it would hold up better. He was no expert on the materials of carpentry, but the chairs had clearly been made out of some kind of hardwood. Of course, if his weapon had been six-foot long or so, he'd have probably been able to beat his foe to death with it – even under the current circumstances. As his mini-club got even mini-er he reflected on the fact that he probably should have taken two chair legs. It was something he planned to keep in mind in future.
Joey chanted out the now-familiar words that allowed him to blast his enemies with pure arcane power. The balls of light that shot from his hand instantly ended the unlife of one of the zombies.
Myra ordered another to start beating a third to death before turning her attention to the foe facing Darek. With a firm, commanding voice she ordered the ghoul to die. It obeyed the former lich as a bolt of dark energy shot from her outstretched hand and struck it in the chest.
The three remaining zombies swung their hammer-like fists at Darek, Myra, and Paul respectively. As the ghoul fell, Darek sprang forward, snacked the sword from its dying grasp and turned the weapon against his shambling foe. Myra simply ordered the creature she faced to go stand against the wall – which it instantly did. Paul didn't fare as well. His entire focus was on his sword-wielding adversary. The paladin was sincerely lamenting the fact that a blade made of out chain links was no good for thrusting attacks when a fist the size – and weight – of a ham hit him in the side of the head.
This blow nearly knocked him off his feet, as well as allowing his enemy to cut him along his sword arm. Fortunately, it was a minor wound. Unfortunately, the ghoul's sword was probably covered in bacteria. As Paul dodged yet another swing, Joey stepped up behind the zombie, grabbed it by the shoulders, and began electrifying its entire undead carcass. Darek speedily cut the monster he faced into pieces before rushing to the aid of his ally. Between the two of them, the ghoul stood no chance. In seconds, it had passed from one life to the next.
As Myra ordered both the still-standing zombies to follow her and do as she commanded, a voice spoke from a nearby cell.
“If this is an escape,” it said, “I'd like to join you.”
Immediately, Paul stepped over to the portal from which the sound was emanating and opened the small wooden panel that allowed the guards to check on their prisoners. Sitting in the cell was a middle-aged man with slightly graying hair and a very scruffy beard.
“You don't happen to be Rex Shane, do you?” the paladin asked.
“Why?” the man replied. “Are you only rescuing people named Rex Shane?”
“No.”
“In that case, my name's Frank Collins.”
“What are you in for, Frank?”
“Disorderly conduct,” he replied, “and, public drunkenness.”
“You can get arrested for that?” Paul asked.
“You can in Parmoor,” Frank nodded. “Where are you from?”
“The south,” the paladin replied after a moment's hesitation.
“I've heard you can have a really good time down there. Either way, can you get me out of here?”
“We can. Just give us a minute.”
As Joey was attending to the lock, Paul attempted to attend to his wound. He was fairly certain he wouldn't be able to heal himself without his holy symbol, but he felt that it was worth a shot. It didn't work. Myra offered – with an obvious touch of embarrassment – to tear a strip from her underclothing to bind his minor wound. Before she did this, however, Darek ripped part of his shirt off in order to spare her the trouble. She took the piece of material he offered and carefully wrapped it around the paladin's arm.
On the one hand, Paul genuinely wished he could just heal himself. On the other, he was very pleased to have her hands all over his flexing forearm. Of course, it still hurt pretty good. Not to mention the fact that it absolutely had to be infected at this point. They would have to get out of here fast. The last thing he wanted was a gangrenous limb.
As the maiden completed her medical task, Joey finished with the door. Myra then instructed the entire band, including Frank Collins, to dress in the uniforms of their fallen undead enemies. She pulled the garments from the ghoul she had struck dead and stepped back into the cell they had originally arrived in. As soon as he was changed, Paul took the sword and scabbard from the ghoul he and Darek had killed. Just over a minute later, the former lich emerged attired in the arguably disgusting garb she had acquired.
“You know it's incredible,” Paul said, stepping over and slipping his arms around the maiden. “Even when you're dressed like an undead horror, you're still beautiful.”
“You're an idiot sometimes,” she giggled, obviously pleased in spite of her mild protest. “Now, shut up so I concentrate.”
He shut up so she could concentrate. One by one, the maiden enchanted the escapees to appear to be undead – at least, to other undead. Having completed this task (including explaining what was going on to Frank), the band set out.
They carefully checked each of the other cells before they began to ascend the steps that they hoped would lead them from the dungeons. Fortunately, none of the other chambers contained any captives. At the top of the first set of stairs, they discovered a long corridor, lit by torches and interspersed with a number of doors.
“What do you think is in these rooms?” Joey asked softly.
“Possibly prisoners,” Myra whispered in reply, “but, we can't check every door between here and the outside. Once we slaughter the garrison, we'll be able to empty the prison completely, anyway.”
“Slaughter the garrison?” Frank said quietly. “Either you're insane or... No, that's it, actually. You're insane.”
“It's been a long night,” Darek said, glancing at Frank out of the corner of his eye.
“I don't doubt it!” he replied, shaking his head. “How can you tell trapped down here, though? I been locked up for more than a week. I guess... It's not like it's easy to keep track of time when you can't see the sun.”
“I suppose that's true,” Darek shrugged.
“Why are there torches burning down here?” Joey asked thoughtfully. “Can't the undead see in the dark?”
“Yes,” Myra nodded. “But the living can't. Not everyone in the garrison is undead.”
“Far too many of the living are willing to cooperate with their deathless masters,” Darek asserted. “Plus, the living will often pine away to nothing when abandoned in the dark. The undead don't lock us up to make us miserable. They do it so they can eat us later. People left to lie in pits of darkness lose all their flavor.”
“They don't always eat you,” Frank pointed out. “I've been in and out of here I don't know how many times. Apparently, his masterful lordship thinks I'm amusing.”
“If they let you go regularly,” Joey said, “why are you in a hurry to escape?”
“Th
ey usually don't keep me this long,” he explained. “It may be that our lord has gotten tired of my antics. All things considered, I think it's probably best for old Frank Collins to be moving on.”
“Magical torches are also fairly easy to make,” Myra added, picking up the former thread of their conversation. “They'll burn for months before you need to replace them, so it's easiest just to leave them...”
Here the maiden trailed off, her eyes locked on something in the distance ahead.
“Be very quiet,” she whispered, “and do your best to walk like undead. I believe I just saw a wraith pass through the wall at the far end of the passage.”
“You should cast that spell that allows you to see undead,” Joey replied.
“Glowing green eyes would be a bit of a giveaway,” she pointed out.
“I'm going first,” Paul said, stepping in front of the maiden. “If one of us is going to get soul grabbed, it's going to be me.”
“I may be able to take control of it,” she replied softly. “If it attacks you, it's not going to be like the last time you faced one. You won't have anything between you and its icy grasp.”
“Which is exactly why I'm going first,” he explained. “If it jumps me, you and Joey do your best to kill or control it.”
“One sec,” Joey said, carefully glancing around the hallway before electrifying the blade the paladin held.
“I'm glad that didn't shock me,” Paul said, turning his eyes to his friend. “The handle's made of metal, you know.”
“It's wrapped in leather, you know. Either way, now you have a weapon that you should be able to hit the thing with at least once.”
“True,” the paladin nodded. “Let's go.”
The companions crept cautiously down the corridor ahead. Every shadow cast by the flickering torchlight seemed to Paul as if it might conceal within it the insubstantial form of some shade or wraith. This caused him to reflect on the terror that ordinary mortals had to incessantly face in Zanoth. At the moment, he was far less defended than he normally was. He was no longer encased in a magical metal shell. Nor could he simply destroy these foes by commanding them to drop dead.
The Shrine of Kallen (The Tales of Zanoth Book 3) Page 16