Tales of Fantasy, Fables, and Fiction

by Thomas H. Tribble

  Tantalous then did something unexpected. It crouched very slightly then leaped twenty paces into the center of the room; its huge mass sprang into the air arcing just below the vaulted ceiling. It landed lightly and raised four of its eight arms. Each of them, in turn, cast its own spell. From the first, a lightning bolt shot out to strike Bourne, the next fired magic missiles into Leena, the next blasted a thick web pinning Durrock to the far wall, and the last erupted a wall of moving flame just in front of Beneth.

  Bourne seemed stunned for a moment but managed to say, "Durrock," to Strom who was near him. Beneth jumped forward through the flames and was only singed. But, there is no protection from magic missiles and so Leena took their full brunt. She dropped her bow and drew her sword to close with the beast as she yelling a war cry. The spell Beneth had been casting was interrupted so he began it again. Strom quickly ran to where Durrock was trapped and began trying to cut him free of the webs. Bourne began to close on the beast once more.

  As Leena ran at Tantalous, it raised its leading leg again, but just as it released a bolt of lightning at her, she managed to duck out of its path. It then lunged at her just as she struck at its head. She plunged her long sword into its neck but it whipped its tail around and knocked her back several feet and then turned its attention to Tassif.

  After the demi-god's leap, the Bard had just been standing watching what was happening, his bow dangling from his relaxed arm. Now, he was slowly walking forward towards the demon that was poised to strike with its barbed tail. Beneth saw this but could do nothing, else his concentration would be compromised and his spell would fail, but he did manage to complete his casting before Tassif was struck. A cone of cold shot into Tantalous's body and he flinched from the pain of it, yet it did not move and waited for the Bard to take another two steps forward. Beneth yelled, "He has been mesmerized! STOP HIM!" In a single, quick motion, Tassif was poisoned and he fell to the ground.

  Leena cast the final spell from her single use Spell Ring. She fired a Ray of Frost just as Bourne reached the beast an instant too late to save the Bard. The spider demon raised its back most leg towards Bourne but before it could cast an attack at him, he step to the side and hacked the leg off of the monster's huge body. "Like that," was all he said. Durrock and Strom were now diving into the fray as well. Tantalous's body was so large that it could be attacked from all sides at once. However, once again the creature leapt out of their reach, this time towards the corner of the room near the dais. All of the party took cover behind pews and columns immediately.

  Beneth managed to strike the beast with another bolt of lightning and then he took cover as well. Tantalous responded in kind with another round of spells from its raised arms. After a blast of cold erupted near Durrock, he called out to Bourne, "Any ideas? He commands the room all too easily and charging him repeatedly seems folly!"

  Bourne nodded his head and said in a very calm voice, "Very true we need to contend with his mobility. Beneth, can you hear me?" The mage replied and Bourne continued, "Can you wall the creature up or somehow slow him down?" He knew Tantalous could hear him but he had no choice in that regard.

  The voice in Bourne's head that answered his query was the Mage employing a clairaudience spell which the two had used to communicate covertly on many occasions. "I have used all of the walling spells I had prepared. However, I think I can box him in so he cannot leap any further. When I do, we must corner it where it is at with all possible haste. It is showing signs of weakness but so are we. Just wait a moment." Bourne gave Durrock and Leena a sign to wait. They could see Beneth rummaging through his bag of material components for his spells. He then began to chant. Another bolt of lightning struck the pillar he was behind and then another ball of acidic poison struck the far wall near where Leena had drug Tassif. Suddenly, a cavern ceiling appeared below the room's normal ceiling. It was dark, rough, and far too low to allow Tantalous to leap about the room any longer.

  Bourne did not say a word. He bolted from his hiding place towards the enemy running a zig-zag pattern to avoid whatever might come at him. The others followed him. A wall of flame erupted in the middle of the room but both Bourne and Strom easily dodged it. The next minutes were dicey and consisted of little more than the party hacking at the beast who retaliated in kind. Strom and Leena made openings for the two stronger men to get in quick attacks and retreat. Tantalous did manage to cast two more frost spells, one of which almost did a weakened Strom in. Bourne stepped forward and took that leg off of the beast. Following Bourne's queue, they all began hacking at the creature's legs instead of its body thus rendering it helpless.

  The end of the battle came when Beneth cast a searing bolt of lightning which not only ended the Spider god's life but also threatened to deafen everyone in the room as well. "Good thing it was susceptible to lightning. That was the last powerful spell I had of an offensive nature," the Mage said as Durrock took the liberty of hacking the creature's head off.

  Everyone in the party was injured and weary. Strom had all but lost consciousness from the poison flowing through his veins and Tassif was barely breathing. The Thief quaffed a healing potion and cringed as he said, "I am sure the counter-poison has helped me, but I think my insides are beginning to rot nonetheless." Then, he said directly to Bourne with a thin smile on his face, "Do you remember when I said I would like to be no other place than by your side? That is not a statement I could, in all earnest, restate just now. I believe we should alee forthwith!" After a pause Strom asked, "I know how I am feeling but how is Tassif? Does he still live?"

  Leena had managed to rouse her companion a bit but even after feeding him a healing potion, he was unfit to even walk unassisted. The Bard did manage to employ the magic of his trade and strum his lyre while singing a song that seemed to help him as it slowed the poison in his body. Then, as the group was searching the room, he sang a mournful ballad that made them all feel better and caused some of their wounds to mend if only a little.

  The cave-like ceiling above them abruptly disappeared from the room which made Bourne ask, "That was a useful spell. What was it, by the way; a wall of rock or some such thing?"

  Beneth smiled and replied, "Actually, it was just an illusion. Had Tantalous been given a free moment to disbelieve in the ceiling, it probably would have realized the deception and would have continued jumping about. That is why I had you rush the creature as I did."

  Bourne nodded and said, "That was clever enough to work. Now, we all need to get back down the hallway and into the storeroom."

  Durrock said as he helped Tassif along. "I wonder if we should take the creature's head back with us as proof."

  Beneth replied, "We cannot spare its weight during the teleportation. Besides, I believe this type of news will travel back to Lady Druces faster than we will. But, be sure and harvest its eye for we promised that to the Alchemist in Norec as payment."

  "Ah, I found it!" Strom cried. He was to the side of the main alter by a small, secret door he had just managed to coerce open. Beyond the large, squat door lay a large room with a low ceiling and racks of goods that emitted the glow of gold. "Now this looks promising," was all that the Thief said and he walked into the room, mouth agape. "Fortunately, these traps look like they were made by amateurs. I guess the self professed god did not trust thieves enough to employ a good one."

  Just then, the sounds of a small avalanche sounded from down the hallway. "Curse it," said Beneth. "The Clerics have made it through the first of my walls. That means we cannot get back to the storeroom we rappelled in to!"

  Leena added, "Yes, and they will, no doubt, be through the next wall even faster as it was wider and thinner in make."

  Durrock said loudly, "Into the treasure room! I have an idea." Everyone else looked towards Bourne who thought for a moment then nodded. Once inside, they slammed the door shut and barred it securely as had been its design. The room was, in fact, originally built to hide survival supplies for the workers that mined the passages i
n case of a cave in. It was well fortified and the new door that had been put on it was very, very thick.

  "Now what?" asked Beneth. "I can only teleport myself, the poisoned two, and one other. That is my limit and I am not familiar enough with this room to insure my safe return for the rest. What then shall the other two do?"

  Durrock pulled Beneth aside and they began to speak in quiet voices while Bourne and Leena spoke. Leena did not want to leave her beloved behind so Bourne had to convince her to do just that. "You must take the poisoned men with you, my dear," Bourne told Leena in a hushed voice. "I do not think they may live the day through without proper care." She wanted to rebuke with him and tell him that he should be the one to go with Strom and Tassif, but she knew that was an argument she could not win.

  Beneth then approached Bourne and Leena and said to them, "Durrock has instructed me in his level of spell use. I am not overly familiar with Rangers' spell lists but I regard his confidence in the matter of your escape to be well deserved. The secrets of stone and mountains are revealed to him."

  Then Leena said, "Do you trust Durrock enough to be alone with him in a room full of gold? I feel badly that I brought him into this not knowing his past with Avet. Should he be up to any treachery, all evidence of it would be left in this cave inaccessible to us all."

  Bourne replied only with, "Fear not. I know the hearts of Dwarves and Rangers. I will convince him to regard my safety should the need arise. Now go and have our friends healed." Leena gave him a sideways looks so he added, "I know how to be subtle and avoid confrontation, Lady. With a price on my head, I have had to learn! In fact, I doubt the subject will even come up." And with that, she decided to let the matter go for she knew that this argument had been lost by her.

  Even through the barred door, the number of voices on the other side of Beneth's final wall was reaching a crescendo, so the group hurried with their preparation for teleportation. Strom found some large jewels to take with him and even Leena found herself pilfering a few small but expensive trinkets. The two bags of holding were to be left behind and filled to their capacity with the best of the items present. The group assembled together closely as Beneth made his final incantations and then they vanished from the chamber leaving Bourne and Durrock to their escape.

  Chapter 8 - The Long Road Homage

  Bourne decided that he, in fact, had a great lack of subtlety about him, so why not have an end to his suspicions? "To cut to the marrow of it all, now that we are alone, if you are supposed to try and kill me, let us have at it!" said Bourne with a hard look on his face and his sword in hand.

  At this, Durrock seemed surprised but replied flatly. "I have no desire to kill you. But, if this is about the treasure, there is certainly plenty for us all. Quickly, fill your bag!"

  A slight scowl crossed Bourne's face as he said, "You know what it is I speak of. You admitted to working for the Dark Lord's chief enemy Tha' Morlla de Avet. And, just as I suddenly struck a deal with Lady Druces for my freedom, a person I truly needed to help me fulfill her quest miraculously appears eager to work for me. Coincidences do not come that large or without strings. So, if Avet somehow thinks me a traitor and has sent you to kill me, let us settle this now!"

  Durrock remained motionless for a moment waiting to see what Bourne might do next. Then, he turned around and started loading the best of the gems on the shelves into his Holding Bag. "It is true I have worked for Avet in the past, as I have told you, and it is true that he did insist that I volunteer to size up the intentions of your quest," he said. "Curse it; I owe him a very large favor. And, just so you know, were you now aligned with the Dark Lord I would kill you just out of principle. However, since that is obviously not the case, let us just load up as much treasure as we can and leave this place at once." Just then, there was a hard rap on the barred door. "The Clerics are encroaching on us rather faster than expected. We must hurry!"

  Bourne thought for a moment, started to speak, and then stopped himself. There was another, louder rap on the door which caused some dust to be dislodged from the ceiling of the chamber. "Very well. We will settle this later. At the very least I'll want you to deliver a message to Avet for me."

  Durrock smiled and said, "I can guess what that message will entail! Not that I speak to him directly or at all regularly (it had been at least six years since our last actual conversation), but I will convey any sentiments you desire via a clairaudience."

  The door was struck again from the outside causing it to buckle slightly and rain down bits of mortar from the ceiling. Bourne spent but a moment looking around the room for interesting looking weapons but found only bejeweled pieces fit for princes to wear but not actually employ in their defense. So, he began to load his Bag with the platinum, gold, and the largest gems he could find on the shelves. "How then," he asked hurriedly, "are we to get back to the air above? Beneth was vague on that point."

  Durrock had just finished loaded up his Holding Bag and nodded at it saying, "Climb in."

  "You must be joking," replied Bourne. "I have no desire to suffocate at your whim."

  At this Durrock seemed a bit irritated and there was another, louder rap on the door. "I realize this is an awkward moment for me to ask you to actually put your life into my hands. However, here is the skinny of it; I took the liberty of purchasing my own Spell Storing Ring with one use and managed to place a Stone Passage spell unto it twice. I can also cast the spell once today. Thus, I can walk through the stone before us and into the passages whence we came."

  Bourne looked at the Dwarf hard and said, "I have never heard of such a Ranger spell. I know that, like Druids, your kind can pass through trees and dense forest but not solid stone."

  "And know you all the spells of the Dwarves? I think not. Rest assured, the deep places of the world as well as the stone that surrounds them is my ally in no less a way than the forests are to the Druids," replied Durrock hastily.

  Bourne looked at the ring and said, "Very well. But, need you to cast that spell more than once?" There was another, duller rap on the door.

  "I know not. I have no real notion of how long it will take me to take us to the outer passages. Normally I would simply hold onto your wrist and pass us both through the rock but now I feel that I will need both of my hands to grope along, feeling my way. Also, should we meet a Xorn or some such rock dwelling creature, I might have to let go of you to fight it off. I doubt you would survive the ordeal."

  "Nor do I," replied Bourne. He hesitated for only a second longer, handed his Bag of Holding to the Dwarf, took a deep breath, and then climbed into the Bag. Once inside it, he found himself sitting on a pile of gold coin and gems surrounded by utter darkness save for the light of the small opening above him. Durrock's face appeared above the hole.

  "Be careful not to rend the sides of the bag. You and our treasure would be lost in the void for eternity!" Durrock said and then he closed the bag leaving the Fighter in utter darkness.

  The next minutes passed very slowly for Bourne. He tried to feel for the fabric of the bag but only felt coldness and a slight if impenetrable resistance. He did not feel any jostling from the outside world and could only hope that Durrock was making some progress towards their freedom.

  Soon, the air began to grow stale and Bourne began to feel tired. He tried to breathe more shallowly but his being nervous did not help him. Finally, after what seemed an hour, the opening above him shone light in once more. The fresh air poured over him and he took in a deep breath. For a moment, the opening appeared to be far away and Durrock seemed distant though his voice was loud and clear. "Lend me your hand and I'll have you out of there."

  Bourne raised his hand as Durrock reached into the bag. The Ranger seemed to draw much nearer to him and his Dwarven face suddenly was only a foot span away. Bourne was pulled out of the Bag and, as he was stepping out of it, Durrock almost fell over. "You became heavy rather quickly, lad," was his only response. They were standing near the tunnel opening that they ha
d entered earlier that morning. The mid-afternoon sun shone in.

  After removing his pack, Durrock synched the Bag closed and placed it there within. He then said, "Let us leave this place. I do not doubt that many angry Clerics may be upon us 'fore nightfall! There are less direct ways into these passages should revenge still have its hold on them."

  No more was spoken about whatever plans there might have been to assassinate Bourne. He decided to be done with this quest as soon as possible. The only thing left to be done was to regroup safely with the others and divide the loot. That part was always the best part as far as Durrock was concerned. Oh, and he would have to get the Wereguard Mace stone back from Strom and to the Lady Druces who still had to cast an Atonement on him. This, in his mind, was a mere detail but certainly an important one.

  The two made their way back to the small stand of trees where the horses had been left. They were nowhere to be found but many tracks showed that they had been lead off to the east by half a dozen men. "At least we know the horses were not eaten by Trolls," Bourne said.

  Durrock replied glibly, "We can still be back to that old tower by a little after dark. It is a six hour hike in full armor at worst."

  Bourne said, "Let us then cut through yon meadow across that ravine and then back into the forest. For expediency's sake, I say we give the thieves a wide berth. If they think we follow them, they might do something unpredictable." At this, Durrock had to agree and they set off at a right angle to the tracks so as to avoid meeting anyone on their short journey to the rendezvous point.

  As they got to the center of a ravine basin, suddenly and without warning a dozen bowmen appeared all around the top of the crevasse. The two companions froze in their tracks and looked around at the men to try and identify which of them was in charge for almost all of the men seemed to be very young. After a moment, Moornam appeared ahead of them also armed with a bow and bright red arrow.