Burrows & Behemoths

by Lee Duckett

  “Are you okay?” Aria asked, rushing over, hand glowing gold with healing energy.

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Badger coughed, waving the acrid smoke away from his face. “I’m trying to isolate the cleaning component of the Prestidigitation spell, but it’s not going as well as I’d like.”

  “Oh, okay,” Aria said hesitantly, going back to her book, but glancing over at him every few minutes.

  The next few attempts at imbuing the cloths with magic went wrong in a variety of ways. One flew straight up into the trees, one rotted away to nothing, and one froze itself into a sheet of ice that, when Badger threw it away from himself, stuck to a tree, sticking straight out. As night fell, the group took their watches, Rurik going first.

  He sat there, looking out into the night, thankful that his darkvision let him gaze into the darkest night, even if he could only see sixty feet. It was during this time that a bobcat started to wander towards the camp. Rurik, seeing the opportunity for revenge, ran at the beast, blades readied, wanting to kill it to leave it front of Fayne to return the favor. The bobcat took one look at the dwarf, swords out, one flaming, manic grin on his bearded face and turned around, running full tilt in the opposite direction. “Oh come on!” Rurik called to it in a gruff whisper, trying not to wake everyone up. “Don’t be a bloody coward!” he hissed, “Come and fight me ya scaredy cat!”

  Rurik returned to camp and glumly sat through his watch, waking up his parents at the end.

  “How was your watch, honey?” Aria asked as she woke up.

  “Fine,” he spat out.

  “Is something wrong?” she said, looking at him concernedly.

  “No,” he muttered, going to sleep on his bedroll.

  Aria looked to Badger, who just shrugged.

  ◆◆◆

  The group made their preparations to enter the mountain, standing tall against the sky, shoulder to shoulder with more on either side. As they scuttled their campsite Aria looked up at their destination before turning to Fayne, asking for the third time that morning, “Are you sure this is the right mountain?”

  Fayne sighed, “Yes, the map was clear. This,” she said in a frustrated monotone, motioning at the mountain in front of them, “is where Dardenhaven lies. The map hasn’t changed in the last five minutes, so it’s still that one.”

  “But, how do you know?” Aria insisted.

  “There should be an old path on the west side, where we are, then a cave, then a door. If there isn’t, then it’s the wrong mountain,” Fayne shot back, rolling up her bedroll and feeding it into the Bag of Holding before turning to Badger. “What should we do about the cart?”

  Badger looked at the vehicle thoughtfully. “I thought about this before we left. Let’s leave the horse here with some feed. I’ll cast a modified alarm spell to scare off predators.” He took out a small spool of silver wire from his bag and spent the next few minutes casting while laying out the wire in a large circle around the campsite. As he finished the spell a deep, ominous growling was heard that set the hairs up on everyone’s necks.

  “What the bloody ‘ell was that?” Rurik demanded.

  “Growl of a dire tiger,” the wizard supplied. “Badger’s summoning teacher at wizarding college always summoned one to scare students who wouldn’t keep quiet in class. It’ll go off if anyone other than us tries to get near the cart.”

  “I wouldn’t go near it!” Aria agreed.

  The party gathered up the rest of the supplies, drank from the chalices, and started the climb, slow and steady up the mountain. After half an hour the group stumbled upon a path that, while in disrepair, allowed them to ascend much easier. They continued, far above the treeline, until they heard the guttural, grunting sounds of two monsters talking from around the corner.

  Fayne motioned for the group to be quiet as they snuck closer, seeing four large, gray skinned, rough looking humanoids. The orcs were conversing while looking over the side of the path, down the mountain’s side.

  ~I have no idea what they’re saying,~ Fayne communicated over their shared telepathic bond, having performed the ritual over breakfast. ~Does anyone speak Orcish?~

  ~I speak Goblin,~ Rurik offered.

  ~Do you know what they are saying?~ Aria asked.

  ~Nah. I just thought it might help,~ the dwarf responded.

  ~I don’t think any of us speak it~ Badger sent. ~Fayne, you said you were taking a language every level, do you speak it?~

  Fayne sighed over the connection, ~If I knew I would’ve just told you what they were saying. I took Sylvan and Abyssal, so if we meet demons or fey, I have you covered.~

  The group watched as one orc said something to another, and the other sighed in relief.

  ~We need to come up quietly and take them out,~ Fayne sent. ~ I can take out the farthest one. Badger, you Flame Bolt the next closest. Aria, you can move faster than Rurik, so you take out the next one. Rurik, you’re slow so you take out the closest.~

  ~Oi!~ the dwarf complained. ~It’s not me fault that me legs are shorter than hers!~

  ~It’s okay~ Aria reassured him ~You’re tougher than I am.~

  ~That’s right, lass!~ the dwarf responded, the image of a bearded smile flashing across the connection. ~Let’s do this.~

  Rurik and Aria snuck forward, keeping fairly quiet as the orcs chatted, one guard spitting over the side of the path and watching it fall down the steep incline.

  Once they were in range Fayne called over the link ~On three. One, two, three!~

  As one, the party struck. Fayne pierced an orc’s throat with an arrow as Badger blasted his neighbor in the back, sending the flaming orc over the side of the cliff before it could do more than yelp in surprise. Aria slammed her mace into the back of her orc’s head, sending him tumbling after his flaming friend. Rurik swept his swords up in an arc, beheading his target. It was over in the blink of an eye and the guards were dropped with little more than a sizzle, grunt, and thump.

  ~Good job!~ Fayne cheered, moving up to the two orc corpses still on the path, searching them quickly.

  ~Find anything?~ Aria asked, peering over her shoulder.

  ~Just some silver,~ the elf responded. ~I was expecting something more.~

  ~They just be orcs, lass,~ Rurik chimed in. ~If they got anything good, it’ll be with their shaman or chieftain.~

  ~Shaman?~ Badger inquired. ~Is that another character class like wizard or sorcerer?~

  ~Nah,~ responded the samurai. ~They’re usually sorcerers, or clerics. It be an image thing.~

  As the group talked the scout froze, hearing the sound of footsteps coming. ~More coming!~ she called. ~Hide!~

  Fayne, Badger and Aria ran back down the path to hide behind some rocks, Rurik climbed up the cliff to the right, perching on a higher rock outcropping.

  ~Rurik!~ Fayne hissed over the connection. ~What are you doing?~

  ~I’m gonna jump down on them when they get close!~ he replied.

  ~That’s. . . actually a pretty good idea,~ Badger commented.

  ~I ‘ave them sometimes!~

  ~Both of you be quiet!~ Aria demanded. ~They’re coming.~

  The group remained quiet as the group of orcs turned the corner and came into view, four of them walking up and chatting, unaware of the party hiding in wait.

  ~Wait a mo’~ Rurik sent after a few seconds. ~We’re not actually talkin’. Why can’t we talk over this thing?~

  Fayne and Badger turned to look at Aria, who reddened. ~Oh. I forgot,~ she admitted.

  ~Ugh,~ the Dwarf grunted. ~They’re comin’ in range, be ready!~

  As the orcs drew closer, one glanced down the path and spotted the two orc corpses on the ground and froze, yelling something to his companions. The other three stopped as well, saw the bodies, and started to back away, grabbing their weapons.

  ~Our cover’s blown!~ Rurik called. ~I’m goin’ in!~ and with that the dwarf launched himself off the rocks with a yell, sword in each hand. He fell upon them, landing on the closest or
c, blades stabbing in deep and killing it instantly.

  ~Damnit!~ Fayne called, running forward and shooting at the retreating guards, striking one in the back, taking it down. Badger sent a few Flame Bolts at the monsters, the projectiles of arcane flame singeing one, but otherwise missing, his tiny legs meaning the orcs quickly escaped him.

  Fayne chased them, trying to hit them but the path was twisty enough to provide a great deal of cover. She grazed the same orc that Badger had burnt, but it turned the corner before she could get another shot off. By the time she had rounded the same turn in the path, the orcs were already heading down another turn, and disappeared out of sight.

  Fayne walked back to the group. “Well,” she sighed, “that could have gone better.”

  “If they ‘adn’t seen the bodies lassie, I would’ve ‘ad em!” Rurik growled.

  “Why didn’t you get rid of them?” Aria demanded of the archer. “If they hadn’t seen them then they would have walked into our trap!”

  “I don’t know,” Fayne shot back. “Why didn’t you?”

  The cleric blinked, not understanding the question. “What?”

  “It’s not my job to get rid of bodies!” Fayne told her levelly. “Any of us could have pushed them over, but none of us thought of it.”

  “I didn’t think of it either, honey,” Badger offered to his wife. “Either way, we’ll know not to do that next time. We should keep moving.”

  “Aye,” agreed Rurik. “They know we’re comin’, but that’ll just make it more fun.”

  ◆◆◆

  The group moved forward carefully, following the path until it entered a cave, which proceeded on for a little longer before opening up into a larger area. Sneaking up to where the tunnel opened up, the party peeked around the corner to see a large iron doorway to the left, and archer slits carved into the wall on either side of the portal.

  ~They musta shut the door when they ran back, the filthy cowards~ Rurik spat over the connection. ~And that looks like dwarf crafted doors. We’ll not be able to break ‘em down. Sometimes these doors be havin’ a hidden latch, in case something vile gets in and locks the doors behind ‘em.~

  ~Be careful!~ Aria warned. ~They know we’re coming.~

  Fayne peered around the corner again. ~I don’t see anyone,~ she sent to them as she stepped out into the cave, tensed to dodge out of the way of any attack. When no arrows came whistling out of the arrow slits she relaxed and motioned the rest of the party out. They snuck out the best they could, Aria’s chainmail and Rurik’s splint mail clinking softly, and moved to the door. Fayne watched the tunnel they’d come down in case this was a trap, while Badger and Rurik looking over the door and Aria just glanced around nervously.

  ~Ugh,~ Rurik grumbled after a few minutes of searching. ~I can’t find anything.~

  ~The door is definitely magical,~ Badger added, eyes prismatic with Arcane Sight. ~Abjuration and transmutation magics, but it’s not any of the standard enchantments. Part of the abjuration seems to be protection against detection, which includes protecting against detecting the magic that powers the enchantments, so I don’t know what it does. The abjuration could just be magic to make the door supernaturally strong, or the transmutation might be doing that.~

  ~Anyone have any ideas?~ Aria asked.

  ~I don’t know,~ Badger admitted, ~speak friend and enter?~

  Rurik turned towards the door. ~Friend!~

  Badger coughed. ~Um, you need to say it out loud Rory.~

  ~It’s Rurik!~ the Dwarf responded angrily, before thinking about what the gnome had said. He turned back to the door and said “Friend.”

  “In Dwarven!” Fayne snapped.

  “Oh. Friend!” he yelled in the appropriate language.

  The group looked at the door expectantly, waiting for something to happen. It was as they were watching the door that an arrow came from the side and bounced off of Rurik’s helmet with a sharp ringing sound, missing his eye by less than an inch.

  The group scrambled backwards as more arrows shot out at them, running to the tunnel to escape the hail of fire. They managed to get back, an arrow in Aria’s arm the only injury. She swore softly as she healed the wound, the arrow slowly pushing itself out, Fayne grabbing it before it hit the ground.

  The cleric glared at Fayne as the elf put the arrow in her quiver. “What?” the archer asked. “I’m recycling.”

  “That was in me!” Aria hissed.

  “And now it’s not,” Fayne responded, “And soon it will be in one of them.”

  Aria huffed as Badger leaned out, pulling back quickly as several arrows bounced off the stone.

  Rurik looked around at the rest of the party. “So, what’re we supposed to do now? There’s no way we can break down that superior dwarven craftsmanship!”

  Fayne growled to herself and covered her face with her hand. “‘Get your foot in the door,’ he said.” At their looks she explained. “Shino said that for this lair we needed to get our foot in the door. This is what he was talking about! It wasn’t metaphorical. It was literally a door!”

  “Oh.” Aria said softly, looking concerned. “Does that mean we can’t get in now?”

  Badger leaned against the wall, a thoughtful look on his face. “I’ve got an idea, but it’s pretty stupid.”

  “Most orcs are stupid,” Fayne told him. “So it might work. What’s your plan?”

  “I’ll need to switch out a cantrip, but I’ll cast a Flare cantrip on the arrow-slits to blind them, we sneak up right next to them so they can’t see us, then I’ll cast Ghost Sound cantrip to make the sound of feet retreating to get them to come out after us!” Badger explained.

  “I thought you couldn’t change cantrips?” Aria asked.

  “Shino was wrong about that,” the wizard responded. “Turns out I had them written in the back of my spellbook. It makes more sense when you think about it, since they’re effectively spells of the zeroth order. It’ll take me a few minutes to refamiliarize myself with them, so I need you to look like you’re trying to break in to keep them busy.”

  Fayne nodded, nocking her bow and running back out. She danced between the arrows as she shot at the orc archers, killing two with precise shots, but for every enemy archer she killed, another took its place. She was nicked by several of them but avoided any direct hits. After three minutes of this she jumped back to the group, wincing as she bled from a dozen cuts.

  Aria healed her as Rurik stumped out, running back and forth from the door to the tunnel, hunkering down in his armor deflected the arrows.

  After several trips he ran back. “Ya ready wee man?” he prodded.

  Badger shut his spellbook with a snap. “Yes! Let’s go. Rurik, run down one more time.”

  Rurik charged the door as more arrows shot past, a white flash filling the arrow-slit to the left as Orcish curses came from it, followed by a similar flashes and cursing in each slit, working his way to the right.

  ~Come on!~ Badger urged them, as they ran up to the arrow-slits, pressing themselves against the walls on either side of them. Badger chanted softly to himself, a blue-green ripple emanating from his hands. As the ripple disappeared into the air the party heard the sounds of four pairs of footsteps retreating down the tunnel, Rurik’s voice calling “Ack! They’re too strong for a stupid dwarf like me to fight! Retreat! Retreat and we may escape their orcish might!”

  ~Really wee man?~ Rurik asked. ~Orcish might?~

  ~Just making it convincing, I thought you’d be giving me grief about ‘stupid dwarf’,~ Badger smiled back.

  The party heard the orcs yelling at each other, laughing and sounding somewhat smug. The archers left and for a moment there was quiet.

  ~Are you sure this is going to work?~ Aria asked.

  ~Pretty sure,~ Badger reassured her. ~And even if it doesn’t, it gives us some space to try and open the door again.~

  The group waited there in silence for a full minute before they heard a metallic groan as the doors swung open. It
promptly disgorged two dozen orcs, war axes in hand, yelling and charging down the tunnel. After the last one ran out of sight, the group rounded the still open doors. The one orc inside ambling over to a set of levers was felled with two arrows to the back and a Flame Bolt to the back of the head. As it fell it lunged forward and grabbed one of the levers for support, causing the door to slowly close. The party calmly slipped in as the doors swung inwards, the entryway sealing behind them, the orcs who had thought they were chasing down their prey now the ones locked out.

  Chapter Five

  Bait & Switch

  With the entryway sealed, they walked down a wide stone hallway, coming across a large stone bridge which spanned a black pit. The bridge had lost several stones but still seemed steady. On the other side was another wide door, with two open doorways on the left and right walls. Aria looked at the bridge with trepidation.

  Rurik snorted, striding across it. “It ‘eld up under a horde o’ stinkin’ orcs lassie. You’ll be fine.” The rest followed the dwarf over to one of the side doors. He frowned as he looked at it, swinging it almost shut, where the rest of the party could see that both it and its companion on the other side had been created to look like another part of the wall when closed. Fayne pushed it open slipped inside, peering back at them and holding up a hand.

  ~It’s tight quarters in here for all of us. I think I know what’s down this way, but I need to check,~ she sent silently. Reaching back into her backpack, she pulled out a seemingly lit torch, actually only enchanted with the illusion of flame, which still cast light, somehow. She disappeared down the tunnel, everburning torch in one hand, rapier in the other, the illusionary flame lighting her way.

  Badger blinked, looking around, noting how the only source of light in the tunnel was his wife. ~Shouldn’t there be more torches? How did the orcs see where they were going? I don’t think I saw them carrying a light source.~

  Rurik shook his head, ~Orcs can see in the dark, like dwarves. Plane-touched like mum can as well, but they be rare enough to not be livin’ together. Orcs, they need to be able to see in the dark, livin’ in caves like they do, like savages.~