Blood the Key

With their backs to the tower they were able to hold off the undead horde better than they had. It did not last long tired and weary men some with wounds don’t fight well for long. Soon they were all pressed up against the tower the skeletons unrelenting as more waves still came. One of Ireselan’s men got a rusty sword in the throat and Ireselan pushed the dying man into the horde of undead.

“We will not last much longer if this continues half-elf, even with your monster.” Ireselan snarled as he bashed in the head of a skeleton.

Using both his rapier and the club Heljah had made for him; Quinten blocked a thrust and broke the withered arm before the skeleton in front of him could recover and pull it back. Quinten thought furiously before answering. “We need to get inside the tower. We can block the door or thin them out if we need to once we are inside.” he looked up and down the row of warriors pressed against the cold stone of the tower. “Move to the right until we find the tower entrance. After we find it Valasar and Heljah take up flanking positions the rest of you guard their backs.”

They all started inching their way towards the right Valasar at the end of the line once more covered their backs and Heljah was again at the front and forcing a way through the press of undead bodies. The going was slow, having to deal with fighting at the same time as they tried to make it around the building. Quinten looked at in back and in front everyone had the same expression that of desperate men on the brink holding on by a thread.

“Quinten we found the entrance.” Heljah yelled back.

The entrance for the tower looked just as it did in the real world. Minus the dead body of the dwarf. It was a little alcove in the tall tower of dark stone. Heljah and Valasar took up positions on both sides of the entrance and Quinten was impressed to see one of the men-at-arms take a position in-between them. Everyone else crowded into the alcove and looked despairingly at the door. It was the same door that was in the real world absent the key that Quinten had first used.

“Great half-elf we are now as good as dead now.” Ireselan said staring at the door hopelessness sharp on his voice.

“Shut it Ireselan, and you and your men help me try to force it open.” Quinten was painfully aware that Valasar and Heljah were buying them what precious time they had. After trying the point of Quintens rapier and a feeble attempt to kick the door in they all ran into the door with their shoulder. All that that was able to accomplish was six men with sore shoulders.

“Anymore bright ideas?” Ireselan sneered.

Quinten looked at the door helplessly. What was he supposed to do? He looked back and saw that they fight was more desperate now. Valasar was most likely exhausted and Heljah was right there with him. He looked back at the door and had one more idea. He ripped open his shirt and put a finger in the still bleeding cut on his arm. With his finger glistening with wet blood he started to trace the dwarven symbols he remembered seeing in the real world. As soon as he touched the door with his wet finger he felt something go out of him, energy that he didn’t think he had. He continued to write out what he remembered seeing and more energy left him as he did. But as he continued to write what looked like a ghost of a key started to appear. Slowly but becoming more real the more he wrote it was the same key that he had used in the real world. As soon as he put the last symbol he remembered on the door his legs quaking with the effort of holding him up finally gave out and he fell in a heap on the ground.

“Nice work half-elf.” Ireselan bent down as if to help Quinten to his feet. But before he could get close to him Han and Kol were their helping him up swinging his arms over their necks to support him. Kol gave Ireselan such a look that it made the elf back away almost unconsciously. He recovered himself quickly and turned his retreat into going over to the door turning the key and pushing it open. “Move quickly before we are all killed by the dead.”

It was not a moment too soon. The man-at-arms that had stood with Valasar and Heljah went down with a spear in his leg. With a scream he went down clutching his leg. With lightning fast movement Valasar turned using his tail to disintegrate the first row of undead. He bent and picked up the solider and tossed him over his shoulder and made a dash for the open door Heljah coving his retreat. Everyone moved aside has the great lizard rushed passed them into the hallway. Heljah grabbed the key before she came barreling after him. After booth were inside the other three men-at-arms hurriedly closed the door. As the door closed one of the skeletons tried to follow and got smashed to smithereens for its trouble.

Two ever- glow lanterns light up this end of the hallway bathing everyone in a harsh light. Everyone had found a place along the door and walls panting. It seemed that the curse of not healing still held no matter how hard they breathed it didn’t seem to help. Quentin barley felt alive as if he hung to life by a thread. Heljah armor was battered and she had blood running down one side of her face making a fan. Valasar had new wounds and was still losing blood along the one up his side. He had sat the man-at-arms down next to him and removed the spear from his thigh. He sat there and made bandages from the man’s shirt. The man winced each time Valasar touched him even though Valasar was being very careful.

“We…need to….keep moving.” Quinten managed to get out he hardly had any energy to speak at all. “haveto….get to…portal…before it…closes.” Han and Kol looked at him with worried eyes before nodding and getting to their feet. Ireselan looked at Quinten with a sneer and something else maybe a small gloat before he too got to his feet. Han and Kol again slung Quinten between them; Quinten tried to walk but only managed a shuffle.

“Quinten do you think this hall is like the other one?” Kol asked keeping his eye on Ireselan. Quinten managed a nod and before anyone could say anything Heljah had smashed the two ever-glow lanterns.

“What in the seven hells are you doing.” Ireselan yelled in the dark.

“There is a trick to the hall wait a moment and you blind men will see.” Han said roughly. The hallway stated to glow again with the black patches for the booby-traps. “See told you.”

Lich

It was probably the most ridicules question handed down from generation to generation repeated whenever such times allowed such as now “what are you doing here?” Quinten said looking incredulously at Ireselan. Talisor and the little ghost girl had disappeared as soon as the first words had left Quinten’s mouth

“Aren’t you the captain of the city watch” said Han at the same time his brother on his other side said “looks like they couldn’t wait to arrest us again, eh Valasar.”

Ireselan only had eyes for Quinten. “oh my dear Quinten didn’t you see this coming I practically told you it was going to happen didn’t I. it seems that even those that had top marks in the academy can still be duped by someone of lower standing.” Ireselan practically spat the last part out “how does it feel Quinten to be outsmarted by me? Someone who used to follow you around, for your crumbs, not now though not anymore.” at the last Ireselan started to laugh a small chuckle that never reached his eyes.

The men-at-arms had started coming into the room slowly eyeing their commander and their surroundings with equally wide eyes. Quinten and his companions were no idiots as the soon as the men-at-arms had started coming into the room they had begun to back into a corner to prevent the new arrivals from flanking them. As they wedge themselves into the corner Heljah placed herself solidly at Quinten’s left side Valasar taking up the rest of the space to the wall. The twins had taken up positions on Quinten’s right side to the wall. Soren in the back had started to unlimber his small crossbow carefully using the lager bodies in front of him to hide what he was doing from the men-at-arms. The men at arms continued to come in fanning themselves around Ireselan.

“Oh everyone had such high hopes for Quinten D’Lyrander oh yes they did. Top marks in every category you had but to try only open your hand and power and money would have fallen into them. But what did you do you threw it away for what monsters and scum.” He sneered at Quinten’s companions flanking him. “But all that ends here. I will never have to follow you again.” Not turning his head he addressed his men at arms. “Search for the scrolls take anything else of value.”

“What are you doing here Ireselan why are you impeding our Quest? Did your superiors change their mind?” Quinten demanded.

“Oh no Quinten this has always been part of the plan. I’m just here to kill you.” this time Ireselan’s smile touched his eyes. “Didn’t I tell you when we meet together the first time that we would send another team in after the documents one that was sure to come into conflict one that would result in the loss of life.”

“So you are here to assassinate me?”

“It shall be my pleasure. Of course your grandmother and your merc captain will have no idea that we were involved to them it will seem that you were killed in this forsaken town by the evil the walks its streets. And with your death I will be able to have access to the inner circle I told you I was expecting a promotion soon.”

The men at arms had begun to throw the useless books onto the floor loose pages spread out covering the floor with runic writings. Quinten had to think quickly. There was no way that Ireselan was doing this on his own he practically admitted it. And since his grandmother did not know what was happening it was not part of the top, our was it. This could only mean that there was someone else in the Aurum looking for a higher position and power. Someone with enough power to command Ireselan and send all the men-at-arms with him.

“So all of this is another ploy for the Aurum to take control of the world?” Quinten had to keep Ireselan talking. It was as much for the need to gain information as it was for time to come up with a plane.

“Eventually the world will be ours anyway. The scroll is just a means to see to it that the wizard’s position is increased and with it mine as well” Ireselan said his eyes narrowing with thought. “A pity really you could have been in my position without effort. But now look at what trash you associate with” he sneered again it could be that he couldn’t help making comments about Quinten’s companions. “I used to admire you and now I don’t know why. You have become trash just like them.”

“Ser, we found it.” A stocky man came up and placed a book into Ireselans hands. It was black leather somewhat cracked and Quinten could just make out ruins on its cover in a deeper black than the leather. The book somehow gave the impression of sucking in what light there was in the room.

“Yes this is it.” Ireselan said turning the book over in his hands. “And now it looks like it’s time for you to die.” Ireselan said looking up and smiling in Quintens direction. The men-at-arms not still searching readied themselves to rush at the small group.

“So you’re going to take the book back to the Aurum?” Quinten asked.

“Yes. Now make peach with whatever gods you have Quinten D’Lyrander.” Ireselan replied. Now it was Quintens turn to smile.

The papers and books that covered the floor were thrown up by an unseen hand. Boiling and spinning like a small tornado they filled the air. Settled and started just spinning around the eternally weeping skeleton of Talisor. The skeletons hands came down slowly and griped the arms of the chair and little by little the skeleton pushed itself upright its head still down in its original position.

“You have chosen and now he and his can stop you.” Quinten told Ireselan coldly. With that the skeleton lifted its head staring straight at the soldier’s twin blue fires filling its empty eye sockets.

Peekaboo

Han lead the way into the dark corridor holding the everbright lantern high trying to get all the effects of the dim light. In Han’s other hand he held a knife ready to throw. Kol positioned himself nest to the everbright lantern protecting Han’s now vulnerable side. Quinten followed them impressed again how the twins always seemed to work well together. Everyone else fell into place behind him with Sorn bringing up the rear with the second everbright lantern. Everyone stayed close to each other occasionally throwing sharp glances at the darkest corners of the already bleak hallway it was all a testament to what they had recently been through.

As they walked farther into the shadows and away from the light of the open door the more alive the darkness seemed. It became oppressive almost solid pushing at the feeble light of the everbright lanterns. They all continued to go deeper taking comfort that they were near things living. As they continued to walk into the gloom Quinten looked back at the dim light at the end of the hallway slowly getting dimmer. Something wasn’t right about that something was off about the slowly fading light suddenly realization hit him like a hammer and he ran back to the door shouting to the rest of the group.

“The door is closing. We are going to be trapped in hear.” They wear now all rushing back to the fading light. Quinten realized that they would never make it in time no matter how hard they ran. Frustration knotted his stomach “Halt, stop running, come back we would never make it anyway.” The light turned into a sliver and then disappeared altogether. ”we’ll find out how to open it after we find what we came here for.”

Quinten knew his voice was tight but he had to keep strong as he saw silent resignation on his companions faces. They continued down the bleak hallway each taking up their original positions but this time with an added air of glom and a hunch to their shoulders. It seemed as if nothing had disturbed this tower in some time. The dust hung heavy everywhere and the air carried the smell of a newly opened grave. Quinten was looking at the ground so he was the first to spot the small trendal of fog seeping through the cracks of the stone floor.

“Stop everyone don’t move.”

“What is it?” Heljah asked peering around him. “I don’t see anything.”

“It’s the fog its back.” Now everyone looked down and saw the fog getting thicker. They all made a circle with their backs to each other and readied their weapons. They waited and the fog got thicker. Soon their knees wear hard to see and only Sorn’s shoulders and head wear visible. As quickly as the fog appeared it left almost as if it was blown way or sucked quickly back from wear it had come from. Everyone stayed were they were not sure what to expect and expecting anything at the same time.

Quinten was desperately trying to see past the circle of their light. Desperately trying to have some kind of extra warning if it was at all possible. As he looked off into the darkness he heard a small giggle in back of him. Which one of his companions thought this was funny to him he could see no humor in the situation. Suddenly he heard again and quickly looked in back of him. A small ghost of a little girl looked back up at him, she couldn’t be older than six, she giggled and disappeared. He was left staring into the wide eyes of Kol strait across from him.

“You saw that to right?” Kol nodded and started looking around again.

“What was it what did you see?” Sorn asked looking around expectantly.

“It was a little girl she giggled and then just disappeared.” Now everyone was looking around. Valasar had his strange collection of odds and ends out again and began rubbing them and muttering looking worriedly from left and right tail twitching and the frill on the back of his neck going up and down. Suddenly the little girl was back running around the group and laughing. She ran up to Valasar and grabbed at his tail. Valasar was so frightened that he nearly jumped out of his skin. The little girl giggled, laughing she ran around Heljah peeking out every once in a while at the frightened Valasar and giggling. This sent Valasar into a fit of bowing and continued rubbing and more mutterings under his breath. The ghost girl loved it, throwing her head back and laughing, she ran around the group using each one as a shield to peek out at Valasar.

“She is playing with you Valasar.” Quinten said in amassment he had never seen anything like it. The little ghost of a girl seemed infatuated by the tall lizardman. The group just stared at her as she ran around and used each one of them for protection.

“This is not playing. This is what you do when stalking pray.” Valasar continued to look nervously at the apparition obviously afraid for his soul. With that he started praying fervently for any other death besides the one at the hands of a three foot less than solid girl. The little girl jumped out from behind Han and made a pickaboo face at Valasar, at this Valasar jumped again; she giggled and ran in back of Sorn who was just slightly taller then her. Sorn white knuckled stood still, he was handling this no better than Valasar.

The little girl ran out from behind Sorn and made another grab for Valasar’s tail. Already put of Valasar took a couple of steps back tail flicking back and forth before coming to rest on a stone in the hallway. All the warning they had was a tinny click and then a spear was hurled across they path that they would have taken. The little girl looked frightened and disappeared only to reappear clinging to Valasar’s leg. He was to freighted to do anything and just stood there looking down at the little ghost seeking his protection.

“No one move. This passageway is trapped no telling how many are ahead and how many are behind us.” Quinten looked around for signs of more traps; everyone else did as well except for Valasar, he was being preoccupied at the moment. The little ghost girl run up to Han and tried to take the lantern away from him. When she couldn’t get it way from him she ran over to Sorn and started blowing on the lantern he held as if trying to blow it out. She looked frightened and started to try to take the lantern from Sorn, making throwing motions as she did. Quinten put everything together fairly quickly.

“Destroy the lanterns.”

“What are you crazy we won’t be able to see it’s to dark in hear as it is.” Heljah yelled back.

“Do it now.” Both the lanterns shattered against the walls plunging them into darkness. It seemed like hours as they waited in the darkness and Quinten wondered if he had done the right thing. Slowly the walls began to glow and the ceiling and eventually the floor. Along the floor there would be an occasional stone that refused to glow and stood black against the floor one of these was the same stone that had set of the trap. “It was all magic even from the beginning. The darkness who would want to go in that without a light. Only you have to go without a light to see the way.”

“Darkness light.” Heljah said quietly. “Its part of the rime, Darkness light, I never thought about it like this.”

“No matter we have to continue on.” Quinten said starting forward he would be the first to catch a trap if the glow missed on he had lead them on this mission it was only right. The little ghost girl appeared before them skipping ahead of the party carefully dodging the darker spots on the path. Soon they came to a staircase and again the ghost lead them up occasionally she would skip a step and Quinten made sure that everyone else did as well. As they neared the top the little ghost ran down a short corridor and through a broken door Quinten followed her being followed in tern by the rest of the party.

It was a good sized room close to what Quinten guessed was the top of the tower. It looked like a study full of books and scrolls and in the center of the room was a high backed chair. A Skelton sat in it its face in its hands almost as if had died in the act of weeping. It still wore the rich robes of a high wizard faded with time. Cluching tightly to its leg was a much smaller skeleton. The little ghost ran over to it or beside it and picked up a stuffed animal, to Quinten it looked like a lizard, she ran over to Valasar holding it by the tail. She lifted it up as high as she could and made movements indicating she wanted Valasar to take the old thing. Very carefully Valasar took the offering and gently placed it in his sack a small tear made ring in the dust at Valasar’s feet. After Valasar put the sack back on his back the little ghost giggled running around the room and dancing.

“I suppose you would like to know what happened here?” a tall ghost walked out of the shadows and strode across the room to stand next to the skeleton eternally weeping. He was wearing the same robes of a high wizard but they fit him a little better. The little ghost girl run over to him throwing her arms around his leg smiling.

A small Path

Heljah looked back at the walls of Sternguard slowly getting smaller behind them. Their journey had been uneventful so far, except for the funny mix-up with cows on the first day that had the caravan master shouting and swearing. Acting, in Heljah’s opinion, no better than the beasts he was trying to move. They had finally arrived at the infamous Sternguard the following day. Solidly constructed of heavy granite and iron, the city declared: I am meant to last.

They hadn’t spent any time in the fortress city at all- instead, Quinten had led them in one side and out the other.

Heljah was a little upset at Quentin for this. It wasn’t because she was tired and could use some rest. That was ridiculous. It was because that, even if Sternguard was built by humans, it still had impressive stonework that she would have liked to see. And if anyone said differently they would get a face full of dwarven fist. Well, maybe just a well placed kick in the shin.

Honestly, Heljah thought as she quickened her pace to keep up, the builders of this road needed to be taught a lesson- severely. They had paid no heed to how many times it was going up- or down- or that the slope was unusually steep. She thought about telling this to one of the twins, but of course they would completely misinterpret it for something else and totally lose the point of the matter. The point was of course that the engineer needed to be fired and the post given to a respectable dwarf.

Heljah looked up at the mountains. Famous, the Rathbain Mountains, good solid granite those, with peaks that tried to scrape the sky and cut clouds in half. She looked over at the twins, they were of course joking around- either telling jokes or being the joke themselves. As she looked at them she told herself that in no way was she envious of their much lighter leather armor. Her much bulkier metal half plate gave her pride. She had helped to forge it herself. She was quit proud of the etching she had done on the front that told of her clans' proud history. She looked down, the beads and metal in her braids pinging against her armor, and ran her hand over the only bare spot, around the belly and up one side. That spot she had left open to write her own future deeds.

They had to stop one more time for the night before reaching a little town at the foot of the mountains. The town was small, but a high stone wall surrounded it, a remnants from the Last War. The feeling here was different also, than farther south. Where Sternguard felt immovable with its thick stone walls and battlements, the small town of lomelle was like something from a fable. The little white-washed buildings of oak and maple-wood, with bark-shingle roofs, they were so different from the larger stone dwellings she was used to, or even the dirty little streets and towering buildings of Sharn. The only foreboding aspect was the haphazard stone wall that surrounded it, ugly and brooding and scarred, shored up and reconstructed in so many places it made Heljah's eyes twitch. No sense of craftsmanship whatsoever.

When they entered the village, Quentin started to ask around for directions. Despite his legendary charm, the villagers would clam up, no matter how friendly they seemed at first. Eventually wary mutterings and thinly veiled threats began to follow them. Finally, they found an old man that told them of a small path at the east end of the village that would take them to where they wanted to go. They had to go outside the village walls before they found it. The old man was right, it was small and rutted, and looked like no one had used it in ages. A wooden structure, marking the start of the path, looked so old and rotten that it could fall at any moment. The path was a series of steps that lead up the mountain cutting a path through the thick foliage and undergrowth of a dense leather leaf forest.the old man bade them a gruff farewell, quarreling for a moment with Quentin about not bringing trouble back to Iomelle on their return, and then huffily made his way back to the village.

Quentin whistled for Soren, and soon the halfling and Valasar (who had not accompanied them into the town) rejoined the rest of the travelers. They began the arduous journey up the steep mountain path, which if dwarves had constructed it would be much more pleasant, and into the wilds of Thrane.

(Finally) On the Road

"And bless my soul, you two look exactly alike," Han said mockingly, "Oh my word, I've never seen twins before. I didn't know that you humans had children in litters? Oh my, I'll have to tell my children this one, but I'll embellish it a little, for the kiddies, you know."

"Dark brown hair, hazel eyes, but it says nothing about all those little nicks on your hands, maybe if that was documented we'd be able to tell the difference." Kol finished in chorus with his brother. They looked at their hands solemnly, shaking their heads in unison, and Kol continued mocking the little dwarf who had taken so much of their time at the gate. "Oh my, I still can't tell, you'll have to tell me, and you are both sure you're human? It's just that most people don't hang around great scaly beasties."

"Surely a dwarf wouldn't be that stupid?" Heljah asked in amazement. She grinned up at the two humans. "Are you sure it wasn't a very short, very fat human? Or a gnome?" She tossed her head, heavy Clan-braids clinking off her heavy plate-mail armor. Heljah was a dwarf herself, took great pride in the 'stodginess', as the twins called it, of her people.

"We'll be passing through that gate again, when we return to Sharn, so you can check him over for yourself." Kol warned.

The four had met up with Soren and Heljah just in time, the caravan master huffing and puffing. The caravan was a balding, red-faced man who shouted and waved at the other caravan workers and the merchants traveling with them equally. He counted out the coins they gave him with a scowl, muttering about taking monsters to fight monsters, and started barking orders, but the caravan was already moving. The great oxen yolked to the carts were uneasy around the lizardman, so the company travelled back and a little to one side of the main caravan. Now they were well on their way, the City of Towers rising up behind them like a fat tent pole holding up the sky.

Valasar hunched his shoulders and tucked in his tail a bit more. The people of the continent were constantly referring to him as a beast or monster, and while his own people were savage, he had seen the same savagery exhibited by humans. Now some of the merchants were staring in his direction. His great cloak hid little in the bright light on noon day. Kol noticed the defensive posture. Putting it down to what they had said about the gate-beridden dwarf, he patted a scaily shoulder and said, "Honestly, if it had been anyone else, he would have had the sense to keep his mouth shut."

"Don't worry, we won't hold your flesh-rending tendencies against you, Val," Hand said easily "you're really a good person at heart."

Quentin shook his head, a grim smile on his face at the twin's antics. "That was without a doubt the silliest dwarf I have met in my entire life, and I have met no small amount of dwarves." He nodded to Heljah.

"He probably got the post because he comes from a wealthy family that wants to keep him out of the way." Heljah herself was from a smaller Clan. She gestured at Quinten with a gloved hand. "Similar to what your family has done."

"But I'm not silly, just an incorrigible rascal," Quentin said easily.

"Oh but here, lets be him talking about Quentin," said Han with glee. He took on the accent of the little dwarf again and said, "Oh, a half-elf? Mendanesti, you say? I've never seen anyone with black hair and blonde eyebrows who doesn't die their hair. Are you sure you didn't die your hair? And with your dark skin, maybe you died your eyebrows and eyelashes? Green eyes run in my family too, you know, on my mothers' side."

"You'd think he would be used to Mendanesti by now, it's not like we're exactly rare," Quentin said irritably, "Dol Aran, we own some of the biggest Guildhouses in Kovar."

"Can you imagine what he would have been like with Soren and that great reptile he rides? 'Oh, a halfling, I didn't know there were people shorter than dwarves, and what is that little dragon-thing you are riding? Don't dragons breath flame? Is it poisonous? I've got to have stories to tell the kiddies.'" Kol started playing with his ring knives, flipping them in great flourishes to punctuate his words. "Maybe if Soren had been there, we could get Tera to eat the little bugger and have done with it."

"Who do you want Tera to eat?" Just then the halfling swooped down on his Soarial, leaping lightly from the creature's back to land in a crouch. "By the way, Captain, their are three other caravans and a company of horsemen using the road along with us, though I don't believe any of them are interested in following us at this time. Some cattle are blocking the road a couple miles down and might slow us a bit, but on the whole we should make good time to Sterngard."

"Okay, report the cattle to the caravan leader." Quentin didn't relax. That blackguard Ireselan probably had a man placed in the caravan itself, ore maybe waiting in the city up ahead. He had someone watching them, anyway.

"Cheer up, Captain." Han whacked the shorter man on the shoulder. Quentin shot him a wry smile. "In another day, we'll be in Sterngard, and then the real adventure begins. We might even get to bash a few heads."

Soren whistled his mount to circle overhead and went to track down the caravan master.