Party at Castle Grof (6 page)

“Harnez was right when he said that the Guardian Castles were left in ruins.” Grald surveyed the area around the entrance to the Dungeon. Large blocks of stone lay where they had tumbled from the curtain wall and the majority of the inside walls were nothing more than humps in the sod, the occasional crumbled brick showing through the grass.

“I thought the entrances were all bricked up?” Ariana frowned at the neatly presented Ironwood door with the carved steel inlaid Tower and Eye symbol on both doors.

“Shilir said it was clear when he and his party got here. Maybe Lord Harnez had it done.” Grald shrugged.

“It seems t’me that there be too much coincidence in this little adventure,” Arnhammen muttered.

Erendell sank down onto the grass.

“I’ll take a quick nap. Wake me when you are ready to go or I’ll wake myself in half an hour, whichever comes first.” She wrapped herself into her cloak and was asleep before Aranok had time to object.

Ariana shook her head. “She never changes.”

Aranok decided to ignore them. He sat down on the grass opposite the door and checked the map Shilir had given them one more time.

There wasn’t much detail on it, just a rundown of the traps his party had encountered along the corridors that they had scouted out. Shilir had used an All-Seeing Eye spell to find out the rest of the layout.

Aranok remembered Harnez’s eyes as he briefed them that morning. Shilir had been off with Ariana and Arnhammen, something about spells and magical items.

Grald had volunteered Erendell and himself to sort out the supplies and packhorses. Aranok found himself alone in the study with Lord Harnez.

“Remember Sir Aranok, you must retrieve the Heart Crystal and get it out into the sunlight or the Dungeon will regenerate.”

“I understand, Lord Harnez,” Aranok replied.

“I must have that Heart Crystal!” Harnez had been resolute, thumping his fist down on the table. Aranok bowed.

“You may take anything else that you want from the Dungeon. Bring the Heart Crystal out and back to me. That is by far the most important thing.”

“Very well, milord.”

Aranok had wondered at the time if something else was going on, but before he could ask, the others had returned.

“I’ll wager you a silver piece that he’s thinking about Liana,” Erendell murmured sleepily to Ariana as she woke up.

“Nah, he’s wondering how on earth to get himself out of trouble this time,” Ariana replied from where she sat checking her potions.

The sound of his sister and Erendell laughing brought Aranok out of his reverie.

“Neither actually,” he said, laying the map out on a nearby block of stone. “I was wondering how I ended up with a sister with no safety sense. Ward us please, Ariana.”

The young mage grimaced and concentrated for a few seconds, sending balls of red light out to rest in a rough circle around them.

“I believe it would be a good idea to plan where we are going before we enter the dungeon, rather than just blundering around.” Aranok beckoned to the rest of the group. They gathered around the map. “Shilir did a good job of detailing what rooms and corridors there are. His party went straight up past the crossroads and through this middle door. That’s where they ran into trouble. The guard post is manned by Vampires on the other side.”

“Then t’intelligence would suggest we take a different route,” Arnhammen surmised.

“Yes. I thought we’d go through this door at the end of the right hand passage and continue up this corridor here, until we reach the door at the top of the Dungeon.” Aranok traced his proposed route out with his finger.

“What about this route; through the left hand door, up this corridor and through this entrance here,” Erendell said, pointing.

“Into this little complex of rooms?” Grald sounded dubious as he examined the map. “Shilir thought there was something very strong living in those rooms. He showed me this map when he picked me up in Jinra. He didn’t catch more than a glimpse of it, but he said it gave off an incredibly evil aura.”

“Why do we need to use these corridors at all?” Ariana asked her voice muffled as she rifled through her bag of Holding. “Ah ha!” She pulled out a large copper plated cube.

“What in Tyr’s name be ye doing with a Digger Mech, Lady?” Arnhammen said his eyes wide as he watched her. “I ha’nae seen one o’them since I were a wee Dwarfling at home in Reldheim.”

“I picked it up in Laikholm when Aranok, Erendell and I were helping with the Urakh Troubles.”

“What are you suggesting Ariana?” Aranok asked.

“We could take your proposed route, but instead of going through this top door which would take us straight into the Treasury, where there are likely to be a lot of creatures, why don’t we stop here,” she placed her finger on the east corridor roughly half way up, “and dig our own tunnel into the centre of the Dungeon?”

“That sounds like the best plan that I’ve heard yet.” Grald cracked his knuckles and stretched as Ariana put the Mech away. “What do you think Aranok?”

* * *

“That would indeed be an excellent Plan, if it were not for the fact that you are watching, Master. What would you like to do, Milord?” The Jar grinned.

The Aracan Katuvana pondered for a moment, his head on his hand. Then he used both hands in a book opening gesture. One of the books from a pile on the table beside the throne floated into his lap and opened.

“Ah, the Grof Dungeon profile,” the Jar murmured.

The Aracan flicked through the pages to a map of the Dungeon and spent a few moments tracing his finger around the rooms. He laid the book aside, still open and went over to the window. A brief hand gesture later and the face of the Grof Custodian appeared.

She was a shapely elf with long deep red-brown hair, blue eyes and skin so pale it resembled a fine, translucent linen cloth.

“Dearest Lord and Master, how may I serve you?” Her voice chimed musically as she curtsied deeply. It was deep enough to show her ample cleavage in the low neck of a deep red dress and the Aracan Katuvana was clearly mesmerised by the sight.

“You will be having a party of adventurers arrive in your Dungeon shortly, Lych Mistress,” the Jar told her.

Katuvana recovered his senses and waved his hand over the bottom left corner of the window and a map of the Dungeon appeared. He pointed to the spot where the Party’s planned tunnel would start. He traced a line across to the Heart Crystal Dais.

The Lych Mistress made a pretty moue of irritation.

“Again? I only just rid myself of the last group.” She appeared to study something in front of her. “A tunnel? Hmmm, I have some Hellhounds available, Lord. I could build a guard post between the Library and the Lair. Hellhounds are perfect guard dogs.”

Katuvana nodded.

“Excellent idea, Lych Mistress. Oversee the work personally,” the Jar said as the elf curtsied again and the view returned to that of the party.

“That Lych Mistress is one fine figure of an Elf – mayhap you could make her
your
Mistress?” the Jar suggested slyly.

The Aracan Katuvana growled and the Jar seemed almost to jump.

“Of course not Master, I would never suggest…”

The Aracan Katuvana shook his head and sat back on the throne, facing the window.

* * *

The group moved into the Dungeon, leaving their horses hobbled in a clearing near the entrance.

Erendell produced a Trap Hunter and set it to automatic. Within three hundred yards of the entrance, the globe detected several different traps. Erendell disarmed them with barely a bead of sweat decorating her brow.

“Those weren’t on the map,” Aranok frowned as they moved past the disarmed area.

“It was almost a year ago since Shilir came down here,” Grald shrugged. “They’ve obviously fortified their weak spots.”

Aranok started swearing as they found another three traps in the crossroad.

“Erendell, deal with them.”

“I can’t disarm these, they’re Aethyric traps,” Erendell snapped. “I left home before my mother started teaching that particular lesson.”

“I thought she kicked you out,” he said, glaring at the dark elf.

Erendell’s face darkened.

“I can deal with them,” Ariana soothed her brother. She knelt beside each one and disarmed it carefully.

“Thank you, Ariana.”  Erendell smiled at the young mage. “Aranok is getting rather tense.”

“That’s okay. He’s not at his best underground.”

“What Elf truly is?” Erendell laughed. “Even my mother’s people live high up in the Under City where it’s more airy.”

Following the corridor to the right, they encountered nothing. The walls ran with glowing green ooze that lit the passageway. It puddled in cracks and overflowed to create tiny waterfalls, before disappearing through the floor with a gurgling, sucking noise.

“That’s disgusting.” Ariana wrinkled her nose.

“It does sound a wee bit strange, Lady Mage,” Arnhammen agreed with her.

On the ceiling, white moths with black skull-like patterns congregated and chose to flutter around the party.

“Don’t let the moths touch your skin,” Erendell cautioned them. “They’re poisonous.”

“How d’ye know Drow? Ye never lived below ground, I wager.” Arnhammen sniffed and grimaced.

“No, but my mother did. I’m only half Drow by blood,” Erendell said. “She taught me about much more than just magic.”

At the end of the corridor Ariana fashioned a small bird golem out of glowing ooze and sent it under the door to scout ahead, shutting her eyes to better concentrate. The rest of the party took the moment to relax and have a drink.

“Was ye maether a mage?” Arnhammen asked Erendell, passing her a small flask.

“Eliethorendraelliana is her full name,” Aranok told him. “She is one of the greatest mages that ever existed, but her story is a tragic one.”

“My mother has suffered much because of her power. It is her duty to teach those who come to the Mage Library in Alethdariel, as she is the only one strong enough to help them.” Erendell blinked rapidly, moisture shining in her eyes.

“She’s a marvellous teacher,” Ariana said softly, opening her eyes.

“What did you see?” Aranok asked.

“Steady on, Aranok, the Lady has only just returned!” Arnhammen held out one hand. “Gie her a minute to come to herself.”

“It’s all right, Arnhammen.” Ariana smiled at the dwarf. “The corridor ahead is patrolled by Skeletons. They move in groups of five and should be easy enough to deal with – if Arnhammen is up to it.”

“I hae ne’er been more ready, Lady.” The dwarf looked eager to go.

“Then let us away to battle the Undead in our bid to free this world of evil!” Erendell proclaimed as if reciting some ancient battle cry.

Grald and Arnhammen looked at Erendell as if she’d grown horns. Aranok gagged and turned away, unable to speak, and Ariana grinned.

“It’s ok,” she said. “She’s eating Copperleaf and Berry Bread.” She pointed at the wedge of bread in the dark elf’s hand.

“Huh?” Grald sounded confused.

“Don’t worry about it,” Aranok said, swilling his mouth out with water. “Erendell put that stuff away.”

“Oh all right.” Erendell folded a napkin around the wedge and put it into her knapsack.

Erendell disarmed the alarm and gas traps that she found by the door and unlocked it with a twist of a pick. They moved cautiously through and into the next corridor.

Here there was no glowing ooze so Ariana produced a Mage Globe and whispered to it. It glowed a soft yellow that made Erendell’s golden eyes gleam in the borrowed light.

“She’s so beautiful,” Grald whispered longingly to Aranok as they made their way up the passage.

“Be careful, Grald. Erendell is nearly one hundred and eight years old and has had at least four human lovers that I know of. She’ll break your heart.” Aranok shook his head when the barbarian’s face turned stubborn. To change the subject he asked, “Do you have any family?”

“Yes. I have a younger sister, Freya.”

“Where is she at the moment?”

“She’s a Pleasure House Slave in Jira. I used to be a Gladiator Slave there as well. A merchant who won a lot of money betting on me bought me and set me free. Now all I have to do is buy her free.”

“Is that why you’re adventuring? You never did tell me when we were talking last night.” Aranok looked around the corridor they were walking up. “It’s too quiet.”

Grald wasn’t really paying much attention to Aranok.

“Yes, Lord Harnez promised me enough gold to pay off at least half of her price. I’m hoping to pick up some more here and I have a third of her price already stashed away.”

They reached the point that Ariana suggested they dig from without encountering any Skeletons.

“That was strange. I expected at least one skirmish on the way up here,” the mage remarked as she pulled the Digger Mech out of her bag. The copper cube sat on the ground quiescent as she attached a leather cord to her wrist and another to a loop at the back of the cube.