Refuge: Kurt's Quest (20 page)

One of the knights cried out as a zombie
scratched him on the face.  Almost immediately the rot took hold, and the man
fell to his knees screaming as his face started to fall apart.  It would still
take some time to die, probably weeks, but death was assured without holy
healing.

Then it was over, hundreds of undead destroyed,
even those who had not been incinerated hacked apart to the point where they
were no longer mobile.  Garios saw to the knight who had been struck, summoning
the healing power of his God to treat the man of the rot.  It started reversing
immediately, though it would take some hours to be totally reversed.  The man
was sent back to the camp, while the rest of the party forged ahead.

[Scout ahead of us, Jackie,] sent Kurt over the
private circuit, knowing that the Immortal woman had the better chance of
getting them intelligence without losing her life.  [Be careful with the
whatever, though.  We have no way of knowing how it will affect us.]

Jackie sent her acknowledgement as she sheathed
her blades so they wouldn’t give her away with their emanations, then slid
gracefully with no sound into the brush.  Kurt followed through her own eyes,
watching as she got near to the entrance, only separated by a thin line of
brush.  Something came through the brush from the side, and Jackie turned, a
spike of fear shooting through her mind, to look on the horror that was
revealed.

*     *     *

Jackie understood why it had to be her to
scout.  She was the most stealthy of the party, except for Fenris and Xeonodes,
both of whom could put her to shame.  She had better senses than both the
Ranger and the Thief.  And she was the much better fighter.  But, most important
of all was her resistance to magic.  They weren’t sure what was causing the
petrification of the people outside of the entrance to the ruins, temple,
whatever.  But they were pretty sure it was caused by some kind of magical
force.

She moved ahead, aware that Kurt was looking
through her eyes.  This kind of connection was very personal, intimate,
something she was not really sure she would want to share with another.  She
could also see through his eyes, hear through his ears, feel his thoughts.  His
feelings came through, worry for her, determination to get his quest over with
so he could return them all to their people.  Love for her.  That last part
made her heart soar, and she knew he was feeling the same thing coming from
her.

Something moved to her right, and she cursed
herself for a fool for letting her feelings get in the way of the mission.  She
turned, thinking she was ready for everything.  But the hideous face,
surrounded by a dozen hissing snake heads, eyes glowing, proved her wrong. 
It’s
a damned Gorgon
, she thought, stifling a scream and reaching for the hilt
of her right handed sword,
Fire.

Her hand closed around the hilt as her heart
seemed to freeze in fear, and her muscles locked in place. 
I’m dead
,
she thought, as she felt her skin begin to harden, her dark tan complexion
turning to the color of stone.  Her last voluntary action was the scream she
released.

*     *     *

“She’s in trouble,” yelled Fenris, running
forward with his blade in hand.

“Wait,” cried Garios, trying to grab onto the
quick moving Elf and missing.  “He will die,” said the Dwarf, looking over at
Kurt, who was himself starting to move forward.

“Then what do you recommend?” asked the big
Immortal, waiting one second for an answer, then shaking his head and starting
forward again. 
What the hell does the Priest expect me to do.  Let my lover
and my friend both die because I’m too cautious to do anything.

Kurt ran out into the open, trying to locate
his foe.  He had no trouble with that part, as the snake headed woman turned
away from her latest victims and speared Kurt with her deadly stare.  He tried
to look away, but his eyes were locked as soon as he met her gaze.  He could
feel himself begin to stiffen as his muscles froze and his skin began to
harden.  He saw his two friends, both now statues.

No
, he screamed mentally, forcing his muscles to
move his limbs.  They resisted a moment, then swung into motion, slower than
normal, but still mobile.  The creature’s eyes increased their intensity,
glowing brighter, and Kurt felt himself begin to freeze yet again.  He felt no
fear at his pending petrification, only a rage that he couldn’t get at his
enemy and kill her for what she had done to his friends.  With the growing rage
he fought off the petrification, drawing his sword back for a strike.

The snake heads struck first, a trio of them
shooting forward and sinking their fangs into his neck.  The venom they
injected burned like liquid hellfire, and he shouted in agony as it rushed
through his veins.  He wanted to reach for the heads and pull them free, but
realized that such an action would accomplish nothing.  So he gritted his teeth
and tried to bring is sword forward.

Before he could complete the move a blade of
glowing flame sliced into the neck of the Gorgon, cutting through.  The head
flew into the air, the glow in the eyes dying, the mouth slackening open, the
snake heads gasping as they rattled.  The Gorgon fell dead, its blood spraying
out, some striking Kurt on the cheek, where it burned as harshly as the venom
that the snake heads had injected.

“I thought you were dead,” he said to the woman
who stood behind the fallen body of the Gorgon.  He pushed the tip of his sword
into the ground and opened his arms, feeling slightly light headed from the
venom, but still alive.  Jackie flew into his grasp.  “You were turned into a
statue.  I saw it.”

Jackie buried her face into his armored
shoulder.  “I felt myself turning, and didn’t think anything could stop it. 
Until it turned its attention on you, and its spell seemed to break.”

“And what of Fenris?” asked Kurt, keeping his
arms around her and looking over at the place where he had seen the Ellala. 
His mouth opened in surprise when he saw the man starting to move, the grayish
cast of the stone on his skin.  It took a few moments, but Fenris started breathing
as his skin returned to its normal golden tan.

“Her spell was broken when you killed her,
Friend Kurt,” said Garios, stepping out of the brush.  “Fenris had not
completed petrification either, and so he comes back to us, unlike these others
who have been here so long.”  The Priest gestured at the numerous other statues
around the dark entrance leading into the mountain.

Kurt released Jackie and stepped back, getting
a good look at the petrified beings for the first time.  The greatest number of
them were Grogatha, dressed in the leather armor of their warriors that now
looked like it had also been carved of stone.  There were a few Ogres, and a
dozen humans with the features of Nords.  And there were some others that looked
like they had not come from this region.  Men in full armor, holding long
swords of a strange design.

“It looks like other adventurers have come here
over the centuries,” said Sir Gromli, walking up to one of the statues.

“The more successful ones,” agreed Garios,
looking at another of the statues of a warrior.  “The ones who made it through
the Grogotha.”

“Just so they could die here,” said the Dwarf. 
“Not much of a success, if you ask me.”

“Well, we ended her rein, sure enough,” said
Jackie, watching as Fenris started shoving some of his arrows into the bleeding
neck stump of the Gorgon.  “What are you doing?” she asked, as the Elalla
carefully placed the arrows into a quiver he carried that was made of bronze.

“Her blood is one of the deadliest substances
known,” said the Ellala in a still weak voice.  “They may come in handy inside
that dungeon we are about to enter.”

“And how do you feel, Friend Kurt?” asked the
Priest, looking up at the much taller man.  “The venom from those snakes was at
least as deadly as her blood.”

“I’m feeling better,” said Kurt, his body
recovering quickly from a poison that would have killed almost anyone else.

“Your remarkable constitution has served you
well again,” said the Priest, shaking his head.  “Pray that it continues to do
so in the future.”

[If there is a future for you weak creatures,]
boomed a voice in the heads of all the telepaths.  [Which I seriously doubt.]

Something cracked in the sky, the sound like
sails booming in the wind.  Kurt looked up to the sky to see an enormous red
dragon dropping out of the sky on them, its huge mouth wide open as it started
to spray flame at them.

Chapter Thirteen

The roar of the great red sounded through the
mountains, echoing off the walls of rock and sending most of the creatures
within earshot running.  Marshal Ellessa Ellisandra smiled as he heard that
sound. 
So, our pursuers have run into our new friend.  May they burn in
agony in this world before they go to whatever hell they are destined for.

[The way is clear,] sent the Master Assassin,
Glassini Ellishanana, who was scouting ahead with her three compatriots.

[We’re coming in,] sent the Marshal back,
waving a hand in the air and pointing at the entrance of the ruins.  It looked
like at one time this had been a marble wall, but it had been torn and melted
by the dragon, allowing the Great Wyrm to enter and use the interior for his
lair.  The first score of warriors marched through, their eyes constantly on
the move as they entered a place that stunk of dragon.

This is not the area that worries me
, thought the Marshal. 
The cavern he saw as he walked in had been the lair of a creature that no other
would think of intruding upon.  It was when they went through an opening that
the dragon couldn’t get through that things would again become dangerous.  And
his assassins would be the first to contact those dangers. 
What they’re
here for
, he thought.  He preferred that at least one of them made it to
their objective alive.  They might need an assassin’s skill as a thief to get through
a final barrier.  But if some of them died before they got to that objective,
he would not cry.  Especially if it was the Master, who he was sure had orders
to get rid of him when the time was right.

“Come on, Krug.  Jakisanda,” he ordered the
Ogre and the Death Priest.  They were his heavy hitters, and he was determined
to keep them close in case something came out of the dark that he couldn’t
handle on his own.  The rest of the priests and mages followed his group, then
another score of warriors.  All he wanted to bring into the ruins at this
time.  There were over a hundred men he would leave behind, though another
score of them would follow when Ellisandra and his people got deep into the
ruins, and act as a ready reserve.

The roar of the dragon came to his ears once
again, and the Marshal smiled. 
Perhaps he can kill them, and they can
return the favor, so we won’t have to deal with the Wyrm again.

*     *     *

The Great Wyrm swept lower, its wings booming
as it reduced its dive to something that would keep it over its target, putting
out torrents of flame to incinerate its victims.  It could sense some powerful
weapons on the intruders, gear that would join its treasure horde after it
killed the carriers.  It opened its mouth and shot out the superhot flames that
were greater than the heat of the greatest forge.

Something hit Keristratinix in the head, a
flame so hot and powerful that it actually dazed the dragon.  The Great Wyrm
shook its head, then looked around to see if it could find the foe.  Its wings
boomed again, lifting it into the air as it quested for the creature that had
attacked it.

There
, it thought, as it picked up the smaller
humanoid that was dropping to the ground. 
Not possible
.  The Wyrm had
fought humans and Elves in the past, even great wizards.  And never had it felt
such power from a magic user before. 
Maybe it’s an angel, or even a god. 
The
dragon dismissed that thought as it looked down on the small figure.  While it
radiated power, it was not the power of the divine. 
So he’s a magic user. 
And wizards I can kill.

The Wyrm dove at the man, opening his mouth and
sending a stream of superheated flame into the wizard’s body.  The bushes
around the man flared into ash, the ground beneath his feet turned to flowing
glass, and the dragon expected the human to fall into a pile of burned bone
chips any moment.  Instead, the man looked up at the dragon with glowing eyes
and raised a hand.  A ball of white fire rose from the extended arm and
streaked toward the dragon, exploding on its chest.

Keristratinix roared in agony as the flame
burned into his scales to the muscle underneath.  The dragon flapped his wings
to gain altitude and get away from its tormentor. 
This is impossible
,
thought the dragon.  Like all of his kind, fire was his element.  Fire was
something he had total resistance to.  He could lay in magma flowing from the
earth with little discomfort.  There was nothing that a mortal mage could do to
him with fire that would affect him.  But now he was being hit with something
outside of his understanding.

I will see if he can handle being pierced by my
spear like teeth,
he thought, stopping his fire and diving at the man, his mouth gaping open. 
Die,
insect
, thought the dragon as he moved to snatch the human from the ground.

The explosion of fire struck the open mouth of
the Great Wyrm and blasted outward.  Keristratinix had a moment to feel his jaw
bones break into pieces, the flesh burning into smoking meat, his lower head
blow in small bits out into the air.  The dragon fell over on his back, aware
of his agony for just another moment before the fire burned into his brain and
he knew no more.

It wasn’t the way he had planned, but the Great
Wyrm was finally freed of his imprisonment.  His spirit went to join that of
the Dragon God, where he would rule at the side of the deity for millennia.

*     *      *

“James,” yelled Jackie, as the young Mage
turned to face them, the fire that had enveloped his body fading away.

“How?” asked Kurt, dumbstruck.  “We saw you
fall to your death.”

“You saw me fall,” agreed the young man.  “But
the levitation spell that Fenris taught me worked beyond my wildest dreams when
I was in trouble.”

“And you came back to us,” said Jackie, running
up and enfolding the human in a hug.

“I had a bit of trouble with some Grogatha and
their shamans at first,” said James, patting the woman on the back, then
grunting.  “Don’t break my ribs, my Lady.   I may control magic, but my body is
still that of a frail human.”

“And how did you kill the dragon?” asked Fenris,
his expression alternating between delighted and confused.  “Fire is the
element the reds are most resistant to.”

“He fed me dragon fire,” said James, holding up
a hand and sending a flame out from his finger.  The heat was tremendous, more
so than any ordinary fire.  “I have his power within me now.  I’m not sure how
long I will have it, but as long as I do, it’s at my beck and call.”

“So the dragon could not handle his own
poison?” asked Sir Gromli.

“Nope, and he had no way of knowing that fire
cannot hurt me, no matter how hot,” said James.

“You still took an awful risk,” said Kurt,
looking over the young man to make sure there wasn’t an injury they were
missing.  After a couple of glances he was satisfied.  “Are you ready to go
with us into these ruins, or do you need rest?”

“I’m ready to get this over with,” said James
with a head nod.  “The sooner we are back to civilization, or what passes for
it on this world, the better.”

Kurt nodded, then motioned for Jackie to lead
the way.  He hated sending her in at point all the time, but she was the best
suited for it, with her combination strength, speed and heightened senses.  He
made a point of following close enough behind that he could support her in
seconds.
Unless some damned trap springs that cuts her off from us.  But
it’s better for the party if she moves quietly ahead, and picks up any enemy
before they hear us.

“Do you really miss your own world so much,
Kurt?” asked Garios, walking beside the tall man, taking two steps for every
one the human took.  “From what I have heard from others of your people, there
were many problems there, and you were cut off from nature.”

“How would you feel if you were ripped from
your underground cities and dropped in a world where none of your magic worked,
Garios?  Would you not feel out of place?”

The Dwarf gave a human head nod, looking up at
the tall man.

“Then, that is how we feel.  Many of the things
we took for granted are no longer with us.”

“Like your war machines?”

“Most people did not have regular contact with
our tanks and helicopters,” said Kurt, shaking his head.  “They were useful, if
terrible as well.  But we had so much more.  Transport through the air faster
than your fastest dragon.  Motor vehicles for ground and water.  Ships that
could sail around the world at ten times the speed of that galley that brought
us here.  Devices to show us images from around the world, and many years in
the past.  Machines that could probe the human body and diagnose diseases.” 
Kurt thought for a moment, then smiled down at the short Priest.  “Of course,
you with your magic can do better than us in the medical department, but we
still had some things to be proud of there.”  He looked up at the sky for a
moment, before the ruins took that away from him.  “And we sent vehicles to
other worlds.  Men to our moon, robots to the other planets in our solar
system.  There were even plans to send men, before we destroyed our cities with
what you call God weapons, but which were nothing but devices out of hell.”

“Like the weapons you used against the Empire?”
asked the Priest.  “The ones that sent huge clouds of dust into the air.”

“Like those, yes.  But some were a hundred
times more powerful, capable of destroying a city of ten million in an
instant.  We were proud of that science too, before it destroyed us.”

Kurt ducked a bit to fit through the entrance,
something no one else in his party need do.  The entrance went in about ten
meters, then entered a room that boasted a ceiling twenty meters above the
floor and was at least forty meters wide.  It extended off into the distance
before ending in a wall.  Glowing gems set in the wall illuminated the room.  A
number of large statues stood on pedestals about the floor, each a warrior with
weapons in hand.

“More victims of the Gorgon?” asked Kurt,
walking up to one of the statues.

“I don’t think so,” said Garios, tapping the
base of one of the pedestals with his hammer.  “I think these were works of
art, placed here ages ago.  I sense some magic within them, faint, and of a
type I don’t recognize.  But nothing to do with the petrification magic of that
foul creature.”

“I’ve found something over here,” said
Xeonodes, waving to the others.

“Whatever it is, it really stinks,” said
Fenris, the first to reach the small alcove in the larger cavern.

There were bones scattered across the floor,
and the feces of some predator.  And some other objects, among them a jeweled
dagger and some pieces of armor.

“I think this was the Gorgon’s lair,” said
Garios, poking around the five by eight meter room.  “She was a predatory
creature.”

“I thought she turned all flesh to stone,” said
Gromli, poking at some shredded clothing.

“And she could turn it back to flesh so she
could eat,” said the Priest.

“I found something over here,” said the
Halfling, checking out an already opened and half rotted chest.  Some large
oblong objects sat in the chest.

“Her eggs,” said Garios, making the sign of his
God.  “Now that she is dead, one or more of them will hatch, and we will have
new Gorgons here.”

“Not if I can help it,” said James, stepping
forward.  “Everyone back, while I incinerate these things.”

“Hold one moment, Mage,” said Xeonodes,
reaching for the jeweled dagger and its sheath.  “This is magical, and I would
not want you melting it before I can put it to good use.”  The Thief stepped
back, leaving the chamber empty.

James called up the fire into his hands and
sent it into the room, setting everything flammable aflame, melting other
objects, including the stone of the walls.  The eggs flared and exploded with
the heat, sending small versions of their mother into the air where they
flashed to ash.

“That takes care of that threat,” said James,
looking back at his companions with a smile.

Kurt was about to say something when he heard a
sound like stone grating on stone.  He turned, along with the others, to see
one of the stone statues turning its head to look at them.  Even though the
eyes were of unblinking stone, he could feel them looking at him with a fierce
hate.  The hands with sword and shield moved, and it started to step from the
pedestal.  The other three statutes were also moving, stepping onto the floor
and striding forward in fighting crouches.

“Golems,” said Garios, a term Kurt remembered
from tales of the Jewish ghettoes on Prague.  And if these things were half as
tough as that monster was said to be, they were in real trouble.

*     *     *

“Wait,” said Glassini, holding up a hand and
stopping the party before they had taken more than a few steps into the room.

The Ellala all went into a kneel, looking at
the room they had stopped before.  Four statues stood on pedestals within the
room, totally immobile.