The Ingaran Adventures
Episode 64
“The funnel of annihilation.”
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Lord Issic: Half Human, Half Gold Dragon Warrior
Lady India: A gypsy Bard/Shadow Dancer
Lord Phaidon: A Tamer of the Beasts
Lord Alexander Maximus: The Gauntlet of Athena
Cthaat Angartha: The first Blood Owl
Zografos, Lord Domnhall: A yuan-ti slayer of mind flayers
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Alexander spoke, "If everyone has clamed themselves I suggest we continue on."
The exit loomed before them like a huge looming thing. Stairs at the exit wound downward into the depths below Alisander.
Alexander headed down the eerie stairs with everyone else in tow.
As they descended the stairs, they heard horrible, squishing sounds, as if something were being squished. A giggling and a laughing could be heard, and a foul wind whipped around them.
Alexander paused and then continued.
Again, the squishing sound and the foul wind.
Phaidon signaled Alexander and moved up to investigate the sound quietly. Alexander moved to the side to allow his friend to pass easily. Stealthy as the panthers he kept company with, Phaidon, Lord of Panthers, moved up. He slinked along the side of the stairwell, making nary a sound. His alert ears listened to determine the direction from which the sounds were coming.
Suddenly, a booming laughter echoed through the halls! 'The Gauntlet of Athena fears to go first! Hahahahaha!'
Phaidon stopped dead in his tracks and looked back at Alexander.
The laughter continued.
Alexander challenged the disembodied voice, "The Gauntlet does not respond to taunts."
An icy cold wind passed through the air. 'And does the daughter of the devil respond to taunts?'
Alexander moved up to walk along with Phaidon, but did not pass him. Phaidon continued on down the stairs.
A blackness started to well up from below, a pitch that made the darkness of the hall seem but a deep gray in comparison. 'And does the chosen of Tenebrion fear to come forward first?'
Zografos smiled. He continued to follow the others.
Alexander yet again challenged the voice, “This hall be only so wide. If it were wider we would skip arm in arm into this darkness so that we may all face the dangers together. The real question is, do disembodied voices fear us so much they will not show themselves.”
With that, they heard a loud BANG!
Then another. BANG!
BANG!
POOF!
Gas started to pour up around them, a foul green color. Phaidon instinctively held his breath. Zografos took the form of a shadow cat.
They then heard a scraping sound…and a little girl’s giggle.
Alexander was not impressed. He commanded the power of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and he would not be waylaid by a disembodied voice and some gas. He focused himself and summoned forth a creature to disperse the gas. "Athena’s Champions requests assistance from her father Zeus, god of clear sky and good air."
A djinni whirled into existence. She stood five feet, three inches tall, in a filmy garment that revealed all, yet remained tantalizing. She bowed before Alexander. 'I have come to serve the commander of Athena's mortal armies.'
"Athena's champions require clean air and a fine breeze.”
The djinni bowed and blinked, flipping her pony-tail. The green-colored gas faded away instantly.
Phaidon took a deep breath of the now fresh air and continued his trek down the stairs. Searching unendingly for any sign of danger.
"Let us move on. The mortal armies of Athena request your assistance for as long as you can stay on this plane."
Phaidon noticed a hand in the wall. In the stone of the wall, one of the stones looked like it was the upper arm and hand of a statue.
Phaidon pointed the hand out to Alexander and Zografos. Phaidon was doing his best to remain silent even though someone obviously knew they were coming.
Alexander noted that it was the arm and hand of an angel that had been petrified by the medusas above, and used as part of the stonework here.
As they progressed, they started noticing more and more petrified body parts used as construction materials for this baleful place.
Phaidon just shook his head and moved farther down the stairwell.
The booming voice said, 'Come down and enter the Brine Flats/Gaping Maw if you dare...' Again, the giggling of a little girl was heard. The booming voice was obviously male in tone and it contrasted eerily with the giggling.
Finally, they came to the bottom of the stairs. They saw a small room with a small table and a small girl sitting at that table. Phaidon entered the room and looked around.
The little girl was pouring some tea.
She lifted up a cup and said, 'Will you have tea with me?' She sniffed the aroma of the tea.
Alexander smiled kindly at the little girl, "I will drink tea with you if you drink water with me first."
'The tea is much too strong to drink. This tea is smelt. I will smell your water.'
Alexander reached around and drew forth his wine skin from which he poured some water.
The little girl smelled the water. She pushed the cup of steaming tea forward for Alexander to do the same.
Alexander smelt of the tea and was suddenly awash with pleasure. His body managed to allow the smell to pass without falling to its effects. He instantly knew what the item in the cup was. It was a highly addictive drug.
The girl said, 'You are brave. You may pass. And now all of your companions must show me their bravery.'
Phaidon was puzzled, "By sniffing the tea?"
The little girl answered, 'Aye, by sniffing the tea.'
Alexander held up his hand for Phaidon to stop. Alexander already knew this was no little girl, but a fearsome demon with two heads!
Alexander conversed with the little girl, "I am the leader of this group. I have shown my bravery and may pass. Therefore, they should be able to accompany me without being tested."
'Nay, I want to see everyone's bravery. It is no bravery to follow the leader.'
"But you should accept a leader vouching for his follower’s bravery, should you not?"
Issic tired of the games of this place. He walked up and sniffed the tea.
'I do not accept
anything from anybody.' She spoke to
Issic, “You may pass.”
Alexander
continued, “You question my friends bravery yet you are not brave enough to
show your true form. I question your bravery demon!"
'I would not do that if I were you,' she warned.
Issic growled at the little girl, "You should expect nothing less"
Phaidon was
waiting for Alexander to approve his sniffing of the tea.
Alexander nodded to Phaidon.
Cthaat walked
around
Cthaat said, 'It
smells pretty.' She sneered at
Phaidon asked, "What happened to her, Alexander?"
"The cup contains a very powerful drug."
"Can you help
her?"
The little girl stood up and walked toward a curtained exit.
Alexander addressed her, "Little girl, you have seen this ones bravery now cure her of the ill effects of this test."
The little girl stopped and turned around, 'Only if she embraces her heritage. Lineage is important.'
Phaidon almost screamed at the little girl, "Forget that."
Alexander continued, "Not an option. Besides you are a demon why would you want her to become a devil?"
'I don't care about that. I just like to see people corrupted, that’s all.'
She turned again and pulls aside the curtain. 'Just call if you change your mind. The name is ‘Demogorgon’.''
Alexander continued as he tried to remember everything he knew of the drug, "But think for a moment demon, am I not corrupting devils just the same? By saving her now you help our cause and harm the devils who are tempted to turn away from their masters. You spread chaos and discord among your enemies"
Demogorgon stopped and said, 'Perhaps, but I'd like to corrupt your work. Come with me, and we can negotiate this.'
"I do not have time to go with you. I am needed here unless she is saved now."
'As you wish.' She left, dropping the curtain behind her.
Suddenly,
Alexander remembered the possible cures for the drug. He waived his hand over
Alexander smiled
and spoke to
Phaidon helped
Phaidon hugged her, "Well, let us not go that far."
There were seven exits from the room, all curtained. Alexander examined the exits with his ability to see all. A red eye could be seen on the curtain in the opposite direction of where Demogorgon went.
Alexander spoke, "Phaidon, Zografos check for traps."
Phaidon searched the curtain and all realized that Zografos had slipped away. He was nowhere to be found.
Zografos knew enough of the area to know which way to go. As Zografos trotted along, he slipped in and out of cracks looking for adjacent rooms and the like.
In one room, he found an imprisoned angel hanging on a wall. She was asleep. Zografos slipped in, looked around for danger, and then took physical form and attempted to free the angel.
He succeeded in freeing the angel. She thanked him and asked, 'Are you real?'
Zografos smiled thinking to himself, “Are you?” He tweaked her boob.
'Oh, you are just more of them.' She laid back. 'Rape me again and get it over with.'
Zografos yelled, "What!?” in a muffled shout. "I am no rapist. Why would I free you if I wanted that? Now how did you come to be here?"
'I was purchased as a slave after a summoner betrayed me.'
The angel was completely nude, not even wearing a slave collar. She had soft, white angel wings and gorgeous eyes.
"I have freed you. Why have you not returned from where you came?"
'You took me from my bonds, but you have not freed me from slavery.'
"And what
still holds you?"
'My promise.'
"And your
promise was?"
'To serve him
until another killed him.'
"Who is
'him'?"
'My master who
lives in the Brine Flats/Gaping Maw; Demogorgon.'
Zografos growled, "Would killing this mortal form of yours release you from your promise?"
'Yes.'
Zografos wondered what was with this angel. Was she depressed or did not care about her freedom or what. He deduced that she was alright with her slavery.
“Do you know the layout of this area?”
'Somewhat.'
“What can you tell me?”
“I know where the bedroom is from here if you want to get it on.'
Zografos figured she stated that too ‘matter of factly’ to actually want it, “Who or what is down here? What is Demogorgon?”
'My master.'
"Do you wish
me to kill you and end your slavery?"
'No.'
"What does Demogorgon
have in its bedroom?"
'Me.'
Zografos was quite fed up talking to the most helpless/helpful angel around. Zografos looked around for exits and a way to meet back up with the others. He noted five exits, not counting the way he came in.
The angel walked up behind Zografos and said, 'I'd like to have you.'
Zografos was peeking beyond the curtains into the other rooms, "We can romp after we get out of here."
He noticed various chambers: A privy; a bedroom; a library; a dining room; a cloister room. He couldn’t hear anything out of the ordinary. He could only hear the rustle of the angel’s wings. She touched his arm and trailed her fingers in circles over your shoulder.
Zografos stepped into the library and looked over the books. The angel followed. All of the book titles were written in Demonic.
“Can you read what
these say?"
She said, 'No, but some of them have pictures. I like the ones where the girls take the guys in their mouths.'
“You are under the control of Demogorgon right now, aren't you?" Zografos looked over the books as his shadow passed over them.
'Nope.'
"Show me
where the bedroom is."
She took Zografos back into the torture chamber and into the bedroom.
Zografos noted two exits from the room, the one they came in and one other.
Zografos looked into the other room which was another bedroom. He peeked beyond the beaded curtain that served as a door. He saw a girl sleeping on the bed. Another girl, naked, is sitting at a mirror, combing her long, blonde hair.
Zografos whispered to the angel, "Do you know those girls?"
'Yes.'
"Are they
slaves as well?"
'Yes.'
Zografos noted another exit beyond the girl’s bedroom.
Zografos stepped into the girl’s bedroom, ready to clamp his hands over their mouths if they screamed. "If you wish a kinder master, ladies, come with me."
Zografos took note that the two girls and the angel had normal shadows. The girls stood up and followed him.
The girls didn’t know anything of the layout of this place. Zografos peeked through the next doorway.
In the next room, he noted a naked girl with batwings talking to two hairy ape-like monsters.
Zografos listened in on their conversation.
The succubus said,
'When the Nalfeshnee has pushed that group into the Sphere of Annihilation, hopefully we will save
Zografos had a wicked idea. He cast a spell and reshaped his shadow and changed it to take the shape of a shadow dragon. Then he allowed his shadow to fall through the doorway as he addressed in a booming voice, "What trap does Larbius have you in?"
The angel, as Zografos was casting his spell said, 'I have to go.' She vanished.
Zografos paid the angel no mind. He increased his shadow to the size of a great wyrm.
The demoness said, 'He has put a spell on us binding us here, dragon.'
Zografos made a
booming laugh, "You are attempting to kill the only mortals who could
possibly help you escape. They are the
sworn enemies of Larbius. Larbius will
not free you in exchange for his daughter, when he already has you trapped permanently.”
'Truly you say?'
"Yes, Truly Fools! Now free them and make peace with them so they may help you and I can return to peaceable sleep!"
"How can we be freed by helping the mortals?"
"It is their destiny to fight and destroy Larbius. His destruction will break your binding."
'What can we do to help, dragon?'
Zografos laughed once again, "Fool! Immortality has given you no wisdom. Get them all safely past this area, release the angel and female slaves as tokens of your good will and give them what knowledge you have of this place and of Larbius!"
"I will
consider it, dragon."
"Consider
quickly, tasty morsel. If I am kept from
my sleep much longer I will grow hungry!"
"I do not
like this plan, dragon. Show me
proof!"
Zografos made another booming laugh. "I do not have the proof. The proof is on the one called Alexander. He has some of the teeth of Larbius. He may even be able to use them to break the current binding you are under."
"Tell us your
plan, dragon."
Phaidon was sure it was just a curtain, "It should be alright."
Alexander opened the curtain and a long hallway could be seen leading into the darkness.
Alexander asked, "Shall
we?"
"Aye." Phaidon started down the hallway.
The hallway trembled as Alexander and Phaidon started across it. The hallway was delicately balanced between the two ends.
Alexander hovered with his boots of flying and flew over to pick Phaidon up, "Hold on."
As they started across the sixty foot hallway, the magic in Alexander’s boots gave out and they crashed to the floor of the hallway. The hallway creaked and moaned from the stress of the blow and it began to roll like a barrel down a hill. Alexander and Phaidon noticed the ceiling of the hallway was disguised and that it was open. They knew they would be dumped out the ‘top’ of the hallway in mere seconds.
Phaidon and Alexander tried to grab the edge of the hallway as they were dumped from within. Alexander grabbed hold of the edge, but Phaidon tumbled from the spinning hallway.
Alexander’s weight put the hallway off-balance and it continued to spin endlessly. He tried to grab Phaidon, but was unsuccessful.
Phaidon slammed onto an oily slope and started sliding down toward a black hole.
Alexander yelled out, "Does anyone have a rope?"
Phaidon pulled a couple of arrows from his quiver and attempted to jab them into the walls to stop from sliding. The arrows were unable to penetrate the adamantine walls of the funnel.
The black hole at the bottom of the funnel waited hungrily on Phaidon as he sped toward it, the oiled surface slick and unyielding.
Phaidon pulled his grappling hook and rope from his pack and attempted to hook the perpetually spinning hallway. Just as he threw the grappling hook at the hallway, the mighty Issic grabbed the edge of it to stop it from spinning. Phaidon’s grapple harmlessly bounced against the solid bottom. It clattered to the ground and was instantly sucked into the gaping maw of the black hole. The hideous black hole greedily slurped the rope from Phaidon’s grasp.
Issic was straining to hold the hallway in place. The mighty sinews of his arms were stretched to their limit and bulged as he continued to maintain the hallway.
Alexander worried for Phaidon. He grasped the edge of the hallway tightly, "Let go Issic, Phaidon needs the hall to spin.”
Issic let go of it and the hallway commenced to spinning again. Alexander saw Phaidon scrambling with all his might to keep from reaching the bottom of the funnel. As Phaidon neared the black hole, he began to pray to Athena. He knew not what the hellish thing at the bottom was, but he knew it could not be a good thing. Phaidon readied himself and at the last minute, he straddled the four foot wide black hole. His feet were firmly planted on the golden housing that hosted the black hole. The gravity from the black hole was immense and it still attempted to suck him in and devour him. The oil continued to run down and Phaidon’s feet began to slip.
Alexander yelled out, "Someone throw me a rope!"
Suddenly, there was a roar behind Issic. The mighty half dragon spun around as he drew his sword.
At the same moment, Alexander lost his grip on the spinning hallway and began a quick descent toward Phaidon who yet straddled the black hole as he strained against its power.
A demon had
entered the room and was roaring its challenge to Issic.
As Alexander slid down the oil slicked slope, he removed a vial of Ingaran fire from his belt pouch and smashed it against the side of the funnel. Instantly the room exploded in a blast of fire and incredibly noise. Both Phaidon and Alexander were flung high into the air where they began falling, not sliding, toward the ever hungry black hole.
The monstrous demon rushed Issic, attempting to push him into the hallway.
Issic stabbed at the onrushing demon as it charged him. Foul ichors poured from the wound Issic drew. As the demon met Issic, they crashed together with the sound of thunder, but Issic held fast and pushed the demon away. Issic grunted as he strained against the demon, “I will not be defeated!” The mighty Issic, standing a third the size of the charging demon, held the monster back with body muscles that have been developed into steel-like toughness. The mighty demon, stopped in its tracks, and shook its shaggy head.
In a green flash, Issic brought the Great Sword that is Abeopernicles to bear on the demon. The demon suffered two severe slashes from Issic, but managed to dodge the third! Ichors and demon pieces began to litter the ground.
Alexander began praying as he saw his friend sucked into the void. Suddenly, an Angel was there supporting Alexander.
"My friends need help; can you take me to them?"
"No. I used the last of my magic to get here."
Alexander could tell the Angel looked very weak and pale.
The demon was undaunted. It attempted to clobber Issic and Cthaat. Cthaat was slammed backwards into a wall. The demon attempted to bash Issic to death. It crashed into Issic, body crouched, chin tucked behind its shoulder, hands high. Issic ducked deftly beneath the terrific left hook and right uppercut.
Alexander suddenly remembered reading about such spheres before and knew they could be controlled with ones mind. He took control of the terrible black hole that had devoured his friend. He mentally commanded the thing to make steps in the side of the funnel.
Issic straightened and slashed the demon three times. He screamed with each stroke, “I…WILL NOT…BE DEFEATED!”
It was a thing of utter ferocity and demonic hate that Issic battled. In a hurricane of battle, they turned and fought and as the blows slammed home over and over and over again, the demon gave a convulsive shudder that heaved its vast bulk against the wall with a horrible crash. The demon, bruised, battered, and barely there, turned a hateful eye to Issic and said, 'I found a way out from here, Larbius.' It expired and began to bubble away, dying as a pile of putrid sludge.
Alexander heard the sounds of battle stop and yelled out, "Is everyone alright up there?"
Zografos let out a low resounding growl, "Must I next tell you how to breathe! Will you ask me how to bed a man next!? Stop the one you call Nalfeshnee from pushing them into the sphere and help them on their way!"
"Oh. Alright.” She paused, "Too late. He is slain."
Zografos used his shadow sight to look into the area where the others were and he saw Alexander coming out of the pit, but Phaidon was not there.
"Do you have
enough sway with Demogorgon to have the angel released, she demon?"
"I can
release her to you."
"Excellent,
do so. Can you take on a mortal form?
"If it
pleases me. I like that companion of
yours named Cthaat. Interesting lineage
she has."
"Why do you
say that?"
She shrugged and smiled. "Someday when I am being pleasured by you and your Drow friends, I may tell you."
"Take mortal form and run up to the one called Alexander and plead and beg with him to help release you. Act as if you are a simple mortal girl scared out of her mind. He will release you then." Zografos figured the ruse was up since she knew of his Drow companions. But, then he realized the thought he was a dragon who took mortal form to please them.
The succubus handed Zografos a small gemstone, “If this is returned to the angel or broken she will be free, for it contains her promise.”
Alexander used the sphere to tunnel into the room carefully so not to catch anyone within its gravitational pull.
Issic murmured, “Glad I could help," to the fading demon.
"Where is
Phaidon?" asked
"Great, here start the hysterics," groans Cthaat.
"I am sorry
"Did he go into that thing?" she pointed at the sphere, ready to run into it.
Issic held
"I need you to calm yourself. If something happens to you now I may not be able to get Phaidon back. We must finish what we started."
"Can we put her out of her misery," hissed Cthaat beneath her breath.
Issic spoke to
Alexander gave the Angel some holy water to drink and it restored her magics to her.
Phaidon found himself on a barren field of ice. He was naked, but he was not cold. As Phaidon looked around, he noticed a girl in a silk skirt standing nearby.
Phaidon approached
the girl, "Greetings."
"Hello. I see you are dead too."
"Well, I
suppose I am. Where are we?"
"In the land
of the forgotten dead, I think."
"Odd. I doubt I would be forgotten. My name is Phaidon."
"Forgotten by
the gods. My name is Leila."
"I doubt that
as well. I am one of Athena's
champions. Have you seen anyone
else?"
"No."
"How long
have you been here?"
"I just got
here, though. I was killed by an angry
vampiress."
Phaidon could not see any landmarks or landscape of any kind within sight, "An angry vampiress? Where?"
"In
Alisander. She was angry that she was
trying to help someone, but was turned out, so she was just going to do what
was expected of her instead of trying to turn a helpful leaf."
"I am sorry
to hear that. If I were not dead as
well, I would avenge your death. What
did you do in Alisander?"
"I was
praying to Athena for a savior. I am a
seamstress who came to Alisander to work for the new temple there, but the
plagues kept them from seeing me."
"Well, maybe
Athena answered both of our prayers.
Yet, I do not know what I am supposed to do in this barren land."
Phaidon held out
his hand, "Come. We will walk
together."
"Very
well." She took Phaidon's hand.
They began walking.
"I know you think this is the place of the forgotten dead, but that is not true. We are not forgotten. Athena has sent me to you for a reason and we will figure that out together. She heard your prayer and answered it."
"Thank you,
you are a dear."
Phaidon was completely at a loss, so he figured they would just walk to see if they could find anything.
He continued talking to Leila, "Athena is always with us, but I wish she were actually here right now."
At that moment, an owl swooped overhead, "Wait. We need to follow that owl."
They began following the owl.