EternalNewbie
Explorer
Okay, here's a short little update to keep the thread from vanishing into obscurity. I'll also take the opportunity to encourage people to critique my writing as well. Like many others posting in this forum, I'm writing this for a variety of reasons, one of which is to improve on writing skills, which have become a bit rusty in the last few years. So go ahead and don't be shy to let me know what you like, and more importantly, what you don't.
"Well done," Arbaq's voice issued calmly from behind his array of silken screens. "Well done indeed. You have certainly surpassed my expectations." His voice was as smooth and unruffled as always, but Khalid thought he detected a hint of amusement. "Your promised reward awaits you in that chest over by the wall."
As Gorak moved to retrieve their payment, Khalid glanced around the room for the tenth time, hoping that some nubile young nymph would emerge for a dip in the pool. The room however, which was the same one they had met Arbaq in before, remained depressingly empty much to Khalid's disappointment. Realizing with a start that he had lost track of the conversation, Khalid focused back in on what Arbaq was saying.
"…and perhaps now we can discuss a more permanent arrangement?" Arbaq asked.
"Alright," Gorak grunted. "Let's hear your offer."
"It's simple. I manage an extensive trading concern and often run into situations that demand persons of particular talents, as you are already aware. I will reward you appropriately for each undertaking, as well as cover any incidentals incurred in achieving a satisfactory resolution. Anything you happen to acquire during the course of completing a task that is not specifically related to the task itself is yours to keep. In return, I ask only that you inform me if you are leaving the city and of course that you not enter into the employ of any of my competitors. You do not have to accept any job you do not wish to, however at that point we may need to reevaluate our relationship."
"Sounds like a pretty good deal," Gorak rumbled.
"I assure you," Arbaq continued, "that this partnership can only benefit all of us. Together, we can make a great deal of money my friends. If you need some time to think about it, there is no particular hurry although I would prefer an answer sooner rather than later."
"Dunno if that'll be necessary," Gorak replied. "So far you've made me wealthier than I've ever been, and although I ain't much for cities, I gotta say, I kinda like this place."
Shayla glanced around the room with a calculating eye. "A girl could get used to living like this," she said brightly. "Count me in." She looked at Khalid and cocked her head slightly. "So, Khalid, what about you? Isn't this what you were looking for?"
"Ah, yes, quite." Khalid muttered. "Ah, there is one small, rather insignificant problem that I should make you, ah, aware, yes, quite aware of." Khalid paused slightly, trying to think of a way to cast it in the best light possible. Stumped, he sighed and just forged ahead. "Ah, yes, I seem to be wanted in Gem-Sharad for, ah, treason. Yes, quite."
"Indeed." Khalid could hear the question in Arbaq's voice.
"Ah, it was the result of a small dispute. I, ah, through no fault of my own I assure you, angered a reasonably powerful man, who, ah, yes, saw fit to put a bounty, yes, bounty on my head," Khalid stammered. "I ah, do not have the means to attend to it yet and may not be able to return to Gem-Sharad for some time."
"How much?"
"Ah, yes, one thousand sultanas." Khalid winced slightly as he waited to be thrown out of Arbaq's mansion.
"Hmmm." Arbaq paused as though weighing the options. "Substantial, but certainly not extravagant. For the moment, I need you here in Shalazar anyhow, so this should be nothing more than a slight inconvenience. Once rumor spreads that you are working for me, most of the skilled locals won't risk it. Not for that amount of money. If and when I need you to return to Gem-Sharad, I'll make some inquiries, and see if we can't get this little mess sorted out."
"Ah, yes, quite." Khalid breathed a sigh of relief. "In that case, I'm your man."
"Excellent. I already have another matter that needs your attention. An old acquaintance of mine went missing some time ago. I want you to search his house and see if you can find any clue to his whereabouts."
"That's it?" Shayla asked, somewhat surprised.
"Not exactly," Arbaq replied. "The first man I sent in there never returned, and the city has since condemned the house and declared it off limits. The man's name was Achmed Abdul-Khaliq and he was a devout follower of Fezayl, as well as a renowned artificer and theologian. As you may already know, the holy men of these lands lost their conduit to the heavens at the same time the wizards lost their power."*
"Ah, yes, you know about the misfortunes of the White tower?" Khalid interjected, somewhat surprised.
"Indeed. They have not been entirely successful at keeping that little secret concealed. Rumors are beginning to spread and the truth is there to be found, for those that have the means to look." Arbaq replied.
"I remember that time," Shayla said. "There were riots in Gem-Sharad. Temples were burned and looted and a fair number of atrocities committed against the priests." She shivered slightly.
"Yes," Arbaq agreed. "Those were indeed dangerous times. The people blamed the priests for the gods disappearance, although it is widely suspected that the Sultan himself had a hand in organizing those little demonstrations. If that was the case, he did a masterful job. The clergy have all but abandoned Gem-Sharad".
Arbaq paused for a second before continuing. "However, that is of only marginal relevance to the issue at hand. After he lost his ability to communicate with his god, Achmed became introverted and erratic. I saw him only twice afterwards. The first time, he claimed it was a test from the gods, and that his faith was strong. The second time was some months after that." Arbaq paused again. "He was no longer so certain of himself. He looked terrible, like a man consumed by a purpose that had been thwarted at every turn. He confided in me that he was expending the last of his power in an attempt to reach his god. After that, I heard from him no more. It was then that I dispatched one of my better investigators to look into the matter. As I mentioned before he never returned and the city has since boarded up the house."
"Right." Gorak grunted. "Simple enough. We bust in, grab anything that looks like it might be important and report back here. That sum it up pretty good?"
"Indeed. If you need anything, simply send a runner to my estate, and I'll make the appropriate arrangements. I do have other matters to attend to, however, and may not be available immediately, so take that into consideration when planning your next move. Now, unless there is anything else you need this evening, the other business I mentioned demands my attention." And with that, Arbaq curtly dismissed them.
As they walked down the path towards the front gates of Arbaq's estate, Khalid spoke up. "Ah, yes, perhaps on the way back to the inn, we should take a look at this cleric's ah, domicile, as it were, to get an idea of the layout."
"Ya. Good idea." Gorak grunted.
The trio walked in silence for a while through the upper class neighborhoods of Shalazar. They found the cleric's house nestled in between two stately manors. A shoulder high stone wall surrounded a modest front yard. Months of neglect and the searing desert sun had combined to turn the grounds into a barren wasteland. Most of the grasses and flowers had been scorched brown by the heat, and what hardy plants remained were wild and overgrown. The house itself was only a single story, longer than it was deep, as near as Khalid could tell. The windows and front door had been boarded up securely and although there was a chain around the front gate there appeared to be enough slack to allow them to squeeze through.
"Wow. Those city workers really take their job seriously." Shayla remarked as they walked past.
"Yup," Gorak rumbled, "it's boarded up pretty good, but it won't be no problem to get in I don't think."
As they walked back to the inn, they discussed their plans for the next few days. Khalid insisted on time to prepare and it was eventually decided to make the initial foray in three days. Khalid spent the intervening time locked in his room, hunched over a towering stack of paper. Alternating his time between his research and scribing scrolls, he emerged only to eat and of course, wash the ink from his hands down at the baths.
On the morning of the third day, Khalid was awoken to Gorak's gravelly voice from outside his door. "C'mon," Gorak growled. "Let's get going."
"Ah, what time is it?" Khalid groaned, groping around in the darkness for his robes.
"Time to get going," Gorak snarled.
Shayla looked even less impressed than Khalid to be roused at such an ungodly hour but amazingly enough, she only complained for half of the journey to the cleric's house before settling in to a sullen pout. Her mood improved immeasurably however as they squeezed through the front gate and began sideling around the edge of the house. The eastern sky was just beginning to lighten as Gorak dug around in his pack and pulled out a small shovel. Just as he was about to push his way through the dying shrubbery around the back wall of the house, he stopped and looked at Khalid.
"What the hell is that thing?" Gorak growled.
"Ah, what?" Khalid asked, glancing nervously over his shoulder.
"That." Gorak pointed at Khalid's stomach. "You don't even have pants on, why in the nine hells do you need a belt that big, much less the suspenders that are attached to it?"
"Ah, it holds my spell components, among other things. Yes, quite." Khalid replied somewhat defensively. He'd had the belt specially made by a master leatherworker and designed it to hold the innumerable scrolls and pouches that he habitually carried around. It was dark black leather, tooled and polished with sterling silver buckles and had cost him a fair bit. All in all, Khalid was moderately proud of it.
Gorak muttered something inaudible under his breath, and then moved forward to attack the boards covering one of the windows at the rear of the house. Levering the spade in between two of the planks, he loosened it enough to get his thick fingers behind it. Then dropping the shovel to the ground, he grasped the board with both hands and pulled with all his strength. The nails holding it to the window frame gave a protesting shriek as Gorak pulled the board free and flung it into the yard. In short order he had pulled several more boards free and cleared most of the window. He was about to smash in the window when he suddenly turned to Shayla, with a broad grin on his face. "Darling, why don't you do the honors?"
"With pleasure," Shayla grinned, the excitement evident in her voice. She and Khalid moved to opposite sides of the window, while Gorak took a step back. Shayla cocked her crossbow, then smashed the butt through the window.
Gorak moved through the opening quickly. As he landed on the other side, he gave a sharp hiss of pain. "Watch it, there's glass everywhere," he growled.
Shayla hopped through next, landing silently on the other side. Khalid's progress was somewhat less graceful as he managed to both tear his robe and cut his hand on the way through. Cursing quietly, he gathered his wits and peered around the room. Through the darkness he could barely make out the shape of a long dining table surrounded by chairs.
"Ah, Gorak," Khalid began, "I could use some light…"
"Quiet," Gorak growled. "There's nothing dangerous in here and I wanna listen for a second."
Khalid blushed in the darkness and then strained to listen as well. The seconds ticked by as the three stood in silence, then finally Gorak spoke. "Alright, seems clear. Shayla, give us some light."
With a word and a gesture, Shayla flooded the room with clear, white light. They were indeed in a dining room. Ten chairs, four on each side and one at either end, surrounded the long, polished wooden table. In the far corner of the room was a large china hutch, filed with dishes and silverware. Directly behind the head of the table, on the west wall, hung an elaborate tapestry over a large set of double doors. The tapestry was emblazoned with a strange crest, which Khalid presumed was the symbol of the man's god. On the south wall was another, smaller door, framed by portraits of stern looking men with dour expressions.
"Well, there ain't nothing unusual in here," Gorak growled as he moved around the edge of the table. "I say we check out this room over…" Gorak grunted, the air exploding from his lungs, as one of the chairs hopped over and butted him in the stomach. Khalid blinked in disbelief as the huge armchair at the end of the table followed suit, wobbling over towards Gorak, who was doubled over gasping for breath. When it reached him, it spun around and leapt into the air, slamming its headrest into Gorak's face. Gorak staggered backwards and spit out a mouthful of blood.
Khalid, dumbfounded by the scene, began to giggle helplessly. "Ah, Gorak, you seemed to have angered the furniture."
"I can see that, you ass," Gorak roared. "Now stop standing around and help me."
"Ah, just watch exactly do you want me to…" Khalid's sentence trailed off as the large china cabinet in the corner began to rock back and forth. Then suddenly its drawers flew open and Khalid uttered a startled yelp as an ornate silverware knife buried itself in the window frame beside his head. Shayla immediately dove for cover behind the end of the table as a delicate china teacup was ejected from the cabinet and smashed into Khalid's face, bloodying his nose.
Gorak in the meantime had drawn his cudgel and was swinging furiously at the dancing furniture. He caught one of the chairs with a glancing blow that toppled it over, but it immediately righted itself, apparently no worse for the blow. A third chair began to move and yet another trembled violently as though shaken by some gigantic unseen hand. The chairs capered and danced around Gorak, leaping into the air every so often in a comical attempt to strike him.
Shayla, from her position at the end of the table was methodically loading and firing her crossbow into the china cabinet. After the second shot, she cursed. "This isn't working."
Gorak, starting to tire from the constant battering, growled, "We've gotta figure out what's controlling them." Then he brought down his cudgel, smashing the armrest of one of the chairs.
Khalid, who had been biding his time, jumped into the fray as Gorak stepped back. Chanting quickly he produced his most damaging spell and engulfed two of the chairs in a cone of searing embers. Both immediately burst into flames. Neither chair seemed particularly concerned.
"That's just great Khalid," Gorak roared as he tried desperately to keep the flaming furniture at bay. "Now why don't you just knock me out and really make this fight interesting!"
"Ah, sorry, yes quite." Khalid apologized as he ducked a silver goblet and crouched down beside Shayla who had abandoned her crossbow and was now chanting with her eyes closed. When she opened them, she stared past Khalid with a look of intense concentration on her face.
Khalid was vindicated however, as one of the burning chairs flared up and then collapsed into a pile of smoldering sticks. Gorak brought his cudgel down hard on the other chair, shattering its back and splintering the seat. The wounded chair hobbled pathetically into the corner of the room and then fell motionless to the ground. The third chair took the opportunity to butt Gorak in the back, eliciting a sharp grunt of pain from the half-orc.
"There's magic in the room," Shayla cried. "And it's powerful."
"Don't you people have anything better to do than state the obvious?" Gorak snarled. Then his knees buckled as a huge, silver serving tray banged off his head.
"I can see it now," Shayla continued. "It cuts through half of the room. I can't tell what type it is."
"It's the type that makes furniture come alive!" Gorak cursed. With a roar, he dropped his cudgel and tackled the chair. It writhed and twisted in his grip but Gorak held firm. For a few moments Gorak stood motionless as he strained against the magic animating the chair. Sweat rolled down his face, and mingled with the blood streaming from his mouth.
Khalid, watching the burly half-orc grapple with an elaborately carved teakwood chair, leaned in close to Shayla and whispered, "That is undoubtedly the strangest thing I have ever seen."
Shayla nodded in agreement then peeked up over the edge of the table. "Well, at least the china hutch is out of ammunition."
Slowly Gorak dragged the chair back towards Khalid and Shayla and closer to the edge of the magic aura. With one final heave he twisted his body and pitched the chair against the back wall, shattering it into a hundred pieces. He stood there silently for a moment breathing heavily and glaring at Khalid and Shayla. "Next time," Gorak growled in between breaths, "you help me." He pointed at Shayla. "And you," he jabbed Khalid in the chest with one of his thick fingers, "don't!"
They patched themselves up as best they could, with the aid of both Gorak's magic and his skill in the healing arts. The china hutch and the other chair on the edge of the aura continued to twitch and jerk, but seemed for the most part to be relatively impotent now.
Gorak groaned and stood up, the vertebrae in his back popping audibly as he stretched. He reached down and picked up his backpack, which jingled with pilfered silverware. "So," he grumbled, "who wants to wager our friend here was eaten by his bed?"
"I'll put five, yes, five sultana's on an armoire." Khalid snickered.
"Boys, boys, boys. We've got more important things to do," Shayla admonished. "Stay focused."
Gorak raised an eyebrow. "She's telling us to stay focused?" he chuckled. "We'd better get her out of here Khalid, I think that magic is starting to affect her."
Shayla dismissed him with a toss of her auburn curls. "Well we still haven't found what we're looking for have we? And besides, there's gotta be something better in here than dented silverware. So which door are we going through?"
"Yes," Khalid replied, becoming serious again. "Which door indeed?"
*Heh, you might think that removing clerics from the world would cause problems, but nobody in our group ever plays clerics. Ever.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Well done," Arbaq's voice issued calmly from behind his array of silken screens. "Well done indeed. You have certainly surpassed my expectations." His voice was as smooth and unruffled as always, but Khalid thought he detected a hint of amusement. "Your promised reward awaits you in that chest over by the wall."
As Gorak moved to retrieve their payment, Khalid glanced around the room for the tenth time, hoping that some nubile young nymph would emerge for a dip in the pool. The room however, which was the same one they had met Arbaq in before, remained depressingly empty much to Khalid's disappointment. Realizing with a start that he had lost track of the conversation, Khalid focused back in on what Arbaq was saying.
"…and perhaps now we can discuss a more permanent arrangement?" Arbaq asked.
"Alright," Gorak grunted. "Let's hear your offer."
"It's simple. I manage an extensive trading concern and often run into situations that demand persons of particular talents, as you are already aware. I will reward you appropriately for each undertaking, as well as cover any incidentals incurred in achieving a satisfactory resolution. Anything you happen to acquire during the course of completing a task that is not specifically related to the task itself is yours to keep. In return, I ask only that you inform me if you are leaving the city and of course that you not enter into the employ of any of my competitors. You do not have to accept any job you do not wish to, however at that point we may need to reevaluate our relationship."
"Sounds like a pretty good deal," Gorak rumbled.
"I assure you," Arbaq continued, "that this partnership can only benefit all of us. Together, we can make a great deal of money my friends. If you need some time to think about it, there is no particular hurry although I would prefer an answer sooner rather than later."
"Dunno if that'll be necessary," Gorak replied. "So far you've made me wealthier than I've ever been, and although I ain't much for cities, I gotta say, I kinda like this place."
Shayla glanced around the room with a calculating eye. "A girl could get used to living like this," she said brightly. "Count me in." She looked at Khalid and cocked her head slightly. "So, Khalid, what about you? Isn't this what you were looking for?"
"Ah, yes, quite." Khalid muttered. "Ah, there is one small, rather insignificant problem that I should make you, ah, aware, yes, quite aware of." Khalid paused slightly, trying to think of a way to cast it in the best light possible. Stumped, he sighed and just forged ahead. "Ah, yes, I seem to be wanted in Gem-Sharad for, ah, treason. Yes, quite."
"Indeed." Khalid could hear the question in Arbaq's voice.
"Ah, it was the result of a small dispute. I, ah, through no fault of my own I assure you, angered a reasonably powerful man, who, ah, yes, saw fit to put a bounty, yes, bounty on my head," Khalid stammered. "I ah, do not have the means to attend to it yet and may not be able to return to Gem-Sharad for some time."
"How much?"
"Ah, yes, one thousand sultanas." Khalid winced slightly as he waited to be thrown out of Arbaq's mansion.
"Hmmm." Arbaq paused as though weighing the options. "Substantial, but certainly not extravagant. For the moment, I need you here in Shalazar anyhow, so this should be nothing more than a slight inconvenience. Once rumor spreads that you are working for me, most of the skilled locals won't risk it. Not for that amount of money. If and when I need you to return to Gem-Sharad, I'll make some inquiries, and see if we can't get this little mess sorted out."
"Ah, yes, quite." Khalid breathed a sigh of relief. "In that case, I'm your man."
"Excellent. I already have another matter that needs your attention. An old acquaintance of mine went missing some time ago. I want you to search his house and see if you can find any clue to his whereabouts."
"That's it?" Shayla asked, somewhat surprised.
"Not exactly," Arbaq replied. "The first man I sent in there never returned, and the city has since condemned the house and declared it off limits. The man's name was Achmed Abdul-Khaliq and he was a devout follower of Fezayl, as well as a renowned artificer and theologian. As you may already know, the holy men of these lands lost their conduit to the heavens at the same time the wizards lost their power."*
"Ah, yes, you know about the misfortunes of the White tower?" Khalid interjected, somewhat surprised.
"Indeed. They have not been entirely successful at keeping that little secret concealed. Rumors are beginning to spread and the truth is there to be found, for those that have the means to look." Arbaq replied.
"I remember that time," Shayla said. "There were riots in Gem-Sharad. Temples were burned and looted and a fair number of atrocities committed against the priests." She shivered slightly.
"Yes," Arbaq agreed. "Those were indeed dangerous times. The people blamed the priests for the gods disappearance, although it is widely suspected that the Sultan himself had a hand in organizing those little demonstrations. If that was the case, he did a masterful job. The clergy have all but abandoned Gem-Sharad".
Arbaq paused for a second before continuing. "However, that is of only marginal relevance to the issue at hand. After he lost his ability to communicate with his god, Achmed became introverted and erratic. I saw him only twice afterwards. The first time, he claimed it was a test from the gods, and that his faith was strong. The second time was some months after that." Arbaq paused again. "He was no longer so certain of himself. He looked terrible, like a man consumed by a purpose that had been thwarted at every turn. He confided in me that he was expending the last of his power in an attempt to reach his god. After that, I heard from him no more. It was then that I dispatched one of my better investigators to look into the matter. As I mentioned before he never returned and the city has since boarded up the house."
"Right." Gorak grunted. "Simple enough. We bust in, grab anything that looks like it might be important and report back here. That sum it up pretty good?"
"Indeed. If you need anything, simply send a runner to my estate, and I'll make the appropriate arrangements. I do have other matters to attend to, however, and may not be available immediately, so take that into consideration when planning your next move. Now, unless there is anything else you need this evening, the other business I mentioned demands my attention." And with that, Arbaq curtly dismissed them.
As they walked down the path towards the front gates of Arbaq's estate, Khalid spoke up. "Ah, yes, perhaps on the way back to the inn, we should take a look at this cleric's ah, domicile, as it were, to get an idea of the layout."
"Ya. Good idea." Gorak grunted.
The trio walked in silence for a while through the upper class neighborhoods of Shalazar. They found the cleric's house nestled in between two stately manors. A shoulder high stone wall surrounded a modest front yard. Months of neglect and the searing desert sun had combined to turn the grounds into a barren wasteland. Most of the grasses and flowers had been scorched brown by the heat, and what hardy plants remained were wild and overgrown. The house itself was only a single story, longer than it was deep, as near as Khalid could tell. The windows and front door had been boarded up securely and although there was a chain around the front gate there appeared to be enough slack to allow them to squeeze through.
"Wow. Those city workers really take their job seriously." Shayla remarked as they walked past.
"Yup," Gorak rumbled, "it's boarded up pretty good, but it won't be no problem to get in I don't think."
As they walked back to the inn, they discussed their plans for the next few days. Khalid insisted on time to prepare and it was eventually decided to make the initial foray in three days. Khalid spent the intervening time locked in his room, hunched over a towering stack of paper. Alternating his time between his research and scribing scrolls, he emerged only to eat and of course, wash the ink from his hands down at the baths.
On the morning of the third day, Khalid was awoken to Gorak's gravelly voice from outside his door. "C'mon," Gorak growled. "Let's get going."
"Ah, what time is it?" Khalid groaned, groping around in the darkness for his robes.
"Time to get going," Gorak snarled.
Shayla looked even less impressed than Khalid to be roused at such an ungodly hour but amazingly enough, she only complained for half of the journey to the cleric's house before settling in to a sullen pout. Her mood improved immeasurably however as they squeezed through the front gate and began sideling around the edge of the house. The eastern sky was just beginning to lighten as Gorak dug around in his pack and pulled out a small shovel. Just as he was about to push his way through the dying shrubbery around the back wall of the house, he stopped and looked at Khalid.
"What the hell is that thing?" Gorak growled.
"Ah, what?" Khalid asked, glancing nervously over his shoulder.
"That." Gorak pointed at Khalid's stomach. "You don't even have pants on, why in the nine hells do you need a belt that big, much less the suspenders that are attached to it?"
"Ah, it holds my spell components, among other things. Yes, quite." Khalid replied somewhat defensively. He'd had the belt specially made by a master leatherworker and designed it to hold the innumerable scrolls and pouches that he habitually carried around. It was dark black leather, tooled and polished with sterling silver buckles and had cost him a fair bit. All in all, Khalid was moderately proud of it.
Gorak muttered something inaudible under his breath, and then moved forward to attack the boards covering one of the windows at the rear of the house. Levering the spade in between two of the planks, he loosened it enough to get his thick fingers behind it. Then dropping the shovel to the ground, he grasped the board with both hands and pulled with all his strength. The nails holding it to the window frame gave a protesting shriek as Gorak pulled the board free and flung it into the yard. In short order he had pulled several more boards free and cleared most of the window. He was about to smash in the window when he suddenly turned to Shayla, with a broad grin on his face. "Darling, why don't you do the honors?"
"With pleasure," Shayla grinned, the excitement evident in her voice. She and Khalid moved to opposite sides of the window, while Gorak took a step back. Shayla cocked her crossbow, then smashed the butt through the window.
Gorak moved through the opening quickly. As he landed on the other side, he gave a sharp hiss of pain. "Watch it, there's glass everywhere," he growled.
Shayla hopped through next, landing silently on the other side. Khalid's progress was somewhat less graceful as he managed to both tear his robe and cut his hand on the way through. Cursing quietly, he gathered his wits and peered around the room. Through the darkness he could barely make out the shape of a long dining table surrounded by chairs.
"Ah, Gorak," Khalid began, "I could use some light…"
"Quiet," Gorak growled. "There's nothing dangerous in here and I wanna listen for a second."
Khalid blushed in the darkness and then strained to listen as well. The seconds ticked by as the three stood in silence, then finally Gorak spoke. "Alright, seems clear. Shayla, give us some light."
With a word and a gesture, Shayla flooded the room with clear, white light. They were indeed in a dining room. Ten chairs, four on each side and one at either end, surrounded the long, polished wooden table. In the far corner of the room was a large china hutch, filed with dishes and silverware. Directly behind the head of the table, on the west wall, hung an elaborate tapestry over a large set of double doors. The tapestry was emblazoned with a strange crest, which Khalid presumed was the symbol of the man's god. On the south wall was another, smaller door, framed by portraits of stern looking men with dour expressions.
"Well, there ain't nothing unusual in here," Gorak growled as he moved around the edge of the table. "I say we check out this room over…" Gorak grunted, the air exploding from his lungs, as one of the chairs hopped over and butted him in the stomach. Khalid blinked in disbelief as the huge armchair at the end of the table followed suit, wobbling over towards Gorak, who was doubled over gasping for breath. When it reached him, it spun around and leapt into the air, slamming its headrest into Gorak's face. Gorak staggered backwards and spit out a mouthful of blood.
Khalid, dumbfounded by the scene, began to giggle helplessly. "Ah, Gorak, you seemed to have angered the furniture."
"I can see that, you ass," Gorak roared. "Now stop standing around and help me."
"Ah, just watch exactly do you want me to…" Khalid's sentence trailed off as the large china cabinet in the corner began to rock back and forth. Then suddenly its drawers flew open and Khalid uttered a startled yelp as an ornate silverware knife buried itself in the window frame beside his head. Shayla immediately dove for cover behind the end of the table as a delicate china teacup was ejected from the cabinet and smashed into Khalid's face, bloodying his nose.
Gorak in the meantime had drawn his cudgel and was swinging furiously at the dancing furniture. He caught one of the chairs with a glancing blow that toppled it over, but it immediately righted itself, apparently no worse for the blow. A third chair began to move and yet another trembled violently as though shaken by some gigantic unseen hand. The chairs capered and danced around Gorak, leaping into the air every so often in a comical attempt to strike him.
Shayla, from her position at the end of the table was methodically loading and firing her crossbow into the china cabinet. After the second shot, she cursed. "This isn't working."
Gorak, starting to tire from the constant battering, growled, "We've gotta figure out what's controlling them." Then he brought down his cudgel, smashing the armrest of one of the chairs.
Khalid, who had been biding his time, jumped into the fray as Gorak stepped back. Chanting quickly he produced his most damaging spell and engulfed two of the chairs in a cone of searing embers. Both immediately burst into flames. Neither chair seemed particularly concerned.
"That's just great Khalid," Gorak roared as he tried desperately to keep the flaming furniture at bay. "Now why don't you just knock me out and really make this fight interesting!"
"Ah, sorry, yes quite." Khalid apologized as he ducked a silver goblet and crouched down beside Shayla who had abandoned her crossbow and was now chanting with her eyes closed. When she opened them, she stared past Khalid with a look of intense concentration on her face.
Khalid was vindicated however, as one of the burning chairs flared up and then collapsed into a pile of smoldering sticks. Gorak brought his cudgel down hard on the other chair, shattering its back and splintering the seat. The wounded chair hobbled pathetically into the corner of the room and then fell motionless to the ground. The third chair took the opportunity to butt Gorak in the back, eliciting a sharp grunt of pain from the half-orc.
"There's magic in the room," Shayla cried. "And it's powerful."
"Don't you people have anything better to do than state the obvious?" Gorak snarled. Then his knees buckled as a huge, silver serving tray banged off his head.
"I can see it now," Shayla continued. "It cuts through half of the room. I can't tell what type it is."
"It's the type that makes furniture come alive!" Gorak cursed. With a roar, he dropped his cudgel and tackled the chair. It writhed and twisted in his grip but Gorak held firm. For a few moments Gorak stood motionless as he strained against the magic animating the chair. Sweat rolled down his face, and mingled with the blood streaming from his mouth.
Khalid, watching the burly half-orc grapple with an elaborately carved teakwood chair, leaned in close to Shayla and whispered, "That is undoubtedly the strangest thing I have ever seen."
Shayla nodded in agreement then peeked up over the edge of the table. "Well, at least the china hutch is out of ammunition."
Slowly Gorak dragged the chair back towards Khalid and Shayla and closer to the edge of the magic aura. With one final heave he twisted his body and pitched the chair against the back wall, shattering it into a hundred pieces. He stood there silently for a moment breathing heavily and glaring at Khalid and Shayla. "Next time," Gorak growled in between breaths, "you help me." He pointed at Shayla. "And you," he jabbed Khalid in the chest with one of his thick fingers, "don't!"
They patched themselves up as best they could, with the aid of both Gorak's magic and his skill in the healing arts. The china hutch and the other chair on the edge of the aura continued to twitch and jerk, but seemed for the most part to be relatively impotent now.
Gorak groaned and stood up, the vertebrae in his back popping audibly as he stretched. He reached down and picked up his backpack, which jingled with pilfered silverware. "So," he grumbled, "who wants to wager our friend here was eaten by his bed?"
"I'll put five, yes, five sultana's on an armoire." Khalid snickered.
"Boys, boys, boys. We've got more important things to do," Shayla admonished. "Stay focused."
Gorak raised an eyebrow. "She's telling us to stay focused?" he chuckled. "We'd better get her out of here Khalid, I think that magic is starting to affect her."
Shayla dismissed him with a toss of her auburn curls. "Well we still haven't found what we're looking for have we? And besides, there's gotta be something better in here than dented silverware. So which door are we going through?"
"Yes," Khalid replied, becoming serious again. "Which door indeed?"
* * * * * * * * * *
Notes:*Heh, you might think that removing clerics from the world would cause problems, but nobody in our group ever plays clerics. Ever.