Lazybones
Adventurer
Chapter 57
“Well, now what?”
Carzen held up the waterskin, letting the spray wash again over his face. His skin still stung where the acid drops had seared through the gap in the front of his helmet, and he was just thankful that they had missed striking his eyes. Vhael had taken the blast with more equinamity, although the caustic gunk had damaged his scaly flesh as readily as it had Carzen’s.
“Our supplies of fresh water are limited,” Vhael only said in reply, turning back to where Gral and Surina were returning from the direction of the doors.
“It’s no good,” Gral said. “We hit the pillar with fire and ice, and neither did so much as scratch those things.”
“Did it try to blast you in response?”
“It would appear that the range of the acid spray is limited. But we’d definitely have to pass close by it to enter the room.”
Vhael nodded to himself. “Then we do it.”
“I will go,” Surina volunteered. “There is no sense in risking all of us.”
“We cannot afford to divide our strength,” Vhael said. “If you should fall, we would be where we started, but down a fifth of our resources.”
“You seemed willing to go on ahead alone in the blood room,” Carzen found himself saying before he could think. But he didn’t try to take the words back, and he met the dragonborn’s stare with what he hoped was coolness.
“I have no compunction against risk when it furthers the mission,” Vhael replied. “But I did not see the artifact we seek in that room, and we have no way of knowing what lies beyond those pillars. So we stay together.”
The warlord swept his gaze over all of them, as if verifying that there was no further dissent. None of the others ventured a challenge to his orders, so they gathered together and warily returned to the still-open double doors.
The pillar had returned to quiescence, but it came alive again as they reached the doors. Vhael did not pause, leading them along the wall to their left, just out of reach of the grasping hands. Gral followed, not even looking at the violent movements of the forms trapped on the pillar. The animated heads didn’t spray acid at them this time, but they did start up a maddening babble, a noise that pounded at Carzen’s ears like hammers. Clenching his jaw tightly enough to hurt, he pressed on.
Behind him, Gez fell against the wall, clutching his head, but Surina, bringing up the rear, picked him up and carried him after the others.
There were two exits in the chamber, one to the left, the other on the far side of the room behind the second pillar. Vhael took them left. The second pillar started screaming, a painful, jarring noise, but it was far enough away that they were able to get past it without any ill effects.
The side passage didn’t go far, opening onto a shallow alcove to their left, and a larger space to the right where two more of the pillars were visible, flanking another opening. As the shone their lights in that direction, they could just make out the edge of another stone altar, with a heavy object that gleamed brightly set upon it.
“I presume that is our objective,” Gral said, shouting to be heard over the continuing screams coming from behind them. The two pillars ahead had started to come alive, but it wasn’t obvious yet what diabolical attack they were going to muster against the intruders.
“I will go,” Surina said, stepping forward with that fanatical determination glowing in her eyes. Vhael turned to her, and Carzen thought he would object, but after a moment he nodded. “You can bypass these with your magic?”
At the warlock’s nod, Vhael drew his sword. “Go then.” Turning to the others, he said, “Be ready.”
Surina stepped forward. The pillars reached for her, but as she entered their reach, she shimmered and reappeared beyond them, closer to the altar. She stepped forward, and reached for the golden bell.
White hands seized her from behind, pulling her away. Another pillar, standing out of sight beyond the edge of the passage, had grabbed her.
The noise from before abruptly died. “Surina!” Vhael shouted, the sound of his yell eerily loud in the sudden silence.
But before she could respond, the pillars shifted, the tangled bodies pushed aside as something stepped out of each one. They were demons, the familiar forms of evistros, the blood-demons they had confronted during the last trial. As soon as they were free of the pillars, they hurled themselves forward, Vhael lifting his big sword to meet their rush.
Carzen started to his aid, but a shout from Gez drew his attention back to the passage they’d just left. “More behind!” the soldier yelled, and Carzen had just enough time to turn as two more of the carnage demons sprang upon him.
“Well, now what?”
Carzen held up the waterskin, letting the spray wash again over his face. His skin still stung where the acid drops had seared through the gap in the front of his helmet, and he was just thankful that they had missed striking his eyes. Vhael had taken the blast with more equinamity, although the caustic gunk had damaged his scaly flesh as readily as it had Carzen’s.
“Our supplies of fresh water are limited,” Vhael only said in reply, turning back to where Gral and Surina were returning from the direction of the doors.
“It’s no good,” Gral said. “We hit the pillar with fire and ice, and neither did so much as scratch those things.”
“Did it try to blast you in response?”
“It would appear that the range of the acid spray is limited. But we’d definitely have to pass close by it to enter the room.”
Vhael nodded to himself. “Then we do it.”
“I will go,” Surina volunteered. “There is no sense in risking all of us.”
“We cannot afford to divide our strength,” Vhael said. “If you should fall, we would be where we started, but down a fifth of our resources.”
“You seemed willing to go on ahead alone in the blood room,” Carzen found himself saying before he could think. But he didn’t try to take the words back, and he met the dragonborn’s stare with what he hoped was coolness.
“I have no compunction against risk when it furthers the mission,” Vhael replied. “But I did not see the artifact we seek in that room, and we have no way of knowing what lies beyond those pillars. So we stay together.”
The warlord swept his gaze over all of them, as if verifying that there was no further dissent. None of the others ventured a challenge to his orders, so they gathered together and warily returned to the still-open double doors.
The pillar had returned to quiescence, but it came alive again as they reached the doors. Vhael did not pause, leading them along the wall to their left, just out of reach of the grasping hands. Gral followed, not even looking at the violent movements of the forms trapped on the pillar. The animated heads didn’t spray acid at them this time, but they did start up a maddening babble, a noise that pounded at Carzen’s ears like hammers. Clenching his jaw tightly enough to hurt, he pressed on.
Behind him, Gez fell against the wall, clutching his head, but Surina, bringing up the rear, picked him up and carried him after the others.
There were two exits in the chamber, one to the left, the other on the far side of the room behind the second pillar. Vhael took them left. The second pillar started screaming, a painful, jarring noise, but it was far enough away that they were able to get past it without any ill effects.
The side passage didn’t go far, opening onto a shallow alcove to their left, and a larger space to the right where two more of the pillars were visible, flanking another opening. As the shone their lights in that direction, they could just make out the edge of another stone altar, with a heavy object that gleamed brightly set upon it.
“I presume that is our objective,” Gral said, shouting to be heard over the continuing screams coming from behind them. The two pillars ahead had started to come alive, but it wasn’t obvious yet what diabolical attack they were going to muster against the intruders.
“I will go,” Surina said, stepping forward with that fanatical determination glowing in her eyes. Vhael turned to her, and Carzen thought he would object, but after a moment he nodded. “You can bypass these with your magic?”
At the warlock’s nod, Vhael drew his sword. “Go then.” Turning to the others, he said, “Be ready.”
Surina stepped forward. The pillars reached for her, but as she entered their reach, she shimmered and reappeared beyond them, closer to the altar. She stepped forward, and reached for the golden bell.
White hands seized her from behind, pulling her away. Another pillar, standing out of sight beyond the edge of the passage, had grabbed her.
The noise from before abruptly died. “Surina!” Vhael shouted, the sound of his yell eerily loud in the sudden silence.
But before she could respond, the pillars shifted, the tangled bodies pushed aside as something stepped out of each one. They were demons, the familiar forms of evistros, the blood-demons they had confronted during the last trial. As soon as they were free of the pillars, they hurled themselves forward, Vhael lifting his big sword to meet their rush.
Carzen started to his aid, but a shout from Gez drew his attention back to the passage they’d just left. “More behind!” the soldier yelled, and Carzen had just enough time to turn as two more of the carnage demons sprang upon him.