“The Sunless Citadel was a temple devoted to Ashardalon, long ago,” Dartan said. ”Then, when the dragon and its followers left, the citadel was swallowed up by the oerth and inhabited by creatures. A mad druid named Belak moved in and set up shop there, planning to enslave all the people of the surrounding towns as supplicants. Now, it’s just a hole in the ground.”
“How do you know all this?” Kizzlorn asked.
“Because I helped smite the evil there.”
“With the Knights?”
“With the Knights. Long, long ago. It was our second adventure, in fact.”
“Do you remember anything there about Ashardalon?”
“Carvings, moldings… There was a library. We didn’t spend much time investigating. We were very green. We went in, slaughtered goblins and kobolds, and left. Kobolds… in fact, that’s where we met Meepo. We left him there to be king of his people. I suppose he didn’t care for our kindness.”
Vek said “Meepo. We may need that sniveling creature, if we’re to discover the dragon’s weakness. Curses. Kizzlorn… we should bring him with us.”
Oaken suggested “I can form a wooden box around him, on wheels, with his head poking out. This would prevent him from double-crossing us.”
“I quite think we can handle one kobold, Oak,” Kizz said.
Vek walked downstairs and hovered over his scrying mirror. “Wee Jas, show me Jamison Crow.” The mirror shimmered, and he looked into blackness. His eyes pierced the dark, and he saw the remains of Jamison, lying in his grave. “Odd,” he remarked. He thought for a moment, and kneeled on the ground. His mind opened to the realm of death, and the Ruby Sorceress floated before him. Her scarlet hair and dress wafted about in the air, very slowly, as she spoke.
“What would you know of me, my chosen warrior?”
“My lady. I possess one piece of Desayeus’s relic, the shattered Soul Totem. I want to know if you would like this, and any others, if I come to possess them as well.”
“The Soul Totem,” she whispered. She floated for a moment, silent. “I would indeed wish these for my own. Vek, my darling, do not hesitate to devote them to me. Fully forged, its magic is strong… enough to turn a material being into a god. This would aid me greatly.” Her voice was like a knife being traced along a metal plate, laced underneath a sensual woman’s voice.
“You shall have them, my lady.”
“Excellent. You are my greatest champion, Sir Vek. Go forth in my grace.”
The image faded, and Vek stood. He looked at the Soul Totem in his hand for a moment, then went back upstairs.
Kizzlorn was fishing Meepo the goldfish from the moat. She finally caught him, and held him up by the tail. She turned him back to his old self.
Meepo sputtered and spat out water. He coughed “CRAZY, she’s CRAZY! Meepo had to swim in nasty moat!”
“That’s right, and Meepo will spend the rest of his life there unless he does exactly what I tell him.”
Meepo clasped his hands together and smiled as she held him up. “Meepo make nice.”
“We’re going to the Sunless Citadel. You’re going to show us whatever we ask you to.”
“Yes, yes, Meepo do that. No problem! Meepo knows all about Citadel.”
They teleported, and appeared on the grassy plain beside the chasm that led down into the Citadel.
“GAHHHHH!!! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!!!” The kobold kicked and flailed, terrified over what had just happened.
Kizz sighed. “Relax, Meepo. That was teleporting. We’re here now… and you’re going to show us where we’ll find any information on Ashardalon,” Kizz said, releasing him.
Meepo frowned. “Shardy-Lawn? The dragon? There are many books! Many scrolls! Meepo will show you… Meepo knows! Come!” He walked to the chasm and began climbling down.
“I don’t trust him just walking around like that,” Oaken said. “We really should put him in something so he can’t escape. A wooden box.”
Nurn said “Would you stop with the wooden box thing, already?”
They followed Meepo down, and spent the next two hours searching the Sunless Citadel’s deserted ruins.
When they were done searching, they climbed back up. “Nothing,” Nurn said disgustedly. “Trust a kobold to lead us rightly, eh?”
Kizz was exhausted and in no mood for Nurn’s remarks. “Quiet. You’re no better. You’re the agent of a demon lord.”
“I bet you I have enough sense to avoid consorting with useless kobolds in times of great need, you flame-haired trollop.”
“WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?” Kizz walked towards him with brightly glowing hands. Oaken stepped between them and calmed Kizzlorn down.
“We may need him. Please. Just breathe.”
“I’m going to kill him,” she whispered. “Once we’re done needing him, he’s dead.”
“Kizz…”
“Just leave me alone.” She stormed off. Kizzlorn Spellforge had always had a hot temper. She had grown up suffering insults from the royalty of Greyhawk, and now, as a magistress of great power, she felt she didn’t have to suffer anyone’s taunts. She still fumed, sometimes, over what the succubus had called her not long ago. Perhaps being in league with the darkly heroic members of her party had tainted her somewhat. Dartan, Vek, Edge… dark heroes, all. Was she becoming one, herself?
Edge stood before Meepo and snarled. “You haven’t yet told us what we want to know.”
“Meepo doesn’t know what you’re asking!” The kobold huddled with his arms clasped up to his chest. He was very afraid. He really was trying to make them all happy, but they kept being unclear about what they wanted. Books? Writings? Weapons? Meepo had shown everything he’d known about in the Citadel, and he knew every inch of that place.
Edge said “Meepo’s going to have knees that bend the wrong way, in a minute.”
A tear rolled down Meepo’s face. He wiped it away and angrily tried to stand up for himself. “Edge think he can do it,” Meepo growled, “Meepo would love to see Edge TRY.” Edge raised his hand just slightly, and Meepo cried out and fell to the ground. “Please, please! Make nice! Spare Meepo!”
Edge looked down on the kobold, disgusted. “Tell us what we want to know. Tell us now.”
“Meepo shown you everything!”
Vek kneeled and said “Meepo. If not in books or carvings, perhaps you can tell us anywhere you’ve seen a picture of a dragon, or a piece of paper with writing on it.”
“Meepo told you, Meepo doesn’t….” He blinked. “Oh!” He stood. “There is secret. Meepo’s secret treasure horde! Is in secret location. SSSSEEEECRET. There paper there, with dragon, Meepo thinks.”
Edge smacked his forehead and rolled his eyes. “Why didn’t you say so?”
“You said in Citadel. Treasure is NOT IN Citadel, a-HAHHHH!” Meepo waved his forefinger mockingly in a tut-tut motion through the air.
“I’ll snap that thing right off.”
Meepo quickly put his hand down. “Yes. Well. Follow Meepo!” He walked no more than fifty feet away, near a spot where the grass didn’t grow. “Treasure is SOMEWHERE near here,” he squeaked proudly. “Turn around and Meepo will dig it up.”
Kizzlorn scoffed. “What??”
“Turn around! No can see location of SSSSEEEECRET treasure horde.”
“Meepo, just dig up the damned horde.”
Meepo sighed and dug in the grassless patch. His hands scooped away the dirt, and soon, there was a small box revealed in the hole. “This is Meepo’s SSSSEEEECRET treasure horde!!” He opened it.
Edge looked inside. He took out two pieces of paper that had drawings of the dragon on them and handed them to Kizzlorn. “Meepo,” Edge said. “This treasure horde contains, a copper piece, a hairnet, and three buttons.”
“Yes,” he said, still proud. “Is collected wealth of a lifetime.”
Kizzlorn and Vek looked over the papers. “These were written after the battle with Dydd,” Vek said. “It details the operation on Ashardalon’s heart, and the transplant.” He read on.
“It says that the dragon is now part demon… a half-fiend, half-dragon,” murmured Kizzlorn. “Will this help us?”
“Yes,” Vek replied. “He will have certain weaknesses we can exploit. This is good.”
“Y’know,” Meepo said. “Meepo remember something about last year. A big orc guy come along askin’ about Shardy-Lawn.”
Broldek said “Orc guy?”
“Yes, big orc guy. Say he goin’ for Shardy-Lawn, asked for information. Nice fellah. Meepo like.”
“What can you tell us about him?”
“Meepo see him have big shiny sun on chest, and big dragon-killin’ sword called DRAGONHAMMER.”
Vek laughed. “Another one of Pelor’s flock, doomed to die with his sword in his hand. This information is good, Meepo.” Vek tossed a pouch at the kobold.
Meepo caught it and fell down from the weight of it. “Ack! What this?”
“That,” Vek said, “Is one hundred pieces of gold. That is what you’ve earned.”
“One…” the breath wheezed out of Meepo’s lungs. He’d never seen so much money, let alone own it. He was in shock.
Kizzlorn said “There’s more in store for you if you behave, Meepo, and do what you’re told. Would you like to stay at Spellforge Keep with us and earn your fair share by working hard and staying out of trouble?”
“Why… what… YES!” The prospect of earning this much money was greatly preferable to living in the Citadel as king of the kobolds.
“You’ll help in the kitchen, with Grumbar.”
“Can do! Meepo can do! Meepo never disappoint… MEEPO HELP SO BIG, PROMISE!!” He danced around, clutching his sack of gold.
“Disgusting,” Nurn said. “Hiring kobolds.”
Kizz arched an eyebrow at Vek, who shrugged. “I just couldn’t bring myself to kill him,” he chuckled.
MORE TO COME…
