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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 3908041" data-attributes="member: 143">Oh, they're around somewhere.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> * * * * * Chapter 302PREPARATIONS FOR THE PITAfter the grueling experience of their initial welcome to Rappan Athuk, the companions decided to withdraw and rest before essaying the dark pit in the center of the valley.  Nelan and his contingent had not yet appeared, and they needed to see if there was still a way to bring the reinforcements that waited in Camar to their current location.  Honoratius would report on their encounter here and Nelan’s absence when he returned to his own body in the tower of the Guild of Sorcery. The archmage remained with them just long enough for them to retreat into the hills, seeking out one of the secure campsites they had used in the past.  Of course, as Alderis pointed out, physical security meant little against foes that could teleport at a thought, without chance of error.  Honoratius promised to do what she could; the archmage possessed a spell that could create a more defensible extradimensional shelter, but she had not had the available spell slots to take it this day.  Instead she conjured a secure shelter and set several alarm spells about its perimeter outside.  Then, sagging visibly, the magus departed Letellia’s body.  “The strain... it has cost him,” Letellia said, once she had recovered from the transition. “There is nothing I can do for him now,” Allera said.  “He knows the risk he is taking, and yet he chooses to make the sacrifice needed.”“Yeah, we’ve all got it rough,” Dar said, heading into the cabin.  “At least he gets to go home every night.”Alderis’s suggestion that a demon could materialize within the shelter at any time was unnerving to all of them, but that did not stop the elf from collapsing into his bunk.  His shield guardian remained outside, watching for intruders.  “Do you think that the demons will attack?” Zahera asked Dar, as the fighter unrolled a length of sausage from his pack.  “It’s what I would do,” he replied.  “We’ll keep three on watch at all times; it’s more important that the spell-slingers sleep first.  Everyone else, on shifts.  Keep your weapons handy.”“I don’t know that I can sleep,” Marcus said.  “That battle... I thought we were all doomed.”“We are,” Dar replied, fixing the young cleric with a hard look.  The cleric swallowed.  “I don’t care if you’re tired or not, get some sleep.  Don’t worry, we’ll wake you if the demons come to visit.”But before he could obey, Xenos called out from one of the windows.  “Someone’s coming!”  Everyone but Alderis filed out of the cabin.  They saw it, coming from the east.  It was Nelan, born aloft by a white horse that sprouted broad, golden wings.  The pegasus swept low, spreading its wings to catch the air as it landed a few yards away. “What took you so long?” Dar asked, as the magical horse transformed back into the deva’s other alternate form, that of a young, perfectly-formed human.  “And where are the others?”“Dead, all of them,” Nelan said.  “We were attacked by a powerful demon.  It cut through us like old wheat.”“We had some trouble of our own,” Dar said.  “Honoratius’s scrying was fooled by some magic,” Allera explained.  “There was a whole army of undead and demons waiting for us.”“Was?” “Yeah, what’s left of it you can scoop up with a shovel,” Dar said.  “But some demons got away, so we’re expecting trouble.” Nelan glanced around, and peered through the nearest window of the cabin.  “Where are the others?”“We’re it,” Dar said.  “Some sort of lock, the wizard said.  We got in, but couldn’t get back out.  Don’t worry about it, Honoratius has already gone back to tell them what we’ve run into.”“But the mission...”“Tomorrow.  The spellcasters need to regain their spells, and that includes you, I guess.  Get inside and grab a bunk.”“There are some hours left to my term of service,” the deva said.  “I will watch over your sleep, and ensure that you are not disturbed.”  His form shimmered again, and his wings sprouted from his back.  Rising into the air, he vanished from view, cloaked in invisibility. “You do that,” Dar said, after him.  “That friend of yours, he wasn’t any good against the demon?”“The celestial saved my life.  It is very powerful, but it cannot teleport instantaneously like the demons can.  That is how the creature got ahead of us, and took us down one by one.”“Well, we can use his help tomorrow.”Nelan shook his head.  “I cannot summon celestial aid within Rappan Athuk, nor bring such a creature compacted without inside.”“What?  Why the hell not?”“That was what I was told, when I called Zadkiel to service,” Nelan said.  “I do not know the reason for the restriction.”“Maybe the servants of the Father quail before the power of the Demon,” Alexion said. “Do not question the motives of the Father,” Tullus replied.  Marcus likewise looked discomfited by the knight’s suggestion.  “All right, it doesn’t matter,” Dar said.  “As always, we’re on our own here, so get in and get some sleep while you can.  I have a feeling that tomorrow going to be a real long freaking day.”They returned into the shelter, while above them to the south, the dark clouds roiled angrily in a neverending swirl over Rappan Athuk.</blockquote>

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