Entry #267517, added on 04-12-07 @ 8:15 pm EDT
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| A plot is revealed | Entry #267517 |
While it took but a moment for the rat to make its attack, it felt like time had become drawn out.
It latched onto Cerine’s leg, yellow drool dripping from its mouth and running down her thigh. She kicked several times in attempt to shake the beast, but it held onto her tightly. The rat opened its mouth to take a bite, but just as the fangs touched her skin, Landon dashed over, swinging his dagger and slicing the creature’s arm.
An enraged scream filled the air as the rat creature jumped and scampered back to its pile. It looked at the bleeding wound on its arm and frowned before looking back at the intruders. There was a mean glow in its eye now, glaring at Landon but also keeping an eye on the startled Cerine. She stared back, hoping it wouldn’t make another attack on her leg.
She didn’t hope hard enough. It leaped at her again. Her heart hammered, blood pounded and palms dampened, and the spear slipped in her hands. She let out a scream, her heart leaping up into her throat, and jumped back in fright. Closing her eyes, she cringed as she held her spear pointed in front of her.
There came a sudden thud as the beast ran into the head of her spear, its shriek piercing her ears as it was impaled on the weapon. It gave one last twitch before falling limp and silent. Cerine shivered as she pulled the spear free and finally saw the beast as it really was.
The glow had faded from its eyes, but it still appeared as frightening as it was in life, its sharp teeth bared and claws ready to scratch. Around its neck hung a necklace of some sort, adorned with bone fragments and roots.
“That necklace is a ritual fetish of the dark arts,” Taan explained. “It holds some sort of magical power that brings life to whatever is wearing it.”
While the creature looked much like a giant rat, the way it had moved, walking on two feet instead of four, and had some ability to speak, hinted that it was, at one time, human.
“So this is a creation of Lamnos,” Rugo said, unable to take his eyes off the rat’s dead form. Looking past the mangled fur, and the violent disposition it had when it was alive, it now looked peaceful, and he almost pittied the thing.
Taan nodded. “Lamnos had made over a dozen of these aberrations. Worse than rats too. There were boars, toads, spiders and snakes as well.” The rat was gruesome enough. The thought of mutated versions of the animals Taan mentioned made Rugo and his friends cringe. “I don’t know what happened to the others, but it seems like this the only one left.”
“Well I hope so.” Cerine, who still shook from the ordeal of the attack, helped Rugo drag the body over to a pile of trash. It was heavier than he had expected. Once the body was in place, all four companions bowed their heads and blessed the soul of the wretched creature as Landon tore the necklace from its neck and discarded it.
The stairs that ascended to the first level of the tower were situated in the far corner of the room, a set of spiral steps with a copper railing which appeared to have been fancy at one time, but was now rusted and crumbled in many spots. They were actually quite narrow, making the climb difficult as the adventurers tried to keep from slipping and plunging downward.
There was no need for a torch once they entered the main floor, for there were torches mounted on the walls, making the hallway bright as day. Landon placed theirs in an empty bracket and observed the room with his companions. It was a large, lavish room, the walls lined with magical charts and rich tapestries of black, red and gold designs. In contrast to the exterior, the doors were plain. Only the doorknobs were still gold.
Landon looked over the charts, absorbing the information scrawled on them: illustrations and notes on various components used in spellcasting, such as herbs, stones and animal parts. He didn’t know what some of them were, but the thought alone fascinated him.
Rugo admired the statues of wizards, gargoyles or dragons, each made of a different type of rock, situated in various places around the room. It reminded him of the watchtower town hall back in Amarest. His favorite was a dragon carved out of a smooth greenish stone that was flecked with tiny red and black spots through it. The statue stood the entire height of the room, unlike the one of an armored figure with a two-handed sword that he had just finished looking at. The statue stood the entire height of the room, unlike the one of an armored figure with a two-handed sword that he had just finished looking at, which about Rugo’s own height. It was made of a rough, grainy rock, but all the features carved into it remain intact.
Everyone returned to the winding staircase and continued their ascent up the tower. “I bet that the next room will be Lamnos’ treasury, full of gold and gems and magical items,” Landon said, eyes gleaming. “I’d like to find some swords, daggers, potions, amulets and rings enchanted with various spells.”
“Do you take Lamnos for a fool?” Cerine chided him. “I don’t think he’d put all his treasure on the level just above the main one. Wouldn’t that just allow easy access for thieves?”
Rugo shook his head. “I don’t think thieves would even make it into this place, unless they knew about the secret entrance, and even then they would have to make it past that rat creature.” He had a point. Their entry into the tower was too simple, considering the battled they had just faced, and with relatively little effort. A part of him wondered if they had been set up, like Lamnos was drawing them to him like a puppet master.
Landon’s guess proved wrong as they came to the landing that marked the second floor. This room was a major contrast to the floor below, with bare walls except for the narrow slits they had seen from outside. The only lighting available was a floating orb in the far corner that gave off a soft pulsating glow just bright enough to keep the room from being pitch black. In the middle of the floor lay an unrolled straw pallet, with a small pillow at one end. A small table with a water basin on it stood against the wall near the bed.
“Lamnos must not sleep in luxury, if this is his sleeping chamber,” Rugo said with a scoff. It seemed odd that a powerful wizard who could easily conjure up a comfortable bed would just sleep on a pallet in a barely lit room. Then again, he didn’t know any wizards that he could have asked if this was the normal sleeping arrangement.
“Yes, this is his sleeping chamber,” Taan explained, looking around the room like a curious child, as if he was searching for something. “Wizards of the dark arts must sleep in these conditions, for comfort makes their mind soft and vulnerable.” Rugo contemplated this. It made perfect sense now, at least to him.
“If I were a wizard,” Landon spoke up, “I would make sure I was comfortable, so my concentration would come easier than if I was tired or in pain. But that’s just me.” A round of chuckles from Rugo and Cerine followed, and Landon shrugged.
While there wasn’t much in the room, Rugo, Cerine and Landon began searching what little was there, groping in the some of the darker, unlit areas of the room for anything they could. The search didn’t bring up much, except for a pile of old dirty robes, which were the same mustard color as the ones Lamnos was wearing the day Marton died. Rugo peered out one of the window slits at the disheartening view of the plains of Sumandir. It appeared worse looking out from inside the tower than it did as they were traveling across them, if that was possible.
The room fell silent as they stood in the near-darkness. Rugo gave the room another look, picturing in his mind the man who killed his father, doing daily rituals in this very room. He could almost see a faint image of Lamnos laying flat on his back on the pallet and then waking. The wizard rose and approached the water basin on the table, splashing himself before donning a new set of robes.
The image in Rugo’s mind suddenly disappeared as footsteps echoed from upstairs. Someone was coming.
“We should hide.” Taan’s voice trembled as he shuffled away from the light of the glowing orb. His eyes flitted, and he would nibble gently on his bottom lip.
“Quick, back downstairs!” whispered Rugo, pointing at the floor. Landon and Cerine did so, but Taan remained where he was. “What are you doing?”
“If it is Lamnos, he would expect me to be coming this way, not you. I’ll stay here and divert his attention. Now go and hide!”
Rugo nodded and hurried back down the stairs, but stopped when he was far enough down to still see what was going on in the room but not be seen himself. A stocky armored man descended the steps, and seemed not to be surpised to see Taan awaiting him. Rugo assumed the man to be Felraic, a thought that was refuted as the two exchanged greetings and shook hands.
“Akkon, I have brought them, as planned.” Taan whispered to the warrior as he drew him aside and gestured for him to lower his ear closer.
“Do they suspect anything?”
Taan shook his head, bringing a smile to the warrior’s lips.
“Very good, Taan. I am impressed. Bring them here to me and I’ll put them upstairs with Felraic.” Akkon grinned and patted him on the back. “Lamnos will be pleased.” |
© Copyright 2007 Mark C Bradley (UN: auric at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
Mark C Bradley has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
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