After checking to make sure the door had no traps, he unlocked it and peered inside. It looked like this was another hallway and not a room. He listened, thinking he heard something.
“What is it, son,” Britt whispered.
“I think there is something in this corridor.” There was another sound, like a grunting.
“Balon and George, you stay in the middle. Britt, you cover the rear.”
They moved slowly and quietly down the hallway. After a few silent minutes, Britt halted the group and he peered around the corner. “I can see them up ahead. There are three orcs and they are fighting each other over something. One of them looks sick.”
“Should we try to talk to them?” asked Bard.
“No they are never good to try to persuade unless if you are involved in the black magic,” he said looking at Balon.
The magic-user shook his head. “ I know the dark arts but I avoid using them. There are always serious consequences when you use them. If I did, I would putting all of us at a great risk.”
“Do they have any weapons?” Johanna asked.
“One has a crossbow and the other has a battleaxe. If we attack, I must warn you they are like berserkers and like fighting in close combat. They will fight to the death and rarely retreat or surrender. They are not like goblins, who are cowardly.”
A smell reached Bard’s nose. “That smells like wine,” he said to himself. “Hey!” he whispered to Britt. “I think they have been drinking.”
“That will give us the advantage,” Britt said. “I do not see any chieftains; the look like they have been separated from their tribe. If things go wrong, we will retreat back the way we came. Massacharamar, get ready with your bow. When we turn the corner, we will rush them.”
When they stepped the corner, the three orcs did not notice them. The were fighting over a piece of fish. The one that look sick, just sat there with his back against the wall, sending grunting remarks to the other two once in a while.
“Massacharamar, take out the one with the crossbow.” The elf shot the arrow and the orc fell down dead, with the shift protruding from his heart.
The sick orc leapt to its feet and the one holding the battleaxe let out a blood thirsty yell and rushed towards the group.
Britt and Bard attacked the stronger orc. When it swung at Britt, Bard protected the dwarf. At the same time, Balon used his magic to fight the sick orc and Johanna used her mace against it. “Fire!” Balon yelled an the orc was consumed in flames. It screamed at it burned but continued to burm. Johanna struck it head and it fell to the ground, dead with a crushed skull.
The larger orc was harder to handle. It swung its battleaxe, trying to cut into the fighter and dwarf. Even though they were able to defend against themselves, they were unable to strike effectively against it.
George, holding on to his knife, could not get into striking distance. He was trying to attack the creature from the rear and, every time he had a chance, the orc swung at his direction with the battleaxe. When he did this he left an opening for the fighter and dwarf to hit him. Still it would give him the satisfaction of killing somebody.
“Hold back!” Balon yelled with a fury in his face that nobody was expecting. Even the orc was stunned for a second before it started in on his rage again. “You have your orders vile loathsome creature!’ The orc snarled and grunted at Balon. “Be one your way. Go back to your leader and await further orders!” The orc snarled and slithered away.” Shaking Balon fell to the ground.
Johanna was the first to reach him. “Are you okay?” she asked with concern.
Balon stood slowly to his feet, his face a pale as a sheet.
“Are you okay?” Johanna asked again.
“Yes,” he said, wiping his hands on his robe as if he was removing dirt and grime from his hands. “Let’s just get out of this hallway.
“There is a door up ahead,” said George. “Let me see if it is safe first.” The looked over at the magic-user, “Balon are you sure you are fine?”
“Just check the door, please,” said Balon.
Britt walked over to George and pretended to help him check for traps.
“What did Balon said to the orc? All I heard was a bunch or grunting and snarling.”
“That is what I heard too. Remember that he did not like to perform the dark arts.”
“It is safe to enter,” George called. He looked into the room and exclaimed, “We have hit the mother load!”
“Did we find treasure?” Britt was the second to follow him. The rest of the group quickly followed suit, looking for monsters.
“No I am just thirsty and my flask is empty,” George said.
The group stared in surprise. They were standing in what was, of what the had explored so far, the largest room in the Caverns of Kilda Aalda. Although the floors in the rest of the cavern were of stone, with the exception of the moss covered floor in the garden room, the floor in the room was perfectly layered in ceramic tile, forming a beautiful checkerboard pattern of reds, browns and black.
“Very beautiful,” said Johanna.
“I agree,” said Massacharamar.
“Excuse me,” said George, as he walked up a pool that was in the floor. “I have to fill my flask..” The room contained fourteen pools that were each fifteen feet wide and five feet deep.
“Wait, George!” Balon said, regaining his composure, approaching the thief with his wand out.
George stopped walking as the magic-user approached him. “We need to see what these pools contain. We don’t want you to get poisoned or grow horns, do we?”
“Thanks. I never even thought about that.”
Balon took out his wand and waved it over to the first pool. A translucent image appeared over the pinkish liguid. It showed an elf driving a drink to a sick elf. The second elf stood up on her feet, completely healed. “Ah a pool of healing,” he said.
Bard walked over with a flask. “I have an extra one; we should fill it up and keep it in case we run out of healing potions.”
“No,” said Balon. “I know these pools. You have to drink from the pool to get healed. Once you fill the flask, the liquid will lose its healing powers. However, it still has a pleasant taste, if you are getting tired of water.”
He walked to the second pool and once again a translucent image appeared over the fizzing liquid. George turned his head and almost vomited as he saw a person wishing to take a swim. As soon as the person dipped into the water his skin began to bubble and melt away. He screamed soundlessly as his body changed into a glob of human flesh. Soon his bones only remained, then they too melted away.
“A pool of acid,” Balon said. “Do not worry, George. Your flask would have melted away as soon as it touched the liquid.”
“Why would Joban and Stephan even have such a pool? Britt asked.
“Maybe just to get rid of unwanted items. Just think, if they had a weapon, like a sword that was rusting. All they would have to do is throw it in this pool. It would be gone.”
The third pool contained murky gray mud-like liquid. “I would not even drink from that,” Bard said.
“It is a good thing,” Balon said as the image showed a goblin becoming sick after drinking it. “A pool of sickness. I winder if that orc we encountered outside this room had drank from this. He did not look like he was healthy. It was holding his stomach while fighting.
“Now that is gross,” Johanna said, looking at the next pool. Even Balon could tell without using his wand that it contained green slime. Even though the pool was not filled with this liquid the bottom and walls were covered with the slime. Britt went close to the pool to get a better look.
“Look out!” Johanna yelled, as a tentacle came up and grabbed the dwarf’s sword. It started pulling him towards the edge of the basin.
Geoger ran up and pulled on Britt’s other arm and broke him from the slime’s grasp. The fell backwards with the dwarf falling on top of the thief.
The dwarf looked at George and said, “As much as I appreciate you helping me, I hope we do not get this close again.” He looked at the slime pool and said, “Of course, I could have let go of the sword.”
“Here you go, George,” Balon said, after the image over the next pool, with revealed wildlife drinking from a pool of clear water. George went over and filled his flask. “This is the best and coldest spring water I have ever drunk! It sure beats the warm water we have been carrying in our flasks. “Come on everybody, this is delicious.” All, but Britt went to drink. He was staring at the pool next to it. This one contained a liquid that had a deep red color.
“Balon,” he said hopefully, “I think I know what is in this one. Just can you check for me?”
The image showed a group of dwarves laughing and carrying on, drinking wine. “This pool is for me!” Britt yelled rushing to it.
“Careful, Britt,” George said, as the drawf dwarf drank his flask and went to refill it a second time. “You do not want to become intoxicated. Still this is good wine,” he said after taking a sip.
“I know,” he said. “I am saving this flask for later. Hey, everybody fill your flasks; we will have a party later on tonight in the library!”
Balon went to the seventh pool. “This one is completely dry.” Even after waving his wand over it, no image appeared.
“This one I guess is going to be a mystery to us.”
Geroge peered over the side and looked down. “There is a book down there! Britt, help lower me down so I can get it!”
Britt looked down, “It looks safe to me.”
Britt lowered George to the bottom of the pool. He opened it and looked inside. “It looks like one of Joban’s missing journals!”
“Good, now we can find out what happens,” Britt said.
They helped pull him back up.
The next pool looked like the fresh water pool. However, its clear liquid was boiling. The image showed servants carrying buckets of water and filling a tub. Several other images showed either a magic-user or a warrior sitting in the tub, taking a bath.
George looked at Bard and held his nose. “I think somebody stinks a little. Just kidding Bard, I am only talking about myself.”
Bard grinned, “I think I might need a bath soon, too.”
“This is beautiful, Balon said, as he approached the next pool of water. It was only half full but the water was shimmering, glistening and sparkeling in a variety of colors.
“Is that an aura pool?” Johanna asked.
“Yes.”
He reached down with a silver cup that was lying near it. Filling the cup, he drank the liquid. As soon as he swallowed it, he felt a strange sensation come over his entire body.
“What is he thinking of?” Britt asked. “What is happening to him?”
After the tingling ended throughout his body, Balon felt a warmth surround him. A blue circle of color surrounded him.
“The color shows what type of magic-user he is. Since it is blue, it means that he is lawful.”
“What if somebody evil like trent swallowed it or somebody like me?” bard asked.
“A yellow color would surround Trent. That shows tat he is chaotic or evil. If somebody who does not have magical abilities drinks it, they would be surrounded by white.”