Death to the High Lords 8:
Calisto's Journey
The two Mentors looked down into Calisto's pit. The sorry state of the membrane that protected her fragile crystal chamber from destruction caused Brachus no end of concern. He wanted her out of her present location as quickly as possible, but that presented certain problems.
Never before in the history of the struggle between Evil and Good had a Keeper ever been physical moved from it's resting place before. None had dared tried it because of the fragility of the vessel that they were forced to reside in. Now, Asmodeus and Brachus had no other option, and they were not entirely sure how do go about it without the aid of magic. Zalador would only help them so far. They had to figure out the rest of the problem for themselves.
"Supposing we pierce the membrane," mused Asmodeus.
"Her chamber would shatter," muttered Brachus, "No good."
The two sat with their chins resting upon cupped hands, an air of annoyance and frustration about them. Imps gave them a wide berth as they cleared the bodies of Lord Lawrence's followers out of Calisto's Heart chamber.
"What about sending an Imp to…no, it would get absorbed." Brachus shook his head sadly. "I'm fresh out of ideas, Asmodeus. The only way I can see this working is impossible."
"We can do the impossible, Brachus. It's what our Keepers expect from us. Haven't you learnt that by now?"
"Of course I have! I'm not a fool!"
"Then what was your impossible idea?"
Brachus looked sheepish to the point of shame. "Well, actually lifting the entire membrane out of the pit and carrying it, chamber and all."
Asmodeus groaned. "You're right. It is impossible."
"Surely the crystal chamber can be removed from the Heart?"
"Not without damaging the Keeper's essence. It's likely to dissipate if we try it."
Brachus growled in frustration. "But it's never been attempted before. Surely that means there is a chance that it might work. If we bring it out carefully enough."
Asmodeus looked at Brachus' earnest expression. By the Dark Gods, you're totally smitten aren't you, he thought. "Well, you have a point there, I suppose. Let's just make one thing clear. This is your idea, not mine. Understand? Anything goes wrong, and I will hold you responsible."
"Of course," said Brachus, "I wouldn't expect anything else." But he scowled all the same, hardly relishing the prospect of having that sort of responsibility.
"Then let us make preparations. Having few Warlocks may not be a disadvantage. My Master has two, and they should be just enough to levitate the crystal chamber out of the Heart. After that, it's down to sheer brute force and ignorance."
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Flamuli's Warlocks approached the chamber with some reluctance. Knowing that a truce had been called between their Master and Calisto, something that had never occurred in their leader's entire existence, rankled them severely. Ordinarily, they would be blasting fireballs at what lay before them, but they could not under the restrictions of Keeper's Law.
They began chanting slowly and methodically, standing facing each other on opposite sides of the Heart. The green glow of Manna infused with their hands, and Brachus thought at first that they were sucking the very energy out of Calisto that kept her alive. To his relief, he could see the crystal chamber containing his Mistress' form emerging from the membrane as though the Heart were giving birth.
A team of Goblins stood by, ready to catch the heart if need be, their foreheads beaded with sweat as they knew that their lives were forfeit if they could not give Calisto safe passage.
Calisto was looking about her with an awed fascination. She had never left her chambers beneath the Heart before this day, and the torchlight seemed dazzling. Her mist-like eyes were squinting against the invasive light as the four Goblins each took a corner of the large crystal and began to moved it from above the membrane. The Warlocks still held it in place with their levitation spell until they were absolutely sure that the Goblins had it securely.
As they stepped down from the stone archways, they began to shake as Calisto's influence over her empire was broken by her departure. Cracks appeared in the arches until they crumbled altogether, large lumps of stone piercing the membrane, releasing a font of Manna.
"Time to go," said Asmodeus, and he swiftly led the way from the chamber. Brachus followed close behind, with the Goblins and Warlocks surrounding their precious cargo.
In Calisto's old Heart chamber, the membrane of the Heart slowly collapsed in on itself like a giant balloon. The Manna contained within was released in a huge shockwave that consumed all before it. Imps imploded on impact, scattered into tiny shards of green light. Green coloured tiles were ripped up from the floor, leaving only bare earth.
The group retreating from this awesome display of power were all hoping that the force would stay contained within the old Dungeon as they emerged through the hole dug by Lord Lawrence's Dwarfs. As they trotted, they went past the rotting corpses of those very same Dwarfs. Calisto spotted them and smiled.
"Flamuli killed them?" she asked Asmodeus.
"Indeed, Calisto," said Flamuli's Mentor. "He enjoyed it."
"Good." Calisto returned to her daydreaming.
The sound of the Manna explosion subsided into the distance as the power finally dissipated. Calisto looked saddened.
"My empire. Moments to build, and equal moments to destroy. And all by my own hand."
"Your dungeon here could hardly have been called an empire," said Asmodeus, "However, your empire of old always earned my Master's respect and admiration. He was just sorry that he had to leave it to a Lord to see you exiled."
Calisto smiled. "I see that Flamuli has not changed since last we met."
"No. He's still as ruthless as ever."
"Yet he was never ruthless enough to actually come after me himself. Very strange."
"I thought so myself at the time."
Calisto nodded imperceptibly. "Why do you think that is?"
"I don't know, madam."
Calisto hissed at Asmodeus' familiarity. "How dare you! You call me mistress, understand."
"I'm afraid not, Calisto. I answer to Flamuli and no-one else. You are not my Keeper, Calisto. He is!"
Calisto curled her insubstantial lips into a lop-sided grin. "I can see why Flamuli made such a big success of things. First the Avatar, then King Reginald. And you at the centre of it all. You must be very proud."
"Pride does not come into it. I serve. That is what I was born to do."
The conversation came to an abrupt halt when Brachus shushed them after hearing a noise up ahead. The Imp that was travelling with them blundered on into the dirt path tunnels and was promptly peppered with half a dozen arrows, causing him to implode into a cloud of green sparks. Everyone froze.
"Set Calisto down," whispered Brachus, "Carefully."
The Goblins leaned her up against the wall of the tunnel as the two Warlocks prepared their offensive spells. Fire curled around their fingers, ready to be unleashed. An arrow thudded into the tunnel wall beside Brachus' head. The archers had emerged.
The Sylvan Elves began to fire arrows rapidly as they backed towards another tunnel. One of the Goblins was spitted through the throat and killed instantly. The other three fell prone to avoid the next volley, leaving room for the Warlocks to unleash their fireballs.
The fireballs burned a hole through two Elves, leaving four to retreat to safety into some natural alcoves.
Asmodeus could not help feeling that this was all a big trap to keep them pinned down for the arrival of reinforcements. "Master, can you hear me?" he cried, but his voice was unheeded.
"Perhaps they are already attacking him," said Brachus.
"No," said Calisto, "He still lives."
"Then why can I not reach him?" cried Asmodeus in frustration.
Suddenly, the earth in the ceiling of the chamber seemed to give way, and four guards and two Knights fell through the hole to land deftly on the cavern floor. The Knights drew their swords, but were quickly knocked down by a couple of well aimed fireballs. The guards brandished their spears and began to pace forward to impale the enemy.
"Where is Zalador when we need him?" said Asmodeus plaintively as he and Brachus moved behind the Goblins and Warlocks, "They're more than a match for what we have!"
The Goblins moved forward to meet their assailants, hardened by battle and an odd kind of resolve that it would be better to die quickly on the end of a spear than slowly in a prison in the land above. One of the guards fell to their unexpected attack, but the other three kept the Goblins well pinned down.
The Warlocks were staring death in the face. Their energies would not last forever, and the fireballs were growing weaker by the moment.
Then, there was a deep throated growl and a strange shuffling noise. Asmodeus smiled. It could only mean one thing. The Master had some new recruits.
The three huge, bloated, leathery skinned forms that pushed themselves into the chamber surveyed the scene before them. One of them scratched absently at what passed for it's bottom and shuffled forward to meet the horrified guards who were now pressed on both sides.
The Knights, who were poised to cut down the Warlocks were forced to go and support the guards who were being harried by the morning stars that swung suspended from the massive horns that crested the Bile Demons' heads. One of the guards fell with a blow to the head, his skull smashed in, and a Bile Demon finished him off by sitting on his head and expelling a large quantity of gas.
The other two guards backed themselves into the wall of the chamber, keeping their spears forward to ward off further attacks, but the Warlocks were now free to pick them off at their leisure.
The Knights fought valiantly, but they were outnumbered nearly three to one, and Asmodeus and Brachus watched with satisfaction as they were easily dispatched by the Bile Demons and Goblins.
"Splendid!" cried Calisto.
"I couldn't agree more, Mistress," said Brachus who was equally impressed.
"My Master demands the best, and receives the best," said Asmodeus simply. He glanced down at the still form of the dead Goblin, the arrow still protruding from it's throat. "However, we can't have everything." An Imp came quickly and dragged the body off in the direction of Flamuli's domain. The Mentor smiled.
"What?" said Brachus when he noticed the amused look.
"Flamuli has finally got his graveyard," said Asmodeus with a great deal of satisfaction.
The remaining Goblins, aided by Flamuli's newly acquired Bile Demons, picked up Calisto's grinning form and continued their journey to Flamuli's underground domain.
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