Chapter 2: The Road to the Temple
"Nice day for a stroll in the forest, isn't it?"
Alex's good mood was starting to wear on the others' patience. They had been walking for two days. Andrew's answer dripped with sarcasm. "Oh, yes, sure. Maybe we can invite Garland to a damn picnic when we reach him."
"Good idea, but I don't think he'd come. OUCH!" He was hit with a springy branch that Thomas had pushed out of the way. "What was that for!?"
"For being a dumbass!"
Erin raised her staff threateningly. "If you guys want, I can help you solve your problems real quick. You can't argue when you're unconcious! Now be quiet for once!"
Alex stopped shouting, since he had already been beaten over the head once on the trip. Andrew, however...
"Why do we have to stay quiet near here? I don't see anyone around."
Erin gave him a withering glance. "Just because you can't see anything doesn't mean it's not there. You should be quiet, or prepare to take a fall." On her last word, she tripped him with her staff. He fell to the foot of a tree.
He started to get up. "Hey, what did you do that f-" He bumped his head on something jutting from the tree. Everyone else was staring right above his head. He looked up.
There was a small spear sticking into the tree.
The woods were filled with noise as a small army of imps attacked them. The 3-foot creatures wore orange clothes and some rode wolves the same color. Their wrinkled, pointy faces were filled with malice for the intruders into their territory. One of the lead wolf riders tried to jump towards Andrew. The wolf found a rapier in its stomach and the imp was crushed beneath it.
Another jumped for Erin. Just before it leaped on her, the wolf's fur burst into flame. It ran howling into the forest carrying the imp rider with it. Matt burst from the woods and started flinging fire and lightning everywhere.
Alex laughed insanely as he pulled a long sword from his belt and started to cut up the imps. Brian pulled out his sword and they went back to back, spinning and killing. Erin smashed imp or wolf skulls with the head of her staff. Thomas lashed out with hand or foot, striking everything that came within reach. He did fine until an imp short sword came within range.
Soon the imps ran off, leaving their dead and wounded. The six stood, waiting to see if they would return. Minutes went by before they sheathed their weapons.
Erin went to Thomas, who was standing with a large gash through his hand, coating his arm to the elbow with thick blood. She went to him and put her hand to the cut. A few mumbled words and his hand glowed blue. When the glow faded, there was no trace of broken skin besides the red blood.
Andrew watched with wide eyes. "How the hell did you do that?"
Erin replied, "How do you breathe? I have no idea how I learned it. I just know what to do. Didn't you realize from the rhyme?"
Alex smiled and turned to Matt. "Speaking of the rhyme, it seems number six has arrived."
Matt decided to join them after hearing what had happened after he left.
"Just one thing. Why does the rhyme call Andrew the dagger-bearer?"
Andrew pulled back his vest to reveal three small daggers. Each had a word on the blade and a small jewel on the end of it's hilt. One had a ruby and was marked, "BANE". One had an emerald and the word, "BREATH". The last had the word, "BLOOD" and a sapphire.
He covered them again. "I had these since my parents and brother died. There were four in the set. The missing one had an opal. It was called Bone. The only things left from my parents that I have. Some person killed them. He barely walked away with Bone. He carried it in his heart. Shoulda stuck him with another one, but he ran too fast. Still, these are the only things I really own besides these clothes. Maybe I should lend one to Garland. It would look great around his neck. Or through it."
They walked for days until reaching the thickest part of the forest. They tried their best to keep their spirits up, but the trees seemed to suck the energy from them. Huge spiderwebs clung to tree boughs. Erin jumped at every sound, and Alex and Brian had their swords out.
It wasn't very long before they found the imp that had ran off. Or what was left of him and the wolf. They hung from the trees, wrapped with powerful string. There was no doubt that the imp was dead, but the wolf still struggled faintly against its restraints.
Erin screamed as she saw the bloodless, painwracked faces of the imp. The noise brought out a large spider from the tree. It jumped onto the wolf and sank its fang into its neck. The wolf soon stopped struggling.
Sounds soon came from every side around them. Spiders four feet tall surrounded them, poison dripping from their fangs. One got close to Alex and was sliced neatly in half. He wiped the blood from the sword and grinned. "All right, then. Who's next?"
A huge web dropped from the branches above onto their heads. A hissing voice called, "YOU AH, HOOMAN!"
Andrew blacked out a minute after the others.
Garland reached the temple. He placed the princess on the ground. She stirred slowly. He had had to knock her out again on the trip. She had complied with him until the spider's forest, but the site of the huge bugs had sent her screaming.
He went to the altar standing in the middle of the ruins. A few passes and the crystal resting upon it started to glow. Dark clouds appeared in the orb.
Soon, the spell would be ready.
Thomas woke to a frightening scene. All six of them were stuck to a giant web surrounded by the large spiders. In front of them was the largest spider he had ever seen. The others stirred and awakened, one by one. Finally, the great bug spoke. It couldn't pronounce words correctly with only its two fangs to speak with.
"Poony creetures!! I am Arachnid, lord of this wud!! Why have you trispased into my domeen?!"
He replied, "Lord Arachnid, we are sorry to have trespassed. We are looking for a man that passed through here. Our king has ordered us to kill him and retrieve the girl he had captured. His name is Garland."
The creature hissed in fury. "KEEL LORD GARLAND!! NEVER!! YOU WILL NEVER LEEF THIS FOREST ALIVE!!"
As the spiders closed in on them, Matt struck. He had concentrated just enough heat into the strings that held them to break them. They fell through the web to the ground below as he shot fire through the large web. The whole thing set alight. The spiders scurried away in panic as the fire spread, jumping onto one of Arachnid's legs.
They ran as the fire behind them grew brighter, feeding on nearby trees and engulfing the spider king. They ran into the night, with the creature's voice following behind them. "YOU CANNOT LEEF THIS PLASE ALIVE!!"
Andrew risked a glance over his shoulder. The giant spider was following and catching up. He turned and drew his rapier as the creature lunged at him. He barely dodged and severed one of its long fangs. The creature screamed in pain and anger. he turned and ran again.
It followed them to the edge of the forest. The thing burst out of the trees. It had almost caught up to them again when the thing collapsed to the ground. It screamed once again and twitched spasmadically. They ran forward without once looking backwards, listening to the dying screams of the great spider lord.
Daylight was welcome when it arrived. The events of the night had haunted them. As the sun rose, it shone on a sight welcome to the weary adventurers.
"That," said Alex, "is the Temple of Fiends."
"Nice day for a stroll in the forest, isn't it?"
Alex's good mood was starting to wear on the others' patience. They had been walking for two days. Andrew's answer dripped with sarcasm. "Oh, yes, sure. Maybe we can invite Garland to a damn picnic when we reach him."
"Good idea, but I don't think he'd come. OUCH!" He was hit with a springy branch that Thomas had pushed out of the way. "What was that for!?"
"For being a dumbass!"
Erin raised her staff threateningly. "If you guys want, I can help you solve your problems real quick. You can't argue when you're unconcious! Now be quiet for once!"
Alex stopped shouting, since he had already been beaten over the head once on the trip. Andrew, however...
"Why do we have to stay quiet near here? I don't see anyone around."
Erin gave him a withering glance. "Just because you can't see anything doesn't mean it's not there. You should be quiet, or prepare to take a fall." On her last word, she tripped him with her staff. He fell to the foot of a tree.
He started to get up. "Hey, what did you do that f-" He bumped his head on something jutting from the tree. Everyone else was staring right above his head. He looked up.
There was a small spear sticking into the tree.
The woods were filled with noise as a small army of imps attacked them. The 3-foot creatures wore orange clothes and some rode wolves the same color. Their wrinkled, pointy faces were filled with malice for the intruders into their territory. One of the lead wolf riders tried to jump towards Andrew. The wolf found a rapier in its stomach and the imp was crushed beneath it.
Another jumped for Erin. Just before it leaped on her, the wolf's fur burst into flame. It ran howling into the forest carrying the imp rider with it. Matt burst from the woods and started flinging fire and lightning everywhere.
Alex laughed insanely as he pulled a long sword from his belt and started to cut up the imps. Brian pulled out his sword and they went back to back, spinning and killing. Erin smashed imp or wolf skulls with the head of her staff. Thomas lashed out with hand or foot, striking everything that came within reach. He did fine until an imp short sword came within range.
Soon the imps ran off, leaving their dead and wounded. The six stood, waiting to see if they would return. Minutes went by before they sheathed their weapons.
Erin went to Thomas, who was standing with a large gash through his hand, coating his arm to the elbow with thick blood. She went to him and put her hand to the cut. A few mumbled words and his hand glowed blue. When the glow faded, there was no trace of broken skin besides the red blood.
Andrew watched with wide eyes. "How the hell did you do that?"
Erin replied, "How do you breathe? I have no idea how I learned it. I just know what to do. Didn't you realize from the rhyme?"
Alex smiled and turned to Matt. "Speaking of the rhyme, it seems number six has arrived."
Matt decided to join them after hearing what had happened after he left.
"Just one thing. Why does the rhyme call Andrew the dagger-bearer?"
Andrew pulled back his vest to reveal three small daggers. Each had a word on the blade and a small jewel on the end of it's hilt. One had a ruby and was marked, "BANE". One had an emerald and the word, "BREATH". The last had the word, "BLOOD" and a sapphire.
He covered them again. "I had these since my parents and brother died. There were four in the set. The missing one had an opal. It was called Bone. The only things left from my parents that I have. Some person killed them. He barely walked away with Bone. He carried it in his heart. Shoulda stuck him with another one, but he ran too fast. Still, these are the only things I really own besides these clothes. Maybe I should lend one to Garland. It would look great around his neck. Or through it."
They walked for days until reaching the thickest part of the forest. They tried their best to keep their spirits up, but the trees seemed to suck the energy from them. Huge spiderwebs clung to tree boughs. Erin jumped at every sound, and Alex and Brian had their swords out.
It wasn't very long before they found the imp that had ran off. Or what was left of him and the wolf. They hung from the trees, wrapped with powerful string. There was no doubt that the imp was dead, but the wolf still struggled faintly against its restraints.
Erin screamed as she saw the bloodless, painwracked faces of the imp. The noise brought out a large spider from the tree. It jumped onto the wolf and sank its fang into its neck. The wolf soon stopped struggling.
Sounds soon came from every side around them. Spiders four feet tall surrounded them, poison dripping from their fangs. One got close to Alex and was sliced neatly in half. He wiped the blood from the sword and grinned. "All right, then. Who's next?"
A huge web dropped from the branches above onto their heads. A hissing voice called, "YOU AH, HOOMAN!"
Andrew blacked out a minute after the others.
Garland reached the temple. He placed the princess on the ground. She stirred slowly. He had had to knock her out again on the trip. She had complied with him until the spider's forest, but the site of the huge bugs had sent her screaming.
He went to the altar standing in the middle of the ruins. A few passes and the crystal resting upon it started to glow. Dark clouds appeared in the orb.
Soon, the spell would be ready.
Thomas woke to a frightening scene. All six of them were stuck to a giant web surrounded by the large spiders. In front of them was the largest spider he had ever seen. The others stirred and awakened, one by one. Finally, the great bug spoke. It couldn't pronounce words correctly with only its two fangs to speak with.
"Poony creetures!! I am Arachnid, lord of this wud!! Why have you trispased into my domeen?!"
He replied, "Lord Arachnid, we are sorry to have trespassed. We are looking for a man that passed through here. Our king has ordered us to kill him and retrieve the girl he had captured. His name is Garland."
The creature hissed in fury. "KEEL LORD GARLAND!! NEVER!! YOU WILL NEVER LEEF THIS FOREST ALIVE!!"
As the spiders closed in on them, Matt struck. He had concentrated just enough heat into the strings that held them to break them. They fell through the web to the ground below as he shot fire through the large web. The whole thing set alight. The spiders scurried away in panic as the fire spread, jumping onto one of Arachnid's legs.
They ran as the fire behind them grew brighter, feeding on nearby trees and engulfing the spider king. They ran into the night, with the creature's voice following behind them. "YOU CANNOT LEEF THIS PLASE ALIVE!!"
Andrew risked a glance over his shoulder. The giant spider was following and catching up. He turned and drew his rapier as the creature lunged at him. He barely dodged and severed one of its long fangs. The creature screamed in pain and anger. he turned and ran again.
It followed them to the edge of the forest. The thing burst out of the trees. It had almost caught up to them again when the thing collapsed to the ground. It screamed once again and twitched spasmadically. They ran forward without once looking backwards, listening to the dying screams of the great spider lord.
Daylight was welcome when it arrived. The events of the night had haunted them. As the sun rose, it shone on a sight welcome to the weary adventurers.
"That," said Alex, "is the Temple of Fiends."