Section Eight: The Wastes
By afternoon, the dry plains the stronghold had been based in had faded into sand, the grass clinging in patches every now and then. The sun pounded down, and one by one, the party started shedding heavy armor and thick robes. Julian was by far the most prepared, and at one point at his advice the party came to a complete halt, Katt raising a 'privacy wall' with a spell so that some of the group members could change.
Fox's unicorn had left its brown disguise color for it's bright white fur, and he himself had left behind his deep green ranger clothing for a white tunic, sand-colored pants, and short boots. Even Falco, who normally wore black, changed into a light grey outfit as the heat gradually increased.
"Five days of this…" Katt moaned to herself, wiping sweat from her brow.
"It gets quite cold during the night." Julian said. "The temperatures here change in minutes at dawn and dusk."
"How could anyone live here…" Fara looked out at the desolate landscape around them, shaking her head.
"Few people do." Julian admitted. "And those that do tend to stay close to rivers." He turned to Fox. "Have you fully deciphered the map?"
Fox had let his unicorn pace the group at its own speed, having turned back to the map, scanning over the passages written there. "We follow the roads to the canyon, and then turn east towards the mountains. At the end of the canyon, there will be a road down to a temple that is carved directly into the stone. Within there lies what we are searching for right now."
"This seems very much like a fairy tale." Falco shook his head.
"Oh doesn't it though!" Alan wove his violin bow around energetically. At Julian's insistence, he had laid off the alcohol for the time being. "And there is nothing wrong with living in a fairy tale…"
"Says you. Chasing artifacts, fighting dragons, saving the world… when do you suppose we shall meet the evil stepmother or have to rescue a princess? Sorry Fara." He hastily added when she shot him a look. "All right, I take back the part about rescuing a princess, but the point still stands…"
Fox shook his head. "There isn't any real point in that argument, Falco. Let us just continue to take the road that fate has laid down for us."
"And let us hope it is the correct road." Alan shook the violin bow at him.
"Hmm. Indeed."
"Digester." Julian sighed, crouching on his toes next to the tracks.
"Not fresh, but recent." Fox nodded, crouched across from Julian. "We seem to be on quite a string of luck when it comes into meeting acid-breathing creatures."
"Let us hope we do not meet one, you are without armor now, and the rest of us care not to wear ours." Peppy said, still mounted, looking down at the two trackers. "The best tactic now with any foe is to take it down from a distance…"
"Digesters are very, very fast." Julian stood and sighed, staring out at the packed sand and sparse grass around them. "And ones that live in this region would be colored so that they are nearly impossible to see."
"Would they attack us?"
"If they are hungry, which is almost always." Julian grimaced. "Luckily their only weapon is the acid that they spray, but that is more then potent enough. And they are not the only beasts here that would be willing to attack us."
"If you say dragons, Julian, so help me…" Bill moaned.
"Sadly that is indeed possible. Blue dragons live in deserts." Said Falco.
"True, but I was going to say that the majority of the beasts that would give us the most trouble will do so once we get closer to the mountains or canyon." Julian smiled. "There is a river that flows through the canyon, and it is wide enough there is a bit of an oasis around it, as well as at the edges of the canyon. Thus it has become a… roosting grounds of sorts. I personally have only heard accounts; I'll touch on that again once we get closer to the canyon itself. What we are mainly in danger of getting attacked by here are lamias and digesters."
"Lovely." Katt sighed. "I feel very much out of my element here."
"We all are." Said Rita. "So do not feel alone."
Fox and Julian mounted back up, and the group continued down the road. As they progressed, the road grew less and less used, and by nightfall it seemed more like a mere trail then a road. As the sun set, the temperature plunged, and they were made to pull out cloaks and build a fire, setting up their tents in a circle around it.
"When you said cold, you meant it." Slippy had pulled his robes back on, huddling close to the fire, bringing several of his floating fires into being with a few gestures of his hands.
"This isn't my first time in a desert, so I rather knew what to expect, but the harshness of it still surprises me." Peppy sighed, rubbing his eyes.
Fox, who stood at the perimeter of the camp, narrowed his eyes when distant animal cries reached the camp. "We have a few days of this before we hit the canyon, my friends."
"And quite possibly a few days after that before we actually enter the canyon." Julian said, looking at Fox's map. "Do you have any idea how close our 'friends' are following, Fox?"
"No real idea…" He scented the dry wind that blew over the camp. "But they are not far. Biding their time, waiting for a real chance…"
"Would they attack at night, do you think?" Bill asked, crouching on his toes next to the fire, then falling back on his rear as the fire shot up five feet and turned green. "Alan, cut that out!"
"It's possible, but they've tried that once and failed. Of course, we were in a city then… Do you think we should keep someone on watch?" He looked to Julian.
"It might be best. The creatures here don't have any issue with attacking at night, I am sure of that. In fact, night is the active time in a desert." Julian, rolled the map and tossed it back to Fox. "I say we divide our night hours into one, maybe two watches. That way everyone gets enough rest."
"Works for me." Fox nodded. "I'm willing to take first watch. Who will take second?"
The chill grew as dawn approached breaking, and chill winds washed the camp as the first dim glow appeared over the horizon. Then the first rays of the sun broke over the land, and the chill of night quickly started giving over to the heat of day.
The party was up by the time that dawn finished breaking, moving at a careful pace down the road, going through the ritual of stripping off robes and cloaks as they moved. Julian and Fox fell into pacing each other at the head of the party, and their caravan stringed out behind them, in ones or twos, forming a short chain. As they progressed, more and yet more tracks were seen, and large flying forms were sometimes seen on the horizon. In many ways, this seemed as wild a place as the forest, and those with bows or crossbows started constantly keeping arrows at hand.
Evening started approaching, and as the shadows stretched, the first attack hit.
The light of their torches and mage lights caught the forms of the charging Lamias before they hit. Lamias are much like centaurs, only with lion lower bodies, and were more then eager to attack, the group of four charging fearlessly at the travelers.
The party had already seen the Lamias and had moved to form a circle around the cart, weapons ready and arrows notched. As the leader closed in, Fox held up a finger, and Peppy and Julian held their bow strings, waiting. Fox calmly notched his own arrow as the evil creature bore down on them, then spoke just over the roars of the attacking beasts.
"Now."
The arrows, fired almost point-blank, sank into the leading Lamia, Peppy's carefully shot arrow sinking into the curve of the beast's neck and shoulder. It screamed and ripped out the arrows, rearing, screaming again as the poison started taking hold. Realizing it was already dying, it charged, and Fox's unicorn reared and met it, long horn goring the Lamia.
The other three had quickly moved to surround the group, tossing up illusions and laughing, trying to lure the group away.
"Stand firm!" Fox shouted, notching another arrow and cursing when he saw that the Lamias had tripled their number using illusion. "Stand firm!" He repeated, watching one of the female Lamias caper just beyond the reach of Falco's sword. Falco's guardian spirit, a dragon, was rapidly getting frustrated with the situation, and a pair of yellow eyes smoldered above his head, and the shadow Falco cast was draconic. Fox turned and let his arrow fly, making a guess. He guessed right, the Lamia teasing Falco had been real, and Falco pulled a throwing knife from his belt to finish it, the knife whistling through the air and into the throat of the Lamia. "Close on them!" His group, having fallen more into a line, arced and let arrows fly, easily taking down the remaining two Lamias.
There was a moment of silence, and Alan took that moment to pull his flask out and take a drink. "Well damn, Julian. You made it sound as if facing these beasts was going to be hard."
Julian sent him a sharp look. "We can't camp anywhere near here, Fox."
"I know. Let's move out, ladies and gentlemen, and put some distance between us and the bodies."
The party was about thirty yards away when Alan suddenly turned his horse and trotted back toward the battlefield, throwing something down on and around the bodies then galloping back. About halfway to the group, an intense fire lit up, burning the carcasses in a dozen brilliant colors.
"What bodies?" Alan asked Fox brightly.
"Nice way of getting rid of them. Nice calling card to every other creature with intellect as well." Falco remarked.
"I think a creature with intellect could probably figure out by the bones that we aren't the people they should be messing with." He polished his claws absently.
"None the less." Fox turned to look at Alan and Falco. "Let's put a few miles between what's left and us, all right?"
They nodded, and the group kept moving.
Fara stirred and sat up. She was supposed to take next watch, and judging by the moon it was almost time for her to do so. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, wrapping her cloak around her, and finally spotted Fox.
He was a dozen or so feet away from the camp, cape and tunic folded and left where he had been sitting. In spite of the cold of the desert at night, he was working out shirtless, the blade of his katana flashing and glowing, going into complex oriental-style combination attacks. She brought herself up to a crouch and moved to have a better view, sitting down by where he had left his clothes, folding her legs under herself and watching him.
His hair, in a ponytail, beat on his back and shoulders, flew up to lap at the sides of his face, snapped around as he wheeled and turned. He was working out with his eyes closed, completely focused on what he was doing. It was a long time before he finally stopped and bowed to nobody, sheathing his sword and turning to look at her.
"I apologize." He remarked briefly, walking over and scooping up his tunic, shrugging into it and quickly tying it, then picking up his cape.
"Making sure all is well since what happened to you?" She finally asked.
"In a sense. The desert's quiet, so I thought I would take the time to practice. After sleeping so long, my muscles need the limbering up." He clasped the cape, folding his arms and looking down at her. "Up a bit early for your watch, aren't you?"
"A bit. I knew if I went back to sleep I would never get up on my own, so…"
"I understand." He sat down next to her, looking out at the barren landscape. "Keeping our current pace, we should be within sight of the canyon by the end of tomorrow and be descending by afternoon the day after."
"Good, then, though I take it will be much more dangerous from there on out."
"Yes. Much more dangerous." He pressed his fingertips together, elbows propped on knees. "Perhaps more so to our mounts then us…"
"Rocs, correct?"
"Rocs, griffins… there are a great many beasts that have a taste for horsemeat." He shook his head wearily. "I am rather tired. Can you start your watch now?"
"Of course." She watched as he stood and retreated to his tent, then sighed and turned her gaze to the desert around them.
Dawn came slowly, and by the time the sun had fully crested over the horizon the group was on the move, working their way toward the canyon. As they got closer, huge flying forms drifted over the horizon and once or twice came close enough for the group to identify that they were indeed rocs. The great birds didn't come too close though, and the party was able to travel in peace for the day.
The middle of the forth day brought them to the edge of the canyon. Avian cries pierced the air again and again as they stood looking down at the river that ran at the bottom, of the trees that clung to the canyon walls and the strips of green that bordered the water. Also in abundance were animals, and even as they stood at the edge, a roc came close enough to them that the wind from its wings slammed them.
A few minutes later they had given the canyon edge a respectful distance and were traveling alongside it, keeping an eye out for various wildlife. Though more then once a roc or other beast would come close enough to watch them, none attacked.
Evening was closing in and most of the party members were leading their steeds when a burst of acid sprayed across the ground in front of Falco's feet. His shout alerted the others just in time as a trio of digesters sprang from their cover, two more sprays launching toward the group. Mage lights lit up the region, and arrows were released as the group members vainly attempted to avoid the caustic sprays.
Fara, deciding enough was enough, charged the beasts on horseback, drawing her sword. The digesters, caught off guard, leapt out of her way, letting off low hollow-sounding cries, building up acid to spray again. One leapt at her, hind legs leading and sharp claws brandished, but a quick move of her sword sent the beast tumbling to ground, blood splattering. She turned to face the other digesters, and found one had come up right behind her, ready to spray. Then an arrow soared through the air and went straight through the beast's neck, giving her time to dodge before it sprayed out of panic. Her charger let off a scream as droplets of the caustic liquid struck one of its hind legs, and she quickly returned to stand with the group, watching as a flight of arrows took down the remaining digester.
"That was a rather brave thing to do." Alan remarked, watching as she dismounted to check her steed.
"I am rather sick of acid-spitting things pushing us around." She replied, sighing when she saw the damage. "This is not good."
Avian screams pierced the air, and Fox winced. "No, it is not."
Realizing the fight was far from over, the group quickly fell into a circle, Katt looking to Fara's wounded mount. As the group notched arrows and brought up more mage lights, a group of winged forms came into view, circling and eying them.
"Your charger seems to have attracted some attention." Falco remarked to Fara, sword drawn.
"I think these creatures would have arrived anyway." She replied. "Griffins, am I correct?"
"Yes indeed." Said Julian. "This could be considered a very bad thing indeed…"
Leon laughed, looking through the telescope as Fox's party prepared for the fight. "What a thoroughly wonderful way to get our assignment done… And even if the King or some other law-abiding Lord accused us, there is no proof it is linked to us!"
"It does put the Princess at risk though." Wolf rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"No matter how we attack it will put the Princess at risk, so why do you care?" Pigma asked.
"Money is everything." Wolf shrugged. "Or at least, following religion…"
The griffins had arrived in a group of seven, and attacked in pairs, having moved in their flight pattern to surround the group. It was nearly impossible to tell what direction the next attack would be coming from, and they struck mainly at the horses at first, then isolated the party members when they realized that the humanoids stood between them and what they considered their prey. Because of the swiftness of the attacks, it was very hard to land arrows, but after the first charges the members of the party started to land wounds as the griffins pulled out of their dives. Sharp claws ripped into clothing and left gouges in passing, but the party members did as much or more damage back, and after a short time the first griffin fell, nearly decapitated by one of Alan's leaping overhead slashes. This seemed to anger the pride of griffins even more, and they swarmed the group.
Fox's unicorn reared and charged one of the griffins, not surprised at all when Fara and her charger did the same. The griffin, which had been flying low to the ground, pushed off the sandy earth to get altitude again as sword blades and a unicorn's horn left four deep slashes in its chest, lashing out. Fara tumbled to the ground as her charger fell with a scream, collapsing kicking on the ground then falling still. Fox pulled her up to a position sitting behind him and backed up even to the group, not protesting when Fara took his bow and sent an arrow flying, piercing the chest of the wounded griffin but not dealing a fatal blow.
"That horse has been my steed since the war." She remarked hollowly to Fox as she notched another arrow, tracking one of the other griffins then firing.
"I know. And I'm sorry."
Not long later the three remaining griffins backed off, still watching the group, clearly wanting to attack again. This gave the party a chance to take stock of their wounds. Though many had sustained minor injuries, horses included, no one seemed in abject danger, and those able to use healing magic were kept busy hurriedly patching everyone up, looking over their shoulders at the remaining griffins.
"The noise has to have the whole desert alerted by now." Julian said, tying off an arm wound as he waited for someone to heal it. "And as close as we are to the canyon, the scent of blood has to have spread as well, thanks to the wind."
Even as he spoke the party had already heard the animal cries echo up and down the canyon. All of nature was on alert now, especially since the sun was down. Even as the group watched, another group of Lamias appeared, but didn't attack immediately, staying at the fringes of the mage lights as if considering, and a pair of hippogriffs also arrived, landing not far from the griffins and apparently exchanging information with each other from a respectful distance.
"I have had enough of this." Falco heavily said, flexing his shoulders and stepping forward, sword clasped loosely in one hand. "If you would be so kind as to make sure I am not attacked during this, I may be able to solve this problem."
"Few creatures argue with a dragon." Fox smiled a bit sourly. "We'll make sure you stay safe."
The Lamias were the first to attack, and the already drained magic users in the group tried to defend against them, launching fireballs and blasts of holy lightning. As the griffins and hippogriffs took off, Falco's shadow changed into that of a dragon, and he made a series of motions with his sword, bringing it around in savage slashes and circles around his body. The motions increased in speed, fire flashing around him, then a roar cracked from his chest.
The blast of fire sizzled through the air and struck all of the creatures in the air, burning the griffins on impact then the hippogriffs, the smoking bodies striking the ground seconds later. The two Lamias that were left came to screeching halts, exchanged a glance, and as one moved to attack Falco. A blur of sword moves later, and their bodies also hit the ground, blood flying.
An eerie silence seemed to cover the desert for several moments as Falco sheathed his sword and returned to the group.
"Impressive use of your guardian force." Fox remarked, an eyebrow raised.
"So glad you approve." Falco drawled. "I am not sure how I knew to do that…"
"You didn't need to know on any conscious level." He shrugged. "Thank you for doing that."
Alan, who had capered forward to investigate the aftermath of Falco's attack, stood and shouted back to the group. "Hey fearless leader! This one's still alive!"
Fox quickly strode to where Alan stood, Fara close behind him. The smaller of the two hippogriffs was sprawled on the ground, burns covering its chest and wings, but was still breathing, and when they approached cried out weakly and tried to push away, clawed front feet scrabbling on the ground. Fox crouched on his heels near the head of the beast, careful to stay out of striking range.
"It's in a lot of pain." He finally said. "Those burns must have done a decent amount of nerve damage as well…" He sighed and rubbed his eyes, standing, his unicorn walking up to stand even with him.
Fara held up a hand and carefully stepped close to the fallen hippogriff, kneeling next to the beast's head. It fell silent, watching her out of pain-clouded eyes. "If hippogriffs age the same as horses, that puts this one at being only a yearling." She remarked, head tilted to one side. "The mother was training it to hunt perhaps?"
"Perhaps." Fox agreed, watching as she sat cross-legged on the ground, brushing a hand over the hippogriff's head. "Perhaps we are thinking along the same lines… Hippogriffs make good aerial mounts, and you did loose your steed in this battle."
She smiled a bit, then looked down at the hippogriff. "I'm not sure if you can understand me, but I have a proposition for you. I am sorry you got injured in this fight. If I provided a way to heal your wounds, as well as provide food and a kind word, would you be willing to accompany me as a steed?"
The hippogriff was silent for a moment, looking at her, then moving its eye to look at Fox's unicorn as the white steed stepped close and lowered her head to look the hippogriff in the eye. With seeming effort, the hippogriff lifted its head to return the gaze, then with slow painful movements shifted to rest its chin on Fara's knee, letting off a small whimper of pain.
"Alan, would you see if one of our magic users would be willing to assist this poor creature? Thank you." She added the last bit too late for the bard to hear as he was already halfway back to the rest of the group. "Well. You ride a unicorn, and I have gained a hippogriff. What a truly odd couple we make."
Fox laughed.
"Well. That is an interesting turn of events." Pigma said, passing the telescope to Leon.
"In attacking them we make them more formidable. Remind me to charge that prince double what I was going to." Wolf sighed. "A direct attack may be the only way to weaken them for any length of time, or kill any of them; and that is actually what I prefer."
"I'm sure we both prefer that as well." Leon said. "But ten to three are rather bad odds."
"I'm sure the opportunity will present itself when it is ready."
The group, battle weary and aching, managed to put over a mile between them and the battlefield before setting up camp was an absolute necessity. Rita went through a series of prayers in hopes of warding the camp from any other creatures that would do damage, and everyone retired early, many still nursing wounds.
Fox woke up first as usual, doing a circuit of the camp before anyone else awoke and finding that apparently what wards that had been cast had worked, the camp was undisturbed. He found Fara's hippogriff curled up where her tent usually was, wings still healing but whole otherwise, Fara's smaller form barely visible in the mass of feathers. When he stepped closer, the hippogriff lifted its head and eyed him warily.
"I'm a friend." He assured, holding his hands up. "Could you see about awaking your new companion in a short while?"
The hippogriff only blinked at him sleepily then lowered its head back to the ground. Fox sighed and made another round of the camp, nudging the others awake and making sure everyone else's wounds were healing well. Peppy restarted the fire and saw to breakfast, and the group slowly assembled around the fire.
"I hope to any deity that feels merciful or sympathetic that we do not get attacked again in the next several days." Bill remarked tiredly.
"I'm sure we all have similar hopes." Rita replied. "And hopefully Obad-Hai will stand beside us now. I think another deity has been interfering…"
"Hextor." Fox replied with confidence. "It's more likely then not Hextor if any are."
"I shall take your word for it." She nodded. "Seeing as we have a trio of Fists of Hextor following us at a distance, I would not be surprised if you are correct."
Fara, smelling the food, finally stirred and sat up, her hippogriff lifting its wing off her and also sitting. "I slept in?" She asked somewhat blankly as she joined the others.
"You have a new bodyguard. Kindly negotiate with him." Fox replied, handing her a bowl as she sat next to him. Katt and Peppy had teamed up to make a hot, thick soup that helped chase away the chill of morning.
"Oh." She blinked once, then shifted as her new steed hooked his head over her shoulder, eying her soup with interest. "Is there enough for…?"
"Great. The newest mouth to feed is about the equivalent of five mouths." Falco grunted to himself.
"There should be. Just let us all get our fills first, all right?" Peppy said, and she nodded.
"This whole adventure just keeps getting more and more delightful." Alan said cheerfully, having brought out his scrolls and quill, adding more lyrics to his song.
"I am actually inclined to agree with you." Rita said, setting her bowl aside. "I know we've been attacked, but we always come out of it alive. When we say that we are on an adventure, we truly mean it."
"When this is over, I think I shall retire." Said Bill honestly. "Fighting dragons and other creatures dulls after a time."
"I agree, believe me, but when duty calls…" Fox shrugged, setting his bowl down in front of the hippogriff, who hungrily licked it clean.
"You could always tell duty where to stick what, you know." Falco remarked, still rubbing sleep out of his eyes, then yelping as Katt's elbow found his ribs as usual. "I hurt enough my dear, please refrain from doing that." He whined at her.
"I could but I won't. I am a paladin after all, and if I'm worthy enough to save the world so be it."
"Maybe you should learn to stand up for yourself."
"Or perhaps the world should. In any effect, we are well into our adventure, so we might as well complete it." Said Slippy.
Their travel was uninterrupted that day, and early afternoon found them at the canyon's edge again, standing at the start of the pathway. Fara, who was riding bareback on her new steed, was the first to start down the narrow path. The cart had to be abandoned, and the horse that had been pulling it carried what was left of their supplies. The pathway wasn't too wide, but was enough so that their steeds had sure footing and they could make their way down in pairs.
The path trailed slowly down the canyon, sometimes doubling back on itself so the party zig-zagged, sometimes at such a steep incline the riders had to lean back as their steeds braced themselves. After a little more then an hour, they were about halfway down the canyon wall.
As they went lower, they started passing cavern mouths, and gave them wide berths, not wanting to encounter any more wild life. What creatures saw them watched them pass, curious or bored. More then once, they saw a cougar sitting on a ledge, watching them, or saw a roc perched on a cliff, wings open to sun, casting huge shadows across the canyon. Nothing bothered them, however, and they were able to pass unharmed.
Evening was just beginning to stretch their shadows when they reached the bottom of the canyon, and only a few minutes later, saw the temple.
It was carved directly into the canyon wall, huge and ornate. It looked for all the world like any temple in a big city, from the front, at least, but there were no windows, and the wooden doors were closed.
"Falco, this is your expertise. Alan, you take a look with him." Fox said, leaning his head back to look up at the temple.
"You got it." Falco rode forward and dismounted in front of the doors, studying them. Alan followed behind, also dismounting, and they started having a discussion, gesturing, somewhat wildly in Alan's case. After a while Falco gestured for the others to come forward.
"It's got a specialized lock." He related, looking frustrated. "So on the journey to get the key to retrieve the staff, we find out we need yet another key…"
Fox dismounted and crouched, looking at the doors. Indeed, where a keyhole would normally be there was a circle within a circle, surrounded by fine lines.
"We could just pry the doors open…" Suggested Alan.
"… No. Fara, would you take a look at this please?"
She joined Fox, looked at the 'keyhole,' and startled, looking back to Fox. He nodded once, and she took off her amulet, crouching and matching it up to the keyhole then pressing it in. After a long moment, there was a click sound, and the doors very slowly swung inward.
The party backed up, Fara putting her amulet back on, looking inside. As they watched, a long line of torches lit on either wall of the inside of the temple, going away from them and approaching an altar. After a long moment, Fox made a religious gesture and entered, walking up the center of the aisle. The others slowly followed.
"Who goes there?"
The group stopped when the deep, booming voice reached them, one by one looking to Fox. Fox took his cue and stepped forward.
"We are a party of adventurers seeking to bring balance back to the world. We seek the key to access the Staff of Lazarus."
"You ever stop to consider just how stupid that sounds?" Alan asked Falco.
"More then once, but it's the truth at least." Falco replied.
They fell silent when the speaker appeared. It was at first glance a large, beautiful lion, but it had the face of a wise human, and large golden wings were folded on its back. Its velveted paws caressed the stone floors as it approached, eyeing the party.
"How interesting." The Lammasu sat down, tilting its head to one side. "You seek the key, young ones?"
"Yes, we do." Fox said, dropping to one knee respectfully. The others, seeing this, also did, except Alan, who just sat down on the ground, pulling his flask out of his pocket.
"Hmm. I too have felt the loss of balance in the world. What concerns me is that it might not be in the favor of good…" It tilted its head to the other side, eyeing Fox with a sharp, calculating gaze. "You are leading this group, young Paladin?"
"Yes, I am."
"I can see you are pious, strong and good of heart and directly serving your god. Those traveling with you are good on the whole…" The Lammasu eyed Alan, who grinned and toasted the large lion with his flask. "Or such a jumble I cannot tell." It ended. "Though I am an advocate of good, I understand the importance of balance, and I would gladly give you the key to put right to the world."
Fox paused. "Would, or will?"
"Would." The Lammasu hung its head. "I am afraid that it has fallen into hands that should not hold it."
"Oh, wonderful." Falco moaned, sitting down hard next to Alan and taking the flask from him, knocking back a long gulp. "Whuff, that is strong stuff…"
"What happened?" Fox asked.
The Lammasu stood and joined the party, laying down in front of them and gesturing with a paw for them to make themselves comfortable. "As I have said, I am an advocate of good, and that is one reason the doors remain locked for the most part. However, I do journey outside to hunt, and I ran across one of the nomadic tribes, under attack by a group of vile Lamias. I assisted the nomads, and when I returned to my temple, I found… found that…" The Lammasu bowed its head again. "The vile stench of Drow was everywhere. There are back passageways of this temple that connect to the deep catacombs, but these passages have been unused for years…"
"Do not worry, you tried to do your job, and I am sure you did it well for years." Fara said soothingly. "And if you had not assisted the nomads, I'm sure that many would have died."
The Lammasu groaned to itself. "That is why I said I would give you the key, if I had it. I do not."
"Then we will go after it." Fox said.
His party looked at him, and grew resigned, agreeing. There was no other choice.
"Those catacombs run deep and are practically a maze." The Lammasu protested. "You would get lost very easily and die trying to find it."
"Do you have a map?"
"Yes, of most of the catacombs, but it is old, and I do not know if any of the information is complete…"
"It will be better then nothing." Fox pulled out his map. "If you will allow me to see it, I will copy it, and we will leave in the morning."
"All right. You may stay here tonight, if you like. It will be much safer then staying outside."
"Strongholds, mountains, bayous, forests, deserts, and now underground catacombs." Falco said in a rather grouchy voice.
"We don't have a choice." Said Bill as he helped bring possessions in. The Lammasu had led their steeds to a rather safe patch of grazing ground by the river, fairly protected from flying creatures because of the sharp stone spikes that jutted naturally out of the walls on three sides of the patch of grass. "I just do not understand what the Drow would want with the Key."
"Good can be twisted to serve evil." Said Slippy. "I should know."
"I am worried." Katt remarked, hugging herself. "Drows do not like Elves, at all. I am going to be accompanying you, and we are going to have to go deep underground and confront them… If they captured me…"
"They won't." Falco said flatly. "Or if they do, chances are the rest of us will be dead before they can. We're here to help protect you Katt, never forget that."
"We cannot take our mounts." Said Fox, looking at his map, which had copied the Lammasu's guide map. "The path we must take will not allow them…"
"We're walking, eh?" Alan asked, sprawled on the stone floor, looking at the ceiling, empty flask resting on his chest.
"Yes. In all actuality, it will not take too long to reach the Drow village, if it is correctly marked… a few days. Of course, I have never traveled underground…" Fox looked to Julian, who shook his head. "Has anyone here ever traveled underground before…"
"A long time ago, fearless leader."
"Anyone besides Alan?" Fox corrected himself, and got a series of head shakes. "Then we will all be out of our element. I suppose that is one of the many reasons why they call it an adventure."
"More likely then not." Peppy was looking through one of Slippy's tomes, reading up. "I do know of some of the creatures that will more likely then not be a danger to us, but not all… Alan how much do you know?"
"I speak the language of the UnderDark and I am familiar with some beasts, but by far not all." He shook his head a bit. "This journey just gets more and more interesting." He added cheerfully.
"I think at this point, a little boredom would be most welcome." Slippy said almost sourly.
"Do we have enough supplies?"
Fox sighed, stretching out, sprawling on the stone floor. "We should, Fara. Our new friend the Lammasu was able to resupply us to some degree, so supplies should not be a problem, nor light thanks to mage lights."
She sat down next to him so she could look down at him. "So why are you worried?"
"I have heard a bit about the Drow. And you've had some personal experience… I guess I am just a bit overwhelmed at this point."
"We do what we must."
He sighed. "Indeed."
