Chapter 19
The ten person band proceeded down the hallway once more, ensuring Lanon's place as prisoner with a potent sleep spell. When they returned, they would turn in the cultist to the proper authorities. At the moment, finding the missing villagers was most prudent.
Soon, just as the necromancer had predicted, the allies came upon a multi split in the path.
"Just in case the man was lying, we'll split up down the five passageways." Nai'lan decided after a brief moment of contemplation. "Rolain, Elari, take the first cave on the left. Cael'brar, Fiyn -- the second. Olren and Kolgar take the fourth, Baelas and Thoila the fifth, and Sab'vrae and myself will travel the center road."
"Right-o, chief!" Rolain grinned, giving his leader a mock salute. He headed down the leftmost cave with his fey spouse, soon disappearing into the shadows. The others spilt off similarly, and Sab'vrae found himself following his wood elf friend down the center road.
"Why'd you pick me to accompany you?" He asked curiously.
"Are you complaining?" Nai'lan countered in mock irritation.
"Not at all. Just a drow who likes to sate his nosy interests." Sab'vrae commented with a toothy grin.
"Well, I will admit that you and Baelas are becoming quite the team. However, he's had the most experience working with Thoila, as have the other pairs become well-attuned to working with each other," Nai'lan explained, "They'll fend for themselves just fine if they run into trouble. And, since the center path is most likely the deadliest one, I figured your superior cave tracking skills and dark vision would come quite in handy."
"Thanks, but…" Sab'vrae raised an eyebrow, "Why do you believe this way's the most dangerous?"
"Because the cultist pointed us here." Nai'lan stated simply. Sab'vrae chuckled humorlessly in agreement.
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The half elven siblings walked down the caverns in utter silence. Fraternal twins, Cael'brar and Fiyn shared a bond deeper than most siblings, and had long since achieved a level of wordless communication. Their movements, skills and thoughts complimented one another, making the family duo a most formidable pair. Cael'brar kept his fingers and lips readied for a spell while his sister's hand hovered over her short bow, ready to attack at any sign of a threat.
A shift in the shadows caught the half elf druids' attention. Muttering an incantation under his breath, Cael'brar tossed a small pebbled out, aiming his spell on the object. The pebble emitted a bright glow in a radius of some thirty feet. Blinded by the unexpected light, the pale creature hissed, covering its eyes.
Drawing her bow with due speed, Fiyn launched a succession of three arrows in the air, impaling the monster's torso. Cautiously, the female half sun elf approached the injured creature. She recoiled in disgust.
"A Curst." She hissed.
Needing no more explanation, Cael'brar spread his arms out wide, chanting rapidly in the druidic tongue. A beam of light as intense as the sun engulfed the vampire, who shrieked in agony and withered into ashes. Squinting as the Sunburst spell dimmed away, the hybrid siblings continued on their way, keeping their ears and eyes alert.
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True to the wood elf's estimate, the pair found their passage littered with various traps and minor ambushes. However, caves were Sab'vrae's home terrain, and the drow easily detected trap triggers and ambush points long before the defensive measures caused any real danger. Finally, the archdruid and fighter came upon a large stone door, the Cult of the Dragon insignia engraved on the center. Pulling out his tattered crest, Sab'vrae held the symbol in front of the doorway. Nothing happened.
Thinking for a moment, the dark elf spoke, " Chryammauth." Still, nothing.
Catching on to his friend's attempt, Nai'lan made his own suggestions. "For the reign of dragons. Chryammauth the Mighty. Uh… open up?"
Once again, nothing. Sab'vrae furrowed his eyebrows in thought, as did his lighter skinned companion.
"By Chryammauth's talons, open." The wood elf archdruid commanded. At this, the stone entry burst into flames, swinging open. The magical fire licked at the door a moment longer, then vanished.
"Huh. What do you know. A curse opens up new entryways." Sab'vrae mused, carefully stepping inside, Nai'lan at his heels. The door swung closed behind the brown elf, but the duo relaxed when they discovered their key and command worked from the inside as well. Their eyes glowing in the dimly lit cave, the two elves examined the room.
"Gods help us, the damned dragon worshippers have sent a drow to torment us!" Sab'vrae snapped his head in the direction of the groaning man's voice. Casting a faerie fire enchantment to his left, the drow soon noticed the myriad of cages, all filled with human peasants and merchants. Apparently, the crude prison cells were enspelled to prevent heat detection. The dark elf approached the bars, the nearest humans skittering back as far as their limited space allowed them.
"Back, you pointy eared demon!" one teenaged male stuttered, "We won't yield to your wicked tormenting schemes!"
"Who said anything about me torturing innocent villagers?" Sab'vrae asked earnestly. Many of the peasants shuffled in surprised when the black elf spoke in Common, not Drow.
"Quite the contrary. We're here to rescue you." Nai'lan stepped up behind the dark elf, though few of the humans relaxed. "We're allies of Olren and Kolgar. You needn't fear us."
"What's the honest ranger doing, associating with a deep elf?" one woman scowled.
"Charmed to meet you all, too." Sab'vrae muttered. "Look, I'm not going to try to explain myself now -- time's not a good factor for us at the moment -- but I ask you all this: Would you rather risk freedom at the hands of one drow, or stay here and face the hungry maw of a large dragon, especially if he becomes a lich?"
The villagers fell silent, then grudgingly conceded to the point.
"Is anyone missing?" The archdruid asked the villagers, examining the crowd in the cells.
"Those horrid cultists dragged off my boy before you two came!" one woman wailed.
"How long ago?" the wood elf asked urgently, eyes wide in fear for the human child.
"No more than a half hour, perhaps. Maybe two hours or more. We don't have any way to track time down here." A middle aged man grumbled, "But it wasn't too long ago."
"We'll find him, ma'am, I promise on my word as a fighter." Sab'vrae vowed to the distressed mother gently. The human's eyes glared at him through stinging tears.
"Don't you go near my son!" she shrieked, "Gods know what awful things you damn black elf can do to my little boy!" Sab'vrae stepped back, stung by her words, but also understanding her outburst was only partially from ignorance -- here on the surface, families were often close; he learned that much from Rolain and Elari's over protectiveness towards their adult offspring.
A fairly young man, probably the distressed mother's husband, held the crying woman comfortingly, his gaze softer at the drow, but still holding a flicker of biased dislike. Sab'vrae sighed, knowing this probably wouldn't be the last time he met prejudice on the surface.
"How do these things unlock?" Nai'lan grumbled, pounding away at the door's padlock with his oak cudgel.
"It's warded against simple spell and lock picks," an elderly woman sighed, "though I never saw our captors use a physical key on it."
"Dammit." The wood elf cursed, futilely pounding on the lock again. Sab'vrae gently pushed the archdruid aside.
"Let me try." He offered. Holding up the Cult insignia once more, he declared, "By Chryammauth's talons, open." The padlock twisted open and fell to the floor with a loud thump. Gaping mouthed villagers stared at the now open bar door. Nai'lan too gawked at his dark elf ally incredulously.
"How did you…?" he sputtered. Sab'vrae laughed, patting his fellow elven friend on the back.
"Sometimes, it seems, you surfacers lack creativity in your security wards."
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Olren felt the warmth against his chest before he saw his Silvanus necklace glow a dull white. He fingered the jewelry depicting his god and turned to his nephew, noting his too, emitted a low glow.
"By Silvanus' horns," Kolgar muttered, "You think they're in trouble?"
"Either tha', or they've foun' th' villagers. Let's go, my boy." The elder ranger urged, leading his kin back down towards where the tunnels connected.
The druids took note of their flashing rings, a sign of Nai'lan calling for aid. Most traveled back from their paths to meet at the split in the trail. Sab'vrae and Nai'lan were waiting patiently, checking on the condition of the villagers, when the elves and humans showed themselves.
After a short bout of confusion, the rescuers managed to quiet their refugees, when Rolain made an alarming observation.
"Where are Cael'brar and Fiyn?" the human druid asked with trepidation, exchanging a worried look with his wife.
"I'll look for them." Sab'vrae volunteered, "You guys try to find an exit."
"Is it wise to go on your own?" Baelas asked his drow friend, slightly worried. Sab'vrae smiled half heartedly.
"I spent fifty years in the Underdark," he reminded the sun elf, "Caves are to me as the woods are to you and the grove. It'll be easier for me to find my way back on my own than you guys, and you'll already have your hands full managing the villagers. Besides, they'll probably relax more when the 'damnable drow's' not around."
"Why I ought to give them a long speech about drow!" Baelas huffed. Sab'vrae laughed.
"Do you remember your initial reaction to me, my friend?" the dark elf asked, his eyes aglow in mirth. Embarrassment flushed the sun elf's cheeks.
"Point taken." He admitted. "Well, good luck, then. Once we find an exit, we'll probably summon Lathhan to send us back to Lurkwood."
"And the cult and their dragon?"
"The villagers are most important. If we run into any cultists, or, Rillifane forbid, the dragon, we'll fight. If not, we can also send word to the Harpers. They can handle the rest of the situation." Baelas explained, and Sab'vrae nodded in understanding. Harpers were a semi secret organization of firm believers in the balance between civilization and nature (much like druids), and the good of humankind and its allies. Hated enemies of the Cult of the Dragon, Harpers would gladly jump at any opportunity to remove even a small base of the evil dragon worshippers.
"Eilistraee and Rillifane guard your steps, my friend." Sab'vrae waved to his fellow elf and dashed silently down the second tunnel.
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Cael'brar and Fiyn had sensed their leader's calling, but reluctantly chose to ignore it, more concerned with what lay at the edge of their road after the encounter with the vampire. At the end of their path, the sibling duo had found another, but smaller, hallway. Three doors adorned this smaller chamber. The first shed new light on where the Curst had come from: ancient crypts engraved in sinister scripts littered the ground, and the damp air reeked of blood and decaying flesh. One coffin lid lay askew, the contents below it empty.
"Probably the vampire we encountered." Cael'brar noted grimly.
"Most likely," his older sister agreed, "but why are the others closed?"
As if in response, the dozen stone caskets slid slowly open, their occupants stepping out and eyeing the intruders hungrily.
"Ah, more sacrifices for Chryammauth?" one buxom female Curst asked, running her tongue along her lips.
"Chryammauth's got an entire village worth of sacrifices for his ceremony," a slim male hissed, "not to mention the little boy to begin the ritual. I say we, his loyal undead servants, deserve an extra meal before our master becomes a dracolich." He grinned, revealing his long, pointed fangs. The twelve vampires closed in on the brother and sister team, their mouths practically watering.
"Cast Sunburst again!" Fiyn whispered frantically to her brother.
"I can't, you know that!" he hissed back, "I don't have the power to cast that spell again today, and you can't spells of that magnitude at all."
"I knew I should've spent more time fine-tuning my magic!" the sister moaned.
"Mm. Half elven, I see." The same comely female Curst had reached the pair, running a long finger along Cael'brar's neck. "Exotic and sweet. A rare treat." She opened her mouth, her fangs extending out and towards the male's jugular. Instead of a sweet drink, however, the vampire shrieked in pain, flailing back. A glowing blue sword penetrated through her stomach. Cursing, the vampire exploded into an ashy mist, hovering back to her coffin. Far from dead, the Curst merely went to regenerate. Still, such a feat would add valuable time. The saving sword clattered to the stone ground, sending the remaining vampires scampering back a few feet.
Rolain and Elari's spawn looked up towards the entrance eyes glowing in infrared vision. They identified the mass of heat at the door as Sab'vrae. Recovering from their initial shock, the Curst snarled and hovered towards the drow.
"Sab'vrae!" Cael'brar shouted, swiftly picking up the fallen blade and throwing it back towards its owner. Already parrying and countering the vampire's thrusts, the dark elf deftly snatched the sword from the air by its hilt, instantly bringing it into play with its brother with a twist of his body and arms. He cleaved body parts from the vampires, returning them temporarily to dust.
Recovering from their temporary bout of fear now that another ally had entered the fray, Fiyn and Cael'brar entered the fray, the brother casting minor spells while his sister rapidly fired her short bow's ammunition. Once the trio sent all the vampires back to their tombs, Sab'vrae immediately ran over to a crypt and slowly slid its lid back into place.
"Hurry! Cover the other ones! It only take a few minutes for a Curst to respawn!" The half elves hastily aided the drow in the job and fled from the room, slamming the door shut. All three panted from their efforts and the decline after an adrenaline rush.
"You have anything to seal the room off with?" Sab'vrae asked Cael'brar, who considered the query for a long moment.
"Actually, I think I might," the half elf male decided, "Stand back." His sister and the dark elf complied, walking a few paces behind the spell casting druid.
"Wall of stone!" Cael'brar declared in the Druidic tongue. Raising his arms wide, the young druid created a large slab of stone that erupted from the earth. Moving his arms about, Cael'brar shaped the magical rock, using it to completely seal off the vampire's crypt entrance." The man heaved a sigh, staggering backwards. Fiyn ran to him and caught her younger brother just as he began to fall.
"Are you guys all right?" Sab'vrae asked with concern, approaching the siblings.
"I'm fine, just a bit drained from the high level spell casting," Cael'brar assured, inhaling and exhaling deeply, "Just give me a moment to recover." The dark elf nodded, looking about the small hallway.
"Did you guys discover what's beyond the other doors?" he inquired. Fiyn shook her head.
"No, we looked at the crypt first, which turned out to be a mistake." She snorted. "Still… one of the vampires mentioned a boy about to be used as a sacrifice. Did you guys find him?"
"No, but we found the other villagers," Sab'vrae sighed, inspecting one of the remaining doors closely. "His mother's worried sick, though, and I don't blame her. Perhaps Nai'lan and the others found him on their way to find an exit."
"The others are leaving?" Cael'brar, having regain his stamina, stood. "Then I suppose we should follow them, right?" Sab'vrae narrowed his eyes at the small crack separating the door from its frame.
"You two can head back -- they didn't leave that long ago, so you should find them on the path we encountered the cultists on. If you get lost, I'm sure you can use your druid rings to aid you. Me, I want to investigate these passages a little bit further. I'd like to stop as many of these mad dragon worshipping mages as possible." He mashed his long ear against the first door, frowning. He repeated the same process with the last door, tapping it lightly with his knuckles before nodding contently, straightening himself.
"We're going with you then." Fiyn concluded. Sab'vrae raised his white eyebrows and the female half elf added, "More power in numbers. Besides, though my parents might not be thrilled at the thought of Cael'brar and myself fighting a group of necromancers or even a dragon without them, we're full grown adults now and the choice is ours. Besides, I think in the end even they would agree on aiding a friend in a perilous venture." She grinned impishly with her brother. Sab'vrae laughed softly, returning the smile.
"Very well, then. Into the dragon's lair, so to speak." He half joked, pulling open the wooden door and, to his little surprise, revealing another passage.
"Hopefully not," Cael'brar shivered at the thought, "I've never faced one, and I'd rather not without my spells fully prepared."
"Well, as long as we find something of significance, I'm satisfied." Sab'vrae retorted, scanning the walls and floors for any possible dangers.
"So am I, so long as it dies easily." Fiyn smirked.