Chapter Twenty Four
Laguna stared in fascination as they approached the remains of Doomgrinder. The once giant, murderous windmill on wheels had crashed into Greyhawk's city walls a decade before. After being stopped and disassembled inside, it was turned into an apartment complex. Close to 80 feet tall, however, it was still an intimidating sight.
Jea and Shik (who, against better judgement, had decided to tag along) led the way into the dread machine. Laguna and Dumbugg came next and Ambermist and Wolf brought up the rear.
The party descended to the bottom unused level to search. They combed every room and corridor. In a back room that was hardly more than a closet, they hit paydirt. There was a newly created secret door.
Jea opened the door and looked nervously into the blackness. It was a passage, a rough cut stairwell that descended into the bowels of the earth. Jea squeaked and backed into Laguna.
He put a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon. We'll lead."
Swallowing, Jea pulled out a new torch and lit it, drawing her mace with her free hand. "All right, let's go."
They started down the stairs, Jea commenting, "Ya know, I see a guy with horns and a pitchfork an' I'm outta here.." Her nervousness caused a country lilt to come back into her voice. The stairs went down for close to half a mile.
At the bottom, they were at the beginning of a series of caverns and natural tunnels. Laguna realized that they were in the Underdark, and he looked at Jea in concern. She was trembling slightly and her face was twisted into a hideous mask; the grin of pure terror creating the grotesque rictus.
Putting an arm gently around her shoulders, he whispered, "Jea? Are you okay? C'mon, snap out of it! We're right here with you."
For a long moment, nothing happened, but then, slowly her face melted back into a normal expression. Shuddering convulsively, she moved to enter the tunnel in front of her.
Dropping his arm, Laguna matched her stride and swallowed the taste of evil forming in his mouth.
Down a long tunnel that twisted and descended, they came to a four way cavern (think + shaped..) Before they could enter, Jea stopped, grimacing. The others paused in confusion.
Jea took her torch and thrust it out in front of her. Much to everyone's shock, strands of webbing caught fire, all the way into the cavern. Hissing noises of outrage were heard when the fire burned itself out, and the skittering of many legs heading their way gave them all the warning they needed.
"Spiders," Jea spat, by way of explanation. She leaned back on her heels, ready to swing.
Laguna moved up, holding Quar at ready. As the first spiders came within both striking and viewing range, Laguna gave a small noise of revulsion as he swung his blade. It bit into the bodies of several spiders with a sickening, wet "Ka-Thunk!" Black ichor coated the blade.
Jea swung hard down onto one of the shiny brown arachnids, a squishing CRUNCH echoing off the walls as she killed it and wrestled her mace free, killing two more in the process.
Laguna finished of the remaining few with a second swing of the strange glowing sword, Quar. The party surveyed the handiwork. Neither side had really had a plan, after all. The spiders were angry and hungry, attacking mindlessly. Jea and Laguna had been "creeped out," as Shik so eloquently put it, interested only in squashing the "bugs."
Jea peered nervously into the four-way. "Um.Okay, folks.Which way?"
".How about left?" Laguna said, scratching his head.
Shrugging, Jea moved to the left passage, the others following, having to trust her skills. She walked confidently down the passage, Laguna at her side, pausing only long enough to bash in the heads of two more spiders.
Laguna was walking with her, eyes constantly shifting to be on the lookout for problems. Even so, he was completely surprised when something grabbed him around the middle.
Jea whirled as she saw Laguna partially vanish into a concealed passage of the tunnel. He was struggling in the near darkness with a giant centipede.
Giving a battle cry, she attacked the multi-legged creature. Her first three swigs crushed the legs that held Laguna fast and, with the help of the others, chopped them away to free the paladin. Laguna thrust Quar into the monster's body, the magic blade crunching through the chitinous shell. The centipede fell back and Dumbugg crushed its skull, sending ichor all over the floor.
As the warriors cleaned off their blades, Ambermist investigated the crevasse, discovering-to her great delight-a cache of gems and gold. Grinning gleefully, she pocketed the goodies.
Proceeding down the main passage, it looped around and connected with the first passage.creating a sort of [| shape (like a city block.) that connected to the four-way with the dead spiders.
Jea looked back towards the way they'd come, then the way straight ahead, and lastly, toward the spider four-way (I'm gonna start using symbols for the passage shapes.using VERY literal symbols-AKA, a 4-way will be +.)
"Something tells me we should go on a straight course from our original point of Underdark entrance. Laguna?" Jea looked at him expectantly.
The paladin, feeling queasy now because from the taste of evil in his mouth, agreed. "Yes. The feel of evil is stronger in that direction."
"Wonderful.." Ambermist muttered sarcastically.
The party headed down that main passage for another hundred yards or so, before it opened up into a HUGE cavern. The ceiling was 50 or more feet up in the air, and gigantic columns gave testament to the cavern's age.
Looking around, Jea spotted something at the other end of the cavernous room. Motioning them to silence, she led them forward. Built right into the cavern wall, it looked like the front end of a temple. Screams could be heard, issued from within, as well as evil, sadistic laughter.
The outside of the building was masterfully carved. Chiseled designs, beautiful statues, stone guardians were all found on the completely etched surface of he building.However, these lavish decorations were all of grotesque devils and demons.
Jea was losing control again. As they watched, she sank, trembling to the floor, hugging herself and whimpering. She was quaking from head to toe, and tears began to stream down her cheeks.
"Jea?" Laguna asked quietly, concerned. He knelt down next to her, temporarily sheathing Quar.
She shook her head. "No.no.no.please.not again...die.we're all gonna die if we go in there.me.you.the others.I'll be.alone.again.No." She rocked back and forth, repeating her ranting, weeping.
"Jea," Laguna said, putting his hands on his friends shoulders. "We're okay. It's gonna be okay. I promise-"
She turned on him with a look of terrified disbelief . "No!" she shrieked. "You lie! You're just like the others! Just like everyone else! Like my mother! Like my goddess-be-damned family! You're no different than everyone else who's ever promised me anything! I don't believe you!!!!" The ranger woman jerked away from him and resumed her ranting, her steady, horrified monologue never slowing.
The young paladin was at a loss. He was hard pressed to believe this was the same woman who'd approached him so boldly in an inn; an event that seemed so terribly long ago. Running a hand through his shaggy blond hair, the young man pleaded with her again. "Please, Jea, you've gotta get a hold of yourself and get up!"
It was no use. Wolf, who had moved, whining, to their sides, was trembling in fear. Laguna noticed, though, that his quivering was not as bad as his mistress'. Laguna put a hand on his fur. "Wolf, listen to me: You have to gain control of yourself. Jea needs you to be strong, to help her snap out of this. Please. Help me."
Wolf looked up at him, eyes showing the glimmers of recognition. His trembling slowed, gradually coming to a stop. Shaking himself, Wolf looked calmly at Jea. Laguna started as a very distinctive "voice" echoed through his head. *This is how you get her attention. It tends to stop her babbling.*
Wolf opened his mouth and bit down, hard, on her leg. Yelping, the ranger/druid ceased her monologue of doom, looking blankly at Laguna.
*I have gotten her attention, human. You must snap her out of it.*
"Wolf?" Laguna asked, confused.
*Indeed, PALADIN. Quickly now!*
Laguna kneeled down in front of his comrade. He put his hands on her shoulders and spoke reassuringly. "Jea? I know you're scared. We all are. I know you've been through a lot. But I promise you, I'm not gonna leave you. And my word is good. I won't leave you-ever."
She whimpered and tried to pull away. Laguna cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to look in his eyes. "Jea, you have to snap out of it. You're the only one who can guide us. We need you..I need you."
Laguna closed his eyes briefly, trying to collect his feelings. "Jea, I need you. It pains me to see you like this. As crazy as it sounds.and I know it does sound nuts.but, I think I love you."
*Do you mean that, Paladin? I know the two of you have been more than friends lately, but do you mean that? Truly, from the bottom of your soul?*
Laguna looked deeply into Jea's eyes, searching her face, as he answered Wolf. "Yes. I do."
*Then tell her that! It might just shock her enough to snap her back to normalcy!*
Laguna spoke again, pouring all of his penned up feeling into his words. "Jea, please! You have to hear me! You have to snap out of this! Seeing you this way is unbearable.you've always been so strong. I don't know where I'd be right now if it weren't for you.You bring a smile to my face- you kept reminding me what it was to have a sense of humor.If it weren't for you..being you.I never would have been able to participate in one of the most wonderful, indescribable nights of my life-and I never would have experienced this feeling that I am feeling right now. Jea, I love you.I've never loved anyone like this..Please, you have to come back to us.to me. I need you to.."
Laguna gathered her into his arms and held her against him until the tears ceased. Opening her eyes, she blinked in confusion for a moment. "How.how long was I out of it?" she asked, having absolutely no idea what exactly had happened.
"Five minutes, Jea," Laguna said in a normal tone. "C'mon, let's get up."
Wincing, the ranger hauled herself to her feet. Then she looked resolutely at the temple. "We have to go in there." Her face was hard, cold and angry. "Whatever worships in that temple is an abomination. Let's go!!"
Once more in command, Jea, along with Wolf and Laguna, strode to the door. Jea looked at the paladin, who was once more ready for battle.
"I say we kick the door down. Whaddya think?"
Laguna couldn't help but grin broadly at her. "I think that's a good idea. Let's." On a quick count of three, they hauled off and kicked the door as hard as they could. With a shriek of tearing hinges, the doors fell inward, landing with a satisfying squish on something. Jea and Laguna were looking right at four VERY startled.things.
Laguna stared in fascination as they approached the remains of Doomgrinder. The once giant, murderous windmill on wheels had crashed into Greyhawk's city walls a decade before. After being stopped and disassembled inside, it was turned into an apartment complex. Close to 80 feet tall, however, it was still an intimidating sight.
Jea and Shik (who, against better judgement, had decided to tag along) led the way into the dread machine. Laguna and Dumbugg came next and Ambermist and Wolf brought up the rear.
The party descended to the bottom unused level to search. They combed every room and corridor. In a back room that was hardly more than a closet, they hit paydirt. There was a newly created secret door.
Jea opened the door and looked nervously into the blackness. It was a passage, a rough cut stairwell that descended into the bowels of the earth. Jea squeaked and backed into Laguna.
He put a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon. We'll lead."
Swallowing, Jea pulled out a new torch and lit it, drawing her mace with her free hand. "All right, let's go."
They started down the stairs, Jea commenting, "Ya know, I see a guy with horns and a pitchfork an' I'm outta here.." Her nervousness caused a country lilt to come back into her voice. The stairs went down for close to half a mile.
At the bottom, they were at the beginning of a series of caverns and natural tunnels. Laguna realized that they were in the Underdark, and he looked at Jea in concern. She was trembling slightly and her face was twisted into a hideous mask; the grin of pure terror creating the grotesque rictus.
Putting an arm gently around her shoulders, he whispered, "Jea? Are you okay? C'mon, snap out of it! We're right here with you."
For a long moment, nothing happened, but then, slowly her face melted back into a normal expression. Shuddering convulsively, she moved to enter the tunnel in front of her.
Dropping his arm, Laguna matched her stride and swallowed the taste of evil forming in his mouth.
Down a long tunnel that twisted and descended, they came to a four way cavern (think + shaped..) Before they could enter, Jea stopped, grimacing. The others paused in confusion.
Jea took her torch and thrust it out in front of her. Much to everyone's shock, strands of webbing caught fire, all the way into the cavern. Hissing noises of outrage were heard when the fire burned itself out, and the skittering of many legs heading their way gave them all the warning they needed.
"Spiders," Jea spat, by way of explanation. She leaned back on her heels, ready to swing.
Laguna moved up, holding Quar at ready. As the first spiders came within both striking and viewing range, Laguna gave a small noise of revulsion as he swung his blade. It bit into the bodies of several spiders with a sickening, wet "Ka-Thunk!" Black ichor coated the blade.
Jea swung hard down onto one of the shiny brown arachnids, a squishing CRUNCH echoing off the walls as she killed it and wrestled her mace free, killing two more in the process.
Laguna finished of the remaining few with a second swing of the strange glowing sword, Quar. The party surveyed the handiwork. Neither side had really had a plan, after all. The spiders were angry and hungry, attacking mindlessly. Jea and Laguna had been "creeped out," as Shik so eloquently put it, interested only in squashing the "bugs."
Jea peered nervously into the four-way. "Um.Okay, folks.Which way?"
".How about left?" Laguna said, scratching his head.
Shrugging, Jea moved to the left passage, the others following, having to trust her skills. She walked confidently down the passage, Laguna at her side, pausing only long enough to bash in the heads of two more spiders.
Laguna was walking with her, eyes constantly shifting to be on the lookout for problems. Even so, he was completely surprised when something grabbed him around the middle.
Jea whirled as she saw Laguna partially vanish into a concealed passage of the tunnel. He was struggling in the near darkness with a giant centipede.
Giving a battle cry, she attacked the multi-legged creature. Her first three swigs crushed the legs that held Laguna fast and, with the help of the others, chopped them away to free the paladin. Laguna thrust Quar into the monster's body, the magic blade crunching through the chitinous shell. The centipede fell back and Dumbugg crushed its skull, sending ichor all over the floor.
As the warriors cleaned off their blades, Ambermist investigated the crevasse, discovering-to her great delight-a cache of gems and gold. Grinning gleefully, she pocketed the goodies.
Proceeding down the main passage, it looped around and connected with the first passage.creating a sort of [| shape (like a city block.) that connected to the four-way with the dead spiders.
Jea looked back towards the way they'd come, then the way straight ahead, and lastly, toward the spider four-way (I'm gonna start using symbols for the passage shapes.using VERY literal symbols-AKA, a 4-way will be +.)
"Something tells me we should go on a straight course from our original point of Underdark entrance. Laguna?" Jea looked at him expectantly.
The paladin, feeling queasy now because from the taste of evil in his mouth, agreed. "Yes. The feel of evil is stronger in that direction."
"Wonderful.." Ambermist muttered sarcastically.
The party headed down that main passage for another hundred yards or so, before it opened up into a HUGE cavern. The ceiling was 50 or more feet up in the air, and gigantic columns gave testament to the cavern's age.
Looking around, Jea spotted something at the other end of the cavernous room. Motioning them to silence, she led them forward. Built right into the cavern wall, it looked like the front end of a temple. Screams could be heard, issued from within, as well as evil, sadistic laughter.
The outside of the building was masterfully carved. Chiseled designs, beautiful statues, stone guardians were all found on the completely etched surface of he building.However, these lavish decorations were all of grotesque devils and demons.
Jea was losing control again. As they watched, she sank, trembling to the floor, hugging herself and whimpering. She was quaking from head to toe, and tears began to stream down her cheeks.
"Jea?" Laguna asked quietly, concerned. He knelt down next to her, temporarily sheathing Quar.
She shook her head. "No.no.no.please.not again...die.we're all gonna die if we go in there.me.you.the others.I'll be.alone.again.No." She rocked back and forth, repeating her ranting, weeping.
"Jea," Laguna said, putting his hands on his friends shoulders. "We're okay. It's gonna be okay. I promise-"
She turned on him with a look of terrified disbelief . "No!" she shrieked. "You lie! You're just like the others! Just like everyone else! Like my mother! Like my goddess-be-damned family! You're no different than everyone else who's ever promised me anything! I don't believe you!!!!" The ranger woman jerked away from him and resumed her ranting, her steady, horrified monologue never slowing.
The young paladin was at a loss. He was hard pressed to believe this was the same woman who'd approached him so boldly in an inn; an event that seemed so terribly long ago. Running a hand through his shaggy blond hair, the young man pleaded with her again. "Please, Jea, you've gotta get a hold of yourself and get up!"
It was no use. Wolf, who had moved, whining, to their sides, was trembling in fear. Laguna noticed, though, that his quivering was not as bad as his mistress'. Laguna put a hand on his fur. "Wolf, listen to me: You have to gain control of yourself. Jea needs you to be strong, to help her snap out of this. Please. Help me."
Wolf looked up at him, eyes showing the glimmers of recognition. His trembling slowed, gradually coming to a stop. Shaking himself, Wolf looked calmly at Jea. Laguna started as a very distinctive "voice" echoed through his head. *This is how you get her attention. It tends to stop her babbling.*
Wolf opened his mouth and bit down, hard, on her leg. Yelping, the ranger/druid ceased her monologue of doom, looking blankly at Laguna.
*I have gotten her attention, human. You must snap her out of it.*
"Wolf?" Laguna asked, confused.
*Indeed, PALADIN. Quickly now!*
Laguna kneeled down in front of his comrade. He put his hands on her shoulders and spoke reassuringly. "Jea? I know you're scared. We all are. I know you've been through a lot. But I promise you, I'm not gonna leave you. And my word is good. I won't leave you-ever."
She whimpered and tried to pull away. Laguna cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to look in his eyes. "Jea, you have to snap out of it. You're the only one who can guide us. We need you..I need you."
Laguna closed his eyes briefly, trying to collect his feelings. "Jea, I need you. It pains me to see you like this. As crazy as it sounds.and I know it does sound nuts.but, I think I love you."
*Do you mean that, Paladin? I know the two of you have been more than friends lately, but do you mean that? Truly, from the bottom of your soul?*
Laguna looked deeply into Jea's eyes, searching her face, as he answered Wolf. "Yes. I do."
*Then tell her that! It might just shock her enough to snap her back to normalcy!*
Laguna spoke again, pouring all of his penned up feeling into his words. "Jea, please! You have to hear me! You have to snap out of this! Seeing you this way is unbearable.you've always been so strong. I don't know where I'd be right now if it weren't for you.You bring a smile to my face- you kept reminding me what it was to have a sense of humor.If it weren't for you..being you.I never would have been able to participate in one of the most wonderful, indescribable nights of my life-and I never would have experienced this feeling that I am feeling right now. Jea, I love you.I've never loved anyone like this..Please, you have to come back to us.to me. I need you to.."
Laguna gathered her into his arms and held her against him until the tears ceased. Opening her eyes, she blinked in confusion for a moment. "How.how long was I out of it?" she asked, having absolutely no idea what exactly had happened.
"Five minutes, Jea," Laguna said in a normal tone. "C'mon, let's get up."
Wincing, the ranger hauled herself to her feet. Then she looked resolutely at the temple. "We have to go in there." Her face was hard, cold and angry. "Whatever worships in that temple is an abomination. Let's go!!"
Once more in command, Jea, along with Wolf and Laguna, strode to the door. Jea looked at the paladin, who was once more ready for battle.
"I say we kick the door down. Whaddya think?"
Laguna couldn't help but grin broadly at her. "I think that's a good idea. Let's." On a quick count of three, they hauled off and kicked the door as hard as they could. With a shriek of tearing hinges, the doors fell inward, landing with a satisfying squish on something. Jea and Laguna were looking right at four VERY startled.things.