Chapter 13
Garrett was the first to break the eerie silence that came after the door finished its march inwards. He drew an arrow taut on his bowstring and moved cautiously forward. Galen plucked a torch out of her pack and lit it with a match. She followed behind Garrett, the torch illuminating a few feet down the passage. They reached the end quickly which opened out into a square entrance chamber.
The center area of the room was depression seperated from the raised outer area by thick square stone pillars, spaced in intervals that ran the length of the room. The walls had various tapestries adorning them but many were slashed and torn and stained dark with old blood. The floor was littered with bones and rubble was heaped in piles and scattered about the ground. Red stains covered nearly every surface in patches and streaks. A crude seat had been erected at the far end of the chamber, made from stone slabs. The back piece had been split in half and the whole construction was stained with yet more blood. A single archway led deeper into the maze at the back of the chamber behind the seat.
The two of them moved into the chamber slowly, peering around furtively at the destruction. Galen spoke while she examined a tattered wall hanging. "This is where the empire's citizens were first set upon by the creatures. Those not killed and eaten outright were hunted as they fled into the labyrinth. Many of their possessions were also brought down with them and so the hoard we search for contains many riches of the human world as well as the powerful artifacts of the Raknesh." Galen finished. "Let's move on." Garrett said. Galen nodded and they made their way through the archway at the back.
After following another tunnel a short distance they came upon a tiny chamber of dark stone that would have no light but for the torch Galen held. Three archways branched off in different directions from the chamber. "Which way?" Garrett said, peering at each one in turn. Galen leaned her staff against a wall and pulled a rolled parchment out of her pack. She unfurled it and peered at it intently. The "map" was a mess of lines, boxes, runes, and sigils. "How the hell can you read that thing?" Garrett said as he looked over her shoulder at it. Galen didn't answer but looked over the map for a moment more before placing it back in her bag. She snatched up her staff and pointed to the right-hand passage. Garrett took the lead and moved down the tunnel.
They passed through many similar chambers and tunnels, all branching off in different directions and intersecting each other. Each was the same: dark stone and lightless. Galen kept the map out now and directed them down each correct path. Several times they doubled back as a cave-in blocked their way and they were forced to find a way around. Twice they descended a short distance down on Garrett's rope through a gaping hole in the stone floor, but always were they able to retrieve the rope. Yet, not once did they encounter any change in the terrain - aside from the occasional skeleton and bloodstain - nor any other form of life.
"You'd think," Garrett said as he slid smoothly through a thin stone crevice along their path. "That with all the creatures trapped for all eternity walking around down here, we would have met one by now." He finished, as he slipped out the other side. Galen passed him the torch and her staff and started to push her way in. "Be thankful mister Garrett, you may soon be wishing for this peace that we now enjoy." Galen said icily as her bag caught in the crevice. She tugged hard, but it wouldn't budge. Galen reached in and adjusted the bag slightly. Then she pulled hard on the strap. The pack popped out of the crack unexpectedly and Galen stumbled back in surprise. Her foot caught on an uneven piece of stone and she toppled backwards. Garrett caught her as she fell and she lay quite still in his arms. She looked up at him and he at her…unblinking. Abruptly she pushed him away and stood straight again. "Thank you mist-" A loud snap suddenly echoed down the passage. The sound of stone on stone was monumental as the crevice collapsed in on itself and was buried in the ensuing cascade of stone and earth that poured from the ceiling. Dust and mortar from the age old stonework filled the stale air of the corridor in a choking cloud. Garrett stumbled back away from the crevice, tugging Galen along with him.
Once they cleared the cloud Garrett turned to look at the cave-in, rubbing dust from his eyes. Galen sneezed and coughed as she leaned against the wall. She had gotten much more exposure than Garrett. She straightened up when she was finally able to speak. "As I was saying, thank you mis-…Garrett." She said. "Is there another way out?" He asked as if he had not heard. Galen glanced down at the map. "…no" She replied simply. "Perfect." Garrett said in response. "Well if we're trapped in here we may as well be rich, let's find that hoard." He said, his voice heavy with sarcasm. Holding the torch high he walked forward. Galen stored the map and followed.
The passage went on for a few more minutes before rounding a curve. A few feet ahead, a doorway opened into a dimly lit chamber. Garrett drew out his bow again and nocked an arrow. Cautiously he slunk forward and peered inside.
The doorway led onto a narrow stone gallery that ran around the perimeter of a large chamber below. By looking over the railing, one could see the wide stone floor below, bordered by cylindrical pillars supporting the balcony. The room was lit by the flickering yellow light of torches set into rusted iron sconces mounted on the walls.
From his perch near the ceiling Garrett could not see anything of the room below except for its yellowish flagged stone floor. There was no other exit from the upper level other than the one that they had entered from. Garrett could neither see nor hear anything moving below, no shadows and no footsteps. He turned to Galen. "Only one way to go." He said and indicated the chamber below. Galen moved over to the stone paling and dropped her torch to the ground floor. It twirled through the air before striking the ground below with a snap and a hiss of flame…nothing stirred. She nodded to Garrett and he quickly removed his rope and secured it to a corner post on the balustrade. He tossed the other end of the black rope and watched as it uncoiled itself in the air and landed in a small heap of excess line on the chamber floor. Grabbing the cord firmly he climbed over the balcony and, with a final look down, he let himself descend rapidly on the free hanging line, his tough leather gloves protecting his hands. His feet touched the ground moments later and he released the rope smoothly.
Galen descended moments later and they took stock of the chamber. Behind them was a large archway of stone that was completely blocked by a smooth, solid wall of rock. In front was a wide flight of broad stone steps that were built into a stone platform set against the wall. A pair of tall wooden doors stood closed on the platform and flanking the steps were two golden statues on white marble blocks. The statues were carved in the likness of great predatory beasts, four-legged sinewy creatures of muscle and teeth, their pads splayed flat as if to pounce. "This is the inner sanctum of the labyrinth." Galen said as they walked forward towards the platform, snatching up her torch along the way. "The Raknesh stored all their collected riches within the chambers in this area, protected by various mechanisms designed to keep out unwanted visitors, we should tread carefully." They mounted the steps, and moved up to the doors., the torchlight casting long dark shadows of their figures. Garrett pushed on the left-hand door cautiously… the door creaked inwards a touch. He leaned his head inwards and inspected the room beyond.
It was much like the first room except that it was dimmer, being lit only by several iron candelabras around the perimeter. There was no gallery above it and beyond the pillars holding up the ceiling, there were many small stone archways. It was unoccupied. Garrett pushed the door open far enough to slip through and entered the room with Galen following behind. He approched the first archway on the right. Beside it was a thin bronze plaque mounted to the wall. Runes were scored deeply into the metal. Galen peered at it and read aloud: "Eternity Sleepers." "This passage leads to their burial chamber." She said and moved on to the next arch. "Arena of Blood and Steel." Galen read off the second plaque. "This was where the people of the empire were forced to fight for the amusment of the Raknesh." She said. They moved around the room, examining the many inscriptions near the arches. When they came to the tenth arch, they found what they were looking for. "Chambers of a Thousand Fortunes." Galen read, her voice breathy with anticipation. "This is it." She said and moved down the passage without a second thought, her torch casting a glow about her as she entered the darkened hallway. Garrett followed behind observantly, looking for any sign of traps or other hazards.
The passage ended in a small square chamber. Galen peered inside from the hallway. The room was dark and empty. Seeing no visible threat Galen stepped quickly into the room, making for the archway in the opposite wall. Garrett's hand whipped out and grabbed her arm before she could get two steps in. "This is a trap." He said simply. Releasing Galen's arm he grabbed the staff out of her hands and stretched it out into the room as far as his reach would allow and waved it about. Nothing moved. Pulling it back towards himself he began tapping the flagstones, one by one. After each tap he would step lightly onto the flagstone he just tested. About a quarter of the way into the chamber Garrett tapped a stone in front of him. Before Garrett could remove the staff, there was a grinding sound as the block sank into the floor.
With a snap, two iron grates slammed down in front of the archways, one nearly skewering Galen as she leapt backwards into the passage with a scream. The grating sound of stone on stone resounded in the chamber as the walls to the left and right began their march inward.
Garrett dashed back to the archway as Galen stood up from the floor. Frantically he shook the iron wrought bars. "Do something!" He shouted to Galen. "What?!" She replied frantically. "Anything!" he yelled as he ran to the other archway, pressing down on several more pressure plates along the way, and tried the bars there. The walls had now covered a quarter of the room with no sign of stopping. Galen was rummaging frenziedly through her sling bag as Garrett sprinted back to her. Suddenly she yanked something out of her bag. "I've got a mine!" She shouted over the tremendous grinding noise. "Destroy the bars!" Garrett cried. The walls were now halfway across the room and it was getting very narrow. Galen dropped the mine and armed it as Garrett ran back to the other end of the room. The walls were so close that he could no longer extend his arms fully to either side. Galen retreated down the passage and moments later the mine detonated, shaking the chamber with the force of it. When the dust and smoke cleared, there was a gaping hole in the center of the bars, which had been warped and bent inwards. The walls were closing in. Garrett dashed forward, each step he took saw the walls move closer, until they nearly scraped his shoulders. He reached the bars and thrust himself head first through the hole, wriggling furiously. When he was nearly through, he felt his leg catch. Twisting around he saw that his boot had caught on one of the bars. The walls were moments away from touching. Frantically he unhooked his boot and yanked it through, just as the walls snapped shut, crushing the metal bars flat.
Garrett lay panting heavily on the floor as Galen moved back up the passage. She helped him stand shakily. As he did so the bars retracted. There was a screech of metal as the warped gate crashed into the ceiling, unable to fit into the narrow gap it came from. The walls slowly rolled back until they reached their original positions. "Back where we started." Garrett muttered. "Let me try this time." Galen said. "Be my guest." Garrett replied, motioning towards the chamber. Galen ducked under the broken bars protruding from the ceiling and moved into the chamber. Kneeling down, she tapped lightly on the stones in front of her, listening intently. Then pulling out a strip of cloth from an article of clothing within her bag she laid it carefully over a single flagstone.
She repeated this process down the length of the room, marking various flagstones with pieces of cloth until she reached the opposite archway. "Don't step on any of the marked stones." She called back to Garrett who had been watching from the opposite arch. He made his way across without incident. "I like your way better." He said as stepped out of the chamber. Galen smiled slightly. "Let us continue." She replied and moved off down the hall.
The passage widened as they moved down it but still remained dark. Galen was walking slightly ahead of Garrett. Suddenly the floor dropped out from under her feet with a cracking sound. She screamed. Garrett lunged out and caught her arm, jerking her to a halt. The torch spun from her grasp and spiraled down into the dark pit below her. She dangled there for a moment, staring down into the abyss, then she was pulled up as Garrett lifted her bodily out. As her feet touched solid ground she cluthed at Garrett. She stayed that way for a moment, holding him in the darkness of the corridor... Then she let go and began groping in her bag for another torch. One was soon found and lit. Holding the torch out above the well its flickering light seemed to be swallowed up by the darkness below. The pit spanned only a few meters as could be seen in the torchlight. Garrett leapt the gap easily, landing lightly on the opposite side. Next Galen tossed over the torch, staff, and slingbag so as to lighten the weight she carried. Then backing up a little she took a running jump. Her feet landed on the very edge of the pit and she stumbled as she landed. Garrett grabbed her and pulled her safely in. "I like your way better." She said to Garrett as he returned her things. They continued on down the passage.
They passed into another room after a few minutes of travel. It was long, rectangular, and dark, the exit stood on the far side. Garrett and Galen strode on unperturbed, for the room looked merely like a wide part of the passageway. Halfway across the room Galen's foot pressed down on a flagstone, which, again, sank into the floor. There was a click and a whistling sound as a blade cutting the air. "Down!" Garrett yelled and yanked Galen with him to the floor as a huge gleaming steel axe swung out of the darkness above and in front of them. The weapon sliced close above their heads and swung into the darkness behind, before whipping back down and to the fore like a pendulum.
They crawled low to the ground as the axe continued its course above them, showing no sign of halting. As they neared the exit, Garrett's hand pushed down on yet another pressure plate. This one slide slowly into the ground. There was a snapping sound to their rear. Spikes were springing out of recessed holes in the floor behind them, and advancing quickly towards them like waves as the nearer holes let loose spikes and then ones even nearer than those. "Go go!" Garrett shouted and crawled furiously to the exit. Looking up, he waited until the axe was on a backswing, and then leapt up with Galen. They made a running leap to the archway as the axe swung towards them and spikes burst out of the floor where they had been moments before.
They landed with a thump, quickly disentangling themselves and looking back at the room's spike covered floor. "Damnit they just don't give up." Garrett said. Galen didn't reply and merely started off once again.
Finally, the trap filled corridor came to an end as yellow light shone in from an opening ahead. Garrett once again nocked his bow and slipped forward to the archway. What he saw nearly made him cry out in amazement.
The chamber was enormous. Solid rock arched high overhead, fashioned and carved into flying buttresses and pillars that appeared to be organic, so skillfully carved as they were. They joined smoothly with the ceiling as though the whole chamber was one large piece. Illumination came from the hundreds of large torches, connected to the walls in brackets. But it was not the size of the chamber which awed Garrett but its contents.
Like something ripped straight from a legend the floor was nearly covered in riches. Small mountains of wealth towered upwards, sparkling and glinting in the light. Coins, cups, jewels, swords, platters and countless other treasures, cast of every precious metal in the known world lay piled in mounds of riches that stretched the length and breadth of the room, stacked high between the pillars that were like islands in a golden sea. It was all Garrett could to do to tear his eyes away from the sight at the sound of Galen's insistent voice. "What?" He said sharply, turning angrily towards her. "Shhhhhh!!!" She hissed and pointed vehemently into the room. Garrett turned back irritably. His anger quickly melted into fear. A fair ways into the room was a Raknesh, the first they had seen since they entered the catacombs. The reptililian beast paced slowly amongst the treasure, idly handling the piles of coins, forked tongue flicking rapidly about.
Garrett shrank back into the shadows of the corridor and drew his loaded bow taught. He brought the bow up to his cheek and sighted down along the shaft. He leaned forward in his crouch so that only the arrow head protruded from the shadows, light falling upon it but with no reflection from the soot blackened tip. He watched the creature's movements carefully. It was still a good distance away, leisurely picking amongst a pile of gems. It seemed to find what it was looking for and straightened up, a large white crystal of magnificent beauty clutched in both of its clawed hands. It turned its back to Garrett and held the gem up before itself, the light dancing across its surface, molding the light into brilliant fiery patterns along the stone walls. Garrett released his arrow, exhaling smoothly.
The shaft exploded through the creature's neck, just below the jawline. Black blood sprayed out and over the gem, turning the patterns along the walls dark red. The beast made a sound that was both a choke and a hiss, dropping the gem which clattered to the floor. It stumbled three steps forward with its claws clutched tightly around the spraying wound in its neck before giving a final gurgle and collapsing limply into the side of a coin mound, the gold clinking as it shifted.
It was some time before either Galen or Garrett ventured out into the chamber. Only when they were sure that there had been no other beasts around who had heard the kill did they decide to risk entering. After the first few tenative moments they eased off and began to marvel once again at the splendour which surrounded them. Galen wandered off in search of something but would not say what. Garrett meanwhile, began searching for practical ways to carry the most treasure possible with him. There were many chests scattered about the room, but many were solid gold or platinum. Eventually he found a sack of some fine silk weave, incredibly strong and very light. This he filled with as much local coin as he could, as well as several other exotic items. To top this off, he was able to find a new sword for himself. It was not made of steel but some silvery metal which gleamed with a highly polished sheen. The handle and pommel were made of serviceable supple black leather, with metal bindings. The sword was sheathed in a plain black case with a red velvet inner lining. Garrett examined the weapon before sliding it back into its sheath and threading it onto his belt.
It was then that Galen returned. She carried an armful of large leather-bound books and had a look of triumph plastered on her face. "This is glorious!" She exclaimed. "So much power and knowledge in one place, and it was hidden all these years so close… But look! Look at what I have found." She yelled, thrusting her books at him and pulling them away before he could glance at the covers. "These tomes alone are worth their weight in Platinum! And look!" She let her sack slip open to reveal a pile of Dineri amulets, each one set with a finely chiselled crystal that sparkled as the light hit it, lighting up Galen's bag. She slid it closed again. "I have also done well." Garrett said, gesturing to the sack of treasure at his feet. "It is a pity we cannot carry more. There is likely so much more here….so much more…." Galen trailed off and gazed about the room. "I think we should find a way out of here." Garrett said, hoisting his sack. "Yes…out…but there is more here; more to discover and take and make use of, I don't want to leave!" Galen said, raising her voice. She turned back to Garrett her eyes wide and intense"We must stay awhile longer, we'll find more sacks like this and..and we will carry more! Yes…so much more…" She trailed off once again. "No! Galen listen to me, we need to get the hell out of here, we can't possibly carry out any more and who knows if there are more of these damn things waiting for us! What the hell is wrong with you!" Garrett shouted. Galen turned on him and thrust a finger at his chest rage in her eyes.
Garrett flew back several feet and crashed into a pile of coins, disappearing under the mass. "I see your mind Garrett!" Galen shrieked into the hall, her voice echoing in the silence. "You want this treasure for yourself! Use me to get you here and then slay me as we leave! I will not have it, I will not! I'll kill you first!" She screamed. Galen thrust her hand into her bag and pulled out a Dineri, hanging it around her neck. Then she stretched out her palm and uttered some arcane words. Flames appeared in her hand, coalescing into a ball of fire. As this happened Garrett burst out from under the pile of coins, sliding and stumblling to the bottom, shaken. Galen screamed a mad scream and hurled the fireball at him.
Only Garrett's quick reflexes saved him from death. He made a desperate leap to the side as the ball of flame hurtled past, scorching the air. It passed the area where he had been only moments before and crashed into a stone pillar, melting a gaping hole into it. Garrett slammed into the floor and scrabbled quickly to his feet. He was already running as the second fireball smashed into the floor behind him. He dodged in behind a stone pillar and waited for the sound of another fireball to hit before moving. He dashed out and made a charge straight for Galen, who was prepareing another fireball. He leapt at her and hit her midriff, knocking her to the floor and causing her concentration to break and the deadly ball of flame to snap out of existence. He grabbed the Dineri and ripped it from her neck, tossing it away, his hood slipping off as he did so. "Galen! Listen to me you crazy witch! I don't know what in the holy hell your doing but you will stop RIGHT NOW!" He shouted and slapped her hard across the face. The sound echoed in the empty air of the chamber, and then silence.
They lay there with each other, panting heavily, Galen with her cheek to the floor. Finally she turned to look up at Garrett. There were tears sliding softly down her cheeks. "I'm sorry Garrett." She said softly, her voice shaking. "Oh gods…what have I done?" She sobbed, as more tears streamed down her face. "Garrett I…I can't do this…I…." She trailed off into sobs as Garrett stood up slowly, looking down at her pitiful state. He turned his back to her and gazed at the piles of wealth stretching out before him. "This is the stuff of madness Galen. Wealth drives the weak to obssession and the strong to power. Both ways often end miserably. I walk the fine line between the extremes Galen, never falling to either side. But you Galen…. I fear you have already made your choice. Are you weak Galen? Is that what it is? Or perhaps you are strong… either way it will lead you too ruin." Garrett's voice was harsh above her sobs. "I will not work with someone of your temperament, I cannot. If this, this insanity takes you one more time then I swear to you that should your first attack fail ….I will kill you." Garrett finished, turning back to face Galen. Slowly her sobs die off and she dried her eyes before turning them to Garrett's. They locked for a moment and she nodded in acknowledgment. It was all that was required. Garrett stepped forward and stretched out a hand to help her to her feet. She took it gratefully.
They grabbed their possessions and turned to leave when a chilling cry rent the air of the chamber, echoing back and forth across the cavernous hall. The sounds of the Raknesh's call drew near. Galen's eyes widened in fear and she gripped Garrett's sleeve tightly. He immediately threw her off. "We can't run from these monsters!" He yelled as the cry rippled over them once again, seeming to come from all directions at once. "We must, or we'll be killed!" Galen implored, looking pleadingly at Garrett. "Use your magic, it's the only way we can hold them off!" Galen looked at him for a moment and then nodded. "I'll try." She said.
Dropping her things, She pulled out three Dineri and hung them quickly around her neck. "I will imbue you with the attributes of a great warrior." She told Garrett. She clasped the Dineri tightly and closed her eyes. White light shot from the Dineri in beams between Galen's clenched fingers. Garrett suddenly felt power surge through every nerve and muscle in his body. His mind was filled with the experience of a thousand battles and the skill of many martial techniques so fast that it felt as though a palpable entity had been driven into his skull, leaving its knowledge imprinted in him. After a moment's recovery he stood erect and flung off his cloak, leaving only his undersuit and belt. With a single quick motion he drew out his new sword and held it out, taking up a fighting stance that seemed to come as naturally as breathing.
Galen reopened her eyes and gasped, dropping the Dineri from her tight grip. She doubled over for a moment, steadying herself on a pillar as the Raknesh cries were almost upon them. Then, pulling up reserves of strength she stood up again and yanked the spent Dineri from her neck, tossing it away. She uplifted both her hands into the air and shut her eyes once again. Glowing spheres of coalescing blue energy materialized in her outstretched palms and the air about the two of them began to grow thick and hot. Galens eyes turned to pure, opaque white and radiated both light and power. And now the Raknesh were upon them.
The first sight of them was the looming black shadows cast against the walls as they approached through the piles of wealth. So thick were they, so that one form could not be distinguished from another. The first reptiles rounded the gold piles in front of the pair. The hissing beasts came at them at a run, snarling and with their forearm claws at the ready. Garrett was there to meet them.
He stepped out in front of them as they charged and gutted the first one so quick that its corpse kept moving forward for a moment, as though it had died running. Garrett spun and reversed the blade, slicing another one at the waist and sending the two halves in opposite directions, just as fast as the first kill. Then he was amongst them like lightning and elusive as smoke. His blade darted like a living entity, faster than the eye could follow sometimes. The Raknesh lost fifteen of their number within thirty seconds of the encounter. As they turned to make an attack on Garrett two of them suddenly became much faster. Garrett tried to slash one but it seemed to sidestep instantly and yet slowly. As this attack missed, the other quick one made a thrust incredibly swift at Garrett's back. Garrett's senses saved him once again as he narrowly dodged aside and beheaded another slower beast in the process, blood flying off the blade and spattering against the nearby pillar. With this attack, Garrett was able to escape the ring of reptiles that had closed in on him.
The two quick beasts were before him once again, but as they made to strike they seemed to suddenly melt out of existence. Two glowing hot spheres of energy smashed into them before they could react and they disappeared in a blinding flash that seperated the horde of beasts from Garrett for a moment. Then it was gone and Garrett was back amongst them. He slipped in and out of the flurry of attacks, moving and shifting with the blades like a dance. Other beasts on the edges of the fray came under assault as Galen once again demonstrated the power of her craft. Fireballs and lightning bolts and pure energy flew from Galen's fingertips, directed with pinpoint accuracy to their targets. With a finger pointed upwards Galen brought a pillar and some of the ceiling crashing down into the mob with a deafening sound. Another outstretched palm sent ten of them flying across the chamber, breaking them on the unyielding stone in an instant. Pillars of water erupted from the rock, swallowing beasts whole before diving back into the earth. Galen clenched her fist and one beast simply died, its bones crushed into powder. She stabbed her fingers at another and blood gushed from many gaping holes that appeared in its chest.
As the fighting intensified Garrett seemed to grow increasingly powerful in the fray, none could touch him and as soon as he thought to attack a creature, they were already dead. The very fury of the gods seemed to course through his veins as he gutted even the most powerful creature with ease.
But the hoarde seemed ceaseless. No matter how many were killed, more simply came from another direction, and the pair of them were surrounded in a sea of movement as creatures poured from every side. With a screech more approached from the air, their membrane wings fully extended and carrying them with deadly speed to their enemies. Galen stretched her hand towards them and suddenly a pack of them dropped from the vaulted ceiling, their wings a flaming inferno as they plummeted with bone-shattering force into the ground or the wealth, one of them even being impaled on a diamond-tipped pike that stood amongst the coins.
The bodies were piled high and yet more came at them. Garrett was driven back almost shoulder to shoulder with Galen as the ring tightened around them. Garrett looked about desperately as he fought. "Galen! Do something!" He shouted, yanking his sword from a beast's ribcage and plunging it into another with incredible speed.
Galen seemed to hear him because all of a sudden she dropped her arms and swung them out away from herself. A massive shockwave exploded outwards. The entire battle stopped as waves of force ripped outwards throwing the massive horde away in a huge circle. The blast shattered pillars and moved mountains of gold like water. Chunks of stone the size of houses crashed from the ceiling. But all of this force flowed over Garrett like a passing breeze, so strong was Galen's magic. As the power subsided there was moment of silence. Garrett looked about the destruction of the chamber, awaiting the horde's recovery and attack. But there was nothing. Garrett sighed and let his blood drenched sword fall, believing the beasts to be slaughtered. A booming laughter resounded about the chamber just then, and Garrett's sword was back up in a heartbeat.
From amongst the dust and the rubble came the laughter once again. It was high and cruel, rich with corruption that made the air feel more sickly as it was heard. A hulking form strode from the dust that filled the air like fog. Out of this mist stepped a Raknesh.
He was enormous, standing ten feet tall and three feet broad. Though his appearance was that of a normal Raknesh, his face took a much different form. In place of the the snake-like features of the other Raknesh, this one had the face of a demon. Huge dialated eyes sat above a wrinkled and fat nose, with a fat-lipped mouth, dripping threads of spittle between, enormous crooked yellow teeth. Its entire body displayed demonic qualities on closer inspections. Huge muscular limbs were dotted with small horned protrusions, each the size of a grape. On its skull was a crown of horns, ringing the top of its head.
"Excellent! Excellent! What a delightful show of violence!" The beast said in its sonorous intonation.
Garrett didn't reply.
"I must say that you have the most vitality for carnage as I've seen in nigh on a century, for a mortal, glorious! Absolutely glorious!" it boomed.
"You…you are…Xath-en I presume?" Garrett said slowly, keeping his sword up.
"Very good mortal, yes I am Xath-en." The thing chuckled, its voice making each word it spoke drive painfully into Garrett's mind.
"I assume your not here to talk." Garrett gasped out. He could feel himself weakening terribly, as if the very presence of this monster sapped the magical energy out of him.
"Correct again mortal, as I said I do so enjoy the butchery you've been inflicting on my minions..." As he said this, Garrett became aware of the sound of claws clicking on stone.
"And since I've had so long to hear the sound of my own voice in this place…" He gestured around and the half-visible structure of the treasure room, wreathed in the swirling dust.
The clicking grew louder and Garrett began to see dark forms approaching through the mist.
Xath-en continued: "I believe that I'd much rather bathe in your blood, and perhaps have my way with that pretty woman of yours while I'm at it." He smiled,a vicious predatory smile.
Where was Galen? The thought hit Garrett like a shock. But the power of the beast's voice was now to much for Garrett. He dropped his sword to the stones with a sharp clang and fell to his knees, clutching his head and groaning. He managed to jerk his head up in time to see the Raknesh materialize from the dust and stalk towards him on crooked claws, hissing and snapping.
This is it, I'm killed
The first beasts rushed to attack, beginning to swing their forearm blades in a final, deadly arc…
A beam of red energy sliced straight through the centre of the first and passed through two more behind it. The creatures wailed terribly and fell dead as the beam swept out of their sides in a continuous stream and cut a swathe through others.
Galen strode out of the dust, her eyes still a blinding white, the red lance of energy projecting from her finger-tip and being directed with pin-point accuracy. In her other hand was a ball of flame which she quickly hurled at Xath-en.
The flaming ball caught the demonic being off-guard and hit him square in the chest. He roared in anguish and clutched at the terrible burning wound in him. This cry sent even more pain into Garrett's mind until he felt as though his brain would burst and spew out onto the stone beneath him.
Xath-en stumbled back into the dust cloud. "Ygrath noru ferlich ergard tupara!" He bellowed to the Raknesh, pointing at Galen with a clawed finger.
"Stand up." Galen said to Garrett. Her voice seemed to cut through the wall of agony that enveloped him. He managed to stand shakily and quickly sheathed his sword. "This way." She said and, still directing the beam through the horde of Raknesh, pulled him off away into the mist. They ran on together through the choking dust, Galen leading the way. "I've found a way out." Galen said as she pulled Garrett along by the hand. They passed piles of riches and the crumbled ruins of masonry from the collapsed chamber. Suddenly before them was a darkened archway. Galen pulled Garrett through and they were now running along a dark passage. "Light" Galen said and suddenly the white of her eyes glowed brightly enough to illuminate the passage a few feet before them. "The energy from the Dineri will soon wear off." Galen told Garrett in an echoing voice. "The drain will nearly kill me unless I am able to rest, so we must hurry." She said this will a calm voice but Garrett could hear the fear behind it. The passage quickly opened into a circular room. Within it was another pad like the one at the entrance to the underground caves. Galen quickly leapt onto the pad, with Garrett right behind. They hovered there for a moment and then shot upward into the darkness.
****
The abandoned church basement was a dust covered ruin. Old wooden barrels sat on rotting supports and the floor was covered in mould and puddles of water. Cobwebs crossed the ceiling corners and wooden wreckage from old furniture lay strewn about the floor with the broken remains of stone ceiling supports. A stone stairway was built into the wall at one end of the room. The other end of the room had a heavy stone plug set into the floor. The plug was open, the thick stone lid lay split in half to one side of the hole.
Out of this hole a tremendous whooshing sound was heard, like the air was being sucked out of the room. With a pop, Garrett and Galen appeared out of the hole and stopped dead, hovering in the air. They leapt off this invisible support, landing with a thud on the musty stone floor, tumbling into a heap. Garrett stood up wearily, dragging Galen with him. "Where the hell are we?" He said, looking around. Galen glanced around quickly. "This is a church dedicated to Saint Loath, it is located a short distance out of the City, surrounded by a small hamlet of about eighty people. This church was abandoned several years ago, when historians from the City library discovered that Loath was not actually the heroic missionary that he was made out to be, and was really just a charlatan, selling a herbal medicine which he thought was fake. Fortunately for him, the herbs he used were actually successful in curing the disease which had been sweeping this area. He spent the rest of his life worshipped by the people as a healer. The rest of the village is still inhabited as far as I know." Galen finished. "That's all?" Garrett said sarcastically. "Yes." Galen said dryly. "Right" Garrett replied. "We'd better get going." He said. With that they hurried up the steps at the far end of the room. This led out of a set of broken trapdoos and through the priest's quarters. They rushed down the church aisle, past the shattered pulpit and tattered hangings, and through the aisles or rotten waterlogged pews. They pushed through the broken wooden doors at the main entrance and moved down the steps into the courtyard at the centre of the village. It was a deserted, dust-covered place, surrounded by dark house faces and narrow cobblestone alleys. Garrett quickly pulled Galen down one of the side streets and out of the town. Out in the countryside they made for the City.