(A/N: Man, how long has it been since I updated this? I hope this gets to be a routine again, I missed it. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: Until BioWare surrenders all rights to me, which will be never, Neverwinter Nights is not mine.)
Chapter Nine
Valen clutched the edge of the cliff and looked down at the dark river raging below. His brow furrowed, tail swung pensively even as it coiled on the rock ground. He studied the wall off the cliff carefully, but it was far too steep and slick to hope of climbing down safely, and though he might survive a many-foot plummet into the river's treacherous current, the kobold and the odd woman definitely wouldn't. And the Seer wouldn't like that. Neither would he, actually. Valen bit his lip, then pulled the teeth back into his mouth and looked at the aforementioned.
They were a curious twosome, to be sure (not that he wasn't an oddity himself). He'd never before known a kobold who was cheerful, naive and altogether unconcerned with pillaging, but Deekin was. As for Umbra... who could be sure about Umbra? He'd heard of the Shadovar - even slain a few back in the Blood Wars, demons and devils sometimes recruited other planars to help them in battle - but they'd been very similar to normal humans, despite their obvious shadow heritage. They grimaced, screamed, grunted and blinked; Umbra's face, or what little of it that could be seen, was still as stone. Her robe was obviously arcane, thwarting any and all of his attempts to pick up a scent on her. She was strange, even unnatural.
And very intriguing.
Still wringing her robes out, Umbra seemed entirely unaware that she was being watched by Valen, and Deekin as well. The kobold sat a short distance from her, playing a kobold game with pebbles and admiring her out of the corner of his eye. Despite his displeasure at Valen's presence, he was still invariably happy. To be traveling with his beloved Boss through the Underdark - it was a dream come true! What more could he possibly ask for? Deekin beamed at his good fortune and tossed a pebble off the cliff. Scrambling over to the edge, he intended to watch it hit the river's surface, but it was too small, and shrank out of his line of sight before then. Shrugging mildly, the kobold turned his eyes to the stern tiefling standing over him and looking across the river at the island, which seemed to be mocking him. Forcing the red tint out of his eyes, Valen spun around and began walking along the edge.
"There's no way across," he reported. "We'll be best off bordering the ravine." Deekin disliked the half-demon telling them what to do, but Umbra didn't seem to mind.
"As you would wish it," Umbra replied, following swiftly after, the waterlogged hem of her robe squishing along the ground. Deekin sighed - happy though he was, he seemed to be doing a lot of sighing these days - and followed as well.
They hadn't gone three steps, before they all stopped in unison and looked at one, sole thing just up ahead. There was a long silence.
"Valen," Umbra said when no one else would, "that looks like a bridge, does it not?"
The grating of Valen's teeth was audible. "Yes, Umbra," he said through gritted teeth. "Yes, it does." All that time searching for a way across, and it was right there the whole time. Deekin grinned and added this valuable tidbit to his tale as they headed for the bridge, Valen silently griping to himself all the way.
The bridge was an elaborately constructed one - the norm in the Underdark, Deekin was beginning to think. Evil though they were, the subterranean races were fine craftsmen. Carved entirely out of the dark rock of this place, the bridge's railings extended clear to the island, making it at least fifty feet long. The bottom, however, was not rock. It consisted of translucent spots of pinkish-gold arcane energy, shimmering down the bridge's length. Deekin gulped.
"This not look safe," he said aloud, writing this down. So of course, Umbra stepped out onto it. "BOSS!" Deekin was ready to grab her, but she didn't fall through. The spot held; confident, or just plain foolhardy, Umbra stepped across to the next one, and the next, and the next. Stepping down onto the first spot, Valen tested his weight on it, decided it was safe and followed suit. He shot Deekin a questioning look over his shoulder.
"Okay, so Deekin be wrong," Deekin shrugged, hopping after them, but feeling queasy striding across such unstable-looking material. In every adventure book Deekin had ever read, it was advised that when up high, one should not look down. Telling himself this, Deekin looked down.
"EEK!" Deekin froze. The magic spots were very transparent, allowing him a clear view of the black rapids rushing beneath them.
"Scared of heights, kobold?" Valen smiled, easily striding backward across the bridge. Deekin shook his head and continued on, wondering how Valen and Umbra could be so fearless.
"Hah! You is kidding!" Deekin scoffed, stomach doing flips and hands clutching the bars of the rails as he scrabbled on (he was too short to slide his palms along the tops). "If you reads Deekin's book, you knows that Boss and Deekin once be in city hundreds of feets above the ground!"
Valen raised a brow. "Oh, really?"
"Yes," Umbra answered before Deekin could. "We traversed ancient Undrentide's halls after it had risen again, slew an evil medusa, and escaped before Undrentide's second fall."
"Undrentide be Netherese city," Deekin informed Valen enthusiastically. "They used to flies!"
"I know," Valen said. "I didn't read your book, but the Seer did tell me some things about you."
"Then you knows Boss be greatest hero ever!" Deekin grinned, forgetting his fears and leaping at the chance to talk about Umbra. "Once, we be in dark scary place with dead peoples - "
"A crypt?" Valen offered dryly.
"Yeah, that!" Deekin nodded eagerly. "And there be living wind, called the Dead Wind! And it brings zombies out of the ground, and they attacks Boss and Deekin, but Boss too quick for them! Boss slices off its hands, then its head, while Deekin hides behind pillar - "
"How brave you were," Valen commented.
" - and shoots crossbow at them!" Deekin finished, glaring at Valen. "Never interrupts the storyteller! Anyway, then - "
"We made it across the bridge," Valen cut in.
"NO! What Deekin just tells you about interrupting - " Deekin stopped, realizing they'd just made it to the other side. "Oh... yeah. Wow, that be fast." He patted the rock ground with one foot to make sure it was solid and skipped after the other two.
They'd made it across to the island. It was small, rocky, sharp and altogether, pretty unimpressive once you were there. Writing in his notebook, Deekin's description of the place was roughly the same. Valen, however, seemed somewhat intrigued.
"Yes," he said thoughtfully, looking around at his surroundings as he walked. "I believe I've heard of this place."
"Oh?" queried Umbra, stepping closer to him (Deekin quickly scurried over as well). "What do you know of it?"
"Not much," the tiefling admitted. "They say - "
"Who be 'they'?" Deekin questioned suddenly. Valen's eyes flared, then cooled as he tried to come up with an answer.
"You know... they," he explained.
"Deekin not knows," the kobold said blankly. Valen struggled to put this into terms.
"You know... like an old wives' tale," Valen told them. "'They' say this, 'they' say that..."
"So you be about to tells us old wives' tale?" Deekin gasped, eyes wide. "Deekin loves tales!"
"NO!" Valen growled.
"And what 'they' be saying, anyways?" Deekin added.
"That's what I'm trying to tell you!" Valen seethed.
"Well, don't pops a vein," Deekin scoffed. "Tells us!"
"I'm - " Valen cut himself off and wiped a hand over his face. "Nevermind. They" - he shot the impertinent kobold a glare at this - "say there is an island inhabited by powerful golems. I suspect this is the same island; the bridge we crossed was obviously constructed by a powerful arcane craftsman, such as a golem maker. These golems would be particularly useful against the Valsharess and her army..."
"Ooh, goody!" Deekin grinned. He looked around anxiously for about a few seconds, then gave Valen a worried stare. "Umm... Deekin hates to tells you this, mean goat man..."
"What?" Valen hissed.
"There not be any golems," Deekin said simply. The tiefling stood silently for a moment, working to keep his rage in check. Finally, he went on.
"Well, obviously they're not out in the open. They're probably beneath the island... in some sort of dungeon... with some sort of entrance..."
"Like that one?" Deekin queried, pointing directly behind Valen, who quickly spun around. There, a prominent, portcullised opening sprung out of the ground.
"...yes," Valen snarled, glaring at the portcullis but envisioning Deekin. "How long have you known about that?"
"Abouts ever since mean goat man starts talking about golems," Deekin replied sagely. Valen was quiet.
"Kobold... I would advise you not to push my temper," he said at last, back still turned. "I've torn apart demons bigger than you."
"Lots of things be bigger than Deekin," Deekin pointed out, clearly unimpressed. Valen's restrained anger was nearly tangible in the air at this point.
"Deekin," Umbra broke in, abruptly reminding the other two of her presence, "should you not be writing?"
"Oh... uh, right, Boss," Deekin agreed, smiling to himself and looking back down at his notebook. Only at that point did it fully occur to him he'd just pissed off an extraplanar monster that could have killed him a hundred times over by now. The smile quickly wilted, stomach sinking.
"What Deekin be thinking!" he muttered to himself incredulously. Back in the Silver Marches, Deekin would have shrieked and turned tail if someone like Valen had so much as looked at him. Maybe his dragon blood was making him braver... if so, he wished it would turn him into a big, strong half-dragon FIRST.
Well, whatever the cause, Deekin wasn't in writing spirits now. Tucking his notebook away, he sighed and looked ahead. Valen stalked toward the portcullis now, shoving it down with a foot. Deekin scurried over to get a better look. Alas, the area beyond the opening was even darker than the rest of the Underdark, and even his eyes failed to pick out anything.
"Three golems," Umbra noted. Deekin and Valen looked at her curiously - well, more adoration than curiosity in Deekin's case. "That this one can see, at least," Umbra added.
"So I was right," Valen smirked.
"Yes, you be right, nice goat man," Deekin chattered as amiably as he could, though a dirty look from Valen informed him if he truly meant it, he shouldn't have called him "goat man".
A familiar wave of darkness washed over them. Familiar to Deekin, at least; Valen stumbled back and drew his weapon.
"Steady yourself," Umbra ordered him calmly. "It is but an invisibility spell, light one."
"An invisibility spell?" Valen repeated, peering at the hooded form. "Why did you cast an invisibility spell?"
"Likely, there are many golems within," she replied. "This one has fought golems. This one has lost to golems. It would be best to keep ourselves hidden from them." Before Valen could interrupt, she added, "This one suspects you can see only blackness ahead. If you wish to charge into darkness and fight blindly, you are welcome to do so." This quieted him momentarily, aside from a snide "What are you smiling at, kobold?" comment, which wiped the smile off Deekin's face.
"So you're suggesting we go in hiding, like cowards?" he asked Umbra bluntly.
"Call it cowardice," she answered simply, starting ahead, Deekin right behind her. "In the Shadows, we call it 'survival'." Deekin made sure Valen couldn't see his smile this time around. The tiefling grumbled, clutched his flail tighter, and followed with a swish of his tail.
Entering the dungeon engulfed the travelers in pitch blackness. "Is it too much to ask my lady to cast a spell of light?" Valen grumbled sarcastically.
"This one would rather not," came the reply as they ventured deeper. Umbra quickly assumed the duty of being their eyes. "Mind that pillar, Valen. Deekin, watch for that crack. A low overhanging, tiefling. Deekin - nevermind, you avoided it. Valen, you are about to crash - well, this one supposes you know that now." And so it would have gone on - but, fortunately, a blue light soon greeted them, emanating from a series of enchanted torches flickering along the walls. The eerie light swept across the passageway they wandered, illuminating the sturdy rock walls, and sturdier metal golems lining them. The golems rocked back and forth in their joints, indicating that shams of life still possessed them; they stayed in place to guard... something. Fortunately, whatever passed for their eyes did not see the trio creeping past, the dark invisibility barrier rolling along with them.
"Do not make any loud noises," Umbra advised them, "lest it shatter the spell."
"You hears that, Enserric?" Deekin grinned at the sword's scabbard. Most likely, he did not.
"Enserric?" Valen repeated to himself, but did not question further. Deekin, meanwhile, inspected the golems with a high level of intrigue. The golems were intricately constructed of durable, expensive metals, shaped with keen detail and inscribed with complex arcane symbols sharp as the day they were carved. Rust had not worn away at these silent soldiers, but layers of grime and dust marked their age. Deekin felt like writing now, but didn't risk making the noise. His gratitude for the invisibility spell was renewed; they had passed at least twenty rows of formidable golems that he had seen, and perhaps even more that he hadn't. He looked ahead at the spellcaster herself, and smiled. She was still just as amazing as she was that day she had saved him from the gnolls. As much fame as his book had generated for her, she deserved so much more. His smile faded as he glanced uncomfortably at Valen, though the tiefling failed to notice. Deekin envied him. Valen was strong, handsome, and most of all, human (or close enough to it). And Shadovar though she was... Umbra was human as well. Depressing thoughts running through his head, it was suddenly easy for Deekin to keep quiet as they walked.
The tunnel become to twist, gradually at first, then at angles. It never forked off, however, so following it was simple, if more erratic. At last, the passage ended. Deekin presumed it ended, at least. It was difficult to see much past the immense golem up ahead, though the golem was a sight itself; the size of ten of its comrades stacked together, it was a gleaming silvery-gold, with many more arcane imprints than the others. Also unlike the others, it had something of a face, with a carved nose, hinged mouth, and two shallow pits for eye sockets. It was fascinating, but as Valen bluntly put it, "It's in the way." Truthfully, the golem was hunched over, and still took up the entire passageway. Deekin darted ahead and, taking a deep breath, managed to inconspicuously squeeze under its knee and emerge on the other side. Umbra followed suit, deftly slipping between the construct's arm and waist.
"Come, Valen," she encouraged quietly. Without hesitation, he attempted to do so, aiming to leap through the way Umbra had. However, he was larger and more muscular than Umbra, not to mention wearing a heavy suit of armor. So, he instead succeeded in lodging himself under the golem's armpit. Needless to say, this did a fine job of alerting the golem of their presence and shattering the invisibility spell. Valen was too tightly wedged to slap his forehead, so Deekin did it for him. He'd pay for it later (if there was a later), oh yes, but for now it was worth it. If Deekin was going to die, he was going out grinning.
The large golem screeched a metallic warcry. The cry echoed along the tunnel, springing each and every golem to simulated life. They pushed away from their stolid positions, marching in straight rows down the tunnel toward the intruders. The largest golem shuffled to get in a better fighting position, its actions too automated for it to think of simply crushing the tiefling it already had jammed under its arm. This was to Valen's advantage, allowing him to work himself free as the golem positioned and repositioned itself in impossible attempts to stand in this tiny corridor. Somersaulting safely onto the floor, Valen got to his feet and gave Deekin a death glare before looking at Umbra.
"What now?" he asked sarcastically.
"We run," Umbra replied, fluidly sprinting off down the passage, her kobold companion quick to follow. Valen groaned, then looked around as a loud, abrasive noise resounded from behind. The gargantuan golem had successfully turned itself around and was lumbering toward the invaders in a cramped position, scraping the walls and ceiling as it went, the other golems pushing it along quickly from behind as they marched.
"Running it is," Valen agreed, and bolted after the others without another thought.
(Sorry for the brevity of this chapter, but I decided that I was setting unrealistic standards for myself. I'm lazy. Please review.)