Chapter XIV

Everyone in the camp was up that morning to see them off to fight Andariel; even Gheed had a few words of encouragement before they left. Kashya looked at Geldar with the same stony silence she had commended him with all the time he had been there. Charsi smiled as she handed them their finished items and wished them luck. Silverdart offered to go with before Kashya prevented it. Warriv said a few words before busying himself with the caravan and there were many rogues who wished them well or smiled encouragingly. Near the waypoint were Akara and Cain smiling at the two heroes as they approached.

"While I can offer no combat help," Cain said after they bid him goodbye. "I will tell you this, while Andariel was conceived in the burning Hell, she is not fond of fire."

"I will commend your advice, noble sir," Geldar said.

"Many we have lost to Andariel," Akara said, her face very white under her purple cloak. "Keep your wits about you, some of our best warriors and most loved…" she paused to compose herself but changed her track. "If she can corrupt us, she can corrupt you. Remember that my friends."

And with these words in their ears Talina and Geldar stepped onto the waypoint and vanished. When they were gone Cain noticed how white Akara looked.

"Go and sit down M'lady," he said. "You trial yourself too hard."

"I am only afraid," Akara said as she edged towards her tent. "That we have sent them to their deaths."

"Have faith," Cain reassured.

"I have scarcely any left," Akara replied and she was gone.

Fighting their way through the barracks, Talina and Geldar finally came upon the entrance to the jail. A strong gate sent in the ground with a set of steps going down.

"There's three levels, Kashya told me," Talina said. "Then we're near the Cathedral."

"And from there it's four levels down to Andariel," Geldar replied. "Charsi told me as much."

Talina approached the gate and tried to open it.

"It's locked," she said and peered down. "They keys are on the other side."

"It's a wonder they didn't get out," Geldar said standing beside her.

"It's not that easy to escape," Talina cautioned. "And the jail is quite large."

Very well, Geldar said and he slammed the lock with the flat of his sword. The lock broke and the door opened.

"How did you do that?" Talina asked.

"Trick I learned in Kingsport," Geldar said. "It comes into usefulness at times."

They slowly descended the ladder into the jail, Geldar went down first but on arriving he flattened himself to the floor to avoid the arrows. He saw Talina drop beside him and she was getting out one of her javelins. Geldar rolled onto his back and onto his feet, casting Holy Bolt through the bars of the cage to the skeletons on the other side. Some of the balls of energy impacted on the bars, but several more found their mark along with Talina's javelins.

When they were on their own again Geldar walked over to the table and got out a large ring of keys. He then lit the lamp there and held it out in front of him.

"It's like a maze," Geldar said, trying to see some sort of exit.

"Can you see a way out?" Talina asked.

"It's too dark," Geldar answered and he looked around where they were. "There are three doors here, we'll just have to trust out instincts."

"Open that one," Talina said and pointed to the door at the far end.

"Any reason?" Geldar asked.

"None at all," Talina replied.

It took several tries but Geldar managed to unlock the door, he handed the lantern to Talina saying it was no use one of them having both the keys and the light if they were attacked. The cell they were in led to another one, and another, and another from that; all deserted except for the bodies of tortured and emaciated prisoners.

"Wait," Geldar stopped walking and he listened to the silence, there was something not right. "Over there," he said and pointed to where a group of blue shapes were coming towards them.

"Can they go through walls?" Talina asked.

"Looks like it," Geldar said. "Out with the light!"

For a few seconds they were in total darkness, and then the apparitions slowly began to glow. They rasped as they flew, coming down low over Katana and Geldar as they tried to fend them off. In a few minutes there was nothing but a pile of bones and darkness.

"Light it up again," Geldar said. "I can see the exit from here."

"Are you sure we've gone over the whole area?" Talina asked.

"No," Geldar replied. "But there's no sure way of telling that we have anyway."

"Fair enough," Talina conceded and they headed in the direction Geldar specified.

Within a few hours they had stopped to rest near the waypoint having killed many undead on the way. As they ate Talina suddenly started to think of the stories that she had heard when she was growing up. Of tiny men with knives that ran around and cut your feet off, of vampires who would suck the life out of you or spew poison in your face.

"Relax," Geldar said noticing her fearful expression. "You have to keep your feelings guarded in places like this."

"And what would you know?" Talina demanded.

"I used to take part in cleansing villages of the unfaithful," Geldar said. "Some would call it murder or arson but I didn't let myself think along those lines. It plagues the soul."

"I call it avoiding guilt," Talina rebuked.

"Call it what you will," Geldar said as he got to his feet. "But I will be glad to be out of this place."

It took longer to get through the third level, perhaps because they were deeper in the ground but there seemed to be any amount of skeletons, wraiths and a few corrupt rogues but they were rarer now. Eventually they fought their way to the exit and were out in the night air.

"I'm for going on," Talina said. "How about you?"

"Even the wisest man took time to reach his knowledge," Geldar reminded her. "But if we are going to go on I'll need to change my aura."

"This one is bad enough as it is," Talina said, looking at the spikes that surrounded her. "I try and land a good hit but it hits back faster than I can."

"This one is purely healing," Geldar said. "It will give us energy, trust me."

"Normally I wouldn't trust anyone who said those words," Talina said with a wry grin. "But it's not like we have any choice."

"Very well," Geldar said and he closed his eyes, when he opened them both he and Talina were surrounded by clouds of blue light. "It absorbs any damage and give it to our bodies," he explained.

"And?" Talina asked, she knew there was something more behind this.

"It also keeps you awake," Geldar replied. "The Cathedral is still ahead."