Chapter 4

Marpenoth 23 1369, Year of the Banner

The three companions walked through the chapel, observing the many carvings, tapestries, and oil paintings that were dedicated not only to the glory of Bane's godson, but to the fallen god Bane as well.

"I wish someone could tell me why I have this desire to see this place burned to the ground," Bowie said in a soft voice as they approached an open doorway.

"So where is our old friend?" questioned Rouric, his eyes canning the walls.

"Maybe your old friend is behind that door," suggested Entreri as he pointed to his left.

At the assassin's words, Bowie dashed to the door and gently pushed it open. Behind the door, was a room engulfed in darkness.

Six pairs of emerald green eyes stared back at the bard, which caused him to fall back and draw his short sword. Two large hounds emerged from within the room, their eyes focused on the halfling.

"Just like the boar," Bowie whispered as they charged.

One hound leapt at Bowie, but the halfling made a hard back handed slash that cut the hound across the throat.

The wounded animal landed on the ground, blood dripping from the cut in its neck. The other hound rushed at the halfling, head butting him in the stomach.

The halfling let out a gasp after and stepped backwards. Before the hound could attack again, Bowie stabbed Vithril in the hound's left eyes. He pulled his weapon back as the hound's feet began to tap and shuffle repeatedly on the floor. Puss and blood leaked from the hound's wounded eye as Bowie finished the beast with two quick swings of his short sword that connected with the hound's face.

A few feet away from where Bowie had killed the hounds, Rouric and Entreri were now fighting the remaining animals, who had jumped from out of the room the moment the halfling's blade had killed the first hound.

The dwarf gave a mighty swing of his battle axe, decapitating one of the green eyed beasts. Another hound approached Rouric, its large jaw full of sharp teeth dripping with saliva.

Rouric stepped left, attempting to avoid the beast's attack, but the dwarf's reflexes weren't fast enough. The hound's jaw bit into Rouric's left shoulder, breaking through the skin.

The dwarf let out a cry as the sharp pain went through his body. He gathered what strength he could into his right arm and drove the sharp edge of his battle axe deeply into the hound's back.

As Rouric was pushing the now lifeless hound off of his arm, Entreri fought the other two hounds with grace and perfect balance. He toyed with the animals, slapping them with his weapons as they snarled.

Getting bored with teasng his opponetts Entreri moved with lightning speed, making a well-calculated stab with his dagger in one hound's exposed right side, then slashed Charon's Claw across the creature's jaw.

After seeing its fellow canine fall, the last hound jumped at Entreri, but the assassin's quick reflexes helped him dodge the hound's attack.

The moment the hound's feet touched the ground, Entreri stabbed his dagger through the creature's back, twisting the blade as it ripped through the skin and muscle. He closed his eyes as he heard the hound whimper from being drained of its life force.

Pulling the dagger out when the hound ceased its movement, Entreri stepped back and looked at Bowie, who was standing over the corpses of the animals he had killed.

"What were those things?" asked the dwarf as he cleaned the blood and gore from his axe. "I mean they were hounds, but their eyes…"

"Like the boars back at Oster's tower," said the assassin," so they might come back to life."

Bowie looked at the room where the hounds had come from. "Darkness still covers the room. Rouric, can your eyes see through the darkness

The dwarf shrugged as he walked over to Bowie.

He stepped inside of the room, switching to his dark vision. The room appeared empty, except for what Rouric perceived was a table with a book lying at the center. Wasting no time, Rouric grabbed the book and walked out of the room.

"I found this," Rouric said as he presented the book to Bowie and Entreri. It was a small black leather bound book, with the name Cladius Fraust imprinted in gold lettering on the front cover.

Bowie gently took the book and flipped through the pages. On the last page with writing, Bowie read an entry about Fraust's desire to become a lich. He flipped back a few pages and noticed another entry that captured his interest. "It says here that Cladius defeated a warrior named Veradess."

"Oster's friend?" asked Rouric.

Bowie handed Entreri the diary. The assassin turned to a page and quickly read the words and shook his head. "It seems this priest wanted to become a lich, but he also didn't want to anger his god. In this entry, he talks about converting from the worship of Bane to Xvim."

"If he became a lich, it means that he must still be alive," Rouric commented. "In a matter of speaking."

A hideous high pitched laugh echoed through the chapel just after the dwarf had finished his words.

"I guess it does," Bowie whispered, looking at his two companions. "I wonder if this is what the man in green meant when he made us promise to come here and face a challenge similar to him."

Entreri closed his eyes while Bowie and Rouric continued their discussion. He had faced a lich in Vassa, and little desire to do so again. Still he had agreed to come with Bowie and Rouric. "So where do we find him, so that we can finish him."

Bowie looked at the book. "If he is a cleric, then he'll most likely be in some kind of altar room." The halfling grinned. "And that is where his demise will take place."