Chapter 6
The new day dawned bright and clear. The morning air was crisp with coming frost giving a hint of approaching winter but it was still a long way off. It was an altogether good day to be out and adventuring.
"I have something for you, Pherein," Professor Horsewood called the man over.
Pherein walked over from doing his morning groom of Storm Fury and was surprised to be handed a plate with fresh cooked eggs, bacon and lighted toasted bread.
"Professor, no, you should not have."
"Least I can do," the man beamed a genuine smile despite the fact the kind-hearted academic's two student assistants had sour looks on their faces at the man's gesture. Pherein knew it was going to be a good day.
That thought changed though when the party moved from the border of Latrellus into the Dead Lands. The contrast couldn't be starker. Where life flourished on one side the other was death itself. The very air was heavy with the smell of lifeless earth and vegetation. The place seemed devoid of sustenance. What vegetation that grew looked perpetually starved while the ground itself was a sickly yellow color.
The area had been affected by a massive spell plague that had happened centuries earlier and had cursed a large swath of Apia from north to south. Nothing had changed since then.
Pherein had been in the Dead Lands before but never liked it. Storm Fury was agitated and had to be led with a firmer hand than usual. But the Delorgan could not fault his horse. There were rumors that many undead and other foul creatures lived in the Dead Lands. He was glad they were to travel less than four leagues into the forsaken territory since in truth it made his skin crawl as well.
The group finally arrived at a set of stone ruins just after midday that Professor Horsewood had marked on the map he'd brought. The trees near the former temple were twisted, withered and dead. The long yellow grass growing up around the place swayed with a strange maliciousness. The horses, both the party's and the draught horse, whinnied and neighed with fright, pawing the ground and showing obvious signs of distress. The air was eerily quiet and still, free of the noise of any animal. The academic had seemed to have lost his jovial spirit being far more hesitant. His two assistants were wide eyed with fright. A slight breeze oddly picked up on their arrival and seemed to almost carry a moan which terrified the two graduate students. It unsettled Pherein as well though he was familiar with it.
"Well, at least no bandits will follow us here," Cony Farr commented dryly to his fellow guard.
"That is truth. What fool would voluntarily come into this gods-forsaken land?" Theme Winchell replied.
"All right, let's set up camp," Pherein ordered, ignoring the comments of his two colleagues, knowing this is what they were being paid for. "Professor, you take it from here."
"Yes, of course," the academic replied mopping sweat from his shining brow though it was now a cool day. "Once we set up, I will seek to find the entrance to the lower levels."
The work began in earnest with Horsewood and his two assistants sifting through the rubble of what once had likely been an imposing structure. While the two ex-soldiers spent their time relaxing or playing dice Pherein found himself becoming intrigued by what the academics were doing.
"So, what really are you looking for, professor," the Delorgan asked finally when the man was taking a break to slake his thirst from a water skin.
"I'm glad you asked, Pherein," Horsewood answered cheerily despite the surroundings. "This was once a Xantakar temple. Or so the records say."
"Like the one just east of Grantsbend?"
"So you're familiar with it?" the academic beamed.
"Of course, any good warrior knows what's in the area he works within," Pherein answered, knowing about the ancient civilization that had dominated the lands centuries earlier and were now mysteriously extinct, "especially one that has the potential for problems."
"Good idea," Horsewood nodded in agreement. "But no, this one is not like that. This was only a temple unlike the one that you mention which was a whole community, like a town really."
"Okay, that makes sense," the fighter nodded, considering the statement. "But what really are you searching for?"
"An artefact that will help me in my research on the Illithid culture."
"Illithid?"
"You would know them likely as Mind Flayers."
"Mind Flayers?" Pherein declared in outrage. "Why would you want to study those foul and evil creatures? Best that the gods struck them from the land!"
Rather than be defensive, Horsewood chuckled and nodded his head as if agreeing. "I do see your point, my big Delorgan friend. The Illithid's did cause a lot of pain and misery in the history of Apia, especially to we humans but they also built incredible structures and had an advanced society built not just around psionics but so much more."
"So?" Pherein snorted. "They built some things. So what?"
"By understanding our past, even the things that are not particularly savory we learn about the growth of our own society and how to move forward as a people. Think of it like the foundation of a house. You do not see it but what is built sits upon it. We today have ties to them and what they did centuries earlier. By learning from them, from their mistakes and successes, we can use that knowledge to seek perhaps to not go down the path they did."
Pherein was deeply struck by not only the statement but the sincerity of the professor and didn't know how to respond.
Horsewood chuckled. "Forgive me. People accuse me of being a dreamer and an optimist and I suppose I am. I must get back to work but thank you, Pherein, for asking and for your sincerity. I appreciate that and am glad you are here to look after me."
The professor called his two assistants back from their flirtation and they continued moving debris and the neglect of time seeking to find the entrance to the lower levels.
The Delorgan warrior watched them work and thought about what the man had told him and found himself deeply moved. He understood heritage and the importance of learning from the past. That was why the clan bard was so important since they were the keeper of the lore. As a Jarl's son he'd been taught all the stories and he could recite them from memory.
But in many ways Pherein had forgotten his past and that's why he was adrift.
Maybe he could learn something on this quest after all. After considering this for a few more minutes he took off his sword belt and chain armor and went over to the academic party.
"How can I help?" the Delorgan asked quietly.
Horsewood was first startled, as were the two other fighters who heard the question. "What do you mean?"
"How can I help with this?"
"This is not your place, fighter," the student, Travis, declared haughtily.
"You can do some of the grunt work," Lauren countered, "but just don't get in our way."
Horsewood though beamed at the offer and that made Pherein feel good. "Well, we could use someone of your strength with the excavation, especially with some of the heavier rocks and such."
And so Pherein MacDiarmidson, son of the Jarl of Clan MacDiarmid, did something he'd never done before- manual labor.
The work of clearing the site continued through the day and into the next morning until Travis, the male student, found what they were looking for.
"Professor, I found it!" The young man cried out triumphantly as Lauren gave him a spontaneous hug, beaming.
Even Winchell and Farr came over to see, curious to discover what was discovered.
A stone slab was set into the floor that at one point had been intricately tiled.
"This is it, the entrance to the crypt," Horsewood declared with a note of triumph. "Pherein, would you be so kind as to retrieve the prybar since the opening mechanism is smashed?"
The Delorgan got it and with instruction from the professor was able to pry the slab aside. What they discovered was an ante chamber much larger than expected. Entering in the walls were cut stone and there were several rotted wooden benches which would have been used for sitting or meditating. It was obvious that at one point there were paintings on the wall that had long since faded though the professor took a look.
"We will need to study this later. But for now, we must find the entrance to the crypt."
"What exactly are you expecting to find here?" Pherein asked. His curiosity and interest were quickly being replaced by the caution of where they were and what they might find.
"The chronicle of this particular Mission, Pherein," Horsewood answered. It is reported to have been buried here in the tomb of the last priest."
"And what importance would that hold?"
"It's importance is greater than a fighter like you could imagine," Lauren declared derisively, "it could unlock so much of the professor's research to date."
"That is true," Horsewood agreed though he didn't like the tone the chestnut brown-haired woman had used with the honest question but chose to ignore it, caught up in the moment. The man looked around and found what he was looking for- a stone door cut into the wall. He went to open it before being stopped.
"A moment, if you please," Pherein said politely but with a firm tone. "Winchell stay out to watch camp. Farr, you're with me. Everyone else stay back."
Horsewood ignored him, finding the unlocking mechanism and giving it a turn.
Pherein winced as a faint click could be heard but thankfully no trap was released as nothing happened.
"Get back professor, you don't know what could be in there," Pherein ordered.
"But I know what I seek is in there and I've waited so long," Horsewood enthusiastically replied trying to move in.
"A few more moments won't hurt then," the seasoned fighter reasoned, shifting him out of the way.
"Very well," the professor grumbled. "You know best."
Pherein took the shield off his back then drew his sword, getting himself set for what might be behind the stone door. With his shield hand he opened it a crack and ordered, "Farr, bring up a torch."
A terrible stench filled the room almost immediately as the other guard went to strike the torch.
"Eew, what is that foul odor?" Lauren complained, crinkling up her nose and pushing her glasses up.
"I can't stand it," Travis added.
In the complaining Pherein almost missed the slight sound from behind the door though the odor had already given him cause for concern.
There was suddenly a push from behind the door that was actually on a track in the floor.
"Look out!" Pherein called out as a sickly-gray, hairless humanoid creature pushed out and tried to rake the Delorgan with its long, clawed fingers. Caution with what might be coming and quick reflexes saved him from a nasty scratching as his shield arm came up turning the attack aside.
"Ghoul!" Cony Farr called out in alarm coming up instinctively into a guard position as the two students screamed and stumbled back against the cut stone wall in terror.
A second creature pushed past the first and then a third burst into the room going after the guard. Farr was able to turn aside an awkward attempt to bite him but a slashing claw caught him on the side of the neck. A feeling of paralysis came over the man and he fell to his knees.
The third unengaged creature snarled hungrily looking to Professor Horsewood and the two students who cowered behind him. As it pushed forward the trio stumbled back and broke up. Travis screamed in horror as the undead creature advanced, its long, red tongue licking its lips hungrily. The stocky student roughly grabbed Lauren and pulled her in front of him as a shield. The professor stumbled out of the way leaving the terrified girl alone and out in front of the surging monster.
Pherein saw the immediate danger to the female student so roughly pushed the creature who's arm he'd hacked off in one mighty swing with his shield. As it stumbled back, he pivoted and took three quick steps to intercept the horrid monster as it made for the helpless trio and especially the now screaming girl. The Delorgan yelled and charged in striking the creature with a hard slash at the base of the neck. His sword bit in and sunk deep. The deathly creature howled in anger and made to lash out at him but the fighter had already pulled his magically-enchanted sword free and used the momentum of the downstroke to turn and add a vicious blow right under the ribs on the left side.
The creature snarled at the Delorgan and reached out to try to bite him. The experienced fighter had anticipated this figuring out it was in fact a ghast. He met the snapping maw with a smash to the face with his heavy wooden shield which staggered the undead monster. It was nimbler than it looked and was able to retain its balance so lashed out first with its right then left clawed hand. Pherein was able to pivot and deflect the one but the other glanced off his chain armor coming up to rake him across the neck. The Delorgan felt instantly cold and a sense of dread came over him as he felt a sense of paralysis as the creature's poison threatened to overcome him. But the warrior from the north was not to be so easily overpowered.
"Latrell!" Pherein screamed out to his god and a sense of power and fury came upon him.
The ghast pushed in, sensing a kill and fresh meat but the fighter instead stood up and into the creature driving his sword in and through its chest to come out the other side. As the Delorgan stood up his muscled arm popped out as in a tremendous show of strength pulled the razor-sharp sword all the way up and out of the monster who howled in pain as sickly gore flew everywhere. But the fighter was not done. He pulled the sword up and using the momentum turned a semi-circle. The sword sang through the air as it sliced through the neck of the ghast as its head flew off. The headless body spasmed and fell to the cut-stone floor.
"Pherein, duck!"
The Delorgan reacted instantly, dropping to the ground.
A heavy dagger whistled just over Pherein's head and buried itself in the chest of the second ghast that Pherein had forgotten about in the intensity of combat with the third.
The undead monster staggered back as Theme Winchell charged in with a vicious chop of his long sword. Having heard the sound of battle the fighter came in from the camp. His timely action staggered the creature.
Pherein moved deftly to his knees and slashed out at the monster's leg, cutting it clean off. Unbalanced, the monster tipped over crashing to the floor. It would not be denied though, its lust for living flesh too great. It crawled towards Pherein gnashing its green teeth.
Winchell stepped beside the monster and brought his sword down hard on the skull of the creature, cutting it clean through as the sword rang out bouncing off the stone as the ghast stopped moving.
There was now only one left.
Though the original undead monster that Pherein had tangled with was now lacking an arm it was no less dangerous.
"Winchell, get them out of here!" Pherein ordered the other guard who directed the three academics to the entrance to the chamber. The two males scrambled to leave as fast as they could but the female, Lauren, seemed to want to stay and do something.
"Come on, ye daft, damned woman," Winchell ordered, grabbing her by the arm and pulling. "Get your arse out of here!"
"No, I want to help!" she cried out but was no match for the stronger fighter.
The scene was lost on the Delorgan who took a glancing blow from the ghast's claw as he countered its attempted bite. Again, he had to dig into his resolve to overcome the poison effects of the foul creature. He felt himself getting light headed and only just got his shield up to block another swinging pass of the creature's claw. It used its size and weight to try to push the warrior over causing Pherein to stumble a bit at the force of the charge. The ghast sensed victory so charged in but had underrated the dexterity of the 245-pound fighter. Pherein pivoted nimbly past the charging beast then brought his sword full force against the stomach of the monster. The ghast screamed in anguish as the enchanted blade bit in opening its belly. Gore and entrails spilled out on the stone floor as it fell face down onto the floor.
For a moment there was no sound other than the panting breath of the fighter. Then the two students started to scream anew as they and the ashen-faced professor came back in to survey the scene following Theme Winchell who had charged back in to help.
Pherein got up and pushed past them to Coney Farr who tried to get up but stumbled again. The Delorgan grabbed a small stone bottle from the haversack on his side and bit the wax covered cork pulling it out and pouring the contents of the healing potion down the fighter's throat.
Farr gave a big sigh, shuddered, then came to his senses. "Thank ye, Pherein. I was having trouble fighting off the beast's poison."
Pherein nodded then sprang to his feet, sword and shield at the ready, preparing for any further attack. The three ghasts lay motionless and nothing else moved. He looked to make sure the academic trio was okay then back to Cony Farr who'd shakily gotten to his feet then to Winchell who stood poised to fight.
That had been close.
Pherein knew this was only the beginning so assessed what the next steps should be. Looking around at his team he knew they needed to recuperate. "We'll go through the door tomorrow, best to regroup," the fighter declared, with no argument from any. The fight with the ghasts had taken much out of everyone.