Party at Castle Grof Read online

  Lord Katuvana nodded, watching the couple that writhed on the cushions with a furtive air about him. They watched for a few moments longer, then Katuvana touched an icon.

  The face of a Jinranian Pleasure House Keeper appeared, the bright red rose tattoo of her rank marked with the black thorns of a Soul-Owned.

  “You know who calls you?” the Jar asked in an ominous tone.

  “Jetara knows, Lord. Jetara will obey,” the woman replied.

  “Jetara, you have a Barbarian slave girl by the name of Freya in your house.” The woman nodded. “Aracan Katuvana wishes you to free her and give her enough money to be able to live for several months.”

  “But Freya is my best girl. I can no free the child, she is gold,” the woman protested.

  Katuvana thrust his arm out at her and made a squeezing motion.

  The Jar cackled. “You will free her or the overlord will free you from your miserable existence!”

  “Yes, oh my Master! I do as you ask! Spare me!” the woman squeaked, her hands scrabbling at the invisible fist around her scrawny throat to no avail.

  The Overlord shook his hand once, then “let go”. The woman rubbed her neck, panting.

  “Good. See that you do,” the Jar retorted and the picture winked out.

  The Overlord settled back in his chair to watch the show again…

  * * *

  Erendell found it strange that the skeletons weren’t patrolling the tunnel from the guard post to the treasury. She almost tripped over several dozen Gremlins that rushed back and forth carrying gold ore to the treasure room.

  At least there will be no traps with this many workers around. She crept into the treasure room. It was huge, but she saw several places where they could hide from the creatures. I might as well look into the Dais room that Shilir marked on the map.

  She found and disarmed an alarm trap along the next corridor and crept into the dais room behind a Troll bearing a huge stone hammer.

  In the centre of the room the Crystal hung, a massive red gemstone glowing between four arms carved like dragon claws. It mesmerised her and she moved close enough to feel the breeze it created as it spun.

  “Erendell.” A familiar voice sounded in her head, pleasure flooding along her veins and making her gasp. “Erendell, this is the voice of your overlord. Nod if you hear me.”

  She nodded twice.

  “I am speaking directly to you to confirm that you are my favoured servant.”

  A burst of heat in her loins and a glance at the Tattoo on her hand confirmed the voice’s veracity. The rose had gone from black to full colour, the way it had appeared when it had first been done.

  “Command me, Aracan Katuvana,” she replied.

  “Grald has come to see the beauty of the right side and my plan for both him and you requires that the Lych Mistress bring you both to I’Mor Barad.”

  Erendell sighed with relief as she realised her barbarian friend was still alive.

  “Bring your companions to the Heart Chamber. No one will challenge you. The Lych Mistress will bring you and Grald to the Tower and Morian will deal with the rest of them.”

  As the Overlord withdrew his presence from her, Erendell sighed with regret for the pleasure and hardened her heart against what she must do to her oldest friends. She turned on her heel and strode back up the corridor, noting that the Gremlins had disappeared and the skeletons were hidden behind a new door.

  * * *

  Erendell reappeared half an hour later, a wide grin on her face.

  “What’s cheered you up?” Aranok asked sourly.

  “I beg your pardon?” the dark elf asked, one eyebrow rising in surprise.

  Ariana shot an amused glance at her brother.

  “Don’t mind him Erendell, he just lost an argument.” She dangled the glowing Tear on its chain over the map, its blue light reflecting off the pale surface of the fine parchment. “We were speculating about where the Devil Demon was now. I said that it had gone back to its little labyrinth, he thought it would be rampaging through the corridors to get to us.”

  “You used the Tear to divine its position on the map to prove your point?” Erendell glanced at the stone, the tiny gem now showing that little red flame in its centre.

  “Yes. It even conjured a picture of the demon asleep in its den on the right place on the map.” Ariana grinned, then frowned as she took in the change of colour.

  Erendell giggled.

  “He always did get grumpy when he lost anything. I remember the time I won his favourite wristband from him during sword practise…”

  Aranok ignored his sister’s stifled giggle.

  “Well? Can we get to the Crystal?”

  “Do you want the short answer or the long answer?”

  “Have you been eating Copperleaf candy again?” Aranok rolled his eyes in disgust “Yes or no, Erendell?”

  “Yes; of course. I disarmed all the traps and wedged all the connecting doors shut, so we can’t be disturbed.” Erendell giggled again.

  “How are we getting out then?” Ariana asked.

  “I’ve got a little something up my sleeve for that one,” Aranok smiled.

  “I hate it when he acts all mysterious,” Erendell remarked to Ariana who laughed.

  “Come on.” Aranok slipped out through the door, his sword in hand.

  Erendell and Ariana followed closely, Ariana wrapping the Tear’s chain around her wrist, still frowning at colour of the gem.

  They encountered nothing as they moved down the corridor to the Treasure Room.

  It made Aranok even more suspicious and he kept glancing down at the Tear on Ariana’s wrist. The blue flame had been replaced by a red one and when he exchanged a look with Ariana, the sad look in her eyes suggested he had won their argument after all.

  “It’d be a shame to leave all this wealth lying around in the wrong hands,” Ariana suggested as they entered the Treasure room.

  “You, greedy?” Erendell affected a shocked tone. “I never would have thought it of you, Ariana.”

  “I’m a high maintenance Mage! I need the finer things in life like robes and food occasionally,” Ariana said, sorting through a large pile of assorted precious and semi-precious stones.

  Aranok noticed that she would touch the Tear to each one as she did and only put it into her bag of holding if the Tear glowed green.

  “What are you doing, Ari?”

  “Making sure that they are real.” The mage smiled at him. “Some of these will have been looted from the cities during the Freedom Wars. I only want real stones.”

  Aranok shrugged.

  “Fair enough.” He looked around and sheathed his sword, before he started scooping gold and silver coins into his own moneybag.

  Erendell waited patiently while the two of them looted the treasure room. Aranok noticed this and frowned.

  “Not taking anything, Erendell?”

  “I don’t need any – I took some while I was here in the cloak,” she answered carelessly.

  “Hmm.” Aranok’s suspicions increased. Erendell is never that careless. She wouldn’t have taken anything until we were with her before. I’ll have to confront her soon; make sure she hasn’t changed sides.

  Once Ariana was satisfied with her haul, they moved through the only open door to where the crystal hung in mid-air. There was a faint whining sound as it rotated slowly and red sparkles reflected off the gilded and carved columns suspending it.

  “Well, there it is. How do you propose we get it down?” Erendell asked folding her arms and looking from Mage to Ranger.

  Aranok paced around the dais, examining the arms of the construction.

  “There are jewels inlaid in the stone. Ari, are they magical?”

  Ariana laid the Tear up against one of them.

  “Yes. They link together. I can see the lines of magical force holding the four arms apart and guarding the crystal. The top set is suspending the stone.”

  “So if we smash each jewel
, the magic will go and we’ll be able to take the crystal,” her brother surmised.

  The Mage nodded and Aranok brought out a pair of small hammers from his bag. He handed one to Ariana.

  “Here, take this.” She took the hammer and started attacking the jewels on the arm closest to her.

  “That’s a daring plan,” Erendell said from behind them. “What makes you think you’ll even be able to free the crystal, let alone escape with it?”

  “We haven’t got time to stand around and discuss this, Erendell. Why don’t you use the hilt of your dagger to smash the jewels on one of the other arms?” Aranok replied, the effort of the task distorting his voice.

  There was a sharp crack and the crystal faltered for a brief moment as Ariana cheered.

  “I’ve smashed one! Keep going brother.” She turned to look at Erendell. “Why aren’t you…” her voice tailed off.

  “…helping?” Erendell finished for her with a wicked smile. She stood with one arm around Grald’s waist. “I’ve had a better offer.”

  Ariana looked around.

  “Aranok, you’d better stop.” Her brother didn’t look up.

  “Why? I’ve smashed two of them here.”

  “The young Mage is correct, Ranger Aranok,” a familiar voice said.

  Aranok spun round, dropping the hammer and drawing his sword.

  “YOU!”

  The Lych Mistress smiled. “Who else?”

  “Erendell, Grald what are you doing?” Panic entered Ariana’s voice as the two of them moved to bracket the Lych Mistress. “I thought you were our friends!”

  “They still could be, young one.” The Lych Mistress held out her hands towards Ariana. “Join us and you will not only gain more power than you have ever dreamed of, you will be with friends on the side of Right.”

  “I would never become one of the Aracan Katuvana’s slaves,” Ariana spat at the beautiful elf.

  “We aren’t slaves, Ariana.” Erendell rolled her sleeve up, exposing the whole of the rose tattoo. “The coloured rose tattoo with black thorns mark us as willing converts to the right side.”

  “I chose to join them, Ariana. They didn’t torture me while I was captive, I was treated with every courtesy and comfort.” Grald smiled softly at the Lych Mistress who inclined her head in return. The hand that was around Erendell’s shoulders had a red rose tattooed onto it.

  “Your mother’s heart will break when I tell her about this.” Aranok shook his head. “And what will Liana say?”

  “That stuck up bitch can say what she likes. I remember her whispering about the colour of my skin when we were children,” Erendell shrieked back.

  “My sister always could be arrogant. Just because she was born three minutes ahead of me,” the Lych Mistress mused. “I am so glad that it will be I that inherits the throne of Alethdariel and not her; once Lord Katuvana’s work is done of course.”

  Erendell and Aranok stared at the beautiful elf.

  “Sister? But that would mean…” Aranok frowned, then the colour drained from his face. “Loriel?”

  “Liana is my twin sister. You and Liana left me for dead after the Alethdariel raid. My dearest Lord Katuvana had my form brought to I’Mor Barad,” the Lych Mistress laughed, her voice rolling richly around the chamber, “where Dr Cutznstix healed me and I became more powerful than my conceited sister could ever be. I cannot die!”

  “We checked you. You were dead – a stab through the lung and heart!” Aranok was distressed “Liana tried to heal you, but she couldn’t.”

  “I lived and now unless the Heart Kingdoms bow to the power of Aracan Katuvana, I shall take great pleasure in wiping out any of his enemies – even if it is my sister.” The Lych Mistress slipped one arm around each of Erendell and Grald’s shoulders. “If you survive the next few minutes, give my sister my regards and tell her I will surely see her again.”

  The last word echoed as the three of them disappeared into thin air. Aranok turned and using the pommel of his sword hurriedly smashed the remaining gems holding the crystal.

  “Hurry Ariana, we have to get the crystal and get out of here!”

  Ariana nodded and attacked the gems on her arm as Aranok moved to the next.

  In short order, all sixteen gems were in pieces and the crystal pulsed on the floor. Aranok wrestled it into a bag he had brought for the purpose and Ariana turned to go out through the treasure chamber.

  “No! Wait. I have an item that will take us back to the entrance,” Aranok cried. He began rummaging in his bag.

  “Do you really think that you’ll be able to escape me?” another voice said as every door leading to the dais room slammed shut, the locks clicking shut.

  “It’s that Devil demon again!” Ariana breathed.

  “I am Morian the Wicked, Lady Ariana of Alethdariel.” The creature bowed, a sardonic smile upon his face. “I am here to make sure that you never leave this Dungeon alive.”

  “You killed Arnhammen!” she said, her voice shrill.

  “You and your companions trespassed upon my private quarters, so of course I killed the dwarf. Wouldn’t you?” His golden eyes gleamed with amusement and Ariana shivered.

  “Hang on Ariana, I’m almost there,” Aranok said, still searching through his bag.

  Ariana frowned and looked at the Tear on its chain around her wrist. She smiled.

  “I’ll bet you’ve never come up against this power before!” She thrust her arm in the air and the Tear burst into blue flame. The flame ran down her arm and around her body.

  Morian laughed.

  “What a pretty trick, Lady Mage; look, I can do it too.”

  The devil demon’s eyes glowed and his body blazed with deep red flames.

  Ariana concentrated on the Tear and sent balls of blue fire to crash against the creature. Morian rolled his eyes and swatted them away like so many wasps, each ball igniting the surface it landed on until the whole room was a mass of blue fire.

  “I’ve found it, Ariana!” Aranok called, waving a red crystal on a short chain at her.

  She ignored him and attacked the devil demon with lightning bolts. He deflected several, but two struck flesh and the foul stench of burning skin and fur spread through the room.

  Ariana suddenly became aware that Aranok stood beside her unprotected. Without an initiating spell, she enclosed him in a protective bubble shield.

  “Aranok, I have never felt such power before! This must be how a God feels!” she exulted.

  “I have a transportation crystal, Ariana. You must come now!” he yelled, trying to reach through the bubble and grab her arm.

  “NO! I will not give this up. I will destroy this evil creature and rid the world of its taint!” Ariana snarled. The power of the Tear pulsed through her veins and made it difficult to do anything other than react.

  “You will never destroy me! I am a Devil demon of the highest Calibre, one of the Overlord’s most trusted servants.” The demon stepped towards her, his scythe appearing in his hands. “I destroy the enemies of the Overlord and the Dark Gods and I do it with a smile!” The scythe blade raised high, Morian smiled at Ariana.

  “Aranok! Go, use your Crystal and go!” Ariana gasped, feeling the power running through her body increase. She tried to bring it to bear on the Devil demon. “I’ll vaporise him!”

  “I can’t leave you like this!” the Ranger replied, tears starting in his eyes.

  “If you don’t leave now, the backlash might kill both of us! Alone I have a chance of controlling it.” The blue flame around her brightened to a white glow, so incandescent that Aranok couldn’t look at her.

  He backed into the door to the Treasure Room, the bubble shield moving with him. The door disintegrated as the bubble touched it and he paused on the threshold. “Ariana! I will wait for you in the Treasure Room!”

  She nodded and advanced on the demon. Aranok backed into the other room, his eyes squarely on Morian.

  Morian screeched as the glow touched him, but
he brought his blade down anyway. It crumbled into dust in his hands.

  “No! I am Morian the Wicked! I cannot die!” Ariana raised the hand with the gemstone.

  “Tear of Espilieth, allow me to rid the world of this evil being.” The gem flared a multitude of colours, then a broad band of white light hit Morian square in the chest.

  The devil demon shrieked and where the light touched him, tiny threads of white light began to writhe over his body. From where Aranok stood, it looked like he was cracking up and where the light touched, dust floated upward.

  “In the name of Espilieth, Goddess of Healing and Magic, I command you to be gone!” Another, more powerful voice overlaid Ariana’s and another form surrounded her.

  Is that the Goddess herself? Aranok squinted into the light surrounding his sister.

  The mage’s final sentence reverberated around the room, knocking dust from the dais stones and shaking the Dungeon to its foundation. Aranok found it hard to keep his feet and he clutched the transport crystal tighter.

  There was a boom and a shower of ash and stone as the devil demon exploded into pieces. The dust cloud expanded, then just as suddenly contracted as it was sucked into the space in front of Ariana. All that was left of Morian was a large golden gem lying on the floor of the dais room.

  Aranok rushed to his sister’s side as the Goddess’ presence left her and hovered in front of them. Ariana collapsed into his arms, her eyes closed and barely breathing.

  “Aranokkinadiel.” The amorphous Goddess coalesced into a faint image of Espilieth as he had always seen her in pictures; golden cascading hair, white pupiless eyes, and petite and curvaceous, wearing a short white and gold robe over green tunic and trousers.

  “Can you do something for my sister? She’s almost completely drained!” Aranok pleaded with Espilieth, the tears in his eyes overflowing. I can feel her life being consumed. He blinked and sniffed.

  “Aranok…Nokkie…” Ariana coughed and a trickle of blood dribbled down her cheek to stain the shoulder of her white robe.

  “Ari, you have to rest. Try not to speak – Espilieth will heal you!” Aranok glared at the goddess, “…won’t you!”

  “I cannot heal Death, no one can. Ariana has given her last strength to rid the world of great evil and for that I will grant her a peaceful ending and a place at my side.” Espilieth ran a hand over Ariana’s face and wiped the blood from her face.