Chapter 56

‘The gateway is on this level, ’ Erren informed Darras who passed it on to the group.

“OK, find it and check if it’s unguarded,” Darras ordered the others. “If it is, make plans to take them out as soon as we have the Witch Lord.”

There was silent assent as the group, other than Darras and the magic users, headed off to scout and soon reported back that the gateway room was guarded by two men who simply seemed to be there to sound an alarm if the gateway was somehow activated.

“There’s a magical barrier there too,” Sondrast informed the group, “but again it’s aimed at people leaving, not entering.”

“Good news,” Darras nodded. “Now all we have to do is find the Witch Lord and get him there.”

“I suspect he’ll be guarded magically and physically,” Annos posited.

“More than likely, which is why we have Balat and your people to deal with nuisances like that, whilst my friends in the Thieves Guild guide us there by the easiest path.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Amina replied with a smile.

“In theory it is, but I doubt our luck will last forever.”

“True that,” she nodded.

The party padded up to the next level, which was locked, though Amina again was able to pick it easily enough. The magic users then had to cast some sort of spell to limit a sphere of detection set up in the corridor which had been revealed.

“Got a very powerful magic user here,” Annos warned. “Be careful touching anything or entering rooms.”

“Is it the Witch Lord?” Darras asked.

“I don’t know. We’ve never met, so I don’t know his magical signature,” Annos replied apologetically.

“I can’t sense a shadow, but he may no longer be possessed,” Darras nodded. “Magic users, lead the way please.”

Annos, Sondrast and Balat cautiously led the search of the various quarters, finding a multitude of magical tools and tomes, though none of those observed sleeping was the Witch Lord and so, cautiously, they withdrew.

“Only one more floor,” Firios stated. “Though there may be higher rooms away from the stairway.”

“Right,” Darras nodded and led the way.

The doorway was smaller than the previous doorways and it was locked both physically and magically. Whilst the three magic users got to work on the trapped barrier, Amina probed the lock carefully with her tools and was able to unlatch it, though left it closed until the magic users were finished. Finally a weary looking Sondrast opened the door and Darras could immediately sense the spoor of a shadow.

“Something here. Definitely a shadow and only one of them,” he murmured to the group.

The group moved in and cautiously explored, dealing with three massively over-muscled guards silently and permanently.

“Looks like complacency has taken over,” Amina stated.

“That and never expecting a raid here,” Darras nodded.

“Only one room left and it’s occupied,” Tinara cautioned them.

“Right,” Darras nodded. “Annos, Sondrast, Balat, you’re with me. Firios, Amina, your people secure the route back down to the gateway.”

“On it,” Amina replied. Firios simply nodded.

“Door’s alarmed,” Balat warned. “I don’t think we can breach it either,” he finished with both Annos and Sondrast showing agreement.

“Hard, fast and nasty it is,” Darras replied. “Just remember, only I can see the shadow. If it’s on the loose, only Balat can capture it and the Witch Lord. We’ve got to assume that’s who is in there.”

“Got it,” Sondrast nodded. “I’ll have a barrier ready to prevent anyone leaving after you go in.”

“Get the cage ready, Balat. Worst comes to worst I’ll be throwing you at him.”

“Figures,” Balat chuckled. “Ready.”

“On three..., one, two, three!”

Darras, Balat and Annos burst into the room, using the light from the hallway as well as Darras’s senses to locate the now rousing body that had been sleeping on a huge bed.

“Guards! To me!” the man yelled out and several statues began to move to contain the group only for one to crumble as Annos spoke a word of power when touching a symbol on her wand-staff.

Darras also used his staff to decapitate the nearest statue to him, though discovered that whatever was controlling it did not give a damn. Balat, however, simply darted forwards, dodging one of the statues and dived at the man on the bed releasing the cage upon him. This unfortunately did not stop the statues, nor the sounds of alarm sounding throughout the fortress.

With a scream, the wildly dodging Annos was caught a massive blow to the chest by one of the statues, though it in turn collapsed when Sondrast reduced his barrier and then proceeded to lay waste to several other statues even as Darras grabbed the man on the bed and Balat gently picked the badly injured Annos up, giving her a healing potion that would hopefully keep her alive long enough to get to Erren.

Getting out of the room, Sondrast then activated his barrier again to prevent pursuit, though told the party that it would not last long. They then hurried to the stairwell where the sounds of combat were growing as the Elves and Guild members held off an increasing number of real guards as they came up the stairs as well as a couple that had been posted in the magic users’ quarters. The Elves in particular were keeping the guards occupied on the stairwell and the Guild members were keeping a doorway sealed against whomsoever was trying to get past it, though joined Darras and his group as they passed heading for the gateway level.

Once there, Sondrast heaved the door open, narrowly avoiding a sword thrust from an internal guard, only for the guard himself to be grabbed by Darras’s free hand and his momentum used to pull him forwards and over the handrail to fall to his death. Tinara darted forwards and from a low angle loosed a shot at another guard behind the one Darras had dealt with as the party dodged inside and Traskis locked the door as a key had been left in it.

“We’ll have to hurry,” Sondrast urged. “The lock might stop the guards, but it will not stop a magic user and the powerful one from the level above is now awake and moving!”

With the Guild members leading the way, the party made it to the gateway room, dispatching two guards who tried to prevent them, though Tarmeet was wounded in the shoulder. Behind them the party could now hear the hammering on the door to the level, though they finally reached the gateway room and entered to find it dark and clearly not in use.

‘Patience now, I’m activating it, ’ Erren spoke to Darras as he passed the Witch Lord on to Nemmos and Chillik before drawing his bow.

“Guess this is why you brought us, friend Darras,” Firios chuckled when he joined him, Traskis and Tinara in the corridor.

“Could think of none better,” Darras acknowledged.

“How is Annos?”

“Not good, though she’ll live ... if the gateway operates.”

‘Just need a bit more time, ’ Erren replied as Darras loosed an arrow through a crack in the level door caused by an axe. ‘Well done, you caught out a magic user.’

Firios and the others also loosed arrows, teaching the guards outside along with the others that standing fully in front of the door was foolish in the extreme. Soon however the door just seemed to shred as the powerful magic user ripped it away allowing the guards to rush in, several going down with arrows in them as well as tripping others. However there were a lot of them and they had archers of their own who fired back, wounding Traskis, though not severely.

‘Gateway’s open!’ Erren stated.

“It’s ready. Get through. Wounded first, then the Witch Lord!” Darras yelled to the party in the room who all moved to the gateway even as the Elves with Darras kept up a furious rate of fire at the still advancing and now shielded guards. “You next, Traskis.”

Traskis followed the party through the gateway even as, at a signal from Darras, the three remaining in the party turned and raced towards the glowing ring. At the same time a wave of intense fire exploded in the doorway where they’d just been, setting the frame alight as the party literally dived through the gateway landing in a skid along Erren’s lawn, watched by some concerned-looking, if slightly amused, gods.

“Welcome back, my love,” Erren greeted him.

“Annos okay?”

“She will be. Hallis is dealing with her as the damage done was pretty extensive and the wound cursed,” Erren replied.

“Take it that was the Witch Lord?”

“Oh yes. Your party did very well. My brothers and sisters were impressed,” Erren replied as she led the way to the bathing area which was surrounded by tables covered with food and drink.

The only three that weren’t there were Annos, Sondrast and Hallis as the goddess of healing was still fixing up the damage caused by the Witch Lord’s minions. For Amina’s modesty, Erren, Doriel and Tinara changed behind a screen with her though the males simply got naked and plunged in.

“You were rather unfortunate,” Pelegard informed Tarmeet. “The armour I made for you is good, but that sword was magically enhanced to penetrate. It was the same, Traskis, with that arrow that got you.”

“I’m just glad it didn’t kill me,” the young man chuckled.

“To be honest, the way you went about it was exactly right. You caught the entire fortress by surprise and they still don’t know how you got in,” Pelegard chuckled.

“Has their morale taken a hit?” Chillik asked.

“Amongst their senior officers and the magic users, yes,” Crannok replied. “They haven’t informed the lower ranks yet.”

“Not too surprising,” Amina nodded. “Though word will no doubt get out.”

“It will,” Erren acknowledged. “My priesthood have already informed Linota, Keltranas, Graccen and Miront of the deed and that they can expect the Witch Lord to be delivered to them once we gods have interrogated him.”

“Is he not an acolyte of your brother?” Darras asked.

“Yes,” Erren replied. “However different rules apply in theatres of war.”

“So that’s why I couldn’t touch Alderman Frey?”

“Yes, Fordel wasn’t at war with any force you were part of,” Erren nodded. “Oh, congratulations. The dark kin have finally completed the transfer to the island I gave them.”

“I hope they do well there and finally put the past behind them,” Darras nodded.

“We’ll see. The swirl of events may bring them back into play sooner or later,” Erren replied with a smile.

“Your brother?”

“No, just a matter that I now need to resolve over the Elven dispute and this sword they have.”

“I cannot see any meeting going particularly well,” Firios pointed out.

“You managed.”

“Wasn’t easy, they gave off so much hate and loathing,” Firios replied.

“They sense the same from you,” Erren pointedly replied.

“Yes, that would be true,” Tinara acknowledged. “Still, now that I know why they did as they did, I can understand them somewhat, though my past upbringing is difficult to overcome.”

“Yes, Elves are taught from an early age to hate the killers of Harranis and the destruction of the Golden Empire.”

“Yet Harranis demanded they give up that which was holy to them, which was wrong,” Traskis replied thoughtfully, having been informed of the matter by Firios and Tinara.

“The Elves of the Empire were not the Elves you’d recognise now,” Doriel explained. “They had an arrogance towards any they felt below them, even their own.”

“And Harranis felt everyone and everything was below him,” Osruit added. “Even us gods.”