Under a Red Moon

Under a Red Moon

Beginnings

Chapter 1

It was hot; by Orlanths beard it was hot. Prax in the height of summer has got to be the hottest place where human civilisation still manages to cling on. I’m sure the Endless Wastes to the west are hotter still, but nothing lives in the Endless Wastes. Well nothing human at any rate.
How rude of me, you will think I am some uncultured barbarian, I should introduce myself. I am Megan Fine Voiced, ex of Sartar currently residing in Pavis: teller of tales, singer of songs, wanderer, explorer, bard; now we are introduced if you wish I can tell you tales of hero’s and of villains, of adventure and of magic, of dangers faced and enemies bested, of strange sights and stranger creatures and best of all, treasures found and sometimes lost to. Now a pint of Old Grumpy would cut the dust from my throat. Story telling is thirsty work.
That’s better; now let me think how did it all begin? Well now I guess it all started when I got thrown into jail for “performing without a license, offending public sensibilities and performing in a lewd and unbecoming manner” at the Sun Dome Temple. I don’t suppose you know much about the Domers do ya? Well back in them days neither did I. Let me tell you something for free be very careful when travelling through the Lands of the Sun. They have more laws than you can shake a three-headed broo at. All I did was sit opposite the temples entrance and sing that old Sartar standard “The Wind over the Mountains”. A lovely rendition it was to. Within a minute or two a couple of burly Templars stride over to me and start jabbering in that dialect they speak out there. Going on about licenses and upsetting public order, the next thing I know they’ve grabbed me by the arms and have hauled me in front of one of their magistrates. Imagine that! I was most put out. I start to tell him how it’s all a terrible mistake and how I’m completely innocent and just minding my own business and all that when he cuts me off short. He points at the statue stood behind him; a statue of a man in hoplite armour surrounded by a rising sun. He tells me that women are not allowed to speak in the Assembly of Yelmalio, Son of the Sun. I tell him that in the feast halls of Orlanth, Lord of Storms (he’s my god) he listens to all who would speak truthfully regardless of race, gender or creed.
“As the sun rises and sets shall the winds ever blow” I tell him.
The magistrate nodded; recognising the ancient prophesy and greeting between those two great rivals the Sun and the Wind.
“I find you not with out honour.” He said, “You speak bravely and truthfully however your ignorance of our ways is not an excuse. You have broken the law and there is a penalty to be paid. I sentence you to 10 lashes and banishment for not less than one season. Take her away.”
How outrageous is that? So they put me in this cage in the market place, along with a couple of other petty criminals. Me treated like a petty criminal! I was most miffed. I takes a look at my erstwhile companions. One was to have a hand cut off for stealing a chicken and was terrified out of his mind. The other, a hazia smuggler, was to be executed, so I got off quite lightly. That’s Domer justice for you swift, sure (with the use of Divination), and harsh. So there I sat in the blazing midday heat awaiting my fate. I appealed to the militiaman who stood guard over us for some water but he studiously ignored me. So we all sat in silence with only the moans of the chicken thief to break the monotony. I looked at the smuggler; he was mid thirties unshaven, quite good looking in a roguish kind of way. He was sat opposite me and was drawing circles in the dust.
“You ok?” I asked him.
He looked up, and gave me a flash of white teeth, “Yeah fine thanks doll, how’s ya self?” he replied.
I frowned, “You seem to be in a remarkably good mood for some one about to be executed.”
He shrugged “Could be worse,” he said.
I raised an eyebrow “Oh really?”
“Oh yes” he said and gave me a sly smile.
I glanced over at the militiaman standing guard; he didn’t appear to be taking any notice of us. I mouthed “When?” at the smuggler.
He looked up at the sun and mouthed “Soon” back at me.
“What?” the chicken thief had woken up.
“Nothing” I said, perhaps a little too brightly, “just passing the time, you know.”
“What?” he said again, louder this time scrabbling forward, “what’s going to happen?”
“Nothing” I said making hushing signs.
The guard looked over at us.
The smuggler grabbed chicken guy round the throat and whispered menacingly in his ear “If you don’t sit down and shut up they’ll be executing me for murder as well. I got nothing to lose how about you pal?”
The guard came over and banged his spear on the side of the cage. “Sit down you two,” he commanded. The smuggler released chicken thief and sat back down holding his hands up. “No problems mate, jus having a bit of fun you know?”
The guard gave us a glare and went and sat back down in the shade.
“Megan” I said and leaned over hand extended.
“Honorius” he replied and shook my hand.
“You’re a Domer?” I asked.
“Born and raised” he replied with a shrug.
“And a hazia smuggler?”
“Not a very good one” he replied disarmingly. He saw my look, “Hey my family was in trouble, and we needed the money ok?”
“Hey none of my business” I replied.
“You got that right lady” and looked back down at the ground.
After a few moments he looked back up, curiosity having got the better of him.
“So where you from?” he asked, “I don’t recognise the accent.”
“Sartar” I told him.
He whistled, “Damn that’s to bad.”
I shrugged.
“So you’re a bard?” he asked.
“Well not professionally but I can hold a tune you know.”
“So who do you revere?”
“Depends who I’m talking to, you know?” I smiled. “You might say I go where the Wind blows.”
He looks at me aghast.
“You worship Orlanth?”
“Like I say, it doesn’t do to advertise the fact, especially in Lunar lands.”
He shrugged and nodded.
“It must be hard. So what you doing all the way over in Prax?” he asked.
“Like I say, I got no family left, I got no home left. So I ply my trade where ever I can to earn a few silvers.”
“Fair enough” he said and looked back down at the ground, “I like your hair by the way.”
“Pardon?” I laughed.
He blushed bright red, much the same colour as my hair as it happens, and I laughed harder.
“Thanks” I said.
At that moment a big shadow fell across the cage and a voice boomed out.
“Honorius?”
Honorius didn’t look up just buried his head in his hands.
“What are you doing here Awanake?” he moaned.
I squinted up into the sun to see a big fella dressed in leather armour, a leopard skin wrapped round his waist, a lions tooth necklace around his neck, a long handled axe thrust through his belt, a big bow slung over his shoulder and most telling of all, he smelt like he been sat in a four month old pile of buffalo dung, in fact no, he actually smelt worse than a four month old pile of buffalo dung. Now you probably heard about the Storm Bullers ain’t ya? No? Where you been? Well ok, the Storm Bull is Orlanth’s brother and represents the unrelenting fury of the winds. Storm Bullers hate chaos, with a passion. “Small chaos is all Chaos” they say. This guy was a nomad, an animal nomad, most people ride horses but the animal nomads ride…well other animals, depending on their tribe. From the looks of him he was a sable rider, one of the largest tribes of Prax. Anyhow where was I? Oh yeah nomad guy. He was a warrior of the Sable rider’s tribe and seemingly a Worshipper of the Storm Bull. This immediately put me on my guard; Strom Bullers are by any normal definition mad as a bag of Baboons. They hate Chaos and all that, which is good, I mean who doesn’t? But when they get into one of their rages, Chaos or not, you want to keep out of the way, like several miles out of the way. They are rough, crude, rude, unruly and psychotic; and that’s on a good day. You steer clear of them at all costs, unless you’re fighting demons of course which is the only time you’d be grateful to have one anywhere near you.
“What am I doing here?” he asked, “Why I have returned as I promised. I have served my Tribe and I have served the Bull; I have followed the signs that the Bull has provided, I have fought the evil that I found; and now I have returned to the Land of the Sun, to my friend Honorius Templar of the Great Sun Dome.”
“You’re a Templar?” the chicken thief asked, in awe.
“Used to be” Honorius muttered back.
“You’re a Templar? A Sun Dome Templar?” I asked.
The nomad fella looked at me as if I was stupid, “He is no mere warrior, no mere soldier, he is Chosen of Yelmalio,” he said proudly. I looked in amazement, this scruffy, unkempt man, this smuggler; this criminal was a Sun Dome Templar, one of the elite guards of the Sun Dome Temple.
“Awanake, you must leave.” Honorius told him.
“No my friend, we are blood brothers I will help you. You must tell me what has happened here. Why do they have you caged like an animal when you should be serving the Temple?”
I saw the guard get up and start to approach.
“You there nomad, what do think you’re doing?” the guard demanded.
“I am speaking to my friend,” he told the guard.
“You must leave; we don’t want your type round here.”
“I am Auxillia, allied” Awanake fished under his tunic and pulled out a gold medallion with the insignia of the Sun Dome. The militiaman examined it carefully. “You are Awanake Black Feather of the Sable rider’s tribe?”
“I am” Awanake replied.
“Very well, you have five minutes” the guard said obviously disgruntled and returned to his seat in the shade.
“Please Awanake, you must leave” Honorius whispered urgently.
Even as this conversation was going on I noticed the two men with four horses. Even just looking at them I could see they looked to have some experience, they had good leather armour and swords; one of them was just finishing stringing his bow. I saw a militiaman stride round the corner; he and the two men exchanged glances. Honorius also saw him. Now I might be but a rustic girl from the back end of beyond but I know when something aint right, I gots a nose for trouble you might say. So when I sees this fella swap glances with them toughs I thinks to myself, ‘Well now, if that don’t look like someone preparing for a jail break then I don’t know what.’ And so it was! I hear H begging.
“Please Awanake; you must leave now, right now”
“Only when you have told me what is going on,” Awanake replied stubbornly.
“Too late” Honorius sighed and slumped back down.
The militiaman approached our guard, very cosy like. “Alright mate. I’m here to relieve you.”
“You’re very early,” said our guard looking up at the sun all suspicious like.
“Yeah I know but you’re wanted, your file’s got to do a spot check on some boat they hauled in, dodgy paperwork seemingly.” The militiaman replied grinning.
“Oh great digging through half a ton of fish, my favourite” the guard sighed.
“Yeah bad luck mate. Better hurry don’t want to miss all the fun eh?”
The guard turned to go.
“Here you got the keys mate?” the militiaman asked indicating our cage.
“No the officer of the watch always has them doesn’t he” replied the guard frowning.
“Oh yeah, yeah no worries.”
“You gonna be ok?” asked the guard, still frowning.
“Yeah, yeah, no worries see ya later mate” and he waved as the guard walked away.
“Tosser” he spat after the guard had disappeared from view. He then came over to the cage. “All right H got in a little trouble did we?” he asked Honorius.
“Just get me out of here ok?” replied Honorius.
“Yeah, what you think I’m here for? The Boss wants a word or two wiv you, know what I’m saying?” he said menacingly.
Awanake grabbed the man by the scruff of the neck, “I don’t like the way you talk to my friend.”
“Bugger me; he’s a big one isn’t he? I’d tell him to put me down if he knows what’s good for him”
I could see Awanake flinch a bit. One of the men with the horses had a sword blade pressed against his neck. Another was pointing his bow at him. Awanake dropped the “militiaman”.
“Now let’s see about getting you out of here” he said and pulled out a small leather wallet out of his tunic. He took a pair of lock picks out and started work on the lock while the other two kept watch.
“Damn its tricky” he said after a few moments, “might have to do this the noisy way.”
I looked around we were beginning to attract unwanted attention. Besides this guy was hopeless he’d obviously never picked a lock more complex than my Aunties cookie jar before, if that!
“Here let me,” I said holding my hands out.
“Oh be my guest doll. You made a new little friend in there H?” he said and handed over the lock picks.
“Crease” hissed one of the other men, “we got company.”
A pair of Templars wandered into the market and started inspecting the trader’s booths.
“Get a move on honey” Crease said through gritted teeth.
“By Orlanths’ nose, what do you think I’m doing?” I hissed back.
A farmer was talking to the Templars now and was pointing in our direction.
“About now would be a good time,” he said waving at them.
They started over towards us. “What we gonna do Crease?” said the man with the bow. “Be cool, jus be cool”
There was a click as the padlock fell away. See I aint proud of the fact but I know a thing or two about getting locks open. It’s something I picked up in my youth, but that’s another story, suffice to say it’s a handy skill to know.
“Thank Pavis for that” whispered Crease. He turned and yanked the cage door open “Let’s get the hell out of here” We all ran towards the horses. I turned just as I got out of the cage and looked at the chicken thief but he shook his head and cowered further into the back of the cage. One of the hoplites started to run towards us, the other unslung his bow. Our own bowman was up in the saddle already and took a shot at the oncoming Templar, but it just glanced off his shield.
“What have you got me into Honorius?” shouted Awanake as he ran towards his horse, which was tied up not far away.
“I’ll explain later” Honorius shouted back as he scrambled onto one of the waiting horses, “Trust me it’ll be ok.”
He turned and held out a hand to me to pull me onto his horse.
Crease blocked him. “We’re not taking her, I got instructions mate.” I was frankly most distressed by his attitude, I mean lets be honest here if I hadn’t of broken their man out of jail they’d be fighting off whole battalions of Templars by now not just two.
“Either the girl comes now or we can argue about it whilst we’re all back in that cage.”
Crease thought about this for a split second and then turned his horse; “She’s your responsibility” he shouted and spurred away. This pleased me no end and H pulls me up onto his horse.
The first Templar had reached us by now and tried to grab the reins. The swords man took a chop at him; the blow only glanced off the Templars helmet but caused him to release the reins. We spurred away, I heard a cry from behind us and saw the swordsman clutch his chest, and he fell forward in the saddle an arrow protruding from his back. He tried to spur his horse forward but the first Templar thrust up at him with his sword as he passed catching him in the side. His horse galloped forward a few paces before he fell from the saddle onto the ground. Another arrow whistled past our heads but then we turned a corner and we were gone racing through the town towards the nearest gate. We took the militia guards by the gate completely by surprise and raced past them before they had even got off their arse let alone shut the city gates, and then we were in open countryside and heading south. Hmm my jar appears to be dry, you wish to hear more? Same again please.

Chapter 2
We rode for several hours, away from the city glancing back to see if we were being pursued. But I shouldn’t have worried the Domers didn’t revere or raise horses anymore and we must have easily out run any of their warriors pursuing us. We soon arrived at a small hamlet up in the hills. The land around about was rough and broken with just a light scattering of hardy grasses and scrubland brush and we took shelter in a nearby apple tree grove. The village seemed abandoned and the roofs of many of the small huts had fallen in, the goat pen was empty the gate open. Even the sacred apple tress were twisted and scarred. Something bad had happened here. I could see Awanake shifting in his horse’s saddle, peering into the gathering darkness. Crease and the remaining tough got off their horses and tied them to a near by tree.
“What’s up?” I asked Awanake.
“We cannot remain here,” stated Awanake.
“What’s the matter with the nomad?” asked Crease nodding at Awanake.
“I think he can sense something,” I told him.
Crease shook his head slowly “He stinks so bad he couldn’t sense Wakboth himself at five paces. Besides this is where the meet is. It’s perfectly safe doll, we use this place all the time. So relax. Why don’t you do something useful and fix us some grub hey?”
I dropped from Honorius’ horse and sniffed.
“Fix it ya self” I told him and stalked off. Though not too far, just in case…you know.
Honorius and Awanake both tied their horses to another tree. Awanake dug around in his saddlebags and pulled out some jerked meat and offered some to Honorius and me but not to Crease or his pal whose name was Frix. They didn’t seem that bothered and set about fixing their own meal.
The sun disappeared and darkness descended. Honorius seemed to be pensive; he had a small statue of Yelmalio out and had begun to pray. Awanake was sat with his back against a tree staring out into the darkness. The other two sat by fire they had built and started a game of sixes. Neither Honorius nor Awanake seemed to be in the mood to chat so I went over to Crease and Frix.
“So when’s the meet?” I asked.
“Soon” Crease said evenly.
“They got far to come?”
Crease smiled menacingly, “I think you’ll find they’re closer than you think.”
Frix shot him a glance and gave an urgent shake of the head. I pretended I hadn’t seen the gesture and blithely forged on.
“So we’re gonna meet the big man huh?”
Crease glared at me, “You’re pretty nosey for some lousy foreigner ain’t ya?”
I jus shrugged, “Fancy a game I asked?” Indicating the dice.
“Not with you no I don’t think so,” he said looking at me coldly.
I laughed, “I’m not that impressive am I?”
“No, no you’re not but I suddenly lost the desire.”
“Look” I said, “I don’t wanna cause any trouble; your business is your business. I jus wanna be sure you know what ya doing.”
Frix snorted and Crease shot him a look.
“You don’t worry about me Red” he said menacingly, “you jus worry about yaself. You got me lil lady?”
I held my hands up and backed away from him. I went back to Honorius and Awanake.
“By Orlanth’s toes that guy’s got some serious attitude” Honorius just grunted and rolled over trying to get some sleep. Awanake was still looking jittery, glancing around.
“You ok?” I asked. He ignored me, so I too lay on the ground and tried to get some sleep.

I don’t know how long I slept but I’m guessing only an hour or so before I awoke with a start. Awanake loomed over me axe in one hand, and in the other he held out a dagger to me, it glinted in the moonlight. He said something, but I couldn’t seem to understand him. He looked at me a strange joy glowing in his eyes and again he spoke and this time, this time I understood and my blood ran cold. He had said just two words.
“They come” and then the world exploded.
I don’t know if you know anything of battle, but let me tell you, it is one of the most terrifying, horrific, downright scary experiences a person can have, and trust me when I tell you this, of all the battles you can have, fighting fiends, demons, things, is the worst kind even when or perhaps because I fought along side a Storm Buller. Something happens when a Storm Buller fights, it is as if the Bull himself enters into its worshipper and takes hold of him. Never have I seen such fury, such all-consuming blood rage and yet such joy such serenity. I am to this day not sure what terrified me more the screaming, shrieking things that burst from the darkness upon us or the eerily silent Storm Buller that fought along side me. These creatures appeared to be mutated, mostly goblins and kobolds. They had grown extra limbs or had body parts replaced. One of the creatures thrust a bony spike that had taken the place of its arm, into Awanake’s leg but the rage was on him and he didn’t seem to feel a thing and hacked at its limb until he had cut it away. I dodged and weaved trying to circle around these weird mutated creatures and trying to avoid the worst of the fighting. Honorius fought back to back with Awanake casting healing spells and firing Awanake’s bow at the creatures until they got too close to do so. He then picked up one of the fallen creatures weapon and used that to hack at the surrounding creatures. Most were not so bizarre that they did not still use regular or at least makeshift weapons but some, oh yes some had grown strange protuberances, stingers, claws, teeth and other less obvious weapons. One in particular seemed at first glance to be human, a naked grossly fat human mind, until it’s stomach split open and a mass of squirming tentacles issued out and drew Frix screaming into it’s deadly embrace. Awanake saw hefted his axe; by now all the other creatures were dead or dying and this thing ignored the rest of us as it fed on Frix. It only reacted when Awanake approached dropping Frix’s body, which by now had been almost completely drained and was but a lifeless husk, barely recognisable as human. It charged Awanake arms spread wide tentacles flailing madly. Awanake merely stood waiting until it was almost upon him and then side stepped it cutting its head off with a single blow. Instead of falling it stopped as if uncertain and then turned back to Awanake and I watched in horror as one tentacle lashed out and wrapped itself around Awanake’s bicep. Awanake cut at it severing the tentacle only to find it replaced but two more. Inexorably it began to reel Awanake in. Honorius ran toward it swinging a pruning hook and caught it deep in the shoulder but even this failed to stop it and now he to fell to its grasp. I ran to find Awanake’s bow and took aim at it, but how was I to fell such a thing, it must have a vulnerable point, but where? I aimed at the only thing that looked out of place, an odd fleshy mass that grew in the small of the creatures back. I prayed to Orlanth and fired. My shot struck true, the arrow plunging deep into the creatures back. It jerked and an unearthly gurgling sound emanated from deep within its body; and then it fell dragging the two men to the ground with it. It thrashed violently, but both the men managed to free themselves from its grasp. They got to their feet and stood there watching it for a few moments as it thrashed spastically and then they hacked it apart until there was nothing left but twitching bloody chunks. Honorius expended more of his healing magic to heal both Awanake and himself and then we went in search of Crease and after several minutes of searching we found him, or rather what was left of him. It looked like spiky must have got him, as there was a large hole where his face had once been. Honorius swore quietly “By the Son, my only lead.”
“Lead?” asked Awanake, “what is happening my friend? You must tell me.”
Honorius shook his head and said, “I wish I could my friend I wish I could.”
I’d had enough of this, I felt the anger rise in me “Listen here buddy” I exploded, “I just saved your scrawny arse, and for a truth loving Domer you seem to be keeping a lot of secrets from us. I think you owe us an explanation.” Honorius looked slightly taken aback but nodded silently.
He sighed, “Very well” he said, “You deserve that much. Even though what I tell you may put your lives at risk.”
I merely indicated the pile of corpses behind us, and again he nodded “Very well” he said, “I am not all I seem. I am….”
“Don’t tell me you’re an undercover agent working for the Temple; trying to infiltrate some, I dunno cult or criminal syndicate that is corrupting the good citizens of Sun County?” I asked him. Honorius looked amazed.
“But how did you know? I only just met you.” He asked.
“It really wasn’t very hard to work out. You’re obviously an experienced Templar and that story about your family needing the money. What a crock. Then your reaction to Awanake, all wrong, no way would you be trying to get rid of your closest ally in your time of need; and that entire fake hardened criminal stuff with Crease, so poor. You’re a bad liar Honorius; you’re too honourable to be a thief.”
“It is true my friend.” Said Awanake nodding, “I did not guess the reason for your behaviour but I knew something was not right. This was not my friend speaking.”
Honorius shrugged “All the same I’m impressed. I’ve been trying to crack this cartel for months and cultivating that scumbag Crease for almost as long, and now I’ve gone and messed it up. Without Crease I’m back to square one.”
I shook my head, “I don’t think so. Crease let it slip that the people we were gonna be meeting were close by. I think we should check out the village.”
“Why so?” asked Honorius.
“Well other than this grove it’s the only place of substantial cover.” I pointed out.
“True” he said, “well let’s go then”.
We looted Frix and Crease’s bodies. Frix was a fairly close match to Honorius and tentacle guy hadn’t done much damage to his gear. So Honorius ended up with decent leather armour, a spear and shield. Crease wasn’t a terribly close match for me but I purloined his jacket, which was rather to big, and so I had to roll the sleeves up, I also borrowed Awanake’s dagger and bow. Awanake took a necklace that Crease had been wearing and added it to his own collection and I rifled his pockets for any cash, while Honorius looked on disapprovingly. Needs must, how do you think adventurers make their ends meet? Whichever way you look at it adventurers make their money in a variety of ways that most folk would deem morally dubious if not downright illegal; bounty hunting, tomb robbing, monster hunting, working as mercenaries, as thieves, as explorers and when we’re too old to do anything else as storytellers. Anyways back to the story. We approached the village carefully Awanake leading the way and made a quick circuit. We couldn’t see anything immediately interesting and Honorius felt it was too dangerous to make a thorough search in the dark. So we went back to the apple tree grove and took up position away from our original campsite and waited.
No one else came to our campsite that night and at dawn Honorius made prayers to Yelmalio. He thanked Yelmalio for His protection during last night’s battle and renewed his magic. Awanake joined him, praying to the Storm Bull but I decided it would be prudent if I waited till the others were busy before I made my prayers to Orlanth. Then we made our way back to the village and made a thorough search of it. We discovered that the creatures had probably only been in situ for a few hours. They had left some spoor and the remains of their food, which was mostly small game as anything large, would have been used as a host for one of their foul progeny. Let me give you some advice if there is even the faintest chance that you are about to be captured by creatures such as these, kill your self, for these creatures, we call them Chaos Spawn, they’re kinda related to broo and are unnaturally fertile and can impregnate almost any creature be it male or female and trust me when I tell you it is a fate worse than death. Ultimately it won’t make any difference, as giving birth to their spawn will kill you anyhow.
So anyway I digress, it looked like they hadn’t been here long, and nearby Awanake discovers a tunnel concealed in the basement of one of the houses.
“Two men have been here recently, well shod, they came out of the tunnel, one left the basement, the others stayed here and then later the one returned and they all left by the tunnel” Awanake told us. Two guys and fiend spawn jus happen to be hanging out in the same tiny hamlet? I don’t think so.
“Set up anyone?” I said, “I think they were onto you H old chap and this lil ambush was supposed to take you out. Bit rough on Crease, but that’s the kind of people ya dealing with.”
Honorius just grunted and peered into the tunnel, it was circular about 6 foot across and smooth, glassy looking with odd ridges or gouges every foot or so. Honorius said a quick chant over his spear tip and it began to glow allowing us to see where we were going. The tunnel went down at over a 45-degree angle and so we had to use the ridges and gouges as a kind of ladder. It was not easy going and with Honorius trying to hold his spear eventually the inevitable happened; Honorius slipped and dropped his spear, which skittered away down the shaft. He started to slip down as well, desperately trying to find purchase on the smooth walls, Awanake was quick to react and grabbed his arm and held him until he managed to get his footing. The spear had slid away into the darkness and came to rest some 200 yards down. Leaving us in pitch darkness. Awanake wasn’t too worried of course, half orcs can see in the dark but Honorius and I weren’t so lucky. Honorius had to make his chant again before we could continue down the passage, this time casting it on his belt buckle. We then continued down the shaft until we reached his still glowing spear. We were now in a horizontal shaft leading roughly east west as far as we could tell. Awanake could find no sign so Honorius decided we would go east. So off we went, into the darkness.

Chapter 3
The one thing I hate about adventuring underground is the darkness. Darkness might be ok for trolls and dwarves and such like, and trust me I’ve had my fair share of battles with both of them, but for those of us without dark vision being in the dark, especially in the dark in a confined space hundreds feet underground with no way of escape and no hope of rescue, is not an experience I’d recommend. Ah the life of an Adventurer! So anyways we just kept slogging along, musta been 20 minutes or so when I heard something, something behind me. I stopped and peered into the dark, but of course H and Awanake hadn’t heard it and just keep on walking and within seconds I’m alone in the dark, and then I hears it again, clearer this time, a kind of skittering noise, like two rocks knocking together, like several rocks clicking together and whatever it was, it was getting closer. Now I ain’t no coward, I been in my share of scrapes but I ain’t even attempting to fight sommut I can’t see. So I turned and ran after the other two but I stubbed my toe on one of the ridges and fell flat on my face. I was stunned for a moment and then I heard the clicking again, it was coming, and it was coming fast. I cried out and I saw H’s light stop bobbing away down the corridor and I heard H, calling my name, concern in his voice. I scrambled to my feet and took 2 steps towards them when, wham, something fell upon me and I felt searing pain in my right shoulder. I screamed and tried to throw whatever it was off, but whatever it was, was spider like and had multiple legs gripping me, crushing me. I was beginning to find it hard to breath and I tried slamming it against the wall of the tunnel. That must have done something and I felt its grip slacken and now H and Awanake were upon us. Awanake grabbed it and used his great strength to prise its legs off of me; it writhed and squealed its sharp pincer like legs flailing wildly. Awanake threw it back down the tunnel and Honorius charged at it spear at the ready; but it had one more trick up its sleeve, a proboscis appeared from out of its armoured head and sprayed some kind of liquid at Honorius, who raised his shield to protect himself. The liquid hit his shield with a hiss and smoke began to rise as the acid began to eat through it. Honorius began to shed his shield as quickly as possible. I had recovered enough to make a quick chant and throw a confusion spell at the beast. It appeared to work and the creature began to spin frantically as if it were a dog chasing its tail. Awanake strode past Honorius who was still struggling with the straps on his shield and raised his axe over his head and brought it down with a sickening crunch on to the beast’s head, even with all the extra armour its head was instantly destroyed and the creature slumped to the ground quivering.
“What by Yelmalio’s bow was that thing?” asked Honorius looking at his shield.
Awanake shook his head slowly. “Nothing I ever met. A beast of Chaos to be sure.”
“Well I guess we know what ate this tunnel out, that acid could eat through anything,” I said.
Honorius grunted in agreement and then said, “Look at my shield. Man, I’m glad it doesn’t belong to me.” All the same he tried a charm of mending on it, which sealed the edges up nicely but still left a gaping hole in the middle of his shield. He looked at it once more and shrugged putting it back on.
“You ok?” He asked me. I was well into my second charm of healing and my shoulder wasn’t looking like so much ground beef anymore.
“I’ll live” I replied.
“Good girl. Well when you’re ready, we’ll head off again.”
Honorius isn’t big on tea and sympathy, as you might have gathered.
We walked on for another 20 minutes with Honorius having to replace his light spell once again, putting it back on the tip of his spear, making it easier for me to see what was behind us. I was still paranoid after the last attack so I kept real close to Awanake, so close that I kept on bumping into him.
“Do you mind?” he eventually asked.
“No sorry, it’s just …you know…” I stammered in reply.
“Do not be afraid, but rather make your fear a weapon. Allow your fear to be transformed into hate, into anger, into fury. Let the fury of the Storm Bull fill you and strike down your enemies.”
“Err yes. Hang on; are you saying that it is fear that makes the Storm Bull berserkers such ferocious enemies?” I asked.
“Yes” he answered, “Chaos is to be feared and it is only through that fear transformed that Chaos can be fought. Chaos has no fear; Chaos feels nothing, is nothing; it is a void to be filled, nothing more. Agents of Chaos however, they know fear, they know love, they know hunger, they know enlightenment; but they have twisted all that is natural until it is barely recognisable and turned it against us; hunger they have, made all consuming, love they have, so as to make us their slaves, fear they have, and seek to crush our will, enlightenment they have, all the better to corrupt.”
“Shush” Honorius interrupted “there is a room, or a cave ahead.”
We crept forward until we were stood in the exit to the tunnel and a vast black cave stretched out before us. Honorius’ light would not penetrate far enough to determine its exact dimensions but by the echoes we knew it had to be big, a set of stairs led down into the darkness and about six feet above our head the same stairs continued upwards. Our tunnel appeared to have been bored straight into the stairs destroying them at the point where it intersected them.
“These stairs have been here a lot longer than our tunnel,” I breathed.
Honorius nodded and peered over the edge into the darkness.
“Any idea which way they might have gone “I asked Awanake.
“Down” he said with certainty.
“How do you know? I mean surely it makes sense that they’d head up.”
“Down” he said again and pointed at a bundle of torches concealed against the wall on the downward steps.
“Ah yeah” I said, “I guess you’re right. Down it is then.”
So I took a step back and jumped the frankly small gap between our tunnel and the first step. I grabbed up one of the torches and lit it. Now I could see which was a good thing. Awanake made the leap next and held out his hand for H who also managed the gap without too much difficulty. So down we went, H stuffing the remaining torches into Awanake’s rucksack. I led the way this time moving swiftly down the stairs. We continued down for almost half an hour before the stairs just suddenly ended. It looked like the rift we were in must have shifted at some point since the stairs had been cut as there was a narrow crevice cutting the steps off dead and no sign of the stairs on the other side. There was however a rope hammered into the crevice leading ever further down.
“Oh great” said Honorius coming up behind me, “now what do we do?”
“Climb?” I suggested.
“You’re kidding me?” he asked peering over the edge into the darkness.
“You got any other suggestions?” I asked.
“Great, just great” he said again.
“Do not fear Honorius, nothing is too difficult for the disciples of the Kalok Shash” said Awanake clapping H on the shoulder. I pulled a brass button off Creases jacket and dropped it over the edge. It hit the bottom after less than a second or two.
“Sixty feet tops, small beer.” I stated confidently.
“Sixty feet? Sounds like an awful long way to me,” said H shaking his head.
“Oh come on you’re such a baby” I told him and so saying I dropped the torch and watched as it hit the floor below, I couldn’t see anything too exciting down there just a few rocks. So I grabbed the rope and swinging out started to climb down. Awanake laughed and followed me. I reached the bottom and looked around; the floor was glassy smooth but there were large boulders and rubble scattered around everywhere; I hated to think how far underground we were. Awanake finished his climb down and I looked up to see H still stood at the top of the rope outlined by his glowing spear tip.
“You coming or what?” I shouted up to him.
He just stood there.
“Come my friend; let your faith buoy you. Yelmalio will protect you.”
I heard H snort derisively but at least he reached out tentatively for the rope. He grabbed it and pretty much fell forward hanging onto the rope for grim death, and there he stayed.
“You’re gonna have to come down eventually you know.” I told him, “You can’t stay up there for ever.”
“Yes I can,” he croaked.
“Hey you only got one direction to go, and you can do it the fast but painful way or the slow but safe way. So why don’t you come on down? We miss you.”
He gave a short, harsh laugh, but stayed clinging to the rope. I swear he had his eyes closed.
“Ah forget this,” I said, “Let’s go Awanake, we can’t wait for him any longer” and I pulled on Awanake’s arm, he looked at me doubtfully.
“Come on” I said again, tugging harder this time and reluctantly he followed.
“See ya H; we’ll see ya when we get back.” I shouted back at him.
“Don’t leave me,” he whispered.
“We’re going now. Bye. See ya.”
And at last and very slowly he started the longest most torturous climb down I have ever seen.
“I hate heights,” he said eventually when at long last he made it to the bottom.
“You don’t say?” I told him.
Awanake was a bit more generous and gave him a huge bear hug.
“Well done my friend, when you conquer a fear you strengthen your faith, and indeed your faith burns brightly in you today.”
Honorius smiled weakly at this.
“Please tell me there aren’t any more climbs to make?” he asked.
“Only the one,” I told him.
His face fell.
“Where?” he asked.
“Back up” I said indicating the rope.
He nodded slowly, “I pray that you are right.”
“I guess we’ll see.” I told him brightly and started out across the cavern following the wall we had just climbed down.
This was a vast cavern, vast and lightless and very far underground and as we walked we came to another drop down not a deep drop about 10 feet or so, but at the bottom of this drop, stretching as far as our light allowed was a field of….bones. By the way did I tell you how much I hate being underground?

Chapter 4
“You know how you are about heights?” I asked H.
He nodded silently.
“Well I kinda feel the same way about vast fields of bones; I gots a real bad feeling about this.”
“You an me both doll, you an me both” and he gave a flash of those white teeth. Now I’m not the romantic type you know, I’m an adventurer, on the edge, living one day at a time an all that, but when he gives me that flash o’ white teeth, my heart jus does the ol’ flippy flop. Man, getting a crush on a Sun Dome Templar how dumb is that huh?
Anyway Awanake grabbed a torch from out of his knapsack, lit it and clambered down into the pit. As soon as his feet touched the floor piles of the bones began to knit together and rise up. Well this is all in a days work for Awanake who chops away at the nearest skeleton shattering it, but there were too many of them and as quickly as he destroyed them more would rise up to replace them. Many were animals of some kind but almost as many were humanoid, trollkin mostly by the looks of it. There must have been a trollkin warren around here at some point to have so many bodies put to such foul use. Honorius forgot his fear of heights and leapt down into the pit and then straightening himself to his full height he pulled out his little statue of Yelmalio and shouted, “By the power of Yelmalio I curse you, I call down His cleansing fire upon you.”
Instantly a column of golden flame poured out of thin air and burnt down the dozens of them, dissolving them instantly. I was impressed.
Even so onward they came, there seemed to be an endless supply of these things, but then I thought I caught something, faint chanting, coming from somewhere in the pit. I threw my torch far out into the field of bones and there bathed in the light was a creature, a humanoid with pale grey flesh, thin fair hair and facial features that were disturbingly blank, it was stood over the lifeless body of a man dressed in dark robes. He saw me then and even as I watched its features moulded and changed until I was looking at my own double. I smiled at me and then the thing, what ever it was, began to chant again. It must have been some kind of Chaos priest, a master of illusion. I fired my bow at it, but the thing was wearing a full set of plate and the arrow bounced harmlessly off. It finished its chant and a black ray of energy crackled from its fingertip to strike me in the chest. I felt cold, numb, drained and the thing that looked like me cackled but it did not sound like me for it had not heard me say anything, it sounded hollow and cold, a parody of a true voice.
I could feel the life ebbing from me, the world becoming darker and darker.
“It’s not me” I shouted, “it’s Chaos, kill it.”
I saw Awanake rush at it, shouldering the remaining skeletons out of the way; the rage had taken hold of him, he swung his axe connecting with the Chaos priest. The priest morphed into Awanake and screamed its defiance, divine power coursing through its body. It raised a wickedly spiked club and rained blow upon blow down upon Awanake, who in turn chopped and hacked at his double. I raised my self-up and although still feeling the coldness gripping my heart dropped down into the pit and circled round the two combatants. Honorius had expended all his magic and was now battling the final few skeletons in hand to hand, using a sword that one of the skeletons had dropped. He was making progress but whether he would be quick enough to help Awanake before he fell I didn’t know. I threw a curse of confusion at the Chaos priest but he threw it off with barely a glance. I could see Awanake weakening, so I knew there was no other option but to get stuck in. I’m really not a big fan of getting up close and personal, I much prefer magic or my bow, but sometimes you gotta do what ya gotta do. I charged shrieking Awanake’s dagger clutched in my hand and stabbed frantically at the priest. Either by luck or design my blow caught it right in the neck between helm and shoulder guard. It reeled away its face revealing shock; it made a chant of healing and backed away from us snarling. By now Honorius had finished off the last of its undead troops and joined Awanake and me. Honorius started a chant of healing on Awanake when the thing turned and fled.
“It’s got nowhere to go” I shouted, “Its trapped.”
I chased after it grabbing my torch off the floor; I had nearly caught it when it just suddenly vanished from in front of me. How could it just vanish? Could it teleport? Go invisible? That’s when I realised to my horror that it had not vanished but the floor had and I was rushing head long towards a sheer cliff. I tried stopping and I almost did….but…. not quite. I teetered on the brink for a second then pitched forward, I closed my eyes, I didn’t want to see the ground rushing up to meet me, I started to pray to Orlanth.
“Let your Winds bear me up” when by a miracle I felt myself being lifted back to the ledge. I opened my eyes Awanake had a hand gripping the back of my jerkin. He pulled me back onto terra firma.
“You ok?” he asked.
“All the better for seeing you,” I smiled in relief.
“I’m not so sure about our Chaos guy though.” I said peering into the darkness below.
Awanake peered in the dark depths too, but neither of us could discern anything so we went back to Honorius who was kneeling by the man I had seen earlier. The man stirred and slowly sat up. He was early 30’s with short dark hair and a well-trimmed goatee. He wore a large signet ring with the insignia of the Lunar Empire; he shook his head as if to clear it.
“Wha…? Who are you? What happened?” he asked his Lunar accent quite distinct.
“I think we should be asking you the same questions.” I told him bluntly.
“I’m, I’m Caldon, and I’m an Agent for the Spoken Word attached to the Pavis security services. I’m looking for a smuggler by the name of Loss. These are my papers,” he said handing Honorius a small wooden box. Honorius opened it and read the contents and then passed to me to examine. The papers did indeed identify this man as Caldon Dunweil, Mage and Agent of the Spoken Word in the employ of Pavis security. I snapped it shut and handed it back. Call me suspicious but something about this guy wasn’t quite right; I gots a sense for these things.
“I have answered your questions, now if you would be so kind to answer mine?’
“I am Honorius Patronicus, I am a Sun Dome Templar and this is my ally Awanake Black Feather of the Sable rider’s tribe, and this young lady is Megan...err…sorry I never got your last name?”
“Folks call me Fine-Voiced but Megan’s just fine.” I told him coolly.
“Err right well I must thank you all for saving my life. I had managed to infiltrate this smugglers gang only to find out he had discovered my secret and had planned to do away with me. He proved too powerful for me to battle, so your timing was indeed most fortuitous. I thank you once again.”
“Perhaps you could join us, pool resources so to speak,” said Honorius. “We too have been on this smugglers trail and by the looks of him no mere smuggler, a Chaos priest no less, there is more here than meets the eye. I guess we need to try and pick up where we left off. Will you join us?”
Honorius held out his hand. Caldon hesitated looking at each one of us in turn and then nodded and held out his hand.
It’s a deal,” he said smiling.
We all shook his hand. Anyway that’s how Caldon joined our merry band, but let me tell you something; this guy had secrets, reeked of secrets, I gots a sense for these things. Sides his story, bit light on detail you know? Personally I trusted him as far as I could throw him and there was no way I was going to leave this guy with dear trusting Honorius no way, so there we were the four of us. We headed back out then and man when I saw sunlight I fell to my knees and thanked Orlanth and even Yelmalio for all their goodness and swore off booze for a whole week. Honorius fixed it that I got my gear back and recovered from my brush with death, we even got a reward from the Temple, everything turned out fine. I decided to stick with H and Awanake and even the sorcerer Caldon stuck around with us. My, my, my, look at the time, I’d better be off, got business to attend to if ya know whats I mean. But let me tell you one thing before I head off….everyone has secrets, everyone, even straight up guys like Awanake…but that’s another story.
The End