Paul Kidd - Descent into the Depths of the Earth

The lich leaped and lunged.

Jus parried the blow.

As the staff tip hit the floor, energy exploded outward, blasting chunks of rock apart. Light flashed and an insane scream of anger echoed through the halls. The lich staggered, a wound cut into its side, its flesh seeming to explode as its own substance began to disintegrate.

With the sword cut still spreading destruction into its mummified flesh, the monster roared and launched a series of mad attacks. It whirled, the staff striking, rock exploding and sparks flying as Jus fell back toward Escalla. Huge and solid, the ranger retreated, his sword moving in sharp, short motions, never once making an attack. Even so, the man began to slip his parries.

Seeing a sudden opening, the lich roared and lunged its staff forward at Jus’ heart, power raging along the runes and ready to blow livingflesh apart. Already moving, his bait taken, Jus spun on his axis, brushed the staff with his sword and sent it skimming a hair’s breath past his chest. In awhite blur, the sword swiped the lich’s head from its neck.

The sword screamed in triumph, utterly amazed. Well struck! Well struck! The weapon crowed in delight. Sir, I believe we shall get along famously!

The lich’s body staggered forward, whirled, and then latcheda hand onto Jus’ arm. Flesh smoked as the freezing grasp took hold. Jus snarledand hacked the hand from its arm, leaving the claws locked in his tunic. Its flesh burned, boiling with little explosions where the white blade had cut. Jus roared and smashed his sword down through the headless body, cleaving it to the pelvis. He kept the blade twisting inside the body, the undead flesh burning. A scream shattered the air, and a wraith-like swirl of energy punched into the air. Abandoning its body, the soul of the lich fled to sanctuary.

Leaping down from the beholder, Escalla shouted, “Hey, Jus!Great rescue, huh?” She waved a hand proudly at the beholder. “And look! Itfollowed me home. Can I keep him?” She grinned, then heard the beholder on itsfloating disk give a groggy growl. “Oh crap!”

The girl whirled, spread her hands and sent the beholder, disk and all, spinning off toward the collapsing warrens. Flying toward Jus, the girl gave a panicked little yell. “Jus, we’re in trouble!”

“Where’s Cinders?”

“I’ll get him!” The girl fired her wand and sealed sidecaverns with walls of ice. “Get Henry and Polk, then run northwest!”

Jus obeyed, lumbering off to heave Henry over one shoulder and drag Polk to his feet. He shoved Polk ahead and ran into the tunnels.

Escalla fired a last blast from her wand, swore as she saw the charge counter drooping dangerously low, then swooped low over the cavern floor.

The lich’s body had stopped disintegrating. The undead corpselay hacked and twisted, half dissolved and still smoldering. Escalla took one look at the creature’s rune staff, touched a control and it snapped back to thesize of a toothpick. The faerie gleefully jammed it through the belt of her robe. Whirling, she sped into the lich’s lair and stared about in confusion at acave entirely wallpapered with living mouths.

“Cinders?”

Here.

The hell hound skin lay bundled uncomfortably near a pile of loot. Polk’s backpack, bits of drowish cloth… it all lay there in a heap.Escalla sped over to the lich’s secret hiding place and dug her hand into thecrevice. She pulled out a carefully folded piece of black cloth and began to shake it open.

Out in the caverns, the beholder roared in rage. There was an explosion as some kind of magic blasted through the caves. In a panicked rush, Escalla unfolded the cloth disk, accidentally holding it upside down. A bizarre pile of junk instantly came crashing to the ground, scattering jewels all across the floor.

“No no no!”

Cinders’ red glare flicked toward the door. Faerie hurry!

“I’m doin’ it! I’m doin’ it!”

With a wail, Escalla dragged the hole over toward Jus’backpack, planted her back against the bag and heaved it in. The backpack tumbled into the portable hole with a crash, and Escalla ran over to do the same with Polk’s luggage.

Polk’s pack felt as if it weighed a hundred tons. Escallaalmost ruptured herself trying to shift it, then she looked at the backpack and saw that it was bulging with drow swords, shields, chainmail, cloaks… Thegirl snarled, tore open the lacings, and accidentally spilled Polk’s luggageacross the floor. As she picked up the magic bottle, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

The floor had opened. Lying behind her was a coffin recess, and in the coffin a mummified corpse lay with a crystal in its clawed hands. The lich’s soul stole out from the stone, occupying its spare body. The cadaver satup, mad eyes opening. It whipped its head about to stare at the faerie and opened its skeletal jaws in an enraged scream.

“Sacred wine!” Escalla shouted into the magic bottle. “Sacredwine!”

The bottle suddenly began to gush. Escalla flung holy wine over the lich’s face, and the monster screamed and began to dissolve. Themonster screeched and thrashed, hurling its magic crystal. Escalla hit the crystal with the lich’s own staff, shattering it like glass and thus ending anyhopes for the lich’s return.

Tossing the magic flask into the portable hole, she grabbed hold of Cinders, and ran as if every hungry denizen of the Nine Hells were right behind her.

Outside the lich’s cave, the beholder rampaged in a mad danceof destruction. Roofs were collapsing, and rocks showered down everywhere. Escalla folded up the portable hole, shoved it through her belt, and dived beneath the hell hound skin. She ran like a mad thing, holding Cinders’ headover her own. The result was like watching a fireside rug zooming off to hunt for prey.

Escalla raced along the northwest passageway. Behind her, the beholder roared, still unmoving, but able now to thrash its many eyes. Spells lashed out to rake the caves, keeping rock falls thundering from the ceiling high above.

Jus stood waiting in the dark, sheltering behind a rock as beholder spells blasted through the air. Passing the paralyzed Private Henry to Polk, Jus reached down to save Escalla from drowning underneath Cinders’ fur.

“Cinders!”

Friend! The hell hound happily wagged his tail. Happy.

The sword in Jus’ hand made a sound uncannily like clearingher throat. Jus held the sword out at arm’s length to stare at the blade andasked, “Escalla, where did you get this?”

“Found it!” The faerie installed herself upon Jus’shoulders. “Shiny, huh? I told you I’d find you one!”

Somewhat annoyed, the sword gave a self important sniff. My name is Benelux. I am made from metallic light forged upon the positive energy plane. Most pleased to meet you.

“Justicar.” Jus looked at the blade in bemusement. “Niceknowing you.”

Fairly happy with her day, Escalla shrugged expressively shrug. “I call ’er Spiky!” The girl whirred upward, dragging her friends downthe passageway. “Guys? I think the beholder is about to vaporize the last of thetrogs. We should probably get moving before he uses us for after dinner mints.”

The faerie sped off down the tunnel. With the beholder causing a slaughterhouse somewhere behind them, Jus and Polk hastened to follow the girl’s lead. Jus slung Cinders abut his shoulders, picked up Private Henrybeneath one arm, and marched off into the dark. Gleaming bright in his hand, the unsheathed sword flooded the passageway with light.

Benelux’s voice echoed happily as the adventurers walked. I say, you there! Canine! Have we been introduced?

No. The dog skin wagged its tail. Cinders.