Paul Kidd - Descent into the Depths of the Earth

Well? Have you a repair spell? Are you fixing me? I’m inruins! I cannot be seen in public like this!

“We’re fixing you.” Jus sat with the sword over his knees,using an old pair of pliers from his pouch to unfix the weapon’s broken handle.The blade gleamed, its tang white and perfect.

Exposed, Benelux gave a little screech of shock. Sir, I’mnaked! Have you no sense of shame?

“Sorry.” Jus polished the weapon on a piece of black drowcloak. “Just wait a minute.”

Have you the means to fix me?

“Definitely.”

Escalla came tripping innocently over from the portable hole. “We can fix you. Just close your eyes or whatever, and it’ll be a surprise!”

I insist upon fittings suitable to my high station. Thesword gave a sniff. I have appearances to keep.

“Oh boy, have I got a fashion look for you!” The girl held thehilt of Jus’ old skull pommeled sword hidden behind her back. “We’ve got theperfect thing right here!”

Somewhat mollified, Benelux gave a sniff. Will I look dignified?

“It’ll be great!” Escalla gave a shrug as innocent as thedawn. “Trust me. I’m a faerie!”

In the underdark, time never seemed to pass. The water andthe cold, the echoes and the darkness, all blended into a never ending daze. Sleeping and waking came and went unregulated by night and day. The party camped at need on shelves of rock or hid in dripping caves.

Jus and Henry awoke from their latest sleep to find that Escalla had gone.

Her beaver skins lay where she had left them, but her scroll case and staff were missing. Kicking Polk awake, the men arose, packed the bags, and sped into the main tunnel. Several minutes of frantic searching revealed nothing but empty spaces until Jus spied a trail of hardtack crumbs.

In a passageway beside the main tunnel, Escalla sat happily upon a toadstool, fanning her little wings. Surrounding her was a ring of giant ants, each insect fully two feet long, armored and armed with formidable stings. Escalla twined antennae with the leader, laughed, and apparently told a joke that the ants appreciated. She patted them on their shells as the creatures went their way, giving a piece of spider jerky to each one as a parting gift. As the last ants scuttled off, the girl looked around to see Jus, Polk, and Henry gazing at her with hooded, unamused eyes.

Wondering at their expressions, Escalla gave a shrug. “So Ilike bugs!” The girl waved her hands. “Like my magic bees weren’t a clue?”

Jus walked toward the girl, his tread heavy, and gave a tired sigh. “We’ve been looking for you for ten minutes.”

“I was just down here. I gassed out a nest of gremlins forthe ants, and they came to say thank you.” Escalla handed a tiny leg bone toCinders. “Here you go, pooch! Compliments of the chef.”

Mmm! The hell hound mumbled the bone in his mouth. Good gremlin!

Jus sat down beside the girl, unsuccessfully pretending that he had not been worried sick. “Don’t run off alone.”

“It was ants, man! Ants are hoopy!” The girl paused. “Andbees.”

“Escalla.”

“What?” The girl collected herself. “Anyway, the ants saidthere’s some stuff down this corridor to watch out for. Magic using two-leggershave blocked the next junction. Guess it must be drow.”

“They don’t know for sure?”

Raising one brow, the faerie looked as Jus as though he were insane. “Hey! They catch ’em and eat ’em. They don’t interrogate the beggars!”

Jus shook his head. “Nice.”

“They’re ants, man!” Escalla gave a shrug. “Didn’t youever have an ant farm when you were a kid?”

“Why would I want to grow ants?”

“For fun!”

Jus simply looked at her. “Escalla, oversized carnivorousinsects are not fun. Oversized carnivorous insects are alarming.”

“Oh?” Scratching her head, Escalla puzzled over the strangeways of the world. “Eerie!”

Laying the subject aside for now, Escalla produced the indicator needle from her pouch. As always, the needle pointed northwest. This time, however, a faint quiver in the needle made it tickle in Escalla’s hand.The Justicar watched the motion for a moment and then nodded in slow satisfaction.

“Stationary target. Ten-mile range.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Peering through a cave mouth into the mainpassageway beyond, Jus led the way into the gloom. “Let’s get moving.”

Polk followed the Justicar, carefully recording the route. Henry brought up the rear, his crossbow at the ready. Escalla looked over her companions in satisfaction, dusted a speck of lichen from Cinders’ freshlybrushed fur, then flew down to salute the skull-pommeled sword at Jus’ hip.

“How’s life on this beautiful subterranean morning?”

I am not talking to you. The sword was in a most offendedhuff. You tricked me.

“What trick?” Escalla opened her hands, admiring the sword.The wolf-skull pommel, the stark black grips… it all looked wonderfullygrim. “It’s dire, it’s dark, it’s minimalist. It’s a statement! This is a swordfor striking fear into… into… into folk who need to be fear strucken!”The faerie fluttered along beside the sword. “This is your look. Iswear!”

The sword remained indignantly silent.

Unperturbed, Escalla shrugged and flew ahead to scout for danger. As the party moved on, Benelux snorted then muttered in ill temper. Justicar? I am beginning to feel your companion the faerie is perhaps a tad tarnished.

“Yup.” The big man never once took his eyes away fromscanning the gloom. “Tarnished in some ways and surprisingly pure in others.”

Polk snickered, and from the corridor ahead, Escalla’s angryvoice drifted back. “I heard that!”

Cinders gave a brilliant grin. Funny!

Half a mile beyond the ants, the tunnel opened out into agreat echoing cavern filled with ghastly phosphorescent light. A fortified wall ran across the cave, pierced by a gate studded with bronze spikes. Guards patrolled the wall above, and more guards stood at the gate. They were drow-ebony skinned, silver haired, and sinister.

Jus lay flat in cover with Henry at his side, both carefully scanning the distant scene. Behind them, Escalla watched master and student at their work.

“A guard post has at least four times as many soldiers as youcan see.” Jus carefully pointed out the hidden spy holes in the distant wall.“There’s probably thirty drow soldiers with commanders, a priest, and a powerfulsorcerer as back-up.”

Trying to count the drow, Henry bit his lip. “How do we killthem all?”

“No point.” Jus shrugged. “Escalla, what have we got spellwise? You had some scrolls?”

“Yeah. All earth ones. Stone to flesh, flesh to stone, dig,pass wall. That kind of thing.” The faerie patted the scroll case slung acrossher back. “I can make a hole through the wall, but we’d still be seen.”

Behind Jus, Benelux made an irritated little noise and spoke to Polk. The drow city is nearby, and that means there’s work to do. Thesword wriggled unhappily in its sheath. We can’t fight stone walls. I do wishthey’d just find a way to sneak past.

“They’d never consider it! No, it’ll be a frontal attack,blades swinging-courage against all odds!” Polk gave a self important puff ofhis chest. “These people are adventurers. They’re the slayers of Keraptis,conquerors of White Plume Mountain, masters of the underdark!”

Escalla appeared, peeking over Polk’s shoulder as he spoke.“Polk, have you got those gee-gaws we found on the drow guard post back beforethe trogs? You know, those spider amulets?”