The Dragons Bane

After about fifteen minutes, Mizdar decides it is time to press onward. “It’s time. Seldor, wake Nordok and Clernon, we daren’t stay here any longer.”

“Aye, ‘tis not a good thing ta be hangin’ around in the dungeon too close ta a big battle,” agrees Delgar.

Seldor obediently goes over to the two sleepers and gives each a gentle shake of their shoulders, causing them to open their eyes. “It’s time to go,” he says in a gentle voice, knowing they are not yet ready.

The two nod their heads slowly, a clear indication of their current state. Mizdar, watching the two as they struggle to their feet, decides that we need to change our marching order to accommodate the two. “Nordok, you and I are switching places. Clandistra, you will move behind me, as my back up.”

Nordok, too weary yet from his recent ordeal to contest the change, moves to take his new place in line.

Dimlar and Delgar, having checked the door for sounds while the rest of us readied ourselves, give us the all-clear sign. As we move behind them, they open the hall door and check down the hallway. This time, the hallway is free of the living.

There must be fifty or sixty goblins scattered and piled throughout this end of the hallway, their bodies blocking the door at the end of the hallway. The two seemingly tireless dwarves begin to pull the dead goblins out of the way, clearing a path wide enough for us to walk single file over to the doors. The dwarves, upon reaching the doors, quietly clear the dead goblins away from one of the doors. Dimlar, in the front, then listens at the door but cannot hear anything over his own heavy breathing. Shrugging, he looks back to the ragged line behind him, silently asking their permission to open the door anyway.

At a nod from Mizdar, Dimlar cracks the door partway. His quick check of the room reveals no sign that it’s occupied. Boldly pushing the door open, he leads the rest of us inside. This room is the first one that’s different. It is a 30 by 40 foot room with the two corners opposite us chopped off at about a 45 degree angle. There is a door in between them, the only door besides the one we are entering by. The room is also the driest one so far.

A burned pile of ashes that used to be something rests on the floor off to one side. “That is all that is left of the troll we killed last season. You must burn their carcasses or they will heal themselves and rise to fight again, and it doesn’t take them long, either,“ comments Mizdar.

“Aye, mere moments afore they get up an’ come fer ye again,” adds Delgar, taking advantage of the brief break to rest his arm.

“If ye cut them up, the parts can even crawl back together, joinin’ up till the creature can get up an’ come fer ye some more,” adds Dimlar, aware that some of the others need the brief break.

Just then, the doors at the far end open, spilling more light from a lantern held aloft by the biggest and ugliest goblin any of us have ever seen, followed closely by its twin. We all turn to look, surprise and horror causing us to just stand and stare for a moment. We can’t fight another big battle against a horde of these super-sized goblins and survive.

The two giant goblins begin to charge at us, their obvious hatred for us allowing them no other recourse. The black blood of their fallen comrades, still covering us with its wetness, only fuels their anger more. Fortunately, there are but two of the brutes. The dwarves prepare to meet their charge, battleaxes at the ready. Seldor, standing behind and between the dwarves, also readies himself. Mizdar and Clandistra move to either side of Seldor, hoping to add their strength to the formation.

The fast moving giant goblins are quickly upon us. The dwarves swing their battleaxes low but hard, going to one knee in their effort to bring the two giant goblins down. Dimlar’s blow succeeds in neatly removing the leg from his attacker, causing it to fall between the two dwarves, where Seldor drives his sword deep into the monsters upper body, twisting and grinding it into the giant goblin as far as his strength will allow.

Delgar, however, only wounds his foe, but the leg wound is sufficient to send the beast tumbling towards Mizdar. Mizdar, having seen what the dwarves were planning, has the base of his staff planted against the floor and angled forward as the giant goblin begins his forward tumble. A deft change in position causes the giant goblin’s chin to hit the end of the staff squarely. The giant goblin’s own momentum causes the monster’s head to snap back with such force that the neck snaps with a loud crack. So much for our unexpected guests.

“These are the biggest, ugliest goblins yet. Do they all grow to this size?” asks Seldor of nobody in particular.

“These are not true goblins, being only half,” answers Mizdar.

“Well, they sure are ugly. Think they have any treasure?” asks Seldor.

“Aye, they might. The last one did,” replies Dimlar, beginning to check the bodies.

The one who was holding the lantern has two pouches. One, heavy with gold, yields another 300 gold pieces. The other, smaller and lighter, is about half full of gems, 32 gems, to be exact. The other body, having only a few gold pieces, tells us that the first was the leader.

“Well, that kinda makes up for the last battle,” notes Mintock.

“Are we ready to move on? These two look like they won’t make it for long,” comments Clandistra, indicating Clernon and Nordok with a nod.

“Yes, it’s time to find ourselves a room for the night. Let’s get moving,” orders Mizdar.

“Aye, ’tis time,” adds Delgar wearily, his arm obviously hurting him.

The two dwarves move to the door, still standing ajar. The rest, having moved up behind them, wait for Dimlar and Delgar to take a quick peek into the long hallway.

Not seeing anything, we proceed out into the hallway. Delgar takes a few steps to his left, which allows him to see up the short hall leading off the main hallway. Finding both hallways clear, we head south to the second door on the left. Delgar, his strength waning, stops to listen at the door.

Shortly, Delgar gives us the all-clear sign. He then opens the door a crack. Finding no signs that the room is occupied, he opens it further. The room is empty. He leads the rest of us into the room, looking around. We close the door, deciding that this is as good a place to rest as any.

“Dimlar, Seldor, nail the doors shut, please.”

The two fighters comply with Mizdar’s command, nailing four spikes in each door, two at the top and two at the bottom. Their hammers, sheathed in leather, make almost no sound when struck against the spikes.

Once the doors are secured, Clandistra approaches Delgar. The set of her face indicating that she will brook no objections.

“It is time to fix that arm of yours. Let me see it.”

“Aye, we probably be safe fer the night,” answers Delgar, holding forth his arm for her to work her magic on it.

Clandistra, raising her medallion, begins to pray. Her greenish-golden glow lights up the room as it spreads from her medallion, down her arm and across her body, finally ending at the dwarf, covering him completely. The wound on his arm, healing under the bandage, will trouble him no more.

Those among us that are the weariest fall fast asleep.

“Time to eat,” says Mizdar, “Dimlar, as you are the only fighter yet awake, please guard the door while you eat.”

“Aye, but I think we be needin’ ta be bringin’ more fighters with us. Four ain’t enough.”

We have a good meal, thanks to Clernon. The food he cooked before we left is almost as good cold as it was hot. Too bad he is fast asleep, maybe we’ll save him some.

Mizdar and Mintock, with Dimlar guarding the door, spend the next few hours studying their spellbooks, preparing for tomorrow. Mintock, having noticed that Mizdar’s sleep spell was pretty effective against the goblins, asks Mizdar for advice.

”Do you think I should try the sleep spell instead of the missile spell? My one missile doesn’t amount to much.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, you managed to blind their leader. At the time, the battle could still have gone against us if you hadn’t. As it was, we nearly lost three of our party.”

“Aye, their leader, if he had had a chance to fight, could ‘ave done us some serious harm. An’ where would we ’ave been then, when the other two jumped us?”

“I hadn’t thought about it that way. Sometimes I feel that I don’t have much to contribute.”

“Aye, might seem that way, now, but ye jes wait. When ye come inta yer own, it’ll be us that’ll be afeelin’ like ye do now, I’ll wager me beard on it. So don’t ye fret, jes try an’ stay alive long enough ta come inta yer own.”

“I still think I’ll change over to a sleep spell, for tomorrow, anyway.”

“Yes, here on the first level it is generally more powerful than your single missile, that’s why I carry one of each.”

“I can hardly wait till I have a few more spells, having but one a day is frustrating, sometimes.”

“Well, you needn’t worry too much. I bet you are ready to go up already, the experience you gained from the snow giants alone probably put you close. I guarantee today’s fighting has put you over. And we still have a few days left in here for you to get even more.”

And Mintock, thinking about what they said, goes back to studying his spellbooks with a smile, happy with the knowledge that he has already met his main goal for this trip.

Mizdar and Dimlar, watching him, exchange smiles, remembering their own feelings when they found out they were ready to move up from first level. Something about the first time you go up just makes it all worthwhile. It even feels better than when you graduate from being a student to a full-fledged fighter, mage, or whatever your chosen field may be.

Four hours later, it is time for their relief watch to get up. “Who do you think we should awaken?” asks Mintock.

“Dimlar, how well do you think Delgar is?” asks Mizdar.

“He’ll be ok fer the next watch, that’s fer sure.”

“Then you wake him up,” says Mizdar, with a knowing smile, causing Dimlar to laugh.

Seeing the puzzled look on Mintock’s face, Mizdar explains. “Delgar doesn’t always wake up in the best of moods, especially after he has been healed. Last summer, he almost took Elgin’s head off when he woke him up by mistake, one night.”

“Aye, Elgin never could tell us apart!” laughs Dimlar, remembering the incident. “That be when Delgar decided ta start wearing that red paint on ’is armor,” laughs Dimlar loudly. “Poor Elgin, ’twas prolly why he quit!”

“Aye, an’ ye be next, ye scallywag, tellin’ yarns bout me whilst I be sleepin!” says Delgar sourly, having been woken up by Dimlar’s laughter.

“Well, who else be standin’ next watch wit me,” asks Delgar, after we tell him that it’s his turn to guard the door.

“Clandistra. I’ll wake her,” replies Mizdar.

Gently shaking Clandistra’s shoulder, Mizdar is once again struck by her exquisite beauty. Her Elven face, innocent in sleep, is enough to take a man’s breath away. Even awake, it is hard not to stare at her, only the knowledge that she hates it so when men stare at her keeps Mizdar and the rest of us from doing so.

“My turn?” asks Clandistra, opening her eyes and catching Mizdar admiring her. She returns his smile, strangely not upset by his attention.

Mizdar, slightly confused and definitely embarrassed at being caught staring, replies “yes, it is. So far, it has been quiet, no trouble. Wake Seldor and Clernon next, but let Nordok sleep through the night if he doesn’t wake up on his own. That gut wound was pretty bad, it almost killed him. That’s why Clernon was drained so much when he healed him.”

“I know. Well, see you in the morning.”

The rest of the night passes without incident. And on a new day, we awaken, starving from the previous day’s work.

Clernon, whose shift was the last of the night, has managed to greet those of us still sleep with the sweet aroma of some of his hot meat pies. How he managed to warm them up is a mystery. Seldor, who was also on the last shift, refuses to divulge Clernon’s secret. The rest of us must therefore content ourselves with the fact of a hot breakfast that tastes great.

We are all famished, so, cold or hot, we would have thought the food tasted fantastic. Funny how an appetite can influence how something tastes. After yesterday, we all want seconds, some even having thirds. Fortunately, Clernon anticipated our hunger, for there is plenty to go around.

“Ahh..., that was one of the best breakfasts I can remember,” states Nordok. Being the only one who didn’t stand a watch during the night, he missed out on his midnight meal.

“I’m glad you liked it, because after tomorrow, it is back to the iron rations. I only made enough food for four days, and we just ate a whole day’s worth of food for breakfast.”

“Well, since we might not be alive tomorrow, I say live for the moment and let tomorrow take care of itself!”

“Brave words for someone who was too sleepy to stand a watch last night,” teases Seldor.

“I think that since Nordok didn’t stand a watch last night, it’s only fair that he clean up after breakfast. How about the rest of you?” asks Seldor.

Quick to get out of the breakfast cleanup, everyone turns to Nordok and grins with big smiles on their faces, nodding their agreement.

“Ha, ha, laugh it up. At least I got a good night’s sleep and a hot breakfast. A few minutes of cleaning up is a small price to pay!”

So, while Nordok cleans up our breakfast mess, the rest of us decide on our plan for the day.

“I think we should just keep going down this hallway, checking rooms on the way,” suggests Seldor, pointing at the map.

“Aye, I be thinkin’ ’tis a good plan fer today,” states Delgar.

“Aye, ’tis be as good as any,” agrees Dimlar.

“Count me in,” says Nordok from the corner where he is busy cleaning the dishes.

“Well then, that’s settled. We can leave when we’re all ready, say in half an hour,” states Mizdar.

“Well, I think I need to relieve myself of some of yesterday’s food before we go, my stomach needs room for that big breakfast,” says Seldor, as he rises and leaves for the other corner where a tarp has been set up for privacy.

“Aye, me too.”

“And I.”

“Well then, if you two are going, we had better get out of here sooner,” says Nordok, poking fun at the dwarves.

“Ho, ho, just watch yer step when it be yer turn,” returns Delgar.

“Ye do be knowin’ that part of yer job of cleanin’ up includes dumpin’ the pot, don’t ye know?” adds Dimlar with a smile clearly showing through his thick beard.

We go through the ritual check of our packs, as well as our neighbor’s, making sure we know where everything is and that nothing is loose. Mintock, holding the lantern high, waits for Seldor and Dimlar to remove the spikes from the door. With that accomplished, Delgar opens the door a crack, looking for signs of trouble. Finding none, we proceed into the hall. We bypass the next set of rooms marked on the map, preferring instead to explore the rooms off the hallway that are farther down, giving us a chance to make additions to the map.

We check the room on the left first. After listening, Delgar gives the all-clear signal. Opening the door a crack, he doesn’t see anything, either. Opening the door fully, we still don’t see anything. It is still too dark to see much of the room, since Mintock has the only lit lantern and he is towards the back, down the hall too far to be of any use.

Delgar, cursing the light, steps into the room and away from the light. After a few seconds, his dwarven eyes adjust, letting him see in the darkness just as if it were light. It is an empty 30 by 30 foot room with no other doors, just as we surmised.

Mizdar, realizing what Delgar has just done, motions everyone into the room where Delgar is waiting. Closing the door, Mizdar turns a furious eye on Delgar.

“If you can’t see, say so! We can easily light another lantern. What we cannot easily do, is replace you! Coming in here by yourself just so your eyes could adjust, allowing you to use your night vision just because you didn’t want to wait for someone to light a lantern was very, very stupid! What if there was one of the many, many monsters that don’t make a sound just waiting in here for some idiot like you to just come strolling in? I thought you knew better than that!”

”Aye, that I do! An’ I got no excuse, neither! It was wrong, it was stupid, but I did it anyway! I’ll not be doin’ it again, though, so no harms done. Let it be.”

Mizdar, still pretty mad, orders two more lanterns lit, one for himself and one for Clernon.

“And we are going to have to change our order, as well. We need to be positioned differently for all these doors off the hallway. I want Clandistra and Mintock up front, Clernon and Nordok out back, Seldor, the dwarves and myself in the middle. We stop when the dwarves, Seldor, and myself are by the door. This way I can shed light into the room,” orders Mizdar, giving Delgar a nasty look.

The next door to be checked is right across the hall. So, after a quick check to make sure the hall is still deserted, we file out and assume our new positions. Dimlar, not wanting to give Delgar a chance to anger Mizdar further, decides he should be the one to listen for noise at the next few doors.

After a couple of moments, Dimlar signals the all-clear sign. He then cracks the door a few inches, waiting a moment. He is trying to see inside, but also waiting to see if a monster comes running to the door, attracted by the light. But neither happens. The room is another 30 by 30 foot empty room. But there is a door in the opposite wall, and the dust leading to it shows the footprints of many things using the room to cross between the hallway and whatever is on the other side of the far door. We decide to stick to the plan and keep going down the hall.

Repeating the same process, we find that the next room down the hall is also empty. We then move to the room across the hall. After a quick check for sounds, Dimlar cracks the door. Finding nothing, he pushes the door open all the way, causing the light from Mizdar’s lantern to fill the center of the room.

Along the back wall is the body of a man, or at least what’s left of him. And gnawing away at the body are what appear to be at least a dozen giant rats.

“Well, normally when we encounter rats, I would say we should just close the door and go on, but I think we should check the body for booty,” says Mizdar.

“Aye, let’s go an’ see what there be on the body,” says Delgar, heading into the room and changing weapons to his hammer. Dimlar, in complete agreement, also starts across the room, bringing out his hammer as well.

The rest of us make our way into the room, closing the door behind us. Seldor and Nordok begin to make their way across the room, intending to attack the rats with the dwarves, but Mizdar stops them.

“Hold up, let them two handle the vermin, their hammers are better suited to killing rats than your swords. Hammers don’t break when they hit the hard floor. Besides, they’re only rats.”

Seeing the truth in his words, the two hold back, but they remain at the ready in case any of the rats decide to come their way. It only takes one swing of the hammer to kill a rat. And the rats’ nature is such that they will keep eating until the very last second, not attempting to run until they have to.

Delgar and Dimlar, walking over to the rats, time their first blows to land simultaneously, each killing one rat. The others, with teeth barred, begin to back away from the pair. The two dwarves then step back a few feet and wait. The rats, after a few moments, are quick to return to their feast. Once again, the dwarves approach them, and swinging at the same time again, they kill two more rats. It isn’t long before they have killed all the rats, leaving small pools of blood to form by the crushed body of each rat.

Mizdar, bringing the lantern, goes to where the dwarves are beginning to examine the body. He holds it high while the dwarves search what’s left of the body. “Anything?” asks Mizdar after a few minutes.

“Aye, me thinks ’tis what be left of Figor,” says Delgar.

“Let me see. Yes, I think you’re right. I wonder what happened to him, there is no way he could have survived the winter down here by himself.”

“From the rags he be wearin’, he musta been captured an’ used fer a slave, I’ll wager.”

“You’re probably right, Dimlar. There doesn’t appear to be anything left on his body.”

“Nay, not even a dagger. I suspect someone killed ‘em an’ then dumped ’em here fer the rats to feed on,” replies Delgar.

The rest of us, easily overhearing them, begin to approach the body.

“Poor guy. Do we bring the body with us or do something for it?” asks Nordok.

“No, about the only thing we can do is spike the door closed, giving him this room as his tomb,” replies Mizdar.

“Aye, that be what we do. Delgar, get yer hammer an’ spikes ready, I’ll stand guard.”

“I’ll help too,” says Seldor.

After another quick check of the hallway, we leave the room and close the doors, spiking them closed.

“Well, let’s get going, we have a whole dungeon to explore.”

The next door, being on the same side of the hall and only ten feet down it, takes but a few steps for us to reach. Dimlar, once again listening at the door, signals the all-clear sign. Opening this door a crack, he discovers another hallway. Not being able to see the other end, he pulls the door shut and quietly tells the others.

“We keep to the original plan, so let’s move on to the next door,” orders Mizdar quietly.

We repeat our search process for the next three rooms, but they are all empty. This brings us close to a bend in the hallway. Mizdar, not wanting us to be surprised by anything, decides that we should check around the bend before checking any more rooms. Deciding that this is a good opportunity for the dwarves and Clandistra to make use of their night vision abilities, he sends the three of them ahead to scout around the bend. We stay back a good 30 feet, which is the distance that the light from our lanterns reaches.

The three stop by the bend, just out of the lantern light. After the few moments it takes for their eyes to adjust, Delgar decides he will be the one to look around the bend. Crouching down, he begins creeping around the wide corner, being careful not to make any noise by the doors that fill most of the inside corner. Once he is by the doors, he checks around the last part of the corner.

He discovers that the hall continues for some ways, maybe sixty feet, before curving south out of his view. There are no doors in the top wall, but there are two in the bottom. Luckily, the hallway seems to be deserted. He then motions for Clandistra to join him, knowing her vision to be superior to his. He wants her to confirm what he sees.

She quietly moves past the doors with a grace and stealth that can only be matched by another elf. Boldly walking past the dwarf, she steps around the corner and confirms what he sees. The two then return to where the rest of us are waiting, accompanied by Dimlar.

“Nothing around the bend. The hall goes on to the west for about sixty feet and then bends south, but I thought I saw part of a door about ten feet past the end of the bend in the top wall,” reports Clandistra.

“Aye, an’ there be two doors in the bottom wall, an two opposite each other in the bend right there. Yer eyes be good if ye saw a door past the fer bend, I couldna see nothin’ beyond the bend,” compliments Delgar.

“So we have five more rooms between us and the far bend,” muses Mizdar aloud, thinking about where and when they will have to break for their midday meal. “Well, let’s check this next room, here.”

We ready ourselves for what has become a regular routine as Delgar listens at this door. Delgar’s hand signals the all-clear sign. He then opens the door a crack, shedding a thin beam of light into the room. After a few moments, he pushes the door wide. The light fills most of the room, revealing a room that is definitely not empty. A large web fills the entire back half of the room, several large spiders scurrying about within it.

“Close the door,” orders Mizdar.

Delgar is quick to obey, holding the doors closed while we consider our options. Mizdar reviews our choices, careful to keep his voice low.

“We can use some oil and a torch to burn them in their webs, possibly burning up any treasure as well. Or we can hack and slash our way through the webs and kill them as they try to defend their nest, but then we risk a possibly poisonous spider bite. Any suggestions or feelings on the matter?”

“Aye, I say we burn ‘em out, I be hatin’ spiders.”

“Aye, I be secondin’ that,” says Delgar, agreeing with Dimlar.

The others nod their heads, agreeing with the dwarves.

“Ok. Seldor, get three of the glass flasks of oil ready. Nordok, get a torch lit and move in here behind the two dwarves. Delgar, you open the door when we are ready. But be prepared, the spiders could very well be right on the other side of the doors, just waiting for us to open them.” Mizdar then stands with his back to the opposite wall, holding the lantern high so the others can see.

Once the torch is lit and Seldor has the flasks of oil in his hands, ready to throw them, Delgar cracks the one of the doors open, trying to see the spiders inside. Not seeing any, he asks “ready?”

“Now,” replies Seldor. Delgar and Dimlar push the doors open with one hand, their short swords in their other. Their fear of spiders is evident in the way they stand, very ready to jump back if the spiders have left their webs.

Seldor throws the first flask against the wall, next to the webs. Bursting, the oil splashes onto some of the webs. He smashes the next flask against the wall on the other side of the webs. The last flask, he smashes on the floor just in front of the webs, causing oil to spread across the floor under the webs. Nordok the throws the torch on the oil on the floor. Immediately, flames spread across the floor, lighting the front of the webs and spreading up each side, catching fire to the rest of the oil. The webs are now burning quickly, the spider’s bodies shriveling in the flames. The two dwarves close the door as the room begins to fill with smoke from the fire.

We wait patiently for about five minutes, wary for any creatures that may come down the hallway. Finally, satisfied that the fire should have burned itself out, Mizdar motions for Delgar to open the door. Smoke immediately begins to pour out the door, rolling away down the hall. Expecting the smoke, we have crouched down, but a few choking coughs still escape from some of us.

The two dwarves, shorter than the rest of us and able to remain upright, are already looking for any spiders that may yet live. Once the smoke has cleared somewhat, we proceed into the room. The light from our lantern shows the remains of several burned carcasses, obviously too big to belong to the spiders, that were within the webs.

Half a dozen piles of coins lay on the burned remnants of the sacks that once contained them. Various weapons of metal can also be seen, lying on the floor where they fell from the burning webs. The walls are heavily scorched from the fire, which consumed the webs and the deadly spiders that made them, leaving no sign of the many-legged bodies. We cross the room, looking at the burned and desiccated carcasses, unable even to identify what creatures they once were.

We collect the coins, mostly silver, but with some gold mixed in. We also find a few gems amongst them as we fill our own sacks with them. Next we take the weapons, stowing them in our packs for now, except for one of the three long swords. Nordok, not having a spare, has been forced to use his two-handed sword since breaking his long sword the day before. Now, after testing one of the ones we just found and finding it still useable, he stows his two-handed sword in favor of the long sword.

Besides the three long swords, we also find an all metal mace, two two-handed swords, a halberd with a burned shaft, and a crossbow, its metal spring and trigger mechanism the only parts that are left relatively intact. We leave the damaged weapons where they lay, their wooden parts still showing signs of the fire that destroyed them.

Proceeding back to the hall through the still open doors, we don’t bother with more than a quick peek in each direction before leaving the room. The smoke has cleared, no doubt finding a way out through some hidden holes that serve as vents. We proceed to the next room, deciding on the bottom door in the bend. We round the bend, prepared for any enemy that might be coming up the hall. Finding the rest of the hallway past the bend to be empty, we position ourselves around the bottom doors.

Delgar, once more hearing nothing, gives the all-clear sign. Mizdar holds his lantern high as Delgar opens the door a crack, shedding some light into the room, but failing to see anything. A terrible stench reaches us almost immediately. After a moment, just as he is about to open the door wider, some scrambling sounds reach his ears and he can discern several man shapes approaching the door. Immediately, he closes the door and warns the others.

”There be somethin’ in here, I saw what looked to be several men.”

Just then a noise from the door latch alerts us to the coming confrontation.

“Too late to run, so I guess we fight!” says Mizdar, blowing out his lantern and tossing it to the floor behind him.

One of the doors slowly opens, revealing the walking corpses of at least eight men wearing the ragged remains of damaged armor and shredded clothes. Clandistra immediately grabs her medallion, holding it aloft as she begins to pray. Two of the zombies closest to her let out a moan as they fall to the floor, now lifeless.

Clernon, his lantern in one hand, fumbles to get at his medallion with his other hand. The two dwarves leap over the fallen bodies to attack those behind them, Seldor and Nordok following them into the room.

The dwarves each bring down a zombie, leaving none within reach of the two humans close behind them. The other zombies come toward the four, but cannot move fast enough to close with us. Clernon, finally grabbing hold of his medallion, holds it forth and begins to pray. Unfortunately the remaining zombies are too far for his prayer to have any effect.

Delgar and Dimlar continue forward, again striking down a zombie apiece. Seldor and Nordok, realizing how easily the zombies are to kill, leave the protection of the dwarves and attack two of the remaining brutes, each bring down one. The last three zombies, being the slowest due to the poor shape of the bodies they were created from, are slowly making their way towards us.

The dwarves, impatient to end the battle, leap over the fallen remains in front of them and move towards the remaining three, followed by Seldor and Nordok. One of the zombies tries to hit Delgar but misses. The other two attack the humans, but their attempts also fail.

The dwarves have no trouble dispatching another zombie each, leaving Seldor and Nordok to destroy the last one. A quick check of the room reveals no sign of any treasure.

“I be fer gettin’ outa here, the stench be unbearable.”

“Aye, ‘tis time to be goin’,” agrees Delgar.

Nordok and Seldor easily beat them to the door, demonstrating their feelings on the matter. As soon as the dwarves are clear of the room, Mizdar and Clandistra close the doors, obviously hoping to keep the smell in.

“Well, that was a nasty job. Hope we don’t run into too many of them, as it is, we’ll be lucky if we can eat lunch with their smell on us. Speaking of lunch, when were we planning on eating?” asks Nordok.

“Don’t tell me you’re hungry already. As much as you ate for breakfast, you should be able to go until supper, at least,” chides Clernon.

“Cut the chatter, we don’t want to make any more noise than we have to. And we got this other door here to check, so ready yourselves,” orders Mizdar.