The Dragons Bane

CHAPTER 13

Escaping The Dungeon

The night passes uneventfully, with everyone rising early in the morning, a clear indication of how anxious we all are to leave the dungeon. Having used up the last of the meat pies for supper last night, we are forced to eat the regular rations, cold, of course. The jerky-like stuff, meant to be eaten for up to six months later, is hardly a meal fit for a king. But it will keep you alive and give you the energy you need to keep fighting. After eating Clernon’s cooking for the last few weeks, the dry, dull-tasting food just gives us one more reason to leave the dungeon early.

Once we have finished with breakfast, we decide to take a break, relaxing while we let our food settle and giving ourselves time to prepare for the day ahead.

“Nordok, can I see you a moment?” asks Mintock.

“Sure, what’s on your mind?”

“Well, I have a present for you. Something that will benefit us as a party,” explains Mintock, a little unsure of how he should offer such a present to his friend.

“What are you talking about?” A little confused, but still confident and comfortable with his friend, Nordok looks questioningly at him.

“Here, I want you to take this ring so that both you and Seldor will be able to fly.” The words come out in a rush. His feelings of late concerning his contribution to the battles and how inadequate he has been feeling have made him nervous. It all seemed so logical in his head, but now that it has come time to actually give Nordok the ring, he finds the moment awkward.

“I can’t take your ring, it was your pick of the treasure.”

“Yes, you can.”

“No, I can’t. Do you know how much that ring is probably worth?

“No, actually I don’t. But is worth more to me and the rest of the party if it were on your finger rather than on mine,” says Mintock, feeling that that argument should be plainly obvious, even to Nordok. “Like Mizdar said, as a mage, I’ll have that ability soon enough. Besides, you earned it more than I did, call it a thank you for saving Clandistra when you stepped between her and that gargoyle.”

Nordok, not sure what to say, takes a moment to think. “I’ll take it on one condition, you must let me return the favor. When we get some treasure, if there is something that you can use, then you must take my pick of it. Else I refuse your gift entirely, right now.”

Seeing the stubborn set of Nordok’s face, Mintock smiles. “Deal.”

While the pair assumed their conversation to be private, their disagreement caused them to be a little louder than they realized. The rest of us have all become aware of the apparent dispute, but none of us are able to eavesdrop enough to be able to get the point of the dispute because we are all pretending not to out of respect for the two’s privacy. Clandistra’s sharp Elven ears, however, have allowed her to pick up most of the conversation quite easily. But since the dispute seemed to end well, we hide our curiosity for the moment.

While the others pretend the dispute never occurred as they go about their business, Mizdar, well aware of Clandistra’s abilities and the fact that she probably overheard their conversation earlier, silently asks her if she knows what is going on with a raise of the eyebrows. Careful to not let the others see, she puts a finger to her lips and gives him a look that says she will tell him later.

Once we have relaxed after our not so appetizing breakfast, we plan our escape route. By going up the hall and taking the short left hall by the pit trap, we should be able to get out fairly easily, assuming we don’t run into any trouble or fall into the pit, that is. Nordok uses this time to put on the ring of flying, causing a few puzzled looks as he tries it out, leaping into the air and hovering for a few minutes before landing gracefully.

“What did you two do, work out some secret deal?” asks Seldor, slightly miffed at being upstaged by Nordok’s obvious flying skill as well as being excluded from their earlier conversation.

“Private matter between Mintock and myself, and he has chosen to keep the matter confidential. Therefore, I can’t tell you.” He replies with a deliberate haughtiness and his disarming smile, obviously intent on teasing Seldor a little, while at the same time fueling his curiosity.

“Time to get our gear together so we can get going,” orders Mizdar. In an effort to avoid another dispute, he decides it is time to get motivated.

We get our gear in order, breaking camp as it were and packing up everything. Divvying up the bags of coins, we each take some, ensuring that the loss of one person will not mean the loss of our treasure. Next we each square away our packs, making sure we know where everything is in everyone’s packs. We then do a last minute check for loose items before forming up at the door.

Delgar, listening at the door, gives the all clear signal. After Mizdar speaks the word of opening, Delgar opens the door a crack. Nothing happens and he doesn’t see anything, so he opens the door wide. Still nothing, so we proceed into the next room.

“Something looks different,” comments Mintock, holding the lantern high.

“The carved wall is gone,” exclaims Seldor. The wall that had the engraved creatures is now a comparatively blank featureless wall like all the rest.

“What do ye supposed happened to it?” asks Dimlar.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” answers Mizdar. “But when we get back to the castle, I’m going to see what I can find out about that wall.”

“Well, let’s get out of here before we disappear too!” jokes Nordok.

“Aye, I be fer that,” agrees Delgar, apparently unaware that Nordok was joking.

With a look and a chuckle over the dwarf’s occasional inability to grasp human humor, we continue our march to the other door that leads to the hallway, where Delgar listens for a few moments. Again, hearing nothing, he gives the all clear signal. Opening the door a crack, he looks and listens some more, as a narrow crack of light spills out into the hallway. This time, the response we get from opening the door is audible to all of us. The barking of several dogs rings loudly as they come charging from somewhere down the hallway.

Quickly closing the door, Delgar asks, “what do we want to do now? Fight or wait? Those be the two-headed brutes that killed Delra on our first trip.”

“I say we fight,” says Nordok.

“Aye, that be the best plan, no tellin’ what they be bringin’ down on us, if we don’t,” adds Dimlar.

“Yes, but this is how we are going to do it. You two dwarves will open the doors and fight them in the doorway. Mintock, Seldor, and Clernon will help as best they can from behind, though I don’t think they will be able to strike at the dogs over your heads like usual, the dogs aren’t big enough for that. I will use a spider web spell to trap as many as possible and block the south part of the hall, preventing any more from coming at us from that direction. Nordok will fly above us and use his fire to burn as many as possible, Ok?”

Everyone nods and then we position ourselves accordingly. As soon as we are all in position, and Mizdar signals that his spell is ready to go off, the two dwarves fling open both doors.

Three two-headed dogs are already rushing to attack as the doors are opened. The dwarves fend them off, attacking them as they try to bite. Mizdar’s spell goes off, sealing the hallway for a depth of about five feet and trapping several of the two-headed dogs. Nordok, hovering up and to the right, sends forth his fire, scorching and burning nine of the two-headed dogs in the northern part of the hallway. There are only about seven of the ferocious, two-headed beasts left.

The three dogs in the doorway, not deterred by Nordok’s fire, continue to viscously attack the two dwarves. The two-headed dog in the center manages to attack both dwarves, each head biting at one of them. Luckily for the dwarves, neither succeeds. However, each dwarf does get bitten by one of the heads of each of the other two. The vicious bites demonstrate the strength of the powerful dogs, each inflicting significant damage to the dwarves.

The dwarves, having waited long enough, decide enough is enough and attack in earnest. Delgar smites the dog that bit him with his hammer, pulverizing the creature against the door jam. Dimlar also deals a hard blow to the dog that bit him, but fails to kill it. The others discover that the dogs are indeed too short to hit over the heads of the dwarves, so, rather than risk hitting their companions, they refrain from attacking the two-headed monstrosities.

One of the remaining dogs immediately replaces the fallen one, attacking Dimlar with both heads but failing to bite with either. The middle dog, focusing both attacks on Dimlar, succeeds with one bite. The dog already wounded by Dimlar also misses him.

Nordok, still flying, witnesses the vicious wounds inflicted by the biting dogs. Once more calling forth his fire, he sends the flame down on what remains of the pack, careful to avoid burning the dwarves. The dogs in the doorway are now all that remain. Delgar again drops the dog in front of him, driving his hammer completely through the chest of the dog, sending a shower of bloody dog parts everywhere. Dimlar also manages to hit the dog that just bit him, crushing one of the dog’s heads, its bloody brains helping to make the floor slippery.

The last two dogs each attack a dwarf. The dog with only one head goes for Delgar, but the flopping of its one dead head throws it off balance just enough to cause it to miss. The other dog, though wounded by Dimlar earlier, is still able to attack, both heads succeeding in biting the dwarf.

Nordok, realizing that the battle is all but over, flies back by Mizdar, landing with ease. Dimlar finally kills the dog he wounded earlier when he delivers a bone-crushing blow to its chest, the cracking of bones so loud that the noise is easily heard by all. And Delgar delivers an upper cut blow with his hammer that sends parts of the one headed dog flying into the opposite doors and ceiling. The battle over, we retreat back into the room, not bothering to close the doors before we look to our wounded.

“Who got bit?” asks Clandistra.

“We both be bit, me once and Dimlar three or four times.”

“Well, I’ll take care of Dimlar. Clernon, you want to fix up Delgar?”

“No problem, fact is, I’ve noticed that it seems to get easier and easier to heal the more times I do it.”

“That’s about right. By the time you get to fifth level, you won’t feel drained at all from it. Of course, when you do a higher level spell, the effect is just as bad, till you do enough of them. Now let us hope that none of the bites prove poisonous”

The poison that Clandistra is concerned about is carried in the saliva of the dogs. It is a form of poison that causes a rot that spreads throughout the body if not treated, eventually causing death. But the dwarves are a tough and hardy lot, and with luck neither will succumb to the poison.

Clandistra then heals Dimlar, her greenish glow lighting up the corner of the room and part of the hallway. Clernon calls on his god using the medallion and his bluish-white glow, combined with Clandistra’s, turns the room and hallway into the bluish-green color of the sea, giving everyone the creepy sensation that they are on the bottom of a lake on a bright sunny day.

But one of Dimlar’s wounds fails to heal completely. The rotting disease in the death dog’s saliva, having taken root in the wound, will not allow it to be completely healed by Clandistra’s spell.

“We may have a problem, I tried to heal this dog bite, but was unable to completely heal it. The dog’s saliva must have infected the wound, now it is beyond my ability to heal. The wound will require a cure poison spell before it can be healed. If we wait too long, the poison will spread throughout his body, killing him.”

“What, ye be tellin’ me that I be dying? How long be too long?” asks an alarmed Dimlar.

“Probably within two weeks to a month, at most.”

“There be nothin’ ye can do fer me?”

“Well, there may be one thing, it is not a cure, mind you, but it may give you a little more time. Hopefully enough time to get you back to the castle, where one of the higher clerics will be able to cure you. With any luck, the poison will not have spread too far, and hopefully not too many parts of you will have fallen off from the rot. Clernon, will you allow him to wear your brooch?”

“Yes.”

Clernon removes his brooch and gives it to Clandistra, who in turn hands it to the dwarf, also giving him some instructions. “Put this on under your armor, on the inside of the padding so it is close to your skin. Do it now, the sooner the poison is slowed, the better. Haste is now your best hope.”

“Aye, an’ he may have it back as soon as we reach the castle, on my word.” The dwarf, alarmed by her words, immediately undoes the straps holding one side of his armor. Pulling at his padding, he manages to pin the brooch to his undershirt. He then refastens his armor back in place.

“Should we look for treasure?” asks Nordok.

“Do you see any pockets on them?” asks Seldor, a little tersely, but not really sure why.

“Well, maybe they swallowed something.”

“Don’t waste your time, these brutes don’t have anything,” says Mizdar, ending the dispute before it can begin.

“Time to go, so check your packs, but make it quick. No telling what may have heard those dogs barking,” orders Mizdar.

“Aye, let us make wit some speed,” adds Dimlar, now overly aware of his limited time.

Regrouping, we check each other’s packs for loose items before heading north, up the hallway. As we approach the opening for the side hallway, Delgar reminds everyone about the pit trap. “This be where Midar fell through the floor, landin’ himself on the spears down below.”

“Maybe we should go single file through this part,” suggests Mizdar.

“Aye, I be leadin’ the way,” offers Delgar.

After safely making it past the pit trap, we cover the short distance to the doors at the end. Dimlar takes his turn at listening, but hears nothing. Opening the door a crack, he waits and listens some more, but nothing happens. Opening the door wide reveals that the room is empty. We proceed to the north door, where Delgar takes his turn listening. Hearing nothing at this door either, he opens it a crack. When nothing happens, he pushes the door open, finding that this room is also empty.

We approach the door in the opposite wall. Dimlar, listening at the door to next room, hears several guttural grunts and growls. Warning the others, he motions Delgar to use his great strength to hold the door closed.

He then quietly tells the others what he heard. “Deep growls an’ snarls, several different ones, what do we be doin?”

Mizdar, looking at the map Mintock is holding for him, considers the options. “It is too far to go around, so it seems we don’t have a choice. We must attack. Seldor, you and Nordok back up Dimlar and Delgar. Nordok, fly up a few feet and use your fire first, if necessary, and then land and attack. Everyone get ready.”

As soon as we are in position, the dwarves fling open the doors, hoping to add the element of surprise to our attack. Inside the room are six big ugly brutes. Close to seven feet tall, with yellowish-brown skin, reddish-brown hair, pointed ears and snouts, the pugbears have armor on and short axes in their hands.

Nordok decides to call forth his fire, completely surprising the brutes. His fire roasts all but one of the pugbears, the stink of the burning flesh filling the air. The remaining pugbear, noticing that we have not yet proceeded into the room after him, decides to flee, running to the door in the north wall. Dimlar and Delgar exchange looks and run after him, hoping to catch and kill him in case he is going for help.

But the pugbear, with a speed and agility that surprises the dwarves, manages to open the door and run into the next room, where he begins to grunt and growl, motioning to the ogre waiting there. The dwarves, reaching the open door, stop at the sight of the ogre.

“We ’ave company!” yells Dimlar.

Seldor and Nordok, just running up, see the large creature and mistake it for a giant. Positioning themselves behind the dwarves, they wait for the brute to come to them, sure in their hearts that this will be their doom. The others move to the center of the room after closing the door behind them.

Almost ten feet tall, wearing only the hide of a large bear, the longhaired ogre crosses the room to the door in two long strides. Already swinging its club, the ogre attacks Dimlar, landing a blow that sends the dwarf flying into the middle of the room, where he lays motionless.

The pugbear, watching on gleefully from behind the ogre, is growling encouragements to the ogre and waiting to see the fighters smashed to smithereens.

Delgar immediately strikes at the ogre, smashing its leg with all his newfound strength, causing the now hobbled ogre to scream in pain as it clutches at its leg with its free hand. Seldor, having narrowly avoided being hit by the flying Dimlar, easily hits the screaming ogre, as does Nordok. However, the now enraged ogre continues to stand. Mizdar and Mintock both begin to cast a spell. Clernon starts toward Dimlar, intending to check to see if he still lives.

The ogre’s next blow fails to hit his intended target, his rage ruining his aim. The ogre’s swinging club, however, does cause Delgar to dive to the floor, leaving the two human fighters face to face with the pain-maddened ogre.

Mizdar and Mintock’s spells go off, three bright white missiles streaking to hit the ogre’s head, distracting it as well as almost killing it. Another quick thrust by Seldor leaves the ogre dead, while Nordok’s thrust forces it to fall backwards into the other room.

Seeing the ogre defeated, the last pugbear, fearing for its life but knowing there is no other way out, charges at the fighters, leaping to attack from the fallen ogre.

Delgar, managing to stand up, also jumps atop the fallen body of the ogre, his axe already in motion. He is just in time for the pugbear’s charge, delivering a hard blow that stops the brute cold, causing it to lose the momentum of its charge.

Nordok, stepping to the side of the big body, makes good use of the opportunity to hit the stunned pugbear. Driving his sword deep into the pugbear’s ribcage, he then wrenches his sword free as the light fades from its eyes and the pugbear begins to slowly topple from atop the ogre, hitting the floor with a loud resounding thud.

The battle now over, Clernon, still kneeling over Dimlar as he checks for life, begins to heal him. Holding his medallion high, the bluish-white light fills the room. When the light fades, however, it is obvious that Clernon was unable to heal all of the dwarf’s new wounds.

Clandistra, seeing that the damage was too great for what was left of Clernon’s healing ability to cure, heads to the fallen dwarf. Holding her medallion forth, she calls on the last of her healing power. Luckily, she has just enough power left to fully restore the dwarf. But Dimlar, barely conscious from his ordeal, cannot stand unaided. He will have to be helped if we are to escape the dungeon.

“Well, that is one big ugly giant,” comments Nordok.

“Nay, ’tis an ogre, he be a relative of the giant, at best,” corrects Delgar.

“Well, as long as it has treasure, I don’t care what it is.”

“Aye, they do often carry treasure, greed be their middle name.”

“Good, let’s check the bodies.”

“Aye.”

A quick search of the pugbear reveals nothing, but the ogre has several pouches, as big as our largest sacks, tied to its bearskin covering. A search of the pouches reveals some of the large pouches to contain the pieces of meat that the ogre considered food. One pouch, however, contains three metal flasks. Three other pouches contain a mixture of gold, silver, and eridium pieces numbering in the thousands, all told. Cutting the pouches free, the two carry them to show the others.

“Those flasks are potions,” observes Mizdar with surprise. “We will have to identify them later, when we have more time. For now, I suggest we continue on, the sooner we are free of this place, the better. Just bring the sacks of money with us, we can sort and count them later.”

“Aye, we best be goin’,” adds Dimlar in a weak voice, his only goal in life right now is to return to the castle and get a cure for the poison before too many body parts rot and fall off, especially the important ones.

Forming up on the west door, with Delgar leading the way by himself, he listens for noise. Hearing none, he opens the door a crack, waiting for some creature or noise. When nothing happens, he opens the door wide. Finding the room empty, he leads the others across the room to the opposite door. Mintock, helping Dimlar, has to stop in the middle of the room for a quick breather.

While Mintock takes a quick break, Delgar listens at the next door. Hearing nothing, he signals the all clear. A quick glance at Mintock gets a nod to proceed. Opening the door slightly doesn’t cause anything to attack, nor does it reveal any sounds from the room. Delgar opens the door wide, showing it also to be empty.

Delgar and the two fighters cross to the north door, now sure of an easy egress from the dungeon. Listening at the door, Delgar hears no sign that the last room is occupied. Opening the door fully this time, anxious to leave, he finds that the room is empty.

Entering the room, he stays by the door while the others file into the room. Clandistra, holding the lantern, is the last to enter. Delgar shuts the door, holding it closed while Seldor and Nordok spike it shut in the hopes of preventing anything from disturbing them while they exit the dungeon via the tunnel.

But the light of Clandistra’s lantern reveals that the tunnel out has been sealed. Someone or something has placed a large boulder across the opening, jamming it tight and wedging several smaller stones around it tightly. It seems someone or something doesn’t want us to leave.

“Well, I guess we will have to find a way to clear the opening, either that, or we have to find another way out. Do you think you can remove the boulder, Delgar?” asks Mizdar.

“Don’t know till I try.”

“Well, if anyone can, you can. And if you can’t, we are in big trouble.”

“Well then, make some room.”

Everyone backs away, leaving plenty of room for the dwarf to work.

“Well, first off, let me be removin’ some of the little uns that be holdin’ her tight.” Delgar takes his hammer and easily knocks the smaller stones free. “Now I be doin’ the same wit the big one.” Getting ready to use all his strength, Delgar then pulls at the boulder, ripping it free from the sides of the tunnel opening and causing a shower of smaller rocks to fall from the ceiling and sides of the tunnel. “That ‘twas not as hard as I be thinkin’ ’twas gonna be.”

“Let’s get out of here. Delgar, you, Nordok, and Seldor go first, check that the rest of the tunnel isn’t blocked somewhere. But don’t go outside, yet. We don’t know if something may be waiting out there too. Come back and get the rest of us first.”

“Aye, follow me, I be in a hurry to leave this smelly place.”

After removing their packs, Delgar, followed by Nordok and then Seldor, begin to scramble up the tunnel. They return shortly with the news that the tunnel is clear.

“Ok, let’s get these packs off and tied together,” orders Mizdar.

When that is done, he tells us how we will make our escape from the dungeon. “I want you three to go back through the tunnel, with Clandistra and myself following. I will trail the rope with the packs tied to it. We will go all the way out, and check on the surrounding area, making sure that nothing is out there. Clandistra, since you were born and raised in the forest, I want you to scout around while Delgar pulls our packs through, followed by the rest of us. Mintock and Clernon will help Dimlar through the tunnel and out to the rest of us. Everyone clear on what they must do?”

We all nod our heads, indicating that we understand.

“Aye, but there be one thing that I be afeelin’ we must do,” says Delgar.

“What’s that?” asks Mizdar.

“Once we all be free of this place, I be thinkin’ that I should replace yonder boulder.”

Mizdar, after a moment to consider, agrees. “Yes, that is a good idea, maybe whoever or whatever put it there will think we are still in the dungeon.”

“Aye, then they be lookin’ fer us in here, stead of out there.”

We set Mizdar’s escape plan into motion, the first five of us preceding the rest up the tunnel and out of the dungeon. Delgar is the first to leave the tunnel, stealthily entering the shallow cave made by the slab of rock. Finding a place to sit in the shallow cave, he listens quietly for several minutes. The others wait patiently for his signal just within the tunnel. Once he is as sure as he can be that nothing is waiting in ambush outside the small cave, he signals the others.

Seldor and Nordok are the next to leave the tunnel, crawling out to meet Delgar. Using hand signals, Delgar makes known his intention to step outside the cave. The other two fighters will wait to see if he is ambushed before also leaving the cave. Delgar steps from the cave and begins to look around for any sign of trouble. Finally, satisfied that everything is as it should be, he motions for the two fighters to join him.

As Nordok and Seldor leave the protection of the cave, Nordok motions for the other two to emerge from the tunnel. The three fighters position themselves around the mouth of the cave, ready to protect the other two as they too emerge from the cave.

“It seems we lost track of time while we were down there. It should be about midday, not the middle of the afternoon,” observes Mizdar.

“Aye, time flies when ye be havin’ fun,” replies Delgar.

As soon as Clandistra exits the cave, she begins to scout the immediate area, making doubly sure that all is safe. She returns shortly to let the others know that they are in no immediate danger.

Mizdar hands the rope that is tied to the packs to Delgar. After sending the three tugs that are the signal that he is ready to pull the packs through, he gets the return two tugs that signal he can begin. Delgar then begins to slowly but steadily pull the string of packs out to the rest of us. Once the packs are out, Mizdar begins to untie them while Delgar returns through the tunnel to the room where the other three are waiting.

“Ye still be alright?” asks Delgar, as he crawls from the tunnel.

“Yes, how is everything up there?” asks Mintock worriedly, his concern having increased dramatically as the time spent waiting seemed to drag by.

“We were beginning to think something happened, what took so long?” asks Clernon.

“Well, we be wantin’ to be sure ’twas safe,” is the answer given by the dwarf.

“Ye three can begin to head up now, so as I can pull yonder boulder over an’ block the tunnel.”

“Aye, we be needin’ to be going, afore I be dying.”

“Yes, we are going,” says Clernon trying to reassure Dimlar while the other two try to hide their smirks.

“Ye two will not be thinkin’ ‘tis so funny when me arms an’ me legs begin to fall off!”

“Relax, we’ll get you back to the castle long before things start falling off, now help me to get you up the tunnel,” orders Clernon.

First Mintock, then Dimlar with Clernon’s assistance, enter the tunnel. Luckily most of the tunnel, except for a few tight squeezes, is wide enough for Clernon to help the dwarf as he staggers exhaustedly up it. Mintock helps from up front to pull the dwarf through the tight spots while Clernon pushes from behind. Delgar, after pulling the boulder back over the tunnel mouth, follows behind the three impatiently.

“Are ye three gonna make it out afore the sun goes down?”

“We waited down there more than long enough for you to show some consideration now,” scolds Clernon.

“Aye, that ye did,” replies the dwarf apologetically.

As soon as everyone is out of the cave, breathing the fresh air, Mizdar orders everyone except Dimlar to don their packs for the short trip to their concealed camp.

“I be takin’ me brother’s pack,” offers Delgar.

“Good,” agrees Mizdar. “And I want Mintock and Clernon to help Dimlar. Clandistra, I want you out front on point. Seldor and Nordok, I want you two to spread out toward each side. We don’t need any surprises between here and camp.”

Once we have our packs on, Mintock and Clernon take their place on each side of Dimlar. The three scouts head out in front of us, spreading out and taking up positions about 100 feet away. Our progress is slowed somewhat due to Dimlar, but we still make the short trip to camp well before dark. Clandistra is the first to reach camp, and therefore she is the first to notice that something is terribly wrong.

Clandistra waits for the rest of us a short distance from the camp, signaling us that something is wrong. Seldor and Nordok begin to close the gap between us, but Mizdar stops them about halfway back, using hand signs to warn them to stay where they are and to be ready for trouble. We approach Clandistra’s position cautiously, but she comes back the last ten feet to meet us.