Against the Giants

19

What they could see was dire.

The night sky was thick with clouds painted blood red by fires and volcanic eruptions. Smoke was everywhere, and the addled-egg smell of reeking steam issued from nearby vents. Thick, ashy clouds billowed from a nearby volcano that shot flame and boulders high into the roiling sky. Not far away, the unmistakable form of a great hall topped a mass of shining, solidified lava, stone, and slag.

Where they stood was separated from the hall and the road leading to it by a low rock wall-to keep anyone from walking over it when themagic was being used, Lhors thought.

“Let us go,” the mage said. “There should be a guard here,and there are guards just inside the palace.”

“Howd y’know that?” Khlened asked. He eyed the mage warily.

Vlandar held up a hand for silence. “Ask later. We need toget out of sight now.”

Nemis nodded. “Unless the landscapes changed much in the pastyears, I know of one such place.” He glanced around. “Watch where I step andfollow me closely. There are sinkholes and hot pools that will kill you in an instant.”

Florimund gasped.

The mage gave Maera a chill look. “Keep him quiet, please.”

The ranger turned away from him to soothe the half-elf.

Nemis turned his back to the palace and walked rapidly, angling away from the nearest volcano. The others followed, Malowan bringing up the rear.

It took longer than Vlandar would have liked, but in the end Nemis found his sanctuary: a black-walled, roughly circular tunnel, blocked at the inner end. The chamber was long and possessed two sharp bends that would keep in any light they made. It was surprisingly cool in here-compared to theoutside at least. The company hastily removed their winter garb once they were well in, and Malowan made a light for them.

“What kind of cave is this?” Lhors asked.

The walls were almost glassy, oddly rough-shaped but smooth to the touch.

“Never mind that. What’s this place?” Agya demanded.

“It is a place south of the Yeomanry,” Nemis told her. “Thefiery mountains are volcanoes, and the smoke and steam they make can be deadly to breathe. This cave was once a passage for such fire, but it has been blocked off for long years, and it is now too small for giants to bother about.”

“And how,” Khlened demanded pointedly, “do you know that,I wonder? You’re a secretive man, mage!”

“Food first,” Vlandar said. “I know it’s hot here, but we’lldo better for a warm soup. I’ll take on the cooking. Lhors, Khlened, there weresome broken bushes near where we came in. See if you can find them. We’ll want afire for light and soup both. But be careful and stay out of sight. There may be guards about.”

An hour or so later, they’d eaten and the fire was dying downto embers. Malowan had constructed two tightly wrapped torches from brushwood and found places to mount them high in the walls so they would have some light. He and Agya were wrapping more torches for the rest of the night and the morrow.

After their meager meal, Nemis told the tale of his apprenticeship among the drow, his journey to this place, and how he had killed his former master and escaped that life.

Khlened, to Lhors’ surprise, heard Nemis out.

“Could happen t’any of us,” the barbarian said finally.“Guess I can see why y’told Vlandar and Mal before th’ rest of us.”

“There was no point in telling everyone,” Malowan said. “Forall we knew, we might never have come this far.”

“Aye, well,” the barbarian said. “What’s to do here, then?Y’think this Eclavdra-drow witch or whatever she is-is here?”

“She came here now and again as the guest of the fire giantking, old Snurre,” Nemis replied. He seemed to have difficulty speaking, as ifunwilling to say what he had so long kept quiet. “She has her own dwelling deepunderground-a deadly place far from here. She has-or had-a scroll she kept inher chambers here that takes her back to that dwelling. I traveled here with her sometimes.”

“Could you locate those chambers?” Vlandar asked.

Nemis shrugged. “The only time I was allowed to carry amessage to King Snurre-it was years ago, and I am not certain I remember theways of the first floor. It was dark, and there were guards everywhere….”His voice faded, and he stared at the far wall. After a long silence, he roused himself with visible effort. “I know the level below that well. Often I wentwith her to council meetings with other drow. Below that, it is all caves and horrible creatures and darkness.”

“I know how good your memory is,” Malowan told the mage. “Ifyou went there once, however long ago, you will remember it. A man who can memorize as many spells as you-”

Nemis smiled crookedly. “Yes, but I want to remembermy spells. I have tried to forget many of my experiences here, you know.”

“Well, we can doubtless get inside,” Vlandar said, “and Nemismay well be able to guide us through. The question is, do we want to do that?”

Everyone’s eyes were on him except for Florimund, who wascurled up on the floor, his eyes only partway open. The half-elf seemed to have given up, Lhors thought-the way Gran’s husband had when the fever took him.

“Why not?” Khlened asked. “We’ve done well so far. Lost noone yet, have we? I’ve wealth to keep me in comfort for at least a year or twoand tales to tell….”

“And we’ve done some damage to both the Steading and theRift,” Vlandar put in. “We’ve learned who’s made an alliance with the giants toattack our lands. Now we’re in a place that may kill us before we can get wordto my king. If that happens, we’ve accomplished little indeed.”

“Speak plain, sir,” Bleryn put in.

Vlandar nodded. “Nemis can tell you better than I about thedark elves. I know only from tales and legend that they are deadly fighters and dire magicians with no love for any who live under the sun. Fire giants themselves-remember the two in the Steading’s smithy? They are powerful andsmarter than most giants. Beyond that, this land is deadly. The fumes from the fires will make you giddy, the smoke will make you cough, and the heat will sap the water from your body and leave you weak and brain-mazed. If we decide to continue on, we must be swift and keep good watch on each other for signs of water-lack or Rime-sickness. For my own part, I would like to return to my king with word that we found this drow witch and destroyed her. If not, I would at least like evidence of her hiding place below ground so that the king can assemble magicians powerful enough to deal with her and her underlings.”

“There is something else,” Nemis said quietly. “Eclavdra’sscroll. If we can find it, I can use it to get us out of here in an instant. A brief incantation, and we can all be sitting at an inn in Cryllor.”

“You mean we could go then-poof, gone like with that bar?”

Nemis nodded.

“Then,” the barbarian said slowly as if reasoning it out forhimself, “I say we go in, find this nasty she-wizard, and finish all this. I’llkill a few more ogres or even take on a giant or two t’be out o’ this place.”

“Aye,” Bleryn said, “he speaks for me as well.”

The rangers nodded in unison. Gerikh shrugged and managed a smile.

“Quit now?” Malowan shook his head firmly. “I think not.”

“I go where ’e goes,” Agya added defiantly, and Malowanpatted her shoulder.

“Lhors?” Vlandar turned to him. “What do you say?”

Lhors was none too happy about trying to sneak through a fortress of larger and smarter giants, but the thought of being out of here once and for all…

“I’m with you, sir. To the end.”

“Good,” Vlandar said. His eyes were warm as he looked aroundthe company. “Sleep then, people. You’ll need all you can get tonight.”

During the last watch, Nemis had worked up what maps he couldfor the party, using blank sheets from his spellbook.

“This I can tell you,” the mage had said as he passed aroundmaps, “no one who is not mad would enter that hall. Snurre is held by the drowto be a dolt, but a cunning one. We should kill him if we can. Some of his guards will still fight, but most of the others will flee. Not all serve him willingly.”

“If we can do that without wasting time by seeking him out,”Vlandar said, “then so be it, but our first priority is to find proof of drowinvolvement and where they might be found.”

They all stood in the cavern. Everyone was ready, but everyone also seemed hesitant to begin. The next few hours would either see the accomplishment of their mission or the end of their lives.

Suddenly Nemis drew the fire sword Malowan had garnered in the Steadings treasury and held it high. “May Pelor, god of healing and light,see us through the reek and the walls and know our hearts and guide us through this hellish place.”

“And may Heironeous,” Malowan added, “he of honor andjustice, strengthen our hearts, knowing our cause is just and right.”

“Kord, you who give strength and courage, smile on us,” saidKhlened.

Bleryn grinned at him fiercely. “May Ulaa, god of mountainsand gemstones, grant us all courage in dark places… and great trove.”

Agya brought her chin up. “Rudd who guards thieves, make luckours in there.”

“Trithereon,” Lhors murmured, “for my father, who trulyserved him.”

“I ask the blessing of Kelanen, god of swords,” Vlandar said,“that my blade protect us all and bring us all safely away.”

“Dalt, father of locks and keys, remember your servant,”Gerikh prayed, “and let me aid these who rescued me.”

The rangers eyed each other. Rowan gripped her sister’s armand said, “Let Lydia, goddess of music and daylight, hear me. When we walk inthe dark, let us remember why we do this: so that ordinary folk may be allowed to live happily and freely under the sun. Let us remember such good, simple things lest the darkness swallow us, body and soul.”

Maera merely bowed her head and said nothing.

It was the hour just after dawn when the party emerged, butthey could barely tell by the sky. There was perhaps a bit more light in the east, though that might have been another volcano. The fire giants seemed to keep the same pattern as the hill and frost giants. There were no outside guards posted and no one was in sight as they neared the pile of hardened lava and slag. Still, everyone kept under cover as best as they could, flitting from boulder to boulder and sprinting when in the open.

Nemis led the way right up to the main entrance, with Khlened and Bleryn bringing up the rear. Once they reached the heavy-looking metal door, the mage gave Malowan a small nod as if to say, “Do what we discussed.”

The mage used a spell to charm the door open. It swung in soundlessly, revealing a corridor lit by well-spaced torches. The hall was made of the same black rock as the outer walls, though here tapestries broke the surface instead of vents. No one was in sight.

Malowan fixed his eyes on the dark opening, whispering urgently. When the paladin was done, Nemis touched Khlened’s arm to get thebarbarian’s attention and sent his eyes toward the nearest tapestry. They couldsee it moving in and out slightly, as if someone sat behind it, breathing heavily.

Guard, the mage signed grimly.

Khlened’s eyes flicked from the mage to Bleryn. The dwarfnodded, and the two moved as one, running forward silently to throw themselves at the drape. They vanished behind it, and someone with a very deep voice made a startled grunt. The only other sound was the unpleasant crunch of the barbarian’s morning star crashing down on something-perhaps an unhelmed skull.

Bleryn leaned out to draw a hand across his throat. Khlened hung back long enough to rub his spiked ball on the tapestry, then stepped aside so Nemis could again lead the way.

The passage widened abruptly, turning into a vast hall that went at an angle east to west. Lhors, not far behind the dwarf, thought he could make out a broad hallway going north partway down and another going south. At the far end of the long, dimly lit chamber, Lhors thought he could see steps going up to a dais and an empty throne. The youth caught his breath as Malowan pressed past him and Agya and gestured for them to stay back.

Perhaps twenty long paces away, two odd-looking creatures stood, swinging black morning stars casually.

They have two heads each! Lhors realized.

Agya tapped his arm sharply to sign the same information a breath later.

The creatures were huge, built rather like men. Atop their massive, black-skinned shoulders, were two heads, and each head faced a different direction. There would be no sneaking past two such guards.

Malowan edged forward to join Nemis, who stood in shadow watching the guards. The two men conversed in cautious sign. As Vlandar came over to join them, Nemis signed, Wait here.

Before the warrior could find out what the mage wanted to do, Nemis strode into the dim torchlight. Vlandar gave the paladin an astonished look, and Malowan gestured, Wait.

The creatures might have been fearsome in appearance, but they didn’t seem too bright. Perhaps one brain was divided among two heads.

The creatures both saw the mage at the same moment and simply stared at him. Nemis moved out into the hall and turned partway around. Lhors could see him give the creatures a toothy smile as he said, “Well, if it isn’tmy old friends, Meghos and Zogry.”

One head each stared at him still, but the other two shifted back to keep watch over the vast chamber and its passages. Vlandar froze as one head seemed to linger on the shadow where they hid. When it moved on without raising a cry, he drew back into deeper darkness, bringing his company with him. Malowan whispered something against his ear. Vlandar nodded and gestured with his free hand for Lhors to stay where he was. A moment later, Vlandar eased along the shadows of the wall and began to move slowly but purposefully toward Nemis and the guards.

Malowan touched Lhors’ arm. “There are spears,” hewhispered. “See them?”

Lhors looked where the paladin pointed. The ettins had long weapons leaning against the wall. Lhors nodded carefully.

“Rowan and Vlandar will create a diversion while Nemis keepsthe noise contained. You get one of the spears and kill one of those creatures. Can you?”

Lhors swallowed dread and nodded again.

“How tha’ little man know us?” one creature said, divertingthe youth’s attention. It spoke Common, but with a thick accent made worsebecause it seemed to be missing most of its front teeth. Its other head came around to stare at Nemis.

“What, Meghos? You don remember the boy you used to stalkthrough the lowest caverns? The mage’s ’prentice you ’ad so much fun terrifying,down there?”

“Cannot be,” the second replied promptly. “’E’s got a beardan’ ’e’s lots bigger.”

“Much bigger,” Nemis corrected him gravely, “and you’vecome up in Snurre’s graces.”

“Uh?” both asked blankly.

“You guard Snurre,” Nemis said with another flash of teeth.“How sad,” he added incisively, the smile vanishing on the moment, “that youwill not be able to enjoy the task any longer.”

“’Ere!” The first snorted indignantly. “You insulting us?”

Nemis shrugged and smiled.

Vlandar had come up right behind the creatures in utter silence, unnoticed by either. He ran forward with two swords drawn, and before the awkwardly shaped ettin was properly aware of its danger, Vlandar was inside his reach, both blades stabbing up into the creature’s back. The creature howledin pain, but the sound was somehow flat and muffled.

Nemis is shielding sound, Lhors reminded himself as he slid along the wall. He watched as Vlandar let go his blades and leaped back just as Rowan drew her bow. The ranger ran into the open and began loosing arrows at the heads of the second creature.

Now or never! Lhors ran along the wall to snatch up one of the long spears. The first ettin fell to the floor, but the second must have seen Lhors moving, for it turned and charged with a vicious roar. So terrified that he couldn’t even scream, Lhors planted the spear’s base against the walland lowered the point. The ettin tried to stop at the last moment, but one of Rowan’s arrows plunged into its groin, causing the brute to fall. The point ofLhors’ spear went in beneath one of the ettin’s jaws, angling up into itsskull. The spearhead must have slammed into the back of the giant’s skull,because the shaft suddenly bent and broke with a massive snap!

The youth dropped the broken shaft as the creature fell. Breathing heavily, he leaned against the wall with the dead ettin only inches from his feet. Above the nasty stench that was everywhere in this land, he could smell the rough cast-iron reek of the blood pooling on the floor.

Rowan came over and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, drawing him away.

Lhors glanced back over his shoulder: Vlandar gazed expressionlessly at the dead ettins. He’d already retrieved his blades. Vlandarand Nemis joined them moments later.

“My silence spell still holds. The king’s throne is there.”Nemis pointed out the dais at the opposite end of the long hall. “Obviously, heis elsewhere. There is a hiding place he has behind the throne somewhere in that wall. The rest I do not know, except that there are guards on all the passages.”He turned north and was quiet a moment. “The stairway down is that way.”

“Where’s the king, d’you think?” Khlened asked. He’d drawnhis berserker sword.

“Uncertain,” Nemis said. “He could be anywhere. UnlikeNosnra, he does not keep regular hours, and he often prowls his halls alone or with a guard or two.”

“Fine,” Agya said angrily. “I feel mighty safe now.”

“You’ve no business feeling safe here,” Malowan reminded her.“What next, Vlandar? Do we-?”

He never finished the sentence. Nemis murmured a hasty spell that extinguished the ettins’ torches as loud footsteps echoed and the creak ofarmor suddenly filled the hall. Somewhere to the east, a door slammed.

“Remember what I said,” Nemis rasped to Vlandar. “Safestthing is to kill Snurre.”

“I agree,” Vlandar whispered. “But let’s see who and whatguards him before we attack.”

He led the company back to where the ettins lay and settled behind the nearest, sword drawn. The rest of the company found what hiding they could as four torch-carrying guards came into sight at the hall’s far end.

Lhors swallowed dryly. The shortest of them was over twice his height. All were ebony-black and looked very professional.

In their midst, walked a very odd figure indeed. He was shorter than his guards, but powerfully muscled and clad in black armor. Tusk-like teeth gleamed in the torchlight, and his moustache and beard were nearly the same unpleasant orange-moss shade as his teeth.

Agya stiffened as two enormous dogs paced along with him, sniffing the air suspiciously. Both hounds had very deep red hides, and their eyes glowed with a hellish light. Malowan laid a reassuring hand on her arm and carefully indicated Nemis-the mage was using his beneath notice spell on theparty.

The tusked giant flipped a white, leathery cloak aside so he could sit, then adjusted his black iron crown and drew a massive, thick-bladed sword. He settled the sword upright on the dais before him and rested his forearms on the crosspiece. The hounds dropped to the floor by his feet and closed their eyes, but they seemed no less alert.

“Snurre?” Vlandar whispered despite Nemis’ silence spell.

The mage nodded grimly.

One of the guards moved off to light torches placed in the back wall, throwing the throne room in a ruddy orange light. An ornately carved flaming skull decorated the wall immediately behind the throne, and the other walls were carved in various battle scenes.

Khlened tightened his grip on his morning star and began to move forward, but Nemis tugged at the barbarian’s hair. “Wait until he takes offthat cloak. It’s dragon-hide, and he’s less of a threat if it isn’t on him!”

The barbarian nodded agreement.

The mage waited for some moments, then glanced at Vlandar and nodded. Vlandar drew a hand across his throat, and Khlened grinned cheerfully. The dwarf loosed his axe, and Rowan knelt quietly to arrange arrows onto the floor by her knee. Maera pressed a listless Florimund behind her as she freed her javelins.

When everyone was ready, Nemis stepped toward the dais, and the rest of the party charged. One of the hounds growled a warning-the onlyadvance notice Snurre and his guards had of the attack. The second dog went down before it could properly get to its feet as Maera’s spear plunged into itschest.

Snurre stared down at his pet in shock, then shouted an order. Like other sounds, it sounded flat to Lhors, as if it didn’t carry veryfar. The guards could certainly see the invaders, though. They came around the throne, weapons at the ready, and the other dog surged to its feet. It whined faintly when its master snarled out an order and abruptly retreated behind the throne, dragging at a lever on the wall. Part of the wall swung into an utter blackness into which Snurre leaped. The hound spun around and loped after Snurre. The two vanished into darkness, and the wall clicked shut behind them.

There were three guards still left, but one was foolish enough to turn away-making sure his king was safe, Lhors thought. Bracinghimself for impact, Lhors shoved his spear deep into the monster’s leg, justbelow the knee and angling up. The giant went down hard as Lhors leaped away.

Vlandar ran forward and brought his sword down two-handed across the brute’s neck. The guard did not move again, but another was fast uponthem. The giant came at them, hammer held high. But it never came down. Maera’sspear and Rowan’s arrows brought the creature down, and Bleryn finished thefellow off with his own hammer.

Beyond them, Khlened was engaged in a mismatched battle of morning stars-hisown, though bugbear in size and heft, was still smaller than the fire giant’s.The Fist was using strategy, planning his own swings so the giant’s weaponwouldn’t rip his from his fingers. Before he could settle the match though, thegiant snatched up a fallen sword and lunged. Khlened howled with pain and collapsed as the blade stabbed through his shoulder.

Vlandar threw himself forward and dragged the barbarian aside as Agya stabbed both her long knives into the back of the guards knee. The guard yelped in surprise when the leg simply collapsed under him. Agya barely managed to get out of the way in time.

The fallen guard lunged after the little thief, but Lhors charged forward with his spear, stabbing the fallen brute through the eye. Lhors turned, seeking the last guard, but he lay still, his armor red-hot and his hair smoking unpleasantly. Malowan’s fire-sword pinned him to the wall.

“Easy, people,” Vlandar ordered. “Agya, you and Lhors keepwatch. Bleryn, watch back the way Snurre came and make sure no one sneaks up on us. Malowan, see to Khlened’s wound.”

The barbarian leaned against the wall. He was still standing, but blood coursed freely from his shoulder and he was obviously in agony. The paladin ran to him and began to lay hands upon the wound. Malowan’s hands glowedfor the briefest instant, and the barbarian gasped in surprise. As the paladin stepped back, Khlened smiled and waved the healed arm freely. “Thank you,paladin,” he said. “I’m in your debt.”

“Gerikh,” Vlandar continued, “if you can, find a way todisable the door Snurre went through so he can’t come after us with an army.”

“He’s won’t,” Nemis replied evenly. “He’s gone to ground.That’s both a treasure cave and hiding place with no other way out.”

Khlened looked up, his eyes bright at the mention of his favorite word.

The mage sighed. “Forget it. The whole place is guarded bysomething snakelike, huge and nearly impossible to kill.”

“No time,” Vlandar said tersely.

“We need to go, now,” the mage whispered as he came back. “My beneath noticespell won’t hold much longer.”

“No time like the present,” Vlandar said. “Which way though?”

“Back where we came and up the north hall,” the mage repliedpromptly. “Remember, we’ve little time to waste here, even with Snurre inhiding.” He looked at Gerikh.

Gerikh nodded. “I found the doorway and braced one of thoselong spears across it. It wont hold against a brute like that for long though.”

“Let’s go, then,” Vlandar urged. He let Nemis take the lead.

They headed back through the darkened hall, avoiding the dead ettins, and took the passage heading roughly north. This finally went straight north-a fairly long corridor lit at odd intervals by lanterns. The unmistakable,if distant, clatter of a kitchen came from the left, and the wall down a west-branching passage was lit brilliant red from some enormous fire.

By now, Nemis was well up the hallway, his back against the east wall and two fingers across his lips. Guards there, he signed and sent his eyes sideways to where they could just make out a break in the black stone. The mage held up two fingers and drew a meaningful hand across his throat.

Vlandar nodded grimly and brought up his sword, but Nemis pressed past him and stepped into the open, turning to face the opening as he brought his hands up, fists clenched.

“Kill,” he rasped softly. Utter silence followed, then themuted clang of swords hitting the floor and two massive bodies falling onto them. The mage nodded in satisfaction and pointed up the hall.

Lhors glanced anxiously at Malowan. The paladins lips were moving, probably in prayer for the dead guards, but he was quiet about it.

The hall was still quiet. They stepped over dead guards and went on north, following Nemis.

“The stairs down are just there,” the mage murmured. “There wereno guards between here and the stairs the last time I was here, but that was years ago.”

They made it down the long flight without incident. At the base of the stairs, they paused to rest. Lhors took a long drink from his bottle, and let the warm water sit on his tongue for some time before swallowing. He felt dry all the way through, and his lips were cracked.

“This level I know,” Nemis said finally. “The passageeast”-he pointed-“is a dead end. There’s a temple, guest quarters, and trollsthat way-or were. I doubt anything’s changed. It had not in all the yearsEclavdra had come here, and they were many more than all of my years. Still, unexpected guards do patrol at intervals in case someone is mad enough to break into this place. Walk warily.”

“Trolls or somethin’ comin’ this way right now!” Khlenedwhispered tensely. “And we’re in the open. Back up the stairs?”

“No,” Vlandar said as he scrambled to his feet. “Straightacross into the passage.”

They ran for it. Moments later a party of a dozen or more armed creatures clomped by and vanished around the bend, heading east.

“The prison cells are nearby,” Nemis said after the din ofheavy footsteps had faded. “Mal, I hope you will not-”

“I have Agya to protect here, before anyone else,” thepaladin broke in.

“Good,” the mage said gravely. “Remember that.” His lipsmoved silently. “I’ve just set a silence and reveal enemy spell both. We shouldrest here a little. The drow guest chamber is not far away, and we need all our strength against them.”