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Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
Harold dropped to the ground and ran down the hall. "You big
buffoon, one more step and you would have been in it."
"In what?" the ranger asked. "I don't see a thing." The floor
looked to be made from solid stone, the entire area seemed to be resting
on a single slab of rock.
"Our holy Henri spotted it, he has a great talent for seeing
hidden things." Harold said. "It's some sort of trap, though what kind I
do not know."
"Is there a way around?" Talberth asked.
"Of course," said Harold. "How do you think we got across, just
hug the wall on either side, the giants have left a space big enough for
us to pass."
"Harald, please help shut the door before we proceed further."
Telenstil asked the ranger for his help.
"Sure, you go on, I can shut this by myself." Harald walked over
and grabbed the edge of the giants door. One side was made of wood,
the other looked and felt like stone but weighed far less. The hinges,
which Harald could not see, made no noise, the door clicked as he
closed it shut.
"Telenstil!" Gytha called pleased to see the mage.
"Gytha, Ivo, what have we here?" the elf asked.
"Is there a door?" Talberth looked around the corner of the room.
His hopeful smile disappeared. The room ended in a long southern wall,
the priest Henri stood there among a covering of yellow colored mold and
pulled forth a spear, its blade shinning like polished steel. "Where did
that come from?" Talberth asked surprised.
"These giants are craftier than we had thought." said Ivo, "They
have cloaked their treasure with magic spells."
"Henri here can see right through them with that golden mask of
his." said Harold. "We haven't opened up those chest there." the halfling
pointed to the eastern wall and the many wood and iron chests.
"Are they trapped?" asked Telenstil.
"Not as far as I can tell." said Harold.
Telenstil watched as the cleric handed the spear to Edouard. The
scout bowed his head and said some word of thanks that the mage could not
hear.
"Henri," Telenstil walked over and called out. "Your faith stands
you in good stead. Do you see an exit to this room?"
"No." Henri turned his gold masked face to Telenstil. "I see no
hidden doors only these weapons hidden beneath a spell."
"And those chests, where we see broken boxes." added Ivo. The old
gnome went to the southeast corner of the room and waved his hands and
spoke a powerful word. The broken barrels wavered as if seen through
heat above a fire, they faded and were gone. In their place a large
black box made of stone and next to it a barrel bigger than a man.
"Harold," said Telenstil. "Please be so kind."
"My pleasure." the thief replied. Harold walked around the chest
and examined it with care.
"I do not like it here." Talberth glanced around the room. "We are
trapped if the giants come."
"Yes," Telenstil agreed. "Yet this hidden room bears searching
out. Can we spare the time, Talberth who can say, or even if it is worth
the risk. No we won't rest here, not yet."
"Is this place on your map." Talberth asked the elven mage.
"No, and it was never mentioned by the one time merchant more
recently Nosnra's slave." Telenstil reached into his robe and removed an
ivory tube. He took out the copy of the escaped slaves map. "As you see,
somewhere below the steading there is a holding cell, a smithy, and
orc pens, but no sign of secret rooms or treasure chests. Not surprising."
"The two ways may not even connect, how did this merchant
escape?" Talberth asked.
"Somewhere there is a stream, see it marked here." Telenstil
pointed to a roughly drawn symbol on the map. "The merchant was lowered
on a rope and had to unclog the giants garbage chute. The rope broke and
by luck and fate he survived his ride along the stream and washed up
on the banks of the White Oyt river. Hunters found him half-alive and
when his tale was told he was brought before the Duke where the first
copy of this map was drawn."
"Telenstil!" the thief called out. "This barrel, you won't believe
it but I've found you another of those giant maps."
* * *