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Ragnar was still gulping for air. Then the northman began to cough, his body winced each time and specks of blood sprayed from his lips. "Ribs.." He managed to gasp, but could say no more.
"Wait here." Emiel told him, but Ragnar paid him no mind. The barbarian wasn't going anywhere.
"Must've pierced a lung when I pulled him free." Emiel said to himself. He scurried down the tunnel and quickly came to a dead end. Reaching out he opened a hidden latch and a square of wall slid aside.
The abandoned, western guardroom was just below. The opening of the secret tunnel was high along the southern wall. Emiel jumped down and both feet hit the floor with a dull smack.
He was at the bottom of an L shaped room, though a backwards one. The long portion was straight ahead, but the foot of the L went to his left and not his right.
Once, long ago, it had been a guardroom. One of two that watched the long entrance of this wizards dungeon. When Emiel had found it years ago the place had been a bugbear lair, but that had been when he was young, before the giants came.
Later he'd returned with those who chose to fight the monstrous invaders rather than to flee their homeland and it had been made into a guardroom once again. The stone floors had been scrubbed clean, the walls and roof as well. They'd gathered the litter and debris, then thrown everything into a long and endless hall beyond the entrance room.
Estel the woodworker, with a crew of eager but untrained hands, had built the bunks, tables, chairs and square chests that filled the room. All empty now, beds left unmade, a deck of cards scattered across a table, a game abandoned in haste and other signs of a hasty departure and no return.
Emiel felt a sad hand grip his heart. This should have been a happy place, with friendly greetings and a welcome home, but instead it seemed that all those he knew were gone. He felt the grief quite plainly this second time, coming through the hidden passageway.
"No time for this." he said aloud, then ran across the bottom of the L till he reached the western wall. "So many secrets in this place." he mumbled and used again the key that opened so many doors.
The wall slid back with a gentle push but only a few, short feet. To either side a row of shelves was set into the thick, black-veined stone. Boxes and bags were placed within, some shelves overstuffed but others packed neatly away, some even labeled in a careful, broad and flowing script.
"Ah!" Emiel exclaimed. "There you are." He pulled out a small wooden box and unlatched the stiff hook that kept it tightly closed. The top hung back on metal hinges, a square of velvet cloth lay across what was within.
Emiel pulled the cloth back and tsk'd at the scant supplies. Three small vials left when the box could hold five times or more. He took them all, first wrapped them in the velvet square, then pulled a small metal coffer from off a lower shelf.
The coffer held a crystal bottle of a potent, dusky liquor. He took it out and tossed it on a shelf, then put the cloth-wrapped vials gently inside and closed the metal lid. Before he left, Emiel shut and locked the closet door and it became once more a bare stone wall.
* * *
"Drink this." said Emiel and handed Ragnar a tube of glass. It held a fingers worth of green glowing ooze.
"wats init." Ragnar wheezed and broke into a fit of coughing. He clamped his jaw but shook with each heaving fit, a spittle of pale, frothy blood escaped his whitened lips. His beard was wet and red with blood. Ragnar lay upon his side, arms wrapped across his chest and shuddered at each jab of pain.
"It's magic!" Emiel pulled the spongy cork.
"agic?" Ragnar coughed, but a bright gleam sparkled in his watery eyes. "gimmie." he grabbed the vial and drank it down, then smacked his lips. "Not bad." He said then realized that his pain was gone. "In fact I feel wonderful." Ragnar said with a big grin on his face. He slapped Emiel on the shoulder then laughed.
"I hope I gave you the potion and not the brandy." Emiel joked, but he was greatly relieved to see the barbarian healed. "That was supposed to be sipped, and it contained three strong doses."
"You don't have anymore do you?" Ragnar said and licked his lips.
"Not as an aperitif I don't!" Emiel put a protective hand over the metal coffer.
"An ape-er-what?" Ragnar asked confused.
"Never mind. You're better. Let's get out of this tunnel and find Thaddeus."
* * *
Ragnar squeezed through the exit and dropped clumsily to the floor, a bit woozy after the coughing fit and light-headed from the magic potion. He broke his fall with a shoulder-roll and ended sitting-up, staring at he dark square of the tunnel mouth above his head.
"I am not going back that way." he told Emiel sternly, "Not if the hall is blocked end to end with those living dead and I have to fight my way through with my bare hands."
"Fine," Emiel huffed back, "but I'm not joining them. I have plenty of living left to do. You may think differently if your on your back again and their teeth are at your throat."
"Done?" Ragnar asked. "Or do you want to rant some more." He put out his hand and Emiel helped him to his feet.
"Yes." Emiel answered. "Let's go find Thaddeus."
"And my cat." Ragnar chimed in.
Standing, he looked around the silent room and used the battered lantern to pick his way through. He stopped before an open chest alongside an unmade bunk and bent to rustle through the clothes and things within, but Emiel grabbed his hand. "Those belonged to friends of mine." He said.
Ragnar shrugged, but did not wish to start a fight. He left the chest as it had been and didn't so much as cast a glance at any other loot within the room.
* * *
(To Be Continued)