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Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
"No!" cried Engenulf, "Step no further!"
Gosfrith nearly fell, he froze, his foot half lifted above what
appeared to be another length of dirt path, identical to the one he had
been following.
"Back up, carefully." the witan told him.
"A trap?" Asked Nosnra.
"Yes." Engenulf hissed out. His face was white and strained.
"Can you walk?" Nosnra held onto the witans arm and stared at the
skeletal hand that sucked the blood from Engenulf's veins.
"I can, I will. At least for a time." the witan proved his words
true and paced forward, then increased his stride. He walked quickly
wide around the spot he'd pointed out. The wolves stayed near him and did
not venture far, Nosnra and Gosfrith stayed only an arms length back, and
behind them came a score or more of giant warriors.
"What's that?" Gosfrith called out.
Engenulf looked into the distance, a group of small shapes could
be seen far off climbing a ridge and, one by one, disappearing over it. He
swung his doubled hand, one of flesh the other of his fathers bones, and
faced the shadowy figures. "Pay it no mind. It is another trick. I think
we are near."
"Good, I will call up the warriors." said Nosnra.
"Not yet. No, the closer we get the more powerful the enchantments
and the traps. But be prepared, we will trap them in their lair."
Engenulf's eyes burned with a red fury. He seemed to gain a strength of
spirit as his physical strength diminished.
* * *
"The room is empty." Harold told the two wizards. Talberth stood
with Telenstil near the wall of fire. The others had run down the hall and
into the chiefs private room, leaving Talberth last to hold his spell
in place.
"Good." said Telenstil. "Come Talberth, the spell will hold long
enough for us to run down the hall."
"Can you seal off this passage?" Talberth asked
"I have a powerful spell that can do so, but to what effect?"
Telenstil said. "This is a dead end, though I do have two doses of my
solvent left, yes, and another spell at hand that can remove a square
of wall if need be, but come lets go, I will block the hall if I must."
Talberth let his spell break free, immediately it began to fade.
They ran down the short hall and in through the partly open door.
The room was huge, but it must have seemed quite cozy to the
Hill Giant chief when he had his council gathered. It had a typical
monstrous stone fireplace against its northern wall, a large longtable
dominated the room, its top, higher than a man could reach, was out of
sight above their heads. Before them there was a forest of table and chair
legs. The walls were covered with skins of beasts or hides that had been
scraped clean and drawn upon with intricate designs. One huge affair, the
hide of some giant monster, had been stretched from edge to edge across
the southern wall, a map that showed both hill and surrounding lands
was covered with notes and symbols across its grey-white surface.
Telenstil smiled, his eyes took in the details of the map. Times
and places, raids that had occurred and notes on what was to come. His
smile left his face as the written notes became clear.
"Should we lock the door?" Talberth asked the elven mage,
Telenstil did not answer him, he walked to the southern wall and
called upon the power of his ring.
"Xsurjere." he said and rose into the air a foot before the wall.
* * *
(To Be Continued)