Sands of the Soul (22 page)

“Back, curs,” Steorf shouted.

He managed to fend off a few as he thrust his glowing hand in their faces. Tazi could hear them squeal in pain and rage. She herself dispatched two right off, easily spearing one on each of her two guardblades. A third, however, slipped past her weapons and viciously tore at her ankle with its razor-sharp incisors.

“Bastard,” Tazi hissed, more out of rage than pain.

She kicked at it, and the animal, almost as large as a dog, was flipped into the air and struck the tunnel partition. The

rat’s skull split open, and the dying creature spasmed on the ground.

No sooner had the rat’s blood begun to spill then three other albino monstrosities turned on their packmate and began to tear it apart. The squeals of both the dying and the feeding rats nearly reached a deafening pitch. One ran off with a large chunk of rodent flesh clamped firmly in its jaws. In its place, two others fought for position in the feeding frenzy.

“Back away!” Steorf yelled to Tazi, who had been watching the spectacle with morbid fascination.

The moment she was clear, Steorf ignited the horde of rodents. Those that hadn’t yet reached the cannibalistic banquet ran in every direction from the intense heat and light emitted by the bonfire.

“I’m growing a little tired of all the roasting today,” Tazi joked as she massaged her ankle while leaning against the wall.

“How badly did it bite you?” Steorf asked as he reached her side. Tazi flashed a rueful grin.

“I’m sure the beastie left me a nice bruise, but the tough hide of my boot kept it from puncturing my skin.”

She plucked out a lone tooth that had been embedded in her boot and flicked it away with distaste.

“I wonder what else lives down here?” Steorf pondered.

“I hope we don’t find out. This way, I think,” Tazi said, pointing to her left.

She stood up, and they continued along the winding path.

Over time, Tazi and Steorf started to notice that they were subtly ascending with every turn they made. There weren’t any other rats or spiders in the various tunnels through which they passed. Tazi took it as a good sign, though they kept their weapons drawn the whole time.

“How much longer do you think?” Steorf asked her.

“I’m not sure, but I think we’re fairly close,” she replied. “Do you think there might be any wards set up to alarm the

Children of Ibrandul if we get too close? They’ve got to be expecting us.”

“Good question. I would assume there’s always the chance. I’ll keep an eye out for them,” he assured her.

“Then again, they might think that any one of the myriad creatures that live down here might be enough to do us in,” she remarked.

“Not a chance,” Steorf told her easily. “It will take a lot more than a few vermin to—”

Tazi turned to see what had caused Steorf to stop speaking so suddenly, but he was nowhere to be seen in the dim light.

“Steorf?” she called worriedly and almost didn’t see the pit that had suddenly opened up in front of her.

At the last minute, she caught herself right before she would have plunged over the side, arms pinwheeling frantically.

Carefully kneeling by the edge of the precipice, Tazi looked down. About fifteen feet below, she could see Steorf dangling by one hand. He had managed to snag a small crack in the wall. Another fifteen feet farther down Tazi was able to make out several large stalagmites that had been sharpened to razor points easily capable of impaling a human.

“Hang on!” she shouted to Steorf.

“Do I have a choice?” was his reply.

She pulled a length of cord from one of the pouches on her leather pants. Tying one end to a stalagmite near her, she called out to Steorf, “Eyes sharp. Here it comes.”

Steorf squinted up and saw the thin cord dangling a foot away from him. With his one free hand, he wound it several times around his arm and shouted, “Ready?”

Tazi held the cord with her left arm, passed the excess behind her waist, and held onto the remainder of rope with her right.

She dug in her heals and replied, “Got you.” Steorf muttered an oath and started to climb back up. Tazi strained at the other end and helped pull him as best she could.

Sands of the Soul -

She provided an anchor and was fully prepared to lock down on the rope if Steorf showed a hint of slipping.

A few moments later, his blond head cleared the drop, and he hoisted himself the rest of the way out of the pit.

“Are you all right?” Tazi asked as she untied the cord from the stalagmite and began to coil it up.

“I’ll live,” Steorf proclaimed, rubbing his shoulder.

“All jokes aside,” Tazi said seriously, “are you sure you’re all right?”

“Thanks to you,” he told her.

She smiled up at him and dusted his black shirt playfully.

“Don’t you forget it,” she admonished with a wink.

They continued along, more aware of the potential pitfalls along the route. At the next crossroads they had a differing opinion as to which was the correct direction.

“It’s definitely getting brighter in here,” she told him, “and I know I’ve seen this design before.” She pointed to a distinct pattern in the wall of the tunnel that branched to the right.

“Tazi,” Steorf replied in an exasperated tone, “that’s not a deliberate design. I’ve seen markings like that in every tunnel we’ve passed through.”

“Trust me on this. You might as well save your strength, anyway,” she added with a nod toward his illuminated hancL “I’m sure we’re going to need it.”

“All right,” Steorf replied, agreeing to both of Tazi’s directions.

Trying to add some levity, he said, “If you’re wrong about the tunnel, you owe me a round of drinks at the Kit.”

“You think we’re going to make it back alive?” came her retort.

Steorf looked at her. Tazi tried to hide her worry in jokes, but she could see that Steorf saw right through her.

“I know we will,” he answered her seriously. “So no hedging on the bet.”

“You know me,” she countered, a real smile slowly growing.

“I most certainly do. How many drinks do you actually owe me at this point?”

Tazi laughed, and they remained on the course she had chosen. For a short distance, the path started to slope downward, and Steorf pointed out that they should consider backtracking, but Tazi held firm to her certainty that they were on the correct course.

Soon enough, the tunnel turned upward again, and even Steorf spotted a few familiar signs. They both grew quiet as they knew the temple was not too distant. Tazi’s heart started to pound harder, and her mouth dried out. One look at Steorf told her that he was affected as well.

Tazi and Steorf finally saw the carved entrance into the Temple of Ibrandul. They gave each other a curt nod and burst into the large receiving chamber.

They were not disappointed in the welcome they received. Two novices were in the main hall waiting for them. The Mysterious Lurker, however, was nowhere to be seen. Tazi and Steorf had no time to worry about that. The Children of Ibrandul split their forces, one attacking Steorf and the other charging Tazi. They both brandished scimitars like the one Asraf had possessed, but nothing else.

The Child of Ibrandul who cornered Tazi was one of the novices she had seen in the council room the day before. She regarded her enemy with new eyes. It was still difficult not to hate him. Asraf’s lifeless face floated before her and Tazi was afraid that Fannah might have already met the same fate.

But he’s been used, she tried to convince herself, like so many of Ciredor’s victims.

He charged her with his blade held above his head with both arms. As soon as he was in striking distance, he swung his weapon down. Tazi crossed her Sembian guardblades over her head, stopped his killing blow, and used them to wrench the scimitar from his grip.

She grabbed him by his ears and brought his face smashing down into her knee. He fell to the ground hard, knocking

the air out of him. Tazi dropped to one knee and slammed one of her blades, hilt side down, on his skull. She left him alive but unconscious.

While she was dealing with her novice, Steorf had his hands full with the other. The Child of Ibrandul and he exchanged several thrusts and parries until the novice got lucky. Steorf’s blade had been slightly damaged during his battles with the drow, and the Child of Ibrandul managed to strike the flawed spot with his scimitar and shatter Steorf’s sword.

Steorf screamed in rage and threw the remains of his weapon to the ground. He backhanded the novice and brought his other arm down on the Child’s sword arm, causing the novice to loose his scimitar. The two were barehanded and evenly matched again. They grabbed at each other.

Steorf and the last Child of Ibrandul tumbled against the dais and knocked the sacred book to the ground. Distracted by the pages fluttering everywhere, the novice tried to protect the holy writings. Steorf used the opportunity to grab his opponent’s shoulders and slam the novice’s head into the dais. He slumped to the ground.

“Both you and your divine scribbling can roast in hell,” Steorf swore, and spread his hands wide to deliver a killing bolt.

“Don’t,” Tazi screamed, grabbing Steorf’s wrist.

She could see that he was nearly lost to his own blood-lust, and she had to force her way bodily between him and his intended victim. Only when he would have had to blast through her to get to the Child of Ibrandul did a small amount of sanity return to Steorf’s cold blue eyes.

“Get out of my way,” he growled, chest heaving.

“No,” Tazi told him, partially shielding the unconscious Child of Ibrandul. “I won’t let you do this.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

His temper showed no sign of cooling, and Tazi knew she was in an uncertain situation.

He’s dangerous right now, she recognized, and I don’t know what he might do even to me if I get in his way.

Aloud, she explained calmly, “This isn’t you. You don’t kill indiscriminately like Ciredor does.”

Steorf looked at her for a time.

“This is war,” he finally said.

“You’re right,” she agreed, “and war is full of innocent victims, but you don’t have to kill this one. He can’t hurt us now.”

Steorf started to calm. He backed up a step and regarded the scene. Tazi seized the moment.

“They are as much victims of Ciredor as we are. He’s lied to them and manipulated them… and who knows what other evils he’s brought down on them.”

“He has much to answer for,” Steorf agreed, lowering his hands.

“Yes, he does,” Tazi agreed. “So let’s put an end to the evil for everyone’s sake.”

Steorf looked once more at the inert novice before saying, “You’re right. Let’s get Fannah.”

“We’ll start just beyond that council room they took us to,” Tazi ordered.

Though they were ready for others to show up, Tazi and Steorf didn’t have any more run-ins with the Children of Ibrandul. The council room was empty and looked much as it had when they were last in it. Steorf spotted a door in the rear of the room and silently signaled Tazi over. Neither one of them saw any wards on it, so Tazi opened the door carefully to reveal the Lurker’s study. Tazi swallowed back bile and Steorf grimaced in disgust.

The bodies of both of the Children of Ibrandul who had led them into the trap were roughly where Ciredor had left them. The only change was that the quiet one had finally been released from Ciredor’s sorcerous manacle, and his body was crumpled in a heap. The room was rank from the beardless novice’s brain tissue. Tazi had to swallow hard.

“Gods, I hope Fannah is all right,” she said shakily. “We’ve got to keep searching.”

Seeing that the Lurker’s study was a dead end, Tazi and Steorf exited back through the counsel room and entered the hallway. The next few doors exposed only innocuous rooms with no one occupying them. Tazi tried not to get discouraged.

“Ciredor might have moved her,” Steorf said quietly, voicing both their unspoken fears.

“She’s here,” Tazi asserted. “She’s got to be.”

Almost at the end of the tunnel, there was one door left. Tazi breathed deeply and swung it open. The room was ordinary enough, almost a parlor. Besides a large divan and a desk, there were many bookcases and a few tapestries adorning the walls. Candles were everywhere and they lent the chamber a cheery glow. Toward the back of the room, Tazi could see a large loom with Fannah seated behind it, busy with a shuttle in her hand. Tazi nearly laughed aloud.

“Fannah,” she cried with delight.

At the sound of Tazi’s voice, Fannah raised her sightless face and tilted it.

“Tazi,” she replied, “you’re back.”

While Steorf guarded the doorway, Tazi made her way to Fannah’s side. The two women clasped hands briefly, and Tazi couldn’t wipe the smile from her face.

“Did you find out what you wanted?” Fannah asked her.

“I think I discovered what we needed to know,” Tazi answered, glancing down at Fannah’s loom.

She was momentarily startled to see an elaborate tower with a blue glow radiating from it on Fannah’s tapestry.

“What’s this?” she asked her sightless friend.

“I hate to interrupt,” Steorf called from the doorway, “but I really think we should be going.”

“He’s right. Let’s get out of here,” Tazi ordered. “We need to get somewhere safe.”

Both she and Steorf flanked Fannah and they started to

make their way out of the tunnels. In the main chamber, which was still deserted save for the unconscious bodies of the fallen Children of Ibrandul, they passed by the overturned dais. Fannah’s sandaled foot struck a few of the papers. She stopped and knelt down.

“What are you doing?” Tazi asked, at first thinking that Fannah had lost her footing.

However, she could see that her blind friend was carefully gathering the fallen pieces of parchment from the ground.

“Just because we have not seen eye to eye, so to speak, with the Children of Ibrandul doesn’t mean these people are evil,” Fannah explained. “I would not wish these writings to be defiled unnecessarily.”