'I see what you mean,' he agreed slowly, 'but considering the beast's size, I'm not sure my spells could keep it at bay long enough for you two to get in without someone getting injured.'
Tazi pursed her lips, frustrated by their dilemma.
'Fannah,' she asked, 'do you know how smart these lizards are? Could we trick one of them?'
'I'm sorry, but I don't know much about the ibrandlin,' she apologized. 'From what I've heard, they are not supposed to possess much intelligence.'
'That'll help,' Tazi said.
'They are smart enough to recognize worshipers of Ibrandul and obey their commands,' Fannah added.
'What kinds of colors do the followers of Ibrandul wear?' Steorf asked.
'Typical wear is normally purple and black, though the clothing style is not specific. Higher-ranking members sport purple cloaks with a kind of circular design,' she explained.
'Purple it is,' Steorf stated and reached out to touch both Tazi and Fannah.
Tazi looked down at Steorf's hand on her shoulder. A purple stain began to spread from under his fingers to seep across the blue-and-white-striped shift she wore over her leathers. Soon the whole outer garment was stained a deep amethyst color. She let out a small gasp as she glanced up and saw that both Steorf and Fannah's clothing had changed as well to shades of purple and black. On Steorf's violet cloak, small circles covered the length of the garment.
'It's not permanent,' he answered Tazi's unasked question, 'but it should last long enough to fool the lizard ahead.'
'This just might do it,' she complimented him. 'There's only one way to be sure, though.'
Tazi led her friends around the sharp turns and stopped just before the tunnel opened up.
'If what you said is right,' Tazi addressed Fannah, 'then we should be able to just walk past this thing.'
'That's what I have heard,' Fannah affirmed.
The three stepped around the corner and started to cross the twenty feet that separated them from what must have been the main entrance to the temple. They hadn't even gone five feet when the gray lizard's eyes flew open. It flicked its head from left to right and unfurled its limbs to slowly rise on its tail, nearly twenty feet straight up.
Tazi resisted the urge to draw her blades, but it was a struggle. It was one thing to have a plan to remain passive, and it was entirely another thing to follow that plan when faced with such a fearsome creature.
'Do nothing,' she whispered to Steorf and wondered if the next burnt smell in the chamber would be them.
The ibrandlin swooped down with lightning speed and stuck its large, flat head in Tazi's face. She held rigidly still as it moved its head from one side of her shoulders, over her own head, and down to her other shoulder. All the while, she could feel little hot spikes of air escape the two holes that was its nose. Tazi even thought she detected a hint of smoke in those puffs.
The ibrandlin followed the same procedure with Steorf and Fannah before crawling aside to clear a path for them through the threshold. Tazi hesitantly stepped forward and marched through the doorway, Fannah immediately behind her, and Steorf bringing up the rear. When they had all passed safely through, Tazi peered back at the ibrandlin. The lizard, however, appeared to have already forgotten them and was curling up once more like some great cat.
She shook her head and let out a sigh. When she turned back to her friends, Tazi saw that the purple colors Steorf had created were dripping off of them to evaporate into the stone floor without a trace. Before she had a chance to compliment him further, several young men appeared from a nearly invisible side chamber and intercepted them. Tazi saw that they all were Calishite humans and they wore the true colors of Ibrandul.
'Who are you?' one of them demanded.
It was not lost on Tazi that the worshipers had surrounded them.
'We have come seeking the aid of Ibrandul,' Fannah told them.
'That may be,' the spokesperson for the acolytes said, 'but how did you get in here?'
Steorf took a deep breath, but before he could say anything Tazi squeezed his arm.
'We are here,' Fannah replied easily, 'and welcome as all should be who seek protection from those things that dwell in the dark.'
She left it at that.
Good girl, Tazi thought. No need to tip our hand when we don't have to.
'The Lurker should know of this,' one of the other worshipers muttered.
'If you seek the Skulking God's assistance, then follow me,' the first worshiper told them and abruptly turned away.
Since the other followers held their ground, Tazi had a feeling that there was no choice in the matter.
'Please bring us before him,' Fannah requested, playing along with the illusion of free choice as well.
The group made a silent march from the small, entry chamber into a much larger room. The entire chamber was hewn from rock, and all the decorations were natural indentations in the stone. The senior priest entered, dressed in robes of deep purple tied off with a black sash. His outer robe was covered in a silver pattern of circles that looked like scales to Tazi. His beard was shot with white, and his skin was leathered. Tazi wondered how he could look so dry and withered in the damp dark.
'What do you seek?' asked the old man.
'We are newly arrived in Calimport, Mysterious Lurker,' Fannah correctly addressed him in the common tongue. 'My companions are Thazienne and Steorf-' she motioned to each respectively-'and we have come on a most serious matter. Thazienne is best able to explain,' she finished, startling Tazi by placing her in the forefront once more.
'I can see your companions are new to Calimport,' the Lurker said, 'but you are not.' He spoke a few words in Alzhedo.
Fannah simply nodded.
When the ensuing silence stretched out, Tazi finally stepped forward from her companions and the few Children of Ibrandul who had led them there.
'I would like to thank you, Mysterious Lurker, for allowing us entrance,' she began.
'Ibrandul opens his house to any human needing protection from the dark and offers sanctuary,' he intoned benevolently.
'I'm not sure if we need the protection or if you do,' she continued.
One of the Children of Ibrandul, just starting his first beard, stepped toward her, and Steorf moved to block him, but the Lurker waved the novice back. Tazi realized her mistake.
'I mean no threat,' she explained. 'I am afraid I'm bringing a warning to you and hope I am in time.'
'Go on,' he urged.
'My friends and I are pursuing an evil necromancer. He has already killed someone close to me, and I know he wants to kill this woman as well.' She motioned to Fannah. 'His trail has led here, to Calimport and to your god.'
The novices murmured among themselves at that declaration, but the Lurker silenced them with a look.
'What do you mean, girl?' he demanded.
'All I can reason,' she continued, 'is that he is working toward some greater goal of his and he plans to use your god for his own, evil deeds. That has to be why he needed to collect so many souls. To be honest,' she said with a touch of embarrassment at her lack of information, 'I was hoping you might know what he could want with the Lord of the Dry Depths.'
The senior priest was quiet for some time, and Tazi suspected he was weighing her words.
Finally, he announced, 'Ibrandul protects all human travelers who come to him in the dark. Here you have come to seek answers from him. Over the many years, there have been more than a few persons who have tried to subvert the Skulking God's powers. This necromancer of yours is not the first, nor, I suspect, will he be the last.'
The Mysterious Lurker glanced behind himself before continuing, 'Perhaps it is our book that this necromancer seeks. Over many years we have been collecting the sacred writings of Ibrandul. Even I have not read all of the words of the Lord of the Dry Depths, but I know there is great power in them. Power over the darkness.'
