annoying the River Man gave him, he desperately wanted to figure out where the pressure plate was that he triggered the time before. It had been his hope to somehow trigger it and have the dart strike the River Man. With him injured, they would then be forced to return to the surface which would improve the possibility for escape. But seeing as how he has been unable to locate it, he was purposely stalling in the hopes another plan would come to him. After another minute, something did come to him rather unexpectedly.
Bart?
He almost turned to Riyan and asked ‘what?’ before realizing it had come through the ring he wore. Kevik?
We’re on the second level, Kevik explained.
How did you get away? Bart asked. Kevik sent an image through the ring depicting dozens of bodies lying unconscious in a yellow fog. Good thinking!
Are you and Riyan safe?
For the moment, replied Bart. We’re at the Horde’s entrance and I’m stalling. Not sure how much longer their patience will hold.
Understood. There was a slight pause then… Take out the magic user first.
What? Bart was confused.
When all hell breaks loose, take out the magic user first. If he can somehow counter what I’m going to do, we’re dead.
Bart nodded to himself. You got it.
Try to draw their attention away from the passage leading to the room. We’ll be there in five minutes. Then the connection was gone.
Draw their attention… Bart glanced to the sigil inscribed wall and knew how to accomplish that. Standing up, he turned to the onlookers and said, “It’s clear.” Glancing to Riyan, he held up the hand bearing the ring and with his thumb, wiggled the ring.
Riyan noticed and nodded.
“Then open it!” demanded Lord Kueryn.
“As you wish my lord,” Bart said bowing. Turning back to the dais, he was fairly sure there were no traps between where he stood and the indented space in which the key must be placed. He had been a little further to the right of where he was now when he had been struck by the dart.
Moving forward slowly, making it appear he was being cautious when in reality he was just killing time until Kevik and the others arrived, he approached the wall. In his hand, he pulled the key out from where he had stashed it within his shirt while checking for traps.
One side had the map, the other bore lines that he was sure would align with the sigils overlapping the circular indented area. As he came to a stop, he saw that properly aligning the key when he inserted, would indeed make the sigil pattern whole. He moved the key toward the indented area and rotated the key to misalign the sigil pattern on the key with that which was on the wall. Sliding it in as far as it would go, he stood back.
Nothing happened.
“What is wrong?” demanded the River Man. “Why isn’t it opening?”
Bart turned back to him and said, “Maybe it needs magic to activate the sigils?” Looking past the head of the River Man, and into the passageway opening, he saw for a brief moment a light far in the distance before it winked out. It could only have come from Kevik’s staff.
Lord Kueryn turned to his magic user Geffen. “Is he correct?” he asked.
“Perhaps,” he said.
“Then do something about it!” ordered the River Man.
“Yes my lord,” he replied. Stepping forward, he ascended the two steps and came to stand next to Bart. It took him but a moment to see that the key was misaligned. “You fool!” he said to Bart. “You didn’t put it in properly. The sigils must be aligned!”
“Oh,” Bart said, acting as if he hadn’t realized that fact.
Geffen reached out to the key and rotated it until the sigils on the key completed the greater pattern on the wall. As soon as they aligned, the entire sigils surged to life.
“Ah!” exclaimed Lord Hurrin.
“About time,” Captain Lyrun stated.
Geffen and Bart scrambled from the dais as the sigils glowed brighter and brighter. Every eye in the room was fixed on the wall. One of Lord Kueryn’s men said, “It’s beautiful.”
Bart hurried to Riyan’s side. “They’re out in the passage,” he told him. “Get ready.”
A grinding noise seemed to come from all around them as the left side of the wall began moving back. Stale air exploded into the room as the wall slowly opened inward like a massive door.
“Now Kevik!” Chyfe said.
Still fifteen feet from the room, Kevik held the box of gray powder as he watched the wall begin swinging open. So much magic! It was a palpable presence to him, he could feel its effect radiating outward from the wall. The plan had been for him to use the powder in the box to nullify the power of the magic user. But being in the presence of this much magic, he didn’t know if he dared open the box. Fear of what might happen if it were opened while the sigils on the wall glowed caused him to hesitate.
“Do it!” urged Chad. Standing with sword in hand, he waited for Kevik to open the box.
“I don’t dare,” he told them. “There’s too much magic.” Slipping the box within one of the larger pockets in his robe, he then withdrew the wand. He knew it had a power that dealt with cold in some manner, and was sure he could activate it. But unlike staves that replenished their power over time, wands held a specified amount of magic. What Kevik didn’t know was how many times he could use it, though he was certain it would work at least once.
With staff in one hand and wand in the other, he said to the others, “Okay, let’s do this” Looking down the passage toward the room, he could see the magic user where he stood next to the River Man watching the wall open. Aiming the wand as best he could, he activated its latent magic.
Geffen was awed by what he was seeing. Never before had he seen such power being used at one time. It was awe-inspiring. Then something intruded on his mind. He wasn’t sure what it was but something made him glance back down the passage leading from the room.
Before he even realized what he was doing, words of magic issued forth. No sooner had the protective shield materialized, than a wave of ice shards broke over it.
Bart’s first impulse was to kill the magic user as Kevik had said. But since there were five Tribesmen including one of the Lords between him and the magic user, he altered the plan. As soon as he saw the attack on the magic user, he struck the nearest Tribesman in the stomach. Grasping the hilt of the man’s sword, he drew it forth as he kicked him backward into his fellows.
Grabbing Riyan by the front of the shirt, he launched him toward the dais.
“We’re under attack!” yelled Captain Lyrun. Pulling his sword, he moved to the mouth of the passage and was almost fried as a fireball leapt from Geffen’s hand in a counter attack.
“Get behind me!” Kevik yelled as the fireball raced toward them. Shouting arcane words, a shield appeared before him. When the fireball struck, an explosion flared as his shield was utterly destroyed and a wave of heat rolled over them, singing hair and turning their skin red.
Staring down the passage toward the magic user he saw him already casting another spell. Kevik knew a newly raised Practitioner could never hope to stand against a magic user of such skill and experience.
“Kevik!” cried out Chyfe as another fireball raced toward them.
“Here!” Kevik hollered. As he cast another shield spell, he handed Chyfe the box of gray powder.
Wham!
The fireball exploded on his shield, sending another wave of heat rolling over them.
Kevik saw Chyfe start to open the box. “Not yet!” he yelled. “Wait until the sigils on the wall stop glowing.”
“But we might die before that happens!” Chad hollered.
“Wait!” ordered Kevik as he readied another shield for the fireball that was already on its way.
“Move damn you!” Bart yelled.
“The thief!” he heard someone yell. Turning he saw Lord Geop moving his way, sword drawn. “Stop!” he
