could see that one of the giant’seye sockets was empty and a portion of his nose was missing. A thinning shock of filthy hair stuck straight up from his head like rotting corn stalks in a winter field. The one ear Lhors could see was torn and bleeding. Light glinted on a grubby rag of a jerkin that exposed more than it hid of a chain-mail shirt. He snarled something, baring a few misshapen teeth, perhaps calling for the guards who should be in that chamber.
Lhors glanced back. Agya hadn’t moved. The giant seemedpreoccupied with the missing bugbear guard, but the ape rose to its hind feet, head moving as if testing the air. Maybe it smelled fresh blood, Lhors thought.
The party hadn’t been seen yet, but they soon would be, Lhorsknew. If they moved, that ape would be aware of them. Possibly it could smell them from where it was; the distance wasn’t that great, but enough light pouredinto the passage from the torture chamber that the guard and his ape would see them as soon as they turned this way.
The ape tugged at its chain.
The giant turned to look down the long end of the passage. At first, he stared at them blankly. When his one eye took in what it saw, he hauled a two-edged battle-axe from his belt and yanked hard on the ape’s chain,dragging the creature off its feet and sending it sprawling. The beast opened its mouth to scream, but he yanked on the chain again.
Agya shrieked-a faint little cry that Lhors barely heard-butthe ape was suddenly aware of them as well. It rolled onto all fours and bared its teeth, snarling.
“That’s done it,” Rowan muttered. She ran across the hall tograb the girl and haul her back to the relative safety of the company. Nemis began mumbling under his breath as Rowan drew the girl close and began talking to her in a low voice. “It won’t get you, child. We will keep it away from you.”Agya nodded and drew a steadying breath as Malowan, Khlened, and the dwarf pelted down the hall straight at the two monsters. The keeper stared at them, then smiled unpleasantly and freed the ape.
The beast shambled toward them on all fours. It looked awkward but moved at astonishing speed. Malowan brought up his sword to slash at it. Khlened and Bleryn braced, back to back, the barbarian with his morning star and the dwarf with a massive axe in one hand and a thick-shafted pike in the other.
Lhors drew a spear, but both enemies were out of range. He’dnever get enough arc to his throw.
“Clear the center!” Rowan shouted. “Arrow, mid-hall!”
“You two, hug that wall!” Malowan gestured with his sword forthe pair of fighters to go south. He leaped for the north wall just as the ranger’s arrows zinged between them. Two hit the ape. It yammered in pain, thenswiped the shafts free. An instant later, Maera ran forward and threw a javelin deep into the creature’s shoulder.
The ape charged once more, eyes red with hate and pain, its mouth wide and foamy slaver dripping from horrid fangs.
“Lhors, you and Agya behind me!” Rowan said as she steadiedanother arrow on her string.
“Watch that giant!” Malowan ordered Khlened as he turnedback.
“We’ve got it!” Vlandar said. “Stay there!” He drew Lhorswith him, putting Rowan and Maera behind a second line of defense. Agya came behind them close to Nemis.
Lhors clutched a boar spear with two hands. He could hear the brute panting, slowing now and looking surprised at the number of them-ordeciding which of them to kill first. He could hear Nemis behind him, talking in chant that meant a spell. The stones seemed to shift slightly beneath his feet. Khlened shouted a wordless warning as the giant came toward them, swinging his axe. Lhors saw Bleryn and Khlened jump back as the weapon bit into the stone floor, then brought his attention back to the ape.
“Bleryn!” the paladin shouted. “Does the creature speakCommon?”
“Not as I know, why?” the dwarf responded.
“Good!” Malowan shouted back. “You two get as far along hisblind side as you can. He can’t judge distance with only one eye!”
“He’s got enough reach, ’e don’t
Rowan shot another arrow, and Maera threw one of her spears. The ape yelled and plucked both free, then backed away from them-perhaps to fleeor in response to whatever his keeper was shouting.
Lhors glanced at Malowan, who had his back against the wall so he could keep an eye on both giant and ape.
Khlened was now mid-passage, swinging the morning star furiously over his head. He suddenly released it, staggering back into the south wall as the spiked ball slammed into the giant’s chest and stuck there. Themonster wailed much like the ape had and pawed at the weapon to no effect. Blood stained the mail-but not enough of it to cause him lasting damage.
“Damn all! Most of it was took by ’is mail!” Khlened shookout his numbed arm.
The dwarf snarled and ran forward, pike back and ready to strike.
“Get his other eye!” Khlened called out. The giant left offtrying to pull the morning star free and swatted at the pike. More by luck or skill than good vision, he succeeded. The point bounced off the wall, and Bleryn went down. Khlened ran to help him up, and Malowan came after. The ape snarled low in its throat, then to Lhors’ astonishment, seemed to freeze in place.
“He will not come after us now.” Nemis’ voice reached Lhors.A moment later, the mage came around him, his hands moving. “Mal, Khlened! Downflat, all three of you! I’ve spelled the brute! The jailer is now his monster!”
“Are ye mad?” Khlened demanded. He’d hauled Bleryn out of thegiant’s reach and had drawn another blade.
Malowan slashed at the giant, who was trying to free the morning star with one hand and swiping at the paladin with the other. The man’sblade slammed into the giant’s leg, bounced off bone or hidden armor, and flewbehind him to hit the north wall. The creature clamped his teeth together and gripped the spiked ball with both hands.
Malowan backed away to scoop up his blade. “I know what he’sdone, Khlened! Both of you, over here, now!”
The barbarian swore but grabbed Bleryn and hauled him over as the paladin threw himself flat. Lhors stared as the ape suddenly came to life and shook itself. Khlened dragged the dwarf down under him moments before the ape thundered past them. The giant stared dumbfounded as the ape threw itself on him. Both went down.
Before Malowan could get back to his feet, the rangers darted past him, weapons ready to take on the survivor. When Lhors would have followed, Vlandar held him back.
“There may be guards back that way,” he said. “Watch forthem.”
“There are, but they heard nothing,” Nemis said. “I blockedthe corridor on all ends with a spell of silence before I bespelled that ape.”
“Watch anyway,” Vlandar ordered the youth. “The rangers andMal have matters in hand up there.”
Lhors glanced that way briefly as the giant grappled with his ape. The creature was much smaller, but it seemed far stronger. With a final, hellish shriek, the giant went limp and blood poured over the stone floor. The ape rose high on his legs, beating his lest, hissing and grinning before he crouched to feed. The youth turned away again and bit his lower lip.
“He won’t notice us,” Nemis reassured them. “That spell willhold him as long as-”
Maera snorted. “What? Until he runs out of meat? I’m notleaving that thing alive, mage.”
“Nor I,” Rowan said grimly.
“Kill it now,” Vlandar ordered.
Lhors stole a glance at him, then down the hall-carefully notlooking at the ape. Rowan approached the creature cautiously, bow fully drawn. She took careful aim and launched an arrow deep into the creature’s back, thenbacked quickly away, dragging Maera with her. The creature spun to search for the source of the arrow, and Khlened brought his sword down across the ape’sneck.
“Good,” Vlandar said.
Lhors looked, but all he could see now was the motionless ape sprawled across the body of its master.
Malowan stole down the hall to peer up into the north passage that led back to the destroyed stairs. Agya came up behind Lhors and swore under her breath as the paladin vanished that way, but he was back almost at once, signing that the passage and the vast chamber beyond were quiet.
