In the end hedecided to leave the guards where they were. He went into the celland wrapped the unconscious guard with sticky web then left to openthe doors to the cells. Unfortunately, his plan came unstuck atthis stage. He wasn’t strong enough to move the levers.
Glammer lookeddisappointed but said nothing. He would have to take on the rest ofthe guards himself and perhaps get one of them to move thelevers.
The door out ofthe area was locked. Where was the key? The officer would have it.He went back and searched the officer, then the other two but foundno key. Maybe the door was locked from the outside by another guardafter the three had entered. He needed a key and remembered hischaos matter. It was still lying on the floor in the shape of agnome. He mentally reformed it into a ball and carried it back tothe door.
How many guardswere on the other side of the door? Should he wait for them to openthe door? Were they waiting for him? He looked at Glammer whoseemed to understand his hesitance.
‘There is onlyone left but we can’t get out because he’s locked the door.’
‘Thank you,Glammer.’ thought Aquitain as he held the ball of chaos matter nearthe lock.
He concentratedon the ball and moments later a thin branch like strand grew out ofthe ball and into the keyhole. A few seconds later he turned theball and Glammer heard an audible click as the lock opened. Thebranch-like part re-joined the ball and then reformed itself tolook like a leather collar that Aquitain strapped around his neck.Glammer looked on, quite impressed at Aquitain’s initiative.
Aquitain openedthe door inwards keeping his body to the side of the doorwayexpecting the worse. When nothing happened he peered out thedoorway. A few paces away there was another building made out ofwood. He heard its door slam shut. He sprung out the door and ranto the left side of the cellblock, turned and looked around. Hecouldn’t see anyone. No one appeared to want to attack him so herelaxed a little and looked around to see where he was.
There werethree buildings all set at an angle to each other set in a circulargrassed area about a hundred paces across. The cellblock was madeout of grey blocks of rock and two others made out of wood. Thecurious thing was that there were walls all around the circulararea going high up into the sky and in the middle of the sky was ablack disc. It took him a full minute to realize the significanceof where he was. He was in a bottle.
He quickly ranacross to the wall and felt it. Sure enough the walls were made ofglass. Glammer appeared beside him and said
‘Will yourcollar help get us out of this?’
If spiderscould laugh he would have. He had no idea how to get out of adimension bottle from the inside. It probably wasn’t possible. Hechanged shape to his gnome form.
‘Did you knowwe were in a bottle?’
‘Yes. We’re inLlalorax’s prison bottle. He made it a few years ago. He said noone would ever get out. Can you get us out?’
‘I doubt it.’replied Aquitain ‘We could be stuck here for a long time but beforewe start worrying about that, how many guards are left?’
‘Just the oneand he’s locked himself in the store where all the food iskept.’
‘I’ll bet he’sscared stiff of spiders. He probably thinks we want to eat him. Hewon’t come out easily. Maybe we can charm him out.’ saidAquitain.
Aquitainchanged to an attractive female gnome form and walked to the storestanding back about five paces from the door.
‘Why don’t youcome out?’ he said in a pleasant feminine voice. ‘I won’t hurtyou.’
‘No way.’replied the voice inside the store. ‘You’re not gonna eat me. I’mstaying here.’
‘I’m not aspider I’m a gnome.’
‘You might looklike a little female gnome but I know you’re a spider trying totrick me and I’m not coming out.’ repeated the guard.
That wasexactly what Aquitain wanted to hear. The guard was peeking throughthe keyhole at him. He concentrated carefully then cast a charmeffect at the keyhole, waited a minute then said.
‘Come on out Iwon’t hurt you. I’m just a little gnome. Your friends need yourhelp. I’m not strong like you.’
The door openedand the guard stepped out, his eyes glazed. ‘How can I help youlittle gnome?’
‘If you sendhim in the cellblock the charm will disappear.’ whispered Glammercurrently invisible and flying near his right ear.
‘She’s quiteright,’ thought Aquitain. ‘But I need him to open Llalorax’s celldoor.’ Then he thought of a way to do it. He slipped off hisleather collar and it turned to silver.
‘Put on thisamulet and it will protect you from Llalorax if he’s annoyed withyou.’
‘Why thankyou.’ replied the guard as he put it on. ‘What do you want me todo?’
‘I want you topush the lever that open Llalorax’s door then go and move yourfriends into the cell with the door open.’ said Aquitain.
The guardwalked into the cellblock and immediately the charm effectevaporated. He stopped dead turned around and said.
‘You littlebitch. You tricked me into coming into here. You must have put acharm on me. What makes you think I’ll let out Llalorax? I thinkI’ll rather come out and beat you to a pulp.’ yelled the guardangrily as he grabbed a mace from a weapon rack and darted out.Aquitain ran back a few paces and concentrated on the silver amuletaround the guard’s neck willing it to constrict.
‘I don’t thinkthat would be your best move.’ suggested Aquitain as the silveramulet around the guard’s neck suddenly tightened. The guardgripped it and tried to pull it off but it only tightened more.Eventually, the guard’s face went red and he fell to his kneesnodding acceptance.
Aquitainmentally eased the amulet’s constriction around the guard’s neckand a minute or two later after regaining his breath he reluctantlyre-entered the cell block and pushed the lever to unlock Llalorax’scell then went to move the officer and other guard
