“It doesn’t matter,” said Jon, “at least not at the moment. We need to find those reptiles as fast as possible,” and looked at the floor for signs of their passage.
“Over here,” said Odellius as he pointed to a little green splotch on the floor, “It’s a good thing they chew tobacco,” he said with a grin. “Remind me to liberate a few pouches after we kill them. I’ve had it only twice before when traders brought it from Darag’dal. They say the lizards grow the finest tobacco deep in their swamps.”
“You’ve had that filthy habit since you were six years old,” said the First Rider, shaking his head and looking at Odellius.
“Not true,” replied the rotund warrior, “it was my seventh birthday celebration when my uncle gave me my first pouch.”
Jon looked at Sorus and then to the two men giggling like young girls, “You’d think we weren’t on an important mission,” he said, and the young knight of Elekargul shrugged his shoulders.
“Old people are weird,” he said and then led the way down the corridor indicated by Odellius. The two older warriors managed to stifle their laughter long enough to follow Sorus and Jon.
Jon took the lead as the passageway opened up slightly, Sorus kept five feet behind him, while the two older knights followed along in line with the First Rider now in the rear and Odellius behind the young brewer. Jon watched the ground for signs of the green spittle-like substance that the reptile creatures spat out at regular intervals and this kept them along the right passage despite the many twists, turns, and side tunnels.
“Is anyone keeping track of how many turns we’re making,” said Sorus at one point as he looked backwards towards Odellius and his eyes darted back and forth. “I’m totally lost, I don’t know how deep we’ve gone, how long we’ve been here, or what direction we’re facing.”
“It’s easy to get turned around underground,” said Odellius, “but all we have to do is follow the spit trail back to the surface after we find the staff.”
“I guess that’s true,” said Sorus and started forward again his lip twitching nervously, his broken right arm in a sling fashioned by Vispsanius, and a small knife clenched in his left. “By the Black Horse I don’t like being down here at all. I yearn for the open plains of Elekargul, a fiery steed under my hand.”
“Since when do you have a fiery steed?” said Jon as he took a glance over his shoulder, “other than the one you borrowed from Sir Germanius, which, by the way, you’ll want to return to his family eventually.”
“It’s just a figure of speech,” said Sorus with a grin on his face and his lip stopped its twitching for a moment. “I’ve ridden a few ponies before you came along.”
“I’ll miss that trotter of mine if we don’t make it back to the surface alive,” said Jon as he looked again and shone his light down both ends of a double turn in the passage. “I’ll have to remember to stop in Tarlton and pick up some breeding stock to take back to Tanelorn. First Rider,” he continued, “I’m not sure which passage to take here, it goes two ways and I don’t see any stains on the floor down either corridor.”
The First Rider and Odellius came forward so that all four of them stood together in the passage, “One pick is as good as the next,” he said and peered down each passage. “Who feels lucky?”
Silence greeted this question.
“Fine then,” he said with a laugh. “I’ll choose.” With that he headed down the passage to his right with short but steady little strides.
Jon put his hand out palm up and looked at Sorus and Odellius, “Gentlemen, after you.”
Sorus followed the First Rider, Odellius went third, and Jon brought up the rear. They followed the passage for perhaps forty or fifty steps when the First Rider suddenly stopped and looked into a little corner where his light seemed unable to penetrate. He held up his hand and Sorus stopped a few feet behind him which brought both Odellius and Jon to a halt as well.
“Who’s there?” asked the First Rider as he squinted and tried to peer into the impenetrable darkness that suddenly seemed to coalesce into a vaguely humanoid form. Vipsanius immediately took a step back, almost bumped into Sorus, and raised his sword. “Who is it?”
The dark shadow slid forward over the ground as Sorus, Odellius, and Jon moved up to join the First Rider, “Watch behind us,” he said in a low voice and pointed backwards to Sorus who immediately turned to watch the passage to their rear.
“I am called Tenebrous,” said the dark shadow with a deep voice that seemed to come from nowhere and all around them at the same time. “I think I might be of help to you.”
“What manner of creature are you?” said Vipsanius as he looked it up and down and tried to see any sort of shape or form to the thing.
“I am a shadow escaped from the Deathlands and kept permanently in this condition by She who Rules the Abyss,” said Tenebrous, his form shifting subtly from one shape to the next.
“How can you help us?” said the First Rider as he kept his sword at the ready position and narrowed his gaze on the creature.
“The Staff of Sakatha is near,” said the shadowy creature as its form winnowed down and flowed backwards down the corridor. “Time is of the essence. You must follow me to the staff and take it. I will then lead you out of this region.”
“Don’t trust him,” said Sorus, “he’s a darkling creature of some kind.”
“He serves the Lady of the Abyss at the very least,” said Odellius who stepped forward and his massive bulk filled almost the entire corridor. “The Staff of Sakatha is a powerful relic of the Old Empire and something she no doubt desires.”
“I am bound to obey The Lady in all her orders,” said Tenebrous with a slow drawl, “but her commands do not cover every eventuality and with some creativity I am able to pursue my own agenda.”
The First Rider looked at the creature and again tried to discern any sort of form, but the billowy nature of the thing defeated his every attempt, “Why should I trust you?”
Tenebrous gave off a low laugh, “I can offer you no assurances, nor do I even know who you are. I assume you are here following the lizard creatures and want the Staff of Sakatha for yourself. I know the gray boy came to this region for that purpose, and you must be his allies.”
Jon stepped forward, “You know me as well?”
“My mistress told me of your presence in the region before I was relieved of my duties in this quest,” he said. “I’ve spoken with your brother Valarius Tarragonus about certain relics your father has acquired and one in particular that interests me.”
“My father has something you want?” said Jon as Odellius, Sorus, and Vipsanius looked at one another with quick glances.
“Sadly,” said the black cloud, “no. Your father is not aware of the location of the particular relic that I seek but he is a resourceful man and your brother a powerful mage. If I help you in this situation then I hope to garner goodwill should any information about the item I seek be unearthed.”
Jon looked to the First Rider and shrugged his shoulders, “Everything he says about my brother is true, but he is well-known in Tanelorn and the surrounding regions.”
“Why don’t you take the staff for yourself,” said Vipsanius as he lowered his sword slightly.
The creature suddenly reached his smoky hand forward towards the First Rider who flinched away even as the smoke passed through the man, “In my current condition it is not possible to grasp and hold things I might desire. Therefore, I find myself reduced to dependence upon others for aid in this regard. Now, Jon Gray and companions, I said time was of the essence and I did not lie. The dreams of Chusarausea the great green dragon guide the dragon children and they close in on the ancient location of the Staff of Sakatha. My colleague, a ghoul named Thantos, guided by darklings, follows and means to ambush them when they break into the final chamber.”
“How close are they?” said Vipsanius and suddenly stepped close to the creature and lowered his sword.
“I am uncertain,” said the dark cloud. “I know that the dreams of the dragon became unfettered recently and they are moving directly towards a location somewhere in the region. I assume it is one of the ancient white marble temples of the Old Empire but I do not know for certain. If we continue to stand here and debate, then Thantos will gain the staff and return it to the Lady of the Abyss.”
The First Rider looked to Odellius who nodded his head with one quick motion and then to Jon who smiled, “What do we have to lose?”
“Our lives,” said Sorus as he looked to the dark cloud.
