hatred. Something was following them, and it was gaining.
'Run!' Artek yelled.
Gasping, they hurled themselves down the tunnel, the darkness following thickly on their heels. An eerie whispering sound echoed all around. Lungs burning, the three kept running. All at once the walls of the tunnel fell away, and they found themselves dashing across a cavernous chamber. Strange white shapes littered the floor, crunching brittlely underfoot. Dense clumps of the same strands that had filled the tunnel hung from the high ceiling like a weird inverted forest, filling the room with a ghastly green glow. Artek caught another wisp of fresh air, stronger now. Then he saw it on the far side of the hall-a faint rectangle glowing amid the gloom. A doorway.
'Hurry!' he shouted, heedless of what might hear his voice.
The eerie whispering grew louder, filling the chamber. Thick blackness poured out of the opening behind them like a putrid flood. Legs pounding, Artek outpaced the others. As he neared the doorway, he saw that it was covered with more of the same green, glowing strands. With a cry, he hurled himself at the portal. Instantly his cry became one of pain as bitterly cold threads burned the skin on his hands and face. The silken material stretched under the force of his impact, then abruptly snapped back, throwing him roughly to the ground.
He stared up at the door in surprise, rubbing his throbbing hands. Then he leapt to his feet, drew a knife from his boot, and slashed at the chaotic weave that covered the door. The blade bounced back, jarring his wrist painfully. He had not so much as damaged one of the cords.
'What is this stuff?' he said in hoarse amazement as the others came to a halt behind him.
Beckla drew in a sharp breath, staring upward. 'I think I know.'
The strange whispering grew to a maddening din. The threads hanging from the ceiling stirred. Ghostly shapes scuttled down the glowing strand.
'Webs,' Corin gasped. 'They're spiderwebs!'
As they watched in horror, half a dozen bloated forms dropped down from the tangle of webs above, while several more scurried from the opening through which they had entered the chamber. They were spiders, but like none Artek had ever seen. They were huge, each the size of a dog. Their bulging bodies, as pale and waxy as corpses, were eerily translucent, and their long gray legs trailed off into dim tendrils of gray mist. Dark saliva bubbled from their vague pincer mouths, and their multifaceted eyes shone malevolently, like flame reflected off black jewels. Whatever these things were, it was clear they were not truly alive, but wraiths, in hideous spider form. As they drew near, Artek realized the nature of the white shapes littering the chamber's floor. They were bones.
Together, the three backed toward the web-covered doorway.
'So, are you having fun yet, Silvertor?' Artek said darkly.
'Actually, this is a little more fun than I had anticipated,' the lord answered with a gulp.
'Mystra save us,' Beckla breathed.
The spiders advanced on their misty legs.
Artek drew the curved saber Melthis had given him. The hilt tingled in his hand-it was the first time he had drawn it in combat. Warm energy flowed up his arms as red fire glimmered along the edge of the blade. A wraith spider lunged forward, and Artek swung the saber. The creature let out a mind-piercing shriek as two of its legs fell to the floor. For a moment, they twitched of their own volition, then evaporated into wisps of fog. The spider lurched backward.
Beckla uttered an arcane incantation. Blue energy crackled from her fingertips. It struck two of the wraith spiders, but passed through their ghostly bodies. They continued to scurry forward.
'My magic has no effect on them!' the wizard shouted in terror.
'Nor does my rapier!' Corin cried as he thrust without result at one of the creatures. He retreated hastily.
'Then work on freeing the door!' Artek gritted through clenched teeth. 'Ill try to hold the spiders back as long as I can.'
He swung the saber in whistling arcs, and a dozen more many-jointed legs fell to the floor, turning to mist. The spiders advanced more slowly now, wary of Artek's crimson sword. The plan was working for the moment, but there were too many of the wraiths. It was only a matter of time until one got through.
'I don't want to tell you your job,' he growled, 'but you might want to hurry, Beckla.'
'Quiet!' the wizard snapped. Tm thinking.' She studied the webs that crisscrossed the door. After a moment she nodded. 'All right, if my magic won't work on these things, let's see what some good, old-fashioned, mundane fire will do.'
Beckla uttered a command', and the end of her wooden staff burst into scarlet flame. She thrust the blazing brand at the webs. Instantly the sticky strands ignited, engulfed by brilliant fire. In seconds they were burned to fine ashes, clearing the doorway.
'It worked!' Corin cried excitedly.
'Come on, Artek!' Beckla shouted. 'Let's go!'
Artek started to back away from the spiders, toward the now-open door. Then he suddenly froze. The saber in his hands jerked violently. As if imbued with a life of its own, the blade danced forward, pulling Artek roughly with it. He tried to release the sword, but his hands were suddenly glued to the hilt Seemingly of its own will, the saber swung at one of the wraith spiders. Artek stumbled wildly, trying to keep his balance as he was carried along by the blade.
'What are you doing, Ar’talen?' Beckla demanded frantically. 'The door's open. We've got to go!'
'I can't let go of the sword!' he gasped. 'It won't let me retreat!' He lurched as the sword thrust itself at a spider, pulling him along with it. With a surge of rage, he realized the truth. 'Damn Darien to the Abyss. This thing must be cursed!'
Beckla let out a fierce oath. 'All right, I’ll see if I can use my magic to remove the-'
The wizard's words turned into a scream as a pale form dropped down from above, landing on her back. Her cry was cut short as ghostly pincers dug into the back of her neck. Her body went limp, and she fell to the floor. The still-burning staff slipped from her fingers, rolling away.
Out of the corner of his eye, Artek saw Beckla fall. He strained against the dancing blade in his hands, face twisted in effort, then managed to turn it on the spider that clung to the wizard. The saber sliced through the thing's bloated abdomen. It waved its thin legs, then exploded into a puff of foul vapor.
Grim satisfaction turned to cold terror as Artek realized that his back was now toward the other wraith spiders. Sensing their prey's vulnerability, they chittered hatefully, closing in. Artek knew he had mere moments to live.
His eyes fell upon Beckla's burning staff, and an idea struck him. But he could not let go of the cursed saber. There was only one chance.
'Corin!' he shouted. 'Grab the staff and hold it over your head!'
The lord stared at the approaching spiders, frozen in horror. He did not move.
'Now, Corin!' Artek screamed. 'If there is any drop of truly noble blood in your.veins, do it!'
The young lord blinked. Mechanically, he obeyed Artek's orders. He gripped the staff, then thrust the blazing end over his head just as the wraith spiders closed in. Flame licked the bottom of a clump of pale webs dangling from the ceiling. For a terrible second, Artek thought his plan had failed. Then crimson fire snaked up the hanging strands, and all at once the chamber's entire ceiling burst into roaring flame. Gobs of burning web dropped down, landing on the wraith spiders. They shrieked and writhed as they were engulfed in crackling fire.
As his enemies were consumed, Artek felt the cursed saber release his arms. He thrust the blade back into its sheath, then bent down to scoop up Beckla's motionless form. He threw the limp wizard over his shoulder.
'Run, Corin!' he shouted over the roar of the flames.
This time the lord obeyed. They dodged falling clumps of blazing spider web and dashed through the door. Leaving behind the blazing inferno of death, they ran into cool darkness.
Ancient Footsteps
When they no longer heard the roar of flames and the echoing shrieks of the wraith spiders, Artek slowed to
