Medallion of the Undead

by Anthony Rudzki

  Kyle lowered his head, looking at the muddy water slowly drifting past them. Why hadn’t he taken the lead on this? It was foolish to let Adam risk his life, when it was his fault for getting them all into this mess. Too much time had passed.

  Kyle grabbed Legan’s arm to gain his attention and tell him they should search for Adam when he heard coughing and splashing coming in their direction from the darkness of the tunnel. Adam’s green light bobbed crazily and then it was Adam himself who emerged from the tunnel, his skin splattered with the stuff he had been moving through. A glowing smile shined through a filthy face.

  Before Adam could say anything, Delas stepped between him and Kyle, took Adam’s face in her hands and kissed him, filthy face and all.

  “Don’t you ever worry me like that again. Understand?”

  Adam nodded. Delas stepped back.

  “Adam?” Kyle asked, waving his hand in front of Adam’s eyes several times.

  “Yeah, I found a way in. At the end of this tunnel is a wooden ladder leading upward into an opening in the ceiling covered by an iron grate. I climbed the ladder and listened at the grate for a while and didn’t hear anything. The grate moved easily once I broke it loose of the muck sealing it, and entered the room above. The room isn’t a kitchen, but more like some kind of storage room with tables for processing food for storage. There were stacks and stacks of barrels filled with salted meats, fish and sacks of dried grains. Anyway, I think we would be safe entering the tower that way.”

  * * * *

  Jennifer woke as pain stabbed through her bloodied body. She was lying on her side, carelessly discarded on the straw that was her makeshift bedding. She slowly opened her left eye and in the dim moonlight that stole into the cell, she was relieved to be alone. Her tongue was swollen in her mouth and was sore as she slid the tip over her front teeth. Several felt loose, but to her surprise, they were all intact. She swallowed hard and tried to move her legs. The pain was sharp and searing. She clamped her swollen lips shut and cried to herself.

  She vowed not to give her abusers the satisfaction of knowing she was in pain.

  A wave of nausea swept over her and a grayness crept around the edges of her vision. When she tried to move again, the darkness overtook her.

  When she woke, the light had changed. She didn’t know how long she had been out, but strong beams of sunlight cut through the bars in the window high over her head, casting streams of illumination on the floor of her cell. She slowly moved her legs, rocking onto her belly, and bit her lip at the shooting pain. When it subsided, she pulled her arms under her body and used them to lift herself up off of the floor as well as she could and eased herself forward. She looked at the wall and the faint marks she had scratched into it. She had been there for long enough the unflagging faith she’d had when she was first captured was finally gone. If Kyle survived and managed to rescue her, what would their life be like?

  She thought back to a day in late spring when the two of them were walking together in the woods near Kyle’s farm. She’d brought a small basket of food for the two of them to enjoy. They walked, held hands, laughed and finally arrived at a small clearing filled with colorful flowers with a bubbling creek nearby. From his pack, Kyle pulled out a woolen blanket and spread it on the ground. Soon, the basket and the food was forgotten and the two of them were clutching one another and kissing each other deeply. She remembered the look of Kyle’s chest when she pulled his shirt off up over his head and discarded it onto the grass. She also remembered the look in his eyes as he slowly undid the buttons on her blouse.

  They’d lain together for a long time, just holding one another and talking about their future together. Kyle talked about the farm and the parcel of land in the northern part of their plot his father was going to give him when he married and started a family of his own. She remembered how Kyle went on and on about the children they would have. He wanted a large family, with the sound of children’s laughter filling the farmhouse. He planned to take his sons fishing and hunting, teaching them the skill of farming. Jennifer remembered chiming in with her plans of teaching her daughters to sew, keeping the house and tending to the farm animals.

  This last thought brought a tear to Jennifer’s eye and it slowly ran down her cheek, stinging as it crossed the cuts on her wounded face. She touched her lower belly and the light pressure made her wince. She knew that their plans for having children were over. Deep down she felt, she knew, the abuse she’d received ruined her. Ruined her chances of ever having children with Kyle. She would never be a complete woman again. If Kyle found her here, if they managed to escape, her broken body would never be able to give Kyle what he desired most.

  Jennifer slowly dragged herself closer to the base of the slimy stone wall. She felt along the edge and found the bit of metal she’d used to score the stone and mark time. The edge of the metal was rusted, but still had a bit of an edge. She ran her thumb over the jagged metal and decided sharp or not, the bit had one more job left to do.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  “I tell you, I heard something in here.”

  “G’von dhu, there is nothing here. Maybe you heard a rat, or maybe you…wait, what is this?”

  The two orc guards stood on either side of the two piece circular metal grate. One of the half-moon pieces stuck up above the floor several inches. G’von dhu forced the grate with the edge of his boot and the grate slid into place, flush with the floor.

  “I don’t think it’s a rat problem.”

  * * * *

  “It’s not that much further,” Adam said, holding the green glowing talisman over his head once again.

  I hope so, thought Delas as she waded through the thick water. It was at thigh level and slogging through it was exhausting. The smell from the decaying waste grew heavier the further they traveled under the tower.

  Small pipes jutted out of the walls here and there with a clear fluid pouring from them. Delas cupped her hands under one of the pipes and captured a double handful. Taking a cautious drink, she whispered, “It’s rainwater.”

  They continued on until Adam stopped and pointed at the ceiling, at a circle of dim light. “There it is. The grate is in two pieces. It’s heavy, but once I got it lifted, it slid easily. The room above is a pretty large storeroom. There should be plenty of places for us to hide and figure out a plan.”

  “Delas, we’ll go first and make sure the room is clear,” Kyle said.

  Adam climbed the ladder first, lifting the grate and sliding it to one side. He scanned the area in several directions and then pulled himself into the room above. Several seconds later, he waved through the hole and Legan and Kyle climbed the ladder while Delas stood at the base, holding the ladder steady.

  Delas put a foot on the lowest rung and was ready to pull herself up when there was shouting from the storeroom. She looked up and saw Kyle being pulled forcibly through the grate. She pushed away from the ladder, took a deep breath and dropped below the surface of the water. She could hear the muffled voices through the water and tried to remain calm and conserve her air.

  She held her breath as long as she could. With her lungs burning, she popped free of the surface gasping for air. She stayed low, trying to remain as quiet as possible as she drew in needed deep breaths. She looked up at the opening and was relieved that the grate had been replaced and the light in the storeroom was now gone. Safe for the moment.

  She stood and stepped back to the ladder. She began climbing, keeping an eye on the grate in case it should be moved by someone above. She reached the top, and pressed on the grate.

  It refused to budge.

  Climbing another rung on the ladder, Delas put her shoulder to the grate and straightened her legs. The grate lifted free.

  * * * *

  “Keep moving,” the lead orc commanded, shoving Legan in the shoulder with an open hand.

  Legan looked over his shoulder, mouthing a traditional Dwarven insult at his captors. He turned back and looked at Kyle
being dragged by two guards. He’d kept up a spirited resistance upon their capture, and received the worst of the beating by the orcan guards.

  Ahead was a staircase leading upward, but instead of heading that way, the lead guard pulled them all into a side room. They dropped Kyle roughly onto the stone floor and pushed Legan and Adam back against the wall, motioning them to sit down.

  The orc who shoved Legan pushed one of the orcs who dragged Kyle into the room.

  “Go up to the Master’s chambers and let him know that we have visitors. He should be pleased.”

  “Should I bring their weapons with me,” he asked, lifting the cloth bag. It clattered as the weapons settled against one another.

  “No, leave them here. There’s no need for you to bang and clang all the way up to the top. Just be quick about it, the smell of these humans is making me sick.”

  The guard grunted an acknowledgment and stepped out into the corridor. Several seconds later he stepped back into the room, his hands at his belly.

  He grunted several times, took another step and then moved his hands, releasing the intestines that he was attempting to hold inside. The blood and gore spilled to the floor followed by the guard’s body.

  Before the guards had a chance to react, Delas darted into the room, positioning herself between Kyle’s body and the orcs. She released a shield spell, forcing the guards back behind the blue energy, pinning them against the far wall.

  “I can’t hold them all day,” Delas said, over her shoulder.

  Legan was the first to the cloth sack, pulling out a short sword and then his own axe. Adam took his weapon and stood ready with Legan on either side of Delas. Delas dropped her shield, allowing Legan and Adam to quickly dispatch the remaining guards.

  Delas knelt at Kyle’s side, shaking him gently. He opened his eyes, and grinned in spite of a bleeding lip. One side of his face was already turning dark with a bruise. He sighed, getting a hand under himself and turned onto his side. He flexed his left hand, wincing as he did so, and then got to one knee. Adam stepped to his side and helped him stand.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll make it.”

  “Well, lads, it looks like we’re heading up to give Kurilan a visit,” Legan said, wiping the blade of his axe with a scrap of cloth.

  * * * *

  Kyle squeezed his hand, trying to relieve the stiffness he felt. He turned from the group when they stopped in a dark passage to catch their breath. He pushed his sleeve up his arm and saw the twin blue lines glowing faintly.

  The tips of the blue lines had traveled almost to his elbow, the black marks he’d used earlier a distant memory in its trek.

  He rolled his sleeve back down and joined the others.

  * * * *

  Kyle pulled his head back quickly from his view around the corner. “There are two guards standing on either side of a wooden door at the end of the hall. They have armor strung across their chests and are both holding halberds. Kurilan may be on the other side of those doors”

  Delas knelt and held several fingers to her temple. She nodded her head.

  “He’s in there.”

  “Who? Kurilan? How do you know?” Kyle asked.

  “There is something powerful, something with a magical aura behind that door. I can feel it.”

  “Well, that is good to know, but it doesn’t really matter. With those weapons, we won’t get within striking distance of our swords before they’ll cut us down,” Kyle whispered. He looked at Adam and then to his right at Legan.

  “If we had some of Amber’s oil, we could light the flask and throw it at them. The surprise might give us the edge we would need,” Adam whispered back to him.

  Movement out of the corner of his eye caught Kyle’s attention. It was Delas fishing through her pack, quietly moving things out of the way as she searched the bag.

  He turned to Legan. “Any ideas?”

  “Lad, we only have one attack, a frontal one. You’re right. With halberds, we’ll be like bits of rabbit to a pack of wolves.” He sighed, “I don’t know.” Legan’s lips formed a grim, straight line.

  As the three were looking at each other’s faces in their tight planning circle, a bare hand thrust into the middle of them, holding a small glass vial filled with a swirling liquid.

  “I have an idea,” Delas whispered, grinning and winked at Adam.

  * * * *

  Fortunately, the torch fixed in the sconce closest to where Delas was pressed against the wall was burned out, leaving a darkened blind spot. She took advantage of the shadows to move as close as she dared.

  The plan was fraught with danger, but they didn’t have much of a choice. Although Adam didn’t want her to take the lead, they didn’t know if the vial would work with a non-magic user wielding it. Delas just needed to toss the vial to the side of the farthest guard. Hopefully the illusion of the mountain cat would capture their attention. Once the cat formed, she would call Kyle, Adam and Legan, and with any luck, they would be able to overpower the guards.

  Sweat formed on her brow as she slid along the wall. She could see where the light from the next torch faded and her plan was to stay as far in the shadows as possible. She wiped the sweat away, absently rubbing the vial against her forehead.

  She stopped. She slowly raised the vial over her head, gauging the distance. She squeezed the vial to get a better grip and the smooth glass squirted out from her fingers.

  She froze. There was no sound of broken glass and no illusion of a mountain cat. She carefully looked at the floor, her hand still frozen in place over her head, as if she herself were holding a torch.

  Slowly, Delas moved her arm back and forth. She could feel the vial moving in the divot of cloth that formed the elbow of her robes. She carefully reached into the sleeve with her other hand. She fished out the vial, wiped it off on her robe and transferred it once again to her throwing hand. She stole a quick look to where Adam was hiding, turned and let the vial fly.

  This time her toss was true.

  * * * *

  The vial shattered when it hit the stone floor just to the right of the far guard. A small vapor formed over it, and she turned her head to signal for the attack as planned. She was startled and her voice was drowned out by the thunderous roar of the mountain cat illusion she’d released.

  The cat was completely formed. A brown-furred killing machine, at least four feet tall at its bulging, muscle-packed shoulders. It roared again, revealing a mouth filled with finger-sized teeth and two even larger fangs. It pawed the floor, turning to face the two guards who were completely stunned into immobility. When the cat took a few steps in their direction, however, their paralysis was broken and they quickly backed away, their weapons wavering in their hands.

  They continued backing up, keeping a careful eye on the illusion waiting for it to attack.

  Kyle and Adam sprang from the hallway corner, with Legan on their heels. Hollering a short battle cry, with their arms at the ready, they caught the two guards completely by surprise. Without the danger of the halberds, they were able to close ranks quickly and with swords swinging, they sliced into the two orcs’ torsos, blood spilling immediately. Legan grunted in satisfaction and headed for the now unguarded wooden door at the far end of the hall.

  The orcs jerked into a defensive posture when the mountain cat snarled again, drawing their attention first one way and then another. Adam attacked again, swinging once and then stabbing, plunging his sword deep into the guard in front of him, killing him.

  The orc Kyle attacked spun and kicked out, sending Kyle tumbling. This time the halberd was brought to bear, and both Kyle and Adam backed up, out of range of the thick blade on the end of the pole. They separated, forcing the guard to move the weapon back and forth, keeping them both at bay.

  Kyle advanced a couple steps, his sword in front of him, ready to parry the halberd. Adam kept pace with Kyle’s movements.

  The orc lunged, the weapon darting forward in a
stabbing motion and then sliding to the side. Kyle jumped back, bringing his weapon up to his chest, and barely countered the blade in time. Kyle’s sword slid down the side of the halberd’s blade, forcing it out and away from danger.

  Adam leapt forward, bringing his weapon down, catching the throat of the orc with a sickening soft crunch, breaking his collarbone and cutting deeply into his throat. Immediately, the orc dropped the halberd and clutched at the mortal wound. With blood spurting, the orc fell to his knees and then slumped to the stone floor.

  The cat growled again, but this time it was softer, sounding muffled as if smothered in cotton. The illusion, once vibrant and lifelike, was now faded and transparent in several places. Within moments, it was almost completely gone visually and now grew silent.

  Legan joined Delas at the door and they both called softly to Kyle and Adam.

  Kyle thought, if we can only surprise Kurilan, we might have a chance.

  Legan twisted the iron handles on the door and flung the wooden doors open, the four leaping through and into Kurilan’s chamber.

  Chapter Twenty Six

  The group stepped through the door and Legan was immediately engulfed in a scarlet blast of energy. He screamed a short cry of pain and then slumped to the floor, his body unmoving and covered in a wisp of smoke.

  Kyle slid to a stop, holding out his free arm to stop the others.

  Kurilan stood on the far side of the chamber, another swirling blob of energy already forming at his fingertips.

  “You dare confront me with weapons?” Kurilan bellowed.

  With a small gesture, the swirling mass streaked in their direction, only to clash with a hastily prepared shield controlled by Delas. She grunted and jerked as the scarlet energy splashed over her shield, igniting a hanging tapestry next to the doorway.

  “Well, the farm boy has a magic user in his little troop of erstwhile companions. You have caused me some trouble, boy, but it is good to see you have accepted your fate and delivered the medallion to me.” Kurilan said, his tone changing from anger to an edged amusement.