by Tom Liberman
The width of the cave opening quickly narrowed into a newly dug tunnel heading both down and towards the ocean. In the narrow passage way there was only enough room for two bodies passing one another and skeletons filled most of the space. The lantern of Shamki shone like a beacon leaving shadows splattered across the rocky walls of the cave that moved in a strange, dancing gate. The whitened bones of the creatures reflected the light in blinding flashes while the deep black sockets of their eyes seemed like bottomless pits of darkness. Moving in single file the group edged steadily forward.
“At least it’s warmer,” said Unerus and moved sideways behind his sister who still clutched the hand of Shamki at the head of the little party. After five minutes of shuffling forward a natural cavern opened to the right and Shamki darted inside. The second group, led by Lousa almost walked past the opening as their eyes strained to pierce the darkness ahead but the half-orc reached out with a hand and grabbed the tail of the fox fur cloak and pulled her in. Lousa gave out a yelp but noticed it was Shamki who had a hold of her and gave a huge sigh and hugged him tightly for a moment before letting go and straightening herself.
“Sorry about that, but this place has me a tad unnerved,” said Lousa to the half-orc whose dark features seemed a shade redder and eyes cast straight down.
“Holy mother of the Goddess,” said Hazlebub as stumbled into the cave right behind Lousa. The old woman immediately dropped to her knees and tried to catch her breath. “I’m a village witch not the Queen’s Soothsayer!”
“Honesty doesn’t pay the bills though, does it?” asked Lousa going over to give the old woman a hug as well.
The old woman hugged back tightly just as the last member of the group staggered into the room and immediately collapsed to the ground his whole body trembled and shook. He looked up to the big half-orc and tried to gasp out a few words but his breath was too rapid and he merely gave off the appearance of a fish on dry land. Little Ariana went over to him and started to gently pat him on the back her smile bright and lopsided with missing teeth.
“Tunnel not stable,” said Shamki running his hand along the tunnel outside of the small cave. “No go further safe.”
“Send the spirit,” gasped Humbort from the ground.
“That’s actually a good idea,” said Lousa with a nod to the gasping man who immediately smiled brightly at the little girl who dusted off his shoulder. “Hazlebub, where is Khemer?”
The witch looked around and realized that the spirit was no longer at her side and then took a moment to straighten up and fish in her pockets for a small bag and a vial of liquid. “Oh great spirit of death,” she started but at that moment a bluish glow appeared in the wall of the cave and a moment later Khemer floated before them his feet gently kicked just a few inches off the ground.
The ghostly apparition looked at them for a moment and then reached out a hand to touch the witch woman who flinched back and away but its fingers passed right through her shoulder in any case. “What is your command master of death?”
“I … I … you shall go forward to the ship and try and learn what it is the skeletons are trying to obtain,” she said after a moment’s pause.
“And return to tell us the answer,” whispered Unerus. She responded with a sharp look but then her face softened as she noticed he still shivered in his flimsy cloak.
“And return to tell us what you find,” she went on to Khemer and smiled at Unerus and gave him a quick wink.
The ghost turned with a spin and floated through the opposite wall to which it entered and after a moment the last of the blue glow it left behind seemed to evaporate into the wall.
From the floor Humbort stared, “Like we need more creepy than we already got,” and then smiled at Lousa who nodded her head. Little Ariana laughed out loud, “I think it’s fun!”
“I always knew there was something wrong with you Ara,” said Unerus and gave his little sister a punch in the arm.
“You come with me anytime,” said Shamki patting her on the head and wrinkled his nose.
“How long do we have to wait?” asked Lousa looking at Hazlebub who shrugged her shoulders.
“The dead have their own sense of time, it could be a minute, or it could be hours.”
“Hours?” asked Humbort his face drooped and his hands twitched at his side.
“Even longer,” continued Hazlebub, waved her right hand in some sort of mystical gesture, and her voice took on the airy, vague quality she used while conducting the ceremony on the surface. “The dead do not exist within our realm and are not subject to its laws.”
“How long before these damn skeletons realize were here and turn on us?” asked Humbort with a glance to the small opening where shadowy forms continued to shuttle past at irregular intervals. “Then were doomed, even Shamki can’t take that many of them.”
Shamki walked over to Humbort and slapped the back of his head quickly the thwack resounding through the cave, “Be brave.”
“Be brave? Be brave my ass!” said Humbort and put his hand to the back of his head.
Ariana giggled.
“Watch your language in front of the girl,” said Lousa although she couldn’t help but giggle for a moment herself.
“I’ve heard worse,” said the girl with a look up at her brother. “We steal stuff from the ….” And then shut her mouth as she saw Unerus give a quick shake of his head. “I mean we walk around at the merchant’s fair all the time and people say lots of stuff.”
“That’s no reason we should use such language in front of impressionable ears,” continued Lousa sternly.
“People do say lots of stuff,” said Unerus with a smile. “I’ve heard Mayor Shumba talking about not getting his fair cut for giving people good booth positions.”
“All right then,” said Lousa. “You’ve made your point Unerus. Ariana hears things no proper young lady should hear but hopefully we can change all of that and get her raised correctly from here on out.”
“I don’t want to be raised properly, I want Uney to do it!” said the girl and grabbed a hold of her brother once again.
“I’m not sure that was a compliment,” said Unerus to no one in particular.
“I’m sure it wasn’t,” said Hazlebub with a laugh that quickly spread to everyone else in the cave until they were all hands on knees or sat on the ground and guffawed until they could hardly breathe.
Shamki, doubled over and gasping, wiped a tear from his eye a few moments later and pointed to a spot on the wall that glowed with a faint shade of blue, “Ghost.”
All five pairs of eyes turned to the wall and watched as Khemer slowly emerged from the limestone walls and appeared before them again this time his face agitated and his body shimmered strangely from a light to darker shade of blue, “It’s the Staff of Naught!” he gasped in his ghosty voice, “I remember now, the Staff of Naught!”
Four people looked to Hazlebub who looked right back at them, “How am I supposed to know what the Staff of Naught is?”
“If anyone would know it would have been that coward Myris, I suppose he’s back in his bed safe and sound now,” replied Lousa with a shake of her head. “What is it?” she said and turned to the ghostly presence.
“Only I can …,” started Hazlebub but the agitated spirit interrupted her.
“A staff with the power over life and death!” said the spirit directly to Lousa. “It is a relic of the Old Empire and of great power. The skeletons are within a few yards of retrieving it.”
“What do the skeletons want with it?” shouted Humbort.
“Maybe somebody is controlling them,” suggested Unerus.
“If so we have to find them!” said Lousa.
“Could it bring them back to life?” asked Ariana.
“Can you tell me if there are other deathly presences nearby?” asked Hazlebub looking around the cave.
“Good question!” said Humbort.
And then a booming voice drowned them all out, “No talk, now
do!” said Shamki standing to his full height and pulled out his long blade.
“My god,” said Lousa. “He’s right. We’ll have plenty of time to debate later. The skeletons will have to bring out the staff, right past this cave!”
“They’re thousands of them,” warned Humbort. “They’ll tear us to shreds if we take it from them.”
“We could collapse the tunnel behind us,” said Unerus, “then the ones inside would be trapped and the ones outside wouldn’t know for a few minutes and we could get away.”
“Of course they would know, they can sense the staff, we’re doomed!” said Humbort. “We’re doomed!”
“Unerus’s plan is good,” said Lousa. “You and Ariana try and grab the staff. Hazlebub, can you create some sort of force field to block them off from us?”
The old witch shook her head, “No, that’s not my specialty magic.”
“Khemer, you go ahead and tell us when it’s almost here, Humbort, head to the mouth of the cave and get a light set up so we can get out of here, Shamki, find a weak spot in the wall and get ready to collapse the tunnel, kids, on my word, Unerus, trip the skeleton, Ariana you grab the staff and run and don’t stop until you get all the way back to town. Don’t wait for any of us.”
“Not even Uney?”
“Not even me, Ara. Do as Lousa says, we’ll catch up later!” said the boy.
Khemer reappeared at that moment, “It’s coming!”
“Get ready,” shrieked Lousa as Humbort immediately slid back down the corridor and Shamki moved in the opposite direction while Ariana and Unerus waited poised at the entrance to the side cavern.
“There,” shouted Khemer and pointed to a skeleton. It took Unerus a moment to realize the thing had three arms, its two regular skeletal appendages, and a third lower arm bone ending in a clawed fist that seemed to glow with a black energy. The boy leapt forward and down at the last moment and appeared suddenly at the feet of the creature whose hard leg smashed into his side.
“Urggh,” said the boy but the skeleton flipped over him and tumbled to the ground the strange third arm skittered along the stone floor of the recently dug tunnel.
Little Ariana dashed forward like a crab, grabbed the fallen arm, and her eyes opened wide, “It’s wood!”
“Run,” shouted Lousa and Unerus at the same moment and then the woman turned to face down the corridor, “Now Shamki, now!” She then looked at Unerus and pointed away, “follow your sister, I’ll hold them for a moment,” she said raising her arms above her head and recited a few quick words,
Darts of light
Flames so bright
Forward to my foes you smite!
With that a half dozen small fire darts appeared at her finger tips and crashed into some of the skeletons that moved down the corridor, sent their bones in all directions, and left scorch marks on everything they touched.
Unerus sprinted down the hall as the woman repeated her enchantment scattering more of the creatures but one of them survived the hail of fiery darts and reached for her with sharpened fingers only to have its head suddenly fly off as Shamki’s blade flashed through the air. The big half-orc grabbed the woman by the waist, hoisted her on his shoulder in a flash, and sprinted off down the corridor. Within a few strides he caught up to the boy and without breaking step grabbed him with his off hand and tucked him under his arm and still managed to decapitate another skeleton with his sword. A moment later they emerged into the brightness of the starry night.
“That way,” shouted Unerus from under the warriors arm as he pointed to a bobbing lantern light to their right.
“Put me down,” gasped Lousa from the shoulder of the half-orc but if he heard her plea he did not act upon it and began to sprint towards the light. Around them a dozen skeletons milled about in confusion their actions no longer with purpose. It took Shamki only a few seconds to catch up to the girl and Humbort who held her hand as they stumbled over the broken terrain.
“They’re not chasing us,” said the voice of Lousa from the back of Shamki, “You can put me down now.”
“Me too,” said a squirming Unerus who tried to pry himself from the iron grip of the half-orc.
“Uney!” called the girl who rushed over to embrace her brother even as Shamki let him go. “We did it!”
“Indeed we did,” said Lousa looking around. “Where is Hazlebub?”
“Oh no!” said Ariana and looked around as well.
“There,” said Humbort with a glance to the hazy blue glow that approached. “It’s Khemer and Hazlebub,” and sure enough the aged woman limped up with the ghostly form of Khemer at her side.
“I fell, twisted my ankle but I guess those skellies didn’t care about me,” said Hazlebub. “I thought I was done for when I saw Shamki sprint off but once the staff was gone they didn’t pay any thought to me at all.”
“Hazle!” shouted Ariana and relinquished the stranglehold she had on her brother and rushed to grab the leg of the elderly woman. “You’re alive!”
“Yes, dear, I’m fine but it warms an old witch’s heart to see you so happy at the news. I can’t remember the last time anyone was glad to know that I was still alive.”
“Should we stay so close to all those skeletons,” asked Humbort with a look back towards the shipwreck his breath ragged and his hand shook as he pointed in their direction.
“Hazle’s right, they don’t seem to be following us,” said Lousa. “What do you think Khemer?”
The ghostly creature looked at her for a moment and paused.
“Why is it still here?” asked Unerus to Hazlebub.
The witch looked at the creature and with a gentle touch detached herself from the young girl and fished in her pocket for another of the vile potions that she seemed to carry in endless supply. She dipped a finger in the liquid and then gave it two shakes in the direction of Khemer.
Deathly friend, your job be done
Obligations filled the light you shun
I give you freedom, return to none!
The ghostly image seemed to shimmer for a moment but then maintained itself unchanged.
Hazlebub repeated her words and sprinkled the liquid more vigorously towards Khemer with exactly the same results. She tried it a third time with no better outcome for her efforts.
“It has unfinished business in the realm of the living,” she said as her eyes once again rolled back in her head.
“Yes,” said Khemer suddenly interrupting. “We must destroy the Staff of Naught. My memory is returning. There is a ceremony. I was aboard the Tremulus attempting to steal and destroy the staff.”
“It is as I foretold,” said Hazlebub and raised her hands above her head.
Ariana looked at her brother her eyes narrowed and upper lip pursed over the lower, “She did?” The boy shook his head and put an impassive expression on his face.
“How do we destroy the staff?” squeaked Humbort with a look at the thing grasped in Ariana’s hand for the first time. It looked like the boney remains of a man’s forearm but with tendons and muscle holding the structure together. At one end the elbow ball made a smooth handle while a skeletal hand emerged from the other, half open as if it grasped towards or held some rounded object.
“I cannot remember the ceremony,” said Khemer his ghostly hand moved towards his forehead where it rested for a moment. “But we cannot let word of the staff’s retrieval be allowed to circulate. There will be others, more powerful creatures, who want to use it for their own nefarious ends.”
Lousa stared at the ghostly figure for a moment her eyes narrowed and her hand went to her chin. “Perhaps we should take it to Iv’s Leap in the interim. I’ll report to the mayor and Shamki, Humbort, and Hazlebub can stay with it while the children come with me.”
“I don’t want to stay with it,” said Humbort and looked again at the staff, which the little girl now cupped over her own head while she giggled heartily.
“Shamki,” said Lousa and stood tall while her clo
ak whipped around her as another gust of wind shot through the little copse of wood on the hill. “Take the staff to Iv’s Leap; there are old smuggler caves half way up or so. Wait there for me. If Khemer remembers the ceremony you can send Humbort to report. Children, come with me.” With that the woman whirled and began to stride back down toward the blinking lights of the Iv’s Folly. Unerus looked at his sister who offered up the staff to the half-orc who took it with a graceful bow that belied his rough appearance. The girl gave an awkward little courtesy her legs moved in an ill-timed manner, she almost stumbled, but managed to catch herself at the last second before Unerus could move. “Until we meet again,” she said with a calm, dignified voice and tilted her head to the side in a manner quite reminiscent of Lousa’s way of speaking.
“I don’t want to go,” complained Humbort his eyes still focused on the staff.
“Come, or get clout,” said Shamki and then gave him a sharp rap to the back of the head anyway.
“I was coming, you didn’t have to hit me!” said Humbort his own hand rubbed the oft abused spot.
The girl and her brother took each other’s hand and started after Lousa while Shamki led his friend, the witch woman, and the strange blue ghostly apparition to the west.
Chapter 5
“Blech,” said Ariana as she looked down at the lace frilled pink dress that adorned her body while Lousa gazed at her with arched eyebrows.
“Blech?”
“Double-blech,” said the girl and stuck out her tongue and slobbered the reply so that the dress-maker, an elderly woman stooped at her feet applying a sharp needle to the hem of the skirt stopped her work for a moment and looked up at the girl.
“You look just darling,” said the woman and went back to her needlework.
“You’re not helping Ambrasia,” said Lousa a smirk on her face. “Our little angle is not used to fineries. I think she would prefer a manure stained smock stolen from a smithy to one of your finest but we mustn’t hold it against her.”
