Descent into the Depths of the Earth

by Paul Kidd - (ebook by Flandrel; Undead)

  “Somewhere near where assassins are trained.” The Justicar loomed in the tunnel like a feral nightmare. “Look for a marine water pool. All the other water here is fresh.”

  “Hoopy.” The faerie briskly clapped her hands and rose up into the air. “Well, let’s just go into the shrine and act like we’re here as guests. No one has seemed interested in stopping us so far.”

  Private Henry gave a nervous blink. “The fish seem to like you.”

  “Just as long as that doesn’t involve feeding on my intestines, I’m happy.” Escalla led the way into the terrifying cavern. “Follow me, people, and try to look like we see human sacrifices twice a day. Jus, no sword stuff until we get some evidence in my hot little hands.”

  From a side passage, more kuo-toa appeared. The creatures approached the guards at the pyramid’s base, exchanged the strange salute, tossed money into a giant clam shell, then removed little tokens that were hung about their necks with string. One of the visitors moved to a second shell and seemed to pay far more money. The guards hooted in approval and hung the donor with a somewhat flashier token—a bright red crab claw. The visitors immediately proceeded to climb the pyramid to pay homage to the idol.

  The guards looked over at Escalla, Jus, Polk, and Henry, fixing them with their huge, emotionless eyes. The fish men made no immediate move to sound an alarm. Girding her narrow waist and hoisting her rather understated bosom, Escalla steeled herself for the ordeal to come.

  “Here goes.”

  She flew over to the kuo-toa, opening her hand in the local salute. The kuo-toa responded, and one guard addressed her in a language made mostly up out of jaw clicks and gashing teeth. Escalla kept her smile and gave an easy wave of her hand.

  “Sure!”

  The kuo-toa spoke again, and Escalla fluttered over to the big clamshell basins.

  “I totally agree! But it might rain on Moonday. Best cover up once that bad weather sets in!” The girl waved a rather nervous, reluctant Polk forward. The teamster was looking up at a seven-foot tall kuo-toa that was eating wet chunks of a human liver. “Polk! Get your shanks over here and get the purse open!”

  “Portable hole.”

  “Whatever! Just get us some cash!”

  Escalla peered into the more expensive of the two offering basins, then stuck her head into the portable hole after Polk had partly unfolded it. She flew inside, entirely disappearing from the outside world as she entered a weird little space about ten feet square. Sure enough, rolling about in one corner of the hole there were a few small gems and baubles. Escalla grabbed a few of the less impressive items and popped back out into the light. She dropped a pair of little pearls into the basin, trying to indicate that she was paying for her entire group. The kuo-toa gave the same savage hoots of approval, then proceeded to hang stinking crab claws about the necks of everyone present. Escalla took one sniff of the partly mummified claw and a pained expression crept onto her face.

  “Why, thank you.” She gave a watery smile. “I’ll treasure it always.”

  The guards opened the way to the pyramid and idol. There seemed to be no way to avoid it. Mincing past a collection of human remains, Escalla slowly flew out over a moat filled with giant leeches that were kept at bay only by a narrow little wire mesh fence. Jus glanced at the leeches, dragged a protesting Polk into the water with him, and waded toward the pyramid with Private Henry splashing clumsily at his heels. Revolting leeches fully three feet long reared from the water outside the fence, their sucker mouths probing and puckering, sending Escalla whizzing high above Jus with her legs tucked up out of harm’s way. She flew backward, her eyes on the leeches, and so managed to bump her backside into something sticky, hot and wet.

  She had reached the pyramid. Escalla stared rigidly ahead of herself, reaching behind her rear. Something wet, congealing and hot clung to her bottom—and a big, dripping, solid something was right at her back.

  “Jus, it’s a corpse, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” The sound of his voice revealed that his fury was barely in check.

  “I think I just shoved my bum into its chest cavity.”

  “Yup.” Jus climbed slowly and steadily up the pyramid. “Looks like it.”

  “I’m gonna puke!”

  “Don’t.” His face savage and his black hell hound skin bristling, Jus clambered heavily up to join his friend. “Do nothing suspicious, not until it’s time to fight.”

  The pyramid steps were awash with blood. A foul cascade had poured down from the base of the huge idol above, dripping over the steps and oozing slowly into the moat below.

  At the upper platform of the pyramid, the lobster-headed idol loomed. Blood had been smeared over its claws and breasts, and a heart had been placed in each open claw. A clamshell at the monstrous image’s feet held votive offerings. There were shells and basalt figurines, images carved from bone or chunks of brilliant coral. Hanging upside down on the edge of the platform was a sprawling corpse, a figure whose whole chest had been torn open to feed the monstrous goddess above.

  The last group of kuo-toa pilgrims had already departed, heading down the far side of the pyramid. Jus swiftly knelt beside the corpse, wiped blood from its still-warm face, and stared at it in thought.

  Escalla had painfully levered herself free, fighting an urge to scream.

  “You, ah, you found… found something?”

  “It’s one of the half-orcs from Sour Patch.” Jus turned the dead creature’s face. “Still bruised from where I hit him.”

  “Oh.” Escalla had worries of her own but felt somehow vaguely responsible for Sour Patch. “Do you think the slaves all ended up here?”

  “Doubtful. The drow are in charge of them.” Jus let the half-orc’s head slump back onto the cold stone steps. “They may have given some of the captives as a bribe to the kuo-toa.”

  “So some might still be alive here?”

  “Perhaps.” The Justicar could hardly hold out much hope. “Cinders?”

  Smell kuo-toa. The hell hound’s eyes seemed more cunning, more feral when he hunted prey. Smell drow. Human smell a bit. Little bit smell.

  Standing to look out across the cavern below, Escalla watched the guards at the northwest tunnel exit. The girl turned, flicked her glance across the votive bowl before the idol, then reluctantly edged closer and peered inside.

  Quick as a weasel, she darted her hand in and snatched a trinket from the edge of the seashell.

  “Hey!” The girl held a treasure in her hands. “Look. A votive!” The other adventurers surrounded her as she showed them her prize. “It’s hair, faerie hair.”

  The lock of hair shone like pale gold. The strands were long and fine, and tied about an elven finger bone. Escalla held the hair up against her own. They were almost a match, shade for shade. The girl’s humor left her face as she stared at the hair strands in thought.

  “Now we’re getting warm.”

  The Justicar squatted down beside Escalla, his hand resting on her back. Grave, intelligent eyes watched Escalla with her find. “Could you link it to a specific person?”

  “No.” The faerie carefully stored the evidence away. “Not in a court of law. Who’s to believe me when I say I found it down here? But it’s giving me some crystal clear ideas.”

  Polk and Henry were waiting. With a glance over her shoulder, Escalla leaned in to whisper in Jus’ ear. “Keep Cinders watching out for any sign of a faerie.” The girl flicked a glance at Henry. “And, ah, let’s keep it happy. The kid’s been looking a little pale.”

  Escalla seemed white as a ghost herself. Jus let her feel a warm squeeze of his hand. Cinders teeth gleamed in manic goodwill as the ranger rose. He turned to talk quietly with Private Henry. Escalla drew in a breath and turned around to survey the cave. She felt her antennae freeze.

  Two titanic kuo-toan priests stood at the edge of the platform, staring wordlessly at the party through their huge fishy eyes. Sheathed in blood, the monsters stood in silence. Escalla waved to
them, received no response, then cleared her throat to attract the attention of the menfolk just behind her. “Ah, guys? Guys, we may have a problem.”

  Apparently suspicious of why the party was loitering, the two huge kuo-toa had come to escort them off the altar. Still, they ignored all of the travelers save Escalla. To the faerie, they spoke in their snapping, vicious tongue, crouching like mad carnivorous nightmares over the dainty faerie. The kuo-toa bid Escalla a farewell, then turned and left their guests standing alone and unguarded in the room.

  The northern side of the huge temple had been carefully sculpted into palatial apartments. The rooms were perfectly squared with high ceilings rippled by an eerie underwater light. Walking slowly up sand-scattered steps, the Justicar and his companions might have been in a palace under the sea. Jus walked over shells and dried seaweed, past the gnawed remains of grizzly cannibalistic meals, and halted at the edges of the hall.

  Escape lay only thirty yards away. The northwest tunnel opened into the underdark but was guarded by a team of kuo-toan warriors. On the sands just outside the palatial apartments, a group of them sparred carefully with weapons while a gnarled instructor taught the arts of the backstab and the garotte. The creatures paid no attention to the visitors behind them. Escalla looked about uncertainly, shrugged, then pointed to an entrance just beyond.

  The new room had definite possibilities. At the far wall, two tall statues of the lobster-headed goddess flanked an ugly throne that had been studded with pearls. The throne depicted fish skulls and drowning humans being torn apart by crabs. The walls were carved into horrible bas-reliefs, the rippling lighting had taken on a darker, more sinister hue.

  Sitting on a platform smothered with blood, the throne faced the massive temple cave. It clearly gave a wonderful view of sacrifices, executions, and the occasional leech attack. Escalla edged forward to the threshold. There were kuo-toa soldiers crouching in the corners of the room. One thin, misshapen creature crouching at the foot of the throne held a conch shell trumpet. Pillars carved to look like columns of fish-infested skulls held aloft the ceiling. Six taller, grimmer guards lurked by the columns—all watching Escalla and her companions in silence as the girl crept timidly into the room.

  Escalla rapped her knuckles against the doorframe, clearing her throat and giving a smile as she caught the attention of the guards.

  “Um, hello.” Escalla advanced a little farther into the room. The fish simply stared, their fangs gleaming and their faces devoid of emotion.

  At the foot of the throne, a huge clamshell pool glinted in the light. Within it, tiny fishes swam, and brilliant sea shells gleamed. The shells caught Escalla’s eye. The girl edged a tad closer, gave a nervous, placatory wave to the guards, and peered into the pool.

  “Jus, what do cone shells look like?”

  “They’re sea shells, and they’re conical.”

  “That’s great, Jus.” Unamused, Escalla put her fists on her hips as she hovered, glaring back at her friend. “Can you tell when a shell is venomous, or can’t you?”

  “Just hold it to your ear.” The Justicar walked forward, apparently ignoring the guards. “If you hear the ocean, it’s harmless. If it kills you, it was a cone shell.”

  “Funny.”

  Funny! Cinders’ grin twinkled like jagged mountain peaks.

  The pool held quite a few interesting life forms—tiny blue ringed octopi and sea snails with conical shells. Giving the pool a cautious glance, the Justicar kept carefully clear.

  “Don’t fall in.”

  “Well dub!” The faerie made a droll little face. “Any other good advice?”

  “Yes. Go talk to the chamberlain.”

  Stealing silently in from a side entrance way, a hunched, thin kuo-toa came onto the dais. The creature’s eyes swiveled independently, taking in Polk and Henry, Escalla and the Justicar. The black presence of Cinders and the faerie’s golden hair seemed to impress the creature, and it made a simple little spell pass with its hand.

  The creature spoke, its cruel fangs clacking. A disembodied voice, eerily suave, feminine, and calm, drifted out from somewhere in midair. “Greetings, air child. We had not looked for your return so soon.”

  Biting her lip, Escalla decided that the creature was talking to her. “Well, I just can’t keep away! You know how I love this temple.”

  The fish creature bobbed, its savage voice gargling. It made motions with its hands, and the female voice echoed from above. “Your gift of sacrifices has gained you great credit with us. May we assist you?”

  Escalla took on a sly look, hid it with a false blonde innocence, and clasped her hands together. “Well yes. Just a little thing for now.” Escalla blinked brightly. “Do you remember me borrowing a deadly cone shell from you a while ago?”

  “Yes.” The fish creature bobbed. “In return, you paid us with the hearts of many upworld slaves.”

  “Oh, how very… outgoing of me.” Escalla looked a little sick. “Anyway, silly me—must have slipped my mind—but can I just trouble you for a receipt?” The girl gave a polite little clasp of her hands. “It’s for my records, you know?”

  Not quite comprehending, the kuo-toa simply stared. Escalla signaled Polk for a piece of parchment and a pen, then flew over to present them to the fish creature. “It’s an upworld thing! Sorry. Don’t mean to be a bother.”

  “It is necessary?”

  “I’m a faerie. Would I lie to you?” Escalla put the pen into the creature’s clawed hands. “So if you could just write out my name and the exchange deal… you know, ‘We, the temple of the sea goddess, acknowledge that we gave a venomous cone shell to so-and-so for the purposes of an assassination…’ That kind of thing.”

  “So-and-so?”

  “You know… my name.” A true mistress of fast talk, Escalla was beside the kuo-toa, helping it write out the receipt. “Just scribble it in there. My full name. Nice and legal.”

  The kuo-toa scribbled its foul script, then paused. “Please write in your name.”

  “No, you do it. Just put it in here.”

  “I do not recall your alien name. Phase refresh my memory.”

  Frustrated, Escalla tried fishing for ideas. “Well, it’s just I forget what name I left with you guys. I have so many! Let’s see what jogs your memory.” Escalla tried her mother’s name. “Let’s try Ifurela, Lady Nightshade. No? How about Tielle?” The girl watched carefully, but the kuo-toa never twitched. “Lord Faen? Lord Ushan?”

  With a sinking feeling, Jus made ready to strike with his sword. Above him, Cinders was stoking his flames. Escalla waved her hands, making less and less as she went on.

  “Otiluke? Tensor? Bigby?” The girl threw up her hands. “Come on. Gimme something to work with here!”

  The kuo-toa turned and began to write. Relieved, Escalla fell back toward her friends and whispered avidly in their ears, “He’s doing it! I mean, she’s doing it! We’re getting a receipt!” The girl gave a huge gesture of relief. “So that’s it! We get the receipt, and we run for home. No drow city!”

  With his eyes nervously fixed on the kuo-toa, Henry cleared his throat. “What about the captives from Sour Patch?”

  “Yeah, too bad about that reward.” Escalla shot a guilty glance at Jus and Henry. “Ah, I mean too bad about all those poor souls, but they’re in the clutches of the drow, man. Nothing we can do about it. Can’t be helped!”

  “We’re going after them.” The Justicar stood with his feet planted and his eyes seeing every tiny little movement in the room. “We need to know why your murderer is taking human slaves.” The big man’s voice echoed like the slamming of a tomb. “They have a date with Justice.”

  Escalla seethed, going into a grumbling sulk. “I just knew he was going to say that!”

  Benelux gave a self-righteous glow. I knew it also. He is made of purer stuff than you.

  Further retort was halted as the kuo-toa held up the finished receipt and stared at it with its eerie eyes. The creature came towa
rd Escalla, who rubbed her hands in anticipation.

  “Here we go!” Posing, Escalla elegantly reached out for the slip of parchment. “And now, for your listening pleasure, ladies and gentlemen, the murderer is… !”

  A huge bubbling roar came from the far side of the room. Escalla whipped about to see a mammoth kuo-toa dressed in golden chains. Standing in a secret door that opened beside the throne, the monster’s voice thundered and was echoed calmly by the disembodied voice above.

  “This is not the faerie that we have trained! This one is male. It has no mammary glands!” The kuo-toa scribe whirled, staring at Escalla, the receipt crushed hard in its hand. Outraged, Escalla lost her temper.

  “What do you mean no mammary glands! Hey! You fish reject, what the hell do you think these are?”

  “You are a different faerie.” The newcomer angrily waved a claw. “Why are you here?”

  Stumped for ideas, Escalla turned to face her friends. “Got me there. Guys, anyone got anything more to say?”

  Wag-wag-wagging his tail, Cinders grinned in glee. Yes.

  “What?”

  BURN!

  His first blast smashed three kuo-toa off their feet. The creatures screamed as the noxious oil on their scales caught fire. Gleefully thundering a vast column of flame into the kuo-toa, Cinders made a noise of insane enthusiasm, sweeping fire all across the enemy.

  “At least he has no problem with commitment!” Escalla blasted a fireball into a knot of onrushing guards. “That’s great, pooch! That was real subtle!”

  Burn! Burn fish! Burn palace! Burn idol! Burn cave! Cinders fur stood on end, flame streaming from happy teeth. Burn!

  The scribe screamed and launched himself into the air, clawed hands reaching to rip Escalla from the sky. The girl’s eyes bulged as she was snatched and squeezed like a grape. An instant later, the scribe’s hands were severed by Jus’ sword. Croaking, Escalla thudded to the ground, her ribs almost crushed and the dead hands still pinning her tight.

  Above her, Private Henry screamed a panicked war cry and parried a harpoon that would have pinned Escalla to the floor. Angrily fighting free, Escalla struggled out of the dead grasp and spat her hair out of her mouth. Something blurred past her, a spear smashed sparks from a pillar beside Henry, and Escalla fired another fireball in reply.