by Bill Mays
“Who are you, and what does your king want from us?” Dalia spoke up.
“Sssilence!” Her long tail snapped loudly again. “I am the claw of Kabysss! You are not worthy to speak to me, human. Only Karzack knowsss what Karzack seeksss,” she began a hissing laughter. “You will learn hisss desiresss sssoon enough.”
“Here we go again with more surprises,” Petre groaned.
“I have ssseen all I need to sssee.” She flicked her tail at them dismissively.
The masked priestess called out something in her native tongue. Four large lizard men entered through the black curtain to escort the companions away. As they led them from the worship chamber, the lizard woman kept her eyes on Arianna.
“Thisss ssshould be very interesting,” she hissed in laughter again. “What Karzack wantsss, Karzack getsss.”
- Chapter 31 -
Secrets Revealed
The group was held in a dank cavern, deep within the lizard man city. They had no concept of time in the dimly lit chamber. The glowing mold clinging to the walls neither grew nor diminished in intensity as the hours passed. There had been no word of what was to become of them, or when they would meet the lizard men’s king. At least they were all together again. The debate over whether or not to try using the magical necklace was settled. They would wait and see what this swamp king had in store for them. Hopefully, some sort of amicable arrangement could be reached. If the need arose, the necklace would be used, but only as a last resort. Its last use revealed it to be unpredictable. There were still too many variables concerned to ensure that Vergehen’s magical gift could save them.
“How long do you think they’ll hold us down here before we meet this Karzack?” Petre grumbled while fidgeting with his dented shield. The dragon’s tail and then Rugen’s blow left sizeable marks.
“I hope we get it over with soon,” Jillian piped up. “I don’t think I can stand much more of this waiting. It’s driving me crazy.”
“Not to mention this dank, depressing cavern,” Arianna sighed.
“I’m still amazed that they haven’t claimed our weapons. They must not be afraid of us at all, or perhaps it is because they do fear us?” The sandy-haired man looked to Arianna. “I wanted to compliment you on your performance back there, priestess,” Flade grinned. “I also wanted to thank you for rescuing me.”
“I owe you a few times over,” Arianna smiled back. “Since you’ve avoided my other attempts at repayment, I took a chance. I’m just glad it worked out for the best. I was praying that she didn’t challenge me to combat or some other savagery. We would have both ended up as sacrifices.”
“They do seem to appreciate the power of priesthood. Let us hope that your presence can hold some sway over their king as well,” Dalia added thoughtfully.
“May Rashas give me the strength to play that part again,” Arianna mumbled to herself.
The sounds of someone approaching their holding chamber brought everyone to their feet. Four of the large lizard men had come to fetch them. It was time to go before Karzack. The companions were led from their holding chamber through a series of twisting caverns that had even Flade lost. Eventually, they came upon daylight. Curiously, their escorts were leading them from the tunnels of the lizard city and back into the swamp. Awaiting them was a near army of the reptilian humanoids. At least fifty of their soldiers were present. The same lizard man that had captured them originally stood at the forefront of the scaly troops, with his brightly colored headband of feathers prominently displayed.
“The time hasss come for you to meet the King,” he hissed. “We will lead you to hisss temple.”
“Is this really necessary?” Dalia sighed as she scanned the many reptilians. “We are but five. Surely, you do not fear us this badly.”
“Precautionsss,” the leader replied angrily. “We have promised your arrival and Karzack isss anxiousss to meet with you. He doesss not respond well to failed promisesss. We are anxiousss for you to meet asss well.” The reptile’s yellow eyes lingered on Arianna.
“His temple?” Flade was a little confused. “You mean the lizard king doesn’t live with you? There are more cities like this one?”
The troop leader released a hissing laughter. “The Acid Ssswampsss are vast. Of course, there are more of my people here, with their own citiesss, though we are the largest and ssstrongest band. There are other racesss settled in the swampsss as well, but you are mistaken, human. Karzack isss not the Lizard King; he isss the King of the Acid Ssswampsss. All who live in hisss domain must bow to hisss will, whether they like it or not.” There seemed a hint of resentment in the lizard man’s deep voice.
“Wait a moment. This Karzack isn’t even a lizard man?” Petre blurted aloud.
Jillian shrugged, “I guess not. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” She looked to Dalia for an answer.
“If King Karzack is not one of your own, then who is he?” Dalia asked calmly, though her mind was racing with possibilities. She did not like the prospect of more surprises.
“You will sssoon sssee,” the leader replied with a wicked smile and his overly pronounced hiss.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Arianna whispered. Goosebumps were rising on her arms and shoulders.
Dalia tried to slip inside the lizard man’s mind to gain some answers, but his thoughts were all jumbled and his native tongue made no sense to her. As she picked through his layers of consciousness, it made her head ache. Only his basic feelings came through. Nervousness, excitement, fear, and a tinge of hope were paramount.
“We leave now! The King isss waiting.”
“Keep close to me everyone,” Dalia whispered. “If I call for your touch, waste no time. We do not know what we may be dealing with.” She brushed her delicate fingers across the magical necklace.
“Who would want to be king of a smelly swamp, besides a lizard man?” Petre wondered aloud. He rubbed a hand across his scruffy chin. On second thought, he was not really sure he wanted to find out.
* * * * * * * * * *
Their trek was a trying one. Again, they crossed several large bodies of alligator and leech-infested water, and trudged through miles of thick mud. Their captors seemed to be in a rush to deliver them. It proved a challenge for the humans to keep up with the reptilians’ brisk pace.
Arianna scanned the murky horizon. All she could see were more twisted trees, tangled vines, and lots of muddy water. “Do you have any idea where we are now?” She whispered to her companions as she scanned her shapely legs for leeches. Everyone looked to Flade.
The ranger seemed less than confident. “My best guess would be that they are leading us at least close to our original course.”
“Isn’t that nice of them? Maybe they decided to let us go,” Jillian mumbled sarcastically. The girl used humor to fight back the fear growing in her heart.
The pace set by their captors was almost too much for the humans. It quickly changed from trying to near impossible. Between the tangled underbrush and the deep water, they were lucky to keep their footing much less their speed. Before the second day had fully passed, they came upon another cliff face. This one was taller, sheer, and extended in either direction to disappear into the trees. The lead lizard man began issuing orders to his soldiers. They seemed reluctant to comply.
“What’s taking them so long?” Petre grumbled anxiously.
“I’m enjoying the break. Let them squabble,” Arianna huffed. The priestess was shaking muck from her sandals and massaging her weary ankles.
“There appears to be a heated debate over who will lead us to the king’s lair,” Flade whispered. “As best I can tell anyway.”
“I sense fear in them,” Dalia added. The ranger nodded his agreement.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Jillian groaned. The girl had begun to wonder if she should not have opted to stay behind in Merintz after all.
“They don’t expect us to scale these cliffs, do they?” Petre nearly shouted when the thou
ght struck him. The wiry youth scanned the tall, sheer rock face. He tried to locate a path that might carry them up the wall, but found none.
Arianna grew quiet. The priestess became riddled with chills. She pulled her emerald traveling cloak tight about her shoulders, and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. She was getting another bad feeling about this place. Finally, after a loud hissing argument, two lizard men moved forward to pry back a large set of shrubs. Surprisingly, there was a cavern hidden behind them. Sunlight could be seen through the tunnel not more than thirty yards ahead. The two scouts were hesitant. It took another hiss from their leader to get the soldiers to enter. Both held spears at the ready. Once they had reached the halfway point of the tunnel, the leader sent five more soldiers in. He then led the companions in himself.
“Ssstay close. There isss danger here,” he hissed back over his shoulder. “Karzack leavesss no passs unguarded.”
Once inside, they could see that the walls and ceiling of the passageway were honeycombed with holes. Some were not big enough for a finger to pass through, while others were wide enough for Flade to lay lengthwise in.
“What lives here?” Dalia asked the leader. He ignored her question and walked on briskly with caution.
“More creepy crawlers that hide and jump out at you, I‘m sure,” Petre grumbled nervously. His comment brought a hiss of a chuckle to the lead lizard man’s lips. The youth pulled his shield up close to his chest.
About ten more of the lizard men followed the companions. All of them watched the many holes fearfully. The rest remained behind to guard the cavern entrance.
“We must be close,” Jillian whispered. “Most of them are staying behind.” The girl casually rested one hand on her sword hilt as if it would do her much good.
Arianna started to reply from the rear of the group when the soldier directly behind her was suddenly lifted from the ground thrashing and hissing into one of the largest holes above him. Arianna spun about to watch the horrific scene. The thing that was responsible sent the priestess screaming hysterically. She stumbled backwards into Petre and Jillian, bowling them all to the ground. Dalia and Flade drew their weapons, as did the lizard men. They witnessed the tip of the soldier’s flailing tail draw up into the large hole. It was too late for one of their members.
“Run quickly!” The lead lizard man hissed as he shoved Dalia and then Flade towards the exit of the tunnel they had been headed for.
From the hole where the reptilian soldier had disappeared, hung a black spider that was larger than a grown man. Spindly legs as long as a horse reached down into the cavern. Its shiny body reflected the sun’s light like an obsidian mirror. The leader hissed orders to his men. Three reptilian warriors rushed past the monster to lift their fallen captives and drag them to the exit. The others fought to force the animal back into its hole. The creature did not resist. The spider chose to feed rather than fight. One victim was enough for now.
Once on the other side of the tunnel, it took Dalia’s mental skills to relax Arianna. The gruesome scene unsettled the woman terribly. A couple of soothing words from the lady, and the priestess was calm again. Hypnotic suggestions were one of Dalia’s specialties.
Arianna took a few deep breaths and looked to her concerned friends. “I really, really hate spiders,” she shivered.
“I’ll say it again,” Petre huffed. “Who would want to be king of this place?” The slender, scruffy boy was still clutching his sword and dented shield tightly while watching the tunnel. He expected another giant bug to come scuttling out any moment.
“Looks like we will soon find out,” Flade sighed.
For the first time, the others took stock of their surroundings. They had exited into a small bowl of sorts. Sheer cliffs rose on every side. The tunnel appeared to be the only way in or out. It was the only way besides the huge temple that was built literally into the face of the rock walls, that is. There were carved stone stairs leading up to the temple’s grand entrance. Well, it had once been grand. Time had changed that. Now it was simply ominous. The huge stone doors held strange carvings as did the pillar-lined walls. There were also a few statues of some sort of humanoids along the top of the temple face. Strange runes crawled across much of the structure. Unfortunately, the vines and moss had covered most, while the elements had eroded the rest. Whatever they might have been able to learn from the markings was lost to them.
“What is this place?” Jillian questioned with her mouth agape. “It looks like something out of one of the stories my Pa told me as a kid to scare me into doing my chores.”
“Evil awaits us here,” Arianna whispered loud enough for them all to hear. “I can feel it. Something terrible took place in this temple long ago.”
The lizard man leader‘s head jerked towards the priestess. “Hurry! Karzack isss not patient!” He hissed in annoyance. He had already lost one of his people, and he did not want the angry King to claim anymore.
“Keep close,” Dalia whispered again, as they hiked up the crumbling steps.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Jillian mumbled as she moved in to Dalia’s side. Periodically, the girl tested the distance between them to make certain that the lady in white with the magic necklace was within reach.
They ascended the top of the stairs, and two of the reptilians pushed open the huge stone doors. The sound of the stone grinding on stone sent chills up their spines. Arianna and Petre quickly noticed the many cobwebs clinging to the corners of the once grand entranceway.
“Follow me,” the leader of the lizard men announced as he strolled casually into the barely lit temple.
A group of bats took flight as he entered. The animals screeched loudly and then vanished into the large chamber’s dark recesses. There were candles lining the main hallways, but they were faint and offered only minimal light. The air in the temple was musty and old. It had a smell of death to it. Two of the lizard soldiers walked behind them. The others waited outside the front doors to the temple.
“What about now?” Petre whispered to Flade as he sized up their three remaining escorts. “We could take them, easy.”
Flade pointed down one of the side passages that were not lit. A set of red eyes drifted back out of sight. “This place is well guarded, don’t doubt that,” the ranger whispered. “We are being carefully watched.”
To set off the man’s words, there came the sound of the entrance doors grinding closed again. Petre could not help but notice that every dark passage held shifting shadows and things that moved just out of sight. He began to wish Flade had never alerted him to the threat.
“I do not like the feeling of this place,” Dalia whispered. “It seems hollow somehow.”
Arianna was shivering now. “We are not safe here,” she whispered fearfully. “Rashas please watch over us.” Her arms remained wrapped tightly around her body to ward off the unnatural chill.
Petre and Jillian both took a couple of steps closer to the Lady Dalia as the priestess spoke. They had learned the hard way not to doubt her instincts. Flade, too, stayed close. Their reptilian guide led them through a practiced set of turns and down a large, partially spiraled staircase that emptied into a huge audience hall.
This chamber was lit better than the rest of the temple. It was a large room with many other archways leading from it. Once, fine draperies had hung from the walls. They were now riddled with holes and covered in dust. More cobwebs stretched across the corners of the floor and the high, arched ceiling. Remnants of a once lavish décor were also caked in the dusty webbing. A ledge circled the upper reaches of the room. Various carvings and statues of demonic-looking creatures adorned the landing. At the back wall sat a huge stone chair. It was covered with intricate carvings and encrusted with a king’s ransom in gems. Even the thick layer of dust could not conceal the sparkle. A lone figure rested there. He was seated on his throne like a ruler should be, eagerly waiting to greet his guests. From a distance, it looked like an old human man; but something
seemed wrong about him. He wore robes and cloaks that were once fine. On his head sat a simple steel crown, and his lengthy white hair covered his face and draped about his shoulders. The long, fur-rimmed sleeves of his tattered robe also concealed his hands. A golden, bejeweled scepter rested beneath his right arm.
“Welcome,” the lone figure groaned. His voice was not unlike the sound of the grinding stones. There was a raspy hiss to the words as well. “Who has been found trespassing in my lands?”
The leader of the lizard men took a couple of steps closer to the throne and dropped to his knees. “My King, we have brought the trespassersss before you. They are five humansss, adventurersss.”
“Humans again enter my domain, but they are not the humans I seek. It is unusual to find their kind here. It has been some time since men frequented this area. I sense some magic among them. Bring them closer so that I may get a better look,” Karzack rasped eagerly. His head remained dipped in shadow as he spoke.
The lizard men led them within twenty feet of their king. The reptilians seemed afraid to move any closer. The smell of rotted meat assaulted the companions as they neared the slumped figure seated on the throne.
“Please forgive our intrusion into your land, good King,” Flade spoke up for the group.
The figure’s arm shifted and suddenly the ranger had no more voice. His lips were moving, but no sound came forth. “You stand before the ruler of these lands! Speak only when spoken to,” the King groaned angrily.
Petre reached for his sword, but Dalia held the youth’s arm. Though they could not see his shadow-shrouded face, they could feel his gaze washing over them, one by one. Jillian fidgeted nervously with her ponytail, while Arianna mumbled another prayer for their safety.
