“Excellent. Simon, are you okay with the order we'll be moving in?'
“Of course. I'm no tactician, Tamara, but it sounds sensible to me.”
“Good. Malcolm? Let's move.”
“Yes ma'am,” the big guy said with a wide grin. He had pulled an iron cap out of his small backpack and settled it on to his head; it fit a little lopsidedly over his braids and made him look like a little boy playing dress-up.
“And don't call me ma'am,” Tamara told him as he started walking up the ramp. “It makes me feel like an old lady.”
“Yes sir,” Malcolm's voice trailed back and the mage rolled her eyes.
The party moved slowly but steadily up to the second floor. Each level of the tower had ceilings that rose up about twenty feet, making it feel like they were sneaking through a palace. And starting on the second level, there were hallways and rooms that had to be searched as they passed by. It wouldn't be wise to miss an enemy and end up being attacked from behind.
Hallic was waiting for them at the top of the ramp and explained the layout ahead.
“I don't know who designed this place,” he told them quietly as they looked around. “But whoever it was seems to have been very ambitious.”
“What do you mean?”
“Down this hallway,” he said and pointed, “are a row of rooms that look like offices. At least, each one has a heavy desk and several chairs in it. Shelves too.”
“And?” Tamara asked impatiently. “What is so ambitious about that?”
The rogue shook his head, looking puzzled.
“It's just that I don't think any of them has been used, ever. The furniture is covered in dust, the fabric of the chairs is starting to rot and the shelves are empty. Maybe they expected more allies or perhaps the rooms are ready to be used in the future, but at the moment, they are deserted.”
“Okay, that is weird,” Aiden agreed. “What else is on this level?”
“Nothing but offices, as far as I can tell. There's a large central room that all of the hallways converge upon and a spiral ramp that leads upwards from there. That is our destination. Check each room as you pass by it; I only looked into a few of them. In the meantime, I will go ahead and keep an eye on the ramp, just in case we get any visitors.”
He nodded to them all and headed off down the hallway.
Simon watched the dwarf, trying to figure out how the rogue blended into the background so quickly. As soon as he got about twenty feet away, he would literally fade away like a chameleon into the surrounding colors and textures. It was weirdly fascinating to the wizard and he was quite sure that Hallic would never tell him how it was done.
The air on the second floor was as cold as the first but filled with the scent of dust and mold. There were still spots and patches of lichen on the walls and ceiling, perhaps there because all of the surfaces were made from rough stone. Nothing had been painted or sealed and the dampness in the rock seemed to encourage the mossy growth.
“I'm glad that this glowing stuff is here,” Malcolm said to Aiden, echoing Simon's thought. “Otherwise we'd have to carry our own lights, and that would make us better targets.”
“It may be fine down here, but remember those red lights we saw higher up when we were outside?” his partner told him as they began walking slowly down the hallway. “I think they might be torches, so we might be stuck for light as we go up.”
The party became silent again and walked softly, following the two warriors.
The entire second floor was empty. Hallic had been right; unused offices and rotting furniture was all that there was to see.
The next two floors were the same; empty, rotting and eerie. The entire party was on edge and Simon had reached a point emotionally where he would have almost preferred a fight to the frightening emptiness that they had faced so far.
He had his chance on the fifth floor.
Hallic met the group at the bottom of the ramp on the fourth level. The rogue was actually grinning as he watched the party emerge from a hallway.
“No luck?” he asked Malcolm.
“If by luck you mean, did we find anyone, then the answer is no,” the big man with some disgust. “Does anyone or anything actually live in this depressing place?”
“I'm not sure if they could be called 'living', but some of the residents of this lovely tower are waiting for us,” he nodded up the ramp, “on the next floor.”
“Who are they, Hallic?” Tamara asked as she slipped between the hulking figures of Aiden and Malcolm.
“More like what than who, lady mage. I didn't get too close because I was afraid that they would smell me.”
Simon was confused by that statement. As far as he knew, skeletons and zombies didn't have a sense of smell. There really wasn't enough left of them to be able to do that.
He looked down at Kronk, who also looked puzzled and then at Aeris, who was floating next to him. The air elemental shrugged.
“No idea,” he mouthed silently.
“Smell you? What are you talking about?”
“Ghouls. Lots and lots of ghouls. The next floor is wide open. Why it has no rooms or walls or anything except pillars to hold up the ceiling is anyone's guess, but there are roaming ghouls scattered all over the place. Luckily, when I went upstairs, I hugged the wall at the top of the ramp and none of the fiends got too close. I know from the records I've read that they have an exceptional sense of smell; easier to find corpses to dig up and feast upon, I suppose.”
He pulled out a linen handkerchief and blew his nose loudly, then put it away with an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, but how those things can smell anything over their own stench is beyond me.”
“Great,” Tamara said. “Ghouls. I have no idea what they are or how to fight them. Anyone have any suggestions?”
“Aeris,” Simon said, “Could you tell us something about ghouls, please?”
The group as a whole looked over at the hovering elemental, who in turn looked at Simon in surprise.
“You actually want me to speak for a change?”
“Don't let it go to your head,” Simon told him with a grin. “But you have a lot of data stored in your memory. Let's tap into some of it, shall we?”
“Um, yes, of course. Well, let me see here. Ghouls are evil magical entities that rip the flesh from living beings to give their bodies form and substance in the mortal realm.”
Aeris suddenly reminded Simon of a professor that he had once had back in college and he almost laughed at the similarity. The elemental sounded like he was reading directly out of a text book.
“The flesh of living things? Ew,” Barnaby said in disgust. “What kinds of things?”
“Any tissue will do,” Aeris informed him pedantically. “Animal, human, the ghoul doesn't care. But after creation, they have a taste for human flesh, be it fresh or rotting. Old tales tell us that ghouls will, if driven to it, consume other undead like zombies if no regular sources of food are available.”
“Okay, when did we step out of the real world and into a horror movie?” Barnaby exclaimed. “Seriously, ghouls?”
Tamara walked over to the mage and looked directly into his eyes.
“If you're having second thoughts about this venture, feel free to stay behind. I don't want anyone freaking out in the middle of battle. If you are too scared to do your job, tell me right now.”
Simon watched silently. Tamara was being a bit harsh, but he had a feeling that she was just trying to get Barnaby's attention. He doubted that the young man had ever faced these kinds of opponents before. Most of them hadn't, actually.
“No. No, of course not,” he stammered. “Honestly, I'm fine. Just caught me off guard a bit, that's all.”
She continued to hold his gaze for a moment and then smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
“Good man. Stay focused and remember your training, all right? I chose you because you are one of the best; now it's up to you to prove to me that I was right.”
“I won't let you down, Tamara.”
“I know you won't. Okay, Hallic, any suggestions? Can we get by these ghouls or do we have to fight?”
“I don't see how we could get around them, lady,” the rogue said ruefully. “Even invisibility wouldn't help against them; their sense of smell is their primary method of tracking down prey. We'll have to fight.”
Tamara sighed and looked around at the party.
“Well, we knew that this wouldn't be a walk in the park, so...”
“One moment, please,” the dwarf interjected.
“Yes? Go ahead, Hallic.”
“While we will have to confront the ghouls, there might be a way that we can take them on piecemeal; a few at a time.”
“We're listening,” Malcolm said, looking a little hopeful.
Hallic looked up the ramp and then moved closer to the others.
“Ghouls are not social creatures. You'll see when you get upstairs, but they are scattered all over the place up there. If we advance slowly across the floor toward the next ramp, our scent alone will pull them to us one or two at a time.”
“But if we start fighting, won't that attract more of the beasts?” Aiden asked.
“Not necessarily. If one person advances slowly, once a ghoul catches their scent and is attracted to them, they can retreat and pull the monster away from the rest. As good as their noses are, ghouls don't hear or see very well. We might be able to isolate and kill them all without starting a larger battle.”
“That sounds lovely and all,” Tamara said a little sarcastically, “but who do you expect to volunteer as live bait?”
“I can do it,” Malcolm said immediately.
“Don't be stupid, you big ox,” Aiden responded. “You're strong but slow. I'll do it.”
“Both of you are wearing armor,” Tamara told them. “That makes you less than nimble.”
“Fine, I'll do it,” her brother spoke up. “I can run like a deer and I'm nimble. I can be the bait.”
“Not a chance!” Tamara said loudly and then winced, looking up to see if anything had heard her.
“You are not going to expose yourself to that kind of danger,” she added in a lower voice. “And that's final.”
“Stop playing big sister all the time,” Sebastian hissed at her, looking angry for the first time that Simon could remember. “I don't need to be coddled. I'm a grown man and I can take care of myself.”
Before his sister could say anything, Hallic held up his hands for silence.
“Everyone, please. As fascinating as this whole discussion is, we are in the middle of enemy territory and this is neither the time nor the place. I wasn't asking for volunteers to attract the ghouls; I intend to do it myself. No offense to the rest of you, but rogues are trained in speed and agility and we are chosen specifically for those traits. So I will lure the ghouls toward the party and you all will, I hope, take them out before they start nibbling on my giblets. Sound like a plan?”
With a last glare at her brother, Tamara nodded.
“If you are willing to do that, Hallic, then yes, it sounds like a good plan. Now, can we all get on with this please? We have a long way to go and time is not our friend.”
Chapter 28
The company crept up the ramp to the fifth floor. The ground was covered with dirt, small stones and several oddly-shaped footprints that made Simon shiver when he noticed them; whatever had made them had clawed feet.
As they caught their first glimpse of the area, what seemed to surprise everyone was the lighting. The entire floor was brightly lit with floating globes of reddish fire that reminded Simon of his own magical lights. But their ruddy hue was ominous and made the party all look like they were covered in a thin layer of blood.
“Man, this is creepy,” Barnaby whispered.
“No kidding,” Aiden agreed.
“Everyone, come and stand close to the wall please,” Hallic said softly. “This is the spot that I hope we can lure the ghouls to. You see? It's fairly open and there are no enemies nearby.”
The rogue had been right; the entire floor was open and, because the tower was so wide, it looked huge.
“My God, we might as well be inside a bloody football stadium,” Sebastian said in awe. “It just goes on and on, doesn't it?”
“That is an illusion, sir mage,” Hallic told him. “The perspective in this place is off somehow, but I'm not sure if the cause is magical or just because the tower is so damned big. Still, this floor is at least a hundred feet across or more and, as you can see, it isn't completely without its obstacles.”
The rogue pointed out several low stone walls that criss-crossed the floor and extended into the distance like a maze.
“What are they, pens?” Simon asked, frowning. “They look like those temporary barricades they used to put up on highways when the government was doing roadwork.”
“Well, they can't be pens,” Aeris observed as he floated next to the wizard. “They are no more than four feet high.”
“Whatever they are, Hallic, they may slow you down or impede you when you lure the ghouls back here,” Malcolm warned the dwarf. “Be damned careful.”
The rogue grinned crookedly.
“Have no fear, sir warrior. I value my skin at least as much as you do; more, probably. And I have no intention of being served up as some monster's dinner; not today.”
There was scattered movement all over the floor as pale forms drifted restlessly from place to place in the hellish light, making scraping noises against the stony ground; ghouls.
“Oh my goodness,” Miriam exclaimed in a hushed voice. “So that is a ghoul. What a nightmare.”
The cleric wasn't wrong. From what Simon could make out, the creatures were man-shaped, with two arms and two legs, but that was as close to human as they got.
The ghouls were misshapen; some were hunched over while others dragged an extra-long arm or leg behind them. They had deep eye sockets and gaping holes in their face where a human's nose would be. And their mouths hung open, filled with crooked yellow teeth. They were drooling constantly and their meaty tongues flopped around as they moved. They were literally a nightmare made real.
“Why are they shaped so strangely?” Barnaby wondered aloud.
“I assume it's because of how they are made,” Hallic replied as he watched the monsters through slitted eyes. “As we heard, they absorb an amalgam of flesh from any creature they can find and then craft a body with it. I suppose that's the best they can do.”
“They're horrible and they move like they're in pain,” Tamara said coldly. “And they are between us and the path we must take, so let's get past their appearance and concentrate on the task at hand. Hallic, are you ready?”
“Always, lady mage. Is everyone else?”
There were a chorus of yeses and the rogue nodded.
“Good. You see the nearest ghouls?” He pointed. “I think I can pull those three back here without bringing any of the others. Be prepared.”
The rogue pushed away from the wall and walked slowly toward the ghouls. The monsters were about thirty feet away from the group, huddled together. It wasn't possible to tell what they were doing.
“All right,” Malcolm said quietly. “Warriors, to the front. Liliana, would you center our line please?”
“Of course,” the paladin said as she drew her sword.
She reached over her shoulder and slipped her shield onto her left arm and stepped forward several paces.
“Do you have room enough to cast?” she asked the magic-users over her shoulder as the four warriors drew their weapons and stood next to her, two on each side.
The ramp was on Simon's left and the fighters were a dozen feet in front of him. He looked at Tamara and the others.
“We're good, Liliana. You do your thing and we'll do ours.”
The paladin laughed lightly, clearly energized by the approaching battle.
<
br /> “Very well. Stay focused. I'm sure that this is only the first skirmish of many yet to come.”
Malcolm and Aide stood side-by-side and left enough room between them to swing their weapons. Malcolm was using a standard sword and shield similar to Liliana's, although hers looked like it was crafted out of silver. But Aiden was armed with a mace, its wicked spikes glinting in the reddish light.
Fergus and Kate, on the other hand, were wielding entirely different weapons. Simon hadn't noticed it earlier, but Kate was wearing a mixture of plate and chain mail, not the standard plate that the others wore, and she was armed with two weapons; a long sword in her right hand and a short, double-headed axe in her left. She spun them in her hands as she waited and it was obvious that she was proficient with both.
Fergus, on the other hand, was gripping a wicked-looking two-handed sword tightly as he glowered at the distant ghouls. Simon just hoped that he didn't swing the massive weapon and cut Kate in half.
They know their business, he told himself. If they didn't, Malcolm wouldn't have brought them along.
The wizard looked at the elementals, who seemed to be waiting for orders.
“You guys ready?” he whispered as Tamara and the others got themselves sorted out.
“Yes master.”
“Of course.”
“Good. I won't tell you what to do; you both know your own powers and how best to use them. Just jump in wherever you think you're needed, okay?”
Both of them agreed and Simon tried to focus on the approaching ghouls.
And they were approaching. Hallic, amazingly, had used the network of low walls and his own small stature to creep just close enough to the three monsters for them to catch his scent. All three had raised their lopsided heads and turned as one toward him.
But they didn't race to the attack; maybe they had never smelled a dwarf before. Their approach was cautious, hesitant, and it suited the rogue's purposes perfectly.
Hallic kept low and hurried back to the party.
“That seemed to go well,” Malcolm told him with a tight grin.
The dwarf drew two daggers that began to glow with a clear blue light and slipped behind the line of fighters.
The Dragons of Bone and Dust (Tales from the New Earth Book 7) Page 33
