The Dungeon Con: One Foot in the Grave ( Hank Grave Book 1): One Foot in the Grave (Hank Grave series)

by Marty Myers

  With the litany still ringing in the air Tinamen then extolled his faithful to prayer and called upon the Lords of Light by name, “ Aethon, Hyperion, Phaethon, Kalos Kagathos, Sabaic and Astraeus. We invoke your mighty wisdom and beseech thee to rule upon a troubling matter which has been brought before us this day,” he said. “ Always the Lords of the Light and the Heavens have been just and upheld the very laws in which they set right apart from wrong and innocent apart from guilty. Today our prayers are a plea for understanding in the matter of your servants here before us. Particularly we ask of Bezaideous, Gaderel, and Tamiel who have come here to petition you oh mighty Lords. Have they truly erred? Do they need to be heard and redress themselves? Let them atone if such is your will. Where oh Lords does the law of the heavens stand in this matter.”

  Tinamens voice had risen with each word as had the prayers of the people and the pleas of the angels themselves. Francis too stood begging and pleading that her companions punishment would be revoked. The Light within the chapel was becoming so bright that many people had tears running down their cheeks and it was hard to see clearly. The light mingled and took on a single purpose within the congregation until it shot up in a beam into the twilight sky carrying the people’s prayers off into the firmament of the Heavens. A long expectant hush fell over the people as much of the illumination within the chapel had departed. It took a few moments for their vision to return to them and when it did it was with shock that many more of the congregation found they could now see the angels standing among them. In fact, those few that had already been able to see them saw that there were now even a couple more angels with them than there had been before.

  Truly those newly gifted with the sight rejoiced and turned to their neighbors to exclaim about how wondrous a thing had just happened here. Their voices rising up into a din as they all talked over each other. Tinamen and the other clerics looked upon the newly arrived angels to see if they were messengers carrying the will of the Lords of Light back to them or to see what other business they had here. He bowed to them and said. “ Have you word for us of the Lords will in this matter.”

  Apostaphus however immediately recognized the two angels and felt that their prayers were not about to be answered. It was Anthangelus and Epiphanus who had appeared onto the congregation and neither of them looked particularly pleased to be here. Anthangelus was the first to speak. “ Priest I regret to bring bad tidings onto you and your congregation, however I must proclaim that the Houses of the Lords of Light are currently closed onto the church and all prayers and pleas are to be directed to the angels of the lesser host who are already here within the realm until the Lords do see fit in their wisdom to once more hear them.”

  “ This is I am told is not a reflection upon any of you or your congregations. Other angels are even now delivering this unwelcome news across all of the many kingdoms and countries of the realm. Something of greater import is taking all of the Lords attention currently. The council of the lesser host says that this should be considered a trial and a test of faith for the followers of the Light.” Tinamen looked shocked at hearing the news and almost collapsed. Francis reached out and steadied him while whispering a chant of health to ensure he wasn’t having a heart attack or stroke at hearing the news.

  “ How can this be,” the priest exclaimed. Anthangelus looked even graver when he replied, “ truly we are all being tested as never before.” Luckily most of the faithful had not heard their words or noticed their priests loss of composure yet. With an obvious effort Tinamen pulled himself back together. He looked out at his people and tried to think about how he was going to break the news to them. Most of them were happily chatting away with their fellows and still totally unaware of the truth of their circumstances.

  Timamen had served the community for many years and had delivered bad news before to his people, just not on this scale. He squared his shoulders and stepped back up to the pulpit. “ My people,” he said, “ please resume your seats for I have an announcement to make. The Lords of Light will not hear our petition at this time as they are dealing with other matters of utmost importance. For the time being the matter will be tabled until they have time to hear us and deliver unto us an understanding of there ruling.”

  “ This same message is being repeated to all of the Lights followers and churches as the Lords shutter their houses to all during this trying time. The Lords in their wisdom have supplied us with the aid of their servants the angels of the lesser host who are still with us and will be answering the prayers and pleas of followers of the Light just as they always have. This is a temporary situation and is to be considered a trial and a test of the faithful for followers of the Light.”

  There was a commotion among the crowd at his words. “ My friends calm yourselves. Let us not lose our heads. Yes, we are being tested as never before,” he said. “ But our Lords do nothing without a purpose. They have in this time of need brought forth a new saint to help assuage our fears and provide succor for those in need. As they did in ancient days. Here she stands with us as well as her companion Apostaphus and many a good angel besides.”

  “ That many more of you can now see and hear them after our prayers today is proof of your vigorous faith as well as a testament to their unending care for us and this realm. Remember as I said earlier the bans are set in place for our protection and all we need do to benefit from them is to stay steadfast in our faith in the Light and to call upon them and in this case their servants. Now let us all pray for their continued grace and that whatever unknowable matter weighs upon our Lords is to pass swiftly by.”

  Apostaphus meanwhile cornered Anthangelus and asked him. “ How is it that you and Epiphanus were sent here with this message.” Apostaphus answered, “ it was not too long after I left your presence to return to my tasks that I found the Houses in the process of being closed to all. I was speaking to someone I thought I could trust about it when I discovered the error in my judgment.”

  “ I was taken to stand before Bahramel and the council where none but he spoke. The others looked down in their laps and neither responded to nor voiced an opinion on any matter whatsoever. It was very disconcerting. I know not what has happened to them.”

  “ Bahramel was furious storming about with Eremiel and a few other followers attending the council meeting. He was frantically scrying and searching for something that I came to understand was you and our fellows here. His fruitless viewing was abandoned then so that he could accuse me of several unlikely and false charges before concluding that they were all true. Among other things, he said I was colluding with a force from outside the local realms which threatened the balance of power in the heavens. I honestly don’t know what to think other than being convinced he has somehow become unhinged.”

  “ When he pronounced me cast out I actually challenged him to bring forth one other councilor’s vote against me. Whereupon he turned an even uglier shade of red and then turned back to his scrying. Then when the prayers here began reaching the heavens calling your names it got his attention and he focused in upon the service here. From what I heard he caught most of it. I swear I thought he was going to explode by the time Tinamen called upon the Lords to settle the matter.”

  “ The entire council chambers where rattled by his ire. It was then that he proclaimed there was one more service I could fulfill for the Lords and then he gave me this message I have now delivered. I saw before I left that many other angels were also being sent off with similar messages to deliver to many other churches throughout the realm. This was when I saw Epiphanus similarly brought in. His banishment proceedings were much shorter than mine and then he too was given a list of churches to deliver the message to.” Apostaphus was shocked, even having feared much of what he had just been told it was still very tough to actually have it all confirmed.

  “ So I should be off now to finish my last rounds as messenger,” Anthagelas said. “ For whether I agree with Bahramel about anything else and I don’t. I do
believe that this news must reach the churches so that they can prepare their congregations as soon as possible. I don’t think any major battles are taking place as of yet, but without being able to call upon our Lords the armies of Light depending upon their aid will be sorely pressed.”

  Apostaphus agreed, he said once you deliver your message what do you intend to do? Will you return to us?” “ Yes but first I wish to see about finding others among the angels here in the realm who may have a better idea about why this is happening.” “ That is a good idea,” Apostaphus said, “ because I still have not figured out what is happening or why. How about you Epiphanus?” “ I too will be rejoining your group once I have finished delivering the message to the other churches,” he said. “ I still don’t know why I was summoned up from watching over your old kingdom to be cast out as I was. Bahramel didn’t even really accuse me of something he just pronounced his judgment on me. It was really ridiculous. It’s too bad it happened now I was really enjoying my time while I was guardian too. It seemed really peaceful there overall except for running into Llywelyn.”

  “ So what will you and the others be doing now?” “ We will be here helping to reassure the people,” Apostaphus said. “ If either of you need a hand then call to us and some of us will come to your aid. Let any of the other angels you talk to know we will aid any of them in serving the Light as well. We can‘t allow whatever insanity Bahramel has caught to stop us from doing what is right and protecting the realm and the people as well as our brothers.”

  Tinamen and one of the other clerics came over at this point and bowed to the messengers. “I beg you two to take this message along with you to the other churches as you visit them. We ask that you spread the word of Saint Francis and Apostaphus her angel companion as I have here that it might bring them some comfort in these dark times.” The priest handed them each scrolls with the seal of the chapel of the Devout upon it. Anthangelas and Epipahnus both looked to Apostaphus who was somewhat torn upon hearing this request. Finally, he signaled his assent and they assured the priest they would carry the word onward to the other followers of the Light. They then departed taking the tidings of the heavens onwards.

  Chapter 35

  Hank found Provoas himself sitting in the great hall studying one of his grimoires. He approached and bowed to his master. “ Master I have finished studying the first grimoire that you lent me. I was wondering if I could study another.” Provoas looked up from his reading. “ Good, I will test you now upon what you have learned and then we shall see about time with the other tomes. “ He set about putting Hank through his paces not bothering to test those areas he knew Hank had already mastered such as raising and controlling skeletons. He had Hank summon a spirit and bind it as well as teleporting in an old man Provoas knew who he felt deserved the curses he instructed Hank to place upon him. He even showed Hank a few new castings which kept the old guy alive long enough to thoroughly test out his repertoire of curses and cures, sicknesses, charms, and plagues.

  When at last they were done Provoas said, “ well done Hank, you need a bit more practice with some of the sicknesses and plagues that can’t really be had without a larger pool of subjects, but that can’t be helped under the circumstances. I agree that you have learned all that you can from this grimoire. Indeed am willing to start you off on one of the more advanced tomes now that you have a good solid base for your necromancy.”

  He walked with Hank over to the altar room and opened the doors. Currently, Hanks body was covered by a flashy black cloth with many odd and awful inscriptions stitched into it. There too was the Gordian knot floating between Hank and his body. It had grown in both size and power as each cord in the knot was approximately twice the size it had been when last Hank had seen it. It almost looked like the knot had become more solid and complex as well but Hank could not be sure.

  Provoas continued talking as they stood there. “ If I had removed this first grimoire before you had actually mastered the knowledge therein you would have lost most of the chants and lore craft that it has supplied you with up till now. But since you have been diligent in casting and learning them it will stay with you even once the book no longer lies beneath your head.”

  “ Now to choose your next lessons. Hmm, let’s see, many different avenues remain open to you. You could advance on each of the basic three paths until you have reached a much higher understanding and mastery of them and then you can further specialize in their use perhaps in time even developing truly unique techniques and spells of your own devising. Or you could choose to begin down another path altogether. There are yet many another path that you have yet to learn of.”

  “ But I would recommend that if you take up another path at this time it should be that of Death Crafting. It shares similarities with both alchemy and more mundane forms of crafting or smithing but is tailored to the use of necromancy and the dark arts. It is sometimes called the fourth dark path because it utilizes portions of the other three main paths in plying it. It is based upon the idea that it is most useful for a necromancer to fashion magical items of all kinds from the dead themselves.”

  Provoas pulled out another old grimoire from the stack and very carefully he replaced one for the other under Hank’s head beneath the cloth. “ You see flesh, bones, and blood provide the physical object or ingredients which is then imbued with a spirit, ghost or dark essence to empower the object. Some are made to cast spells or to aid in their casting, extending their range or effectiveness. Others are made to hold mystic power or essence in reserve for when the caster needs to channel it. A few others are crafted to capture or hold spirits or souls. Some can also be fashioned into weapons, charms, potions or ointments to strengthen other undead minions. The path really is remarkably wide and varied in its applications.”

  Once again Hank noticed that Provoas seemed to enjoy learning and teaching more than just about anything else he had seen him do. As soon as Provoas had replaced the grimoire under his head his words had been accompanied in Hanks mind by all sorts of text, chants, and concepts flowing from the book itself. This time it was easier to handle as his mind had become more accustomed to this odd manner of learning. It still bothered him a bit but not like the head-splitting migraines he had originally dealt with.

  Provoas led him back out of the altar room and took Hank back to his own rooms behind the great hall. Here he had a workroom set up where a few skeletons puttered about cleaning and caring for experiments of his own. He instructed Hank to take control of one of them for their session.

  “ Okay,” Provoas said leading him over to an open corner. “ So let’s build something for you. Normally a young mortal necromancer learning this path will often build himself something like a staff or wand to carry around with him to augment his own powers You might be wondering why that would be any use to you as you are. He pointed to Hanks floating spectral self. Well the amazing thing about a dungeon such as yourself is that you can often place such a death crafted device within your walls and get the benefit of using it without having to carry it around with you like a corporeal magic user would. Think about the scrying pool I built here for instance. Yes, you and Alastor are very talented at scrying, but part of that is the fact that you’re always connected to this pool which helps to augment your abilities whether you are standing here using it or not. Yes, it is more effective if your right here using it as it was meant to be used. But even when you’re not right here it still adds something extra augmenting your talent.”

  Hank was surprised that he had not figured this out earlier. He guessed he just had had the pool so early in his own magical education that he had never really been able to measure his own aptitude without it. “ So the first step is deciding what you want to make and what form it needs to take. Again here you have an advantage that many others don’t. They often need to make items that they can easily carry around with them. You can make things bigger or heavier or just more cumbersome or oddly shaped than others and not worry about it
being cumbersome. Why would you do that? Well, sometimes any or all of those conditions will allow you to make an item more potent than it would be if you had to whittle it down to man-sized or to comfortably fit into the palm of a hand.

  The type of bone or flesh that you use can have a big impact on the potency it can be imbued with. Many large creatures like dragons, for instance, have quite magically potent bones but many of them are also far too large to be made into a wand or even a staff. Carving them down generally lessens their potency. In addition, a large bone also has much more room to carve your inscription, runes, and glyphs upon. So keep this in mind as you design your own death crafted items.”

  “ So to what will the purpose be of your first death crafting?” Hank said, “ the scrying pool you have crafted me has already aided me greatly. You said that these items could be made to increase the range of some powers. Is there a way to further increase the range of my teleportation?” “ It is possible,” Provoas said at last, “ but it is a rare ability outside of some of demonkind. You would likely need the bones of a demon adept with such a talent to shape into your talisman. You could also possibly capture a spirit such as has the ability to slip between the realms and bend it to your will. Trapping it within the talisman would also require a contest of wills or a hefty bribe to secure its cooperation.”