“What!” she cried.
But he didn’t hear her; he was too busy embracing Marie.
Sai pushed closer after giving them a moment. “Hey! When were you going to tel the rest of us
about your condition?”
Von Wilding looked at her and gave a toothy grin. “I wasn’t if I could help it.”
“Seems like something you should have shared with your teammates a long time ago,” Sai
argued.
“I’m sorry, I’m not sorry. The curse of my family was not something to be bandied about with
just anyone.”
“I’m not just anyone. I’m your friend,” Sai blurted out. She blushed a little. She hadn’t meant to
say that. She was surprised that it had come out at al .
Von Wilding went quiet, as did Marie. “Princess Citrine knew. She trusted me and said it would be all right if I kept it to myself. I didn’t mean to keep secrets, but I didn’t want anyone worrying
about whether they could trust me either.”
Sai nodded. “I’m sorry,” she said, walking away feeling like it was her tail between her legs now.
Sai opened her satchel to look at Hatch the Toad, asking, “Why couldn’t you have been turned into
an incredible monster?”
The toad answered, “Ribbit.”
Chapter 11: The Sunken Tower
Stilt Town was delivered from a great evil that day, but not without plenty of loss. Many had
perished, and many homes had been destroyed. The first terrible thing Sai witnessed after the battle
was Esmerelda cradling her grandmother’s hand. It looked like the old woman was sleeping, but Sai
knew that could not be the case. Her smile of joy at their triumph vanished as tears ran down the
little girl’s face.
Esmerelda looked to Sai and Marie. “Gran is gone. I don’t have anyone now.”
Marie glanced at Von Wilding and Sai. “We’l look out for you now.”
Sai tensed and whispered, “But we have an urgent mission. And we’ve lost a man already.”
Von Wilding said, “I thought you wanted out of here. What makes it so urgent to you now?”
Sai sniffed at that. She didn’t want the attention on her now, but decided she owed him an
answer. “That Shamble Priest knew my name. He said he knew that those dark forces had a claim
on me. That I was fated to serve Von Drakk. I don’t believe in fate, and I aim to make sure that they
are dead wrong.”
“I’m glad,” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder.
Marie dabbed at her eyes. “I am with you too and wil do the best I can to make up the
difference, but we can’t leave her here.” She looked to Von Wilding who gritted his teeth but
nodded in agreement.
“She better come with us, but stay out of the way when trouble comes,” he said.
“Are you going to play nursemaid to her?” Sai asked, realizing after the fact how insensitive she
sounded. “I just mean it isn’t going to be safe for any of us.”
“I can help out,” said a new voice. It was Chev the ferryman from the night before. “I know
what ye’re al trying to do, and I’l help ye where I can. I know the fastest route down to the
vampires, and if that’s where ye mean to go, I can get ye there. And look after the girl too,” he said, rubbing a hand over her messy hair.
Esmerelda bristled at that display of affection, but stil grinned up at the old man when he
offered her a cookie.
“Then we better get moving soon, we have a lot to do,” Von Wilding said.
“One more thing. Is there anything that can be done?” Sai asked, holding Hatch the toad out to
Von Wilding and Marie.
Von Wilding said, “I have heard that there is a wizard, a crazed old mage of wonderous powers, further into the swamp that might be able to help. He supposedly lives in a sinkhole on the way to
Von Drakk Manor from here. He might help us. Then again, he might not, but I know of no other
way for us to reverse such a curse from a witch, save the Goddess herself intervening for us.”
Sai said, “Let’s be on our way then.” She looked at Hatch.
He looked up at her and said, “Ribbit.”
The six of them boarded the skiff with al of their gear and supplies, along with everything they
could retrieve of Hatch’s. Von Wilding’s somber nature was cheered by the presence of Marie. Sai
could hardly blame him; the golden-haired woman was a strong, doughty companion who
encouraged all of them. It wasn’t the same as having Hatch there as himself, but it was good to have
the company.
Chev had to use a pole and paddle to get them away from Stilt Town in waters that didn’t
appear to be moving at all, but Sai was surprised to see that once they had gotten got beyond just a
few hundred yards, there was a current helping pul the raft along.
They stayed toward the middle of the river, wel away from the shore. When night fel , they
could see gleaming eyes watching them, and though they could not tel what was there, al agreed
that they didn’t look friendly.
The river grew wide but retained a dark loathsome appearance, and the clouds of biting insects
were especially bad. Islands no bigger than the skiff, and clustered with mangrove and cypress trees,
dotted the river; but these were home to nothing larger than a lizard or a bird, so they looked to be
of no real danger. Sometimes Chev had to work hard to avoid dead trees and other debris in the
river, but otherwise the journey was rather uneventful.
“How much farther do you think?” asked Sai.
“Not more than an hour or two,” answered Chev.
“That’s what you said two hours ago.”
“Trust me, this is a shortcut.”
“We’re close,” said Von Wilding. “I recognize this part of the river.”
It was a very wide spot where they could hardly see the banks on either shore, not just because
of the mist but also the distance.
They sailed on for another dingy grey day until finally the river started to coalesce back into a
swamp and they espied a curious feature looming out of the mist. A lonely tower stood, leaning
crookedly and surrounded by masses of jumbled stone blocks. Around about the tower was a moat
of dead space, and then stairs spiraling around back into the tower in the center. The ruin seemed to go on for miles. It gaped on the Moor like a festering scab.
“This must be the place the bards spoke of,” said Von Wilding.
“We’re here to cure Hatch on the word of what some lousy bards sang about once?” snapped
Sai.
“I was a bard once,” said Chev.
“Shut up!” snapped Sai.
Von Wilding bristled. “They were trustworthy, and I only ever said it was a chance. And as
much I feel for getting Hatch healed, he stil comes second to the mission. I’ve lost more than you
know to Von Drakk. I won’t lose any more.”
“Easy,” soothed Marie. “Let’s look around first, huh?”
From where they stood, the edges of tumbled black stone turned up slightly, but water found a
way through and cascaded into the abyss. When they looked over the edge they could see no
bottom, but there were stairs spiraling down into the dark.
“I’m not going down there,” said Chev.
“Nobody asked you to,” snapped Sai, “but if there is a chance of getting answers, I’l go by
myself if I have to.”
“You’re not going alone,” said Von Wilding.
“No, you’re not,” agreed Marie.
Sai hid her smile and gave them
each a nod before saying, “Chev, you stay on the boat with
Esmerelda.”
He saluted saying, “Will do, cap’n.”
“But I want to come with you,” Esmerelda pleaded.
Von Wilding said, “Not this time, we don’t know what’s down there, and we are taking a
serious chance. You’l be safer up here.”
Esmerelda stamped her foot and defiantly took a few steps forward.
Sai kneeled and put her hand on Esmerelda’s shoulder. “You’re my backup. If there’s trouble,
you’l come and get us out.”
Esmerelda turned to look at Chev, but he just shrugged.
Sai gave Chev a very cross shake of her head, signaling that they were in no way to fol ow them
no matter what. She could tel by the look in his eyes that there was no danger of him following
them into the sunken tower. He was too big a coward to do that. Or was that the real courage? To know
when you’re in over your head and the smart thing to do is run? Maybe I should have run before all of this began, she thought. Before I made the mistake of starting to care about my companions. Too late now, she chided herself.
The steps were cold and wet but seemed sure enough. They brought only their weapons, a
handful of food, and lanterns. They wanted to move without anything else burdening them so they
could be fast if they had to. Bats flitted up from somewhere below.
“Something spooked them,” said Von Wilding.
“Are you sure it wasn’t us?” asked Sai.
“They wouldn’t move just because we’re way up here. Something far below disturbed them.”
Gradual y, the dim light turned to blackness and they lit the lanterns. Curious things scuttled at
their feet: huge centipedes a foot long or more, and roaches as big as their hands. The air was musty
and rancid; everything smelled of fungus and corruption. Once, Sai made the mistake of running her
hand along the stone wal , and it came away sticky with a gooey red slime.
They continued downward until they were an island of light in a black sea of infinity. The stairs
and tunnel had curved, and they were soon in a vast underground chamber connected to the
sinkhole above. Stalactites and stalagmites pointed up and down like the teeth of giants. Drops of
cold water hit their necks every now and again, and Sai had to continually check that it wasn’t the
saliva of some foul beast. Odd, repugnant sounds echoed softly from somewhere in the unseen
gulfs, and Sai didn’t want to imagine what could be making those noises.
Ruins of armor and the skeletons of fal en adventurers littered the floor of the cavern and left
little doubt as to what happened to the unlucky travelers.
“Stil think this is the answer we seek?” asked Sai.
“I know of no other way, but if we find no sign of the wizard, I suggest we go back and fulfil
the mission regardless of poor Hatch.”
“Agreed,” said Marie, taking Von Wilding’s hand.
Sai ground her teeth together, but she held her tongue for the moment. It seemed to her that
they had only just begun in seeking out the wizard. It has only been a few hours hasn’t it? But as they searched the cavern, she was forced to admit there was no sign that anything but monsters dwel ed
there.
At times Sai thought she heard footsteps following them, but she never saw anything. A wailing
and moaning echoed from somewhere deep in the cave. It sounded like a person in agony.
“Wind?” asked Marie.
“I doubt it,” answered Von Wilding.
“I feel like we are being watched,” said Sai.
“Likely as not,” agreed Von Wilding, “but we must continue a little longer until I can feel we
have done our best.”
“Just a little longer?” jabbed Sai. She opened her satchel to look at Hatch again.
“Ribbit,” he answered.
After another hour of fruitless searching, they found themselves on the edge of a precipice with
a channel of water running swiftly below. “I think we should head back. It wil take us the rest of the day just to reach the others,” said Von Wilding.
Sai could see that Marie agreed with him. “I don’t want to give up.”
“This was my best suggestion, but we have not found the wizard and must continue.”
Sai shook her head. “If we have already lost Hatch to this curse, how can we overcome Von
Drakk himself?”
“The Moor is getting to you—it causes despair. We must rise above it. Someday we shall
overcome his darkness. Only by continually striving can we reach that place. Please, let’s head back
and find another way to restore Hatch.”
Sai reluctantly agreed, and they turned about to start back the way they had come. They all felt
eyes watching them, and soon enough the terrible chittering and squeaking they had heard earlier
became louder.
“Bats?”
“I hope so.”
The chittering came closer, echoing off the cavern walls in disorienting waves.
A patch of darkness appeared to be moving. They drew their weapons, but realized the futility
of it in half a heartbeat. Their lanterns revealed hundreds of gleaming red eyes. A horde of greedy
rats was swarming toward them. There was no way they could possibly cut down such a tiny yet
endless throng. The chiseled teeth of the tiny monsters snapped furiously.
“Run! Back the other way!” ordered Von Wilding.
They ran as fast as they could in the uneven darkness, but the river of rodents flowed on behind
them with snapping teeth and starving squeals. Here and there one of the rats would falter and the
mass would flow over them like eddies in a torrent. The very air now stank with the fetid odor of
the rats.
A sheer cliff ended their flight. They were trapped with a river of black water rushing far below.
“I always thought I would die in a glorious fight against some magnificent infernal monster, but now we are doomed by lowly rats,” snarled Von Wilding.
Like stars in some infernal night, the eyes of the horde glimmered against their lanterns.
Sai pondered porting, but she couldn’t see anything beyond the rats. She couldn’t go beyond
them and there was nowhere else in sight; she risked porting into stone if she blindly went.
“There is one chance,” said Marie.
“What?” both Sai and Von Wilding asked.
Marie gripped them both and fel backward off the cliff just as the surge of rats charged them.
Cold water slapped them and stole their breath. Sai struggled and could only just make out the
features of the cavern as they were carried along. Being a Riftling, she knew she could see better in
the dark than her two companions, but even she was hard-pressed to gain equilibrium in the
turbulent waters. She was worried for Hatch in her satchel, but daren’t look for him lest he be swept
away. Von Wilding and Marie looked to be nearby, holding onto each other for support as the water
made all of them careen through the narrow abyss.
Then a rock dashed her in the head and all went completely black.
Chapter 12: The Wizard
Sai’s eyes blinked open in delirium. A figure with a horned helm was standing over her. Al she
could see was the dark shape of the man outlined by the glowing orb in his hand and then eternal
blackness behind.
“Greetings, little Riftling. Welcome to my abode,” he said, sounding friendly enough. He
extended a hand and helped Sai up from the cold, lapping waters. “I trust you know these other two
as well.” He gestured to Von Wilding and Marie. “They have already introduced themselves.”
They were pul ing themselves from the dark river. Sai could see bruises on their faces as wel as
lightly bleeding gashes. Her own skull was throbbing, and she guessed that had the same bumps and
bruises. “I am Sai.”
“I can take care of those hurts, though it seems none are too serious,” said the strange man.
“Who are you?” she asked. “Are you the wizard I’ve heard that lives here?”
“Me? No, I’m no wizard, just a healer who became trapped in a gloomy dungeon.”
“This is a dungeon?”
“I think so,” said the man. “I haven’t been able to find a way out.”
“What is your name?” Sai asked.
He pondered a moment and scratched his beard. “I don’t know.”
As she moved and caught the light shining on his face, she realized he wasn’t a man but a
Riftling like herself. He hadn’t been wearing a horned helmet, but they were his own horns
sprouting from his head, although they were far longer than hers and curled like ram’s horns. He
must be very old.
“Are you sure you don’t know your own name?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I have trouble remembering lots of things these days.”
“How long have you been down here?” asked Von Wilding.
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe a few days. But why so many questions, let me get you folks fixed
right up.” He rubbed his hands together rapidly and a blue light sparked into existence and grew to
the size of a grapefruit. It was a bril iant turquoise that sparkled like diamonds. It flew from his
hands and touched Marie first. She was startled and jerked back, but then the worry and fear fled
from her face.
“I feel much better,” she said with a bright smile.
The glowing orb touched Von Wilding and his cuts vanished too. Then it spun about and
examined Sai. She was wary but allowed it to brush up against her forehead; a warm sensation
surrounded her, and al the little aches and pains were gone.
“Thank you. I wish I knew your name.”
“I wish I did too,” he said, with a chuckle.
They moved up and away from the river to a small enclave. There were many furs draped here
and there for comfort, a pile of cooking implements, and a scattered array of books. The old Riftling
The Glauerdoom Moor_ebook Page 9
