Plans

"Suffice to say we're on our own with this one," Malek muttered to the group around the table.

"Well, we could take some guards and throw them at the lich while we attack," Yrmus countered.

"You really have no idea what you're talking about," the Prince spit toward him. "This is a creature that mentally dominated myself, a priestess and a magician within seconds... before we could effectively act.  Besides, I think there's been enough innocent blood shed, and you're comment, even if in jest, is repulsive."

Malek pushed from the table and leaned back.  "Well, what's your plan then?"

"My plan," the Prince said "was to slip closely and slide one of these up its ass."  He fingered one of the two swords given to him. "I'd have done it too by now if Ariya hadn't dealt me a nearly mortal wound."

"Yes, how's that coming? "Yrmus smiled. "Hair growing?  Feeling a strong desire for raw meat, blood, that sort of thing?"

The Prince didn't spare him a look. "If I do, you'll be the first to know, I promise. Back on subject, a party this size will make too much noise... the possibility of a surprise attack is out the window."

"If your friends are under some sort of mental control, then we might have to face them as well as Xis," Malek mused. "What we need to do is break that hold over them.  Together, all of us might be able to take him.  Some casualities, perhaps.  But we might take him."  He studied the Prince. "Do you remember anything about your enslavement to him?"

The Prince sighed and leaned back. "Fragments.  That's all.  Impressions, more like it, like a dream you know you had but can't conjure back up.  It's really rather persuasive, I can tell you that."

"Alright,"Malek continued. "What if we could break that hold over Arbiddance and Qovakrisstia?"

"How?"  the Prince asked.

"I think I might know someone who could do it, but the price would be unusual..."

Miscalculation

The Grinning Prince knew the names of the two who seemed to be in charge of their little expedition... Malek and Yrmus.  The two fighters he simply labeled Thing #1 and Thing #2 since they never spoke but merely lurked in the background... swords at the ready.

At this moment, he, Malek, Yrmus, and the Things along with the captain of the guard, made a wide circle around a hideous yet darkly humorous sight.  Three men, one ancient and two middle-aged, were stuck in the ground near the hill of the entrance... their top halves above ground, their bottom halves seemingly melded into the bedrock under the shallow topsoil.  All three faces wore an expression of shock mixed with deadly realization.

"I wonder if that actually hurt," he finally said.

Malek shot him a look which curtailed any further queries.  The Prince stifled a giggle and motioned for the captain to follow him as he ambled off.

Yrmus watched them leave and then mumbled to Malek, "I hope you have a plan B."

"Of course, I don't have a plan B," Malek hissed. "I never imagined a lich would be involved.  This was supposed to be a simple track down and elimination of a target, and now it's turned into a first rate goat fuck."

"And that's your employer," Yrmus pointed at the white haired old man.

"That's my employer.  I'm not sure if he let anyone else in on the plan.  However, if there's any chance of receiving my pay, then I'll have to go through with the assignment.  Last time I checked, you're pretty much obligated to follow along."

Yrmus sighed and turned to gaze at the back of the Prince some 100 feet away. "Well, he seems bent on going back and finding his friends.  I see no reason not to help them," he turned and smiled to Malek.  "After all, if they became the masters here, why can't we?"

To The Surface

The first sunlight he had seen in over two months blinded him at first... rendering the guards to shapeless masses moving in his blurred vision.  He quickly adjusted and saw the captain of the guard standing before him.

"Where is the Baron?" the captain asked.

"Well, let's say he's not going anywhere at the moment, unless Xis should decide to emerge," the Prince quipped. "Through that door, at any moment."

The guards began to look at each other at the mention of Xis.  The Captain seemed unimpressed. "Are you saying the Baron is incapacitated?"

"No... just out of touch at the moment as far as you're concerned, and since I'm his lieutenant, then listen up.  Some people will be arriving in due time, looking for me and my new friends," he thumbed toward Malek and his party. "You know... the ones who got past your guards? When the visitors arrive, they are to be admitted straight into the manor.  Understand?"

"I need to know..." the captain began.

"You need to obey your orders, lest I inform the Baron you're being horsey with his advisors."

The captain bowed and stepped away.  The Prince took a moment to survey the countryside around him and around to Malek who was whispering to a crow.

Par Avion

Mor-Kilen pondered the message brought to him by crow and sat back.

A lich, he thought. Nevermind Arbiddance... what secrets does the lich hold?  What magic has he in his possession?

The thin wizard rose to gaze out a tower window onto the wind-scraped mountains surrounding him.  To raid a lich's lair is beyond dangerous, but the benefits could be almost worth it... and with the traitor in the lich's grasp, we could kill two birds with one stone.

Mor-Kilen returned to the crow on the perch... recited an incantation which caught the bird's attention and whispered to it.

"Hold fast.  I'm coming."

Alliances

Since I missed last night, I'll throw one in for tonight.  Most of my posts will be from Monday through Friday nights.

"Pray, how exactly did you get past the guards and into this place," the Prince asked his rescuers.  They were seated around a table in the main meeting room under the light of lanterns.  One man was tending to the warrior's wounds while another fed him wine.

"Well, where there's a will there's a way, but never mind that," one man standing replied. "Tell us, what is your name?"

"Hmm.  My name is long gone... most simply call me 'The Prince."" he grinned and grimaced at once.  The man holding the wineskin looked at the man standing. The Prince rubbed his beard. "I have to say I definitely need a shave."  He felt of his hair. "And a trim."  His face grew long. "What day is this?"

The standing man told him, and the Prince stared off into space. "Where has the time gone?"

"Perhaps you should tell us what happened?" Wine man prompted.

The Prince lounged further in his chair. "We, meaning my two friends and I, went back to the second level to search for a former ally who betrayed us at a critical moment.  We had already lost one friend, and vowed to hunt this evil priest down and kill him.  We searched in an area we throught we had cleared... found a secret door... and encountered a lich."

At the word, all backs stiffened.

"Xis," the Prince continued. "Something of a local legend around here, if memory serves.  Anyway, after a short discussion, Xis brought some sort of magic to bear and paralyzed all three of us.  After that, it's blank.  I remember waking up on a platform just six hours ago or so.  I saw one of my friends on another platform but another is missing.  I escaped, found some weapons, and encountered a particularly dangerous northern lass who I thought I killed before," he wiped his brow. "She's a werewolf, by the way, hence this gut wound."

"She bit you?" The standing man asked.

"Um... yes.  So we'll see..."

"What are your friends' names?" Wine man asked.

"Qovakrisstia Darkhair, who is missing, and Arbiddance, who I left on the slab so to speak."

Standing man moved closer. "It's Arbiddance we seek.  He's a member of a magical order who hired me to find him.  You've really been missing for two months or more, and his superiors are worried about him."

"Superiors?" the Prince laughed. "He barely acknowledges equals.  He never said anything about belonging to an order of any type other than perhaps a gentleman's club somewhere."

"Well, he does and it's our job to rescue him.  Can we rely on you to lead us back to him?"

"Listen, that's a lich down there," the Prince snapped. "Try getting his 'superiors' here to deal with that.  I can't fight magic.  On the other hand, if you bring up sufficient force...perhaps I can get close enough to slip one of these in the lich's chest." He reached out and fingered one of his blades on the table.

"But one way or another, I have to get my friends out of there."

No Entry Tonight

It's New Year's Eve, so get your sorry ass off the computer and celebrate.  Don't be pathetic like me.


Have a safe time, don't drink and drive, and we'll see you in 2010 with more adventures in Doomwatch.

A Meeting

I'm hurt, the Prince thought.

Seriously hurt, and I just might die in this pisshole.  Even if I live, that she-bitch bit me.

His mind reeled at the thought of the lycanthropy disease possibly coursing through his veins right now.  He pulled himself up into a sitting position, wincing at the pain in his stomach.  He removed his tunic and tried to make a bandage for his wound.

He sat and listened for a long time.  No sound other than dripping water and scurrying little feet met his ears.

Scurrying little feet.

He became aware that movement was nearby... tiny feet inching their way toward him.  He struggled to stand.

I'm damned if I'll be eaten by rats, he promised himself.

He felt the wall and found the door from which Ariya originally came.  With no choice, he ducked through and closed it.

The darkness in here was just as bad as in the hallway, but a faint gleam appeared somewhere to his left.  He drew one sword and felt his way toward the source.  A hallway... extending off toward some unknown light.  He edged closer and saw it was lichen dimly glowing.

He padded down this hall... saw another branch to the left, and instinct told him to follow it.  It ended without fanfare.

Mmm-hmm, he thought, and began to feel for anything to reveal a hidden door.

Immediately, he found a protrusion of stone, and he pressed it.  A secret door slid open, and the Prince found himself exposed to torchlight.  Warily, he looked around and saw the light coming through a door.  With a start, he realized he was in one of the jail cells in the Hall of Xis.

He edged closer to the door and looked out.  No one was there, but the torches were lit.

He traced his way back to the well and the platform left there so long ago.  Collapsing on it, he decided to rest a bit before trying to pull himself up.

With a start, he realized two things: one, he had dozed off here.  Two, the platform was going up.  He drew his second blade and waited for the light now above him to reveal its secrets.

In minutes, he made out a form... no, two forms, pulling the rope to bring the platform up.  Shapes became faces, and he saw four looking down on him.

As he came to a stop, he smiled. "Good evening, and welcome to Doomwatch."

The four faces looked at each other and drew their weapons.