ursar's eep - Part 2

"A dragon." Whispered Ako hardly believing what Gieve had said. "How did it get in there, and how does it get out to feed?"
"How do I know?" hissed Gieve angrily. "All I know is that there is a dragon in there and it's sitting on my, I mean our, gold."
"You saw gold?" inquired Grabthroat perking up a bit.
"Yes piles of gold, silver too I think." Replied Gieve smiling at the dwarf.
"Do you have a plan?" asked Trimus.
"I think so. It involves us casting as many spells on ourselves as possible to allow us to get as many attacks in on the dragon before it wakes up. Because once it does we don't stand much of a chance. It's not a big one and it's sleeping at the moment so we have a fairly good chance against it. I also glimpsed piles of broken furniture in the room. We could light that as a last resort to try and dissuade the wyrm from following us. Does any one have any suggestions?"
No one spoke.
"Good. Lets get ready. Who knows when it last fed and it might be feeling peckish."
Gieve drunk a potion of luck, Ako a potion of speed. Trimus cast a mirror image spell on himself while Ako blessed the party. Once all was done they marched swiftly down the corridor and into the dragon's lair. The serpent barely had time to open a scaly eyelid before Grabthroat's first crossbow bolt sealed the other shut. Roaring in pain it was hit by three magic missiles from Gieve and a fourth from Trimus. Ako and Darkhawk closed in and smote the beast mightily while Grabthroat, Trimus and Gieve attacked from a distance with crossbow and spells, four more magic missiles hitting the beast before it had lifted itself into a position to attack. Though near death it still had the strength to rake the cleric with it's dagger like talons and bite him with its gleaming teeth. Ako retired to tend his wounds before Darkhawk buried his sword up to the hilt in the dragons throat. The brave fighter held on while the serpent thrashed around in its death throws striving to thrust the blade deeper and deeper. With a great fetid gasp the dragon sank to the stones and its one good eye rolled up into its head. Darkhawk withdrew his sword and wiped it clean on a soiled tapestry.
Gieve put his arm around the panting fighter and congratulated him.
"It was nothing." Darkhawk replied modestly. "The beast was almost dead anyway. How's Ako?"
"I'm fine replied the cleric. I have managed to heal myself."
Gieve meanwhile had joined Grabthroat in examining the dragon's hoard.
"I only ask one thing." Stated the thief. "As the map was mine I claim first choice of any magic items we find."
Trimus opened his mouth to protest then shrugged, after all there should be plenty for all. The floor was littered with coins, thousands of gold, silver and platinum. Light glinted on the facets of gems, golden jaspers, buttery topazes, dark opals and midnight blue sapphires and one clear shining diamond. They filled sacks and saddlebags with coins, potions, wands, scrolls and staves were more carefully packed in pouches and backpacks. This task was carried out in an awed silence, the only sounds the chinking of coins as the heavy sacks were deposited by the doors.
"It seems a shame to leave so many coins behind." Sighed Grabthroat running his hands through a pile of mainly copper pieces.
"I know" agreed Gieve patting his friend on the shoulder. "But we just would not be able to move them. Our horses are going to be sorely tried with what we have. Anyway the day is young. Who knows what else we may find in the ruins."

The next room they tried was an old guard room. The weapons stacked in a corner had long since rusted together into a single lump of blood red iron. The next room appeared to have been the armoury. Rotting suits of leather armour and corroded sets of chain mail hung on wooden dummies.
The next door along the corridor was locked and even Gieve's skills were no match for the locksmith who had crafted the lock. However the door could not withstand the battering of Darkhawk's feet and within a few moments the friends were standing in a small study. A chair, desk and cupboard were the only furnishings. The cupboard itself held a number of scrolls each detailing the daily business of the castle. Trimus skimmed through a few of these and took a couple that appealed to him. Gieve meanwhile paced out the room.
"What are you doing?" asked Darkhawk.
"It doesn't feel right." Replied the thief stopping in front of the back wall of the room. He placed his head against the wall and sighted along it. Smiling, the thief pressed his fingers against a stone and it sung easily on a central pivot. Inside the wall cavity were a pair of sacks and a pouch. The sacks were eagerly opened and were found to contain an assortment of gold and silver coins. The pouch contained 5 fine garnets. The gems Gieve slipped into his pack while the coins were left by the door for later collection.

The next door was decorated with vine leaves around its border and an open hand which Ako recognised as the symbol of Koryis, patron of Peace and Prosperity. Not surprisingly the door opened into a small chapel. Sadly the orcs had ransacked it, leaving nothing of value in place and nothing of beauty undamaged. Ako spent a few silent moments in front of the despoiled shrine before rejoining the others in the corridor. The next two rooms were beside a short flight of stairs. A large dormitory led into a smaller room, with a single better quality bed frame which Gieve deduced to be the room of the guard captain. A thorough search of both rooms revealed nothing of interest. Returning to the ground floor Gieve tried to open the door into the base of the north eastern tower. Again the fine quality lock withstood the elements and Gieve's lock picks. Trimus placed his hand over the brass lock and muttered a brief incantation. There was a click and the door open as Trimus turned the handle. Like the other towers a corridor had a stair at the north end and two doors in one wall. On the ground floor these contained no more that a few crates of metal bars and sheets, some empty vials and flasks.
The next floor contained a pair of guest rooms. One containing a bed the other a table and chair, the table laid for a meal.

Continuing up the stairs Trimus smiled. "I smell magic." He muttered to no one in particular. The first room was a small study. A desk and chair. The desk had a few fragments of parchment which seemed to detail the activities of a mage. Rubbing his hands eagerly Trimus searched the room but to no effect. His hopes raised however by the fragmentary notes he led the way into the second room and only just ducked in time as a clubbing hand swept over his head. Turning he was in time to see Grabthroat slide to the floor stunned. On either side of the doorway stood a wooden golem, covered in dust and webs but still defending their master's room. Darkhawk and Gieve engaged the creatures and forced them back far enough for Ako to enter the fray as well. With attacks raining in on the constructs from all angles the result was never in doubt although Darkhawk took a nasty blow on the side of the head that caused his left eye to swell.
While Ako delta with the wounded Trimus swept up a large leather bound tome from a stained marble work surface and Gieve opened a chest. He had to retreat choking along with Trimus and the others as a thick choking cloud of gas belched out filling the room. Thinking quickly Ako picked up one of the golem's feet and threw it through the window. The gas drifted out through the broken pane and the air soon cleared enough for the companions to re-enter the wizard's laboratory. The chest contained a few thousand gold pieces and stuffed in a scroll tube a ruby and a piece of topaz. The coins were stuffed into one of the last of Grabthroat's sacks and dragged down the stairs to join the growing pile of wealth they were accumulating.

Only one area remained unexplored, the upper floor of the main keep. Gieve led the way up the wide stair onto a wide landing that looked out over the main hall, where the remains of the dragon lay, cooling amongst a few thousand copper coins, the scattered remnants of its glory. On the landing stood an ottoman. "Strange." Said Gieve as he knelt to open it "There's no dust on this chest."
Before the thief could raise the lid four shadowy figures oozed from the chest and flowed oily towards the party. Trimus rummaged in his pack and withdrew a scroll and chanted the arcane message written upon it. The figures laughed, a thin scratchy sound which grew louder as Ako failed to turn them.
"Don't waste your time Ako!" shouted Gieve, "They're shadows! Don't let them touch you."
Despite Gieve's warnings all moved in to attack the insubstantial figures. Even Grabthroat's mighty axe seemed to do little damage slicing through their bodies like a hand through smoke. By the end of the battle, when the final shadow had been dispelled all bar the dwarf had been weakened by the strength sapping beings. Leaning on his staff Trimus approached the chest and looked inside. A strange assortment of items met his eyes. A black velvet cape, free of moth holes, a scuffed leather bag, an onyx statuette of a lion, a stag skin, a leather flask containing a rich smelling liquid, a staff, a set of dwarven banded mail and matching shield. Exhausted by the day's ordeals they returned to the stalls to feed and water the horses, bringing with them the sacks of treasure they had found.

Night passed. Darkhawk and Grabthroat stayed up late together watching over the others as the moon rose and owls hunted before being relieved by Gieve who kept the party save until dawn.

The following day the companions explored the remainder of the fort. A series of ransacked guest rooms and store rooms were all they found. It was noon by the time they eat a cold lunch of road bread and salt pork washed down with rain water. After they had loaded the horses as best they could and agonised over the wealth they had had to leave behind the party saddled up and rode out of the keep, horses hooves thrumming on the wooden drawbridge. They had barely gone half a mile before a man on a black steed stepped onto the track in front of them along with four rough looking thugs. Ako turned his horse only to see four other toughs emerging from the trees behind them.
"Azaxyr!" exclaimed Trimus recognising the figure before him.
"Ahh. You recognised me. How sweet" sneered the mage. "Now if you don't mind, I'll take those sacks." With a jerk of his head we ordered his men forward to take the treasure.
"Oh no you don't" shouted Trimus and suddenly the leading thug was flung to the ground as his horse bucked, startled by a sharp tug on the reins.
"Not that dammed ring again!" cursed Azaxyr. The mage drew a wand and pointed it at Trimus, Trimus ducked and a blast of power surged over his head and hit Darkhawk who was right behind. The fighter had just changed forms and was preparing to enter the fray. Now his horse was riderless. Ako loosed a throwing hammer and Grabthroat a crossbow bolt. Three of the thugs were now down and the others were looking less than willing to move in to attack despite Azaxyr's promises of wealth.
"Get them you fools!" shouted Azaxyr, his horse prancing around so much that he couldn't line the wand up for another shot. Gieve meanwhile had leapt from his saddle and had grappled another thug to the floor and was swiftly pummelling him into submission. Seeing his allies being soundly beaten, Axaxyr brought his horse under control and ordered his remaining guard to ride off with him. With a parting glare back at Trimus, the frustrated mage galloped off into the hills.
Moments later Darkhawk appeared and looked around for a few seconds, disoriented.
"Where'd they go?" he questioned scanning the track for any sign of Azaxyr.
"They've gone, friend." Replied Gieve. "We'll leave this carrion for whatever comes along after." He added kicking the stunned figure at his feet. "Lets move on, its still a way to Akaros and I fancy a soft bed and a good meal tonight."
"Me too." Replied Darkhawk, "With a few jugs of ale as well."

"Sounds very pleasant."
They all turned at the sound of the voice. Standing in the track beside the unconscious thugs was Rintrah.
"You did very well. Both against the dragon and Azaxyr. Very well indeed. I have been watching you through my crystal ball, just to see how you were getting on and I was most impressed. Now I have a proposition for you. Yes I need your help, strange though it may seem. Meet me in Akarros at the Golden Lute." With that the image vanished.
The companions looked at each other for a few moments before Ako broke the silence.
"Rintrah wants our help? That can only mean trouble."
"Yes, but he has helped us in the past. We should at least listen to what he has to say." Replied Trimus.
"Either way we must get a move on. I don't want to be stuck out here after dark, there may still be orcs around." Urged Gieve. "And once we're moving you can tell me a little more about this Rintrah character."
The journey back to the Golden Lute in Akarros was uneventful. They stashed the treasure amongst the straw in the stables intending to convert it into gems and jewellery the following day to make transporting it easier. Returning to the tap room they sat and waited for Rintrah to appear.

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