The Chronicles of Rapina, Chapters 10-17 New Beginnings This Page Includes: Back to the, Pirates, page [Rapina]010 New Beginnings [Rapina]011 Hall of the Dead [Rapina]012 Shadows of the Dead [Rapina]013 Night Terrors [Rapina]014 The Noble Jaws of Death [Rapina]015 Death Battles the Living [Rapina]016 Defeat in Darkness [Rapina]017 A Captain in Chains [See a sketch of Graveston Isle (Dead Man's Isle)] [Rapina]010 New Beginnings As Red Jack scanned the horizon with his spy glass, he liked what he saw. The outlet from the lake flowed into the North side of the River Augustana between high, widely-spaced granite cliffs. The lake itself was quite large, and did not neck down much as it joined the river. This would make it near impossible to blockade, since the entrance to the lake, the lake itself and the river Augustana were both wide and deep in this area owing to the granite cliffs, riverbed and lake bed. The island was situated a good 5 miles away from the east and west shore of the lake, about 8 miles from the Northern lakeshore, and around twelve miles from the entrance to the lake to the South. The isle in the middle of the lake was a pirate's dream. It rose out of the lake like a fortress roughly three miles in diameter. To the South, West, And East the isle faced the water with high cliffs. To the North the cliffs gradually became lower but remained quite defensible. There was a double notch in the cliffs at their lowest point to the North. This proved to be the entrance to a cove just large enough for a few ships. The entrance to the cove was shallow, and the men had to spend quite a while measuring depths before they were able to get the merchant ship into the cove. The longships, with their shallow drafts and narrow beams were an easier matter. As one might have expected, the cove was the lowest part of the isle, and the terrain rose, sometimes gradually, sometimes abruptly as one went farther South. There was a forest growing near the cove in the north central area of the isle. To the south as the terrain rose and became rougher and more rocky, the trees gave way to scrub, and thence to rocky, open terrain punctuated with a few scattered bushes and trees. The longships were anchored in the cove and rowboats with supplies were launched. Captain Red Jack's pirates busied themselves with setting up a new camp. They were quite efficient for a bunch of pirates. By early evening, the temporary camp was mostly set up. Tents and lean-tos would provide shelter until the the pirates obtained lumber for more permanent structures. The captain and his officers marched through the camp discussing layout of guard posts, traps, and other defensive strategies. Most of the recruits were too busy unloading supplies or pitching tents to take notice. "First thing I'll be needin' is a map of th' area. Think ya can handle it Roger?" Jack asked. "Yes captain. Ill get right on it." Roger turned with scarcely a nod and headed off into the camp. He had been teaching Kent mapmaking before they had packed up camp to move here. One of his trainees was carrying a large coil of rope. The first mate walked up to the boy and clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder. "William! I need you, Kent, and Rolf to meet me back here in five minutes." That said, Roger headed off to get his mapmaking equipment. "But, sir...I don't know where Kent and Rolf are... " The slightly confused recruit stammered. "Well then you had better find them...and quick!" Roger shouted over his shoulder. Minutes later, three to be exact, the three recruits were assembled and awaiting Rogers arrival. Roger smiled as he watched them through his tent flap. They were all coming along nicely, especially Kent. Kent had a sharp mind and that was a rare commodity among pirates. Satisfied that they were nervous enough, Roger walked out to brief them on their next duty. The first mate handed out the necessary equipment and led the recruits towards the outskirts of the camp. "It'll be gettin dark soon so were goin ta have to hurry." Drake watched as they walked off. He was worried about Kent. Lately he seemed to be more distant from Drake. He was troubled, but had no idea of what to do. "Ya ready on your end Doanthalas?" Drake asked as he got a better grip on the handle of the chest. The tattooed elf just nodded. "Okay. On three then. One. Two. Three." They both grunted as their muscles strained to lift the chest full of weapons off the ground. This was one of the last weapons runs that needed to be made. Soon everything would be unloaded and ready for sorting and storage until needed. Drake glanced down at Doanthalas belt. He wasn't carrying any weapons. That wasn't surprising. The pirates were still deathly afraid of the elf. Its amazing what a few rumors will do to superstitious people. The young pirate recruit smiled; he had believed the rumors himself. At least until he had gotten to know the savage-elf better. Drake found it amusing that the so-called savage was more well- mannered than any of the civilized pirates. Still Drake didn't know the elf very well either. Doanthalas had yet to say more than ten words to him. He had a lot to tell, though. Drake could tell. The look in his eyes alone was testament to that fact. He shrugged. Doanthalas would talk when he was ready to. Sunset came and the pirate camp was still alive with activity. Jack would be very upset if the camp was not in working order by morning. The pirates hurried about their tasks, as none of them wanted to be the focus of Red Jack's anger. The captain looked around the large tent at the assembled faces: Roger, Sak, Logan, Leech Kennon, Hock, Arzeal, and Brackston. All of the officers were accounted for. Jack looked at everyone for a moment before beginning. "From what I can see we've got ourselves a good spot here. Its a good defensible position. What we need now is a good defensive plan. I have Roger working on a map of the area for us. How goes the mapmaking?" "Good sir. We've staked out four good reference points. Tomorrow we will be able to get some measurements and by afternoon we will have an accurate working map of the area. For now we have this rough sketch of the area." The first mate stood up and approached the captain. He held out a rolled up piece of parchment to the captain. Red Jack took the parchment and unrolled it. He perused it and the look on his face told the others that he was pleased. "This is a fine sketch Roger. The best I've seen you do so far." "Thank you captain, but I didn't draw that map. Kent did. He has an amazing eye for detail. I'm guessing that the finished map with accurate measurements won't be too different from that map in your hands." "Really? That's what I like to hear, but Roger..." "Yes captain?" "Lets schedule some extra weapons training for that lad. Shall we?" Everyone in the room snickered. "Gods know he needs it!" More laughter filled the room. Roger just nodded and sat down. "Everyone gather around and look at this map. You especially, Logan." The captain unrolled the map and set it on the ground. He weighted down the four corners with rocks and looked up at Logan. "Alright. How do ya want to lay this camp out Logan? You're the one who's got ta run it while I'm out plunderin" Logan looked at the map for a long time. He pointed to eight different points on the map. "Guard posts should be set up here. We should stick with three guard changes per night. It keeps the guards fresh and alert and it worked out well for us at the last camp. And during the..." "Speakin of guards and such...why don't we use the elf as much as possible for night watch...after all he can see in the dark..." "That's a good idea, but do you think we can trust him? I don't think the men would sleep very well with him on watch," Logan said. "I agree," Brackston said. "Yew know they're all afraid of I'm. He's like some sort of demon. We should lock 'im back up or kill em. Either's fine by me." "You'd like that. Wouldn't you Brackston?" Arzeal asked. "What are you afraid of? If he had wanted you dead he would have killed you by now." "Why you sonuva mother..." "Okay! Knock it off you two! The captain interrupted. "I know he's dangerous and I know the men fear him, but don't worry. It'll do the men some good to be constantly on their toes. Besides Rapina seems to trust him and from what I've seen she's a good judge of character." "Drake seems to have developed a bond with the elf as well. It's the strangest thing. They're together a lot, but I've yet to see them speak to each other. They usually just sit there or go about their duties in silence. I don't get it." "Maybe he likes tha boys too. Hmmm?" Brackston conjectured. "In yer dreams Brackston. You'd love a good piece of elf meat like that wouldn't ya? Heh." The room erupted in raucous laughter. "I'm still not convinced. You all saw what he did to...to..." Sak didn't have to finish. They all knew what he was referring to. "Who's to say that he won't rip my face off next? And what's to keep him from escaping?" "Those are two very good points Sak. Rest assured that I have already addressed them both. First, I have made it known that no one is to arm the elf under penalty of having their balls cut off! Second, I have assigned two crewmen to watch him all day and night. Two other crewmen relieve them once daily. I guarantee you if he tries anything we'll know it." Those recruits who missed training because of being wounded during the raid were given a chance to make up on lost practice time. Doanthalas was given the opportunity to hone his fighting skills as well. The recruits performed as well as any green sailor could be expected to. They were slightly better than lousy. Doanthalas, on the other hand, handled his weapons with considerably more skill. The practice sword rested easily in his hand and he seemed to breeze through the practice session. His archery skills were excellent as well. More arrows found their mark than not. Hock and Arzeal were impressed. After arms practice it was time to eat. The sylvan-elf got his plate of food from the mess hall and walked outside to eat. Most of the other recruits chose to eat outside as well, but moved away when Doanthalas walked by. The elf paid them no mind and sat down under a tree by himself. Drake noticed the elf and went over to sit down next to him. "Hey there Doanthalas. Mind if I join you?" Drake heard only silence. "I'll take that as a sure, sit down and enjoy yourself, okay?" The young recruit sat down and noticed Kent walking past. "Hey Kent! Why don't you join us?" Kent barely glanced in Drake's direction as he walked by. He found William and Rolf and sat down to eat with them. "What's his problem? I thought we were friends," Drake said. He's been acting this way ever since we picked up to move here. I don't get it." Drake looked in Doanthalas direction and shrugged. The tattooed elf just looked at Drake with his emerald eyes for a moment. He shrugged as well and then went back to eating. "Hi Drake, Hi Doanthalis," Rapina walked up with her dinner and found a spot to eat next to the boys. "The good news is, we are not trapped on a moving boat twenty-four hours a day, the bad news is Captain Red Jack wants the camp done yesterday. I see you two got put on unloading stuff from the merchant ship duty. I've been helping the leech set up a temporary infirmary. Pretty soon we'll all be turned into amateur carpenters, I think." Evening arrived and the recruits made their way to their tents for a much-deserved sleep. The guards were changed and all unnecessary fires were doused. A solitary figure made its way towards a copse of trees. A few of the straggling pirates noticed it was the elf. Doanthalas never slept with the other pirates. He always spent the night outside. The pirates wondered if the sylvan elf even slept at all. Whatever his reason for not sleeping in the same tent as the others the pirates didn't care. They felt much safer with him somewhere else. The tattooed elf surveyed the new copse of trees he had chosen for the site of this evenings reverie. It would do. The trees would provide minimal protection from the elements as well as a convenient escape route if trouble arose. Doanthalas turned his emerald eyes to the sky and breathed deeply. It had been many years since he had smelled air so sweet. The stars seemed to twinkle to some silent melody. For a moment, his heart soared. For a moment, he almost forgot. The elf contemplated not entering the reverie at all this evening. Without the reverie he would forget. All the horrors and torments would be forgotten. Gone. And his spirit would be at peace once again. Unfortunately, there was a price. Not only would he forget everything bad, but he would also forget everything good. His family, friends, loved ones, and every moment of happiness he had ever lived would be gone. They would fade away like a forgotten dream. He shook his head. It was time to enter the reverie. Doanthalas sat cross-legged on the ground and assumed a meditative pose. His chest rose and fell with every breath he took. It wasn't long before the present faded and the past came flooding back. Doanthalas looked peaceful and serene sitting there on the ground. His hair waved as the wind blew through it. He wasn't sleeping nor was he awake; he was somewhere else entirely. About twenty minutes after he entered the reverie the sylvan-elfs body began to shake. A casual looker would have thought he was just cold. Considering how lightly dressed he was it would not have been a surprise. Nevertheless, he was not cold. In fact, he was sweating. As time passed, his body shook more and more violently. He seemed to be having some sort of fit. Suddenly his eyes opened and his arms shot out to his sides. He looked about wildly a look of utter fear on his face. Although Doanthalas was looking from side to side his eyes didn't seem to be focusing on anything. In an instant he was on his feet and backpedaling away from the camp. A root caught his heel and sent him crashing to the ground. He struggled to get back up, but could only manage to crawl backwards. When his back hit the tree he stopped backpedaling. The elf curled up into the fetal position and screamed,"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Tremors seized his body as the elf began to sob. For almost an hour he just lay there shaking and sobbing. He didn't utter a single word the rest of the night. "What's 'ee doin' now Skitch?" Guts asked. "Jus' sittin there shakin.'" Skitch whispered. "Is that all? I might as well sit down and get some rest." "Don't fall asleep. 'Captain wants the elf watched 24 hours." "Yeah, yeah," Guts sat down and yawned. Just watching Skitch walk around was enough to keep him up, at least for a while. When morning came Doanthalis just stood up, dusted himself off, and reported for his duties. Doanthalas breezed through the morning's weapons training session. He had used all of them before. Experienced as he was with the weapons he was by no means a master. For that reason he applied himself fully to the practice. In the afternoon he had a more difficult time. The pirates explained and demonstrated the basic workings of a ship. It looked easy enough to Doanthalas, but the actual doing was very difficult. The sylvan elf had never been on a ship before much less tried to sail one. He had never had a reason to leave the land. On land Doanthalas was as agile as a cat. At sea he was more like a fish out of water. He almost tipped the rowboat twice and the swaying of the ship made him sick. The men would have laughed if they hadn't feared for their lives. At dinnertime the tattooed elf hobbled to the mess tent with the rest of the recruits. The sun was setting in the distance and clouds were forming on the horizon. Meanwhile the captain was meeting with his officers once again. "I'm sure that ye all know tha reason I called ye here," Jack said. He paused as his eyes scanned the room. "I've been hearing some things about tha elf Doanthalas. Rumors is rumors and they don't concern me. What does concern me is any truth behind those rumors." The Captain took another dramatic pause as he paced up to Armsmaster Hock. "So tell me tha truth. Is what I'm hearin true? Hock? Arzeal?" "I take it yer referrin ta his fightin skills..." Hock paused to see if the captain would answer him. The captain didn't so the armsmaster continued, "He handles the weapons with a skill far superior ta that of our best recruits. If'n I had ta guess I'd say he was some sort of soldier or mercenary." "I agree," Arzeal said. "He knows his way around bows. That's for sure. He picked the best one out of the bunch without any help from me or anyone for that matter. And his aim was too accurate for anyone but a soldier...or a mercenary." "So yer sayin that he's good with weapons eh? Which ones?" The captain asked. "Far as I can tell, captain, he's good with all of em," Hock said. "ALL of em?" The captain asked. "Yes sir. All that we have anyway," Hock replied. "Well I guess its good that we haven't allowed him any weapons so far. Eh boys? Else he might have skewered us all. Heh." "Well although he IS proficient in all the weapons we have...he ISN'T the best at using them. Don't get me wrong...he IS good. But he still has a lot to learn. I just thought it interesting that he would be so good in so many different weapons." Hock said. "Elves do live for hundreds of years so it doesn't surprise me that much, but what does surprise me is that an elf as young as he is would be that proficient in them." Arzeal said. "What do ya mean Arzeal?" Jack asked. The half elf paused to consider his words for a moment, "Most elves spend their youth enjoying life and learning about things like music and history. They don't usually begin training elvish children in warfare until they're two hundred to three hundred years old. Doanthalas doesn't look a day over one hundred and fifty. He's practically a child..." "A child?!?!?!?" The half-elf laughed. "Well a child by elvish standards is more like an adult by our standards..well your standards. Still....since they outlive humans by generations they have more time to devote to learning the skills they need to survive," Arzeal said. "Why do they wait so long to learn how to fight? You'd think they'd need it at an earlier age," Hock asked. "The adult elves protect the younger elves when threatened. Besides elves don't like to fight. They find it barbaric and distasteful." "Well that wild elf out there sure had me fooled! Ya'd think he was born to fight! Distasteful my arse! Ha!" Brackston said. "There are always exceptions, but...I don't think Doanthalas is an exception. I think he fights because he has to, not because he wants to," Arzeal said. "what makes you say that Arzeal?" the captain asked. "I'm not sure. It's mostly a gut feeling, but he doesn't have the look of a cold blooded killer in his eyes. He has more of the look of a lost soul...besides he had the perfect chance to kill me and Rapina back when we recaptured him." Brackston frowned and grumbled to himself at Arzeals words. "But he didn't kill you...or Rapina for that matter. Drake seems to think the world of him." Logan smiled, shook his head and laughed. "What's so funny, Logan?" Captain Red Jack asked. "Just some of the stories Drake has been telling me about the elf's sailing skills...or should I say LACK of sailing skills?" Logan said. Roger, the normally stoic first mate couldn't help but smirk. "It's true captain. He may be a natural when it comes to fightin,' but I've never seen a more clumsy sailor." "He hasn't got his sea legs yet?" Red Jack asked. "More like he's gotten his sea legs amputated!" Roger laughed. Laughter filled the tent at Roger's joke. A few stories of Doanthalas' misadventures on the water followed. "That's all well and good, but the fact remains that the men fear 'im. I don't blame them. He gives me the willies. And those tattoos of his...he looks like a demon he does. I'll betcha that none of them sailors laughs at I'm when he's bumblin around the boat. Do they?" "No. They don't." Roger replied. "Well if the men don't trust him then how can we?" Sak asked. "That's a very good question Sak. I'm hoping that they'll come around sooner or later," the captain said. "And if they don't?" Sak asked. "We'll deal with that when and if it happens," Captain Red Jack replied. "Besides Drake's already taken a liking to him," Logan said. "And so has Rapina...and...and I think he's ok," Arzeal said. "We'll see. Three pirates out of a camp of almost a hunnerd ain't even a drop in tha bucket!" Sak said. --- ------ That evening a few of the pirates were drinking as usual. Only this time they were discussing the elf. Pike was part of the group as was Fishy, Milo, Grulka, and Targ. Targ was a beefy pirate with a prominent brow and no noticeable neck. He was having trouble speaking after his seventh mug of ale. "Now that alf e fights like the devil e does. I'd hate ta be facin I'm in battle." "I agree," said Grulka, a lanky pirate with a pinched face. "He'd tear me limb from limb he would." "Ha. Yer a buncha scaredy cats! Afraid of a little elf," Fishy scoffed. "Sure the elf's a tough one, but he's not invincible," Pike said. "I'm sure a good number of the pirates here could beat him in a fair fight." "Ha! Ya wish!" Grulka said. "Okay. Goin find one then," Targ argued. "Ya won't! Thar all scared of I'm." "I'm not," Pike said. "Oh. Big talk from that big man. Why don't you go fight I'm then?" Tark asked. "Because I have no quarrel with him," Pike said. "Or is it cuz yer scared?" Gulka asked. The large Norseman stood to his full height and glared down at Grulka. "What did you say?" He growled. "Easy Pike. He didn't mean it. It's the ale talkin," Fishy said. "If'n yer not scared of the alf then...how's about we make a little wager?" Tark asked. "Now yer talkin,' What's the bet?" Fishy asked. Bets were made and when everyone was in agreement they headed off to find the elf. Grulka pulled Fishy aside when they started walking. "What got Pike so steamed before?" Grulka asked. The lame cook flashed a toothy grin. "Ya insulted him when ya suggested he were scared. An that's somethin ya don't do to a Norseman. Insult their honor and their pride and they'll rip yer legs off. Ha!" Fishey said. The four inebriated pirates walked around the camp until they found Doanthalas. He was sitting on a rock watching the water. Drake and Rapina were there with him. None of them were talking. They just seemed to be silently enjoying the evening air. Pike stepped forward and issued his challenge. "Elf! I challenge you to a fight. I've been hearing stories about how tough you are. Talk is nothing so I'm here to find out for myself. What say you?" Pike asked. The elf turned and walked over to Pike. He looked from face to face before finally resting his eyes upon Pike. He removed his shirt, nodded his head, and adopted a fighting stance. The pirates cheered since they were going to get a fight. Drake looked worried and shot Rapina a glance that told her so. Pike removed his shirt and adopted a fighting stance of his own. It looked like the fight wouldn't last very long. The Norseman towered about three heads above the tattooed elf. And although Doanthalas was big for an elf he was dwarfed by Pike. The fight was clean and lasted longer than anybody would have guessed. Although Pike was easily able to swat the sylvan elf away with his longer reach and stronger arms Doanthalas did not give up. Every time he got knocked down he would get right back up and go at Pike. Doanthalas was able to land his fair share of blows, but it was obvious that he was not going to win. Pike was just too powerful and experienced for Doanthalas. The sylvan elf could barely stand by the time Pike called the fight. Doanthalas had just hobbled to his feet and was shuffling back towards Pike when the oarsmaster held up his hand and said, "Draw!" The assembled pirates looked at him in disbelief. Why had he done that? Clearly he would have won and collected his share of the betting money. They didn't know what to do. The oarsmaster put his arm around Doanthalas for support and guided him towards the center of camp. "I have to hand it to you elf. You're a tough one. Not too smart...but tough. Most men would have given up long before you did and for good reason too. You've got guts. I respect that. My name's Pike. What's yours?" Doanthalas turned his tattooed face towards Pike but didn't say anything. He just stared at him with his emerald eyes. After a moment, apparently satisfied that Pike was someone he could trust, the elf replied, "Doanthalas." At first Rapina had been nervous about Pike's challenge, but now her faith in the Norseman was renewed. He had tested Doanthalas' mettle and liked what he saw enough to embrace Doanthalas as a comrade. Pike was a strong and popular junior officer, well- liked by the men. Rapina hoped that the new friendship Pike seemed to be striking up would spread to the Norseman's comrades. It was a few hours before dawn and Skitch was busy chinning himself on a tree limb keeping awake while on elf-watching detail. Guts sat against a tree trunk snoring softly. Skitch contemplated waking Guts up for the fifth time when he realized that Doanthalas was no longer where he had been. "Damn, where'd he go, I just looked at him a few minutes ago. " Skitch kicked Guts. "Wake up, stupid, the elf was just over there quakin' a few minutes ago, and now 'ee's gone." "The large, dim pirate awakened. "Ouch, what'cha kickin' me for?" "Yer sleepin' on the job again, lout. We got ta find the elf quick, an' I have no idea which way he went. You know how quiet 'e is when he moves through the trees. Damn it, we'll have ta get Brackston, an' 'e ain't going to like it." Skitch ran off full tilt and returned with Brackston and Thumper a few minutes later. Thumper tracked the elf to the Southeast. "Damn demon elf! Look at this, Blade and Cudge were here on watch. Look at all the damn blood," Brackston said. "Track 'Im thumper, track 'I'm." Thumper sidled away from the area, whining and whimpering. "What the hell's wrong with yew, dog? That elf cast a hex on yew? Brackston asked. "Damn it, yer not sneezin' so it ain't them herbs 'e used on yew at the other camp. What in hell happened ta my fearless fuckin' dog!? Well come on, it's a cinch he didn't go back in the direction of camp. Let's head South." About five minutes later Skitch pointed out the elf's tattoos in the moonlight, and the group ran up to him. Doanthalis was bent over something. Skitch heard Brackston's infamous neck shackle lock over the elf's neck. "Demon elf! I got yew, caught yew red-handed! We'll see what the captain says about yew now." Brackston said. Skitch caught hold of Guts. "Hold on, take a look at this..." Logan let the matter rest until morning, but first thing, the Captain conferred with Brackston, Skitch and Guts. "'e murdered 'em, I tell yew, 'e's a demon!" Brackston practically hollered. "Hold yer horses, Brackston, tell me the whole story from the beginnin'" Captain Red Jack snapped. "Skitch came an' got me ta track the elf. He slipped 'em a few hours 'fore dawn. We tracked 'I'm ta the Southeast guard watch post an' there was blood everywhere, yew should'a seen it!" "Thumper was actin' real funny and wouldn't track th' elf anymore, so we went South an' found 'Im areselves. There 'e was bendin' over th' corpse. I tell yew, I caught 'im red handed." "Skitch, is that how it went?" Skitch nodded. "Yeah, Brackston's got the story right, but I don't like 'is conclusions. 'ee wasn't outa my sight long. I just did some chin-ups ta keep awake. Guts was watchin' me 'stead of the elf. Then I realized the elf wasn't there so I ran an' got Brackston. The rest is like 'e said, but I seen the body. I got no idea whether it was Blade or Cudge, 'cause there ain't a lot o' meat left on th' carcass, understand?" "If that elf killed 'I'm 'e set a new record fer eatin' raw meat. I checked 'is belly when we got back ta camp. I'm tellin' ya, if that elf ate most of a 200 pound pirate, 'ed have ta 'ave a belly out ta here, but that weren't the case. I'd say it'd be worth askin' the elf what happened. Me an' Guts looked for th' other corpse, but we couldn't find it nowhere. I'm hopin' now that it's gettin' light, we can figure out where it's gotten to." "It's magic, I tell yew, the elf just withered the corpse away after guttin' it, an 'e cast a spell so's my dog turned as yellah as 'is coat." "Get me Rapina, and I'll see what the elf has ta say for 'imself soon enough." "Mean time, Skitch, take a few men an' see if ye can find the other corpse, but first, show me the one ye got." A little while later the captain came to the tree Brackston had chained Doanthalas to not far from the Barracks tent. Rapina arrived from the infirmary tent at about the same time. The camp was already abuzz with rumors of how the demonic elf had chewed the meat off from Cudge's bones. "Brackston has it that ye killed an' ate two o' me men early this mornin.' Skitch wasn't so sure ye did it. Ye don't look like yer stuffed wif 400 pounds 'o pirate. I'd like ta hear yer side o' th' story startin' when ye left yer sleepin' spot. Doanthalas was sitting on the ground holding the chain in his hands. He was staring at it with a resigned look. "It seems I shall be bound for life. The path I walk is forever soaked with blood." The sylvan elf paused and then looked up at the captain. "I...awoke...from the reverie to the sounds of the wolf pack feasting. I thought the pack had made a kill to the unereif...south...east. To chase away the clouds I followed the feast music. The scent of life lost caressed the air. There was no wolf pack...only the shadows of men. My presence was known for the shadow men were removing the life husks when I arrived. They dropped one as they faded to the...south...east. Their spirits were tired... or... sleeping... their bodies were cold like shadows. My eyes could barely glimpse them." "Well ya sure do speak funny, but I think I understand ya. No offense ta yer combat abilities, Doanthalas, but I'm inclined ta believe ye. Those were good men. I'm hopin' even someone like you could not have killed 'em without sa much as a scream out 'o 'em. As fer the men ye saw, I can't make heads ner tails o' it. I suppose they could 'ave been wearin' heavy coats ta foil yer vision, but in this weather, it don't make sense." "Any ideas Rapina? Is their magics fer such?" "I've read about illusions and things that can fool vision. I've also read about elementals, golems and creations of necromancy that would not have body heat. Any of those could be basically human-shaped." "Aye, likely it's nothin' more'n island men wearin' coats. Just the same, get me Pike, Donal, Backster, Drake, an' Kent. Brackston, unchain the elf. I have ta agree with Skitch. If Doanthalas had the kind 'o magic ye're conjecturin' 'ed of got out o' that old cage at th' other camp in short order and ate us all. I'm thinkin some 'o the island's natives just gave us a good pirate's welcome." Brackston glowered but did as he was told. A few minutes later Rapina had fetched the various people the captain wanted. "All right. I want ye ta arm up, an' head South an East. Backster, you an' the elf see if ye can track whoever done the deed. See if ye can find their camp 'an see how many there are. Don't engage 'em unless yer pretty sure o' the odds." "Pike, yer in charge. Rapina, yer along 'cause ye've read most anything I own concernin' th' supernatural, an' I'm too busy ta go meself. Kent, yer ta map the trip as best ye can as yer goin'. The rest o' ye are soldierin' so look alive. Get yer gear an' meet over at the mess tent. Fishy an' Piggy'll fix ye up with provisions 'an I'll have some climbin' gear left for ye. Be snappy about it. I'd prefer ta see ye back here before night fall." Rapina got her Rapier, main gauche, knife, bow and quiver and met the others back at the mess tent. Doanthalas checked his gear as he led the group to the spot where he had found the first body. Although the body had been removed there was still plenty of dried blood on the ground. The sylvan elf examined the area while the group stood back. Whatever or whomever was responsible for the death of Blade and Cudge hadn't been too worried about hiding their presence. There were footprints all over the place. Some had been obliterated by the pirates when they came to investigate and collect the body. But Doanthalas had no trouble picking up the trail that would lead them to the murderers. The footprints headed off to the Southeast. "The men of shadow returned to the darkness this way." Doanthalas said as he pointed towards the cliffs to the Southeast. Those in the group who were not used to hearing Doanthalas speak. After hearing the strange manner in which he spoke, they looked at each other curiously. They followed the elf through the forest even if they had not understood his speech. The murderers had left plenty of evidence of their passing. Deep footprints, dried blood, broken twigs and branches, and shreds of old dry-rotted cloth led the elf and the party through the forest and on to some low cliffs and more rocky terrain. It was harder to track the "men of shadow" through the cliffs and rocky areas. Doanthalas was hard pressed to find any sort of evidence. Luckily he spotted a few scuff marks on the rocks and some drops of dried blood. Eventually the vegetation all but disappeared, as did the trail. It was far too rocky to make heads or tails of any kind of evidence. Doanthalas stopped and scanned the area for possible escape routes. He spotted some higher cliffs and headed for them. "Their shadows have faded in the light. We must climb those cliffs to see with the clarity of the hawk. Then we may be able to find our quarry." Drake pulled Rapina up a seven-foot cliff onto higher terrain and the others followed. Oarmaster Pike pointed, "what do ye make o' that?" Rapina walked up a steep hill to where Pike was standing, there in front of them was a large, flat, rocky field nearly devoid of trees. Oval piles of stone littered the field to the East up until it ended at the base of cliffs to the East and South. To the North the terrain sunk. "Burial mounds?" Rapina asked. "Only one way to find out." Pike walked North and found an older, smaller pile of rocks and began tossing the ones on top aside. Donal and Drake Joined in. "Yer right, looks like it was a kid. The bones are mostly crushed and plenty old, looks like. I guess we just found ourselves a graveyard on th' isle of the dead." Pike shifted the large double-edged battle axe slug over his back, and pursed his lips. "There's a trail here through the mounds leadin' North and South, I think." The group went Northeast and found that the trail descended into a box canyon at the Northeast edge of the isle. The trail had obviously been modified by ancient chisels and was in some cases cut into the side of the canyon. At the bottom was a pool of water with some sort of sunken funeral boat in it. A natural archway led from the canyon out through a short cave to the lake. The opening was hidden from those viewing the isle from the waters Northeast of it by a spur of rock. "A side door ta the isle," Pike said. "This'll be handy ta know about. If they left from here, we'll not be tracking 'em. Hey look," Pike pointed to some ancient characters carved into the canyon wall to be visible from boats sitting in the water. "Any ideas." "They're runes. This one means death, and this sanctuary. Hmmm, maybe something like sanctuary of the dead? These others are more obscure, some sort of warning maybe, and this one means respect. That one is the sun or day. I think that it is warning us to respect the sanctuary of the dead and to drop off our dead only by day. How creepy." "It's been my experience that dead men're less trouble than the living, and my guess is whoever carved those letters was just trying ta cow any would-be grave robbers," Pike said. "There could be some serious booty up in those mounds. Sometimes they bury people with their gold rings and such on 'em," Backster said. "Let's go have another look at the graveyard and see if this warning did the trick 'r not," Pike said. After the group climbed their way back up to the field of stones, Pike led the way South. "These mounds closest to the canyon are a little smaller and flatter. I'd say they're older. Let's see if we can find something newer." The search led to the Southern edge of the field. "Give me a hand here. None of these looks real fresh, but they're taller and newer than the ones to the North," Pike said. Rapina helped the others move the stones. "Hehheheh, it don't look like that warnin' was very successful. All we got here is a few scraps o' old linen. There ain't even a body." "But what kind of grave robber takes the valuables and the bones?" Rapina asked. "Likely they ditched the bones in one of these other mounds," Backster replied. The tattooed elf was staring at the ground intently. He kept looking from the ground to an outcropping of rock a short distance away. "I sense the caress of the shadow here." Doanthalas stood up and walked over to the rock outcropping. He discovered that the outcropping hid a cave entrance. The elf beckoned the others closer and pointed at the runes chiseled into the rock. Pike and the others came to look. "More letters, Rapina." "Hall of the Dead," Rapina said matter of factly. "It must be a cave that's been turned into a mausoleum. Let me take a look at these smaller runes just above the entrance." --- [Rapina]011 Hall of the Dead Backster opened an ancient bamboo gate that fit into the entrance and stepped in. "Hold on, you're supposed to intone some sort of prayer before entering, at least that's what I think it says here," Rapina said. From inside the cavern Backster's voice echoed, "Oh sure, gods grant me a heavenly hoard 'o booty. Damn it's dark in here." Rapina sighed. "That's no kind of prayer. Besides, you're supposed to do it before you open the gate, silly." Rapina fished the crystal pendant out from beneath her tunic. She took the little black leather sack off the lighted crystal and put it in her belt pouch. She wore the crystal light outside her shirt to provide light for her party. "Gold!" Backster shouted. "Hold up Backster, yer gettin' too far ahead of us." Pike unslung his axe and went into the tunnel with Donal next to him. Rapina followed, her light allowing them to see. "AAAAAiiiiiih!" Backster screamed. Just inside, the cavern was like a narrow hall that slanted downwards. After about twenty feet the corridor widened and leveled off. Carved into the sides of the level main tunnel were tiers of Coffin-sized dead-end tunnels. There were three tunnels to a column, one near the floor, one about waist-level and one above the level of most men's heads. Each tunnel held a corpse. Column after column of coffin tunnels lined the walls. Currently Backster flew backwards out of one of the waist-high tunnel entrances about fifteen feet down the wide hall and on the East side. He held his face as blood gushed from his eye sockets. A golden ring clattered to the floor as he pulled out of the side- tunnel. ---------------[click to see a rough sketch of this room] [you can only see the top side tunnels in this view from above, but there are two more side tunnels below each one pictured. All of the skeletons are on the map though. If it looks like there are 2 or 3 in a side tunnel, there is really only one in a tunnel but there are 3 tunnels in a column.] --------------- A boney hand dripping blood emerged from the tunnel after Backster. A skull followed, then a bony hand holding a dagger. The unholy skeletons of the dead awakened from their slumber and began to boil out of their resting-places. They were armed with ancient blades, or wooden cudgels. The only sound they made was the ticking of their boney feet on the stone floor. For an instant, Rapina froze in horror. In some rational corner of her mind, she idly wished she had brought her big Roman shield. In front of Rapina, Pike sprinted forward to try to rescue Backster. The Norseman dodged the bony hands of the emerging skeletons and got to Backster just as the first of the emerging skeletons stood and lifted their weapons. Pike cleaved the skull and rib cage of the dagger-wielding skeleton about to spit Backster, then tossed the pirate over his shoulder like a screaming sack of potatoes. It was then that the Norseman realized that numerous skeletons had sealed off his retreat back to the party. The skeletons had him trapped. Red rage swam before the Norseman's eyes as he yelled a blood-curdling battle cry. In a single blow he shattered the skull and rib cage of the skeleton coming out of the side tunnel at the level of his head and danced to avoid the grasp of the one emerging at his feet. Thankfully, he had already dispatched the one from the waist level tunnel on his side of the room, but the skeletons from the other side were quickly emerging. Pike's battle-cry snapped Rapina out of her dumbfounded state. She flattened herself against the wall allowing Drake, Donal and Doanthalas to get by her. At the same time she drew her rapier and main gauche. From the corner of her eye she saw Kent pushing on a slab of stone that had slid from the ceiling near the entrance to block their escape. Donal rushed to within striking distance of the first tier of side tunnels. As a skeleton emerged from the top tier, Donal relieved it of its head with his broad sword. To Donal's horror, the headless skeleton jumped to the ground and swung its oaken cudgel at him, nearly braining the pirate before he ducked -just in time. The pirate brought his sword up chopping through several ribs and sundering the spine of the skeleton. Another skeleton from one tier lower came out of its side tunnel and stood as the one from the tier near the floor grabbed Donal's boot. In addition, the skeleton that Donal had been fighting, now lacking a pelvis and legs, swung its cudgel at the pirate's knees from its position on the floor. Donal parried the cudgel by slicing off both of the skeleton's hands with a single stroke of his broadsword. Simultaneously, he blocked the blow of the ancient dagger of the second skeleton with his buckler. The skeleton near the floor pulled itself out of its side tunnel and bit into Donal's boot. The pirate yelled obscenities as he dropped his sword and grabbed the cudgel of the first skeleton. Rapina realized the ever-valiant Drake was charging forward to try to save Pike. She steeled herself and slipped to the right. She used her main gauche to parry the sword of the skeleton that tried to skewer her, and severed its spine just below the rib cage with a swipe of her rapier. As it's upper half fell, Rapina jumped; pretending she was stamping on Trevor's instep, she managed to largely shatter the monster's rib cage. Although she was paying little attention to it, Rapina saw Donal's fight and realized that swords were not the best weapons against these creatures. With cudgel in hand, Donal shattered the upper ribs of his second skeleton while trying to stamp on the neck of the third that was now biting into his foot. Unfortunately, his stomping was unsuccessful and the third skeleton pulled his legs as he tried to trample it. "Aaaagh!" The pirate toppled over. Doanthalas slid the bastard sword from the scabbard he wore on his back. The sword had an extra long handle so that it could be wielded with one or two hands. He opted for a two handed grip as he moved to help Donal. The skeletons raised their weapons as Donal tried desperately to escape. The skeleton that had brought Donal down released its grip only to sink its teeth deep into Donal's leg. The young pirate screamed in pain and tried to kick the skeleton away. He was unsuccessful. Donal closed his eyes in anticipation of the killing blow that was sure to come at any moment. He flinched as a loud cracking noise filled the air and shards of bone rained down around him. Donal opened his eyes in time to see the remains of his attackers clatter to the floor. The tattooed elf was standing over him cutting swaths of destruction through the ranks of the skeletons. Drake noticed Doanthalas' technique from the corner of his eye. Instead of fighting the skeletons as one would fight a normal fleshy opponent, Doanthalas was aiming his attacks at their rib cages. Instead of stabbing and hacking in a downward motion, the elf was swinging his sword in a side to side sweeping motion. It seemed to be working so Drake adopted this technique and stepped up to give Pike a hand. Pike's heavy axe shattered skeletons right and left as the Norseman whirled and side-stepped to dodge the clubs and blades of his supernatural foes. He stayed near the wall, jumping past columns of openings when he could. The Norseman swung again, another opponent shattered, its bones tangling with the bones of the creature behind it, but the stupid creature came forward just the same. Pike caught its club and kicked it backwards breaking its hold. At the same time he shattered one of it's comrades to his right as his axe continued to weave patterns in the air. Pike roared and jumped forward as a third skeleton opened a gash in his side. The Norseman flipped the big club he had wrested from a skeleton end for end, caught it and swung it with gusto, his mighty muscles sweating with red rage. The skeleton that had cut him disintegrated into a hail of bones as the mighty Viking's club came down through both skull and rib cage. "Hang on Backster, I got ta use both hands 'er we're both dead men!" He bellowed. The next skeleton Rapina encountered swung a heavy club. So heavy that the parrying strength behind Rapina's main gauche was not sufficient. The blow drove Rapina's left hand side. Her main gauche clattered to the floor as her nerveless hand released it. With her good hand she swung hard and shattered one of the hands of the monster. Her blade bit into its other wrist but did not sever it. With only one hand, the creature brought up its club to strike again, but it was much too slow. Rapina severed it's good arm at the shoulder with her rapier and kicked it hard in the ribs. It flew back into one of its advancing comrades and they both went down in a tangle of bones. Rapina grabbed the skeleton's cudgel and sheathed her rapier while the two tangled skeletons struggled to get up. Her left hand was weak, but she directed healing energy to it and swung the cudgel with both hands and all her strength. One of the skeletons shattered, the other flew to the side with pieces of the first entangled in its ribs. She advanced trying to protect Drake's right flank as he charged forward. The skeletons advanced steadily. They did not plan their attacks defensively for they had no brains and they did not fear for their lives. The search party, however, did fear for their lives and rightly so. The skeletons outnumbered them by more than three to one. They needed some kind of strategy if they were to survive. As it was the skeletons had them separated into two small groups. Kent, Rapina, Doanthalas and Donal were fighting with their backs to the cavern entrance. Drake had fought his way to Pike and Backster. Pike and Drake were in a bind. Skeletons surrounded them and Backster was in no condition to fight. The members of the search party knew how to fight, but none of them, except for one member, had any experience in the tactics of large scale battles. This hardly qualified as a large scale battle, but the idea was the same. Whoever fought harder and smarter would be victorious. "We're Trapped!" Kent screamed. "We can retreat back towards the closed entrance, it's much narrower there but we have to get to Pike and Drake, They're only ten feet away now but there are so many skeletons! Rapina shouted. Donal came limping back to Rapina and Kent. "Damned pile o' bones bit me!" He swung his cudgel and shattered another skeleton that stepped too close to him. The sylvan elf deftly swept his leg in a half circle as he crouched near the ground. Two skeletons went tumbling to the floor. Doanthalas brought his sword in a powerful upwards arc and cleaved a third skeleton in two. A few quick steps and shattered skeletons later the tattooed elf had fought his way back to Rapina, Kent and Donal. The three of them looked fine, but Pike, Backster and Drake were in deep trouble. Soon the skeletal warriors would overrun them. "Rapina, Donal With me!" The elf shouted as he stepped forward and swung his bastard sword in a tight arc shattering the torso of another skeleton. "We must clear the way for our comrades! Kent, guard our backs!" terror paralyzed The young pirate. Otherwise, he might have told the presumptuous elf where to go. For the moment, it was all Kent could do to hold on to his weapon. His hands were shaking so badly. Rapina ducked and swung the cudgel she had rescued from one of the skeletons she had fought. Several of the upper ribs of the nearby undead monster broke and fell away, but unlike Doanthalas, Rapina lacked the strength always to shatter a skeleton with one blow. It often took Rapina two or even three blows to destroy a skeleton, and the floor was treacherous. Some of the skeletons Doanthalas had cut in half at the lower ribs were still animated. Although they had no legs, they still tried to swing weapons, or crawl along the floor towards their opponents. Rapina tried a different tactic, she held the club with both hands wide, using it to parry the heavy club of the skeleton while she kicked the skeleton in the ribs. Her kick did little actual damage, but the skeletons were not very heavy and a good kick sent them flying. They usually fell or got entangled with their comrades. For one of her strength, the tactic worked better than trying to hack away at a skeleton while others got too close. Although he was hurt and more than a bit scared Donal heeded the elf's words. If he had thought about it, he might have given Doanthalas attitude. After all who had put him in charge? However, for the moment his words seemed to make sense. Pike yelled to Drake above the din of weapons and skeletons, "Back to back, mate an' stick w' me an the East wall. If ye can cover my butt, I can cut are way back ta the others." The number of skeletons coming in from the South nearly overwhelmed Drake but he gritted his teeth and kept his broadsword in constant motion, straining his powerful arm to do maximum damage. His back protected for the moment, Pike directed both of his weapons forward. When Rapina struck, she was lucky to break away several of a skeleton's ribs, but when the mighty Norseman struck, a skeleton positively exploded with every blow. Pike saw Doanthalas fighting his way towards him as he fought towards the elf. Rapina was so happy with the way her kicking strategy was working that she turned her head to see if Kent had seen it and taken it up. Her moment of vanity saved her life. As she looked back she saw a cudgel descending to brain her, she ducked just enough that the blow hit her across the shoulder blades rather than shattering her skull. The wind was knocked from her and she was driven to the floor with an oof! Although wounded when the headless skeleton surprised him and its two buddies got the best of him, Donal was a good fighter. Captain Red Jack was a wise man and had made sure that three of the pirates he had sent out were seasoned veterans. His bit foot hurt like the devil but Donal turned when he heard Rapina go down, parried a club blow and kicked the skeleton West to clear some room. Kent had taken a fright. a skeleton swinging a cudgel had him cornered in the Northeast corner of the room. The only trouble was, the skeleton did not seem to have a brain in its head and its back swing kept knocking into the wall. Without a back swing it was not inflicting bone-shattering damage on the recruit, it was just giving him a good beating with short swings and scaring the daylights out of him with its gnashing teeth and vacant eyes. Donal's kick bounced a skeleton against the back of the one trying to pummel Kent to death and drove it forward so it momentarily bashed into Kent, it's boney teeth bruising his jaw. Rapina gasped as she hit the floor. Skitch had taught her how to take a fall when a big boy hit her in order not to add insult to injury. As she went to stand, she saw boney feet advance on her. She was weaponless; the blow to her back had knocked the club out of her hands along with her wind. Rapina grabbed the ankles of the skeleton and swung it as she stood. She released it and it skidded off the top of one of its compatriot's skulls and slammed into the opposite wall where it struggled to stand, oblivious to its cracked skull. Donal grinned, "now thar's a wench!," he said as he shattered another skeleton with his cudgel. Drake was fighting with every ounce of his strength and speed. He had been forced to sheath his parrying dagger so he could use his broadsword in both hands. The dagger was useless against the skeletons anyway. He found his feet were a better weapon. When the skeletons got especially thick, driving them back was a better idea than cleaving them. They were so stupid they all crowded into each other and a good kick would send a bunch of them falling to the floor like dominoes. Then Drake could shatter one that did not fall with his sword while the dupes got up. Pike exploded the last skeleton between Doanthalas and him. "Slip behind me along the wall, Drake. We've made it to our mates." Pike stepped forward just enough to let Drake by. He turned and shattered a skeleton with his club while the flat of his battle axe turned a second into a shower of bones. All the while the Norseman moved slowly sideways toward the North wall. When Drake was by him, he turned to face fully south and backed North in a fighting retreat. Rapina grabbed the rear ribs of the skeleton that was terrorizing Kent and heaved it. Luckily, the skeletons were quite light. After slipping by Pike, Drake helped Doanthalas fight the skeletons attacking from the West as Donal and Rapina cleared the Northeast corner, turning it into a safe zone. Seeing Drake and Doanthalas now protected him, Donal took his broadsword from the floor of the Northeast corner of the room and quickly sheathed it. At the same time, he picked up Rapina's cudgel and handed it to her. Rapina saw Drake run into the entrance tunnel and followed. Donal behind her pushing Kent in front of him. Pike and Doanthalas took up positions at the southern end of the narrower entry tunnel just before the point where the tunnel widened and leveled off. They fought a pitched battle with a hoard of skeletons coming at them from the main room. Fortunately, the tunnel would only admit two or three skeletons abreast, so the number of opponents the men had to fight at a time was much more manageable. Drake faced two skeletons that had already been in the entry tunnel when he entered and Pike and Doanthalas had cordoned it off. As Rapina entered the narrower corridor, the light she carried provided better illumination. To Drake's horror, he saw that one of the skeletons still had bits of flesh clinging to its bones. "Cudge, is that you?" The Skeleton vacantly swung a broadsword at Drake who parried with a clang. Rapina ducked as the second skeleton took a swing at her. She drove the end of her cudgel forward into the pelvis of the skeleton like a battering ram and knocked it backwards. It fell against the slab that blocked the entryway and began to scramble to its feet. While it was scrambling, Rapina jumped forward and shattered its right shoulder. As he parried, Drake stepped in and kicked the knee-cap of the skeleton. The bones snapped and the skeleton fell sideways still swinging its blade. It cut into the side of Drake's boot and slightly wounded his calf as he tried to dodge. Drake's sword severed the neck of the skeleton and its skull went rolling across the floor. Undaunted, it lifted its blade to take another swing. Drake drew his parrying dagger and jumped to the right. Rapina dodged right but took a glancing blow to the hip. Her cudgel took out four ribs on the left side of the skeleton. The skull from Drake's opponent rolled towards her, its teeth still gnashing. Rapina jumped back, and when her Skeletal opponent came forward she was ready. She crouched and took out one of the skeleton's knees. It fell and she shattered its rib cage before it could rise again. The Norseman grinned at Doanthalas as three more brainless bags of bones approached and were shattered by the two muscular fighters. Pike's eyebrows raised - the rib of one of the skeletons he had shattered did not fly right. "Heads up back there." Donal looked in Pike's direction, his mouth opened as something whistled like breath blown over the mouth of a bottle. A flying rib stabbed him in the gut with much more power than a simple flying object. Donal instinctively dropped his cudgel and grabbed the bone. His quick reflexes saved his life. He bled profusely, but he muscled the bone out of the wound in his gut and got a two- handed grip on it. It was alive as though the entire strength of a skeleton had clung to it. Donal muscled the bone against the stone wall and rubbed it there, but all he did was work off it's jagged point. Damn, Drake thought. The new skeleton, whichever pirate it had recently been, had bones stronger and less brittle than its drier and more aged comrades did. Drake realized his last swing should have gone through the neck and shoulder of the skeleton but it had not. Drake charged in, parrying the blade of the skeleton and severing its arm near the shoulder. The skeleton's broadsword clattered to the floor and Drake swung and swung again, this time severing the other arm of the creature. The arms crawled towards him pulling themselves along with their fingers. Drake swung again and again slicing the ribs off the creature and sundering the pelvis. He was about to stamp on the creature's fingers when Rapina called out. "Wait! No one is going to believe this unless we have proof." Drake nodded. He grimaced and picked up one of the arms. Rapina picked up the other arm and the skull. The fingers and jaw were still moving, trying to kill. Donal took a stout burlap bag from his belt pouch. "Here, put those in the bag, Drake, and Rapina see what ye can do fer Backster. Rapina found that Backster's right eye was a ruin, but his left eye would be okay, there was a deep cut just above it where a skeletal finger had glanced off. Rapina cleaned the wound and applied a bandage. She gave Backster some herbs for the pain from his ruined eye. Pike and Doanthalas shattered skeleton after skeleton until finally the last one lay in pieces at their feet. "Damn! I'm bruised or bleedin' on most parts of my body, but that was one hell of a fight," Pike said. "That was the best fightin' I've seen a 'green' recruit do in years," Pike winked at Doanthalas. 'Course the important thing for fighting these brainless bags o' bones seems ta be strength and endurance, and I know ye got 'em both from havin' had that bout we had tagether." Pike grinned and turned to Rapina. "What do the wounds look like?" "Backster's lost an eye, but I think the other eye will be okay as soon as the gash above it heals. Donal has a bad belly wound and a deep bite in his foot. I got hit across the back and on the hip, but I was pretty lucky." Pike helped himself to some bandages and supplies from Rapina's pack and patched up several nasty gashes he had received. Rapina finished Donal and looked at Kent while Drake and Doanthalas patched up their own hurts. Kent was severely bruised all over his upper body but Rapina could not help but realize that Kent's pride had taken a worse beating. "The way I see it, we better see if we can get out 'a this place. That slab's real stone. Before today I'd 'a said there was no magic about it. Now I figure there could be. On the other hand, one of these skeletons might a triggered it from one o' these restin' holes. Those of ye who're not too badly wounded, lets give 'em a search. Any booty ye find goes in this bag, understand? We'll take a look at the skeletons fer rings, daggers 'an swords too, though most of 'em had clubs." There were a number of silver and several gold rings. Most of them were on the fingers of shattered skeletons. Rapina retrieved her main gauche and went to the Southern end of the wide hall of the dead. There was another doorway there blocked by a slab of stone. Above the doorway were more runes. When Doanthalas climbed into the top-most resting place on the Northwest wall, his weight triggered something, and the slab slid up and out of the way of the entrance. Everyone was much relieved. It turned out that even the weight of a skeleton in that side tunnel would keep the entry open, but when the weight was removed, the slab slid back to block the entryway. Still deciphering the runes above the door, Rapina said, "No wonder there was not much booty here, these were probably all commoners. This next door leads to, "The Hall of Eminence," and we're supposed to make the sign of man to enter." There was a pentacle carved into the wall next to the door. At each point, a stone stud could be pushed. Pike waved his hand. "We'll go no farther now. Are first duty is ta get Backster and Donal back ta camp and make our report before dark." Rapina nodded. She wanted to make sure she had the sign of man right anyway. She had not really been paying a lot of attention to signs, but she was pretty sure that one of Captain Red Jack's old holy books had several different signings in it for banishing evil spirits and such. The still-animated arms and skull of the fresh skeleton were put in a bag tied to the end of a cudgel for Drake to carry. All other still-living pieces were destroyed save the, "singing bone," that had stabbed Donal. He had worn the jagged, pointed ends of the bone smooth against the stone wall and worked the marrow out of the bone with his boot knife and small shards of bone. He stashed the six-inch piece of bone in his stoutest belt pouch with the strings tied tightly closed. The bone was ever intent on stabbing him but now lacked points. Just the same, it pushed on him with a fair amount of force. This made the pirate stagger even more than he should have, given his wounded foot. The singing bone was unique in that it seemed to have nearly the full strength of a skeleton to it. Whereas the other still animated bones could not lift off the ground and fly, the singing bone seemed to be able to fly around without trouble. The party hurried back to the pirate camp and arrived just as the sun sank below the horizon. With the wounded, the going had been much slower on the way back. When they arrived, Pike reported to the captain. After a few minutes, he called the others in. "So, I hear ye had an adventure. I'm hav'in a heap 'o trouble believin' what Pike has told me, but 'e says ye insisted on keepin' some souvenirs for me ta see, did ye lass?" Rapina nodded. "Drake is carrying them in that sack." "Good thinkin' girl, let me see 'em. I'm 'bout ready ta have Pike put in a cage fer bein' daft." Drake opened the sack and dumped the contents carefully out onto the captain's table. The severed bony arms wasted no time pulling themselves along by their fingers towards the Captain who was the closest person to the table after Drake stepped back. The scull rolled a bit then rocked as it gnashed its teeth. The skeletal fingers seemed slower and weaker, though the skull still seemed to gnash its teeth with exuberance. "Mother o' all the gods, Pike is a sane man after all," the captain grinned. So this is what happened ta Blade? What a harrible end he most 'o met. He'll make a grisly souvenir though, 'e will. Now what o' this flyin' bone that pegged Donal? Donal limped forward and removed his belt pouch. "It's in here captain, but it's been trying ta stab me ever since it did the first time. Donal held his belt pouch out to the captain who took it. The pouch pushed on the captain as it sensed a presence nearer than Donal and attempted to stab it. The captain's eyebrows shot up. "That be strange stuff." The captain kept the pouch. Ye can take that back later if ye want it, ye earned it takin' th' belly wound. Fer now let's keep it out 'o the men's sight. The captain looked at Rapina. "Pike says ye read some old runes fer the group 'an there's another door with writin's as well. Do ye know how to open it? "I think so sir, but I need to check one of your books to make sure I have it right." "Ye did good. Pike said ye killed yer share o' skeletons an kicked many o' 'em back when ye found that warr easier for ye than killin' em outright." "Yes sir, Pike and usually Doanthalas and Drake could make them shatter by hitting them hard, but I could not hit them hard enough to finish one in a single blow. They were very light, though, so once I discovered kicking them, I usually did that and I threw a couple too." The captain chuckled. "Ye got guts Rapina, some would 'ave bet ye would freeze first time ye saw real combat." Rapina blushed, "Well, actually I did freeze, but Pike's battle cry snapped me out of it." "Well, well, I guess that old battle roar 'o yers is worth somethin' after all, Pike," the captain smiled. "Kent, yer maps 'r excellent, but ye were a liability in th' combat. A pirate that can't fight gets dead fast. Th' way I heard it, the fact ye were in a corner and the skeleton attackin' ye was brainless, saved yer life. It would be a shame ta loose one w' yer talents. I know th' enemies ye fought taday weren't exactly normal and ye didn't have combat instincts ta fall back on like Pike, 'er Donal, 'er Doanthalas. Nevertheless, Rapina did okay, an' Drake helped Pike outa a spot although he's green. I know I'm comparin' ye ta the best in yer basic class, but ye got ta git yer combat skills up. Usually, I just let a kid like ye sink 'er swim on 'is own, but I don't get many men w' a head like yers on their shoulders, so I've given Roger orders ta get ye more combat trainin'. See that ye apply yerself, as ye've seen, yer life depends on it. The rest of ye, listen up. Pirates can be a superstitious lot, 'an what ye encountered weren't at all natural. I want ye ta keep a tight lip. Anyone asks ye how ye got wounded, ye tell 'em it were, "natives 'o the isle," and don't tell em they tried ta carve ye even though they were already dead. I'll make sure the guard posts have some hefty clubs around in case any o' these boney nightmares attack. Pike has told me about the other water entrance ta the isle Southeast 'o here. Soon as we can we'll set up a base camp there and ye can try ta get ta the bottom o' this. In the mean time, lick yer wounds and I'll have Rapina study up on this matter again before ye go out. Remember ta keep the lips buttoned, I don't want the men spookin' on me. Don't talk about what happened even if no one else is around. Save it fer later. Fer now, I see ye've brought me some booty. I'll be givin' ye some money out of it if ye earned it. Drake, I know ye have weapons, an' I loaned Doanthalas that bastard sword. Far as I'm concerned, Doanthalas, ye have a couple 'o weapons comin' to ye. Logan will show ye through the weapons crates tomorrow an' ye can pick out a set 'o hand weapons for yer own, includin' that sword if ye can find nothin' better." "Rapina, I'd like ta talk ta ye more about these supernatural creatures an' such. Please come by after yer bath." Rapina nodded. "Good work, mates. 'Less ye have somethin' ta add, yer dismissed," the captain said. Doanthalas, watch yer back. That damn Brackston has half the pirates thinkin' ye summoned those demons last night, an I can't tell 'im what really happened or the other half 'o me men'll be shakin' in their boots just as hard as the ones Brackston's got to. Stick w' yer friends. --- Later that night after seeing, Beck, Fishy and Pike, Rapina arrived at the captain's clean from her bath. Scary day ye had wench. Sit down an' 'ave a glass 'o wine. Rapina sat down on Red Jack's couch and snuggled against the captain as she drank wine from a glass he had handed her. "What do ye make o' these skeletons. Where do ye suppose they're comin' from an' how do ye figure one o' me own men was turned into one of 'em. "It has to be necromancy, I think. The magic book talks about the theory behind necromancy. It all has to do with life force. People have it, dead men don't, and undead men have less than none, like a suction or a debt. That's why they try to kill, they want the life force of the living. I wish I knew more, but your library isn't the best where supernatural monsters are concerned. I think some of the holy books may talk about the undead. A lot of priests feel it's their duty to destroy them, and I guess some evil churches train their priests in necromancy so they can create and control the undead." "Aye, I think ye're right. Those chests be full o' me books, why don't ye get a start on findin' th' volumes ye need while I finish the night's logs." Rapina nodded. "Okay, I'll look for that one with the signs too." Rapina found one or two of the books she needed that night, but spent little time reading and much more time moaning with pleasure beneath the captain's capable hands. [Rapina]012 Shadows of the Dead It was three or four in the morning when there came a scratching on the tent flap accompanied by the dim glow of an oil lantern turned down low, and the whisper of Logan's voice. "Sir, we have a problem." "Nay, again? Come in an' tell me about it." "We've lost the Southeast watch post, sir," Logan said opening the tent flap. Suddenly Logan dropped the lantern he was carrying and lurched to catch it in mid air before it spilled. The light flickered and shadows danced but Logan caught the lantern before it hit the floor. "Aai! Jus' had the mother 'o chills, been having 'em off and on since we checked the post." "Didn't we double the guard ta tha Southeast?" the captain asked while getting out of bed and fetching his robe? Rapina held the covers to her neck with one hand while she got her sheathed crystal light pendant from the bed post and slipped it on over her neck with the other. She hoped whatever was attacking would stick to picking off guard posts as it had last night, but she felt a foreboding presence and feared that would not be so. As soon as Logan left, Rapina thought maybe she would get up, but right now, she was not wearing even a stitch of clothing. "Aye, an' had we not we'd 'ave never heard the single scream that marked the passin' o' the men," Logan said. "Did ye re- iiiiee! aaa! ssss!, I got yer aaaa! oooh! rrrr! chills! Damn it what's aaaaiiiuuuooou! gonin' on? The captain grimaced and cringed this way and that as chills struck him. Rapina could hear yelling outside the tent in the direction of the water that was only about two or three score paces away. When the guards at the Northeast guard post had mysteriously disappeared with only a scream to mark their passing, Logan had sent a man to rouse the pirates early. Someone had gotten past the sentries, and Logan did not want the men killed in their sleep. - -- The sylvan elf splashed cool water onto his face. He stood there for a few minutes basking in the invigorating feeling of cleanliness. Doanthalas opened his eyes and stared at the stars. They twinkled, as they seemed to dance in the heavens. It felt as if they were beckoning the tattooed elf to come dance with them in the sky. Some of the burden lifted from his heart as his spirits soared for a moment. A moment later they came crashing down as his thoughts turned to the recent encounter with the skeletons. Although his body was clean of the dirt and bone fragments from the fight his soul still felt tainted. Something was dreadfully wrong if the dead walked this island. Doanthalas seemed to be lost in thought again. Drake noticed that the elf would frequently stop whatever he was doing and stare at some fixed spot somewhere in the distance. The muscles in his face would move in such a manner that his facial tattoos seemed to come alive. It was a bit disconcerting at first, but Drake was getting used to the strange elf and his ways. In spite of the fact that Doanthalas did not engage in conversation often Drake was taking a liking to him. "So...Doanthalas....what's it like being the only elf around so many humans? Doesn't it make you uncomfortable?" The only reply the elf made was a slight shaking of his head. There was no way to describe to Drake the horrors he had borne witness to. The battle with the skeletons had been a walk in the park compared to some of the battles he had fought. Living with humans was far preferable to being the slave of fiends so grotesque that their faces haunted Doanthalas' reverie every night. Seeing that nothing more was forthcoming from Doanthalas Drake continued, "I know we're not supposed to talk about it, but..." He looked from side to side and whispered. "Do you think there are more of them up there? There's got to be. When we found the other...er...body and those skeletons... well... I don't think it was them that dragged the body away. What do you think?" Doanthalas dunked his head under the water and then threw his head back spraying water into the air as his long hair whipped backwards. He fixed his emerald eyes on Drake and spoke in the clear methodical manner he always did, "When the dead walk the earth the living must rise up and put their spirits to rest. Otherwise the living are doomed to join the dead in their tormented walking..." Had anyone else said those same words Drake would have dismissed them as being drunk or crazy or both. However, Doanthalas said it with such utter conviction that there was no doubting his words. The young man fell silent and looked off in the distance towards the cliffs. A feeling of dread was fast descending upon him. All Drake wanted to do was get off the island as fast as possible. The noise made by some of the other pirates bathing a little further down distracted him. The other pirates still didn't trust Doanthalas enough to linger too close to him. This annoyed Drake, but what annoyed him more was the sight of Edgar and Kent talking in hushed tones and looking in his direction. "He's a demon I tell ya. Look at him! You're right for not trusting him! He's a danger to us all. That story about shadow men or whatever he called them was made up. We both know it was him who killed the two guards. Kent looked at Drake and Doanthalas bathing in the distance. The elf seemed to be oblivious of his watchful gaze, but Drake noticed Kent watching them. The young man averted his eyes and turned to talk to Edgar. "What do you care Edgar? You don't give a damn about anyone in the camp except for maybe Trevor." Edgar scowled and grabbed Kent roughly by the arm. "That's not true and you know it! You and Drake were like brothers to me until we ended up here. As soon as we were here you both turned your backs on me! Sure I started a lot of trouble myself...I don't deny it. I like trouble! But, not once did you or Drake stand up for me. When that pirate beat me down you and Drake just stood there like cowards! At least Trevor cared enough to see that I was okay. And not once did you check up on me to see how I was coming along. Not once. I've been watching you and Drake every step of the way." He stopped for a moment to catch his breath and stared at Kent. The young man lowered his eyes. He knew there was some truth to Edgar's words. Some of the facts had been distorted, but the meaning remained unchanged. "You're right...Edgar. I'm sorry. I've been so wrapped up in what I've been doing that I have totally neglected you." "Don't worry about it too much runt. Drake obviously isn't. Look at him over there being all buddy buddy with that damnable elf." He hissed the last word like it left a bad taste in his mouth. "There's been nothing but trouble since the elf was released from his cage." "Yeah, but do you think he's the cause of it all?" Kent asked. "Hell yeah! And the question is what are we going to do about it..." Kent was about to respond when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. It was like his flesh was being ripped open. He tried to scream, but his body went rigid as all his muscles tightened. His eyes darted around in terror as his mind tried to come to grips with what had just happened. Edgar saw Kent's body jerk suddenly and his eyes looking about wildly, but Edgar did not know how to react. He was not sure what was going on until he saw the hideous face of Kent's attacker rise from the water. In his moment of terror and surprise, Edgar backpedaled onto land falling backwards into the water twice in the process. He grabbed his sword and leapt back into the water with a loud cry. By this time a few of the other pirates knew something was amiss. They had heard Edgar's cry and also witnessed another of their number being dragged under the water. Chaos erupted as more of the hideous creatures emerged from the water. Pirates scrambled for their weapons as the creatures advanced. The creatures skin had a pale sickly color to it and their teeth were long and pointy. Long tongues twisted like serpents in their mouths and their wild eyes scanned the camp. Any clothing they wore was in tatters. Drake turned as he heard Edgar's scream and started to run in that direction. An iron grip on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to shake off the hand only to come face to face with the sylvan elf. "Death comes to the foolish more swiftly than to the prepared...man. Arm yourself my friend." Doanthalas released his grip and raced onto the land. He knew that the enemy they faced was more dangerous than the pirates realized. These creatures were familiar to the elf; he had seen and fought them before, but back then he had been better prepared. He scooped up his sword as well as Drake's. When Drake was close enough he tossed him his sword and then raced off to engage the ghouls. Edgar tried to position himself so that he could attack the ghoul without harming Kent, but the ghoul seemed to sense this and kept moving so that Kent was constantly between it and Edgar. "Hang on Kent!" Edgar shouted. "I'll get you out of this." As he said those words, another ghoul emerged from the water beside him. He turned and swung at it with all his might. The creature jumped back well out of the way of the wild swing. Drake saw the creature with Kent start to drag him under the water. Drake Hoped he would get there in time to save Kent. Doanthalas' strong legs were carrying him to the battle more quickly than Drake could manage, but that did not matter. Drake could only think of helping his friend. The sylvan elf raised his sword to attack as he closed on the two ghouls engaged with Kent and Edgar. He was going to help Kent, but the ghoul on Edgar succeeded in slashing its claws across the young man's chest. Doanthalas saw Edgar go rigid and knew that the ghoul would devour him if he did not do something fast. Drake would have to help Kent. The tattooed elf brought his sword down swiftly slicing the ghoul's arm off neatly at the shoulder. The fight taking place in front of him didn't register at all. The only thing that Edgar could see was the ghoul dragging Kent under and Drake struggling feebly to stop it. "Let him go!" Drake screamed as he sank his sword into the ghouls back. The ghoul didn't even flinch. It just kept walking further out into the water dragging Kent with it. Drake hacked at it some more and knocked off big chunks of flesh, but the ghoul just turned and swatted him with its meaty hand. Drake only felt the sting of the blow for a moment. His muscles tightened immediately as the claws on the ghouls' hand scraped his face. He could do nothing to stop his fall as he fell backwards into the water. The sounds of battle faded as the water enveloped him. Try as he might, he could not will his muscles to move. "Gods! I'm going to drown!", he thought. Fear gripped him as surely as the paralysis had. The ghoul had turned on Doanthalas after the loss of its arm. It pressed its attack with a cunning rivaling that of some of the best pirates in the camp. A clawed hand raked across his chest, but apart from the blood flowing from the wound, Doanthalas seemed unaffected. He swung his sword deftly and proceeded to dismember the ghoul. The severed pieces of the ghoul sank swiftly to the bottom. Doanthalas turned and lifted Drake's rigid body from the water. Luckily he was still breathing. As the elf hoisted the form of Drake from the water he scanned the area for any sign of Kent. For a moment there was no sign of him. Then a large group of bubbles broke the surface of the water off in the distance. Doanthalas knew that all hope of rescuing the boy was lost at that moment. He grabbed the rigid forms of Edgar and Drake and dragged them to shore. What was he doing? The elf had just left Kent to die. He could have dove in after them and saved him, but he didn't. That damned elf! Tears streamed down Edgar's eyes and he would have sobbed if he had control of his body. At least Drake had tried to help. Drake was feeling the same grief that Edgar was, although he wasn't blaming Doanthalas for Kent's fate. He knew there was nothing the elf could have done. Instead, he blamed himself for getting there too late and allowing the ghoul to paralyze him. The elf turned quickly as a noise caught his attention. Another ghoul had crept up on him while he was dragging Drake and Edgar out of the water. He stood there weaponless trying to figure out what to do. He had left his sword a few paces back so he wouldn't accidentally stab one of the boys. Time seemed to slow down as he turned and prepared to make a dash for his sword. A combination of water and sweat rolled down his face tracing the contour of his cheek. A rivulet of blood ran down his chest as he turned and dug his feet in. The ghoul slashed at Doanthalas with its clawed hand just as a point of light caught the elf's attention. A drop of blood hung off of his chest for a split second before falling. It spattered to the ground just as a flaming arrow embedded itself into the back of the ghoul with a loud thunk-poof. Doanthalas seemed to have a demonic look to him as the light from the flames danced across his tattooed form. The tattoos seemed to come alive and writhing and twisting around his body as he embraced the ghoul and they both burst into flames. Arzeal nocked another flaming arrow and took aim. These arrows were special, and Arzeal had bought many of them from a tinker. They had proved invaluable against the rigging of enemy ships. Each was tipped with a glass bulb full of resinous spirits and coated with the same sort of pine tar used for torch-heads. The archer set the bulb aflame and fired. When the arrow hit, the bulb burst - splashing the target with a cloud of flaming resin. He did not want to hit Doanthalas, but that was a chance he would have to take if he wanted to save him. "Damn!" He muttered as the ghoul bowled the sylvan elf over and they both burst into flames. He would have to grieve for his friend later, for now he targeted another ghoul. Two other ghouls had surfaced a little further down and were wreaking havoc on the few pirates that had been bathing there. One pirate fell quickly to the ghouls attack and was dragged to a watery grave like Kent had been. the other fought the remaining pirates. Had they not been gripped by sheer terror the pirates might have mounted a formidable defense and defeated the ghoul. But the ghoul managed to paralyze most of them before being driven back into the water by a combination of attacks from the remaining pirates and a flaming arrow embedded in its neck. Reinforcements arrived in time to see the last ghoul disappear beneath the surface of the water. They tended to their wounded comrades and watched as the flaming ghoul and Doanthalas struggled near Drake and Edgar. The heat from the flame was unbearable, but the elf did not worry. He focused on the task at hand, ripping the ghoul limb from limb. He managed to maneuver the ghoul close to his discarded sword as they struggled. The ghoul had managed to inflict a few moderate wounds during the struggle, but it was clearly distracted by the fire. Doanthalas took advantage of the distraction and reached for his sword. After a few tries, he managed to grasp it. He hacked at the ghoul as they struggled. His flesh felt like it was melting off his skin, but the ghoul seemed to be in much worse shape. Its skin was blackened and had melted completely off some parts of its body. With a few agile strokes, he managed to extract himself from the flaming creature. The group of pirates that had witnessed the struggle stared in awe as the flaming elf stood up straight and tall apparently unharmed by the fire. As the last lick of flame dissipated, they noticed for the first time that his demonic looking tattoos were glowing an unearthly shade of red. The sudden silence was deafening to the elf. He looked up and saw fear painted across every face in the camp...including Pike who had reached the fight a little too late to help. Doanthalas stood there silently staring at the assembled crowd with his emerald eyes. They knew nothing of what he had been through...what he had gained and what he had lost. There was no way he could make them understand so he stood there in silence waiting for them to do something. Arzeal could not believe his eyes. Doanthalas was unharmed! The flames had not so much as singed a hair on his head. He was scared, that much was true. At the same time he was fascinated. He stood at the head of the group and studied the elf. He had no idea what he should do or say, but he knew that he had to say something before the frightened pirates took action. --------------- Maybe it was instinct, or perhaps some part of Rapina's intellect had noted a discrepancy in the way the shadows had danced when Logan nearly dropped the lantern. For whatever reason, Rapina pulled the sheath from the crystal light around her neck. Light flooded the tent; the shadows disappeared - all except three of them surrounding Captain Red Jack. "Bastards!" the captain bellowed. Logan drew his sword and lunged for the nearest shadow as quickly as any man could have. Red Jack slammed into one of the shadows with his foot, which took a horrible chill. He jumped clumsily past the downed shadow and drew his blade from where it hung on the bedpost while the creature tried to regain its feet. Rapina jumped up in bed. The covers were still in her hands and she threw them over the downed shadow as she hopped over to Red Jack's side of the bed. Jack had hung all of the weapons there. After throwing the blankets, Rapina hurriedly drew her rapier. Logan's blade pierced the monster nearest him. Wisps of shadowy vapors erupted from the creature's chest as the sword passed through it, but the thrust did not destroy it. It turned and lunged, touching Logan's neck. Iiieee! The captain felt weak as a baby. It was all he could do to muster an effective two-handed swing with his broadsword, but muster he did, chopping down beside the abomination's neck. The sword easily passed through the neck, shoulder and upper chest of the creature that spewed shadowy vapors with the passing blade, but the creature seemed undaunted. The shadow was too intent on the Captain's life force to worry about the assault. It grabbed one of the captain's arms and drained, regaining some of the life force lost to its wound. Aaaah! The creature's touch was so chill, and the pirate captain could feel his strength being drawn away from him. Rapina swung her rapier like a baseball bat with both hands and easily chopped right through the creature's neck. A flood of shadowy vapors fountained from the creature's neck around Rapina's moving blade, but its head did not drop off. Surprised for only an instant, the shadow tangled in the blankets fought it's way out from under the covers. Rapina heard more screams and yelling from the direction of the water. The shadow touched Logan's upper arm. The chill was unbearable. Logan swung his sword right through the creature's chest. vapors burst out from around the blade as it sliced. The shadow reached out and chilled the pirate captain to the bone before his opponent's blade could touch him. Rapina reversed the direction of her swing and chopped across and down through the shadow's neck and chest. Jack felt so weak, his swing was slowed but as his blade joined Rapina's already slicing through the creature. The creature exploded into a harmless puff of vapor. Aaaaaa! The captain roared as the shadow that had crawled out from under the blankets Rapina had thrown over it grabbed his ankle. - Logan went to swing his blade back through his shadow, but the creature grabbed his elbow, the horrible chill temporarily froze his joint. The pirate lieutenant sidestepped towards his captain, he could see the other creature was making a mess of him. Now that Rapina realized the semi-ethereal nature of her foe, she abandoned the two-handed swing, snapped into a proper fencing stance and aimed her rapier at the shadow that had just touched the captain's ankle. Her blade entered the shadow's neck and sliced all the way down through its back. Vapors erupted everywhere. The shadow sprung away from the pain lancing its back, turned and lunged to touch The captain. The captain moaned as still more strength was torn from him. Weakly he whirled around and brought his blade through his tormenter - Logan's shadow ducked unexpectedly and grabbed his belly as Logan took up his sword with the other hand. His swing only nicked the creature's head, but thankfully, his elbow unfroze in the few seconds the exchange took. The mindful creature in tent on killing Jack dodged Rapina's blade. The captain swung weakly, but connected. Vapors poured out as he cut a swath through the shadow. The shadow's hand darted out and touched the captain's face. Logan's shadow jumped, sucking rich life force from his victim's side and taking only a nick from his dangerous blade. A quick lunge to the pirate captain's vitals brought another small taste of life force to Jack's shadowy foe. The captain felt so weak he could barely stand. Only adrenaline held him up, but he was unable to muster an effective blow. As the captain staggered, Rapina stepped in between him and the shadow and sliced a diagonal through the shadow's upper chest. The captain staggered a few steps backward then fell when his legs failed to hold him up. All he could do is lay helplessly by and watch the battle. Logan was chilled to the bone, the horror he was fighting was dodging too well. It touched Logan again strengthening itself, and all he was able to do was nick its side. A faster lighter weapon might have been a better choice, he thought. Rapina's blade hissed through the air and through the shadow's chest leaving only a puff of vapors where once the creature stood. Logan spun and struck, but the shadow's lunge chilled him again. It seemed that every time he struck the monster, it struck him and used his energy to regain its strength. A tune Arzeal had played during her training was singing though her head. Rapina leapt, and landed as her rapier carved an "s" in the back of Logan's shadow. Rapina almost felt guilty attacking the creature's back, but not really, she struck again passing her blade through the shadow from shoulder to waist. The shadow took two vicious strikes to it's back, it turned trying to touch it's victim and dodge the terrible blade from behind at the same time, but in doing both, it accomplished neither. Logan felt so weak, but he was a fine swordsman. He took advantage of the creature's confusion and struck successfully. Rapina saw Logan was now holding his broadsword with both hands and wavering a bit on his feet. As long as the shadow had to face two opponents at once, it would be at a disadvantage, but if Logan went down as the captain had, they were doomed. Rapina steeled herself and launched blade and body in an attempt to get between Logan and the shadow. Rapina's jump was too late! She knocked into the creature's arm as it touched Logan. Ahhhhh! Logan hissed as the creature nearly froze his neck and shoulders. Just for a moment, the creature paralyzed his arms with cold. When Rapina's body hit the shadow's arm, it was already draining Logan. Rapina's lust senses tingled wrongly as she actually felt Logan's life force and just a bit of her own travel up the creature's arm. It was like a much less delicious rendition of the life force traveling down a lover's manhood. Her mind reeled, was she nothing more than a pretty shadow, draining men's strength from them? Her blade whipped through the creature's shoulder doing only a little damage but helping her get firmly between it and Logan. The woman that had cut its back so grievously had now cut it off from its intended victim. Nevertheless, he had drank deeply of him before they parted. The shadow reached out to relieve the woman of a portion of her life energy. Rapina gasped as the Shadow ducked her blade, grabbed her lower thigh and ripped at her life force. She felt nearly all of what little sex-magical energy she still had stored in her breasts after the skeleton battle leave her, but her strength was untouched. It was obvious that what Rapina stored was some form of life force. Rapina's rapier whipped back with a vengeance, sundering the back of the creature for bringing her such an unsettling realization. Logan felt like a child, his sword was so heavy in his hands, but as a child he had played with wooden swords whenever he could. His weak two-handed blow cleaved through the shadow's rear end spewing vapors in its wake. Logan watched as the shadow reached out to grab Rapina's breast. He knew why she had put herself between him and the shadow. His strength was nearly gone, but as long as both pirates were standing, the shadow would be taking double hits, and Logan meant to make this one count. He grimaced as he put every pitiful ounce of strength he had left into the blow and cleaved through the shadow's side. The shadow sensed a rich source of life force and lunged to grasp it. Had it been any slower, it would have died from Logan's blow, but the sustenance it gained held it together just for an instant. Rapina felt the last vestige of her stored power leave her and then the horrible chill of strength being wrenched from her. As the creature drained her, she forced herself to remember what it must feel like when a person gave more life force than she could afford. Her rapier sung as it whipped through the shadow on a diagonal. There was a puff of vapor and the monster was no more. Rapina rushed to see how the captain was faring. He was sprawled on his back at the foot of the bed. "Jack, are you okay?" "I'm weak as a kitten girl, but I'm still barely alive." Logan staggered over to the captain and Rapina and sat on the foot of the bed just above the captain. "How are ye mate?" The captain asked. "Nearly too weak ta stand, but alive as ye are," replied Logan. "How about you, wench?" "My chest feels like it's frost bit inside. My leg wasn't hit as bad, but it's not so good either. Luckily the shadow only hit me a couple of times. I'm not as weak as you guys are." "I heard some commotion outside girl, but ye can't leave us in this condition. Go ta the flap and see what ye can see. Yell fer Drake 'an Pike or Arzeal. I need ta know what's up and I need gardin' by someone I can trust, cause I'm in no shape ta fight." Rapina ran to the flap and opened it. She couldn't see beyond the radius of her light so she just yelled out. "ARZEAL! PIKE! DRAKE! Report to the captain's tent soon as you can!" Just then Rapina saw arms master Hock on the outskirts of the illumination cast by her light. Rapina turned back to the captain. "How about arms master Hock?" "Is 'e out there? Bring 'im in." [Rapina]013 Night Terrors Rapina grinned and reopened the flap, "HOCK, in here on the double! She relished giving the arms master an order. It was a rare treat. Hock came running up and blinked at Rapina and her bright light. Rapina felt her lust sense tingle, then realized that, unless you counted a Rapier and two pendants, she wasn't wearing any clothes. Hock burst into the tent. "What's with th' naked Valkyrie?" Rapina blushed crimson "It's th' latest in pirate-wench fashion," Jack chuckled weakly. "See if you and Rapina can hoist me up onto the bed an' prop me up. While yer at it, tell me what's happenin' out there." Hock looked at Logan, "aren't ye gonna help?" "Sorry mate, I can barely lift a broadsword. I'm near as wrecked as he is." "What happened ta you men? I'd say ye'd been wenchin' a bit too hard." Logan started laughing, and he could not seem to stop. Trouble was he was so weak already that the laugher laid him out on the bed. Rapina giggled and took the captain's feet while Hock lifted him from behind under the arms. They carried him to the head of the bed and propped him in a sitting position against the headboard. Once they had the captain situated, Rapina started dressing hurriedly. "I just got done puttin'' a quadrupled guard on the Southeast post 'an on me way back I heard a commotion from the water front, an' then the wench ordered me in here like a soldier." "Careful Hock, any wench 'can last through me an Logan at are best deserves a ton 'o respect," the captain said firmly, trying to keep from laughing and failing miserably. Logan shook the bed with renewed laughter. "We were attacked by somethin' in here, Hock, damndest thing ye ever saw, livin' shadows with a touch chiller than a winter day. Ye couldn't see em at all, an' their touch drained yer strength an hurt ye too. They must 'ave come back from the Southeast guard post with Logan, and I dare say they were lookin' fer me an almost had me an Logan both dead ta rights. Me lucky wench saved are ass. Otherwise ye'd be runnin' th' camp without us. Hock raised his eyebrows. This was the first time he had heard of a green recruit saving the Captain and his right hand man. "I know what yer thinkin' Hock, how could a recruit just out o' basic save two seasoned pirates like us. Ye have ta understand, fer some reason when I yelled out about the chills, the wench got her mage light right quick and opened it up. All the shadows in the room disappeared but three and those three seemed ta all want ta touch me some more. Logan drew on one, Rapina jumped up an' tossed the covers over one I kicked out' o' my way so I could get to me sword. She an I drew steel and we was fightin' first the one, an' then the other when it found it's way out from under the blankets. The things were hittin' on me not her so I warr the one gettin' weaker by the second." "Near the end of the second shadow I was done for. Rapina shielded me an' I staggered out o' the way and went down, too weak ta stand. All I could do was watch, but I had one hell o' a view from down on the floor there," Jack grinned saltily. "She finished the second one off 'an went an' did the same fer Logan as she did fer me. By that time he was weak as a two-year-old." Pike burst into the captain's tent visibly shaken. This worried those present because not a one of them had seen Pike shaken before. Ever. "Sir." He gasped as he caught his breath. "There's been trouble down by the water...we...were attacked by...by...hideous creatures. We got two of them but they made off with two of our men..." He paused and gave Rapina a meaningful look. "Kent was one of them." Before the captain could say anything he continued, "And there's something else sir...The elf...Doanthalas...well he was fighting one of the creatures when Arzeal sank a special flaming arrow into it. It grappled with Doa...the elf...and they both burst into flames." "AND!!!" The captain said with an annoyed tone. "Well sir. The ghoul was burned to a cinder, but...but...the elf...he doesn't have a mark on him...except for the claw and bite marks. The fire didn't hurt him one bit! And that's not all! All the men who the creatures struck were paralyzed. The elf wasn't affected by that either. The men are scared sir. 'Can't say that I blame them, but they might do something drastic. Arzeal has them under control for the moment, but you'd better hurry." Pike paused as he noticed for the first time the state that the captain and Logan were in. "So th' elf 'as been holdin' out on me, 'e failed ta mention a magical power. Hock an' Roger always ask about skills an powers. It'll go rough on 'im, but 'e 'as the skeleton battle 'an fightin'' th' ghouls ta 'is credit. Was 'e valuable in the ghoul fight? "I think so, sir, I arrived after the battle had begun. He helped kill the one ghoul I saw killed - the one Arzeal set aflame with a special arrow. The others were only driven back under water by being set aflame. "If I weren't weak as a babe, I'd have ye clap that elf in chains an' bring 'im 'ere; 'e's got some serious explainin' ta do. Seein' as how I'm an invalid, I'll deal w' him later. No one's ta see me like this but me officers. I need guards I can trust outside th' tent flap. 'An believe me Pike, I'd be out thar ta beat th' men down ta order in a heart beat, but I'm weak as a kitten. The things that killed th' Southeast guard post followed Logan back ta me tent an' attacked us here. If it weren't fer me lucky wench, Logan an' I'd be dead, 'er shadows, 'cause that's what th' creatures that about killed us looked like. Hock, what do ye know about the undead?" "Precious little, sir. I've heard a few tall tales, but nothin' I could put any stock in. The way I hear, most of 'em slink around at night. They don't like the daylight." "Good, yer just the man fer the job. Whip those pirates inta shape, arm 'em up, move 'em back from th' water, an' have 'em make a tight camp in a ring right around this tent. We need ta hold out till dawn. Tell 'em th' water front weren't th' only attack we suffered tanight. Make sure they realize that the enemy so far has only attacked at night, an' let 'em know I'll be talkin' to 'em soon as me officers brief me on th' various battles." "Plant torches an' make fires. We need plenty o' light. "Pike, send me Drake, an' Arzeal. I need men I can trust in here ta guard me." "Speakin' o' answers, Rapina, get into them books, find me everything ye can about undead monsters, particularly any o' the ones we've seen." "Everyone's got 'is orders, now go too." There was a chorus of, "Yes sir," and everyone rushed off, save Rapina who began to delve into the captain's books there in his tent, and Logan who was too weak to move much. Rapina sniffed back her tears and told herself she would cry for Kent later. Her expression became very serious, Kent was dead, and Doanthalas was in big trouble. She went to one of the chests of books and began digging almost frantically, but the look in her eyes was pure determination. Soon arms master Hock's voice could be heard barking orders rapid-fire outside. Intermingled with the orders were blood-curdling screams from here and there around the periphery of the camp. A little while later Pike came into the tent. "Here is Drake, sir, but he's in no condition for guard Duty. One of those creatures on the water front gashed him and froze him up solid. Edgar and a half dozen of the men are the same way. I had a devil of a time just getting the sword out of Drake's hand so I could put it back in his sheath." "Damn! Organize a detail ta bring the other frozen men up here," Jack ordered. "How ye doin' Logan?" the captain asked. "I think me strength is seepin' back, but it's sure takin' it's time. How 'bout you?" "Hard ta say yet, but I think ye're right. Rapina, Give Logan here a book that needs searchin'. Might as well put 'im ta work." Rapina handed a book to Logan from the stack she was building. Just then, Arzeal came into the tent. Arzeal, good ta see ya, what's happenin'' out there, Logan an' me got attacked by things lookin' like shadows an' we're pretty much laid up fer the moment. 'Tweren't fer me wench we'd both be dead men. Arzeal cocked an eyebrow at the captain's remark but knew that captain had better things to do than explain. "The men are real restless, sir. They've seen that Doanthalas is impervious to flame and they were going to lynch him, but I told Brackston to chain him up, that you wanted some answers out of him. He was the only person I figured could keep the elf from being lynched since he was the one who got the men all scared of him in the first place. Kind a' oversteppin' yer authority, don't ya think. "Yes, sir but it was that or let them kill him. I don't know what to think about Doanthalas myself, but when I saw him, he was fighting those creatures on the waterfront, not conjuring them. The men are sure he's a demon, and they want blood. Only the fact that he was chained and a prisoner of Brackston and on his way to answer to you kept them from lynching him." "Aye, e's got some grave answerin'' ta do. 'Ave Brackston steak 'im down outside the tent. I'll deal w' him later. What're those screams I keep hearing. "Men keep getting chills sir." Listen up, Arzeal, those aren't chills, they're the attack of a nearly invisible critter that looks like a shadow, ye can only see 'em in strong light an three o' 'em nearly killed me an Logan. Th' fact that ye can't really tell anything's attackin' ye an' ye can't see 'em is what makes 'em so dangerous. They drain strength every time they hit 'an the cold gives ye a real wound if ye'll look under yer clothes ta see it. Ye can hit 'em with swords, but ye can only see 'em in good light. Go on an' warn 'em. It'll scare 'em ta death, but at least they might be able ta save their own skins. Arzeal nodded and left the tent in a hurry. Not too long after Arzeal left, Brackston's voice could be heard outside the tent. "I told 'em all this elf was a demon, but no, they didn't believe me. We'll see what kinda trouble ye're in now freak! " Gods! He's bleedin' bleedin out 'is tattoos. Yiiii!, 'e's possessed! Run! Woof! Grrrr, woof! Aaaaagh! "Well I'll be damned!" Brackston said. "Step out there an' see what's up Rapina - an leave the light." Rapina set her book and light down and jumped up. Outside, the torches that often illuminated the area around the captain's tent had been lit. Brackston was standing and staring at Doanthalas whose tattoos were bleeding all over his body. Brackston was dumfoundedly holding the other end of his infamous neck chain and staring at Doanthalas. Thumper was barking wildly. Several pirates had drawn back and a few were running away. Rapina crouched down and lifted Doanthalis' sagging chin. "Doanthalis, What's happening to you?" The elf barely had any strength left. He had lost a lot of blood yet he still managed to speak. "My... curse... a 'gift' from... from... those of... the flaming... black... heart... I..." Doanthalas collapsed as unconsciousness enveloped him. When Rapina came back into the tent about five minutes later, Brackston could be heard pounding a huge steak into the ground with a sledge hammer. "Gods girl, ye're covered w' blood, what happened?" "It's Doanthalas, sir, he bled profusely from his tattoos and passed out. It scared the men badly. Brackston's chaining him to an iron post outside." "There's a rag over there, wipe yerself down an' use me basin. Then get me old Blue shirt from me chest an' put it on. No sense in ye gettin' the books bloody. Damn, all this goin' on an' me weak as a wilted flower." Once Rapina got back to the books she and Logan began to find some references to the undead. Whenever they located a passage, they read it aloud to Captain Red Jack. About a quarter hour after Rapina got back to the books, Hock stuck his head into the tent. "I tried recallin' the watch posts, but the central post is gone and one man on the Southwest came runnin' in here telling me his partner started complaining o' chills then disappeared right before 'is eyes. My messenger for the quadrupled Southeast post an' six o' the eight men from the post came back runnin' here like a ghost was chasin' 'em, an they said the other two'd been killed by walkin' skeletons. Is everybody goin' daft?" Hock asked. "Those are real Hock, I got me a skull an' two arms that still move in that bag over there from th' scoutin' mission. 'Found out last night, the South o' this isle's a grave yard. Ye'd best set up a defense." Hock did a double-take. "I'll believe it when I see it." "Believe it, Hock. The best weapons again' 'em are heavy an' blunt. Ask Pike if ya need any pointers." Rapina heard Renewed screams and the clash of steal from the Southeast. Hock left shaking his head. Before long Pike's battle cry could be heard loud and clear. "Blood an' Bones! Hold yer ground an' drive these bags a bones back ta the hells they came from." It had been nearly an hour since the attack started when Drake felt his muscles ease. Some time ago, Pike had carried him up from the waterfront and left him standing in the captain's tent like a statue. He could see and hear what was going on, but he could not move. The scratch of the ghoul had filled him with supernatural fear that had locked up every muscle in his body. "Uhhh!" he said as he collapsed to the floor. His muscles were so sore it felt as if he had just worked two days and two nights on his father's farm without a break. "Can ye speak Drake?" "Uh, yes sir," Drake said quietly; "'muscles all hurt, sir." The captain swung his legs off the bed. "Damn, I'm still weak but gettin' better." "Rapina, I need ye ta help me up. I'm going ta get dressed an' I'm going ta talk ta the men. Hopefully by the time I'm ready, I'll 'ave the strength o' a four- year-old 'stead of a two-year-old." Once he was up, the captain put on his trousers and got some keys from the pocket. He opened a strong box and took out a vial. He drank half and gave the other half to Logan." "Drink a third o' what remains an' give th' rest ta Drake an' Rapina. That there is a magical potion I got off th' noblemen who was in charge 'o that blockade we broke. Seein' as Rapina was wieldin'' 'is blades tanight, I'd say killin' 'im helped save me life twice so far. Drake drank about half of what was left, then passed the rest to Rapina. Rapina tipped back the vial heartily, but only drank a bit of the potion. It tasted somewhat odd and made her nose and lust sense tickle. Rapina knew it must somehow contain healing life force. She could feel her wounds shrinking as warmth flooded her belly. She paid a great deal of attention to the feel of the potion. It was not too unlike the feel she got when healing her wounds using the power men gave her. Rapina wondered if there might be a way she could heal others with life force she stored, just as the potion was now healing her. "There's a little left, may I save it for later? I don't have as much meat to wound as you big men." "Aye, it's yers girl, save some if ye want. It seems ta be helpin' me wounds, but it ain't doin' much fer me strength. Just the same, it were a good draught." The captain dressed very slowly as his wounds disappeared. "How ye feelin' now, Drake? If ye're up to it, tell me about the battle earlier this night at the water front." "Well, sir. The battle was quick and deadly. Those creatures...I'm not sure what they are...they are hideous looking...I'd call them men, but whatever they were they weren't men. I was bathing in the water along with a few other men...and Doanthalas. We heard some screams and saw... them... rising out of the water. They caught a few of the men by surprise. Kent... Kent... was one of them." Drake paused as the tears flowed down his face. When he had regained his composure he continued, "They carried no weapons, but they had claws that would cause your muscles to freeze up if they scratched you. I was clawed by one of them... It was terrifying! All I could do was stand there and watch as the ghouls dragged... they... I couldn't do anything to help Kent... I tried, but... The creature paralyzed me and I'd be dead if Doanthalas hadn't saved me. I fell over in the water and would have drowned because I couldn't move, But he saved me...me and Edgar...but there wasn't anything he could do for Kent..." The young pirate stopped and wept for a few minutes. The captain respected his grieving silence before speaking. "Good then, Drake, 'least I know what happened. Step outside an' See what's up. If they're free, get me Arzeal, Pike an' Hock. If th' elf's up, take this key, unlock th' chain from th' steak an haul th' elf in here yerself. It's damn near dawn but I still need a bit o' time more ta recover me strength fer me speech, but there's goin' ta be a lot ta do soon as I step outside that flap. Might as well do what I can do sittin' down right now. And Drake...I'm sorry about yer friend. But right now I need ya to be strong. Our very survival just might depend on it. Now get gone boy!" Arzeal was the easiest for Drake to find. He was doing his best to keep some semblance of order in the camp. The half-elf reluctantly left the frightened pirates behind and reported to the captain. Pike and Hock were busy breaking out weapons for the defense of the camp. They grabbed what they needed and left another pirate in charge until they returned. Doanthalas was barely conscious when Drake reached him. He was grateful that the elf had saved him, but he was also scared. There was something to the elf that Drake wasn't sure he wanted to know about. The young pirate unlocked the chain from the stake and reluctantly lifted the elf in his arms. Doanthalas' skin felt cold and clammy and bits of dried blood flaked off as they headed towards the captain's tent. After about fifteen minutes, the birds could be clearly heard heralding the coming of the dawn. Hock, Arzeal and Pike came into the tent. Drake followed holding the elf in his arms the chain dragging on the ground behind him. "Yer in a heap 'o trouble Doanthalas. Holdin' out information on powers ye 'ave when Hock an Roger ask ye ain't healthy, an' holdin' out on magical powers can be a killin' offense. The best thing ye can do now is come clean an' tell me all about every power ye 'ave. Ye can start by tellin' me what ye know about them creatures that attacked on the waterfront, an why th' other men who got raked by 'em froze solid, but ye didn't." It was obviously a great effort for the elf to even speak, but after a short pause Doanthalas did speak, "power... is... not... not... tis a curse. Bestowed upon... me... by those of the... flaming black... hearts. To me the... sun... flower does not kill, but... it does burn... and in exchange for... my life... my life... nectar flows freely... from..." The elf managed to feebly indicate one of his many fiendish looking tattoos. "The... creatures... ghouls... dead men walking... hungering for the... life nectar... and... flesh they lack. The foul touch of their... tainted flesh... causes men to take root as the oak. My... people have... always been... immune to the foul... touch of... the ghoul. Why? I know not. It just... is... as the sun is... so is this..." That said the elf laid his head back and closed his eyes for a moment. "Sir, I can vouch for elves being more resistant to magic that warps a man's mind or makes him sleep, but that's as far as I know." The half-elf cast a worried look in Doanthalas' direction. "Sir. He's in bad shape. I've got a little something I learned from an elf a while back that should help him." Red Jack looked at Arzeal and nodded, "Okay. Do what ye need. I'll be needin' im healthy and soon. Go now! Doanthalas, I don't know if I can believe ye about th' undead 'r at all anymore since ye held out on me, an yer in deep w' the men's superstitions. Fer now yer the best source o' information we got, so I'll have ta take what ye say as true whether I like it or not. If bein' impervious ta flame ain't an elven characteristic, then I want ye ta fill me in on where ye came by it 'an any other powers ye been hidin', understand?" The elf's body shivered for a few moments before Doanthalas regained his composure and continued. "Countless seasons ago... I and... my... brother lived amongts our... people. Here. One sun cycle we... were gathering... herbs for our parents when... when we were surrounded... by a radiant... pool of magical waters. The forest... seemed to fade like the light... as dusk approaches. The earth mother had... lost all color. All was grey. The sky... the earth mother...everything. Except my brother, me... and... and one of the flaming dark hearted. I believe... you word... for them... is...Dee-mahn... or Fiend. My... brother..." Doanthalas paused as a lump caught in his throat. "My brother... my elder... tried to bargain with... the dar... feend... so that we might return home... we were lost... later we would... discover... just how lost we... were." "Ya mean ta tell me ye were captured by DEMONS!?!?!? I find that a little hard ta swallow." The captain said with a snicker. Most of those assembled nodded their heads in agreement thinking this to be some sort of elaborate fairy tale. Doanthalas waited for the gathered pirates to scoff for a bit before he began speaking. The words that the elf produced were horrible to hear and left a sickening feeling in the stomach of those assembled. Images flooded into the minds of the pirates. Images so horrible that many of them covered their ears and shrank back fearing the elf was attempting to cast some sort of evil spell. The tattooed elf stopped and let the pirates compose themselves. "I... just spake to you... in their tongue... the wicked tongue of the Dee- mons. It is a horrible... tongue that no... mortal should... ever hear... much less learn... I have done both... be grateful that... you only had to... hear it. Your nightmares will be strong, but... nothing like..." Doanthalas shook his head and continued his story, "The feend... my brother thought he... could trick him into... helping us... but that was just... youth... ful... arrogance. We both paid for it... in the end..." Doanthalas paused as horrible images came flooding back into his mind. Images of rivers of blood and towers built out of the broken living bodies of countless races. He saw their tormented faces as they screamed in agony and begged for a quick and merciful death. He felt their flesh on his feet; their feeble struggles to achieve freedom. More and more dreadful images assaulted him, but he fought against them and pushed them to the dark recesses of his mind. He did not know how to make them understand how to adequately describe what he had been through. What they had heard of the fiend's language gave them a little insight, but nothing more. He swallowed hard and continued, "We were held... captives by the dark ones for... many seasons. They tortured us... and forced us to... fight in their... vile... war. They... 'gave'... me these tattoos so that... I might survive...in a few... of their... hostile environments. But they also made... sure... there was... a... a... price. Though my flesh does... not melt... I still feel... the pain. I still pay the... price... in blood. My blood. I would gladly embrace...death... rather than endure... this. That was... how... I acquired... my... 'powers'." Doanthalas decided that he had told the captain enough. Besides he did not want to relive any more of his experiences at the hands of the fiends that night. All he wanted was sleep. He was so weak from the loss of blood that he could barely move. "Tanight we got attacked by things that look like shadows an are nearly invisible. Tell me what ye know about 'em." "They... are shadows. They... feed off... of your life... spirit... soul... yes. I believe... that to be... the correct word. They are weakest in bright light... and strongest in the... darkness from whence... they came. That is... all that I know... about... shadows." "All right, put Doanthalas back out on th' steak. That's probably the safest place for 'im w' th' men as riled as they are by now." "Hock, what's been goin' on out there?" The arms master looked as though he'd aged a couple of years in the last couple of hours. "Well sir, first it was shadows. They took out the central guard post and half of the one on the Southwest. When they attacked the men in camp, they seemed to like to hit and run. I've never seen the men so terrified, sir, and we lost a few even though we used the torches and the fires and flailing around with weapons once I managed to get the men organized." "Just a little later during that mayhem a dozen skeletons came from the Southeast, routing the guard post. When the skeletons got here, some of the men ran. I wouldn't count on ever seeing 'em again. I got the lion's share of 'em ta stand an' fight by yellin' myself hoarse. Pike and a squad of men that had been moving supplies in from the waterfront ran ta bolster my forces, then all hell broke loose when we saw what was following 'em - forty more bags of bones wet from bein' in the water were followin' them." "The men were stunned, sir, Pike turned back the way he'd come, stepped forward a few paces with that battle axe o' his an' that old club he brought back from the scoutin' mission. He screamed bloody murder an' lit into 'em. They practically exploded when 'e hit. Not ta be outdone, Brackston lit into 'em with a broadsword an a Roman shield. I previously had the men arm up, an' many o' em' had been usin' shields tryin' ta keep the shadows off em. I just started yellin' again, "Shield bash an' strike! Shield bash and strike!" "Th' men were terrified, at first it were a rout, but as soon as some of em' saw Pike annihilatin' skeletons like there was no tomorrow an heard me yellin those familar orders I drum into 'em in basic, fewer of 'em ran an' we stopped givin' ground. The tide turned and we beat those skeletons ta bones. We got more wounded than I can count. Leach Kennon's goin' crazy an we got plenty o' dead too sir, we'll have ta pick em' up an' burn em so's they don't get up on their own," Hock grimaced. "Arzeal?" "I was keeping an eye out for Pike's men moving essential supplies up from the waterfront. It's only fifty paces, but we were tightening the camp up. One thing you should know, sir. I haven't told anyone because there wasn't a thing any of us could do about it. Every boat you own is sunk in the cove." The officers drew a collective gasp. "Ghouls from under water, I expect, sir," Arzeal said. "There wasn't a thing we could do about it. At best maybe the rowboats and the fishing boat are okay, they were pulled up on shore." "Me ships." The captain's face and ears went red and anger leaked out of his every pore. "Pike, carry me table just outside, plant a couple o' torches next to it and assemble the men in front o' the tent." Pike left to get things ready, then came in and whispered something in the captain's ear. As the men were assembling for the captain's speech Rapina's determination paid off. "Sir, look at this. She handed an old crusty holy book to the captain and pointed to a passage." Jack took the book and red aloud, "The touch o' th' ghoul or barrow fiend freezes a man's mind an' muscles w' supernatural fear. Only th' wisest an' most courageous men can resist. The touch o' the barrow fiend is a supreme test o' a priest's faith. Those who resist magical influence on th' mind, such as wise men an' th' elves o' the forest are like ta resist the paralyzin'' touch o' the ghoul. Ghouls inhabit graveyards where they tunnel to feast on the flesh of the dead. When possible, they also feast on the living." "I found a reference to shadows, sir," Logan added. "It doesn't say much we don't already know from Doanthalas and the battle, but it does say if ye loose all yer strength, yer body decomposes inta dark vapors and reforms as a shadow. If I hadn't seen 'em with me own eyes, I'd think this book was tellin' tales taller than a tower, but I'll bet this tail is true." Red Jack nodded, "Aye then, Rapina, ye've proven Doanthalas right on one count. Bein' an elf is likely why 'e didn't freeze up. That cuts th' charges again' him in half. Seems like I'm about ready ta talk ta th' men. Keep up th' good work. We need every scrap o' knowledge we can get on th' undeads, an' we don't have much time ta get it. I know in me heart that elf had nothin' ta do w' th' works o' th' undead. This ain't random conjuration 'r consortin' with demons, this is low down, cut throat military-grade strategy." With that, the captain shoed everyone out ahead of him and stepped out the flap to make his speech. "Rumors an' superstitions 'ave been flyin' aroun' this camp like stones in a hail storm. Grown men 'ave been shakin' in their boots an' peein' their pants like kids because they were afraid o' a stupid damn elf. Well now ye got somethin' *real* ta be afraid of, an' it ain't no elf!" "Remember Cudge an' Blade. Brackston caught th' elf hangin' over Cudge's body, an jumped to a few conclusions, but me an' Skitch weren't so sure the elf had eaten th' meat off two big men an left only one o' their skeletons behind. It was easy ta see somethin' dragged the other body off. Ye want ta know what happened to it, what happened ta yer friend Blade? I'll show ye what happened to 'im." The captain dumped the animated arms and skull of Blade onto his table, then scooped up the scull and held it from the back so the men could see its teeth gnashing. The arms crawled towards the captain on their fingers but the captain kept moving and forcing them to change directions." "I bet yer all wonderin' why Pike is so damned good at fighting skeletons. 'Cause practice makes perfect! They tracked Blade's missin' body yesterday. It wasn't hard 'cause the ghouls that got 'im left a trail 'o blood. Ghouls, you know, them creatures that froze a number of ye like statues. They're undead, they hang around haunted graveyards, an yesterday I found out the whole damn Southeast o' this island is a big fuckin' graveyard." "Whoever got Blade's skeleton here made it walk. An how much do ye want ta bet we might be seein' Kent an' some o' the other men we lost this night again real soon? I'll bet some o' the men from the guard posts were givin' ye chills an' drainin' yer strength last night, because a man that gets killed by a shadow, turns into a shadow. Just by havin' the ill luck of choosin' this isle ta camp on, we've given its lord plenty o' fodder ta swell 'is armies. Why am I so sure this isle has a lord? Is it the fact that on this isle there are mausoleum caves carved out o' the granite and adorned with runes and equipped with traps? That might o' had a bit ta do w' it." "I'll tell ye why I know this isle ain't run by a bunch o' these ol' bone heads or a kid elf w' enchanted tattoos. The captain pointed at the gnashing skull and Doanthalis in turn. "'Night before this last one, some ghouls bumped into a guard post, Two men were no problem for ghouls, just a light snack. Doanthalas here was bein watched, but 'them that were watchin' 'im didn't look at 'im fer a second an 'e was gone, so they ran fer Brackston ta track 'im." "Doanthalas heard the damn ghouls eatin' my men -ghouls do that, drag ye off an eat ye. The wild elf tracked 'em, an got in a hell of a lot o' trouble for it from bloody Brackston. He didn't know shit about this island, an' everyone knows he don't like th' elf. But those ghouls, they brought a body an' a little news ta their master, an th' next night what happened?" "I'll tell ye what happened, a doubled Southeast guard vanished with only one scream that could be heard from camp, and then the pack o' shadows that killed 'em did somethin' awful damn intelligent for a collection o' dark vapors. They came back through the camp, snackin' a bit on Logan but not botherin' another soul, an then when he stepped into my tent ta tell me what was goin' on, they all jumped on me - a surgical strike, couldn't a planned it better meself." It's a cinch me an' Logan were dead 'cept I invited are favorite wench ta me bed that night. She has that mage light o' hers, and when I doubled over w' chills, she turned it on straight away ta see why 'er captain was actin' so strange. Well, in good light it was obvious -shadows. Bein' able ta see 'em, was nice, but they 'ad already drained most o' me strength, an Logan's. We fought 'em, an while they were drainin' us silly, Rapina killed em, even shielded each o' us near the end there w' her body. Could' a easily got 'erself killed. By all rights, I should be dead right now 'an so should Logan." "At th' same time the lord o' the isle sent a ghoul attack ta distract you men from th' fact that shadows was killin' me an' Logan -nice little diversion. Was that effective 'er what? Without, the damned 'demon' elf, and the damned half elf an' his damned special fire arrows, them ghouls woulda stacked you men up like cord wood an' hauled ye off ta the ghoul farm. Ye better open yer eyes and think about how yer treatin' them that saved all o' yer miserable lives, stead o' worryin' about them elven differences that make ye feel uncomfortable. Without them differences, a dozen 'er two o' ye'd be corpses." "'An if that wasn't enough, when th' enemy's troops weren't quite as effective as they should 'ave been 'cause o' a wench an a couple o' elves, th' lord o' th' isle had a fuckin' back-up plan. Fifty skeletons! 'An what 'appened? It was a rout, men ran like scared children. Me mistress Rapina did bettern' that when a score o' skeleton's attacked the scoutin' party. An ye know we'll be seein' the men who ran again, they'll be walkin' an' fightin' but they won't be alive, now will they?" "I know what yer thinkin'. Yer thinkin', "Are you daft, Red Jack? We'll never see those goddamned men again 'cause we're gettin' the hell off this isle quicker than ye can light a fire under us." Ye're forgettin' one thing. The lord o' this isle is one hell o' a fine general, an 'is troops don't need ta breath. They're dead! Stayin' under water ain't a problem fer them. The captain pointed to the waterfront. It was still too dark to tell much, but that was rapidly changing." "Every fuckin' ship in me fleet is sunk in that cove!" The men blanched. "We got a couple choices. We can put are tails between are legs an' make some rafts 'an see if any 'o the smaller boats are seaworthy 'an try ta get off this isle before night falls. In that case we will be hopin' beyond hope that the lord o' the isle doesn't send a party ta wipe us out on the shore." "That or we can fortify the hell out of some ground an hole up tanight." "Either way, if any o' ye are brave enough, ye can form a party ta try ta root the devil pullin' the strings on these undeads out o' his catacombs an' cut the head off his army o' undead before 'e has time ta stage another brilliant attack tanight." "Regardless, If we don't best the lord o' the isle we forfeit are ships. Right now, my guess is they've got a few holes stove in 'em so they'd sink. We'd have ta build us a make-shift dry dock, but we could fix 'em if we can tame th' isle." Whether the rest o' us go or stay, if any of ye are goin' after th' general who routed us last night, ye'll need ta be packin' up an startin' off soon. I don't need ta tell ye this mission is goin' ta be dangerous. Th' best I can do is appeal ta yer greed. Men who go can split half the booty among 'em, er ask me fer a really big boon in exchange fer their share. A boon like forgettin' about them not tellin' me about their magical skin, fer instance. The captain glared at Doanthalas. Volunteers, form up w' Pike, 'e's yer leader. [Rapina]014 The Noble Jaws of Death The giant Norse man stood off to one side. There was a hesitation in the crowd. The captain's speech had set the record straight, but the men had the hollow look of terror written all over their faces. They were trapped on the isle of the dead, and they'd already had a taste of its bitter medicine. Brackston was the first in the crowd to stand and walk to Pike's side. I'd sooner die makin' a difference than cowerin' behind th' wall of a fort." The diminutive pirate approached the Norse giant, "Could be ye'll need a man who can climb inta tight spots an' handle locks an' mechanisms. "Could be," Pike smiled. The elf was feeling much better after partaking of the elven mixture Arzeal had prepared for him. Though still very weak he could at least stand up by himself. Doanthalas stood fighting off a wave of dizziness and spoke, "I will go." "You might need someone who can read runes," Rapina said. "That proved handy last time," Pike grinned. "I'm in too. I have to...for Kent..." Drake said. Edgar stepped forward and cast a meaningful look at Drake, "Hell. Ya'll know that I'm always up for kickin' ass." Several other pirates including Trevor stepped forward to reserve their place in the assault party. When all the members were assembled they were hastily outfitted with provisions and equipment enough to last half a week on the trail, and torches for caverns and tunnels. Some of the men also carried ropes, grappling hooks and spikes for climbing. As soon as the first hint of light appeared on the horizon the assault party led by Doanthalas headed off towards the caverns of the dead. While the others were getting ready, Rapina stole an intimate moment in a supply tent with Beck, Jake, and Jonas. All of them knew this might be their last time, and they were happy to be doing something life- affirming, if only for a few precious moments. For her part, Rapina felt a little bad taking as much from them as she did, but she was careful to go to the men she knew had iron constitutions. Rapina left the tent fully healed with a little something to fall back on. She gave the quite appreciable amount that remained of the captain's potent healing potion to Pike. He had seen two battles in the last twenty-four hours, and even as skilled as he was, he had not escaped battle without wounds. Every step was sheer agony for the elf. He was still weak from the loss of so much blood, but able to carry on because of Arzeal's elven elixir. Where Arzeal learned how to prepare it he didn't know. He'd have to ask the half-elf if they survived. Elixirs like that were closely guarded secrets of the elven people. Doanthalas was glad that Arzeal knew how though, it had saved the elf the trouble of making it himself. Doanthalas leaned heavily on his walking stick for most of the way. Pike had to help him scale the cliffs to reach the cavern. Eventually they arrived at the entrance. Sitting down on a rock the Elf glanced at the party. He saw Rapina advance along with Drake, Grom, Edgar and Yanosh. This time, Rapina made sure she made it to the cave first, and recited a prayer to Mortaebius, god of the dead. Then she opened the gate and let the warriors in to check the place out. The first room was as they had left it. Buck and Rage wedged stout timbers in the first doorway as Rapina took a deep breath, crossed the room and pressed the studs on the pentagram carved in the wall as if signing the sign of man. When she pushed the last stud, the inner-door slab groaned and slid upwards. Buck and Rage rushed forward to set timbers in the new door. As the inner door slid open the party was assaulted by a quick rush of air strong with the smell of decay. The faint outline of a statue was barely visible towards the front of the room. Outside in the sunlight, a pirate named Rebel stood guarding the timbers set in the first doorway while the others gained access to the hall of eminence. He heard a sound like a few stones rolling off a burial mound, but the outcropping of rock in front of the doorway to the mausoleum cave blocked his vision. He stepped out to get a look. He saw a pirate who'd run during the battle with the fifty skeletons last night. Brad! The pirate hissed and a long tongue came out of his mouth. One scratch from the new ghoul and Rebel froze. From nearby mounds, two more ghouls cowled in dark robes, emerged and followed Brad into the tomb. Brad cut Rebel's throat with a claw as the other two ghouls quietly removed the timbers from the doorway. Meanwhile, the pirates advanced into the room with the statue, and took out a few more torches. Rapina entered behind most of the men, her mage-light illuminating the front of the statue. "It's Mortaebius, god of the dead, Rapina said." Ah, so what, it's 'is gold I want, not 'is name. The mean yellow dog sniffed the air and growled. Rapina blinked. She could swear she saw the statue's eyes move, but now they seemed to be staring straight ahead, right at her. "I could swear I saw the statue's eyes move," Rapina said. "Look mates, that statue's robe is buttoned an' chased w' real gold an' is ring is set w' a ruby! Flint whipped out a chisel and went to pry. "Defilers!" The statue of Mortaebius shouted. Somewhere on the other side of the room doors opened and skeletons began pouring out. "Retreat back past the doorway to the first room!" Pike said running for the doorway. "They die easy if only one or two can come at ye abreast!" Pike ran back into the first room and took up a position just inside next to the doorway. Brackston slipped to the other side as he ran in and prepared to slaughter the bone-brains. The other pirates ran between their mates, trying to get back into the first room before the skeletons from the second reached them. A loud rumbling could be heard coming from the entrance to the outdoors. By this time, most of the pirates were back in the first chamber or running through the doorway. On the other side of the hall of the dead a slab slid over the entrance cutting the shaft of sunlight leaking in to nothing. Three ghouls charged towards the pirates hissing. "Aye Doanthalas! We got ghouls back here by th' entrance," Skitch hollered. Doanthalas ran through the door from the room with the statue. The elf shouted as he fished through his pouch for the flasks of oil he had brought. "Spearmen, Doanthalas, back there on the double," Pike ordered. After reentering the entry chamber, Rapina had made her way to the Southeast corner. She had been looking at the statue and had been one of the first to retreat as Pike ordered. She realized that, previously, weight in the top coffin-tunnel had opened the door. Rapina hastened to climb up into the tunnel to see if she could reopen the entrance. The last pirate ran through the doorway from the statue room. "Brace up Brackston, here comes a flood 'o bones, an look what's behind 'em. Our own walkin' dead! Brackston growled as he realized that the zombies were all pirates he once knew. Some of the bodies from last night's battle had evidently been spirited off just before dawn. The skeletons advanced but exploded to pieces as they were hit by Pike's mighty ax and club from one side, and the sword and club of bloody Brackston from the other. "Demolition! We got 'em licked, Pike!" Rapina scowled, her weight was no longer triggering the reopening of the entrance. Somehow, the mechanism had been jammed elsewhere. Doanthalas found the flask of oil he was looking for and stuffed an oil soaked rag in the end of it. He lit it on one of the remaining torches and hurled it into the oncoming group of ghouls. The flames were spectacular as the ghoul Doanthalas nailed burst into flames and the others flanking him suffered from splashes of burning oil. Doanthalas fought with every ounce of strength that he still possessed, hacking at the head of the ghoul on his right as Vanosh and George attempted to hold the flaming ghoul at bay with spears. Edgar ducked the ghoul's claws and simultaneously launched a leg-breaking kick at the creature's knee. As it staggered backwards Edgar opened the creature's guts with his sword. Brad, the flaming ghoul spun his way between the two spears, nicked Yanosh's chin, and poked George in the eye. Both men froze in magical terror. Still flaming from Doanthalas' oil Brad jumped on the elf who had just decapitated the ghoul next to him. If he was to be destroyed by fire, he would take his destroyer with him. Rapina was climbing back down from the upper coffin tunnel in the Southeast corner of the room when she heard Pike bellow to Brackston as they fought at the doorway to the statue room, or the "Hall of Eminence," to quote the runes on the wall. "What the hell? Back Brackston, It's a ghoulified Kent, an' he's swingin' a cresset full o' burnin' oil!" Pike bellowed. Brackston shattered a skeleton and jumped back as the cresset arced over the heads of the skeletons and zombies bunched around the doorway and flew through it into the entry room. Rapina saw the cresset from the corner of her eye as she watched the flaming ghoul jump on Doanthalas and knock the both of them into the path of the flaming cresset. There was a clang as the cresset deflected off the ghoul's shoulder and showered the pair of combatants with burning oil. Trevor skewered the remaining ghoul through the eye with a spear as it fell from Edgar's kick. Edgar swung his sword chopping into the ghoul's chest, laughing mightily. "That wasn't so hard. Fear is the ghoul's real weapon. Get past that an' they're nothin'" Rapina felt a tingling up her spine, and then she heard deep laughter coming from the statue in the other room. Suddenly the conflagration that had enveloped Doanthalas and the ghoul blackened as a cloud of choking black smoke billowed forth from it. In seconds the room was filled with smoke and half-blind coughing pirates. The smoke just kept getting thicker. Whoever had sprung this trap knew how Pike and the scouting party had retreated into the narrow entryway to defeat the skeletons before, and knew that Pike would retreat beyond the doorway to use that trick again. Now the entry room was filling with smoke fast. It was already so choking it made speech difficult for the coughing and filled the eyes with tears. Into the statue room! Pike surged through the oncoming skeletons, weapons cutting a swath of destruction before him. The Norse giant swung steel and wood like a maniac for a second before he suddenly hit flesh - the zombies; they were not so easily destroyed. They were the cork on the bottle. No doubt they had been instructed to remove any obstructions in the doorway as well. Pike wasn't about to let them get near it. "Defend a path out ta the left o' the door, concentrate our forces. Brackston, cover me right flank, we have ta hold the doorway and keep these monsters from removing the timbers before we're ready. Bloody Brackston sprung through the door and fought beside the Norseman. Thumper tore chunks of meat off the zombies as he helped his master. The tiny pirate was one of the first to race through the door. He dodged and wormed his way around, through and between the legs of the zombies. Once through, he got to the statue in a hurry. Originally he had brought the hammer and chisels in case he had bad luck with a lock or needed to place a piton. Now he hopped up on the pedestal and the statue's feet, stood on his tip-toes, put the chisel to the statue's eye and slammed it with the hammer. The wily pirate heard a startled yelp when the chisel struck the socket, but he did not know if he had driven it in hard or fast enough to kill who or whatever was hiding inside. "Sound off as ya get through the door!" Pike ordered. "I need to know when we're all in here. Rapina stay by the opening studs an' give me a hand with the count!" the Norseman bellowed. One by one the pirates called out their names: Brackston, Skitch, Trevor, Grom, Flint, Gape, Henry, Buck, Rage, Edgar, Drake and Rapina. "That's all of us but Doanthalas, Pike. The others are paralyzed or worse!" Rapina hollered. "One last good flurry friend and we step aside and hope they remove the timbers for us." Pike said to Brackston. Brackston pushed himself to the limits, then stepped aside as he heard Pike yell. "Timbers away. Nothin' we can do for Doanthalas, he's part o' the fire," Pike ordered. With tears in her eyes from more than the smoke, Rapina fought her way along the left wall of the statue room though the press of zombies. Luckily, Pike was right next to her. The stupid zombies, followed their instructions to the letter. While a few of them continued into the entry chamber, a couple of others pulled the timbers from the doorway into the hall of eminence. They capped their trap even though only three living pirates -Doanthalas, and the paralyzed pirates Venosh and George, remained within the entry chamber. The door slab slammed into place. The cork was on the bottle, but most of the grasshoppers had sprung. The pirates fought a fast and furious battle with heavy losses, for they had thrown caution to the wind. They fought half-blind using every ounce of their strength to get by the zombies who had tried to cage them in the room of smoke. Grom was the first to fall followed by Flint and Henry. To his credit Trevor fought bravely and took many zombies and skeletons with him before succumbing to their onslaught. "Back against the left wall, and keep that steel moving! Hurry, if we can get into the room where some of the skeletons came from, we'll have areselves another doorway an' this one likely not a trap! The party was able to make it to the door with few lost. Because of an altercation with a particularly tenacious zombie, Drake and Edgar were the last two to reach the door. As Drake turned to see if Edgar was coming he froze. Standing directly behind Edgar was Kent. Or the bloated and drowned body of what used to be their friend Kent. Edgar had an odd pained look on his face. When he didn't rush for the door it became obvious to Drake that his friend was paralyzed. A sick feeling washed over him as he watched the Kent-ghoul traced a line across Edgar's neck with a claw. The light in Edgar's eyes faded just as quickly as the blood flowed from the fresh wound in his neck. Drake stood paralyzed, not by the touch of the ghoul, but by grief for two friends lost. The screams of Doanthalas did nothing to alleviate this feeling. in fact Drake was really beginning to understand what true fear was for the first time in his life... Tears flowed from Rapina's eyes as she tugged Drake through the doorway. Pike and Brackston were standing on either side of it ready to demolish the first zombie to try to breach the opening. [Click here for a sketch of the tomb. The entry chamber is the same room in which the scouting party first met and fought skeletons, but the side/coffin- tunnels are not pictured.] The room the pirates entered was some sort of family mausoleum. It was richly decorated. Tapestries adorned the walls and six suits of bronze plate mail equipped with halberds or two-handed swords stood around the periphery of the room on small stone pedestals. On the west side of the room were two stone sarcophagi, each had a lid with a relief sculpture of the way the occupant had looked in life. The corners and trim of the sarcophagi were solid gold, and the likenesses were chased with gold leaf. Bronze candelabras adorned the walls. On the East wall were many bronze plaques, some with lettering on them. On the South wall was a large coat of arms with a plaque beneath it. Parts of the coat of arms were studded with gems. "Nobody move, This looks to be some noble family mausoleum. I know ye see some booty around ye, don't touch it till we kill our enemies. That's the way Backster set off a trap in that first room. Buck, Drake, help me an' Brackston at the doorway here, we still got plenty o' customers, just that this time we got 'em one at a time through the doorway. Rest of you Cluster aroun' Rapina and keep an eye out 'case of shadows. Rapina, patch wounds while we got the time," Pike ordered. Rapina worked as rapidly as she could, and by the time Pike and his warriors were through demolishing the last zombie, Rapina had patched the wounds of the other warriors. "All right, lets check this room out. The zombies and skeletons that came from this room and the one next door had to have gotten in here somehow. Could be they came from somewhere else, or it could be there is a secret exit out of one of these back rooms. Rapina began to read the various plaques. The ones on the east wall were probably entrances to coffin-sized side tunnels wherein corpses were stored. The plaque on the Southern end of the room talked about the noble deeds and lineage of the baronial family whose remains rested within the room. As the men started opening the plaques on the east wall, Rapina looked at the sarcophagus in the Southwest area of the room. The carving on the lid depicted a woman. Rapina looked at the runes on carving. "This was the first baroness of the family Le-" Rapina's line was cut off in mid stream. The lid of the sarcophagus suddenly hinged open. Inside were the skeletal remains of a woman, and laying next to her was Kent, who tossed the dead baroness' golden ring into the room as a part of the motion of grabbing Rapina just below the breasts and pulling her into the sarcophogus. Rapina had hardly managed a startled screech when Kent's claws pierced her tunic and a hideous paralyzing fear surged through her body, stiffening every muscle. Drake felt a ring bounce off his back. The six suits of armor standing around the room suddenly raised their weapons as the brainless minds of the skeletons within them perceived treasure, in the form of the Baroness' ring, being removed from the room's deceased occupants. Each swung its sword or halberd at the nearest pirate. Once he pulled Rapina into the sarcophagus, the goulish Kent activated the lid-closing mechanism with one foot, while he activated the mechanism that lowered the panel in the East side of the sarcophagus with the other. The sarcophagus only seemed to be separate from the wall, it was actually attached to it. Kent rolled Rapina and himself Eastward as the East wall of the coffin slid into the floor. Once in the area within the room's East wall, Kent pushed a stud with his finger. The East wall of the sarcophagus lifted back into place and the stone beneath him and Rapina tilted. Down they slid. At the bottom of the short slide, Kent pulled a lever and the slide hinged back up. The ghoul then opened a door and ran out of the room for a few minutes. He returned, hoisted Rapina off the floor and carried her across the small room at the base of the slide to a door. He opened the door and carried her into a narrow, low-ceilinged passageway that went North and South. Kent closed the door and shot home a bolt, then took a few large reaching steps Southward. He carried Rapina South up a very long flight of stairs to a room. In one corner of the room three shadows cowered, disliking Rapina's mage-light. The room also contained a few skeletons and several chests. Two of the skeletons bore a litter. Kent placed Rapina on the litter then opened one of the chests. He took some granite-colored grey robes with a heavy hood and a black lining from the chest and put them on. The litter-bearing skeletons were dressed in identical attire. Kent then left though a doorway in the other side of the room that led to another staircase up. The two skeletons followed carrying Rapina between them. Kent pushed open a trapdoor at the top of the staircase and cringed as the light hit his robes. The daylight stung Kent's eyes and made him feel weak in spite of the protective cowl. The ghoul struggled along a trail that ran atop the granite cliffs into which the tomb was carved. The ghoul and his entourage fled south and followed the curve of the island's cliff top as it went gradually Southwestward. The path was well concealed from watchers in the interior of the isle, for it usually ran through the lowest area in the center of the cliff so that there was stone between watchers from the water or land and the path. At first Rapina could do nothing but be afraid, but after a while she struggled to get a hold of her mind. If Kent was going to kill her, she reasoned, he would have done it by now. She was not sure where he was taking her, but it seemed likely that she would soon be meeting the chief of the undeads. Rapina supposed it could be some even more horrible undead monster, but clung to the hope that it would be a living priest or magician - a necromancer. Kent struggled through the sunlight for what seemed like ages. About every quarter hour he scratched Rapina in the arm with a claw. The walk was a mile and a half. It was nearly an hour before it took him along the base of some even higher cliffs that towered above the cliffs he was on and the rest of the isle. Just when she thought things were getting a little better, Kent jumped on the litter with her. "Go that way," Kent rasped and pointed for the bone- headed skeletons, then he squirmed around on top of Rapina and licked her face with his hideous long tongue. The breath stuck in her throat, Rapina was terrified but she couldn't scream. Kent smelled dead, he even looked dead. She could not move a muscle, but she wanted to escape in the worst way. Kent directed the skeletons into a hidden fissure in the Southern rock face. He jumped off the litter about ten feet into the fissure. The narrow crack led downward and eventually forked Kent stopped the skeletons then walked into the fork on the left. Rapina briefly heard the grinding of stone on stone such as a hidden door might make and Kent was gone for close to fifteen minutes. When he returned he jumped back on the litter with Rapina and directed the skeletons to proceed down the other fork of the fissure. It opened up into a much wider fissure - a canyon some fifteen to twenty-five feet in breadth. Daylight was visible far above, but the ghoul felt better because the deep canyon afforded much shadow. The skeletons carried Kent and Rapina South along the canyon floor. As time went by Rapina had to force herself to keep her eyes open so she had some idea of where she was being taken. She was a woman, an oddity among pirates. Perhaps she was being captured because the lord of the isle felt she was at least as much a victim as a collaborator, having been abducted by the pirates, or perhaps he was just hungry for female companionship. Rapina shuddered, if the necromancer was undead, she might just be a dainty meal. She would have to try to keep her wits about her in spite of her terror. The skeletons zigzagged along with the canyon in a generally southerly direction. When they reached an area familiar to the ghoul, Kent reached down off the litter, took up a large rock from the canyon floor and directed the skeletons to the cliff edge where he bashed the rock against the stone wall. Had he not known exactly where he was, the ghoul would not have known what to do. Even the ghoul could see no difference about the walls of the canyon from his vantagepoint at its bottom. From Some sixty feet above him hidden from view by a natural outcropping in the wall of the canyon, a boom swung out. On the boom was a large wicker cage. The cage was lowered. Kent opened a door in the cage and led the skeletons bearing the litter inside. Kent closed the door and struck a cowbell attached to the inside of the cage, with a metal rod dangling from a chain. The cage began to rise quite rapidly. When the cage struck the boom, it was swung inwards and the cage was lowered a foot or two to rest on the floor of a room cut into the face of the granite cliff. One wall was open to the canyon but the room was invisible from below because of the narrowness of the canyon, a natural outcropping just below where the room was carved into the cliff face, and the height the room was above the canyon floor. There was a slit-like window in the south wall of the room. Kent opened the cage door and led the skeletons out. A skeletal hand grasped Rapina's chin and turned her head from side to side. Rapina was so terrified she shut her eyes. She was sure the lord of the isle was undead, and she would soon be as well. "Excellent work, my servant," a smooth baritone voice spoke to Kent. Rapina opened her eyes. The face of a middle-aged man stared assessingly down at her. The man was neither hideous nor handsome. He was actually rather plain. High on his forehead was a bandage. Otherwise, he would not have looked out of place behind the counter of a library, but for the intense look in his dark eyes. Those eyes were the one thing that marked him as a man of great cunning and intellect. "You have a reward coming." The man Removed Rapina's bow and quiver, then undid Rapina's weapons belt and took it and her weapons from her. He hung her things on a skeleton that wore a steel breastplate and was clad in wax-boiled leather. The necromancer then removed the mage light from around her neck and raised an eyebrow as he placed it in a pouch on his belt. After that he frisked her, found the sheath knife on her calf and removed it. The necromancer spoke to Kent as he worked, "Although the battle did not go as well as planned, you played your part flawlessly and accomplished this extemporaneous task as well. I realize the daylight must have caused you great pain and weakness, but I have just the thing to replenish your strength for this evening. One of the pirates we captured has no tongue and is thus useless to me, yet I think you'll like him, he's a fat one." The necromancer commanded the skeletons to open the stout oak door in the East wall of the room, the one opposite the canyon. Two of the breast-plate wearing skeletons led the way and four others followed. After a short distance, the party came to a "T" intersection. The corridors were lit by an eerie red glow that emanated from large crystals that hung at intervals from the ceiling. "Take the girl to the door to my chambers and keep her there. You three guards, see that she does not try to wander off." The skeletons bore Rapina Northwards while Kent and the necromancer went in the other direction. Rapina thought about trying to escape. Had she not been paralyzed, she felt sure she could outrun the skeletons. Even if she could, where would she go, certainly not back to the cliffside room? There was no way down to one who could not control the wicker cage. Abruptly Rapina's muscles eased. She felt sore all over. She directed the bit of energy she had gleaned from her morning's tryst to her back and limbs. Suddenly she sprung from the litter and sprinted down the hallway to the South. It took a second for the skeletons to react, but Rapina heard the rasp of steel as the skeletons drew swords and clattered after her. They were fast, astonishingly so, but Rapina was terrified and had a head start. Doors punctuated the hallway at intervals. Rapina opened one and saw rough- hewn shelves with various armaments and equipment but no way out. She snatched a rusty broadsword and rushed down the hallway again. She passed several doors on her way down the hall. One, an iron door was just slightly ajar. She avoided that one and pulled on the door at the end of the hall. It would not open but she could see no lock! The three guard skeletons were already near her. Rapina jumped to the left and saw the skeletons veered to the left as they ran towards her. At the last minute, Rapina jumped right and sprinted. She felt the wind from a sword blade close to her neck as she passed the boney trio. The skeletons were astonishingly fast. She already felt winded. In desperation Rapina ran to the iron door, opened it, jumped in and slammed it as the impacts of three sword blades rang off the other side of the door. Rapina saw a keyhole but no bolt on her side of the door. Remembering how light the skeletons in the mausoleum cavern had been, Rapina braced herself against the door. There was a second identical door ten feet East beyond the one she held, but she was sure that the skeletons would just keep bashing the door with their swords forever. She was wrong. Something started pushing on the door. The force doubled and Rapina made a dash for the next door. She slammed that one shut as well. She found herself in some sort of guardroom with a stout table and four chairs. She could reach one of the chairs with her foot. She snagged it and used it to wedge the door shut. There was a ring of three keys hanging on a peg on the other side of the room. Rapina dashed for it, grabbed it and got back in time to keep the chair from slipping away from the door because of the force being applied to the other side. Rapina tried all three of the keys in the lock but none of them worked. On the other side of the room was another door. This one had a barred window. Rapina ran for it, snagging another chair on her way by the table. She had the third door shut and wedged before the last door grated open. Rapina tried the shorter of the three keys on the ring and the lock turned. The door Rapina had just locked was at the head of a hallway. There were six other doors leading off the hallway, three on the right side, and three on the left. The door to the cell on the right near the hall's other end was ajar. Rapina looked through the barred window of the nearest cell on the left. Inside shackled to the wall was Jonas. "Jonas?," Rapina asked. Jonas looked up. "Rapina? How in hell did you get here?" "I got paralyzed by Kent. He's a ghoul. How about you?" "There were some skeletons stained black; they were collecting the dead bodies and the ghouls were collecting the living. I spooked when those skeletons attacked us and before I knew it, some ghoul jumped out of nowhere. It dragged me to a black litter borne by skeletons and I was brought here. What happened to the others?" "Pike and Hock rallied the troops and they fought off the skeletons. I'm not sure what they're doing now, either fortifying and staying or trying to raft out, one or the other." "Quick, get me out of here, maybe we can free the others and escape." Rapina tried the next longer key and opened the cell door. "Lets skip the escape scene, shall we?" said the necromancer's voice. Rapina froze. At the end of the hall stood the necromancer, and next to him with blood all over his face, chest and grossly bloated belly was Kent, still chawing on a fat human leg. They had come out of the cell at the end of the hall on the right. Rapina nearly threw up as she realized that Kent had been eating Piggy, the mute cook that Rapina had worked for when she'd first joined Red Jack's crew. Now that she was standing, Rapina got a better look at the necromancer. He was about average height and build, only an inch or two taller than she was. He was partly bald, but had hair on the sides of his head. He was dressed in black robes with a black leather bandoleer crossing his chest from his left shoulder to his waist on the right. He wore several bone-handled daggers on his belt and the bandoleer held a dozen or so crude bone darts with metal spikes on both ends. "Drop the blade. Be reasonable, you have no chance to escape. There is only one way out of here and that is through those doors and the three guards. The necromancer chuckled, "You must be a fast runner or I'd be trying to piece your skeleton back together at this moment." Rapina tossed the keys through the partly opened door to Jonas and advanced towards the necromancer. The necromancer grinned. "Guards," he said. Three leather-clad breast-plated skeletons came out of the cell the necromancer and Kent had previously been in. "Surely you do not want to try to face these three. Have you not yet realized that these skeletons are superior to the others? The necromancer smiled. They are double-animated, once by the power of my magic, and once by the power of Mortaebius, god of the dead. They are stronger, faster, and a little bit smarter than the average skeleton." Rapina held her ground but eyed the skeletons now standing in front of Kent and the necromancer. "Surrender now and I will go easy on you, otherwise, you'll pay dearly. Shards, orbit her." The crude bone darts left the necromancer's bandoleer and flew down the hallway, orbiting Rapina at a distance of about three feet. Rapina shuddered. The bone parts of the darts were made of what Donal had named "singing bones," the ones that flew through the air. How could she hope to defeat flying bone spikes and three double-strength skeletons plus a wily ghoul and a necromancer? Rapina reluctantly layed down her rusty blade. "Retrieve the blade," the necromancer bid one of the skeletons. The skeleton snatched up the blade. Now, girl, stand back against the guard room door. Rapina backed up. "You two, the necromancer pointed to a couple of the skeletons, guard the girl. And you, open that cell door. Kent, I think the prisoner needs calming." Kent grinned and bounded into Jonas' cell. "Aaaaiigh! Jonas screamed. "Kent, put him back in the shackles and take the keys," the necromancer ordered. In a minute or two Kent came out of the cell and tossed the keys to the necromancer. "Very good, I will talk to you again this evening. Enjoy your meal." [Rapina]015 Death Battles The Living The pain was excruciating. Doanthalas could hardly breathe because of the smoke and his eyes were gunked up with ash and smoke and tears. Needles of pain shot through his back as the flames continued to burn. Soon the flames would die out; Doanthalas could feel the pain lessening by the moment. After the flames died out it would not be that long before he started bleeding. It was time to get to a safer place, and quickly too. The elf tried tearing off a piece of his clothes to wipe his eyes with, but his charred clothing just crumbled in his hands. There had to be something in the room somewhere he could use to wipe out his eyes with. Otherwise he'd have to fight through the remaining zombies and find a way out while still blind. He did not think he could do it. Not in his already weakened condition. The remaining ghoul and a few of the zombies had been reduced to walking torches. A few remained relatively unharmed. These few closed in on the prone form of Doanthalas. They were unaffected by the smoke and advanced steadily on the elf. Doanthalas' keen hearing picked up the sound of the zombie's shuffling feet approaching. It was getting harder to breathe and a fit of coughing seized the elf. At least nearer the floor the air wasn't as filled with smoke. A slight breeze blew across the elf's face. The fact that there was a breeze meant one thing: There was a way out. Doanthalas began crawling towards the breeze. He had to hurry. The fire was almost out and that meant that his time was almost up. The remains of his clothes crumbled to nothing as well as the other items he carried that were flammable. The elf's knee nudged something as he crawled. Reaching down his hand closed around the hilt of his sword. The blade scraped against the ground as he lifted it. The sound of shuffling feet was very close now. With great effort Doanthalas swung his sword. He felt it chop though something solid and then stop as it hit something else solid. There was a loud thump as something heavy hit the ground. One of the zombies lay on the floor struggling feebly to stand. The other paused its progress impeded by his fallen companion. Darkness had descended upon the room as the last of the fires burned themselves out. The zombies continued in their pursuit of their prey unaffected by the darkness. Their minds understood nothing other than their hunger for flesh...their thirst for blood. The scent was getting stronger. Their quarry was near. Bits of rotting flesh dropped off their arms as they reached out to feast. The sound of shuffling feet and something sharp scraping across the stones sounded very close behind him. Doanthalas blindly dragged himself towards the source of the breeze. If he could reach it he might be able to escape. Whatever he did, he would have to hurry. His strength was fading fast. Doanthalas' hand closed over a metal grate in the floor. It was small. Most likely, it was a drain. It had to lead somewhere. He hoped it was large enough for him to crawl through. Wiping his eyes with his grimy hand did little to improve his situation. The elf turned and tried to see through the sweat, blood, and grime that had found its way into his eyes. He was able to see very little, but did notice two still slightly warm forms moving in his direction. One was crawling and the other was walking. Clutching his sword the tattooed elf sat up and prepared to meet his foes. The zombies closed before Doanthalas could stand. They pressed their attack. The crawling zombie lost an arm right away. The other arm was next followed shortly by his head. Each time he swung his sword Doanthalas felt it slipping out of his hands. He adjusted his grip before turning to deal with the remaining zombie. This zombie had the advantage. It held the higher ground and did not tire. Doanthalas on the other hand was so weak that he could barely lift his sword. The sword went clattering to the floor after being easily batted away by the zombie. Things were getting worse by the second. Doanthalas' head began to swim. "I cannot die like this," he thought as he backed away from the advancing zombie. The smell of iron reached his nostrils. "Not now!" he thought as his hand slipped in the fresh blood that had begun to flow from his fiendish tattoos. Doanthalas crawled back as far as he could. He stopped with his back to the wall and the zombie practically on top of him. It seemed like it was to end there. Fortunately for Doanthalas the zombie slipped in some of his blood and went toppling to the floor. The sound of nails scraping the floor was audible through the darkness. He could not see the zombie anymore; the heat from the fire that had threatened to consume it had long since dissipated. It seemed like hours that the zombie lay there scraping at the floor. Doanthalas did not take time to ponder this turn of events. He just crawled around the floor until his hand closed over the hilt of another weapon. With every ounce of strength he could muster he crawled back towards the sound of scraping. Unable to comprehend its situation the zombie struggled to scrape the flesh off its victim. It could smell the blood, but could not seem to scrape the flesh off its bones. It struggled on fueled by its hunger. Doanthalas ended its struggles a few moments later as he dismembered piece by piece. The weapon clattered to the floor. Doanthalas did not have an ounce of strength left. He slumped to the ground and drifted off into unconsciousness. A cool breeze blew through his hair as the blood from his tattoos flowed through the grate in the floor. ----------- Pike scowled. His luck in battle had never been so sour. The day had not gone so badly at first, but now depression was settling on the Norseman's shoulders like the globe on the shoulders of Atlas. He had fought his way out of a diabolic trap loosing half his men only to have his favorite wench stolen and probably killed by a ghoulish Kent. The armored skeletons Kent triggered killed Buck and cost his party in both wounds and precious time. Skitch had figured out the secret door and slide in the sarcophagus, but that too had cost time. They had broken through the door in the room at the base of the slide and found the lower corridor. Thumper had led them North instead of South and that had cost time. The wily ghoul must have left a false trail. Skitch had found the ladder that led up into the hollow statue. After he had come down from there he found and quickly un-jammed the mechanisms for the stone doors in the rooms above, but that hadn't helped them find Rapina. They had gone North when they should have gone South. When they did go south, Pike had lost strength and sustained an annoying wound to his left shoulder. He had been too hasty about demolishing the four skeletons in the room at the top of the staircase and had not noticed the three shadows until after they started feeding on him and his men. Drake had sustained wounds and lost some strength to the shadows and so had Gape. Thumper had tracked the ghoul South along the cliff tops and along the base of some cliffs higher than the ones Pike and his men were walking on, but then the dog had inexplicably lost the trail. It cost more precious time before Rage found a hidden fissure. There Thumper had picked up the trail of the ghoul again. It led to a blank wall when the fissure forked. Skitch had correctly identified a secret door in the wall. The door led to a narrow, low-ceilinged staircase mined through the granite. The staircase twisted down and down endlessly before it and finally let out at a secret door in a warren of confusing tunnels. The tunnels went through the dirt of the valley Pike and his men had seen from high above on the cliffs near the entrance to the fissure. Thumper had started tracking in circles and the party had become hopelessly lost in the maze of tunnels. If anything, they were farther from finding Rapina than when she had first been abducted. "Pike, I hate ta say it, but we're lost an' wounded, 'an if Rapina ain't dead by now, then she's a prisoner o' the dark lord o' the isle. Thumper ain't doin' us a bit o' good, an' we can't go back ta where we were without startin' over at the tombs. My bid is that we jus' try ta find a way outa here before yer ghouls an' things start wakin' up." Pike glared at Brackston. "I hate it when yer right. Okay, lets try to find a tunnel that goes up." A few minutes later Rage called out "Hey, where's Gape, he was behind me just a minute ago." "Damn it! Ghouls, I'll wager. Demon or not, I sure as hell wish we had an elf to take up the rear. My bet is that Thumper might be able to smell 'em. Brackston, take the rear. Rage, you make sure to look over your shoulder a lot, understand?" "Gotcha." A more couple hours passed, but, although they had gained some elevation and had gone a good distance in a roughly northerly direction, an exit from the warrens still eluded them. Suddenly Thumper growled. Ghouls! Brackston shouted. Thumper grabbed a ghoul's hand as it tried to strike his master and ripped at it. Brackston lunged, his usual sword techniques were worthless hunched over in a cramped dirt tunnel. He ran his sword through the creature's chest and twisted it but the creature did not die! A second ghoul erupted from the floor of the tunnel and attempted to grab Drake's leg. Drake yelped, jumped back against the tunnel wall and cut the ghoul's hand off at the wrist. A third ghoul burst through the tunnel wall behind Drake and grabbed him, claws ripping into his sides - immobilizing Drake with magical fear. Skitch whipped two throwing knives into the chest of the ghoul on the ground. Pike's axe came down on the floor-ghoul's head, splitting it like a melon. The Norseman grabbed Drake's legs just as he was disappearing into a hidden side tunnel behind the ghoul and heaved. Brackston's ghoul cut into the yellow dog's head with his free hand leaving deep bloody furrows, but the ghoul's magic was wasted on the mean yellow dog. Thumper's simple mind did not fear death. Brackston lunged again half gutting the ghoul who'd hurt his dog. Near pike, the skulless ghoul reached up in its death throws and sunk its claws savagely into the Norseman's calf. Pike bellowed as he felt the ghoul's magic sizzle up his nerves. Every ounce of the indomitable courage bred into the Norseman fought the ghoul's magic... Blood an' Bones! Pike roared as he heaved Drake out of the side tunnel with the ghoul still attached to him. The ghoul let go of Drake, setting the Norseman off balance and then dove for Skitch. "Ulp!" Try as he might, once the ghoul had grabbed him, ripping into his ribs with its claws, Skitch could not move a muscle. His whole body seemed to freeze in horror. Rage drove his gladius into the ghoul's side as it began to make off with Skitch. Pike grabbed Skitch's legs just as they were disappearing down the tunnel and heaved once again. Brackston's ghoul hissed as Brackston skewered it a second time and opened the wrist of Brackston's sword arm with its hideous claws. Blood gushed from the wound. Brackston froze. He struggled, but the magical fear had him firmly in its unyielding grasp. Thumper jumped knocking the ghoul on its back. The dog growled ferociously ripping flesh from the monster. The Ghoul from the wall lashed out at Pike's arm with its toe nails, tearing furrows through his skin. Pike bellowed, his great muscles flexed... and released as he pulled Skitch and the ghoul back into the tunnel. Rage jammed his short sword into the side of the ghoul's chest and twisted it, Killing the foul thing at last. Thumper ripped out the ghoul's throat as one of the creature's claws sunk into the dog's eye socket. Blood flooded from the dog's wound. He curled up at the paralyzed feet of his master whining ever more quietly as his life's blood drained away. "Damn ghouls, Pike snarled as he bandaged Brackston's wrist. Rage, let's move Drake, Skitch an' Brackston up there and get some bandages on all the wounds before we bleed ta death. There's a boulder forming one wall of the tunnel. There's no way we're going to be able to move with three of our guys out. We'll just have to wait. Poor dog. I'd bandage the eye, but the wound's too damn deep, I can see his brains in there. He'd just bleed into his skull." Pike, them ghouls hit ye twice, but ye didn't freeze. "Courage mate, it's bred into the bones 'o every Norseman." It was well over an hour before the party could move, and it was another hour before they emerged into the open air. The sun was low in the sky when they saw it again at last. They were in a forested canyon dotted with piles of bones marked by various stone markers. "I'm namin' this place the valley of the dead, any objections? Looks like these various heaps o' bones were from the loosing side of old battles. You don't get good graves when ye loose." Pike looked at his men. "If we were fresh, I'd say let's double-time it back to Red Jack's fort, but we wouldn't get there before night fall. Plus we'd have to fight our way through the enemy to get in, but I'm limpin' like a club-foot, an it's easy ta see Brackston's dizzy from lack o' blood. Skitch winces ever time he takes a big step 'an whenever Drake bends over I see the pain in 'is eyes. We're ripped ta shit. Tryin' to fight our way through to the fort would be simple suicide." "Here's my plan, there's one other gate to the water besides the cove - the box canyon. Right now we're on the edge of this valley. We're going up hill, the trees are starting to thin, and the terrain is getting a little rockier. Let's take some trees, about four straight medium-sized fairly long ones. This valley and the area around Jack's camp are the only two places on the isle I've seen good timber. Look at that tree right over there, it's still standing, but it's dry and dead. We find four trees, clean off most of the branches and attach ropes. Once we're out the valley we turn East an' scramble up the steep hills and cliffs and into more open terrain. It'll be tough because just about every one of us will have to drag a tree an' we're not in the best o' shape, but I think we can do it." "We'll be dead beat once we reach the plateau South of the tombs and the burial mounds. We can rest there. Visibility is good up there even in moon light because there are no trees an' few bushes. We've got to be up the cliffs by the time that sun sets, an' we don't have long if we're going to get our timber and drag it up. After we have a rest an' a meal, we start dragging our trees over to the box canyon. Skitch, you'll be gathering something ta use for oars an' haulin' them. It's going to be one hell of a tough time given how beat up we are, but just remember. If we get timber to the Box canyon, we can build a raft usin' the rope we have for climbing to lash the trees together. Then we can get the hell out while the undeads an' their lord are still too preoccupied with the battle to be keeping track of us. " Pike cut and stripped four trees with his battle axe and the group laboriously headed North, then East and up. Thankfully they knew the terrain, for they had seen from the cliff tops, while tracking Kent and Rapina, that North was the only way out of the pit that Pike called the valley of the dead. ----- Rapina was escorted through a stout oak door and up a long circular stair that wound its way around a central shaft. At the top of the shaft, beneath a domed stone roof, hung another large whicker elevator-cage. About 50 feet below the cage there was a landing in the staircase that wrapped from the North side of the shaft all the way around to the East and South. It ended on the South face of the shaft before continuing up as a staircase. Off the landing there were several oaken doors, the first one led to the necromancer's chambers. As the door was opened, her nose caught the scent of myrrh. The necromancer's abode was well-lit with white mage-light from clear crystals suspended from the ceilings. The rooms were spacious, if stark and a bit dusty. Rapina was shown to a small guestroom. "You'll be staying here for now. If you prove a difficult guest, then perhaps you would prefer to stay with Kent instead of me?" The necromancer raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Try to get some sleep. I usually sleep in the morning and early afternoon. It is more convenient to deal with my minions that way, as they are normally quite sluggish during the daylight hours." "There is a chamber pot behind that door, a basin there, and a desk. This room was designed for an acolyte, but the church has not seen fit to provide me with one in all the time I have been here. Kent said you read. There are books there on the desk. Treat them well and ask nicely and you will be given replacements if you tire of them." "Let us get one thing straight, young lady, you have been rescued from the pirates and their fait because war is not a woman's place. You are as much a criminal as they are no matter what they might have done to you, and if you do not behave yourself, you will face the king's justice or mine, understood?" "Yes Sir," Rapina said, hanging her head. Rapina could sense hardly a whit of lust from the necromancer. At the moment she was being treated like a child and she felt at least as helpless as one. She knew the necromancer's left hand was animated bone, but his robes hid anything beyond that and she had no idea just how much of the necromancer was man, and how much was animated skeleton. At this point she was feeling as if there were more skeleton than man. The necromancer locked the door to her room as he left, and Rapina flopped onto the bed with a sigh. ----- As the last Rays of the sun disappeared over the horizon, Pike's men pulled their timbers up onto the plateau South of the tomb and burial mounds. "Damn iv we dild id." Brackston blinked. The sky was twirling overhead. Pike winced as he saw Brackston fall. "Damn is right." The Norseman limped over to Brackston. "You okay?" "Heey, wad habbent?" Brackston asked. "Drink this, man, you're in bad shape. You got dizzy an' fell down, but we made it. We're on the plateau, and none too soon. Let's sit down, and have something to eat. Skitch, you un-jammed the door mechanisms to the tomb, do you think the entry door opened? Skitch puffed as he set down some oars he'd made from the crusts of a couple old hollow logs. "Hard to say. How'd you get out the first time you got caught in the entry room?" "If there's weight in the top coffin-like side-tunnel in the Southeast corner of the room, the entry slab opens." Well, if there was weight there, then the door will be open. If not, it'll be closed. Why do you ask? "Two reasons," Pike said between mouthfulls of hard roll. "We left some dead in there that the necromancer might be able to use unless we chop 'em up. That an' those men had weapons, valuables an' so on we could take. Once we reach land we're going need to live." "We can check on the way by, I'd give it about a fifty- fifty chance of bein' open. Could be we could pry the entry slab up a ways with one of these timbers too. If we can, I can get in and open it up. Seems ta me if we pry those gems off the coat of arms in the one room we already tripped the trap in, we'd be set fer years." "Good thinking." ---- A perimeter had been set up and the pirates had taken up their positions in anticipation of attack. Torches and bonfires illuminated the area as well as casting ominous looking shadows on the edge of the camp. The centerpiece of Red Jack's defensive arrangement was a fortified hillock. On the top of the hill was a couple small tents and a large shallow, flat-bottomed depression where the pirates' many wounded were resting. There was a ring around the hilltop with a three-foot high, stockade-style log wall. Behind it, the pirates' archers took cover. On the outside of the short stockade wall that ringed the top of the hill was a dirt embankment. Starting from the embankment and going all the way down the sides of the hill and beyond were row upon row of stout wooden spears planted into the ground so that they bristled toward the enemy. Pikes and small trees positioned around the top of the hill could be used to pierce or bludgeon enemies trying to squeeze between the rows and approach the fort. Twenty yards away from the base of the hill a ditch had been dug to stifle the approach of battering rams that might rapidly break the spears protecting the fort. The ditch that ringed the fort had a ring of spears planted on the near side to slow the enemy and make them easier to hit for the archers of the fort. In anticipation of undead shadows not directed by the isle's lord, because of having been spawned only last night, a field of bon-fires and torches had been arranged. These sat between the base of the array of spears on the hill and the ring of spears near the ditch so that the archers might spot and fire on the shadows. This plan would only be good for as long as the fires burned brightly, but Red Jack expected these uncontrolled undeads to come to feed as soon as night fell. Some of the heartier pirates stood near the start of the spears not far from the base of the hill. The archers could fire over their heads with ease, but these men were present to kill any shadows the archers missed before they started working their way through the spears to the fort. As tired as they were from building the fort all day, none of the pirates was able to sleep. Their fear was too strong to allow that. It was fortunate that they were all awake. Had even a few of them been sleeping the undead that surged forth would have overwhelmed them in minutes. The half-elf was one of the first to spot the shadows trying to slip into camp. A silent hand signal from Arzeal was all it took to spur the other archers to action. Flaming arrows flying overhead alerted the pirates on the ground to the shadows' presence. The shadows had lost the element of surprise. The pirates on the ground took up their positions holding their weapons at the ready. Arzeal smiled as one of his resin-arrows engulfed a shadow in its fiery embrace. The pirates were ready this time. He let fly another flaming arrow as he spotted another shadow working its way around the left flank. The archer's arrows lit up the sky alerting Logan and his men to the shadows' approach. Torch in one hand and sword in the other he took up his position with his men. The front line was a dangerous place to be. Yet, how could Logan expect his men to die for him if he was not ready to die for them? He might not live to see the light of another day, but at least he would die fighting. Three dark forms surged around the sharpened stakes and at Logan and his men. They rushed forth to meet their foes with fearsome battle cries. From the hilltop fort, the captain surveyed the scene unfolding before him with his spyglass. Arzeal and his archers were doing quite a number on the shadows. The fact that they picked their shots wisely and didn't madly fire all their arrows away said something for the master archer's training of his men. Logan and his soldiers were doing well so far at keeping the shadows that slipped through at bay. He shivered as he remembered the chill touch of the shadow. "Good luck my friend," the captain said aloud. Movement at the perimeter caught Jack's eye. A joint force of skeleton's and zombies was emerging from the darkness. The zombies were in front and the first rank of them carried shields. Behind the zombies were skeletons bearing a bridge of planks covered in a layer of mud. Behind and flanking them were skeletons wielding bows. As they walked forward, the skeleton archers let fly arrows over the heads of the soldiers in front of them. "Damn! He's got a small army of tha walkin' dead an' some of 'em have bows! I was wonderin' where are dead from last night got to, damned zombies!" Jack bellowed. If it weren't for the archers, his men could have held the skeletons off with only small losses. At least Jack was pretty sure they could have. Unfortunately the men who were gathering to meet the zombies when they crossed the ditch were being filled full of holes. "Jump the spears an' into the ditch, Logan, them arrows are decimatin' ye! Arzeal and his archers let fly trying to cut down some of the skeletons firing on Logan's men. Unfortunately, many of the shots that hit went right through the skeletons. Damn! shoot for the pelvis and use broadheads if you've got 'em, it's our best bet! Arzeal yelled. "Arzeal, unveil yer little monster. I don't want these hair-cuts ye gave us ta be in vain. That bridge they're carryin' could be are doom, knock it out o' their hands. Archers, concentrate on tryin' ta blast through th' zombies in front o' the right side o' the bridge they're carryin' that's are target," Captain Red Jack ordered. A couple of archers pealed back the supply tent revealing a small catapult with a torsion spring made of the men's shorn hair. Arzeal released a flame-arrow that turned the zombie walking in font of the right side of the earth-covered bridge into a walking torch. This lit the way for his archers' arrows. That accomplished he put his bow back on his back and unveiled his little monster, a catapult. Arzeal aimed the little monster he had worked on all day and let fly. The first stone went long and to the right. Arzeal made a couple of adjustments as four of his men worked to cock the catapult again. The Zombies in front of the right side of the portable bridge fell down in a hail of arrows. Without the zombies in front of them, the skeletons were not as well protected, but they were able to move more quickly. The archers behind them rained arrows on any of Logan's men not already in the ditch. The second shot of the catapult was short, but centered nicely. Crank it with everything you've got, men, if you're quick enough, that bridge will be passing though the area our last stone hit. The men redoubled their efforts. "Just as soon the catapult's arm hits the stops, release it. I'll see if I can soften 'em up for you," the half-elf said. Arzeal took his bow up again and pulled arrow after arrow from his quiver. He had almost no time to aim, but many of his shots were superb. One by one the Skeletons along the right side of the bridge began to fall. Oddly, other skeletons from farther back dropped their weapons and took the places of their fallen comrades, though not nearly as quickly as would have been the case had the army been a little less deficient of intelligence. Arzeal suspected someone was giving orders, but all he could see was an army of skeletons. He and his archers kept up a heavy rain of arrows. The men released the catapult. The stone arced up and slammed onto the right side of the portable bridge, the one weakened by the concentrated fire of Arzeal's archers. That side of the bridge dropped and a great deal of mud loosened from the surface of the bridge. Arzeal dropped his bow and made the slightest adjustment to the aim of the catapult. His men cranked it back so fast it seemed that they knew their lives depended on it. The bridge was dangerously close to the ditch, and this would be their last, best shot. Arzeal grabbed his bow and crouched at the edge of the stockade wall, releasing arrow after arrow. Zombies began pouring into the ditch. Logan and his men fought hard, hacking at the unyielding zombies with energy born of terror. "Fighting withdrawal men, fighting withdrawal! There are too damn many reachin' the ditch at once! Let's fall back to the opposite side of the ring to hole up in the fort if necessary. We're outnumbered, those damned unexpected undead archers hit too damn many of us. The impromptu artillerists released the catapult arm again and the stone slammed into the left side of the bridge. The shock shattered the wrists of many of the skeletons. There was a moment when it seemed as though the one side of the bridge would remain up. That moment passed as Arzeal took out two of the skeletons whose wrists had held and the second side of the bridge fell to the ground. "Keep firing! Arzeal screamed. There was a moment of hesitation as arrows poured down at the skeletons, and then the remainder of the undead army ran forward and took cover in the ditch. The skeleton army began to fire on the pirates behind the stockade wall of the fort, but few shots were telling on either side because both sides had good cover. Logan and his men fought bravely, but even with support from the better pirate archers, it was a loosing battle against superior numbers. --- Rapina could not sleep. She just lay on the bed curled into a ball. So much had happened and it was all so horrible. Rapina did not even want to think about it. The room and the rest of the Necromancer's chambers were a bit chilly owing to the fact that they had been carved inside a granite cliff. Deep underground temperatures stayed around fifty degrees, and Rapina estimated the chambers of the Necromancer were no warmer than sixty-five degrees. Rapina hardly noticed, because she had dressed for underground temperatures owing to the mission she had been on. She wore baggy drawstring pants, a loose long-sleeved tunic and a baggy sir-coat pillaged from some soldier on the blockade Red Jack had recently destroyed. After a time she looked at her surroundings. The room was lit by two tiny mage-lights, one on a plaque-like arrangement just above the head of the bed, and the other similarly attached to the wall above the desk. Both lamps had a cap held by a loose ring and chain that could be screwed on over the lights. The one over the bed also had a red glass cap that could be used instead of the metal one. The walls were rough, and showed the mark of both chisel and pickaxe. Rapina guessed that tireless undead workers had mined the room out of the stone. Rapina got up to look around. On one side of her room were two doors. One opened into a tiny room containing the chamber pot, the other led into a small room with a decanter, basin and dressing table, and the entrance to a walk-in closet. Rapina decided that if this room had been designed for an acolyte, the church of Mortaebius must be wealthy, or the necromancer and his servants had too much time on their hands. Rapina sat down at the dressing table. She was a mess, her hair was tangled and she smelled like smoke. Her face was covered with a mixture of soot and dried slime from Kent's hideous tongue. The closet was mostly empty, but a few garments hung from hooks and hangers, and there were a few more in the chest of drawers at the far end of the closet. Rapina did not know where the Necromancer had come by women's clothing, but she tried not to dwell on the obvious conclusion that the garments had been "borrowed" from someone too dead to miss them. At least they seemed clean. Rapina used nearly all of the water in the decanter washing herself. She needed a bath but she did the best she could using the basin. When she was done, she put on the petticoats, dress, and sweater within the closet. The dress was actually a little big for her, except in the bust where it was too small, but at least she could get it on. There were three books on the shelf beside the desk, two were storybooks, and one was a holy book concerning the god of the dead. Rapina quickly read the first chapter of one of the storybooks and then got into bed with the book on Mortaebius. She needed to find out everything she could about the necromancer and his god. At some point, Rapina must have fallen asleep. The horrors of the previous night and morning had taxed her severely. She slept like the dead for a few hours and then began having horrible nightmares as her mind tried to cope with what she had been through. She woke in a sweat when there came a knocking on her chamber door. "Rouse yourself. " Rapina flew from her bed and replaced the Mortaebius book on the shelf. "Come out and follow the guards I have assigned to you. They will escort you to the kitchen where you are to prepare breakfast for us both. Do not attempt to take any knives out of the kitchen, or the guards will kill you. I will return shortly after a conference with my minions." Rapina scowled. She had only been here a few hours and already she was being put to work. Once in the kitchen, Rapina cooked a breakfast consisting of eggs and oatmeal. The necromancer did not have a great deal in his kitchen. There were large crocks of various grains and beans, and a loaf of bread. The iron cook stove was small, but modern. Rapina served the priest in the great hall when he arrived. It would have been easier to serve him in the breakfast nook off the kitchen, but not as safe for the necromancer since knives were close at hand. When the necromancer arrived, he placed a board on the table before him. There was a model of sorts built on top of it, a little hillock fort with a ditch around it rendered in clay and twigs. "You may serve breakfast now, Ripina, I have arrived." "There wasn't much here so I fixed oatmeal and eggs," Rapina called from the kitchen. "Splendid, I am used to simple fare. We are too far away from a town for better, and up until now I have always had to cook for myself. The skeletons are too simple for such tasks. They can scrub floors adequately, but they have no sense of smell and tend to burn anything they attempt to cook. Rapina brought the tray of food in from the kitchen. "Did Kent tell you my name?" The necromancer raised his eyebrows as he saw Rapina, "Indeed." Rapina's nose tingled as she sensed lust. "It's Rapina, actually, he doesn't pronounce things very clearly anymore." "Yes. I am Guardian Thane of the Mortaebian order of Death's Peace." "A priest?" Rapina wrinkled her nose involuntarily. Thane chuckled, "You don't like priests?" "I've had a little experience with priests, all of it bad. One was a lecherous 'celibate' priest, and well, the other turned one of the only friends I had into a terrifying undead monster who recently ate the cook I worked for when I was first taken by the pirates." Thane laughed. "My order is not known for its kindness. Most of the priests of Mortabius are nothing more than undertakers - morticians. They conduct funerals, build caskets, embalm, dress and beautify the deceased, serve feasts in honor of the dead, that sort of thing. It strikes most as a ghoulish profession, but many of Mortaebius' priests are married in spite of that, for the business of the church provides a good living. Those of us who distinguish ourselves as powerful guardians of the dead often take on more serious duties. We are a little less... naive of our god's strengths." "A little?" Rapina asked. "Every church has its strong arm. Some have orders of knights or militant orders of monks. Mortaebius' church is no exception. We are the guardians of the dead when our more peaceful brethren find the enemies of Mortaebius too difficult to best. Our order generally grows during times of war, and gets swept under the rug during times of peace, but we are an old and powerful order. The church has always needed us. Few priests enter the order directly. Most are recruited from other orders. I am also a member of the order of Death's Peace, a common funereal order that specializes in the maintenance and protection of burial sites. It is not so uncommon for priests of my order who have distinguished themselves in combat or magic to receive a secret invitation to join a hidden order." Rapina sat down to eat, "You were a mortician?" The necromancer nodded. "A family thing?" Rapina asked. "No, actually my father was a clothier who catered to the wealthy. His life was an endless series of social events with people above his station who lauded his design sense and depended on him to keep them in up-to- date fashions. He knew just how to play them, just how to appeal to their vanity. I found it intolerable. Thankfully, one of our good customers died and I had the chance to work with a priest of Mortaebius on the clothing for the deceased." "And now you make them walk instead of dressing them?" "That is another story. Now how did you happen to become a member of the crew of the infamous Red Jack?" Rapina was about to make up a tail when she realized that Kent had probably told the necromancer everything he knew. At least she could not rule out the possibility of Guardian Thane checking out her story with the ghoul. "How did I become a crewman? A priest, of course, my luck with priests is hideous. He was a powerful man with the town wrapped around his finger. Very like your father in some ways, he knew just how play them, and he loved it. The townspeople hung on his every word, he was a holy man among holy men, and during his off-hours, he was a lecher and a rapist who preyed on the town's young women. If a woman talked or refused to cooperate, she sickened or had an accident. I escaped his clutches and ran from the constable who he controlled. Kent and his friends fished me out of the river onto their stolen fishing boat. I was nearly drowned, but the river had delivered me from my priestly troubles. The boys wanted to join Red Jack's crew; they had a romantic vision of piracy. I knew the priest would get the law after me. Therefore when the pirates found us, before the boys could give me over as a gift to the captain as they'd planned, I told the pirates that the boys and I wanted to join the crew." "And they let you join just like that?" the necromancer asked dubiously. "It was sometimes a horror, sometimes not so bad, but it was probably better than a damp cell under a church with a man who, for all his vaunted holiness, was meaner to me than Captain Red Jack." "Meaner than a notorious pirate captain? No wonder you mislike priests," Thane chuckled. I suppose you know his better side, but your captain is infamous up and down the river Augustana. Even I know about him, and I do not get out much. He has brought so much business to my church I almost feel like thanking him. He and his men are cold-blooded killers, criminals of the first degree, and tonight I will crush them like bugs under Mortaebius' mighty boot." "Is that?" Rapina pointed to the clay hillock on the board. "A model of the fort they built. You told Dominic you did not know whether they would go or stay, evidently they have decided to stay. Now I must figure out how to best them with what remains of my resources." "You're wearing a glove today?" Rapina asked. "Only because I was painting," replied the necromancer. "You're an artist?" Rapina asked. The necromancer laughed. "I am if you count painting ghouls and skeletons black. Actually, I did paint white bones on a ghoul painted black so he would look like a skeleton. Does that count?" Rapina closed her eyes. "I can't believe I'm talking to a man who makes dead people walk and kill and eat living people." "It seems hideous to you now, but remember, I was a mortician, dead bodies to me are like trees to a lumberman. Red Jack makes living people rape, ruin and kill living people. I ask you, which of us is *really* more frightening?" "Okay, so you're both horrors," Rapina said. "Quite so, but at least we're honest," the necromancer affirmed. Rapina groaned. "This is war, Rapina. You may see my forces as something out of a nightmare, but essentially Jack and I are fighting. He wants this island as a base. I want to wipe him from the face of Ifreann as a public service and because, frankly, It will boost my reputation in the Order of the Shroud by a thousand percent. Moreover it might secure me access to learning that might take me a lifetime to acquire otherwise - true wizardry." Rapina sighed. ------------ Logan's men retreated up the hill on the opposite side, away from the downed bridge and the highest concentration of archers. Unfortunately, as his forces were climbing through the spears to the safety of the fort, more and more enemy archers reached Logan's side of the hillock. Arzeal tried to pin them down with fire, but too many shots got through, killing many good men. Logan himself barely made it over the stockade wall. He'd been grazed several times and had an arrow sticking through the skin of his calf. The next hour flew by. What remained of Logan's men had their wounds patched and either joined the many wounded at the fort's center or joined the defenders if they were able-bodied. Some who should have been lying with the wounded helped the archers instead. Their fear prevented them from lying back to trust their mates to take care of the battle. ---- "Who's winning?" Rapina said pensively as Thane emerged from his chambers to fetch a snack. She was doing the dishes with several skeletons standing between her and Thane. She thought about tossing a knife at him, but considering he'd ordered the skeletons to kill her if she did, she thought better of it. "Neither side, but I am making progress. Your captain built himself a small catapult and foiled my plan to quickly bridge his ditch and use a battering ram on his spears to win the night. His archers have caused much greater casualties to my forces than I had anticipated, but I captured the ditch and let the bon fires between the ditch and the base of the hill burn down to embers. While some relief archers dashed in from the South drawing missile fire and, more importantly that half- elven archer, a few ghouls painted black snuck up on the ditch from the North. Kent is already there. It was he who was painted like a skeleton. He commanded the main body of my forces." "Now he and the other ghouls will start tunneling in earnest, and they are excellent tunnelers. Kent himself has already in this last hour made progress on a tunnel, and some of the skeletons who lack bows or arrows have built a bridge of earth over the ditch well away from the tunnel. Now that I have more ghouls on the job, the skeletons will pile more dirt up and build bridges across the ditch. I have a little surprise in store for the pirates, just something to keep them busy and weaken their defenses..." --- Arzeal crouched behind the fort's South stockade wall. "That's the best we'll do, the new skeleton archers are in the ditch now. Those two ranks in the front with shields didn't help us any, but you did well, men, we knocked out a third of 'em, and wounded at least half. Every one of those archers that gets through to the ditch is another thorn in our sides." "I sure wish we had more regular flame arrows, those bon fires are useless anymore. I know you men are having trouble seeing the enemy. Trouble is we've shot more arrows already tonight than we'd use in several raids. How're things over North, Brent?" "Seem quiet sir, but I think I seen a shadow out there jump into the ditch." "Damn, I'd hoped we'd rid areselves o' all th' shadows at the start o' th' evening, but I guess there had ta be a few that got here late." What worried Jack was the fact that he hadn't seen any ghouls yet. They had hurt the pirates badly the last time. "Wonder where he's got 'is damn ghouls." "Skeletons! Damn they're almost on top of the ditch already. It's hard to see 'em even with my eyes, their bodies are no warmer than the air," Arzeal said. "What the hell Arzeal, have you gone daft?" the captain asked. Arzeal picked up one of his remaining resin arrows and let fly. There was the familiar poof! and a skeleton no one could see went up in flames. He was the front creature in a team of runners carrying a tall dead evergreen like a lance. Archers, man th' Nor' wall! What in hell's name is that? A team o' Skeletons painted black carryin' a dead pine tree like a lance?" Captain Red Jack queried. The archers fired on the tree-wielding skeletons, but even with the light of Arzeal's flameing skeleton, it was still hard for the men to see the black skeletons against the dark night and the dark tree branches, and by the time the men from the South wall switched sides to the North, the skeletons had already run across the ditch. "Did ye see that, those skeletons hardly sank down when they hit the ditch, it must be partly filled right there," the captain observed. Only the men to the far sides of the North wall had good shots, the rest were left trying to shoot through hundreds of tree branches. The black skeletons sprinted over the earth bridge across the ditch and headed for the base of the hill. One of the men happened to shoot a flaming arrow into the tree's dead folliage, and the whole tree, save the base where the skeletons held it went up in a roar of flames. By the time the skeletons reached the base of the hill, only half their original number remained, but it was barely enough. Their great spear was already tilted and aflame, it fell nearly all the way up the hill. Their mission completed, the black skeletons sprinted for the ditch. In spite of the darkness, the pirate archers shattered several with arrows before they reached safety. The archers backed away from the heat of the flaming tree. Pine burned fast, and this tree was burning even faster than it should have, the flames were intensely hot and they were burning the wooden spears all the way up the hill. "You men, take those buckets an' start throwin' dirt on the upper section o' the tree, it may seem like a fool's errand now, but every pair 'o spears we can save will slow a charge by a few precious seconds," Red Jack said. A man stood high to get a good shot at the fire with his bucket of dirt and fell back with three arrows buried in his chest. "Keep low an' behind cover, men, yer just as vulnerable ta enemy fire with a bucket as ye are with a bow!" Jack shouted. --- Rapina was cleaning the kitchen when the necromancer returned. "My trick worked, but that damned archer nearly foiled me again. He and his men have bailed Captain Red Jack out several times now." "He's one of Jack's nicest men." "A nice pirate? Please! Nice or not, he _is_ a problem," Thane rubbed his chin as if thinking. "What did you do?" Rapina asked. "The skeletons I painted black ran a pine tree up to the base of the pirate fort's spears and landed it nearly the whole way up the hill. I had Kent paint the trunk and many of the major limbs with pine tar. It's burning wildly, taking the pirate's spears in that area with it." Rapina scowled. "Thane chuckled. Such loyalty for a bunch of cold- blooded killers is astounding, especially in a lady they no doubt abused to no end. Red Jack must be charismatic, indeed." Rapina felt like stabbing the necromancer with a kitchen knife, but she knew his six skeleton guards would cut her to ribbons in an instant if she tried anything. Even if she killed the man instantly with an incredibly lucky throw, she would be joining him in death before she could even pick up another knife, and a knife would be a laughable weapon against one of the necromancer's double-strength skeletons. On the other hand, she could not help but see the evil magician's point. Jack and all his men killed innocent people for a living. It seemed that ever since Evangeline had brought his evil down upon her and forced her to claim the powers of the lust spirit, she could not escape the darkness. ----- [Rapina]016 Defeat in Darkness Rapina yawned as she sat on a large chair in the necromancer's dinning hall. She was reading here only because she knew Thane would walk through the hall on his way from his scrying chamber to the kitchen. She had finished cleaning and knew from the water clock above the mantle that dawn would be coming in about three hours. Thane wiped the sweat off his brow and wandered by Rapina into the kitchen. Rapina followed. "You didn't say anything, is something wrong?" "Yes, that damned half-elven archer. Every time I expend the power to look into my magic pool for a glance at the battlefield, he's knocked the skulls off a few more of my archers. My minions tried another burning tree, but this time the pirates saw it sooner and set it immediately aflame. They concentrated on the skeletons on only one side, and the tree fell down just short of the hill. Thanks to Kent, the remaining skeletons lifted it and tried to land it as they had the other, but it went over on an angle. Its swath only reaches about half way up the hill." "My troops are nearly gone. The pirates might storm out of their camp and kill the skeleton archers that are left, but for the fact that Kent has the remaining troops crawling around in the ditch poking their heads up and firing at different locations around the ditch so that it appears as though there are more archers than there really are. I've quite a few headless archers, but I don't dare have them set their skulls on the edge of the ditch. Your Arzeal would shoot them off with one arrow to the skull. I believe the pirates will eventually run out of arrows, but we too are running low." "You mean you've lost?" Rapina could not help that her voice brightened slightly. Thane chuckled, "You sound so disappointed that I have not wiped the infamous Red Jack and all his men off the face of Ifreann, but I must win. I am not getting any younger, and I've cast the spells I have a thousand times. I can practically do them in my sleep! I need access to greater wizardry and to be initiated into Mortaebius' inner circle. This battle has been tiresome and draining on my resources. I've used up all of the skeletons and animation scrolls I had saved up over the years and I've still come up short. It appears that I will have to make a personal appearance if I am to deliver Red Jack to the authorities in chains, which reminds me, I'd better bring manacles. I'll bolster my forces with some additional arrows, my household guards and the skeletons remaining in the tomb. With the addition of a little magic, my final back-up plan should be far more lethal than it would have been without me, and I have a most interesting surrogate to draw the archer's arrows." --- "Arr, it's been a long, evil night. Only a couple hours left until dawn. How're we doin' Arzeal?" "Not well sir. We don't have more than four score arrows left, and a quarter of those are in my own quiver. Half of the remainder we got from the enemy by pulling them out of the ground in the fort and out of our own men. The bright side is, I think the enemy is low on arrows as well. They've been firing fewer and fewer as the hours passed. I think I've made a dent in their numbers too, although skulless skeletons cannot really be counted as dead, being headless seems to ruin them for good archery." "Aye," the captain chuckled. We 'ave ye ta thank for most o' the headlesses, but they aren't the only ones with wounded. I've ne'r seen a sorrier lot o' pirates. We could break out o' the fort on one side, an see if we could best th' boneys hand ta hand, but I'm afraid there'd not be enough able-bodied left ta make us some bloody rafts ta get the hell outa here." "Arzeal nodded. True, and we'll not escape with our wounded unless we can make it until dawn. The thing that bothers me is, if the enemy has anything left to throw at us, chances are we'll be seeing it soon." "Aye." Slasher cupped his hand to his hear. "Cap'n I think ye better take a look this way, I'm hearin' mail." Tense minutes passed as the pirates strained their eyes, trying to see what they were hearing. "Son o' a bitch! You men get that catapult over here." Riding in from the East in a loose wedge formation on black, leather-clad skeletal horses were nine black- robed horseman. "Damn it! Look at the one in th' front, 'is eyes're glowin' red like embers an look at the size of 'im, 'es got ta be eight foot tall. 'Is shield would make a good table top 'an th' skeleton horse 'e's ridin' must 'ave won prizes when she warr alive fer bein' the biggest draft nag around. Th' other two horses are near as big, an' th' riders are big, but nothin' like their leader. Give 'em hell in arrows as they approach, men." Behind the horsemen marching double-time were 18 troops in bronze plate mail with halberds or two-handed swords. "Heavy armor, I don't like it. Arzeal, how many o' them incendiary arrows have ye got left?" the captain asked. "Three sir," said Arzeal. "Get the horsemen on either side o' the big guy, then see if ye can nail Ol' Red-Eyes w' the catapult. Save one o' those flame arrows fer emergency use," the captain ordered. Arzeal grinned and peaked his head up from the wall. A couple enemy arrows sang though the air, but neither hit the half-elf as he loosed two shafts. The robed figures on either side of the giant burst into flames. The pirates cheered, but the cheer was short-lived as the riders threw off their thick cowls, and with them, most of the flaming resin. Underneath the cowls the pirates saw skeletons clad in leather with metal helmets and breast plates. Astonishingly, they seemed to have enough sense to pat out the remaining flames. The riders picked up their pace and thundered towards the ditch around the fort. The mail-clad warriors behind them broke into a run. They did not have far to go, for the dark cowls had allowed them to approach relatively close to the camp, in spite of the sound of their mail. "Damn cowls. Spend are arrows, this is it boys! Catapult, loose when ready! Keep low an' snatch up th' arrows the enemy shoots inta camp!" the captain ordered. Arzeal released the catapult arm, then gritted his teeth as the rock flew. Slam! The catapult stone crashed into the giant's shield, knocking him off his horse. "Yeahhhss!" The pirates yelled in triumph. "Damn!" The captain watched as Ol' Red Eyes threw his ruined shield aside drew a two-handed sword with one hand and ran to remount his horse. "Crank it mates!" The pirates at the catapult cranked like maniacs. The pirate archers let loose with a hail of arrows, many of them piercing the breast plates of the oncoming skeleton cavalrymen, but piercing plate on a man was much more telling than piercing plate on a monstrosity of bone. The cavalry kept coming. The first horseman reached the ditch, jumped it and thundered up the hill where the pine tree had burned the fort's spears to ash. The other's followed, save the fourth horse. It jumped into the ditch and lied down out of sight. "What's with that fourth cavalryman? Archers, keep doin' what ye're doin. Logan, prepare ta raise pikes an' defend th' wall, but keep low an' don't raise pikes till those horses are in pikein' range." Arzeal said a silent prayer and let loose with another catapult stone. Damn! The stone went wide of the huge warrior as he remounted his skeletal horse and jumped the ditch in a single bound following the rest of the cavalry. At the last second, Logan's men raised pikes, the lead rider could not stop in time. He crashed into the pike, snapping it and falling from his skeleton horse. The horse itself was pierced in three places but it was not broken. It pushed forward threatening to overwhelm the men. "Push left men, flip the beast off its hooves." The pirates wrestled with the stupid bag of bones, and then cheered as it went over. The next skeleton rider tried to jump the first but went down when the first horse kicked the second horse's legs as it was trying to regain its footing. The cavalry charge was broken! "If this is all ye've got, we'll carve yer hoard Ol' Red Eyes!" the captain bellowed A welter of weighty curses roared up from the fighting men as they defended the fort. A wounded pirate whimpered and was silent. The mailed troops arrived at the ditch, many with a few arrows sticking out of them. They jumped in and spread around, surrounding the fort. As the pirates fought to keep several skeleton horses and riders out of the fort, they were taken by a horrible surprise. "Aaaaiiiii!" From the center of the fort in the depression where the wounded were kept out of harms way, a man screamed. The captain glanced at the wounded and his face contorted into a grimace of horror. five ghouls and three shadows burst from the ground in several locations. Ghouls! Grab a spear! The captain himself bent to grab a spear, then suddenly the lights went out. "Damn it Arzeal I can't see! What's happinin'" Captain Red Jack hollered. Blinded Pirates screamed as the ghouls and shadows attacked from within the camp. "Sir, I'm blind as well! Arzeal scrambled for the parapet wall bumping past a few men and receiving a horrible chill to the belly as he went to the West, the side opposite the cavalry charge. He could see nothing, the darkness around him was as thick and black as old ink. Logan can you see?" "Nay! but the riders can! I don't know if I'm cuttin' me own men or th' enemy. Uhhhhh!" Screams and paralyzed yelps erupted all over the camp as the ghouls and shadows slashed and chilled their way through the blinded pirates. Kent sensed the presence and life force of Captain Red Jack as the pirate captain whirled his bladed spear around and around, turning frequently to fend off unseen enemies. Kent dropped to a crawl, his grossly bloated belly dragging on the ground. The screams of the pirates covered any sound he made. Suddenly Kent lunged; he sunk both sets of his claws through the captain's pants just above the boots as he bit the captain's knee cap. Aaargh! ghoulish claws pierced his skin behind one knee and a welter of fear surged up the pirate captain's leg. No! he growled, resisting the fell magic. The captain raised his spear and brought it down, but before it struck flesh, teeth and claws sunk into the other leg sending a double-blast of fear up the captain's spine. Red Jack froze in horror, he could not move! Kent poked his prize several times making sure the fear had taken hold of him. He pushed the captain down and made for the next pirate. Arzeal jumped the parapet wall. Keeping low he squeezed between the spears and headed downhill as fast as he could. An arrow grazed his side and another stuck in his boot before he could again see. Positioned around the ditch were skeleton archers. At least half had set ruined skulls in the dirt at the edge of the ditch, while their bodies fired from behind. A glance back at the camp confirmed his suspicion - magical darkness. The archer moved nimbly down hill, jumping through the spears, loosing a shaft each time he landed. With each shot the skull of an enemy archer splintered or was knocked back into the ditch. Arzeal could see the mailed troopers moving to surround the fort. The half- elf jumped into the area cleared by the enemy's second flaming pine tree and took off at a dead run. Five of the cavalrymen had broken off their attack and were now circling around the base of the hill, just outside the first ring of spears. Arzeal reached the bottom of the hill and sprinted between two circling horsemen, one was Ol' Red-Eyes himself. The half-elf took the ditch in a single leap with two enormous cavalry not far behind. An arrow pierced his quiver and stuck into his back, but Arzeal was running for his life, he could barely feel the pain. The horses gained with every step, Arzeal ran faster than he'd ever run before. There was a warrior on either side of him and blades were coming to end his life when, somehow, Arzeal ran under the limb of a large oak that had been too big for the men to spend the time cutting when they were clearing for the fort. Arzeal went down as the tip of a giant sword snagged his quiver and gashed his back, then there was an explosion of splintering bones and wood as the oak defended its elven child. The fall had snapped the arrow in his back and half pulled it out. The archer rolled out of his fall and came up standing, bow in hand. The heads and necks of both skeletal horses had been removed, and Red-Eyes' taller horse had a sundered chest and shoulders, it's hind legs tried to move but were useless without forelegs. Red-Eyes had been unhorsed once again. Arzeal watched in horror as the giant stood and grabbed his sword. The other horse had lost its head, and it's rider had lost both its head and shoulders. Arzeal pulled the arrow tip from his back as the giant warrior stood. The half-elf loosed a shaft into the giant's kneecap and took off running while Red-Eyes retrieved his sword. Arzeal made it to the edge of the forest West of the camp and darted into the trees, sticking to heavy foliage. He could hear limbs snapping as the juggernaut behind him crashed through the forest in hot pursuit. The archer veered South. After a few minutes, he ran through an area where some timber had been cut in the making of the fort and its bon fires. He knew about where he was. The half elf sheathed his bow and scooped up an eight-foot section of a tree that was being cut into logs of firewood for the bon fires when evening had forced the cutting to a halt. Arzeal remembered how the pirates' cook, Fishy, had lost his legs. The archer hid behind a large tree, and when the giant skeleton thundered through the clearing towards him, the half elf swung the heavy length of timber at the skeleton's nearest knee. The skeleton's huge sword swished just above Arzeal's hunched head, embedding itself fully six inches into the tree as the skeleton's knee snapped with the combined force of the giant's forward momentum and Arzeal's frantic whole- body swing. Arzeal darted around back of the tree as the huge skeleton went down. When he came around behind it, he saw the creature was still hanging onto its sword, although the sword was still embedded in the tree. The archer wasted no time. He brought his length of firewood down on the giant's shoulder, just outside the breast plate. There was a crunch and the monstrosity's right arm, still grasping the sword, was severed from its shoulder. The archer tossed the log aside and scrambled for a smaller one that he could swing more rapidly. At seven feet long and two to three inches in diameter, it was still a huge club. The skeleton had just managed to flop its way around so that its left arm could grasp its sword when Arzeal brought the new club slamming into the side of its neck, but the neck held. Arzeal jumped but still his boot and some of the skin of his foot was carved right off. The skeleton had incredible speed and strength. The archer countered with a swing to the giant's wrist. It's grip was broken, but its wrist was not. Arzeal stood on the sword and swung again, breaking the wrist to flinders. The nimble half elf raced around the giant as it flipped and stumbled, trying to reach him in spite of missing half it's right leg, it's right arm and its left hand. Arzeal had a hunch. He pulled his sheath knife, darted in and jumped on the creature's back. The skeleton bucked like a bronco, but the archer severed the strap of its helm before being tossed off and rolling away. Another deft swing of the club and the monster's steel helmet flew from its skull. Its Red ember eyes stared blankly at the half elf as he darted in to club the creature's skull, once, twice, thrice... Cracks began forming, and on the seventh blow Arzeal blew the giant's mighty cranium apart. Arzeal smiled. The skull had been carefully sectioned off just below the eyes by a stout piece of tar-paper. The ember effect was caused by the pattern of ink stains within the top half of the creature's skull. The intricate pattern of black and white inside the skull reflected the light of a clear crystal mage-light set and screwed into the skull between the eyes just above the nasal hole. Every angle one looked at the red glass eyes produced different reflections, and movement of the head changed the pattern seen and made the eyes seem to flicker like embers. Arzeal carefully unscrewed the mage light and slipped it into his pouch. He could hear his mates scream off to the Northeast. Arzeal sighed, hefted his original eight-foot length of wood and headed South. The half-elf staggered the fifty paces remaining before reaching the lagoon, and then he slipped into the water behind the log. Beneath the water, he kicked as strongly as he could, but the pain in his back was growing. Thane peeked over the edge of the ditch with a commandeered skeleton's shield in hand. It was very dark but a spell of life-vision had fixed that. Thane now saw the world in much the same way as did his skeletons and ghouls, the amount of life force emanating from each object distinguishing it from others. The ghouls were proving most decisive within the magical darkness, but Thane worried about the accursed half-elven archer. A stroke of luck or wit had preserved the archer from the two cavalry Thane had spared to hunt him, and he knew his most powerful skeleton had taken off after the half-elf, but there were too many things that could go wrong. Shadows, come to me! You, come here, Thane pointed to one of the remaining 5 cavalry. The three shadows the necromancer had summoned to help Kent emerged from the magical darkness and came down the hill where the spears had been burned away. "I am unsure if the cavalry I sent after the half-elven archer succeeded in their task. I fear he may escape." Thane concentrated as he muttered arcane words. Shadows, being composed of vapors, were not heavy creatures. The infusion of only a small amount of magic allowed them to walk on water. "You three shadows climb up on the horse. Skeleton, take these shadows to the cove then return here. Shadows, check the water in case he swam for it. I have temporarily reduced your weight so you can walk on water. If you see life force on the water, you will run to it and feed. Now go." --- Rapina must have fallen asleep in the large chair at the head of the necromancer's dining hall. She was awakened when the parlor door opened. Thane was accompanied by three of his household guards, their shiny breastplates now dented and salted with arrow holes. Thane looked exhausted. Even though he had only had to cast a few spells, the animation and scrying earlier on had nearly drained him of energy. He had ridden safely enough inside a special "coach" he had made long ago within the leather-clad rib cage of one of the large horses. He had been in the forth horse, the one that had been positioned in the middle of the cavalry wedge and had lied down in the ditch rather than joining the charge. Rapina lifted an eybrow. A smile crept over the necromancer's lips. "You won?" "A few simple spells, a fine performance by Kent and his ghouls, and I have won the night. The pirates fought well, at first, but the darkness I brought down on them soon had them screaming and whining like whipped dogs in the face of Kent's comrades in death. The dread Captain Red Jack has been strip-searched, clothed in simple garb and soundly manacled in a cell. Thane smiled proudly, I beat him. I will be a lowly undertaker no more." Rapina shed a tear, all the men she had known had been destroyed, all for the vanity and ambition of a single man. Yet Rapina saw the other side as well. Red Jack's men had lived to kill, and now death had claimed them. Somehow a humble priest had conquered an army of bloodthirsty pirates. Rapina sniffled. "Mortaebius is the lord of death, girl. The pirates flirted with him for many years, now they've met him face to face." "Rapina sniffed and nodded. If I never knew them, I might be worshipping you as a hero, Guardian Thane, but I did know them, and a few of them, especially some of the recruits, they could have been good men under other circumstances." "Alas, other circumstances... Go on to bed and cry yourself to sleep, milady. If it's any consolation, I let your half-elf get away." "You did?" Thane nodded. "He successfully ran, and I chose not to send anything to hunt him. I was more interested in containing the pirates within the fort. He swam for it. I have no idea where he is." Thane's kindly smile hid a mighty lie. "Oh thank you, thank you, Thane. Rapina hugged the necromancer in genuine gratitude. "Arzeal was the best man Jack had. He taught me to fence and to defend myself against bigger, stronger men." Thane took a deep breath as the young woman's breasts pillowed against his chest. A single hand signal from the necromancer, and his guards halted the lifting of their swords. They were about to cut Rapina down for assaulting their master. Rapina released the necromancer, who looked a bit flushed. "What happened to the group I was originally with?" "Mmmm, they killed the skeletons Kent triggered and tried to track you, but Kent left them a false trail - twice. Such a brilliant ghoul, he will go far. A few of them must have survived, because the pirate dead in the mausoleum had been chopped to bits when I arrived to pick up the mailed skeletons to help in the final stage of the battle. I'm not sure where the grave robbers have gotten to. That's something I will look into. For now, I must rest for a moment, then try to drag enough power out of myself to activate my magic pool and report to my superior, however briefly. Go to bed and I will see you this afternoon." Rapina nodded and went to her room. She heard the lock turn shortly after she entered. [Rapina]017 A Captain In Chains "Awaken Rapina, I know you have not slept long, nor have I, but it is noon and we have much to do today. I do not wish you to wash today, and I have your old clothes. You must look your worst for the constable when he arrives this evening or tomorrow." Rapina jumped out of bed and opened the door. "Constable?" Rapina asked as she came out of her room wearing a nightshirt and nothing else. "Indeed," the necmancer smiled as he glanced at Rapina's legs. "I sent a message via pigeon to my brother priest in Granville. It's a large town on the River Augustana just West of the confluence of the river Augustana and Grand Lake about 15 miles from here. It is the area's largest settlement. Lumbering, quarrying, farming and fishing keep it going. My brother priest, Mortician Hagston, will be sending supplies and the constable. Thanks to a local superstition about the restless dead not being able to cross water, all of the towns in the area send their departed here to Graveston Isle. There are several small settlements on or near the lake, but only Granville is large enough to have its own priest of Mortaebius. He travels around the area a lot, but I send to him or his wife for supplies every month or so." "Why didn't they give you a job like that?" "At one time they did. I was one of several priests in a city on the river, but because I had a natural inclination towards the study of necromancy, and because of the incident concerning my hand, I was allowed to join the order of the Shroud and take this obscure assignment. My stipend covers basic supplies, and my naive brother priest gives me a percentage of his funereal take when I help bury one of the deceased, so I get by. On occasion, I locate a book, scroll or alchemical item I need for my magical practice, and that usually wipes out my savings. In the past I could not have afforded even to feed a servant, but I believe my fortunes have taken a definite change for the better," the necromancer smiled. With your cooperation I believe I could convince the authorities to sentence you to indentured servitude here for your crime of grave robbing." "Me, stay here with you?" Rapina shook her whole body no, her nipples wavering from side to side beneath her nightshirt. "You might as well ship me off to the other priest," Rapina sighed. "You would rather be indentured to a "celebate" rapist than serve as my maid?" "You terrify me, your ghoulish servitors, your skeletal hand, your zombies, it's all so frightening. I'm sure I would have stabbed myself with a kitchen knife long before this if..." "If what?" the necromancer asked. "Well, your magic, the lights, the way you could see the battle in your pool, summon shadows, and cast spells, its fascinating. My Auntie was a wise woman. She knew herbs and petty curses. I learned herbal medicine from her and Leech Kennon, the pirate doctor. I have fantasized about casting spells, but I had never seen a man wield *true* magic until these past few days." Thane chuckled, "So you find me terrifying, yet fascinating, both because of my magic." Rapina nodded. "Well you know, as my maid, you might be called upon to clean and tend my laboratory. You might pick up a little knowledge of the creation of potions." Rapina frowned. "Maids don't learn magic, they're just drudges. I might as well be a drudge in a town somewhere; at least I'd get to see other people, even if they were slaves and prisoners. Working here would just be a frustration, seeing magic but never learning it, alone and being terrorized by the dead, what kind of life is that?" "I could try to get the constable to assign you to me without your help, and I might easily succeed." "Fine! I have so much to live for, I'll just attack you with a kitchen knife and get cut to pieces. Then I'll never have to worry about evil men ruining my life again! Rapina burst into tears. "It's not fair, what did I ever do to deserve all this?" Rapina cried. Thane sighed, "Probably nothing." There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence. Rapina sniffled. "There is no guarantee you could even learn magic, and an apprentice most certainly works harder than a maid. In truth, apprentices do many of the chores of a maid and then they must learn in addition... If you agree to serve me well, young lady, I will endeavor to right some of the many wrongs men have heaped on you because of your beauty, and give you a chance to prove yourself as an apprentice rather than a simple servant." Rapina looked up between her tears, "Do you really mean that Thane? You won't just give me the hardest book you have, then use me once you have proved I'm incapable?" "Nay," Thane stepped back. "Mark me lady, you have my word, to the degree you put forth effort to serve me and to learn, to that same degree I will put forth effort to teach you, and I will start you with the easiest book of magic that I own, not the most difficult. Furthermore, I will not force you to my bed or mistreat you for no reason." "Do you really mean that?" Rapina asked. "I do." Thane replied succinctly. Rapina took hold of Thane and cried against his chest for several minutes. The necromancer was flushed and at a loss for words. After some time he said, "Shall we get started?" Rapina let go of the necromancer, sniffed and nodded. "You want me to wear those smokey old clothes? "Actually, I had one of the skeletons do the laundry yesterday while you were preparing breakfast. Now I almost wish I hadn't. You need to look plain for the constable, and if you have committed other crimes with the pirates we must make you look a bit different so that you will not be connected to them, to be shipped off to some prison where you will no doubt suffer much as you have been. Also the constable is a married man, but we cannot be too careful. He must not think I want you as a mistress. He must also believe you are repentant, and we may have to convince a judge as well. As long as we make no glaring errors, and I am seen as the hero who saved the world from Red Jack, then the judge will likely grant any reasonable request." Rapina nodded. "Now, we must hurry. Today will test you severely. The only reason I was willing to take you on as a servant and now am willing to make you my apprentice is because I expect to be much wealthier than I currently am. Formerly I could simply not have afforded it. You see, Red Jack and many of his men have sizable bounties on their heads, some of them quite obscene. Dead or alive, altogether they are worth a king's ransom. The constable will be bringing a stack of wanted posters for Jack's men. We must help him by identifying all the bodies. Rapina grimaced, "All right." "Make breakfast and I will ready our mounts," Thane said. After breakfast, the necromancer and Rapina were lowered down into the canyon in the wicker cage. Thane helped Rapina onto a skeletal horse cowled in black, and then mounted another such horse. They and what remained of Thane's guards rode briskly to the pirate fort where Thane had Rapina identify a score of deceased recruits that Thane had his guards drag to a central location. "Pay close attention," Thane held a symbol of the god of death, mumbled incantations, and four of the dead men rose as zombies. "That was the power of Mortaebius. Now I will demonstrate the wizardly version of the same spell." Thane tossed bone powder over the bodies and wove a different, more impressive magic. Four more zombies rose. Thane then repeated the first spell. Rapina wrinkled her nose. "Thane chuckled. "We will need the workers." The constable will want to see the battlefield. I will tell him I used magic to best the pirates, but he must not know the exact nature of the magic. The law takes a dim view of necromancy. Illusion is a much more palatable form of magic." Thane ordered the zombies about and they began laying out the dead pirates, face up, at the top of the hill. "Now, you and I must collect skeletons that could be reassembled and reanimated. The pirates destroyed so much of what I had that the isle is largely unprotected. I have a special magical glue as well as a mending spell that both work magnificently on bone. Here are some burlap sacks. In each put the pieces of a full skeleton." Thane said. Rapina's stomach complained, but she worked diligently. She did not want to stay on the isle or think what she was doing, but she knew that she might never have the opportunity to learn real magic again. It seemed to her that the beauty she had been given by the lust spirit had carried with it a curse. She needed to be more powerful than that curse, or she would always be at its mercy. By mid afternoon, Thane had perused the captain's various strong boxes in the fort. The records included a list of Red Jack's men. Thane sent Rapina around to identify each man, and tie a label naming him to each dead man's big toe. After fetching the cut-up bodies from the mausoleum and laying them out with the others, the necromancer checked them against the list. "Counting the ones caught alive, we have one hundred forty-seven of one hundred fifty-three accounted for. We are missing Arzeal, Brackston, Drake, Pike, Rage, and Skitch. The ghouls took this man, Gape, in their tunnels yesterday. I have his head and skeleton back home. Rapina nodded. It was obvious that the days work had kept her in horror and tears, but she refused to let the one chance she had to overpower her fate slip away. "Now let us cover these corpses with pirate tents to keep the carrion birds off them and have our workers take the various usable weapons, arrows and equipment back to my storage rooms, and pack up the skeletons too shattered to be of use. We must hurry, the constable could be here soon." --- Thane entered Red Jack's cell. The pirate captain's ankles were manacled together, his wrists were manacled and attached to a chain around his waist, and another chain went from his wrists to his ankles. A chain ran from the wall of the cell to an iron collar around Jack's neck. Thane was not taking any chances. "Well now, has Kent been keeping you entertained?" Thane asked. Captain Red Jack scowled. "I have come to make a business proposition. You will no doubt be hung for your crimes, and I have kept you alive for one reason only. I seem to recall that some perverse bureaucrat made you considerably more valuable alive than dead. Perhaps you have some noble enemy who wishes to take personal revenge against you?" The captain looked stonily up at the necromancer. He idly wondered why the man wore gloves in this weather. Thane continued. "It's really no matter to me. I'm just a simple priest charged by the church of Mortaebius to keep this isle free of grave robbers. I realize you may have a tendency to talk, to try to drag me down with you by alleging that I am a necromancer." Jack scoffed, "alleging?" "Indeed. Of course all that you saw was simply the power of illusion." Thane smiled. "My Ass, it was." "Perhaps I can persuade you to change your mind." "How in hell da ye expect ta do that?" the captain asked. "I realize you are not inclined to keep any bargains being that you are on your way to the gallows, but I believe you might make an exception in this case. I have a bit of information you might be interested in, and I have captured someone I will be keeping on as an indentured servant for the crime of grave robbery. I assure you, if I go down, Rapina will go down with me." Captain Red Jack tried not to react to the mention of his favorite wench, but he could see the cold gaze of the necromancer duly noted his reaction. "What information do ye suppose a dead man like me might be interested in?" "Six of your men escaped. I have their names. This noon I made a little deal with Rapina and she has since been quite helpful. I suppose she did realize Kent and I could figure it out ourselves, but one can not always trust the recollections of a ghoul." "What kind o' deal did ye cut with th' wench, you swine, ye'd not kill 'er if she spread 'er legs for ye?" Red Jack growled. Thane looked down his nose at Red Jack, "Nay, I'd say that particular deal has already been over-used in her case... Actually, she drove a hard bargain, threatening to stab me with a kitchen knife, which would result in her death by my guards, if I gave her nothing to live for." Jack chuckled. "Plucky wench, ain't she?" "Indeed. Now, do we have a deal?" Thane asked. "Aright, I'll bargain w' ye. My silence about yer fell magery, in return fer th' names o' me men that escaped, yer word ye won't harm th' wench, th' details o' yer deal with 'er, an two hours alone w' 'er without these damned chains before they cart me off." "And what do you plan to do in those two hours?" "Say gbye ta her like a proper pirate if she'll have me. It'll likely be th' last time I see 'er or any woman." "Hmmmm, you drive a hard bargain indeed." Thane pursed his lips. "I am not so sure I wish to grant that last request, but I will tell you what. In addition to failing to mention necromancy, if you will tell me everything you know about the girl, and promise you will not force her, then I will grant your request." "Aye, I don't need ta force th' wench, she's a healthy young woman if er' there was one. Ye got a deal," The captain said. Thane raised an eyebrow at Jack's comment. "The men who escaped are Arzeal, Brackston, Drake, Pike, Rage, and Skitch. Once they left the isle, I have no idea what they did, and it is none of my concern what they do hereafter. As I said, I am a humble priest charged to protect this isle from grave robbers, and up to the time I collect the bounties on you and your men, I will also be a relatively impoverished priest." Red Jack Chuckled. "An after that ye'll be richer'n a baron. How in hell's name did Arzeal escape?" "He left the darkness on the opposite side of the hill as I was on and made a run for it. He shot many of the archers shooting at him on his way down the hill and likely veered south and swam for it once he reached the cove. Thane smiled, "As for the details of my arrangement with Rapina, legally speaking I will hold her here on indenture for her crimes. After her sentence runs out she will still have to face sentence on whatever crimes she may have committed elsewhere." Captain Red Jack grimaced. "It is the best I can do within the law. Is there something she has not told me? We do have a deal don't we?" the necromancer asked. "Aye, there is, an' I don't know if I should be tellin' ye, but a deal's a deal, an' I guess ye'll be rich enough that th' wench'll be better to ye than some pretty reward," Red Jack said. "There's money on her head?" Thane asked. "There was a powerful priest who ran 'er town an' preyed on' th' young women on th' sly. He died on 'er while rapin' 'er fer th' umpteenth time. Least that's what I got out o' her. He was mean, crazy mean - had a few screws loose. She was tryin' ta tire 'im out so 'ed sleep 'stead o' leave when 'e'd finished with 'er so she could make 'er escape. She got 'im sleepin' deep aright, six feet deep, but she claims 'e broke a vessel or somethin' 'cause she didn't lift 'er hand again' 'im. I don't know if that part is true. I only 'ave 'er word on it. I do know some o' the boys pulled 'er out o' th' river near dead drowned when they were on their way ta join me crew, so she warr makin' an escape from somethin', 'an believe me, I know a hardened criminal when I see one, Rapina was just a kid, she ain't a natural born killer. She's also told me 'er aunt was th' villiage witch 'an th' aunt did curses on that ol' letcher o' a priest 'till 'e had th' aunt executed. Rapina ain't a normal girl. She's deadly smart, 'an she's frisky as a mink. That's 'ow this all started for 'er. 'Er stupid mother didn't believe th' rumors about th' reverend. He warr good at shutin' up anyone who squealed, sometimes permanent. Her dad caught 'er w' one o' 'er boyfriends, a nice lad too, 'e warr th' one who helped teach 'er ta read, but they wasn't readin' at th' time. Rapina was what ye call precocious, a real natural w' th' boys, a born lover. Th' damned priest were probably a bit leary about takin' 'er given Rapina's aunt an' 'er family maybe knowin' about 'im. Thing was, 'er stupid mother delivered the poor girl right inta th' priest's foul hands fer foolin' w' th' boys. The foul priest gave 'er her first lesson on 'ow sick some folks can be 'tween th' sheets. He beat 'er, cut 'er and would 'ave done worse if th' god o' th' dead hadn't dragged 'im under. Least that's what she told me, an' I'm inclined ta belive 'er. I'm sure th' man's family will make like she bewitched 'im 'an drained th' life out o' 'im. Who knows, maybe she did, an if 'e did even 'alf 'o what she said 'e did, 'e deserved everything 'e got. One thing's sure though, first time I were with 'er warrn't entirely w' 'er consent, but she was a good sport about it, and we 'ad a little wine and conversation before th' event. 'Fact that I'm still alive, an th' fact that any pirate boyfriend she 'ad was still kickin' up 'till ye snuffed 'em says somethin' about 'er. If she's got bewitchin' powers, she sure as hell ne're used em' on me. Any attachment I got, I came by th' natural way, Red Jack winked saltily." Thane scowled. "Don't ye be judgin' 'er too harsh. She ain't a lady that way, but she's a goddess in a man's bed, an' if ye treat 'er right ye'll find out fer yerself. She told me straight up she coudn't 'elp foolin' w' th' boys. 'Said 'er father used ta beat 'er for it 'an 'er mother used ta heap th' guilt on 'er, but that's 'ow she is, a natural born lover 'an comely as they come. Not a woman I've known could 'old a candle to 'er. Ye're holdin' a girl any man would give 'is eye teeth for, an' ye're not keepin' 'er on 'cause she's ugly, so ye can be glad she ain't a cold bitch. On th' other 'and, it's best ye know 'er nature up front, or yer like ta kill 'er fer bein' her, an' regret it fer th' rest o' yer life an' then some. Other than bein' th' finest woman ye'll ever lay eyes on, She's got more guts an' determination than any pirate recruit I've ever had. Leech Kennon, me camp doctor who ye snuffed, 'e said she was th' finest student an' assistant he'd ever had 'er seen. Me arms master tried ta wash 'er out o' basic 'an failed. He didn't take kindly ta women in 'is trainin'. Instead she got 'erself some advice 'an trainin' from other men 'an learned skill at arms better'n th' bigger, tougher recruits 'e put 'er up against. Fer someone who's had just eight weeks o' basic trainin' an a few weeks o' practice on th' boats, she sails better, shoots a bow straighter and wields short sword an shield or rapier an' main gauche as good as any recruit I ever had. She could kill ye with that kitchen knife if she 'ad a mind to, but she can be th' best friend ye ever 'ad if ye treat 'er right. I gave it to ye straight. She's a pirate wench, an' ye knew that when ye got 'er, but she's a sweet kid too in spite o' everything she's been through, an' that's even more considerable now what w' all ye're cursed walkin' dead. Ye're no prize yerself, an ye don't deserve a wench like Rapina." Thane looked down his nose at Red Jack. "I know what ye're thinkin', an' I'll be th' first ta admit it. I didn't deserve 'er neither, but I'm an opportunist, 'an I'm a killer same as ye are. I hate ye for killin' me men, but I'd o' killed yer men too, if they 'adn't been dead already. Now, I gave ye all I know. Yer turn." "This reverend she killed, what was his name?" the necromancer asked. Red Jack sighed, "Ye promise not ta turn her in fer killin' the bastard?" "If what you say about him is true, then I will not fault the woman for defending herself," Thane said. "Evangeline Avengene. I 'ad 'is signet from her fer a while, but I sold it." Jack scowled as he saw the priest freeze in surprise for just an instant. "That's all I know, now what's the rest of yer agreement with th' wench?" Jack asked. "I have agreed to give Rapina the chance to be more than a servant. In the unlikely event that her intellect is sufficient, She is to be my apprentice in magic." Red Jack nodded, "Me first officer Roger, who ye killed, he liked ta imagine th' recruits in some profession that fit 'em when they first joined on. Kent 'e saw as a naval officer good as any o' th' captains in th' king's navy. He couldn't place Rapina, said she gave 'im th' willies, but 'e finally did place 'er. She was a sorcerer's apprentice." Thane raised his eyebrow. "The constable may arrive at any time. I have other things to show him so you'll have your two hours, perhaps more, but I'll need to fetch the girl straight away." Thane left and then returned a few minutes later and let Rapina into Jack's cell. He hung a large censor on the bars of the cell's window that released myrrh- scented smoke into the air. Rapina carried the key to Jack's chains, but she'd been instructed not to release the pirate unless she wanted to, and to chain him up again before she left. Kent, Edgar, and a few of their fellow ghouls were on call in the guardroom. "Jack, I'm so sorry, he... beat us," Rapina stammered. "Aye, 'an 'e beat us as well. I warr a fool, I should 'ave seen th' 'and writin' on th' wall. That priest is as cold an' calculatin' a general as I've seen." Rapina nodded, "Guardian Thane is a magician and a priest, a member of The Order of the Death's Peace. It's the militant arm of the church of Mortaebius, god of the dead. I'm sure he was trained in tactics when he joined the order. They specialize in protecting the church, and protecting tombs from grave robbers." Jack sighed, "I'm sorry Rapina, I should 'ave known, I warr too wrapped up in th' loss o' me ships an' I fought when I should 'ave run. That's what 'as kept me off th' king's gallows fer this long. In th' past, I always knew when it warr time ta run." Rapina hugged Jack and unlocked the iron collar around his neck. "You couldn't have known Jack. Thane uses magic; no one could have estimated his power or his resources. If he had not come down to fight you himself, you would have won. What you saw at the end was all he had left, his household guards and whatever he could borrow from the tombs." Rapina unlocked the chain around Jack's waist. "Damn! I nearly had 'im. How's 'e been treatin' ye, girl?" "Kent abducted me using a secret door in the tomb after one of Thane's traps failed him but still killed half of our party." "That man's full o' infernal traps 'an schemes," Jack snapped. Rapina unlocked Jack's ankles. "Once here, I unfroze and tried to escape once but wound up just outside this cell. It was the only door I could find that I could hold against the guards Thane assigned to me, because I found a key to it on the wall of the guardroom. I saw Jonas, but I'm not sure he's here anymore. When I holed up here, it turned out that Kent and Thane were talking in the last cell. Kent was eating Piggy. It was horrible! "Aye, I don't know what Thane's doin' ta Kent, but 'e's th' only ghoul guard I've seen who looks eighteen months pregnant." "Anyway, Thane and Kent came out of a cell with three of Thane's special armored skeletons, and Thane surrounded me with flying bones. I had to surrender; it was hopeless. Thane took me out of here and put me up in one of his guest rooms. He turned me into his maid straight away, and I cooked and cleaned for him while he occupied himself with the battle. He's very creepy, and he treats death as casually as the weather, but he's not beat me or anything, even though I tried to escape." The captain nodded. "He's a' evil man, but I'm no angel meself. I hope 'e treats ye right. 'Fraid I'm not goin' ta be able ta watch over ye any longer. I can hope me escaped men will find me an' manage ta spring me afore I'm hanged, but It ain't likely. 'Least th' 'ol bastard gave me that hope. 'e told me Arzeal escaped, an' Pike, Brackston, Drake, Skitch and Rage." Rapina Nodded, "I saw the bodies, they weren't among them, and early this morning when he came home from the battle, Thane told me Arzeal had gotten away at the end of the battle." "Aye, then maybe 'e's tellin' th' truth," Red Jack said. "But enough 'o that, if I'm goin' ta hang 'an then be slavin' an' burnin' in some death god's underworld, I'd like ta 'bring as many memories of ye as I can." Jack drew Rapina to him and kissed her deeply. --- After leaving Jack and Rapina, Thane had gone to the cliffs above his abode. From there he had seen a ship approaching from the South and had gone to meet it. The constable always anchored his boats off the box canyon entrance to the isle and sent a ship's boat with the bodies of executed criminals. Thane had provided the constable with a few thick iron rings set into the stone of the canyon so that he could leave living prisoners to be killed and buried, but the constable usually had criminals publicly executed. Thus Thane usually was just left with recently dead bodies, and often supplies sent from his brother priest via the constable's ship. These things sustained his ghouls and himself, but not in high style. When there were no bodies of criminals from the constable and no burials of local people brought to the isle by his brother priest, Mortician Hagston, Hagston sent a hired boat, but that cost money. Thus Thane relied on the constable and burial parties to do him the kindness of delivering supplies whenever possible. On this occasion, Thane had sent a request for wheat, various other foodstuffs and cloth to his brother priest when he sent the message about Red Jack via pigeon. In addition to the supplies, the constable would be bringing a caged pigeon from Hagston to replace the one Thane had used to send the last message. When the constable and his chief deputy arrived, Thane took them straight away to see the pirate camp. "This was their fort, and that's the lot of them, laid out for you, constable Barns. I found this list in Red Jack's logs, and a prisoner helped me sort out who was who. I have labeled each body." Constable Olsen shook his head. "That's amazin' work Guardian Thane. I got to admit, when Mortician Hagston tol' me you had defeated Red Jack and his men with th' power o' Mortaebius, I was more'n a bit skeptical, but seein' em all laid out like this in your usual efficient manner, well, seein' is belevin', eh deputy?" "Sure is, hard ta believe a man can conjure shades ta hack men up like this." "Indeed, I see you're point, Deputy. Frankly, I'm still quite beat from the battle. It took quite a bit out of me, but I believe I will be sufficiently recuperated to muster a small demonstration for you tomorrow morning if you like." "Of m-magic?" Barns looked at Olsen. "That would be good of you Guardian Thane. Why it'd be a pleasure to see how the Infamous Red Jack met his doom. Speakin' of whom, where is his carcass?" "Actually, I was able to capture Red Jack alive," Thane said. "After we return to my residence for a short break, I'll take you on a little tour of the dungeon." "Alive! Wow," deputy Barnes exclaimed. By the time Thane escorted the men into the canyon, the sun was already down. Olsen looked at the sky. "Sure glad you got that magic light, Guardian Thane, I got a little worried we'd fall off the cliffs soon as the sun went down." Ah, it is nothing; light is a very common spell. Thane stopped. "Lower!" he yelled. The wicker cage was lowered for them. After Thane had shown the men their rooms and served wine and cheese on the table of the dining hall, the priest excused himself for a moment. Thane took a circuitous route around the men and back down the stairs to the corridor with the dungeon and storage areas the men had entered after exiting the cage. "Rapina, Captain, I'll be bringing the constable in shortly. I believe you've had over two hours now. Rapina, please come out as soon as you are ready, hurry." Rapina hugged Jack one last time and put his chains back on. Jack was exhausted from their earlier love- making, but wore a salty grin that threatened never to leave him. "Fare the well, lass. I pray I can slip th' noose, but 'least I'll die a happy man if me luck ain't up ta a miracle." "Rapina smiled but shed a tear. I hope I'll see you again Jack, but just in case, I want to thank you for watching over for these last few months." "Aye, it was my pleasure lass, an' if th' worse happens, why I'll jimmy me way outa hell, an' ye'll have a ghost Red Jack ta watch over ye fer as long as ye need me." Rapina smiled through her tears, waved one last time and left the cell. "Let's see your face, quickly," Thane said taking the key from Rapina's hand. Thane produced a little mortician's makeup kit and went to work on Rapina's face in key locations, adding shadows and making her look older and a bit different. Now, go in, undress and take this strip of cloth and bind your breasts tight to your chest, then dress again. When the constable comes, hunch your shoulders over a bit, and look at the floor a lot. It will help you look plainer. The constable must not think anything untoward. I will be calling you Serina. If the constable and the judge fail to recognize you for the crimes that the priest's family accused you of, then so much the better." Rapina nodded. Kent checked Captain Red Jack's chains, then locked Jack's cell and left the dungeon with the rest of the ghouls for the storage room across the hall. "I shall return with the constable and his deputy shortly." After a few minutes, Thane arrived with the officers and opened Jack's cell. Barns took a deep breath, "It's really him!" "Nay, can't ye see I'm th' Duke an' I hereby pardon meself all transgressions, legal 'r otherwise past an future. Now unchain me an' get me back ta me palace." "Good try Jack, but the Duke is a shorter man. Olsen held up a wanted poster. That's you all right." "Ach, they got the beard all wrong, can't ye see?" Jack snapped. "It will be a pleasure to turn you over to the Duke's men, Red Jack, you've burned your last town and killed your last innocent victim!" "I'll see ye in th' hells o' Mortabius, constable." "Stop gawking, Barns. We'll be taking him back to town tomorrow. Any others you wanted us to see, Guardian Thane?" Barns said ushering his deputy back into the corridor. "Just one other. I didn't think it would be right to kill a young woman, even if she had gotten mixed up with the pirates. She and several other of the pirates robbed one of the Baronial tombs. Unfortunately, six of her mates got away, so you men and your sailors best keep on the lookout for trouble. The escapees are wounded, but any veteran of Red Jack's band is dangerous in any condition short of deceased." "That's good advice if I ever heard it," Olsen said. Thane opened Rapina's cell. "This is Serina, she has been very helpful in identifying the bodies, and before that in cooking and cleaning for me while I was concentrating on the battle. I will, of course be pressing charges for her grave robbing, but I believe this woman can be rehabilitated. I wonder if I might get her sentenced to an indenture here as my maid? It seems I will finally be able to afford to feed a servant, but it is so difficult to get the locals to hire on for a stint on the infamous Graveston isle." "I'm sure the Judge'll be favorably inclined to you, Guardian Thane. You'll be a mighty big hero in Granville. Why don't you keep her for now, and I'll arrange for a hearing for you when you come to pick up the reward money. I hope you've got a big boat, because the gold from those bounties would sink a lesser one." Thane chuckled, "I'll work something out. Please give my brother priest a note to send me via pigeon as to when to collect the bounty and attend the hearing. That's one date I'd hate to be late for. Shall I bring the girl for the hearing?" "Likely you'll need to, but it should be just a formality," Olsen said. "Very well, let us retire to my chambers. The girl can fix us something to eat and then after a little conversation, I expect you men will want to turn in. You are, of course, invited to stay in my guest rooms. No need for you to stay on your boat with your other men, when I am glad to provide better accommodations." "Sure thing, it's been a long day," Olsen said. The next morning after breakfast, Thane ushered the men to one of his storage rooms. Thane handed Olsen a dim, red mage light. "My magic works best in poor lighting, that is why I took Jack and his men at night. As you might imagine, with my background as a mortician, I have little trouble conjuring up images that terrify the unschooled. Now here we have one of the bodies of the pirates that I've hung from a pillar. Now let me work and you will soon see how the morale of Jack's troops was robbed from them, allowing my quasi-real troops to close in for the kill." Thane made a show of coalescing the shadows into terrifying beings and forming a ghoulish monster from the shadows as well. The creatures tore up the body. In truth, the illusion hid the real players until they were "conjured;" the three shadows and the ghoul were authentic. When the demonstration was over, the undead monsters escaped through a secret door, once again under cover of Thane's illusion. Thane removed the cover from a strong, white mage-light and the men were suddenly transported from the horror of the night to standing in a well-lit ordinary, nearly empty storage room. It was obvious that there was now nothing living in the room but Thane, Olsen and Barns. "There now, I hope I managed to scare you at least a little bit." "A-a little b-bit I'd say," stammered Barns Olsen chuckled nervously, "Those pirates must have really lost it when you conjured monstrosities like that at night." "Yes, fear itself can be the greatest enemy." Thane wiped his brow. "I'd best spend a few more days resting, I think, but I am glad I could show you men a little of the magic that bested Red Jack." "Guess we better get goin'. After that demonstration, I sure's heck want ta be back in Granville before nightfall. My skin's still a-crawlin'." "Thank you constable, you flatter my humble powers. Let's get Red Jack and you can be on your way." Sometime later Thane watched as the constable and several deputies loaded Red Jack and his many chains onto a long boat bound for the constable's stout little ship. "Thank you for coming, and have a safe trip, Constable Olsen, deputy Barns and you other sailors and gentlemen of the law. I'll look forward to a note from you, constable Olsen via my brother priest, Mortician Hagston," Thane said. "Thank *you* Guardian Thane, your heroism has saved countless innocent lives. Every community along the Augustana owes you a deep debt of gratitude, and I will be glad to see you are amply rewarded," Olsen said. Thane bowed humbly and watched as the boat sailed off. When it was gone, he turned and grinned. The story continues in [Rapina]018 Judgement in Disguise. New Beginnings This Page Includes: Back to the, Pirates, page [Rapina]010 New Beginnings [Rapina]011 Hall of the Dead [Rapina]012 Shadows of the Dead [Rapina]013 Night Terrors [Rapina]014 The Noble Jaws of Death [Rapina]015 Death Battles the Living [Rapina]016 Defeat in Darkness [Rapina]017 A Captain in Chains [See a sketch of Graveston Isle (Dead Man's Isle)] [Rapina]010 New Beginnings As Red Jack scanned the horizon with his spy glass, he liked what he saw. The outlet from the lake flowed into the North side of the River Augustana between high, widely-spaced granite cliffs. The lake itself was quite large, and did not neck down much as it joined the river. This would make it near impossible to blockade, since the entrance to the lake, the lake itself and the river Augustana were both wide and deep in this area owing to the granite cliffs, riverbed and lake bed. The island was situated a good 5 miles away from the east and west shore of the lake, about 8 miles from the Northern lakeshore, and around twelve miles from the entrance to the lake to the South. The isle in the middle of the lake was a pirate's dream. It rose out of the lake like a fortress roughly three miles in diameter. To the South, West, And East the isle faced the water with high cliffs. To the North the cliffs gradually became lower but remained quite defensible. There was a double notch in the cliffs at their lowest point to the North. This proved to be the entrance to a cove just large enough for a few ships. The entrance to the cove was shallow, and the men had to spend quite a while measuring depths before they were able to get the merchant ship into the cove. The longships, with their shallow drafts and narrow beams were an easier matter. As one might have expected, the cove was the lowest part of the isle, and the terrain rose, sometimes gradually, sometimes abruptly as one went farther South. There was a forest growing near the cove in the north central area of the isle. To the south as the terrain rose and became rougher and more rocky, the trees gave way to scrub, and thence to rocky, open terrain punctuated with a few scattered bushes and trees. The longships were anchored in the cove and rowboats with supplies were launched. Captain Red Jack's pirates busied themselves with setting up a new camp. They were quite efficient for a bunch of pirates. By early evening, the temporary camp was mostly set up. Tents and lean-tos would provide shelter until the the pirates obtained lumber for more permanent structures. The captain and his officers marched through the camp discussing layout of guard posts, traps, and other defensive strategies. Most of the recruits were too busy unloading supplies or pitching tents to take notice. "First thing I'll be needin' is a map of th' area. Think ya can handle it Roger?" Jack asked. "Yes captain. Ill get right on it." Roger turned with scarcely a nod and headed off into the camp. He had been teaching Kent mapmaking before they had packed up camp to move here. One of his trainees was carrying a large coil of rope. The first mate walked up to the boy and clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder. "William! I need you, Kent, and Rolf to meet me back here in five minutes." That said, Roger headed off to get his mapmaking equipment. "But, sir...I don't know where Kent and Rolf are... " The slightly confused recruit stammered. "Well then you had better find them...and quick!" Roger shouted over his shoulder. Minutes later, three to be exact, the three recruits were assembled and awaiting Rogers arrival. Roger smiled as he watched them through his tent flap. They were all coming along nicely, especially Kent. Kent had a sharp mind and that was a rare commodity among pirates. Satisfied that they were nervous enough, Roger walked out to brief them on their next duty. The first mate handed out the necessary equipment and led the recruits towards the outskirts of the camp. "It'll be gettin dark soon so were goin ta have to hurry." Drake watched as they walked off. He was worried about Kent. Lately he seemed to be more distant from Drake. He was troubled, but had no idea of what to do. "Ya ready on your end Doanthalas?" Drake asked as he got a better grip on the handle of the chest. The tattooed elf just nodded. "Okay. On three then. One. Two. Three." They both grunted as their muscles strained to lift the chest full of weapons off the ground. This was one of the last weapons runs that needed to be made. Soon everything would be unloaded and ready for sorting and storage until needed. Drake glanced down at Doanthalas belt. He wasn't carrying any weapons. That wasn't surprising. The pirates were still deathly afraid of the elf. Its amazing what a few rumors will do to superstitious people. The young pirate recruit smiled; he had believed the rumors himself. At least until he had gotten to know the savage-elf better. Drake found it amusing that the so-called savage was more well- mannered than any of the civilized pirates. Still Drake didn't know the elf very well either. Doanthalas had yet to say more than ten words to him. He had a lot to tell, though. Drake could tell. The look in his eyes alone was testament to that fact. He shrugged. Doanthalas would talk when he was ready to. Sunset came and the pirate camp was still alive with activity. Jack would be very upset if the camp was not in working order by morning. The pirates hurried about their tasks, as none of them wanted to be the focus of Red Jack's anger. The captain looked around the large tent at the assembled faces: Roger, Sak, Logan, Leech Kennon, Hock, Arzeal, and Brackston. All of the officers were accounted for. Jack looked at everyone for a moment before beginning. "From what I can see we've got ourselves a good spot here. Its a good defensible position. What we need now is a good defensive plan. I have Roger working on a map of the area for us. How goes the mapmaking?" "Good sir. We've staked out four good reference points. Tomorrow we will be able to get some measurements and by afternoon we will have an accurate working map of the area. For now we have this rough sketch of the area." The first mate stood up and approached the captain. He held out a rolled up piece of parchment to the captain. Red Jack took the parchment and unrolled it. He perused it and the look on his face told the others that he was pleased. "This is a fine sketch Roger. The best I've seen you do so far." "Thank you captain, but I didn't draw that map. Kent did. He has an amazing eye for detail. I'm guessing that the finished map with accurate measurements won't be too different from that map in your hands." "Really? That's what I like to hear, but Roger..." "Yes captain?" "Lets schedule some extra weapons training for that lad. Shall we?" Everyone in the room snickered. "Gods know he needs it!" More laughter filled the room. Roger just nodded and sat down. "Everyone gather around and look at this map. You especially, Logan." The captain unrolled the map and set it on the ground. He weighted down the four corners with rocks and looked up at Logan. "Alright. How do ya want to lay this camp out Logan? You're the one who's got ta run it while I'm out plunderin" Logan looked at the map for a long time. He pointed to eight different points on the map. "Guard posts should be set up here. We should stick with three guard changes per night. It keeps the guards fresh and alert and it worked out well for us at the last camp. And during the..." "Speakin of guards and such...why don't we use the elf as much as possible for night watch...after all he can see in the dark..." "That's a good idea, but do you think we can trust him? I don't think the men would sleep very well with him on watch," Logan said. "I agree," Brackston said. "Yew know they're all afraid of I'm. He's like some sort of demon. We should lock 'im back up or kill em. Either's fine by me." "You'd like that. Wouldn't you Brackston?" Arzeal asked. "What are you afraid of? If he had wanted you dead he would have killed you by now." "Why you sonuva mother..." "Okay! Knock it off you two! The captain interrupted. "I know he's dangerous and I know the men fear him, but don't worry. It'll do the men some good to be constantly on their toes. Besides Rapina seems to trust him and from what I've seen she's a good judge of character." "Drake seems to have developed a bond with the elf as well. It's the strangest thing. They're together a lot, but I've yet to see them speak to each other. They usually just sit there or go about their duties in silence. I don't get it." "Maybe he likes tha boys too. Hmmm?" Brackston conjectured. "In yer dreams Brackston. You'd love a good piece of elf meat like that wouldn't ya? Heh." The room erupted in raucous laughter. "I'm still not convinced. You all saw what he did to...to..." Sak didn't have to finish. They all knew what he was referring to. "Who's to say that he won't rip my face off next? And what's to keep him from escaping?" "Those are two very good points Sak. Rest assured that I have already addressed them both. First, I have made it known that no one is to arm the elf under penalty of having their balls cut off! Second, I have assigned two crewmen to watch him all day and night. Two other crewmen relieve them once daily. I guarantee you if he tries anything we'll know it." Those recruits who missed training because of being wounded during the raid were given a chance to make up on lost practice time. Doanthalas was given the opportunity to hone his fighting skills as well. The recruits performed as well as any green sailor could be expected to. They were slightly better than lousy. Doanthalas, on the other hand, handled his weapons with considerably more skill. The practice sword rested easily in his hand and he seemed to breeze through the practice session. His archery skills were excellent as well. More arrows found their mark than not. Hock and Arzeal were impressed. After arms practice it was time to eat. The sylvan-elf got his plate of food from the mess hall and walked outside to eat. Most of the other recruits chose to eat outside as well, but moved away when Doanthalas walked by. The elf paid them no mind and sat down under a tree by himself. Drake noticed the elf and went over to sit down next to him. "Hey there Doanthalas. Mind if I join you?" Drake heard only silence. "I'll take that as a sure, sit down and enjoy yourself, okay?" The young recruit sat down and noticed Kent walking past. "Hey Kent! Why don't you join us?" Kent barely glanced in Drake's direction as he walked by. He found William and Rolf and sat down to eat with them. "What's his problem? I thought we were friends," Drake said. He's been acting this way ever since we picked up to move here. I don't get it." Drake looked in Doanthalas direction and shrugged. The tattooed elf just looked at Drake with his emerald eyes for a moment. He shrugged as well and then went back to eating. "Hi Drake, Hi Doanthalis," Rapina walked up with her dinner and found a spot to eat next to the boys. "The good news is, we are not trapped on a moving boat twenty-four hours a day, the bad news is Captain Red Jack wants the camp done yesterday. I see you two got put on unloading stuff from the merchant ship duty. I've been helping the leech set up a temporary infirmary. Pretty soon we'll all be turned into amateur carpenters, I think." Evening arrived and the recruits made their way to their tents for a much-deserved sleep. The guards were changed and all unnecessary fires were doused. A solitary figure made its way towards a copse of trees. A few of the straggling pirates noticed it was the elf. Doanthalas never slept with the other pirates. He always spent the night outside. The pirates wondered if the sylvan elf even slept at all. Whatever his reason for not sleeping in the same tent as the others the pirates didn't care. They felt much safer with him somewhere else. The tattooed elf surveyed the new copse of trees he had chosen for the site of this evenings reverie. It would do. The trees would provide minimal protection from the elements as well as a convenient escape route if trouble arose. Doanthalas turned his emerald eyes to the sky and breathed deeply. It had been many years since he had smelled air so sweet. The stars seemed to twinkle to some silent melody. For a moment, his heart soared. For a moment, he almost forgot. The elf contemplated not entering the reverie at all this evening. Without the reverie he would forget. All the horrors and torments would be forgotten. Gone. And his spirit would be at peace once again. Unfortunately, there was a price. Not only would he forget everything bad, but he would also forget everything good. His family, friends, loved ones, and every moment of happiness he had ever lived would be gone. They would fade away like a forgotten dream. He shook his head. It was time to enter the reverie. Doanthalas sat cross-legged on the ground and assumed a meditative pose. His chest rose and fell with every breath he took. It wasn't long before the present faded and the past came flooding back. Doanthalas looked peaceful and serene sitting there on the ground. His hair waved as the wind blew through it. He wasn't sleeping nor was he awake; he was somewhere else entirely. About twenty minutes after he entered the reverie the sylvan-elfs body began to shake. A casual looker would have thought he was just cold. Considering how lightly dressed he was it would not have been a surprise. Nevertheless, he was not cold. In fact, he was sweating. As time passed, his body shook more and more violently. He seemed to be having some sort of fit. Suddenly his eyes opened and his arms shot out to his sides. He looked about wildly a look of utter fear on his face. Although Doanthalas was looking from side to side his eyes didn't seem to be focusing on anything. In an instant he was on his feet and backpedaling away from the camp. A root caught his heel and sent him crashing to the ground. He struggled to get back up, but could only manage to crawl backwards. When his back hit the tree he stopped backpedaling. The elf curled up into the fetal position and screamed,"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Tremors seized his body as the elf began to sob. For almost an hour he just lay there shaking and sobbing. He didn't utter a single word the rest of the night. "What's 'ee doin' now Skitch?" Guts asked. "Jus' sittin there shakin.'" Skitch whispered. "Is that all? I might as well sit down and get some rest." "Don't fall asleep. 'Captain wants the elf watched 24 hours." "Yeah, yeah," Guts sat down and yawned. Just watching Skitch walk around was enough to keep him up, at least for a while. When morning came Doanthalis just stood up, dusted himself off, and reported for his duties. Doanthalas breezed through the morning's weapons training session. He had used all of them before. Experienced as he was with the weapons he was by no means a master. For that reason he applied himself fully to the practice. In the afternoon he had a more difficult time. The pirates explained and demonstrated the basic workings of a ship. It looked easy enough to Doanthalas, but the actual doing was very difficult. The sylvan elf had never been on a ship before much less tried to sail one. He had never had a reason to leave the land. On land Doanthalas was as agile as a cat. At sea he was more like a fish out of water. He almost tipped the rowboat twice and the swaying of the ship made him sick. The men would have laughed if they hadn't feared for their lives. At dinnertime the tattooed elf hobbled to the mess tent with the rest of the recruits. The sun was setting in the distance and clouds were forming on the horizon. Meanwhile the captain was meeting with his officers once again. "I'm sure that ye all know tha reason I called ye here," Jack said. He paused as his eyes scanned the room. "I've been hearing some things about tha elf Doanthalas. Rumors is rumors and they don't concern me. What does concern me is any truth behind those rumors." The Captain took another dramatic pause as he paced up to Armsmaster Hock. "So tell me tha truth. Is what I'm hearin true? Hock? Arzeal?" "I take it yer referrin ta his fightin skills..." Hock paused to see if the captain would answer him. The captain didn't so the armsmaster continued, "He handles the weapons with a skill far superior ta that of our best recruits. If'n I had ta guess I'd say he was some sort of soldier or mercenary." "I agree," Arzeal said. "He knows his way around bows. That's for sure. He picked the best one out of the bunch without any help from me or anyone for that matter. And his aim was too accurate for anyone but a soldier...or a mercenary." "So yer sayin that he's good with weapons eh? Which ones?" The captain asked. "Far as I can tell, captain, he's good with all of em," Hock said. "ALL of em?" The captain asked. "Yes sir. All that we have anyway," Hock replied. "Well I guess its good that we haven't allowed him any weapons so far. Eh boys? Else he might have skewered us all. Heh." "Well although he IS proficient in all the weapons we have...he ISN'T the best at using them. Don't get me wrong...he IS good. But he still has a lot to learn. I just thought it interesting that he would be so good in so many different weapons." Hock said. "Elves do live for hundreds of years so it doesn't surprise me that much, but what does surprise me is that an elf as young as he is would be that proficient in them." Arzeal said. "What do ya mean Arzeal?" Jack asked. The half elf paused to consider his words for a moment, "Most elves spend their youth enjoying life and learning about things like music and history. They don't usually begin training elvish children in warfare until they're two hundred to three hundred years old. Doanthalas doesn't look a day over one hundred and fifty. He's practically a child..." "A child?!?!?!?" The half-elf laughed. "Well a child by elvish standards is more like an adult by our standards..well your standards. Still....since they outlive humans by generations they have more time to devote to learning the skills they need to survive," Arzeal said. "Why do they wait so long to learn how to fight? You'd think they'd need it at an earlier age," Hock asked. "The adult elves protect the younger elves when threatened. Besides elves don't like to fight. They find it barbaric and distasteful." "Well that wild elf out there sure had me fooled! Ya'd think he was born to fight! Distasteful my arse! Ha!" Brackston said. "There are always exceptions, but...I don't think Doanthalas is an exception. I think he fights because he has to, not because he wants to," Arzeal said. "what makes you say that Arzeal?" the captain asked. "I'm not sure. It's mostly a gut feeling, but he doesn't have the look of a cold blooded killer in his eyes. He has more of the look of a lost soul...besides he had the perfect chance to kill me and Rapina back when we recaptured him." Brackston frowned and grumbled to himself at Arzeals words. "But he didn't kill you...or Rapina for that matter. Drake seems to think the world of him." Logan smiled, shook his head and laughed. "What's so funny, Logan?" Captain Red Jack asked. "Just some of the stories Drake has been telling me about the elf's sailing skills...or should I say LACK of sailing skills?" Logan said. Roger, the normally stoic first mate couldn't help but smirk. "It's true captain. He may be a natural when it comes to fightin,' but I've never seen a more clumsy sailor." "He hasn't got his sea legs yet?" Red Jack asked. "More like he's gotten his sea legs amputated!" Roger laughed. Laughter filled the tent at Roger's joke. A few stories of Doanthalas' misadventures on the water followed. "That's all well and good, but the fact remains that the men fear 'im. I don't blame them. He gives me the willies. And those tattoos of his...he looks like a demon he does. I'll betcha that none of them sailors laughs at I'm when he's bumblin around the boat. Do they?" "No. They don't." Roger replied. "Well if the men don't trust him then how can we?" Sak asked. "That's a very good question Sak. I'm hoping that they'll come around sooner or later," the captain said. "And if they don't?" Sak asked. "We'll deal with that when and if it happens," Captain Red Jack replied. "Besides Drake's already taken a liking to him," Logan said. "And so has Rapina...and...and I think he's ok," Arzeal said. "We'll see. Three pirates out of a camp of almost a hunnerd ain't even a drop in tha bucket!" Sak said. --- ------ That evening a few of the pirates were drinking as usual. Only this time they were discussing the elf. Pike was part of the group as was Fishy, Milo, Grulka, and Targ. Targ was a beefy pirate with a prominent brow and no noticeable neck. He was having trouble speaking after his seventh mug of ale. "Now that alf e fights like the devil e does. I'd hate ta be facin I'm in battle." "I agree," said Grulka, a lanky pirate with a pinched face. "He'd tear me limb from limb he would." "Ha. Yer a buncha scaredy cats! Afraid of a little elf," Fishy scoffed. "Sure the elf's a tough one, but he's not invincible," Pike said. "I'm sure a good number of the pirates here could beat him in a fair fight." "Ha! Ya wish!" Grulka said. "Okay. Goin find one then," Targ argued. "Ya won't! Thar all scared of I'm." "I'm not," Pike said. "Oh. Big talk from that big man. Why don't you go fight I'm then?" Tark asked. "Because I have no quarrel with him," Pike said. "Or is it cuz yer scared?" Gulka asked. The large Norseman stood to his full height and glared down at Grulka. "What did you say?" He growled. "Easy Pike. He didn't mean it. It's the ale talkin," Fishy said. "If'n yer not scared of the alf then...how's about we make a little wager?" Tark asked. "Now yer talkin,' What's the bet?" Fishy asked. Bets were made and when everyone was in agreement they headed off to find the elf. Grulka pulled Fishy aside when they started walking. "What got Pike so steamed before?" Grulka asked. The lame cook flashed a toothy grin. "Ya insulted him when ya suggested he were scared. An that's somethin ya don't do to a Norseman. Insult their honor and their pride and they'll rip yer legs off. Ha!" Fishey said. The four inebriated pirates walked around the camp until they found Doanthalas. He was sitting on a rock watching the water. Drake and Rapina were there with him. None of them were talking. They just seemed to be silently enjoying the evening air. Pike stepped forward and issued his challenge. "Elf! I challenge you to a fight. I've been hearing stories about how tough you are. Talk is nothing so I'm here to find out for myself. What say you?" Pike asked. The elf turned and walked over to Pike. He looked from face to face before finally resting his eyes upon Pike. He removed his shirt, nodded his head, and adopted a fighting stance. The pirates cheered since they were going to get a fight. Drake looked worried and shot Rapina a glance that told her so. Pike removed his shirt and adopted a fighting stance of his own. It looked like the fight wouldn't last very long. The Norseman towered about three heads above the tattooed elf. And although Doanthalas was big for an elf he was dwarfed by Pike. The fight was clean and lasted longer than anybody would have guessed. Although Pike was easily able to swat the sylvan elf away with his longer reach and stronger arms Doanthalas did not give up. Every time he got knocked down he would get right back up and go at Pike. Doanthalas was able to land his fair share of blows, but it was obvious that he was not going to win. Pike was just too powerful and experienced for Doanthalas. The sylvan elf could barely stand by the time Pike called the fight. Doanthalas had just hobbled to his feet and was shuffling back towards Pike when the oarsmaster held up his hand and said, "Draw!" The assembled pirates looked at him in disbelief. Why had he done that? Clearly he would have won and collected his share of the betting money. They didn't know what to do. The oarsmaster put his arm around Doanthalas for support and guided him towards the center of camp. "I have to hand it to you elf. You're a tough one. Not too smart...but tough. Most men would have given up long before you did and for good reason too. You've got guts. I respect that. My name's Pike. What's yours?" Doanthalas turned his tattooed face towards Pike but didn't say anything. He just stared at him with his emerald eyes. After a moment, apparently satisfied that Pike was someone he could trust, the elf replied, "Doanthalas." At first Rapina had been nervous about Pike's challenge, but now her faith in the Norseman was renewed. He had tested Doanthalas' mettle and liked what he saw enough to embrace Doanthalas as a comrade. Pike was a strong and popular junior officer, well- liked by the men. Rapina hoped that the new friendship Pike seemed to be striking up would spread to the Norseman's comrades. It was a few hours before dawn and Skitch was busy chinning himself on a tree limb keeping awake while on elf-watching detail. Guts sat against a tree trunk snoring softly. Skitch contemplated waking Guts up for the fifth time when he realized that Doanthalas was no longer where he had been. "Damn, where'd he go, I just looked at him a few minutes ago. " Skitch kicked Guts. "Wake up, stupid, the elf was just over there quakin' a few minutes ago, and now 'ee's gone." "The large, dim pirate awakened. "Ouch, what'cha kickin' me for?" "Yer sleepin' on the job again, lout. We got ta find the elf quick, an' I have no idea which way he went. You know how quiet 'e is when he moves through the trees. Damn it, we'll have ta get Brackston, an' 'e ain't going to like it." Skitch ran off full tilt and returned with Brackston and Thumper a few minutes later. Thumper tracked the elf to the Southeast. "Damn demon elf! Look at this, Blade and Cudge were here on watch. Look at all the damn blood," Brackston said. "Track 'Im thumper, track 'I'm." Thumper sidled away from the area, whining and whimpering. "What the hell's wrong with yew, dog? That elf cast a hex on yew? Brackston asked. "Damn it, yer not sneezin' so it ain't them herbs 'e used on yew at the other camp. What in hell happened ta my fearless fuckin' dog!? Well come on, it's a cinch he didn't go back in the direction of camp. Let's head South." About five minutes later Skitch pointed out the elf's tattoos in the moonlight, and the group ran up to him. Doanthalis was bent over something. Skitch heard Brackston's infamous neck shackle lock over the elf's neck. "Demon elf! I got yew, caught yew red-handed! We'll see what the captain says about yew now." Brackston said. Skitch caught hold of Guts. "Hold on, take a look at this..." Logan let the matter rest until morning, but first thing, the Captain conferred with Brackston, Skitch and Guts. "'e murdered 'em, I tell yew, 'e's a demon!" Brackston practically hollered. "Hold yer horses, Brackston, tell me the whole story from the beginnin'" Captain Red Jack snapped. "Skitch came an' got me ta track the elf. He slipped 'em a few hours 'fore dawn. We tracked 'I'm ta the Southeast guard watch post an' there was blood everywhere, yew should'a seen it!" "Thumper was actin' real funny and wouldn't track th' elf anymore, so we went South an' found 'Im areselves. There 'e was bendin' over th' corpse. I tell yew, I caught 'im red handed." "Skitch, is that how it went?" Skitch nodded. "Yeah, Brackston's got the story right, but I don't like 'is conclusions. 'ee wasn't outa my sight long. I just did some chin-ups ta keep awake. Guts was watchin' me 'stead of the elf. Then I realized the elf wasn't there so I ran an' got Brackston. The rest is like 'e said, but I seen the body. I got no idea whether it was Blade or Cudge, 'cause there ain't a lot o' meat left on th' carcass, understand?" "If that elf killed 'I'm 'e set a new record fer eatin' raw meat. I checked 'is belly when we got back ta camp. I'm tellin' ya, if that elf ate most of a 200 pound pirate, 'ed have ta 'ave a belly out ta here, but that weren't the case. I'd say it'd be worth askin' the elf what happened. Me an' Guts looked for th' other corpse, but we couldn't find it nowhere. I'm hopin' now that it's gettin' light, we can figure out where it's gotten to." "It's magic, I tell yew, the elf just withered the corpse away after guttin' it, an 'e cast a spell so's my dog turned as yellah as 'is coat." "Get me Rapina, and I'll see what the elf has ta say for 'imself soon enough." "Mean time, Skitch, take a few men an' see if ye can find the other corpse, but first, show me the one ye got." A little while later the captain came to the tree Brackston had chained Doanthalas to not far from the Barracks tent. Rapina arrived from the infirmary tent at about the same time. The camp was already abuzz with rumors of how the demonic elf had chewed the meat off from Cudge's bones. "Brackston has it that ye killed an' ate two o' me men early this mornin.' Skitch wasn't so sure ye did it. Ye don't look like yer stuffed wif 400 pounds 'o pirate. I'd like ta hear yer side o' th' story startin' when ye left yer sleepin' spot. Doanthalas was sitting on the ground holding the chain in his hands. He was staring at it with a resigned look. "It seems I shall be bound for life. The path I walk is forever soaked with blood." The sylvan elf paused and then looked up at the captain. "I...awoke...from the reverie to the sounds of the wolf pack feasting. I thought the pack had made a kill to the unereif...south...east. To chase away the clouds I followed the feast music. The scent of life lost caressed the air. There was no wolf pack...only the shadows of men. My presence was known for the shadow men were removing the life husks when I arrived. They dropped one as they faded to the...south...east. Their spirits were tired... or... sleeping... their bodies were cold like shadows. My eyes could barely glimpse them." "Well ya sure do speak funny, but I think I understand ya. No offense ta yer combat abilities, Doanthalas, but I'm inclined ta believe ye. Those were good men. I'm hopin' even someone like you could not have killed 'em without sa much as a scream out 'o 'em. As fer the men ye saw, I can't make heads ner tails o' it. I suppose they could 'ave been wearin' heavy coats ta foil yer vision, but in this weather, it don't make sense." "Any ideas Rapina? Is their magics fer such?" "I've read about illusions and things that can fool vision. I've also read about elementals, golems and creations of necromancy that would not have body heat. Any of those could be basically human-shaped." "Aye, likely it's nothin' more'n island men wearin' coats. Just the same, get me Pike, Donal, Backster, Drake, an' Kent. Brackston, unchain the elf. I have ta agree with Skitch. If Doanthalas had the kind 'o magic ye're conjecturin' 'ed of got out o' that old cage at th' other camp in short order and ate us all. I'm thinkin some 'o the island's natives just gave us a good pirate's welcome." Brackston glowered but did as he was told. A few minutes later Rapina had fetched the various people the captain wanted. "All right. I want ye ta arm up, an' head South an East. Backster, you an' the elf see if ye can track whoever done the deed. See if ye can find their camp 'an see how many there are. Don't engage 'em unless yer pretty sure o' the odds." "Pike, yer in charge. Rapina, yer along 'cause ye've read most anything I own concernin' th' supernatural, an' I'm too busy ta go meself. Kent, yer ta map the trip as best ye can as yer goin'. The rest o' ye are soldierin' so look alive. Get yer gear an' meet over at the mess tent. Fishy an' Piggy'll fix ye up with provisions 'an I'll have some climbin' gear left for ye. Be snappy about it. I'd prefer ta see ye back here before night fall." Rapina got her Rapier, main gauche, knife, bow and quiver and met the others back at the mess tent. Doanthalas checked his gear as he led the group to the spot where he had found the first body. Although the body had been removed there was still plenty of dried blood on the ground. The sylvan elf examined the area while the group stood back. Whatever or whomever was responsible for the death of Blade and Cudge hadn't been too worried about hiding their presence. There were footprints all over the place. Some had been obliterated by the pirates when they came to investigate and collect the body. But Doanthalas had no trouble picking up the trail that would lead them to the murderers. The footprints headed off to the Southeast. "The men of shadow returned to the darkness this way." Doanthalas said as he pointed towards the cliffs to the Southeast. Those in the group who were not used to hearing Doanthalas speak. After hearing the strange manner in which he spoke, they looked at each other curiously. They followed the elf through the forest even if they had not understood his speech. The murderers had left plenty of evidence of their passing. Deep footprints, dried blood, broken twigs and branches, and shreds of old dry-rotted cloth led the elf and the party through the forest and on to some low cliffs and more rocky terrain. It was harder to track the "men of shadow" through the cliffs and rocky areas. Doanthalas was hard pressed to find any sort of evidence. Luckily he spotted a few scuff marks on the rocks and some drops of dried blood. Eventually the vegetation all but disappeared, as did the trail. It was far too rocky to make heads or tails of any kind of evidence. Doanthalas stopped and scanned the area for possible escape routes. He spotted some higher cliffs and headed for them. "Their shadows have faded in the light. We must climb those cliffs to see with the clarity of the hawk. Then we may be able to find our quarry." Drake pulled Rapina up a seven-foot cliff onto higher terrain and the others followed. Oarmaster Pike pointed, "what do ye make o' that?" Rapina walked up a steep hill to where Pike was standing, there in front of them was a large, flat, rocky field nearly devoid of trees. Oval piles of stone littered the field to the East up until it ended at the base of cliffs to the East and South. To the North the terrain sunk. "Burial mounds?" Rapina asked. "Only one way to find out." Pike walked North and found an older, smaller pile of rocks and began tossing the ones on top aside. Donal and Drake Joined in. "Yer right, looks like it was a kid. The bones are mostly crushed and plenty old, looks like. I guess we just found ourselves a graveyard on th' isle of the dead." Pike shifted the large double-edged battle axe slug over his back, and pursed his lips. "There's a trail here through the mounds leadin' North and South, I think." The group went Northeast and found that the trail descended into a box canyon at the Northeast edge of the isle. The trail had obviously been modified by ancient chisels and was in some cases cut into the side of the canyon. At the bottom was a pool of water with some sort of sunken funeral boat in it. A natural archway led from the canyon out through a short cave to the lake. The opening was hidden from those viewing the isle from the waters Northeast of it by a spur of rock. "A side door ta the isle," Pike said. "This'll be handy ta know about. If they left from here, we'll not be tracking 'em. Hey look," Pike pointed to some ancient characters carved into the canyon wall to be visible from boats sitting in the water. "Any ideas." "They're runes. This one means death, and this sanctuary. Hmmm, maybe something like sanctuary of the dead? These others are more obscure, some sort of warning maybe, and this one means respect. That one is the sun or day. I think that it is warning us to respect the sanctuary of the dead and to drop off our dead only by day. How creepy." "It's been my experience that dead men're less trouble than the living, and my guess is whoever carved those letters was just trying ta cow any would-be grave robbers," Pike said. "There could be some serious booty up in those mounds. Sometimes they bury people with their gold rings and such on 'em," Backster said. "Let's go have another look at the graveyard and see if this warning did the trick 'r not," Pike said. After the group climbed their way back up to the field of stones, Pike led the way South. "These mounds closest to the canyon are a little smaller and flatter. I'd say they're older. Let's see if we can find something newer." The search led to the Southern edge of the field. "Give me a hand here. None of these looks real fresh, but they're taller and newer than the ones to the North," Pike said. Rapina helped the others move the stones. "Hehheheh, it don't look like that warnin' was very successful. All we got here is a few scraps o' old linen. There ain't even a body." "But what kind of grave robber takes the valuables and the bones?" Rapina asked. "Likely they ditched the bones in one of these other mounds," Backster replied. The tattooed elf was staring at the ground intently. He kept looking from the ground to an outcropping of rock a short distance away. "I sense the caress of the shadow here." Doanthalas stood up and walked over to the rock outcropping. He discovered that the outcropping hid a cave entrance. The elf beckoned the others closer and pointed at the runes chiseled into the rock. Pike and the others came to look. "More letters, Rapina." "Hall of the Dead," Rapina said matter of factly. "It must be a cave that's been turned into a mausoleum. Let me take a look at these smaller runes just above the entrance." --- [Rapina]011 Hall of the Dead Backster opened an ancient bamboo gate that fit into the entrance and stepped in. "Hold on, you're supposed to intone some sort of prayer before entering, at least that's what I think it says here," Rapina said. From inside the cavern Backster's voice echoed, "Oh sure, gods grant me a heavenly hoard 'o booty. Damn it's dark in here." Rapina sighed. "That's no kind of prayer. Besides, you're supposed to do it before you open the gate, silly." Rapina fished the crystal pendant out from beneath her tunic. She took the little black leather sack off the lighted crystal and put it in her belt pouch. She wore the crystal light outside her shirt to provide light for her party. "Gold!" Backster shouted. "Hold up Backster, yer gettin' too far ahead of us." Pike unslung his axe and went into the tunnel with Donal next to him. Rapina followed, her light allowing them to see. "AAAAAiiiiiih!" Backster screamed. Just inside, the cavern was like a narrow hall that slanted downwards. After about twenty feet the corridor widened and leveled off. Carved into the sides of the level main tunnel were tiers of Coffin-sized dead-end tunnels. There were three tunnels to a column, one near the floor, one about waist-level and one above the level of most men's heads. Each tunnel held a corpse. Column after column of coffin tunnels lined the walls. Currently Backster flew backwards out of one of the waist-high tunnel entrances about fifteen feet down the wide hall and on the East side. He held his face as blood gushed from his eye sockets. A golden ring clattered to the floor as he pulled out of the side- tunnel. ---------------[click to see a rough sketch of this room] [you can only see the top side tunnels in this view from above, but there are two more side tunnels below each one pictured. All of the skeletons are on the map though. If it looks like there are 2 or 3 in a side tunnel, there is really only one in a tunnel but there are 3 tunnels in a column.] --------------- A boney hand dripping blood emerged from the tunnel after Backster. A skull followed, then a bony hand holding a dagger. The unholy skeletons of the dead awakened from their slumber and began to boil out of their resting-places. They were armed with ancient blades, or wooden cudgels. The only sound they made was the ticking of their boney feet on the stone floor. For an instant, Rapina froze in horror. In some rational corner of her mind, she idly wished she had brought her big Roman shield. In front of Rapina, Pike sprinted forward to try to rescue Backster. The Norseman dodged the bony hands of the emerging skeletons and got to Backster just as the first of the emerging skeletons stood and lifted their weapons. Pike cleaved the skull and rib cage of the dagger-wielding skeleton about to spit Backster, then tossed the pirate over his shoulder like a screaming sack of potatoes. It was then that the Norseman realized that numerous skeletons had sealed off his retreat back to the party. The skeletons had him trapped. Red rage swam before the Norseman's eyes as he yelled a blood-curdling battle cry. In a single blow he shattered the skull and rib cage of the skeleton coming out of the side tunnel at the level of his head and danced to avoid the grasp of the one emerging at his feet. Thankfully, he had already dispatched the one from the waist level tunnel on his side of the room, but the skeletons from the other side were quickly emerging. Pike's battle-cry snapped Rapina out of her dumbfounded state. She flattened herself against the wall allowing Drake, Donal and Doanthalas to get by her. At the same time she drew her rapier and main gauche. From the corner of her eye she saw Kent pushing on a slab of stone that had slid from the ceiling near the entrance to block their escape. Donal rushed to within striking distance of the first tier of side tunnels. As a skeleton emerged from the top tier, Donal relieved it of its head with his broad sword. To Donal's horror, the headless skeleton jumped to the ground and swung its oaken cudgel at him, nearly braining the pirate before he ducked -just in time. The pirate brought his sword up chopping through several ribs and sundering the spine of the skeleton. Another skeleton from one tier lower came out of its side tunnel and stood as the one from the tier near the floor grabbed Donal's boot. In addition, the skeleton that Donal had been fighting, now lacking a pelvis and legs, swung its cudgel at the pirate's knees from its position on the floor. Donal parried the cudgel by slicing off both of the skeleton's hands with a single stroke of his broadsword. Simultaneously, he blocked the blow of the ancient dagger of the second skeleton with his buckler. The skeleton near the floor pulled itself out of its side tunnel and bit into Donal's boot. The pirate yelled obscenities as he dropped his sword and grabbed the cudgel of the first skeleton. Rapina realized the ever-valiant Drake was charging forward to try to save Pike. She steeled herself and slipped to the right. She used her main gauche to parry the sword of the skeleton that tried to skewer her, and severed its spine just below the rib cage with a swipe of her rapier. As it's upper half fell, Rapina jumped; pretending she was stamping on Trevor's instep, she managed to largely shatter the monster's rib cage. Although she was paying little attention to it, Rapina saw Donal's fight and realized that swords were not the best weapons against these creatures. With cudgel in hand, Donal shattered the upper ribs of his second skeleton while trying to stamp on the neck of the third that was now biting into his foot. Unfortunately, his stomping was unsuccessful and the third skeleton pulled his legs as he tried to trample it. "Aaaagh!" The pirate toppled over. Doanthalas slid the bastard sword from the scabbard he wore on his back. The sword had an extra long handle so that it could be wielded with one or two hands. He opted for a two handed grip as he moved to help Donal. The skeletons raised their weapons as Donal tried desperately to escape. The skeleton that had brought Donal down released its grip only to sink its teeth deep into Donal's leg. The young pirate screamed in pain and tried to kick the skeleton away. He was unsuccessful. Donal closed his eyes in anticipation of the killing blow that was sure to come at any moment. He flinched as a loud cracking noise filled the air and shards of bone rained down around him. Donal opened his eyes in time to see the remains of his attackers clatter to the floor. The tattooed elf was standing over him cutting swaths of destruction through the ranks of the skeletons. Drake noticed Doanthalas' technique from the corner of his eye. Instead of fighting the skeletons as one would fight a normal fleshy opponent, Doanthalas was aiming his attacks at their rib cages. Instead of stabbing and hacking in a downward motion, the elf was swinging his sword in a side to side sweeping motion. It seemed to be working so Drake adopted this technique and stepped up to give Pike a hand. Pike's heavy axe shattered skeletons right and left as the Norseman whirled and side-stepped to dodge the clubs and blades of his supernatural foes. He stayed near the wall, jumping past columns of openings when he could. The Norseman swung again, another opponent shattered, its bones tangling with the bones of the creature behind it, but the stupid creature came forward just the same. Pike caught its club and kicked it backwards breaking its hold. At the same time he shattered one of it's comrades to his right as his axe continued to weave patterns in the air. Pike roared and jumped forward as a third skeleton opened a gash in his side. The Norseman flipped the big club he had wrested from a skeleton end for end, caught it and swung it with gusto, his mighty muscles sweating with red rage. The skeleton that had cut him disintegrated into a hail of bones as the mighty Viking's club came down through both skull and rib cage. "Hang on Backster, I got ta use both hands 'er we're both dead men!" He bellowed. The next skeleton Rapina encountered swung a heavy club. So heavy that the parrying strength behind Rapina's main gauche was not sufficient. The blow drove Rapina's left hand side. Her main gauche clattered to the floor as her nerveless hand released it. With her good hand she swung hard and shattered one of the hands of the monster. Her blade bit into its other wrist but did not sever it. With only one hand, the creature brought up its club to strike again, but it was much too slow. Rapina severed it's good arm at the shoulder with her rapier and kicked it hard in the ribs. It flew back into one of its advancing comrades and they both went down in a tangle of bones. Rapina grabbed the skeleton's cudgel and sheathed her rapier while the two tangled skeletons struggled to get up. Her left hand was weak, but she directed healing energy to it and swung the cudgel with both hands and all her strength. One of the skeletons shattered, the other flew to the side with pieces of the first entangled in its ribs. She advanced trying to protect Drake's right flank as he charged forward. The skeletons advanced steadily. They did not plan their attacks defensively for they had no brains and they did not fear for their lives. The search party, however, did fear for their lives and rightly so. The skeletons outnumbered them by more than three to one. They needed some kind of strategy if they were to survive. As it was the skeletons had them separated into two small groups. Kent, Rapina, Doanthalas and Donal were fighting with their backs to the cavern entrance. Drake had fought his way to Pike and Backster. Pike and Drake were in a bind. Skeletons surrounded them and Backster was in no condition to fight. The members of the search party knew how to fight, but none of them, except for one member, had any experience in the tactics of large scale battles. This hardly qualified as a large scale battle, but the idea was the same. Whoever fought harder and smarter would be victorious. "We're Trapped!" Kent screamed. "We can retreat back towards the closed entrance, it's much narrower there but we have to get to Pike and Drake, They're only ten feet away now but there are so many skeletons! Rapina shouted. Donal came limping back to Rapina and Kent. "Damned pile o' bones bit me!" He swung his cudgel and shattered another skeleton that stepped too close to him. The sylvan elf deftly swept his leg in a half circle as he crouched near the ground. Two skeletons went tumbling to the floor. Doanthalas brought his sword in a powerful upwards arc and cleaved a third skeleton in two. A few quick steps and shattered skeletons later the tattooed elf had fought his way back to Rapina, Kent and Donal. The three of them looked fine, but Pike, Backster and Drake were in deep trouble. Soon the skeletal warriors would overrun them. "Rapina, Donal With me!" The elf shouted as he stepped forward and swung his bastard sword in a tight arc shattering the torso of another skeleton. "We must clear the way for our comrades! Kent, guard our backs!" terror paralyzed The young pirate. Otherwise, he might have told the presumptuous elf where to go. For the moment, it was all Kent could do to hold on to his weapon. His hands were shaking so badly. Rapina ducked and swung the cudgel she had rescued from one of the skeletons she had fought. Several of the upper ribs of the nearby undead monster broke and fell away, but unlike Doanthalas, Rapina lacked the strength always to shatter a skeleton with one blow. It often took Rapina two or even three blows to destroy a skeleton, and the floor was treacherous. Some of the skeletons Doanthalas had cut in half at the lower ribs were still animated. Although they had no legs, they still tried to swing weapons, or crawl along the floor towards their opponents. Rapina tried a different tactic, she held the club with both hands wide, using it to parry the heavy club of the skeleton while she kicked the skeleton in the ribs. Her kick did little actual damage, but the skeletons were not very heavy and a good kick sent them flying. They usually fell or got entangled with their comrades. For one of her strength, the tactic worked better than trying to hack away at a skeleton while others got too close. Although he was hurt and more than a bit scared Donal heeded the elf's words. If he had thought about it, he might have given Doanthalas attitude. After all who had put him in charge? However, for the moment his words seemed to make sense. Pike yelled to Drake above the din of weapons and skeletons, "Back to back, mate an' stick w' me an the East wall. If ye can cover my butt, I can cut are way back ta the others." The number of skeletons coming in from the South nearly overwhelmed Drake but he gritted his teeth and kept his broadsword in constant motion, straining his powerful arm to do maximum damage. His back protected for the moment, Pike directed both of his weapons forward. When Rapina struck, she was lucky to break away several of a skeleton's ribs, but when the mighty Norseman struck, a skeleton positively exploded with every blow. Pike saw Doanthalas fighting his way towards him as he fought towards the elf. Rapina was so happy with the way her kicking strategy was working that she turned her head to see if Kent had seen it and taken it up. Her moment of vanity saved her life. As she looked back she saw a cudgel descending to brain her, she ducked just enough that the blow hit her across the shoulder blades rather than shattering her skull. The wind was knocked from her and she was driven to the floor with an oof! Although wounded when the headless skeleton surprised him and its two buddies got the best of him, Donal was a good fighter. Captain Red Jack was a wise man and had made sure that three of the pirates he had sent out were seasoned veterans. His bit foot hurt like the devil but Donal turned when he heard Rapina go down, parried a club blow and kicked the skeleton West to clear some room. Kent had taken a fright. a skeleton swinging a cudgel had him cornered in the Northeast corner of the room. The only trouble was, the skeleton did not seem to have a brain in its head and its back swing kept knocking into the wall. Without a back swing it was not inflicting bone-shattering damage on the recruit, it was just giving him a good beating with short swings and scaring the daylights out of him with its gnashing teeth and vacant eyes. Donal's kick bounced a skeleton against the back of the one trying to pummel Kent to death and drove it forward so it momentarily bashed into Kent, it's boney teeth bruising his jaw. Rapina gasped as she hit the floor. Skitch had taught her how to take a fall when a big boy hit her in order not to add insult to injury. As she went to stand, she saw boney feet advance on her. She was weaponless; the blow to her back had knocked the club out of her hands along with her wind. Rapina grabbed the ankles of the skeleton and swung it as she stood. She released it and it skidded off the top of one of its compatriot's skulls and slammed into the opposite wall where it struggled to stand, oblivious to its cracked skull. Donal grinned, "now thar's a wench!," he said as he shattered another skeleton with his cudgel. Drake was fighting with every ounce of his strength and speed. He had been forced to sheath his parrying dagger so he could use his broadsword in both hands. The dagger was useless against the skeletons anyway. He found his feet were a better weapon. When the skeletons got especially thick, driving them back was a better idea than cleaving them. They were so stupid they all crowded into each other and a good kick would send a bunch of them falling to the floor like dominoes. Then Drake could shatter one that did not fall with his sword while the dupes got up. Pike exploded the last skeleton between Doanthalas and him. "Slip behind me along the wall, Drake. We've made it to our mates." Pike stepped forward just enough to let Drake by. He turned and shattered a skeleton with his club while the flat of his battle axe turned a second into a shower of bones. All the while the Norseman moved slowly sideways toward the North wall. When Drake was by him, he turned to face fully south and backed North in a fighting retreat. Rapina grabbed the rear ribs of the skeleton that was terrorizing Kent and heaved it. Luckily, the skeletons were quite light. After slipping by Pike, Drake helped Doanthalas fight the skeletons attacking from the West as Donal and Rapina cleared the Northeast corner, turning it into a safe zone. Seeing Drake and Doanthalas now protected him, Donal took his broadsword from the floor of the Northeast corner of the room and quickly sheathed it. At the same time, he picked up Rapina's cudgel and handed it to her. Rapina saw Drake run into the entrance tunnel and followed. Donal behind her pushing Kent in front of him. Pike and Doanthalas took up positions at the southern end of the narrower entry tunnel just before the point where the tunnel widened and leveled off. They fought a pitched battle with a hoard of skeletons coming at them from the main room. Fortunately, the tunnel would only admit two or three skeletons abreast, so the number of opponents the men had to fight at a time was much more manageable. Drake faced two skeletons that had already been in the entry tunnel when he entered and Pike and Doanthalas had cordoned it off. As Rapina entered the narrower corridor, the light she carried provided better illumination. To Drake's horror, he saw that one of the skeletons still had bits of flesh clinging to its bones. "Cudge, is that you?" The Skeleton vacantly swung a broadsword at Drake who parried with a clang. Rapina ducked as the second skeleton took a swing at her. She drove the end of her cudgel forward into the pelvis of the skeleton like a battering ram and knocked it backwards. It fell against the slab that blocked the entryway and began to scramble to its feet. While it was scrambling, Rapina jumped forward and shattered its right shoulder. As he parried, Drake stepped in and kicked the knee-cap of the skeleton. The bones snapped and the skeleton fell sideways still swinging its blade. It cut into the side of Drake's boot and slightly wounded his calf as he tried to dodge. Drake's sword severed the neck of the skeleton and its skull went rolling across the floor. Undaunted, it lifted its blade to take another swing. Drake drew his parrying dagger and jumped to the right. Rapina dodged right but took a glancing blow to the hip. Her cudgel took out four ribs on the left side of the skeleton. The skull from Drake's opponent rolled towards her, its teeth still gnashing. Rapina jumped back, and when her Skeletal opponent came forward she was ready. She crouched and took out one of the skeleton's knees. It fell and she shattered its rib cage before it could rise again. The Norseman grinned at Doanthalas as three more brainless bags of bones approached and were shattered by the two muscular fighters. Pike's eyebrows raised - the rib of one of the skeletons he had shattered did not fly right. "Heads up back there." Donal looked in Pike's direction, his mouth opened as something whistled like breath blown over the mouth of a bottle. A flying rib stabbed him in the gut with much more power than a simple flying object. Donal instinctively dropped his cudgel and grabbed the bone. His quick reflexes saved his life. He bled profusely, but he muscled the bone out of the wound in his gut and got a two- handed grip on it. It was alive as though the entire strength of a skeleton had clung to it. Donal muscled the bone against the stone wall and rubbed it there, but all he did was work off it's jagged point. Damn, Drake thought. The new skeleton, whichever pirate it had recently been, had bones stronger and less brittle than its drier and more aged comrades did. Drake realized his last swing should have gone through the neck and shoulder of the skeleton but it had not. Drake charged in, parrying the blade of the skeleton and severing its arm near the shoulder. The skeleton's broadsword clattered to the floor and Drake swung and swung again, this time severing the other arm of the creature. The arms crawled towards him pulling themselves along with their fingers. Drake swung again and again slicing the ribs off the creature and sundering the pelvis. He was about to stamp on the creature's fingers when Rapina called out. "Wait! No one is going to believe this unless we have proof." Drake nodded. He grimaced and picked up one of the arms. Rapina picked up the other arm and the skull. The fingers and jaw were still moving, trying to kill. Donal took a stout burlap bag from his belt pouch. "Here, put those in the bag, Drake, and Rapina see what ye can do fer Backster. Rapina found that Backster's right eye was a ruin, but his left eye would be okay, there was a deep cut just above it where a skeletal finger had glanced off. Rapina cleaned the wound and applied a bandage. She gave Backster some herbs for the pain from his ruined eye. Pike and Doanthalas shattered skeleton after skeleton until finally the last one lay in pieces at their feet. "Damn! I'm bruised or bleedin' on most parts of my body, but that was one hell of a fight," Pike said. "That was the best fightin' I've seen a 'green' recruit do in years," Pike winked at Doanthalas. 'Course the important thing for fighting these brainless bags o' bones seems ta be strength and endurance, and I know ye got 'em both from havin' had that bout we had tagether." Pike grinned and turned to Rapina. "What do the wounds look like?" "Backster's lost an eye, but I think the other eye will be okay as soon as the gash above it heals. Donal has a bad belly wound and a deep bite in his foot. I got hit across the back and on the hip, but I was pretty lucky." Pike helped himself to some bandages and supplies from Rapina's pack and patched up several nasty gashes he had received. Rapina finished Donal and looked at Kent while Drake and Doanthalas patched up their own hurts. Kent was severely bruised all over his upper body but Rapina could not help but realize that Kent's pride had taken a worse beating. "The way I see it, we better see if we can get out 'a this place. That slab's real stone. Before today I'd 'a said there was no magic about it. Now I figure there could be. On the other hand, one of these skeletons might a triggered it from one o' these restin' holes. Those of ye who're not too badly wounded, lets give 'em a search. Any booty ye find goes in this bag, understand? We'll take a look at the skeletons fer rings, daggers 'an swords too, though most of 'em had clubs." There were a number of silver and several gold rings. Most of them were on the fingers of shattered skeletons. Rapina retrieved her main gauche and went to the Southern end of the wide hall of the dead. There was another doorway there blocked by a slab of stone. Above the doorway were more runes. When Doanthalas climbed into the top-most resting place on the Northwest wall, his weight triggered something, and the slab slid up and out of the way of the entrance. Everyone was much relieved. It turned out that even the weight of a skeleton in that side tunnel would keep the entry open, but when the weight was removed, the slab slid back to block the entryway. Still deciphering the runes above the door, Rapina said, "No wonder there was not much booty here, these were probably all commoners. This next door leads to, "The Hall of Eminence," and we're supposed to make the sign of man to enter." There was a pentacle carved into the wall next to the door. At each point, a stone stud could be pushed. Pike waved his hand. "We'll go no farther now. Are first duty is ta get Backster and Donal back ta camp and make our report before dark." Rapina nodded. She wanted to make sure she had the sign of man right anyway. She had not really been paying a lot of attention to signs, but she was pretty sure that one of Captain Red Jack's old holy books had several different signings in it for banishing evil spirits and such. The still-animated arms and skull of the fresh skeleton were put in a bag tied to the end of a cudgel for Drake to carry. All other still-living pieces were destroyed save the, "singing bone," that had stabbed Donal. He had worn the jagged, pointed ends of the bone smooth against the stone wall and worked the marrow out of the bone with his boot knife and small shards of bone. He stashed the six-inch piece of bone in his stoutest belt pouch with the strings tied tightly closed. The bone was ever intent on stabbing him but now lacked points. Just the same, it pushed on him with a fair amount of force. This made the pirate stagger even more than he should have, given his wounded foot. The singing bone was unique in that it seemed to have nearly the full strength of a skeleton to it. Whereas the other still animated bones could not lift off the ground and fly, the singing bone seemed to be able to fly around without trouble. The party hurried back to the pirate camp and arrived just as the sun sank below the horizon. With the wounded, the going had been much slower on the way back. When they arrived, Pike reported to the captain. After a few minutes, he called the others in. "So, I hear ye had an adventure. I'm hav'in a heap 'o trouble believin' what Pike has told me, but 'e says ye insisted on keepin' some souvenirs for me ta see, did ye lass?" Rapina nodded. "Drake is carrying them in that sack." "Good thinkin' girl, let me see 'em. I'm 'bout ready ta have Pike put in a cage fer bein' daft." Drake opened the sack and dumped the contents carefully out onto the captain's table. The severed bony arms wasted no time pulling themselves along by their fingers towards the Captain who was the closest person to the table after Drake stepped back. The scull rolled a bit then rocked as it gnashed its teeth. The skeletal fingers seemed slower and weaker, though the skull still seemed to gnash its teeth with exuberance. "Mother o' all the gods, Pike is a sane man after all," the captain grinned. So this is what happened ta Blade? What a harrible end he most 'o met. He'll make a grisly souvenir though, 'e will. Now what o' this flyin' bone that pegged Donal? Donal limped forward and removed his belt pouch. "It's in here captain, but it's been trying ta stab me ever since it did the first time. Donal held his belt pouch out to the captain who took it. The pouch pushed on the captain as it sensed a presence nearer than Donal and attempted to stab it. The captain's eyebrows shot up. "That be strange stuff." The captain kept the pouch. Ye can take that back later if ye want it, ye earned it takin' th' belly wound. Fer now let's keep it out 'o the men's sight. The captain looked at Rapina. "Pike says ye read some old runes fer the group 'an there's another door with writin's as well. Do ye know how to open it? "I think so sir, but I need to check one of your books to make sure I have it right." "Ye did good. Pike said ye killed yer share o' skeletons an kicked many o' 'em back when ye found that warr easier for ye than killin' em outright." "Yes sir, Pike and usually Doanthalas and Drake could make them shatter by hitting them hard, but I could not hit them hard enough to finish one in a single blow. They were very light, though, so once I discovered kicking them, I usually did that and I threw a couple too." The captain chuckled. "Ye got guts Rapina, some would 'ave bet ye would freeze first time ye saw real combat." Rapina blushed, "Well, actually I did freeze, but Pike's battle cry snapped me out of it." "Well, well, I guess that old battle roar 'o yers is worth somethin' after all, Pike," the captain smiled. "Kent, yer maps 'r excellent, but ye were a liability in th' combat. A pirate that can't fight gets dead fast. Th' way I heard it, the fact ye were in a corner and the skeleton attackin' ye was brainless, saved yer life. It would be a shame ta loose one w' yer talents. I know th' enemies ye fought taday weren't exactly normal and ye didn't have combat instincts ta fall back on like Pike, 'er Donal, 'er Doanthalas. Nevertheless, Rapina did okay, an' Drake helped Pike outa a spot although he's green. I know I'm comparin' ye ta the best in yer basic class, but ye got ta git yer combat skills up. Usually, I just let a kid like ye sink 'er swim on 'is own, but I don't get many men w' a head like yers on their shoulders, so I've given Roger orders ta get ye more combat trainin'. See that ye apply yerself, as ye've seen, yer life depends on it. The rest of ye, listen up. Pirates can be a superstitious lot, 'an what ye encountered weren't at all natural. I want ye ta keep a tight lip. Anyone asks ye how ye got wounded, ye tell 'em it were, "natives 'o the isle," and don't tell em they tried ta carve ye even though they were already dead. I'll make sure the guard posts have some hefty clubs around in case any o' these boney nightmares attack. Pike has told me about the other water entrance ta the isle Southeast 'o here. Soon as we can we'll set up a base camp there and ye can try ta get ta the bottom o' this. In the mean time, lick yer wounds and I'll have Rapina study up on this matter again before ye go out. Remember ta keep the lips buttoned, I don't want the men spookin' on me. Don't talk about what happened even if no one else is around. Save it fer later. Fer now, I see ye've brought me some booty. I'll be givin' ye some money out of it if ye earned it. Drake, I know ye have weapons, an' I loaned Doanthalas that bastard sword. Far as I'm concerned, Doanthalas, ye have a couple 'o weapons comin' to ye. Logan will show ye through the weapons crates tomorrow an' ye can pick out a set 'o hand weapons for yer own, includin' that sword if ye can find nothin' better." "Rapina, I'd like ta talk ta ye more about these supernatural creatures an' such. Please come by after yer bath." Rapina nodded. "Good work, mates. 'Less ye have somethin' ta add, yer dismissed," the captain said. Doanthalas, watch yer back. That damn Brackston has half the pirates thinkin' ye summoned those demons last night, an I can't tell 'im what really happened or the other half 'o me men'll be shakin' in their boots just as hard as the ones Brackston's got to. Stick w' yer friends. --- Later that night after seeing, Beck, Fishy and Pike, Rapina arrived at the captain's clean from her bath. Scary day ye had wench. Sit down an' 'ave a glass 'o wine. Rapina sat down on Red Jack's couch and snuggled against the captain as she drank wine from a glass he had handed her. "What do ye make o' these skeletons. Where do ye suppose they're comin' from an' how do ye figure one o' me own men was turned into one of 'em. "It has to be necromancy, I think. The magic book talks about the theory behind necromancy. It all has to do with life force. People have it, dead men don't, and undead men have less than none, like a suction or a debt. That's why they try to kill, they want the life force of the living. I wish I knew more, but your library isn't the best where supernatural monsters are concerned. I think some of the holy books may talk about the undead. A lot of priests feel it's their duty to destroy them, and I guess some evil churches train their priests in necromancy so they can create and control the undead." "Aye, I think ye're right. Those chests be full o' me books, why don't ye get a start on findin' th' volumes ye need while I finish the night's logs." Rapina nodded. "Okay, I'll look for that one with the signs too." Rapina found one or two of the books she needed that night, but spent little time reading and much more time moaning with pleasure beneath the captain's capable hands. [Rapina]012 Shadows of the Dead It was three or four in the morning when there came a scratching on the tent flap accompanied by the dim glow of an oil lantern turned down low, and the whisper of Logan's voice. "Sir, we have a problem." "Nay, again? Come in an' tell me about it." "We've lost the Southeast watch post, sir," Logan said opening the tent flap. Suddenly Logan dropped the lantern he was carrying and lurched to catch it in mid air before it spilled. The light flickered and shadows danced but Logan caught the lantern before it hit the floor. "Aai! Jus' had the mother 'o chills, been having 'em off and on since we checked the post." "Didn't we double the guard ta tha Southeast?" the captain asked while getting out of bed and fetching his robe? Rapina held the covers to her neck with one hand while she got her sheathed crystal light pendant from the bed post and slipped it on over her neck with the other. She hoped whatever was attacking would stick to picking off guard posts as it had last night, but she felt a foreboding presence and feared that would not be so. As soon as Logan left, Rapina thought maybe she would get up, but right now, she was not wearing even a stitch of clothing. "Aye, an' had we not we'd 'ave never heard the single scream that marked the passin' o' the men," Logan said. "Did ye re- iiiiee! aaa! ssss!, I got yer aaaa! oooh! rrrr! chills! Damn it what's aaaaiiiuuuooou! gonin' on? The captain grimaced and cringed this way and that as chills struck him. Rapina could hear yelling outside the tent in the direction of the water that was only about two or three score paces away. When the guards at the Northeast guard post had mysteriously disappeared with only a scream to mark their passing, Logan had sent a man to rouse the pirates early. Someone had gotten past the sentries, and Logan did not want the men killed in their sleep. - -- The sylvan elf splashed cool water onto his face. He stood there for a few minutes basking in the invigorating feeling of cleanliness. Doanthalas opened his eyes and stared at the stars. They twinkled, as they seemed to dance in the heavens. It felt as if they were beckoning the tattooed elf to come dance with them in the sky. Some of the burden lifted from his heart as his spirits soared for a moment. A moment later they came crashing down as his thoughts turned to the recent encounter with the skeletons. Although his body was clean of the dirt and bone fragments from the fight his soul still felt tainted. Something was dreadfully wrong if the dead walked this island. Doanthalas seemed to be lost in thought again. Drake noticed that the elf would frequently stop whatever he was doing and stare at some fixed spot somewhere in the distance. The muscles in his face would move in such a manner that his facial tattoos seemed to come alive. It was a bit disconcerting at first, but Drake was getting used to the strange elf and his ways. In spite of the fact that Doanthalas did not engage in conversation often Drake was taking a liking to him. "So...Doanthalas....what's it like being the only elf around so many humans? Doesn't it make you uncomfortable?" The only reply the elf made was a slight shaking of his head. There was no way to describe to Drake the horrors he had borne witness to. The battle with the skeletons had been a walk in the park compared to some of the battles he had fought. Living with humans was far preferable to being the slave of fiends so grotesque that their faces haunted Doanthalas' reverie every night. Seeing that nothing more was forthcoming from Doanthalas Drake continued, "I know we're not supposed to talk about it, but..." He looked from side to side and whispered. "Do you think there are more of them up there? There's got to be. When we found the other...er...body and those skeletons... well... I don't think it was them that dragged the body away. What do you think?" Doanthalas dunked his head under the water and then threw his head back spraying water into the air as his long hair whipped backwards. He fixed his emerald eyes on Drake and spoke in the clear methodical manner he always did, "When the dead walk the earth the living must rise up and put their spirits to rest. Otherwise the living are doomed to join the dead in their tormented walking..." Had anyone else said those same words Drake would have dismissed them as being drunk or crazy or both. However, Doanthalas said it with such utter conviction that there was no doubting his words. The young man fell silent and looked off in the distance towards the cliffs. A feeling of dread was fast descending upon him. All Drake wanted to do was get off the island as fast as possible. The noise made by some of the other pirates bathing a little further down distracted him. The other pirates still didn't trust Doanthalas enough to linger too close to him. This annoyed Drake, but what annoyed him more was the sight of Edgar and Kent talking in hushed tones and looking in his direction. "He's a demon I tell ya. Look at him! You're right for not trusting him! He's a danger to us all. That story about shadow men or whatever he called them was made up. We both know it was him who killed the two guards. Kent looked at Drake and Doanthalas bathing in the distance. The elf seemed to be oblivious of his watchful gaze, but Drake noticed Kent watching them. The young man averted his eyes and turned to talk to Edgar. "What do you care Edgar? You don't give a damn about anyone in the camp except for maybe Trevor." Edgar scowled and grabbed Kent roughly by the arm. "That's not true and you know it! You and Drake were like brothers to me until we ended up here. As soon as we were here you both turned your backs on me! Sure I started a lot of trouble myself...I don't deny it. I like trouble! But, not once did you or Drake stand up for me. When that pirate beat me down you and Drake just stood there like cowards! At least Trevor cared enough to see that I was okay. And not once did you check up on me to see how I was coming along. Not once. I've been watching you and Drake every step of the way." He stopped for a moment to catch his breath and stared at Kent. The young man lowered his eyes. He knew there was some truth to Edgar's words. Some of the facts had been distorted, but the meaning remained unchanged. "You're right...Edgar. I'm sorry. I've been so wrapped up in what I've been doing that I have totally neglected you." "Don't worry about it too much runt. Drake obviously isn't. Look at him over there being all buddy buddy with that damnable elf." He hissed the last word like it left a bad taste in his mouth. "There's been nothing but trouble since the elf was released from his cage." "Yeah, but do you think he's the cause of it all?" Kent asked. "Hell yeah! And the question is what are we going to do about it..." Kent was about to respond when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. It was like his flesh was being ripped open. He tried to scream, but his body went rigid as all his muscles tightened. His eyes darted around in terror as his mind tried to come to grips with what had just happened. Edgar saw Kent's body jerk suddenly and his eyes looking about wildly, but Edgar did not know how to react. He was not sure what was going on until he saw the hideous face of Kent's attacker rise from the water. In his moment of terror and surprise, Edgar backpedaled onto land falling backwards into the water twice in the process. He grabbed his sword and leapt back into the water with a loud cry. By this time a few of the other pirates knew something was amiss. They had heard Edgar's cry and also witnessed another of their number being dragged under the water. Chaos erupted as more of the hideous creatures emerged from the water. Pirates scrambled for their weapons as the creatures advanced. The creatures skin had a pale sickly color to it and their teeth were long and pointy. Long tongues twisted like serpents in their mouths and their wild eyes scanned the camp. Any clothing they wore was in tatters. Drake turned as he heard Edgar's scream and started to run in that direction. An iron grip on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to shake off the hand only to come face to face with the sylvan elf. "Death comes to the foolish more swiftly than to the prepared...man. Arm yourself my friend." Doanthalas released his grip and raced onto the land. He knew that the enemy they faced was more dangerous than the pirates realized. These creatures were familiar to the elf; he had seen and fought them before, but back then he had been better prepared. He scooped up his sword as well as Drake's. When Drake was close enough he tossed him his sword and then raced off to engage the ghouls. Edgar tried to position himself so that he could attack the ghoul without harming Kent, but the ghoul seemed to sense this and kept moving so that Kent was constantly between it and Edgar. "Hang on Kent!" Edgar shouted. "I'll get you out of this." As he said those words, another ghoul emerged from the water beside him. He turned and swung at it with all his might. The creature jumped back well out of the way of the wild swing. Drake saw the creature with Kent start to drag him under the water. Drake Hoped he would get there in time to save Kent. Doanthalas' strong legs were carrying him to the battle more quickly than Drake could manage, but that did not matter. Drake could only think of helping his friend. The sylvan elf raised his sword to attack as he closed on the two ghouls engaged with Kent and Edgar. He was going to help Kent, but the ghoul on Edgar succeeded in slashing its claws across the young man's chest. Doanthalas saw Edgar go rigid and knew that the ghoul would devour him if he did not do something fast. Drake would have to help Kent. The tattooed elf brought his sword down swiftly slicing the ghoul's arm off neatly at the shoulder. The fight taking place in front of him didn't register at all. The only thing that Edgar could see was the ghoul dragging Kent under and Drake struggling feebly to stop it. "Let him go!" Drake screamed as he sank his sword into the ghouls back. The ghoul didn't even flinch. It just kept walking further out into the water dragging Kent with it. Drake hacked at it some more and knocked off big chunks of flesh, but the ghoul just turned and swatted him with its meaty hand. Drake only felt the sting of the blow for a moment. His muscles tightened immediately as the claws on the ghouls' hand scraped his face. He could do nothing to stop his fall as he fell backwards into the water. The sounds of battle faded as the water enveloped him. Try as he might, he could not will his muscles to move. "Gods! I'm going to drown!", he thought. Fear gripped him as surely as the paralysis had. The ghoul had turned on Doanthalas after the loss of its arm. It pressed its attack with a cunning rivaling that of some of the best pirates in the camp. A clawed hand raked across his chest, but apart from the blood flowing from the wound, Doanthalas seemed unaffected. He swung his sword deftly and proceeded to dismember the ghoul. The severed pieces of the ghoul sank swiftly to the bottom. Doanthalas turned and lifted Drake's rigid body from the water. Luckily he was still breathing. As the elf hoisted the form of Drake from the water he scanned the area for any sign of Kent. For a moment there was no sign of him. Then a large group of bubbles broke the surface of the water off in the distance. Doanthalas knew that all hope of rescuing the boy was lost at that moment. He grabbed the rigid forms of Edgar and Drake and dragged them to shore. What was he doing? The elf had just left Kent to die. He could have dove in after them and saved him, but he didn't. That damned elf! Tears streamed down Edgar's eyes and he would have sobbed if he had control of his body. At least Drake had tried to help. Drake was feeling the same grief that Edgar was, although he wasn't blaming Doanthalas for Kent's fate. He knew there was nothing the elf could have done. Instead, he blamed himself for getting there too late and allowing the ghoul to paralyze him. The elf turned quickly as a noise caught his attention. Another ghoul had crept up on him while he was dragging Drake and Edgar out of the water. He stood there weaponless trying to figure out what to do. He had left his sword a few paces back so he wouldn't accidentally stab one of the boys. Time seemed to slow down as he turned and prepared to make a dash for his sword. A combination of water and sweat rolled down his face tracing the contour of his cheek. A rivulet of blood ran down his chest as he turned and dug his feet in. The ghoul slashed at Doanthalas with its clawed hand just as a point of light caught the elf's attention. A drop of blood hung off of his chest for a split second before falling. It spattered to the ground just as a flaming arrow embedded itself into the back of the ghoul with a loud thunk-poof. Doanthalas seemed to have a demonic look to him as the light from the flames danced across his tattooed form. The tattoos seemed to come alive and writhing and twisting around his body as he embraced the ghoul and they both burst into flames. Arzeal nocked another flaming arrow and took aim. These arrows were special, and Arzeal had bought many of them from a tinker. They had proved invaluable against the rigging of enemy ships. Each was tipped with a glass bulb full of resinous spirits and coated with the same sort of pine tar used for torch-heads. The archer set the bulb aflame and fired. When the arrow hit, the bulb burst - splashing the target with a cloud of flaming resin. He did not want to hit Doanthalas, but that was a chance he would have to take if he wanted to save him. "Damn!" He muttered as the ghoul bowled the sylvan elf over and they both burst into flames. He would have to grieve for his friend later, for now he targeted another ghoul. Two other ghouls had surfaced a little further down and were wreaking havoc on the few pirates that had been bathing there. One pirate fell quickly to the ghouls attack and was dragged to a watery grave like Kent had been. the other fought the remaining pirates. Had they not been gripped by sheer terror the pirates might have mounted a formidable defense and defeated the ghoul. But the ghoul managed to paralyze most of them before being driven back into the water by a combination of attacks from the remaining pirates and a flaming arrow embedded in its neck. Reinforcements arrived in time to see the last ghoul disappear beneath the surface of the water. They tended to their wounded comrades and watched as the flaming ghoul and Doanthalas struggled near Drake and Edgar. The heat from the flame was unbearable, but the elf did not worry. He focused on the task at hand, ripping the ghoul limb from limb. He managed to maneuver the ghoul close to his discarded sword as they struggled. The ghoul had managed to inflict a few moderate wounds during the struggle, but it was clearly distracted by the fire. Doanthalas took advantage of the distraction and reached for his sword. After a few tries, he managed to grasp it. He hacked at the ghoul as they struggled. His flesh felt like it was melting off his skin, but the ghoul seemed to be in much worse shape. Its skin was blackened and had melted completely off some parts of its body. With a few agile strokes, he managed to extract himself from the flaming creature. The group of pirates that had witnessed the struggle stared in awe as the flaming elf stood up straight and tall apparently unharmed by the fire. As the last lick of flame dissipated, they noticed for the first time that his demonic looking tattoos were glowing an unearthly shade of red. The sudden silence was deafening to the elf. He looked up and saw fear painted across every face in the camp...including Pike who had reached the fight a little too late to help. Doanthalas stood there silently staring at the assembled crowd with his emerald eyes. They knew nothing of what he had been through...what he had gained and what he had lost. There was no way he could make them understand so he stood there in silence waiting for them to do something. Arzeal could not believe his eyes. Doanthalas was unharmed! The flames had not so much as singed a hair on his head. He was scared, that much was true. At the same time he was fascinated. He stood at the head of the group and studied the elf. He had no idea what he should do or say, but he knew that he had to say something before the frightened pirates took action. --------------- Maybe it was instinct, or perhaps some part of Rapina's intellect had noted a discrepancy in the way the shadows had danced when Logan nearly dropped the lantern. For whatever reason, Rapina pulled the sheath from the crystal light around her neck. Light flooded the tent; the shadows disappeared - all except three of them surrounding Captain Red Jack. "Bastards!" the captain bellowed. Logan drew his sword and lunged for the nearest shadow as quickly as any man could have. Red Jack slammed into one of the shadows with his foot, which took a horrible chill. He jumped clumsily past the downed shadow and drew his blade from where it hung on the bedpost while the creature tried to regain its feet. Rapina jumped up in bed. The covers were still in her hands and she threw them over the downed shadow as she hopped over to Red Jack's side of the bed. Jack had hung all of the weapons there. After throwing the blankets, Rapina hurriedly drew her rapier. Logan's blade pierced the monster nearest him. Wisps of shadowy vapors erupted from the creature's chest as the sword passed through it, but the thrust did not destroy it. It turned and lunged, touching Logan's neck. Iiieee! The captain felt weak as a baby. It was all he could do to muster an effective two-handed swing with his broadsword, but muster he did, chopping down beside the abomination's neck. The sword easily passed through the neck, shoulder and upper chest of the creature that spewed shadowy vapors with the passing blade, but the creature seemed undaunted. The shadow was too intent on the Captain's life force to worry about the assault. It grabbed one of the captain's arms and drained, regaining some of the life force lost to its wound. Aaaah! The creature's touch was so chill, and the pirate captain could feel his strength being drawn away from him. Rapina swung her rapier like a baseball bat with both hands and easily chopped right through the creature's neck. A flood of shadowy vapors fountained from the creature's neck around Rapina's moving blade, but its head did not drop off. Surprised for only an instant, the shadow tangled in the blankets fought it's way out from under the covers. Rapina heard more screams and yelling from the direction of the water. The shadow touched Logan's upper arm. The chill was unbearable. Logan swung his sword right through the creature's chest. vapors burst out from around the blade as it sliced. The shadow reached out and chilled the pirate captain to the bone before his opponent's blade could touch him. Rapina reversed the direction of her swing and chopped across and down through the shadow's neck and chest. Jack felt so weak, his swing was slowed but as his blade joined Rapina's already slicing through the creature. The creature exploded into a harmless puff of vapor. Aaaaaa! The captain roared as the shadow that had crawled out from under the blankets Rapina had thrown over it grabbed his ankle. - Logan went to swing his blade back through his shadow, but the creature grabbed his elbow, the horrible chill temporarily froze his joint. The pirate lieutenant sidestepped towards his captain, he could see the other creature was making a mess of him. Now that Rapina realized the semi-ethereal nature of her foe, she abandoned the two-handed swing, snapped into a proper fencing stance and aimed her rapier at the shadow that had just touched the captain's ankle. Her blade entered the shadow's neck and sliced all the way down through its back. Vapors erupted everywhere. The shadow sprung away from the pain lancing its back, turned and lunged to touch The captain. The captain moaned as still more strength was torn from him. Weakly he whirled around and brought his blade through his tormenter - Logan's shadow ducked unexpectedly and grabbed his belly as Logan took up his sword with the other hand. His swing only nicked the creature's head, but thankfully, his elbow unfroze in the few seconds the exchange took. The mindful creature in tent on killing Jack dodged Rapina's blade. The captain swung weakly, but connected. Vapors poured out as he cut a swath through the shadow. The shadow's hand darted out and touched the captain's face. Logan's shadow jumped, sucking rich life force from his victim's side and taking only a nick from his dangerous blade. A quick lunge to the pirate captain's vitals brought another small taste of life force to Jack's shadowy foe. The captain felt so weak he could barely stand. Only adrenaline held him up, but he was unable to muster an effective blow. As the captain staggered, Rapina stepped in between him and the shadow and sliced a diagonal through the shadow's upper chest. The captain staggered a few steps backward then fell when his legs failed to hold him up. All he could do is lay helplessly by and watch the battle. Logan was chilled to the bone, the horror he was fighting was dodging too well. It touched Logan again strengthening itself, and all he was able to do was nick its side. A faster lighter weapon might have been a better choice, he thought. Rapina's blade hissed through the air and through the shadow's chest leaving only a puff of vapors where once the creature stood. Logan spun and struck, but the shadow's lunge chilled him again. It seemed that every time he struck the monster, it struck him and used his energy to regain its strength. A tune Arzeal had played during her training was singing though her head. Rapina leapt, and landed as her rapier carved an "s" in the back of Logan's shadow. Rapina almost felt guilty attacking the creature's back, but not really, she struck again passing her blade through the shadow from shoulder to waist. The shadow took two vicious strikes to it's back, it turned trying to touch it's victim and dodge the terrible blade from behind at the same time, but in doing both, it accomplished neither. Logan felt so weak, but he was a fine swordsman. He took advantage of the creature's confusion and struck successfully. Rapina saw Logan was now holding his broadsword with both hands and wavering a bit on his feet. As long as the shadow had to face two opponents at once, it would be at a disadvantage, but if Logan went down as the captain had, they were doomed. Rapina steeled herself and launched blade and body in an attempt to get between Logan and the shadow. Rapina's jump was too late! She knocked into the creature's arm as it touched Logan. Ahhhhh! Logan hissed as the creature nearly froze his neck and shoulders. Just for a moment, the creature paralyzed his arms with cold. When Rapina's body hit the shadow's arm, it was already draining Logan. Rapina's lust senses tingled wrongly as she actually felt Logan's life force and just a bit of her own travel up the creature's arm. It was like a much less delicious rendition of the life force traveling down a lover's manhood. Her mind reeled, was she nothing more than a pretty shadow, draining men's strength from them? Her blade whipped through the creature's shoulder doing only a little damage but helping her get firmly between it and Logan. The woman that had cut its back so grievously had now cut it off from its intended victim. Nevertheless, he had drank deeply of him before they parted. The shadow reached out to relieve the woman of a portion of her life energy. Rapina gasped as the Shadow ducked her blade, grabbed her lower thigh and ripped at her life force. She felt nearly all of what little sex-magical energy she still had stored in her breasts after the skeleton battle leave her, but her strength was untouched. It was obvious that what Rapina stored was some form of life force. Rapina's rapier whipped back with a vengeance, sundering the back of the creature for bringing her such an unsettling realization. Logan felt like a child, his sword was so heavy in his hands, but as a child he had played with wooden swords whenever he could. His weak two-handed blow cleaved through the shadow's rear end spewing vapors in its wake. Logan watched as the shadow reached out to grab Rapina's breast. He knew why she had put herself between him and the shadow. His strength was nearly gone, but as long as both pirates were standing, the shadow would be taking double hits, and Logan meant to make this one count. He grimaced as he put every pitiful ounce of strength he had left into the blow and cleaved through the shadow's side. The shadow sensed a rich source of life force and lunged to grasp it. Had it been any slower, it would have died from Logan's blow, but the sustenance it gained held it together just for an instant. Rapina felt the last vestige of her stored power leave her and then the horrible chill of strength being wrenched from her. As the creature drained her, she forced herself to remember what it must feel like when a person gave more life force than she could afford. Her rapier sung as it whipped through the shadow on a diagonal. There was a puff of vapor and the monster was no more. Rapina rushed to see how the captain was faring. He was sprawled on his back at the foot of the bed. "Jack, are you okay?" "I'm weak as a kitten girl, but I'm still barely alive." Logan staggered over to the captain and Rapina and sat on the foot of the bed just above the captain. "How are ye mate?" The captain asked. "Nearly too weak ta stand, but alive as ye are," replied Logan. "How about you, wench?" "My chest feels like it's frost bit inside. My leg wasn't hit as bad, but it's not so good either. Luckily the shadow only hit me a couple of times. I'm not as weak as you guys are." "I heard some commotion outside girl, but ye can't leave us in this condition. Go ta the flap and see what ye can see. Yell fer Drake 'an Pike or Arzeal. I need ta know what's up and I need gardin' by someone I can trust, cause I'm in no shape ta fight." Rapina ran to the flap and opened it. She couldn't see beyond the radius of her light so she just yelled out. "ARZEAL! PIKE! DRAKE! Report to the captain's tent soon as you can!" Just then Rapina saw arms master Hock on the outskirts of the illumination cast by her light. Rapina turned back to the captain. "How about arms master Hock?" "Is 'e out there? Bring 'im in." [Rapina]013 Night Terrors Rapina grinned and reopened the flap, "HOCK, in here on the double! She relished giving the arms master an order. It was a rare treat. Hock came running up and blinked at Rapina and her bright light. Rapina felt her lust sense tingle, then realized that, unless you counted a Rapier and two pendants, she wasn't wearing any clothes. Hock burst into the tent. "What's with th' naked Valkyrie?" Rapina blushed crimson "It's th' latest in pirate-wench fashion," Jack chuckled weakly. "See if you and Rapina can hoist me up onto the bed an' prop me up. While yer at it, tell me what's happenin' out there." Hock looked at Logan, "aren't ye gonna help?" "Sorry mate, I can barely lift a broadsword. I'm near as wrecked as he is." "What happened ta you men? I'd say ye'd been wenchin' a bit too hard." Logan started laughing, and he could not seem to stop. Trouble was he was so weak already that the laugher laid him out on the bed. Rapina giggled and took the captain's feet while Hock lifted him from behind under the arms. They carried him to the head of the bed and propped him in a sitting position against the headboard. Once they had the captain situated, Rapina started dressing hurriedly. "I just got done puttin'' a quadrupled guard on the Southeast post 'an on me way back I heard a commotion from the water front, an' then the wench ordered me in here like a soldier." "Careful Hock, any wench 'can last through me an Logan at are best deserves a ton 'o respect," the captain said firmly, trying to keep from laughing and failing miserably. Logan shook the bed with renewed laughter. "We were attacked by somethin' in here, Hock, damndest thing ye ever saw, livin' shadows with a touch chiller than a winter day. Ye couldn't see em at all, an' their touch drained yer strength an hurt ye too. They must 'ave come back from the Southeast guard post with Logan, and I dare say they were lookin' fer me an almost had me an Logan both dead ta rights. Me lucky wench saved are ass. Otherwise ye'd be runnin' th' camp without us. Hock raised his eyebrows. This was the first time he had heard of a green recruit saving the Captain and his right hand man. "I know what yer thinkin' Hock, how could a recruit just out o' basic save two seasoned pirates like us. Ye have ta understand, fer some reason when I yelled out about the chills, the wench got her mage light right quick and opened it up. All the shadows in the room disappeared but three and those three seemed ta all want ta touch me some more. Logan drew on one, Rapina jumped up an' tossed the covers over one I kicked out' o' my way so I could get to me sword. She an I drew steel and we was fightin' first the one, an' then the other when it found it's way out from under the blankets. The things were hittin' on me not her so I warr the one gettin' weaker by the second." "Near the end of the second shadow I was done for. Rapina shielded me an' I staggered out o' the way and went down, too weak ta stand. All I could do was watch, but I had one hell o' a view from down on the floor there," Jack grinned saltily. "She finished the second one off 'an went an' did the same fer Logan as she did fer me. By that time he was weak as a two-year-old." Pike burst into the captain's tent visibly shaken. This worried those present because not a one of them had seen Pike shaken before. Ever. "Sir." He gasped as he caught his breath. "There's been trouble down by the water...we...were attacked by...by...hideous creatures. We got two of them but they made off with two of our men..." He paused and gave Rapina a meaningful look. "Kent was one of them." Before the captain could say anything he continued, "And there's something else sir...The elf...Doanthalas...well he was fighting one of the creatures when Arzeal sank a special flaming arrow into it. It grappled with Doa...the elf...and they both burst into flames." "AND!!!" The captain said with an annoyed tone. "Well sir. The ghoul was burned to a cinder, but...but...the elf...he doesn't have a mark on him...except for the claw and bite marks. The fire didn't hurt him one bit! And that's not all! All the men who the creatures struck were paralyzed. The elf wasn't affected by that either. The men are scared sir. 'Can't say that I blame them, but they might do something drastic. Arzeal has them under control for the moment, but you'd better hurry." Pike paused as he noticed for the first time the state that the captain and Logan were in. "So th' elf 'as been holdin' out on me, 'e failed ta mention a magical power. Hock an' Roger always ask about skills an powers. It'll go rough on 'im, but 'e 'as the skeleton battle 'an fightin'' th' ghouls ta 'is credit. Was 'e valuable in the ghoul fight? "I think so, sir, I arrived after the battle had begun. He helped kill the one ghoul I saw killed - the one Arzeal set aflame with a special arrow. The others were only driven back under water by being set aflame. "If I weren't weak as a babe, I'd have ye clap that elf in chains an' bring 'im 'ere; 'e's got some serious explainin' ta do. Seein' as how I'm an invalid, I'll deal w' him later. No one's ta see me like this but me officers. I need guards I can trust outside th' tent flap. 'An believe me Pike, I'd be out thar ta beat th' men down ta order in a heart beat, but I'm weak as a kitten. The things that killed th' Southeast guard post followed Logan back ta me tent an' attacked us here. If it weren't fer me lucky wench, Logan an' I'd be dead, 'er shadows, 'cause that's what th' creatures that about killed us looked like. Hock, what do ye know about the undead?" "Precious little, sir. I've heard a few tall tales, but nothin' I could put any stock in. The way I hear, most of 'em slink around at night. They don't like the daylight." "Good, yer just the man fer the job. Whip those pirates inta shape, arm 'em up, move 'em back from th' water, an' have 'em make a tight camp in a ring right around this tent. We need ta hold out till dawn. Tell 'em th' water front weren't th' only attack we suffered tanight. Make sure they realize that the enemy so far has only attacked at night, an' let 'em know I'll be talkin' to 'em soon as me officers brief me on th' various battles." "Plant torches an' make fires. We need plenty o' light. "Pike, send me Drake, an' Arzeal. I need men I can trust in here ta guard me." "Speakin' o' answers, Rapina, get into them books, find me everything ye can about undead monsters, particularly any o' the ones we've seen." "Everyone's got 'is orders, now go too." There was a chorus of, "Yes sir," and everyone rushed off, save Rapina who began to delve into the captain's books there in his tent, and Logan who was too weak to move much. Rapina sniffed back her tears and told herself she would cry for Kent later. Her expression became very serious, Kent was dead, and Doanthalas was in big trouble. She went to one of the chests of books and began digging almost frantically, but the look in her eyes was pure determination. Soon arms master Hock's voice could be heard barking orders rapid-fire outside. Intermingled with the orders were blood-curdling screams from here and there around the periphery of the camp. A little while later Pike came into the tent. "Here is Drake, sir, but he's in no condition for guard Duty. One of those creatures on the water front gashed him and froze him up solid. Edgar and a half dozen of the men are the same way. I had a devil of a time just getting the sword out of Drake's hand so I could put it back in his sheath." "Damn! Organize a detail ta bring the other frozen men up here," Jack ordered. "How ye doin' Logan?" the captain asked. "I think me strength is seepin' back, but it's sure takin' it's time. How 'bout you?" "Hard ta say yet, but I think ye're right. Rapina, Give Logan here a book that needs searchin'. Might as well put 'im ta work." Rapina handed a book to Logan from the stack she was building. Just then, Arzeal came into the tent. Arzeal, good ta see ya, what's happenin'' out there, Logan an' me got attacked by things lookin' like shadows an' we're pretty much laid up fer the moment. 'Tweren't fer me wench we'd both be dead men. Arzeal cocked an eyebrow at the captain's remark but knew that captain had better things to do than explain. "The men are real restless, sir. They've seen that Doanthalas is impervious to flame and they were going to lynch him, but I told Brackston to chain him up, that you wanted some answers out of him. He was the only person I figured could keep the elf from being lynched since he was the one who got the men all scared of him in the first place. Kind a' oversteppin' yer authority, don't ya think. "Yes, sir but it was that or let them kill him. I don't know what to think about Doanthalas myself, but when I saw him, he was fighting those creatures on the waterfront, not conjuring them. The men are sure he's a demon, and they want blood. Only the fact that he was chained and a prisoner of Brackston and on his way to answer to you kept them from lynching him." "Aye, e's got some grave answerin'' ta do. 'Ave Brackston steak 'im down outside the tent. I'll deal w' him later. What're those screams I keep hearing. "Men keep getting chills sir." Listen up, Arzeal, those aren't chills, they're the attack of a nearly invisible critter that looks like a shadow, ye can only see 'em in strong light an three o' 'em nearly killed me an Logan. Th' fact that ye can't really tell anything's attackin' ye an' ye can't see 'em is what makes 'em so dangerous. They drain strength every time they hit 'an the cold gives ye a real wound if ye'll look under yer clothes ta see it. Ye can hit 'em with swords, but ye can only see 'em in good light. Go on an' warn 'em. It'll scare 'em ta death, but at least they might be able ta save their own skins. Arzeal nodded and left the tent in a hurry. Not too long after Arzeal left, Brackston's voice could be heard outside the tent. "I told 'em all this elf was a demon, but no, they didn't believe me. We'll see what kinda trouble ye're in now freak! " Gods! He's bleedin' bleedin out 'is tattoos. Yiiii!, 'e's possessed! Run! Woof! Grrrr, woof! Aaaaagh! "Well I'll be damned!" Brackston said. "Step out there an' see what's up Rapina - an leave the light." Rapina set her book and light down and jumped up. Outside, the torches that often illuminated the area around the captain's tent had been lit. Brackston was standing and staring at Doanthalas whose tattoos were bleeding all over his body. Brackston was dumfoundedly holding the other end of his infamous neck chain and staring at Doanthalas. Thumper was barking wildly. Several pirates had drawn back and a few were running away. Rapina crouched down and lifted Doanthalis' sagging chin. "Doanthalis, What's happening to you?" The elf barely had any strength left. He had lost a lot of blood yet he still managed to speak. "My... curse... a 'gift' from... from... those of... the flaming... black... heart... I..." Doanthalas collapsed as unconsciousness enveloped him. When Rapina came back into the tent about five minutes later, Brackston could be heard pounding a huge steak into the ground with a sledge hammer. "Gods girl, ye're covered w' blood, what happened?" "It's Doanthalas, sir, he bled profusely from his tattoos and passed out. It scared the men badly. Brackston's chaining him to an iron post outside." "There's a rag over there, wipe yerself down an' use me basin. Then get me old Blue shirt from me chest an' put it on. No sense in ye gettin' the books bloody. Damn, all this goin' on an' me weak as a wilted flower." Once Rapina got back to the books she and Logan began to find some references to the undead. Whenever they located a passage, they read it aloud to Captain Red Jack. About a quarter hour after Rapina got back to the books, Hock stuck his head into the tent. "I tried recallin' the watch posts, but the central post is gone and one man on the Southwest came runnin' in here telling me his partner started complaining o' chills then disappeared right before 'is eyes. My messenger for the quadrupled Southeast post an' six o' the eight men from the post came back runnin' here like a ghost was chasin' 'em, an they said the other two'd been killed by walkin' skeletons. Is everybody goin' daft?" Hock asked. "Those are real Hock, I got me a skull an' two arms that still move in that bag over there from th' scoutin' mission. 'Found out last night, the South o' this isle's a grave yard. Ye'd best set up a defense." Hock did a double-take. "I'll believe it when I see it." "Believe it, Hock. The best weapons again' 'em are heavy an' blunt. Ask Pike if ya need any pointers." Rapina heard Renewed screams and the clash of steal from the Southeast. Hock left shaking his head. Before long Pike's battle cry could be heard loud and clear. "Blood an' Bones! Hold yer ground an' drive these bags a bones back ta the hells they came from." It had been nearly an hour since the attack started when Drake felt his muscles ease. Some time ago, Pike had carried him up from the waterfront and left him standing in the captain's tent like a statue. He could see and hear what was going on, but he could not move. The scratch of the ghoul had filled him with supernatural fear that had locked up every muscle in his body. "Uhhh!" he said as he collapsed to the floor. His muscles were so sore it felt as if he had just worked two days and two nights on his father's farm without a break. "Can ye speak Drake?" "Uh, yes sir," Drake said quietly; "'muscles all hurt, sir." The captain swung his legs off the bed. "Damn, I'm still weak but gettin' better." "Rapina, I need ye ta help me up. I'm going ta get dressed an' I'm going ta talk ta the men. Hopefully by the time I'm ready, I'll 'ave the strength o' a four- year-old 'stead of a two-year-old." Once he was up, the captain put on his trousers and got some keys from the pocket. He opened a strong box and took out a vial. He drank half and gave the other half to Logan." "Drink a third o' what remains an' give th' rest ta Drake an' Rapina. That there is a magical potion I got off th' noblemen who was in charge 'o that blockade we broke. Seein' as Rapina was wieldin'' 'is blades tanight, I'd say killin' 'im helped save me life twice so far. Drake drank about half of what was left, then passed the rest to Rapina. Rapina tipped back the vial heartily, but only drank a bit of the potion. It tasted somewhat odd and made her nose and lust sense tickle. Rapina knew it must somehow contain healing life force. She could feel her wounds shrinking as warmth flooded her belly. She paid a great deal of attention to the feel of the potion. It was not too unlike the feel she got when healing her wounds using the power men gave her. Rapina wondered if there might be a way she could heal others with life force she stored, just as the potion was now healing her. "There's a little left, may I save it for later? I don't have as much meat to wound as you big men." "Aye, it's yers girl, save some if ye want. It seems ta be helpin' me wounds, but it ain't doin' much fer me strength. Just the same, it were a good draught." The captain dressed very slowly as his wounds disappeared. "How ye feelin' now, Drake? If ye're up to it, tell me about the battle earlier this night at the water front." "Well, sir. The battle was quick and deadly. Those creatures...I'm not sure what they are...they are hideous looking...I'd call them men, but whatever they were they weren't men. I was bathing in the water along with a few other men...and Doanthalas. We heard some screams and saw... them... rising out of the water. They caught a few of the men by surprise. Kent... Kent... was one of them." Drake paused as the tears flowed down his face. When he had regained his composure he continued, "They carried no weapons, but they had claws that would cause your muscles to freeze up if they scratched you. I was clawed by one of them... It was terrifying! All I could do was stand there and watch as the ghouls dragged... they... I couldn't do anything to help Kent... I tried, but... The creature paralyzed me and I'd be dead if Doanthalas hadn't saved me. I fell over in the water and would have drowned because I couldn't move, But he saved me...me and Edgar...but there wasn't anything he could do for Kent..." The young pirate stopped and wept for a few minutes. The captain respected his grieving silence before speaking. "Good then, Drake, 'least I know what happened. Step outside an' See what's up. If they're free, get me Arzeal, Pike an' Hock. If th' elf's up, take this key, unlock th' chain from th' steak an haul th' elf in here yerself. It's damn near dawn but I still need a bit o' time more ta recover me strength fer me speech, but there's goin' ta be a lot ta do soon as I step outside that flap. Might as well do what I can do sittin' down right now. And Drake...I'm sorry about yer friend. But right now I need ya to be strong. Our very survival just might depend on it. Now get gone boy!" Arzeal was the easiest for Drake to find. He was doing his best to keep some semblance of order in the camp. The half-elf reluctantly left the frightened pirates behind and reported to the captain. Pike and Hock were busy breaking out weapons for the defense of the camp. They grabbed what they needed and left another pirate in charge until they returned. Doanthalas was barely conscious when Drake reached him. He was grateful that the elf had saved him, but he was also scared. There was something to the elf that Drake wasn't sure he wanted to know about. The young pirate unlocked the chain from the stake and reluctantly lifted the elf in his arms. Doanthalas' skin felt cold and clammy and bits of dried blood flaked off as they headed towards the captain's tent. After about fifteen minutes, the birds could be clearly heard heralding the coming of the dawn. Hock, Arzeal and Pike came into the tent. Drake followed holding the elf in his arms the chain dragging on the ground behind him. "Yer in a heap 'o trouble Doanthalas. Holdin' out information on powers ye 'ave when Hock an Roger ask ye ain't healthy, an' holdin' out on magical powers can be a killin' offense. The best thing ye can do now is come clean an' tell me all about every power ye 'ave. Ye can start by tellin' me what ye know about them creatures that attacked on the waterfront, an why th' other men who got raked by 'em froze solid, but ye didn't." It was obviously a great effort for the elf to even speak, but after a short pause Doanthalas did speak, "power... is... not... not... tis a curse. Bestowed upon... me... by those of the... flaming black... hearts. To me the... sun... flower does not kill, but... it does burn... and in exchange for... my life... my life... nectar flows freely... from..." The elf managed to feebly indicate one of his many fiendish looking tattoos. "The... creatures... ghouls... dead men walking... hungering for the... life nectar... and... flesh they lack. The foul touch of their... tainted flesh... causes men to take root as the oak. My... people have... always been... immune to the foul... touch of... the ghoul. Why? I know not. It just... is... as the sun is... so is this..." That said the elf laid his head back and closed his eyes for a moment. "Sir, I can vouch for elves being more resistant to magic that warps a man's mind or makes him sleep, but that's as far as I know." The half-elf cast a worried look in Doanthalas' direction. "Sir. He's in bad shape. I've got a little something I learned from an elf a while back that should help him." Red Jack looked at Arzeal and nodded, "Okay. Do what ye need. I'll be needin' im healthy and soon. Go now! Doanthalas, I don't know if I can believe ye about th' undead 'r at all anymore since ye held out on me, an yer in deep w' the men's superstitions. Fer now yer the best source o' information we got, so I'll have ta take what ye say as true whether I like it or not. If bein' impervious ta flame ain't an elven characteristic, then I want ye ta fill me in on where ye came by it 'an any other powers ye been hidin', understand?" The elf's body shivered for a few moments before Doanthalas regained his composure and continued. "Countless seasons ago... I and... my... brother lived amongts our... people. Here. One sun cycle we... were gathering... herbs for our parents when... when we were surrounded... by a radiant... pool of magical waters. The forest... seemed to fade like the light... as dusk approaches. The earth mother had... lost all color. All was grey. The sky... the earth mother...everything. Except my brother, me... and... and one of the flaming dark hearted. I believe... you word... for them... is...Dee-mahn... or Fiend. My... brother..." Doanthalas paused as a lump caught in his throat. "My brother... my elder... tried to bargain with... the dar... feend... so that we might return home... we were lost... later we would... discover... just how lost we... were." "Ya mean ta tell me ye were captured by DEMONS!?!?!? I find that a little hard ta swallow." The captain said with a snicker. Most of those assembled nodded their heads in agreement thinking this to be some sort of elaborate fairy tale. Doanthalas waited for the gathered pirates to scoff for a bit before he began speaking. The words that the elf produced were horrible to hear and left a sickening feeling in the stomach of those assembled. Images flooded into the minds of the pirates. Images so horrible that many of them covered their ears and shrank back fearing the elf was attempting to cast some sort of evil spell. The tattooed elf stopped and let the pirates compose themselves. "I... just spake to you... in their tongue... the wicked tongue of the Dee- mons. It is a horrible... tongue that no... mortal should... ever hear... much less learn... I have done both... be grateful that... you only had to... hear it. Your nightmares will be strong, but... nothing like..." Doanthalas shook his head and continued his story, "The feend... my brother thought he... could trick him into... helping us... but that was just... youth... ful... arrogance. We both paid for it... in the end..." Doanthalas paused as horrible images came flooding back into his mind. Images of rivers of blood and towers built out of the broken living bodies of countless races. He saw their tormented faces as they screamed in agony and begged for a quick and merciful death. He felt their flesh on his feet; their feeble struggles to achieve freedom. More and more dreadful images assaulted him, but he fought against them and pushed them to the dark recesses of his mind. He did not know how to make them understand how to adequately describe what he had been through. What they had heard of the fiend's language gave them a little insight, but nothing more. He swallowed hard and continued, "We were held... captives by the dark ones for... many seasons. They tortured us... and forced us to... fight in their... vile... war. They... 'gave'... me these tattoos so that... I might survive...in a few... of their... hostile environments. But they also made... sure... there was... a... a... price. Though my flesh does... not melt... I still feel... the pain. I still pay the... price... in blood. My blood. I would gladly embrace...death... rather than endure... this. That was... how... I acquired... my... 'powers'." Doanthalas decided that he had told the captain enough. Besides he did not want to relive any more of his experiences at the hands of the fiends that night. All he wanted was sleep. He was so weak from the loss of blood that he could barely move. "Tanight we got attacked by things that look like shadows an are nearly invisible. Tell me what ye know about 'em." "They... are shadows. They... feed off... of your life... spirit... soul... yes. I believe... that to be... the correct word. They are weakest in bright light... and strongest in the... darkness from whence... they came. That is... all that I know... about... shadows." "All right, put Doanthalas back out on th' steak. That's probably the safest place for 'im w' th' men as riled as they are by now." "Hock, what's been goin' on out there?" The arms master looked as though he'd aged a couple of years in the last couple of hours. "Well sir, first it was shadows. They took out the central guard post and half of the one on the Southwest. When they attacked the men in camp, they seemed to like to hit and run. I've never seen the men so terrified, sir, and we lost a few even though we used the torches and the fires and flailing around with weapons once I managed to get the men organized." "Just a little later during that mayhem a dozen skeletons came from the Southeast, routing the guard post. When the skeletons got here, some of the men ran. I wouldn't count on ever seeing 'em again. I got the lion's share of 'em ta stand an' fight by yellin' myself hoarse. Pike and a squad of men that had been moving supplies in from the waterfront ran ta bolster my forces, then all hell broke loose when we saw what was following 'em - forty more bags of bones wet from bein' in the water were followin' them." "The men were stunned, sir, Pike turned back the way he'd come, stepped forward a few paces with that battle axe o' his an' that old club he brought back from the scoutin' mission. He screamed bloody murder an' lit into 'em. They practically exploded when 'e hit. Not ta be outdone, Brackston lit into 'em with a broadsword an a Roman shield. I previously had the men arm up, an' many o' em' had been usin' shields tryin' ta keep the shadows off em. I just started yellin' again, "Shield bash an' strike! Shield bash and strike!" "Th' men were terrified, at first it were a rout, but as soon as some of em' saw Pike annihilatin' skeletons like there was no tomorrow an heard me yellin those familar orders I drum into 'em in basic, fewer of 'em ran an' we stopped givin' ground. The tide turned and we beat those skeletons ta bones. We got more wounded than I can count. Leach Kennon's goin' crazy an we got plenty o' dead too sir, we'll have ta pick em' up an' burn em so's they don't get up on their own," Hock grimaced. "Arzeal?" "I was keeping an eye out for Pike's men moving essential supplies up from the waterfront. It's only fifty paces, but we were tightening the camp up. One thing you should know, sir. I haven't told anyone because there wasn't a thing any of us could do about it. Every boat you own is sunk in the cove." The officers drew a collective gasp. "Ghouls from under water, I expect, sir," Arzeal said. "There wasn't a thing we could do about it. At best maybe the rowboats and the fishing boat are okay, they were pulled up on shore." "Me ships." The captain's face and ears went red and anger leaked out of his every pore. "Pike, carry me table just outside, plant a couple o' torches next to it and assemble the men in front o' the tent." Pike left to get things ready, then came in and whispered something in the captain's ear. As the men were assembling for the captain's speech Rapina's determination paid off. "Sir, look at this. She handed an old crusty holy book to the captain and pointed to a passage." Jack took the book and red aloud, "The touch o' th' ghoul or barrow fiend freezes a man's mind an' muscles w' supernatural fear. Only th' wisest an' most courageous men can resist. The touch o' the barrow fiend is a supreme test o' a priest's faith. Those who resist magical influence on th' mind, such as wise men an' th' elves o' the forest are like ta resist the paralyzin'' touch o' the ghoul. Ghouls inhabit graveyards where they tunnel to feast on the flesh of the dead. When possible, they also feast on the living." "I found a reference to shadows, sir," Logan added. "It doesn't say much we don't already know from Doanthalas and the battle, but it does say if ye loose all yer strength, yer body decomposes inta dark vapors and reforms as a shadow. If I hadn't seen 'em with me own eyes, I'd think this book was tellin' tales taller than a tower, but I'll bet this tail is true." Red Jack nodded, "Aye then, Rapina, ye've proven Doanthalas right on one count. Bein' an elf is likely why 'e didn't freeze up. That cuts th' charges again' him in half. Seems like I'm about ready ta talk ta th' men. Keep up th' good work. We need every scrap o' knowledge we can get on th' undeads, an' we don't have much time ta get it. I know in me heart that elf had nothin' ta do w' th' works o' th' undead. This ain't random conjuration 'r consortin' with demons, this is low down, cut throat military-grade strategy." With that, the captain shoed everyone out ahead of him and stepped out the flap to make his speech. "Rumors an' superstitions 'ave been flyin' aroun' this camp like stones in a hail storm. Grown men 'ave been shakin' in their boots an' peein' their pants like kids because they were afraid o' a stupid damn elf. Well now ye got somethin' *real* ta be afraid of, an' it ain't no elf!" "Remember Cudge an' Blade. Brackston caught th' elf hangin' over Cudge's body, an jumped to a few conclusions, but me an' Skitch weren't so sure the elf had eaten th' meat off two big men an left only one o' their skeletons behind. It was easy ta see somethin' dragged the other body off. Ye want ta know what happened to it, what happened ta yer friend Blade? I'll show ye what happened to 'im." The captain dumped the animated arms and skull of Blade onto his table, then scooped up the scull and held it from the back so the men could see its teeth gnashing. The arms crawled towards the captain on their fingers but the captain kept moving and forcing them to change directions." "I bet yer all wonderin' why Pike is so damned good at fighting skeletons. 'Cause practice makes perfect! They tracked Blade's missin' body yesterday. It wasn't hard 'cause the ghouls that got 'im left a trail 'o blood. Ghouls, you know, them creatures that froze a number of ye like statues. They're undead, they hang around haunted graveyards, an yesterday I found out the whole damn Southeast o' this island is a big fuckin' graveyard." "Whoever got Blade's skeleton here made it walk. An how much do ye want ta bet we might be seein' Kent an' some o' the other men we lost this night again real soon? I'll bet some o' the men from the guard posts were givin' ye chills an' drainin' yer strength last night, because a man that gets killed by a shadow, turns into a shadow. Just by havin' the ill luck of choosin' this isle ta camp on, we've given its lord plenty o' fodder ta swell 'is armies. Why am I so sure this isle has a lord? Is it the fact that on this isle there are mausoleum caves carved out o' the granite and adorned with runes and equipped with traps? That might o' had a bit ta do w' it." "I'll tell ye why I know this isle ain't run by a bunch o' these ol' bone heads or a kid elf w' enchanted tattoos. The captain pointed at the gnashing skull and Doanthalis in turn. "'Night before this last one, some ghouls bumped into a guard post, Two men were no problem for ghouls, just a light snack. Doanthalas here was bein watched, but 'them that were watchin' 'im didn't look at 'im fer a second an 'e was gone, so they ran fer Brackston ta track 'im." "Doanthalas heard the damn ghouls eatin' my men -ghouls do that, drag ye off an eat ye. The wild elf tracked 'em, an got in a hell of a lot o' trouble for it from bloody Brackston. He didn't know shit about this island, an' everyone knows he don't like th' elf. But those ghouls, they brought a body an' a little news ta their master, an th' next night what happened?" "I'll tell ye what happened, a doubled Southeast guard vanished with only one scream that could be heard from camp, and then the pack o' shadows that killed 'em did somethin' awful damn intelligent for a collection o' dark vapors. They came back through the camp, snackin' a bit on Logan but not botherin' another soul, an then when he stepped into my tent ta tell me what was goin' on, they all jumped on me - a surgical strike, couldn't a planned it better meself." It's a cinch me an' Logan were dead 'cept I invited are favorite wench ta me bed that night. She has that mage light o' hers, and when I doubled over w' chills, she turned it on straight away ta see why 'er captain was actin' so strange. Well, in good light it was obvious -shadows. Bein' able ta see 'em, was nice, but they 'ad already drained most o' me strength, an Logan's. We fought 'em, an while they were drainin' us silly, Rapina killed em, even shielded each o' us near the end there w' her body. Could' a easily got 'erself killed. By all rights, I should be dead right now 'an so should Logan." "At th' same time the lord o' the isle sent a ghoul attack ta distract you men from th' fact that shadows was killin' me an' Logan -nice little diversion. Was that effective 'er what? Without, the damned 'demon' elf, and the damned half elf an' his damned special fire arrows, them ghouls woulda stacked you men up like cord wood an' hauled ye off ta the ghoul farm. Ye better open yer eyes and think about how yer treatin' them that saved all o' yer miserable lives, stead o' worryin' about them elven differences that make ye feel uncomfortable. Without them differences, a dozen 'er two o' ye'd be corpses." "'An if that wasn't enough, when th' enemy's troops weren't quite as effective as they should 'ave been 'cause o' a wench an a couple o' elves, th' lord o' th' isle had a fuckin' back-up plan. Fifty skeletons! 'An what 'appened? It was a rout, men ran like scared children. Me mistress Rapina did bettern' that when a score o' skeleton's attacked the scoutin' party. An ye know we'll be seein' the men who ran again, they'll be walkin' an' fightin' but they won't be alive, now will they?" "I know what yer thinkin'. Yer thinkin', "Are you daft, Red Jack? We'll never see those goddamned men again 'cause we're gettin' the hell off this isle quicker than ye can light a fire under us." Ye're forgettin' one thing. The lord o' this isle is one hell o' a fine general, an 'is troops don't need ta breath. They're dead! Stayin' under water ain't a problem fer them. The captain pointed to the waterfront. It was still too dark to tell much, but that was rapidly changing." "Every fuckin' ship in me fleet is sunk in that cove!" The men blanched. "We got a couple choices. We can put are tails between are legs an' make some rafts 'an see if any 'o the smaller boats are seaworthy 'an try ta get off this isle before night falls. In that case we will be hopin' beyond hope that the lord o' the isle doesn't send a party ta wipe us out on the shore." "That or we can fortify the hell out of some ground an hole up tanight." "Either way, if any o' ye are brave enough, ye can form a party ta try ta root the devil pullin' the strings on these undeads out o' his catacombs an' cut the head off his army o' undead before 'e has time ta stage another brilliant attack tanight." "Regardless, If we don't best the lord o' the isle we forfeit are ships. Right now, my guess is they've got a few holes stove in 'em so they'd sink. We'd have ta build us a make-shift dry dock, but we could fix 'em if we can tame th' isle." Whether the rest o' us go or stay, if any of ye are goin' after th' general who routed us last night, ye'll need ta be packin' up an startin' off soon. I don't need ta tell ye this mission is goin' ta be dangerous. Th' best I can do is appeal ta yer greed. Men who go can split half the booty among 'em, er ask me fer a really big boon in exchange fer their share. A boon like forgettin' about them not tellin' me about their magical skin, fer instance. The captain glared at Doanthalas. Volunteers, form up w' Pike, 'e's yer leader. [Rapina]014 The Noble Jaws of Death The giant Norse man stood off to one side. There was a hesitation in the crowd. The captain's speech had set the record straight, but the men had the hollow look of terror written all over their faces. They were trapped on the isle of the dead, and they'd already had a taste of its bitter medicine. Brackston was the first in the crowd to stand and walk to Pike's side. I'd sooner die makin' a difference than cowerin' behind th' wall of a fort." The diminutive pirate approached the Norse giant, "Could be ye'll need a man who can climb inta tight spots an' handle locks an' mechanisms. "Could be," Pike smiled. The elf was feeling much better after partaking of the elven mixture Arzeal had prepared for him. Though still very weak he could at least stand up by himself. Doanthalas stood fighting off a wave of dizziness and spoke, "I will go." "You might need someone who can read runes," Rapina said. "That proved handy last time," Pike grinned. "I'm in too. I have to...for Kent..." Drake said. Edgar stepped forward and cast a meaningful look at Drake, "Hell. Ya'll know that I'm always up for kickin' ass." Several other pirates including Trevor stepped forward to reserve their place in the assault party. When all the members were assembled they were hastily outfitted with provisions and equipment enough to last half a week on the trail, and torches for caverns and tunnels. Some of the men also carried ropes, grappling hooks and spikes for climbing. As soon as the first hint of light appeared on the horizon the assault party led by Doanthalas headed off towards the caverns of the dead. While the others were getting ready, Rapina stole an intimate moment in a supply tent with Beck, Jake, and Jonas. All of them knew this might be their last time, and they were happy to be doing something life- affirming, if only for a few precious moments. For her part, Rapina felt a little bad taking as much from them as she did, but she was careful to go to the men she knew had iron constitutions. Rapina left the tent fully healed with a little something to fall back on. She gave the quite appreciable amount that remained of the captain's potent healing potion to Pike. He had seen two battles in the last twenty-four hours, and even as skilled as he was, he had not escaped battle without wounds. Every step was sheer agony for the elf. He was still weak from the loss of so much blood, but able to carry on because of Arzeal's elven elixir. Where Arzeal learned how to prepare it he didn't know. He'd have to ask the half-elf if they survived. Elixirs like that were closely guarded secrets of the elven people. Doanthalas was glad that Arzeal knew how though, it had saved the elf the trouble of making it himself. Doanthalas leaned heavily on his walking stick for most of the way. Pike had to help him scale the cliffs to reach the cavern. Eventually they arrived at the entrance. Sitting down on a rock the Elf glanced at the party. He saw Rapina advance along with Drake, Grom, Edgar and Yanosh. This time, Rapina made sure she made it to the cave first, and recited a prayer to Mortaebius, god of the dead. Then she opened the gate and let the warriors in to check the place out. The first room was as they had left it. Buck and Rage wedged stout timbers in the first doorway as Rapina took a deep breath, crossed the room and pressed the studs on the pentagram carved in the wall as if signing the sign of man. When she pushed the last stud, the inner-door slab groaned and slid upwards. Buck and Rage rushed forward to set timbers in the new door. As the inner door slid open the party was assaulted by a quick rush of air strong with the smell of decay. The faint outline of a statue was barely visible towards the front of the room. Outside in the sunlight, a pirate named Rebel stood guarding the timbers set in the first doorway while the others gained access to the hall of eminence. He heard a sound like a few stones rolling off a burial mound, but the outcropping of rock in front of the doorway to the mausoleum cave blocked his vision. He stepped out to get a look. He saw a pirate who'd run during the battle with the fifty skeletons last night. Brad! The pirate hissed and a long tongue came out of his mouth. One scratch from the new ghoul and Rebel froze. From nearby mounds, two more ghouls cowled in dark robes, emerged and followed Brad into the tomb. Brad cut Rebel's throat with a claw as the other two ghouls quietly removed the timbers from the doorway. Meanwhile, the pirates advanced into the room with the statue, and took out a few more torches. Rapina entered behind most of the men, her mage-light illuminating the front of the statue. "It's Mortaebius, god of the dead, Rapina said." Ah, so what, it's 'is gold I want, not 'is name. The mean yellow dog sniffed the air and growled. Rapina blinked. She could swear she saw the statue's eyes move, but now they seemed to be staring straight ahead, right at her. "I could swear I saw the statue's eyes move," Rapina said. "Look mates, that statue's robe is buttoned an' chased w' real gold an' is ring is set w' a ruby! Flint whipped out a chisel and went to pry. "Defilers!" The statue of Mortaebius shouted. Somewhere on the other side of the room doors opened and skeletons began pouring out. "Retreat back past the doorway to the first room!" Pike said running for the doorway. "They die easy if only one or two can come at ye abreast!" Pike ran back into the first room and took up a position just inside next to the doorway. Brackston slipped to the other side as he ran in and prepared to slaughter the bone-brains. The other pirates ran between their mates, trying to get back into the first room before the skeletons from the second reached them. A loud rumbling could be heard coming from the entrance to the outdoors. By this time, most of the pirates were back in the first chamber or running through the doorway. On the other side of the hall of the dead a slab slid over the entrance cutting the shaft of sunlight leaking in to nothing. Three ghouls charged towards the pirates hissing. "Aye Doanthalas! We got ghouls back here by th' entrance," Skitch hollered. Doanthalas ran through the door from the room with the statue. The elf shouted as he fished through his pouch for the flasks of oil he had brought. "Spearmen, Doanthalas, back there on the double," Pike ordered. After reentering the entry chamber, Rapina had made her way to the Southeast corner. She had been looking at the statue and had been one of the first to retreat as Pike ordered. She realized that, previously, weight in the top coffin-tunnel had opened the door. Rapina hastened to climb up into the tunnel to see if she could reopen the entrance. The last pirate ran through the doorway from the statue room. "Brace up Brackston, here comes a flood 'o bones, an look what's behind 'em. Our own walkin' dead! Brackston growled as he realized that the zombies were all pirates he once knew. Some of the bodies from last night's battle had evidently been spirited off just before dawn. The skeletons advanced but exploded to pieces as they were hit by Pike's mighty ax and club from one side, and the sword and club of bloody Brackston from the other. "Demolition! We got 'em licked, Pike!" Rapina scowled, her weight was no longer triggering the reopening of the entrance. Somehow, the mechanism had been jammed elsewhere. Doanthalas found the flask of oil he was looking for and stuffed an oil soaked rag in the end of it. He lit it on one of the remaining torches and hurled it into the oncoming group of ghouls. The flames were spectacular as the ghoul Doanthalas nailed burst into flames and the others flanking him suffered from splashes of burning oil. Doanthalas fought with every ounce of strength that he still possessed, hacking at the head of the ghoul on his right as Vanosh and George attempted to hold the flaming ghoul at bay with spears. Edgar ducked the ghoul's claws and simultaneously launched a leg-breaking kick at the creature's knee. As it staggered backwards Edgar opened the creature's guts with his sword. Brad, the flaming ghoul spun his way between the two spears, nicked Yanosh's chin, and poked George in the eye. Both men froze in magical terror. Still flaming from Doanthalas' oil Brad jumped on the elf who had just decapitated the ghoul next to him. If he was to be destroyed by fire, he would take his destroyer with him. Rapina was climbing back down from the upper coffin tunnel in the Southeast corner of the room when she heard Pike bellow to Brackston as they fought at the doorway to the statue room, or the "Hall of Eminence," to quote the runes on the wall. "What the hell? Back Brackston, It's a ghoulified Kent, an' he's swingin' a cresset full o' burnin' oil!" Pike bellowed. Brackston shattered a skeleton and jumped back as the cresset arced over the heads of the skeletons and zombies bunched around the doorway and flew through it into the entry room. Rapina saw the cresset from the corner of her eye as she watched the flaming ghoul jump on Doanthalas and knock the both of them into the path of the flaming cresset. There was a clang as the cresset deflected off the ghoul's shoulder and showered the pair of combatants with burning oil. Trevor skewered the remaining ghoul through the eye with a spear as it fell from Edgar's kick. Edgar swung his sword chopping into the ghoul's chest, laughing mightily. "That wasn't so hard. Fear is the ghoul's real weapon. Get past that an' they're nothin'" Rapina felt a tingling up her spine, and then she heard deep laughter coming from the statue in the other room. Suddenly the conflagration that had enveloped Doanthalas and the ghoul blackened as a cloud of choking black smoke billowed forth from it. In seconds the room was filled with smoke and half-blind coughing pirates. The smoke just kept getting thicker. Whoever had sprung this trap knew how Pike and the scouting party had retreated into the narrow entryway to defeat the skeletons before, and knew that Pike would retreat beyond the doorway to use that trick again. Now the entry room was filling with smoke fast. It was already so choking it made speech difficult for the coughing and filled the eyes with tears. Into the statue room! Pike surged through the oncoming skeletons, weapons cutting a swath of destruction before him. The Norse giant swung steel and wood like a maniac for a second before he suddenly hit flesh - the zombies; they were not so easily destroyed. They were the cork on the bottle. No doubt they had been instructed to remove any obstructions in the doorway as well. Pike wasn't about to let them get near it. "Defend a path out ta the left o' the door, concentrate our forces. Brackston, cover me right flank, we have ta hold the doorway and keep these monsters from removing the timbers before we're ready. Bloody Brackston sprung through the door and fought beside the Norseman. Thumper tore chunks of meat off the zombies as he helped his master. The tiny pirate was one of the first to race through the door. He dodged and wormed his way around, through and between the legs of the zombies. Once through, he got to the statue in a hurry. Originally he had brought the hammer and chisels in case he had bad luck with a lock or needed to place a piton. Now he hopped up on the pedestal and the statue's feet, stood on his tip-toes, put the chisel to the statue's eye and slammed it with the hammer. The wily pirate heard a startled yelp when the chisel struck the socket, but he did not know if he had driven it in hard or fast enough to kill who or whatever was hiding inside. "Sound off as ya get through the door!" Pike ordered. "I need to know when we're all in here. Rapina stay by the opening studs an' give me a hand with the count!" the Norseman bellowed. One by one the pirates called out their names: Brackston, Skitch, Trevor, Grom, Flint, Gape, Henry, Buck, Rage, Edgar, Drake and Rapina. "That's all of us but Doanthalas, Pike. The others are paralyzed or worse!" Rapina hollered. "One last good flurry friend and we step aside and hope they remove the timbers for us." Pike said to Brackston. Brackston pushed himself to the limits, then stepped aside as he heard Pike yell. "Timbers away. Nothin' we can do for Doanthalas, he's part o' the fire," Pike ordered. With tears in her eyes from more than the smoke, Rapina fought her way along the left wall of the statue room though the press of zombies. Luckily, Pike was right next to her. The stupid zombies, followed their instructions to the letter. While a few of them continued into the entry chamber, a couple of others pulled the timbers from the doorway into the hall of eminence. They capped their trap even though only three living pirates -Doanthalas, and the paralyzed pirates Venosh and George, remained within the entry chamber. The door slab slammed into place. The cork was on the bottle, but most of the grasshoppers had sprung. The pirates fought a fast and furious battle with heavy losses, for they had thrown caution to the wind. They fought half-blind using every ounce of their strength to get by the zombies who had tried to cage them in the room of smoke. Grom was the first to fall followed by Flint and Henry. To his credit Trevor fought bravely and took many zombies and skeletons with him before succumbing to their onslaught. "Back against the left wall, and keep that steel moving! Hurry, if we can get into the room where some of the skeletons came from, we'll have areselves another doorway an' this one likely not a trap! The party was able to make it to the door with few lost. Because of an altercation with a particularly tenacious zombie, Drake and Edgar were the last two to reach the door. As Drake turned to see if Edgar was coming he froze. Standing directly behind Edgar was Kent. Or the bloated and drowned body of what used to be their friend Kent. Edgar had an odd pained look on his face. When he didn't rush for the door it became obvious to Drake that his friend was paralyzed. A sick feeling washed over him as he watched the Kent-ghoul traced a line across Edgar's neck with a claw. The light in Edgar's eyes faded just as quickly as the blood flowed from the fresh wound in his neck. Drake stood paralyzed, not by the touch of the ghoul, but by grief for two friends lost. The screams of Doanthalas did nothing to alleviate this feeling. in fact Drake was really beginning to understand what true fear was for the first time in his life... Tears flowed from Rapina's eyes as she tugged Drake through the doorway. Pike and Brackston were standing on either side of it ready to demolish the first zombie to try to breach the opening. [Click here for a sketch of the tomb. The entry chamber is the same room in which the scouting party first met and fought skeletons, but the side/coffin- tunnels are not pictured.] The room the pirates entered was some sort of family mausoleum. It was richly decorated. Tapestries adorned the walls and six suits of bronze plate mail equipped with halberds or two-handed swords stood around the periphery of the room on small stone pedestals. On the west side of the room were two stone sarcophagi, each had a lid with a relief sculpture of the way the occupant had looked in life. The corners and trim of the sarcophagi were solid gold, and the likenesses were chased with gold leaf. Bronze candelabras adorned the walls. On the East wall were many bronze plaques, some with lettering on them. On the South wall was a large coat of arms with a plaque beneath it. Parts of the coat of arms were studded with gems. "Nobody move, This looks to be some noble family mausoleum. I know ye see some booty around ye, don't touch it till we kill our enemies. That's the way Backster set off a trap in that first room. Buck, Drake, help me an' Brackston at the doorway here, we still got plenty o' customers, just that this time we got 'em one at a time through the doorway. Rest of you Cluster aroun' Rapina and keep an eye out 'case of shadows. Rapina, patch wounds while we got the time," Pike ordered. Rapina worked as rapidly as she could, and by the time Pike and his warriors were through demolishing the last zombie, Rapina had patched the wounds of the other warriors. "All right, lets check this room out. The zombies and skeletons that came from this room and the one next door had to have gotten in here somehow. Could be they came from somewhere else, or it could be there is a secret exit out of one of these back rooms. Rapina began to read the various plaques. The ones on the east wall were probably entrances to coffin-sized side tunnels wherein corpses were stored. The plaque on the Southern end of the room talked about the noble deeds and lineage of the baronial family whose remains rested within the room. As the men started opening the plaques on the east wall, Rapina looked at the sarcophagus in the Southwest area of the room. The carving on the lid depicted a woman. Rapina looked at the runes on carving. "This was the first baroness of the family Le-" Rapina's line was cut off in mid stream. The lid of the sarcophagus suddenly hinged open. Inside were the skeletal remains of a woman, and laying next to her was Kent, who tossed the dead baroness' golden ring into the room as a part of the motion of grabbing Rapina just below the breasts and pulling her into the sarcophogus. Rapina had hardly managed a startled screech when Kent's claws pierced her tunic and a hideous paralyzing fear surged through her body, stiffening every muscle. Drake felt a ring bounce off his back. The six suits of armor standing around the room suddenly raised their weapons as the brainless minds of the skeletons within them perceived treasure, in the form of the Baroness' ring, being removed from the room's deceased occupants. Each swung its sword or halberd at the nearest pirate. Once he pulled Rapina into the sarcophagus, the goulish Kent activated the lid-closing mechanism with one foot, while he activated the mechanism that lowered the panel in the East side of the sarcophagus with the other. The sarcophagus only seemed to be separate from the wall, it was actually attached to it. Kent rolled Rapina and himself Eastward as the East wall of the coffin slid into the floor. Once in the area within the room's East wall, Kent pushed a stud with his finger. The East wall of the sarcophagus lifted back into place and the stone beneath him and Rapina tilted. Down they slid. At the bottom of the short slide, Kent pulled a lever and the slide hinged back up. The ghoul then opened a door and ran out of the room for a few minutes. He returned, hoisted Rapina off the floor and carried her across the small room at the base of the slide to a door. He opened the door and carried her into a narrow, low-ceilinged passageway that went North and South. Kent closed the door and shot home a bolt, then took a few large reaching steps Southward. He carried Rapina South up a very long flight of stairs to a room. In one corner of the room three shadows cowered, disliking Rapina's mage-light. The room also contained a few skeletons and several chests. Two of the skeletons bore a litter. Kent placed Rapina on the litter then opened one of the chests. He took some granite-colored grey robes with a heavy hood and a black lining from the chest and put them on. The litter-bearing skeletons were dressed in identical attire. Kent then left though a doorway in the other side of the room that led to another staircase up. The two skeletons followed carrying Rapina between them. Kent pushed open a trapdoor at the top of the staircase and cringed as the light hit his robes. The daylight stung Kent's eyes and made him feel weak in spite of the protective cowl. The ghoul struggled along a trail that ran atop the granite cliffs into which the tomb was carved. The ghoul and his entourage fled south and followed the curve of the island's cliff top as it went gradually Southwestward. The path was well concealed from watchers in the interior of the isle, for it usually ran through the lowest area in the center of the cliff so that there was stone between watchers from the water or land and the path. At first Rapina could do nothing but be afraid, but after a while she struggled to get a hold of her mind. If Kent was going to kill her, she reasoned, he would have done it by now. She was not sure where he was taking her, but it seemed likely that she would soon be meeting the chief of the undeads. Rapina supposed it could be some even more horrible undead monster, but clung to the hope that it would be a living priest or magician - a necromancer. Kent struggled through the sunlight for what seemed like ages. About every quarter hour he scratched Rapina in the arm with a claw. The walk was a mile and a half. It was nearly an hour before it took him along the base of some even higher cliffs that towered above the cliffs he was on and the rest of the isle. Just when she thought things were getting a little better, Kent jumped on the litter with her. "Go that way," Kent rasped and pointed for the bone- headed skeletons, then he squirmed around on top of Rapina and licked her face with his hideous long tongue. The breath stuck in her throat, Rapina was terrified but she couldn't scream. Kent smelled dead, he even looked dead. She could not move a muscle, but she wanted to escape in the worst way. Kent directed the skeletons into a hidden fissure in the Southern rock face. He jumped off the litter about ten feet into the fissure. The narrow crack led downward and eventually forked Kent stopped the skeletons then walked into the fork on the left. Rapina briefly heard the grinding of stone on stone such as a hidden door might make and Kent was gone for close to fifteen minutes. When he returned he jumped back on the litter with Rapina and directed the skeletons to proceed down the other fork of the fissure. It opened up into a much wider fissure - a canyon some fifteen to twenty-five feet in breadth. Daylight was visible far above, but the ghoul felt better because the deep canyon afforded much shadow. The skeletons carried Kent and Rapina South along the canyon floor. As time went by Rapina had to force herself to keep her eyes open so she had some idea of where she was being taken. She was a woman, an oddity among pirates. Perhaps she was being captured because the lord of the isle felt she was at least as much a victim as a collaborator, having been abducted by the pirates, or perhaps he was just hungry for female companionship. Rapina shuddered, if the necromancer was undead, she might just be a dainty meal. She would have to try to keep her wits about her in spite of her terror. The skeletons zigzagged along with the canyon in a generally southerly direction. When they reached an area familiar to the ghoul, Kent reached down off the litter, took up a large rock from the canyon floor and directed the skeletons to the cliff edge where he bashed the rock against the stone wall. Had he not known exactly where he was, the ghoul would not have known what to do. Even the ghoul could see no difference about the walls of the canyon from his vantagepoint at its bottom. From Some sixty feet above him hidden from view by a natural outcropping in the wall of the canyon, a boom swung out. On the boom was a large wicker cage. The cage was lowered. Kent opened a door in the cage and led the skeletons bearing the litter inside. Kent closed the door and struck a cowbell attached to the inside of the cage, with a metal rod dangling from a chain. The cage began to rise quite rapidly. When the cage struck the boom, it was swung inwards and the cage was lowered a foot or two to rest on the floor of a room cut into the face of the granite cliff. One wall was open to the canyon but the room was invisible from below because of the narrowness of the canyon, a natural outcropping just below where the room was carved into the cliff face, and the height the room was above the canyon floor. There was a slit-like window in the south wall of the room. Kent opened the cage door and led the skeletons out. A skeletal hand grasped Rapina's chin and turned her head from side to side. Rapina was so terrified she shut her eyes. She was sure the lord of the isle was undead, and she would soon be as well. "Excellent work, my servant," a smooth baritone voice spoke to Kent. Rapina opened her eyes. The face of a middle-aged man stared assessingly down at her. The man was neither hideous nor handsome. He was actually rather plain. High on his forehead was a bandage. Otherwise, he would not have looked out of place behind the counter of a library, but for the intense look in his dark eyes. Those eyes were the one thing that marked him as a man of great cunning and intellect. "You have a reward coming." The man Removed Rapina's bow and quiver, then undid Rapina's weapons belt and took it and her weapons from her. He hung her things on a skeleton that wore a steel breastplate and was clad in wax-boiled leather. The necromancer then removed the mage light from around her neck and raised an eyebrow as he placed it in a pouch on his belt. After that he frisked her, found the sheath knife on her calf and removed it. The necromancer spoke to Kent as he worked, "Although the battle did not go as well as planned, you played your part flawlessly and accomplished this extemporaneous task as well. I realize the daylight must have caused you great pain and weakness, but I have just the thing to replenish your strength for this evening. One of the pirates we captured has no tongue and is thus useless to me, yet I think you'll like him, he's a fat one." The necromancer commanded the skeletons to open the stout oak door in the East wall of the room, the one opposite the canyon. Two of the breast-plate wearing skeletons led the way and four others followed. After a short distance, the party came to a "T" intersection. The corridors were lit by an eerie red glow that emanated from large crystals that hung at intervals from the ceiling. "Take the girl to the door to my chambers and keep her there. You three guards, see that she does not try to wander off." The skeletons bore Rapina Northwards while Kent and the necromancer went in the other direction. Rapina thought about trying to escape. Had she not been paralyzed, she felt sure she could outrun the skeletons. Even if she could, where would she go, certainly not back to the cliffside room? There was no way down to one who could not control the wicker cage. Abruptly Rapina's muscles eased. She felt sore all over. She directed the bit of energy she had gleaned from her morning's tryst to her back and limbs. Suddenly she sprung from the litter and sprinted down the hallway to the South. It took a second for the skeletons to react, but Rapina heard the rasp of steel as the skeletons drew swords and clattered after her. They were fast, astonishingly so, but Rapina was terrified and had a head start. Doors punctuated the hallway at intervals. Rapina opened one and saw rough- hewn shelves with various armaments and equipment but no way out. She snatched a rusty broadsword and rushed down the hallway again. She passed several doors on her way down the hall. One, an iron door was just slightly ajar. She avoided that one and pulled on the door at the end of the hall. It would not open but she could see no lock! The three guard skeletons were already near her. Rapina jumped to the left and saw the skeletons veered to the left as they ran towards her. At the last minute, Rapina jumped right and sprinted. She felt the wind from a sword blade close to her neck as she passed the boney trio. The skeletons were astonishingly fast. She already felt winded. In desperation Rapina ran to the iron door, opened it, jumped in and slammed it as the impacts of three sword blades rang off the other side of the door. Rapina saw a keyhole but no bolt on her side of the door. Remembering how light the skeletons in the mausoleum cavern had been, Rapina braced herself against the door. There was a second identical door ten feet East beyond the one she held, but she was sure that the skeletons would just keep bashing the door with their swords forever. She was wrong. Something started pushing on the door. The force doubled and Rapina made a dash for the next door. She slammed that one shut as well. She found herself in some sort of guardroom with a stout table and four chairs. She could reach one of the chairs with her foot. She snagged it and used it to wedge the door shut. There was a ring of three keys hanging on a peg on the other side of the room. Rapina dashed for it, grabbed it and got back in time to keep the chair from slipping away from the door because of the force being applied to the other side. Rapina tried all three of the keys in the lock but none of them worked. On the other side of the room was another door. This one had a barred window. Rapina ran for it, snagging another chair on her way by the table. She had the third door shut and wedged before the last door grated open. Rapina tried the shorter of the three keys on the ring and the lock turned. The door Rapina had just locked was at the head of a hallway. There were six other doors leading off the hallway, three on the right side, and three on the left. The door to the cell on the right near the hall's other end was ajar. Rapina looked through the barred window of the nearest cell on the left. Inside shackled to the wall was Jonas. "Jonas?," Rapina asked. Jonas looked up. "Rapina? How in hell did you get here?" "I got paralyzed by Kent. He's a ghoul. How about you?" "There were some skeletons stained black; they were collecting the dead bodies and the ghouls were collecting the living. I spooked when those skeletons attacked us and before I knew it, some ghoul jumped out of nowhere. It dragged me to a black litter borne by skeletons and I was brought here. What happened to the others?" "Pike and Hock rallied the troops and they fought off the skeletons. I'm not sure what they're doing now, either fortifying and staying or trying to raft out, one or the other." "Quick, get me out of here, maybe we can free the others and escape." Rapina tried the next longer key and opened the cell door. "Lets skip the escape scene, shall we?" said the necromancer's voice. Rapina froze. At the end of the hall stood the necromancer, and next to him with blood all over his face, chest and grossly bloated belly was Kent, still chawing on a fat human leg. They had come out of the cell at the end of the hall on the right. Rapina nearly threw up as she realized that Kent had been eating Piggy, the mute cook that Rapina had worked for when she'd first joined Red Jack's crew. Now that she was standing, Rapina got a better look at the necromancer. He was about average height and build, only an inch or two taller than she was. He was partly bald, but had hair on the sides of his head. He was dressed in black robes with a black leather bandoleer crossing his chest from his left shoulder to his waist on the right. He wore several bone-handled daggers on his belt and the bandoleer held a dozen or so crude bone darts with metal spikes on both ends. "Drop the blade. Be reasonable, you have no chance to escape. There is only one way out of here and that is through those doors and the three guards. The necromancer chuckled, "You must be a fast runner or I'd be trying to piece your skeleton back together at this moment." Rapina tossed the keys through the partly opened door to Jonas and advanced towards the necromancer. The necromancer grinned. "Guards," he said. Three leather-clad breast-plated skeletons came out of the cell the necromancer and Kent had previously been in. "Surely you do not want to try to face these three. Have you not yet realized that these skeletons are superior to the others? The necromancer smiled. They are double-animated, once by the power of my magic, and once by the power of Mortaebius, god of the dead. They are stronger, faster, and a little bit smarter than the average skeleton." Rapina held her ground but eyed the skeletons now standing in front of Kent and the necromancer. "Surrender now and I will go easy on you, otherwise, you'll pay dearly. Shards, orbit her." The crude bone darts left the necromancer's bandoleer and flew down the hallway, orbiting Rapina at a distance of about three feet. Rapina shuddered. The bone parts of the darts were made of what Donal had named "singing bones," the ones that flew through the air. How could she hope to defeat flying bone spikes and three double-strength skeletons plus a wily ghoul and a necromancer? Rapina reluctantly layed down her rusty blade. "Retrieve the blade," the necromancer bid one of the skeletons. The skeleton snatched up the blade. Now, girl, stand back against the guard room door. Rapina backed up. "You two, the necromancer pointed to a couple of the skeletons, guard the girl. And you, open that cell door. Kent, I think the prisoner needs calming." Kent grinned and bounded into Jonas' cell. "Aaaaiigh! Jonas screamed. "Kent, put him back in the shackles and take the keys," the necromancer ordered. In a minute or two Kent came out of the cell and tossed the keys to the necromancer. "Very good, I will talk to you again this evening. Enjoy your meal." [Rapina]015 Death Battles The Living The pain was excruciating. Doanthalas could hardly breathe because of the smoke and his eyes were gunked up with ash and smoke and tears. Needles of pain shot through his back as the flames continued to burn. Soon the flames would die out; Doanthalas could feel the pain lessening by the moment. After the flames died out it would not be that long before he started bleeding. It was time to get to a safer place, and quickly too. The elf tried tearing off a piece of his clothes to wipe his eyes with, but his charred clothing just crumbled in his hands. There had to be something in the room somewhere he could use to wipe out his eyes with. Otherwise he'd have to fight through the remaining zombies and find a way out while still blind. He did not think he could do it. Not in his already weakened condition. The remaining ghoul and a few of the zombies had been reduced to walking torches. A few remained relatively unharmed. These few closed in on the prone form of Doanthalas. They were unaffected by the smoke and advanced steadily on the elf. Doanthalas' keen hearing picked up the sound of the zombie's shuffling feet approaching. It was getting harder to breathe and a fit of coughing seized the elf. At least nearer the floor the air wasn't as filled with smoke. A slight breeze blew across the elf's face. The fact that there was a breeze meant one thing: There was a way out. Doanthalas began crawling towards the breeze. He had to hurry. The fire was almost out and that meant that his time was almost up. The remains of his clothes crumbled to nothing as well as the other items he carried that were flammable. The elf's knee nudged something as he crawled. Reaching down his hand closed around the hilt of his sword. The blade scraped against the ground as he lifted it. The sound of shuffling feet was very close now. With great effort Doanthalas swung his sword. He felt it chop though something solid and then stop as it hit something else solid. There was a loud thump as something heavy hit the ground. One of the zombies lay on the floor struggling feebly to stand. The other paused its progress impeded by his fallen companion. Darkness had descended upon the room as the last of the fires burned themselves out. The zombies continued in their pursuit of their prey unaffected by the darkness. Their minds understood nothing other than their hunger for flesh...their thirst for blood. The scent was getting stronger. Their quarry was near. Bits of rotting flesh dropped off their arms as they reached out to feast. The sound of shuffling feet and something sharp scraping across the stones sounded very close behind him. Doanthalas blindly dragged himself towards the source of the breeze. If he could reach it he might be able to escape. Whatever he did, he would have to hurry. His strength was fading fast. Doanthalas' hand closed over a metal grate in the floor. It was small. Most likely, it was a drain. It had to lead somewhere. He hoped it was large enough for him to crawl through. Wiping his eyes with his grimy hand did little to improve his situation. The elf turned and tried to see through the sweat, blood, and grime that had found its way into his eyes. He was able to see very little, but did notice two still slightly warm forms moving in his direction. One was crawling and the other was walking. Clutching his sword the tattooed elf sat up and prepared to meet his foes. The zombies closed before Doanthalas could stand. They pressed their attack. The crawling zombie lost an arm right away. The other arm was next followed shortly by his head. Each time he swung his sword Doanthalas felt it slipping out of his hands. He adjusted his grip before turning to deal with the remaining zombie. This zombie had the advantage. It held the higher ground and did not tire. Doanthalas on the other hand was so weak that he could barely lift his sword. The sword went clattering to the floor after being easily batted away by the zombie. Things were getting worse by the second. Doanthalas' head began to swim. "I cannot die like this," he thought as he backed away from the advancing zombie. The smell of iron reached his nostrils. "Not now!" he thought as his hand slipped in the fresh blood that had begun to flow from his fiendish tattoos. Doanthalas crawled back as far as he could. He stopped with his back to the wall and the zombie practically on top of him. It seemed like it was to end there. Fortunately for Doanthalas the zombie slipped in some of his blood and went toppling to the floor. The sound of nails scraping the floor was audible through the darkness. He could not see the zombie anymore; the heat from the fire that had threatened to consume it had long since dissipated. It seemed like hours that the zombie lay there scraping at the floor. Doanthalas did not take time to ponder this turn of events. He just crawled around the floor until his hand closed over the hilt of another weapon. With every ounce of strength he could muster he crawled back towards the sound of scraping. Unable to comprehend its situation the zombie struggled to scrape the flesh off its victim. It could smell the blood, but could not seem to scrape the flesh off its bones. It struggled on fueled by its hunger. Doanthalas ended its struggles a few moments later as he dismembered piece by piece. The weapon clattered to the floor. Doanthalas did not have an ounce of strength left. He slumped to the ground and drifted off into unconsciousness. A cool breeze blew through his hair as the blood from his tattoos flowed through the grate in the floor. ----------- Pike scowled. His luck in battle had never been so sour. The day had not gone so badly at first, but now depression was settling on the Norseman's shoulders like the globe on the shoulders of Atlas. He had fought his way out of a diabolic trap loosing half his men only to have his favorite wench stolen and probably killed by a ghoulish Kent. The armored skeletons Kent triggered killed Buck and cost his party in both wounds and precious time. Skitch had figured out the secret door and slide in the sarcophagus, but that too had cost time. They had broken through the door in the room at the base of the slide and found the lower corridor. Thumper had led them North instead of South and that had cost time. The wily ghoul must have left a false trail. Skitch had found the ladder that led up into the hollow statue. After he had come down from there he found and quickly un-jammed the mechanisms for the stone doors in the rooms above, but that hadn't helped them find Rapina. They had gone North when they should have gone South. When they did go south, Pike had lost strength and sustained an annoying wound to his left shoulder. He had been too hasty about demolishing the four skeletons in the room at the top of the staircase and had not noticed the three shadows until after they started feeding on him and his men. Drake had sustained wounds and lost some strength to the shadows and so had Gape. Thumper had tracked the ghoul South along the cliff tops and along the base of some cliffs higher than the ones Pike and his men were walking on, but then the dog had inexplicably lost the trail. It cost more precious time before Rage found a hidden fissure. There Thumper had picked up the trail of the ghoul again. It led to a blank wall when the fissure forked. Skitch had correctly identified a secret door in the wall. The door led to a narrow, low-ceilinged staircase mined through the granite. The staircase twisted down and down endlessly before it and finally let out at a secret door in a warren of confusing tunnels. The tunnels went through the dirt of the valley Pike and his men had seen from high above on the cliffs near the entrance to the fissure. Thumper had started tracking in circles and the party had become hopelessly lost in the maze of tunnels. If anything, they were farther from finding Rapina than when she had first been abducted. "Pike, I hate ta say it, but we're lost an' wounded, 'an if Rapina ain't dead by now, then she's a prisoner o' the dark lord o' the isle. Thumper ain't doin' us a bit o' good, an' we can't go back ta where we were without startin' over at the tombs. My bid is that we jus' try ta find a way outa here before yer ghouls an' things start wakin' up." Pike glared at Brackston. "I hate it when yer right. Okay, lets try to find a tunnel that goes up." A few minutes later Rage called out "Hey, where's Gape, he was behind me just a minute ago." "Damn it! Ghouls, I'll wager. Demon or not, I sure as hell wish we had an elf to take up the rear. My bet is that Thumper might be able to smell 'em. Brackston, take the rear. Rage, you make sure to look over your shoulder a lot, understand?" "Gotcha." A more couple hours passed, but, although they had gained some elevation and had gone a good distance in a roughly northerly direction, an exit from the warrens still eluded them. Suddenly Thumper growled. Ghouls! Brackston shouted. Thumper grabbed a ghoul's hand as it tried to strike his master and ripped at it. Brackston lunged, his usual sword techniques were worthless hunched over in a cramped dirt tunnel. He ran his sword through the creature's chest and twisted it but the creature did not die! A second ghoul erupted from the floor of the tunnel and attempted to grab Drake's leg. Drake yelped, jumped back against the tunnel wall and cut the ghoul's hand off at the wrist. A third ghoul burst through the tunnel wall behind Drake and grabbed him, claws ripping into his sides - immobilizing Drake with magical fear. Skitch whipped two throwing knives into the chest of the ghoul on the ground. Pike's axe came down on the floor-ghoul's head, splitting it like a melon. The Norseman grabbed Drake's legs just as he was disappearing into a hidden side tunnel behind the ghoul and heaved. Brackston's ghoul cut into the yellow dog's head with his free hand leaving deep bloody furrows, but the ghoul's magic was wasted on the mean yellow dog. Thumper's simple mind did not fear death. Brackston lunged again half gutting the ghoul who'd hurt his dog. Near pike, the skulless ghoul reached up in its death throws and sunk its claws savagely into the Norseman's calf. Pike bellowed as he felt the ghoul's magic sizzle up his nerves. Every ounce of the indomitable courage bred into the Norseman fought the ghoul's magic... Blood an' Bones! Pike roared as he heaved Drake out of the side tunnel with the ghoul still attached to him. The ghoul let go of Drake, setting the Norseman off balance and then dove for Skitch. "Ulp!" Try as he might, once the ghoul had grabbed him, ripping into his ribs with its claws, Skitch could not move a muscle. His whole body seemed to freeze in horror. Rage drove his gladius into the ghoul's side as it began to make off with Skitch. Pike grabbed Skitch's legs just as they were disappearing down the tunnel and heaved once again. Brackston's ghoul hissed as Brackston skewered it a second time and opened the wrist of Brackston's sword arm with its hideous claws. Blood gushed from the wound. Brackston froze. He struggled, but the magical fear had him firmly in its unyielding grasp. Thumper jumped knocking the ghoul on its back. The dog growled ferociously ripping flesh from the monster. The Ghoul from the wall lashed out at Pike's arm with its toe nails, tearing furrows through his skin. Pike bellowed, his great muscles flexed... and released as he pulled Skitch and the ghoul back into the tunnel. Rage jammed his short sword into the side of the ghoul's chest and twisted it, Killing the foul thing at last. Thumper ripped out the ghoul's throat as one of the creature's claws sunk into the dog's eye socket. Blood flooded from the dog's wound. He curled up at the paralyzed feet of his master whining ever more quietly as his life's blood drained away. "Damn ghouls, Pike snarled as he bandaged Brackston's wrist. Rage, let's move Drake, Skitch an' Brackston up there and get some bandages on all the wounds before we bleed ta death. There's a boulder forming one wall of the tunnel. There's no way we're going to be able to move with three of our guys out. We'll just have to wait. Poor dog. I'd bandage the eye, but the wound's too damn deep, I can see his brains in there. He'd just bleed into his skull." Pike, them ghouls hit ye twice, but ye didn't freeze. "Courage mate, it's bred into the bones 'o every Norseman." It was well over an hour before the party could move, and it was another hour before they emerged into the open air. The sun was low in the sky when they saw it again at last. They were in a forested canyon dotted with piles of bones marked by various stone markers. "I'm namin' this place the valley of the dead, any objections? Looks like these various heaps o' bones were from the loosing side of old battles. You don't get good graves when ye loose." Pike looked at his men. "If we were fresh, I'd say let's double-time it back to Red Jack's fort, but we wouldn't get there before night fall. Plus we'd have to fight our way through the enemy to get in, but I'm limpin' like a club-foot, an it's easy ta see Brackston's dizzy from lack o' blood. Skitch winces ever time he takes a big step 'an whenever Drake bends over I see the pain in 'is eyes. We're ripped ta shit. Tryin' to fight our way through to the fort would be simple suicide." "Here's my plan, there's one other gate to the water besides the cove - the box canyon. Right now we're on the edge of this valley. We're going up hill, the trees are starting to thin, and the terrain is getting a little rockier. Let's take some trees, about four straight medium-sized fairly long ones. This valley and the area around Jack's camp are the only two places on the isle I've seen good timber. Look at that tree right over there, it's still standing, but it's dry and dead. We find four trees, clean off most of the branches and attach ropes. Once we're out the valley we turn East an' scramble up the steep hills and cliffs and into more open terrain. It'll be tough because just about every one of us will have to drag a tree an' we're not in the best o' shape, but I think we can do it." "We'll be dead beat once we reach the plateau South of the tombs and the burial mounds. We can rest there. Visibility is good up there even in moon light because there are no trees an' few bushes. We've got to be up the cliffs by the time that sun sets, an' we don't have long if we're going to get our timber and drag it up. After we have a rest an' a meal, we start dragging our trees over to the box canyon. Skitch, you'll be gathering something ta use for oars an' haulin' them. It's going to be one hell of a tough time given how beat up we are, but just remember. If we get timber to the Box canyon, we can build a raft usin' the rope we have for climbing to lash the trees together. Then we can get the hell out while the undeads an' their lord are still too preoccupied with the battle to be keeping track of us. " Pike cut and stripped four trees with his battle axe and the group laboriously headed North, then East and up. Thankfully they knew the terrain, for they had seen from the cliff tops, while tracking Kent and Rapina, that North was the only way out of the pit that Pike called the valley of the dead. ----- Rapina was escorted through a stout oak door and up a long circular stair that wound its way around a central shaft. At the top of the shaft, beneath a domed stone roof, hung another large whicker elevator-cage. About 50 feet below the cage there was a landing in the staircase that wrapped from the North side of the shaft all the way around to the East and South. It ended on the South face of the shaft before continuing up as a staircase. Off the landing there were several oaken doors, the first one led to the necromancer's chambers. As the door was opened, her nose caught the scent of myrrh. The necromancer's abode was well-lit with white mage-light from clear crystals suspended from the ceilings. The rooms were spacious, if stark and a bit dusty. Rapina was shown to a small guestroom. "You'll be staying here for now. If you prove a difficult guest, then perhaps you would prefer to stay with Kent instead of me?" The necromancer raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Try to get some sleep. I usually sleep in the morning and early afternoon. It is more convenient to deal with my minions that way, as they are normally quite sluggish during the daylight hours." "There is a chamber pot behind that door, a basin there, and a desk. This room was designed for an acolyte, but the church has not seen fit to provide me with one in all the time I have been here. Kent said you read. There are books there on the desk. Treat them well and ask nicely and you will be given replacements if you tire of them." "Let us get one thing straight, young lady, you have been rescued from the pirates and their fait because war is not a woman's place. You are as much a criminal as they are no matter what they might have done to you, and if you do not behave yourself, you will face the king's justice or mine, understood?" "Yes Sir," Rapina said, hanging her head. Rapina could sense hardly a whit of lust from the necromancer. At the moment she was being treated like a child and she felt at least as helpless as one. She knew the necromancer's left hand was animated bone, but his robes hid anything beyond that and she had no idea just how much of the necromancer was man, and how much was animated skeleton. At this point she was feeling as if there were more skeleton than man. The necromancer locked the door to her room as he left, and Rapina flopped onto the bed with a sigh. ----- As the last Rays of the sun disappeared over the horizon, Pike's men pulled their timbers up onto the plateau South of the tomb and burial mounds. "Damn iv we dild id." Brackston blinked. The sky was twirling overhead. Pike winced as he saw Brackston fall. "Damn is right." The Norseman limped over to Brackston. "You okay?" "Heey, wad habbent?" Brackston asked. "Drink this, man, you're in bad shape. You got dizzy an' fell down, but we made it. We're on the plateau, and none too soon. Let's sit down, and have something to eat. Skitch, you un-jammed the door mechanisms to the tomb, do you think the entry door opened? Skitch puffed as he set down some oars he'd made from the crusts of a couple old hollow logs. "Hard to say. How'd you get out the first time you got caught in the entry room?" "If there's weight in the top coffin-like side-tunnel in the Southeast corner of the room, the entry slab opens." Well, if there was weight there, then the door will be open. If not, it'll be closed. Why do you ask? "Two reasons," Pike said between mouthfulls of hard roll. "We left some dead in there that the necromancer might be able to use unless we chop 'em up. That an' those men had weapons, valuables an' so on we could take. Once we reach land we're going need to live." "We can check on the way by, I'd give it about a fifty- fifty chance of bein' open. Could be we could pry the entry slab up a ways with one of these timbers too. If we can, I can get in and open it up. Seems ta me if we pry those gems off the coat of arms in the one room we already tripped the trap in, we'd be set fer years." "Good thinking." ---- A perimeter had been set up and the pirates had taken up their positions in anticipation of attack. Torches and bonfires illuminated the area as well as casting ominous looking shadows on the edge of the camp. The centerpiece of Red Jack's defensive arrangement was a fortified hillock. On the top of the hill was a couple small tents and a large shallow, flat-bottomed depression where the pirates' many wounded were resting. There was a ring around the hilltop with a three-foot high, stockade-style log wall. Behind it, the pirates' archers took cover. On the outside of the short stockade wall that ringed the top of the hill was a dirt embankment. Starting from the embankment and going all the way down the sides of the hill and beyond were row upon row of stout wooden spears planted into the ground so that they bristled toward the enemy. Pikes and small trees positioned around the top of the hill could be used to pierce or bludgeon enemies trying to squeeze between the rows and approach the fort. Twenty yards away from the base of the hill a ditch had been dug to stifle the approach of battering rams that might rapidly break the spears protecting the fort. The ditch that ringed the fort had a ring of spears planted on the near side to slow the enemy and make them easier to hit for the archers of the fort. In anticipation of undead shadows not directed by the isle's lord, because of having been spawned only last night, a field of bon-fires and torches had been arranged. These sat between the base of the array of spears on the hill and the ring of spears near the ditch so that the archers might spot and fire on the shadows. This plan would only be good for as long as the fires burned brightly, but Red Jack expected these uncontrolled undeads to come to feed as soon as night fell. Some of the heartier pirates stood near the start of the spears not far from the base of the hill. The archers could fire over their heads with ease, but these men were present to kill any shadows the archers missed before they started working their way through the spears to the fort. As tired as they were from building the fort all day, none of the pirates was able to sleep. Their fear was too strong to allow that. It was fortunate that they were all awake. Had even a few of them been sleeping the undead that surged forth would have overwhelmed them in minutes. The half-elf was one of the first to spot the shadows trying to slip into camp. A silent hand signal from Arzeal was all it took to spur the other archers to action. Flaming arrows flying overhead alerted the pirates on the ground to the shadows' presence. The shadows had lost the element of surprise. The pirates on the ground took up their positions holding their weapons at the ready. Arzeal smiled as one of his resin-arrows engulfed a shadow in its fiery embrace. The pirates were ready this time. He let fly another flaming arrow as he spotted another shadow working its way around the left flank. The archer's arrows lit up the sky alerting Logan and his men to the shadows' approach. Torch in one hand and sword in the other he took up his position with his men. The front line was a dangerous place to be. Yet, how could Logan expect his men to die for him if he was not ready to die for them? He might not live to see the light of another day, but at least he would die fighting. Three dark forms surged around the sharpened stakes and at Logan and his men. They rushed forth to meet their foes with fearsome battle cries. From the hilltop fort, the captain surveyed the scene unfolding before him with his spyglass. Arzeal and his archers were doing quite a number on the shadows. The fact that they picked their shots wisely and didn't madly fire all their arrows away said something for the master archer's training of his men. Logan and his soldiers were doing well so far at keeping the shadows that slipped through at bay. He shivered as he remembered the chill touch of the shadow. "Good luck my friend," the captain said aloud. Movement at the perimeter caught Jack's eye. A joint force of skeleton's and zombies was emerging from the darkness. The zombies were in front and the first rank of them carried shields. Behind the zombies were skeletons bearing a bridge of planks covered in a layer of mud. Behind and flanking them were skeletons wielding bows. As they walked forward, the skeleton archers let fly arrows over the heads of the soldiers in front of them. "Damn! He's got a small army of tha walkin' dead an' some of 'em have bows! I was wonderin' where are dead from last night got to, damned zombies!" Jack bellowed. If it weren't for the archers, his men could have held the skeletons off with only small losses. At least Jack was pretty sure they could have. Unfortunately the men who were gathering to meet the zombies when they crossed the ditch were being filled full of holes. "Jump the spears an' into the ditch, Logan, them arrows are decimatin' ye! Arzeal and his archers let fly trying to cut down some of the skeletons firing on Logan's men. Unfortunately, many of the shots that hit went right through the skeletons. Damn! shoot for the pelvis and use broadheads if you've got 'em, it's our best bet! Arzeal yelled. "Arzeal, unveil yer little monster. I don't want these hair-cuts ye gave us ta be in vain. That bridge they're carryin' could be are doom, knock it out o' their hands. Archers, concentrate on tryin' ta blast through th' zombies in front o' the right side o' the bridge they're carryin' that's are target," Captain Red Jack ordered. A couple of archers pealed back the supply tent revealing a small catapult with a torsion spring made of the men's shorn hair. Arzeal released a flame-arrow that turned the zombie walking in font of the right side of the earth-covered bridge into a walking torch. This lit the way for his archers' arrows. That accomplished he put his bow back on his back and unveiled his little monster, a catapult. Arzeal aimed the little monster he had worked on all day and let fly. The first stone went long and to the right. Arzeal made a couple of adjustments as four of his men worked to cock the catapult again. The Zombies in front of the right side of the portable bridge fell down in a hail of arrows. Without the zombies in front of them, the skeletons were not as well protected, but they were able to move more quickly. The archers behind them rained arrows on any of Logan's men not already in the ditch. The second shot of the catapult was short, but centered nicely. Crank it with everything you've got, men, if you're quick enough, that bridge will be passing though the area our last stone hit. The men redoubled their efforts. "Just as soon the catapult's arm hits the stops, release it. I'll see if I can soften 'em up for you," the half-elf said. Arzeal took his bow up again and pulled arrow after arrow from his quiver. He had almost no time to aim, but many of his shots were superb. One by one the Skeletons along the right side of the bridge began to fall. Oddly, other skeletons from farther back dropped their weapons and took the places of their fallen comrades, though not nearly as quickly as would have been the case had the army been a little less deficient of intelligence. Arzeal suspected someone was giving orders, but all he could see was an army of skeletons. He and his archers kept up a heavy rain of arrows. The men released the catapult. The stone arced up and slammed onto the right side of the portable bridge, the one weakened by the concentrated fire of Arzeal's archers. That side of the bridge dropped and a great deal of mud loosened from the surface of the bridge. Arzeal dropped his bow and made the slightest adjustment to the aim of the catapult. His men cranked it back so fast it seemed that they knew their lives depended on it. The bridge was dangerously close to the ditch, and this would be their last, best shot. Arzeal grabbed his bow and crouched at the edge of the stockade wall, releasing arrow after arrow. Zombies began pouring into the ditch. Logan and his men fought hard, hacking at the unyielding zombies with energy born of terror. "Fighting withdrawal men, fighting withdrawal! There are too damn many reachin' the ditch at once! Let's fall back to the opposite side of the ring to hole up in the fort if necessary. We're outnumbered, those damned unexpected undead archers hit too damn many of us. The impromptu artillerists released the catapult arm again and the stone slammed into the left side of the bridge. The shock shattered the wrists of many of the skeletons. There was a moment when it seemed as though the one side of the bridge would remain up. That moment passed as Arzeal took out two of the skeletons whose wrists had held and the second side of the bridge fell to the ground. "Keep firing! Arzeal screamed. There was a moment of hesitation as arrows poured down at the skeletons, and then the remainder of the undead army ran forward and took cover in the ditch. The skeleton army began to fire on the pirates behind the stockade wall of the fort, but few shots were telling on either side because both sides had good cover. Logan and his men fought bravely, but even with support from the better pirate archers, it was a loosing battle against superior numbers. --- Rapina could not sleep. She just lay on the bed curled into a ball. So much had happened and it was all so horrible. Rapina did not even want to think about it. The room and the rest of the Necromancer's chambers were a bit chilly owing to the fact that they had been carved inside a granite cliff. Deep underground temperatures stayed around fifty degrees, and Rapina estimated the chambers of the Necromancer were no warmer than sixty-five degrees. Rapina hardly noticed, because she had dressed for underground temperatures owing to the mission she had been on. She wore baggy drawstring pants, a loose long-sleeved tunic and a baggy sir-coat pillaged from some soldier on the blockade Red Jack had recently destroyed. After a time she looked at her surroundings. The room was lit by two tiny mage-lights, one on a plaque-like arrangement just above the head of the bed, and the other similarly attached to the wall above the desk. Both lamps had a cap held by a loose ring and chain that could be screwed on over the lights. The one over the bed also had a red glass cap that could be used instead of the metal one. The walls were rough, and showed the mark of both chisel and pickaxe. Rapina guessed that tireless undead workers had mined the room out of the stone. Rapina got up to look around. On one side of her room were two doors. One opened into a tiny room containing the chamber pot, the other led into a small room with a decanter, basin and dressing table, and the entrance to a walk-in closet. Rapina decided that if this room had been designed for an acolyte, the church of Mortaebius must be wealthy, or the necromancer and his servants had too much time on their hands. Rapina sat down at the dressing table. She was a mess, her hair was tangled and she smelled like smoke. Her face was covered with a mixture of soot and dried slime from Kent's hideous tongue. The closet was mostly empty, but a few garments hung from hooks and hangers, and there were a few more in the chest of drawers at the far end of the closet. Rapina did not know where the Necromancer had come by women's clothing, but she tried not to dwell on the obvious conclusion that the garments had been "borrowed" from someone too dead to miss them. At least they seemed clean. Rapina used nearly all of the water in the decanter washing herself. She needed a bath but she did the best she could using the basin. When she was done, she put on the petticoats, dress, and sweater within the closet. The dress was actually a little big for her, except in the bust where it was too small, but at least she could get it on. There were three books on the shelf beside the desk, two were storybooks, and one was a holy book concerning the god of the dead. Rapina quickly read the first chapter of one of the storybooks and then got into bed with the book on Mortaebius. She needed to find out everything she could about the necromancer and his god. At some point, Rapina must have fallen asleep. The horrors of the previous night and morning had taxed her severely. She slept like the dead for a few hours and then began having horrible nightmares as her mind tried to cope with what she had been through. She woke in a sweat when there came a knocking on her chamber door. "Rouse yourself. " Rapina flew from her bed and replaced the Mortaebius book on the shelf. "Come out and follow the guards I have assigned to you. They will escort you to the kitchen where you are to prepare breakfast for us both. Do not attempt to take any knives out of the kitchen, or the guards will kill you. I will return shortly after a conference with my minions." Rapina scowled. She had only been here a few hours and already she was being put to work. Once in the kitchen, Rapina cooked a breakfast consisting of eggs and oatmeal. The necromancer did not have a great deal in his kitchen. There were large crocks of various grains and beans, and a loaf of bread. The iron cook stove was small, but modern. Rapina served the priest in the great hall when he arrived. It would have been easier to serve him in the breakfast nook off the kitchen, but not as safe for the necromancer since knives were close at hand. When the necromancer arrived, he placed a board on the table before him. There was a model of sorts built on top of it, a little hillock fort with a ditch around it rendered in clay and twigs. "You may serve breakfast now, Ripina, I have arrived." "There wasn't much here so I fixed oatmeal and eggs," Rapina called from the kitchen. "Splendid, I am used to simple fare. We are too far away from a town for better, and up until now I have always had to cook for myself. The skeletons are too simple for such tasks. They can scrub floors adequately, but they have no sense of smell and tend to burn anything they attempt to cook. Rapina brought the tray of food in from the kitchen. "Did Kent tell you my name?" The necromancer raised his eyebrows as he saw Rapina, "Indeed." Rapina's nose tingled as she sensed lust. "It's Rapina, actually, he doesn't pronounce things very clearly anymore." "Yes. I am Guardian Thane of the Mortaebian order of Death's Peace." "A priest?" Rapina wrinkled her nose involuntarily. Thane chuckled, "You don't like priests?" "I've had a little experience with priests, all of it bad. One was a lecherous 'celibate' priest, and well, the other turned one of the only friends I had into a terrifying undead monster who recently ate the cook I worked for when I was first taken by the pirates." Thane laughed. "My order is not known for its kindness. Most of the priests of Mortabius are nothing more than undertakers - morticians. They conduct funerals, build caskets, embalm, dress and beautify the deceased, serve feasts in honor of the dead, that sort of thing. It strikes most as a ghoulish profession, but many of Mortaebius' priests are married in spite of that, for the business of the church provides a good living. Those of us who distinguish ourselves as powerful guardians of the dead often take on more serious duties. We are a little less... naive of our god's strengths." "A little?" Rapina asked. "Every church has its strong arm. Some have orders of knights or militant orders of monks. Mortaebius' church is no exception. We are the guardians of the dead when our more peaceful brethren find the enemies of Mortaebius too difficult to best. Our order generally grows during times of war, and gets swept under the rug during times of peace, but we are an old and powerful order. The church has always needed us. Few priests enter the order directly. Most are recruited from other orders. I am also a member of the order of Death's Peace, a common funereal order that specializes in the maintenance and protection of burial sites. It is not so uncommon for priests of my order who have distinguished themselves in combat or magic to receive a secret invitation to join a hidden order." Rapina sat down to eat, "You were a mortician?" The necromancer nodded. "A family thing?" Rapina asked. "No, actually my father was a clothier who catered to the wealthy. His life was an endless series of social events with people above his station who lauded his design sense and depended on him to keep them in up-to- date fashions. He knew just how to play them, just how to appeal to their vanity. I found it intolerable. Thankfully, one of our good customers died and I had the chance to work with a priest of Mortaebius on the clothing for the deceased." "And now you make them walk instead of dressing them?" "That is another story. Now how did you happen to become a member of the crew of the infamous Red Jack?" Rapina was about to make up a tail when she realized that Kent had probably told the necromancer everything he knew. At least she could not rule out the possibility of Guardian Thane checking out her story with the ghoul. "How did I become a crewman? A priest, of course, my luck with priests is hideous. He was a powerful man with the town wrapped around his finger. Very like your father in some ways, he knew just how play them, and he loved it. The townspeople hung on his every word, he was a holy man among holy men, and during his off-hours, he was a lecher and a rapist who preyed on the town's young women. If a woman talked or refused to cooperate, she sickened or had an accident. I escaped his clutches and ran from the constable who he controlled. Kent and his friends fished me out of the river onto their stolen fishing boat. I was nearly drowned, but the river had delivered me from my priestly troubles. The boys wanted to join Red Jack's crew; they had a romantic vision of piracy. I knew the priest would get the law after me. Therefore when the pirates found us, before the boys could give me over as a gift to the captain as they'd planned, I told the pirates that the boys and I wanted to join the crew." "And they let you join just like that?" the necromancer asked dubiously. "It was sometimes a horror, sometimes not so bad, but it was probably better than a damp cell under a church with a man who, for all his vaunted holiness, was meaner to me than Captain Red Jack." "Meaner than a notorious pirate captain? No wonder you mislike priests," Thane chuckled. I suppose you know his better side, but your captain is infamous up and down the river Augustana. Even I know about him, and I do not get out much. He has brought so much business to my church I almost feel like thanking him. He and his men are cold-blooded killers, criminals of the first degree, and tonight I will crush them like bugs under Mortaebius' mighty boot." "Is that?" Rapina pointed to the clay hillock on the board. "A model of the fort they built. You told Dominic you did not know whether they would go or stay, evidently they have decided to stay. Now I must figure out how to best them with what remains of my resources." "You're wearing a glove today?" Rapina asked. "Only because I was painting," replied the necromancer. "You're an artist?" Rapina asked. The necromancer laughed. "I am if you count painting ghouls and skeletons black. Actually, I did paint white bones on a ghoul painted black so he would look like a skeleton. Does that count?" Rapina closed her eyes. "I can't believe I'm talking to a man who makes dead people walk and kill and eat living people." "It seems hideous to you now, but remember, I was a mortician, dead bodies to me are like trees to a lumberman. Red Jack makes living people rape, ruin and kill living people. I ask you, which of us is *really* more frightening?" "Okay, so you're both horrors," Rapina said. "Quite so, but at least we're honest," the necromancer affirmed. Rapina groaned. "This is war, Rapina. You may see my forces as something out of a nightmare, but essentially Jack and I are fighting. He wants this island as a base. I want to wipe him from the face of Ifreann as a public service and because, frankly, It will boost my reputation in the Order of the Shroud by a thousand percent. Moreover it might secure me access to learning that might take me a lifetime to acquire otherwise - true wizardry." Rapina sighed. ------------ Logan's men retreated up the hill on the opposite side, away from the downed bridge and the highest concentration of archers. Unfortunately, as his forces were climbing through the spears to the safety of the fort, more and more enemy archers reached Logan's side of the hillock. Arzeal tried to pin them down with fire, but too many shots got through, killing many good men. Logan himself barely made it over the stockade wall. He'd been grazed several times and had an arrow sticking through the skin of his calf. The next hour flew by. What remained of Logan's men had their wounds patched and either joined the many wounded at the fort's center or joined the defenders if they were able-bodied. Some who should have been lying with the wounded helped the archers instead. Their fear prevented them from lying back to trust their mates to take care of the battle. ---- "Who's winning?" Rapina said pensively as Thane emerged from his chambers to fetch a snack. She was doing the dishes with several skeletons standing between her and Thane. She thought about tossing a knife at him, but considering he'd ordered the skeletons to kill her if she did, she thought better of it. "Neither side, but I am making progress. Your captain built himself a small catapult and foiled my plan to quickly bridge his ditch and use a battering ram on his spears to win the night. His archers have caused much greater casualties to my forces than I had anticipated, but I captured the ditch and let the bon fires between the ditch and the base of the hill burn down to embers. While some relief archers dashed in from the South drawing missile fire and, more importantly that half- elven archer, a few ghouls painted black snuck up on the ditch from the North. Kent is already there. It was he who was painted like a skeleton. He commanded the main body of my forces." "Now he and the other ghouls will start tunneling in earnest, and they are excellent tunnelers. Kent himself has already in this last hour made progress on a tunnel, and some of the skeletons who lack bows or arrows have built a bridge of earth over the ditch well away from the tunnel. Now that I have more ghouls on the job, the skeletons will pile more dirt up and build bridges across the ditch. I have a little surprise in store for the pirates, just something to keep them busy and weaken their defenses..." --- Arzeal crouched behind the fort's South stockade wall. "That's the best we'll do, the new skeleton archers are in the ditch now. Those two ranks in the front with shields didn't help us any, but you did well, men, we knocked out a third of 'em, and wounded at least half. Every one of those archers that gets through to the ditch is another thorn in our sides." "I sure wish we had more regular flame arrows, those bon fires are useless anymore. I know you men are having trouble seeing the enemy. Trouble is we've shot more arrows already tonight than we'd use in several raids. How're things over North, Brent?" "Seem quiet sir, but I think I seen a shadow out there jump into the ditch." "Damn, I'd hoped we'd rid areselves o' all th' shadows at the start o' th' evening, but I guess there had ta be a few that got here late." What worried Jack was the fact that he hadn't seen any ghouls yet. They had hurt the pirates badly the last time. "Wonder where he's got 'is damn ghouls." "Skeletons! Damn they're almost on top of the ditch already. It's hard to see 'em even with my eyes, their bodies are no warmer than the air," Arzeal said. "What the hell Arzeal, have you gone daft?" the captain asked. Arzeal picked up one of his remaining resin arrows and let fly. There was the familiar poof! and a skeleton no one could see went up in flames. He was the front creature in a team of runners carrying a tall dead evergreen like a lance. Archers, man th' Nor' wall! What in hell's name is that? A team o' Skeletons painted black carryin' a dead pine tree like a lance?" Captain Red Jack queried. The archers fired on the tree-wielding skeletons, but even with the light of Arzeal's flameing skeleton, it was still hard for the men to see the black skeletons against the dark night and the dark tree branches, and by the time the men from the South wall switched sides to the North, the skeletons had already run across the ditch. "Did ye see that, those skeletons hardly sank down when they hit the ditch, it must be partly filled right there," the captain observed. Only the men to the far sides of the North wall had good shots, the rest were left trying to shoot through hundreds of tree branches. The black skeletons sprinted over the earth bridge across the ditch and headed for the base of the hill. One of the men happened to shoot a flaming arrow into the tree's dead folliage, and the whole tree, save the base where the skeletons held it went up in a roar of flames. By the time the skeletons reached the base of the hill, only half their original number remained, but it was barely enough. Their great spear was already tilted and aflame, it fell nearly all the way up the hill. Their mission completed, the black skeletons sprinted for the ditch. In spite of the darkness, the pirate archers shattered several with arrows before they reached safety. The archers backed away from the heat of the flaming tree. Pine burned fast, and this tree was burning even faster than it should have, the flames were intensely hot and they were burning the wooden spears all the way up the hill. "You men, take those buckets an' start throwin' dirt on the upper section o' the tree, it may seem like a fool's errand now, but every pair 'o spears we can save will slow a charge by a few precious seconds," Red Jack said. A man stood high to get a good shot at the fire with his bucket of dirt and fell back with three arrows buried in his chest. "Keep low an' behind cover, men, yer just as vulnerable ta enemy fire with a bucket as ye are with a bow!" Jack shouted. --- Rapina was cleaning the kitchen when the necromancer returned. "My trick worked, but that damned archer nearly foiled me again. He and his men have bailed Captain Red Jack out several times now." "He's one of Jack's nicest men." "A nice pirate? Please! Nice or not, he _is_ a problem," Thane rubbed his chin as if thinking. "What did you do?" Rapina asked. "The skeletons I painted black ran a pine tree up to the base of the pirate fort's spears and landed it nearly the whole way up the hill. I had Kent paint the trunk and many of the major limbs with pine tar. It's burning wildly, taking the pirate's spears in that area with it." Rapina scowled. "Thane chuckled. Such loyalty for a bunch of cold- blooded killers is astounding, especially in a lady they no doubt abused to no end. Red Jack must be charismatic, indeed." Rapina felt like stabbing the necromancer with a kitchen knife, but she knew his six skeleton guards would cut her to ribbons in an instant if she tried anything. Even if she killed the man instantly with an incredibly lucky throw, she would be joining him in death before she could even pick up another knife, and a knife would be a laughable weapon against one of the necromancer's double-strength skeletons. On the other hand, she could not help but see the evil magician's point. Jack and all his men killed innocent people for a living. It seemed that ever since Evangeline had brought his evil down upon her and forced her to claim the powers of the lust spirit, she could not escape the darkness. ----- [Rapina]016 Defeat in Darkness Rapina yawned as she sat on a large chair in the necromancer's dinning hall. She was reading here only because she knew Thane would walk through the hall on his way from his scrying chamber to the kitchen. She had finished cleaning and knew from the water clock above the mantle that dawn would be coming in about three hours. Thane wiped the sweat off his brow and wandered by Rapina into the kitchen. Rapina followed. "You didn't say anything, is something wrong?" "Yes, that damned half-elven archer. Every time I expend the power to look into my magic pool for a glance at the battlefield, he's knocked the skulls off a few more of my archers. My minions tried another burning tree, but this time the pirates saw it sooner and set it immediately aflame. They concentrated on the skeletons on only one side, and the tree fell down just short of the hill. Thanks to Kent, the remaining skeletons lifted it and tried to land it as they had the other, but it went over on an angle. Its swath only reaches about half way up the hill." "My troops are nearly gone. The pirates might storm out of their camp and kill the skeleton archers that are left, but for the fact that Kent has the remaining troops crawling around in the ditch poking their heads up and firing at different locations around the ditch so that it appears as though there are more archers than there really are. I've quite a few headless archers, but I don't dare have them set their skulls on the edge of the ditch. Your Arzeal would shoot them off with one arrow to the skull. I believe the pirates will eventually run out of arrows, but we too are running low." "You mean you've lost?" Rapina could not help that her voice brightened slightly. Thane chuckled, "You sound so disappointed that I have not wiped the infamous Red Jack and all his men off the face of Ifreann, but I must win. I am not getting any younger, and I've cast the spells I have a thousand times. I can practically do them in my sleep! I need access to greater wizardry and to be initiated into Mortaebius' inner circle. This battle has been tiresome and draining on my resources. I've used up all of the skeletons and animation scrolls I had saved up over the years and I've still come up short. It appears that I will have to make a personal appearance if I am to deliver Red Jack to the authorities in chains, which reminds me, I'd better bring manacles. I'll bolster my forces with some additional arrows, my household guards and the skeletons remaining in the tomb. With the addition of a little magic, my final back-up plan should be far more lethal than it would have been without me, and I have a most interesting surrogate to draw the archer's arrows." --- "Arr, it's been a long, evil night. Only a couple hours left until dawn. How're we doin' Arzeal?" "Not well sir. We don't have more than four score arrows left, and a quarter of those are in my own quiver. Half of the remainder we got from the enemy by pulling them out of the ground in the fort and out of our own men. The bright side is, I think the enemy is low on arrows as well. They've been firing fewer and fewer as the hours passed. I think I've made a dent in their numbers too, although skulless skeletons cannot really be counted as dead, being headless seems to ruin them for good archery." "Aye," the captain chuckled. We 'ave ye ta thank for most o' the headlesses, but they aren't the only ones with wounded. I've ne'r seen a sorrier lot o' pirates. We could break out o' the fort on one side, an see if we could best th' boneys hand ta hand, but I'm afraid there'd not be enough able-bodied left ta make us some bloody rafts ta get the hell outa here." "Arzeal nodded. True, and we'll not escape with our wounded unless we can make it until dawn. The thing that bothers me is, if the enemy has anything left to throw at us, chances are we'll be seeing it soon." "Aye." Slasher cupped his hand to his hear. "Cap'n I think ye better take a look this way, I'm hearin' mail." Tense minutes passed as the pirates strained their eyes, trying to see what they were hearing. "Son o' a bitch! You men get that catapult over here." Riding in from the East in a loose wedge formation on black, leather-clad skeletal horses were nine black- robed horseman. "Damn it! Look at the one in th' front, 'is eyes're glowin' red like embers an look at the size of 'im, 'es got ta be eight foot tall. 'Is shield would make a good table top 'an th' skeleton horse 'e's ridin' must 'ave won prizes when she warr alive fer bein' the biggest draft nag around. Th' other two horses are near as big, an' th' riders are big, but nothin' like their leader. Give 'em hell in arrows as they approach, men." Behind the horsemen marching double-time were 18 troops in bronze plate mail with halberds or two-handed swords. "Heavy armor, I don't like it. Arzeal, how many o' them incendiary arrows have ye got left?" the captain asked. "Three sir," said Arzeal. "Get the horsemen on either side o' the big guy, then see if ye can nail Ol' Red-Eyes w' the catapult. Save one o' those flame arrows fer emergency use," the captain ordered. Arzeal grinned and peaked his head up from the wall. A couple enemy arrows sang though the air, but neither hit the half-elf as he loosed two shafts. The robed figures on either side of the giant burst into flames. The pirates cheered, but the cheer was short-lived as the riders threw off their thick cowls, and with them, most of the flaming resin. Underneath the cowls the pirates saw skeletons clad in leather with metal helmets and breast plates. Astonishingly, they seemed to have enough sense to pat out the remaining flames. The riders picked up their pace and thundered towards the ditch around the fort. The mail-clad warriors behind them broke into a run. They did not have far to go, for the dark cowls had allowed them to approach relatively close to the camp, in spite of the sound of their mail. "Damn cowls. Spend are arrows, this is it boys! Catapult, loose when ready! Keep low an' snatch up th' arrows the enemy shoots inta camp!" the captain ordered. Arzeal released the catapult arm, then gritted his teeth as the rock flew. Slam! The catapult stone crashed into the giant's shield, knocking him off his horse. "Yeahhhss!" The pirates yelled in triumph. "Damn!" The captain watched as Ol' Red Eyes threw his ruined shield aside drew a two-handed sword with one hand and ran to remount his horse. "Crank it mates!" The pirates at the catapult cranked like maniacs. The pirate archers let loose with a hail of arrows, many of them piercing the breast plates of the oncoming skeleton cavalrymen, but piercing plate on a man was much more telling than piercing plate on a monstrosity of bone. The cavalry kept coming. The first horseman reached the ditch, jumped it and thundered up the hill where the pine tree had burned the fort's spears to ash. The other's followed, save the fourth horse. It jumped into the ditch and lied down out of sight. "What's with that fourth cavalryman? Archers, keep doin' what ye're doin. Logan, prepare ta raise pikes an' defend th' wall, but keep low an' don't raise pikes till those horses are in pikein' range." Arzeal said a silent prayer and let loose with another catapult stone. Damn! The stone went wide of the huge warrior as he remounted his skeletal horse and jumped the ditch in a single bound following the rest of the cavalry. At the last second, Logan's men raised pikes, the lead rider could not stop in time. He crashed into the pike, snapping it and falling from his skeleton horse. The horse itself was pierced in three places but it was not broken. It pushed forward threatening to overwhelm the men. "Push left men, flip the beast off its hooves." The pirates wrestled with the stupid bag of bones, and then cheered as it went over. The next skeleton rider tried to jump the first but went down when the first horse kicked the second horse's legs as it was trying to regain its footing. The cavalry charge was broken! "If this is all ye've got, we'll carve yer hoard Ol' Red Eyes!" the captain bellowed A welter of weighty curses roared up from the fighting men as they defended the fort. A wounded pirate whimpered and was silent. The mailed troops arrived at the ditch, many with a few arrows sticking out of them. They jumped in and spread around, surrounding the fort. As the pirates fought to keep several skeleton horses and riders out of the fort, they were taken by a horrible surprise. "Aaaaiiiii!" From the center of the fort in the depression where the wounded were kept out of harms way, a man screamed. The captain glanced at the wounded and his face contorted into a grimace of horror. five ghouls and three shadows burst from the ground in several locations. Ghouls! Grab a spear! The captain himself bent to grab a spear, then suddenly the lights went out. "Damn it Arzeal I can't see! What's happinin'" Captain Red Jack hollered. Blinded Pirates screamed as the ghouls and shadows attacked from within the camp. "Sir, I'm blind as well! Arzeal scrambled for the parapet wall bumping past a few men and receiving a horrible chill to the belly as he went to the West, the side opposite the cavalry charge. He could see nothing, the darkness around him was as thick and black as old ink. Logan can you see?" "Nay! but the riders can! I don't know if I'm cuttin' me own men or th' enemy. Uhhhhh!" Screams and paralyzed yelps erupted all over the camp as the ghouls and shadows slashed and chilled their way through the blinded pirates. Kent sensed the presence and life force of Captain Red Jack as the pirate captain whirled his bladed spear around and around, turning frequently to fend off unseen enemies. Kent dropped to a crawl, his grossly bloated belly dragging on the ground. The screams of the pirates covered any sound he made. Suddenly Kent lunged; he sunk both sets of his claws through the captain's pants just above the boots as he bit the captain's knee cap. Aaargh! ghoulish claws pierced his skin behind one knee and a welter of fear surged up the pirate captain's leg. No! he growled, resisting the fell magic. The captain raised his spear and brought it down, but before it struck flesh, teeth and claws sunk into the other leg sending a double-blast of fear up the captain's spine. Red Jack froze in horror, he could not move! Kent poked his prize several times making sure the fear had taken hold of him. He pushed the captain down and made for the next pirate. Arzeal jumped the parapet wall. Keeping low he squeezed between the spears and headed downhill as fast as he could. An arrow grazed his side and another stuck in his boot before he could again see. Positioned around the ditch were skeleton archers. At least half had set ruined skulls in the dirt at the edge of the ditch, while their bodies fired from behind. A glance back at the camp confirmed his suspicion - magical darkness. The archer moved nimbly down hill, jumping through the spears, loosing a shaft each time he landed. With each shot the skull of an enemy archer splintered or was knocked back into the ditch. Arzeal could see the mailed troopers moving to surround the fort. The half- elf jumped into the area cleared by the enemy's second flaming pine tree and took off at a dead run. Five of the cavalrymen had broken off their attack and were now circling around the base of the hill, just outside the first ring of spears. Arzeal reached the bottom of the hill and sprinted between two circling horsemen, one was Ol' Red-Eyes himself. The half-elf took the ditch in a single leap with two enormous cavalry not far behind. An arrow pierced his quiver and stuck into his back, but Arzeal was running for his life, he could barely feel the pain. The horses gained with every step, Arzeal ran faster than he'd ever run before. There was a warrior on either side of him and blades were coming to end his life when, somehow, Arzeal ran under the limb of a large oak that had been too big for the men to spend the time cutting when they were clearing for the fort. Arzeal went down as the tip of a giant sword snagged his quiver and gashed his back, then there was an explosion of splintering bones and wood as the oak defended its elven child. The fall had snapped the arrow in his back and half pulled it out. The archer rolled out of his fall and came up standing, bow in hand. The heads and necks of both skeletal horses had been removed, and Red-Eyes' taller horse had a sundered chest and shoulders, it's hind legs tried to move but were useless without forelegs. Red-Eyes had been unhorsed once again. Arzeal watched in horror as the giant stood and grabbed his sword. The other horse had lost its head, and it's rider had lost both its head and shoulders. Arzeal pulled the arrow tip from his back as the giant warrior stood. The half-elf loosed a shaft into the giant's kneecap and took off running while Red-Eyes retrieved his sword. Arzeal made it to the edge of the forest West of the camp and darted into the trees, sticking to heavy foliage. He could hear limbs snapping as the juggernaut behind him crashed through the forest in hot pursuit. The archer veered South. After a few minutes, he ran through an area where some timber had been cut in the making of the fort and its bon fires. He knew about where he was. The half elf sheathed his bow and scooped up an eight-foot section of a tree that was being cut into logs of firewood for the bon fires when evening had forced the cutting to a halt. Arzeal remembered how the pirates' cook, Fishy, had lost his legs. The archer hid behind a large tree, and when the giant skeleton thundered through the clearing towards him, the half elf swung the heavy length of timber at the skeleton's nearest knee. The skeleton's huge sword swished just above Arzeal's hunched head, embedding itself fully six inches into the tree as the skeleton's knee snapped with the combined force of the giant's forward momentum and Arzeal's frantic whole- body swing. Arzeal darted around back of the tree as the huge skeleton went down. When he came around behind it, he saw the creature was still hanging onto its sword, although the sword was still embedded in the tree. The archer wasted no time. He brought his length of firewood down on the giant's shoulder, just outside the breast plate. There was a crunch and the monstrosity's right arm, still grasping the sword, was severed from its shoulder. The archer tossed the log aside and scrambled for a smaller one that he could swing more rapidly. At seven feet long and two to three inches in diameter, it was still a huge club. The skeleton had just managed to flop its way around so that its left arm could grasp its sword when Arzeal brought the new club slamming into the side of its neck, but the neck held. Arzeal jumped but still his boot and some of the skin of his foot was carved right off. The skeleton had incredible speed and strength. The archer countered with a swing to the giant's wrist. It's grip was broken, but its wrist was not. Arzeal stood on the sword and swung again, breaking the wrist to flinders. The nimble half elf raced around the giant as it flipped and stumbled, trying to reach him in spite of missing half it's right leg, it's right arm and its left hand. Arzeal had a hunch. He pulled his sheath knife, darted in and jumped on the creature's back. The skeleton bucked like a bronco, but the archer severed the strap of its helm before being tossed off and rolling away. Another deft swing of the club and the monster's steel helmet flew from its skull. Its Red ember eyes stared blankly at the half elf as he darted in to club the creature's skull, once, twice, thrice... Cracks began forming, and on the seventh blow Arzeal blew the giant's mighty cranium apart. Arzeal smiled. The skull had been carefully sectioned off just below the eyes by a stout piece of tar-paper. The ember effect was caused by the pattern of ink stains within the top half of the creature's skull. The intricate pattern of black and white inside the skull reflected the light of a clear crystal mage-light set and screwed into the skull between the eyes just above the nasal hole. Every angle one looked at the red glass eyes produced different reflections, and movement of the head changed the pattern seen and made the eyes seem to flicker like embers. Arzeal carefully unscrewed the mage light and slipped it into his pouch. He could hear his mates scream off to the Northeast. Arzeal sighed, hefted his original eight-foot length of wood and headed South. The half-elf staggered the fifty paces remaining before reaching the lagoon, and then he slipped into the water behind the log. Beneath the water, he kicked as strongly as he could, but the pain in his back was growing. Thane peeked over the edge of the ditch with a commandeered skeleton's shield in hand. It was very dark but a spell of life-vision had fixed that. Thane now saw the world in much the same way as did his skeletons and ghouls, the amount of life force emanating from each object distinguishing it from others. The ghouls were proving most decisive within the magical darkness, but Thane worried about the accursed half-elven archer. A stroke of luck or wit had preserved the archer from the two cavalry Thane had spared to hunt him, and he knew his most powerful skeleton had taken off after the half-elf, but there were too many things that could go wrong. Shadows, come to me! You, come here, Thane pointed to one of the remaining 5 cavalry. The three shadows the necromancer had summoned to help Kent emerged from the magical darkness and came down the hill where the spears had been burned away. "I am unsure if the cavalry I sent after the half-elven archer succeeded in their task. I fear he may escape." Thane concentrated as he muttered arcane words. Shadows, being composed of vapors, were not heavy creatures. The infusion of only a small amount of magic allowed them to walk on water. "You three shadows climb up on the horse. Skeleton, take these shadows to the cove then return here. Shadows, check the water in case he swam for it. I have temporarily reduced your weight so you can walk on water. If you see life force on the water, you will run to it and feed. Now go." --- Rapina must have fallen asleep in the large chair at the head of the necromancer's dining hall. She was awakened when the parlor door opened. Thane was accompanied by three of his household guards, their shiny breastplates now dented and salted with arrow holes. Thane looked exhausted. Even though he had only had to cast a few spells, the animation and scrying earlier on had nearly drained him of energy. He had ridden safely enough inside a special "coach" he had made long ago within the leather-clad rib cage of one of the large horses. He had been in the forth horse, the one that had been positioned in the middle of the cavalry wedge and had lied down in the ditch rather than joining the charge. Rapina lifted an eybrow. A smile crept over the necromancer's lips. "You won?" "A few simple spells, a fine performance by Kent and his ghouls, and I have won the night. The pirates fought well, at first, but the darkness I brought down on them soon had them screaming and whining like whipped dogs in the face of Kent's comrades in death. The dread Captain Red Jack has been strip-searched, clothed in simple garb and soundly manacled in a cell. Thane smiled proudly, I beat him. I will be a lowly undertaker no more." Rapina shed a tear, all the men she had known had been destroyed, all for the vanity and ambition of a single man. Yet Rapina saw the other side as well. Red Jack's men had lived to kill, and now death had claimed them. Somehow a humble priest had conquered an army of bloodthirsty pirates. Rapina sniffled. "Mortaebius is the lord of death, girl. The pirates flirted with him for many years, now they've met him face to face." "Rapina sniffed and nodded. If I never knew them, I might be worshipping you as a hero, Guardian Thane, but I did know them, and a few of them, especially some of the recruits, they could have been good men under other circumstances." "Alas, other circumstances... Go on to bed and cry yourself to sleep, milady. If it's any consolation, I let your half-elf get away." "You did?" Thane nodded. "He successfully ran, and I chose not to send anything to hunt him. I was more interested in containing the pirates within the fort. He swam for it. I have no idea where he is." Thane's kindly smile hid a mighty lie. "Oh thank you, thank you, Thane. Rapina hugged the necromancer in genuine gratitude. "Arzeal was the best man Jack had. He taught me to fence and to defend myself against bigger, stronger men." Thane took a deep breath as the young woman's breasts pillowed against his chest. A single hand signal from the necromancer, and his guards halted the lifting of their swords. They were about to cut Rapina down for assaulting their master. Rapina released the necromancer, who looked a bit flushed. "What happened to the group I was originally with?" "Mmmm, they killed the skeletons Kent triggered and tried to track you, but Kent left them a false trail - twice. Such a brilliant ghoul, he will go far. A few of them must have survived, because the pirate dead in the mausoleum had been chopped to bits when I arrived to pick up the mailed skeletons to help in the final stage of the battle. I'm not sure where the grave robbers have gotten to. That's something I will look into. For now, I must rest for a moment, then try to drag enough power out of myself to activate my magic pool and report to my superior, however briefly. Go to bed and I will see you this afternoon." Rapina nodded and went to her room. She heard the lock turn shortly after she entered. [Rapina]017 A Captain In Chains "Awaken Rapina, I know you have not slept long, nor have I, but it is noon and we have much to do today. I do not wish you to wash today, and I have your old clothes. You must look your worst for the constable when he arrives this evening or tomorrow." Rapina jumped out of bed and opened the door. "Constable?" Rapina asked as she came out of her room wearing a nightshirt and nothing else. "Indeed," the necmancer smiled as he glanced at Rapina's legs. "I sent a message via pigeon to my brother priest in Granville. It's a large town on the River Augustana just West of the confluence of the river Augustana and Grand Lake about 15 miles from here. It is the area's largest settlement. Lumbering, quarrying, farming and fishing keep it going. My brother priest, Mortician Hagston, will be sending supplies and the constable. Thanks to a local superstition about the restless dead not being able to cross water, all of the towns in the area send their departed here to Graveston Isle. There are several small settlements on or near the lake, but only Granville is large enough to have its own priest of Mortaebius. He travels around the area a lot, but I send to him or his wife for supplies every month or so." "Why didn't they give you a job like that?" "At one time they did. I was one of several priests in a city on the river, but because I had a natural inclination towards the study of necromancy, and because of the incident concerning my hand, I was allowed to join the order of the Shroud and take this obscure assignment. My stipend covers basic supplies, and my naive brother priest gives me a percentage of his funereal take when I help bury one of the deceased, so I get by. On occasion, I locate a book, scroll or alchemical item I need for my magical practice, and that usually wipes out my savings. In the past I could not have afforded even to feed a servant, but I believe my fortunes have taken a definite change for the better," the necromancer smiled. With your cooperation I believe I could convince the authorities to sentence you to indentured servitude here for your crime of grave robbing." "Me, stay here with you?" Rapina shook her whole body no, her nipples wavering from side to side beneath her nightshirt. "You might as well ship me off to the other priest," Rapina sighed. "You would rather be indentured to a "celebate" rapist than serve as my maid?" "You terrify me, your ghoulish servitors, your skeletal hand, your zombies, it's all so frightening. I'm sure I would have stabbed myself with a kitchen knife long before this if..." "If what?" the necromancer asked. "Well, your magic, the lights, the way you could see the battle in your pool, summon shadows, and cast spells, its fascinating. My Auntie was a wise woman. She knew herbs and petty curses. I learned herbal medicine from her and Leech Kennon, the pirate doctor. I have fantasized about casting spells, but I had never seen a man wield *true* magic until these past few days." Thane chuckled, "So you find me terrifying, yet fascinating, both because of my magic." Rapina nodded. "Well you know, as my maid, you might be called upon to clean and tend my laboratory. You might pick up a little knowledge of the creation of potions." Rapina frowned. "Maids don't learn magic, they're just drudges. I might as well be a drudge in a town somewhere; at least I'd get to see other people, even if they were slaves and prisoners. Working here would just be a frustration, seeing magic but never learning it, alone and being terrorized by the dead, what kind of life is that?" "I could try to get the constable to assign you to me without your help, and I might easily succeed." "Fine! I have so much to live for, I'll just attack you with a kitchen knife and get cut to pieces. Then I'll never have to worry about evil men ruining my life again! Rapina burst into tears. "It's not fair, what did I ever do to deserve all this?" Rapina cried. Thane sighed, "Probably nothing." There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence. Rapina sniffled. "There is no guarantee you could even learn magic, and an apprentice most certainly works harder than a maid. In truth, apprentices do many of the chores of a maid and then they must learn in addition... If you agree to serve me well, young lady, I will endeavor to right some of the many wrongs men have heaped on you because of your beauty, and give you a chance to prove yourself as an apprentice rather than a simple servant." Rapina looked up between her tears, "Do you really mean that Thane? You won't just give me the hardest book you have, then use me once you have proved I'm incapable?" "Nay," Thane stepped back. "Mark me lady, you have my word, to the degree you put forth effort to serve me and to learn, to that same degree I will put forth effort to teach you, and I will start you with the easiest book of magic that I own, not the most difficult. Furthermore, I will not force you to my bed or mistreat you for no reason." "Do you really mean that?" Rapina asked. "I do." Thane replied succinctly. Rapina took hold of Thane and cried against his chest for several minutes. The necromancer was flushed and at a loss for words. After some time he said, "Shall we get started?" Rapina let go of the necromancer, sniffed and nodded. "You want me to wear those smokey old clothes? "Actually, I had one of the skeletons do the laundry yesterday while you were preparing breakfast. Now I almost wish I hadn't. You need to look plain for the constable, and if you have committed other crimes with the pirates we must make you look a bit different so that you will not be connected to them, to be shipped off to some prison where you will no doubt suffer much as you have been. Also the constable is a married man, but we cannot be too careful. He must not think I want you as a mistress. He must also believe you are repentant, and we may have to convince a judge as well. As long as we make no glaring errors, and I am seen as the hero who saved the world from Red Jack, then the judge will likely grant any reasonable request." Rapina nodded. "Now, we must hurry. Today will test you severely. The only reason I was willing to take you on as a servant and now am willing to make you my apprentice is because I expect to be much wealthier than I currently am. Formerly I could simply not have afforded it. You see, Red Jack and many of his men have sizable bounties on their heads, some of them quite obscene. Dead or alive, altogether they are worth a king's ransom. The constable will be bringing a stack of wanted posters for Jack's men. We must help him by identifying all the bodies. Rapina grimaced, "All right." "Make breakfast and I will ready our mounts," Thane said. After breakfast, the necromancer and Rapina were lowered down into the canyon in the wicker cage. Thane helped Rapina onto a skeletal horse cowled in black, and then mounted another such horse. They and what remained of Thane's guards rode briskly to the pirate fort where Thane had Rapina identify a score of deceased recruits that Thane had his guards drag to a central location. "Pay close attention," Thane held a symbol of the god of death, mumbled incantations, and four of the dead men rose as zombies. "That was the power of Mortaebius. Now I will demonstrate the wizardly version of the same spell." Thane tossed bone powder over the bodies and wove a different, more impressive magic. Four more zombies rose. Thane then repeated the first spell. Rapina wrinkled her nose. "Thane chuckled. "We will need the workers." The constable will want to see the battlefield. I will tell him I used magic to best the pirates, but he must not know the exact nature of the magic. The law takes a dim view of necromancy. Illusion is a much more palatable form of magic." Thane ordered the zombies about and they began laying out the dead pirates, face up, at the top of the hill. "Now, you and I must collect skeletons that could be reassembled and reanimated. The pirates destroyed so much of what I had that the isle is largely unprotected. I have a special magical glue as well as a mending spell that both work magnificently on bone. Here are some burlap sacks. In each put the pieces of a full skeleton." Thane said. Rapina's stomach complained, but she worked diligently. She did not want to stay on the isle or think what she was doing, but she knew that she might never have the opportunity to learn real magic again. It seemed to her that the beauty she had been given by the lust spirit had carried with it a curse. She needed to be more powerful than that curse, or she would always be at its mercy. By mid afternoon, Thane had perused the captain's various strong boxes in the fort. The records included a list of Red Jack's men. Thane sent Rapina around to identify each man, and tie a label naming him to each dead man's big toe. After fetching the cut-up bodies from the mausoleum and laying them out with the others, the necromancer checked them against the list. "Counting the ones caught alive, we have one hundred forty-seven of one hundred fifty-three accounted for. We are missing Arzeal, Brackston, Drake, Pike, Rage, and Skitch. The ghouls took this man, Gape, in their tunnels yesterday. I have his head and skeleton back home. Rapina nodded. It was obvious that the days work had kept her in horror and tears, but she refused to let the one chance she had to overpower her fate slip away. "Now let us cover these corpses with pirate tents to keep the carrion birds off them and have our workers take the various usable weapons, arrows and equipment back to my storage rooms, and pack up the skeletons too shattered to be of use. We must hurry, the constable could be here soon." --- Thane entered Red Jack's cell. The pirate captain's ankles were manacled together, his wrists were manacled and attached to a chain around his waist, and another chain went from his wrists to his ankles. A chain ran from the wall of the cell to an iron collar around Jack's neck. Thane was not taking any chances. "Well now, has Kent been keeping you entertained?" Thane asked. Captain Red Jack scowled. "I have come to make a business proposition. You will no doubt be hung for your crimes, and I have kept you alive for one reason only. I seem to recall that some perverse bureaucrat made you considerably more valuable alive than dead. Perhaps you have some noble enemy who wishes to take personal revenge against you?" The captain looked stonily up at the necromancer. He idly wondered why the man wore gloves in this weather. Thane continued. "It's really no matter to me. I'm just a simple priest charged by the church of Mortaebius to keep this isle free of grave robbers. I realize you may have a tendency to talk, to try to drag me down with you by alleging that I am a necromancer." Jack scoffed, "alleging?" "Indeed. Of course all that you saw was simply the power of illusion." Thane smiled. "My Ass, it was." "Perhaps I can persuade you to change your mind." "How in hell da ye expect ta do that?" the captain asked. "I realize you are not inclined to keep any bargains being that you are on your way to the gallows, but I believe you might make an exception in this case. I have a bit of information you might be interested in, and I have captured someone I will be keeping on as an indentured servant for the crime of grave robbery. I assure you, if I go down, Rapina will go down with me." Captain Red Jack tried not to react to the mention of his favorite wench, but he could see the cold gaze of the necromancer duly noted his reaction. "What information do ye suppose a dead man like me might be interested in?" "Six of your men escaped. I have their names. This noon I made a little deal with Rapina and she has since been quite helpful. I suppose she did realize Kent and I could figure it out ourselves, but one can not always trust the recollections of a ghoul." "What kind o' deal did ye cut with th' wench, you swine, ye'd not kill 'er if she spread 'er legs for ye?" Red Jack growled. Thane looked down his nose at Red Jack, "Nay, I'd say that particular deal has already been over-used in her case... Actually, she drove a hard bargain, threatening to stab me with a kitchen knife, which would result in her death by my guards, if I gave her nothing to live for." Jack chuckled. "Plucky wench, ain't she?" "Indeed. Now, do we have a deal?" Thane asked. "Aright, I'll bargain w' ye. My silence about yer fell magery, in return fer th' names o' me men that escaped, yer word ye won't harm th' wench, th' details o' yer deal with 'er, an two hours alone w' 'er without these damned chains before they cart me off." "And what do you plan to do in those two hours?" "Say gbye ta her like a proper pirate if she'll have me. It'll likely be th' last time I see 'er or any woman." "Hmmmm, you drive a hard bargain indeed." Thane pursed his lips. "I am not so sure I wish to grant that last request, but I will tell you what. In addition to failing to mention necromancy, if you will tell me everything you know about the girl, and promise you will not force her, then I will grant your request." "Aye, I don't need ta force th' wench, she's a healthy young woman if er' there was one. Ye got a deal," The captain said. Thane raised an eyebrow at Jack's comment. "The men who escaped are Arzeal, Brackston, Drake, Pike, Rage, and Skitch. Once they left the isle, I have no idea what they did, and it is none of my concern what they do hereafter. As I said, I am a humble priest charged to protect this isle from grave robbers, and up to the time I collect the bounties on you and your men, I will also be a relatively impoverished priest." Red Jack Chuckled. "An after that ye'll be richer'n a baron. How in hell's name did Arzeal escape?" "He left the darkness on the opposite side of the hill as I was on and made a run for it. He shot many of the archers shooting at him on his way down the hill and likely veered south and swam for it once he reached the cove. Thane smiled, "As for the details of my arrangement with Rapina, legally speaking I will hold her here on indenture for her crimes. After her sentence runs out she will still have to face sentence on whatever crimes she may have committed elsewhere." Captain Red Jack grimaced. "It is the best I can do within the law. Is there something she has not told me? We do have a deal don't we?" the necromancer asked. "Aye, there is, an' I don't know if I should be tellin' ye, but a deal's a deal, an' I guess ye'll be rich enough that th' wench'll be better to ye than some pretty reward," Red Jack said. "There's money on her head?" Thane asked. "There was a powerful priest who ran 'er town an' preyed on' th' young women on th' sly. He died on 'er while rapin' 'er fer th' umpteenth time. Least that's what I got out o' her. He was mean, crazy mean - had a few screws loose. She was tryin' ta tire 'im out so 'ed sleep 'stead o' leave when 'e'd finished with 'er so she could make 'er escape. She got 'im sleepin' deep aright, six feet deep, but she claims 'e broke a vessel or somethin' 'cause she didn't lift 'er hand again' 'im. I don't know if that part is true. I only 'ave 'er word on it. I do know some o' the boys pulled 'er out o' th' river near dead drowned when they were on their way ta join me crew, so she warr makin' an escape from somethin', 'an believe me, I know a hardened criminal when I see one, Rapina was just a kid, she ain't a natural born killer. She's also told me 'er aunt was th' villiage witch 'an th' aunt did curses on that ol' letcher o' a priest 'till 'e had th' aunt executed. Rapina ain't a normal girl. She's deadly smart, 'an she's frisky as a mink. That's 'ow this all started for 'er. 'Er stupid mother didn't believe th' rumors about th' reverend. He warr good at shutin' up anyone who squealed, sometimes permanent. Her dad caught 'er w' one o' 'er boyfriends, a nice lad too, 'e warr th' one who helped teach 'er ta read, but they wasn't readin' at th' time. Rapina was what ye call precocious, a real natural w' th' boys, a born lover. Th' damned priest were probably a bit leary about takin' 'er given Rapina's aunt an' 'er family maybe knowin' about 'im. Thing was, 'er stupid mother delivered the poor girl right inta th' priest's foul hands fer foolin' w' th' boys. The foul priest gave 'er her first lesson on 'ow sick some folks can be 'tween th' sheets. He beat 'er, cut 'er and would 'ave done worse if th' god o' th' dead hadn't dragged 'im under. Least that's what she told me, an' I'm inclined ta belive 'er. I'm sure th' man's family will make like she bewitched 'im 'an drained th' life out o' 'im. Who knows, maybe she did, an if 'e did even 'alf 'o what she said 'e did, 'e deserved everything 'e got. One thing's sure though, first time I were with 'er warrn't entirely w' 'er consent, but she was a good sport about it, and we 'ad a little wine and conversation before th' event. 'Fact that I'm still alive, an th' fact that any pirate boyfriend she 'ad was still kickin' up 'till ye snuffed 'em says somethin' about 'er. If she's got bewitchin' powers, she sure as hell ne're used em' on me. Any attachment I got, I came by th' natural way, Red Jack winked saltily." Thane scowled. "Don't ye be judgin' 'er too harsh. She ain't a lady that way, but she's a goddess in a man's bed, an' if ye treat 'er right ye'll find out fer yerself. She told me straight up she coudn't 'elp foolin' w' th' boys. 'Said 'er father used ta beat 'er for it 'an 'er mother used ta heap th' guilt on 'er, but that's 'ow she is, a natural born lover 'an comely as they come. Not a woman I've known could 'old a candle to 'er. Ye're holdin' a girl any man would give 'is eye teeth for, an' ye're not keepin' 'er on 'cause she's ugly, so ye can be glad she ain't a cold bitch. On th' other 'and, it's best ye know 'er nature up front, or yer like ta kill 'er fer bein' her, an' regret it fer th' rest o' yer life an' then some. Other than bein' th' finest woman ye'll ever lay eyes on, She's got more guts an' determination than any pirate recruit I've ever had. Leech Kennon, me camp doctor who ye snuffed, 'e said she was th' finest student an' assistant he'd ever had 'er seen. Me arms master tried ta wash 'er out o' basic 'an failed. He didn't take kindly ta women in 'is trainin'. Instead she got 'erself some advice 'an trainin' from other men 'an learned skill at arms better'n th' bigger, tougher recruits 'e put 'er up against. Fer someone who's had just eight weeks o' basic trainin' an a few weeks o' practice on th' boats, she sails better, shoots a bow straighter and wields short sword an shield or rapier an' main gauche as good as any recruit I ever had. She could kill ye with that kitchen knife if she 'ad a mind to, but she can be th' best friend ye ever 'ad if ye treat 'er right. I gave it to ye straight. She's a pirate wench, an' ye knew that when ye got 'er, but she's a sweet kid too in spite o' everything she's been through, an' that's even more considerable now what w' all ye're cursed walkin' dead. Ye're no prize yerself, an ye don't deserve a wench like Rapina." Thane looked down his nose at Red Jack. "I know what ye're thinkin', an' I'll be th' first ta admit it. I didn't deserve 'er neither, but I'm an opportunist, 'an I'm a killer same as ye are. I hate ye for killin' me men, but I'd o' killed yer men too, if they 'adn't been dead already. Now, I gave ye all I know. Yer turn." "This reverend she killed, what was his name?" the necromancer asked. Red Jack sighed, "Ye promise not ta turn her in fer killin' the bastard?" "If what you say about him is true, then I will not fault the woman for defending herself," Thane said. "Evangeline Avengene. I 'ad 'is signet from her fer a while, but I sold it." Jack scowled as he saw the priest freeze in surprise for just an instant. "That's all I know, now what's the rest of yer agreement with th' wench?" Jack asked. "I have agreed to give Rapina the chance to be more than a servant. In the unlikely event that her intellect is sufficient, She is to be my apprentice in magic." Red Jack nodded, "Me first officer Roger, who ye killed, he liked ta imagine th' recruits in some profession that fit 'em when they first joined on. Kent 'e saw as a naval officer good as any o' th' captains in th' king's navy. He couldn't place Rapina, said she gave 'im th' willies, but 'e finally did place 'er. She was a sorcerer's apprentice." Thane raised his eyebrow. "The constable may arrive at any time. I have other things to show him so you'll have your two hours, perhaps more, but I'll need to fetch the girl straight away." Thane left and then returned a few minutes later and let Rapina into Jack's cell. He hung a large censor on the bars of the cell's window that released myrrh- scented smoke into the air. Rapina carried the key to Jack's chains, but she'd been instructed not to release the pirate unless she wanted to, and to chain him up again before she left. Kent, Edgar, and a few of their fellow ghouls were on call in the guardroom. "Jack, I'm so sorry, he... beat us," Rapina stammered. "Aye, 'an 'e beat us as well. I warr a fool, I should 'ave seen th' 'and writin' on th' wall. That priest is as cold an' calculatin' a general as I've seen." Rapina nodded, "Guardian Thane is a magician and a priest, a member of The Order of the Death's Peace. It's the militant arm of the church of Mortaebius, god of the dead. I'm sure he was trained in tactics when he joined the order. They specialize in protecting the church, and protecting tombs from grave robbers." Jack sighed, "I'm sorry Rapina, I should 'ave known, I warr too wrapped up in th' loss o' me ships an' I fought when I should 'ave run. That's what 'as kept me off th' king's gallows fer this long. In th' past, I always knew when it warr time ta run." Rapina hugged Jack and unlocked the iron collar around his neck. "You couldn't have known Jack. Thane uses magic; no one could have estimated his power or his resources. If he had not come down to fight you himself, you would have won. What you saw at the end was all he had left, his household guards and whatever he could borrow from the tombs." Rapina unlocked the chain around Jack's waist. "Damn! I nearly had 'im. How's 'e been treatin' ye, girl?" "Kent abducted me using a secret door in the tomb after one of Thane's traps failed him but still killed half of our party." "That man's full o' infernal traps 'an schemes," Jack snapped. Rapina unlocked Jack's ankles. "Once here, I unfroze and tried to escape once but wound up just outside this cell. It was the only door I could find that I could hold against the guards Thane assigned to me, because I found a key to it on the wall of the guardroom. I saw Jonas, but I'm not sure he's here anymore. When I holed up here, it turned out that Kent and Thane were talking in the last cell. Kent was eating Piggy. It was horrible! "Aye, I don't know what Thane's doin' ta Kent, but 'e's th' only ghoul guard I've seen who looks eighteen months pregnant." "Anyway, Thane and Kent came out of a cell with three of Thane's special armored skeletons, and Thane surrounded me with flying bones. I had to surrender; it was hopeless. Thane took me out of here and put me up in one of his guest rooms. He turned me into his maid straight away, and I cooked and cleaned for him while he occupied himself with the battle. He's very creepy, and he treats death as casually as the weather, but he's not beat me or anything, even though I tried to escape." The captain nodded. "He's a' evil man, but I'm no angel meself. I hope 'e treats ye right. 'Fraid I'm not goin' ta be able ta watch over ye any longer. I can hope me escaped men will find me an' manage ta spring me afore I'm hanged, but It ain't likely. 'Least th' 'ol bastard gave me that hope. 'e told me Arzeal escaped, an' Pike, Brackston, Drake, Skitch and Rage." Rapina Nodded, "I saw the bodies, they weren't among them, and early this morning when he came home from the battle, Thane told me Arzeal had gotten away at the end of the battle." "Aye, then maybe 'e's tellin' th' truth," Red Jack said. "But enough 'o that, if I'm goin' ta hang 'an then be slavin' an' burnin' in some death god's underworld, I'd like ta 'bring as many memories of ye as I can." Jack drew Rapina to him and kissed her deeply. --- After leaving Jack and Rapina, Thane had gone to the cliffs above his abode. From there he had seen a ship approaching from the South and had gone to meet it. The constable always anchored his boats off the box canyon entrance to the isle and sent a ship's boat with the bodies of executed criminals. Thane had provided the constable with a few thick iron rings set into the stone of the canyon so that he could leave living prisoners to be killed and buried, but the constable usually had criminals publicly executed. Thus Thane usually was just left with recently dead bodies, and often supplies sent from his brother priest via the constable's ship. These things sustained his ghouls and himself, but not in high style. When there were no bodies of criminals from the constable and no burials of local people brought to the isle by his brother priest, Mortician Hagston, Hagston sent a hired boat, but that cost money. Thus Thane relied on the constable and burial parties to do him the kindness of delivering supplies whenever possible. On this occasion, Thane had sent a request for wheat, various other foodstuffs and cloth to his brother priest when he sent the message about Red Jack via pigeon. In addition to the supplies, the constable would be bringing a caged pigeon from Hagston to replace the one Thane had used to send the last message. When the constable and his chief deputy arrived, Thane took them straight away to see the pirate camp. "This was their fort, and that's the lot of them, laid out for you, constable Barns. I found this list in Red Jack's logs, and a prisoner helped me sort out who was who. I have labeled each body." Constable Olsen shook his head. "That's amazin' work Guardian Thane. I got to admit, when Mortician Hagston tol' me you had defeated Red Jack and his men with th' power o' Mortaebius, I was more'n a bit skeptical, but seein' em all laid out like this in your usual efficient manner, well, seein' is belevin', eh deputy?" "Sure is, hard ta believe a man can conjure shades ta hack men up like this." "Indeed, I see you're point, Deputy. Frankly, I'm still quite beat from the battle. It took quite a bit out of me, but I believe I will be sufficiently recuperated to muster a small demonstration for you tomorrow morning if you like." "Of m-magic?" Barns looked at Olsen. "That would be good of you Guardian Thane. Why it'd be a pleasure to see how the Infamous Red Jack met his doom. Speakin' of whom, where is his carcass?" "Actually, I was able to capture Red Jack alive," Thane said. "After we return to my residence for a short break, I'll take you on a little tour of the dungeon." "Alive! Wow," deputy Barnes exclaimed. By the time Thane escorted the men into the canyon, the sun was already down. Olsen looked at the sky. "Sure glad you got that magic light, Guardian Thane, I got a little worried we'd fall off the cliffs soon as the sun went down." Ah, it is nothing; light is a very common spell. Thane stopped. "Lower!" he yelled. The wicker cage was lowered for them. After Thane had shown the men their rooms and served wine and cheese on the table of the dining hall, the priest excused himself for a moment. Thane took a circuitous route around the men and back down the stairs to the corridor with the dungeon and storage areas the men had entered after exiting the cage. "Rapina, Captain, I'll be bringing the constable in shortly. I believe you've had over two hours now. Rapina, please come out as soon as you are ready, hurry." Rapina hugged Jack one last time and put his chains back on. Jack was exhausted from their earlier love- making, but wore a salty grin that threatened never to leave him. "Fare the well, lass. I pray I can slip th' noose, but 'least I'll die a happy man if me luck ain't up ta a miracle." "Rapina smiled but shed a tear. I hope I'll see you again Jack, but just in case, I want to thank you for watching over for these last few months." "Aye, it was my pleasure lass, an' if th' worse happens, why I'll jimmy me way outa hell, an' ye'll have a ghost Red Jack ta watch over ye fer as long as ye need me." Rapina smiled through her tears, waved one last time and left the cell. "Let's see your face, quickly," Thane said taking the key from Rapina's hand. Thane produced a little mortician's makeup kit and went to work on Rapina's face in key locations, adding shadows and making her look older and a bit different. Now, go in, undress and take this strip of cloth and bind your breasts tight to your chest, then dress again. When the constable comes, hunch your shoulders over a bit, and look at the floor a lot. It will help you look plainer. The constable must not think anything untoward. I will be calling you Serina. If the constable and the judge fail to recognize you for the crimes that the priest's family accused you of, then so much the better." Rapina nodded. Kent checked Captain Red Jack's chains, then locked Jack's cell and left the dungeon with the rest of the ghouls for the storage room across the hall. "I shall return with the constable and his deputy shortly." After a few minutes, Thane arrived with the officers and opened Jack's cell. Barns took a deep breath, "It's really him!" "Nay, can't ye see I'm th' Duke an' I hereby pardon meself all transgressions, legal 'r otherwise past an future. Now unchain me an' get me back ta me palace." "Good try Jack, but the Duke is a shorter man. Olsen held up a wanted poster. That's you all right." "Ach, they got the beard all wrong, can't ye see?" Jack snapped. "It will be a pleasure to turn you over to the Duke's men, Red Jack, you've burned your last town and killed your last innocent victim!" "I'll see ye in th' hells o' Mortabius, constable." "Stop gawking, Barns. We'll be taking him back to town tomorrow. Any others you wanted us to see, Guardian Thane?" Barns said ushering his deputy back into the corridor. "Just one other. I didn't think it would be right to kill a young woman, even if she had gotten mixed up with the pirates. She and several other of the pirates robbed one of the Baronial tombs. Unfortunately, six of her mates got away, so you men and your sailors best keep on the lookout for trouble. The escapees are wounded, but any veteran of Red Jack's band is dangerous in any condition short of deceased." "That's good advice if I ever heard it," Olsen said. Thane opened Rapina's cell. "This is Serina, she has been very helpful in identifying the bodies, and before that in cooking and cleaning for me while I was concentrating on the battle. I will, of course be pressing charges for her grave robbing, but I believe this woman can be rehabilitated. I wonder if I might get her sentenced to an indenture here as my maid? It seems I will finally be able to afford to feed a servant, but it is so difficult to get the locals to hire on for a stint on the infamous Graveston isle." "I'm sure the Judge'll be favorably inclined to you, Guardian Thane. You'll be a mighty big hero in Granville. Why don't you keep her for now, and I'll arrange for a hearing for you when you come to pick up the reward money. I hope you've got a big boat, because the gold from those bounties would sink a lesser one." Thane chuckled, "I'll work something out. Please give my brother priest a note to send me via pigeon as to when to collect the bounty and attend the hearing. That's one date I'd hate to be late for. Shall I bring the girl for the hearing?" "Likely you'll need to, but it should be just a formality," Olsen said. "Very well, let us retire to my chambers. The girl can fix us something to eat and then after a little conversation, I expect you men will want to turn in. You are, of course, invited to stay in my guest rooms. No need for you to stay on your boat with your other men, when I am glad to provide better accommodations." "Sure thing, it's been a long day," Olsen said. The next morning after breakfast, Thane ushered the men to one of his storage rooms. Thane handed Olsen a dim, red mage light. "My magic works best in poor lighting, that is why I took Jack and his men at night. As you might imagine, with my background as a mortician, I have little trouble conjuring up images that terrify the unschooled. Now here we have one of the bodies of the pirates that I've hung from a pillar. Now let me work and you will soon see how the morale of Jack's troops was robbed from them, allowing my quasi-real troops to close in for the kill." Thane made a show of coalescing the shadows into terrifying beings and forming a ghoulish monster from the shadows as well. The creatures tore up the body. In truth, the illusion hid the real players until they were "conjured;" the three shadows and the ghoul were authentic. When the demonstration was over, the undead monsters escaped through a secret door, once again under cover of Thane's illusion. Thane removed the cover from a strong, white mage-light and the men were suddenly transported from the horror of the night to standing in a well-lit ordinary, nearly empty storage room. It was obvious that there was now nothing living in the room but Thane, Olsen and Barns. "There now, I hope I managed to scare you at least a little bit." "A-a little b-bit I'd say," stammered Barns Olsen chuckled nervously, "Those pirates must have really lost it when you conjured monstrosities like that at night." "Yes, fear itself can be the greatest enemy." Thane wiped his brow. "I'd best spend a few more days resting, I think, but I am glad I could show you men a little of the magic that bested Red Jack." "Guess we better get goin'. After that demonstration, I sure's heck want ta be back in Granville before nightfall. My skin's still a-crawlin'." "Thank you constable, you flatter my humble powers. Let's get Red Jack and you can be on your way." Sometime later Thane watched as the constable and several deputies loaded Red Jack and his many chains onto a long boat bound for the constable's stout little ship. "Thank you for coming, and have a safe trip, Constable Olsen, deputy Barns and you other sailors and gentlemen of the law. I'll look forward to a note from you, constable Olsen via my brother priest, Mortician Hagston," Thane said. "Thank *you* Guardian Thane, your heroism has saved countless innocent lives. Every community along the Augustana owes you a deep debt of gratitude, and I will be glad to see you are amply rewarded," Olsen said. Thane bowed humbly and watched as the boat sailed off. When it was gone, he turned and grinned. The story continues in [Rapina]018 Judgement in Disguise. New Beginnings This Page Includes: Back to the, Pirates, page [Rapina]010 New Beginnings [Rapina]011 Hall of the Dead [Rapina]012 Shadows of the Dead [Rapina]013 Night Terrors [Rapina]014 The Noble Jaws of Death [Rapina]015 Death Battles the Living [Rapina]016 Defeat in Darkness [Rapina]017 A Captain in Chains [See a sketch of Graveston Isle (Dead Man's Isle)] [Rapina]010 New Beginnings As Red Jack scanned the horizon with his spy glass, he liked what he saw. The outlet from the lake flowed into the North side of the River Augustana between high, widely-spaced granite cliffs. The lake itself was quite large, and did not neck down much as it joined the river. This would make it near impossible to blockade, since the entrance to the lake, the lake itself and the river Augustana were both wide and deep in this area owing to the granite cliffs, riverbed and lake bed. The island was situated a good 5 miles away from the east and west shore of the lake, about 8 miles from the Northern lakeshore, and around twelve miles from the entrance to the lake to the South. The isle in the middle of the lake was a pirate's dream. It rose out of the lake like a fortress roughly three miles in diameter. To the South, West, And East the isle faced the water with high cliffs. To the North the cliffs gradually became lower but remained quite defensible. There was a double notch in the cliffs at their lowest point to the North. This proved to be the entrance to a cove just large enough for a few ships. The entrance to the cove was shallow, and the men had to spend quite a while measuring depths before they were able to get the merchant ship into the cove. The longships, with their shallow drafts and narrow beams were an easier matter. As one might have expected, the cove was the lowest part of the isle, and the terrain rose, sometimes gradually, sometimes abruptly as one went farther South. There was a forest growing near the cove in the north central area of the isle. To the south as the terrain rose and became rougher and more rocky, the trees gave way to scrub, and thence to rocky, open terrain punctuated with a few scattered bushes and trees. The longships were anchored in the cove and rowboats with supplies were launched. Captain Red Jack's pirates busied themselves with setting up a new camp. They were quite efficient for a bunch of pirates. By early evening, the temporary camp was mostly set up. Tents and lean-tos would provide shelter until the the pirates obtained lumber for more permanent structures. The captain and his officers marched through the camp discussing layout of guard posts, traps, and other defensive strategies. Most of the recruits were too busy unloading supplies or pitching tents to take notice. "First thing I'll be needin' is a map of th' area. Think ya can handle it Roger?" Jack asked. "Yes captain. Ill get right on it." Roger turned with scarcely a nod and headed off into the camp. He had been teaching Kent mapmaking before they had packed up camp to move here. One of his trainees was carrying a large coil of rope. The first mate walked up to the boy and clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder. "William! I need you, Kent, and Rolf to meet me back here in five minutes." That said, Roger headed off to get his mapmaking equipment. "But, sir...I don't know where Kent and Rolf are... " The slightly confused recruit stammered. "Well then you had better find them...and quick!" Roger shouted over his shoulder. Minutes later, three to be exact, the three recruits were assembled and awaiting Rogers arrival. Roger smiled as he watched them through his tent flap. They were all coming along nicely, especially Kent. Kent had a sharp mind and that was a rare commodity among pirates. Satisfied that they were nervous enough, Roger walked out to brief them on their next duty. The first mate handed out the necessary equipment and led the recruits towards the outskirts of the camp. "It'll be gettin dark soon so were goin ta have to hurry." Drake watched as they walked off. He was worried about Kent. Lately he seemed to be more distant from Drake. He was troubled, but had no idea of what to do. "Ya ready on your end Doanthalas?" Drake asked as he got a better grip on the handle of the chest. The tattooed elf just nodded. "Okay. On three then. One. Two. Three." They both grunted as their muscles strained to lift the chest full of weapons off the ground. This was one of the last weapons runs that needed to be made. Soon everything would be unloaded and ready for sorting and storage until needed. Drake glanced down at Doanthalas belt. He wasn't carrying any weapons. That wasn't surprising. The pirates were still deathly afraid of the elf. Its amazing what a few rumors will do to superstitious people. The young pirate recruit smiled; he had believed the rumors himself. At least until he had gotten to know the savage-elf better. Drake found it amusing that the so-called savage was more well- mannered than any of the civilized pirates. Still Drake didn't know the elf very well either. Doanthalas had yet to say more than ten words to him. He had a lot to tell, though. Drake could tell. The look in his eyes alone was testament to that fact. He shrugged. Doanthalas would talk when he was ready to. Sunset came and the pirate camp was still alive with activity. Jack would be very upset if the camp was not in working order by morning. The pirates hurried about their tasks, as none of them wanted to be the focus of Red Jack's anger. The captain looked around the large tent at the assembled faces: Roger, Sak, Logan, Leech Kennon, Hock, Arzeal, and Brackston. All of the officers were accounted for. Jack looked at everyone for a moment before beginning. "From what I can see we've got ourselves a good spot here. Its a good defensible position. What we need now is a good defensive plan. I have Roger working on a map of the area for us. How goes the mapmaking?" "Good sir. We've staked out four good reference points. Tomorrow we will be able to get some measurements and by afternoon we will have an accurate working map of the area. For now we have this rough sketch of the area." The first mate stood up and approached the captain. He held out a rolled up piece of parchment to the captain. Red Jack took the parchment and unrolled it. He perused it and the look on his face told the others that he was pleased. "This is a fine sketch Roger. The best I've seen you do so far." "Thank you captain, but I didn't draw that map. Kent did. He has an amazing eye for detail. I'm guessing that the finished map with accurate measurements won't be too different from that map in your hands." "Really? That's what I like to hear, but Roger..." "Yes captain?" "Lets schedule some extra weapons training for that lad. Shall we?" Everyone in the room snickered. "Gods know he needs it!" More laughter filled the room. Roger just nodded and sat down. "Everyone gather around and look at this map. You especially, Logan." The captain unrolled the map and set it on the ground. He weighted down the four corners with rocks and looked up at Logan. "Alright. How do ya want to lay this camp out Logan? You're the one who's got ta run it while I'm out plunderin" Logan looked at the map for a long time. He pointed to eight different points on the map. "Guard posts should be set up here. We should stick with three guard changes per night. It keeps the guards fresh and alert and it worked out well for us at the last camp. And during the..." "Speakin of guards and such...why don't we use the elf as much as possible for night watch...after all he can see in the dark..." "That's a good idea, but do you think we can trust him? I don't think the men would sleep very well with him on watch," Logan said. "I agree," Brackston said. "Yew know they're all afraid of I'm. He's like some sort of demon. We should lock 'im back up or kill em. Either's fine by me." "You'd like that. Wouldn't you Brackston?" Arzeal asked. "What are you afraid of? If he had wanted you dead he would have killed you by now." "Why you sonuva mother..." "Okay! Knock it off you two! The captain interrupted. "I know he's dangerous and I know the men fear him, but don't worry. It'll do the men some good to be constantly on their toes. Besides Rapina seems to trust him and from what I've seen she's a good judge of character." "Drake seems to have developed a bond with the elf as well. It's the strangest thing. They're together a lot, but I've yet to see them speak to each other. They usually just sit there or go about their duties in silence. I don't get it." "Maybe he likes tha boys too. Hmmm?" Brackston conjectured. "In yer dreams Brackston. You'd love a good piece of elf meat like that wouldn't ya? Heh." The room erupted in raucous laughter. "I'm still not convinced. You all saw what he did to...to..." Sak didn't have to finish. They all knew what he was referring to. "Who's to say that he won't rip my face off next? And what's to keep him from escaping?" "Those are two very good points Sak. Rest assured that I have already addressed them both. First, I have made it known that no one is to arm the elf under penalty of having their balls cut off! Second, I have assigned two crewmen to watch him all day and night. Two other crewmen relieve them once daily. I guarantee you if he tries anything we'll know it." Those recruits who missed training because of being wounded during the raid were given a chance to make up on lost practice time. Doanthalas was given the opportunity to hone his fighting skills as well. The recruits performed as well as any green sailor could be expected to. They were slightly better than lousy. Doanthalas, on the other hand, handled his weapons with considerably more skill. The practice sword rested easily in his hand and he seemed to breeze through the practice session. His archery skills were excellent as well. More arrows found their mark than not. Hock and Arzeal were impressed. After arms practice it was time to eat. The sylvan-elf got his plate of food from the mess hall and walked outside to eat. Most of the other recruits chose to eat outside as well, but moved away when Doanthalas walked by. The elf paid them no mind and sat down under a tree by himself. Drake noticed the elf and went over to sit down next to him. "Hey there Doanthalas. Mind if I join you?" Drake heard only silence. "I'll take that as a sure, sit down and enjoy yourself, okay?" The young recruit sat down and noticed Kent walking past. "Hey Kent! Why don't you join us?" Kent barely glanced in Drake's direction as he walked by. He found William and Rolf and sat down to eat with them. "What's his problem? I thought we were friends," Drake said. He's been acting this way ever since we picked up to move here. I don't get it." Drake looked in Doanthalas direction and shrugged. The tattooed elf just looked at Drake with his emerald eyes for a moment. He shrugged as well and then went back to eating. "Hi Drake, Hi Doanthalis," Rapina walked up with her dinner and found a spot to eat next to the boys. "The good news is, we are not trapped on a moving boat twenty-four hours a day, the bad news is Captain Red Jack wants the camp done yesterday. I see you two got put on unloading stuff from the merchant ship duty. I've been helping the leech set up a temporary infirmary. Pretty soon we'll all be turned into amateur carpenters, I think." Evening arrived and the recruits made their way to their tents for a much-deserved sleep. The guards were changed and all unnecessary fires were doused. A solitary figure made its way towards a copse of trees. A few of the straggling pirates noticed it was the elf. Doanthalas never slept with the other pirates. He always spent the night outside. The pirates wondered if the sylvan elf even slept at all. Whatever his reason for not sleeping in the same tent as the others the pirates didn't care. They felt much safer with him somewhere else. The tattooed elf surveyed the new copse of trees he had chosen for the site of this evenings reverie. It would do. The trees would provide minimal protection from the elements as well as a convenient escape route if trouble arose. Doanthalas turned his emerald eyes to the sky and breathed deeply. It had been many years since he had smelled air so sweet. The stars seemed to twinkle to some silent melody. For a moment, his heart soared. For a moment, he almost forgot. The elf contemplated not entering the reverie at all this evening. Without the reverie he would forget. All the horrors and torments would be forgotten. Gone. And his spirit would be at peace once again. Unfortunately, there was a price. Not only would he forget everything bad, but he would also forget everything good. His family, friends, loved ones, and every moment of happiness he had ever lived would be gone. They would fade away like a forgotten dream. He shook his head. It was time to enter the reverie. Doanthalas sat cross-legged on the ground and assumed a meditative pose. His chest rose and fell with every breath he took. It wasn't long before the present faded and the past came flooding back. Doanthalas looked peaceful and serene sitting there on the ground. His hair waved as the wind blew through it. He wasn't sleeping nor was he awake; he was somewhere else entirely. About twenty minutes after he entered the reverie the sylvan-elfs body began to shake. A casual looker would have thought he was just cold. Considering how lightly dressed he was it would not have been a surprise. Nevertheless, he was not cold. In fact, he was sweating. As time passed, his body shook more and more violently. He seemed to be having some sort of fit. Suddenly his eyes opened and his arms shot out to his sides. He looked about wildly a look of utter fear on his face. Although Doanthalas was looking from side to side his eyes didn't seem to be focusing on anything. In an instant he was on his feet and backpedaling away from the camp. A root caught his heel and sent him crashing to the ground. He struggled to get back up, but could only manage to crawl backwards. When his back hit the tree he stopped backpedaling. The elf curled up into the fetal position and screamed,"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Tremors seized his body as the elf began to sob. For almost an hour he just lay there shaking and sobbing. He didn't utter a single word the rest of the night. "What's 'ee doin' now Skitch?" Guts asked. "Jus' sittin there shakin.'" Skitch whispered. "Is that all? I might as well sit down and get some rest." "Don't fall asleep. 'Captain wants the elf watched 24 hours." "Yeah, yeah," Guts sat down and yawned. Just watching Skitch walk around was enough to keep him up, at least for a while. When morning came Doanthalis just stood up, dusted himself off, and reported for his duties. Doanthalas breezed through the morning's weapons training session. He had used all of them before. Experienced as he was with the weapons he was by no means a master. For that reason he applied himself fully to the practice. In the afternoon he had a more difficult time. The pirates explained and demonstrated the basic workings of a ship. It looked easy enough to Doanthalas, but the actual doing was very difficult. The sylvan elf had never been on a ship before much less tried to sail one. He had never had a reason to leave the land. On land Doanthalas was as agile as a cat. At sea he was more like a fish out of water. He almost tipped the rowboat twice and the swaying of the ship made him sick. The men would have laughed if they hadn't feared for their lives. At dinnertime the tattooed elf hobbled to the mess tent with the rest of the recruits. The sun was setting in the distance and clouds were forming on the horizon. Meanwhile the captain was meeting with his officers once again. "I'm sure that ye all know tha reason I called ye here," Jack said. He paused as his eyes scanned the room. "I've been hearing some things about tha elf Doanthalas. Rumors is rumors and they don't concern me. What does concern me is any truth behind those rumors." The Captain took another dramatic pause as he paced up to Armsmaster Hock. "So tell me tha truth. Is what I'm hearin true? Hock? Arzeal?" "I take it yer referrin ta his fightin skills..." Hock paused to see if the captain would answer him. The captain didn't so the armsmaster continued, "He handles the weapons with a skill far superior ta that of our best recruits. If'n I had ta guess I'd say he was some sort of soldier or mercenary." "I agree," Arzeal said. "He knows his way around bows. That's for sure. He picked the best one out of the bunch without any help from me or anyone for that matter. And his aim was too accurate for anyone but a soldier...or a mercenary." "So yer sayin that he's good with weapons eh? Which ones?" The captain asked. "Far as I can tell, captain, he's good with all of em," Hock said. "ALL of em?" The captain asked. "Yes sir. All that we have anyway," Hock replied. "Well I guess its good that we haven't allowed him any weapons so far. Eh boys? Else he might have skewered us all. Heh." "Well although he IS proficient in all the weapons we have...he ISN'T the best at using them. Don't get me wrong...he IS good. But he still has a lot to learn. I just thought it interesting that he would be so good in so many different weapons." Hock said. "Elves do live for hundreds of years so it doesn't surprise me that much, but what does surprise me is that an elf as young as he is would be that proficient in them." Arzeal said. "What do ya mean Arzeal?" Jack asked. The half elf paused to consider his words for a moment, "Most elves spend their youth enjoying life and learning about things like music and history. They don't usually begin training elvish children in warfare until they're two hundred to three hundred years old. Doanthalas doesn't look a day over one hundred and fifty. He's practically a child..." "A child?!?!?!?" The half-elf laughed. "Well a child by elvish standards is more like an adult by our standards..well your standards. Still....since they outlive humans by generations they have more time to devote to learning the skills they need to survive," Arzeal said. "Why do they wait so long to learn how to fight? You'd think they'd need it at an earlier age," Hock asked. "The adult elves protect the younger elves when threatened. Besides elves don't like to fight. They find it barbaric and distasteful." "Well that wild elf out there sure had me fooled! Ya'd think he was born to fight! Distasteful my arse! Ha!" Brackston said. "There are always exceptions, but...I don't think Doanthalas is an exception. I think he fights because he has to, not because he wants to," Arzeal said. "what makes you say that Arzeal?" the captain asked. "I'm not sure. It's mostly a gut feeling, but he doesn't have the look of a cold blooded killer in his eyes. He has more of the look of a lost soul...besides he had the perfect chance to kill me and Rapina back when we recaptured him." Brackston frowned and grumbled to himself at Arzeals words. "But he didn't kill you...or Rapina for that matter. Drake seems to think the world of him." Logan smiled, shook his head and laughed. "What's so funny, Logan?" Captain Red Jack asked. "Just some of the stories Drake has been telling me about the elf's sailing skills...or should I say LACK of sailing skills?" Logan said. Roger, the normally stoic first mate couldn't help but smirk. "It's true captain. He may be a natural when it comes to fightin,' but I've never seen a more clumsy sailor." "He hasn't got his sea legs yet?" Red Jack asked. "More like he's gotten his sea legs amputated!" Roger laughed. Laughter filled the tent at Roger's joke. A few stories of Doanthalas' misadventures on the water followed. "That's all well and good, but the fact remains that the men fear 'im. I don't blame them. He gives me the willies. And those tattoos of his...he looks like a demon he does. I'll betcha that none of them sailors laughs at I'm when he's bumblin around the boat. Do they?" "No. They don't." Roger replied. "Well if the men don't trust him then how can we?" Sak asked. "That's a very good question Sak. I'm hoping that they'll come around sooner or later," the captain said. "And if they don't?" Sak asked. "We'll deal with that when and if it happens," Captain Red Jack replied. "Besides Drake's already taken a liking to him," Logan said. "And so has Rapina...and...and I think he's ok," Arzeal said. "We'll see. Three pirates out of a camp of almost a hunnerd ain't even a drop in tha bucket!" Sak said. --- ------ That evening a few of the pirates were drinking as usual. Only this time they were discussing the elf. Pike was part of the group as was Fishy, Milo, Grulka, and Targ. Targ was a beefy pirate with a prominent brow and no noticeable neck. He was having trouble speaking after his seventh mug of ale. "Now that alf e fights like the devil e does. I'd hate ta be facin I'm in battle." "I agree," said Grulka, a lanky pirate with a pinched face. "He'd tear me limb from limb he would." "Ha. Yer a buncha scaredy cats! Afraid of a little elf," Fishy scoffed. "Sure the elf's a tough one, but he's not invincible," Pike said. "I'm sure a good number of the pirates here could beat him in a fair fight." "Ha! Ya wish!" Grulka said. "Okay. Goin find one then," Targ argued. "Ya won't! Thar all scared of I'm." "I'm not," Pike said. "Oh. Big talk from that big man. Why don't you go fight I'm then?" Tark asked. "Because I have no quarrel with him," Pike said. "Or is it cuz yer scared?" Gulka asked. The large Norseman stood to his full height and glared down at Grulka. "What did you say?" He growled. "Easy Pike. He didn't mean it. It's the ale talkin," Fishy said. "If'n yer not scared of the alf then...how's about we make a little wager?" Tark asked. "Now yer talkin,' What's the bet?" Fishy asked. Bets were made and when everyone was in agreement they headed off to find the elf. Grulka pulled Fishy aside when they started walking. "What got Pike so steamed before?" Grulka asked. The lame cook flashed a toothy grin. "Ya insulted him when ya suggested he were scared. An that's somethin ya don't do to a Norseman. Insult their honor and their pride and they'll rip yer legs off. Ha!" Fishey said. The four inebriated pirates walked around the camp until they found Doanthalas. He was sitting on a rock watching the water. Drake and Rapina were there with him. None of them were talking. They just seemed to be silently enjoying the evening air. Pike stepped forward and issued his challenge. "Elf! I challenge you to a fight. I've been hearing stories about how tough you are. Talk is nothing so I'm here to find out for myself. What say you?" Pike asked. The elf turned and walked over to Pike. He looked from face to face before finally resting his eyes upon Pike. He removed his shirt, nodded his head, and adopted a fighting stance. The pirates cheered since they were going to get a fight. Drake looked worried and shot Rapina a glance that told her so. Pike removed his shirt and adopted a fighting stance of his own. It looked like the fight wouldn't last very long. The Norseman towered about three heads above the tattooed elf. And although Doanthalas was big for an elf he was dwarfed by Pike. The fight was clean and lasted longer than anybody would have guessed. Although Pike was easily able to swat the sylvan elf away with his longer reach and stronger arms Doanthalas did not give up. Every time he got knocked down he would get right back up and go at Pike. Doanthalas was able to land his fair share of blows, but it was obvious that he was not going to win. Pike was just too powerful and experienced for Doanthalas. The sylvan elf could barely stand by the time Pike called the fight. Doanthalas had just hobbled to his feet and was shuffling back towards Pike when the oarsmaster held up his hand and said, "Draw!" The assembled pirates looked at him in disbelief. Why had he done that? Clearly he would have won and collected his share of the betting money. They didn't know what to do. The oarsmaster put his arm around Doanthalas for support and guided him towards the center of camp. "I have to hand it to you elf. You're a tough one. Not too smart...but tough. Most men would have given up long before you did and for good reason too. You've got guts. I respect that. My name's Pike. What's yours?" Doanthalas turned his tattooed face towards Pike but didn't say anything. He just stared at him with his emerald eyes. After a moment, apparently satisfied that Pike was someone he could trust, the elf replied, "Doanthalas." At first Rapina had been nervous about Pike's challenge, but now her faith in the Norseman was renewed. He had tested Doanthalas' mettle and liked what he saw enough to embrace Doanthalas as a comrade. Pike was a strong and popular junior officer, well- liked by the men. Rapina hoped that the new friendship Pike seemed to be striking up would spread to the Norseman's comrades. It was a few hours before dawn and Skitch was busy chinning himself on a tree limb keeping awake while on elf-watching detail. Guts sat against a tree trunk snoring softly. Skitch contemplated waking Guts up for the fifth time when he realized that Doanthalas was no longer where he had been. "Damn, where'd he go, I just looked at him a few minutes ago. " Skitch kicked Guts. "Wake up, stupid, the elf was just over there quakin' a few minutes ago, and now 'ee's gone." "The large, dim pirate awakened. "Ouch, what'cha kickin' me for?" "Yer sleepin' on the job again, lout. We got ta find the elf quick, an' I have no idea which way he went. You know how quiet 'e is when he moves through the trees. Damn it, we'll have ta get Brackston, an' 'e ain't going to like it." Skitch ran off full tilt and returned with Brackston and Thumper a few minutes later. Thumper tracked the elf to the Southeast. "Damn demon elf! Look at this, Blade and Cudge were here on watch. Look at all the damn blood," Brackston said. "Track 'Im thumper, track 'I'm." Thumper sidled away from the area, whining and whimpering. "What the hell's wrong with yew, dog? That elf cast a hex on yew? Brackston asked. "Damn it, yer not sneezin' so it ain't them herbs 'e used on yew at the other camp. What in hell happened ta my fearless fuckin' dog!? Well come on, it's a cinch he didn't go back in the direction of camp. Let's head South." About five minutes later Skitch pointed out the elf's tattoos in the moonlight, and the group ran up to him. Doanthalis was bent over something. Skitch heard Brackston's infamous neck shackle lock over the elf's neck. "Demon elf! I got yew, caught yew red-handed! We'll see what the captain says about yew now." Brackston said. Skitch caught hold of Guts. "Hold on, take a look at this..." Logan let the matter rest until morning, but first thing, the Captain conferred with Brackston, Skitch and Guts. "'e murdered 'em, I tell yew, 'e's a demon!" Brackston practically hollered. "Hold yer horses, Brackston, tell me the whole story from the beginnin'" Captain Red Jack snapped. "Skitch came an' got me ta track the elf. He slipped 'em a few hours 'fore dawn. We tracked 'I'm ta the Southeast guard watch post an' there was blood everywhere, yew should'a seen it!" "Thumper was actin' real funny and wouldn't track th' elf anymore, so we went South an' found 'Im areselves. There 'e was bendin' over th' corpse. I tell yew, I caught 'im red handed." "Skitch, is that how it went?" Skitch nodded. "Yeah, Brackston's got the story right, but I don't like 'is conclusions. 'ee wasn't outa my sight long. I just did some chin-ups ta keep awake. Guts was watchin' me 'stead of the elf. Then I realized the elf wasn't there so I ran an' got Brackston. The rest is like 'e said, but I seen the body. I got no idea whether it was Blade or Cudge, 'cause there ain't a lot o' meat left on th' carcass, understand?" "If that elf killed 'I'm 'e set a new record fer eatin' raw meat. I checked 'is belly when we got back ta camp. I'm tellin' ya, if that elf ate most of a 200 pound pirate, 'ed have ta 'ave a belly out ta here, but that weren't the case. I'd say it'd be worth askin' the elf what happened. Me an' Guts looked for th' other corpse, but we couldn't find it nowhere. I'm hopin' now that it's gettin' light, we can figure out where it's gotten to." "It's magic, I tell yew, the elf just withered the corpse away after guttin' it, an 'e cast a spell so's my dog turned as yellah as 'is coat." "Get me Rapina, and I'll see what the elf has ta say for 'imself soon enough." "Mean time, Skitch, take a few men an' see if ye can find the other corpse, but first, show me the one ye got." A little while later the captain came to the tree Brackston had chained Doanthalas to not far from the Barracks tent. Rapina arrived from the infirmary tent at about the same time. The camp was already abuzz with rumors of how the demonic elf had chewed the meat off from Cudge's bones. "Brackston has it that ye killed an' ate two o' me men early this mornin.' Skitch wasn't so sure ye did it. Ye don't look like yer stuffed wif 400 pounds 'o pirate. I'd like ta hear yer side o' th' story startin' when ye left yer sleepin' spot. Doanthalas was sitting on the ground holding the chain in his hands. He was staring at it with a resigned look. "It seems I shall be bound for life. The path I walk is forever soaked with blood." The sylvan elf paused and then looked up at the captain. "I...awoke...from the reverie to the sounds of the wolf pack feasting. I thought the pack had made a kill to the unereif...south...east. To chase away the clouds I followed the feast music. The scent of life lost caressed the air. There was no wolf pack...only the shadows of men. My presence was known for the shadow men were removing the life husks when I arrived. They dropped one as they faded to the...south...east. Their spirits were tired... or... sleeping... their bodies were cold like shadows. My eyes could barely glimpse them." "Well ya sure do speak funny, but I think I understand ya. No offense ta yer combat abilities, Doanthalas, but I'm inclined ta believe ye. Those were good men. I'm hopin' even someone like you could not have killed 'em without sa much as a scream out 'o 'em. As fer the men ye saw, I can't make heads ner tails o' it. I suppose they could 'ave been wearin' heavy coats ta foil yer vision, but in this weather, it don't make sense." "Any ideas Rapina? Is their magics fer such?" "I've read about illusions and things that can fool vision. I've also read about elementals, golems and creations of necromancy that would not have body heat. Any of those could be basically human-shaped." "Aye, likely it's nothin' more'n island men wearin' coats. Just the same, get me Pike, Donal, Backster, Drake, an' Kent. Brackston, unchain the elf. I have ta agree with Skitch. If Doanthalas had the kind 'o magic ye're conjecturin' 'ed of got out o' that old cage at th' other camp in short order and ate us all. I'm thinkin some 'o the island's natives just gave us a good pirate's welcome." Brackston glowered but did as he was told. A few minutes later Rapina had fetched the various people the captain wanted. "All right. I want ye ta arm up, an' head South an East. Backster, you an' the elf see if ye can track whoever done the deed. See if ye can find their camp 'an see how many there are. Don't engage 'em unless yer pretty sure o' the odds." "Pike, yer in charge. Rapina, yer along 'cause ye've read most anything I own concernin' th' supernatural, an' I'm too busy ta go meself. Kent, yer ta map the trip as best ye can as yer goin'. The rest o' ye are soldierin' so look alive. Get yer gear an' meet over at the mess tent. Fishy an' Piggy'll fix ye up with provisions 'an I'll have some climbin' gear left for ye. Be snappy about it. I'd prefer ta see ye back here before night fall." Rapina got her Rapier, main gauche, knife, bow and quiver and met the others back at the mess tent. Doanthalas checked his gear as he led the group to the spot where he had found the first body. Although the body had been removed there was still plenty of dried blood on the ground. The sylvan elf examined the area while the group stood back. Whatever or whomever was responsible for the death of Blade and Cudge hadn't been too worried about hiding their presence. There were footprints all over the place. Some had been obliterated by the pirates when they came to investigate and collect the body. But Doanthalas had no trouble picking up the trail that would lead them to the murderers. The footprints headed off to the Southeast. "The men of shadow returned to the darkness this way." Doanthalas said as he pointed towards the cliffs to the Southeast. Those in the group who were not used to hearing Doanthalas speak. After hearing the strange manner in which he spoke, they looked at each other curiously. They followed the elf through the forest even if they had not understood his speech. The murderers had left plenty of evidence of their passing. Deep footprints, dried blood, broken twigs and branches, and shreds of old dry-rotted cloth led the elf and the party through the forest and on to some low cliffs and more rocky terrain. It was harder to track the "men of shadow" through the cliffs and rocky areas. Doanthalas was hard pressed to find any sort of evidence. Luckily he spotted a few scuff marks on the rocks and some drops of dried blood. Eventually the vegetation all but disappeared, as did the trail. It was far too rocky to make heads or tails of any kind of evidence. Doanthalas stopped and scanned the area for possible escape routes. He spotted some higher cliffs and headed for them. "Their shadows have faded in the light. We must climb those cliffs to see with the clarity of the hawk. Then we may be able to find our quarry." Drake pulled Rapina up a seven-foot cliff onto higher terrain and the others followed. Oarmaster Pike pointed, "what do ye make o' that?" Rapina walked up a steep hill to where Pike was standing, there in front of them was a large, flat, rocky field nearly devoid of trees. Oval piles of stone littered the field to the East up until it ended at the base of cliffs to the East and South. To the North the terrain sunk. "Burial mounds?" Rapina asked. "Only one way to find out." Pike walked North and found an older, smaller pile of rocks and began tossing the ones on top aside. Donal and Drake Joined in. "Yer right, looks like it was a kid. The bones are mostly crushed and plenty old, looks like. I guess we just found ourselves a graveyard on th' isle of the dead." Pike shifted the large double-edged battle axe slug over his back, and pursed his lips. "There's a trail here through the mounds leadin' North and South, I think." The group went Northeast and found that the trail descended into a box canyon at the Northeast edge of the isle. The trail had obviously been modified by ancient chisels and was in some cases cut into the side of the canyon. At the bottom was a pool of water with some sort of sunken funeral boat in it. A natural archway led from the canyon out through a short cave to the lake. The opening was hidden from those viewing the isle from the waters Northeast of it by a spur of rock. "A side door ta the isle," Pike said. "This'll be handy ta know about. If they left from here, we'll not be tracking 'em. Hey look," Pike pointed to some ancient characters carved into the canyon wall to be visible from boats sitting in the water. "Any ideas." "They're runes. This one means death, and this sanctuary. Hmmm, maybe something like sanctuary of the dead? These others are more obscure, some sort of warning maybe, and this one means respect. That one is the sun or day. I think that it is warning us to respect the sanctuary of the dead and to drop off our dead only by day. How creepy." "It's been my experience that dead men're less trouble than the living, and my guess is whoever carved those letters was just trying ta cow any would-be grave robbers," Pike said. "There could be some serious booty up in those mounds. Sometimes they bury people with their gold rings and such on 'em," Backster said. "Let's go have another look at the graveyard and see if this warning did the trick 'r not," Pike said. After the group climbed their way back up to the field of stones, Pike led the way South. "These mounds closest to the canyon are a little smaller and flatter. I'd say they're older. Let's see if we can find something newer." The search led to the Southern edge of the field. "Give me a hand here. None of these looks real fresh, but they're taller and newer than the ones to the North," Pike said. Rapina helped the others move the stones. "Hehheheh, it don't look like that warnin' was very successful. All we got here is a few scraps o' old linen. There ain't even a body." "But what kind of grave robber takes the valuables and the bones?" Rapina asked. "Likely they ditched the bones in one of these other mounds," Backster replied. The tattooed elf was staring at the ground intently. He kept looking from the ground to an outcropping of rock a short distance away. "I sense the caress of the shadow here." Doanthalas stood up and walked over to the rock outcropping. He discovered that the outcropping hid a cave entrance. The elf beckoned the others closer and pointed at the runes chiseled into the rock. Pike and the others came to look. "More letters, Rapina." "Hall of the Dead," Rapina said matter of factly. "It must be a cave that's been turned into a mausoleum. Let me take a look at these smaller runes just above the entrance." --- [Rapina]011 Hall of the Dead Backster opened an ancient bamboo gate that fit into the entrance and stepped in. "Hold on, you're supposed to intone some sort of prayer before entering, at least that's what I think it says here," Rapina said. From inside the cavern Backster's voice echoed, "Oh sure, gods grant me a heavenly hoard 'o booty. Damn it's dark in here." Rapina sighed. "That's no kind of prayer. Besides, you're supposed to do it before you open the gate, silly." Rapina fished the crystal pendant out from beneath her tunic. She took the little black leather sack off the lighted crystal and put it in her belt pouch. She wore the crystal light outside her shirt to provide light for her party. "Gold!" Backster shouted. "Hold up Backster, yer gettin' too far ahead of us." Pike unslung his axe and went into the tunnel with Donal next to him. Rapina followed, her light allowing them to see. "AAAAAiiiiiih!" Backster screamed. Just inside, the cavern was like a narrow hall that slanted downwards. After about twenty feet the corridor widened and leveled off. Carved into the sides of the level main tunnel were tiers of Coffin-sized dead-end tunnels. There were three tunnels to a column, one near the floor, one about waist-level and one above the level of most men's heads. Each tunnel held a corpse. Column after column of coffin tunnels lined the walls. Currently Backster flew backwards out of one of the waist-high tunnel entrances about fifteen feet down the wide hall and on the East side. He held his face as blood gushed from his eye sockets. A golden ring clattered to the floor as he pulled out of the side- tunnel. ---------------[click to see a rough sketch of this room] [you can only see the top side tunnels in this view from above, but there are two more side tunnels below each one pictured. All of the skeletons are on the map though. If it looks like there are 2 or 3 in a side tunnel, there is really only one in a tunnel but there are 3 tunnels in a column.] --------------- A boney hand dripping blood emerged from the tunnel after Backster. A skull followed, then a bony hand holding a dagger. The unholy skeletons of the dead awakened from their slumber and began to boil out of their resting-places. They were armed with ancient blades, or wooden cudgels. The only sound they made was the ticking of their boney feet on the stone floor. For an instant, Rapina froze in horror. In some rational corner of her mind, she idly wished she had brought her big Roman shield. In front of Rapina, Pike sprinted forward to try to rescue Backster. The Norseman dodged the bony hands of the emerging skeletons and got to Backster just as the first of the emerging skeletons stood and lifted their weapons. Pike cleaved the skull and rib cage of the dagger-wielding skeleton about to spit Backster, then tossed the pirate over his shoulder like a screaming sack of potatoes. It was then that the Norseman realized that numerous skeletons had sealed off his retreat back to the party. The skeletons had him trapped. Red rage swam before the Norseman's eyes as he yelled a blood-curdling battle cry. In a single blow he shattered the skull and rib cage of the skeleton coming out of the side tunnel at the level of his head and danced to avoid the grasp of the one emerging at his feet. Thankfully, he had already dispatched the one from the waist level tunnel on his side of the room, but the skeletons from the other side were quickly emerging. Pike's battle-cry snapped Rapina out of her dumbfounded state. She flattened herself against the wall allowing Drake, Donal and Doanthalas to get by her. At the same time she drew her rapier and main gauche. From the corner of her eye she saw Kent pushing on a slab of stone that had slid from the ceiling near the entrance to block their escape. Donal rushed to within striking distance of the first tier of side tunnels. As a skeleton emerged from the top tier, Donal relieved it of its head with his broad sword. To Donal's horror, the headless skeleton jumped to the ground and swung its oaken cudgel at him, nearly braining the pirate before he ducked -just in time. The pirate brought his sword up chopping through several ribs and sundering the spine of the skeleton. Another skeleton from one tier lower came out of its side tunnel and stood as the one from the tier near the floor grabbed Donal's boot. In addition, the skeleton that Donal had been fighting, now lacking a pelvis and legs, swung its cudgel at the pirate's knees from its position on the floor. Donal parried the cudgel by slicing off both of the skeleton's hands with a single stroke of his broadsword. Simultaneously, he blocked the blow of the ancient dagger of the second skeleton with his buckler. The skeleton near the floor pulled itself out of its side tunnel and bit into Donal's boot. The pirate yelled obscenities as he dropped his sword and grabbed the cudgel of the first skeleton. Rapina realized the ever-valiant Drake was charging forward to try to save Pike. She steeled herself and slipped to the right. She used her main gauche to parry the sword of the skeleton that tried to skewer her, and severed its spine just below the rib cage with a swipe of her rapier. As it's upper half fell, Rapina jumped; pretending she was stamping on Trevor's instep, she managed to largely shatter the monster's rib cage. Although she was paying little attention to it, Rapina saw Donal's fight and realized that swords were not the best weapons against these creatures. With cudgel in hand, Donal shattered the upper ribs of his second skeleton while trying to stamp on the neck of the third that was now biting into his foot. Unfortunately, his stomping was unsuccessful and the third skeleton pulled his legs as he tried to trample it. "Aaaagh!" The pirate toppled over. Doanthalas slid the bastard sword from the scabbard he wore on his back. The sword had an extra long handle so that it could be wielded with one or two hands. He opted for a two handed grip as he moved to help Donal. The skeletons raised their weapons as Donal tried desperately to escape. The skeleton that had brought Donal down released its grip only to sink its teeth deep into Donal's leg. The young pirate screamed in pain and tried to kick the skeleton away. He was unsuccessful. Donal closed his eyes in anticipation of the killing blow that was sure to come at any moment. He flinched as a loud cracking noise filled the air and shards of bone rained down around him. Donal opened his eyes in time to see the remains of his attackers clatter to the floor. The tattooed elf was standing over him cutting swaths of destruction through the ranks of the skeletons. Drake noticed Doanthalas' technique from the corner of his eye. Instead of fighting the skeletons as one would fight a normal fleshy opponent, Doanthalas was aiming his attacks at their rib cages. Instead of stabbing and hacking in a downward motion, the elf was swinging his sword in a side to side sweeping motion. It seemed to be working so Drake adopted this technique and stepped up to give Pike a hand. Pike's heavy axe shattered skeletons right and left as the Norseman whirled and side-stepped to dodge the clubs and blades of his supernatural foes. He stayed near the wall, jumping past columns of openings when he could. The Norseman swung again, another opponent shattered, its bones tangling with the bones of the creature behind it, but the stupid creature came forward just the same. Pike caught its club and kicked it backwards breaking its hold. At the same time he shattered one of it's comrades to his right as his axe continued to weave patterns in the air. Pike roared and jumped forward as a third skeleton opened a gash in his side. The Norseman flipped the big club he had wrested from a skeleton end for end, caught it and swung it with gusto, his mighty muscles sweating with red rage. The skeleton that had cut him disintegrated into a hail of bones as the mighty Viking's club came down through both skull and rib cage. "Hang on Backster, I got ta use both hands 'er we're both dead men!" He bellowed. The next skeleton Rapina encountered swung a heavy club. So heavy that the parrying strength behind Rapina's main gauche was not sufficient. The blow drove Rapina's left hand side. Her main gauche clattered to the floor as her nerveless hand released it. With her good hand she swung hard and shattered one of the hands of the monster. Her blade bit into its other wrist but did not sever it. With only one hand, the creature brought up its club to strike again, but it was much too slow. Rapina severed it's good arm at the shoulder with her rapier and kicked it hard in the ribs. It flew back into one of its advancing comrades and they both went down in a tangle of bones. Rapina grabbed the skeleton's cudgel and sheathed her rapier while the two tangled skeletons struggled to get up. Her left hand was weak, but she directed healing energy to it and swung the cudgel with both hands and all her strength. One of the skeletons shattered, the other flew to the side with pieces of the first entangled in its ribs. She advanced trying to protect Drake's right flank as he charged forward. The skeletons advanced steadily. They did not plan their attacks defensively for they had no brains and they did not fear for their lives. The search party, however, did fear for their lives and rightly so. The skeletons outnumbered them by more than three to one. They needed some kind of strategy if they were to survive. As it was the skeletons had them separated into two small groups. Kent, Rapina, Doanthalas and Donal were fighting with their backs to the cavern entrance. Drake had fought his way to Pike and Backster. Pike and Drake were in a bind. Skeletons surrounded them and Backster was in no condition to fight. The members of the search party knew how to fight, but none of them, except for one member, had any experience in the tactics of large scale battles. This hardly qualified as a large scale battle, but the idea was the same. Whoever fought harder and smarter would be victorious. "We're Trapped!" Kent screamed. "We can retreat back towards the closed entrance, it's much narrower there but we have to get to Pike and Drake, They're only ten feet away now but there are so many skeletons! Rapina shouted. Donal came limping back to Rapina and Kent. "Damned pile o' bones bit me!" He swung his cudgel and shattered another skeleton that stepped too close to him. The sylvan elf deftly swept his leg in a half circle as he crouched near the ground. Two skeletons went tumbling to the floor. Doanthalas brought his sword in a powerful upwards arc and cleaved a third skeleton in two. A few quick steps and shattered skeletons later the tattooed elf had fought his way back to Rapina, Kent and Donal. The three of them looked fine, but Pike, Backster and Drake were in deep trouble. Soon the skeletal warriors would overrun them. "Rapina, Donal With me!" The elf shouted as he stepped forward and swung his bastard sword in a tight arc shattering the torso of another skeleton. "We must clear the way for our comrades! Kent, guard our backs!" terror paralyzed The young pirate. Otherwise, he might have told the presumptuous elf where to go. For the moment, it was all Kent could do to hold on to his weapon. His hands were shaking so badly. Rapina ducked and swung the cudgel she had rescued from one of the skeletons she had fought. Several of the upper ribs of the nearby undead monster broke and fell away, but unlike Doanthalas, Rapina lacked the strength always to shatter a skeleton with one blow. It often took Rapina two or even three blows to destroy a skeleton, and the floor was treacherous. Some of the skeletons Doanthalas had cut in half at the lower ribs were still animated. Although they had no legs, they still tried to swing weapons, or crawl along the floor towards their opponents. Rapina tried a different tactic, she held the club with both hands wide, using it to parry the heavy club of the skeleton while she kicked the skeleton in the ribs. Her kick did little actual damage, but the skeletons were not very heavy and a good kick sent them flying. They usually fell or got entangled with their comrades. For one of her strength, the tactic worked better than trying to hack away at a skeleton while others got too close. Although he was hurt and more than a bit scared Donal heeded the elf's words. If he had thought about it, he might have given Doanthalas attitude. After all who had put him in charge? However, for the moment his words seemed to make sense. Pike yelled to Drake above the din of weapons and skeletons, "Back to back, mate an' stick w' me an the East wall. If ye can cover my butt, I can cut are way back ta the others." The number of skeletons coming in from the South nearly overwhelmed Drake but he gritted his teeth and kept his broadsword in constant motion, straining his powerful arm to do maximum damage. His back protected for the moment, Pike directed both of his weapons forward. When Rapina struck, she was lucky to break away several of a skeleton's ribs, but when the mighty Norseman struck, a skeleton positively exploded with every blow. Pike saw Doanthalas fighting his way towards him as he fought towards the elf. Rapina was so happy with the way her kicking strategy was working that she turned her head to see if Kent had seen it and taken it up. Her moment of vanity saved her life. As she looked back she saw a cudgel descending to brain her, she ducked just enough that the blow hit her across the shoulder blades rather than shattering her skull. The wind was knocked from her and she was driven to the floor with an oof! Although wounded when the headless skeleton surprised him and its two buddies got the best of him, Donal was a good fighter. Captain Red Jack was a wise man and had made sure that three of the pirates he had sent out were seasoned veterans. His bit foot hurt like the devil but Donal turned when he heard Rapina go down, parried a club blow and kicked the skeleton West to clear some room. Kent had taken a fright. a skeleton swinging a cudgel had him cornered in the Northeast corner of the room. The only trouble was, the skeleton did not seem to have a brain in its head and its back swing kept knocking into the wall. Without a back swing it was not inflicting bone-shattering damage on the recruit, it was just giving him a good beating with short swings and scaring the daylights out of him with its gnashing teeth and vacant eyes. Donal's kick bounced a skeleton against the back of the one trying to pummel Kent to death and drove it forward so it momentarily bashed into Kent, it's boney teeth bruising his jaw. Rapina gasped as she hit the floor. Skitch had taught her how to take a fall when a big boy hit her in order not to add insult to injury. As she went to stand, she saw boney feet advance on her. She was weaponless; the blow to her back had knocked the club out of her hands along with her wind. Rapina grabbed the ankles of the skeleton and swung it as she stood. She released it and it skidded off the top of one of its compatriot's skulls and slammed into the opposite wall where it struggled to stand, oblivious to its cracked skull. Donal grinned, "now thar's a wench!," he said as he shattered another skeleton with his cudgel. Drake was fighting with every ounce of his strength and speed. He had been forced to sheath his parrying dagger so he could use his broadsword in both hands. The dagger was useless against the skeletons anyway. He found his feet were a better weapon. When the skeletons got especially thick, driving them back was a better idea than cleaving them. They were so stupid they all crowded into each other and a good kick would send a bunch of them falling to the floor like dominoes. Then Drake could shatter one that did not fall with his sword while the dupes got up. Pike exploded the last skeleton between Doanthalas and him. "Slip behind me along the wall, Drake. We've made it to our mates." Pike stepped forward just enough to let Drake by. He turned and shattered a skeleton with his club while the flat of his battle axe turned a second into a shower of bones. All the while the Norseman moved slowly sideways toward the North wall. When Drake was by him, he turned to face fully south and backed North in a fighting retreat. Rapina grabbed the rear ribs of the skeleton that was terrorizing Kent and heaved it. Luckily, the skeletons were quite light. After slipping by Pike, Drake helped Doanthalas fight the skeletons attacking from the West as Donal and Rapina cleared the Northeast corner, turning it into a safe zone. Seeing Drake and Doanthalas now protected him, Donal took his broadsword from the floor of the Northeast corner of the room and quickly sheathed it. At the same time, he picked up Rapina's cudgel and handed it to her. Rapina saw Drake run into the entrance tunnel and followed. Donal behind her pushing Kent in front of him. Pike and Doanthalas took up positions at the southern end of the narrower entry tunnel just before the point where the tunnel widened and leveled off. They fought a pitched battle with a hoard of skeletons coming at them from the main room. Fortunately, the tunnel would only admit two or three skeletons abreast, so the number of opponents the men had to fight at a time was much more manageable. Drake faced two skeletons that had already been in the entry tunnel when he entered and Pike and Doanthalas had cordoned it off. As Rapina entered the narrower corridor, the light she carried provided better illumination. To Drake's horror, he saw that one of the skeletons still had bits of flesh clinging to its bones. "Cudge, is that you?" The Skeleton vacantly swung a broadsword at Drake who parried with a clang. Rapina ducked as the second skeleton took a swing at her. She drove the end of her cudgel forward into the pelvis of the skeleton like a battering ram and knocked it backwards. It fell against the slab that blocked the entryway and began to scramble to its feet. While it was scrambling, Rapina jumped forward and shattered its right shoulder. As he parried, Drake stepped in and kicked the knee-cap of the skeleton. The bones snapped and the skeleton fell sideways still swinging its blade. It cut into the side of Drake's boot and slightly wounded his calf as he tried to dodge. Drake's sword severed the neck of the skeleton and its skull went rolling across the floor. Undaunted, it lifted its blade to take another swing. Drake drew his parrying dagger and jumped to the right. Rapina dodged right but took a glancing blow to the hip. Her cudgel took out four ribs on the left side of the skeleton. The skull from Drake's opponent rolled towards her, its teeth still gnashing. Rapina jumped back, and when her Skeletal opponent came forward she was ready. She crouched and took out one of the skeleton's knees. It fell and she shattered its rib cage before it could rise again. The Norseman grinned at Doanthalas as three more brainless bags of bones approached and were shattered by the two muscular fighters. Pike's eyebrows raised - the rib of one of the skeletons he had shattered did not fly right. "Heads up back there." Donal looked in Pike's direction, his mouth opened as something whistled like breath blown over the mouth of a bottle. A flying rib stabbed him in the gut with much more power than a simple flying object. Donal instinctively dropped his cudgel and grabbed the bone. His quick reflexes saved his life. He bled profusely, but he muscled the bone out of the wound in his gut and got a two- handed grip on it. It was alive as though the entire strength of a skeleton had clung to it. Donal muscled the bone against the stone wall and rubbed it there, but all he did was work off it's jagged point. Damn, Drake thought. The new skeleton, whichever pirate it had recently been, had bones stronger and less brittle than its drier and more aged comrades did. Drake realized his last swing should have gone through the neck and shoulder of the skeleton but it had not. Drake charged in, parrying the blade of the skeleton and severing its arm near the shoulder. The skeleton's broadsword clattered to the floor and Drake swung and swung again, this time severing the other arm of the creature. The arms crawled towards him pulling themselves along with their fingers. Drake swung again and again slicing the ribs off the creature and sundering the pelvis. He was about to stamp on the creature's fingers when Rapina called out. "Wait! No one is going to believe this unless we have proof." Drake nodded. He grimaced and picked up one of the arms. Rapina picked up the other arm and the skull. The fingers and jaw were still moving, trying to kill. Donal took a stout burlap bag from his belt pouch. "Here, put those in the bag, Drake, and Rapina see what ye can do fer Backster. Rapina found that Backster's right eye was a ruin, but his left eye would be okay, there was a deep cut just above it where a skeletal finger had glanced off. Rapina cleaned the wound and applied a bandage. She gave Backster some herbs for the pain from his ruined eye. Pike and Doanthalas shattered skeleton after skeleton until finally the last one lay in pieces at their feet. "Damn! I'm bruised or bleedin' on most parts of my body, but that was one hell of a fight," Pike said. "That was the best fightin' I've seen a 'green' recruit do in years," Pike winked at Doanthalas. 'Course the important thing for fighting these brainless bags o' bones seems ta be strength and endurance, and I know ye got 'em both from havin' had that bout we had tagether." Pike grinned and turned to Rapina. "What do the wounds look like?" "Backster's lost an eye, but I think the other eye will be okay as soon as the gash above it heals. Donal has a bad belly wound and a deep bite in his foot. I got hit across the back and on the hip, but I was pretty lucky." Pike helped himself to some bandages and supplies from Rapina's pack and patched up several nasty gashes he had received. Rapina finished Donal and looked at Kent while Drake and Doanthalas patched up their own hurts. Kent was severely bruised all over his upper body but Rapina could not help but realize that Kent's pride had taken a worse beating. "The way I see it, we better see if we can get out 'a this place. That slab's real stone. Before today I'd 'a said there was no magic about it. Now I figure there could be. On the other hand, one of these skeletons might a triggered it from one o' these restin' holes. Those of ye who're not too badly wounded, lets give 'em a search. Any booty ye find goes in this bag, understand? We'll take a look at the skeletons fer rings, daggers 'an swords too, though most of 'em had clubs." There were a number of silver and several gold rings. Most of them were on the fingers of shattered skeletons. Rapina retrieved her main gauche and went to the Southern end of the wide hall of the dead. There was another doorway there blocked by a slab of stone. Above the doorway were more runes. When Doanthalas climbed into the top-most resting place on the Northwest wall, his weight triggered something, and the slab slid up and out of the way of the entrance. Everyone was much relieved. It turned out that even the weight of a skeleton in that side tunnel would keep the entry open, but when the weight was removed, the slab slid back to block the entryway. Still deciphering the runes above the door, Rapina said, "No wonder there was not much booty here, these were probably all commoners. This next door leads to, "The Hall of Eminence," and we're supposed to make the sign of man to enter." There was a pentacle carved into the wall next to the door. At each point, a stone stud could be pushed. Pike waved his hand. "We'll go no farther now. Are first duty is ta get Backster and Donal back ta camp and make our report before dark." Rapina nodded. She wanted to make sure she had the sign of man right anyway. She had not really been paying a lot of attention to signs, but she was pretty sure that one of Captain Red Jack's old holy books had several different signings in it for banishing evil spirits and such. The still-animated arms and skull of the fresh skeleton were put in a bag tied to the end of a cudgel for Drake to carry. All other still-living pieces were destroyed save the, "singing bone," that had stabbed Donal. He had worn the jagged, pointed ends of the bone smooth against the stone wall and worked the marrow out of the bone with his boot knife and small shards of bone. He stashed the six-inch piece of bone in his stoutest belt pouch with the strings tied tightly closed. The bone was ever intent on stabbing him but now lacked points. Just the same, it pushed on him with a fair amount of force. This made the pirate stagger even more than he should have, given his wounded foot. The singing bone was unique in that it seemed to have nearly the full strength of a skeleton to it. Whereas the other still animated bones could not lift off the ground and fly, the singing bone seemed to be able to fly around without trouble. The party hurried back to the pirate camp and arrived just as the sun sank below the horizon. With the wounded, the going had been much slower on the way back. When they arrived, Pike reported to the captain. After a few minutes, he called the others in. "So, I hear ye had an adventure. I'm hav'in a heap 'o trouble believin' what Pike has told me, but 'e says ye insisted on keepin' some souvenirs for me ta see, did ye lass?" Rapina nodded. "Drake is carrying them in that sack." "Good thinkin' girl, let me see 'em. I'm 'bout ready ta have Pike put in a cage fer bein' daft." Drake opened the sack and dumped the contents carefully out onto the captain's table. The severed bony arms wasted no time pulling themselves along by their fingers towards the Captain who was the closest person to the table after Drake stepped back. The scull rolled a bit then rocked as it gnashed its teeth. The skeletal fingers seemed slower and weaker, though the skull still seemed to gnash its teeth with exuberance. "Mother o' all the gods, Pike is a sane man after all," the captain grinned. So this is what happened ta Blade? What a harrible end he most 'o met. He'll make a grisly souvenir though, 'e will. Now what o' this flyin' bone that pegged Donal? Donal limped forward and removed his belt pouch. "It's in here captain, but it's been trying ta stab me ever since it did the first time. Donal held his belt pouch out to the captain who took it. The pouch pushed on the captain as it sensed a presence nearer than Donal and attempted to stab it. The captain's eyebrows shot up. "That be strange stuff." The captain kept the pouch. Ye can take that back later if ye want it, ye earned it takin' th' belly wound. Fer now let's keep it out 'o the men's sight. The captain looked at Rapina. "Pike says ye read some old runes fer the group 'an there's another door with writin's as well. Do ye know how to open it? "I think so sir, but I need to check one of your books to make sure I have it right." "Ye did good. Pike said ye killed yer share o' skeletons an kicked many o' 'em back when ye found that warr easier for ye than killin' em outright." "Yes sir, Pike and usually Doanthalas and Drake could make them shatter by hitting them hard, but I could not hit them hard enough to finish one in a single blow. They were very light, though, so once I discovered kicking them, I usually did that and I threw a couple too." The captain chuckled. "Ye got guts Rapina, some would 'ave bet ye would freeze first time ye saw real combat." Rapina blushed, "Well, actually I did freeze, but Pike's battle cry snapped me out of it." "Well, well, I guess that old battle roar 'o yers is worth somethin' after all, Pike," the captain smiled. "Kent, yer maps 'r excellent, but ye were a liability in th' combat. A pirate that can't fight gets dead fast. Th' way I heard it, the fact ye were in a corner and the skeleton attackin' ye was brainless, saved yer life. It would be a shame ta loose one w' yer talents. I know th' enemies ye fought taday weren't exactly normal and ye didn't have combat instincts ta fall back on like Pike, 'er Donal, 'er Doanthalas. Nevertheless, Rapina did okay, an' Drake helped Pike outa a spot although he's green. I know I'm comparin' ye ta the best in yer basic class, but ye got ta git yer combat skills up. Usually, I just let a kid like ye sink 'er swim on 'is own, but I don't get many men w' a head like yers on their shoulders, so I've given Roger orders ta get ye more combat trainin'. See that ye apply yerself, as ye've seen, yer life depends on it. The rest of ye, listen up. Pirates can be a superstitious lot, 'an what ye encountered weren't at all natural. I want ye ta keep a tight lip. Anyone asks ye how ye got wounded, ye tell 'em it were, "natives 'o the isle," and don't tell em they tried ta carve ye even though they were already dead. I'll make sure the guard posts have some hefty clubs around in case any o' these boney nightmares attack. Pike has told me about the other water entrance ta the isle Southeast 'o here. Soon as we can we'll set up a base camp there and ye can try ta get ta the bottom o' this. In the mean time, lick yer wounds and I'll have Rapina study up on this matter again before ye go out. Remember ta keep the lips buttoned, I don't want the men spookin' on me. Don't talk about what happened even if no one else is around. Save it fer later. Fer now, I see ye've brought me some booty. I'll be givin' ye some money out of it if ye earned it. Drake, I know ye have weapons, an' I loaned Doanthalas that bastard sword. Far as I'm concerned, Doanthalas, ye have a couple 'o weapons comin' to ye. Logan will show ye through the weapons crates tomorrow an' ye can pick out a set 'o hand weapons for yer own, includin' that sword if ye can find nothin' better." "Rapina, I'd like ta talk ta ye more about these supernatural creatures an' such. Please come by after yer bath." Rapina nodded. "Good work, mates. 'Less ye have somethin' ta add, yer dismissed," the captain said. Doanthalas, watch yer back. That damn Brackston has half the pirates thinkin' ye summoned those demons last night, an I can't tell 'im what really happened or the other half 'o me men'll be shakin' in their boots just as hard as the ones Brackston's got to. Stick w' yer friends. --- Later that night after seeing, Beck, Fishy and Pike, Rapina arrived at the captain's clean from her bath. Scary day ye had wench. Sit down an' 'ave a glass 'o wine. Rapina sat down on Red Jack's couch and snuggled against the captain as she drank wine from a glass he had handed her. "What do ye make o' these skeletons. Where do ye suppose they're comin' from an' how do ye figure one o' me own men was turned into one of 'em. "It has to be necromancy, I think. The magic book talks about the theory behind necromancy. It all has to do with life force. People have it, dead men don't, and undead men have less than none, like a suction or a debt. That's why they try to kill, they want the life force of the living. I wish I knew more, but your library isn't the best where supernatural monsters are concerned. I think some of the holy books may talk about the undead. A lot of priests feel it's their duty to destroy them, and I guess some evil churches train their priests in necromancy so they can create and control the undead." "Aye, I think ye're right. Those chests be full o' me books, why don't ye get a start on findin' th' volumes ye need while I finish the night's logs." Rapina nodded. "Okay, I'll look for that one with the signs too." Rapina found one or two of the books she needed that night, but spent little time reading and much more time moaning with pleasure beneath the captain's capable hands. [Rapina]012 Shadows of the Dead It was three or four in the morning when there came a scratching on the tent flap accompanied by the dim glow of an oil lantern turned down low, and the whisper of Logan's voice. "Sir, we have a problem." "Nay, again? Come in an' tell me about it." "We've lost the Southeast watch post, sir," Logan said opening the tent flap. Suddenly Logan dropped the lantern he was carrying and lurched to catch it in mid air before it spilled. The light flickered and shadows danced but Logan caught the lantern before it hit the floor. "Aai! Jus' had the mother 'o chills, been having 'em off and on since we checked the post." "Didn't we double the guard ta tha Southeast?" the captain asked while getting out of bed and fetching his robe? Rapina held the covers to her neck with one hand while she got her sheathed crystal light pendant from the bed post and slipped it on over her neck with the other. She hoped whatever was attacking would stick to picking off guard posts as it had last night, but she felt a foreboding presence and feared that would not be so. As soon as Logan left, Rapina thought maybe she would get up, but right now, she was not wearing even a stitch of clothing. "Aye, an' had we not we'd 'ave never heard the single scream that marked the passin' o' the men," Logan said. "Did ye re- iiiiee! aaa! ssss!, I got yer aaaa! oooh! rrrr! chills! Damn it what's aaaaiiiuuuooou! gonin' on? The captain grimaced and cringed this way and that as chills struck him. Rapina could hear yelling outside the tent in the direction of the water that was only about two or three score paces away. When the guards at the Northeast guard post had mysteriously disappeared with only a scream to mark their passing, Logan had sent a man to rouse the pirates early. Someone had gotten past the sentries, and Logan did not want the men killed in their sleep. - -- The sylvan elf splashed cool water onto his face. He stood there for a few minutes basking in the invigorating feeling of cleanliness. Doanthalas opened his eyes and stared at the stars. They twinkled, as they seemed to dance in the heavens. It felt as if they were beckoning the tattooed elf to come dance with them in the sky. Some of the burden lifted from his heart as his spirits soared for a moment. A moment later they came crashing down as his thoughts turned to the recent encounter with the skeletons. Although his body was clean of the dirt and bone fragments from the fight his soul still felt tainted. Something was dreadfully wrong if the dead walked this island. Doanthalas seemed to be lost in thought again. Drake noticed that the elf would frequently stop whatever he was doing and stare at some fixed spot somewhere in the distance. The muscles in his face would move in such a manner that his facial tattoos seemed to come alive. It was a bit disconcerting at first, but Drake was getting used to the strange elf and his ways. In spite of the fact that Doanthalas did not engage in conversation often Drake was taking a liking to him. "So...Doanthalas....what's it like being the only elf around so many humans? Doesn't it make you uncomfortable?" The only reply the elf made was a slight shaking of his head. There was no way to describe to Drake the horrors he had borne witness to. The battle with the skeletons had been a walk in the park compared to some of the battles he had fought. Living with humans was far preferable to being the slave of fiends so grotesque that their faces haunted Doanthalas' reverie every night. Seeing that nothing more was forthcoming from Doanthalas Drake continued, "I know we're not supposed to talk about it, but..." He looked from side to side and whispered. "Do you think there are more of them up there? There's got to be. When we found the other...er...body and those skeletons... well... I don't think it was them that dragged the body away. What do you think?" Doanthalas dunked his head under the water and then threw his head back spraying water into the air as his long hair whipped backwards. He fixed his emerald eyes on Drake and spoke in the clear methodical manner he always did, "When the dead walk the earth the living must rise up and put their spirits to rest. Otherwise the living are doomed to join the dead in their tormented walking..." Had anyone else said those same words Drake would have dismissed them as being drunk or crazy or both. However, Doanthalas said it with such utter conviction that there was no doubting his words. The young man fell silent and looked off in the distance towards the cliffs. A feeling of dread was fast descending upon him. All Drake wanted to do was get off the island as fast as possible. The noise made by some of the other pirates bathing a little further down distracted him. The other pirates still didn't trust Doanthalas enough to linger too close to him. This annoyed Drake, but what annoyed him more was the sight of Edgar and Kent talking in hushed tones and looking in his direction. "He's a demon I tell ya. Look at him! You're right for not trusting him! He's a danger to us all. That story about shadow men or whatever he called them was made up. We both know it was him who killed the two guards. Kent looked at Drake and Doanthalas bathing in the distance. The elf seemed to be oblivious of his watchful gaze, but Drake noticed Kent watching them. The young man averted his eyes and turned to talk to Edgar. "What do you care Edgar? You don't give a damn about anyone in the camp except for maybe Trevor." Edgar scowled and grabbed Kent roughly by the arm. "That's not true and you know it! You and Drake were like brothers to me until we ended up here. As soon as we were here you both turned your backs on me! Sure I started a lot of trouble myself...I don't deny it. I like trouble! But, not once did you or Drake stand up for me. When that pirate beat me down you and Drake just stood there like cowards! At least Trevor cared enough to see that I was okay. And not once did you check up on me to see how I was coming along. Not once. I've been watching you and Drake every step of the way." He stopped for a moment to catch his breath and stared at Kent. The young man lowered his eyes. He knew there was some truth to Edgar's words. Some of the facts had been distorted, but the meaning remained unchanged. "You're right...Edgar. I'm sorry. I've been so wrapped up in what I've been doing that I have totally neglected you." "Don't worry about it too much runt. Drake obviously isn't. Look at him over there being all buddy buddy with that damnable elf." He hissed the last word like it left a bad taste in his mouth. "There's been nothing but trouble since the elf was released from his cage." "Yeah, but do you think he's the cause of it all?" Kent asked. "Hell yeah! And the question is what are we going to do about it..." Kent was about to respond when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. It was like his flesh was being ripped open. He tried to scream, but his body went rigid as all his muscles tightened. His eyes darted around in terror as his mind tried to come to grips with what had just happened. Edgar saw Kent's body jerk suddenly and his eyes looking about wildly, but Edgar did not know how to react. He was not sure what was going on until he saw the hideous face of Kent's attacker rise from the water. In his moment of terror and surprise, Edgar backpedaled onto land falling backwards into the water twice in the process. He grabbed his sword and leapt back into the water with a loud cry. By this time a few of the other pirates knew something was amiss. They had heard Edgar's cry and also witnessed another of their number being dragged under the water. Chaos erupted as more of the hideous creatures emerged from the water. Pirates scrambled for their weapons as the creatures advanced. The creatures skin had a pale sickly color to it and their teeth were long and pointy. Long tongues twisted like serpents in their mouths and their wild eyes scanned the camp. Any clothing they wore was in tatters. Drake turned as he heard Edgar's scream and started to run in that direction. An iron grip on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to shake off the hand only to come face to face with the sylvan elf. "Death comes to the foolish more swiftly than to the prepared...man. Arm yourself my friend." Doanthalas released his grip and raced onto the land. He knew that the enemy they faced was more dangerous than the pirates realized. These creatures were familiar to the elf; he had seen and fought them before, but back then he had been better prepared. He scooped up his sword as well as Drake's. When Drake was close enough he tossed him his sword and then raced off to engage the ghouls. Edgar tried to position himself so that he could attack the ghoul without harming Kent, but the ghoul seemed to sense this and kept moving so that Kent was constantly between it and Edgar. "Hang on Kent!" Edgar shouted. "I'll get you out of this." As he said those words, another ghoul emerged from the water beside him. He turned and swung at it with all his might. The creature jumped back well out of the way of the wild swing. Drake saw the creature with Kent start to drag him under the water. Drake Hoped he would get there in time to save Kent. Doanthalas' strong legs were carrying him to the battle more quickly than Drake could manage, but that did not matter. Drake could only think of helping his friend. The sylvan elf raised his sword to attack as he closed on the two ghouls engaged with Kent and Edgar. He was going to help Kent, but the ghoul on Edgar succeeded in slashing its claws across the young man's chest. Doanthalas saw Edgar go rigid and knew that the ghoul would devour him if he did not do something fast. Drake would have to help Kent. The tattooed elf brought his sword down swiftly slicing the ghoul's arm off neatly at the shoulder. The fight taking place in front of him didn't register at all. The only thing that Edgar could see was the ghoul dragging Kent under and Drake struggling feebly to stop it. "Let him go!" Drake screamed as he sank his sword into the ghouls back. The ghoul didn't even flinch. It just kept walking further out into the water dragging Kent with it. Drake hacked at it some more and knocked off big chunks of flesh, but the ghoul just turned and swatted him with its meaty hand. Drake only felt the sting of the blow for a moment. His muscles tightened immediately as the claws on the ghouls' hand scraped his face. He could do nothing to stop his fall as he fell backwards into the water. The sounds of battle faded as the water enveloped him. Try as he might, he could not will his muscles to move. "Gods! I'm going to drown!", he thought. Fear gripped him as surely as the paralysis had. The ghoul had turned on Doanthalas after the loss of its arm. It pressed its attack with a cunning rivaling that of some of the best pirates in the camp. A clawed hand raked across his chest, but apart from the blood flowing from the wound, Doanthalas seemed unaffected. He swung his sword deftly and proceeded to dismember the ghoul. The severed pieces of the ghoul sank swiftly to the bottom. Doanthalas turned and lifted Drake's rigid body from the water. Luckily he was still breathing. As the elf hoisted the form of Drake from the water he scanned the area for any sign of Kent. For a moment there was no sign of him. Then a large group of bubbles broke the surface of the water off in the distance. Doanthalas knew that all hope of rescuing the boy was lost at that moment. He grabbed the rigid forms of Edgar and Drake and dragged them to shore. What was he doing? The elf had just left Kent to die. He could have dove in after them and saved him, but he didn't. That damned elf! Tears streamed down Edgar's eyes and he would have sobbed if he had control of his body. At least Drake had tried to help. Drake was feeling the same grief that Edgar was, although he wasn't blaming Doanthalas for Kent's fate. He knew there was nothing the elf could have done. Instead, he blamed himself for getting there too late and allowing the ghoul to paralyze him. The elf turned quickly as a noise caught his attention. Another ghoul had crept up on him while he was dragging Drake and Edgar out of the water. He stood there weaponless trying to figure out what to do. He had left his sword a few paces back so he wouldn't accidentally stab one of the boys. Time seemed to slow down as he turned and prepared to make a dash for his sword. A combination of water and sweat rolled down his face tracing the contour of his cheek. A rivulet of blood ran down his chest as he turned and dug his feet in. The ghoul slashed at Doanthalas with its clawed hand just as a point of light caught the elf's attention. A drop of blood hung off of his chest for a split second before falling. It spattered to the ground just as a flaming arrow embedded itself into the back of the ghoul with a loud thunk-poof. Doanthalas seemed to have a demonic look to him as the light from the flames danced across his tattooed form. The tattoos seemed to come alive and writhing and twisting around his body as he embraced the ghoul and they both burst into flames. Arzeal nocked another flaming arrow and took aim. These arrows were special, and Arzeal had bought many of them from a tinker. They had proved invaluable against the rigging of enemy ships. Each was tipped with a glass bulb full of resinous spirits and coated with the same sort of pine tar used for torch-heads. The archer set the bulb aflame and fired. When the arrow hit, the bulb burst - splashing the target with a cloud of flaming resin. He did not want to hit Doanthalas, but that was a chance he would have to take if he wanted to save him. "Damn!" He muttered as the ghoul bowled the sylvan elf over and they both burst into flames. He would have to grieve for his friend later, for now he targeted another ghoul. Two other ghouls had surfaced a little further down and were wreaking havoc on the few pirates that had been bathing there. One pirate fell quickly to the ghouls attack and was dragged to a watery grave like Kent had been. the other fought the remaining pirates. Had they not been gripped by sheer terror the pirates might have mounted a formidable defense and defeated the ghoul. But the ghoul managed to paralyze most of them before being driven back into the water by a combination of attacks from the remaining pirates and a flaming arrow embedded in its neck. Reinforcements arrived in time to see the last ghoul disappear beneath the surface of the water. They tended to their wounded comrades and watched as the flaming ghoul and Doanthalas struggled near Drake and Edgar. The heat from the flame was unbearable, but the elf did not worry. He focused on the task at hand, ripping the ghoul limb from limb. He managed to maneuver the ghoul close to his discarded sword as they struggled. The ghoul had managed to inflict a few moderate wounds during the struggle, but it was clearly distracted by the fire. Doanthalas took advantage of the distraction and reached for his sword. After a few tries, he managed to grasp it. He hacked at the ghoul as they struggled. His flesh felt like it was melting off his skin, but the ghoul seemed to be in much worse shape. Its skin was blackened and had melted completely off some parts of its body. With a few agile strokes, he managed to extract himself from the flaming creature. The group of pirates that had witnessed the struggle stared in awe as the flaming elf stood up straight and tall apparently unharmed by the fire. As the last lick of flame dissipated, they noticed for the first time that his demonic looking tattoos were glowing an unearthly shade of red. The sudden silence was deafening to the elf. He looked up and saw fear painted across every face in the camp...including Pike who had reached the fight a little too late to help. Doanthalas stood there silently staring at the assembled crowd with his emerald eyes. They knew nothing of what he had been through...what he had gained and what he had lost. There was no way he could make them understand so he stood there in silence waiting for them to do something. Arzeal could not believe his eyes. Doanthalas was unharmed! The flames had not so much as singed a hair on his head. He was scared, that much was true. At the same time he was fascinated. He stood at the head of the group and studied the elf. He had no idea what he should do or say, but he knew that he had to say something before the frightened pirates took action. --------------- Maybe it was instinct, or perhaps some part of Rapina's intellect had noted a discrepancy in the way the shadows had danced when Logan nearly dropped the lantern. For whatever reason, Rapina pulled the sheath from the crystal light around her neck. Light flooded the tent; the shadows disappeared - all except three of them surrounding Captain Red Jack. "Bastards!" the captain bellowed. Logan drew his sword and lunged for the nearest shadow as quickly as any man could have. Red Jack slammed into one of the shadows with his foot, which took a horrible chill. He jumped clumsily past the downed shadow and drew his blade from where it hung on the bedpost while the creature tried to regain its feet. Rapina jumped up in bed. The covers were still in her hands and she threw them over the downed shadow as she hopped over to Red Jack's side of the bed. Jack had hung all of the weapons there. After throwing the blankets, Rapina hurriedly drew her rapier. Logan's blade pierced the monster nearest him. Wisps of shadowy vapors erupted from the creature's chest as the sword passed through it, but the thrust did not destroy it. It turned and lunged, touching Logan's neck. Iiieee! The captain felt weak as a baby. It was all he could do to muster an effective two-handed swing with his broadsword, but muster he did, chopping down beside the abomination's neck. The sword easily passed through the neck, shoulder and upper chest of the creature that spewed shadowy vapors with the passing blade, but the creature seemed undaunted. The shadow was too intent on the Captain's life force to worry about the assault. It grabbed one of the captain's arms and drained, regaining some of the life force lost to its wound. Aaaah! The creature's touch was so chill, and the pirate captain could feel his strength being drawn away from him. Rapina swung her rapier like a baseball bat with both hands and easily chopped right through the creature's neck. A flood of shadowy vapors fountained from the creature's neck around Rapina's moving blade, but its head did not drop off. Surprised for only an instant, the shadow tangled in the blankets fought it's way out from under the covers. Rapina heard more screams and yelling from the direction of the water. The shadow touched Logan's upper arm. The chill was unbearable. Logan swung his sword right through the creature's chest. vapors burst out from around the blade as it sliced. The shadow reached out and chilled the pirate captain to the bone before his opponent's blade could touch him. Rapina reversed the direction of her swing and chopped across and down through the shadow's neck and chest. Jack felt so weak, his swing was slowed but as his blade joined Rapina's already slicing through the creature. The creature exploded into a harmless puff of vapor. Aaaaaa! The captain roared as the shadow that had crawled out from under the blankets Rapina had thrown over it grabbed his ankle. - Logan went to swing his blade back through his shadow, but the creature grabbed his elbow, the horrible chill temporarily froze his joint. The pirate lieutenant sidestepped towards his captain, he could see the other creature was making a mess of him. Now that Rapina realized the semi-ethereal nature of her foe, she abandoned the two-handed swing, snapped into a proper fencing stance and aimed her rapier at the shadow that had just touched the captain's ankle. Her blade entered the shadow's neck and sliced all the way down through its back. Vapors erupted everywhere. The shadow sprung away from the pain lancing its back, turned and lunged to touch The captain. The captain moaned as still more strength was torn from him. Weakly he whirled around and brought his blade through his tormenter - Logan's shadow ducked unexpectedly and grabbed his belly as Logan took up his sword with the other hand. His swing only nicked the creature's head, but thankfully, his elbow unfroze in the few seconds the exchange took. The mindful creature in tent on killing Jack dodged Rapina's blade. The captain swung weakly, but connected. Vapors poured out as he cut a swath through the shadow. The shadow's hand darted out and touched the captain's face. Logan's shadow jumped, sucking rich life force from his victim's side and taking only a nick from his dangerous blade. A quick lunge to the pirate captain's vitals brought another small taste of life force to Jack's shadowy foe. The captain felt so weak he could barely stand. Only adrenaline held him up, but he was unable to muster an effective blow. As the captain staggered, Rapina stepped in between him and the shadow and sliced a diagonal through the shadow's upper chest. The captain staggered a few steps backward then fell when his legs failed to hold him up. All he could do is lay helplessly by and watch the battle. Logan was chilled to the bone, the horror he was fighting was dodging too well. It touched Logan again strengthening itself, and all he was able to do was nick its side. A faster lighter weapon might have been a better choice, he thought. Rapina's blade hissed through the air and through the shadow's chest leaving only a puff of vapors where once the creature stood. Logan spun and struck, but the shadow's lunge chilled him again. It seemed that every time he struck the monster, it struck him and used his energy to regain its strength. A tune Arzeal had played during her training was singing though her head. Rapina leapt, and landed as her rapier carved an "s" in the back of Logan's shadow. Rapina almost felt guilty attacking the creature's back, but not really, she struck again passing her blade through the shadow from shoulder to waist. The shadow took two vicious strikes to it's back, it turned trying to touch it's victim and dodge the terrible blade from behind at the same time, but in doing both, it accomplished neither. Logan felt so weak, but he was a fine swordsman. He took advantage of the creature's confusion and struck successfully. Rapina saw Logan was now holding his broadsword with both hands and wavering a bit on his feet. As long as the shadow had to face two opponents at once, it would be at a disadvantage, but if Logan went down as the captain had, they were doomed. Rapina steeled herself and launched blade and body in an attempt to get between Logan and the shadow. Rapina's jump was too late! She knocked into the creature's arm as it touched Logan. Ahhhhh! Logan hissed as the creature nearly froze his neck and shoulders. Just for a moment, the creature paralyzed his arms with cold. When Rapina's body hit the shadow's arm, it was already draining Logan. Rapina's lust senses tingled wrongly as she actually felt Logan's life force and just a bit of her own travel up the creature's arm. It was like a much less delicious rendition of the life force traveling down a lover's manhood. Her mind reeled, was she nothing more than a pretty shadow, draining men's strength from them? Her blade whipped through the creature's shoulder doing only a little damage but helping her get firmly between it and Logan. The woman that had cut its back so grievously had now cut it off from its intended victim. Nevertheless, he had drank deeply of him before they parted. The shadow reached out to relieve the woman of a portion of her life energy. Rapina gasped as the Shadow ducked her blade, grabbed her lower thigh and ripped at her life force. She felt nearly all of what little sex-magical energy she still had stored in her breasts after the skeleton battle leave her, but her strength was untouched. It was obvious that what Rapina stored was some form of life force. Rapina's rapier whipped back with a vengeance, sundering the back of the creature for bringing her such an unsettling realization. Logan felt like a child, his sword was so heavy in his hands, but as a child he had played with wooden swords whenever he could. His weak two-handed blow cleaved through the shadow's rear end spewing vapors in its wake. Logan watched as the shadow reached out to grab Rapina's breast. He knew why she had put herself between him and the shadow. His strength was nearly gone, but as long as both pirates were standing, the shadow would be taking double hits, and Logan meant to make this one count. He grimaced as he put every pitiful ounce of strength he had left into the blow and cleaved through the shadow's side. The shadow sensed a rich source of life force and lunged to grasp it. Had it been any slower, it would have died from Logan's blow, but the sustenance it gained held it together just for an instant. Rapina felt the last vestige of her stored power leave her and then the horrible chill of strength being wrenched from her. As the creature drained her, she forced herself to remember what it must feel like when a person gave more life force than she could afford. Her rapier sung as it whipped through the shadow on a diagonal. There was a puff of vapor and the monster was no more. Rapina rushed to see how the captain was faring. He was sprawled on his back at the foot of the bed. "Jack, are you okay?" "I'm weak as a kitten girl, but I'm still barely alive." Logan staggered over to the captain and Rapina and sat on the foot of the bed just above the captain. "How are ye mate?" The captain asked. "Nearly too weak ta stand, but alive as ye are," replied Logan. "How about you, wench?" "My chest feels like it's frost bit inside. My leg wasn't hit as bad, but it's not so good either. Luckily the shadow only hit me a couple of times. I'm not as weak as you guys are." "I heard some commotion outside girl, but ye can't leave us in this condition. Go ta the flap and see what ye can see. Yell fer Drake 'an Pike or Arzeal. I need ta know what's up and I need gardin' by someone I can trust, cause I'm in no shape ta fight." Rapina ran to the flap and opened it. She couldn't see beyond the radius of her light so she just yelled out. "ARZEAL! PIKE! DRAKE! Report to the captain's tent soon as you can!" Just then Rapina saw arms master Hock on the outskirts of the illumination cast by her light. Rapina turned back to the captain. "How about arms master Hock?" "Is 'e out there? Bring 'im in." [Rapina]013 Night Terrors Rapina grinned and reopened the flap, "HOCK, in here on the double! She relished giving the arms master an order. It was a rare treat. Hock came running up and blinked at Rapina and her bright light. Rapina felt her lust sense tingle, then realized that, unless you counted a Rapier and two pendants, she wasn't wearing any clothes. Hock burst into the tent. "What's with th' naked Valkyrie?" Rapina blushed crimson "It's th' latest in pirate-wench fashion," Jack chuckled weakly. "See if you and Rapina can hoist me up onto the bed an' prop me up. While yer at it, tell me what's happenin' out there." Hock looked at Logan, "aren't ye gonna help?" "Sorry mate, I can barely lift a broadsword. I'm near as wrecked as he is." "What happened ta you men? I'd say ye'd been wenchin' a bit too hard." Logan started laughing, and he could not seem to stop. Trouble was he was so weak already that the laugher laid him out on the bed. Rapina giggled and took the captain's feet while Hock lifted him from behind under the arms. They carried him to the head of the bed and propped him in a sitting position against the headboard. Once they had the captain situated, Rapina started dressing hurriedly. "I just got done puttin'' a quadrupled guard on the Southeast post 'an on me way back I heard a commotion from the water front, an' then the wench ordered me in here like a soldier." "Careful Hock, any wench 'can last through me an Logan at are best deserves a ton 'o respect," the captain said firmly, trying to keep from laughing and failing miserably. Logan shook the bed with renewed laughter. "We were attacked by somethin' in here, Hock, damndest thing ye ever saw, livin' shadows with a touch chiller than a winter day. Ye couldn't see em at all, an' their touch drained yer strength an hurt ye too. They must 'ave come back from the Southeast guard post with Logan, and I dare say they were lookin' fer me an almost had me an Logan both dead ta rights. Me lucky wench saved are ass. Otherwise ye'd be runnin' th' camp without us. Hock raised his eyebrows. This was the first time he had heard of a green recruit saving the Captain and his right hand man. "I know what yer thinkin' Hock, how could a recruit just out o' basic save two seasoned pirates like us. Ye have ta understand, fer some reason when I yelled out about the chills, the wench got her mage light right quick and opened it up. All the shadows in the room disappeared but three and those three seemed ta all want ta touch me some more. Logan drew on one, Rapina jumped up an' tossed the covers over one I kicked out' o' my way so I could get to me sword. She an I drew steel and we was fightin' first the one, an' then the other when it found it's way out from under the blankets. The things were hittin' on me not her so I warr the one gettin' weaker by the second." "Near the end of the second shadow I was done for. Rapina shielded me an' I staggered out o' the way and went down, too weak ta stand. All I could do was watch, but I had one hell o' a view from down on the floor there," Jack grinned saltily. "She finished the second one off 'an went an' did the same fer Logan as she did fer me. By that time he was weak as a two-year-old." Pike burst into the captain's tent visibly shaken. This worried those present because not a one of them had seen Pike shaken before. Ever. "Sir." He gasped as he caught his breath. "There's been trouble down by the water...we...were attacked by...by...hideous creatures. We got two of them but they made off with two of our men..." He paused and gave Rapina a meaningful look. "Kent was one of them." Before the captain could say anything he continued, "And there's something else sir...The elf...Doanthalas...well he was fighting one of the creatures when Arzeal sank a special flaming arrow into it. It grappled with Doa...the elf...and they both burst into flames." "AND!!!" The captain said with an annoyed tone. "Well sir. The ghoul was burned to a cinder, but...but...the elf...he doesn't have a mark on him...except for the claw and bite marks. The fire didn't hurt him one bit! And that's not all! All the men who the creatures struck were paralyzed. The elf wasn't affected by that either. The men are scared sir. 'Can't say that I blame them, but they might do something drastic. Arzeal has them under control for the moment, but you'd better hurry." Pike paused as he noticed for the first time the state that the captain and Logan were in. "So th' elf 'as been holdin' out on me, 'e failed ta mention a magical power. Hock an' Roger always ask about skills an powers. It'll go rough on 'im, but 'e 'as the skeleton battle 'an fightin'' th' ghouls ta 'is credit. Was 'e valuable in the ghoul fight? "I think so, sir, I arrived after the battle had begun. He helped kill the one ghoul I saw killed - the one Arzeal set aflame with a special arrow. The others were only driven back under water by being set aflame. "If I weren't weak as a babe, I'd have ye clap that elf in chains an' bring 'im 'ere; 'e's got some serious explainin' ta do. Seein' as how I'm an invalid, I'll deal w' him later. No one's ta see me like this but me officers. I need guards I can trust outside th' tent flap. 'An believe me Pike, I'd be out thar ta beat th' men down ta order in a heart beat, but I'm weak as a kitten. The things that killed th' Southeast guard post followed Logan back ta me tent an' attacked us here. If it weren't fer me lucky wench, Logan an' I'd be dead, 'er shadows, 'cause that's what th' creatures that about killed us looked like. Hock, what do ye know about the undead?" "Precious little, sir. I've heard a few tall tales, but nothin' I could put any stock in. The way I hear, most of 'em slink around at night. They don't like the daylight." "Good, yer just the man fer the job. Whip those pirates inta shape, arm 'em up, move 'em back from th' water, an' have 'em make a tight camp in a ring right around this tent. We need ta hold out till dawn. Tell 'em th' water front weren't th' only attack we suffered tanight. Make sure they realize that the enemy so far has only attacked at night, an' let 'em know I'll be talkin' to 'em soon as me officers brief me on th' various battles." "Plant torches an' make fires. We need plenty o' light. "Pike, send me Drake, an' Arzeal. I need men I can trust in here ta guard me." "Speakin' o' answers, Rapina, get into them books, find me everything ye can about undead monsters, particularly any o' the ones we've seen." "Everyone's got 'is orders, now go too." There was a chorus of, "Yes sir," and everyone rushed off, save Rapina who began to delve into the captain's books there in his tent, and Logan who was too weak to move much. Rapina sniffed back her tears and told herself she would cry for Kent later. Her expression became very serious, Kent was dead, and Doanthalas was in big trouble. She went to one of the chests of books and began digging almost frantically, but the look in her eyes was pure determination. Soon arms master Hock's voice could be heard barking orders rapid-fire outside. Intermingled with the orders were blood-curdling screams from here and there around the periphery of the camp. A little while later Pike came into the tent. "Here is Drake, sir, but he's in no condition for guard Duty. One of those creatures on the water front gashed him and froze him up solid. Edgar and a half dozen of the men are the same way. I had a devil of a time just getting the sword out of Drake's hand so I could put it back in his sheath." "Damn! Organize a detail ta bring the other frozen men up here," Jack ordered. "How ye doin' Logan?" the captain asked. "I think me strength is seepin' back, but it's sure takin' it's time. How 'bout you?" "Hard ta say yet, but I think ye're right. Rapina, Give Logan here a book that needs searchin'. Might as well put 'im ta work." Rapina handed a book to Logan from the stack she was building. Just then, Arzeal came into the tent. Arzeal, good ta see ya, what's happenin'' out there, Logan an' me got attacked by things lookin' like shadows an' we're pretty much laid up fer the moment. 'Tweren't fer me wench we'd both be dead men. Arzeal cocked an eyebrow at the captain's remark but knew that captain had better things to do than explain. "The men are real restless, sir. They've seen that Doanthalas is impervious to flame and they were going to lynch him, but I told Brackston to chain him up, that you wanted some answers out of him. He was the only person I figured could keep the elf from being lynched since he was the one who got the men all scared of him in the first place. Kind a' oversteppin' yer authority, don't ya think. "Yes, sir but it was that or let them kill him. I don't know what to think about Doanthalas myself, but when I saw him, he was fighting those creatures on the waterfront, not conjuring them. The men are sure he's a demon, and they want blood. Only the fact that he was chained and a prisoner of Brackston and on his way to answer to you kept them from lynching him." "Aye, e's got some grave answerin'' ta do. 'Ave Brackston steak 'im down outside the tent. I'll deal w' him later. What're those screams I keep hearing. "Men keep getting chills sir." Listen up, Arzeal, those aren't chills, they're the attack of a nearly invisible critter that looks like a shadow, ye can only see 'em in strong light an three o' 'em nearly killed me an Logan. Th' fact that ye can't really tell anything's attackin' ye an' ye can't see 'em is what makes 'em so dangerous. They drain strength every time they hit 'an the cold gives ye a real wound if ye'll look under yer clothes ta see it. Ye can hit 'em with swords, but ye can only see 'em in good light. Go on an' warn 'em. It'll scare 'em ta death, but at least they might be able ta save their own skins. Arzeal nodded and left the tent in a hurry. Not too long after Arzeal left, Brackston's voice could be heard outside the tent. "I told 'em all this elf was a demon, but no, they didn't believe me. We'll see what kinda trouble ye're in now freak! " Gods! He's bleedin' bleedin out 'is tattoos. Yiiii!, 'e's possessed! Run! Woof! Grrrr, woof! Aaaaagh! "Well I'll be damned!" Brackston said. "Step out there an' see what's up Rapina - an leave the light." Rapina set her book and light down and jumped up. Outside, the torches that often illuminated the area around the captain's tent had been lit. Brackston was standing and staring at Doanthalas whose tattoos were bleeding all over his body. Brackston was dumfoundedly holding the other end of his infamous neck chain and staring at Doanthalas. Thumper was barking wildly. Several pirates had drawn back and a few were running away. Rapina crouched down and lifted Doanthalis' sagging chin. "Doanthalis, What's happening to you?" The elf barely had any strength left. He had lost a lot of blood yet he still managed to speak. "My... curse... a 'gift' from... from... those of... the flaming... black... heart... I..." Doanthalas collapsed as unconsciousness enveloped him. When Rapina came back into the tent about five minutes later, Brackston could be heard pounding a huge steak into the ground with a sledge hammer. "Gods girl, ye're covered w' blood, what happened?" "It's Doanthalas, sir, he bled profusely from his tattoos and passed out. It scared the men badly. Brackston's chaining him to an iron post outside." "There's a rag over there, wipe yerself down an' use me basin. Then get me old Blue shirt from me chest an' put it on. No sense in ye gettin' the books bloody. Damn, all this goin' on an' me weak as a wilted flower." Once Rapina got back to the books she and Logan began to find some references to the undead. Whenever they located a passage, they read it aloud to Captain Red Jack. About a quarter hour after Rapina got back to the books, Hock stuck his head into the tent. "I tried recallin' the watch posts, but the central post is gone and one man on the Southwest came runnin' in here telling me his partner started complaining o' chills then disappeared right before 'is eyes. My messenger for the quadrupled Southeast post an' six o' the eight men from the post came back runnin' here like a ghost was chasin' 'em, an they said the other two'd been killed by walkin' skeletons. Is everybody goin' daft?" Hock asked. "Those are real Hock, I got me a skull an' two arms that still move in that bag over there from th' scoutin' mission. 'Found out last night, the South o' this isle's a grave yard. Ye'd best set up a defense." Hock did a double-take. "I'll believe it when I see it." "Believe it, Hock. The best weapons again' 'em are heavy an' blunt. Ask Pike if ya need any pointers." Rapina heard Renewed screams and the clash of steal from the Southeast. Hock left shaking his head. Before long Pike's battle cry could be heard loud and clear. "Blood an' Bones! Hold yer ground an' drive these bags a bones back ta the hells they came from." It had been nearly an hour since the attack started when Drake felt his muscles ease. Some time ago, Pike had carried him up from the waterfront and left him standing in the captain's tent like a statue. He could see and hear what was going on, but he could not move. The scratch of the ghoul had filled him with supernatural fear that had locked up every muscle in his body. "Uhhh!" he said as he collapsed to the floor. His muscles were so sore it felt as if he had just worked two days and two nights on his father's farm without a break. "Can ye speak Drake?" "Uh, yes sir," Drake said quietly; "'muscles all hurt, sir." The captain swung his legs off the bed. "Damn, I'm still weak but gettin' better." "Rapina, I need ye ta help me up. I'm going ta get dressed an' I'm going ta talk ta the men. Hopefully by the time I'm ready, I'll 'ave the strength o' a four- year-old 'stead of a two-year-old." Once he was up, the captain put on his trousers and got some keys from the pocket. He opened a strong box and took out a vial. He drank half and gave the other half to Logan." "Drink a third o' what remains an' give th' rest ta Drake an' Rapina. That there is a magical potion I got off th' noblemen who was in charge 'o that blockade we broke. Seein' as Rapina was wieldin'' 'is blades tanight, I'd say killin' 'im helped save me life twice so far. Drake drank about half of what was left, then passed the rest to Rapina. Rapina tipped back the vial heartily, but only drank a bit of the potion. It tasted somewhat odd and made her nose and lust sense tickle. Rapina knew it must somehow contain healing life force. She could feel her wounds shrinking as warmth flooded her belly. She paid a great deal of attention to the feel of the potion. It was not too unlike the feel she got when healing her wounds using the power men gave her. Rapina wondered if there might be a way she could heal others with life force she stored, just as the potion was now healing her. "There's a little left, may I save it for later? I don't have as much meat to wound as you big men." "Aye, it's yers girl, save some if ye want. It seems ta be helpin' me wounds, but it ain't doin' much fer me strength. Just the same, it were a good draught." The captain dressed very slowly as his wounds disappeared. "How ye feelin' now, Drake? If ye're up to it, tell me about the battle earlier this night at the water front." "Well, sir. The battle was quick and deadly. Those creatures...I'm not sure what they are...they are hideous looking...I'd call them men, but whatever they were they weren't men. I was bathing in the water along with a few other men...and Doanthalas. We heard some screams and saw... them... rising out of the water. They caught a few of the men by surprise. Kent... Kent... was one of them." Drake paused as the tears flowed down his face. When he had regained his composure he continued, "They carried no weapons, but they had claws that would cause your muscles to freeze up if they scratched you. I was clawed by one of them... It was terrifying! All I could do was stand there and watch as the ghouls dragged... they... I couldn't do anything to help Kent... I tried, but... The creature paralyzed me and I'd be dead if Doanthalas hadn't saved me. I fell over in the water and would have drowned because I couldn't move, But he saved me...me and Edgar...but there wasn't anything he could do for Kent..." The young pirate stopped and wept for a few minutes. The captain respected his grieving silence before speaking. "Good then, Drake, 'least I know what happened. Step outside an' See what's up. If they're free, get me Arzeal, Pike an' Hock. If th' elf's up, take this key, unlock th' chain from th' steak an haul th' elf in here yerself. It's damn near dawn but I still need a bit o' time more ta recover me strength fer me speech, but there's goin' ta be a lot ta do soon as I step outside that flap. Might as well do what I can do sittin' down right now. And Drake...I'm sorry about yer friend. But right now I need ya to be strong. Our very survival just might depend on it. Now get gone boy!" Arzeal was the easiest for Drake to find. He was doing his best to keep some semblance of order in the camp. The half-elf reluctantly left the frightened pirates behind and reported to the captain. Pike and Hock were busy breaking out weapons for the defense of the camp. They grabbed what they needed and left another pirate in charge until they returned. Doanthalas was barely conscious when Drake reached him. He was grateful that the elf had saved him, but he was also scared. There was something to the elf that Drake wasn't sure he wanted to know about. The young pirate unlocked the chain from the stake and reluctantly lifted the elf in his arms. Doanthalas' skin felt cold and clammy and bits of dried blood flaked off as they headed towards the captain's tent. After about fifteen minutes, the birds could be clearly heard heralding the coming of the dawn. Hock, Arzeal and Pike came into the tent. Drake followed holding the elf in his arms the chain dragging on the ground behind him. "Yer in a heap 'o trouble Doanthalas. Holdin' out information on powers ye 'ave when Hock an Roger ask ye ain't healthy, an' holdin' out on magical powers can be a killin' offense. The best thing ye can do now is come clean an' tell me all about every power ye 'ave. Ye can start by tellin' me what ye know about them creatures that attacked on the waterfront, an why th' other men who got raked by 'em froze solid, but ye didn't." It was obviously a great effort for the elf to even speak, but after a short pause Doanthalas did speak, "power... is... not... not... tis a curse. Bestowed upon... me... by those of the... flaming black... hearts. To me the... sun... flower does not kill, but... it does burn... and in exchange for... my life... my life... nectar flows freely... from..." The elf managed to feebly indicate one of his many fiendish looking tattoos. "The... creatures... ghouls... dead men walking... hungering for the... life nectar... and... flesh they lack. The foul touch of their... tainted flesh... causes men to take root as the oak. My... people have... always been... immune to the foul... touch of... the ghoul. Why? I know not. It just... is... as the sun is... so is this..." That said the elf laid his head back and closed his eyes for a moment. "Sir, I can vouch for elves being more resistant to magic that warps a man's mind or makes him sleep, but that's as far as I know." The half-elf cast a worried look in Doanthalas' direction. "Sir. He's in bad shape. I've got a little something I learned from an elf a while back that should help him." Red Jack looked at Arzeal and nodded, "Okay. Do what ye need. I'll be needin' im healthy and soon. Go now! Doanthalas, I don't know if I can believe ye about th' undead 'r at all anymore since ye held out on me, an yer in deep w' the men's superstitions. Fer now yer the best source o' information we got, so I'll have ta take what ye say as true whether I like it or not. If bein' impervious ta flame ain't an elven characteristic, then I want ye ta fill me in on where ye came by it 'an any other powers ye been hidin', understand?" The elf's body shivered for a few moments before Doanthalas regained his composure and continued. "Countless seasons ago... I and... my... brother lived amongts our... people. Here. One sun cycle we... were gathering... herbs for our parents when... when we were surrounded... by a radiant... pool of magical waters. The forest... seemed to fade like the light... as dusk approaches. The earth mother had... lost all color. All was grey. The sky... the earth mother...everything. Except my brother, me... and... and one of the flaming dark hearted. I believe... you word... for them... is...Dee-mahn... or Fiend. My... brother..." Doanthalas paused as a lump caught in his throat. "My brother... my elder... tried to bargain with... the dar... feend... so that we might return home... we were lost... later we would... discover... just how lost we... were." "Ya mean ta tell me ye were captured by DEMONS!?!?!? I find that a little hard ta swallow." The captain said with a snicker. Most of those assembled nodded their heads in agreement thinking this to be some sort of elaborate fairy tale. Doanthalas waited for the gathered pirates to scoff for a bit before he began speaking. The words that the elf produced were horrible to hear and left a sickening feeling in the stomach of those assembled. Images flooded into the minds of the pirates. Images so horrible that many of them covered their ears and shrank back fearing the elf was attempting to cast some sort of evil spell. The tattooed elf stopped and let the pirates compose themselves. "I... just spake to you... in their tongue... the wicked tongue of the Dee- mons. It is a horrible... tongue that no... mortal should... ever hear... much less learn... I have done both... be grateful that... you only had to... hear it. Your nightmares will be strong, but... nothing like..." Doanthalas shook his head and continued his story, "The feend... my brother thought he... could trick him into... helping us... but that was just... youth... ful... arrogance. We both paid for it... in the end..." Doanthalas paused as horrible images came flooding back into his mind. Images of rivers of blood and towers built out of the broken living bodies of countless races. He saw their tormented faces as they screamed in agony and begged for a quick and merciful death. He felt their flesh on his feet; their feeble struggles to achieve freedom. More and more dreadful images assaulted him, but he fought against them and pushed them to the dark recesses of his mind. He did not know how to make them understand how to adequately describe what he had been through. What they had heard of the fiend's language gave them a little insight, but nothing more. He swallowed hard and continued, "We were held... captives by the dark ones for... many seasons. They tortured us... and forced us to... fight in their... vile... war. They... 'gave'... me these tattoos so that... I might survive...in a few... of their... hostile environments. But they also made... sure... there was... a... a... price. Though my flesh does... not melt... I still feel... the pain. I still pay the... price... in blood. My blood. I would gladly embrace...death... rather than endure... this. That was... how... I acquired... my... 'powers'." Doanthalas decided that he had told the captain enough. Besides he did not want to relive any more of his experiences at the hands of the fiends that night. All he wanted was sleep. He was so weak from the loss of blood that he could barely move. "Tanight we got attacked by things that look like shadows an are nearly invisible. Tell me what ye know about 'em." "They... are shadows. They... feed off... of your life... spirit... soul... yes. I believe... that to be... the correct word. They are weakest in bright light... and strongest in the... darkness from whence... they came. That is... all that I know... about... shadows." "All right, put Doanthalas back out on th' steak. That's probably the safest place for 'im w' th' men as riled as they are by now." "Hock, what's been goin' on out there?" The arms master looked as though he'd aged a couple of years in the last couple of hours. "Well sir, first it was shadows. They took out the central guard post and half of the one on the Southwest. When they attacked the men in camp, they seemed to like to hit and run. I've never seen the men so terrified, sir, and we lost a few even though we used the torches and the fires and flailing around with weapons once I managed to get the men organized." "Just a little later during that mayhem a dozen skeletons came from the Southeast, routing the guard post. When the skeletons got here, some of the men ran. I wouldn't count on ever seeing 'em again. I got the lion's share of 'em ta stand an' fight by yellin' myself hoarse. Pike and a squad of men that had been moving supplies in from the waterfront ran ta bolster my forces, then all hell broke loose when we saw what was following 'em - forty more bags of bones wet from bein' in the water were followin' them." "The men were stunned, sir, Pike turned back the way he'd come, stepped forward a few paces with that battle axe o' his an' that old club he brought back from the scoutin' mission. He screamed bloody murder an' lit into 'em. They practically exploded when 'e hit. Not ta be outdone, Brackston lit into 'em with a broadsword an a Roman shield. I previously had the men arm up, an' many o' em' had been usin' shields tryin' ta keep the shadows off em. I just started yellin' again, "Shield bash an' strike! Shield bash and strike!" "Th' men were terrified, at first it were a rout, but as soon as some of em' saw Pike annihilatin' skeletons like there was no tomorrow an heard me yellin those familar orders I drum into 'em in basic, fewer of 'em ran an' we stopped givin' ground. The tide turned and we beat those skeletons ta bones. We got more wounded than I can count. Leach Kennon's goin' crazy an we got plenty o' dead too sir, we'll have ta pick em' up an' burn em so's they don't get up on their own," Hock grimaced. "Arzeal?" "I was keeping an eye out for Pike's men moving essential supplies up from the waterfront. It's only fifty paces, but we were tightening the camp up. One thing you should know, sir. I haven't told anyone because there wasn't a thing any of us could do about it. Every boat you own is sunk in the cove." The officers drew a collective gasp. "Ghouls from under water, I expect, sir," Arzeal said. "There wasn't a thing we could do about it. At best maybe the rowboats and the fishing boat are okay, they were pulled up on shore." "Me ships." The captain's face and ears went red and anger leaked out of his every pore. "Pike, carry me table just outside, plant a couple o' torches next to it and assemble the men in front o' the tent." Pike left to get things ready, then came in and whispered something in the captain's ear. As the men were assembling for the captain's speech Rapina's determination paid off. "Sir, look at this. She handed an old crusty holy book to the captain and pointed to a passage." Jack took the book and red aloud, "The touch o' th' ghoul or barrow fiend freezes a man's mind an' muscles w' supernatural fear. Only th' wisest an' most courageous men can resist. The touch o' the barrow fiend is a supreme test o' a priest's faith. Those who resist magical influence on th' mind, such as wise men an' th' elves o' the forest are like ta resist the paralyzin'' touch o' the ghoul. Ghouls inhabit graveyards where they tunnel to feast on the flesh of the dead. When possible, they also feast on the living." "I found a reference to shadows, sir," Logan added. "It doesn't say much we don't already know from Doanthalas and the battle, but it does say if ye loose all yer strength, yer body decomposes inta dark vapors and reforms as a shadow. If I hadn't seen 'em with me own eyes, I'd think this book was tellin' tales taller than a tower, but I'll bet this tail is true." Red Jack nodded, "Aye then, Rapina, ye've proven Doanthalas right on one count. Bein' an elf is likely why 'e didn't freeze up. That cuts th' charges again' him in half. Seems like I'm about ready ta talk ta th' men. Keep up th' good work. We need every scrap o' knowledge we can get on th' undeads, an' we don't have much time ta get it. I know in me heart that elf had nothin' ta do w' th' works o' th' undead. This ain't random conjuration 'r consortin' with demons, this is low down, cut throat military-grade strategy." With that, the captain shoed everyone out ahead of him and stepped out the flap to make his speech. "Rumors an' superstitions 'ave been flyin' aroun' this camp like stones in a hail storm. Grown men 'ave been shakin' in their boots an' peein' their pants like kids because they were afraid o' a stupid damn elf. Well now ye got somethin' *real* ta be afraid of, an' it ain't no elf!" "Remember Cudge an' Blade. Brackston caught th' elf hangin' over Cudge's body, an jumped to a few conclusions, but me an' Skitch weren't so sure the elf had eaten th' meat off two big men an left only one o' their skeletons behind. It was easy ta see somethin' dragged the other body off. Ye want ta know what happened to it, what happened ta yer friend Blade? I'll show ye what happened to 'im." The captain dumped the animated arms and skull of Blade onto his table, then scooped up the scull and held it from the back so the men could see its teeth gnashing. The arms crawled towards the captain on their fingers but the captain kept moving and forcing them to change directions." "I bet yer all wonderin' why Pike is so damned good at fighting skeletons. 'Cause practice makes perfect! They tracked Blade's missin' body yesterday. It wasn't hard 'cause the ghouls that got 'im left a trail 'o blood. Ghouls, you know, them creatures that froze a number of ye like statues. They're undead, they hang around haunted graveyards, an yesterday I found out the whole damn Southeast o' this island is a big fuckin' graveyard." "Whoever got Blade's skeleton here made it walk. An how much do ye want ta bet we might be seein' Kent an' some o' the other men we lost this night again real soon? I'll bet some o' the men from the guard posts were givin' ye chills an' drainin' yer strength last night, because a man that gets killed by a shadow, turns into a shadow. Just by havin' the ill luck of choosin' this isle ta camp on, we've given its lord plenty o' fodder ta swell 'is armies. Why am I so sure this isle has a lord? Is it the fact that on this isle there are mausoleum caves carved out o' the granite and adorned with runes and equipped with traps? That might o' had a bit ta do w' it." "I'll tell ye why I know this isle ain't run by a bunch o' these ol' bone heads or a kid elf w' enchanted tattoos. The captain pointed at the gnashing skull and Doanthalis in turn. "'Night before this last one, some ghouls bumped into a guard post, Two men were no problem for ghouls, just a light snack. Doanthalas here was bein watched, but 'them that were watchin' 'im didn't look at 'im fer a second an 'e was gone, so they ran fer Brackston ta track 'im." "Doanthalas heard the damn ghouls eatin' my men -ghouls do that, drag ye off an eat ye. The wild elf tracked 'em, an got in a hell of a lot o' trouble for it from bloody Brackston. He didn't know shit about this island, an' everyone knows he don't like th' elf. But those ghouls, they brought a body an' a little news ta their master, an th' next night what happened?" "I'll tell ye what happened, a doubled Southeast guard vanished with only one scream that could be heard from camp, and then the pack o' shadows that killed 'em did somethin' awful damn intelligent for a collection o' dark vapors. They came back through the camp, snackin' a bit on Logan but not botherin' another soul, an then when he stepped into my tent ta tell me what was goin' on, they all jumped on me - a surgical strike, couldn't a planned it better meself." It's a cinch me an' Logan were dead 'cept I invited are favorite wench ta me bed that night. She has that mage light o' hers, and when I doubled over w' chills, she turned it on straight away ta see why 'er captain was actin' so strange. Well, in good light it was obvious -shadows. Bein' able ta see 'em, was nice, but they 'ad already drained most o' me strength, an Logan's. We fought 'em, an while they were drainin' us silly, Rapina killed em, even shielded each o' us near the end there w' her body. Could' a easily got 'erself killed. By all rights, I should be dead right now 'an so should Logan." "At th' same time the lord o' the isle sent a ghoul attack ta distract you men from th' fact that shadows was killin' me an' Logan -nice little diversion. Was that effective 'er what? Without, the damned 'demon' elf, and the damned half elf an' his damned special fire arrows, them ghouls woulda stacked you men up like cord wood an' hauled ye off ta the ghoul farm. Ye better open yer eyes and think about how yer treatin' them that saved all o' yer miserable lives, stead o' worryin' about them elven differences that make ye feel uncomfortable. Without them differences, a dozen 'er two o' ye'd be corpses." "'An if that wasn't enough, when th' enemy's troops weren't quite as effective as they should 'ave been 'cause o' a wench an a couple o' elves, th' lord o' th' isle had a fuckin' back-up plan. Fifty skeletons! 'An what 'appened? It was a rout, men ran like scared children. Me mistress Rapina did bettern' that when a score o' skeleton's attacked the scoutin' party. An ye know we'll be seein' the men who ran again, they'll be walkin' an' fightin' but they won't be alive, now will they?" "I know what yer thinkin'. Yer thinkin', "Are you daft, Red Jack? We'll never see those goddamned men again 'cause we're gettin' the hell off this isle quicker than ye can light a fire under us." Ye're forgettin' one thing. The lord o' this isle is one hell o' a fine general, an 'is troops don't need ta breath. They're dead! Stayin' under water ain't a problem fer them. The captain pointed to the waterfront. It was still too dark to tell much, but that was rapidly changing." "Every fuckin' ship in me fleet is sunk in that cove!" The men blanched. "We got a couple choices. We can put are tails between are legs an' make some rafts 'an see if any 'o the smaller boats are seaworthy 'an try ta get off this isle before night falls. In that case we will be hopin' beyond hope that the lord o' the isle doesn't send a party ta wipe us out on the shore." "That or we can fortify the hell out of some ground an hole up tanight." "Either way, if any o' ye are brave enough, ye can form a party ta try ta root the devil pullin' the strings on these undeads out o' his catacombs an' cut the head off his army o' undead before 'e has time ta stage another brilliant attack tanight." "Regardless, If we don't best the lord o' the isle we forfeit are ships. Right now, my guess is they've got a few holes stove in 'em so they'd sink. We'd have ta build us a make-shift dry dock, but we could fix 'em if we can tame th' isle." Whether the rest o' us go or stay, if any of ye are goin' after th' general who routed us last night, ye'll need ta be packin' up an startin' off soon. I don't need ta tell ye this mission is goin' ta be dangerous. Th' best I can do is appeal ta yer greed. Men who go can split half the booty among 'em, er ask me fer a really big boon in exchange fer their share. A boon like forgettin' about them not tellin' me about their magical skin, fer instance. The captain glared at Doanthalas. Volunteers, form up w' Pike, 'e's yer leader. [Rapina]014 The Noble Jaws of Death The giant Norse man stood off to one side. There was a hesitation in the crowd. The captain's speech had set the record straight, but the men had the hollow look of terror written all over their faces. They were trapped on the isle of the dead, and they'd already had a taste of its bitter medicine. Brackston was the first in the crowd to stand and walk to Pike's side. I'd sooner die makin' a difference than cowerin' behind th' wall of a fort." The diminutive pirate approached the Norse giant, "Could be ye'll need a man who can climb inta tight spots an' handle locks an' mechanisms. "Could be," Pike smiled. The elf was feeling much better after partaking of the elven mixture Arzeal had prepared for him. Though still very weak he could at least stand up by himself. Doanthalas stood fighting off a wave of dizziness and spoke, "I will go." "You might need someone who can read runes," Rapina said. "That proved handy last time," Pike grinned. "I'm in too. I have to...for Kent..." Drake said. Edgar stepped forward and cast a meaningful look at Drake, "Hell. Ya'll know that I'm always up for kickin' ass." Several other pirates including Trevor stepped forward to reserve their place in the assault party. When all the members were assembled they were hastily outfitted with provisions and equipment enough to last half a week on the trail, and torches for caverns and tunnels. Some of the men also carried ropes, grappling hooks and spikes for climbing. As soon as the first hint of light appeared on the horizon the assault party led by Doanthalas headed off towards the caverns of the dead. While the others were getting ready, Rapina stole an intimate moment in a supply tent with Beck, Jake, and Jonas. All of them knew this might be their last time, and they were happy to be doing something life- affirming, if only for a few precious moments. For her part, Rapina felt a little bad taking as much from them as she did, but she was careful to go to the men she knew had iron constitutions. Rapina left the tent fully healed with a little something to fall back on. She gave the quite appreciable amount that remained of the captain's potent healing potion to Pike. He had seen two battles in the last twenty-four hours, and even as skilled as he was, he had not escaped battle without wounds. Every step was sheer agony for the elf. He was still weak from the loss of so much blood, but able to carry on because of Arzeal's elven elixir. Where Arzeal learned how to prepare it he didn't know. He'd have to ask the half-elf if they survived. Elixirs like that were closely guarded secrets of the elven people. Doanthalas was glad that Arzeal knew how though, it had saved the elf the trouble of making it himself. Doanthalas leaned heavily on his walking stick for most of the way. Pike had to help him scale the cliffs to reach the cavern. Eventually they arrived at the entrance. Sitting down on a rock the Elf glanced at the party. He saw Rapina advance along with Drake, Grom, Edgar and Yanosh. This time, Rapina made sure she made it to the cave first, and recited a prayer to Mortaebius, god of the dead. Then she opened the gate and let the warriors in to check the place out. The first room was as they had left it. Buck and Rage wedged stout timbers in the first doorway as Rapina took a deep breath, crossed the room and pressed the studs on the pentagram carved in the wall as if signing the sign of man. When she pushed the last stud, the inner-door slab groaned and slid upwards. Buck and Rage rushed forward to set timbers in the new door. As the inner door slid open the party was assaulted by a quick rush of air strong with the smell of decay. The faint outline of a statue was barely visible towards the front of the room. Outside in the sunlight, a pirate named Rebel stood guarding the timbers set in the first doorway while the others gained access to the hall of eminence. He heard a sound like a few stones rolling off a burial mound, but the outcropping of rock in front of the doorway to the mausoleum cave blocked his vision. He stepped out to get a look. He saw a pirate who'd run during the battle with the fifty skeletons last night. Brad! The pirate hissed and a long tongue came out of his mouth. One scratch from the new ghoul and Rebel froze. From nearby mounds, two more ghouls cowled in dark robes, emerged and followed Brad into the tomb. Brad cut Rebel's throat with a claw as the other two ghouls quietly removed the timbers from the doorway. Meanwhile, the pirates advanced into the room with the statue, and took out a few more torches. Rapina entered behind most of the men, her mage-light illuminating the front of the statue. "It's Mortaebius, god of the dead, Rapina said." Ah, so what, it's 'is gold I want, not 'is name. The mean yellow dog sniffed the air and growled. Rapina blinked. She could swear she saw the statue's eyes move, but now they seemed to be staring straight ahead, right at her. "I could swear I saw the statue's eyes move," Rapina said. "Look mates, that statue's robe is buttoned an' chased w' real gold an' is ring is set w' a ruby! Flint whipped out a chisel and went to pry. "Defilers!" The statue of Mortaebius shouted. Somewhere on the other side of the room doors opened and skeletons began pouring out. "Retreat back past the doorway to the first room!" Pike said running for the doorway. "They die easy if only one or two can come at ye abreast!" Pike ran back into the first room and took up a position just inside next to the doorway. Brackston slipped to the other side as he ran in and prepared to slaughter the bone-brains. The other pirates ran between their mates, trying to get back into the first room before the skeletons from the second reached them. A loud rumbling could be heard coming from the entrance to the outdoors. By this time, most of the pirates were back in the first chamber or running through the doorway. On the other side of the hall of the dead a slab slid over the entrance cutting the shaft of sunlight leaking in to nothing. Three ghouls charged towards the pirates hissing. "Aye Doanthalas! We got ghouls back here by th' entrance," Skitch hollered. Doanthalas ran through the door from the room with the statue. The elf shouted as he fished through his pouch for the flasks of oil he had brought. "Spearmen, Doanthalas, back there on the double," Pike ordered. After reentering the entry chamber, Rapina had made her way to the Southeast corner. She had been looking at the statue and had been one of the first to retreat as Pike ordered. She realized that, previously, weight in the top coffin-tunnel had opened the door. Rapina hastened to climb up into the tunnel to see if she could reopen the entrance. The last pirate ran through the doorway from the statue room. "Brace up Brackston, here comes a flood 'o bones, an look what's behind 'em. Our own walkin' dead! Brackston growled as he realized that the zombies were all pirates he once knew. Some of the bodies from last night's battle had evidently been spirited off just before dawn. The skeletons advanced but exploded to pieces as they were hit by Pike's mighty ax and club from one side, and the sword and club of bloody Brackston from the other. "Demolition! We got 'em licked, Pike!" Rapina scowled, her weight was no longer triggering the reopening of the entrance. Somehow, the mechanism had been jammed elsewhere. Doanthalas found the flask of oil he was looking for and stuffed an oil soaked rag in the end of it. He lit it on one of the remaining torches and hurled it into the oncoming group of ghouls. The flames were spectacular as the ghoul Doanthalas nailed burst into flames and the others flanking him suffered from splashes of burning oil. Doanthalas fought with every ounce of strength that he still possessed, hacking at the head of the ghoul on his right as Vanosh and George attempted to hold the flaming ghoul at bay with spears. Edgar ducked the ghoul's claws and simultaneously launched a leg-breaking kick at the creature's knee. As it staggered backwards Edgar opened the creature's guts with his sword. Brad, the flaming ghoul spun his way between the two spears, nicked Yanosh's chin, and poked George in the eye. Both men froze in magical terror. Still flaming from Doanthalas' oil Brad jumped on the elf who had just decapitated the ghoul next to him. If he was to be destroyed by fire, he would take his destroyer with him. Rapina was climbing back down from the upper coffin tunnel in the Southeast corner of the room when she heard Pike bellow to Brackston as they fought at the doorway to the statue room, or the "Hall of Eminence," to quote the runes on the wall. "What the hell? Back Brackston, It's a ghoulified Kent, an' he's swingin' a cresset full o' burnin' oil!" Pike bellowed. Brackston shattered a skeleton and jumped back as the cresset arced over the heads of the skeletons and zombies bunched around the doorway and flew through it into the entry room. Rapina saw the cresset from the corner of her eye as she watched the flaming ghoul jump on Doanthalas and knock the both of them into the path of the flaming cresset. There was a clang as the cresset deflected off the ghoul's shoulder and showered the pair of combatants with burning oil. Trevor skewered the remaining ghoul through the eye with a spear as it fell from Edgar's kick. Edgar swung his sword chopping into the ghoul's chest, laughing mightily. "That wasn't so hard. Fear is the ghoul's real weapon. Get past that an' they're nothin'" Rapina felt a tingling up her spine, and then she heard deep laughter coming from the statue in the other room. Suddenly the conflagration that had enveloped Doanthalas and the ghoul blackened as a cloud of choking black smoke billowed forth from it. In seconds the room was filled with smoke and half-blind coughing pirates. The smoke just kept getting thicker. Whoever had sprung this trap knew how Pike and the scouting party had retreated into the narrow entryway to defeat the skeletons before, and knew that Pike would retreat beyond the doorway to use that trick again. Now the entry room was filling with smoke fast. It was already so choking it made speech difficult for the coughing and filled the eyes with tears. Into the statue room! Pike surged through the oncoming skeletons, weapons cutting a swath of destruction before him. The Norse giant swung steel and wood like a maniac for a second before he suddenly hit flesh - the zombies; they were not so easily destroyed. They were the cork on the bottle. No doubt they had been instructed to remove any obstructions in the doorway as well. Pike wasn't about to let them get near it. "Defend a path out ta the left o' the door, concentrate our forces. Brackston, cover me right flank, we have ta hold the doorway and keep these monsters from removing the timbers before we're ready. Bloody Brackston sprung through the door and fought beside the Norseman. Thumper tore chunks of meat off the zombies as he helped his master. The tiny pirate was one of the first to race through the door. He dodged and wormed his way around, through and between the legs of the zombies. Once through, he got to the statue in a hurry. Originally he had brought the hammer and chisels in case he had bad luck with a lock or needed to place a piton. Now he hopped up on the pedestal and the statue's feet, stood on his tip-toes, put the chisel to the statue's eye and slammed it with the hammer. The wily pirate heard a startled yelp when the chisel struck the socket, but he did not know if he had driven it in hard or fast enough to kill who or whatever was hiding inside. "Sound off as ya get through the door!" Pike ordered. "I need to know when we're all in here. Rapina stay by the opening studs an' give me a hand with the count!" the Norseman bellowed. One by one the pirates called out their names: Brackston, Skitch, Trevor, Grom, Flint, Gape, Henry, Buck, Rage, Edgar, Drake and Rapina. "That's all of us but Doanthalas, Pike. The others are paralyzed or worse!" Rapina hollered. "One last good flurry friend and we step aside and hope they remove the timbers for us." Pike said to Brackston. Brackston pushed himself to the limits, then stepped aside as he heard Pike yell. "Timbers away. Nothin' we can do for Doanthalas, he's part o' the fire," Pike ordered. With tears in her eyes from more than the smoke, Rapina fought her way along the left wall of the statue room though the press of zombies. Luckily, Pike was right next to her. The stupid zombies, followed their instructions to the letter. While a few of them continued into the entry chamber, a couple of others pulled the timbers from the doorway into the hall of eminence. They capped their trap even though only three living pirates -Doanthalas, and the paralyzed pirates Venosh and George, remained within the entry chamber. The door slab slammed into place. The cork was on the bottle, but most of the grasshoppers had sprung. The pirates fought a fast and furious battle with heavy losses, for they had thrown caution to the wind. They fought half-blind using every ounce of their strength to get by the zombies who had tried to cage them in the room of smoke. Grom was the first to fall followed by Flint and Henry. To his credit Trevor fought bravely and took many zombies and skeletons with him before succumbing to their onslaught. "Back against the left wall, and keep that steel moving! Hurry, if we can get into the room where some of the skeletons came from, we'll have areselves another doorway an' this one likely not a trap! The party was able to make it to the door with few lost. Because of an altercation with a particularly tenacious zombie, Drake and Edgar were the last two to reach the door. As Drake turned to see if Edgar was coming he froze. Standing directly behind Edgar was Kent. Or the bloated and drowned body of what used to be their friend Kent. Edgar had an odd pained look on his face. When he didn't rush for the door it became obvious to Drake that his friend was paralyzed. A sick feeling washed over him as he watched the Kent-ghoul traced a line across Edgar's neck with a claw. The light in Edgar's eyes faded just as quickly as the blood flowed from the fresh wound in his neck. Drake stood paralyzed, not by the touch of the ghoul, but by grief for two friends lost. The screams of Doanthalas did nothing to alleviate this feeling. in fact Drake was really beginning to understand what true fear was for the first time in his life... Tears flowed from Rapina's eyes as she tugged Drake through the doorway. Pike and Brackston were standing on either side of it ready to demolish the first zombie to try to breach the opening. [Click here for a sketch of the tomb. The entry chamber is the same room in which the scouting party first met and fought skeletons, but the side/coffin- tunnels are not pictured.] The room the pirates entered was some sort of family mausoleum. It was richly decorated. Tapestries adorned the walls and six suits of bronze plate mail equipped with halberds or two-handed swords stood around the periphery of the room on small stone pedestals. On the west side of the room were two stone sarcophagi, each had a lid with a relief sculpture of the way the occupant had looked in life. The corners and trim of the sarcophagi were solid gold, and the likenesses were chased with gold leaf. Bronze candelabras adorned the walls. On the East wall were many bronze plaques, some with lettering on them. On the South wall was a large coat of arms with a plaque beneath it. Parts of the coat of arms were studded with gems. "Nobody move, This looks to be some noble family mausoleum. I know ye see some booty around ye, don't touch it till we kill our enemies. That's the way Backster set off a trap in that first room. Buck, Drake, help me an' Brackston at the doorway here, we still got plenty o' customers, just that this time we got 'em one at a time through the doorway. Rest of you Cluster aroun' Rapina and keep an eye out 'case of shadows. Rapina, patch wounds while we got the time," Pike ordered. Rapina worked as rapidly as she could, and by the time Pike and his warriors were through demolishing the last zombie, Rapina had patched the wounds of the other warriors. "All right, lets check this room out. The zombies and skeletons that came from this room and the one next door had to have gotten in here somehow. Could be they came from somewhere else, or it could be there is a secret exit out of one of these back rooms. Rapina began to read the various plaques. The ones on the east wall were probably entrances to coffin-sized side tunnels wherein corpses were stored. The plaque on the Southern end of the room talked about the noble deeds and lineage of the baronial family whose remains rested within the room. As the men started opening the plaques on the east wall, Rapina looked at the sarcophagus in the Southwest area of the room. The carving on the lid depicted a woman. Rapina looked at the runes on carving. "This was the first baroness of the family Le-" Rapina's line was cut off in mid stream. The lid of the sarcophagus suddenly hinged open. Inside were the skeletal remains of a woman, and laying next to her was Kent, who tossed the dead baroness' golden ring into the room as a part of the motion of grabbing Rapina just below the breasts and pulling her into the sarcophogus. Rapina had hardly managed a startled screech when Kent's claws pierced her tunic and a hideous paralyzing fear surged through her body, stiffening every muscle. Drake felt a ring bounce off his back. The six suits of armor standing around the room suddenly raised their weapons as the brainless minds of the skeletons within them perceived treasure, in the form of the Baroness' ring, being removed from the room's deceased occupants. Each swung its sword or halberd at the nearest pirate. Once he pulled Rapina into the sarcophagus, the goulish Kent activated the lid-closing mechanism with one foot, while he activated the mechanism that lowered the panel in the East side of the sarcophagus with the other. The sarcophagus only seemed to be separate from the wall, it was actually attached to it. Kent rolled Rapina and himself Eastward as the East wall of the coffin slid into the floor. Once in the area within the room's East wall, Kent pushed a stud with his finger. The East wall of the sarcophagus lifted back into place and the stone beneath him and Rapina tilted. Down they slid. At the bottom of the short slide, Kent pulled a lever and the slide hinged back up. The ghoul then opened a door and ran out of the room for a few minutes. He returned, hoisted Rapina off the floor and carried her across the small room at the base of the slide to a door. He opened the door and carried her into a narrow, low-ceilinged passageway that went North and South. Kent closed the door and shot home a bolt, then took a few large reaching steps Southward. He carried Rapina South up a very long flight of stairs to a room. In one corner of the room three shadows cowered, disliking Rapina's mage-light. The room also contained a few skeletons and several chests. Two of the skeletons bore a litter. Kent placed Rapina on the litter then opened one of the chests. He took some granite-colored grey robes with a heavy hood and a black lining from the chest and put them on. The litter-bearing skeletons were dressed in identical attire. Kent then left though a doorway in the other side of the room that led to another staircase up. The two skeletons followed carrying Rapina between them. Kent pushed open a trapdoor at the top of the staircase and cringed as the light hit his robes. The daylight stung Kent's eyes and made him feel weak in spite of the protective cowl. The ghoul struggled along a trail that ran atop the granite cliffs into which the tomb was carved. The ghoul and his entourage fled south and followed the curve of the island's cliff top as it went gradually Southwestward. The path was well concealed from watchers in the interior of the isle, for it usually ran through the lowest area in the center of the cliff so that there was stone between watchers from the water or land and the path. At first Rapina could do nothing but be afraid, but after a while she struggled to get a hold of her mind. If Kent was going to kill her, she reasoned, he would have done it by now. She was not sure where he was taking her, but it seemed likely that she would soon be meeting the chief of the undeads. Rapina supposed it could be some even more horrible undead monster, but clung to the hope that it would be a living priest or magician - a necromancer. Kent struggled through the sunlight for what seemed like ages. About every quarter hour he scratched Rapina in the arm with a claw. The walk was a mile and a half. It was nearly an hour before it took him along the base of some even higher cliffs that towered above the cliffs he was on and the rest of the isle. Just when she thought things were getting a little better, Kent jumped on the litter with her. "Go that way," Kent rasped and pointed for the bone- headed skeletons, then he squirmed around on top of Rapina and licked her face with his hideous long tongue. The breath stuck in her throat, Rapina was terrified but she couldn't scream. Kent smelled dead, he even looked dead. She could not move a muscle, but she wanted to escape in the worst way. Kent directed the skeletons into a hidden fissure in the Southern rock face. He jumped off the litter about ten feet into the fissure. The narrow crack led downward and eventually forked Kent stopped the skeletons then walked into the fork on the left. Rapina briefly heard the grinding of stone on stone such as a hidden door might make and Kent was gone for close to fifteen minutes. When he returned he jumped back on the litter with Rapina and directed the skeletons to proceed down the other fork of the fissure. It opened up into a much wider fissure - a canyon some fifteen to twenty-five feet in breadth. Daylight was visible far above, but the ghoul felt better because the deep canyon afforded much shadow. The skeletons carried Kent and Rapina South along the canyon floor. As time went by Rapina had to force herself to keep her eyes open so she had some idea of where she was being taken. She was a woman, an oddity among pirates. Perhaps she was being captured because the lord of the isle felt she was at least as much a victim as a collaborator, having been abducted by the pirates, or perhaps he was just hungry for female companionship. Rapina shuddered, if the necromancer was undead, she might just be a dainty meal. She would have to try to keep her wits about her in spite of her terror. The skeletons zigzagged along with the canyon in a generally southerly direction. When they reached an area familiar to the ghoul, Kent reached down off the litter, took up a large rock from the canyon floor and directed the skeletons to the cliff edge where he bashed the rock against the stone wall. Had he not known exactly where he was, the ghoul would not have known what to do. Even the ghoul could see no difference about the walls of the canyon from his vantagepoint at its bottom. From Some sixty feet above him hidden from view by a natural outcropping in the wall of the canyon, a boom swung out. On the boom was a large wicker cage. The cage was lowered. Kent opened a door in the cage and led the skeletons bearing the litter inside. Kent closed the door and struck a cowbell attached to the inside of the cage, with a metal rod dangling from a chain. The cage began to rise quite rapidly. When the cage struck the boom, it was swung inwards and the cage was lowered a foot or two to rest on the floor of a room cut into the face of the granite cliff. One wall was open to the canyon but the room was invisible from below because of the narrowness of the canyon, a natural outcropping just below where the room was carved into the cliff face, and the height the room was above the canyon floor. There was a slit-like window in the south wall of the room. Kent opened the cage door and led the skeletons out. A skeletal hand grasped Rapina's chin and turned her head from side to side. Rapina was so terrified she shut her eyes. She was sure the lord of the isle was undead, and she would soon be as well. "Excellent work, my servant," a smooth baritone voice spoke to Kent. Rapina opened her eyes. The face of a middle-aged man stared assessingly down at her. The man was neither hideous nor handsome. He was actually rather plain. High on his forehead was a bandage. Otherwise, he would not have looked out of place behind the counter of a library, but for the intense look in his dark eyes. Those eyes were the one thing that marked him as a man of great cunning and intellect. "You have a reward coming." The man Removed Rapina's bow and quiver, then undid Rapina's weapons belt and took it and her weapons from her. He hung her things on a skeleton that wore a steel breastplate and was clad in wax-boiled leather. The necromancer then removed the mage light from around her neck and raised an eyebrow as he placed it in a pouch on his belt. After that he frisked her, found the sheath knife on her calf and removed it. The necromancer spoke to Kent as he worked, "Although the battle did not go as well as planned, you played your part flawlessly and accomplished this extemporaneous task as well. I realize the daylight must have caused you great pain and weakness, but I have just the thing to replenish your strength for this evening. One of the pirates we captured has no tongue and is thus useless to me, yet I think you'll like him, he's a fat one." The necromancer commanded the skeletons to open the stout oak door in the East wall of the room, the one opposite the canyon. Two of the breast-plate wearing skeletons led the way and four others followed. After a short distance, the party came to a "T" intersection. The corridors were lit by an eerie red glow that emanated from large crystals that hung at intervals from the ceiling. "Take the girl to the door to my chambers and keep her there. You three guards, see that she does not try to wander off." The skeletons bore Rapina Northwards while Kent and the necromancer went in the other direction. Rapina thought about trying to escape. Had she not been paralyzed, she felt sure she could outrun the skeletons. Even if she could, where would she go, certainly not back to the cliffside room? There was no way down to one who could not control the wicker cage. Abruptly Rapina's muscles eased. She felt sore all over. She directed the bit of energy she had gleaned from her morning's tryst to her back and limbs. Suddenly she sprung from the litter and sprinted down the hallway to the South. It took a second for the skeletons to react, but Rapina heard the rasp of steel as the skeletons drew swords and clattered after her. They were fast, astonishingly so, but Rapina was terrified and had a head start. Doors punctuated the hallway at intervals. Rapina opened one and saw rough- hewn shelves with various armaments and equipment but no way out. She snatched a rusty broadsword and rushed down the hallway again. She passed several doors on her way down the hall. One, an iron door was just slightly ajar. She avoided that one and pulled on the door at the end of the hall. It would not open but she could see no lock! The three guard skeletons were already near her. Rapina jumped to the left and saw the skeletons veered to the left as they ran towards her. At the last minute, Rapina jumped right and sprinted. She felt the wind from a sword blade close to her neck as she passed the boney trio. The skeletons were astonishingly fast. She already felt winded. In desperation Rapina ran to the iron door, opened it, jumped in and slammed it as the impacts of three sword blades rang off the other side of the door. Rapina saw a keyhole but no bolt on her side of the door. Remembering how light the skeletons in the mausoleum cavern had been, Rapina braced herself against the door. There was a second identical door ten feet East beyond the one she held, but she was sure that the skeletons would just keep bashing the door with their swords forever. She was wrong. Something started pushing on the door. The force doubled and Rapina made a dash for the next door. She slammed that one shut as well. She found herself in some sort of guardroom with a stout table and four chairs. She could reach one of the chairs with her foot. She snagged it and used it to wedge the door shut. There was a ring of three keys hanging on a peg on the other side of the room. Rapina dashed for it, grabbed it and got back in time to keep the chair from slipping away from the door because of the force being applied to the other side. Rapina tried all three of the keys in the lock but none of them worked. On the other side of the room was another door. This one had a barred window. Rapina ran for it, snagging another chair on her way by the table. She had the third door shut and wedged before the last door grated open. Rapina tried the shorter of the three keys on the ring and the lock turned. The door Rapina had just locked was at the head of a hallway. There were six other doors leading off the hallway, three on the right side, and three on the left. The door to the cell on the right near the hall's other end was ajar. Rapina looked through the barred window of the nearest cell on the left. Inside shackled to the wall was Jonas. "Jonas?," Rapina asked. Jonas looked up. "Rapina? How in hell did you get here?" "I got paralyzed by Kent. He's a ghoul. How about you?" "There were some skeletons stained black; they were collecting the dead bodies and the ghouls were collecting the living. I spooked when those skeletons attacked us and before I knew it, some ghoul jumped out of nowhere. It dragged me to a black litter borne by skeletons and I was brought here. What happened to the others?" "Pike and Hock rallied the troops and they fought off the skeletons. I'm not sure what they're doing now, either fortifying and staying or trying to raft out, one or the other." "Quick, get me out of here, maybe we can free the others and escape." Rapina tried the next longer key and opened the cell door. "Lets skip the escape scene, shall we?" said the necromancer's voice. Rapina froze. At the end of the hall stood the necromancer, and next to him with blood all over his face, chest and grossly bloated belly was Kent, still chawing on a fat human leg. They had come out of the cell at the end of the hall on the right. Rapina nearly threw up as she realized that Kent had been eating Piggy, the mute cook that Rapina had worked for when she'd first joined Red Jack's crew. Now that she was standing, Rapina got a better look at the necromancer. He was about average height and build, only an inch or two taller than she was. He was partly bald, but had hair on the sides of his head. He was dressed in black robes with a black leather bandoleer crossing his chest from his left shoulder to his waist on the right. He wore several bone-handled daggers on his belt and the bandoleer held a dozen or so crude bone darts with metal spikes on both ends. "Drop the blade. Be reasonable, you have no chance to escape. There is only one way out of here and that is through those doors and the three guards. The necromancer chuckled, "You must be a fast runner or I'd be trying to piece your skeleton back together at this moment." Rapina tossed the keys through the partly opened door to Jonas and advanced towards the necromancer. The necromancer grinned. "Guards," he said. Three leather-clad breast-plated skeletons came out of the cell the necromancer and Kent had previously been in. "Surely you do not want to try to face these three. Have you not yet realized that these skeletons are superior to the others? The necromancer smiled. They are double-animated, once by the power of my magic, and once by the power of Mortaebius, god of the dead. They are stronger, faster, and a little bit smarter than the average skeleton." Rapina held her ground but eyed the skeletons now standing in front of Kent and the necromancer. "Surrender now and I will go easy on you, otherwise, you'll pay dearly. Shards, orbit her." The crude bone darts left the necromancer's bandoleer and flew down the hallway, orbiting Rapina at a distance of about three feet. Rapina shuddered. The bone parts of the darts were made of what Donal had named "singing bones," the ones that flew through the air. How could she hope to defeat flying bone spikes and three double-strength skeletons plus a wily ghoul and a necromancer? Rapina reluctantly layed down her rusty blade. "Retrieve the blade," the necromancer bid one of the skeletons. The skeleton snatched up the blade. Now, girl, stand back against the guard room door. Rapina backed up. "You two, the necromancer pointed to a couple of the skeletons, guard the girl. And you, open that cell door. Kent, I think the prisoner needs calming." Kent grinned and bounded into Jonas' cell. "Aaaaiigh! Jonas screamed. "Kent, put him back in the shackles and take the keys," the necromancer ordered. In a minute or two Kent came out of the cell and tossed the keys to the necromancer. "Very good, I will talk to you again this evening. Enjoy your meal." [Rapina]015 Death Battles The Living The pain was excruciating. Doanthalas could hardly breathe because of the smoke and his eyes were gunked up with ash and smoke and tears. Needles of pain shot through his back as the flames continued to burn. Soon the flames would die out; Doanthalas could feel the pain lessening by the moment. After the flames died out it would not be that long before he started bleeding. It was time to get to a safer place, and quickly too. The elf tried tearing off a piece of his clothes to wipe his eyes with, but his charred clothing just crumbled in his hands. There had to be something in the room somewhere he could use to wipe out his eyes with. Otherwise he'd have to fight through the remaining zombies and find a way out while still blind. He did not think he could do it. Not in his already weakened condition. The remaining ghoul and a few of the zombies had been reduced to walking torches. A few remained relatively unharmed. These few closed in on the prone form of Doanthalas. They were unaffected by the smoke and advanced steadily on the elf. Doanthalas' keen hearing picked up the sound of the zombie's shuffling feet approaching. It was getting harder to breathe and a fit of coughing seized the elf. At least nearer the floor the air wasn't as filled with smoke. A slight breeze blew across the elf's face. The fact that there was a breeze meant one thing: There was a way out. Doanthalas began crawling towards the breeze. He had to hurry. The fire was almost out and that meant that his time was almost up. The remains of his clothes crumbled to nothing as well as the other items he carried that were flammable. The elf's knee nudged something as he crawled. Reaching down his hand closed around the hilt of his sword. The blade scraped against the ground as he lifted it. The sound of shuffling feet was very close now. With great effort Doanthalas swung his sword. He felt it chop though something solid and then stop as it hit something else solid. There was a loud thump as something heavy hit the ground. One of the zombies lay on the floor struggling feebly to stand. The other paused its progress impeded by his fallen companion. Darkness had descended upon the room as the last of the fires burned themselves out. The zombies continued in their pursuit of their prey unaffected by the darkness. Their minds understood nothing other than their hunger for flesh...their thirst for blood. The scent was getting stronger. Their quarry was near. Bits of rotting flesh dropped off their arms as they reached out to feast. The sound of shuffling feet and something sharp scraping across the stones sounded very close behind him. Doanthalas blindly dragged himself towards the source of the breeze. If he could reach it he might be able to escape. Whatever he did, he would have to hurry. His strength was fading fast. Doanthalas' hand closed over a metal grate in the floor. It was small. Most likely, it was a drain. It had to lead somewhere. He hoped it was large enough for him to crawl through. Wiping his eyes with his grimy hand did little to improve his situation. The elf turned and tried to see through the sweat, blood, and grime that had found its way into his eyes. He was able to see very little, but did notice two still slightly warm forms moving in his direction. One was crawling and the other was walking. Clutching his sword the tattooed elf sat up and prepared to meet his foes. The zombies closed before Doanthalas could stand. They pressed their attack. The crawling zombie lost an arm right away. The other arm was next followed shortly by his head. Each time he swung his sword Doanthalas felt it slipping out of his hands. He adjusted his grip before turning to deal with the remaining zombie. This zombie had the advantage. It held the higher ground and did not tire. Doanthalas on the other hand was so weak that he could barely lift his sword. The sword went clattering to the floor after being easily batted away by the zombie. Things were getting worse by the second. Doanthalas' head began to swim. "I cannot die like this," he thought as he backed away from the advancing zombie. The smell of iron reached his nostrils. "Not now!" he thought as his hand slipped in the fresh blood that had begun to flow from his fiendish tattoos. Doanthalas crawled back as far as he could. He stopped with his back to the wall and the zombie practically on top of him. It seemed like it was to end there. Fortunately for Doanthalas the zombie slipped in some of his blood and went toppling to the floor. The sound of nails scraping the floor was audible through the darkness. He could not see the zombie anymore; the heat from the fire that had threatened to consume it had long since dissipated. It seemed like hours that the zombie lay there scraping at the floor. Doanthalas did not take time to ponder this turn of events. He just crawled around the floor until his hand closed over the hilt of another weapon. With every ounce of strength he could muster he crawled back towards the sound of scraping. Unable to comprehend its situation the zombie struggled to scrape the flesh off its victim. It could smell the blood, but could not seem to scrape the flesh off its bones. It struggled on fueled by its hunger. Doanthalas ended its struggles a few moments later as he dismembered piece by piece. The weapon clattered to the floor. Doanthalas did not have an ounce of strength left. He slumped to the ground and drifted off into unconsciousness. A cool breeze blew through his hair as the blood from his tattoos flowed through the grate in the floor. ----------- Pike scowled. His luck in battle had never been so sour. The day had not gone so badly at first, but now depression was settling on the Norseman's shoulders like the globe on the shoulders of Atlas. He had fought his way out of a diabolic trap loosing half his men only to have his favorite wench stolen and probably killed by a ghoulish Kent. The armored skeletons Kent triggered killed Buck and cost his party in both wounds and precious time. Skitch had figured out the secret door and slide in the sarcophagus, but that too had cost time. They had broken through the door in the room at the base of the slide and found the lower corridor. Thumper had led them North instead of South and that had cost time. The wily ghoul must have left a false trail. Skitch had found the ladder that led up into the hollow statue. After he had come down from there he found and quickly un-jammed the mechanisms for the stone doors in the rooms above, but that hadn't helped them find Rapina. They had gone North when they should have gone South. When they did go south, Pike had lost strength and sustained an annoying wound to his left shoulder. He had been too hasty about demolishing the four skeletons in the room at the top of the staircase and had not noticed the three shadows until after they started feeding on him and his men. Drake had sustained wounds and lost some strength to the shadows and so had Gape. Thumper had tracked the ghoul South along the cliff tops and along the base of some cliffs higher than the ones Pike and his men were walking on, but then the dog had inexplicably lost the trail. It cost more precious time before Rage found a hidden fissure. There Thumper had picked up the trail of the ghoul again. It led to a blank wall when the fissure forked. Skitch had correctly identified a secret door in the wall. The door led to a narrow, low-ceilinged staircase mined through the granite. The staircase twisted down and down endlessly before it and finally let out at a secret door in a warren of confusing tunnels. The tunnels went through the dirt of the valley Pike and his men had seen from high above on the cliffs near the entrance to the fissure. Thumper had started tracking in circles and the party had become hopelessly lost in the maze of tunnels. If anything, they were farther from finding Rapina than when she had first been abducted. "Pike, I hate ta say it, but we're lost an' wounded, 'an if Rapina ain't dead by now, then she's a prisoner o' the dark lord o' the isle. Thumper ain't doin' us a bit o' good, an' we can't go back ta where we were without startin' over at the tombs. My bid is that we jus' try ta find a way outa here before yer ghouls an' things start wakin' up." Pike glared at Brackston. "I hate it when yer right. Okay, lets try to find a tunnel that goes up." A few minutes later Rage called out "Hey, where's Gape, he was behind me just a minute ago." "Damn it! Ghouls, I'll wager. Demon or not, I sure as hell wish we had an elf to take up the rear. My bet is that Thumper might be able to smell 'em. Brackston, take the rear. Rage, you make sure to look over your shoulder a lot, understand?" "Gotcha." A more couple hours passed, but, although they had gained some elevation and had gone a good distance in a roughly northerly direction, an exit from the warrens still eluded them. Suddenly Thumper growled. Ghouls! Brackston shouted. Thumper grabbed a ghoul's hand as it tried to strike his master and ripped at it. Brackston lunged, his usual sword techniques were worthless hunched over in a cramped dirt tunnel. He ran his sword through the creature's chest and twisted it but the creature did not die! A second ghoul erupted from the floor of the tunnel and attempted to grab Drake's leg. Drake yelped, jumped back against the tunnel wall and cut the ghoul's hand off at the wrist. A third ghoul burst through the tunnel wall behind Drake and grabbed him, claws ripping into his sides - immobilizing Drake with magical fear. Skitch whipped two throwing knives into the chest of the ghoul on the ground. Pike's axe came down on the floor-ghoul's head, splitting it like a melon. The Norseman grabbed Drake's legs just as he was disappearing into a hidden side tunnel behind the ghoul and heaved. Brackston's ghoul cut into the yellow dog's head with his free hand leaving deep bloody furrows, but the ghoul's magic was wasted on the mean yellow dog. Thumper's simple mind did not fear death. Brackston lunged again half gutting the ghoul who'd hurt his dog. Near pike, the skulless ghoul reached up in its death throws and sunk its claws savagely into the Norseman's calf. Pike bellowed as he felt the ghoul's magic sizzle up his nerves. Every ounce of the indomitable courage bred into the Norseman fought the ghoul's magic... Blood an' Bones! Pike roared as he heaved Drake out of the side tunnel with the ghoul still attached to him. The ghoul let go of Drake, setting the Norseman off balance and then dove for Skitch. "Ulp!" Try as he might, once the ghoul had grabbed him, ripping into his ribs with its claws, Skitch could not move a muscle. His whole body seemed to freeze in horror. Rage drove his gladius into the ghoul's side as it began to make off with Skitch. Pike grabbed Skitch's legs just as they were disappearing down the tunnel and heaved once again. Brackston's ghoul hissed as Brackston skewered it a second time and opened the wrist of Brackston's sword arm with its hideous claws. Blood gushed from the wound. Brackston froze. He struggled, but the magical fear had him firmly in its unyielding grasp. Thumper jumped knocking the ghoul on its back. The dog growled ferociously ripping flesh from the monster. The Ghoul from the wall lashed out at Pike's arm with its toe nails, tearing furrows through his skin. Pike bellowed, his great muscles flexed... and released as he pulled Skitch and the ghoul back into the tunnel. Rage jammed his short sword into the side of the ghoul's chest and twisted it, Killing the foul thing at last. Thumper ripped out the ghoul's throat as one of the creature's claws sunk into the dog's eye socket. Blood flooded from the dog's wound. He curled up at the paralyzed feet of his master whining ever more quietly as his life's blood drained away. "Damn ghouls, Pike snarled as he bandaged Brackston's wrist. Rage, let's move Drake, Skitch an' Brackston up there and get some bandages on all the wounds before we bleed ta death. There's a boulder forming one wall of the tunnel. There's no way we're going to be able to move with three of our guys out. We'll just have to wait. Poor dog. I'd bandage the eye, but the wound's too damn deep, I can see his brains in there. He'd just bleed into his skull." Pike, them ghouls hit ye twice, but ye didn't freeze. "Courage mate, it's bred into the bones 'o every Norseman." It was well over an hour before the party could move, and it was another hour before they emerged into the open air. The sun was low in the sky when they saw it again at last. They were in a forested canyon dotted with piles of bones marked by various stone markers. "I'm namin' this place the valley of the dead, any objections? Looks like these various heaps o' bones were from the loosing side of old battles. You don't get good graves when ye loose." Pike looked at his men. "If we were fresh, I'd say let's double-time it back to Red Jack's fort, but we wouldn't get there before night fall. Plus we'd have to fight our way through the enemy to get in, but I'm limpin' like a club-foot, an it's easy ta see Brackston's dizzy from lack o' blood. Skitch winces ever time he takes a big step 'an whenever Drake bends over I see the pain in 'is eyes. We're ripped ta shit. Tryin' to fight our way through to the fort would be simple suicide." "Here's my plan, there's one other gate to the water besides the cove - the box canyon. Right now we're on the edge of this valley. We're going up hill, the trees are starting to thin, and the terrain is getting a little rockier. Let's take some trees, about four straight medium-sized fairly long ones. This valley and the area around Jack's camp are the only two places on the isle I've seen good timber. Look at that tree right over there, it's still standing, but it's dry and dead. We find four trees, clean off most of the branches and attach ropes. Once we're out the valley we turn East an' scramble up the steep hills and cliffs and into more open terrain. It'll be tough because just about every one of us will have to drag a tree an' we're not in the best o' shape, but I think we can do it." "We'll be dead beat once we reach the plateau South of the tombs and the burial mounds. We can rest there. Visibility is good up there even in moon light because there are no trees an' few bushes. We've got to be up the cliffs by the time that sun sets, an' we don't have long if we're going to get our timber and drag it up. After we have a rest an' a meal, we start dragging our trees over to the box canyon. Skitch, you'll be gathering something ta use for oars an' haulin' them. It's going to be one hell of a tough time given how beat up we are, but just remember. If we get timber to the Box canyon, we can build a raft usin' the rope we have for climbing to lash the trees together. Then we can get the hell out while the undeads an' their lord are still too preoccupied with the battle to be keeping track of us. " Pike cut and stripped four trees with his battle axe and the group laboriously headed North, then East and up. Thankfully they knew the terrain, for they had seen from the cliff tops, while tracking Kent and Rapina, that North was the only way out of the pit that Pike called the valley of the dead. ----- Rapina was escorted through a stout oak door and up a long circular stair that wound its way around a central shaft. At the top of the shaft, beneath a domed stone roof, hung another large whicker elevator-cage. About 50 feet below the cage there was a landing in the staircase that wrapped from the North side of the shaft all the way around to the East and South. It ended on the South face of the shaft before continuing up as a staircase. Off the landing there were several oaken doors, the first one led to the necromancer's chambers. As the door was opened, her nose caught the scent of myrrh. The necromancer's abode was well-lit with white mage-light from clear crystals suspended from the ceilings. The rooms were spacious, if stark and a bit dusty. Rapina was shown to a small guestroom. "You'll be staying here for now. If you prove a difficult guest, then perhaps you would prefer to stay with Kent instead of me?" The necromancer raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Try to get some sleep. I usually sleep in the morning and early afternoon. It is more convenient to deal with my minions that way, as they are normally quite sluggish during the daylight hours." "There is a chamber pot behind that door, a basin there, and a desk. This room was designed for an acolyte, but the church has not seen fit to provide me with one in all the time I have been here. Kent said you read. There are books there on the desk. Treat them well and ask nicely and you will be given replacements if you tire of them." "Let us get one thing straight, young lady, you have been rescued from the pirates and their fait because war is not a woman's place. You are as much a criminal as they are no matter what they might have done to you, and if you do not behave yourself, you will face the king's justice or mine, understood?" "Yes Sir," Rapina said, hanging her head. Rapina could sense hardly a whit of lust from the necromancer. At the moment she was being treated like a child and she felt at least as helpless as one. She knew the necromancer's left hand was animated bone, but his robes hid anything beyond that and she had no idea just how much of the necromancer was man, and how much was animated skeleton. At this point she was feeling as if there were more skeleton than man. The necromancer locked the door to her room as he left, and Rapina flopped onto the bed with a sigh. ----- As the last Rays of the sun disappeared over the horizon, Pike's men pulled their timbers up onto the plateau South of the tomb and burial mounds. "Damn iv we dild id." Brackston blinked. The sky was twirling overhead. Pike winced as he saw Brackston fall. "Damn is right." The Norseman limped over to Brackston. "You okay?" "Heey, wad habbent?" Brackston asked. "Drink this, man, you're in bad shape. You got dizzy an' fell down, but we made it. We're on the plateau, and none too soon. Let's sit down, and have something to eat. Skitch, you un-jammed the door mechanisms to the tomb, do you think the entry door opened? Skitch puffed as he set down some oars he'd made from the crusts of a couple old hollow logs. "Hard to say. How'd you get out the first time you got caught in the entry room?" "If there's weight in the top coffin-like side-tunnel in the Southeast corner of the room, the entry slab opens." Well, if there was weight there, then the door will be open. If not, it'll be closed. Why do you ask? "Two reasons," Pike said between mouthfulls of hard roll. "We left some dead in there that the necromancer might be able to use unless we chop 'em up. That an' those men had weapons, valuables an' so on we could take. Once we reach land we're going need to live." "We can check on the way by, I'd give it about a fifty- fifty chance of bein' open. Could be we could pry the entry slab up a ways with one of these timbers too. If we can, I can get in and open it up. Seems ta me if we pry those gems off the coat of arms in the one room we already tripped the trap in, we'd be set fer years." "Good thinking." ---- A perimeter had been set up and the pirates had taken up their positions in anticipation of attack. Torches and bonfires illuminated the area as well as casting ominous looking shadows on the edge of the camp. The centerpiece of Red Jack's defensive arrangement was a fortified hillock. On the top of the hill was a couple small tents and a large shallow, flat-bottomed depression where the pirates' many wounded were resting. There was a ring around the hilltop with a three-foot high, stockade-style log wall. Behind it, the pirates' archers took cover. On the outside of the short stockade wall that ringed the top of the hill was a dirt embankment. Starting from the embankment and going all the way down the sides of the hill and beyond were row upon row of stout wooden spears planted into the ground so that they bristled toward the enemy. Pikes and small trees positioned around the top of the hill could be used to pierce or bludgeon enemies trying to squeeze between the rows and approach the fort. Twenty yards away from the base of the hill a ditch had been dug to stifle the approach of battering rams that might rapidly break the spears protecting the fort. The ditch that ringed the fort had a ring of spears planted on the near side to slow the enemy and make them easier to hit for the archers of the fort. In anticipation of undead shadows not directed by the isle's lord, because of having been spawned only last night, a field of bon-fires and torches had been arranged. These sat between the base of the array of spears on the hill and the ring of spears near the ditch so that the archers might spot and fire on the shadows. This plan would only be good for as long as the fires burned brightly, but Red Jack expected these uncontrolled undeads to come to feed as soon as night fell. Some of the heartier pirates stood near the start of the spears not far from the base of the hill. The archers could fire over their heads with ease, but these men were present to kill any shadows the archers missed before they started working their way through the spears to the fort. As tired as they were from building the fort all day, none of the pirates was able to sleep. Their fear was too strong to allow that. It was fortunate that they were all awake. Had even a few of them been sleeping the undead that surged forth would have overwhelmed them in minutes. The half-elf was one of the first to spot the shadows trying to slip into camp. A silent hand signal from Arzeal was all it took to spur the other archers to action. Flaming arrows flying overhead alerted the pirates on the ground to the shadows' presence. The shadows had lost the element of surprise. The pirates on the ground took up their positions holding their weapons at the ready. Arzeal smiled as one of his resin-arrows engulfed a shadow in its fiery embrace. The pirates were ready this time. He let fly another flaming arrow as he spotted another shadow working its way around the left flank. The archer's arrows lit up the sky alerting Logan and his men to the shadows' approach. Torch in one hand and sword in the other he took up his position with his men. The front line was a dangerous place to be. Yet, how could Logan expect his men to die for him if he was not ready to die for them? He might not live to see the light of another day, but at least he would die fighting. Three dark forms surged around the sharpened stakes and at Logan and his men. They rushed forth to meet their foes with fearsome battle cries. From the hilltop fort, the captain surveyed the scene unfolding before him with his spyglass. Arzeal and his archers were doing quite a number on the shadows. The fact that they picked their shots wisely and didn't madly fire all their arrows away said something for the master archer's training of his men. Logan and his soldiers were doing well so far at keeping the shadows that slipped through at bay. He shivered as he remembered the chill touch of the shadow. "Good luck my friend," the captain said aloud. Movement at the perimeter caught Jack's eye. A joint force of skeleton's and zombies was emerging from the darkness. The zombies were in front and the first rank of them carried shields. Behind the zombies were skeletons bearing a bridge of planks covered in a layer of mud. Behind and flanking them were skeletons wielding bows. As they walked forward, the skeleton archers let fly arrows over the heads of the soldiers in front of them. "Damn! He's got a small army of tha walkin' dead an' some of 'em have bows! I was wonderin' where are dead from last night got to, damned zombies!" Jack bellowed. If it weren't for the archers, his men could have held the skeletons off with only small losses. At least Jack was pretty sure they could have. Unfortunately the men who were gathering to meet the zombies when they crossed the ditch were being filled full of holes. "Jump the spears an' into the ditch, Logan, them arrows are decimatin' ye! Arzeal and his archers let fly trying to cut down some of the skeletons firing on Logan's men. Unfortunately, many of the shots that hit went right through the skeletons. Damn! shoot for the pelvis and use broadheads if you've got 'em, it's our best bet! Arzeal yelled. "Arzeal, unveil yer little monster. I don't want these hair-cuts ye gave us ta be in vain. That bridge they're carryin' could be are doom, knock it out o' their hands. Archers, concentrate on tryin' ta blast through th' zombies in front o' the right side o' the bridge they're carryin' that's are target," Captain Red Jack ordered. A couple of archers pealed back the supply tent revealing a small catapult with a torsion spring made of the men's shorn hair. Arzeal released a flame-arrow that turned the zombie walking in font of the right side of the earth-covered bridge into a walking torch. This lit the way for his archers' arrows. That accomplished he put his bow back on his back and unveiled his little monster, a catapult. Arzeal aimed the little monster he had worked on all day and let fly. The first stone went long and to the right. Arzeal made a couple of adjustments as four of his men worked to cock the catapult again. The Zombies in front of the right side of the portable bridge fell down in a hail of arrows. Without the zombies in front of them, the skeletons were not as well protected, but they were able to move more quickly. The archers behind them rained arrows on any of Logan's men not already in the ditch. The second shot of the catapult was short, but centered nicely. Crank it with everything you've got, men, if you're quick enough, that bridge will be passing though the area our last stone hit. The men redoubled their efforts. "Just as soon the catapult's arm hits the stops, release it. I'll see if I can soften 'em up for you," the half-elf said. Arzeal took his bow up again and pulled arrow after arrow from his quiver. He had almost no time to aim, but many of his shots were superb. One by one the Skeletons along the right side of the bridge began to fall. Oddly, other skeletons from farther back dropped their weapons and took the places of their fallen comrades, though not nearly as quickly as would have been the case had the army been a little less deficient of intelligence. Arzeal suspected someone was giving orders, but all he could see was an army of skeletons. He and his archers kept up a heavy rain of arrows. The men released the catapult. The stone arced up and slammed onto the right side of the portable bridge, the one weakened by the concentrated fire of Arzeal's archers. That side of the bridge dropped and a great deal of mud loosened from the surface of the bridge. Arzeal dropped his bow and made the slightest adjustment to the aim of the catapult. His men cranked it back so fast it seemed that they knew their lives depended on it. The bridge was dangerously close to the ditch, and this would be their last, best shot. Arzeal grabbed his bow and crouched at the edge of the stockade wall, releasing arrow after arrow. Zombies began pouring into the ditch. Logan and his men fought hard, hacking at the unyielding zombies with energy born of terror. "Fighting withdrawal men, fighting withdrawal! There are too damn many reachin' the ditch at once! Let's fall back to the opposite side of the ring to hole up in the fort if necessary. We're outnumbered, those damned unexpected undead archers hit too damn many of us. The impromptu artillerists released the catapult arm again and the stone slammed into the left side of the bridge. The shock shattered the wrists of many of the skeletons. There was a moment when it seemed as though the one side of the bridge would remain up. That moment passed as Arzeal took out two of the skeletons whose wrists had held and the second side of the bridge fell to the ground. "Keep firing! Arzeal screamed. There was a moment of hesitation as arrows poured down at the skeletons, and then the remainder of the undead army ran forward and took cover in the ditch. The skeleton army began to fire on the pirates behind the stockade wall of the fort, but few shots were telling on either side because both sides had good cover. Logan and his men fought bravely, but even with support from the better pirate archers, it was a loosing battle against superior numbers. --- Rapina could not sleep. She just lay on the bed curled into a ball. So much had happened and it was all so horrible. Rapina did not even want to think about it. The room and the rest of the Necromancer's chambers were a bit chilly owing to the fact that they had been carved inside a granite cliff. Deep underground temperatures stayed around fifty degrees, and Rapina estimated the chambers of the Necromancer were no warmer than sixty-five degrees. Rapina hardly noticed, because she had dressed for underground temperatures owing to the mission she had been on. She wore baggy drawstring pants, a loose long-sleeved tunic and a baggy sir-coat pillaged from some soldier on the blockade Red Jack had recently destroyed. After a time she looked at her surroundings. The room was lit by two tiny mage-lights, one on a plaque-like arrangement just above the head of the bed, and the other similarly attached to the wall above the desk. Both lamps had a cap held by a loose ring and chain that could be screwed on over the lights. The one over the bed also had a red glass cap that could be used instead of the metal one. The walls were rough, and showed the mark of both chisel and pickaxe. Rapina guessed that tireless undead workers had mined the room out of the stone. Rapina got up to look around. On one side of her room were two doors. One opened into a tiny room containing the chamber pot, the other led into a small room with a decanter, basin and dressing table, and the entrance to a walk-in closet. Rapina decided that if this room had been designed for an acolyte, the church of Mortaebius must be wealthy, or the necromancer and his servants had too much time on their hands. Rapina sat down at the dressing table. She was a mess, her hair was tangled and she smelled like smoke. Her face was covered with a mixture of soot and dried slime from Kent's hideous tongue. The closet was mostly empty, but a few garments hung from hooks and hangers, and there were a few more in the chest of drawers at the far end of the closet. Rapina did not know where the Necromancer had come by women's clothing, but she tried not to dwell on the obvious conclusion that the garments had been "borrowed" from someone too dead to miss them. At least they seemed clean. Rapina used nearly all of the water in the decanter washing herself. She needed a bath but she did the best she could using the basin. When she was done, she put on the petticoats, dress, and sweater within the closet. The dress was actually a little big for her, except in the bust where it was too small, but at least she could get it on. There were three books on the shelf beside the desk, two were storybooks, and one was a holy book concerning the god of the dead. Rapina quickly read the first chapter of one of the storybooks and then got into bed with the book on Mortaebius. She needed to find out everything she could about the necromancer and his god. At some point, Rapina must have fallen asleep. The horrors of the previous night and morning had taxed her severely. She slept like the dead for a few hours and then began having horrible nightmares as her mind tried to cope with what she had been through. She woke in a sweat when there came a knocking on her chamber door. "Rouse yourself. " Rapina flew from her bed and replaced the Mortaebius book on the shelf. "Come out and follow the guards I have assigned to you. They will escort you to the kitchen where you are to prepare breakfast for us both. Do not attempt to take any knives out of the kitchen, or the guards will kill you. I will return shortly after a conference with my minions." Rapina scowled. She had only been here a few hours and already she was being put to work. Once in the kitchen, Rapina cooked a breakfast consisting of eggs and oatmeal. The necromancer did not have a great deal in his kitchen. There were large crocks of various grains and beans, and a loaf of bread. The iron cook stove was small, but modern. Rapina served the priest in the great hall when he arrived. It would have been easier to serve him in the breakfast nook off the kitchen, but not as safe for the necromancer since knives were close at hand. When the necromancer arrived, he placed a board on the table before him. There was a model of sorts built on top of it, a little hillock fort with a ditch around it rendered in clay and twigs. "You may serve breakfast now, Ripina, I have arrived." "There wasn't much here so I fixed oatmeal and eggs," Rapina called from the kitchen. "Splendid, I am used to simple fare. We are too far away from a town for better, and up until now I have always had to cook for myself. The skeletons are too simple for such tasks. They can scrub floors adequately, but they have no sense of smell and tend to burn anything they attempt to cook. Rapina brought the tray of food in from the kitchen. "Did Kent tell you my name?" The necromancer raised his eyebrows as he saw Rapina, "Indeed." Rapina's nose tingled as she sensed lust. "It's Rapina, actually, he doesn't pronounce things very clearly anymore." "Yes. I am Guardian Thane of the Mortaebian order of Death's Peace." "A priest?" Rapina wrinkled her nose involuntarily. Thane chuckled, "You don't like priests?" "I've had a little experience with priests, all of it bad. One was a lecherous 'celibate' priest, and well, the other turned one of the only friends I had into a terrifying undead monster who recently ate the cook I worked for when I was first taken by the pirates." Thane laughed. "My order is not known for its kindness. Most of the priests of Mortabius are nothing more than undertakers - morticians. They conduct funerals, build caskets, embalm, dress and beautify the deceased, serve feasts in honor of the dead, that sort of thing. It strikes most as a ghoulish profession, but many of Mortaebius' priests are married in spite of that, for the business of the church provides a good living. Those of us who distinguish ourselves as powerful guardians of the dead often take on more serious duties. We are a little less... naive of our god's strengths." "A little?" Rapina asked. "Every church has its strong arm. Some have orders of knights or militant orders of monks. Mortaebius' church is no exception. We are the guardians of the dead when our more peaceful brethren find the enemies of Mortaebius too difficult to best. Our order generally grows during times of war, and gets swept under the rug during times of peace, but we are an old and powerful order. The church has always needed us. Few priests enter the order directly. Most are recruited from other orders. I am also a member of the order of Death's Peace, a common funereal order that specializes in the maintenance and protection of burial sites. It is not so uncommon for priests of my order who have distinguished themselves in combat or magic to receive a secret invitation to join a hidden order." Rapina sat down to eat, "You were a mortician?" The necromancer nodded. "A family thing?" Rapina asked. "No, actually my father was a clothier who catered to the wealthy. His life was an endless series of social events with people above his station who lauded his design sense and depended on him to keep them in up-to- date fashions. He knew just how to play them, just how to appeal to their vanity. I found it intolerable. Thankfully, one of our good customers died and I had the chance to work with a priest of Mortaebius on the clothing for the deceased." "And now you make them walk instead of dressing them?" "That is another story. Now how did you happen to become a member of the crew of the infamous Red Jack?" Rapina was about to make up a tail when she realized that Kent had probably told the necromancer everything he knew. At least she could not rule out the possibility of Guardian Thane checking out her story with the ghoul. "How did I become a crewman? A priest, of course, my luck with priests is hideous. He was a powerful man with the town wrapped around his finger. Very like your father in some ways, he knew just how play them, and he loved it. The townspeople hung on his every word, he was a holy man among holy men, and during his off-hours, he was a lecher and a rapist who preyed on the town's young women. If a woman talked or refused to cooperate, she sickened or had an accident. I escaped his clutches and ran from the constable who he controlled. Kent and his friends fished me out of the river onto their stolen fishing boat. I was nearly drowned, but the river had delivered me from my priestly troubles. The boys wanted to join Red Jack's crew; they had a romantic vision of piracy. I knew the priest would get the law after me. Therefore when the pirates found us, before the boys could give me over as a gift to the captain as they'd planned, I told the pirates that the boys and I wanted to join the crew." "And they let you join just like that?" the necromancer asked dubiously. "It was sometimes a horror, sometimes not so bad, but it was probably better than a damp cell under a church with a man who, for all his vaunted holiness, was meaner to me than Captain Red Jack." "Meaner than a notorious pirate captain? No wonder you mislike priests," Thane chuckled. I suppose you know his better side, but your captain is infamous up and down the river Augustana. Even I know about him, and I do not get out much. He has brought so much business to my church I almost feel like thanking him. He and his men are cold-blooded killers, criminals of the first degree, and tonight I will crush them like bugs under Mortaebius' mighty boot." "Is that?" Rapina pointed to the clay hillock on the board. "A model of the fort they built. You told Dominic you did not know whether they would go or stay, evidently they have decided to stay. Now I must figure out how to best them with what remains of my resources." "You're wearing a glove today?" Rapina asked. "Only because I was painting," replied the necromancer. "You're an artist?" Rapina asked. The necromancer laughed. "I am if you count painting ghouls and skeletons black. Actually, I did paint white bones on a ghoul painted black so he would look like a skeleton. Does that count?" Rapina closed her eyes. "I can't believe I'm talking to a man who makes dead people walk and kill and eat living people." "It seems hideous to you now, but remember, I was a mortician, dead bodies to me are like trees to a lumberman. Red Jack makes living people rape, ruin and kill living people. I ask you, which of us is *really* more frightening?" "Okay, so you're both horrors," Rapina said. "Quite so, but at least we're honest," the necromancer affirmed. Rapina groaned. "This is war, Rapina. You may see my forces as something out of a nightmare, but essentially Jack and I are fighting. He wants this island as a base. I want to wipe him from the face of Ifreann as a public service and because, frankly, It will boost my reputation in the Order of the Shroud by a thousand percent. Moreover it might secure me access to learning that might take me a lifetime to acquire otherwise - true wizardry." Rapina sighed. ------------ Logan's men retreated up the hill on the opposite side, away from the downed bridge and the highest concentration of archers. Unfortunately, as his forces were climbing through the spears to the safety of the fort, more and more enemy archers reached Logan's side of the hillock. Arzeal tried to pin them down with fire, but too many shots got through, killing many good men. Logan himself barely made it over the stockade wall. He'd been grazed several times and had an arrow sticking through the skin of his calf. The next hour flew by. What remained of Logan's men had their wounds patched and either joined the many wounded at the fort's center or joined the defenders if they were able-bodied. Some who should have been lying with the wounded helped the archers instead. Their fear prevented them from lying back to trust their mates to take care of the battle. ---- "Who's winning?" Rapina said pensively as Thane emerged from his chambers to fetch a snack. She was doing the dishes with several skeletons standing between her and Thane. She thought about tossing a knife at him, but considering he'd ordered the skeletons to kill her if she did, she thought better of it. "Neither side, but I am making progress. Your captain built himself a small catapult and foiled my plan to quickly bridge his ditch and use a battering ram on his spears to win the night. His archers have caused much greater casualties to my forces than I had anticipated, but I captured the ditch and let the bon fires between the ditch and the base of the hill burn down to embers. While some relief archers dashed in from the South drawing missile fire and, more importantly that half- elven archer, a few ghouls painted black snuck up on the ditch from the North. Kent is already there. It was he who was painted like a skeleton. He commanded the main body of my forces." "Now he and the other ghouls will start tunneling in earnest, and they are excellent tunnelers. Kent himself has already in this last hour made progress on a tunnel, and some of the skeletons who lack bows or arrows have built a bridge of earth over the ditch well away from the tunnel. Now that I have more ghouls on the job, the skeletons will pile more dirt up and build bridges across the ditch. I have a little surprise in store for the pirates, just something to keep them busy and weaken their defenses..." --- Arzeal crouched behind the fort's South stockade wall. "That's the best we'll do, the new skeleton archers are in the ditch now. Those two ranks in the front with shields didn't help us any, but you did well, men, we knocked out a third of 'em, and wounded at least half. Every one of those archers that gets through to the ditch is another thorn in our sides." "I sure wish we had more regular flame arrows, those bon fires are useless anymore. I know you men are having trouble seeing the enemy. Trouble is we've shot more arrows already tonight than we'd use in several raids. How're things over North, Brent?" "Seem quiet sir, but I think I seen a shadow out there jump into the ditch." "Damn, I'd hoped we'd rid areselves o' all th' shadows at the start o' th' evening, but I guess there had ta be a few that got here late." What worried Jack was the fact that he hadn't seen any ghouls yet. They had hurt the pirates badly the last time. "Wonder where he's got 'is damn ghouls." "Skeletons! Damn they're almost on top of the ditch already. It's hard to see 'em even with my eyes, their bodies are no warmer than the air," Arzeal said. "What the hell Arzeal, have you gone daft?" the captain asked. Arzeal picked up one of his remaining resin arrows and let fly. There was the familiar poof! and a skeleton no one could see went up in flames. He was the front creature in a team of runners carrying a tall dead evergreen like a lance. Archers, man th' Nor' wall! What in hell's name is that? A team o' Skeletons painted black carryin' a dead pine tree like a lance?" Captain Red Jack queried. The archers fired on the tree-wielding skeletons, but even with the light of Arzeal's flameing skeleton, it was still hard for the men to see the black skeletons against the dark night and the dark tree branches, and by the time the men from the South wall switched sides to the North, the skeletons had already run across the ditch. "Did ye see that, those skeletons hardly sank down when they hit the ditch, it must be partly filled right there," the captain observed. Only the men to the far sides of the North wall had good shots, the rest were left trying to shoot through hundreds of tree branches. The black skeletons sprinted over the earth bridge across the ditch and headed for the base of the hill. One of the men happened to shoot a flaming arrow into the tree's dead folliage, and the whole tree, save the base where the skeletons held it went up in a roar of flames. By the time the skeletons reached the base of the hill, only half their original number remained, but it was barely enough. Their great spear was already tilted and aflame, it fell nearly all the way up the hill. Their mission completed, the black skeletons sprinted for the ditch. In spite of the darkness, the pirate archers shattered several with arrows before they reached safety. The archers backed away from the heat of the flaming tree. Pine burned fast, and this tree was burning even faster than it should have, the flames were intensely hot and they were burning the wooden spears all the way up the hill. "You men, take those buckets an' start throwin' dirt on the upper section o' the tree, it may seem like a fool's errand now, but every pair 'o spears we can save will slow a charge by a few precious seconds," Red Jack said. A man stood high to get a good shot at the fire with his bucket of dirt and fell back with three arrows buried in his chest. "Keep low an' behind cover, men, yer just as vulnerable ta enemy fire with a bucket as ye are with a bow!" Jack shouted. --- Rapina was cleaning the kitchen when the necromancer returned. "My trick worked, but that damned archer nearly foiled me again. He and his men have bailed Captain Red Jack out several times now." "He's one of Jack's nicest men." "A nice pirate? Please! Nice or not, he _is_ a problem," Thane rubbed his chin as if thinking. "What did you do?" Rapina asked. "The skeletons I painted black ran a pine tree up to the base of the pirate fort's spears and landed it nearly the whole way up the hill. I had Kent paint the trunk and many of the major limbs with pine tar. It's burning wildly, taking the pirate's spears in that area with it." Rapina scowled. "Thane chuckled. Such loyalty for a bunch of cold- blooded killers is astounding, especially in a lady they no doubt abused to no end. Red Jack must be charismatic, indeed." Rapina felt like stabbing the necromancer with a kitchen knife, but she knew his six skeleton guards would cut her to ribbons in an instant if she tried anything. Even if she killed the man instantly with an incredibly lucky throw, she would be joining him in death before she could even pick up another knife, and a knife would be a laughable weapon against one of the necromancer's double-strength skeletons. On the other hand, she could not help but see the evil magician's point. Jack and all his men killed innocent people for a living. It seemed that ever since Evangeline had brought his evil down upon her and forced her to claim the powers of the lust spirit, she could not escape the darkness. ----- [Rapina]016 Defeat in Darkness Rapina yawned as she sat on a large chair in the necromancer's dinning hall. She was reading here only because she knew Thane would walk through the hall on his way from his scrying chamber to the kitchen. She had finished cleaning and knew from the water clock above the mantle that dawn would be coming in about three hours. Thane wiped the sweat off his brow and wandered by Rapina into the kitchen. Rapina followed. "You didn't say anything, is something wrong?" "Yes, that damned half-elven archer. Every time I expend the power to look into my magic pool for a glance at the battlefield, he's knocked the skulls off a few more of my archers. My minions tried another burning tree, but this time the pirates saw it sooner and set it immediately aflame. They concentrated on the skeletons on only one side, and the tree fell down just short of the hill. Thanks to Kent, the remaining skeletons lifted it and tried to land it as they had the other, but it went over on an angle. Its swath only reaches about half way up the hill." "My troops are nearly gone. The pirates might storm out of their camp and kill the skeleton archers that are left, but for the fact that Kent has the remaining troops crawling around in the ditch poking their heads up and firing at different locations around the ditch so that it appears as though there are more archers than there really are. I've quite a few headless archers, but I don't dare have them set their skulls on the edge of the ditch. Your Arzeal would shoot them off with one arrow to the skull. I believe the pirates will eventually run out of arrows, but we too are running low." "You mean you've lost?" Rapina could not help that her voice brightened slightly. Thane chuckled, "You sound so disappointed that I have not wiped the infamous Red Jack and all his men off the face of Ifreann, but I must win. I am not getting any younger, and I've cast the spells I have a thousand times. I can practically do them in my sleep! I need access to greater wizardry and to be initiated into Mortaebius' inner circle. This battle has been tiresome and draining on my resources. I've used up all of the skeletons and animation scrolls I had saved up over the years and I've still come up short. It appears that I will have to make a personal appearance if I am to deliver Red Jack to the authorities in chains, which reminds me, I'd better bring manacles. I'll bolster my forces with some additional arrows, my household guards and the skeletons remaining in the tomb. With the addition of a little magic, my final back-up plan should be far more lethal than it would have been without me, and I have a most interesting surrogate to draw the archer's arrows." --- "Arr, it's been a long, evil night. Only a couple hours left until dawn. How're we doin' Arzeal?" "Not well sir. We don't have more than four score arrows left, and a quarter of those are in my own quiver. Half of the remainder we got from the enemy by pulling them out of the ground in the fort and out of our own men. The bright side is, I think the enemy is low on arrows as well. They've been firing fewer and fewer as the hours passed. I think I've made a dent in their numbers too, although skulless skeletons cannot really be counted as dead, being headless seems to ruin them for good archery." "Aye," the captain chuckled. We 'ave ye ta thank for most o' the headlesses, but they aren't the only ones with wounded. I've ne'r seen a sorrier lot o' pirates. We could break out o' the fort on one side, an see if we could best th' boneys hand ta hand, but I'm afraid there'd not be enough able-bodied left ta make us some bloody rafts ta get the hell outa here." "Arzeal nodded. True, and we'll not escape with our wounded unless we can make it until dawn. The thing that bothers me is, if the enemy has anything left to throw at us, chances are we'll be seeing it soon." "Aye." Slasher cupped his hand to his hear. "Cap'n I think ye better take a look this way, I'm hearin' mail." Tense minutes passed as the pirates strained their eyes, trying to see what they were hearing. "Son o' a bitch! You men get that catapult over here." Riding in from the East in a loose wedge formation on black, leather-clad skeletal horses were nine black- robed horseman. "Damn it! Look at the one in th' front, 'is eyes're glowin' red like embers an look at the size of 'im, 'es got ta be eight foot tall. 'Is shield would make a good table top 'an th' skeleton horse 'e's ridin' must 'ave won prizes when she warr alive fer bein' the biggest draft nag around. Th' other two horses are near as big, an' th' riders are big, but nothin' like their leader. Give 'em hell in arrows as they approach, men." Behind the horsemen marching double-time were 18 troops in bronze plate mail with halberds or two-handed swords. "Heavy armor, I don't like it. Arzeal, how many o' them incendiary arrows have ye got left?" the captain asked. "Three sir," said Arzeal. "Get the horsemen on either side o' the big guy, then see if ye can nail Ol' Red-Eyes w' the catapult. Save one o' those flame arrows fer emergency use," the captain ordered. Arzeal grinned and peaked his head up from the wall. A couple enemy arrows sang though the air, but neither hit the half-elf as he loosed two shafts. The robed figures on either side of the giant burst into flames. The pirates cheered, but the cheer was short-lived as the riders threw off their thick cowls, and with them, most of the flaming resin. Underneath the cowls the pirates saw skeletons clad in leather with metal helmets and breast plates. Astonishingly, they seemed to have enough sense to pat out the remaining flames. The riders picked up their pace and thundered towards the ditch around the fort. The mail-clad warriors behind them broke into a run. They did not have far to go, for the dark cowls had allowed them to approach relatively close to the camp, in spite of the sound of their mail. "Damn cowls. Spend are arrows, this is it boys! Catapult, loose when ready! Keep low an' snatch up th' arrows the enemy shoots inta camp!" the captain ordered. Arzeal released the catapult arm, then gritted his teeth as the rock flew. Slam! The catapult stone crashed into the giant's shield, knocking him off his horse. "Yeahhhss!" The pirates yelled in triumph. "Damn!" The captain watched as Ol' Red Eyes threw his ruined shield aside drew a two-handed sword with one hand and ran to remount his horse. "Crank it mates!" The pirates at the catapult cranked like maniacs. The pirate archers let loose with a hail of arrows, many of them piercing the breast plates of the oncoming skeleton cavalrymen, but piercing plate on a man was much more telling than piercing plate on a monstrosity of bone. The cavalry kept coming. The first horseman reached the ditch, jumped it and thundered up the hill where the pine tree had burned the fort's spears to ash. The other's followed, save the fourth horse. It jumped into the ditch and lied down out of sight. "What's with that fourth cavalryman? Archers, keep doin' what ye're doin. Logan, prepare ta raise pikes an' defend th' wall, but keep low an' don't raise pikes till those horses are in pikein' range." Arzeal said a silent prayer and let loose with another catapult stone. Damn! The stone went wide of the huge warrior as he remounted his skeletal horse and jumped the ditch in a single bound following the rest of the cavalry. At the last second, Logan's men raised pikes, the lead rider could not stop in time. He crashed into the pike, snapping it and falling from his skeleton horse. The horse itself was pierced in three places but it was not broken. It pushed forward threatening to overwhelm the men. "Push left men, flip the beast off its hooves." The pirates wrestled with the stupid bag of bones, and then cheered as it went over. The next skeleton rider tried to jump the first but went down when the first horse kicked the second horse's legs as it was trying to regain its footing. The cavalry charge was broken! "If this is all ye've got, we'll carve yer hoard Ol' Red Eyes!" the captain bellowed A welter of weighty curses roared up from the fighting men as they defended the fort. A wounded pirate whimpered and was silent. The mailed troops arrived at the ditch, many with a few arrows sticking out of them. They jumped in and spread around, surrounding the fort. As the pirates fought to keep several skeleton horses and riders out of the fort, they were taken by a horrible surprise. "Aaaaiiiii!" From the center of the fort in the depression where the wounded were kept out of harms way, a man screamed. The captain glanced at the wounded and his face contorted into a grimace of horror. five ghouls and three shadows burst from the ground in several locations. Ghouls! Grab a spear! The captain himself bent to grab a spear, then suddenly the lights went out. "Damn it Arzeal I can't see! What's happinin'" Captain Red Jack hollered. Blinded Pirates screamed as the ghouls and shadows attacked from within the camp. "Sir, I'm blind as well! Arzeal scrambled for the parapet wall bumping past a few men and receiving a horrible chill to the belly as he went to the West, the side opposite the cavalry charge. He could see nothing, the darkness around him was as thick and black as old ink. Logan can you see?" "Nay! but the riders can! I don't know if I'm cuttin' me own men or th' enemy. Uhhhhh!" Screams and paralyzed yelps erupted all over the camp as the ghouls and shadows slashed and chilled their way through the blinded pirates. Kent sensed the presence and life force of Captain Red Jack as the pirate captain whirled his bladed spear around and around, turning frequently to fend off unseen enemies. Kent dropped to a crawl, his grossly bloated belly dragging on the ground. The screams of the pirates covered any sound he made. Suddenly Kent lunged; he sunk both sets of his claws through the captain's pants just above the boots as he bit the captain's knee cap. Aaargh! ghoulish claws pierced his skin behind one knee and a welter of fear surged up the pirate captain's leg. No! he growled, resisting the fell magic. The captain raised his spear and brought it down, but before it struck flesh, teeth and claws sunk into the other leg sending a double-blast of fear up the captain's spine. Red Jack froze in horror, he could not move! Kent poked his prize several times making sure the fear had taken hold of him. He pushed the captain down and made for the next pirate. Arzeal jumped the parapet wall. Keeping low he squeezed between the spears and headed downhill as fast as he could. An arrow grazed his side and another stuck in his boot before he could again see. Positioned around the ditch were skeleton archers. At least half had set ruined skulls in the dirt at the edge of the ditch, while their bodies fired from behind. A glance back at the camp confirmed his suspicion - magical darkness. The archer moved nimbly down hill, jumping through the spears, loosing a shaft each time he landed. With each shot the skull of an enemy archer splintered or was knocked back into the ditch. Arzeal could see the mailed troopers moving to surround the fort. The half- elf jumped into the area cleared by the enemy's second flaming pine tree and took off at a dead run. Five of the cavalrymen had broken off their attack and were now circling around the base of the hill, just outside the first ring of spears. Arzeal reached the bottom of the hill and sprinted between two circling horsemen, one was Ol' Red-Eyes himself. The half-elf took the ditch in a single leap with two enormous cavalry not far behind. An arrow pierced his quiver and stuck into his back, but Arzeal was running for his life, he could barely feel the pain. The horses gained with every step, Arzeal ran faster than he'd ever run before. There was a warrior on either side of him and blades were coming to end his life when, somehow, Arzeal ran under the limb of a large oak that had been too big for the men to spend the time cutting when they were clearing for the fort. Arzeal went down as the tip of a giant sword snagged his quiver and gashed his back, then there was an explosion of splintering bones and wood as the oak defended its elven child. The fall had snapped the arrow in his back and half pulled it out. The archer rolled out of his fall and came up standing, bow in hand. The heads and necks of both skeletal horses had been removed, and Red-Eyes' taller horse had a sundered chest and shoulders, it's hind legs tried to move but were useless without forelegs. Red-Eyes had been unhorsed once again. Arzeal watched in horror as the giant stood and grabbed his sword. The other horse had lost its head, and it's rider had lost both its head and shoulders. Arzeal pulled the arrow tip from his back as the giant warrior stood. The half-elf loosed a shaft into the giant's kneecap and took off running while Red-Eyes retrieved his sword. Arzeal made it to the edge of the forest West of the camp and darted into the trees, sticking to heavy foliage. He could hear limbs snapping as the juggernaut behind him crashed through the forest in hot pursuit. The archer veered South. After a few minutes, he ran through an area where some timber had been cut in the making of the fort and its bon fires. He knew about where he was. The half elf sheathed his bow and scooped up an eight-foot section of a tree that was being cut into logs of firewood for the bon fires when evening had forced the cutting to a halt. Arzeal remembered how the pirates' cook, Fishy, had lost his legs. The archer hid behind a large tree, and when the giant skeleton thundered through the clearing towards him, the half elf swung the heavy length of timber at the skeleton's nearest knee. The skeleton's huge sword swished just above Arzeal's hunched head, embedding itself fully six inches into the tree as the skeleton's knee snapped with the combined force of the giant's forward momentum and Arzeal's frantic whole- body swing. Arzeal darted around back of the tree as the huge skeleton went down. When he came around behind it, he saw the creature was still hanging onto its sword, although the sword was still embedded in the tree. The archer wasted no time. He brought his length of firewood down on the giant's shoulder, just outside the breast plate. There was a crunch and the monstrosity's right arm, still grasping the sword, was severed from its shoulder. The archer tossed the log aside and scrambled for a smaller one that he could swing more rapidly. At seven feet long and two to three inches in diameter, it was still a huge club. The skeleton had just managed to flop its way around so that its left arm could grasp its sword when Arzeal brought the new club slamming into the side of its neck, but the neck held. Arzeal jumped but still his boot and some of the skin of his foot was carved right off. The skeleton had incredible speed and strength. The archer countered with a swing to the giant's wrist. It's grip was broken, but its wrist was not. Arzeal stood on the sword and swung again, breaking the wrist to flinders. The nimble half elf raced around the giant as it flipped and stumbled, trying to reach him in spite of missing half it's right leg, it's right arm and its left hand. Arzeal had a hunch. He pulled his sheath knife, darted in and jumped on the creature's back. The skeleton bucked like a bronco, but the archer severed the strap of its helm before being tossed off and rolling away. Another deft swing of the club and the monster's steel helmet flew from its skull. Its Red ember eyes stared blankly at the half elf as he darted in to club the creature's skull, once, twice, thrice... Cracks began forming, and on the seventh blow Arzeal blew the giant's mighty cranium apart. Arzeal smiled. The skull had been carefully sectioned off just below the eyes by a stout piece of tar-paper. The ember effect was caused by the pattern of ink stains within the top half of the creature's skull. The intricate pattern of black and white inside the skull reflected the light of a clear crystal mage-light set and screwed into the skull between the eyes just above the nasal hole. Every angle one looked at the red glass eyes produced different reflections, and movement of the head changed the pattern seen and made the eyes seem to flicker like embers. Arzeal carefully unscrewed the mage light and slipped it into his pouch. He could hear his mates scream off to the Northeast. Arzeal sighed, hefted his original eight-foot length of wood and headed South. The half-elf staggered the fifty paces remaining before reaching the lagoon, and then he slipped into the water behind the log. Beneath the water, he kicked as strongly as he could, but the pain in his back was growing. Thane peeked over the edge of the ditch with a commandeered skeleton's shield in hand. It was very dark but a spell of life-vision had fixed that. Thane now saw the world in much the same way as did his skeletons and ghouls, the amount of life force emanating from each object distinguishing it from others. The ghouls were proving most decisive within the magical darkness, but Thane worried about the accursed half-elven archer. A stroke of luck or wit had preserved the archer from the two cavalry Thane had spared to hunt him, and he knew his most powerful skeleton had taken off after the half-elf, but there were too many things that could go wrong. Shadows, come to me! You, come here, Thane pointed to one of the remaining 5 cavalry. The three shadows the necromancer had summoned to help Kent emerged from the magical darkness and came down the hill where the spears had been burned away. "I am unsure if the cavalry I sent after the half-elven archer succeeded in their task. I fear he may escape." Thane concentrated as he muttered arcane words. Shadows, being composed of vapors, were not heavy creatures. The infusion of only a small amount of magic allowed them to walk on water. "You three shadows climb up on the horse. Skeleton, take these shadows to the cove then return here. Shadows, check the water in case he swam for it. I have temporarily reduced your weight so you can walk on water. If you see life force on the water, you will run to it and feed. Now go." --- Rapina must have fallen asleep in the large chair at the head of the necromancer's dining hall. She was awakened when the parlor door opened. Thane was accompanied by three of his household guards, their shiny breastplates now dented and salted with arrow holes. Thane looked exhausted. Even though he had only had to cast a few spells, the animation and scrying earlier on had nearly drained him of energy. He had ridden safely enough inside a special "coach" he had made long ago within the leather-clad rib cage of one of the large horses. He had been in the forth horse, the one that had been positioned in the middle of the cavalry wedge and had lied down in the ditch rather than joining the charge. Rapina lifted an eybrow. A smile crept over the necromancer's lips. "You won?" "A few simple spells, a fine performance by Kent and his ghouls, and I have won the night. The pirates fought well, at first, but the darkness I brought down on them soon had them screaming and whining like whipped dogs in the face of Kent's comrades in death. The dread Captain Red Jack has been strip-searched, clothed in simple garb and soundly manacled in a cell. Thane smiled proudly, I beat him. I will be a lowly undertaker no more." Rapina shed a tear, all the men she had known had been destroyed, all for the vanity and ambition of a single man. Yet Rapina saw the other side as well. Red Jack's men had lived to kill, and now death had claimed them. Somehow a humble priest had conquered an army of bloodthirsty pirates. Rapina sniffled. "Mortaebius is the lord of death, girl. The pirates flirted with him for many years, now they've met him face to face." "Rapina sniffed and nodded. If I never knew them, I might be worshipping you as a hero, Guardian Thane, but I did know them, and a few of them, especially some of the recruits, they could have been good men under other circumstances." "Alas, other circumstances... Go on to bed and cry yourself to sleep, milady. If it's any consolation, I let your half-elf get away." "You did?" Thane nodded. "He successfully ran, and I chose not to send anything to hunt him. I was more interested in containing the pirates within the fort. He swam for it. I have no idea where he is." Thane's kindly smile hid a mighty lie. "Oh thank you, thank you, Thane. Rapina hugged the necromancer in genuine gratitude. "Arzeal was the best man Jack had. He taught me to fence and to defend myself against bigger, stronger men." Thane took a deep breath as the young woman's breasts pillowed against his chest. A single hand signal from the necromancer, and his guards halted the lifting of their swords. They were about to cut Rapina down for assaulting their master. Rapina released the necromancer, who looked a bit flushed. "What happened to the group I was originally with?" "Mmmm, they killed the skeletons Kent triggered and tried to track you, but Kent left them a false trail - twice. Such a brilliant ghoul, he will go far. A few of them must have survived, because the pirate dead in the mausoleum had been chopped to bits when I arrived to pick up the mailed skeletons to help in the final stage of the battle. I'm not sure where the grave robbers have gotten to. That's something I will look into. For now, I must rest for a moment, then try to drag enough power out of myself to activate my magic pool and report to my superior, however briefly. Go to bed and I will see you this afternoon." Rapina nodded and went to her room. She heard the lock turn shortly after she entered. [Rapina]017 A Captain In Chains "Awaken Rapina, I know you have not slept long, nor have I, but it is noon and we have much to do today. I do not wish you to wash today, and I have your old clothes. You must look your worst for the constable when he arrives this evening or tomorrow." Rapina jumped out of bed and opened the door. "Constable?" Rapina asked as she came out of her room wearing a nightshirt and nothing else. "Indeed," the necmancer smiled as he glanced at Rapina's legs. "I sent a message via pigeon to my brother priest in Granville. It's a large town on the River Augustana just West of the confluence of the river Augustana and Grand Lake about 15 miles from here. It is the area's largest settlement. Lumbering, quarrying, farming and fishing keep it going. My brother priest, Mortician Hagston, will be sending supplies and the constable. Thanks to a local superstition about the restless dead not being able to cross water, all of the towns in the area send their departed here to Graveston Isle. There are several small settlements on or near the lake, but only Granville is large enough to have its own priest of Mortaebius. He travels around the area a lot, but I send to him or his wife for supplies every month or so." "Why didn't they give you a job like that?" "At one time they did. I was one of several priests in a city on the river, but because I had a natural inclination towards the study of necromancy, and because of the incident concerning my hand, I was allowed to join the order of the Shroud and take this obscure assignment. My stipend covers basic supplies, and my naive brother priest gives me a percentage of his funereal take when I help bury one of the deceased, so I get by. On occasion, I locate a book, scroll or alchemical item I need for my magical practice, and that usually wipes out my savings. In the past I could not have afforded even to feed a servant, but I believe my fortunes have taken a definite change for the better," the necromancer smiled. With your cooperation I believe I could convince the authorities to sentence you to indentured servitude here for your crime of grave robbing." "Me, stay here with you?" Rapina shook her whole body no, her nipples wavering from side to side beneath her nightshirt. "You might as well ship me off to the other priest," Rapina sighed. "You would rather be indentured to a "celebate" rapist than serve as my maid?" "You terrify me, your ghoulish servitors, your skeletal hand, your zombies, it's all so frightening. I'm sure I would have stabbed myself with a kitchen knife long before this if..." "If what?" the necromancer asked. "Well, your magic, the lights, the way you could see the battle in your pool, summon shadows, and cast spells, its fascinating. My Auntie was a wise woman. She knew herbs and petty curses. I learned herbal medicine from her and Leech Kennon, the pirate doctor. I have fantasized about casting spells, but I had never seen a man wield *true* magic until these past few days." Thane chuckled, "So you find me terrifying, yet fascinating, both because of my magic." Rapina nodded. "Well you know, as my maid, you might be called upon to clean and tend my laboratory. You might pick up a little knowledge of the creation of potions." Rapina frowned. "Maids don't learn magic, they're just drudges. I might as well be a drudge in a town somewhere; at least I'd get to see other people, even if they were slaves and prisoners. Working here would just be a frustration, seeing magic but never learning it, alone and being terrorized by the dead, what kind of life is that?" "I could try to get the constable to assign you to me without your help, and I might easily succeed." "Fine! I have so much to live for, I'll just attack you with a kitchen knife and get cut to pieces. Then I'll never have to worry about evil men ruining my life again! Rapina burst into tears. "It's not fair, what did I ever do to deserve all this?" Rapina cried. Thane sighed, "Probably nothing." There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence. Rapina sniffled. "There is no guarantee you could even learn magic, and an apprentice most certainly works harder than a maid. In truth, apprentices do many of the chores of a maid and then they must learn in addition... If you agree to serve me well, young lady, I will endeavor to right some of the many wrongs men have heaped on you because of your beauty, and give you a chance to prove yourself as an apprentice rather than a simple servant." Rapina looked up between her tears, "Do you really mean that Thane? You won't just give me the hardest book you have, then use me once you have proved I'm incapable?" "Nay," Thane stepped back. "Mark me lady, you have my word, to the degree you put forth effort to serve me and to learn, to that same degree I will put forth effort to teach you, and I will start you with the easiest book of magic that I own, not the most difficult. Furthermore, I will not force you to my bed or mistreat you for no reason." "Do you really mean that?" Rapina asked. "I do." Thane replied succinctly. Rapina took hold of Thane and cried against his chest for several minutes. The necromancer was flushed and at a loss for words. After some time he said, "Shall we get started?" Rapina let go of the necromancer, sniffed and nodded. "You want me to wear those smokey old clothes? "Actually, I had one of the skeletons do the laundry yesterday while you were preparing breakfast. Now I almost wish I hadn't. You need to look plain for the constable, and if you have committed other crimes with the pirates we must make you look a bit different so that you will not be connected to them, to be shipped off to some prison where you will no doubt suffer much as you have been. Also the constable is a married man, but we cannot be too careful. He must not think I want you as a mistress. He must also believe you are repentant, and we may have to convince a judge as well. As long as we make no glaring errors, and I am seen as the hero who saved the world from Red Jack, then the judge will likely grant any reasonable request." Rapina nodded. "Now, we must hurry. Today will test you severely. The only reason I was willing to take you on as a servant and now am willing to make you my apprentice is because I expect to be much wealthier than I currently am. Formerly I could simply not have afforded it. You see, Red Jack and many of his men have sizable bounties on their heads, some of them quite obscene. Dead or alive, altogether they are worth a king's ransom. The constable will be bringing a stack of wanted posters for Jack's men. We must help him by identifying all the bodies. Rapina grimaced, "All right." "Make breakfast and I will ready our mounts," Thane said. After breakfast, the necromancer and Rapina were lowered down into the canyon in the wicker cage. Thane helped Rapina onto a skeletal horse cowled in black, and then mounted another such horse. They and what remained of Thane's guards rode briskly to the pirate fort where Thane had Rapina identify a score of deceased recruits that Thane had his guards drag to a central location. "Pay close attention," Thane held a symbol of the god of death, mumbled incantations, and four of the dead men rose as zombies. "That was the power of Mortaebius. Now I will demonstrate the wizardly version of the same spell." Thane tossed bone powder over the bodies and wove a different, more impressive magic. Four more zombies rose. Thane then repeated the first spell. Rapina wrinkled her nose. "Thane chuckled. "We will need the workers." The constable will want to see the battlefield. I will tell him I used magic to best the pirates, but he must not know the exact nature of the magic. The law takes a dim view of necromancy. Illusion is a much more palatable form of magic." Thane ordered the zombies about and they began laying out the dead pirates, face up, at the top of the hill. "Now, you and I must collect skeletons that could be reassembled and reanimated. The pirates destroyed so much of what I had that the isle is largely unprotected. I have a special magical glue as well as a mending spell that both work magnificently on bone. Here are some burlap sacks. In each put the pieces of a full skeleton." Thane said. Rapina's stomach complained, but she worked diligently. She did not want to stay on the isle or think what she was doing, but she knew that she might never have the opportunity to learn real magic again. It seemed to her that the beauty she had been given by the lust spirit had carried with it a curse. She needed to be more powerful than that curse, or she would always be at its mercy. By mid afternoon, Thane had perused the captain's various strong boxes in the fort. The records included a list of Red Jack's men. Thane sent Rapina around to identify each man, and tie a label naming him to each dead man's big toe. After fetching the cut-up bodies from the mausoleum and laying them out with the others, the necromancer checked them against the list. "Counting the ones caught alive, we have one hundred forty-seven of one hundred fifty-three accounted for. We are missing Arzeal, Brackston, Drake, Pike, Rage, and Skitch. The ghouls took this man, Gape, in their tunnels yesterday. I have his head and skeleton back home. Rapina nodded. It was obvious that the days work had kept her in horror and tears, but she refused to let the one chance she had to overpower her fate slip away. "Now let us cover these corpses with pirate tents to keep the carrion birds off them and have our workers take the various usable weapons, arrows and equipment back to my storage rooms, and pack up the skeletons too shattered to be of use. We must hurry, the constable could be here soon." --- Thane entered Red Jack's cell. The pirate captain's ankles were manacled together, his wrists were manacled and attached to a chain around his waist, and another chain went from his wrists to his ankles. A chain ran from the wall of the cell to an iron collar around Jack's neck. Thane was not taking any chances. "Well now, has Kent been keeping you entertained?" Thane asked. Captain Red Jack scowled. "I have come to make a business proposition. You will no doubt be hung for your crimes, and I have kept you alive for one reason only. I seem to recall that some perverse bureaucrat made you considerably more valuable alive than dead. Perhaps you have some noble enemy who wishes to take personal revenge against you?" The captain looked stonily up at the necromancer. He idly wondered why the man wore gloves in this weather. Thane continued. "It's really no matter to me. I'm just a simple priest charged by the church of Mortaebius to keep this isle free of grave robbers. I realize you may have a tendency to talk, to try to drag me down with you by alleging that I am a necromancer." Jack scoffed, "alleging?" "Indeed. Of course all that you saw was simply the power of illusion." Thane smiled. "My Ass, it was." "Perhaps I can persuade you to change your mind." "How in hell da ye expect ta do that?" the captain asked. "I realize you are not inclined to keep any bargains being that you are on your way to the gallows, but I believe you might make an exception in this case. I have a bit of information you might be interested in, and I have captured someone I will be keeping on as an indentured servant for the crime of grave robbery. I assure you, if I go down, Rapina will go down with me." Captain Red Jack tried not to react to the mention of his favorite wench, but he could see the cold gaze of the necromancer duly noted his reaction. "What information do ye suppose a dead man like me might be interested in?" "Six of your men escaped. I have their names. This noon I made a little deal with Rapina and she has since been quite helpful. I suppose she did realize Kent and I could figure it out ourselves, but one can not always trust the recollections of a ghoul." "What kind o' deal did ye cut with th' wench, you swine, ye'd not kill 'er if she spread 'er legs for ye?" Red Jack growled. Thane looked down his nose at Red Jack, "Nay, I'd say that particular deal has already been over-used in her case... Actually, she drove a hard bargain, threatening to stab me with a kitchen knife, which would result in her death by my guards, if I gave her nothing to live for." Jack chuckled. "Plucky wench, ain't she?" "Indeed. Now, do we have a deal?" Thane asked. "Aright, I'll bargain w' ye. My silence about yer fell magery, in return fer th' names o' me men that escaped, yer word ye won't harm th' wench, th' details o' yer deal with 'er, an two hours alone w' 'er without these damned chains before they cart me off." "And what do you plan to do in those two hours?" "Say gbye ta her like a proper pirate if she'll have me. It'll likely be th' last time I see 'er or any woman." "Hmmmm, you drive a hard bargain indeed." Thane pursed his lips. "I am not so sure I wish to grant that last request, but I will tell you what. In addition to failing to mention necromancy, if you will tell me everything you know about the girl, and promise you will not force her, then I will grant your request." "Aye, I don't need ta force th' wench, she's a healthy young woman if er' there was one. Ye got a deal," The captain said. Thane raised an eyebrow at Jack's comment. "The men who escaped are Arzeal, Brackston, Drake, Pike, Rage, and Skitch. Once they left the isle, I have no idea what they did, and it is none of my concern what they do hereafter. As I said, I am a humble priest charged to protect this isle from grave robbers, and up to the time I collect the bounties on you and your men, I will also be a relatively impoverished priest." Red Jack Chuckled. "An after that ye'll be richer'n a baron. How in hell's name did Arzeal escape?" "He left the darkness on the opposite side of the hill as I was on and made a run for it. He shot many of the archers shooting at him on his way down the hill and likely veered south and swam for it once he reached the cove. Thane smiled, "As for the details of my arrangement with Rapina, legally speaking I will hold her here on indenture for her crimes. After her sentence runs out she will still have to face sentence on whatever crimes she may have committed elsewhere." Captain Red Jack grimaced. "It is the best I can do within the law. Is there something she has not told me? We do have a deal don't we?" the necromancer asked. "Aye, there is, an' I don't know if I should be tellin' ye, but a deal's a deal, an' I guess ye'll be rich enough that th' wench'll be better to ye than some pretty reward," Red Jack said. "There's money on her head?" Thane asked. "There was a powerful priest who ran 'er town an' preyed on' th' young women on th' sly. He died on 'er while rapin' 'er fer th' umpteenth time. Least that's what I got out o' her. He was mean, crazy mean - had a few screws loose. She was tryin' ta tire 'im out so 'ed sleep 'stead o' leave when 'e'd finished with 'er so she could make 'er escape. She got 'im sleepin' deep aright, six feet deep, but she claims 'e broke a vessel or somethin' 'cause she didn't lift 'er hand again' 'im. I don't know if that part is true. I only 'ave 'er word on it. I do know some o' the boys pulled 'er out o' th' river near dead drowned when they were on their way ta join me crew, so she warr makin' an escape from somethin', 'an believe me, I know a hardened criminal when I see one, Rapina was just a kid, she ain't a natural born killer. She's also told me 'er aunt was th' villiage witch 'an th' aunt did curses on that ol' letcher o' a priest 'till 'e had th' aunt executed. Rapina ain't a normal girl. She's deadly smart, 'an she's frisky as a mink. That's 'ow this all started for 'er. 'Er stupid mother didn't believe th' rumors about th' reverend. He warr good at shutin' up anyone who squealed, sometimes permanent. Her dad caught 'er w' one o' 'er boyfriends, a nice lad too, 'e warr th' one who helped teach 'er ta read, but they wasn't readin' at th' time. Rapina was what ye call precocious, a real natural w' th' boys, a born lover. Th' damned priest were probably a bit leary about takin' 'er given Rapina's aunt an' 'er family maybe knowin' about 'im. Thing was, 'er stupid mother delivered the poor girl right inta th' priest's foul hands fer foolin' w' th' boys. The foul priest gave 'er her first lesson on 'ow sick some folks can be 'tween th' sheets. He beat 'er, cut 'er and would 'ave done worse if th' god o' th' dead hadn't dragged 'im under. Least that's what she told me, an' I'm inclined ta belive 'er. I'm sure th' man's family will make like she bewitched 'im 'an drained th' life out o' 'im. Who knows, maybe she did, an if 'e did even 'alf 'o what she said 'e did, 'e deserved everything 'e got. One thing's sure though, first time I were with 'er warrn't entirely w' 'er consent, but she was a good sport about it, and we 'ad a little wine and conversation before th' event. 'Fact that I'm still alive, an th' fact that any pirate boyfriend she 'ad was still kickin' up 'till ye snuffed 'em says somethin' about 'er. If she's got bewitchin' powers, she sure as hell ne're used em' on me. Any attachment I got, I came by th' natural way, Red Jack winked saltily." Thane scowled. "Don't ye be judgin' 'er too harsh. She ain't a lady that way, but she's a goddess in a man's bed, an' if ye treat 'er right ye'll find out fer yerself. She told me straight up she coudn't 'elp foolin' w' th' boys. 'Said 'er father used ta beat 'er for it 'an 'er mother used ta heap th' guilt on 'er, but that's 'ow she is, a natural born lover 'an comely as they come. Not a woman I've known could 'old a candle to 'er. Ye're holdin' a girl any man would give 'is eye teeth for, an' ye're not keepin' 'er on 'cause she's ugly, so ye can be glad she ain't a cold bitch. On th' other 'and, it's best ye know 'er nature up front, or yer like ta kill 'er fer bein' her, an' regret it fer th' rest o' yer life an' then some. Other than bein' th' finest woman ye'll ever lay eyes on, She's got more guts an' determination than any pirate recruit I've ever had. Leech Kennon, me camp doctor who ye snuffed, 'e said she was th' finest student an' assistant he'd ever had 'er seen. Me arms master tried ta wash 'er out o' basic 'an failed. He didn't take kindly ta women in 'is trainin'. Instead she got 'erself some advice 'an trainin' from other men 'an learned skill at arms better'n th' bigger, tougher recruits 'e put 'er up against. Fer someone who's had just eight weeks o' basic trainin' an a few weeks o' practice on th' boats, she sails better, shoots a bow straighter and wields short sword an shield or rapier an' main gauche as good as any recruit I ever had. She could kill ye with that kitchen knife if she 'ad a mind to, but she can be th' best friend ye ever 'ad if ye treat 'er right. I gave it to ye straight. She's a pirate wench, an' ye knew that when ye got 'er, but she's a sweet kid too in spite o' everything she's been through, an' that's even more considerable now what w' all ye're cursed walkin' dead. Ye're no prize yerself, an ye don't deserve a wench like Rapina." Thane looked down his nose at Red Jack. "I know what ye're thinkin', an' I'll be th' first ta admit it. I didn't deserve 'er neither, but I'm an opportunist, 'an I'm a killer same as ye are. I hate ye for killin' me men, but I'd o' killed yer men too, if they 'adn't been dead already. Now, I gave ye all I know. Yer turn." "This reverend she killed, what was his name?" the necromancer asked. Red Jack sighed, "Ye promise not ta turn her in fer killin' the bastard?" "If what you say about him is true, then I will not fault the woman for defending herself," Thane said. "Evangeline Avengene. I 'ad 'is signet from her fer a while, but I sold it." Jack scowled as he saw the priest freeze in surprise for just an instant. "That's all I know, now what's the rest of yer agreement with th' wench?" Jack asked. "I have agreed to give Rapina the chance to be more than a servant. In the unlikely event that her intellect is sufficient, She is to be my apprentice in magic." Red Jack nodded, "Me first officer Roger, who ye killed, he liked ta imagine th' recruits in some profession that fit 'em when they first joined on. Kent 'e saw as a naval officer good as any o' th' captains in th' king's navy. He couldn't place Rapina, said she gave 'im th' willies, but 'e finally did place 'er. She was a sorcerer's apprentice." Thane raised his eyebrow. "The constable may arrive at any time. I have other things to show him so you'll have your two hours, perhaps more, but I'll need to fetch the girl straight away." Thane left and then returned a few minutes later and let Rapina into Jack's cell. He hung a large censor on the bars of the cell's window that released myrrh- scented smoke into the air. Rapina carried the key to Jack's chains, but she'd been instructed not to release the pirate unless she wanted to, and to chain him up again before she left. Kent, Edgar, and a few of their fellow ghouls were on call in the guardroom. "Jack, I'm so sorry, he... beat us," Rapina stammered. "Aye, 'an 'e beat us as well. I warr a fool, I should 'ave seen th' 'and writin' on th' wall. That priest is as cold an' calculatin' a general as I've seen." Rapina nodded, "Guardian Thane is a magician and a priest, a member of The Order of the Death's Peace. It's the militant arm of the church of Mortaebius, god of the dead. I'm sure he was trained in tactics when he joined the order. They specialize in protecting the church, and protecting tombs from grave robbers." Jack sighed, "I'm sorry Rapina, I should 'ave known, I warr too wrapped up in th' loss o' me ships an' I fought when I should 'ave run. That's what 'as kept me off th' king's gallows fer this long. In th' past, I always knew when it warr time ta run." Rapina hugged Jack and unlocked the iron collar around his neck. "You couldn't have known Jack. Thane uses magic; no one could have estimated his power or his resources. If he had not come down to fight you himself, you would have won. What you saw at the end was all he had left, his household guards and whatever he could borrow from the tombs." Rapina unlocked the chain around Jack's waist. "Damn! I nearly had 'im. How's 'e been treatin' ye, girl?" "Kent abducted me using a secret door in the tomb after one of Thane's traps failed him but still killed half of our party." "That man's full o' infernal traps 'an schemes," Jack snapped. Rapina unlocked Jack's ankles. "Once here, I unfroze and tried to escape once but wound up just outside this cell. It was the only door I could find that I could hold against the guards Thane assigned to me, because I found a key to it on the wall of the guardroom. I saw Jonas, but I'm not sure he's here anymore. When I holed up here, it turned out that Kent and Thane were talking in the last cell. Kent was eating Piggy. It was horrible! "Aye, I don't know what Thane's doin' ta Kent, but 'e's th' only ghoul guard I've seen who looks eighteen months pregnant." "Anyway, Thane and Kent came out of a cell with three of Thane's special armored skeletons, and Thane surrounded me with flying bones. I had to surrender; it was hopeless. Thane took me out of here and put me up in one of his guest rooms. He turned me into his maid straight away, and I cooked and cleaned for him while he occupied himself with the battle. He's very creepy, and he treats death as casually as the weather, but he's not beat me or anything, even though I tried to escape." The captain nodded. "He's a' evil man, but I'm no angel meself. I hope 'e treats ye right. 'Fraid I'm not goin' ta be able ta watch over ye any longer. I can hope me escaped men will find me an' manage ta spring me afore I'm hanged, but It ain't likely. 'Least th' 'ol bastard gave me that hope. 'e told me Arzeal escaped, an' Pike, Brackston, Drake, Skitch and Rage." Rapina Nodded, "I saw the bodies, they weren't among them, and early this morning when he came home from the battle, Thane told me Arzeal had gotten away at the end of the battle." "Aye, then maybe 'e's tellin' th' truth," Red Jack said. "But enough 'o that, if I'm goin' ta hang 'an then be slavin' an' burnin' in some death god's underworld, I'd like ta 'bring as many memories of ye as I can." Jack drew Rapina to him and kissed her deeply. --- After leaving Jack and Rapina, Thane had gone to the cliffs above his abode. From there he had seen a ship approaching from the South and had gone to meet it. The constable always anchored his boats off the box canyon entrance to the isle and sent a ship's boat with the bodies of executed criminals. Thane had provided the constable with a few thick iron rings set into the stone of the canyon so that he could leave living prisoners to be killed and buried, but the constable usually had criminals publicly executed. Thus Thane usually was just left with recently dead bodies, and often supplies sent from his brother priest via the constable's ship. These things sustained his ghouls and himself, but not in high style. When there were no bodies of criminals from the constable and no burials of local people brought to the isle by his brother priest, Mortician Hagston, Hagston sent a hired boat, but that cost money. Thus Thane relied on the constable and burial parties to do him the kindness of delivering supplies whenever possible. On this occasion, Thane had sent a request for wheat, various other foodstuffs and cloth to his brother priest when he sent the message about Red Jack via pigeon. In addition to the supplies, the constable would be bringing a caged pigeon from Hagston to replace the one Thane had used to send the last message. When the constable and his chief deputy arrived, Thane took them straight away to see the pirate camp. "This was their fort, and that's the lot of them, laid out for you, constable Barns. I found this list in Red Jack's logs, and a prisoner helped me sort out who was who. I have labeled each body." Constable Olsen shook his head. "That's amazin' work Guardian Thane. I got to admit, when Mortician Hagston tol' me you had defeated Red Jack and his men with th' power o' Mortaebius, I was more'n a bit skeptical, but seein' em all laid out like this in your usual efficient manner, well, seein' is belevin', eh deputy?" "Sure is, hard ta believe a man can conjure shades ta hack men up like this." "Indeed, I see you're point, Deputy. Frankly, I'm still quite beat from the battle. It took quite a bit out of me, but I believe I will be sufficiently recuperated to muster a small demonstration for you tomorrow morning if you like." "Of m-magic?" Barns looked at Olsen. "That would be good of you Guardian Thane. Why it'd be a pleasure to see how the Infamous Red Jack met his doom. Speakin' of whom, where is his carcass?" "Actually, I was able to capture Red Jack alive," Thane said. "After we return to my residence for a short break, I'll take you on a little tour of the dungeon." "Alive! Wow," deputy Barnes exclaimed. By the time Thane escorted the men into the canyon, the sun was already down. Olsen looked at the sky. "Sure glad you got that magic light, Guardian Thane, I got a little worried we'd fall off the cliffs soon as the sun went down." Ah, it is nothing; light is a very common spell. Thane stopped. "Lower!" he yelled. The wicker cage was lowered for them. After Thane had shown the men their rooms and served wine and cheese on the table of the dining hall, the priest excused himself for a moment. Thane took a circuitous route around the men and back down the stairs to the corridor with the dungeon and storage areas the men had entered after exiting the cage. "Rapina, Captain, I'll be bringing the constable in shortly. I believe you've had over two hours now. Rapina, please come out as soon as you are ready, hurry." Rapina hugged Jack one last time and put his chains back on. Jack was exhausted from their earlier love- making, but wore a salty grin that threatened never to leave him. "Fare the well, lass. I pray I can slip th' noose, but 'least I'll die a happy man if me luck ain't up ta a miracle." "Rapina smiled but shed a tear. I hope I'll see you again Jack, but just in case, I want to thank you for watching over for these last few months." "Aye, it was my pleasure lass, an' if th' worse happens, why I'll jimmy me way outa hell, an' ye'll have a ghost Red Jack ta watch over ye fer as long as ye need me." Rapina smiled through her tears, waved one last time and left the cell. "Let's see your face, quickly," Thane said taking the key from Rapina's hand. Thane produced a little mortician's makeup kit and went to work on Rapina's face in key locations, adding shadows and making her look older and a bit different. Now, go in, undress and take this strip of cloth and bind your breasts tight to your chest, then dress again. When the constable comes, hunch your shoulders over a bit, and look at the floor a lot. It will help you look plainer. The constable must not think anything untoward. I will be calling you Serina. If the constable and the judge fail to recognize you for the crimes that the priest's family accused you of, then so much the better." Rapina nodded. Kent checked Captain Red Jack's chains, then locked Jack's cell and left the dungeon with the rest of the ghouls for the storage room across the hall. "I shall return with the constable and his deputy shortly." After a few minutes, Thane arrived with the officers and opened Jack's cell. Barns took a deep breath, "It's really him!" "Nay, can't ye see I'm th' Duke an' I hereby pardon meself all transgressions, legal 'r otherwise past an future. Now unchain me an' get me back ta me palace." "Good try Jack, but the Duke is a shorter man. Olsen held up a wanted poster. That's you all right." "Ach, they got the beard all wrong, can't ye see?" Jack snapped. "It will be a pleasure to turn you over to the Duke's men, Red Jack, you've burned your last town and killed your last innocent victim!" "I'll see ye in th' hells o' Mortabius, constable." "Stop gawking, Barns. We'll be taking him back to town tomorrow. Any others you wanted us to see, Guardian Thane?" Barns said ushering his deputy back into the corridor. "Just one other. I didn't think it would be right to kill a young woman, even if she had gotten mixed up with the pirates. She and several other of the pirates robbed one of the Baronial tombs. Unfortunately, six of her mates got away, so you men and your sailors best keep on the lookout for trouble. The escapees are wounded, but any veteran of Red Jack's band is dangerous in any condition short of deceased." "That's good advice if I ever heard it," Olsen said. Thane opened Rapina's cell. "This is Serina, she has been very helpful in identifying the bodies, and before that in cooking and cleaning for me while I was concentrating on the battle. I will, of course be pressing charges for her grave robbing, but I believe this woman can be rehabilitated. I wonder if I might get her sentenced to an indenture here as my maid? It seems I will finally be able to afford to feed a servant, but it is so difficult to get the locals to hire on for a stint on the infamous Graveston isle." "I'm sure the Judge'll be favorably inclined to you, Guardian Thane. You'll be a mighty big hero in Granville. Why don't you keep her for now, and I'll arrange for a hearing for you when you come to pick up the reward money. I hope you've got a big boat, because the gold from those bounties would sink a lesser one." Thane chuckled, "I'll work something out. Please give my brother priest a note to send me via pigeon as to when to collect the bounty and attend the hearing. That's one date I'd hate to be late for. Shall I bring the girl for the hearing?" "Likely you'll need to, but it should be just a formality," Olsen said. "Very well, let us retire to my chambers. The girl can fix us something to eat and then after a little conversation, I expect you men will want to turn in. You are, of course, invited to stay in my guest rooms. No need for you to stay on your boat with your other men, when I am glad to provide better accommodations." "Sure thing, it's been a long day," Olsen said. The next morning after breakfast, Thane ushered the men to one of his storage rooms. Thane handed Olsen a dim, red mage light. "My magic works best in poor lighting, that is why I took Jack and his men at night. As you might imagine, with my background as a mortician, I have little trouble conjuring up images that terrify the unschooled. Now here we have one of the bodies of the pirates that I've hung from a pillar. Now let me work and you will soon see how the morale of Jack's troops was robbed from them, allowing my quasi-real troops to close in for the kill." Thane made a show of coalescing the shadows into terrifying beings and forming a ghoulish monster from the shadows as well. The creatures tore up the body. In truth, the illusion hid the real players until they were "conjured;" the three shadows and the ghoul were authentic. When the demonstration was over, the undead monsters escaped through a secret door, once again under cover of Thane's illusion. Thane removed the cover from a strong, white mage-light and the men were suddenly transported from the horror of the night to standing in a well-lit ordinary, nearly empty storage room. It was obvious that there was now nothing living in the room but Thane, Olsen and Barns. "There now, I hope I managed to scare you at least a little bit." "A-a little b-bit I'd say," stammered Barns Olsen chuckled nervously, "Those pirates must have really lost it when you conjured monstrosities like that at night." "Yes, fear itself can be the greatest enemy." Thane wiped his brow. "I'd best spend a few more days resting, I think, but I am glad I could show you men a little of the magic that bested Red Jack." "Guess we better get goin'. After that demonstration, I sure's heck want ta be back in Granville before nightfall. My skin's still a-crawlin'." "Thank you constable, you flatter my humble powers. Let's get Red Jack and you can be on your way." Sometime later Thane watched as the constable and several deputies loaded Red Jack and his many chains onto a long boat bound for the constable's stout little ship. "Thank you for coming, and have a safe trip, Constable Olsen, deputy Barns and you other sailors and gentlemen of the law. I'll look forward to a note from you, constable Olsen via my brother priest, Mortician Hagston," Thane said. "Thank *you* Guardian Thane, your heroism has saved countless innocent lives. Every community along the Augustana owes you a deep debt of gratitude, and I will be glad to see you are amply rewarded," Olsen said. Thane bowed humbly and watched as the boat sailed off. When it was gone, he turned and grinned. The story continues in [Rapina]018 Judgement in Disguise. New Beginnings This Page Includes: Back to the, Pirates, page [Rapina]010 New Beginnings [Rapina]011 Hall of the Dead [Rapina]012 Shadows of the Dead [Rapina]013 Night Terrors [Rapina]014 The Noble Jaws of Death [Rapina]015 Death Battles the Living [Rapina]016 Defeat in Darkness [Rapina]017 A Captain in Chains [See a sketch of Graveston Isle (Dead Man's Isle)] [Rapina]010 New Beginnings As Red Jack scanned the horizon with his spy glass, he liked what he saw. The outlet from the lake flowed into the North side of the River Augustana between high, widely-spaced granite cliffs. The lake itself was quite large, and did not neck down much as it joined the river. This would make it near impossible to blockade, since the entrance to the lake, the lake itself and the river Augustana were both wide and deep in this area owing to the granite cliffs, riverbed and lake bed. The island was situated a good 5 miles away from the east and west shore of the lake, about 8 miles from the Northern lakeshore, and around twelve miles from the entrance to the lake to the South. The isle in the middle of the lake was a pirate's dream. It rose out of the lake like a fortress roughly three miles in diameter. To the South, West, And East the isle faced the water with high cliffs. To the North the cliffs gradually became lower but remained quite defensible. There was a double notch in the cliffs at their lowest point to the North. This proved to be the entrance to a cove just large enough for a few ships. The entrance to the cove was shallow, and the men had to spend quite a while measuring depths before they were able to get the merchant ship into the cove. The longships, with their shallow drafts and narrow beams were an easier matter. As one might have expected, the cove was the lowest part of the isle, and the terrain rose, sometimes gradually, sometimes abruptly as one went farther South. There was a forest growing near the cove in the north central area of the isle. To the south as the terrain rose and became rougher and more rocky, the trees gave way to scrub, and thence to rocky, open terrain punctuated with a few scattered bushes and trees. The longships were anchored in the cove and rowboats with supplies were launched. Captain Red Jack's pirates busied themselves with setting up a new camp. They were quite efficient for a bunch of pirates. By early evening, the temporary camp was mostly set up. Tents and lean-tos would provide shelter until the the pirates obtained lumber for more permanent structures. The captain and his officers marched through the camp discussing layout of guard posts, traps, and other defensive strategies. Most of the recruits were too busy unloading supplies or pitching tents to take notice. "First thing I'll be needin' is a map of th' area. Think ya can handle it Roger?" Jack asked. "Yes captain. Ill get right on it." Roger turned with scarcely a nod and headed off into the camp. He had been teaching Kent mapmaking before they had packed up camp to move here. One of his trainees was carrying a large coil of rope. The first mate walked up to the boy and clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder. "William! I need you, Kent, and Rolf to meet me back here in five minutes." That said, Roger headed off to get his mapmaking equipment. "But, sir...I don't know where Kent and Rolf are... " The slightly confused recruit stammered. "Well then you had better find them...and quick!" Roger shouted over his shoulder. Minutes later, three to be exact, the three recruits were assembled and awaiting Rogers arrival. Roger smiled as he watched them through his tent flap. They were all coming along nicely, especially Kent. Kent had a sharp mind and that was a rare commodity among pirates. Satisfied that they were nervous enough, Roger walked out to brief them on their next duty. The first mate handed out the necessary equipment and led the recruits towards the outskirts of the camp. "It'll be gettin dark soon so were goin ta have to hurry." Drake watched as they walked off. He was worried about Kent. Lately he seemed to be more distant from Drake. He was troubled, but had no idea of what to do. "Ya ready on your end Doanthalas?" Drake asked as he got a better grip on the handle of the chest. The tattooed elf just nodded. "Okay. On three then. One. Two. Three." They both grunted as their muscles strained to lift the chest full of weapons off the ground. This was one of the last weapons runs that needed to be made. Soon everything would be unloaded and ready for sorting and storage until needed. Drake glanced down at Doanthalas belt. He wasn't carrying any weapons. That wasn't surprising. The pirates were still deathly afraid of the elf. Its amazing what a few rumors will do to superstitious people. The young pirate recruit smiled; he had believed the rumors himself. At least until he had gotten to know the savage-elf better. Drake found it amusing that the so-called savage was more well- mannered than any of the civilized pirates. Still Drake didn't know the elf very well either. Doanthalas had yet to say more than ten words to him. He had a lot to tell, though. Drake could tell. The look in his eyes alone was testament to that fact. He shrugged. Doanthalas would talk when he was ready to. Sunset came and the pirate camp was still alive with activity. Jack would be very upset if the camp was not in working order by morning. The pirates hurried about their tasks, as none of them wanted to be the focus of Red Jack's anger. The captain looked around the large tent at the assembled faces: Roger, Sak, Logan, Leech Kennon, Hock, Arzeal, and Brackston. All of the officers were accounted for. Jack looked at everyone for a moment before beginning. "From what I can see we've got ourselves a good spot here. Its a good defensible position. What we need now is a good defensive plan. I have Roger working on a map of the area for us. How goes the mapmaking?" "Good sir. We've staked out four good reference points. Tomorrow we will be able to get some measurements and by afternoon we will have an accurate working map of the area. For now we have this rough sketch of the area." The first mate stood up and approached the captain. He held out a rolled up piece of parchment to the captain. Red Jack took the parchment and unrolled it. He perused it and the look on his face told the others that he was pleased. "This is a fine sketch Roger. The best I've seen you do so far." "Thank you captain, but I didn't draw that map. Kent did. He has an amazing eye for detail. I'm guessing that the finished map with accurate measurements won't be too different from that map in your hands." "Really? That's what I like to hear, but Roger..." "Yes captain?" "Lets schedule some extra weapons training for that lad. Shall we?" Everyone in the room snickered. "Gods know he needs it!" More laughter filled the room. Roger just nodded and sat down. "Everyone gather around and look at this map. You especially, Logan." The captain unrolled the map and set it on the ground. He weighted down the four corners with rocks and looked up at Logan. "Alright. How do ya want to lay this camp out Logan? You're the one who's got ta run it while I'm out plunderin" Logan looked at the map for a long time. He pointed to eight different points on the map. "Guard posts should be set up here. We should stick with three guard changes per night. It keeps the guards fresh and alert and it worked out well for us at the last camp. And during the..." "Speakin of guards and such...why don't we use the elf as much as possible for night watch...after all he can see in the dark..." "That's a good idea, but do you think we can trust him? I don't think the men would sleep very well with him on watch," Logan said. "I agree," Brackston said. "Yew know they're all afraid of I'm. He's like some sort of demon. We should lock 'im back up or kill em. Either's fine by me." "You'd like that. Wouldn't you Brackston?" Arzeal asked. "What are you afraid of? If he had wanted you dead he would have killed you by now." "Why you sonuva mother..." "Okay! Knock it off you two! The captain interrupted. "I know he's dangerous and I know the men fear him, but don't worry. It'll do the men some good to be constantly on their toes. Besides Rapina seems to trust him and from what I've seen she's a good judge of character." "Drake seems to have developed a bond with the elf as well. It's the strangest thing. They're together a lot, but I've yet to see them speak to each other. They usually just sit there or go about their duties in silence. I don't get it." "Maybe he likes tha boys too. Hmmm?" Brackston conjectured. "In yer dreams Brackston. You'd love a good piece of elf meat like that wouldn't ya? Heh." The room erupted in raucous laughter. "I'm still not convinced. You all saw what he did to...to..." Sak didn't have to finish. They all knew what he was referring to. "Who's to say that he won't rip my face off next? And what's to keep him from escaping?" "Those are two very good points Sak. Rest assured that I have already addressed them both. First, I have made it known that no one is to arm the elf under penalty of having their balls cut off! Second, I have assigned two crewmen to watch him all day and night. Two other crewmen relieve them once daily. I guarantee you if he tries anything we'll know it." Those recruits who missed training because of being wounded during the raid were given a chance to make up on lost practice time. Doanthalas was given the opportunity to hone his fighting skills as well. The recruits performed as well as any green sailor could be expected to. They were slightly better than lousy. Doanthalas, on the other hand, handled his weapons with considerably more skill. The practice sword rested easily in his hand and he seemed to breeze through the practice session. His archery skills were excellent as well. More arrows found their mark than not. Hock and Arzeal were impressed. After arms practice it was time to eat. The sylvan-elf got his plate of food from the mess hall and walked outside to eat. Most of the other recruits chose to eat outside as well, but moved away when Doanthalas walked by. The elf paid them no mind and sat down under a tree by himself. Drake noticed the elf and went over to sit down next to him. "Hey there Doanthalas. Mind if I join you?" Drake heard only silence. "I'll take that as a sure, sit down and enjoy yourself, okay?" The young recruit sat down and noticed Kent walking past. "Hey Kent! Why don't you join us?" Kent barely glanced in Drake's direction as he walked by. He found William and Rolf and sat down to eat with them. "What's his problem? I thought we were friends," Drake said. He's been acting this way ever since we picked up to move here. I don't get it." Drake looked in Doanthalas direction and shrugged. The tattooed elf just looked at Drake with his emerald eyes for a moment. He shrugged as well and then went back to eating. "Hi Drake, Hi Doanthalis," Rapina walked up with her dinner and found a spot to eat next to the boys. "The good news is, we are not trapped on a moving boat twenty-four hours a day, the bad news is Captain Red Jack wants the camp done yesterday. I see you two got put on unloading stuff from the merchant ship duty. I've been helping the leech set up a temporary infirmary. Pretty soon we'll all be turned into amateur carpenters, I think." Evening arrived and the recruits made their way to their tents for a much-deserved sleep. The guards were changed and all unnecessary fires were doused. A solitary figure made its way towards a copse of trees. A few of the straggling pirates noticed it was the elf. Doanthalas never slept with the other pirates. He always spent the night outside. The pirates wondered if the sylvan elf even slept at all. Whatever his reason for not sleeping in the same tent as the others the pirates didn't care. They felt much safer with him somewhere else. The tattooed elf surveyed the new copse of trees he had chosen for the site of this evenings reverie. It would do. The trees would provide minimal protection from the elements as well as a convenient escape route if trouble arose. Doanthalas turned his emerald eyes to the sky and breathed deeply. It had been many years since he had smelled air so sweet. The stars seemed to twinkle to some silent melody. For a moment, his heart soared. For a moment, he almost forgot. The elf contemplated not entering the reverie at all this evening. Without the reverie he would forget. All the horrors and torments would be forgotten. Gone. And his spirit would be at peace once again. Unfortunately, there was a price. Not only would he forget everything bad, but he would also forget everything good. His family, friends, loved ones, and every moment of happiness he had ever lived would be gone. They would fade away like a forgotten dream. He shook his head. It was time to enter the reverie. Doanthalas sat cross-legged on the ground and assumed a meditative pose. His chest rose and fell with every breath he took. It wasn't long before the present faded and the past came flooding back. Doanthalas looked peaceful and serene sitting there on the ground. His hair waved as the wind blew through it. He wasn't sleeping nor was he awake; he was somewhere else entirely. About twenty minutes after he entered the reverie the sylvan-elfs body began to shake. A casual looker would have thought he was just cold. Considering how lightly dressed he was it would not have been a surprise. Nevertheless, he was not cold. In fact, he was sweating. As time passed, his body shook more and more violently. He seemed to be having some sort of fit. Suddenly his eyes opened and his arms shot out to his sides. He looked about wildly a look of utter fear on his face. Although Doanthalas was looking from side to side his eyes didn't seem to be focusing on anything. In an instant he was on his feet and backpedaling away from the camp. A root caught his heel and sent him crashing to the ground. He struggled to get back up, but could only manage to crawl backwards. When his back hit the tree he stopped backpedaling. The elf curled up into the fetal position and screamed,"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Tremors seized his body as the elf began to sob. For almost an hour he just lay there shaking and sobbing. He didn't utter a single word the rest of the night. "What's 'ee doin' now Skitch?" Guts asked. "Jus' sittin there shakin.'" Skitch whispered. "Is that all? I might as well sit down and get some rest." "Don't fall asleep. 'Captain wants the elf watched 24 hours." "Yeah, yeah," Guts sat down and yawned. Just watching Skitch walk around was enough to keep him up, at least for a while. When morning came Doanthalis just stood up, dusted himself off, and reported for his duties. Doanthalas breezed through the morning's weapons training session. He had used all of them before. Experienced as he was with the weapons he was by no means a master. For that reason he applied himself fully to the practice. In the afternoon he had a more difficult time. The pirates explained and demonstrated the basic workings of a ship. It looked easy enough to Doanthalas, but the actual doing was very difficult. The sylvan elf had never been on a ship before much less tried to sail one. He had never had a reason to leave the land. On land Doanthalas was as agile as a cat. At sea he was more like a fish out of water. He almost tipped the rowboat twice and the swaying of the ship made him sick. The men would have laughed if they hadn't feared for their lives. At dinnertime the tattooed elf hobbled to the mess tent with the rest of the recruits. The sun was setting in the distance and clouds were forming on the horizon. Meanwhile the captain was meeting with his officers once again. "I'm sure that ye all know tha reason I called ye here," Jack said. He paused as his eyes scanned the room. "I've been hearing some things about tha elf Doanthalas. Rumors is rumors and they don't concern me. What does concern me is any truth behind those rumors." The Captain took another dramatic pause as he paced up to Armsmaster Hock. "So tell me tha truth. Is what I'm hearin true? Hock? Arzeal?" "I take it yer referrin ta his fightin skills..." Hock paused to see if the captain would answer him. The captain didn't so the armsmaster continued, "He handles the weapons with a skill far superior ta that of our best recruits. If'n I had ta guess I'd say he was some sort of soldier or mercenary." "I agree," Arzeal said. "He knows his way around bows. That's for sure. He picked the best one out of the bunch without any help from me or anyone for that matter. And his aim was too accurate for anyone but a soldier...or a mercenary." "So yer sayin that he's good with weapons eh? Which ones?" The captain asked. "Far as I can tell, captain, he's good with all of em," Hock said. "ALL of em?" The captain asked. "Yes sir. All that we have anyway," Hock replied. "Well I guess its good that we haven't allowed him any weapons so far. Eh boys? Else he might have skewered us all. Heh." "Well although he IS proficient in all the weapons we have...he ISN'T the best at using them. Don't get me wrong...he IS good. But he still has a lot to learn. I just thought it interesting that he would be so good in so many different weapons." Hock said. "Elves do live for hundreds of years so it doesn't surprise me that much, but what does surprise me is that an elf as young as he is would be that proficient in them." Arzeal said. "What do ya mean Arzeal?" Jack asked. The half elf paused to consider his words for a moment, "Most elves spend their youth enjoying life and learning about things like music and history. They don't usually begin training elvish children in warfare until they're two hundred to three hundred years old. Doanthalas doesn't look a day over one hundred and fifty. He's practically a child..." "A child?!?!?!?" The half-elf laughed. "Well a child by elvish standards is more like an adult by our standards..well your standards. Still....since they outlive humans by generations they have more time to devote to learning the skills they need to survive," Arzeal said. "Why do they wait so long to learn how to fight? You'd think they'd need it at an earlier age," Hock asked. "The adult elves protect the younger elves when threatened. Besides elves don't like to fight. They find it barbaric and distasteful." "Well that wild elf out there sure had me fooled! Ya'd think he was born to fight! Distasteful my arse! Ha!" Brackston said. "There are always exceptions, but...I don't think Doanthalas is an exception. I think he fights because he has to, not because he wants to," Arzeal said. "what makes you say that Arzeal?" the captain asked. "I'm not sure. It's mostly a gut feeling, but he doesn't have the look of a cold blooded killer in his eyes. He has more of the look of a lost soul...besides he had the perfect chance to kill me and Rapina back when we recaptured him." Brackston frowned and grumbled to himself at Arzeals words. "But he didn't kill you...or Rapina for that matter. Drake seems to think the world of him." Logan smiled, shook his head and laughed. "What's so funny, Logan?" Captain Red Jack asked. "Just some of the stories Drake has been telling me about the elf's sailing skills...or should I say LACK of sailing skills?" Logan said. Roger, the normally stoic first mate couldn't help but smirk. "It's true captain. He may be a natural when it comes to fightin,' but I've never seen a more clumsy sailor." "He hasn't got his sea legs yet?" Red Jack asked. "More like he's gotten his sea legs amputated!" Roger laughed. Laughter filled the tent at Roger's joke. A few stories of Doanthalas' misadventures on the water followed. "That's all well and good, but the fact remains that the men fear 'im. I don't blame them. He gives me the willies. And those tattoos of his...he looks like a demon he does. I'll betcha that none of them sailors laughs at I'm when he's bumblin around the boat. Do they?" "No. They don't." Roger replied. "Well if the men don't trust him then how can we?" Sak asked. "That's a very good question Sak. I'm hoping that they'll come around sooner or later," the captain said. "And if they don't?" Sak asked. "We'll deal with that when and if it happens," Captain Red Jack replied. "Besides Drake's already taken a liking to him," Logan said. "And so has Rapina...and...and I think he's ok," Arzeal said. "We'll see. Three pirates out of a camp of almost a hunnerd ain't even a drop in tha bucket!" Sak said. --- ------ That evening a few of the pirates were drinking as usual. Only this time they were discussing the elf. Pike was part of the group as was Fishy, Milo, Grulka, and Targ. Targ was a beefy pirate with a prominent brow and no noticeable neck. He was having trouble speaking after his seventh mug of ale. "Now that alf e fights like the devil e does. I'd hate ta be facin I'm in battle." "I agree," said Grulka, a lanky pirate with a pinched face. "He'd tear me limb from limb he would." "Ha. Yer a buncha scaredy cats! Afraid of a little elf," Fishy scoffed. "Sure the elf's a tough one, but he's not invincible," Pike said. "I'm sure a good number of the pirates here could beat him in a fair fight." "Ha! Ya wish!" Grulka said. "Okay. Goin find one then," Targ argued. "Ya won't! Thar all scared of I'm." "I'm not," Pike said. "Oh. Big talk from that big man. Why don't you go fight I'm then?" Tark asked. "Because I have no quarrel with him," Pike said. "Or is it cuz yer scared?" Gulka asked. The large Norseman stood to his full height and glared down at Grulka. "What did you say?" He growled. "Easy Pike. He didn't mean it. It's the ale talkin," Fishy said. "If'n yer not scared of the alf then...how's about we make a little wager?" Tark asked. "Now yer talkin,' What's the bet?" Fishy asked. Bets were made and when everyone was in agreement they headed off to find the elf. Grulka pulled Fishy aside when they started walking. "What got Pike so steamed before?" Grulka asked. The lame cook flashed a toothy grin. "Ya insulted him when ya suggested he were scared. An that's somethin ya don't do to a Norseman. Insult their honor and their pride and they'll rip yer legs off. Ha!" Fishey said. The four inebriated pirates walked around the camp until they found Doanthalas. He was sitting on a rock watching the water. Drake and Rapina were there with him. None of them were talking. They just seemed to be silently enjoying the evening air. Pike stepped forward and issued his challenge. "Elf! I challenge you to a fight. I've been hearing stories about how tough you are. Talk is nothing so I'm here to find out for myself. What say you?" Pike asked. The elf turned and walked over to Pike. He looked from face to face before finally resting his eyes upon Pike. He removed his shirt, nodded his head, and adopted a fighting stance. The pirates cheered since they were going to get a fight. Drake looked worried and shot Rapina a glance that told her so. Pike removed his shirt and adopted a fighting stance of his own. It looked like the fight wouldn't last very long. The Norseman towered about three heads above the tattooed elf. And although Doanthalas was big for an elf he was dwarfed by Pike. The fight was clean and lasted longer than anybody would have guessed. Although Pike was easily able to swat the sylvan elf away with his longer reach and stronger arms Doanthalas did not give up. Every time he got knocked down he would get right back up and go at Pike. Doanthalas was able to land his fair share of blows, but it was obvious that he was not going to win. Pike was just too powerful and experienced for Doanthalas. The sylvan elf could barely stand by the time Pike called the fight. Doanthalas had just hobbled to his feet and was shuffling back towards Pike when the oarsmaster held up his hand and said, "Draw!" The assembled pirates looked at him in disbelief. Why had he done that? Clearly he would have won and collected his share of the betting money. They didn't know what to do. The oarsmaster put his arm around Doanthalas for support and guided him towards the center of camp. "I have to hand it to you elf. You're a tough one. Not too smart...but tough. Most men would have given up long before you did and for good reason too. You've got guts. I respect that. My name's Pike. What's yours?" Doanthalas turned his tattooed face towards Pike but didn't say anything. He just stared at him with his emerald eyes. After a moment, apparently satisfied that Pike was someone he could trust, the elf replied, "Doanthalas." At first Rapina had been nervous about Pike's challenge, but now her faith in the Norseman was renewed. He had tested Doanthalas' mettle and liked what he saw enough to embrace Doanthalas as a comrade. Pike was a strong and popular junior officer, well- liked by the men. Rapina hoped that the new friendship Pike seemed to be striking up would spread to the Norseman's comrades. It was a few hours before dawn and Skitch was busy chinning himself on a tree limb keeping awake while on elf-watching detail. Guts sat against a tree trunk snoring softly. Skitch contemplated waking Guts up for the fifth time when he realized that Doanthalas was no longer where he had been. "Damn, where'd he go, I just looked at him a few minutes ago. " Skitch kicked Guts. "Wake up, stupid, the elf was just over there quakin' a few minutes ago, and now 'ee's gone." "The large, dim pirate awakened. "Ouch, what'cha kickin' me for?" "Yer sleepin' on the job again, lout. We got ta find the elf quick, an' I have no idea which way he went. You know how quiet 'e is when he moves through the trees. Damn it, we'll have ta get Brackston, an' 'e ain't going to like it." Skitch ran off full tilt and returned with Brackston and Thumper a few minutes later. Thumper tracked the elf to the Southeast. "Damn demon elf! Look at this, Blade and Cudge were here on watch. Look at all the damn blood," Brackston said. "Track 'Im thumper, track 'I'm." Thumper sidled away from the area, whining and whimpering. "What the hell's wrong with yew, dog? That elf cast a hex on yew? Brackston asked. "Damn it, yer not sneezin' so it ain't them herbs 'e used on yew at the other camp. What in hell happened ta my fearless fuckin' dog!? Well come on, it's a cinch he didn't go back in the direction of camp. Let's head South." About five minutes later Skitch pointed out the elf's tattoos in the moonlight, and the group ran up to him. Doanthalis was bent over something. Skitch heard Brackston's infamous neck shackle lock over the elf's neck. "Demon elf! I got yew, caught yew red-handed! We'll see what the captain says about yew now." Brackston said. Skitch caught hold of Guts. "Hold on, take a look at this..." Logan let the matter rest until morning, but first thing, the Captain conferred with Brackston, Skitch and Guts. "'e murdered 'em, I tell yew, 'e's a demon!" Brackston practically hollered. "Hold yer horses, Brackston, tell me the whole story from the beginnin'" Captain Red Jack snapped. "Skitch came an' got me ta track the elf. He slipped 'em a few hours 'fore dawn. We tracked 'I'm ta the Southeast guard watch post an' there was blood everywhere, yew should'a seen it!" "Thumper was actin' real funny and wouldn't track th' elf anymore, so we went South an' found 'Im areselves. There 'e was bendin' over th' corpse. I tell yew, I caught 'im red handed." "Skitch, is that how it went?" Skitch nodded. "Yeah, Brackston's got the story right, but I don't like 'is conclusions. 'ee wasn't outa my sight long. I just did some chin-ups ta keep awake. Guts was watchin' me 'stead of the elf. Then I realized the elf wasn't there so I ran an' got Brackston. The rest is like 'e said, but I seen the body. I got no idea whether it was Blade or Cudge, 'cause there ain't a lot o' meat left on th' carcass, understand?" "If that elf killed 'I'm 'e set a new record fer eatin' raw meat. I checked 'is belly when we got back ta camp. I'm tellin' ya, if that elf ate most of a 200 pound pirate, 'ed have ta 'ave a belly out ta here, but that weren't the case. I'd say it'd be worth askin' the elf what happened. Me an' Guts looked for th' other corpse, but we couldn't find it nowhere. I'm hopin' now that it's gettin' light, we can figure out where it's gotten to." "It's magic, I tell yew, the elf just withered the corpse away after guttin' it, an 'e cast a spell so's my dog turned as yellah as 'is coat." "Get me Rapina, and I'll see what the elf has ta say for 'imself soon enough." "Mean time, Skitch, take a few men an' see if ye can find the other corpse, but first, show me the one ye got." A little while later the captain came to the tree Brackston had chained Doanthalas to not far from the Barracks tent. Rapina arrived from the infirmary tent at about the same time. The camp was already abuzz with rumors of how the demonic elf had chewed the meat off from Cudge's bones. "Brackston has it that ye killed an' ate two o' me men early this mornin.' Skitch wasn't so sure ye did it. Ye don't look like yer stuffed wif 400 pounds 'o pirate. I'd like ta hear yer side o' th' story startin' when ye left yer sleepin' spot. Doanthalas was sitting on the ground holding the chain in his hands. He was staring at it with a resigned look. "It seems I shall be bound for life. The path I walk is forever soaked with blood." The sylvan elf paused and then looked up at the captain. "I...awoke...from the reverie to the sounds of the wolf pack feasting. I thought the pack had made a kill to the unereif...south...east. To chase away the clouds I followed the feast music. The scent of life lost caressed the air. There was no wolf pack...only the shadows of men. My presence was known for the shadow men were removing the life husks when I arrived. They dropped one as they faded to the...south...east. Their spirits were tired... or... sleeping... their bodies were cold like shadows. My eyes could barely glimpse them." "Well ya sure do speak funny, but I think I understand ya. No offense ta yer combat abilities, Doanthalas, but I'm inclined ta believe ye. Those were good men. I'm hopin' even someone like you could not have killed 'em without sa much as a scream out 'o 'em. As fer the men ye saw, I can't make heads ner tails o' it. I suppose they could 'ave been wearin' heavy coats ta foil yer vision, but in this weather, it don't make sense." "Any ideas Rapina? Is their magics fer such?" "I've read about illusions and things that can fool vision. I've also read about elementals, golems and creations of necromancy that would not have body heat. Any of those could be basically human-shaped." "Aye, likely it's nothin' more'n island men wearin' coats. Just the same, get me Pike, Donal, Backster, Drake, an' Kent. Brackston, unchain the elf. I have ta agree with Skitch. If Doanthalas had the kind 'o magic ye're conjecturin' 'ed of got out o' that old cage at th' other camp in short order and ate us all. I'm thinkin some 'o the island's natives just gave us a good pirate's welcome." Brackston glowered but did as he was told. A few minutes later Rapina had fetched the various people the captain wanted. "All right. I want ye ta arm up, an' head South an East. Backster, you an' the elf see if ye can track whoever done the deed. See if ye can find their camp 'an see how many there are. Don't engage 'em unless yer pretty sure o' the odds." "Pike, yer in charge. Rapina, yer along 'cause ye've read most anything I own concernin' th' supernatural, an' I'm too busy ta go meself. Kent, yer ta map the trip as best ye can as yer goin'. The rest o' ye are soldierin' so look alive. Get yer gear an' meet over at the mess tent. Fishy an' Piggy'll fix ye up with provisions 'an I'll have some climbin' gear left for ye. Be snappy about it. I'd prefer ta see ye back here before night fall." Rapina got her Rapier, main gauche, knife, bow and quiver and met the others back at the mess tent. Doanthalas checked his gear as he led the group to the spot where he had found the first body. Although the body had been removed there was still plenty of dried blood on the ground. The sylvan elf examined the area while the group stood back. Whatever or whomever was responsible for the death of Blade and Cudge hadn't been too worried about hiding their presence. There were footprints all over the place. Some had been obliterated by the pirates when they came to investigate and collect the body. But Doanthalas had no trouble picking up the trail that would lead them to the murderers. The footprints headed off to the Southeast. "The men of shadow returned to the darkness this way." Doanthalas said as he pointed towards the cliffs to the Southeast. Those in the group who were not used to hearing Doanthalas speak. After hearing the strange manner in which he spoke, they looked at each other curiously. They followed the elf through the forest even if they had not understood his speech. The murderers had left plenty of evidence of their passing. Deep footprints, dried blood, broken twigs and branches, and shreds of old dry-rotted cloth led the elf and the party through the forest and on to some low cliffs and more rocky terrain. It was harder to track the "men of shadow" through the cliffs and rocky areas. Doanthalas was hard pressed to find any sort of evidence. Luckily he spotted a few scuff marks on the rocks and some drops of dried blood. Eventually the vegetation all but disappeared, as did the trail. It was far too rocky to make heads or tails of any kind of evidence. Doanthalas stopped and scanned the area for possible escape routes. He spotted some higher cliffs and headed for them. "Their shadows have faded in the light. We must climb those cliffs to see with the clarity of the hawk. Then we may be able to find our quarry." Drake pulled Rapina up a seven-foot cliff onto higher terrain and the others followed. Oarmaster Pike pointed, "what do ye make o' that?" Rapina walked up a steep hill to where Pike was standing, there in front of them was a large, flat, rocky field nearly devoid of trees. Oval piles of stone littered the field to the East up until it ended at the base of cliffs to the East and South. To the North the terrain sunk. "Burial mounds?" Rapina asked. "Only one way to find out." Pike walked North and found an older, smaller pile of rocks and began tossing the ones on top aside. Donal and Drake Joined in. "Yer right, looks like it was a kid. The bones are mostly crushed and plenty old, looks like. I guess we just found ourselves a graveyard on th' isle of the dead." Pike shifted the large double-edged battle axe slug over his back, and pursed his lips. "There's a trail here through the mounds leadin' North and South, I think." The group went Northeast and found that the trail descended into a box canyon at the Northeast edge of the isle. The trail had obviously been modified by ancient chisels and was in some cases cut into the side of the canyon. At the bottom was a pool of water with some sort of sunken funeral boat in it. A natural archway led from the canyon out through a short cave to the lake. The opening was hidden from those viewing the isle from the waters Northeast of it by a spur of rock. "A side door ta the isle," Pike said. "This'll be handy ta know about. If they left from here, we'll not be tracking 'em. Hey look," Pike pointed to some ancient characters carved into the canyon wall to be visible from boats sitting in the water. "Any ideas." "They're runes. This one means death, and this sanctuary. Hmmm, maybe something like sanctuary of the dead? These others are more obscure, some sort of warning maybe, and this one means respect. That one is the sun or day. I think that it is warning us to respect the sanctuary of the dead and to drop off our dead only by day. How creepy." "It's been my experience that dead men're less trouble than the living, and my guess is whoever carved those letters was just trying ta cow any would-be grave robbers," Pike said. "There could be some serious booty up in those mounds. Sometimes they bury people with their gold rings and such on 'em," Backster said. "Let's go have another look at the graveyard and see if this warning did the trick 'r not," Pike said. After the group climbed their way back up to the field of stones, Pike led the way South. "These mounds closest to the canyon are a little smaller and flatter. I'd say they're older. Let's see if we can find something newer." The search led to the Southern edge of the field. "Give me a hand here. None of these looks real fresh, but they're taller and newer than the ones to the North," Pike said. Rapina helped the others move the stones. "Hehheheh, it don't look like that warnin' was very successful. All we got here is a few scraps o' old linen. There ain't even a body." "But what kind of grave robber takes the valuables and the bones?" Rapina asked. "Likely they ditched the bones in one of these other mounds," Backster replied. The tattooed elf was staring at the ground intently. He kept looking from the ground to an outcropping of rock a short distance away. "I sense the caress of the shadow here." Doanthalas stood up and walked over to the rock outcropping. He discovered that the outcropping hid a cave entrance. The elf beckoned the others closer and pointed at the runes chiseled into the rock. Pike and the others came to look. "More letters, Rapina." "Hall of the Dead," Rapina said matter of factly. "It must be a cave that's been turned into a mausoleum. Let me take a look at these smaller runes just above the entrance." --- [Rapina]011 Hall of the Dead Backster opened an ancient bamboo gate that fit into the entrance and stepped in. "Hold on, you're supposed to intone some sort of prayer before entering, at least that's what I think it says here," Rapina said. From inside the cavern Backster's voice echoed, "Oh sure, gods grant me a heavenly hoard 'o booty. Damn it's dark in here." Rapina sighed. "That's no kind of prayer. Besides, you're supposed to do it before you open the gate, silly." Rapina fished the crystal pendant out from beneath her tunic. She took the little black leather sack off the lighted crystal and put it in her belt pouch. She wore the crystal light outside her shirt to provide light for her party. "Gold!" Backster shouted. "Hold up Backster, yer gettin' too far ahead of us." Pike unslung his axe and went into the tunnel with Donal next to him. Rapina followed, her light allowing them to see. "AAAAAiiiiiih!" Backster screamed. Just inside, the cavern was like a narrow hall that slanted downwards. After about twenty feet the corridor widened and leveled off. Carved into the sides of the level main tunnel were tiers of Coffin-sized dead-end tunnels. There were three tunnels to a column, one near the floor, one about waist-level and one above the level of most men's heads. Each tunnel held a corpse. Column after column of coffin tunnels lined the walls. Currently Backster flew backwards out of one of the waist-high tunnel entrances about fifteen feet down the wide hall and on the East side. He held his face as blood gushed from his eye sockets. A golden ring clattered to the floor as he pulled out of the side- tunnel. ---------------[click to see a rough sketch of this room] [you can only see the top side tunnels in this view from above, but there are two more side tunnels below each one pictured. All of the skeletons are on the map though. If it looks like there are 2 or 3 in a side tunnel, there is really only one in a tunnel but there are 3 tunnels in a column.] --------------- A boney hand dripping blood emerged from the tunnel after Backster. A skull followed, then a bony hand holding a dagger. The unholy skeletons of the dead awakened from their slumber and began to boil out of their resting-places. They were armed with ancient blades, or wooden cudgels. The only sound they made was the ticking of their boney feet on the stone floor. For an instant, Rapina froze in horror. In some rational corner of her mind, she idly wished she had brought her big Roman shield. In front of Rapina, Pike sprinted forward to try to rescue Backster. The Norseman dodged the bony hands of the emerging skeletons and got to Backster just as the first of the emerging skeletons stood and lifted their weapons. Pike cleaved the skull and rib cage of the dagger-wielding skeleton about to spit Backster, then tossed the pirate over his shoulder like a screaming sack of potatoes. It was then that the Norseman realized that numerous skeletons had sealed off his retreat back to the party. The skeletons had him trapped. Red rage swam before the Norseman's eyes as he yelled a blood-curdling battle cry. In a single blow he shattered the skull and rib cage of the skeleton coming out of the side tunnel at the level of his head and danced to avoid the grasp of the one emerging at his feet. Thankfully, he had already dispatched the one from the waist level tunnel on his side of the room, but the skeletons from the other side were quickly emerging. Pike's battle-cry snapped Rapina out of her dumbfounded state. She flattened herself against the wall allowing Drake, Donal and Doanthalas to get by her. At the same time she drew her rapier and main gauche. From the corner of her eye she saw Kent pushing on a slab of stone that had slid from the ceiling near the entrance to block their escape. Donal rushed to within striking distance of the first tier of side tunnels. As a skeleton emerged from the top tier, Donal relieved it of its head with his broad sword. To Donal's horror, the headless skeleton jumped to the ground and swung its oaken cudgel at him, nearly braining the pirate before he ducked -just in time. The pirate brought his sword up chopping through several ribs and sundering the spine of the skeleton. Another skeleton from one tier lower came out of its side tunnel and stood as the one from the tier near the floor grabbed Donal's boot. In addition, the skeleton that Donal had been fighting, now lacking a pelvis and legs, swung its cudgel at the pirate's knees from its position on the floor. Donal parried the cudgel by slicing off both of the skeleton's hands with a single stroke of his broadsword. Simultaneously, he blocked the blow of the ancient dagger of the second skeleton with his buckler. The skeleton near the floor pulled itself out of its side tunnel and bit into Donal's boot. The pirate yelled obscenities as he dropped his sword and grabbed the cudgel of the first skeleton. Rapina realized the ever-valiant Drake was charging forward to try to save Pike. She steeled herself and slipped to the right. She used her main gauche to parry the sword of the skeleton that tried to skewer her, and severed its spine just below the rib cage with a swipe of her rapier. As it's upper half fell, Rapina jumped; pretending she was stamping on Trevor's instep, she managed to largely shatter the monster's rib cage. Although she was paying little attention to it, Rapina saw Donal's fight and realized that swords were not the best weapons against these creatures. With cudgel in hand, Donal shattered the upper ribs of his second skeleton while trying to stamp on the neck of the third that was now biting into his foot. Unfortunately, his stomping was unsuccessful and the third skeleton pulled his legs as he tried to trample it. "Aaaagh!" The pirate toppled over. Doanthalas slid the bastard sword from the scabbard he wore on his back. The sword had an extra long handle so that it could be wielded with one or two hands. He opted for a two handed grip as he moved to help Donal. The skeletons raised their weapons as Donal tried desperately to escape. The skeleton that had brought Donal down released its grip only to sink its teeth deep into Donal's leg. The young pirate screamed in pain and tried to kick the skeleton away. He was unsuccessful. Donal closed his eyes in anticipation of the killing blow that was sure to come at any moment. He flinched as a loud cracking noise filled the air and shards of bone rained down around him. Donal opened his eyes in time to see the remains of his attackers clatter to the floor. The tattooed elf was standing over him cutting swaths of destruction through the ranks of the skeletons. Drake noticed Doanthalas' technique from the corner of his eye. Instead of fighting the skeletons as one would fight a normal fleshy opponent, Doanthalas was aiming his attacks at their rib cages. Instead of stabbing and hacking in a downward motion, the elf was swinging his sword in a side to side sweeping motion. It seemed to be working so Drake adopted this technique and stepped up to give Pike a hand. Pike's heavy axe shattered skeletons right and left as the Norseman whirled and side-stepped to dodge the clubs and blades of his supernatural foes. He stayed near the wall, jumping past columns of openings when he could. The Norseman swung again, another opponent shattered, its bones tangling with the bones of the creature behind it, but the stupid creature came forward just the same. Pike caught its club and kicked it backwards breaking its hold. At the same time he shattered one of it's comrades to his right as his axe continued to weave patterns in the air. Pike roared and jumped forward as a third skeleton opened a gash in his side. The Norseman flipped the big club he had wrested from a skeleton end for end, caught it and swung it with gusto, his mighty muscles sweating with red rage. The skeleton that had cut him disintegrated into a hail of bones as the mighty Viking's club came down through both skull and rib cage. "Hang on Backster, I got ta use both hands 'er we're both dead men!" He bellowed. The next skeleton Rapina encountered swung a heavy club. So heavy that the parrying strength behind Rapina's main gauche was not sufficient. The blow drove Rapina's left hand side. Her main gauche clattered to the floor as her nerveless hand released it. With her good hand she swung hard and shattered one of the hands of the monster. Her blade bit into its other wrist but did not sever it. With only one hand, the creature brought up its club to strike again, but it was much too slow. Rapina severed it's good arm at the shoulder with her rapier and kicked it hard in the ribs. It flew back into one of its advancing comrades and they both went down in a tangle of bones. Rapina grabbed the skeleton's cudgel and sheathed her rapier while the two tangled skeletons struggled to get up. Her left hand was weak, but she directed healing energy to it and swung the cudgel with both hands and all her strength. One of the skeletons shattered, the other flew to the side with pieces of the first entangled in its ribs. She advanced trying to protect Drake's right flank as he charged forward. The skeletons advanced steadily. They did not plan their attacks defensively for they had no brains and they did not fear for their lives. The search party, however, did fear for their lives and rightly so. The skeletons outnumbered them by more than three to one. They needed some kind of strategy if they were to survive. As it was the skeletons had them separated into two small groups. Kent, Rapina, Doanthalas and Donal were fighting with their backs to the cavern entrance. Drake had fought his way to Pike and Backster. Pike and Drake were in a bind. Skeletons surrounded them and Backster was in no condition to fight. The members of the search party knew how to fight, but none of them, except for one member, had any experience in the tactics of large scale battles. This hardly qualified as a large scale battle, but the idea was the same. Whoever fought harder and smarter would be victorious. "We're Trapped!" Kent screamed. "We can retreat back towards the closed entrance, it's much narrower there but we have to get to Pike and Drake, They're only ten feet away now but there are so many skeletons! Rapina shouted. Donal came limping back to Rapina and Kent. "Damned pile o' bones bit me!" He swung his cudgel and shattered another skeleton that stepped too close to him. The sylvan elf deftly swept his leg in a half circle as he crouched near the ground. Two skeletons went tumbling to the floor. Doanthalas brought his sword in a powerful upwards arc and cleaved a third skeleton in two. A few quick steps and shattered skeletons later the tattooed elf had fought his way back to Rapina, Kent and Donal. The three of them looked fine, but Pike, Backster and Drake were in deep trouble. Soon the skeletal warriors would overrun them. "Rapina, Donal With me!" The elf shouted as he stepped forward and swung his bastard sword in a tight arc shattering the torso of another skeleton. "We must clear the way for our comrades! Kent, guard our backs!" terror paralyzed The young pirate. Otherwise, he might have told the presumptuous elf where to go. For the moment, it was all Kent could do to hold on to his weapon. His hands were shaking so badly. Rapina ducked and swung the cudgel she had rescued from one of the skeletons she had fought. Several of the upper ribs of the nearby undead monster broke and fell away, but unlike Doanthalas, Rapina lacked the strength always to shatter a skeleton with one blow. It often took Rapina two or even three blows to destroy a skeleton, and the floor was treacherous. Some of the skeletons Doanthalas had cut in half at the lower ribs were still animated. Although they had no legs, they still tried to swing weapons, or crawl along the floor towards their opponents. Rapina tried a different tactic, she held the club with both hands wide, using it to parry the heavy club of the skeleton while she kicked the skeleton in the ribs. Her kick did little actual damage, but the skeletons were not very heavy and a good kick sent them flying. They usually fell or got entangled with their comrades. For one of her strength, the tactic worked better than trying to hack away at a skeleton while others got too close. Although he was hurt and more than a bit scared Donal heeded the elf's words. If he had thought about it, he might have given Doanthalas attitude. After all who had put him in charge? However, for the moment his words seemed to make sense. Pike yelled to Drake above the din of weapons and skeletons, "Back to back, mate an' stick w' me an the East wall. If ye can cover my butt, I can cut are way back ta the others." The number of skeletons coming in from the South nearly overwhelmed Drake but he gritted his teeth and kept his broadsword in constant motion, straining his powerful arm to do maximum damage. His back protected for the moment, Pike directed both of his weapons forward. When Rapina struck, she was lucky to break away several of a skeleton's ribs, but when the mighty Norseman struck, a skeleton positively exploded with every blow. Pike saw Doanthalas fighting his way towards him as he fought towards the elf. Rapina was so happy with the way her kicking strategy was working that she turned her head to see if Kent had seen it and taken it up. Her moment of vanity saved her life. As she looked back she saw a cudgel descending to brain her, she ducked just enough that the blow hit her across the shoulder blades rather than shattering her skull. The wind was knocked from her and she was driven to the floor with an oof! Although wounded when the headless skeleton surprised him and its two buddies got the best of him, Donal was a good fighter. Captain Red Jack was a wise man and had made sure that three of the pirates he had sent out were seasoned veterans. His bit foot hurt like the devil but Donal turned when he heard Rapina go down, parried a club blow and kicked the skeleton West to clear some room. Kent had taken a fright. a skeleton swinging a cudgel had him cornered in the Northeast corner of the room. The only trouble was, the skeleton did not seem to have a brain in its head and its back swing kept knocking into the wall. Without a back swing it was not inflicting bone-shattering damage on the recruit, it was just giving him a good beating with short swings and scaring the daylights out of him with its gnashing teeth and vacant eyes. Donal's kick bounced a skeleton against the back of the one trying to pummel Kent to death and drove it forward so it momentarily bashed into Kent, it's boney teeth bruising his jaw. Rapina gasped as she hit the floor. Skitch had taught her how to take a fall when a big boy hit her in order not to add insult to injury. As she went to stand, she saw boney feet advance on her. She was weaponless; the blow to her back had knocked the club out of her hands along with her wind. Rapina grabbed the ankles of the skeleton and swung it as she stood. She released it and it skidded off the top of one of its compatriot's skulls and slammed into the opposite wall where it struggled to stand, oblivious to its cracked skull. Donal grinned, "now thar's a wench!," he said as he shattered another skeleton with his cudgel. Drake was fighting with every ounce of his strength and speed. He had been forced to sheath his parrying dagger so he could use his broadsword in both hands. The dagger was useless against the skeletons anyway. He found his feet were a better weapon. When the skeletons got especially thick, driving them back was a better idea than cleaving them. They were so stupid they all crowded into each other and a good kick would send a bunch of them falling to the floor like dominoes. Then Drake could shatter one that did not fall with his sword while the dupes got up. Pike exploded the last skeleton between Doanthalas and him. "Slip behind me along the wall, Drake. We've made it to our mates." Pike stepped forward just enough to let Drake by. He turned and shattered a skeleton with his club while the flat of his battle axe turned a second into a shower of bones. All the while the Norseman moved slowly sideways toward the North wall. When Drake was by him, he turned to face fully south and backed North in a fighting retreat. Rapina grabbed the rear ribs of the skeleton that was terrorizing Kent and heaved it. Luckily, the skeletons were quite light. After slipping by Pike, Drake helped Doanthalas fight the skeletons attacking from the West as Donal and Rapina cleared the Northeast corner, turning it into a safe zone. Seeing Drake and Doanthalas now protected him, Donal took his broadsword from the floor of the Northeast corner of the room and quickly sheathed it. At the same time, he picked up Rapina's cudgel and handed it to her. Rapina saw Drake run into the entrance tunnel and followed. Donal behind her pushing Kent in front of him. Pike and Doanthalas took up positions at the southern end of the narrower entry tunnel just before the point where the tunnel widened and leveled off. They fought a pitched battle with a hoard of skeletons coming at them from the main room. Fortunately, the tunnel would only admit two or three skeletons abreast, so the number of opponents the men had to fight at a time was much more manageable. Drake faced two skeletons that had already been in the entry tunnel when he entered and Pike and Doanthalas had cordoned it off. As Rapina entered the narrower corridor, the light she carried provided better illumination. To Drake's horror, he saw that one of the skeletons still had bits of flesh clinging to its bones. "Cudge, is that you?" The Skeleton vacantly swung a broadsword at Drake who parried with a clang. Rapina ducked as the second skeleton took a swing at her. She drove the end of her cudgel forward into the pelvis of the skeleton like a battering ram and knocked it backwards. It fell against the slab that blocked the entryway and began to scramble to its feet. While it was scrambling, Rapina jumped forward and shattered its right shoulder. As he parried, Drake stepped in and kicked the knee-cap of the skeleton. The bones snapped and the skeleton fell sideways still swinging its blade. It cut into the side of Drake's boot and slightly wounded his calf as he tried to dodge. Drake's sword severed the neck of the skeleton and its skull went rolling across the floor. Undaunted, it lifted its blade to take another swing. Drake drew his parrying dagger and jumped to the right. Rapina dodged right but took a glancing blow to the hip. Her cudgel took out four ribs on the left side of the skeleton. The skull from Drake's opponent rolled towards her, its teeth still gnashing. Rapina jumped back, and when her Skeletal opponent came forward she was ready. She crouched and took out one of the skeleton's knees. It fell and she shattered its rib cage before it could rise again. The Norseman grinned at Doanthalas as three more brainless bags of bones approached and were shattered by the two muscular fighters. Pike's eyebrows raised - the rib of one of the skeletons he had shattered did not fly right. "Heads up back there." Donal looked in Pike's direction, his mouth opened as something whistled like breath blown over the mouth of a bottle. A flying rib stabbed him in the gut with much more power than a simple flying object. Donal instinctively dropped his cudgel and grabbed the bone. His quick reflexes saved his life. He bled profusely, but he muscled the bone out of the wound in his gut and got a two- handed grip on it. It was alive as though the entire strength of a skeleton had clung to it. Donal muscled the bone against the stone wall and rubbed it there, but all he did was work off it's jagged point. Damn, Drake thought. The new skeleton, whichever pirate it had recently been, had bones stronger and less brittle than its drier and more aged comrades did. Drake realized his last swing should have gone through the neck and shoulder of the skeleton but it had not. Drake charged in, parrying the blade of the skeleton and severing its arm near the shoulder. The skeleton's broadsword clattered to the floor and Drake swung and swung again, this time severing the other arm of the creature. The arms crawled towards him pulling themselves along with their fingers. Drake swung again and again slicing the ribs off the creature and sundering the pelvis. He was about to stamp on the creature's fingers when Rapina called out. "Wait! No one is going to believe this unless we have proof." Drake nodded. He grimaced and picked up one of the arms. Rapina picked up the other arm and the skull. The fingers and jaw were still moving, trying to kill. Donal took a stout burlap bag from his belt pouch. "Here, put those in the bag, Drake, and Rapina see what ye can do fer Backster. Rapina found that Backster's right eye was a ruin, but his left eye would be okay, there was a deep cut just above it where a skeletal finger had glanced off. Rapina cleaned the wound and applied a bandage. She gave Backster some herbs for the pain from his ruined eye. Pike and Doanthalas shattered skeleton after skeleton until finally the last one lay in pieces at their feet. "Damn! I'm bruised or bleedin' on most parts of my body, but that was one hell of a fight," Pike said. "That was the best fightin' I've seen a 'green' recruit do in years," Pike winked at Doanthalas. 'Course the important thing for fighting these brainless bags o' bones seems ta be strength and endurance, and I know ye got 'em both from havin' had that bout we had tagether." Pike grinned and turned to Rapina. "What do the wounds look like?" "Backster's lost an eye, but I think the other eye will be okay as soon as the gash above it heals. Donal has a bad belly wound and a deep bite in his foot. I got hit across the back and on the hip, but I was pretty lucky." Pike helped himself to some bandages and supplies from Rapina's pack and patched up several nasty gashes he had received. Rapina finished Donal and looked at Kent while Drake and Doanthalas patched up their own hurts. Kent was severely bruised all over his upper body but Rapina could not help but realize that Kent's pride had taken a worse beating. "The way I see it, we better see if we can get out 'a this place. That slab's real stone. Before today I'd 'a said there was no magic about it. Now I figure there could be. On the other hand, one of these skeletons might a triggered it from one o' these restin' holes. Those of ye who're not too badly wounded, lets give 'em a search. Any booty ye find goes in this bag, understand? We'll take a look at the skeletons fer rings, daggers 'an swords too, though most of 'em had clubs." There were a number of silver and several gold rings. Most of them were on the fingers of shattered skeletons. Rapina retrieved her main gauche and went to the Southern end of the wide hall of the dead. There was another doorway there blocked by a slab of stone. Above the doorway were more runes. When Doanthalas climbed into the top-most resting place on the Northwest wall, his weight triggered something, and the slab slid up and out of the way of the entrance. Everyone was much relieved. It turned out that even the weight of a skeleton in that side tunnel would keep the entry open, but when the weight was removed, the slab slid back to block the entryway. Still deciphering the runes above the door, Rapina said, "No wonder there was not much booty here, these were probably all commoners. This next door leads to, "The Hall of Eminence," and we're supposed to make the sign of man to enter." There was a pentacle carved into the wall next to the door. At each point, a stone stud could be pushed. Pike waved his hand. "We'll go no farther now. Are first duty is ta get Backster and Donal back ta camp and make our report before dark." Rapina nodded. She wanted to make sure she had the sign of man right anyway. She had not really been paying a lot of attention to signs, but she was pretty sure that one of Captain Red Jack's old holy books had several different signings in it for banishing evil spirits and such. The still-animated arms and skull of the fresh skeleton were put in a bag tied to the end of a cudgel for Drake to carry. All other still-living pieces were destroyed save the, "singing bone," that had stabbed Donal. He had worn the jagged, pointed ends of the bone smooth against the stone wall and worked the marrow out of the bone with his boot knife and small shards of bone. He stashed the six-inch piece of bone in his stoutest belt pouch with the strings tied tightly closed. The bone was ever intent on stabbing him but now lacked points. Just the same, it pushed on him with a fair amount of force. This made the pirate stagger even more than he should have, given his wounded foot. The singing bone was unique in that it seemed to have nearly the full strength of a skeleton to it. Whereas the other still animated bones could not lift off the ground and fly, the singing bone seemed to be able to fly around without trouble. The party hurried back to the pirate camp and arrived just as the sun sank below the horizon. With the wounded, the going had been much slower on the way back. When they arrived, Pike reported to the captain. After a few minutes, he called the others in. "So, I hear ye had an adventure. I'm hav'in a heap 'o trouble believin' what Pike has told me, but 'e says ye insisted on keepin' some souvenirs for me ta see, did ye lass?" Rapina nodded. "Drake is carrying them in that sack." "Good thinkin' girl, let me see 'em. I'm 'bout ready ta have Pike put in a cage fer bein' daft." Drake opened the sack and dumped the contents carefully out onto the captain's table. The severed bony arms wasted no time pulling themselves along by their fingers towards the Captain who was the closest person to the table after Drake stepped back. The scull rolled a bit then rocked as it gnashed its teeth. The skeletal fingers seemed slower and weaker, though the skull still seemed to gnash its teeth with exuberance. "Mother o' all the gods, Pike is a sane man after all," the captain grinned. So this is what happened ta Blade? What a harrible end he most 'o met. He'll make a grisly souvenir though, 'e will. Now what o' this flyin' bone that pegged Donal? Donal limped forward and removed his belt pouch. "It's in here captain, but it's been trying ta stab me ever since it did the first time. Donal held his belt pouch out to the captain who took it. The pouch pushed on the captain as it sensed a presence nearer than Donal and attempted to stab it. The captain's eyebrows shot up. "That be strange stuff." The captain kept the pouch. Ye can take that back later if ye want it, ye earned it takin' th' belly wound. Fer now let's keep it out 'o the men's sight. The captain looked at Rapina. "Pike says ye read some old runes fer the group 'an there's another door with writin's as well. Do ye know how to open it? "I think so sir, but I need to check one of your books to make sure I have it right." "Ye did good. Pike said ye killed yer share o' skeletons an kicked many o' 'em back when ye found that warr easier for ye than killin' em outright." "Yes sir, Pike and usually Doanthalas and Drake could make them shatter by hitting them hard, but I could not hit them hard enough to finish one in a single blow. They were very light, though, so once I discovered kicking them, I usually did that and I threw a couple too." The captain chuckled. "Ye got guts Rapina, some would 'ave bet ye would freeze first time ye saw real combat." Rapina blushed, "Well, actually I did freeze, but Pike's battle cry snapped me out of it." "Well, well, I guess that old battle roar 'o yers is worth somethin' after all, Pike," the captain smiled. "Kent, yer maps 'r excellent, but ye were a liability in th' combat. A pirate that can't fight gets dead fast. Th' way I heard it, the fact ye were in a corner and the skeleton attackin' ye was brainless, saved yer life. It would be a shame ta loose one w' yer talents. I know th' enemies ye fought taday weren't exactly normal and ye didn't have combat instincts ta fall back on like Pike, 'er Donal, 'er Doanthalas. Nevertheless, Rapina did okay, an' Drake helped Pike outa a spot although he's green. I know I'm comparin' ye ta the best in yer basic class, but ye got ta git yer combat skills up. Usually, I just let a kid like ye sink 'er swim on 'is own, but I don't get many men w' a head like yers on their shoulders, so I've given Roger orders ta get ye more combat trainin'. See that ye apply yerself, as ye've seen, yer life depends on it. The rest of ye, listen up. Pirates can be a superstitious lot, 'an what ye encountered weren't at all natural. I want ye ta keep a tight lip. Anyone asks ye how ye got wounded, ye tell 'em it were, "natives 'o the isle," and don't tell em they tried ta carve ye even though they were already dead. I'll make sure the guard posts have some hefty clubs around in case any o' these boney nightmares attack. Pike has told me about the other water entrance ta the isle Southeast 'o here. Soon as we can we'll set up a base camp there and ye can try ta get ta the bottom o' this. In the mean time, lick yer wounds and I'll have Rapina study up on this matter again before ye go out. Remember ta keep the lips buttoned, I don't want the men spookin' on me. Don't talk about what happened even if no one else is around. Save it fer later. Fer now, I see ye've brought me some booty. I'll be givin' ye some money out of it if ye earned it. Drake, I know ye have weapons, an' I loaned Doanthalas that bastard sword. Far as I'm concerned, Doanthalas, ye have a couple 'o weapons comin' to ye. Logan will show ye through the weapons crates tomorrow an' ye can pick out a set 'o hand weapons for yer own, includin' that sword if ye can find nothin' better." "Rapina, I'd like ta talk ta ye more about these supernatural creatures an' such. Please come by after yer bath." Rapina nodded. "Good work, mates. 'Less ye have somethin' ta add, yer dismissed," the captain said. Doanthalas, watch yer back. That damn Brackston has half the pirates thinkin' ye summoned those demons last night, an I can't tell 'im what really happened or the other half 'o me men'll be shakin' in their boots just as hard as the ones Brackston's got to. Stick w' yer friends. --- Later that night after seeing, Beck, Fishy and Pike, Rapina arrived at the captain's clean from her bath. Scary day ye had wench. Sit down an' 'ave a glass 'o wine. Rapina sat down on Red Jack's couch and snuggled against the captain as she drank wine from a glass he had handed her. "What do ye make o' these skeletons. Where do ye suppose they're comin' from an' how do ye figure one o' me own men was turned into one of 'em. "It has to be necromancy, I think. The magic book talks about the theory behind necromancy. It all has to do with life force. People have it, dead men don't, and undead men have less than none, like a suction or a debt. That's why they try to kill, they want the life force of the living. I wish I knew more, but your library isn't the best where supernatural monsters are concerned. I think some of the holy books may talk about the undead. A lot of priests feel it's their duty to destroy them, and I guess some evil churches train their priests in necromancy so they can create and control the undead." "Aye, I think ye're right. Those chests be full o' me books, why don't ye get a start on findin' th' volumes ye need while I finish the night's logs." Rapina nodded. "Okay, I'll look for that one with the signs too." Rapina found one or two of the books she needed that night, but spent little time reading and much more time moaning with pleasure beneath the captain's capable hands. [Rapina]012 Shadows of the Dead It was three or four in the morning when there came a scratching on the tent flap accompanied by the dim glow of an oil lantern turned down low, and the whisper of Logan's voice. "Sir, we have a problem." "Nay, again? Come in an' tell me about it." "We've lost the Southeast watch post, sir," Logan said opening the tent flap. Suddenly Logan dropped the lantern he was carrying and lurched to catch it in mid air before it spilled. The light flickered and shadows danced but Logan caught the lantern before it hit the floor. "Aai! Jus' had the mother 'o chills, been having 'em off and on since we checked the post." "Didn't we double the guard ta tha Southeast?" the captain asked while getting out of bed and fetching his robe? Rapina held the covers to her neck with one hand while she got her sheathed crystal light pendant from the bed post and slipped it on over her neck with the other. She hoped whatever was attacking would stick to picking off guard posts as it had last night, but she felt a foreboding presence and feared that would not be so. As soon as Logan left, Rapina thought maybe she would get up, but right now, she was not wearing even a stitch of clothing. "Aye, an' had we not we'd 'ave never heard the single scream that marked the passin' o' the men," Logan said. "Did ye re- iiiiee! aaa! ssss!, I got yer aaaa! oooh! rrrr! chills! Damn it what's aaaaiiiuuuooou! gonin' on? The captain grimaced and cringed this way and that as chills struck him. Rapina could hear yelling outside the tent in the direction of the water that was only about two or three score paces away. When the guards at the Northeast guard post had mysteriously disappeared with only a scream to mark their passing, Logan had sent a man to rouse the pirates early. Someone had gotten past the sentries, and Logan did not want the men killed in their sleep. - -- The sylvan elf splashed cool water onto his face. He stood there for a few minutes basking in the invigorating feeling of cleanliness. Doanthalas opened his eyes and stared at the stars. They twinkled, as they seemed to dance in the heavens. It felt as if they were beckoning the tattooed elf to come dance with them in the sky. Some of the burden lifted from his heart as his spirits soared for a moment. A moment later they came crashing down as his thoughts turned to the recent encounter with the skeletons. Although his body was clean of the dirt and bone fragments from the fight his soul still felt tainted. Something was dreadfully wrong if the dead walked this island. Doanthalas seemed to be lost in thought again. Drake noticed that the elf would frequently stop whatever he was doing and stare at some fixed spot somewhere in the distance. The muscles in his face would move in such a manner that his facial tattoos seemed to come alive. It was a bit disconcerting at first, but Drake was getting used to the strange elf and his ways. In spite of the fact that Doanthalas did not engage in conversation often Drake was taking a liking to him. "So...Doanthalas....what's it like being the only elf around so many humans? Doesn't it make you uncomfortable?" The only reply the elf made was a slight shaking of his head. There was no way to describe to Drake the horrors he had borne witness to. The battle with the skeletons had been a walk in the park compared to some of the battles he had fought. Living with humans was far preferable to being the slave of fiends so grotesque that their faces haunted Doanthalas' reverie every night. Seeing that nothing more was forthcoming from Doanthalas Drake continued, "I know we're not supposed to talk about it, but..." He looked from side to side and whispered. "Do you think there are more of them up there? There's got to be. When we found the other...er...body and those skeletons... well... I don't think it was them that dragged the body away. What do you think?" Doanthalas dunked his head under the water and then threw his head back spraying water into the air as his long hair whipped backwards. He fixed his emerald eyes on Drake and spoke in the clear methodical manner he always did, "When the dead walk the earth the living must rise up and put their spirits to rest. Otherwise the living are doomed to join the dead in their tormented walking..." Had anyone else said those same words Drake would have dismissed them as being drunk or crazy or both. However, Doanthalas said it with such utter conviction that there was no doubting his words. The young man fell silent and looked off in the distance towards the cliffs. A feeling of dread was fast descending upon him. All Drake wanted to do was get off the island as fast as possible. The noise made by some of the other pirates bathing a little further down distracted him. The other pirates still didn't trust Doanthalas enough to linger too close to him. This annoyed Drake, but what annoyed him more was the sight of Edgar and Kent talking in hushed tones and looking in his direction. "He's a demon I tell ya. Look at him! You're right for not trusting him! He's a danger to us all. That story about shadow men or whatever he called them was made up. We both know it was him who killed the two guards. Kent looked at Drake and Doanthalas bathing in the distance. The elf seemed to be oblivious of his watchful gaze, but Drake noticed Kent watching them. The young man averted his eyes and turned to talk to Edgar. "What do you care Edgar? You don't give a damn about anyone in the camp except for maybe Trevor." Edgar scowled and grabbed Kent roughly by the arm. "That's not true and you know it! You and Drake were like brothers to me until we ended up here. As soon as we were here you both turned your backs on me! Sure I started a lot of trouble myself...I don't deny it. I like trouble! But, not once did you or Drake stand up for me. When that pirate beat me down you and Drake just stood there like cowards! At least Trevor cared enough to see that I was okay. And not once did you check up on me to see how I was coming along. Not once. I've been watching you and Drake every step of the way." He stopped for a moment to catch his breath and stared at Kent. The young man lowered his eyes. He knew there was some truth to Edgar's words. Some of the facts had been distorted, but the meaning remained unchanged. "You're right...Edgar. I'm sorry. I've been so wrapped up in what I've been doing that I have totally neglected you." "Don't worry about it too much runt. Drake obviously isn't. Look at him over there being all buddy buddy with that damnable elf." He hissed the last word like it left a bad taste in his mouth. "There's been nothing but trouble since the elf was released from his cage." "Yeah, but do you think he's the cause of it all?" Kent asked. "Hell yeah! And the question is what are we going to do about it..." Kent was about to respond when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. It was like his flesh was being ripped open. He tried to scream, but his body went rigid as all his muscles tightened. His eyes darted around in terror as his mind tried to come to grips with what had just happened. Edgar saw Kent's body jerk suddenly and his eyes looking about wildly, but Edgar did not know how to react. He was not sure what was going on until he saw the hideous face of Kent's attacker rise from the water. In his moment of terror and surprise, Edgar backpedaled onto land falling backwards into the water twice in the process. He grabbed his sword and leapt back into the water with a loud cry. By this time a few of the other pirates knew something was amiss. They had heard Edgar's cry and also witnessed another of their number being dragged under the water. Chaos erupted as more of the hideous creatures emerged from the water. Pirates scrambled for their weapons as the creatures advanced. The creatures skin had a pale sickly color to it and their teeth were long and pointy. Long tongues twisted like serpents in their mouths and their wild eyes scanned the camp. Any clothing they wore was in tatters. Drake turned as he heard Edgar's scream and started to run in that direction. An iron grip on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to shake off the hand only to come face to face with the sylvan elf. "Death comes to the foolish more swiftly than to the prepared...man. Arm yourself my friend." Doanthalas released his grip and raced onto the land. He knew that the enemy they faced was more dangerous than the pirates realized. These creatures were familiar to the elf; he had seen and fought them before, but back then he had been better prepared. He scooped up his sword as well as Drake's. When Drake was close enough he tossed him his sword and then raced off to engage the ghouls. Edgar tried to position himself so that he could attack the ghoul without harming Kent, but the ghoul seemed to sense this and kept moving so that Kent was constantly between it and Edgar. "Hang on Kent!" Edgar shouted. "I'll get you out of this." As he said those words, another ghoul emerged from the water beside him. He turned and swung at it with all his might. The creature jumped back well out of the way of the wild swing. Drake saw the creature with Kent start to drag him under the water. Drake Hoped he would get there in time to save Kent. Doanthalas' strong legs were carrying him to the battle more quickly than Drake could manage, but that did not matter. Drake could only think of helping his friend. The sylvan elf raised his sword to attack as he closed on the two ghouls engaged with Kent and Edgar. He was going to help Kent, but the ghoul on Edgar succeeded in slashing its claws across the young man's chest. Doanthalas saw Edgar go rigid and knew that the ghoul would devour him if he did not do something fast. Drake would have to help Kent. The tattooed elf brought his sword down swiftly slicing the ghoul's arm off neatly at the shoulder. The fight taking place in front of him didn't register at all. The only thing that Edgar could see was the ghoul dragging Kent under and Drake struggling feebly to stop it. "Let him go!" Drake screamed as he sank his sword into the ghouls back. The ghoul didn't even flinch. It just kept walking further out into the water dragging Kent with it. Drake hacked at it some more and knocked off big chunks of flesh, but the ghoul just turned and swatted him with its meaty hand. Drake only felt the sting of the blow for a moment. His muscles tightened immediately as the claws on the ghouls' hand scraped his face. He could do nothing to stop his fall as he fell backwards into the water. The sounds of battle faded as the water enveloped him. Try as he might, he could not will his muscles to move. "Gods! I'm going to drown!", he thought. Fear gripped him as surely as the paralysis had. The ghoul had turned on Doanthalas after the loss of its arm. It pressed its attack with a cunning rivaling that of some of the best pirates in the camp. A clawed hand raked across his chest, but apart from the blood flowing from the wound, Doanthalas seemed unaffected. He swung his sword deftly and proceeded to dismember the ghoul. The severed pieces of the ghoul sank swiftly to the bottom. Doanthalas turned and lifted Drake's rigid body from the water. Luckily he was still breathing. As the elf hoisted the form of Drake from the water he scanned the area for any sign of Kent. For a moment there was no sign of him. Then a large group of bubbles broke the surface of the water off in the distance. Doanthalas knew that all hope of rescuing the boy was lost at that moment. He grabbed the rigid forms of Edgar and Drake and dragged them to shore. What was he doing? The elf had just left Kent to die. He could have dove in after them and saved him, but he didn't. That damned elf! Tears streamed down Edgar's eyes and he would have sobbed if he had control of his body. At least Drake had tried to help. Drake was feeling the same grief that Edgar was, although he wasn't blaming Doanthalas for Kent's fate. He knew there was nothing the elf could have done. Instead, he blamed himself for getting there too late and allowing the ghoul to paralyze him. The elf turned quickly as a noise caught his attention. Another ghoul had crept up on him while he was dragging Drake and Edgar out of the water. He stood there weaponless trying to figure out what to do. He had left his sword a few paces back so he wouldn't accidentally stab one of the boys. Time seemed to slow down as he turned and prepared to make a dash for his sword. A combination of water and sweat rolled down his face tracing the contour of his cheek. A rivulet of blood ran down his chest as he turned and dug his feet in. The ghoul slashed at Doanthalas with its clawed hand just as a point of light caught the elf's attention. A drop of blood hung off of his chest for a split second before falling. It spattered to the ground just as a flaming arrow embedded itself into the back of the ghoul with a loud thunk-poof. Doanthalas seemed to have a demonic look to him as the light from the flames danced across his tattooed form. The tattoos seemed to come alive and writhing and twisting around his body as he embraced the ghoul and they both burst into flames. Arzeal nocked another flaming arrow and took aim. These arrows were special, and Arzeal had bought many of them from a tinker. They had proved invaluable against the rigging of enemy ships. Each was tipped with a glass bulb full of resinous spirits and coated with the same sort of pine tar used for torch-heads. The archer set the bulb aflame and fired. When the arrow hit, the bulb burst - splashing the target with a cloud of flaming resin. He did not want to hit Doanthalas, but that was a chance he would have to take if he wanted to save him. "Damn!" He muttered as the ghoul bowled the sylvan elf over and they both burst into flames. He would have to grieve for his friend later, for now he targeted another ghoul. Two other ghouls had surfaced a little further down and were wreaking havoc on the few pirates that had been bathing there. One pirate fell quickly to the ghouls attack and was dragged to a watery grave like Kent had been. the other fought the remaining pirates. Had they not been gripped by sheer terror the pirates might have mounted a formidable defense and defeated the ghoul. But the ghoul managed to paralyze most of them before being driven back into the water by a combination of attacks from the remaining pirates and a flaming arrow embedded in its neck. Reinforcements arrived in time to see the last ghoul disappear beneath the surface of the water. They tended to their wounded comrades and watched as the flaming ghoul and Doanthalas struggled near Drake and Edgar. The heat from the flame was unbearable, but the elf did not worry. He focused on the task at hand, ripping the ghoul limb from limb. He managed to maneuver the ghoul close to his discarded sword as they struggled. The ghoul had managed to inflict a few moderate wounds during the struggle, but it was clearly distracted by the fire. Doanthalas took advantage of the distraction and reached for his sword. After a few tries, he managed to grasp it. He hacked at the ghoul as they struggled. His flesh felt like it was melting off his skin, but the ghoul seemed to be in much worse shape. Its skin was blackened and had melted completely off some parts of its body. With a few agile strokes, he managed to extract himself from the flaming creature. The group of pirates that had witnessed the struggle stared in awe as the flaming elf stood up straight and tall apparently unharmed by the fire. As the last lick of flame dissipated, they noticed for the first time that his demonic looking tattoos were glowing an unearthly shade of red. The sudden silence was deafening to the elf. He looked up and saw fear painted across every face in the camp...including Pike who had reached the fight a little too late to help. Doanthalas stood there silently staring at the assembled crowd with his emerald eyes. They knew nothing of what he had been through...what he had gained and what he had lost. There was no way he could make them understand so he stood there in silence waiting for them to do something. Arzeal could not believe his eyes. Doanthalas was unharmed! The flames had not so much as singed a hair on his head. He was scared, that much was true. At the same time he was fascinated. He stood at the head of the group and studied the elf. He had no idea what he should do or say, but he knew that he had to say something before the frightened pirates took action. --------------- Maybe it was instinct, or perhaps some part of Rapina's intellect had noted a discrepancy in the way the shadows had danced when Logan nearly dropped the lantern. For whatever reason, Rapina pulled the sheath from the crystal light around her neck. Light flooded the tent; the shadows disappeared - all except three of them surrounding Captain Red Jack. "Bastards!" the captain bellowed. Logan drew his sword and lunged for the nearest shadow as quickly as any man could have. Red Jack slammed into one of the shadows with his foot, which took a horrible chill. He jumped clumsily past the downed shadow and drew his blade from where it hung on the bedpost while the creature tried to regain its feet. Rapina jumped up in bed. The covers were still in her hands and she threw them over the downed shadow as she hopped over to Red Jack's side of the bed. Jack had hung all of the weapons there. After throwing the blankets, Rapina hurriedly drew her rapier. Logan's blade pierced the monster nearest him. Wisps of shadowy vapors erupted from the creature's chest as the sword passed through it, but the thrust did not destroy it. It turned and lunged, touching Logan's neck. Iiieee! The captain felt weak as a baby. It was all he could do to muster an effective two-handed swing with his broadsword, but muster he did, chopping down beside the abomination's neck. The sword easily passed through the neck, shoulder and upper chest of the creature that spewed shadowy vapors with the passing blade, but the creature seemed undaunted. The shadow was too intent on the Captain's life force to worry about the assault. It grabbed one of the captain's arms and drained, regaining some of the life force lost to its wound. Aaaah! The creature's touch was so chill, and the pirate captain could feel his strength being drawn away from him. Rapina swung her rapier like a baseball bat with both hands and easily chopped right through the creature's neck. A flood of shadowy vapors fountained from the creature's neck around Rapina's moving blade, but its head did not drop off. Surprised for only an instant, the shadow tangled in the blankets fought it's way out from under the covers. Rapina heard more screams and yelling from the direction of the water. The shadow touched Logan's upper arm. The chill was unbearable. Logan swung his sword right through the creature's chest. vapors burst out from around the blade as it sliced. The shadow reached out and chilled the pirate captain to the bone before his opponent's blade could touch him. Rapina reversed the direction of her swing and chopped across and down through the shadow's neck and chest. Jack felt so weak, his swing was slowed but as his blade joined Rapina's already slicing through the creature. The creature exploded into a harmless puff of vapor. Aaaaaa! The captain roared as the shadow that had crawled out from under the blankets Rapina had thrown over it grabbed his ankle. - Logan went to swing his blade back through his shadow, but the creature grabbed his elbow, the horrible chill temporarily froze his joint. The pirate lieutenant sidestepped towards his captain, he could see the other creature was making a mess of him. Now that Rapina realized the semi-ethereal nature of her foe, she abandoned the two-handed swing, snapped into a proper fencing stance and aimed her rapier at the shadow that had just touched the captain's ankle. Her blade entered the shadow's neck and sliced all the way down through its back. Vapors erupted everywhere. The shadow sprung away from the pain lancing its back, turned and lunged to touch The captain. The captain moaned as still more strength was torn from him. Weakly he whirled around and brought his blade through his tormenter - Logan's shadow ducked unexpectedly and grabbed his belly as Logan took up his sword with the other hand. His swing only nicked the creature's head, but thankfully, his elbow unfroze in the few seconds the exchange took. The mindful creature in tent on killing Jack dodged Rapina's blade. The captain swung weakly, but connected. Vapors poured out as he cut a swath through the shadow. The shadow's hand darted out and touched the captain's face. Logan's shadow jumped, sucking rich life force from his victim's side and taking only a nick from his dangerous blade. A quick lunge to the pirate captain's vitals brought another small taste of life force to Jack's shadowy foe. The captain felt so weak he could barely stand. Only adrenaline held him up, but he was unable to muster an effective blow. As the captain staggered, Rapina stepped in between him and the shadow and sliced a diagonal through the shadow's upper chest. The captain staggered a few steps backward then fell when his legs failed to hold him up. All he could do is lay helplessly by and watch the battle. Logan was chilled to the bone, the horror he was fighting was dodging too well. It touched Logan again strengthening itself, and all he was able to do was nick its side. A faster lighter weapon might have been a better choice, he thought. Rapina's blade hissed through the air and through the shadow's chest leaving only a puff of vapors where once the creature stood. Logan spun and struck, but the shadow's lunge chilled him again. It seemed that every time he struck the monster, it struck him and used his energy to regain its strength. A tune Arzeal had played during her training was singing though her head. Rapina leapt, and landed as her rapier carved an "s" in the back of Logan's shadow. Rapina almost felt guilty attacking the creature's back, but not really, she struck again passing her blade through the shadow from shoulder to waist. The shadow took two vicious strikes to it's back, it turned trying to touch it's victim and dodge the terrible blade from behind at the same time, but in doing both, it accomplished neither. Logan felt so weak, but he was a fine swordsman. He took advantage of the creature's confusion and struck successfully. Rapina saw Logan was now holding his broadsword with both hands and wavering a bit on his feet. As long as the shadow had to face two opponents at once, it would be at a disadvantage, but if Logan went down as the captain had, they were doomed. Rapina steeled herself and launched blade and body in an attempt to get between Logan and the shadow. Rapina's jump was too late! She knocked into the creature's arm as it touched Logan. Ahhhhh! Logan hissed as the creature nearly froze his neck and shoulders. Just for a moment, the creature paralyzed his arms with cold. When Rapina's body hit the shadow's arm, it was already draining Logan. Rapina's lust senses tingled wrongly as she actually felt Logan's life force and just a bit of her own travel up the creature's arm. It was like a much less delicious rendition of the life force traveling down a lover's manhood. Her mind reeled, was she nothing more than a pretty shadow, draining men's strength from them? Her blade whipped through the creature's shoulder doing only a little damage but helping her get firmly between it and Logan. The woman that had cut its back so grievously had now cut it off from its intended victim. Nevertheless, he had drank deeply of him before they parted. The shadow reached out to relieve the woman of a portion of her life energy. Rapina gasped as the Shadow ducked her blade, grabbed her lower thigh and ripped at her life force. She felt nearly all of what little sex-magical energy she still had stored in her breasts after the skeleton battle leave her, but her strength was untouched. It was obvious that what Rapina stored was some form of life force. Rapina's rapier whipped back with a vengeance, sundering the back of the creature for bringing her such an unsettling realization. Logan felt like a child, his sword was so heavy in his hands, but as a child he had played with wooden swords whenever he could. His weak two-handed blow cleaved through the shadow's rear end spewing vapors in its wake. Logan watched as the shadow reached out to grab Rapina's breast. He knew why she had put herself between him and the shadow. His strength was nearly gone, but as long as both pirates were standing, the shadow would be taking double hits, and Logan meant to make this one count. He grimaced as he put every pitiful ounce of strength he had left into the blow and cleaved through the shadow's side. The shadow sensed a rich source of life force and lunged to grasp it. Had it been any slower, it would have died from Logan's blow, but the sustenance it gained held it together just for an instant. Rapina felt the last vestige of her stored power leave her and then the horrible chill of strength being wrenched from her. As the creature drained her, she forced herself to remember what it must feel like when a person gave more life force than she could afford. Her rapier sung as it whipped through the shadow on a diagonal. There was a puff of vapor and the monster was no more. Rapina rushed to see how the captain was faring. He was sprawled on his back at the foot of the bed. "Jack, are you okay?" "I'm weak as a kitten girl, but I'm still barely alive." Logan staggered over to the captain and Rapina and sat on the foot of the bed just above the captain. "How are ye mate?" The captain asked. "Nearly too weak ta stand, but alive as ye are," replied Logan. "How about you, wench?" "My chest feels like it's frost bit inside. My leg wasn't hit as bad, but it's not so good either. Luckily the shadow only hit me a couple of times. I'm not as weak as you guys are." "I heard some commotion outside girl, but ye can't leave us in this condition. Go ta the flap and see what ye can see. Yell fer Drake 'an Pike or Arzeal. I need ta know what's up and I need gardin' by someone I can trust, cause I'm in no shape ta fight." Rapina ran to the flap and opened it. She couldn't see beyond the radius of her light so she just yelled out. "ARZEAL! PIKE! DRAKE! Report to the captain's tent soon as you can!" Just then Rapina saw arms master Hock on the outskirts of the illumination cast by her light. Rapina turned back to the captain. "How about arms master Hock?" "Is 'e out there? Bring 'im in." [Rapina]013 Night Terrors Rapina grinned and reopened the flap, "HOCK, in here on the double! She relished giving the arms master an order. It was a rare treat. Hock came running up and blinked at Rapina and her bright light. Rapina felt her lust sense tingle, then realized that, unless you counted a Rapier and two pendants, she wasn't wearing any clothes. Hock burst into the tent. "What's with th' naked Valkyrie?" Rapina blushed crimson "It's th' latest in pirate-wench fashion," Jack chuckled weakly. "See if you and Rapina can hoist me up onto the bed an' prop me up. While yer at it, tell me what's happenin' out there." Hock looked at Logan, "aren't ye gonna help?" "Sorry mate, I can barely lift a broadsword. I'm near as wrecked as he is." "What happened ta you men? I'd say ye'd been wenchin' a bit too hard." Logan started laughing, and he could not seem to stop. Trouble was he was so weak already that the laugher laid him out on the bed. Rapina giggled and took the captain's feet while Hock lifted him from behind under the arms. They carried him to the head of the bed and propped him in a sitting position against the headboard. Once they had the captain situated, Rapina started dressing hurriedly. "I just got done puttin'' a quadrupled guard on the Southeast post 'an on me way back I heard a commotion from the water front, an' then the wench ordered me in here like a soldier." "Careful Hock, any wench 'can last through me an Logan at are best deserves a ton 'o respect," the captain said firmly, trying to keep from laughing and failing miserably. Logan shook the bed with renewed laughter. "We were attacked by somethin' in here, Hock, damndest thing ye ever saw, livin' shadows with a touch chiller than a winter day. Ye couldn't see em at all, an' their touch drained yer strength an hurt ye too. They must 'ave come back from the Southeast guard post with Logan, and I dare say they were lookin' fer me an almost had me an Logan both dead ta rights. Me lucky wench saved are ass. Otherwise ye'd be runnin' th' camp without us. Hock raised his eyebrows. This was the first time he had heard of a green recruit saving the Captain and his right hand man. "I know what yer thinkin' Hock, how could a recruit just out o' basic save two seasoned pirates like us. Ye have ta understand, fer some reason when I yelled out about the chills, the wench got her mage light right quick and opened it up. All the shadows in the room disappeared but three and those three seemed ta all want ta touch me some more. Logan drew on one, Rapina jumped up an' tossed the covers over one I kicked out' o' my way so I could get to me sword. She an I drew steel and we was fightin' first the one, an' then the other when it found it's way out from under the blankets. The things were hittin' on me not her so I warr the one gettin' weaker by the second." "Near the end of the second shadow I was done for. Rapina shielded me an' I staggered out o' the way and went down, too weak ta stand. All I could do was watch, but I had one hell o' a view from down on the floor there," Jack grinned saltily. "She finished the second one off 'an went an' did the same fer Logan as she did fer me. By that time he was weak as a two-year-old." Pike burst into the captain's tent visibly shaken. This worried those present because not a one of them had seen Pike shaken before. Ever. "Sir." He gasped as he caught his breath. "There's been trouble down by the water...we...were attacked by...by...hideous creatures. We got two of them but they made off with two of our men..." He paused and gave Rapina a meaningful look. "Kent was one of them." Before the captain could say anything he continued, "And there's something else sir...The elf...Doanthalas...well he was fighting one of the creatures when Arzeal sank a special flaming arrow into it. It grappled with Doa...the elf...and they both burst into flames." "AND!!!" The captain said with an annoyed tone. "Well sir. The ghoul was burned to a cinder, but...but...the elf...he doesn't have a mark on him...except for the claw and bite marks. The fire didn't hurt him one bit! And that's not all! All the men who the creatures struck were paralyzed. The elf wasn't affected by that either. The men are scared sir. 'Can't say that I blame them, but they might do something drastic. Arzeal has them under control for the moment, but you'd better hurry." Pike paused as he noticed for the first time the state that the captain and Logan were in. "So th' elf 'as been holdin' out on me, 'e failed ta mention a magical power. Hock an' Roger always ask about skills an powers. It'll go rough on 'im, but 'e 'as the skeleton battle 'an fightin'' th' ghouls ta 'is credit. Was 'e valuable in the ghoul fight? "I think so, sir, I arrived after the battle had begun. He helped kill the one ghoul I saw killed - the one Arzeal set aflame with a special arrow. The others were only driven back under water by being set aflame. "If I weren't weak as a babe, I'd have ye clap that elf in chains an' bring 'im 'ere; 'e's got some serious explainin' ta do. Seein' as how I'm an invalid, I'll deal w' him later. No one's ta see me like this but me officers. I need guards I can trust outside th' tent flap. 'An believe me Pike, I'd be out thar ta beat th' men down ta order in a heart beat, but I'm weak as a kitten. The things that killed th' Southeast guard post followed Logan back ta me tent an' attacked us here. If it weren't fer me lucky wench, Logan an' I'd be dead, 'er shadows, 'cause that's what th' creatures that about killed us looked like. Hock, what do ye know about the undead?" "Precious little, sir. I've heard a few tall tales, but nothin' I could put any stock in. The way I hear, most of 'em slink around at night. They don't like the daylight." "Good, yer just the man fer the job. Whip those pirates inta shape, arm 'em up, move 'em back from th' water, an' have 'em make a tight camp in a ring right around this tent. We need ta hold out till dawn. Tell 'em th' water front weren't th' only attack we suffered tanight. Make sure they realize that the enemy so far has only attacked at night, an' let 'em know I'll be talkin' to 'em soon as me officers brief me on th' various battles." "Plant torches an' make fires. We need plenty o' light. "Pike, send me Drake, an' Arzeal. I need men I can trust in here ta guard me." "Speakin' o' answers, Rapina, get into them books, find me everything ye can about undead monsters, particularly any o' the ones we've seen." "Everyone's got 'is orders, now go too." There was a chorus of, "Yes sir," and everyone rushed off, save Rapina who began to delve into the captain's books there in his tent, and Logan who was too weak to move much. Rapina sniffed back her tears and told herself she would cry for Kent later. Her expression became very serious, Kent was dead, and Doanthalas was in big trouble. She went to one of the chests of books and began digging almost frantically, but the look in her eyes was pure determination. Soon arms master Hock's voice could be heard barking orders rapid-fire outside. Intermingled with the orders were blood-curdling screams from here and there around the periphery of the camp. A little while later Pike came into the tent. "Here is Drake, sir, but he's in no condition for guard Duty. One of those creatures on the water front gashed him and froze him up solid. Edgar and a half dozen of the men are the same way. I had a devil of a time just getting the sword out of Drake's hand so I could put it back in his sheath." "Damn! Organize a detail ta bring the other frozen men up here," Jack ordered. "How ye doin' Logan?" the captain asked. "I think me strength is seepin' back, but it's sure takin' it's time. How 'bout you?" "Hard ta say yet, but I think ye're right. Rapina, Give Logan here a book that needs searchin'. Might as well put 'im ta work." Rapina handed a book to Logan from the stack she was building. Just then, Arzeal came into the tent. Arzeal, good ta see ya, what's happenin'' out there, Logan an' me got attacked by things lookin' like shadows an' we're pretty much laid up fer the moment. 'Tweren't fer me wench we'd both be dead men. Arzeal cocked an eyebrow at the captain's remark but knew that captain had better things to do than explain. "The men are real restless, sir. They've seen that Doanthalas is impervious to flame and they were going to lynch him, but I told Brackston to chain him up, that you wanted some answers out of him. He was the only person I figured could keep the elf from being lynched since he was the one who got the men all scared of him in the first place. Kind a' oversteppin' yer authority, don't ya think. "Yes, sir but it was that or let them kill him. I don't know what to think about Doanthalas myself, but when I saw him, he was fighting those creatures on the waterfront, not conjuring them. The men are sure he's a demon, and they want blood. Only the fact that he was chained and a prisoner of Brackston and on his way to answer to you kept them from lynching him." "Aye, e's got some grave answerin'' ta do. 'Ave Brackston steak 'im down outside the tent. I'll deal w' him later. What're those screams I keep hearing. "Men keep getting chills sir." Listen up, Arzeal, those aren't chills, they're the attack of a nearly invisible critter that looks like a shadow, ye can only see 'em in strong light an three o' 'em nearly killed me an Logan. Th' fact that ye can't really tell anything's attackin' ye an' ye can't see 'em is what makes 'em so dangerous. They drain strength every time they hit 'an the cold gives ye a real wound if ye'll look under yer clothes ta see it. Ye can hit 'em with swords, but ye can only see 'em in good light. Go on an' warn 'em. It'll scare 'em ta death, but at least they might be able ta save their own skins. Arzeal nodded and left the tent in a hurry. Not too long after Arzeal left, Brackston's voice could be heard outside the tent. "I told 'em all this elf was a demon, but no, they didn't believe me. We'll see what kinda trouble ye're in now freak! " Gods! He's bleedin' bleedin out 'is tattoos. Yiiii!, 'e's possessed! Run! Woof! Grrrr, woof! Aaaaagh! "Well I'll be damned!" Brackston said. "Step out there an' see what's up Rapina - an leave the light." Rapina set her book and light down and jumped up. Outside, the torches that often illuminated the area around the captain's tent had been lit. Brackston was standing and staring at Doanthalas whose tattoos were bleeding all over his body. Brackston was dumfoundedly holding the other end of his infamous neck chain and staring at Doanthalas. Thumper was barking wildly. Several pirates had drawn back and a few were running away. Rapina crouched down and lifted Doanthalis' sagging chin. "Doanthalis, What's happening to you?" The elf barely had any strength left. He had lost a lot of blood yet he still managed to speak. "My... curse... a 'gift' from... from... those of... the flaming... black... heart... I..." Doanthalas collapsed as unconsciousness enveloped him. When Rapina came back into the tent about five minutes later, Brackston could be heard pounding a huge steak into the ground with a sledge hammer. "Gods girl, ye're covered w' blood, what happened?" "It's Doanthalas, sir, he bled profusely from his tattoos and passed out. It scared the men badly. Brackston's chaining him to an iron post outside." "There's a rag over there, wipe yerself down an' use me basin. Then get me old Blue shirt from me chest an' put it on. No sense in ye gettin' the books bloody. Damn, all this goin' on an' me weak as a wilted flower." Once Rapina got back to the books she and Logan began to find some references to the undead. Whenever they located a passage, they read it aloud to Captain Red Jack. About a quarter hour after Rapina got back to the books, Hock stuck his head into the tent. "I tried recallin' the watch posts, but the central post is gone and one man on the Southwest came runnin' in here telling me his partner started complaining o' chills then disappeared right before 'is eyes. My messenger for the quadrupled Southeast post an' six o' the eight men from the post came back runnin' here like a ghost was chasin' 'em, an they said the other two'd been killed by walkin' skeletons. Is everybody goin' daft?" Hock asked. "Those are real Hock, I got me a skull an' two arms that still move in that bag over there from th' scoutin' mission. 'Found out last night, the South o' this isle's a grave yard. Ye'd best set up a defense." Hock did a double-take. "I'll believe it when I see it." "Believe it, Hock. The best weapons again' 'em are heavy an' blunt. Ask Pike if ya need any pointers." Rapina heard Renewed screams and the clash of steal from the Southeast. Hock left shaking his head. Before long Pike's battle cry could be heard loud and clear. "Blood an' Bones! Hold yer ground an' drive these bags a bones back ta the hells they came from." It had been nearly an hour since the attack started when Drake felt his muscles ease. Some time ago, Pike had carried him up from the waterfront and left him standing in the captain's tent like a statue. He could see and hear what was going on, but he could not move. The scratch of the ghoul had filled him with supernatural fear that had locked up every muscle in his body. "Uhhh!" he said as he collapsed to the floor. His muscles were so sore it felt as if he had just worked two days and two nights on his father's farm without a break. "Can ye speak Drake?" "Uh, yes sir," Drake said quietly; "'muscles all hurt, sir." The captain swung his legs off the bed. "Damn, I'm still weak but gettin' better." "Rapina, I need ye ta help me up. I'm going ta get dressed an' I'm going ta talk ta the men. Hopefully by the time I'm ready, I'll 'ave the strength o' a four- year-old 'stead of a two-year-old." Once he was up, the captain put on his trousers and got some keys from the pocket. He opened a strong box and took out a vial. He drank half and gave the other half to Logan." "Drink a third o' what remains an' give th' rest ta Drake an' Rapina. That there is a magical potion I got off th' noblemen who was in charge 'o that blockade we broke. Seein' as Rapina was wieldin'' 'is blades tanight, I'd say killin' 'im helped save me life twice so far. Drake drank about half of what was left, then passed the rest to Rapina. Rapina tipped back the vial heartily, but only drank a bit of the potion. It tasted somewhat odd and made her nose and lust sense tickle. Rapina knew it must somehow contain healing life force. She could feel her wounds shrinking as warmth flooded her belly. She paid a great deal of attention to the feel of the potion. It was not too unlike the feel she got when healing her wounds using the power men gave her. Rapina wondered if there might be a way she could heal others with life force she stored, just as the potion was now healing her. "There's a little left, may I save it for later? I don't have as much meat to wound as you big men." "Aye, it's yers girl, save some if ye want. It seems ta be helpin' me wounds, but it ain't doin' much fer me strength. Just the same, it were a good draught." The captain dressed very slowly as his wounds disappeared. "How ye feelin' now, Drake? If ye're up to it, tell me about the battle earlier this night at the water front." "Well, sir. The battle was quick and deadly. Those creatures...I'm not sure what they are...they are hideous looking...I'd call them men, but whatever they were they weren't men. I was bathing in the water along with a few other men...and Doanthalas. We heard some screams and saw... them... rising out of the water. They caught a few of the men by surprise. Kent... Kent... was one of them." Drake paused as the tears flowed down his face. When he had regained his composure he continued, "They carried no weapons, but they had claws that would cause your muscles to freeze up if they scratched you. I was clawed by one of them... It was terrifying! All I could do was stand there and watch as the ghouls dragged... they... I couldn't do anything to help Kent... I tried, but... The creature paralyzed me and I'd be dead if Doanthalas hadn't saved me. I fell over in the water and would have drowned because I couldn't move, But he saved me...me and Edgar...but there wasn't anything he could do for Kent..." The young pirate stopped and wept for a few minutes. The captain respected his grieving silence before speaking. "Good then, Drake, 'least I know what happened. Step outside an' See what's up. If they're free, get me Arzeal, Pike an' Hock. If th' elf's up, take this key, unlock th' chain from th' steak an haul th' elf in here yerself. It's damn near dawn but I still need a bit o' time more ta recover me strength fer me speech, but there's goin' ta be a lot ta do soon as I step outside that flap. Might as well do what I can do sittin' down right now. And Drake...I'm sorry about yer friend. But right now I need ya to be strong. Our very survival just might depend on it. Now get gone boy!" Arzeal was the easiest for Drake to find. He was doing his best to keep some semblance of order in the camp. The half-elf reluctantly left the frightened pirates behind and reported to the captain. Pike and Hock were busy breaking out weapons for the defense of the camp. They grabbed what they needed and left another pirate in charge until they returned. Doanthalas was barely conscious when Drake reached him. He was grateful that the elf had saved him, but he was also scared. There was something to the elf that Drake wasn't sure he wanted to know about. The young pirate unlocked the chain from the stake and reluctantly lifted the elf in his arms. Doanthalas' skin felt cold and clammy and bits of dried blood flaked off as they headed towards the captain's tent. After about fifteen minutes, the birds could be clearly heard heralding the coming of the dawn. Hock, Arzeal and Pike came into the tent. Drake followed holding the elf in his arms the chain dragging on the ground behind him. "Yer in a heap 'o trouble Doanthalas. Holdin' out information on powers ye 'ave when Hock an Roger ask ye ain't healthy, an' holdin' out on magical powers can be a killin' offense. The best thing ye can do now is come clean an' tell me all about every power ye 'ave. Ye can start by tellin' me what ye know about them creatures that attacked on the waterfront, an why th' other men who got raked by 'em froze solid, but ye didn't." It was obviously a great effort for the elf to even speak, but after a short pause Doanthalas did speak, "power... is... not... not... tis a curse. Bestowed upon... me... by those of the... flaming black... hearts. To me the... sun... flower does not kill, but... it does burn... and in exchange for... my life... my life... nectar flows freely... from..." The elf managed to feebly indicate one of his many fiendish looking tattoos. "The... creatures... ghouls... dead men walking... hungering for the... life nectar... and... flesh they lack. The foul touch of their... tainted flesh... causes men to take root as the oak. My... people have... always been... immune to the foul... touch of... the ghoul. Why? I know not. It just... is... as the sun is... so is this..." That said the elf laid his head back and closed his eyes for a moment. "Sir, I can vouch for elves being more resistant to magic that warps a man's mind or makes him sleep, but that's as far as I know." The half-elf cast a worried look in Doanthalas' direction. "Sir. He's in bad shape. I've got a little something I learned from an elf a while back that should help him." Red Jack looked at Arzeal and nodded, "Okay. Do what ye need. I'll be needin' im healthy and soon. Go now! Doanthalas, I don't know if I can believe ye about th' undead 'r at all anymore since ye held out on me, an yer in deep w' the men's superstitions. Fer now yer the best source o' information we got, so I'll have ta take what ye say as true whether I like it or not. If bein' impervious ta flame ain't an elven characteristic, then I want ye ta fill me in on where ye came by it 'an any other powers ye been hidin', understand?" The elf's body shivered for a few moments before Doanthalas regained his composure and continued. "Countless seasons ago... I and... my... brother lived amongts our... people. Here. One sun cycle we... were gathering... herbs for our parents when... when we were surrounded... by a radiant... pool of magical waters. The forest... seemed to fade like the light... as dusk approaches. The earth mother had... lost all color. All was grey. The sky... the earth mother...everything. Except my brother, me... and... and one of the flaming dark hearted. I believe... you word... for them... is...Dee-mahn... or Fiend. My... brother..." Doanthalas paused as a lump caught in his throat. "My brother... my elder... tried to bargain with... the dar... feend... so that we might return home... we were lost... later we would... discover... just how lost we... were." "Ya mean ta tell me ye were captured by DEMONS!?!?!? I find that a little hard ta swallow." The captain said with a snicker. Most of those assembled nodded their heads in agreement thinking this to be some sort of elaborate fairy tale. Doanthalas waited for the gathered pirates to scoff for a bit before he began speaking. The words that the elf produced were horrible to hear and left a sickening feeling in the stomach of those assembled. Images flooded into the minds of the pirates. Images so horrible that many of them covered their ears and shrank back fearing the elf was attempting to cast some sort of evil spell. The tattooed elf stopped and let the pirates compose themselves. "I... just spake to you... in their tongue... the wicked tongue of the Dee- mons. It is a horrible... tongue that no... mortal should... ever hear... much less learn... I have done both... be grateful that... you only had to... hear it. Your nightmares will be strong, but... nothing like..." Doanthalas shook his head and continued his story, "The feend... my brother thought he... could trick him into... helping us... but that was just... youth... ful... arrogance. We both paid for it... in the end..." Doanthalas paused as horrible images came flooding back into his mind. Images of rivers of blood and towers built out of the broken living bodies of countless races. He saw their tormented faces as they screamed in agony and begged for a quick and merciful death. He felt their flesh on his feet; their feeble struggles to achieve freedom. More and more dreadful images assaulted him, but he fought against them and pushed them to the dark recesses of his mind. He did not know how to make them understand how to adequately describe what he had been through. What they had heard of the fiend's language gave them a little insight, but nothing more. He swallowed hard and continued, "We were held... captives by the dark ones for... many seasons. They tortured us... and forced us to... fight in their... vile... war. They... 'gave'... me these tattoos so that... I might survive...in a few... of their... hostile environments. But they also made... sure... there was... a... a... price. Though my flesh does... not melt... I still feel... the pain. I still pay the... price... in blood. My blood. I would gladly embrace...death... rather than endure... this. That was... how... I acquired... my... 'powers'." Doanthalas decided that he had told the captain enough. Besides he did not want to relive any more of his experiences at the hands of the fiends that night. All he wanted was sleep. He was so weak from the loss of blood that he could barely move. "Tanight we got attacked by things that look like shadows an are nearly invisible. Tell me what ye know about 'em." "They... are shadows. They... feed off... of your life... spirit... soul... yes. I believe... that to be... the correct word. They are weakest in bright light... and strongest in the... darkness from whence... they came. That is... all that I know... about... shadows." "All right, put Doanthalas back out on th' steak. That's probably the safest place for 'im w' th' men as riled as they are by now." "Hock, what's been goin' on out there?" The arms master looked as though he'd aged a couple of years in the last couple of hours. "Well sir, first it was shadows. They took out the central guard post and half of the one on the Southwest. When they attacked the men in camp, they seemed to like to hit and run. I've never seen the men so terrified, sir, and we lost a few even though we used the torches and the fires and flailing around with weapons once I managed to get the men organized." "Just a little later during that mayhem a dozen skeletons came from the Southeast, routing the guard post. When the skeletons got here, some of the men ran. I wouldn't count on ever seeing 'em again. I got the lion's share of 'em ta stand an' fight by yellin' myself hoarse. Pike and a squad of men that had been moving supplies in from the waterfront ran ta bolster my forces, then all hell broke loose when we saw what was following 'em - forty more bags of bones wet from bein' in the water were followin' them." "The men were stunned, sir, Pike turned back the way he'd come, stepped forward a few paces with that battle axe o' his an' that old club he brought back from the scoutin' mission. He screamed bloody murder an' lit into 'em. They practically exploded when 'e hit. Not ta be outdone, Brackston lit into 'em with a broadsword an a Roman shield. I previously had the men arm up, an' many o' em' had been usin' shields tryin' ta keep the shadows off em. I just started yellin' again, "Shield bash an' strike! Shield bash and strike!" "Th' men were terrified, at first it were a rout, but as soon as some of em' saw Pike annihilatin' skeletons like there was no tomorrow an heard me yellin those familar orders I drum into 'em in basic, fewer of 'em ran an' we stopped givin' ground. The tide turned and we beat those skeletons ta bones. We got more wounded than I can count. Leach Kennon's goin' crazy an we got plenty o' dead too sir, we'll have ta pick em' up an' burn em so's they don't get up on their own," Hock grimaced. "Arzeal?" "I was keeping an eye out for Pike's men moving essential supplies up from the waterfront. It's only fifty paces, but we were tightening the camp up. One thing you should know, sir. I haven't told anyone because there wasn't a thing any of us could do about it. Every boat you own is sunk in the cove." The officers drew a collective gasp. "Ghouls from under water, I expect, sir," Arzeal said. "There wasn't a thing we could do about it. At best maybe the rowboats and the fishing boat are okay, they were pulled up on shore." "Me ships." The captain's face and ears went red and anger leaked out of his every pore. "Pike, carry me table just outside, plant a couple o' torches next to it and assemble the men in front o' the tent." Pike left to get things ready, then came in and whispered something in the captain's ear. As the men were assembling for the captain's speech Rapina's determination paid off. "Sir, look at this. She handed an old crusty holy book to the captain and pointed to a passage." Jack took the book and red aloud, "The touch o' th' ghoul or barrow fiend freezes a man's mind an' muscles w' supernatural fear. Only th' wisest an' most courageous men can resist. The touch o' the barrow fiend is a supreme test o' a priest's faith. Those who resist magical influence on th' mind, such as wise men an' th' elves o' the forest are like ta resist the paralyzin'' touch o' the ghoul. Ghouls inhabit graveyards where they tunnel to feast on the flesh of the dead. When possible, they also feast on the living." "I found a reference to shadows, sir," Logan added. "It doesn't say much we don't already know from Doanthalas and the battle, but it does say if ye loose all yer strength, yer body decomposes inta dark vapors and reforms as a shadow. If I hadn't seen 'em with me own eyes, I'd think this book was tellin' tales taller than a tower, but I'll bet this tail is true." Red Jack nodded, "Aye then, Rapina, ye've proven Doanthalas right on one count. Bein' an elf is likely why 'e didn't freeze up. That cuts th' charges again' him in half. Seems like I'm about ready ta talk ta th' men. Keep up th' good work. We need every scrap o' knowledge we can get on th' undeads, an' we don't have much time ta get it. I know in me heart that elf had nothin' ta do w' th' works o' th' undead. This ain't random conjuration 'r consortin' with demons, this is low down, cut throat military-grade strategy." With that, the captain shoed everyone out ahead of him and stepped out the flap to make his speech. "Rumors an' superstitions 'ave been flyin' aroun' this camp like stones in a hail storm. Grown men 'ave been shakin' in their boots an' peein' their pants like kids because they were afraid o' a stupid damn elf. Well now ye got somethin' *real* ta be afraid of, an' it ain't no elf!" "Remember Cudge an' Blade. Brackston caught th' elf hangin' over Cudge's body, an jumped to a few conclusions, but me an' Skitch weren't so sure the elf had eaten th' meat off two big men an left only one o' their skeletons behind. It was easy ta see somethin' dragged the other body off. Ye want ta know what happened to it, what happened ta yer friend Blade? I'll show ye what happened to 'im." The captain dumped the animated arms and skull of Blade onto his table, then scooped up the scull and held it from the back so the men could see its teeth gnashing. The arms crawled towards the captain on their fingers but the captain kept moving and forcing them to change directions." "I bet yer all wonderin' why Pike is so damned good at fighting skeletons. 'Cause practice makes perfect! They tracked Blade's missin' body yesterday. It wasn't hard 'cause the ghouls that got 'im left a trail 'o blood. Ghouls, you know, them creatures that froze a number of ye like statues. They're undead, they hang around haunted graveyards, an yesterday I found out the whole damn Southeast o' this island is a big fuckin' graveyard." "Whoever got Blade's skeleton here made it walk. An how much do ye want ta bet we might be seein' Kent an' some o' the other men we lost this night again real soon? I'll bet some o' the men from the guard posts were givin' ye chills an' drainin' yer strength last night, because a man that gets killed by a shadow, turns into a shadow. Just by havin' the ill luck of choosin' this isle ta camp on, we've given its lord plenty o' fodder ta swell 'is armies. Why am I so sure this isle has a lord? Is it the fact that on this isle there are mausoleum caves carved out o' the granite and adorned with runes and equipped with traps? That might o' had a bit ta do w' it." "I'll tell ye why I know this isle ain't run by a bunch o' these ol' bone heads or a kid elf w' enchanted tattoos. The captain pointed at the gnashing skull and Doanthalis in turn. "'Night before this last one, some ghouls bumped into a guard post, Two men were no problem for ghouls, just a light snack. Doanthalas here was bein watched, but 'them that were watchin' 'im didn't look at 'im fer a second an 'e was gone, so they ran fer Brackston ta track 'im." "Doanthalas heard the damn ghouls eatin' my men -ghouls do that, drag ye off an eat ye. The wild elf tracked 'em, an got in a hell of a lot o' trouble for it from bloody Brackston. He didn't know shit about this island, an' everyone knows he don't like th' elf. But those ghouls, they brought a body an' a little news ta their master, an th' next night what happened?" "I'll tell ye what happened, a doubled Southeast guard vanished with only one scream that could be heard from camp, and then the pack o' shadows that killed 'em did somethin' awful damn intelligent for a collection o' dark vapors. They came back through the camp, snackin' a bit on Logan but not botherin' another soul, an then when he stepped into my tent ta tell me what was goin' on, they all jumped on me - a surgical strike, couldn't a planned it better meself." It's a cinch me an' Logan were dead 'cept I invited are favorite wench ta me bed that night. She has that mage light o' hers, and when I doubled over w' chills, she turned it on straight away ta see why 'er captain was actin' so strange. Well, in good light it was obvious -shadows. Bein' able ta see 'em, was nice, but they 'ad already drained most o' me strength, an Logan's. We fought 'em, an while they were drainin' us silly, Rapina killed em, even shielded each o' us near the end there w' her body. Could' a easily got 'erself killed. By all rights, I should be dead right now 'an so should Logan." "At th' same time the lord o' the isle sent a ghoul attack ta distract you men from th' fact that shadows was killin' me an' Logan -nice little diversion. Was that effective 'er what? Without, the damned 'demon' elf, and the damned half elf an' his damned special fire arrows, them ghouls woulda stacked you men up like cord wood an' hauled ye off ta the ghoul farm. Ye better open yer eyes and think about how yer treatin' them that saved all o' yer miserable lives, stead o' worryin' about them elven differences that make ye feel uncomfortable. Without them differences, a dozen 'er two o' ye'd be corpses." "'An if that wasn't enough, when th' enemy's troops weren't quite as effective as they should 'ave been 'cause o' a wench an a couple o' elves, th' lord o' th' isle had a fuckin' back-up plan. Fifty skeletons! 'An what 'appened? It was a rout, men ran like scared children. Me mistress Rapina did bettern' that when a score o' skeleton's attacked the scoutin' party. An ye know we'll be seein' the men who ran again, they'll be walkin' an' fightin' but they won't be alive, now will they?" "I know what yer thinkin'. Yer thinkin', "Are you daft, Red Jack? We'll never see those goddamned men again 'cause we're gettin' the hell off this isle quicker than ye can light a fire under us." Ye're forgettin' one thing. The lord o' this isle is one hell o' a fine general, an 'is troops don't need ta breath. They're dead! Stayin' under water ain't a problem fer them. The captain pointed to the waterfront. It was still too dark to tell much, but that was rapidly changing." "Every fuckin' ship in me fleet is sunk in that cove!" The men blanched. "We got a couple choices. We can put are tails between are legs an' make some rafts 'an see if any 'o the smaller boats are seaworthy 'an try ta get off this isle before night falls. In that case we will be hopin' beyond hope that the lord o' the isle doesn't send a party ta wipe us out on the shore." "That or we can fortify the hell out of some ground an hole up tanight." "Either way, if any o' ye are brave enough, ye can form a party ta try ta root the devil pullin' the strings on these undeads out o' his catacombs an' cut the head off his army o' undead before 'e has time ta stage another brilliant attack tanight." "Regardless, If we don't best the lord o' the isle we forfeit are ships. Right now, my guess is they've got a few holes stove in 'em so they'd sink. We'd have ta build us a make-shift dry dock, but we could fix 'em if we can tame th' isle." Whether the rest o' us go or stay, if any of ye are goin' after th' general who routed us last night, ye'll need ta be packin' up an startin' off soon. I don't need ta tell ye this mission is goin' ta be dangerous. Th' best I can do is appeal ta yer greed. Men who go can split half the booty among 'em, er ask me fer a really big boon in exchange fer their share. A boon like forgettin' about them not tellin' me about their magical skin, fer instance. The captain glared at Doanthalas. Volunteers, form up w' Pike, 'e's yer leader. [Rapina]014 The Noble Jaws of Death The giant Norse man stood off to one side. There was a hesitation in the crowd. The captain's speech had set the record straight, but the men had the hollow look of terror written all over their faces. They were trapped on the isle of the dead, and they'd already had a taste of its bitter medicine. Brackston was the first in the crowd to stand and walk to Pike's side. I'd sooner die makin' a difference than cowerin' behind th' wall of a fort." The diminutive pirate approached the Norse giant, "Could be ye'll need a man who can climb inta tight spots an' handle locks an' mechanisms. "Could be," Pike smiled. The elf was feeling much better after partaking of the elven mixture Arzeal had prepared for him. Though still very weak he could at least stand up by himself. Doanthalas stood fighting off a wave of dizziness and spoke, "I will go." "You might need someone who can read runes," Rapina said. "That proved handy last time," Pike grinned. "I'm in too. I have to...for Kent..." Drake said. Edgar stepped forward and cast a meaningful look at Drake, "Hell. Ya'll know that I'm always up for kickin' ass." Several other pirates including Trevor stepped forward to reserve their place in the assault party. When all the members were assembled they were hastily outfitted with provisions and equipment enough to last half a week on the trail, and torches for caverns and tunnels. Some of the men also carried ropes, grappling hooks and spikes for climbing. As soon as the first hint of light appeared on the horizon the assault party led by Doanthalas headed off towards the caverns of the dead. While the others were getting ready, Rapina stole an intimate moment in a supply tent with Beck, Jake, and Jonas. All of them knew this might be their last time, and they were happy to be doing something life- affirming, if only for a few precious moments. For her part, Rapina felt a little bad taking as much from them as she did, but she was careful to go to the men she knew had iron constitutions. Rapina left the tent fully healed with a little something to fall back on. She gave the quite appreciable amount that remained of the captain's potent healing potion to Pike. He had seen two battles in the last twenty-four hours, and even as skilled as he was, he had not escaped battle without wounds. Every step was sheer agony for the elf. He was still weak from the loss of so much blood, but able to carry on because of Arzeal's elven elixir. Where Arzeal learned how to prepare it he didn't know. He'd have to ask the half-elf if they survived. Elixirs like that were closely guarded secrets of the elven people. Doanthalas was glad that Arzeal knew how though, it had saved the elf the trouble of making it himself. Doanthalas leaned heavily on his walking stick for most of the way. Pike had to help him scale the cliffs to reach the cavern. Eventually they arrived at the entrance. Sitting down on a rock the Elf glanced at the party. He saw Rapina advance along with Drake, Grom, Edgar and Yanosh. This time, Rapina made sure she made it to the cave first, and recited a prayer to Mortaebius, god of the dead. Then she opened the gate and let the warriors in to check the place out. The first room was as they had left it. Buck and Rage wedged stout timbers in the first doorway as Rapina took a deep breath, crossed the room and pressed the studs on the pentagram carved in the wall as if signing the sign of man. When she pushed the last stud, the inner-door slab groaned and slid upwards. Buck and Rage rushed forward to set timbers in the new door. As the inner door slid open the party was assaulted by a quick rush of air strong with the smell of decay. The faint outline of a statue was barely visible towards the front of the room. Outside in the sunlight, a pirate named Rebel stood guarding the timbers set in the first doorway while the others gained access to the hall of eminence. He heard a sound like a few stones rolling off a burial mound, but the outcropping of rock in front of the doorway to the mausoleum cave blocked his vision. He stepped out to get a look. He saw a pirate who'd run during the battle with the fifty skeletons last night. Brad! The pirate hissed and a long tongue came out of his mouth. One scratch from the new ghoul and Rebel froze. From nearby mounds, two more ghouls cowled in dark robes, emerged and followed Brad into the tomb. Brad cut Rebel's throat with a claw as the other two ghouls quietly removed the timbers from the doorway. Meanwhile, the pirates advanced into the room with the statue, and took out a few more torches. Rapina entered behind most of the men, her mage-light illuminating the front of the statue. "It's Mortaebius, god of the dead, Rapina said." Ah, so what, it's 'is gold I want, not 'is name. The mean yellow dog sniffed the air and growled. Rapina blinked. She could swear she saw the statue's eyes move, but now they seemed to be staring straight ahead, right at her. "I could swear I saw the statue's eyes move," Rapina said. "Look mates, that statue's robe is buttoned an' chased w' real gold an' is ring is set w' a ruby! Flint whipped out a chisel and went to pry. "Defilers!" The statue of Mortaebius shouted. Somewhere on the other side of the room doors opened and skeletons began pouring out. "Retreat back past the doorway to the first room!" Pike said running for the doorway. "They die easy if only one or two can come at ye abreast!" Pike ran back into the first room and took up a position just inside next to the doorway. Brackston slipped to the other side as he ran in and prepared to slaughter the bone-brains. The other pirates ran between their mates, trying to get back into the first room before the skeletons from the second reached them. A loud rumbling could be heard coming from the entrance to the outdoors. By this time, most of the pirates were back in the first chamber or running through the doorway. On the other side of the hall of the dead a slab slid over the entrance cutting the shaft of sunlight leaking in to nothing. Three ghouls charged towards the pirates hissing. "Aye Doanthalas! We got ghouls back here by th' entrance," Skitch hollered. Doanthalas ran through the door from the room with the statue. The elf shouted as he fished through his pouch for the flasks of oil he had brought. "Spearmen, Doanthalas, back there on the double," Pike ordered. After reentering the entry chamber, Rapina had made her way to the Southeast corner. She had been looking at the statue and had been one of the first to retreat as Pike ordered. She realized that, previously, weight in the top coffin-tunnel had opened the door. Rapina hastened to climb up into the tunnel to see if she could reopen the entrance. The last pirate ran through the doorway from the statue room. "Brace up Brackston, here comes a flood 'o bones, an look what's behind 'em. Our own walkin' dead! Brackston growled as he realized that the zombies were all pirates he once knew. Some of the bodies from last night's battle had evidently been spirited off just before dawn. The skeletons advanced but exploded to pieces as they were hit by Pike's mighty ax and club from one side, and the sword and club of bloody Brackston from the other. "Demolition! We got 'em licked, Pike!" Rapina scowled, her weight was no longer triggering the reopening of the entrance. Somehow, the mechanism had been jammed elsewhere. Doanthalas found the flask of oil he was looking for and stuffed an oil soaked rag in the end of it. He lit it on one of the remaining torches and hurled it into the oncoming group of ghouls. The flames were spectacular as the ghoul Doanthalas nailed burst into flames and the others flanking him suffered from splashes of burning oil. Doanthalas fought with every ounce of strength that he still possessed, hacking at the head of the ghoul on his right as Vanosh and George attempted to hold the flaming ghoul at bay with spears. Edgar ducked the ghoul's claws and simultaneously launched a leg-breaking kick at the creature's knee. As it staggered backwards Edgar opened the creature's guts with his sword. Brad, the flaming ghoul spun his way between the two spears, nicked Yanosh's chin, and poked George in the eye. Both men froze in magical terror. Still flaming from Doanthalas' oil Brad jumped on the elf who had just decapitated the ghoul next to him. If he was to be destroyed by fire, he would take his destroyer with him. Rapina was climbing back down from the upper coffin tunnel in the Southeast corner of the room when she heard Pike bellow to Brackston as they fought at the doorway to the statue room, or the "Hall of Eminence," to quote the runes on the wall. "What the hell? Back Brackston, It's a ghoulified Kent, an' he's swingin' a cresset full o' burnin' oil!" Pike bellowed. Brackston shattered a skeleton and jumped back as the cresset arced over the heads of the skeletons and zombies bunched around the doorway and flew through it into the entry room. Rapina saw the cresset from the corner of her eye as she watched the flaming ghoul jump on Doanthalas and knock the both of them into the path of the flaming cresset. There was a clang as the cresset deflected off the ghoul's shoulder and showered the pair of combatants with burning oil. Trevor skewered the remaining ghoul through the eye with a spear as it fell from Edgar's kick. Edgar swung his sword chopping into the ghoul's chest, laughing mightily. "That wasn't so hard. Fear is the ghoul's real weapon. Get past that an' they're nothin'" Rapina felt a tingling up her spine, and then she heard deep laughter coming from the statue in the other room. Suddenly the conflagration that had enveloped Doanthalas and the ghoul blackened as a cloud of choking black smoke billowed forth from it. In seconds the room was filled with smoke and half-blind coughing pirates. The smoke just kept getting thicker. Whoever had sprung this trap knew how Pike and the scouting party had retreated into the narrow entryway to defeat the skeletons before, and knew that Pike would retreat beyond the doorway to use that trick again. Now the entry room was filling with smoke fast. It was already so choking it made speech difficult for the coughing and filled the eyes with tears. Into the statue room! Pike surged through the oncoming skeletons, weapons cutting a swath of destruction before him. The Norse giant swung steel and wood like a maniac for a second before he suddenly hit flesh - the zombies; they were not so easily destroyed. They were the cork on the bottle. No doubt they had been instructed to remove any obstructions in the doorway as well. Pike wasn't about to let them get near it. "Defend a path out ta the left o' the door, concentrate our forces. Brackston, cover me right flank, we have ta hold the doorway and keep these monsters from removing the timbers before we're ready. Bloody Brackston sprung through the door and fought beside the Norseman. Thumper tore chunks of meat off the zombies as he helped his master. The tiny pirate was one of the first to race through the door. He dodged and wormed his way around, through and between the legs of the zombies. Once through, he got to the statue in a hurry. Originally he had brought the hammer and chisels in case he had bad luck with a lock or needed to place a piton. Now he hopped up on the pedestal and the statue's feet, stood on his tip-toes, put the chisel to the statue's eye and slammed it with the hammer. The wily pirate heard a startled yelp when the chisel struck the socket, but he did not know if he had driven it in hard or fast enough to kill who or whatever was hiding inside. "Sound off as ya get through the door!" Pike ordered. "I need to know when we're all in here. Rapina stay by the opening studs an' give me a hand with the count!" the Norseman bellowed. One by one the pirates called out their names: Brackston, Skitch, Trevor, Grom, Flint, Gape, Henry, Buck, Rage, Edgar, Drake and Rapina. "That's all of us but Doanthalas, Pike. The others are paralyzed or worse!" Rapina hollered. "One last good flurry friend and we step aside and hope they remove the timbers for us." Pike said to Brackston. Brackston pushed himself to the limits, then stepped aside as he heard Pike yell. "Timbers away. Nothin' we can do for Doanthalas, he's part o' the fire," Pike ordered. With tears in her eyes from more than the smoke, Rapina fought her way along the left wall of the statue room though the press of zombies. Luckily, Pike was right next to her. The stupid zombies, followed their instructions to the letter. While a few of them continued into the entry chamber, a couple of others pulled the timbers from the doorway into the hall of eminence. They capped their trap even though only three living pirates -Doanthalas, and the paralyzed pirates Venosh and George, remained within the entry chamber. The door slab slammed into place. The cork was on the bottle, but most of the grasshoppers had sprung. The pirates fought a fast and furious battle with heavy losses, for they had thrown caution to the wind. They fought half-blind using every ounce of their strength to get by the zombies who had tried to cage them in the room of smoke. Grom was the first to fall followed by Flint and Henry. To his credit Trevor fought bravely and took many zombies and skeletons with him before succumbing to their onslaught. "Back against the left wall, and keep that steel moving! Hurry, if we can get into the room where some of the skeletons came from, we'll have areselves another doorway an' this one likely not a trap! The party was able to make it to the door with few lost. Because of an altercation with a particularly tenacious zombie, Drake and Edgar were the last two to reach the door. As Drake turned to see if Edgar was coming he froze. Standing directly behind Edgar was Kent. Or the bloated and drowned body of what used to be their friend Kent. Edgar had an odd pained look on his face. When he didn't rush for the door it became obvious to Drake that his friend was paralyzed. A sick feeling washed over him as he watched the Kent-ghoul traced a line across Edgar's neck with a claw. The light in Edgar's eyes faded just as quickly as the blood flowed from the fresh wound in his neck. Drake stood paralyzed, not by the touch of the ghoul, but by grief for two friends lost. The screams of Doanthalas did nothing to alleviate this feeling. in fact Drake was really beginning to understand what true fear was for the first time in his life... Tears flowed from Rapina's eyes as she tugged Drake through the doorway. Pike and Brackston were standing on either side of it ready to demolish the first zombie to try to breach the opening. [Click here for a sketch of the tomb. The entry chamber is the same room in which the scouting party first met and fought skeletons, but the side/coffin- tunnels are not pictured.] The room the pirates entered was some sort of family mausoleum. It was richly decorated. Tapestries adorned the walls and six suits of bronze plate mail equipped with halberds or two-handed swords stood around the periphery of the room on small stone pedestals. On the west side of the room were two stone sarcophagi, each had a lid with a relief sculpture of the way the occupant had looked in life. The corners and trim of the sarcophagi were solid gold, and the likenesses were chased with gold leaf. Bronze candelabras adorned the walls. On the East wall were many bronze plaques, some with lettering on them. On the South wall was a large coat of arms with a plaque beneath it. Parts of the coat of arms were studded with gems. "Nobody move, This looks to be some noble family mausoleum. I know ye see some booty around ye, don't touch it till we kill our enemies. That's the way Backster set off a trap in that first room. Buck, Drake, help me an' Brackston at the doorway here, we still got plenty o' customers, just that this time we got 'em one at a time through the doorway. Rest of you Cluster aroun' Rapina and keep an eye out 'case of shadows. Rapina, patch wounds while we got the time," Pike ordered. Rapina worked as rapidly as she could, and by the time Pike and his warriors were through demolishing the last zombie, Rapina had patched the wounds of the other warriors. "All right, lets check this room out. The zombies and skeletons that came from this room and the one next door had to have gotten in here somehow. Could be they came from somewhere else, or it could be there is a secret exit out of one of these back rooms. Rapina began to read the various plaques. The ones on the east wall were probably entrances to coffin-sized side tunnels wherein corpses were stored. The plaque on the Southern end of the room talked about the noble deeds and lineage of the baronial family whose remains rested within the room. As the men started opening the plaques on the east wall, Rapina looked at the sarcophagus in the Southwest area of the room. The carving on the lid depicted a woman. Rapina looked at the runes on carving. "This was the first baroness of the family Le-" Rapina's line was cut off in mid stream. The lid of the sarcophagus suddenly hinged open. Inside were the skeletal remains of a woman, and laying next to her was Kent, who tossed the dead baroness' golden ring into the room as a part of the motion of grabbing Rapina just below the breasts and pulling her into the sarcophogus. Rapina had hardly managed a startled screech when Kent's claws pierced her tunic and a hideous paralyzing fear surged through her body, stiffening every muscle. Drake felt a ring bounce off his back. The six suits of armor standing around the room suddenly raised their weapons as the brainless minds of the skeletons within them perceived treasure, in the form of the Baroness' ring, being removed from the room's deceased occupants. Each swung its sword or halberd at the nearest pirate. Once he pulled Rapina into the sarcophagus, the goulish Kent activated the lid-closing mechanism with one foot, while he activated the mechanism that lowered the panel in the East side of the sarcophagus with the other. The sarcophagus only seemed to be separate from the wall, it was actually attached to it. Kent rolled Rapina and himself Eastward as the East wall of the coffin slid into the floor. Once in the area within the room's East wall, Kent pushed a stud with his finger. The East wall of the sarcophagus lifted back into place and the stone beneath him and Rapina tilted. Down they slid. At the bottom of the short slide, Kent pulled a lever and the slide hinged back up. The ghoul then opened a door and ran out of the room for a few minutes. He returned, hoisted Rapina off the floor and carried her across the small room at the base of the slide to a door. He opened the door and carried her into a narrow, low-ceilinged passageway that went North and South. Kent closed the door and shot home a bolt, then took a few large reaching steps Southward. He carried Rapina South up a very long flight of stairs to a room. In one corner of the room three shadows cowered, disliking Rapina's mage-light. The room also contained a few skeletons and several chests. Two of the skeletons bore a litter. Kent placed Rapina on the litter then opened one of the chests. He took some granite-colored grey robes with a heavy hood and a black lining from the chest and put them on. The litter-bearing skeletons were dressed in identical attire. Kent then left though a doorway in the other side of the room that led to another staircase up. The two skeletons followed carrying Rapina between them. Kent pushed open a trapdoor at the top of the staircase and cringed as the light hit his robes. The daylight stung Kent's eyes and made him feel weak in spite of the protective cowl. The ghoul struggled along a trail that ran atop the granite cliffs into which the tomb was carved. The ghoul and his entourage fled south and followed the curve of the island's cliff top as it went gradually Southwestward. The path was well concealed from watchers in the interior of the isle, for it usually ran through the lowest area in the center of the cliff so that there was stone between watchers from the water or land and the path. At first Rapina could do nothing but be afraid, but after a while she struggled to get a hold of her mind. If Kent was going to kill her, she reasoned, he would have done it by now. She was not sure where he was taking her, but it seemed likely that she would soon be meeting the chief of the undeads. Rapina supposed it could be some even more horrible undead monster, but clung to the hope that it would be a living priest or magician - a necromancer. Kent struggled through the sunlight for what seemed like ages. About every quarter hour he scratched Rapina in the arm with a claw. The walk was a mile and a half. It was nearly an hour before it took him along the base of some even higher cliffs that towered above the cliffs he was on and the rest of the isle. Just when she thought things were getting a little better, Kent jumped on the litter with her. "Go that way," Kent rasped and pointed for the bone- headed skeletons, then he squirmed around on top of Rapina and licked her face with his hideous long tongue. The breath stuck in her throat, Rapina was terrified but she couldn't scream. Kent smelled dead, he even looked dead. She could not move a muscle, but she wanted to escape in the worst way. Kent directed the skeletons into a hidden fissure in the Southern rock face. He jumped off the litter about ten feet into the fissure. The narrow crack led downward and eventually forked Kent stopped the skeletons then walked into the fork on the left. Rapina briefly heard the grinding of stone on stone such as a hidden door might make and Kent was gone for close to fifteen minutes. When he returned he jumped back on the litter with Rapina and directed the skeletons to proceed down the other fork of the fissure. It opened up into a much wider fissure - a canyon some fifteen to twenty-five feet in breadth. Daylight was visible far above, but the ghoul felt better because the deep canyon afforded much shadow. The skeletons carried Kent and Rapina South along the canyon floor. As time went by Rapina had to force herself to keep her eyes open so she had some idea of where she was being taken. She was a woman, an oddity among pirates. Perhaps she was being captured because the lord of the isle felt she was at least as much a victim as a collaborator, having been abducted by the pirates, or perhaps he was just hungry for female companionship. Rapina shuddered, if the necromancer was undead, she might just be a dainty meal. She would have to try to keep her wits about her in spite of her terror. The skeletons zigzagged along with the canyon in a generally southerly direction. When they reached an area familiar to the ghoul, Kent reached down off the litter, took up a large rock from the canyon floor and directed the skeletons to the cliff edge where he bashed the rock against the stone wall. Had he not known exactly where he was, the ghoul would not have known what to do. Even the ghoul could see no difference about the walls of the canyon from his vantagepoint at its bottom. From Some sixty feet above him hidden from view by a natural outcropping in the wall of the canyon, a boom swung out. On the boom was a large wicker cage. The cage was lowered. Kent opened a door in the cage and led the skeletons bearing the litter inside. Kent closed the door and struck a cowbell attached to the inside of the cage, with a metal rod dangling from a chain. The cage began to rise quite rapidly. When the cage struck the boom, it was swung inwards and the cage was lowered a foot or two to rest on the floor of a room cut into the face of the granite cliff. One wall was open to the canyon but the room was invisible from below because of the narrowness of the canyon, a natural outcropping just below where the room was carved into the cliff face, and the height the room was above the canyon floor. There was a slit-like window in the south wall of the room. Kent opened the cage door and led the skeletons out. A skeletal hand grasped Rapina's chin and turned her head from side to side. Rapina was so terrified she shut her eyes. She was sure the lord of the isle was undead, and she would soon be as well. "Excellent work, my servant," a smooth baritone voice spoke to Kent. Rapina opened her eyes. The face of a middle-aged man stared assessingly down at her. The man was neither hideous nor handsome. He was actually rather plain. High on his forehead was a bandage. Otherwise, he would not have looked out of place behind the counter of a library, but for the intense look in his dark eyes. Those eyes were the one thing that marked him as a man of great cunning and intellect. "You have a reward coming." The man Removed Rapina's bow and quiver, then undid Rapina's weapons belt and took it and her weapons from her. He hung her things on a skeleton that wore a steel breastplate and was clad in wax-boiled leather. The necromancer then removed the mage light from around her neck and raised an eyebrow as he placed it in a pouch on his belt. After that he frisked her, found the sheath knife on her calf and removed it. The necromancer spoke to Kent as he worked, "Although the battle did not go as well as planned, you played your part flawlessly and accomplished this extemporaneous task as well. I realize the daylight must have caused you great pain and weakness, but I have just the thing to replenish your strength for this evening. One of the pirates we captured has no tongue and is thus useless to me, yet I think you'll like him, he's a fat one." The necromancer commanded the skeletons to open the stout oak door in the East wall of the room, the one opposite the canyon. Two of the breast-plate wearing skeletons led the way and four others followed. After a short distance, the party came to a "T" intersection. The corridors were lit by an eerie red glow that emanated from large crystals that hung at intervals from the ceiling. "Take the girl to the door to my chambers and keep her there. You three guards, see that she does not try to wander off." The skeletons bore Rapina Northwards while Kent and the necromancer went in the other direction. Rapina thought about trying to escape. Had she not been paralyzed, she felt sure she could outrun the skeletons. Even if she could, where would she go, certainly not back to the cliffside room? There was no way down to one who could not control the wicker cage. Abruptly Rapina's muscles eased. She felt sore all over. She directed the bit of energy she had gleaned from her morning's tryst to her back and limbs. Suddenly she sprung from the litter and sprinted down the hallway to the South. It took a second for the skeletons to react, but Rapina heard the rasp of steel as the skeletons drew swords and clattered after her. They were fast, astonishingly so, but Rapina was terrified and had a head start. Doors punctuated the hallway at intervals. Rapina opened one and saw rough- hewn shelves with various armaments and equipment but no way out. She snatched a rusty broadsword and rushed down the hallway again. She passed several doors on her way down the hall. One, an iron door was just slightly ajar. She avoided that one and pulled on the door at the end of the hall. It would not open but she could see no lock! The three guard skeletons were already near her. Rapina jumped to the left and saw the skeletons veered to the left as they ran towards her. At the last minute, Rapina jumped right and sprinted. She felt the wind from a sword blade close to her neck as she passed the boney trio. The skeletons were astonishingly fast. She already felt winded. In desperation Rapina ran to the iron door, opened it, jumped in and slammed it as the impacts of three sword blades rang off the other side of the door. Rapina saw a keyhole but no bolt on her side of the door. Remembering how light the skeletons in the mausoleum cavern had been, Rapina braced herself against the door. There was a second identical door ten feet East beyond the one she held, but she was sure that the skeletons would just keep bashing the door with their swords forever. She was wrong. Something started pushing on the door. The force doubled and Rapina made a dash for the next door. She slammed that one shut as well. She found herself in some sort of guardroom with a stout table and four chairs. She could reach one of the chairs with her foot. She snagged it and used it to wedge the door shut. There was a ring of three keys hanging on a peg on the other side of the room. Rapina dashed for it, grabbed it and got back in time to keep the chair from slipping away from the door because of the force being applied to the other side. Rapina tried all three of the keys in the lock but none of them worked. On the other side of the room was another door. This one had a barred window. Rapina ran for it, snagging another chair on her way by the table. She had the third door shut and wedged before the last door grated open. Rapina tried the shorter of the three keys on the ring and the lock turned. The door Rapina had just locked was at the head of a hallway. There were six other doors leading off the hallway, three on the right side, and three on the left. The door to the cell on the right near the hall's other end was ajar. Rapina looked through the barred window of the nearest cell on the left. Inside shackled to the wall was Jonas. "Jonas?," Rapina asked. Jonas looked up. "Rapina? How in hell did you get here?" "I got paralyzed by Kent. He's a ghoul. How about you?" "There were some skeletons stained black; they were collecting the dead bodies and the ghouls were collecting the living. I spooked when those skeletons attacked us and before I knew it, some ghoul jumped out of nowhere. It dragged me to a black litter borne by skeletons and I was brought here. What happened to the others?" "Pike and Hock rallied the troops and they fought off the skeletons. I'm not sure what they're doing now, either fortifying and staying or trying to raft out, one or the other." "Quick, get me out of here, maybe we can free the others and escape." Rapina tried the next longer key and opened the cell door. "Lets skip the escape scene, shall we?" said the necromancer's voice. Rapina froze. At the end of the hall stood the necromancer, and next to him with blood all over his face, chest and grossly bloated belly was Kent, still chawing on a fat human leg. They had come out of the cell at the end of the hall on the right. Rapina nearly threw up as she realized that Kent had been eating Piggy, the mute cook that Rapina had worked for when she'd first joined Red Jack's crew. Now that she was standing, Rapina got a better look at the necromancer. He was about average height and build, only an inch or two taller than she was. He was partly bald, but had hair on the sides of his head. He was dressed in black robes with a black leather bandoleer crossing his chest from his left shoulder to his waist on the right. He wore several bone-handled daggers on his belt and the bandoleer held a dozen or so crude bone darts with metal spikes on both ends. "Drop the blade. Be reasonable, you have no chance to escape. There is only one way out of here and that is through those doors and the three guards. The necromancer chuckled, "You must be a fast runner or I'd be trying to piece your skeleton back together at this moment." Rapina tossed the keys through the partly opened door to Jonas and advanced towards the necromancer. The necromancer grinned. "Guards," he said. Three leather-clad breast-plated skeletons came out of the cell the necromancer and Kent had previously been in. "Surely you do not want to try to face these three. Have you not yet realized that these skeletons are superior to the others? The necromancer smiled. They are double-animated, once by the power of my magic, and once by the power of Mortaebius, god of the dead. They are stronger, faster, and a little bit smarter than the average skeleton." Rapina held her ground but eyed the skeletons now standing in front of Kent and the necromancer. "Surrender now and I will go easy on you, otherwise, you'll pay dearly. Shards, orbit her." The crude bone darts left the necromancer's bandoleer and flew down the hallway, orbiting Rapina at a distance of about three feet. Rapina shuddered. The bone parts of the darts were made of what Donal had named "singing bones," the ones that flew through the air. How could she hope to defeat flying bone spikes and three double-strength skeletons plus a wily ghoul and a necromancer? Rapina reluctantly layed down her rusty blade. "Retrieve the blade," the necromancer bid one of the skeletons. The skeleton snatched up the blade. Now, girl, stand back against the guard room door. Rapina backed up. "You two, the necromancer pointed to a couple of the skeletons, guard the girl. And you, open that cell door. Kent, I think the prisoner needs calming." Kent grinned and bounded into Jonas' cell. "Aaaaiigh! Jonas screamed. "Kent, put him back in the shackles and take the keys," the necromancer ordered. In a minute or two Kent came out of the cell and tossed the keys to the necromancer. "Very good, I will talk to you again this evening. Enjoy your meal." [Rapina]015 Death Battles The Living The pain was excruciating. Doanthalas could hardly breathe because of the smoke and his eyes were gunked up with ash and smoke and tears. Needles of pain shot through his back as the flames continued to burn. Soon the flames would die out; Doanthalas could feel the pain lessening by the moment. After the flames died out it would not be that long before he started bleeding. It was time to get to a safer place, and quickly too. The elf tried tearing off a piece of his clothes to wipe his eyes with, but his charred clothing just crumbled in his hands. There had to be something in the room somewhere he could use to wipe out his eyes with. Otherwise he'd have to fight through the remaining zombies and find a way out while still blind. He did not think he could do it. Not in his already weakened condition. The remaining ghoul and a few of the zombies had been reduced to walking torches. A few remained relatively unharmed. These few closed in on the prone form of Doanthalas. They were unaffected by the smoke and advanced steadily on the elf. Doanthalas' keen hearing picked up the sound of the zombie's shuffling feet approaching. It was getting harder to breathe and a fit of coughing seized the elf. At least nearer the floor the air wasn't as filled with smoke. A slight breeze blew across the elf's face. The fact that there was a breeze meant one thing: There was a way out. Doanthalas began crawling towards the breeze. He had to hurry. The fire was almost out and that meant that his time was almost up. The remains of his clothes crumbled to nothing as well as the other items he carried that were flammable. The elf's knee nudged something as he crawled. Reaching down his hand closed around the hilt of his sword. The blade scraped against the ground as he lifted it. The sound of shuffling feet was very close now. With great effort Doanthalas swung his sword. He felt it chop though something solid and then stop as it hit something else solid. There was a loud thump as something heavy hit the ground. One of the zombies lay on the floor struggling feebly to stand. The other paused its progress impeded by his fallen companion. Darkness had descended upon the room as the last of the fires burned themselves out. The zombies continued in their pursuit of their prey unaffected by the darkness. Their minds understood nothing other than their hunger for flesh...their thirst for blood. The scent was getting stronger. Their quarry was near. Bits of rotting flesh dropped off their arms as they reached out to feast. The sound of shuffling feet and something sharp scraping across the stones sounded very close behind him. Doanthalas blindly dragged himself towards the source of the breeze. If he could reach it he might be able to escape. Whatever he did, he would have to hurry. His strength was fading fast. Doanthalas' hand closed over a metal grate in the floor. It was small. Most likely, it was a drain. It had to lead somewhere. He hoped it was large enough for him to crawl through. Wiping his eyes with his grimy hand did little to improve his situation. The elf turned and tried to see through the sweat, blood, and grime that had found its way into his eyes. He was able to see very little, but did notice two still slightly warm forms moving in his direction. One was crawling and the other was walking. Clutching his sword the tattooed elf sat up and prepared to meet his foes. The zombies closed before Doanthalas could stand. They pressed their attack. The crawling zombie lost an arm right away. The other arm was next followed shortly by his head. Each time he swung his sword Doanthalas felt it slipping out of his hands. He adjusted his grip before turning to deal with the remaining zombie. This zombie had the advantage. It held the higher ground and did not tire. Doanthalas on the other hand was so weak that he could barely lift his sword. The sword went clattering to the floor after being easily batted away by the zombie. Things were getting worse by the second. Doanthalas' head began to swim. "I cannot die like this," he thought as he backed away from the advancing zombie. The smell of iron reached his nostrils. "Not now!" he thought as his hand slipped in the fresh blood that had begun to flow from his fiendish tattoos. Doanthalas crawled back as far as he could. He stopped with his back to the wall and the zombie practically on top of him. It seemed like it was to end there. Fortunately for Doanthalas the zombie slipped in some of his blood and went toppling to the floor. The sound of nails scraping the floor was audible through the darkness. He could not see the zombie anymore; the heat from the fire that had threatened to consume it had long since dissipated. It seemed like hours that the zombie lay there scraping at the floor. Doanthalas did not take time to ponder this turn of events. He just crawled around the floor until his hand closed over the hilt of another weapon. With every ounce of strength he could muster he crawled back towards the sound of scraping. Unable to comprehend its situation the zombie struggled to scrape the flesh off its victim. It could smell the blood, but could not seem to scrape the flesh off its bones. It struggled on fueled by its hunger. Doanthalas ended its struggles a few moments later as he dismembered piece by piece. The weapon clattered to the floor. Doanthalas did not have an ounce of strength left. He slumped to the ground and drifted off into unconsciousness. A cool breeze blew through his hair as the blood from his tattoos flowed through the grate in the floor. ----------- Pike scowled. His luck in battle had never been so sour. The day had not gone so badly at first, but now depression was settling on the Norseman's shoulders like the globe on the shoulders of Atlas. He had fought his way out of a diabolic trap loosing half his men only to have his favorite wench stolen and probably killed by a ghoulish Kent. The armored skeletons Kent triggered killed Buck and cost his party in both wounds and precious time. Skitch had figured out the secret door and slide in the sarcophagus, but that too had cost time. They had broken through the door in the room at the base of the slide and found the lower corridor. Thumper had led them North instead of South and that had cost time. The wily ghoul must have left a false trail. Skitch had found the ladder that led up into the hollow statue. After he had come down from there he found and quickly un-jammed the mechanisms for the stone doors in the rooms above, but that hadn't helped them find Rapina. They had gone North when they should have gone South. When they did go south, Pike had lost strength and sustained an annoying wound to his left shoulder. He had been too hasty about demolishing the four skeletons in the room at the top of the staircase and had not noticed the three shadows until after they started feeding on him and his men. Drake had sustained wounds and lost some strength to the shadows and so had Gape. Thumper had tracked the ghoul South along the cliff tops and along the base of some cliffs higher than the ones Pike and his men were walking on, but then the dog had inexplicably lost the trail. It cost more precious time before Rage found a hidden fissure. There Thumper had picked up the trail of the ghoul again. It led to a blank wall when the fissure forked. Skitch had correctly identified a secret door in the wall. The door led to a narrow, low-ceilinged staircase mined through the granite. The staircase twisted down and down endlessly before it and finally let out at a secret door in a warren of confusing tunnels. The tunnels went through the dirt of the valley Pike and his men had seen from high above on the cliffs near the entrance to the fissure. Thumper had started tracking in circles and the party had become hopelessly lost in the maze of tunnels. If anything, they were farther from finding Rapina than when she had first been abducted. "Pike, I hate ta say it, but we're lost an' wounded, 'an if Rapina ain't dead by now, then she's a prisoner o' the dark lord o' the isle. Thumper ain't doin' us a bit o' good, an' we can't go back ta where we were without startin' over at the tombs. My bid is that we jus' try ta find a way outa here before yer ghouls an' things start wakin' up." Pike glared at Brackston. "I hate it when yer right. Okay, lets try to find a tunnel that goes up." A few minutes later Rage called out "Hey, where's Gape, he was behind me just a minute ago." "Damn it! Ghouls, I'll wager. Demon or not, I sure as hell wish we had an elf to take up the rear. My bet is that Thumper might be able to smell 'em. Brackston, take the rear. Rage, you make sure to look over your shoulder a lot, understand?" "Gotcha." A more couple hours passed, but, although they had gained some elevation and had gone a good distance in a roughly northerly direction, an exit from the warrens still eluded them. Suddenly Thumper growled. Ghouls! Brackston shouted. Thumper grabbed a ghoul's hand as it tried to strike his master and ripped at it. Brackston lunged, his usual sword techniques were worthless hunched over in a cramped dirt tunnel. He ran his sword through the creature's chest and twisted it but the creature did not die! A second ghoul erupted from the floor of the tunnel and attempted to grab Drake's leg. Drake yelped, jumped back against the tunnel wall and cut the ghoul's hand off at the wrist. A third ghoul burst through the tunnel wall behind Drake and grabbed him, claws ripping into his sides - immobilizing Drake with magical fear. Skitch whipped two throwing knives into the chest of the ghoul on the ground. Pike's axe came down on the floor-ghoul's head, splitting it like a melon. The Norseman grabbed Drake's legs just as he was disappearing into a hidden side tunnel behind the ghoul and heaved. Brackston's ghoul cut into the yellow dog's head with his free hand leaving deep bloody furrows, but the ghoul's magic was wasted on the mean yellow dog. Thumper's simple mind did not fear death. Brackston lunged again half gutting the ghoul who'd hurt his dog. Near pike, the skulless ghoul reached up in its death throws and sunk its claws savagely into the Norseman's calf. Pike bellowed as he felt the ghoul's magic sizzle up his nerves. Every ounce of the indomitable courage bred into the Norseman fought the ghoul's magic... Blood an' Bones! Pike roared as he heaved Drake out of the side tunnel with the ghoul still attached to him. The ghoul let go of Drake, setting the Norseman off balance and then dove for Skitch. "Ulp!" Try as he might, once the ghoul had grabbed him, ripping into his ribs with its claws, Skitch could not move a muscle. His whole body seemed to freeze in horror. Rage drove his gladius into the ghoul's side as it began to make off with Skitch. Pike grabbed Skitch's legs just as they were disappearing down the tunnel and heaved once again. Brackston's ghoul hissed as Brackston skewered it a second time and opened the wrist of Brackston's sword arm with its hideous claws. Blood gushed from the wound. Brackston froze. He struggled, but the magical fear had him firmly in its unyielding grasp. Thumper jumped knocking the ghoul on its back. The dog growled ferociously ripping flesh from the monster. The Ghoul from the wall lashed out at Pike's arm with its toe nails, tearing furrows through his skin. Pike bellowed, his great muscles flexed... and released as he pulled Skitch and the ghoul back into the tunnel. Rage jammed his short sword into the side of the ghoul's chest and twisted it, Killing the foul thing at last. Thumper ripped out the ghoul's throat as one of the creature's claws sunk into the dog's eye socket. Blood flooded from the dog's wound. He curled up at the paralyzed feet of his master whining ever more quietly as his life's blood drained away. "Damn ghouls, Pike snarled as he bandaged Brackston's wrist. Rage, let's move Drake, Skitch an' Brackston up there and get some bandages on all the wounds before we bleed ta death. There's a boulder forming one wall of the tunnel. There's no way we're going to be able to move with three of our guys out. We'll just have to wait. Poor dog. I'd bandage the eye, but the wound's too damn deep, I can see his brains in there. He'd just bleed into his skull." Pike, them ghouls hit ye twice, but ye didn't freeze. "Courage mate, it's bred into the bones 'o every Norseman." It was well over an hour before the party could move, and it was another hour before they emerged into the open air. The sun was low in the sky when they saw it again at last. They were in a forested canyon dotted with piles of bones marked by various stone markers. "I'm namin' this place the valley of the dead, any objections? Looks like these various heaps o' bones were from the loosing side of old battles. You don't get good graves when ye loose." Pike looked at his men. "If we were fresh, I'd say let's double-time it back to Red Jack's fort, but we wouldn't get there before night fall. Plus we'd have to fight our way through the enemy to get in, but I'm limpin' like a club-foot, an it's easy ta see Brackston's dizzy from lack o' blood. Skitch winces ever time he takes a big step 'an whenever Drake bends over I see the pain in 'is eyes. We're ripped ta shit. Tryin' to fight our way through to the fort would be simple suicide." "Here's my plan, there's one other gate to the water besides the cove - the box canyon. Right now we're on the edge of this valley. We're going up hill, the trees are starting to thin, and the terrain is getting a little rockier. Let's take some trees, about four straight medium-sized fairly long ones. This valley and the area around Jack's camp are the only two places on the isle I've seen good timber. Look at that tree right over there, it's still standing, but it's dry and dead. We find four trees, clean off most of the branches and attach ropes. Once we're out the valley we turn East an' scramble up the steep hills and cliffs and into more open terrain. It'll be tough because just about every one of us will have to drag a tree an' we're not in the best o' shape, but I think we can do it." "We'll be dead beat once we reach the plateau South of the tombs and the burial mounds. We can rest there. Visibility is good up there even in moon light because there are no trees an' few bushes. We've got to be up the cliffs by the time that sun sets, an' we don't have long if we're going to get our timber and drag it up. After we have a rest an' a meal, we start dragging our trees over to the box canyon. Skitch, you'll be gathering something ta use for oars an' haulin' them. It's going to be one hell of a tough time given how beat up we are, but just remember. If we get timber to the Box canyon, we can build a raft usin' the rope we have for climbing to lash the trees together. Then we can get the hell out while the undeads an' their lord are still too preoccupied with the battle to be keeping track of us. " Pike cut and stripped four trees with his battle axe and the group laboriously headed North, then East and up. Thankfully they knew the terrain, for they had seen from the cliff tops, while tracking Kent and Rapina, that North was the only way out of the pit that Pike called the valley of the dead. ----- Rapina was escorted through a stout oak door and up a long circular stair that wound its way around a central shaft. At the top of the shaft, beneath a domed stone roof, hung another large whicker elevator-cage. About 50 feet below the cage there was a landing in the staircase that wrapped from the North side of the shaft all the way around to the East and South. It ended on the South face of the shaft before continuing up as a staircase. Off the landing there were several oaken doors, the first one led to the necromancer's chambers. As the door was opened, her nose caught the scent of myrrh. The necromancer's abode was well-lit with white mage-light from clear crystals suspended from the ceilings. The rooms were spacious, if stark and a bit dusty. Rapina was shown to a small guestroom. "You'll be staying here for now. If you prove a difficult guest, then perhaps you would prefer to stay with Kent instead of me?" The necromancer raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Try to get some sleep. I usually sleep in the morning and early afternoon. It is more convenient to deal with my minions that way, as they are normally quite sluggish during the daylight hours." "There is a chamber pot behind that door, a basin there, and a desk. This room was designed for an acolyte, but the church has not seen fit to provide me with one in all the time I have been here. Kent said you read. There are books there on the desk. Treat them well and ask nicely and you will be given replacements if you tire of them." "Let us get one thing straight, young lady, you have been rescued from the pirates and their fait because war is not a woman's place. You are as much a criminal as they are no matter what they might have done to you, and if you do not behave yourself, you will face the king's justice or mine, understood?" "Yes Sir," Rapina said, hanging her head. Rapina could sense hardly a whit of lust from the necromancer. At the moment she was being treated like a child and she felt at least as helpless as one. She knew the necromancer's left hand was animated bone, but his robes hid anything beyond that and she had no idea just how much of the necromancer was man, and how much was animated skeleton. At this point she was feeling as if there were more skeleton than man. The necromancer locked the door to her room as he left, and Rapina flopped onto the bed with a sigh. ----- As the last Rays of the sun disappeared over the horizon, Pike's men pulled their timbers up onto the plateau South of the tomb and burial mounds. "Damn iv we dild id." Brackston blinked. The sky was twirling overhead. Pike winced as he saw Brackston fall. "Damn is right." The Norseman limped over to Brackston. "You okay?" "Heey, wad habbent?" Brackston asked. "Drink this, man, you're in bad shape. You got dizzy an' fell down, but we made it. We're on the plateau, and none too soon. Let's sit down, and have something to eat. Skitch, you un-jammed the door mechanisms to the tomb, do you think the entry door opened? Skitch puffed as he set down some oars he'd made from the crusts of a couple old hollow logs. "Hard to say. How'd you get out the first time you got caught in the entry room?" "If there's weight in the top coffin-like side-tunnel in the Southeast corner of the room, the entry slab opens." Well, if there was weight there, then the door will be open. If not, it'll be closed. Why do you ask? "Two reasons," Pike said between mouthfulls of hard roll. "We left some dead in there that the necromancer might be able to use unless we chop 'em up. That an' those men had weapons, valuables an' so on we could take. Once we reach land we're going need to live." "We can check on the way by, I'd give it about a fifty- fifty chance of bein' open. Could be we could pry the entry slab up a ways with one of these timbers too. If we can, I can get in and open it up. Seems ta me if we pry those gems off the coat of arms in the one room we already tripped the trap in, we'd be set fer years." "Good thinking." ---- A perimeter had been set up and the pirates had taken up their positions in anticipation of attack. Torches and bonfires illuminated the area as well as casting ominous looking shadows on the edge of the camp. The centerpiece of Red Jack's defensive arrangement was a fortified hillock. On the top of the hill was a couple small tents and a large shallow, flat-bottomed depression where the pirates' many wounded were resting. There was a ring around the hilltop with a three-foot high, stockade-style log wall. Behind it, the pirates' archers took cover. On the outside of the short stockade wall that ringed the top of the hill was a dirt embankment. Starting from the embankment and going all the way down the sides of the hill and beyond were row upon row of stout wooden spears planted into the ground so that they bristled toward the enemy. Pikes and small trees positioned around the top of the hill could be used to pierce or bludgeon enemies trying to squeeze between the rows and approach the fort. Twenty yards away from the base of the hill a ditch had been dug to stifle the approach of battering rams that might rapidly break the spears protecting the fort. The ditch that ringed the fort had a ring of spears planted on the near side to slow the enemy and make them easier to hit for the archers of the fort. In anticipation of undead shadows not directed by the isle's lord, because of having been spawned only last night, a field of bon-fires and torches had been arranged. These sat between the base of the array of spears on the hill and the ring of spears near the ditch so that the archers might spot and fire on the shadows. This plan would only be good for as long as the fires burned brightly, but Red Jack expected these uncontrolled undeads to come to feed as soon as night fell. Some of the heartier pirates stood near the start of the spears not far from the base of the hill. The archers could fire over their heads with ease, but these men were present to kill any shadows the archers missed before they started working their way through the spears to the fort. As tired as they were from building the fort all day, none of the pirates was able to sleep. Their fear was too strong to allow that. It was fortunate that they were all awake. Had even a few of them been sleeping the undead that surged forth would have overwhelmed them in minutes. The half-elf was one of the first to spot the shadows trying to slip into camp. A silent hand signal from Arzeal was all it took to spur the other archers to action. Flaming arrows flying overhead alerted the pirates on the ground to the shadows' presence. The shadows had lost the element of surprise. The pirates on the ground took up their positions holding their weapons at the ready. Arzeal smiled as one of his resin-arrows engulfed a shadow in its fiery embrace. The pirates were ready this time. He let fly another flaming arrow as he spotted another shadow working its way around the left flank. The archer's arrows lit up the sky alerting Logan and his men to the shadows' approach. Torch in one hand and sword in the other he took up his position with his men. The front line was a dangerous place to be. Yet, how could Logan expect his men to die for him if he was not ready to die for them? He might not live to see the light of another day, but at least he would die fighting. Three dark forms surged around the sharpened stakes and at Logan and his men. They rushed forth to meet their foes with fearsome battle cries. From the hilltop fort, the captain surveyed the scene unfolding before him with his spyglass. Arzeal and his archers were doing quite a number on the shadows. The fact that they picked their shots wisely and didn't madly fire all their arrows away said something for the master archer's training of his men. Logan and his soldiers were doing well so far at keeping the shadows that slipped through at bay. He shivered as he remembered the chill touch of the shadow. "Good luck my friend," the captain said aloud. Movement at the perimeter caught Jack's eye. A joint force of skeleton's and zombies was emerging from the darkness. The zombies were in front and the first rank of them carried shields. Behind the zombies were skeletons bearing a bridge of planks covered in a layer of mud. Behind and flanking them were skeletons wielding bows. As they walked forward, the skeleton archers let fly arrows over the heads of the soldiers in front of them. "Damn! He's got a small army of tha walkin' dead an' some of 'em have bows! I was wonderin' where are dead from last night got to, damned zombies!" Jack bellowed. If it weren't for the archers, his men could have held the skeletons off with only small losses. At least Jack was pretty sure they could have. Unfortunately the men who were gathering to meet the zombies when they crossed the ditch were being filled full of holes. "Jump the spears an' into the ditch, Logan, them arrows are decimatin' ye! Arzeal and his archers let fly trying to cut down some of the skeletons firing on Logan's men. Unfortunately, many of the shots that hit went right through the skeletons. Damn! shoot for the pelvis and use broadheads if you've got 'em, it's our best bet! Arzeal yelled. "Arzeal, unveil yer little monster. I don't want these hair-cuts ye gave us ta be in vain. That bridge they're carryin' could be are doom, knock it out o' their hands. Archers, concentrate on tryin' ta blast through th' zombies in front o' the right side o' the bridge they're carryin' that's are target," Captain Red Jack ordered. A couple of archers pealed back the supply tent revealing a small catapult with a torsion spring made of the men's shorn hair. Arzeal released a flame-arrow that turned the zombie walking in font of the right side of the earth-covered bridge into a walking torch. This lit the way for his archers' arrows. That accomplished he put his bow back on his back and unveiled his little monster, a catapult. Arzeal aimed the little monster he had worked on all day and let fly. The first stone went long and to the right. Arzeal made a couple of adjustments as four of his men worked to cock the catapult again. The Zombies in front of the right side of the portable bridge fell down in a hail of arrows. Without the zombies in front of them, the skeletons were not as well protected, but they were able to move more quickly. The archers behind them rained arrows on any of Logan's men not already in the ditch. The second shot of the catapult was short, but centered nicely. Crank it with everything you've got, men, if you're quick enough, that bridge will be passing though the area our last stone hit. The men redoubled their efforts. "Just as soon the catapult's arm hits the stops, release it. I'll see if I can soften 'em up for you," the half-elf said. Arzeal took his bow up again and pulled arrow after arrow from his quiver. He had almost no time to aim, but many of his shots were superb. One by one the Skeletons along the right side of the bridge began to fall. Oddly, other skeletons from farther back dropped their weapons and took the places of their fallen comrades, though not nearly as quickly as would have been the case had the army been a little less deficient of intelligence. Arzeal suspected someone was giving orders, but all he could see was an army of skeletons. He and his archers kept up a heavy rain of arrows. The men released the catapult. The stone arced up and slammed onto the right side of the portable bridge, the one weakened by the concentrated fire of Arzeal's archers. That side of the bridge dropped and a great deal of mud loosened from the surface of the bridge. Arzeal dropped his bow and made the slightest adjustment to the aim of the catapult. His men cranked it back so fast it seemed that they knew their lives depended on it. The bridge was dangerously close to the ditch, and this would be their last, best shot. Arzeal grabbed his bow and crouched at the edge of the stockade wall, releasing arrow after arrow. Zombies began pouring into the ditch. Logan and his men fought hard, hacking at the unyielding zombies with energy born of terror. "Fighting withdrawal men, fighting withdrawal! There are too damn many reachin' the ditch at once! Let's fall back to the opposite side of the ring to hole up in the fort if necessary. We're outnumbered, those damned unexpected undead archers hit too damn many of us. The impromptu artillerists released the catapult arm again and the stone slammed into the left side of the bridge. The shock shattered the wrists of many of the skeletons. There was a moment when it seemed as though the one side of the bridge would remain up. That moment passed as Arzeal took out two of the skeletons whose wrists had held and the second side of the bridge fell to the ground. "Keep firing! Arzeal screamed. There was a moment of hesitation as arrows poured down at the skeletons, and then the remainder of the undead army ran forward and took cover in the ditch. The skeleton army began to fire on the pirates behind the stockade wall of the fort, but few shots were telling on either side because both sides had good cover. Logan and his men fought bravely, but even with support from the better pirate archers, it was a loosing battle against superior numbers. --- Rapina could not sleep. She just lay on the bed curled into a ball. So much had happened and it was all so horrible. Rapina did not even want to think about it. The room and the rest of the Necromancer's chambers were a bit chilly owing to the fact that they had been carved inside a granite cliff. Deep underground temperatures stayed around fifty degrees, and Rapina estimated the chambers of the Necromancer were no warmer than sixty-five degrees. Rapina hardly noticed, because she had dressed for underground temperatures owing to the mission she had been on. She wore baggy drawstring pants, a loose long-sleeved tunic and a baggy sir-coat pillaged from some soldier on the blockade Red Jack had recently destroyed. After a time she looked at her surroundings. The room was lit by two tiny mage-lights, one on a plaque-like arrangement just above the head of the bed, and the other similarly attached to the wall above the desk. Both lamps had a cap held by a loose ring and chain that could be screwed on over the lights. The one over the bed also had a red glass cap that could be used instead of the metal one. The walls were rough, and showed the mark of both chisel and pickaxe. Rapina guessed that tireless undead workers had mined the room out of the stone. Rapina got up to look around. On one side of her room were two doors. One opened into a tiny room containing the chamber pot, the other led into a small room with a decanter, basin and dressing table, and the entrance to a walk-in closet. Rapina decided that if this room had been designed for an acolyte, the church of Mortaebius must be wealthy, or the necromancer and his servants had too much time on their hands. Rapina sat down at the dressing table. She was a mess, her hair was tangled and she smelled like smoke. Her face was covered with a mixture of soot and dried slime from Kent's hideous tongue. The closet was mostly empty, but a few garments hung from hooks and hangers, and there were a few more in the chest of drawers at the far end of the closet. Rapina did not know where the Necromancer had come by women's clothing, but she tried not to dwell on the obvious conclusion that the garments had been "borrowed" from someone too dead to miss them. At least they seemed clean. Rapina used nearly all of the water in the decanter washing herself. She needed a bath but she did the best she could using the basin. When she was done, she put on the petticoats, dress, and sweater within the closet. The dress was actually a little big for her, except in the bust where it was too small, but at least she could get it on. There were three books on the shelf beside the desk, two were storybooks, and one was a holy book concerning the god of the dead. Rapina quickly read the first chapter of one of the storybooks and then got into bed with the book on Mortaebius. She needed to find out everything she could about the necromancer and his god. At some point, Rapina must have fallen asleep. The horrors of the previous night and morning had taxed her severely. She slept like the dead for a few hours and then began having horrible nightmares as her mind tried to cope with what she had been through. She woke in a sweat when there came a knocking on her chamber door. "Rouse yourself. " Rapina flew from her bed and replaced the Mortaebius book on the shelf. "Come out and follow the guards I have assigned to you. They will escort you to the kitchen where you are to prepare breakfast for us both. Do not attempt to take any knives out of the kitchen, or the guards will kill you. I will return shortly after a conference with my minions." Rapina scowled. She had only been here a few hours and already she was being put to work. Once in the kitchen, Rapina cooked a breakfast consisting of eggs and oatmeal. The necromancer did not have a great deal in his kitchen. There were large crocks of various grains and beans, and a loaf of bread. The iron cook stove was small, but modern. Rapina served the priest in the great hall when he arrived. It would have been easier to serve him in the breakfast nook off the kitchen, but not as safe for the necromancer since knives were close at hand. When the necromancer arrived, he placed a board on the table before him. There was a model of sorts built on top of it, a little hillock fort with a ditch around it rendered in clay and twigs. "You may serve breakfast now, Ripina, I have arrived." "There wasn't much here so I fixed oatmeal and eggs," Rapina called from the kitchen. "Splendid, I am used to simple fare. We are too far away from a town for better, and up until now I have always had to cook for myself. The skeletons are too simple for such tasks. They can scrub floors adequately, but they have no sense of smell and tend to burn anything they attempt to cook. Rapina brought the tray of food in from the kitchen. "Did Kent tell you my name?" The necromancer raised his eyebrows as he saw Rapina, "Indeed." Rapina's nose tingled as she sensed lust. "It's Rapina, actually, he doesn't pronounce things very clearly anymore." "Yes. I am Guardian Thane of the Mortaebian order of Death's Peace." "A priest?" Rapina wrinkled her nose involuntarily. Thane chuckled, "You don't like priests?" "I've had a little experience with priests, all of it bad. One was a lecherous 'celibate' priest, and well, the other turned one of the only friends I had into a terrifying undead monster who recently ate the cook I worked for when I was first taken by the pirates." Thane laughed. "My order is not known for its kindness. Most of the priests of Mortabius are nothing more than undertakers - morticians. They conduct funerals, build caskets, embalm, dress and beautify the deceased, serve feasts in honor of the dead, that sort of thing. It strikes most as a ghoulish profession, but many of Mortaebius' priests are married in spite of that, for the business of the church provides a good living. Those of us who distinguish ourselves as powerful guardians of the dead often take on more serious duties. We are a little less... naive of our god's strengths." "A little?" Rapina asked. "Every church has its strong arm. Some have orders of knights or militant orders of monks. Mortaebius' church is no exception. We are the guardians of the dead when our more peaceful brethren find the enemies of Mortaebius too difficult to best. Our order generally grows during times of war, and gets swept under the rug during times of peace, but we are an old and powerful order. The church has always needed us. Few priests enter the order directly. Most are recruited from other orders. I am also a member of the order of Death's Peace, a common funereal order that specializes in the maintenance and protection of burial sites. It is not so uncommon for priests of my order who have distinguished themselves in combat or magic to receive a secret invitation to join a hidden order." Rapina sat down to eat, "You were a mortician?" The necromancer nodded. "A family thing?" Rapina asked. "No, actually my father was a clothier who catered to the wealthy. His life was an endless series of social events with people above his station who lauded his design sense and depended on him to keep them in up-to- date fashions. He knew just how to play them, just how to appeal to their vanity. I found it intolerable. Thankfully, one of our good customers died and I had the chance to work with a priest of Mortaebius on the clothing for the deceased." "And now you make them walk instead of dressing them?" "That is another story. Now how did you happen to become a member of the crew of the infamous Red Jack?" Rapina was about to make up a tail when she realized that Kent had probably told the necromancer everything he knew. At least she could not rule out the possibility of Guardian Thane checking out her story with the ghoul. "How did I become a crewman? A priest, of course, my luck with priests is hideous. He was a powerful man with the town wrapped around his finger. Very like your father in some ways, he knew just how play them, and he loved it. The townspeople hung on his every word, he was a holy man among holy men, and during his off-hours, he was a lecher and a rapist who preyed on the town's young women. If a woman talked or refused to cooperate, she sickened or had an accident. I escaped his clutches and ran from the constable who he controlled. Kent and his friends fished me out of the river onto their stolen fishing boat. I was nearly drowned, but the river had delivered me from my priestly troubles. The boys wanted to join Red Jack's crew; they had a romantic vision of piracy. I knew the priest would get the law after me. Therefore when the pirates found us, before the boys could give me over as a gift to the captain as they'd planned, I told the pirates that the boys and I wanted to join the crew." "And they let you join just like that?" the necromancer asked dubiously. "It was sometimes a horror, sometimes not so bad, but it was probably better than a damp cell under a church with a man who, for all his vaunted holiness, was meaner to me than Captain Red Jack." "Meaner than a notorious pirate captain? No wonder you mislike priests," Thane chuckled. I suppose you know his better side, but your captain is infamous up and down the river Augustana. Even I know about him, and I do not get out much. He has brought so much business to my church I almost feel like thanking him. He and his men are cold-blooded killers, criminals of the first degree, and tonight I will crush them like bugs under Mortaebius' mighty boot." "Is that?" Rapina pointed to the clay hillock on the board. "A model of the fort they built. You told Dominic you did not know whether they would go or stay, evidently they have decided to stay. Now I must figure out how to best them with what remains of my resources." "You're wearing a glove today?" Rapina asked. "Only because I was painting," replied the necromancer. "You're an artist?" Rapina asked. The necromancer laughed. "I am if you count painting ghouls and skeletons black. Actually, I did paint white bones on a ghoul painted black so he would look like a skeleton. Does that count?" Rapina closed her eyes. "I can't believe I'm talking to a man who makes dead people walk and kill and eat living people." "It seems hideous to you now, but remember, I was a mortician, dead bodies to me are like trees to a lumberman. Red Jack makes living people rape, ruin and kill living people. I ask you, which of us is *really* more frightening?" "Okay, so you're both horrors," Rapina said. "Quite so, but at least we're honest," the necromancer affirmed. Rapina groaned. "This is war, Rapina. You may see my forces as something out of a nightmare, but essentially Jack and I are fighting. He wants this island as a base. I want to wipe him from the face of Ifreann as a public service and because, frankly, It will boost my reputation in the Order of the Shroud by a thousand percent. Moreover it might secure me access to learning that might take me a lifetime to acquire otherwise - true wizardry." Rapina sighed. ------------ Logan's men retreated up the hill on the opposite side, away from the downed bridge and the highest concentration of archers. Unfortunately, as his forces were climbing through the spears to the safety of the fort, more and more enemy archers reached Logan's side of the hillock. Arzeal tried to pin them down with fire, but too many shots got through, killing many good men. Logan himself barely made it over the stockade wall. He'd been grazed several times and had an arrow sticking through the skin of his calf. The next hour flew by. What remained of Logan's men had their wounds patched and either joined the many wounded at the fort's center or joined the defenders if they were able-bodied. Some who should have been lying with the wounded helped the archers instead. Their fear prevented them from lying back to trust their mates to take care of the battle. ---- "Who's winning?" Rapina said pensively as Thane emerged from his chambers to fetch a snack. She was doing the dishes with several skeletons standing between her and Thane. She thought about tossing a knife at him, but considering he'd ordered the skeletons to kill her if she did, she thought better of it. "Neither side, but I am making progress. Your captain built himself a small catapult and foiled my plan to quickly bridge his ditch and use a battering ram on his spears to win the night. His archers have caused much greater casualties to my forces than I had anticipated, but I captured the ditch and let the bon fires between the ditch and the base of the hill burn down to embers. While some relief archers dashed in from the South drawing missile fire and, more importantly that half- elven archer, a few ghouls painted black snuck up on the ditch from the North. Kent is already there. It was he who was painted like a skeleton. He commanded the main body of my forces." "Now he and the other ghouls will start tunneling in earnest, and they are excellent tunnelers. Kent himself has already in this last hour made progress on a tunnel, and some of the skeletons who lack bows or arrows have built a bridge of earth over the ditch well away from the tunnel. Now that I have more ghouls on the job, the skeletons will pile more dirt up and build bridges across the ditch. I have a little surprise in store for the pirates, just something to keep them busy and weaken their defenses..." --- Arzeal crouched behind the fort's South stockade wall. "That's the best we'll do, the new skeleton archers are in the ditch now. Those two ranks in the front with shields didn't help us any, but you did well, men, we knocked out a third of 'em, and wounded at least half. Every one of those archers that gets through to the ditch is another thorn in our sides." "I sure wish we had more regular flame arrows, those bon fires are useless anymore. I know you men are having trouble seeing the enemy. Trouble is we've shot more arrows already tonight than we'd use in several raids. How're things over North, Brent?" "Seem quiet sir, but I think I seen a shadow out there jump into the ditch." "Damn, I'd hoped we'd rid areselves o' all th' shadows at the start o' th' evening, but I guess there had ta be a few that got here late." What worried Jack was the fact that he hadn't seen any ghouls yet. They had hurt the pirates badly the last time. "Wonder where he's got 'is damn ghouls." "Skeletons! Damn they're almost on top of the ditch already. It's hard to see 'em even with my eyes, their bodies are no warmer than the air," Arzeal said. "What the hell Arzeal, have you gone daft?" the captain asked. Arzeal picked up one of his remaining resin arrows and let fly. There was the familiar poof! and a skeleton no one could see went up in flames. He was the front creature in a team of runners carrying a tall dead evergreen like a lance. Archers, man th' Nor' wall! What in hell's name is that? A team o' Skeletons painted black carryin' a dead pine tree like a lance?" Captain Red Jack queried. The archers fired on the tree-wielding skeletons, but even with the light of Arzeal's flameing skeleton, it was still hard for the men to see the black skeletons against the dark night and the dark tree branches, and by the time the men from the South wall switched sides to the North, the skeletons had already run across the ditch. "Did ye see that, those skeletons hardly sank down when they hit the ditch, it must be partly filled right there," the captain observed. Only the men to the far sides of the North wall had good shots, the rest were left trying to shoot through hundreds of tree branches. The black skeletons sprinted over the earth bridge across the ditch and headed for the base of the hill. One of the men happened to shoot a flaming arrow into the tree's dead folliage, and the whole tree, save the base where the skeletons held it went up in a roar of flames. By the time the skeletons reached the base of the hill, only half their original number remained, but it was barely enough. Their great spear was already tilted and aflame, it fell nearly all the way up the hill. Their mission completed, the black skeletons sprinted for the ditch. In spite of the darkness, the pirate archers shattered several with arrows before they reached safety. The archers backed away from the heat of the flaming tree. Pine burned fast, and this tree was burning even faster than it should have, the flames were intensely hot and they were burning the wooden spears all the way up the hill. "You men, take those buckets an' start throwin' dirt on the upper section o' the tree, it may seem like a fool's errand now, but every pair 'o spears we can save will slow a charge by a few precious seconds," Red Jack said. A man stood high to get a good shot at the fire with his bucket of dirt and fell back with three arrows buried in his chest. "Keep low an' behind cover, men, yer just as vulnerable ta enemy fire with a bucket as ye are with a bow!" Jack shouted. --- Rapina was cleaning the kitchen when the necromancer returned. "My trick worked, but that damned archer nearly foiled me again. He and his men have bailed Captain Red Jack out several times now." "He's one of Jack's nicest men." "A nice pirate? Please! Nice or not, he _is_ a problem," Thane rubbed his chin as if thinking. "What did you do?" Rapina asked. "The skeletons I painted black ran a pine tree up to the base of the pirate fort's spears and landed it nearly the whole way up the hill. I had Kent paint the trunk and many of the major limbs with pine tar. It's burning wildly, taking the pirate's spears in that area with it." Rapina scowled. "Thane chuckled. Such loyalty for a bunch of cold- blooded killers is astounding, especially in a lady they no doubt abused to no end. Red Jack must be charismatic, indeed." Rapina felt like stabbing the necromancer with a kitchen knife, but she knew his six skeleton guards would cut her to ribbons in an instant if she tried anything. Even if she killed the man instantly with an incredibly lucky throw, she would be joining him in death before she could even pick up another knife, and a knife would be a laughable weapon against one of the necromancer's double-strength skeletons. On the other hand, she could not help but see the evil magician's point. Jack and all his men killed innocent people for a living. It seemed that ever since Evangeline had brought his evil down upon her and forced her to claim the powers of the lust spirit, she could not escape the darkness. ----- [Rapina]016 Defeat in Darkness Rapina yawned as she sat on a large chair in the necromancer's dinning hall. She was reading here only because she knew Thane would walk through the hall on his way from his scrying chamber to the kitchen. She had finished cleaning and knew from the water clock above the mantle that dawn would be coming in about three hours. Thane wiped the sweat off his brow and wandered by Rapina into the kitchen. Rapina followed. "You didn't say anything, is something wrong?" "Yes, that damned half-elven archer. Every time I expend the power to look into my magic pool for a glance at the battlefield, he's knocked the skulls off a few more of my archers. My minions tried another burning tree, but this time the pirates saw it sooner and set it immediately aflame. They concentrated on the skeletons on only one side, and the tree fell down just short of the hill. Thanks to Kent, the remaining skeletons lifted it and tried to land it as they had the other, but it went over on an angle. Its swath only reaches about half way up the hill." "My troops are nearly gone. The pirates might storm out of their camp and kill the skeleton archers that are left, but for the fact that Kent has the remaining troops crawling around in the ditch poking their heads up and firing at different locations around the ditch so that it appears as though there are more archers than there really are. I've quite a few headless archers, but I don't dare have them set their skulls on the edge of the ditch. Your Arzeal would shoot them off with one arrow to the skull. I believe the pirates will eventually run out of arrows, but we too are running low." "You mean you've lost?" Rapina could not help that her voice brightened slightly. Thane chuckled, "You sound so disappointed that I have not wiped the infamous Red Jack and all his men off the face of Ifreann, but I must win. I am not getting any younger, and I've cast the spells I have a thousand times. I can practically do them in my sleep! I need access to greater wizardry and to be initiated into Mortaebius' inner circle. This battle has been tiresome and draining on my resources. I've used up all of the skeletons and animation scrolls I had saved up over the years and I've still come up short. It appears that I will have to make a personal appearance if I am to deliver Red Jack to the authorities in chains, which reminds me, I'd better bring manacles. I'll bolster my forces with some additional arrows, my household guards and the skeletons remaining in the tomb. With the addition of a little magic, my final back-up plan should be far more lethal than it would have been without me, and I have a most interesting surrogate to draw the archer's arrows." --- "Arr, it's been a long, evil night. Only a couple hours left until dawn. How're we doin' Arzeal?" "Not well sir. We don't have more than four score arrows left, and a quarter of those are in my own quiver. Half of the remainder we got from the enemy by pulling them out of the ground in the fort and out of our own men. The bright side is, I think the enemy is low on arrows as well. They've been firing fewer and fewer as the hours passed. I think I've made a dent in their numbers too, although skulless skeletons cannot really be counted as dead, being headless seems to ruin them for good archery." "Aye," the captain chuckled. We 'ave ye ta thank for most o' the headlesses, but they aren't the only ones with wounded. I've ne'r seen a sorrier lot o' pirates. We could break out o' the fort on one side, an see if we could best th' boneys hand ta hand, but I'm afraid there'd not be enough able-bodied left ta make us some bloody rafts ta get the hell outa here." "Arzeal nodded. True, and we'll not escape with our wounded unless we can make it until dawn. The thing that bothers me is, if the enemy has anything left to throw at us, chances are we'll be seeing it soon." "Aye." Slasher cupped his hand to his hear. "Cap'n I think ye better take a look this way, I'm hearin' mail." Tense minutes passed as the pirates strained their eyes, trying to see what they were hearing. "Son o' a bitch! You men get that catapult over here." Riding in from the East in a loose wedge formation on black, leather-clad skeletal horses were nine black- robed horseman. "Damn it! Look at the one in th' front, 'is eyes're glowin' red like embers an look at the size of 'im, 'es got ta be eight foot tall. 'Is shield would make a good table top 'an th' skeleton horse 'e's ridin' must 'ave won prizes when she warr alive fer bein' the biggest draft nag around. Th' other two horses are near as big, an' th' riders are big, but nothin' like their leader. Give 'em hell in arrows as they approach, men." Behind the horsemen marching double-time were 18 troops in bronze plate mail with halberds or two-handed swords. "Heavy armor, I don't like it. Arzeal, how many o' them incendiary arrows have ye got left?" the captain asked. "Three sir," said Arzeal. "Get the horsemen on either side o' the big guy, then see if ye can nail Ol' Red-Eyes w' the catapult. Save one o' those flame arrows fer emergency use," the captain ordered. Arzeal grinned and peaked his head up from the wall. A couple enemy arrows sang though the air, but neither hit the half-elf as he loosed two shafts. The robed figures on either side of the giant burst into flames. The pirates cheered, but the cheer was short-lived as the riders threw off their thick cowls, and with them, most of the flaming resin. Underneath the cowls the pirates saw skeletons clad in leather with metal helmets and breast plates. Astonishingly, they seemed to have enough sense to pat out the remaining flames. The riders picked up their pace and thundered towards the ditch around the fort. The mail-clad warriors behind them broke into a run. They did not have far to go, for the dark cowls had allowed them to approach relatively close to the camp, in spite of the sound of their mail. "Damn cowls. Spend are arrows, this is it boys! Catapult, loose when ready! Keep low an' snatch up th' arrows the enemy shoots inta camp!" the captain ordered. Arzeal released the catapult arm, then gritted his teeth as the rock flew. Slam! The catapult stone crashed into the giant's shield, knocking him off his horse. "Yeahhhss!" The pirates yelled in triumph. "Damn!" The captain watched as Ol' Red Eyes threw his ruined shield aside drew a two-handed sword with one hand and ran to remount his horse. "Crank it mates!" The pirates at the catapult cranked like maniacs. The pirate archers let loose with a hail of arrows, many of them piercing the breast plates of the oncoming skeleton cavalrymen, but piercing plate on a man was much more telling than piercing plate on a monstrosity of bone. The cavalry kept coming. The first horseman reached the ditch, jumped it and thundered up the hill where the pine tree had burned the fort's spears to ash. The other's followed, save the fourth horse. It jumped into the ditch and lied down out of sight. "What's with that fourth cavalryman? Archers, keep doin' what ye're doin. Logan, prepare ta raise pikes an' defend th' wall, but keep low an' don't raise pikes till those horses are in pikein' range." Arzeal said a silent prayer and let loose with another catapult stone. Damn! The stone went wide of the huge warrior as he remounted his skeletal horse and jumped the ditch in a single bound following the rest of the cavalry. At the last second, Logan's men raised pikes, the lead rider could not stop in time. He crashed into the pike, snapping it and falling from his skeleton horse. The horse itself was pierced in three places but it was not broken. It pushed forward threatening to overwhelm the men. "Push left men, flip the beast off its hooves." The pirates wrestled with the stupid bag of bones, and then cheered as it went over. The next skeleton rider tried to jump the first but went down when the first horse kicked the second horse's legs as it was trying to regain its footing. The cavalry charge was broken! "If this is all ye've got, we'll carve yer hoard Ol' Red Eyes!" the captain bellowed A welter of weighty curses roared up from the fighting men as they defended the fort. A wounded pirate whimpered and was silent. The mailed troops arrived at the ditch, many with a few arrows sticking out of them. They jumped in and spread around, surrounding the fort. As the pirates fought to keep several skeleton horses and riders out of the fort, they were taken by a horrible surprise. "Aaaaiiiii!" From the center of the fort in the depression where the wounded were kept out of harms way, a man screamed. The captain glanced at the wounded and his face contorted into a grimace of horror. five ghouls and three shadows burst from the ground in several locations. Ghouls! Grab a spear! The captain himself bent to grab a spear, then suddenly the lights went out. "Damn it Arzeal I can't see! What's happinin'" Captain Red Jack hollered. Blinded Pirates screamed as the ghouls and shadows attacked from within the camp. "Sir, I'm blind as well! Arzeal scrambled for the parapet wall bumping past a few men and receiving a horrible chill to the belly as he went to the West, the side opposite the cavalry charge. He could see nothing, the darkness around him was as thick and black as old ink. Logan can you see?" "Nay! but the riders can! I don't know if I'm cuttin' me own men or th' enemy. Uhhhhh!" Screams and paralyzed yelps erupted all over the camp as the ghouls and shadows slashed and chilled their way through the blinded pirates. Kent sensed the presence and life force of Captain Red Jack as the pirate captain whirled his bladed spear around and around, turning frequently to fend off unseen enemies. Kent dropped to a crawl, his grossly bloated belly dragging on the ground. The screams of the pirates covered any sound he made. Suddenly Kent lunged; he sunk both sets of his claws through the captain's pants just above the boots as he bit the captain's knee cap. Aaargh! ghoulish claws pierced his skin behind one knee and a welter of fear surged up the pirate captain's leg. No! he growled, resisting the fell magic. The captain raised his spear and brought it down, but before it struck flesh, teeth and claws sunk into the other leg sending a double-blast of fear up the captain's spine. Red Jack froze in horror, he could not move! Kent poked his prize several times making sure the fear had taken hold of him. He pushed the captain down and made for the next pirate. Arzeal jumped the parapet wall. Keeping low he squeezed between the spears and headed downhill as fast as he could. An arrow grazed his side and another stuck in his boot before he could again see. Positioned around the ditch were skeleton archers. At least half had set ruined skulls in the dirt at the edge of the ditch, while their bodies fired from behind. A glance back at the camp confirmed his suspicion - magical darkness. The archer moved nimbly down hill, jumping through the spears, loosing a shaft each time he landed. With each shot the skull of an enemy archer splintered or was knocked back into the ditch. Arzeal could see the mailed troopers moving to surround the fort. The half- elf jumped into the area cleared by the enemy's second flaming pine tree and took off at a dead run. Five of the cavalrymen had broken off their attack and were now circling around the base of the hill, just outside the first ring of spears. Arzeal reached the bottom of the hill and sprinted between two circling horsemen, one was Ol' Red-Eyes himself. The half-elf took the ditch in a single leap with two enormous cavalry not far behind. An arrow pierced his quiver and stuck into his back, but Arzeal was running for his life, he could barely feel the pain. The horses gained with every step, Arzeal ran faster than he'd ever run before. There was a warrior on either side of him and blades were coming to end his life when, somehow, Arzeal ran under the limb of a large oak that had been too big for the men to spend the time cutting when they were clearing for the fort. Arzeal went down as the tip of a giant sword snagged his quiver and gashed his back, then there was an explosion of splintering bones and wood as the oak defended its elven child. The fall had snapped the arrow in his back and half pulled it out. The archer rolled out of his fall and came up standing, bow in hand. The heads and necks of both skeletal horses had been removed, and Red-Eyes' taller horse had a sundered chest and shoulders, it's hind legs tried to move but were useless without forelegs. Red-Eyes had been unhorsed once again. Arzeal watched in horror as the giant stood and grabbed his sword. The other horse had lost its head, and it's rider had lost both its head and shoulders. Arzeal pulled the arrow tip from his back as the giant warrior stood. The half-elf loosed a shaft into the giant's kneecap and took off running while Red-Eyes retrieved his sword. Arzeal made it to the edge of the forest West of the camp and darted into the trees, sticking to heavy foliage. He could hear limbs snapping as the juggernaut behind him crashed through the forest in hot pursuit. The archer veered South. After a few minutes, he ran through an area where some timber had been cut in the making of the fort and its bon fires. He knew about where he was. The half elf sheathed his bow and scooped up an eight-foot section of a tree that was being cut into logs of firewood for the bon fires when evening had forced the cutting to a halt. Arzeal remembered how the pirates' cook, Fishy, had lost his legs. The archer hid behind a large tree, and when the giant skeleton thundered through the clearing towards him, the half elf swung the heavy length of timber at the skeleton's nearest knee. The skeleton's huge sword swished just above Arzeal's hunched head, embedding itself fully six inches into the tree as the skeleton's knee snapped with the combined force of the giant's forward momentum and Arzeal's frantic whole- body swing. Arzeal darted around back of the tree as the huge skeleton went down. When he came around behind it, he saw the creature was still hanging onto its sword, although the sword was still embedded in the tree. The archer wasted no time. He brought his length of firewood down on the giant's shoulder, just outside the breast plate. There was a crunch and the monstrosity's right arm, still grasping the sword, was severed from its shoulder. The archer tossed the log aside and scrambled for a smaller one that he could swing more rapidly. At seven feet long and two to three inches in diameter, it was still a huge club. The skeleton had just managed to flop its way around so that its left arm could grasp its sword when Arzeal brought the new club slamming into the side of its neck, but the neck held. Arzeal jumped but still his boot and some of the skin of his foot was carved right off. The skeleton had incredible speed and strength. The archer countered with a swing to the giant's wrist. It's grip was broken, but its wrist was not. Arzeal stood on the sword and swung again, breaking the wrist to flinders. The nimble half elf raced around the giant as it flipped and stumbled, trying to reach him in spite of missing half it's right leg, it's right arm and its left hand. Arzeal had a hunch. He pulled his sheath knife, darted in and jumped on the creature's back. The skeleton bucked like a bronco, but the archer severed the strap of its helm before being tossed off and rolling away. Another deft swing of the club and the monster's steel helmet flew from its skull. Its Red ember eyes stared blankly at the half elf as he darted in to club the creature's skull, once, twice, thrice... Cracks began forming, and on the seventh blow Arzeal blew the giant's mighty cranium apart. Arzeal smiled. The skull had been carefully sectioned off just below the eyes by a stout piece of tar-paper. The ember effect was caused by the pattern of ink stains within the top half of the creature's skull. The intricate pattern of black and white inside the skull reflected the light of a clear crystal mage-light set and screwed into the skull between the eyes just above the nasal hole. Every angle one looked at the red glass eyes produced different reflections, and movement of the head changed the pattern seen and made the eyes seem to flicker like embers. Arzeal carefully unscrewed the mage light and slipped it into his pouch. He could hear his mates scream off to the Northeast. Arzeal sighed, hefted his original eight-foot length of wood and headed South. The half-elf staggered the fifty paces remaining before reaching the lagoon, and then he slipped into the water behind the log. Beneath the water, he kicked as strongly as he could, but the pain in his back was growing. Thane peeked over the edge of the ditch with a commandeered skeleton's shield in hand. It was very dark but a spell of life-vision had fixed that. Thane now saw the world in much the same way as did his skeletons and ghouls, the amount of life force emanating from each object distinguishing it from others. The ghouls were proving most decisive within the magical darkness, but Thane worried about the accursed half-elven archer. A stroke of luck or wit had preserved the archer from the two cavalry Thane had spared to hunt him, and he knew his most powerful skeleton had taken off after the half-elf, but there were too many things that could go wrong. Shadows, come to me! You, come here, Thane pointed to one of the remaining 5 cavalry. The three shadows the necromancer had summoned to help Kent emerged from the magical darkness and came down the hill where the spears had been burned away. "I am unsure if the cavalry I sent after the half-elven archer succeeded in their task. I fear he may escape." Thane concentrated as he muttered arcane words. Shadows, being composed of vapors, were not heavy creatures. The infusion of only a small amount of magic allowed them to walk on water. "You three shadows climb up on the horse. Skeleton, take these shadows to the cove then return here. Shadows, check the water in case he swam for it. I have temporarily reduced your weight so you can walk on water. If you see life force on the water, you will run to it and feed. Now go." --- Rapina must have fallen asleep in the large chair at the head of the necromancer's dining hall. She was awakened when the parlor door opened. Thane was accompanied by three of his household guards, their shiny breastplates now dented and salted with arrow holes. Thane looked exhausted. Even though he had only had to cast a few spells, the animation and scrying earlier on had nearly drained him of energy. He had ridden safely enough inside a special "coach" he had made long ago within the leather-clad rib cage of one of the large horses. He had been in the forth horse, the one that had been positioned in the middle of the cavalry wedge and had lied down in the ditch rather than joining the charge. Rapina lifted an eybrow. A smile crept over the necromancer's lips. "You won?" "A few simple spells, a fine performance by Kent and his ghouls, and I have won the night. The pirates fought well, at first, but the darkness I brought down on them soon had them screaming and whining like whipped dogs in the face of Kent's comrades in death. The dread Captain Red Jack has been strip-searched, clothed in simple garb and soundly manacled in a cell. Thane smiled proudly, I beat him. I will be a lowly undertaker no more." Rapina shed a tear, all the men she had known had been destroyed, all for the vanity and ambition of a single man. Yet Rapina saw the other side as well. Red Jack's men had lived to kill, and now death had claimed them. Somehow a humble priest had conquered an army of bloodthirsty pirates. Rapina sniffled. "Mortaebius is the lord of death, girl. The pirates flirted with him for many years, now they've met him face to face." "Rapina sniffed and nodded. If I never knew them, I might be worshipping you as a hero, Guardian Thane, but I did know them, and a few of them, especially some of the recruits, they could have been good men under other circumstances." "Alas, other circumstances... Go on to bed and cry yourself to sleep, milady. If it's any consolation, I let your half-elf get away." "You did?" Thane nodded. "He successfully ran, and I chose not to send anything to hunt him. I was more interested in containing the pirates within the fort. He swam for it. I have no idea where he is." Thane's kindly smile hid a mighty lie. "Oh thank you, thank you, Thane. Rapina hugged the necromancer in genuine gratitude. "Arzeal was the best man Jack had. He taught me to fence and to defend myself against bigger, stronger men." Thane took a deep breath as the young woman's breasts pillowed against his chest. A single hand signal from the necromancer, and his guards halted the lifting of their swords. They were about to cut Rapina down for assaulting their master. Rapina released the necromancer, who looked a bit flushed. "What happened to the group I was originally with?" "Mmmm, they killed the skeletons Kent triggered and tried to track you, but Kent left them a false trail - twice. Such a brilliant ghoul, he will go far. A few of them must have survived, because the pirate dead in the mausoleum had been chopped to bits when I arrived to pick up the mailed skeletons to help in the final stage of the battle. I'm not sure where the grave robbers have gotten to. That's something I will look into. For now, I must rest for a moment, then try to drag enough power out of myself to activate my magic pool and report to my superior, however briefly. Go to bed and I will see you this afternoon." Rapina nodded and went to her room. She heard the lock turn shortly after she entered. [Rapina]017 A Captain In Chains "Awaken Rapina, I know you have not slept long, nor have I, but it is noon and we have much to do today. I do not wish you to wash today, and I have your old clothes. You must look your worst for the constable when he arrives this evening or tomorrow." Rapina jumped out of bed and opened the door. "Constable?" Rapina asked as she came out of her room wearing a nightshirt and nothing else. "Indeed," the necmancer smiled as he glanced at Rapina's legs. "I sent a message via pigeon to my brother priest in Granville. It's a large town on the River Augustana just West of the confluence of the river Augustana and Grand Lake about 15 miles from here. It is the area's largest settlement. Lumbering, quarrying, farming and fishing keep it going. My brother priest, Mortician Hagston, will be sending supplies and the constable. Thanks to a local superstition about the restless dead not being able to cross water, all of the towns in the area send their departed here to Graveston Isle. There are several small settlements on or near the lake, but only Granville is large enough to have its own priest of Mortaebius. He travels around the area a lot, but I send to him or his wife for supplies every month or so." "Why didn't they give you a job like that?" "At one time they did. I was one of several priests in a city on the river, but because I had a natural inclination towards the study of necromancy, and because of the incident concerning my hand, I was allowed to join the order of the Shroud and take this obscure assignment. My stipend covers basic supplies, and my naive brother priest gives me a percentage of his funereal take when I help bury one of the deceased, so I get by. On occasion, I locate a book, scroll or alchemical item I need for my magical practice, and that usually wipes out my savings. In the past I could not have afforded even to feed a servant, but I believe my fortunes have taken a definite change for the better," the necromancer smiled. With your cooperation I believe I could convince the authorities to sentence you to indentured servitude here for your crime of grave robbing." "Me, stay here with you?" Rapina shook her whole body no, her nipples wavering from side to side beneath her nightshirt. "You might as well ship me off to the other priest," Rapina sighed. "You would rather be indentured to a "celebate" rapist than serve as my maid?" "You terrify me, your ghoulish servitors, your skeletal hand, your zombies, it's all so frightening. I'm sure I would have stabbed myself with a kitchen knife long before this if..." "If what?" the necromancer asked. "Well, your magic, the lights, the way you could see the battle in your pool, summon shadows, and cast spells, its fascinating. My Auntie was a wise woman. She knew herbs and petty curses. I learned herbal medicine from her and Leech Kennon, the pirate doctor. I have fantasized about casting spells, but I had never seen a man wield *true* magic until these past few days." Thane chuckled, "So you find me terrifying, yet fascinating, both because of my magic." Rapina nodded. "Well you know, as my maid, you might be called upon to clean and tend my laboratory. You might pick up a little knowledge of the creation of potions." Rapina frowned. "Maids don't learn magic, they're just drudges. I might as well be a drudge in a town somewhere; at least I'd get to see other people, even if they were slaves and prisoners. Working here would just be a frustration, seeing magic but never learning it, alone and being terrorized by the dead, what kind of life is that?" "I could try to get the constable to assign you to me without your help, and I might easily succeed." "Fine! I have so much to live for, I'll just attack you with a kitchen knife and get cut to pieces. Then I'll never have to worry about evil men ruining my life again! Rapina burst into tears. "It's not fair, what did I ever do to deserve all this?" Rapina cried. Thane sighed, "Probably nothing." There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence. Rapina sniffled. "There is no guarantee you could even learn magic, and an apprentice most certainly works harder than a maid. In truth, apprentices do many of the chores of a maid and then they must learn in addition... If you agree to serve me well, young lady, I will endeavor to right some of the many wrongs men have heaped on you because of your beauty, and give you a chance to prove yourself as an apprentice rather than a simple servant." Rapina looked up between her tears, "Do you really mean that Thane? You won't just give me the hardest book you have, then use me once you have proved I'm incapable?" "Nay," Thane stepped back. "Mark me lady, you have my word, to the degree you put forth effort to serve me and to learn, to that same degree I will put forth effort to teach you, and I will start you with the easiest book of magic that I own, not the most difficult. Furthermore, I will not force you to my bed or mistreat you for no reason." "Do you really mean that?" Rapina asked. "I do." Thane replied succinctly. Rapina took hold of Thane and cried against his chest for several minutes. The necromancer was flushed and at a loss for words. After some time he said, "Shall we get started?" Rapina let go of the necromancer, sniffed and nodded. "You want me to wear those smokey old clothes? "Actually, I had one of the skeletons do the laundry yesterday while you were preparing breakfast. Now I almost wish I hadn't. You need to look plain for the constable, and if you have committed other crimes with the pirates we must make you look a bit different so that you will not be connected to them, to be shipped off to some prison where you will no doubt suffer much as you have been. Also the constable is a married man, but we cannot be too careful. He must not think I want you as a mistress. He must also believe you are repentant, and we may have to convince a judge as well. As long as we make no glaring errors, and I am seen as the hero who saved the world from Red Jack, then the judge will likely grant any reasonable request." Rapina nodded. "Now, we must hurry. Today will test you severely. The only reason I was willing to take you on as a servant and now am willing to make you my apprentice is because I expect to be much wealthier than I currently am. Formerly I could simply not have afforded it. You see, Red Jack and many of his men have sizable bounties on their heads, some of them quite obscene. Dead or alive, altogether they are worth a king's ransom. The constable will be bringing a stack of wanted posters for Jack's men. We must help him by identifying all the bodies. Rapina grimaced, "All right." "Make breakfast and I will ready our mounts," Thane said. After breakfast, the necromancer and Rapina were lowered down into the canyon in the wicker cage. Thane helped Rapina onto a skeletal horse cowled in black, and then mounted another such horse. They and what remained of Thane's guards rode briskly to the pirate fort where Thane had Rapina identify a score of deceased recruits that Thane had his guards drag to a central location. "Pay close attention," Thane held a symbol of the god of death, mumbled incantations, and four of the dead men rose as zombies. "That was the power of Mortaebius. Now I will demonstrate the wizardly version of the same spell." Thane tossed bone powder over the bodies and wove a different, more impressive magic. Four more zombies rose. Thane then repeated the first spell. Rapina wrinkled her nose. "Thane chuckled. "We will need the workers." The constable will want to see the battlefield. I will tell him I used magic to best the pirates, but he must not know the exact nature of the magic. The law takes a dim view of necromancy. Illusion is a much more palatable form of magic." Thane ordered the zombies about and they began laying out the dead pirates, face up, at the top of the hill. "Now, you and I must collect skeletons that could be reassembled and reanimated. The pirates destroyed so much of what I had that the isle is largely unprotected. I have a special magical glue as well as a mending spell that both work magnificently on bone. Here are some burlap sacks. In each put the pieces of a full skeleton." Thane said. Rapina's stomach complained, but she worked diligently. She did not want to stay on the isle or think what she was doing, but she knew that she might never have the opportunity to learn real magic again. It seemed to her that the beauty she had been given by the lust spirit had carried with it a curse. She needed to be more powerful than that curse, or she would always be at its mercy. By mid afternoon, Thane had perused the captain's various strong boxes in the fort. The records included a list of Red Jack's men. Thane sent Rapina around to identify each man, and tie a label naming him to each dead man's big toe. After fetching the cut-up bodies from the mausoleum and laying them out with the others, the necromancer checked them against the list. "Counting the ones caught alive, we have one hundred forty-seven of one hundred fifty-three accounted for. We are missing Arzeal, Brackston, Drake, Pike, Rage, and Skitch. The ghouls took this man, Gape, in their tunnels yesterday. I have his head and skeleton back home. Rapina nodded. It was obvious that the days work had kept her in horror and tears, but she refused to let the one chance she had to overpower her fate slip away. "Now let us cover these corpses with pirate tents to keep the carrion birds off them and have our workers take the various usable weapons, arrows and equipment back to my storage rooms, and pack up the skeletons too shattered to be of use. We must hurry, the constable could be here soon." --- Thane entered Red Jack's cell. The pirate captain's ankles were manacled together, his wrists were manacled and attached to a chain around his waist, and another chain went from his wrists to his ankles. A chain ran from the wall of the cell to an iron collar around Jack's neck. Thane was not taking any chances. "Well now, has Kent been keeping you entertained?" Thane asked. Captain Red Jack scowled. "I have come to make a business proposition. You will no doubt be hung for your crimes, and I have kept you alive for one reason only. I seem to recall that some perverse bureaucrat made you considerably more valuable alive than dead. Perhaps you have some noble enemy who wishes to take personal revenge against you?" The captain looked stonily up at the necromancer. He idly wondered why the man wore gloves in this weather. Thane continued. "It's really no matter to me. I'm just a simple priest charged by the church of Mortaebius to keep this isle free of grave robbers. I realize you may have a tendency to talk, to try to drag me down with you by alleging that I am a necromancer." Jack scoffed, "alleging?" "Indeed. Of course all that you saw was simply the power of illusion." Thane smiled. "My Ass, it was." "Perhaps I can persuade you to change your mind." "How in hell da ye expect ta do that?" the captain asked. "I realize you are not inclined to keep any bargains being that you are on your way to the gallows, but I believe you might make an exception in this case. I have a bit of information you might be interested in, and I have captured someone I will be keeping on as an indentured servant for the crime of grave robbery. I assure you, if I go down, Rapina will go down with me." Captain Red Jack tried not to react to the mention of his favorite wench, but he could see the cold gaze of the necromancer duly noted his reaction. "What information do ye suppose a dead man like me might be interested in?" "Six of your men escaped. I have their names. This noon I made a little deal with Rapina and she has since been quite helpful. I suppose she did realize Kent and I could figure it out ourselves, but one can not always trust the recollections of a ghoul." "What kind o' deal did ye cut with th' wench, you swine, ye'd not kill 'er if she spread 'er legs for ye?" Red Jack growled. Thane looked down his nose at Red Jack, "Nay, I'd say that particular deal has already been over-used in her case... Actually, she drove a hard bargain, threatening to stab me with a kitchen knife, which would result in her death by my guards, if I gave her nothing to live for." Jack chuckled. "Plucky wench, ain't she?" "Indeed. Now, do we have a deal?" Thane asked. "Aright, I'll bargain w' ye. My silence about yer fell magery, in return fer th' names o' me men that escaped, yer word ye won't harm th' wench, th' details o' yer deal with 'er, an two hours alone w' 'er without these damned chains before they cart me off." "And what do you plan to do in those two hours?" "Say gbye ta her like a proper pirate if she'll have me. It'll likely be th' last time I see 'er or any woman." "Hmmmm, you drive a hard bargain indeed." Thane pursed his lips. "I am not so sure I wish to grant that last request, but I will tell you what. In addition to failing to mention necromancy, if you will tell me everything you know about the girl, and promise you will not force her, then I will grant your request." "Aye, I don't need ta force th' wench, she's a healthy young woman if er' there was one. Ye got a deal," The captain said. Thane raised an eyebrow at Jack's comment. "The men who escaped are Arzeal, Brackston, Drake, Pike, Rage, and Skitch. Once they left the isle, I have no idea what they did, and it is none of my concern what they do hereafter. As I said, I am a humble priest charged to protect this isle from grave robbers, and up to the time I collect the bounties on you and your men, I will also be a relatively impoverished priest." Red Jack Chuckled. "An after that ye'll be richer'n a baron. How in hell's name did Arzeal escape?" "He left the darkness on the opposite side of the hill as I was on and made a run for it. He shot many of the archers shooting at him on his way down the hill and likely veered south and swam for it once he reached the cove. Thane smiled, "As for the details of my arrangement with Rapina, legally speaking I will hold her here on indenture for her crimes. After her sentence runs out she will still have to face sentence on whatever crimes she may have committed elsewhere." Captain Red Jack grimaced. "It is the best I can do within the law. Is there something she has not told me? We do have a deal don't we?" the necromancer asked. "Aye, there is, an' I don't know if I should be tellin' ye, but a deal's a deal, an' I guess ye'll be rich enough that th' wench'll be better to ye than some pretty reward," Red Jack said. "There's money on her head?" Thane asked. "There was a powerful priest who ran 'er town an' preyed on' th' young women on th' sly. He died on 'er while rapin' 'er fer th' umpteenth time. Least that's what I got out o' her. He was mean, crazy mean - had a few screws loose. She was tryin' ta tire 'im out so 'ed sleep 'stead o' leave when 'e'd finished with 'er so she could make 'er escape. She got 'im sleepin' deep aright, six feet deep, but she claims 'e broke a vessel or somethin' 'cause she didn't lift 'er hand again' 'im. I don't know if that part is true. I only 'ave 'er word on it. I do know some o' the boys pulled 'er out o' th' river near dead drowned when they were on their way ta join me crew, so she warr makin' an escape from somethin', 'an believe me, I know a hardened criminal when I see one, Rapina was just a kid, she ain't a natural born killer. She's also told me 'er aunt was th' villiage witch 'an th' aunt did curses on that ol' letcher o' a priest 'till 'e had th' aunt executed. Rapina ain't a normal girl. She's deadly smart, 'an she's frisky as a mink. That's 'ow this all started for 'er. 'Er stupid mother didn't believe th' rumors about th' reverend. He warr good at shutin' up anyone who squealed, sometimes permanent. Her dad caught 'er w' one o' 'er boyfriends, a nice lad too, 'e warr th' one who helped teach 'er ta read, but they wasn't readin' at th' time. Rapina was what ye call precocious, a real natural w' th' boys, a born lover. Th' damned priest were probably a bit leary about takin' 'er given Rapina's aunt an' 'er family maybe knowin' about 'im. Thing was, 'er stupid mother delivered the poor girl right inta th' priest's foul hands fer foolin' w' th' boys. The foul priest gave 'er her first lesson on 'ow sick some folks can be 'tween th' sheets. He beat 'er, cut 'er and would 'ave done worse if th' god o' th' dead hadn't dragged 'im under. Least that's what she told me, an' I'm inclined ta belive 'er. I'm sure th' man's family will make like she bewitched 'im 'an drained th' life out o' 'im. Who knows, maybe she did, an if 'e did even 'alf 'o what she said 'e did, 'e deserved everything 'e got. One thing's sure though, first time I were with 'er warrn't entirely w' 'er consent, but she was a good sport about it, and we 'ad a little wine and conversation before th' event. 'Fact that I'm still alive, an th' fact that any pirate boyfriend she 'ad was still kickin' up 'till ye snuffed 'em says somethin' about 'er. If she's got bewitchin' powers, she sure as hell ne're used em' on me. Any attachment I got, I came by th' natural way, Red Jack winked saltily." Thane scowled. "Don't ye be judgin' 'er too harsh. She ain't a lady that way, but she's a goddess in a man's bed, an' if ye treat 'er right ye'll find out fer yerself. She told me straight up she coudn't 'elp foolin' w' th' boys. 'Said 'er father used ta beat 'er for it 'an 'er mother used ta heap th' guilt on 'er, but that's 'ow she is, a natural born lover 'an comely as they come. Not a woman I've known could 'old a candle to 'er. Ye're holdin' a girl any man would give 'is eye teeth for, an' ye're not keepin' 'er on 'cause she's ugly, so ye can be glad she ain't a cold bitch. On th' other 'and, it's best ye know 'er nature up front, or yer like ta kill 'er fer bein' her, an' regret it fer th' rest o' yer life an' then some. Other than bein' th' finest woman ye'll ever lay eyes on, She's got more guts an' determination than any pirate recruit I've ever had. Leech Kennon, me camp doctor who ye snuffed, 'e said she was th' finest student an' assistant he'd ever had 'er seen. Me arms master tried ta wash 'er out o' basic 'an failed. He didn't take kindly ta women in 'is trainin'. Instead she got 'erself some advice 'an trainin' from other men 'an learned skill at arms better'n th' bigger, tougher recruits 'e put 'er up against. Fer someone who's had just eight weeks o' basic trainin' an a few weeks o' practice on th' boats, she sails better, shoots a bow straighter and wields short sword an shield or rapier an' main gauche as good as any recruit I ever had. She could kill ye with that kitchen knife if she 'ad a mind to, but she can be th' best friend ye ever 'ad if ye treat 'er right. I gave it to ye straight. She's a pirate wench, an' ye knew that when ye got 'er, but she's a sweet kid too in spite o' everything she's been through, an' that's even more considerable now what w' all ye're cursed walkin' dead. Ye're no prize yerself, an ye don't deserve a wench like Rapina." Thane looked down his nose at Red Jack. "I know what ye're thinkin', an' I'll be th' first ta admit it. I didn't deserve 'er neither, but I'm an opportunist, 'an I'm a killer same as ye are. I hate ye for killin' me men, but I'd o' killed yer men too, if they 'adn't been dead already. Now, I gave ye all I know. Yer turn." "This reverend she killed, what was his name?" the necromancer asked. Red Jack sighed, "Ye promise not ta turn her in fer killin' the bastard?" "If what you say about him is true, then I will not fault the woman for defending herself," Thane said. "Evangeline Avengene. I 'ad 'is signet from her fer a while, but I sold it." Jack scowled as he saw the priest freeze in surprise for just an instant. "That's all I know, now what's the rest of yer agreement with th' wench?" Jack asked. "I have agreed to give Rapina the chance to be more than a servant. In the unlikely event that her intellect is sufficient, She is to be my apprentice in magic." Red Jack nodded, "Me first officer Roger, who ye killed, he liked ta imagine th' recruits in some profession that fit 'em when they first joined on. Kent 'e saw as a naval officer good as any o' th' captains in th' king's navy. He couldn't place Rapina, said she gave 'im th' willies, but 'e finally did place 'er. She was a sorcerer's apprentice." Thane raised his eyebrow. "The constable may arrive at any time. I have other things to show him so you'll have your two hours, perhaps more, but I'll need to fetch the girl straight away." Thane left and then returned a few minutes later and let Rapina into Jack's cell. He hung a large censor on the bars of the cell's window that released myrrh- scented smoke into the air. Rapina carried the key to Jack's chains, but she'd been instructed not to release the pirate unless she wanted to, and to chain him up again before she left. Kent, Edgar, and a few of their fellow ghouls were on call in the guardroom. "Jack, I'm so sorry, he... beat us," Rapina stammered. "Aye, 'an 'e beat us as well. I warr a fool, I should 'ave seen th' 'and writin' on th' wall. That priest is as cold an' calculatin' a general as I've seen." Rapina nodded, "Guardian Thane is a magician and a priest, a member of The Order of the Death's Peace. It's the militant arm of the church of Mortaebius, god of the dead. I'm sure he was trained in tactics when he joined the order. They specialize in protecting the church, and protecting tombs from grave robbers." Jack sighed, "I'm sorry Rapina, I should 'ave known, I warr too wrapped up in th' loss o' me ships an' I fought when I should 'ave run. That's what 'as kept me off th' king's gallows fer this long. In th' past, I always knew when it warr time ta run." Rapina hugged Jack and unlocked the iron collar around his neck. "You couldn't have known Jack. Thane uses magic; no one could have estimated his power or his resources. If he had not come down to fight you himself, you would have won. What you saw at the end was all he had left, his household guards and whatever he could borrow from the tombs." Rapina unlocked the chain around Jack's waist. "Damn! I nearly had 'im. How's 'e been treatin' ye, girl?" "Kent abducted me using a secret door in the tomb after one of Thane's traps failed him but still killed half of our party." "That man's full o' infernal traps 'an schemes," Jack snapped. Rapina unlocked Jack's ankles. "Once here, I unfroze and tried to escape once but wound up just outside this cell. It was the only door I could find that I could hold against the guards Thane assigned to me, because I found a key to it on the wall of the guardroom. I saw Jonas, but I'm not sure he's here anymore. When I holed up here, it turned out that Kent and Thane were talking in the last cell. Kent was eating Piggy. It was horrible! "Aye, I don't know what Thane's doin' ta Kent, but 'e's th' only ghoul guard I've seen who looks eighteen months pregnant." "Anyway, Thane and Kent came out of a cell with three of Thane's special armored skeletons, and Thane surrounded me with flying bones. I had to surrender; it was hopeless. Thane took me out of here and put me up in one of his guest rooms. He turned me into his maid straight away, and I cooked and cleaned for him while he occupied himself with the battle. He's very creepy, and he treats death as casually as the weather, but he's not beat me or anything, even though I tried to escape." The captain nodded. "He's a' evil man, but I'm no angel meself. I hope 'e treats ye right. 'Fraid I'm not goin' ta be able ta watch over ye any longer. I can hope me escaped men will find me an' manage ta spring me afore I'm hanged, but It ain't likely. 'Least th' 'ol bastard gave me that hope. 'e told me Arzeal escaped, an' Pike, Brackston, Drake, Skitch and Rage." Rapina Nodded, "I saw the bodies, they weren't among them, and early this morning when he came home from the battle, Thane told me Arzeal had gotten away at the end of the battle." "Aye, then maybe 'e's tellin' th' truth," Red Jack said. "But enough 'o that, if I'm goin' ta hang 'an then be slavin' an' burnin' in some death god's underworld, I'd like ta 'bring as many memories of ye as I can." Jack drew Rapina to him and kissed her deeply. --- After leaving Jack and Rapina, Thane had gone to the cliffs above his abode. From there he had seen a ship approaching from the South and had gone to meet it. The constable always anchored his boats off the box canyon entrance to the isle and sent a ship's boat with the bodies of executed criminals. Thane had provided the constable with a few thick iron rings set into the stone of the canyon so that he could leave living prisoners to be killed and buried, but the constable usually had criminals publicly executed. Thus Thane usually was just left with recently dead bodies, and often supplies sent from his brother priest via the constable's ship. These things sustained his ghouls and himself, but not in high style. When there were no bodies of criminals from the constable and no burials of local people brought to the isle by his brother priest, Mortician Hagston, Hagston sent a hired boat, but that cost money. Thus Thane relied on the constable and burial parties to do him the kindness of delivering supplies whenever possible. On this occasion, Thane had sent a request for wheat, various other foodstuffs and cloth to his brother priest when he sent the message about Red Jack via pigeon. In addition to the supplies, the constable would be bringing a caged pigeon from Hagston to replace the one Thane had used to send the last message. When the constable and his chief deputy arrived, Thane took them straight away to see the pirate camp. "This was their fort, and that's the lot of them, laid out for you, constable Barns. I found this list in Red Jack's logs, and a prisoner helped me sort out who was who. I have labeled each body." Constable Olsen shook his head. "That's amazin' work Guardian Thane. I got to admit, when Mortician Hagston tol' me you had defeated Red Jack and his men with th' power o' Mortaebius, I was more'n a bit skeptical, but seein' em all laid out like this in your usual efficient manner, well, seein' is belevin', eh deputy?" "Sure is, hard ta believe a man can conjure shades ta hack men up like this." "Indeed, I see you're point, Deputy. Frankly, I'm still quite beat from the battle. It took quite a bit out of me, but I believe I will be sufficiently recuperated to muster a small demonstration for you tomorrow morning if you like." "Of m-magic?" Barns looked at Olsen. "That would be good of you Guardian Thane. Why it'd be a pleasure to see how the Infamous Red Jack met his doom. Speakin' of whom, where is his carcass?" "Actually, I was able to capture Red Jack alive," Thane said. "After we return to my residence for a short break, I'll take you on a little tour of the dungeon." "Alive! Wow," deputy Barnes exclaimed. By the time Thane escorted the men into the canyon, the sun was already down. Olsen looked at the sky. "Sure glad you got that magic light, Guardian Thane, I got a little worried we'd fall off the cliffs soon as the sun went down." Ah, it is nothing; light is a very common spell. Thane stopped. "Lower!" he yelled. The wicker cage was lowered for them. After Thane had shown the men their rooms and served wine and cheese on the table of the dining hall, the priest excused himself for a moment. Thane took a circuitous route around the men and back down the stairs to the corridor with the dungeon and storage areas the men had entered after exiting the cage. "Rapina, Captain, I'll be bringing the constable in shortly. I believe you've had over two hours now. Rapina, please come out as soon as you are ready, hurry." Rapina hugged Jack one last time and put his chains back on. Jack was exhausted from their earlier love- making, but wore a salty grin that threatened never to leave him. "Fare the well, lass. I pray I can slip th' noose, but 'least I'll die a happy man if me luck ain't up ta a miracle." "Rapina smiled but shed a tear. I hope I'll see you again Jack, but just in case, I want to thank you for watching over for these last few months." "Aye, it was my pleasure lass, an' if th' worse happens, why I'll jimmy me way outa hell, an' ye'll have a ghost Red Jack ta watch over ye fer as long as ye need me." Rapina smiled through her tears, waved one last time and left the cell. "Let's see your face, quickly," Thane said taking the key from Rapina's hand. Thane produced a little mortician's makeup kit and went to work on Rapina's face in key locations, adding shadows and making her look older and a bit different. Now, go in, undress and take this strip of cloth and bind your breasts tight to your chest, then dress again. When the constable comes, hunch your shoulders over a bit, and look at the floor a lot. It will help you look plainer. The constable must not think anything untoward. I will be calling you Serina. If the constable and the judge fail to recognize you for the crimes that the priest's family accused you of, then so much the better." Rapina nodded. Kent checked Captain Red Jack's chains, then locked Jack's cell and left the dungeon with the rest of the ghouls for the storage room across the hall. "I shall return with the constable and his deputy shortly." After a few minutes, Thane arrived with the officers and opened Jack's cell. Barns took a deep breath, "It's really him!" "Nay, can't ye see I'm th' Duke an' I hereby pardon meself all transgressions, legal 'r otherwise past an future. Now unchain me an' get me back ta me palace." "Good try Jack, but the Duke is a shorter man. Olsen held up a wanted poster. That's you all right." "Ach, they got the beard all wrong, can't ye see?" Jack snapped. "It will be a pleasure to turn you over to the Duke's men, Red Jack, you've burned your last town and killed your last innocent victim!" "I'll see ye in th' hells o' Mortabius, constable." "Stop gawking, Barns. We'll be taking him back to town tomorrow. Any others you wanted us to see, Guardian Thane?" Barns said ushering his deputy back into the corridor. "Just one other. I didn't think it would be right to kill a young woman, even if she had gotten mixed up with the pirates. She and several other of the pirates robbed one of the Baronial tombs. Unfortunately, six of her mates got away, so you men and your sailors best keep on the lookout for trouble. The escapees are wounded, but any veteran of Red Jack's band is dangerous in any condition short of deceased." "That's good advice if I ever heard it," Olsen said. Thane opened Rapina's cell. "This is Serina, she has been very helpful in identifying the bodies, and before that in cooking and cleaning for me while I was concentrating on the battle. I will, of course be pressing charges for her grave robbing, but I believe this woman can be rehabilitated. I wonder if I might get her sentenced to an indenture here as my maid? It seems I will finally be able to afford to feed a servant, but it is so difficult to get the locals to hire on for a stint on the infamous Graveston isle." "I'm sure the Judge'll be favorably inclined to you, Guardian Thane. You'll be a mighty big hero in Granville. Why don't you keep her for now, and I'll arrange for a hearing for you when you come to pick up the reward money. I hope you've got a big boat, because the gold from those bounties would sink a lesser one." Thane chuckled, "I'll work something out. Please give my brother priest a note to send me via pigeon as to when to collect the bounty and attend the hearing. That's one date I'd hate to be late for. Shall I bring the girl for the hearing?" "Likely you'll need to, but it should be just a formality," Olsen said. "Very well, let us retire to my chambers. The girl can fix us something to eat and then after a little conversation, I expect you men will want to turn in. You are, of course, invited to stay in my guest rooms. No need for you to stay on your boat with your other men, when I am glad to provide better accommodations." "Sure thing, it's been a long day," Olsen said. The next morning after breakfast, Thane ushered the men to one of his storage rooms. Thane handed Olsen a dim, red mage light. "My magic works best in poor lighting, that is why I took Jack and his men at night. As you might imagine, with my background as a mortician, I have little trouble conjuring up images that terrify the unschooled. Now here we have one of the bodies of the pirates that I've hung from a pillar. Now let me work and you will soon see how the morale of Jack's troops was robbed from them, allowing my quasi-real troops to close in for the kill." Thane made a show of coalescing the shadows into terrifying beings and forming a ghoulish monster from the shadows as well. The creatures tore up the body. In truth, the illusion hid the real players until they were "conjured;" the three shadows and the ghoul were authentic. When the demonstration was over, the undead monsters escaped through a secret door, once again under cover of Thane's illusion. Thane removed the cover from a strong, white mage-light and the men were suddenly transported from the horror of the night to standing in a well-lit ordinary, nearly empty storage room. It was obvious that there was now nothing living in the room but Thane, Olsen and Barns. "There now, I hope I managed to scare you at least a little bit." "A-a little b-bit I'd say," stammered Barns Olsen chuckled nervously, "Those pirates must have really lost it when you conjured monstrosities like that at night." "Yes, fear itself can be the greatest enemy." Thane wiped his brow. "I'd best spend a few more days resting, I think, but I am glad I could show you men a little of the magic that bested Red Jack." "Guess we better get goin'. After that demonstration, I sure's heck want ta be back in Granville before nightfall. My skin's still a-crawlin'." "Thank you constable, you flatter my humble powers. Let's get Red Jack and you can be on your way." Sometime later Thane watched as the constable and several deputies loaded Red Jack and his many chains onto a long boat bound for the constable's stout little ship. "Thank you for coming, and have a safe trip, Constable Olsen, deputy Barns and you other sailors and gentlemen of the law. I'll look forward to a note from you, constable Olsen via my brother priest, Mortician Hagston," Thane said. "Thank *you* Guardian Thane, your heroism has saved countless innocent lives. Every community along the Augustana owes you a deep debt of gratitude, and I will be glad to see you are amply rewarded," Olsen said. Thane bowed humbly and watched as the boat sailed off. When it was gone, he turned and grinned. The story continues in [Rapina]018 Judgement in Disguise.