She sat down on the floor, away from the Mech and closed her eyes, murmuring the spell to herself.
As the others waited, Aranok’s sharp ears caught strange scratching, scuffling sounds from the other side of the wall.
* * *
“It looks as though the Hellhounds are in place, Lord. What is keeping those adventurers?” the Jar grumbled.
Aracan Katuvana moved to the window and waved a hand over Grald’s picture, then over Erendell’s picture.
On Grald’s picture, the pink ring became a deeper colour, almost the same colour as the Bougainvillea that grew wild in the tropical forests of the Southern Islands.
“Ah yes. An intriguing thought that, Lord,” the Jar cackled.
Katuvana gestured and a green glow surrounded Erendell.
“Erendell, you will activate the digger again. Grald you will assist her by doing anything she asks you to,” the Jar whispered. Both glows flickered as the instructions sank into their minds.
Katuvana went back to his throne.
* * *
“This is taking too long–we need to be in and out of the Dungeon quickly!” Aranok muttered.
Ariana said nothing, still concentrating on her spell.
“We could just dig through,” Erendell suggested brightly. Grald nodded in enthusiastic agreement, staring adoringly at her.
Aranok frowned at them. Grald is supposed to be a renowned warrior. Why is he acting like a love struck urchin?
“Don’t be daft, Erendell. I thought you had more sense than to run into an unknown situation.”
“She is not daft!” Grald’s temper flared. “I agree with her. We ought to just dig through and deal with whatever comes when it happens.”
“Barbarians!” Arnhammen snorted. “Always rushing in swords waving before they should.”
“Because we’re brave, Underdweller! We don’t hide in holes like some people!”
Aranok groaned. “Grald, please be quiet and patient. Ariana is working as fast as she can.”
“If she’s half as powerful as my Erendell is, she’d have found out by now.” Grald moved forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword-breaker.
Aranok blinked. “ Your Erendell?”
“Shut up,” Ariana said with her eyes closed. “I can’t hear properly.”
“Well, we’d hear it a lot better without that wall in the way. Help me, Grald!” Erendell shouted and rushed past the seated mage to the Digger Mech, followed closely by Grald. The dark elf crouched down and began to activate the Mech.
“Ye stupid Drow! Ye’re not going to do this! I willnae let ye!” Arnhammen lunged for Erendell only to run into Grald.
“You might not want her to, but you will not stop her, I’ll see to that!” the barbarian retorted and pushed the dwarf back.
A wrestling match ensued.
Aranok groaned again and tried, unsuccessfully, to push himself between Grald and Arnhammen, trying to reach his sister.
Ariana let her spell dissipate.
“What’s going on?” she asked as she opened her eyes. “No,” she gasped scrambling up onto her feet.
Erendell had activated the Digger Mech and while Aranok had been trying to break the wrestling match up, the Mech was already halfway through the wall.
“What do you think you’re doing, Erendell?” Ariana yelled.
“Aranok said it was taking too long, so I decided to speed things up a little,” the half Drow said in an unconcerned manner.
“You idiot, Erendell, there’s a guard post behind the wall! They’re…” The Mech broke through the last of the wall. Behind it stood four massive two headed dogs, drool dripping from between their six inch fangs as they growled at the party from atop a wooden platform.
“…waiting for us.” Ariana shook her head ruefully. She deactivated the Mech with a flick of a finger and a small magic pressure before it could start to dig into the platform.
Erendell backed up quickly and bumped into Grald. The barbarian dropped Arnhammen to the floor and spun to catch the elf as she fell. Aranok jumped back to avoid being knocked over. Grald set Erendell back on her feet
As the others waited, Aranok’s sharp ears caught strange scratching, scuffling sounds from the other side of the wall.
* * *
“It looks as though the Hellhounds are in place, Lord. What is keeping those adventurers?” the Jar grumbled.
Aracan Katuvana moved to the window and waved a hand over Grald’s picture, then over Erendell’s picture.
On Grald’s picture, the pink ring became a deeper colour, almost the same colour as the Bougainvillea that grew wild in the tropical forests of the Southern Islands.
“Ah yes. An intriguing thought that, Lord,” the Jar cackled.
Katuvana gestured and a green glow surrounded Erendell.
“Erendell, you will activate the digger again. Grald you will assist her by doing anything she asks you to,” the Jar whispered. Both glows flickered as the instructions sank into their minds.
Katuvana went back to his throne.
* * *
“This is taking too long–we need to be in and out of the Dungeon quickly!” Aranok muttered.
Ariana said nothing, still concentrating on her spell.
“We could just dig through,” Erendell suggested brightly. Grald nodded in enthusiastic agreement, staring adoringly at her.
Aranok frowned at them. Grald is supposed to be a renowned warrior. Why is he acting like a love struck urchin?
“Don’t be daft, Erendell. I thought you had more sense than to run into an unknown situation.”
“She is not daft!” Grald’s temper flared. “I agree with her. We ought to just dig through and deal with whatever comes when it happens.”
“Barbarians!” Arnhammen snorted. “Always rushing in swords waving before they should.”
“Because we’re brave, Underdweller! We don’t hide in holes like some people!”
Aranok groaned. “Grald, please be quiet and patient. Ariana is working as fast as she can.”
“If she’s half as powerful as my Erendell is, she’d have found out by now.” Grald moved forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword-breaker.
Aranok blinked. “ Your Erendell?”
“Shut up,” Ariana said with her eyes closed. “I can’t hear properly.”
“Well, we’d hear it a lot better without that wall in the way. Help me, Grald!” Erendell shouted and rushed past the seated mage to the Digger Mech, followed closely by Grald. The dark elf crouched down and began to activate the Mech.
“Ye stupid Drow! Ye’re not going to do this! I willnae let ye!” Arnhammen lunged for Erendell only to run into Grald.
“You might not want her to, but you will not stop her, I’ll see to that!” the barbarian retorted and pushed the dwarf back.
A wrestling match ensued.
Aranok groaned again and tried, unsuccessfully, to push himself between Grald and Arnhammen, trying to reach his sister.
Ariana let her spell dissipate.
“What’s going on?” she asked as she opened her eyes. “No,” she gasped scrambling up onto her feet.
Erendell had activated the Digger Mech and while Aranok had been trying to break the wrestling match up, the Mech was already halfway through the wall.
“What do you think you’re doing, Erendell?” Ariana yelled.
“Aranok said it was taking too long, so I decided to speed things up a little,” the half Drow said in an unconcerned manner.
“You idiot, Erendell, there’s a guard post behind the wall! They’re…” The Mech broke through the last of the wall. Behind it stood four massive two headed dogs, drool dripping from between their six inch fangs as they growled at the party from atop a wooden platform.
“…waiting for us.” Ariana shook her head ruefully. She deactivated the Mech with a flick of a finger and a small magic pressure before it could start to dig into the platform.
Erendell backed up quickly and bumped into Grald. The barbarian dropped Arnhammen to the floor and spun to catch the elf as she fell. Aranok jumped back to avoid being knocked over. Grald set Erendell back on her feet
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