In the Undercity, the fight with the eight phantoms raged on with the cavern being illuminated in flashes from Marina’s staff and Shockwave’s bursts. In a puff of vapour, the first of the phantoms fell to a particularly powerful lightning strike, but Marina’s magical power was beginning to wane, especially as she had to fight to keep Shockwave from dissipating.
“Begone!” cried Teleri, unleashing three fire arrows from her bow at once and piercing the ghostly skull of one of her marks. It let out a blood-curdling wail as it flailed and puffed away into nothing.
With a swing of a hammer and the swing of a shield, Pheston and Friedrich put an end to two more phantoms, leaving only four of the fighting apparitions remaining. They held their ethereal swords, making countless swings and thrusts for their living opponents, only to find themselves outmatched by the humans and the elf.
With a thrust, bash, twang, and crackle, the four phantoms fell and faded into mist before vanishing entirely, their souls no longer aggressive. For the time being, they would cause no further trouble, but none of the four knew for how long the phantoms would be at peace. Perhaps forever, perhaps until they regained their strength.
“Did these spirits dwell within the runestones?” asked Marina, squatting beside the one inscribed with the ‘life’ rune.
“Beats me,” shrugged Pheston. “I can imbue a weapon with might and magic, but I could not tell you the first thing about undeath. If you’re that curious, ask a priest when we return to the outside world.”
“Should we smash these for good measure?” asked Friedrich, readying to turn himself into a minotaur.
“I would not mess with magical artefacts we have no knowledge of,” said Teleri, holding a hand to his chest. “For all we know, disturbing the runestones could awaken something worse or trigger a trap.”
“Alright,” shrugged Friedrich, walking over to the largest of the tunnels leading out of the room. “Then let’s keep going.”
The quartet walked through the labyrinthian Undercity, following tunnels and crossing caverns, edging along narrow ledges and carefully hopping across stone-strewn pools. It was a much larger structure than they could have imagined with even Pheston letting out a disgruntled sigh with each new area they entered that yielded no sign of the dragon bones they sought.
“We’ve crossed this lake before,” said Teleri, pointing to the stretch of blue that shone in the light of Marina and Shockwave’s lightning.
“Are you sure it’s the same one?” asked Friedrich.
“Yes, that middle stone is the loose one that Marina tripped on.”
“You’re right,” said Marina, looking to the wet hem of her cloak. “We should have been leaving markers along the way.”
“Lesson learned,” said Pheston, swinging Vigr around. “I’ll knock a few chunks from the wall to indicate rooms we’ve been to.”
Teleri frowned. “We do not need to only know the rooms we have passed through, but the ways in which we passed through them and exited from.”
A sudden chill filled the cavern and the water rippled. It was a familiar chill and the four knew that something was in the room with them; something not so much alive.
“We will end you as quickly as your spectral kin, phantom,” said Friedrich, raising his shield and scanning the room.
Above the lake materialised a ghostly figure, with a face fixed into a horrific scream, yet it made no more towards the quartet. Instead, it held its hands high as though to signal it had no malicious intent. Its breath-like, echoing voice filled the room.
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“I come to tell you that you will wonder this labyrinth for eternity without the knowledge required to proceed,” it said. “I can help you.”
“And what do you ask in return?” asked Friedrich.
“I ask that you lay my master to rest. End his suffering and let him pass onto the next realm, unbound from this world that he clings to so desperately. Were he alive, he would consider his current state worse than death. However, so warped by necromantic energies is his spirit that he believes he must remain here until his sworn enemy returns.”
“Your master is Tierfyr?” asked Pheston. “He was slain twice and still, he fights to remain here in Corobath, where he once called home.”
“It’s sad,” said Marina with a look of pity.
“It is,” said Friedrich, looking to the phantom. “We will do as you ask, but we want something in exchange other than directions. Dragon bones.”
“An affront to my master, but no more insulting than remaining as a phantom of turmoil. Very well, take his bones, but do not take everything. Only what is necessary.”
“Agreed. Tell us where to go.”
The phantom started spinning his arms and weaving his hands together as though casting a ritual. Slowly, the water from the lake started to lower before fading away. In the pit below was a stone door bearing the symbol of a dragon’s head, surrounded by eight runestones.
Friedrich turned into a minotaur, scooped up Marina, and leapt into the pit before turning back to normal and setting her down. Even in the relative darkness, it was clear how red-faced she was from being held in his arms. Pheston lowered himself down more carefully and Teleri’s hop was so light that it looked as though she had floated down effortlessly.
“Phantom, how do you get through the door?” asked Friedrich.
“Do not toy with me, one of flesh,” said the phantom. “You must push it.”
“Oh,” said Friedrich, feeling silly. He presumed there was an enchantment on it, but perhaps the lake had been enough of a defence.
He walked over and placed his hands on the door. With a gentle push, it opened as though of its own accord, separating down the middle and folding away. Friedrich looked over his shoulders and gave a nod to his friends, who followed him down the descending stone staircase.
“You so readily trusted that phantom,” said Teleri. “After the other eight tried to kill us. Your recklessness knows no bounds.”
“And here you are following me,” said Friedrich with a smirk. “Besides, I don’t think we’ll have any trouble with that phantom.”
“What about the ghost dragon, eh?” asked Pheston. “Tough as I am, I’m no Henrik the Dragonslayer.”
“We’re four and he was one.”
“Not quite. He had his six companions with him.”
Friedrich froze and Marina crashed into him, almost sending him tumbling down the stairs. “You didn’t mention that before!”
Pheston grunted. “I didn’t think it would be useful information!”
“You tell us all sorts of drivel and you didn’t mention something directly related to the Undercity as we were walking into it?”
The old man shrugged. “Now you know, I suppose.”
“What exactly is our plan?” asked Marina.
“We kill the dragon,” said Friedrich.
“I know that,” said Marina, frowning at him. “I mean, how do we do that?”
“Much like any ghost, Marina, we use magic to kill it. Just think of it as the phantoms combined with fiery breath.”
“Tierfyr wasn’t a fire dragon,” said Pheston. “He was an ice dragon.”
“Does that make a difference?”
“Surely, it is to our advantage,” said Teleri, pulling out one of her fire arrows and spinning it between her fingers. “Luck may be on our side once again, no thanks to you.”
“I’m the charm that brings the luck,” said Friedrich with a grin.
Teleri smiled at him and leaned so close to him that their noses were an inch apart. “No,” she said and then stood back up.
“Alright, enough bickering,” said Marina. “Seeing as nobody else is coming up with a plan, here’s one for you. Teleri and I will keep a wide berth, using range to our advantage. Friedrich and Pheston, you need to be in close quarters to use your magic, so that’s what you do. I’ll send Shockwave in with you to draw as much attention away as possible. All in favour?”
“Aye,” said Friedrich and Pheston.
“Yes,” said Teleri.
“Good,” said Marina, bonking Friedrich on the back of the head with her staff. “Now let’s go. I don’t like being stuck in underground caves, tunnels, and ruins, yet we always seem to end up there.”
Friedrich continued the descent down the stairs. It was narrow; much too narrow for a dragon. He wondered if perhaps it was its burial site rather than its living chambers. Could the Corobathian mages have reshaped the tunnels of the Undercity to keep the dragon trapped when it was in skeletal form? He wanted to ask the question, but he thought perhaps now was not the time, especially as another dragon-bearing stone door catching Marina’s light was only a couple dozen yards ahead.
The young Mercian placed his hands on the door and looked to his companions, who had fierce looks of determination on their faces. Every time they found themselves in an uncertain situation, they prevailed. If Friedrich was indeed a lucky charm, this time would be no different. He hoped.