Three walruses forged ever southward through the icy seas until they reached their destination. They hauled themselves onto another small iceberg and watched the peculiar black and white birds seem to fly through the sea.
“Not much of a challenge here Tyler, the challenge will be not scaring the poor thing,” observed Madison.
“We don’t know what she has in there,” replied Tyler.
“It’s a very new and inexperienced dungeon,” suggested Ava. “I think Madison’s right.”
“Yeah well, so do I,” agreed Tyler. “But we have to remain cautious, she came from Earth just like Mother.”
They waited slipped off their iceberg and moved towards the entrance of the dungeon. They dove and swam through the dungeon’s entrance tunnel in single file. The tunnel was barely big enough to allow them through, Tyler brushed the sides on several occasions. Then they entered a large sunken cavern, they were attacked by the cave’s inhabitants. The fight was short and the three crossed into the dungeon’s second cavern. The walruses made short work of the penguins that inhabited the large pool that filled almost the entirety of the cave before climbing out of the pool. Tyler, Ava and Madison fed well.
* * *
Rachel Daniels was horrified at the ease with which the three huge walruses had carved their way through her penguins. She had never realised how big walruses were, the big one had to weigh well over a ton and the females weren’t much smaller. And the damn things were feasting on her guards.
Duskbright was scared, they had nothing that could take on these monsters. Walruses – walruses, what were walruses. Right they were something that existed on Rachel’s world and presumably in the north polar seas.
« Can, can we absorb these walruses. They’d make good guards, right? »
“We’d have to kill one to absorb it Rachel. I don’t think we have any chance of doing that.”
« They’re just animals – right? »
“I’m not sure, our dungeon is reacting like uncle Trapper’s dungeon did when an powerful adventurer party entered.”
« But they’re just.... » Rachel’s voice trailed off as the big walrus started to shrink and change shape becoming a hunky well built naked man who was pulling clothes and armour out of thin air. Rachel missed her body but she filed the sight in her memory. She almost missed the two other walruses shrink and change into muscular looking women.
“Were walruses. And their armour and weapons are made of mithril. We might be in trouble Rachel. I hope they’re the Adventurer’s Guild evaluation team.”
* * *
Tyler looked round the cavern and waited until his women finished changing and equipping themselves. Then he looked up and gave his prepared speech feeling more than a little silly.
“We wish you no harm. My lady wishes information she believes you possess and in return is willing to offer you help, friendship or an alliance. Your choice.” Then he added the memorised phrase in English, “Please believe me as one former exile to another.”
* * *
Duskbright and Rachel shared a thought.
« We can’t stop them can we? Will you go and talk to them. I really don’t want them in my chamber. »
“But, you can speak with them Rachel. They’re in your domain. But if you want, then yes I’ll go and speak with them.”
« Oh! Oh I see, right I’ll try that rather than have you run any risks. »
« Um, who is your lady and what information can I possibly have that anyone on this world could need? »
= = O = =
Tomcat started barking out orders, the Alessandrina’s Glory turned into the wind and the crew threw out the sea anchor. Clarrina watched bemused as the crew joined Tomcat in dropping to sit on the deck and staring into nothing.
“No point trying to wake them, their god has called them,” offered an elderly passenger. “This is unusual, I hope they will explain what is happening.”
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Clarrina placed a hand over her belly, “I wonder if it’s something to do with the prophecy?”
“Which prophecy? There are several. Do you know what god they follow?”
“Tomcat is a priest of the consort. Ocidon’s consort, we were married by her high priestess in his temple.”
The old man clutched the ships rail, “Ocidon has taken a consort? And they are hers. Then it could be one of two prophecies.”
At that point Tomcat leapt to his feet followed by his crew and they burst out cheering.
“Run Blackbeard! Run! Three cheers for Mother! Hip Hip—” “Hurrah!”
“Hip Hip—” “Hurrah!”
“Hip Hip—” “Hurrah!”
The elderly man blanched, “the Gods War prophecy, oh gods protect me.”
Clarrina rubbed her belly absently and tilted her head to one side. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, yes. But I’m afraid. The Gods War prophecy is...” he waved his hands vaguely. “Frightening! Gods are going to die and new gods will take their place. And... Oh gods!”
Tomcat issued orders, the sea anchor was retrieved and the Alessandrina’s Glory got underway once more. Smiling he strode up to Clarrina and placed an arm around her shoulder. “Mother has won another battle against Vortexius Blackbeard. The Drow are no longer his. The Spider Queen is awake and has reclaimed her children. She has allied with Ocidon and Mother.”
The elderly gentleman leant against the ship’s rail. “The gods war,” he whispered to himself. “When will we reach Garonmouth captain?”
Tomcat looked round and inspected the sails. “Late tomorrow or early on the next day.”
“Thank you captain, we’ve made remarkably good time.”
Tomcat grinned and kissed his latest wife.
* * * INTERLUDE 1 * * *
Laasa Whipmistress, the words ‘Kill the followers of the thief’ filling her mind, shook out her whip and with a feral smile she stepped forward and let fly. Nightshade for his part drew one of his daggers and moved to prevent the escape of the youngest acolyte. Nightwind couldn’t help ginning as Vulcar-tor tried to prevent the contents of his belly from spilling to the ground.
Nightson stepped up behind Laasa drawing his sword. Nightwind drew his sword and took his cousin’s head off his shoulders. “Stupid idiot,” he muttered softly, while blinking in confusion at the long straight smoky grey rapier that had replaced his sabre.
“Mithril!” exclaimed a voice that was almost drowned out by the screams of the second acolyte who was being cut to ribbons by the whip of the whipmistress.
Nightshade was standing over the body of the acolyte who had tried to flee examining his knife. Nightwind noted absently that Nightshade’s knife had a smoky grey blade.
The drow present in the temple stiffened as they heard the laughter of two beings in their heads.
« Dump the carrion in the pit. Keep the priest for Sablemane Iceheart your new queen to dispatch. »
Nightwind met the eyes of his band and noted Laasa was examining her barbed bullwhip. He noted in passing that it had shed any gore it might have picked up recently. He nodded once then barked out his orders.
When Sablemane Iceheart swept into the temple surrounded by her guard and followed by her court, the carrion had been disposed of and Nightwind’s band were standing guard to either side of the altar.
The Queen’s guard stiffened at the sight of armed drow but all stilled as the voice of the Spider Queen echoed in their heads.
« The sacrifice awaits lady Iceheart. »
Sablemane grinned and stepped forward and after gloating over the semi-conscious priest drew her poniard and rammed in the man’s eye.
« Done! Welcome Queen Iceheart. »
A bejewelled smoky grey tiara appeared on the queen’s head and Sablemane rose and gazed at the new altar.
“Mithril!” murmured Xaar.
« Someone please gag that imbecile, » uttered another voice.
While Nightshade gagged the young dwarf the Spider Queen proceeded to instruct her people ending with... « Finally, I make you known to my new partner Little Fish, the Demi-Goddess Mary Jane Silvestre, Blue Lagoon, Mother of Monsters, Blackbeard’s Bane, and Ocidon Earthshaker’s Consort. The junior goddess of the Drow. »
An elderly female advanced and bowed respectfully to the altar, “Welcome back my lady, but I thought the secondary god had to be a male.”
« And that worked so well didn’t it? Welcome my priestess, I acknowledge you. Now Little Fish pick your priest to my children. »
Mary laughed out loud.
« Three have already served me well. So – Laasa Whipmistress, I gift you with the whip you have just used, care for it well and will wake and bind itself to you. You have the honour of naming it. Will you be my Priestess. Nightwing will you be my champion, I gift you with the Spanish Rapier you blooded today. Name it and it will wake and be yours. Nightshade will you be my Spymaster? The paired daggers are yours, name them and they will be yours and wake. »
* * * INTERLUDE 2 * * *
Mary sat back and rolled the crystalline bead in her hand. She examined it with all her senses and checked her other memories.
“So Mary is it done? Will it work?” enquired Jerica.
“Think so. It’s identical to the one Robin Goodfellow is carrying around. It includes the evolutions that enable me to use it to transfer domain for portals.”
“Why do we need this? It seems to soon somehow. We’re nowhere near as strong as you are on Parthia.”
“Legal reasons, gotta visit dad soon. Mandatory visitation an’ all that. Don’t think I can send me that far from my domain. Wouldn’t want to be that far from – from me. Also planes are cramped, lack room.”
“So we make a gate somewhere in – Florida right, just a gate or do we go the Mock Turtle route?”
Mary contemplated her bead, “Yanno Jerica, I think we go the Mock Turtle route, add another layer of security. Figure we buy a small warehouse, or a plot of land, or just – just appropriate a spot offshore somewhere. I don’t think there are any dungeon detector rituals or spells yet.”
“Bluey will give us away soon, you know he will when he figures a critical mass of sophonts has been integrated. Then it’ll be ‘You have entered’.”
Mary sighed, “Yeah, but figure we still have at least a year.”
“You sure Mary?”
“No, but there are so many humans and most disbelieve, others will resist ‘cause of stubbornness or ‘cause their priests will tell ‘em to.”
“And how are you going to get that thing to Florida Mother?” asked Tessa from her corner of the room.
“Fed-Ex,” grinned Mary.