Into the Pit

Carn enters the Underdark, but will he reach his destination in time?

12.

Into the Pit

 

Carn waved at the crew of The Phoenix as they ascended, taking up their assigned position monitoring the mountains surrounding the entrance to the Underdark.  

He was grateful that they hadn’t asked him any more questions and had maneuvered the airship to exactly where he had asked them to land.  

Carn didn't wait long before turning to glance at the low range of mountains in front of him.   It had been many centuries since he had been in the Underdark, but it did not take him long to locate the cave opening that was the portal to the underground world.

He could make out footprints in the dust just inside the cave, which confirmed that this was the correct location.  

Countless thoughts raced through his mind, but amazingly those that came most frequently were those of Amala Dullerm.

Of course he didn't really know her well -- it was her charisma and feistiness that enticed him.    Yet if he was going to his long desired death after centuries of suffering, he surely could not begrudge himself thoughts of the lovely girl.

She never knew just how beautiful she was; that was very obvious.   Everyone had made-over her older sister Aranthi, for she had wrapped herself in her beauty and had relished attention.

Yet Amala, it seemed to him, easily matched Aranthi's beauty, though with her it was a wonderfully raw, untapped resource, unlike her older sister.

Carn wondered who she would fall in love with some day.   Surely she would find someone -- there would be plenty young men who would leap at an opportunity.   If she would allow herself such happiness.   He wondered.   Perhaps the oldest son of the Faesidhe Governor?   She seemed to enjoy his company.   Or maybe Lord Mattleos.   He was quite charming and certainly smitten with her.

As he pondered this, he scanned the back of the cave for the triggering mechanism that would open the secret door.    It did not take him long to locate it, for the footprints leading up to it -- as well as two pairs going the opposite direction-- made the location of the portal quite clear.

He paused for a moment with his hand upon the lever that would open the portal.    He would never see the sunlit world again.   Never smell the clean air or see the beauty of the world around him.    The Underdark would be his crypt.    Carn took a deep breath, savoring the cool winter air for a second, and then, remembering the urgency of his mission, he pulled the secret door open.

Immediately his sensitive Bugbear nose detected the strong odor of burning.

"What if I am too late?" He spoke to himself as he ran down the dark passage.  

The smell of smoke had grown stronger by the time he had reached the end of the connecting passage and stumbled out into the long, straight underground Highway that connected most of the Drow cities.    He remembered that Alleania had said that her home city was Hor'olorbb, which was some distance south of his present location.  

But it would take him a long time to get there.   Too long.

But what choice did he have?   He remembered the teleportation relay system, but he had no knowledge how to activate it.   Carn decided to quickly glance at the nearest relay point, in the unlikely chance that one of the relays might have instructions on how to use it.  

He hurried up to the pathway that ran parallel to the Highway and was almost to the relay platform when seemingly out of nowhere a cloaked Drow male appeared with his short sword drawn and a loaded hand crossbow pointed at him.

“Wrong way, Bugbear.”   The Dark Elf said in his native tongue.   Carn knew the language from his time living in the Underdark.   He also knew that the Drow man thought he was one of the many Bugbear guards that most noble Drow families employed.  

“Please, sir, I must quickly travel to Hor'olorbb.”   He said with a bow, speaking the Dark Elven language.

“Fool!   Hor’olorbb is about to fall to creatures very much like you!   Perhaps you are a Goblinoid spy?    Quickly, if you are a servant, then what house do you serve?”

“Ar’Rilla.”   Carn quickly responded, nervously watching the Drow’s crossbow.   Usually their bolts were poisoned.

“You lie!”   The Drow hissed, aiming the crossbow at his head, “If you serve Ar’Rilla, then who is Matron?”

“Alleania - she is a vampire woman, but I actually work for her daughter, Aurei Dullerm.    She and her husband - a Half-Drow named Eleazar- came with Alleania to try to stop the Dragon and the army that is invading.    There was also Matron Alleania’s sister, who is a priestess of Yesh, and her-“

The Drow cut him off with a wave of the crossbow, “Alright, Bugbear, perhaps you are telling the truth.    But that still doesn’t explain why you are down here or who you are.    You do not act like a Bugbear.   Bugbears here say that life is wearisome.”   He watched Carn closely while holding his short sword against his own chest as if clutching at his heart.    Carn blinked in disbelief.

“Hard of toil…”   The Bugbear replied, placing his own hand over his heart.

“It is tainted water.”  The Drow said.

“A Bitter Dreg.”   Carn immediately countered and bowed slightly.

The Drow smiled slightly, lowering the crossbow and dropping his sword arm to his side, “You are well-met my brother.”

“I am surprised, sir.   I did not know the Bitter Dregs recruited Drow.”

“Nor I that they included Bugbears in their ranks.”   He grinned, “But we both are more aware now.   I am Gallus Ar’Rilla, one of those that Matron Alleania adopted as a member of her family upon her return to the Underdark.    I am a believer in Yesh and one of several Bitter Dregs in the Underdark.   My Matron bid me to watch this portal relay for surface dwellers that would arrive with an urgent need to get to Hor’olorbb.   One, I was told, would be a Bugbear who I was told would be named Carn, so I assume this to be you?”

Carn told him about what had happened that resulted in Amala and him being separated from the others in Aedric’s party.   But his geis would not allow him to tell the guard the reason he was trying to get to them.   All he could tell the follower of Yesh was that he had a way to destroy the demon that controlled the Dragon, but he needed to get to Hor’olorbb very quickly.

“The only way to do that is the teleportation relay, and it will only take you as far as the radius of the anti-magic sphere that the Dragon generates from the Gem of the Oscinate.”

“That is fine, sir.   Do you know how to activate the relay?”

“Yes, as it was my orders to take your fellows to Matron Alleania when they came here after their quest.   I must tell you though that once you enter the range of the anti-magic sphere cast by the Gem of the Oscinate, you will not be able to use any magic.”

“Unless that magic is more powerful than the Gem.”   Carn replied with a confident expression that surprised and encouraged Gallus.

“That would be extremely powerful magic to wield.”

“I possess it, sir, though it will consume me to use it.”

“Consume you?!”

“It is a small sacrifice to make to save those I hold dear.”

Gallus studied him for a moment, “You do not speak as a Bugbear, and yet there seems to be something hidden about you that I would guess was of your design?”

“Yes, you are right, sir.    My situation renders me unable to speak of it.     It is arcane in nature, but it prevents me from telling more of its nature.   I am sorry I cannot tell you more.”

“A Geis or curse I would guess.   They are common in this world, Carn.     I will activate the teleportation relay for you, but my orders were to stay here.   Since your companions are not with you, I must keep my post to wait for them.   I am sorry I cannot give you any more aid.”

“I understand, sir.    If my mission fails, then it would be best for you to be near this exit to the surface world.”

“We have several hundred of my Matron’s household secluded in a small cavern a short distance from here.   They fear that they will be forced onto the surface.”

“It is not a place to fear, Gallus.    In fact, I would advise you to have them take the exit that I just entered through.    Above them when they enter the surface world will be a hovering airship.    The ship is ‘The Phoenix' and Captain Bairns commands it.   He is a servant of Duke Eleazar and Duchess Aurei and will welcome and assist your Matron’s people.   Westmark is ruled by Eleazar and Aurei and Alleania’s people will certainly be welcome and accepted there.”

Gallus nodded, with the look of a burden being lifted from him evident on his face, “I am very glad to hear that, Carn.    I knew of Matron Alleania’s daughter and of Matron Zeatt, of course.    This will comfort the refugees from Ar’Rilla.”

“Have them come out for clean air, sir.    Captain Bairns has instructions to monitor the cave entrance and he will assist your people.   The surface world is not a bad place.   I have lived both there and in the Underdark and I think you will find after a time of adjustment that it is a fine place to live.”

“I believe you, Carn.    You have greatly comforted me with this information and I am sure Matron Alleania will appreciate it as well.   Come, I will send you on your journey and give you directions where to find House Ar’Rilla once you reach the city.   May Yesh surround you with protection and grant you success.”

“May it be thus.”   Carn added and followed Gallus to the Relay platform.