The Hill Giant Chief - Nosnra's Saga - Part 64

The Hill Giant Chief - Nosnra's Saga - Part 64

Power erupted from the bars, a coil of blue light that faded as Ivo's spell took hold. An invisible wave that could only be detected by its effects on the places it touched washed across the room. The floor of the chamber, its tiles showing no damage unlike the corridor which had been scratched and gouged, bubbled like a cauldron of broth atop a roaring fire. A framework of silver lines woven between the squares of tile began to snap; one whipped back and scored the metal bars others slashed against the walls.

The spell passed on till it touched the doors. Each changed; they became a swirling mist bound within the stone frames as if they were kept from the entrance room by a sheet of glass that could not be seen. The metal door covered in rust became a brick-red smoke, the stone door was a cloud of grey and where the wooden door had been was now a swirl of brown. The axe head lodged in the wooden door clanged to the ground as the wood turned into mist. Ivo's spell had reached its outermost limits and disappeared.

"There now," said Ivo, "that should take care of that."

Harold had peeked from around the ranger's leg as the spell passed through the room. His eyebrows raised at the spectacular effects and he gave a quiet whistle at the results. "Is the magic gone?"

"I'll check, wait where you are while I do," Ivo warned. The gnome spoke quietly, the words of power were secret to his kind, and with a gesture of his hand a shimmer of bluish light shone from the metal bars, glowed from the snapped silver wire, the walls, the ceiling and burned bright from the mist filled doors.

"Ivo it's still there," exclaimed Harold.

"No, no, there is a residue of enchantment," the old gnome looked closely at one spot then another within the room, "the magic which trapped the bars is fading as is that which formed the trigger across the floor. Those doors have had their true form revealed, but their power is such that my poor magic could not dispel them."

 "The bars are safe then?" asked Harold.

"Of magic traps," Ivo told him, "I believe yes."

"Good," Harold stepped forward, "I'll check for traps of a more natural kind, needels, levers, gears, and such, you stay back."

Ivo chuckled but obeyed. The gnome moved back beside the ranger and kept a watch on the actions of the thief.

"Look for traps?" asked Little Rat. "Move bars?"

"You go back with them," Harold told him, the young orc surprised him, he hadn't heard Little Rat's approach.

"No," Little Rat said firmly. "You show me, I learn."

"If you are going to stay then you can help me up these bars," said Harold. "Cup your hands, give me a lift up." he showed the orc what he meant, lacing his fingers together and miming how he wanted Little Rat to help.

"Heavy..." grunted Little Rat.

"Hah!" Harold snorted. "And after starving for days now! I'm empty inside. Light as a feather!" Harold moved near to the frame of the door using the stone of the wall to help him climb further up the metal bars. He'd found no sign of traps at the base or along the sides and when he reached the top there was only an open space above where the bars had been hidden before falling into place. "It looks clear," Harold said after climbing back down.

"Harald, see if you can lift it. I think it just slides back up."

"Now I wish we'd brought Ghibelline along," the ranger said. The big man bent and braced himself, then strained at the iron bars. Inch by inch he raised them, they moved smoothly but their weight was very great.

"We need to brace them," said Ivo.

"Harald, hold them, I have to climb your back," the thief called out. Harold grabbed the ranger's belt and scrambled up till he was balanced on a broad shoulder.

"Watch my arm," said Harald. "And hurry, I can't hold this long." 

***

The spike whirred into the wall, the ancient stone seemed to cry out in protest but the power of the metal's enchantment proved stronger than that of the gateway. Harald relaxed and let the gate slide down, it caught against the enchanted spike and much to the ranger's relief, it held.

"Remind me," Harold said to them all, "I don't want to leave that spike behind."

"I remind," spoke up Little Rat.

"Good," Harold nodded then looked over at Ivo. "You remind too."

"I remind, I remind," Ivo said imitating the small orc, "now let us worry about what still lies ahead."

"I don't like these doors," said Harold the first to step under the gate and into the room.

"Magic portals," Ivo offered.

"I like that even less," mumbled Harold.

The ranger was the last to step inside. He nudged a strand of silver which had sprung from the floor and eyed the axe head which lay before the portal that swirled with brown smokey tendrils. With his fingers almost brushing the broken haft he stopped and made a clicking sound with his tongue.

"Harold... Ivo, do you think this is trapped?"

The halfling gave a derisive laugh.

"Who knows in this place, but better to check and be cautious."

"Which portal did Talberth go through?" asked Ivo.

"This one," Harold pointed to the gateway in the middle that was directly opposite the corridor. "That is the one," Harold said glancing over his shoulder.

"Ivo, this axe head, did it appear enchanted?"

Ivo pondered the question as he stood before the central portal. He'd picked up a chip of stone from the floor and rolled it in his hand. "Yes, but is it trapped? As you say Harold, better to be cautious."

"Leave it alone," Harold said to the ranger. "That means you as well," he turned to Little Rat.

"No touch," the orc held up his hands and shrugged.

With a flick of his hand Ivo tossed the chip of stone into the swirling mist. It passed through the unseen barrier which kept the mist in place and sank into the cloudy depth disappearing almost at once. The stone disturbed the swirling pattern slightly but only for a moment and then the mist was flowing in unbroken curls again. Ivo breathed in deeply, the gnome considered what he'd seen then drew a knife. The blade touched the mist, he pushed in further, there was no resistance, but his fingers upon the hilt tingled. Frost covered the steel it steamed in the warmer air.

"Ivo," said Harold, "not much in this room. I did break off a bit of this silver wire. It is not pure, some alloy, I had to use my knife to cut it free."

"Good," Ivo took the wire from Harold. "I was going to try throwing my dagger through the portal, with a string attached of course, but this will be easier."

"Isn't the wire enchanted?" asked Harold.

"So is my dagger," Ivo smiled, "I'd rather risk the wire."

"I can see why. You tried your dagger already." Harold had kept an eye on the steaming blade. The frost was gone but it had left a wet sheen on the steel.

"Cold," Ivo wiped the moisture from the sides then resheathed his knife. "That mist is cold; perhaps it is cold in the room beyond."

"If Talberth went through there," the ranger nodded to the way before them, "then we will have to follow."

"Yes, but with caution, Harald," Ivo told him.

The wire went through the mist, one foot, then a second, the thief had broken off a four foot length and Ivo pushed all but the last half foot through to the other side. 

***