Narg and the Necromancer

Ice Queen.

“What do you wish from us then?” asked Narg.

“When I sealed the creatures out of my little arctic circle, I also sealed myself in. To free myself and return the summoned from whence it came I need one of my magical artefacts. It’s a ring, quite plain to look at. Made of gold with a large red stone and runes engraved on the inside. Unfortunately this Ring of Control is back in the castle, in the tallest tower. An area that falls outside my immediate domain.”

“How can we reach it?” asked Narg. “The way we came in, assuming we can find it through your little salad box, is not somewhere we wish to return to.”

“Ah, yes. I assume you ran into a Bob? An unfortunate experiment sadly gone awry. You should be careful of them.”

“What did you do?” Shogun asked.

Herkus sighed. It came out as a whistle through his teeth. “Some time ago I… came across… a poor unfortunate. He was nearly dead, but I managed to stay his demise with magic. Using a complex process I cultured some creatures from his primal matter in an attempt to find a way to fight the ones who now control my home. Unfortunately the resulting creatures were not sufficiently controllable, and I was forced to expel them into the castle. They have survived and even multiplied, and now they vie for control with the demons.

“Demons?” Shogun again.

“Well yes. The Lord I initially summoned has brought forth others to amuse and serve him. The whole place is awash with hell spawn. Didn’t I mention that before?” Seeing their negative response he waggled his bony fingers. “Ahh. After the fifth or sixth century the memory starts to fade.”

“So,” said Narg, “you expect us to somehow find our way back to the castle through the frozen wastes of your refrigerated food store, fight our way through countless demons and Bobs and then steal this ring of yours out from underneath the nose of a Lord of Hell. Is that all?”

“Yes. I will use my powers to try and help you pass through un-molested, as far as I’m able, if you would undertake this small task.”

“If we agree you will fix Stoney’s arm and give us the key?”

“I will fix the short ones’ arm and give you the key when you return. Yes.”

“Wait a moment.” Narg turned to the others and spoke in a low voice. “I say we accept his offer, I don’t see much alternative unless we take him on, and he could be a handful.”

“I refuse to help this creature,” said Gorgus. “It means to do evil, I can feel it. I will not be a party to this.”

Narg sighed. “Gorgus, Gorgus.” He put his arm around the Cleric’s shoulders in a friendly fashion and guided him a little way away from the lich. “Look, I don’t like it any more than you do, but short-stuff here is slowly turning into a garden gnome, and this is the only way to save him that I can see. Saving people is good yes?”

Gorgus thought about things for a moment and then expelled a long breath. “You are right Narg, but I don’t like it, and I don’t trust this Herkus thing.”

Narg laughed a low laugh. “Gorgus, who do you think you are with? I don’t trust him as far as I can spit him! Just leave everything to me.” He waited for Gorgus to nod, and then slapped him on his back. “Good man.” He turned back to Herkus.

“We accept, but you must fix the Halflings’ arm first.”

“Excellent.” Herkus smiled his skull smile. The Lich reached for a spell book on a desk and flipped it open. His skeletal finger moved down a page until he found what he was looking for. “Ahh yes, stone to flesh. Here we are, a simple magic. halfling, hold your arm out and keep still.” He turned to Shogun, who raised his stone limb. The Lich glanced at the book again quickly, and then strode over to the little mage. Holding the stone appendage he uttered magic. There was a brief feeling of power flowing through the air and then it was done.

Shogun flexed he arm again and beamed. “Good as new,” he said.

“Right then,” Narg said. “Herkus, where’s the best way out? Not the door from the main entranceway, it is awash with worm-Bobs.”

The lich gave them directions, as well as some last minute advice about the creatures they may run in to. Finally Narg was satisfied.

“Very well,” he said. “Time to go and kick some demon ass.” He gestured at the stairs, and Shogun and Gorgus started down. Narg looked at the lich one last time. “We’ll be back,” he said, and followed his friends down and out of the tower.

~ * ~

Behind them, the lich watched impartially as they left his prison. After a moment he shuffled over to a crystal orb on a desk, which he tapped with one finger. After a few minutes he tapped it again. Several minutes later he tapped it repeatedly until finally an image of a figure appeared in the orb.

“What?” The figure said, “I’m busy!”

“There are some travellers heading your way. They are on an errand for me, I would not want to see them hindered. Do I make myself clear?”

The figure in the orb crossed its arms. “Since when do I listen to what you say?”

“Do as I command!!” Herkus ordered, his voice echoing with power.

The figure pouted for a moment then nodded. “Okay, they can pass, but I may have some fun with them first…”

The link was cut before Evil Herkus could say anything else. He put a bony finger to where his lips would have been and moved to a chamber hidden behind the throne. Inside the small room a jar as tall as the ceiling, and big enough to hold a person was filled with some sort of clear liquid. Inside, suspended by various wires and tubes, was the figure of a man, though a man without any skin, and quite a few other bits missing as well.

Herkus studied the still living body of his captive. “I need you to control your off-spring in the castle,” he said.

The figure in the jar moved slightly and bubbles rose from the area the mouth used to be.

“I don’t care what you want. No Bob must impede the travellers who just passed through here! Do you understand? If not then I may just decide to do some more ‘work’ on you, more painfully than before, and then you, and all your mentally linked offspring, will suffer. I know they feel what you do, so make sure they understand.”

There was a pause and then some more bubbles.

“Well enough.” Herkus returned to his throne and waited. If these travellers succeeded then he would finally be able to attain his goal! He settled himself down. He had been waiting for centuries already, another day or so would not matter to him.

He sat and smiled…

~ * ~  

Narg and his companions battled though icy winds, freezing snow blasting directly into their faces. The storm was getting worse, and Shogun’s warming spell was starting to wear off.

“If we don’t find the way out soon we will be done for!” shouted Shogun over the gale.

“We must be close, there’s the stone arch the lich told us about,” Narg shouted back. They aimed for the arch, twice as tall as a man and carved with runes now mostly obscured by ice.

Suddenly the wind dropped, cutting out the worst of the cold.

“Verily, I thought we were done for,” Gorgus said, shaking snow from his cape. He looked at the archway. Beyond was an icy tunnel leading down. From the rear of the arch there was no sign of such a tunnel. “It’s some portal, it could go anywhere,” the cleric said, walking all around it.

“Well, there’s no other obvious place to go, so we may as well keep going,” said Narg, and proceeded to do just that. Gorgus and Shogun looked at each other and shrugged, then followed him in.

The tunnel was cold, but not overly so. The walls sparkled as if twinkling fairy light were somehow embedded within.

“b****y fairies,” muttered Shogun when Gorgus mentioned this.

“What’s wrong with fairies?” asked Gorgus.

“Vicious little bastards they are. There was a group of them near the burrow where I grew up, used to cast little spells and curses on the cattle and crops for fun. One day one of our young wandered into their area. He came back turned in-side out.” Shogun shuddered at the memory and Gorgus decided not to comment further.

The tunnel abruptly ended with a door. As they approached, the door swung open to reveal a lithe figure. She was white all over. From her long white hair, down past her white eyes set into her white skinned face, over a silky white dress and down to her bare white feet. She appeared to carry no weapon.

She smiled a (white) smile as she saw the travellers. “So, you come through the Ice Queens’ den do you? What makes you think I will allow such a thing?” She stepped forward, light as a cat.

“We only wish to carry out a small task. We mean you no harm,” Gorgus said.

The Ice Queen glanced at him and Shogun and then looked at Narg. She smiled, not an altogether encouraging sight.

“What is your name handsome warrior?” She slid up to Narg who had been quiet thus far, standing alert but with Bloodletter still sheathed.

“I am Narg, hero of er, hero of…” Narg was struggling to concentrate. The Ice b***h was rubbing up and down against him, her hand exploring various areas within his clothing. He suddenly wasn’t cold, quite the opposite, various parts of him were heating up nicely.

“Why don’t you and your… friends stay and rest in my little place for a while? You look like you could use a rest, the castle is a dangerous place and maybe I can be of…some assistance?” Her hand made a small movement inside Narg’s breeches and he jerked slightly.

“Ahh, er… One moment mistress I need to, ah, ooh, consult my companions…” He slowly disengaged himself from her hold.

Behind him Shogun whispered to Gorgus. “How come he gets all the action? All these bitches are heightist.” Gorgus grunted in agreement.

Narg approached them. “What say you? We could use a rest and some healing before we go on, and she may be able to give us some directions.”

“Aye, and a bit of warmth eh?” said Shogun with an edge to his voice. He puffed his cheeks out for a moment and then went on. “In truth I could use a rest, being swallowed and then turned half to stone in quick succession takes it out of one, and I’m not as young as I used to be. I am not sure about this white woman though. What’s she doing here? Can we trust her not to turn us over to the Bobs or Demons or whatever? What do you think Gorgus?”

“I don’t like it,” said Gorgus, “she…”

“…feels like evil, I know I know,” finished Narg for him. “Mmmm, well I think a rest is in order, for the wizard’s sake. His little legs are tired.”

There was a ‘hmmf’ from behind him, but he paid it no attention and followed the white figure into her chambers. After a short pause Gorgus and Shogun did the same.