Narg and the Necromancer

Castle Hell

“We need to know more about this place,” Narg said. “We’ll never find the Key Stone if we blunder about blindly. Shogun! Prepare your magics! Gorgus, stand over there.” He pointed to a niche in the wall big enough to hide the cleric. “If needed you can come at it from behind.”

They waited as the slithering sound became louder. Narg held Bloodletter ready. Shogun muttered magical words under his breath.

Slowly, very slowly, a huge shape emerged from the corridor. The head was three times the size of a human head, and was hideously de-formed. Lank black hair hung over one half of the face, covering a glassy white eye. The other eye, the size of a small plate, gleamed yellow and was slitted like a cat's. A small, insignificant nose protruded out over a grossly distorted mouth and a forked tongue darted in and out of swollen blood red lips.

After the head, the rest was almost a relief. A giant snake’s body slithered behind, half as tall as a man and long enough to disappear into the darkness. Dark brown scales oozed with slime, some of them appeared diseased and hung off.

The monstrous snake thing’s good eye widened when it saw Narg and Shogun standing in the hall. It stopped momentarily and hissed a long hiss of surprise.

“Whhhhaatt haaave weeee heeere?” It darted forward slightly then jerked back as Narg jabbed Bloodletter it its direction.

“Iiiiit hassss beeen a looong tiime siiince foooood waaalked innnn onnn itsssss own. Ssssuch enthusssssiassssssm’

“What are you creature? And what is this place?” asked Narg sternly.

“Sssssssssssss!” The snake creature’s head darted side to side in surprise. “Ssssss. Fooood thaaat issssss losssst. Sssss. I am Bob, or oncccce wassss a longgg time ago. Thissssss, little mortal, issss the casssstle of Hellsssss.” It seemed amused. “What sssshall I sssstart with? Ahhhhh yessss, the aaaaappetizer!”

“Narg! Beware it…” Gorgus started to shout. Too late! From the right Bob’s long tale darted in and wrapped around Narg’s feet, dragging him off to one side and brutally smashing him against the wall. Meanwhile the snake opened its mouth to reveal a huge gaping maw and struck forward with amazing speed to consume Shogun whole.

Narg just about heard Shogun’s muffled screaming as the snake creature swung its head up to assist in the swallowing of the halfling.

Gorgus ran forward and managed to get a swing in with his mace, contacting the snake’s white eye before being knocked down by a hard blow as it swung its neck.

“Rrrrrrrrrr!” said Bob, its mouth still full of Shogun, whose feet were sticking out and wiggling frantically.

Narg, still held upside down, and stunned by the force of the blow against the wall, shook his head and swung Bloodletter one handedly as hard as he could. The sword bit deep into the tail of the creature, cutting it nearly in half and causing it to loose Narg, who fell to the floor awkwardly.

The Bob-snake shook its head, and Shogun’s feet slowly disappeared into its mouth, still wiggling. Gorgus ran at it again, but the snake reared up out of reach and his mace whistled through empty air.

In the meantime Narg had taken the advantage of the distraction and climbed onto the creature’s broad back, running with the skill of a circus performer up towards the head. Bob saw Narg approaching and swung around to meet him, mouth wide. The bulge of Shogun in the neck area hampered his movement though, and he was not fast enough to avoid Bloodletter’s s***h, which cut across its face and sliced into Bob’s one good eye.

“SSSSSSSrg,” the creature shrieked in pain and fury, convulsing and throwing Narg clear. He did a neat somersault in the air and landed in fighting pose on the ground once again.

Gorgus joined Narg in front of the blinded snake. The lump of Shogun was slowly moving down Bob’s body. With a couple of quick hand movements Narg indicated Gorgus should attack head on again. Gorgus nodded and moved in, getting in a good blow to the head with his mace. Bob was lighting fast though, and even blinded he struck forward and caught Gorgus by the arm, trapping it and the mace in his giant mouth. Gorgus beat at the grotesque face with his spare fist, to no avail.

Meanwhile Narg ran down halfway along Bob’s body and, taking a firm two handed grip on Bloodletter, brought it down with all his strength. Bloodletter bit deep and vile juices spurted forth, splattering Narg and the room with yellow gunk.

Seeing what Narg was doing, Gorgus now hung tight onto Bob’s head, nullifying the enormous mouth, though Bob shook violently, trying to dislodge the cleric. The holy man held on though, giving Narg time to once again swing and cut Bob nearly in half with Bloodletter. More yellow blood flowed, and Narg nearly slipped on the slick floor.

Bob went crazy, smashing his face against the wall and finally knocking Gorgus loose. However, it was too late, Narg had time to swing again, cleaving the enormous body clean in two.

Bob went rigid, then into mad spasms which eventually slowed, and died, leaving Narg knee deep in gunk. Putting Bloodletter on the ground Narg, grimacing with distaste, reached up into Bob’s upper body and groped around until he found what he was looking for. He grabbed hold and pulled hard. Shogun, covered with yellow slime, popped forth and landed on the floor like a newly born, yet over-ripe, banana.

Narg prodded the inert body with his toe, and it suddenly sat up and began violently coughing and throwing up.

“AAAAAARRGGG!” Shogun shouted once he had stopped spewing. “I was eaten!!!”

Narg was wiping Bloodletter clean. He looked around and saw Gorgus slowly climbing to his feet. He nodded his head to indicate he was okay, though they were all battered.

Narg leaned on his sword, trying to regain his breath. “So much for Bob,” he said.

“Well done,” said Bloodletter. “Though I have one little question.”

“What is that sword?” Narg answered.

“What are you going to do about the rest of them?”

The group whipped their heads around as one, as at least five more snake-creatures began to slither into the room from the same corridor as Bob.

“Run!” shouted Narg, who was never one to engage in useless heroics. “Up the stairs!” He led the way up the giant staircase.

Gorgus and Shogun, moving remarkably quickly for a regurgitated appetizer, were hot on his heels.

Narg leapt the stairs four at a time as Bob’s cousins slid into the hall. Fortunately their attention was distracted by Bob’s carcass, and within minutes they were fighting each other over the remains. Loud crunching sounds could be heard as they bit in to the body.

The top of the stairs led to a winding corridor. A large pair of doors were straight ahead, smaller doors could be seen off to the west and the east.

“This way!” said Shogun, running to the west, shedding yellow slime as he went.

Narg could see no reason to disagree. The smaller door may prove to be difficult for the snake creatures to get through he reasoned, so he followed the small wizard down the hallway. Reaching the door, which proved to be a plain wooden model, the three burst on through, heedless of what could be on the other side.

Narg waited until Gorgus was through and then slammed the door shut behind them.

They paused, panting in the long corridor beyond. They were all were battered. Narg’s ribs didn’t feel so good after being smashed against the wall, Gorgus’s arm was injured and he had lost his mace. Ironically Shogun was probably in the best condition after being eaten alive.

Narg surveyed the corridor. It was made from dark stone with more portraits lining the walls. A single closed door could be seen at the other end.

He looked back at his colleagues. “Gorgus, how’s the arm?”

Gorgus looked grim, but he moved the injured appendage. “It needs treatment, but I suggest we put more space between us and those snake creatures before I heal anything.” He paused. “I lost my mace in the creatures’ mouth.”

“Do you need a weapon?” asked Narg.

Gorgus shook his head and reached into his backpack with his uninjured arm to pull out a stout club. “This will do until I can find something better.” He swung the thing experimentally.

“As you say,” said Narg. He gestured up the hallway. “Let’s go. Watch for traps.”

He set off again, walking slowly up towards the far door. The portraits on the walls revealed themselves to be of an ancient family. Some of them seemed to go back hundreds and hundreds of years, if Narg gauged them right. They all seemed to be of one aristocratic line. Narg assumed they were the original owners of the castle, and couldn’t help but wonder where they were now.

The corridor seemed to get colder as they moved along it. By the time they reached the door they could see their breath in the air. The door itself, a solid looking one made of black wood, was covered with ice. The handle was an elaborate black iron affair. Narg could see no lock.

Checking to see if Gorgus and Shogun were ready he grasped the handle and pushed. The black door resisted, obviously it had not been well used, which was an encouraging sign. Narg used all his strength and, as it slowly yielded, an icy wind blew into them. Snow started to pile up around their feet.

“Have we found a way out?” Shogun muttered. “It can’t be.”

Narg pushed on the door until it finally wedged halfway. The wind was howling now, ice cold and biting, bringing snowflakes in with it. The three retreated from its blast a little way.

“Can’t you cast a spell Wizard?” shouted Narg over the freezing gale.

Shogun nodded and rummaged around in his pack, finally bringing forth a small, thickly bound book. He gestured for Narg and Gorgus to close in and then, after consulting the book for a few minutes, chanted a short spell.

Immediately Narg felt better. The wind still blew and the snow was starting to drift, but he felt as warm as he would be in a cosy bed with a willing wench or two.

“Nice work Short-stuff. How long will it last?”

Shogun looked at him for a moment, and then shook his head to himself. “It will last about an hour.”

“Right then, let’s see what this winter wonderland is,” Narg said, and squeezed through the half open door.