The Tomb of the Dark Paladin (42 page)

C H A P T E R

E I G H T E E N

~

"Push the door open!" came a voice in the darkness, echoing eerily in the underground environment. Carym whirled around brandishing the Sword of the First Paladin,
enflamed
with the power of his magic, ready to face his attacker. He was angry that he had allowed himself to be surprised in this dangerous place.

"Who's there?" he demanded. Footsteps echoed in the darkness, heralding the approach of the newcomer. But the newcomer was not alone and a flickering light in the distance revealed that they were farther away than he'd thought. There was nowhere to go and no way to get past the steadily approaching figures. His heart raced, adrenaline surged through him. The stones of power were in his pockets and he knew he could funnel their tremendous power into himself, but the risk of so many Sigilstones together was great.

Waves of dark energy flowed from the approaching group, Carym sensed the Shadowstone was becoming agitated in response. The dark stone called to him in its seductive and powerful way, attempting to intoxicate his mind with the pleasure of its sinister magic. Carym resisted, he could ill afford the dulling effect that dark power had on his mind. Five figures approached him in the flickering light of the tunnel. Carym sent the glowing ball of light toward the roof in order to see better. A woman in a black robe with a cassock and a plethora of silvery charms and adornments led the way. Beside her was a familiar figure. Behind them were three large-framed figures, warriors he surmised. The set of the shoulders and manner of gait of the man in front struck a chord within him, stirring a powerful reaction.

Zach. Here?

He fought hard to keep the back guilt he felt for the manner in which he and his old friend had parted ways, there could be no mistaking that this was Zach. And the woman with him was clearly powerful in the Shadowtide; he fervently hoped she could not sense it the presence of the stones upon him. The three standing behind were hurkin warriors, heavily armed and eager to fight by their expressions.

"Why don't you put that lovely sword away and let us through?" purred the woman soothingly. "I promise I won't hurt your friend."

She seems so sincere,
 he thought mildly. Her eyes were mesmerizing and Carym could sense no harm in her. He realized velvety tendrils of the Shadow Sigil were delving into his mind. He forced the woman's magic from his mind, she chuckled in response. He began to understand the depth of her power. He scowled and raised the mighty sword to a fighting position.

"Put the sword down," she said patronizing. "Surely, you wouldn't risk you friend's life?" Even in the awkward light from his spell he could see the woman bat her eyes at him. She had cast a 
charm
 spell he realized with anger. But the spell failed. Carym made no move from his protective stance in front of the door. Zach looked pleadingly at him, silently asking him to bargain with dark robed woman. Carym knew it was all a ruse. But where did Zach stand now? 
On the wrong side
, he thought bitterly with a meaningful glare at Zach. It was not so long ago when Zach would have selflessly risked himself for the greater good of a worthy cause. Despite deep-seated pangs of regret and loss, Carym would not let this turn of events sway his determination. Even Zach's defection would not deter Carym.

"Zach is not your prisoner, witch," said Carym, grimly. "He abandoned the light, abandoned me. How did you get in here?"

"I followed you, fool! Do you think you are the only one who commands Sigils?" the woman snickered. "Really, you should be much more careful when the weight of the world rests on your shoulders!" The big hurkin warriors looked on eagerly, blades in hand and ready to fight.

"Balzath," he said derisively.

"Yes, you've heard of me," she drawled. Waves of uncertainty assaulted Carym, beginning to resonate within him. Carym resisted the mental assault and called on a simple
charm
of his own, one that drew its power from the Spirit Sigil and created an invisible mental buffer between himself and his foes. Was this woman truly a Sigilist? "I have seen your type before, Carym, for I am eternal. Your time is fleeting, while mine is everlasting. You are nothing but a weed that will be plucked and discarded when his usefulness is done. Don't you desire more, Carym? Don't you want to master the most powerful of the Sigils and live forever?"

"No," he said. Though his tone was confident, he was anything but. The sweet taste of the power of the Shadow was fresh in his mind and it urged him to take the woman's offer.

"Ohhh?" she said sweetly, seductively. "Really? I know all about you, Carym. I know you have used the Shadow Sigil and you enjoyed its power!

"You see? You are already tainted, ruined. Zuhr will have nothing to do with you now. Why waste your unrequited love on him when you could be lavished with power and riches beyond your imagination?"

The more she spoke the harder it was to resist. He wondered if what she said were true. Had had used the black power of the Shadow Sigil, the magic that Zuhr himself forbade. He had done it more than once and he had developed a fondness for it. Was she right? Would Zuhr reject him now and send him to Hades for eternity? His heart leaped in his chest as the implications began to sink in; eternity was a very long time. Balzath lowered her hood and Carym gazed at her large eyes and raven tresses. He turned his eyes away, for the woman's attempts to
charm
him were relentless.

"What happened to you Zach?" demanded Carym, turning his attention to his friend. "I worried about you when you left. We all did."

"Bah," he scoffed angrily. "You wanted me gone, you couldn't stand to be near me anymore. My power was a distraction to you all, but it has driven me to new heights. You will come to regret forcing me out!"

"Forced? You went off on your own in Lordsdeep and you never truly came back. You left us when we needed you! How could you do that?"

Zach scowled, his face ripe with anger. He seemed about to say more but the woman waved him off.

"Enough of your little spat," quipped the woman. Then with a nod to her soldiers, she said, "Take him!"

Carym did not relish the thought of a fight with two armed hurkin warriors, but that Balzath chose to use her soldiers to apprehend him instead of her magic was encouraging. It meant that she wasn't entirely confident she could beat him in a magical duel.

"It is useless to fight, Carym," offered Zach as the warriors approached. Carym thought that there was a slight tone of compassion mixed into his angry tone. "She is too powerful for you and the hurkin will tear you to pieces. Let her pass!" Carym was amazed that his friend seemed to care enough to warn him. Perhaps that was a trick too. Angrily, Carym dismissed his friend's warning and focused on the now advancing threat. Two of the three hurkin soldiers approached, he braced himself for a fight. He vowed not to let anyone pass as long as he had breath in his lungs.

The onslaught was fast and furious. The hurkin warriors exploded in a blur of steel as they pressed Carym. He defended the furious attacks with skill. The shield served him well and prevented the attackers from striking him. The narrow passageway prevented his foes from flanking him but had the undesired effect of focusing their efforts. Then, suddenly it seemed, the hurkin appeared to be wearing down. Every time one of his foes delivered a blow that struck the ancient shield, an equal force was delivered in reverse. One of the hurkin found that after striking the shield his sword and arm were flung backward and his blade shattered against the rock of the tunnel walls. And when Carym rammed him with his shield, the hurkin flew backwards down the passageway. The second hurkin closed in to replace his partner, but Carym had more room to fight now. After a few exchanges, he managed to sever the hurkin's head from his neck. The bodies of the hurkin lying on the ground reminded him of the awesome power held within these hallowed weapons.

Drunk with power, his thoughts turned briefly to Zach and he thought he saw the other man smirk at him derisively. He wanted to charge him, strike him down for his insolence, but fought back his rising anger.
Insolence?
he asked himself in amazement. Since when was he full of such hubris to condemn someone else for insolence? There was no doubt in his mind that the Shadowstone was working against him, trying to pit him against Zach and make him succumb to the witch.

"Fool! You will not so easily defeat me!" the witch's mad laughter echoed wickedly in the dark. The passageway was illuminated by a brilliant and blinding light, clearly the witch's bidding. Carym ducked behind his shield and felt something smash into the ancient artifact. It momentarily stunned him, he was able to shake it off and force himself forward.

"Ahh, you carry the shield of the Dark Paladin! Do you feel its power, great warrior?" she asked soothingly. "It calls to you doesn't it? That power could be yours! Powerful weapons for a powerful warrior like you. The key to your future is in your own hands! All the power in the world could be yours, just as it was his. Think of the good that you could do with all that power!"

Carym could sense the intense power coursing through the blade and the shield. It was intoxicating, not unlike the feeling of the power focused by the Sigilstones. She was trying to convince him to embrace the Shadow and doing a good job of it. Between her persuasiveness and the influence of the mighty stone in his pocket, he found his resolve weakening. Her words made sense, he would be an incredible force for good in the world. Perhaps he could convince Zach to change his ways, to convince the dark wizards to abandon evil. And if any refused him, he would kill them!

"You feel it don't you?" she said softly, seductively, as she walked closer to him.

"Let her pass, Carym!" urged Zach, holding the dagger he'd found in Lordsdeep. The beady eyes of the skull which adorned the dagger's hilt seemed to glare at Carym hungrily.

Carym locked his gaze with Zach, each eying the other warily; each feeling the intoxicating power of their weapons, but resisting the urge to fight.

"Join us!" the witch said again, closer now. He was tempted. He was having a hard time concentrating under the simultaneous mental assault from the witch and the Shadowstone.

"Zach, how could you walk with these fiends?"

"You've chosen your path and I've chosen mine!" Zach snarled, fingering his magical dagger. Carym saw the maniacal look in Zach's eyes. "Save your compassion for your friends."

"You took it, didn't you?" Carym demanded angrily. "You took the box!"

Zach smiled but said nothing.

"We were friends, Zach! We were brothers! How could you?"

"That friendship ended long ago, Carym. Only you failed to see it. I grew wiser in the ways of the world when I joined the Spiders. I knew you would never understand."

"Is she your master now?" he asked with scorn. "One of Umber's foul demon spawn? What did they promise you?"

"I am Balzath," the woman chuckled evilly. "And that is all you need know, handsome. Why don't you come over here? We can get to know each other better. I'm sure we would make great friends!"

The hint of her eyes in the flickering light touched him deeply. He found it hard to take his eyes off her and even harder to think of anything, or anyone, else. The witch spoke and Carym felt like he had been struck with a giant war hammer. He fell hard, lying on the floor beside the headless hurkin and struggling to find his breath. Groaning, Carym struggled to move, to get back to his feet. Balzath and the remaining hurkin sauntered past him and into the chamber; toward the Everpool!

I've failed you, Zuhr. I let her into your sacred chamber, he thought miserably. How can I stop her now? What hope is there left?

Zach lingered near Carym with a dark look in his eye, fingering his dagger. He planted a booted foot on Carym's chest forcing him to stay down. His face twitched, his features now seemed conflicted and somehow alien to Carym. It was like the fires of Hell were burning within the man's soul, illuminating his eyes with hatred and rage. The skin over his face had become drawn and tight, Carym wondered what evil powers were at work. Then Zach's face took on a questioning look.

"You should kill it," he whispered. Then his expression changed completely. "NO!"

"Yes," Zach whispered to himself.

"No, not him!" Zach shouted in answer to himself, his face looking truly anguished. Zach muttered to himself for a few more moments, unintelligibly. Finally the confusion left his eyes and he seemed in control of himself again. He stepped away from Carym and thrust his dagger into his coat and walked away.