[SleepingDragon]: 268.The Staff of Illidon.Chapter Six- Spiders

Chapter Six- Spiders

The crackling of torches and their own light footfalls were the only sounds to be heard as the company backtracked to the main corridor, making their way toward the left wing. Their own shadows played on the rock walls in the torchlight, a macabre dance that conjured images in the mind of things they hoped not to encounter in the darkness of the ruined palace.

The map they had found proved to be fairly accurate. As they rounded a corner, they found a closed wooden door on the left, just as was indicated. If they were reading things correctly, they would find four more such doors along this stretch of the corridor.

William planted himself with back to the wall next to the door, holding the torches. Mari stood ready with an arrow notched on the far side of the corridor. With blade out, Chad turned the iron handle on the door and gave it a heavy shove, stepping back quickly. The door swung slowly, creaking on rusty hinges until it slammed into the stone wall with a loud thud. When it appeared that there was no threat beyond the doorway, Chad took a torch from William and stepped into the room.

The room appeared to be a guestroom or servants quarters, just as William had imagined. There was a broken down bed, an old bureau, and a mirror upon the wall so covered in dust and cobwebs that one could no longer see a reflection in it. A broken stool was in one corner. A pair of spiders scurried away from the torchlight as the company entered the room to examine its contents.

A search of the bureau turned up nothing, aside from clothing so old that it crumbled to the touch. They examined the floor and walls for any signs of trapdoors or other concealed passages. There were none.

“Anyone for a nap?” Chad jested, looking at the broken bed.

“Looks as if you’ve already been here, Chad.” Mari chided. William rolled his eyes.

“There’s nothing to be found here.” He said. “Let’s move on.”

They exited the small chamber, leaving the door open, and moved to the next room. Here, their findings were very similar, except that this time they encountered several more spiders upon entering the room. Having still found nothing of use, they continued to the third door in the corridor.

As Chad opened the door, a very large spider skittered out of the room and leapt upon his chest. It was larger than a rat, perhaps the size of a full-grown raccoon and covered in coarse fur. It immediately reared back and bared its fangs, poised to go for Chad’s throat. An arrow from Mari’s short bow speared it in the abdomen and knocked it upon the floor. Chad quickly hacked it in half with his broadsword.

“They grow things big down here, it seems.” He breathed.

“You’re welcome.” Mari told him facetiously. Chad grinned in her general direction.

They entered the room very cautiously after that. There were no more of the huge spiders, but there were many, many smaller ones. Most of them scurried away from the torchlight, but several jumped at the company and had to be squashed underfoot.

The interesting thing about the room was not the amount of spiders but what lie in its midst. There, under myriad webs and mounds of dust was a block of stone very much like the one they had found in the central hall. It was smaller by far, but still took up much of the room. The company approached it slowly, wary of more spiders, and alert for anything that may be lying on the floor near the stone block.

They spent several moments peeling back layers of spider webs and brushing dust off the stone block, looking for anything that might be a clue to the riddle of the staff. There was no writing or any insets for gemstones upon the rock. Instead, there was a peculiar ring, larger than a hand, carved into the stone. In its center it was a perfect circle, but around the edges, it was fluted, being carved deeper at some points than at others.

“That is an odd symbol, wizard.” Chad said. “Any idea what it could be?”

William peered at it intently, refraining from running his fingers over it.

“It would appear that something crown shaped was placed in the stone and removed.” He surmised.

“The crown the riddle spoke of?” Mari asked.

“Yes, I believe so.” William said. “But that is not all. I expect that the crown and the key are one. This is a lock and the crown that the riddle spoke of is indeed the key. Remember, ‘Not only four, a fifth there is’. The riddle did not say six, but five.”

“So we need a crown to open this block of stone?” Chad asked.

“Not only this one.” William replied. “Three others as well if I am correct. And we shall find at least one already open. Recall that we already possess the earth piece.”

“So where do we find a crown in this place?” Mari inquired. “The throne room?”

“Perhaps.” William mused. “But I’m guessing not. This riddle is not so easily solved or it would have been already. Still, let us check when we have finished with this wing.”

The company left the room with the stone then and continued to the next room in the corridor. Here, the spider webs were so thick that they had to cut their way in. A large spider again attacked, this one dropping from the ceiling onto William’s back after the company had managed to enter the room. Chad quickly knocked it off onto the floor before Mari put an arrow into it.

The bed and furniture were wrapped in webs and there were bones that appeared to be human upon the floor. Smaller spiders crawled everywhere. The three comrades did not bother to stay and search the room. They quickly pulled the door shut behind them as they left.

“One room to go.” Chad said. “Any wagers what we will find?”

“Spiders.” Mari predicted. “I suggest we leave the room be. We’ve found what we will in this corridor, I believe.”

“Come now,” Chad chided. “Where is your sense of adventure?”

“I left it in the dungeons of Halidon.” She said flatly. “Wizard, you decide.”

William though about it. Mari was probably right. They would likely only find spider webs and old furniture. The stone block had been in the middle room. Perhaps there was one in the central room of each corridor. Still, he did not want to have to backtrack later if he were wrong.

“Let’s check the room.” He said.

They moved down the corridor in front of the last door. It was indeed the last as there was a solid stone wall blocking them from going any further. All of them breathed deeply in apprehension.

As Chad shoved the door open, they all wished he had not. The room was alive and crawling with the large spiders. There was no way to enter if they had wanted to.

Mari began shooting arrows as fast as she could but several of the huge arachnids burst out of the room despite her efforts. Chad cut several of them apart as they piled into the corridor, but there were many more still. William managed to set two of them aflame with a light fire spell.

“Run!” Chad yelled. “There are too many!”
William, furthest from the door and holding the torches, turned and ran as well as he could back down the corridor. Mari ran close behind, turning to fire arrows at the spiders every few steps. Chad sped behind the two of them, a pair of spiders gaining on him and many more behind them. The arachnids squealed furiously at the intruders, scurrying and leaping over one another in an effort to catch them.

William skidded through an archway on the left that led into the main hall.

“This way! He cried frantically. “Up the stairs!” Mari and Chad came quickly behind, the spiders still on their heels.

They took the steps three at a time, the hairy arachnids crawling swiftly behind them, chattering relentlessly. Some skittered up the curved staircase and some crawled upon the banister railing. William stopped at the top of the steps, letting Mari and Chad past him. He turned about and faced the spiders.

“Aroha Illieth!” he cried loudly, arms in the air. At once, the crawling spiders lost their footing on the staircase and banister and began to float up into the air, harmlessly. They worked their legs frantically to no avail, shrieking and chittering loudly.

“Nice job wizard!” Chad said gleefully. “How long will it last?”

“Long enough for us to make ourselves scarce.” William stated.