Burials

Burials

An unearthly scream echoed through the cave as the water elemental's bond faded from the world.

Urfengar quickly glanced over each of his companions, assessing their health. No one looked to be on the verge of death, so he took a long pull on his hip flask and sat on his haunches, looking around the room.

"What's our next move?" the half-elven wizardess Azreal asked him quietly.

"I dinnae ken. We cannae stay here, but it's obvious we're no wanted doon below."

Nalathiesor stepped from the shadows, murmuring "And since when has that stopped us?" He glanced respectfully at Azrael. "How are you doing on spells?"

"I've more than enough destruction left in me to bring this cave down around our ears." she grinned wickedly.

"I'd really appreciate it if you'd hold off on that until we're done with the task we've come to perform." called Kitya as she climbed out of the underwater lake.

Azrael looked at Urfengar and rolled her eyes, mouthing "Druids." Urfengar grinned and took another swig of ale. Suddenly, he glanced around. Something was missing...suddenly, it struck him.

"Anyone seen the halfling?"

Kitya looked stricken as she realized: Max was gone.

---

Max felt panic creeping into his throat. All he could see was water, and his chest was beginning to ache. He picked the direction that seemed to be "up", and swam with all his strength, mentally going over the mantra "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."

Just as the red at the edges of his vision began to cloud his eyes, he saw light, and then he was out, gasping for everything he was worth, filling his lungs with sweet air. He paddled towards the edge of the lake, despair filling him as he realized this was not the way he'd come in -- there was no sign of the rest of his party. Max was alone.

---

Kitya scrambled back into the water, searching frantically for any sign of Max. Urfengar joined her while Nalathisor and Azrael focused their search deeper into the cavern, listening and watching for any signs of life.

"He was just here, Urf. Where could he have gone?"

"It'll be all right, lass. We'll find him. We'll no stop looking until we do." Urfengar made his way along the cave wall that edged the lake. Suddenly, he stopped. "Elf! C'mere!" he called out, beckoning.

Nalathisor waded out into the lake until he stood beside Urfangar, stopping in the same spot with a strange look on his face.

"What is it?" Kitya called out.

Urfangar shook his head and held up his hand, signalling for quiet. "Do ye feel that?" he asked Nalathisor quietly.

Nalathisor closed his eyes, training his senses on the world around him. "A shift...a change. Something here is not quite what it seems."

"Aye. The stane's no whole here."

Nalathisor opened his eyes and looked at Urfangar. "An underwater passage? There!" he cried, pointing where a cloud of silt was billowing up from underneath the water. "And by the look of that mess, something just passed through it."

Urfangar began to chuckle and looked over at Kitya. "Ye're brother's one blessed halfling. He's genna be fine. He's gone an found hisself another way in." As Urfangar explained what they had found, Kitya visibly relaxed.