The cursed catacombs, p.14
The Cursed Catacombs, page 14
* * *
SETH’S FIRST FIREBALL SPELL was everything he could have hoped for. Unlike many spells, this one required two hands, each with fingers splayed out as far as he could manage. The word of power was a single, satisfying syllable: “Pir.” The mana cost was substantial, but Seth knew he might not get another chance.
Hoarding mana wouldn’t do him any good if he ended up dead.
A sun-bright flare of light erupted in the heart of the room. Bristleboor was caught in the very epicenter. The old mage was blown off his feet, ribbons of flame trailing after him from his smoldering robes.
Seth, from behind his splayed fingers, could feel the sudden blast of heat. He was certain his eyebrows were singed. But he was otherwise unharmed. The imp, likewise, appeared undamaged.
“Whew! Now that was a spell,” said the imp. “And I know an opening when I see one.”
Go to 200.
* * *
SETH’S FIRST SHROUD SPELL MADE him feel untouchable. The sign involved drawing one hand across his face as he spoke a word of power: “Argys.” His mana reserves gutted, but unusually, that didn’t leave him tired. The spell itself was invigorating, as if a mantle of crackling energy from some higher plane had settled on his shoulders.
“That won’t help you,” said Bristleboor, and he made a sign of his own—aggressive and quick. It was almost certainly an attack spell.
Before he could even finish casting, however, the energy around Seth flared and crackled, lashing out in retaliation. In a flash of multicolored light, Bristleboor was knocked right off his feet. He bellowed in surprise on the way down.
“I knew you had it in you, Sethy!” said Calivore. “Now watch this.”
Go to 200.
* * *
SETH LOCKED EYES WITH BRISTLEBOOR, laced the fingers of both hands together, and spoke the word of power with authority: “Tet.”
The effect was instantaneous. Seth felt a rush of energy, so potent it made his toes tingle inside his boots.
That energy had come from Bristleboor. The old wizard gasped as if struck. He clutched his chest and dropped to his knee. “You…you knave,” he said, wheezing. “You’re no better than a common thief.”
“He’s way better than a common thief,” said Calivore. “A thief woulda taken your priceless tomes or your weird reagents. But Seth here just took the only thing of real value in this whole place: your power.”
Bristleboor looked up at them, fury in his eyes. His glamour wavered; Seth saw the true corpselike visage behind the illusion of nose and lips.
As frightening as Bristleboor appeared, Seth knew he’d dealt the wizard a critical blow.
Go to 200.
* * *
IT DIDN’T TAKE MUCH TO get a spell wrong. The unintentional crook of a finger…a slight elongation of a vowel…
Seth wasn’t totally sure what he did wrong. All he knew was that the spell did not have its intended effect.
It did something, though. Bristleboor stumbled back, wincing, shielding himself from some invisible force.
“Imp magic?” he said, almost growling, and Seth saw the edge of the wizard’s beard was singed. “I suppose you’ve been doing some extracurricular study, eh, apprentice?” The wizard Bristleboor arranged his spindly fingers in a sign and spoke a syllable of power, the sound of which sent a shiver down Seth’s spine.
This time, he knew, Calivore wouldn’t be able to save him.
Do you have the cold iron coin? If so, go to 144. If not…gulp. 145 it is.
* * *
AT BRISTLEBOOR’S COMMAND, CONCENTRIC RINGS of luminous force radiated toward his wayward apprentice. Seth threw his hands up in defense, as if flesh and blood and scale could do anything to divert a spell of sheer mystical malignance. He knew better than to expect Bristleboor to show him mercy.
And yet, the spell passed harmlessly through Seth. It was nothing but color and light…and a sudden chill, emanating from Seth’s pocket.
“The coin,” he said, gasping. “From the shade! It protected me somehow.”
“And here I thought it was a cheap tip,” said Calivore, a purring playfulness to his voice. “But that’s just turned the tide in our favor, Sethy.”
Judging from the uncommon fear in Bristleboor’s eyes, the old wizard agreed.
Go to 200.
* * *
AT BRISTLEBOOR’S COMMAND, CONCENTRIC RINGS of luminous force radiated toward Seth. He threw his hands up in defense, as if flesh and blood and scale could do anything to divert a spell of sheer mystical malignance.
It was no use. Bristleboor’s magic was too potent…and the man himself too merciless.
Go to 111.
* * *
SETH CURLED HIS FINGERS UP into a fist. He tucked his thumb to the side, the way Roe had taught him.
Bristleboor could reshape the building blocks of reality at a whim. He could cheat death with a rage that defied the grave’s inexorable pull. But could the wizard take a punch?
Seth let his fist fly. It struck the side of Bristleboor’s head with a satisfying smack. The old curmudgeon reeled back in pain and surprise. Worth it, Seth thought to himself. Whatever happens next…that was worth it.
Bristleboor would put that to the test. He recovered his wits—and his footing—sooner than Seth had hoped. If he was honest, Seth had expected the wizard to be more vulnerable to physical attack. For an ancient reanimated corpse, he was sturdy.
“Traitor!” cried Bristleboor. Spittle flew from his mouth in his fury. “Faithless cur! You would strike me? After all I’ve taught you?”
“I only wish you’d taught me how to strike harder!” said Seth. He massaged his aching knuckles.
“That is not the regret you should be dwelling upon,” growled Bristleboor. “But as final words go, they’ll have to do.”
He made the opening gestures of a sign Seth didn’t recognize and spoke a word of power that filled the room with a static charge. It felt as if the air itself were ready to combust at Bristleboor’s command.
Whatever spell the old wizard was casting, Seth knew he was the target.
Do you have the cold iron coin? If yes, go to 157. If not, go to 158.
* * *
SETH CURLED HIS FINGERS UP into a fist. Bristleboor could reshape the building blocks of reality at a whim. He could cheat death with a rage that defied the grave’s inexorable pull. But could the wizard take a punch?
Seth let his fist fly. But he’d forgotten to tuck his thumb in as Roe had taught him. He glanced the side of Bristleboor’s head, and the old curmudgeon reeled back—more in surprise than pain, but Seth still found the sight satisfying.
But the attack had brought him into Bristleboor’s range, and, unthinking, the wizard lashed out to retaliate with a fist of his own.
Do you have the bone shard? Go to 149.
If not, but you do have the amber talisman, go to 150.
Otherwise, go to 151.
* * *
SETH SLAMMED HIS HANDS TOGETHER and forced air between his teeth in a great gust—a perfect cast of Psychokinesis.
Bristleboor, already laid low by the Siphon, had no defense prepared. He was slammed to the ground with such force that the entire room shuddered; stacks of books toppled over, and dust rained down from the rafters.
Seth’s heart soared at the sight. He began to think this battle might not be quite so dire as he feared.
But then Bristleboor regained his feet. Rage contorted his features into a truly monstrous visage. He made the opening gestures of a sign Seth didn’t recognize and spoke a word of power that filled the room with a static charge. It felt as if the air itself were ready to combust at Bristleboor’s command.
Whatever spell the old wizard was casting, Seth knew he was the target.
Do you have the cold iron coin? If yes, go to 157. If not, go to 158.
* * *
SETH WAS SURPRISED TO SEE the learned mage react physically.
He was even more surprised when Bristleboor stopped himself.
As Seth braced for the retaliatory punch, a strange change came over Bristleboor. His hand had been raised in a fist, but now he lowered it, unclenching his fingers. His eyes had been narrowed with malice; now they were clouded with confusion.
“I…I can’t,” said Bristleboor. All the fire and contempt were gone from his voice; he sounded suddenly ancient and small. “I can’t bring myself to hit you.”
Seth had never been so confused in his entire life. Was this some kind of trick? He took a few steps back, just in case.
“Oh-ho-ho!” Calivore chortled. “I know what’s happening. It’s the shard!”
“The shard?” said Seth. “You mean from the skeleton?”
“Yeah! It’s got the necromantic control rune on it, remember? And being dead…Bristleboor’s susceptible.”
“How dare you,” said Bristleboor. The fire had returned to his eyes, but his arms remained limp at his sides. “You’ll rue this betrayal, apprentice. In the brief moments of life that remain to you.”
“B-but I didn’t mean it!” Seth said. “It was an accident!”
“That punch didn’t look like an accident,” said the imp. “Looked pretty satisfying, though.”
“No more will I suffer these petty indignities,” said Bristleboor. Either he was already regaining control of his body, or else the shard only prevented him from making a physical attack. He had lifted his hands once more and was making the opening gestures of a sign Seth didn’t recognize. He spoke a word of power that filled the room with a static charge. It felt as if the air itself were ready to combust at Bristleboor’s command.
Whatever spell the old wizard was casting, Seth knew he was the target.
The sigil is out of power, so remove the bone shard from your inventory. After that, go to 157 if you have the cold iron coin, or 158 if you don’t.
* * *
SETH HADN’T EXPECTED BRISTLEBOOR TO hit him back. The mage had never seemed especially physical. But Seth’s attack must have gotten under the old goat’s papery skin.
In any case, the wizard’s punch was entirely ineffectual. It glanced off Seth’s face as if Bristleboor’s fist weighed no more than a raindrop.
Seth did, however, feel something in his pocket break.
“The amber talisman,” Bristleboor said darkly. “I knew I’d regret giving it to you.”
“Too bad it can only take one hit,” said the imp. “Would have made a nice memento of the day we beat you into tar.”
“Tar, is it?” Bristleboor grinned wickedly. “That puts me in mind of a particularly nasty spell.”
The wizard had evidently remembered that he had better tools at his disposal than his fists. As Seth took a few faltering steps back, Bristleboor made the opening gestures of a sign Seth didn’t recognize and spoke a word of power that filled the room with a static charge. It felt as if the air itself were ready to combust at Bristleboor’s command.
Whatever spell the old wizard was casting, Seth knew he was the target.
Remove the amber talisman from your inventory. Then go to 157 if you have the cold iron coin, or 158 if you don’t.
* * *
BRISTLEBOOR’S PUNCH CAUGHT SETH BY surprise. He’d never seen the wizard resort to a physical attack before. Still, Seth thought maybe he’d lucked out. He could take a punch better than he could take a fireball to the face.
And Bristleboor’s punch was particularly weak. Now that Seth knew the truth, it was easy to see that his mentor was as much corpse as man, with atrophied muscles and frail bones.
“Is that the best you got?” taunted the imp.
Bristleboor’s brow furrowed. “No,” he said. “It’s not.” And, stepping back out of Seth’s reach, the wizard made the opening gesture of a sign Seth didn’t recognize and spoke a word of power that filled the room with a static charge. It felt as if the air itself were ready to combust at Bristleboor’s command.
“Thanks a lot,” Seth told the imp.
Whatever spell the old wizard was casting, Seth knew he was the target.
Lose 1 Health Point for that hit, then go to 157 if you have the cold iron coin, or 158 if you don’t.
* * *
SETH CURLED HIS FINGERS UP into a fist. He tucked his thumb to the side, the way Roe had taught him.
Bristleboor could reshape the building blocks of reality at a whim. He could cheat death with a rage that defied the grave’s inexorable pull. But could the wizard take a punch?
Seth let his fist fly. It struck the side of Bristleboor’s head with a satisfying smack. The old curmudgeon reeled back in pain and surprise. Worth it, Seth thought to himself. Whatever happens next…that was worth it.
Bristleboor would put that to the test. He recovered his wits—and his footing—sooner than Seth had hoped. If he was honest, Seth had expected the wizard to be more vulnerable to physical attack. For an ancient reanimated corpse, he was sturdy.
“Traitor!” cried Bristleboor. Spittle flew from his mouth in his fury. “Faithless cur! You would strike me? After all I’ve taught you?”
“I only wish you’d taught me how to strike harder!” said Seth. He massaged his aching knuckles.
“That is not the regret you should be dwelling upon,” growled Bristleboor. “But as final words go, they’ll have to do.”
He made the opening gestures of a sign Seth didn’t recognize and spoke a word of power that filled the room with a static charge. It felt as if the air itself were ready to combust at Bristleboor’s command.
Whatever spell the old wizard was casting, Seth knew he was the target.
Do you have the cold iron coin? If yes, go to 157. If not, go to 159.
* * *
SETH CURLED HIS FINGERS UP into a fist. Bristleboor could reshape the building blocks of reality at a whim. He could cheat death with a rage that defied the grave’s inexorable pull. But could the wizard take a punch?
Seth let his fist fly. But he’d forgotten to tuck his thumb in as Roe had taught him. He glanced the side of Bristleboor’s head, and the old curmudgeon reeled back—more in surprise than pain, but Seth still found the sight satisfying.
But the attack had brought him into Bristleboor’s range, and, unthinking, the wizard lashed out to retaliate with a fist of his own.
Do you have the bone shard? Go to 154.
If not, but you do have the amber talisman, go to 155.
Otherwise, go to 156.
* * *
SETH WAS SURPRISED TO SEE the learned mage react physically.
He was even more surprised when Bristleboor stopped himself.
As Seth braced for the retaliatory punch, a strange change came over Bristleboor. His hand had been raised in a fist, but now he lowered it, unclenching his fingers. His eyes had been narrowed with malice; now they were clouded with confusion.
“I…I can’t,” said Bristleboor. All the fire and contempt were gone from his voice; he sounded suddenly ancient and small. “I can’t bring myself to hit you.”
Seth had never been so confused in his entire life. Was this some kind of trick? He took a few steps back, just in case.
“Oh-ho-ho!” Calivore chortled. “I know what’s happening. It’s the shard!”
“The shard?” said Seth. “You mean from the skeleton?”
“Yeah! It’s got the necromantic control rune on it, remember? And being dead…Bristleboor’s susceptible.”
“How dare you,” said Bristleboor. The fire had returned to his eyes, but his arms remained limp at his sides. “You’ll rue this betrayal, apprentice. In the brief moments of life that remain to you.”
“B-but I didn’t mean it!” Seth said. “It was an accident!”
“That punch didn’t look like an accident,” said the imp. “Looked pretty satisfying, though.”
“No more will I suffer these petty indignities,” said Bristleboor. Either he was already regaining control of his body, or else the shard only prevented him from making a physical attack. He had lifted his hands once more and was making the opening gestures of a sign Seth didn’t recognize. He spoke a word of power that filled the room with a static charge. It felt as if the air itself were ready to combust at Bristleboor’s command.
Whatever spell the old wizard was casting, Seth knew he was the target.
The sigil is out of power, so remove the bone shard from your inventory. After that, go to 157 if you have the cold iron coin, or 159 if you don’t.
* * *
SETH HADN’T EXPECTED BRISTLEBOOR TO hit him back. The mage had never seemed especially physical. But Seth’s attack must have gotten under the old goat’s papery skin.
In any case, the wizard’s punch was entirely ineffectual. It glanced off Seth’s face as if Bristleboor’s fist weighed no more than a raindrop.
Seth did, however, feel something in his pocket break.
“The amber talisman,” Bristleboor said darkly. “I knew I’d regret giving it to you.”
“Too bad it can only take one hit,” said the imp. “Would have made a nice memento of the day we beat you into tar.”
“Tar, is it?” Bristleboor grinned wickedly. “That puts me in mind of a particularly nasty spell.”
The wizard had evidently remembered that he had better tools at his disposal than his fists. As Seth took a few faltering steps back, Bristleboor made the opening gestures of a sign Seth didn’t recognize and spoke a word of power that filled the room with a static charge. It felt as if the air itself were ready to combust at Bristleboor’s command.
